Episode 977 The Gate of Death (1)
The creatures of the Demon Realm are bizarre and… often possess biological characteristics that cannot be understood by the mind.Among them, parasitic creatures are extremely repulsive and horrific, and it is said that about a century ago, the red dragon Sarkandra burned down several cities and armies and leisurely vanished into the Demon Realm.
The land of the strange, the demonic realm.
While one may trespass recklessly, no one can rule it. Even humanity’s curiosity has not been able to overcome it. Even a transcendent being disappeared while studying the Demonic Realm.Since the Demonic Realm has existed, humanity has not been able to take even a single step into it.
As time passed and interest in the Demon Realm began to wane, the issue of pioneering the Demon Realm was raised again at a world conference, and the world turned its attention to the uncharted territory.
What kind of place is the Demon Realm?What kind of monsters live in the Demon Realm?
Unfortunately, an opportunity to resolve my curiosity came suddenly.
“Third Army. Activate Magic Circuit.”
Melconi Bloud, a member of the Andranovs, the Elder Council of the volcanic island’s magic tower dispatched to the central continent, held his breath and suddenly extended his staff.
“Commence Incineration!!”“Flare blast!!!! Blass!!!!!!!!”“
Kwaaa
Wizards of the fourth rank or higher stood in a line and unleashed streams of flame.Following the flow of atmospheric magic cast with the assistance of wizards from the Free State of Formene and the Iderat Confederation, the undead instantly burst into flames.
[Tsuhaa.]
A monstrous creature resembling a mushroom with a rotten head and a body made of intertwined tentacles burst through the wall of flames and charged madly.
Sporacus.
If you inhale the spores spread by him, mold grows in your lungs. Now that he has turned into an undead, he spreads infectious spores of decay.
“Damn it, another mushroom head! Put on your purification mask!”
The purification masks crafted at the Artisan Magic Tower to suppress the contagiousness of the Bloodcry Plague were utilized once again on the scene.
I’ll handle it.
Mado
As Melconi’s staff drew a vertical line, a curve of flame remained in the air.
Hwagok – Gaeyeol>
Dozens of flames split into fireballs and exploded around Sporakus. Intense heat spread out, draining moisture from the skin.Afterward, high-ranking undead appeared, and the Beastmen and the Holy Knights of the Luas Kingdom hunted them down.
Duke Lucent and Director of Investigation Zeren watched the defensive line spread out before the boundary of the Demon Realm from atop a hill with a remarkably good view.
“There is no regularity to their spawning cycles, but fortunately, there appears to be no change in the undead’s movement paths.”“As long as the defensive line doesn’t collapse, we should be able to hold them off. We just need to keep sufficient supplies and manpower on standby at all times, though.”
The two, who had visited the Iderat Alliance in the names of the Arnach Empire and the Akenad Magic Kingdom respectively, had been staying in the Central Continent ever since the Truth Commission, which had practically turned into an execution ground.They had been assigned the mission by the Emperor and the Magic King to keep a close watch on the Demonic Mirror. It was a natural measure considering the dangers of the Demonic Mirror.
“The Old King. The War of the Transcendents. If it were merely a reenactment of the past, it would not be very difficult to destroy, but…….”
Duke Lucent glared at the Luas Church camp, commanded by three of the seven archbishops.
“The gap between the past and the current situation described by the Holy Nation seems too wide. The pan-continental undead crisis. Had it not been for the Keeper, this entire region would have already been reduced to rubble. The Bloodcry Plague crisis is no different.”“Isn’t it true that the brighter the light, the harder it is to open one’s eyes?”
Jeren picked up the teacup.
If you cover your eyes, you can’t see even the brightest light properly.
Duke Lucent narrowed his eyes.
“It is not solely the fault of the Theocracy that the glory of the corpse was not dealt with sooner for hundreds of years… The Magic Kingdom believes that a traitor has been operating in the shadows since ancient times. Even within the Theocracy of Luas.”“History is long, Duke Lucent. Even with technological advancements and population growth, the present cannot always be a golden age. Objectively speaking, there have been times when the past was far more magnificent.”
Just like when the first Demon King reigned.
“It was the same when the Ruas Cult finally defeated the Legion’s Archdemon. Then what about thousands or tens of thousands of years ago? And even further back? Could there really not have been an era greater than this?”“In other words, the traitors are beings originating from the distant past?”“That is my personal opinion.”
