Episode 941 Aftermath (2)
As Bantoreon stepped back into the world and savored the fresh air, a familiar presence soon approached him.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
“This is the place where I am resurrected, yet it is neither an ancient fortress nor a dilapidated house that even lowly slaves would not glance at. And what on earth is this shabby attire?”
The old hinges of the rotten wooden door were torn just by the man of enormous build placing one hand on it.The light green tunic, woven from plant stems and likely worn by a peasant, did not conceal his muscles at all.
It’s almost a shame that Draben LeMarque is already dead.
The Great Emperor, Lycan Turgard.
The strongest of the Transcendent forces who ruled the eastern part of the world during the War of the Transcendents, before the former king rose to prominence and the Continental Alliance was organized.His solemn voice and demeanor exuded the refined dignity of a monarch.
A woman’s shadow fell behind Lycan, who was basking in the bright sunlight following Bantoreon.
Typical of an ancient, so picky.
Her pure white hair, faintly tinged with red, swayed gently. Her eyes were sharp enough to cut. Her mouth was arrogant, as if harboring a sneer.From her, the undeniable majesty of a violent emperor was revealed.
The deal for resurrection was successfully struck. Isn’t that enough?
Empress of Del Harun, Hisril Del Roharun.
A transcendent being who interrupted the negotiations between humans and beastmen just as the war between the races was about to end, killed the Beast King, and triggered a massive invasion by the Great Beast Tribe.
“Yeah… that unpleasant feeling is nothing more than a trivial complaint compared to being able to tread the world again.”
Lycan looked up at the sky.
“But that is for me to decide. Not for you. Moreover, speaking in a tone so utterly rude that not a shred of respect could be heard even if one washed their ears. As one who once reigned in the East, I offer this advice.”
Lycan stood with his back to the sun.The shadow of the giant enveloped Hisril.
Do not mistake the fact that you were called the same Emperor for being of equal standing. Just as the eras in which you reigned were different, so too is your dignity.
The Great Emperor and the Empress.
The souls of the two were stored in the animus, but they only vaguely recognized each other and had never actually spoken or met face to face.
Immediately after the resurrection, this is our first meeting.
The gazes of the emperor who ruled the Eastern Continent about eight centuries ago and the emperor of the Upper Eastern Continent who turned the continent into a battlefield about three centuries ago intersected.
You nitpick a lot. It doesn’t suit your size.
Hisril’s lips curled up slightly.
“Should I cut it to fit your bowl?”“What a barbaric woman.”
The forest shakes.
Although their vital energy has barely recovered, the dignity of existence they built up over a lifetime has been engraved in their souls and returned to their original bodies.
Lycan lightly clenched his fist.Hisril roughly raised the hand hidden behind the wall.
Even though it is a life regained after hundreds of years, it shows no regard for killing or being killed by its opponent. If something does not align with its will, it forcibly bends it or breaks it completely.
This is the very essence of the transcendent.
“Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
A hearty laugh rang out loudly.
Vantoreon clapped loudly and stepped between the two transcendents.
“It is truly a sight to see you brimming with energy the moment you rise from the coffin. If it were up to me, I would not want to intervene in the slightest, but there is something that must be prioritized right now.”“I remember, so there is no need to remind you, Vantoreon.”
Vantoreon and Lycan lived in the same era; they clashed as transcendent beings and even joined forces with the Continental Alliance to fight against the Old King together.Although their ideals differed, they were close enough to converse.
Lycan massaged his neck muscles.
“When the Great Corpse returns and distorts the boundary between life and death, open a total of ‘nine Gates of Death’ across three continents. That was the condition of the deal with them.”
Emperor Xerion ruled over countless legions of the undead and ravaged the continent, but upon his defeat in war, the undead were all annihilated.Now that his seal has been broken, the vanished undead are rising again. Emperor Xerion is bound by the causal relationship of death.
