Episode 926 The Glory of the Dead (13)
Legrit frowned at the sinister smell lingering in Yongin’s nose.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this could even be defined as a smell, but it was clearly an aura that made me feel very unpleasant.I twitched the bridge of my nose again, and it was truly one of the most unpleasant things I could count on one hand.
“Essentially similar to that unknown stench coming from Mira… … though a bit stronger than that.”
Why do I feel this way?
My body heats up as the blood starts flowing rapidly, and an unidentifiable sense of discomfort gradually turns into a feeling resembling anger.
I want to tear the cause apart right now.Her existence wanted destruction.
……chin.
Legritt grabbed the corner and leaned his face into the path leading to the left. The empty and silent darkness reflected in Yongin’s pupils.Without even blinking an eyelid, he stared silently down the long corridor.
“You suddenly ran out. What’s wrong, Legrit?”
Sword Saint Privalt led the Imperial exploration party and pursued her.Melissa Pesfield, Lord of the Imperial Magic Castle, was guarding the airship on the ground just in case.
“It seemed like something was bothering you.”“So, did you find it?”“No, there’s nothing.”“Then let’s continue the exploration. We don’t look like we have time to waste here.”
Frivalt narrowed his eyes while looking around.
The wave changed.
Privalt, the official disciple of Grand Duke Rivandale, handles wave energy.Although he is far inferior to his master, he can sense the waves of the world to some extent that those who have awakened to ki generally cannot perceive.
The waves in this underground labyrinth seemed to be twisted like a whirlwind… but just now, they suddenly twisted violently and the wavelength changed.Due to the unique environment of the labyrinth, I could not know anything beyond that, but it was undoubtedly an ominous sign.
In reality, the strength of the Mummy Knights encountered at the beginning was different from those defeated later.As time goes by, increasingly stronger individuals are appearing.
What on earth is this place?
The Empire’s wizards investigated the mummy in the labyrinth, but they could not determine the characteristics of the individual, such as how it moves or why it stops deteriorating once its body is damaged to a certain extent.
To simply dismiss it as just another alien… everything here was bizarre. It felt as if I had awakened something that had been asleep in ancient times.
Legrit said.
“I will make the labyrinth map as simple as possible and speed things up. The results are far too poor compared to the time invested. If another day passes like this, we will return to the surface for regrouping.”“I will pass that message on.”
Frivalt summoned three commanders and relayed Regrit’s instructions. Although they share the same title of Lord, the role of expedition leader falls to her.Frivalt respected the hierarchy based on the Imperial Decree of the Empire.
Legritt seemed to hesitate for a moment, then stepped around the corner. The sound of receding footsteps. Just as silence was about to return, magical power suddenly concentrated, and a deafening roar shook the ground.
“Legrit?”
Legrit manipulated the artifact [Golden Radiance] to remove his helmet, fully revealing the broken dragon horn sprouting from his right forehead.His upper body swelled with an inhale.He opened his mouth wide toward the darkness he had been staring at just moments before, as if letting out a roar.
The Breath of Myeongryong
A breath of golden lightning engulfed the passageway with a thunderous roar. Frivalt protected his subordinates by spreading a wave sword barrier against the tremendous wave of magical power.
“What are you doing all of a sudden!”“Wh-Whoa, Lord, you have such tremendous magical power……!!”
The aftershock that swept and shook everything soon scattered like the wind.
Hiss… Hiss…
Residual lightning flashed irregularly, illuminating the walls of the passageway. At that moment, a strange presence was felt, and a human figure appeared and moved to the other side of the passageway.
Frivalt flinched.
“A human? No, surely that isn’t…….”“Ha, I knew it was here.”
Legrit bared his fangs.
“I will pursue them myself. You take temporary command of the expedition as the deputy commander. I will leave tracks periodically, so watch carefully and follow along.”
Crunch crunch!
Legrit concentrated the power of the dragon to form dragon wings, then placed all his weight on the balls of his feet. A crack appeared in the floor of the labyrinth.Legrit, accelerating without delay, vanished into the distance in an instant.