Jeren, who has spent a long time dealing with information, realized one lesson.
It is the saying that you see as much as you know.
You must not think that the world right before your eyes is everything. Especially in a world like this. For every front side, there is always at least one back side.
“Isn’t the world too vast for us to sit here and judge?”“…….”
Duke Lucent let out a small, hollow laugh and moistened his lips with the half-cooled tea.Then he put on a serious expression.
“Regardless of how this situation ends, the balance of the continent will be shaken. The status of the Ruas Theocracy, which has led the world as a global religion, may be severely jeopardized. Discontent is merely being suppressed because we currently face a clear and formidable enemy in the form of the former king.”“I enjoy hiking, but I tend to avoid looking at mountains beyond the peaks I haven’t even crossed yet. The thought that there is a long way to go exhausts my mind before I even get there.”
Jeren stared at the mirror.
“Let us focus on the obstacles right before us for now.”“Hahaha, take it easy. No matter how steep the hurdle, there has never been a time we failed to overcome it.”
Duke Lucent spoke with the will of Emperor Jeracle, to whom he was loyal.
“Is that not humanity?”
* * *
A massive spear strike imbued with the weight of pure power pierced through the void. It didn’t even make contact, but a shockwave exploded, annihilating the undead in a straight line.
Whoosh───CRASH!
The demonic terror raced through the demonic realm, advancing again and again. Sporakus’s entire body, which it struck as it passed, exploded on the spot.Spores of decay swept over it, but the demonic terror paid no heed.
Thump!
Is this what it would look like if airships flew in one after another at high speed and crashed into everything?A creature from the Demon Realm, which hadn’t even become undead yet, wandered around by mistake and was pulverized and scattered along with the surrounding area.
Truly the terror of the devil.
The creatures of the demonic realm, instinctively realizing their death at the ruthless hand-to-hand assault, fled. The undead hesitated for a moment before being shattered into a mass.
It’s a power I can never believe, no matter when I see it.
Acetro Oldin gazed at his comrade’s imposing presence, inwardly sparing no admiration. Although he knew what ‘Damian’s’ physique was like, it was a strength that was theoretically difficult to comprehend.
If the Water King was born with the strongest body naturally, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Damian obtained the strongest body artificially.
“I need the Elder’s special care to maintain my body, but… … .”
Asceto judged that there is no one in the current Ark who can face Damian head-on other than the leader, he turned his head.
“Did you record the guidelines?”
This exploration of the demonic realm to confirm the origin of the undead is not undertaken as the captain of the Ark, or as a slayer of calamity and a regulator of balance.
Adventurer’s Guild.Keeper.Magic World.
This was international cooperation.
Queron Reklos, the reckless intellectual who brought the tail scales of the Red Dragon Sarkandra from the Sea of Demons and became the basis for the Light Conquest of the Demon Realm Exploration, pointed to his wristwatch with his characteristic naive appearance.
“Yes, it is going very well! I have never taken a route like this before, but thanks to Lord Oldin and Lord Demonic Fear, I am enjoying such luxury.”“You are probably the only one who would call coming to the Demonic Realm a luxury.”“Haha, that is an undeserved compliment.”
Queron’s eyes gleamed.
“If we incorporate these guideline records into the environmental change patterns of this Demon Realm and perform new calculations, we will be able to find the same route. Although we will have to rely on probability to some extent due to the lack of information at present. Consequently, another path will appear on the Demon Realm map I created. Once exploration of the Demon Realm proceeds in earnest, I feel that conquering it might not truly be just a dream.”
The transcendent being who was Queron’s master’s master disappeared from the Demon Realm a long time ago.
Nevertheless, far from fearing the Mirror of Evil, Queron treated it as an object of curiosity.His thirst for knowledge toward the Mirror of Evil could not be stopped even by death.
“Anyway… the source of this situation isn’t in the Sea of Evil, is it?”“That is unlikely. Because no undead are appearing in Delharun.”
Between the Central Continent and the Eastern Continent lies the Demon Realm, and at the center of the Demon Realm is the Demon Sea.Unless the Undead prefer moving to the left, if the Demon Sea were the source, it would be normal for chaos to have already broken out on both sides.
“Above all, Mahe is not a region that would be swallowed up by the undead.”“That is true.”
No matter how thick the aura of death may be, it will be fresher than the air of the Demon Sea. Only those who have been to the center of the Demon Realm know. It is a demon realm beyond human comprehension.
