《Wandering Mercenary in an Open World》 Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The red glow created by the campfire pushed back the darkness of the night. Ruon, who stared at the flickering mes, took a dry piece of jerky from out of his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡®Damn, it¡¯s tough.¡¯ The jerky, dried with salt andcking any spices, was no different from rubber. The foul smell that rose to his nose annoyed him. The more he chewed, the more he missed the 6,000 won jerky that he used to get from the convenience store. Back then, he had evenined about the price. Ruon missed the 26 years of life he had spent in South Korea. A life where he drank beer and ate vorful snacks, not just this foul-smelling jerky. Even though time had passed, rather than fading away, the memories had be clearer to Ruon. He clenched his teeth in frustration. ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..¡± An abrupt, indiscernible sobbing halted Ruon¡¯s train of thought. The eerie sobbing, out of ce in the dark forest, would make an ordinary person¡¯s hair stand on end, but Ruon casually brushed off the ground and stood up. Instead of fear, a faint smile hung on his face. ¡®You fell for it.¡¯ ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..¡± Muffling his footsteps while approaching the source of the sobbing, Ruon saw someone huddled under arge tree. He couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s face, with it being buried in their raised knees, but the long, flowing hair and slender ankles implied it was a woman. Rather than give a cliche ¡°Are you okay?¡±, Ruon drew his sword from his waist. The moonlit sword glistened with a fearsome aura. Regardless of whether he spoke or not, the tears of the woman wouldn¡¯t cease. ¡°Sob, Sniff, Sniff.¡± ¡®Are you trying to deceive me until the end?¡¯ Ruon chuckled and slipped his opposite hand into his pocket. The firm grip of his dagger sent excitement through his fingertips. Clutching the dagger, he extended his hand forward fearlessly. It soared through the air, slicing through the wind, just moments away from piercing the woman¡¯s forehead. ng! A metallic sound reverberated through the forest as flesh and steel collided. The slender arm of the woman deflected the dagger. Simultaneously, the sobbing abruptly ceased. The silence was quickly broken by Ruon. ¡°Get rid of the act, will you?¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± With a sharp scream, the woman jumped up, revealing the face that was previously covered by her knees. Her skin was withered and shriveled like a mummy, and from her empty eyes, maggots wriggled and fell. A sense of horror crept into Ruon¡¯s narrow brow. It was times like these he wished he didn¡¯t have such good eyesight. ¡°Eeek!¡± The woman, or rather the monster, screamed again and rushed towards Ruon. The curse embedded in her screams pressured him, but he effortlessly scattered the intangible force into the air, as if brushing off dust. The monster, with its long limbs iling, suddenly came within reach of Ruon¡¯s nose and swung its hand. Ruon, who evaded the monster¡¯s sharp ws by simply turning his head, raised his pre-drawn sword and struck upward. ¡°Eeek!¡± Ruon kicked the chest of the monster, which screamed after losing one of its arms, and immediately swung his sword. The opposite arm of the disoriented monster was severed. Then, he swung through its chest, and finally, through its neck. In an instant, the fragmented body of the monster fell to the ground. ¡°Not bad.¡± Ruon smiled, feeling satisfied. The monster had given him a decent amount of experience points. From within the remains of the monster, now a grayish dust, Ruon spotted something sparkling and reached out to grab it. It was a ne, heavily rusted with age. He searched the ground, hoping to find something more valuable, but there was nothing worth taking. A rag-like garment infested with maggots was all that remained. This is why he hated ghosts. Even if you manage to catch them, all they end up having are the things they wore in their past life. Spitting on the ground, Ruon turned away without hesitation. *** ¡°Wee!¡± At the sound of the bell, Hopson, the innkeeper, raised his head and greeted his guest. Whenever he received guests at such an early hour, it meant good luck for the day, so the innkeeper smiled widely at the fortunate guest who had arrived after a long journey. ¡°You must have walked all night. Would you like some warm milk?¡± ¡°That, and a light snack, please. Something soft, if possible.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been eating jerky for the past few days.¡± ¡°My jaw is about toe loose.¡± As if he knew that was the case, the innkeeper chuckled and went into the kitchen. Ruon flopped down in a chair and stretched, feeling a little tired, but not overly so. Thanks to the consistent stamina he had gained with each level-up, it had been a while since he had felt fatigued from a journey. After defeating the ghost, it was dawn when Ruon finally entered the small vige nestled on a hill and walked straight into the inn with smoke billowing from its chimney. The interior of the inn appeared old, but rather than a sense of dpidation, it exuded a vintage atmosphere, as if the owner had put a lot of effort into maintaining it. Ruon quite liked the ambiance. A little whileter, the innkeeper ced a te and a cup in front of Ruon, from both of which rose hot steam. It was warm milk and a thick pie with a sweet aroma. When Ruon took a deep bite into the pie, the red jam flowed out temptingly. ¡°This is our best-selling item in the inn. It sells out even before lunchtime, so some customers don¡¯t even get a chance to see it.¡± The pie spoke for the self-assured innkeeper¡¯s words. It was exceptionally delicious. As Ruon savored the satisfying taste of a well-cooked meal, amotion erupted from upstairs, and a group of people descended the stairs. A man with a shaggy head of hair, who was leading the group down the stairs, fixed his gaze on Ruon, who was having his meal. ¡°Oh?¡± Seeing someone like Ruon, with broad shoulders and a sturdy physique, carrying a bow on his back and a sword at his waist, was unusual in a town such as this one. After exchanging a brief conversation with hispanions, the man with shaggy hair approached the table where Ruon was sitting. The man, sitting across from Ruon, asked, ¡°Are you a mercenary?¡± Ruon¡¯s forehead wrinkled, having been enjoying the softness of the pie. ¡°Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m having a meal?¡± ¡°If I was rude, I apologize.¡± ¡°You know it, so give me some space.¡± ¡°Ever thought about working together? I know of a rather enticing job.¡± What kind of situation could it be to make someone who acknowledges their rudeness so adamant in speaking? Slightly curious, Ruon stared intently at the shaggy-haired man. He wanted to hear what the man had to say. The shaggy-haired man interpreted the silence as a positive response and curled up the corners of his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s a notorious banshee in the vicinity, you see.¡± Ruon¡¯s expression, which was previously impassive, became subtle. Banshee? He had a feeling he knew what the man was talking about. ¡°It seems to be a quite powerful entity, considering how long it has been dormant. It can easily annihte a few inexperienced fools who dare to approach it with its screams. Well, thanks to that, the reward money has increased nearly threefold, so it¡¯s a good thing for us. At this point, you¡¯ve probably realized it, but me and my colleagues are nning to deal with that banshee. However, I must admit that there is some unease based on precedent. It seems like you also make a living by the sword¡­ So how about it? Join us in hunting the banshee. The morerades, the better, right? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll split the rewards equally.¡± When the shaggy-haired man finished speaking, Ruon was already thinking about something else. ¡®Easy money.¡¯ Other than the worn-out ne, there hadn¡¯t been any ie to speak of, so he had been disappointed. But as it turned out, there was a bounty on the banshee¡¯s head! It was a stroke of great luck for him, considering it wasn¡¯t too difficult to handle. Of course, the banshee was a powerful spirit. However, that only applied if one were exposed to the banshee¡¯s screams without any defenses or resistance. For Ruon, who possessed the special advantage of [Resistance to various debuffs] as one of the protagonist¡¯s perks during character creation, it was a non-issue. ¡°So, do you want to join us?¡± When the shaggy-haired man asked in a low voice, Ruon, who had been off in his own world, replied. ¡°Is the banshee¡¯s artifact a ne, by any chance? A rusty ne adorned with a small green gem?¡± The shaggy-haired man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. The description of the item to be presented as evidence was exactly that. What¡¯s the matter? You knew all along and pretended not to until now?¡± ¡°No, today was the first time I had heard about it.¡± ¡°Then how do you know about the ne? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± The shaggy-haired man raised his eyebrow. From his skeptical gaze and the determined look in his squinted eyes, it was clear he believed Ruon was lying. Not wanting to go into a lengthy exnation, Ruon didn¡¯t respond, instead pulling out the ne he obtained by ying the specter from his pocket. ¡°What? Could it be that¡­?¡± Ruon looked at the man, who was staring at the ne with surprise stered across his face. ¡°That banshee. I killed it on my way here.¡± Chapter 2: Chapter 2: ¡°¡­I feel rather foolish.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t miss the flicker of desire in the shaggy-haired man¡¯s eyes as he looked at the ne. He knew better than anyone what kind of actions those with such eyes were capable of. For a brief moment, the gazes of the two men collided. In the strange atmosphere, Ruon¡¯s hand beneath the table slowly approached the hilt of his sword. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you killed that banshee!?¡± The innkeeper rushed over with an exmation. He seemed unaware of the dry towel and beer ss in his hands, indicating his hurriedness. ¡°Well, well, you truly are a fortunate guest!¡± As the unexpected appearance of the innkeeper settled the tense atmosphere, Ruon returned his hand to its original position. Unaware of the atmosphere he had interrupted, the innkeeper excitedly asked, ¡°Did you encounter itst night?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°How did you kill it?¡± ¡°I cut it with my sword.¡± The shaggy-haired man, who had been silently observing the conversation between the innkeeper and Ruon, stood up from his seat. ¡°Congrattions. The bounty seems quite substantial, and now that you can take it all for yourself, the taste of victory must be even sweeter. Well then, enjoy the rest of your meal.¡± As the shaggy-haired man turned back towards hispanions, he added a final remark. ¡°Until we meet again.¡± Ruon responded with a grumble. ¡°Sure.¡± The shaggy-haired man and hispanions left the inn immediately, as if their reason for staying had vanished. As they walked out the door, they cast sharp nces at Ruon. Unfazed by their piercing gazes, Ruon, who had finished his meal calmly, went straight to his room and quickly fell into a deep sleep. *** ¡°Umph!¡± Veins bulged on Ruon¡¯s forehead as he lifted a rock that had been blocking the drainage channel. A chorus of awe erupted from the surrounding onlookers. An old man with mushroom-like growths approached him, his hands covered in dirt. ¡°My, my! A strong warrior indeed, capable of doing the work of ten men. Truly a warrior worthy of praise.¡± ¡°It was nothing special.¡± The old man smiled proudly because it was evident that Ruon was not an ordinary young man, possessing both humility and skill. ¡°Are you leaving today? It seemed to me that Hopson was rather disappointed.¡± ¡°I stayed longer than expected because of that delicious pie, but it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± Ruon replied as he gently brushed off the clinging children. ¡°I see. I¡¯m grateful for your help.¡± ¡°It was no problem.¡± Ruon briefly bowed his head and walked towards the inn. As he opened the door and entered, he saw Hopson smiling, setting down a pie and a ss of milk. ¡°Here you go. I made an extra effort since it¡¯s yourst one.¡± Looking at the mouthwatering pie, Ruon smirked. He had been eating it all week, but it never grew tiresome. This pie would be hisst. It was a bit regretful. It had already been a week since Ruon entered this small vige, even though he had never nned to stay for more than a day. And if you were to attribute the reason, more than half of it was undoubtedly because of the pie in front of him. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t put any addictive herbs in it?¡± Ruon asked curiously, to which Hopson chuckled. ¡°Did you know that¡¯s already the third time you¡¯ve asked?¡± ¡°It feels like it¡¯sced with some addictive substance, even if it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± Hopson, sitting across from Ruon, watched with satisfaction as Ruon quickly devoured the pie and then asked him a question. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for you to leave?¡± ¡°For a traveler, a week is as good as an ordinary man¡¯s month. It¡¯s been a long enough time.¡± After a moment of silence that followed Ruon¡¯s response, Hopson slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you getting rid of the banshee, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now there¡¯s no reason to hide the children inside the house before the sun sets, so it will be lively and noisy around here. I¡¯m truly grateful for all the help you¡¯ve provided for the vige.¡± Ruon raised his head at Hopson¡¯s words. ¡°I killed the apparitions for my own well-being. As for helping with vige tasks, it was because I felt guilty for enjoying these delicious pies for free every day. That¡¯s all.¡± The apparition that Ruon had killed a week ago was a notorious monster that had been roaming the forest, attacking nearby residents. It had also brutally torn apart Hopson¡¯s son, who was a hunter. Ruon looked at the middle-aged man in front of him. He knew very well that this skilled cook regarded him as someone who had avenged his son¡¯s death. That¡¯s why Ruon drew a clear line. He had no desire to receive any hero treatment for killing the monster. Instead, he dedicated the value of the free pies and lodging fees to contribute to this small vige. The past week was Ruon¡¯s way of relieving Hopson¡¯s burden, and leaving now was considered sufficient in his eyes. ¡°What does a pie like this matter when ites to treating a benefactor?¡± ¡°What benefactor? Either way, I¡¯ll receive a hefty reward for killing that banshee.¡± After finishing his words, Ruon stood up from his seat. After briefly checking his physical condition, he reached out his hand towards Hopson. ¡°Thank you for the delicious pie. I will remember it.¡± ¡°¡­Take care, Ruon.¡± Hopson sped Ruon¡¯s hand in his own, grateful for everything he had done. *** Ruon captured the fading scenery of the vige as he turned around. It was a vige with amazingly delicious pies, where people didn¡¯t hide their gratitude even for small help. It was a ce worth cherishing as a good memory. As Ruon hurried his steps, a group of men blocked his path. From within them, a familiar face stepped forward. It was the burly man he had met at the inn, the one with shaggy hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again¡­ Thought maybe you had settled in that vige or something.¡± ¡°Hopson¡¯s strawberry pie was delicious.¡± The burly man chuckled, finding something amusing. ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯m d. If you hadn¡¯t shown up by today, I was just going to storm into the inn.¡± ¡°Why? Did you have some new proposition?¡± Ruon¡¯s blunt words made the man twitch. ¡°I do have a proposal. If you cooperate, it will be very simple.¡± As he snapped his fingers, the people standing behind him simultaneously drew their weapons. ¡°Just hand over the ne and leave. Then, we¡¯ll spare your life.¡± I had expected it, but this was too childish. Before Ruon was even able to reply, the men began closing in on him. They had a menacing aura, and it seemed that they weren¡¯t nning to let him go even if he offered the ne. Amused by their appearance, Ruon smirked. It was quite regrettable. This world has always been like this. A damn world where people don¡¯t hesitate to kill for a few coins. Ruon reached into his pocket. While shaggy-hair, who thought he was about to retrieve the ne, was smirking with a vile grin, Ruon gently extended his arm. Following that trajectory, a dagger shot out and deeply pierced the neck of therge figure standing at the forefront. Snap! The figure, with eyes rolled back white, stiffly copsed sideways. It took only a few seconds until his movements, trembling as if struck by lightning,pletely ceased. Facing the frozen men, Ruon spoke chillingly. ¡°If you put down your weapons right now, I¡¯ll spare the rest.¡± Perhaps his words touched their pride, as shaggy-hair erupted in an enraged shout. ¡°Fuck! Kill that bastard!¡± Upon his cry, two men rushed at Ruon from both sides. It was a reflexive action following an order rather than a coordinated movement. Ruon smoothly twisted his wrist as he faced them. Dodging the sword thrust from the left, he delivered a punch that shattered his opponent¡¯s corbone. Meanwhile, his other hand drew the sword from his waist and sliced through the chest of the man charging from the right. In an instant, the two men copsed to the ground. Only then did shaggy-hair, realizing that something was going wrong, push his remaining subordinate towards Ruon and begin to flee. ¡°AAAHH!¡± With a scream that could be either fear or battle cry, the subordinate thrust his spear. Ruon effortlessly blocked the attack and swiftly decapitated the subordinate before turning his gaze to the retreating man. He didn¡¯t bother chasing him. Gripping his bow, Ruon ced an arrow on the string and pulled back without hesitation. A moment of focus. The fingers holding the arrow slightly loosened. Thunk! With the sound not unlike cracking open a watermelon, the man¡¯s head exploded. Ruon turned his head and stabbed the chests of the still-breathing bodies, ensuring their death. It took less than a minute for the serene forest path to be filled with the stench of blood. Although he had killed five, the experience points he gained from killing these men were far less than the amount he had gained by killing the banshee. ¡®Damn it, am I really checking my experience points now?¡¯ A mncholic smile settled on Ruon¡¯s lips as he looked at the scattered corpses on the road. It was difficult to associate this scene with a 26-year-old college student, but Ruon had no desire to feel extraordinary. He was merely living another day in this damn game. Ruon pushed away the lingering thoughts and rummaged through the pockets of the fallen corpses without an ounce of regret. Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Once outside the vige, Ruon immediately began to head towards the nearby city. There, he nned to collect the bounty for the banshee and look around for various rumors and happenings. After traveling along the road for about half a day, a distant, massive city wall came into view. As Ruon approached, moss could be seen clinging to the ancient gray wall. He merged with the crowd lined up in front of the wall and walked towards the city gate. ¡°Halt.¡± Two soldiers guarding the gate approached Ruon. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± While the soldiers blocked Ruon, the onlookers whispered among themselves and quietly entered through the main gate. Being restrained in a rtively freely traversed gate meant one of two things: one was either a criminal or deemed troublesome. Ruon fell into thetter category. His appearance was suitable for a protagonist, with a height exceeding that of an average adult male, broad shoulders, a bow slung behind him, and a sword at his waist. ¡®How annoying.¡® Ruon let out a short sigh. Customizing his character to look big and strong sometimes came with inconveniences like this. One of the soldiers gazed at Ruon, scanning him up and down, and asked, ¡°What brings you to Grungrad?¡± ¡°To collect a bounty.¡± ¡°What bounty?¡± ¡°A bounty is a bounty.¡± Upon Ruon¡¯s dry response, the two soldiers exchanged a few words among themselves. Eventually, one of them spoke. ¡°We have a question before you pass. Is this your first time in Grungrad?¡± Ruon nodded in response, and the soldier added, ¡°A blockade has been imposed due to the appearance of ghouls. We hope you don¡¯t wander around needlessly. That¡¯s all, you may pass.¡± Having passed the inspection and entered the city, Ruon raised an eyebrow. Ghouls? Ruon had encountered those dreadful monsters that tore apart corpses several times before. Each time, he found that they gave a decent amount of experience points. As he had been stuck at a certain level for a while, the news of ghouls appearing piqued his interest. He headed towards the guard building located on the outskirts of the city. *** ¡°¡­It isn¡¯t a counterfeit?¡± Suppressing the urge to punch the soldier with sharp features, who was scratching his nose, Ruon responded with superhuman patience. ¡°It¡¯s an item obtained by killing a banshee.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t confirm it, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t wait three days just to hear that response.¡± The soldier, who had raised an eyebrow at Ruon¡¯s remark, met his intense gaze and quickly lowered his eyes. ¡°W-We have someone who can verify it. Please wait.¡± ¡°This is already the third time I¡¯m hearing that. Isn¡¯t there anything each of you can handle on your own?¡± ¡°It will be different this time, I promise.¡± The soldier replied with even more seriousness, as if pleading for belief. Since they were so adamant, Ruon took a step back. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll wait then. You¡¯re not going to tell me toe back tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to expedite it as much as possible.¡± As the soldier left through the back door, Ruon sat down on a chair. Looking out the window, he could see the bustling scenery of the city. As one of the oldest cities in the kingdom, Grungrad was filled with buildings that bore the marks of time, creating an impressive atmosphere. But such things didn¡¯t matter much to him. In the midst of an affair that he thought would be over in a few minutes, now stretching into the third day, nothing else caught his attention. He had dealt with the monster they had set up the notice for and, despite presenting the evidence, the city guard had merely nced at the pendant with a puzzled expression. Without exception, they imed they didn¡¯t know and left to call someone else. As if they had coordinated it, they didn¡¯t forget to consistently annoy Ruon by adding, ¡°Today is busy, soe back tomorrow.¡± Of course, I heard an exnation that personnel were being dispatched due to the sudden appearance of ghouls, leading to ack of personnel within the city, but even considering such circumstances, three days seemed excessively long. ¡®When will they actuallye?¡¯ A sigh escaped Ruon as he thought about the soldier who was still nowhere to be seen. No matter how you looked at it, this ce was supposed to govern a fairlyrge territory, yet the handling of matters was like this. Should he turn everything upside down? ¡°You¡¯ve waited a long time.¡± Just as Ruon¡¯s patience reached its limit, a middle-aged man who appeared to be older than he actually was entered the room. Without dy, he grabbed the pendant on the table and fiddled with it for a while, as if he had been informed beforehand. ¡°It has a faint but long-standing curse. It seems to be rted to spirits.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you, sir.¡± The apanying soldier bowed his head towards the middle-aged man. Judging by the term ¡°sir,¡± the middle-aged man seemed unrted to the military. Was he a magician? After a while, the soldier returned with both hands full of silver coins. ¡°I apologize for making you wait. We don¡¯t have gold coins at the moment, so please understand that we¡¯ll pay in full with silver coins.¡± As Ruon silently gazed at the stacked silver coins, the soldier asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you need a separate pouch? Then I have to take out one silver coin¡­¡± What an audacious brat. He wanted to pocket a silver coin for just a leather pouch? Even the ice cream sold at the top of the mountain didn¡¯t cost that much. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ruon seized the reward from the soldier¡¯s hand and poured the silver coins into his leather pouch. Luckily, the pouch was spacious enough, so he was able to fit all the silver coins. Seeing the disappointment in the soldier¡¯s eyes, Ruon¡¯s face crumpled. ¡®Damn it, I knew it would be like this. Is it even true that they only have silver coins?¡¯ As Ruon seriously contemted smashing that shameless fellow who wanted to cheat him out of the reward, he remembered that theckluster affair had finallye to an end thanks to the soldier summoning the middle-aged man. He walked out of the building just as he was, reflecting on the incident. ¡®What would be good for lunch today? Are there any good cksmith shops? I should stock up on jerky.¡¯ While thinking about such things, someone gently blocked Ruon¡¯s path outside. It was the middle-aged man who had just appraised the pendant. The middle-aged man spoke. ¡°There is someone looking for you. I hope you won¡¯t refuse the invitation.¡± *** Ruon, who had adapted reasonably well to the medieval fantasy world, still felt ufortable around nobles. Despite possessing a robust physique and exceptionalbat skills due to his relentless level-ups, he couldn¡¯t help but feel useless in front of nobility. Could it be because he was born in an ordinary household? That was his guess, as if he couldn¡¯t adapt in a world that had be excessively aristocratic in nature. Therefore, Ruon was currently in a highly ufortable and annoyed state. The reason being that the person who summoned him happened to be a noble. And not just any noble, but the lord¡¯s wife. Median, the wife of the ruler of Grungard, sat in an elegant chair and gazed at Ruon. Her face, adorned with splendid decorations and richly colored makeup, made Ruon feel quite burdened. She pursed her crimson lips. ¡°A warrior who killed a banshee, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Since her tone didn¡¯t seem to expect an answer, Ruon remained silent. As expected, Median didn¡¯t wait. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching you over the past few days. I became interested after I heard rumors that you single-handedly killed it.¡± ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Unlike Ruon, Medyan responded as if she had been waiting. ¡°Of course. Ruon. No, should I call you the wyvern-killer?¡± While Ruon¡¯s brow slightly furrowed, Median cheerfully raised her bright red lips. ¡°I expected you to be famous, but¡­ honestly, you exceeded my expectations. I couldn¡¯t even imagine that the warrior who killed the wyvern in Nardam and disappeared suddenly would be you.¡± It was true. Ruon had once worked as a guard for merchants in the city of Nardam, and one day, when a starving wyvern attacked the carriage from above, he had shredded the winged lizard to pieces. Upon hearing the rumors, the ruler of Nardam not only tried to bestow knighthood upon the warrior who killed the wyvern and force him into being one of his bodyguards, but also disyed a deranged determination to send his daughter to him in marriage. Naturally, Ruon immediately left Nardam. ¡®Damn it. It was all for nothing.¡¯ A bitterugh escaped him. He had thought enough time had passed for it to be forgotten, but the noble before him was confident that he was the one who hunted down the wyvern. So Ruon decided to just admit it. ¡°I do have memories of killing such a monster. It wasn¡¯t an easy battle.¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± Median smiled and extended her hand to the side. A maid standing nearby quickly handed her a ss of wine. Taking a sip, Median spoke. ¡°My husband is a hero. A war hero, to be exact. Do you understand what that means?¡± Ruon remained silent. ¡°As is often the case with those who establish their position by piling up enemy corpses, he is insatiable in his desires. He always indulges in new women, caring more about his health and victories than protecting me. I am no idle person, constantly pleading for his attention. But if this continues, it will be troublesome. It is my role to give an example of what happens to other women who seek to attach themselves to my husband.¡± Wait, is this woman perhaps¡­? ¡°If you expect me to assist you in an assassination request, I refuse.¡± Upon Ruon¡¯s firm words, Median widened her eyes and then burst into a crazedughter. She giggled so much that the wine spilled. She barely caught her breath, wiped away the tears running down her cheeks with the back of her hand. Was this situation so funny that it made her cry? ¡°Do I seem like a woman who would order the lover of my husband to be killed, wyvern-killer? Moreover, someone else has already taken the lead, so don¡¯t you worry.¡± Then why did you call me? That thought crossed Ruoan¡¯s mind, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. It was clear that this woman would reveal everything if he just stayed silent. ¡°The example has already died. Afflicted by a witch¡¯s curse, she ended up twisted and buried in the corner of the cemetery. After that, ghouls began to appear in the cemetery.¡± Ghouls? The unexpected word made Ruoan¡¯s eyes widen slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a curious urrence, isn¡¯t it? This is definitely not a mere coincidence. There must be a problem with the curse, or the witch must have yed a trick. Thanks to that, my situation has be difficult. The Lord ordered the subjugation of the ghouls, and I might end up caught in the middle of the situation if I¡¯m not careful. So, I hope you can resolve this matter before such an unfortunate event urs.¡± What a coincidence indeed. From Ruon¡¯s perspective, who was already interested in ghouls, there was no reason to refuse. It was a win-win situation considering the potential rewards, even if it would put him at odds with the guards. As Ruon smiled inwardly at the unexpected situation, Median quickly added. ¡°It would be better for you not to even consider refusing. As I mentioned before, I have looked into your whereabouts. It seems I also know the identity of the heinous criminal that killed five people within Grungrad¡¯s territory.¡± ¡®What? Is she ckmailing me now?¡¯ At Median¡¯s words, Ruon fired up with anger, momentarily recalling the decapitated head of a dead burr. It seemed that this woman wanted to prevent him from getting away. ¡°If I say a word, a criminal can be a virtuous citizen in an instant.¡± Looking at Median, who had an eager expression, Ruon smirked. He had no intention of refusing from the beginning, and Median¡¯s feeble attempt at ckmail felt rather insignificant. ¡°Well, fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± As Ruon casually nodded, Median¡¯s face shed with momentarily but visibly disyed surprise. Her reaction was different from what he expected. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke. ¡°¡­Good, wyvern-killer. Now, get to the burial ce of that woman before the subjugation team and eliminate the reason for the sudden appearance of ghouls.¡± Chapter 4: Chapter 4: When Ruon arrived near themunal cemetery it waste evening, the sun beginning to set. As Median had mentioned, the road leading to the cemetery was surrounded by stakes and boards, with armored soldiers standing guard in front. It was to prevent the ghouls that appeared in the cemetery from moving into the nearby viges. Naturally, it also served to prohibit the entry of ordinary people. As Ruon surveyed the surroundings, he spotted a tall tree that provided a clear view of the road. He swiftly climbed up to a sturdy branch and observed two soldiers conversing casually in front of the barricade. ¡®Is there anything worth investigating?¡¯ Ruon closed his eyes slowly. Unlike in conventional games, there was no concept of a status window in this world. Although it might have existed in simpler games, for Ruon, who had be his character, that was meaningless. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had absolutely nothing. If that were the case, he would have died instantly. Although there was no intuitive status window, countless pieces of information were schematically organized within Ruon¡¯s mind. Even though experience points, stats, and skills couldn¡¯t be seen, he could still sense them. It was sensory perception and a concept exclusively granted to Ruon. Only he could utilize it. Like now, when he closed his eyes and heightened his concentration. [Fairy¡¯s Hearing] The ability slowly emerged in his consciousness. It was a skill that allowed both passive and active utilization when the sensory threshold exceeded a certain value. As Ruon¡¯s hearing began to enhance, he started to hear sounds from a range that normal humans couldn¡¯t perceive. The sound of grasshoppers brushing against the ground became audible and the soldiers¡¯ casual chatter sounded as clear as if they were standing right beside him. ¡°The more I think about it, the more fucked up it seems. Why do those damn ghouls suddenly appear and prevent people from resting? I should be on vacation, buried in Essien¡¯s soft, fragrant embrace.¡± ¡°Damn it. Even in the midst of the impending expedition, where our lives might be at stake, you¡¯re still thinking about women?¡± ¡°Of course. The reason I go on those vacations is because of booze and women.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard.¡± In response to the confident reply, the soldier who had been grumbling muttered something and raised his head. ¡°Agh, now is not the time for that. Didn¡¯t you hear? Yan, who was guarding the border yesterday, was attacked by a ghoul. The flesh on his chest was ripped off, and the wound rotted in less than half a day. That bastard had a miserable death too.¡± ¡°Hey, what was that talk about him spouting nonsense?¡± ¡°Oh, that? As he was nearing hisst breath, he kept bbering about how the ghoul that attacked him a few weeks ago looked exactly like his dead friend.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s creepy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to get your act together if you don¡¯t want to end up like Yan. Forget about the scent of Essien¡¯s embrace and focus on keeping your sanity.¡± ¡°Alright, enough of your nagging. You¡¯re not my mom¡­¡± Since the conversation that followed was trivial and unimportant, Ruon deactivated [Fairy¡¯s Hearing]. While having enhanced hearing was useful, maintaining heightened senses consumed a significant amount of mental energy. There¡¯s definitely something going on. The soldiers discussing the matter without knowing the full context might seem like casual conversation, but it wasn¡¯t something Ruon, who knew that this incident was rted to the witch¡¯s curse, could easily dismiss. The lord¡¯s deceased lover, the witch, the curse, the cemetery, the ghouls, a ghoul with the face of his friend. Recalling fragmented pieces of information, Ruon nervously bit his lip. There was something significant, but he wouldn¡¯t know what it was until he confronted it directly. ¡®Well, I guess I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡¯ Having finished his thoughts, Ruon lightly leaped across the trees. Not a single leaf fell, and the soldiers didn¡¯t even raise their heads as Ruon passed above them. After a while, as he was leaping tree to tree, Ruon was left without another tree to jump to. So, he descended to the ground. As his vision started to clear, he noticed a row of evenly spaced gravestones. ¡®There they are.¡¯ Ruon adjusted his posture as he walked along the path, enveloped in an eerie silence. Despite possessing night vision that could pierce through the darkness, it didn¡¯t hurt to be cautious. At that moment, a gust of wind blew from the front. In the midst of that gust, which was apanied by a foul stench, Ruon unsheathed his sword without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived.¡± As if responding to his muttered words, the sound of boiling liquid erupted from the darkness. ¡°Gyarrurururururp!¡± ¡°Krrrrrrrk!¡± ¡°Krrrrrkrrrrrkrrrk!¡± Simultaneously, several four-legged creatures with dripping saliva emerged, their sharp fangs tearing apart corpses. Ghouls. ¡°Krararararap!¡± The ghouls roared fiercely and rushed towards Ruon. Despite the intense malice pouring down on him, Ruon charged head-on without retreating. Maintaining his running speed, Ruon rolled forward, avoiding the ghouls¡¯ ws, and swiftly swung his sword diagonally before the other attackers could concentrate their assault. One of them, with its face half torn apart, let out a horrifying scream and contorted its body. ¡°Eek!¡± As the agonizing creature writhed in pain, Ruon kicked its head, sending it flying. He dodged the lunging hands that came at him from the side, aiming for his entrails, and swiftly slit one ghoul¡¯s throat. Disgusting ck blood gushed out from the severed surface. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Anticipating the ghoul¡¯s attempt to bite his ankle by pouncing on him, Ruon lifted his leg and brought it down with force. With a crunching sound, the ghoul¡¯s face burst apart. Meanwhile, two ghouls approached him from behind and simultaneously attacked. Just before his exposed back was torn apart, Ruon rotated his body with tremendous agility and swung his sword, tearing the heads of the creatures from their bodies. After that, various attacks poured onto Ruon, but he skillfully blocked or evaded each one, promptly delivering a devastating counterattack to his enemies. None of the ghouls that were hit by his attacks managed to rise again. Having dealt with nearly ten ghouls, Ruon swayed slightly, feeling the adrenaline, and smiled faintly. Indeed, the experience points earned from these ferocious and unparalleled monsters did not disappoint his expectations. At that moment, he saw another group of ghouls rushing in from a distance. With a strange certainty that tonight would be long, Ruon tightened his grip on the sword handle. ¡®Come at me. You little experience point bastards.¡¯ Chapter 5: Chapter 5: During the frantic early years where he fought for his life and the subsequent years of true wandering, Ruon had learned the most essential thing for survival. It was not a game-rted element like skills or stats but rather pure intuition acquired through countless experiences. Except for a few perks, Ruon, who was essentially empty-handed, managed to endure in this harsh otherworld with extreme freedom. That intuition spoke to him. Tonight would be a long night. Ruon swung his thick sword through the air several times before shortly stopping to catch his breath. With a grim expression, he looked at the ghoul corpses that filled his surroundings. ¡®Insane, how many are there exactly?¡¯ There were as many as three packs of ghouls. Ruon, who had initially dealt with ten of them without any trouble, now had to endure various new ghouls relentlessly attacking him, leaving him with wounds everywhere. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a big problem. His injuries were not severe enough to hinder his movements, and the most fearsome weapon of the ghouls, the venom, had little effect in the face of Ruon¡¯s high health. Roughly brushing his hand over his wounds, Ruon recalled the location of the grave that Median had told him about. Themunal graveyard had designated burial locations based on the time of death, and the grave of the woman who died (or was killed) rtively recently was located on the southern end of the graveyard. No longer needing to be cautious, Ruon began to run southward. asionally, ghouls would appear and rush at him, but he killed them swiftly and continued without hesitation. As he continued forward, killing and killing, he was attacked about four times. Finally, Ruon found the tomb where the woman was buried. No, he had no choice but to find it. ¡°What is that?¡± Seeing the grotesque creature with its half-buried body beside the disarrayed grave, Ruon furrowed his brows in surprise. The monster, with its strange appearance, had its swollen belly wrapped in both hands and remained motionless even in the presence of a stranger. Despite having acquired extensive knowledge of fantasy through novels and games since childhood, Ruon hesitated for a moment, unable to rush at a monster the likes of he had never seen before. At that moment, the creature¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°Gooo-oo-oo-oo¡­¡± Starting with a sound that seemed to echo through a cave, the creature¡¯s bloated belly suddenly split open, and from within, a tremendous stench apanied the emergence of two ghouls. In stark contrast to the beauty of childbirth, it was a horrifying spectacle. Without dy, Ruon grabbed a few of the arrows hanging on his back. In an instant, two arrows were fired, lodging themselves in the foreheads of the newborn ghouls. Leaving the screaming creatures behind, Ruon quickly prepared a third arrow, but seeing tentacles flying towards him, he swiftly twisted his body. Thud! The ground where Ruon had just stood caved in, scattering dust and soil. Within it, the redirected tentacle flew toward Ruon once again. In the meantime, Ruon quickly switched weapons and forcefully shed his sword against the tentacle. After a solid exchange of attacks, he realized that the tentacle was much tougher than he had expected. He had to cut it in one strike! Crack! Ruon swung his sword with all his strength. With overwhelming force, he swiftly severed the tentacles. ¡°Grrrrrrr¡­¡± The monster let out a howl in a higher tone than before. The tentacles that flew towards Ruon were revealed to be extending out of the monster¡¯s wide-open belly, directly hit by Ruon¡¯s previous attack. Crack! This time, not just one but three tentacles came flying at him, leaving him without an escape. Ruon clenched his teeth and moved his whole body with explosive momentum. His blurred sword cut down the tentacles, which came at him from various angles. After piercing through the writhing tentacles, Ruon quickly blew away the monster¡¯s head. As he ruthlessly crushed the fallen monster¡¯s head with his foot, a sense of fulfillment spread throughout his body. He had leveled up. Awakening his senses and investing bonus stats into strength, Ruon licked his lips as he looked at the monster in front of him. ¡°This is insane.¡± Although a long-awaited level-up was good news, the shocking sight in front of him left no room for celebration. A monster that gives birth to ghouls. He had encountered all sorts of monsters so far, but this horrifying creature was the first of its kind. Ruon organized his uneasy thoughts. There was no way such a deranged monster could be born naturally. As Median had worried, it was undoubtedly the work of a witch. Approaching the tomb of the deceased woman, Ruon saw a mound of unearthed dirt and a partially open coffin inside. As expected, the coffin was empty. The thought of this dreadful monster crawling out from within made Ruon¡¯s head ache. It was hard toprehend how a once-human woman had been transformed into such an inhuman creature. Of course, whether Median or the witch had anticipated this oue was unknown. Damn it, even then, this line should never have been crossed. Putting those thoughts aside, Ruon thoroughly searched the dead monster¡¯s body. There were things he had to do for now. *** ¡°Impressive speed in handling everything. It looks like I was correct to trust you with these affairs.¡± Median smiled with satisfaction. Ruon didn¡¯t like that confident smile, so he threw the object he was holding onto the table. Ting. The ring, which had spun around, lost its momentum and fell over. Medan spoke sharply, annoyed by Ruon¡¯s behavior. ¡°I would appreciate an exnation.¡± ¡°The deceased woman, who was said to have been killed by the witch, had be a monster that gives birth to ghouls. She buried her body deep in the ground and used tentacles to absorb corpses from the graveyard. The corpses that were drawn in were reborn as ghouls inside her womb.¡± Hearing the chilling story, Median¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not lying, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, you can send someone to check the graves. They will receive reports saying that all the coffins are empty.¡± It was impossible for the monster to create something out of nothing, and the soldier¡¯s story of a ghoul resembling their friend came to mind. Ruon had meticulously checked each nearby grave, creating a mess of the graveyard, but that was Median¡¯s responsibility to deal with. ¡°I brought the ring as evidence. It was on the monster¡¯s finger.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Is this not enough?¡± Median, who had regained her usualposed expression, looked at Ruon as she called over her maid to take the ring. She had recovered her characteristic calm demeanor in no time. ¡°It¡¯ll do. What do you want as a reward?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take gold coins. No gemstones.¡± Gemstones were often inconvenient when it came to exchanging them. Whether in medieval times or the present, cash was the most reliable form of currency. ¡°Very well.¡± Median nodded again, and the maid extended a luxurious-looking leather pouch towards Ruon. ¡°You can check it if you want.¡± Ruon immediately put the leather pouch into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve given me enough.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you want to know about?¡± Ruon¡¯s eyes gleamed at Median¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear about any credible rumors or legends that are circting.¡± ¡°Credible rumors or legends? That¡¯s quite broad.¡± After a moment of thought, Median spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in fanciful stories. If I had to mention something, there¡¯s a rumor that the king will embark on a war of conquest. There would probably be a resistance against the mobilization of noble militias, but that remains to be seen. I don¡¯t know if that information will be of any help to you, though.¡± Median¡¯s words could be significant information depending on the listener, but it didn¡¯t pique Ruon¡¯s interest. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take my leave then.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t useful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯m interested in, at least as of now.¡± ¡°Such a shame.¡± Median, who was smiling faintly, added. ¡°I can tell why your face isn¡¯t as well-known as your reputation suggests. Excessive fame can hinder a journey, I suppose? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not curious as to why you¡¯re pursuing rumors or legends, nor do I have any ns to recruit you as one of my guards. So, shall we at least enjoy some leisurely tea?¡± Her inference was quite sharp. For the first time, Ruon thought Median was somewhat likable. Well, just a little. ¡°I appreciate your consideration, but I still can¡¯t find a reason to stay here any longer.¡± ¡°¡­In that case, I suppose I can¡¯t help it. You¡¯re free to leave.¡± Ruon immediately turned around and left the room. Watching him, Median whispered softly. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to hide from the world forever, wyvern-killer.¡± When he stepped out of the mansion, the bright light tickled Ruon¡¯s face. Although he felt like resting at a nearby inn for a few days, he immediately set off. He didn¡¯t know if Median would change her mind and urge her subordinates to bring back the audacious mercenary. She seemed indifferent for the time being, but nobles like her changed their minds a dozen times a day. Ruon knew he hadn¡¯tpletely resolved the matter. There was something unresolved between the unknown witch and Median, and the ring he casually handed over might have started a new sequence of events. It felt like a linked quest in a game, so to speak. If Ruon had epted Median¡¯s rmendation for tea, the next part of the story likely would have naturally unfolded. But his sharp senses, which had been keen since nightfall, suggested that it would be best to finish themission there, and Ruon trusted his instincts. In fact, he might have already delved too deep. Dealing with the shorings of nobles is utterly useless and only increases the risk to one¡¯s life. ¡®I¡¯ve leveled up and received my reward, so this should be sufficient.¡¯ Ruon cleared his mind. His conclusion was that this should be remembered as nothing more than the ¡°pathetic story of a woman who turned into a monster by meddling with someone else¡¯s husband¡± incident. As he organized his thoughts and quickened his pace, Ruon suddenly stopped in his tracks, entranced by the sight before him. The sunlight, evoking the aged visage of the city of Grungrad, gently touched every corner of the city, revealing the early morning. People who had awakened within were bustling about, each with their own purpose. Was it because he had faced such dreadful monsters throughout the night? The scenery that had been of no interest in the past few days couldn¡¯t be more beautiful now. How could he consider such a magnificent sight mere fragments of data? It was absurd. Yearning for the tiny, moldy room of his past while leaving behind such a picturesquendscape. The memories of chicken and beer that still appeared in his dreams. As always, there was no need to feel mncholic with such thoughts. The endless wandering, with no promise of return. Ruon shifted his gaze and proceeded forward, facing the sun. Since staying in Grungrad was out of the question, he had to move toward his next destination. Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Recently, in Deer Vige, which was named after the abundance of deer in the area, ominous rumors had started circting. The rumors im that something terrible is happening at the Tibe Monastery, located in the mountains behind the vige. The rumors were spreading about the Tibe Monastery, a sanctuary of peace and mercy of all ces! The one who first raised concerns about the monastery was Evel, the most agile hunter in the vige. Every month, he took on the task of delivering supplies to the monastery. On his most recent trip, as he opened a supply box to replenish it with new items, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Inside, he found the food he had storedst month emitting a foul smell and dposing. It was inconceivable that the people of the monastery, who rarely came down from the mountains, would suddenly leave food out like that. Evel hurriedly ran to the entrance of the monastery. He quickly grabbed the handle and knocked on the heavy iron door. However, there was no reaction from inside. The nuns, who would usually greet Evel with a kind face, were nowhere to be seen. Filled with fear, Evel rushed down the mountain and informed the vigers about what he had witnessed. Anxiety began to spread through the vige. People nced up at the mountains and toward the monastery several times a day. As stories of the unsettling events spread and people¡¯s concerns mingled, rumors gradually leaked out of the vige. Meanwhile, Chief Ransel¡¯s worries grew deeper. Today, he was gathering people to discuss the situation at the monastery. Of course, the conversation always seemed to end up going in circles. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any feasible solution?¡± ¡°Chief, what could we, who have spent our lives farming, even do?¡± ¡°Even the brave ones, who used to venture near the monastery fearlessly, haven¡¯t gone close since the rumors began to spread. It¡¯s just not a situation where we can do anything ourselves.¡± Ransel wiped his sweat-covered forehead several times in frustration. ¡°But should we really report this matter to the Marquis? I don¡¯t want to get caught up in his money-grubbing schemes. If the issue is resolved, they¡¯ll use it as an excuse to raise taxes several times over, and if nothing happens, they¡¯ll issue an unfavorable decree. Who will take responsibility for that?¡± At that moment, the hunter Evel spoke in a crawling voice. ¡°But Chief¡­ the people of the monastery have always prayed for us and blessed the sick. They¡¯ve been kind people who have done us favors. It doesn¡¯t feel right to ignore them like this, no matter how tough our lives may be for it.¡± Ransel pressed his throbbing forehead with both hands. It waste, but a decision had to be made now. It was already well-known that the food Evel had storedst month had spoiled, and it was nearly impossible to leave the situation unattended any longer. Evel was right; it wasn¡¯t in line with human decency either. ¡°We can¡¯t rely on the Marquis. It would be better for a few of us to go to the city and try to find capable mercenaries.¡± As Ransel firmly spoke, the people exchanged nces, hesitant to negotiate with rough mercenaries. There was no one bold enough or with the necessary skills in bargaining to handle the matter. ¡°This is driving me mad.¡± With no one volunteering, Ransel was losing his mind. As he was considering the idea of tearfully informing the Marquis about the situation, a sudden interruption urred. ¡°Chief!¡± The door swung open, and a young woman entered. It was Emma, the innkeeper. Emma blushed as she felt the weight of everyone¡¯s eyes on her. ¡°Emma, what¡¯s the matter? What about the inn?¡± ¡°Well, a big man came in, carrying a bow on his back and a sword at his waist. He brought up the topic of the monastery and said he heard the rumors, asking about its location¡­¡± Ransel interrupted Emma¡¯s hasty words. ¡°Emma, calm down and tell us slowly. Who is this man?¡± Emma took a deep breath and slowly continued. ¡°A guest arrived at the inn. He looked like a mercenary, with a bow on his back and a sword at his waist. He said he wanted a meal and a room but suddenly approached me, saying he had heard the rumors and wanted to know the location of the monastery. I thought I should ask Chief about it, so I told him to wait for a moment and came here.¡± As Emma finished speaking, Ransel abruptly stood up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to him!¡± *** While watching the vige chief wipe his sweaty forehead, Ruon frowned. ¡°Do I need to have a conversation with the vige chief to know the location of the monastery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. I just wanted to find out what rumors you¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡®What¡¯s going on? Is the rumor false?¡¯ Ruon replied, ¡°I heard a rumor that a demon appeared at the Tive Monastery.¡± ¡°Such a rumor was circting?¡± ¡°Yes, the minstrels were all talking about it. Am I misinformed?¡± The vige chief¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°This is a serious matter! Even if we don¡¯t know who spread such nonsense, it has nothing to do with a demon.¡± ¡°So something is indeed happening.¡± Ruon hit the nail on the head, causing Ransel to gasp and take a deep breath. Anxiously tearing at his hands, he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s true that the people of the monastery have disappeared. But it¡¯s not about a demon¡­ If this rumor reaches the count¡¯s ears, it could tarnish the reputation of the territory. I can¡¯t even imagine what kind of tantrum he would throw.¡± ¡°Why would the count be concerned if it¡¯s not your fault?¡± ¡°He likes to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs. And everyone keeps talking about demons, so¡­¡± Ruon smirked. ¡°Have you personally confirmed it?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Ransel, feeling cornered, nervously touched his face with his hand. ¡°This vige only has farmers. There¡¯s one hunter, but he¡¯s nothing special. Who in their right mind would have the courage to enter that eerie monastery where everyone has suddenly vanished? And even if I were to ask the lord for help, I can¡¯t even fathom what that madman would demand as payment¡­ My head is throbbing just thinking about it!¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why not try hiring a mercenary?¡± ¡°In this vige, there¡¯s no one with the capability to hire a mercenary¡­¡± As Ransel began toin, he looked at Ruon with a dumbfounded expression. Under Ruon¡¯s broad shoulders, muscles stood out clearly, and on his thick forearms, numerous small andrge scars were etched into his skin. Ruon lightly smiled at the dumbfounded Ransel. ¡°I¡¯m willing to work as long as I receive fairpensation.¡± Ransel swallowed hard. ¡°So, you¡¯re really going to enter the monastery? But¡­¡± ¡°There might be no demon. However, the rumor has already spread, and it will soon reach the ears of the count. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to finish the job quickly? It seems pointless to insist that there¡¯s no demon whilecking the courage to even enter the monastery.¡± Ruon interrupted Ransel¡¯s words and replied. He didn¡¯t want to continue this aimless conversation any longer. Ransel let out a deep sigh. He looked as if he had aged ten years. ¡°Fine¡­ I was nning to hire a mercenary anyway. However, I¡¯ll pay you after the job is done. I can¡¯t give you an advance payment when there might be no trouble at all.¡± Ransel seemed unable to let go of the hope that nothing was wrong, but Ruon didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Ruon immediately stood up from his seat, tightening the straps of his protective gear, and Ransel, who watched him check over his equipment, was taken aback. ¡°Are you going right now?¡± ¡°Is there a reason to dy?¡± Ransel, who had been dumbfounded, nodded in agreement. Yes, it would be better to finish quickly. ¡°Your guide will be a man named Evel. He¡¯s in charge of supplying the monastery, so he knows the mountain paths best.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± At that moment, the door opened, and a man entered. With a somewhat puzzled expression, he scratched his head and spoke. ¡°¡­I¡¯m Evel. I was listening from outside, and it seemed like you were talking about me.¡± Ruon nced at the awkwardly standing Evel and clicked his tongue. ¡°Lead the way.¡± *** The mountain path was quite rugged. The overgrown path clearly showed that people were not ustomed to treading on it. In the first ce, Evel, the hunter, was the only one who ventured on this path from the vige. Even now, he was moving forward on a path known only to himself. However, there was one difference from usual¡ªthere was arge man following behind him. Evel, who was walking ahead, nced back and cautiously asked, ¡°Are you okay, mercenary?¡± ¡°Call me Ruon.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, Ruon. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°No problems.¡± Looking at Ruon¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t even have a trace of sweat, Evel remarked, ¡°You have incredible stamina. When I pass through here, I often find it difficult to catch my breath, but you seempletely unaffected. I guess it wasn¡¯t just idle talk when you suggested taking a shortcut, regardless of danger.¡± Ruon smirked. ¡°I thought a hunter would have at least one path that only he knows.¡± Despite his imposing appearance, when Ruon continued the conversation quite well, Evel decided to ask about the one thing he had been curious about. ¡°Um, Ruon, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Are you really a mercenary?¡± Evel added, trying to dispel any doubts, ¡°It seems like you came because you heard rumors about demons appearing, not just because of mercenary work.¡± ¡°Because I looked like a lunatic wanting to die?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s not like that. I mean, I thought maybe you¡¯re not someone who moves for money.¡± Surprised, Evel pped his hands, and Ruon¡¯s smirk widened. He was quite perceptive. Ruon said, ¡°When I started the game, there were demons in the opening scene. I thought there might be a clue here.¡± ¡°Game? Opening¡­ What is that?¡± ¡°Hopefully there¡¯s something here¡­¡± Unable to ask any further, Evel urged them to keep walking. Ruon¡¯s eyes, following Evel, grew even colder. Demons¡­ During the days when he poured everything into survival, demons were beings he couldn¡¯t even imagine getting involved with. However, with the umted time and his own formidable power, Ruon began to consider demons as a part of his journey. The first time he had such thoughts was after leveling up in Grungrad. Seeing the first level-up he had gotten in nearly three months, Ruon epted that he could no longer grow through ordinary battles. He decided to confront the beings he¡¯d been avoiding. This visit to the monastery was the starting point. Of course, he hade here based only on the songs and rumors of the bards, so he couldn¡¯t confirm their uracy. However, he would soon find out. ¡°Ruon, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Evel wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Ruon, leaving Evel behind, opened the lid of a box. A nauseating stench filled the air as he looked at the rotting food inside. After alternately gazing at the dark gray monastery and the box, he spoke. ¡°You can go back.¡± ¡°Ah, can I really?¡± Evel hesitated. He seemed quite frightened. ¡°When you go down, just follow that main road over there.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t mention anything about taking the shortcut. ¡°See youter.¡± ¡°Please take care.¡± After Evel left, Ruon, who was left alone, approached the entrance of the monastery. When he reached therge iron gate, he ced both palms on the gate, shoulder-width apart. Then he firmly pushed his palms forward. Pushing a locked door like that! If someone had seen him, they would have thought he was crazy, but the scene that unfolded shortly after was astonishing. Creak, creak. The iron chains hanging on the opposite side of the gate screamed. As the veins on Ruon¡¯s palm and arm, resembling wriggling earthworms, throbbed, the desperate screams grew louder. The deeper Ruon¡¯s toes dug into the ground, the more the gate resisted, but he never backed down. Creak, creak, bang! The iron rings surrounding the gate could no longer withstand the tremendous force exerted by the contracted muscles. Ping, ping, ping! Doing something so reckless was not due to ack of options. He could have broken a window to enter, or since it was a fairlyrge building, he could have found another entrance besides the main gate. However, Ruon chose the loud method of destroying the gate, wanting to feel his increase in power after recently investing experience points in strength. People who handle power are sensitive to changes, even if they are small. The result, as expected, was quite satisfying. Ruon, holding the door handle, pulled and opened the now liberated door. The first thing that greeted him as he entered the building was the earthy smell typical of stone structures. ¡®It¡¯s like the setting of a horror movie.¡¯ Despite not giving off any signs of life, the building exuded an eerie atmosphere that made Ruon mutter to himself. ording to rumors, this ce was a building where more than twenty people, including nuns and monks, lived. Even if they were ying hide-and-seek, it didn¡¯t make sense that it was this quiet. Ruon ced his hand on the hilt of his sword and cautiously moved forward. As he reached what appeared to be the kitchen, he furrowed his brow at the scene that unfolded before his eyes. Crimson blood was sttered everywhere. When he saw the broken dishes and shattered objects, it was clear that something significant had happened here. The strange thing was that despite so much blood spattering, there wasn¡¯t a single corpse in sight. An ordinary person would have screamed and fled, but Ruon was no ordinary person. He was a warrior with such formidable power that he couldn¡¯t even remember when he had been ordinary. Ruon calmed his breathing and slowly awakened his senses. ¡®Suddenly, an indeterminate presence attacked those who were having a meal. In an instant, two fell victim to it. A third person was then attacked. They desperately resisted with a kitchen knife, but quickly sumbed to death after their carotid artery was severed.¡¯ The vivid sequence of events was a fusion of Ruon¡¯s heightened senses and imagination. In other words, it was the process of materializing what had urred with Ruon¡¯s keen intuition. That¡¯s why Ruon didn¡¯t particrly trust this ability. It was simply imagination. It was far from the ability to perceive situations like a cheat code, where clues would glow red and the protagonist would understand the situation at a nce just by right-clicking the mouse. Still, Ruon chose to follow the traces created by his imagination. Rather than wandering in search of the perfect answer, Ruon¡¯s consistent approach over the past few years had been to confront things with what he could immediately use. Disregarding partially open or closed doors, Ruon boldly pressed forward. Soon, he entered the lobby where the central staircase was visible. There, he found something that stopped him in his tracks. Right in front of the staircase stood a man wearing torn and tattered monk robes, staring at Ruon with a vacant expression. The hazy, unfocused eyes above his pale face sent shivers down Ruon¡¯s spine. The man approached slowly. Ruon tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. ¡°If youe any closer, I¡¯ll strike you down.¡± Despite the sharp warning, the man did not stop. Instead, an ominous light flickered on his forehead. At that moment, the man¡¯s mouth opened wide. ¡°Grrraaahh!¡± With a scream, the man rushed forward. Without hesitation, Ruon swung his sword horizontally. The man¡¯s head flew through the air, sttering blood droplets, andnded on the stairs. The headless body staggered for a moment before copsing. Approaching the fallen head, Ruon rolled it with his foot and examined the man¡¯s forehead. Upon seeing the symbol engraved seared into the skull, Ruon murmured softly. ¡°Indeed, a demon.¡± Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The symbol was a bizarre shape featuring multiple intertwined hands. Ruon spected that it was the work of a demon worshiper. An ominous symbol on the forehead of a monk who served Tibe. It was hard to think of any other possibilities besides demons. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Step back, fearless warrior. There is none of the glory you seek in this ce.¡± The detached head began to chatter. Although it was impossible to understand how sound coulde out of a severed neck, Ruon thought it must be magic and replied. ¡°Where are the others who were here?¡± ¡°No one who came here survived.¡± ¡°Oh? Then you must die too.¡± In response to Ruon¡¯s unwavering answer, the corpse fell silent for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Warrior, I sense no holiness in you. Why would you, who is not even a champion of Tibe, want vengeance?¡± What was he saying? ¡°It seems you¡¯re mistaken. I didn¡¯te here for revenge. It¡¯s just a personal matter. Of course, I¡¯ll make money when it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just a lowly mercenary?¡± Ruon smirked. ¡°It seems the dead have a lot to say on the subject. Wait and see. I¡¯ll slit your throat soon enough.¡± Ignoring the head that moved its lips, Ruon continued down the stairs leading underground. In this situation, it¡¯s likely that whatever was behind all of this would be hiding underground. As Ruon descended the staircase, he saw a half-open, rusty iron door. Wouldn¡¯t the bereaved nuns and monks havee rushing in? That was the expectation, but there was nothing behind the iron door. Instead, a familiar yet unpleasant smell pierced his nostrils. The smell of blood, intensely strong. Passing through the damp, cold, blood-scented corridor, another side door confronted Ruon. The signboard hanging on the door read ¡®Prayer Room¡¯. He kicked the door without hesitation. Bang! As the door swung wide open, Ruon unintentionally muttered a word at the sight before him. ¡°Crazy.¡± Underneath the statue of a woman that resembled Tibe, bodies were piled up, seemingly more than twenty. The man standing on the altar, soaked in blood flowing from their bodies, slowly turned his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Rather than answer, Ruon decided to shoot an arrow at the man¡¯s forehead. After grabbing the bow hanging on his back and fixing it on his thigh, he took out an arrow from the quiver and aimed it at the man. The entire process waspleted in the time it takes to take a breath. The lightning-fast attack couldn¡¯t be avoided. A translucent blue barrier shimmered in front of the man¡¯s face. The arrow remained stuck in the barrier, failing to pierce through. Even so, the man widened his eyes in astonishment as if it was a surprising development. ¡°You¡¯re a fearsome warrior. I¡¯ve never seen someone shoot a bow so quickly.¡± Sensing genuine admiration rather than deceit in the man¡¯spliment, Ruon furrowed his brows. Wasn¡¯t he called a lowly mercenary just a moment ago? Is he a fickle bastard? ¡°Warrior, I¡¯m curious about your name.¡± Despite being taken by surprise, the man¡¯s voice was gentle. Thus, Ruon answered without realizing it. ¡°¡­Ruon.¡± The man scratched his chin. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound familiar. Is it from a border region? The North? No, itcks the rough feeling for that¡­¡± The man didn¡¯t know that the name ¡°Ruon¡± was derived from his nickname at the time of creating the character, ¡°Ruin on¡±. The man spoke. ¡°Well, what does it matter? Nice to meet you, Ruon. I am Salvetor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particrly interested in the name of someone who¡¯s about to die.¡± Salvetor raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill me? Can I ask for the reason?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± As Ruon flicked his head towards the mountain of corpses, Salvetor smiled brightly. ¡°Spectacr, isn¡¯t it, to die in the ugliest way possible in the most reverent of ces. At least they died at the feet of the one they call their mother, so they have no regrets.¡± ¡°What verbose nonsense. So, you¡¯re a minion of demons?¡± Salvetor grimaced, seeming displeased. ¡°Ruon, that cheap mouth of yours doesn¡¯t suit your exceptional abilities. It¡¯s hard to think of you as a lowly mercenary. A blind man with no eye for art, even when faced with a masterpiece¡­ I am not a minion of demons, but a hand that follows the deceitful darkness.¡± ¡°So there you have it,¡± Ruon replied. ¡°Such an uninteresting testament.¡± As Ruon finished speaking, he drew his sword and mmed it into the ground, creating an intimidating noise. Approaching Salvetor under the pretext of conversation, he already had the upper hand. His sword shed with Salvetor¡¯s barrier. Until then, Salvetor had a rxed expression on his face, but when his barrier wavered visibly, he hastily stepped back and gritted his teeth. A burst of light erupted from his fingertips, sweeping the spot where Ruon stood. However, Ruon, who evaded the attack by closing the distance, brought his sword down like a hammer, causing the barrier to crack. Now too close to swing his sword, Ruon turned his waist and shoulders, delivering a punch. Just before the fist, which had broken through the barrier, reached Salvetor¡¯s head, Salvetorpleted his incantation. Bang! Pushed back by an unseen force, Ruon was sent flying. But it was Salvetor¡¯s screams that erupted. ¡°Argh! You¡­ you!¡± Salvetor clutched his right eye in agony. In the midst of flying away, Ruon had extended his finger and ripped out one of Salvetor¡¯s eyes. ¡°For the sake of bing the vessel of the Great One! You despicable mercenary bastard! Today, I¡¯ll tear your limbs apart.¡± He made a lot of noise after pretending to be calm just a moment ago. Ruon stood up. His lower back ached from hitting the wall, unable tond properly. He spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t whine just because you lost one eye.¡± ¡°Shut up! You will die an excruciating death!¡± Salvetor began to shout iprehensible words and his forehead twitched and melted, revealing a jumble of intertwined symbols featuring multiple hands. But that wasn¡¯t all. Salvetor clenched a ck whip that appeared in the air and swung it with all his might. Ruon leaped away as the whip struck the space where he had been standing, instantly corroding the ground. Salvetor quickly pulled back the whip and, at the same time, created mes with his other hand, hurling them towards Ruon. Once again, Ruon easily evaded the attack, but the fiery mes, drawing a crimson arc, changed direction and exploded in mid-air. Emerging from the scorching heat, Ruon rolled on the ground, brushing off the mes that clung to his body. He slowly got up, but his condition was far from good. His head was a mess, and his scorched face was grotesquely disfigured. Salvetorughed disdainfully. ¡°You look pitiful, rolling on the ground!¡± ¡°Oh, really? You with your missing eye seems far more pitiful.¡± Salvetor¡¯s face turned red at the calm response. ¡°You¡­ will¡­ die!¡± The whip flew towards Ruon once again. Worried that his sword would be corroded, Ruon used his right foot as an axis and rotated to evade the attack. In the meantime, two guided mes approached. Watching the mes fill his field of vision, Ruon felt a sense of danger he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. Amidst the overwhelming sensation that threatened to shatter hisposure, he, now a fully-fledged warrior in a fantasy world, gripped his sword tightly. ¡®Yes, this is what I should do to a minion of the devil.¡¯ With explosive momentum, Ruon leaped forward, feeling the scorching heat passing under his feet, and rotated his body. His sword, harnessing his superhuman strength and speed, struck the disfigured barrier. Crack! With a loud noise, the barrierpletely shattered. In an instant, Salvetor saw a sharp sword pierce through the remains of the barrier and swiftly tear through his muscles, piercing his heart. In the midst of it all, he attempted to recite a spell, but Ruon¡¯s hand quickly grabbed his throat. ¡°Kyaak!¡± Salvetor mustered all his strength, flicking his whip just before Ruon¡¯s strong grip snapped Salvetor¡¯s neck. The whip struck Ruon¡¯s back, and at the same time, a dull thud echoed as Salvetor¡¯s body copsed. Ruon hastily removed his armor. Looking at the armor, which had beenpletely burned and torn apart, he clicked his tongue. ¡°You crazy bastard. I hope you¡¯re happy with this mess.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the armor that was damaged. The de of his sword, which had been used to break the barrier, was significantly dented and looked difficult to repair. Ruon began searching through Salvetor¡¯s dead body, hoping to find something of value topensate for the damage to his sword and armor. As a result, he found a skull-adorned dagger with a grand design, three elegant pieces of parchment, and a palm-sized stone tablet. He couldn¡¯t even guess what the stone tablet was used for, but the skull dagger looked like a decent item. However, it emitted an ominous aura, so he decided not to use it immediately and instead fastened it to his waist. He hesitated to unfold the pieces of parchment recklessly, fearing what chaos might ensue, so he decided to keep them in his arms. Noticing one of the curled up scrolls wasn¡¯t sealed in any special way, he unfolded it. His eyes caught the tightly written and elegant handwriting. It was Salvetor¡¯s own personal memoir, written by himself. He was quite a narcissistic person. Salvetor, born as a farmer¡¯s child, felt disillusioned with life and ran away. Through a fortunate opportunity, he was recognized for his magical talent and entered the Tower of Magi to dedicate himself to studies. He grew up as a promising mage of the tower but was unsatisfied and murdered his peers before making a contract with a demon. In his pursuit of greater power, he decided to corrupt the ancient altar of a deity and infiltrated the monastery of Tibe, which wasrgely in the middle of nowhere. That was the gist of it. Details regarding the aftermath were not written, but Ruon could easily infer the content. It was clear that Salvetor had killed those who came to the monastery posing as a mage from the Tower of Magi and sought to gain power from the demon bymitting acts that offended the gods. Btedly, Ruon noticed that the floor, covered in the blood of the victims, was covered in mysterious symbols. ¡°This guy was even worse than I thought.¡± Ruon kicked Salvetor¡¯s corpse with all his strength and wiped away the symbols drawn on the floor with his foot. Then, he turned his gaze to the pile of bodies and carefullyid them on the ground one by one. It was his final consideration for the people of the vige. The sight of a heap of corpses would be too much for ordinary people to bear. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I could.¡± Having finished tidying up, Ruon stood up and brushed off his hands, but at that moment, a bright light burst forth in front of him. Instinctively, Ruon distanced himself and drew his sword, but the beam of light began to seep into the skull-shaped dagger. The light was pouring out of the statue of Tibe. Spouting dissipating ck smoke, the skull dagger gradually began to change. It elongated enough to be considered a longsword, and the skull decoration at the end of the handle turned into a polished silver stag, sparkling like a gem. With the mysterious transformation, Ruon opened his eyes wide. Before him was apletely formed longsword, exuding a vibrant presence. Ruon raised his head, and the statue of Tibe was looking down at him. ¡°Did you give me this?¡± There was no response, yet Ruon added emptily. ¡°Do you know why I came to this world?¡± Still no answer came. Ruon smiled bitterly and gripped the handle of the new sword. Whether it was a reward for eliminating the presence that had tarnished his monastery or not, it was clear that Tibe had personally bestowed this blessed sword upon him. Looking at the statue, which still had a faint glow, Ruon spoke. ¡°Whatever the case, I will use it well.¡± The experience points gained from killing Salvetor and the items obtained as a result were satisfying. He had finally taken a meaningful step. After quickly checking his physical condition, Ruon left the monastery and walked towards the vige. The sun was slowly setting. Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The vige felt strangely bustling, with the previously empty stable now filled with lively horses. Perplexed, Ruon raised his head, wondering who could have arrived. Noticing the restless Evel nervously biting his nails, Ruon approached and asked, ¡°Where is the vige chief?¡± ¡°Oh! Mr. Ru-Ruon!¡± Evel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Something terrible has happened. Something terrible!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The Viscount has arrived.¡± Ruon questioned, ¡°Why did the Viscounte?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. Suddenly, he stormed in, iming they have evidence of our collusion with demons¡­ Even though the vige chief denied it, they forcefully took him away¡­¡± ¡°Are they at the inn?¡± Ruon interrupted Evel¡¯s rambling, and he nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. Please, please save the chief.¡± Ruon immediately headed towards the inn and grabbed the doorknob. It didn¡¯t open, as if someone had locked it from the inside. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll be breaking at least one more door today.¡¯ Ripping off the doorknob, Ruon reached inside and lifted thetch on the other side, prompting a voice from within. ¡°What the hell? Who is it?¡± Ruon kicked open the door and stepped inside. The inn was inplete disarray. Tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly, clearing a space in the middle of the floor. Two individuals were seated facing each other in the center of the inn, but their appearances were quite contrasting. One was Vige Chief Ransel, sweating profusely with a cloth stuffed in his mouth, clearly disheveled. The other was a chubby man with an enormous posterior that obscured his chair. The chubby man asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Someone who has business with the vige chief.¡± Ruon¡¯s response caused the chubby man to chuckle. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Should I?¡± Ruon replied curtly, and a soldier standing closest to him drew his sword. ¡°He dares to disrespect us.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± The chubby man raised his hand to stop the soldiers. ¡°My name is Conrad. I hold a small fief granted by the king, and within it, I am known as Viscount Conrad. I came here to investigate a terrible incident that urred in my territory. So, what is your name, intruder?¡± Ruon smirked. Conrad was making quite the noisy introduction as a Viscount. ¡°Ruon.¡± Even though Ruon introduced himself, he remained concise in his reply, causing Conrad¡¯s face to crinkle slightly. Perhaps sensing the difort, the soldiers in the inn all drew their weapons, aiming them at Ruon. ¡°Viscount, if you give the order, I will have this bastard¡¯s head.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this bastard? Can¡¯t he show some respect?¡± The way they spoke and their demeanor resembled backstreet ruffians more than noble soldiers. With such subordinates at hismand, Conrad¡¯s momentum rose, and he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to stop these men if you don¡¯t show me some respect.¡± At that moment, the vige chief let out a groaning sound, twisting his body. Ruon anxiously looked at the vige chief, who was staring at him, and opened his mouth. ¡°Why did you tie up the vige chief like that?¡± ¡°He is being investigated on charges of colluding with demons.¡± Ruon asked, as he had heard from Evel. ¡°What charges? As far as I know, that nobleman doesn¡¯t even have the guts to hire a single mercenary.¡± Conradughed bitterly. ¡°Despite the rumors of a demon appearing at the monastery, the vige chief didn¡¯t report it to me, the lord. What does that mean? It means he made a deal with the demon and kept his mouth shut.¡± Since there was no need to fabricate such a forced situation, Ruon sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not the truth. The vige chief hired me, hoping that the monastery¡¯s problem would be resolved, and I came here after solving it. So, if you release him, everything can be resolved smoothly.¡± Conrad raised his eyebrows. ¡°You solved it? Does that mean you killed the demon?¡± ¡°Not aplete demon, but there was a demon follower.¡± Upon hearing Ruon¡¯s words, Conrad fell silent for a moment, then made a scoffing sound. It seemed like a signal, as all the soldiers around began to mutter. Conrad squinted his eyes. ¡°Hey, Ruon. No, you, the bluffer. You expect me to believe that you single-handedly killed a demon? Are you some kind of legendary hero?¡± ¡°Whether you believe it or not is up to you.¡± ¡°You little bastard¡­ You think I¡¯m scared of you? Do you think I¡¯m easy to deal with? Conrad pointed his finger at Ruon. ¡°Kill that bastard.¡± The soldiers rushed forward in an instant. Ruon drew the newly acquired longsword from his waist and parried the attack of the man swinging his axe. After deflecting the attack, he had nned to counterattack, but the gleaming sword split the axe de in an instant, and Ruon stepped back in surprise. As the broken axe de fell to the ground with a thud, the approaching men hesitated and backed away. Unlike the shattered axe, Ruon¡¯s de remained intact. Ruon, who was staring at the pommel of the sword, the shining silver stag, murmured. ¡°What an incredible thing I¡¯ve received.¡± Conrad, who was gazing at the sword as if bewitched, shouted angrily. ¡°Take that away! Kill that bastard and bring it to me!¡± At Conrad¡¯smand, the soldiers approached again. Aware of the power of the sword, they didn¡¯t rush in recklessly, but rather seemed to coordinate their attacks from all sides. Not a bad n, but a poor choice of opponent. Ruon swiftly shed through the table. The hesitant man who had been standing by the table was sliced away along with it. Moving freely among the bewildered soldiers, Ruon swung his sword. Dodging thrusts andunching diagonal shes. Utilizing rotational force, he delivered an upward strike. Then, a downward strike. Like flowing water, his attacks continued, and the men who lost their limbs screamed and fell to the ground. ¡°This insignificant bastard!¡± ¡°You son of a bi¨C!¡± The men who had lost theirrades rushed forward, mixing in curses with their attacks. However, they too ended up futilely beside their fallenrades in front of Ruon¡¯s sword. As Ruon raised his head after delivering a precise strike to the jaw of therge soldier who had charged at himst, the terrified Viscount trembled, his cheeks quivering. ¡°W-what¡­ you, you, you bastard.¡± Stepping forward, Ruon pped the Viscount¡¯s cheek. ¡°Ugh!¡± With his head snapped to the side, the Viscount was caught off guard as Ruon swung his hand again. With a sharp thud, the Viscount¡¯s head turned in the opposite direction. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk, let¡¯s talk.¡± In an instant, the swollen-cheeked Marquis spat out several yellowed teeth from his mouth. Coolly, Ruon spoke. ¡°To be honest.¡± ¡°W-what, what?¡± ¡°If you really thought it was the work of a demon, you wouldn¡¯t havee here in such a state. Why did you do this to the vige chief?¡± ¡°W-well, I thought he colluded with the demon¡­¡± Once again, sparks flew from the Viscount¡¯s cheek. Ruon swiftly straightened the limp Viscount and questioned him again. ¡°Give me a proper answer.¡± ¡°I¡­ I wanted to catch some smugglers and raise taxes.¡± There was no longer any value in listening. After making the Viscount kneel, Ruon untied the bound vige chief. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± As the cloth was removed from his mouth, the vige chief coughed out ragged breaths. Ruon asked. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Before he knew it, the vige chief was speaking with a respectful tone. Ruon was unsure what to say, thinking it was due to the fear of the perpetrator of the scene in front of them. ¡°Are you the champion of Tibe?¡± The vige chief asked. He pointed to the shining sword adorned with a silver stag and added. ¡°A sword ordained with a silver deer, the symbol of Tibe.¡± Finally, Ruon understood why the vige chief was speaking with such reverence. It seemed that the vige chief regarded him as a chosen warrior, a champion of Tibe. Though he had no interest in pompous titles, Ruon smiled inwardly. He approached the Viscount who was looking up at him. ¡°You said your name is Conrad?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Ruon lowered his body and looked into the Viscount¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°I killed your subordinates because you had your eyes on this sword.¡± As Ruon raised the sword, the Viscount visibly flinched. ¡°What warrior would willingly give up their sacred relic? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The Viscount swallowed nervously. ¡°I-it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding? Where did the person who was shouting about killing me and taking the sword go?¡± Ruon said to the Viscount, who had a foolish expression on his face, his lips twitching. ¡°Setting aside the fact that you persecuted the vigers to collect taxes higher than royal decrees, you said they were coborating with a demon when in fact, there really was a demon in the monastery. Isn¡¯t that the same as spitting on Tibe¡¯s face?¡± The Viscount¡¯s face contorted in an unpleasant manner. ¡°I-I¡­ there really were demons in the monastery?¡± ¡°Yes. And I killed them.¡± The Viscount nervously grabbed the handle of the shining sword and eximed. ¡°I-I had no idea. I was just using rumors to slightly increase taxes. I never intended to take advantage of the incident at the monastery.¡± The Viscount¡¯s genuine surprise was evident. If it was true that demons appeared in the monastery, then he had confessed to exploiting the church¡¯s incident in front of Tibe¡¯s champion. He had even ordered his death. ¡°I, too, don¡¯t want to mix any personal emotions in work done in the name of the gods. Leave quietly. And live your life as if this never happened. Can you do that?¡± Speaking about work done in the name of the gods, Ruon felt a pang of guilt, but he finished speaking without a trace of hesitation. The Viscount nodded. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°It would be wise not to forget that.¡± Ruon gestured toward the door as if to tell him to leave. The stumbling Viscount hurriedly rushed out without looking back. After a moment, the sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance. ¡°Chief! What, what is all this?¡± Evel and the vigers who had entered the inn after seeing the fleeing Viscount gasped in horror when they saw the bodies on the floor. Fortunately, thanks to the vige chief, who had witnessed everything and exined the situation, the matter was resolved without majorplications. The only issue was that, throughout the process, the vigers had firmly believed Ruon to be Tibe¡¯s champion. As people began to send looks of reverence toward Ruon, who had thwarted the Viscount¡¯s wickedness, killed the demon in the monastery, and received Tibe¡¯s blessing, he could only scratch his head, now unable to im a reward. ¡®It¡¯s karma for using the name of the gods.¡¯ Ruon, who had originally considered killing the Viscount, found satisfaction in the situation being resolved. The Holy Sword hummed low in his ears, as if it was reaching out to touch his godless, warrior heart. Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Time flew by. During his stay in the Deer Vige, Ruon focused on equipment maintenance and recovery. In reality, it wasn¡¯t as grand as it sounded. He simply ced orders for armor at the cksmith and rested until his well-toned muscles regained their vitality. Thanks to his high health, Ruon quickly restored to peak condition, and with perfect timing, he received news that his armor had beenpleted at the cksmith. True to the cksmith¡¯s ambition, who imed that his leather armor wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone in terms of tanning quality, the craftsmanship was excellent. Ruon showed his gratitude by adding a few more silver coins to what he had promised, indicating his appreciation. With his preparationsplete, Ruon immediately set out to leave the vige apanied by the vigers, who were led by Ransel. ncing at the crowd, Ruon spoke. ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe.¡± ¡°But we should bid farewell since you¡¯re leaving, Sir Ruon.¡± ¡°Sir, sir, sir. I¡¯ve had enough of that nonsense.¡± Even with Ruon¡¯s despondent expression, Ransel nodded without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s only natural to address you with respect. After all, you are Tibe¡¯s champion.¡± Ruon smirked and extended his hand, which Ransel hastily grasped. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Farewell. Please take care of yourself, Sir Ruon.¡± Releasing Lancel¡¯s wrinkled hand, Ruon turned his body. As he began to leave the vige, someone shouted behind him¡ªit was Evel. ¡°No mere mercenary defeats demons and refuses to demand a reward! You are our hero!¡± As Evel shouted, the veins popping on his neck, the vigers apuded and cheered. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Thanks to you, we can breathe a sigh of relief!¡± ¡°Come again. We won¡¯t charge you for staying in the inn next time!¡± The faithless warrior, who had suddenly be a hero, carried the cheers on his back and steadily walked forward. The cheers of people gradually faded away, and before he knew it, a vast expanse of grassy ins unfolded before his eyes. Tilting his head back with the blowing wind, Ruon gently stroked the swaying grass with his fingertips, gazing into the distance. ¡°Where should I go?¡± Anywhere would do for now. In this vast world, there were still countless ces he hadn¡¯t seen, which brought numerous stories still to be told. *** ¡°Oh, for God¡¯s sake!¡± The sound was so loud that it startled the nearby birds, causing them to fly away. Billy, the man who uttered the curse, nervously kicked his feet in the air, as if it would somehow make the wheel stuck in the mud magicallye loose. But Billy didn¡¯t stop kicking his feet, even though there was no chance of the cartwheel emerging from the mud. He felt like he would suffocate if he didn¡¯t do something, anything. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been greedy.¡± Billy, drenched in sweat, plopped down, panting heavily. He had tried to move closer to the river in order to save time. The waterlogged ground had swallowed the cartwheel, mocking his efforts. Billy was stuck along with the cart, helpless. That happened quite a while ago. As he paused to catch his breath, someone entered Billy¡¯s field of vision. ¡°Hey, over here! Help!¡± The man who was walking down the road in the distance turned his head. After briefly ncing in his direction, he began to walk briskly towards him. Billy, smiling with excitement that someone had finallye to his aid, swallowed nervously. The man, wearing armor and carrying an arsenal of weapons, didn¡¯t look like an ordinary person at all. Approaching, the man asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Billy looked up at the man, who seemed to be at least a head taller than himself, and stammered. ¡°T-The, th-that, the wheel is stuck in the mud¡­¡± The man silently nced at the cart, then passed Billy. Avoiding the soft ground, he knelt down and grabbed the lower part of the cart. Surprised by his actions, Billy approached. ¡°Let¡¯s do it together. It¡¯s impossible alone¡­ huh?¡± The wheel, buried so deep that not a glimpse of the axle was visible, suddenly came out in one piece. Billy, at a loss for words, asked, ¡°Are you perhaps a descendant of a giant?¡± Billy was being sincere, but the man seemed to take it as an amusing joke and smirked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t an option when creating a character.¡± ¡°A character? What¡¯s that?¡± Looking at Billy, who was puzzled by the unfamiliar word, Ruon responded. ¡°There is such a thing. Anyway, why did you take this path instead of the proper road? What were you nning to do if you encountered a monster?¡± Upon hearing that, Billy let out a deep sigh. ¡°I was trying to save time, but I got too greedy.¡± ¡°Save time?¡± As Ruon tilted his head, Billy cautiously whispered, as if someone might be listening. ¡°It¡¯s something my brother mentioned¡­ There¡¯s a rumor that a war is about to break out. They say the king is heading north for a campaign.¡± As Median had said. Ruon nodded, recalling the events in Grungrad. It had been a month already, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the rumors had spread far and wide. Billy continued, ¡°Because of that, it¡¯s obvious that iron prices will skyrocket. Even though I¡¯m just a peddler pushing a cart, I¡¯m still a merchant in name. I can¡¯t miss this opportunity, so I traveled around several viges and bought every piece of iron I could find. But damn it, all of a sudden, the royal decree was issued. To punish the merchants who were seeking profit from the war, they froze iron prices. The iron I bought for a high price quickly turned into worthless junk. I made a hasty move to sell it off¡­ and ended up in this mess. Well, that¡¯s the story.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ruon nodded. If even a peddler knew about such rumors, it seemed highly likely that a war would indeed ur. However, just like a month ago, Ruon had little interest in the war. He didn¡¯t want to shed blood on the frontlines to satisfy the king¡¯s thirst for conquest. If he were to leave for the north, it would be because of his personal journey, not because of the war. Ruon asked, ¡°Are there any other rumors?¡± ¡°Other rumors?¡± ¡°Anything will do.¡± Scratching his chin in thought, Billy said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of rumor you¡¯re looking for, but recently, the only rumor I¡¯ve heard is about a married woman being infatuated with a young man sneaking out to meet him at night. Do you want to know who¡¯s involved?¡± ¡°¡­Nevermind.¡± Ruon shook his head. Billy, feeling embarrassed, scratched his head and asked, ¡°Where are you heading?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± ¡°Well, how about going to Relizan with me? If we go up this hill and down the road, we¡¯ll reach it quickly. It¡¯s quite a big city, so maybe you can find the rumors you¡¯re looking for there.¡± Ruon nodded in response to Billy¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you up on that.¡± *** Relizan was a city with apletely differentndscape from Grungrad. While Grungrad had a picturesque and charming appearance, Relizan could be called a city of unrestrained pleasure. As if to prove that, the men on the streets were covered in various tattoos from head to toe, and the women would stick out their tongues and motion suggestively whenever their eyes met. Upon arriving in Relizan, Ruon spent his time resolving small requests posted on bulletin boards. Compared to the previous monastery, these tasks were mundane and seemingly worthless, but Ruon wasn¡¯t particrly anxious, knowing that most tasks were like that. As time passed, Ruon¡¯s name spread, independent of his will. Rumors red after he beat up six thugs who were trying to rob him and Victor, the best bare-knuckle fighter in Relizan, challenged Ruon to a fight and got his jaw shattered by a single punch. Ruon became famous in an instant, but his daily life didn¡¯t change much. As always, he killed monsters and entered the city with his body soaked in their blood. They had begun to call him the yer. Normally, Ruon would have left the city before this kind of attention poured in. However, this time, he didn¡¯t bother to do so because the ruler of Relizan had no interest in him whatsoever. The lord, who lived indulgently in pleasure, was famous for paying no attention to the rumors of themon people. Ruon liked that he had never seen the lord¡¯s face. However, he couldn¡¯t stay in this ce forever. In the past few weeks, he had resolved various incidents in and around the city, but in terms of experience, he had gained only about 20% of what he wanted. The rumors were mostly exaggerated. When he heard about a demon appearing, he went to investigate, only to find a gathering of goblins, and simr false rumors. Especially now, equipped with his new sword, he was tired of facing pathetic monsters. Ruon thought to himself. ¡®¡­I should leave tomorrow.¡¯ Having organized his thoughts, he downed an ale in a single gulp. He couldn¡¯t even feel the effects of the alcohol, but a single silver coin could buy him twenty, so he figured he might be able to force enough of them down to make himself feel it. The problem was that his stomach would get full before that. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Damn it! Why won¡¯t you get out of my way?¡± Ruon turned his head at the curseing from below. He saw a man below surrounded by other men inside the bar. ¡°Who do you think you are, blocking the way, you bastards?¡± Even while being surrounded by those unruly men, the man yelled loudly without fear. It seemed like an argument had broken out. It was amon sight in Relizan, so Ruon quickly lost interest and tried to turn his head. Or rather, he intended to. ¡°I¡¯m here to meet the yer, why are you blocking the way?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not someone who can meet him!¡± What? When Ruon heard his own name spilling out of the man¡¯s mouth with an irritating tone, he furrowed his brows. It turned out that all the men who were blocking his path were the ones who usually ardently chased after him. They were acting as if they were his unwarranted escorts. Meanwhile, amidst themotion, the man who had been trying to reach him started swinging his fists at the others. A fight broke out below in an instant. The pub turned into a mess, and people cheered. ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°Beat him to a pulp!¡± ¡®This is getting annoying.¡¯ Regardless of the situation¡¯s connection to himself, Ruon stood up from his seat to intervene and resolve the situation. However, he witnessed an unexpected scene as his eyes fell upon them. The man who had been shouting like a whale had knocked down the others and was now spitting on the floor. Their gazes intertwined. As the man climbed up the stairs with determination, Ruon let out a small sigh. ¡®What is it this time? Some fool who thinks he can challenge me?¡¯ As Ruon silently clenched his fist, ready for the uing fight, ¡°Please help me!¡± The man who had climbed up the stairs dropped to his knees. Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The people who were cheering and shouting towards the fearless challenger who had brought down the subordinates (of course, not Ruon¡¯s subordinates) of the yer spewed curses when the man fell to his knees. ¡°You coward!¡± ¡°Get out and die!¡± Upon hearing those words, the man snapped his head around and shouted. ¡°Shut up!¡± The people fell silent at the man¡¯s sharp expression. He turned his head towards Ruon again and bowed deeply. ¡°I beg you once again. Please help me!¡± Ruon scratched his head, slightly rxing his muscles. It could be a psychological warfare tactic to let his guard down, but judging from the man¡¯s desperate gaze, it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Until you agree to help me¡­¡± ¡°Whether I take on the job or not, I need to know what it¡¯s about.¡± Only then did the man clumsily get up. Ruon gestured a few times to the people downstairs as if to dismiss their attention. Although they all looked disappointed, they reluctantly backed away due to Ruon¡¯s reputation. Ruon asked, ¡°First, do you know that I¡¯m someone who works for money?¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll pay you as much as I can if it¡¯s about money.¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± The man opened his mouth anxiously. ¡°My name is Kyle. I¡¯m a lumberjack from a vige about half a day away from Relizan¡­ No, that¡¯s not important. In our vige, there is a massive monument. Butst night, a man and a woman suddenly appeared and said they could sense something from the monument. They tried to destroy it. Of course, the vigers stopped them. The monument has always been a symbol of our vige. ording to the elderly, since they were young¡­¡± Kyle wasn¡¯t the type to exin things well, in stark contrast to his fighting skills. As the rambling story seemed to veer off course, Ruon intervened. ¡°We¡¯ll save that for another time, so tell me, did those two break the monument?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± Kyle continued speaking. ¡°At first, they tried to persuade us, but when things didn¡¯t go their way, they suddenly changed. They stabbed the most resistant vige chief to death¡­ and killed everyone else in the vige.¡± Anger was seeping through his words. Kyle clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white as he said, ¡°I, damn it, I¨CI ran away. I was going to take one of them with me, even if I died, but people were shouting at me to run to the city and find help, so¡ª¡° The following exnation was simple. After riding his horse relentlessly, Kyle arrived in Relizan and rushed to the guards to report the truth and seek help. However, the drunken lord and corrupt officials spouted nonsense in response to his pleas. Unable to receive help from the lord, Kyle ran to the back alleys, intending to hire mercenaries. There, he heard stories about the yer, who had taken out the best fighter in Relizan with a single punch and hunted monsters every day without fail. That¡¯s why he immediately rushed to the pub. ¡®These noble bastards in this world, I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re all like this.¡¯ Ruon tilted his head, recalling the viscount he met in the Deer Vige. It was good that the lord here was indifferent towards him, but as someone responsible for managing the territory, he was no better than trash. Looking at Kyle¡¯s anxious expression, Ruon spoke. ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s go to the vige.¡± ¡°T-Thank you!¡± Kyle bowed deeply, showing gratitude. Ruon patted his shoulder lightly and stood up, preparing to set off. ¡®There¡¯s something going on here.¡¯ With the story about the monument, Ruon felt his dormant senses sharply awaken. He hadn¡¯t fully grasped the truth yet, but he had a strange conviction that something interesting was uring. With that feeling, he left the pub with Kyle. *** The two of them rode their horses across the wide in. The man urging the horse forward from slightly ahead was Kyle, while Ruon followed at a reasonable distance. The horse borrowed from the innkeeper was running quite well under Ruon¡¯s unfamiliar touch. Although riding was unfamiliar to Ruon, his exceptional senses and reflexes helped him keep up with the dynamic movements of the horse, allowing him to follow after Kyle effortlessly. After riding for a while, Kyle stopped near a sturdy boulder. ¡°The path ahead is treacherous, making it difficult to ride. It would be much faster to walk.¡± ¡°Where is the vige?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over there, can you see it?¡± Kyle said so, extending his index finger. Following his gaze along his outstretched hand, Ruon noticed a prominentrge stone in the distance and asked. ¡°Is that the vige monument?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It seems like it hasn¡¯t been destroyed yet!¡± Nodding in agreement, Ruon said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°I¡­ I want toe along.¡± Kyle immediately caught up to Ruon¡¯s side as he started walking. ¡°If I don¡¯t help stop them with my own hands, I won¡¯t be able to shut my eyes, even in death.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll only get in the way.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m in the way, you can just leave me to die.¡± ¡°Then who will pay me?¡± As if his words were stuck in his throat, Kyle hesitated for a moment before answering. ¡°If you search under the floor of the table in my home, you¡¯ll find all the money I¡¯ve been saving. If you take it all¡­ Oh, our house has blue cloth decorations at the entrance¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Do whatever you want.¡± There was no reason to pry into it when he was willing to risk his life. And if he became a hindrance during the battle, Ruon could easily abandon him. At that moment, an explosion echoed. The forceful impact pushed the air away, hitting the faces of the two individuals facing in the direction of the vige. Startled by the shockwave, Kyle rubbed his face. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve started.¡± With that remark, Ruon dashed towards the vige. As he quickly reached the entrance of the vige, another explosion pierced his ears. Bam! There was no need to search for the source of the sound from a distance. There were two individuals wearing ck hoods standing under the shaking monument. One of them retracted their outstretched hand and cursed while thrashing about. ¡°You damn rock piece! Why won¡¯t you break?¡± ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s something there? If nothinges out even after killing everyone, are you going to take responsibility?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that my magic isn¡¯t working? This is no ordinary rock!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯lle back after you finish. It¡¯s not like the monument is going to run away.¡± ¡°Just give me a moment.¡± Ruon walked steadily toward the short man and the tall woman. Only then did the two of them turn their heads and look at Ruon. The short man spoke, ¡°Hey, are you sure you killed everyone? There¡¯s still someone alive.¡± ¡°You moron. Does he look like a viger?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, he¡¯s quiterge.¡± Ruon nced around the monument, past the two individuals. There were quite a few corpses lying on the ground. Thinking that they were ignoring him, the short man furrowed his brow. ¡°Hey, who are you?¡± The response came from elsewhere. ¡°Damn it! You crazy bastards!¡± Kyle, who had rushed in, shouted with bloodshot eyes. Observing him, the man raised an eyebrow. ¡°That guy looks like a viger, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You shit-eating son of a bitch.¡± Kyle was clutching a long-handled hammer that he¡¯d picked up with both hands. Seeing him, the tall woman sneered. ¡°Bilto, he called you a bastard, you know?¡± The man, Bilto, raised his staff with one hand and clenched his fist. ¡°How dare a lowly bastard insult me? It seems like he brought a mercenary or something. Let¡¯s kill him in a particrly painful and despairing manner. Let him meet his wretched mother, who lies buried underground¡ª¡± Bilto fell to the ground with a thud. A dagger was deeply lodged in his forehead. ¡®That bastard didn¡¯t even have a defense barrier.¡¯ Watching the dagger silently hit its target, he grasped the handle of the Holy Sword. ¡°You¡¯re insane! Bilto!¡± The woman eximed in surprise. As her body momentarily stiffened in response to herpanion¡¯s death, Kyle¡¯s hammerhead fell heavily toward her head. ¡°Die!¡± Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The reason Kyle¡¯s attack hit before Ruon¡¯s wasn¡¯t because he was more agile orposed. Rather, Kyle had already been rushing towards the tall woman before Ruon threw the dagger. His insane chargebined with the shock of hisrade¡¯s death resulted in a splendid ambush. ¡°Die!¡± The hammer falling with a thud appeared quite threatening even to Ruon. However, the woman gracefully leaped backward, evading the attack. As her hood was removed, her pointed ears were revealed. She was an elf. Ruon acknowledged her exceptional movements as he looked at her ears. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!?¡± Kyle swung his hammer again. He grabbed the end of the handle to maximize the rotational force, but the elf swiftly corrected her posture and used her thin sword to disarm Kyle¡¯s hammer. ¡°Oof!¡± Kyle was hit in the chest by a follow-up kick and staggered. She could have easily rushed in and finished him off with him copsed on the ground, but the elf swordsman did not do so. Instead, she turned her head and met Ruon¡¯s gaze. ¡°Are you just going to stand there and watch?¡± She seemed to be conscious of the dagger that had killed herrade. Ruon smirked and drew his Holy Sword. ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll sh des with you.¡± With a light twist of his wrist, Ruon stepped forward. The elf swordsman seemed equally unconcerned about facing Ruon, smiling as she approached. There was no meaningful conversation. The two simultaneously rushed towards each other. The elf, who closed the distance more quickly, kicked off the ground and thrust forward her thin de, performing a remarkably swift stab. Ruon raised his Holy Sword to deflect the stab, intending to counterattack. However, the speed at which his opponent¡¯s sword was deflected and thrust back was even faster than before. Moreover, the spacing was also significantly different. Ruon quickly withdrew his sword and blocked the thrust once again. Even though two of her attacks had been deflected, the elf showed no sign of disappointment. On the contrary, her footwork became faster, and the dust on the ground rose higher as a result. The elf swordsman¡¯s attacks, with their unusual footwork adjusting the distance with each blow, were so unpredictable in speed and direction that they would leave onlookers in awe. Instead of immediately countering, Ruon refused to respond, instead adjusting his posture and limiting the range of the opponent¡¯s attacks. He firmly grasped his sword with both hands and calmly focused on nullifying each iing attack one by one. The attacks aimed at his eyes, neck, and throat were all incredibly fast and precise, but none could prate Ruon¡¯s defense. As the exchange of offense and defense continued, the atmosphere gradually shifted in Ruon¡¯s favor. The elf swordsman, unable to find any opening against Ruon¡¯s impregnable defense despite using all her abilities and techniques, began to feel anxious. She momentarily retreated, feeling the urgency and fear. It was during that momentary gap that the Holy Sword prated. A straightforward and powerful thrust pierced the elf swordsman¡¯s chest in an instant. Thunk. As she coughed up a mixture of oxygen and blood, the elf swordsman, stumbling backward, sat on the ground. Without hesitation, Ruon pulled out the embedded sword. At that moment, Kyle rushed over. ¡°Why? Why did you kill the vigers! Answer me!¡± The dying elf swordsman responded to Kyle¡¯s shouting. In truth, it was more like the delirious mutterings of someone on the verge of death. ¡°Bilto said¡­ that the magic waves he emitted¡­ were being disrupted by¡­ this damn monument. He was sure there was something¡­ something¡­ we should destroy¡­ damn it¡­ I should never have listened to him¡­¡± The life rapidly faded from the woman¡¯s eyes. With herst dying breath, she uttered empty words. ¡°¡ªThe waning moon will not forget to take its vengeance.¡± That was the end. The elven swordsman, having finished speaking, remained motionless, like a statue. ¡°Damn it! So what?! What¡¯s the meaning of this monument?!¡± Kyle, who suddenly stood up, grabbed the fallen hammer from the ground and began striking the monument like a madman. Ruon didn¡¯t bother to stop him. Revenge was revenge. The smoldering anger in his heart remained, so it seemed better to just let him vent rather than offering feeblefort. By the way, the experience points gained were quite extraordinary. Feeling the significant increase in experience points, Ruon smiled faintly. The small guy wasn¡¯t particrly impressivepared to a mage, so the experience points weren¡¯t substantial. However, the dead elf gifted him experience points several times more than that. It was a noticeable growth. Although herst words bothered him a bit, Ruon figured it was probably fine. He didn¡¯t know what the waning moon was, but if it came to a fight, he had no intention of avoiding it. ¡°Wait, what?¡± At that moment, Kyle¡¯s voice sounded perplexed. ¡°W-What¡¯s happening here?¡± When he raised his head, he saw that the area where he struck with the hammer had abruptly split open. The monument, now shaking unsteadily, began to fall forward slowly. What the¡­? Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Kyle hastily turned around and ran away, and Ruon also quickly stepped back. Ku-gu-gugugu-crash! In an instant, the crumbling monument engulfed the bodies of the deceased Bildo and the elf swordsman. Kyle, who had been watching the scene from a distance, muttered foolishly. ¡°Crazy.¡± After a while, as the dust cloud that had risen settled, the chaotic remains of the open space became visible. Amidst the jumble of rocks, something revealed its presence. Ruon quickly approached the area. It was arge circr shield. The shield had a ck background with a silver border, devoid of any decorations or family crests. Other than being surprisingly lightweight for its size, it didn¡¯t seem particrly special. Ruon turned his head and asked. ¡°Is there any legend or story rted to the monument and a shield? Something the vige knows?¡± Kyle shook his head. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t heard anything about a shield, but this monument has been here for a long time, so¡ª¡° Ruon pressed his foot lightly against the scattered debris of the fallen monument on the ground. It easily crumbled with a soft thud. ¡°It¡¯s not stone.¡± More precisely, the area surrounding where the shield was ced wasposed of a rtively weaker material. It seemed like someone had filled a part of the monument with something else to hide or store the shield. When that portion, which was being relentlessly pounded by Kyle, broke, Ruon concluded that the shield, unable to withstand the weight, had shifted forward. ¡®Was it because of this shield that the monument remained intact after being hit by magic?¡¯ Ruon recalled the chaotic scene caused by the mage and the murmured words of the elven investigator before his death. Although he was unfamiliar with magical abilities, based on the situation thus far, it was not difficult to specte that this shield had the ability to block magic. Ruon momentarily looked down at the shield, and then handed it over to Kyle. ¡°Here.¡± Kyle, who unexpectedly received the shield, widened his eyes. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Because you found it.¡± Regardless of the intention, Kyle was the one who discovered the shield, and he was also the sole survivor of the vige. Plus, Ruon had little desire to keep the shield himself. For Ruon, who valued mobility, such arge shield was rather cumbersome, so it was hard to find any disappointment on his face as he handed over the shield. Rather, it was Kyle who had aplex expression. Sadness and devastation flickered in his eyes as he stared down at the shield. ¡°Just yesterday, at this time, everyone would have been preparing dinner. Smoke would rise from the chimneys, and the delicious smell would spread all around the vige. I would have happily headed home, smelling that aroma.¡± Kyle gritted his teeth as blood trickled down his lips. ¡°But now, all of that is destroyed by this damn shield.¡± Kyle fiercely struck the shield against the ground. ¡°Damn it, what is this useless shield¡­¡± Kyle¡¯s eyes became red. Without paying any attention to the shield, he began to methodically clean up the bodies on the ground. Ruon joined in, helping him. The two of them moved all the bodies to thergest house in the vige and stood facing each other in front of the house. The sun had set without them noticing. Dark, gloomy clouds drifted ominously in the ck sky. Ruon asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kyle nodded his head. He held a bundle of burning firewood in his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t bury each and every person, so they will understand.¡± With those words, Kyle tossed the burning wood through the window. The mes, fueled by the pre-applied oil, grew rapidly. Staring nkly at the house engulfed in mes, Kyle eventually turned his body and looked at Ruon. ¡°Thank you.¡± Bowing slightly, he extended a leather pouch from his arms. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but please take it.¡± Contrary to his words, the pouch felt quite substantial. Ruon received the pouch and asked. ¡°What will you do now?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Ruon also had nothing else to say, so he scratched his head. Suddenly, he noticed a round shield lying on the ground. ¡°Are you just going to leave it?¡± Kyle weakly smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯ll take it. It¡¯s the only thing left for me to remember all those who died.¡± Kyle approached the shield, which was rtively lightweightpared to its size, and lifted it with one hand. ¡®It suits him quite well.¡¯ Smirking, Ruon suddenly turned his head, feeling a gaze from behind him. Standing a dozen steps away was a woman in a blue robe. The woman spoke. ¡°I finally found you.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman smiled warmly at Ruon, who instinctively gripped the handle of the Holy Sword. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so guarded, champion of Tibe.¡± Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Champion of Tibe. The title that was proven in the form of the Holy Sword he wielded at his waist flowed from the lips of the woman in blue robes. Ruon¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°You know me, but I don¡¯t know you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural. I happened to learn about your whereabouts by chance.¡± ¡°By chance?¡± ¡°Yes, by chance. If it weren¡¯t for the rumors of you spreading from the Deer Vige to Relizan and the Holy Sword at your waist, it would have been a difficult task for me to find you.¡± At that moment, Kyle approached Ruon quietly. ¡°Is she one of those guys¡¯rades?¡± ¡°No, she is not.¡± Ruon slightly rxed his posture. But his hand remained on the hilt of his sword as he asked. ¡°So, why were you looking for me?¡± ¡°I was chasing after the man you encountered at the monastery. His name was Salvator. Do you remember him?¡± Even for Ruon, who rarely remembered the names of his in opponents, the name Salvator was quite familiar. It was because Salvator was the name of the first demonic follower he had faced aftering to this world. Ruon nodded his head. ¡°I remember him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough then. I want to have a conversation with you about that incident. Will you allow it?¡± Ruon let go of the hilt of the Holy Sword and replied. ¡°Very well.¡± *** The three of them sat around a small table in Kyle¡¯s house. Outside the window, a crimson dusk was shimmering. Kyle scratched his head, perplexed by the unusual situation, receiving guests while preparing for the funeral of the innocent vigers. ¡°Um¡­ Shall I bring some tea at least?¡± ¡°I prefer warm milk. Is that okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have it here¡­ but the neighboring house might have some.¡± In response to the woman¡¯s question, Kyle stood up from his seat. Behind the closing door, he muttered, ¡°Damn, is this robbery? Well¡­ it¡¯s going to rot anyway. I guess they¡¯d understand.¡± The woman spoke. ¡°Fighting against evildoers and holding funerals for the innocent vigers who died at their hands¡­ I felt it while chasing your whereabouts, but you are someone with a heroic side, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What nonsense,¡± Ruon muttered under his breath. ¡°No matter what your intentions are, sometimes people only remember the results, and those results stack up and form an impression of a person.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t call you to discuss such matters.¡± The woman shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Right, let¡¯s put these trivial matters aside and get to the proper introductions. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Amelia.¡± Shaking the long, white hand extended to him, Ruon replied. ¡°I am Ruon.¡± Although it was a brief greeting, Amelia smiled. Her blue eyes, perfectly matching her clothes, drew a soft crescent shape. ¡°You don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve heard that name. Do you know how often your name is spoken in Deer Vige?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± In response to Ruon¡¯s nonchnt answer, Amelia continued. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get to the point. Adding to what I said outside, I am a mage dispatched from the Tower of Magi, chasing after Salvator. I have been tracking him for quite some time, aiming to eliminate him after he betrayed the Tower and became a follower of demons.¡± ¡®So, he really was a member of the Tower of Magi?¡¯ Ruon, who had read the parchment detailing Salvator¡¯s story, remembered that he was a student of the Tower who had killed his own ssmates and made a pact with a demon. Therefore, when Amelia mentioned that she was chasing after Salvator, he had a faint suspicion that she might be affiliated with the Tower. As he was contemting, Amelia continued. ¡°Tracking him wasn¡¯t easy. He was skilled at covering his tracks, but luckily, as his actions became bolder and more daring, I began to close in on him. I became certain that I had caught him when he was at the monastery of Tibe, as you already know.¡± Indeed, Salvetor¡¯s actions in the prayer room were far from cautious, so Ruon nodded in agreement. Amelia continued her exnation. ¡°However, something unexpected happened. When I went fully prepared, everything had already concluded. When I asked the vigers, they proudly answered that the champion of Tibe, named Ruon, had dealt with the demon in the monastery.¡± Ruon replied, ¡°There were some circumstances that prevented me from correcting their misunderstanding, but I¡¯m a mercenary who acts for money. I¡¯m far from being Tibe¡¯s champion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯te after you because of the title of Tibe¡¯s champion. As I mentioned before, my interest lies in Salvetor.¡± Amelia¡¯s words made Ruon raise an eyebrow. ¡°Did youe to hear confirmation that Salvetor died by my hand?¡± At that moment, Kyle entered the room. He ced three cups filled with milk on the table and sat down hesitantly. After thanking him, Amelia, who took a sip of milk, finally spoke. ¡°No, Salvetor¡¯s trail waspletely cut off at the monastery. The descriptions of the bodies provided by farmers who were responsible for the aftermath matched what I know. I¡¯m convinced Salvetor died by your hand.¡± Amelia¡¯s expression as she spoke was enigmatic. It was a mixture of various emotions like joy, anger, regret, and sadness, making it difficult for Ruon to gauge what she was feeling. ¡°So, why did youe looking for me?¡± Amelia slowly opened her mouth, wrapping her hands around the cup and feeling its warmth. By now, she had regained her original expression. ¡°I am interested in the items you obtained by defeating Salvetor. More precisely, it is the interest of the Tower of Magi.¡± The interest of the Tower. From Ruon¡¯s perspective, it was quite an intriguing phrase. The Tower, a group shrouded inyers of mystery, was a ce he had never been involved with before. ¡°I do have a few things that I¡¯ve kept, but I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re what you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Can you show them to me?¡± ¡°Before that, there¡¯s something I want to confirm. What can I obtain as a condition for providing the items?¡± Amelia promptly answered, ¡°Assuming we are talking about the items we are searching for, anything within the reach of the Tower¡¯s abilities.¡± It was not a bad answer. Although Ruon couldn¡¯t be certain of Amelia¡¯s position within the Tower, she didn¡¯t seem like a deceitful woman. He took out two sealed parchments and a palm-sized stone tablet from his pocket and ced them on the table. As he took out the parchment, Amelia showed no particr expression. However, when she saw the stone tablet, she leaned forward and ced her hand on it. As her palm touched the tablet, a sinister ck spark flickered. ¡°Ah!¡± Startled, Kyle jumped back, tripping over his feet and falling to the floor. Amelia quickly withdrew her hand, gritting her teeth, and muttered in a low voice. ¡°That madman Salvetor, what the hell¡­¡± Curious, Ruon asked her, ¡°What was that just now?¡± Amelia replied, clutching her hand and speaking in a muffled voice. ¡°Salvetor used this stone as a vessel to contain the power of Belducias. It could have caused a major disaster if mishandled.¡± ¡°Belducias?¡± ¡°The name of the demon Salvetor made a pact with. It¡¯s a powerful entity known as the Deceiver of Darkness.¡± Ruon looked down at the stone tablet and asked, ¡°Is it possible to contain the power of such a being in an ordinary stone?¡± Amelia fell silent for a moment before answering. ¡°¡­This is not an ordinary stone. It is a fragment of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. It was stolen by Salvetor when he fled from the Tower. It is also the real reason I pursued Salvetor.¡± ¡®The Philosopher¡¯s Stone? Like the omnipotent item from movies and games?¡¯ Amelia asked Ruon, who had a surprised expression, ¡°Was it an unexpected item?¡± ¡°Somewhat. When I hear ¡®Philosopher¡¯s Stone,¡¯ I imagine a crimson red gem rather than a in stone.¡± ¡°A crimson gemstone would be a ruby.¡± Perhaps thinking it was a trivial conversation, Amelia continued. ¡°Anyway, retrieving this fragment safely is my mission. Thanks to you, the process has be easier.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to give it to you yet.¡± ¡°What are you nning to do with a cursed stone? And don¡¯t you want the help of the Tower?¡± It was a valid point. If the tablet was a cursed item, there was no need to keep it. However, Ruon didn¡¯t feel like handing over an item that could potentially be connected to a high-ranking demon without a second thought. So, Ruon wondered what could serve as a condition for handing over the tablet, something tangible that could be a starting point for escaping this world. Slowly, he spoke up. ¡°There are rumors of a sage within the Tower who is skilled in prophecies and divination¡­ If they¡¯re true, could I have my destiny foretold by him as a reward?¡± Amelia didn¡¯t answer the question right away. Instead, she poked her lower lip with her index finger, lost in thought. After a while, she organized her thoughts and spoke. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy¡­ but it¡¯s possible. However, it can only be fulfilled if you apany me to the Tower. Is that eptable?¡± Ruon nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s fine. After all, I nned to move to another city after this incident.¡± ¡°Good. I feel much more secure knowing that I¡¯ll be traveling with Tibe¡¯s champion.¡± ¡°But until we reach the Tower, I will keep this tablet in my possession.¡± Amelia chuckled softly as she watched Ruon tuck the tablet into his armor. ¡°Sure.¡± At that moment, Kyle, who had been dozing off, raised his hand and spoke up. ¡°W-Wait a minute. What¡¯s going on here? Tibe¡¯s champion? Tower of Magi? Demons? And what the heck is the Philosopher¡¯s Stone? Seriously, who have I been sitting with all this time?¡± ¡°Just a regr mercenary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a lumberjack, the most ordinary¡ª¡° As Kyle was about to say more, he pursed his lips. Ruon and Amelia silently observed his face, which seemed deeply lost in thought. After a moment, Kyle spoke up. ¡°Can Ie along too?¡± While Ruon¡¯s face remained expressionless, Amelia looked intrigued and asked, ¡°Why would a lumberjack go to the Tower of Magi?¡± ¡°Everyone from my vige has died¡­ I feel like I need a ce to settle, wherever it may be. Ah! I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll settle in the Tower, but if I can find a suitable ce while following you two, I¡¯d like to make a fresh start there¡­¡± Amelia tilted her head. ¡°I understand your sentiment, but the Tower is farther away than you think, and if you perceive the journey as just an ordinary trip, it would be troublesome. How about seeking a new haven for yourself separately?¡± With Amelia¡¯s firm words, Kyle nced towards Ruon. Seeing Kyle¡¯s pleading gaze for help, Ruon scratched his head. ¡®What¡¯s gotten into him all of a sudden?¡¯ Kyle¡¯s talk of wanting to settle in a new ce sounded like an excuse, but Ruon still judged that taking him along wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice. Ruon said, ¡°It¡¯s your decision, and it doesn¡¯t seem necessary to stop you. If we¡¯re talking merely about fighting, he¡¯s quite useful. Plus, he has a decent shield.¡± ¡°A shield?¡± Amelia finally noticed the shield ced behind Kyle and widened her eyes. Her expression, which had looked bored when she first nced at the in-looking shield, stiffened slightly. ¡°Hold on¡­¡± Amelia reached out her arm towards the shield and pursed her lips. Then, a faint beam of light emanated from her fingertips. The wavering beam of light, swaying anxiously as it approached the shield, eventually dissipated weakly into the air. Amelia muttered softly, ¡°An item that disrupts magical frequencies¡­ Where did thise from, exactly?¡± ¡°All the people in this vige died because of that shield.¡± Upon Ruon¡¯s response, Amelia alternated her gaze between the shield and Kyle¡¯s face, then let out a small sigh. ¡°Well, it¡¯s an item that would interest the old heads at the Tower. Fine, you cane along too. However, you¡¯ll have to find a new haven after visiting the Tower.¡± After saying that, she added briefly, ¡°A mercenary wielding the Holy Sword and a lumberjack holding a shield that blocks magic. What kind ofbination is this?¡± Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Last night¡¯s dark clouds were washed away by the blue sky, not a single cloud in sight. The sun upied a dot on the blue canvas, radiating a warm presence. It was a clear day that seemed out of ce among the charred remains of the building. Amelia asked, ¡°Can we depart now?¡± ¡°Yes, sure! Let¡¯s go right away!¡± Upon her words, Kyle, who had been gazing at what was left of the burnt-down house, turned around. Arge shield sat on his back as he rushed forward. Although not as prominent as Ruon, Kyle had a tall stature and a well-built body, and with the shield on his back, he looked every bit like a warrior. ¡®It¡¯s hard to imagine him as a lumberjack based on his appearance.¡¯ Ruon chuckled and looked up at the sky. The warm sunlight touching his skin seemed to invigorate him. Although the journey had started suddenly, he didn¡¯t mind at all. In fact, he was satisfied. He hoped that by somehow reaching the Tower and unveiling his destiny, he could get a glimpse of what it would take toplete this damn story. *** The group arrived in Relizan and returned the horses they had rented the previous day before purchasing two horses. It was for the two individuals other than Kyle, who already had his own horse. As they were preparing to leave, wanderers from the back alleys began to emerge one by one. Gathered together at the news of the departure of the yer, they all expressed their disappointment in unison. The name ¡°yer¡± had been a never-ending topic of conversation and, at the same time, a source of enjoyment for them in the past few weeks. Ruon, on the other hand, drew a line and dered it the most embarrassing nickname that had been attached to him. Amidst the cheers of the wanderers, the group left Relizan. Before leaving, Kyle didn¡¯t forget to throw a bitter remark in the direction of the lord¡¯s mansion. ¡°He must be drowning in alcohol. That bastard.¡± By the time the group reached the main road, Amelia spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace while the weather is good.¡± With those words, Amelia pulled the reins. With a galloping sound, she began to distance herself, and Ruon and Kyle followed behind. ¡®Is this girl impatient by nature?¡¯ Amelia seemed determined not to slow down. At some point, they left the main road and continued forward along a distant ridge. The sky was clear, and the wind was refreshing. In this setting, the horses trotted tirelessly. The dynamic movements typical of four-legged beasts were fully transmitted to the riders on their backs. Ruon thoroughly enjoyed that feeling, except for the soreness in his buttocks. After a long ride, the group stopped by a shallow river. As Kyle dismounted from his horse, he rubbed his waist and grumbled softly, ¡°I almost threw my back out.¡± While the horses drank from the river and nibbled on nearby grass, the group prepared their lunch. It was nothing more than some dried meat, bread, and a few pieces of cheese they had brought along, but regardless, it was a meal. ¡°So, where are we heading now?¡± Ruon asked as Amelia ced cheese on top of her bread. Amelia hesitated for a moment, putting her bread down. ¡°Sorry, I got distracted by the good weather.¡± She spoke up again, ¡°We¡¯re heading to the rence Mountain Range. That¡¯s where the tower is located.¡± Kyle, who had been devouring his bread, opened his eyes wide. ¡°The rence Mountain Range? Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the mountain range that separates the North and Ainara.¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t the barbarians all over that area?¡± Amelia gave Kyle a mocking look. ¡°I distinctly remember telling you it wouldn¡¯t be a typical journey, didn¡¯t I?¡± Then Ruon asked, ¡°I heard that the king himself is preparing for a campaign in the North. Do you think we can reach our destination without any trouble?¡± Upon hearing that, Kyle¡¯s face turned pale, and Amelia nodded her head. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any major problems. Though, we have to take a bit of a detour due to the king¡¯s obsession with conquest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s settled then.¡± As Ruon nonchntly nodded, Kyle mumbled with a bitter expression. ¡°Why does everyone know about the war¡­ except me?¡± ¡°Even traveling peddlers know¡­¡± Ruon, without finishing his answer, suddenly stood up and kicked Kyle with his foot. ¡°Ouch!¡± Clutching his throbbing arm in protest, Kyle raised his shield in surprise as a spear embedded itself into the spot where he had been sitting only moments before. Amelia quickly rose from her seat and spoke softly. A yellow shimmering barrier appeared around her. ¡°Kyle, I can¡¯t protect you because of that damn shield, so handle it yourself.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Once again, the spear flew towards them. The spear approached in an arc, initiallycking any noticeable speed but suddenly plummeting with terrifying velocity. However, Ruon¡¯s Holy Sword moved even faster. As the shimmering de forcefully struck the tip of the spear, the weakened weapon fell to the ground, tumbling. Ruon turned his gaze towards the direction from which the spear hade. Someone stood on a small hill beside the river. Their face was masked, making it impossible to see, but judging by their size, it was clearly a man. Throwing spears were stuck into the ground at regr intervals next to the man¡¯s right foot. Ruon, intending to rush forward to prevent the long-range attacks, halted as an unidentified creature thrust its face towards his side. There were two of them, each with a face halfway between a bear and a wolf, chimeras. The creatures roared and pawed the ground vigorously, as if they would charge forward at any moment. Fweet! Starting with a sharp whistle beneath the mask, the monsters struck the ground. Crack! The two beasts that were closing the distance went in different directions, charging towards Amelia and Ruon respectively. ¡°Step back!¡± Amelia shouted to Kyle, extending her hand. ¡°O, Protector of all things¡ª!¡± At the same time as her cry, the front paw of the charging monster violently sank into the ground. As Amelia rushed towards the staggering monster, Kyle stood there helplessly, unable to do anything but move his feet. Then Ruon shouted. ¡°Kyle, protect Amelia with your shield!¡± Noticing Kyle suddenly snap out of his daze and nod his head, Ruon turned his head. The other monster had approached him, almost reaching his side. Crack, crack! The monster that had stood on its hind legs mmed its massive front paw down. Ruon shifted the grip of the sword he held with both hands to his right hand and raised his free left arm with his palm facing up. His hand collided with the monster¡¯s front paw, creating a dull sound that resonated. If he were an ordinary person, his arm would have been crushed like tofu, but Ruon¡¯s superhuman strength sessfully halted the monster¡¯s front paw in mid-air. Though scratched by the sharp ws, blood dripping down his forearm, he paid no mind and extended the sword in his right hand towards the monster¡¯s neck. The monster¡¯s neck was tougher than the surface of a tire, but the sharpness of the Holy Sword and Ruon¡¯s superhuman strength overcame all resistance as it prated deeply. In an instant, the monster, with its pierced throat, lost its strength and fell forward. As Ruon supported the weight that fell upon him while trying to withdraw the sword, a spear from the hillside started crashing down. Ruon momentarily released his grip on the sword handle and pushed the corpse of the monster forward with both hands. Crunch! The spear exited the creature¡¯s mouth, shattering itsrynx, and came to a halt in front of Ruon¡¯s nose. Pushing the creature¡¯s decapitated body aside, Ruon wiped the blood and flesh sttered across his face with the back of his hand and drew his Holy Sword. ¡°This is getting annoying.¡± Ruon snarled at the masked man on the hill, stamping his foot on the ground. As he charged at the man, a spear flew towards him, tearing through the air. Since Ruon had closed the distance, the spear flew in a straight line rather than in an arc, making it twice as fast as before. At that moment, Ruon widened his eyes. His greatly expanded senses sent all the surrounding information into Ruon¡¯s mind. The soft scent of grass and calm air. The spear flying towards him, tearing through the air. The direction of the spearhead rotating counterclockwise. The pounding sound of a fierce heartbeat. The grip of the Holy Sword vividly felt in his hand. His high mental strength allowed him to gather all that information and granted him the gift of artificially distorted time. With time slowed, he swung the sword. There was no wasted effort in the blurred trajectory of his arm. ¡°What?¡± The masked man gasped at the unbelievable sight of the spear he had thrown with all his might snapping in half. He hastily drew hisst remaining spear. In that instant, Ruon, who had made it to the top of the hill, thrust his sword forward. With intense concentration, he split the masked man¡¯s spearhead and then cleaved the mask in half. ¡°Crack!¡± Ruon, trying to chase after the staggering man, who was retreating backwards, stopped his steps in momentary dizziness. The slowed time was gradually returning to its normal pace. Shaking his head vigorously to dispel the vertigo, Ruon regained his posture. He spoke. ¡°What are you doing¡­ No, I can tell without you saying.¡± With one hand, he clutched at the man¡¯s bleeding face, a symbol of several intertwined hands burned on the man¡¯s forehead. Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Ruon looked at the eerie symbol with three intertwined hands, one ck, one red, and one yellow, recalling Ame¡¯s story. He spoke, ¡°Are you also a servant of Belducius?¡± ¡°Do not speak that name so casually.¡± Ruon removed his hand from the man¡¯s face, and blood continued to flow from the jagged wound on his angr face with a stubbly beard. Licking the blood off his face, the man muttered. ¡°Impressive skills. A warrior who can cut through spears as if they were nothing¡­ No wonder Salvetor met his end.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Did youe for revenge, then?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The manughed roughly. ¡°What does it matter to me whether that unlucky bastard is dead or alive?¡± ¡°Then is it because of this?¡± When Ruon took out a stone tablet from his pocket, the man¡¯s eyes shed before him. Confirming that the desire-filled gaze of the man was fixed on the tablet, Ruon put it away. The man said, ¡°It¡¯s not something you should have. If you hand it over willingly, I¡¯ll kill you without causing much pain.¡± Talking big despite having half his face already torn apart. Ruon inwardly mocked the man and unsheathed his Holy Sword. The sight made the man chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ll regret not killing me with thatst attack. You wille to learn that it was yourst chance.¡± A sinister light flowed from the man¡¯s forehead as he spoke. Simultaneously, his body began to growrger. Muscr arms covered in rough fur burst out of torn clothes, and sharp ws grew from his fingertips¡­ Before the man could fully transform, Ruon charged at him. The shining Holy Sword cleanly severed the thick arm. With the man¡¯s vocal cords were in the process of changing, he let out a scream that resembled an animal¡¯s roar. Ruon closed the distance even further, mming his shoulder into the man¡¯s chest. Having lost one arm, the man couldn¡¯t maintain his bnce and fell, while Ruon, who jumped on top of him, thrust down the Holy Sword with both hands. Despite the man¡¯s resistance with his remaining hand, as the Holy Sword prated deep into his palm, he twisted his body in agony and opened his mouth wide as if in distress. It was not a scream, but rather an attempt to retaliate, as from within his elongated jaw, ck mes spewed out. However, with his thigh firmly fixed against his opponent¡¯s side, Ruon leaned his waist back like a bowstring, avoiding the attack and using the momentum to deliver a powerful punch. Crack! The fist crushed the beast¡¯s bones and shattered the delicate tissue within. Covered in blood and flesh, Ruon, who rose while looking like a half-monster, spoke as he looked at the man¡¯s face. ¡°Who said I¡¯d wait for you to transform?¡± He was a troublesome person, especially when shooting his spear from a distance. However, in a confrontation like this, the man was an opponent who posed no inconvenience to Ruon. It was also fortunate that he waited to transform. How many fools would be stupid enough to eagerly watch someone trying to be stronger? ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± As Ruon tried to withdraw the sword stuck in the man¡¯s arm, he opened his eyes wide when a faint light seeped out from the deer-shaped pommel. The radiance permeated the man¡¯s body, extracting pure ck smoke from within. Soon, the radiance engulfed the ck smoke, causing the light to expand before fading back into the pommel. In that instant, a short phrase surfaced in Ruon¡¯s mind as he held the hilt of the sword. [Devil¡¯s Adversary] With the emergence of his new ability, Ruon felt a tingling sensation. It was something unlike anything he had ever felt before. Immediately, Ruon drew the Holy Sword and closed his eyes. Soon, a faint light began to emanate from the sword. He swung the transparent divine sword, imbued with the light, towards the ground. Arge stone lying on the ground split open like tofu. ¡°Yes, this is how a Holy Sword should be.¡± Ruon smiled. He was in a state of realization, like a child tasting something for the first time, understanding the sensation that resonated with the Holy Sword. Although he still needed to consciously gather his focus, he knew that with time, it woulde naturally. ¡°Ugh!¡± At that moment, a battle cry came from behind. Turning his head, Ruon saw Kyle rushing up the hill with his shield held up. After briskly stepping forward, he stood beside the scattered corpses on the ground, alternating his gaze between them and Ruon. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°As you can see. How about you?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the big beast, it¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± Kyle raised his head at those words. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, it was Ame. I kept my distance so as not to interfere with her magic. I tried to block the iing spears, but they kept flying towards you, Ruon.¡± Ame, who had just arrived atop the hill, answered. ¡°Thanks to that, I could focus solely on killing that beast. Well done, Kyle.¡± Ame patted Kyle¡¯s shoulder and then turned towards Ruon, asking, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No problems at all.¡± ¡°Handling it all alone. Truly remarkable.¡± Ame approached the corpse of the dead man. As she examined his shattered head, Ruon scratched his head. ¡°He had the same symbol as Salvetor on his forehead¡­ but it¡¯s not visible now.¡± At that remark, Ame silently chuckled. ¡°I know. Those beasts we encountered earlier were artificially modified creatures using Belducius¡¯ magic. However¡­¡± She trailed off, retracting her hand that was reaching towards the corpse. ¡°I can barely sense Belducius¡¯ magic from this supposed owner. No, it¡¯s too faint. Any guesses as to why?¡± Ruon tapped the pommel of the Holy Sword with his finger and replied. ¡°This guy absorbed the ck smoke, so I wonder if it¡¯s rted.¡± Ame, who had been staring intently at the Holy Sword, nodded as if her doubts had been resolved. ¡°The silver deer symbolizing Tibe¡­ I heard about it from the vigers, but that sword is truly the legendary Holy Sword. Yes, if that¡¯s the case, I can understand.¡± Ruon kicked the severed arm of the fallen man and spoke. ¡°Judging by the way he spoke before he died, it was clear that he was targeting the tablet. Even considering that, I¡¯m curious how he knew our exact location and followed us.¡± Ame reached out her hand in response. ¡°Can you lend me the tablet for a moment?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Ruon handed over the tablet to Ame, who ced her palm on it with a serious expression. Up until now, it was no different from yesterday, but this time her lips moved. Her hand, reciting unintelligible words as if speaking in a dialect, gradually started emitting a bright light from the palm. As expected, sparks of crimson burst forth from the tablet. However, without stepping back as he had anticipated, Ame began chanting the incantation faster and louder. ¡°De-Melium-Ascentard!¡± A dazzling light erupted. Kyle tightly closed his eyes and turned his head, but Ruon furrowed his brow and kept his gaze fixed. The dark sparks that ominously surged were being suppressed by a white light. The light subsided. Ame staggered momentarily before raising her head. The cold sweat running down her forehead and neck gave an indication of how much power she had expended. Ruon asked. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Ame nodded her head. ¡°Yes, unfortunately, it¡¯s not good news.¡± She silently organized her thoughts and, with pursed lips, turned her head towards the two men looking at her. ¡°The power of Belducius contained in the shard is more than I anticipated. Even if we disregard the origin of the shard being the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, it¡¯s safe to say that the power within it is ominous, to the point where it¡¯s basically a relic of Belducius.¡± As Ruon silently stared at the Holy Sword at his waist, Ame raised her head. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of destroying it, it¡¯s better we not. Even disregarding it being a shard of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, if we were to do that, we might all go insane right then and there.¡± Caught off guard by Ame¡¯s resolute words, Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Salvetor incorporated the power he received from the contract with Belducius into the shard, rather than his own body, and has been consistently doing that since then. If I were to specte why, it could be to amplify the power he received using the potential within the shard.¡± Ame said so, holding out the shard. Although Ruon felt uneasy, he epted the shard regardless. He asked. ¡°If it¡¯s such a dangerous object, why didn¡¯t anything unusual happen while I had it? And it¡¯s a bit coincidental that I encountered this guy shortly after meeting you. Was there any mistake during the process of touching the tablet yesterday?¡± Ame nodded her head. ¡°¡­It¡¯s correct to see it as a mistake. I apologize for that. The problem was that I recklessly tried to confirm whether it was indeed the Philosopher¡¯s Stone without considering what Salvetor might have done to the shard. That¡¯s why the power of Belducius leaked from the shard. It¡¯s clear that someone sensed that energy and tracked us.¡± Ruon asked without hesitation. ¡°So, will this ambush continue until we reach the Tower?¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡± Ame sighed softly and added. ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily isted the shard from reality. It still has a physical form, but its essence is in the realm of illusions¡­¡± As Ame spoke, she quickly concluded her words, looking at the two men with confused expressions. ¡°Just think of it as being sealed.¡± ¡°How long does this sealst?¡± In a concerned voice, Kyle asked, and Ame replied. ¡°Well¡­ it should be fine for the time being. But it will be more dangerous as time passes.¡± With that statement, silence fell among the three of them. Ruon remained expressionless, while Kyle scratched his head, seemingly unsure of what to say. Ame spoke again. ¡°It may sound like an excuse, but Ruon, even if you had continued to hold onto this object, something like this would have happened sooner orter. Even if the sword blessed by Tibe had protected you, the power contained within the shard would have found a way to leak out. Of course, the time frame was elerated entirely due to my mistake. There¡¯s no room for excuses. I apologize.¡± Ruon raised his head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to apologize. If the situation was inevitable, it¡¯s actually better this way.¡± Ame seemed genuinely sorry for awakening the power of the shard, but from Ruon¡¯s perspective, it wasn¡¯t a bad situation at all. Not only did he gain a skill, but he also learned how to amplify the power of the Holy Sword. Compared to dealing with the devil¡¯s minions before, this was much better, wasn¡¯t it? After organizing his thoughts, Ruon added concisely. ¡°Now that the discussion is over, let¡¯s move.¡± Chapter 16: Chapter 16: On ate evening in the approaching summer, the sun, which had long held its position in the sky, began to sink beyond the horizon. Through the windows of arge inn adjacent to a spacious stable, a crimson glow and boisterousughter spilled out. ¡°Three more beers here!¡± ¡°When will the food arrive? I ordered ages ago!¡± ¡°My ss broke, bring a new one! Are you saying we finished them all? Do you have any evidence?¡± ¡®I¡¯m going crazy!¡¯ Mei, who worked as a waitress, was at her wit¡¯s end with the shouting customers. She wanted to shout back and tell them to wait, but she suppressed that urge. After all, the patrons in the inn were without exception rough-faced mercenaries. The inn was not called the Mercenaries¡¯ Refuge for no reason. She endured, even if it meant suppressing herself, because she had six younger siblings to support. If not for them, she would have already beaten up all these strange people and left. At that moment, the inn¡¯s door swung open. Already feeling overwhelmed, Mei looked at the neers with a sigh of relief. There were three customers: tworge men and a beautiful woman wearing a pretty blue robe. Mei swallowed her saliva. They were different from the other outgoing and rough-looking patrons. Could they be a noble heiress and her guardian knights? Imagining such a scenario, Mei rushed over with excitement. ¡°May I take your order?¡± The woman in the blue robe smiled lightly and spoke. ¡°Threerge sses of beer, please. One roasted turkey and, before that, a light soup and warm bread as an appetizer.¡± ¡°Yes, understood!¡± After a curt nod, Mei hurriedly ran to the kitchen. Kyle murmured as he watched her go. ¡°I guess being a waitress suits her temperament¡­¡± Ruon, sitting across from him, chuckled. ¡°And does this line of work suit you?¡± Kyle shrugged his shoulders and replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can call following a sword-wielding hero and a mage around an ¡®upation.¡¯ All I know is that carrying a shield all day makes my shoulders ache like hell.¡± Ame, hearing his words, opened her eyes slightly. ¡°I should take time to study the shield so I can properly calcte how they interfere with magic wavelengths¡ªor at least their range.¡± Upon Ame¡¯s words, Kyle nodded and spoke. ¡°By the way, Ruon, can¡¯t you speak more casually? We¡¯ll be together until we reach the Tower, so how long can you keep calling me ¡®you¡¯? Just call me Kyle.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°If you promise not to be so formal, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°Understood. Ruon¡­ sir.¡± ¡°Drop the ¡®sir.''¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a bit challenging¡­ I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Ame intervened, ¡°Just call me Ame.¡± Meanwhile, Mei started cing the prepared food and beer on the table. There were quite a few tes, so Ruon instinctively reached out and helped set the table. Surprised by the sight, Mei eximed, ¡°I-I¡¯ll take care of it, Sir Knight.¡± Caught off guard by Mei¡¯s unexpected words, Ruon wore a puzzled expression while Ameughed silently and said, ¡°Seems like she¡¯s mistaken something. By the way, Ruon, do you like her? Why did you suddenly help with serving the food?¡± ¡°She¡¯s cute, but¡­ isn¡¯t she too young?¡± Reacting to their conversation, Ruon frowned. ¡°Where do youe from, Ruon?¡± ¡°South Korea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that ce¡­¡± Of course not. Ruon had no intention of satisfying Ame¡¯s curiosity, so he immediately took a sip of beer. The beer was refreshing, and the slightly bitter taste wasn¡¯t bad either. Following suit, Kyle finished his beer and eximed, ¡°It tastes good. Ame, won¡¯t you drink?¡± Ame, who had been absentmindedly tapping the table with her fingers, suddenly came to her senses and brought the ss to her lips. Her head tilted back as she gulped down the beer with unexpected momentum. As she put the empty ss back with a nk, the surrounding men whistled and cheered, having been pretending not to pay much attention to Ame but secretly observing her. ¡®Well, she doesn¡¯t seem like someone easily influenced by others.¡¯ Ame spoke, ¡°Originally, we nned to head straight to Lothian and then cross the ins of Dawn. However, as both of you know, we can¡¯t guarantee how long the fragment¡¯s seal will hold, so sticking to the n is impossible. We need to change the route a bit.¡± While enjoying a bite of bread generously dipped in soup, Ruon asked, ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to Dumfreese.¡± ¡°Is there a special reason?¡± At that moment, a sizzling roasted turkey was ced on the table. After ordering three more sses of beer, Ame replied. ¡°We¡¯re nning to strengthen the seal of the Fragment there. There¡¯s someone there who can help us. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re still alive or not, but¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ruon picked up two turkey legs and ced them on Ame and Kyle¡¯s tes. It was a natural habit for him, as he used to grill meat for others in his original world. However, Ame and Kyle, who didn¡¯t know that, exchanged awkward nces. Without hesitation, Ruon added, ¡°This might be a fundamental question, but why don¡¯t we just teleport to the Tower?¡± Ame tilted her head slightly. ¡°I can teleport us, but not to the Tower. The coordinates there are disrupted. If we force our way there, we might turn into unrecognizable masses of flesh. It would make good dog food for the gatekeeper.¡± ¡°¡­Ame, we¡¯re having a meal right now.¡± Kyle frowned, and Ame yfully asked, ¡°Oh, are you feeling queasy from such things? You seem to handle corpses just fine during the day.¡± ¡°That devil worshiping bastard deserved to die. It¡¯s a bit much topare this to that spear-throwing bastard who ended up as a pile of meat.¡± After saying that, Kyle nced around for a moment, then raised his ss to eye level. ¡°Shall we make a toast?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ame also raised her ss. With an expressionless face, she gestured towards Ruon, who was looking in her direction. ¡°How about a little game? Tibe¡¯s champion?¡± Ruon chuckled and extended his ss. ¡°Just call me Ruon.¡± The sses lightly met in midair and scattered. The night grew deeper, but the warmth inside the inn seemed undiminished. The mercenaries celebrated another day unharmed, clinking their sses with theirrades and loudly chatting. The floor was littered with food scraps, and despite the open windows, the air was stuffy, but the atmosphere was not bad. Ruon and hispanions joined in the mood and continued to drink. The first to rise from the table was Ame. She said, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs now. Sleep is more important to me than alcohol. You two should go to bed soon, too. If we want to leave early tomorrow morning, that is.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Ame quickly went upstairs. ¡°Damn, it would be nice to drink a bit more¡­ Sir Ruon, no, just Ruon. How about we have another drink? It¡¯s still night.¡± As ambitious as he was, Kyle didn¡¯tst long. Ruon¡¯s high stamina always aimed to keep his body in optimal condition, so the alcohol he consumed was quickly broken down. Faced with a practically unlimited number of drinks, Kyle¡¯s tongue simply became loose. ¡°Um, well¡­ the reason I wanted to join you and go along, hic! even like this, is because I wanted to repay Ruon¡¯s kindness. That¡¯s why¡­ hic! Even though I got my revenge, hic! People¡¯s hearts¡­ anyway, the vigers will want me to do it.¡± Rambling on with self-confession, Kyle¡¯s tears became visible. Ruon instructed him to go upstairs and sent him off, downing the rest of the ale in one gulp. Mei approached, even though she wasn¡¯t called. ¡°Shall I refill your drink?¡± ¡°It might be bothersome to go back and forth, so just bring about ten sses.¡± ¡°Understood, Sir Knight.¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°You seem to have been mistaken. I¡¯m not a knight. Just¡­¡± He swallowed the words ¡®I¡¯m a mercenary.¡¯ He gestured, as if telling Mei, who was looking at him, to go. He smiled with a touch of self-pity. It had be a matter of course for him to introduce himself as a mercenary without hesitation. The university student who enjoyed grilling meat and blushed even from a single bottle of soju had disappeared. Now, only a lone mercenary remained, spending the night unable to get drunk, his life devoted to crushing monsters with his fists¡­ Suddenly, he remembered the sentence he¡¯d been clinging to for so long. ¡°[Challenge countless monsters, demons, and legends toplete your story.]¡± Upon hearing this, a wry smile escaped his lips. ¡®What on earth does it mean toplete my story? Is there really a need to constantly kill grotesque monster bastards? Can¡¯t living in this world like everyone else, eating, drinking, and enjoying life, also be a part of my story?¡¯ Although he knew that such contemtion wouldn¡¯t provide an answer, Ruon continued his thoughts. The inn was still bustling, filled with the energy of people, but he felt increasingly distant from such a scene as he drank alone. He recalled thendscapes of his original world, which he had tucked away in a corner of his heart. The ten sses of beer disappeared in an instant, and Ruon ordered another ten. And so, the night grew deeper and deeper. Chapter 17: Chapter 17: As the day broke, the group left the inn. Kyle, pressing his temples with his thumb, groaned as if he were about to die from his hangover. Ame opened her sharp eyes and spoke. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to drink moderately? Can¡¯t you hold your liquor?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just force myself to throw up ande back.¡± Watching Kyle unsteadily walk behind the inn, Ame sighed. ¡°How much did you drink to be in such a state?¡± Then, as if something suddenly urred to her, she turned her head and looked at Ruon. ¡°Ruon, are you okay? I heard from the owner you drank all night.¡± ¡°As you can see.¡± ¡°Well, you seem fine since yourplexion hasn¡¯t changed. Do all people from South Korea drink as well as you?¡± ¡®Oh? She remembered.¡¯ Ruon smirked and shrugged. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯re special in various ways.¡± With that statement, the two of them didn¡¯t engage in any further conversation. After a while, Kyle approached them. It seemed like it took him a long time to gather himself, and his face was quite pale. ¡°Sh-shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°From the look on your face, it seems like it¡¯ll be difficult for you to pick up speed right away. It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s walk slowly until you feel better.¡± The group packed their belongings and mounted their respective horses, moving forward. They had eaten their fill the previous day and had rested well, eager to continue their journey. The horses seemed restless, as if they wanted to run freely, but Kyle, who couldn¡¯t handle riding horseback due to motion sickness, couldn¡¯t fulfill their wish. As they slowly moved forward amidst the chirping of birds, a group of men caught up with them, walking briskly. One of the men, who appeared to be the eldest among them, turned his head towards Ruon, curious about something. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the guy who drank heavily until the sun rose? I saw you sitting next to me yesterday, and your drinking capacity was unbelievable. We happen to be going the same way, so I thought we could apany each other. Is that inconvenient for you?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders, not feeling any particr difort from the man¡¯s jokingughter. The man exchanged nces with Kyle and Ame before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m Colin. These two are my brothers, Dean and Van. They¡¯re twins.¡± Identical aside from a scar near one¡¯s eye, the twin¡¯s bald heads nodded slightly in unison. Ame addressed Colin, her gaze gleaming as she waited for his response. ¡°I¡¯m Ame. That person is Ruon, and the one struggling here is Kyle.¡± Kyle weakly raised his hand, lookingical, and Colin chuckled before speaking. ¡°It seems like he caused a ruckusst night. So, where is everyone heading?¡± Receiving no response to his question, Colin widened his eyes and pped his hands in surprise. ¡°Oh, excuse me. I asked without thinking¡­ Well, then, let us go first. We¡¯re nning to go to Breiten. They¡¯re gathering the army there right now. It¡¯s a bit ridiculous to enlist at this age, but well, what can you do?¡± Ame let out a soft sigh. ¡°So, the war is starting. I wonder if the king knows how much blood will be shed for his ambition?¡± Brushing his bushy beard, Colin replied. ¡°If he knew, there wouldn¡¯t be a need for this fuss. Well, as terrible as war is, folks like me who live by the sword don¡¯t often get opportunities like this. I¡¯m tired of having to work day after day, just for enough to eat. It¡¯s about time I made a big move.¡± He chuckled and added, ¡°If our brothers can skewer the heads of those savages, we might receive recognition for it and even be granted a small fiefdom, don¡¯t you think?¡± It seemed like he hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of getting his own head skewered. In Ruon¡¯s eyes, Colin appeared to be no more than a gambler willing to risk his life for a slim chance of striking it rich. However, Ruon had no interest in how others led their lives, so he nodded absentmindedly. ¡°Give it your best shot.¡± ¡°Now, can I ask where you guys are headed?¡± ¡°Dumfreese.¡± Colin licked his lips, expressing a hint of disappointment. But since no one provided a more borate answer, he scratched his beard and spoke again. ¡°Dumfreese, huh¡­ I guess we can travel together until Coleman Bridge.¡± ¡°Coleman Bridge? Where is that?¡± Kyle¡¯splexion still didn¡¯t look good, despite his question. Yet, his curiosity seemed to outweigh his difort. Ame answered, ¡°It¡¯s a bridge built by an architect named Coleman. It was designed for one side of the bridge to raise, allowing boats to pass underneath the bridge¡¯s arch without any hindrance. It was quite a remarkable bridge at the time and garnered significant attention. There¡¯s even an anecdote that during a war, they raised the bridge just in the nick of time, leaving the enemies bewildered.¡± ¡°A drawbridge,¡± Ruon nodded, watching as Ame finished her exnation without interruption. ¡°Ame, you¡¯re really smart.¡± Kyle eximed in admiration, and Colin chimed in. ¡°Well, well. That¡¯s interesting. I¡¯ve passed by a few times, but I never knew it had such a function.¡± Ame raised her head. ¡°It¡¯s only natural not to know. Many years ago, there was a massivendslide that filled the river beneath the bridge with earth, rendering the need to raise the bridge unnecessary. Naturally, maintenance becamex, and now it¡¯s just an old structure with stories like ¡®back in the day, it was like this.''¡± Kyle hesitated before speaking. ¡°If it¡¯s natural not to know, howe you do?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve read various books.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kyle fell silent, scratching his chin, and turned his head. The group continued to move forward. After a while, Kyle regained hisplexion enough to ride without any issues. However, with Colin and his brothers tagging along, the pace of the march remained the same. Since they were going to part ways once they crossed the bridge, Ruon¡¯s group didn¡¯t bother to hasten their speed and instead engaged in casual conversation. Of course, calling it a conversation would be an exaggeration. It mostly consisted of Colin bringing up a topic, Kyle responding, and asionally Ame chiming in. After a while, Ame spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Once we leave this road, we¡¯ll find Coleman Bridge.¡± At her words, Ruon, who had his arms crossed on horseback, raised his head and furrowed his brow. Then, he squinted his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the bridge was out ofmission?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Ame frowned, and Kyle shouted, ¡°I can hear the bridge!¡± And indeed, they could hear it. Although it was quite a distance away, the group could clearly hear the sound of a bridge being raised. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The first one to notice ¡®it¡¯ was Ruon. Something was standing still at the front of the bridge. At first, he thought it was a statue, but its slow movement made it clear that it was alive. Ruon squinted at the beast, which was still so far away, yet sorge and distinct that it seemed to defy perspective. It was a monster. It held a gigantic wooden club in its long arms that reached down to its knees, and its nostrils were constantly sniffing, leading it to rub its nose with pot-sized hands. Dripping with slimy drool, the creature¡¯s dull-witted appearance was overshadowed by its menacing glowing red eyes. Others who btedly noticed the monster each eximed. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°Is it a troll, by any chance?¡± ¡°Why would a troll be there?¡± Ame, rolling her eyes, responded to the remarks. ¡°Trolls have a habit of liking bridges and even building houses underneath them. Could it be that it lifted the bridge?¡± The view of the towering troll, about three meters tall, frightened everyone, but they stood their ground and started to calm down. While everyone remained silent and bewildered, Ruon descended from his horse and began walking steadily forward. Ame shouted. ¡°Ruon? What are you doing?¡± Upon her words, Ruon turned back with an unconcerned demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m going to get rid of that thing.¡± Surprisingly, it was Colin¡¯s twin brothers who were most startled. The two bald-headed brothers, who had hardly spoken so far, shouted simultaneously. ¡°Hey, Stop! Can¡¯t you see its size? It¡¯s a fully grown troll!