Episode 993 The Prelude to Death (3)
An intellectual who explores truth and learning on their own to pursue new understanding and insight. A parasite clings to that sublime conclusion and attempts to snatch away only the result. To use an analogy, it is like a tree that pays no interest in why it exists, but covets only the fruit. Moreover, it even shamelessly flaunts the fruit and claims the tree as its own.
The host conveyed his intense displeasure in his voice without exception. Yet, even when Alpha slapped him, he had merely laughed, finding it interesting.The one leading the banquet of knowledge seemed to detest the arch-demon of prostitutes quite a bit.
{Ifeakarn does not contemplate. Perhaps that is why he is the most demonic of all archdemons. Above all, he is also a being that writhes the most wretched tentacles.}
“…….”
I don’t care about the tentacles.
Verden repeatedly ruminated on Host’s advice that Ifeakarn would be pleased if the Gate of Death were destroyed.
The Feast of Knowledge answered my question on the grounds that it was compensation for the delay… but ultimately, the Host does not provide knowledge for free. There is no way they would reveal crucial information here, such as the objective of the Archdemon of Parasitism. However, it is clear that destruction is not the answer.
When Verden entered the Gate of Death, he felt a total of three types of power.
First, the boundary of the taboo itself reacted violently, erupting with a repulsive force. The soul trembled. More than when the Gray Dragon had uttered the taboo that the source of destiny lay in the Fifth World.
Second, an energy very closely related to the rift in the world where the first king of the human realm and the legion commander Hadras had encountered permeated within. It felt as if I were standing in a rift of yet another world.
Third, immediately after entering the space of nothing but darkness… I sensed that the surface will of ‘you,’ whom I encountered in the desert of silence, was approaching from somewhere.
You’re wary of me.
A gut feeling that things would go terribly wrong if I interfered recklessly. That is why I couldn’t attempt destruction immediately and summoned the host instead.
Verden displayed his intuition, sharpened by his embodiment of divinity. If the Gate of Death literally functioned as a gate, where did it lead?What was hidden beyond that it so strongly denied his entry?
A choice called a choice, but in reality no different from coercion—a choice of corruption.Apostles of Fate.The forces of the Old King manifesting through the Gates of Death.
Verden felt his destiny.
The Nine Gates are connected to that fifth world. To the source of destiny.
The dark rift stared silently at Verden. The concept of destruction was born from the destruction of fate. The Fifth World and Verden were connected by causality.It was as if he could hear an unfathomable whisper of ‘you’ inside his head.
They say that for those who cannot handle knowledge, ignorance is bliss. Will you regret it, resist it, or find another path? Now that you know the truth, what choice will you make?
The host said.
The Arcadium will be held in 15 days.
15th?
“You’ve been running around busily here and there; have you finally finished preparing?”
{Fortunately, it seems you didn’t see what kind of banquet was prepared.}
The host laughed softly.
I hope your sincere efforts pay off.
The pages of Gring Arcanum rustled as the book closed. Verden stored the world’s forbidden book, which had fallen into his hand, in a subspace. Hestill had many questions he wanted to ask, but he had no choice but to postpone them until the Banquet of Knowledge was held.
A cool wind blows over the collapsed earth.
Saaaaa───
A burning sensation began to rise from Verden’s soul and body. It was the backlash of the magical manifestation. Biological tissue detached from his fingertips rose into the sky and vanished.Then, thanks to homeostasis and Lisandro’s fruit potion, the vanished skin quickly regenerated.
The price of becoming a self-made destroyer… … .
The concept of destruction beyond limits knows no bounds, distinguishing between friend and foe, including Verden. If one seeks to annihilate the opponent, Verden must be prepared for his own destruction.The moment he overuses his magical manifestation, his homeostasis will eventually be destroyed.
I guess I need to focus more on stabilization and reorganization.
Regaining his breath, Verden roughly perched on the rugged, soaring crust. He placed [Interis], who was gripping the ground, against his inner body and rested it on his shoulder.
From the north to here, the conflict zone, where two incomprehensible disasters seemed to discordantly intertwine, has entered a lull.
Your Majesty, are you safe?
Realizing that the battle was finally over, Grave flew in leading the Commandment Execution Unit. The horde of undead that had lost control was being purified by the Ruas religion.Among the unit was Opea Rogentena, a former remnant of the Black Hour.
“D-Your condition is critical…!”“Your life is not in danger. You took a potion, too.”“Even so!”
The life force of a transcendent being exists in a realm far beyond human common sense. A wound that is insignificant to Verden is a fatal injury to others.Opea and the other members of Eon examined Verden’s physical condition.
Verden said.
“I have already met with Cain’s side. I also heard the whole story from Rateon. It has been quite eventful.”“……! Hahaha, even so, I still have a long way to go to catch up to Your Majesty.”
Grave let out a deep sigh at the news that Rateon had come back to life.
“By the way, who was that person earlier?”“The Empress of Delharun. A transcendent being fully resurrected through a deal with the Glory of the Dead. Since she is not part of the forces of the Old King, we attempted to capture her alive, but as you can see, she escaped. Still, she won’t be able to move for a while.”“The Empress… is the cause of the war between races.”
