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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 132
Like a dam that had been blocked for a long time suddenly exploding and releasing an immense flood of water, her emotional barrier burst open.
The ripple effects of her once awkward emotions regaining color struck immediately.
“Kyaaaaa!!! No!! Nooo!!!”
She thrashed in terror, completely forgetting herself as she watched the Faker Voice approach with its grotesquely gaping mouth.
She should never have entered.
She should have listened when Instructor Leon warned her it was dangerous.
But how could she take seriously the words of a boy barely a year or two older than her, acting all authoritative as an instructor?
She had been filled with resentment and disbelief at the time.
—Eh... Eh... Eilenaaa...
The monster imitated an unknown voice with difficulty as it closed in, trying to engulf her.
Just as its pure white fur was about to completely envelop her—
Slash!
With the sound of something being severed, someone yanked her into their arms.
“Kyaaaaa!!! No! Please, no! Save me!!!”
She thrashed and screamed desperately, struggling with all her might, but the one holding her didn’t waver in the slightest.
A calm male voice whispered in her ear.
“Your Highness, hush. You’re safe now.”
“…….”
Frozen in shock, she slowly looked up.
The first thing that met her gaze was a pair of cold, sky-blue eyes.
Those piercing eyes were locked onto the white monster that had tried to devour her.
“I told you not to enter. You just never listen to people, do you? Do you not understand what 'dangerous' means?”
His words were absurdly rude for someone speaking to royalty.
Yet, the warmth, the security, and the undeniable sense of comfort in his embrace overwhelmed everything else.
His face burned itself into her memory, as if it would never fade.
“Huwaaaa! Huaaaaang!!”
Overcome with relief, she finally broke down in uncontrollable sobs.
“Huwaaaa!!”
“Your Highness, listen carefully.”
Leon’s quiet whisper made her momentarily halt her cries.
“Faker Voice... Hm, that Jangsan Tiger feeds on fear. The more frightened you are, the harder it is to kill. So, for heaven’s sake, keep quiet.”
At that, she glanced at the Faker Voice’s face again and immediately convulsed in terror.
“Huuuuhhh!!”
“This is driving me insane. What a pain in the ass...”
Leon's irritated voice rang out, and then suddenly, the surroundings shifted.
A cool forest breeze brushed against her cheek, but she clung tightly to Leon’s chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
Out of overwhelming relief.
Out of immense gratitude.
And out of sheer terror.
“Ugh, stop crying already! If you keep this up, that thing won’t die!”
Leon’s sharp outburst startled her.
Sniffling, she burrowed deeper into his embrace.
“Huwaaa!! No!! I’m scared!!”
“What the hell is wrong with you? This is driving me crazy.”
Despite his utter lack of royal etiquette, Princess Eilena clung to him like a baby bird seeking its mother’s warmth.
* * *
Finding the last survivor, Princess Eilena Lu Pascalia, was a fortunate success.
The other cadets had all been evacuated, and I had instructed Luna to prevent anyone from re-entering.
Of course, there was always the possibility that they might force their way in, but if that were the case, she would have sent a signal.
Now, the only task left was dealing with this cursed Red Moon Phenomenon.
Too many variables.
The longer we delayed, the worse it would get for us.
The problem was…
"Librarian, taking out that Jangsan Tiger won’t solve this, will it?"
[That’s correct. Until the core responsible for this phenomenon is destroyed, they will continue to appear.]
—Kihihihihihihi!!
A chilling laughter echoed as pure white threads shot out from the darkness.
“Kyaaaaaa!!!”
At the sight, Princess Eilena let out another terrified scream, sending the threads hurtling toward us at an even greater speed.
“Princess Eilena.”
“Hic….”
She flinched and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Close your eyes and cover your ears.”
“Please… Save me… Please save me.”
“I’ll get you out safely. Don’t worry.”
“R-Really?”
She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, her expression completely different from when we first met.
But I understood.
Once a person experiences extreme terror, they become incredibly vulnerable.
“Trust me.”
She stared at me for a moment before nodding and pressing her hands tightly over her ears, shutting her eyes.
I then wrapped a black veil around her.
The Authority of Death, Thanatos, doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe.
The issue was that we were short on time, and Faker Voice was a persistently hard-to-kill enemy.
And with my current abilities, tracking down the core was impossible.
To protect her from the coming onslaught and ensure her safety afterward, I needed to buy more time.
Srrrkk…
Faker Voice, wary, momentarily backed off before peeking out and mimicking my mother’s voice.
—Leon… Leon…
Even as it desperately tried to shake my composure, I took a slow, steady breath.
Damn monster, but… in a twisted way, I was grateful.
It had been far too long since I last heard my mother’s voice.
Even though the source was different, hearing her voice again stirred something strange within me.