¡± ¡°Why would you provoke it and drag us all into trouble? Come back immediately.¡± Colin agreed. ¡°My brothers are right. Ruon, don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble. It would be better if we all discussed this together.¡± Hearing their concerned words, Ruon sighed inwardly. He turned his body as if to imply that there was no longer any point in listening and gave a brief answer. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere.¡± Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Ame quickly caught up with Ruon, who was advancing without hesitation. ¡°Hmm? It seems like you¡¯re worried too?¡± ¡°Nonsense. Why would I worry about someone who can single-handedly kill a demon worshiper?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Then you should have stayed over there with Kyle and watched.¡± ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t just leave you alone and idly wait. And there¡¯s always a chance of something unexpected happening¡­ Kyle said he¡¯lle along too, but someone needs to stay and watch over the horses.¡± Meanwhile, the troll was getting closer. It was an adult, and a truly intimidating one at that. The troll must have sensed their approach, because it growled and turned its head. Its bloodshot eyes, devoid of any trace of reason, did not seem capable of engaging in conversation. Ame spoke up. ¡°Do whatever it takes to inflict a wound. I¡¯ll st mes into it to dy its regeneration.¡± ¡°Do as you please. Just don¡¯t get in the way.¡± With that response, Ruon drew his Holy Sword. The sword, emerging with a gentle hiss, gleamed brightly, engulfed in sunlight. Interpreting it as a tant provocation, the troll contorted its snout and violently swung down the wooden club it had been dragging on the ground. Thud! As if to show off his power, he mmed the club down, causing the dirt on the ground to scatter wildly. Hee hee hee! Ignoring the terrified horses¡¯ frantic neighs, Ruon boldly approached, gripping the hilt of the sword and looking up at the towering troll. Aside from the wyvern he had faced long ago, this was the first time he encountered a creature of such immense size. ¡®I hope it gives experience points like the wyvern did.¡¯ Staring into the red eyes that were filled with madness, Ruon said, ¡°Come at me.¡± ¡°Geu-wa!-wa!-wa!-wa!¡± The troll roared and swung its club, sweeping the ground. It was such a threatening attack that it felt like an entire tree was flying towards him. Ruon, confident that he wouldn¡¯t be outmatched in strength, still couldn¡¯t ignore the difference in size and stature, so he leaped high in ce and dodged the club. Even though he jumped quite high, he could still feel a gust blow past his toes. ¡®It would be dangerous if it hit me directly.¡¯ As Ruonnded on the ground, he immediately plunged between the troll¡¯s legs. Aiming for the artery inside its thick leg, Ruon raised his sword to strike, but he hastily stepped back as the troll¡¯s feet stomped frantically. He didn¡¯t want to be greedy and end up crushed. Instead, in his outstretched hand, a bow suddenly appeared. Loading an arrow from the quiver strapped to his thigh, Ruon wasted no time in pulling the string. His fingers that held the arrow released, and the arrow sliced through the air. ¡°Wa!¡± The troll screamed, covering its eyes. Unable to pull out the lodged arrow, it went berserk and swung its club in all directions. With each strike of the club pounding the ground like a bombardment, fist-sized clumps of dirt shot up. It was an attack thatcked any semnce of order, but the power contained within it made it difficult to approach easily. However, Ruon remained unfazed, evading the trajectory of the club and closing the distance. At that moment, the troll¡¯s left heel flung at him with tremendous speed. In response to the unexpected attack, Ruon instinctively raised his left hand high and caught the troll¡¯s massive ankle in his arm. His foot, firmly nted on the ground, skidded into a deep trench, and the Holy Sword in his other hand shed brightly. ¡°Wa-wa-wa!¡± The human, who he thought was going to fly away after being struck by his foot, not only grabbed it, but sliced off his ankle cleanly. The troll, in excruciating pain, spat yellowish saliva as it writhed. ¡®How annoyingly loud.¡¯ Ruon, using the fallen knee of the troll as a springboard, leaped up and gripped the handle of the Holy Sword with both hands. A moment of focus. He felt the power coursing vigorously within the Holy Sword. Controlling the power surging through his hands while gripping the sword, Ruon swung the sword downward. Reflexively, the troll raised both hands, but the Holy Sword cleaved straight through the troll¡¯s wrists, slicing through its forehead and crashing downward with a thud. ¡°¡­Wa?¡± As Ruonnded on the ground, the troll looked down at him with a dumbfounded expression. A vertical red line appeared on the troll¡¯s face, then swiftly split horizontally. The torn body revealed internal organs that emitted a hot steam, pouring onto the ground like a waterfall. Amidst the pouring blood, Ruon smiled, feeling a tingling sensation as exhration spread to his whole body. This level-up was definitely fast, excluding the time he spent struggling in Relizan. Compared to the previous level-ups, it was an iparable growth. From Salvator and the two who were trying to destroy the monument, to another demonic follower and a troll. Each and every one of them gave him a nice chunk of experience. Focusing his concentration, Ruon evenly distributed the experience points to his strength and health. Feeling a powerful force swirling inside him, he clenched his fist, realizing that his body was untouched even within the pouring blood. The blood was falling to the ground, blocked by a translucent yellowish barrier. Ame retracted her outstretched arm and spoke, ¡°You should find opportunities to rely on others.¡± Ruon extended his index finger, pointing at the barrier. ¡°This was enough. We avoided bing drenched in blood.¡± Ame let out a wryugh and shook her head. ¡°Thanks to you, I learned that trolls can be instantly killed. I have nothing to say, really.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ruon shrugged and redirected his steps towards the group. As he approached, Colin spoke with a dazed voice, ¡°Oh, gods¡­ What did I just see?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± His bald brothers also seemed speechless, only murmuring with their mouths. But when their eyes met Ruon¡¯s, their shoulders involuntarily shrank, revealing a fear different from before. Someone might think he had hit them rather than the troll. Even Kyle, who had seen everything until now, seemed genuinely astonished, with his jaw dropped as if his cheekbones had disappeared. ¡°Does this make sense?¡± Ame spoke to the bewildered men. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re all surprised, but we should gather what needs to be collected.¡± She rummaged through the backpack hanging from her saddle and took out a few empty bottles. ¡°Everyone knows that troll blood can be used as a potion ingredient, right?¡± After saying so, Ame unexpectedly threw the empty bottles. Kyle, who stood dumbfounded, managed to catch the flying bottle near his face just in time and btedly nodded, rushing towards the troll¡¯s corpse. Observing the scene, Colin approached Ruon, sping his hands politely. ¡°Uh, sir¡­ Oh, no, Sir Ruon.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Is it possible for you to share a bottle of troll blood with us?¡± Hearing Colin suddenly use honorifics, Ruon, who chuckled, spoke. ¡°For nothing in return?¡± Colin, momentarily taken aback, swallowed his saliva and replied with a determined face. ¡°As soon as we arrive in Breiten, I will spread rumors about a warrior who single-handedly killed a troll! The warrior Ruon! The troll blood we receive will serve as evidence to support that im. Didn¡¯t Duke Carlos rise to his current position after he hunted down an ogre alone and gained a high-ranking knight title? Ruon will surely¡­¡± ¡®What nonsense is this?¡¯ Ruon furrowed his brow. ¡°And why would I want that?¡± With his intense gaze, Ruon and the bald men exchanged nces. ¡°Well, what should we do then¡­¡± ¡°Just take one bottle and go. Let¡¯s not spread unnecessary rumors.¡± Upon hearing those words, Colin hesitated for a moment before quickly rushing off. Ruon sighed softly as he watched Colin¡¯s retreating figure. He noticed Ame cing her hand on her horse¡¯s forehead. She lightly pursed her lips, and a faint glow emanated from beneath her pale hand, seeping into the horse¡¯s forehead. The horse¡¯s unsettled gaze, which had been anxiously darting around, gradually calmed down. After pacifying all the horses in this manner, Ame spoke. ¡°These are not war horses, so they¡¯re a bit delicate.¡± ¡°¡­Seeing this, I regret not choosing to be a mage.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just impressed by how easily you calm the horses.¡± Ame, who had been silentlyughing, gazed into the distance and muttered to herself. ¡°When I couldn¡¯t fall asleep as a child, my sister would recite this spell for me. It was quite effective¡­¡± As her words trailed off, she raised her voice as if to invigorate the atmosphere. ¡°But I find your formidable swordsmanship to be more magical. What about your ability to withstand a troll¡¯s kick with your bare body? I¡¯m sure even the knights who received strength spells couldn¡¯t do that. I now know for certain that it wasn¡¯t just by chance that you received Tibe¡¯s favor.¡± Ruon raised his head. ¡°That¡¯s enough praise for now. Let¡¯s not overdo it.¡± Rather than wait for a reply, he immediately turned his body and Ame followed behind him, shrugging her shoulders. Kyle, who had been licking some blood on his hand, hid his hand behind his back when he noticed Ruon and Ame¡¯s gaze fixed on him. ¡°Cough, I heard that troll blood is good for men¡­¡± Ame asked with a faint smile. ¡°Did you collect enough blood?¡± Kyle raised his head and looked at the blood-soaked ground. ¡°I managed to fill two bottles, but it would be difficult to get more. As you can see, most of it has already spilled on the ground.¡± ¡°No, that should be sufficient. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Leaving behind the conversation between the two, Ruon approached the remnants of the troll¡¯s legs. He followed the chain to the end of the bridge and found a rusted winch with chains coiled around each end. Attached to the end of the winch, which looked like a cylinder turned on its side, was arge wheel, which was apparently meant to be turned to tighten or loosen the chains. Without hesitation, Ruon gripped the wheel tightly. Colin, observing from a distance, murmured softly. ¡°You¡¯re going to turn thatrge wheel by yourself? Don¡¯t you need help?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he someone who can take down a troll alone? Does he really need assistance?¡± With a daunting reply from Kyle, the sound of creaking chains apanied the loosening of the iron chains, and the leg slowly descended. He added. ¡°¡­Look at that.¡± Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Thanks to Ruon¡¯s formidable strength, the group safely crossed the bridge and reached the end of their short journey at the first fork in the road. Ame handed a bundle of herbs to departing Colin and said, ¡°After drying these thoroughly and grinding them finely, mix them with troll¡¯s blood. Within 2 to 3 days, you should see some viscosity forming, and from then on, it should have a simr effect to a potion. It might save your lives in times of war, so don¡¯t sell it off thoughtlessly¡­ No, do whatever you want with it.¡± Colin responded with an appreciative expression, saying, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely use it for the sake of us brothers. And¡­¡± He turned his head slightly and bowed respectfully towards Ruon, who was gazing at him indifferently. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ruon tilted his head in confusion, and Colin smiled while holding the bottle of troll¡¯s blood, which shimmered. ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s the big deal about a little blood?¡± Colin raised his hand and waved it towards Ruon, then bowed his head once again. ¡°Well then, we will be on our way. I hope everything goes well for all three of you in Dumfreese.¡± With those words, the three men walked away, and Kyle murmured as he watched them go. ¡°Enlisting in the military¡­ Can those people survive?¡± Ame replied. ¡°Who knows if they will be struck by a blind arrow or be war heroes? We can¡¯t say for sure. What¡¯s certain is that we have our own things to worry about. Once even a fragment of power seeps out, Belducius¡¯s followers will immediately follow. Don¡¯t think they will be more civilized than the savages.¡± Kyle¡¯s expression darkened instantly, and he gave a bitter smile. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. We have our hands full worrying about ourselves¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we need to move diligently. It should only take half a day by horse to reach Dumfreese from here.¡± However, contrary to Ame¡¯s expectations, the group did not reach Dumfreese by the time the sun set. The reason was that, despite finding stability, the horses couldn¡¯t maintain their speed. It seemed that the lingering effects of encountering the predatory troll, as they were notbat horses,sted longer than expected. Unable to find a suitable vige, the group prepared for a camp at a suitable location. As Ame watched Ruon move the sparks from the flint to the tinder with a nk expression, she murmured softly. ¡°I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that things are starting to go awry.¡± Kyle, who was alternating between putting meat and cheese on a branch, responded to her words. ¡°That¡¯s just how life is. So, Ame, please help me with the cooking.¡± ¡°Do we really have to eat that?¡± ¡°You¡¯d rather starve? Once it¡¯s in your mouth, it¡¯s all the same.¡± ¡°Even so, troll meat¡­¡± While Ame frowned, she still found Kyle¡¯s actions amusing as he inserted the meat onto the branch. Meanwhile, as the two of them were preparing their meal, Ruon, who had started a campfire and prepared his sleeping area, settled down and began inspecting his equipment. Most of his gear was in a state that required inevitable repairs, evidence of the consecutive battles they had endured. Paradoxically, the Holy Sword, which had been handled the most roughly, remained in its original pristine condition, shining brightly. As Ruon gently caressed the sword, its faint silver light, almost as if in response, hummed and trembled. ¡®I should offer a donation to Tibe when I have the chance¡­¡¯ It was ate evening, as the sun began to set. As the twilight, like a cast, silently covered thend, the sparkling stars started to emerge. By the crackling campfire, a pile of burnt branches had umted next to the group without them even realizing it. Kyle, his face reddened by the heat, tapped the grilling skewer and said, ¡°Wow, it tastes really good. It would have been perfect if we had some beer.¡± ¡°After suffering from a hangover all morning, you still think about alcohol?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I overdid it yesterday. And Ame, who acted as if she couldn¡¯t stand troll meat, ended up eating a few pieces herself¡­¡± Ame opened her eyes and Kyle turned his head, pretending to cough. ¡°Anyway¡­ since we¡¯ll be camping, someone has to take turns keeping watch. Does anyone want to go first?¡± Kyle raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, to tidy up and all.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go next.¡± As soon as Ruon responded, Ame shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Then I¡¯ll gost.¡± Without anything more to talk about in the night, the group quickly settled down and prepared for sleep. Ruon, who had been gazing at the sky against the backdrop of crackling sounds from the campfire, heard the soft sound of Ame¡¯s breathing from the adjacent spot. He turned his head and noticed Ame shifting her body lightly. ¡®How did she fall asleep so quickly?¡¯ Instead of closing his eyes, Ruon rose to his feet. Kyle, who was wiping his shield in front of the campfire, looked up and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Instead of answering, Ruon took out a dagger from his pouch and extended it towards Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s better than just holding a shield loosely.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ Th-thank you.¡± With a bewildered expression, Kyle epted the dagger from Ruon. Then Ruon took out another dagger, gripped the handle tightly with his thumb resting on top of his fist, and extended it forward. ¡°If you have a shield, block the attacks first, and when you see an opening, you can stab or jab like this. Don¡¯t forget to firmly grip it, as there have been cases of people clumsily letting go while trying to withdraw their de after it got stuck in the opponent¡¯s bone or muscle.¡± Kyle squeezed the handle tightly with his fingers, almost as if he was trying to crush it. ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t foolishly let go of the handle. Now¡­¡± Afterward, Ruon continued exining the stance and techniques of handling the dagger for a while. Although he had never received formal training in swordsmanship, his umted experience from various battles allowed him to teach it proficiently. Kyle, as if determined not to miss any of the vivid instruction, opened his eyes wide and focused. It would have been a waste to let him rot away as just a lumberjack. Seeing Kyle imitate the throwing techniques quite convincingly, Ruon bit his tongue inwardly. Although Kyle himself seemed unaware, he definitely had talent. Given that his talent wasn¡¯t limited to just daggers, Ruon wondered if Kyle would make a name for himself once he found a weapon that suited him. As Ruon ced the dagger back in his pouch, he said, ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. You also need to get some sleep.¡± ¡°Huh? Is it already thatte?¡± Kyle, who checked the position of the moon, scratched his head in a perplexed expression. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve taken more than my share, so I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, then next time you can cover my portion.¡± It was a joking remark, but Kyle nodded seriously. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll do that. And, as I mentioned before, can you speak a little morefortably¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll think about thatter.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Kyle wore a crestfallen expression and headed straight to his sleeping spot. cing his shield near his head and holding the dagger to his chest, he fell asleep. Ruon raised the corners of his mouth at the sight. The night grew deeper. Ruon, who was tossing dry firewood into the fire to keep the mes alive, suddenly turned his head at the sound ofbored breathing. He saw Ame¡¯s pale face, drenched in cold sweat. Ruon, who initially thought of leaving her be, approached her without hesitation as soon as he noticed her lips turning pale. ¡°Ame.¡± ¡°Uhh, yeah?¡± Ame opened her weary eyes and sat up, rubbing her temples. ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not why I woke you up.¡± Ruon handed her a waterskin, watching her hurriedly drink from it. ¡°It¡¯s probably not because of what you ate¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ Just¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a problem, I hope you won¡¯t hide it. You haven¡¯t forgotten that you¡¯re our guide, have you?¡± Ruon opened his eyes wide, cutting off Ame¡¯s words. Ame, wiping the moisture off her lips with the back of her hand, slowly spoke up. ¡°¡­Belducius¡¯s power attempted to reset the space I created arbitrarily and tried to destroy me, its source.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Ruon raised his palm and spoke firmly. ¡°Tell me in a way that¡¯s easy to understand.¡± Ame, weakly smiling, said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it simple.¡± She took a deep breath and continued. ¡°The power of the Shard is much stronger than I thought. Even though I eagerly detached most of my magical power from the essence of the Shard, it¡¯s bing increasingly difficult to withstand¡­ Instead, it¡¯s pushing me further.¡± Although she tried to exin it in detail, her words still didn¡¯t sound intuitive to Ruon. To confirm the overall context of her story, he asked again. ¡°In the end, does it mean that the power of the Shard is trying to emerge again? And in that process, it¡¯s trying to destroy you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ame nodded slowly. Ruon immediately took out the stone b from his pouch. The dull gray stone only felt like a lifeless rock in his palm, and the fact that a powerful demonic force was embedded within it didn¡¯t feel quite real. However, the demons¡¯ minions who threw spears the previous day and the beasts they encountered were definitely real threats and valuable experience. Keeping that in mind, Ruon spoke. ¡°Well then, release the seal.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders toward Ame, who rarely showed a puzzled expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Release the seal.¡± ¡°Do you even know what that means?¡± ¡°The demons¡¯ minions wille swarming.¡± ¡°Even so, you want me to release it?¡± Ame looked at Ruon with a bewildered expression. Then, she stared intently into his deep, unwavering ck eyes. There was no hint of unease, fear, trembling, or sadness. There was only clear conviction in himself. With a calm voice as resolute as his gaze, Ruon said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll just kill them all as theye.¡± Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Ame quickly responded. ¡°It can¡¯t be done.¡± Perhaps she thought her words had touched Ruon¡¯s pride, as she quickly continued, exining why it was impossible. For someone like Ruon, who had no magical knowledge, her exnation was quite verbose, but it could be summarized simply like this: The power invested in her for the seal of the shard is not something that can be immediately replenished or retrieved. Ame looked at Ruon, who nodded as if he understood, and said, ¡°¡­Ruon, I¡¯m truly sorry, but as you can see, my physical condition is not normal, and I need to meditate urgently. Can you handle the night watch?¡± ¡®Is today a solo watch day?¡¯ Ruon chuckled as he realized he would end up standing watch all night. ¡°Very well, go ahead and do what you need to do.¡± *** Looking at the low city walls, dpidated watchtowers, andzy soldiers dozing off inside, Kyle murmured quietly. ¡°Even Relizan isn¡¯t at this level¡­¡± As he said, Dumfreese was in such a sorry state evenpared to Relizan, which was nothing short of a bustling pleasure city. At least Relizan had some liveliness, but here, not even a passing stray dog seemed to have any enthusiasm. Even Ruon, who had traveled to various ces, had never encountered a city so devoid of spirit, so he looked at Ame and asked. ¡°There is someone here who can help you?¡± ¡°Yes, there is. He¡¯s someone who enjoys this kind of atmosphere.¡± Ame¡¯s face, as she gave that answer, was a little pale, but it wasn¡¯t as ghostly white as the previous night. The meditation she had done until dawn seemed to have some effect. The group entered a worn-out inn and unpacked their belongings, sitting around a table on the first floor. Ame ordered a simple meal from the innkeeper and spoke. ¡°You can rest here. I can handle this on my own.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Ame, yourplexion¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± As Ame firmly interrupted, Kyle had nothing more to say and fell silent. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs first.¡± Ame, who was sipping her soup, stood up from her seat. Kyle whispered as he watched her tightly hold onto the railing and climb the stairs. ¡°She seems like she lost all her energy overnight, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ruon, who swallowed the soup in one gulp like beer, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Maybe it was a bad dream.¡± He got up from his seat and added, looking at Kyle who had a chubby expression. ¡°I think I need some rest too. I couldn¡¯t sleep all night.¡± Watching Ruon go straight upstairs, Kyle muttered. ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep all night? Crazy, what were you two doing yesterday?¡± *** As Ruon felt a presence passing by the door, he opened his eyes and sat up. When he opened the door and stuck his head out, he saw Ame¡¯s back disappearing at the end of the hallway. ¡®Going out at this hour?¡¯ He nced outside through the dimmed window and quickly armed himself before stepping outside. ¡°Huh?¡± As the opposite door opened, Kyle appeared with wide eyes. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± Kyle replied without hesitation. ¡°Well, I was secretly keeping an eye on Ame because I was worried. What about you?¡± Ruon chuckled at the confident answer and flicked his chin. ¡°Follow me then.¡± Ame noticed the slightly flustered looks from Ruon and Kyle, who had followed closely beside her shortly after leaving the inn. She said, ¡°I told you I would go alone.¡± ¡°I had doubts whether you could walk properly when I saw you.¡± ¡°Is that the real reason?¡± Ruon hesitated to im that he acted on his intuition and silently continued walking ahead. Ame turned her head towards Kyle. ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to follow?¡± Ame slowly opened her mouth as she pressed her temple, feeling a slight headache. ¡°Well, it¡¯s rted to you all¡­ If you really want to follow, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± As time passed, the moon hung in the sky. The night in Dumfreese, where even the ordinary streetmps were absent, felt more deste. The group, walking along the narrow street illuminated by dim moonlight, soon arrived at a rusty iron gate. ¡°Here it is.¡± Upon Ame¡¯s words, Ruon looked at the que fixed next to the iron gate and raised an eyebrow. ¡°It says ¡®Orphanage¡¯?¡± ¡°You read it correctly.¡± ¡°I read it correctly?¡± Ame, who had ced her hand on the iron gate, spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to scare you, but don¡¯t trust anything beyond this gate. Even if it¡¯s a child.¡± After finishing her words, Ame pushed the iron gate. As the rustytch screeched, the scenery beyond became vividly visible. ¡°This is a mess.¡± Ruon murmured in a low voice as he looked at the yard that seemed like it hadn¡¯t seen a gardener in a hundred years. Beyond overgrown and disorderly weeds, arge mansion covered in thorny vines came into view. If such a bizarre building was indeed an orphanage, the only thought that came to Ruon¡¯s mind was how pitiful the children growing up inside must be. Pushing through the grass that could easily be mistaken for bushes, the three of them stood in front of the mansion¡¯s door. Ame, who let out a sigh, opened her mouth instead of knocking on the door. ¡°¡­I¡¯vee.¡± At that moment, the sound of the lock being released apanied the opening of the mansion¡¯s door. Kyle, realizing that no one was standing behind the door, flinched in surprise. Stepping through the open door, Ame spoke as if giving a warning. ¡°Both of you, remember what I said earlier.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nodding his head, Ruon followed her into the mansion, furrowing his brow. Ame, who had been standing right in front of him, was nowhere to be seen. Even the figure of Kyle, who had been right beside him, was also absent. Although the situation was sudden, Ruon remainedposed and walked steadily, beginning to take in the interior of the mansion. The nauseating stench, the creaking floor, the table topped with melted candle wax, the half-open door groaning weakly¡ªrevealing a smoky face inside. Without hesitation, Ruon threw his dagger. The thrown de flew through the gap in the door and struck the smoky face. There was no scream. Instead, an unexpected sound of a child¡¯sughter echoed from inside the room. The eerieughter, which didn¡¯t match the dreary mansion at all, would have sent chills down one¡¯s spine. But Ruon just snorted. ¡°What a nuisance.¡± Without hesitation, he approached and forcefully opened the door. ¡°Hello?¡± A young girl, holding a grotesque doll made by tearing apart and reassembling different dolls, grinned widely. ¡°Were you looking for this sister?¡± At the end of the girl¡¯s outstretched fingertips was Ame, lying on the floor with a dagger piercing her forehead. Ruon pulled out the dagger embedded in her forehead and roughly wiped the blood on his sleeve before putting it away. Then he immediately drew his Holy Sword. As he looked at the sword emitting a faint light, the girl furrowed her brow slightly. ¡°What is that? It¡¯s unpleasant.¡± ¡°Be quiet. Where is Ame?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see? She¡¯s lying here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ruon immediately swung his sword. Startled, the girl extended the doll forward. Crack! The transparent barrier shattered halfway as the sword prated it, and the girl bit her lips in response. ¡°You killed her, only to take it out on me?¡± She then opened her eyes wide and shouted. ¡°Why!?¡± With the sound of a screeching tear, Ruon¡¯s body was pushed backward. Veins surged on the hand that tightly grasped the door frame. Oveing the pouring force, as he pulled his arm inward, the door frame that couldn¡¯t withstand the power crumbled. Startled by Ruon¡¯s determined re-entry into the room, the girl¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Go away!¡± Even in the face of the girl¡¯s terrified screams, Ruon raised his Holy Sword without hesitation and spoke. ¡°So you want to be a little bit of a prankster.¡± As he attempted to swing his sword towards the shattered barrier, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± At the voiceing from behind him, Ruon, who momentarily paused, turned around and replied. ¡°Do I have to?¡± And he swung his sword. ¡°Gyaaaah!¡± The Holy Sword, which had split trolls in half, shattered the floorboards. Where did she go? The girl disappeared without a trace. ¡°You really intended to kill her.¡± At the voice that came again, Ruon turned around. There stood a middle-aged man with pointed ears, shaking his head. In his arms, there was a girl who seemed to have lost consciousness. ¡°Even if my daughter has a nasty temperament, isn¡¯t that going too far?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask how you¡¯ve educated her.¡± The middle-aged man snorted at the curt response. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Ame with that annoying shield of hers, then follow me.¡± Before following the middle-aged man, Ruon turned his gaze to the ground. Therey arge doll with a hole in its head. Although he acted without hesitation because he believed Ame¡¯s words of not trusting anything, Ruon couldn¡¯t help but be slightly taken aback by the unexpectedly realistic corpse. ¡®I¡¯m in a strange ce.¡¯ Once inside therge room within the mansion, following the middle-aged man, Kyle, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up abruptly. ¡°Ruon!¡± He tightly hugged his shield and spoke. ¡°Suddenly the floor gives way, the stairs spin¨CI don¡¯t know how many times I could have been killed if I didn¡¯t have this shield. What the hell is this ce?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask Ame about that?¡± ¡°Ame has been sleeping since I came in.¡± When Kyle turned his head with a short nod, he saw Ame soundly asleep on the sofa. At that moment, the middle-aged man leaning against the wall spoke. The girl he had been holding had disappeared, and he now had his arms crossed. ¡°It¡¯s ironic that those who seem unrted to magic, unlike the child who falls asleep with a simple sleep spell, are perfectly fine. Quite ironic indeed.¡± After briefly ncing at Ame, the middle-aged man opened his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with my daughter?¡± ¡°Daughter?¡± Ignoring Kyle¡¯s dumbfounded question, Ruon answered. ¡°Our objectives align.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Ame said she would receive help here.¡± The middle-aged man clicked his tongue at Ruon¡¯s straightforward response. ¡°She left this ce over ten years ago because it was so disgusting, and now my daughter, who left on her own two feet,es back. What is going on¡­¡± Ruon silently looked at the middle-aged man, not particrly curious about what had happened between the two of them. He ced his hand on Ame¡¯s forehead, like a doctor examining a patient, and closed his eyes. Soon, he opened his eyes and asked. ¡°It seems like most of your magic is bound by something. What could it be?¡± Ruon, who had been pondering for a moment, then took out a tablet from his pocket. The middle-aged man, who had been alternating his gaze between the tablet and Ame¡¯s face, spoke. ¡°Is it a representation created with your own magic, binding the essence of that stone? What a foolish act.¡± As he muttered to himself, he pped his hands, and Ame, who had been asleep, gasped and sat up. After briefly looking around, she spoke to the middle-aged man. ¡°Quin¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ame. Has it been thirteen years?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still the same.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that to your father¡­ And I¡¯m a fairy, so it¡¯s only natural for me to age slowly. You¡¯re saying foolish things.¡± The conversation between the ordinary woman and the middle-aged man seemed unsettling with the exchanged words. ¡°Father? Don¡¯t make meugh. You are¡­¡± Ame, whose words were fading, let out a deep sigh. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s put aside meaningless talk. I came here for a deal.¡± The fairy known as Quin shrugged. ¡°You want to retrieve your magic that is bound to that stonepletely, right?¡± ¡°I hope you can also prevent the essence of the stone from returning, even if it¡¯s for a short period.¡± After Ame added, Quin raised his head. ¡°Ame, my lovely daughter. If you¡¯re a capable magician, you should know how difficult it is, right?¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± Quin, who smiled as if it was amusing to see Ame answering weakly, spoke. ¡°But if it¡¯s me, Quintuanus, it is possible.¡± What do you want to do? Ruon frowned as he looked at Quin, who proudly stretched out his arms. He had suspended judgment until now, but it was clear that the guy was not in his right mind. ¡°Well, Ame, what can you do for me?¡± ¡°You always have a demanding personality. You¡¯re not one to listen, are you?¡± At Ame¡¯s words, Quin¡¯s grin widened. For some reason, he found it delightful. Suddenly, he stoppedughing and pointed his finger at the Holy Sword attached to Ruon¡¯s waist. ¡°I want that sword, Ame.¡± Ruon retorted with a cold tone. ¡°Should I cut off that finger?¡± Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Quin smiled yfully, folding his extended finger in response to Ruon¡¯s warning. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pity, Ame. The deal is off.¡± ¡°Quin, calm down. The deal is between you and me. Don¡¯t involve others.¡± ¡°I just stated what I wanted.¡± With a serious expression, Quin now pointed at Kyle¡¯s shield. ¡°Well, how about that? It¡¯s an incredibly appealing artifact that disrupts magical frequencies.¡± ¡°You want a fight? This is a shield!¡± Ame extended her arm, signaling Kyle to calm down as he gripped his dagger. ¡°Quin, stop it.¡± Staring at Quin with a stern gaze, she bit her lip and spoke. ¡°The deal should only be rted to me.¡± At that moment, Kyle interjected. ¡°Ame, I may not know exactly what it is, but do we really need to reinforce that seal? Can¡¯t we just hurry up and go to the Tower?¡± Quin chuckled. ¡°It seems like yourpanion hasn¡¯t fully grasped the gravity of the situation.¡± Then he looked straight at Kyle and spoke. ¡°This girl cannot remain in this state for more than a week. She will be consumed by the essence of the stone before that.¡± ¡°What¡­ Is that true, Ame?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡° Seeing Ame¡¯sck of response, Kyle¡¯s expression quickly becameplicated. Quin, with a sneering smile directed at him, turned his head to look at Ame and spoke. ¡°That has always been the problem with you, Ame. You¡¯re too hasty for your exceptional abilities. How many times have I told you to think about whates in the future before you do something in the present?¡± Not wanting to hear any more, Ame held out her palm and said, ¡°We¡¯ll make a blood pact. Will that be enough?¡± Quin¡¯s eyes widened, forming a crescent shape. He smiled brightly, as if he had received the answer he wanted. Seeing him, Ruon found it difficult to dismiss the thought that all the previous demands for the Holy Sword or the shield were deliberately intended for this moment. ¡°You know what that implies, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Quin extended a short sword towards Ame, nodding his head. Without hesitation, Ame grasped the de with her palm, causing blood to drip from the edge and onto the floor. She immediately licked her lips, and as the blood dropped to the ground, defying gravity, it floated up into the air and transformed into a small red circle with tiny inscriptions. Ame gently extended her arm forward, and the red circle followed its trajectory, slowly moving forward. Grinning, Quin caught the red circle in his hand and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve received it clearly.¡± The palm of his hand, as he spoke, was engraved with the red circle, resembling a tattoo. ¡°Hey, enough with the ring. How about handing over that stone now?¡± At Quin¡¯s words, Ruon looked at Ame. When Ame nodded silently, he swiftly threw the stone. Quin effortlessly caught it and said, ¡°Enough with the dys. This should be sufficient. Let¡¯s start right away.¡± As he spoke, a bright light emanated from his hand. The stone wildly trembled and released a mixture of blue energy and crimson sparks. With the opposing energies in turmoil, Quin pressed his other hand into it, twisting and pulling, while the light filled the room. After a while, as the light subsided, Ruon could see Ame, who had lost consciousness and copsed, and Quin, whose hands werepletely charred. ¡°¡­Belducias.¡± Whispering softly, Quin handed the stone back to Ruon and said, ¡°When Ame wakes up, will you tell her? This stone is nothing less than the relic of Belducias. I took over the task that she started, but you¡¯d better hurry, because it¡¯s not going tost long.¡± Quietly lifting Ame, Ruon looked straight into Quin¡¯s face and spoke. ¡°Step aside.¡± Only then did Quin realize that he was blocking the way and exaggeratedly raised his hands. ¡°Oh, my apologies.¡± Without looking back, Ruon and Kyle left the mansion and exited through the rusty iron gate. Kyle, who had been tensely holding up his shield all along, let out a sigh of relief and lowered his hand. ¡°Damn it, the way things are going¨CI¡¯m not going to survive another day.¡± He looked at Ame, who was folded in Ruon¡¯s arms like a bundle, and asked, ¡°Is Ame okay?¡± ¡°If she was okay, there wouldn¡¯t have been any need to make a deal,¡± Ruon replied dryly. With that curt response, Ruon continued walking towards the dark alley where the sun had yet to rise. Kyle followed closely behind. In Dumfreese, the old orphanage, which was considered an eyesore, has been a source of steady notoriety, as it is impossible to forcibly tear it down due to the documented ownership of the site. Quintuanus, known as the owner of the property and the director of the orphanage, watched Ruon and Kyle move further away through the overgrown thicket, his face hidden behind thorns, and smiled softly. Though his hands were still charred, he paid no attention to such trivial matters and shifted his gaze to the palm of his hand, seeming to enjoy himself. Looking at the red circle imprinted on his palm like a seal, Quintuanus said, ¡°¡¯Till next time, Ame.¡± *** Ame opened her eyes to the sunlight tickling her face. Sensing the smooth cirction of magic within her body, she was startled to find a gaze fixed on her. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± she asked. Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°About five minutes, give or take.¡± ¡°Did I sleep for three days or something?¡± ¡°Not at all. After noon, we would have had to pay extra. Neither me nor Kyle wanted to spend more money on that lousy inn, so we were just keeping watch until noon.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ame eximed as she stood up. Stretching her body and rxing her stiff muscles, she turned to Ruon without saying anything and said, ¡°You must have many questions.¡± Ruon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is there anything to discuss?¡± ¡°About the orphanage, the fairy who called me his daughter, and other things like that.¡± Ruon scratched his chin. ¡°Hmm, well, if it was something deeply rted to me, I might have pried into it. But as you mentioned yesterday, isn¡¯t that something between you and that fairy?¡± Ame smiled lightly, seemingly pleased with his answer. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For going with me.¡± Ruon gave a puzzled look. ¡°What?¡± Ruon rolled his eyes and turned to leave as if he¡¯d heard something strange, and Ame hurriedly tidied up her clothes and followed. *** The old gravedigger, relentlessly striking the ground with a pickaxe and a putrid corpse lying beside him, looked up as he felt a presence from beside him. With the sound of footsteps, two men and a woman on horseback approached. They took turns looking at the gravedigger and his dpidated house before dismounting and approaching him. The man with arge shield on his back smiled broadly and greeted him. ¡°Hello, sir.¡± The gravedigger hesitated for a moment before responding. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We are travelers. If it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble, may we impose on you for just one day at your house? We will pay the proper fees.¡± The gravedigger hesitated for a moment before speaking in a polite voice. ¡°If you keep walking this way, you¡¯lle to a vige in less than half a day¡¯s journey. I think you should go there rather than sleep in a graveyard.¡± In response to his tactful refusal, the young woman answered. ¡°The sun is already setting, sir. Our horses are easily frightened, so we are worried that if we camp out unnecessarily, it will be difficult to settle them down.¡± As she spoke, she handed a few silver coins from her pocket to the old gravedigger, who sighed and held onto them. ¡°I will finish my work and then go inside. You all can go in and rest, though there might not be a suitable ce to sit.¡± As the gravedigger turned away and resumed his work, the three men and women tied their horses to a nearby tree and headed straight for the house. When they opened the worn-out wooden door, they noticed the modest but neatly organized interior. cing his shield on the floor, Kylemented. ¡°I thought it would be more eerie.¡± Ame chuckled in response. ¡°Did you expect a gravedigger¡¯s living quarters to be like a coffin?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± The group sat around a table in the house, chatting and roughly organizing their belongings. Outside, the sound of pickaxes crunching through the soft earth could be heard. Ame spoke up. ¡°Thanks to our diligent movements in the past ten days, we have covered quite a distance considering the changes in our route. It¡¯s really fortunate.¡± She added. ¡°Although it¡¯s still unstable, the seal on the fragment is still intact. If we move quickly, we should be able to reach the rensis Mountains within a few days.¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Upon his brief response, Kyle squinted his eyes. ¡°Ruon, you look like you¡¯ve got something on your mind¡­ Am I mistaken?¡± ¡°You catch on quickly.¡± Ruon, who had found the smooth journey of the past ten days rather dull, shrugged his shoulders. Just as before, he didn¡¯t have much interest in when the seal on the fragment would be released or when the minions of Belducias would chase after them. As long as there were no major issues, his n was to reach the Tower of Magi as quickly as possible and eliminate anyone who hindered their progress. Kyle, sensing Ruon¡¯s thoughts from his expression, looked exhausted. Just then, the door opened, and the gravedigger entered. He took off his coat and ced several potatoes on a te, transferring them onto the table. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer, but¡­¡± Ame pped her hands. ¡°No, sir. We will enjoy them.¡± Although they were in, the potatoes themselves were vorful enough, so the group ate them without a word. At that moment, Ruon asked, ¡°The condition of the corpse didn¡¯t indicate a natural death. Did something happen nearby?¡± The gravedigger, who realized a beatte that the question was directed at him, hurriedly replied. ¡°The body has decayed rapidly, it would have been hard to recognize¡­ You have a good eye, young sir.¡± Having swallowed the remaining potato, the gravedigger ced his hands, calloused and dirtied, on the table and leaned forward. His actions seemed to be a prelude for a serious tale, and the group instinctively held their breath and looked at him. ¡°How long do you think the body I buried a little while ago has been dead?¡± Without waiting for an answer, he held up his index finger. ¡°A day, to be exact, barely two days. The dposition was advanced to the point where maggots were crawling inside the body, do you think that makes sense?¡± After saying that, he let out a sigh. ¡°In the past week alone, we¡¯ve buried nearly twenty corpses like this. Even though I¡¯m someone who gets paid to do this work, it¡¯s still unsettling. When I asked what happened while I was collecting the bodies, the vigers said it was suicide.¡± ¡°Suicide?¡± When Kyle inquired, the gravedigger nodded. ¡°Yes. People started suddenly going insane and mutting themselves with knives used for butchering pigs or sticking their faces into boiling pots.¡± He cleared his throat, then continued. ¡°It didn¡¯t start like that from the beginning¡­ At first, they began to go crazy. Then suddenly, they started killing themselves¡­ And then they would quickly rot after dying. The vige is in chaos, iming it¡¯s a curse.¡± When the story was finished, Ame asked the gravedigger, who had begun munching on potatoes. ¡°Which vige did this happen in?¡± ¡°The ce I told you about earlier. If you continue down this road, you¡¯ll reach it within half a day.¡± Ame¡¯s face stiffened upon hearing the gravedigger¡¯s words, prompting Ruon to ask, ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Could there be such a coincidence?¡± Ame, who had been biting her lip, said, ¡°Madness, self-harm, and decay. They are all words associated with Belducias.¡± Chapter 22: Chapter 22: ¡°The yellow hand is madness, the red hand is self-muttion, the ck hand is corruption, and the entangled mass of them shall be our king.¡± Ame, murmuring softly, added, ¡°It¡¯s a verse I learned while chasing after Salvator. Do you remember the symbol on the man¡¯s forehead?¡± Nodding in response to her words, Ruon suddenly recalled a fleeting memory in his mind. ¡°The armor that came in contact with his whip rotted away in an instant, is that the same?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the power of decay,¡± Ame confirmed. Kyle interjected subtly. ¡°¡ªWhat about the one who turned into a beast?¡± ¡°If we strictly analyze it, it could be a derived ability from the power of madness, but it¡¯s not strictly defined like an official rule, so I¡¯m not sure. What¡¯s important is not that, but whether the deaths in the vige beyond the road are rted to Belducias.¡± As the old gravedigger stared at the faces of hispanions with a dumbfounded expression on his face, Ruon answered with a stern face. ¡°It¡¯s better this way.¡± With potato peels still in his mouth, he continued, mumbling. ¡°If we¡¯re in a situation where we can¡¯t guarantee when the essence of the fragment will return, it seems like a reasonable decision to face it head-on.¡± Ame nodded with a serious face. ¡°Alright, we can¡¯t keep this damn rock forever. Let¡¯s head to the vige as soon as it gets bright. It would be better to crush anything rted to Belducias if he truly is involved.¡± Taking a deep breath, Kyle exhaled forcefully and added, ¡°I¡¯ll lend a hand as well. It¡¯s time to pay my dues.¡± The elderly gravedigger, who couldn¡¯t follow the flow of the conversation at all, muttered, ¡°W-What in the world is all this about?¡± Ruon replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it old man, it¡¯s business as usual.¡± *** The small, cramped huts in the countryside vige seemed engulfed in the despair of the continued deaths. There was no sign of life. Ruon met the zed eyes of a viger as he walked by, carrying a bucket of water. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the inn for now.¡± As the group entered the inn, the owner, who was wiping beer mugs, looked up and greeted them. ¡°Wee.¡± Approaching the table where the group was sitting, the owner continued. ¡°I must inform you in advance that it¡¯s difficult for us to offer any meat dishes, except for chicken, as the owner of the butcher shop passed away a week ago.¡± Ruon nodded, as it wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that the person who had stabbed their own body with a butcher¡¯s knife was the owner of the butcher shop. ¡°Whatever food is avable now is sufficient. Alcohol is fine, but if you have any hot milk or tea, I¡¯ll take them instead.¡± Kyle muttered quietly as he watched the owner head towards the kitchen. ¡°The atmosphere in this vige is truly miserable.¡± Ruon lightly nodded in agreement and turned to Ame, who was sitting opposite him. ¡°Ame, you¡¯ve been tracking Salvetor for quite a long time. Were the ces he passed through like this?¡± Ame lowered her head. ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t the type to work over a long period like this. The monastery was a bit of an exception, as he mostly carried out his work overnight. The difference here is that the murders, which started with one family, have spread to the entire vige.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡®I guess we¡¯ll just have to figure it out ourselves.¡¯ While Ruon was thinking, the owner approached, cing food and drinks on the table. It was a modest meal consisting of dense rye bread, stew, and warm milk. ¡°Wow¡­ it sure looks¡­ good.¡± With a soulless exmation, Kyle was about to put a spoonful of stew in his mouth when the sound of the inn¡¯s door opening stopped him. ¡°Bring us some drinks!¡± Before they even had a chance to sit down, a group of young men and women, led by a loud man, rushed into the inn. Some of them spewed saliva on the floor as they chuckled. Ruon¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at them. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The excitement they disyed was too excessive to simply dismiss them as mere thugs. Their eyes, wild and restless like beasts, intensified his suspicion. Not liking their disrespectful attitude, Kyle grumbled under his breath. ¡°What a bunch of insolent bastards.¡± Meanwhile, the man who had shouted first, while cing his beer mug on the table, spoke up. ¡°Bring us some roasted pig, Bilbo.¡± Even with his disrespectful tone, the innkeeper responded with a bitter smile. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± The man suddenly stood up and jabbed his index finger into the innkeeper¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s because we look like we don¡¯t have any money. Huh? Tell me, Bilbo. We look like beggars, don¡¯t we?¡± Taking a step back, the innkeeper replied. ¡°Jerry, the butcher¡­ Don¡¯t you remember?¡± At the trembling question, the man called Jerry looked around. Then he turned behind him. ¡°Hey, who was the butcher?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, man.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t know? Idiot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry! Jerry!¡± In response to the grumbling answer, Jerry chuckled and looked at the innkeeper. ¡°What do we care? We¡¯re just hungry.¡± ¡°The butcher¡­ was your father, Jerry. Don¡¯t stoop to this level. If you young ones¡­¡± Then Kyle murmured. ¡°These guys are a bunch of lunatics.¡± It was loud enough to make Jerry snap his head around. Looking directly into the restless eyes of the agitated man, Kyle said, ¡°What, you want some? You little bastard.¡± Ruon raised an eyebrow as he looked at the sight. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Jerry, who had been momentarily dazed, chuckled and extended his hand behind him. One of the women sitting down handed him a short, sharp knife. It was ironic that while he couldn¡¯t remember that the butcher was his father, the knife he held in his hand was a butcher¡¯s knife. ¡°Say that again. What did you say?¡± As the menacing man approached, Kyle stood up to face him. ¡°I said you¡¯re a crazy bastard. Why? Do you want me to say it again?¡± Then Ruon¡¯srge hand grabbed Kyle¡¯s cor, pulling him back. ¡°Ugh!¡± Overwhelmed by the tremendous force, Kyle reluctantly slumped back onto his chair, turning his head. ¡°Ruon?¡± ¡°You seemed worked up.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Grab the shield.¡± At those words, Kyle snapped out of it and tightly grasped the shield that was leaning against the wall. Then he exhaled forcefully. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Ame, observing Kyle calming his breath, spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s magic. Is it prating their minds? Considering that it has spread throughout the entire vige¡­¡± Ruon interrupted her exnation. ¡°Exinter.¡± Casually rising to his feet, he grabbed the lunging Jerry by the wrist and twisted it backward. ¡°Ack!¡± In response to Jerry¡¯s scream, hisrades pulled out their crude weapons and lunged them at him in unison. Ruon, meanwhile, yanked on the broken wrist and caught Jerry¡¯s face with his shoulder, then kicked the falling man in the chest. As one of the men rushing towards them collided with the flying Jerry, they both fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Ruon extended his fist towards the face of a man swinging a dagger. As blood sttered and the man crumbled, another man appeared behind him, wielding a sickle. Looking at the worn-out de, Ruon sighed softly and grabbed the opponent¡¯s wrist before applying force. ¡°Aaah!¡± As the sickle slipped from his hand, Ruon struck the struggling man¡¯s cheek. He then turned his head at the dull noiseing from his side. There, Kyle was holding the wrists of the man he¡¯d just beaten, who was muchrger than him. With a smug smile, Ruon, holding the butcher¡¯s knife, coolly spoke to a trembling woman. ¡°It would be better for you to leave without doing anything unnecessary.¡± With the terrified woman fleeing outside the inn in response to the solemn warning, the inn was momentarily in a state of subdued chaos. The innkeeper sighed as he looked at the mess that had suddenly unfolded. ¡°It¡¯s clear that a curse has befallen our vige.¡± Ruon approached the stumbling innkeeper and spoke. ¡°Do you have any ropes?¡± ¡°Why ropes¡­?¡± ¡°To tie up these bastards.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go look for some.¡± The innkeeper rushed to the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s Ame doing?¡± Ruon asked, looking at Ame, who was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed. Kyle shook his head in response. ¡°I have no idea. She has been acting like this since the fight.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Since he had no reason to do anything unnecessary, Ruon didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. He returned with the ropes, and together with the innkeeper, they tied the wrists and ankles of the fallen men. ¡°When did these lunatics start behaving like this?¡± ¡°What do you already know?¡± ¡°I heard about the situation from the old gravedigger outside the vige.¡± The innkeeper, Bilbo, nodded slowly. ¡°I see. Recently, the old man has been collecting bodies every other day¡­¡± Bilbo spoke with a mncholic expression as he looked down at the unconscious men. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure either. Suddenly, everyone started screaming and talking nonsense, and eventually they repeated actions that harmed their own bodies until they died.¡± Ruon nodded in acknowledgement to the innkeeper¡¯s words. It seemed that the vigers werepletely clueless about what was happening. Then Ame¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°I found the source of the magical waves.¡± She had stood up without anyone noticing, brushing off the dust from her robe, and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± The group immediately left the inn. Perhaps hearing the screamsing from the inn, the vigers firmly locked their doors, observing the group passing by through their windows with anxious gazes. In the midst of those uneasy stares, Kyle spoke. ¡°Ame? Could you give us a proper exnation¡­¡± Ame, who was walking ahead, didn¡¯t turn around but opened her mouth. ¡°There¡¯s someone hiding in this vige who emits waves that contaminate the mind. The more impulsive a person¡¯s nature, the more they seem to be affected.¡± The ce where her footsteps stopped was a small church located on one side of the vige. ¡®Why are all these bastards camped out in ces like this?¡¯ Reading Ruon¡¯s expression, Ame spoke. ¡°The great demons want to ce their authority above that of the ancient gods. Their vile desires are faithfully carried out by their minions, like Salvator at the monastery.¡± Ruon chuckled. ¡°Not even a grand cathedral, just a small countryside church? That¡¯s quite impressive.¡± Before he even finished his sentence, he forcefully pushed open the door of the church and entered. A man with a gentle demeanor dressed in ck priestly robes smiled warmly at Ruon. ¡°Have youe to offer prayers to Torsch?¡± In that moment, Ruon felt the low tremor of the Holy Sword at his waist. At the same time, he heard Ame¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Without hesitation, Ruon drew the dagger from his embrace and thrust it with full force. The man, whose forehead was instantly pierced, copsed to the ground. The man, who had been twitching and convulsing, had his pupils dte before his movements came to a halt. Startled, Kyle shouted. ¡°Ruon!¡± ¡°What?¡± In response to the nonchnt reply, Kyle stumbled over his words. ¡°Well, we still need to check. If we suddenly kill him like that, how will we be certain?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Leaving Kyle dumbfounded, Ruon spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t get experience points.¡± Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Due to the fundamental nature of the open-world genre, in this world, yers could interact with any target they encountered. In other words, the ability to gain experience points wasn¡¯t limited to just monsters; as long as they killed a living creature, they would obtain experience points. Killing an opponent granted experience points. This natural concept naturally exposed fake death clich¨¦s. For example, a line like, ¡°Did you kill it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead, so he¡¯ll get up, right?¡± In response to Ruon¡¯s words, the man who had momentarily stopped moving suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Son of a b*tch, what¡¯s this?¡± Unconsciously spitting out a curse, Kyle reflexively drew the dagger from his waist. The man, who had slowly stood up, opened his mouth with the dagger still embedded in his forehead. ¡°How could a mere swordsman figure it out?¡± ¡°Will you even understand if I tell you?¡± Narrowing his eyes at Ruon¡¯s dry response, the man spoke. ¡°Tibe¡¯s rotten shining sword. Looks like a holy knight, huh, ouch-¡° Before he could finish speaking, he slumped back down with a thud. An arrow was deeply embedded in his forehead. ¡°Will he still not die with this?¡± Ame spoke to Ruon as he slung his bow over his back. ¡°Ruon, that¡¯s nothing but a puppet.¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± In the meantime, the man who had suddenly risen stood up again and began to rush toward the group like a madman. Ruon was about to draw his Holy Sword when the man¡¯s body swelled grotesquely as he closed the distance, and he instinctively stepped back. ¡°Kyle!¡± At Ruon¡¯s shout, Kyle quickly hid behind his shield, lowering his stance. Meanwhile, Ame grabbed Ruon¡¯s waist and pursed her lips. Boom! The man rushed forward with great force, and the explosion of his body and bone fragments swept forward. As Ruon observed the sliding intestines and the gory remains on the translucent shield, he turned his head to the side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lowering his shield slowly, Kyle smiled lightly and nodded. Kyle¡¯s nightly training to guard himself in case the shield¡¯s wavelengths interfered with Amelia¡¯s magic had paid off in the event of an unexpected situation like this one. ¡°Well done.¡± With a short praise, Ruon drew his sword. Gazing at the lone leather shoe left in the midst of the blood that had sttered in all directions, Ame clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°What a vile creature.¡± At that moment, an elderly man wrapped in a ck cloak emerged from the stairs of the underground catbs. Holding a blunt-tipped wooden staff that advertised, ¡°I¡¯m a wizard¡±, the old man smirked at the group and held the staff out in front of him. Before the man could do anything, Ruon quickly knocked him to the ground. However, it seemed that the act of extending the staff was not in preparation but the final action ofpleting a spell. The old man¡¯s magic was one step faster than Ruon¡¯s attempt to subdue him. A ck mist poured from the end of the staff, enveloping Ruon¡¯s body. In an instant, his whole body felt as heavy as molten lead. But he resisted the pressure and moved forward. Though his speed slightly decreased, Ruon, still full of momentum, smashed through the stone b flooring and charged at the old man, who was taken aback and quickly retreated. Despite his hunched posture, the old man moved so agilely that it was hard to believe. He extended his staff forward once again as Ruon approached. Because he was ensnared by the mist, Ruon couldn¡¯t react quickly enough, so he bent his upper body and crossed his arms. An invisible force struck him fiercely. However, the force of his body¡¯s strength, having ovee the power of the fog, was able to break through the force in front of him. Without needing to confirm, he knew it was because of Ame¡¯s assistance. In an artificially liberated state, he increased his speed and closed the distance with his opponent in an instant. As the old man hastily activated his protective shield, Ruon, who had already reached striking distance, brought down his elbow on the shield, simultaneously extending his bent arm. The twisted shield was pierced beautifully by the Holy Sword, cutting through the arm holding the staff. ck blood sttered in all directions along the path of the sword. Looking down at the arm lying on the ground along with the shattered shield, Ruon raised his head. ¡°You run away pretty well for someone of your caliber.¡± Hundreds of candles on the old chandelier were swaying anxiously. Quickly murmuring a spell and escaping, the old man sat on the chandelier, clutching his shoulder where blood was spurting. ¡°¡­You, are you a monster?¡± Ruon turned his head at the stupid question, which wasn¡¯t worth answering. ¡°Ame.¡± She understood the meaning contained in his words and raised her arm, clenching her lips. A blue radiating semicircle shot upward from her hand, defying gravity, and cut through the thick chain connecting the ceiling to the chandelier in one swift motion. The old man¡¯s forehead sizzled and melted as he began to fall to the floor with the chandelier. Just before his body hit the ground, the old man disappeared once again. By the time the chandelier hit the ground and shattered, triggering a sharp noise, the old man had already moved onto the altar. With aplex entanglement of ck, red, and yellow symbols, the old man extended his single remaining arm towards the sky. ¡°Die!¡± The reddish-ck aura gathered around the screaming old man started to seethe anxiously before erupting with a tremendous burst, sweeping around the chapel with explosive force. Bracing his legs for the impact, Ruon locked eyes with Kyle, who brushed right past him. ¡®Take the lead.¡¯ Reading Ruon¡¯s unwavering expression, Kyle advanced forward, and Ruon followed right behind him. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± Kyle yelled, throwing his arms out in front of him. Ruon seized the momentary opening created by the sh of the two opposing forces as the raging storm shed with the shield. As Kyle staggered backward, Ruon leaped forward and swung his arm with all his might. The Holy Sword, shing through the raging storm, passed through the opponent¡¯s face and emerged from the other side. ¡°Kuk.¡± The old man, missing half his face, grunted and stumbled backward, foam forming on his lips. ¡®It was worth the effort.¡¯ Looking at the corpse of the man who had gifted him a considerable amount of experience, Ruon let out a satisfiedugh. As he did, Kyle approached, stumbling and looking anxious. ¡°F***¡­ Is he really dead this time? He won¡¯t just jump up again, right?¡± Saying that, he stabbed the dagger into the corpse¡¯s heart. Confirming that there was still no movement, he let out a sigh of relief and sat down. Ruon, looking at Kyle, who¡¯d ripped up with all the flesh on his palms from how hard he¡¯d clenched his hands to hold the shield against the destructive magic,mented. ¡°Maybe you should get a pair of gloves.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Damn, that hurts.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± At that moment, a faint light emanated from the pommel of the Holy Sword. After it pulled the ck smoke from the corpse into the pommel, Kyle widened his eyes. ¡°W-What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Is this the phenomenon you mentioned before?¡± Ame, who hade closer without them noticing, said, ¡°The sword that devours the power of demons¡­ Do you feel any changes?¡± To see if anything else had changed, Ruon gripped the hilt and nodded, realizing he could feel the power within the Holy Sword more clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this expression is urate, but¡­ it feels more familiar.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about equipment that resonates with its user. Maybe that sword is one, an Egosword?¡± Ruon shrugged. ¡°Well, we¡¯re not quite at the stage ofmunicating, so I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ame turned her head toward Kyle, who was still perplexed, and took out a small vial emitting a red light from her chest. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said give me your hand.¡± With a firm response, Kyle hesitated before extending his hand. As the liquid from the vial, which was red and flowing, fell onto his palm, he winced. ¡°Ouch, it stings! Ouch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be such a drama queen.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much for both of you? My skin was nearly blown off¡­¡± Muttering, Kyle¡¯s expression changed when he noticed the reddish liquid starting to heal his palm. Ruon asked. ¡°Is it a potion made from troll blood?¡± ¡°Yeah, I concentrated it to get just this much.¡± Hearing that, Kyle looked awkward. ¡°You made something so precious, just to apply it on my palm¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to keepining even after you said it hurt like hell?¡± Ame retorted with a smirk, standing up and extending her finger. ¡°I¡¯m sensing something from the stairs below. Let¡¯s go down and check.¡± As if proving her words, there were bizarre symbols drawn on the floor of the underground catbs. Looking down at the symbols drawn with blood and bones, Ame briefly chanted a spell, and the symbols were cleanly erased. She said, ¡°It¡¯s done. Now that the caster of the ritual is dead, the vigers won¡¯t go crazy anymore.¡± Ruon added, ¡°And even if the essence of the fragment returns, there shouldn¡¯t be any immediate danger.¡± The party left the church. The streets were still deserted. It was understandable, as the sudden noises from the church likely scared the vigers. Still hiding behind the window, Kyle spat on the ground as the vigers red at the group. ¡°I feel a bit frustrated. When you think about it, we¡¯re the ones who saved them.¡± Ame chuckled silently at his words. ¡°Did you want a hero¡¯s wee?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. But still, the way they¡¯re staring at us¡­ it¡¯s a bit much, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ame said, ¡°For them, we are an unknown fear, neither beyond nor beneath. The gravedigger and the innkeeper will probably spread rumors, and if they¡¯re favorable, the misunderstanding might be cleared.¡± Ruon added, ¡°And if the misunderstanding isn¡¯t cleared, so what? We did what we had to do, and that¡¯s enough.¡± Looking at him as he wiped the blood off the Holy Sword and into the air, Ame nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, that should be enough. Let¡¯s hurry. We¡¯re finally close to the Tower.¡± It seemed unlikely that the group would spend the night in town. Chapter 24: Chapter 24: If you were to recount the countless histories intertwined with the majestic rensis Mountain Range, it would take non-stop chatter from dawn till the inn¡¯s lights go out. To put it concisely, it was a spectacle of endless white ridges dividing the north and south. Somewhere in this mountain range, within its long and magnificentndscapes, there existed a small vige where hardly anyone¡¯s footsteps could be found. People referred to this serene vige, reigning under the unchallenged sovereignty of the unconquered mountains before it, as the Last Vige. The reason for such a name was actually quite simple; there was no other vige beyond it. Of course, if one were to cross the mountain range, they could enter the territory of the Northerners, but since no one dared to attempt such a foolish endeavor, no one contested the vige¡¯s name. However, despite its symbolic significance, the Last Vige was no more than a small, rustic vige. Due to its remote location, it had been a long time since the vige witnessed any outsider¡¯s presence. Kyle muttered in amazement at the fact that they had entered such a ce. ¡°There are even people in a ce like this, huh?¡± Ruon, who was thinking the same as Kyle, nced at Ame walking ahead of them. If she hadn¡¯t been their guide, they probably wouldn¡¯t have known of this vige¡¯s existence at all. The journey had been far from smooth, and the horses that had been with them for a considerable time were released into nature, their saddles and reins set free. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Ame said as they stopped in front of the inn in the center of the sleepy vige, and Ruon wordlessly scanned the exterior of the inn. Despite being in the small vige, the size of the log-built inn wasparable to those in big cities. ¡°Quite big, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Ame gave a faint smile as she pushed open the inn¡¯s door. Inside the inn, they were greeted by a man ofrge stature dozing off. ¡°Rick, wake up.¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, guests? Ame?¡± The man, still half-asleep, blinked his eyes as he confirmed Ame¡¯s face and quickly got up from his seat. ¡°Ame!¡± He opened his arms wide and embraced Ame, hisrge frame surprisingly even bigger than Ruon¡¯s. Wrapped in the man¡¯s massive embrace, which seemed to easily exceed 2 meters in height, Ame gasped for breath and gently patted the man¡¯s huge shoulders with her palms. ¡°Rick!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± As Rick released Ame with a cool expression, he spoke. ¡°Six months¡­ no, almost ten months now?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already been that long.¡± ¡°What about Salvator?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. By this man¡¯s hands.¡± Ruon, who had been silently observing the two, shrugged his shoulders wordlessly as Rick¡¯s gaze fell upon him. ¡°This friend killed Salvator? Come to think of it, that¡¯s two faces I don¡¯t recognize. Maybe you met them on your travels?¡± ¡°Rick, I know you must be curious about a lot of things, but we don¡¯t have much time.¡± Upon Ame¡¯s words, Rick scratched his head with his massive hand. ¡°Right, I guess there¡¯s not much we can do. Should we leave right away?¡± ¡°Please prepare as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°Alright. Wait here.¡± Kyle murmured as he watched Rick walking towards the inn¡¯s side gate. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone outss Ruon in terms of size.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural. Rick¡¯s great-grandmother was a giant.¡± ¡°A giant? A giant and that¡­ is that even possible?¡± Ame chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s possible, and that¡¯s why Rick exists.¡± ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± At that moment, Ruon asked a question. ¡°Is he also a wizard?¡± ¡°No, Rick isn¡¯t a wizard.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s more urate to call him an animal handler.¡± ¡®Animal handler?¡¯ Just then, a loud voice came from a distance. ¡°Ame! We¡¯re ready!¡± Ame nodded in response. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ruon, who had exited through the back door, widened his eyes in astonishment at the sight before him. In the center of a vast courtyard stood a massive beast. It had an overall appearance simr to a horse, but with a beak and talons of a bird of prey. The giant winged thing was purring and chirping, seemingly enjoying Rick¡¯s touch as he stroked its head. Ame spoke, turning towards the two men standing there in a daze. ¡°It¡¯s a hippogriff, a crossbreed between a griffin and a horse. Considering that a griffin¡¯s diet consists of horses¨Cit¡¯s a miracle it exists at all.¡± Finally, it felt like they were close to getting to the Tower of Magi. Not only was Rick a descendant of real giants, but the appearance of a crossbreed between a horse and a griffin had Ruon grinning. Meanwhile, Kyle, who had noticed the saddle ced on the massive back of the Hippogriff, stammered. ¡°N-No way? Seriously?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Kyle. We¡¯re going to fly on that thing.¡± ¡°¡ªshit.¡± Ame confidently approached the hippogriff. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Could you lend me your back?¡± As if understanding her calm voice, the hippogriff folded its legs, lowering its posture and spreading its giant wings towards the ground. ¡°Thank you.¡± Using the wings as a foothold, Ame climbed up and shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s gentle. Just hop up here.¡± Thanks to the Hippogriff¡¯s consideration, Ruon and Kyle climbed up behind Ame without much difficulty. Rick directed his words towards the three of them. ¡°The rope hanging next to the saddle is the lifeline, so tie it securely.¡± Hearing his words, Kyle, who had entered deep thought, quickly began to wrap the rope around his waist. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, off you go!¡± With a short shout, Rick lightly tapped the Hippogriff¡¯s hindquarters, and the creature seemed to understand, leaping up and galloping like a horse, its giant wings spread wide. Eeek! With a sharp scream, the massive body of the Hippogriff slowly began to rise into the air as it spread its wings fully. In an instant, the ground below shrank rapidly, and Kyle let out a scream. ¡°Whoa!¡± The sharp wind hit their faces forcefully, pushing them backward. As the cold air pierced their noses and mouths, Ruon took a deep breath. Feeling an exhrating sensation from the newfound sight and speed, he spread his arms wide, wearing a joyful smile. ¡°Ruon! Arms! Arms! Arms!¡± Suddenly unable to stabilize himself by holding onto Ruon¡¯s arms, Kyle trembled in panic, but Ruon ignored his screams. Eeek! At that moment, the hippogriff, which had been speeding along with the wind, suddenly folded its wings and began to glide. The direction its beak was pointing towards on its rollercoaster-like dive was an astonishingly steep cliff. ¡°Ame, has this beast suddenly, gone, crazy, or something?¡± Shouting to Ruon, who struggled to convey his thoughts amidst the gusting wind, Ame yelled back. ¡°No!¡± At that moment, the Hippogriff¡¯s body passed through the cliff. As Ruon turned to look back in surprise, he saw ripples in the empty air. ¡®Was it an illusion?¡¯ While he entertained such thoughts, the hippogriff flew in an arc, gradually slowing down andnding on the ground. As if inviting them to get off, it spread its wings towards the ground. After they all hopped off, including Kyle, who tumbled to the ground, the hippogriff let out a sharp scream, shooting up into the sky before disappearing from sight. ¡°Whoa!¡± As Ruon patted the back of Kyle, who was kneeling on the ground and emptying his stomach, he looked at the massive tower in front of him and spoke softly. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± *** A ma for entric wizards, a treasure trove of knowledge, an ivory tower of truth, and other such wonders¡­ Ruon figured that all the rumors and images he had heard about the Tower of Magi were nonsense. ¡°Indeed, you can¡¯t trust rumors.¡± Ame smiled at Ruon¡¯s words. ¡°Why? Too simple?¡± Ruon didn¡¯t bother denying her words. That¡¯s what something called the Tower of Magi should be like! He didn¡¯t have any preconceived notions, but still, the interior of the Tower was excessively in and boring. The interior of the Tower was hollow. A spiral staircase attached to the dull gray walls extended endlessly up to a ss ceiling where sunlight filtered in, and wooden doors appeared at regr intervals. That was all. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Ame extended her index finger and whispered softly, and a blue light soared into the air from the tip of her finger, entering a certain door. Shortly after, the door creaked open, and a man with a wild beard stuck his face out of the stairs. ¡°Ame? Amenya?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Eddie.¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± The man shouted in surprise, then stepped over the railing and leaped into the air. ¡°Is he f***ing insane?¡± Ruon unintentionally cursed, seeing the man who seemed to choose to leap straight to his death. Contrary to Ruon¡¯s fears, the man, who he thought would be dead in an instant, slowed down in mid-air andnded softly. ¡°Ame! You¡¯ve returned!¡± ¡°Still haven¡¯t bathed, huh?¡± ¡°Of course! Water entering my body empties my mind.¡± Eddie, giggling like a maniac, suddenly turned his gaze, wide-eyed, and stomped toward Kyle. ¡°Where did thise from!¡± His tiny, grimy fingers pointed at Kyle¡¯s shield. ¡°Ugh, that smell. Don¡¯t you clean under your fingernails?¡± Kyle stepped back in disgust, but Eddie followed him like an undead, reaching out with his arms stretched. ¡°Give it here. Let me see it just once. Just once.¡± Seeing the scene, Ame eximed. ¡°Eddie!¡± ¡°Oh, huh? Ame? You¡¯re back!¡± ¡®What a lunatic.¡¯ Looking at Eddie, who had repeated himself, Roon asked Ame: ¡°Why did you call this nut job?¡± Ame, who appeared unsurprised by the situation, replied to Ruon¡¯s question. ¡°Because this crazy guy is the one who ordered the recovery of the Fragment.¡± Eddie, who had been acting like a lunatic, suddenly trembled as if struck by invisible lightning. Then, he abruptly turned serious and asked in a lower voice than before. ¡°Ame, where is the Fragment?¡± Ignoring the drastic change, Ame casually retorted. ¡°This man has it. His name is Ruon, a warrior wielding a sword blessed by Tibe, and he killed Salvator.¡± After a concise exnation, Ruon didn¡¯t have anything else to add, taking out the b from his pocket and throwing it towards Eddie. Having caught it, Eddie winced in amazement. ¡°Belducias, Salvator, Ame¡­ and Quintuanus? How many powerful beings did this stone find?¡± ¡°There were reasons.¡± ¡°Salvator, the self-centered bastard, must have grown quite a bit.¡± Sighing deeply, Eddie snapped his fingers towards the group. ¡°Come closer.¡± Although Eddie¡¯s behavior seemed erratic, Ame nodded as if assuring them it was okay, and the three of them reluctantly approached Eddie. Eddie spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve ridden the hippo, so you shouldn¡¯t be too surprised by your bodies floating a little, right?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, all four of them began to float gently upwards. Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Is it an elevator? Ame looked at Ruon, who was gazing in wonder at the floor gently floating upwards, and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a levitating stone. When you infuse it with mana, it levitates. And when it¡¯s not infused with mana, it descends slowly, making it very convenient for this kind ofyered structure.¡± As her exnation came to an end, the levitating stone, which had been decelerating, stopped. The group climbed up the stairs and followed Eddie into a narrow corridor. As they walked down the corridor, Ame asked, ¡°Eddie, are the old men still the same?¡± Eddie, who was walking at the front, let out an annoyed snort. ¡°Ha, same old, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Have you figured much out?¡± Eddie poured out his words as if he had been waiting for that question. ¡°Ame, as you know, it¡¯s not been just a day or two since the work on interpreting the Philosopher¡¯s Stone has stalled. It¡¯s been over ten years since work stagnated, and I¡¯m always hysterical, trying to convince myself that it¡¯s just because Salvator damaged the stone¡­ It¡¯s more than my erratic mind can handle.¡± Ame sighed at Eddie, who continued talking without a break. ¡°They¡¯ve always been like that, but you should stop it with the split consciousness. Reduce the burden on your mental system. You¡¯re using more than half of your time being ¡®you¡¯ rather than ¡®yourself.''¡± Eddie didn¡¯t like her nagging, shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s hard enough to deal with the old men and their piled workload, I don¡¯t need to add you to the mix.¡± He added. ¡°Fortunately, most of the old men are so obsessed with their research that they rarely leave their rooms. That¡¯s why Iredor is the only one officially handling the affairs.¡± ¡°Iredor¡¯s not so bad.¡± ¡°At least he¡¯s talkative.¡± Listening to the two people conversing with each other, Kyle whispered to Ruon. ¡°What are they talking about? I can¡¯t understand a word because they keep mentioning magicians.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just gossiping about their bosses.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a boss?¡± A literal maze of books greeted the group as they passed through the hallway, sharing various conversations. Even Ruon let out a short gasp at the dizzying sight of thick volumes that must have numbered in the tens of thousands, each stacked along the walls. ¡®Incredible.¡¯ The group followed Eddie, who moved forward without stopping, veering this way and that as if he were used toing this way, and after a few moments, they arrived in front of an old man lying in a hammock, reading a book. ¡°Long time no see, Ame.¡± Without looking away from his book, the old man, who only moved his mouth, received Ame¡¯s light bow. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Master Iredor.¡± ¡®So, the old man is the Master of the Tower.¡¯ Ruon¡¯s eyes lit up at the unexpected title, and the old man stood up. Turning his head, the old man observed the faces of the group and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve brought strange fellows.¡± He pointed his spindly fingers alternately at Ruon and Kyle. ¡°It¡¯s quite amusing to see a man who¡¯s not even remotely sacred wielding a sword blessed by Tibe¡¯s grace. And the other one, carrying the long-lost spell destroyer¡­ Who on earth are you fellows?¡± Kyle extended his thumb towards the shield hanging behind his back and asked, ¡°Is this shield the spell destroyer?¡± At his confident question, wrinkles appeared between Iredor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Have you been carrying that thing around without even knowing its history? You reckless fellow¡­ That shield is¡­¡± At that moment, Eddie intervened. ¡°We can talk about thatter. It¡¯s better to finish what we need to discuss while I¡¯m still sane.¡± Saying that, Eddie held out the stone he had been carrying in one hand. Iredor¡¯s eyes narrowed deeply as he received the stone. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re heavily contaminated by Belducias¡¯s power. Did you even go as far as borrowing the hand of Quintuanus?¡± Ame, who remained silent, saw Iredor click his tongue. ¡°Well, that¡¯s your business.¡± Shaking his head, he said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult to restore the Philosopher¡¯s Stone right away. For now, we¡¯ll have to be satisfied that it¡¯s back in our hands.¡± For the first time, Iredor looked straight at Ame and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot to return it.¡± Ame did not deny it. ¡°There were many obstacles. Without the help of these two, it would have been impossible to return safely. That¡¯s why I want them to receive suitablepensation.¡± Nodding in agreement, Iredor said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I won¡¯t be ambiguous about the reward. Tell me what you want. Starting with you, what do you desire?¡± Kyle was pointed at first, and he scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Huh? Why all of a sudden? I haven¡¯t really done much¡­ I just followed along out of curiosity.¡± Unable to answer directly, he shook his head ufortably. Iredor turned to Ruon and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I came to read my fate.¡± Ruon¡¯s calm response made Iredor narrow his eyes. ¡°Fate?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why bother trying to find something so uncertain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my business.¡± Ruon¡¯s unflinching response caused the wrinkles around Iredor¡¯s eyes to soften. ¡°Alright, fine.¡± Saying that, Iredor began to rub his lips slowly. Then, light emerged like mist from his body, floating up into the air and illuminating a giant painting on the ceiling. ¡®A map?¡¯ As Ruon looked up at the massive map covering the ceiling, Iredor approached him and extended his hand. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± He didn¡¯t particrly like the idea of being asked to offer his hand, but living in a ce like this hardly made him a normal person, so Ruon graciously wrapped his hand around Iredor¡¯s petite palm. Iredor spoke. ¡°I should warn you in advance. What you are about to see is by no means a predetermined oue. It is merely a glimpse into the most realistic possibilities constructed based on your past, permeating through countless scenarios. So¡­¡± ¡®What nonsense is this?¡¯ Ruon didn¡¯t need any verbose exnation that he couldn¡¯t understand, so he cut Iredor off. ¡°If your exnation is too long, it only makes you look like you have nothing to say, esteemed magician.¡± ¡°You impudent brat,¡± Iredor said, crinkling his nose, as he grasped Ruon¡¯s hand firmly. In that moment, Ruon felt his field of vision hurtling towards the sky. In an instant, as he collided with the map drawn on the ceiling! He found himself standing in a dark forest. Sensing an eerie presence, Ruon looked around. ¡°Eeek!¡± At that moment, a horrifying scream came from behind. When he turned his head, he saw a monster with long arms and legs rushing towards him with terrifying speed. ¡®It¡¯s gone?¡¯ Ruon, who was about to draw his Holy Sword, btedly realized that he had nothing at his waist as the monster approached him. Nevertheless, as the monster approached his face, Ruon reflexively threw a punch. But the punch passed right through the monster¡¯s body. As the monster passed by behind him, Ruon turned his head towards it. ¡°Eeek!¡± The monster let out a painful scream. Suddenly, the dismembered creature¡¯s body fell to the ground in pieces. The man who dismembered the monster, a banshee, showed a faint smile and mumbled to himself. ¡°Not bad.¡± It wasn¡¯t a vision. Only then did Ruon realize that this scenery was a moment from his past. The scenery changed once again. He passed through the scene where he killed five thugs targeting a ne and hurried his steps, and the moment when he cut off the head of a monster that birthed ghouls passed by in an instant. The monastery, Holy Sword, obelisk, Kyle, Ame, the devil¡¯s minions, and the Tower. Thendscapes that changed one after another ording to the passage of time began to elerate, until suddenly they brought Ruon to an entirely new space. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ The air was dim and filled with a sinister aura, the murky water rose up to their ankles, and floating within it was blood. Following the long streaks of blood with his eyes, Ruon could spot something enormous crouching in the distance. As Ruon watched it gradually unfold its twisted form, he gritted his teeth. It was a gigantic hand. Three huge hands of different colors, one in red, one yellow, and one ck. ¡°¡­Belducius.¡± In that moment, the ground beneath Ruon¡¯s feet crumbled and began to sink. As he plummeted into the abyss-like darkness along with the crumblingnd, a familiar voice echoed in his ears. ¡°Are you awake?¡± In a sh, Ruon opened his eyes and looked into the blue irises of Ame, who was leaning against the headboard of the bed, wearing a worried expression. ¡°Did I lose consciousness?¡± ¡°Surprisingly.¡± ¡®Have I ever lost consciousness due to someone else?¡¯ Judging by how he couldn¡¯t remember, it seemed unlikely. ¡°What happened?¡± Ame immediately answered. ¡°After Iredor let go of your hand, you remained standing in the same spot without moving. You stood like that for a few minutes and then suddenly lost consciousness. You should have seen Kyle¡¯s expression¡­¡± As if something crossed her mind, Ame¡¯s low murmuring ceased, and she asked, ¡°I know it¡¯s rude, but can I ask what you saw?¡± Since it wasn¡¯t really a secret, Ruon answered right away. ¡°I came face to face with something that looked like Belducius, but I¡¯m not sure if it was really him.¡± Ame¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You saw him?¡± While looking at Ruon, who nodded nonchntly, Ame muttered to herself. ¡°The past, where you purified the power of Belducius¡¯ minions by killing three of them with the Holy Sword, must have had a significant influence. However, Ruon¡­ as Iredor said, it¡¯s not a definite future, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Ruon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Worry? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say it before? When faced with such a situation, just kill them. That¡¯s all.¡± Ameughed dryly at Ruon¡¯s resolute words. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Whenever you say something like that, it never sounds like a joke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke.¡± Ame burst intoughter, pressing her finger against her mouth, as if trying to hold back herughter. ¡°Ruon, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°You have a lot of questions today.¡± ¡°Is it not allowed?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t answer.¡± Perhaps not expecting such an agreeable response, Ame widened her eyes and slowly began to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious. With your level of skills, you could live anywhere and be treated like royalty. Why don¡¯t you do that?¡± Ruon couldn¡¯t answer immediately. Her question prated his entire life as the character known as Ruon. Why does he fight? Why does he level up? Why does he seek stronger opponents? Why¡­ Why can¡¯t he settle down? Naturally, the answer had always been the same. He wanted to go back. Not because he desperately missed the life of a 26-year-old college student who had no time to spare for job preparation, but simply because it was where he belonged. No matter how strong his body and swordsmanship were in this world, Ruon was merely an eternal stranger gued by a longing for home. As Ruon searched for a sentence that could sinctly exin all those emotions to Ame, he suddenly smiled lightly and opened his mouth. ¡°Toplete my story.¡± Chapter 26: Chapter 26: In thete night as moonlight poured through the ss ceiling of the tower, the party sat around a small wooden table in Ame¡¯s room, enjoying beer. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s so refreshing.¡± Kyle quickly emptied his ss, grimacing as he let out a rough breath. One of his eyes was swollen shut, a consequence of hisment about how the room smelled like a single woman¡¯s, which earned him a punch from Ame as they entered. ¡°Drink as much as you want. You don¡¯t have to worry about a hangover today.¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡± Despite the words meant to cheer him up, Kyle let out a heavy sigh, catching Ame¡¯s curious gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you still feel sick?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s finally over.¡± At the unexpected words, Ame let out a lowugh. ¡°Are you feeling sentimental? That after a journey where we¡¯ve been on the move from dusk till dawn, fighting monsters and demons, it¡¯sing to an end?¡± Kyle pped his hands. ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s not just that, but¡­ Ruon, are you just going to continue to drink beer after everything we¡¯ve been through?¡± Suddenly, as the conversation¡¯s arrow flew his way, Ruon put down the beer he was drinking and said, ¡°Are you trying to talk about camaraderie or something?¡± Kyle dipped his ss into the barrel full of beer and mumbled the end of his sentence. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit vague¡­¡± Then Ame spoke. ¡°What will the two of you do now?¡± She said ¡°the two of you¡±, but her gaze was directed at Ruon. Ruon replied concisely, ¡°I¡¯ll move wherever my feet take me.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought you¡¯d answer like that.¡± Ame turned her head to look at Kyle. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I haven¡¯t really thought about it yet.¡± Even as he spoke, his eyes seemed to follow Ruon, as if he wanted to join him. However, when Ruon remained expressionless and silent, Kyle let out a soft sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister. We¡¯re not parting ways right away, after all.¡± He raised his beer ss, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Shall we make a toast?¡± *** Looking down at Kyle, who had fallen face-first onto the table, Ruon quietly stood up. After quickly checking his equipment, he tried to open the door silently when he heard someone rustling, getting out of bed. ¡°Kyle will be disappointed, won¡¯t he?¡± Ruon turned his head toward Ame as she approached, stretching. ¡°You didn¡¯t fall asleep?¡± ¡°I happened to wake up.¡± Perhaps thinking her words sounded like nonsense, Ame chuckled softly. ¡°You seem like the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t leave without saying goodbye, so I waited, pretending to sleep, and I guess it worked.¡± As she said that, she took out two bottles and handed them to Ruon. One red potion was made with troll blood, something Ruon was familiar with, but the shimmering purple potion was unfamiliar. Ruon epted the bottles with a puzzled expression. ¡°This one is a personal thanks from me.¡± ¡°A personal thanks?¡± Looking at the purple potion, Ruon asked while Ameughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not poison. You can drink it right away if you want.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Flicking the cap away with his thumb, Ruon immediately gulped down the contents of the bottle. As the thick liquid passed down his throat, his heart began to race at an rming speed. He asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It makes your bones and muscles stronger and more resilient. If an ordinary person used it, they would experience a dramatic change, but with your physical abilities, the change might not be as significant.¡± Contrary to Ame¡¯s concerns, Ruon felt his strength and stamina increase slightly, and he smiled happily. ¡°No, I¡¯m quite satisfied.¡± ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°As you can see.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop you, huh?¡± Ame shook her head, chuckling. ¡°Just walk straight forward after leaving the tower. If you walk for about a day, you¡¯ll arrive at the vige where you rode the hippogriff.¡± ¡°Sounds like a n.¡± Nodding his head, Ruon added some words before turning around. ¡°When that woodcutter wakes up, tell him we¡¯ll meet again if the opportunity arises.¡± ¡°Sure, I got it.¡± There was no need for more trivial conversation. Ruon and Ame lightly shook hands, and that was their farewell. As Ruon descended the spiral staircase, Ame spoke softly as she watched him. ¡°Take care.¡± *** ¡°Fascinating.¡± Ruon stretched his hand in admiration as the once t ground transformed into a steep cliff. Seeing his hand disappear in mid-air as if it had been severed, he passed through the invisible barrier and turned his head. He didn¡¯t know if he would have a chance to return here again, so he carefully scanned the surrounding terrain with his eyes as he descended the quiet mountain path. Suddenly, he looked back. ¡®It might be a bit lonely for a while.¡¯ He thought that a wandering life had taken away most of his lingering emotions, but seeing himself turn back subconsciously, he realized that it might not be entirely true. However, as always, he moved forward once again, leaving the past behind. *** ¡°Thirsty.¡± Becky struggled to moisten her parched lips. No matter how hard she tried to move her dry tongue, only groans escaped from her mouth. The rope that stole her freedom had caused excruciating pain as time passed, digging into her tender flesh. ¡°Dirty witch.¡± A middle-aged man, who used to exchange yful jokes with her in the vige, spat venomous words and a vile phlegm as he passed by. ¡°Die, witch!¡± A child, whom she had cared for since infancy, hurled a stone at her with his grimy hands. In her clouded consciousness, Becky asked herself a fundamental question: why had thingse to this? No matter how many times she thought about it, it all began when a woman named S came to town. S¡¯s beauty was enough to shake up the rural vige, and after bing the mistress of the aging vige chief, who had been widowed years prior, she quickly rose to prominence. Becky didn¡¯t care much about it. She just thought it was pretty clever of S to pander to the old man. e night, unable to sleep, Becky stepped outside, hoping the fresh air might help. And there she saw it¡ªS entering Kuhn¡¯s house. It was clear what was going on, so, blushing, Becky went back inside her house. The sight of the secret rendezvous left a deep impression, and she struggled to fall asleep that night. But when she finally woke up from her restless sleep, she heard an unbelievable piece of news. Kuhn had been found dead in his house, the blood drained from his body, leaving an eerie corpse. Terrified, Becky made up her mind to inform the vigers of what she had witnessed. Approaching the crowd gathered at the tragic scene, she was about to speak up when S shouted, ¡°It¡¯s her! I saw her entering Kuhn¡¯s house!¡± Overwhelmed by the fervent tears welling up in S¡¯s eyes, the vigers turned their heads toward Becky in unison. Becky couldn¡¯t recall what happened next. Her hair was ripped out, her clothes torn, and her hands and feet crudely bound. The vague memory she had was of people cursing and throwing stones at her. She tried to shout that it wasn¡¯t true, that S was lying, that she wasn¡¯t the real culprit. Realizing that her blood-curdling screams were met with nothing but curses and stones, Becky eventually stopped talking. The people, who strangely trusted S¡¯s word, sentenced her to die as the dead Kuhn had, and so the morning of the third day dawned. ¡®Gods, please help me.¡¯ In the haze of her mind, as she desperately called for help from the gods, she realized that the sunlight wasn¡¯t touching her face. She looked up and saw a giant man standing there. His face was obscured by the sun, but his deep, unwavering ck eyes were clearly visible. There was no anger or disgust in those eyes, so Becky squeezed out a raspy voice. ¡°S-save me¡ª¡° Instead of answering, the man pulled a canteen from his backpack and held it to Becky¡¯s mouth. As the cool water touched her lips and trickled down her throat, an overwhelming sense of freshness washed over her body, making her shiver. As her vision cleared, she could see the man¡¯s appearance clearly. Tall stature, broad shoulders, and muscr arms with veins twisting beneath the skin. With an imposing exterior, his low, deep voice resonated. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± At that question, Becky burst into tears. For the past three days, no one had asked her such a question. As she struggled topose herself and open her mouth, the vigers came pouring out. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Did you give water to that witch? Are you insane?¡± ¡°Get out of here! Outsider!¡± The situation had escted quickly. Ruon let out a quiet sigh. He¡¯d ridden into the vige he¡¯d found on the first day of the new month, and in the center of the vige was a woman, tied up and sobbing. He¡¯d given her a sip of water and asked her a question, and that was enough to bring everyone in the vige out of hiding, which left him bewildered. The crowd growled with threatening menace, ready to attack at a moment¡¯s notice. Not only men but also women, children, and the elderly all came out, surrounding the area and starting to shout loudly. Ruon, who had turned into the center of attention in an instant, looked at the trembling woman with his shoulders hunched and spoke. ¡°Why is this woman tied up?¡± In response to his question, the crowd erupted, shouting frantically. ¡°She¡¯s a witch!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a demon who killed an innocent viger!¡± ¡°She should die just like him! The same death!¡± Ruon scratched his head. No matter how he looked at it, the woman trembling before him didn¡¯t seem like a witch or a demon. How could ordinary rural people overpower such a creature in the first ce? The situation didn¡¯t make sense, and he didn¡¯t need intuition to know that. However, seeing the crowd¡¯s restless eyes, it seemed that logical reasoning wouldn¡¯t get through to them. Ruon growled lowly. ¡°Can you all shut up?¡± Saying that, he turned his head and scanned each face with his eyes. Those hiding behind the shield of the crowd cowered and bowed their heads when they met Ruon¡¯s stern gaze. ¡®That¡¯s better.¡¯ As silence settled, Ruon gave a faint smile. Then someone shouted. ¡°Who are you to persecute our vigers and help a witch?¡± Turning his head in the direction of the sharp voice, he saw a blonde woman with a sensual figure emerge from behind the crowd. As Ruon stared intently at the blond woman, a raspy voice emanated from the bound woman. ¡°¡­It¡¯s her.¡± Though her words were disjointed, Ruon seemed to understand and nodded briefly. ¡°Looks like it.¡± The Holy Sword at his waist trembled slightly. Holding the hilt tightly, Ruon sensed the hostile emotions contained within it. Without hesitation, he drew the sword. In response, the blond woman let out a pale screech. ¡°He¡¯s in league with the witch!¡± As the vigers began to react in agreement, Ruon spoke firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s put a hold on the acting.¡± Chapter 27: Chapter 27: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Ruon held his Holy Sword towards the blonde woman. She gasped in horror and grabbed the older man beside her by the shoulders. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, put that away!¡± The men standing around her shouted. ¡°He¡¯s definitely in league with the witch!¡± ¡°The damned swordsman has no business being here!¡± ¡°Scum aiming a sword at a delicate woman!¡± Disregarding their remarks, Ruon struck the ground. The people around him, surprised by his reckless action, screamed and scattered in all directions. The only one who stood still was the blonde woman. At first nce, she seemed like someone frozen in fear, but that wasn¡¯t the case. She was following the trajectory of Ruon¡¯s swinging sword with her calm eyes. Seeing the determination in her tranquil gaze, Ruon cast away any hesitation and brought down his sword. In that moment, the woman twisted her body and Ruonged at him with a beastly roar. Ruon quickly raised his leg to retaliate, but surprisingly, the woman skillfully evaded his attack and struck back with her hand. Ruon grabbed her outstretched arm and parried the attack, taking two steps back to avoid her iing strikes. ¡®I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be the hand-to-handbat type.¡¯ Ruon, who had judged his opponent to be a witch based on her feminine appearance, smirked at the woman who was transforming before his eyes. ¡°¡ªI thought a woman¡¯s transformation was supposed to be innocent.¡± Her once fair skin became rough and calloused, and her plump lips ripped open, revealing long fangs. With a crackling sound, sharp ws emerged from her fingertips. From her transformed mouth, a beastly growl echoed. The now scarlet-haired woman, or rather, the monster, spoke. ¡°You ruined everything I¡¯ve been working for.¡± Then, with a sharp, contorted finger, she pointed directly at Ruon. ¡°You shall quench my thirst. I¡¯ll squeeze everyst drop out of you.¡± With her gums exposed, she smiled, and her elongated fangs glinted menacingly. The creature ced both hands on the ground and rushed forward on all fours. The monster leaped up and swung her arm forcefully. Ruon didn¡¯t dodge or block the blow, which sliced through the air like a whip. Rather, he extended his arm. Like an acrobat catching a flying de, Ruon sped the monster¡¯s wrist in mid-air. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± The monster screamed in agony, falling to its knees. The bone that protruded through the broken wrist looked gruesome. ¡°Kyaaah! Let go! Let go!¡± The creature tried to strike back with its other hand, but before it could, the Holy Sword pierced through the back of its hand and embedded itself deep within the earth. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± Trapped with both hands immobilized, the creature writhed and shuddered. It was the only movement it could make with its freedom taken away. Ruon, his hands now free of the shattered bones that once were her wrists, grabbed the creature¡¯s head with both hands, its eyes filled with terror. ¡°Wait! Wait! Please, don¡¯t do it! Stop!¡± The monster pleaded desperately, seemingly anticipating what was about to happen. Ruon spoke with an unyielding voice. ¡°Squeeze everyst drop out? I¡¯m just doing as you suggested.¡± Thick tendons bulged on the back of his hand. Crack! With the chilling sound of a thick skull being crushed, the monster¡¯s eyes rolled back, and blood poured from every hole in its face. Releasing his grip, Ruon spat on the ground and brushed his hand off. Hoping to absorb the essence of the dead monster, Ruon stared at the Holy Sword embedded in his hand, but after a while with no response, he scratched his head and pulled the sword out. It was highly effective at signaling when he was near an evil being, but unfortunately, it appeared that he couldn¡¯t absorb the power of a non-demonic entity. Putting aside his disappointment, Ruon turned and approached the bound woman, cutting the ropes that restrained her. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah.¡± Seeing the woman copse, unable to even take a proper step, Ruon sighed and bent his knees, taking out a vial of red liquid from his backpack. It was a potion he had received from Ame before leaving the tower. ¡°Pardon me for a moment.¡± Ruon tilted the woman¡¯s bloodied ankle and let a few drops of the potion fall onto it. After dripping some of the potion onto her wrists as well, Ruon brushed off his hands and stood up, and Becky spoke in a desperate voice. ¡°I, uh¨Ccan you help me get home?¡± Looking at her uneasy gaze, Ruon nced around. Even though everyone had clearly witnessed that the blonde woman was a monster, their gazes towards him and the woman were cold and indifferent. ¡®They must be trying to rationalize it.¡¯ Ruon nodded his head. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡± *** The house was an absolute mess. There was not a single piece of furniture still in ce, and various odds and ends were scattered all over the floor. Even worse, the walls were covered with red letters,beling the ce as a witch¡¯sir or a devil¡¯s abode. It didn¡¯t feel like a house fit for human habitation at all. Ruon chuckled to himself as he realized that the ce had been stripped of anything that could be used for food or money. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Becky, struggling to bow her head as she slowly tore off small pieces of the dried meat that Ruon had given her. ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m alive. I¡¯m sorry, I wish I could give you my entire fortune¡ªbut I don¡¯t have anything left.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The experience points were surprisingly substantial, so that¡¯s enough.¡± Although it seemed clear that Becky didn¡¯t understand Ruon¡¯s words, she had no strength to question him and she leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. After breathing heavily for a while, she slowly opened her mouth. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t live here anymore, can I?¡± ¡°Do you still want to live here after what you¡¯ve been through?¡± Becky shook her head heavily. Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks before falling to the ground. ¡°I thought¨CI thought they¡¯d at least apologize.¡± ¡®Damn.¡¯ Ruon smiled bitterly to himself. It was clear that nobody would apologize to her. They would move on, averting their eyes from their own wrongdoing, ruining an innocent person¡¯s life. But he didn¡¯t dare say those words. It would only cause more pain to say as such to someone who was already overwhelmed with distraught. ¡°What do I do now?¡± Becky¡¯s voice grew weaker as she spoke, and she began to slump down. Unable to resist the overwhelming exhaustion, her body copsed onto the floor. Watching her like that, Ruon scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± Although there was nothing left for him to do here, and he could leave without any problems, he felt uneasy abandoning the unconscious woman in this mess. In the end, Ruon sat down on the floor and took out a rolled-up map from his backpack. The map was marked with small ¡®x¡¯ symbols, indicating his travel route. ¡®I should be able to arrive within a few days.¡¯ Estimating the distance between thest ¡®x¡¯ mark and the city of Nook, Ruon nodded. He usually moved wherever his feet took him, but this time, he had bought a map and was moving along the fastest route. He finally had a clear destination after a long time wandering. Ruon tapped the words ¡°Nook¡± on the map with his finger. The city of Nook, a port city located at the edge of the kingdom¡¯s territory, was his destination. To be precise, the real destination was the Grand Church of Tibe within Nook. ¡®The Grand Church¡­¡¯ The reason Ruon decided to visit the Grand Church was not because he suddenly developed faith, but because of the vision of Belducias that he had seen at the Tower. Whether it was a confirmed future or not, Ruon knew well that as long as he carried the sword blessed by Tibe, he couldn¡¯t help but be associated with Belducias. Because it was at Tibe¡¯s monastery that it had all started, he nned to go to the Great Church to learn more about Tibe¡¯s true intentions and prepare for the fight ahead. Putting the map back into his backpack, Ruon leaned against the wall and closed his eyes quietly. After a few hours, he woke up from a light slumber and looked around. It seemed that the sun had set, and a mixture of white moonlight and darkness poured through the window. Turning his head, he could still see Becky lying there, unconscious. Ruon looked around to see if there was anything he could use to cover her, but there was nothing suitable nearby. As he did so, he noticed a faint trace of auraing from beyond the door. He closed his eyes and engaged his senses. He activated [Fairy¡¯s Hearing], which had been dormant for a long time, and brought the sounds from outside the door to his ears. ¡°Do you have to go this far, chief?¡± ¡°Shut up! He¡¯s the one who killed S.¡± ¡°Vige chief, S was a¡­ She was a monster.¡± ¡°And if that brat hadn¡¯t shown up, no one would have known, not me, and not any of you. Becky would have died, and S would have remained my eternalpanion!¡± The vige chief sounded less than a tenth as sane as a normal person, continuing to spout nonsensical words. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤And what if Becky goes to the city to report what happened in the vige? If she was alone, we could just treat her like a crazy woman, but if she brings up the one who killed S as a witness, things will getplicated. Can¡¯t you understand this? If anyone here hasn¡¯t thrown a stone at Becky, then step forward now!¡± Silence hung in the room, and the vige chief spoke again with an agitated voice. ¡°If sheins and runs away, it¡¯s over. If they both die, all the better, and if only Becky dies, we¡¯ll be done.¡± ¡®¡­Truly insane.¡¯ There was nothing more to listen to, so Ruon clicked his tongue and got up from his spot. He opened the door and stepped outside, heading towards where the voices hade from. The group of men who had gathered across from Becky¡¯s house and behind the dead Koon¡¯s house, were startled by Ruon¡¯s sudden appearance and shouted in surprise. ¡°Whoa! What, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°When did he get here?¡± Ruon silently scanned the huddled group with his eyes. Spotting a man carrying a ss jar that smelled of oil and a torch, he said. ¡°It looks like he has something to burn.¡± At that, an older man who appeared to be the chief spoke up. ¡°Mind your own business, outsider.¡± Ruon slowly approached the man, who¡¯s voice trembled with fear and eyes watered. ¡°Kek!¡± In an instant, Ruon grabbed the vige chief by the cor and leaned close to his ear, growling softly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to try to conspire against me, you might as well be dead.¡± Suddenly, the chief¡¯s crotch grew damp under Ruon¡¯s formidable gaze. As Ruon let the trembling vige chief fall to the ground like trash, he turned his gaze toward the vigers who were watching cautiously with fearful expressions. He clicked his tongue with a threatening look. ¡°Put down what you¡¯re holding and get lost.¡± The men with the oil bottle and torch dropped them on the ground without looking back and hurriedly fled. After a moment¡¯s nce down at the chief, who was grunting as if he¡¯d hurt his back, Ruon picked up the torch and jar of oil and started walking toward thergest house in the vige. Confirming the namete next to the door that read ¡®Chief Fran,¡¯ he didn¡¯t hesitate to toss the torch and oil bottle through the half-open window. ¡°What, what are you doing!? Have you gone mad?¡± The staggering chief shrieked, and Ruon shrugged. ¡°Rather than squeal, maybe you should put out the fire.¡± Chapter 28: Chapter 28: The night passed as the devastating inferno engulfed the chief¡¯s house. Struggling to open her eyes amidst the chirping of birds, Becky opened the window to the smell of burnt wood. Looking out, she could see remnants of Chief Fran¡¯s house, which had been reduced to ashes. Unless she¡¯d gone mad, it was undoubtedly his house. Gathering at the front of the old man¡¯s house, whose mind had clouded with S¡¯s death, was a mass of people in amotion. Becky turned her head and, with a trembling voice, asked Ruon, who was leaning against the remains of her own house. ¡°What happened during the night?¡± Ruon replied. ¡°Who knows, maybe they received divine punishment.¡± Thinking his words were absurd, Ruon added, ¡°The chief is dead. He probably tried to salvage something from the fire and ended up trapped inside.¡± Ruon pointed outside the window as he spoke. ¡°Those people standing there grabbed anything valuable as soon as the fire subsided, ckened or otherwise, they took everything. They didn¡¯t seem to care much that the chief died. Look carefully, those people were your neighbors all this time.¡± Seeing Becky¡¯s face showed a bitter smile as she observed the crowd, Ruon brushed off his seat and stood up. ¡°I should be going now.¡± As Ruon stepped outside the door, Becky followed him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live in a ce like this anymore.¡± Seeing Becky¡¯s tearful smile, Ruon smiled wryly. ¡°A good choice.¡± His concerns about what to do with Becky if she tried to follow him subsided as they left the vige. As they walked, Becky lowered her head deeply and spoke. ¡°Thank you very much. I won¡¯t forget this kindness. Someday, I will repay you.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going somewhere, and I¡¯ll do whatever I have to do to survive.¡± Impressed by her determination, Ruon couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Becky had been persecuted as a witch, facing scornful nces and torture. However, she smiled with clear eyes, seemingly impossible for someone who had been abandoned under the gaze of contempt. Caught off guard by her serene andposed expression, Ruon unconsciously uttered a sentence. He didn¡¯t even realize he was speaking until the moment his words ended. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I can take you to the city.¡± Becky raised her head. ¡°No, I would be too much of a burden. I can¡¯t allow it.¡± Btedly realizing the words he spoke, Ruon also raised his head. ¡®I have to take responsibility for what I said.¡¯ ¡°No, wandering around like that, you¡¯ll either end up torn apart by hungry wolves or be a target for street gangs. I¡¯ll take you just to the city, nothing more. It¡¯ll only take a few days to get to Nook anyway.¡± Ignoring Becky¡¯sment about being a burden, Ruon turned around and spoke. ¡°Follow me.¡± *** With a statue of Tibe for every 300 steps, people often called this serene path the Pilgrim¡¯s Path or the Path of Peace and Mercy. Whenever you see a statue of Tibe, stop and say a silent prayer. It was themitment required of those walking the Pilgrim¡¯s Path. As they passed hundreds of Tibe statues, Priest Igor faithfully adhered to the ancient tradition, showing sincere reverence to each statue without neglecting a single one. ¡°O Mother who embraces all with mercy. May your touch be devoted to peace¡­¡± His expression was solemn as he prayed quietly. Despite passing over a hundred statues, his posture remained unchanged from the start of the path. With such devotion, it was no wonder Igor was transferred from a foreign church to the Great Church. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As Igor finished his prayer and rose with a joyful expression, someone walked past him without stopping to pray. ¡®What a disgrace!¡¯ Igor turned his head sharply and shouted. ¡°Hey, you!¡± One of the two people walking side by side turned to face him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Facing the man¡¯s massive figure and stern expression, Igor nervously swallowed his saliva. However, he raised his voice again. There was nothing to be afraid of, Mother was standing beside him! ¡°This is the Pilgrim¡¯s Path!¡± ¡°So?¡± As the man replied gruffly, Igor was at a loss for words, alternating his gaze between the man and the scruffy woman beside him. She whispered something in the man¡¯s ear, who then scowled. ¡°Why waste time on such things?¡± The man turned around swiftly and strode forward. The woman, alternately ncing between Igor and the man with a bewildered expression, bowed her head apologetically and chased after the man¡¯s brisk steps. ¡°This is sphemy!¡± Shivering, Igor chased after the two while shouting. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± ¡®What the f*** is this guy doing?¡¯ Seeing the man running towards him and shouting from behind, Ruon frowned. Though there was a tradition of praying whenever a Tibe statue came into view, Becky had just told him that hardly anyone followed it these days. Even if the tradition was still being upheld, from Ruon¡¯s perspective, such a waste of time was unthinkable. The man running towards him seemed like a lunatic. Meanwhile, Ruon passed another Tibe statue. ¡°No, no, no! Stop!¡± In a hurry, the man reached another statue and, after a brief struggle, ended up kneeling and praying. Seeing this, Ruon let out a sigh. ¡°¡­And he¡¯s praying in the midst of chasing us.¡± ¡°He must be a devout person.¡± Ruon nodded at Becky¡¯s words. ¡®If we leave him alone, he¡¯ll fall behind himself.¡¯ Having sorted out his thoughts, Ruon turned around and continued walking. Meanwhile, Igor, watching Ruon from a distance, sighed. ¡°W-Wait¡­¡± *** After a while, Ruon, who had left the Pilgrim¡¯s Path, looked at the setting sun in the western sky and murmured softly. ¡°The sun¡¯s setting faster than I thought.¡± He directed his words towards Becky, who had neatly folded her hands below her waist, and asked, ¡°Is there a suitable ce nearby to rest?¡± ¡°No, as far as I know, there isn¡¯t. The distance between viges is so great that there is hardly ever any traffic.¡± ¡®Camping again, huh?¡¯ Today marked the second day since they left the vige, and once again, they found themselves preparing to camp. Ruon sighed softly at the thought. Seeing Ruon¡¯s sigh, Becky gave a faint smile. ¡°Let¡¯s try to find a suitable spot.¡± The two of them found a spot with level ground and immediately began preparing to camp. Becky diligently helped Ruon, even though it was clear that she was in no condition to do so. Sitting in front of the flickering campfire, Becky said, ¡°Ruon-nim.¡± ¡°Ruon is fine.¡± ¡°Ruon-nim.¡± ¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Sighing lowly at Becky¡¯s insistence on honorifics, Ruon asked. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Can I go somewhere for a while?¡± Ruon was about to ask where she wanted to go at this hour, but he held his tongue when he saw Becky¡¯s flushed face. Her crossed legs and anxious expression clearly indicated that she had an urgent matter to attend to. Ruon realized that Becky hadn¡¯t mentioned wanting to go to the bathroom once all day. He immediately said, ¡°Go. Just don¡¯t go too far.¡± As she quickly stood up and disappeared into the tall grass, Ruon scratched his head. ¡®I¡¯ve been thoughtless.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t noticed because she was trying to avoid being a bother. Ruon was contemting whether he should apologize when a sharp scream jolted him into action. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Ruon rushed towards the direction of the scream and furrowed his brows at the scene before him. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Dozens of wolves surrounded Becky, who had fallen to the ground. However, what caught Ruon¡¯s attention was a man standing tall with his arms outstretched, facing the wolves. ¡°Hungry beasts, back away from this woman!¡± The man spoke in a grandiose manner, and Ruon recognized him as the same one they encountered on the path filled with the statues of Tibe. As Ruon started to walk closer, the man¡¯s body emitted a bright aura. The light was bright, but not blinding. Rather, it gave off a feeling of warmth. As the wolves exposed to the light hesitated and eventually withdrew, the man kneeling down immediately began to pray. ¡°Thank you. Mother, your mercy has saved this woman and yourmbs¡­¡± ¡°In the midst of this, he¡¯s still praying?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Hearing Luon, the man scoffed. ¡®Who is this guy?¡¯ Ruon shook his head in disbelief as he watched the man who continued to pray with his cupped hands. ¡°You, you!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Cutting off the man¡¯s words, Ruon went straight to Becky, who had fallen to the ground. ¡°I told you not to go too far.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything either, so let¡¯s forget about it.¡± Having said that, Ruon looked at the man still kneeling and said, ¡°Follow me.¡± A momentter, the three of them sat around the campfire, wordlessly ncing at each other. In reality, it was more like Becky and the man were ncing at Ruon. The first to break the silence was the man. ¡°I am Igor. I thank you for your hospitality.¡± ¡°Thank you for assisting us. I am Becky.¡± ¡°No, your thanks are unnecessary. As a proud priest of Tibe, it¡¯s my duty to do what I did.¡± ¡°Did you recently start on the Pilgrim¡¯s Path?¡± Igor nodded as if it was obvious. ¡°Yes, it hasn¡¯t been long since I started on the path. I thought I would have to spend the night without shelter due to the setting sun, but thanks to Mother¡¯s mercy, I met all of you and now sit by this warm fire.¡± He added briefly, ¡°While we¡¯re at it, let¡¯s all offer a prayer of thanks to Mother¡­¡± ¡°You can pray on your own. Are you headed to the Grand Church?¡± Ruon interrupted and entered the conversation, causing Igor to nod slowly with a displeased expression. Ruon chuckled at his expression. Though he found the prayer enthusiast Igor a bit irritating, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a Tibe priest apanying him on his way to the Grand Church. Besides, it was a bit much to leave him alone after his timely appearance and rescue of Becky. Igor asked, ¡°Where are the two of you heading?¡± ¡°To Nook.¡± Ruon answered briefly. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence that we met like this, but in the future¡ª¡° Suddenly, Igor¡¯s words trailed off. Frowning, he nced up and down at Ruon, then fixed his gaze on Ruon¡¯s waist. ¡°Uh, what is that sword? Why does it seem so infused with Tibe¡¯s power¡­¡± Ruon lifted the Holy Sword out of its sheath, directing his gaze towards Igor, who looked at it with a puzzled expression. ¡°Your Mother gave it to me as a gift.¡± Chapter 29: Chapter 29: ¡°What is that?¡± Igor, not immediately understanding Ruon¡¯s words, looked at the pommel adorned beneath the sword¡¯s handle and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°A silverwood stag. Goodness, it¡¯s Tibe¡¯s relic.¡± With an expression of awe, he gazed at the Holy Sword, but his expression soon stiffened, and he cautiously asked Ruon. ¡°Is it really yours?¡± Ruon nodded as if it was obvious. ¡°What, you think I stole it or something?¡± As Ruon said that, gripping the handle of the Holy Sword, the sword quivered slightly in his hands. Of course, it was only felt by Ruon, who was connected to the sword, so Becky showed no change in expression, but Igor was different. As a priest of Tibe, perhaps sensing something, he widened his eyes and immediately knelt down. ¡°I bow before Tibe¡¯s champion, the owner of the Holy Sword.¡± Seeing his solemn attitude, Ruon let out a faint sigh and set the sword down beside him. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t act so ceremonious. While it¡¯s true that I¡¯m the owner of this sword, I¡¯m not the kind of person you seem to think I am.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Recalling the incident on Pilgrim¡¯s Path, Igor trailed off, but he still looked at Ruon with eyes full of admiration, indicating that he didn¡¯t mind. Becky seemed equally surprised by Igor¡¯s sudden title. Since Igor had mentioned ¡®Tibe¡¯s champion,¡¯ she had been staring intently at Ruon¡¯s face. Becky said, ¡°That day, I prayed earnestly. ¡®O Goddess, please help me.¡¯ I prayed over and over again. Is it possible that Tibe answered my prayer by sending you to me?¡± ¡®Why is she acting like this?¡¯ Ruon cut her off bluntly. ¡°No, it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± Igor continued to alternate nces between Ruon and Becky, as if curious about what might have happened, but neither of them said anything more and he scratched his head. ¡°So, may I assume that the reason both of you are heading to Nook is to visit the Grand Church?¡± Ruon nodded silently, and Igor hesitated. ¡°It would be an honor to apany you.¡± Before Ruon could respond, Igor moved to the corner and began to lower his voice as he knelt. ¡°Mother, today I met your sword¡­¡± ¡®Should I have just left him behind?¡¯ Shaking his head, Ruon looked at Becky next to him. Lost in deep thought, she seemed like she was absorbed in contemtion. Ruon had no intention of interrupting her thoughts and instead found afortable seat on the ledge behind him, stroking the hilt of the Holy Sword. Then, Becky¡¯s words came to mind. ¡®Is it possible that Tibe answered my prayer by sending you to me?¡¯ ¡®Did you send me?¡¯ Ruon winced, as if hearing an unpleasant joke. Since obtaining the sword, he had asionally heard and even spoken the words ¡°Tibe¡¯s champion¡±, but he had never considered himself Tibe¡¯s representative. To Ruon, the Holy Sword was simply a powerful, demonic-energy-absorbing magic sword, nothing more or less. ¡®If you¡¯re thinking of using me as a tool in exchange for this sword, I would advise against it.¡¯ At the thoughts of the faithless warrior, who didn¡¯t care if the gods were real and wasn¡¯t going to be led by them, the Holy Sword hummed lowly. And so the night fell. *** The party, which had grown to three overnight, walked along an old, overgrown road. After hearing Becky¡¯s story, Igor¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and he tightly held her small hands. ¡°Goodness, you went through such terrible things¡­ Such dreadful events are urring in ces where the light of Tibe doesn¡¯t yet shine. You¡¯ve truly suffered a lot.¡± Becky shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s all thanks to Ruon¡¯s help that I¡¯m safe now.¡± ¡°Ah, truly, noble actions befitting a champion¡­¡± As Ruon, who had been walking a step ahead, turned his head at the intense gaze pouring from behind, he asked, ¡°Not all of Tibe¡¯s priests are like you, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®like you¡¯?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, forget about it.¡± As if he didn¡¯t want to end the conversation with Ruon, Igor hurriedly added, ¡°At least at the church I belonged to, no one loved the Lady more than I did. Thanks to that, I received a rmendation toe all the way to the Grand Church.¡± Ruon became curious and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Grand Church like?¡± Seeming to hesitate for a moment, Igor blinked his eyes before answering slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly what you¡¯re curious about, but it¡¯s the first building established to follow the Lady¡¯s will, so it holds an indescribable level of symbolism¡­¡± Clouds began to darken the sky as the group concluded their brief conversation. Looking at the approaching gloomy clouds that seemed to swallow the sunlight, Igor said, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to rain.¡± As if waiting for his words, a single water dropletnded on his forehead and scattered. Ruon, Becky, and Igor looked at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± Ruon said to them. However, the sudden downpour was not something they could ovee just by hurrying. The old road, with no proper pavement, quickly became engulfed by the flowing water. The heavy raindrops pelted their bodies like arrows, making it quite bothersome even for Ruon. He squinted his eyes and turned back to see if the other two were following closely. Igor seemed to be following quite well, but Becky, despite wearing the cloak Ruon had given her, looked quite uneasy as she staggered along. ¡®This won¡¯t do.¡¯ Intentionally heightening his vision to find shelter from the rain, Ruon looked in all directions until he spotted a hut in the distance. ¡°Follow me,e on.¡± After deliberately shouting out each sentence to avoid being drowned out by the rain, he began moving swiftly. The cabin¡¯s door was not closed. Through the gap, about the width of a finger, a familiar scent seeped out, and without hesitation, Ruon opened the door. There, he found a man and a woman lying on the floor, soaked in blood. They seemed to be embracing each other, and judging by their wide-open eyes, they were obviously dead. At that moment, a man sitting on a rocking chair by the firece, wiping his blood-stained sword, spoke in a leisurely tone. ¡°So, you¡¯vee to seek shelter from the rain.¡± Igor and Becky, following Ruon hesitantly, were taken aback by the sight in front of them. ¡°What is this¡­ Are you responsible for this?¡± Igor¡¯s voice trembled. The man nodded nonchntly. ¡°You see correctly. By the way, you all look terrible. Come closer and dry your bodies.¡± The man who had so casually admitted to his murders stretched out his hand to the side of the hearth as if to wee a guest, and Igor stiffened. ¡°Is that all you have to say!?¡± ¡°Why are you getting angry? Oh, is it because of these two?¡± The man nodded, as if in bted understanding, and nudged the dead man with his index finger. ¡°This man abandoned his wife and fled far away with a young lover.¡± Then he gestured towards the woman. ¡°This woman, when the man hesitated to run away because of his three young children, resorted to using poison to kill them.¡± The man shrugged after briefly exining the backgrounds of the dead man and woman. ¡°The poor wife, who lost her children and was abandoned by her husband, desired the death of both of them, and I fulfilled that wish. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re an assassin?¡± The man nodded again at Ruon¡¯s blunt question. ¡°That¡¯s the simplest way to put it.¡± While Igor and Becky appeared dumbfounded, Ruon calmly gazed at the man without any change in expression. Seeing the look in Ruon¡¯s eyes, the man raised both palms. His meaning was clear ¨C he didn¡¯t want any trouble. ¡®What a headache.¡¯ Ruon sighed inwardly. If the man had tried to attack or provoke them, he would have retaliated, but since the man was sitting there peacefully, there was no real reason to be the first to attack. ¡°Ruon-sama!¡± Ruon turned his head at the tense voiceing from beside him. Igor, his face flushed with anger, spoke. ¡°Are you just going to sit there?¡± ¡°What should I do then?¡± Ruon asked calmly, and Igor shook his head in a bewildered manner. ¡°I mean, this man¡­ he killed ordinary people¡­¡± ¡°Not ordinary people, but a woman who killed three young children and a man who fell in love with such a woman and abandoned his wife.¡± As the man interjected, Igor fell silent. Then Ruon spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hold you morally ountable for what you¡¯ve done. If that were the case, I¡¯d be no better than amon murderer myself. However, that aside, I don¡¯t particrly feel like sharing the same space with you.¡± He extended his finger towards the pouring rain outside and continued. ¡°Being in here with you is a bit suffocating. Can you just leave?¡± While saying this, Ruon took out a silver coin from his pocket and tossed it towards the man. The man caught the silver coin lightly and smiled slightly. ¡°Well, sure. A suffocating atmosphere isn¡¯t my cup of tea either.¡± Standing up and wrapping himself in the ck cloak that was lying on the floor, the man flipped the hood over his head. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be on my way. I hope you have afortable rest.¡± With those final words, the man passed by the group and moved out into the pouring rain. Or, that¡¯s what it seemed like he was going to do. Suddenly, the man came to a sudden stop in his tracks, slowly turning his head and squinting his eyes. His gaze settled not on Igor, who had his eyes wide open, but on Ruon and his expressionless face. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving? Is one silver coin not enough?¡± Looking at Ruon, who asked bluntly, the man slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡ªIt was such a distant memory that I almost missed it.¡± Before Ruon could respond, the man spun his body with incredible speed and extended his hand. Ruon caught the ck object flying towards his forehead with his right hand. Snap! The terrifying sound of sizzling flesh could be heard. As the searing pain in his palm made Ruon drop whatever he had grabbed, the man who had rushed towards him forcefully rammed his shoulder into Ruon¡¯s chest. Staggering back a few steps from the substantial impact, Ruon immediately drew his sword to retaliate. However, noticing that Becky and Igor were obstructing his range of movement, he swiftly swung his sword to push back the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Ugh!¡± The man grit his teeth and tried to steady himself. Unsessful, he ended up doing a mid-air somersault to regain his footing. Chasing after the man who was thrown outside, Ruon stepped out into the pouring rain and tilted his head as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden attack?¡± Facing Ruon¡¯s stern gaze, the man replied. ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed Vilto and Delmiel.¡± Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Vilto, Delmiel. As the names were entirely unfamiliar to Ruon, he cocked his head in confusion. Even though he had discarded any thoughts of a peaceful resolution when the fight began, Ruon couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. He asked the man, who was clutching his chest and moaning, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± The man let out a sneeringugh. ¡°Would you remember if I mentioned a dwarf wizard and an elf swordsman?¡± The friendly exnation brought to mind an incident that had long since sunk into the depths of Ruon¡¯s memory. ¡± ¡ªThe monument?¡± Those were the appearances of the two who had attempted to break the monument that held the shield when Kyle had first sought him out. ¡°How do you know I killed them?¡± In response to Ruon¡¯s question, the man slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Before they died, they made a pact with you so that theirrades could recognize who killed them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t make pacts with the people I kill.¡± As if to remind Ruon of herst words, the man spoke bluntly. ¡°The waning moon never forgets its vengeance.¡± Without warning, the man crossed his arms before throwing them forward. From his cloak, a ck object flew towards Ruon. Reacting quickly, Ruon swung his Holy Sword to block it, seeing that it was a thin column of iron. Judging from the rapidly burning tips of the weeds that touched the metal on the ground, it was obvious that it had been heavily poisoned. Unsheathing the two swords at his waist, the man rushed forward. A rapier with an impressively thin de arced down, aiming for Ruon¡¯s heart. Ruon quickly swung down his Holy Sword, intending to cut through his opponent¡¯s de, but he quickly stepped back as a dagger shed at him from out of nowhere, aiming for his knee. ¡°For someone of his size, he¡¯s surprisingly fast,¡± the man said in a peculiar stance, his upper body bent slightly. Ruon snorted at the man, whose right hand was clutching the rapier to his chest and left hand held the broad-ded dagger behind his back. This time, Ruon moved first. As he kicked the ground, the force was more than it could handle, causing a burst of muddy water to spray. Realizing he couldn¡¯t block the descending Holy Sword, the man pivoted on his left foot, twirling his body to avoid it narrowly. He then swung the dagger from behind his back. Ruon tilted his head to dodge the dagger, which narrowly missed him. Quickly recovering after avoiding the dagger, Ruon swung his Holy Sword horizontally. The man leaned forward to an extreme degree, evading the Holy Sword, and at the same time extended his rapier forward. The timing of the man¡¯s rapier thrust was almost perfect. Ruon¡¯s arm was still extended due to the Holy Sword¡¯s inertia, making it impossible for him to retract it and defend. The man wore a triumphant smile. He was convinced that he would pierce Ruon¡¯s head in exchange for his overconfidence. Even if Ruon held onto the sword with the intention of losing his hand, the deadly poison on the tip of the rapier would im his life in an instant. The oue would be the same. With such confidence, the man didn¡¯t lose his smile even as a cold de prated his skull. Chack! The man, whose head was split in half, copsed on the spot. He had underestimated Ruon¡¯s overwhelming physical ability, changing the direction of his sword mid-swing. Ruon shook his throbbing arm in the air. The pain came from forcibly changing the sword¡¯s trajectory due to the unexpected rhythm of the man¡¯s attacks. ¡®Still, the experience points aren¡¯t too bad.¡¯ Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t leveled up, but he felt fulfilled. Looking at the severed head of the corpse, Ruon muttered softly. ¡°The waning moon doesn¡¯t forget¡­¡± He faintly remembered the elven swordsman having uttered simr words before her death, but in truth, it didn¡¯t matter much. He had unknowingly be the target of assassins. That was the conclusion. ¡°Kyle, that bastard brought me into all sorts of trouble.¡± Thinking of the woodsman who used to curse and spout nonsense, Ruon turned his head. Beyond the open door, he saw Becky running towards him. ¡°Ruon!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I cut off his head.¡± Shouldering his way into the house, Ruon knelt beside the corpses of the dead man and woman, where Igor was praying. Ruon asked him, ¡°Do you pray even for such people?¡± ¡°Deeds in life cannot be washed away by death. However, for the souls that cannot findfort in Mother¡¯s embrace and suffer, I can offer a final prayer. That is what my Mother would call mercy.¡± It wasn¡¯t a sentiment Ruon could rte to. In this gray world where the line between good and evil was blurred, he thought that discussing an afterlife was meaningless. ¡°Is that so?¡± Uttering a curt, emotionless reply, Ruon promptly carried the bodies outside. Mercy or not, he couldn¡¯t rest next to a corpse. Igor approached him as he returned from cing the bodies next to the dead assassin. ¡°May I see your injured hand?¡± Ruon opened his right palm. Igor frowned at his hand, which was covered in small blisters. ¡°To swing a sword with such a hand¡­¡± Igor trailed off as he reached out and gently wrapped his hand around Ruon¡¯s palm, running his fingers up and down it. His hand began to emit a faint glow. Feeling the throbbing pain in his hand lessen, Ruon rxed. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a humble skill.¡± Ruon lightly patted Igor¡¯s shoulder, who was faintly smiling, and settled down by the hearth. The warmth from the fire washed over the group, enveloping them as they sat like drenched mice. The cabin, which had been a refuge for a couple with a checkered past just half a day ago, had now transformed into a quaint space where three people rxed by the fire. Outside the window, the downpour continued as before. *** The port city of Nook. Due to its geographical characteristics, the docks of this city, where trade and fishing industries thrived, were always bustling with various individuals. People of different races, genders, and skin colors lived side by side, and the air was filled with the smell of salt and the lively atmosphere of goods and fresh fish brought from across the sea. However, today was an exception. The entire dock had been turned upside down by the strong winds apanying the heavy rain that had poured the day before. Although the rain had stopped, the forceful waves still made it impossible for the ships to set sail, so they were patiently waiting for the waves to calm down, their anchors firmly set. However, unlike the deste view of the dock, nearby inns and taverns were filled with lively noise. Scanning the inside of the bustling inn, Igormented. ¡°They seem to have no rest at all.¡± ¡°Since they¡¯ve all been forced to take an unwanted break, they¡¯re probably seeking a distraction,¡± Ruon replied. Nodding in agreement with Ruon¡¯s response, Igor let out a soft sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. We went through so much trouble to get here, but now the waves are too high for the ships to sail¡­¡± Taking refuge from the rain in the cabin the previous day, the group had managed to arrive in Nook after moving diligently. Originally, their n was to take a boat from Nook Harbor to Redini Ind, where the Grand Church was located. However, due to the storm the day before, they ended up stuck in the harbor along with the ships. Even the seasoned sailors said that setting sail in such winds and waves would be madness, and they left the group with the advice to wait at least another day or two. For Igor, who was eager to reach the Grand Church as soon as possible, this situation was simply frustrating. Ruon spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s rest while we can.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I let my impatience get the better of me,¡± Igor replied. Igor, having thus answered, muttered through clenched teeth as the waiter brought the food and drink to the table. ¡°Merciful Mother, let us have our daily bread again today¡ª¡° Ignoring Igor¡¯s prayer, Ruon looked at Becky, who remained silent, and spoke. ¡°I kept my promise to bring you to the city. Now, you can do as you wish.¡± Becky responded. ¡°I want to go to the Grand Church too.¡± Her quick and resolute answer suggested that she had sorted out her thoughts beforehand. She continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just dismiss the fact that I met you, the Champion of Tibe, as a mere coincidence. Of course, you said it was a coincidence, but still¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If that¡¯s what you think, then maybe it wasn¡¯t,¡± Ruon replied. Ruon¡¯s reaction, nonchntly nodding his head, was very different from what Becky had expected, and she blinked herrge eyes in surprise. Meanwhile, Ruon turned to Igor and asked, ¡°Is the prayer finished?¡± He tore apart a roasted chicken leg and ced them on Igor and Becky¡¯s tes, then started eating himself. ¡°Oh, my Mother¡¯s sword¡­ such kindness.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Moved by his almost habitual behavior, both Igor and Becky expressed their gratitude with trembling voices. Ignoring them, Ruon chewed on the juicy meat and sipped his beer. The meal ended quickly. Despite trying not to show her fatigue, Becky began to doze off as her stomach filled with the first real food she had eaten in a while, and Igor, who hadn¡¯t drunk, helped her upstairs. Alone at the table, Ruon drank an additional beer he¡¯d ordered and spoke to the middle-aged man sitting across from him. ¡°It seems like you may have taken the wrong seat.¡± ¡°N-no, I sat correctly.¡± The middle-aged man with a hooked nose seemed anxious. After wiping his sweaty palm on his thigh, he cautiously asked, ¡°I¡¯m only asking because your physique and equipment look different¡ªare you a mercenary?¡± In response to the shaky voice, Ruon nodded slightly. ¡°At times.¡± ¡°Oh, then could you take on a request for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to hear what it¡¯s about first.¡± ¡°Well, alright.¡± Letting out a sigh of relief, the middle-aged man began looking around nervously. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it like you usually would. Right now, you seem more suspicious.¡± ¡°Uh, y-yes, I suppose so.¡± With a brief cough, he straightened his back and began his story in earnest. ¡°I am Markus. I used to own a small merchant ship.¡± ¡°Used to? Not anymore, I suppose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I ran into troublest night.¡± Taking a deep breath, Markus began his story in earnest. ¡°I am a merchant. My job is to import silk from Daran, add a markup, and deliver it to the upper ss. ¡°Yesterday, I was returning to Nook Harbor. I had met the deadline and the quality of the silk was excellent, so I was in a great mood. But that¡¯s when the storm hit. Luckily, I was near the coast, so I managed to avoid bing fish food, but the ship suffered serious damage.¡± Ruon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you asking me to fix your ship?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Since I docked hastily, I didn¡¯tnd at the proper pier. But that¡¯s not the main problem¡­ it was near the harpies¡¯ nesting grounds.¡± ¡®Harpies?¡¯ Ruon felt his interest piqued and leaned forward. Meanwhile, Markus continued his exnation. ¡°I was in the middle of moving a chest filled with silk when a terrifying birdlike monster swooped down on me. What could I do? The silk was important, but my life was even more precious. Of course, I fled for my life.¡± Scratching his head, Markus continued. ¡°Thanks to that, I survived, but¡­ my precious ship and silk were left behind in the cursedir of those damn monsters. If you help me kill those creatures and move the goods, I¡¯ll pay you handsomely.¡± Ruon asked, ¡°But why me? Why not the Lord?¡± ¡°If I asked the Lord for help, by the time his soldiers moved, it would be past the agreed deadline. Besides, using this incident as an excuse, the Lord would take a hefty sum in taxes. I can¡¯t afford to lose out twice.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡®Sounds reasonable.¡¯ Ruon nodded his head. Since they were already stuck in the harbor, it didn¡¯t seem like too bad of an idea to take care of this simple task before heading to the cathedral. Besides, thanks to the experience gained from killing the assassin, he was on the verge of leveling up, so why not? There was no need to think any further, so Ruon smirked and answered. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take the job.¡± Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Ruon, never one to postpone a request, immediately stood up from his seat. Seeing the table filled with beer sses, Markus looked concerned and spoke. ¡°You seem to have had quite a lot to drink. Are you alright?¡± Ruon smirked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said we needed to meet the deadline? Do you have time to rx?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Taking a sigh, Markus shook his head, and Ruon responded with a wry smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Promptly leaving the inn, the two of them headed towards the pebbled shoreline, away from the docks. Walking along the uneven and poorly maintained path, Markus spoke. ¡°This is an additional request, but could you help me find my ring?¡± ¡°Your ring?¡± ¡°Remembering that harpies love shiny things, I threw the ring I was wearing in the opposite direction and ran away. I¡¯m ashamed to say it now, but that ring¡­It was an heirloom from my father.¡± Embarrassed about abandoning his father¡¯s heirloom and running away, Markus sniffled as Ruon replied. ¡°As long as the harpies¡¯ nest isn¡¯t situated on a cliff or something, I¡¯ll take a look.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Amidst the crashing waves of the angry gray sea, the two men continued walking forward. Markus, despite having run away in a panic before, was quite adept at guiding them. Though, they really only needed to walk along the coastline, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. After a while, they could see a small ship anchored in the distance. Markus suddenly looked pale, perhaps remembering the moment he ran away. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t go any further¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call for you once the job is done.¡± Ruon replied curtly and strode towards the ship. With his senses heightened, Ruon noticed some monsters on a rocky hill behind the ship. ¡®They look grotesque.¡¯ Ruon frowned at the sight of the creature with the face of an adult woman and the body of an eagle, grabbing his bow from behind his back. cing his hand into the quiver attached to his thigh, he chuckled, finding only a few arrows left inside. Come to think of it, he had been resolving almost everything with the Holy Swordtely. He cleared his mind after deciding that he needed to head to the cksmith. Then, stopping at a spot where he judged the harpies would be within range, he quickly nocked an arrow. A moment of focus. As his fingertips loosened, the arrow, which had been tightly drawn, cut through the air in an instant. The arrow, arcing down, pierced through the torso of the harpy in the middle. Ki-ee-ee-eek! The harpies¡¯panions let out screams and pped their wings, retreating in fear. In the meantime, arrows flew at regr intervals, iming the lives of four more harpies. Ki-ee-eek! The harpies, noticing Ruon¡¯s presence, spread their wings and took to the air. Perhaps wary of the arrows, they didn¡¯t immediately charge, choosing instead to circle over Ruon¡¯s head and let out a series of deafening screeches. ¡°That¡¯s all the arrows I¡¯ve got, monsters.¡± Ruon confidently ced his bow on the ground and raised his index finger towards the sky. A harpy screeched and swooped down, razor-sharp ws outstretched. It was a quick attack from the winged monster, but Ruon¡¯s fists were even quicker. Thwack! With a fierce punch, the harpy¡¯s face shattered and it crashed to the ground, blood sttering in the air. Ki-ee-eek! Even with their human-like faces, the harpies seemed to possess intelligence no higher than that of scavenging birds. Driven by the excitement of the scent of blood, they forgot their fear and charged towards Ruon. ¡®Come on, then.¡¯ Ruon drew the Holy Sword without hesitation and swung his arm. With each sweep of the Holy Sword through the air, several harpies fell to the ground like autumn leaves. ¡®Why are they so weak?¡¯ Apart from their sharp ws, the harpies were nothing more than birds of prey in Ruon¡¯s eyes. Unbeknownst to him, the collective wails of the harpies created a faint curse that could confuse listeners. However, it had no effect on Ruon, who could shrug off even a banshee¡¯s scream. The massacre-like carnage only came to an end when harpy corpses covered the ground. As Ruon deeply embedded the Holy Sword into the final harpy¡¯s torso, a sense of fulfillment spread throughout his body. It had been a while since he¡¯d killed the troll that blocked the Coleman Bridge andst leveled up. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ruon, as per usual, was about to allocate bonus stats when he noticed a new option. ¡®Holy Power?¡¯ Over the past few years, he¡¯d leveled up dozens of times, but this was the first time he had encountered such a change, so he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. Holy Power, conceptually, was a kind of miracle that manifests through genuine belief in a deity, and it is fundamentally different from magic, even if they may appear simr in their brilliance. This was the limited understanding Ruon had of Holy Power, and as a man of little to no faith, it was far more alien to him than a monster with a bird¡¯s body and human head. ¡®Was it because he carried the Holy Sword?¡¯ With no other possibilitiesing to mind, he invested his bonus stats into Holy Power, thinking it was worth a try. At that moment, a tingling sensation surged through Ruon¡¯s mind. He sensed that he could utilize the power of the Holy Sword in a new way, rather than simply using it as he had before. Without hesitation, he gently gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword. Then, a faint light emerged from the pommel, and in an instant, it formed a shimmering, translucent energy field that enveloped his body. ¡®Finally.¡¯ Acquiring a worthwhile shield for the first time since arriving in this game world, a faint smile appeared on Ruon¡¯s face. He raised his voice loudly towards the rocks where Markus was hiding. ¡°You cane out now!¡± *** Luckily, the harpy¡¯s nest was located behind a rocky hill, not on a cliff. Ruon unexpectedly found some profit there, as the nest was filled with all kinds of shiny trinkets, seemingly proving Markus¡¯s words. Although most of them were useless, there were some valuable items, like ruby and emerald gems the size of fingernails and pendants with exquisite patterns, which Ruon didn¡¯t fail to collect. During the process, Ruon discovered a smooth gold ring and handed it to Markus. ¡°Is this it?¡± Markus nodded vigorously, his face flushed with emotion. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Oh, my God¡­I¡¯m sorry, dad.¡± After ransacking the nest and with no reason to linger further, the two men headed back to the coast with the chests they salvaged. Thanks to Ruon¡¯s extraordinary strength, carrying two chests on each shoulder like it was nothing, Markus was saved having to make several round trips. When they arrived at their destination, Markus handed over a substantial leather pouch. ¡°Until yesterday, I thought I was the unluckiest person in the world, but meeting a mercenary like you makes me have to rethink that.¡± Feeling pleased with the hefty pouch, Ruon smiled lightly. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Markus pped his hands and said, ¡°Oh, my goodness. I haven¡¯t even asked for your name. It¡¯s not really the kind of question to pose when parting ways, but may I ask for it?¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± Turning away from the brief conversation, Ruon headed straight to the forge to order arrows and have his leather armor inspected, then headed back to the inn. By then, the sun was setting beyond the horizon. *** It had been two days since the turbulent sea calmed down. The bustling dock was now filled with ships preparing to set sail. Among them was a ship whose bow was decorated with a statue of a woman with a benevolent look on her face, a cargo ship bound for Redini, home of the Grand Church of Tibe. As the sails unfurled and the ship, with its back to the wind, slowly moved forward, Igor raised his voice. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re setting sail!¡± Turning his head slightly, Ruon scanned the faces of the people on deck. Most of them appeared ordinary, but he noticed some knights armed with maces and d in te armor, as well as several priests like Igor. ¡®Are they pdins and priests?¡¯ Ruon¡¯s curiosity was evident on his face. Reading the curiosity on Ruon¡¯s face, Igor replied. ¡°They¡¯re likely individuals who went on missions and are now returning. They¡¯re usually handling incidents in the church or confronting demons.¡± As Luon nodded in agreement, a knight strode up to them, ttering to a halt. The well-built knight stood in front of Luon and raised his helmet. ¡°I can sense the power of the Mother in your sword.¡± He added, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you share the story behind that sword and your connection to it?¡± The knight¡¯s voice was polite but forceful. ¡®This is a bit bothersome.¡¯ Ruon let out a small sigh. As he thought about it, he realized that quite a few people had recognized the power of the Holy Sword: Belducias¡¯s minions, the Master of the Tower, Igor, and now the knight in front of him. Until now, those individuals he¡¯d encountered had either turned out to be enemies and killed or had little interest in the Holy Sword, so there had been no need for a lengthy exnation. However, Igor and the knight seemed curious, especially because they could sense the divine power in the sword. Ruon spoke. ¡°I got it after killing a demon¡¯s minion.¡± ¡°A demon, you say?¡± ¡°Belducias.¡± The knight¡¯s gaze turned heavy at the brief response. ¡°You¡¯ve be entangled with a dreadful existence.¡± Though the knight seemed like he wanted to inquire further, he noticed Ruon¡¯s resolute expression and slowly nodded. ¡°I beg your pardon. As a warrior who has devoted myself to my Mother¡¯s will for a long time, I shouldn¡¯t harbor inappropriate emotions.¡± ¡®What was that about?¡¯ As Ruon watched the knight return to where hisrades were with a slight bow of his head, Igor whispered to him. ¡°It seems hard to believe that you obtained a relic just by killing a demon¡¯s minion. To be honest, I¡¯ve had simr questions. I don¡¯t know if I should say this, but, Ruon, you seem to have¡­ little faith?¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m faithful in the slightest?¡± Seeing Igor cough repeatedly as if he had been hit, Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be surprised. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Ru-Ruon-sama!¡± Ignoring Igor¡¯s startled exmation, Ruon mumbled softly to himself. ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough. Just what Tibe wants.¡± Chapter 32: Chapter 32: After half a day of advancing smoothly through the water, the ferry arrived at a small ind. The sight that greeted the disembarked passengers was somewhat surreal. Standing majestically at a distance were two different giant spires. At the top of each spire, there were statues of a benevolent-looking goddess, holding bouquets of daisies in their hands, and arge bell, clearly visible from afar. The buildings lining the paved path leading to the spires were neatly aligned and well-painted, exuding a sense of unity. Ruon raised an eyebrow as he observed the scene from afar. ¡®This could pass for a small city, couldn¡¯t it?¡¯ As the group proceeded towards what appeared to be a checkpoint, an unexpressive soldier was addressing the crowd in a booming voice. ¡°Non-believers are not allowed entry to the Grand Church. If you¡¯re here for pilgrimage, head over to that building.¡± He pointed to a smaller structure that seemed to be a miniature version of the distant twin spires. As most people quietly followed the instructions and walked in that direction, all that remained at the gate were a few knights and priests who he had seen on the ship. Recognised by the soldiers, they all walked through the gates without resistance. Eventually, only Ruon, Igor, and Becky remained. While Ruon contemted whether he should inly show the Holy Sword, Igor handed over a neatly rolled piece of old parchment to the soldier. ¡°I am Igor, and I have been officially appointed to the Grand Church with a rmendation from Priest Jonathan. This is an official document stamped with the seal of the Church.¡± The soldier carefully examined the parchment and nodded slowly. ¡°Wee, brethren. You may pass.¡± Igor then pointed at Ruon and Becky, adding, ¡°This person does not yet hold any position rted to the church, but he is a warrior entrusted with a sacred relic by the Goddess. And this woman is-¡° Before Igor could continue, another soldier rushed over and whispered something quietly into the ear of the one standing before the group. Though it was meant to be a hushed whisper, Ruon¡¯s acute hearing caught the words clearly. ¡°The High Priestess has ordered us to wee these three individuals.¡± *** ¡®They knew I wasing?¡¯ Ruon frowned as the soldiers led the way. It wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant feeling to know that someone was monitoring his movements. Whether it was the High Priestess or Tibe herself. At that moment, Igor whispered softly. ¡°Ruon-sama, where do you think we¡¯re going?¡± They were moving away from the twin spires and taking a remote path, which seemed to confuse him. Ruon was also curious about that, but since there was no sign of deceit in the soldiers¡¯ faces, he shrugged and replied. ¡°It seems like someone you admire is looking for us.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Meanwhile, the group arrived in front of a mansion. The tall iron gates of the mansion were wide open on both sides, making their existence seem almost meaningless. ¡®Could it be because of these flowers?¡¯ Ruon nced at the pale pink daisies adorning the path where the gate opened and closed. He had never imagined that a mansion would leave its gate open for fear of wilting flowers, so he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the High Priestess had a soft heart. As he was contemting, a soft-spoken young woman emerged from behind the door and addressed the soldiers. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You may leave now.¡± The soldiers, who had been guiding the group, nodded briefly and returned the way they came. ¡®Is that her?¡¯ Under Ruon¡¯s gaze, she smiled gently and extended her arm toward the mansion¡¯s interior. ¡°Pleasee this way.¡± On a serene path lined with patterned stone benches, the group followed the woman into what seemed like the mansion¡¯s garden. Raising her voice, the woman announced, ¡°The guests have arrived.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Near the garden, where the tangerine trees emitted a subtle fragrance, an old woman who had been squatting and nting something in a flowerbed stood up, straightening her hunched back. The old woman walked straight toward them holding a nt bulb in her hand, its roots covered in dirt. She smiled. It was the warm smile of a woman in the twilight of her life, revealing gentle wrinkles. ¡°It¡¯s truly an honor to meet you, warrior.¡± ¡°Are you the High Priestess?¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± Even though the conversation was started by the old woman and Ruon, it was Igor who became the center of attention. Igor seemed not to realize he had yelled out and blinked, his eyes wide, his lips muttering iprehensibly. ¡°Th-The High Priestess?¡± As Igor stuttered, the old woman, with a soft gaze, redirected her attention towards Ruon. ¡°It¡¯s an embarrassing nickname.¡± ¡°I thought the High Priestess would be in the church.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tend to my small garden within those walls.¡± The old woman answered and ced the bulb back into the ground, brushing off her soil-covered hands. ¡°Lauren, will you prepare some tea?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As the woman named Lauren bowed her head and headed back towards the mansion, the High Priestess beckoned them to follow. ¡°Come this way.¡± A short whileter, the group sat around a small table near the garden¡¯s pond. ¡®It feels like we¡¯re on a pic.¡¯ Ruon let out a quiet sigh. The table was filled with teacups and appetizing biscuits, but nobody reached out to take any. Igor¡¯s face was filled with excitement as he gawked at the High Priestess, and Becky seemed ufortable, constantly fidgeting with her hands. Of course, Ruon wasn¡¯t interested either. He hadn¡¯t crossed the sea and walked all the way to the Grand Church to leisurely sip tea. He asked, ¡°Did Tibe tell you I wasing?¡± The old woman, who had been silent for a moment, slowly spoke. ¡°You can think of it that way if you¡¯d like.¡± Although it felt awkward for Ruon to question an old priestess, the fact that she herself seemed unfazed made him put up with the difort and continue with his questions. ¡°What did Tibe say?¡± The High Priestess lifted the corners of her mouth. ¡°Warrior, Mother¡¯s intentions are not that straightforward. She only conveys fragmented scenes to me through dreams. I interpret those scenes and provide guidance. Today, my awareness of your arrival was through a simr process.¡± Looking at Ruon, she added, ¡°However, you have appeared quite frequently, so it was only natural to be pleased.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t feel like trying to understand the words of the High Priestess. Instead, he went straight to what he wanted to say. ¡°The reason I came here was not to hear that I appeared in your dream. It¡¯s about the story rted to how I acquired this sword.¡± He ced the Holy Sword on the table. ¡°I took this sword after killing one of Belducias¡¯s minions. No, it would be more urate to say I was given it. Thanks to that, everyone¡¯s praising me as some champion, even though I never sought such a title.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ruon watched as the woman smiled silently and pressed her lips to her teacup. ¡°To be blunt, ever since I obtained this sword, I¡¯ve been entangled in various events, unintentionally drawing attention from Belducias. So, I¡¯m nning to kill him, but I don¡¯t have any means to pursue him directly. Can you help?¡± Ruon spoke without hesitation, causing even theposed High Priestess to seem slightly taken aback. However, Ruon¡¯s expression remained calm. It was because, when he peered into the future during his vision at the Tower, Ruon had made up his mind to challenge Belducias without hesitation. It wasn¡¯t fueled by burning hatred towards Belducias, but because he knew the significance of facing the ultimate evil ording to the sentence he had been holding on to for so long. [Confront countless monsters, demons, and legends, andplete your story.] Ruon had a vague understanding of the true meaning behind that sentence. This damn game was asking him to aplish some sort of grand feat. The end of this journey was still unknown, but one thing was certain. There was no entity greater than Belducias to be offered as a sacrifice. However, regardless of his determination, Ruoncked the ability to pursue Belducias. Therefore, he had no choice but to seek help from the Tibe¡¯s Grand Church. In a sense, it was the natural choice. After all, his involvement with Belducias began with the purification of the Tibe Monastery, and what he held in his hands was the Holy Sword that devoured the power of demons. ¡°¡­¡± Understanding the implications of his statement, both Igor and Becky gulped as they alternated their gazes between Ruon and the High Priestess. Then, the High Priestess spoke slowly. ¡°You¡¯re talking about this entity that everyone fears like it¡¯s merely a fox in the mountains.¡± ¡®Did it sound like that?¡¯ Ruon half-jokingly replied. ¡°As Tibe¡¯s champion, I should be at least that strong, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± In response, the High Priestess slowly nodded her head. ¡°As you must know best, you are not Tibe¡¯s champion. Mother didn¡¯t gift you that sword with those intentions.¡± Surprised by her unexpected words, Ruon stared directly at the High Priestess and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered why I received such an extravagant gift for what little I aplished. Why did Tibe give me this sword?¡± The High Priestess responded. ¡°Warrior, even before you dealt with the demons¡¯ minions, Mother had been watching over you. And it¡¯s not just her.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ruon raised an eyebrow. Meanwhile, she continued. ¡°The beings who watch over us along with Mother have a great interest in your journey.