Grave could not keep his expression at the appearance of a transcendent being who had left his mark on history. What on earth was happening on this continent?Grave, who had been trying to gauge the uncertain future, raised his gaze.
“I thought that… the Gate of Death was the culprit behind this situation. Is that correct?”“Yes. Putting physical factors aside, it is difficult for me to destroy it with my own strength. And I heard there is another Gate of Death in the Lower Beastmen tribe. For now, I will gather the remaining airships and head west.”
Verden asserted.
“Adrian is there.”“I will get ready immediately.”
Grave immediately obeyed the order. Shortly thereafter, a figure not belonging to Eon approached. The current second-in-command of Delharun revealed himself to Verden.
Miracel showed respect.
“Miracel, Commander of the Royal Guard Division of Delharun. One who serves the Great King greets the Peak of Eon.”“What is your purpose?”“Not only the Heavenly Sword of Eon, but our Great King himself has also gone missing. We will provide troop support. We wish to join the search.”
Despite the fact that Eon and Delharun were in a virtually hostile relationship and Eon had encroached upon her territory, Miracel treated Verden with utmost respect. Shewas merely tense, harboring no hostility. She was a woman who clearly distinguished between public and private matters and between profit and loss.
It was then that the space began to ripple.
“……!”“……?!”
Besides Verden, Grave, who wields spatial magic, reacted. His magical senses whispered that he could now use
“To think the space has suddenly stabilized.”“There must have been external intervention.”
Verden looked far to the west.
“On a continental scale… It looks like the Magic Tower or the Magic Kingdom has done something. Then again, quite a bit of time has passed, so it’s about time they came up with a plausible countermeasure.”
Verden, putting the capture of Hisril on the back burner, unleashed his magical power. With the opening of the Infinite Magic Path, a spatial magic formula drew a formation at his fingertips.
We move quickly because we don’t know when the space might become unstable again.
* * *
In the Four Gates, anyone who does not understand the soul loses their way. Furthermore, one who does not know the soul cannot open the gate of death.
The desire to manipulate souls – Hythril, whose soul had been kept in the animus for about three centuries, was a transcendent being who met that condition.
A gap in the air.
Kwaaaaang!
Just as the soul of the living goes to the world of the dead… … she, who had been moving at near-light speed, was flung out of the rift. Theimpact struck her already fatally wounded body, causing her internal organs to rumble.
“I thought I would come out through a different… door. It wasn’t.”
Using the Four Gates as an escape route was a spontaneous decision by Hisril. Of course, he was confident that he could get in and out, sincehe had opened the gates himself.However, as this was his first time entering, he had no idea how things would unfold.
“Ugh…….”
Hythril turned around and desperately crawled out of the pit. The severe injuries sustained from being struck by Verden’s gravity magic were not healing.The potion’s effects had already worn off.Hythril’s life force was so immense that even such an effective potion could not fully restore her physical condition.
My energy is completely depleted.
With no strength in my fingers, I braced myself on the soft ground with my broken arm bone. I was so exhausted that it was difficult to even get out of a small hole.
‘The final magic. Was it a super-tier magic after all? It wiped out exactly the energy within my body. Can it destroy concepts as well, not just non-material things? If Verden had specifically targeted my existence to annihilate it… …’
A vivid red flash of darkness.
Rumble!
Hythril slipped as she recalled the moment she faced the magic that decided the battle. Covered in dirt from head to toe, she let out a hollow laugh.Beads of sweat on her eyelids trickled down her soft cheeks like tears.
“Ah… are you scared? You’re going to have a bit of a mental breakdown.”
She scoffed at her plight, having become a beast with its tail tucked in, and looked up again. Barely managing to hang her upper body over the edge of the pit, she lifted her head.
“…….”“…….”
A coachman passing by on the road has stopped his carriage and is gaping.Anyone would have the same reaction if they saw a beauty of unparalleled beauty climbing out of a crater using a bone protruding from her forearm as a hoe.
“Are, are you alright?”“Do I look alright?”“Ah, I’m sorry! I’ll help you right away!”
The coachman hurriedly came down and rushed toward Hisril. Hisril observed the coachman’s movements to assess his strength.
“Is he a former mercenary? He’s weak. Killing him won’t be a problem.”
Heathril understands very well how impulsive men’s sexual desires are, and how he appears to men.
If you try to pull a stunt by pretending to be unable to move, I will chop you to pieces on the spot. Honestly, I wanted to pull a stunt. Because Hisril needed a carriage.
Surprisingly, Hisril is a romantic.
I will load you onto the carriage for now. It might hurt, but please bear with it.
The coachman, who had grabbed Hythril’s unharmed arm and pulled him up to the surface, took out the stretcher he usually carried and moved Hythril.
“My condition is serious, so I’m going to run home. Giddy up!”“……?”
A shabby carriage speeds down the road.
Although he was captivated by Hisril’s beauty, he displayed strange self-control and faithfully headed to a place where he could treat her.
What’s up with this coachman?
Hisril, safely loaded onto the carriage, tilted her head inwardly before speaking. She exuded a unique charm that stirred the coachman’s inner feelings.