“Legrit! Tsk… You’ve grown horns and become even more aggressive than before. Minimize mapmaking. The expedition team should form an acceleration formation.”
Frivalt did not repeat the mistake of failing to discern Verden’s level at the Black Volcano of the Western Continent this time.
The existence of the Transcendent has been confirmed.
That movement just now.The waves felt from it.
It clearly broke the mold of a human.
* * *
Submerged Shadow
Dantel moved while concealing his presence by displaying his unique skills, but the intense gaze from behind did not leave him.
‘He senses my presence. How?’
Is it a characteristic of Yongin?Probably not.I have never heard of the progenitor race of demons possessing such power. It is likely the personal ability of the Empire’s War Lord.
This is going to be a hassle.
The gist of the order was to assist the return of the Old King—the Sixth Apostle—but that did not mean he intended to confront the world head-on.That was not Dantel’s specialty.
Now that the concept of fate has become faint… predictions and prejudgments are forbidden. Therefore, responding based on predictions is highly likely to lead to failure.
The first dagger strapped to the thigh bares its teeth.
Exploiting the confusion.
Dantel slammed on the brakes, leaped sideways, and kicked off the walls. A blade sliced through the air with the maximum acrobatics possible with bare hands.At the same time, Legrit, who had flown in a straight line, swung his golden sword.
Boom!
A fierce spark flew.
Dantel broke free, pulling his dagger back as he took a stance. Only his eyes were visible on his face, which was hidden by a mask and hood.
Did you give up on running away?
Crunch crunch
Legritte scraped the ground with both legs to slow down considerably.She turned around.
“I’ve never seen that appearance before. Is it an unofficial transcendent being?”“…….”“Silence, huh? That’s fine, too.”
Mado
I will hear the story after I subdue him.
Legrit felt an instinctive revulsion toward Dantel’s presence, so she chose to engage in combat rather than attempting to speak more than twice.Faced with her emotions, Dantel was puzzled but withdrew his interest. It was pointless to try to figure out why she was so hostile toward someone she had just met.
You just need to walk the designated path.There is no need for twigs.
Kugugugugugugu… … .
The ground gradually shakes.
Legrit frowned and cast his gaze toward the epicenter. Soon, countless Mummy Knights emerged from the darkness, glowing and charging forward.
[Worship.]
[King of Corpses. Worship Him.]
[The One who reaps souls. Worship Him.]
[Worship the Second Coming of the Sixth Apostle.]
A language that was impossible to understand loudly brushed past my ears. The noise of countless black insects crawling at the feet of the Mummy Knight filled the passageway.
“To think an attack comes at just the right time. Those undead-like creatures and bugs… was it your doing?”“Cycles are inevitability and salvation.”
Dantel spoke in an indistinct voice, revealing a heartless murderous intent.
“In the end, things follow the natural order.”“I don’t like the way you say it, either.”
No sooner had the words been spoken than Regritt and Dantel charged at each other and clashed.A sword strike imbued with the physical abilities of a dragon tore through the air, while the unofficial transcendent’s dagger swiftly deflected the offensive, searching for an opening.
The new demon, having killed the transcendent of the martial arts realm and the transcendent of the desert faith realm, engaged in a close battle, repeatedly losing and regaining its distance.
and.
Their battlefield was soon covered with mummies and insects like a rushing wave.
* * *
The underground labyrinth of the island in the Hiaremar Inland Sea was chillingly quiet in its characteristic way, but… it was not as good as the sight of that silence vanishing.
To think I would actually miss the silence where you never know what might pop out…!
Deputy Director Rontnell, the expedition leader of the Magic Frequent Regiment, bit his lip.
It is noisy all around.
Dozens of Mummy Knights are attempting to break through the Elemental Veil. The mages are holding out, but they probably won’t be able to last long.
Should we subdue them one more time?
While you cannot kill the Mummy Knights, you can neutralize them. The problem is that if you defeat them, new ones appear, and these creatures emerge with even greater resistance and strength than before.
“There were well over a hundred, even by rough estimation. If that is just the tip of the iceberg, damn it, where on earth were such a massive number hiding! Something is wrong with this place. I thought it was ominous ever since I saw the annular solar eclipse that defied celestial principles.”
