Episode 1045 The Red Road (2)
Enormous magical power surges underground, presumably from the secret underground passage of Cernoch Fortress. It was an escape route that Dantel had not used, following his intuition.
‘This is the Black Sea… …! It’s a wide-ranging super-level magic. As such, its direct destructive power might be weak, but that is only if I draw out my ki to the maximum… …!’
Dantel cannot devote himself to defense while maintaining a high level of stealth. Once his concealment is released, it is game over.An 8th-rank transcendent cannot face a opponent head-on, no matter how hard one struggles, unless he is granted the power of the Eighth Apostle.The magic of the Destroyer of Fate is particularly dangerous.
Moreover, a 7th-rank transcendent being is by the side of the Destroyer of Fate. I do not know the reason at all, but the moment you are discovered, your fate is sealed.
I’m holding on…!
You have to endure it with your whole body.
Dantel crouched low, preparing for the disaster that was about to begin. A moment later, streams of water exploded simultaneously from every fissure in the shattered earth.
The ground began to lift moment by moment.
Dantel stomped across the fragmented ground one after another without making a sound to avoid being buried under the mud, but soon had to face waves raging wildly from all sides.
Super-level magic.
The Island of Gwanghae.
Undavark
Raging tidal waves collide with one another, repeatedly separating and merging. The view was filled with a sea of water. The crater caused by the fiery meteorite was also swallowed up in an instant.
This place was not the sea, so it was not the greatest or most powerful, but even without water nearby, completely overturning an entire region was not a difficult task for Tearel.
Because among the transcendents of a thousand years of history, her super-level magic had the widest ‘range’.
Kwag
The waves of the ocean not only uprooted and crushed trees, but also carved out mountains to physically level them and sank the weakened ground.With nowhere left to fully escape, Dantel crossed his arms to absorb the impact.
Crunch… … ! Crunch… … !
The deep sea pressure is embedded in Thearel’s magical concept. If an ordinary human were to immerse themselves in her true domain, they would be compressed in an instant.
Dantel’s jaw tightened as he was struck by the waves.
Leaving aside the suffocation, I could hear the sound of my body dislocating all over. My internal organs, including my lungs, were severely compressed, causing my insides to be shaken.I must not open my mouth.If seawater of this pressure were to rush in all at once, I would suffer fatal injuries.
Bang! Crash! Crash!
Dantel was swept away by an irresistible current and collided with debris time and time again. Eventually, he managed to pull himself halfway out from the edge of the cosmic realm.Upon examining his body, he realized that while he was seriously injured, he was not under severe strain.
“This is the result in a land without water… So this is why they say not to face the Black Sea at sea. It would be difficult for the martial arts world to even approach without a surprise attack.”
Still, since he hadn’t dropped his cover, Dantel let out a sigh of relief. It was a decent performance considering the worst-case scenario.
Still keeping his prayer thoroughly concealed, he lay face down on the eroded hill with his lower body submerged in the sea.
But… … the magical disaster did not end.
Dantel shuddered. It sent shivers down his spine.As his keen senses screamed, he looked straight up at the sky. The stars that had gone extinct had reappeared, glowing more dazzlingly than before.
Countless stars poured down.
Meteor Shower
A higher-level magic of meteor showers in which the flowing stars of the third star, Spiritual Alhena, strike a designated area. The 2km range of Borgantua was tinged with gray.
─────────!─────────!─────────!─────────!─────────!
It collided with the sea of Tearel, spreading shockwaves like violent waves. As it did so, the water pressure of the deep sea raged wildly. It was a magical combination between her and Verden.The stronghold of fate, already ravaged, went beyond destruction and completely disintegrated.
How long did the deafening roar and explosions last, as if my hearing were about to burst?
Before long, the darkness lifted, and a deep blue sky befitting the original time embraced the earth, where nothing remained.
The soil stirred.
grasp!
Dantel’s hand met the fresh air. He braced himself on the ground with his elbow. Having come outside like that, he collapsed to the side.
“Gasp…… Gasp…….”
Looking at his left arm, the muscle fibers were tattered. The bone was clearly visible. His body, weakened from enduring Tearel’s super-level magic while remaining in stealth, had been struck by a meteor and half-exploded.Had he not sacrificed his left arm, the area around his neck would have been blown away.
My right eye wouldn’t open properly.
