Episode 985 The Gate of Death (9)
Why are they in prison?
To summarize, it was like this.
Eon and the magic towers targeted Mauler’s territory.Mauler headed to the Kingdom of Ronia.Adrian followed Mauler to the Kingdom of Ronia… … and after various situations, including an anomalous event, unfolded, they met a ‘woman’.
And I woke up in prison.
“You think you can escape in that state? Do you think that’s going to work?”
Mauler scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. The iron chains binding his wrists, ankles, and joints like a madwoman clattered against each other. Helifted his head from the prison wall.As he straightened his head, his shoulder-length black hair swayed.
“What is the method?”“I said I’m thinking about it.”
Adrian was once captured by the all-powerful Baloch Besias, imprisoned for a long time, and subjected to human experiments. This situation is not entirely unfamiliar to him.
Clang, clang.
He squeezed every muscle in his body while closely observing his injuries. The sound of metal twisting.Perhaps because the restraints were insufficient, the degree of restraint was lower than that of Mauler.
“‘Eighty percent of my Ki… no, I could probably break it if I recovered just seventy percent, but since my spatial bag was taken, I have no means of healing right now. If only I had at least a single blade.'”
He had long since abandoned the idea of exploiting the gaps in the handcuffs, shackles, and chains. The restraints were so brutally tight that movement was severely restricted.It was a restraint designed with the fact that he was a transcendent being of the martial arts world in mind.In Mauler’s case, he could barely move his head and neck at will.
“Does that head of yours ever produce any good ideas? You scumbag.”“I’m serious, I’m better than you.”
Adrian lowered his voice.
“If you’re really frustrated, why don’t you at least bring out some ‘hidden power’?”“Power?”
Mauler yawned heavily as if finding the situation of being locked up in prison boring.
“I don’t know what kind of nonsense you’re talking about. If such a thing existed, it would have been used long ago.”“…….”
Adrian glared at Mauler but did not press him further. A sound was heard from outside the prison. Silence fell at the sound of light footsteps.
Click, squeak.
The rusty iron gate opened, and a beautiful woman entered the prison. A torch hanging on the wall illuminated her pure white hair with a reddish tint.
Hisril Del Roharun.
Three bowls containing food were placed in her hands and on the inside of her arms.
It’s brunch. I put in some extra effort today.
Blood from the really roughly grilled steak pooled in the bowl. The vegetables, which hadn’t even been properly prepared, were a particularly pitiful sight.
Mauler frowned sharply.
“Is this goblin food?”“You’re ignoring my sincerity like that. How ill-mannered.”
Heathril placed Adrian and Mauler’s portions outside the bars and brought a chair. She sat leaning against it, picked up the edge of the steak with her fingers, and tore off a piece to eat.
It seems elegant yet barbaric.
It was a rough appearance that did not match her extraordinary looks, which seemed as though she would make a fuss over even a speck of dust. It represented her true nature, veiled in flesh and blood.
The authentic taste is the truth.
Hisril pushed the bowls into the prison with the tip of his foot.
“You need to fill your stomach first to maximize your homeostasis. You’ve lost a lot of blood, so don’t refuse.”“Ha.”
Adrian sneered.
“The woman who turned this place into hell is quite considerate.”“I merely opened the Gate of Death as promised. That outcome was not my intention at all. I have no interest in how many died or how many survived at the hands of the undead.”
Hisril crossed his legs conspicuously and leaned his upper body forward. Herested his elbows on his knees and propped his chin on his hand.
“If I had any ill will, you wouldn’t be alive now. Neither would your subordinates. Isn’t that right?”
Pfft.
Anyone listening would think I lost to you.
At Mauler’s bloodthirsty complaint, Hisril shrugged, telling him to look at their respective situations. He was imprisoned, and she was a guard.
“Isn’t that a pathetic excuse? King Delharun.”
Boom!
Mauler, with veins bulging in his temples, slammed the back of his head against the wall.A crack appeared in the old stone wall.
“You fucking bitch, fight properly again.”“I’ve felt it since we met, but your mouth is pretty filthy. To the founder who made Delharun.”
The chair tipped over backwards.
“I said eat first and recover first!”
Hisril entered the prison and struck Mauler on the head with a bowl. Crash! The plate shattered, scattering meat and vegetables.Food smeared on Mauler’s face as he collapsed while still restrained from the ensuing kicks.
“You bitch…! I’ll kill you!!”“Transcendents are beautiful beings. To put it simply, they are neat and tidy, like a full vessel. But why are you so ambiguous? Why do you feel a little disgusting? Like a vessel dirty because its contents have slightly overflowed.”
The atmosphere changed.
“Tell me. What are you hiding?”
Heathril attempts to bring out her hidden inner self. Her presence does not tolerate those whose outward appearance differs from their inner selves.
