------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
------------------
Chapter 233: Ugh-cha.
The Thousand-Faced Fox began nodding furiously, like she'd gone mad.
"Yeah. Clown, you know it too. It wasn't me. It wasn't!"
Letting out a grotesque groan, her neck still gripped tightly.
"Kyaaaahhh..."
I stared deep into her eyes and asked,
"Who cut me out? Was it the Phantom Thief? White Heron?"
"Kyaaaah... I-I only went along with it."
"So it's both of them. What was the content of the revelation?"
"It'll be complete soon. He'll descend. Soon. Ahh."
"Speak clearly. Has Verkes's descent been accelerated?"
"..."
That moment, I realized I'd gotten too worked up.
Verkes.
The instant I uttered that name, Thousand-Faced Fox's hazy pupils turned pitch black.
Crack.
Her head twisted at a 90-degree angle like a boneless mollusk, and she stared at me with a blank gaze.
"You. You're not the Clown."
Her voice broke off unnaturally, like a puppet without emotions.
Sssss.
Her frost-like silver hair rapidly turned black. \
At the same time, an overwhelming surge of demonic energy erupted.
I immediately summoned a shadow hand and seized her by the neck, but she showed no reaction.
No pain at all.
This was bad.
Crackle.
As I raised my hand, Dark Heavenly Thunder struck her directly on the head from the sky.
Even with her skull split clean from crown to philtrum, she only let out a hollow laugh, like her soul was escaping.
'Severance?'
I knew this phenomenon.
I quickly scanned the surroundings. Off in the distance, I spotted Bellusia's forces in my field of vision.
Shit.
If it were Pelleer's mental field, it could've been easily blocked, but there was no time to dwell on it.
I had to stop it before Severance completed.
If I failed, I might lose her.
Now.
I thrust my shadow blade straight toward the nape of her neck.
In that instant, the Thousand-Faced Fox's entire body turned pitch black. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears—all of it trembling violently.
Demonic energy detonation.
"Kyaaaaaaaaah!"
KABOOM.
The concentrated shield at the front shattered instantly, and the demonic energy penetrated straight into my body.
I barely managed to hold off the ominous aura digging beneath my skin with a dark veil formed from Yin-dimensional mana.
"Phew."
A self-destructive move.
By then, the Thousand-Faced Fox's body had completely vanished without a trace.
But the lingering remnants of demonic energy continued to spread, corroding the surrounding jungle and dyeing everything black.
Saaa—
'Damn it.'
There was no time to lament not being able to extract more information.
I immediately turned and headed towards the Council of Elders, where the Crazy Mage Squad had nearly finished clearing out the forces consumed by demonic energy.
After swiftly concluding matters, I looked down at Alhad and two elders who were standing there with dazed expressions.
"As I thought, you're not part of the Myriad Demon Assembly. Did the Thousand-Faced Fox lock you up?"
"Elder Wonju! What in the world were you doing?!"
Alhad shouts, watching his subordinates melt away, consumed by demonic energy.
I seized the trembling man's neck and met his eyes.
"Gack!"
"There's no time. If you have any sense, you'll realize we've cut away the rotten flesh for you. I'll give you a chance. Will you choose to die here and have your clan extinguished? Or will you become the head of the clan?"
"What?"
"If you choose the latter, I'll spare you. Of course, on the condition that you serve our Samael."
In an instant, Alhad's gaze settles down.
A sly look immediately appears in his eyes.
To be able to calm his emotions and calculate the gains and losses so quickly, I was right about him after all.
The bloodline that perfectly inherited Bellusia's nature, who rose from the bottom of the jungle to the position of a Vassal, long ago.
"I choose the latter."
"Then you should change your words and actions."
"…I will serve you."
Perhaps he saw no reason to resist.
I nodded, looking at Alhad, who discarded his pride as if it were a matter of course.
"I'll give you the treatment you deserve. The banner of the Divine Clan has been raised. Assess the situation yourself. Join us in the north after you've cleaned things up."
