Episode 994 Xerion Empire (1)
Messengers from various nations arrived during the interrogation of Grimmel Gromfar. The Theocracy of Luas, the Arnak Empire, Eon, and the Magic Kingdom of Akenad moved swiftly as soon as they received the news.
In the midst of this, the Empire was the first to respond by secretly receiving cooperation from Eon, the Magic Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom.
Southern Western Continent.
The airships of the Arnach Empire dived down. The rear was opened. The waiting Legion cavalry quickly disembarked.Hand signals followed.As the four airships turned to the right and ascended to a safe altitude, the warhorses galloped toward the ‘Itel Kingdom’.
Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!
Legrit and Grizwall, having crossed the gentle hills from the vanguard, gazed at the city built near Lake Pendren, the second largest lake on the continent.
“They say it is an urgent matter, but it hasn’t been long since he got out of bed; isn’t he pushing himself too hard?”“He finished his rehabilitation flawlessly. Now he’s itching to get back to work and can hardly bear it.”
Regrit was also exposed to destruction on an island in the Hiaremar Inland Sea. He suffered considerably from aftereffects that even hampered the Dragonkin’s regenerative abilities.Of course, he could have moved long ago, but at the urging of Grand Duke Rivandale, he took this opportunity to devote all his time to mastering the Dragonkin’s power.
“Above all, this is a special mission being personally overseen by His Imperial Majesty. Naturally, as the leader of the Six Lords, I must set an example.”
Regrit Narsilia is the captain of the Ark, but also a War Lord of the Empire. Both her desire to command humanity and her loyalty to the Empire are genuine.
Although the six Lords had never actually ranked themselves, Grizwall did not deny Legrit’s unwavering confidence.Already strong, she had become some kind of dragon-like being. One could tell without even confronting her. Legrit had transcended the limits of humanity.
“Hahahaha! Is that the arrogance of a dragon from an old tale?”
Grizwall said.
“Anyway, if the information the Itel Royal Family claims to have uncovered is true…….”“Hmm.”
Legrit, wearing a golden helmet to hide his broken horn, pulled his chin down.
“In the worst-case scenario, we would have to abolish the city.”“To think that the city itself could be wiped out. It shows just how serious the situation is, but King Itel is certainly bold to have made such a decision.”
The mission assigned to the two individuals, accompanied by the elite of the Legion, was ‘investigation’.No less than the Imperial Family is keeping a close watch.
Investigate the anomaly that occurred in Laskernon, the waterfront city of the Kingdom of Itel.
A very faint stench… … .
With her keen sense of smell, she caught an unnatural odor. Something was mixed in with the wind blowing from the city and Lake Pendren.
Respiratory protection.
Everyone except Regrit, whose resistance quality was exceptional, wore the Artisan Magic Tower Purification Mask.
Disperse.
The investigation team split into three squads and moved to the left, front, and right. The left and right squads searched outside the city, while the front squad searched inside.The urban search unit was commanded by Legrit and Grizwall. With just the War Lord and the Lord of the Legion, most threats could be dealt with on the spot.
Ta-da-da-da-da!
They jumped off their galloping warhorses and closed the remaining distance by running or flying. The warhorses detoured as they had been trained, kept their distance, and waited voluntarily.
The city gate is firmly closed.
Having entered the city by stepping on the walls one after another or with a single leap, they suddenly drew their weapons and formed a wedge formation.
Legrit carefully shifted his gaze.
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a quiet city.”“I expected a commotion, but I didn’t expect to feel any life.”
Laschernon was enveloped in silence, as if it had become a deserted city. Lake fog had settled, making the visibility slightly hazy.
An unusual atmosphere.
Regritt decided without delay to use the item provided by Eon. He activated the artificial golems taken from the space bag. As the magical power reacted, spherical objects the size of a human head rose into the air.
Find the living creature.