If I keep going like this endlessly… … I might end up getting buried here.
Even with high-quality magic potions, there is a limit to the amount of magic power that can be replenished. Furthermore, overuse of magic potions causes symptoms of addiction, leading to a rapid decline in power.Even if you have sufficient magic power, casting spells becomes difficult if your stamina and concentration are depleted.
A long battle without rest is disadvantageous.
“Deputy Director! We will handle this! So give us permission to attack!”“…….”
Rontnell racked his brain for a moment, then soon raised his cane.
“Lift the curtain and begin the magic!”
The moment the elemental wall lifted, 4th and 5th tier magic rained down. The Mummy Knights struck by it were merely damaged or staggered, but were not instantly annihilated like the previous ones.
The Fangs of the Sea Wind
Rontnell opened the magic path and chopped the mummies into pieces with his unique 6th-rank magic. Sending a gust of wind flying far into the passageway, he hurriedly gave an order.
“I will retreat to the surface now.”“B-but the exploration is not yet…”“This is not the time to earn merit for the alliance!”
Rontnell wanted to escape the underground labyrinth as quickly as possible,to the point where his anxiety was visible on his face.
“Let’s go…! Before the labyrinth swallows us…!!”
The Magic Frequent Regiment retreated.
Due to the sudden and exponential increase in the number of mummies, it was not uncommon for quite a few factions to eventually make such a decision.Even some magic towers decided to withdraw for the time being and regroup, judging that they lacked sufficient information to take the risk.
“We will secure an escape route as best we can.”“That would be a good idea, Senior Brother.”
The Temple’s disciples stood in the designated passageway, securing the escape route leading outside. Unless the Master personally ordered a retreat, they would hold their ground against any external pressure.
However, the other forces… …instead chose a frontal assault.
Advance.
Leona activated her verbal spell and pierced through the wall of insects. Armed with a massive shield and a heavy lance, Leona of the Tremor was no different from a siege weapon. Thereinforced Mummy Knights swung their swords, but not a scratch appeared on her armor.
Smack!
She gestured with her chin after slamming the Mummy Knight against the wall with a shield charge.
“We will break through to the end. Over.”“Yes, Deputy Commander.”
The Knights of the Word Spirit, empowered by making a promise with their oath-takers, headed down into the labyrinth, into even deeper places.
“Judging by the intense reaction, I wonder if someone on the expedition has achieved something. In any case, the piles of mummy fragments that don’t disappear even when burned are quite bothersome. Seal away every mummy you encounter from now on.”
The Akenad Magic Kingdom also continued its exploration.
“O Luas, please shine upon us with an unquenchable light!”
Cardinal Gregorban of the Ruas Church advanced, and advanced again, blowing up the bugs with his fist filled with divine power.
“Nya ha ha ha, the boredom is relieving a bit.”
The King of the Beastmen Tribe showed not fear, but rather delight. Backed by such a powerful force, the exploration team dug deeper into the labyrinth.
Among them, only one person from the Adventurer’s Guild raced through the passage.
I can finally move on my own.
Castian Linigea Tain Xerion, known as the perfect adventurer, told the adventurers to secure an escape route and then took advantage of the chaos to enter the interior.
The adventurers would not search for Castian just because he was missing.They knew full well that rescue missions should never be rushed, and they were fully aware of Castian’s strength.To them, Castian was not an inexperienced adventurer who needed to be rescued quickly.
Exactly around here… … .
Castian, having returned to the place he had passed with the adventurers a few hours earlier, focused his senses. The ancient artifact embedded in the center of his chest reacted.The sinner of a fallen kingdom.It was the moment when the faint evil emanating from beyond the labyrinth began to gently caress his nerves.
The Prince is over there… … Everyone is over there… … Oh, the Emperor is over there… … Everyone is over there… … Oh, find him!
An inner wail whispered where Emperor Xerion’s body was.
I found my direction.
Castian opened his eyes wide and ran north without hesitation.He activated the communication device he had received from Verden in the ownerless land, but perhaps because the nearest communication device was far away, he could not pick up a magic signal well.