Thus, led by the terror of demons, a monotonous exploration ensued, merely following the footsteps of the undead. Eventually, when the terror of demons came to a halt, the landscape of the demon realm was quite different from what they knew.
“…….”“What could that be……?”
In the direction Queron pointed lay a forest of demonic realms covered in death. However, what caught their attention was not the decaying forest of the异형종.
I don’t know either.
In the center of the dead earth lay a fissure reaching tens of meters in height.Filled with pitch-black darkness… …there was an entrance there that seemed to lead to another world.
* * *
Since Eon’s power is distributed across various zones, it is capable of handling most dangers.Although it has been quite a while since immediate contact was made, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
In the Great Hall of the Western Continent, Melad oversees the Bohemirn Magic Tower and the Diamun Magic Tower, while in the Eastern Continent, Levana is in charge of the Kingdom of Estiria.In the Eastern Continent, Karans and some elves, along with Blue, a spirit who wields the magic of destruction, accompanied them.
Eon is a massive force.
We are not a disorganized rabble whose foundations are shaken simply because our leader has been absent for a while. Therefore, Verden will also steadfastly do its job.
Boom.
Verden stepped onto the structure of the intercontinental space travel tunnel built on the outskirts of Arrein. The mithril used as a building material reacted to his magic.
The basics are close to perfection.
Just as Verden had designed and ordered, the wizards of Eon had long since finished laying the foundation for the magic circle. The same went for Roafra, the underworld that would connect to the ownerless land.Junia and Cain also played a part in the construction.
If only a few days had passed since the Magic Festival ended normally, we would have had more than enough time to complete the intercontinental spatial teleportation circle.
It’s a stumbling block in many ways. Fate.
Verden activated the magic circuits of his entire body and took control of the building of the ultra-long-distance spatial teleportation circle.
I will begin the coordination.
Mado
As the facility begins to move, the basic magic circle, which had been maintained by magic stones, is overlaid with a new line. The same phenomenon occurred at Roafra’s facility linked to the basic magic circle.
There is almost no spatial instability.Verden, having calculated the probability of success, spurred on the effort.
The culmination of modern technology, which takes dozens of wizards skilled in spatial magic circles days to complete, was rapidly realized by a single transcendent being.
“Waaah…….”
[Wow.]
Yunia, hugging Alpha like a doll, gaped blankly. The others were the same. The great presence stimulated their magical power to the fullest.
“Waaah……!”
Junia’s heart pounded.
Rank 8. The senior is Rank 8.
It might not feel real to ordinary people, but Junia, who was a wizard from birth and received professional magical education from sages from a young age, understood the meaning very well.
The current pinnacle of the magic world!!!
Notably, the Lord of the Lefragium Magic Tower is known to be at the 8th rank, and it seems that a very small number of transcendent beings in the magic world have reached the 8th rank, but that kind of thing doesn’t matter.
“Waaahhhhh……!!”
In front of my senior, who grows stronger every day, any transcendent being is nothing more than an ordinary person. Perhaps my senior might reach the 9th rank, second only to the first Demon King.
No matter what happens, everything will be alright as long as my senior is there. Cain will surely be fine, too. Gner felt his worry for Cain fading away.
The perfect embodiment of a genius is right beside you.
A goal to pursue for a lifetime.
Verden is Junia’s one and only idol.
“Waaaaaaah!!!”
[Startled.]
A sudden shout let out by Yunia echoed through the intercontinental space travel circle. Swinging Alpha wildly, her eyes sparkled.
[Waaah.]
“Ranked 8th after such a long time away?! But why are you so nonchalant!! You are practically the strongest in the modern magic world!! How does it feel to reach the 8th rank? What was the process of ascending like? Senior, aren’t you going to be treated like a god later on, just like the First Demon King?! The others need to find out quickly!!”
flinch.
Verden and Alpha paused for a moment, but the excited Junia did not notice.
It is difficult to reveal the matter regarding God at this time.
It is problematic how to explain it, and there is a need to conceal the information like a taboo.Since the appearance of a god will inevitably cause great chaos, it is premature to reveal it to the outside world in a situation as complex as the present.
Whoooosh.
Verden changed the subject as he completed more than half of the detailed fine-tuning of the spatial teleportation circle.