¡± Even without explicitly mentioning them, it was obvious who those beings were. If they were situated near Tibe, they must be the Seven Ancient Gods. Upon realizing that the gods were taking an unexpected interest in him, Ruon frowned. ¡°Am I just a puppet on their stage?¡± ¡°Well, not exactly¡­ It¡¯s more like a new¡­¡± As she spoke further, the High Priestess suddenly paused. ¡°Never mind, I may have gone too far. Please forget what I said.¡± Saying so, she reached her wrinkled hand towards the sword on the table and closed her eyes as if to soften the atmosphere. After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes and continued. ¡°If you follow the power this sword consumes, you will eventually reach the proximity of that Great Demon. It acts as a kind ofpass.¡± Ruon raised an eyebrow at her vague statement. ¡°How do I do that¡­¡± He was about to say that he didn¡¯t know, but he held back his words. Holy Power. A few days ago, he had gained a new ability through leveling up, which could help enhance the Holy Sword¡¯s power even further. The High Priestess smiled gently. ¡°The sword has been telling you that from the beginning. You just didn¡¯t realize it. But you can¡¯t wait forever, can you? ¡°Warrior, I will look for someone who can help you. There are many exceptional pdins and priests who can provide you with guidance.¡± Ruon turned his head silently in response to her words to find Igor, fiddling with his fingers while listening to the conversation. Ruon smirked. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already been traveling together, join me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve just arrived¡­¡± Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Igor seemed somewhat taken aback by Ruon¡¯s sudden proposal, but soon nodded firmly with a resolute expression. ¡°Very well. I suppose it¡¯s Mother¡¯s will that I was transferred to the Grand Church, that I happened to meet Ruon-sama in the process, and now to defeat this extraordinary demon. I¡¯m honored to join you!¡± Ruon didn¡¯t exactly believe that it was like that, but he kept quiet. There was no need to dampen Igor¡¯s enthusiasm. The High Priestess, who had been directing encouraging nces towards Igor, turned her head and looked at Ruon. ¡°Warrior, although you may not be Tibe¡¯s Champion, you are embarking on a journey of justice with Mother¡¯s sword. I will assist you in any way I can, even if it¡¯s just in a small capacity.¡± Ruon found her wordsforting. The High Priestess¡¯s help was certainly anything but ordinary. ¡°Since you havee a long way, I suggest you rest here in this mansion and recover. We will meet again before your departure.¡± Ruon replied with gratitude. ¡°Thanks for your consideration. If it¡¯s possible, I have one personal request.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the High Priestess said, showing an intrigued expression as Ruon used the word ¡®request.¡¯ ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I would like this woman to stay here.¡± His calm words startled Becky, who had been silently observing the three of them all this time. She stammered, ¡°Ru, Ruon, I¡­¡± ¡°Very well,¡± the High Priestess readily nodded, looking straight into Becky¡¯s wavering brown eyes. ¡°You possess a strong soul that remains unbroken despite your wounds. Yes, Mother¡¯s mercy is there for beings like you.¡± Touched by the warm words of the High Priestess, Becky¡¯s eyes turned red. Igor smiled warmly and handed her a biscuit. ¡°Wee, sister.¡± A whileter, Ruon was leaning against the head of his bed, feeling the smooth texture of the white sheets. The clean sheets, a rarity in this world, emitted a light scent of oranges and flowers, probablyundered near the garden. As he closed his eyes, lost in the pleasant fragrance, a small knock sounded from the door. In truth, he¡¯d heard footsteps pacing outside the door before the knock. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize for intruding.¡± Becky hesitated as she entered the room and ced some sweets on the table, speaking. ¡°Lauren said to give this to you.¡± Ruon, who was puzzled by the unfamiliar name, quickly remembered that it was the name of the young woman he¡¯d met at the entrance of the mansion. Ruon smirked. ¡°Have you be friends?¡± ¡°We just chatted for a bit.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Although he didn¡¯t particrly like sweets, Ruon popped a biscuit into his mouth out of consideration for the person who brought it. ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I wanted to express my gratitude¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a big deal out of me saying a few words.¡± Becky, who was staring at Ruon¡¯s indifferent face, spoke. ¡°No one has ever said such kind words to me. Stuff like ¡®thank you,¡¯ ¡®are you okay,¡¯ or ¡®was that hard for you.''¡± After saying that, Becky slowly added, ¡°Ruon-nim, may I ask why you¡¯ve helped me so much?¡± Ruon remained silent at Becky¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to answer, but because he hadn¡¯t fully grasped the reason himself. His usual nonchnt response of ¡°just because¡± didn¡¯t seem appropriate in this moment. He pondered the question for a while. A short time passed before Ruon slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s because I know what it¡¯s like to feel like nobody else in the world is on your side.¡± Becky widened her eyes. ¡°Have you also had moments like that, Ruon-nim?¡± Suddenly, Ruon imagined what expression she would make if he were able to see him when he had first arrived in this world, hidden in a corner of the stable and sobbing in sorrow. The thought brought a bitter smile to his face. ¡°Well¡­¡± He started trailing off when he felt the warmth of her palm cover the back of his hand. Becky, sping her hands together, murmured softly. ¡°I will pray for you, Ruon-nim.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Ruon chuckled at the unexpected remark, then nodded slowly, thinking that thement wasn¡¯t entirely needless. ¡°Well, if you want to, go ahead.¡± Becky responded with a bright smile. *** ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The next day, as Ruon stepped out of the mansion, he was handed an ordinary wooden bow. It had a bowstring, but noticeablycked a quiver. The High Priestess answered as if it was obvious. ¡°It¡¯s a bow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to stop by the cksmith first.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± As she spoke, Ruon moved the bow back and forth, and with a strange sense of anticipation, he instinctively pulled the string with his other hand. Suddenly, an invisible arrow materialized in his hand with a faint glimmer of light. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Surprised, Ruon looked at the sight before him with an unusual sense of wonder. ¡°Is it magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an item crafted by a skilled cksmith, using wood nurtured under the blessings of the priests and engraved with magical runes. Since you wield the Holy Sword, I thought it would be suitable for you.¡± Unexpectedly, Ruon had obtained a bow that didn¡¯t need arrows. ¡°It seems valuable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fitting item for someone as special as you.¡± The High Priestess added, ¡°It¡¯s a piece that the pdins, who usually wield swords and maces, weren¡¯t too keen on, so please ept it without hesitation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡± Ruon replied briefly as Igor, who had his backpack on, approached. ¡°Ruon-nim, everything is ready.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s be on our way.¡± As Ruon said that, he passed by the High Priestess, who was gazing at him, and turned his gaze to Becky, who stood behind her. -Take care. Reading the expression on her face, Ruon smiled slightly before turning away. There was no hesitation in his steps as he moved forward, leaving their brief encounter behind. *** The Baron of Dunsany¡¯s small castle was immersed in deep sorrow. The reason was the tragic loss of the Baron¡¯s only daughter, Hanna, who had lost her life while ying with the maids on the mountain, slipping and falling. This tragedy served as a dreary introduction to the tale of the Baron¡¯s grief. However, the story started to be more interesting when an unknown woman began frequenting his office. Rumors began to swirl. She was supposedly a witch who had bewitched the Baron under the pretext of resurrecting the deceased Hanna, leading him towards corruption! These rumors couldn¡¯t be dismissed as mere fabrications for two decisive reasons. First, the nauseating stench of decay and the smell of blood emanating from the tightly sealed office of the Baron, and second, the mysterious woman who could freely enter the office, even though he didn¡¯t open the door to anyone, not even to the lifelong butler. If there were any suspicious activities going on, one might wonder what the guards and knights of the Baron were doing. However, considering the small and impoverished territory, theck of well-trained soldiers, and the fact that most of them were now deployed on a northern expedition because of the mad king¡¯s desire for conquest, there was currently no one capable of uncovering the truth of the matter. Amidst all this, Butler Wuden made up his mind, well aware that if the rumors about the Baron losing his mind were to spread, more than a few greedy men would charge into this small territory with intentions of annexing it. ¡®I must take action!¡¯ Wuden, leading his creaking elderly body, made his way to thergest inn located within the territory. He desperately hoped to find someone he could entrust this matter to. As he opened the inn¡¯s door, he was greeted with the sight of a group of rowdy thugs, their faces flushed from alcohol, confronting a broad-shouldered man. Next to the man stood a young fellow, seemingly part of his party, trying desperately to pacify the burly man. However, what he said was rather peculiar. ¡°Oh my, Ruon-sama! Please, this is not the way. At times like this, it is Mother¡¯s will to show mercy. Calm down.¡± Hearing these words, the agitated thugs shouted back. Everyone was drunk, their tongues twisted and slurred. ¡°What? This little asshole won¡¯t stop talking. You wanna die?¡± ¡°Really? Really? These brats think they can mess with us!¡± ¡°You¡¯re hiding behind your big friend, that¡¯s why you¡¯re so confident, huh? Huh?¡± The thugs spewed insults as they reached into their pockets, pulling out small weapons. The giant confronted them with a stern face. ¡°So, when are you going to attack?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± The thug at the forefront brandished a dagger and charged forward. Thud! Then, with a loud thump, he copsed onto the ground. His swollen cheek rapidly inted as several yellowed teeth scattered on the floor. It was just a p, not even a punch, but the thug¡¯s face was a mess, and his fellow gang members hesitated, stepping back. It seemed like it had sobered them up a bit. ¡°Hick! What, what is this?¡± ¡°Sh-sh*t. What kind of motherf***er are you?¡± ¡°Tony, get up! Are you joking? Huh?¡± The giant marched toward them without hesitation. Behind him, hispanion muttered lowly while nervously twiddling his thumbs. ¡°s, Mother, I could not stop him after all¡­¡± The situation ended almost as quickly as it started. Before the thugs could properly respond, they were rolling on the floor, their cheeks burning in agony. Had it not been for the vivid blooding from the faces of the flying men, it would have seemed like a cheapedy. The giant, who quickly subdued the thugs, turned his head to meet the gaze of Butler Wuden, who was watching him intently. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± *** ¡°Do you think this is the right ce?¡± In response to Ruon¡¯s question, Igor nodded slowly. ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until we see it for ourselves, but¡­ it¡¯s likely to be the right ce.¡± ¡®Finally found it, huh.¡¯ Ruon looked at the old man who introduced himself as Wuden, momentarily reminiscing about the past. It had been a while since they had left the Grand Church, and they hadn¡¯t aplished much. Igor, who would touch the Holy Sword every night and provide direction, had exined the reason for theirck of progress. ¡°The amount of Belducius¡¯s power the Holy Sword has consumed isn¡¯t yet enough for it to function as a truepass. It seems it still needs to absorb more of the demon¡¯s power.¡± The holy sword could not locate the source of Belducias, but fortunately, it could direct him to a ce harboring power simr to what he had already consumed, and thus it had led them to this secluded territory. While stopping at the inn, they got into an argument with some drunk thugs, and an old man iming to be the Baron¡¯s butler appeared, requesting their assistance. They still didn¡¯t know the identity of the woman who intruded into the Baron¡¯s office, but if she was rted to the events happening in the location the Holy Sword had pointed them toward, it was highly probable that she was somehow connected to Belducias. Ruon turned to the butler, who was looking at him anxiously. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the matter regarding the Baron.¡± Chapter 34: Chapter 34: After Following Wuden to the castle, Ruon couldn¡¯t help but realize how impoverished this territory truly was, with walls so low and dpidated that any distinction between outer and inner walls was meaningless. A wryugh escaped him. ¡®Are all demons and their minions like this?¡¯ It seemed amusing that those who imed to worship a great demon targeted ces like a rustic vige¡¯s monastery, a church, or a small lord¡¯s territory. Of course, such behavior might be meant to minimize unnecessary conflict and proceed with their ns covertly, but there was no need to sympathize with their thinking. At that moment, Wuden spoke. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t need tough, I know better than anyone that it¡¯s small and shabby.¡± From his somber tone, Ruon could tell that the old butler had misunderstood. ¡°That¡¯s not why I wasughing. If I gave the wrong impression, then I apologize.¡± Hearing Ruon¡¯s polite words, Wuden seemed surprised, responding. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s not like that. My mind has been troubled, so I became overly sensitive. I apologize.¡± Igor interjected. ¡°It seems the Baron is in worse shape than you could have imagined.¡± Wuden nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been over two weeks since the youngdy passed away, and he¡¯s locked himself up in his office ever since. It¡¯s hard to imagine he¡¯s doing well.¡± ¡°And thedy of the house¡­¡± ¡°She passed away a long time ago, after giving birth to the youngdy. She was the only heir to the master, no siblings¡­ Losing her has caused him immense pain, and then that woman appeared.¡± Anger seeped into Wuden¡¯s voice as he mentioned the woman. It was evident that he was deeply upset, clenching his wrinkled fist tightly. Meanwhile, the group entered the castle. The building, rather than a castle, looked more like a considerablyrge mansion. Despite the sun shining outside, there was an eerie atmosphere inside. At that moment, an elderly maid, who had been sweeping the floor, threw the broom aside and hurriedly approached them. ¡°Wuden, where have you been all this time?¡± ¡°Pick up the broom. Mia. You¡¯re acting disrespectfully in front of those who came to help.¡± Upon Wuden¡¯s scolding, the maid named Mia picked up the fallen broom and approached again. ¡°I apologize.¡± Finally easing his expression, Wuden asked, ¡°The master?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still the same. He hasn¡¯t touched the food left for him yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­And that woman?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯te out of her room and¡­¡± Before Mia could finish her sentence, Wuden crumpled his face and shouted in frustration. ¡°Be careful with your words! That room belongs to the departeddy, not that sinister woman!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± As Mia shrunk her shoulders, Wuden sighed and lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was too harsh. You must be going through a lot as well¡­ I¡¯ve made several mistakes today.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. It was my carelessness. If I had taken better care of the youngdy that day¡­¡± Looking at Mia, whose eyes turned red as she finished her sentence, Ruon could tell that she was the maid who had apanied the deceased daughter of the lord during her visit to the mountain. Igor, who had been quiet, spoke up. ¡°Ruon, where should we start? The study? The room where that woman supposedly is? Or should we split up and¡­¡± Instead of answering, Ruon quietly gripped the handle of the Holy Sword. He felt a faint vibrationing from the de. In response, Igor shut his mouth. ¡°Are there any other residents living here?¡± To this question, Wuden shook his head. ¡°For now, it¡¯s just me, Mia, and the two of you. There were others who came and helped at intervals, but¡­ I prohibited their entry as unfavorable rumors have been spreading bit by bit after the master¡¯s condition deteriorated. Why do you ask?¡± Ruon replied. ¡°That¡¯s good. In that case, the two of you should wait outside. I¡¯ll call for you once we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°¡­Why should we suddenly leave?¡± ¡°Because the old man¡¯s concerns weren¡¯t unwarranted.¡± Wuden¡¯s eyes narrowed as if he didn¡¯t immediatelyprehend the meaning of the statement. ¡°Huh?¡± It was Igor who responded. ¡°There¡¯s an evil force lurking here. He and I will destroy it in Mother¡¯s name, so the two of you can wait outside without worry.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re saying this without even confirming anything. Who are you guys¡­¡± Interrupting Wuden¡¯s stuttering, Ruon spoke firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t say it twice. Leave.¡± It was none other than Mia who firmly tugged on Wuden¡¯s arm as he stood there dumbfounded. ¡°Wuden-sama, let¡¯s go.¡± She bowed her head deeply, as if she had realized something from Igor¡¯s tone and the pommel of the Holy Sword at Ruon¡¯s waist. ¡°Please, save the lord, knights of Tibe.¡± With those words, Mia and Wuden walked outside. Igor murmured softly while watching them leave. ¡°I¡¯m a priest¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense and let¡¯s go.¡± Ruon walked straight towards the central staircase. His steps, guided by the ever-increasing hum of the holy sword, stopped in front of a rusted iron door on the third floor. A tray ced beside the door held dry bread and a bowl of dried-up soup, looking rather forlorn. Igor, who was feeling uneasy from the ominous stench seeping out from beyond the door, spoke. ¡°This must be the master¡¯s study.¡± Ruon silently heightened his senses. His expanded hearing allowed him to pick up the sounds from inside. ¡°My love, my treasure, my one and only daughter, let¡¯s be together forever, a true, painless¡­¡± Ruon could hear a man¡¯s voice mumbling with such speed that it sounded as if he was speaking in tongues. Feeling as if hundreds of ants were crawling in his ears, Ruon pressed both hands against the iron door. Gi-Gi-Gk! The thin iron door, unable to withstand the explosive force of the bulging muscles, let out a scream and began to deform. Slipping his arm through the forcefully opened gap in the door, Ruon grabbed the fastened hinge. Thud! Unable to withstand the tremendous strength of his grip, the hinge was torn away, and the door that had lost its means of securing itself slowly opened. The suffocating stench that filled the room hit their faces and spilled outside. Igor, captivated by the scene before him, muttered softly without even noticing the foul smell. ¡°Goodness gracious¡­¡± In the middle of the room, a naked man covered in wounds was holding something precious in his arms. What he held close was a swollen and grotesque corpse. Witnessing the horrifying sight, Igor immediately clenched his fist. ¡°Mother, bestow mercy to soothe this broken soul.¡± With his prayer, a faint light emanated from his body and poured over the man¡¯s form. ¡°Keek!¡± Exposed to the light, the man fell backward and twisted his body in a grotesque manner. However, his arms still clung tightly to the corpse. Seeing the almost mad determination in the man¡¯s eyes, Igor turned to Ruon and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll try to calm him somehow.¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± As Igor approached the staggering lord and began reciting a prayer, anguid voice echoed from down the corridor. ¡°My king enjoys watching restless souls being consumed by madness.¡± Turning his head in the direction of the voice, Ruon saw a young woman wearing a light nightgown smiling at him. ¡°Who are you to disturb his entertainment?¡± The smooth corners of the woman¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she had seen something unpleasant. ¡°Tibe? You must be those wretches of hers.¡± After finishing her words, the woman¡¯s forehead started to seethe and melt, and Ruon immediately reached for the bow behind his back. As he pulled the transparent string, a bright arrow of light appeared and was swiftly aimed at the woman. The arrow of light shed with a crimson barrier that rose in front of the woman¡¯s body. Arrow after arrow fell upon the shield, which wavered unsteadily. Amidst this, the woman shouted. ¡°Erode and die!¡± As the opposing forces shed, something surged toward Ruon. An unseen force mmed into him, knocking down the hanging picture frames on the wall with a resounding crash. ¡®What was that?¡¯ In that moment, Ruon felt a creeping impulse in his mind, suddenly feeling the desire to draw the Holy Sword and stab it into his own thigh. ¡®Stab! sh! Tear! Pierce!¡¯ Fighting the horrifying voice that delved into his mind, Ruon tightly gripped the Holy Sword¡¯s hilt. Suddenly, a burst of light emanated from the pommel, enveloping his entire body. At the same time, a zing red lightning bolt came hurtling towards him, colliding with the protective barrier created by the Holy Sword. Amidst the shock that pushed him backward, the urges to harm himself continued. ¡®sh! Thrash! Twist! Mutte!¡¯ ¡®Shut up.¡¯ Harshly pping his own cheek with his palm, Ruon gritted his teeth and focused his concentration. With his overwhelming mental power, even capable of creating artificial temporal stasis, the chaotic noise in his mind gradually receded. Regainingposure, Ruon raised the Holy Sword and struck down an oing bolt of red lightning. The bolt split in two and tore through the surroundings before dispersing into thin air. Seeing Ruon spit out the blood-tinged saliva on the floor, the woman spoke. ¡°You defeated the King¡¯s power solely through willpower? That¡¯s impossible.¡± The symbol of Belducias red ominously on the woman¡¯s forehead as she stared in disbelief. ¡°So what?¡± Uninterested in her tiresome bbering, Ruon responded curtly and mmed the ground. ¡°Eek!¡± Gritting her teeth, the woman shouted iprehensible words. ¡°Drium-Avento!¡± Wicked mes swirled from the woman¡¯s fingertips, engulfing the body of the charging Ruon. The woman smiled in satisfaction as she unleashed her most powerful spell. ¡°The never-ending mes will burn you to¡ª¡± Her sentence was cut off abruptly. Emerging from the mes within a silvery protective barrier, the stag adorned pommel of the Holy Sword came flying forward, shattering the woman¡¯s crimson barrier with terrifying force. With his other hand, Ruon¡¯s hand gripped her throat firmly. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Suspended in mid-air, the woman desperately clung to Ruon¡¯s wrist. She knew that letting go would result in gravity taking full effect, likely breaking her neck. ¡°What, do you want me to put you down?¡± Ruon lifted the arm choking her throat and swung it downward, smashing the woman into the floor. Thud! Overwhelmed by the tremendous impact, the woman was unable to even scream, curling up like a shrimp. Looking down at her with cold eyes, Ruon shouted loudly. ¡°Igor!¡± In response to his call, Igor, covered in beads of sweat, slowly walked out of the study. Ruon asked, ¡°The Baron?¡± Igor replied wearily as he approached Ruon¡¯s side. ¡°I forced him to sleep a while ago. There shouldn¡¯t be any immediate issues.¡± Gazing at the fallen woman, Igor spoke with disdain. ¡°You despicable minion of a vile demon. Do you realize the extent of your wicked deeds?¡± In excruciating pain, all the woman could do was groan. Her sweat-drenched, voluptuous figure, gasping for breath, would have appeared as a pitiable sight to anyone ignorant of the circumstances. However, the gazes of the two men looking down at her were infinitely cold. Kneeling down and lowering his posture, Ruon grasped the woman¡¯s cheeks and spoke. ¡°From now on, if you answer my questions properly, I¡¯ll kill you without much pain.¡± Uninterested in hearing a response, Ruon continued. ¡°So, where is your arrogant king hiding?¡± Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Martina. As one of Belducias¡¯s loyal followers, she had recently ended her secluded life and revealed herself to the outside world. Her cautious decision was prompted by the recent mysterious deaths of Salvetor and several of her other associates. Of course, the deaths of these fewpanions meant little to Martina, who had barely any camaraderie with them. She was only ted by the thought that with thepetition eliminated, it was the perfect time for her to rise as the king¡¯s envoy. Martina began searching for a suitable ce to engage in her activities, and she easily found one. The Dunsany family. The decaying family estate was the perfect stage for her. There, it should be easy enough. Having arrived at this remote rural domain where, even with a careful look around, no well-equipped soldiers or magicians could be seen, Martina set her ns into motion. As a preliminary step to cater to her most demanding king¡¯s taste, she killed the Baron¡¯s daughter. She then broke the Baron¡¯s spirit with sorrow, turning him into a martyr of madness, and ced a severe curse on his body. The Baron, now the vessel of a powerful curse, embraced his dead daughter¡¯s body and began chanting unholy words, with a glorious self-immtion before him. The next victims of the curse, to bepleted upon the Baron¡¯s death, were the residents of the domain. Ah, Your Majesty. Even the thought of the favors the mad king would bestow upon her for the atrocities it would create made Martina¡¯s heart feel like it would burst. But what is this! She twisted her body in pain, feeling her mrs shatter under the powerful grip of the man who had grasped her cheeks. The excruciating agony made her feel as though all her ns had turned to ashes. ¡°Ah, aack!¡± Ruon growled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have an answer?¡± There was only one reason he hadn¡¯t killed her: He wanted to extract useful information. ¡°Regardless, you will die. That¡¯s for sure. However, depending on your answers, the end might be a little morefortable.¡± Having said that, Ruon eased the pressure of his fingertips slightly. Martina, who had barely escaped from the agony, spokeboriously. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Who, who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°Kck!¡± Chhk. The bone-chilling sound of her mrs and surrounding teeth being shattered under the pressure echoed through the corridor. Ruon, facing the soundless scream of Martina, spoke. ¡°Onest question. Where is Beldusias?¡± Listening to his relentless, emotionless voice, Martina had no choice but to admit it. She could never escape this man. Discarding all the fundamental questions, like how Tibe¡¯s dogs could have even found her In this secluded ce, she trembled as she barely managed to regain control of her quivering lips. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either. We only borrow his power through rituals and sacrifices.¡± The tooth fragments in her mouth made pronunciation difficult, but she was still understandable. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of contract.¡± Though she could endure the pain in her back and throbbing mouth, she couldn¡¯t bear Ruon¡¯s cold expression as he silently stared at her. Unaware of the effect of Ruon¡¯s ability [Devil¡¯s Adversary], Margrita was trapped in instinctive fear, yet she continued speaking. ¡°He is an envoy acknowledged by the king¡­ Yes, an envoy. If he¡¯s an envoy, he must know. Unlike us, he was directly anointed by the king.¡± ¡®An envoy?¡¯ Judging that he had finally heard something valuable, Ruon immediately questioned her. ¡°Where can this so-called envoy be found?¡± ¡°That, he¡¯s at the Great Li-¡° Just as Martina was about to say more, her body suddenly began to tremble like the leaves of an aspen tree. Seeing her foaming face and abnormal convulsions, Ruon quickly stepped back. ¡°Merciful Mother-¡° Before Igor could do anything, the rapidly inting head of the woman exploded. Though Ruon was an outsider to magic, sorcery, and curses, he could easily tell that an unknown force had forcibly killed the woman. Looking down at the bloodied and fleshy floor, he muttered under his breath in frustration. ¡°Cutting her off at such a crucial moment. That¡¯s petty as hell.¡± Igor scratched his chin as he faced Ruon, with a strange sense of satisfaction. ¡°Did you not hear her?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She mentioned the Great Library, didn¡¯t she?¡± When Ruon stared at him intently, Igor continued with a slightly triumphant expression. ¡°I think I heard her say the beginning, at least, so I can¡¯t be sure, but it was enough to make me think of the Great Library.¡± ¡°¡­You might be right.¡± As Ruon nodded, the light emanating from the pommel of the Holy Sword began to absorb the dark power it had drawn from the headless woman¡¯s body. Feeling the satisfying resonance of the Holy Sword in his hand, Ruon spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go get the two outside.¡± *** Wuden, having served this household for three generations, had experienced various ups and downs in his life. However, even for someone like him, the horrifying scene before him was beyond his expectations, causing him to copse and slump to the ground. ¡°Oh my, what on earth¡­¡± Wuden was trembling so violently that he wondered if he would have fainted if he hadn¡¯t mentally prepared himself. Surprisingly, the maid Mia kept herposure. After carefully wiping the blood-covered Baron¡¯s body with a damp towel, she turned to Ruon. ¡°Would you please carry the master to his bed?¡± Ruon nodded in response to her calm request. ¡°Sure.¡± Mia spoke as he ced the almost weightless and lifeless Baron on the bed. ¡°What happened¡­ Can you tell me about it?¡± Ruon hesitated to answer, not knowing the full story of the incident, except that the woman had tried to use the Baron for her ns, Igor spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s not much different than what you might expect. The woman you found suspicious was a demon¡¯s minion, and she drove the Baron to madness.¡± After he let out a short sigh, Igor continued. ¡°The power of my Mother managed to drive away the madness, but the aftereffects will likely be significant. Even if he regains consciousness, he¡¯ll find it difficult to function normally.¡± Struggling to find her voice, Mia spoke up as Igor finished speaking. ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s enough that he¡¯s alive, me and Wuden will figure it out.¡± Bowing her head deeply enough to reveal the crown of her head, she continued. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Tibe¡¯s knights. You are the true heroes.¡± Feeling that feeble constion was unnecessary, Ruon led Igor out the door. They could hear Mia¡¯s sorrowful weeping from inside the room as they closed the door. Considering the ages of Wuden and Mia, they must have been people who had been with the Baron since his childhood. Not daring to imagine how much pain they were going through, Igor bit his lip. ¡°Is this how it¡¯s supposed to be?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve resolved the situation, but I don¡¯t feel proud at all.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not about seeking self-satisfaction.¡± After a moment of silence, Igor spoke up. ¡°¡­Walking the path of such kindness, Ruon, no matter what others may say, you are truly worthy of being Tibe¡¯s champion. It reminds me of how privileged I am to be a part of this journey.¡± Before Ruon could respond, Igor knelt in front of the door, sped his hands, and began to pray. Watching him for a moment, Ruon suddenly recalled what Ame had told him long ago. ¡°No matter what your intentions are, sometimes people only remember the results, and those results stack up and form an impression of a person.¡± ¡®You were right.¡¯ Ruon smiled faintly. As he moved towards his goal of killing Belducius, he realized how urate her words were, now inadvertently walking the path of a hero. Meanwhile, beyond the window, the setting sun squeezed out its final light. Along the blood-stained corridor where the crimson glow had descended, Ruon walked slowly. *** ¡°Oh my, Mother¡­ Didn¡¯t they give us too much?¡± ¡°Why? Is there gold in there?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°What?¡± Igor extended the leather pouch toward Ruon, and as he peered inside, he saw two gleaming gold coins. It was the leather pouch that Wuden had insisted on giving them as they were leaving. Knowing the circumstances of the impoverished estate, Ruon and Igor had tried to refuse, but the old steward was quite insistent, so they reluctantly epted it, but what better reward than gold! It was an unimaginable sum. Igor mumbled anxiously. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have given us so much just to defend their family¡¯s pride¡­¡± Ruon lightly shook his head. ¡°The Baron wasn¡¯t going to let us leave without a reward.¡± With that said, Ruon took the lead and began walking, with Igor quickly following behind. ¡°So, are we heading to the capital?¡± Igor asked. ¡°I suppose.¡± Thanks to Igor¡¯s understanding of thest words of the exploding servant, their next destination naturally became the capital city, Bern, where the Great Library was located. The Holy Sword, which was now fueled by Belducius¡¯s power, also indicated toward the west, where Bern was situated, so there was no need to hesitate. After traveling for hours beneath the heavy, gloomy sky, the two finally took a moment to rest under a hunched pine tree. Ruon said, ¡°Now that our pouch is quite ample, we¡¯ll buy some horses or something at the next stop. We can¡¯t keep walking like this forever.¡± Igor¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Oh, my goodness! Sir Ruon, you finally brought it up. Thank you, Mother.¡± Ruon chuckled. ¡°Has it been tough all this time?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t mention it. Do you have any idea how pathetic I felt, praying to Mother every night, trying to heal the blisters on my swollen feet?¡± ¡°Alright, I get it. Can you just put away your feet?¡± Igor withdrew his sore feet, which he had been rubbing, and smiled sheepishly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Right then. Mee-ee-ee-eee! Startled by the resounding bleat, both of them stood up abruptly. ¡°Is it a mountain goat?¡± ¡°Could a mountain goat be so loud?¡± Ruon replied and walked towards the direction where the noise came from. Mee-ee-ee-eee! At the bottom of the steep path, a massive monster roared fiercely. All around the goat-headed creature, roaring wildly at the sky, was a mass of mutted body parts. Igor, who arrived a littleter, muttered. ¡°A chort?¡± At that moment, from the opposite side of the monster, a loud and boisterous voice resounded. ¡°You fucking goat! Can¡¯t you back off? You little piece of shit! You¡¯re not even worth eating!¡± The thick cursing wasing from inside an iron cage on top of arge cart. ¡®What the hell is that?¡¯ While Ruon furrowed his brow, someone inside the iron cage noticed the two on the hilltop and shouted loudly. ¡°Hey, brothers! Help me out! I¡¯d prefer to get out of here!¡± Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Mee-ee-ee-eee! It seemed as if the brash voice of the man had provoked the creature, as the fearsome goat-headed monster let out a long bellow, ramming the cart with its ruggedly curled horns. The cart was shattered by its fearsome charge, and the iron cage inside it made a dull thud as it hit the ground. From within, screams erupted. ¡°Aargh! My back! You son of a bitch!¡± ¡®He¡¯s peculiar.¡¯ Looking down from above, Ruon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. The man, trapped on the ground with the ferocious creature breathing heavily right in front of him, was shouting fearlessly. ¡°You useless goat! If I weren¡¯t tied up, I¡¯d knock off that miserable head of yours¡­ Anyway, hey, brothers! Aren¡¯t you going to help me? Why are you just standing there gawking?¡± In response to the audacious plea for rescue, Igor scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m strangely not feeling any urgency.¡± ¡°Same.¡± Seeing the man fearlessly swear amidst the scattered corpses and the horrifying monster made it feel like they were watching aedian¡¯s act. However, they couldn¡¯t just stand and watch. If they did, the enraged goat-headed monster would undoubtedly tear the man apart with its powerful horns. Ruon spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of that thing first.¡± He quickly descended the cliffside, drawing his Holy Sword. Noticing that the clouds had parted just in time to allow sunlight to shine through them, he held his sword at an angle. The goat-headed monster, about to charge at the iron cage, turned its head wildly, seemingly bothered by the glimmering light in its eyes. As the sunlight reflected off the sword¡¯s surface, Ruon snapped his fingers. ¡°Come at me.¡± Mee-ee-ee-ee! The taunt seemed to work, as the monster let out a scream and charged towards Ruon with reckless abandon. Facing the creature, which was closing in with overwhelming momentum, Ruon swung his Holy Sword downward. The monster¡¯s horns shed fiercely against the sword as it forcefully raised its lowered head. ng! The creature¡¯s power far exceeded Ruon¡¯s expectations. Pushed back by its strength, he gritted his teeth and forced his arm forward, holding the Holy Sword firmly. The Holy Sword, loaded to the brim with his fearsome strength, sliced through the monster¡¯s steel horns in an instant. Mee-ee-ee! The hornless creature reacted angrily, veering sideways and kicking Luon with one of its hind legs. Swiftly leaning backward to dodge the massive hoof, Ruon quickly rose to his feet and swung the Holy Sword upwards. As he shed through the creature¡¯s extended leg, it let out a pitiful cry and turned around, fleeing. It seemed to have lost its fighting spirit after just a single exchange. Of course, there was no way Ruon would let it go that easily. He sheathed the Holy Sword and sped forward, kicking off the ground and leaping into the air. Mee-eek! With a swiftnding, hended on the limping monster¡¯s back, wrapping his arms around its thick neck. Instinctively sensing what was toe, the monster mmed its back against arge boulder. Crash! The impact caused a tremendous noise, and although parts of the rock shattered, Ruon, surprisingly, remained firmly on the monster¡¯s back unharmed. Feeling Holy Power from Igor envelop his body, Ruon tightened his arms around the monster¡¯s neck. Crrk, crrkrk. Eerie sounds echoed from the creature¡¯s throat, gripped in Ruon¡¯s log-like arms. Before it suffocated, the creature¡¯s neck bone snapped and it crashed to the ground face first. After strangling the creature for some time, Luon felt a surge of fulfillment wash over him, and he released his grip and stood up. ¡°Holy hell! Could there be a giant among your ancestors? I never thought someone would be able to strangle that bloody sheep!¡± Luon rubbed his stiff back and moved toward the iron bars from where the gruff voice wasing. On the other side of the bars, a man was smiling refreshingly. ¡°Glory to Duermur! I guess I really haven¡¯t been abandoned, judging by our fortunate meeting!¡± The man speaking like that had a smooth, bald head and an impressively twisted beard. Although he was short in stature, he had a robust body, and not only were his hands and ankles bound by shackles, but chains were also wrapped around his elbows and knees. Ruon asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Stravo, a dwarf who knows the romance of adventure. Thanks to you guys, I can finally escape from this wretched cage!¡± Ruon raised an eyebrow. ¡°When did I say I¡¯d set you free?¡± Stravo widened his eyes and replied. ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you kill that monster to save me?¡± ¡°You must have been drinking too much sake.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°Never mind that. Why should I set free a criminal locked behind iron bars?¡± Upon Ruon¡¯s nonchnt remark, Stravo ruffled his bushy beard and responded. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to exin! I¡¯m not a criminal. Those bastards lying dead on the floor are far more deserving of the word.¡± Saying that, he spat in the direction of the corpses. ¡°Those bastards! They deserved to die!¡± At that moment, Igor spoke. ¡°So, what got you dragged into this mess?¡± ¡°Oh! You were radiating a faint light from your body! It was quite beautiful.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± Surprised by the suddenpliment, Igor scratched his head with a pleased expression. Stravo spoke. ¡°Those fuckers over there were part of the Iron Fist gang, a bunch of thugs upying the back alleys of the city of Harlen. They¡¯re parasites, picking the pockets of the poor under the guise of care and protection and all sorts of other bullshit.¡± ¡°Why did they drag you along?¡± Ruon asked. Stravo replied without hesitation. ¡°Because I killed their leader!¡± He clenched his fists tightly as he spoke. ¡°During my three months in Harlen, I saw them pull their bullshit at least a hundred times. I couldn¡¯t stand to watch their atrocities any longer, so I stormed into their hideout and killed their leader with my teeth.¡± ¡°You killed him how?¡± Luon wondered if he¡¯d misheard, but Stravo just shrugged. ¡°I bit him to death. Oh, I forgot to mention, I have the ability to transform into a beast! See, I¡¯m a druid.¡± Igor¡¯s eyes widened, astonished by the revtion. ¡°A dwarf druid? Is that even possible? I heard only certain special individuals among the elves could be druids.¡± Stravo chuckled and snorted. ¡°You only imagine dwarves wielding hammers and doing cksmith work, don¡¯t you? Well, I don¡¯t want to waste my life like that. I¡¯m a dwarf who knows the romance of adventure! ¡°Anyway! After I killed that punk, I thought peace would finallye to the back alleys. In fact, I even worried about what I¡¯d do if human women fell for me. But guess what? When people saw me transforming back into my original form, they screamed that a demon had appeared.¡± He shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°No matter how many times I exined that I was just reshaping my physical body into the image of a beast using the essence of nature, no one believed me. Those idiots started using me of being a devil worshiper, and began hunting me. I had to flee in a hurry¡­ and ended up getting caught by those Iron Fist bastards.¡± Having finished his exnation, Stravo began scratching his head against the iron bars, as if his scalp itched. Looking at him, Ruon asked, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s assume there was a misunderstanding¡­ with such impressive abilities, how did you get captured?¡± Stravo snorted before replying. ¡°Whenever I transform into a beast and then revert back, my body feels burdened for a while, and I need a good two or three days of rest. It¡¯s just one of the damn side effects I have to deal with because I¡¯m a dwarf¡­¡± ¡®Then why is he a druid?¡¯ Ruon raised an amused eyebrow. While he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what a druid was, he knew for sure that it wasn¡¯t a profession that typically went hand in hand with dwarves. ¡°That¡¯s the end of my story. Gentlemen, if you understand the romance of adventure, won¡¯t you release me from here? I can¡¯t just die like this.¡± Seeing his cheerful smile, Ruon almost unconsciously nodded before stopping himself, letting out a sigh. ¡°Regardless of your intentions or how you got here, right now, you seem to be branded as a devil worshiper. Letting you go in this situation might cause trouble for us in the future.¡± Stravo blinked nkly at Ruon¡¯s words. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡®Why is this guy with such a bushy beard so naive?¡¯ Adding to his point, Ruon said, ¡°Even if we release you, what will you do? Will you spend your whole life on the run?¡± ¡°That¡­ well¡­¡± Seeing Stravo struggling to find words, it was clear that he hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. After a while of stammering, Stravo finally spoke with a determined face. ¡°Listening to what you said, I now realize how shortsighted I was! Damn, I can¡¯t cause trouble for you. Just go ahead. I¡¯ll try to find my own way to survive.¡± With those words, Stravo plopped down on the ground, looking defeated, and Ruon scratched his head, feeling puzzled. ¡®What a strange man.¡¯ For some inexplicable reason, Ruon found himself fond of this reckless dwarf. In this world full of dreadful events, finding someone romanticizing adventure was revitalizing, even if he was a little odd. It seemed that Igor felt the same way, as he alternated his gaze between Stravo and Ruon before finally speaking up. ¡°Is there no way we can help?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s just wanted for suspicion of being a devil worshiper, there might be a way,¡± Ruon replied. ¡°What would that be?¡± Looking at Igor¡¯s widened eyes, Ruon exined. ¡°As a priest of Tibe, you could testify that this dwarf has nothing to do with devils.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± While the two were discussing, Stravo, who had been observing them silently, asked, ¡°Huh? You¡¯ll help me?¡± Igor shrugged and replied. ¡°If it¡¯s a testimony for an innocent person, Mother Tibe would surely appreciate it.¡± Startled by the offer, Stravo stood up abruptly, looking surprised. ¡°Oh, thank you! You two truly understand the romance of adventure!¡± ¡°Enough with the ttery, step back.¡± Deciding that getting involved with this intriguing dwarf wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, Ruon grasped the iron bars of the cage. ¡°Trying to open the door? If you search the red-haired guy¡¯s waist, you¡¯ll find the key to the cell.¡± Stravo, who was pointing towards the fallen corpse on the ground, stopped talking, watching in disbelief as Ruon effortlessly bent the iron bars with his bare hands as if they were mere twigs. ¡°Is he¡­ a descendant of giants?¡± Stravo asked, his eyes widening with astonishment. Igor shook his head and replied with a serious expression. ¡°No. He is a true champion of Tibe, on the noble journey of vanquishing evil.¡± Upon hearing Igor¡¯s exnation, Stravo opened his eyes wide and eximed. ¡°Wow, what a badass big brother!¡± Chapter 37: Chapter 37: ¡°Ruon! Can you slow down your pace a bit? My short legs can¡¯t keep up with your stride!¡± Hearing the shout from behind, Ruon let out a soft sigh and slowed down, eventuallying to a stop. When he turned his head, he saw Stravo happily bouncing and waving his arms around, Igor walking beside him. ¡°I understand that a dwarf¡¯s stride might be slow, but in return, I notice many things you might have missed. The scent of the earth, the chirping of birds, the gentle movement of the pure white clouds¡­ Ah, today¡¯s weather is really something. Anyway, things like that!¡± ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to realize that he¡¯s being hunted.¡¯ Seeing Stravopletely caught up in his own excitement, Ruon couldn¡¯t help butugh at the dwarf¡¯sck of awareness. At that moment, Igor spoke up. ¡°Stravo, I don¡¯t know much about dwarves, but¡­ you certainly seem to differ from the norm.¡± Stravo responded with a bright smile. ¡°Oh, Igor! That¡¯s my favorite thing to hear! Yes, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m fundamentally different from those simple-minded fools banging on steel in dull workshops!¡± He quickly added, ¡°Because I¡¯m a dwarf who knows the romance of adventure!¡± ¡®Should I not have released him?¡¯ Ruon shook his head with a sigh. He had finally adapted to Igor, the prayer devotee, but now he had to deal with an even more severe case, this romantic enthusiast dwarf¡­ He felt a little blindsided. ¡°Just when I thought it was all over, a goat-headed monster appeared, killed the Iron Fist guys, and then you killed the monster, and now you¡¯re the witnesses who will vouch for my innocence! Yes, this is what adventure and romance are all about. Ah.¡± Impressed by his own words, Stravo closed his eyes and gently stroked his beard. Watching the scene, Ruon urged them to continue walking. *** A soldier with a stern face that paired well with the dull city¡¯s outer wall raised his palm towards the approaching travelers. ¡°Halt! There will be a brief inspection.¡± The soldier¡¯s eyes narrowed as he formally scanned the faces of the individuals standing in a row. ¡®What kind of group is this?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but feel perplexed. There was a big man with broad shoulders, a somewhat timid-looking man, and a dwarf with a curly beard¡­ a dwarf? Feeling a strange difort, the soldier scratched his head and began rummaging through his pocket. While the soldier quickly pulled out a few rolled-up wanted posters, Ruon spoke. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a dwarf wanted as a demon, there¡¯s no need for that. That¡¯s him right there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The soldier unconsciously clutched the spear hanging on his shoulder, and Igor spoke up. ¡°Can we see the Lord?¡± ¡°Why would the Lord need to see you?¡± ¡°I wish to testify for the innocence of this man, no, this dwarf, and have the wanted posters retracted.¡± Amidst the uneasy atmosphere, a few additional soldiers closed in on the group. Among them, the most senior-looking soldier approached. ¡°If you wish to testify about someone¡¯s innocence in front of the Lord, you will first need to reveal your identities.¡± In response to the polite suggestion, Igor reached into his robe and presented a ne adorned with a silver stag. ¡°I am Igor, a priest belonging to the Grand Church of Tibe.¡± The soldier, after studying the ne for a while, slowly nodded. ¡°¡­Alright. I will lead you to the Lord. However, we must bind the dwarf¡¯s wrists. Since he is still wanted, we cannot allow him to roam the city freely.¡± In response to the soldier¡¯s resolute words, Stravo shrugged and extended his wrists. ¡°I have nothing to hide, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Surrounded by soldiers, the three of them followed the path that led to the inner castle. Ruon could hear some of the people around him muttering ¡®It¡¯s the demon¡¯ as they spotted the dwarf with the cuffs on his wrists. Ignoring such whispers, the group entered the inner castle and walked through the wide central garden, finally arriving at a tower with a white cone-shaped roof. The interior of the tower, as expected of a defensive structure, had few windows and was dimly lit even though the sun had yet to set. Climbing stone steps, the group reached the top of the tower, where they were greeted by arge iron door. Next to it stood a knight wearing a surcoat over thin chainmail, arms folded. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In response to the knight¡¯s question, one of the soldiers leading the group stepped forward and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Captain Hanson of the guard. A wanted criminal has shown up with those who can prove his innocence, and we have brought them to see the Lord.¡± With a brief exnation, the knight briefly nodded as he observed Stravo, who was tightly bound. ¡°Well done. You may proceed.¡± As the soldiers bowed their heads and began descending the stairs, the knight forcefully knocked on the iron door with his fist. ¡°Go in.¡± Without waiting for a response, he opened the door. Looking at the knight, who gestured for them to enter while leaning against the open door, Ruon suddenly noticed a symbol embroidered on his surcoat. It was the image of a ck-painted fist. Curious, Ruon entered the room and cast a wry smile as he looked at the banners hanging on the walls. In the meantime, the Lord, sitting at the end of the long table, drinking from a teacup, turned his head and spoke. ¡°So, you¡¯vee to prove his innocence?¡± He ced the teacup back on the table and continued. ¡°Ah, you can consider that door as just a formality. The soundproofing is quite poor. I¡¯ve already heard everything the Guard Captain was saying outside. So, let¡¯s skip the trivial exnations and get to the point.¡± Stravo raised his voice as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°I suffered for nothing due to the ridiculous rumors about me being a demon! I am a druid, not a demon! A druid!¡± Igor added on to thement. ¡°I am Igor, a priest serving Tibe. I am pledged to oppose malevolent demons ording to my Mother¡¯s will. I solemnly swear that this dwarf is not a demon as you seem to think he is. If he were, I would have ended his life myself.¡± ¡°Eh? You would have?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Lord nodded. ¡°If ites from a priest who follows the Goddess of Mercy, I¡¯ll believe it. I¡¯ll ept that this dwarf is not a demon.¡± Igor widened his eyes in surprise at the unexpected response. Stravo seemed equally astonished, blinking hisrge eyes and mumbling. ¡°Is it supposed to end this ndly?¡± ¡°How could it possibly? Of course it won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Upon hearing the Lord¡¯sment, Stravo¡¯s face stiffened. The Lord chuckled in amusement at the look on the dwarf¡¯s face. ¡°Listen, dwarf. Whether you are a demon or not, it really doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡± With a sly smile, the Lord continued. ¡°Do you know who you tore the throat out of?¡± Stravo answered without hesitation. ¡°That asshole? I know very well. He was just another piece of garbage among the trash, thinking it¡¯s fun to torment the people of the city. He was a waste of human flesh, so I personally ripped him apart. Do you have a problem with that?¡± The Lord¡¯s face lost its amusement, and he growled softly. ¡°That asshole was my one and only nephew. You wretched dwarf brat. If you thought I¡¯d let you live after doing that to my nephew, you¡¯re sorely mistaken.¡± Stravo retorted in disbelief. ¡°That fucking asshole was your nephew? Dammit, you knew all this time what those brats were up to, and you allowed it?¡± Ruon, who had been silent until now, spoke. ¡°The Iron Fist is the Lord¡¯s private army, so we shouldn¡¯t have a problem, right?¡± Upon hearing that, the Lord¡¯s face contorted in anger. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve created a mercenary organization within the city because you knew that if you raised more men, you¡¯d be sent on a northern expedition by royal decree¡­ If you want to hide it, hide it properly. Isn¡¯t it too obvious?¡± Saying that, Ruon pointed sessively to the coat of arms on the knight standing behind them and at the g hanging on the wall. On each of them, amon symbol of a ck fist was disyed. Upon confirming the symbol of Iron Fist, Igor muttered quietly. ¡°Iron Fist¡­¡± In an instant, the Lord¡¯s expression darkened. Ruon continued. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re forming a mercenary organization called Iron Fist or Steel Fist or whatever, but I¡¯m not interested. However, I wonder if the king will see it the same way.¡± In response to the calm words, the Lord gnashed his teeth and asked, ¡°Are you trying to threaten me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± ¡®This guy is even dumber than I could have imagined.¡¯ Not only did he create an organization with a name that could be easily inferred from the family crest, but he also made the awful decision to entrust its management to his own nephew. Ruon barely managed to suppress a smile, continuing. ¡°I can understand your desire for revenge, but there¡¯s no need to escte the situation needlessly, is there?¡± The Lord slowly opened his mouth. ¡°And if I just decide to be a murderer? Did you think I¡¯d forget that this is my castle?¡± Ruon smirked and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sacred sword. ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± The Lord, looking into Ruon¡¯s unwavering eyes, gritted his teeth and picked up a pen. Dipping the pen tip in ink, he nervously scribbled something on the paper, stamped it, and held it out toward Ruon. ¡°It¡¯s an official document dering the withdrawal of that dwarf¡¯s wanted status.¡± As Ruon reached for the paper, the Lord retracted his arm and spoke. ¡°You can¡¯t have it without a pledge. You seem like a warrior loyal to Tibe. Swear in the name of your deity that you won¡¯t spread unnecessary rumors.¡± ¡®That¡¯s no problem.¡¯ Ruon promptly replied. ¡°In the name of Tibe, I¡¯ll take the words spoken here to my grave. Well, is that enough?¡± Only then did the Lord re-extend his arm. As Ruon took hold of the official document and stepped outside, he added onest remark. ¡°Change the name from Iron Fist.¡± *** After delivering the official document to the guards, the group immediately left the city and settled in a secluded forest, preparing to camp. Even though they¡¯d resolved the matter, he¡¯d had a heated exchange with the Lord, so resting within the city was a bad idea. ¡°I still don¡¯t fully understand what happened, but anyway, thank you!¡± Stravo eximed, giving a thumbs-up. Igor nodded in response, saying, ¡°When I heard that Stravo had killed the Lord¡¯s nephew, I thought the situation would be much moreplicated¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to be resolved so easily.¡± Ruon, who was watching the rabbit meat sizzling over the campfire, shook his head. ¡°It was resolved easily thanks to the Lord¡¯s stupidity and excessive fear, so stop the chatter and eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy it!¡± Looking at Stravo as he eagerly brought the rabbit to his mouth, Igor asked, ¡°Where will you go now?¡± ¡°Hmm? I was thinking of following you guys.¡± ¡°Do you even know what we¡¯re doing?¡± Stravo nodded, gnawing on his meat. ¡°You said you¡¯re going to destroy evil, right? Seems like you¡¯re fighting demons?¡± ¡°And you want to follow us even knowing that?¡± ¡°Favors ought to be repaid. That¡¯s what makes them romantic!¡± Igor turned his head towards Ruon while looking at the chuckling Stravo. Understanding the meaning behind his expression, Ruon nodded. ¡°Since you¡¯re a druid, I expect you to earn your meals.¡± ¡°You can count on it!¡± The dwarf druid, who had joined the party, tapped his chest with his fist. Watching him, Ruon, who had been smiling faintly, suddenly put down the meat he was about to eat and spoke. ¡°Stravo.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you need?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have to pay your dues sooner than you think.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ruon looked into the dark forest and spoke. ¡°It seems like your Iron Fist friends have found us.¡± Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Amidst the sound of the crackling fire, buzzing insects, and rustling grass swaying in the wind, the clinking sound of metal approached. The faint sound of the tiny iron pieces rubbing together was so subtle that only Ruon, who naturally sharpened his senses when camping, could hear it. He closed his eyes and focused, allowing [Fairy¡¯s Hearing] to transmit the intruders¡¯ voices like a whisper into his ears. ¡°Wait until the moon is a bit more toward the west.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, don¡¯t give the dwarf a chance to transform.¡± ¡°The dwarf is the top priority, followed by the big guy. The dinky-looking one can be dealt withst.¡± Hearing only one person¡¯s voice at regr intervals suggested that the leader was giving orders to his subordinates in advance. At that moment, Igor lowered his voice. ¡°Iron Fist?¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°Judging by how they don¡¯t want to give Stravo a chance to transform, it seems likely.¡± Although he didn¡¯t hear anything himself, Igor fully trusted Ruon¡¯s abilities and nodded. ¡°¡­So the Lord didn¡¯t trust us after all?¡± ¡°Seems like this was his intention from the beginning.¡± Stravo, whose nostrils were twitching, suddenly spoke up. ¡°Well, in a way, it¡¯s for the best!¡± Green veins began to emerge on his face, resembling tendrils spreading across his skin. Simultaneously, his skeletal structure contorted and rearranged itself. His nose elongated like that of a beast, and rough fur sprouted all over his body. Stravo¡¯s appearance transformed into that of a beastly creature the likes of he¡¯d never seen before. ¡°Oh my goodness¡­¡± Igor muttered in surprise, and the transformed Stravo exhaled a burst of hot steam from his nose. ¡°Igor, sorry to startle you.¡± Seeing Stravo teasingly remark with a voice mixed with the growls typical of a wild animal, it was easy to see why he had been mistaken for a demon. At that moment, Ruon turned to Igor and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whatever¡¯s over there isn¡¯t a demon.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Just wait.¡± Interrupting Igor, Ruon headed straight for the bushes. Stravo, now a four-legged beast, followed closely behind. *** Iron Fist. They were a group formed by wandering mercenaries, often referred to as the wolves of Harlen. You might think that since they were a mercenary association, they would be organized and take on jobs. However, in reality, they didn¡¯t engage in any significant external activities. That¡¯s because Iron Fist was an organization secretly created by Harlen¡¯s Lord, Gunton. Gunton minimized direct ties with Iron Fist by not providing them direct payment. Rather, he turned a blind eye to their acts of pige and subtly supported their actions, and with such a Lord behind them, the Iron Fist had no reservations about upying Harlen¡¯s back alleys and dark corners. How this strange partnership worked was simple. Whenever Gunton made a ¡°personal request¡±, Iron Fist faithfully carried it out, no matter what it was. That was all there was to it. On ate night with the moon high in the sky, over ten armed individuals gathered on a quiet forest path. It was all because of such a ¡°request¡± from Gunton ¨C to kill the priest, the dwarf who disrespected him, and therge warrior. ¡°Damn it, because of that dwarf brat, I can¡¯t even sleep properly.¡± ¡°That little brat killed our captain.¡± ¡°That idiot, always doing whatever his uncle wanted. The captain had iting.¡± ¡°We also follow the Lord¡¯s orders, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± As the mercenaries grumbled among themselves, the man at the forefront turned his head and pressed his index finger to his lips. ¡°Quiet down.¡± He was the knight who¡¯d stood guard outside the Lord¡¯s office. The mercenaries gulped at his warning, as he served as both the Lord¡¯s bodyguard and the acting captain of the Iron Fist. ¡°We¡¯re about tounch our ambush, so let¡¯s do onest check of the¡­¡± The knight couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Suddenly, a huge beast attacked him from behind. Crunch! As the beast and the knight rolled on the ground in a frenzied tussle, the mercenaries shouted in surprise. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°Get up, everyone!¡± Then, a silver de cut through the chaotic atmosphere and sliced through one of the mercenaries¡¯ throats. ¡°Kckk.¡± Ruon emerged, clutching the mercenary¡¯s severed throat and kicking him in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Without a second thought, he strode straight toward the huddled mercenaries. Reacting to his resolute advance, the mercenaries quickly regained their senses and shouted loudly. ¡°He¡¯s alone!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, surround him!¡± ¡°Some of you, go take care of that beast! The dwarf brat is the priority!¡± ¡®At least they¡¯ve got the basics down.¡¯ Ruon grinned as he watched the mercenaries move hurriedly. Dodging a halberd that flew straight at him, Ruon pierced the gaps in the mercenaries¡¯ defense with his Holy Sword. As a mercenary who¡¯d been pierced through the skull let out a guttural moan, the mercenary behind him kicked his deadrade in the back and quickly swung his sword. Even so, Ruon¡¯s sword was faster and stronger. He effortlessly cut through both the falling body and the approaching mercenary before deflecting an iing throwing axe with his pommel. Ruon mmed his shoulder into the mercenary in front of him, who was screaming after losing his wrist, causing him to collide with another mercenary rushing from behind and sending them both rolling on the floor. After swifty stabbing three fallen men¡¯s necks with his sword, he didn¡¯t even bother to turn his head. He swung his opposite arm, and the man hit in the face by his fist staggered backward as blood sttered everywhere. As he turned toward another mercenary, who stared in horror after seeing hisrade¡¯s face crushed by a single punch, Ruon shrugged. ¡°Iron Fist, right?¡± ¡°AAAHH!¡± As the man charged at him with a battle cry that resembled a scream, Ruon swiftly cut the approaching man¡¯s throat, sending him flying. Then, he stabbed the Holy Sword into the ground and aimed an invisible arrow at a fleeing mercenary. A zing arrow of light tore through the dark night air and struck the back of the man¡¯s head. Silence fell over the forest in an instant. Ruon turned his head to see a beast covered in blood lumbering towards him. Gradually, its size decreased, transforming into a short, muscr dwarf with a bright smile. ¡°Ruon, I felt the same way when you killed the goat-headed monster, but you¡¯re amazing! I thought I was watching a legendary warrior!¡± ¡°You¡¯re naked.¡± ¡°Oh, this is one of the side effects of transformation¡­ My clothes were torn!¡± Smiling gracefully, Stravo rummaged through the clothes of the dead mercenaries while Ruon approached a groaning figure in the distance. The knight¡¯s throat was gruesomely ripped, and he struggled to breathe. ¡°Did¡­ did you¡­ did you know we wereing?¡± ¡°No.¡± With a brief response, Ruon bent his knee and faced the dying knight. Struggling, the knight managed to speak. ¡°This¡­ this was a personal vendetta. It had nothing to do with the Lord¡­¡± ¡®A knight in such a state.¡¯ Amidst his dying moments, Ruon chuckled mockingly at the knight¡¯s twisted loyalty, trying to defend his master even as hey dying. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± There was no reply. Ruon looked down at the knight, whose dting pupils were losing focus, and got up. Stravo, who had stripped the bodies of their clothes, was adjusting his loose-fitting garments and mumbling to himself. ¡°Damn it, I wasn¡¯t hit anywhere, and I still feel like I¡¯m going to break¡­ Living as a dwarf druid is a sad affair.¡± Looking at Stravo, who was fussing and folding the hem of his pants, Ruon spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s leave. Igor is probably waiting.¡± *** Although there wasn¡¯t a paved path, the road that Ruon, Igor, and Stravo walked on was a natural path that people frequently used. Spotting a small mill with a windmill in the distance, Igor extended his hand with a bright smile. ¡°It¡¯s a vige.¡± Passing by the gently flowing stream, the group entered the vige and marveled quietly at the tranquil scenery as they headed to the inn. The sun was just beginning to set, and the inn was bustling with farmers and travelers who had finished their day¡¯s work. The locals briefly fixed their gazes on the group¡¯s unusual appearance but quickly turned away. Not because they weren¡¯t interested, but because they didn¡¯t want to get into any unnecessary trouble, especially with Ruon, who was sorge that his head almost touched the doorframe. Approaching the group seated in the corner, their backs against the walls, a waitress with a formal smile asked, ¡°What can I get you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s tasty here?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have anything particrly noteworthy to boast about.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Stravo scratched his head, seemingly at a loss for words. Ruon then asked, ¡°Do you have mutton?¡± ¡°Yes, we have some.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll havemb stew and bread.¡± After the waitress nodded and hurried toward the kitchen, Igor spoke up. ¡°How long will it take to get to the capital?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, with a dwarf who can¡¯t ride, it¡¯ll be challenging to get there quickly.¡± Stravo visibly flinched at the joking remark and stammered. ¡°Ah, well, with my short legs, I can¡¯t possibly ride a horse properly!¡± He cleared his throat and continued. ¡°You see, the true romance of adventure is when your feet be your horse.¡± Igor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sure, but your feet will be sore in no time. What¡¯s the use of romance then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ruin the mood! It¡¯s when you ovee that, then truly¡­¡± Just as Stravo was about to borate, the quickly prepared stew and bread were brought to the table. Themb stew was nothing more than cookedmb added to stew that had been simmering in the cauldron all day, so there was no reason for it to take long. Ufortable with the conversation¡¯s direction, Stravo quickly scooped the stew into his mouth, devouring it eagerly. ¡°Wait! I haven¡¯t said my prayers yet!¡± Igor, stuttering, quickly sped his hands together and murmured. ¡°Merciful mother, please grant us our daily sustenance¡­¡± ¡®They¡¯re going to drive me crazy.¡¯ Watching the scene, Ruon let out a soft sigh and quietly gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword. In the past few days of traveling along the road to the capital, the Holy Sword hadn¡¯t indicated any nearby hostile presence. In other words, it had been a rtively peaceful journey, free from entanglements with those who wielded wicked power or minions of demons. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯ll remain peaceful until we reach the capital.¡¯ As Ruon thought that, he dipped a tough piece of bread into the stew, and just as he did so, the Holy Sword began emitting a low, foreboding hum. At the same time, the inn door swung open. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± At the piercing scream of the waiter, who was about to greet the guest with a polite smile, Ruon immediately turned his head. There stood a man, covered from head to toe in blood. Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The man¡¯s appearance was truly gruesome. His hair was disheveled, one of his eyes was mangled, and both of his arms were twisted in a grotesque manner. Looking like a walking corpse, the man staggered into the inn, causing people to gasp in terror and hastily retreat. ¡°He¡¯sing this way?¡± Upon hearing Igor¡¯s words, Stravo cocked his head. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°No.¡± The man¡¯s face was unfamiliar to Ruon as well. However, judging from the Holy Sword¡¯s continuous low hum, it was clear that he was no ordinary person. Ruon subtly turned his body and positioned himself to draw his sword at any moment. Meanwhile, the man approached the table where the group was sitting, and with one cloudy and murky eye blinking slowly, he spoke in a disjointed manner. ¡°¡­Heroes, foolish, lowly dogs of Tibe, here.¡± The awkward cadence of the words and the eerie movement of the man¡¯s vocal cords made Ruon instinctively realize that the true speaker was not here. Igor, catching onto this as well, frowned and spoke. ¡°Servant of vile demons. If you have time to speak through the mouth of the deceased, then reveal yourself. I am Igor, and by my Mother¡¯s will, I will burn you to ashes.¡± Stravo let out a short whistle in response to Igor¡¯s harsh tone, as if expressing admiration. ¡°Awesome.¡± Ignoring Igor¡¯s warning, the man gazed at Ruon with his restless pupils. ¡°Seeking the power of the king, wielder of the sword¡­ Just as you chase after us, we, too, are keeping an eye on you¡­¡± The first to notice the sporadic changes in the man¡¯s body was Ruon. As his swollen fingers expanded like balloons, Ruon didn¡¯t hesitate to swing the Holy Sword. ¡°It¡¯s murder!¡± ¡°He killed someone!¡± People screamed and pointed at the man¡¯s head, which was rolling on the floor, but the party of three paid no attention to them. There was no time for such distractions. The man¡¯s body, having lost its head, continued to inte. A split second. Ruon, Igor, and Stravo all moved simultaneously. In a sh, Ruon grabbed the man¡¯s head and threw it into a corner of the inn, while Stravo aggressively kicked the table. As green veins popped on Stravo¡¯s face, the table seemed toe to life, transforming into a monstrous shape that enveloped the man, pinning him against the corner. ¡°Merciful Mother-¡° With Igor¡¯s final prayer, a bright light burst forth. The man¡¯s body exploded. As everyone in the inn reflexively clutched their ears and groaned at the deafening explosion, Igor shouted. ¡°Sir Ruon!¡± Seeing Igor¡¯s holy power entangle the formless crimson mist, he pierced the Holy Sword through the mist. Chiiiiiing! As the mist pierced by the Holy Sword dispersed with an ear-piercing noise, Igor released his clenched hand and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°To think they infused the corpse with the power of Belducius to make it explode¡­ There¡¯s all sorts of wicked curses out there. It could¡¯ve easily killed people.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the author of the curse?¡± Ruon asked, and Igor shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t sense his power nearby. It might be strange to say this, but¡­ perhaps it¡¯s a kind of warning.¡± Pointing to Ruon¡¯s Holy Sword, Igor added, ¡°The reference to the Holy Sword suggests they¡¯ve realized we¡¯re after them.¡± ¡°We must be on the right track.¡± As Ruon mumbled, a man who appeared to be the innkeeper slowly approached the group. He was about to say something when he saw the floor, littered with shattered bones and internal organs, and quickly mped his hand over his mouth to keep from gagging. With great effort, the frightened innkeeper managed to speak. ¡°I-I won¡¯t ask what happened, but please¡­ could you all leave my establishment?¡± His terrified voice seemed to represent the opinions of everyone inside the inn. The sudden appearance of the blood-soaked man, the cryptic conversation, the decapitated head, and the explosion. Ruon knew that this series of events waspletely out of ce for a peaceful inn in a quiet vige. He took out six silver coins from his pouch and handed them to the innkeeper. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience.¡± ¡°Oh, n-no, I can¡¯t ept it. Just please leave, please.¡± Seeing the innkeeper shaking his hand to reject the coins, Ruon smiled bitterly and put the money back into his pocket. ¡°Hmm? Why should we leave? We haven¡¯t even had a proper meal yet¡­¡± ¡°Stravo.¡± Interrupting Stravo¡¯ words, Igor shook his head as if to say, ¡®That¡¯s enough¡¯. The group left the inn amidst fearful and wary nces. By this time, the sun had begun to set. ¡°Don¡¯t they realize they almost died? Why are they chasing us away?¡± Stravo grumbled, absentmindedly scratching his bushy beard. Ruon replied calmly. ¡°You have it wrong.¡± ¡°If we hadn¡¯te to the inn in the first ce, nothing would have happened. And Stravo¡­ most of the people in there are just ordinary farmers. They were terrified, and rightly so. Stravo snorted and nodded at Igor¡¯s exnation. ¡°Hmm, is that how it works?¡± Ruon spoke. ¡°We should find a ce to stay for tonight.¡± As he said that and turned to walk away, someone called out from behind. ¡°Wait, hold on!¡± When he turned around, he saw a freckled-faced girl approaching with hesitant steps. He vaguely remembered her as one of the inn¡¯s staff. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other ce to stay in our vige.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I would like to invite the three of you to my home¡­¡± The girl, with a pale face, nervously fidgeted with her fingertips, clearly afraid. Amidst her anxious demeanor, Ruon asked, ¡°Do you need money?¡± The girl blushed and nodded, as if a thorn had pricked her heart. Scratching his chin, Ruon asked, ¡°What about your job?¡± ¡°The inn is in chaos¡­ Everyone is trying to clear out. I got permission to leave early today, so I don¡¯t have to clean up the body¡­¡± A good man. Ruon could tell the innkeeper¡¯s consideration in sending the shocked girl away early, sparing her from witnessing the dreadful scene at the inn. He nodded approvingly and said, ¡°Alright then. If we are not a bother, we will stay for just one day.¡± The girl¡¯s house was not far from the inn. As Ruon entered the modest home, he was slightly taken aback by an unexpected sight. ¡®A patient?¡¯ His gaze fell upon a young boy lying on an old bed, groaning in pain. The girl noticed where Ruon¡¯s gaze was directed and spoke. ¡°My little brother is very sick.¡± Only then did Ruon realize the intention of the girl who had so fearlessly invited him into her home. She was more concerned about getting money for her sick brother than she was about sleeping next to the warrior and his crew who cut off a man¡¯s head without hesitation. At that moment, Igor, who was fiddling with the pile of herbs on the table, spoke up. ¡°If you permit me, may I pray for your younger brother?¡± The girl, who had been taking out a few eggs from the jar, widened her eyes in surprise but soon nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, please go ahead.¡± Silently, Igor knelt down at the head of the bed and began to pray. The girl, who had been calmly preparing a simple meal for the group, was so startled by the gentle light emanating from Igor¡¯s body that she identally dropped an egg. ¡°Oh my, what a waste¡­ He did the same thing at the inn earlier, so why are you surprised now?¡± Stravo sighed, and the girl murmured, ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t notice it earlier.¡± After finishing his prayer, Igor softly caressed the sweaty forehead of the sick boy before standing up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how helpful it will be, but it should be more effective than giving him some random herbal tonic.¡± Sometimes, holy power was more fascinating than magic. Ruon smirked, noticing the boy¡¯s visibly improvedplexion. Ruon hade to understand the concept of holy power quite urately during their journey with Igor. When sincere faith was acknowledged by the divine, the imbued holy power became a medium for bringing about both major and minor miracles through prayer, disying impressive versatility. He knew that Igor was not attempting anything extraordinary. He simply prayed earnestly to Tibe, asking for the well-being of the boy in front of him. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Igor warmly smiled, sitting down as the girl bowed repeatedly, as if at a loss for what to do. ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that?¡± Ruon merely shrugged his shoulders, and Stravo, as if deeply moved, pped his hands together with a loud smack. ¡°You are truly amazing, Igor!¡± Afterward, the group sat down on the floor and began eating what the girl had prepared. It was a meager meal of nd stew, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs, but no oneined. In front of the crackling firece, the group engaged in various conversations. By chance, childhood stories came up. Igor recounted how he often got ashing for saying a prayer wrong, and Stravo enthusiastically chatted about an adventure novel he hade across by chance. Naturally, it was Ruon¡¯s turn next, and he hesitated for a moment before simply offering that he had led a rather ordinary life. Stravo couldn¡¯t resist giving a yful jab, asking how someone who lived an ordinary life ended up snapping a monster¡¯s neck with their bare hands. The girl flinched at his remark, but Igor calmed her. And so the night wore on. Unable to talk indefinitely in the small, single room home, the group settled down on the floor, using their backpacks as makeshift pillows. ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± the girl asked, who had been watching over her soundly sleeping brother. Ruon silently nodded in agreement. Stravo stretched his short legs and chuckled. ¡°It might be a bit unsettling to sleep on the ground with strangers like us, but just bear with it for a day.¡± As Igor gazed at the girl, who was still sitting quietly, he gently tapped the floor and sat up. ¡°Do you have something to tell us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The girl hesitated for a moment, swallowing nervously before continuing. ¡°In our vige, there are quite a few children who are sick like my brother. Could you also pray for them?¡± Intrigued by her words, Ruon sat up and asked, ¡°Are all the children in the vige sick?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°No, about a month ago, the kids who yed hide-and-seek in the back mountain fell ill. They all suffered from high fever and seemed to be gued by nightmares during the night. We tried using herbs to heal them, but they¡¯re not getting better¡­¡± As the girl¡¯s voice trailed off, Stravo, who had been lying down, absentmindedly rubbing his nose, spoke up. ¡°Hmm? I wonder if there¡¯s a monster in the vige.¡± ¡°Subi or Incubi?¡± Ruon asked, to which Stravo waved his hand. ¡°Eh, those are horny bastards that feed on vitality¡­ But if it¡¯s something that induces nightmares, could it be a Nightmare? Have you heard of them? They¡¯re peculiar creatures.¡± At Stravo¡¯s words, Igor opened his eyes wide. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± He turned his head quickly towards Ruon, who had been looking down at his feet. ¡°Ruon, if it¡¯s rted to young children, it seems too harsh to just ignore it.¡± ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Ruon looked into Igor¡¯s burning eyes, then turned to Stravo with a smirk. ¡°Stravo, are you sure about it being a Nightmare?¡± ¡°Um, with my sharp druid sense, I¡¯m about 50% sure.¡± ¡°Could you tame a Nightmare?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve never thought about it¡­ but well, since I¡¯m a druid, there¡¯s maybe a 50% chance?¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly a confidence-inspiring number.¡± Letting out a light sigh, Ruon addressed the girl who had been listening to their conversation. ¡°We¡¯ll pray, of course, but there must be a reason why the children are like that. We¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°R-Really? Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± Looking at the girl, who bowed her head deeply, Ruon added briefly. ¡°Consider it an apology for trashing the inn.¡± Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The day dawned. Quietly rising from his slumber, Ruon felt incredibly refreshed and turned his head. ¡®Did the fire burn all night?¡¯ Warmth still lingered in the firece, the wood burning gently. Ruon stood up, looking at the sleeping face of the little girl with her little brother in her arms. Opening the door to let in some fresh air, he found the innkeeper awkwardly stumbling backwards,nding on his butt. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Clutching his waist, the innkeeper stammered as he looked at Ruon¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°I-I came to check if Lena was okay.¡± ¡°If by Lena you mean the inn¡¯s employee, she¡¯s sleeping peacefully.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Clearly relieved, the innkeeper let out a deep sigh, prompting Ruon to ask. ¡°Why? You thought we might have done something to her?¡± ¡®He must have thought so.¡¯ Ruon extended his hand towards the innkeeper. ¡°Take my hand.¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± The innkeeper grabbed his hand, and Ruon pulled him to his feet. ¡°As I said yesterday, I apologize for causing trouble at your inn.¡± His low voice was without pretense. The innkeeper, who had owned the inn for many years and had a preconceived notion of these types of men from his years of work, blinked in confusion, not expecting Ruon to apologize again, but suddenly regained hisposure and blinked his eyes. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s actually me who should apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have turned away guests who came to my establishment, no matter what¡­ I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± As the innkeeper finished his bittersweet murmurs, a voice from inside the door, still groggy with sleep, could be heard. ¡°Uncle Dubo? What¡¯s going on?¡± Dubo, the innkeeper, rubbed his eyes and looked at the approaching girl with surprise. ¡°Lena, you¡¯re safe!¡± Dubo, who had shouted so loudly without realizing it, quickly covered his mouth with his hand and looked at Ruon, realizing that his words could be misunderstood. Lena, the girl, responded with a slightly annoyed tone. ¡°Uncle, these aren¡¯t the kind of people you think they are.¡± ¡°I, I know.¡± Lena looked at Dubo, who was red in the face, and then turned to Ruon. ¡°His daughter is just as sick as my brother.¡± ¡°Lena, why do you have to bring that up¡­¡± Lena looked up at Ruon and said, ¡°This warrior here is looking into why the children are sick.¡± Dubo¡¯s expression became even more flustered. ¡°Y-You mean to say you paid these mercenaries to help? Where did you get the money?¡± It was Ruon who responded to Dubo¡¯s words. ¡°You must have had a hard enough time cleaning up after yourself, let alone seeing such a horrific sight, I¡¯m helping to pay back for that. As a low rumbling sound came from inside through the partially open door, Stravo and Igor exited the door one after the other. ¡°What¡¯s happening this early in the morning?¡± ¡°Ruon, are you okay?¡± Looking at them, Ruon nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡± *** Igor stayed in the vige to help improve the children¡¯s condition while Ruon and Stravo aimlessly searched the back mountains of the vige. ¡®I thought I¡¯d seen it all.¡¯ Watching Stravo put his dirt-covered index finger onto his tongue, Ruon asked, ¡°Do all druids do that?¡± Spitting out the dirt mixed with saliva on the ground, Stravo replied. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a dwarf, so my ability to sense nature and connect with it is much weakerpared to the elves! I can¡¯t close my eyes and feel the wind to determine direction like they can.¡± He scratched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I sense something different nearby. There¡¯s an unfamiliar taste mixed with the dirt. Something nauseating and a hint of a curse¡­¡± Ruon interrupted Stravo¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ve never tasted dirt, so I wouldn¡¯t know. Anyway, are you saying it¡¯s around here?¡± Ruon quickly sharpened his senses. Using his keen senses to survey the surroundings, Ruon suddenly felt something and shifted his gaze into the distance. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°What? Where?¡± Stravo, who craned his neck in the direction Ruon had pointed, muttered through gritted teeth. ¡°Shit, How could I see it when your eye level is nearly twice as high as mine? What does it look like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ck horse. A big one, taller than shoulder height.¡± Stravo nodded in response to Ruon¡¯s description. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one myself, but¡­ a ck horse suddenly appearing on this mountain path, it¡¯s likely to be a Nightmare, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ruon silently narrowed his eyes. The ck horse standing tall on the steep mountain path was an impressive sight, with a wild and long mane. The clearly defined muscr legs and broad shoulders looked robust, not the least bit delicate. Ruon said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and deal with it. You can follow slowly.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for both of us to rush in. If I can subdue it, I will. If not, I¡¯m willing to kill it, but what will happen to the children if I do?¡± Stravo replied promptly. ¡°Nightmares feed on the life force of those tormented by nightmares. If the source of the curse dies, the children will regain their sanity.¡± Hearing a sufficient answer, Ruon nodded briefly and headed towards the ck horse. The ck horse¡¯s muscr neck stood stiff and his nostrils red, as though he considered himself the king of this forest. He snorted harshly and watched as Ruon, who didn¡¯t feel the need to hide presence, approached. The ck horse¡¯s red eyes flickered as it gazed at Ruon¡¯s, and it let out a fierce roar and charged. Hi-Hi-Hi-Hng! As if its hooves were made of iron, shards of broken stone rained down in all directions with each stomp of its legs. The imposing charge of therge ck horse was no less than that of a ferocious beast, but Ruon didn¡¯t dodge. As the creature came close, he wrapped his arm around its neck, using the force of the Nightmare¡¯s headbutt to propel himself into the air andnding on its back. Hi-Hi-Hi-Hng! The Nightmare violently bucked, trying to throw the unwanted human off its back, which had never been ridden before. Despite the chaotic movements that uprooted trees and shattered rocks around them, Ruon maintained his bnce. Adapting to the horse¡¯s movements, he bent his upper body in the opposite direction to offset the weight shift and held on with his legs wrapped around the horse¡¯s back. As his log-like thighs squeezed its torso with unbelievable force, the startled Nightmare thrashed even more violently. Its lungs under immense pressure, the creature¡¯s reckless movements began to subside gradually. ¡®Are you calming down now?¡¯ That¡¯s what Ruon thought, but suddenly, the Nightmare¡¯s mane red, and an eerie and ominous power surged from its body. The Nightmare didn¡¯t miss the human¡¯s momentary pause as he was hit with its curse and violently shook its body, trying to throw the human off. Intending to crush the insignificant human under its hooves, he raised his hind legs and kicked with all its might. Or at least that¡¯s what it tried to do. ¡°¡­Enough of this.¡± Thud! With a swift motion, Ruon brought down the edge of his palm, striking the Nightmare¡¯s forehead. The massive creature staggered heavily, while its formless and malevolent power continued to emanate. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to fight?¡± Ruon¡¯s mental strength, which had ovee even the power of Belducias, could not be broken by the curse of a mere Nightmare. Ruon struck again with his palm. The ck horse¡¯s neck, which had been swaying drunkenly from the impact, snapped upwards. Ruon firmly grabbed the mane and forcibly lifted its head, looking into its eyes. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± From a distance, Stravo, who had been watching, approached with a wry smile. ¡°I thought you were going to kill it.¡± Ruon, who had been careful to control his strength, shrugged. ¡°If I wanted to kill it, I would have punched it.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Ruon gestured toward the huffing ck horse. ¡°Can you tame it? You said there was a 50% chance.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t empathizing with animals the specialty of a druid? Just trust me.¡± Seeing the dirt-covered face of the dwarf talking about animal empathy was somewhatical, and having no other options, he nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± As both of Stravo¡¯srge hands wrapped around the Nightmare¡¯s face, green veins bulged on his head. He closed his eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his face. ¡°Please release some of the pressure on its legs.¡± Ruon said with a sigh. ¡°Alright, but tell it that if it tries to buck again, I will shatter its skull.¡± As Stravo continued, the Nightmare visibly trembled, and Ruon furrowed his brows. ¡°Does it understand you?¡± Stravo nodded. Stravo nodded. ¡°Of course. Even though it looks like a horse, it¡¯s an entity capable of handling the power of a curse¡­ It¡¯s incredibly intelligentpared to a normal horse.¡± Ruon barely let him finish his exnation before he struck the Nightmare¡¯s forehead with his palm again. Hi-Hi-Hi-Hng! Stravo tilted his head quizzically. ¡°Why did you hit it?¡± ¡°Because I felt like it.¡± After a short pause, Ruon spoke again. ¡°Even though it can¡¯t talk, it understands me, doesn¡¯t it? It sounds like a typical Korean.¡± ¡°Hmm? What is that?¡± ¡°The effects of indoctrination¡­ No, never mind.¡± After speaking vaguely, Ruon leaned close to the Nightmare¡¯s ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill you for two reasons.¡± At his chilling tone, the ckmare tensed up and exhaled nervously. ¡°One, you¡¯re not a monster that has directly killed people, and two, our group could use a horse.¡± Ruon continued. ¡°If you promise to stop the nightmares you¡¯ve nted in the children and cooperate peacefully, I won¡¯t kill you.¡± The Nightmare shook its head in fear, instinctively sensing the violent power in his calm voice. Although trantion wasn¡¯t really necessary, Stravo added, ¡°It agrees.¡± Finally, as Ruon released the pressure from his thighs, the ckmare let out a rough breath. At that moment, Stravo spoke again. ¡°Ruon, I sensed something while empathizing with him. It seems it isn¡¯t a natural Nightmare.¡± Hearing this, Ruon raised an eyebrow. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­ It wasn¡¯t always like this. It was exposed to an unknown curse a long time ago¡­ So, he seems to be in a state where he can utilize that power.¡± ¡®What the hell?¡¯ Ruon contemted his words for a moment before responding. ¡°So, originally, he was an ordinary creature, but after being cursed for a long time, he became able to use that power naturally?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± While Stravo nodded with a p of his hands, Ruon dismounted from the Nightmare¡¯s back. From what Stravo had said, the ck horse seemed to have its own story, but Ruon wasn¡¯t particrly interested. The only thing that mattered was that he had obtained a good horse for free. Despite Ruon dismounting from its back, the ck horse seemed to have no intention of running away and stood calmly in its ce. Impressed by its demeanor, Ruon gently patted the horse¡¯s forehead and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s get along well. My packhorse.¡± Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Igor¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Ruon and Stravo casually walk towards him with a massive unbridled ck steed trailing behind them. ¡°Did you, did you really catch it?¡± he eximed. The nearby onlookers, startled by the sudden appearance of the muscr warhorse, all wore expressions of surprise as they stared. The ck mare, as if it didn¡¯t like being stared at, was about tosh out, but lowered its head submissively when Ruon raised his palm without looking back. To an outsider, it was an amazingly perceptive and intelligent response to human gestures. Igor turned to Stravo and said, ¡°Druid, you¡¯ve truly tamed it. Impressive.¡± Stravo turned away, embarrassed by the admiring gaze, and mumbled quietly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I really did anything, this madman here just wrestled it down¡­¡± Ruon interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s finish up the job.¡± The events that followed were truly rapid-fire. With a single flick of Ruon¡¯s hand, The perceptive ck mare lifted the nightmares that had been haunting the children. Igor breathed a sigh of relief as reports of the children¡¯s improved conditions began to emerge. ¡°It¡¯s truly fortunate. The children were already weakened, so I couldn¡¯t cleanse the curse without care.¡± Stravo looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Hmm? Why is that?¡± ¡°When two conflicting forces meet, they tend to create a counterforce,¡± Stravo exined. Igor stared fixedly at the ck mare¡¯s brown eyes. His face was full of reproachful light. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you realize how many children had sleepless nights because of you.¡± Ruon looked at the ck horse, who nced sideways, as if he didn¡¯t want to listen. ¡°He knows.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an intelligent creature.¡± Stravo, who had his hand on the ck mare¡¯s face, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s easier to influence kids, right? Probably because they¡¯re less guarded.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Igor was bewildered, his mouth agape. Stravo said, ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯ve got a sturdy horse, at least we¡¯re spared worrying about strained shoulders! I¡¯ll go find a saddle.¡± Stravo walked away with light steps. Watching his receding figure, Igor muttered to himself. ¡°There probably isn¡¯t a cksmith in this vige.¡± ¡°Still, since there are people living here, there should be some kind of suitable workshop.¡± At that moment, someone approached hesitantly. Turning his head, Igor saw Lena, with her face full of freckles,ing towards them. ¡°Sir Warrior, here¡­¡± On her outstretched palmy a small leather pouch. Its contents were obvious without asking. ¡°No thanks.¡± Upon his straightforward refusal, the girl, who had been staring at Ruon with round eyes, turned her head towards Igor. ¡°I¡¯ll decline in advance.¡± Lena¡¯s face turned red. Perhaps due to her freckles, her face looked like a strawberry as she spoke. ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but¨Cit¡¯s money the whole vige has saved up, so can¡¯t you at least consider it a token of our appreciation?¡± He had offered to help for free, so there was no need for them to go this far. He didn¡¯t know how they could havee up with this kind of money just minutes after the children had been restored to health. Ruon took the leather pouch in his hands. Two refusals were sufficient. ¡°We¡¯ll use it well.¡± Only then did Lena give a faint smile and look at Igor. ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve been preparing this money since the priest started praying for the children.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Igor turned toward the girl with a questioning look, and she responded with a yful smile. ¡°We¡¯re truly thankful for your warm prayers.¡± Her words left Igor wide-eyed, and he instinctively sped his hands and closed his eyes. ¡°Mother, yourpassion hase back to thismb¡­¡± Seeing his emotional reaction, Ruon, who was watching, clicked his tongue. ¡°Here we go again.¡± *** The first rays of dawn illuminated the city¡¯s grand walls, signaling the end of the night. Bakonen, who was observing the outline of the golden-glowing walls from a distance, examined his reflection in the mirror several times. His full-body suit of armor gleamed. With a satisfied smile, Bakonen put on his helmet and stepped outside. Several of hispanions followed him, yawningzily as he strode toward the gate. Bakonen clicked his tongue. ¡®To yawn while guarding the city gate with honor¡ªwhat a bunch of ckers.¡¯ ¡°Here already?¡± A soldier leaning against the wall greeted Bakonen. ¡°Nothing unusual happened overnight?¡± ¡°Of course not, motherfucker.¡± The soldier, giving Bakonen a sly look, nudged his shoulder and shouted loudly while looking up at the ramparts. ¡°Shift change! Open up!¡± As soon as his shout ended, the pulley system started to creak, and the iron-barred door began to slowly rise. ¡°Good luck.¡± The soldier replied briefly and moved away, leaving Bakonen with a furrowed brow. He didn¡¯t like the idea of them leaving without a proper handoff, but it was only for a day or two. As he trudged toward the gate, which waspletely unbarricaded save for a few stakes, the soldier behind him muttered lowly. ¡°With that damned stubborn bastard manning the checkpoint¡­ the peopleing in today are going to have a hard time.¡± *** ¡®Why was the speed of the queue so slow? Because of this guy?¡¯ ring at the soldier in front of him, Ruon frowned. Regardless, the soldier continued his questioning with a rigid posture. ¡°So, what¡¯s your reason foring to the Great Library?¡± ¡°I have some books that I¡¯ve wanted to read for a while.¡± ¡°What books are those?¡± ¡°Do we really need to discuss that?¡± Ruon replied in an irritated voice, feeling the soldier¡¯s eyes scanning the group¡¯s faces from behind his helmet. The soldier spoke. ¡°This is Bern. It¡¯s a great city that serves as the capital of Aniara. While a dismissive attitude like that might have been tolerated in other cities withckluster security checks, it¡¯s not here.¡± At that moment, Igor stepped forward. ¡°As I mentioned before, I am a priest of Tibe. The other two are individuals who share the same faith.¡± As the soldier assumed an attentive posture, Igor continued. ¡°Naturally, we have a significant interest in literature rted to Tibe. We¡¯vee here to learn about the stories the world has recorded about our Mother.¡± After the sinct and clean exnation, the soldier nodded slowly. ¡°Usually, dwarves worship Duermur, right?¡± Startled by the soldier¡¯s words, Stravo anxiously rubbed his nose. ¡°Usual- usually that¡¯s the case, but I¡¯m a bit of an exception. I¡¯m drawn more to Tiv¡¯s mercy and peace, strangely enough.¡± The soldier stared at the dwarf as he finished his stammering exnation, then nodded slowly. ¡°You may proceed.¡± As permission was granted, the group moved on quickly. The soldier, who had been observing the moving group, added, ¡°Don¡¯t think of doing anything untoward. This is Bern. I¡¯ll be watching!¡± Hearing the voice from behind, Stravo chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s one ridiculously stubborn guy. Or¡­ should I say, he¡¯s quite intuitive? We didn¡¯te here to read books.¡± ¡°With half-hearted perception, you wouldn¡¯t survive even guard duty.¡± After replying dryly, Ruon raised his head. If it were an ordinary city, the blue sky would have greeted him, but Bern was different. Because it was the capital city of the kingdom, under the grand structures that blocked the view, countless people bustled around. There was hardly any apparent worry or concern in their expressions. Turning his head to see that Ruon wasn¡¯t the only one surveying the bustling city streets, Stravo spoke up. ¡°Apostles of Belducius in a ce like this?¡± Igor slowly nodded. ¡°I swear his servant said something about the Great Library before she died.¡± ¡°Really? I wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Sir Ruon, has the Holy Sword shown any changes?¡± Since they passed the gate, Ruon had held his hand on the hilt of the sword. ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything unusual yet.¡± Worried that he might have been wrong, Igor¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°¡­Shall we head straight to the Great Library?¡± Ruon, noting the sun¡¯s position in the west, shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s toote to move now. Let¡¯s stop by the inn first to rest.¡± The party then headed to an inn with a stable. Handing the reins of the Nightmare to the stablekeeper, Ruon leaned down and whispered lowly into the ck horse¡¯s ear. ¡°No fooling around, just eat some hay.¡± The ck horse whinnied and Ruon¡¯s party entered the inn, leaving the startled horse behind. The somewhat perplexing named ¡®Tempting Ox Inn¡¯ was bustling even though it was still early. The party found seats and had a simple meal while discussing their ns. ¡°Today, we¡¯ll focus on recovering, and we¡¯ll start moving in earnest tomorrow.¡± While eating his spoonful of food, Igor weakly responded. ¡°But what if I misinterpreted her? We¡¯ve been through so much in the past month toe all the way to Bern¡­¡± Taking a swig of beer, Stravo pped Igor¡¯s back with a loud thud. ¡°Then we can just leave! Why are you so worked up about it?¡± Even Ruon chimed in. ¡°We haven¡¯t even visited the Great Library yet, and the Holy Sword has been pointing west all this time. I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s suddenly gone quiet.¡± In response, Igor forced a smile and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said something that brought the mood down.¡± With no more meaningful conversation to exchange and the food being quite ordinary, the group decided to sleep early. Handing over a silver coin to the innkeeper and requesting warm water for a bath, Ruon headed straight to his room and copsed onto the bed. Stretching out his tired body, he gazed up at the ceiling, recalling the past few days. No, there was hardly anything to recall. The past month had been nothing more than a monotonous march. The peaceful journey hadsted until they reached Bern, despite the dire warnings of the man who¡¯d burst into mes. Perhaps Igor¡¯s sudden silence was due to that. Even though they had followed his suggestion to march all the way to Bern, nothing significant had happened along the way. But Ruon¡¯s thoughts were slightly different. Big trouble always tends to erupt when things are quiet like this. Thunk. At that moment, a light knock came from the outside of the door. Thinking it was the innkeeper bringing the bathwater, Ruon got up from his seat, but he suddenly felt a strange uneasiness. His long-dormant intuition sent a vague warning that the person standing outside the door was not the innkeeper. Ruon immediately lightly grasped the hilt of the Holy Sword, but there was still no noticeable change. However, Ruon didn¡¯t let his guard down. The threats to his life were not limited to demons or evil monsters. ¡®Is it the waning moon?¡¯ Recalling the name of an assassin group he had encountered some time ago, Ruon silently drew the Holy Sword. He didn¡¯t hesitate. He turned the doorknob, opened the door forcefully, and simultaneously thrust the Holy Sword forward. No, he intended to thrust it forward. With all his might, Ruon, whose arm was restrained, scowled. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Ouch, isn¡¯t that a bit too rough for a weing greeting?¡± The man who smiled coolly wasn¡¯t as tall as Ruon, but he had a well-developed body. Yet, the most eye-catching thing among all of it was therge shield hanging on his back. With a smile, the man spoke. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ruon.¡± Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Ruon couldn¡¯t help but grin at the man¡¯s genuine smile. As someone who had been endlessly wandering without settling down, there weren¡¯t many people who could give him a weing feeling. Ruon put the Holy Sword back into its sheath and spoke. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while. Lumberjack.¡± At his words, the man, Kyle, gave a mischievous expression, extending his thumb towards the corridor. ¡°Should we have a drink after such a long time? It seems like there¡¯s a lot to talk about.¡± As the sun retreated, the innkeeper began to kindle a fire in the firece so that the somber darkness of the city wouldn¡¯t disturb the merriment of the patrons. A boy who appeared to be his son held candles in both hands, moving busily to transfer the me from the firece to the candles ced in the dim corners that the firece¡¯s light couldn¡¯t reach. The spot where Ruon and Kyle were sitting was one of those ces. The boy cautiously opened his mouth, seemingly worried that the bulky Ruon might knock over the candles while drunk. ¡°Sir, there are candles burning right next to you, so please be careful.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ruon nodded lightly, and the boy retreated after bowing his head almost to his belly button. Watching this scene intently, Kyle covered his mouth with his palm and whispered. ¡°Did you see his ears? They¡¯re kind of pointy, I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s half elven¡­ Considering the boy called the owner ¡®dad¡¯, it must mean his mother is an elf, right? The inn¡¯s name sounds weird, but it had meaning after all. ¡®The Tempting Ox¡¯.¡± Ruon lightly shook his head. ¡°Enough with the nonsense. So, why are you in Bern?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Shouldn¡¯t the first thing you ask be how I¡¯ve been?¡± Kyle continued with a slightly hurt expression. ¡°Do you know how baffled I was at that time? I went to bed fine and woke up to find you had left without a word.¡± He wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand after gulping down the beer. ¡°¡­Damn it, you¡¯re like a damn ghost, disappearing like that.¡± Watching Kyle who was sulking alone, Ruon chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s how it should be.¡± Taking a low sigh, Kyle scratched his head. He seemed as if he didn¡¯t know where to start the conversation, so Ruon waited patiently for him to begin. After organizing his thoughts, Kyle spoke. ¡°First of all, I¡¯ve been in Bern for quite a while. To be precise, it¡¯s been about two weeks since I arrived.¡± He pointed a finger at Ruon, who was sipping his beer. ¡°And during this time, I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Putting down his ss, Ruon raised an eyebrow. ¡°How did you know that I wasing to Bern?¡± With a faint smile, Kyle replied. ¡°The image of you passing through Bern¡¯s gate appeared in a vision of the future.¡± ¡°A vision of the future?¡± Ruon furrowed his brow, and Kyle quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s Master Iredor¡¯s ability. He can glimpse into past actions and numerous possibilities, something about glimpsing the present from the past, yada yada.¡± Only then did Ruon nod his head. He was referring to the ability of the old mage who had shown him glimpses of the future in exchange for safely delivering the shard. ¡°Did youe all the way here just because you saw one glimpse of the future?¡± At his question, Kyle, who hadn¡¯t spoken for a while, cautiously spoke. ¡°May I ask you something before that?¡± Seeing Ruon¡¯s serious attitude, he quickly added, ¡°Is your visit to Bern somehow rted to Belducias?¡± It was a sensitive question, but there was no reason to hide it from Kyle, so Ruon answered right away. ¡°Exactly.¡± At his words, Kyle tightly closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d hoped Iredor¡¯s guess was wrong¡­¡± Holding back a sigh, Ruon inquired. ¡°His guess?¡± Kyle pulled his chair forward. ¡°What I¡¯m about to tell you is¡­ a story I heard through the grapevine while I was at the Tower.¡± When Ruon responded with a nod, Kyle looked around for a moment before slowly continuing. His voice was deliberately lowered. ¡°Polyentus¡­ the king. The reason he¡¯s burning with an insatiable thirst for conquest might actually be because of Belducius, they say.¡± ¡®The king?¡¯ Ruon cocked his head at Kyle¡¯s unexpected mention of the king. ¡°During the process of studying the power of Belducias contained in the shard, the masters of the Tower realized something. So, um¡­¡± Aware of hisck of precise knowledge, Kyle tried to organize his thoughts as best he could to continue the story. It went like this. The masters of the Tower of Magi, who were always thirsty for new knowledge, didn¡¯t just want to eliminate the power of the great demon that corroded the shard. They wanted to understand its origin through research. After all sorts of extraordinary experiments, they discovered apletely unexpected possibility. That King Polyentus of Ariana had sumbed to the madness of Belducias. Even Ruon, who was listening to Kyle¡¯s words attentively, unknowingly furrowed his brow as the story progressed in that manner. ¡°Are you sure?¡± After the continued exnation, Kyle, who had been sipping his beer as if he were parched, opened his mouth again. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the whole idea came to be. But what I do know is that the power within the shard and the countless scenarios Iredor considered all led to that answer¡­ that¡¯s what Ame said.¡± ¡®I hadn¡¯t heard that name in a while.¡¯ Thinking of the blue-eyed mage, Ruon suddenly voiced a question that came to mind. ¡°So what does the Tower¡¯s discovery have to do with youing all the way to Bern?¡± Kyle heaved a deep sigh, receiving the question. ¡°Strictly speaking, there¡¯s no direct connection.¡± As he spoke, a rueful look crossed his face. ¡°Ruon, isn¡¯t this a bit much? Even though you heard that the king might have been possessed by a demon, you couldn¡¯t even wee the person who came running all the way here, hoping to help a friend¡­?¡± ¡®I have to credit his loyalty.¡¯ Ruon chuckled wryly as he mentally organized Kyle¡¯s rambling narrative. ording to the conclusions reached by the masters of the Tower, there was a high probability that the king had been exposed to Belducias¡¯s power and had gone mad, which was why he was continuously ordering unwarranted wars. Kyle was aware of this fact, and despite that, when he saw an image of Ruon passing through the Bern gate in a vision of the future, he hade here with the hope that he might be of some assistance. Even though he didn¡¯t necessarily have to. Ruon nodded slowly at the unexpectedly valuable information this connection had brought him, then softly murmuring. ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s a disciple of Belducias in Bern.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te all the way here for nothing.¡± Saying so, Ruon lightly tapped the pommel of his Holy Sword with his fingertip. ¡°You might remember this sword absorbing the power of Belducias¡¯s disciples when I killed them, and after doing so a few times, it became apass pointing towards their location.¡± Kyle made a sound of understanding and nodded his head. At that moment, the innkeeper ced two beer sses on the table. When Ruon and Kyle looked at the beers they hadn¡¯t ordered, the innkeeper spoke. ¡°There are many guests, so if you don¡¯t order more, I¡¯ll have to give up your table. What would you like to do?¡± Ruon made a V with his fingers and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have two more. And bring some small appetizers too.¡± Kyle watched the innkeeper walk away and clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s the capital, it¡¯s expensive enough just to live here, and then they do stuff like this¡­ they¡¯re a bunch of thieves.¡± As he grumbled, he scratched his head and continued speaking. ¡°So, in the end, it¡¯s certain that there¡¯s something in Bern.¡± Ruon nodded his head. ¡°Based on what you said, that guy might be a formidable figure, capable of manipting the king. It¡¯s rted to the Great Library¡­¡± He trailed off, then added briefly, ¡°We¡¯ll look into it properly starting tomorrow.¡± With that statement, Kyle lifted his beer mug. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s nice to see you again. You¡¯re not going to show me the door, are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d go if I told you to.¡± Ruon also extended his beer ss forward. The two sses clinked, emitting a clear sound. Without waiting, the two men emptied their sses in unison. In the moment of mutual silence, they exchanged a few words about the gap in time where they¡¯d been apart. Kyle shook his head as if he was tired of the fact that Ruon had continued moving from ce to ce without halt. Once again, their sses were empty. Ruon inquired about Ame¡¯s well-being, to which Kyle responded with a bitter expression. ¡°Ame suddenly disappeared long before I left. She didn¡¯t leave any notes, so I don¡¯t know anything either.¡± During their exchange, the empty sses on the table gradually multiplied. The innkeeper was discreetly cing new sses before disappearing. The fractured moonlight that passed through the stained ss windows caressed the heads of the two men seated across from each other. Kyle, whose face had grown flushed, looked at a new ss and sighed. ¡°If I drink this, I¡¯m going to be in real trouble.¡± ¡°In that case, go rest upstairs.¡± ¡°Before that, I¡¯m gonna have to take a piss.¡± As his sentence ended, Kyle abruptly stood up from his seat and disappeared through the inn¡¯s back door. After downing two mugs of beer in quick session, he turned to the innkeeper, who approached with a fresh ss. ¡°No more.¡± Ruon found himself gazing intently through the window at the streets of Bern, now nketed in profound darkness. The entire road, paved with sturdy cobblestones, showed no sign of even a single rat. It was a different feeling to see a road intermittently illuminated by torches,pared to the usual dirt roads. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Amidst his slight admiration for this scenery, Ruon suddenly realized that the Holy Sword was emitting a low hum. He didn¡¯t rush. Instead, he naturally raised his hand to the hilt of the sword and looked out the window. With his night vision piercing through the darkness, Ruon easily spotted the target of the Holy Sword¡¯s hostility. The person across the narrow alley from the inn, standing at its entrance, was quietly gazing in his direction. He must have sensed Ruon¡¯s gaze upon him, as he slowly began to raise his arm. ¡®A mage?¡¯ Contrary to Ruon¡¯s concern, the reason the man was raising his arm was different. He curled his finger, as if inviting Ruon toe towards him. In response to this tant provocation, Ruon didn¡¯t hesitate. He quickly rose from his seat. As he was about to grab the door handle to exit, the innkeeper followed him. ¡°Hey, what about the payment?¡± Ruon carelessly handed a few silver coins to the innkeeper and quickly stepped outside the inn. Fortunately, the man hadn¡¯t fled. He was still standing there, staring intently at Ruon as he walked out onto the street. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ruon immediately drew his bow and fired an arrow of light at the man without a word. Chapter 43: Chapter 43: The arrow of light cutting through the night air struck its target¡¯s head with pinpoint uracy. Perhaps not expecting an arrow to fly at him without one being nocked, the opponent hastily brought his hand to his waist. The cold glint of the de split the arrow in half. ¡®Impressive.¡¯ Ruon couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the man¡¯s immediate reaction. Even in this world, it was notmon for someone to deflect an arrow shot from a longbow like that. If he were a mage, Ruon would have expected the arrow to be deflected with a protective barrier, but seeing that wasn¡¯t the case, Ruon slung his bow over his back again. Lowering his stance, the man who had been preparing for a continuous attack nced at Ruon with a grin. ¡°Are you giving up the advantage of range?¡± ¡°What makes you think a closebat fight would be any different?¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± The brief admiring remark from the swordsman was followed by him flicking his head towards the narrow alley behind him and stepping backward into it. ¡®Is he inviting me to follow?¡¯ Although he didn¡¯t particrly want to, Ruon followed the man wordlessly. There was no way he was going to get into a stabbing match on a city street. After their brief confrontation, the two passed through the narrow alley and reached a considerably wider space. The open area, connecting several alleys, seemed to serve as a public dumping ground, as various debris cluttered the ground. Addressing Ruon with a grimace due to the stench, the swordsman said, ¡°At this hour, no one shoulde here, so feel free to engage.¡± ¡°Confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ruon furiously closed the distance and swung his Holy Sword. His opponent swung back, undeterred. The shing of steel and the apanying sharp sound echoed through the alley. ¡°Ugh!¡± Overwhelmed by Ruon¡¯s sheer force, the man staggered backward. Despite this, he quickly regained his bnce and attempted to counterattack, clearly disying his skill was beyond ordinary levels. Several short exchanges followed. When the man¡¯s sword wavered unsteadily after shing against the Holy Sword, he quickly regained his footing, revealing a determined expression. ¡°Although I want to keep shing swords¡­ I have no choice.¡± After taking a moment to steady his breath, he quickly closed the distance and swung his sword with vigor. As the man¡¯s sword flew towards his heart, Ruon held the Holy Sword firmly and easily parried the strike. However, the man had waited for this, as he twisted his wrist and turned the horizontal strike into a vertical one. In an instant, the man¡¯s sword, guided by the edge of the Holy Sword, aimed for Ruon¡¯s face. Swiftly, Ruon ducked his head back, allowing the de to pass just above his face, then using his leg to forcefully strike back. With a thud, the man¡¯s chest was struck, and he stumbled back, making a sound as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Struggling to keep his bnce, the man spat out blood mixed with saliva as he wobbled. Looking down at his crumpled breastte with a slightly disgruntled expression, the man weakly bit his lip. ¡°Your swordsmanship¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be veryplex¡­ no¡­ with that kind of strength and speed¡­ the concept of swordsmanship itself might be meaningless.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Just as Ruon was narrowing the distance to finish off his struggling opponent, he swiftly used the Holy Sword to deflect something flying through the darkness. The intangible force, split in half, scattered in the air. In the aftermath of the rushing wind, Ruon narrowed his eyes. He could see a ck silhouette supporting his staggering opponent. ¡°Why are you disying useless bravado? Do you even care about your order not to move recklessly?¡± ¡°I was simply curious about the power of a warrior acknowledged by Tibe.¡± ¡°So, you thought you¡¯d just engage him as an ordinary human? Do you really think that¡¯s eptable for a subject who embraced his father out of a need for power?¡± An unidentified figure suddenly appeared and rebuked the examiner. Turning to face Ruon, the figure shouted. Though their face was concealed under a hood, their voice was thin and high, indicating they were a woman. ¡°Do not forget, lowly follower of the teachings of mercy. Don¡¯t forget that the only reason I am not tearing you apart here is because the Great Apostle has told me to watch over you for now.¡± The woman hurled her insults and made a short gesture with her hand, causing darkness to surge from the alley, enveloping both her and the swordsman. Instinctively, Ruon realized it wasn¡¯t preparation for an attack. ¡°Running away.¡± Just as he was about to bring his Holy Sword down on the mass of darkness, a voice shouted loudly from behind. ¡°Ruon, lower your head!¡± Upon hearing the familiar voice, Ruon instinctively lowered his head, and at the same time, a shield passed over his forehead, striking the darkness forcefully. Through the shattered darkness, a woman¡¯s voice, almost a scream, rang out. ¡°W-What is this!¡± And then, at that moment, Ruon¡¯s right hand, holding the Holy Sword, dropped with a thud. The woman, who had been staring nkly at the light splitting through the darkness, was saved by the swordsman standing beside her. Realizing that hispanion¡¯s incantation had been cut off for some reason, the swordsman quickly lifted his sword to block the attack. The man¡¯s stance didn¡¯t falter under the force of the Holy Sword. Seeing his forehead sizzle and melt, Ruon put more force into his arm and pushed the man away. Smoothly creating distance between them, Ruon smirked as he watched Kyle approach and pick up the shield from the floor. ¡°Did you throw it?¡± ¡°They looked like they were in bad shape, so I didn¡¯t want them to get away.¡± Kyle shrugged and drew his knight¡¯s sword from his waist. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the mage.¡± Kyle addressed the bewildered woman, who was still recovering from the broken spell, with determination. Looking at his still drunken face, Ruon asked, ¡°Are you okay to fight in that condition?¡± Kyle nodded. ¡°Not really, which is why you need to kill that freak and help me. Sounds good?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Smirking, Ruon turned his head and looked at the transformed swordsman, who had be a full-fledged monster. The man had grown in size, his muscr body covered in thick armor-like scales, his snout elongated like that of a beast, and sharp fangs gleaming menacingly below it. The man growled. ¡°Warrior, now that I¡¯ve shown you this form, there¡¯s no more honor in this fight.¡± ¡®What is he even trying to say?¡¯ The monstrous swordsman threw the sword he held to the ground and tore off the armor that tightly clung to his body. ¡°Technique is fleeting In the face of this overwhelming physique.¡± Gazing at his own body with ecstatic yellow eyes, the man¡¯s gaze slowly turned toward Ruon. ¡°Here Ie.¡± At that moment, the man¡¯s body blurred, and the stone bs beneath him shattered. The monster charged forward with incredible speed, swinging his arm forcefully in a rampage. Ruon leaped back to evade the attack and turned his head. ¡°Go.¡± With that, Kyle immediately rushed toward the mage. ¡°You damn bug! What the hell is that shield?¡± He could vaguely hear the curses of the woman, who had regained some of her senses, but Ruon didn¡¯t bother to turn his gaze in her direction. It was Kyle¡¯s fight too, and in front of him was a raging monster charging like a madman. A literal monster, the swordsman unleashed a torrent of attacks, disying overwhelming power and speed. As Ruon narrowly evaded the arm swung at incredible speed, the monster grinned and spread his fingers. Hidden ws extended to fill the gaps, shing across Ruon¡¯s chest as they passed by. The monster didn¡¯t stop there, using his thorn-covered shoulders to ram into Ruon forcefully. To prevent a counterattack, the monster swiftly spun backward in mid-air, distancing itself. ¡®This is annoying.¡¯ Ruon frowned as he looked at his armor that had been torn to shreds in an instant. As he crudely rubbed his palm across his sore, blood-soaked chest, the creature spoke. ¡°Warrior, I acknowledge the strength you have built. It must have been a long process apanied by bone-grinding effort. I know that effort better than anyone.¡± With a growl, the monster continued. ¡°But look here. This unreasonable strength that tramples all that effort¡­¡± Ruon cut him off. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re babbling about instead of fighting. I thought you were the quiet type, was I mistaken?¡± Before the monster could respond, he stomped the ground. Ruon, his shoulders tensed, extended the Holy Sword and released a bright burst of light. A clean thrust devoid of any formality pierced beneath the monster¡¯s vicle. ¡°Kaaah!¡± As the monster roared and swung his arm downward, Ruon, who lowered his head to evade, boldly let go of the hilt of the Holy Sword. Creating distance between them, Ruon quickly grabbed a bowstring from his back and unhesitatingly pulled it back. An arrow of light struck the monster¡¯s face as he struggled to withdraw the sword that had pierced his body. ¡°Keaak!¡± A rain of arrows pummeled the creature¡¯s body before it could finish its agonized scream, and an arrowced with divine power pierced its eye. Ruon staggered toward the creature, whose body had been tattered in an instant by the terrifying speed with which he had shot without having to nock arrows. ¡°It¡¯s not really unreasonable strength, is it?¡± Ruon¡¯s fist, with his fingers curled, struck the monster¡¯s face. Boom! The face of the already barely holding-together monster explodedpletely. Pulling out the Holy Sword stuck in the copsing corpse, Ruon approached Kyle, who was engaged in a back-and-forth in front of him. ¡®He seems to be doing fairly well.¡¯ Despite the groans, Kyle was clearly giving it his all. Blocking sinister magical mes with his shield, he wielded his knight¡¯s sword with his other hand,unching calcted counterattacks. However, his sword, which was ordinary inparison to his shield, seemed inadequate to pierce the opponent¡¯s protection, leading to a fruitless standoff. As the mage¡¯s spells kept failing to hit their mark, she cursed in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll blow up the whole ce and see if you¡¯re still alive, you bastard!¡± Recognizing the symbol of Belducias in the shadows of the hooded figure, Ruon immediately brought down his sword. The Holy Sword pierced through the woman¡¯s shield in an instant, piercing her forehead. She futilely iled her arms towards the air and then copsed. ¡°Damn, that surprised me.¡± Ruon, who had approached beside the startled Kyle, spoke with a faint smile. ¡°You looked like you were having trouble back there.¡± At that moment, a rush of exhration surged through Ruon¡¯s body, spreading like a wave from deep within him, and he quickly closed his eyes. It was a rare level-up, a sensation he hadn¡¯t felt since hunting the harpies. After a moment of contemtion, he poured all the bonus stats into Holy Power. Naturally, this was a choicepletely separate from his faith. Considering the battles ahead, he was sure having more Holy Power would be vital. ¡°¡­ Ruon?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought you had passed out standing up. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine.¡± With a lowered head, Ruon removed the Holy Sword from the woman¡¯s forehead. Kyle, watching, spoke up. ¡°A while ago, the light pouring out of the Holy Sword absorbed ck stuff from those guys¡¯ bodies. It was just like when you killed that mage back in the old church.¡± As if proving his words, the pulsing energy within the Holy Sword had be much stronger. Seeing this, Ruon couldn¡¯t help but smile with a sense of satisfaction. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost them both¡­but thanks to you, I got them both.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I could help. Are these guys theckeys of that so-called Apostle?¡± ¡°Probably. Although they seem to be acting on their own¡­¡± At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from within the alley. Kyle frowned. ¡°Could it be the guards?¡± ording to the words of the deceased swordsman, no one shoulde here at this time, but given the cacophony of battle, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for patrolling guards to show up. ¡°Before things get moreplicated, we should¡­¡± As Ruon spoke, he trailed off upon seeing two figures appearing at the end of the narrow alley. ¡°¡­I guess we don¡¯t have to.¡± It was Igor and Stravo who came running out of the alley. ¡°Sir Ruon! Are you alright?¡± Seeing Igor loudly shouting, Ruon let out a wry smile. ¡°You¡¯vee rather quickly.¡± Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Igor sighed in relief as he looked down at the corpse of the monster whose head was smashed. ¡°I came in a hurry because of the surge of Belducius¡¯s magic¡­ but you¡¯ve already taken care of it.¡± Strabo rubbed his sleepy eyes, as if he had just woken up. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It¡¯s wiser to sleep a little more than to worry about that guy. Hmm, but who is that?¡± Kyle approached the dwarf who was tilting his head and extended his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kyle.¡± Strabo scratched his cheek as he shook hands with him. ¡°I¡¯m Strabo¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s save the introductions forter and go back to the inn first. Before any unnecessary noisees out.¡± Everyone nodded at Ruon¡¯s words. A short whileter, the group returned to the inn and sat awkwardly on the floor of Ruon¡¯s room, looking at each other¡¯s faces. Ruon let out a faint sigh as he saw the four grim-faced men sticking close together on the narrow floor. Kyle nudged his elbow and said. ¡°Don¡¯t just sigh and introduce them, won¡¯t you?¡± Strabo chimed in. ¡°Right you are! Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re here? There¡¯s nothing more romantic than getting to know new friends. Right, Igor?¡± At that, Igor nodded his head with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re worthy of your mother¡¯s love, just by seeing you fight against Belducius¡¯s minion with Ruon.¡± Kyle smiled. ¡°You guys are interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Ruon pressed his temples with his thumbs and slowly licked his lips. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have a full name, but first we need to talk about Belducius. Contrary to Igor¡¯s concern, it¡¯s certain that there¡¯s an apostle of his in Bern.¡± The story continued. He told them that the apostle was watching them and that King Polientus might have gone mad as well. But to exin the story rted to the king, he had to mention the fragments and the tower, so Ruon also briefly added an exnation of how he got the fragments and the journey that followed. ¡°I knew that evil beings were plotting something, but the king¡­ The situation is much more serious than I thought.¡± As Igor muttered with a stiff face, Strabo suddenly jumped up from his seat. ¡°A magnificent story that begins with killing a demon¡¯s minion who upied the monastery by chance! This is a typical heroic saga, isn¡¯t it? Oh, to be able to join this story¡­ Is there any greater honor than this?¡± Kyle looked at him with a curious eye and asked Ruon. ¡°¡­Did that guy, I mean, the dwarf, follow you without knowing what was going on?¡± Strabo cut in with excitement. ¡°I only knew that the two of you were trying to kill the demon. I never imagined that there would be such a thrilling secret behind it! This is really¡­¡± Then Ruon raised his palm. ¡°Strabo, I don¡¯t know what sweet fantasy you¡¯re in, but there¡¯s one thing I need to point out.¡± He continued. ¡°I¡¯m trying to kill Belducius for a purely personal reason. It has nothing to do with glory or heroic adventure. So stop acting like a child and calm down.¡± At that, Strabo snorted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with looking like a child! If there¡¯s a thrilling adventure waiting for me, I¡¯m fine with that. That¡¯s why I left the forge, you know.¡± He pouted his lips. ¡°And you know what. I don¡¯t know what you meant by that, but¡­ I¡¯m a little hurt that you¡¯re brushing it off as a personal reason. Aren¡¯t we in this together, anyway?¡± What, is he sulking? Ruon tilted his head at his whiny voice and suddenly thought that Strabo had a point. Igor, Strabo, and Kyle. It was no exaggeration to say that it was because of him that these unfamiliar men with some unique quirks gathered in one ce. For the sake of Tiv, for the romance of adventure, for the safety of a friend. They had different reasons, but they were all determined to walk the same path as Ruon. Ruon muttered softly as he scanned the faces of the three men who were staring at him. ¡°How did this happen¡­¡± He smiled without realizing it and added. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s toote to bring up personal reasons now. I¡¯vee too far. I appreciate your help.¡± Kyle smiled brightly and took over the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s enough for me. But what are you going to do now? We have to track down the bastard who¡¯s behind this, right?¡± Igor immediately added. ¡°The holy sword has absorbed a new power, so we should be able to find his location easily. I¡¯ll officially request support from the Grand Church as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.¡± Ruon shook his head slowly as he listened to the two men¡¯s words. ¡°No, that¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He looked at the two men who asked back with nk expressions and said. If I had never known, it might have been different. But knowing that the apostle was watching us, we didn¡¯t have time to wait for a good morning. Ruon added briefly, gripping the hilt of the holy sword that was throbbing roughly in response to his deepened sacred power. ¡°We¡¯re going now.¡± *** A man walked down the corridor shrouded in gloomy shadows. He passed through a narrow street lit by the moonlight outside the window and stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor. ¡°Whew¡­¡± Knock. The man, who had taken a short breath, lightly knocked on the door and a short permission came from behind the door. He cautiously entered the room and bowed his head deeply toward the front and opened his mouth. ¡°Marcus and Dixie are dead.¡± ¡°Heh, Dixie must have lost his precious life because of Marcus¡¯s arrogance.¡± The answer that came back was soft and calm, but the man who was standing there was tense. Regardless, the middle-aged man who was rummaging through the pile of documents stacked on therge table snorted and shook his head. ¡°There are almost a hundred books that need to be returned under the pretext of long-term loans.¡± He continued with a displeased face. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there are so many of them who don¡¯t even keep their basic promises. The librarians weren¡¯tining for nothing.¡± The middle-aged man, who was muttering to himself, moved his gaze to the man who was still in his ce. He pushed up his sses that were sliding down and asked. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± The man, who had moistened his dry lips with his tongue, nodded slowly. ¡°Tell me.¡± As the middle-aged man¡¯s permission fell, the man spoke as if he had been waiting. ¡°Salvatore, Hican, Baldo, Martina, and Marcus and Dixie¡­ Six are already dead. How long do we have to watch?¡± The middle-aged man curled his lips lightly. ¡°Are you nervous, Omar? Are you afraid that his relic will pierce your head soon?¡± The man, Omar, furrowed his brow. ¡°No! It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t ept that the king¡¯s will is to watch while our brothers are dying one by one¡­¡± His words didn¡¯t go on. His arm, which had gone out of control, began to strangle his neck mercilessly. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± The middle-aged man looked at Omar, who was shaking his body with bloodshot eyes, and opened his mouth. His voice was still soft. ¡°You¡¯re talking out of line.¡± He turned the pages of the documents leisurely and continued. ¡°Omar, you don¡¯t have to be so impatient. They¡¯re already on their way here. Tiv¡¯s relic, which swallowed Marcus and Dixie, is doing its job well.¡± ¡°Cough, cough!¡± As Omar made a sound of choking, the middle-aged man flicked his finger. Then Omar copsed to the floor weakly and began to gasp for air with a desperate expression. ¡°The guest will be here soon, so get out of here.¡± Omar, who had risen from his seat with a pale face, hurried out of the room. The middle-aged man muttered as he watched his back. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do a proper purge after this is over. They¡¯re all pathetic. Well¡­¡± The middle-aged man, who was shaking his head, was named Pashianu Onflik. He was the head of the Grand Library, a sublime schr, the king¡¯s adviser, and the teacher of all¡­ There were so many titles to call him in Bern that ten fingers were not enough, but none of them expressed his true face. His face, hidden under many names, was sinister, sinister, and evil. The loyal apostle of the ancient evil smiled faintly as he looked at the window where the faint moonlight was condensed. ¡°Are you here already? Tiv¡¯s champion, no¡­ the turning point of the world.¡± *** Kyle looked up at the old stone mansion that was shrouded in the dawn¡¯s darkness and asked. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ruon answered by firmly closing the iron bars of the mansion. Creak- He pulled the bars to both sides to make a space for one person to pass through and moved into the mansion first. The three men, who had be ustomed to Ruon¡¯s incredible strength, followed him without any admiration. This is definitely not good. Ruon, who was holding the hilt of the holy sword that was throbbing more violently than ever, walked forward and saw the man who was guarding the front of the mansion. The man, Omar, who had his arms crossed, twisted his face and opened his mouth as the group approached. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe this early. Tiv¡­¡± Ruon drew his sword before the other¡¯s words were finished. Omar clenched his teeth, thinking that he was being ignored. ¡°You¡¯ve been killing our brothers with confidence¡­ I¡¯ll make you regret it.¡± As soon as his words were over, two people appeared one after another and walked forward. The man with a rich face and the woman with a fierce look didn¡¯t have a very distinctive appearance, but the group, who had noticed that they were all Belducius¡¯s minions from Omar¡¯s words, swallowed their saliva. The only one who wasn¡¯t nervous was Ruon. He spun his sword lightly and prepared for battle. Strabo said to him. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your strength here and go ahead, okay? They look like small fries to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± As Ruon asked back, Strabo gave a coolugh. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you appreciate our help? How long are you going to do everything by yourself? Leave this to us¡­¡± As he said that, green veins popped out on Strabo¡¯s face and rough hairs sprouted from his body. He transformed into a huge beast in an instant and finished his words. ¡°Go ahead! Oh, I never thought I¡¯d say this line myself.¡± ¡°Shit, you scared me. I almost chopped you down. If you have that kind of ability, tell me in advance.¡± Kyle, who had raised his shield at the sudden transformation of Strabo, coughed and drew his arming sword and pointed it at the front. ¡°Hey, you three idiots! Who¡¯s the mage? I¡¯ll take care of him first!¡± Then Igor chimed in with a calm tone. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you soon.¡± The three men, who were setting up death gs, looked at Ruon with a smirk and said. ¡°Yeah, I appreciate it.¡± Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Chapter 45 ¡°Look at these bastards.¡± Omar red and quickened his pace as he saw the group chatting casually in front of them. As he approached, his forehead melted and sizzled. Strabo roared and charged at him. Crunch! Zillera, Kyle, and Igor followed suit, attacking the burly woman with the axe eyes. ¡°What are you looking at? Pig.¡± ¡°Merciful mother-¡± Ruon, who had been watching them briefly, moved towards the mansion¡¯s main gate. ¡°Stop!¡± Omar, who had turned into a lion-headed monster, raised his de-like mane and tried to block Ruon. He was fast, but the vines that covered the mansion¡¯s wall were faster. They whipped and wrapped around his wrist. ¡°Damn! A druid of all things¡­¡± Bang! Before he could finish his sentence, Omar was hit by Strabo and flew far away. ¡°I¡¯m your opponent!¡± Strabo shouted in a voice mixed with animal growls and ran towards Omar, who was rolling on the ground. At that moment, Ruon reached the entrance of the mansion and kicked the door open. Was he in a hurry? The holy sword, which emitted a pale light, was shaking more violently than ever. It seemed to be saying this: You have a different enemy. That was the real reason why Ruon left the fight outside to hispanions. Of course, it was also a decision based on his trust in them. Using the holy sword as a guide, Ruon ran fast. He was ready to cut down anyone who got in his way, but there was no one to stop him in the spacious mansion. Soon, he arrived at the end of a narrow corridor and pulled the doorknob without hesitation. He was greeted by a soft voice. ¡°Are you here?¡± A middle-aged man with gray hair smiled and spoke. ¡°You¡¯vee all the way here in less than a day since you arrived in Bern¡­ You really have a reckless personality.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t answer, but took out a dagger from his pocket and threw it with full force. The dagger flew at an incredible speed towards the man¡¯s forehead. But it disappeared in mid-air as if it were a lie. Ruon, who had superhuman strength, didn¡¯t miss the fact that the dagger didn¡¯t vanish, but corroded at a tremendous speed. As proof, the dust that was once a dagger was scattered in the air. It was a creepy sight, but Ruon¡¯sment was simple. He was a magician after all. The man chuckled. ¡°So you don¡¯t like clich¨¦d dialogues?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we have much to talk about.¡± The man stood up slowly, with a straight back that didn¡¯t suit his age. He took off his sses and put them on the table. ¡°My name is Pashianu Onflik. I¡¯ve been watching your journey from afar. I yed a little prank on you before, but I don¡¯t know if you remember.¡± He made a popping sound with his mouth. Ruon remembered the corpse that exploded at the inn and sighed lightly. He lowered his stance and said. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He mmed the floor and reached Pashianu¡¯s nose in the blink of an eye. He swung his holy sword. He had activated the holy sword¡¯s shield, wary of the enemy¡¯s ability to corrode the dagger. Thanks to that, he avoided the misfortune of having his head smashed. Grrr! He was pushed back by a tremendous force and hit the wall twice as fast as he ran. Small sparks flew towards his face, which slid down. Ruon instinctively read the ominous power in them and raised his holy sword, pushing his holy power into it. The sparks blinked brightly and exploded. With a loud noise, Ruon¡¯s body hit the wall again. Kwaaaang! The chain of explosions caused by dozens of sparks shattered the thick wall. Ruon, who was thrown into the corridor by the aftermath of the fierce spell, quickly regained his bnce and stood up. A sharp ringing sound pierced his ears. He rubbed his ears irritably and said. ¡°You¡¯re quite hot-headed, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you care about other people¡¯s eyes?¡± Pashianu smiled at Ruon. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ve taken care of the sound not to leak out of the mansion. I¡¯ve oveid a wave that beats the perception, so there won¡¯t be any trace outside. There¡¯s nothing like magic to fool the eyes of the culprit. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Ruon ran towards him, regardless of his words. He couldn¡¯t afford to give him any distance, considering the magic he had shown before. Another invisible force flew at him. But Ruon didn¡¯t take it lying down. He tore the floor and swung his holy sword at the intangible force, creating a gap. He threw himself into it. Ignoring the noise behind him, Ruon swung his holy sword at Pashianu. The holy sword, emitting a faint glow, reached Pashianu¡¯s vicinity. But something stopped its tip, and crimson sparks flew in the air. It was obvious that it was the same force that had turned the dagger into dust. Ruon was about to slice his opponent in half with that force, when Pashianu pushed his palm towards Ruon¡¯s face. Ruon quickly turned his head, sensing the ominous power swirling in his hand. A red lightning bolt grazed his ear and made arge hole in the ceiling. Pashianu swiftly moved both his hands towards Ruon, who had lost his bnce for a moment. It was a nimble and precise movement, as if he had anticipated this situation. Unlike other magicians who only threw magic from afar, Pashianu¡¯s movements were like those of a warrior who was used to closebat. By the time Ruon regained his posture, Pashianu¡¯s palm was already close to him. Ruon, who was ignorant of magic, had no idea what kind of power was in his hand. So he moved ording to his intuition. He swung his holy sword with one hand to cut off the iing mes, and stretched out his other hand at a surprising speed to grab Pashianu¡¯s hand. ¡°What?¡± As Pashianu widened his eyes, a bright light burst out between his fist and Ruon¡¯s. The magic that had lost its target exploded, sweeping both men¡¯s arms and bodies. The force that had covered Pashianu¡¯s body faded for a moment, and Ruon didn¡¯t miss it. He barely stopped his body from bouncing back, and mmed his forehead forward. His head, like a cannonball, collided with Pashianu¡¯s face. ¡°Ugh!¡± A single scream and a gush of blood sshed on Ruon¡¯s face. But he didn¡¯t stop. He pulled Pashianu¡¯s hand with his arm and smashed his forehead into his face again. This time, he felt the sensation of his teeth shattering. He would have been safe from a counterattack if he had pushed him that far, but Ruon let go of his hand and quickly backed away. ng! His guess was right. Red lightning bolts struck the spot where he had been standing. Ruon spat out blood-stained saliva on the floor and said. ¡°It¡¯s impressive that you can cast spells with such a body.¡± Pashianu slowly straightened his twisted face and opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say. I never imagined that you could endure the pain of casting spells right before they hit you. And you¡¯re still holding your shape¡­ You have an extraordinary physique, but it¡¯s terrifying.¡± His face was a mess. One of his eyes had burst, his nose was ttened, and his teeth fell to the floor every time he opened his mouth. His left arm, which had been swept by his own magic, was charred and barely maintained its shape. But his spirit was fierce, unlike the dying Mole. Ruon gripped his holy sword. He looked fine, but his condition was not good either. Pashianu¡¯s spells had a curse that clouded his mind, and as before, his head was filled with sentences. Stab! Cut! Tear! Burn! That wasn¡¯t all. His whole body ached from the explosion he had taken head-on, and his left hand, which was covered in blood, was barely able to make a fist. It had been a long time since this happened. He had been used to winning fights, but the magician in front of him was a worthy enemy. A slight difference, a moment of carelessness, could cost him his life. In the tension that sharpened his senses, Ruon curled his lips without knowing it. His fierce smile was answered by Pashianu¡¯s forehead, which began to melt and sizzle. At the same time, Ruon smashed the floor and rushed forward. He closed the distance in an instant, and Pashianu spread his arms and shouted. ¡°Be baptized!¡± He shouted and spread his arms. Then, a dark red darkness erupted from his body and fell like a huge nket over Ruon¡¯s head. Ruon quickly raised his holy power and activated the holy sword¡¯s shield. But the shield, which was shaking nervously in front of the darkness, shattered with a ng. The darkness engulfed Ruon in an instant. It forced its way into his eyes, nose, and mouth. As his vision narrowed and his breath was cut off, Ruon moved his body roughly to shake off the darkness. But the shapeless darkness clung to him more and more, like a lover. It was not a simple magic that immobilized his body. As the darkness pushed into his body, Ruon felt an unknown, immense power shaking his innermost being. Pashianu, who had the symbol of Belthuzias on his forehead, spoke in a creepy voice, as if he was scraping metal. ¡°This is a baptism. It is a glorious process that strips away the weak shell of a mortal and fills it with the king¡¯s power. Do not be afraid.¡± Ruon heard his words clearly, even in his fading consciousness. This bastard? He realized that he was trying to make him a servant of Belthuzias by force. He gathered all his strength and focused. His sharp senses and innate holy power mixed and surged explosively in his body. And then. He felt it. The epithet [Demon Adversary] engraved deep within him transformed into [Demon Judge]. Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Chapter 46 The first thing that opened his eyes against the ominous power that dug deep into his body was his divine power. A ray of light that sprouted in the precarious situation where his inner self was shaken up injected vitality into Ruon¡¯s consciousness, which was bing murky. The moment he reinforced his divine power while solidifying his consciousness world that was copsing with his superhuman mental power, one of the epithets engraved in his inner self like a medal began to change. It was a change that praised his inevitable task of continuing to fight, having single-handedly defeated the beings who received the devil¡¯s scar. [Devil Judge] The transformed epithet showed off its presence and bared its teeth. The darkness that was losing its mind to its fierce momentum began to recede gradually. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Are you rejecting the king¡¯s baptism with your own power?¡± Pashianu, who was watching the scene of the darkness covering Ruon bing faint, muttered lowly. A hint of confusion crept into his voice, which had not lost hisposure even when his face was distorted. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± In the meantime, Ruon, who hadpletely shaken off the darkness, red at Pashianu with a zing gaze. ¡°What do you mean, what? You¡¯re my enemy.¡± He said that and lightly spun the holy sword he held in one hand. Then, a faint light began to gently swirl around the de. Pashianu clenched his teeth loudly at the sight. ¡°You¡¯ve drawn out more of the holy relic¡¯s power? How far are you going to surprise me? What else are you hiding?¡± Hiding my ass. Ruon couldn¡¯t help but let out a hollowugh. Judging by his reaction, Pashianu didn¡¯t seem to know that his magic had backfired. Of course, Ruon had no reason to tell him that, so he silently fixed his posture. Perhaps because of the influence of [Devil Judge], the voice that had been nagging his head and urging him to harm himself had disappeared. His body was more creaky than before, but he was satisfied with his clear mind and stomped the ground roughly. ¡°Stubborn bastard!¡± Pashianu stretched out his index finger, which had grown long ck nails, toward him who was rushing in like a ray of light. In an instant, a shapeless power that waspressed was shot in the direction his finger pointed. Ruon swung his sword with the momentum of running. Kwang! The magic power that was coagted by the holy sword exploded, incinerating the surroundings. The protective shield that was reactivated by the tremendous heat began to melt and burn red. Then, a sound of a de cutting through the wind came from the front. The de seeded in cutting through the barely holding shield, but it failed to cut off Ruon¡¯s head, who had lowered his head in advance. In an instant, Ruon, who had reached Pashianu¡¯s vicinity while leaking two magics, swung his holy sword with all his might. The holy sword, which responded to his will, shed and spewed light. The ck sword that flew through the wind pierced through the crimson sparks that surrounded Pashianu¡¯s body and the shield below it, and stuck into his stomach. The moment Ruon pushed the sword hard, intending to skewer his opponent. ¡°Bastard!¡± Pashianu shouted with bloodshot eyes and mmed his arm down. Following his trajectory, a ck lightning appeared in the air and fell down toward Ruon. At that moment. Ruon, who was wondering whether to let go of the sword and retreat, decided not to do so. He had seeded in repelling the devil¡¯s power with the power of the title that had changed in an instant, but his body was in tatters because of the aftermath. He thought he might lose the initiative forever if he retreated half-heartedly. So he stepped forward instead and pushed the sword in with all his strength. The sword that pierced through Pashianu¡¯s abdomen came out of his back at the same time as the lightning struck Ruon¡¯s right shoulder. Kwak! He endured the terrible pain of his arm being torn off and clenched his left hand, which was covered in blood. His right hand, which had been holding the sword, had no strength because his shoulder was broken, so he had no choice. ¡°You¡¯re a hard-to-believe¡¤¡¤¡¤piece of flesh.¡± Pashianu gasped for breath as if he was in pain from just breathing. The blood that spilled from his mouth hung on his chin and dripped to the floor. ¡°Your¡¤¡¤¡¤fate¡¤¡¤¡¤is¡¤¡¤¡¤entirely¡¤¡¤¡¤yours¡¤¡¤¡¤you think¡¤¡¤¡¤big mistake¡¤¡¤¡¤keuk!¡± Ruon pped Pashianu¡¯s chin with his left hand, who was spitting out one word at a time with difficulty, and replied coldly. ¡°Shut up with your empty threats.¡± He forcibly fixed the handle of the holy sword with his left hand. ¡°What you were babbling about, that I¡¯m going to kill your king, hasn¡¯t changed.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted his arm without hesitation. Chwak- The holy sword came out of his head, cutting through his skull, and a red line appeared on Pashianu¡¯s face. Soon, his upper body split and he copsed to the floor. Ruon looked down at the sight of Pashianu¡¯s corpse sinking into the puddle of blood he had made and slumped to the floor. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It hurts like hell.¡± As the blood gushed out of his shoulder, which was hollowed out to the bone, he tore off his shirt under his armor and wrapped it tightly around his armpit. He frowned at the pain and was surprised by the huge amount of experience that rose in his inner self. When was thest time he raised two levels in a day? He closed his eyes, thinking that, and invested his bonus stats evenly in divine power and strength. When he opened his eyes and smiled contentedly, a light shed from the pommel of the holy sword. Yeah, that¡¯s left. The pale light that poured out toward Pashianu¡¯s corpse pulled out the ck energy from his body. The light of the holy sword, which would have devoured the ck energy in an instant, was struggling in the air as if the opponent was not easy this time. The side that finally won the long struggle was the light of the holy sword. The light, which had grown noticeably, was about to return to the pommel as expected, when Ruon raised his left arm without knowing it as the light flew toward his face. At that moment, his vision flickered white. *** He saw a man. The man, who miraculously survived when his family died in a carriage ident, devoted himself to his studies and magic, as if he would live for his dead family. His brilliant talent, which did not betray his efforts, led him to a higher ce without allowing a single failure. After decades passed. The man had be the most prominent figure in Bern. His name was Pashianu Onflick. He was the king¡¯s adviser, a respected schr, and the honorable director of the Grand Library. Everyone loved and admired him. No one knew. The terrible madness hidden behind Pashianu¡¯s kind smile. The dreadful power and evil n he had umted over the decades. No one knew that his parents and two sisters, who were reported to have died in the carriage ident, were actually skinned alive and offered as sacrifices to the devil. He was an apostle. The most favored servant of the great devil Belducius. Pashianu seeded in making the kind king Polientus go mad naturally over a long period of time, and the king, who was obsessed with madness, indulged in a vain dream of conquering the world and started a reckless war. Pashianu smiled wickedly as he saw the scene. ¡®Everything is in the name of my true king, Belducius!¡¯ The other servants thought their evil deeds were simply for the king¡¯s amusement, but Pashianu was different. He knew. He knew that the series of events created by the servants who shared the power of the great devil umted causality for Belducius. He also knew that the great devils were preparing to overthrow the heavenly gods with the umted causality. Pashianu, who dreamed of a glorious holy war, realized one day. Someone was killing the king¡¯s subordinates. It was possible because he was an apostle who could detect the king¡¯s power spread across the continent. At first, he thought they had fallen into the hands of the pdins or priests sent by the church, but Pashianu realized that things were going wrong as time went by. He immediately¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Ruon opened his eyes. He quickly propped himself up on the floor as he felt a wave of dizziness and looked at the holy sword. ¡°Is this what you showed me?¡± The scene that was forcibly oveid was none other than the life of Pashianu, whom he had killed. He didn¡¯t know why, but he couldn¡¯t see thest scene to the end, but he could easily figure out how the whole thing was going. Ruon muttered lowly as he chewed on his memory. ¡°In the end, Belducius¡­ I have to kill that bastard.¡± As he got up with difficulty and leaned on the sword, breathing heavily, he heard someone¡¯s footsteps from behind. ¡°Lord Ruon!¡± It was Igor who entered the room, which was a mess as if it had been bombed. He saw Ruon¡¯s shoulder bleeding profusely and immediately put his hand on it. ¡°Merciful Mother. Here is your warrior who is bleeding. Please grant him the grace that befits the glorious ce.¡± As if responding to his earnest prayer, a gentle light seeped out of Igor¡¯s body. As the light prated his shoulder and left hand, the pain subsided a little and Ruon took a short breath. ¡°Much better.¡± ¡°Thank goodness-¡± Igor, who was answering with a faint smile, suddenly covered his mouth with his palm and coughed. Ruon saw the blood spilling out between his fingers and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Igor took a slow breath and answered. ¡°It¡¯s the price of using too much of the Mother¡¯s grace with my poor faith. I unintentionally overdid it.¡± ¡°Are you dying?¡± Igor was startled by his words and replied. ¡°Bleeding, bleeding a little and dying! What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, good for you.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulder lightly and added. ¡°Since you came up here, I guess the things downstairs are settled?¡± Igor wiped the blood on his mouth with the back of his hand and said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but we managed to solve it. Strabo was injured, but not life-threatening. He¡¯s more groaning from the bacsh of the transformation.¡± Igor¡¯s face looked pale enough to notice, so Ruon handed him the holy sword. ¡°It might help, hold it for a while.¡± Igor, who blinked his eyes with a sour face, took the sword. The holy sword, as if allowing the touch of the priest of Tive, began to emit a faint light. Only then did Igor¡¯splexion recover and he sighed softly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruon nodded his head casually and lifted his head as he felt a sense of incongruity. He looked at the night sky shining through the pierced ceiling and realized that the translucent barrier that covered the mansion was disappearing like burning. ¡°We need to get out of here soon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ruon pointed his chin at Pashianu¡¯s corpse and said. ¡°Thanks to that bastard¡¯s death, the spell that hid the mansion seems to be lifted. We need to get out of here before things get bigger.¡± Kyle, who was sitting on the floor, watching the two people who hurriedly left the mansion, got up with a grunt. There was a woman lying at his feet, whose lower body had turned into a snake¡¯s tail. ¡°Are you okay? What happened to your shoulder?¡± ¡°Strabo?¡± ¡°He¡¯s lying over there. He¡¯s in a shocking state.¡± Kyle said that and stretched out his arm. As he turned his head in the direction his finger pointed, he saw Strabo lying on the floor with a grin. ¡°Hey, Ruon! Are you here? Let¡¯s rest a bit and go. I can¡¯t move right now!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Ruon walked toward the naked dwarf who had bandages wrapped around his chest. ¡°Why, why are you doing this? Put me down! I¡¯m getting sick!¡± Strabo, who couldn¡¯t have imagined that Ruon would carry him on his shoulder, iled. ¡°Stay still until I throw you away.¡± Strabo stopped moving at the short retort. Kyle tilted his head at the ridiculous sight. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± At that moment, with a thud, the outer wall of the mansion copsed and he backed away in shock. ¡°Shit, what the hell? Why is this happening?¡± ¡°It seems that the mansion was hidden by a spell so that it couldn¡¯t be recognized from the outside. Lord Ruon killed the caster of the spell and it was lifted.¡± Kyle muttered weakly at Igor¡¯s words. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤No wonder it was too quiet.¡± Ruon nodded his head toward the main gate. ¡°Let¡¯s go before the guardse in.¡± Then, Strabo, who was hanging on, asked cautiously. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to run away? Can¡¯t you just tell them? That the people in this mansion are Belducius¡¯s servants and¡¤¡¤¡¤they bewitched the king and all that.¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°As you said, the king has been in a state of madness for a long time. Do you think he would let us go easily after we killed his adviser?¡± Strabo furrowed his brow. ¡°The king¡¯s adviser? Was he an apostle?¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°Yeah, I wonder if you have a clue who we killed now. Do you still want to exin to the guards?¡± Kyle pped his forehead with his palm and muttered. ¡°Damn¡¤¡¤¡¤this is the worst.¡± The party quickly left the mansion and headed straight to the inn. While the others were packing their belongings, Ruon went to the stable and woke up the stableman who was dozing off. ¡°What the hell are you doing at dawn¡¤¡¤¡¤blood, blood?¡± The stableman was startled when he saw Ruon, who was covered in blood, and Ruon put his index finger on his lips and said. ¡°I came to get a horse. And I want to buy two more as a bonus.¡± The stableman, who was rather scared by his soft voice, said with a trembling voice. ¡°As you know, all the horses here have owners¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± He trailed off as he saw the gold coin in his hand and swallowed his saliva. ¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± The stableman got up and brought out three horses, including Nightmare. Nightmare, who was snorting irritably as if he was annoyed by being woken up, was startled when he saw Ruon, who had blood on his face, staring at him and quickly approached him. The party didn¡¯t bother to ask how Ruon got the horses. ¡°Strabo, hurry up and get on.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Even if I get sick, just bear with it.¡± Strabo, who held Igor¡¯s hand, got on the horse and the party was ready to leave. Kyle asked. ¡°Ruon, where are we going now?¡± Ruon, who wrapped himself in a cloak on Nightmare, answered briefly. ¡°Where the holy sword leads us.¡± As they left behind the night¡¯s events, the sun began to rise behind them. Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Chapter 47 ¡°It¡¯s a nice view.¡± Kyle, who had taken a seat by the window, smiled at the scenery outside. His cheerful voice caught the attention of Ruon, who was sitting across from him. Ruon nced through the slightly open window. Under the red sky where the sun was beginning to set, a lush road and a stream were visible. The leaves of the majestic birch trees, which stretched their branches as if to touch the water, swayed with the wind. It was a peacefulndscape that suited the tranquil evening. Strabo, who was too short to see well outside, craned his neck and said. ¡°Are those birch trees? Should we peel off some of their barkter? If we dry it and brew it into tea, it can act as a painkiller.¡± Kyle shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Do we need a painkiller when we have Igor? All he has to do is put on a bandage and say a prayer. Right?¡± At that, Igor, who had been resting his chin on one hand, red at him with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a reckless thing to say. How can youpare asking Mother for a miracle to haggling for fruit at the market?¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know any better.¡± Kyle, who scratched his head awkwardly, turned to Ruon, who was still looking out the window, and asked cautiously. ¡°Hey, Ruon?¡± Ruon turned his head, who had been watching a young woman holding a lyre in her arms walk along the road toward the inn. ¡°Did you call me?¡± Kyle bit his lower lip, as if he was unsure what to say. ¡°Is there still no reaction from the holy sword?¡± At that question, Igor and Strabo stopped talking and turned their heads slightly. Before Ruon could answer, the owner came over and put some drinks and food on the table. The owner pointed to the cooked pork with a gleeful expression. ¡°This is a dish made with fresh meat that I got from the butcher today. The meat is tender and the taste is of course¡­¡± He backed away with a sheepish expression when he saw that the group had no interest in his food. Then Ruon opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m d there¡¯s no reaction.¡± He untied the sword sheath from his waist and leaned it on the table. Then he lifted the handle slightly. Igor made a low sound as he saw the sword de that was slightly exposed above the sheath. ¡°¡­It¡¯s gotten worse.¡± The sword de, which should have been faintly glowing, was stained with a sinister gray. At that moment, a malicious whisper that Ruon couldn¡¯t understand pierced his ear. BringmetheheadsofyourmotherandfatherandfeastontheirweakfleshandIwillgiveyouunbelievablepower¡­ What a load of crap. Ruon snapped the sword back into the sheath. He secured the sword, which could no longer be called a holy sword, to his waist and quickly recalled the past few days. It hadn¡¯t started badly. They had managed to get out of Bern safely, thanks to their quick movement before the situation gotplicated. The soldiers, who had been yawning all the time before the shift change, only threw a few formal words at the group who said they would pass through the gate as soon as dawn broke, and didn¡¯t try to stop them. Only one soldier, who was worth his pay, noticed the blood on Ruon¡¯s face, who was wearing a cloak, and tried to say something, but Kyle gave him a few coins and he swallowed his doubts and shouted. Pass- The real problem erupted from an unexpected ce. It was the holy sword. The holy sword, which had absorbed the power of the apostle, seemed to have increased its power at first, but soon the sword de began to cloud, and in the end it started to spew all kinds of profanities whenever he held it. It was needless to say that it had lost its role as a guide. It was a difficult situation for the group, who had believed that the holy sword would point to the location of Belthucias this time. Igor bit his lip as he looked at the holy sword with a dismal expression. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a holy relic blessed by Mother, was it too much to keep umting the power of the great demon? To fall so suddenly¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ruon raised his hand to the owner, who was peeking at the group. The owner, who hesitated, came over and Ruon gave him a few silver coins. ¡°Do you have any strong liquor?