Upon recognizing the command, the identification golems soon flew across the city. Even for the Legion’s elites, it was the first time they had ever used golems for exploration.
“Is Eon monopolizing that kind of technology? An Imperial critic said last year that Eon would lead future technological advancements, just like the Artisan Magic Tower. I don’t remember his name, but he was a guy with foresight.”“The Imperial Ministry of Magic will have to fight hard, too.”
After a brief conversation, we headed into the city at a moderate pace.
Grizwall’s squad traversed the streets, while Legrit’s squad moved across the rooftops of the buildings on both sides.Blood raced, ready to handle any situation. Their bodies, heightened by tension, became more resilient and flexible than usual.
Paat.
A nearby identification golem flashed a red light. It meant it had detected signs of life. The sound was deliberately turned off to minimize the disturbance.
The exploration unit, having rapidly approached the four-story building, exchanged precise hand signals and entered the interior like a whirlwind.
And, a purple pool placed right in the center of the third floor greeted them.
“……Looking at it this closely, I can feel its vitality, but can we really call this a living thing?”
Grizzwell frowned.
It’s certainly true that it’s no longer human.
Legritt picked up the foreign substance floating in the puddle with his golden gauntlet. It was sticky. It was human flesh that had mutated into something.Was his sense of touch still alive? He saw the puddle tremble slightly.
According to the Itel Royal Family, the undead had appeared in Laskernon. The mayor of Laskernon received reinforcements and set out to suppress the situation, but contact was lost. The Kingdom’s investigation teams, dispatched on two occasions, also went missing… … And finally, even the humans who melted into this pool.
Legrit gazed out the window at Lake Pendren, which was practically an inland sea.Come to think of it, it was strange.
Why isn’t there even a single ship?
Just like the Kingdom of Valdera, the Kingdom of Itel developed based on Lake Pendren, so there were quite a few people engaged in fishing.
They might have escaped by boat.
However, regrettably, the Empire’s intelligence network had never caught any news that Laskernon’s ship had recently arrived in another city.
“Grizwall, to the lake.”“……! Understood.”
They arrived at the port of Laskernon, retrieving the immediately identified golem. The air grew cold. The faces of the Legion’s elite, including Grizwall, hardened.
“…….”
[… … .]
A human head was half-protruding from the empty lake. It appeared to be alive. It rolled its eyes and looked at Legrit.
Legrit broke the silence first.
Is it Count Gaspon?
I had determined the appearance of the mayor of Laschernon in advance. Even if his eyes were bloodshot and his hair was soaking wet, he was undoubtedly the Count with whom I had lost contact.
Bubbling
Foam rose from the head part submerged in water.
[Are you the Legion of the Arnach Empire? It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Count Royle von Gaspon, Mayor of Laskernon, a beautiful lake city where the sunlight shimmers.]
He is acting cheerful with that appearance.It is utterly bizarre.Even Legion, who has been through it all, got goosebumps.
He’s intelligent.
Legrit asked again.
“What… happened here? Where did everyone go?”
[So many things happened. I didn’t know it at the time, but it started with a merchant ship that never came, no matter how long I waited. Next was a fishing boat. After that came the undead.]
Count Gaspon smiled with his eyes.
[When the undead appeared in the city, I thoroughly suppressed the entire city from the outside in, including the sewers. I judged that doing so would allow me to find the cause of the outbreak. But that was not the case. The undead were not born that way. They did not become undead from corpses, but from humans. To be precise, they ended up dwelling on the boundary between the undead and humans.]
You mean that purple puddle.
[The suppression forces, the citizens, the investigation teams, and the reinforcements—they all met the same fate. It is because they drank the water of Lake Pendren. Ah, who in the Kingdom of Itel could have predicted that the water of life would turn into the water of death?]
Count Gaspon laughs heartily,shedding tears.
[… … The Gate of Death has opened at Lake Pendren. It is one of the Nine Gates of Death. Laskernon is merely the beginning. Lake Pendren will gradually be stained with death, and before long, all the waterside cities will drink its water.]