Srrrng…
The phantom blade Elekstra sliced through the air, scattering aura-blades in its wake.
It was a tough creature, but that didn’t mean it was immortal.
There was no time to search for the core hidden somewhere in this forest.
[The rate of corruption is accelerating.]
"I know, so be quiet."
[Additionally, if you use the Authority of Death in your current state, there is a high possibility that its reuse will be restricted for several days.]
"It's fine. Power that can't be properly controlled shouldn't be used recklessly."
Unlike the heart of the Machine God, this authority had an immense influence—anyone with common sense would naturally be cautious with it.
However, if I held back just because it was precious, I would never move forward.
Shriiiik!
At that moment, clusters of white threads shot toward me from all directions, as if launching a surprise attack.
They might look fragile on the surface, but their strength far surpassed steel, and their tension made them almost impossible to break.
Ignoring the incoming threads, I locked my gaze onto my enemy.
Just before the threads wrapped around me, I took a step forward.
The distance between us—about ten meters.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Perfect.
[Nameless Sword]
[Sunlight]
Chooong!!!
A flash of light exploded outward, scattering sword energy in all directions.
In an instant, the white threads were severed and scattered into the air.
Faker Voice flinched violently and attempted to retreat.
But by the time it moved, its pupils had already captured my figure—closing in at point-blank range.
"You don't die easily anyway, do you?"
Shlaaaash!!!
Its head was split once horizontally, once vertically, then sliced into countless pieces by a storm of sword strikes.
* * *
Princess Eilena, who had been trembling in terror, slowly opened her eyes as the deafening sounds continued.
Leon, the man who had saved her, had told her to keep her eyes shut and cover her ears. But the overwhelming noise still reached her through her hands, making it impossible not to look.
And what she saw made her eyes widen.
The first thing she noticed was the translucent, violet barrier surrounding her.
Thanks to this barrier, the raging aura swirling in all directions couldn’t reach her.
Then, she saw a monstrous white entity regenerating endlessly as it attacked Leon.
A terrifying being.
Just looking at it felt like her mind might break.
Yet, for some reason, she found herself trembling less than before.
Perhaps it was because of the warmth and solidity she had felt moments ago.
She couldn’t understand it, but the fear that had been consuming her was gradually subsiding.
At the same time, the creature’s gaze briefly shifted toward her.
But its emotions were different from before.
Confusion?
Fear?
She wasn’t sure, but she could feel it clearly.
Even as it was being attacked by Leon, it tried to lunge at her.
Fear surged through her body again in response.
And then, the creature's lips curled into a chilling grin.
Ah, right.
It gets stronger the more fear it senses.
By opening her eyes, she had become an obstacle to Leon.
Would he be angry?
Would he despise her?
This was the man who had come all this way alone to rescue her.
And yet, rather than helping him, she was only getting in his way.
“Don’t be afraid. Just remember one thing—think of it as an ugly goblin. No matter how much it thrashes around, that thing will never lay a finger on you.”
Leon’s calm yet gentle voice made her eyes widen.
Despite the small age gap between them, he gave her more reassurance than anyone else.
Her tears, which had been falling steadily, stopped.
She wiped them away and nodded with determination.
“Yes!”
Her emotions began to change.
She had been on the verge of a panic attack due to extreme fear, but now things were different.
And the effects were immediate—the creature’s movement range and regeneration speed clearly weakened.
At the same time, countless glowing magic circles began to form on the surface of the violet barrier surrounding her.
“It’s done.”
Meanwhile, from all directions in the black forest, grotesque undead creatures with twisted limbs began to converge on them, moving like a swarm of army ants.
And though barely visible, the space itself started to distort.
The Black Forest was a place where chaotic dimensional rifts frequently occurred.
Perhaps due to those effects, even the outskirts of the forest were becoming unstable.
“Hah. So this is what happens when erosion takes hold?”
Leon scoffed coldly and tossed the cursed sword, Elekstra, into the air.
The crimson sword crackled with sparks and vanished into thin air.
A subspace?
It must be high-level magic…
Then, in a burst of speed, he leaped toward the violet barrier where Eilena stood.
But that wasn’t the real concern right now.
With Faker Voice still slowly regenerating and the swarm of undead closing in, throwing away his weapon was practically suicide.
Just as she was about to scream—
A strange magic circle unfolded at Leon’s feet.
Ah.
Her worries ended there.
Looking back, it was strange.
At first, she had thought he was simply someone using an artifact.
But now, he displayed overwhelming power without any artifact at all.
Aura and necromantic mana.
Either one alone was already beyond normal limits.
She recalled something the former knight commander had once told her.
You can only truly gauge an opponent’s abilities if they aren’t far beyond your own level.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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