“Didn’t they say that opening that gate would bring the ‘true army of the ancient kings’? I accepted because I saw no reason to refuse, but I am skeptical. Why did they go to such lengths to prepare this, even dragging us into it? There would be far fewer variables if they handled it among themselves.”
Hisril crossed his arms and leaned his head against the worn-out door frame.
Since we made a deal as transcendents, even if we fulfill it, the rest is our freedom.
Transcendents are fundamentally not beings who would bow down to other transcendents. They are stubborn individuals who would choose death instead of submission.Like the servants who pledged loyalty to Emperor Xerion even before their awakening, they had absolutely no intention of coming under the control of the Xerion Empire.
The resurrected Transcendent’s sword could be aimed at the old king at any time.Even the deal made with Draben Lemarque was kept only out of pride as a Transcendent, and there was no actual ‘coercion’ involved.
“I understand that all instructions were ordered to Draben Lemarque just before Akhand Linigea Tain Xerion performed the Ritual of Immortality. I do not know what his ulterior motive is, but the strategic advantages of making a deal with the Transcendents, including myself, are self-evident.”
Lycan asserted.
Laying the foundation for war.
Where there is a king, there are soldiers.
While the eyes of the world are focused on Arkhand, they open the Gates of Death and unleash the Army of the Dead, which Arkhand will command… … .Only then will Arkhand be able to wage a global war against all human nations, just as he has done in the past.
He calmly analyzed the situation.
“As you all know, opening the Four Gates is impossible for an ordinary being, and furthermore, the Glory of the Dead lost all its actual power after pouring everything into reviving Akhand. This is the outcome that even the servants had anticipated hundreds of years ago. When it comes to preparing for the aftermath, is there anyone more certain than the Transcendents? Knowing this, I proposed a deal to the Transcendents and had them store their souls in the Animus to fulfill the conditions for opening the Four Gates.”
To summarize.
To ensure the Old King’s forces would not be thwarted along the way, he played the tactic of making a deal with the Transcendents using the glory of the dead.He focused solely on this objective, regardless of whether the Transcendents would later turn against the Old King.
This is likely because a large army is indispensable in war.
“Why build power and devise strategies? No matter how exceptional a being may be, one cannot overwhelm the world alone; even Arkhand, who commanded a legion, was eventually defeated by the Continental Alliance and his body was shattered. If that is the case, who could withstand an attack from every force while having no troops? If such a being exists, they would be a being worthy of being called the ruler of the world.”“The strength of the absolute majority… well, I know that very well. Of course I do.”
Hisril recalled memories of his life. The moment he was torn to shreds and killed after being surrounded by the Great Beast Tribe in revenge for the murder of the Beast King was vivid.
“Anyway, I heard you died in battle against the Old King. It’s not like you’re going to become his subordinate now, and the current Old King must have overcome his weaknesses and become stronger than before. Aren’t you going to get killed by him again?”“Arkhand is certainly an unrivaled transcendent being. However, that strength dares not suppress me. He isn’t the only one who has come back to life.”
Lycan rubbed his wrist.
Last time, I died, but this time, that fellow will die. If he interferes with my ideals.
If you can’t kill them alone, kill them in a group.Become a force even stronger than the Continental Alliance that destroyed the Xerion Empire.
“You’re brimming with confidence. Then again, it wouldn’t be impossible. They said the ancient king’s body was indestructible, but seeing as it was damaged by that dark red lightning… This era certainly seems different from the world I lived in.”
Hisril touched his lips.
“There seem to be quite a lot of powerful transcendents.”“It couldn’t be more welcome.”
Vantoreon revealed his teeth.
“However, Lycan, while your conjecture is certainly valid, I think completely differently. It is highly likely that Arkhand did not plan the flow in such a complex way. Rather, he might be intending to proceed simply.”“Why?”“It is my intuition. I didn’t know it at the time, though.”
Vantoreon rubbed his beard.