If anything, if Alhad becomes the head of the Bellusia clan, there won't be any backstabbing for a while.
I immediately gathered the Crazy Mage Squad and boarded the Fire Sword Ship.
***
"Drink, Commander."
I sat on the bow of the ship, sipping the tea Zion had brought.
Whoosh—!
A fierce wind blows over the Fire Sword Ship as it cuts through the clouds.
Palge and Makan, sitting next to me, look at me with slightly stiff faces.
"We're going to the north now, right?"
Arin, who had come closer, suddenly asked.
"Will that be our final destination?"
"Who knows. It's certain that something even worse than Vassago will appear."
I felt like having a drink of moonshine before departing, but there was no time for that.
Too many variables had arisen.
At this point, I have to assume they've all figured it out. I don't know where I was exposed, but the other Seven Demons are completely excluding the Clown.
The intuition I felt back then was also correct.
Realm.
That veiled thing the Thousand-Faced Fox referred to as a 'Realm'.
Demon Count, Demon Duke...
It must be slang for high-ranking demons.
"A Demon King might appear, right?"
"That's their ultimate goal. We have to stop it before then."
"Is this also the work of the Seven Demons?"
I shook my head at Arin's question.
"Someone higher."
"Then?"
"One of the high-ranking demons."
It's not the doing of the Seven Demons.
There's someone above them giving orders.
The Seven Demons packaged it as if it were a revelation from the heavens, but the reality is completely different.
A high-ranking demon belonging to the Realm.
The situation unfolding in the north is all that demon's doing.
Moreover, there was one more thing bothering me.
— Who’s in the Supreme Realm? Who gave the Seven Demons their orders?
— The supreme Realm has existed since the beginning of the Myriad Demon Assembly. We must obey!!
It was a spur-of-the-moment question I threw at the Thousand-Faced Fox, but as time passed, it made me strangely nervous.
The beginning of the Myriad Demon Assembly ultimately refers to three hundred years ago.
The Realm has existed since three hundred years ago?
Why are Fichte's words, which I dismissed as nonsense, coming to mind?
— Perhaps, that traitor may never have died in the first place.
A creeping, unpleasant feeling begins to rise.
In the end, to put an end to everything happening now, I have to find the one pulling the strings.
The Sword Saint, Magnus Baltahar.
The Guardian Saint, Galtan Arihama.
The Dragon Knight, Iris Seren.
'Three hundred years...'
My reason still dismissed it as nonsense, but my intuition was sounding an alarm in my mind.
Now, I have to consider it.
"Looks like we're almost there."
A cold wind was blowing.
At Zion's words, I stood up and looked at the squad members, who were sitting comfortably on the bow, one by one, then said.
"We might have to fight the Divine Clan."
"..."
The Crazy Mage Squad members all looked at me at the same time.
"So?"
"...Well, that's that."
Arin asked.
"We trampled the Vassal Clan, so is it time to fight the Divine Clan now?"
Zion chimed in with a laugh.
"Sounds fun."
I was about to respond strongly, but I suddenly stopped, looking at Makan, who was clutching his spear and puffing out his chest on one side.
***
I didn't expect it to become reality so quickly.
The northernmost part of the continent.
As soon as I landed in the very center, where the cold wind was blowing, I discovered that the situation was far more urgent than I had anticipated.
Mercenaries of some renown, clans known as prestigious, and even mages from the Red Magic Tower and the Yellow Magic Tower were milling about in disarray.
There were also traces of the Vassal Clans having gathered, but the problem was that none of the key figures were visible.
"Young master!"
"Military Commander."
Fichte's expression was unusual as he ran towards the Fire Sword Ship.
"Where is the Swordmaster?"
"Alerts have sounded at all major strongholds guarding the far north. It seems the giants' movements are unusual. The Swordmaster went to the Northeast 2nd Border. Not only the Swordmaster, but all the Vassal Clans have split up and gone to the major strongpoints."
