Episode 902 Magic Festival (4)
The creation of destiny is the task of the ‘most holy being’.
It is the mission of the ‘Apostle’ to annihilate and subjugate enemies that hinder the task, and it is the duty of the ‘Circulator’ to assist the Apostle.
O you who have been granted eternal repetition by fate.
Fulfill your duties.
For the resurrection of the apostles.
* * *
The Theocracy of Luas was not the only one to encounter the inhabitants of the labyrinth.Almost every exploration team recognized the danger.
The magical light reflecting on the pitch-black carapace.
A spine-chilling sound pierced my ears. Bugs with saw-like jaws swarmed across the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Mado
The Eighth Phase—Aldanis—created a whirlwind and temporarily sealed the passage. In the meantime, Eon’s exploration team activated the magic circuit.
Crunch.Snap.Snap.Crunch.
The insects clung to the curtain of air, thrashing their jaws and legs wildly. Some were the size of a palm, others the size of an forearm. Theirsizes varied.Although they did not seem to possess the peculiar abilities characteristic of the Ihyungjong, they were forms that one instinctively recoiled from facing with bare hands without magic.
I pride myself on having a fairly strong stomach, but that is quite a gruesome sight.
The seventh phase—Grave Ludworth was armed with a short sword and a dagger.
“What kind of creature is this?”“It is an insect I have never seen before, either.”
Aldanis narrowed his eyes.
No, I’m not even sure if it’s an insect.
A creature about which even they, who had lived for a long time as an academy professor and a mercenary of the magic city after being defeated by the Darkmoon, knew absolutely nothing.
It looked exactly like an insect, but upon closer inspection, something felt bizarre. Inside the worms, which had been entangled and crushed, there was nothing.Not even a trace of bodily fluid.What was particularly unsettling was the musty smell faintly brushing past my nose. It was like the stench of decay lingering in an ancient grave.
The island must have been submerged at the bottom of the Hiaremar Inland Sea for at least several thousand years. Common sense dictates that no living creature could have survived… … .
There was absolutely no trace of seawater entering the underground labyrinth. Therefore, it couldn’t have consumed marine life that had flowed in from the outside.Was this insect even alive in the first place?
… … !
The insects all turned their heads toward the back in unison and retreated into the darkness. Completely baffled, I quietly watched the strange phenomenon.
thud.
A sound was heard from the other side of the labyrinth.It was the ringing of metal.
thud.
Eon’s wizard amplified the light of the magic stone lantern to its maximum, illuminating the area. Soon after, the source of the noise revealed itself.
“……article?”
thud.
A knight clad in old armor and a tattered cloak approached with his sword held straight. One step. Another step. Finally, the knight stopped and slowly raised his head.It was a horrific face, gaunt to the point where his skin had dried up.
Grave observed the guy.
“Undead, and a knight. He doesn’t look like a typical Death Knight. Is he a variant?”“He seems to belong to a different lineage for that.”
The Death Knight, or Knight of Death, belongs to the skeleton class. I am talking about a high-ranking undead creature clad in heavy armor, a massive skeleton that wields a Zweihander while emitting a mind-shattering aura.
On the other hand, the undead before my eyes was not a skeleton, but a mummy devoid of any moisture.
[… … .]
Knight Mira stopped with the sword held vertically in both hands. The tip of the sword pointed toward the ceiling without the slightest tilt.
Crackle.
[Worship.]
It was then.
The mummified knight’s dry mouth opened. In an instant, his jaw joint moved, and the skin peeled off. His eyes were closed, but he could feel a gaze.
“What language is that?”“It is certainly not an ancient language that I know.”
[Worship.]
A series of words with unknown meanings.
[Worship.]
Grave and Aldanis cautiously opened their magic and gave orders to their subordinates. The mages formed a firing formation.Something felt off.For some reason, the way the Mummy Knight’s pronunciation was becoming clearer was unsettling.
[King of Corpses. Reaper of Souls.]
Then, Knight Mira raised his sword high.
[Worship the Second Coming of the Sixth Apostle.]
The Mummy Knight snapped his eyelids open.Bugs crawled out from inside.
“Ugh…!”“Open fire!!”
The moment he encountered the bizarre aura that sent shivers down his spine, Grave’s command was issued. Earth magic cast from the front row pierced through the void.
Crash!Crunch!
The armor of the charging Mummy Knight shattered, and one of his arms was blown off. Regardless, he paid no heed and closed the distance.
It is best to handle it before accessing it, but now is the time when information is needed.
Grave instantly severed the Mummy Knight’s legs and slit his throat. His strength and movements, enhanced by enchantment magic, rivaled those of a warrior.The worm crawling on the Mummy Knight’s body was also split in half.