“Home… are you perhaps a healer?”“I am merely an ordinary coachman. I have a wife and daughter at home, but neither do they possess extensive knowledge of healing. However, I do have a very good potion given to me by a benefactor. With that, you too will be able to catch your breath.”
The coachman drove the carriage skillfully and turned his head cautiously.
“I know what you are worried about. I assure you that I have absolutely no intention of laying a hand on you with such intentions. I would never do anything that would make me lose face with my family.”“Is your wife pretty?”“She is pretty in my eyes, but I do not know how she appears to others. However, for several years, I have served a woman as beautiful as you.”
He laughed sincerely.
“Have you ever heard of the Melodyman of Fortune?”“The Melodyman of Fortune?”“He has retired now, but he was a musician who delivered songs more brilliant than anyone else in this world. You couldn’t help but be captivated by his voice. I was the coachman who used to roam the region with the Melodyman of Fortune.”
Coachman Clinton.
While Isabella, who dreamed of revenge against the Bohemian Magic Tower, was making money through alchemy, Clinton’s family, who had been poisoned by a strange creature, survived thanks to a special remedy she had created.Later, after hearing a song Isabella used to sing to her daughter for fun, Clinton advised her to become a musician.
He feels a sense of pride whenever he reads a newspaper featuring news about Eon,thinking that it was truly the best advice of his life.
Hisril became interested and asked.
“What are you doing since you retired?”“I am living very well as a wizard. There was a dangerous plague recently, haha. You even looked after my family yourself, saying you were worried about them. You have been, and still are, the benefactor of my life.”
How beautiful must he be to be immune to Hisril’s looks? Feeling a sense of rivalry, she relaxed, convinced that the coachman was a rare good man.
“By the way… where is this?”“This place? Ah! Come to think of it, the newspapers have been saying recently that the probability of spatial displacement accidents has increased. It looks like you’ve been caught in a teleportation accident.”
Clinton said that it was a stroke of luck to have survived, even if he was injured.
“This is the Central Continent. It’s a village near the massive city of Gargant.”
* * *
As soon as the restraints were removed, Mauler left for another place. It was exactly what was desired.Since they would see each other again on the front lines anyway, whether they liked it or not, there was no reason for the two of them to move.
Taat.
Adrian moved southeast while operating the communication device. The bracelet operated normally but kept stopping midway.
It seems my Lord has brought a new central signal device, but unlike before, it’s not the communication that’s strange, but the device itself. Is it broken?
Adrian is a layman in magic skills.
Tsk.
Adrian, having no choice but to give up on communication, focused on maneuvering.Holding only the single iron sword left by Hythril, he headed toward the Kingdom of Ronia, cutting down the hordes of undead that were getting in his way.
‘Presence.’
As he climbed the cliff blocking his path in an instant… a being clad in a robe adorned with gold trim was waiting for him with its hands clasped.An undead.The inside of the robe was shrouded in darkness and unrecognizable, but the aura of death, distinct from that of other undead, could be felt vividly.
A purple aura rises up.
Just as I was about to cut him in two without a word, he held out his palm. It was the shape of a monstrous hand, not a human’s.
[I have no intention of sharing life and death, Adrian Chambers. I have come merely to convey a message.]
“……!”
The undead called his name precisely. He could sense lofty intelligence. Adrian aimed his sword without letting his guard down.
“What are you?”
[4th Commander of the Xerion Empire. Sarkanon.]
A loyal subject of the former king.
Sarkannon, who had just emerged from the second Gate of Death opened in the southern part of the Eastern Continent, raised one arm with his elbow bent.All undead within Adrian’s detection range ceased their movement.
[I will withdraw the troops.]
“what?”
[We will not engage in war until He declares the war. Make full preparations for the final tomorrow. So that it does not end insignificance.]
Sarkannon slowly lowered his arm.
[War is the clash of everything against one another. That is the way the ancient king pursued. Welcome the invitation and messenger of the Empire that will soon arrive across all continents.]
The sky irregularly turned dark.Communication devices flickered.In a space where evil magic raged ominously, Sarkannon’s figure vanished like smoke, and only his voice lingered in the air.
[Do not waste peace.]
As Adrian’s sword energy sliced through the air, his voice abruptly cut off. Was it some kind of magic? His presence vanished without a trace.The sky, which had been flickering darkly, regained its original color before I knew it.
‘no way.’
Adrian narrowed his eyebrows at the unpleasant encounter and tightened his grip.
Is the breaking of the ancient king’s seal imminent?
Adrian raised his wrist after confirming that a new signal had been received on the communication device. Judging by the circumstances, it seemed that the magic item had been temporarily paralyzed by that undead commander.
───The lightsaber has been recovered, Adrian. Tell me the location.
The Lord’s voice, heard for the first time in dozens of days.
Others would have asked how he was doing time and time again and welcomed his return. Adrian reported the situation immediately, without any flowery language.
“My Lord, I think we must go to the Hiaremar Inland Sea.”
Perhaps the seal of the old king has already been broken.
and.
The entire continent was also entering a new phase.