“The Gate of Death……?”
[Since the war has not yet been declared, we cannot leave the city. The commander has withdrawn the troops for the sake of war procedures. Advancement has not been permitted. However, there was no order to leave alone those who entered Laskernon without permission.]
Legion looked up at Count Gaspon as he emerged from the lake.
[No, no, more, beyond, the limit.]
Only the head was human; the body, which appeared to be made of twisted, bizarre blood vessels, had limbs long enough for its feet to touch the bottom at the edge of the lake.
[Let’s… … melt away together.]
Purple flesh crawled out of every passage connected to the city’s sewers. The decaying slime gathered together or dispersed to become large and small humanoid slimes, blockading the port from front to back.
[Let’s… … melt away together.]
With the last conversation, Count Gaspon, whose last shred of humanity had been consumed by death, reached out his arm toward Legritte, leaving behind traces of tears.
Although all escape routes were blocked, the search unit was only tense and did not tremble with fear.
“If the Count’s words are true, we must immediately evacuate the citizens of the waterfront cities not only of the Empire but also of the Kingdom of Valdera and the Barimtiel Tribulation.”
Grizzwell gripping the axe.
“So, what’s the conclusion?”“It looks contagious, and the scale is too large. Recovery seems impossible.”
──Bang!
Legrit fired a signal flare and unleashed a golden lightning bolt.
“I discard Laschernon.”
As they escaped the grasp of what was human from the harbor to outside the city gate, a fleet of seaplanes concealed in the sky approached the city.
The shadow of the Empire’s colossal airship, the Atorium, fell.
Half of the main fleet of the War Lord led by Legrit.
It is different from when we faced Verden unexpectedly at the Black Volcano. They were fully armed, anticipating a large-scale war.
──────! ─! ──! ─────! ──!
Bombardment and shelling pouring down from the fleet.
Eventually, with a massive explosion, the city of Laschernon vanished into history.
* * *
Prohas, the cold north connecting the Western and Central continents.
Breath scatters.
Eres Eindgel Prohas, the Watcher of the North and King of the North, sat on the ice. A bitter cold flowed down from the blade of the legendary sword, *Nibis*, the Fierce Cold, passed down through the Watcher’s bloodline.
“It’s not just one of these, but many…….”
Eres can perceive major anomalies occurring in the north even from a distance. Not even a faint spatial wave can deceive his senses that govern Prohas.
The Gate of Death
The space where the rift had formed and its surroundings were completely frozen by Eres’s power.Since all the Watchers of the North had sealed the giants within the ice with ancient bloodlines, the ability to seal was one of Eres’s specialties.
“Historically, this is the first continent-scale war since the wars between races. I suppose it means history repeats itself.”“This may be the most difficult history, Your Majesty.”
Lienze, who assisted Eres, strapped two blood-stained axes to her waist.Behind her, the two transcendent dolls that had opened the Gates of Death lay scattered here and there, shattered into pieces.
Eres is not a transcendent being, but he has surpassed the limits of his race through the power of Nivis. As long as he remains in the North, he will not be defeated.Next to him is Lienze, one of the Great Warlords of the North who has reached the extreme.
Beings who have lost their transcendence cannot withstand the cold of Eres. However, it is an undeniable fact that the Transcendent Doll is strong.
If this is the vanguard, what is the main body?
Lienje had no choice but to assume the absolute worst-case scenario.
“Will the Ark intervene?”“The Higher One will make the decision.”
The captain of the ark leads humanity, and the leader of the ark commands the ark. In a broader sense, the six captains are also crew members.
So, we just need to approach the situation the way of the North, not the Ark.
Leaving behind the Gate of Death trapped in ice, Eres left footprints on the snow. The ice shards containing the head of the Transcendental Doll were trampled into dust.
We will prepare for the severe cold season.
The continent where spring has passed.