Is it still moving?
He twisted his upper body to easily dodge the blade, then spun around. The guy’s severed arm and armor fell to the floor along with the sword.
[Worship. Worship. Worship.]
An unknown sound continues to emanate from the head severed from the body. Twitch. Twitch. The severed body of the mummy knight twitches irregularly.
“The individual is weak, yet more tenacious than the undead. The aura it exudes is also somehow unusual.”“I think we should test it out for a moment. Heburn, Loward. Will you assist us?”“Yes, Your Excellency.”
I deployed my guard and tested the Mummy Knight’s resistance and uniqueness on the spot. Overall, it was no different from a lower-tier undead creature.Its sheer physical strength was at a level that even a Tier 3 mage could easily defeat.
However, there was a crucial difference from the undead.
It does not die.To be precise, it does not ‘perish’.
It was not cut beyond a certain point, was not crushed beyond a certain point even when pressed with strong force, and did not burn beyond a certain point even when burned.
In particular, the mummy’s head was not destroyed.
[Worship.]
“What on earth is this…….”“I guess it’s a relief that it’s not regenerating, at least.”
Grave habitually reached for a cigarette but withdrew his hand.
“With creatures like this, even thousands wouldn’t hinder exploration. We just need to destroy them as much as possible until they can’t move properly. But…”“It would be a different story if there were other types of creatures with the same characteristics.”
If an entity with extremely high resistance and armed power were to appear, neutralizing it would require a significant amount of effort and time. This isbecause even those who have been through countless battles have never faced an immortal.
[Worship the monarch seated upon the mountain of corpses.]
“So, the Dragon Sword was a trap after all.”“Maybe. But is that enough reason to back down?”
[The one who will rebuild destiny──]
Bang!
Grave gathered the scattered body parts and shoved them into the mummy’s mouth. The knight’s head could no longer pronounce words properly.
Continue the exploration.
Confirm the whereabouts of the Dragon Sword Magras and uncover the true nature of the island. I do not know just how dangerous the things I will face are, but it is no problem.
They are not the only ones in this labyrinth.
* * *
The labyrinth, somewhere in it.
Mummies-like objects were broken into their smallest units and entangled with one another. Words that were neither the common language of the continent nor an ancient language from hundreds of years ago could be heard from here and there, but I ignored them nonchalantly.I wouldn’t be able to understand them anyway, so there was no need to waste my energy on them.
Adrian looked around as he crossed the corpses.
I don’t think the Glory of the Dead prepared this.
How should I put it?
It feels fundamentally different from when I faced the third servant of the Glory of the Dead, Landerk of Manyeon, and the fourth servant, Kaesillus Chaeren.
Instead of the usual unpleasantness, a strange sense of heaviness constantly irritated my nerves. It was quite difficult to put that feeling into words.
“…….”
Adrian stood in the middle of the intersection, contemplating where to go.
The scale of the labyrinth was unfathomable, and distant objects could barely be detected as if blocked by something.Furthermore, the communication signals were practically dead because they had traveled so far.
It would be difficult to convey the situation directly to my lord.
He gazed at the silver bracelet Verden had given him and soon decided on a direction. It was not yet time to activate the ancient artifact to define the ‘zone’.
We need to find a more suitable place.
A prime location close to the heart of the island, capable of precisely exploiting the weaknesses of those connected to it. In effect, the war has already begun.
‘… … Mauler,’
I can assure you that if it were him, he would have entered the island by any means necessary.
Adrian sharpened his momentum so that he could unleash his full power anytime, anywhere. Of course, he assumed his opponent was a transcendent being.
The crime of ignoring the warning, committing disrespect to the Lord at the World Conference, and daring to challenge Him.The penalty is nothing but death.
Thump, thump.
And so, Eon moved toward the depths of the labyrinth in a black hole.
* * *
[Worship.]
BANG!
A transcendental punch shattered the massive mummy’s torso into pieces. Although it was not completely crushed, it would never be able to move normally again.Furthermore, the carcasses of nearly tens of thousands of insects were scattered nearby.
Crunch.
Mauler—Gareth Cyrilliad trampled on Mira’s head.
Trash that is neither dead nor alive.
The sensation of beating unknown monsters to death was not very pleasant. Neither was the musty smell.Still, this confirmed that there was something in the labyrinth.
“Well, of course, those servants of the corpse or whatever they are would be here. I wonder just how many transcendent beings have infiltrated this place.”
The Hiaremar Exploration Treaty is nothing more than a hollow pretext. How could such crude regulations dare to suppress the actions of a transcendent being? Whether itbe the Dragon Sword or whatever, there must be more than one transcendent being who has entered the island with a purpose.