His eyeballs remained, but he felt pain, likely due to significant damage. Aside from his arms and eyes, it was no exaggeration to say that his entire body was in shambles.
Sob, sob.
He vomited up the fresh blood that had pooled in his stomach. I glanced at his abdomen and saw that the skin color had partially changed. It appeared that his biological tissue had been severely destroyed by the impact.
Still, I survived.
I was able to survive because it was a wide-ranging bombing.
The presence of Verden and Tearel was no longer detected. Bleeding profusely, Dantel laughed like a madman.
“It seems even using a top-tier potion won’t be of much help. At this rate… I’ll have to recuperate again. This is probably a critical time, but I won’t be able to accept any missions for a while.”
Suddenly, he recalled his days as a test subject. At that time, Dantel had other test subjects in the same situation. In a sense, they were friends and colleagues.However, as you can see, Dantel was the only one who survived until the very end.
Transcendent of Fate.
This is an alias referring to Dantel. Chosen by fate, he must obey that choice regardless of his ego. That was the reason Dantel was created.
Is that why?
Even though I had to follow the given choice, I could not move because my body was not in good condition, so now that I had stepped away from the choice for a moment, everything felt light and carefree.
For fate.For fate.For fate.
It seemed as though the test subjects, disposed of for failing to become the transcendent beings desired by the higher ups, were whispering just that. Speaking in a tone that suggested Dantel had stolen their entire destiny.
Dantel laughed and muttered.
“……Fuck off.”
I never wanted a life like this.
* * *
After the banquet of knowledge had concluded, the host’s mansion was quiet. The butlers tidied up the mess and cleaned the mansion thoroughly.The intellectuals who had survived until the third game vanished into the deep sea where they usually resided.
The only distinguished guest remaining in Arkadium so far was Luzak Paltein.He had business with the host.
dripping.
With unspoken permission, I entered the host’s study.It was a room that even Luzak was visiting for the first time.I walked between bookshelves of unfathomable height. The host was sitting near a fireplace that burned brightly without any firewood.
“Host.”
Sit down.
I have come to challenge you.
Luzak made a sudden declaration. It was different from when he was a VIP, wary of the host’s mood. The thirst for knowledge in his eyes, having regained a part of his former self, was faint.
{Knight who has cast off the shell of a noble and repaid the kindness of the Morning Star. I know why you have come to find me. So, sit down.}
Only then did Luzak lean back in the chair.
The host asked.
{Just for the sake of formality. Which sport will you take on?}
Intellectual conflict.
{What would I bet.}
“me.”
Luzak put strength into his voice.
“If I win, please set me free.”
After the third game ended, Luzak executed the intellectuals who had devoured other intellectuals. He committed slaughter in the Arkadium.Yet, he was not punished.Having realized his true self, Luzak no longer wanted to be swayed by the Host’s will. Even if he could not escape in the end, he wanted to fight back on his own.
Turning the pages of a book also stems from action, and action is the very form of knowledge.
Luzak still liked that maxim of the Arkadium. So he set out to act. He would rather perish forever than remain an intellectual.
The host said.
Do you know the meaning of liberation?
“Isn’t it just going to where I am supposed to go?”
{That is correct. Once you escape from that false body and only your soul remains, you will inevitably go to the ‘Fifth World’.}
Luzak twitched his nose, which resembled a walrus.
“The fifth world……?”
It is another name for the world of spirits.
The host personally arranged a space for an intellectual clash. A whiteboard was laid out on the table where Verden and Draven had been talking.
{Aren’t you afraid? What unknowns might be lurking in the land of the soul.}
“I am afraid. But wouldn’t it be better than your plight as a toy?”
{Courage is the epitome of ignorance. It is called recklessness, and also foolishness. O Knight, there is only one chance. Once you make the choice of a lifetime, it is usually irreversible.}
“I don’t think the expression ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ is appropriate. I am already dead, after all. If I were going to get scared and turn back, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”
You are inviting regret.
Luzak laughed.
“Just answer whether you accept the challenge or not.”
{I accept. If you win the intellectual conflict, your soul is freed.}
Despite Ruzak’s bold remarks, the host did not show any signs of displeasure. On the contrary, his eyes merely gleamed with extreme interest.
I will yield the player.
“Hmm? Wait. I haven’t said yet what you will receive if you win.”