¡± ¡°Uh, yes and no. Just wait a moment!¡± The owner ran into the kitchen and soon came back with a bottle of pale yellow liquid. ¡°It¡¯s a drink that helps you know how your organs are doing with just one sip. It¡¯s incredibly spicy. The ingredients alone¡­¡± Ruon pulled out the cork and drank the bottle without anyone stopping him. The pale yellow liquid was sucked into his mouth without a pause. As soon as he finished the drink, Ruon mmed the empty bottle on the table with a bang, and the owner muttered with a stupid face. ¡°Are you okay? It¡¯s a drink that makes people drunk with just two sips.¡± Kyleughed awkwardly and said. ¡°Ha ha¡­ This friend is not in a good mood today. That¡¯s why. Don¡¯t worry too much and go do your work.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not the important thing¡­¡± The owner, who looked at Ruon¡¯s face that didn¡¯t change color at all, was startled when Ruon looked at him with cold eyes, and ran to the kitchen. Kyle asked. ¡°Did you feel better?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Ruon shook his head lightly as he grabbed the hilt of the holy sword. As expected, a whisper came to his ears as if it had been waiting for him. It was the same nonsense as before, about how he should skin him alive while he was still fresh. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the [Demon Judge]¡¯s influence, but he didn¡¯t feel any direct impact from that voice. Still, it made him feel disgusted. Ruon said. ¡°If I leave it alone any longer, it might as well be called a demon sword. I need to do something about it before that happens.¡± Igor nodded in agreement. ¡°It would be hard to get help from a small church. We should go to a temple or arge church. Even if it¡¯s not the ce where we honor Mother, we can¡¯t be picky.¡± That¡¯s when Strabo, who had been silent until then, coughed loudly. At that sound, Ruon turned his gaze to Strabo and noticed that the meat was getting cold. He opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Strabo waved his hands hastily and sighed as if the ground was copsing. He stuttered. ¡°¡­That sword, there might be a way to fix it¡­¡± No one in the party expected to hear such words from Strabo¡¯s mouth, so they all opened their mouths at the same time, as if they were shocked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Strabo, are you serious?¡± ¡°Are you lying?¡± The dwarf, who enjoyed being the center of attention, closed his eyes tightly as if he felt the pressure of their gazes. He pressed his temples lightly with his thumbs and licked his lips slowly. ¡°My family runs a forge that¡¯s about ten days away from here¡­¡± He trailed off, sounding unlike his usual self. Ruon asked him without hesitation. ¡°Are you talking about Roverduke?¡± ¡°Ah, do you know it?¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°I went there once to get some equipment. I couldn¡¯t get in because I didn¡¯t qualify, though.¡± As he said that, Ruon recalled the dwarf city he had visited a long time ago. Unlike other cities where various races lived together, Roverduke was mostly inhabited by dwarves. Of course, Ruon didn¡¯t know why that was. But he did know that the equipment made in Roverduke was of exceptional quality. There was a saying that you could easily see artifact equipment in Roverduke, which was hard to find even if you searched with your eyes wide open in other ces. Ruon, who had relied a lot on the performance of his equipment before he became superhuman, had also visited Roverduke with the hope of getting some artifact equipment. Of course, he was turned away at the entrance because he didn¡¯t qualify. As time passed and he became strong enough to crush rocks with his fists, he naturally forgot the name of the city. He said to Strabo. ¡°Go on.¡± Strabo gulped down his beer as if his throat was burning. He said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say. Even if they have a weird temper, my family is skilled enough to fix that sword that¡¯s gone crazy. That¡¯s all.¡± Igor looked puzzled. ¡°Strabo, I don¡¯t mean to disrespect or belittle your family¡¯s skills, but¡­ the holy sword is not in a state where it can be improved or worsened by hammering. This is a result of the divine power and the demon¡¯s power intertwining¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Strabo snorted. ¡°Igor, just like you can draw on Mother Tiv¡¯s power as a priest, we have cksmiths who can wield Duermyr¡¯s mes! They¡¯re not just ordinary heroes who melt metal and pour it into molds and hammer it like crazy.¡± He said so much that Igor had nothing more to say. He shrugged and closed his mouth. Then, Kyle tapped Strabo¡¯s drooping shoulder lightly and asked. ¡°Then isn¡¯t that a good thing? Why are you so gloomy? You can see your family and fix the holy sword. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡± At that, Strabo shuddered as if he had been struck by lightning. ¡°Shit, shit.¡± He spat out a curse word and then giggled. ¡°The problem is, even if the sword is fixed, I might die. Ah, I thought I would die gloriously in the hands of the demon lord¡­ but I¡¯m destined to be hammered until my head breaks.¡± Igor tilted his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that before? You ran away from the forge¡­ Is it rted to that?¡± Did he know how to make that face? Ruon chuckled as he watched the dwarf nodding his head silently. He had never seen Strabo show any signs of depression until now, so he was sure there was something going on. Come to think of it, he was the protagonist of an absurdbination of a dwarf and a druid, so it would be strange if he didn¡¯t have any stories. He had been babbling about adventure and romance and whatnot. Ruon said in a joking tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ll help you avoid being famous for hammering. You¡¯re right, we should die by Velducias, right?¡± ¡°¡­Ruon, are you trying tofort me right now?¡± Strabo shouted as soon as Kyle¡¯s worried words ended. ¡°That¡¯s right! We should die by his hands! That¡¯s romantic!¡± Kyle shook his head. ¡°I was worried for nothing.¡± Then, a pleasant ringing sound filled the inn. They turned their heads to the source of the sound and saw a woman standing on a small stage with a lute in her hand. She smiled faintly as she felt the people¡¯s eyes on her. Then, she plucked the strings with her slender fingers and started to sing in a soft voice. Strabo, who was soaked in the lyrics that praised the great deeds and tales of the old heroes, murmured with moist eyes. ¡°¡­If we kill Velducias, will our deeds be a song?¡± He nodded his head as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Friends! Our next destination is Roverduke! Let¡¯s go and fix the holy sword first. Damn it!¡± Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Chapter 48 After traveling southeast on horseback for almost ten days from Bern, the travelers were greeted by a huge nameless mountain of stone. Behind that impressive mountain of stone, with its sheer cliffs and precarious rock formations of various sizes, there was a small city that nestled snugly in its shadow. Loverduke. If one were to ask a passing poet for a one-linement on that ce, he would say with a disgruntled expression: A sanctuary of dwarves that built their nest in a natural fortress. How did that ce be a city of dwarves? To that question, historians would say: It was the starting point for the development of the city today, when the dwarves gathered one by one at the temple of Duerumur, located on the old mountain of stone. In fact, that was just a matter of indifference to ordinary people. Putting aside the natural fortress and the temple of Duerumur, the image of Loverduke that people had in mind was much simpler. A huge workshop where entric craftsmen gathered. Oh, and they would add one more thing. Spitting on the ground as if they were unlucky, they would say: Those rude dwarf bastards. *** At the entrance of the mountain of stone, a pair of cliffs faced each other. A bronze gate that crossed between them gleamed with the sunlight. The gatekeeper, Gaspar, who guarded the bronze gate, squinted his eyes at the three horses that approached from afar. They rode horses to approach the city of the short-legged ones? Nine out of ten¡­ no, a hundred out of a hundred. They were either humans or elves. It was not a difficult elimination method. Dwarves could not ride such big horses because of their physique, unless they were donkeys. Since the haughty elves would not bother toe here, they were probably human travelers, Gaspar thought. He fiddled with the scythe he had slung over his shoulder, and slowly scanned the faces of the unwee guests who came down from their horses. And he snorted. ¡­Dwarves? With the help of a burly human, a dwarf barely got off his horse, leaned against the wall, and vomited a foul liquid from his mouth. As if he was used to it, one of hispanions who watched the dwarf empty his stomach walked toward the bronze gate. He¡¯s damn big, huh? Even to Gaspar, who could not gauge the height of humans well, the other¡¯s size was not ordinary. ¡°Stop.¡± He was satisfied with the rather dignified voice that came from his throat, and continued. ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± ¡°Loverduke.¡± The answer was brief. Gaspar, who was in a bad mood, spat out the phlegm he had pulled up from his throat. ¡°You know well. Then, do you also know what you have to do to enter Loverduke as a non-dwarf race?¡± The man who faced him shrugged his shoulders lightly and replied. ¡°Prove that you have enough qualifications?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still making it unnecessarily difficult.¡± Gaspar was annoyed by the man¡¯s tone, and deliberately sneered. ¡°Well, judging by your ent, you¡¯ve visited Loverduke before¡­ but since you can¡¯t show a pass, you must have failed, right?¡± The man nodded nonchntly. ¡°I was low level then.¡± Look at this? Gaspar squinted his eyes at the man who answered with an iprehensible word, after he had said something to make him feel bad. With years of experience as a gatekeeper, he realized that the other was not pretending to be indifferent, but really didn¡¯t care at all. Usually, in such cases, there was an overwhelming confidence at the base. Gaspar coughed briefly and said. ¡°Um, you look like a warrior for sure, but do you have anything to show? By the way, thest guy who passed had a monster wolf¡¯s head hanging from his waist¡­¡± He stopped there, realizing that his vision had suddenly opened up, and tapped the back of his head with his palm. His helmet was gone. ¡°Huh? What? Where did it go?¡± He turned his head around, and btedly confirmed that the man had his helmet in his hand. ¡°When did you take my helmet? Are you¡­ a mage?¡± You hear all kinds of nonsense. The man, Ruon, smiled incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating a bit, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re not a mage? Then when did you take my helmet¡­¡± ¡°When you spat on the ground.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gaspar blinked his eyes stupidly. Whether he said it or not, Ruon sped his helmet with both hands and pushed it hard. Crunch- ¡°Uh?¡± Gaspar¡¯s jaw dropped as he watched the helmet start to crumple like a paper. He threw the crushed helmet on the ground and Ruon said. ¡°It¡¯s much stronger than I expected. Is it because it¡¯s from Loverduke?¡± ¡°No, that¡­¡± Gaspar, who was gaping with disbelief, stepped on the helmet that fell on the ground. The hardness of the iron that was transmitted to his sole seemed to testify that the scene just now was not an illusion. Then Ruon said. ¡°I¡¯m not the type to proudly carry around the corpses of monsters I killed. I don¡¯t know if this is enough proof.¡± Gaspar slowly lifted his head and licked his trembling lips. ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± The next to step forward after Ruon, who showed off his strength by crushing the gatekeeper¡¯s helmet with his bare hands, was Igor. ¡°Showing off your divine power to someone¡­ ah, mother, forgive me.¡± Then, a gentle light rose from his body, which had rings on his fingers, and softly settled on Gaspar¡¯s body, who was still out of his mind. Thanks to that, he managed to calm his startled heart and nodded slowly. ¡°You pass, too.¡± The ambiguous one was Kyle. He hesitated and grabbed the shield behind his back and said. ¡°Gatekeeper, sir, do you know how to use magic?¡± Then Strabo stepped forward. ¡°Let¡¯s just go with this guy as mypanion. Originally, a dwarf can enter with one person of another race, right? It hasn¡¯t changed, has it?¡± Gaspar tilted his head at his words. ¡°That¡¯s a right that only applies to dwarves from Loberduk, their homnd. Are you from Loberduk?¡± Strabo nodded silently, and Gaspar asked. ¡°Whose son are you?¡± Strabo hesitated for a moment at the question, then pped his cheeks with both hands, making a loud sound, and opened his mouth. ¡°Strabo, son of Garan. Strabo Bolund.¡± Gaspar¡¯s eyes widened likenterns at the answer. ¡°What did you say?¡± He screamed, sounding more surprised than when his helmet was dented. Wasn¡¯t he just an ordinary son of a house? When Ruon tilted his head, Gaspar asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Where¡¯s the proof?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Strabo pulled out a silver ring that held the end of his braided beard and held it out. The gatekeeper carefully took it and looked at the ring on his palm with a cautious expression, then hardened his face and said. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the ring of the Bolund family.¡± ¡°Can I go now?¡± Gaspar stepped aside and nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± *** There was no space for a stable in Loberduk, so the party walked with their reins, following Strabo¡¯s guidance. Kyle whispered, looking at the dwarf who was walking ahead with his short legs moving tirelessly. ¡°The gatekeeper¡¯s reaction was not good¡­ What¡¯s his identity?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Ruon replied indifferently and turned his head. As if to represent the clich¨¦ of fantasy that dwarves were skilled with their hands, the buildings on the street were allrge and beautiful. Ruon was looking at the wall with a splendid mural carved on it, when Kyle pulled his shoulder. ¡°Ruon, look at that Igor.¡± He turned his head in the direction of his chin, and a huge statue came into view. The giant with his hair and beard ming like fire was swinging his hammer with all his might, a dynamic sight that made Ruon murmur without realizing it. ¡°¡­That¡¯s cool.¡± Igor said. ¡°That¡¯s Duermyr. The god of the anvil and the me.¡± ¡°Just looking at the statue, he seems like a person who doesn¡¯t have a normal temperament, right? Don¡¯t you think so, Ruon?¡± Ruon nodded lightly and looked up at the statue. The sculptor¡¯s skill was so amazing that the eyes of the stone lump, which was nothing but a non-living thing, felt alive. He suddenly remembered the words of the former priestess. ¡®Those who look down on us with their mother and me have a great interest in your journey.¡¯ Are you watching me too? He asked inwardly, but there was no answer. Instead, he heard a whisper he didn¡¯t want to hear. Kill your parents, kill your brothers, kill yourrades, and soak your body in their blood. What are you doing? Ruon clenched his brow at the nonsense. Shut up. He pushed away the whisper that tickled his head and sighed lightly, looking at the holy sword hanging from his waist. Even though he didn¡¯t touch it, it was like this, so it was clear that the situation had worsened. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a headache.¡± Then Strabo said. ¡°Here we are. Friends.¡± He stopped in front of arge forge where hot air was leaking out. ¡°Shit¡­ I finally came.¡± He muttered weakly, putting his hand on Strabo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Ruon, if something happens inside, don¡¯t try to help me. I confess now, but I did something that deserves to die¡­ no, to die.¡± He said that and walked into the forge. ¡°Wait outside. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the other two.¡± At Ruon¡¯s words, Nightmare nodded his head, making a sound, and turned his head as if to show off. Then the other two horses were startled and retreated to the corner. He had taken the leader¡¯s seat by then. Ruon smirked and was about to enter the building when, ¡°Eek!¡± Strabo flew out of the door with a scream. He rolled around for a while and barely regained his bnce, clutching his chest. ¡°Ah, father, calm down¡­¡± His words were cut off by a loud voice. ¡°What? Calm down? I can¡¯t even cool off if I kill you with dung water. Where do you think you¡¯re crawling in!¡± A white-haired dwarf came out of the door with a hammer in both hands. He had a muscr body that didn¡¯t match his wrinkled face, and especially his shoulders and arms that were exposed were no less than Ruon¡¯s. Kyle muttered, feeling intimidated by the ring eyes of the dwarf. ¡°¡­Crazy, what¡¯s going on here.¡± Then, the dwarf kicked the ground and jumped up, swinging his hammer with full force. Strabo quickly rolled on the ground to avoid the attack and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s talk first! This is not romantic!¡± ¡°Romance is a frozen romance!¡± The dwarf shouted, twisting his upper body and swinging his hammer. He was so agile that he didn¡¯t look his age. Should I stop him? Ruon hesitated for a moment, but decided not to. He had heard something from Strabo before, and he didn¡¯t want to get involved in someone else¡¯s family affairs. No one else seemed to think the same, as no one stepped forward. Then there was a thud, a dull sound from Strabo¡¯s shoulder. The dwarf who followed him relentlessly had finally seeded in attacking. He sneered and shouted. ¡°You ran away from your glorious family business to be a decent druid, and that wasn¡¯t enough¡­ What? You ran away with the family treasure? Hey, you crazy bastard!¡± Strabo, who wrapped his shoulder, opened his mouth urgently. ¡°That, I¡¯ll apologize and live for the rest of my life, so please listen to me! My friend¡¯s holy sword is broken and I need my father¡¯s help!¡± At his words, the dwarf who had raised his hammer high stopped his body. ¡°What did you say?¡± Strabo quickly pointed to Ruon¡¯s waist, thinking it was a chance. ¡°That sword!¡± The dwarf¡¯s head turned around at the desperate cry. He looked back and forth between Ruon¡¯s face and the holy sword, then suddenly threw his hammer to the ground. ¡°This is a holy sword?¡± He approached Ruon and looked up at him. ¡°Hey, can I touch your sword if you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit difficult. It¡¯s not a stubbornness, but if you touch it now, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± The dwarf chuckled at his words. ¡°Why? Are you afraid I¡¯ll be eaten by that sword? It¡¯s no problem for a moment, so give it to me.¡± He seemed to have seen through the state of the holy sword, and Ruon hesitated for a moment, then loosened the holy sword and handed it to him. ¡°10 seconds.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re being picky. Okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the dwarf snatched the holy sword. His face hardened in an instant, and his body began to tremble. Ruon quickly snatched the holy sword and pushed the dwarf¡¯s forehead. He fell down with a thud and came to his senses, then raised his middle finger at the holy sword Ruon was holding. ¡°Have you ever seen such a bastard? Kill your parents and do what? My parents passed away 50 years ago. You fucking bastard.¡± Ruon reached out to the dwarf, who was cursing. ¡°What did I say?¡± The dwarf grabbed his hand and got up, rubbing his shoulder. ¡°Hmm, I was a little greedy to see Egosode for a long time. I apologize.¡± Ruon frowned at the unexpected words. What, what sword? Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Chapter 49 The dwarf didn¡¯t miss the subtle change in Ruon¡¯s expression. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t know that the sword had awakened its ego?¡± Ruon thought for a moment and replied. ¡°It had shown some signs before. But it only started to talk nonsense like this recently.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A smile appeared on the dwarf¡¯s wrinkled face. The fierce aura that made him look like he would kill Strabo any moment was gone, and he looked at the holy sword with interest. A strong scent of a craftsman emanated from him. ¡°This is not something we can talk about standing here. Come in.¡± The dwarf moved his steps toward the forge, and Igor hurried to Strabo, who was lying on the ground. ¡°Strabo, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Except for the difficulty breathing and the inability to lift my right arm!¡± ¡°Merciful mother-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Strabo¡¯s thick palm covered Igor¡¯s sped hands, which were reciting a prayer. ¡°Not now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have to look miserable so that father won¡¯t be too angry. That¡¯s why I took the hits on purpose.¡± Strabo groaned and struggled to get up. ¡°Let¡¯s go in quickly, friends. Father is not a patient dwarf.¡± *** The orange light that came out of the dim forge illuminated the dark interior. The white-haired dwarf, who was sitting on a chair without a backrest, spoke to the group. ¡°My name is Garan.¡± The group also introduced themselves briefly. They all knew that it was just a formal introduction for the uing conversation. Garan turned his head to Strabo, who was sitting on the floor and rubbing his sore shoulder, and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the punishment of that damn kid for now¡­ Let¡¯s talk about the sword first. What the hell did you do to make it so damaged?¡± Ruon opened his mouth to answer his question. He exined how he killed Salvador and got the skull dagger, how it became its current form with Tiv¡¯s blessing, and how he gradually gained strength by killing the servants of the devil. ¡°¡­That¡¯s the story.¡± When the story was over, Garan, who had been listening quietly, unfolded his arms. ¡°What a strange case.¡± He tilted his head slowly. To the right, crookedly. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± Ruon couldn¡¯t tell if the ¡®you¡¯ that Garan was referring to was himself or the holy sword, so he hesitated to answer. Garan brushed his gray hair back and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­It¡¯s rare, but not impossible, for an object exposed to a powerful force to awaken its ego. In your case, the sword must have been triggered by the goddess¡¯s blessing. Do you know why I¡¯m telling you this?¡± Ruon shook his head at the sudden change of topic. Garan clicked his tongue softly. ¡°You are the first owner of that ego sword.¡± He sighed and looked at the group, who were watching him silently. ¡°You guys don¡¯t seem to know how big of a deal that is¡­ Listen carefully. For an object that has just awakened its ego, the first owner is the one who inherits the will that willst a lifetime. It¡¯s practically everything to them.¡± Garan continued his story like an old man telling a mysterious folk tale. ¡°Do you know why there is a legend that an object with an ego chooses its owner? It¡¯s because that object is looking for a new person who can follow the will of the first owner¡­¡± It was an interesting story, but Ruon had a feeling that the story was going off track, so he cut in. ¡°Just get to the point, please.¡± Garan coughed loudly and pointed at Ruon with his index finger. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± He repeated the same question as before and narrowed his eyes. ¡°What kind of influence did you have on the sword, that it corrupted itself by absorbing the devil¡¯s power so recklessly? This is not like a magpie following a swan and tearing its crotch¡­¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± He said that, but in fact, Ruon had a vague idea of what influenced the holy sword. ¡­Thepletion of the story and the level up? If the holy sword was influenced by his pursuit of strength to get out of this world, and it broke down by absorbing the power of the great devil too much, then it would make some sense. Then Garan said. ¡°I¡¯ve been rambling for too long. Let¡¯s get to the main point¡­ You want to restore the corrupted holy sword to its original state, right?¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°Is that possible?¡± Garan¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled at his words. He turned his body and kicked Strabo¡¯s chest with a thud. Strabo screamed in pain. ¡°Ouch! Why are you hitting me?¡± ¡°You bastard, you didn¡¯t tell them who I am until now?¡± Kyle quickly pulled Garan away. ¡°Hey, calm down.¡± He said that, but he also pounded his chest and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m Garan. Garan Bolund! There¡¯s no better cksmith than me in Roverdook. This is definitely possible!¡± Did I hurt his pride? Ruon said to Garan, who was swaggering. ¡°I apologize if I sounded rude. I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°Hmm, really? Then it¡¯s fine!¡± Ruon gave a wry smile as he watched the dwarf calm down in an instant. He could see where Strabo¡¯s simple personality came from. Garan said. ¡°But I can¡¯t do it for free. You look like a mercenary¡­ You must know the rules of this business better than anyone.¡± ¡°I have enough money.¡± ¡°No, money is not what I want.¡± That¡¯s annoying. Ruon sighed lightly. He expected it to some extent, but it felt like a typical linked quest. He hoped that it wasn¡¯t a request to get some random materials from some monsters¡¯ bones or horns, and asked. ¡°Then what?¡± Garan answered with a serious expression. ¡°Pass the test of the furnace. Get the approval of the goddess, and if you¡¯re the one who gave such a great influence to the ego sword¡­ You should do that much.¡± He said that, and Strabo jumped up and shouted. ¡°An unexpected trial of the forge! Are you doing this because of me? Because I brought a friend?¡± Garan growled at him. ¡°You¡¯re not worth killing, you bastard. When have I ever let my personal feelings interfere with my work?¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Shut up if you know it¡¯s not true!¡± Ruon spoke over the two dwarves¡¯ shouting. ¡°Can you calm down a bit?¡± His cold voice made Garan retort. ¡°The trial of the forge is a process of proving one¡¯s strength to the great Duermur. If you pass the trial, all the dwarves in the world will recognize you as a true warrior, regardless of your leg length. They might even beg you to use the weapons they made.¡± Ruon nodded readily. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s refreshing.¡± Garan smiled satisfactorily and asked Ruon without dy. ¡°Where do you take the trial? I don¡¯t like waiting, so I want to get it over with quickly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll guide you, so wait outside. Get ready and go out.¡± Ruon stepped out of the forge immediately and Kyle hurriedly followed him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear everything inside?¡± ¡°No, I heard it, but there was a gap in the conversation. Suddenly a trial? Why do you need a trial to return the holy sword?¡± Strabo, who had been following behind with Igor¡¯s support, said. ¡°¡­Dwarves consider it the greatest honor for a warrior who passed the trial of the forge to use their weapons. I think my father also made that condition for a simr reason.¡± At his words, Igor frowned. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me the warrior who passed the trial of the forge is called the champion of Duermur?¡± ¡°Oh, Igor is smart.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Strabo gave Igor a thumbs up and approached Ruon. ¡°Ruon, this is not good.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°You should tell Garan that you are the champion of Tive and ask for a different price.¡± Why is he like this too? Ruon looked at Igor, who was looking up at him anxiously, and said. ¡°Did you forget what the goddess said? I¡¯m not the champion of Tive.¡± ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s no one more suited for that position than you. Really.¡± Kyle, who had been watching him, muttered. ¡°It¡¯s like trying to hold on to a cheating wife¡­¡± As if his words were true, Igor seemed worried about what would happen if Ruon became the official champion of Duermur. Ruon sighed lightly and said. ¡°Even if I pass the trial, I¡¯m not the champion of Duermur. Of course, I¡¯m not the champion of Tive either. I¡¯m just Ruon. Just like you¡¯re just Igor.¡± At his words, Igor seemed to feel something and bowed his head. ¡°¡­I was short-sighted.¡± Kyle rubbed his nose at the sight. ¡°Hmm, Ruon, that was pretty cool just now?¡± Strabo, who had been lying on the floor, also chimed in. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s romantic. Ruon. If only my arm was fine, I would have wanted to write it down somewhere! By the way, can someone help me up?¡± When Ruon closed his eyes tightly at the chaotic scene, Garan came out of the forge and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** The group followed Garan up the rugged road. They stepped on the weeds that grew long between the smooth bs of stone and reached a modest-sized temple. Compared to the city¡¯s splendid buildings, the temple looked very in. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you all followed when only this guy is taking the test.¡± Garan snorted and walked into the temple first. As they followed him, they saw a bald dwarf standing in front of a wide forge with flickering mes. ¡°¡­Garan? What are you doing here?¡± He looked at Garan, who was walking ahead, and tilted his head, then turned his gaze to the group. ¡°Three humans and one dwarf¡­ Strabo? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Long time no see. Retol.¡± The dwarf called Retol scratched his forehead awkwardly and replied. ¡°Y-yeah. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Garan exined to Retol, who seemed to need an exnation. ¡°I have a warrior who came to me for help, and he looked extraordinary, so I suggested him to take the trial of the forge. If he passes, I¡¯ll help him with all my heart and soul.¡± Retol noticed that the warrior Garan was talking about was Ruon and asked him. ¡°Are you a human warrior? Is what Garan said true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruon answered briefly and walked toward the forge. Retol asked. ¡°Do you know what happens if you fail?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that part.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be a cripple.¡± At that, Kyle, who was startled, shouted at Garan. ¡°No! This crazy bastard didn¡¯t tell me the most important part!¡± ¡°You bloody bastard! How dare you yell in front of me?¡± Retol spoke in a calm voice to the two men who were on fire. ¡°Shut your mouth. Don¡¯t you forget that this is the temple of Duermur?¡± As the atmosphere subsided, he lifted his head and looked into Ruon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± ¡°Why, suddenly?¡± Ruon smiled faintly. If he had been trembling over such a trial, he would never have thought of aiming for the devil¡¯s throat. Live or die. It was just another fight for Ruon, who had gone through countless battlefields where only simple but cruel oues awaited. ¡°It¡¯s been twenty years since a non-dwarf challenger.¡± As he said that, Retol closed his eyes and licked his lips. Then, with a sizzling sound, steam rose from the forge. A red-hot hammer appeared through the scattering steam. The peculiar thing was that all parts except the handle were covered with mes. ¡°When you grab the handle¡­¡± Before Retol finished his sentence, Ruon grabbed the handle of the hammer and said. ¡°It looks worse if you talk too much.¡± At that moment, a huge heat and me engulfed his body. Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Chapter 50 There was no sun or moon in the ashen sky. In a strange ce where gray dust obscured the sightless sky, Ruon opened his eyes. He had felt his consciousness slipping away as mes engulfed his body, but he did not panic. He quickly scanned his surroundings. ¡°What is this?¡± He saw a multitude of abandoned war machines stuck in the pale ground. They were all charred ck, looking like useless scrap metal. That¡¯s when it happened. With a whooshing sound, a crimson glow began to rise from the cracks in the ground. The light that brightened the barrennd looked likeva erupting from the depths. It was not just an illusion. The rusty helmet that was lying at Ruon¡¯s feet started to glow red. At the same time, the heated air expanded and dispersed the dust that had blocked his vision. Ruon could see the crimson light spouting like mes from the ground beyond his clearing sight. The light that adorned the air and then fell to the ground spewed steam and quickly solidified, forming a shape. Something rose slowly from the steam. ¡°Wee.¡± A heavy voice and a thumping sound of heavy footsteps reached his ears. ¡°Warrior, you havee to take the test of the furnace.¡± Ruon muttered to himself as he saw the figure that revealed itself. ¡°Duermyr?¡± A huge upper body with rock-like muscles, fiery red eyes that emitted a bright light, and hair and beard that zed like mes. The man looked like a miniature version of the statue of Duermyr that he had seen in the square of Roverduk. Then, the man began tough loudly, showing his throat. His shoulders shook with excitement, and hundreds of sparks flew from his body. The man said. ¡°Warrior, you have said the words that I like to hear the most. But unfortunately, I am not Duermyr. My name is Volcan. I am the being that he sculpted after himself.¡± The giant who introduced himself as Volcan looked at Ruon with interest. ¡°Ho ho, a human? It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a human challenger.¡± Ruon retorted sarcastically. ¡°Then what is this test you¡¯re talking about?¡± That question made Volcan¡¯s fiery eyebrows re up. It looked like he was raising his eyebrows. ¡°Hmm? You don¡¯t even know what test you¡¯re taking, and you¡¯re holding the sacred object? Well, that¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is that you and I are facing each other.¡± Volcan spread his arms and shouted. ¡°This is the furnace of the great Duermyr. It is a huge mold that tempers the soul, and at the same time, the grave of countless warriors.¡± As if responding to his words, the crimson light that looked likeva surged from the cracks in the ground. In the swirling heat, Volcan continued. ¡°Warrior with a strong soul that maintains its shape in the furnace. I, Volcan, will test you as the keeper and the warrior of the furnace.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Volcan kicked the ground and rushed in. Ruon saw the massive body that came crashing down on him and instinctively reached for his waist. His hand should have grasped the hilt of the holy sword, but it hesitated in the air for a moment. Ruon quickly gathered his thoughts and punched Volcan¡¯s face with his clenched fist. At the same time, Volcan¡¯s fist hit Ruon¡¯s side. It was a breath-taking blow, but Ruon clenched his teeth and stepped forward. He bent his arm and turned his body to the right, driving his elbow into Volcan¡¯s forehead. Instead of blood, a tremendous amount of sparks flew. Volcan¡¯s head snapped back, and he stretched out his arms without looking and grabbed Ruon¡¯s shoulders. Then he pulled him in and delivered a lightning-fast headbutt. Bang- A sound that shook the ground echoed from the two men¡¯s heads. Ruon ignored the ringing in his head and lifted his right foot. His raised toe hit Volcan¡¯s chin. The grip on his shoulders loosened, and Ruon quickly shook off his arms and backed away. He secured some space and pounded Volcan¡¯s stomach with both hands, then kicked his chest hard with his left foot. The giant who resembled the god of the anvil and mes rolled on the ground. ¡°Amazing! You¡¯re incredible!¡± Volcan got up without touching the ground, pping his hands. He spat out a fist-sized fireball from his mouth and said. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember thest time I rolled on the ground! I¡¯ve only met weaklings who couldn¡¯t handle the heat of the furnace¡­¡± Volcan couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Something was flying toward his face with a whistling sound. He quickly bent his upper body and dodged the projectile, but he couldn¡¯t avoid Ruon¡¯s knee that flew at his head. With a thud, Volcan¡¯s body slid back. But in that short moment, he also threw a punch at Ruon¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ruon clenched his stomach in pain and asked with the bowstring he held in his other hand. ¡°¡­What happens to the test if I kill you?¡± Volcan smirked. ¡°Brave warrior, you ask an interesting question. But sadly, I, who was born with the breath of Duermyr, will not perish as long as the mes of the furnace are alive. Don¡¯t forget that I am always the tester and you are the one who proves yourself.¡± As he said that, he stuck his hand into the cracks in the ground. He pulled out a double-edged axe that was red-hot. He asked Ruon. ¡°Warrior, what is your name?¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Volcan twirled the axe in his hand and began to close the distance. Ruon frowned as he watched him. This was a headache. Until now, he had faced Volcan¡¯s bare-handed attacks with his own bare hands, but he couldn¡¯t dy drawing his sword any longer. The enemy had pulled out an axe that looked extraordinary at a nce. It was Volcan¡¯s double-edged axe that hastened his decision. He drew his holy sword from his waist and faced the red de that flew at him, leaving a red trail behind. A sharp sound rang out as the two weapons shed. A tense struggle ensued, and their eyes met in mid-air. Volcan said, ¡°You have a sinister weapon. That ominous power¡­ are you from Veludusias?¡± Ruon felt a headache from the holy sword¡¯s whispering, which started to spew ominous words as if it was the right time. He replied coldly, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t have the mind to chat with you.¡± He pushed the enemy back with his arm and thrust his holy sword into the open space between them. Volcan twisted his wrist and blocked the attack with the curved surface of his axe. The des of the two weapons slid against each other, and sparks flew everywhere. Volcan took two steps back and roared loudly, holding the handle of his axe with both hands. He swung it down. Ruon didn¡¯t hesitate and raised his sword diagonally to block it. Boom! He managed to deflect the huge force of the axe, but the ground under his feet cracked. ¡°Not yet!¡± Volcan shouted, and a red wave pattern rose from his axe de. Then, a crimson me poured out with a fierce momentum. He smiled in satisfaction as he saw the me engulf the enemy¡¯s body, but his eyes gradually widened. A blood-red shield blocked the me. A tremendous light burst out from the melting shield. Volcan was startled and raised his axe, but it was toote. The holy sword flew at him like a sh and pierced deep into his chest. ¡°Not enough!¡± But as if that was not a problem, Volcan didn¡¯t back off and swung his axe. The blood-red shield shattered with a ng, but Ruon was already gone. He had retreated a few steps back, and he had a bow in his hand without a string. A light exploded and swept over Volcan¡¯s body. He was exposed to a barrage of light that was so fast that the word ¡®rapid fire¡¯ was not enough. He quickly protected himself with the me from his axe. Ruon had no interest in the stalemate and mmed the ground. He stretched out his fist with all his strength and grabbed the handle of the holy sword, digging through the me. ¡°Ugh!¡± The sword that was stuck in Volcan¡¯s chest slid diagonally and cut his right side beforeing out. Ruon dodged the axe de that followed him persistently, but he was caught in the me that poured out afterwards and rolled on the ground a few times. Fortunately, the burning sensation didn¡¯tst long. He lifted his head and saw the me that was covering his body gradually subside. Volcan, who was holding his wound that was spewing out a red fireball, asked, ¡°A sword swallowed by an evil power, and a bow that shoots arrows of light. You are a versatile warrior! Can I ask why you challenged the trial of the furnace?¡± Even though his upper body was split in half, he still maintained a sharp look in his eyes. He was not a mere creature that Duermur had sculpted. ¡°I took the trial as a price for fixing my sword.¡± Ruon answered briefly, and ck blood dripped from his nose. It was the aftermath of forcing the holy power into the corrupted holy sword. ¡°That¡¯s the reason?¡± Volcan chuckled and started to walk towards him. He¡¯s walking? Ruon frowned as he saw Volcan, who had a huge scar on his wound as if it was patched up, walking towards him. He once again forced the holy power into his hand that was holding the holy sword. The holy sword screamed and kicked, but Ruon ignored its howling and forcibly extracted the power of the sword. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can recover even if your head is cut off.¡± Volcan curled his lips as he saw the blood-red aura that was swirling around the holy sword. ¡°You are a warrior who has stepped into the realm of legends. Let¡¯s dance until the furnace melts!¡± That was when it happened. Volcan¡¯s body stopped abruptly. He spat out a fireball and dropped his arm. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but this is it.¡± Ruon¡¯s heart sank at Volcan¡¯s voice, which had no trace of hostility. ¡°You¡¯re ending it like this? Who says so?¡± ¡°Duermur said that this is enough. The goddess of mercy seems to be very angry with him¡­ You have attracted their attention, you are a great warrior!¡± Volcan¡¯s hair rose up with a chuckle. ¡°Ruon, you are a warrior who overcame the heat of the furnace and left a scar on this Volcan¡¯s body. You have proven your worth. Duermur¡¯s praise be with your strength!¡± He shouted and grabbed Ruon¡¯s shoulder firmly. He felt a hot sensation, but Ruon quietly watched the scene. He felt a strange and hot power from the heat that was digging into his shoulder. ¡°Today is a bit hasty¡­ but next time, let¡¯s have a proper match.¡± With those words, Volcan¡¯s body crumbled like ashes. At the same time, the ground began to shake as if there was an earthquake, and then Ruon¡¯s body was covered in me. And he opened his eyes. ¡°Lord Ruon!¡± ¡°Ruon!¡± He turned his head at the voice from behind, and Igor and Kyle ran towards him. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss?¡± Kyle frowned and snapped back. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss? Do you know how shocked I was when I saw you standing still in the me for a long time? And that dwarf kept repeating to watch¡­ I thought Ruon was burning to death.¡± At his words, Ruon turned his head and looked at ¡®that dwarf¡¯, Retol. Retol asked with a trembling voice as their eyes met. ¡°¡­Did you really pass the trial?¡± Ruon nodded lightly and looked down at his shoulder, which was itching. He blurted out without realizing it. ¡°What is this?¡± He saw a hammer tattoo covered in me under his burned shirt. At that moment, Ruon felt a huge sentence rising from the depths of his inner self, burning. [Duermur¡¯s Blessing] It was ¡®that thing¡¯ that took its ce bigger and clearer than any other sentence. It emitted a bright light. Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Ruon silently gazed at the glowing sentence that was engraved in his inner self. [The Duermur Blessing ] It was hard to tell what kind of power it contained just by reading it, but it was clear that it was not something trivial, given that the haughty celestial god had tantly put his name on it. He turned his head toward the hammer that was zing on the furnace and muttered softly. ¡°Think of it as a viewing fee.¡± Then, Retol, who had been restless while rubbing his bald head with his palm, said. ¡°I never dreamed that a warrior of the furnace would appear while I was a priest.¡± Then, the party members rushed toward Ruon from behind. Kyle and Igor seemed happy that Ruon was safe, but Garan and Strabo, who knew what the trial of the furnace was, looked very surprised. Especially, Garan¡¯s mouth was so wide open that his jaw joint seemed to be in danger. Ruon said to the old dwarf who couldn¡¯t help but marvel. ¡°It¡¯s a bit absurd that you¡¯re so surprised after telling me to do it.¡± At that, Garan came to his senses and shouted. ¡°I knew my eyes weren¡¯t wrong. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that Ego Sword followed its master and got screwed!¡± Ignoring the cackling Garan, Ruon turned his head and the party members added a word each. ¡°What¡¯s that tattoo? The red one looks really cool.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, even if you received the recognition of Duermur. The one who always smiles warmly at you, Ruon, is none other than your mother¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Ruon. Wasn¡¯t it all for meeting you that I ran out of the house?¡± I miss Vulcan¡¯s headbutt. Ruon sighed deeply and shook his head at the mixed voices that made his head ring. *** An untimely festival began in Roverduck. It was because the temple, which had been rated as only maintaining its lineage, announced widely that a warrior who had passed the trial of the furnace had appeared. The dwarves went crazy. The trial of the furnace? Wasn¡¯t it a crazy challenge to face the fire god and the fire spirit, which were carved by Duermur himself, in the ¡®Primordial Furnace¡¯ that burned the soul? It was enough to see how great an achievement it was just by recalling that thest warrior who passed the trial was Unggrim, who was called the ¡®Giant yer¡¯, a hundred years ago. Therefore, it was only natural that the whole city was in a mess. The dwarves threw away their work and ran to the tavern for today. And they toasted. For the warrior whose name and face they didn¡¯t know. ¡°To the warrior of the furnace!¡± But not everyone was like that. Somehow they knew, quite a lot of dwarves lined up in front of Garan¡¯s forge and knocked on the tightly closed door. ¡°Hey, Garan! Open the door!¡± ¡°I heard it from Retol. There¡¯s a warrior of the furnace here, right? They say it¡¯s a human, is that true?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long! I just want to see his physique. Just his physique!¡± Kyle, who peeked outside through the curtain gap, quickly backed away from the boiling dwarves. ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± Garan snorted and answered. ¡°What do you mean, what? They want to make him wear the equipment they made.¡± He pointed his index finger at Ruon as if to warn him. ¡°I told you before, the best cksmith in Roverduck is me! Don¡¯t think of hanging out with those shoddy guys. If you start epting them, there¡¯s no end to it.¡± Ruon smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t.¡± Then Garan seemed satisfied and stroked his bushy beard and said. ¡°You can trust me with the repair of the sword. I swear by the name of Bolund.¡± There was no need to add any unnecessary words to that promise from the prideful craftsman, so Ruon immediately drew his holy sword. Heid the sword on the workbench and said. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Of course. Who are you asking?¡± He seemed moved by the gesture of trusting and leaving his equipment, which was no different from his alter ego, and coughed repeatedly. Then he turned his head and looked at Strabo. ¡°You bastard. I haven¡¯t forgiven you. I don¡¯t even have the intention to! But¡­ I admit that you have an eye for something else. You picked a goodpanion.¡± Strabo moistened his lips with a touched face. ¡°Oh, father, you finally realized the romance¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± He immediately kicked Strabo¡¯s chest and waved his hand nervously. ¡°Now get out of here. You¡¯re disturbing my work.¡± The party members got up and dusted off their seats without a word at the sudden eviction order. They had already figured out how entric Garan¡¯s personality was, even though it was a short time. Then Ruon asked. ¡°Are you okay? It must be hard to touch it even if you just touch it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was just too eager and touched it without any measures, but now it¡¯s different.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t bother to ask how that was possible. If it was possible, it was possible. He nodded lightly and followed Strabo¡¯s guidance up the stairs. Strabo carefully opened the old wooden door and muttered softly. ¡°¡­ The old man still left my room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just left, is it?¡± As Kyle said, the room of modest size was quite neat, as if it had been maintained regrly. The party entered the room full of books rted to adventure and sat down. After a while, Strabo, who had been looking around, opened his mouth slowly. ¡°¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to ask?¡± When no answer came back, he quickly added, as if he was ufortable with the silence. ¡°Why my father hates me so much.¡± Kyle replied, rubbing his ears. ¡°You don¡¯t want to inherit the family business, you want to go on an adventure, and you ran away. Is there anything else?¡± Strabo flinched as if he had hit the mark and scratched his cheek. ¡°If you include the fact that I sneaked out the family heirloom¡­¡± Ruon scanned the face of the dwarf who was making a sheepish expression. Needless to say, there was nothing special to see now. He asked. ¡°Did you sell the heirloom as a condition to be a druid?¡± Strabo¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to tear at the casual guess. ¡°H-how did you¡­¡± ¡°Just a guess, so don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Strabo, who had calmed down his surprised heart, continued his story. ¡°A long time ago, a fairy came to the forge. He was an old man named Pelic, and he asked my father for something, but he was harshly rejected.¡± It was an irrelevant old story, but the party listened quietly. ¡°When I couldn¡¯t get along with my father, Pellic started to tempt me. He said he would teach me his magic if I stole a ring for him. Then he suddenly turned into an eagle and flew in the sky. It was so cool¡­¡± Igor asked. ¡°So you stole it?¡± Strabo nodded. ¡°At that time, all I had in my mind was to get out of the boring forge¡­ I thought it was my chance, so I searched my father¡¯s workshop and found the ring that Pellic mentioned. It wasn¡¯t a hard thing to do.¡± The rest of the story was simple. The two of them left Roverduck right away. Pellic, although he was fond of stealing, was not a scumbag who would break his promise. He taught Strabo how to use the power of nature, and thanks to that, he became a half-baked druid. Strabo, who was filled with a sense of aplishment and nostalgia, went to see Garan. And he heard a shocking story. The ring he gave to Pellic was actually the heirloom of his family. When the story reached that point, Kyle frowned and asked. ¡°How could you not know that?¡± Strabo sniffed and protested with a wronged expression. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know! I¡¯m not a dwarf who would steal that knowing what it was!¡± He added. ¡°¡­I was beaten to death that day. He chased me away and told me never to show up again. That was probably ten years ago? Well, that¡¯s the story.¡± Strabo sighed with relief after finishing the story. Then, Ruon asked. He had something else he was really curious about. ¡°So what was the effect of the ring?¡± Kyle and Igor also looked at Strabo¡¯s face with curiosity. Strabo hesitantly answered. ¡°It had a power that hid the wearer¡¯s appearance when the gem on the ring was facing the palm¡­ I don¡¯t know for sure because I never tried it myself.¡± ¡°The One Ring?¡± Ruon muttered without realizing it, and Igor tilted his head. ¡°Do you know of such an artifact?¡± Ruon briefly recalled the movie that was a huge hit at the time. But he soon shook his head. No, the ring in the movie and the ring that Strabo sold couldn¡¯t be the same. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be stingy¡­¡± Kyle, who seemed disappointed, pped his hands to lighten the mood. Then he looked at Ruon with a yful expression. ¡°You know, you seem like a person from another world even when we sit together like this?¡± At the words ¡®another world¡¯, Ruon made a strange expression. Kyle spread his palm and started to fold his fingers one by one. ¡°The troll yer, the champion of Tiv, the warrior of the furnace, the one who killed the apostle of the great demon¡­ You were also called a butcher in Rellyjan. Remember?¡± Strabo interjected. ¡°You have to include killing the goat-headed monster by strangling it and taming the nightmare!¡± Igor also chimed in. ¡°You don¡¯t know the story of how Ruon saved a woman named Bekira, do you? It was a scene that would not be out of ce in a textbook of mercy.¡± Are they all crazy? As the group started to praise his face, Ruon furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Then Kyle smiled faintly. ¡°Who would follow the tail of a mercenary who says he¡¯s going to kill the great demon?¡± The madman continued. ¡°But strangely, I keep thinking that it might be possible with Ruon. It¡¯s weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± Strabo pounded his chest and said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of romance in Ruon¡¯s journey. How can I not follow him?¡± Igor also opened his mouth as if he had something to add, but Ruon quickly raised his palm. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Seeing Igor¡¯s sulky face, Kyle and Strabo pped and chuckled. Outside the window, there was still a lot of noise from the dwarves, but they didn¡¯t care. The group exchanged trivial stories. The long day began to fade. *** Since it took longer than expected to repair the holy sword, the group spent some time on their own. Igor prayed to Tiv every day with his fingers crossed to recover the divine power he had consumed too much, and Strabo wandered around the streets of his hometown and meddled in various things. Kyle asked Ruon for a duel every day, even though he was exhausted. A week passed like that. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± As Ruon dodged the sword that Kyle thrust and kicked his ankle, a tired voice came from behind him. He saw a dwarf who looked like he had aged twenty years standing with a pale face. ¡°Garan.¡± Ruon approached Garan, who looked like he would copse at any moment. Garan, who didn¡¯t seem to care about his own condition, held out the sword in his hand and said. ¡°I fixed it perfectly.¡± The sword in his hand looked no different from before, but Ruon grabbed the handle without any objection. Whoo- Then, a faint red rune lit up like a me on the smooth de. ¡°What is this?¡± As Ruon looked down at the holy sword with a surprised eye, Garan answered with a tired voice. ¡°Even if I restored it to its original state, the sword that had been greatly influenced by you would have a chance to fall again if it tried to force its power. So I melted the power of the goddess and the demon together and widened the vessel of the sword itself. In the process, Duerumur¡¯s blessing went in quite a bit.¡± He muttered that Retol had worked as hard as he did. ¡°Now that sword is neither a holy sword nor a demon sword. It¡¯s just your own ego sword with infinite potential. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Ruon nodded and spun the sword. Garan, who was fascinated by the red afterimage that the sword made, said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The abilities that the sword had will still work.¡± Ruon answered with an action instead of a word. He quickly created a thin golden shield and tilted his head at the strange feeling he felt from the sword. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s teasing me.¡± Then Garan coughed hastily. ¡°Ahem, the three different powers got mixed up, so it became a bit chaotic. But at least it stopped cursing your parents, right?¡± That¡¯s true. Ruon smiled faintly and swung his arm to get used to the slightly heavier sword. Then Garan asked. ¡°What are you going to name it?¡± ¡°Name?¡± ¡°How long are you going to call it sword, sword? It¡¯s an ego sword with its own ego. It should have a name that suits it!¡± Ruon looked down at the sword, which had no particr action but still felt like it was ying a prank with the rune on and off. He couldn¡¯t think of a name right away, and Kyle sneaked up next to him and said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have a meaning? Something rted to Ruon.¡± Ruon thought for a while and remembered the ID ¡®Ruin On¡¯ that was the origin of his name. He didn¡¯t want to bother his head with it and said. ¡°Let¡¯s call it Ruin.¡± As if it was happy with the name, the rune on Ruin¡¯s de red up. Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Looking down at the sword that yfully changed the color of its de¡­ no, Ruin, Ruon let out a faint sigh. He had ended up talking to the sword. He had rolled around in this world and shed a lot of his modern values, but he had no confidence in talking to the sword, so he quickly put it back in its sheath. ¡°Where are the prayer and the bastard?¡± Ruon shrugged at Garan¡¯s question. ¡°Igor is resting and I don¡¯t know about your son. He¡¯s always wandering around.¡± The bastard who lost his temper, Garan muttered. ¡°Get some sleep until everyone gathers. I have something to show you.¡± As he watched Garan¡¯s back disappear, Kyle muttered anxiously. ¡°The man who seemed to be able to stab a monster with his bare hands has be too thin.¡± He had been thrown to the ground dozens of times today, and he dusted off the dirt on his back and asked. ¡°So how¡¯s the new sword?¡± ¡°Not bad. Except for the tingling.¡± Kyle chuckled as he saw the red glow leaking out of the gap between the top of the sheath and the bottom of the de. ¡°Ruin, was it? Nice to meet you. Do you want to be friends with my shield?¡± Ruon pped his chest, which was shamelessly babbling. With a crack, Kyle flew out and coughed dryly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to die like this.¡± But he still picked up the sword and shield that fell to the ground and got up, as if he was used to this situation. Ruon said to him. ¡°Let¡¯s stop until Straboes today.¡± *** Strabo, who was drunk, returned to the forge the next morning. Thanks to that, Kyle, who had been beaten by Ruon all night, became a dwarf and caused amotion, but Igor managed to calm them down with his energy. ¡°Pathetic bastards¡­¡± Garan frowned as he looked at Kyle and Strabo, who had bruises all over their faces. He licked his tongue with a displeased expression and asked Ruon. ¡°So what¡¯s the thing you¡¯re going to show me?¡± Garan reached out without a word. He grabbed the thick cloth that covered the workbench and asked. ¡°I wondered if you were chasing the great demon when I heard the story about the sword, but did you see the power in the sword? Retol said it was Belducius¡­¡± Igor nodded and answered. ¡°You saw it right.¡± ¡°Is there a case where four of you handle such a thing? I usually know that pdins and priests go in groups.¡± ¡°That would be the case in normal cases.¡± Garan chuckled as he saw Igor¡¯s eyes on Ruon. ¡°If you seed in killing the great demon, the name thates to mind when you think of the warrior of the fire might be Ruon, not Unglim.¡± He smiled contentedly and pulled back the cloth. Kyle opened his mouth at the object that appeared on the workbench. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I promised to help you with all my heart.¡± Garan shrugged his shoulders with a solemn expression and continued. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only for that guy who passed the fire test, but if you guys want to achieve the feat of killing the great demon together, I can give you this much help.¡± He handed a one-handed sword of moderate length to Kyle. ¡°Take it.¡± Garan said to Kyle, who took the sword with a nervous expression. ¡°I prepared a sturdy one because the weapon with the spell engraved on it would be worthless because of your shield. It¡¯s faint, but it¡¯s tempered with iron blessed by Duerumur, so the strength is guaranteed.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t seem to hear the exnation and asked with a nk expression. ¡°Did you know my shield?¡± Garan snorted and replied. ¡°I never forget the equipment I¡¯ve seen once. I¡¯m a genius in this area.¡± He casually bragged and continued with a strange expression as if he was rummaging through his memory. ¡°Before I had a beard, a long time ago. A magician suddenly appeared in Roberduk and asked me to make a thing with ¡®magic¡¯ engraved on it that interferes with the magic wave. It was a crazy thing, but it was enough to stimte the craftsmen¡¯s challenge, so the whole city was noisy.¡± He pointed to the shield after saying that. ¡°That shield is the result of the magician and the craftsmen of Roberduk. It¡¯s also called the paradox shield or the spell destroyer.¡± Kyle blinked his eyes and looked at Ruon, who had learned the secret of the shield. ¡°Did the magician hide the shield in the vige¡¯s tombstone?¡± Ruon didn¡¯t know anything either, so he answered briefly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Then Garan answered bluntly. ¡°I don¡¯t care how it got into your hands. It¡¯s not something our family made. Anyway, next!¡± He handed a bracelet to Igor. ¡°You flimsy guy. It¡¯s good to pray to the goddess, but take care of your body first. It will protect your body once or twice.¡± Igor bowed his head as he looked at the bracelet with an unknown pattern engraved on it. ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± Not only was he good at metalwork, but he also gave Ruon a well-polished leather armor, and Garan yawned and said. ¡°Go now. I need to get some sleep.¡± He waved his hand as if he was tired and said to Strabo. ¡°Father, my thing¡­cough!¡± Garan punched Strabo¡¯s chin with a clenched fist as if he had been waiting for that. Before Strabo could turn his head, the old dwarf¡¯s fist swept his body. Ruon didn¡¯t stop Garan this time either. He felt that the brutal beating was a kind of ritual to melt thest lump between the two. As evidence, Garan and Strabo, who were hitting and being hit, had their eyes red. ¡°The only gift I can give you is a fist, you stupid son.¡± Garan breathed heavily and said to Strabo, who fell to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m tired of hitting you! So get out of here! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but you can raise your name by following the warrior of the fire.¡± He spat out a rough breath and licked his lips slowly. ¡°¡­So live as you please.¡± Garan turned his body and walked away without looking back. ¡°Help me.¡± Strabo, who got up with Kyle¡¯s hand, smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± He muttered awkwardly and took something shiny out of his pocket. It was the family ring he had given to the gatekeeper to prove his identity when he entered Roberduk. Ruon chuckled as he watched Strabo slip the ring onto his finger instead of his beard. He said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit early, but I don¡¯t think we have any reason to stay here any longer. Let¡¯s get going.¡± The others nodded in agreement. As they left the smithy, the sun was rising, piercing through the blue dawn. It was a fitting scenery for a new journey. *** Ego Sword, now called Ruin, still had the functions of a holy sword, as Garan had said. Fortunately, it could also track down the power of Belducius, albeit weakly. The sword, forged anew by the power of the goddess and the archdemon, conveyed to Ruon the faint traces of the ancient evil that had once devoured him. Every time, he felt an inexplicable sensation and hastened his steps toward the direction the sword guided him. After about six days, the group came across a fairlyrge vige. They didn¡¯t know if it was because of the fertile soil of the yellownd, but at the entrance of the vige, there was a wide field of wheat, dyed in gold. The group gasped at the sight of the golden waves swaying with the wind. Igor muttered, wearing gloves on his hands. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Then he frowned and added. ¡°But such a beautiful ce shouldn¡¯t be rted to the archdemon.¡± Hmph. Ruon snorted inwardly. The moment he uttered those words, something was bound to happen. He hoped nothing would go wrong in that peaceful vige and walked toward it. And his hope was dashed. ¡°No!¡± The group was greeted by a terrible scream as they left their horses at the stable. They turned their heads to the direction of the sound and saw a young man crying his eyes out. He stumbled forward, waving his hands, but some men blocked his way. Their expressions were not very good either. ¡°Philip, I know you¡¯re hurting, but you have to let go.¡± ¡°Yeah, the dead won¡¯te back no matter what. So calm down first¡­¡± The men¡¯s words made Philip¡¯s neck bulge with veins. ¡°No! My wife can¡¯t be dead. Sonya! Answer me! You¡¯re joking, right? Huh?¡± His wail made the men look awkward. Then an old voice came. ¡°Philip, stop it. Sonya is dead.¡± As the old man opened the door and came out, someone was carried out on a stretcher, covered with a white cloth. Philip sobbed at the sight of the limp, emaciated arm hanging from the cloth. ¡°Sonya!¡± The old man approached him and said. ¡°She endured for a week while suffering from puerperal fever. She¡¯s finally at peace. So let her go now.¡± At the old man¡¯s words, Philip copsed on the floor. ¡°No¡­no¡­¡± He muttered emptily, as if he had no more tears to shed. His appearance was strangely eerie. Kyle bit his lip as he watched the whole process. ¡°It was so nice until we saw the wheat field. But someone died as soon as we entered the vige. It doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± Igor also chimed in. ¡°If we had arrived a day earlier, I could have prayed for her¡­¡± Ruon answered quietly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like our problem to interfere. So let¡¯s just stop staring and head to the inn.¡± But that was not easy either. The door of the small inn was firmly closed. ¡°Travelers?¡± A middle-aged woman with a bucket on her head looked embarrassed as she met the group¡¯s eyes. She coughed and opened her mouth. ¡°The youngdy who runs the inn is very sick¡­ It¡¯s hard to stay at the inn.¡± Ruon asked. ¡°Is her name Sonya?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°We heard it on the way into the vige. They said she died.¡± ¡°What?¡± The woman dropped the bucket in surprise. Ruon¡¯s shoes got wet by the water that sshed in a fan shape. She covered her mouth with her palm. ¡°Oh dear, what do I do.¡± The woman¡¯s hand trembled as she saw Ruon¡¯srge stature and the sword at his waist. Igor quickly stepped in. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s okay. He¡¯s not the type to get angry over something like that.¡± Who are you? Ruon smiled faintly, when Strabo nudged his leg with his elbow and said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her if she can let us stay if we¡¯re sorry?¡± He didn¡¯t lower his voice at all, so the woman heard him clearly. She hesitated for a moment and said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you in with all my heart if you pay a fair price.¡± She looked scared, so Ruon didn¡¯t feel like it, but since the situation was what it was, he nodded. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± As they followed the woman to her house, her husband, who seemed to be, stammered. ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman quickly went to his side and whispered in his ear. -I made a mistake and I was too scared to let it go, so I brought them home. But I think we can charge them for the lodging- Ruon heard her words easily with his superhuman hearing. The man nced at the group quickly and swallowed his saliva. ¡°O-oh, today we¡¯ll sleep in the barn¡­ Make yourself at home.¡± Before the group could say anything, the man bowed his head and dragged his wife out. Strabo muttered. ¡°Does anyone know why they¡¯re acting like that?¡± It waste at night. The group had ate dinner prepared by the woman and settled near the firece. They were asleep. I should be generous. Ruon thought of the couple who were spending the night in the barn, scared for no reason, and fiddled with the leather pouch in his bosom. That¡¯s when it happened. He felt a strange sensation in his fingertips and lifted his upper body slowly, leaning on the floor. Yeah, it couldn¡¯t go by quietly. He looked down at the floor and smiled faintly. Ruin was humming and crying. Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Ruon quietly gripped the hilt of his sword, which was trembling slightly. And without realizing it, he smiled faintly. It was not a smile of satisfaction, but rather a bitterugh that escaped from his disbelief. Ruin, whomunicated his will through emotions rather than words, was saying this to him. -There¡¯s something in the vige- It was a different sensation from the mechanical reaction that Ruin showed when he faced evil beings or servants of the devil in his days as a holy sword. An inexplicable and eerie certainty that made his hairs stand on end. Yes, intuition. ¡­What is this? Ruon, who thought that the sword had sent a signal in response to the devil¡¯s power, felt his blood drain from his face. He was about to put down his sword with a hollow smile, when he suddenly furrowed his brow. He realized that he had been too careless, relying on the convenience of the holy sword that had been hunting down evil beings and chasing the traces of the great devil. When did I ever move only when I was sure? As he recalled his past, when he had confronted anything that aroused his doubt or curiosity without hesitation, Ruon looked down at his sword. The ego sword, influenced by him, was still shaking finely, as if to tell him to trust his intuition. Ruon answered calmly. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that.¡± *** Late at night, when the clouds swallowed the moonlight. A man pulled out a scythe that was stuck in a haystack, with a vacant expression on his face. His name was Philip. He bent his knees and lowered his posture, then ced his scythe obliquely on a whetstone on the floor and started to move his arm at a steady speed. Shush-shush. A creepy sound that broke the silence settled in the air came from Philip¡¯s fingertips. After a while, he slowly got up and stared nkly at the de that was shining coldly. He muttered softly. ¡°¡­Sonia, wait for me. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Philip immediately gripped his scythe upside down. He pressed his face against the curved surface of the scythe and closed his eyes tightly. Fear washed over him like a wave. To steady his shaking heart, Philip thought of Sonia¡¯s face, who had died of a terrible fever with a swollen belly. Then, as if it were a lie, his hand stopped trembling. That was it. All he had to do was lift his hand up. Then he would be able to meet his dead wife again. That was when it happened. ¡°If you do it like that, you¡¯ll only cut your vocal cords, not your artery.¡± Startled by the dry voice, Philip dropped his scythe. He looked down at the scythe that fell to the floor with a ng, then lifted his head. A stranger was staring at him intently. Just then, the clouds gradually cleared and a faint moonlight poured over their heads. The stranger said. ¡°You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve seen who wants to die in such a strange way. It would be faster to cut your wrist with a kitchen knife at home.¡± The stranger shrugged his shoulders and added, after giving him a too realistic advice. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not telling you to do that.¡± Philip moistened his dry lips with his tongue and opened his mouth. A hoarse and unpleasant voice came out of his mouth. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°A traveler.¡± ¡°Why are you in front of someone else¡¯s house at this time?¡± ¡°I heard the sound of sharpening from afar, so I came to see. And it was you.¡± Philip asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I saw you crying when I entered the vige.¡± ¡°¡­Then you must know why I want to die. Please pretend you didn¡¯t see anything and go away. I¡¯ll do as you advised.¡± How embarrassing. The stranger, Ruon, scratched his head at Philip¡¯s voice, which had no trace of attachment to life. He had no intention of saying something like ¡®people who are alive should live¡¯, but it felt awkward to just ignore him and pass by. Should I have woken up Igor ande out? As he was thinking that and standing still, Philip suddenly picked up the scythe on the floor. He swung his arm to cut his wrist with the scythe, but Ruon¡¯s strong hand grabbed his arm. ¡°Ouch!¡± Philip¡¯s face turned red with panic at his arm that didn¡¯t budge even with all his strength. Ruon let out a faint sigh and broke the neck of the scythe with his other hand, then threw it far away. ¡°Why! Why! Why are you interfering!¡± Philip shouted with rage, but only a raspy wind sound came out of his mouth that had already run out of breath. Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know either.¡± Philip was speechless at his honest answer, and after a while, he dropped his head and murmured weakly. ¡°I¡¯m a worthless man who doesn¡¯t deserve to live. Please let me atone to my wife. Please.¡± Atone? Ruon tilted his head at the unexpected word. He remembered that Philip¡¯s wife had died of puerperal fever. Death by infection wasmon in this ce, where the hygiene level was dismalpared to the modern world. Of course, in this fantasy world, there were all kinds of magic to heal wounds, but that was not applicable to ordinary vigers. Anyway, Philip¡¯s words, ming himself for his wife¡¯s death from infection after giving birth, were absurd, so Ruon asked him without dy. ¡°Making amends out of the blue? You didn¡¯t kill your wife, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± Philip bit his lower lip and swallowed his words, realizing his mistake toote. Ruon read the secret burden in his eyes, which were anxiously twitching, and asked. ¡°What did you do?¡± Philip, who was driven to the edge of his sanity by the thought of killing himself, copsed at the simple question. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would turn out like this!¡± He fell to the floor and started mumbling like a madman. ¡°We, we just wanted to have a child. I wanted to braid my daughter¡¯s hair like Sonya someday, and Sonya always said she wanted to y ball with a son who looked like me. We, we¡­we just needed a child.¡± Ruon let go of his arm, which was shaking like an epileptic, and asked coldly. ¡°So?¡± Philip trembled his chin and continued. ¡°But no matter how hard we tried, we couldn¡¯t have a child¡­so¡­so¡­¡± His story became incoherent. There were parts that Ruon couldn¡¯t understand because of his hoarse voice, but he could still figure out what had happened. One day, a strange woman came to the small inn that the couple ran. She stayed for a long time, and during that time, she became close enough to talk to the couple. The woman, who introduced herself as He, had a mysterious aura about her. The couple, enchanted by her, confided their biggest problem to her. The problem of not being able to have a child despite their efforts. ¡®I can help you with that. I just need a few ingredients.¡¯ He asked for these ingredients with a smile. Sonya¡¯s hair and nails, and a cloth stained with her blood from menstruation. Sonya, who came to her senses at the creepy request, refused, but Philip did not. He, who was desperate, secretly prepared the ingredients and handed them to He, who replied briefly. ¡®You¡¯ll have good news.¡¯ Surprisingly, her words were true. A few weeks after He left, Sonya started to have morning sickness. Thinking that it was a good thing, Philip didn¡¯t tell Sonya anything about He. He thought it would be bad for the baby in her belly if he did. The two spent the happiest months of their lives. As Sonya¡¯s belly grew bigger, so did their happiness. And misfortune always came at such times. ¡°Yes, thebor started much earlier than expected. I tried to call the midwife quickly, but Sonya¡¯s scream was not normal. So, I checked it myself¡­¡± Philip closed his eyes tightly, as if it was painful to recall that moment. ¡°What came out of her body by itself¡­was not human. It was just¡­¡± A monster, he muttered and breathed heavily. Ruon, who was captivated by an unknown feeling, listened to his story quietly. ¡°In an instant, it crawled away¡­I couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to chase it. I just watched it. Stupidly.¡± Philip came to his senses and quickly gathered the vigers, but Sonya, whose body was ruined, had already crossed the point of no return. ¡°Sonya died without even knowing that she gave birth to a monster. Until she died, she kept saying that she wanted to see the baby¡­that she wanted me to show her¡­¡± Philip started to sob, clutching his chest, and Ruon looked down at him. ¡°What did you tell the others?¡± ¡°I said she died¡­that I buried her.¡± It was a pathetic story. Ruon got up with a stiff expression and remembered something he had erased from his memory a long time ago. Grungard, nobility, mistress, ghoul, monster that gives birth to ghouls, witch, and He. He instinctively thought that the woman named He was the same person as the witch who defiled the graveyard of Grungard. It was not because he found a great connection. It was just a feeling close to certainty. ¡°I killed Sonya. I killed Sonya¡­¡± Philip, who had revealed his secret, looked like he had aged ten years in an instant. Leaving him alone, Ruon moved on. Soon, he stopped at the stable. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to sleep.¡± At his words, Nightmare opened his eyes slowly. ¡°Come on.¡± Ruon got on the back of the ck horse, who came out of the stable on his own, making a sound. ¡°You said you were exposed to the curse for a long time, so you must have some knowledge of curses.¡± He stroked the mane of Nightmare and added. ¡°There¡¯s a cursed monster near this vige. Find it. You have to earn your keep.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Nightmare¡¯s mane began to flutter. He turned his head for a moment and fixed his gaze, then slowly started to roll his feet. Hee-hee-hee-hee! The ck horse roared and swept the night street in an instant. He quickly left the vige and crossed the in of wheat fields, then entered the forest next to it without hesitation. He passed through the trees without hesitation and went on. At some point, he stopped and stood still. As if he had arrived, he thrashed on the spot and Ruon got off his back. He looked at the dark forest and raised his senses. [Elf¡¯s Hearing] was activated and he heard a disgusting sound of something chewing. ¡°Wait here.¡± He stroked the body of the ck horse and walked toward the sound. He didn¡¯t take long to find the monster. Under arge tree with a broken waist, he saw a grotesque creature eating the side of a bear the size of a house. Ruon drew his sword without hesitation. The red runes on the de of Ruin lit up and pushed back the darkness of the forest. The monster¡¯s body stopped with a thud. The monster¡¯s face slowly turned to Ruon. Below the twisted face, the organ that looked like a mouth opened with a ck-ck sound. ¡°Da-da-daddy?¡± Who¡¯s your daddy? Ruon mmed the ground. Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Chapter 54 The monster did not stand up to Ruon, who ran towards it with a red line. It stepped on the bear¡¯s corpse and jumped up,nding smoothly on a thick branch. Its mouth, which dropped pieces of the bear¡¯s flesh, opened. ¡°Who-are-you?¡± Ruon narrowed his thick eyebrows at the monster¡¯s question. He said, ¡°You can talk.¡± He thought he had misheard it when it said daddy, but it seemed that was not the case. How? It was not a doubt about the process of sounding out of the lips by the vibration of the vocal cords, but a question about the clear meaning contained in the sound. How could a creature that was born only a week ago learn to speak and understand the meaning? At least in Ruon¡¯smon sense, it was impossible. Then a crunching sound came from the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°You-smell-like-daddy.¡± The creature, which had been rolling its protruding eyes, opened its mouth wide. ¡°You-look-delicious.¡± At that moment, the branch that the monster was standing on snapped. The creature, which closed the distance in an instant, swung its front paw with hooked ws. Ruon did not budge from his spot, even though the monster¡¯s attack was so fast that the trajectory of its arm was blurred. Instead, he lifted the rune in his right hand and cut off the monster¡¯s hand. As the wrist fell off in vain, blood spurted from the cross-section, and Ruon¡¯s fist mmed into the grotesque monster¡¯s face. Bang! The monster flew back faster than it came and rolled on the ground. It only stopped when it hit an arum tree, and a creepy sound came out of its crushed head. ¡°Ow-ow-ow-¡± Ruon, who looked at it with a frown, sighed lightly and walked towards the monster. He lifted his sword to finish it off, but he felt a strange sense of incongruity from the fallen monster and narrowed his eyes. What is it? As if to prove that Ruon¡¯s senses were not wrong, the monster¡¯s body began to twist slightly. Under its skin, as if alive, the bones and flesh moved and made a horrible friction sound. As Ruon was about to strike his sword at the sudden change, anguid voice pierced his ears. ¡°You ruined my carefully crafted curse. Who are you?¡± The direction of the sound was the monster¡¯s body, which was so damaged that it was hard to recognize. Where the upper body had been, there were tworge eyes and a mouth floating. Ruon grimaced at the disgusting sight. ¡°Who are you then?¡± Therge mouth made of bones and flesh chuckled. ¡°I am the one who can be called the real mother of this child you killed.¡± He confirmed the answer and said calmly. ¡°So you are He?¡± ¡°You know me?¡± Therge eyes rolled and scanned Ruon up and down. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone with the same appearance as you among those who chased me. Aha, did this child¡¯s parents tell you? Their name was Felic¡­ no, Philip, right? I remember them because their faces were so stupid with anticipation¡­¡± Ruon looked at the eyes that were fading and said. ¡°Is that why you showed up using the disgusting monster¡¯s corpse? You have a good appetite. Why don¡¯t you show yourself? I¡¯ll smash your face.¡± Therge mouthughed and said. ¡°You have a sharp tongue. Most people are busy gagging when they see me like this.¡± Ruon did not reply, and the mouth continued. ¡°This child you killed was a rather important being that was supposed to devour its parents and vigers soon and offer their flesh and spirit to me. To die so miserably by meeting a warrior like you¡­ It¡¯s like a farmer who burned his field before the harvest.¡± So what. Ruon sighed with annoyance and raised his right hand. The de of the rune turned red, as if reflecting his feelings. Ruon swung his sword right away. The tworge eyes that were swept by its trajectory were cut off in an instant. He cut off the unpleasant gaze and said. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your nonsense.¡± The mouth chuckled. ¡°You are an impatient warrior. You have to pay a price that matches what you have done. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s just your life. I¡¯m a witch who rips out the guts of the other party even for a trivial quarrel. You can look forward to it.¡± He felt sick of the sight and Ruon shrugged his shoulders and retorted. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s also the case of the Grungrad cemetery. Come and pay me back for everything.¡± ¡°¡­What? How do you know that¡­¡± I was right. Ruon, who had no intention of answering, cut off his words with his sword. The sword that pierced the disgusting mouth emitted a red light, and the monster began to convulse. The connection between the corpse and the witch was cut off, and the monster¡¯s body was literally shattered, spilling blood. Ruon looked down at the meat soaked in blood and furrowed his brow. It was not because of the insignificant experience. It was not even a guilt for cutting down a monster that was conceived by the witch¡¯s curse, a week-old creature. Damn this world. Ruon spat on the ground and turned around without hesitation. The forest was still dark. *** Fortunately, Philip didn¡¯t make any drastic choices like taking his own life while Ruon was away. He leaned against a straw mat, staring nkly at the sky. He slowly turned his head towards Ruon, who was walking towards him. ¡°Did you kill it?¡± He raised his voice again, showing some signs of sanity. Ruon nodded lightly and sat down across from Philip. Philip looked at the bloodstains on Ruon¡¯s body with a pale face and asked. ¡°Did I see it right?¡± Ruon hesitated for a moment and nodded again. The two men looked at each other¡¯s faces in silence. How much time had passed? Philip licked his trembling lips and tried to calm himself. ¡°That child¡­ it didn¡¯t want to be born like that.¡± He clutched his left chest, feeling his heart ache as he spoke. His eyes reddened. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe¡­ that child was never¡­ meant to be ours. Maybe if I hadn¡¯t been greedy¡­ it would havee¡­¡± His words were muffled by his cracked voice and sobbing, but Ruon heard them clearly. A precious bond. That¡¯s what Philip said. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ruon replied in a dull voice, looking at the man who had lost everything. A son? A daughter? The child they had waited for with happy anticipation was a twisted monster. And the wife who gave birth to the monster died in horrible agony. And it was all because of his greed. Ruon didn¡¯t know any magic words that could ease his despair and guilt. In fact, he didn¡¯t know if there were any. So he said what he could. ¡°I¡¯ll kill He for you.¡± Philip¡¯s eyes widened as he understood Ruon¡¯s calm words. ¡°What?¡± Ruon said. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to live with unnecessary vengeance.¡± Philip bit his lip with a frozen face and asked. ¡°Can I¡­ can I live?¡± Tears streamed down his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s your choice.¡± Ruon answered dryly and added. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to stay alive until you hear the news of He¡¯s death.¡± He finished his words and got up. He was about to walk away when he heard Philip¡¯s wet voice from behind. ¡°Can I ask your name?¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± With that short answer, he walked away towards his home. Kyle, who was outside peeing, saw Ruoning from afar and tilted his head. ¡°Where the hell did you go at this hour¡­ huh? Blood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing? What do you mean nothing? Was there a minion of the devil in this vige?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ruon snickered at Kyle¡¯s frustrated gesture of pounding his chest. ¡°I promised to kill a witch. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°A witch? You¡¯re going to kill Belducias and you¡¯re worried about a witch?¡± Ruon entered the house and said. ¡°She¡¯lle to me sooner orter.¡± *** Inside the sharp spire hidden in the swirling dark clouds, a woman sitting on a throne in the middle of a huge spell circle drawn with the corpses and blood of dozens of crows opened her eyes. ¡°Ugh-¡± She vomited blood as soon as she opened her eyes. Another woman who saw her was startled and said. ¡°He! What¡¯s wrong?¡± The woman, He, gasped for breath and looked at the floor covered with her blood. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The woman who approached He narrowed her eyes and asked. ¡°You were cut off before you could disconnect? Who was it? A pdin? A high priest? Which church did they belong to?¡± He red at her with a hawk-like eye and growled. ¡°Shut up. Nadia. You¡¯re annoying.¡± She tore off her blood-stained shirt and got up. She walked towards a table full of ominous objects. She found a sharp dagger thrown on it and cut her palm without hesitation. Then she shouted. ¡°Crystal ball!¡± Nadia handed her a crystal ball, and He dropped her blood on it. Surprisingly, the blood did not flow on the surface of the crystal ball, but seeped into it and spread like paint inside. Nadia looked at it and asked. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°I found the one who killed the mother ghoul in Grungrad.¡± ¡°What?¡± He saw someone¡¯s figure taking shape inside the crystal ball and smiled fiercely. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± Broad shoulders, sturdy build, thick face, and a sword at his waist and a bow on his back. Nadia stared at Ruon¡¯s figure, which was clearly revealed, and muttered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a pdin or a priest. Is he a mercenary?¡± He licked her palm with her red tongue and answered. ¡°Mediane¡­ the stupid bitch who can¡¯t even keep her husband¡­ I guess she hired him.¡± She looked at the crystal ball with greed in her ck eyes. ¡°I could tell the moment I was hit. The huge power boiling in his body¡­ that power would far exceed hundreds of mediocre sacrifices. Maybe even more.¡± Nadia asked. ¡°So what are you going to do? Are you going to kill him yourself?¡± He shook her head slowly. ¡°Not now. I still have a lot of things to do¡­ let¡¯s focus on the north for now. We can¡¯t let Belducias have all the fun.¡± The witch who served the ¡®Crouching Rotten One¡¯ sneered. Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Chapter 55 The middle-aged woman was sincere when she said she would treat the party well. She got up early, drew water from the well, boiled bathwater for the party, and prepared breakfast. She was busy moving around. Thanks to her, the party filled their hungry stomachs and washed their bodies clean. They started to get ready to leave with satisfaction. Ruon approached the woman who was tidying up and held out his hand. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The woman hastily put her palms together and stretched them out. ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes widened as a handful of silver coins poured onto her palm. Ruon said, ¡°You worked hard to prepare everything since morning. You must have had a restless night because of us.¡± As he left the woman with a nk expression behind, Kyle and Igor, who had finished their preparations, came to Ruon¡¯s side. Kyle, who had strapped a shield to his back, said, ¡°We can leave as soon as Strabo arrives.¡± As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and he will appear. They saw Strabo walking towards them with a bridle in his hand and horses behind him. ¡°I guess I came just in time. Let¡¯s go!¡± The party moved their feet towards the dwarf who was waving his hand yfully. Behind them, they heard the couple¡¯s voices. ¡°Please take care.¡± ¡°May the gods you believe in protect you¡­¡± Strabo approached Ruon, who was waving his hand without looking back, and made a mischievous face. ¡°You had a st yesterday, huh?¡± He whispered, covering his mouth with his hand. ¡°I heard everything. You were so annoyed when you were called out in the middle of the night.¡± Ruon frowned as he saw Nightmare in the direction Strabo was pointing. The ck horse flinched and pretended to be innocent. ¡°How did you end up with that cursed beast¡­¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Ruon cut off Strabo¡¯s words with a short answer and climbed onto Nightmare¡¯s back. He roughly ruffled the mane of the ck horse, who was flinching as if expecting a p on the head, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As he moved forward on the galloping horse, Ruon turned his head at a strange presence. A man was leaning his hand on the wall, staring at them intently. It was Philip. -Thank you. Ruon nodded lightly as he read the man¡¯s dry lips. The wind had swept away the dark clouds that had upied the night sky the day before. The clear sky was quietly watching the party leave. The journey went smoothly. As the monotonous days of leaving at dawn and resting at dusk piled up, there were no threats to the party. ¡°It was uneventful today.¡± Kyle, who was rotating a stick with cheese and jerky on it over the campfire, said. Strabo stuck out his tongue. ¡°Kyle, uneventful means boring.¡± The dwarf grumbled at his voice. Igor, who had just finished his prayer, sighed and said, ¡°Why is it boring when there are no incidents or idents? It¡¯s peaceful.¡± Strabo scratched his bushy beard and muttered, ¡°¡­People will gossip about our achievements and bards will sing songs about them, but the process is too dull.¡± Kyle handed the roasted skewer to Ruon and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. Anyone who sees you would think you¡¯ve already chopped off Belducius¡¯ head. Right?¡± He added with a thoughtful expression. ¡°By the way, who were the adventurers who killed the Archdemons? Do you know anyone?¡± As soon as his words ended, Strabo¡¯s eyes sparkled and he said, ¡°Wungrim, the warrior of the ancient furnace, and hisrades defeated Ferazie, who was polluting the mines and gathering an evil army. Have you never heard of the song of the unbreakable steel? It¡¯s a song that honors their achievements. It makes your chest swell with pride just by listening to it. Since we¡¯re talking about it¡­¡± He immediately started humming a tune. Kyle looked at the dwarf with a nk stare. ¡°That¡¯s too far-fetched. It¡¯s the achievements of people from a hundred years ago.¡± Ruon, who was nibbling on the skewer, suddenly blurted out a question. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the church directly deal with the Archdemons?¡± Igor, who realized the question was directed at him, opened his eyes wide. ¡°To answer that question, I have to tell you first what kind of beings the Archdemons are.¡± His soft voice made Strabo stop his song. ¡°¡­The Archdemons were not always called by that pronoun. They had different lifespans, but they were once humans, elves, and dwarves. Of course, they could have been monsters, too.¡± Really? Ruon put down the skewer he was eating. He was intrigued by Igor¡¯s story, since he had thought that demons were a single race. The story continued. ¡°The only thing they have inmon is that they are beings who have seeded in gazing into the abyss.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤The abyss? What is that?¡± Igor shook his head at Strabo¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I just read what was recorded in the scriptures of Tiv. But it must not be a symbolic meaning. Otherwise, there would be no way to exin the origin of the evil beings that have appeared endlessly throughout history.¡± He gulped down the water from the canteen, as if his throat was burning, and looked at Ruon. ¡°You asked me why the church doesn¡¯t move directly, right? I can¡¯t figure out their intention exactly, but I think that killing the archdemon is not a fundamental solution. The result is not directly linked to peace,pared to the sacrifice required to defeat the archdemon.¡± It¡¯s not worth it, he meant. Ruon nodded his head and recalled the names of the gods he knew. Tiv of mercy, Ganax of courage, Altwin of wisdom¡­ There were many churches that worshiped the famous gods, but none of them took the lead in hunting the archdemon. Of course, if something unpleasant happened in the ce where they had influence, they would promptly send pdins and priests to solve the problem, but that was it. In other words, they would punish those who crossed the line, but they wouldn¡¯t bother to pull out the root of evil. It¡¯s not easy to pull it out, and even if they do, it¡¯s like a weed that grows back¡­ Ruon squinted his eyes as he vaguely realized why the grand church maintained a lukewarm attitude. He couldn¡¯t tell if they were protecting themselves, or preparing for something. Then Kyle opened his mouth. He looked cautious, as if he was wondering if he could bring up such a topic. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then the church is too¡­um, I mean¡­¡± Igor cut him off with a faint smile. ¡°They don¡¯t look very altruistic, do they?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­yeah, kind of.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed as a priest.¡± Kyle scratched his head awkwardly at the bitter answer. It was Strabo who broke the silence that settled for a moment. ¡°Igor, you¡¯re trying to kill Belducius, aren¡¯t you? What do you have to be ashamed of?¡± Igor blinked his eyes at the rxed face of the dwarf who was snorting his nose, and then chuckled. ¡°Is that so? If I kill Belducius, I can confidently demand a seat from the church, right?¡± ¡°Of course! That¡¯s why you should propose to hunt down all the archdemons!¡± Kyle frowned at Strabo¡¯s reckless words. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What have you been listening to?¡± ¡°Why? No? The churches that worship such great gods are backing off for some reason, so we need someone who can turn things around. Someone like Igor who acts directly. That¡¯s the true romance!¡± Ruon smiled involuntarily at the dwarf¡¯s simple logic that everything ended with romance. He said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that after we kill Belducius. Whether it¡¯s the reform of the church, or the romance you¡¯re obsessed with. Before we kill him, they¡¯re all futile things.¡± As if agreeing with him, Ruin began to tremble. The next day, the party cleaned up the campsite and followed the faint energy that Ruin sensed. They arrived at a huge ruin around the time the sun was in the middle of the sky. In the barren field, there were stone houses arranged at regr intervals, as if to tell that this ce was once a vige. Beyond the pile of stones, there was an old and huge building with traces of time, and it looked like a temple, with vertical stripes carved on the pirs that supported the roof. Ruon, who was holding the handle of Ruin, who was trembling, opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± At his words, the party got off their horses without hesitation. Strabo, who seemed to have developed some resistance to motion sickness, pointed his thick finger at the temple. ¡°There are a lot of people there?¡± As he said, there were quite a few people moving busily inside the temple. ¡°Are they also following the trail of Belducius?¡± At Igor¡¯s question, Kyle dusted off the pale dust and answered. ¡°Who would be stupid enough to face the archdemon with a pickaxe and a shovel?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Right. Then, are they tomb raiders?¡± Ruon, who had been listening to their conversation, said. ¡°Let¡¯s go and ask them.¡± With that, he took the lead and approached the temple. The first to notice the party approaching the temple was aborer who was checking the rope of the winch. He made a sound of surprise and tilted his head, and the soldiers leaning on the pirs pushed their bays. One of them shouted. ¡°Stop.¡± Ruon, who had no intention of causing trouble, casually raised his palm, and the soldier coughed and added. ¡°Um, what¡¯s your business? Oh, no, what¡¯s your identity?¡± Igor stepped forward to the soldier¡¯s clumsy interrogation. At times like this, there was no one more suitable than him, who had a verified identity as a ¡®priest of Tive¡¯. ¡°Our party is serving Tive. We are traveling to practice her mercy in person. We just happened to find the temple, and we have no ill will, so you don¡¯t have to be so wary. He finished his graceful exnation (mixed with some lies), and one of the soldiers who saw a faint glow rising from his hand hurriedly ran somewhere. Another soldier asked. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re a pdin and a priest?¡± Strabo, who noticed the suspicious gaze directed at him, pounded his chest and said. ¡°Why? Do I have to serve Duermer just because I¡¯m a dwarf? Long live the goddess of mercy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then, the soldier who had run away came back and said to the party. ¡°Please follow me.¡± It was obvious that he meant to take them to the person in charge, and Ruon nodded to the party. ¡°Let¡¯s go for now.¡± As they followed the soldier through the long corridor, Ruon took in the sight of the workers who were busy inside the temple. They seemed to be at least dozens of them, and they were moving in an orderly manner, but they didn¡¯t look like grave robbers who were sweating. ¡°Here we are.¡± The soldier pointed to a direction where a makeshift tent was visible. Ruon, who felt no need to ask for permission, walked into the tent without hesitation. There, a middle-aged man with a scruffy face, sitting on a rocking chair and stroking a cat, greeted him. ¡°Wee.¡± The man added. ¡°My name is Gn. I¡¯m the owner of a not-so-small shop. I hear you¡¯re the ones who serve Tive?¡± Ruon did not answer Gn¡¯s question, but rather asked back. ¡°This temple, is it your property? Your men seem to be rummaging around like crazy.¡± Gn started tough out loud at the question that came back to him. ¡°Ha ha, why? Did we look like grave robbers who upied the temple without permission? Unfortunately, this is my property. I bought it with a lot of money. If you don¡¯t believe me, do you want me to show you the certificate?¡± Kyle tilted his head and muttered. ¡°¡­Bought it? From whom?¡± It was a very small murmur, but Gn, who somehow heard it, answered. ¡°Who else, of course, His Majesty the King. All the buildings that have lost their owners in the territory of Aniara belong to him. This abandoned temple is no exception.¡± Then he added something he didn¡¯t ask. ¡°Usually, these kinds of ruins are ces where you can¡¯t buy them even if you pay money¡­ But this time, when the war broke out and the military funds ran out, the kingdom started to dispose of them! I was lucky enough to win the bid.¡± Gn, who clenched his fist, looked at Ruon, who asked. ¡°So why did you call us?¡± Ah, he said, and looked at the faces of the party. ¡°I thought you might be helpful if you were the ones who serve the goddess of mercy.¡± He continued to stroke the cat, which was crying softly. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in these ruins. There are a lot of stupid people who try to scratch my nerves by saying I waste money¡­ But that¡¯s nonsense. There¡¯s nothing more thrilling than discovering the legacy of the forgotten past. And you never know, right? Maybe I¡¯ll be lucky enough to find some relics stored underground?¡± He was quite ambitious. Ruon snorted inwardly. That was hardly different from saying he would pick up a gem that was identally thrown away in a pile of garbage. He asked. ¡°So did you find any great relics?¡± Hearing that, Gn erased the smile that had been on his face and answered. ¡°No, instead¡­ I found a suspicious entrance that leads underground.¡± His eyes sank deep. ¡°Immediately, a selection team made up of the best of my men entered. And now¡­ Only one of them came back alive. And he¡¯s gone crazy and spouting nonsense.¡± Nonsense? Ruon hardened his expression at the meaningful words. Gn didn¡¯t know, but the party knew that this ce had traces of Belducius. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Ruon asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were a merchant? Why are you telling us this information without anypensation?¡± Gn took a sip of the tea in his teacup and smiled again. ¡°It¡¯s a merchant¡¯s intuition. I have a feeling that the party that ims to serve Tive didn¡¯t just happen to visit the temple.¡± He added. ¡°What do you think I was thinking while waiting for my men who never came back? I was certain that there was something beyond the entrance I had found. And then you showed up here. I guess you knew there was something in this temple, didn¡¯t you?¡± The silence was brief, but Gulran nodded his head as if it was enough of an answer. ¡°I thought so.¡± Ruon chuckled and said. ¡°So, now you want to hire us? You want us to investigate what¡¯s underground?¡± Gulran nodded again. ¡°That¡¯s right. All I have left are someborers and a few half-baked swordsmen. No one dares to go down to the underground that swallowed my men. But if you are warriors who serve Tive, I can trust you. Aren¡¯t you the ones who wield the power of the goddess?¡± He folded his fingers except for the index and the middle one and continued. ¡°Twenty percent. That¡¯s the share you¡¯ll get if you find something inside. Of course, I¡¯ll pay you separately for your service. How about it?¡± Ruon looked at the merchant¡¯s face, full of curiosity, without a word. Could he still smile like that if he knew there was a great demon beyond? The underground of the temple, Gulran¡¯s missing men, the crazed survivor. Ruon was sure that there was something lurking inside this deste temple. The curious merchant might think this was just a game. Well, as long as their interests aligned, that was fine. He smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°Deal. But I need some advance payment.¡± Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Gn nodded without hesitation at Ruon¡¯s request for an advance payment. ¡°It¡¯s a risky business, so I guess you¡¯d feel morefortable with a thick wallet. I¡¯ll get it ready right away.¡± Then Igor spoke. ¡°Can I see the person who came out of the underground? I have something to check.¡± Gn cocked his head at the question. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but like I said, he¡¯s out of his mind, so there¡¯s nothing to talk to him about.¡± Gn shrugged his shoulders at Igor¡¯s face, which smiled faintly as if he was okay. ¡°He won¡¯t listen to you anyway¡­ Well, I won¡¯t stop you. Hey! Is there anyone outside?¡± As he shouted, the tent opened and the soldier who had guided the party stuck his face in. ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°Take them to Glick.¡± The soldier¡¯s face darkened in an instant and he stammered. ¡°Glick, you mean?¡± ¡°Did you hear me or not?¡± The soldier quickly bowed his head. ¡°¡­Yes, sir. Please follow me.¡± As the party left the tent one by one, Gn¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°It¡¯ll ruin your appetite.¡± The soldier who took charge of the party¡¯s guide again muttered without looking back. ¡°What a mess¡­ You¡¯re stirring up trouble and ruining the mood¡­¡± It was a near-mutter, but everyone in the party could hear him. Ruon, who was right behind him, asked. ¡°Is the mood really bad?¡± The soldier, who scratched the back of his head nervously, sighed and answered. ¡°You may not have heard, but nine of our colleagues who went on an investigation went missing. The one who came back alive was foaming at the mouth and swinging his sword, injuring two innocent workers. Everyone¡¯s just keeping quiet¡­¡± He finished his sentence with a bitter tone, saying that the mood couldn¡¯t be good. He stopped in front of a small tent. Another soldier who was standing in front of the tent with his arms crossed tilted his head. ¡°Henry? What are you doing here?¡± Henry, who was called by his name, pointed to the party behind him with his thumb and replied. ¡°These people came to see Glick. It¡¯s Gn¡¯s order.¡± At his words, the soldier stepped aside reluctantly. He turned his head and pretended to be indifferent, as if he didn¡¯t want to go in. The party entered the tent without hesitation and frowned at the sight that unfolded before them. Kyle muttered. ¡°¡­What a mess.¡± A man whose arms and legs were tied with thick ropes was writhing around. The man¡¯s mouth was gagged, and his bloodshot eyes were rolling around. He had been so fierce that blood was oozing from the cloth that was stuffed in his mouth. Henry, who came inte, said. ¡°It was an inevitable choice. He was spouting nonsense, let alone attacking people. There was no other way.¡± Then Igor silently approached the fallen man. He sped his hands and prayed to the goddess, and a faint glow began to rise. The man¡¯s body, wrapped in a gentle light, gradually stopped shaking. Soon, he closed his eyes and breathed evenly, falling asleep. Henry¡¯s eyes widened as he confirmed his colleague. ¡°Oh, my God. Did you heal him?¡± Igor shook his head. ¡°I only drove away the madness that was eating away at his body. It will take a long time to recover his broken mind. He may nevere back.¡± He said that and nodded briefly at the party. They all understood the meaning behind it. Velducias. As doubt turned to certainty, Kyle snorted softly. He said. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to tell that merchant? This is not the time to be excited about the ruins.¡± Strabo nodded in agreement. ¡°Exploring the past is a romantic hobby, but it¡¯s a different story when innocent people¡¯s lives are at stake.¡± Henry, who had been listening to their conversation quietly, interjected. ¡°Hey, is there something in the underground? No, shit¡­ It doesn¡¯t make sense that there¡¯s nothing when people are in this state. If it¡¯s something rted to the pdin and the priest, could it be¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t spit out the rest of his words and swallowed his dry saliva. Ruon said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± The party left the tent and was greeted by a merchant with a grumpy face and a smiling face. It was Gn. He handed a leather pouch to Ruon, as if he had been waiting. ¡°I packed it tightly. I was worried that you might change your mind after seeing the plight of my men.¡± As he said with a heartyugh, the pouch was glittering with gold. He¡¯s got a fiery temper. Ruon, who took the pouch, looked at Gn with eyes full of anticipation and said. ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that there¡¯s nothing of value in the underground that you want. You know that, right?¡± Gn replied with a rxed smile. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing worthwhile, I don¡¯t mind taking the devil¡¯s corpse. There are more nobles than you think who collect parts of the stuffed devil¡¯s body. Some of them even write novels as if they killed it themselves¡­ Ah, but maybe this is not something to say in front of those who serve the goddess?¡± Igor frowned at the merchant who casually mentioned the devil. ¡°Did you know?¡± ¡°Ha ha, you didn¡¯t bother to ask, so don¡¯t you think you¡¯re ignoring me too much? Anyone can tell by the circumstances that there¡¯s something sinister down there. Of course, before you came, I only had monsters or curses in mind¡­ But since you¡¯re here, there¡¯s no need to say anything else. It must be the devil.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem that you can think so simply. This is Beldu¡­¡± Lion cut off Igor¡¯s words and stared at Gn¡¯s eyes without saying anything. There was no pretense in his flickering eyes. There was only something that writhed with curiosity and greed. A warning was meaningless to someone with those eyes, so Lion spoke in a dry tone. ¡°So where¡¯s the entrance?¡± *** ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we have had a hard time if we came here by ourselves? Who would have expected that there would be stairs in a ce like this? It¡¯s amazing that you found this¡­¡± Theborer who was leading the way down the stairs took Strabo¡¯s words. ¡°It was purely by chance. There was an ident where the marble I was carrying fell off because the pulley rope suddenly broke. Thanks to that, I was able to find out that the floor beyond the crack was empty.¡± Theborers who were working hard at Gn¡¯s curiousmand hammered the floor diligently, and soon they discovered the stairs leading to the underground. It was not a special story. As the group descended towards the underground, Ruon muttered to himself about the dull oue of the event. The dampness and darkness grew thicker as they followed the spiral staircase that curled like a snake¡¯s tail. As soon as they reached the floor, theborer shoved the torch he was holding into Ruon¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Can we go back now? My heart is pounding like crazy¡­¡± Ruon nodded, seeing his pale and sickly face. Theborer wasted no time and ran up the stairs, disappearing from sight. Kyle murmured softly. ¡°He must have been really scared.¡± The group paused in front of a huge iron gate that was half-open and looked at each other¡¯s faces. ¡°Atst, our journey¡­¡± Strabo, who suddenly had a moved expression on his face, was about to say something when Ruon raised his palm. ¡°Keep those usible words in your head. The moment you say them out loud, they be clich¨¦s.¡± At his words, the others started to chime in. ¡°Cli¡­what? Come on, you sometimes say things I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Why did you cut me off!¡± ¡°Strabo, Ruon has a reason for telling us not to do something.¡± Ruon smiled faintly, seeing the three people¡¯s different reactions. He handed the torch to Igor and walked towards the iron gate. Creak- The rusty hinges screamed as the heavy iron gate opened, revealing a wide and dark corridor. Without hesitation, Ruon stepped into it, followed closely by the others. The torches that burned his body brightened the surroundings and illuminated the carved mural on the wall of the corridor. Igor¡¯s face twisted as he scanned it with his eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Crazy.¡± He rarely swore, so even Leon stopped walking and turned his head. The murals that stretched along the corridor seemed to be arranged in chronological order, but their content was outrageous. Naked humans, elves, and dwarves, with mad expressions on their faces, stabbed each other¡¯s bodies with knives, and when there was nothing left to harm, they killed themselves. The process was vividly depicted in the murals. Kyle muttered as he looked at them. ¡°Damn, this is too much.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Grrr- A creepy sound like thick phlegm boiling came from the darkness. Leon narrowed his eyes and watched the pervasive darkness. He drew his sword from his waist and groaned as he saw the men approaching. As he revealed his sword with a swish, red runes rose from the de, and the darkness retreated, securing a few steps of visibility. At that moment, the former vanguard, Gn¡¯s subordinates, started to rush in like crazy. Kee-ee-ek! Leon shed the body of the opponent who swung his sword with his eyes of blood, and cut him in half with his sword. He kicked the nted upper body of the guy. The upper body that flew away, scattering the intestines, collided with another man who ran from behind, creating a disgusting scene. Leon¡¯s body moved explosively. He showed his strength by bouncing off the axe that flew horizontally with his pommel, and dug into the opponent. As he lifted his arm up, the guy who was split vertically fell apart on both sides with hisst breath. In the meantime, Leon avoided the spear tip that pierced his side without even looking. He grabbed the spear shaft and pulled it. As he pulled the spear and the man¡¯s face with it, he hit him with his elbow. The man flew away with a burst of sound. Ruon kicked the spear that was falling to the ground with his foot and grabbed it in his hand. Without hesitation, he swung his arm and threw the spear. It flew like a ray of light and pierced through the heads of two men who were approaching him, then stuck to the wall. ¡°Really, you¡¯re insane.¡± Kyle muttered softly as he lifted his shield to block the sword that wasing at him. Then he stabbed his arming sword into the gap between the ribs of his opponent with his other hand. The sword that Garan had given him easily pierced through the leather and muscle, and sliced through the soft organs. Then he pulled it out and turned his back. Kee-hee-hek! He mmed his shield mercilessly into the face of his opponent who was making a wheezing sound. As he turned his head, he saw Strabo, who had transformed one of his arms into a beast, jumping up and smashing the face of another enemy with a hammer. The dwarf spat at the guy who fell backwards with his facial bones caved in and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We can¡¯t let up now, can we?¡± Then, a foul smell began to sting their noses from the bodies that had fallen to the floor. At that moment, Igor, who had been guarding the rear, threw his torch to the ground and sped his hands together. ¡°Merciful Mother!¡± A light burst out of his body and created a shield that was the same size as the passage. ¡°Everyone, to my side!¡± As the three of them stepped back into the light shield at Igor¡¯s shout, the bodies began to explode one by one. Kwang-! The passage was shaken by the chain of explosions and made a rumbling sound. Ruon dusted off the dirt that had fallen from the ceiling and looked ahead. He saw the shield that was still holding its ce, though it was stained with blood and flesh. ¡°What a rough wee.¡± He murmured as he looked at the scene beyond the shield. ¡°I hope this ce doesn¡¯t copse.¡± Kyle looked at the ceiling nervously as the pieces of rock fell down and Strabo chuckled. ¡°Kyle, you¡¯re not thinking of running away now, are you? With a great feat that history will remember right in front of you?¡± ¡°Running away? What are you talking about? Let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡± As he watched the two of them bicker and move forward, Ruon followed them at a leisurely pace. His intuition told him. It was going to be a long day. Like never before. Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Even after moving nonstop for a long time, the passage engulfed by darkness showed no sign of ending. To make matters worse, the torch that had burned up all the pine resin was fading away. Kyle sighed. Damn it. Igor offered to use his divine power to create a light source, but the party dissuaded him. It was not a good choice for him, a priest, to recklessly expend his power in a situation where they didn¡¯t know what kind of fight awaited them. Fortunately, the party had Ego Sword, who had the ability to make his body glow brightly, and thanks to him, they had no big problem moving forward. Ruin, who was treated like a torch by Zolji, grumbled discontentedly. Something¡¯s weird. The first one to feel a sense of incongruity in the ongoing march was Ruon. He didn¡¯t know what the structure of the underground was, but considering the size of the temple that was exposed on the surface, the endless passage was too long. He quickly came up with a few assumptions as questions tickled his mind. First, the ce he thought was simply the temple¡¯s underground was actually asrge as the entire area. Second, this was a damn magic. For example, a kind of magic that makes you lose your sense of direction or makes you circle around the same ce. Third, both. He didn¡¯t know if the second assumption was valid considering Kyle¡¯s shield that followed him, but Ruon didn¡¯t think so. Paradox Shield, Spell Breaker¡­ The shield that had such usible names had amazing abilities, but it wouldn¡¯t be able to block all magic. If it was such a level of item, the master of the tower who recognized the power of the shield or Garan wouldn¡¯t have been so rxed. Therefore, Ruon stopped his brisk steps abruptly. Kyle, who bumped his face into his broad back, pinched his nose and muttered. ¡°Ouch! What, what is it?¡± Ruon raised his arm to show the back of his hand, signaling him to be quiet. He closed his eyes. Soon, he raised his concentration, and his senses, which sprang up from within him, began to tear through the formless darkness. The scent, movement, sound, and appearance of the darkness. Ruon, who schematized sentences that were nothing but metaphors and could not be established, felt a slight distortion in them. A sinister gaze that hid in the dark and gripped this space. Ruon opened his eyes and stabbed his sword into the ground, grabbing the bow from his back. He pushed his divine power into his fingertips, and at the same time, he pulled his arm back and finished loading in an instant. He muttered as he aimed at the darkness that looked like a bottomless pit. ¡°I found you.¡± The moment his fingers holding the transparent bowstring opened, a sh of light shed, and the arrow of light flew across the darkness and hit the wall. ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± Strabo stretched out his arm toward the direction where the arrow flew, his eyes wide open. He was not surprised by Ruon¡¯s sudden action. ¡°It swallowed the arrow, didn¡¯t it?¡± A ripple spread beyond the faint afterimage of the light. The space that was unnaturally rippling seemed to be screaming. Igor frowned. ¡°This ce was not normal¡­¡± He swallowed his words and put on his gloves and recited a prayer. ¡°Merciful Mother! Grant your power to your weakmb.¡± Boom- The bunch of light that sprang from Igor¡¯s body plunged into the ripple that was shaking uneasily. Soon, the grains of light that spread like paint began to blink white and explode, and a crack appeared between the ripples with a ck. Then, the darkness began to be sucked into the crack. The crack widened as it swallowed the darkness, and at some point, it crossed the threshold and copsed with a loud noise. Beyond the scenery that shattered like ss and crumbled like sand, a gloomy voice was heard. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you found the core of the barrier¡­ There was no mage among you, I knew that. You have an iprehensible ability.¡± The party, who was adapting to the situation where the surroundings that they thought were passages turned into a vast open space in an instant, turned their heads toward the direction where the sound came from. Someone was standing in the center of the open space. Kyle shouted at the being who gave off a strange feeling even without any movement. ¡°Are you Belducius? You¡¯re smaller than I thought.¡± At his words, a snickeringughter came from inside the hood that covered his face. He thought he was ignoring him, and Kyle red up and drew his Arming Sword. ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re a nasty bastard.¡± Did his curse work? Theughter gradually subsided. Soon, the opponent regained his gloomy voice and answered slowly. ¡°Kyle, the woodcutter with a shield full of anger. I salute your rudeness and ignorance.¡± ¡°¡­You know me?¡± Kyle flinched at the word woodcutter. The guy who seemed to find his reaction amusing continued his words. ¡°I know. Not just you.¡± The sinister finger that came out of the ck hood pointed at the party one by one. ¡°The ve of the goddess, the half-baked druid, and¡­¡± The finger stopped abruptly. He couldn¡¯t see the giant who should have been thest. He sensed something was wrong and tried to back away, but at that moment, a red sword flew in from outside his sight. The severed head rolled on the ground, leaving no time for anyone to react. The headless body iled its arms towards the empty space where its face used to be, then copsed with a thud. Ruon stepped lightly on the back of the corpse and asked coldly. ¡°And then what?¡± Surprisingly, he got an answer. ¡°Having experienced it myself, it was truly a matter of seconds. It was terrifying¡­¡± The head that was licking its lips was engulfed by darkness. After that, the darkness lifted and the same figure stood tall in its ce, as if it had gone back to the moment before its neck was cut. Ruon, who was still looking down at the body under his feet, tilted his head. He said. ¡°You were clearly dead, weren¡¯t you?¡± The moment the other¡¯s neck fell, something surged inside him. It was undoubtedly experience points, albeit very little. ¡°Yes, I died. One of many lives.¡± The one who uttered those ominous words slowly raised his arm. Then, the ground of the empty lot began to tremble as if there was an earthquake. Was it a wide-area magic? Ruon straightened his sword and quickly adjusted his posture. But contrary to his expectation, the reason for the shaking ground was not magic. A rotten arm pierced through the hard ground. The blue glow of the monster¡¯s eyes that lifted its buried body shone menacingly. Kee-eh-eh-eh! ¡°Shit! How many of these things are there?¡± ¡°Ruon! Are you there? Damn it!¡± ¡°Both of you, don¡¯t stray away from me.¡± As if echoing the noisy voices of hispanions, countless corpses sprang up from the wide ground. Ruon¡¯s brow furrowed as he and hispanions were naturally separated by the sudden appearance of hundreds of undead. This is bullshit. Then, a gloomy voice came from beyond the wriggling corpses. ¡°In the long history, this ce was a great altar where the royal sacrifice was performed. ¡®We¡¯, who shed our mortal shells and were buried in the cold ground, were reborn as one self in the grace of the king over a long time¡­¡± At that moment, hundreds of corpses moved their mouths at once. ¡°We are his army.¡± Kra-ah-ah-ah! With a horrible scream, they rushed in like a wave. Ruon did not run away. He had nowhere to run, but even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t. Why would he, when he had all the experience points gathered in one ce? He faced the living corpses that surrounded him from all sides and swung his sword without hesitation. A red afterimage was engraved in the air along its trajectory, like a scar. Ruon, who severed three heads from their bodies at once, did not stop and twisted his waist with his right foot as the axis. The sword that shed diagonally swept the ground with a tremendous force and sprang up again. Kra-ek! The huge movement that was forcibly connected by his overwhelming physical ability drew a huge arc and cut the body of the undead that approached him in half. The ckened innards that had lost their function long ago scattered in the air. Before they fell to the ground, a red light shot out from the front. At the same time, the corpses whose heads were pierced let out an iprehensible scream. Against the unpleasant scream, Ruon roared loudly and swung his handle with both hands. The de that came out of the head split the chest of therge corpse that was raising its arm next to him. That was just the beginning. Every time Ruon swung his sword without mercy, at least two or more than seven corpses were torn apart. The artificial gap created by his explosive momentum was filled with corpses that crawled in without getting tired, but that was all. None of them could deliver a proper hit to Ruon, and they were literally ripped apart in an instant. Kyle, who was watching the unbelievable scene from afar, frowned. He swung his Avan Sword with his right hand and cut off the arm of the undead that grabbed his ankle. He stomped on the forehead of the suffering corpse and burst it. Then, Igor¡¯s voice came. ¡°Kyle! Strabo! When all eyes are on Ruon, we have to take down the undead¡¯s main body!¡± As he said, more than 80% of the undead in the lot were rushing towards Ruon. As if they would be in big trouble if they couldn¡¯t catch him. Of course, considering Ruon¡¯s amazing strength, it seemed no problem to sweep them all away, but there was another problem. In the meantime, new undead were crawling out of the ground. Igor shouted again. ¡°They are the corpses that were sacrificed! We don¡¯t know how many more will pop up.¡± Strabo, who had turned his hand into a bear¡¯s paw and smashed the corpse¡¯s leg, retorted. ¡°That main body, you mean the one who got his neck cut by Ruon?¡± Igor nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s the most reasonable thing to do, given the circumstances!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that kide back to life earlier?¡± ¡°That was because of the divine power¡­¡± Igor stopped in mid-sentence and mped his mouth shut. Then he shouted. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to exin everything!¡± As he said that, Kyle came close to his side. He spoke in a calm voice. ¡°That kid is hiding over there.¡± In the direction that the Arming Sword pointed, there was a figure hiding among a horde of about thirty undead. It was the same one who had greeted them at the empty lot. Kyle, who had stabbed his sword into the body of a charging corpse, quickly added. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. Even if it¡¯s Leon, he can¡¯t fight forever.¡± They had no more time to spare for conversation, so the three of them mmed the ground at the same time. Strabo, who was leading the way, took out a few branches from his bosom and threw them forward. At the same time, green veins popped out on his face, and the flying branches swelled up and smashed and entangled the bodies of the undead blocking the way. The one who was hiding inside the corpses felt the ominous momentum and stretched out his twisted arm toward the approaching party. Kyle, who had passed by the dwarf who was bleeding from his nose and falling back, stepped forward with his shield tightly drawn to his body. Kwang-! He staggered from the recoil of being hit by an invisible spell, but he did not fall down. He quickly regained his bnce and mmed the ground again. It was the moment when his hard work of falling down thousands of times in the duel with Leon paid off. He swung his Arming Sword roughly and cut off the neck of the corpse blocking the way. He shouted. ¡°Igor!¡± As if responding to his cry, a light burst out from behind and swept the front without mercy. ¡°Kyaak!¡± The one who was hit by the light that rushed in like a raging fire writhed as if he had been struck by lightning. As he was still trying to do something, Igor walked up to him with a dry voice. ¡°There is no prayer for you. You are a demon.¡± At the same time, the light exploded. Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Ruon shook off the corpses that clung to him stubbornly with his waist strength and punched the jaw of the corpse that had approached close enough to hear his breathing. He pushed away the one whose jaw was torn off with his shoulder and secured some space. Then he gripped Ruin with both hands and swung it hard. Wham- The red rune letters that bloomed like mes over the de showed his hostility towards the evil beings without holding back. The fan-shaped area under Ruon¡¯s feet, which was facing the wave of living corpses, gradually darkened with blood, flesh, and bones. Ruon, who was the tip of the fan, cut down the rushing dead without hesitation as he had always done. It was his first time facing enemies that were so numerous and showed no signs of diminishing, but his heart did not waver. Rather, his boiling fighting spirit gave him a strange heat. Ruon willingly entrusted his body to that heat and moved in a trance. He swung his sword, punched, and elbowed the lifeless ones and smashed them. He turned his head to the dazzling beam of light that burst out from the edge of his sight. At the same time, a horrible scream was heard. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± At that moment, the corpses that had narrowed the distance to a stone¡¯s throw away began to copse like marites with severed strings. Was it Igor? He saw the figures of hispanions beyond the corpses that fell like dominoes. Ruon wiped the blood droplets that ran down his chin with the back of his hand and walked slowly. Kyle, who confirmed himing with a pile of corpses behind his back, gave a sarcasticugh and said. ¡°Is there any of your own blood on your body?¡± ¡°I might find some if I look hard enough.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re not hurt¡­¡± Ruon, who shrugged his shoulders lightly, brushed up his hair that covered his forehead and approached Igor. The priest, who felt his presence, turned his head with a faint smile. He said. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± ¡°Did you do something?¡± Igor nodded. ¡°Thanks to you, Ruon, who held back¡­ no, killed most of the undead, we were able to sneak into the loose gap.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± After a brief reply, Ruon tilted his head at the being thaty under Igor¡¯s feet. He was the one who greeted them when they entered the cave. ¡°He came back to life even when his head was cut off.¡± ¡°He was a being that consumed corpses to replenish his life. This time, I burned his inside with holy power before he did that, so I don¡¯t think we have to worry about himing back to life.¡± Strabo, who spat out blood-stained saliva on the floor, said. ¡°So these corpses are all victims of human sacrifice? What was that about an army from their own mouths?¡± Igor answered to the dwarf who was poking the corpse¡¯s torso with his toe. ¡°ording to his words, the corpses that were sacrificed became a being that shared one ego after being exposed to Belducius¡¯s power for a long time. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good analogy, but like an ego sword¡­¡± As soon as his words ended, Ruin trembled and the red light on the de flickered on and off. As if he was in a bad mood. Ruon, who was out of his mind, clenched the handle of the sword and muttered inwardly. Stay still. Meanwhile, Kyle tilted his head at Igor, who was quietly kneeling and putting on gloves. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had no prayer earlier?¡± ¡°This is a prayer for the poor souls who were tormented by the will of the great demon even after death.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± It was hard to find any sense of duty or blind faith in the goddess in the priest¡¯s voice, who was mourning the dead. He only felt a warm sincerity. Kyle, who was watching him with curiosity, muttered. ¡°Should we stop by the cathedral when this is over?¡± As soon as he said that, he made a surprised expression and started to p his lips with his palm. Then he turned his head to Ruon. ¡°I told you not to say things like that¡­ What if something happens because of this?¡± Ruon, who smiled at Kyle¡¯s wide-eyed look, answered. ¡°Usually, they die.¡± ¡°Shit, shit. Can¡¯t you pick it up?¡± Strabo, who was sniffling his nose, joined in with a chuckle. ¡°Ruon, that¡¯s the tradition of where you lived, right? If you don¡¯t want to die, don¡¯t run your mouth¡­ What, something like that?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Where the hell is that?¡± Kyle, who was scratching his head with a disgusted expression, muttered. ¡°I think I heard it once when I was with Ame¡­ Da, da¡­ What was it?¡± It felt like the conversation was going off track, but there was no reason to force the atmosphere to be tense, so Ruon opened his mouth slowly. ¡°South Korea.¡± ¡°Ah! Right. That was the name.¡± Kyle, who pped his hands as his question was solved, muttered with interest. ¡°It¡¯s the birthce of the Warrior of the Furnace¡­ It looks like a ce full of romance, don¡¯t you think? Am I right?¡± Romance? Well. After a brief pause, Ruon spoke. ¡°It may not be the kind of ce that matches your idea of romance, but it¡¯s still a ce where people live.¡± Strabo chuckled at his words and replied. ¡°Then let¡¯s all go there together next time! You¡¯re not like me, who was chased out by my father, are you?¡± Ruon didn¡¯t tell the innocent-looking dwarf that such a thing was impossible, nor did he make a promise he couldn¡¯t keep. He just smiled faintly. He said. ¡°It looks like the prayer is over.¡± ¡°No, the answer is¡­¡± Just then, Igor, who had shaken off his seat and stood up, approached the group. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Strabo closed his mouth as if he thought it was no longer a situation to chat. Kyle, who had been scanning the wide cavern, pointed somewhere. ¡°There, that. It looks like a path.¡± As they followed his finger, they saw arge entrance that was not very neat. Now that there was nothing else to measure, Ruon nodded and answered. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** Unlike the passage that showed the artificial touch through the carved murals and the bs on the floor, the path that followed now had a raw feeling. The ceiling and floor that rose sharply with stctites and stgmites reminded them of the mouth of a giant monster, and the damp air that lingered in the air felt ominous. Ruon, who was leading the way on the unpolished path, suddenly listened to the sound that came. Drip-drip- From the sound that repeated at regr intervals, he could easily picture the scene of water droplets falling onto the surface. Then Strabo sniffed and said. ¡°It¡¯s getting more humid. Is there water rising from the rocks above?¡± At the mention of water, Igor swallowed his saliva. His face showed signs of anxiety. ¡°I, I can¡¯t swim.¡± Hearing that, Strabo dipped his pincer finger in the dirt and brought it to his mouth without hesitation. Here we go again. Ruon, who had seen his act of eating dirt before, didn¡¯t say anything, but the other two people didn¡¯t seem to like it and frowned. Kyle nudged him. ¡°Hey, why are you eating dirt all of a sudden? Igor, Strabo seems to have gone mad. Don¡¯t you have to pray for him or something?¡± Whether he did or not, Strabo spat out his saliva and said. ¡°It¡¯s not deep enough to consider swimming. No¡­ there¡¯s no way. At most, it¡¯s ankle deep for you guys.¡± Kyle asked the dwarf who answered confidently. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because your ability to resonate with nature is weak. I¡¯m a proper druid, too! This is nothing.¡± Kyle muttered. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, huh? It doesn¡¯t seem like something you should say while eating dirt¡­¡± As they walked along the natural cave for a while, Ruon¡¯s prediction came true and the underground water greeted them. As Strabo said, the depth of the water was only enough to wet their ankles, but since the inside was dark, they couldn¡¯t gauge the depth properly with just the light of the ruin. Was that what made them anxious? Igor hastily created a few lights with his divine power and floated them in the air. Then the stuffy view opened up. What is it? At that moment, Ruon felt a strong sense of deja vu sweep through his head. The dark and damp air that filled the air, the murky water that rose to his ankles¡­ The scenery in front of him matched exactly with one of the images that the master of the tower had shown him a long time ago. At the same time, the ruin in his hand began to shake. The will contained in it was clearer than ever. -Danger!- ¡°Be careful¡­¡± St-! Before Ruon¡¯s warning was over, something flew at Kyle¡¯s body at a tremendous speed, cutting through the water. ¡°Huh!¡± Kyle¡¯s body floated up as he instinctively raised his shield. The sound of his body colliding with the limestone pir echoed. But Ruon didn¡¯t look back. Something he couldn¡¯t identify was already rushing at him in front of his eyes. He moved his shoulders, which were softly rxed, with an explosive momentum. Following the blurred trajectory of his arm, the red afterimage that flew collided with the attack and shed! and scattered light. Igor and Strabo shouted something from behind, but they couldn¡¯t hear it clearly because of the gushing water. Suddenly, Ruon felt a burning sensation on his head and raised his arm without lifting his head. He twisted his wrist and threw the heavy feeling in his hand, and something like a metal w pierced and dug into the ground next to him. Ruon, who had effectively deflected the attack, swung his arm without hesitation. It was an attack that relied on pure arm strength without the power of the lower body, but it was enough to cut the frog in front of him. Gurgle- The thing that fell into the water with a disgusting sound was not a frog. Tentacles? The slimy tentacles with suckers that looked like those of a cephalopod aroused an instinctive disgust just by looking at them. Then a low voice came from afar. ¡°Have you finallye this far?¡± It¡¯s hard to listen to. Ruon frowned at the bizarre tone that had different pitches and speeds for each syble. He spoke to the opponent who was writhing ominously beyond the darkness that the light source could not illuminate. ¡°Why? Were you waiting for me?¡± At his words, a snickeringughter came from the darkness. Actually, it was a good thing to say snickeringughter. The sound of hundreds of people taking turnsughing one syble at a time, ha, ha, ha, was creepy beyond measure. He said. ¡°Of course. How can I not wait? You, who have been chosen by the heavenly fools, havee to find me yourself.¡± Ruon began to increase his strength instead of a hasty answer. His night eyes pierced the darkness and captured the horrible appearance of the opponent. It was a huge three hands. Red, yellow, and ck hands of different races were intertwined. And the hands were made up of hundreds of corpses. His bizarre voice wasing out of the mouths of those corpses in turn. Aftering to this world, Ruon, who had faced the most horrible enemy, clenched the handle of his sword tightly. He suppressed his hostility and growled low. ¡°Belthucias.¡± Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Beldusias. The first and most powerful enemy that Ruon ever faced, who could be called his nemesis. Ruon had always followed three principles: survival first, avoid meddling inplicated matters, and never settle in one ce. ¡°You call my name.¡± The one who answered him started tough slowly, as if amused. From the mouths of the corpses piled up like Patty, different tones ofughter came out one syble at a time. Ha-ha!-Hot-ha-ha¡­ The voice of the great demon, which seemed to forcibly stitch together one letter from hundreds of people¡¯s voices, made him feel like his mind was being eaten away just by listening. ¡°I should thank Salvador. He probably had no idea what kind of consequences his death would bring.¡± What are you talking about? Ruon could feel Kyle¡¯s movement behind him, who was staggering and getting up. He opened his mouth slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the front. ¡°You talk too much. Rag.¡± Before his words were even finished, a bow without a string was already attached to the end of his straight arm. Light arrows shot out in an instant, raining down like a meteor shower over the horrible flesh. In the midst of the scattering of light, a creepy whirring sound was heard, and a few tentacles of the two-legged creature rushed down at a tremendous speed. Ruon threw the bow behind him and quickly pulled out the sword he had stuck in the ground, and cut off the tentacles that were flying at him in one breath. The tentacles that bounced off or were cut off by the collision shattered the surrounding stone pirs, and sharp dust scattered in all directions. In the midst of the feast of sessive explosions, Igor¡¯s urgent scream was heard. ¡°Ruon!¡± Ssh! The violent water split into two and a tentacle sprang out from within, aiming for his heart. Ruon blocked that too. It was possible because he had superhuman reflexes and amazing physical abilities that could carry them out. But there was no room for relief. The cross-section of the cut tentacle bubbled and swelled, and then exploded with a sound of cracking the shell. The air pushed by the explosion rushed into the space that became a vacuum, and a fierce wind tore through the cave. The thick dwarf¡¯s hands supported Igor¡¯s back, who was floating up by the shock wave. Thanks to that, the two of them were able to minimize the damage from bouncing on the floor. ¡°Merciful mother-!¡± Igor, who quickly got up with his wet body, sped his hands and cried out for the goddess of mercy, and arge shield appeared in front of him, blocking the flying fragments effectively. Igor, who covered his dull ears with his palms, sighed with relief at the sight of the red shield wavering beyond the barrier of light. ¡°He only chooses the most disgusting things to do.¡± Ruon muttered as the tentacle swelled up, activating the sword¡¯s shield to protect himself. Beyond the thick dust that poured down from the ceiling, the horrible voice of the prey came. ¡°Do not be afraid. You will all be reborn as my new servants. This is not the end. It¡¯s a new beginning.¡± Ruon realized without difficulty that the idea in his voice was trying to devour his mind. He shook it off with his strong will, and nced back, seeing a bright light flickering. Instead of rushing straight ahead, Ruon slowly stepped back into the light. Kyle, who was leaning against the stone pir, coughed dryly and said. ¡°I thought I was really going to hell¡­ That¡¯s why I told you not to make a fuss.¡± His yful tone did not match the blood that flowed down his mouth. ¡°Snap out of it now.¡± Ruon answered dryly, still keeping his eyes on the front. The countless tentacles that came out of the corpses tangled together, and Beldusias¡¯s body, which was wriggling, looked like a ck sun burning in the backlight. He did not attack the party who hid their bodies behind the barrier of light, but kept his position. As if waiting for the right time. Then, Igor, who approached with a limp, put his palm on Kyle¡¯s chest. A soft light poured out from under his palm, and Kyle¡¯s expression softened. The priest, who had a slightly pale face, clenched his teeth and looked at Beldusias. ¡°That abominable mutant body¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine how many people he devoured to achieve that shape.¡± Strabo came up, tapping his cheekbones with his palm. He said with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Damn, it feels like worms are crawling in my head¡­ Are you all okay?¡± Ruon nodded toward the barrier of light. ¡°Igor, release that. Use your power to protect yourself and the other two.¡± At his words, telling him to lift the shield and bless the party, Igor frowned. ¡°What about you, Ruon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Igor, who had been traveling with Ruon and knew well that he was not a person who made empty words, did not add any unnecessary questions. The barrier of light in his will gradually scattered, and gently settled on the bodies of the three people except Ruon. Then, Beldusias¡¯s whisper came. ¡°The story has ended, hasn¡¯t it?¡± As if waiting for this moment, one of the entangled masses that made up the creature¡ªa giant yellow hand¡ªbegan to unravel. No, it wasn¡¯t unraveling; it was separating. Hundreds of corpses poured out onto the water, screaming and rushing towards the party. ¡°Disgusting creatures!¡± Stravo¡¯s face turned green with veins popping out, and soon his body swelled, and rough fur began to grow. With a roar, the dwarf transformed into a massive four-legged beast. Kyle, with sword and shield raised, shouted in support, ¡°Go, Ruon!¡± Before Kyle¡¯s cry had even finished, Ruon had already kicked off the ground and was charging forward. He effortlessly sliced through the corpses blocking his path. However, the creatures seemed uninterested in Ruon, brushing past him and aggressively charging towards the party. This could be troublesome. Could just three people handle the army of the dead, which seemed far more ominous than the corpses they had encountered in the cave? Despite the doubt, Ruon decided to trust hispanions. Suddenly, tentacles flew towards him. Ruon swiftly swung his sword, slicing through the tentacles, but that was just the beginning. Unidentifiable flesh rained down on him, emitting a foul odor. A piece of flesh thatnded on his shoulder instantly melted the seams of his armor, causing a searing pain. Despite the horrific pain of his flesh melting away, Ruon did not slow down. The water on the ground sshed wildly under his forceful steps. Reaching the abomination Belducias, Ruon thrust his sword into the mass of naked corpses entwined together. The rune-covered Ruin shone brightly, piercing through the disgusting torso of the great demon. Ruon didn¡¯t stop there; he swung his arm down, splitting a fairy-like corpse in half. At that moment, the corpse split open, and a mass of tentacles burst out, entangling Ruon. The tentacles quickly wrapped around his limbs and began to pull him in tightly. Fighting against the pressure that seemed to crush his bones, Ruon clenched his teeth. With terrifying strength, Ruon managed to tear off the tentacle holding his left arm and immediately swung his fist like a cannonball without mercy. The size of the impact was unbelievable. The bodies of the corpses attached to each other shattered, and the tentacles inside burst under the power of his punch. Belducias screamed, ¡°Madman!¡± Ruon, inadvertently earning the title of madman from the great demon, replied with a bitter smile, ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± As if to silence him, a chain of sinister screams erupted from the mouths of the entwined corpses. The ovepping screams amplified, creating a resonance that sent a shockwave crashing into Ruon. Thrown back without a chance to react, Ruon finally came to a stop after shattering two limestone pirs. Blood flowed from his mouth as he absorbed the full impact of the collision. Struggling to stand amidst the bone-crushing pain, Ruon staggered under the terrible whispers invading his mind. The vile curse embedded in the great demon¡¯s roar had clearly etched a crack in his solid mental barrier. Fortunately, the [Demon Judge] activated within him since the start of the battle helped prevent the copse, saving him from being engulfed in madness. Then, amidst the blurring vision, Ruon saw tentacles flying towards him. His head was boiling like an active volcano, and his arms barely lifted, but still, he swung his sword. With a sound like thunder, he cut through all the tentacles, and a blood-red light flew towards him. He raised his arm with all his might, and the ck lightning, twisted with curses, split in mid-air and exploded. Pushed back by the aftermath, Ruon continued to advance despite his flesh melting from exposure to the curse¡¯s wave. Belducias murmured in a chilling voice, ¡°Impressive willpower. How thrilling would it be to convert such steel-like willpower into loyalty for me? It won¡¯t be long now.¡± Ruon spat out a mouthful of blood, realizing the light illuminating the cave was dimming. He turned to see hispanions fighting with all their might, surrounded by yellowish corpses. Stravo shook off the leech-like corpses and swung his front paws fiercely, while Kyle held his shield high to block their attacks and skillfully ced his arming sword. Despite their valiant efforts, the defensive line was slowly crumbling. ¡°¡­Igor.¡± Ruon muttered softly upon seeing the pale-faced priest struggling to breathe on the ground, and Belducias¡¯sughter echoed in response. This trantion maintains the third-person narrative and corrects sentence structures for readability and flow, suitable for a web novel format. ¡°He exerted all his strength to protect hisrades, only to end up like trash. I admit he was a powerful priest, but he had a bad opponent. Did you really think you four could kill me? I am madness itself!¡± Thest sentence was not a string of sybles, but a simultaneous explosion from the mouths of all the corpses. As the ovepped sound burst like gunpowder, the bodies of the dead that were pressing on the party began to swell up. At the same time, several ck lightning bolts rose up around Belducius¡¯s body, making a crackling sound. Facing the swirling wave of curse, Ruon straightened his sword. He suddenly felt a mysterious power boiling inside him. What is this? A hot power that burned his holy power as fuel began to spread throughout his body. ng©¤ng©¤ The moment a rough friction sound like hammering iron rang in his head, the tattoo on his shoulder red up and burned. Ruon, who noticed where the power that restored his broken flesh came from, grinned fiercely. You came faster than I expected. [The Blessing of Duermur] The forging of the cksmith god gave Ruon a new vitality. Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Warrior of the Furnace. That was the title given to those who survived the trials of the ¡®Primordial Furnace¡¯ without melting their souls. It was not just a symbolic meaning. It meant that they endured the heat of the furnace. It also meant that they were warriors who could withstand the hammering of the god of the anvil and the me, Duermyr. As if he had plunged a red-hot iron into cold water, a faint steam rose from Ruon¡¯s body. As his melted skin and dislocated joints recovered, he heard the sound of hammering in his head. ng©¤ng©¤ His body began to burn with heat. Surrounded by the heat, Ruon clenched his fist without realizing it, feeling a hot power pulsing wildly inside him. ¡°You¡¯re toote!¡± Belducias did not quietly watch his change. The evil power of the great demon gathered in ck lightning, tearing the air and making a loud noise. Boom-! But Ruon did not stand still until his body was fully healed. Before the lightning shed, he broke the rock under his feet and started to charge. His eyes shone brightly. His body and his amazing concentration began to restore their full state, and the artificial timeg began. In the slowing world, Ruon saw the four lightning bolts flying towards him clearly. They were not just lightning, they were like giant creatures that twisted and changed direction ording to the enemy¡¯s movement. They were terrible curses that chased him, exploded when cut, and still stunned him when blocked. They felt like inevitable disasters, but Ruon did not care and swung his sword. ©¤! The split lightning exploded, and the condensed curse swept the surroundings like a fountain. A red circle cut through the hellish scene of water sshing, lime scattering, and corpses writhing. The Ego Sword, spinning fiercely, pierced deep into the grotesque body of the great demon. Belducias screamed as his amorphous body twisted. Then, Ruon kicked the ground and flew up, kicking the pommel of the sword with his heel. The Ruin, which had only the handle sticking out, sank deeper into the body, almost disappearing. At the same time, he used the recoil to climb on top of the demon¡¯s body and raised his fist high. His fist, glowing with a red light, drew an arc and fell like a meteor. Crash! The body, which was tangled with all kinds of races¡¯ body parts, was crushed in an instant. Ruon swung his other hand towards the tentacles that appeared below. A disgusting mucous substance sshed, and a terrible smell stung his nose, but he did not care. He gritted his teeth. Let¡¯s finish this, you bastard. At that moment, a stacked madness stabbed his head like a needle. Then, blood gushed out of his nose and mouth. Regardless, Ruon swung his arms in sequence, like a madman. He did not know how long the god of the cksmith¡¯s blessing wouldst. He thought he had to finish it without dy. Of course, Belducias did not just let him do as he pleased. The corpses that bubbled up scratched Ruon¡¯s body even as their limbs exploded, and the sinister tentacles wrapped around his limbs and counterattacked. Not to mention, an unknown and creepy curse poured out endlessly. But Ruon¡¯s tremendous attack power overcame all the resistance. As if to sublimate his boiling madness into rage, his fist, which repeated the back-and-forth motion with explosive momentum, glowed like a me. He smashed, crushed, shattered, and tore. In the midst of the primal destruction, his body began to copse without a pause. Belducias, who felt the crisis, roared. ¡°Get off me!¡± Squeak-ya-ya-ya-ak! Stacked screams, amplified curses, and shockwaves! Thud- Igor, with a pale face, dropped the bowstring he held in his hand to the ground. He had somehow found the thing that Ruon had thrown in the midst of the battle. The priest, who was spewing blood, still muttered with his eyes wide open. ¡°¡­For¡­my mother¡¯s¡­will.¡± ¡°Damn you!¡± As the enraged demon¡¯s curse flew towards Igor, Ruon, who had bought some time, thrust his clenched fist with all his strength. ng! Flesh flew up and a sword was visible, deeply embedded under the severed tentacle. The red de was glowing and screaming. -Grab me!- Ruon dly answered the call. He shoved his fist into the tentacle and gripped the handle. He quickly got up. Standing tall on top of the huge demon, which was about six meters high, Ruon raised his sword. He looked like a judge who was about to condemn evil. [Devil Judge] The moment the sentence engraved inside him shone brightly, Ruon roared fiercely. ¡°Belthucias!¡± The red sword shed under the dazzling light of the flickering source. The demon¡¯s body was torn apart by the storm-like sword strike. Belthucias shrieked. ¡°You worm!¡± The demon¡¯s torso, which had aplex shape of hands, began to copse. By just one human. Ruon, who was cutting through the surface made of living corpses and the curled tentacles underneath, suddenly heard a loud heartbeat. He didn¡¯t need to look for the source of the sound. The thumping that came up through his feet clearly told him where it was. ¡°So you have a heart in that shape!¡± Roaring savagely, Ruon spun the handle and gripped the sword in reverse, then shed it down without hesitation. As he repeated the motion several times, he saw a crimson heart beating fiercely under the shredded tentacles. It was a horrific sight, connected to the tentacles instead of arteries. Despite all the interference and counterattacks, Ruon had finally found its heart. Belducius spoke through the mouths of countless corpses at him. ¡°If you destroy that, you won¡¯t be able to survive, no matter how strong you are! This is not just a heart, but my¡­ the umtion of hundreds of years of resentment!¡± So what. Ruon ignored the worthless words and raised the sword he had clenched with both hands, muttering quietly to himself. Ruin. As if answering his master who had called his name, the runes on the de shone brighter than ever. He swung the Ego Sword to give the demon lord a fitting end with his own name. Screech! A chilling scream echoed through the cave from the mouth of the demon whose heart had been pierced. At that moment, a tremendous surge of darkness burst from the torn wound. Ruon reflexively leaned back, but it was useless. The seductive darkness clung to his body and dyed his vision ck. ¡°Ru¡­ stay¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ing!.. cops¡­ start¡­¡± He heard a desperate voice from afar. But he had no idea who it was. His sight was ckened, his ears were deafened, and he had no strength left to move a finger. Ruon lost consciousness as he felt the boundary of his mind crumble. *** There was a temple. It was an impressive ce with statues disying dynamic poses, a majestic fountain with elegant charm, and a beautifullyndscaped garden. The beautiful exterior was striking. Therge vige formed around the temple was always full of vitality. It was hard to find any negative emotions on the faces of the people who smiled brightly. It was peaceful and serene. Ruon, who had fallen in the middle of the vige, looked down at his palm and then lifted his head. He saw the magnificent temple in the distance. He muttered softly. ¡°Is this a scene from the past?¡± Then, he saw a child running from behind with augh, tripping over a stone and falling. Ruon quickly reached out his hand, but the child¡¯s body passed through his arm and hit the ground with a thud. As the child¡¯s eyes reddened from the scraped elbow, a tear like a chicken droppings was about to fall. Someone picked up the child in a sh. ¡°Hey, be careful!¡± The child smiled broadly at the middle-aged man who smiled kindly. ¡°Belducius sir!¡± What? Ruon frowned, but Belducius didn¡¯t seem to notice his gaze. He lightly ruffled the child¡¯s hair. The child smiled happily at his touch. ¡°What were you in such a hurry for?¡± The child held out his hand, which he had hidden behind his back, with a shy gesture. In his fern-like hand, there were a few wildflowers of unknown name. ¡°I was on my way to pray to Ganacus. I thought he wouldn¡¯t listen to my prayer if I went empty-handed¡­¡± Belducius asked with a warm smile. ¡°What prayer?¡± ¡°Well, courage! I¡¯m seven years old, but I¡¯m still afraid of under the bed. Last night, I had to pee, but I held it in. I was afraid something would grab my ankle¡­ So I got scolded by mom. I couldn¡¯t hold it until morning¡­¡± The child wiggled his toes as if embarrassed. Belducius gently put him down on the ground and opened his mouth. ¡°It seems that Ganacus has already granted your wish.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Belducius put his hand on the child¡¯s elbow and continued. ¡°You didn¡¯t cry even though it must have hurt a lot, did you? It¡¯s clear that his courage has already taken root in you.¡± The child looked down at his elbow, which had healed cleanly, and smiled brightly. ¡°If he¡¯s with me, the demon hiding under the bed won¡¯t be able to do anything to me, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Time flew by as soon as he finished speaking. People moved at an incredible speed, leaving faint afterimages. Day and night changed in an instant. Flowers bloomed and withered, and snowkes piled up on top of the fallen leaves. Everything except Ruon changed with the flow of time. The most noticeable thing was the growth of the child who had wet the bed. The child, who had grown up considerably, got up early like a rooster and tied his shoces tightly. He sneaked out of the house, careful not to wake up his parents who might be early risers. He blew his breath on his palm and walked to the temple. Ruon followed him naturally, feeling the child¡¯s thoughts and memories flow into him. The child, who had grown up enough to be called a young man, was named Julio. He went to the temple before the rooster crowed for a simple reason. He wanted to prove his sincere heart and be a priest of Ganacus. The god of courage, Ganacus. He was thentern and the hope that protected him from his cowardice. That¡¯s why Julio sincerely wished to be his servant. Of course, the ¡®demon under the bed¡¯ was a vain imagination he had made as a child, but the courage that helped him ovee it was the only truth. Julio went to the temple and headed straight to the chapel. And he was stunned. Belducius, who should always be there before him and pray, was nowhere to be seen. It was strange. It had never happened in the past ten years. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Julio went outside with an unknown anxiety. He wandered around the temple, and by chance, he found a ce where the gstone on the floor was flipped over. And the stairs beyond it. Ruon, who quietly followed him, muttered to himself. That¡¯s the way we came in. Meanwhile, Julio, whose anxiety had turned into fear, swallowed his saliva. What was that? His instinct was screaming at him to go back home, but he clenched his fist instead. He thought this was a golden opportunity to prove his courage to Ganacus. Julio cautiously moved to the stairs. Feeling his way along the wall, he went down the stairs that he couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead. His heart felt like it was shrinking, but he endured. He couldn¡¯t lose his courage! Julio, who didn¡¯t realize that it was recklessness, finally reached the ground. He found a huge iron gate and walked into it as if he was bewitched. What is this ce? Enveloped in fear, he walked endlessly along the dark corridor. He finally saw a faint light in the distance. He ran towards it and copsed at the sight of the unreal scene before him. On the floor, there were filthy corpses, corpses, corpses, corpses, corpses, corpses, corpses, corpses, corpses. And beyond them, a gigantic mass of flesh that looked like it was forcibly piled up. A hand? Julio vomited at the sight that far exceeded the limit of his sanity. Someone slowly turned his head towards him. ¡°Hmm? What are you doing here, Julio?¡± It was Belducius, who still smiled peacefully. Leaving Julio behind, Ruon took a step forward and realized what point in time he hade to. He knew there would be no answer, but he whispered softly. ¡°Belducius, is this the moment you rise as the demon lord?¡± Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Even for Ruon, who had be hardened to any sight, the tragedy before his eyes was too much to bear. It was pointless to list what was horrible about it. If he, who had been through hell and back, felt that way, then it was impossible for the young man who still had a trace of innocence to endure it. Ugh- Juliu vomited on the ground again. Even though there was nothing left toe up, he did it as if it was the only way to escape from reality. This is crazy. Ruon furrowed his brow at the pain in his jaw. Juliu¡¯s emotions were flowing into his mind. He also felt the sensation of a person¡¯s emotions copsing. Beldusias, who was gently caressing the giant hand made of corpses as if it was a piece of art, muttered. ¡°True courage begins when you don¡¯t turn your eyes away from fear. That¡¯s what Ganax taught. So, Juliu, lift your head. Do you have to be so out of it?¡± His face was calm as he said that, but there was an unmistakable madness in his eyes. Ruon felt a subtle sense of incongruity in them and opened his eyes slightly. The priest who had encouraged the young Juliu and the current Beldusias were clearly different people. Ruon thought to himself. He didn¡¯t hide his true nature, he fell at some point. In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. Thanks to that, he had seen all of Beldusias¡¯ extreme sides and came to that conclusion. What happened in the nk period that I didn¡¯t see? As Ruon was murmuring to himself, Juliu licked his trembling lips. ¡°Why, why¡­ did you do this? What is this¡­¡± He spat out the question with difficulty, which was obviously directed at Beldusias, but the answer came from apletely different direction. ¡°That¡¯s because he saw the true world.¡± Without anyone saying who was first, Ruon and Juliu turned their heads to the direction where the sound came from. They saw ¡®something¡¯ slowly descending from the ceiling. And at that moment. Blood started to flow from Juliu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Aah¡­¡± Unable to bear the emotions of Juliu, who hadpletely broken down, flowing into his mind, Ruon widened his eyes. His bloodshot eyes were filled with an indescribable darkness. The darkness that was impossible to discern its shape wriggled and said. ¡°You are a weak soul, less than a speck of dust. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Ah- Beldusias, who was gaping his jaw and uttering a hollow moan, looked down at Juliu and answered indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He turned his body around and continued. ¡°Today is the glorious day when my flesh is reborn. I don¡¯t want to be attached to such a trivial thing.¡± He smiled with an innocent expression and took a step towards the wriggling darkness. ¡°I am ready.¡± As if he was pleased, the darkness that was shaking his body said in a damp voice. ¡°Beldusias, the priest who follows the god of courage. Are you willing to forsake him and choose the destiny of bing the adversary of the heavens?¡± He answered the question with a creepyugh and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I had no god since the moment I looked into the abyss. Ganax was the same. His worthless courage only helped me to abandon him. It was never salvation.¡± Whether it was enough of an answer or not, the darkness didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Instead, it started to devour the air with its ominous mass. It was not a figurative expression. The darkness devoured the air, and something unknown was crawling out from beyond the space that was torn apart. The vague thing that couldn¡¯t be distinguished whether it was a living being or a force soon filled the inside of the cave. The darkness said. ¡°From now on, the living beings on the earth will shiver in fear whenever they think of your name.¡± As soon as the words ended, the swirling force wrapped around the giant hand made of corpses and Beldusias¡¯ body at the same time. It also started to pull in all the corpses in the cave. And among them was Juliu, who had lost his mind. Beldusias, the giant hand, hundreds of corpses, and Juliu. When all of them gathered at one point, the darkness exploded. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! Ruon opened his eyes. He had been pondering over the situation that had happened in the cave a while ago. He saw someone crouching on the opposite side and walked over. Feeling his presence, the being who had buried his face in his knees pressed against his chest slowly lifted his head. Ruon muttered without realizing it as he faced the emaciated face that was barely alive. ¡°¡­Juliu?¡± The dried face that looked like a mummy nodded slowly. Affirming his action, Ruon looked around without a word. He realized where he was and groaned. He looked at the pile of corpses that filled the surroundings and the pool of blood on the floor, then turned his gaze back to Juliu and asked. ¡°Did you show me all that scenery?¡± It was a truncated sentence, but Juliu nodded again as if he understood. What should I say, Ruon hesitated to answer and turned his body at the unpleasant energy he felt from behind. Belducius stood there, not in his hideous form, but as he was when he was still human. He growled. ¡°How dare you ruin my body? The beautiful one that the abyss created¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± With a cold voice, Ruon cut off Belducius¡¯s words and swung his fist without hesitation. The fist that tore through the air with a sonic boom hit the opponent¡¯s forehead. Crack! Belducius¡¯s face, except for his lower jaw, shattered and he fell stiffly backwards. As Ruon looked down at him, who was lying in a pool of blood, a sinister voice reached his ears. ¡°This is my inner world. You¡¯re delusional if you think your brute force will work here.¡± Belducius, who had lifted his upper body from the pile of corpses, rxed his clenched face and showed a sneering smile. ¡°¡­But then again, a warrior who destroys the body of a great demon with his bare fists, there¡¯s no better body to possess than this¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Ruon, who had rushed in, drove his steel-like knee into his lower abdomen. Again, Belducius¡¯s body flew backwards with the sound of his spine breaking. But before his back even touched the ground, another voice came. ¡°I told you it was useless.¡± Belducius, who had risen from the distant pile of corpses, shook his head frantically. He said. ¡°This is a ce where all the sacrifices that have been dedicated to me for hundreds of years are condensed. You can¡¯t destroy all the corpses in here even if you swing your fists for three days and nights. Before that, your mind will melt into this ce. No matter how strong your willpower is.¡± Ruon frowned. If what he said was true, it meant he couldn¡¯t kill him until he destroyed all the piled-up corpses. He thought he would die if he destroyed his heart¡­ He wasn¡¯t called a great demon for nothing. He let out a faint sigh and his body blurred. ¡°Gah!