“Arkhand simply wants war. The greatest war of all, a war overflowing with slaughter to the point where the entire continent is drenched in blood! If you think that way, it doesn’t matter what the resurrected Transcendents do. If we act as we please, we will only expand the scale of this war; consequently, there will be no reduction in the war. Isn’t that right?”“…….”
Lycan stared at Bantoleon in silence, then shook his head.
“True to your battle-crazed nature, your thoughts are drawn only in that direction. Shut up.”“Can’t you understand? It doesn’t matter. The truth will be revealed if we see it through to the end. And, what I just said I must prioritize is not the opening of the Four Sects.”
Vantoreon said confidently
It’s a meal.
Their stomachs are literally empty. Since even transcendent beings are living creatures, they cannot properly exert their power without eating anything.
Hisril nodded.
“I’m not exactly sure what the situation is, but it seems the former king is in trouble, so it should be fine to take a leisurely approach and open the gate. I need to acquire new weapons and figure out where we are.”
Draben and Lunesika kept the location of the three’s resurrection so strictly secret that they did not even inform the remnants of the Glory of the Dead, who were to assist in opening the Gate of Death.With no one to guide them, they had no choice but to move on their own. Sharing external information within the Animus was very limited.
“I will lead the way, so follow me.”“I doubt there is any dish in a backwater like this that could satisfy my palate.”“I’d be fine with even raw meat.”
The transcendents who had inhabited Draven’s soul and become his power through the super-level magic of Draven and Lunesica began to move.However, Saint Ethanbelt was not among them.
It was due to the presence or absence of body parts, andit was the fault of the soul.
Before his lifespan ended, Vantoreon encountered Draven, made a direct deal, and handed over a finger along with his soul.
After being killed by the old king, Lycan had his soul forcibly stored in Animus and conversed with Draven, accepting a deal. He obtained the body part that would serve as the medium for his resurrection at the final battlefield.
Hisril gained the opportunity for resurrection through a process similar to that of the Lycans. Her body fragments were obtained from the scene where the beastmen killed her.
Only Ethanbelt’s soul was barely secured; his body parts could not be retrieved because it had been strictly disposed of by the Ruas Theocracy.Furthermore, Ethanbelt’s soul was somehow different from other transcendents. Pope Benslov, who had sealed the ancient king along with him, was also like that.
Martial arts and magic.Faith.
Could it be due to the difference in the lineage?
Although the cause was unknown at the moment, Vantoreon, Lycan, and Hisril did not care. After all, what mattered to them was ultimately only their own ideals.
Oh, the age of magic.
Welcome the transcendents of the past.
* * *
Adrian opened his eyes in bed. His upper body was covered in thick bandages, and red blood had spread across the bandages.
A voice was heard from the side.
Homeostasis is safe. It would have been dangerous if the wound had been even an inch deeper, though.
Adrian asked.
“How is the Lord’s condition?”“High body temperature, irregular heartbeat… I couldn’t magically determine the Lord’s condition, but it seems his life is not in danger. Fortunately.”
Isabella let out a sigh, covered in the distinctive smell of the alchemy laboratory.
She also knows what the situation is.
It was because Adrian had explained to Aldanis and Grave what on earth had happened on that island before losing consciousness and collapsing.He had heard about the situation at the Sanctuary of the Ruas Theocracy from someone else.
“My Lord will be fine.”“But even so, we can’t just sit idly by and leave him like this. It would be best to entrust the Lord’s safety to someone who can offer even a little help. It’s quieter over there than here, after all.”“……You mean the Desert of Silence?”
In the Desert of Silence, there is an administrator who is an alter ego of the first Demon King.That being might be the answer.
“That would certainly be better…… Wait.”
Adrian narrowed his eyebrows.
“You say it’s ‘quieter’ than here? What do you mean?”“Well, because of this incident, the situation on the continent has gotten quite bad. To be precise, the relations between the factions.”
Isabella explained the international situation that occurred while he was receiving treatment.
“It looks like it’s going to get quite noisy from now on.”