Is the endlessly cold season summer or winter?
* * *
Delharun in the northern part of the Eastern Continent.
The Great Emperor Lykan Turgard narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the Gate of Death with his arms crossed.Although he had personally opened the gate as promised to the Glory of the Dead, no changes occurred other than the appearance of a large rift.
“I am really being controlled. No, perhaps it is closer to domination.”
The Great Emperor said.
“You clearly surpass Andes Necrail from the War of the Transcendents. As the founder of the Darkwarton Magic Tower, he would be proud to see you.”
He is unaware that the first Necromancer, who, like him, belonged to the Continental Alliance, has been resurrected as an undead.
Reindel Nexreon, a necromancer of the time, did not go out of his way to tell that fact.
The deal was closed.
Reindel spoke an ancient language not used in the present day.It was a language used during the Era of the War of the Transcendents.
“You’re indifferent. Not bad, though.”
The Great Emperor strode past Reindel and stopped for a moment.
“I will rally my forces once again. To create the world of transcendents that I could not achieve in the past. Beings like you are always an illusion.”“…….”“I look forward to hearing from you.”
The Great Emperor met Reindel while attempting to open the Gate of Death in Delharun. He recognized him at a glance—that he was a transcendent being of a different caliber.
Is he one of the current rulers of the continent?
Although he immediately assumed a battle stance, Reindel made a proposal instead of using magic.
If you intend to open the gates of this place, I will not interfere. If you will follow my ways.
───… … What?
He had absolutely no idea why, but there was no particular reason to refuse either. After all, as long as he opened the gate, he would be keeping his promise no matter what.Engaging in a fierce battle with a transcendent being of equal standing so soon after his resurrection was a burden that even the Great Emperor could not ignore.
He had little interest in how Reindel would use the gate that had opened in that way. The Great Emperor was determined to achieve his ideals in this lifetime, sohe was merely pleased by the fact that a powerful transcendent being existed.
Thump, thump.
After concluding his deal with Reindel, whom he had just met, the Great Emperor headed north to Delharun. Reindel only moved after his presence had completely vanished.
Death and soul… … .
It is said that Akhand, the ancient king, commanded the armies of death in the War of the Transcendents.Reindel also had a knack for death.
If Akhand Linigea Tain Xerion is the Lord of Death born with transcendence, thenReindel Nexreon is the concept of death itself.
Swoosh.
In addition to the power of the Darkwarton Magic Tower, Reindel, who was crafting the first Necromancer and a special Bone Dragon, set foot in the Four Gates.
The Gate of Death that appeared in Delharun silently welcomed Reindel.
* * *
Central Continent, a land without a master.
A very sturdy old man sat in the center of the tavern and tasted modern man’s liquor. He had already emptied several bottles, leaving no room on the table to put anything.
“I will… clear the table for you.”
Information Officer Keirel personally collected the liquor bottles, glasses, and dishes.
Thanks.
The intention was conveyed to everyone.
… … Gulp.
Isabella and Junia, having activated their entire magical circuits to the extreme, were tense. They were wary of the old man who was merely enjoying food and drink.
The essence seen through the naked eye.An amount of magical power that paralyzes the magical senses.
If the old man wanted, he could erase Arrange without a trace.
Squeak.
Time passed, and the tavern door opened. The shadows everyone had been waiting for stretched out. The old man smiled without even looking at them.
How was your meeting with the Empress? You couldn’t have just talked.
He was strong.
───Strong, huh.
Verden, having roughly sorted out the situation in the southern part of the Eastern Continent, replied to him. Only then did the old man burst into loud laughter and quickly turned his head.
It’s really nice to meet you, Verden.
It was an ancient language used about 8 centuries ago, but everyone understood what it meant.
I am Bantoreon Rodon Taranis.
The Great Catastrophe of Gwangmyeong.
In the capital of the ownerless land, two 8th-tier transcendents recognized each other.