¡± In an instant, Ruon grabbed Belducius¡¯s neck and lifted him high. He faced the iling legs in the air and said in a calm voice. ¡°Let¡¯s see how far you can go.¡± With a terrifying grip, Ruon crushed the opponent¡¯s neck bone and threw him to the ground like trash. Belducius, who had an unbreakable will, didn¡¯t make the stupid choice of getting up one by one. This time, hundreds of corpses rose in sequence and opened their mouths as if they had rehearsed. ¡°If you can¡¯t surrender yourself, I¡¯ll shatter your will myself.¡± The damn bastard. Ruon faced the corpses that filled his sight and felt an unexpected emotion sweeping over his body. It was anger. The anger towards the demon who had taken away the extra lives of the innocent people made Ruon¡¯s heart beat fiercely. He bit his teeth and clenched his fists. He regretted not taking Ruin, who he had failed to take after piercing Belducius¡¯s heart, but this was not the time to dwell on that. The moment his toes, which were ready to strike the ground at any time, crushed the soil and made a trench! Someone grabbed Ruon¡¯s waist. He barely felt any weight, but when he turned around, he saw the pale face of Julius. His dry lips moved with difficulty. ¡°¡­Courage¡± His parched voice lost its strength and scattered in the air, but Ruon heard it clearly. Courage. That¡¯s what Julius was saying. ¡°¡­Courage?¡± Ruon asked back, surprised by the unexpected word. But Julius¡¯s body was already falling apart. He turned into a handful of ashes and floated in the air, and Belduciusughed. ¡°You finally disappeared after trembling in fear for hundreds of years! You were always a thorn in my side because you were mixed in alive during the process of bing a great demon!¡± He made a refreshing expression as if he had lost a toothache and added. ¡°Before I move to a new body, what could be better news than this?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. The ashes that were floating in the air slowly descended on Ruon¡¯s body. What is this? Ruon felt the long memories that the ashes contained as they melted and absorbed into his body. He opened his eyes wide. It was Julius¡¯s memory. The memory of the unfortunate man who was mixed into the body of the great demon alive. His mind, which waspletely broken during the process of soul fusion, was restored, which only brought endless pain to Julius. Trapped in the inner world of Belducius, who had be a great demon, he trembled in fear at his horrible deeds and waited endlessly for someone who would end his suffering. That¡¯s how hundreds of years passed. Julius¡¯s mind, which had worn out, couldn¡¯t even remember his parents¡¯ names, but he still repeated one word in his mind. Courage. As he felt the word that he had repeated so desperately filling his body, Ruon clenched his fist. His body cut through the air. His fist, which came down with explosive momentum, smashed the skull of the corpse in one blow. Ruon twisted his waist and changed the trajectory of his fist, hitting the jaw of the one next to him, and then kicked the temple of the one who ran from behind. As he braced himself for the onught of the undead, Ruon suddenly realized that they were cowering and retreating. He saw Belducius clutching his chest and spitting ck blood in the distance. ¡°H-how can you strike my essence directly? You are nothing but a simple spirit right now¡­¡± The fool who had been babbling with a stupid expression widened his eyes. ¡°D-don¡¯t tell me you absorbed Julius and shared my essence? That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± So that was it. Ruon understood that the young man¡¯s desperate wish that he had protected for hundreds of years wasing to an end in his hands. He wasted no time and mmed the ground. Belducius, terrified, stretched out his finger and shouted, ¡°Stop! Please! Please!¡± But it was useless. In the blink of an eye, Ruon crushed the corpses that blocked his way and ran towards Belducius. He grabbed his neck with one hand and raised the other hand high in the sky. ¡°N-no! Stop! Please! Please!¡± At thest moment, he begged for his life pitifully, but Ruon¡¯s fist flew towards the devil¡¯s head with a force that could shatter the world. Crack! The moment his head was smashed to pieces, the world filled with corpses copsed. As he fell into the abyss-like darkness, Ruon felt a sentence rising in his mind beyond his fading consciousness. [The yer of the Great Demon] He lost consciousness. Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Ring-ring-ring- The sharp sound of the bell made me nervously fumble with my right hand. I pressed any button on my smartphone as soon as it touched my fingertips, and the frantic noise stopped abruptly. But it would ring again in 10 minutes anyway. I wished I could spend the whole day in bed, watching Netflix and rolling around, but that was not possible. I had to look for new internship opportunities, go to the TOEIC academy, participate in a study group, finish my assignments, and even attend an interview study session. Damn, why is it so hard to live as a job seeker in Korea? As I grumbled inwardly, the sweet 10-minute break time ended, and the crazy rm started ringing again. Fine, I get it. I just have to get up. I forced myself to get up and opened the mini fridge as soon as I turned off the rm. I took out a water bottle that was lying sideways and gulped it down, and then I felt a bit more awake. That¡¯s when it happened. ©¤©¤©¤Wake up! ¡°What?¡± I was startled by the scream that pierced my head, and I dropped the water bottle, making the floor a sea of water. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤This is crazy.¡± I quickly straightened the water bottle and then slumped into a chair and turned on theputer. The water would dry on its own over time. I wondered if there were any new job postings, and I saw a familiar but strange icon on the inte. The icon of a sword, a shield, and a staff crossed in an ¡®X¡¯ shape looked like a game. The strange thing was that the folder name was nk. How is that possible? No, what is this in the first ce? I naturally moved the mouse cursor to it and shook my head. I had so much to do today. ©¤©¤©¤Get ready! The unknown scream tore through my head again. I reflexively put my palm on my ear and took a deep breath, calming my pounding heart. ¡°What, what is it?¡± I quickly looked around and saw the scenery of my small studio apartment. A mattress with no life, a childish patterned turquoise curtain, a drying rack withundry, a broken microwave, a rice cooker that never did its job. I felt a strange sense of alienation in the same scenery as yesterday. What did I do yesterday? I pressed both sides of my temples with my thumb and slowly lifted my head. Then I saw the icon floating on the ck background. Two clicks. Then the opening video popped up on the screen. All kinds of demons and monsters, and the blood and flesh that sprang out of them, the friction of the des, the light, the roar. All of that passed by in an instant. Now there was only one man standing on the screen. The man had a thick face, broad shoulders, and arge height that impressed me. His eyes were indifferent, but somehow he looked tired. At that moment, I felt a shock that swept through my body with a sense of foreboding. I endured the nausea that made me feel like I had to vomit right away and barely blinked my eyes. Then I saw a short sentence shing on the screen. [Your story is not over yet.] As soon as I saw that sentence, the nausea subsided as if it were a lie. At the same time, countless memories that I thought were just a feeling of foreboding began to find their ce in my head. When I looked back, I saw everything that filled the narrow room scattered in vain. Like a dream. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yeah, it¡¯s not over yet.¡± I sighed lightly and pressed the mouse twice. And Ruon opened his eyes. *** The first thing that came into Ruon¡¯s sight was Kyle¡¯s face, looking down at him with a worried expression. Why are you so close to me? Kyle shouted at him, frowning. ¡°Ruon! Are you awake?¡± Ruon, who propped up his upper body with his palm on the floor, gave a hollow smile. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤So it was you who called me like that?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s nothing.¡± He briefly answered and looked around. Then Kyle said. ¡°This is the tent that Gun gave us. Do you remember? He¡¯s the merchant who asked us to check what¡¯s in the underground temple.¡± Ruon recalled the face of the scruffy middle-aged man who was holding a cat in his head. He nodded and asked. ¡°What about the other two?¡± It was obvious who Ruon meant by the two, so Kyle answered without hesitation. ¡°Strabo is probably chatting with Gun. He¡¯s obsessed with exining what happened in the underground in a usible way. Gun, that guy, he¡¯s so interested in hearing the same story over and over again¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± He shook his head and continued. ¡°Igor went outside a little while ago. He said he was going to get some fresh air. He wouldn¡¯t listen to me when I told him to rest, even though he was in a dire situation until yesterday.¡± Fortunately, it seemed that no one had died. Ruon, who had been nodding his head quietly, asked. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± At that, Kyle rolled his eyes up and down. As if he was hesitating where to start the story. After pondering for a while, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­As you know, we were also fighting with the corpses, so we had no time to spare. To be honest, I thought we were going to die then.¡± Kyle lifted his shirt as he said that. Then, arge scar engraved on his side was revealed. It looked like he had been literally torn apart. Luckily, it seemed to have healed well. Kyle made a bitter expression as he looked at his wound and added. ¡°But then, the corpses started falling like haystacks. I thought Ruon had done something, so I looked¡­¡± The rest of the story was like this. As soon as Kyle saw that Belducius¡¯s body was copsing as the undead fell to the ground, he picked up Ruon¡¯s body that had fallen to the floor. At that moment, the cave interior, which could not withstand the repeated shocks, began to copse with a loud noise. As they tried to escape right away, Igor shouted urgently with a dying face. ¡®Ruon and Belducius are fighting for control over the body. The great demon is not dead yet.¡¯ He left only a meaningful word and lost consciousness because of the priest. The choice was entirely up to Kyle and Strabo. Whether to take Ruon, who had the possibility of bing Belducius¡¯s new body, or leave him. The two did not hesitate. They could not leave theirpanion in the copsing cave because of that possibility. The party, who barely escaped from the copsing cave, managed to return to the surface with their creaking bodies. ¡°The followers of Guran, who were on alert because of the explosions in the underground, found us and we were able to get emergency treatment¡­ Well, that¡¯s the story.¡± He was lucky. Ruon could not help but think that as he listened to the story. Julius¡¯s sacrifice, who endured the years of suffering in Belducius¡¯s mind, Guran, who healed the party that had be ragged, and thepanions who did not leave him behind. If any of them had not worked out, the feat of killing the great demon would have been impossible. Ruon got up right away. Kyle¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°A walk.¡± ¡°What, a walk? You¡¯ve been unconscious for three days¡­¡± Ruon did not wait for the rest of the words and quickly walked out of the tent. The stars that filled the dark sky greeted him. Ruon wanted to describe the beautiful night sky in a usible way, but the words and sentences only floated emptily in his mind. Yeah, I don¡¯t have that talent. Instead, he closed his eyes and sank into his mind. To check the reward of the bloody battle of the past. He leveled up three times, and his experience was more than half full. Ruon immediately distributed his points evenly between strength and divinity. The superhuman strength that was enough to be called the giant¡¯s grip became even more powerful, and he felt it clearly under his skin. The next thing he checked was the title. A sentence that surpassed [Duermyr¡¯s Blessing], which had been the most prominent presence in his mind, was clearly felt. [Great Demon yer] It was a title he earned by killing Belducius, a huge evil that was lurking in this world, and one of the beings who had seen the abyss. Ruon opened his eyes quietly and smiled faintly. It was aplex smile that mixed the pride and relief of finally defeating the great demon, and the vague and angry feeling about the unfinished story. He did not know why the scenery of his old room and the ordinary start of the day, which had disappeared from his dreams long ago, were so vivid in front of his eyes. He just felt his nostalgia grow deeper. He steadied his mind as he felt the breeze between his fingers. Instead of venting his frustration at the unchanging reality, he had something to do. It was a word of thanks. Ruon murmured as he looked at the night sky. ¡°Thank you.¡± He felt embarrassed as he uttered the words to himself, but he repeated them in a low voice. To the young man who did not lose his courage even after suffering for hundreds of years. ¡°You did well.¡± *** The party gathered in the tentte at night and looked at each other with a new look. In front of them were simple snacks and wine provided by Guran. It was modest for a party that had achieved the feat of ¡®killing the great demon¡¯, but no oneined about it. Strabo, who had found Ruon awake and cried loudly, blinked his red eyes and said. ¡°Do you know?¡± As the party¡¯s eyes turned to him, he added with a serious face. ¡°I thought Gun was listening to our stories very well and believing in our achievements¡­ But it turned out he thought I was exaggerating ordinary stories and making them interesting. He even rmended me to try being a poet.¡± He added with a deep sigh. ¡°What¡¯s the point of killing the Archdemon? No one would believe it anyway¡­¡± Kyle frowned at his dispirited words. ¡°What do you mean? And speak clearly. Didn¡¯t you hear what Igor said? It was Ruon who destroyed the Archdemon¡¯s core and erased its mind. This, this thing. Are you going to lie to Garanter and say you killed it?¡± Strabo snorted and blew his nose at Kyle¡¯s teasing remark. Ruonughed at the sight of the dwarf with his bushy beard sticking out. Hisughter, which was rare to hear out loud, made the othersugh as well. Soon, Ruon drank the wine that Gun had given him and turned his head. He looked at Igor and asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± It wasn¡¯t a random question. In Ruon¡¯s memory, thest thing he saw of Igor was him shooting an arrow of light and then being hit by the curse of the enraged Belducius. Igor smiled faintly. ¡°Thanks to Garan¡¯s favor.¡± As he said that, he took something out of his pocket and put it on the ground. It was the bracelet that Garan had given him when they left Roverduck. ¡°It was a magic item. If it weren¡¯t for the bracelet¡¯s shield, I would have surely died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± That was the end of the conversation. Silence filled the tent. Kyle, who was staring at the candle that lit up the tent, asked. ¡°Where are you all going now?¡± Igor was the first to answer the question that was directed at everyone. ¡°I have to return to the Grand Church. I have to tell them that we defeated Belducius.¡± Strabo muttered under his nose. ¡°That¡¯s why belonging somewhere is annoying¡­¡± ¡°Strabo, don¡¯t you dare rece the good word ¡®responsibility¡¯ with ¡®annoying¡¯.¡± Kyle asked Igor, who chuckled. ¡°Can you go alone with that body? You were wandering around looking for Tive untilst night.¡± He added to the hesitating priest. ¡°Gun¡¯s men said so. They couldn¡¯t do anything about the wound on my side. You did something while bleeding from your nose and mouth, right? Strabo too, you know.¡± At that, Strabo rubbed his chest and mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­No wonder it healed.¡± He must have put on a show by himself. Ruon muttered to himself as he looked at Igor, who was scratching his head with an awkward expression. Kyle said. ¡°If you didn¡¯t know, fine. But you can¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know when you got help. You said ¡®responsibility¡¯, right? I¡¯ll go with you to the Grand Church. I¡¯m curious about what kind of ce it is anyway.¡± As soon as he finished, Strabo raised his hand. ¡°Me too, let¡¯s go together! I owe you my life, so I have to pay you back! That¡¯s romantic!¡± Igor couldn¡¯t say anything and just kept scratching his head. Then Strabo said. ¡°Ruon, you¡¯reing too, right? You have to proudly tell the Grand Church about your great achievement. Let¡¯s go together with pride!¡± Ruon, who had been silent until then, shook his head with a faint smile. He said. ¡°That sounds hard. There¡¯s a suspicious ce I want to visit.¡± As if to ask, where is that? he added briefly to the three men who looked at him. ¡°The Grand Church of Ganak.¡± Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Chapter 63 The mention of Gannicus caught them off guard. They tilted their heads in confusion, not expecting him toe up. Ruon briefly exined to them what he had seen in the past and what had happened inside the Demon Lord after he pierced his heart. When he finished, Igor immediately put on his rosary and prayed, while Strabo burst into tears. ¡°How did he endure for hundreds of years? How painful it must have been!¡± Julius¡¯s words made the dwarf cry even harder, sniffling and wiping his nose with a handkerchief. Kyle spoke, ignoring him. ¡°So this was Gannicus¡¯s temple. It was so badly damaged that even Gun, who prides himself on his expertise in this area, couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­¡± He trailed off, then added with a serious expression. ¡°Ruon, do you doubt the Grand Church?¡± Ruon, who had been silent for a moment, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It seems unlikely that they didn¡¯t know about the incident that resulted from the corruption of the priest who was the temple¡¯s caretaker, where the Demon Lord was born in a ce where they exerted their influence.¡± Igor muttered with a grim expression. ¡°It¡¯s still just a possibility, but if they deliberately kept silent about it¡­ that¡¯s something that should never happen.¡± Kyle nodded and said. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something fishy about it. But it happened hundreds of years ago, and they might not want to expose their own faults¡­ Will they cooperate?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± As Ruon replied dryly, Strabo, who had blown his nose with a handkerchief from who knows where, said. ¡°Not satisfied with killing the Demon Lord, now you want to dig up the secrets behind his origin? How far do you want to go with your amazing achievements? I can¡¯t even fathom it.¡± Ruon smiled faintly at his astonished eyes. He said. ¡°The death of the Demon Lord is not enough to end my story.¡± It was a blunt and straightforward statement from Ruon¡¯s perspective, but it didn¡¯t seem so to the listeners. ¡°Sometimes you have a knack for saying cool things without a care.¡± ¡°Indeed, no one deserves the title of Champion of Tive more than Ruon. My mother would think so too.¡± Strabo, who seemed to be the most impressed, murmured with a nk stare. ¡°Ahh, Ruon. If the adventure and romance I always dreamed of took human form, wouldn¡¯t it be exactly like you? Really¡­¡± Here we go again. As if to stop him there, Ruon quietly raised his palm and said. ¡°Then it¡¯s goodbye.¡± With that short sentence, the three men who had been babbling stopped talking at once. There was an unprecedented silence in the tent. It was broken by Kyle. ¡°At least you said something this time.¡± He chuckled, remembering what had happened at the tower. He took a sip of wine and opened his mouth. ¡°Then and now, I always wanted to join Ruon¡¯s journey. It¡¯s funny¡­ Why do I follow someone who only goes to ces where he could die at any moment?¡± He giggled for a while, then continued. ¡°But it¡¯s difficult now. I have to take this weakling to the Grand Church.¡± He pointed at Igor with his thumb and smiled. It was hard to find the face of the woodcutter who had swung his hammer with rage on Kyle¡¯s face. He¡¯s changed. Ruon smiled sincerely at the sight of Kyle, who had followed him with a shield on his back, but now had his own choices. ¡°Do that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll follow you as soon as I finish the job.¡± After that, Igor and Strabo spoke. They both started to ramble about their regrets and memories of parting. Themon point was that none of them thought this farewell was thest. Ruon didn¡¯t know where their strange confidence came from, but he didn¡¯t want to spoil their mood, so he nodded along. But he also thought to himself that maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to meet them again someday. Under the flickering candlelight, they spent the night with small talk. In the small tent,ughter erupted from time to time. None of the soldiers who had been on guard all night guessed that they were about to part. When the sun rose to announce the morning, Ruon left the tent and quietly left the temple on his ck horse. *** A beautiful garden with lush citrus trees. A woman was busy moving around. She trimmed the branches of the trees with scissors, and as soon as she finished, she shoveled thepost piled up on one side of the garden and sprinkled it evenly on the flower beds. As time passed, clear sweat beads formed on the tip of her chin. But she didn¡¯t seem to mind, wiping her sweat with the back of her hand and continuing her work. Soon after, she finished her work and knelt on the ground. She put on her rosary and bowed her head quietly. A faint light began to leak from her body. ¡°Becky, are you praying for him again?¡± As soon as she finished her prayer and got up, Becky turned around at the gentle voice behind her. ¡°Sister!¡± The old woman approached with a warm smile and brushed off the dirt on Becky¡¯s cheek. ¡°Mother must love your beautiful heart. You can introduce yourself as a priest of the church now.¡± Becky shook her head vehemently. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I just want to live here with you, Sister, and tend the garden. Those tall buildings don¡¯t suit me at all.¡± She nced at the two towering spires and continued. ¡°By the way, what brings you here? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to see the bishops?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of wasting time on a few formalities?¡± The nun shrugged lightly and grasped Becky¡¯s slender wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand here. Come on, let¡¯s sit down and talk. I have some news that you¡¯ve been waiting for.¡± At that, Becky felt her heart pounding and pressed her palm against it. The two of them sat down at a small table by the pond and looked at each other¡¯s faces. The nun smiled brightly and said. ¡°Why are you so flushed? I haven¡¯t even told you who it is yet.¡± Loren, who had quietly appeared from somewhere, ced some refreshments on the table and smirked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s the one who dreams of Ruon even in her sleep.¡± ¡°Loren!¡± Becky shouted, and Loren stuck out his tongue and scurried away. The nun watched him with a fond expression and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Mother has sent word. She and herpanions have finally defeated the Archdemon. Truly¡­ they have aplished a great feat.¡± Becky gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She stammered. ¡°Is Ruon safe? He¡¯s not hurt, is he? And what about Igor? How is he¡­?¡± The nun gently answered her rambling questions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. From what I saw, none of them had any visible injuries.¡± Becky sighed in relief and tilted her head. ¡°None of them? You mean there are two more besides Ruon and Igor?¡± ¡°Yes, and they¡¯re on their way here right now.¡± ¡°They¡¯reing back?¡± Becky¡¯s eyes widened even more. The nun held her hand tightly and replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but only three of them are heading to the Cathedral. And none of them is the one you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Becky trailed off and smiled faintly. She murmured softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ruon has bigger things to see in the world.¡± ¡°Becky, you don¡¯t have to be so down.¡± The nun took a small bite of a biscuit and sipped her tea. After a while, she spoke again. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason, but Mother seemed very pleased that Igor and his twopanions are visiting the Cathedral. Maybe she has finally found the Champion?¡± Becky blinked at the sudden remark. The nun went on, but it sounded more like a soliloquy than a conversation. ¡°They¡¯reing here not to settle down, but to prepare for a bigger journey. In the end, they¡¯ll leave again on their own feet to find him.¡± The nun fell silent for a moment. Then she noticed Becky staring at her intently and gave a faint smile. ¡°I made you sit down to talk, but I ended up talking too much. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have the authority to speak for Mother¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Becky pouted her lips, and the nun added in a gentle voice. ¡°Ultimately, what I want to say is this. Praying with all your heart is good, but if you really want to help, you have to move yourself.¡± With him¡­, she trailed off and held out a biscuit to her. Becky took it without thinking and bit into it. She chewed and swallowed. She didn¡¯t quite understand what the nun meant, but she felt a glimmer of hope that someday she might be able to help Ruon. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. *** Arge ck horse was walking across the grasnd, dyed in a faint pink by the twilight. Ruon looked down at the wildflowers blooming in various colors along the path. ¡°Are we going the right way?¡± The ck horse, Nightmare, snorted. ¡°As if I can understand¡­¡± At that moment, the rune hanging from his waist quivered. Ruon furrowed his brow as he sensed the emotioning from it. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying we¡¯re going well? Wait¡­ can you understand what he¡¯s saying?¡± The rune quivered again. It was a yes. Good heavens. Ruon closed his eyes tightly. He had found himself in a strange situation where he couldmunicate with a horse and a sword. He had expected to feel lonely after leaving his party, but he was proven wrong. He sighed lightly and turned his head to look at the vast in. He had been traveling alone for three days since he parted ways with hispanions, but he hadn¡¯t been able to visit any viges, so he felt rather ragged. The reason why Ruon had separated from his party was simple. Their route and his destination werepletely different. Unlike the Grand Church of Tive, which could be essed through the port city of Nook in the south, Igor said that the Grand Church of Ganak was in the east of the kingdom. ¡®I don¡¯t know the exact location either.¡¯ As he pondered the priest¡¯s words, who was scratching his head, Ruon suddenly spotted a small vige in the distance. ¡°You did well to trust your nose.¡± Ruon lightly ruffled the mane of Nightmare and headed straight for the vige. The stableman, who was old and wrinkled, gulped at the sight of the ck horse, whose height was more than that of an average adult. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll pay you whatever you want, but can I have this guy?¡± What are you talking about? Ruon tilted his head as he handed over the reins. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The stableman coughed and said. ¡°It¡¯s my personal desire to inherit the bloodline of such a sturdy beast. I have a mare in heat anyway¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. He was pushed and fell by the intangible force that emanated from the ck horse¡¯s mane. ¡°Ouch!¡± Heeheeheehee- Ruon pped the head of Nightmare and helped the stableman up. ¡°It seems difficult. He¡¯s not an ordinary horse.¡± ¡°Is, is that so.¡± He nodded his head hastily under the ring gaze of the ck horse. But he still couldn¡¯t hide his greed and asked in a low voice. ¡°¡­Then can I know where you got this beast from?¡± ¡°I remember it was near Bern, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ruon answered politely and read the emotions of the sword that fell from his waist as he tranted the horse¡¯s words. He approached Nightmare and muttered coldly. ¡°¡­I know you¡¯re a valuable body, so just eat some hay quietly. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± After warning him, Ruon moved his steps toward the inn of the vige. He was looking forward to having a proper meal today. As soon as he opened the door, a dagger flew toward his forehead. He quickly caught the flying dagger and growled. ¡°What is this now?¡± Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Chapter 64 ¡°You caught him? Hey, what the hell is going on here? There were only two options. He gets hit in the head or in the chest.¡± As soon as someone asked this absurd question, a roar erupted from all directions. ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s the chest! Can¡¯t you see he hooked him from the chest?¡± ¡°What does it matter where he hit him? He didn¡¯t even hit him in the first ce. You¡¯re such a glutton. Is his head just for decoration?¡± ¡°What? Are you done talking? Do you want me to gouge out your remaining eye?¡± What are they trying to do? The situation was so ridiculous that Ruon deliberately stood still and watched them. The inn in the quiet countryside vige was upied by a bunch of men who reeked of sour sweat. Judging by their fierce expressions and therge scars all over their bodies, they looked like mercenaries or something simr. Suddenly, a man whose back was facing Ruon mmed the bottle he was holding onto the table. With a loud ng, the ss and its contents scattered in all directions, and the noisy inn quickly fell silent. ¡°Damn bastards, ruining the taste of my drink¡­¡± The man muttered in a hoarse voice as he slowly turned around. He spat out a phlegm with his chubby face and wiped his moist lips with the back of his hand. He said, ¡°Who was the bastard who threw the dagger?¡± ¡°I did, boss.¡± The man who answered raised his hand and cautiously approached the pig who was called the boss. ¡°How stupidly did you throw it that you couldn¡¯t even hit properly and caused this mess? Huh?¡± The man lowered his head at the pig¡¯s words, mixed with anger and pain. ¡°I threw it correctly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking back to me?¡± ¡°Ah, no, boss, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Before he could even finish his excuse, the man¡¯s body flew backwards. He groaned as he hit the floor hard. ¡°How dare you talk back to me? Do you want to die?¡± The boss wiped his blood-stained fist on his pants casually. He still stood at the entrance, facing Ruon who was also standing there. ¡°Hey, big guy. Our boys y a bit rough, don¡¯t they? But you¡¯re lucky. You saved your life thanks to that weakling¡¯s turn.¡± His henchmen started tough loudly and rowdily. They looked strangely unhinged. The boss smiled smugly and continued to speak. ¡°I¡¯m feeling very good today. I caught the rat that was running away stubbornly. It feels like I¡¯ve lost ten years of weight.¡± He said, patting his bulging belly. ¡°So, just get lost while I¡¯m being nice. I promise I won¡¯t chase you if you do. I swear on my name.¡± The boss said, making a gesture of putting his thumb on his tongue and his pinky on his forehead. Laughter erupted from all sides. I should just get rid of him. Leon sighed lightly and twirled the dagger in his hand. He had been watching quietly until now, but he didn¡¯t want to y along with this childish farce anymore. ¡°Hey.¡± As soon as the boss turned his head at the cold voice, a dagger flew through the air and buried itself deep into his shoulder. He fell back with a sound like a pig being ughtered, writhing in pain. ¡°Shit!¡± His men jumped up from their seats, either out of anger at their boss being attacked, or out of reflex, or both. But they didn¡¯t know who they were dealing with. ¡°What a coward you are!¡± ¡°You want to die, do you want me to kill you?¡± Ruon strode into the room, curses dripping from one ear to the other, his fists outstretched lightly. But the result was anything but light. The man¡¯s face fell to the floor, unable to make a sound. Grabbing the arm of the other man who lunged at him, Ruon picked him up and threw him to the ground. Despite the insane feat of throwing a full-grown man with only one arm, Piggy¡¯s men pounced, one after the other. Was he drugged? Looking into their faces, with their slightly dted pupils and uncanny heat, Ruon immediately swung his fists. He smashed, snapped, twisted, and threw three or four times, and by the time he was done, none of them were charging at him anymore. None of them were dead as theyy on the ground like garbage. Ruon had been careful to control his power. But his recent levelling had pushed him past the superhuman threshold, and controlling his strength wasn¡¯t enough to keep him safe. Passing by men so maimed they would have to live with the scars for the rest of their lives, Ruon grabbed the quivering pig by the scruff of the neck and asked. ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡± His crotch dampened at the sound of the high-pitched voice. ¡°Far, Pablo.¡± Ruon said, studying the interior of the inn in silence for a moment. ¡°Yes, Pablo. Where is the innkeeper?¡± Unable to answer, Pablo¡¯s eyes flickered towards the kitchen for a moment before returning to their original position. Not missing it, Ruon immediately grabbed his thick ankle and yanked. Woof! ¡°Off!¡± After breaking the ankle of his opponent, who couldn¡¯t even think of escaping, Ruon headed straight to the kitchen. It wasn¡¯t hard to find the innkeeper. There he was, leaning on the kitchen table and gasping for air. Blood was gushing from his clenched stomach. ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± Instead of answering, Ruon took off his backpack and rummaged through it. A momentter, he held a small bottle filled with red liquid in his hand. Good thing I brought this. It was a potion he had stored deep in his backpack, since he had no reason to use it after meeting Igor. ¡°Move your hand.¡± He flicked his finger to open the cap and poured the contents over the wound without hesitation. Then, a hissing sound and smoke rose, and the blood that had been flowing steadily began to slow down. The innkeeper, who had been biting his lip and enduring the pain, nodded his head gratefully at Ruon, who threw the empty bottle away. ¡°Th-thank you. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Save your thanks. What¡¯s going on?¡± When the innkeeper hesitated with a nervous expression, Ruon added in a calm tone. ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of the bastards outside, so you can speak freely.¡± The innkeeper swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth. ¡°They¡¯re human hunters.¡± Human hunters? Ruon¡¯s brow furrowed naturally. And no wonder, for ¡®human hunters¡¯ were one of the most notorious beings in this world, where all kinds of trashy humans ran rampant. They did various things. Killing, kidnapping, selling, or ying with people who were drugged. He wasn¡¯t sure if those could be called jobs. I should have just killed them all. He muttered to himself. ¡°Did those scum target you?¡± ¡°No. I just overheard them.¡± ¡°Then how did you end up with a knife in your stomach?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they tried to touch my daughter¡­¡± The innkeeper¡¯s eyes widened as he spoke. ¡°My daughter upstairs¡­¡± Ruon got up quickly. He walked out of the kitchen and stepped on the back of Pablo¡¯s hand, who was crawling with one arm, and crushed it. Then, he went up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the short corridor, a man was leaning on the door and dozing off. He must have been drugged, since he didn¡¯t notice themotion downstairs. Ruon walked over and kicked him without hesitation. Crash-! The man, who was kicked in the chest, broke the door and fell into the room. Ruon ignored him, who was vomiting blood, and approached the bed. There, a woman was lying with her hands and ankles tied, blinking her eyes anxiously. He removed the gag from her mouth, and she licked her lips cautiously. ¡°Is my father okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. Nothing happened to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± As he untied the ropes, the woman stared intently at Ruon and asked. ¡°Who are you¡­¡± Ruon sighed lightly and muttered. ¡°A guest.¡± *** The matter was quickly settled. The vige¡¯s self-defense force,posed of sturdy young men, rushed into the inn after hearing the screams, and they found the men who were horribly mutted. Ruon, who wasing down from the second floor, exined the situation to the self-defense force members, who were rolling their eyes in disbelief. The innkeeper, who came out of the kitchen with his daughter¡¯s support, backed up his story, and the young men, who finally understood what was going on, dragged the hunters out of the floor with fury. One of the young men was engaged to the innkeeper¡¯s daughter, so it was unlikely that the hunters would survive. They wouldn¡¯t let go of the bastards who tried to defile their wives. Ruon found it amusing. Who would have expected that the men who had a bad reputation would be beaten to death by the vige¡¯s young men? ¡°You find it funny?¡± Pablo red at Ruon with bloodshot eyes, as he asked curtly. What? With a snap, his head turned and yellow teeth spilled out of his mouth. ¡°Hey, wait.¡± Before Pablo, who was dazed by the p, could open his mouth, a spark flew from the other cheek. ¡°Ugh!¡± He spat out blood on the floor, and he lifted his head with a few teeth left, gritting them. Then, he shuddered as if he had been struck by lightning. Pablo, who had lived as a ¡®human hunter¡¯ and stained his hands with blood, could feel it. The smell of blood that came from behind Ruon¡¯s calm eyes. ¡°Y-you¡¯re a hunter too?¡± He only saw what he wanted to see. With a sneer, Ruon leaned back on the chair¡¯s backrest. He and Pablo were the only ones in the small room. He had borrowed the room from the owner, thinking there was something to dig out. Ruon said, ¡°Why does that matter now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°I need to know if you¡¯re a hunter first¡­ Agh!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he twisted his body as his instep was stepped on. Ruon chose to put more force on his toes instead of making empty threats. As a creaking sound came from the foot pressed by the tremendous force, Pablo screamed. ¡°A-ah! I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll talk! Stop! Stop! Please!¡± Only then did Ruon ease his strength and tilt his head. ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°I, I had a connection with a witch and got a contract from her. She wanted me to catch a fairy girl. We, we¡¯re experts at kidnapping people¡­¡± He tried to nce at Ruon with a vague end to his sentence, but he quickly continued his words when he was startled by the indifferent eyes. ¡°Not only us, but all the scum in this ce got the message. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so valuable about that tattooed guy¡­ Anyway, we were the lucky ones in the end.¡± Ruon watched Pablo catch his breath for a moment and asked. ¡°Is that rat you caught earlier the fairy?¡± Pablo nodded his head, shivering. ¡°Where is the fairy?¡± ¡°I was afraid of getting suspicious if I brought her into the vige¡­ I sent some of my men to a cave nearby¡­¡± A witch. Ruon bit his lower lip and pondered for a while. His intuition, honed by years of wandering, told him that there was something about this matter. Of course, his final destination was the Grand Cathedral of Ganak, but he couldn¡¯t cut everything off with a knife. Besides, wasn¡¯t he involved with He, the crazy witch? Ruon, whose thoughts reached that point, looked straight into Pablo¡¯s eyes and said. ¡°Lead me to that cave.¡± Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Chapter 65 To put it bluntly, Pablo was not in any condition to be a guide. His roughly bandaged shoulder wound was a problem, but more importantly, his hands and ankles were badly broken, making it impossible for him to move normally. Of course, Ruon did not care. ¡°Ugh! W-wait a minute.¡± Ignoring Pablo¡¯s opinion, he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him down the stairs. The innkeeper, who saw him, gasped and jumped up. ¡°Is the conversation over?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say that. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The innkeeper trailed off and nced outside the inn. Following his gaze, they saw torches zing in the dark window. ¡°They seem to be very angry.¡± Ruon, who noticed the situation, opened the inn¡¯s door and stepped out. Then, a dozen young men looked at him at once. They were the vige¡¯s self-defense force. Blood dripped from the clubs they held in their hands. Then, one of the biggest men among them stepped forward and opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the rest. You don¡¯t have to dirty your hands, benefactor.¡± The man continued with a fiery look in his eyes. Ruon knew who he was. He was engaged to the innkeeper¡¯s daughter. Ruon looked at the veins bulging on the back of the man¡¯s hand, clutching the club, and answered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do. I still have some business with this guy.¡± The man bit his lower lip in silence as he heard those words. He looked clearly reluctant to let go. But he couldn¡¯t argue with Ruon, who had saved his future father-inw and wife. He nodded his head soon enough. ¡°Can you hand him over to us when you¡¯re done with your business? I want to crush that pig¡¯s skull myself, no matter what.¡± Ruon was about to nod agreeably, but Pablo interrupted him with a sneer. ¡°That bastard wouldn¡¯t even dare to look me in the eye if it was a normal day.¡± He added, sticking out his tongue through his broken front teeth. ¡°Do you know what I regret the most right now? That all my subordinates are dead? That I ended up like this? No. It¡¯s that I couldn¡¯t sleep with that old woman who was going to be your wife. You bastard! Her soft flesh¡­¡± Pablo couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Before the angry man could swing his club, Ruon¡¯s fist mmed into his right side. Pablo, who had taken a hit to the liver, copsed to the floor without even a groan. Ruon turned his head, looking down at the pig writhing in pain with a cold expression. He asked. ¡°What is your name?¡± The man swallowed his dry saliva. ¡°Yan.¡± ¡°Yan, do you know of any caves near the vige?¡± ¡°A cave, you say¡­¡± Yan nodded his head after a moment of hesitation. ¡°There is one cave that used to be the den of an old, dead bear.¡± ¡°Is that all the caves nearby?¡± Instead of answering right away, Yan turned his head to look at the young men. They all shrugged their shoulders without saying anything, and he turned his head back to its original position. ¡°Yes, you can trust me. My friends and I were all born and raised in this vige.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Pablo lifted his head anxiously, as if he sensed something ominous in Ruon¡¯s brief answer. ¡°Hey, how do you know that the cave they¡¯re talking about is the same one I know? You can¡¯t be sure until you see it for yourself!¡± Ruon swallowed a sneer as he read the unmistakable fear in the eyes of the pig who was drooling and protesting. You have no talent for lying. He grabbed Pablo¡¯s neck and threw him forward like a piece of trash. ¡°Ack!¡± Yan lifted his head with aplicated expression as he saw the pig roll and stop at his feet. Ruon spoke to him. ¡°You can take over as the guide. I¡¯ll be waiting at the entrance of the vige. Don¡¯t be toote.¡± Ruon walked away along the road, without sparing a nce at the fallen Pablo. Behind him, Pablo¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°You bastards. How dare you look down on me? Do you know who I am? I am Pabl-ack!¡± A gruesome sound of something bursting echoed. The scream of the human hunter who had nothing left but his pathetic pride was cut short in an instant. *** At the edge of the vige, Ruon leaned against the low fence and smiled faintly as he saw Yan approaching with a torch. ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy.¡± Yan nodded with a bitter expression at his words. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s everyone¡¯s first time killing someone. There are more than a few guys whoe to their senses toote and vomit their guts out.¡± Yan was no exception, as there was some undigested food left on his lips. Ruon, who was looking at his trembling hand, said. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be strong.¡± His dry answer seemed to be afort, as Yan took a deep breath. ¡°Then, shall I guide you to the cave?¡± Ruon nodded silently. Yan¡¯s guidance began right away. He walked quietly for a while, relying on the flickering torch. He asked cautiously. ¡°May I ask why you are looking for a cave at thiste hour?¡± Ruon, who was following him, shrugged his shoulders lightly and answered. ¡°I heard that there are some human hunters left there.¡± Yan flinched noticeably and muttered softly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I almost got revenge.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t answer, so the conversation didn¡¯t continue. The two men arrived at a round entrance located under a steep cliff a short whileter. Yan whispered in a very low voice. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Wait for me. You can go ahead.¡± ¡°Are you not taking the torch?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Ruon entered the cave as soon as he finished speaking. He moved along the wide path where the cold and damp air lingered. He stopped when he found a corpse lying on the floor. A woman who was leaning against the wall beyond the sprawled corpse asked in a soft voice. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a traveler who came to the cave to avoid the night wind¡¤¡¤¡¤Did youe to get me too?¡± What? Ruon furrowed his brow slightly. ording to Pablo¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t understand how the woman who should have been captured was resting like that after killing his men. Instead, Ruon, who had the ¡®night eyes¡¯ that pierced the darkness, could easily tell that the other person was in a state of banra. He stared at the woman. It was not because he was distracted by her curvy and sensual body, but because of the tattoos that covered her pale skin. He felt a vague repulsion from the tattoos. Ruon opened his mouth slowly. ¡°I heard you were being chased by a witch. Did you find the right ce?¡± The woman tilted her head. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I know the situation I¡¯m in, but you¡¯re not the one who chased me? Who are you?¡± I have to tell her honestly. Ruon answered, facing her face mixed with curiosity and hostility. ¡°I heard it from the leader of the human hunters who trapped you in this cave. I came to see you because I was interested.¡± The woman started tough. Sheughed so hard that her shoulder strap slipped down, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice. She finally caught her breath and said. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m warning you sincerely. Run away now. If you don¡¯t want to lose your precious life for nothing.¡± As she said that, she swept her hair up and revealed her pointed ears. ¡°So just get out of here.¡± Ruon stayed in his ce despite her prickly tone. He said in a calm expression. ¡°He.¡± He deliberately threw the word to see her reaction. He saw her face change noticeably. ¡°That¡¯s the name of the crazy witch who is grinding her teeth to kill me. Of course, I have no intention of sparing that woman either.¡± The fairy woman said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Why are you telling me such a thing out of the blue? I¡¯m not interested in your personal affairs.¡± Ruon replied, scratching his nose. ¡°Well? You said you were being chased by the witch too, so I wondered if you had anything to do with He.¡± The woman frowned at his indifferent answer. ¡°There are so many madwomen who call themselves witches in this vast world¡­ You came looking for me thinking that we might have something inmon for that reason? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Ruon said, facing the woman who was grumbling with a disappointed expression. ¡°I¡¯ve told you this much, so you should at least answer me yes or no. Don¡¯t pick on my way of doing things.¡± The fairy woman stoppedughing and asked. ¡°What if you say yes? Since we¡¯re both being chased by the same witch, why don¡¯t we join forces and ovee this crisis? Do you want to shake hands with me while spouting some childish words like that? Huh?¡± So he was right about being rted to He. Ignoring the pessimistic voice of the woman, Ruon opened his mouth to conclude. ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken, so I¡¯ll have to correct you. I didn¡¯te here to join forces with you. I came here to see if our goals match.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Ruon continued his words, looking at the fairy who tilted her head. ¡°As I said, I have no intention of sparing He, and you are being chased by her. Do you need any more exnation?¡± ¡°Are you going to use me to kill He?¡± Ruon nodded at her question. ¡°I¡¯m not so easy-going as to wait for the one who threatened to kill me toe to me.¡± With that, a silent silence enveloped the two men and women who faced each other. Even if an ordinary person opened their eyes wide, they would only see a vague outline, but in the dark cave, the two people stared at each other¡¯s eyes precisely. It was the fairy woman who broke the silence that seemed tost forever. ¡°You¡¯re not an ordinary swordsman, are you? You¡¯re just in the shape of a human. The power that wriggles under your skin is enough to make my hair stand on end.¡± She sighed deeply and added. ¡°I know you¡¯re not baseless in your confidence. But, apart from that, I don¡¯t rmend you to get involved with me just to kill He. Unless you want to be at odds with the great demon to cut off the link with the witch.¡± What the hell is she talking about? Ruon raised his eyebrows at the unexpected words. A great demon? How long has it been since Belducius was killed? He asked. ¡°Is He a servant of the great demon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to call her a servant. They¡¯re not in a dependent master-servant rtionship, but a mutually symbiotic one. Anyway, it¡¯s certain that she¡¯s rted to the great demon. Now you know why I told you to run away. So don¡¯t be foolish and¡­¡± Ruon cut off the woman¡¯s words by raising his palm and muttered. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Ruon mumbled to himself, ignoring the woman¡¯s question with wide eyes. ¡°¡­I thought she was not a mediocre witch, but she¡¯s much bigger than I expected. Yeah, that¡¯s how it should be.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Big trouble!¡± Ruon turned his head at Yan¡¯s words, who appeared with a hurried footsteps. ¡°I told you to wait outside. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It seems something happened in the vige.¡± There was no need for a pointless exnation. The sharp roar that started from afar began to echo in the cave. It was the cry of a ghoul. Ruon got up right away. He could feel clearly, without realizing it himself, that the chain of enmity that he had umted little by little was leading him to a new evil. He turned his head and said to the fairy who was staring nkly. ¡°Let¡¯s finish the rest of the talk after we finish the job.¡± Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Chapter 66 Yan, who had btedly discovered the corpses of the hunter and the fairy woman, was startled and backed away. Regardless of his reaction, the woman adjusted her rag-like clothes and pointed at the corpses with her finger. ¡°The wicked curse that befell them has death as its starting point. You said you were involved with H, so you must know what I¡¯m talking about, right?¡± Before she finished speaking, Ruon ran out of the cave. Ki-ee-ee-ee- A terrible roar that seemed to squeeze his vocal cords rang out again. It came from the direction of the vige. Ruon immediately hit the ground. Under the dim moonlight, he moved at an incredible speed, cutting through the bushes. He arrived at the entrance of the vige in an instant. The vige was aplete disaster. Screams of terror erupted from all directions, livestock that had broken through the fence ran around in fear, and some houses were engulfed in mes. And he saw the culprits of all this, roaming the vige. They had hideous, twisted faces, sharp teeth and ws that protruded, and a bizarre movement that rolled their feet like quadrupeds. They were ghouls. Kee-ah-ah-ak! Then, one of the ghouls that spotted Ruon let out a deafening scream and charged at him. As he faced the monster that seemed to embody the malice against the living, Ruon gripped the handle of his sword. With a sound of hooves pounding the ground, a ck horse appeared and turned its body with great sticity, kicking the ghoul with its hind legs. With a sound of a watermelon bursting, the ghoul¡¯s head was crushed and it copsed to the ground, twitching. The ck horse, whose hind legs were stained with blood and flesh, approached Ruon with a snort. It looked like it had escaped from the stable on its own in the midst of the chaos. You¡¯re a hot-headed one. Ruon smiled faintly and climbed onto the back of the nightmare. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hee-hee-hee-hee! As if responding to its master¡¯s words, the ck horse neighed loudly and started to run forward. In that direction, there was a ghoul that was trying to devour a young man who looked like a member of the self-defense force. Ruon quickly drew his sword and leaned his body sideways, stretching his arm downward. Kerk? The ghoul, startled by the fierce sound of hooves, lifted its head only to be shed by the shing de that passed by its neck. As the severed neck spun around, spraying blood everywhere, the ck horse turned itself around and sped up again. On its path, there was another ghoul. You¡¯re definitely a useful guy. The nightmare found the cursed beings that were spread throughout the vige with amazing uracy. On top of that creature, Ruon swung his sword wildly and spotted the young men who were struggling in the distance. ¡°Hang in there! Don¡¯t back down!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Yan? Where did he go?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense and focus!¡± They were wielding spears against arge ghoul, but they looked more like they were iling to survive than fighting. Hee-hee-hee-hee! The ck horse also noticed that scene and ran straight toward it. Because the young men were huddled together, the space to swing his sword was limited, so Ruon made a light movement and stood on the saddle. With his overwhelming agility and strength, he stood upright on the running horse without shaking and threw himself at the ghoul. ¡°What, what is that?¡± One of the young men screamed as arge shadow passed over his head. In the air, Ruon grabbed the ghoul¡¯s head and mmed it into the ground as hended. Bang-! Then, he casually dusted himself off and got up, shaking off the flesh on his hand. The young men gaped at him. ¡°Th-thank you for saving us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who knocked out the hunter at the inn earlier!¡± Ruon nodded slightly and answered. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the ghouls, so don¡¯t wander around outside and hide in the house right now. Don¡¯t even think abouting out until it¡¯s quiet.¡± At his firm voice, the young men quickly hid their bodies in a nearby house. Soon, they heard the sound of a lock clicking. The human hunters are dead for sure. Ruon sighed lightly as he confirmed that the clothes on the ghoul¡¯s body, whose head was smashed and killed, were the same as Pablo¡¯s. Grrr-grrr Then, with a filthy sound that sounded like phlegm boiling over, ghouls began to slowly reveal themselves from all directions. Ruon smirked as he saw the red eyes of the hateful creatures. ¡°Why? Do you still remember the beating you got when you were alive?¡± As if his words were a trigger, the ghouls roared and rushed at him. Ruon immediately swung his sword horizontally. The ghoul that was swept by its trajectory was cut in half at the waist and fell to the ground. Then, he turned his body and pped the head of another ghoul that came close with the back of his hand. The fist that didn¡¯t lose any speed even after smashing one head crushed another ghoul¡¯s head and stopped. But it wasn¡¯t because of the force. Possible continuation: It was because he sensed something behind him. He quickly turned around and saw a woman standing there. She had long silver hair, pointed ears, and a slender figure. She was wearing a simple dress that barely covered her body, revealing her fair skin and curves. She was the fairy woman he had seen in the cave. She looked at him with a cold expression and said, ¡°You¡¯re toote. The curse has already spread throughout the vige. There¡¯s no way to stop it now.¡± Ruon frowned and asked, ¡°What curse? What are you talking about?¡± She shook her head and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, do you? You¡¯re just a pawn of H, the goddess of death. She¡¯s the one who created this curse, using the blood of the hunter you killed. She wants to turn this vige into a nest of ghouls, and use them as her army to invade the other realms.¡± Ruon felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered the hunter¡¯sst words. ¡°H¡­ will reward me¡­¡± He realized that he had unwittingly helped H¡¯s n by killing the hunter. He clenched his teeth and said, ¡°Is there no way to stop it? Can¡¯t you do something? You¡¯re a fairy, right? Don¡¯t you have some magic or something?¡± She looked at him with pity and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s toote. The curse is too powerful for me to undo. Even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t. This is the fate of the humans who dared to hunt us down and destroy our forest. They deserve to suffer and die.¡± She turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving this ce. You should do the same, before the ghouls overwhelm you. Or better yet, join them. You¡¯re already tainted by H¡¯s touch. You¡¯ll never be free of her.¡± She walked away, leaving Ruon alone with the ghouls. He felt a surge of anger and frustration. He wanted to stop her, to make her help him, to save the vige. But he knew it was useless. She was right. He was toote. He looked at the ghouls that were closing in on him. He saw their twisted faces, their sharp teeth and ws, their bizarre movements. He wondered if he would be one of them soon. He gripped his sword and said, ¡°No. I won¡¯t give up. I won¡¯t let H win. I¡¯ll fight until the end.¡± He raised his sword and charged at the ghouls, shouting, ¡°Come on, you bastards! Let¡¯s see who dies first!¡± Before the ghoul¡¯s sharp ws could reach his heart, Ruon twisted the creature¡¯s arm, mming its body to the ground as if shaking out wetundry. Crunch¡ª The chilling sound of bones and muscles being disced echoed, and a cloud of dust rose high into the air. After discarding the twisted corpse like a piece of trash, Ruon immediately gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands. The sharp de glowed with red runes that seemed to push away the darkness. Spinning the Ego Sword in his hand, leaving a trail of red afterimages, Ruon suddenly charged towards the distant monsters. In an instant, the ghouls began to fall one by one, unable to mount even a feeble counterattack, their bodies piling up on the ground. Screech¡ªScreech¡ªThud! Ruon crushed the skull of a ghoul, crawling on the ground with its legs severed below the knees, with his foot and quietly lifted his head. With thest ghoul in, no more remained in the vige. The ensuing silence confirmed it. As Ruon caught his breath, the Nightmare horse approached him slowly, rubbing its head against him. ¡°Where have you been?¡± With a faint smile, Ruon stroked the ck horse¡¯s mane, and someone approached him, saying, ¡°To kill a horde of ghouls single-handedly without showing a hint of fatigue. Truly, you possess an extraordinary physique.¡± A fairy woman appeared, pping her hands in admiration. The Nightmare, enjoying Ruon¡¯s touch, suddenly snorted and stood between them with an imposing presence. Despite theck of wind, the woman watched the fluttering ck mane and said, ¡°You¡¯re a strange one, aren¡¯t you? Oveing the power of a lowly creature due to a long-standing curse, yet you guard against me¡­ Was this form not of your own choosing?¡± Despite her calm voice, the Nightmare stood its ground, and Ruon spoke soothingly, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± The horse stepped back slowly. ¡°Such a clever creature, isn¡¯t it?¡± The fairy woman, with a faint smile, slowly extended her hand and added, ¡°I mean you no harm, so I hope you won¡¯t startle and take off my head.¡± Her body began to tremble, and a sinister purple light started to seep out¡ªnot from her body, but from the mysterious tattoos covering it. What¡¯s this now? Ruon realized why she had added that warning. The purple light, distorting the faint moonlight and spreading like fog, was ominously unsettling. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to sever her head from her body if she made any false moves. But there was no need for concern. The sinister light did not target Ruon but the corpses of the ghouls on the ground. As the light prated the monsters¡¯ bodies, a sharp scream echoed through the air. It was as if they were being dragged to hell, and Ruon frowned at the chilling death throes. He asked, ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve broken the curse.¡± ¡°Broken it?¡± ¡°Yes, a curse is a power that can linger in the world for a very long time if given the chance. If we had buried those ghouls as they were, new monsters would have arisen from the rotten soil. It¡¯s like a shackle. A curse is¡­¡± As the fairy woman trailed off, Ruon watched her intently and said, ¡°Yan?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to Yan, the man who arrivedte in the cave, he¡¯s tending to the injured.¡± Suddenly sensing movement, Ruon looked around. The vigers, who had been hiding in their homes during the sudden ordeal, were now peeking out cautiously. Among them were young militia men whose lives had been saved by Ruon. One of them asked timidly, ¡°Excuse me, warrior. What happened to the monsters?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡± Ruon replied calmly and turned to the woman, suggesting, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like a conversation to have standing up. Shall we move somewhere morefortable?¡± *** Shortly after, Ruon and the woman arrived at an inn and managed to secure thergest room. Despite the chaos that had engulfed the vige, the innkeeper spared no effort in amodating Ruon. He even hurriedly called his daughter to bring clothes for the nearly naked fairy woman. Grateful for the innkeeper¡¯s kindness, Ruon offered a substantial amount of silver coins, but the innkeeper refused, saying, ¡°In just half a day, you¡¯ve bestowed upon me, my daughter, and the vigers a debt of gratitude we can never repay. How could I take money from such a person?¡± With no choice but to ept the refusal, Ruon entered the room and leaned back in a wooden chair, gazing out the window. Yan was shouting something at the young men, holding a torch. Ruon could have listened in, but he chose not to. It was undoubtedly a speech about restoring the devastated vige. He¡¯s a good son-inw. With that thought and a faint smile, Ruon was interrupted when the door opened, and the woman entered the room. She had washed her body and changed into proper clothes, and she was not unworthy of the adjective beautiful, but it was inevitable that her eyes were more drawn to the grotesque tattoo that started from her chin. What the hell is that? The tattoo, which seemed to express something indescribable rather than letters or pictures, gave the viewer a hard-to-exin difort just by looking at it. Moreover, Ruon, who had witnessed the ominous purple that had leaked out of the tattoo, could not shake off the uneasy feeling. Meanwhile, the woman sitting across from him sighed softly and opened her mouth. ¡°I was so sorry for how much you were shaking. Why did you insist on washing me by yourself¡­¡± Ruon realized that the remark was directed at the innkeeper¡¯s daughter, but he was not curious, so he went straight to the point. ¡°Did the pursuers who chased you all die and get cursed to be ghouls?¡± ¡°Wait, wait. No matter how urgent it is, it would be better to introduce ourselves first after moving to a different ce.¡± The fairy stretched out her hand. Ruon grabbed her hand and she said. ¡°My name is Tarwen.¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± Tarwen shrugged her shoulders lightly at Ruon¡¯s dry introduction. ¡°Okay, Ruon. I¡¯ll answer your question. You asked if the ones who chased me were all cursed, right? Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but if they had contact with the witch, there¡¯s a high chance of that.¡± That was the end of her words, and silence came for a moment. It was a temporary silence that came because the two had questions about each other. They had to think about what to ask. The one who organized his thoughts first was Ruon. ¡°You¡¯ve been lumping the target who chased you from the cave as a witch, not He¡­ Is the one who¡¯s chasing you a group, not an individual? And the reason you¡¯re being chased is because of that tattoo?¡± Tarwen¡¯s eyes widened at the smooth question. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not just a strong warrior, are you? That insight is amazing.¡± It¡¯s hard not to know when you have such an extraordinary tattoo. Ruon muttered to himself, and Tarwen nodded and answered. ¡°That¡¯s right. Exactly. I¡¯m being chased by a group of witches called ¡®The Cradle of the Dead¡¯, and He, who you mentioned, is also a member of that ce. And this tattoo that covers my body is the reason they¡¯re chasing me.¡± Ruon asked her as she took a breath. ¡°What is that tattoo?¡± Tarwen hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth slowly. ¡°You must have noticed, but this is not an ordinary tattoo. It¡¯s a magic circle. The most evil one in the world.¡± She added with a grim expression. ¡°A magic that opens a passage to the abyss.¡± Here is the edited version of your text: After washing herself and changing into decent clothes, she looked beautiful enough to deserve thepliment, but her eyes were inevitably drawn to the bizarre tattoo that began from her chin. What was that thing? It was not a letter or a picture, but something unspeakable that the tattoo seemed to convey. It gave a hard-to-describe sense of disgust to anyone who looked at it. Ruon, who had seen the sinister purple leaking from the tattoo, felt a nagging uneasiness. The woman sitting opposite him let out a low sigh and spoke. ¡°I felt so sorry for how much you trembled. Why did you stubbornly want to wash me by yourself¡­¡± Ruon knew she was talking to the innkeeper¡¯s daughter, but he didn¡¯t care. He got to the point. ¡°Did the curse of bing ghouls fall on all the people who chased you?¡± ¡°Hold on, hold on. We should at least introduce ourselves first, now that we¡¯ve moved to a different ce.¡± The fairy held out her hand. Ruon took it and she said. ¡°I¡¯m Tarwen.¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± Ruon¡¯s introduction was terse, and Tarwen shrugged lightly. ¡°Alright, Ruon. I¡¯ll answer your question. You asked if those who chased me were all cursed, right? Well¡­ I can¡¯t be sure, but it¡¯s likely if they touched the witch.¡± She paused, and silence fell for a moment. It was a brief silence that came from their curiosity about each other. They had to think of what to ask. Ruon was the first to sort out his thoughts. ¡°From the cave, you¡¯ve been calling the one who chased you a witch, not He¡­ Are you being chased by a group, not an individual? And is it because of that tattoo?¡± Tarwen widened her eyes at his fluent question. ¡°¡­You¡¯re more than just a strong warrior, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s some insight.¡± It was hard to miss when she had such an unusual tattoo. Ruon muttered to himself, and Tarwen nodded and replied. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m being chased by a witch group called ¡®The Cradle of the Dead¡¯, and He is one of them. And this tattoo that covers my body is why they¡¯re after me.¡± Ruon asked her as she caught her breath. ¡°What is that tattoo?¡± Tarwen hesitated for a moment, then said slowly. ¡°You must have realized, but this is no ordinary tattoo. It¡¯s a magic circle. The most wicked one in the world.¡± She added with a grim face. ¡°A magic that opens a gateway to the abyss.¡± Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Even after hearing the word abyss, Ruon¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much. But that wasn¡¯t because he wasn¡¯t interested, but because he needed time to calmly sort out the questions that were boiling inside him. He slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Do you want to be a great demon?¡± At the short question, Tarwen looked at Ruon¡¯s face without a word. She quickly corrected her thought that he might be a pdin of the church, judging by how he inferred the great demon from the word abyss. The emotion that swirled behind the eyes of the man who was quietly settled was not faith, but absolute confidence in himself. Not representing someone else¡¯s will, but only fighting for himself, she read the eyes of a warrior and spoke with her head nodding like a person who had made up her mind. ¡°The ones who want to rise as great demons are the witches of the cradle. I imnted the magic circle that they had painstakingly created in my body to stop their n. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m being chased.¡± She licked her lips as if her throat was burning. ¡°Of course, there was no heroic story in the process. It was just a personal revenge. Amon and old revenge.¡± Tapping the table with his finger, Ruon, who was staring at Tarwen¡¯s face, asked. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your personal affairs. But there¡¯s one thing I have to point out. Do you really want to call it revenge when you¡¯re barely living while being chased by the witches?¡± At that, Tarwen started tough out loud. But it wasn¡¯t a happy face at all. ¡°You¡¯re good at stabbing the sore spot, aren¡¯t you, for someone who¡¯s not a swordsman.¡± As if she had been stabbed by an invisible sword, she clutched her left chest and wrinkled her face yfully, then sighed deeply and answered. ¡°¡­I¡¯m ashamed, but that¡¯s right. The only revenge I can do right now is to run away as hard as I can to make them stumble in their affairs.¡± With a faint smile, Tarwen showed both her backs of her hands. The tattoo that covered her body extended to the tips of her fingers. He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but Ruon felt that the tattoo was wriggling. As if it were alive. Tarwen said. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me too much. I had to sacrifice everything I had done to maintain this state.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t know what price she had paid. He didn¡¯t want to know either. He just felt the yoke that he had covered up and left long ago came back to him. He recalled. The series of events that he had received a request from a nobleman in the city where he had stopped to collect the bounty of the banshee, killed the ghoul in the cemetery, and left the city right away because he didn¡¯t want to get involved inplicated things. It was a relief that he didn¡¯t stay and make more trouble. He realized btedly that the decision he had made at that time was a huge turning point. Because he left the city right away, he was able to solve the incident of the monastery, and as a result, he became entangled with Tive, Belducias, and the tower of magic. Well, whatever. That¡¯s not the important thing. He didn¡¯t have a hobby of chewing on the past, so Ruon shook off his thoughts. And he looked at Tarwen with a determined face and opened his mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t want to die running away like a coward, do you? Right?¡± He didn¡¯t expect an answer, so he continued without dy. ¡°So let¡¯s end this runaway life that¡¯s too embarrassing to call revenge.¡± Tarwen red at him with a scowl. ¡°Then what do you want me to do? Do you think I wanted to run away like this? I just chose the best option I could.¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°Maybe you did before you met me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tarwen, who was questioning with her eyes wide open, pressed her temple as if it was throbbing. She muttered with difficulty. ¡°What do you want to say? Stop running away like a fool and go to the cradle with me and kill those damn witches? Do you think that makes sense?¡± As she went on, she raised her voice without knowing it, but she lowered it again with a sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I got excited and bbered nonsense.¡± Ruon shrugged and retorted. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking.¡± Tarwen was speechless at the confident answer, and his words continued. ¡°If you were going to keep running away, why did you bring up the cradle of the dead, the great demon, the abyss, and all that? Did you intend toin about your situation?¡± Tarwen opened her mouth slowly after taking a breath. ¡°My n is not to run away aimlessly, but to get help from the church to permanently destroy this magic circle. I felt that it was not easy to get there by myself, so I asked you to escort me. I exined the details of the situation because of that. I thought I had to be honest if I was going to ask for help.¡± Ruon, who was quietly listening to her story, asked. ¡°Is the church you mentioned the church of Gannacus?¡± Tarwen nodded. ¡°Yes. Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter where, but¡­ the closest ce here is the church of Gannacus. That¡¯s the best option to go there. It might take a month or so, though.¡± Ruon, who had a bad feeling about the church of Gannacus, shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t rmend it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± *** ¡°They have a history of overlooking a great demon born in their own temple. It¡¯s not certain without a proper investigation, though,¡± Ruon exined, not allowing his exnation to be vague, as it would only diminish its credibility. Instead, he recounted the story of how he and hispanions had repelled Belducias, without omitting any details. Tarwen¡¯s eyes widened inplete surprise at the unexpected revtion. ¡°What do you mean a great demon from the temple of Ganax?¡± As Ruon finished his detailed ount, Tarwen murmured in disbelief, ¡°Good heavens. You defeated the decaying madness, Belducias? That dreadful monster?¡± Her mouth hung open so wide, one might worry her jaw would dislocate. ¡°So that¡¯s why you weren¡¯t startled by the mention of a great demon. Not because you thought it was absurd, but because you¡¯ve already faced such a being before¡­¡± Ruon scratched his cheek with his hand, a bit taken aback by her ready eptance. ¡°You¡¯re not one to doubt, I see?¡± ¡°If you concocted all those stories on the spot, then the person before me is not a warrior but perhaps the greatest liar in history,¡± Tarwen said with a faint smile. ¡°It seems I have no choice but to postpone my visit to the grand church of Ganax. I can¡¯t risk going to such a foul-smelling ce in this state,¡± she said, washing her face with her hands in aplicated gesture. ¡°Is it really possible? All the witches of the Cradle¡­¡± Before she could finish, Ruon raised his palm to cut her off, sighing with annoyance. ¡°I understand your anxiety, but it¡¯s troublesome if you ask me about possibilities now. There¡¯s only one thing you need to tell me.¡± Leaning forward with his elbows on the table, Ruon said decisively, ¡°Choose. Will you guide me to the witches¡¯ stronghold, or not?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Tarwen nodded firmly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll guide you.¡± Ruon smiled at her straightforward answer. ¡°Finally, a clear response.¡± A woman walked briskly down a damp, narrow corridor, her heels clicking with each step. At the end of the hallway, a pitch-ck crow greeted her. ¡°He-He-¡± Surprisingly, the crow spoke in a clear human tongue, not the expected cawing. ¡°Why are youte? Why are youte?¡± Annoyed by the echoing voice, He frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t rush me. I was busy.¡± ¡°Who isn¡¯t busy-! Who isn¡¯t busy-!¡± ¡°If you squawk one more time, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes and stuff them with maggots.¡± The crow quickly shut its beak, and He smiled, pleased. ¡°I¡¯m d you have some sense, Sven.¡± ¡°Frightening-Frightening-¡± As Sven turned his head toward a blocked wall, his eyes glowed red, and a dark oval portal shimmered into existence. Without hesitation, He stepped through. Her vision blurred as thousands of thin lines collided and scattered before suddenly merging together. She found herself in a vast cavern, the ceiling studded with glowing stctites. As He shook off a slight dizziness, a voice called out, ¡°If you¡¯ve made everyone wait, you might as well sit down quickly.¡± Chilled by the voice, He moved toward therge circr table at the center of the cavern. There were two empty seats. Choosing the nearer one, she sat down and said, ¡°Sorry for the dy. I was busy.¡± Though her tone didn¡¯t sound apologetic, no one at the table bothered to point that out. They were not the sort to dwell on such trivialities. Someone spoke up, ¡°Belducias is dead.¡± The news was shocking, yet no one seemed surprised; they all knew. ¡°The monster that umted karma for centuries¡ª who killed it, we don¡¯t know. But now we¡¯re the ones in trouble.¡± Another voice joined in, ¡°It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t reuse the corpses imbued with Belducias¡¯s grudge, but we have more than enough decaying bodies. The real pity is something else, isn¡¯t it?¡± He, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke, her gaze fixed on the one empty seat. ¡°I¡¯ve said it time and again, haven¡¯t I? We shouldn¡¯t have trusted Tarwen. Those who voted to spare her for her talents should reflect. It¡¯s your negligence that led to this mess. To think she¡¯d stab us in the back? If I catch that wretch, she¡¯ll pay dearly.¡± A suppressed voice warned, ¡°Keep it together. We didn¡¯t gather here to say things we can¡¯t take back.¡± The sticky voice continued, and the meeting went on. **** ¡°One of the parties chasing Tarwen was wiped out by a curse.¡± The curse meant that they had turned into ghouls, so He spoke up right away. ¡°What? Then you must have seen who killed them through the eyes of the ghouls. Was it Tarwen? Did she still have that much strength left?¡± ¡°No, it was someone else who took down the ghouls.¡± The one who answered briefly was Nadia, who was sitting across from He. ¡°Nadia? You saw it?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was the one who cursed those human hunters.¡± Nadia replied dryly and took out a round crystal ball from her sleeve. She ced it on the table and rolled it towards He. He caught the rolling crystal ball and tilted her head. ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t Tarwen? Then why are you showing me this?¡± ¡°Just look. You know him too.¡± ¡°Me?¡± He frowned and put her hand over the crystal ball. Soon, a scene appeared over the crystal ball that had absorbed her evil power. Someone was crushing the ghouls that were rushing at him from all sides. He looked down at the warrior who showed his fearsome strength by smashing the ghouls¡¯ heads with his bare fists, and unknowingly widened her eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± ¡°A familiar face, right?¡± As Nadia said, the man moving inside the crystal ball was a familiar face to He. How could she forget? He was the one who ruined the two curses she had nted on the ground. Then a suppressed voice came. ¡°Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find Tarwen, but I did find the warrior who was a perfect fit for our new bodies, as you said.¡± He smiled wickedly as she stared at the crystal ball. ¡°What did I say? I said he had a body and mind that surpassed hundreds of ordinary sacrifices, didn¡¯t I?¡± The others sitting around the table threw a word at her, snickering. They were all disgusting words mixed with satisfaction and desire for finding such a splendid sacrifice. Meanwhile, He gazed at Ruon in the crystal ball as if she was bewitched. ¡°Hey, warrior. You¡¯ve been hiding well. We¡¯ll being for you soon. So get ready and wait.¡± Of course, she had no idea that he was walking towards her on his own. Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Chapter 68 The sun rose as usual, leaving behind the horrible night. It was a bright morning. But despite the cheerful chirping of the birds and the refreshing mountain breeze, the vige was filled with a gloomy atmosphere. The people who had suffered from a sudden and severe measles outbreak woke up to realize that their small peace had been shattered by the ws of a monster. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Yan, who had a weary face, bowed his head when he saw Ruoning out of the inn. Next to him, there were a few young men with pale faces, who also bowed deeply and politely following Yan. Ruon gestured with his hand for them to stop and said. ¡°You seemed busy all night. Are you okay?¡± Yan nodded weakly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. But some people who didn¡¯t lock their doors in time were attacked. Those houses were inevitably burned down. And many livestock were killed too¡­ The damage is not small.¡± He clenched his fist and added. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. If I had known that those filthy human hunters would turn into horrible monsters after they died, I wouldn¡¯t have dumped them in the back mountain. I would have burned them.¡± They¡¯ve changed. Ruon bit his tongue lightly as he saw the hostility in the eyes of Yan and the young men. They had witnessed the scene of the corpses they had killeding back to life and turning the vige into a mess, just after they had ovee the shock of their first murder. They might never be able to return to their previous lives. Ruon shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. Who could have expected that?¡± He turned his head as he felt a presence behind him. Tarwen was approaching. She was wearing a long-sleeved blouse and tight pants with leather boots covering her tattoos. The elf, who had put on a thin cloak with a hood, said. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve wrapped yourself up pretty well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of others.¡± Then, the innkeeper came up to them with arge leather pouch and said. ¡°I thought you might get hungry on the way, so I put in some ham, cheese, and jerky. The ham was smoked with apple wood, so it has a fruity vor and tastes good.¡± Ruon took the pouch and exchanged a light bow with the innkeeper and said. ¡°Thank you. I owe you a lot.¡± ¡°We owe you more.¡± After that, they had a brief and dry conversation, saying things like thank you, take care, and so on. After finishing the talk, they walked straight to the stable. Tarwen, who was walking side by side with Ruon, asked. ¡°When I came out, I saw a gold coin on the table. Was that a mistake? I was going to take it, but I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that people with such a generous heart are rare in this miserable world, but didn¡¯t you give too much? Are you rich?¡± Ruon nced at the innkeeper and Yan, who were still waving their hands, and said. ¡°It¡¯s my choice.¡± Tarwen muttered with a nk expression. ¡°I¡¯m not used to this kind of fuzzy feeling, because I¡¯ve been living with crazy women.¡± What are you talking about? Ruon didn¡¯t answer and quickened his pace. He saw Nightmare standing tall in the distance. And the stableman, who was struggling next to him. He looked like he hade out on his own. He gave a nd word of constion to the stableman, who must have had a hard time, and then grabbed the reins of the ck horse. And so, the self-proimed mercenary, the tattooed elf, the cursed ck horse, and the ego sword left the vige. *** Under the noon sky, where the warm sunlight fell vertically, a soldier in nking armor opened his mouth to the man and woman in front of him. ¡°What brings you to Olbor?¡± Ruon returned the blunt question without emotion. ¡°We just stopped by.¡± The soldier nodded and turned his gaze to Tarwen. ¡°We¡¯re checking everyone, so it would be nice if you could take off your hood. You can¡¯t enter the city without that much cooperation.¡± The soldier¡¯s voice was still businesslike, but he unconsciously tensed his hand that held the spear, as if he was on guard. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Tarwen quickly pulled back her hood. Then, her tinum hair flowed down her shoulders. The soldier looked at her pointed ears through her hair and murmured. ¡°An elf.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with an elf? Are elves not allowed to enter the city?¡± The soldier shrugged his shoulders at her sharp voice and answered. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just thattely, there have been many cases of elves being killed or disappearing in the city.¡± He finished his sentence by saying, be careful, and flicked his hand inward, as if to tell them to go. As soon as they passed the city gate, Tarwen furrowed her brows and said. ¡°What did I just hear? Be careful? Isn¡¯t that like shifting the me? Their security level is terrible, but this is like saying, protect yourself. Right?¡± Ruon listened silently to her rapid-fire words and said. ¡°Have you ever seen anyone who works for Seongju and has passion for their job? I don¡¯t think I have.¡± The two of them crossed the bustling market as they moved forward. Then, a flying apple caught Ruon¡¯s eye as he walked holding the reins. He snatched it lightly and heard someoneughing next to him. ¡°Try it, it¡¯s juicy and sweet. Why don¡¯t you buy some if you like it?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders and took a big bite of the apple at the merchant¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s not to my taste.¡± He said that, but Tarwen muttered as he saw the apple peel left in an instant. ¡°You seemed to enjoy it¡­¡± Ruon didn¡¯t answer and walked ahead first. She gave the merchant an awkward smile. After entering the inn, the two of them unpacked their luggage and sat down at the restaurant to order some simple food. As the soldier had said, there were no other guests in the inn¡¯s restaurant because of the ominous incidents in the city. Ruon drank some beer and asked. ¡°How much further do we have to go?¡± ¡°Far. Yoram is on the western edge of the kingdom. A little more from there and we¡¯ll reach Ruanthal, right?¡± Ruanthal was the name of another country located in the west of the kingdom. Unlike the barbarians of Andal in the north, who couldn¡¯t kill each other, they had established a mutual interest with Aniara through trade and exchange. Of course, Ruon had never been there before. ¡°It¡¯ll take at least two months to get there. You ran away far.¡± Tarwen shook his head. ¡°I used teleportation. I messed up the coordinate system so that Yoram couldn¡¯t easily chase me. Because of that, I had to risk my life to move without knowing where I wouldnd¡­¡± Ruon nodded silently, remembering what Ame had told him about the dangers of teleportation. ¡°Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough to escape Yoram¡¯s grasp. You know they¡¯re the kind of bastards who don¡¯t shy away from dirty work. They got my face and identity.¡± He said that and rubbed his neck covered with tattoos as if to show them. ¡°No matter how careful I am, I end up like this and eventually get caught.¡± Ruon put a piece of bread from the basket in his mouth and asked. ¡°You said there¡¯s a demon behind the witches. So, is Yoram¡¯s attempt to be a new demon also influenced by his will?¡± Tarwen shook his head again. ¡°You mean the rotten one who cowers. He¡¯s definitely close with Yoram¡¯s witches, but he didn¡¯t directly intervene in the birth of the new demon.¡± She sighed lightly and said. ¡°There was an unidentified being who contacted Yoram long ago. He¡¯s the one who created this magic circle imnted in my body.¡± She said that and the table was filled with delicious ribs. Ruon cut arge piece and moved it to Tarwen¡¯s te and urged him to continue. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± She looked at the shiny ribs and scratched her cheek awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a tender side.¡± ¡°Shut up and finish your story.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll just eat one bite and tell you.¡± Tarwen bit into the meat and mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. He only contacted Fleur, the most powerful witch in Yoram.¡± She swallowed the meat quickly and continued. ¡°I know two things. This magic circle can make direct contact with the abyss when activated. And at that moment, it devours everything around it and bes a new being.¡± Ruon nodded and pushed his ss forward. ¡°That¡¯s why He was collecting corpses. To umte sacrifices for bing a demon.¡± Tarwen drank the water and sighed with relief and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only He, but all the witches of Yoram are umting sacrifices. To be the worst demon ever. They¡¯re crazy¡­ They don¡¯t care about losing their selves.¡± She said that and yawned. Her eyes became dull and cloudy. ¡°¡­Of course¡­ they haven¡¯t¡­ found¡­ the core¡­ sacrifice¡­ yet¡­¡± Her face fell toward the table in an instant. Ruon reached out and caught it. Heid the unconscious fairy against the wall and heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± A man walked out of the kitchen slowly. He had slit eyes on both sides and was not the owner who had served the food. At the same time, a group of men came down the stairs connected to the upper floor. The men surrounded him, whether he liked it or not. Ruon sat back down and bit into therge piece of meat on the ribs. The men frowned at his calm appearance. Then, the door of the inn opened and someone came in. He locked the door with a key and approached. He was the merchant who had given him the apple at the market. ¡°I thought it was strange that you were fine after eating the apple with a lot of drugs, but I didn¡¯t expect you to withstand the alcohol and meat too.¡± Ruon licked the sauce on his fingers and replied indifferently. ¡°If you¡¯re going to use sleeping pills, you should have used better ones.¡± The merchantughed incredulously at his words. ¡°If a normal person had eaten and drunk like you, they wouldn¡¯t have fallen asleep, they would have never woken up. Did I try to take it too easy?¡± He spat on the floor and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask for double the pay when this is over. Damn witch. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that the warrior who killed the wyvern was your escort?¡± At that, Ruon turned his head for the first time and looked at the merchant. He said, ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Of course I do. How could I forget the face of the mercenary who ughtered the wyvern in Nardam? Of course, you don¡¯t know me.¡± The merchant who spouted nonsense chuckled and covered his face with his palm. But his eyes, peering through the gaps of his fingers, were still watching Ruon¡¯s every move. Ruon also eyed the warrior disguised as a merchant. His rxed shoulders, his arms moving naturally to find an opening, his palms full of calluses, his waist and thighs tense and ready to move. All his movements told him that he was no easy opponent. Who is he? The merchant, who noticed Ruon¡¯s suspicious gaze, smiled slyly and said, ¡°It¡¯smon knowledge among us that you killed the wyvern. You killed three of our brothers and sisters, so we have to be prepared, don¡¯t we?¡± Ruon narrowed his eyes at the word ¡®brothers and sisters¡¯. He remembered an assassin who had attacked him out of the blue before. The bastard continued. ¡°Today is a happy day. I can take care of both the job and the revenge at once. He stepped back half a step and added briefly, suppressing hisughter. ¡°The waning moon does not forget the vengeance.¡± Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Chapter 69 As soon as the man finished speaking, a round lump of iron with thorns flew viciously towards Ruon¡¯s face. He quickly turned his head to avoid it and bent his upper body as he felt a burning sensation on the back of his head. Whoosh- Ignoring the eerie sound of the iron ball whizzing over his head, Ruon reached up without looking. He clenched the chain with his back of his hand, and thick veins bulged on it. ¡°Let go!¡± Despite the merchant¡¯s warning, the fool who was holding the handle of the hammer tightly was dragged forward by the tremendous force and fell as if he was copsing. The thing that greeted him as he made a bted expression of regret was a huge fist. With a sound of a watermelon bursting, the headless corpse twisted and fell to the floor. Silence swept over the crowd for a moment. The men in the inn were those who had fought and bled for a long time¡­ or maybe their whole lives, but none of them had ever seen someone smash a person¡¯s head like a fruit with a bare fist. But they quickly rxed their stiff bodies and drew their weapons. It was a flexible response that was possible because they had a lot ofbat experience. The problem was that Ruon¡¯s speed of drawing his sword was much faster than theirs. Just as he grabbed the hatchet from his waist, the man¡¯s chest was deeply pierced by the red de. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ruon, who had plunged into the man¡¯s bosom as he spat out blood, pushed his body hard with his shoulder. The guy who flew away, spraying blood, collided with some of hisrades and slumped to the floor without any strength. Then Ruon spun his body and swung his arm without dy. As the red afterimage scratched the air, the arms and necks of the two men who were running behind him fell almost at the same time. At that moment, a clunking sound of loading was heard, and then an arrow flew at an incredible speed from behind the copsing corpse. It was a brilliant surprise attack that aimed at the moment when the opponent swung his sword. Ruon, who was pierced in the head by the arrow, staggered back and retreated. The crossbowman who shot the arrow shouted in triumph. ¡°Idiot! You were so cocky, but you died well-¡± He fell back with a thud, without even realizing that he was mistaken. In the forehead of the man who was still smiling, the arrow he shot was deeply embedded. Not only did he catch the arrow that came from the air, but he also returned it to the opponent with pure arm strength. Someone screamed at the mysterious feat of strength. ¡°Shit, shit! This is not right!¡± ¡°What the hell is this!¡± By then, even the men who had been through all kinds of battles realized that something was terribly wrong and began to retreat slowly. ¡°Die! You bastard!¡± There were also some crazy ones who rushed in with a sense of rivalry, but they all spilled hot blood and fell on the cold floor in an instant. Entering Ruon¡¯s range was no different from an ant throwing itself into a hell of fire. When they realized that, it was already toote. The few survivors retreated far away and looked at each other¡¯s faces with bewildered expressions. Then, the merchant who had been quietly watching the fight licked his lips. ¡°I thought your strength was exaggerated in the guild¡­ but it was the opposite. It was a gross underestimate. How could that be possible?¡± Ruon chuckled and replied. ¡°I leveled up about seven times since I killed your colleaguesst time.¡± ¡°Level up?¡± As if he didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, the merchant frowned. Then, one of the surviving men grabbed his cor. ¡°You son of a bitch, you lied! You said it was reliable information!¡± Weren¡¯t theyrades? Ruon watched them quietly as they split up. He had something to see, so he stopped attacking for a while. Anyway, he had no intention of sparing the enemies in the inn. The merchant said coldly. ¡°So, was I wrong?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? You didn¡¯t say anything about that monster being by your side! Do you know how many of our guys died because of him!¡± The man shouted loudly, spitting on his face. The merchant sighed lightly and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He said. ¡°Stupid brat.¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, the man¡¯s neck was cut off. The merchant kicked the corpse with his foot and buttoned up his wrinkled clothes. He muttered lowly. ¡°Those stupid bastards who killed and yed with whatever they saw, without knowing anything¡­ I thought I¡¯d borrow a hand, but I changed my mind.¡± He swung his arm at a tremendous speed. Then, the necks of the men on both sides of him were cut long and blood spouted out. ¡°Eek!¡± Thest man who ran away in fright was shed in the back by the merchant from afar. The merchant turned his head slowly. ¡°That¡¯s why I hate dealing with human hunters. It¡¯s shameful to have taken the same request as those guys.¡± Ruon, who was staring at him nkly, said. ¡°You have something interesting.¡± ¡°Oh, this? Isn¡¯t it neat?¡± Sharp des slid down from the merchant¡¯s loose sleeve. The des, which had no handles and were stuck together, looked like shark teeth. The surprising thing was that the des that came out of the sleeve did not fall to the floor, but floated in the air. But Ruon, with his superhuman eyesight, could see that the des were hanging on thin silver threads. There are all kinds of weapons. As he was thinking that, the merchant spoke in a smooth voice. ¡°My name is Biamo. I¡¯m a certified servant of death, and one of the thirty of the waning moon.¡± The merchant, Biamo, who had finished his introduction, swung his arm violently. Following his trajectory, dozens of des flew like whips. Ruon immediately raised his sword. The blood-red de of Ruin shed with the crescent-shaped des, sparking in the air. Ruon, who tried to cut off the silver thread with one stroke, felt that the resistance was not as easy as he thought. That was when. Woo-woo-woong- The silver thread vibrated, and the des hanging on it began to rotate slowly. In an instant, dozens of des turned into a silver disc and swept over Ruon¡¯s upper body. He swiftly swung his sword and blocked all the attacks, but he stepped back and a long red line appeared on his cheek. Whirring, he looked at the de that was sucked into his sleeve and wiped his stinging cheek with the back of his hand. ¡°Is it a magic-imbued item?¡± Biamo answered with a faint smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a proud item with various magics engraved on it. Of course, I don¡¯t know the principle behind it. I just use it.¡± He casually lowered his other arm as well. From there, too, des poured out without fail. ¡°Since I got this thing, you¡¯re the first one who didn¡¯t lose a limb on the first attack. You only got a scratch on your cheek¡­ Amazing.¡± Biamo, who expressed pure admiration, swung his arms in session without hesitation. At the same time, Ruon mmed the floor. Woo-woo-woong- The silver thread vibrated again. The fiercely rotating des shed the air to tear apart his opponent¡¯s body. And this time, the number of des was doubled. Ruon drew a curve and swung his sword hard at the falling silver disc. Following his trajectory, bright red sparks flew one after another. The Ruin, which was swung with a fearsome strength,pletely shattered eight des from the first one it hit. But from the ninth de onwards, it gradually lost its power. Like a car that met dozens of speed bumps, the speed of the sword noticeably decreased and the silver thread wrapped around it like a snake. In an instant, the silver thread that wrapped around the de dozens of times made the des and des interlock, and Ruon felt as if he had a huge shackle on his sword and stopped his body. As if to add insult to injury, the de on the opposite side aimed at the corner of his sight and cut down sharply at him. It¡¯s over! At that moment, Biamo was sure of his victory. From the beginning, he knew that he couldn¡¯tst long against Ruon. How could he win against a monster who caught a flying arrow with a broken posture after swinging his sword? That¡¯s why he aimed for a momentary gap. Of course, the price for realizing that was not easy. He had to damage the treasure of the guild to stop his opponent¡¯s movement for a moment. But it didn¡¯t matter. The treasure was broken, but in the end, I was the one who won! Thinking that, he swung the silver thread with all his strength at Ruon¡¯s empty torso, but he widened his eyes at an unbelievable sight. ¡°¡­What?¡± Squeak- The silver thread that wrapped around Ruon¡¯s left arm screamed in pain. The silver thread and des, which had the cutting power to slice through steel, could not cut through a human arm and stuttered. The sight was more than surprising, it was terrifying. Biamo¡¯s sharp judgment was clouded for a moment, and Ruon let go of his sword and rushed forward. The assassin, who came to his senseste, saw a huge shoulder. Crash-! Biamo, who flew like a giant grabbed him from behind, mmed into the wall of the inn. The assassin, whose ribs and spine were shattered, spat out blood. Ruon walked toward him. Was it because the user was incapacitated? Until a moment ago, the silver thread and des that cut through the skin and dug into the muscles fell to the floor without strength. Ruon, who looked down at his left arm that was bleeding profusely, lowered his posture and looked straight into the eyes of the dying assassin. His breathing was heavy, and his life was shaking like a candle, preparing to leave his dying body. ¡°¡­You¡¯re a¡­monster¡­that makes no¡­sense.¡± Biamo continued his words with a painful expression, as if the broken bones were pressing on his lungs. ¡°¡­To my¡­brothers¡­a useless¡­burden¡­¡± Ruon cut off his words, as he had no time to listen to his ramblings. ¡°You said you¡¯re one of the thirty. Are there thirty of you guys?¡± Biamo smiled faintly at his words. Blood flowed from his mouth. ¡°¡­Three¡­no¡­four¡­killed¡­and still¡­curious.¡± ¡°Then, all of you were ordered to kidnap that fairy¡­¡± Ruon¡¯s question didn¡¯t end with a period. Because the one who would answer him was dead. He stared at the empty eyes for a while, then dusted off his seat and got up. Then, with a subtle feeling of exhaustion from the consumption of the divine power inside, the tattoo on his shoulder lit up. Puff- As if he wouldn¡¯t tolerate the wound of his beloved warrior, the cksmith god¡¯s blessing was activated, and a faint smoke rose and the wound that was deep enough to see the bone healed slowly. It wasn¡¯t a life-threatening recovery, so this time there was no sound of a hammer. Quite a lot, huh? Ruon smiled faintly at the experience points that had filled up. This assassin was definitely a much tougher opponent than the previous ones. Of course, it was not a physical difference, but a difference in weapons. ¡°Yeah. Weapons.¡± Ruon quickly rolled up both sleeves of the corpse. Then he saw a device that looked like a wrist guard. The special thing was the silver thread that was coiled like a silkworm in the middle and the small des hanging at the end. He grabbed the guard that came off easily without any force and approached Tarwen, who still had not regained her senses. Nice arms. He snorted at the fairy who was snoring softly and lightly squeezed her wrist, then pushed in a little bit of divine power. Then Tarwen shuddered and sprang up. Cold sweat dripped from her neck. ¡°Wha, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ruon said in a calm voice. ¡°Good morning.¡± Tarwen looked around with a nk stare and then furrowed her brow. ¡°Was it a pursuer?¡± Ruon shrugged lightly. ¡°Thanks to you, I won¡¯t have any trouble leveling up.¡± ¡°What do you mean? No, who was it? Was it a human hunter again?¡± Ruon shook his head slowly at her question. ¡°One of them was an assassin. He seemed to have used the others. I wanted to dig up something, but he died before I could get the information I wanted.¡± Then Tarwen said with a gleam in her eye. ¡°Leave that to me.¡± She added to Ruon, who was staring at her silently. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty good witch, you know.¡± Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Tarwen gently brushed her bangs away from her face and asked, ¡°Ruon, do you have any prejudice against witches?¡± What are you talking about? Ruon tilted his head at the sudden question. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to hear. I just think of them as women who use magic. Why? Is that a prejudice?¡± ¡°Of course not. Not at all.¡± Tarwen shook her head vigorously and got up from the floor, leaning on her hand. She dusted off the dirt on her body and said, ¡°These days, people think of witches as beings who sleep with demons, dry up and kill crops, and stab straw dolls with needles. There are many cases where they are branded as such. Ruon snorted in disbelief at the fairy who wasughing sarcastically. ¡°Do you want me tofort you for the harsh judgment of the world? Just get to the point. The point.¡± Tarwen didn¡¯t answer right away, but instead scanned the corpses that were scattered around. Soon, she found the twisted wall and the assassin¡¯s body that had dropped his head. She walked over to them. ¡°I was saying that there are cheap witches, too. Like me, for example.¡± Tarwen muttered a self-deprecating remark and picked up a feather from the floor. Without hesitation, she slit her palm with it. In the blink of an eye, a pool of blood formed on her palm and she dropped it on the assassin¡¯s head. A faint spell came out of her lips. Aaaah- A creepy scream swept through the restaurant. Then, the evil soul that sprang from the floor began to run around wildly, swallowing the gloomy energy that was imbued in the spell. Even though there was no wind, his hair fluttered. Ruon frowned at the sight. ¡°What a mess.¡± The ego sword in his hand conveyed his passionate emotion to his master. -Let¡¯s attack!- But Ruon didn¡¯t move rashly. He would have normally cut down the screaming evil soul with one stroke, but he chose to watch first, since Tarwen was the cause of thismotion. ©¤©¤! At that moment, he saw the soul that was wandering around enter the body of the corpse as the iprehensible spell ended with a period. Tarwen turned her head slowly and said, ¡°I told you I had something to ask, right? Ask now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ruon approached the corpse, passing by her eyes that seemed to be filled with self-loathing. He bent his knees and lowered his posture. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Hey.¡± As he spoke to the corpse with doubt, surprisingly, his eyelids slowly lifted. Ruon looked at the face of Biamo, who was blinking his dull eyes, and asked, ¡°What is the waning moon?¡± Then, his lifeless lips twitched and a t voice came out. ¡°We are pilgrims who find the shining starlight in the emptiness of life, and judges who hasten the death of the worthless.¡± Are you kidding me? Ruon snorted at the nonsense that sounded like ¡®we kill people¡¯. He said, ¡°Enough, what did you do to recognize me and attack me without even knowing me?¡± The corpse answered. ¡°When inevitable deathes, we leave a covenant to the one who gave us death and entrust our revenge to our remaining brothers.¡± He continued. ¡°One who faces one, will soon face all. The waning moon does not forget revenge.¡± Ruon sighed at the meaningless answer. ¡°You and the assassin fromst time, you said you don¡¯t forget revenge, but in reality, you just ran into me by chance. You didn¡¯t actually chase after me. Is this how your great brothers¡¯ revenge works? You attack whenever you meet?¡± The corpse, who had been answering without hesitation, fell silent for the first time at that question. His mouth slowly opened after a while. ¡°Name, Ruon. A wandering mercenary with no affiliation, origin and past unknown, first mission was goblin extermination, where he was injured ording to the client¡¯s testimony, but only five yearster, he showed an unbelievable growth by hunting wyverns in Narudin as a solo.¡± What? Ruon narrowed his eyes at the assassin who suddenly started reciting his personal information. ¡°Judging by his mysterious growth rate and strength, he should refrain from personal actions and request support from the order when hees into contact. Request¡­ ¡° The blood flowed out of his eyes, nose, and mouth as he recited the words he couldn¡¯t keep. He muttered in vain. At that moment, Tarwen, who had been silent, spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is as far as I can hold him. If I go any further, his soul will crumblepletely. Of course, I won¡¯t stop you if that¡¯s the ending you want.¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°Killing him was enough.¡± At his words, Tarwen waved her hand lightly. Then, the corpse¡¯s dull eyes closed and he dropped his head. Ruon spat on the floor and got up. Tarwen said to him, ¡°He was no ordinary assassin. The Waning Moon, they call themselves¡­¡± ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of perverts who preach about their faith while killing people for money. They have a special rtionship with Fleur.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°How did you get involved with them?¡± Ruon sheathed his sword and replied. ¡°I killed two assassins who massacred a vige a while ago. Ever since then, their so-calledrades would show up and try to avenge them. And they did some background checks on me too. They only pick the pretty jobs, you see.¡± Tarwen shook his head, sensing the irritation and anger in his hoarse voice. ¡°Your life hasn¡¯t been easy, has it? No, wait. Smooth sailing for the warrior who killed the Great Demon. There¡¯s no word that fits less than that.¡± She muttered, looking around at the chaos. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up this ce first. If we leave them alone, they might turn into ghouls and cause more trouble.¡± After dispelling the curse that lingered on the corpses of the human hunters, the two left the inn, avoiding the eyes of the people. They felt sorry for the innkeeper¡¯s body thaty sprawled in the kitchen, but it was an inevitable choice, as things would get much moreplicated if they caught the attention of others while cleaning up. Fortunately, Olbor was a fairlyrge city with more than six big and small inns, so they had no trouble finding a new ce to stay. After dropping off their luggage, Tarwen looked at Ruon with a hazy gaze and said. ¡°Even if I get arrested for murder right now, I need to get some sleep. I¡¯m so sleepy I¡¯m going crazy.¡± She had regained her senses temporarily by the divine power, but the effect of the sleeping pill was still there. As soon as her head touched the bed, Tarwen lost consciousness. Ruon left the drowsy fairy behind and went outside. He looked around for a while and approached a young girl who was holding a hard bread in her arms. The girl, who was dressed shabbily, seemed to be scared by Ruon¡¯s imposing stature, but she didn¡¯t run away and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°Uh, sir, do you want to buy some bread?¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°One copper coin¡­ uh, no, two.¡± The bread in her fern-like hand was hardly edible. It was covered with dirt, and it had lost all its moisture, making it no different from a rock. But Ruon dly took it and rummaged through his pocket to hand her two coins. ¡°Thank you. Huh? I think you gave me the wrong one. This is a silver coin¡­¡± Ruon gently ruffled the girl¡¯s hair, who was stuttering at the silver coin in her palm, and said. ¡°I gave you the right one. But I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°Just tell me. I¡¯ll do anything I can.¡± Ruon smiled slyly, seeing the child swallow her saliva. ¡°Where is the smithy in this city?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Where is the smithy, I asked.¡± ¡°Is that really all?¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid I¡¯ll ask you to kill someone?¡± The girl flinched at the extreme example and shook her head vigorously. ¡°N-no. Follow me.¡± She took the lead, walking timidly, and headed south of the city. Soon, they reached a street full of various workshops. Among them, she stopped in front of an entrance where hot air was leaking out and pointed to the sign with her finger. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Good, you did well.¡± Ruon nodded as if to say that was enough, and the girl blinked her big eyes and bowed. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Ruon watched the child walk away for a moment and then entered the smithy. A grumpy-looking middle-aged man greeted him. ¡°Looking for a weapon?¡± The middle-aged man, who had just finished his work and was wiping off his sweat with his sleeve, was a sturdy dwarf. That¡¯s good. Ruon lowered his head and answered. ¡°No, I have something to fix.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Come on.¡± The dwarf gestured to the workbench. ¡°Put it here.¡± Ruon took out a wrist guard from his backpack andid it down. The cksmith grabbed it with a sparkle in his eyes. Then he widened his eyes. ¡°Look at this! This is not a simple wrist guard, is it? It¡¯s very stic, and the silver thread wrapped around it can do both attack and defense, right?¡± The cksmith muttered to himself and brought a thin iron te. He pushed it towards the silver thread. Then the iron te was cut smoothly like butter. ¡°Good heavens! This is an unbelievable cutting power. What did you make this with? No, how can the de and the wrist guard be undamaged when they are in direct contact with this thing¡­¡± He looked at Ruon and asked. ¡°Where did you get such a thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a loot.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ruon spoke to the cksmith who was at a loss for words and fidgeted with his mouth. ¡°You must have checked it, but the de of the guard is broken. Can you fix it?¡± The dwarf made an awkward expression at that question. ¡°¡­It seems difficult.¡± He clenched his fist as if his pride was hurt by his own words. ¡°Of course, I can fix it on the surface. But it won¡¯tst long before the de is cut off by the cutting power of the silver thread. To be honest, I find it hard to believe that there is no damage to the original de. Is this a magic-imbued equipment?¡± Ruon nodded. ¡°The owner said so. He said it was a thing with various magics imbued.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The cksmith stroked his bushy beard and muttered. ¡°Then the repair is even harder. I have to imbue magic on the new de, but I¡¯m ignorant of that kind of thing. I¡¯d rather recycle it¡­¡± Recycle? Ruon tilted his head and asked. ¡°What do you mean by recycling?¡± ¡°Just as I said. With my humble skill, I can¡¯t fix this thing as it was, but I can make it into a different equipment without harming the magic that dwells here.¡± Ruon nodded as he found it interesting. ¡°That¡¯s rather good. It wasn¡¯t a thing that suited me anyway. I had trouble disposing of it.¡± ¡°You say you had trouble disposing of such a thing. You, you¡¯re asking for Duermyr¡¯s wrath.¡± The dwarf shook his head vigorously and said. ¡°Well, fine. If that¡¯s what you want, I think I can help you. What kind of thing do you want?¡± At that question, Ruon raised his arm and scratched his cheek. What would be good? He had the ck Ego Sword and Ruin, which were enough, and the bow was a special thing he received from the goddess, so he didn¡¯t need anything else. After pondering for a while, he opened his mouth. ¡°Make it something that¡¯s easy to throw. Yeah, a thick dagger would be nice.¡± The dwarf readily agreed. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Um, at least a fortnight. I have a lot of work piled up right now, and it¡¯s not easy to handle this kind of thing.¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s a bit troublesome. It takes too long. Can¡¯t you reduce it to less than half?¡± The dwarf frowned as if he was offended by his words. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re not the center of the world, and everyone has their own situation. If you say that, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s in trouble.¡± There was no choice. Ruon started to roll up his sleeve with a firm refusal. The cksmith red as he revealed his huge arm. ¡°Are you threatening me¡­¡± But he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. It was because he saw the tattoo that was firmly on Ruon¡¯s shoulder. A hammer tattoo engulfed in mes. And the immense heat that he felt from it. Ruon tilted his head and asked. ¡°Do you recognize it? They say every dwarf knows it.¡± The cksmith trembled and involuntarily murmured. ¡°F, fire warrior?¡± He realized that his eyes were not mistaken and he quickly raised three fingers and shouted. ¡°T, three days! Three days! I¡¯ll finish it within three days!¡± Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Looking at the cksmith¡¯s eyes filled with burning desire, Ruon quickly shook his head. ¡°Three days for a fortnight is a bit excessive. Didn¡¯t you say you had a lot of work to do?¡± The dwarf snapped his fingers and said. ¡°Nonsense! For every dwarf, there is no more glorious opportunity than to receive a request from a warrior of the forge. As for the other work¡­ well, I can just pay the penalty.¡± Ruon chuckled and retorted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something a craftsman would say. I just wanted to shorten the deadline a bit, not to abandon the work I had to do.¡± The dwarf¡¯s face reddened as if he had hit the mark and he coughed. ¡°Ahem, I was too eager and made a fool of myself. Then, can you give me five days? I think I can proceed without any trouble in that time.¡± Ruon nodded generously. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°I heard from a friend who has a connection with Roberduck that a new warrior of the forge was born for the first time in a hundred years, but I never dreamed that I would take his request¡­¡± The dwarf¡¯s voice trailed off as he widened his eyes with emotion. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare something that won¡¯t disappoint you!¡± After that, thanks to the cksmith¡¯s passion to make a weapon for the warrior of the forge, Ruon provided him with various things such as the posture of holding the sword, the shape of the grip, the width, etc. and was able to leave the smithy after a long time. Before he knew it, the sun was setting and a red curtain was spread over the gray buildings. Along the road that began to exude a serene atmosphere, Ruon, who was hurrying his steps, still took in the noisy scenery of the city. The guards, who had btedly discovered the corpse in the inn, were busy roaming the streets to find out the truth of the incident, and the people were murmuring with anxiety about the city¡¯s security that had fallen to the ground. And as if that didn¡¯t matter, a girl with a pile of fresh bread on her chest ran with a happy face. It was the same girl who had guided him to the smithy. As he walked and watched various scenes, Ruon, who had arrived at the inn, suddenly stopped his steps to the entrance when he heard a familiar cry. Heeheeheeheeng- The annoying cry came from the stable next to the inn. It was the nightmare. What¡¯s the problem now? Sighing, he approached the direction of the sound and found an old stableman who had bruised his buttocks on the floor. ¡°Ouch!¡± He immediately went to the stableman and reached out his hand. ¡°Grab it.¡± With Ruon¡¯s help, the old man struggled to get up and tapped his lower back with his fist, as if it was ufortable. ¡°Th, thank you.¡± ¡°I told you. Be careful, he¡¯s a fierce one. Or did he cause trouble?¡± The old man shook his head vigorously at his words. ¡°No, no. I remember your words well. He hates being touched, so be careful. I made a mistake. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ruon tilted his head as he watched the ck horse repeat the rough snort behind the fence. ¡°Why bother?¡± The old man opened his mouth slowly, hesitating. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but think that he looked just like the horse I saw a long time ago¡­ I made a mistake without knowing it.¡± Then he quickly added. ¡°I¡¯m getting old, too. It¡¯s been almost thirty years since then. Without any sense¡­¡± The old man muttered to himself with self-mockery, but Ruon stared at him intently, wondering if his thought might not have been wrong. He asked with interest. ¡°If you still remember him after thirty years, he must have been no ordinary horse.¡± The old man nodded vigorously, as if he had been waiting for his words. ¡°Of course! How could I forget that majestic appearance? The ck mane that flew like a Ruon, the thighs like logs, the hooves like iron, and the smoky eyes. He was a true steed.¡± He got excited and continued talking, even though Ruon didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°But that¡¯s not it. That¡¯s not the only reason I remember him. I¡¯ve seen quite a few famous horses in this line of work, but they all fade away over time, you know?¡± He exined enthusiastically with a wrinkled face, and Ruon matched his pace a little. ¡°He must have had something different.¡± Then the old man pped his hands and asked. ¡°Right. Do you know what it was?¡± Ruon blinked his eyes at the sudden question and answered. ¡°Well, maybe it was the name of the horse¡¯s owner?¡± The old manughed heartily at the answer he spat out without much thought. ¡°As expected! I knew you would answer like that.¡± What are you looking at? While Ruon was thinking that, the answer continued. ¡°You got it right. No matter how good the horse is, it¡¯s useless if the rider on top is worthless. In that respect, that ck horse was different. Its owner was the famous Thunder King, Imrek.¡± A normal person would have eximed in admiration at this timing, but Ruon, who didn¡¯t know who Imrek was, just tilted his head with a puzzled expression. Rather, the reaction came from an unexpected ce. The ck horse, which had been quietly listening to the old man¡¯s words along with Ruon, suddenly let out a long cry. Hee-hee-hee-hing! It didn¡¯t stop there and mmed its head against the fence that blocked its way. The force that was contained in it was so great that the fence started to copse with a creaking sound. ¡°Uh, uh?¡± Passing by the startled stable keeper, Ruon approached the ck horse and wrapped his arms around its excited neck. Of course, that¡¯s how it looked on the outside. In reality, he was using his strength to prevent it from escaping outside. Then, the ck horse¡¯s mane fluttered and an invisible force swept the stable. ¡°Ugh!¡± The old man, who had closed his eyes tightly at the force that exploded in the air, opened them cautiously when he felt no pain. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± He saw a faint dome. He couldn¡¯t see inside it because of his old eyes, but his long life had taught him. That thing saved your life. The reason why the surface of the dome was rippling was because it had absorbed the force inside. As he realized that, he copsed on the floor. At that moment, inside the shield, Ruon smiled fiercely. ¡°You¡¯re more rebellious today.¡± The ck horse, despite the dreadful force squeezing its neck, kept emitting the formless force in all directions. It was lucky that Ruin, who was quick-witted, activated the shield himself. Otherwise, the stable would have suffered a lot of damage. What should I do? Ruon, who was enduring the swirling force inside the shield with his bare body, frowned. Even though he was choking its neck to the point of breaking its bones, the ck horse showed no sign of losing consciousness. Rather, it poured out its unorganized force more nervously. Ruon sighed lightly as he looked at its bloodshot eyes. He had no other way to solve it without killing it. He reluctantly decided to push his holy power into the ck horse¡¯s body. He knew that holy power and cursed power were ipatible, but this was not a situation to be picky. That¡¯s when it happened. A bright light burst out from under Ruin¡¯s sword hilt at his waist. The light, tinged with red, seeped into the ck horse¡¯s forehead. Surprisingly, its snout, which had been breathing roughly, began to calm down. Soon, its mane, which had been fluttering, slowly settled down. Soon, the ck horse, which had regained its sanity, realized that its neck was being strangled and twisted its body with difficulty. Only then did Ruon release his arm that was wrapped around its neck. The ck horse spat out its blocked breath and red at him. ¡°You spared me.¡± Ruon, who hit its head with his thick palm, turned his body with a scream behind him. He reached out his hand to the stable keeper who was trembling on the floor and said. ¡°Old man, you and this guy will remember me for a few years, right?¡± The old man, who was supported by Ruon again, muttered with a pale face. ¡°¡­Until the day I die, I guess.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything to Ruon. He firmly believed that curiosity would shorten his life. I¡¯ve caused you trouble. Ruon handed him a gold coin, looking at the old man who was watching him and saying nothing even though he was hurt. ¡°Add it to the stable repair.¡± ¡°What¡­ That¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t take it.¡± The old man, who shook his head vigorously, clenched the coin in his dry hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be burdened. I¡¯m also paying a fair price.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you give me valuable information?¡± He said that and pointed to the ck horse with his thumb. ¡°Thanks to you, I found out who its previous owner was.¡± ¡°What, what do you mean? Really, Thunder¡­¡± Ruon pressed his index finger to his lips with a stern expression. The old man quickly stopped his words and swallowed his saliva. ¡°He started to go crazy as soon as he heard that name. I guess that¡¯s probably the case. Of course, it¡¯s still just a suspicion.¡± The stable keeper, who blinked his eyes with a nk expression, clenched his hand with the gold coin. ¡°¡­You gave me this big money, not just for the repair cost or the information fee. I get it. I promise. I¡¯ll take everything I heard and saw today to the grave.¡± What are you talking about? Ruon was about to say that there was no need for that, but he swallowed his smile at the solemn old man¡¯s face and nodded. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He left a word of thanks for the speech and headed straight back to the inn, where he flopped down on the bed and stretched. He rxed his tense body and sorted out the events of the day in his head. The surprise attack of the assassins who joined forces with the human hunters, the request for a new item at the forge, and the runaway nightmare. It was a day when he gained a lot from a series of incidents. He had a vague idea of the outline of the group called the Waning Moon, and soon he would have a new weapon in his hand, and he had also found some clues about the past of the nightmare that was shrouded in a veil. Ruon muttered softly. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to ask Tarwan who Imrek is when he wakes up.¡± It seemed certain that the person named Imrek was the former owner of the nightmare. A being with an ominous nickname of the Thunder King and a horse that was cursed after losing such a master. He felt that there was something more to this story as he rubbed his chin, and he turned his head to look at his waist. He asked Ego Sword. ¡°What did you do earlier? You tried something and the nightmare calmed down.¡± The de of Ruin emitted a faint light. It felt like a child¡¯s tantrum, as if asking why he was asking now. The sword proudly conveyed what it had done, and Ruon chuckled. ¡°Is that all you said?¡± At his question, Ruin repeated the words it had said to the nightmare, as if asking for praise. -The past is the past. Our master now. Ruon- Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Time flowed like water and the morning of the sixth day, when he had promised to meet the cksmith, dawned. Tarwen, who spotted Ruoning down the stairs with his luggage, yawned and waved his hand. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re up early for a change.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The fairy scratched her cheek with an awkward expression, hearing his words. He was teasing her for sleeping like a log for the past five days, as if she was one with the bed. She said. ¡°I guess I let my guard down. I felt relieved having a warrior like you by my side.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t bother to reply and headed out of the inn. Tarwen quickly followed him. *** ¡°Are you alive?¡± The dwarf, who was snoring and dozing off, was startled by Ruon¡¯s voice and lifted his head. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± He wiped his chin, which was soaked with drool, and staggered to his feet. He would have died if he had told him to finish it in three days. As Ruon muttered to himself, the dwarf washed his face and said. ¡°You came at the right time. I just finished the thing this morning.¡± He moved his short legs briskly and pointed to a sharp metal piece on the workbench. ¡°Here, this is it.¡± Ruon quickly grabbed it with his hand. The dagger, which felt snug in his hand, was quite heavy, as the de and the handle were both made of steel. There was a round silver sphere attached to the bottom of the handle. It was decorated with a me engraving on the surface, which was very delicate and beautiful to look at. The cksmith, who was watching Ruon fiddle with the dagger, licked his lips with his tongue and said. ¡°As you requested, I made the de thick, but that made the center of gravity too far forward, reducing the maneuverability. It would be hard to use it for throwing, let alone swinging, so I had no choice but to make the handle and the weight all of steel.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°As a result, it weighs more than three times as much as a dagger of the same length, but on the other hand¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Ruon¡¯s arm blurred. The dagger flew like an arrow and stuck deep into something. The cksmith¡¯s mouth dropped open, seeing the dagger that had disappeared, leaving only the round weight in the center of the wooden target. Ruon, who had thrown the dagger without a word, smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s a sturdy one. I like it.¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± He was speechless at the amazing strength and uracy, and he managed to continue. ¡°I was going to say that the only drawback is the weight, but I guess I was wrong. Yeah.¡± ¡°That can happen.¡± Ruon chuckled and walked to retrieve the dagger, but the cksmith raised his palm hastily. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t need to do that.¡± He picked up something from the workbench with a thin smile. ¡°Try this on.¡± Ruon tilted his head, seeing the leather wristband that the cksmith offered. It was the assassin¡¯s thing, which had been wrapped like a cocoon with a silver thread. There must be a reason. He obediently put on the wristband. It was easy to wear, as it was stretchy. The cksmith said. ¡°When you¡¯re done, hold out your hand with the wristband towards the dagger. I dare say, you¡¯ll be surprised.¡± With a curious look on his face, Ruon stretched out his hand towards the target. Then the silver weight vibrated. At the same time, the dagger, which hade out of the target by itself, retraced the direction it had flown and flew towards Ruon. To be precise, towards his right hand with the wristband. Ruon caught the handle of the dagger in mid-air and looked at the cksmith with a questioning gaze. The dwarf smiled smugly and said. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯ll make you a new thing without harming the original magic.¡± He continued with a proud expression. ¡°While analyzing the thing, I found out that the silver thread had a magic engraved on it that made it return to the wearer¡¯s will. The wristband was the medium for that.¡± Ruon looked at the silver sphere that served as the weight of the dagger and asked. ¡°Is this the silver thread?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was such a sharp thing that I wanted to melt it and mix it with the de, but I was afraid that the magic would be damaged, so I didn¡¯t.¡± Tarwen, who had been listening to their conversation quietly, chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s impressive. If you touch a magic-engraved thing carelessly, you might lose its power. It¡¯s something you wouldn¡¯t dare to do without a magical sense.¡± The cksmith sniffed his nose at the unexpectedpliment. ¡°Hmm, thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an empty word. If you learn properly, you can do the engraving by yourself. I¡¯d rmend buying scrolls rather than coborating with a foul-tempered mage.¡± That¡¯s what Ruon said. ¡°Thank you for the splendid weapon. I¡¯ll use it well. How much do I owe you?¡± The cksmith frowned at his words. ¡°Don¡¯t say such disappointing things. It¡¯s reward enough for me that my creation apanies you on your journey. If you want to pay me properly, just be more famous than you are now.¡± He gave a malicious smile and reached out his hand. ¡°It was an honor to make something for a warrior of the forge. I sincerely hope that you have the blessing of Duermyr on your path.¡± Ruon, who sped his calloused hand, replied with a faint smile. *** That night, the two of them camped in the dark forest. They filled their hungry stomachs with ham and cheese, and sat on the floor with a nket, staring nkly at the burning bonfire. In the ensuing silence, Tarwen, who was poking the bonfire with a stick for no reason, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Hey, can I ask you something?¡± Ruon, who was leaning against a tree stump on the opposite side of her, nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t.¡± With a vague consent, Tarwen put down the stick and asked. ¡°What happened with He, that you¡¯re willing to go all the way to Yoram without hesitation?¡± He hesitated for a while, as if it was hard to answer with a simple ¡®it just happened¡¯, seeing the serious expression on her face. Then he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°I made a promise.¡± ¡°A promise?¡± As he nodded silently, Tarwen gave a faint smile. ¡°It must be an important promise.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders, recalling Philip, who had lost his wife and child and cried his eyes out. ¡°Something like that.¡± Tarwen said in a soft voice. ¡°¡­Ruon, if He is after you at this point, it¡¯s probably not just for revenge.¡± As if she didn¡¯t wait for his answer, she continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about something all the time while traveling with you. I wonder if the person in front of me might be a warrior who will be remembered as a legend.¡± ¡°Is this the time to tter me? Sorry, but I don¡¯t have anything topliment you on.¡± She gave a hollow smile at his curt retort. ¡°tter? You¡¯ve already written a legend by killing the Archdemon. How many people do you think have achieved such a feat from ancient times to the present?¡± ¡°So what?¡± She took a breath and said. ¡°He, or Yoram, might have marked you as the body to be an Archdemon. They can¡¯t be unaware of what I¡¯ve realized, so it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say it¡¯s certain.¡± Is that so? Ruon, who had already given up the control of his body and fought a bloody battle with Belducius in his mind, replied without any agitation. ¡°They¡¯re all interested in my body.¡± ¡°What can they do? Where can they find a body that can burst a monster¡¯s head with bare hands?¡± Meanwhile, the fire of the bonfire had weakened. Tarwen quickly picked up a stick and poked the fire. She said. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be surprised. Anyway, I¡¯m d. I can be with a warrior like you.¡± Ruon thought that the fairy in front of him wasn¡¯t trying to warn him btedly. He was sure that she still had something to say that she couldn¡¯t spit out. ¡°Is it so hard to say that you¡¯re a traitor of Yoram?¡± ¡°What?¡± As she eximed in surprise, Ruon gave a snort and said. ¡°Why are you so surprised? You know everything about Yoram¡¯s witches and their ns, and you even revived a corpse for a moment. Wasn¡¯t that just a way of asking me to notice?¡± She opened her mouth after a silence. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to confess to a peerless warrior who is willing to fight the whole Yoram to kill a witch, that I¡¯m also from the same ce as them? I didn¡¯t know that my revenge would end with an unexpected person.¡± She gave a weak smile, as if she realized that her actions had been too obvious. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not something that can be hidden by hiding. Right? You¡¯re funny too. Why did you just watch when you knew everything?¡± Ruon furrowed his brow and retorted. ¡°Should I have cut off your head? Do you want me to?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it.¡± She turned her head in fright and said. ¡°Your hostile attitude towards He was so bad, I couldn¡¯t tell you that I was a witch of Yoram like her. I didn¡¯t know that my revenge would end with an unexpected person.¡± She spoke without knowing, feeling the pressure from Ruon¡¯s calm eyes. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe¡­ but I¡¯m not a psychopath who sacrifices innocent people, or a pervert who enjoys their pain. I was just¡­ a trophy who barely survived by being recognized for my magical talent.¡± She took a deep breath and asked. ¡°Can I tell you my story, even though it¡¯ste?¡± ¡°Let me hear it.¡± With a brief answer, Tarwen, who was digging up the past with a painful expression, barely opened her mouth. ¡°Like all the victims of the witch, my happy family was killed by the witch without knowing why. I was the only one who survived by luck, because I came homete ying with dirt. One of the witches told me a phrase of an unknown spell while I was peeing on the spot. She said she would spare me if I recited it. I managed to say that strange spell without missing a single syble. If I had known what kind of spell it was, I would have bitten my tongue and killed myself. I swear.¡± As he recalled that time, his clear eyes were full of bloodshot, as if anger was boiling. ¡°That was a necromancy that turned corpses into ghouls, and I had a damn talent for it. How do you think it felt to watch the bodies of my dead family twist and turn into monsters?¡± The faint mist made by the flickering mes distorted the fairy¡¯s face. It was hard to tell whether she was smiling or crying behind the mist. But the emotion in her shaky eyes was clear sadness. Ruon said. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± With a faint smile at his honest answer, Tarwen gulped down the water in the canteen. His throat seemed to burn. ¡°The witch who noticed my talent took me to the cradle. They argued whether to kill me or save me. It was a close call, but they decided to save me. Of course, I had no say in it.¡± She said, brushing her bangs up. ¡°I¡¯ve been living for revenge for over twenty years. But that became impossible too. My power was still insufficient, and the ritual of the great demon was approaching. The moment the ritual proceeded, I was sure I would live forever as a horrible monster, fused with the crazy women I hated. So I hurriedly imnted a magic circle in my body and ran away. I wanted to do some clumsy revenge along the way.¡± Tarwen suddenly startedughing like a madman. Heughed for a long time, shaking his shoulders. Theughter on his face gradually faded. ¡°This is my story. Not worth much, huh?¡± Ruon replied in his usual calm voice, facing the fairy who looked at him with a miserable expression. ¡°Not worth much indeed. All the witches of the cradle except you will die.¡± Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Chapter 73 If anyone else had said that, Tarwen would have snorted in disbelief. Or maybe she would have scared them off with a simple curse, thinking they were ignorant fools. She had lived as a member of the ¡®Cradle of the Dead¡¯ for thest twenty years, and she knew better than anyone the cruelty and power of that insane group. She knew they were not the kind of beings that could be brought down by one person¡¯s will. But she swallowed that thought. The man who was sitting across the campfire, watching her silently, was not an ignorant fool, but a warrior who had killed a great demon. And he had said it. He would kill all the witches of the Cradle. What should she say? As she tore at her fingertips, hesitating, Tarwen finally opened her mouth slowly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders lightly and rummaged through his backpack for a piece of jerky. He skewered it on a twig and replied as he held it over the fire. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not doing this for your sake.¡± ¡°Still, thank you.¡± ¡°Then at least pay me handsomely.¡± Tarwen burst intoughter at his blunt retort. Sheughed so hard that she dabbed at the tears in her eyes with her finger. ¡°Anything. If this goes well, I¡¯ll dly give you all my wealth.¡± He hoped she had a lot of money stashed away. Ruon pushed the jerky stick into the fire. The surface of the jerky began to curl up in an instant. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just bored.¡± After biting off a piece of the well-cooked jerky, Ruon suddenly remembered that he had something to ask her. He had forgotten about it. ¡°I have one question too.¡± Tarwen¡¯s eyes sparkled at his words. ¡°What is it?¡± Ruon turned his head, licking his lips. He saw the Nightmare, sitting at the edge of the boundary lit by the fire, nodding off. He asked as he watched the beast¡¯s fine figure. ¡°Do you know the Thunder King, Imrek?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Tarwen asked back, but she quickly added, as if she had not really misunderstood. ¡°Why are you looking for an old warrior?¡± ¡°Is he famous?¡± ¡°He is. Haven¡¯t you heard? There¡¯s a song that the bards often sing, called ¡®Thunder Steps¡¯.¡± Tarwen hummed softly as she looked at Ruon, who did not respond. ¡°When the invincible steps strike, the world is covered with thunder, in the midst of the enemies¡¯ foreseen death¡­ Sorry.¡± She quickly shut her mouth. Her face turned red, as if she felt embarrassed toote. Then Ruon asked. ¡°What kind of person is he?¡± Tarwen, who had been fanning her face with her hand, answered. ¡°He¡¯s a warrior who left his mark clearly in his generation. He also owned an artifact that suited his nickname, the Thunder King. It was probably a hammer.¡± She raised her eyebrows as she said that. ¡°That¡¯s all I know. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of much help, but he was active a long time ago, more than twenty years for sure, and he wasn¡¯t someone I was interested enough to look into.¡± Ruon nodded quietly. ¡°Is he dead now?¡± She shook her head at the following question. ¡°I never heard that he died. But as with most swordsmen, the fact that the sightings and rumors stopped means he probably died somewhere, right? And there¡¯s no word that he settled down somewhere¡­¡± Yeah, it wasn¡¯t something he had to solve right away. Ruon hardened his resolve to settle the grudge with the witch in front of him and answered. ¡°I see. Thanks for telling me.¡± ¡°But why are you suddenly asking about the Thunder King?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just curious, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Tarwen did not press him further and nodded quietly. *** The next morning. The two people packed up their camp and hurried on their way. As they left the boundary of the lush forest and entered a quiet road, a weed-covered path stretched out. The sound of stepping on the grass that barely reached their ankles tickled their ears. As they walked for a while, a shout came from afar. ¡°Wait!¡± At the sound of the urgent voice, Ruon, who was holding the reins, stopped first, followed by the ck horse and Tarwen. A young man ran through the bushes and said. ¡°Be careful. You might step on a trap if you go any further.¡± Looking down at his feet, he saw a small loop made of twisted wire, just as he had said. Tarwen sighed and said, ¡°Hey, someone might think it¡¯s a bear trap. It¡¯s lucky if it catches a rabbit with such a trivial snare.¡± The young man chuckled, ¡°I was worried it might get stepped on and ruined.¡± ¡°So, you were worried about the snare, not us,¡± she realized. ¡°Right, sister.¡± Crouching down,Ruon inserted his finger into the snare and tugged lightly. The wire snapped pathetically and he tossed it aside, ¡°The wire ispletely corroded. The knot is sloppy too. It won¡¯t catch a sparrow, let alone a rabbit¡­ How long has it been since you set this?¡± The young man scratched his cheek, ¡°A month? Maybe more?¡± ¡°A fine hunter indeed.¡± ¡°Ha, thank you.¡± He bowed his head obliviously, seemingly taking it as apliment. Was he a bit simple? Then, the young man sighed, ¡°I wanted to treat you to a fine meal with game I caught myself¡­ but with the snare broken, I guess I¡¯ll have to buy some meat from the butcher.¡± As he rambled on, he looked back and forth betweenRuon and Tarwen, ¡°Are you travelers?¡± ¡°And if we are?¡± He pped his hands, ¡°Great! If you have nowhere to stay, why not spend the night in our vige? It¡¯ll be fun.¡± What¡¯s fun about it? Luon asked, puzzled by the sudden invitation, ¡°Is there a festival in the vige or something?¡± It was a casual remark, but the young man nodded vigorously, ¡°A festival indeed! The adults who went to war have safely returned. And they¡¯re all unharmed!¡± He continued excitedly, ¡°My older brother is among them. I thought he¡¯d surely die at the hands of barbarians, but here he is, alive¡­ Could there be another miracle?¡± Still in disbelief, the young man blinked before regaining hisposure, ¡°Anyway, if youe to the vige now, you¡¯ll save money and enjoy delicious food. The son of the innkeeper, Melba, has also returned.¡± Luon shook his head, ¡°Thanks, but we n to travel a bit further while it¡¯s still light.¡± Tarwen then grasped his arm, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s perfect. My legs were hurting anyway. Will you guide us to the vige?¡± ¡°Of course. Follow me!¡± The cheerful young man led the way.Ruon watched him go, then turned to see a fairy with a somber face. ¡°Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been all over, but nowhere have I heard the war is over. And now, soldiers have returned overnight? Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± ¡°So, you think all the returnees are deserters?¡± Tarwen bit her lip, ¡°If only that were the case.¡± She spoke softly, ¡°Do you know the war was instigated by an apostle of Veldusias?¡± That bastard again? Luon frowned and nodded, and she continued, ¡°Those who fell in that war, influenced by the will of the great demon, naturally harbored Veldusias¡¯ malice. Let¡¯s skip the necromancy details.¡± She licked her lips, ¡°While Veldusias gathered causality to confront the celestial gods through the war, Cradle reaped the benefits. They alwayscked corpses, and there was no more precious resource than that. That¡¯s why the offerings umted faster than I expected.¡± Luon nodded calmly, ¡°So, you think those who returned are already corpses?¡± ¡°I sincerely hope not.¡± As they descended the gentle hill, a sizable vige came into view, with a slowly turning windmill and a dozen cows leisurely grazing. Entering the vige,Ruon first noticed the bustling people, all seemingly radiating happiness. Then someone approached, waving, ¡°Hey, Bobby! Did you catch anything in your snare?¡± Bobby, the young man, shook his head at the middle-aged man¡¯s jesting expression. I¡¯ve tranted and edited the text into a third-person narrative suitable for a web novel, maintaining the essence while ensuring readability and flow in English. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What did I tell you? You¡¯ll never seed in hunting unless you find a rabbit that¡¯s so pessimistic it chooses suicide.¡± Bobby shrugged off his words. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch a rabbit, but instead I brought a guest who will share our joy.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? Wow, you guys are lucky. Yeah. Melba just dered that she won¡¯t charge any money for today.¡± He pointed to the two-story building with his finger. ¡°Go quickly before it¡¯s toote. There are more than a few vigers who have taken over the inn rooms, saying they won¡¯t go home today. I also came out to get permission from my wife¡­ Oh, my, look at me.¡± The middle-aged man made a surprised expression and ran off somewhere. Bobby smiled at his screwy appearance and turned his head toward Ruon. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯ll bring my brother and follow you soon.¡± Ruon watched him leave without giving him a chance to answer and muttered. ¡°They¡¯re all too excited.¡± Tarwen nodded his head as if he agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the inn first.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that.¡± As they approached the building where theughter was loud, Ruon turned his body and lightly stroked Nightmare¡¯s neck. ¡°Wait here.¡± Leaving the ck horse that was snorting behind them, Ruon and Tarwen went straight into the inn. The noisy interior became quiet for a moment at the appearance of the strangers. Then someone shouted. ¡°Ha! What lucky travelers! This inn is free today! Drinks too! Meat too! Beds too!¡± At his words, the people in the inn started tough loudly. The disorderlyughter soon gathered and began to cheer for someone. ¡°Melba!¡± ¡°Melba!¡± ¡°Melba!¡± The middle-aged woman who got up in sync with the sound raised her hand to the crowd. She waited for the noise to die down and shouted. ¡°Cheer for our sons, not me! For the heroes who returned safely after ughtering the barbarians of the north!¡± The people responded to her thunderous cry with apuse like thunder. ¡°Stephan! Thanks to you, your mother is giving me free drinks! Thank you!¡± ¡°Beryl! I¡¯m d you came back safely!¡± ¡°Anto, I¡¯d have no wish left if I had a son like you.¡± Those guys. Ruon stared intently at the men sitting around the central table of the inn. They were the ones who received everyone¡¯s apuse. That¡¯s when it happened. Tarwen walked toward them. The people started to whistle at the sight of the beautiful elf standing in front of one of the men. But Tarwen ignored the tant stares and noise, and clenched his teeth and said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The short-haired man lifted his ss on the table and retorted. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m drinking at my mother¡¯s shop. Having some conversations.¡± Tarwen twisted his face as if he hated his calm answer. ¡°Cut the crap. He.¡± Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Chapter 74 The clear hostility in the fairy¡¯s voice poured cold water on the hot atmosphere of the inn. The man frowned. He looked visibly annoyed. ¡°He? I¡¯m Stefan. Who are you to pick a fight with me?¡± There was no trace of arrogance in Stefan¡¯s voice. He only showed bewilderment and hostility at the unexpected situation. He had a natural expression and behavior that no one would find strange, but at that moment, Ruon felt a strange sense of incongruity sweeping over his back. His superhuman senses told him. That the man in front of him was not normal. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t stop Tarwen from grabbing a fork and stabbing it into Stefan¡¯s eye. ¡°Aaah-!¡± A chilling scream swept through the inn. The first to move among the vigers who were frozen by the sudden situation was Stefan¡¯s mother, Melba. ¡°You crazy woman! What are you doing!¡± She pushed Tarwen away with all her strength, then hugged Stefan, who was writhing in pain with his right eye bleeding. ¡°Oh, my God! Stefan! What the hell is going on?¡± She rolled her feet and then red at Tarwen with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Are you all just going to watch? That mad woman made my son¡¯s eye like this!¡± The first to respond to her scream was the man who was blowing a whistle. He was sitting next to Tarwen and jumped up from his seat, then swung a bottle upside down at the fairy¡¯s head. But Ruon, who had approached in the meantime, blocked it with the back of his hand. ss shards shattered in the air with a ng. The startled man thrust the sharp end of the broken bottle forward and growled. ¡°What the hell? You wanna try me?¡± Ruon brushed off the ss shards that had sttered on his arm and retorted. ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide this time since it was a misunderstanding. But there won¡¯t be a second time.¡± The calm warning only made the man more furious and he backed away hesitantly. Then, a scream of agony pierced the air. Ruon turned his head and saw Stefan, who had staggered to his feet, pulling out a sword from his waist. ¡°You damn fairy bitch! What did I ever do to you to deserve this!¡± With his only remaining eye, Tarwen licked his lips and red at the man who looked like he wanted to kill him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, does it?¡± Stephan growled fiercely, making a face as if he was talking nonsense. ¡°What are you babbling about after poking a person¡¯s eye with a fork¡­¡± Suddenly, his body stopped. Melba, who was startled by his appearance, asked in a wet voice. ¡°Stephan? Are you in a lot of pain? You shouldn¡¯t be like this, you need treatment right away¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in pain.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Instead of pulling out the fork that was stuck in his right eye, Stefan pushed it deeper into his socket. His pupil and vitreous humor shattered in an instant, and blood oozed out. People screamed and backed away in horror. The perpetrator of the gruesome self-harm blinked his blurry eyes and muttered to himself, regardless of the people¡¯s reactions. ¡°¡­Why doesn¡¯t it hurt? What¡¯s wrong with my body?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re dead, Stefan.¡± ¡°Why am I dead? When? How? Where?¡± Tarwen clenched her eyes shut and said as she opened them. ¡°Enough already. How long are you going to y with the poor soul?¡± As soon as her words ended, Stefan¡¯s body trembled like a pine tree. He was not the only one. The other young men who had returned safely from the battlefield also began to shiver as if they had been struck by lightning. Soon, Stefan, or rather He, spoke with calm eyes that shone like a lie. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Nice to see you. Tarwen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act friendly. It disgusts me.¡± At her sharp reply, He burst into a madughter. The low-pitched voice that cackled was very annoying to hear. She soon stoppedughing and said. ¡°I wondered what gave you the confidence toe here on your own feet, after running away like a rat all this time. Did you find a reliable backup?¡± Ruon threw a dagger from his arms at He¡¯s gaze that touched him. The dagger that spun in the air and flew pierced the forehead of the bastard. Melba, who witnessed the scene, screamed. Ruon reached out his right hand toward the corpse that copsed on the floor like a broken doll. He caught the dagger that came back and wiped the blood and flesh on his thigh. ¡°You¡¯re still hiding behind a corpse, as always.¡± At his words, the mouth of the corpse on the floor drew a long line. ¡°A traitor who won¡¯t satisfy me even if I tear you apart and a sacrifice that I wanted to get my hands on are in the same ce. What kind of bizarre harmony is this? Hey, warrior. Can you exin it to me?¡± Ruon twirled the dagger in his hand and retorted. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m going to kill the witch who never showed up.¡± At his calm deration, the mouth of the corpse closed for a moment and then burst intoughter again. ¡°Awesome. Truly awesome. I sincerely hope that your bravery will melt into us on the day we be one.¡± The corpse that had uttered those disgusting words slowly got up. Then, the rest of the young men lined up behind him. ¡°I was just thinking that there was a soul I wanted to try among the ones I recently tamed, and this is perfect timing. Warrior, have you ever fought with the barbarians of the north?¡± Ruon did not answer his question and turned his head to look at Tarwen. ¡°Is He among them?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not. That woman stuffs various souls into her flesh, and she¡¯s a voyeur who watches them from afar. Those are all He¡¯s puppets. Like Stefan, who didn¡¯t even know he was dead even after he died¡­ They¡¯re just ythings.¡± Ruon said as he looked at her burning gaze. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take care of this ce. You should deal with the outside. The inn has been noisy since a while ago.¡± He had been activating [Fairy¡¯s Hearing] since earlier and was clearly hearing the desperate screamsing from outside. Tarwen, who was a fairy herself, seemed to not hear the sound, and blinked her eyes for a moment before nodding her head quickly. ¡°Okay. Be careful.¡± She answered briefly and left the inn right away. Now, the only ones left in the spacious dining room were Ruon and six men who were He¡¯s marites. The other vigers had run away without looking back as soon as they saw the corpse with a hole in its head get up. Then, the corpse with Stefan¡¯s face opened its mouth. ¡°The family I believed to be alive¡­ The neighbors and friends! The screams of realizing that they are actually monsters are always sweet. The grudges of those who were killed by them be precious resources for me.¡± As he said that, the bodies of all the men copsed like mud. In the blink of an eye, the disintegrated flesh, blood, and organs began to squirm and gather together, forming a huge human shape and rising up. The appearance of the monster that finally stood up was utterly abhorrent. More than ten eyeballs were crowded on the upper part of his face, he had no nose, and he had three mouths. In his hands, he held tworge axes made of bones and flesh, and the sight of the hearts embedded in the middle of the axe des pulsating was truly horrifying. Ruon, who had been watching the whole transformation process, said. ¡°I hope you¡¯re satisfied with the experience points I¡¯ve waited for you.¡± ¡°Warrior, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re worth fighting.¡± At that, the monsterughed with his three mouths. One of them uttered anguid woman¡¯s voice. ¡°The barbarian warrior¡¯s soul that dwells in this body has a record of cutting down twenty knights of the kingdom with a single sword. How about now, with a body and weapons that are several times stronger than in his lifetime? You¡¯d better not be careless. Warrior.¡± At the same time, the monster smashed the floor with a thud and charged at him. Ruon drew his ego sword from his waist and swung it up at the axe that the monster swung down. ng-! A loud noise erupted from the weapons that collided, and they both stepped back. The difference was, the monster staggered for a moment and Ruon was not shaken at all. To counter the downward attack by swinging it up, you need more than twice the strength of your opponent. The scene a moment ago clearly suggested what it meant. Ruon¡¯s strength was ahead of the monster. The monster realized that too and gave up on pushing him with force, and swung his axe nimbly in the gap that opened up. Ruon blocked the axe de that dug in half a beat faster and tried to narrow the distance for a counterattack, but instead stepped back half a step. Then, with a whoosh, the opposite axe de swept the air. At the moment when the opponent¡¯s sight was fixed on the upper part, he aimed at the lower part with exquisite timing. It was an impossiblebination without tremendous strength and sharp situation judgment. Of course, Ruon brilliantly thwarted it, but he had to admit that the opponent was a powerful warrior in his lifetime. A longsword and two axes shed in midair, spitting out red sparks. There was no courtesy in their exchange of blows. Neither side backed off, and soon the distance between them was too close to swing their weapons. The monster, feeling pressured by the opponent¡¯s strength and skill, quickly retreated. But Leon, who had maintained his posture despite the repeated collisions, followed him and shed his sword. The de of Ruin, which soared like a razor, sliced through the monster¡¯s three eyes. Grrr-! The monster counterattacked with his axe, ignoring his pain-filled roar. But Leon was faster. He inserted his sword between the axe de and the handle, blocking the monster¡¯s attack in advance. He then punched the monster¡¯s abdomen with his other fist. The monster¡¯s hard muscles crumpled under the impact, but he did not back off. He swung his other axe, but Leon leaned his upper body back and dodged it. A huge me engulfed his body. The monster mmed his chest with all his might, taking advantage of Leon¡¯s momentary falter from the burning sensation. Leon flew back with a loud bang, smashing a few tables and chairs in the inn before he stopped. Leon brushed off the mes on his body and spat on the floor, smiling. ¡°I thought you were fighting pretty well for your looks, but I was wrong. Spitting fire from your mouth.¡± Grrr-oo-oo-oo! The monster roared loudly, as if his pride was hurt. A hard carapace sprouted all over his body. At the same time, the heart embedded in the axe de throbbed violently, making the whole axe pulsate with thick blood vessels. Leon did not just watch this change. He mmed his arm on the ground, and his sword became blurry. A red rune appeared on the de, and he swept the monster¡¯s upper body with it. The monster desperately raised both axes in his hands, but he was no match for the immense dragon power contained in Ruin. His reinforced axes cracked, and he staggered back three steps. A thick dagger pierced deep into his chest. Grrr-ah! Leon pped his palm on the weight attached to the dagger, which had pierced through the carapace and buried itself deep in the flesh. The monster, who had lost his bncepletely from the sessive impacts and the pierced chest, fell backwards. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Leon detected the scorching heat from the three mouths on the monster¡¯s jaw. He pounded his fist on them repeatedly. Blood foam bubbled up from the crushed lower jaw. Leon clenched his fist and looked down coldly at the monster¡¯s more than ten eyes. He shared the monster¡¯s vision and saw the damn witch who was looking at him. He added a word to her. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll find you soon. Next time, I¡¯ll smash your face.¡± Crash! Leon¡¯s fist smashed the monster¡¯s jawpletely as he finished his words. At that moment, a surge of satisfaction filled his body like a raging wave. It was a long-awaited level up. Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Chapter 75 As soon as Ruon, who had invested his stats in strength by submerging himself in his inner self, opened his eyes, the door of the inn burst open and a man ran in as if he had copsed. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He fell to the floor with his legs giving out. He was Bobby, the young man who had guided them to the vige. His face, which had been full ofughter, was pale with fear as he trembled. ¡°Ru-run away.¡± Ruon ignored his urgent warning and looked at another man who came into the inn behind him. The man looked at Bobby, who had fallen, with his blurry eyes that had lost focus. He said. ¡°Why are you running away?¡± Bobby shivered his chin in response to his gloomy voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, bro? Put down the knife. Put it down!¡± The man nced at the kitchen knife in his hand at Bobby¡¯s words, and then tapped his left chest with his other hand. ¡°I, feel, empty, here.¡± His choppy voice began to get louder. ¡°I¡¯m so empty, I need to fill it up, blood, flesh, soul, I need them, I need to find myself. I have to find it!¡± As Ruon stepped forward at the murderous intent in the man¡¯s eyes, a soft voice came. Then the man¡¯s body twitched like a puppet pulled by a string. He turned his head unnaturally and looked at the person behind him. ¡°¡­What, what, did you do?¡± The fairy who entered the inn answered in an iprehensiblenguage, and the man screamed and twisted his body. ¡°Stop, stooop!¡± The man dropped the knife and his knees buckled. He kept mumbling all the while. ¡°Kuh-!¡± The man copsed to the floor without a trace, and a faint sphere came out of his motionless body. Then a foul smell wafted out. Tarwen, who carefully caught the sphere floating in the air like a firefly, blew it out of her hand and opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± At her words, Ruon loosened his clenched fist and looked at the man who had fallen. The flesh, which looked like it had died a few weeks ago by the smell that stung his nose, was rotting even now, at this moment. Meanwhile, Bobby got up with a limp. He looked back and forth between Tarwen and the rotten flesh. He muttered. ¡°What, what is this¡­ Why did my brother be like that?¡± He rubbed his eyes roughly, as if he had a hard time epting the scene in front of him. Tears flowed from his bloodshot eyes. Tarwen, who watched him pitifully, said. ¡°That¡¯s not your brother. It¡¯s just a nameless corpse that held his soul. They are disposable products that don¡¯t care about the harmony of mind and body, so they break down at the slightest trigger.¡± It seemed difficult for a young man from an ordinary vige to understand, but she continued to speak. It seemed as if Bobby had the right to know the whole story of the incident. ¡°They are monsters that are born by clinging to hatred for the living, unable to ovee the emptiness thates from the gap between spirit and flesh. You¡¯ve seen it, haven¡¯t you?¡± Bobby blinked his eyes nkly and asked. ¡°Who made my brother like that?¡± ¡°A witch.¡± Tarwen finished her short answer and turned her head to look at the monster¡¯s corpse with its head smashed. ¡°¡­A fusion, huh. It seems that He was directly involved in consuming magic on that guy. The rest were out of control and attacking people indiscriminately.¡± Ruon asked. ¡°What about the people?¡± Tarwen answered with a bitter expression. ¡°Four of them died. No one expected that the proud sons who returned safely would suddenly swing their des at us.¡± ¡°So your guess was right.¡± ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t.¡± As the two exchanged words, a buzzing sound came from outside the half-open door. The vigers gathered together and looked into the inn with anxious expressions. Among them, an old man with his hair peeled off entered the inn, shivering. He found the monster¡¯s body and the flesh that was emitting a rotten smell on the floor, and muttered lowly, sping his fingers. ¡°Goodness, Tive¡­¡± He calmed down his surprised heart by chanting the name of the goddess for a while and said. ¡°I¡¯m the vige chief, Anderson. Thank you for your help.¡± Tarwen pointed to Ruon with her thumb as he bowed his head deeply to her. ¡°Thank the person who knocked down the fusion. I just separated the lost soul from the flesh.¡± Anderson didn¡¯t seem to understand her words at all, but he wasn¡¯t clueless, so he quickly bowed his head to Ruon. ¡°Thank you for your grace. Warrior.¡± He lifted his head and opened his mouth to Tarwen. He seemed to feel less burdened to ask something to the mysterious fairy than to the intimidating Ruon. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of monsters that mimic the appearance of others a long time ago. The beasts that attacked the vige this time are those monsters, right? Otherwise, how could the kids who were fine suddenly do this to us?¡± He must not want to believe it. Ruon could feel the desperate hope in the vige chief¡¯s question. It was hisst remaining ray of hope. He would rather believe that the monsters were not his beloved family, but impostors who mimicked them to deceive him. Tarwen spoke to the vige chief, who was waiting for an answer with an anxious expression. ¡°Yes, there are such monsters that exist. But you know better than anyone that they are not the ones who came back. Did they seem like they were acting to you?¡± As the vige chief opened and closed his mouth like a mute, she continued. ¡°They were your neighbors who were born and raised in this vige. Unfortunately, they lost their lives on the battlefield, and their souls were taken and used by the witch. It¡¯s hard to ept, but that¡¯s the truth.¡± Her firm words made the vigers who were listening outside sigh. Some of them even fainted from the shock. The vige chief copsed on the ground. ¡°Oh, Tiv. Have you forsaken us?¡± Ruon watched him shed tears like a chicken¡¯s droppings and moved outside with a faint sigh. The sun hung in the clear sky without a cloud and shone its warm light on the ground. But it seemed not enough tofort the vige that was immersed in sorrow. *** Tarwen gaped at the huge pit in front of her. ¡°This is the result of a few shovels? Unbelievable¡­ What a monstrous strength. You don¡¯t even need magic.¡± Then, Ruon, who had thrown the headless body of the monster into the pit, asked. ¡°Are you just going to watch?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I evenpliment you?¡± She grunted and kicked the rotten flesh next to her foot. Soon, a nging sound came from below the pit. Ruon looked at the torn flesh and asked. ¡°Why do you have to do this much?