Episode 939 The Old King (4)
The mummies, dependent on the commands of the ancient king, lose control and go berserk. They yearned for survival to escape the concept that destroyed the very foundation of this island.During Gareth’s Transcendence, the mummies merely shatter to some extent without dying, but Verden’s magic can sever their precious destiny.
“The clouds of war.”
Providence───Deus said.
“It must be a dark cloud for you.”“A shower is just a shower.”
The old king—Arkhand—answered.
Even if it becomes a torrential downpour, how could it settle the high sky?
Large and small debris from the underground labyrinth falls, crushing the floor. The cliffs of the crater created by
The dragon sword Magras, embedded diagonally next to Akand, tilted a little more.
“One, the might displayed by the Destroyer of Fate was more wondrous than what the First Apostle whispered.”
A mere human being of primitive physical talent rejected fate. He shattered the wheel of destiny and seized the right to choose for himself.Furthermore, he attained transcendence and approached the realm of an even higher existence. All in that brief time, which is but a fleeting moment compared to the ages in which destiny was created.
“I understood why ‘you’ are trying to get your hands on them. The concept of ‘you’ and the concept of the Destroyer of Fate. If he finally understands and accepts the reason for fate, these opposing forces will unite to complete a unique, absolute concept.”“A delusion.”“Does the one who rejects fate prejudge?”
Akand laughed softly.
“Although the Destroyer of Fate’s path is very close to that of the Resistor, he surely has never belonged to their forces. It is also doubtful whether he would even bother to understand the Resistor’s true intentions. Aren’t your shadows deep, too?”
Akand’s eyes narrowed.
Enough to be concealed by a new taboo.
Due to the taboo established by the Last Resistor, the sharing of various information has become impossible, and as a result, only a tiny fraction of the Apostles have determined the number of the Last Resistors who planned to prepare for the fateful battle that will eventually resume.
Akhand, who had been resurrected after eight centuries, naturally did not know, andthe first apostle could not speak.
Aside from the extreme criticism that I’ve lost my mind…
You cannot force yourself to listen.
For violating this taboo requires paying the price for the transgression bestowed by the Final Resistor. Even an Apostle of Fate cannot escape death.For ‘you’ are the only one capable of fully enduring the Final Resistor.
but.
As the host of Arcadium and the Third Apostle, he can conditionally lift the restrictions of the taboo, but… to obtain knowledge from him, you must be invited to a banquet held in the deep sea of the Three and win the game of Arcadium.
Desire for knowledge.
The Third Apostle never provides knowledge capable of shaking up the tide of the battle for free, whether to ‘you’ or the Last Resistor. He is a being who, despite holding the title of Apostle, can maintain a personal attitude.The reason he receives such special consideration from ‘you’ is that he has distinguished himself in establishing the wheel of destiny.
“A mad resistor. I do not know what on earth you intend to do that makes the Apostles evaluate you that way, but I suppose it does not matter. What is important to me is the fulfillment of the mission entrusted to me by ‘You.’”“I, too, am merely completing the mission given to me.”
Deus’s green eyes glowed eerily.
“In the end, fate is discarded.”“That will.”
Akand drew his dragon sword Magras and aimed it at the Provider.
Prove it in war.
Although Arkhand’s actions will be restricted for a while due to Verden’s intervention, the Glory of the Dead has not spent the last eight centuries preparing only for Arkhand’s resurrection.It has secured ‘various forces’ to enable the Xerion Empire to reign once again. They will lay the foundation for war in Arkhand’s place.
“Fate and resistance. What choice will the Destroyer of Fate make? Personally, I hope he reserves his decision until the truce in the War of Fate is completely over, and stands on the opposite side of me.”“…….”“For I, too, have never fought a war against a ‘God’ yet.”
The space shook.
The contemplative being has arrived.
Deus and Arkhand’s consciousness headed toward the same place. Soon, an elf, appearing as if molded from nature itself, emerged from the darkness.
“I have confirmed the infringement of the soul taboo, but the violator is dead. As a contemplative being, I shall therefore impose the price the violator failed to pay upon the resurrected associate through the violator’s soul.”
The roots of the World Tree were cast.
As soon as he was resurrected, the power suppressing the old king’s energy grew stronger.Akand’s entire body muscles bulged.
“’Your’ Sixth Apostle, Akhand Linigea Tain Xerion. Judging that your resurrection is ‘delayed,’ I hereby execute a temporary seal.”“Thanks to Draven’s presumptuous choice, you have been granted a brief grace period. I look forward to seeing how you will unite this ‘divided’ and ‘opposing’ continent to stand against my Empire.”
The dragon sword gleamed sharply.
“however.”
Nearly invincible fighting spirit surges forth.
“It goes against the logic of war to retreat meekly with an enemy commander right in front of you.”
At this, the magical power governing providence flared up.
I agree.
Intersecting enemy.