{It doesn’t matter, the result won’t be different.}
Host crossed his legs haughtily and placed his clasped hands on his knees. There is no defeat; Ruzak saw that Host had judged it that way.
That is correct.
There is no chance of Ruzak winning in intellectual collisions. Of course, the same applies to other sports. The difference is that in intellectual collisions, one can at least make a weak struggle, such as moving the objects.
Just before moving the object, Luzak spoke up because he had a question. According to the rules of the Arcadium, knowledge cannot be transferred for free.
However, there are exceptions to that rule.
If one side possesses all of the other’s knowledge, a free exchange of knowledge is possible… … Just then, such a phrase came to Luzak’s mind.
This was the host’s intention.
“……I have a question. How is it possible for you, Host, to manipulate souls at will like that? Just what kind of being are you?”
It’s a simple reason.
The host answered.
Because I was involved in the creation of the fifth world.
The source of destiny is in the fifth world.
Leaving Luzak’s surprised reaction behind, Host turned his head. Recalling his conversation with Draven, he muttered in a low voice.
{They must have arrived by now.}
* * *
“……!”
Draven opened his eyes on a hill in the meadow. Recent memories flashed through his mind. He had told Verden about his life, handed over the magic of destiny, and left ideals on the path Verden was taking.
and.
Draven’s soul, freed by Verden without claiming it as his possession, vanished to where it was destined. Yes. To the afterlife where there is no heaven.
“This place is beyond death…….”
It was quite different from the strange space I had only been able to observe a part of through the animus. Perhaps it was because I had come directly as a soul.
Something was visible in the distance.
A spherical entity with countless human limbs hanging from it rolled towards us. Dozens of faces were visible between the limbs. They were emitting intense hostility toward Draven.
It is truly hell.
Could the young disciples who died hundreds of years ago be somewhere here as well? All I saw through my animus was the sight of the disciples’ souls suffering from something.
If the souls of the disciples are here,I must find them.
Mado
Draven manifested the transcendent realm intricately imprinted on his soul. Thanks to Verden, his damaged soul was completely restored.
“──────!”
Draven let out a roar-like scream and clashed with the terrifying human sphere monster.
The hill is ruined.
Eventually, monsters numbering in the tens of millions—and then hundreds of millions and beyond—swarmed in. They let out monstrous roars and screams, and stringed together sentences composed of an unintelligible language.
Ah, this is the fifth world.
The world of the soul.
* * *
Leaders from across the continent gathered at Nordwald, the polar fortress of Prohas. The city streets were more crowded with the powerful than ever before.
Breath rose up.
Saint Leonhardt was waiting for Verden outside, not in the meeting room.
The Pope said he would handle it himself, but it was Leonhardt who killed the King of Ronia, whom Eon’s figures had captured in the first place.
No matter what anyone said, he had to take responsibility himself.
Even if the saint who regained consciousness had just arrived here a moment ago.
Now, 8 minutes until the meeting… … .
Leonhardt had already secretly visited where Eon was staying several times, but he could not meet him because Verden had not arrived in Nordwald.Not even to this day.He told Adrian and Isabella, but they only told him to wait.
The Black Sea didn’t come either. I wonder what happened.
Leonhardt let out a sigh and was about to enter the meeting hall. At that moment, a powerful spatial wave erupted in the sky.Sensing the anomaly, forces from every continent looked up at the heavens one after another.
The peak of Eon has arrived.
Verden landed in the center of the street. Alpha and Beta were on his shoulders, and Black Sea Thearel followed a step behind.Soon, countless eyes fell upon Verden’s right hand.
“M-head?”
A human head was held up as if to show off. Its expression was grotesquely distorted. Although it was frozen, drops of blood dripped intermittently from the cross-section of the neck.
Someone muttered.
“Iderat…… Leader of the Alliance.”“Terrywen…….”
The one who betrayed humanity was beheaded and faced the international community with only his head remaining. Even the rough powerhouses of Prohas were left speechless and focused their attention on Verden.
Aching.
Leonhardt felt uneasy. Looking at Verden, something felt off. He was deeply displeased, yet… he felt an indescribable sense of overwhelming power.
Snap, snap, snap.
Verden walked toward the meeting hall. Drops of blood falling from the League Leader stained the pure white snow. The blood seeping into the eyes soon reached his footprints.
The path of blood.
It seemed to foreshadow turmoil at the emergency summit.