¡± Tarwen stretched and answered. ¡°Because the corpses are exposed to the curse. We have to be careful. If some wild animals eat them, it would be trouble. It would be lucky if they just be more ferocious, but sometimes they turn into monsters.¡± As she finished her answer, she licked her lips. Then, a small spark flew in the air and fell into the pit. The corpses started to burn fiercely. Tarwen, who was staring nkly at them, asked. ¡°Was I too honest?¡± Ruon looked at the fairy¡¯s face without a word. She continued. ¡°I could have sugarcoated it a bit. Anyway, the vigers wouldn¡¯t understand what I was talking about, whether it was souls or curses. I wonder if I should have just told them what they wanted to hear, that these were monsters pretending to be people.¡± The mes engulfed the twisted flesh and made a crackling sound. Ruon thought it sounded like a scream and opened his mouth. ¡°I doubt that would have made any difference. That would not be a kind lie, but a blind denial.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re probably right.¡± Ruon lightly patted the shoulder of the dejected fairy. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so sorry. You did the aftermath without getting a penny.¡± At his joking words, Tarwen smiled faintly. ¡°Put it on my tab. I¡¯ll pay you all at once when the job is done.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d give me your whole fortune? What else are you going to add?¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t work, huh?¡± She pped her hands and giggled. But soon, theughter faded from her face. She said with a serious expression. ¡°Now that H knows we¡¯re together, they¡¯ll be well prepared in the cradle.¡± As he expected, Ruon nodded. ¡°I guess so.¡± Tarwen added with a grave expression. ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this, exposed to danger all the time. Of course, Ruon, I¡¯m not worried since you¡¯re an unbeatable warrior by my side¡­ But the problem is that innocent people keep getting involved.¡± He couldn¡¯t argue with that. Ruon was a powerful warrior who could look beyond the boundary of superhuman, but he was still a human with two arms and legs. That¡¯s why, in this situation where he didn¡¯t know what would happen next, it was almost impossible to go on without any innocent casualties. Didn¡¯t three vigers die today, despite his quick response? Ruon nodded and asked. ¡°So, do you have any other way?¡± ¡°Not exactly. But I need your name value.¡± Name value? At his unexpected words, Ruon opened his eyes slightly and Tarwen said. ¡°Remember? When we hunted down Belducius, we got support from the Grand Church of Tiv. You said you were with a priest named Igor, right?¡± Could that be called support? Ruon swallowed a snort and replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we got support from the Grand Church, but it¡¯s true that I was with apetent priest.¡± At his words, Tarwen widened her eyes. ¡°¡­A person who gets the modifier petent¡¯ from your mouth. Could he be the incarnation of Tiv?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a prayer fanatic.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She opened her mouth btedly, as if she had lost her words and blinked her eyes for a moment. ¡°Anyway, by now, the Grand Church must have started to announce the fact that Belducius has fallen. They are the ones who are obsessed with raising their prestige, so they have no reason not to publicize that there was a priest of Tive in the legendary party that defeated the Great Demon. And the nobles andmoners in the cold regions will probably bring donations to the temple of Tive.¡± She said, sticking out her tongue low, as if she was displeased with that fact. ¡°If the priest named Igor had delivered it properly, soon there would be no one in the continent who doesn¡¯t know the name of Ruon. He is the one who brought down the Great Demon, after all. Right?¡± Here we go again. Ruon shook his head at the fairy¡¯s lengthy exnation. ¡°I always wonder, can¡¯t you just get to the point? What do you want me to do with my name value?¡± She answered, fanning her face that had turned red with embarrassment. ¡°There are usually portals inrge churches or temples. Of course, they can¡¯t be used in a normal way, but¡­ I thought it might be different for you. Frankly, who would refuse the Great Demon yer if he asked to use it? You¡¯re the person who helped raise the reputation of Tive, so they should at least allow you that much.¡± In the end, her words boiled down to two things. To take the portals that connect the churches and move to the west in an instant. And to use his name value in the process. He didn¡¯t like getting involved with the church. Ruon hesitated for a moment, but soon nodded. It was much easier to quickly strike their base than to continue the journey under all kinds of threats. Then, the rune on his waist began to flutter as if it was happy. Tarwen, who was watching it with curiosity, tilted his head. ¡°Geez, it¡¯s always amazing to see the swordmunicate its will. What is it saying now?¡± Ruon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s happy that we¡¯re going to visit the church of Tive.¡± ¡°Huh? It was a faithful sword? That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°It used to be a holy sword.¡± ¡°What? Why do you have such a sword¡­¡± Ruon chuckled at the fairy who frowned as if he was talking nonsense. ¡°I was often called the champion of Tive before I became the Great Demon yer.¡± Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Chapter 76 There was an old spire where the witches who had be ouws of all churches for practicing evil sorcery gathered. Around the building that rose like a needle over the barrennd, wicked souls howled like hungry wolves, mingling with the fierce wind. The spire that hid its appearance in the swirl of eerie resentment was called ¡®the cradle of the dead¡¯ by those who knew of its existence. It was only natural that the witches inside became the cradle¡¯s witches. He was one of those cradle¡¯s witches. Her face, which was unrivaled in handling souls and corpses, was twisted with anger and shame. ¡°Damn it!¡± She swung her arm nervously, spilling the chained bottles on the floor and releasing a foul smell. Blood dripped from her fingertips that were cut by the broken ss, but she snorted as if she didn¡¯t care about such a trivial matter. ¡°What kind of soul was that!¡± Unable to contain her rising rage, she clenched her long hair and gritted her teeth. And no wonder, she had paid a fortune of nearly three hundred gold coins to Fleur for the corpses and various potions to obtain the soul of the barbarian warrior who had vanished absurdly. Then, from the other end of the dark corridor, the sound of cking shoes was heard. ¡°You¡¯re very angry, aren¡¯t you?¡± He looked at the tall woman who emerged from the darkness and bit her lip slightly. ¡°Fleur¡­¡± The most powerful witch in the cradle smiled softly and sat down on a marble chair, eyeing He at the same level. She crossed her smooth legs and said. ¡°You skipped the meeting again today. The others are resentful. Do you know that?¡± ¡°Ha, what a joke! Do you think nothing can be done without me? If they have anyints, let theme and talk to me. Don¡¯t whine behind my back.¡± Fleur showed a faint smile at the prickly answer. ¡°That¡¯s why I came, didn¡¯t I? None of them want to face your fiery temper head-on.¡± He brought her bloodstained finger to her mouth and licked it loudly. She asked with a sneer. ¡°What do you want to say? You didn¡¯te all this way just to nag me, did you? Did you?¡± Fleur lifted the wine bottle on the table instead of answering. She took a sip of the wine from the bottle and frowned slightly at the bitter taste. ¡°His name is Ruon.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Who is that?¡± ¡°The name of the warrior who was chosen as our new body. You don¡¯t seem to know much about him, considering how much you desire him.¡± A thin vein popped up on He¡¯s forehead. ¡°His name is Ruon?¡± Then, a sharp moonlight seeped through the window and fell between the two witches. Fleur touched the gentle light with her fingertips and said. ¡°The assassin of the waning moon who was chasing Tarwen lost his life to the warrior who was protecting him. I was curious and looked into it, and guess what? He was the same warrior we were after. What a remarkable coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡± She stroked the moonlight softly like a musician ying a string instrument and continued. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the fact that he has a bad rtionship with the waning moon for now. That¡¯s not the important thing. The important thing is the amazing feat he aplished.¡± He felt her body heat up and urged her to finish. ¡°What is it? What is it?¡± Fleur crossed her legs the other way and said. ¡°Do you remember the wyvern that devoured over a hundred people in Nardam? The beast was so powerful that people wondered if it was a dragon.¡± It was a random question, but He nodded obediently. That wyvern was one of the monsters she had coveted for creating a powerful chimera. The story continued. ¡°The warrior who slew the wyvern was none other than Ruon. He is hailed as a hero in Nardam. It¡¯s ironic that he never returned after that.¡± He let out a faint sigh, feeling her spirits drop. ¡°It was an amazing feat, no doubt¡­ but a miraculous deed? When did the standards get so low?¡± Fleurughed. ¡°He, listen to the end. This is what the Waning Moon investigated. The real story starts now.¡± Her lips slowly curled into a smirk. ¡°He is the purifier of the corrupted monastery. The owner of the holy sword, and the me warrior who appeared after a hundred years. He is the beloved of Mercy and me, and the one who beheaded the decaying madness Belducias¡­ the demon yer.¡± As the words went on, He¡¯s face grew paler and paler. When Fleur finished her sentence, He covered her mouth with her palm and twisted. ¡°He killed Belducias¡­ you mean him?¡± ¡°Now you see? He is not a mere sacrifice that can be exchanged for hundreds.¡± Fleur straightened her back and stood up. The towering woman looked down at He with a cloudy gaze. ¡°Why do you think I told you this?¡± There was no more gentle smile on her face. Her white teeth shed menacingly behind her lips. ¡°He, He, He, He.¡± Her voice was dark, and every syble wasced with poison. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly without even knowing who you¡¯re dealing with. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we can get our hands on the flesh of the demon yer, and peer into the abyss!¡± Fleur shouted sharply, grabbing He¡¯s shoulder and bringing her lips to her ear. ¡°We can be the greatest demons ever. We can twist the fate that the heavenly bastards have taken, and make it ours. Do you understand?¡± Fleur let go of her hand with a satisfied smile, feeling the slight tremor in her fingertips. ¡°So, He¡­ instead of wasting time on losing the soul of a barbarian, why don¡¯t you think about how to wee those bastards who are crawling to the cradle?¡± Fleur looked down at He with a cold gaze for a while, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the corridor. Soon, silence fell in the room where He was left alone. ¡°Pfft, hehe, hehehe.¡± She lifted her head with a suppressedughter, and her eyes drew a long arc. A high-pitched grin rose above her palm, which tightly pressed her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly? What to do, Fleur¡­ I don¡¯t really want to do that.¡± He barely calmed her breath. A sinister aura filled her flickering pupils. ¡°The best sacrifice and the key are in the same ce, and you want me to wait stupidly¡­ you¡¯re like crazy women. If you¡¯re so afraid of the church, why don¡¯t you hide forever?¡± She didn¡¯t show it, but she had no desire to mingle with the witches of the cradle. Just as Tarwen fled from the horrible spectacle that the demon ritual would create, He wished that the demon ritual would be for her alone. And the opportunity was in front of her. Until a while ago, she couldn¡¯t move rashly because shecked information on the power of the unknown warrior named Ruon, but now that Fleur had told her everything, there was no need to dy the matter any longer. He smiled, showing her teeth. It was a smile full of anticipation. ¡°Ruon, the great warrior who killed the demon. Wait a little. I have a soul that is not inferior to yours, so it will surely be a fun fight.¡± She chuckled, unable to hide her joy at the thought of bringing out the hammer that had once roared the world. *** They look like colorful bean sprouts. Ruon let out a snort as he looked at the long line of people. If he emptied the pockets of these people, he would have enough to live a life of leisure. The reason he thought that was because all these people were going to the temple of Tive to make donations. Of course, voluntarily. Tarwen pulled up his cloak and muttered. ¡°The world must have been really troubled. The news of the demon¡¯s death was a huge news, but I didn¡¯t expect so many people to flock. Even a normal city is like this, I wonder if the grand church won¡¯t burst.¡± Ruon shrugged. ¡°The grand church doesn¡¯t allow the entry of ordinary believers.¡± ¡°Oh, right. You¡¯ve been there, right?¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the name of this city?¡± ¡°Beograd.¡± Then a child raised his hand like a fern. The child was riding on the shoulder of a man who looked like his father, so he attracted everyone¡¯s attention. The child swallowed his saliva nervously as he felt the eyes of the people on him, but soon he closed his eyes and shouted loudly. ¡°Long live Ruon! The steadfast Kyle! The faithful Igor! The cheerful Strabo!¡± Crazy, what? Ruon frowned as he heard the child¡¯s words, and everyone around him except him and Tarwen raised their hands. ¡°Long live!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± The roar of the crowd created a huge wave of sound that echoed across the square. Tarwen, who was nkly following the tide of people with his eyes, looked up at Ruon with a curious gaze and asked. ¡°Great Ruon? Can I hold your hand just once?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Stop it.¡± Ruon, who had a face like he had bitten a lump of dung, looked at Tarwen andughed mockingly. Barely stopping hisughter, he wiped the tears that welled up in his eyes and said. ¡°My goodness, can you imagine what would happen if these people knew you were Ruon? How does it feel to be a living legend?¡± Ruon pressed his throbbing temple. ¡°It sucks.¡± As the line was disrupted by the wave caused by a child¡¯s cry, the knights who looked like pdins raised their voices. ¡°Please line up properly!¡± ¡°This is the front of the Mother¡¯s Church. Show some respect!¡± Tarwen shook his head as he watched the scene. ¡°This way, waiting seems meaningless. How about we kill some time ande back when there are no people?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Ruon turned his body from where he was standing and walked through the crowd. The people who bumped into his shoulder did not know that he was the hero they were cheering for, and secretly rolled their eyes. Meanwhile, Ruon approached a stall where various drinks were densely disyed and grabbed the most expensive-looking bottle, popped the cork with his thumb, and gulped it down. The owner, who was watching his throat gulp, asked with a worried tone. ¡°Hey, brother. If you drink that fast, you¡¯ll end up in the grave. By the way, do you have money?¡± As Ruon emptied a bottle in an instant and started drinking another one, Tarwen, who followed him, took out a silver coin from his pocket and handed it to the owner. The owner, who was startled by the considerable amount, quickly snatched it and coughed. ¡°Ahem, your husband seems very angry. You came to the right ce. There¡¯s nothing like alcohol when you¡¯re angry¡­ But stop him when it¡¯s enough. I¡¯m not responsible if he dies. No, I won¡¯t.¡± Of course, his expectation was nothing but a delusion. The owner looked at the empty bottles on the stall and muttered like a person who had lost his mind. ¡°How, how is his stomach made?¡± Ruon, who threw thest bottle at the owner, answered. ¡°It¡¯s enough to kill some time. I drank well.¡± He immediately headed for the church. The people who were suffocatingly crowded sighed and turned their steps as the sun set. It was because the church limited the time to receive donations for the normal operation of the church to the time when the sun was up. The young knight who was standing at the entrance raised his palm toward Ruon, who was approaching. ¡°Entrance is not possible today. If youe early tomorrow, you will have time to pray to the Mother.¡± He must have been exhausted from dealing with the people who came all day, but he was polite as if he was not a knight who served the Goddess of Mercy. Ruon, who was wondering what to say, silently gripped the sword at his waist. The young knight and his colleague quickly took out their swords and warned him, feeling the sudden movement and the faint smell of alcohol. ¡°If you make a fuss in front of the Mother¡¯s Church, you will lose your head. I warn you, back off.¡± Ruon, who looked at their stern words and eyes, smiled faintly and muttered to himself. Remember the old days. At the same time, he pushed his divine power strongly toward Ruin. Then a dazzling light burst out from under the sword and brightened the surroundings. The knight, who was overwhelmed by the familiar and intense power he felt in it, blinked his eyes and asked. ¡°What, what is this? Who are you? Then Tarwen, who stepped forward, held back hisughter and said. ¡°Who else? He¡¯s the great Ruon.¡± Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Chapter 77 The two knights quickly let go of their sword hilts and straightened their backs. Their stiff posture subtly signaled theirck of fighting spirit, so Ruon also rxed his stance and looked at them. Their eyes briefly met in the air. The one who broke the short silence was the knight. ¡°Are you really the great Ruon?¡± He seemed to realize how foolish his question was, as he nodded his head at Ruon¡¯s reply. ¡°I¡¯m not that great.¡± The knight exchanged a nce with his colleague, as if something had passed between them. He then turned his head and spoke. ¡°Please follow me.¡± He finished his words and turned his body with a graceful gesture, leading the way. Ruon followed him without a word, and Tarwen whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to let us in so easily. Maybe my mention of the great Ruon had some effect.¡± What are you talking about? Ruon thought that the fairy had a surprisingly dull side, and said. ¡°They¡¯re letting us in not because they recognized who I am, but because they thought it wasn¡¯t a good choice to leave a warrior who can wield holy power standing outside.¡± Tarwen also seemed to agree with that, as he scratched his cheek with an awkward expression. ¡°That makes sense. Then, do you have any way to prove who you are?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± As they chatted, they entered a long corridor following the knight¡¯s guidance. The ceiling of the corridor was decorated with colorful stained ss, which let the light pass through and created a dreamy atmosphere for the people walking through it. This was designed to impress the visitors of the church with its dignity, but Ruon only thought it was a waste of money. They wasted a lot of money on this. Soon, the knight reached the end of the hallway and knocked lightly on a small door. Then, a permission came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± The knight opened the door and gestured for Ruon and Tarwen to enter. A man with a good appearance rose from his chair as he saw the two people who came in. ¡°Oh, we have guests.¡± The man, who was wearing a white priest¡¯s robe that dragged on the floor, looked like he was in histe years, with his hairpletely white. He quickly approached the knight and whispered in his ear. His voice was very low, but Ruon, who had superhuman hearing, could hear it. In summary, he said that he brought a warrior who imed to be Ruon, because he had an unusual amount of holy power and he couldn¡¯t just send him away. Just as I thought. Ruon thought as he watched the man, who understood the situation and pointed to a long chair. ¡°Please sit down.¡± He sat down on the opposite side and said. ¡°I am Jonathan, a priest who preaches the mercy of the Mother in Belgrade.¡± Jonathan? Ruon frowned as he heard a familiar name, and focused his attention. Jonathan, who introduced himself politely, folded his hands over his thick belly. He looked like he was waiting for their answers. ¡°Tarwen.¡± ¡°Ruon.¡± The two people briefly introduced themselves in turn, and Jonathan¡¯s eyes fixed on the fairy¡¯s face. He soon made a faint face and said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how someone who uses the power of the curse has the nerve toe to the church. If it wasn¡¯t for the warrior next to you, I wouldn¡¯t have just watched.¡± Tarwen smiled faintly. ¡°I get it. But I¡¯m not very happy either.¡± Jonathan turned his head to Ruon with an expression that demanded an exnation. ¡°Warrior, I need you to tell me what¡¯s going on. There are many things to clear up. First of all, the fact that you are Ruon¡­¡± Then, Ruon cut off his words with a sudden memory that shed in his mind. ¡°Wait, wait¡­ Are you the priest who wrote the rmendation letter for Igor?¡± Jonathan flinched noticeably and stuttered. ¡°H-how did you know?¡± So that¡¯s why there was such a fuss. Ruon chuckled. He thought that too many people had gathered to dismiss the reason that there was a priest of Tiv in the party that killed the great demon, but it turned out that the church was where Igor had been until recently. ¡°When I visited the Grand Church, Igor showed me his transfer order and mentioned you.¡± Jonathan grimaced and barely uttered a word. ¡°Where did you meet that kid?¡± ¡°I met him on the Pilgrim¡¯s Road for the first time. He was praying at every statue. Why?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Jonathan pushed his armrest and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m honored to meet you, hero.¡± The knight who was watching the situation from a distance also hurriedly bowed. ¡°I¡¯m honored to meet you, hero.¡± Ruon waved his hand in embarrassment at the situation. ¡°Please stop. I¡¯m not a hero, nor do I want to be one.¡± He had been worried that he might have to shoot an arrow through the ceiling with the weapon he had received from the goddess, if the conversation went sour. But he was satisfied with how smoothly things had turned out, and opened his mouth. ¡°I guess Igor left you some kind of message, judging by your question?¡± Jonathan, who seemed to calm his startled heart, nodded hastily as he wiped his face with a dry cloth. ¡°Yes. After he defeated the archdemon, he sent me a letter from the Grand Church, where he was recovering. He wrote in detail what had happened to him during that time.¡± He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a neatly folded paper, and handed it to Ruon, who shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need to read someone else¡¯s letter. It¡¯s fine.¡± Jonathan put the letter back in his pocket at the polite refusal, and said. ¡°It¡¯s a letter that came with the messenger from the Grand Church, to announce the news of the archdemon¡¯s death. It¡¯s been exactly three days today.¡± He ran his fingers through his hair nervously, and muttered. ¡°He was a very talented kid. That¡¯s why I invested my one and only rmendation letter for him. But I never imagined he would achieve such a great feat¡­¡± After that, he bombarded Ruon with various questions. Most of them were about the situation at the time, which was hard to convey with just the words of the letter. Ruon answered all of them sincerely. It was his own courtesy to the person who was like a mentor to his colleague. He didn¡¯t stop there, but also exined briefly about Tarwen and the purpose of the gods¡¯ visit to the church. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have to repeat himself unnecessarily. By the time his unintentionally long story was over, a faint moonlight was seeping through the window. ¡°¡­So that¡¯s how it happened.¡± Jonathan stroked his chin and pondered, then spoke. ¡°I see. You want to use the portal that connects the church, you say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s located in the western branch of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jonathan replied to his unhesitating answer. ¡°Normally, the portal is reserved for emergencies, when the branch faces a threat that it can¡¯t handle, or when it needs escape or support. It¡¯s impossible for me to open and close it at will with my authority. But if the reason is you, Ruon, then it¡¯s a different story.¡± He looked determined, and said with a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Ruon smiled faintly at his generous eptance, when Jonathan added. ¡°It¡¯s toote today, so why don¡¯t you leave first thing tomorrow?¡± Ruon nodded, looking at the crescent moon outside the window. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. I have another person who needs to use the portal anyway.¡± ¡°Oh, you have another colleague? Where are they now?¡± Ruon gave a thin smile to Jonathan, who tilted his head. ¡°They¡¯re probably sleeping in the stable by now.¡± *** There was arge t rock in the open space of the church, which served as a bench. Ruon, who was sitting on it and looking at the sky, asked without turning his head. ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep?¡± The fairy, who was wrapped in warm clothes, sat next to him and answered. ¡°I doubt I could. The church and the cradle are enemies, you know. Well, it¡¯s more like the cradle hates the church one-sidedly.¡± Ruon still didn¡¯t take his eyes off the stars that filled the sky, and retorted. ¡°That¡¯s why you left out the fact that you¡¯re a witch from the cradle, right? And you didn¡¯t mention that the curse you feel is from that tattoo, did you?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Tarwen was startled and pressed her lips to her index finger, looking around. She sighed in relief when she realized no one was there, and asked. ¡°What about you? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Ruon didn¡¯t answer, but just kept looking at the sky. She followed his gaze and looked at the sky with him. ¡°Why? Does the sky remind you of your hometown?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see that many stars in my hometown.¡± Tarwen¡¯s eyes widened. It was an unexpected answer. ¡°A ce where the sky is darkened by evil magic? The cradle is just like that¡­¡± Ruon swallowed a bitterugh at her naive question, and answered. ¡°It¡¯s because of the artificial lights. The night sky is bright, so the stars are not visible. They called it light pollution on the news, I think. Well, anyway.¡± Tarwen tilted her head. ¡°Light pollution? The night sky is bright? Does your hometown have a thousand magicians who manipte light?¡± Ruon didn¡¯t answer. The streetmps that filled the busy streets, the neon signs, the incandescent lights, the bustling people. All of that mixed together to create the bright night that he couldn¡¯t describe. Sometimes he looked up at the night sky like this for a simple reason. He felt a sense of alienation from the stars that seemed to pour down at any moment. The night sky, which was full of unreal beauty in the eyes of modern people, made Ruon more aware of his own foreignness. He couldn¡¯t find a proper answer that would epass all of his emotions, so he just smiled faintly. Tarwen did not ask any clueless questions like what artificial lighting is or what news is, facing his lonely smile. Instead, she asked apletely different question. ¡°When are you going to stop using that stiff tone? I¡¯ve been talking to you casually since the first time we met¡­¡± She coughed as she continued her words, seeing Ruon look at her after taking his eyes off the sky. ¡°I know. I look very rude. It¡¯s no excuse, but¡­ I¡¯ve been living for over twenty years among crazy women who have no respect for anyone. I can¡¯t seem to use polite speech. You know, like the ha-o-che that you often use¡­¡± Ruon shook his head and cut off her words. ¡°Did I do that? You¡¯re too long-winded.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ But what can I do about the way I talk?¡± Ruon felt that the fairy who was arguing with her mouth pouted looked like a person who was awkward in human rtionships. Maybe it was natural? He wondered if it was natural that she had not formed a proper human rtionship after living for twenty years, seeing all kinds of dirty things after being kidnapped by witches who killed her family. He suddenly thought of the trio who always talked nonsense in any situation. He thought they would have said something in this situation. Kyle would have lightened the mood with a joke, Strabo would have shouted romance endlessly, and Igor would have prayed quietly. Thinking of them, Ruon smiled faintly and said. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t use ha-o-che at least. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Turning his back on the fairy¡¯s face that looked excited somewhere, Ruon looked up at the night sky again. The brightly shining stars were looking at him. The next morning, Ruon, Tarwen, and Nightmare hid their traces in Belgrade by taking the portal that Jonathan opened. Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Chapter 78 When the drizzle that had carelessly wet the parchednd stopped, the sun that had been crumpled by the heavy dark clouds raised its headte at noon. The darkness that had been rampant loosened and life returned to the ground. Ruon deeply breathed in the clear air. As the fresh scent of the wet leaf mold filled his lungs, he felt his churning stomach settle a bit. Tarwen, who was brushing off the damp leaves that had stuck to her cloak, asked. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that long-distance portals have a considerable effect on the mind and body, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone suffer as long as you.¡± She sped her chin with a thoughtful expression. ¡°They say that the more developed your senses are, the more you are affected by it¡­ Could it be because of that? How interesting. How superhuman are your senses¡­¡± Interesting my ass. Ruon let her mutterings pass through one ear and spat saliva on the ground. He rubbed the dirty leaves with his toes and scattered them, and he unconsciously frowned as he recalled the moment he had entered the portal. It was a terribly unpleasant experience. He couldn¡¯t bear the feeling of being exposed to the situation where the world, broken like a barcode, shattered, scattered, crumpled, mixed, disappeared, and appeared thousands of times in a second, no matter how much he was Ruon. The funny thing was that Tarwen, Jonathan, and Nightmare, who had boarded the portal with him, onlyined of mild dizziness. None of them sensed the detailed changes like he did. That was also a shitty feeling, and Ruon eventually decided never to ride the portal again. That was three days ago. Ruon stretched out his arm toward the fairy who was still immersed in her own world and snapped his fingers. ¡°Are you going to write a paper on the portal? How about being faithful to your role as a guide for now?¡± At that, Tarwen, who hade to her senses, lifted her head. ¡°Oh, right.¡± She looked around for a moment and then pointed her chin in the direction where the bushes were sparse. ¡°If you walk diligently over there, you¡¯ll soone across a vige. What was its name? ¡®Crow¡¯s Head¡¯ or something. It¡¯s a ce where they have a tavern that sells amazing honey wine. Let¡¯s spend the day there.¡± Ruon tilted his head and looked up at the sky. The faint sunlight tickled his face. ¡°It¡¯s still early for the sun to set. Can¡¯t we just pass by?¡± Tarwen sighed softly and answered. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to camp out again today. The next vige is quite far away¡­¡± She shrugged her shoulders lightly and added. ¡°I¡¯ll follow your opinion. What do you want to do?¡± Should I rest properly for a day? Ruon muttered to himself as he looked at the fairy¡¯s weary face. She had been moving non-stop for the past three days, except for sleeping. The reason why the two of them had continued their forced march even though they had narrowed the distance in a breath by using the portal was because their location was ambiguous. The ce they arrived with Jonathan¡¯s help was an old temple of Tiv in the deep forest. Tarwen figured out that this ce was still more than a fortnight away from the cradle. Of course, that was also a great achievement. They had shortened the journey that would have taken more than two months to a fortnight. But instead of being satisfied with that, the two of them decided to quickly head to the cradle while the witch and the pursuers missed their location. That led to the forced march for the past three days. Ruon nodded his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been working hard for a few days, so it wouldn¡¯t be bad to rx for a day.¡± Tarwen pretended not to hold her breath and let out a sigh of relief at his words. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. The honey wine there is really delicious. You¡¯ll definitely like it too.¡± *** Over the long years, the huge granite rock that had been carved by the wind and rain looked just like a crow. The fairy grinned as she pointed to the giant statue made by nature. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± As soon as they passed the rock and entered the vige, a group of men who were holding various weapons greeted the two. They all had grim expressions, as if they had made up their minds about something. One of them asked, sticking his head out. ¡°Are you going to the tavern?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Ruon asked back, and the man who had asked shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re not open today, so don¡¯t waste your time and look for another ce.¡± Tarwen looked at the man curiously and stepped forward. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the tavern owner?¡± ¡°You must be new here. You got that right.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you open? What¡¯s going on?¡± The tavern owner slightly lifted the hammer with a long handle that he held in both hands and replied. ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± As soon as his words ended, Ruon walked toward the men with big strides. The men, who were intimidated by his simple walk, stepped back as a group. ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± The men couldn¡¯t answer right away and looked at each other, murmuring. Then, a thin middle-aged man came forward and opened his mouth. ¡°Why are you asking that?¡± Ruon pointed at the man¡¯s right hand with his index finger. More precisely, at the sword he was clumsily holding in his grip. ¡°You look like you have no affinity with swords. If you swing it around carelessly, you¡¯ll only make people bleed.¡± He added, looking at the middle-aged man who was fidgeting nervously. ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡± The answer came from the innkeeper¡¯s mouth. ¡°There¡¯s a lion-like beast that¡¯s been eating people near the vige. It treats us like food, filling its hungry belly and then disappearing for a few days, only toe back and devour more people. It¡¯s already done that five times. Five times, mind you.¡± He continued, grinning. ¡°Rather than dying from the humiliation of being treated like livestock by the monster, I¡¯d rather fight back and be torn to shreds.¡± Ruon tilted his head. ¡°Why do you have to solve this by yourselves? What about the lord? Or at least some mercenaries?¡± The innkeeper snorted. ¡°The lord? What use is he to us, a scoundrel who only cares about filling his own belly? Whether we¡¯re here or not, it only makes a difference in the taxes he collects. And it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t hired any mercenaries. There have been three of them who boasted that they could handle it. They¡¯re now reborn as lion dung.¡± So that¡¯s how it was. Ruon nodded quietly. It was nothing special in this shitty world. Amon tragedy, but not a light one. He said. ¡°Then you should hire a fourth mercenary.¡± ¡°Three mercenaries died in a row, and the price of that monster lion went through the roof. They started asking for five gold coins as a reward. How can we afford that¡­¡± The innkeeper stopped his rapid-fire speech. Ruon looked at him with a look of disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ll take the money you were going to pay the first mercenary.¡± The innkeeper¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Then, a calm voice reached his ears. ¡°So, put down that hammer that doesn¡¯t suit you, and go prepare some honey wine. Make sure it¡¯s ready when Ie back.¡± *** Ruon walked along the rugged mountain path as if it were t, tapping the ck horse¡¯s sturdy buttocks with his hand. ¡°Are we going the right way?¡± The ck horse neighed, and Ruin conveyed the meaning behind it. -Ruon, you doubt too much- What? Ruon pped the ck horse¡¯s buttocks with his palm, making a loud sound. But unlike usual, the horse didn¡¯t cry out in pain, but instead fixed its gaze on the front. Ruon craned his neck to see the distant yellow eyes that glowed menacingly. He chuckled and stroked the ck horse¡¯s mane lightly as he stepped forward. ¡°You found it. Wait for me.¡± Grrr- The huge beast that emerged from the dense bushes roared like a predator and slowly approached. The monster that revealed its full appearance was indeed worthy of being called a lion. Of course, only in appearance. The intimidating mane, the sharp teeth that looked like daggers, and the thick tail with spikes. It looked like a challenge for any mercenary. Regardless, Ruon strode forward. There was no fear in his confident steps. Did that provoke its pride? The beast roared loudly. Roar! As the roar echoed and the falling leaves obscured his vision, the beast leaped with explosive force. Ruon pulled out a dagger from his chest and threw it hard at the front. The de that cut through the air like a ray of light was about to pierce the beast¡¯s nose, when it roared again. Roar! An intangible force from its mouth pushed back the flying dagger. The dagger that should have fallen to the ground without momentum continued its straight motion, thanks to the monstrous strength of the thrower. The beast squinted its eyes and endured the foreign sensation of the dagger digging into its nose, and swung its huge paw. Instead of giving up one eye, it tried to blow off the head of the damned human with one blow. But its paw was cut off with a thud. The beast¡¯s body lost its bnce and copsed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Ruon spun his ego sword and walked toward the fallen beast. At that moment, a sharp sound of slicing the wind came, and the beast¡¯s tail flew at him. Ruon caught it with his other hand and squeezed. The tail couldn¡¯t withstand the tremendous grip and snapped like a rotten rope. Then the beast lifted its upper body with one leg and opened its huge mouth. Roar! An enormous volume of intangible force swept over Ruon¡¯s body. The monstrous vibration inside it was relentless, as if it would shatter and destroy the opponent¡¯s innards. The monster roared with all its might, confident of its victory, as the human who had approached it closely could no longer move. As the earth and rocks cracked on the ground, Ruon slowly lifted his head. He asked with a steady gaze. ¡°Are you done?¡± His fist mmed into the monster¡¯s torso. With a gruesome sound of bones and muscles dislocating, the beast copsed to the ground again. Ruon lowered his posture and looked calmly at the monster¡¯s yellow eyes, which were writhing helplessly. The moment the monster, who had faced an irresistible existence for the first time in its life, wet itself with hot urine in despair, a huge fist flew into its forehead. Crack-! The eyes that were pressed by the sunken forehead could not withstand the pressure and popped out. From the other eye where a dagger was stuck, blood oozed out, and its dagger-like teeth were also shattered. It was a pathetic death for a monster that had treated the vigers as food and devoured the three mercenaries who hade to hunt it. At least by Ruon¡¯s standards. But the experience was not bad. He smiled faintly and got up, feeling a satisfying sense of aplishment for his efforts. Leaving the corpse of the monster behind, he walked toward the bushes where it had emerged. There was arge cave in in sight. Inside, he found a coin purse of a dead mercenary and chuckled bitterly. The dead mercenary had barely made ends meet with his mouth full. Ruon cut off the monster¡¯s neck as proof and headed down the mountain to the inn. The passing vigers did not thank him for seeing the monster lion¡¯s head dripping with blood, but rather ran away in horror. He walked silently, receiving the mixed gazes of awe and fear, and stopped in front of a two-story building with a sweet fragrance tickling his nose. It was an inn. Ruon entered the small stable attached to the inn to tie up Nightmare and was surprised by the sight. Were they knights? There were two sleek white horses that could be called warhorses and a much smaller pony tied together. Did two knights and their servant visit this vige to raise their fame by killing the monster lion? He imagined a pointless scenario and opened the door of the inn, only tough at the more absurd sight that awaited him. Three familiar faces shouted at him, without any order. ¡°Ruon!¡± ¡°Lord Ruon!¡± ¡°Even at the moment of reunion, you show up with a monster¡¯s head¡­ How romantic.¡± Ruon snorted at the noisy situation and asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Chapter 79 A dwarf with a thick braided beard and a bell attached to it jumped up and shouted at the men sitting on either side of him. ¡°I knew something was fishy when I heard there was a mercenary who took on notorious and cheap quests left and right! Am I right? It smelled like Nightmare!¡± He rolled his feet in delight, ignoring the dwarf behind him. A man with a smile on his face approached him. He had a sturdy physique and a shield on his back, and he wore a shiny armor that looked like a high-quality product at a nce. Ruon scanned him up and down and asked. ¡°Did you get knighted or something?¡± The man, Kyle,ughed heartily. His eyes and mouth showed no signs of pretense. ¡°You¡¯re still the same, Ruon.¡± ¡°What else would I be?¡± Kyle licked his lips for a moment and then pointed his thumb behind him. ¡°It¡¯s not something we can talk about standing up. Let¡¯s sit down and chat.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish the business first.¡± Ruon went straight to the innkeeper. His eyes, which had been listening to the conversation of the group from afar, lost their focus. ¡°I never dreamed you would be a knight of the church. Please forgive my rudeness.¡± The innkeeper bowed his waist in half and tried to show the utmost courtesy, but Ruon pushed his shoulder lightly and stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m not a knight. So don¡¯t make a fuss and take this.¡± The innkeeper was startled by therge hand that came towards him, and he gasped when he saw the crushed lion¡¯s head in it. Ruon put it on the nearest table and asked. ¡°I got the reward, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you could prepare some drinks and food generously. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes, of course. I¡¯ll get it ready right away.¡± Ruon finished the conversation and headed for the table where the group was sitting. As soon as he sat down in the empty seat, Tarwen, who was sitting next to him, whispered with her hand over her mouth. ¡°¡­I was forced to join them.¡± Ruon chuckled and looked at the man in priest¡¯s robes sitting across from him. He smiled and loosened his fingers as their eyes met. It was Igor. ¡°Ruon, long time no see.¡± Then the dwarf came up with his short arms spread out. ¡°Enough with the chit-chat! The joy of reunion is shared with a warm hug, not with words!¡± What a pain. Ruon pushed Strabo¡¯s forehead with his palm and retorted. ¡°You¡¯d think we haven¡¯t seen each other for years. The season hasn¡¯t even changed yet.¡± Strabo, who seemed to have lost his interest in his strange attitude, pouted and returned to his seat. Kyle, who had been shaking his head, opened his mouth. ¡°I never imagined we¡¯d meet here. Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the Grand Cathedral of Ganax?¡± Ruon looked around the group and asked. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Kyle scratched his head with an awkward expression and stared at the priest next to him. As if to say, you¡¯d better exin. Yeah, that guy was not good with words. Ruon thought so, but Igor opened his mouth naturally. ¡°After we parted that day, we went straight to the Grand Cathedral. And we told them that Belducius was dead.¡± He pulled his chair closer to the table and leaned forward. ¡°There was a lot going on, but since you don¡¯t like long stories, Ruon, I¡¯ll just tell you the main point.¡± Then Tarwen suddenly started coughing as if she had a fit. Did she feel guilty? Igor waited for her cough to stop and opened his mouth again. ¡°We all had the honor of receiving the blessing of the Mother. Thanks to that, I became a high priest, which was more than I deserved, and Strabo could use the druid¡¯s magic without feeling much strain on his body.¡± He closed his mouth after saying that. It looked like he was pausing for a moment before the most important part. There was only one person left, so Ruon looked at Kyle, who had his arms crossed. As soon as he saw the deer ornament engraved on his shiny armor, Igor continued. ¡°The biggest achievement was Kyle¡¯s. Amazingly, he was chosen by the Mother and became a champion.¡± At the following words, Tarwen, who had been silent, interrupted with a surprised look. ¡°You¡¯re the Sword of Mercy of this generation?¡± Kyle scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression. The iron glove on his back made a clinking sound. He said. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re one of the people I should be most wary of in the world.¡± She suddenly remembered something and turned her head to look at Ruon, who had a bright expression. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who was called the champion of Tive? ¡°I was called that. But I never said I was. I never spoke on behalf of the goddess.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Strabo giggled and said. ¡°It was a mess back then. Kyle was yelling at the bishop, asking why he was the goddess¡¯s representative¡­ Ruon, you should have seen Igor¡¯s face then.¡± Kyle protested with a flushed face. His eyes were on Ruon. ¡°How can I ept such a title so easily? I¡¯ve seen what kind of beings those who had simr nicknames before me were.¡± As he said that, a te of steaming meat dishes was brought to the table. The owner didn¡¯t stop there, but started to pile up bottles of pale orange liquor. He soon moved all the honey wine bottles that exceeded ten and said. ¡°These are the ones I brewed around this timest year. The taste is just right, so you can drink them without any burden. Please enjoy themfortably.¡± He bowed politely and hurried to the kitchen. Kyle, who was watching him, turned his head. ¡°Anyway, Ruon. I didn¡¯t want to sit in this ce either. How would I know what the goddess¡¯s will is? Frankly, in a ce where there are pdins stronger than me¡­¡± He looked like he wanted to grumble some more, but when Igor red at him with his eyes wide open, he quickly swallowed his words. ¡°Kyle, if it¡¯s the mother¡¯s sword, you have to show a serious attitude that suits it. Light words will only make your powerful holy power look pathetic¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know, so stop nagging.¡± Kyle sighed deeply. He looked tired, as if he had heard this kind of speech more than once or twice. The sight of a champion and a high priest of a sect having such a conversation was absurd, but it was amusing to the observer, so Ruonughed out loud for the first time in a long time. He¡¯s still the same. ¡°I know you¡¯ve each taken a seat. What¡¯s next?¡± At that question, Igor, who had been scolding Kyle, turned his head. He continued with a serious face. ¡°All three of us received overflowing love in a short time. But none of us feltfortable. Isn¡¯t that obvious? We couldn¡¯t ept being treated as heroes when we knew very well that Ruon was traveling the world to unravel a bigger darkness.¡± A bigger darkness? You¡¯re giving him too much credit. Ruon chuckled and took a sip of honey wine. He liked the sweet scent that filled his mouth. Meanwhile, Igor¡¯s words continued. ¡°So we all left the grand church with one mind. Officially, we said it was a journey to spread the mother¡¯s words to the people and raise the church¡¯s prestige, but in reality, our main goal was to reunite with Ruon. We never imagined that it would happen so soon. It must be the mother¡¯s mercy.¡± Then Strabo cut in. He seemed to have a restless mouth. ¡°We didn¡¯t originally n to stop by this vige. But we happened to hear a rumor that a monster appeared here and harmed the people. We didn¡¯t know, so we just listened and passed by. But our hearts were too hot to do that, right?¡± He pounded his chest and added. ¡°But you know what? When we arrived at the vige, what do you know? There was a mercenary who had gone ahead of us to subdue the monster. We wanted to help him right away, but this fairy stopped us. She told us not to waste our time.¡± The story that followed was this. Strabo, who didn¡¯t understand the rxed attitude of Tarwen, who seemed to be the mercenary¡¯spanion, ignored her words and tried to climb the mountain. And the fairy threw a word at him. ¡®He¡¯s a warrior who killed a great demon. You don¡¯t have a chance to step in, do you?¡¯ Anyone else would have dismissed it as nonsense, but the three people there didn¡¯t. They felt a strange sense of familiarity from Tarwen¡¯s tone of voice, and they immediately showered her with various questions. And as a result, they were able to confirm that the mercenary who climbed the mountain was Ruon. It was a tant and childish story. Tarwen closed her eyes tightly as she recalled that moment. ¡°He suddenly ate dirt and screamed that he smelled the nightmare after I told him not to waste time¡­ You thought he was a lunatic, right?¡± Strabo opened his eyes wide and shouted. ¡°A lunatic? I¡¯m Strabo! A dwarf who knows the romance of adventure. Ruon didn¡¯t tell you about me?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°How can that be!¡± As he watched the fairy and the dwarf bicker, Ruon sighed. Igor asked him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask you earlier because you were busy, but who is that fairy?¡± It¡¯s my turn. Ruon, who had been drinking six bottles of honey wine by himself, put down the empty bottle on the table and opened his mouth. His low and firm voice began to exin what had happened. From the human hunters to the cradle and the abyss, and to the new great demon. The people sitting at the table focused on his story without blinking. Finally, when Ruon finished his story and picked up the seventh bottle of honey wine to moisten his dry mouth, they all took a breath. Strabo looked at Tarwen with his eyes glistening. He was clearly impressed. ¡°You were ready to imnt such a horrible magic circle into your body¡­ You¡¯re really, really amazing.¡± Tarwen was flustered and backed away. ¡°Why, why are you crying? It¡¯s not like that. I just did it for personal revenge¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with personal revenge? Anyway, thanks to you, the birth of the great demon was dyed. Don¡¯t you know how great that is?¡± I knew this would happen. Ruon snorted as he watched the excited dwarf grab the bewildered fairy¡¯s hand and talk about this and that. Then Igor said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the cradle a few times. They are a group that covets all kinds of evil arts, and they will do anything for their achievements. They are finally heading to the end. They are trying to be great demons themselves.¡± Kyle, who had his elbows on the table and his chin on his palm, frowned and took over. ¡°We can¡¯t know exactly how much sacrifice the cradle has gathered so far¡­ But it¡¯s certain that it¡¯s more than Belducius, right?¡± Tarwen answered that question. ¡°It¡¯s impossible topare directly, but I¡¯m sure the cradle has a lot more. Not to mention the witches who will be mixed in. There¡¯s not a single mediocre one among them. Just look at Fleur. She¡¯s unrivaled. She has a power that surpasses even the apostles of the great demon.¡± Strabo smiled and retorted. ¡°We have Luon, who killed the great demon, right?¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I bet everything on it.¡± She added, scanning the faces of herpanions with a newfound look. ¡°With the champion of Tiv, the high priest, and even¡­ a dirt-eating dwarf, we have a much better chance. By the way, it¡¯s an honor to meet the party that killed the great demon.¡± Everyone except Straboughed loudly at her words. Strabo, who had be a dirt-eating dwarf in Zolji, tried to exin the reason with a raised voice, but no one paid attention to him. The innkeeper, who was listening to their conversation from afar in the kitchen, was speechless with shock. He had never seen such amazing people in his 50 years of life. In the Crow¡¯s Head Vige, a small vige, the party that had killed the great demon reunited once again. Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Chapter 80 The edges of the clouds drifting in the night sky were stained with a deep indigo color by the faint moonlight. Kyle, who was cooling his flushed cheeks in the chilly night air, chuckled as he saw Ruon walking from behind the inn. ¡°At least you have some humanity. If you drank eight bottles of honey wine by yourself and didn¡¯t even pee, you¡¯d be a real monster. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Ruon adjusted his posture and replied briefly. ¡°It seems like I drank less than usual.¡± Kyle pointed at his own face with his index finger and retorted. ¡°Who? Me? Oh,e on, that¡¯s a big deal.¡± He waved his hand as if to stop the conversation and added. ¡°That¡¯s enough to drink a lot. If I drank like I used to and twisted my nose, Igor would torture me for at least ten days, right?¡± Ruon snickered. ¡°You¡¯ve seen better days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Ever since I held the shield, I thought my life was going downhill, but Tiv¡¯s sword¡­ I can¡¯t understand the goddess¡¯s taste at all.¡± Well? It wasn¡¯t iprehensible. No matter what anyone said, Kyle was a warrior who helped kill the great demon, and he didn¡¯t have a proper religion, so from the goddess¡¯s point of view, it was probably a good idea to mark him as her great warrior before the other gods got jealous. It was a kind of bold investment. Then Kyle made an oops expression and took something out of his pocket and handed it to Ruon. ¡°I forgot about this. You asked me so earnestly.¡± Ruon tilted his head as he confirmed that it was a white envelope. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Take it.¡± Kyle gave Ruon the letter with a mischievous expression and added. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first, so read it slowly. I saw Strabo was so excited earlier and asked Tarwen all kinds of questions. We can¡¯t leave them alone to get along.¡± Ruon looked at Kyle going into the inn for a moment and lowered his gaze. He peeled off the red wax seal and unfolded the neatly folded letter. Then a faint orange scent tickled his nose. -To my dear Ruon. Ruon smiled faintly at the sincere handwriting that greeted him shyly. You¡¯ve been doing well. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the letter in his hand. Meanwhile, the inn was filled withughter of all sizes. The pretty good night went on like that. *** The next morning, as the owner watched the party preparing to leave, he approached Ruon, who was sitting alone in a chair and sipping the leftover wine. ¡°Did you have a good nightst night?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I ate well and rested well.¡± Ruon answered as he took a bite of the hard bread, and the owner smiled faintly and politely stretched out both hands. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but please drink it when you think of it¡­¡± Ruon smiled as he confirmed that it was honey wine in the owner¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not small, it¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you say that.¡± Meanwhile, the rest of the party gathered in the dining room one by one. They looked at the floor covered with bottles and snickered. ¡°Did we drink all this?¡± At Tarwen¡¯s words, Kyle repeated the motion of clenching and opening his fingers with his iron gloves on. ¡°It wasn¡¯t us, it was Ruon.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you all read novels when you were young? Heroes usually drink well. Think of it as living up to your name!¡± At the dwarf¡¯s words, Igor added with a faint smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rtionship between heroes and alcohol, but I have no objection to Ruon being a hero.¡± You¡¯ve gone crazy. Ruon sighed deeply as he watched the noisy party, who had only said one word each. He said. ¡°It¡¯s too much to deduct from the reward.¡± As he rummaged through his pocket, the owner was startled and waved his hand. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s not even worth it to call it a fermented wine, and how can I take money from the person who saved the vige. It¡¯s outrageous.¡± Whether he said it or not, Ruon took out a few silver coins and held out his palm as if to take them. ¡°If you hade a littleter yesterday, most of the men in this vige would have been ready to be fertilizer in the monster¡¯s stomach. You saved our lives, and what is this wine? It¡¯s not enough, but please think of it as a treat for our benefactor.¡± The owner almost sobbed as he said that, and Ruon couldn¡¯t persuade him any more and put the coins back in. In this world where all kinds of horrible and dirty things were rampant, the fact that there were people like him was a small constion in itself. Ruon, who knew that better than anyone, smiled faintly and reached out his hand. ¡°Next time Ie, treat me as a guest.¡± The owner shook his hand and scratched his head. ¡°I, I¡¯ll try.¡± *** The group left the ¡®Crow¡¯s Head¡¯ vige and hurried their steps, following Tarwen¡¯s guidance. Except for when they were on the move, they each had their own things to do to kill time. Ruon either rested quietly or sparred with Kyle, who had be quite fun to exchange blows with. Of course, Kyle was always the one who ended up exhausted. Igor grabbed Kyle and lectured him on how to use his divine power, or prayed with him. He always had a smile on his face, clearly enjoying the fact that his friend had be the champion of the goddess. ¡®What the hell! This is not a rest!¡¯ Kyle groaned, but no one paid attention to him. Strabo chatted not only with people, but also with horses, and Tarwen spent more time lost in her thoughts as the cradle drew closer. On the fourth night, Tarwen, who was poking the bonfire with a twig, opened her mouth. ¡°Do you all have some time?¡± Kyle, who had been kicked in the face by a near miss, quickly sat down in front of her, as if he had met a savior. ¡°Sure.¡± Tarwen waited for everyone to gather and said. ¡°We¡¯ll be in a vige by tomorrow.¡± Strabo snorted and retorted. ¡°Is that all? I thought you were going to tell us something amazing.¡± Tarwen shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary vige.¡± She picked up a thin branch that had fallen on the ground and drew a long line on the ground. ¡°Here is Aniar, here is Luandal.¡± She tapped the right and left sides of the line, then drew a sh across it and continued. ¡°And here is the border between the two countries. You can think of us as being near here now.¡± Igor nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Tarwen smiled lightly at the serious priest¡¯s gaze and went on. ¡°I used the word border, but the shed area is actually quite wide. In fact, the wholend is ownerless.¡± Kyle tilted his head. ¡°How is that possible? Did our king, who is crazy about conquest, just leave this muchnd alone?¡± Tarwen answered without hesitation. ¡°He had no choice. Even he wouldn¡¯t be greedy for a cursednd.¡± ¡°A cursednd?¡± Ruon asked, unfolding his arms. He didn¡¯t like Tarwen¡¯s way of telling a long story before getting to the point, but this time he was quite interested, so he didn¡¯t interrupt her right away. Whether she knew it or not, she pointed at the ground and answered. ¡°A long time ago, there were madmen who tried to summon the spirit king by drawing out the natural power inherent in thisnd. Of course, they failed miserably, and the price was paid by thend, not by them.¡± The rest of the story was simple. Their misguided ambition caused an incident that disrupted the bnce of nature, and as a result, a barrennd where no one could live was formed. ¡°The spire they built for the ritual became the den of evil witches over time, and that ce is, as you know, the cradle.¡± Ruon, who had been listening quietly, threw a word. ¡°Yeah, interesting story. But what does that have to do with the vige we¡¯re going to tomorrow?¡± At that, Tarwen covered her mouth with her palm. She thought she had gone too far off the track. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve been rambling on again.¡± She fanned her face with her hand and said. ¡°That vige is thest one we¡¯ll see before we reach the cradle. Beyond that, there¡¯s nothing but barrennd. So it¡¯s usually good to stock up on supplies here, but¡­ as I said, it¡¯s not a normal ce, so I wanted to ask your opinion.¡± Kyle, who had roughly figured out her way of speaking, smiled and said. ¡°You have to tell us what kind of ce it is to make a decision.¡± Tarwen answered with a flushed face. It didn¡¯t seem to be because of the bonfire. ¡°People who know call that vige a slum. It¡¯s where all kinds of criminals from the two countries that are separated by the cursednd gather. Of course, you¡¯re all great fighters, so they won¡¯t dare to attack you, but¡­ there are also plenty of bastards who harm innocent horses. And there¡¯s no big reason for that. They might not like Strabo¡¯s beard, for instance.¡± At that, Strabo hugged the horse¡¯s neck, which was chewing on weeds with a stupid expression, and squawked. ¡°What kind of creepy thing is that? How can they harm our Toby? He¡¯s the first horse I¡¯ve ever ridden properly!¡± You even named the horse? Ruon smirked, looking at the dwarf who was rubbing his face on the horse¡¯s forehead. ¡°That means there¡¯s a high chance of getting into unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s not a big deal to deal with those fearless and rude bastards, but we can¡¯t waste time because of that.¡± He pondered for a moment and answered. ¡°Then let¡¯s just get some water and food and leave right away. We can leave the horses¡¯ safety to Nightmare, but it¡¯s better to just pass by than to worry about them for no reason.¡± Igor nodded. ¡°I agree with that.¡± As Kyle and Strabo nodded in agreement, Tarwen pped her hands softly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡± The next day, the group arrived at a barren hill after walking diligently. On thend covered with dull weeds that had no signs of life, there was a vige that had an even gloomier atmosphere. As they approached the vige that was filled with a strange silence, Tarwen muttered to herself. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­ It wasn¡¯t a lively ce, but it didn¡¯t feel like a ghost town either.¡± Just like she said, the slum looked like a ce where no one could live, even from afar. It was too quiet and deste. By chance, dark clouds swallowed the sun and the gray sky added to the ominous mood. Something is definitely wrong. Ruon narrowed his eyes as he felt a warning from his intuition that rose in his mind. His intuition, which was mixed with his many experiences and the power of countless sentences that filled his inner self, sometimes gave him predictions that were close to foresight. This situation was exactly like that. There is something. In that vige. ¡°There¡¯s someone standing over there.¡± Then Kyle stretched out his hand. In the direction he pointed, a burly man with a shaved head was standing still and looking at the group that was approaching. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± After finishing his words, Ruon got off his Nightmare and walked towards the burly man with big strides. He also had an impressive stature, so the two men could look at each other eye to eye. Ruon asked. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Is there a checkpoint in this vige?¡± The burly man blinked his dull eyes slowly and opened his mouth. Then a very unpleasant metallic sound came out. ¡°I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared without a trace¡­ But I¡¯m d, I thought you woulde here eventually, so I prepared something in advance.¡± As soon as he heard the tone of the other person, Ruon clenched his fist. Then a red cross-shaped line appeared on the burly man¡¯s face and quickly spread to all sides. Beyond the teeth that were densely packed inside, a zing me spewed out in a straight line from the dark throat. Thanks to the agile Ego Sword that activated the shield immediately, Ruon stood upright without any burns and swung his arm hard. The fist that flew with an explosive force exploded on the monster¡¯s mouth and blood sshed everywhere. Ruon stomped on the chest of the fallen monster and growled low. ¡°I guess you¡¯re ready to have your head smashed. He.¡± Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Chapter 81 The party members quickly dismounted and ran towards the scene when they saw a monster that spewed fire from its four-split face and Ruon who shattered the monster¡¯s face. Kyle, who arrived first, frowned as he looked down at the fallen monster. ¡°What is this thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ragdoll corpse. Judging by the skill, it¡¯s He¡¯s work. That crazy bitch¡­ Did she really lose her mind?¡± Igor muttered with a sour face at Tarwen¡¯s cold voice. ¡°She did a monstrous deed. Did she know we wereing here, and did Yoram set this up beforehand?¡± Tarwen shook her head slightly at the question. ¡°No, Yoram doesn¡¯t mess with the slums. The ones who hit rock bottom have some value to him. He doesn¡¯t need to treat them as disposable pieces that he can use and throw away. That was the unwritten rule¡­ But He broke it.¡± She continued to speak as she red at the deste vige. ¡°Why would she wait for us in the slums, risking her neck, when she could have prepared everything with Yoram? It doesn¡¯t look like a meticulous n of Fleur. It¡¯s clear that He acted on her own.¡± Ruon brushed off the blood on his hand with an indifferent expression and retorted. ¡°It¡¯s better this way. I would have had a hard time holding back if she just sent corpses from afar again.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he walked briskly towards the vige, and the party members who were used to his decisive steps naturally followed him. ¡°You guys wait here!¡± The horses obediently blinked their eyes and stayed in ce at the shout of the dwarf druid, but Nightmare rolled his eyes and came closer. Straboughed out loud. ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re the exception!¡± With that, the party, including the ck horse, entered the lifeless vige. The atmosphere of the vige, which looked gloomy from afar, was even more dismal up close. The buildings that were crammed together were all so shoddy that it seemed impossible to live a normal life in them, and the ground was littered with leftover food scraps. It looked more like a shantytown where vagrants gathered than a proper vige. Then Tarwen opened her mouth. Her voice was small, but the vige was so quiet that everyone could hear her clearly. ¡°This is where the lowest of the low lived in the slums. They were oppressed and exploited, barely clinging to their lives.¡± Kyle kicked a shriveled apple and replied. ¡°But there¡¯s no one here now.¡± As they walked further inside, the scenery of the vige changed drastically. The structures that barely had a shape were reced by decent buildings that looked suitable for human habitation, and among them, there were some shops with signs that looked like inns or general stores. But there was still no one. As the party crossed the eerie vige and stepped into an open space that looked like a square, a sudden gust of wind blew between the buildings. Dirt dust swirled and scattered wildly, and Tarwen wetted her cloak and shouted. ¡°Ti-Brintas!¡± A sh of light came from her fingertips, and the wind that surrounded the party and slowly closed in stopped in its tracks. As if it was blocked by an invisible wall. But Ruon, who had a superhuman sense, immediately realized that she didn¡¯t just create a shield, but made another wind that rotated in the opposite direction to cancel out the iing gust. Tarwen won the power struggle thatsted for a while. As the light that started from her fingertips spread to her whole hand, the condensed air pushed outward and swept the surroundings with a tremendous roar. Kwang-! The nearby building windows shattered all at once, and the flying gravel stuck densely between the building walls. The whirlwind that turned the vicinity into a wastnd lost its strength and disappeared as if it had no interest in the spectacle it created. p-p-p- Someone¡¯s pping sound was heard in the noisy square. Someone came with a smile from the opposite side of the street. It was a woman with long hair that fell calmly to her waist and sharp eyes that contrasted with it. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you still have the leeway to counter the spell. To have that much stamina even after imnting such a magic circle in your body¡­ You¡¯re not just a promising candidate that Fleur brought personally. Right?¡± Tarwen furrowed her brows at the face of the other person who licked her thick lips with a bright red tongue. As she pursed her lips with a mixture of disgust and anger, a dagger that cut through the air faster than that pierced the woman¡¯s throat deeply. ¡°Enough is enough.¡± Ruon muttered to himself and reached out to the corpse that fell without even a scream. As if there was an invisible string, he lightly caught the returning dagger and shrugged his shoulders at the fairy who stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m sick of seeing you bbering with someone else¡¯s body.¡± Then the fallen corpse began to creak and rise up. Yeah, it¡¯s not surprising anymore. The woman who supported her half-torn neck with her palm scanned the faces of the party with her eyes that flickered with madness. She giggled and said. ¡°There are a lot of unfamiliar faces. Tarwen, are these the ones you seduced with your half-breed face? I don¡¯t think I have enough bodies for this. I wonder if I can open my eyes in the morning, I¡¯m so tired.¡± Tarwen raised her middle finger and retorted. ¡°Shut up, He. You¡¯ll be the first witch to die in Yoram today. I¡¯ll make you pay foring here alone without fear.¡± The woman, He, burst intoughter when she heard that. Ruon couldn¡¯t understand how she could make any sound, since her throat and vocal cords had been severed. She stoppedughing and said, ¡°You¡¯re the stupid one. You ran away like a scared rat, but you came back on your own. Why? Did you get some confidence because the demon yer is by your side?¡± She smirked wickedly as she saw Tarwen¡¯s expression change. ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t know? You¡¯re such a pathetic girl¡­ You won¡¯t be the one dying today-¡± A shower of light, like a meteor shower, swallowed He¡¯s body and cut off her words. When the explosions subsided, all that was left of He was a lump of flesh that had lost its human shape. Ruon muttered as he put the arrow back in his quiver. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Then Tarwen, who had been staring at the mangled corpse, narrowed her eyes. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± She looked around and repeated, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Strabo¡¯s eyes widened at her uneasy tone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°He is dead.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°That corpse is not a fake.¡± Igor stepped forward and asked, ¡°Are you saying that the witch who died there is the real one?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought she had transferred her consciousness to a dead body¡­ But she didn¡¯t.¡± Ruon said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem dead, though.¡± His reason was simple. He didn¡¯t get any experience points. Of course, Tarwen didn¡¯t know that, so she nodded and continued. ¡°You¡¯re right. That was an empty shell. That¡¯s why it was indistinguishable from a corpse. She had separated her soul from the beginning. Then where did her soul go? Why did she give up her body¡­¡± She was babbling to herself when she suddenly shuddered. A small word escaped from her slowly opening lips. ¡°Fusion?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. A thunderous sound pierced their ears. It sounded like hundreds of riders galloping on horses. Strabo lifted his head and muttered. ¡°What¡¯s that? It¡¯s dark, but why is there sudden thunder¡­¡± Before he could finish, a white lightning bolt zigzagged across the sky and flew towards them. It was not a natural lightning. If it was, even Ruon would have been unable to see and react to it. He was the only one among the group who saw the light beam that smashed a two-story building and came flying. He disyed an amazing concentration and slowed down time artificially. In the split seconds that followed, Ruon hesitated. The long, twisted light beam had hundreds of thin branches that aimed at the whole group. He had only two choices. Cut or dodge. He didn¡¯t need to consider thetter, so he lifted his rune sword with one hand and shed at the lightning that came close. At the same time, time returned to its normal speed. ©¤©¤©¤! The tremendous aftermath of the collision of forces pushed them all back several steps. Kyle, who had drawn his spell breaker a bitte (actually very quickly), shouted at the blurry shadow in the smoke. ¡°Ruon-!¡± But he couldn¡¯t check on his friend¡¯s condition. Something was crawling out of the dirt pile on the ground. Squeak-ee-ak! The undead that sprang up from all sides looked like the residents of the slum, judging by their ragged clothes. Kyle swung his aming sword at the monsters stained with hatred for the living. His sword de, filled with his holy power, started to glow faintly and cut off the heads and torsos of the living corpses. Then a corpse with half of its face melted tried to stab Kyle¡¯s nape with a dagger in its hand. It was a pretty good surprise attack for a monster that had lost its reason, but Kyle had already sensed its presence and rotated his right foot outward, punching its cheek with his clenched fist. His punch was not as destructive as Ruon¡¯s, but his iron gauntlet was enough to break the monster¡¯s jaw. After that, he sensed that if he knocked down the heavy-armored monster, he would gain the upper hand, so the corpses rushed at him at the same time, but Kyle used his shield to effectively deflect their force and cut off the necks of the ones who lost their bnce. He stood tall after defeating a considerable number of monsters without a scratch. He deserved the title of Tive¡¯s champion. Then a strange voice came. ¡°Tarwen brought some tough guys. Tive¡¯s priest, dwarf druid¡­ And you¡¯re a pdin, huh? How annoying.¡± He turned his head to the direction of the voice and saw a man in a sleek ck armor with sharp eyes. Kyle twirled his aming sword in his hand and said, ¡°Who are you? Are you with the witch He?¡± ¡°Partner?¡± The man smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I am He.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Then I¡¯m Ruon. You bastard.¡± The man muttered as he drew his long sword with both hands, aiming at Kyle who spat out a coarse curse after a long time. ¡°It seems that my decision not to mix my soul with Imrek¡¯s was valid. I was nning to use all the ones I haven¡¯t tamed properly this time¡­¡± He immediately closed the distance to Kyle with a steady pace and added coldly. ¡°Nice to meet you. I was a pdin like you in my lifetime. And now I¡¯m a hellraiser.¡± *** Ruon was charging forward with all his might. He heard terrible screams from behind, but he didn¡¯t look back. That ce was hisrades¡¯ battlefield now. As he retraced the road that was destroyed by the lightning that flew in a straight line, he saw arge wooden building in the distance. And a huge figure standing in front of it. He couldn¡¯t see his face because he wore a helmet deep on his head, but the red eyes that burned fiercely beyond it seemed to burn his opponent with his gaze alone. The giant, who moved smoothly despite his bulky body, dropped his massive hammer on the ground with a thud and opened his mouth slowly. ¡°The meeting of the hero who killed the great demon and the thunder king¡­ It¡¯s thrilling to recreate a scene that transcends the ages.¡± Ruon, who heard the sound of the giant¡¯s hammer rumbling, looked at him with calm eyes and said. ¡°First the barbarian warrior, and now Imrek?¡± Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Chapter 82 A creepyugh leaked out from the cold helmet. Then, the witch spoke in a heavy voice. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Imrek. The descendant of the giant who crossed the Cloransis mountain range, the warrior with an unyielding heart, the owner of the rune hammer that terrified his enemies, and the being who received the attention of the stars and the heavens.¡± So what? Ruon ignored the witch¡¯s words that listed someone else¡¯s achievements as if they were her own. He kicked the ground and rushed forward. His ego sword shed. The long sword left a vivid red trail as it faced the giant¡¯s hammer handle that was lifted up. Sparks flew as the two weapons collided. Ruon quickly spun the dagger in his left hand and stabbed it at the opponent¡¯s side. The giant couldn¡¯t react to thebination that used the blind spot of his vision. Or rather, he did, but by then the de had already pierced through his thick armor. Ruon put more strength into his hand to cut off the opponent¡¯s innards in one breath, but he felt a strange repulsion that pushed the dagger away. He swiftly retreated from the huge resistance and a long shadow loomed over his head. Soon, a thud sound followed by the hammer dropping. At the same time, Ruon lifted his long sword. Boom! The floor couldn¡¯t withstand the dreadful force and caved in, forming arge circr pit. The giant retrieved his swung hammer and gripped it with both hands. He said, ¡°How about that? An amazing physique that doesn¡¯t lose to you. You wouldn¡¯t understand the hard work I put in to make this.¡± Ruon snorted. ¡°Why should I care?¡± He adjusted his posture to sever the head of the babbling guy from his body. Then, he heard a fierce howl from behind. It was Nightmare. Heeheehee! The ck horse ran towards him with an explosive momentum and stopped by his side. It had some cuts and wounds on its body, probably from getting involved in the fight on the way. But the ck horse didn¡¯t seem to care about that. It didn¡¯t take its eyes off the giant who stood like a mountain in front of him. There was an unmistakable agitation in its eyes. The giant tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s this? ording to Imrek¡¯s memory, that¡¯s his horse, no doubt¡­ I don¡¯t understand how that¡¯s possible. And it looks like a nightmare. What on earth happened?¡± Ruon felt a sense of incongruity from the opponent¡¯s words. But his legs were ready to charge at any moment. ¡°You¡¯re not the one who killed Imrek?¡± The giant¡¯s body twitched noticeably as if he hit the mark. His behavior, which didn¡¯t suit his colossal appearance, seemed to show that he was nothing but an evil witch who wore the shell of a powerful warrior of the era. He said, ¡°What does that matter? In the end, the soul of the Thunder King came into my hands.¡± ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Ruon¡¯s figure blurred as he finished his words. He closed the distance like an arrow released from a bow and mmed his clenched fist into the opponent¡¯s head. A fierce growl came from inside the dented iron helmet. The giant turned his head back to its original position and swung his arm with full force. Then, the hammer wrapped in lightning flew at him with a deafening noise. Ruon bent his upper body to let the attack pass over his head and stabbed his dagger in his fist at the opponent¡¯s thigh. The de pierced through the thick armor like a piece of paper, but it couldn¡¯t go any further as it was blocked by the skin that was inexplicably hard. So he made a choice. To put more power into it. A snake-like vein bulged on the angry muscle and the de finally prated deep into the giant¡¯s thigh. Crash! A sharp lightning bolt struck Ruon¡¯s chest at the same time. He flew far away like he was hit by a dump truck and crashed to the ground, smashing the outer wall of a nameless building. Gehan clenched his teeth and red at Ruon, who spat out blood-stained saliva as he quickly got up. ¡°You pierced even the scales of the dragon. What a monstrous strength. Are you truly the yer of the great demon?¡± He tore off his helmet, which was twisted beyond recognition, and threw it to the ground nervously. His face, finally revealed, was horribly grotesque. Thin scales of turquoise color covered his skin, and his teeth were sharp like a shark¡¯s, gripping his gums. The most chilling thing was his eyes, which burned red. In the space where one pupil should have been, there were three of different sizes, crammed in and rolling in different directions. Grrr-oh-oh-oh-oh! Gehan let out a rumbling roar. It wasn¡¯t just a sound of frustration, as his body changed shape at an incredible speed. A horn pierced through his forehead, and his left hand, which was not holding a hammer, twisted and withered. His whole hand was covered with dark red mes, his nails grew long, and his five fingers merged into one, forming a huge spear. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, his wings split open, and blood dripped from the membranous wings that unfolded in a strange sight. Ruon frowned at the sight. That was just a disgusting monster, not an imrek or anything else. A filthy witch bastard. The meeting of the yer of the great demon and the thunder king? A scene that transcended time? It was all nonsense. What he saw before him was nothing but a repulsive beast, nothing more, nothing less. Purr- Then Nightmare nudged Ruon¡¯s shoulder with his forehead. He smiled faintly at the ck horse¡¯s eyes, which looked at him with a determined expression, and climbed on his back. He saw the monster slowly rising into the air, pushing away the dust around him. Lightning crackled on his right hand¡¯s hammer, and his left arm, which had mutated strangely, writhed wickedly. The monster, which looked like the vanguard of death crawling out of the abyss, opened his mouth. ¡°Brave warrior, who aplished a glorious feat. From today on, there will be no one to praise you. Instead, everyone will fear the birth of a new great demon.¡± Ruon gripped the hilt of Ego Sword with both hands, without backing down, and kicked Nightmare¡¯s nk lightly. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** Bang! Kyle frowned at the loud noise that came from afar, but he didn¡¯t turn his head stupidly. He didn¡¯t have the time for that. He deflected the sword aiming at his face with his shield and stabbed his Arming Sword into the empty space. But the opponent seemed to have anticipated it and quickly backed away, pulling his sword. ¡°Your mind is all over there.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Kyle tilted his body to minimize the exposed area and positioned his shield under his eye to protect his body. His knees bent naturally and he hid his Arming Sword behind his shield so that it was not visible from the opponent¡¯s position. It was a perfect posture made by bone-grinding effort and outstanding talent. ¡°No gaps.¡± The man muttered softly, and his mouth grew sharp teeth. A sinister aura began to swirl around the longsword in his hands. ¡°Enough chatter. Pdin.¡± The man, who seemed to have grown a foot taller, swung his sword down with all his might. Kyle blocked the attack, which was much faster and heavier, with his shield and moved his step to the side, deflecting the blow smoothly. ng-! The longsword shattered the stone and dug into the ground. As the man quickly twisted his waist and arm to swing his sword sideways, a light flew from somewhere and hit his face. ¡°Aargh!¡± He screamed in pain and threw his head back. Kyle pushed his shoulder and stabbed his sword into his chest. He was about to finish him off by raising his shield, but he realized that the man¡¯s face was already smashed and dropped his arm. ¡°Kyle! Are you okay?¡± Kyle kicked the corpse and said, ¡°This is nothingpared to Ruon. It¡¯s just a kid¡¯s y. I bet I could have done it without your help¡­¡± Igor ignored his words and lowered his posture. He grabbed the man¡¯s face with one hand and a light shed under his palm. ck smoke flowed out. ¡°To damage not only the body but also the soul¡­ How far do you intend to insult the dead?¡± The priest¡¯s eyes glowed with anger, and Kyle swallowed his words and looked around. ¡°Where are the other two?¡± Grrr! A loud roar was heard. Then the outer wall of a building that looked like a restaurant was shattered, and a muscr man rolled and tumbled from inside, reaching Kyle and Igor¡¯s feet. The man¡¯s neck was torn to shreds, as if he had been eaten by a huge beast. ¡°¡­Just in time.¡± ¡°Strabo is carrying someone on his back.¡± As the two muttered in turn, a huge beast approached, spitting out the flesh it was chewing on. ¡°What? Is there something on my face?¡± Meanwhile, Tarwen jumped to the ground and said, ¡°That was fun.¡± Kyle asked her, looking at her butt that she was patting. ¡°Tarwen, what¡¯s going on? That dead guy over there said he was He.¡± Tarwen nodded at his words. ¡°He tore and mixed her soul into several pieces to control the hybrids that she had trouble controlling normally. It¡¯s a horrible forbidden magic that risks splitting one¡¯s self. It¡¯s clear that she made this extreme choice to kill us all here and use the demon lord¡¯s ritual to reunite her consciousness. Do you understand?¡± Kyle blinked his eyes as he looked at her, who finished her speech without losing her breath. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Then, a thunderous sound that shook the ground echoed. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The group turned their heads to the direction of the sound without hesitation. Tarwen clenched her teeth and muttered. ¡°¡­But the real one seems to be over there.¡± Strabo snorted hotly and said. ¡°Everyone, get on my back!¡± They all silently climbed onto the back of the giant beast. Thanks to the goddess¡¯s blessing, Strabo, who had grown even bigger, started to roll his feet heavily without any trouble, carrying three people. As they got closer to the scene of the fierce battle, they felt a scorching heat. It was because of the massive electricity that heated the surrounding air. Boom! A blind lightning bolt fell on the group¡¯s head. But there was no damage because Kyle had raised his shield in advance. Igor, who supported Kyle¡¯s back with both hands as he was pushed back by the heavy impact, saw something and shouted loudly. ¡°Strabo, look over there!¡± In the direction of his gaze, a huge ck horse was zigzagging through the falling lightning. On the horse that moved with incredible agility, a man was swinging a red-glowing sword and perfectly parrying all the attacks that poured down. It was Ruon. Kyle looked up at the sky and yelled. ¡°What is that? A dragon?¡± Tarwen shouted at the sight of the monster that pped its blood membrane wings and stretched out its lightning and tentacle-like arms to the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll drop that crazy bitch to the ground first! I¡¯ll chant the spell and He will notice, so please help me!¡± She closed her eyes and focused on reciting the spell, trusting the group. Kyle smiled faintly and gripped his shield. The monster seemed to sense the power of the spell and red at the group. Then, it stretched out its right hand and a bright light shed from the hammer with a rumbling sound, shooting straight at them. Kyle raised his shield without hesitation. Then, Igor¡¯s prayer came in. ¡°Merciful mother!¡± The shield imbued with holy power glowed faintly as the lightning struck. Boom! Boom! Boom! At the moment when Kyle lost his bnce and fell backwards after being hit by the lightning three times in the same spot, Tarwen opened her eyes and reached out her hand. ¡°Get off, He! You belong to the bottom of the hell!¡± At that moment, the monster¡¯s body fell as if gravity was reversed. Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Chapter 83 A bolt of lightning fell from the flickering sky and left a deep scar on the ground. The ck horse, which had been there just a second ago, used the shockwave from the explosion behind it as a propent and sped through the narrow alley at an incredible speed. Was this it? Ruon marveled purely, putting aside the tense situation for a moment. He had ridden the Nightmare for quite some time, but he had never expected it to have such amazing mobility. The ck horse, which showed movements that were impossible for an ordinary horse with its astonishing sense of bnce, was truly worthy of being called the horse of the century. Shriek- At that moment, something engulfed in dark mes flew through the air, cutting through the void. Ruon parried the attack that aimed at the ck horse¡¯s forehead with his sword and frowned at the wriggling mass of flesh that turned around like a snake. The monster pulled its mutated left arm, which stretched like a rubber band, towards its body and shouted. ¡°Do you intend to run away until this whole area turns to dust? Fight me! Show me the power that befits your reputation!¡± What a load of crap. Ruon snorted like a person who heard ame joke. The monster had the overwhelming geographical advantage of being in the air and bombarded him with long-range attacks, but when the attacks kept missing, it told him to fight? He felt a strong urge to punch the face of the witch who was only alive with her mouth and swung his sword. ng-! Ruon blocked the arm that flew at him again, but this time he didn¡¯t let the monster retrieve its arm easily. He moved the sword he was holding with both hands to his right hand and grabbed the grotesque flesh with his left armpit. He clenched his teeth. ¡°Let go, you crazy bastard!¡± The monster was startled and pped its wings vigorously, but it started to get closer to the ground as the giant-like strength pulled it down. It must have thought that it would crash if it continued like this, so it uttered an evil spell. ¡°Tel-Ciagtarone!¡± Immediately, a few small dark clouds rose around the monster¡¯s body. Crackle-Crackle- Along with the fierce thunder, thin strands of light poured out of the dark clouds and were absorbed into the hammer one by one. The more it absorbed, the more the hammer glowed like it was bleached. That looks dangerous. Ruon, who had originally nned to activate the Ego Sword¡¯s shield and block the lightning, then m the monster to the ground, gave up his greed and loosened the strength in his armpit as he felt the ominous wave of power. Right after that, the monster swung its hammer violently. ©¤©¤©¤©¤! It was literally a thunder strike, and everything nearby lost its shape and turned to ashes. The monster red sharply at the ground covered with misty fog with its six eyes and twisted its nose. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You annoying bastard.¡± Ruon¡¯s figure, who was putting away the red shield that was melting, was seen. The ck horse, which moved so agilely, was standing upright at a fairly far distance from the explosion radius. I would have died if I had taken that hit. Ruon looked at the meteorite crater that was spewing smoke and bit his tongue. If he had allowed that attack to hit him directly, he wouldn¡¯t have even had a chance to be hammered by Duermyr. It wouldn¡¯t have been strange if he had turned to dust right away. He lifted his head and looked at the monster floating in the sky. The powerful body covered with dragon scales, the soul and weapon of the strong man who had roared in an era, and the evil witch¡¯s spell. The monster, which had all those things mixed together, had some aspects that were more difficult than Belducius. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t bluffing without a n. ¡°Today, I might as well look forward to leveling up.¡± The rune letters that glowed on the de of Ruin, which was in sync with the owner¡¯s emotion that burned with fighting spirit even against a powerful enemy, came to mind. -Let¡¯s go!- Then, the monster¡¯s attack started again. It seemed to be aware of being caught once, so it spared its left hand and focused on throwing lightning with its right hand¡¯s hammer. Bang! Bang! Ruon swung his Ego Sword in the lightning that fell one after another. He cut off the light beams that the Nightmare couldn¡¯t avoid and waited for the moment when the enemy would show a gap. No matter how strong its stamina was, it couldn¡¯t fly forever, and even if it didn¡¯t know how great the hammer was, it couldn¡¯t keep throwing lightning like that. And the opportunity came sooner than he thought. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Tarwen?¡± The monster, which had been throwing lightning without rest, suddenly stopped its body and moved its gaze somewhere. ¡°That damn woman is doing something trivial¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Ruon turned his head to the direction that He was looking at. He saw hispanions standing in the ruined corner of the street. His eyes widened. The fairy sitting with her legs crossed, Kyle¡¯s determined expression blocking the front, and Igor¡¯s figure awakening his holy power. In an instant, he took in everything in his eyes and decided to believe the assumption that crossed his mind. He kicked the ck horse¡¯s nk and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Heeheeheeheeng-! As the ck horse neighed loudly and rushed with explosive momentum, he saw three white lightning bolts strike the direction where hispanions were. But Ruon didn¡¯t turn his head. He just twisted his waist and gripped the handle of the Ego Sword with both hands. ¡°Kyaah!¡± At that moment, the monster let out a piercing scream and plummeted to the ground without a chance to p its wings. The glowing sword shed in its six hateful eyes as it fell. Crash! A dull thud echoed behind Ruon, who had flown past the monster. Then a much smaller sound followed. He turned his head and saw a severed head rolling on the floor, leaving a bright red trail behind. It had fallen a stepter than the body. But Ruon¡¯s eyes still had a calm swirl in them. There was no trace of joy in his victory. ¡°Well done.¡± He gently stroked the ck horse¡¯s mane, breathing heavily, and then jumped off its back. He turned his body toward the fallen monster and opened his mouth. ¡°Are you going to get up?¡± To his surprise, he got an answer. ¡°¡­Such iprehensible and impossible strength. Is this how it feels to face a heavenly god¡­?¡± The headless monster pushed itself up with its bent wings. Then it put its fallen head on its neck, and the cut surface wriggled and fused together. It was a recovery power beyond imagination, but it seemed to have a hefty price, as its eyes were noticeably dim. It blinked and opened its mouth. ¡°¡­Ruon, join me now.¡± The monster, or rather H, added quickly in a desperate voice. ¡°Why do you, a powerful being, live under the oppression of the old rules that the heaven created? I don¡¯t understand. You are already a being that has crossed the boundary. If you take one more step beyond, you will be a great variable that can twist the world¡¯s rules!¡± Then Tarwen, who had run with the group, snapped at her. ¡°Stop talking nonsense and face reality. Your other selves are all gone. It¡¯s over when you die.¡± H ignored him and fixed her gaze on Ruon, spitting out her words. ¡°If we can destroy the heaven and bring down the lofty divinity to the abyss of the underworld! The world will be reborn in our hands. Everything from one to ten!¡± She suddenly spoke in a soft voice, sweetly continuing. ¡°¡­Ruon, you must have a world that only you dream of, right? A world that you can¡¯t exin to anyone else, that only you hold. This is your chance to make it happen.¡± She whispered like a devil, and Ruon smiled faintly. She thought he had taken the bait, and hastily added. ¡°I will assist you until the day your world bes reality. I promise. I will be the loyal servant of the new great devil Ruon.¡± Kyle growled fiercely. ¡°She doesn¡¯t stop spouting nonsense.¡± He clenched his teeth and stepped forward, but he flinched at an unexpected sight. Ruon had silently sheathed his Ego Sword. ¡°Le, Ruon?¡± H beamed, feeling a mix of relief and joy that her persuasion had worked and the de had disappeared. ¡°That¡¯s it! Let¡¯s crush those damned ves of heaven right now and strip the traitor of his skin and perform the ritual!¡± Then Ruon moved swiftly. He grabbed the monster¡¯s jaw in an instant. He said. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯ll smash your head.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± A huge fist mmed into the monster¡¯s face, which had a stupid expression. Blood and flesh spurted from its crushed face. His fist pushed back by the monstrous strength that defiedmon sense, he caught the back of its head, which was bent back, and pulled his arm back, hitting its face with his elbow on the other side. With a crack, blood bubbles gushed from the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ke, keh!¡± It struggled to fight back, but before it could, another fist hit its shoulders and corbone, making its arms droop. The fist didn¡¯t give it a chance to despair, and hit its face again, making its already battered face explode like a firework. Thud. The monster finally fell back with a heavy sound. Ruon climbed on its torso and raised his clenched fist high. He said in a cold voice. ¡°It¡¯s time to keep my promise.¡± A muffled sound came out of the monster¡¯s mouth, which was barely recognizable. ¡°¡­Di¡­e¡­¡± Ruon mmed his fist down before the pitiful voice begging for life could finish. The monster¡¯s face copsedpletely with a sound like a ripe watermelon bursting. Blood sttered everywhere, soaking the dry ground and leaving messy marks. He slowly got up, and his fist had H¡¯s proud dragon scales falling to the ground with blood. ¡°I thought you fell for the witch¡¯s candy when you suddenly sheathed your sword. You have no idea how scared I was. My heart is still pounding.¡± Kyle sighed with relief. Igor came up to him and brought his palm, tinged with a faint light, close to Ruon¡¯s chest. The burn wound from the lightning healed slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help you more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s enough.¡± Then Strabo, who had returned to his dwarf form, shouted with excitement. His eyes were shining brightly. ¡°That¡¯s awesome! You always keep your word¡­ Is there anything more romantic than that?¡± He muttered to himself, then coughed a few times and lowered his voice. ¡°Time to keep your promise. Wow! That¡¯s it!¡± Igor turned his head away as if he had seen something unpleasant, watching the dwarf who gave a thumbs up to Ruon. ¡°Strabo, it¡¯s nice that you¡¯re following Ruon, but do you realize that you¡¯re naked right now?¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re right!¡± Tarwen took off the cloak she was wearing with a frown and handed it over. ¡°Here, put this on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wash it and give it backter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just throw it away.¡± ¡°Why waste this!¡± Ruon closed his eyes quietly, leaving his noisypanions behind. He had evenly distributed the bonus stats he gained from leveling up when he killed He to strength and holy power. He opened his eyes, satisfied with his increased power. All hispanions were staring at him. ¡°I thought you fell asleep standing up again.¡± Ruon ignored Kyle¡¯s muttering and looked around. He shrugged his shoulders at the sight of the devastated vige. ¡°It seems like we can forget about getting supplies.¡± Then Tarwen pointed at a corpse with a smashed head and said. ¡°But we got something we didn¡¯t expect.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s soul.¡± She gave a faint smile as the rest of the group blinked their eyes and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty good witch, you know.¡±¡°` Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Tarwen was about to approach the fallen corpse, but Igor blocked her way. ¡°May I ask what you intend to do with the soul?¡± He spoke firmly, but not harshly, with a pleasant voice. Tarwen gave him a faint smile. Then she hardened her expression and said. ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling you? I¡¯m going to bind the soul to the spirit world and torture it until it bes an idiot. It might resist at first, with a wicked grin, but in the end, it won¡¯t be able to beg for mercy, only wet itself. Then I think it would be nice to imnt the soul into the body of a dead pig. Let it live out its remaining life in the rotting flesh of livestock.¡± Igor¡¯s face turned cold at the horrible answer. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°What are you going to do if I am?¡± As the eyes of the witch and the priest intertwined in the air, Kyle intervened between them. He spread his arms and pushed them apart, then sighed. ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to fight each other?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not fighting. You idiot.¡± Tarwen pushed Kyle¡¯s elbow lightly and took a step forward. ¡°I wasn¡¯t serious about what I said before. I¡¯m not so crazy that I would do such a thing, no matter how reckless I am.¡± She added with a bitter expression. ¡°Sorry for being mean. I don¡¯t think you have anything to worry about, so can you just let me pass?¡± Igor was silent for a while, then stepped aside. He didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Thank you.¡± Tarwen walked over to the corpse and picked up one of the scales that had fallen to the ground. She clenched her fist, and blood dripped from her pale knuckles. She sprinkled the blood over the corpse like a gardener watering a dry pot, and a spell came out of her mouth. As if responding to her faint voice, the blood wriggled and drew aplex pattern, then boiled and melted the flesh. Soon, a magic circle was engraved on the monster¡¯s body like a scar, and a sh of light burst and faded. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Tarwen slowly got up from the spot where the light had disappeared. In her hand, she held a shapeless glow that flickered faintly. Strabo, who was watching it closely, asked. ¡°Is that He¡¯s soul?¡± ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s more urate to say that it¡¯s a mixture of He and another soul.¡± After answering, she walked towards Ruon, who had his arms crossed and a grim expression. ¡°I¡¯m going to extract some of the memories that the soul has. I¡¯m thinking of distorting them with a manifestation spell and then visualizing them and showing them to you. What do you think?¡± Ruon frowned and asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Tarwen blinked her eyes for a long time, as if she had no confidence in exining it easily. She finally opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s share the information that He has.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that from the start?¡± Ruon shook his head, feeling drained. Then, the soul that was resting on Tarwen¡¯s palm started to spit out bright light. He thought she was doing some kind of spell, and he stared at it, but he heard Tarwen¡¯s surprised voice. ¡°Wait? What is this¡­¡± He realized something was wrong from her voice and quickly backed away. But the light that poured out of the soul was faster than him. In the sudden situation, his vision turned white. *** The sky was scarred with white streaks as fierce lightning moved across the dark clouds. The sky writhed in pain and poured thick tears onto the earth. Swoosh- It was a torrential rain that seemed to drown everything on the ground, but it couldn¡¯t wash away the terrible smell of blood. It only took away the warmth. Where am I? Ruon exhaled the hot breath that climbed up his throat and looked around. He saw thend that had lost its life and turned ck, and the buildings that had copsed. On top of them, countless corpses were piled up, creating an apocalyptic atmosphere. He suddenly felt his right hand was heavy and looked down. There was a huge hammer that he didn¡¯t know when he had grabbed. ¡°You swing that stupid thing without getting tired. Amazing strength. They say you have a giant among your ancestors, and it seems it¡¯s not a lie.¡± Ruon slowly opened his mouth to the voice that was full of mockery. But it wasn¡¯t his will. ¡°Is it you? The monster that turned all the people in the city into living corpses?¡± His hammer was dripping with blood. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what he had hit with it, just by looking at the scene around him. A voice came from afar. It was strangely clear, without any distortion in the rain. ¡°I thought it was nice that it was a very small city, so I didn¡¯t have to worry much¡­ I never dreamed that the famous Thunder King¡¯s woman would live here. Did youe to propose? What a disgusting coincidence. By the way, how do you feel? You stopped the army that would have thrown the kingdom into chaos in advance.¡± Ruon, or rather, Imrek, growled with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a devil with a hood on your head. Whatever you plotted here, you¡¯ll pay for it. I¡¯ll smash your head to pieces.¡± Then a bolt of lightning fell, and the dark world lit up for a moment. Thanks to that, Ruon, who shared Imrek¡¯s sight, saw the man standing tall beyond thend full of corpses. The man was wearing a long cloak that covered his whole body, so he couldn¡¯t guess what he looked like, except that he had a fairly sturdy physique. He started tough. ¡°Good and evil are nothing but academic and subjective concepts. If you can¡¯t get rid of the bnced binary thinking, you can¡¯t even dream of trying to escape from the providence.¡± Lightning shed again. Surprisingly, the man had approached within a mere ten steps in that short moment. Considering the distance he had been apart, it was an unbelievable speed. He licked his tongue briefly as he looked at the corpses lying on the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that a warrior who was obsessed with heroism would ruin the n while I was checking the movement of the church. Have I be too numb to the variables?¡± Lightning shed again. The man had already reached his nose. Close enough to hear his breathing! ¡°What?¡± Before Imrek could react, the man¡¯s fist, cutting through the raindrops, hit his abdomen. Then, as if the gate hit by the battering ram, the armor was horribly distorted. He desperately regained his fainting mind and swung his hammer in his hand repeatedly to counterattack. But as if he had expected it, the man who easily avoided the attack spun his right foot, which he used as an axis, and stretched out his left leg. Bang! Ruon, who flew far away, instinctively tried to minimize the damage by spreading the fall, but his body did not follow his mind. No, he couldn¡¯t move at all as he wanted. After all, this body was not his own. Hee-hee-hee-hing! The ck horse, who was breathing heavily in the middle of the corpses, limped and ran towards him. Imrek raised his arm to prevent him froming, and swung his right hammer vigorously. Kurung! The lightning that stretched from the hammer head tore the wet ground and swept the body of the man standing in a smoky posture. Imrek did not stop there and grabbed the hammer handle with both hands and tried to continue the attack, but before that, a ray of light that cut through the smoke pierced his shoulder. ¡°Kruk!¡± He swallowed a groan and swung his arm with all his might. The man who gently blocked the fist with the rock-breaking strength by raising his elbow pulled out the sword from his shoulder and stabbed both thighs in turn, then cut his side long. The series of movements were so smooth and fast that they couldn¡¯t be followed by the eyes. Soon after, he kicked Imrek¡¯s wobbly knee, forcing him to kneel, and muttered as he washed his blood-stained sword in the rain. ¡°It¡¯s fair to give you the pain that suits you for ruining the n I¡¯ve worked hard on. Unfortunately, I¡¯m severelycking in that kind of imagination. Who would be good¡­ Can I trust and leave it to Fleur?¡± Then Imrek got up and shouted. ¡°Shut up!¡± He bled from his thigh and shoulder with a reckless movement, but he seemed to have nothing to do with it, and he mmed the short hammer handle. The man tried to avoid the trajectory with a smooth movement this time, but Imrek¡¯s strong opposite hand grabbed his shoulder and his feet were tied for a moment. Then thunder fell over his head. Kwariung-! Imrek, whose upper body was burnt red by the reckless attack at close range, lifted his melting eyelids and hit the man who was spewing smoke with all his might. He had already made up his mind to die. But the decisive blow was blocked by the sound of metal shing and vainly. The man who raised the sword obliquely over his shoulder to perfectly block the attack slowly raised his head. The burned cloak pieces fell and something revealed his face. The reason why he expressed it as something even after seeing his bare face was because only the dark darkness was in ce where the facial features should be. At that moment, a dark sh appeared in the air. Imrek, who was fascinated by the sh, realized toote that his chest was split in half. He fell with a thud and felt a cold sensation spreading throughout his body along the spine. It implied that death was imminent. ¡°Damn it.¡± Imrek left the blooding from his mouth and nose as it was and looked at the other person looking down at him. The dark face contrasted with the shing armor dazzled his eyes. He finally saw the lion carved on the shoulder and muttered incredulously. ¡°Why is the knight of Ganacus¡­ here? How far has the heavenly, courage¡­ fallen?¡± The dark being who put the sword in the sheath in the swaying darkness calmly replied. ¡°Are you so shaken by the appearance that is revealed on the outside? Maybe it¡¯s natural that you can¡¯t look beyond it because you despair and break so easily.¡± Hee-hee-hee-hing! The ck horse ran madly toward his fallen master. The guy who rolled his limping legs without rest raised his front legs as if to crush the man standing upright. Of course, that was impossible. The man who looked at the eyes of the ck horse who was gasping for breath with his neck grabbed said. ¡°Both the master and the beast are the same reckless.¡± Then, with a thud, a creepy sound, the ck horse¡¯s neck broke and fell to the cold ground. Imrek had no time to mourn the death of his friend who had fought together. He had bled too much and his consciousness was fading. The being wearing the armor of the follower of the god of courage put his foot on Imrek¡¯s dying face and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You won¡¯t die like this.¡± With that, he crushed Imrek¡¯s face with his foot. What the hell is that bastard. Ruon cursed inwardly, but his sight was already sinking into the darkness. His consciousness was cut off. Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Chapter 85 King of Thunder, Imrek. He died like that. He was a warrior with the bloodline of the giant, the guardian of the Clorensis mountain range, and a strength and will that matched his sturdy body. He crushed his enemies with a hammer that he modified from the cornerstone that supported the altar of lightning. He died like that. How could such a simple sentence end the life of a hero who had made a mark on an era, even though his life was as twisted as a farmer¡¯s? But death was always like that. Empty and fleeting. Ruon slowly opened his eyes in the darkness that swallowed him like a tidal wave. In front of him, a huge man with an impressive skeleton was looking at him with his arms crossed. It was obvious who he was. ¡°¡­Imrek.¡± The giant smiled warmly at Ruon, who called his name. As soon as he uncrossed his arms and reached out his thick palm as if to shake hands, a sharp voice came from behind. ¡°You bastard, son of a giant! What are you staring at? Kill him now! Kill your enemy! Don¡¯t let him take over your body!¡± A woman appeared from the dark shadows, spitting out venomous words. She was a beauty with calm hair that reached her waist and sharp eyes that contrasted with it. She was He. It was too easy to end it. Ruon clenched his fist quietly. As he was about to put strength into his legs to finish off the witch who was more resilient than a cockroach, Imrek moved faster. He grabbed his fist that he had offered as a handshake and swung it hard at He¡¯s sneering face that was approaching from behind. ¡°Ugh!¡± With a creepy cracking sound, the witch fell to the ground, holding her broken face. Imrek looked down at her and said. ¡°Do you still believe you can control me? Now you are nothing but a soul without a body, with nowhere to go.¡± He then kicked her torso with his log-like foot. She screamed and flew away, and before her back hit the ground, Imrek ran over and grabbed her by the cor and mmed her to the floor like a wet rag. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He turned his body away from He, who was writhing in pain, and reached out his hand to Ruon again. His face was a relieved expression as if he had fulfilled his wish. ¡°Thanks to your efforts, I finally got to hit that damn witch. Even though she¡¯s just a soul without substance.¡± Ruon shook Imrek¡¯s hand with a heartyugh and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Did you show me the previous scene?¡± As he asked that question, Imrek felt a presence behind him and turned his body like lightning and swung his arm. Boom! ¡°Kyaah!¡± He, who was hit by the white lightning, spewed out white smoke from her mouth that was secretly chanting a spell and fell stiffly. Thunder poured over her body, which had shriveled up in an instant. Crash! Crash! After the thunder baptism was over, Imrek growled lowly at the witch who was motionless. ¡°Stop messing around and lie down quietly. No matter how hard you struggle, you can¡¯t scratch this iron fortress of a mind. You know that better than anyone, don¡¯t you?¡± After warning her, Imrek looked at the hammer in his hand with a faint gaze for a while and then swung it lightly. Surprisingly, the hammer disappeared like a bubble. As if it had never existed in the first ce. ¡°¡­Really, your inner world is amazing. It¡¯s not a waste of words. You can easily create my hammer like this. I wonder if I would have been different if I were like you¡­¡± Ruon looked around with a tilted head. ¡°Is this my inner world?¡± He saw the colorless world with vague boundaries btedly, but he couldn¡¯t tell what was amazing about it, so he shrugged his shoulders lightly and continued. ¡°That¡¯s one thing, but how did you get in here? And who is that uninvited guest over there?¡± As Ruon pointed at He, who was crumbling like ash, with his index finger, Imrek smiled faintly and answered. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to your colleague. He took us out of our rotting bodies, which should have naturally disappeared, and gave us a precious opportunity to talk to you.¡± He noticed Ruon¡¯s subtle expression at the word ¡®us¡¯ and added with a bitter expression. ¡°It¡¯s not a pleasant experience to be mixed with the mastermind who drove our souls to the rag. But thanks to that, I was able to restore my broken self and talk to you like this¡­ I guess you never know what will happen in this world.¡± He muttered to himself and then pped his forehead with an exmation. ¡°Ha ha! This, this. I¡¯ve been sharing my mind with the witch for so long that I¡¯ve be unlike myself. This kind of chatter doesn¡¯t suit a swordsman. Don¡¯t you think?¡± What a strange fellow. Ruon muttered to himself as he watched Imrekugh heartily. He looked like he hadn¡¯t suffered for a long time in the witch¡¯s clutches. Well, he was a being with such a will that He had to resort to an extreme measure of abandoning her body to achieve perfect control. Then Imrek stoppedughing and opened his mouth. ¡°Caliban is doing well. I¡¯m d that rascal found a great new owner.¡± Caliban? Ruon asked with a doubtful mind. ¡°Was the Nightmare¡¯s name Caliban?¡± Imrek smiled with his teeth showing. ¡°I named him after my great-great-grandfather, who was a giant. He suits him well, doesn¡¯t he?¡± He murmured with a warm gaze that didn¡¯t suit his nickname, the ¡®Thunder King.¡¯ ¡°The reason he was reborn in such a state, amidst cursed corpses, must be due to the influence of lingering thoughts after death. The witch¡¯s knowledge tells me so. Anyway, he didn¡¯t choose to be that way, so don¡¯t hate him too much for his asional violent behavior.¡± Huh? Ruon was momentarily taken aback, recalling how he often struck Nightmare¡¯s forehead with the edge of his hand, but he smoothly changed the subject with another question. ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡± Imrek quietly replied, ¡°Actually, everything I wanted to say is contained in my insignificant end. You¡¯ve seen it yourself, so there¡¯s no need to say it twice, right?¡± Ruon, d in shining armor, recalled the being who had disyed astonishing divinity and asked, ¡°Is there really something about Ganax?¡± Imrek stroked his short beard and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s irresponsible, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Please understand. Embarrassing as it is, my hammer couldn¡¯t even reach him.¡± After a pause, he nced at He sprawled on the ground and continued, ¡°But I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll have a different oue. That pathetic witch weighed you and me on the same scale, but I know best how foolish that assumption was.¡± He stopped mid-sentence and craned his neck to look up at the sky. ¡°Those brilliant achievements¡­¡± Ruon noticed something twinkling in Imrek¡¯s eyes and immediately looked up. There was a small Milky Way. A feast of stars,rge and small, covered the monochrome sky. In their sparkle, Ruon could feel the history they held, the stories he had built. Then Imrek pointed to thergest and brightest star among the many and began to speak, his voice now damp with emotion, ¡°To see the memory of a warrior who killed a great demon. Could there be any greater honor?¡± It was then that Imrek, who had been muttering to himself, began to crumble into dust. ¡°The allotted time is far too short. This must be the price for forcibly showing you the past.¡± With a mix of regret and a faint sigh, Imrek ced his palm on Ruon¡¯s sturdy shoulder and said, ¡°I feel guilty for leaving you with such a burden, but such tasks are inevitable for a hero like you, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ruon chuckled and responded, ¡°I don¡¯t need such a shy title.¡± Imrekughed heartily, ¡°Right, you¡¯ve got a point.¡± His body, nowpletely disintegrated, floated like the remaining ashes, soaring into the star-filled sky. From beyond, a deep voice echoed, ¡°I hope I¡¯ve been of some help on your journey.¡± Ruon couldn¡¯t ask what it was. The world, gradually fading to white, soon plunged into darkness. *** ¡°Oh, Ruon! Are youing to?¡± The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Stravo¡¯s face. What? Ruon instinctively threw a punch at the closeness, pulling back at thest moment, but the dwarf, already struck in the face, clutched his nose and fell on his backside. ¡°Argh! Ruon has fallen! Everyone, be careful!¡± ¡°Why were you so close?¡± Ruon propped himself up with his hands and sat up. The rest of the party quickly gathered around him. ¡°Are you alright? It seemed like the soul was trying to burn itself to convey something to you at thest moment, so we just watched. It didn¡¯t seem like He¡¯s trickery.¡± At Tarwen¡¯s worried voice, Ruon nodded lightly and replied, ¡°He was there, too. But before she could do anything, Imrek smashed her.¡± Hearing this, the party exchanged nces, puzzled. Stravo, still not bothering to wipe the blood dripping from his nose, asked, ¡°Imrek? The Thunder King Imrek?¡± As Ruon nodded, Stravo jumped in shock, ¡°No way¡­ My favorite song is ¡®Thunder Steps¡¯! The invincible steps thundering©¤ filling the world with the sound of thunder©¤¡± Ignoring Stravo¡¯s sudden singing, Tarwen asked, ¡°So Imrek fell into He¡¯s hands. That¡¯s why he acted alone. Even the fusion body shows the effort put into it.¡± She inquired, ¡°What did Imrek show you?¡± Ruon briefly exined the series of events rted to the Thunder King¡¯s demise. There wasn¡¯t much to borate on. The main point was that the entity that killed Imrek was d in the armor of Ganax¡¯s holy knight. ¡°Why does that ce reek so much?¡± Kyle asked. Stravo, his face scrunched up in disgust, chimed in. He was visibly angry at the thought that the hero he admired might have been killed by a holy knight of Ganax. ¡°What a despicable act for someone who ims to have unbreakable courage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to generalize, but it¡¯s definitely not a good sign.¡± As Igor finished his words, Tarwen added briefly, as if to lighten the mood. ¡°Since he mentioned Fleur, maybe we can find some clues if we wrap up this matter well?¡± Meanwhile, Ruon got up. He shook off the slight dizziness and checked his condition. He soon realized that his strength and stamina had increased slightly, even though he hadn¡¯t leveled up. It didn¡¯t take him long to recognize that it was thanks to the power of the sentence that had settled in his inner self. [Hero] I¡¯m not a hero. It was a word that was too pompous to say out loud, but thanks to it, his power grew again and writhed roughly under his solid muscles. Ruon was confident that he could overpower even a giant with his strength. Of course, he had never faced a giant directly, but that was his feeling. ¡°Tarwen, how far is it to Yoram from here?¡± Tarwen pondered for a moment at Igor¡¯s question and answered. ¡°Not much left. If we ride horses, it¡¯ll take four to five days?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I see.¡± The priest nodded and quietly added. ¡°It seems a bit awkward to pass by this vige as it is. As Tarwen said, it would be hard to find decent food or water in thisnd where the harmony of nature has been broken.¡± He nced around the ruined vige and continued. ¡°There are quite a few intact buildings, so why don¡¯t we take a look around?¡± Kyle agreed. ¡°Yeah, that sounds good. We can¡¯t fight the witches on an empty stomach. I¡¯m against fighting while hungry.¡± The rest of the party also shared the same opinion, so they all scattered to find some edible ingredients. Ruon also walked toward a building that was less damaged with a wobbly gait. He thought he might find something to eat if the kitchen was intact. But he suddenly stopped, realizing that he had missed something very simple. He chuckled at the fact that he had moved around with something much more valuable than food in front of his eyes. Would Garan make something for me if I brought it to him? His eyes reflected the huge rune hammer and the shiny scale pieces that were lying on the floor. Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Ruon approached the monster¡¯s corpse without hesitation. Its body, which still exuded a menacing aura despite its crushed head, was a gruesome sight of flesh and muscle fibers from an unknown creature. The only part that he could guess with his naked eye was the scales that covered its skin, as He had mentioned. He couldn¡¯t tell if they were really dragon scales, but it was obvious that they were no ordinary material, since they had effectively blocked his dagger, which was imbued with his full strength, several times. He decided to settle for taking a few pieces. He would have liked to peel off the whole skin cleanly, but it was impossible to separate the scales from the other tissues, since the body had been artificially modified. He turned his head and looked at the hammer that was deeply embedded in the ground. The surface of the hammer, which had left a small crater from the impact, was emitting a faint light from the iprehensible runes. He grabbed the handle of the hammer without hesitation and swung it a few times in the air. As expected of someone who had handled many extraordinary weapons, he easily drew out the power within the hammer, and soon the surface of the hammer heated up and made a rumbling sound. At that moment, Kyle, who hade out of a nearby building with a few boiled eggs in his hand, eximed in surprise. ¡°Wow, that startled me.¡± Ruon looked at Kyle with a nk expression and snapped his fingers. ¡°Come here and try this.¡± Kyle tilted his head at Ruon, who was grinning at the hammer. ¡°Why the hammer all of a sudden?¡± He asked as he approached him and took the hammer that Ruon handed him. He didn¡¯t seem to feel much burden from the weight that was transmitted to his palm, and Ruon smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten pretty strong, huh?¡± Kyle shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, thanks to the goddess¡¯s blessing.¡± ¡°Good for you. You can use that hammer.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± Kyle¡¯s voice was t, as if he was giving up a coin he had picked up on the street. ¡°Why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°Igor and Tarwen can¡¯t swing it properly, and Strabo won¡¯t need it when he turns into a beast. Besides, it doesn¡¯t fit your height.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you use it then?¡± At that question, Ruon spread his fingers and pointed at the weapons he had on his body. An ego sword, a thick-ded dagger, and a bow without a string. ¡°You want me to add more? Sorry, but I¡¯m not a weapon master.¡± Kyle chuckled and retorted. ¡°It¡¯s too cruel to ask someone who just got used to a sword to switch to a hammer.¡± Ruon shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to switch weapons. I¡¯m just saying that you should keep that hammer, since it mighte in handy in future fights.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is this because you¡¯re toozy to use it, but too reluctant to throw it away?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Ruon patted Kyle¡¯s shoulder, who was staring at the hammer with a bewildered face, and walked past him to the building he had intended to go to. He heard a crackling sound from behind him, as if he had already started practicing. *** The group gathered in one ce with their daily food. After a brief exchange of opinions, they decided to stay in a building at the corner of the vige. It was the only ce that was rtively intact in the ruined vige, and the only ce that could amodate the five of them. Of course, it was disgusting to spend a day in a vige where the blood and flesh of countless corpses were scattered on the floor, but no oneined for that reason. The group devoted themselves to their respective tasks. Ruon prepared firewood and bedding, and Tarwen and Igor cooked dinner together. They had been awkward with each other since they had a subtle nerve war over their souls, and they kept their mouths shut and watched each other¡¯s eyes while making food. What are they doing, acting like kids? Bang-Rumble! ¡°Shit, I did it!¡± Kyle was happy that he had drawn out the power of the hammer, and he prayed to the goddess for the first time. Meanwhile, Strabo, who had gone to find the horses he had tied up outside the vige, came back. But he only had one rein in his hand. ¡°Only Toby didn¡¯t run away!¡± The horses, who had been scared by the endless thunderstorm, had all cut their ropes and fled, but the pony, who had been calmly grazing on weeds, made a dumb sound with a blue face. Strabo was ashamed of his mistake of tying the rope loosely, but he was also very proud of his pony, who was the bravest. Tarwen, who was the first to notice that the pony was deaf, suggested that they pretend not to know, and they all swallowed theirughter for a while. As they did, the sun set. The group filled their stomachs with a simple stew and sat down on their bedding. The firewood in the firece burned like a martyr, filling the house with a warm atmosphere. The first to speak was Tarwen. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± At his sudden words, the group silently turned their heads and looked at the pale face of the fairy. ¡°I thought when I ran away from the cradle. If I ever came back here, it would be either because I was skinned alive or because I was dragged here to be skinned.¡± With her slender index finger, she traced circles on the ground as she continued speaking. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to grasp the hope I had long given up on. It¡¯s not just about getting back at the Cradle; it¡¯s about the hope of bringing them down entirely.¡± Stravo chuckled and said, ¡°Where there¡¯s a cause, there¡¯s always romance! I¡¯m d I can help you too.¡± Then, his expression soured abruptly, and he added, ¡°Why on earth am Ibeled ¡®pleasant¡¯? It must be a mix-up with Ruon. Or maybe with Kail¡­¡± The great Ruon frowned. ¡°Take it or leave it.¡± Igor cleared his throat softly and began to speak, his gaze fixed on Tarwen. ¡°I apologize for blocking your path earlier. Despite knowing better, I harbored prejudice because you were once a witch of the Cradle. It was shameful behavior for a priest who practices mercy.¡± As he finished speaking and bowed his head, Tarwen waved her hands in dismay. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯m not clean either. As you said, I was a witch of the Cradle until a few months ago, and without the excuse of necessity, I certainly did condemnable things. I¡¯m sorrier.¡± Ruon let out a hollowugh at the sight of the two, each insisting they were in the wrong. Kail suddenly interjected. ¡°So why make the mood so grim with such creepy talk? About leaking filth and stuffing souls into dead pigs? I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Really¡­¡± At his words, Tarwen smiled faintly, her expression one of someone trying to suppress their true feelings. She then spoke up. ¡°My family suffered that way.¡± As thepanions struggled to find words, Tarwen began to recount her past calmly. The torn bodies of her family, the spell taught by the witch, the guilt of turning her beloved family into ghouls. Ruon knew this much, but today, the story continued. ¡°I was only six years old then, and I wasn¡¯t strong enough to ept my actions. And I had no desire to continue the life the Cradle had begrudgingly spared.¡± She carefully turned her wrist over and extended it forward. Across her pale skiny a dense pattern of raised scars. ¡°While repeatedly harming myself, a witch approached me. She was the one who first made me recite the spell. In her hand, she held a handful of faint souls, which I didn¡¯t realize at the time¡­ were the souls of my family.¡± The story went on. The witch, Fleur, tortured the souls of Tarwen¡¯s family in front of her, a young girl who had given up the will to live and was defiant. The young girl, engulfed in guilt over her family¡¯s suffering even in death, had no choice but to learn the dark magic she didn¡¯t want, and whenever she was even slightly negligent or showed reluctance in her studies, Fleur ruthlessly destroyed the souls. Thepanions¡¯ eyes zed with fury at the story of how a human¡¯s heart was subdued by such cruel means. Kail clenched his teeth, and without realizing it, the hammer he was holding made a rumbling sound. ¡°Those bastards¡­¡± Igor didn¡¯t say it out loud, but the divine power leaking from his body was bright enough to illuminate the surroundings. Instead of raging, Stravo gently grasped Tarwen¡¯s scar-ridden wrist with his bloodshot eyes. Tarwen smiled weakly, her lips trembling. ¡°Maybe I endured that time well to meet you all. A party that killed the archdemon. Could there be any greater fortune?¡± Ruon, who had been silent with his arms crossed, slowly lifted his head and met Tarwen¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, but I promise again,¡± Ruon said, his eyes shing with the calm intensity of a storm. ¡°All the witches of the Cradle, except you, will perish.¡± *** Leaning on the armrest connected to the chair, Fleur quietly opened her eyes, which had been closed. Her red eyes, shining like rubies, were so intimidating that even the witches of the Cradle hesitated to meet her gaze directly. But the man before her showed no such apprehension. Or could he even be called a man? Fleur opened her mouth amidst these thoughts. ¡°Excuse me, where were we?¡± The man in the shabby cloak replied, ¡°Did something unpleasant happen?¡± Fleur shrugged. ¡°A talented witch died. Her arrogance was a w, but her skills were undeniable, and I was quite fond of her¡­ It¡¯s a sad thing.¡± A low chuckle came from the shadows of the cloak. ¡°Sorrow? I didn¡¯t know such a feeling still existed in an old witch like you.¡± Fleur crossed her smooth legs and retorted. ¡°Of course. How could I not be sad? A being I was supposed to consume perished at the hands of someone else.¡± The man tilted his head back andughed heartily, causing the hood he wore to slide back and reveal his face. Fleur, seeing the man¡¯s face for the first time in a while, asked with a smirk. ¡°Why hide such a handsome face behind such a dreary mask?¡± The man pulled the hood back over his head with his gauntleted hands. Then, his face hidden in the shadow of the hood, he spoke in a cool voice. ¡°We¡¯ve strayed from the topic. So, what¡¯s the n for the ritual? We¡¯ve already wasted a lot of time. The great churches have begun to sniff around. I can¡¯t distract them forever.¡± Fleur¡¯s face lost its smile as she replied firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Cradle is ready. They will soone here on their own and pay the price in blood.¡± ¡°Have you prepared, assuming they are the party that killed Beldusias?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man stood up. The slight clinking of his armor cut through the silence as he said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s time for the arrangement. Next time we meet, let it be as the archdemon Fleur.¡± With that, his form crumbled like a sandcastle swept away by the tide and disappeared. Fleur stared at the empty space where he had been, then pushed herself up from the armrest. ¡°Archdemon Fleur¡­ That has a nice ring to it.¡± The master of the Cradle¡¯s tower smiled with a strange longing in her eyes as she burned with anticipation. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you hide your handsome face behind that dull mask.¡± The man flipped his hood back over his head with his steel-gloved hands. Then he spoke in a cold voice, concealing his face in the shadow of the hood. ¡°You¡¯re getting off track. What are you going to do with the ritual? We¡¯re running out of time. The Grand Churches have started to smell something. We can¡¯t divert their attention forever.¡± Fleur also erased the smile that had spread over his face and replied curtly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yoram has already prepared everything. They¡¯ll be here soon enough, on their own feet. And they¡¯ll pay the price of blood.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve prepared for the possibility that they¡¯re the party that killed Belducius, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man got up from his seat. His cold voice pierced through the faint clinking of his armor. ¡°It¡¯s time to betray. Next time we meet, let¡¯s meet as the Great Demon Fleur.¡± Then his body crumbled and disappeared like a sandcastle swept by a wave. Fleur stared at the empty space where he had left, then pushed his bracelet aside and stood up. ¡°Great Demon Fleur¡­ That sounds good.¡± The tower master of Yoram, who had his long-cherished wish in front of him, smiled with a strange desire in his eyes. Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Chapter 87 ¡°This ce is really unpleasant.¡± Strabo muttered softly as he looked down at the parched and lifelessnd. As a druid, he felt tormented by being in an environment where nature¡¯s harmony was destroyed. His face, which always had a smile, was slightly hardened. ¡°I know, right?¡± Kyle responded briefly and kicked a fist-sized stone at his feet. The stone easily crumbled, regardless of its size. The shattered pieces were swept away by the dry wind and disappeared without a sound. Tarwen looked at the four bags of luggage hanging on the saddle of the ck horse and said, ¡°Thank goodness we have Caliban. If we didn¡¯t have him, this would have been a really tough march.¡± The ck horse, Caliban, snorted vigorously as if to tell the worried fairy not to worry. He must really like his name. Ruon chuckled. Thanks to Imrek, whom he met in the inner world, he learned the name of the ck horse and started calling him Caliban instead of Nightmare. The horse was very happy with his name, which he found after thirty years. Maybe he was the most excited one among the group. The group walked on the drynd and continued to move forward. Although they had to walk on two feet because the horses ran away, no one fell behind. In the first ce, the heavy luggage was shared by Ruon and Caliban, and even if that wasn¡¯t the case, everyone in the group was more used to walking on their own feet. ¡°I remember the old days. We also walked like this near the Cloransis Mountains.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Cloransis Mountains? Why?¡± At Tarwen¡¯s question, Kyle scratched his neck and opened his mouth. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story¡­¡± During the dry march, the group entertained themselves with each other¡¯s stories. The stories started from the recent past and gradually went back to the time when young Strabo identally set fire to the cksmith¡¯s shop. As they killed time with various stories, they couldn¡¯t believe that evil witches were waiting at the end of this march. But they didn¡¯t think about that for long. In the afternoon of the sixth day after they left the slum. The sun hid its trace in the dull sky and thend, and a sharp spire that rose above the horizon of thend and the sky revealed its ominous appearance. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°Yeah. We finally see it. The damn cradle.¡± At Igor¡¯s question, Tarwen clenched her teeth and answered. Next to her, Kyle, who had drunk from the canteen, wiped his wet mouth with the back of his hand and muttered. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why they call it the cradle of the dead, huh?¡± Kee-ya-ah-ah-ah! The stone wind that surrounded the spire screamed with a creepy shriek, and the hatred for the living was condensed, making the listeners lose their will to fight naturally. Of course, this didn¡¯t apply to Ruon. It¡¯s so noisy. Ruon looked at the spire with a nk expression and said, rubbing his ears with his index finger. ¡°Anyone need a break?¡± Strabo raised his palm slightly. ¡°How about we leave Caliban and Toby here? It would be hard to fight on horseback in a limited space like a tower.¡± Hee-hee-hee! Caliban neighed harshly as if to tell him not to put him in the same line as this pony. But Ruon, who had a simr idea to Strabo, gently stroked the ck horse¡¯s mane with pride and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of ces to show off.¡± Caliban nodded his head lightly as if his anger had subsided by his master¡¯s touch, and then sighed deeply as he saw the pony chewing something next to him. Then Tarwen said, ¡°I need to prepare for thest time.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she recited a spell and her body sparkled like a rainbow as if it had passed through a prism. Soon, Tarwen regained her originalplexion and added an exnation to the group¡¯s eyes that looked at her nkly. ¡°I separated the essence of the magic circle that covered my body from the phenomenal world and tore it into several branches in multiple dimensions. Even if something happens to me, there won¡¯t be any immediate consequences, so you can rest assured.¡± Did she consider the worst-case scenario? Ruon, who realized the meaning of her words, hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s go as soon as you¡¯re done.¡± With his words as the end, the group moved their steps toward the spire without hesitation. As they walked briskly, the spire, which had been leaning on the horizon, also straightened its back and greeted the unwee guests. Kee-ya-ah-ah-ah! The shriek that grew louder and louder was apanied by a faint curse, but it didn¡¯t cause any direct damage to the group. Ruon, who had a strong mental power, didn¡¯t need to say anything, and the other three, who had received the blessing of the goddess and had once been a witch of the cradle, were also able to ignore this level of curse. The fierce stone wind was like a wall protecting the inner wall, rotating fiercely around the spire. Kyle, who saw the stone that was thrown into it smashed without a shape, said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we be torn to pieces if we got in there?¡± ¡°Move aside. I¡¯ll try it.¡± Tarwen stepped forward and reached out her hand. ¡°Del-Sauzio!¡± Then, as if it were a lie, the windstorm settled down and soon an entrancerge enough for one person to pass through appeared. She had a vein on her forehead as if it wasn¡¯t easy to maintain this state. ¡°Hurry up and get in!¡± The group quickly jumped into the entrance. Ruon, who was following behind them, noticed that the boundary of the artificial opening was shaking uneasily. He immediately stretched out his arm and grabbed the wrist of Tarwen, who was concentrating on the spell, and pulled her inside. ¡°Huh?¡± The moment she fell into the entrance, a fierce gust of wind swallowed the boundary and filled the inside. Strabo whistled. ¡°That was close, huh?¡± Tarwen wiped the sweat beads on her forehead with the back of her hand and said. ¡°Thank you. Ruon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Ruon didn¡¯t finish his sentence before he drew his ego sword from his waist and shed it down at the ground. Sizzle- The sound of boiling flesh and the sight of his feet stained red alerted the group to prepare for battle. They each uttered a word. ¡°What the?¡± ¡°I knew it was too quiet.¡± ¡°Merciful Mother.¡± What is this? Then Ruon felt a strange sensation in his palm through the sword that pierced the ground. He realized it was the movement of a huge creature, and at that moment, Roar- The soil on the ground was sucked in at an incredible speed, creating a huge cone-shaped hole. And from within, a monstrous mouth shot up towards Ruon with explosive force. Crash-! The monster that broke through the ground looked like a centipede that had been erged by hundreds of times, but the clear difference was that it was made of countless corpses. Where there should have been long legs of an arthropod, there were adult men¡¯s arms and legs densely lined up, and where there should have been a hard exoskeleton, there was a horrible sight of ck skulls covering the body. The most disgusting part was the head, which had a giant mouth that was half-mixed with a centipede and a human, and had dagger-like teeth that glittered, waiting for something new to bite. And Ruon was standing between the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Filthy bastard.¡± He held the monster¡¯s upper jaw with one hand and firmly fixed its lower jaw with his legs, preventing it from closing its mouth. Creak-! The monster, despite its fearsome bite force, couldn¡¯t close its mouth, so it quickly tilted its head towards the ground and began to descend at a tremendous speed. Bang! ¡°Ruon!¡± A sound that shook the earth and a cloud of dust rose to the face. The group ran towards the collision point, ignoring the dust that blocked their sight, but a new monster centipede that came out of the ground blocked their way. ¡°Move-!¡± Kyle, who had already grabbed Imrek¡¯s hammer and the spell destroyer in both hands, roared and charged at the monster. The rest of the group followed him. Meanwhile, Ruon, who had fallen to the ground with the monster¡¯s head, ignored the pain that rose from his back and lifted his ego sword that was stuck in the monster¡¯s mouth. St-! The monster¡¯s head was split vertically from the inside, and it twisted its body and let out a scream that was close to itsst breath. Ruon got out of the monster¡¯s mouth and kicked its wriggling head roughly. Then a huge amount of flesh and blood exploded like fireworks, staining the ground red. He spat out the gritty saliva that was mixed with dust from his mouth, and red at the front. ¡°What a rude wee.¡± Ruon¡¯s gaze met a bent old woman, a middle-aged woman with a huge body, and a skinny girl with a skull-like face. The oldest-looking old woman, who had only a few teeth left, smiled wickedly. ¡°You¡¯re even more impressive in person. A solid skeleton, a strength that surpasses humans, and a steady gaze. The image in the crystal ball was just a drop of blood. If I had the time, I¡¯d love to roll around with you. Don¡¯t you agree, sisters?¡± The old woman, who had arge hooked nose like a typical witch in a fairy tale, cackled evilly, and the two women behind her smiled back. ¡°Little sister, you have to wait your turn.¡± ¡°Or how about we let the man decide his turn? That would be fair, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why you¡¯re the big sister.¡± What a bunch of nonsense. Ruon frowned and threw a dagger from his chest. The dagger flew faster than an arrow and pierced the old woman¡¯s forehead, tearing apart the soft tissue inside. ¡°Keh!¡± The old witch¡¯s eyes rolled back as if they were pulled by an invisible thread. She fell lifelessly, spitting out blood bubbles. The other two screamed as they saw her. ¡°Oh my! Little sister!¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± The middle-aged woman pushed the screaming woman behind her and the girl with the skull-like face stretched out her arm. Then a light shed under her frail palm, and five snakes flew like rays of light and wrapped around Ruon¡¯s limbs and neck. ¡°The wretch who deserves to die in filth¡­ How dare he monopolize our sister¡¯s love and even kill our youngest?¡± The girl clenched her fist tightly, and at her signal, the coiled snakes began to exert more strength into their bodies. Hiss ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. After tearing his limbs apart and toying with him to my heart¡¯s content, when he begs for mercy¡­ What?¡± Her speech halted as her face contorted in shock. Luon, who was bound at the limbs, began to stride forward nonchntly. ¡°Even steel crumples like paper before them, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Having reached her, Luon replied with an icy voice, ¡°I suppose I¡¯m tougher than that.¡± With those words, Luon extended his left hand toward the fallen crone¡¯s corpse. Apanied by a deep hum, the returning dagger was sucked into the palm of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky¡ª¡± The girl tried to puff up her body and transform, but by then, her head was already rolling on the ground, having parted from her torso. ¡°Big sister!¡± A corpulent woman screamed, her jowls quivering. However, it was merely a ruse, as she quickly turned her head towards Luon and opened her mouth wide. Laughing hysterically as her opponent was engulfed in ck mes pouring from her throat, the woman taunted, ¡°Foolish boy! Got too careless, didn¡¯t you?¡± But herughter was short-lived. A man cloaked in a red protective shield looked down at her with cold eyes. ¡°Gah!¡± The middle-aged woman, gripped by a lid-like hand around her neck, struggled with all her might, but the more she iled, the further her feet lifted from the ground. Overpowered and suspended in the air, she eventually sumbed to her own weight, her neck emitting a sickening crack. Luon casually tossed the lifeless body to the ground and looked up at the towering spire. ¡°This isn¡¯t even a warm-up.¡± Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Shaa- The snakes that lost their caster twisted their bodies and soon turned into ashes. In a light sense of liberation, Ruon turned his head and saw the monster centipede being struck by lightning. At the moment when the monster¡¯s body swayed greatly from the zing lightning, Strabo agilely stepped on its torso and jumped up. He reached the monster¡¯s head and mmed his hand, which had turned into a bear¡¯s paw, with force. Kroo-oo! The monster, whose half of its face was caved in by the powerful blow, shook its body with all its might. In the wind, Strabo, who was preparing for the second attack, lost his bnce and fell. Then, Igor and Tarwen moved respectively. The light that radiated from the priest¡¯s body after finishing his prayer swept over the monster¡¯s body, and the fairy¡¯s spell slowed down the falling dwarf¡¯s speed like a fluttering feather. Kwoong! Finally, the monster fell to the ground with its head buried. Strabo, whonded softly, gave a thumbs up and grinned. ¡°This is fun.¡± Tarwen chuckled and quickly turned around and ran towards Ruon. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°As you can see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± At Ruon¡¯s sullen response, she sighed with relief and looked around. The fairy, who found the three fallen witches, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤The lunatics who were obsessed with role-ying are finally dead.¡± ¡°Role-ying?¡± ¡°They were the ones who took turns being the big sister or the youngest. They weren¡¯t even real sisters.¡± They¡¯re all insane. Ruon admired Tarwen¡¯s mental strength, who had lived among these lunatics for twenty years. Then, the others came from behind. ¡°What the hell is that monster? It¡¯s so scary, I might dream of it. Really.¡± Kyle, who put down his hammer and grumbled, looked like a pdin and a fool from the game he enjoyed a long time ago. Ruon smiled faintly. Ah, he¡¯ll probably fallter. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, everyone. This is nothing but a greeting from Fleur.¡± At Tarwen¡¯s warning, Igor asked. ¡°Do you mean Fleur, not Yoram?¡± ¡°Fleur is Yoram, and Yoram is Fleur. The other witches, who have strong pride, may not admit it, but it was because of her that this group survived under the church¡¯s pressure. She alone bnced the scales, and it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that.¡± She red at the spire with a fierce look and continued. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤But now, I don¡¯t care about that. Whether it¡¯s Fleur or the great-grandfather of the devil inside, I¡¯ll kill them.¡± Before entering the spire, the group checked their weapons briefly. Igor poked Kyle¡¯s side, who tightened the leather strap that protected his shin. ¡°Kyle, let¡¯s pray to Mother.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I did it after lunch.¡± ¡°Is that what you say as Mother¡¯s sword? From now on, we¡¯ll risk our lives with all kinds of special people¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Kyle was startled and cut off his words. ¡°Stop, stop! I get it, so stop nagging. Merciful Mo¡¤¡¤¡¤no, Mother-¡± The group, who finished their strange preparation, arrived at the front of the huge spire. Tarwen said. ¡°Normally, you have to go through aplicated process to open the door, but now you don¡¯t have to bother.¡± As soon as she finished her words, she stretched out both arms. Then, an intangible force exploded from her palm and smashed the iron door. As the loose hinges squeaked, Ruon stepped forward and kicked it. With a bang, the dark darkness greeted the group beyond the flying iron door. She red at the inside, which looked like the mouth of a giant monster, and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± *** During the passage through the corridor, the group did not say anything. Above their heads, a light source created by Igor was illuminating the way with a faint light. Ruon walked along the dark path, recalling the underground of the temple where Belducius had been crouching. He wondered if he had thought of that, as Kyle, Igor, and Strabo, who followed him, also had a slight tension on their faces. ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t y any tricks on this corridor, too?¡± Strabo¡¯s worry was unfounded, as this corridor had no barriers that disturbed the senses. Instead, the walls that blocked the left and right disappeared, and a spacious lobby weed the group. Igor looked at the light source floating in the air and said. ¡°This ce is too wide to rely on this light. I need to make another one.¡± Tarwen shook her head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± As soon as her words ended, mes sprang up from all sides. As dozens of torches burned away the darkness, the bright interior came into view btedly. Antique furniture, wall paintings with the touch of an artisan, sparkling chandeliers, and more. The sight of the lobby was quite beautiful, but none of the group appreciated it. That was because dozens of eyes were looking down at them from the stairs. Did they all crawl out? Ruon lightly scanned the faces of the witches who were leaning on the railing of the second floor. There were almost thirty people at a nce. Then, someone¡¯s voice came in. Per your request, I¡¯ve tranted and edited the provided text into English with a focus on third-person narrative. Here¡¯s the revised version: ¡°Betrayal wasn¡¯t enough; you had to bring filth into our sanctuary. Tarwen, there¡¯s a limit to repaying kindness with enmity. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far?¡± Perched precariously on the railing, the woman¡¯s words were met with a low growl from Tarwen. ¡°Shut your mouth, Nadia. Unless you want to die as hideously as your dear friend.¡± Nadiaughed sharply. ¡°Friend? Are you referring to He? Oh, poor Tarwen. To your trembling eyes, hidden away in a corner every day, we must have seemed like friends. How did you ever bear such jealousy?¡± Despite the mockery, Tarwen moved her eyes calmly before speaking. ¡°It seems everyone but Fleur has gathered. Mad women, acting as if you could shatter the Grand Church with mere will, yetcking the confidence to face the party that killed the archdemon?¡± Unlike Tarwen, who ignored the taunts, the witches of the Cradle reacted vehemently to her provocation. ¡°That bitch!¡± ¡°Shall we beat her like old times, huh?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Fleur, you would have died by my hand long ago! Understand? I¡¯d have minced your flesh and fed it to the pigs right before your eyes¡ª¡± Crack! A streak of white lightning struck the bald witch, who had been spewing particrly vile words. She fell back stiffly, her face ckened and smoking. Well, well? Luon let his arm, which had been cocked back to throw a dagger, fall to his side. He had been aiming for the bald witch¡¯s face as well. Having inadvertently taken the lead, Kyle shouted with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t keep your mouth shut?¡± Igor, who would normally have scolded him for his rough speech, seemed to make an exception this time, adding his voice with a gleaming look. ¡°Vile witch, spouting wicked words with your vulgar mouth. I, Igor, shall burn you all today with the will of the Mother.¡± As his stern warning rang out, one of the enraged witches began to chant loudly, but a dagger sliced through the air and buried itself in her throat. The force was so great that she was flung backward as if struck by a hammer. Luon, retrieving his dagger with an outstretched arm,mented, ¡°Experience points have all gathered on their own.¡± At his calm voice, Nadia screamed in fury. ¡°Kill them!¡± Dozens of witches unleashed a barrage of spells overhead. The projectiles, shining in various colors, were beautiful like shooting stars, but considering the evil power within, it was as if they had stepped into the midst of disaster. The party was not idly standing by. As Igor and Tarwen ovepped white and blue protective shields, Kyle raised the spellbreaker high to shield the party. A thunderous explosion followed, whitening the lobby with its light. ©¤©¤©¤! The space, momentarily turned into a vacuum by the shock, was filled again by rushing air, creating a fierce whirlwind. The witches, having protected themselves with shields, red fiercely through the smoke-filled lobby. ¡°Are they dead?¡± Then a mighty roar erupted. Grrr! Emerging from the settling dust was a massive beast, a mix of bear and wolf. Its blue eyes glowed as it snarled, its body not only red-hot in ces but also covered in tiny blisters. Despite the double shields and Kyle¡¯s barrier, not all the spells¡¯ vibrations could be blocked. Strabo, who had transformed into a beast to protect the party, roared again into the air. Grrr! The witches, of course, did not take it lying down. As if to say the previous deaths were due to surprise, they agilely chanted spells to block iing debris. Among them were spells other than defense. Arrows wrapped in mes, blood-red lightning that split into three, and a semicircr wind that shattered chandeliers. Each attack was perilous, but the most dangerous was yet toe. Screech! A terrible scream rose from the stairs leading to the basement, and soon a tremendous number of corpses began to pile up. They rushed on all fours toward the party, cornered in the lobby, baring rotten teeth and ws. Kyle and Strabo fought back with a hammer andrge paws, while Igor and Tarwen silently blocked the curses and spells. Facing nearly thirty witches of the Cradle and an endless onught of corpses, they did not retreat an inch. However, they began to be pushed back by the overwhelming numerical advantage and powerful firepower of the opposition. Boom! In the midst of it all, Kyle sent a lightning bolt towards Nadia with a shing gaze, but it only managed to melt the well-prepared witch¡¯s protective shield. Nadia shouted. ¡°Idiots! Did you think gathering five would change anything? This is the Cradle! No matter if you¡¯re the yers of the archdemon, nothing changes.¡± Five? She realized in an instant that her words were inappropriate and gasped in surprise. ¡°Why are there only four of them?¡± At that moment, a scream erupted from beside her. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Nadia turned her head sharply at the cold sensation crawling up her back and saw a man smashing the head of a witch against the wall in the distance. The witch in his hand, named Cobel, had activated her shield, but she couldn¡¯t withstand the force that pushed her back and her head was shattered, blood dripping from her eyes and nose. ¡°When did he¡­?¡± The man and Nadia¡¯s eyes met in midair. She felt an inexplicable fear from the calm gaze of the man and raised both hands with wicked mes. ¡°Die!¡± The cursed mes that would burn the opponent to ashes once they touched flew towards the man like rays of light. The man, Ruon, didn¡¯t dodge. He still gripped the witch¡¯s neck and thrust her forward. ¡°Kyaah!¡± The witch, who had been pretending to be dead or had been limp, let out a scream filled with pain. Before the mes that melted her back could spread to his hand, Ruon threw the burning witch over the railing. The mes that fell in the middle of the corpses spread like a wildfire and burned down to the basement, and Nadia was startled and cast a spell. And in that short moment when she lifted her spell, another witch, Ankira, lost her neck. She had tried to transform and fight back at thest moment, but something like a mantis¡¯s foreleg protruded halfway from her torn back. Nadia gritted her teeth and shouted at the sight of Ruon advancing without hesitation, swinging his bloodstained sword. ¡°Stop that bastard first! Now!¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Crash! A lightning bolt that flew with the force of a thunderbolt shattered Nadia¡¯s shield and swept across her face. ¡°Huee-¡± The witch, who was squeezing the air out of her lungs in agony, heard a clear voice from far away. ¡°Nothing has changed?¡± Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Chapter 89 By this point, the witches realized that the situation was going awry. They had been chanting spells to finish off the stubborn party, but their formation was disrupted when a warrior suddenly appeared and shed theirrades. Crash-! A lightning bolt that exploited the gap struck Nadia, the leader of the witches, on the head, and the crack widened. ¡°Stop that bastard first! Stop him!¡± ¡°Finish off the bastards below!¡± The witches, who had never coordinated before, shed in their opinions and created confusion. Ruon did not miss the opportunity. He advanced relentlessly like a drill digging through the mud and swung his sword at the witch in front of him. ¡°Get lost!¡± The opponent stretched out her arm and emitted an intangible force, but Ruon resisted it with just the strength of his legs and swung his ego sword with his right hand. The witch, who had expected the opponent to bounce off and was chanting a new spell, btedly made an expression of dismay and raised her hand to her creepy neck. But there was nothing there. The witch, who was iling to find her severed head, copsed with a thud, and Ruon was already kicking the ground and running. The witches tried to counterattack in panic, but they were no match for Ruon¡¯s destructive onught, who had already takenplete control of the surrounding space. The surviving witches were flustered. This wasn¡¯t the n! If they had estimated Ruon¡¯s power roughly, they would never have done such a foolish thing as fighting in such a limited space. They would have hidden their main body deep in the tower, and focused on driving them crazy with all kinds of sorcery, curses, and corpses. Not exposing their body like this! But as if to say that it was toote to regret, Ruon crushed the witches who blocked his way and advanced. That wasn¡¯t all. Caw-ack! The party, who had caught their breath from the loosened attack thanks to Ruon¡¯s feat, started to push back the corpses. Igor and Tarwen, who had been struggling to fend off the endless onught of curses and spells, poured out their holy power and spells to the front as soon as they had some leeway. The wave of corpses that had been pushing in densely copsed and a huge beast broke into the empty space. On the back of the beast that swung its huge front paw, there was a champion of Tive with a bloodstained hammer. ¡°Move!¡± The hammer wrapped in lightning struck the head of a sizzling corpse. It squeaked, but it worked well. Ruon watched the party fight over the railing for a moment and then turned his head. ¡°Now only you are left.¡± The emotionless, t voice was enough to bring up the fear that the listener had forgotten. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤They said that the priest of Tive was the most helpful in killing Belducius¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Nadia, whose half of her face had melted, answered with a muffled pronunciation to the grumbling of a witch. ¡°Are you still ashamed to believe that?¡± She lifted her head and red at Ruon. The gums that showed beyond the burning lips were grotesquely ugly. ¡°Just one question. Did you kill the Rotting Madness by yourself?¡± Ruon raised one eyebrow. ¡°No, I had some help.¡± ¡°If you think you can humiliate us by lowering yourself, that¡¯s a big mistake. You ughtered the witches of the cradle by yourself, and you think we¡¯ll believe you if you say that?¡± Then why did you ask? Ruon snorted in disbelief. He had no reason to exin Julio in detail, so he spun the sword in his hand. ¡°Is that yourst words?¡± Ruon hesitated for a moment with unnecessary words, unlike his usual self. It was an act that stemmed from the desire to leave thest of the six witches to Tarwen. And Nadia did not miss that golden opportunity. A red line appeared vertically on her face, and then it split open and a bunch of disgusting tentacles poured out. ¡°Fuck! What are you doing-¡± ¡°Keh-hek!¡± Surprisingly, the tentacles aimed not at Ruon, but at the witches around him. The slimy tentacles that burrowed into their noses and mouths sucked out their contents and threw away the dried corpses. ¡°Phel-hitras-ashento!¡± A sharp spell burst out from behind the sticky legs of the arthropod. Then the floor that Ruon was stepping on caved in, and his upper body bent forward slightly. It was a pressure that felt like he had piled up huge rocks on his shoulders. The monster shouted. ¡°This is a spell enhanced by the souls of five witches! Crush and die!¡± The force that pressed down on Ruon was beyond imagination. The artificially enhanced gravity burst the capiries of his skin, weakened the blood flow to the nerves, and made his mind faint. It was a powerful spell that would have made an ordinary person, or even a strong warrior, lose consciousness and shrivel up like a rat. Yeah, it could have been dangerous. In the midst of the overwhelming pressure that squeezed his whole body, Ruon thought. If he had been himself before he got Ruin, or the holy sword, he might have been crushed and met his end as Nadia said. However, that was a story from long ago. Considering the levels he had gained and the power he had risen to since then, it seemed even more distant. Thud! The creature startled at the heavy footsteps, its stiff tentacles betraying its shock. ¡°What in the world is that¡­?¡± Thud! Thud! As the warrior approached, leaving deep footprints in the solid ground, the creature bellowed in terror. ¡°Are you some kind of god? Damn you! There¡¯s a limit to this madness!¡± Ruon swung his arm towards the bundle of tentacles flying at him. His arm, heavy as a rock, didn¡¯t leave the blurry afterimage it usually did, but it was still fast. In fact, it seemed faster because it was visible. sh! Nadia watched in despair as her tentacles were severed. It was astonishing enough that she maintained a human form, but to see the warrior walk towards her unscathed, slicing through her tentacles and the spells within, she felt utterly powerless to kill him. In the meantime, Ruon, who had drawn closer, adjusted his zing sword to a reverse grip. She wouldn¡¯t go down alone! Nadia, like a condemned prisoner facing execution, made a final desperate attempt. She intentionally copsed her magical system. As her body swelled with the runaway power and white light began to seep out, she heard a voice. ¡°Is self-destruction really yourst resort?¡± Nadia felt the power that was about to burst through her body wither away in vain, and her eyes widened in her final moments. Before she could scream in rage and confusion, Ruon brought down his sword. Thwack! The creature, cleaved in two by the heavy blow, melted into the ground with a gurgling sound. ¡°Not bad for experience points.¡± Ruon muttered to himself, rotating his sore wrist. Hispanions approached him. Tarwen was the first to arrive. ¡°¡­You really killed them all by yourself.¡± ¡°I would have left some for you if things had gone as nned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Revenge doesn¡¯t have to be by my own hands.¡± She stepped over the corpse of what was once Nadia, stomping on it. ¡°I told you, you¡¯d die a hideous death like your friend.¡± Ruon turned away from the sight. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Of course! Igor healed me.¡± Strabo, now back in his dwarf form, patted his chest with his palm. ¡°Strabo, you mustn¡¯t overdo it. Even if it looks like a simple burn, remember that it originated from a cursebined with a spell,¡± Igor said with concern. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Kail set down the hammer he had been carrying on his shoulder and mumbled. ¡°Should I offer a prayer for Imrek? I¡¯m not sure if I should be wielding such a precious artifact.¡± Strabo shook his head, indicating that wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°Prayers are good, but take care of your body first. My father told me that powerful relics tend to draw on the user¡¯s strength, and using them recklessly can shorten your lifespan. Of course, if it¡¯s just a magic-imbued item, that won¡¯t happen¡­ but this hammer stayed intact even when used with the Spellbreaker. It might be a holy relic.¡± Kail¡¯s eyes widened at Strabo¡¯s fluent exnation. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Haha! It looks schrly, right? The things you learn while getting beaten tend to stick!¡± Tarwen, who had been silent, spoke up. ¡°¡­Once we kill Fleur, it¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look happy about it.¡± At Ruon¡¯s words, she chewed her plump lips. ¡°It¡¯s all so clumsy. If the n was to crush us with full force from the start, it doesn¡¯t make sense that Fleur isn¡¯t here.¡± She murmured as she looked at the witches¡¯ bodies strewn across the floor. ¡°¡­What was the reason for putting witches who never properly coordinated in the front line?¡± Strabo scratched his nose. ¡°Did they just hope they¡¯d all die?¡± ¡°What?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Rumble rumble rumble- The entire tower began to shake. As the ground quaked as if an earthquake had struck, thepanions braced themselves against the walls. What¡¯s happening? Ruon¡¯s sharp senses detected the massive wave of power coursing through the tower. Looking down at his arm, he saw goosebumps rising on his skin. -Run, Ruon!- As Ruin¡¯s urgent warning echoed in his mind, Kail pointed somewhere and shouted. I hope this meets your expectations for a web novel narrative! If you need further revisions or another section edited, feel free to let me know. ¡°Look!