The moment the roots of the World Tree rushed in, Arkhand’s Dragon Sword sliced horizontally, and Deus’s unique magic reversed causality.Their strikes clashed in mid-air even though they had not directly touched.
A flash of light exploded.
* * *
The levels achieved by the Seven Great Demon Kings and the Dark Warton Tower Master were extraordinary, but neither of them had ever revealed their own levels directly.For this reason, the status of the Lefragium Tower Master, officially known as an 8th-tier transcendent being, was higher, and this perception had been ingrained for a long time.
The Lefragium Magic Tower ranks first in both overall power and military strength, but ironically, there was almost no significant information about it other than the clue that it claimed the highest mountain on the entire continent as its territory.Even the form of the tower has never been revealed.Intense mystique has made the Lefragium Magic Tower’s reputation special and instilled the perception that it is more difficult to approach than other magic towers.
That was the reason.
There was a powerful force in the Provider’s eloquence that was difficult to refuse. Whenever he took a certain action, people naturally came to believe that there was a valid reason for it.The unclear moves of the Lefragium Magic Tower actually served to inspire trust.
“…….”
Bendie briefly set her gaze upon the joint between the Provider and the Old King, which she had already left behind.Although her judgment was not always correct, she had a hunch that staying there would not have yielded anything, as the Provider had said.
The old king cannot be killed.At least not now.Wasn’t that the meaning behind the Provider’s command to step down?
The mummy in the underground labyrinth does not die; no matter how much it is slashed, it is only severed to a certain extent. If the ancient king, who underwent the ritual of immortality, possessed even greater immortality, then Vendie’s weaponry would ultimately have been useless.The particular problem was that this was not merely a mere speculation, but a very high probability.
and…….
The Provider appeared to have business with the former king. Moreover, the former king’s demeanor toward the Provider, who had appeared so suddenly, was extraordinary. It was as if he had known he was coming. Given the different eras, there was no way they had ever met.
Several questions arose.They were thoughts to consider later.
“Anyway, the fact that the Provider is left alone must mean there is a way to stop the Old King. They might have a trump card to reseal the Old King.”
I did not go so far as to suspect that the Provider and the Old King were in league. After all,the Provider seemed to be helping Verden, who had inflicted a wound on the Old King and disregarded his immortality.No, he actually did help him.
Ta-da
Verden was being carried by Adrian, seemingly having nearly lost consciousness. He sprinted down the corridor. Bendie immediately pushed off the ground and swung [Morbein].
Weep.
A sinister energy originating from Vendie’s spirit, rather than Draven’s magic, forms the sword energy.The Activator of the Artifact.She wielded Draven’s magic sword as if it were her own.
[Aaaaaaaah!]
[Ah
The waists of the mummies pouring out from the collapsed gaps and passages of the labyrinth were severed.Even after extinguishing the wave of mummies like that, the next wave soon surged in. Hundreds, thousands… no, judging by the presence, it was tens of thousands, or even more.
Whoosh!
Led by Bendie, they advanced, dealing with the mummies along the way, but their numbers showed no signs of decreasing. The dark red rift covering everything widened slightly.They couldn’t even imagine what would happen if that rift expanded all the way to the end.
High-resistance debris fell from the ceiling and walls and accelerated. It would certainly not be easy to completely traverse the labyrinth and get out.
However, there is a shortcut.
I arrived at the place where I had been fighting Draven just moments ago. A white thread manifested by the Provider stretched across the sky.
The trace of a thunderbolt that fell from the sky and pierced vertically through the ground and underground. It was a massive escape route unintentionally created by Verden.
“I’ll build the stepping stone!”
Indren, having opened the magic path, constructed a disc of magical power at everyone’s feet.
It was a precarious magical construct, like an underground labyrinth, cracked here and there. Its magical circuits were severely unstable due to continuous exposure to the aftermath of destruction.Still, thanks to the potion Verden gave it, no further heavy bleeding occurred from the abdomen pierced by the magic sword.
The impact is going to be strong, so be careful!
Leonhardt nodded quickly.
“Yes, yup!”
Whoooosh!
The magic disc carrying everyone surged upward.Considerable pressure weighed down on my shoulders.I quickly escaped from the bottom of the labyrinth. Like a cake cut in half, multiple layers of the cross-section entered my vision and senses.
“hmm?!”
Indren stopped the platform.
Intense battles raged on some floors, centered around vertical passages. The exploration team remaining in the labyrinth was fighting off the mummies swarming in like madmen.A familiar presence was detected in a passage relatively close to the lowest level of the labyrinth.
“Hey, Frivalt! Over here!”“……! Regrit.”“Your Majesty Verden!”
Sword Saint Privalt pushed back the mummies with his Wave Sword and withdrew the Imperial exploration party. Aldanis and Grave, who were fighting alongside them, forced Eon’s exploration party’s front line to retreat.
Grave and Aldanis were shocked to see the physical condition of Verden and Adrian.
“Ah, Adrian, what on earth happened down there…?!”
Adrian’s breathing was heavy.