It can’t be helped. If the connection fails along the way, I’ll have to go alone.
An anomaly must be a sign…
Since great changes have occurred in just a few days, the glory of the corpse will be greatly stirred in one way or another. We must stop the resurrection of the old king, of my brother.
Even if it means sacrificing a life that should have ended long ago.Even if it means soothing the souls residing within.Even if it means the world.
It is a lifetime I have lived to do so.
“……!”
It was then.
Boom───!
A massive mummy knight, unlike any seen before, struck the ground with a greatsword held in both hands, blocking Xerion’s path.
[Freedom is the outstretched hand of destruction, and only circulation is salvation.]
* * *
Adrian and Bendie stood side by side, looking down at the stairs unlike any they had seen before.They were deep.An unsettling sensation, beyond their comprehension, drenched their skin. They were certain that there was something beneath them.
“Let’s go down.”“Wait… never mind.”
Adrian activated the [Observer of the Horizon] to determine the zone.He had not yet confirmed if this was the path leading to the core, but… given that he had received information about an unofficial transcendent being mentioned by a former sworn brother having invaded, he did not know what situation might unfold.
One transcendent being has a significant impact on the course of the battle.
The top priority is to make a way so that the Lord can come at any time.
Bendy waited silently until Adrian finished his work. He looked curious, but since he didn’t ask, Adrian didn’t explain either.
“Is it over?”“It’s over. Let’s go down.”
The two transcendent beings were about to take a step forward when they turned around almost simultaneously.
Something is coming.
As I listened closely, the roar of a fierce battle grew louder and louder. Before long, familiar figures burst out of the darkness.
“Indren and…… Mauler?”
Kwagwagwagwagwagwagwagwang!
Mauler unleashed a ceaseless barrage of attacks with the corners of his mouth turned up, but Indren controlled the shockwaves contained in the punches and deflected them back.
The piercing sound penetrated the eardrum.
I don’t know why they are fighting, but it wasn’t just a casual squabble. I could feel the murderous intent. Indren’s lips were split, and several minor cuts were visible on Mauler’s body.
Indren was flying backward when he flinched and turned around.
“You guys…? You came to the island as expected. I didn’t expect Master to come too. Gareth, stop for a moment—”“I found you, you bastard.”
Mauler let out a powerful punch, as if to say, “Die, everyone.” Having barely made it past Indren, it aimed for the rear.Specifically at Adrian.
“This bastard.”
He sliced through the fist energy with his light sword and immediately charged at Mauler. In an instant, the two began pouring attacks on each other, moving repeatedly by kicking off walls and the ground before disappearing down the stairs.
The target of the battle has changed.
Indren, who had been suddenly ignored by Mauler, blinked blankly.
“What is this… this is a bit baffling.”“Let’s go down.”“Ah, let’s do that.”
Indren, who followed Bendie, also disappeared deeper underground.
* * *
A large number of giant mummy knights gathered on the stairs that had swallowed the four transcendents. They raised their swords and muttered as if in prayer.
The six fragments were gathered to form the sixth apostle.
[Destiny shall be rebuilt.]
[Freedom is the hand extended by destruction.]
[Only circulation is salvation.]
The Mummy Knight had absolutely no skin, yet for some reason, it seemed to be smiling. No, it was smiling. Those who do not die even when killed are the products of the cycle.
Soon the Apostle will descend and remake the Wheel of Destiny… … so the day when the promised eternity after death is obtained must not be far off.
[Eternal repetition is destiny… …?]
The Mummy Knights turned their heads to the side as they continued their prayers in the language of a distant age. Something had just appeared in a place where there had been nothing.
A pale shape.
It wasn’t clear, butthe moment I recognized it, its existence began to become clear at a rapid pace.
Soon, the form materialized.
The Mira Knight reflexively swung his massive sword horizontally. A hand clad in pitch-black gloves gripped the blade.
Ashy hair.Blue eyes reminiscent of the deep sea.
“What’s wrong with you guys?”
Crack.
The sword hanging from Verden’s fingertips split open.