“You must be seeing things. Bring it closer. I’ll pull it out myself…!”
Mauler fiercely defeated the influence of the class.
“Hehe, that feistiness is befitting of a Transcendent.”“Ugh……!!”
Hisril forcibly stuffed raw meat disguised as steak into Mauler’s mouth. Mauler resisted, but he was not in a position to do so.
Crazy bastards.
Adrian shook his head inwardly and opened his mouth.
“If you don’t intend to kill us, how long do you plan to keep us locked up?”“Until another gate opens in the west. Actually, it has already opened, though.”
Hisril roughly brushed the blood off the meat and placed his hands on his hips.
“Later I found out there were two Four Gates here in the southern part of the Eastern Continent, you know? So I happily tackled both of them, but the opening time was delayed due to the influence of the first one opened. I’m just waiting for it to fully open. It’s the price for losing the bet. I thought I could fulfill my promise easily, but I guess you could say it just turned out to be a bit of a hassle…”“What promise?”“A promise that in exchange for the Glory of the Dead resurrecting us, we would open nine Four Gates. Since there are three of us, we need to each open one to save face. I opened one, and Vantoreon opened one, so now only Lycan remains. If the gate currently open gets blocked, Vantoreon will have to find another one, though.”
She gave a gentle smile.
“That’s why we held you back first. To get out of the way for a moment so you wouldn’t interfere with our promise. We want to be free as soon as possible.”
Adrian furrowed his brows at the way he casually rattled off important information. He couldn’t fathom Hisril’s true intentions.
“Whose side are you on?”“Only my own side. Once the promise is fulfilled, I have no intention of getting involved in whatever happens to the Sect. I won’t join the former king’s forces, either. If you want, you can even side with the Continent. Giving me this information is an expression of that mindset.”“Do you feel that way after pulling off a stunt like this?”
Adrian and Mauler did not witness the scene firsthand. However, even from a rough assessment, they realized that numerous casualties had occurred.
Due to the Gate of Death, humans and beastmen were given the option of betrayal, causing the forces of the Kingdom of Ronia and the lower beastmen tribes, who had to fight against the undead forces, to collapse from within.
Needless to say, the citizens were no exception.
“What does that matter?”
The shadow cast by the torch obscured Adrian.
“We just need to pursue our ideals. No matter what happens to this world.”“You crazy bitch.”“You’re pretending you’re not like that. Isn’t that just how all transcendent beings are? But you have quite a foul mouth, too.”
Heathril picked up Adrian’s share of the steak and chewed it fiercely.
“If you keep talking like that, I’ll shut your mouth.”
Threats against a transcendent being usually backfire.In fact, it is no different from provoking them.
Adrian growled.
Shut your mouth.
Thump.
Hisril’s lips pressed against Adrian’s in the blink of an eye. Their tongues were forcibly intertwined. Adrian’s pupils trembled widely.
Crackle.
He bit down as if to sever his tongue right then and there, but Hisril paid no heed, grabbed Adrian’s neck, and kissed him more deeply.Gulp, gulp.The perfectly chewed meat went down his throat along with sweet saliva.
Phew—
A vein flared on Adrian’s forehead as he barely managed to twist his head away.
“Th-th-this crazy bitch……!!”“You’re different from her.”
Hisril touched the corner of his mouth and held his tongue, which bore a bite mark.The taste of blood was strong.
“It is a vessel that should have shattered long ago… yet it didn’t overflow at all. On the contrary, it feels like the vessel has grown immeasurably large. It should be disgusting, but it isn’t. I’ve never met a transcendent being like you.”“I’ll kill you…!!!”“With what are you going to kill me? With that mouth of yours?”“Ugh…?!”
Adrian gritted his teeth, overwhelmed by a madness even greater than his own. After laughing for a while, Hisril put the meat back on the plate and pushed it in front of Adrian.
Shall I tell you some new news?
She closed the distance so close that she practically pressed her mouth against Adrian’s ear and whispered softly,using her energy so that Mauler wouldn’t hear.
A massive presence has appeared in the southern part of the Eastern Continent.
Adrian opened his eyes wide.
My Lord?
Hisril added.
“You feel both familiar and strange, so I don’t know who you are, but you must be one of the Transcendents who dislikes this situation. How did you even find your way here when teleportation isn’t working properly? Ha, as expected, things don’t go smoothly.”“…….”“Eat and take your time recovering. Just enough to be able to walk roughly. So you can survive on your own without me having to worry about you.”
Hisril’s gaze dwindled.
From the looks of it, he doesn’t seem like someone to be welcomed with a light heart.
With those words, she left the chaotic prison. Immersed in a heavy silence, Adrian let out a sigh of excitement.
My Lord must have returned.
It is pure intuition.
I, who should be the first to welcome my lord… … .