It’s a long story. Get on board. We are escaping from here.
Kugugugugugugu!
The island was in turmoil.
Part of the rift burst open. Dark red magical energy engulfed the passageway, as if volcanic lava had erupted. The colony of mummies swept up in it vanished without a trace. Overwhelmedby the indescribable aura of magical power, the wizards recoiled or sank to the ground.
“Ugh……!!”
The labyrinth shatters in real time. Frivalt’s expression changed drastically. He would never be able to feel such a destructive wave even if he were reborn.
Everyone understood the current situation without being told.
If you stay on an island, you will surely die.
Whoosh!
Indren, who had immediately taken the Empire and Eon, once again moved his magic power toward the surface.
At that moment, thousands of mummies fell from the upper levels, pushing against each other. The distant sky was covered in the shadows of the mummies.
“Those wretched corpses!”
The moment Gareth assumed his chain formation, a powerful spear strike intervened from one of the sections of the passageway between the falling mummies and the vengeance.The mummies, swept away by the storm, failed to reach the foothold and fell into another passageway.
I was just looking for a way to go up.
Leona of the Tremor, who serves the Oath-Sworn, poked her head out from above. She was usually cynical, but she was respectful to the transcendents who were on the same level as the Oath-Sworn.
“May we also take our place, Lord Guan?”“…….”
Originally, it was not agreed upon for a transcendent being to participate in the exploration, so everyone entered the island via their own routes… but identity and all that was no longer a concern.
The Knights of the Word Spirit of the Kingdom of Highlandia joined the escape. That was not all. The Magic Kingdom of Akenad, located deep within the earth far from the surface, and some magic towers also received help from Indren.The empty spaces on the disc were almost completely filled.The threads of the Provider, stretching throughout the labyrinth, had guided everyone there.
We are almost on the surface. It doesn’t look like there are any other expedition teams nearby to join us right now.
Indren hesitated inwardly.
What if it’s not visible yet?
Fearing that an exploration team from another force might appear late, Indren strained his ailing body to concentrate his senses.As the labyrinth crumbles, the unique environment that restricts the senses is gradually disappearing.
“Nobody…… is here.”
The transcendents flinched.
“My Lord?”“……Verden?”“So, don…… worry about it.”
With his head bowed, Verden spoke slowly, with a single conviction. It was a strange sensation. He could feel the entire vast interior of the island engulfed in destruction.
Except for the magic elevator artificially created by Indren, there are absolutely no signs of life from other exploration teams in the underground labyrinth.
Indren and Vendie accidentally made eye contact.She briefly pulled her chin in.
“Understood, Verden. I trust you.”
Only then did Indren increase the platform’s speed to the maximum with all his might. The sounds and sights of mummies howling from dozens, even hundreds, of passageways flashed by in a flash.
Whoooooosh!
Eventually───fresh air filled my lungs.
Those who had been holed up in the underground labyrinth for a long time, unable to come to the surface, breathed a sigh of relief, only to freeze as they looked around.Even the Transcendents were no exception.
“Similar to the dark red storm of Verden…….”“There is no difference between the underground and the surface.”
Leonhardt’s lips trembled.
“The, the world.”
The dark red sky enveloped the island, andthe dark sea stirred up a storm with turbulent waves.
end.
That was the only word that could describe this scene.
The sky flashed ominously.
Rumble—boom!
A lightning strike of destruction struck somewhere on the island. The ground completely ruptured, and fragments of the earth soared into the sky, scattering in all directions.A boulder the size of a house targeted the scouting party’s camp located on the outskirts of the island.
A group of beastmen hurriedly running toward the exploration camp from the entrance of the labyrinth, and a shadow sprang up from among them.
Kwaaaaang!
The Grave King of the Great Beast Tribe shattered the rock into pieces with a kick. The debris landed in the undefended forest.Spinning in the air, she landed inside the chaotic scouting party camp.
“Lord Myo?!”
A member of the search party guarding the Iderat Federation’s airship opened his eyes wide.
“Um, what is going on? Strange phenomena have been occurring all over the island for a while now…”“Activate the seaplane!”“Huh? Ugh!”
The Grave King approached in an instant and grabbed his shoulder as if to crush it. Then, using the physical abilities unique to the Beastkin, he threw him onto the deck of the airship.
“If you want to live, launch the seaplane right now!!!!”
The Grave King possessed exceptional detection abilities even among the beastkin chiefs. Her specialty was the keenness to distinguish between life and death.However, her face contorted with desperation beyond mere urgency. Her hair stood on end. The confidence the beastkin had displayed when she first began exploring the underground labyrinth had vanished without a trace.
‘I, I have to stay far away. As far away as possible. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far. Far!!’
It feels exactly the same as when he experienced the sincere killing intent of the current Water King, Antias.The Grave King’s survival instinct perceived the entire world surrounding him as red.
No matter where you look, there is no safe zone.
This island itself is… … a place of certain death where one dare not escape instant death.