Mauler laughed fiercely.
“Cheongeom, where are you?”
Mauler was convinced that Adrian had invaded the island just like he had. Verden, that cunning fellow, would never have left a Transcendental being unchecked.
Secure the Dragon Sword.Show the arrogant Transcendent being your true worth . Killall the annoying vermin. While you’re at it, eliminate Elder Leon, who was dispatched from the Diamun Magic Tower and supports Albert Windirove rather than Vantarun.
Of course, the assassination of Elder Leon was the responsibility of a ‘subordinate,’ not Mauler. It was too trivial a matter for a Transcendent to act on personally. IfVantarun fails to ascend to the position of Master of the Diamun Magic Tower despite all this, he will die by his own hand without anyone having to step forward.
“Ugh…”
A groan was heard. Abloodstained hand touched Mauler’s feet.
“I, I didn’t see anything…! Please, spare my life….”
Mauler could conceal himself if he wanted to, but he was not skilled enough to outsmart every skilled opponent at close range.Above all, he had absolutely no intention of hiding like a rat.
Then, how can one operate without being officially caught violating the treaty?
It is a simple method.
If I have no choice but to kill any expedition team I encounter along the way, it’s over. All of them.The dead have no words.
“There is no need to feel wronged.”“Please……!!!”“Because that is just how disasters are.”
Crunch!
The head of the Elder of the Zentyr Mage Tower, ranked 5th overall, was crushed and burst. The corpses of mages belonging to the Zentyr Mage Tower were scattered around the Elder.
The cause was unfortunately running into Mauler.
With this, the exploration team dispatched by the Zentir Magic Tower to the Inland Sea was annihilated. To humans, the hostile Transcendent was an insurmountable catastrophe.
Mauler moved again.
* * *
The deepest part of the underground labyrinth.
Luneska, the second servant of the Glory of the Dead, reached a dead end. She was not attacked like the continental expedition.Instead, unidentified mummies and insects guided Luneska’s path.
[Worship.]
What is this island?And what are these monsters?
Many questions took root in her mind, but the moment she reached the end of the labyrinth, such thoughts became nothing to Lunesica.
A single, massive sword is stuck in a hill made of underground soil.
“ah…….”
Dragon Sword, Magras.
Emperor Xerion’s beloved sword was revealed to the world after a full eight centuries.I wondered again how on earth those bastards knew the whereabouts of the sword that had disappeared after the War of the Transcendents ended, but I tried to ignore it.
There was a wooden box next to the dragon sword.
Lunesica hurried over and carefully opened the wooden box. A suffocating fraud. Finally, the Emperor’s last body piece was in her hands.
Lunesica quietly whispered to the old king’s head.
Your Majesty… please wait just a little longer.
He slowly closed the wooden box.
I will wake you up soon.
Carefully, he put down the wooden box, activated the magic circuits throughout his body, and stood up.
Mado
Lunesica, who pioneered the path to connecting and bonding souls, was known as the soul plunderer during the War of the Transcendents.
Click.
He took out and put on the gauntlet crafted as part of the soul-manipulating desire—the Animus—that the first servant had used to resurrect the beastmen and dwarves.
Beyond death lies total death.
As Lunesica’s eyes flashed, a soul poured out of the gauntlet.
Aaaaaaaah.Aaaaaaaah.
Screams bordering on shrieks filled the space, and all kinds of souls circled in the air before losing their forms one by one and degrading into expendables.The deepest part of the labyrinth was covered in the remnants of the souls she had manifested.
As the soul vanishes, a translucent object gradually begins to form,centering on the head of the ancient king.
This is an ‘altar’.
Right here, the ritual of immortality that had ultimately been left unfinished back then is to be performed. Preparing the altar was precisely Lunesica’s role.And a part of the soul transformed into a powerful undead guarding the altar.
No matter what happens, we must protect the altar by any means necessary until the ritual is over.We are not short of power.Before long, the full power of the glory of the dead will gather here.
This time, for sure.
The success of the plan is finally within reach the moment the first servant secures His Majesty’s remaining body parts in the Ruas Theocracy.
* * *
The ‘third day’ of the Magic Festival.
The opening sequence proceeded smoothly, and the magic presentation that would conclude the beginning was finally just around the corner.
“Phew, phew.”
Theodor took deep breaths one after another.
I had watched every stage of the various magical forces without fail and visualized how to proceed, but I could not calm down.My heart pounded like crazy at the thought of facing the magical world.
“B-but I still have to do it……!”
Theodore closed his eyes tightly and calmed himself down.
and.
Providence watched that scene.