No matter how unavoidable the situation was, it was absolutely unacceptable. Intense anger surged within him, fueled by the boiling sense of shame.Barely suppressing his emotions, Adrian stared toward the door through which Hisril had exited.
The fact that My Lord has awakened means He has ascended to the 8th Rank. However, the opponent is not just an ordinary transcendent being either.
Empress of Delharun.Slayer of the Beast King.The cause of the interspecies war 3 centuries ago.
Although Hisril had never personally revealed her identity, there was ample information to speculate on her status. Furthermore, one had even experienced a portion of her swordsmanship.The distinctive swordsmanship displayed by Draben Lemarque, who had gained power from the souls of ancient transcendents… the owner of that style was none other than Hisril.
Also, the Great Emperor of the East, Lycan Turgard, and the Great Calamity of Light, Vantoreon Lord Taranis. According to what the Empress said, it seems that the two are not here, but it is not yet time to be certain.
There are many ancient transcendents.It is dangerous.It is not a force that can be dealt with alone.
I must help my lord… …!
thud.
Adrian fell forward and devoured the remaining meat and vegetables in the bowl. In contrast, Mauler, who was subjected to food torture for the first time in his life, wore a look of disbelief.
“Does the kiss whet your appetite?”“Gareth Cyrilliad.”
Adrian demanded a clear answer from him, who said he would not accept a rebuttal.
“Now, I have to escape from here as quickly as possible, by any means necessary.” “I mean, by what means… …”
Mauler twitched his expression as if he had a lot to say about many things, but eventually avoided Adrian’s gaze and clicked his tongue.
“I get it.”
* * *
Verden installed a new central signal station on the mountaintop near Rosella, which had been completely wiped out along with a mountain of corpses after the infrastructure had collapsed.
He let out a shallow sigh as he repeatedly manipulated the communication.
Adrian isn’t taking it.
Judging by the fact that the signal is being transmitted, the communication device seems to be working fine, but it appears they are facing a situation where they cannot connect immediately.
Attempted to contact the members of Eon dispatched to the Kingdom of Ronia one by one.
Whether the communication device was broken or the magic power of the dedicated magic stone had run out… there was no response from the west where Grave was.The same was true for Cain in the north.
It was then.
───Thump… … !! Boom… … !
As soon as the communication device connected, violent noise came from the other side. The other person’s voice brushed past his ears, mixed with explosions and roars.
Are you in the middle of a battle?
Cabrel.
Verden called out the name of the wizard of Eon who was the first to be contacted.
Report your location.
* * *
Boom!
The ground shook violently as the rock shot by the catapult landed. Following that, the Lich’s fire magic burned the forest.
“Reinforcements from them again…! There is no end to it!”“It’s the Marquis Raunik! The Marquis has betrayed us!”“S-Skeleton cavalry are coming! What should we do! Should we engage?! What about the survivors?”“We are outnumbered! If we fight back, we will be annihilated! Give up on rescuing the survivors, and head north! Returning to the north is the best option!”
A rescue party composed of skilled fighters, including adventurers, knights of the Kingdom of Ronia, nobles, and mercenaries, slowed down while traveling on warhorses.The Marquis, who was supposed to join them along the way, returned as an undead.
“Damn it, does he want to survive that pathetically?!”
It is a situation where humans who were allies turn into the undead in an instant. Will they betray or resist? There was no way to stop the choice in their hearts.
“Sir Cabrel! What shall we do! Make a decision!”
Cabrel, a wizard of Eon, took command of this rescue party. Countless eyes were fixed on his robe, which bore the symbol of Eon.
However, far from making a judgment, Cabrel was muttering with his mouth to his wrist.
“Yes… yes… I was trying to rescue the survivors, but a noble of the kingdom betrayed us… Yes… It is close to Rosella, but Rosella was occupied by a traitor named Count Lintel and has become a den of the undead…”“Lord Cabrel?”“Ah… You said you already destroyed Rosella… Yes… Understood… I will go immediately… Thank you… I will be loyal to you for the rest of my life…”“Lord Cabrel?!”
Cabrel, formerly of the Society, suddenly lowered his wrist and raised his voice.
“All troops! Head south!”“What?!”“Head south? Are you trying to commit suicide?! Ever since we lost Rosella, that place has become a den of evil!! The mountains of corpses they piled up reach the sky!!”“Head south at maximum speed!!”
Cabrel insisted on heading south despite everyone’s pleas. It’s strange. Had he been affected by the mind? He wasn’t someone who was impossible to reason with.
“What is in the South that makes you act like this!”“What do you mean? Hahahahahaha!”
A massive fire explosion erupted just a dozen meters away. It was the appearance of a high-ranking Lich aboard the hijacked airship.Earth and dust soared into the sky and fell like a shower of despair, but Cabrel was actually laughing.
“hope!”