"Black too?"
"Young Master Black went to the Northwest 1st Border."
"It's strange that the giants are appearing in droves. What's your prediction, Military Commander?"
"At least ten individuals per strongpoint. Other support units from the Divine Clan will arrive soon."
"Hmm."
A low groan escaped me.
The far north of the continent.
The fact that at least ten individuals had appeared at each of the strongpoints forming a wide border to the left and right of the 'Land of Death'... means that the total number is already in the triple digits.
It's unnatural.
They're creatures that don't typically act in groups.
Unless there's a threat to their species, such as the death of a higher-ranking individual, I've never heard of them attacking in such large numbers.
"Ruin!"
Suddenly, I turned my head and saw Elder Norman, a few other elders, and Blair.
The FullKhao mercenary group, who came with Wolf, was also visible.
"Did you handle things well in the south?"
"You're already here? We finished things in the south without any problems."
Elder Norman nodded.
"I've been waiting. We can't just stand by and do nothing. First, You need to report the news from the south to the main clan. The head of the clan will join us as soon as he's reorganized the clan. The situation is unusual."
Whoosh—!
A cold wind that felt like it was cutting through flesh blew.
I followed Elder Norman's gaze and looked straight ahead.
A majestic barrier of light, shining down towards the very center, was spread out before my eyes.
'Ragnarok.'
As I approached, I felt the sticky remnants of mana that made up the particles of light.
Was it said that a hundred high-ranking magic scholars created it through a hundred hours of incantation?
It was strikingly similar to the defensive incantations the White Horse Knights used to cast in the past.
7th Circle, Grand Protection.
And beyond the shimmering barrier of light, the outside of the continent.
A completely barren, desolate land of darkness came into view.
"..."
The very center of the far north of the continent.
The Land of Death, which I was seeing again after three hundred years, was unchanged.
"What is that?"
"...Storm clouds?"
Before I could get lost in thought, I looked at the sky beyond the barrier.
Beyond the far north, darkness was approaching.
"It's the giants."
A premonition.
Without delay, I entered the Land of Death beyond the barrier of light, and immediately saw ten Swordmasters standing with their hands behind their backs.
Thump— Thump, thump—!
The sound of the earth shaking was growing louder.
It's not just one or two.
Suddenly, one of the ten Swordmasters muttered, looking back.
"This is the territory of the Northern Army."
A man wearing clothes with the character "Heaven" emblazoned on his chest.
I immediately spoke to the man.
"We have to stop them up front."
"..."
"I don't doubt the Heavenly Swordmasters' skills. I'm saying we should take every precaution. If we fail to stop them here, the barrier might be breached."
Only then did the Heavenly Swordmaster look me up and down.
"Samael?"
"Just open the way. We'll go and stop them."
"The one acknowledged by the 1st Young Master. But I refuse."
"You know the situation has changed. We need to confirm whether they are demonified individuals."
As I took a step forward, the Heavenly Swordmaster shook his head.
"Go back. Entry to the very center is forbidden except for those who have obtained the permission of the Divine Clan. You'll be of no help."
Saaa—!
Thump—! Thump—!
The sky of the far north was further dyed in darkness, and the sound of stomping feet drew closer.
At least twenty or more individuals.
The moment the Heavenly Swordmaster turned his head to look at the other side, and his gaze sank slightly, I immediately tried to activate Spatial Acceleration, but.
Pa-aang—!
Faster than that, an intangible barrier of energy grabbed my ankle, delaying me for a moment.
"Ruin Samael. That's enough talk."
"Same to you. My men."
As if they have been waiting the Crazy Mage Squad Casted their spells, the ten Swordmasters immediately switched to offense and clashed, the moment became chaotic.
At the same time.
...Something happened that even I hadn't anticipated.
"Ehehehehehe, Throw!"
"Ugh-cha!"
Whoosh—.
Five magic stones flew in a long arc over my head.
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