“Unia, once the airship fleet is ready, march south toward the Central Continent.”“Huh? Are you planning to help the Kingdom of Belmair?”“The objective is to exterminate the undead and gather intelligence. Also, bring one person back from the cabin in the Blue Mountains with Isabella.”
Verden said.
“His name is Jose. Since he knows who Isabella is, finding her shouldn’t be that difficult.”
As Verden finally attained divinity, he realized who had first possessed faith in him. It was Jose, whom he had met before choosing transcendence.The ill-fated sculptor who had long since lost his wife and children was the very first believer.
Yunia tilted her head.
“Jose? I’ve never heard that name before… What does he do?”“He’s a skilled sculptor.”“A sculptor? Huh?”
She blinked and rummaged through the space bag.
“Are you the person who made this by any chance?”“What?”
[?]
Junia took out a small statue that looked exactly like Verden.
Alpha asked.
[Where did you get this?]
“You know when I dealt with that high-ranking Blood Alliance officer named Zakran of the Black Mage before? I got this from a sculptor that day.”
Yunia gently shook the statue.
In the Federation of Ternetia.
* * *
The time when Verden returned to the ownerless land.
Postponing the temple carving… Jose put Haenel, Renard, and Faye, who had started suffering from an unknown fever, on a makeshift sled, came down the blue mountain range, and crossed the border of the Ternetia Federation.
My whole body is drenched in sweat.
Although his divine power was nearly depleted, Jose continued on his way without sleeping. Of course, he did not forget to periodically check on the condition of the three people.
“The fever…… went down.”
Is it because I have moved away from the chill of the blue mountain range?
Their faces relaxed considerably. Jose, smiling, slumped down. The relief had drained the strength from his body. Still, he stood up again.
Since it is difficult to conclude that the illness has been completely cured.
So Jose attached temporary wooden wheels to the sled and traveled along the secluded road… but the further he went into the Federation, the stranger he felt.
This uneasy feeling… … .
Not long after, a metallic smell wafted through the air. It was similar to the smell he had encountered at the execution site where his wife had died. The strong scent of blood brushed against Jose’s nose.
A corpse was visible.
Caw, caw.
The bodies of over a hundred soldiers lay scattered all around, being pecked at by birds. Jose hid a cart in the nearby bushes and approached the scene of the tragedy.
Crunch crunch crunch.Crunch crunch.
The body of a young soldier, with vivid tear stains as if he had been alive just moments before, trembled. An old man with skin as white as snow sat upon him.
“You… what are you doing right now?”“I’m eating. I have no choice but to replenish my magical power this way. That’s the kind of body I have.”“Ageuk.”
As the pale old man grabbed the soldier who had collapsed beside him, a faint scream was heard.
Boom!
Jose rushed in and unleashed his divine power.The old man, floating in the air, effortlessly regained his balance with
“Was he a wizard? No, something is a bit different.”“Didn’t I ask what you were doing?!”“Didn’t I say I was eating? They say you shouldn’t bother even a dog while it’s eating.”
The old man shook the forearm of another person, which was bleeding profusely.Jose flinched.The soldier he had tried to save was dead, having suffered fatal wounds and had his arm torn off.
Who on earth is the author?
Despite its appearance, it does not feel like a human. One might say its vitality is twisted. It might be a heteromorphic species mimicking a human shell.
The problem is strength.
The old man’s presence easily overwhelmed Jose. Even Jose, who had awakened divine power, was no match for him. Cold sweat trickled down and beaded on the tip of his chin.
But… … there is no turning back.
The pale old man must have noticed Jose and his party approaching from afar. Pretending not to notice was just for fun. The old man was smiling.
“You’re more perceptive than you look.”“…….”“A fresh woman with two children. Cannibalism wasn’t exactly a hobby of mine, but since I had no choice but to keep eating it, it became a habit. So, it’s only right that I seek out something that tastes good.”
Jose took a deep breath and drew up every last bit of his remaining divine power. As he displayed a futile fighting spirit, the corners of the old man’s mouth curled up even further.
It was then.
“Don’t worry. I’ll eat some too.”“So the rumors were true.”
The old man and Jose belatedly noticed the approach of a third party and cast their gazes in the same direction.
A tall man strode closer, stepping over the corpses of soldiers. In the world, no, in the Ark, the man was called this.
“A doll moved by the corpse of a transcendent… It was worth the effort to find you.”
Gluttony’s leader—Valion Freya.
I happened to need a specimen of a transcendent being.