¡± He pointed his finger at the lobby below. On the floor covered with hundreds of corpses, a huge magic circle was emitting a sinister purple light. Rumble- The tower shook again. The group staggered from the vibration that was much bigger than before. Ruon, the only one who didn¡¯t lose his bnce, grabbed the wrist of the swaying fairy and said. ¡°Surely Fleur isn¡¯t trying to bring down the tower¡­¡± He had to swallow the words he was about to say. A wicked darkness was seeping out of the body of Tarwen, who had lost consciousness. More precisely, from the tattoos that densely covered her body! Ruon quickly hoisted the limp Tarwen over his shoulder. At that moment, a disgusting liquid gushed out of the lobby floor. ¡°What a mess.¡± In the blink of an eye, the liquid that swallowed the corpses rose with an explosive momentum. The group ran down the stairs of the spire without waiting for anyone. ¡°What the hell is that! Damn it!¡± Kyle swung his hammer at the ck wave that chased him from behind. ng! The lightning that shed the air in a zigzag disappeared into the liquid in an instant, as if ashamed of its fierce momentum. Instead of any effective results, the water level rose even faster. Igor shouted in panic. ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°It was obvious that the water was defying thews of nature, considering that the group had smashed the entrance of the spire and entered. The speed of the water rising didn¡¯t make sense, given the width of the tower. ¡°Ru¡­on¡­¡± Ruon listened to the panting voice over his shoulder and answered. ¡°Are you awake?¡± At his question, Tarwen licked her lips weakly with a half-opened, dazed gaze. ¡°From the beginning¡­ originally¡­ from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fleur¡­ this tower¡­ a medium¡­ of consciousness¡­¡± Ruon intuitively grasped the situation from the disjointed words. ¡°So you¡¯re saying she nned to be the demon lord by herself from the start.¡± Then, someone¡¯s voice came from above. ¡°Toote. It doesn¡¯t matter if you realize it now. Your fate was in my hands from the moment you set foot in the cradle.¡± Ruon looked up. His superhuman eyesight pierced through the darkness and found the owner of the faint voice. The witch Fleur, who had arge stature, smiled creepily, revealing her teeth. She said. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ruon. And goodbye.¡± At that moment, a loud explosion rang in their ears, and the stairs they were walking on were shattered. Ruon managed to jump to the other side with an amazing leap, but the three who followed him were swallowed by the water in an instant. Ruon¡¯s heart was hit by an invisible force as he saw his friends disappear into the dark abyss. It was a power that was iparable to the previous witch. Crash! He lost his center and fell backwards, holding the fairy in his arms tightly. Soon, the sticky darkness devoured him. Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Fleur climbed to the top of the spire and looked down at the tower submerged in ck water. Her gaze was cold and distant, but also burning with intensity. The witch, who never lost herposure in any situation, was now greatly excited. Her lifelong wish was shimmering before her eyes. ¡°Finally.¡± Her brief murmur implied many meanings, but it was nothing but a hollow soliloquy to those who were swallowed by the water. They all never expected it. That Fleur, the tower lord of Yoram, had nned to betray Yoram from the beginning. She did not bring the witches with various marks to the tower to build her power and oppose the Grand Church or the kingdom. She only used them as pawns for her future ambition. Wasn¡¯t it simple? After subduing the witches with her powerful force, she acted as the center of gravity for the group. The witches, who were immersed in the group, felt pride in the empty modifier of Yoram¡¯s witch and did not hesitate tomit all kinds of evil. Of course, there were also variables like Tarwen and He. Ironically, they were the only ones that Fleur, who regarded Yoram¡¯s witches as nothing but tools, personally cherished. That¡¯s why she taught one of them with her own passion, and gave the other one a gift of a warrior¡¯s soul. In the end, they both turned their backs on Yoram for their own ns, but it didn¡¯t matter now. Everything went as Fleur expected. He, who overestimated her skills, died, and Tarwen, who couldn¡¯t shake off the old shackles of revenge, crawled into Yoram on his own feet. Not knowing that this ce might be his grave. Fleurughed. ¡°Poor Tarwen, you have admirable determination and skills to imnt a magic circle in your body, but your judgment afterwards is really terrible. Revenge, huh? You¡¯re still bound by such a worthless word¡­¡± She finished her words and stepped on the railing with her bare feet. She took off her thick cloak and revealed her naked body that sparkled in the moonlight. At that moment, a faint rainbow light began to flicker in the darkness. The light that barely pushed away the darkness scattered in all directions. Fleur¡¯s lips curled up with a cruel smile as she saw it. Tarwen was transferring the spells he had set up to protect himself to hisrades. But even so, he must have known that it wouldn¡¯t buy them any time, since the ritual had already begun. ¡°Do you want to save yourrades in the meantime? I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Tarwen, your mistake has hastened the ritual, and yourrades will also be sacrifices in the end.¡± As soon as Fleur¡¯s words ended, a huge whirlpool formed in the ck water that had dimmed. The ritual of the great demon, who had forcibly swallowed dozens of witches and countless corpses, finally announced its start. Roar-oh-oh-oh- Something extremely ominous began to bloom in the center of the whirlpool that made one dizzy just by looking at it. It was the darkness born of darkness, the bottomless abyss, and the unspeakable horror itself. ¡°The time has finallye¡­¡± Fleur looked at it with a dazed expression, as if she was drunk on drugs, and slowly spread her arms wide. At the same time, she lifted her heels and tilted her body forward naturally. ¡°It¡¯s time for the ambition.¡± With a short word, the witch started a free fall and disappeared into the chilling whirlpool. *** ¡°On thest day of the year, how are you spending it? Tonight, we¡¯ll connect to Seoul Bosingak to see the atmosphere there that will announce the first moment of the new year. ¨C Reporter! Tell us about the situation on the scene.¡± On the screen that filled the wall, an anchor with a slightly excited face spoke with a clear pronunciation. Then, the reporter who received the cue started to exin the atmosphere on the scene. His nose was red, which looked quite cold. I stared nkly at it and turned my head. The woman sitting across from me smiled faintly and said. ¡°Time flies, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Who¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re already 26 years old. You¡¯ve also run out of good days. A job seeker¡­ugh, is there a more shameful status than that?¡± I had a lot to say, but when I heard that, I couldn¡¯t help but snicker. ¡°The alcohol tastes bad.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. But don¡¯t worry too much. You¡¯re good enough, you¡¯ve managed your grades well, and you have a few solid certificates, right? You¡¯ll be fine if you just pay attention to English.¡± If you¡¯re sorry, why do you keep saying that? I was annoyed and didn¡¯t answer, but gulped down the beer on the table. She chuckled softly as I emptied the ss in one go. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop here. I wanted to tease you once in a while. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to be sorry.¡± I lifted the empty ss and shook it slightly toward the passing employee. The male employee nodded with a bright expression and filled a new ss with beer and put it down on the table, then took the empty ss and went into the kitchen. He had a solid physique that looked like he could easily subdue any troublemakers. Where did I see him? I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the familiar face of the employee, when I heard another smallugh. ¡°Hey, why are you staring at him so hard? Do you like men?¡± She¡¯s been picking on me since earlier. ¡°No, he looks like someone I know.¡± ¡°Someone you know?¡± As she asked, arge number appeared on the screen. The spinning number was decreasing from 10 to 9, from 9 to 8. All the customers in the bar started to count down along with it. ¡°8! 7! 6! 5! 4!¡± The people who were usually indifferent to each other were suddenly united in this moment, and the pub started to buzz withughter and cheers. ¡°3! 2! 1!¡± Ding- As the clear bell rang, people started to exchange greetings andpliments. Among them, there was a man with a twisted beard who shouted, ¡°Happy New Year!¡±. I recognized his face from somewhere. Something was nagging at my mind, and I frowned as something kept flickering in the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw her tapping her hand. ¡°Why are you so out of it today? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± I was about to answer, but the anchor on the screen behind her opened his mouth. But what he said was strange. ¡°The spire was a trap from the beginning. This ce was prepared long ago as a medium for the ritual¡­¡± His words were disjointed and out of context, but no one in the pub paid any attention to them. As if it was natural, they toasted to each other, and I was about to ignore his words as well, when, ¡°What¡¯s on my face?¡± Her face came into my view. Specifically, the tattoo that covered her neck and back of her hand. It wasn¡¯t there a moment ago. I looked around for a moment and said. ¡°What a sudden illusion. This is surprising.¡± ¡°You finally realized. You created such obvious situations to wake yourself up. Your mental strength is remarkable. Ruon.¡± Ruon. As I heard that word, I felt something that wrapped around me peel off. I looked down at my hand and saw a big and thick hand. A hard and scarred hand that could smash anything. I realized that everyone in the pub was staring at me. ¡°Did youe to get me out?¡± Tarwen shook his head. ¡°No. Everything here is your imagination. I don¡¯t exist either. How would I know about your grades or certificates? Of course, I came to help you before your consciousness copsed, but you added the flesh to it.¡± What are you talking about? I asked, puzzled. ¡°¡­If you came to help me, why are you talking about jobs out of the blue?¡± Tarwen smiled faintly. ¡°I had no right to speak until you realized it yourself.¡± He stoppedughing and added. ¡°Ruon, we don¡¯t have time to chat like this. We¡¯re already toote.¡± ¡°What do I have to do?¡± ¡°Get out before you copse.¡± He pointed his finger at the entrance of the pub. I could see the transparent ss door shaking as if something was happening outside. ¡°Go. Don¡¯t waste the opportunity that I, or rather Tarwen, sacrificed his life for. You know, right? That you¡¯re the hope.¡± What did you sacrifice? I had a lot of questions, but I opened the door and ran out. And I saw it. A huge wave that was smashing the skyscrapers anding towards me. And on the opposite side, there was a door of light that was shaking. It was obvious where I had to run. I started to run towards the door. As I kicked the ground with all my strength and increased my speed, the outside of my sight became blurry and only the door of light that I aimed for was engraved clearly. I couldn¡¯t even afford to take in the scenery that passed by, which I never stopped missing in my dreams, but I had no time to spare there, so I kicked harder. Woo-woo-woo-! The shadow of the ck wave that chased me from behind stretched over the road ahead. As the shadow grew darker and swallowed everything, I threw myself into the door of light. Ruon saw some scenes sh and pass by in his head as he boiled in the world. Two men and women were ughtering people mercilessly. The fairy swordsman stabbed the necks and backs of the fleeing people with his light movements, and the earthworm mage summoned fire from his hand and melted the head of an old man who begged for mercy. And there was a woodcutter who watched the whole scene from afar. He should have run away to the city with overwhelming powerlessness and fear, but he suddenly remembered something and grabbed a long hammer with a handle nearby. As if he wouldn¡¯t run away like this at least this time. The scene changed in an instant. In front of the priest who sat in a small cell where he couldn¡¯t even straighten his waist, a demon with ram¡¯s horns whispered tempting words in a wicked voice. In the demon¡¯s arms, a young girl was bleeding pitifully, and the nameless wildflower in her fern-like hand was very miserable. The priest clenched his teeth and searched for the goddess of mercy, but the more he did, the louder the demon¡¯s whisper became. The next scene was arge workshop. The dwarf blinked his eyes as he looked at the fairy who made him a sweet offer, and his hand trembled slightly, which showed that he was having a hard time deciding. Then the fairy changed his appearance to a huge bird of prey and freely floated in the sparkling night sky. It was a beautiful sight. Ruon watched the situations his friends faced from afar. They all looked very painful and precarious, but they didn¡¯t seem to have copsed mentally yet. At least not yet. As he was lost in thought, the scene shed and changed again, revealing a little fairy child. With a dirty face from ying in the mud, he ran home whistling, holding a small flower in his hand. He wanted to give it to his mother. ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± The child opened the door with a wide smile, but was shocked by the sight before him. On the floor, he saw the torn bodies of his family. Ruon knew what would happen next. But what he witnessed was nothing like he expected. The child screamed and writhed, his body crumbling apart, until he was swallowed by a huge shadow of an indescribable shape. Thump-thump- Ruon was plunged into darkness in an instant, and heard a terrible and powerful something stirring. Something that should never have been born was trying to reveal itself on thisnd. ¡°Fleur-!¡± As he shouted harshly at the abominable being spawned by the abyss, Ruon opened his eyes. Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Ruon realized that he had fallen to the ground. As he quickly pulled his stretched body and got up, he saw the corpses of the limp genie monster and the witch. Did he bounce out? He didn¡¯t understand why he came to his senses here, but he didn¡¯t need to know. That wasn¡¯t what mattered right now. Kee-ya-ah-ah He lifted his head to the scream that came from above. Far away, the whirlwind that rotated around the spire and the spirits inside it gathered at the top of the tower. Kururu- The dark cloud that was born by the countless grudges spewed out a crimson lightning bolt, and carved a deep crack in the sky. It sounded like a sinister salute to celebrate the birth of a new being. Ruon immediately ran towards the entrance of the tower. There was a ck curtain that did not show the inside in the empty entrance where the door had already fallen off. The curtain that wriggled like a living thing seemed to say this. If you escaped by a miracle, just turn around and run away. You can¡¯t handle what¡¯s going on in here with your ability, so don¡¯t be stubborn. But Ruon drew his ego sword without hesitation. He was not standing here for the heroic narrative of stopping the ritual of summoning the abyss and the new great demon. The reason was very simple. He had friends in the tower. They were the only ones he could pour his heart into in this world that he didn¡¯t like from one to ten. As Ruon¡¯s right arm became blurred, the de of the ego sword cut the thick curtain in half. He looked at the curtain that started to regenerate indifferently and soon moved into it. The inside of the tower that returned was bizarre and eerie. The slime that swallowed everything was nowhere to be seen, and in the world that was dyed red, all objects defied gravity and floated in the air, and every time he took a step, he felt a chill that he couldn¡¯t exin. Thump-thump- Ignoring the heartbeat that tore his ears, Ruon was greeted by a horrible monster as he entered the lobby. What is that? The monster, which seemed to have added oil, had a slippery skin and was chewing on the body of a corpse floating in the air with sharp teeth. He slowly turned his head as if he noticed the gaze looking at him. The honeb-shapedpound eyes of the insect glittered. Ku-oh-oh! The monster roared and rushed in. Ruon lightly shook his head and avoided his front legs. The hook-like nails scratched his eyelids by a paper¡¯s difference, but there was no falter. As he swung his fist like lightning, he hit the monster¡¯s side, and a sound of breaking under the slippery skin rang out. Kieek! The monster¡¯s wrist, which had screamed a weak scream unlike the roar before, was cut off. The sword pierced deep into the face of the monster who was writhing in pain. Ruon stepped on the monster¡¯s body that copsed weakly and pulled out the sword. He suddenly felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head and reflexively lowered his head. With a whooshing sound, the wrist of another monster passed over his head. He seeded in grabbing the wrist with only a feeling. Bang! The marble on the floor broke and the monster¡¯s flesh scattered in the air. Ruon, who had easily ovee the sharp attack, stomped on the monster¡¯s head and burst it. Then an unknown voice came. -Although you were just born, you killed the by-products of the abyss ritual as easily as dealing with the back alley gang. What a marvelous strength. Ruon instinctively raised his senses to find the source of the sound, but soon realized that it was meaningless. The voice was delivered to his head, not his ears. The voice said. -I think I know why Tarwen made that choice at the end. Even if he had his help, I didn¡¯t think you could all resist the ritual¡­ I made a mistake by focusing too much on you and neglecting the other three. He was annoyed by the word ¡®end¡¯, so he slowly opened his lips that he had clenched. ¡°If you became a great demon, either attack me or get out of my head.¡± His faint warning was mocked by the voice in his head, which let out a creepyugh. -You are afraid. ¡°What?¡± -I can see it. The waves of many emotions that stir in you. The anxiety that you may have lost yourrades, the burning anger towards me, but also the chilling calmness that suppresses everything! I see it all! Is this the world that the one who stepped beyond the boundary sees? Ruon retorted briefly. ¡°Get lost.¡± As he immediately raised his concentration, [Great Demon yer] in his inner self emitted a bright light, and the voice that rang in his head gradually faded. He should have done this sooner. Ruon mmed the floor. He pushed the witch and the countless corpses floating in the air with his hand and started to climb the tower. A new obstacle appeared in front of him. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t ¡®new¡¯. They looked a little different, but the ones who screamed and ran at him were the monsters he met in the lobby. What did he say, by-products? Ruon pushed back the short recollection and avoided the hand that looked like a mantis¡¯s front leg and swung his sword. The monster whose upper body was cut in half fell down the stairs, writhing. He saw the experienceing in a beatte, so he must have died from the impact of the fall. At that moment, a creature that had crawled up the wall pounced on him like a beast. But it met his steel-like elbow and its face was smashed into pieces. Ruon fought his way through the flesh and blood that surrounded him from all sides, mercilessly crushing their resistance. He ran upwards without stopping. The higher he climbed the tower, the more the monsters swayed. He felt like he would level up in the middle of the climb. Kyaak! He grabbed the neck of the one that aimed its sharp teeth at his face and mmed it into the wall. Ruon was about to move on when he paused for a moment. He heard a familiar voice from beyond the wall that was cracking like spider webs. ¡°Fuck! What the hell is this!¡± Then the wall copsed and Kyle appeared, holding a hammer and a shield in both hands. He seemed surprised to see Ruoning out of the broken wall. ¡°Ruon!¡± Ruon answered by throwing his dagger with all his strength. The dagger flew past Kyle¡¯s ear and pierced the mouth of the monster that was targeting his back. Kwek- Kyle smashed the chest of the twitching creature with his hammer and handed the dagger back. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ruon exined as briefly as possible. ¡°Fleur became the Archdemon. We should have been assimted too, but thanks to Tarwen, we got a chance.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Kyle looked at him with wide eyes, as if he had been hit on the back of his head with a hammer. ¡°How did you get out?¡± Kyle answered hesitantly. ¡°I came to my senses when I killed the assassin who ughtered the vigers¡­ but looking back, something was strange.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At that moment, I thought I was an ordinary woodcutter. Not like I am now¡­ and my mind was nk and I only wanted to run away.¡± His eyes burned with a hot fire as he recalled his memory. ¡°Then I heard Tarwen¡¯s voice. A very small voice telling me to fight back. Thanks to that, I was able to snap out of it and not avoid that moment.¡± I see. Ruon nodded silently. It seemed that breaking the memory that was deliberately oveid by himself was the key to regaining consciousness. Of course, if it weren¡¯t for Tarwen, he wouldn¡¯t have had such a chance. He said. ¡°I hope the other two guys made it out like you.¡± Kerheng! Then, as if on cue, a threatening roar of a beast rang out. Both of them recognized the sound. They ran towards the direction of the sound without hesitation. They leaped over six steps at a time and reached the upper floor, where they saw Strabo and Igor fighting against the monsters. Even without them, the two were slowly pushing back the ten or so monsters, but the bnce of victory tilted further when Ruon and Kyle joined them. Of course, in favor of their party. The reunited party quickly exchanged information about the situation, while monsters crawled out from somewhere and attacked them. But they couldn¡¯t handle thebat power of the party that had gathered together. By the time Ruon finished his exnation, Igor muttered with clenched teeth. ¡°So the witch Fleur intended to make all the living creatures in the tower her sacrifices.¡± ¡°Yeah, except for us¡­ it went ording to n.¡± No one didn¡¯t know the meaning behind the words, except for us. It was thest variable that Tarwen had created with his life. Strabo¡¯s eyes, stained with blood, trembled. Soon, hot tears flowed from his blinking eyes. ¡°Did Tarwen really die? If it wasn¡¯t for his voice, I wouldn¡¯t have survived.¡± Tears poured out of the huge eyes of the beast like chicken droppings. Ruon lightly ced his palm on the beast¡¯s forehead. And as always, he said what he could do right now, not a vain hope. ¡°We can at least avenge him.¡± At his words, Strabo stopped crying as if by magic. He twisted his mouth as if he had reced all his sorrow with anger. ¡°You¡¯re right. Ruon.¡± The beast growled fiercely and gestured to his broad back. Kyle and Igor quickly climbed on his back. Igor said. ¡°I feel a sinister wave of power from the top of the tower.¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± Ruon put strength into his legs as soon as he finished speaking. The new form that started to sweep the stairs blurred. He reached the end of the stairs that had been cut off by Fleur¡¯s spell and jumped over it with a tremendous leap. Strabo, who had turned into a beast, also seeded in jumping over it without difficulty. At some point, the monsters that had been blocking their way disappeared. But no one was relieved by that. They all knew what was waiting for them above. Meanwhile, Ruon reached the top of the tower and the first thing that caught his eye was the membrane that covered the entire floor. And they led to thest stairs that headed to the roof of the tower. He stepped on the mucous membrane that spat out yellowish slime as he advanced, and finally reached the rooftop where a crimson lightning bolt struck. And he saw it. A giant cocoon wrapped in blood. As hispanions who followed him to the rooftop prepared for battle, Strabo roared and charged at the cocoon. Ker-hur-hung! With a furious howl, his front paw swung and smashed the giant cocoon in an instant. At the same time, Ruon shouted. ¡°Strabo!¡± The beast¡¯s eyes, burning with vengeance, realized toote that the cocoon was already empty. A meteor fell from the dark sky. Boom! Strabo¡¯s body disappeared as it shattered the ground with a st that was beyond human hearing. The party had no time to worry about Strabo¡¯s fate. The storm created by the impact pushed their bodies harshly. Ruon crossed his arms and was the only one who endured it. A cracking sound came from his feet and the stone floor began to split. He widened his eyes and red at the huge creature in front of him. Like a giant egg, the three pairs of wings unfolded, and a creature with a dragon¡¯s head rose from within. A terrifying re that spewed white mes looked straight at Ruon. Then, a voice came into his head. -I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time. Ruon, the demon yer. The new demon lord, Fleur, greeted him. Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Ruon felt a crushing pressure on his whole body. His lips dried up in an instant, his neck muscles contracted and goosebumps rose on his skin, and his heart pounded fast as if he had been sprinting non-stop. He had felt this overwhelming presence before, the kind that twisted the flow of the nearby area just by standing still. He slowly lowered his crossed arms and red at the being that spread its six huge wings to both sides. The one who gazed into the abyss, the one who stepped beyond the boundary, the one who caused the rift of the world, the one who sang the downfall of the heavens. One word that epassed all those epithets. Archdemon. That archdemon was right in front of him. It repeatedly clenched and unclenched its five fingers with sharp ws. It looked like it was adapting to its new body. -What an incredible flesh. I can feel it growing even now, at this moment. An overwhelming power that can break the ancient rules! Ruon tried to raise his concentration and push away the voice that echoed in his head, but it was impossible because of the close distance. He quickly nced to both sides while keeping his face forward. He saw Kyle and Igor, who had fallen from the impact of the collision, getting up at the corner of his eye. Kyle shouted when he saw the huge hole that had been drilled into the floor. ¡°Strabo!¡± There was no sign of life inside the hole. Only a faintughter that mocked the silence filled his head. -So that vulgar beast¡¯s name is Strabo? They call him the cheerful Strabo in the world, how true. How delightful to see him fall and be crushed by the archdemon. Kyle¡¯s eyes shed with anger at the tant taunt. ¡°Shut up!¡± He stretched his right arm forward and aimed his hammer head at Fleur. Fragments of lightning that seemed to embody his rage gathered in one ce, and then a thick bolt of lightning poured down furiously. As if he wanted to turn his opponent into ashes. But Kyle¡¯s strike didn¡¯t even reach Fleur¡¯s vicinity. A crimson bolt of lightning that fell from the dark clouds perfectly neutralized his attack. ¡°What?¡± Fleur started tough wickedly. -Even the lightning of nature bows to my will. What can you do with a mere blessed hammer? The next moment, his shing eyes scanned the group one by one. He¡¯sing! The first to react was Ruon. He activated the shield of his sword to protect himself from the falling lightning and charged into the swirling heat. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and left a clear footprint on the stone floor as he jumped high. He gripped his sword with both hands and swung it down with all his might, but at that moment, the demon¡¯s sharp beak opened wide and an intangible force burst out. Kee-ah-ah-ah! As the red shield that surrounded him shattered at the same time, Ruon was flung back far away as if he had collided with a dump truck that ran at full speed. ¡°No!¡± Someone screamed. It looked like Ruon, who had been thrown out, would fall off the outer wall of the roof at any moment. But fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. ck! Ruon, for a brief moment, dug his fingers into the floor and barely stopped his body from sliding back any further. -The only thing I regret is that I couldn¡¯t reconstruct my flesh based on your body. Fleur said that and pointed his index finger forward. Then, a fist-sized me flickered and gathered at his fingertip, and flew toward the direction where the group was. Igor shouted. ¡°Give us the strength to withstand the storm of sin!¡± As if responding to the faithful priest¡¯s prayer, arge shield of light rose and blocked the me perfectly. But it seemed to be just the beginning, as all kinds of evil magic pounded on the shield without a break, and soon cracks appeared on the solid surface. Then the shield broke with a loud noise and a st of heat rushed in. ¡°Ruin.¡± Ruon urged Ego Sword with a hoarse voice and stabbed his sword into the ground, and a dazzling light shed from the de and blocked the heat. -A sword with infinite potential. Whose skillful craftsmanship is it? No, maybe that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Fleur finished his words and slowly pped his huge wings. -The game is over. With a brief remark, he pped his wings vigorously. With one p, his massive body rose into the air, with two ps, he soared to a tremendous height, and with three ps, he disappeared into the distant clouds. Igor coughed and said. ¡°His power is getting stronger and stronger. At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before he gets his power.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Power?¡± Kyle tilted his head, his face pale. It was because of the lightning that he had blocked with his shield earlier. ¡°Archdemons are not just beings with powerful flesh. The reason they are feared is because of the power they gained by crossing the boundary. Just like Belducius, who symbolized madness and corruption.¡± Ruon muttered as he stared at the rumbling dark clouds. ¡°So this is the best we can do right now.¡± Igor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤How hopeful.¡± Kyle gave a bitterugh and Igor replied. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the enormous amount of sacrifices and the powerful souls of the witches that they can boast such overwhelming firepower without breaking their powers.¡± Kyle spat out saliva as he looked at the floor that was riddled with holes from the aftermath of the battle. ¡°Besides, this ce is too disadvantageous for us. If we keep fighting like this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Boom-! The group swallowed their words and prepared for battle again as a huge thunderp sounded. Igor called out Tiv¡¯s name and raised his holy power, while Kyle shed his hammer and shield and widened his eyes. Lastly, Ruon put strength into his legs and gripped the handle of Ego Sword more firmly. His superhuman grip, which had raised his concentration to the extreme, pierced through the dark clouds filled with resentment and seeded in finding the great demon inside. What is he doing? Ruon frowned as he saw the evil demon who was absorbing the wicked lightning with his whole body, spreading his arms wide. Soon, the six wings that had absorbed the lightning turned red and he slowly flipped his body and started to dive vertically towards the tower. Spreading red light from his wings, which were tightly folded inward to minimize air resistance, the thing that flew towards them was nothing but a living meteor. ¡°Damn bastard!¡± Kyle cursed and swung his hammer up. The lightning that shot up to the sky hit the great demon¡¯s body, but it did not inflict any damage and scattered in vain. ¡°Merciful mother!¡± Igor created a shield of light in the air again. Behind him, Kyle stood in his way, holding the spell destroyer high. ¡°Ruon! Igor! Back off!¡± No, I can¡¯t. At that moment, Ruon¡¯s extremely activated senses saw the future that was artificially created. The light shield that was crushed like a paper, the spell destroyer that lost its shape and flew away, Kyle and Igor who fell from the tower with their limbs torn off. In an instant, Ruon stepped forward as the scene shed through his mind. And he grabbed Kyle¡¯s arm and pulled it roughly. Kyle, who lost his bnce from the terrible force, bumped into Igor and fell to the corner of the tower. ¡°Ruon, what are you doing?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ruon ignored the voices of the two people behind him and put the Ego Sword in his sheath. -Why? Fight with me! Let me out!- He covered up the scream of Ruin, who was shouting as if he was wailing, and clenched his fist. -I¡¯ll stop him with my bare hands! As he entered the range, Fleur¡¯s voice rang in his head. ¡°Yeah.¡± With a short answer, Ruon stretched out his fist with all his might towards the meteor that had reached his nose. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! ©¤©¤©¤! ©¤©¤! Ruon, who started to fall into the tower, leaving a huge crater on the ground, ignored the terrible pain that scratched his whole body and the tinnitus that rang in his ears, and swung his other fist hard. His huge fist smashed the face of the great demon, who looked like a mix of an eagle and a crow. With a crunching sound, half of his face copsed. But Fleur, who recovered his broken face in an instant with his amazing regeneration, snapped at him. -Did you think this kind of trashy fight would work? You idiot! I¡¯ll smash you to the ground like this! He hugged Ruon¡¯s body and started to kick harder. His head was smashed again shortly after. -Crunch! Crazy bastard! Ruon, whose skin was melting and muscles were not listening due to the lightning that wrapped his body, did not care and swung his fist again. He had no intention of letting go of the great demon in the first ce. -Making ast stand¡¤¡¤¡¤ Fleur looked at the eyes of the warrior who swung his fist with a destructive power that mocked his regeneration. And he realized. The calm eyes without any shaking were not those of a person who had given up. He was serious about killing him before he hit the ground. In that time, which was only a few seconds at best! Crack! The great demon¡¯s skull was crushed again. The crushed brain, the torn flesh, and the blood spattered the air. This whole series of events happened in just a few seconds. It was a fight that was possible only for Ruon and Fleur, who had amazing physical and mental abilities. But the end was approaching. Ruon, who saw his regeneration slowed down (but only for a moment) with hisst blow, prepared for the final blow. ¡°Fleur-!¡± He roared and swung his fist with all his strength, as he always did. Thinking that this might be thest. *** Ruon barely lifted his heavy eyelids. The blurry sight of his blinking eyes reflected the great demon with huge wings. There was nothing on the devil¡¯s neck thaty sprawled on the cold floor. Only blood gushed from the ragged cross-section, as if it had been torn off by force. But Ruon knew that the enemy was not dead. He didn¡¯t get any experience points. He wanted to rush in and smash the bastard¡¯s body that was stubbornly holding on, but unfortunately he couldn¡¯t. Because he was the one who was smashed. His bones were shattered all over his body, not to mention his internal organs and muscles were torn apart by the chaos. He didn¡¯t even know how he was still breathing in this mess. Damn Duermyr. Show me some skill. Ruon muttered to himself, but there was no answer. Even the creed of the cksmith seemed to have no clue this time. He didn¡¯t know. That¡¯s when it happened. The Fleur who had lost his head began to rise up with his wings and arms digging into the ground. Soon, the bastard who stood on his feet spread his wings wide and roared roughly. Krrr-oo-oo-oo! Of course, it wasn¡¯t a sound from his throat. His vocal cords were smashed along with his head. As the roar mixed with evil magic echoed, the thick darkness scattered inside the spire flew and gathered on the devil¡¯s neck. Soon, the Fleur who regained his lost face turned his head toward Ruon who had fallen. The bastard who had a more devilish appearance than before, with huge horns piercing both sides of his jaw and arge pupil in the middle of his forehead, said. -Warrior, even fate is on my side. Awakening your power at thest moment. His body slowly rose up. -I won¡¯t kill you. You have to see yourrades who cling to a straw of hope being torn apart. Then the devil pped his wings and soared to the top of the tower. Ruon wanted to grab the bastard who was getting farther away, but he couldn¡¯t even move a finger. He felt his body, which had reached its limit, slowly copsing. Is this the end? No matter how much he blinked, his vision didn¡¯t brighten. Rather, it became more and more blurred. Everything became dull and his mind, which he barely held on to, was about to sink into an endless swamp. At that moment, a small light twinkled inside him. It was the memory of the first time he killed a goblin. A little bigger light twinkled. This time, it was the memory of barely defeating the seven thugs who tried to rob his bounty. Lights of various sizes, containing memories, twinkled one by one and made a gxy inside Ruon. They were the stars that Imrek praised. At the same time, the countless sentences that filled his inner space gathered in one ce. From [Fairy¡¯s Hearing] to [Devil yer]. The sentences that he had umted in his life as Ruon came together and shone brightly. A single story made of sentences connected together rose up brightly, pushing away the darkness. [Ruon] It was the moment when a man¡¯s life was engraved. Here is the edited text: Nothing was left on the devil¡¯s severed neck, lying on the cold floor. Blood spurted from the jagged wound, as if someone had ripped it off by force. But Ruon knew the enemy wasn¡¯t dead. He hadn¡¯t received any experience points. He wished he could charge in and finish off the stubborn creature, but he couldn¡¯t. He was the one who was broken. His bones were shattered, his organs and muscles were mangled, and he could barely breathe. He wondered how he was still alive in this state. Curse you, Duermyr. Show some skill. Ruon grumbled inwardly, but got no response. Even the cksmith¡¯s creed seemed to have given up on him. He had no idea. Then it happened. The headless Fleur started to get up, using his wings and arms to push off the ground. A momentter, he stood on his feet and spread his wings, letting out a harsh roar. Krrr-oo-oo-oo! It wasn¡¯t a sound from his throat, of course. His vocal cords had been smashed with his head. The roar, infused with dark magic, resonated, and the shadows that filled the spire flew to the devil¡¯s neck. Soon, Fleur¡¯s face was restored, and he turned to look at Ruon, whoy on the ground. He had a more devilish appearance than before, with huge horns piercing his jaws and arge eye in the center of his forehead. He said. -Warrior, fate is on my side. You awakened your power at thest moment. He slowly rose into the air. -I won¡¯t kill you. You have to watch yourrades, who cling to a sliver of hope, be torn to pieces. Then he pped his wings and flew to the top of the tower. Ruon wanted to catch him, but he couldn¡¯t move a finger. He felt his body, which had reached its limit, crumble. Is this the end? His vision didn¡¯t clear, no matter how much he blinked. It only became more blurry. Everything faded, and his mind, which he barely held onto, was about to sink into a bottomless swamp. At that moment, a small light sparkled inside him. It was the memory of killing his first goblin. A slightly bigger light sparkled. This time, it was the memory of barely defeating the seven thugs who tried to rob him. Lights of different sizes, each holding a memory, sparkled one by one, creating a gxy inside Ruon. They were the stars that Imrek had praised. At the same time, the many sentences that filled his inner space gathered in one ce. From [Fairy¡¯s Hearing] to [Devil yer]. The sentences that he had piled up in his life as Ruon came together and shone brightly. A single story, made of connected sentences, rose up brightly, pushing away the darkness. [Ruon] It was the moment when a man¡¯s life was engraved. Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Chapter 93 *** A storm was born from the collision of the powerful demon lord and Ruon, who were like meteors. It violently pushed everything nearby outwards. Kyle mmed his hammer on the ground to anchor his floating body, then reached his other hand behind him. He barely caught the wrist of Igor, who was about to be blown away. He clenched his teeth and pulled his arm. ¡°Ugh!¡± The two people barely endured the wave of force that swept like a tidal wave. They screamed without having time to check on each other¡¯s safety. ¡°Ruon!¡± ¡°Lord Ruon!¡± From the huge crater that covered half of the rooftop, dark smoke was rising. The two ran towards it without hesitation. They coughed from the harsh smoke, but they tried to look inside somehow. Kyle felt a thick vein on his neck. ¡°Damn it!¡± He pounded the ground with his fist. His iron gauntlet was twisted, but he showed no sign of stopping. Igor quickly grabbed his arm and stopped his self-harmful action. ¡°Kyle! Stop it! You have to calm down!¡± Kyle closed his eyes tightly. ¡°How can I calm down? Tarwen! Strabo! And Ruon too! That damn bird bastard killed my friends¡­¡± Igor bent his knees and met Kyle¡¯s eyes. He spoke in a firm voice. ¡°That¡¯s why you have to pull yourself together. We¡¯re the only ones left now!¡± Kyle let his arm drop weakly. Igor added to him. ¡°Kyle, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the champion of Tive. This is not about having faith.¡± Igor¡¯s eyes widened. His pupils were bloodshot. ¡°You were happy to be called by the same nickname as Ruon, and you said you wouldn¡¯t tarnish that name. Have you forgotten?¡± Kyle¡¯s body stiffened. Igor¡¯s words hit the core. He was right. He decided to live by the goddess¡¯s sword, not because he had a fervent faith, but because of Ruon. It might sound childish to others, but it was true. It was a miracle for a man who was once an ordinary woodcutter to be able to live by the name that adorned the warrior he admired. Yeah, that¡¯s right. Kyle smiled faintly and got up. His eyes, which had been dull, flickered with fire again. ¡°Right. I may not have faith, but I have responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know whether tough or cry¡­¡± It was then. A huge roar echoed from the bottom of the tower. Krooo! Their faces hardened at the evil power that filled it. The roar of the demon lord, who had disappeared with Ruon, meant that the worst situation they could imagine had happened. ¡°He¡¯sing.¡± As soon as Kyle said that, a being with six wings pierced through the dark smoke and revealed itself. Its face, which had grown horns and eyes that they hadn¡¯t seen before, was eerie. -Did you enjoy the short hope, Tive¡¯s dogs? You¡¯re the only ones left now. Fleur didn¡¯t miss the priest¡¯s eyes that trembled slightly. He let out a sinisterugh. -Ruon, are you worried about the warrior¡¯s safety? Don¡¯t worry. Surprisingly, he¡¯s still alive. Except for his whole body being crushed and his eyes blinking, he¡¯s fine. Then Kyle stepped hard on his right foot and lifted his hammer up like scooping water. Lightning followed his trajectory and struck the demon lord¡¯s body. Kwang! Surprisingly, Fleur¡¯s wing that blocked the lightning burned red, and ck feathers fell. The demon lord showed interest in the destructive power that exceeded his expectations. -Oh, you didn¡¯t just rely on the power of the weapon, but mixed it with holy power? It¡¯s amazing that it¡¯s not something you can do with will alone. Kyle swung his hammer again without caring about the demon lord¡¯s praise. Igor also added his power by reciting a prayer. The dark sky lit up for a moment. -How pitiful. The light disappeared. ¡°What?¡± Kyle looked up at the sky that was swallowed by the darkness. The demon lord, who floated like a god who ruled the sky, had a sinister darkness crawling out of his forehead. Or rather, from his new eyes. Igor bit his lips until they bled and said. ¡°¡­Did he get the power?¡± Fleur chuckled at his words. -You saw it right. The priest of mercy. The darkness that came out of his forehead got darker. Looking again, the edge of his vertically torn eyes had sharp teeth sticking out. -Finally, I seeded in breaking the old rules and gaining the power to define myself. The spoiled ones who are in the arms of the goddess will never have this power, even if they die ande back! The demon lord screamed with ecstasy. The darkness poured out of his forehead. It was not a natural darkness caused by the absence of light, but a malicious mass that existed on its own. ¡°Merciful-¡± Just as the humiliated priest was about to recite his prayer without backing down, a beast appeared from the stairs leading to the roof and snatched Kyle and Igor out of the dark radius that was flying towards them. ©¤! Kyle¡¯s eyes widened at the fact that the space where they had been standing just moments ago had vanished without a trace, then he quickly turned his head. He saw the beast panting heavily and said. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Strabo.¡± The beast nodded slowly, dripping red blood from between its clenched teeth. Igor, who noticed that its side had been damaged by the demon¡¯s kick, started to heal it with his prayer. -If you barely saved your life, you should run away. I don¡¯t understand why youe to invite death. Do you value your life so little? The voice of the great demon pierced their heads every time, and a wave of powerlessness swept over them. Kyle clenched his fist and swung his blessed hammer. But the lightning imbued with holy power also vanished in vain. He furrowed his brow. ¡°What the hell is that eye. Shit.¡± Fleur blinked his eye on his forehead that absorbed the light and answered. -This is not a mere part of my body. It is the glorious power that will bring down your god. Soon, you insignificant beings will call me the great demon of gluttony. Hahahaha! Fleur¡¯sughter shook the night sky, and red lightning began to pour down from the clouds like a downpour. The sky flickering red every second seemed to herald the end of the world. -Great demon yers! Die! Die with that grandiose name in your chest¡¤¡¤¡¤ The body of the great demon, who was raising his voice in madness, flinched. His gaze passed by the group that was protecting themselves from the lightning, and headed towards the huge hole that was pierced through. -Impossible¡¤¡¤¡¤ Therge pieces of stone that were floating inside the tower were shattered one by one from below. The reason was simple. Someone was jumping up using them as stepping stones. -Impossible! At that moment, the closest boulder to the roof was crushed, and a red disc flew from below the hole and grazed the great demon¡¯s head. In the blink of an eye, the situation changed, and he turned his head toote. Ink-like blood gushed out of his neck. Then he realized that one of his wings had been cut offpletely. Someone grabbed his neck from the air and threw his body to the ground. Bang! As he got up from the scattered dust, he red at Ruon, who hadnded on the ground, with his three eyes glowing ominously. ¡°How did you recover? Are you a Duermer? No, no. I know that his warrior has an amazing recovery ability, but he can¡¯t restore a copsed body to that extent. What did you do¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Fleur closed his mouth. He, who had ovee the limit of mortals and became a great demon, knew. How Ruon was able to recover. And he felt it. The power of his nemesis that he felt beyond his shing eyes! It was a miracle that only those who tried to break the limit in the opposite way of him could obtain. Unlike the great demon Fleur, who broke the rules and caused chaos, he knew well those who carved their names in the world and paved their own way. And he knew better than anyone what was at the end of that harsh path. -You bastard! Are you trying to ascend to heaven! Ruon didn¡¯t answer. He just kicked the ground and hit the demon¡¯s head with full force. He approached Fleur, who was staggering back, and kicked his abdomen with his front leg. Immediately after, he pressed down on the demon¡¯s rear end, which was bent forward, and lifted his knee to hit the direction where his head was falling. Crunch- the beak of the penguin broke. But Ruon said as if this was just the beginning, he pulled his hand that grabbed the rear end and forced him to stand up, then punched his abdomen and side repeatedly. Then he plucked his wings, and Fleur barely escaped from the horrible grip by pping his remaining four wings. The great demon Fleur, whose body was torn apart as if he had been shredded by a shredder, growled low. -You crazy bastard! Is punching your goal for carving your name in the world? The god of punching, Ruon, is that your goal? What the hell are you talking about? Ruon frowned as he watched Fleur, who was still babbling even after being beaten up. The fact that his broken body had miraculously recovered as the name [Ruon] rose in his mind was true, but he didn¡¯t feel anything else. No, there was one thing. He stretched out his right arm, and the red dided precisely in his hand with a sharp sound. A sharp de spewed red light over the handle he gripped. ¡°Ruon!¡± Then Kyle and the others came staggering. They all looked pale, but they seemed genuinely happy that Ruon, whom they thought was dead, hade back to life. But there was no time to share the joy of reunion. The lumps of darkness that poured out of Fleur¡¯s forehead poured out at once towards the group. Ruon didn¡¯t back down. He believed in his name that sparkled in his mind and swung his ego sword. Bang! With a single trace, he cut off all the attacks, and a huge explosion sounded on both sides of him. Igor, who was right behind him, shouted. ¡°Lord Ruon! Fleur¡¯s power is absorption.¡± -Gluttony! Ruonughed fiercely. He seemed to know why he was so flustered by the simple punching. Ridiculously, the great demon Fleur¡¯s weakness was physical attack. The very fist fight that he hated the most. That was the key to victory. Of course, that was only possible for Ruon, who had transcendent physical abilities. -There is no better prologue than the death of a man who has just begun to walk the path of falling from heaven. Fleur restored his broken body with the darkness that flowed from his third eye, and red at Ruon, who was approaching with a burning will. He finished preparing to fly up to the clouds again by pping his wings. -Let¡¯s start again¡¤¡¤¡¤ His words were cut off. Ruon, who had run up to him, grabbed his ankle and mmed him to the ground. ¡°You talk too much.¡± Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Chapter 94 Fleur swung his arm without giving up, even as his jaw snapped back from the heavy impact. His sharp ws,parable to a famous sword, left four long scars on Ruon¡¯s chest. Despite the fierce counterattack, he stomped on the face of the fallen demon with his foot. Bang! The great demon, whose face was buried deep in the stone floor, did not get up, but instead poured out a spell toward the ground. His judgment was valid. Ruon, who lost his bnce as the ground copsed, had to retreat a step back and could not continue his attack. Of course, Fleur fell to the lower floor and hurt his body badly, but it was much better than being beaten by Ruon¡¯s hand. He was unlucky enough to fall into a hole that pierced straight to the lobby, but he had wings, so it was no problem. -Who can belittle it as a simple punch that crushes the body of a great demon? Fleur¡¯s battered face was recovering quickly as if it had gone back in time. It was a disgusting regeneration. That eye is the problem. Ruon realized that the eye and the mouth-like, unidentified organ on his forehead were devouring the darkness inside the tower and restoring his broken body with that power. He sensed that he would not see a good sight if he dragged on more time and threw himself into the hole. He reached Fleur¡¯s nose faster than an arrow that left the bowstring and swung his ego sword without hesitation. Fire-! The demon opened his beak like a raptor¡¯s toward the sword that shone more brightly than before. Kyaa- With a sharp sound, a destructive force swept the front. Ruon braced himself with his legs, but failed to strike the sword as the floor began to crumble. He had no ce to stand, so he had no choice. He was not free from thews of physics, no matter what. The demon, whose body was stained ck, flew in with a tremendous momentum toward him who fell to the lower floor. The whole tower began to shake as the two tangled and exchanged attacks. Fleur did not avoid closebat unlike before. He hit Ruon with his steel-like wings and said. -I¡¯m different from you. I don¡¯t get tired or dry! I¡¯m the bird of the end that will swallow even the lies that pervade this world! Darkness poured out from his forehead as he roared. Ruon, who was pushed back to the wall, bent his body stically and avoided the attack. As the powerful force shattered the inner and outer walls of the tower at the same time, a furious wind blew into the building. Regardless of that, Ruon kicked the floor and rushed again, cutting the mes that flew in front of him with his sword, and then punched the face of the demon who stood behind it. At the same time, Fleur also fought back with all kinds of spells. ©¤©¤! Ruon¡¯s amazing physical ability and the great demon¡¯s chilling spells and powers were fiercely intertwined. The wall and the pir were shattered by one collision, and the floor was crushed by two collisions. Naturally, the third collision took ce on a different floor than before. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤How do we get downter?¡± Strabo, who had returned to his dwarf form, looked down at the hole and let out a hollow, bitterugh. As he said, Ruon and Fleur¡¯s sessive collisions hadpletely destroyed the stairs they had to go down. Kyle bit his lips as if he was angry. ¡°Do we have to wait endlessly for Ruon to smash that bird¡¯s head?¡± He had aplicated feeling. He was angry that he could not help Ruon directly, but at the same time, he wondered what he could do if he was thrown into that ce where the bloodshed was unfolding. How can that be the aftermath of a fight made by just two people? It seemed hard for hundreds of magicians to make a mess like that. Then Igor said. ¡°We can¡¯t be optimistic about Ruon¡¯s victory. The situation is not good.¡± At his words, Kyle and Strabo turned their heads almost at the same time. They buried their worthless questions in their hearts and waited patiently for the priest¡¯s words. He wouldn¡¯t have said anything stupid. ¡°Ruon seems to have decided to confront the demon inside the tower, fearing that he would fly up to the sky, but that was a bad move. There is still a lot of debris that the abyss has brought in there.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the bird still has the power to absorb in there?¡± Igor nodded at Kyle¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± At that moment, the floor shook violently with a loud noise. It was the scream of the tower that was overwhelmed by its own weight as the shock umted. But Kyle and Strabo asked in unison as if they didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Igor smiled faintly at the unwavering eyes that stared at him. ¡°We have to beg our mother.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Are you kidding?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m serious. We have to gather our strength.¡± At that, Strabo pped his forehead with his palm with a loud sound. ¡°Oh my God.¡± Igor looked at the dwarf with a nk expression for a moment, then moved his gaze to Kyle next to him. He had a calm face unlike Strabo. ¡°Kyle.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I know what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°You finally sound like your mother¡¯s son.¡± Strabo cut in. ¡°Friends, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about at all¡¤¡¤¡¤Are you really going to beg Tive to save us?¡± Kyle opened his mouth with a grin. His voice was still calm, unlike the increasingly severe tremor of the tower. ¡°Divine power is the power to borrow miracles from the divine being you serve. Naturally, if it grows bigger, the range of what you can pray for will also widen.¡± Only then did Strabo realize something and opened his eyes wide. He pursed his lips. ¡°But I¡¯m not a priest or a champion of Tiv like you guys. I¡¯m just a dwarf who knows romance¡­¡± Igor cut off his words gently. ¡°Who is who is nothing but a shell in front of true faith. And Strabo¡­ have you forgotten? We all received the blessing of our mother. You have more than enough qualifications.¡± He stretched out his palms to both sides. It seemed like he wanted them to hold them. ¡°What if I be a dwarf and pray to the goddess, and Duermyr hates me?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to look bad, you shouldn¡¯t have run away from the forge in the first ce. Right?¡± Strabo and Kyle, who exchanged frivolous words, held Igor¡¯s hands and also held each other¡¯s hands. ¡°There¡¯s no need for anything else. Just do your best and that¡¯s enough.¡± Igor said that and closed his eyes, adding a small word. ¡°I¡¯m happy to have met you all.¡± Straboughed out loud. ¡°Oh, Igor! This is my favorite thing in the world! What could be more romantic than that? Yeah, I could die for you guys.¡± Kyle snorted. ¡°You look really pathetic when you say that naked.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to say the embarrassing words out loud, but he closed his eyes slowly with the same mind as the previous two. Immediately after, a bright light began to burn from their bodies. As if Tiv was smiling. **** Ruon gathered the strength from his toes and punched the devil¡¯s head. The bastard¡¯s head, which seemed to have exploded more than ten times, burst open for the eleventh time. And he regenerated for the eleventh time. Crazy bastard. -Get out of here! Fleur, who recovered faster than before, screamed and spread his wings wide. The fierce wind pressure pushed Ruon back, and the devil¡¯s kick flew into his chest. Bang! Ruon, who hit the wall with his back, coughed dryly and lifted his head up. Ki-ah-ah-ah! An intangible force poured out of the devil¡¯s beak. Crack-the sound of cracks going along with the thick stone wall being pushed in, Ruon clenched his teeth and pulled his body forward. He escaped the pressure with amazing strength and ran towards the devil like aet, leaving a long trail behind his back. The warrior¡¯s fist and sword moved without stopping, and Fleur, who was in a mess in the blink of an eye, swayed greatly. But in the meantime, he seeded in sweeping Ruon¡¯s upper body with the darkness that emanated from his forehead and jumped back to create a distance. -How many times do I have to be surprised today? You keep your human form even after taking that¡­ are you really a being that engraved your name in the world? Fleur¡¯s eyes widened. He saw Ruon¡¯s figure crossing his arms over the rising dust. Blood was dripping from his torn arm, but his eyes were still sharp. His unwavering appearance looked like a divine warrior who judged the devil who came out of the abyss. Well, that was actually the case. The wicked archdevil knew. If he hadn¡¯t been able to absorb the remnants of the abyss fused with the tower, he might have been killed by the warrior in front of him several times. Of course, he had only awakened as an archdevil for half a day, so he could have made an excuse that he couldn¡¯t use the given power properly, but that was the same for the other side. Ruon had also just discovered the way to heaven, so to speak. -Pure physical strength that is not divine power or magic. I can¡¯t deny that you are the worst enemy. The darkness melted away from the devil¡¯s forehead. The teeth that surrounded the edge of his pupils gnashed disgustingly. -But here, that¡¯s meaningless. The archdevil slowly began to recover his broken body. He smirked. He would win in the end. But the next moment, he turned his head, feeling something was wrong. His broken wings were not recovering. At the same time, he was seized by instinctive chills and hatred and lifted his head up. -Tiv! There was a dazzling light there. Like an aurora that covers the clear night sky of the pr regions, the beautiful curtain of heaven descended slowly but surely, devouring all the darkness in the tower. It would have been a heartwarming sight for someone, but for the archdevil, it was no different from God¡¯s hammer. -The bitch of heaven is trying to stop me? Fleur cursed the goddess with a foul word, and Ruon kicked the floor and rushed in. He didn¡¯t care about the glittering curtain of light or the power of the goddess contained in it. He just swung his fist with all his might as usual, towards the damn devil in front of him. The devil hastily folded his five wings forward. As if that was the only way to protect his body. Bang! A loud noise like a gunshot erupted from his fist, and the devil¡¯s wings snapped with a crack. -Kyahak! Ruon climbed on top of the devil who had lost his bnce and fallen backwards. He then began to tear off theyers of wings that were stacked like onions, looking for Fleur who was hiding inside. -Stop! Stop it! You brute! Darkness pierced through Ruon¡¯s face as he finally ripped off thest wing from its base. Fleur, who hadnded the final blow despite trembling with pain, reached out his arm and grabbed Ruon¡¯s neck. His hand, resembling an eagle¡¯s talon, clenched with force. -You worm! If ites to this, I¡¯ll take you with me¡­ At that moment, the devil¡¯s wrist snapped with a crunch. His wrist, dangling at a grotesque angle, was torn off by the immense pressure that followed and dropped to the floor with a thud. -Kyaaaaaak! Ruon raised his hand, soaked with ck blood as if he had squeezed a fruit, and said. ¡°Is it over?¡± Even though his face was melted to the point where his gums and cheekbones were exposed, there was no trace of hesitation in his eyes. Fleur, who saw Ruon¡¯s face emitting a faint steam as his wounds began to heal, said. -What the hell¡­what the hell¡­are you. At that moment, Ruon felt his friends¡¯ wills embedded in his fist and said. ¡°Ruon.¡± His fist, imbued with light, smashed the great devil¡¯s head. Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Chapter 95 A dazzling light burst in all directions. At the same time, the floor that had cracked like a spider web crumbled down. Ruon, who had fallen to the lower floor again, slowly rxed his clenched fist. He didn¡¯t need to swing it anymore. His eyes were fixed on the demon that had stopped movingpletely. There was no twelfth resurrection. There was no sign of life from Fleur, whose upper half had beenpletely annihted above the shoulder line. The great demon, who had revealed his new appearance after hundreds of years, and had ruled with terror for hundreds of years after that, died by the hand of a human. No, he had left something for sure. A huge amount of experience that was hard to describe was it. Yeah, he deserved this aftering back from the dead. Ruon felt the exhration that exploded inside him wrap around every corner of his body twice before settling down. It was two level-ups. Considering that the experience required for the next level increased tremendously as he grew, it was a remarkable growth for sure. Krrr- At that moment, a loud noise that shook the ground made Ruon get up from his seat without any time to sink into his mind. ¡°This is bad.¡± Even he, who knew nothing, could see that the tower was now entering the copse phase. He wondered how such a huge structure that spanned dozens of floors could copse so easily, but when he looked around, that thought disappeared. The tower¡¯s interior was in a ragged state from the aftermath of the ritual that summoned the abyss and the relentless battle. Ruon lifted his head and shouted at the top that he could no longer reach. ¡°Kyle! Strabo! Igor!¡± There was no answer. He was sure that hispanions had done something with Tiv¡¯s power that blocked Fleur¡¯s authority, but something must have happened to them afterwards. Krrr- The shaking became stronger than before, and he gritted his teeth. He had no way to climb the tower again, since he had already used up therge floating objects as footholds on his way up. Meanwhile, the tower was expressing with its whole body that it had little time left. The windows and doors were twisted, the floor surface began to sink rapidly, and the cracks that appeared everywhere began to expand their territory without hesitation. His reason screamed at him to get out of here, but Ruon¡¯s legs were rooted deep in the floor and didn¡¯t budge. He could survive somehow even if the tower copsed like this. But what about his friends? It was impossible that their ending, who had finally won, was to be buried in the tower. As he thought of that, Ruon tried to climb up the wall with his hands, when Pwoooh- A sharp sound of a jet stream came. What? He moved his eyes to the direction of the sound and opened them wide. A huge something was gentlynding inside the hole that was pierced through the roof of the tower, spreading its wings. In the blink of an eye, the one thatnded in front of Ruon was a white-headed eagle with a sharp-eyed look. The fur around his head was silver-white, giving him a more mysterious feel. He opened his beak. ¡°Ruon!¡± ¡°Strabo?¡± The bird nodded his head as if he had seen him properly, and skipped the trivial exnation of how he became like this, and went straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯ll take Kyle and Igor with me somehow. But it¡¯s too much to carry you too.¡± Ruon, who easily understood the meaning implied in his words, nodded his head with a calm expression. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± The strabo, who had taken the shape of a bird, had a worried expression on his face. Ruon smiled and said to him. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Then see you outside!¡± The silver eagle pped his wings hard and soared up and disappeared. Ruon didn¡¯t linger any longer either. No, he was about to. Until he heard a faint heartbeat from the corpse of the demon that fell to the floor. He lightly stabbed his sword into the chest of the corpse and pulled it down without hesitation. Then he frowned. ¡°What is this.¡± *** The silent darkness was like a huge swamp, pulling everything it embraced. ¡­Swamp, if only his other friends could see this sight, they would have praised him for his good expression. Friends? Tarwen sneered. He felt strange to define them with such a fluffy word, when they had only spent less than a fortnight together. So heughed again. He was grateful for the opportunity to try something and die for them, who had stayed warmly at the end of his worthless life. She felt relieved. The fact that she couldn¡¯t see herpanions here meant that they hadn¡¯t been swept up in the ritual of the great demon. That was enough for her role. ¡°I¡¯m not cut out for this kind of thing.¡± She muttered to herself, trying to cool down her burning eyes, when she heard a voice from afar. ¡°Where are we-! Where are we-!¡± A ck crow, panicking as if it had gone mad, was flying around and screaming. The creature thatnded on the head of a nameless corpse was someone Tarwen knew well. How could she not? It was Fleur¡¯s pet. ¡°Shut up, Sven.¡± The crow, Sven, was startled by the sound of his name and turned his head frantically. He soon spotted Tarwen and cawed loudly. ¡°Traitor-! Traitor-!¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t gotten rid of that habit of repeating yourself twice. Idiot.¡± ¡°No¡­caw!¡± Sven tried to retort with a raised voice, but he quickly flew up when the corpse he was standing on started to sink into the dark abyss. He ended upnding on Tarwen¡¯s slender shoulder. He seemed to have some shame, as he avoided her gaze and said. ¡°Let me borrow your shoulder- your shoulder¡­¡± ¡°If you say it twice again, I¡¯ll bury you in there.¡± ¡°Caw!¡± The crow made a pitiful sound, as if he had lost his spirit. Tarwen looked at him for a moment and said. ¡°Well, at least it won¡¯t be lonely at the end.¡± Sven asked in a miserable voice. ¡°Why? The end? Are we dying? Where is this?¡± Tarwen didn¡¯t get angry at the barrage of senseless questions. She didn¡¯t want to waste her remaining life on such emotions. Instead, she pointed her finger at the dark horizon. And she exined. That was the ck water that had risen inside the tower, and those floating corpses were the souls that had been caught in the ritual. And soon, they would be submerged in the water and assimted with the great demon. She also added that. Her voice was soft, but the content was terrifying. Sven shivered nervously. ¡°Why do we have consciousness? Scary-scary-¡± The crow repeated the same word without realizing it. He mped his mouth shut in surprise, but Tarwen just smiled faintly. ¡°Because we were alive when we got caught in the ritual.¡± ¡°Is there a way to escape?¡± She tapped the crow¡¯s beak with her index finger and replied. ¡°Stupid, there¡¯s no such thing. This is literally a mental disaster. Just think of it as you¡¯vee to the afterlife peacefully. Maybe then you can let go of some of your regrets.¡± At that moment, she felt a sinister swamp pulling her in. Her legs, which had been holding on well against the force beyond cognition, were sucked into the darkness. Sven shouted in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t go-don¡¯t go-¡± Tarwen chuckled. She never thought she would face death with Fleur¡¯s pet crow. Well, he wasn¡¯t that bad. Sven was the only living being that Tarwen didn¡¯t hate in the cradle. He was annoying with his constant squawking, but that was it. In an instant, the water reached her chest and then her neck. She looked up at the pitch-ck sky, which had no trace of light. And she whispered a calm curse, letting go of her regrets. ¡°Fleur, I sincerely hope your grand n gets smashed by his fist.¡± Her words echoed in the deste space, and the world shook. ¡°What?¡± Tarwen¡¯s eyes widened likenterns as she looked around at the unexpected situation. Sven, who was trembling with primal fear, also started to p his wings and make a fuss. ¡°Light! Light! Light!¡± There, in the dark sky that wouldn¡¯t allow even a handful of light, a white crack appeared and grewrger. The warm light that poured out like a firework broke through the shell of darkness and shone like a beacon of hope. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tarwen saw it. Beyond the shattered darkness, the warrior who was kicking the ground. She also saw his fist clenched like a hammer to condemn evil and his sword glowing red. ¡°¡­Leon.¡± But it was toote. She couldn¡¯t do anything about the darkness that had risen to her throat. If only she could reach the light that was shining in front of her, she might have been able to do something. But she couldn¡¯t muster any strength in her body. That was when. Sven, who was circling above Tarwen¡¯s sinking head, grabbed her slowly drooping arm with his foot. ¡°Save me-! Save me-!¡± His desperate pping of his wings a few times created a small miracle. The hand of the fairy, who was already buried in the darkness up to her hair, touched the light. At that moment, a bright light burst out. *** Tarwen opened her eyes at the dry wind hitting her face. She struggled to get up and realized that she was naked. ¡°Huh?¡± She gasped and pulled up the cloak that was covering her body. A familiar voice reached her ears. ¡°Are you awake?¡± She turned her head and saw Ruon leaning against a withered tree. He held a crow upside down by its legs in his big hand, and it pped its wings. ¡°Are you awake-! Are you awake-!¡± Ruon frowned at Sven¡¯s noisy voice and shook his arm lightly. The crow was dizzy and screamed. ¡°Ask me-! Ask me-!¡± ¡°If you repeat that twice more, I¡¯ll take it as you want me to break your legs.¡± He finished his chilling warning and looked at the fairy who was staring at him. ¡°This kid says he saved your life. Is that true?¡± Tarwen made a dumbfounded expression for a moment and then nodded slowly. ¡°¡­Surprisingly?¡± ¡°Right-? Caw!¡± Sven flew wildly in the air as Ruon threw him away. Hended on Tarwen¡¯s shoulder, amusingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to make friends with a talking crow while I was gone¡­¡± Before Ruon finished his sentence, Tarwen ran to him without caring about the front or back and hugged his neck. She had barely suppressed her longing for life, and it gushed out like a fountain. She spoke with a face that was hard to tell if she wasughing or crying. ¡°I thought I was going to die without seeing you guys¡­¡± She continued with a choked expression and then noticed Kyle, who was watching her with a what¡¯s going on? expression from the shade of a tree. She fell down in surprise. Sven dropped the cloak on her head and started spinning around. ¡°Fool-!¡± She put on the cloak with a flushed face and ran to hug Kyle. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look too obvious?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Kyle chuckled and patted her back. ¡°You did well.¡± Tarwen saw Igor next to him and said. ¡°¡­You too,e here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to use me.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± When she finished hugging Igor, someone coughed on the floor and opened his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more romantic than a hug! But I¡¯ll pass for today. I feel like my body will break even if a feather touches me right now! Haha!¡± She saw a dwarf with a pale face lying on the floor and hugged him despite his warning. ¡°Ouch!¡± Strabo, who had broken his natural limit as a dwarf to save his two friends who had fainted from overusing their divine power, and finally got the wings he had always wanted, fainted. She checked his breath by putting her finger on his nose and walked back to Ruon with a wobbly step. He was staring at something. She followed his gaze and turned her head. She saw the tower that had copsed without leaving a trace and muttered incredulously. ¡°¡­You really destroyed the cradle.¡± She paused and clenched and unclenched her fist. ¡°Where did you find my body?¡± He hesitated for a moment at the question that seemed to know something. ¡°Inside the body of the great demon. With that crow.¡± Fortunately, Tarwen was not disgusted or tormented by that fact. She just murmured as if she expected it. ¡°¡­I see. I remembered the original form of the soul¡¯s body that escaped from the control¡­¡± Ruon cut off her words with a dull voice. ¡°You¡¯re analyzing that even in this situation? Don¡¯t you see the scenery you¡¯ve been longing for?¡± Tarwen looked at the tower with an oops expression. The tower, which was aptly named ¡®the cradle of the dead¡¯, copsed with all kinds of corpses and witches in its arms. The voice of the fairy, who engraved that sight in her eyes, came out so that everyone could hear. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Chapter 96 There were quite a few people who knew that the parchednd had once been a lush forest. Some noble learned it from his refined hobby of browsing through historical books, and a young shepherd heard it from his grandmother¡¯s wrinkled lips as an old tale. But the man who walked briskly, trampling on the withered leaves, was different. He had seen with his own eyes the vitality that had filled thisnd, and at the same time, he was the one who had ruined it all. He was the one who had whispered the words of temptation to the madmen who had tried to summon the spirit king by force. Soon, the man stopped his steps. In front of him, there was a pile of debris from a structure that had copsed so badly that it was hard to recognize its shape. ¡°How interesting.¡± From viges to kingdoms, he had witnessed all kinds of births and falls. But even for him, this sight had a rather intriguing aspect. Until ten days ago, this ce had been an infamous tower where countless witches had gathered. Did the great demon lose control of his overflowing power and do this? Who knows. The man stepped on the debris on the ground and wandered around the fallen tower. His slow pace looked leisurely, as if he was taking a walk, but the glint in his eyes under his hood was sharper than ever. ¡°Here it is.¡± The man muttered in a gloomy voice and looked down at his feet. His iron boots, shining with a cold light, smashed the ground and dug in. With a slight push of his ankle, he pushed away therge pieces of debris and bent his knee to reach into them. Soon, a huge corpse that had been buried in the debris came out with his hand. The corpse was horribly mutted. The head was nowhere to be seen, the back where the wings were supposed to be was torn, and the belly was split open. The man stared nkly at the corpse, which was impossible to guess what had happened to it. ¡°So we meet again as a great demon. Fleur.¡± There was no answer. ¡°You made a fool of yourself, the tower lord. You said you would fly by my side at the moment of destruction¡­¡± The man chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. Then, a dark shadow rose from his hand that held the demon¡¯s body. And then, the demon¡¯s body, which was still huge even though it was torn, began to shrink rapidly. The corpse crumbled to pieces in the blink of an eye and soon disappeared into the dry wind. Having sucked up all the power of the great demon, the man dusted off the debris on his iron glove. ¡°By the way, after Belducius, it¡¯s Fleur. I guess I can¡¯t go to the Academy of Wonders. Yeah.¡± He finished his words and slowly lifted his head. The dull gray sky was no more beautiful than him. He spoke softly to the sky. ¡°Adding a pale white to the darkness only leaves a murky gray. The abyss is not something you can wash off easily. No matter how hard you struggle, destruction will inevitablye. Just like the fate you boast about so happily.¡± Then, a strong gust of wind blew from somewhere and spat out a cloudy dust from the tower¡¯s debris. After the wind died down, there was no one on the ground. *** Lupin was happier than ever these days. If someone asked him why, he would have answered without hesitation with three reasons. The first reason was that the monster lion that had appeared in the back mountain and treated the vigers as livestock had its head chopped off and died. The second reason was that the person who killed the monster lion turned out to be the great Ruon (he regretted hitting the ground after he left). And the third reason was that such a great warrior had enjoyed his homemade liquor. That¡¯s why he copsed with his legs giving out when he saw Ruon and his party, who suddenly came back to the inn. The problem was that he peed a little. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤My God, I never dreamed that they woulde back to this tiny vige, did you?¡± Lupin¡¯s old friend and the most cheerful person in the vige, Thomson, muttered and peeked out from behind the kitchen. ¡°Oh, sh, shit! We made eye contact.¡± Lupin clenched his teeth and said to Thomson, who was choking like a cat. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, so go home!¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who invited me to drink? It¡¯s toote to say that now.¡± Thomson argued and pointed to the back with his thumb. ¡°And I don¡¯t have the courage to walk past the restaurant where the party that killed the great demon is sitting.¡± Lupin sighed deeply and put fresh meat on the hot pan. ¡°Do whatever you want. Just don¡¯t bother me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He said that, but Thomson still lingered around the restaurant. ¡°But what I¡¯m saying is¡¤¡¤¡¤where did they go? Did they kill another great demon by any chance?¡± His suspicion was quite sharp. The party looked exhausted, and their armor was either crumpled or torn, which clearly showed that they had been involved in a terrible fight. But Lupin didn¡¯t hear such words in his ears. He was too busy cooking and preparing drinks, while his friend was spouting nonsense that made no sense. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him yourself?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble.¡± ¡°Then at least shut your mouth. And what kind of name is the Great Demon for a neighbor¡¯s dog? Do you want to kill him like that?¡± While the two middle-aged men were grumbling, Ruon and hispanions were not quietly waiting for their meal. ¡°I¡¯m hungry-¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to be quiet? If you keep talking without any sense, I¡¯ll sell you to the circus as a talking crow. Got it?¡± ¡°Caw-!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude?¡± Tarwen raised his hand as if to hit him with a honey bomb, and Sven ran away with a thud. But unfortunately, that spot was not very good. The crow was startled by Ruon¡¯s gaze, who looked down at him with a nk expression. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be quiet-¡± ¡°Do that.¡± ¡°Thank-¡± Sven bowed his head and walked across the table, and Kyle snorted. ¡°Is he smart or stupid?¡± ¡°Hmm, judging by the way he res at you, I think he just has a bad temper.¡± Strabo answered, putting his right hand on his left shoulder and rolling his shoulder. ¡°Whew, I feel better now.¡± ¡°From now on, unless it¡¯s something special, I suggest you avoid changing your shape.¡± ¡°Igor! What kind of weak talk is that? The more you do this, the more you have to transform and adapt your body.¡± ¡°You¡¯re afraid of dying after transforming twice, aren¡¯t you?¡± Meanwhile, the food that was steaming on the table began toe up one by one. It was clear that they had put a lot of effort into making the food look appetizing. ¡°Please enjoy your meal.¡± Lupin, who seemed more nervous than before, shook his hand, and hispanions looked at him with concern. They didn¡¯t know if that made his hand shake more. As expected, the meal was excellent. The tender meat was nd without any gamey smell, and the crispy fried chicken had a strange magic that made them keep reaching for it. With the liquor that Lupin boasted of, the atmosphere naturally became harmonious. They left behind the hard days and drank with silly jokes, and the crimson light that came out of the firece warmly lit them. It was a cozy atmosphere. When the mood that had been high began to subside a little, Igor quietly opened his mouth. ¡°We haven¡¯t solved the fundamental problem.¡± It was a rather abrupt remark, but none of the party members objected to it. They all knew what he wanted to say. The first one to open his mouth was Tarwen. ¡°Are you talking about the being who contacted Fleur? The one who gave the magic circle to the cradle¡­¡± She looked down at her smooth hand and bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is either. If I try to recall my vague memory, he was someone who had known Fleur for a long time, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to enter the cradle alone. Of course, he and the cradle wouldn¡¯t fight, but¡­ I was surprised that he didn¡¯t seem nervous at all.¡± The party frowned as they remembered the moment when they were pushed back by the witches¡¯ onught. Then Ruon put down his half-empty ss and said. ¡°I have a guess.¡± Then he added, looking at the eyes that stared at him. ¡°I think I told you before.¡± The party sighed as if they knew, looking at the direction of Ruon¡¯s finger pointing at therge hammer. ¡°Ganakus¡­¡± Kyle said. ¡°If you think about how he mentioned Fleur¡¯s name before he took Imrek¡¯s soul, it seems like you¡¯re right.¡± Strabo tilted his head. ¡°Imrek died more than thirty years ago, but would the knight who was active then still be in the field? Usually, people of his age are almost like farmers, and they only focus on training their juniors.¡± As he continued his story based on the scene he saw at the Grand Cathedral of Tiv, Igor calmly answered. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a problem. If he really is Ganakus¡¯s knight, and he was a hidden existence for a long time, then the order is either ipetent or deliberately covered up his existence. Even if he¡¯s not the same person, it¡¯s a problem. There are more than one or two corrupt knights who do such evil things? I don¡¯t even want to imagine it.¡± Then Sven, who was pecking at the corn that Lupin gave him with his beak, opened his mouth slightly. ¡°Courage to see the truth- Courage to see the truth-¡± He scratched his head with his foot, looking embarrassed as the party¡¯s eyes turned to him. ¡°What did you say, Sven?¡± ¡°Sorry-I¡¯ll be quiet-¡± ¡°No, what did you say before?¡± The party sighed softly as they watched the crow spitting out the same words as Tarwen¡¯s gloom. It was no different from saying that he had picked up the words he used from somewhere, since he had been trapped in a cradle all his life. Kyle said. ¡°It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s spouting the doctrine of Ganax.¡± Strabo banged the table and said, not liking the mood that had sunk when they were having fun. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this dull talk to tomorrow¡¯s us and talk about something fun now. This atmosphere is not polite to the delicious food and drink, is it?¡± At his words, the party smiled faintly and reached for their sses, but suddenly the outside of the inn began to buzz. Horses? Ruon heard the rough breathing of the horses snorting and neighing in the noisy noise. From the sound that burst out sporadically, it seemed like there were at least ten of them. ¡°Did we get a guest?¡± Lupin, who was sitting far away from the party and talking quietly with Thomson, got up from his seat, brushing his hips. ¡°There¡¯s no more ingredients left¡­ Huh?¡± Ruon didn¡¯t miss his body stiffening as he approached the window, muttering softly. Immediately after, the door opened with a bang and a heavy sound echoed throughout the inn. The source of the sound was arge iron shoe. As he raised his head along the shing shoe, he saw a knight standing tall, fully armed with thick te armor. The cold eyes behind the face cover quickly and urately scanned the faces of the party. And then he stopped. He had made eye contact with Ruon, who was sitting at the edge of the table. As if he wouldn¡¯t budge from the silent gaze that seemed to pierce through the facete, he red at him, but a grumbling voice came from behind. ¡°What are you doing out there!¡± At that voice, the knight flinched and stepped aside, and someone walked into the inn with a confident stride. So he was the real one. Ruon pulled up the corners of his mouth slightly. He was a bit smaller than the previous knight, but just by looking at the momentum that emanated from his whole body, he could easily tell that he was the leader. Then Igor muttered as he looked at the engraving on their armor. ¡°Altwin? Why are the knights of wisdom here¡­¡± At that, Ruon frowned. What kind of god was that? Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Ruon looked at the engraving on the knight¡¯s shoulder. It was a small inverted triangle with a single eye filling it up. It was striking. But he didn¡¯t care much. He gulped down the remaining liquor in his ss and looked for Lupin. ¡°Bring me another bottle.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Yes! Right away!¡± Lupin, who was at a loss with the knight¡¯s silent presence, nodded his head and ran to the warehouse as if he had met his savior. Thompson also quickly retreated with a limp, leaving only Ruon¡¯s party at the table and the knights at the entrance. ¡°What¡¯s with the mood?¡± Kyle scratched his neck as a clear voice came from the knight¡¯s helmet. ¡°I agree.¡± The knight who answered that way reached for his visor as if to lift it up, but then changed his mind and took off his helmet altogether. Then, the long ck hair that was hidden inside the helmet poured over his shoulders like a waterfall. ¡°Whew, I feel alive now.¡± The knight who showed his face was a woman with a cold impression due to her sharp eyes. She tried to sweep her sweaty bangs away, but it was not easy with her metal gloves, so she quickly took them off and handed them to the knight next to her along with the helmet. Then she answered the question that was not asked. ¡°Having long hair is quite annoying when you wear a helmet. But I keep this length because it¡¯s responsible for eighty percent of my beauty.¡± He¡¯s like Kyle. Ruon chuckled at her free-spirited speech that didn¡¯t sound like a knight at all. Then the knight who walked toward him offered his hand. ¡°Can we shake hands?¡± Ruon tilted his head, wondering why the knight who followed the god of wisdom offered him a handshake without any reason. He smiled when he saw the other¡¯s eyes. There was an undeniable desire topete in them. ¡°Well, sure.¡± He grabbed the knight¡¯s hand, which was covered with hard calluses. As expected, an unnatural strength began to pour out from the other side of the handshake. What? Ruon realized why the other had challenged him to this ssic contest and smiled. The force that squeezed his hand like a press was definitely not ordinary. No, considering his physique, it was abnormally strong. Meanwhile, the handshake thatsted too long made the party and the other knight worry. ¡°Ruon?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Minerva, ma¡¯am.¡± But Ruon was thinking of something else, looking at the knights who started to enter the inn. If he crushed this woman¡¯s hand, would they rush at him without caring about the front and back? Then the inn would be a mess, he thought such a leisurely thought. And when he was about to put an end to this futile struggle by putting some strength into his hand, ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I lost.¡± The woman admitted her defeat cleanly. She didn¡¯t just say it, she immediately loosened her grip. His hand, which was exposed to the tremendous pressure, was almost crumpled without any shape, but thanks to Ruon¡¯s quick reaction, such a mishap didn¡¯t happen. She looked at her trembling hand as if it was amazing and bowed her head deeply. ¡°Thank you for being considerate. I apologize if I was rude.¡± Ruon waved his hand. It seemed like he was okay, or it looked like he was telling her to go away. Maybe both. ¡°Ruon won- quack!¡± Tarwen, who squeezed the beak of Sven, who was making a fuss without any sense, asked. ¡°So who are you?¡± The knight, who seemed to be waiting for that question, opened his mouth with a coolugh. ¡°I am the eye of Altwin, who pierces the truth, and his sword¡¤¡¤¡¤ but that¡¯s too grandiose. Just call me Minerva.¡± Then the knight, Minerva,ughed heartily. In contrast to her cold face. *** ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤So you came here to destroy the cradle. You picked the elite of the order.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± As Igor summarized what he had heard so far in one sentence, Minerva nodded and drank her liquor. She had casually joined the party, while the other knights stayed away like statues. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to follow their trail, since they were good at erasing their traces, but now that we know their base, we only have to smash it.¡± Minerva scanned the faces of the party and said. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s an unexpected coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to see the party that all the priests and knights of the order admire in this small town.¡± At her words, Strabo said. ¡°How did you recognize us?¡± Minerva smiled and answered. ¡°A giant, a dwarf, a knight, and a priestess. All these characters were in one ce, but she was not so reckless as to ignore that fact. She raised her right hand. It was full of dark bruises. ¡°That¡¯s when I was sure. It may sound like an excuse, but I¡¯ve never been overpowered before. I¡¯m still a bit shaken, to be honest.¡± Minerva tilted her head as an awkward silence began to swirl among herpanions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys? This is my fault for being too proud and reckless¡­¡± Then, Ruon¡¯s dry voice cut off her words. ¡°The cradle has copsed. All the witches there are dead. So it¡¯s better not to waste your time.¡± Minerva¡¯s expression, which was calm even when her hand was half-crushed, twisted slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Even the knights, who did not flinch even if they had ster on their feet, lost theirposure and flinched. ¡°It may sound insufficient, but it¡¯s true. There is no more cradle of the dead in thisnd.¡± As Igor added his words, Minervaughed incredulously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, this time too?¡± The party remained silent at her question. It was not a denial, but a silent affirmation. The pdin, who knew it well, hardened his expression and spoke in a lower voice than ever. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you guys would lie to me. It¡¯s not a matter of trust, but you have no reason to do that. So I¡¯ll ask you one thing. Why did you go to the cradle in the first ce?¡± The party¡¯s eyes naturally turned to Ruon. As if to say, it¡¯s better for you to tell this serious story. But the words that Ruon spat out were too simple, even simple. ¡°I was trying to kill a witch, but things got out of hand.¡± ¡°¡­Is that all?¡± Minerva looked at the other party members one by one, as if she couldn¡¯t believe it, but they all smiled awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s not a lie¡­¡± ¡°Why is that so romantic?¡± ¡°Romantic-romantic-¡± The pdin burst intoughter. Afterughing for a while, she wiped the tears in her eyes with the back of her hand and opened her mouth. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Altuen¡¯s example go wrong while serving him. Damn¡­ It¡¯s fresh, but it¡¯s damn scary. How should I describe this feeling?¡± Minerva snapped her arm without looking back. Then, the knights moved as if they were one body and quickly went out of the inn. She didn¡¯t stop there and spoke to Lupin and Thomson, who were standing nkly and blinking their eyes. ¡°Can you give me some space?¡± ¡°Of, of course. Mydy.¡± As she drove away the people, she said. ¡°Let me change the question. Did you kill the great demon in the cradle?¡± By then, Ruon was feeling annoyed. He showed up and ruined the mood, and not only that, he also bragged about his strength without context, and now he was bombarding him with one-sided questions. He should know his limits. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we have to answer your every word. Either tell us what¡¯s going on. Or just follow your subordinates and leave. Do one of those.¡± At his blunt warning, Minerva sighed lightly and said. ¡°¡­I was too hasty because of the situation. I apologize.¡± Then she said. ¡°Right now, the ones suspected to be great demons are starting to show themselves. Two of them, to be exact. It¡¯s not certain yet, but the church¡¯s guess is that they are Beulron and Hidikrax.¡± Of course, Ruon didn¡¯t know either of them. So he turned his head and looked at Igor and Tarwen, who were the most knowledgeable in this field. ¡°Hidikrax? That disgusting octopus bastard?¡± The fairy¡¯s sigh, which was almost like a mutter, made Minerva nod. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why does the one who¡¯s stuck in the deep sea and eats the scraps that his minions bring him?¡± The pdin answered with a sour expression at the harsh tone. ¡°Fortunately, he only sank ten ships. He didn¡¯t cause any other damage. Not yet.¡± Ten ships meant that at least tens of times that many people were on board, right? As Ruon thought that, her words continued. ¡°The real danger is Beulron. Because of him, Aniara is now in danger, and that¡¯s not an exaggeration.¡± As the name of the kingdom was mentioned, Kyle muttered with a sense of urgency. ¡°Shit, what the hell is¡­¡± ¡°The north seems to have joined hands with him. The barbarians who used the power of the demon started to break the line of defense.¡± ¡°The north? The northern expedition that the king started?¡± Minerva swallowed the remaining alcohol with a burning throat and said. ¡°That¡¯s right. Polientus¡­ The king who was bewitched by the demon started a war that can¡¯t be turned back now.¡± As the shocking news continued, Strabo raised his palm hastily. ¡°Wait a minute, one by one! One by one! Let¡¯s sort this out. So, the octopus great demon suddenly sank the ships, and the war that the king started didn¡¯t end, but rather the barbarians who joined hands with the great demon Beulron started to counterattack, right? Am I right?¡± Then he said with a bewildered face. ¡°But what does that have to do with Fleur¡­ I mean, the cradle?¡± Tarwen answered for her. ¡°They must have thought that if another great demon was born in this chaotic situation, it would be a hopeless situation. So they tried to nip it in the bud. I don¡¯t know how they figured out Yoram¡¯s n.¡± Minerva nodded lightly to the fairy who neatly represented her position and continued the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s right. To add a little more exnation, we¡¯ve been keeping an eye on Yoram¡¯s witch for a long time. We knew that she was secretly collecting corpses and souls in the underworld. Recently, her actions became more daring and we caught her tail.¡± That¡¯s when Ruon interrupted. ¡°How did you infer that they were trying to be great demons by collecting corpses and souls? You must have been confident enough to send the elite of the church.¡± It was a question he threw with the knights of Gannak in mind, but the answer was simple. ¡°Altwin gave us a revtion. We have no more certainty than that. We just follow his will.¡± Ruon didn¡¯t make a fuss, but he snorted inwardly. He wanted to dismiss the revtion that Yoram was trying to be a great demon as nonsense, and he thought the problem would be solved if he mentioned the knights of Gannak behind the scenes. He couldn¡¯t understand the will of the great god at all, so he shut his mouth. The conversation soon ended. The party briefly exined what had happened in the tower to Minerva, who generously provided them with information, and the knight was astonished to hear that they had defeated another great demon. ¡°It was you, not the church, who saved the world from the unseen.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly got up from her seat. Kyle asked. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°I have to. If what you say is true, there must be a corpse of a great demon under the fragments of the tower. I have to hurry back to retrieve it.¡± Minerva smiled faintly and said goodbye. ¡°It was an honor to meet you. I hope we can fight together next time.¡± She went outside and soon after, the sound of horses neighing and hooves pounding the ground was heard. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It feels like a storm has passed.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Igor and Kyle exchanged a word and looked silently at Ruon, who was swirling his ss. He noticed their gaze btedly and said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re going to do whatever Ruon says?¡± Ruon chuckled at Kyle¡¯s innocent voice. But he couldn¡¯t answer right away. The restless great demon, Gannak, the north. He had no idea what to do first. No, did he have a reason to do anything? He shook his head as he thought that. He had alreadye too far to worry about that. He lifted his head with a self-mocking smile and saw the faces of hispanions looking at him intently. Even Sven had stopped eating corn and was staring at him. He said to them. ¡°Let¡¯s go north for now. The great church of Gannak and the war are happening around there.¡± Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Chapter 98 **** The next day, the party left the vige with the farewell of the vigers led by Lupin and moved along the road that led to the east. There was also a way to head north right away, but it was amon opinion that it would be better to turn the direction around a suitable location, as the roads would be well paved as they headed to the center of the kingdom. Ruon sat quietly on the back of the swaying Caliban and looked at the scenery passing by his side. Trees, grass, valleys, and small viges with chimneys that puff out white smoke. All of those things had a faint blue hue as if they had been dipped in cold water and taken out. Since some time, a faint breath came out of his mouth in the early morning orte evening. Winter wasing. As the weather got colder, the scenery of the viges that the party passed through changed little by little. The men prepared a lot of firewood for theing winter, and the women spent time sewing fur clothes. They all seemed to hope that this winter would pass without any trouble. They had no idea that the barbarians who grew up with the fierce north wind were on the verge of breaking the border. But there was no reason to bring up such a fact and panic the innocent vigers, so they all kept their mouths shut. The journey continued like that. And about a weekter, the party was in a situation where they reached a fork in the road that split into four. ¡°Geez, this is ridiculous. There¡¯s no proper signpost near this fork¡­ Wait a minute, everyone. I¡¯ll look for a map.¡± Saying that, Strabo put his hand into the bag hanging on Toby¡¯s saddle. He soon took out a rolled-up map and spread it on the ground and pushed his face close. Kyle snorted and muttered under his nose. ¡°It¡¯s surprising that there¡¯s no one who knows the geography around here.¡± Tarwen, who had been feeding Swen potatoes piled up on his palm, answered. ¡°It¡¯s because thisnd is too wide. It¡¯s not strange that most people think of burying their bones in their hometown where they were born.¡± The former woodcutter, who had lived in a small vige near Relyjan until he met Ruon, scratched his head as if he had lost his words. Then Strabo, who was pointing at the map with his thick fingers, shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the other roads, but if you follow the second road on the right, there¡¯s a city called Malum. Anyone know?¡± The party looked at each other with puzzled faces, and Ruonughed behind them. They¡¯re all newbies. In this world where GPS does not exist, the only way to find the way was to rely on experience or maps. It was ironic that thetter was often vague. Of course, he understood. It was impossible to cram all the terrain and features into a map that was only 60 centimeters long. Maybe if it was dozens of times bigger. ¡°Do we need to worry? If it¡¯s not marked on the map, it¡¯ll be hard to find even one vige even if you wash your eyes and look for it.¡± Saying that, Ruon took the lead along the second road on the right. The others followed him as if it was natural. *** The party arrived at Malum when the sun was setting and the sun was bending over the mountains. It was too small to call it a city, and too big to call it a vige. The ce had a gate-like thing that looked like a city. As they approached, a soldier with a sour face greeted them. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter here?¡± ¡°We came along the road.¡± A strange question and an obvious answer came back. The soldier, who swallowed his nose, began to look at the faces of the party with a slightly nervous expression. He saw Ruon and Kyle, who had the best armed state among them, and said. ¡°It¡¯s good for your health not to cause any trouble. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°¡­Kyle.¡± As the soldier scratched his nerves and Kyle snapped back angrily, Igor quickly hit his side and stepped forward. ¡°There won¡¯t be any trouble. I promise.¡± The soldier spat on the ground as if to show off and nodded his head back. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Kyle red back as he passed the gate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that kid?¡± Strabo shrugged his shoulders. ¡°There are always such guys wherever you go. They¡¯re the stupid kids who try to use their rat-sized authority as much as possible.¡± The dwarf¡¯s ridiculous expression, which described the rat droppings with his own fingernails, made everyoneugh softly. Then Tarwen looked around and said. Swen, who was sitting on her shoulder, followed her words. ¡°The atmosphere is gloomy. What¡¯s wrong with everyone?¡± ¡°Gloomy-gloomy-¡± ¡°Swen, be quiet in the vige. People will be surprised.¡± In the strangely subdued atmosphere, the party entered the signless inn. ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°Wee.¡± A bearded man and a woman with a slightly handsome face greeted them. At first, they thought they were the owner and a female employee, but seeing the man naturally wrap his arm around the woman¡¯s waist, they seemed to be a couple. After a simple meal to fill their empty stomachs, the group moved around the city (which was barely more than arge vige) to find their own tasks. Igor went to pray, Tarwen went up to his room first, saying he was tired, and Strabo headed to the stable, saying he wanted to chat with Toby and Caliban. Finally, Kyle hurried outside, saying he had to repair his armor before it was toote, leaving only Leon in the dining room. He gulped down the strong liquor like water, and someone timidly approached him. He turned his head and saw that it was the innkeeper. ¡°Would you like some more?¡± He was about to say he was fine, but he suddenly closed his mouth and looked at her. Then he nodded his head. ¡°Just one more beer, please.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, please.¡± A few momentster, a ss of beer was ced on the table. He gulped down the frothy drink in one go and mmed the empty ss down with a thud. The innkeeper, who was sitting across from him with a cushion under his butt, asked with a grin. ¡°How did you like the taste?¡± With a dry tone, Ruon wiped the foam on his lips with the back of his hand and answered. ¡°It was terrible.¡± ¡°Fuck, you don¡¯t sound like it.¡± The man, who had suddenly gone berserk, spat out a thick phlegm on the floor and rubbed it with his foot. Then he sneered and added. ¡°What I said is not wrong. How much do you think I can cook?¡± He licked his tongue disgustingly as he looked at the woman who was trembling next to him and continued. He brought a beautiful fairy with him. Damn it, if it weren¡¯t for her, he would have poisoned everyone at the dinner table. But he couldn¡¯t risk killing the fairy too, so he had to endure this annoyance¡­ Tsk, this is why messing with half-breeds is not easy. As Ruon sighed deeply and looked down, the man spoke with excitement. ¡°Feeling heavy in the head? Your hands are shaking, and your legs are weak. Soon you¡¯ll hear hallucinations, and then you¡¯ll spit blood and die-¡± The man, who was grabbed by therge hand of the officer, couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and opened his eyes wide. He had given him a generous dose of the drug, but he didn¡¯t even flinch? Ruon turned his head and looked at the woman, leaving the man writhing in pain behind him. He had ordered a separate beer for her, because of the anxiety in her eyes. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°Ye-yes?¡± The woman, who btedly understood the situation, pressed her trembling shoulders with her arms and said. ¡°She-she¡¯s a deserter.¡± ¡°Can you tell me more?¡± The woman looked back and forth between Ruon¡¯s calm face and the man in his grip, and seemed to make up her mind. ¡°About ten days ago, dozens of soldiers suddenly showed up. They all looked exhausted and wounded. Something was fishy, but still, still¡­ I thought they were people who fought for the country, so I treated them with sincerity. But then they suddenly turned and killed everyone in the vige¡­¡± The woman couldn¡¯t finish her words and copsed, sobbing. Ruon turned his head again. ¡°Anything to say?¡± The man shook his only moving eyes up and down, as if to say yes. And Ruon tightened his grip. ¡°Ah-ah-ah-¡± The officer¡¯s victim fell to the floor with a thud, gasping for air. ¡°Speak. If I¡¯m convinced, I¡¯ll spare you.¡± ¡°Hu-eh©¤¡± The man struggled with immense bleeding and pain. He looked like he had a lot to say, but only a faint wind sound came out of his mangled lower jaw. Soon, his fingers curled up and stiffened as the back of his head sank into the pool of blood he had made. Ruon brushed off the blood on his palm and knelt down to face the fallen woman. He said, ¡°Where are the others?¡± She answered in a trembling voice. ¡°In, in the basement¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± As Ruon sprang up, the woman shouted anxiously. ¡°Wait, wait a minute!¡± She opened her mouth after a small sigh, as if to speak, and checked the warrior who stood still in his ce. ¡°You can¡¯t kill Mr. Colin. He¡¯s the only one who opposed killing the vigers¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who Colin is.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know as soon as you see him. He was beaten to near death for trying to protect the people.¡± It seemed that there was one who had deserted, but had not lost his humanity. Ruon nodded his head and went down the stairs that zigzagged. As he passed by the corridor full of oak barrels, he saw a wooden door. A small sound came from beyond. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s taking so long?¡± ¡°Do you think Cosnak is having fun without us?¡± ¡°Fuck, do you say that knowing how dirty that bastard ys? I can¡¯t do it after him, even if I die.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ruon kicked the door roughly, disgusted by the conversation he heard. Bang-! The door, torn off its hinges, hit one of the men behind it. The men, startled by their colleague who flew out spewing blood, shouted. ¡°What, what is it!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± But they quickly took a fighting stance and rushed at Ruon, as if their experience in the bloody battlefield had not gone anywhere. Among them, there was one who had tightened the bowstring of his crossbow in case of an emergency. He proudly fired an arrow, confident in his readiness. Shoo-the arrow that cut through the wind shattered in Ruon¡¯s hand. ¡°What?¡± The men flinched at the sight of their opponent who caught the arrow fired at close range. At that moment, Ruon¡¯s right arm blurred. The closest man was hit in the face by his backhand and bounced off the wall. His head was smashed front and back, and he copsed on the floor with a gurgle. ¡°Yikes!¡± Another man, who had not yet realized what had happened, swung his iron hammer with both hands. And he saw it. His weapon bent in the opponent¡¯s hand. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Shit, are you kidding me.¡± That was hisst word. He fell to the floor with his face caved in, just like his previous colleague. The fight that followed was meaningless to recount in detail. With one punch, each enemy fell to the ground. Soon, a small groan reached Ruon¡¯s ears, who had taken care of the ten or so men in the warehouse. He looked down and saw a man tied up with thick ropes. He didn¡¯t bother to ask who he was, since it was obvious. He took out a dagger from his pocket and cut the ropes. He also removed the gag from his mouth, and the man coughed with a bloody face. ¡°Ha ha, ha, ha ha.¡± Did he lose his mind from the beating? Ruon tilted his head as he saw the man startughing at his own face. In the meantime, the man began to speak with a muffled voice. ¡°What a coincidence¡­ I owe you again¡­¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± The man nodded with difficulty. ¡°I do¡­ That potion you gave me, it saved me and my brothers from death, many times.¡± Potion? Ruon frowned as he vaguely remembered something, and the man said something that scratched his itch. ¡°You didn¡¯t give me the troll¡¯s blood, brother¡­¡± Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Chapter 99 As he left the inn that used to be a resting ce for the old mercenaries, Ruon thought of the men he had briefly apanied. They had volunteered to join the northern expedition, and before they parted, they had taken a bottle of blood from the troll he had killed. That reminded him of the blue-eyed mage who had made a potion with that blood. ¡°You said you would skewer their heads with a spear?¡± A faint smile appeared on the face of the man, Colin, at Ruon¡¯s words. It was hard to tell because his face was so swollen. ¡°¡­Yeah, I did say that¡­¡± He¡¯ll die if I leave him alone. Ruon realized that Colin¡¯s breathing was getting weaker, and he quickly lifted him over his shoulder. When he went up to the first floor, he saw Igor and Tarwen. They hade down because of themotion, and they frowned when they saw the corpse with a torn abdomen. ¡°Mother of mercy.¡± ¡°Ruon? What happened here? Why did you beat him up so badly?¡± Ruon pushed two tables together to make some space, andid Colin down on them. Then the woman who had been sitting down jumped up and ran over. ¡°Oh my, Mr. Colin! Are you, are you dead?¡± ¡°He will be if we leave him like this.¡± Ruon answered and looked at Igor. The priest, who had vaguely guessed the situation, nodded and came closer. ¡°Merciful mother-¡± Ruon then spoke to Tarwen. ¡°Stay by their side until the treatment is over.¡± He pointed at the dead man. ¡°He was a deserter.¡± It was a brief exnation, but it seemed to be enough for Tarwen to understand, as he nodded. ¡°I get what you mean.¡± Ruon left the inn right away. If the woman was right, there were dozens of deserters who had upied this ce, and they must have been scattered all over. ng-! Sure enough, he heard a sharp noise of metal shing in the distance. As he moved towards it, he heard coarse curses and shouts in his ears. ¡°Don¡¯t panic and surround him slowly!¡± ¡°Damn it! Stab him when you block him! Are you not focused?¡± ¡°Those who are injured, back off!¡± In front of a building that looked like a cksmith¡¯s shop. About a dozen men were attacking one person in a wheel-like formation. It was Kyle who was fending off their well-organized and threatening attacks with his sword. He had sold his shield and hammer somewhere, and he was holding an arming sword firmly in both hands, calmly blocking the onught. He also delivered sharp counterattacks that drove his opponents out of the battle. I don¡¯t recognize him. Ruon watched him for a moment, and their eyes met. Kyle shouted. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you going to help me?¡± At his words, the men who had backed off to catch their breath gasped. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°Does anyone have a crossbow? Shoot him!¡± Meanwhile, Ruon approached them quickly and drew his ego sword from his waist. Then a bulky man with arge shield that covered his legs and a mace in his other hand blocked his way. ¡°This bastard, I¡¯ll stop him-¡± He had no chance. The man¡¯s upper body slid obliquely with his shield, and fell to the ground. The sight was unbelievable, and the line that the men had firmly held copsed in an instant. ¡°Mo, monster! It¡¯s him! They came all the way here!¡± Ruon cut the throat of the man who was babbling something he couldn¡¯t understand, and advanced. At the same time, Kyle, who had some leeway, abandoned his defensive posture and went on an aggressive offensive. A ridiculous situation unfolded, where two people were surrounded by more than ten men. ¡°Sh, shit!¡± One of the men threw his weapon and ran away, seeing hisrades falling to the ground one by one. It was hard to find any hesitation in his fleeing back, as he was a deserter who had lost his heart once. Ruon didn¡¯t bother to chase him. Instead, he looked down at the man who was waiting for death with a deep wound in his chest, and asked him. He was the soldier who had greeted them at the gate. ¡°How many of you are there?¡± The man, who was gasping for air, slowly lifted his head. Then he said. ¡°Don¡¯t act so smart¡­ Do you think you¡¯re a hero? You bastards¡­ You don¡¯t even know you¡¯re going to die¡­¡± His eyes, which had been flickering anxiously, gradually lost their light, and then lost their focus and became blurry. ¡°What the hell is this lightning strike.¡± Kyle let out a heavy sigh with his lips tightly closed, and Ruon said. They were deserters who had upied the city without permission. ¡°So that¡¯s why the checkpoint was so sloppy.¡± As the door of the cksmith¡¯s shop opened with a shriek and a scream of a hinge, an old man with a wrinkled face peeked out. He sighed with relief when he saw the men lying on the ground and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had no choice. They threatened me. I kept the goods safe, so please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Even though Ruon didn¡¯t say anything, Kyle, who was stabbed by the sword, quickly added an exnation. ¡°They asked me if they could take a look at the hammer and shield. They said they wouldn¡¯t charge me for repairing the armor, so I handed them over for a moment. Honestly, it¡¯s not like they wear out by touching them¡­¡± Ruon chuckled. ¡°Thanks to that, I almost had to fight bare-handed.¡± ¡°It was a lucky thing that I had a sword from Garan. I have to be more careful from now on.¡± After appeasing the old man who begged for forgiveness as if his life depended on it, Kyle walked over to Ruon with the hammer and shield. ¡°The cksmith said he remembered they were a little short of forty. There aren¡¯t many left.¡± Fortunately, the two of them didn¡¯t have to scour the vige like ab to catch the remaining scum. The ones who realized something was wrong tried to escape on horseback, but they ran into a dwarf who was chatting in the stable. ¡°They just swung their swords as if they were going to kill them¡­ What the hell are these bastards?¡± Ruon, who was tired of repeating the same story over and over, tapped Strabo¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± *** That night, the deserters who had upied the vige were wiped out. All but one, Colin. He was the only one who had tried to stop hisrades¡¯ cruel actions, but he was left in a state of extreme violence that he could die at any time. Luckily, there was a high priest of the goddess among the party, and thanks to him, Colin was able to recover miraculously. The party willingly worked for the people who had been harmed until he regained consciousness. They buried the dead bodies, repaired the damaged buildings, and treated some women who had gone through horrible things. It was not because they were too kind (there were some people like that, though), but because they couldn¡¯t stand the situation. ¡°They killed all the young men for fear that they might pose a threat. How can this palm-sized city survive?¡± Tarwen muttered, and Ruon shrugged his shoulders slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± That was a problem for the nameless nobleman who owned the city. Oh, was he the first one to be killed? Ruon silently expressed a small condolence for the nobleman who had ruled over a tiny territory. Then Igor came up. ¡°Colin hase to his senses.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the party members who were sitting around the table jumped up. That was because they all had their own questions in their heads. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± Colin, who was leaning against the head of the bed, swallowed his saliva nervously as the unfamiliar people rushed into the room. Kyle pointed to his face with his index finger. ¡°Do you remember me?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡­¡± ¡°You were vomiting all the time because of the liquor bottle.¡± Then Colin opened his eyes slightly. ¡°You¡¯re that guy? What¡¯s with that shy armor?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Ruon cut off Kyle¡¯s words and said. ¡°Where do you belong?¡± Colin coughed dryly at the sudden question and opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s confidential¡­ Damn it, I deserted.¡± He sighed deeply and said. ¡°¡­I belonged to one of the hundreds of units under the Steel Infantry Corps of the Second Army of the Kingdom. But in fact, we were a special unit that received separate orders. We had nothing to do with the main unit.¡± Too much detail. Ruon snorted at the question he had thrown to get a rough idea of the information, not expecting to know theposition of the unit. ¡°You¡¯re not ordinary people by the look of the special unit. Why did you desert?¡± Colin licked his dry lips with his tongue and Tarwen handed him a cup of water. He thanked him with a bow and took a sip of water. ¡°Every time I turned my head, the heads of myrades who were next to me flew away and disappeared¡­ I repeated that kind of fight countless times. But I didn¡¯t run away. I had to fight for my brothers¡¯ sake and kill more of those dirty barbarians.¡± He muttered with a bitter expression. ¡°My brothers left early. Din¡¯s head was smashed by an iron ball, and Ban¡¯s body was split in half. Potions didn¡¯t work for those wounds.¡± Kyle¡¯s face darkened. He had lost someone precious to him, so he could rte to what Colin said about leaving his blood behind. On the other hand, Tarwen looked calm. ¡°Anyway, we killed and killed like Akbari, and naturally caught the eye of a high-ranking person. That¡¯s where we went, the Star Brigade. It was a ce where everyone was like me, with nothing to lose.¡± Colin bit his lip again and said. ¡°Our role was simple. We cut off the head of the barbarian shaman. That was all. Their magic was a thorn in the side of the kingdom army.¡± Then Tarwen asked abruptly. ¡°Aren¡¯t there warriors protecting the shaman, from ten to a hundred depending on the shaman¡¯s skill? You broke through them?¡± It was a question that only the witch of the cradle who had collected corpses from the northern battlefield could ask, but Coleman, who had no idea of that fact, blinked. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes. You know well.¡± He looked at the fairy with a suspicious look, and then sighed, thinking that it was useless now. He continued to say. The Star Brigade did kill the shaman. To be precise, the owner of the relic spear, the captain of the hundred, Rogi, took care of the shaman, while the rest of the people killed the warriors blocking the front, opened the retreat, and escaped with Rogi who killed the shaman. That was the reason for the existence of the Star Brigade. To be the meat shield for the man named Rogi. The Star Brigade lost dozens of people every time there was a battle, and their ce was filled with new ones. At some point, there was an unwritten rule among them not to ask each other¡¯s names. Why? What¡¯s the point of knowing the name of someone who might die tomorrow? Coleman had lived in such a battlefield until now, with only vengeance for the barbarians. The man who had the goal of receiving a small medal for his merit no longer existed. When everyone became solemn, Ruon spoke. ¡°So why did you desert?¡± Colin hit his forehead with a surprised face. ¡°Ha ha, fuck¡¤¡¤¡¤I never had a chance to tell anyone about this shitty life, so the story went astray. Embarrassing.¡± He soonposed his face. ¡°Monsters.¡± The party, who had heard the story from Minerva, waited quietly for the rest of the story. ¡°Think about it. The barbarians, who were already terrifying, became like Mongols who crawled out of hell and swept the battlefield.¡± Colemanughed weakly. ¡°Rogi died that day. You know that, right? He was one of the strongest warriors I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. But he died. Now there¡¯s only one left.¡± He looked at Ruon for a while and said. ¡°We were already rolling with Rogi¡¯s charisma, but when he died, it was chaos. We didn¡¯t even know we had deserted. We just ran like hell as usual. When we came to our senses, it was toote. We didn¡¯t know what would happen if we stopped by a big city, so we kept running and ended up here.¡± Ruon seemed to understand now. The desire that had been suppressed by the heat of the battlefield, the relief of escaping from fear, the anger at the people who looked peaceful unlike them. All of that exploded in the massacre of Malmo. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤As soon as I came to my senses and talked for a long time, my head hurts. I¡¯ll leave the seat for a while.¡± At that, the party left one by one, but Coleman opened his mouth. ¡°I have onest thing to say to you guys.¡± You guys, Ruon and Kyle, stopped walking. The three men remained in the room and Coleman said. ¡°I was wondering, but she¡¯s not here.¡± The two men, who knew well that there was only one person he could call her, answered. ¡°Am?¡± ¡°Am?¡± Coleman nodded slowly and said. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d listen to me, considering that I was half out of my mind because of the monsters at the time¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± When the two men answered with silence, he exhaled and said. ¡°That day, I saw her standing tall beyond the wave of death that swept in. Yes, Am.¡± Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Kyle¡¯s face twisted in displeasure. ¡°Who did you see?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name you heard, brother.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this now?¡± Colin raised his palms as he saw the veins bulging on Kyle¡¯s neck. He seemed to be telling him to calm down. ¡°Just hear me out, okay?¡± Then, Ruon asked. ¡°Why do you think it was Am?¡± Colin pondered for a while before opening his mouth. ¡°I told you. I owe my life to the potions more than once or twice. You were the one who generously gave me the troll¡¯s blood, but it was Am who refined it into a potion. They¡¯re both like benefactors to me, so I remembered their faces.¡± Ruon nodded silently. Considering that Colin recognized him at once in this breathless situation, his words were usible enough. He said he understood and then left the room with Kyle, who looked pale. ¡°Ruon, you don¡¯t believe that, do you?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What do you mean, why not? Minerva said so. The north is now allied with the great demon and pushing back the kingdom¡¯s army. Why would Am be among those bastards? It¡¯s a guess. Colin must have seen wrong.¡± That¡¯s when Strabo poked his head out of the next room. ¡°Friends, can you tell us too?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Ruon winked at Kyle and then went into the room. After that, he told the others what he had heard from Coleman. When the brief exnation was over, Igor said. ¡°I know who Am is. Kyle used to mention her often.¡± Since they had been moving together and sharing their pasts without holding back, they had a rough idea of who Am was. A mage from the tower who was sent to catch the traitor who stole part of the philosopher¡¯s stone. That was what they knew. ¡°Am was the only one who cared for me and looked after me in the tower. She was a kind person. Of course, she disappeared suddenly¡­ Anyway, how could she suddenly side with the barbarians? I can¡¯t believe it.¡± At Kyle¡¯s words, the others looked at each other with awkward expressions. They couldn¡¯t say anything in a situation where they only heard it by word of mouth, not seeing it for themselves. Then, Ruon opened his mouth. ¡°Tarwen, what is the blood oath?¡± The fairy stiffened at the somewhat irrelevant question. ¡°If it¡¯s not a metaphorical expression, it¡¯s a wicked spell thates to mind. But why?¡± ¡°I saw Am exchanging that spell with the man who imed to be my father. I wondered if that had anything to do with it.¡± Tarwen furrowed his brow. ¡°What kind of crazy father makes a blood oath with his child? Are they really family?¡± The others¡¯ eyes were drawn to Tarwen at his unexpected violent reaction. He hesitated for a moment on how to exin to the others who were ignorant of magical knowledge, and then opened his mouth. ¡°The blood oath is an ancient primitive spell that has no trace of its origin. Those who are bound by it must absolutely obey the three demands of the other party, and they can¡¯t even take their own lives until they fulfill them. It¡¯s a mark that is engraved on the soul. In short, it¡¯s just bing a ve.¡± He added after spilling out his words like a waterfall. ¡°The mage of the tower didn¡¯t know that? No way. She must have chosen it knowing it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± At Strabo¡¯s question, Tarwen nced at Ruon and Kyle and then opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. Maybe she thought it was the best option at the time?¡± Silence fell at his words. The conversation didn¡¯t continue, and the group decided to leave Malmo by tomorrow and then dispersed to their own rooms. *** The firewood in the firece crackled. The wool was generous enough to keep the warmth in the room all night. The people said they couldn¡¯t bear to see the group who saved Malmo shivering in the middle of the night, and they sent all kinds of items from food to firewood to the inn, and thanks to that, they enjoyed the favor of sleeping warmly all night by the fire. From behind the wall that was not soundproof, Strabo¡¯s snoring could be heard. He seemed to be sleeping soundly. Ruon stared at the ceiling nkly with his palms on the back of his head. His eyes blinked at a steady pace, and he looked calm at a nce, but in fact, his mind was restless with thoughts that he hadn¡¯t sorted out yet. A palm-sized room, a real name, a fake world, Ruon, the name he had lived with, the violence he had gotten used to, but still the lonely night that was unfamiliar. Whenever a short thought crossed his mind, he felt an indelible anger boiling up, and then loneliness came rushing in, and sometimes his chest felt tight with sadness. He seemed to be engulfed by negative emotions in an instant, but he also smiled faintly at Strabo¡¯s sleep talk that came from behind the thin wall. As he closed his eyes quietly, Ruon remembered Fleur, who had scolded him for dreaming of ascending to heaven. And in his innermost, he saw [Ruon] shining in rainbow colors. That was the word that epassed his past, which he had built up, his present, which he lived by stepping on, and his future, which he would face. [Ruon] was a story in itself. Was bing a god thepletion of the story? When he opened his eyes, his expression wasplicated. Could he really go back to his original world if he squeezed his butt between the nobles like Tibeni, Duermurni, and Ganax, who were doing this and that? Well, he didn¡¯t know. He couldn¡¯t imagine what he would look like as a god, so Ruon snorted with a hollowugh. Come to think of it, that was the worst. Knock- It was not the sun, but a small knock sound that cut off his thoughts that followed one after another. He wondered if he had heard it wrong, but then he heard a cough sound. Why isn¡¯t he sleeping? Ruon got up and said. ¡°Come in.¡± As soon as the permission was given, the doorknob rattled and someone cautiously entered the room. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± Kyle smiled lightly and closed the door with his shoulder. He shook a bottle of liquor that he didn¡¯t know where he got from and said. ¡°Do you want a drink?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not bad.¡± The two sat face to face at a small table in front of the firece. There was no toast. Kyle, who lightly wet his lips, opened his mouth. ¡°Can I get straight to the point?¡± He always did. Ruon nodded his head with a chuckle. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep because I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± Kyle let out a long sigh and drank the liquor. He choked on the heat of the strong distilled liquor and added. ¡°Looking back, I was fine when Am disappeared without a word. I guessed she would be living well somewhere.¡± Ruon thought that wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong, but he waited for the rest of the words to follow. Sometimes it was more helpful to listen quietly. ¡°Did I tell you? After Ruon left the tower, Am gave me various potions while I was swinging my sword poorly. When I said it was burdensome because it looked expensive, she said this.¡± ¡®You can¡¯t live as a woodcutter forever, can you?¡¯ Kyle scratched his head. The man who had be the sword of the goddess in an instant was now engulfed in guilt. Soon he said in a low voice. ¡°Ruon.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have to go north. Even if I don¡¯t participate in the war directly, I have to find Am.¡± Ruon took the bottle to his mouth btedly. It was only bitter, not tasty. ¡°If you want to go, just go.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s weird. How irresponsible it is to say that I¡¯m going to find an old friend who broke up with me in a situation where everyone is moving for the sake of justice. But¡­¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t go on. Ruon started tough softly at some point in his words. ¡°Justice, who moved under such a grandiose word? As far as I know, there is no such person among us except Igor.¡± Kyle tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°¡­What about Ruon?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Ruon looked at the firewood fire that was dancing softly with a calm gaze. ¡°Justice, reason, those are words that suit the heroes that Strabo admires. Not me. Whether the knights of Ganax conspired for decades or not, whether the barbarians of the north joined hands with the great demon and tried to overthrow the kingdom or not, I have no reason to stop them.¡± That was the truth. He was the one who had extinguished two great demons, but he didn¡¯t want to do such a thing as wrapping up his achievements grandly. It was just the end of a thing that started somehow. He didn¡¯t have any intention to kill the great demon and contribute to the peace of the world from the beginning. It might seem like hecked a sense of responsibility, but he had always lived like that since he fell on thisnd, and he intended to live like that in the future. Kyle blinked his eyes and said. ¡°¡­Then, Ruon, will you go with me?¡± ¡°It would be much better to help an old friend than to chase after the clouds of peace. After all, that ce is also connected to the great demon, so I guess I¡¯ll have a hard time. Wherever I go, those bastards are always there.¡± Despite being rted to the great demon, Ruon¡¯s tone was as if he was just annoyed. Kyle finally started tough at that. ¡°Strabo would love this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more romantic than stepping into the battlefield for a friend. He would probably write ten novels with his mouth about it.¡± Kyleughed louder at the words that saw through Strabo¡¯s mind. The two finally toasted. The alcohol tasted strangely better. The room was cozy, and from the next room, the snoring of a dwarf was heard incessantly. *** The sun peeked out over the pale sky. The party woke up from the sunlight pouring through the window and gathered their belongings one by one. They headed down to the dining room. All kinds of dishes started to fill the table in front of them, who were rubbing their sleepy eyes. The woman who put down thest te smiled awkwardly. Her name was Maren. ¡°Since you¡¯re leaving today¡­ I prepared this with my humble skills, but I don¡¯t know if it suits your taste. Please enjoy itfortably.¡± She looked a bit burdened by the fact that she became the owner of the inn at a young age after losing her parents to deserters. But the party, who had watched her for a few days, believed that she would do well. The food was also very delicious. During the meal, Ruon told the party what he had talked with Kylest night. In a nutshell, it was this. He and Kyle were nning to go north. What about you? Igor put down his spoon and said. ¡°So it came to this.¡± He pondered for a moment and said. ¡°As much as I want to go with you anywhere, I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to Gannicus¡¯s sinister movements as a priest. I have to return to the Grand Church. I have to find out their truth and drive away the dark conspiracy.¡± Kyle felt sorry that the Sword of Tiv himself couldn¡¯t join Igor¡¯s journey, but the priest smiled gently as he always did. ¡°There are things that you shouldn¡¯t regret, Kyle.¡± Contrary to expectations, Tarwen and Strabo also expressed their intention to go with Igor. ¡°The cradle may have copsed, but the knights who are suspected behind it are still running around somewhere. This choice may not be a way to atone for my mistake¡­ but I want to take responsibility at least.¡± Thest witch of the cradle, Tarwen, said that and smiled bitterly. ¡°See you soon.¡± Thest one was Strabo. He struggled to express why he made this choice for a long time and opened his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more beautiful than jumping into the battlefield for a friend¡­ but right now, you guys are my friends. This feels right to me.¡± Ruon smiled slightly at the sight of the dwarf who always cried out for romance. When the meal was over, the three got up first. Tarwen hugged Ruon tightly with her slender arms and stayed still for a while. Igorforted Kyle, saying that he woulde back as soon as the church¡¯s work was done. And Strabo, who seemed to regret even the short farewell, kept looking back until he finally shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon! Leave some action for us!¡± Sven followed him. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon-I¡¯ll be back soon-¡± Kyle, who was looking at the empty table after the party left, scratched his head and said. ¡°How did you cope when you parted with all of us, Ruon?¡± Well. Ruon smiled faintly and packed his bag. Someone came down from above. The man who came down the stairs wearing a thick quilted armor was Coleman. He opened his eyes wide at the table where only two were left. ¡°Where did the priest go? I have to thank him.¡± ¡°We just parted¡­ but you should lie down more. Why did you get up? Where are you going?¡± At Kyle¡¯s question, he stretched out and said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die as a deserter. Do you know how many barbarians I killed?¡± Ruon had a feeling that he knew what he was going to say next. And he was right. ¡°I want to go with you guys. Is that okay?¡± Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Chapter 101 The group had been camping and traveling north from Malmu for several days. As they marched on as usual today, braving the suddenly cold wind, Kyle squinted his eyes and muttered. What is that? Coleman, who had been handing carrots to Ruon and Caliban as a sign of goodwill, while watching a gray rabbit disappear into a burrow in the distance, turned his head at the same time. Huh? Something was hanging from arge tree that looked miserable without any leaves. And there was a lot of it. Ruon, who had the best eyesight among the group, realized that they were corpses that had been executed and furrowed his brows. Kyle and Coleman also couldnt close their mouths at the horrific sight. The corpses, whose necks were tied with ropes, regardless of their age or gender, were covered withrge and small wounds all over their bodies, as if they had been tortured cruelly when they were alive. Ruon spotted a signpost next to the tree. He walked over to it and scanned the words carved into the wooden piece. What the hell. Ruon let out a hollowugh. The crimes listed were too outrageous to believe that they weremitted by ordinary vigers. Besides, treason? Did these vige folks have some crazy idea of taking over the kingdom? Moreover, among the dead, there were even old men who looked at least eighty. Colin also clicked his tongue. I dont like barbarians, but this seems a bit forced, dont you think? Kyle also shook his head and added. This is not really an execution. They just killed them and hung them up, right? Look at this person. He has a hole in his chest, for crying out loud. Just then, an old man who was pulling a cart on the other side of the road saw the group and shouted in surprise. Get away from there. Right now! He ran over to them and looked around nervously before opening his mouth. If the earl hears you talking nonsense here, youll all be beheaded. The old man was flustered by the indifferent reaction of the three sullen men. Didnt you hear me? Youre in big trouble. Coleman, who was picking off the lint on his leather armor with his nails, asked. What did we do to deserve beheading? The old man, who btedly noticed the unusual size and armament of the group, answered in a trembling voice. Do you really think these people hanging here died because theymitted all these crimes? His eyes were very gloomy and shaky at the same time, so the group tried not to scare him. Ruon, who had been silent, spoke calmly. Thank you for your concern. Well be on our way soon, so dont worry too much. The old mans face, which had been shriveled like a rat, rxed a little. Thank you for saying that. Then, Kyle, who had been carefully observing the changing color of the sky, turned his head. The sun is setting faster than I thought Excuse me, sir, is there a ce nearby where we can rest? The old man sighed and nced at the corpses hanging from the tree. There used to be, but now all the vigers are hanging here. At that, Kyle rummaged through his pocket and took out four silver coins and handed them to the old man. Then, can we stay at your house for just one night? I think well freeze to death if we camp out today. The old man blinked his eyes in surprise at the considerable amount of silver piled up on Kyles palm. It was a profitable deal to rent a room for a day and get five silver coins. It was also a small gesture of kindness from Kyle for the old man who might be reluctant to let the unusual group into his house. Th-this The old man looked back and forth between the silver and the groups faces, and his wrinkled hand folded over Kyles palm. Follow me. After finishing his words, the old man led the way with his cart, and Kyle shrugged his shoulders. How about that? This amazing negotiation skill. Coleman scratched his nose and said. Brother, couldnt you have taken one out? Four silver coins would have been enough to show your sincerity. Eheh, you dont know anything. Ruon looks the most ferocious, so three silver coins. One each for me and Coleman. Oh What a mess. Ruon, who was watching Kyles miraculous logic and Colemans admiration, unknowingly closed his eyes tightly. Whether they knew it or not, the two men who had be close in the past few days followed the old man, chatting about this and that. *** The dinner was nothing but boiled potatoes and mulligan soup, but the warmth was enough for the group, who emptied their bowls without a word. Im sorry I didnt have much to offer. You must not have filled your stomachs with those bodies. Possible continuation. Kyle smiled kindly at the old mans apologetic words. No, it was delicious. Coleman, who had been looking at the stuffed deer head above the firece, asked. Sir, were you a hunter? I used to be. But now I can barely walk, let alone run, so Im living on as a herbalist. My father was a hunter too As Coleman rambled on about his father who died hunting a bear, Ruon lightly brushed off the burrs stuck to his pants and threw them into the firece. At that moment, he felt a very faint movement and quickly turned his head to look at the window. He saw someone duck down a second toote. Ruon casually turned his head back and looked at the old man. Why were those people hanging from the trees? Did they do something to offend the baron? At that, the old mans wrinkles deepened. If they had any sin, it was only protecting their neighbors who had been with them for a long time. At his vague words, the attention of the group focused on him and he coughed a few times before opening his mouth. There was a northerner named Oten living in ck Rock Vige. Yeah, a barbarian. At the word barbarian, Coleman flinched and crossed his arms. The old man noticed his unnatural movement and shook his head. Dont be so ufortable. Its true that Otens hometown was beyond the mountains, but he left there ten years ago and settled in ck Rock Vige. His eyes moistened as he reminisced about the past. He met a loving wife and started a family and lived well without envy. He was a diligent young man. No one ever picked a fight or discriminated against him because of his origin. He was a warrior who skillfully hunted down the monsters that gued the vige. Who would dare to do that? The group listened quietly, curious about what would follow. Then, a recent incident happened. The baron who seeded my father who died of illness said he would inspect the territory he would rule and touched a woman he fancied, but he ended up killing her. Kyle asked with a wary expression. Could it be that she was Otens wife? Youre right. The story continued. Oten, who had returned from cutting wood in the mountain, went mad at the sight before his eyes and swung his axe, killing not only six of the barons men, but also leaving a scar on the barons face. But in the end, he was subdued and brutally killed, and the baron, who was still angry, ughtered the vigers and hung them from the trees, iming that they were infested with barbarians. You probably didnt see it, but right now, Otens head is skewered on a pole at the entrance of the vige. Its horrible. Kyle and Colemans faces hardened at the oue of the incident. Then Ruon spoke. I heard you. How about we let the child outside in now? Its very cold. He said that and pointed to the window with his thumb. Sure enough, someone startled and bowed their head, but this time, everyone could see clearly. The old man eximed in surprise. Good heavens, Adley! He ran outside and came back with a little girl in his arms. Whats going on? The group blinked their eyes, not knowing what was going on, and the old man hugged the girl tightly and set her down in front of the firece. Didnt I tell you it was dangerous toe out of the barn? Hehe, Im hungry. Grandpa. The child smiled innocently, her cheeks red. She looked about seven years old. The child, who had a coppery skin and bright ck eyes, waved her hand at the group watching her. Hi, hello. Nice to meet you. Ruon poked the childs cheek with his index finger and then spoke to the old man who was still holding her. Dont worry, the baron wont bother you. The old mans eyes fluttered at his calm voice. He soon calmed himself and said. Is that true? Ruon nodded silently and rummaged through his backpack and handed the child a few pieces of dried meat. The girl eximed and bit off pieces of the meat while sitting. Coleman muttered as he looked down at the girl. This child has barbarian blood mixed in her. The old man staggered to his feet and slumped into a chair. His face looked ten years older as he murmured. The woman who angered the baron was my daughter. She had the prettiest smile in the world. He chuckled weakly and stroked the girls hair. She left Adley with me once a week. The old man must have cared for me so I wouldnt be lonely. Whats so pretty about an old man living in the mountains Soon, tears streamed down his wrinkled eyes. Then the girl, Adley, wiped her grandfathers face with her fern-like hand. Dont cry. Yeah, dont cry. The old man forced a smile and continued. The count somehow found out and was looking for Adley. He seemed determined to kill this bastard and ease his anger. Thats why he wanted to take this child and get out of here. He stopped by the vige onest time, hoping to find his daughter and son-inws belongings. Kyle recalled the old man who came with a carriage from the direction of the vige and shook his head. Well leave tomorrow. So please turn a blind eye for just one day. The group nodded their heads in response to the earnest plea. Coleman clenched his teeth as he watched the old man patting the shoulder of the child who had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Damn it, this is why I joined the war. Hoping to earn some merit and get a title. This damn world is too stingy to live in. There are always lunatics everywhere. Most of them are nobles. Bastards. Kyle muttered quietly. Coleman, the kid can hear you. So Coleman whispered back. The bastard baron. Thats when it happened. Kyle clenched his teeth and muttered under his breath. Coleman, the kid can hear you. Coleman hissed back in a low voice. The bastard baron. He deserves to rot in hell. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the hall. They turned around and saw a cloud of smoke and debris. Someone had blown up the door. Heeeyyy-! The sound of Calibans nervous howl, tied to the fence, reached his ears. At the same time, the crimson light of the flickering torches poured into the window. Bang bang bang! Open the door, we know youre in there! Two! He pushed the lock and released thetch, then grabbed the doorknob. One! He flung the door open with explosive force. Bang! The man who was hit in the face by the sudden opening of the door staggered and fell on his butt. He spewed out bright red blood from his broken nose and screamed in pain. Ugh, you bastard. Who are you! Do you want to d-die-ack The man who was spitting blood was overwhelmed by the cold eyes looking down at him and could not finish his words. A gulp sound escaped from his stiffened mouth. Ruon ignored him and shifted his gaze to the dozens of men who surrounded the shack. He said. Shall we? Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Chapter 102 The mens weapons and outfits varied widely. Some wielded long spears, others carried swords, and some had hammers or axes. They were a motley crew. Their mismatched gear made one thing clear. They were not soldiers, but mercenaries. That was the conclusion Ruon reached when he heard a greasy voice among the clustered mercenaries. Looks like the old bastard who was scraping by suddenly got a second wind and hired some mercenaries, huh? Did he have some money stashed away? As he spoke, the mercenaries parted to make way for a man with a massive body who waddled out like a penguin. Maybe he knew his face looked like a babys because of his fat and saggy skin. He had grown a beard that did not suit him at all to cover his face. Haha, youre a stiff one. I wonder if you can keep your posture when you find out who I am. He cleared his throat and looked around. Is there no one who can introduce me to that greenhorn? Just then, Colin, who had walked behind Ruon, frowned at the sight. Whats with that tone? At that moment, a shifty-looking mercenary stepped forward and shouted. This gentleman here is none other than Baron Farell, the filthy rich owner of some some mine or whatever. Did you hear that? You bastard! It was a cheap and rude introduction. But the pig-like baron nodded his head with a satisfied smile. Upon closer inspection, he had a long scar across his forehead. It seemed to be the wound that Oten had left. Let me add a little exnation to this friends words. Im on a heroic march with my proud soldiers. Im rooting out the savages who were lurking in my territory and exposing the traitors. Ive dealt with the problem that could have turned into a rebellion because of my fathersx management. Do you understand? Hes just crazy. Ruon revised his evaluation of the baron based on his words. He was not just covering up his faults by ming the vigers for various crimes. He actually believed he was a hero. His eyes, without a hint of doubt, proved that. Meanwhile, the baron yelled. This house is where the wicked old man who sold my daughter to the savages and his granddaughter are hiding. So get out of the way! Then Ill show you myst mercy with my generous magnanimity. He was a loudmouth. Ruon did not want to hear his quacking noise anymore. He clenched his fist silently, when Mercy? Who for whom? Kyle stepped forward. Unlike Ruon and Colin, who wore leather and linen armor, he wore iron armor that glinted faintly. The baron flinched at his appearance. Of course, I for you. Are you confident in front of the goddess? The baron was bewildered by the sudden question, but soon sneered and answered. Of course! Do you know how much Ive donated and offered to Tive? I can say that I own a few pirs of the cathedral without exaggeration. At some point, Kyles face lost its expression. He turned his body and looked out the window, then smiled faintly and gestured to the old man to cover his ears with both index fingers. The old man, who understood his meaning, nodded and covered the ears of the sleeping Adley with both hands. Then Kyle turned his body again and said. Why did the goddess choose me, who was nothing but a woodcutter, as her sword? Ive always wondered, but now I think I know a little. The mercenaries, the baron, and even Colin held their breath at his calm voice. Ruon also quietly watched his movements. Shriek- He drew the Arming Sword from his waist instead of the hammer he had left in the hut. A faint light leaked from his body. Then the baron shouted in surprise. Y-you! Who are you! Kyle pointed his sword at him and answered. Im Tives champion. At his words, the mercenaries murmured and looked at each other. They were used to pleasing the whims of the rich andmitting all kinds of evil deeds. The knights of the church were their source of fear. The baron shook his chin and screamed. Lies, lies! Why would Tives champione to this backwater? Hes using magic. Kill him! Hes surely in league with the savages. Hes a rebel who wants to overthrow the country! His scream was like a fuse, and the mercenaries rushed in with a roar. Die! You bastard! The one who had his nose broken and had been ring at Ruon as if he wanted to kill him swung his axe first. Ruon reached out and snapped the flying axe de like a straw, then returned it to the bewildered man. Crack-The axe head stuck in his forehead, and he fell back stiffly as if he had been struck by lightning. And he never got up again. Right after, Ruon dodged a spear aimed at his temple by tilting his head, then grabbed the spear shaft and pulled it in. Wh-what? The mercenary, losing his bnce and falling forward, was punched in the face by arge fist and sent flying backward. Hey motionless, appearing to have died instantly. The man, deeming the mercenary unworthy of even drawing his sword, grabbed two mercenaries rushing from either side and smashed them together like cymbals. Meanwhile, hispanions were also busy engaging in battle. Colin, with his experience in the battlefield, wielded his sword precisely, effortlessly cutting down mercenaries, while Kyle aggressively swung his sword, showing no mercy as he cleared his path of enemies. Cant you fight properly? Do you know how much Ive spent on you? The baron shouted in shock as he watched his mercenaries crumble to the ground. Despite his desperate cries, the situation spiraled out of control. Nearly a dozen men failed to ovee just three, scattering blood in a surreal scene that left the baron gaping in stunned silence. This cant be happening, its a lie! Ive invested a hundred gold coins in these men. A hundred! The barons words were cut short as Luon kicked him in the chest. The baron, emitting a sound like a pig being ughtered, fell to the ground, unable to rise due to his own weight. Wait! I dont know how much that old man paid you, but Ill give you ten times, no, a hundred times more. What do you say? Isnt that tempting? Even in this situation, the baron tried to bargain, but Kyle kicked him hard in the face. The baron instinctively covered his face as he spat out yellow teeth. Dont be so dramatic, Kyle growled. Colin, having finished off the fallen mercenaries with his sword, approached with blood streaming down his cheek. Theyre all dead. Realizing there was no hope left, the baron wet himself where he sat. Kyle looked down at the pitiful figure and asked, Why did you kill that woman? The baron, blinking in confusion, suddenly remembered something and said, Are you talking about that barbarians woman? Its a misunderstanding. I didnt kill her. I just wanted to have a bit of fun before letting her go. I never thought shed bite her tongue and end her life. Damn it! Am I that disgusting? Ranting to himself, the baron suddenly put on a forced smile and added, I should apologize. Yes, to that old man. Then everything will be fine, right? If I sincerely repent, the goddess of mercy will forgive me, wont she? Colin, disgusted by the nonsensical talk, twirled his sword in his hand. This pig is unbelievable Luon raised his arm to stop Colin, shaking his head slightly in response to Colins questioning look. Kyle then said, My friend had something to say when he killed a demon. There are no prayers for you. The baron tilted his head in confusion at the sudden mention of a demon. What are you talking about all of a sudden Before the baron could finish, Kyle continued calmly, Theres no mercy for you either, bastard. As soon as he finished speaking, Kyles sword sliced through the air. The barons throat was deeply cut, and he twisted his body as he let out a deting sound. His eyes rolled back, and as they turnedpletely white, he stopped moving. Colin approached Kyle, who was looking down at the dead baron with aplex expression, and said while wiping under his nose, Well done, brother. Dont be too down. *** The old man, unable to believe that the three strangers he had taken into his home had saved his and his granddaughters lives,ughed hollowly before breaking down into tears like a child. Kyle knelt beside the old man, joining him in silent prayer for the dead daughter, son-inw, and vigers. In that moment, he was truly bing a champion of the goddess of mercy. I always thought there was something special about you since you arrived in shining armor, but to be a champion of the gods Ive lived a tumultuous life myself, but I cantpare to you two. What exactly happened? Colin, who had been tossing bodies into arge pit, wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked. Luon, who had been collecting a few silver coins from the dead, pushed another body into the pit and replied, Killed a couple of archdemons something like that. Colin, drinking from his water skin, sprayed water forward and choked. After regaining his breath, he said, What? What demons? Youre joking, right? Theres no one here tough. Colin blinked, still notprehending. Why havent you told me about this before? Weve been traveling together for days. You never asked. Ah? Indeed, he hadnt. Ruon didnt talk about his past because he wasnt asked, and even Kyle, who liked to chat about this and that, had no reason to blurt out that he had killed the great demon. Besides, Colin, who had be numb to rumors while roaming the battlefield, still didnt know the name of the party that had in the great demon. Of course, Ruon thought it was rather fortunate that he didnt know his embarrassing nickname, the great Ruon. Shit, shit. Who have I been traveling with all this time? Colin muttered and then added abruptly. Were going north to find Am, right? Thats what Kyle said, I think. Thats right. Thats a relief. I thought we were going to kill another great demon Ruon wondered if he should tell him that it might happen, when Kyle came through the grass from afar. Im sorry. I should have helped you. Ah, no, its fine. Whats this? Its normal to deal with corpses. By the way, how are the two of them? Kyle looked at Colin, who was stammering, with a strange expression and said. Theyve calmed down and fallen asleep. I gave them some money for the trip, but theyre still anxious. Its not our territory from now on. Kyle nodded at Ruons words. Then he opened his mouth slowly. Im sorry for killing the noble without listening to the two of them Colin waved his hand. Hey, brother, why are you apologizing all the time? Whats wrong with killing a noble? Im a damn deserter, you know? And in my opinion, judging by the way he talked, he wasnt from a deep-rooted family. He must have been a rich merchant who bought a title. Lets just cover it up. He said, rummaging through thest remaining barons corpse. He said he had a mine ownership or something, but I wonder if he hid it somewhere. Why would he carry that around with him? Ruon snorted incredulously, and Colin eximed. What? He has it? Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Eltigre was the northernmost city in the kingdoms territory. Beyond it, there was no settlement, only the kingdoms army barracks that were constantly at war with the barbarians. Eltigre was a strategic base that supported them. Living with the threat of the barbarians invasion looming over their heads was a frightening thing, but surprisingly, the residents of Eltigre had a high level of life satisfaction. That was because they felt relieved that the soldiers, who were disciplined and trained, were protecting them, and they believed that the crude barbarians would never break through the defensive line. But that was no longer the case. The northern expedition had failed, and the news that the defensive line, which had been their sturdy fence for decades, had copsed, had started to spread. And a few days ago, when hundreds of retreating soldiers arrived in the city, the rumor became reality. The people were engulfed by anxiety that their heads would soon be chopped off, and some of them, unable to ovee their fear, secretly fled the city at night. The lord of Eltigre did not forgive the cowards who left the castle without permission, and he prevented the peoples exodus with his threats, but that only made the peoples anxiety grow. As they passed through the gate of Eltigre, Kyle said. Even the passing dogs look depressed. What can they do? They heard that the army that had been protecting them had lost, and if they smile brightly, theyre insane. Colin, who answered him, turned his head and looked at Ruon. What are we going to do now? We need to rest for a while. That sounds good. The group headed straight for the inn. Soon, they found arge wooden building and entered it without hesitation. The inn, which had a paradoxical name of Hot North Wind, looked neat and tidy inside, as if it was a new building. The owner, who approached the group with a sly smile, enthusiastically told them the history of the inn, which they did not ask for. In summary, the inn, which had originally been a modest one-story building, had gradually expanded its size and sessfullypleted the expansion, bing thergest three-story inn in the city. Do so many outsiderse to this city? Not outsiders, but soldiers who visit here on vacation. Theye in droves, from a dozen to several dozens at a time The innkeepers expression looked somewhat bitter as he said that, so Kyle did not ask any more questions. The group, who had not washed or eaten properly on their way here, gave the owner a generous amount of money, and then melted their bodies with hot water and filled their hungry stomachs with warm food. Its really delicious, isnt it? I can see how they raised the building. I know, right? Even considering how hungry we were, this is really amazing. As Colin chewed on the meat stuck in his teeth, Kyle nodded his head in agreement. He turned his head and looked at Ruon, who was slurping the soup like water. Ruon. What? Ive been thinking, even if we manage to get into the north with the three of us, how are we going to find Am? Ruon did not have a clear solution either, so there was a moment of silence. Then he said. If she attacked the kingdoms army because of the oath, shell probably show up in the next battle. Kyle sighed deeply and said. Thats the best we can hope for right now. Yeah. Ruon answered briefly, his expression as calm as ever, but in fact, he was considering the worst-case scenario. Unlike Kyle, who was focused on finding Am, he thought that what happened after the meeting was more important. If the power of the oath was beyond his and Kyles abilities, and if she tried to kill them in that situation, he could not just sit there and take it. He hoped that would not happen, and he was drinking his beer, when he met eyes with a man who was sitting at a table diagonally across from him. What does he want? He felt annoyed by the mans tant gaze, and he furrowed his brows slightly. Then the man got up and walked slowly toward the table where the group was sitting. Kyle and Colin, who were sitting with their backs to him, also turned their heads following Ruons gaze. Do you have something to say to us? By the time Colin asked, the man had alreadye close to the group and nodded his head. Yes, I do. He answered, but his eyes were fixed on Ruon, and they did not seem to move away. Ruon looked at his eyes, which had a strange heat in them, and said. What? Do you want to fight? Or do you want a knife? Dont joke. Challenging the warrior who killed the great demon, thats not courage, thats madness. And I pride myself on being good at discerning situations. The man smiled faintly, and sat down on an empty chair as if it was natural, when Ruon did not say anything back. I was wondering if it was really you, and it was. Its an honor to meet you. Who are you? The man raised his right hand to his left chest and answered. My name is Wayne, a knight who swore loyalty to Lord Kemar of Eltigre. He finished his formal introduction and added. I overheard your conversation by ident. I recognized the names you called each other. You looked simr to the heroes who killed the great demon. So I gathered some courage and approached you. He was obviously staring at them. Ruon thought so and opened his mouth. What do you want from us? Colin interrupted. Its obvious. He wants to get acquainted with you two. What was your name? Wayne? How about we have a drink together if Im right? Wayne smiled weakly at that. His blond hair swayed. Of course, I would love to be friends with the heroes, but thats not why I came here. He nced around and lowered his voice. Can you introduce me to the lord? Ruon narrowed his eyes and asked. Why do you want to see the lord? Wayne, the knight, looked around the noisy inn with a grim expression. The people who were drinking seemed happy, but he knew better than anyone that they were trying to shake off their anxiety with a sip of alcohol. I wont beat around the bush. The situation in El Tigre is like a candle in the storm. I need your help. He said he wouldnt beat around the bush, but he was already vague. He seemed to be conscious of the people around him. But it was obvious what the storm he was talking about was. The barbarians. I cant promise you anything with my authority. But the lord is different. If you talk to him, youll surely get a good result for both of you. He finished his speech and looked at them with a slightly anxious face. Meeting the lord. Ruon thought for a moment and made up his mind. If the city was in danger, they would be involved anyway. It was obvious. He nodded and said. Lead the way. *** The three of them arrived at arge mansion and followed Wayne to the lords room. What was surprising was that the people they met on the way bowed politely to Wayne, who was leading them. It would have been understandable if they were soldiers, but some of them looked like knights. Kyle noticed that too and nudged Ruon and Colins elbows alternately and whispered. Hes not an ordinary knight, is he? They reached arge door at the end of the long corridor. The guard who was guarding it opened the door without a word and stepped aside. The scene beyond the door was bleak. There were no splendid frames or ornaments, let alone a carpet. The room was surrounded by dull gray bricks. It was lucky that there were a few windows, otherwise they would have thought it was a cell for prisoners, not the lords room. Then the middle-aged man who was looking out the window with his back turned slowly turned his head. The lord, Kemar, said. Wee. Youre the honored guests. Yes. The lord seemed to have been informed beforehand, as he guessed who they were. He scanned them with a sharp gaze and then scolded Wayne. You were supposed to rest, but you brought trouble on your own. How can I rest when you cant sleep, my lord? Im your guardian knight. Oh, he was a guardian knight. Thats why everyone was so formal to him. He was the knight who protected the lord. Kemar shook his head as if he couldnt help it and sighed. You probably expected it, but Ill exin it again. The barbarians army has appeared nearby. Im not sure if its their main force, but they have enough numbers to call it an army. He skipped the unnecessary introduction and exined the current situation. Ruon asked him. So youre saying that the royal army suffered a near-annihtion? Even if the defense line copsed, there should be a lot of survivors. Howe the enemies arrived faster than them? The lords eyes widened and then returned to normal. You have a sharp mind. Youre not just a strong hero. He sighed weakly and opened his mouth. Three hundred soldiers have evacuated here. But as you said, theyre a drop in the bucketpared to the survivors. You know what that means. He didnt seem to want an answer, so they kept quiet. As expected, the lord added. They ran away. They knew that El Tigre was next after the defense line. So they retreated to a faraway city. And its true. Most of the surviving soldiers are in Briten. Theyre nning a counterattack there. Britten was a city about ten days south of El Tigre. Colin, who had volunteered there with his siblings, shuddered silently. Then Kyle said. Do you really think you can stop the barbarians attack here? Youll all die. But the lord didnt look scared at all. If my eyes havent failed me, youre Kyle, right? Youre right, your words are not wrong. Well only die if we stay here. He clenched his teeth so hard that the muscles on his jaw bulged. He slowly opened his mouth. But I cant just abandon the castle and run away. Im the lord of El Tigre. I have a duty to protect thend that my ancestors have guarded. Ruon frowned. The lords words could be nicely wrapped up as faith, but in this situation, they were nothing but stubbornness. The king who started the war had gone mad with power, and the retreating soldiers had fled to the north under the pretext of reorganization. There seemed to be no hope for El Tigre. Fortunately, Kamar was more of a person who suited the word faith than stubbornness. Ive poured all the connections and gold Ive umted so far and requested support from various ces. If they arrive on time, the situation will improve a lot. Faced with a fairly realistic alternative, Ruon suppressed the refusal that rose to his throat and asked. Where is that? The lord answered with hopeful eyes. Literally, various ces, but the most hopeful ce to try is the Grand Cathedral of Ganak. Where? At the unexpected words, Ruon and Kyles expressions hardened at the same time. Pwoo- The sound of a horn blowing from afar was heard. Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Chapter 105 The sound of the horn was heavy like a gong, and the lords face hardened. Soon, the outside became noisy and the emergency bell rang loudly. Ding ding ding ding ding! My lord! Then, the door opened with a ssh and a soldier came in. He looked oblivious to the fact that he had not saluted properly, as he had a frantic face. Of course, no one was going to nag him for that. The scouts have reported. The enemies have started to approach the castle, and judging by their speed, they will arrive at the north gate in about an hour! The lord nodded. I see. Dont panic, and go back to your position. Yes, sir! The soldier ran out quickly after finishing his report. The lord then spoke to Wayne. You should also go out quickly, instead of lingering here. Ill follow you soon. Wayne obeyed the firm order without a word and went out. Soon, his voice was heard,manding the soldiers in a gruff tone. Now, only you guys are left. The lord, Kemar, blinked. Except for one person whose identity was uncertain, the two men in front of him were the most famous people in the kingdom right now. The Demon Lord Killers. That was the name they were called by. The Grand Church of Tive had announced their statement, and the other churches had no objections, which meant they were not frauds. But the lord was not shaken. In fact, he thought the rumors were exaggerated. The Demon Lord was a powerful being, for sure, but they were hiding in the shadows, unable to do anything to the church or the army, right? The lord, who believed that there was no individual who could surpass a group, regarded Ruon and Kyle as nothing more than individuals with strong power. Of course, that was enough to ask them to fight for the city. I wont ask you to fight for honor. Its only fair that you get paid for risking your life. But the situation is not favorable for bargaining. The lord bowed his head slightly and added. Please. Will you fight with me? Ruon felt strange, seeing this noble who had bothered a woman with a husband and a child. No matter what, it was hard to imagine that someone with a title would bow his head to someone without one. Ruon nodded. There was no reason to refuse the request, since he hade here to confront the barbarians anyway. Fine, lets do that. The frightened citizens were running somewhere. Most of them seemed to be going home, but some of them took advantage of the chaos to loot the stalls ormit random violence. It was a hellish scene. Leaving the chaotic scenery behind, the party moved towards the north gate. Hurry up! Move as you trained! Right next to them, the armed soldiers were running along with the loud orders of their superiors. Their faces were all stiff with the spears and swords in their hands. In the tense atmosphere, the party managed to reach the wall. A officer who was pointing his finger here and there and shouting came up to them. Are you mercenaries? Yes. Ruon answered briefly, and the officer pointed to one side of the wall with his index finger. Then go there. As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his voice to somewhere else. Hey, you bastard! Cant you hold the pot properly? Do you want to spill oil on our allies faces? The party was already out of his sight, and Ruon chuckled as he walked in the direction he pointed. The people on the wall fixed their eyes on the three unusual men led by Ruon for a moment, then turned their heads. They all looked like mercenaries hired by the lord, as their weapons were in a mess. Then, Ruon saw Colin, who was nervously clenching and unclenching his fists, and said. Are you scared? It would be weird if I wasnt. My heart is not made of steel. Colin muttered with a sunken eye. Besides, I saw it, right? The state of the barbarians. The soldiers who survived must have told the lord. They should have He trailed off, and Ruon turned his gaze from him to Kyle, who had aplicated expression. Why are you scared too? Im scared, but more than that, Im worried about the lords words. He said the reinforcements were Gannocks. Im afraid this will be like bringing a tiger to stop a wolf. Ruon shrugged. Maybe its a good thing. *** Really? Youre joking, right? Kyle asked incredulously. Perhaps, Ruon replied nonchntly, but he was serious. It was a perfect opportunity to witness the actions of the foul-smelling Ganaks with his own eyes. Of course, that assumed the city would hold until then. Suddenly, there was a murmur among the crowd. Turning his head, Ruon saw the lord of the castle, adorned in splendid armor and a cape that reached his waist, ascending the ramparts. The lord raised his baton high and spoke with a resonant voice that echoed clearly even from afar, Guardians of Eltigre! The soldiers cheered. Buoyed by the explosive response, the lords voice grew louder, I feel something hot boiling inside me at the sight of your unwavering courage! It is an unbreakable spirit and relentless determination! The cheers grew even louder. Brave warriors! The filthy barbarians are approaching, seeking to bring a storm of blood upon our kingdom and burn our history to ashes! The soldiers eyes zed with hostility, mirroring the lords tone. But as long as we stand here, their ambitions shall never be fulfilled. Today, we prove that! With a dramatic gesture, the lord pulled down the end of his baton, and it separated like a scabbard, revealing a gleaming de. He shouted, veins bulging in his neck, Today, we shall defend Eltigre! Our homnd! A thunderous roar of agreement erupted. Even the mercenaries joined in the fervor, shouting with enthusiasm. The collective heat of the many seemed to warm the cold city air, and just then, ck dots began to rise on the horizon. Soon, the dots became a line, and the line became a massive wave rushing towards the city, like a ck carpet intent on swallowing everything. Ooooooh! Kyle frowned at the barbarians army, which was charging with unprecedented roars, Theyreing without siege equipment? What were they thinking? Ruon squinted in disbelief at the irrational charge. Astonishingly, not even a singledder was in sight among them. Those foolish barbarians are hastening their own demise. Fire! the lordmanded. Wayne, standing beside him, echoed loudly, Archers, to your positions! To your positions! At themand, the archers repeated in unison and aimed their bows at the enemy. The tension was as taut as their bowstrings as the barbarians drew closer. Finally, within range, Wayne shouted again, Fire! Arrows filled the sky and rained down upon the barbarians heads. The powerful draw of the bows mercilessly pierced through the bodies of the charging foes. Many barbarians fell. Some, turned into porcupines by the sheer number of arrows yet still driven by remarkable willpower, continued their charge, only to eventually copse headfirst to the ground. Are they idiots? We were worried for nothing, a mercenary scoffed in disbelief after releasing his arrow. Yet, despite the mockery, the barbarians showed no sign of retreat. Instead, they trampled over their fallenrades and continued their assault on the castle. The lord was not one to simply watch. Show them what were made of! Another round of loading and firing followed. Again, the barbarians fell pathetically. With hundreds already on the ground, the soldiers morale soared. Whats going on? At that moment, Ruon felt an indescribable difort sweep through his mind. It was a sensation he could recognize from battling countless evil beings. It didnt take long for everyone on the ramparts to notice the anomaly. Did we miss? asked the mercenary who had earlier mocked the barbarians, tilting his head. He had seen an arrow pierce the head of a barbarian who continued to charge. On a hunch, he drew his bowstring fully and released an arrow withoutmand. Most witnessed it strike the barbarian squarely between the eyes. And they were horrified. The barbarian, momentarily staggering, picked up speed and charged even harder. Are my eyes deceiving me? the lord muttered, rubbing his eyes. The arrow is still lodged in his head, Wayne replied. Before the lord could respond, urgent cries came from all around. There are some who wont fall! They keep moving they keep moving! *** This edited version aims to enhance readability and maintain the narrative flow, while also ensuring the trantion captures the essence of the original text. Grrrrrrr! Among the barbarians who fell one by one, some of them stood out as they took all the attacks with their bodies. They looked nothing like humans. Their eyes were stained ck, their bodies were covered with thick veins, and they roared like beasts. Colin swallowed his saliva at the sight of them, which was no different from demons. Those bastards. He muttered as he drew his sword from his waist. Arrows cant kill them. Damn it, no wonder they didnt show up. As he said that, the monstrous barbarians pierced through the rain of arrows and finally reached the wall. They dug their fingers into the wall and started to climb up. Oil! Pour the oil! At themand that came from somewhere, the soldiers poured the pots of boiling oil over the barbarians. But even as their hair fell off and their flesh melted, they didnt stop climbing. Instead, they became more grotesque, and the soldiers recoiled in horror. Atst, one of the barbarians made it to the top of the wall. His scalp was burned and his body was covered with arrows, making him look even more hideous. Graaaaaa! He screamed and lunged at the nearest soldier, who reflexively stabbed him with his spear. But the spearhead was caught by hisrge hand, and the soldier was thrown off the wall with a scream. Then, he started to swing his axe at the stunned soldiers. The same scene happened all over the wall, and Ruons position was no exception. Shit, theyre up here! Despite the mercenaries fierce resistance, one of the barbarians who climbed the wall ran towards the archer who shot an arrow at his forehead. Hi-hiik! The barbarian crushed the archers skull with his brutal strength, and the mercenaries backed away. Only three of them stepped forward. Colin said. Those bastards wont feel a thing unless you chop off their arms and legs. You have to cut off their heads. He took a deep breath and gripped his sword. Ill draw their attention, and you two finish them off. I guess the kid with the hammer is the best fit for this But then, Ruon walked ahead. Colin was startled and shouted. Hey, brother! He was about to run after him, but he stopped as if his feet were rooted to the ground. Ruon easily dodged the barbarians arm that flew at him, and cut off his neck. He was holding a red sword in his hand. Then, another barbarian appeared on the wall. But he was hit by a sh of light and fell down. A momentter, a thunderous sound followed. Colin turned his head with a nk stare and saw the hammer that was smoking. And Kyle, who was holding it. After that, a few more barbarians managed to climb the wall, but none of them could stand against Ruons sword or fist. Colin couldnt help butugh. Who was worried about whom? Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Chapter 106 The barbarians who climbed the wall were abnormally huge. They pushed away the shields that blocked their way with their massive bodies, and swung their axes and war hammers. Thud! The head of one shield soldier was crushed like a ripe tomato. Another soldier who screamed at his friends death was hit by a hammer on his skull and died with his neck buried under his shoulder. In an instant, two squad members were killed, but the soldiers calmly thrust their spears. It was a moment when their long training paid off. As the barbarian who was stabbed deep in the abdomen staggered back, all kinds of cold weapons pierced his torso. Shit, what kind of strength The soldiers grimaced at the strength of the barbarian who was still struggling even after being impaled. Hold on tight! Then, a man who looked like the squad leader shouted loudly and swung his sword. Finally, the head of the barbarian fell from his neck and rolled on the ground. Hes dead! We did it! The squad leader spat on the ground and said. Dont get excited! Its only one He couldnt finish his sentence. Another barbarian who had grabbed him from behind chopped off half of his face with an axe. The squad leader who only gasped like a fish fell to the ground. A soldier who stepped back in fear identally kicked a pot of oil and fell. Aaargh! His body was soaked in boiling oil and he writhed in pain. The formation naturally copsed. Roar! As the barbarians rushed towards the soldiers, a giant appeared from nowhere and blocked their way with his sword. A red sh and the scene that caught the soldiers eyes was the giant kicking the headless barbarian and his body off the wall. The giant, Ruon, didnt stop there and spun his body and stretched his arm roughly. His hand grabbed the barbarians neck as soon as the barbarian also choked Ruons neck with both hands. On the back of the hand that aimed for the windpipe, a snake-like vein wriggled. They red at each other with burning eyes, but in the end, the one who showed the whites of his eyes was the barbarian. His eyes rolled back and bloody foam flowed from his nose and mouth. When Ruon felt no more breath from his mouth, he threw him away. The barbarian whose neck bone was crushed fell to the ground with his head twisted grotesquely. In the blink of an eye, the soldiers bowed their heads to him who killed two barbarians. Th-thank you. If you have time to thank me, attack the ones climbing the wall. You have to destroy their heads to stop them, so dont use arrows or oil carelessly. Ruon didnt wait for an answer and stomped on the ground. He was now busy going back and forth on the wall, supporting the ces where the formation was in danger of copsing. Of course, it was almost impossible to defend the entire wall by himself, so he left the opposite side to Kyle and Colin. In Ruons sight, who was checking the situation, there was a soldier who lost his legs and was crawling on the ground with his elbows, a barbarian who crushed his head, and a soldier who was enraged by hisrades death and fought back. All those scenes looked like a slow video. He didnt hesitate and ran there, cutting off the neck of the barbarian who wore a fur coat, and then knocked down the one who ran after him with his shoulder and kicked his face. His head exploded and blood, flesh, and crushed brain sttered everywhere. Uh, ugh, mommom. He turned his head at the sad sobbing and saw a soldier leaning on the wall. His intestines spilled from his torn belly and steamed in the cold weather. But that meant he was losing his heat, and soon the soldier closed his eyes with a blue lip and a murmur of cold. Ruon watched him silently with tears frozen on his cheeks. A desperate scream pierced his ears. Lord! He saw a barbarian with a wolf skin on his shoulder lifting a huge two-handed axe high in the sky. His copper-colored muscles moved dynamically. His target was the lord, who was coughing with his elbow on the ground, and next to him were two broken staffs that looked pitiful. Ruon threw his ego sword without hesitation. The sword that looked like a red disc with a tremendous rotation pierced the barbarians neck in an instant. Blood spurted like fireworks. The lord who sensed death and closed his eyes tightly opened them at the sound of the barbarian falling. Ruon was standing in front of him. He saw the sword that was stuck in the barbarians neck go into the owners hand as if it were alive, and he swallowed his dry saliva unknowingly. Th-thank you. Ruon grabbed his hand and lifted him up. The lord blinked his eyes and tried to grasp the situation. Fortunately, the soldiers got out of the panic and started to respond properly. It was possible because there were much more soldiers guarding the wall than the barbarians who climbed up, and the formation didnt copse thanks to Ruon and Kyles help. The lord bit his lip as he saw Kyle fighting the barbarians with a hammer wrapped in lightning. Was there really an individual who surpassed the group? Then Ruon said. Are you going to blink your eyes like an idiot? It was a reckless remark that could have cost him his head, but Seong-ju seemed to regain his senses and shouted with a sh in his eyes. Warriors of El Tigre! Do not retreat-! We will not lose. Pull up the front line and show those filthy barbarians our dignified rage! At that, a roaring cheer erupted from the mouths of the soldiers who had been barely holding off the enemy. This was the difference between having amander or not. Just having someone who fought with them on the same battlefield and boosted their courage made their fading morale re up again. Thats when it happened. A metal hook shaped like an eagles talon caught the castle wall. Then, a thumping sound of kicking the wall followed, and a huge shadow blocked the sun and jumped over the rampart. Just then, a guardian knight, Wayne, who had cut off the barbarians neck, bravely yelled and swung his sword at the new enemy. The neat arc of his swords trajectory showed how hard he had worked in the past. And it copsed with one axe strike. Ugh! Wayne fell back faster than he had run. Not only did his sword break, but his breastte was split horizontally. He tried to get up somehow, but his knee buckled and he fell to his knees. Wayne! Seong-jus eyes widened at the sight of his beloved knight spewing blood. He was about to rush over at any moment, so Ruon reached out his arm to stop him and silently looked at the opponent. A barbarian with a thick skeleton that was unbelievable for his height, and a skinny man wearing a rams skull on his head, were talking on his shoulder. How boring. Haha, yeah. Its ridiculous that a half-penny tried to stop the chief. Then Ill finish it off. The skinny man jumped off his shoulder and started shaking his staff with skulls hanging from it. The avatar of ice carved by the north wind- He stopped chanting and fell backwards. As if a giant had pulled a string connected to the back of his head. Upon closer inspection, a dagger was stuck deep in his forehead, splitting the rams skull. A momentter, the sound of the shield breaking was heard. The barbarian showed no expression change, even though his colleague had just died. No, he rather muttered as if he was interested. The shamans shield can withstand a flying spear but to break it with just a dagger, what a great power. He chuckled and spun the axe in his hand. Meanwhile, a soldier named Seonut, enraged by Waynes injury, rushed in with a spear, but all of them had their necks cut off with one axe strike. The heads rolling on the floor were chilling. Where are these bastards The barbarian, who had been annoyed, recovered his expression and said. He was looking right at Ruon. I didnt think there would be a warrior like you among these weaklings. Youre a fine fellow with a wildness that you cant hide under your skin. Whats your name? Ruon briefly replied to the barbarian who was purely enjoying himself. Ruon. Your name is just so-so. He said that and lifted both corners of his mouth. His fierce smile distorted the blue-dyed pattern on his face. My name is Ba-bo-kun. Ruon snorted at the shocking name. Fool what? Did he touch a sensitive spot? The barbarian, Bo-kun, had a thick vein on his forehead. He growled. You ignorant bastard. Ba means chief. The only one above me is the great chief Jigor, who has the title of Ka. Hes still a fool, anyway. Bo-kun felt humiliated by Ruons slight shrug and his eyes gradually became bloodshot. Damn you. Ill crush you in one breath. As his eyes turned red and swallowed all the whites, the ground he was standing on cracked. Ruon left a faint afterimage and raised his sword to the flying axe. The crossed des slid and sparks flew. Ugh! It was only one collision, but he concluded that his power was no match for Ruon and quickly widened the distance with agile movements. Unbelievable power enough to remind me of Jigor. He muttered that and his pupils flickered with a pale gold. Wolf? Ruon wrinkled his nose and saw arge wolfs phantom behind the barbarian who was ring at him. But the other soldiers, including Seong-ju, didnt see it and just swallowed their saliva and looked at the two. Sure enough, the barbarians mouth made a howl of a wolf as he rushed in again. He then started to attack from unpredictable angles like a beast. Each attack was so powerful that it could easily cut off the neck of an ordinary soldier like Seonut. But Ruon, who didnt lose his breath and blocked all the attacks, chased after the opponent who was trying to widen the distance and thrust his sword. Bo-kun raised the t side of his axe like a shield with a surprising reflex speed, but he couldnt withstand the force that even the devil couldnt handle. The axe shattered like ss. Ruin plunged his sword deep into the heart of the barbarian, cutting through his flesh and muscle as he walked straight through the scattering fragments. Ugh- The barbarian chief, who spat out a mouthful of blood and copsed, clenched his teeth and lifted his head. Youre unbelievably strong but its useless the moment our god revives your pathetic civilization will end. He must have some kind of secret. Ruon repeated the enemys words briefly and then replied dryly. Be that as it may. He didnt care what their god was. He had always faced the enemy in front of him, whoever they were. Bokun blinked his eyes, dripping with blood, at the fearless answer. As the sun set behind him, Ruon stood tall, reminding him of the man who had given him the only terror in his life. Bokun forced his lips to open. Ji, Jigor sir The barbarians head dropped as he left the kings name as hisst words. His lifeless eyes looked like nothing but lumps of cogen. How boring. Ruon muttered and turned around, pulling out his sword. The lord, who had been staring at him like a madman, shouted with a vein in his neck. The great hero Ruon, who defeated the great demon, has in the enemy leader! The soldiers, who had been dumbfounded by Ruons amazing strength, responded with a thunderous cheer to the lords words. Ruon! Ruon! Ruon! Some banged their spears on the ground, and those who didnt have such long weapons stomped their feet. Soon, the wave of cheers and heat spread throughout the wall, and the soldiers began to push back the barbarians with explosive momentum. The end of the perilous battle was approaching. Fortunately, the side that grasped the hem of victory was El Tigre. Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Chapter 107 The soldiers pushed the enemy back with relentless force. They were out of breath, their limbs numb, but they didnt stop. They knew that if they faltered, theirrades next to them would die, and then they would be next. The shield-bearers barely blocked the savage onught of the barbarians, and the spear-bearers seized the brief opportunity to thrust their spears. The ones with the lightest feet would sh or stab the enemys head with their spears. It was simple, but one mistake could lead to death. How many times had they crossed the thin ice of life and death? At some point, the soldiers on the wall realized that they were only surrounded by their fellow warriors, gasping for air. One soldier, who copsed from exhaustion, raised his voice as he saw the barbarians retreating beyond the wall. We won! At the same time, all the survivors shouted in unison. Excitement, joy, relief, anger, sorrow. All those emotions mixed in the hot roar that made the sky boil red, coloring the cityscape in crimson. As if tofort the blood-soaked survivors. Damn, how did we survive? Colin muttered weakly and slumped on the spot. Kyle, who was catching his breath with both hands on the end of the handle, chuckled. Good job. Colin smiled silently at the in words. Blood and flesh stuck to his beard fell on his pants, but he didnt bother to wipe them off. His whole body was already covered in blood. He nced sideways and saw a giant warrior surrounded by the lord and the soldiers. He looked around with a dull face, as if he didnt care about the people who praised his name and looked at him with envy. Soon, the warrior, Ruon, who had been watching him, raised his hand quietly. He burst into a heartyugh. Brother, see? Ruon is saying hello. Kyle snickered and nodded. I see. *** After the sweet victory, a harsh reality awaited them. The survivors took a short break and then recovered the bodies of their deadrades. The wounded were treated before their wounds worsened. But still, many died. As their excitement subsided, they all realized. They had not won, but only repelled one invasion. Ashen clouds floated over the cold night sky. The starlight that fell through them dimly lit the gloomy city. Ruon watched the scene quietly, resting his elbow on the pale railing. The lord had offered the guest room of his mansion for the party, so he was now enjoying the luxury of looking down from the splendid balcony. Of course, he wasnt impressed. Then a wind blew from somewhere and brushed his face. He suddenly remembered the face of the boy who had died with his stomach torn open. The organs that had burst out, the frozen tear marks, the cracked lips that had endlessly called for his mother. Mom, mom The longing word soon became a lump of iron that pressed down on his chest. Ruon pounded his chest with his fist, but even his monstrous strength couldnt budge the lump. It only made him feel more suffocated. He sighed softly and looked at the sky. The clouds were swept away by the wind, and the stars twinkled densely. On the ceiling of the unfamiliar world, the faces of those he missed passed by. Just like he had lost everything and fallen here, the people of the other world who had lost him overnight. What are you doing alone? He turned his head and saw Kyle poking his head out at the entrance of the balcony. Just getting some air. In this cold wind? Youll catch a cold, or worse, osteoporosis. Kyle said that and rolled his eyes, making a thoughtful expression. Then he snickered and walked to the balcony. Well, you cant get osteoporosis anyway. He shivered as he adjusted to the sudden temperature change, and then rested his elbow on the railing like Ruon. Wheres Colin? He couldnt sleep, so he took out a bottle of liquor from the closet and drank it. But it was so strong that he passed out. I dont know if hell wake up properly by morning. Kyle himself looked flushed from drinking. He giggled to himself and stretched. I miss the kids. Dont you? How long has it been since we parted? Two weeks, or maybe almost a month? Anyway, I remember how noisy they were. I wonder what theyre doing and where Ruon, who had no room to miss anyone tonight, shrugged his shoulders silently. Kyle didnt press on the topic and changed the subject naturally. The lord thought the survivors testimonies were lies. Even if he didnt, he wouldnt have expected a monster that could dig up the wall with its fingers and climb up. He rubbed his nose and added. He med himself for being careless and putting the city in danger. Wayne was badly injured too. The knight who had been scarred by Bokuns strike had miraculously survived. But the doctor said it was too early to be optimistic. After a brief silence, Kyle opened his mouth. I looked around while we were fighting, but I didnt see anyone who looked like Ame. Did you? No. But I killed one of those necromancers with a skull staff. I see. Ruon answered with a sigh. We cant wait for her to show up forever, and we cant keep defending the city either. We might be able to hold on for a few more times, but if we lose more men, its only a matter of time before we fall. He let go of the railing and moved to the living room, adding, Lets just stay until that arrogant Gannicus arrives. At least until then, Ruon decided to be the guardian of El Tigre, whatever that meant. The reason was simple. The monsters that had be barbarians gave him a lot of experience points. And this was the ce where they were pouring out like crazy. *** The fight continued after that. The retreating barbarians reorganized their ranks (although they still pushed with their bodies) and attacked the wall again, and the soldiers resisted them stubbornly. As the fierce battle went on, the people who said they had been requested by the lord also arrived one by one. Among them were several mercenary groups hired with a lot of money, and some people who had been close to the lord in the past or owed him a favor brought their soldiers. With their support, El Tigre was precarious, but still able to fend off the barbarians onught. In the process, there were two people who became more famous every day. One was the champion of Tive, who burned the damn barbarians to ashes with his relic hammer, and the other was the giant warrior who defended most of the wall with his inhuman movements and strength. Ruon and Kyle. The fact that the two people who were widely known as the demon yers were fighting together gave the people of the city hope. Even now, their true value was revealed without any filter. Grrrrrr-! The soldier who dropped his shield and fell to the ground by the merciless hammering looked at the barbarian who wasing to finish him off and closed his eyes involuntarily. But the expected pain did note. He opened his eyes slightly and saw the barbarian with his eyes wide open and smokeing out of his mouth. Behind him was a man with arge hammer and shield. Ah, Tive. The soldier felt something hot welling up in his eyes and heard a loud cheer in his ears. He turned his head reflexively and saw the warrior who cut off the barbarians neck in one stroke. Was the barbarian he killed of high rank? The ones who were surrounding the wall began to retreat. Wo-ow-ah! Long live Ruon! Long live! Long live! Among the peoples cheers, the warrior, Ruon, smiled faintly. It was not because he enjoyed the feeling of being worshipped, but because he was d of the exhration that spread throughout his body. He had finally leveled up after killing countless monster barbarians in the siege that was not like a siege for the past few days. Why are you staring at me? Ruon, who would have normally retreated to his inner self, frowned at the soldiers who crowded around him. Ruon, our hero! Then the soldiers parted to the left and right, and the lord appeared with a smile. He staggered over and grabbed Ruons big hand. There are quite a few magicians here, but I boast that you have no magic, only your body. Every time you swing your sword, the barbarians necks are chopped off Ruon didnt like ttering words, but he quietly listened to what the lord said. It was because the lord was not a bbermouth who only talked, but a man who fought with the soldiers on the battlefield where life and death were at stake. Im ashamed of my short sight that I didnt recognize the value of you and Kyle in one go. I dont even want to imagine what would have happened if Wayne hadnt gone to the inn that day. Ruon gently shook off the lords hand as he saw signs of his speech getting longer. I need to rest. Oh, yes. You should. Ruon went down the stairs and straight to the bottom of the wall. Then a soldier came up cautiously and handed him something. Sir Ruon this is todays ration. Thank you. He unwrapped the paper package and saw two boiled potatoes and a pinch of salt. Its usually one each, but I put two in. Ruon looked at the soldier who smiled brightly. His helmet was bigger than his face. Whats your name? I, Im Nello. Ruon swallowed a potato without even dipping it in salt and muttered. Well, Nello. I only need one, so you eat this one. The boy who wanted to see the hero he admired near him with the excuse of rationing blushed. I, Im fine Hello, this is Bing. I can help you edit and trante your web novel from Korean to English. Here is my suggested version of the text: As his stomach growled loudly at the wrong moment, Nello looked at his belly with a resentful gaze. Theres nothing to be ashamed of. Its natural to be hungry again after eating at your age. Ruon pushed a potato dipped in salt into Nellos mouth and gave a short nod to the boy with chubby cheeks who stared nkly at him. Thank you. The boy bowed and walked away. Ruon turned his head as he sensed a restless atmosphere. He chuckled softly. Hes like a celebrity. He saw Kyle, surrounded by people, shaking hands with everyone with an awkward expression. Apparently, it was easier for people to approach Kyle, who was good-natured and even the champion of Tive, than Ruon, who was intimidating. It also helped that Tive, the goddess of mercy, was the most popr sect among themoners. Thats when Colin, who had squeezed out of the crowd, spotted Ruon and hurried over to him. Damn, I almost suffocated in there. Ruonughed at his annoyed face and shaking head. Then you did well to find me. Colin snorted. Its the same for you. Theyre just too scared to get close to you. Theyre all peeking. Hey, they might faint at this rate. He said that and bit into a potato he had gotten from somewhere. Then he added something he wasnt asked. If you want to be alone, then be alone. Why did youe here? If youre alone, theyll ask you how you became friends with the demon yers. Its driving me crazy This kid was also not quite normal. Ruon smirked at Colin, who waved his hand at anyone who met his eyes. Then it happened. The people started to buzz. At first, Ruon didnt pay much attention, but he lifted his head as the reaction grew louder. He saw a group of people in shining armor ridingrge horses along the road. Everyone held their breath at their extraordinary presence. Someone pointed at the g that the rider was holding and shouted. Ganaks! Theyre the knights of Ganaks! On therge g that fluttered in the wind, there was a roaring lions face. Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Chapter 108 A golden lion, symbolizing unbreakable courage, roared bravely. The knights, d in armor that glittered with a faint golden hue, walked along the road with their backs straight and their shoulders wide, looking dignified. The horses they rode were all big and sturdy, and among them was one that was as majestic as Caliban. The knights arrived at the wall and dismounted, quietly looking around. The people were injured and limping everywhere, but their eyes were full of vitality. The leader of the knights, who was wearing a helmet, tilted his head slightly, as if he was surprised by this. No one had the guts to face the courageous knights head-on, so they all moved aside discreetly. This naturally created a strange scene where Ruon and Colin, who were sitting on a supply box, were confronted by the knights. In the suffocating atmosphere, Colin also quietly left his seat, leaving only Ruon behind. He took the half piece of potato that Colin had left on his seat, dipped it in salt, and put it in his mouth. Then he looked at the knights with curiosity. The three-dimensional face mask, shaped like a lions head, hid their expressions, but he could feel their gaze from behind the two eye holes. They looked like wicked bastards. As Ruon smiled fiercely and faced them, the lord of the castle started toe down the stairs of the wall. The knights of courage have arrived! He was so eager that he almost tripped over his own feet several times, but he somehow managed to bnce himself and approached the knights. The tense atmosphere eased as the lord appeared, and the people breathed a sigh of relief. And they snickered. It was supposed to be a meeting between the heroes who defended the city and the knights who came to protect them, but why was it so fierce? Youve had a hard timeing all this way. The lord raised his fist to his left chest and bowed his upper body slightly, showing respect. The knight who seemed to be the representative also took the same posture. Without taking off his helmet, let alone his face mask, the knight answered. The Order remembers the sincerity that you have shown for a long time. And we know very well that what El Tigre needs most right now is courage. The lord smiled brightly at his words. Thats a good thing to say. Since Mercy has saved us from despair, if we add courage on top of that, there will be nothing to fear. He said that and looked alternately at Ruon, who was sitting behind him, and Kyle, who was stuck to the wall. Whether the lord intended it or not, the soldiers around him soon began to chant Ruon and Kyles names. As the noise subsided, the knight spoke. As you said, we need some rest because we ran without stopping. The battle seems to be in a lull, so can you give us a ce to talk about the situation? The lord nodded his head readily at the polite request. My mansion is too big and there are still empty rooms. You can rx there. The lord winked, and a man who looked like an officer stepped forward. Follow me. As the officer led them, the knights walked away slowly, and the crowd began to buzz. It was a buzz of excitement and relief, sharing the fact that they had seen the famous knights of courage up close and that they had one more ally. Then Colin, who had been far away, came to Ruons side. Are we going to live under the same roof with them now? They wont kick us out of the guest room, will they? The answer was not from Ruon, but from Kyle, who hade down from the wall. Do you like the guest room that much? A clean and soft bed is all I need. Until then, Ruon, who had been watching the knights go away, turned his head and asked. Do you feel anything? Kyle, who seemed to understand the point of the question, stroked his chin and thought for a while, then shook his head. I cant tell from the outside. It may sound obvious, but I didnt feel any evil aura like I did with Belthuzias or Yoram. I see. That was the same for Ruon. He didnt have a good first impression because of the various circumstances that smelled fishy, but they didnt look like the masterminds who instigated the Great Demon. At least not for now. He had no choice but to go and see. Ruon brushed off his seat and got up. He couldnt find any great answers by sitting here and rolling his eyes. As always, he preferred to confront them directly. Lets go in, too. *** Contrary to Colins worry, the party was not kicked out of the guest room. The lord gave them the whole annex attached to his mansion for the convenience of the knights, who were close to thirty in number. The lord treated the knights of Gannicus with sincerity, but at the same time, strange rumors began to spread. The rumor started from the mouths of the servants who were assigned to the annex. The knights dont take off their armor even inside the building. Not even their helmets. It was cumbersome to put on and take off the armor, and in this wartime situation, it was possible to wear it at all times in case something happened, but it was definitely strange not to take off the helmet. Moreover, they refused to be served and drove the servants out of the annex, so the rumor grew faster. The rumor that the knights were acting strange soon led to the conclusion that they were monsters impersonating the holy warriors. It took less than half a day to reach that point. How dare you ruin the mood with such nonsense? The lord, whose anger reached the tip of his head, severely punished those who spread the rumor, but it was toote to stop the word from spreading. As the day turned to night. In the quiet night where even the insects held their breath, Ruon, who was standing on the balcony as usual, saw a knight walking out of the annex across from him. As the servants said, he was still fully armed and looked like the person who had talked to the lord. Did he feel the gaze on him? The knight slowly lifted his head. The face mask that resembled a lion was pointed right at Ruon. In the cold silence, the two stared at each other. The first to act was the knight. He stretched out his arm and snapped his fingers twice with his iron glove, then disappeared into the darkness. What? Ruon smiled faintly at the provocative gesture of his opponent and jumped off the railing. After that, he walked along the ground that was paved with gravel and hardened, and saw a splendidly carved fountain. Around it, there were fragrant trees that had taken root, but they looked out of ce and isted. The knight, who was leaning against one of them, said to Ruon, who was approaching him. Isnt it ridiculous? Installing a fountain outside in such a cold region. You wont be able to use it most of the time, except for the summer. Ruon shrugged his shoulders as he nced at the frozen water in the fountain. I guess he has a lot of money. The knight nodded at the dry retort. Thats right. Lord Kemer owns two mines that are famous for their rich iron ore. And he is a well-known person who invests his wealth without sparing it. Thanks to him, El Tigre might still be holding on. Ruon chuckled. You talk more than I thought. The knight, as if he had been waiting for that, drew his sword from his waist. Then he said. Warrior, I ask you. Did you truly give Belducius eternal death? By then, Ruon was feeling a sense of incongruity. He felt respect, not hostility, from the person who pointed his sword at him. Thats why he answered without knowing it. Yeah, I killed him. As soon as the words were over, the knight mmed his sword to the ground and bent one knee. What is he doing? Ruon frowned at the unexpected situation, and the knight said. O you who have in the first traitor. I thank you on behalf of the silent order. He thought he might jump up and swing his sword like a madman, but there was no sign of that from his politely bowed head. Feeling somethingplicated, Ruon scratched his head and said. Get up first, huh? We have something to talk to each other, I guess. Then the knight got up and dusted himself off. He looked around for a moment and said calmly. This doesnt seem like a ce to have a conversation. If you dont mind, can I go to your room? Kyle, who was wiping the dirt on his armor with a dry towel, was startled and shouted when Ruon and the knight came in as the door opened. How did the person on the balcony get in there? And what did you bring behind you? Colin, who was lying on the sofa and drinking alcohol, also got up quickly. I thought I could restfortably now Whats going on? Ruon ignored the twos words and casually sat down on the floor. The knight who followed him also took a seat on the floor without a word. Kyle and Colin scratched their heads and approached. The first to break the silence was the knight. I apologize foring in at such ate hour. Kyle made a nervous expression at the polite tone. It sounds like Igor would be under the helmet The dissonance is too strong. Then Ruon said abruptly. Skip the small talk. There are two things Im curious about right now. The first traitor and the silent order. I need an exnation for these two sentences. Can you tell me? The silent knight nodded. I can. But before I answer, I think its right to introduce myself first. He raised his fist to his chest and said. My name is An. Not someone from somewhere, but a in greeting. The others also said their names and finished their introductions. After that, the knight, An, looked at Colin, who was sniffling his nose, with an awkward expression. Can I trust this person? Ruon looked at the deserter who was swallowing his saliva and said. Hell listen. Why are you putting so much weight on me? Well, the great demon? Colin pped his forehead with a thud and muttered. Yeah, its not strange to be with people like you. He nodded his head as if he had made up his mind. Life is too short to hesitate. We have fought back to back, so why not go all the way? Ruon gave a shrug to An. I see. An seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if his answer was not enough, but then he opened his mouth. Then I will answer your question first. The first traitor refers to Belducius. He was the one who betrayed Ganax first, and he was also the priest of the Order. Ruon and Kyle nodded quietly, as they already knew this, but Colin gasped involuntarily and quickly covered his mouth. The story continued. The silence of the Order is literal. Ruon, Kyle Even though you cleared our shameful past, Ganax will never be grateful. Kyle asked. Did Ganax already know? That their priest had forsaken the god and be the great demon? An shook his head. A gloomy voice came from inside the iron helmet. Not everyone knows. Its a long history. Then Ruon, who had been rubbing the carpet with his palm, muttered to himself. I dont understand why they left him alone, even though he was once the priest of the Order and became the great demon. Is silence the courage that your god cries out for? At that, a lowugh came from inside the helmet. The rumbling sound was like a wounded lions growl. Its more precisely the courage to see the truth. The Order likes to call it that. Would you believe it if you saw this world as a lie as your faith in him deepened? There was a strange madness in his sarcastic murmur. Soon he said. I turned my back on him willingly before it was toote. Burning all the divine power I had umted in my life. An took off his helmet as he finished speaking. Everyones faces hardened as they saw his bare face. There was a mans face twisted grotesquely. Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Chapter 109 What would it look like if you dipped your face inva and pulled it out just before it melted? With his sunken eyes, melted nose, and shriveled ears, Ans appearance was truly hideous. He quietly put his helmet back on and said. You might find it hard to believe, but Im actually one of the lucky ones. Some of my brothers lost their voicespletely when their vocal cords melted. His words made the three men think a lot. Kyle felt a sense of anxiety that his abundant divine power, which protected him, could also lead to a terrible oue. Colin, who had listened to him assuming the worst-case scenario of the archdemon, cursed inwardly when a god suddenly popped up in the situation. And Ruon, for the first time, harbored a serious doubt about the god Gannicus. The courage to see the truth, the world of lies. He couldnt help but wonder if those strange sentences had something to do with why he came to this ce. It was Kyle who broke the ensuing silence. Why did you turn your back on Gannicus, even at such a cost? His question was perhaps natural. In a world where gods actually existed and their influence reached the earth, it was very rare for a believer to abandon their faith. Even if it was a misguided belief, werent there people who couldnt let go of it? Wasnt that why the archdemon and his followers existed? The reason An trailed off and looked at Kyle. His eyes, flickering inside his helmet, seemed to reminisce about his past through the young knight, or maybe just envy him. Sword of Mercy. You must know this. A deepened faith can sometimes be a sturdy pir that can withstand any storm. But what would you do if that pir tried to destroy everything you had? Kyle didnt answer. He couldnt. We and our brothers only made a choice. Ruon couldnt guess the feelings of the knight who had burned his own sacred power that he had umted for his whole life. He didnt know what kind of determination it took, or what he wanted to protect so badly that he became such a monster. So he put aside the constion that he could only guess and brought up another topic. It was a question about the knight of Gannicus, who had killed the Thunder King Imerk, allied with the witch Fleur, and might have something to do with Belducias. When the not-so-short exnation was over, a small sigh came out from behind Ans iron helmet. He said. To hear his story from you He is a being called the Revtor in the order. The incarnation of Gannicus, who dedicated himself to the earth to escape the corrupted world Thats what the believers learn, but they think hes just a symbolic figure. There are few who know the fact that he actually exists. Revtor? A cult leader-like bastard. Ruon snorted and asked. So youve seen him in person? Yes. I received his grace directly on the day I seeded as a pdin. Kyle muttered. Not to mention the magic circle that opens the abyss, he also secretly took over the whole order The more I know, the more he seems like the axis of evil. Ruon, who had a simr thought, said. Onest thing. I heard that you are no longer knights of courage. How did you join the reinforcements? An answered without hesitation. Of course, we impersonated them. The order wouldnt send any reinforcements anyway. Huh? The story continued as Colin let out a deted sigh at the confident answer. We didnte here without a n. My brothers and I searched the archives of the Order thoroughly and found a clue about the whereabouts of the Revtor. He left a message to the Archbishop that he would use the north, and we followed him here. Of course, in the process, we burned our holy power and freed ourselves from the Orders pursuit and the Revtors corruption. There was more talk for a while, but in short, it was like this. Some of the knights, led by An, had doubts and fears about Gannicuss doctrine, and they burned their own holy power to uncover the truth. And they chased after the Revtor, the being who controlled the Order from behind, to the north. As if they had answered a dispatch. Ruon smiled faintly. Maybe the barbarians became like that because of that bastard, the Revtor. He must be too busy doing all kinds of dirty deeds to have enough bodies. Then An slowly rose from his seat. He looked out the window at the pitch-ck night sky and said. Thats all I have to say. I thought it was a secret that I had to keep until the day I die, but its a bit funny that I spilled it all. But you deserve to hear it, since youre the hero who killed Velthucias. Thats enough. He finished his words and opened the door and walked outside. No one in the party could say anything to his weary back. Then Colin shook his head with a stunned expression. Damn it, what did I just hear? Why? You wanted to go all the way. No, no, theres a limit to going. This is too much. I may not be able to speak convincingly because Im not well-educated, but I know that Gannicus is insane. How can I stomach the shock that the god I prayed to every day for courage on the battlefield is a lunatic? Ruon shrugged his shoulders. Well, thats possible. Colin snapped andy down on the floor, iling his arms and legs. *** Ha ha ha, I dont know. Ruon muttered to himself as he pushed Colin, whose screws were half-loose, behind him. The courage to see the truth. As everyone dug into their own wells of thoughts, the night deepened. *** Nothing much had changed for the group overnight, even though they had heard a shocking story the day before. They still stood on the wall, looking at the army of barbarians that approached them. Colin, who had cleared hisplicated mind, murmured with a brightened face. Peoples hearts are really treacherous. I feel like its natural to see those monsters climbing the wall after watching them for a few days. Kyle clenched his shield tightly and retorted. Getting used to it is a good thing, but we cant fight like this forever. I hope they give up today. I wish that would happen. As the two conversed, the lord was shouting loudly with a stern expression from a faraway ce. As usual, he gave a long speech to boost the morale of the soldiers and instill hatred for the enemies. Meanwhile, Ruon quietly observed the barbarians that wereing. But today, their march was a bit strange. Normally, they would run as fast as they could,peting to see who was faster, and climb the wall without hesitation. But now, they maintained a proper distance and adjusted their formation. The soldiers, who were more tense by the unusual behavior of the enemies, heard the lords booming voice in their ears. Dont be afraid! Nothing has changed! They are just pathetic creatures who have no siege weapons and realized their limits! He raised his voice so high that it seemed his throat would be damaged. How about us? The wall is still sturdy and on top of it, we have two heroes who killed the great demon and the knights of courage with us! The soldiers cheered loudly. As he said, they were fighting with beings that were hard to meet even normally. As the lord was about to open his mouth again with the help of the hot enthusiasm, the army of barbarians began to split to the left and right. Someone walked out slowly in an orderly manner that they had never seen before. Ruon and Kyle, who were in different ces, muttered the same words at the sight. Am? The faint blue robe that appeared among the barbarians who wore rough fur without even skinning it felt more unreal. She had pulled her hood deep so that her face was not visible, but it was not hard to guess that she was a woman by her slender figure. Colin bit his lower lip until it bled and muttered. As expected I wasnt seeing things. Then, dozens of barbarians began to circle around her. At first, they thought it was an act of escorting her, but they were shocked by the scene that followed. What, what is this? The barbarians cut each others throats with their own weapons. They fell to the ground with a thud, along with a fountain of blood. In the center of the blood and corpses, the woman slowly raised her hands. The first to sense the threat was Ruon. He shouted loudly, as loud as the lords, while the novice magicians on the wall blinked their eyes. Magic! The lord, who came to his senses at the sound, turned his head to the mercenary magician next to him. He was a famous and expensive man who had been hired for his skills. Why are you just watching! Isnt that magic! The mercenary frowned slightly as the lord screamed. He soon spoke in a sarcastic tone. Ha ha, my lord. Dont worry. Its impossible to break the wall with magic that is enhanced by the blood and flesh of the dead. Unless shes a master of the tower I think its some kind of necromancy that revives the dead and makes them stronger. Why dont you tell the soldiers to be careful. What is he doing? Ruon clenched his teeth at the situation that was getting worse instead of better. He grabbed the bow behind him and pulled the invisible string with all his might. He shouted again. Kyle! Kyle knew better than anyone what the voice that called him wanted. His pupils shook like never before. But he didnt hesitate for a moment. He stretched out his hammer toward the woman who was chanting. Damn it! Vroom-A thunderous sound and lightning lit up the hammerhead. At that moment, the barbarians who kept walking out were like emotionless wooden dolls, killing themselves or each other and piling up on the ground. Uh? Wait a minute. The mercenary magician, who btedly realized that the situation was not good, spat out a stupid sound. At that moment, giant arrows of light and a bolt of lightning flew toward the woman from both sides of the wall. At the same time, the woman lightly clenched her palms that were stretched out in front of her. At that moment, the sound disappeared. ! ! Ha ha ha, I dont know. Ruon muttered to himself as he pushed Colin, whose screws were half-loose, behind him. The courage to see the truth. As everyone dug into their own wells of thoughts, the night deepened. *** Nothing much had changed for the group overnight, even though they had heard a shocking story the day before. They still stood on the wall, looking at the army of barbarians that approached them. Colin, who had cleared hisplicated mind, murmured with a brightened face. Peoples hearts are really treacherous. I feel like its natural to see those monsters climbing the wall after watching them for a few days. Kyle clenched his shield tightly and retorted. Getting used to it is a good thing, but we cant fight like this forever. I hope they give up today. I wish that would happen. As the two conversed, the lord was shouting loudly with a stern expression from a faraway ce. As usual, he gave a long speech to boost the morale of the soldiers and instill hatred for the enemies. Meanwhile, Ruon quietly observed the barbarians that wereing. But today, their march was a bit strange. Normally, they would run as fast as they could,peting to see who was faster, and climb the wall without hesitation. But now, they maintained a proper distance and adjusted their formation. The soldiers, who were more tense by the unusual behavior of the enemies, heard the lords booming voice in their ears. Dont be afraid! Nothing has changed! They are just pathetic creatures who have no siege weapons and realized their limits! He raised his voice so high that it seemed his throat would be damaged. How about us? The wall is still sturdy and on top of it, we have two heroes who killed the great demon and the knights of courage with us! The soldiers cheered loudly. As he said, they were fighting with beings that were hard to meet even normally. As the lord was about to open his mouth again with the help of the hot enthusiasm, the army of barbarians began to split to the left and right. Someone walked out slowly in an orderly manner that they had never seen before. Ruon and Kyle, who were in different ces, muttered the same words at the sight. Am? The faint blue robe that appeared among the barbarians who wore rough fur without even skinning it felt more unreal. She had pulled her hood deep so that her face was not visible, but it was not hard to guess that she was a woman by her slender figure. Colin bit his lower lip until it bled and muttered. As expected I wasnt seeing things. Then, dozens of barbarians began to circle around her. At first, they thought it was an act of escorting her, but they were shocked by the scene that followed. What, what is this? The barbarians cut each others throats with their own weapons. They fell to the ground with a thud, along with a fountain of blood. In the center of the blood and corpses, the woman slowly raised her hands. The first to sense the threat was Ruon. He shouted loudly, as loud as the lords, while the novice magicians on the wall blinked their eyes. Magic! The lord, who came to his senses at the sound, turned his head to the mercenary magician next to him. He was a famous and expensive man who had been hired for his skills. Why are you just watching! Isnt that magic! The mercenary frowned slightly as the lord screamed. He soon spoke in a sarcastic tone. Ha ha, my lord. Dont worry. Its impossible to break the wall with magic that is enhanced by the blood and flesh of the dead. Unless shes a master of the tower I think its some kind of necromancy that revives the dead and makes them stronger. Why dont you tell the soldiers to be careful. What is he doing? Ruon clenched his teeth at the situation that was getting worse instead of better. He grabbed the bow behind him and pulled the invisible string with all his might. He shouted again. Kyle! Kyle knew better than anyone what the voice that called him wanted. His pupils shook like never before. But he didnt hesitate for a moment. He stretched out his hammer toward the woman who was chanting. Damn it! Vroom-A thunderous sound and lightning lit up the hammerhead. At that moment, the barbarians who kept walking out were like emotionless wooden dolls, killing themselves or each other and piling up on the ground. Uh? Wait a minute. The mercenary magician, who btedly realized that the situation was not good, spat out a stupid sound. At that moment, giant arrows of light and a bolt of lightning flew toward the woman from both sides of the wall. At the same time, the woman lightly clenched her palms that were stretched out in front of her. At that moment, the sound disappeared. ! ! Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Chapter 110 The wind stopped. The moment all the air currents in the area converged into the womans hand, Ruon had pulled the invisible bowstring to the limit. He would be lying if he said he didnt hesitate. The target he aimed at was once his friend, who ate, slept, and fought with him. But he pushed aside his brief hesitation and released the bowstring. As the huge arrow of light flew straight ahead, a lightning bolt came from afar and joined it harshly. The moment the two projectiles reached the womans head in an instant. Darkness erupted. The darkness swallowed the light and the lightning in a sh and expanded, then flew at an incredible speed and hit the front wall roughly. All this happened in the blink of an eye. A shockwave that matched the unimaginable explosion swept the surroundings. Ruon braced himself against the pushing force and grabbed the arm of a nameless soldier who fell back. As the storm subsided, he saw part of the wall that was hit by the spell crumble literally. The pale smoke rose wildly from the debris that poured down. Are you okay Ruon turned his head to check on the soldier and his face hardened. He was lucky to avoid falling to his death, but the soldier was in a ragged state from the flying debris. Heid down the dead man on the ground and heard someone scream from afar. The wall-its copsed-! But the desperate cry was drowned out by the huge roar that came from beyond the fog. Oooooo! Countless barbarians appeared from behind the copsed wall and rushed in like a furious herd of bulls. They swung their weapons wildly, as if they wanted to vent all their pent-up anger. Aaah! The first ones to fall were the soldiers who couldnt recover from the impact of the fall. Those who were unlucky enough to be near the copsed wall and its vicinity lost their lives without putting up much resistance. The fight began like that. A barbarian with a heavy iron piece swung his arm and crushed the soldiers head with his helmet. But a sharp spear pierced his throat from behind as he roared in victory. The sound was cut off. Elsewhere, a knight with a lion helmet was facing three barbarians. He fended off their attacks with graceful movements, then didnt miss a moment to stab his sword. One of the barbarians fell with a sharp counterattack. He quickly cut down the remaining two, but before he could catch his breath, an axe flew from somewhere and hit his shoulder, making him stagger. Three new barbarians followed him. It was hard to predict the next scene. The barbarians and the El Tigre alliance. The two armies shed and mingled. They pushed their shoulders, stabbed their spears and swords, spat curses, writhed in pain, killed and were killed. The blood and flesh that had made up one human being until a moment ago dyed the dry winter sky in a mess. There was no need for a hell. Warrior! I wanted topete with you! Ruon ignored the voice from the side and swung his arm horizontally. Then the Ruon that had pierced the barbarians neck tore his muscles and flesh and came out. Only then did he turn his head. A barbarian with a strange pattern on his face dyed with blue dye was reflected in his calm eyes. The eyes met and he grinned. If I defeat you, who killed three chiefs, the chances of me bing the next great chief will be high. The lofty title of Ka is not a dream. He said that and spun his spear in his hand. My name is Ba-Olo The barbarians name was Oloka. But he couldnt finish his sentence. A red lightning bolt fell on his head. The reason he was able to block Ruons sword was a small miracle created by his lifelong training and countlessbat experiences in the north, where strength was everything. But right after that, his spear was broken in half and he faltered at the overwhelming power and skill. He couldnt avoid the second lightning bolt. Huh? The head separated from the neck rolled on the ground. The brain that lost the blood supply inhaled thest oxygen and Olokas eyes widened. For a moment, his eyelids fell heavily over his swirling eyes. And they never opened again. Even though he gained a considerable amount of experience, Ruons face had no expression. His calm eyes that didnt get excited at all looked around. Arrows and projectiles of spells grazed his head, and he saw a huge ck horse running towards him in the middle of the battlefield where the melee was tangled. Heeheeheehee! Caliban, who ran with his long mane fluttering, hit the face of a barbarian who was aiming at his masters back with his forehead. Uziz-The sound of bones copsing and the man flew far away, falling headfirst and not getting up. -Hello, long time no see- Ruon greeted him warmly and Caliban answered him with a rough snort. How many stables do you have to break to be satisfied Ruon muttered softly and climbed on the ck horses back. As his eye level naturally rose, he saw theplex situation at a nce. The barbarians, who strengthened their bodies with evil power, showed their wildness that matched their name and pressed the alliance army roughly, but fortunately, the line was not broken. It was a possible achievement because the knights, led by An, showed an amazing fight. They had burned their own sacred power, and even though they were no longer pdins, they showed astonishing strength as they stood in ce of the copsed wall. Ruon ran straight toward them. Asran, who had just retrieved his greatsword from the chest of a fallen barbarian, looked up. His bloodstained lion helmet was eerie. I didnt expect them to have a spell that could crush the wall. Nobody could have expected that. Asran, who was about to say something, dodged the axe of another barbarian who rushed at him and tripped him with his foot. He then stomped on the barbarians head with his boot and said. Kyle and Colin have already left the wall. I didnt even have a chance to stop them. At that moment, as if to confirm Asrans words, a loud roar came from afar. Ruon replied. I see. You dont seem surprised. I thought it was possible. I was going to go out too. It was crazy. How could he think of going out to the enemy camp by himself when they were busy defending the broken wall? But Asran nodded without any objection. He must have been an extraordinary person too. Well hold them off here. Ruon, who smiled faintly at the satisfying answer, kicked Calibans side with his ankle. Then the guy started to roll his feet vigorously. Make way! In Asrans shout, Ruon reached the broken wall in an instant and swung his ego sword without slowing down. The heads of those who were swept by the huge arc fell to the ground like ripe apples. Right after breaking through the barbarians, he could clearly see the shes of light in the distance. There, Kyle, covered in blood, was swinging his rune hammer with a huge rock behind his back. Judging by his momentum, the blood on his body was not his own. Next to him, Colin was fending off the approaching barbarians with the end of a spear he had picked up somewhere. What the hell, how did this, crazy, shit! Colin, who was screaming intermittently, lost his bnce and stabbed his buttock. Kyle, who was struggling next to him, sensed that he couldnt help him and made a frustrated expression. At that moment, the barbarian who was running at him copsed. Huh? Colin, who blinked his eyes in confusion, saw a familiar dagger stuck in the back of the dead barbarians head and grinned. Hahaha, Im alive for now. Soon, the front line of the barbarians who were pushing in like a flood copsed and a huge ck horse appeared. Ruon, who jumped off the horse lightly, picked up the fallen spear and spun it around. Four barbarians were neatly severed and fell. The barbarians, who seemed to have no fear at the gruesome scene, retreated hesitantly, and a temporary lull came with a radius of 3 or 4 meters around Ruon. He fixed his gaze on the front and said. Did you find a new way to kill yourself surrounded by barbarians? At his words, Kyle, who was gasping for breath, flushed his ears. He seemed to know he was ashamed. Im sorry. His eyes suddenly rolled back and he ran like crazy. Im the idiot who followed him. Colin, who added to his words, pulled out the dagger from the back of the dead barbarians head and said. Can I borrow this? The sword I was using broke in half. Take this too. Ruon took off the leather guard on his right arm and handed it back. Colin didnt know that the dagger and the guard were a pair, but he put the guard on his arm without a word. Thank you. If you stretch out your hand with the guard on, the dagger wille back to you. Dont cut your hand in surprise. Colin gasped at his calm exnation. He had been a mercenary once, so he knew the value of a magic-imbued item. A sword that could only ignite a me as big as a rats tail, which could only be used as a flint, was priced at almost ten times that of a normal sword. And a dagger that came back! It was a precious item that would not be strange to hear as a treasure, but for Ruon, it was an item that he could do without. He had the ego sword, which he could retrieve with a deeper resonance. Then, the front line of the barbarians who surrounded them gradually loosened and then scattered and ran toward the castle. As if they didnt want to spill blood in vain. Colin, who looked at the scene with a bewildered expression, said. Theyre just leaving? Are they running away? Kyle shook his head. No. Theyre leaving it to someone else. As soon as he finished speaking, someone approached them from the front. The person who stopped at a suitable distance was a woman in a blue robe. She said. Is it too formal to say long time no see? Ruon clenched his hand holding the sword and answered. Its been a while. Am. This must be the most regrettable meeting ever. Anyway, nice to see you again. Ruon, Kyle. And Colin, right? Colin, who was looking around nervously, answered. Do you remember me? The woman, Am, smiled faintly without a word. But it was not a happy smile. Even our conversation that day. As she uttered those ominous words, everyone froze in their tracks. She took off her hood, revealing a face that was exactly as Luon remembered. Except for one thing. Her eyes, which had always been like the clear sky on a sunny day in his memory, were now shining with a murky light, as if he would drown in them the moment he stumbled. Thats when Kyle spoke. Am, we found out that the reason you disappeared from the tower that day was because of the shackles that the fairy from the orphanage left on you. Is there anything we can do to help you now? Am nodded at the knights voice, tinged with guilt. There is. What is it? Kyle, who had asked with wide eyes, instinctively raised his spell breaker when she lifted her arm towards him. Thanks to that, he was able to avoid being blown to pieces, though he barely scratched the ground with his toes. Lucky you. I guess you really are my nemesis. A faint smile crossed Ams weary face. She added. You shouldnt think much of me, since youre the hero who killed the great demon. If you ever considered me a friend Contrary to her gentle voice, her hands were bursting with a sinister magic power. As expected, the corpses of the barbarians lying on the floor twisted and rose up. Kie-ee-ee-ee! Beyond the horrible roar, Ams whisper reached his ears. Kill me here. Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Chapter 111 The reanimated corpses charged at him with their white eyes exposed. In the face of the overwhelming pressure that would make any normal persons heart shrink, Ruon took a big step forward. He stood between hispanions and the barbarians like a breakwater against the tidal wave of fear. He gripped the end of his scale spear and swung it hard. It was a simple horizontal sh, but it contained such tremendous force that the bodies of those who rushed at him were torn apart like butter. Left to right. Then right to left. The spearhead that was moving back and forth got caught on someones shield and snapped. Ruon immediately let go of the spear shaft and grabbed his sword. The de that sliced off the neck of a corpse that was biting like a starving beast also cut through the cheek of another one and escaped to the other side. He pushed away the one that was iling with only its jaw left and tried to secure some space. But behind him, the corpses started to pile up one by one, screaming horribly. Kee-ah-ah-ak! The space to swing his arm was gone, thanks to the ones who were pushing their bodies forward. Ruon collided head-on with the wall of corpses. Surprisingly, he didnt budge an inch. He alone withstood the force and weight of the fifty or so corpse barbarians. The ones that were sandwiched in the middle couldnt endure the pressure from both sides and began to be crushed. In the midst of that, some of them managed to sink their teeth into Ruons shoulder, arm, and thigh. He had no choice but to allow such resistance, since they were so close that he could feel their breath. But the biting power of the corpse barbarians was not enough to pierce through his muscles, let alone his skin. And then, Ruon took a deep breath and pushed his abdomen hard, shoving them away. The wall of corpses copsed backwards with his amazing strength. He dove into the space that opened up and swung his sword hard. Kee-eh-ek! The merciless blow made the corpses bodies literally split apart. None of them could withstand it twice. Ame, who was watching the scene of ughter with a nk stare, spoke without even looking at the knight who had reached her front. You were already a warrior beyondmon sense, but now you look like a transcendent being. I feel a creepy but glittering light from you. Is that just my imagination? What do you think, Kyle? Kyle punched the face of a corpse that was lunging at him from the side, then gave it a hammer blow to the top of its head. The skull caved in with a squishy sound, and the corpse fell to the ground. He put down his hammer and answered. Isnt this a situation where he cant stop by his own will? Ame smiled faintly at his surprisingly sharp question. As if she was agreeing with him. Youve changed a lot. I thought you were never a person who would settle for being a woodcutter, but a champion of TiveI cant imagine what happened to you. Kyle looked at her with a regretful expression. Then you can just ask him yourself. He can tell you about the past while drinking beer all night until dawn. Ame shook her head quietly. Its toote for that. As she said that, a red pattern began to swell under her pale face like a blood vessel. Kyle flinched at the bizarre change and a swarm of light flew at him. He quickly stretched out his spell breaker to scatter the attack. But the light that spread like fog didnt seem to disappear, but rather exploded in a dazzling sh. Kugh! Kyle was caught in a dust explosion in an instant and retreated hastily. He didnt have time to check his scorched face, as something shed at him from the front. He adjusted his posture and swung his hammer to block it. He realized toote that what he had blocked was a blue lightning bolt. The blue lightning wrapped around his hammer like a snake and tried to attack his hand that was holding the handle, but it was soon neutralized by the electric current that sprang from the hammer. Despite the pain of his palm melting on the overheated hammer handle, Kyle didnt loosen his fist and swung his hammer again after blocking another lightning bolt with his shield. Vroom- The lightning bolt that advanced without hesitation struck Ames blue barrier. She was pushed back three steps by the impact, but she quickly regained her bnce and spread her palms. Ten different-colored lights sprang from her fingers and whipped at Kyle. He dodged them with an amazing agility that was hard to believe for someone wearing te armor, but he was eventually bound by the lights that chased him like they had feet. Ame. He called his friends name softly, and an invisible force struck his chest. His breastte was dented and he was flung far back. Ugh- Right after that, Ame copsed on the spot and spat out blood. She was shaking her arm like a dead tree, and Ruon approached her. Behind him, the barbarians had be corpses again. There were still some who were writhing with their tenacious vitality, but Colin stabbed them in the head with his dagger and made holes in their heads. Ruon stopped and asked. Is it possible for a normal mage to destroy the wall, resurrect more than a hundred corpses, and cast all kinds of spells? Ame lifted her head with difficulty and smiled faintly. Her mouth was stained with blood. Of course not. If you did all that without resting, even the master of the tower would have his brain damaged The mage who did all that coughed up blood on the floor and added. Quinn wasfascinated by the world that the Messenger promised and trained his own army to achieve it. That was the orphanage of Dumpfrieschildren with talent in magicahh As she spoke, she suddenly clutched her head and groaned. Was there a curse? Am extended her hand forward as Ruon approached, but it seemed more a gesture to keep him at bay than the manifestation of a spell. The Tree of Life if it revives the kingdom will fall From her trembling eyes and lips, Ruon instinctively realized she was risking her life to convey something to him. That should be enough, he said. You dont need to say any more. At that moment, Ams eyes rolled back. The sight of her whites turning pitch ck in an instant filled Ruon with an indescribable sense of dread. Colin! At his shout, Colin, who had been checking on the fallen Kyle, reflexively pulled the spell disruptor towards him and crouched down. Simultaneously, the corpses on the ground exploded. Boom! Bone shards scattered like des, but the real problem was the darkness escaping from the corpses, writhing towards Ams twisted face. Knowing it was the spell that had copsed the walls, Ruon immediately grasped his Ego Sword with both hands, drawing forth its power. Soon, red runes swirled and zed on Ruins de, emitting a bright light. Oooh Then, Am snapped her head forward and opened her mouth towards something. Realizing it was the gates of Eltigre, Ruon didnt hesitate to block her view, raising his arm. At the same time, a ck sphere flew towards them. ! *** After twisting the barbarians wrist and thrusting the spear into his sr plexus, An turned at the tremendous roar from beyond the walls. A massive shockwave struck the walls. Ugh! Argh! Both the barbarians and the allied forces staggered, losing their bnce amidst the chaos. But the heat of battle had already reached a fever pitch, paralyzing everyones reason, and they immediately swung their weapons at each other. Amidst this, Chebil, once Ans lieutenant, rushed to his side. Another powerful spell has exploded outside. It seems to be the same one that destroyed the walls. Any damage? Fortunately, theres no direct harm. It might have missed. Missed? An was certain it hadnt, but he didnt voice this, changing the subject instead. Hows the lord? Hes been unconscious since the first explosion. There seems to be no external injury, so his life isnt in danger. An nodded. Its hard to rece his absence, but we must persevere. We cant fight head-on forever; well push them back, drive them out, and repair the broken walls. Chebil responded promptly. An officer is already gathering all the stonemasons in the city. Theyll be here soon. Quick thinking. An inwardly admired the swift response. The fact that everyone knew their role amidst the chaos of the crumbling walls and the lords absence spoke volumes about their regr training. Recalling the three men who had gone outside, An hoped they were safe amidst the recent noise and swung his sword again. Roaring like a lion. Drive them out-! *** Amidst the acrid smell of burning, Kyle opened his eyes. Forcing his crusty eyelids open, he stared at the charred face before him. Co, Colin! Shi, shit Its the brother who should protect me. It doesnt make sense for me to protect you Colins murmurs trailed off as he slumped over. Kyle caught him, but he was already unconscious. After discarding his breastte that was constricting his breathing, Kyle picked up the spell disruptor that had fallen from Colins hand. What is this The shield, previously unscathed, was now pockmarked with holes. Kyle carefullyid Colin down and, clutching the hammer that had fallen nearby, struggled to his feet. He screamed as his bones creaked, but he didnt stop. He stumbled through the smoky fog. Luon-! Am-! He kept calling the names of the two people who had hidden their tracks, and soon he found Am, who had knelt down and hung her head. He ran to her, dropping his shield and hammer. Am! At his cry, Am slowly lifted her head. She said, Idiot You got hurt so badly Why did you Follow me She fell into his arms, and Kyle frowned involuntarily. He felt no weight in his hand. Did you starve yourself? Why, why are you so light? She smiled faintly at his words. "Blood dripped from her cracked lips. This melodrama doesnt suit us Right? So Dont cry. Her body, hit by the falling tears, began to crumble like dust. Wait, just a moment. Am! Kyle desperately squeezed the divine power in his body and hugged Am. But he could only dy the copse of her body, not stop it. Tib! Please save my friend. Please! Amughed at his words, which were too naive for a knight representing a sect. That was how she remembered Kyle. Please. Please. Please. Please! Kyle searched and searched for the goddess, with unprecedented earnestness. All his emotions were condensed in the word please, as he couldnt recite a proper prayer like Igor. Kyle Its enough Am gently patted the shoulder of the crying knight with her trembling hand. Thats when it happened. Someone came trudging from afar. Lets try it together. The man who came in armor that looked like rags from the bombing was Luon. He knelt down on the opposite side of Kyle and wrapped Ams shoulder with hisrge palm. What are you doing? She asked him, and Luon shrugged. Im asking the dwarf god for a favor. I dont know if itll work, but if it doesnt, Ill threaten to tear his beard. As he said that, the tattoo on his shoulder began to glow red. At the same time, everyone heard the sound of someone hammering in their ears. ng-ng- It was the moment when the blessings of Tib and Duemur mixed for one person. Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Chapter 112 The sun was setting. The earth, bathed in the hateful sunset, was dyed in a blood-red hue that resembled the sky. It was a ghastly and futile sight. Those who had survived until then copsed in overwhelming fatigue that they had never felt before. There was no joy of victory on their faces as they gasped for breath. They only needed time to catch their breath that filled their throats. An, who had been watching the whole scene standing upright, turned his head silently. Cheville approached him. The stonemasons say that the best they can do for now is to prevent the cracks from expanding. They suggest filling the gaps with some kind of barrier. An sheathed his sword that he had fought with all day and asked. What about the brothers? Cheville, who had not hesitated to answer until then, faltered for the first time and replied. Five are dead, and two are badly injured. It was a brief but painful statement. They have fulfilled their duty on this coldnd, turning their backs on glory. Let us pray for them An mped his mouth shut as he said that. Who would they pray to, when they had renounced their own god? He suddenly felt the air touching his skin was bitterly cold. Lets take care of the dead and prepare for their cremation. And lets try to save the wounded somehow. I understand. An watched Chevilles retreating back for a while and then walked towards the wall where the repair work was in progress. Ugh- He tapped the back of aborer who was retching at the sight of the piles of corpses around him. Did anyonee from outside the castle? At his words, theborer was startled and answered without even wiping the dirt on his mouth. Y-you mean the barbarians? An shook his head silently, not getting the answer he wanted, and moved his gaze to the horizon beyond the wall. He was sure that it was thanks to Ruon and his party that the spell that had broken the wall had missed and that the barbarians who had been fiercely fighting had suddenly retreated. It wouldnt make sense otherwise. Sir knight, s-someone ising? Theborer, who had btedly cleaned his mouth and was hammering a stake, swallowed his dry saliva and pointed somewhere. He saw two people approaching, casting long shadows as they faced the sunset. He couldnt see their faces because of the darkness, but An knew who they were by their silhouettes alone. He spoke to the two men who had reached near the barrier. Youre safe. At his words, the man, Ruon, smiled faintly. So are you. Thanks to you. An answered and looked alternately at the two people on Ruon and Kyles backs. One was Colin, the man he had shared a bed withst night, but the other was a woman he had never seen before. He picked up the cloth that was dangling on the ground and wrapped it around the woman who was covered in dirt and had lost consciousness. And he whispered softly. Ill hear your storyter. Ruon nodded silently and moved on with Kyle. The stars that had begun to show in the sky peeked at the two men who were walking briskly. *** The power of Tiv and Duermur? An asked. He sounded bewildered, and he must have been making a surprised expression inside his lion helmet. Well, thats how it happened. Ruon answered curtly and started to wipe his sword with a dry towel. The towel soon turned red with blood. He added to An, who was silent. He didnt want to leave any room for more questions. I had a chance to be recognized by the god of the furnace a long time ago. Ive been getting his help from time to time. And this time too. At his words, An moved his gaze to Am, who was lying on the bed. On her left and right, Colin and Kyle were closing their eyes with bandages wrapped around their bodies. I understand that this woman is your friend. And that she was used for some reason But she is also someone who harmed innocent people. Ruon put down the towel on the table and waited for the rest of his words. But An didnt say anything else. He just turned his body and walked outside. It was an awkward conversation that ended abruptly, but Ruon didnt care much. He got up and picked up the liquor on the shelf. He flicked his thumb and popped the lid off, then took the yellow liquid into his mouth. It was so strong that it made his eyes spin for a moment. He smiled faintly at the feeling of dizziness that he hadnt felt in a while and sat down on the chair. Then he heard someones voice. Ruon? He looked up and saw Am struggling to get up. She barely leaned her body against the headboard of the bed and touched her face and body with her palm. Then she opened her mouth. How did you save me? With Kyles prayer and my threat. Thats impossible. I wasnt in a state that could be healed by borrowing a miracle. Am stared at Ruon with wide eyes. Dont tell me You built up your own power? You seem to be alive enough to start interrogating as soon as you wake up. Ruon snorted and gulped down his drink. He had gotten used to the alcohol, and his vision didn''t waver like before. "Anyway, long time no see, Am." "Do you have to greet me again?" Didn''t we? Oh, right, we did before we fought. "Maybe that was a farewell then." Am smiled faintly. But her face quickly hardened and she answered weakly. "You should have just left me to die." Ruon didn''t reply and got up again. He opened the door and asked the maid who was waiting outside to bring some simple snacks. The mage, who was speechless at his leisurely attitude, blinked. "Did you hear me?" "What? You mean leaving you to die?" Ruon wiped the liquor on his lips with the back of his hand and added. "I don''t want to talk about what''s right and wrong from a moral perspective, putting you on the gallows. I just did what I could." He pointed at Colin and Kyle alternately with the bottle. "Colin told me you were fighting with the barbarians in the north, and we guessed it was because of that damn fairy''s oath. So we came here to save you and this is the result." Is that all? When he summarized it, it felt like nothing much. Ruon scratched his head. "From now on, it''s your life. I won''t interfere with whatever you choose." Am lookedplicated and didn''t say anything for a while. Then, tears like chicken droppings fell on the white nket from her watery eyes. "Can I live?" "Some people will say no. And they might not be wrong. But at least not me and Kyle. I don''t know about Colin." Am burst intoughter at his overly honest answer. Ruon said sourly. "If youugh after crying, you''ll grow hair on your butt." Am made a face as if she heard a strange thing and asked. "What does that mean? Did you make it up?" "It''s an expression from my hometown." "I''ve always thought so, but Korea is a really weird ce." She remembered that? Then, there was a knock and the maid cautiously entered the room. She walked timidly and started to put some food on the table, but the quantity and quality were not ordinary, so Ruon tilted his head. "Is this a simple snack?" The maid smiled brightly. "You''re a hero. This is not enough." She quickly left the room as soon as she finished speaking. Then, Colin and Kyle, who were snorting at the smell of the meat, jumped up as if they had agreed. They both looked like mummies with bandages all over them. "What, what is this delicious smell? Is it chicken? Or pork?" "Am-!" What a mess. As soon as they came to their senses, one of them rushed to the table, and the other hugged the mage next to him. Ruon closed his eyes tightly at the chaotic scene. "Ka, Kyle. I can''t breathe." At first, Am was startled, but soon she hugged Kyle''s back with both arms. Really? Colin, who stuffed a chicken leg into his mouth with his bare hands, mumbled. "Hey, look at this. I told you it was weird to run out of the wall like a madman. And you were like that?" He spun his fist with his pinky up, and the two quickly moved away from each other. Kyle cleared his throat awkwardly and sat down on an empty chair. He scooped up a spoonful of soup and said without chewing properly. "This house is nice." Ruon and Colinughed at that. As the atmosphere became lively in no time, Am, who was the only one who couldn''t adapt, interrupted. "Wait a minute, I still have something to tell you" But Colin cut her off with his hand covered in sauce. "Let''s just let it go today. I don''t want to see myself having a heart attack." He sucked his finger and added. "Yesterday, I heard that Ganax was crazy, and today, I saw the wall fly away. And the mage who blew up the wall is trying to talk to me seriously? No, no. No matter how much you saved my life, that''s crossing the line. Do it tomorrow. Tomorrow." Kyle chimed in. "Am,e and sit here. I''ll tell you everything I couldn''t before. I''m curious how you became the champion of Tiv." Colin''s eyes sparkled. "Oh! Are we finally going to hear the story of how that Belduciason or whatever guy died?" Finally, Ruon nodded. "Sit down. It won''t taste good if it gets cold." Tears started to flow again from Ams eyes. But she smiled brightly and answered. Yes! *** Scree-ee-ee-ee-ee! The giant tree twisted its body and screamed sharply. White snow fell from its shaking branches to the ground. Below it, two people were sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed. One was an old man with wrinkles all over his face, and the other was a middle-aged fairy with delicate features. Despite the deafening scream and the wind that tore at their skin, they continued their meditation without moving. One of them coughed up blood and got up from his seat. It was the fairy, Quintuanus, who spat out blood on the floor. Whats going on? The old man, Beolun, asked, but Quintuanus looked at his palm without saying a word. The red chain tattoo that was tangled on his hand was gradually fading. He clenched his fist and muttered. Am. At his creepy mutter, Beolun also got up. A dogwood staff flew from somewhere andnded in his hand. Am? Thats the name of the girl you made a blood pact with. Whats wrong with her? If shes disobedient, I can help you discipline her. At that, Quint red at the demons face and slowly opened his mouth. Shes not just disobedient, shes reckless. I dont know how many out-of-spec spells she used in a row, but the foundation of the pact itself is broken. Beolun chuckled and licked his tongue. Smart girl. She chose to destroy her own body and die She must have hated being your puppet even in death. The demon, who had been mocking him, added. Fallen fairy, dont be attached to trivial things. Shes not your real kin anyway. A tool is just a tool. If you get sentimental, youll die without knowing it. Quint didnt say anything back. But soon, he regained his usual rxed expression and answered with a cold smile. Yeah, its a trivial thing. He looked at the tree in front of him and said. Beolun. Its time. Youre thest ingredient I need to revive the tree. Ingredient? Thats a harsh word. Its a marvelous thing to be fused with a tree that has sacredness. The demon finished his words and walked slowly towards the tree with his staff. Soon, the old mans body crumbled and was absorbed into the tree. Quintuanus, who was watching, whispered softly. Am, my lovely daughter. The future you refused to face wille anyway. No one, no one can escape it. Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Chapter 113 The winter night was long. The moon and stars glittered on the clear ck sky, showing off their presence. Ruon suddenly woke up from his sleep. He got up from his bed, folding the thin nket, and saw the firece that had lost much of its heat. He threw some of the dry firewood stacked next to the firece, and the dying mes greedily licked the new prey. Ruon poked the firewood a few times with a poker and turned his head. He felt his dry mouth and gulped down the water in the ss, when he saw Ames side profile looking at the sky from the balcony. Ruon carefully opened the balcony door, avoiding stepping on Kyle and Colin, who were snoring on the floor. The cool night air kissed his neck. Cant you sleep either? I woke up. The firece was out. Ruon answered and leaned his elbow on the railing, breathing through his nose. The cold air entering his lungs seemed to wake up his drowsy body. It was not a bad feeling. Ame quietly blinked her eyes and looked at him. Hisrge body, his well-bnced and solid muscles, his rough hands and the numerous scars on them. Finally, she found his ck eyes that looked lonely somehow. She asked abruptly. Is your story beingpleted? Ruon thought for a while and answered. I dont know. Despite his hesitant and weak answer, Ame nodded quietly. There is a being called the Revtor. She threw a brief topic and stretched her index finger to connect the stars in the sky. He is the author who wants to plunge the high heavens into the abyss and cause the chaos of the world. As expected, he was involved. Ruonughed coldly and said. Ive heard of him. You know? It seems like hes doing all the evil deeds that are rampant in the world. Ames eyes widened slightly. Im d you know. You killed two great demons, so its not strange that you noticed his existence. What is he dissatisfied with that he cant turn the world upside down? Ame lowered her hand and clenched the railing. I didnt receive the revtion, so I dont know his thoughts and intentions exactly. But whats certain is, there are quite a few people who are fascinated by the new world he promised, and everything thats happening now has been nned for a long time. Ruon snorted at that. He had seen such people before he came into the game. They were the kind who spouted nonsense that they couldnt be saved unless they believed in someone right away when the new sky opened. The Revtor was just like that. Of course, it didnt make sense to put the guys who lured the shabby people and took their money and the madman who wanted to destroy the world on the same line. Meanwhile, Ames story continued. There is a tree in the north that has been revered as a god for a long time. But recently, it started to die as it reached the end of its life The barbarian chieftain silenced the opposition of the other elders and joined hands with the great demon Beolun under the pretext of reviving the sacred tree. The Revtor was the one who tied those two together. She sighed heavily. The senile great demon transformed the barbarian army into berserkers on the condition of merging with the sacred tree, and the chieftain, who only pretended to care about the sacred tree, took this opportunity to trample the kingdom and rise to the throne of the new king. The breath that came out of her thick lips spread white. And Quinn is the one who the Revtor put in charge of mediating the fight between the great demon and the chieftain. As they use each other, a mediator was essential. The story went on like that. Quintuanus, the corrupted fairy who had been on the same side with the Revtor for a long time, moved to the north ording to the Revtors will, and summoned Ame with a blood oath. She was looking for a way to get out of the oath, but she was dragged to the north without being able to resist properly due to the earlier than expected call. That was the real reason why she disappeared from the tower without anyone knowing. After that, Ame, who became Quinns puppet, weakened the sacred tree that resisted against her will, and swept the battlefield with the barbarians who became monsters, in ces where no one could see. She lived every day in hell like that, and thest chance she got was when she received the order to capture El Tigre, who was stubbornly defending the wall. There, she met her old friend who had be the great demon yer, and she challenged him to a reckless fight, hoping that they would stop her rampage. And she finally achieved her wish. It was an unexpected result that her copsing body was restored by the power of Tiv and Duermur. As the period was marked at the end of the not-so-short story, silence filled the space between the two. Ame exhaled white breath and looked up at the sky, and Ruon crossed his arms and thought deeply. He was the first to open his mouth. What happens when the sacred tree merges with the great demon? Ame sniffed and answered. Quinn said that. The sacred tree is a tree that rooted itself in the body of a god a long time ago. So it has its own divinity. She shivered from the cold. When the sacred tree is mixed with the great demons will It will be a terrible monster. A being that can stand alone against the Grand Church or the army may be born. Ruon nodded. *** Such destruction would surely bring us face to face with an unpredictable foe. One who would not sit idly by after their efforts have failed, Ruon mused. Am whipped her head around, her wide eyes asking, What? Did you actually listen to what I said? Ruon nodded silently, his calm demeanor leaving the mage fumbling for words. You mean to say you killed Belthucias and Fleur in this manner? Just went up to them and struck them down? What kind of Ruon turned to the stuttering Am with aplex expression and smiled faintly. It seems Ive lost my touch after such a long time, but this has always been my way. *** The next morning, a soldier arrived at the guest room. The lord has regained consciousness. Thats good to hear. After a brief reply, Ruon gulped down cold water as the soldier added, His lordship wishes to see the three of you. Theres no need to hurry. Colin, who was rebandaging a wound with clean bandages, looked troubled. Why me Despite his words, his hands moved faster, indicating he intended to go. Soon, the group, having finished their preparations, followed the soldier. They arrived not at the office where they first met the lord but at his bedroom. Ah, the heroes have arrived. Lord Kemark, looking gaunt, sat up in bed, supported by a middle-aged womanlikely his wife. Im ashamed to show myself in such a state. Please forgive me for not being able to greet you standing. The woman added politely, Hes injured his back. Oh, mydy, thats hardly something to boast about, Kemark chided her gently. Then he addressed the group. While everyone was fighting for their lives, I was shamefully lying in afortable bed, dreaming. Knowing when to lighten the mood, Ruon replied, Not at all. It showed how well the soldiers of Eltigre are trained. They all did their best without faltering. The lordughed heartily, clearly pleased. Even if its just ttery, I appreciate it. Truly. He then became serious. Ive spoken with An. He says that thanks to your efforts outside the walls, the defense was much easier. Was it? Though it felt a bit ambiguous, Ruon saw no reason to dampen the warm atmosphere and remained silent, as did Kyle and Colin. The scouts report that the retreating barbarians have moved far away. Im keeping it quiet so the soldiers dont get overexcited but weve truly won. Weve protected Eltigre. Tears rimmed the lords eyes as he suppressed his emotions with a cough and continued. Thats not the only good news. Even if we were on the brink of copse, the kingdoms army stationed in Briten ising here. Theyre regrouping and establishing a defensive line. The groups spirits lifted slightly. If true, Eltigre would no longer face the barbarians alone. Thats indeed good news. Thank you, Kyle. After a moment to catch his breath, Kemark said, I called you here to fulfill the promise I made on the first day. A life-risking endeavor deserves a fitting reward. I couldnt attend to it then, but now I can. Ruon noticed Colin clenching his fist, a sign he was ready to make a request. Kyle spoke first. My armor is in shambles after the battles. If possible, Id like a skilled cksmith to craft a new one. Is that feasible? The lord was taken aback by the modest request but nodded. Of course. Eltigre boasts many skilled cksmiths,parable even to the dwarves of Roburduke. Ill order them to prepare the finest armor for you. Choose one to your liking, or ce a custom order. Remembering the lords wealth and mines, Ruon realized the confidence in his offer. Colin then spoke up. Ahem, I would like a sturdy armor and a fine sword. Engraved, if possible *** Even though hisst words sounded a bit rushed, it was still an unexpected answer, so Ruon and Kyle tilted their heads in confusion. Colin scratched his head. I said wed go all the way, didnt I? Its not good for a man to say one thing and do another. When Seongju dly agreed to his request, the only one left was Ruon. Maybe I should ask for some armor. He was wondering if he should go along with the groups opinion, since his leather armor had been torn to shreds by Ames spell, when he suddenly opened his mouth with a thought that crossed his mind. I have and certificate that I got by chance. But its hard to use it right away, so Id appreciate it if you could write me a guarantee. It sounds grand, but a seal that guarantees my identity would be enough, I think. At his words, Colin gasped and drew in a breath. His trembling hands showed that he had caught on to what Ruon was saying. Then Seongjuughed loudly. Hahaha, of course. My authority in the kingdom is not inferior to anyone. Ill stamp any seal you want. Its a request from a hero, so its no trouble. Ruon smiled back at him. Thank you. Soon after, the group left Seongjus bedroom. There was nothing left to do, but Seongjus face was dripping with cold sweat, so he didnt look like he was in a mood to talk. As soon as they turned the corner, Colin grabbed Ruons arm and said. Are we going to swallow that pig I mean, the counts mine? Ruon replied calmly. Why are we? No! Dont say such hurtful things. I said Id fight with you, and I refused the money and asked for equipment. Colin made a sad face, and Ruon answered with a faint smile. I might share some with you, depending on how it goes. Oh! He immediately started to dance with joy, and Kyle, who had been watching the deserter with a nk stare, changed the subject. I hope the cksmiths skill is as good as Seongju said. Considering the future battles. Even then, he was more worried about the equipment than the money, and he looked like a true knight of mercy. Ah, he really was the champion of Tive. Ruon nodded and said. It would be nice if I could dispose of the materials Ive been saving. Materials? Kyle looked at him with a curious expression, and Ruon said. I have scales that I peeled off from Hes skin. Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Chapter 114 How do you like it? Ignoring the nervous voice of the cksmith, the party put on the armor that was ced in front of them. Kyle, who was the only one who ordered a te armor, put it on with the help of the cksmiths assistant. Its fine. Ruon brushed his hand over the leather gauntlet that tightly wrapped his shoulders and upper body. The feeling of the scales touching his skin was unfamiliar. Then the cksmith quietly approached him. Ive been proud of having touched almost every material in my 40 years of ironwork, but dragon scales. Haha, I feel like half of my remaining life has flown away. How much I struggled to refine them He sighed heavily. His name was Sanson. He was the person who the lord rmended to the party as the best cksmith in El Tigre. I like it. It was a briefpliment, but the cksmiths face brightened up as he was dealing with a special person. I thought it would be neither here nor there if I refined it poorly, so I made it into a gauntlet that preserves the shape of the scales. Since I was short of materials, I ced more dragon scales on the vital parts. He said that and pointed to his chest and armpit alternately. As he said, the gauntlet that Ruon was wearing also had blue-green scales shining faintly in that area. If you wear a padded coat over this, you wont have any problem with warmth. Do you want me to get you one? Thanks. Ruon answered with a faint smile and looked at Colin, who was making a nervous expression next to him. Do you like it? Colin, who was also wearing a scale gauntlet, answered hesitantly. Can I really use such a precious thing? Why not? Colin swallowed his saliva at the indifferent answer and spun the sword in his hand. The sharp de that gleamed with gloss looked like a superior product at a nce. He muttered. I have to pass it on to my child someday. At that, Kyle jumped in with a pale face. Youll die if you say that! What, what? Fuck, why? Ruon said that before. What was it? Fleur? No, shes a witch. Ruon chuckled and answered. g. Yeah. That! Kyle pped his hands and started to exin the death g to Colin, who blinked his eyes as if he didnt understand. Of course, that was also nonsense. After giving a small tip to Sanson (the lord promised to pay all the amount), the party moved out of the cksmith shop. Hello! Have you had lunch? Thank you. Always take care of yourself. The busy people who were going their own way greeted the party brightly when they saw them. The three people who had been fighting at the front line for a week were already so famous in El Tigre that there was no one who didnt know them. Then someone came through the crowd. She was wearing a gray robe instead of a blue one, probably conscious of the others eyes. It was Am. Are you done? Ruon shrugged his shoulders at her words. As you can see. I just finished preparing too. I bought a horse. Oh, by the way. The kid named Caliban, hes so nice. He has a lot of charm. What? Ruon frowned without realizing it. It was the most absurd thing he had heard in thest few months. Ive been feeding him sugar and carrots. He doesnt even treat me like a person Is he an irresistible male? Colin, who wasmenting with a sigh,ughed and said. Then were all ready. Shall we go? As they were about to move, a voice came from behind. Wait a minute! They turned around and saw a man with a bandage wrapped around his chest running towards them. He arrived and gasped for breath. He was a familiar face to the party. He was Wayne, the lords guardian knight. I heard you were in critical condition. Why are you here? Kyle said that and put his hand on Waynes shoulder. A faint light shed under his palm and Waynesplexion brightened up. I heard you had packed your luggage in the room and hurried over. Are you leaving already? Ruon nodded. The barbarians have retreated, and the kingdoms army will be here soon. Theres no reason for us to stay. Wayne seemed to have a lot to say, but he couldnt get it out of his mouth. He finally organized his thoughts and said. I think you have a reason to leave. The lord is still unable to move and couldnte out, so I dare to represent him and El Tigre and thank you for this. He bowed deeply and showed respect as a knight. The party didnt say anything. They just scratched their heads as if they were awkward. Its different. Ruon muttered to himself. He had thought so before, but they were a little different from the usual nobles and knights. *** He had only seen a glimpse of them, but Prince Kemar was not as rigid and inflexible as other nobles, and Wayne was a knight who did not fuss over his rank. That alone made them likable to Ruon. And he felt a small sense of pride for protecting El Tigre. He smiled faintly. Maybe well meet again someday. With a brief farewell, the party left El Tigre. They walked on their own feet to the cold northernnd, but strangely, they did not feel cold. The fire made from dried goat dung crackled and burned. The dung had a decent heat, and thanks to that, the faces that had hardened from the cold began to rx. Ruons eyes sparkled like fireflies as he quietly looked at the fire. He took out some jerky from his backpack, cooked it, and handed one to each of the people sitting next to him. They all chewed on it without a word. Hot, hot, hot! So, where is this sacred tree? Colin moved his mouth noisily as the jerky was hotter than he expected. Steam came out of his mouth. Am answered him. Five or six days? I dont know the exact distance. When I moved, I used the portal that the shamans had set up. Of course, I cant use it now. Colin rounded his mouth and let out a wow. Portal. Ive always been curious about that. How does it feel to close the gap of tens of days in a single step? Ruon frowned silently. He remembered the time he had taken the portal with Tarwen in Belgrade. He had no intention of taking the portal again, no matter what anyone said. Kyle cut off a piece of ham from the wrapper and cooked it over the fire, as the jerky was not enough to fill his hungry stomach. Frankly, thisnd were sitting on is no longer Aniaras territory, right? What if we run into hundreds of barbarians by mistake? At his words, Am elbowed Ruons arm and said. Hell take care of them all. Hmm. That makes sense. Yeah. Huh? Ruon was about to pass it off as a joke, but he saw Colin and Kyle nodding their heads seriously. He couldnt help butugh. He thought about it again and it wasnt impossible. Thank you. Am bit into the ham that Kyle handed her on a stick and added. Its not necessarily like that. The north is in a lot of chaos right now. She smiled sweetly at Kyle, as if the ham was delicious. Ruon chuckled at that, and Colin made a face as if he had eaten shit. As I said, the chieftain, Jigor, is a very stubborn person. He joined hands with the great demon to revive the sacred tree, purely out of his own will. Of course, the elders strongly opposed it, but it was useless. Rather, they only lost their heads for being too radical. She stretched out her arm toward the fire and rubbed her cold fingers. The solid rtionship between the tribes was also cracked by a series of events, and its gotten pretty serious now. Of course, everyone is holding their breath under the overwhelming power of the chieftain, but there are also many who are tired of the constant fighting. Unless they are radical followers of the chieftain, they probably wont attack us with their lives on the line. Then Ruon shifted his gaze somewhere and asked. So which side are they? At his words, the party gripped their weapons and straightened their posture. In their eyes, which had quickly prepared for battle, they saw a dozen men and a woman slowly approaching, cutting through the darkness. How did you know? At the front, the man asked Ruon, who raised his eyebrows. I have good night vision. Then the woman behind the man stepped forward and said. Thats nonsense! We erased our presence and smell, and used shamanism to blend in with nature, and you just saw and recognized us? Youre a coward who uses despicable magic that doesnt suit your size. What are you talking about? He watched her angrily, and she added. Theres no way these are the beings the great mother told us about. Just look at their clothes, theyre clearly dogs of the north. Lets just kill them. At her harsh words, Colin snorted and growled. As soon as we see the barbarians. He drew his sword loudly, and the men on the other side also raised their weapons in unison. The atmosphere was tense and explosive. Stop-! Then the man at the front shouted loudly. His booming voice made the surface of the burning fire tremble. Brother, why The woman tried to interrupt, but the man raised his hand to stop her. His squinty eyes looked straight at Ruon. May I ask why a foreigner has set foot on this barrennd? Ruon quietly faced him, feeling no hostility in his question. Well, Im here to kill your chieftain. Of course, that was not his ultimate goal, but he said it deliberately. There was no better way to gauge the reaction of his opponent. Surprisingly, the man and the warriors behind him fell silent. Even though he had openly dered his intention to kill someone who was like a king to them. Then the man stepped into the circle of light cast by the bonfire. His face, which had been half-hidden in the darkness, was revealed. He was a striking man, with sharp features and a scruffy beard that covered his lower face. He wore arge bear skin over his head and shoulders. But what caught Ruons attention was the blue tattoo that covered his entire face. Your name must also start with Ba. Ruon knew from the previous fight that those who had smeared their faces with blue dye were the chieftains of the barbarians. He asked the question he could. The man nodded briefly. Yes. I am Ba-Hengel. The man, Hengel, spoke. Warrior. Raise your weapon. I have something I want to confirm with you. At his words, a woman who looked like Hengels sister snapped at him. She was so agitated that she dropped the honorifics. Wait! Brother. This is rash. We dont have any certainty yet! Hengel answered without looking back. Thats why I want to check, isnt it? They were talking about something only they knew. In the strange atmosphere, Ruon lifted himself up with his hand on the ground. He pped his buttocks lightly, showing no sign of tension. The warriors behind Hengel red at him with sparks in their eyes. He asked as if he didnt care. What do you want to do? Fight until one of us dies? Hengel shook his head. No. Well stop when one side admits defeat. Ruon frowned. That sounded more vague than asking a barber to cut his hair moderately. But he soon nodded. Suit yourself. Then Am poked his back and whispered. Youll go easy on him, right? He seems to be from the tribe that shed with the Great Chieftain What if he is? Ruon retorted yfully and approached Hengel. The barbarian chieftain quickly drew his double-edged axe from his waist and growled. His low voice gradually turned into a beast-like roar, and his ferocity became more evident. A bear? Ruon saw a huge illusion of a bear wavering behind Hengel. Just like the one who climbed the wall before had a wolfs illusion, the barbarian in front of him had a bears illusion on his back. Kroo! With a wild howl, Hengel swung his arm down. The axe fell with a satisfying sound, fast and strong enough to split anyone from head to crotch. But Ruon, who had read his trajectory from his shoulder movement, dodged lightly and punched the empty space. At that moment, therge axe de shattered like a ss window hitting a rock. Huh! Hengel avoided the flying shards with an incredible agility that did not match hisrge body, but he could not dodge the fist that followed. He was hit in the chest and flew up, unable to even fall properly. He rolled on the ground without a sense of direction. He barely stopped with the help of the warriors behind him, and blood gushed from his mouth. Ugh- After spitting out blood for a while, Hengel lifted his head with trembling eyes. There was Ruon, looking down at him with a sullen face. I dont know if thats enough. Enough More than enough. He bent his knee and looked at the barbarian who admitted defeat eye to eye. So what did you want to confirm? What is this being that the Great Mother spoke of? Hengel answered, catching his breath. The Great Mother is our tribes elder, who has the ability to divine the future by looking at the stars She said A being that will end this damned war will appear. He opened his mouth slowly, trailing off. After a long silence, a new name was engraved in the sky. He will drive away the old and stir up the blue in the ancient history. Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Chapter 115 A vague sentence that sounded usible but had no substance. That was what Ruon thought of the prophecy. He had once had his future divined by the master of the magic tower, but that was only based on his past actions and showed the most likely possibility. It was not something worthy of being called a prophecy. But what about the woman called the Great Mother? As Ruon muttered to himself, Hengel opened his mouth. His face was pale from spitting blood several times. The Great Mother added that the person in the prophecy would pass through our territory in a few days. Naturally, we strengthened our patrols and found you in the process. He did not say anything more, but the party could guess why Hengel had challenged them so abruptly. He must have wanted to check if Ruon, who had detected them with his magic while they were hiding their bodies, was the person in the prophecy. There was no better way than to face him directly. Hengel spoke to Ruon. I have no talent for reading the stars, so I dont know if you are the one who has engraved your name in the sky or not. But I can clearly see that you are a warrior with an amazing skill. He gently pushed away the woman who was supporting his body under his armpit. Then he added. If you are serious about killing the Great Chief,e with us. There are others who share the same intention. His bold words that revealed his inner thoughts made the eyes of the warriors behind Hengel shake slightly. They were not the only ones who were surprised. The party was taken aback by the unexpected proposal and looked at each other with nk expressions. Kyle whispered softly. Do you think hes nning to start a rebellion? Colin scratched his backside and answered. I dont feel like helping the barbarians. Am calmly intervened with a small grumble. I know how you feel. But not all the northerners agree with the Great Chiefs will. It might be good to look at them with a little more generosity. She moved her gaze to Ruon and said. Besides, were not the ones who got the offer. Under the naturally focused gaze, Ruon nodded slightly. Lets do that. Hengels expression brightened with the positive answer. Then, can we move right away? Theres a vige not far from here. The party who agreed to the proposal started to clean up their ce. Ruon rubbed out the remaining embers with his heel and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He looked up at the sky. He still found it hard to believe that his name was engraved among the brilliant stars. But even the nameless barbarian had noticed that fact, and he couldnt ignore it forever. He hoped to find a clue for his journey ahead and followed Hengel. The party followed him in step. The barrennd of the north. And the barbarians. Were they captivated by the prejudice that the two words created without knowing it? The party was amazed by the much cleaner view of the vige than they expected. The log houses that were stacked in the shape of a well pavilion looked sturdy, and the roads that broke the frozen ground were neat. Hengels younger sister snapped at them, noticing the change in their expressions. Whats wrong? Did you think the barbarians lived in caves and ate meat while prolonging their lives? Are you disappointed that its not? Colin flinched at the aggressive words, but that was it. There was nothing good about causing unnecessary conflict when they came to the others vige. At that moment, Hengel, who was leading the party, stopped. In front of him was a small log house, and the faint pink light was leaking out of the window, indicating that the owner had not fallen asleep yet. This is the Great Mothers house. She seems to be still awake, so we can talk to her. The rest of you can go back. Rest well. He dismissed the warriors who had moved with him with a word that he had worked hard. They all scattered without a word, but one person raised his voice. Why me? Im the only shaman of the tribe! I have more than enough qualifications to listen. And even if this guy is the person the Great Mother talked about, hes still an outsider. I wont let him stupidly spill everything to him. Hengels face hardened at that. Hebart. Im the chief. If you want to challenge my authority,e at me with your life. And then you can take it. Dont talk nonsense! What are you two doing, standing up people? As Ruon was about to say something in the cold atmosphere, a sharp voice came from inside the house. Its toote to argue, soe in. Its cold outside. Hengel snorted and opened the wooden door, entering first. The woman and Hebart followed him, and the party naturally moved their steps. The inside of the log house was quite cozy. The bear fur that was used as a carpet was soft, and therge firece had a generous amount of charcoal burning and emitting heat. Next to the firece was a small rocking chair, and the old woman who was leaning on it scanned the faces of the people who entered the house without a word. She looked very old, with dense wrinkles and sagging skin that was ckened by mushrooms. She looked at least eighty or ny years old. She opened her mouth only when Colin, who came inst, closed the door. Tsk, tsk, the two pirs that should lead the tribe are constantly at odds. Cant we just get along quietly? Is it so hard to grant an old mans request in his final days? The elder spoke reprovingly, and Hengel responded. Im sorry. Sorry, Great Mother. After Hebart also apologized, the elder, the Great Mother, snorted disdainfully and turned away. The faces of the group reflected in her ss-like eyes. Its been quite a while since Ive seen the faces from beyond the mountains this close. Indeed. The Great Mother chuckled and clicked her tongue, her gaze settling on one person. She said, Do you know? Because of you, reading the heavens has be much moreplicated. What have I done? To Ruons dry retort, the Great Mother grinned and raised her index finger. Well, a being that should be floating above is now treading the earth. She added with an excited voice, Ive spent my life gazing up at the night sky, admiring the stars, thinking that longing would remain unattainable forever Yet here I am, facing a living, breathing star. I could die without regrets. Ruon said, Thats quite an exaggeration. I am human. Is that so? The Great Mother did not argue but smiled broadly. Ruon, caught off guard by her warm smile, asked, Do I have no choice in the matter? The Great Mother shook her head. Thats an inappropriate question. Especially for someone who has never walked the path you have. I see, no help there. Ruon was about to close the conversation with dissatisfaction when she continued, I know that beyond the mountains, there are many faiths unlike us who worship the World Tree as the only god. Surely, there must be someone among them who has walked the same path as you. Isnt that so? Ruon couldnt respond immediately, and Hebart interjected, Great Mother. Enough with the idle talk. I understand that this man is the one you spoke of. But what happens next? Are you saying that strangers will overthrow the chieftain and his army and stop the war? What bes of us then? At her words, the Great Mother shrugged. I merely convey what Ive seen. Hebart. The chieftain sold the World Tree to filth for his ambition. It has begun to show signs of a terrible beings arrival, and as always, I sought advice from the stars for a way to repel it. They are the answer! The young shaman flinched back at the elders roar, which was hard to believe came from her. The Great Mother spoke more calmly, Im not ignorant of your pride. I know better than anyone how much courage it takes to stand against the chieftain at the risk of your life. But even in such a situation, I cannot forgive you for worrying about sharing glory with outsiders. Now is the time to unite, even the smallest of strengths. Hebart bit her lip hard. I believe there is no one better suited for the chieftains sessor than my brother. Thats all. She didnt wait for a response and stormed out, pushing the door as if to break it. A chill wind entered, and Colin quickly closed the door. Then Hengel spoke, My sister wishes for me to take the chieftains seat at the cost of the blood we will shed. Shes been anxious for days that the prophesied one might take it from me. Shes just immature; dont hold it against her. What chieftain. Ruon replied with an incredulous expression, Killing the chieftain is just a step in the process. I have no intention of snatching that position, so theres no need to worry. Hengel nodded as if he knew, Thank you for saying that. Am, who had been silently listening, addressed Hengel, The chieftain has forcefully subdued many tribes and families. Are you truly prepared to face them? Her pointed question made the chieftain nod again, Of course. I didnt just sit idly by, waiting, even though I believe in the Great Mothers words. He looked out the window, Tribes that have promised to join us are gathering here. Some have already arrived. Everyone will be here in two days at thetest. Thats when the action starts. Kyle sniffled, If the chieftain isnt a fool, he wont be unaware of such movements. Hengel said, The moment we refused the chieftains summons to attack the kingdoms army, it was a well-known fact that we would rebel. Weve long crossed the point of no return. Colin swallowed dryly, So its another full-scale war. He turned to the Great Mother, Elder, did the brilliant stars really say that with Ruon joining, we would win? The Great Mother replied softly, He may be a catalyst for change, but whether that means victory is uncertain. So its a fifty-fifty chance, then. I used one of my internal tools to trante your text from Korean to English. Here is the result: Meanwhile, Hengel said. Its toote. At this rate, it wouldnt be strange if the sun rises, so lets stop talking here. Ill order my men to vacate a house for you. Spend a day there. Elder, Ill go ahead. He finished his words and opened the door first, as he did when he came in. Then hispanions started to follow him one by one. The moment Ruon turned his back. The elder spoke to his back. If Im right, you dont seem to like the idea of ascending to heaven. Ruon stopped walking and turned his head. The old man who had been looking at his calm eyes continued. Isnt it a glorious path that a warrior would want to walk even in his dreams? Why are you making such a sour face? Can I ask you? Ruon smiled faintly. I dont want to go to heaven. Then? You wouldnt understand even if I told you. Ruon thought it would be fun to see the elder who only picked up puzzling words pondering over his words, and he slipped out. He moved to the house that Hengel had prepared with hispanions who had been waiting for him. They didnt say much while preparing for bed. They didnt show it on the surface, but they all seemed to haveplicated thoughts. Colin, who volunteered to stand guard because he still couldnt trust the barbarians, was the first to nod off. Soon after, Kyle and Am also fell asleep. Ruon, who had his sped hands behind his head, looked up at the dark ceiling and wondered what would happen if he became a god and couldnt find a way out of this world. It was a question that had no answer, so he entrusted himself to his gradually drowsy eyelids. In his dream that day, he had plenty of Pride Chicken and draft beer from a famous brand. The food that the 26-year-old job seeker liked the most never ran out. Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Chapter 116 The white snowkes piled up on the bare branches could not bear their own weight and fell with a thud. Right below, a bird that was eating yellow berries was startled by the sudden small avnche and pped its wings. The creature still pecked at one berry with its beak and then flew away quickly, hiding its trace. It seemed to be very hungry. Ruon, who was following the sight with his eyes, shook off the snow on his shoulders. The white kes scattered silently in the air. Ruon? What are you doing here? Am, who had approached him unnoticed, said that and sniffed. Her gray robe was covered with lint, probably from brushing against things on the way. I was taking a walk. To help with digestion. You have good stamina. The other two ran straight to the bonfire because they were cold. Am lightly plucked off the round lint and flicked it into the air. Due to its lightness, it did not fly far and fell to the ground. She looked at the gray thread that fell at her feet and added. A little while ago, all the tribes gathered. Thorn, Iron, Storm, Salt. Hengel said they were pretty solid tribes. Theres a lot. Ruon, who had learned that Hengels tribe name was Rock just a few hours ago, felt unfamiliar with the names of the various tribes that came out of Ams mouth. How does their strength look? There are two surprising news. One big and one small. Which one do you want to hear first? Ruon said without hesitation. The big one first. Then Am smiled faintly. Theres a giant among the warriors of the Iron tribe. And its not a half-blood, but a pure-blood. The appearance of a being that had almost disappeared in the north boosted everyones morale. Kyle was curious who would win if you and the giant had a strength contest. Was big referring to the size? Ruon chuckled and asked. Then whats the small one? A knight order came from El Tigre. A person named An led them and showed up. Ruon tilted his head as this seemed to be more surprising news. Ams story continued. "It was a tense atmosphere as if a fight would break out at any moment, but fortunately, Kyle and Colin recognized them and mediated, so no one got hurt. They exined the current situation and they said they would join us. She lightly tapped Ruons arm as she finished speaking. Then the snow on his shoulder fell like kes. Thats all I have to tell you. A lot happened while I was out. Ruon snorted and turned his steps. He regretted not finishing his walk on the rugged hill, but it didnt seem like a situation to linger any longer. Lets go down. *** The first thing that caught his eye was the giant. He was sitting on the ground, perhaps out of consideration for the people around him, but his shoulders reached the roof of the hut, and his size was beyond imagination. How do half-bloods get born? Ruon marveled at the love that transcended race and physical limits and shook his head. Where did you go ande back now? Colin came over, waving his arms from afar. He put his palm to his mouth and whispered, ncing sideways. Do you see that big guy over there? Hes a giant from the Iron tribe, and hes a pure-blood. He said hes over sixty this year, can you believe it? And thats the prime time for giants. Ruon, who was expected to show some surprise, still had no change in his expression, and Colin quickly added. Thats not the end, well, An I heard it. Huh? Only then did Colin notice the magician behind Ruon, who was snapping his fingers. No wonder youre not surprised. You didnt look surprised when I told you either. Tsk, youre no fun. Ruon ignored the twos conversation and moved his steps. He soon arrived at the thick tent made of cloth and leather, and lifted the curtain and entered. Youre here. Hengel, who had his arms crossed, pretended to know and the people around him turned their heads to Ruon. There were seven of them, and four of them had blue tattoos on their faces, which looked like tribal chiefs, and the other three were Kyle, Hebert, and An, who wore a lion helmet. I was surprised that you left without a word. But Im d to see you again. I thought you would stay in El Tigre. An shook his head at that. We followed the prophets trail to the far north. Were not just guarding the city. I see. Ruon nodded and took a seat next to Kyle. The other tribe leaders had already heard the rumors and lost interest in him, except for Hebert, who kept sending him cold res. Of course, Ruon didnt care at all. Soon after, Am and Colin entered the room, and Hengel opened his mouth. It looks like everyones here. He said that and moved his eyes to the round table in front of him. There was a shiny leather covering the table, and it had various terrains carved on it. On top of it, there were colorful stones ced at regr intervals. Hengel pointed at the five pebbles that had a blue hue. This is us. Rock, Thorn, Iron, Storm, and Salt have united as one. Then he picked up a red stone that was a bit far away and mmed it down with a thud. And this is the Great Chief. As soon as the straightforward exnation was over, Hengel started moving the pebbles around and began a tactical meeting. The main topic was how they, who were outnumbered by the enemy, could fight more efficiently and how they could use the terrain to their advantage. Among the group, only Am, who had once served in the Great Chiefs army, and An, who had enough leadership skills to be promoted to a pdin, asionally participated in the conversation by offering opinions or objections. On the other hand, Ruon, who didnt know the northern terrain and had no deep knowledge of strategy and tactics, just listened quietly to the ongoing dialogue. Kyle and Colin didnt have anything to say either. Thats when a short but plump tribe leader, who looked like a pebble, spoke up. To be honest, I dont see the point of this talk. The bastards who have gone mad are so strong that our men can barely kill them with two on one, and the Great Chief has more than a few powerful shamans. Simple number games are useless, I tell you. That remark was enough to reset all the conversation that had been going on until then. Then Hebert said. Thats true. But the longer we wait, the worse it gets for us. The Great Chiefs army, which has already sold their souls, will only grow stronger. If we waste time, we wont even have a chance to fight properly. Another tribe leader muttered under his breath, biting his teeth. He was an old man with white hair. Jigor, that bastard, is trying to turn thisnd into hell with his reckless actions. If Shinmok was still alive, he wouldnt have dared to bring those filthy tribes here. In the gloomy atmosphere, Am quietly spoke. Hebert is right. The Great Demon Beolun, who is now allied with the Great Chief, is trying to fuse with Shinmok and be a being that has devoured the divine. And if that happens, none of us will be able to stand against him. She nced at Ruon when she said none of us, but she didnt say anything unnecessary and finished her sentence. Until then, Kyle, who had been silent, said. So we have to defeat the Great Chiefs army, stop Shinmoks resurrection, and kill the Great Demon? What is this As the situation became more hopeless with every word, everyone kept their mouths shut. Thats when Ruon said. The longer we dy, the stronger the enemys army and the Great Demon, who is swallowing Shinmok at this very moment, will be. I dont think anything will change if we keep banging our heads together. Hebert frowned and said. Its not that we dont know that, but the situation is- Ruon ignored her words and reached out. He clenched his fist around the five blue pebbles and the red stone and said. While youre holding off the Great Chiefs army, my friends and I will take care of Shinmok or rather, the Great Demon. Hengel asked with a doubtful expression on his face. Youre going to deal with the Great Demon separately? Yeah. I wont ask you to win, but I hope youll hold off the Great Chiefs army well. Hebert raised her voice at his unwavering answer. What a joke! The moment you fail, well be doomed to face the Great Chief in a full-scale war. Wed rather slowly chip away at his army Crunch- She swallowed her words and looked at the direction where the sound came from. Stone dust was falling from between Ruons fingers. As the table was ruined by the red and blue stone dust, he said. I think you said yourself that theres no time to waste. Is nibbling at the enemy not like that? That, thats Overwhelmed by his unfathomable ck eyes, Hebert unknowingly lowered her head. Hengel blocked her front naturally and said. If theres even a slim hope, Im ready to risk my life. Not just me, but every warriors heart would be the same. But its surprising that youre asking us to buy time while you four deal with the Great Demon. Ruon sighed inwardly at hisst words, which sounded like a negative answer. But then Hengel said with a determined expression. Well do as you wish. As soon as his words were over, voices of doubt erupted from all sides. Brother? What? Hengel. Are you serious? Haha. What is this. Regardless, Hengel fixed his eyes on Ruon and continued. It was a one-sided match that was embarrassing to call a fight, but thats why I know your strength well. And I also know that your words are not empty when you say youll kill the Great Demon. He finally looked away from the eyes of the four tribal chiefs who stared at him withplicated expressions. I wont ask you to trust me by repeating the oracles prophecy. Instead, Ill dly prepare a ce for you to die. At that, the tribal chief who looked like a boulderughed heartily and said, Thats right. Its much better to die cutting off the heads of those bastards who lost their pride than to fight timidly and perish like old mens piss. I agree. The other three also added their words and showed their consent. The faltering conversation ended like that. While the five-tribe alliance led by Hengel blocked the chiefs army, Leons party and Ans knights decided to cut down the corrupted god-tree. It was the moment when the fate of everything was decided in a single day. *** A giant man walked briskly across the frozennd, as if his lungs were not freezing with every breath. At his waist, the ice axe that had been used by the previous chiefs shone with a cold gleam. As if it thirsted for blood. The giant stopped and leaned on someones back and said, Is it done? The middle-aged fairy turned his head. He greeted the giant with a friendly smile. The lord who will rule the continent has arrived. The chief, Cal-Zigor, frowned at the clumsy ttery. Annoying pointy-eared bastard He growled softly and stood next to the fairy, looking up. His eyes met a huge tree. Youve been quacking for days, but now youre quiet. Very good. The fairy, Quintuanus, asked him, Does that mean its in the stabilization phase? By the way, chief. How do you feel? The dying god will soon resurrect, you know. Zigor spat on the ground and said, God? What a joke. Its a disgusting monster mixed with a rotten demon. The chief clenched the handle of the axe, which had sharp icicles. He felt the cold spreading throughout his body and said, True gods are born from great achievements. For example, unifying this continent for the first time. Zigor briefly revealed his ambition, but then erased his expression as if he remembered something. But before that, I have to tear apart those idiots who try to stop me. It seems they have no fear and areing this way. Ill have to crush them. Quintuanus shrugged his shoulders and walked away. The chiefs lips parted and a faint but clear voice came out. Ascend to the sky with your merit. Then youll all have to kiss my feet. Of course, he didnt know. That among those he despised as idiots, there was already a warrior who had ascended with his merit. Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Time flew by quickly. Knowing that there was no time to waste, Hengel swiftly led the allied tribes and boldly ordered them to march. Their destination was the Resting ce of the Sacred Tree, where the divine tree was located. It was a glorious ce where the former chieftains of the north rested beside the divine tree after fulfilling their duties. But it was tainted by Jigors ambition, and a horde of barbarians lined up there. Hengel, who was leading them, approached Ruon and hispanions, who were separated from the main force and had their own spot. I n to fight here. As you can see, if we go any further, our vision will be blocked and a normal battle will be impossible. He pointed to the blizzard that was raging in front of them. The divine tree is inside there. Well try to hold back Jigors army as much as we can, but in the end, its up to you to break through and get past them. Good luck. Charge! Hengel immediately urged his own words. Then he ran towards the army that was lined up on the wide in covered with frost. Colin, who was staring nkly at him, muttered to himself. That guy. Did he just say Jigor? He doesnt even call him chieftain anymore. Theres no need to show respect when we have to kill each other now. Kyle answered and gently stroked the neck of his horse. The horse seemed to feel the warmth of his touch, and its stiff neck muscles rxed. Likewise, thepanions were all on horseback. The moment the battle began, their task was to reach the Resting ce of the Sacred Tree as quickly as possible. Its an honor to be with you. Ruon, who was staring at the front, nodded his head and turned around at the voice of An from the side. He saw the knights wearing lion helmets on theirrge horses. The Knights of Valor, who burned their own holy power, expressed their desire to fight with thepanions, and Ruon dly epted it. It was not because he had a great reason, but because he thought they would not be a hindrance. Meanwhile, Am, who was busy casting spells on the horses, finally got on her own horse. She said. Its done. I enhanced their minds temporarily with a spell, so they wont panic or lose control, or suddenly copse. Ruon was about to thank her for her hard work, but he heard a sinister horn sound from afar. Boo-oo-oo-oo At the same time, the horizon that was invisible to the naked eye due to the blizzard crumbled and something revealed itself. Soon, the ones who took their ce opposite the allied tribes were berserkers with blood-red eyes. Hengel turned his body to face the chieftains army that finally showed themselves. There was no great speech. He just raised the axe in his hand. Oooooh! Waaaa-aaa! But that was enough, and a huge roar erupted. Among them, the roar of the giants who pounded their chests like goris made a big contribution. There was no speech for the other side either. Ka-ah-ak! The berserkers, who seemed to be soaked in blood, lit up their red eyes and started to charge without hesitation. There was no rule or n in their rushing steps. Soon, the two armies collided head-on. There was no trickery or ceremony there. Blood and flesh flew wildly in the honest collision that was as brutal as it could be. The swirling de wind scattered them all over the battlefield. A hammer smashed a head to pieces, and a long spear pierced an eye and dug into it. A blind arrow that flew from somewhere stuck in the forehead of an unsuspecting person. The shamans whispered sinister spells without rest and poured powerful magic, and the chieftains summoned the spirits that represented their tribes into their bodies and swung their weapons like crazy. The warriors of the allied tribes stabbed their weapons at the berserkers who ran from all sides. They naturally became preupied with killing the enemies in front of them, as they faced the ones who didnt care about the des piercing their bodies. Only the rough breathing of the enemy and themselves was heard in their dull ears. No orders came in. The savage fight of the two groups that didnt retreat a step resulted in dozens of people dying every second. Lets go. With a short word, Ruon kicked his side and Caliban started to run with an explosive movement. Three of hisrades and Ans knights followed closely behind. Their hearts thumped loudly as they ran towards the bloody battlefield. Ruon didnt think that the reason his heart was shaking was because of the berserkers army. He was calm even when the wall copsed, so he wouldnt be scared now. He was sure that the answer was beyond the white blizzard, and swung his sword. The head of the berserker who was swept by his trajectory flew in the air, spinning and spinning, and was crushed like butter stepped on by a military boot when it hit Kyles shield. At that moment, Am stretched out her right hand, which was holding the reins, and shouted something. Her voice was drowned out by the noise around her, but the invisible force that poured out of her palm made the berserkers who were blocking the front lose their bnce and fall. The ones who tried to get up were trampled by the horses hooves and died, and the others had their necks or waists cut in half by the ego sword that Ruon swung. As Ruon, who was the tip of the triangr formation, acted without slowing down, the ones who followed him naturally gained momentum. Kyle raised his hammer wrapped in lightning and smashed the chest of the opponent, and Colin threw the dagger he received from Ruon to the right ce, making arge hole in the jaw of the warriors who tried to stop them with their bodies. With the tremendous breakthrough power of the knights who followed An, thepanions broke through the chieftains army in an instant. They were able to enter the blizzard beyond. Even though the snowkes that flew around interfered with his vision, Ruon swung his sword and sent the heads of two berserkers flying like bottle caps. The ego sword, Ruin, stained with blood, burned his body and ignited his will. At that very moment, Ruon felt a strange sensation that was hard to express in words tearing through his mind. He knew from his long experience that it was a warning sign of a spell. He quickly turned his head to warn hispanions. And he realized that no one was behind him. What? Ruon immediately nudged Calibans side with his thigh. The sturdy beast slowly reduced its speed and soon came to a halt. The surroundings were all white. The white snow that reflected all the visible light and the severe blizzard that caused whiteout greeted him coldly. On the bizarrend that devoured all sense of space and perspective, Ruon sharpened his senses. In the meantime, he lost his hearing and even his sense of smell. Caliban trembled with anxiety in the overwhelming terror of losing all his senses. Ruon stroked the ck mane of the beast. Fortunately, his sense of touch was intact, and the ck horse clung to his masters touch as if it was salvation. Was it a shamans spell? Ruon soon dismissed that thought in his mind. It was too high-level for that. He had faced the shaman tribe quite a lot, but none of them had ever cast a spell that suddenly dominated such a vast area. He quietly focused his mind, hoping that those who were swallowed up with him were safe. Sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste. His superhuman mental power began to mix the five senses that were losing their function and create a sharp edge. The sharp des of his senses that stretched out in all directions seeded in detecting an artificial space in the whitened world. Ruon stretched out his sword to point out the space he had found for Caliban, who had lost his sense of direction. At that moment, the ck horse, who had also lost his sense of touch, realized that he couldnt miss this opportunity and started to roll his feet with all his strength. Hee-hee-hee-hee! He didnt hear it, but he must have howled like that. Ruon swung his sword with all his might at the white space that came close to his nose in an instant. The moment his ego sword, filled with his will, cut through the invisible singrity. With the sound of ss shattering, all his senses returned to their ce as if they were flowing back. Ruon, who got off Caliban, who copsed as if exhausted, stroked the forehead of the ck horse who was breathing heavily. Good job. He watched the space he had smashed heal as if the wound was closing, and turned his body. They said no one woulde this far. Thats why you cant trust the pointy ears. The giant, who was as big as Ruon or even bigger, stomped his feet nervously. The ground below him cracked like a spider web. He said. Who are you? You dont look like a northerner by your outfit Did Hengel, that bastard, borrow the hands of outsiders? Ruon looked at the red tattoo that covered the giants face and opened his mouth. So youre the chieftain. At his dry voice, the giant, Jigor, had a vein pop on his forehead. He didnt seem interested in the feeble argument, and he grabbed the axe on his waist and swung it without hesitation. Wha-! Ruon, who expected a throwing attack since they were at least twenty steps apart, bent his waist back reflexively at the eerie coldness he felt from nearby. He looked up and saw the space where his head had been frozen. The two men were wary of each other at the same time. Ruon fixed his eyes on the ice axe that showed an unexpected long-range attack, and Jigor red at the warrior who easily avoided his surprise attack. What are you? Ruon stomped the ground in response to his question. The time for leisurely conversation was over. His amazing leg strength made his body faster than an arrow. He narrowed the distance with the warrior, who dropped a red lightning bolt. Jigor was startled by his overwhelming presence, but he quickly regained hisposure and raised his ice axe to block the attack. With a deafening noise, the ground under their feet shattered as if a huge metal lump had fallen. Ice shards flew up to their eyes, and Jigors axe emitted a cold blue light as if he had been waiting for it. The coldness wrapped around them again. But Ruon swung his fist at the chieftains head instead of backing away. But the ice in the air suddenly swelled and hit his whole body, and his off-target fist grazed the chieftains ear and passed by. Ruon twisted his body to break the ice pirs that zigzagged and hindered his movement and escaped to the side. Jigor, who had widened the distance, lightly brushed his left ear with his palm. He looked down at the half-torn ear that he had grazed and threw the flesh on the ground. Damn pointy ears, they told me to be prepared and didnt let me participate in the battle Did they anticipate this situation? Cunning bastards. He said that and wiped his blood-stained palm on his face. Five red lines were engraved on his face. Im d to meet a warrior like you. Lets dance once. Our ancestors will be satisfied. Oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh As soon as his words were over, a chorus of howls came from somewhere. Ruon, who had no intention of giving time to his opponent, stomped the ground again and narrowed the distance. He jumped into the air with thest boost and swung his sword as if he would cut the chieftain in half. Then Jigor rolled his eyes and opened his mouth wide. Kyaak! Ruon didnt care about the invisible force that emanated from his body and hit his chest, and he swung his sword to the end. Kwang-! As if he had been hit by an invisible hammer, Ruon flew back andnded with an amazing sense of bnce. He said, So you can use magic too? Is it just magic? Zigor said that as he picked up his left arm that had fallen to the ground. As soon as he brought the severed arm to the bleeding cut, he uttered some iprehensible words from his mouth. The arm began to wriggle and reattach itself. Ruon clenched and unclenched his left hand and smirked as he saw the unknown phantoms behind the chiefs back. What are you hanging around with? Are you talking about the dead chiefs as your ancestors? At that, Zigor narrowed his eyes. Can you see the ancestors? Ruon silently gripped his sword and Zigorughed viciously. Yeah. That doesnt matter anyway. Think of it as an honor. You are facing the history of the northerners right now! As he said that, a powerful wave of force surged from his body like a storm. Facing that, Ruon spun his sword in his hand and muttered. The experience points will be worth it. Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Chapter 118 Zigor frowned at the iprehensible word that annoyed him. Experience points? Ruon didnt answer. He just stomped on the ground as he had always done. He ran with a faint afterimage behind him and swung his sword at the enemys head, as if asking if he could reattach it after cutting it off. Zigor didnt dodge. He had already gripped the handle of his axe with both hands and swung it with the full force of his waist rotation. The blood-stained de and the icy edge of the axe shed, shaking the surrounding space. Right after, the space in front of the axes trajectory began to freeze over. It was no ordinary weapon that could dominate a certain area, but neither was Ruons. Crash-! The red shield that Ego Sword created on its own effectively blocked the cold de. The shattered ice fragments sparkled like thousands of precious metals. Ruon didnt just stare at it nkly. He thrust his fist through the flying shards and hit Zigors face. A creepy sound of bones breaking pierced his ears. But Zigor quickly snapped his head back and rammed his forehead into Ruons chest. Ruon shrugged off the dull impact as if he had been hit by a hammer and used that force to spin his body and kick his back leg. The clean roundhouse kick hit the chieftains face, which was already covered in blood. Zigor flew like he had been hit by a dump truck at full speed and only stopped after smashing a huge statue with his back. He spat out a mouthful of blood and muttered. What are you? Then Zigor touched his distorted face. The umted shock was so severe that his face recovered very slowly. It was amazing that he could heal himself even after being so damaged. I absorbed the souls of thirty chieftains into my body. Its a thousand years of history. I cant be pushed back so easily. How how can this happen? Ruon snorted like a person who heard a ridiculous remark and retorted. Im probably stronger than the sum of those thirty. Sparks flew in Zigors eyes. He raised his voice and roared with a vein on his neck. Nonsense! Its impossible for a pure human body to do that! Its a matter of level- His voice, which was getting hotter, suddenly stopped. The atmosphere cooled down as if cold water had been poured on it. Zigor whispered in a trembling voice. You. Could it be that youre a levelled being? Ruon didnt say anything. He didnt affirm it, but he didnt deny it either. The chieftains shoulders began to twitch as he realized something. Hahaha! What a lucky break! In his loudughter, there was a fierce swirl of unrefined emotions such as greed, anger, jealousy, and joy. Soon, he said. I dont have to go the hard way anymore! A levelled warrior has appeared before me. At that moment. Ruon didnt rush in to finish him off. It was because a storm of powerful force that was iparable to before pushed his body away. Oh-oh-oh Ohohoh Ruon saw it. The scene of dozens of phantoms ovepping with Zigors body. The cluster of souls that tangled together like a whirlpool melted into his muscles, bones, and blood, and engraved his essence. Soon, his body swelled up like a balloon, and frost formed on his skin. A thunderous sound echoed from the chieftains mouth. The winner takes everything from the loser. This is the logic of the north! Ill kill you here and take the golden tower youve built. *** In a world where everything was bleached white, Kyle raised his voice. Is anyone there! But his voice scattered like fog. It wasnt a metaphor, but the space literally swallowed up every syble of his voice. This is crazy. Kyle turned his head and looked at the corpse of the horse on the ground. The creature had lost itsposure and ran wild as soon as it entered the unknown space, and died without giving him a chance to help. Im not walking in ce. Kyle looked at the horse, which had shrunk noticeably, and estimated the distance he had walked. Then he wondered. Whether to keep moving or stay put. Reason told him that staying put was safer. In this space that gave him primal fear, if he lost sight of the horses corpse, which was still andmark, he would be in the same situation as swimming in the vast sea. Suddenly, Kyle thought of Ruons face. Would he have sought stability and stayed put in this situation? Goodness. He might as well believe that the devil prays. Kyle muttered to himself and started walking. Of course, he didnt just walk with determination. He pulled up the divine power that flowed under his skin as much as possible. He didnt know if it would work, but it would be better than not trying anything. As he walked and walked for a long time, Kyle was able to sense a very faint sign of life. It was a result that was possible because he instinctively spread his divine power wide. He quickly turned and ran, and a blue hemispherical shield came into his sight. And the magician who was sweating inside. Am! As he approached, the surface of the blue shield shook dangerously and began to melt away from the center. Kyle, who realized toote that the spellbreaker had done something he didnt want, was startled and tried to throw his shield, but Am shouted. No! When Kyle stopped, Am wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and said. I took care of it myself. It would have been hard to maintain anyway because of your shield. She took a small breath and shook Colins shoulder, who had copsed next to her. Wake up. Colin. Ugh. Shit. My head. Colin, who looked like he was suffering from a hangover, pressed his temples and got up. He widened his eyes at the sight before him. What the hell is this? Thats when Am grabbed Kyles wrist and said. Come closer. Isnt this too much for a romantic situation? Theres a limit to how much you can set a young mans heart on fire. Am frowned slightly at Colin, who gave her a sour look. Kyles shield is breaking the spell that pervades this space, albeit insufficiently. If youre curious, just take three steps back. Youll end up like that in less than five minutes. She pointed with her index finger to the direction where two horses were lying with their eyes rolled back and foam on their mouths. Colin gasped when he realized that they were his and Ams horses. Why didnt you tell me sooner? Im sorry. Then Kyle, who had put down the spellbreaker on the ground, asked. Am, where the hell are we? I remember following Lune into the blizzard, but He trailed off and Am answered. I dont know either. This barrier didnt exist when I was here. It must have been installed rtively recently. She bit her lower lip and added. Theres a terrifying spell that scrambles your senses and ultimately annihtes you. This is not a spell that can be spread over such a vast area. If you do, your brain will melt in an instant. Colin swallowed his dry saliva and said. But its spread out. Yeah. Maybe something beyond the norm has already awakened. Am realized that this conversation was not helpful at all and changed the topic. Anyway, we cant waste any more time. If we do, An and the knights wont be able to hold on. Theres a limit to mental strength too. She seemed to have made up her mind after some hesitation and ced her palm on the spellbreaker. Paradoxical shieldIll amplify this things power as much as possible and shatter this space entirely. Kyle tilted his head and asked. Isnt this thing bound to interfere with the spell? Is that possible? Am smiled faintly at the obvious question and answered. Whats engraved on this shield is a spell that blocks spells. It sounds like a wordy, but the essence of being a spell doesnt change. If I can break and reestablish thew for a moment, its not impossible. Colin said impatiently at the iprehensible words. I cant understand anything you say, so just do it quickly! Im already doing it! Ams eyes, which had shouted loudly, were dyed with a clear blue color. At the same time, the same color of light burst out from the palm that was ced on the shield, turning the surroundings blue. Am? Kyle called her name worriedly at the blood that was dripping from her eyes, nose, and even ears, but she clenched her teeth and poured more power. Her head, which was analyzing the shields power at a speed that ordinary magicians couldnt even imagine, spewed out a hazy smoke. Soon, her lips, which were bleeding enough to burst, opened with difficulty and a short spell came out. A-cento! Then, the blue light that had covered the surroundings like fog was sucked into the spellbreaker. Immediately after, a dazzling pir of light shot out from the surface of the bulky shield in a radial pattern, tearing apart the white space. A fierce blizzard rushed in through the torn gap. At the same time, the white space copsed like a sandcastle swept by a wave. Kyle, who had turned his face away from the snowkes hitting his face, lifted up Am, who had fallen over. Meanwhile, Colin, who had picked up the shield that had fallen on the ground, looked around and said. Damn! Where did wee from? Then, a huge roar was heard. Grrr-oo-oo-oo! Colin, who had shrunk his neck like a rat, turned his body to the direction where the sound came from. Kyle was already running that way. Hurry up! As he ran through the blizzard that obstructed his sight, he heard a giant roar and a noise of something exploding. Soon, he reached the source of the sound and saw a giant of ice that looked like an incarnation of coldness and Lune, who was swinging his fist at the giants fist. Crash! A huge noise and a shockwave spread out, and a white snowstorm soared up. Colin, who had followed him, staggered from the shockwave, but barely kept his bnce and said. What the hell is that? Then, the ice giant, whose body was covered with transparent crystals, lifted up an axe in his other hand. Considering his massive size, the axe didnt look cute at all, but the effect was beyond imagination. The blizzard swept by the axes trail turned into sharp ice shards and shed at Ruon like des. The force in the fragments was so immense that holes started to form in the shield of the Ego Sword from the umted impact. But Ruon dodged or parried all the attacks with his amazing agility and advanced. Soon, he reached the giants vicinity and swung his arm. The sword with tremendous power sliced the giants leg like a tofu, and the off-bnced creature crashed to the ground with a thud. Grrr-oo-oo-oo! As soon as it felt the warrior jumping over its body, the giant swung its rock-like fists wildly in instinctive fear. Gwaaang-! Ruon met the huge fist flying from the front with his shoulder with all his strength. As a result, Ruon was pushed back a step, and the giants fist shattered like a ss. Then, the other fist holding the axe came flying, but Ruon cut it off with the Ego Sword and spat on the ground as he walked towards the giants head. Winner takes loserswhat? He said that and mmed his fist on the giants head that had given up resistance. Once, twice, and three times. The ice crystals that densely covered the giants skin crumbled under the overwhelming force, and the dark flesh inside was briefly exposed. Ruon quickly spun the sword handle and gripped it in reverse, then stabbed it into the gap. Krrr-aa-aa-aa-ak! The moment the de pierced the soft flesh and tore it apart, the giants body began to be swept away by the wind from the edge. Ruon dusted off his hands in front of the giant that had disappeared without a trace and turned his head to the gaze that was looking at him. Kyle and Colin, who met his eyes, asked in unison as if they had rehearsed. What the hell was that? Ruon scratched the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders. The chieftain, I guess? Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Well, Im d its over, whatever it was. Kyle let out a sigh of relief and dropped the hammer he had been holding awkwardly. He had been carrying Ame on one shoulder, so he couldnt participate in the battle actively. Then he heard a small voice behind his shoulder. Kyle. Let me down. At her words, Kyle bent his upper body and lowered his posture. Ame, who had been dangling from his feet, stumbled for a moment, but soon regained her bnce and looked at the ice crystals that were scattering. The sparkling fragments were swallowed by the fierce wind and quickly disappeared. She said, Its a pity that this is the end of the man who had the ambition to unify the continent. As she said that, Ruon, who saw her blood-stained face, approached the group and asked, It must have been hard to get here. Its okay. It was just an overload on my brain. At most, I shortened my life by a month or so. It was a cheap price to pay for risking my life. Ame shrugged her shoulders as if it was nothing. Ruon smiled faintly at the mage. Its good to be positive. Then Colin, who had been looking at the hazy fog, narrowed his eyes and said, Someonesing. As he said that, shadows in the shape of people were approaching one by one. Then, An and the rest of the knights, who had been swallowed by the white space, appeared through the blizzard. They came with heavy footsteps, and they looked very exhausted at a nce. Are you all right? Colin asked with concern, and An, who was at the front, nodded. We were lucky. We would have been unable to hold on if we were a littleter. Ame scanned the knights, who had noticeably decreased in number, with her eyes and said, Its not luck. Its amazing that you guys held on in a space where your senses were disappearing. It was true. The knights, who had been around thirty, were now less than half of that. An spoke calmly, even though the death of hisrades must have hurt. Is this the resting ce of the spirits? Ame wiped the blood under her nose and answered, Yes. All the statues here are the former chieftains. As she said, there were huge sculptures scattered around the spacious square. Of course, it was hard to see their exact appearance in the snowstorm. If we go a little further inside, well find the sacred tree. It would have been nice if the horses were alive, butwe cant help it. Lets move as soon as were ready. At her words, everyone started to check their equipment. Of course, it was just a formality. In fact, it was more urate to say that they were preparing their minds for thest time. The fight that wasing up would be iparable to the previous ones. Take care. Ruon gently stroked the forehead of Caliban, who was still lying weakly. He was the only ck horse that survived, even though all the excellent warhorses had died, but he looked too tired to fight anymore. He tried to get up with a snort, as if his pride was hurt, but hey down again under the gentle pressure of Ruons neck. Dont push yourself. Well be in danger if we do. As he patted the ck horses back and stood up, Kyle, who hade up behind him, asked, Ruon. What do we do with this? Oh. That was left. Ruon looked at the ice axe in Kyles hand and smiled slightly. How about using that too? Weapon Master Kyle. Not bad. What are you talking about? I already have the Arming Sword from Garan. Do you want me to fight with my mouth? Kyle chuckled as if he couldnt believe what he was saying. Then An came up next to him and looked at the axe. Thats an extraordinary axe. Would you mind if I borrowed it for a while? Ruon, who realized that he was asking for permission, nodded readily. Sure. Hengel will be happy if you use it well and return it to him. An immediately took the axe from Kyle and spun it around with a smooth motion. It was obvious that he had experience with the weapon before. He stretched out his arm and said, Theres something strange. Ruon and Kyle thought he was talking about the axe, but An brought up something unexpected. My brothers and I are strangers to the north. Weve never even heard of the resting ce of the spirits. But I keep feeling like this ce is familiar. Its too specific to be just a hunch An trailed off, as if he couldnt find the right word. Unfortunately, Ames voice calling the three of them was faster than him continuing his speech. We have to go now! Lets go! Kyle turned his head and answered, then winked at Ruon as if to say lets go. Ruon put his hand lightly on Ans shoulder and said, Maybe youll remember as you walk. There were sixteen people left, including Ruon and his group. As they moved towards the inside of the resting ce, guarding the surroundings, the situation around them became more vivid. The evergreen trees that held their hair in the strong wind shook their branches precariously, and the frozen grass crumbled with a dry sound as they stepped on it. On the rough ground, there were sometimes dead animals, but they were so frozen that it was hard to tell when they died. I think I know why the dead god was left here. Colin muttered out of nowhere, and continued his words even though no one answered him. *** Who woulde to a ce like this? Its perfect for being forgotten. In everyones memory. At that moment, someone spoke from afar. You are a human with a decent insight. But your power is so weak. The voice sounded strangely clear in the midst of the fierce snowstorm. But apart from that, he couldnt predict the direction at all, because the voice wasing from all sides. Am clenched her teeth and looked around. Beolun At her words, the party drew their weapons and adjusted their stance. Before the battle began, they had been informed of the situation and knew that Beolun was the name of the great demon who had joined hands with the barbarians. I came to see if there was anyone among the northern shamans who could break my spell It was your doing, girl. Was your name Am? At his words, Am bit her lower lip. The wound that had healed a bit burst and blood dripped. I didnt expect you to remember me. How could I forget? You were the one that Quintuanus praised so much. Your father was very sad about the broken oath. My child. Suddenly, the voice of the great demon changed as if he was talking to a child. Am snorted and growled. Shut up with your disgusting words and show yourself. Do I have to find you myself? Hahaha. Theres no need for that. With a snickeringugh, the space in front of the party twisted and a bent old man appeared. The party swallowed their dry saliva at the appearance of the one who was much closer than they thought. He smiled so happily that his mouth curled up. The wrinkles that showed the hard times he had gone through folded happily. He said. I wondered how you lived after the oath was broken. Two heavenly powers intervened. Tiv and Duermur? What a bizarrebination. He tilted his head as if he didnt understand. His wandering eyes soon fixed on the ck-eyed warrior who was looking at him. This is amazing. In the long and long history, you are the first one who has built up such a solid level. A warrior who has prepared a seat in heaven. What is your name? Theres always a chatter wherever you go. Ruon thought that the chief who had rushed in without saying a word was better and answered. What do you want to do with a useless name? Despite his sullen response, the old man, Beolun, didnt care at all. Rather, he showed his dark gums and smiled wickedly. Soon, his body began to melt like cheese in the sun. It must be a pleasant experience to ruin a young star. Its something Ill see in a long time. As soon as he appeared, the voice of the great demon disappeared again. Come. My adversaries. At that moment. Ruon felt a sinking sensation in his whole body as if his organs were falling to the ground. What if he pulled up the sensation of the viking he rode a long time ago in an amusement park by hundreds of times? Not only him, but everyone who was in the empty lot felt their insides empty and breathed heavily. Some of them couldnt stand the pressure and copsed. Th-that. A fallen knight stretched out his arm. His trembling fingertip pointed to a huge shadow that was blooming in the direction. The moment everyone realized that it was a tree that was hard to fit in one eye. The ground cracked with a tremendous noise. Aah-ah! The scream of the knight who was caught by something that sprang out of the gap faded away. Immediately after, there was a crunching sound of something being forcibly crushed, and blood exploded in the sky. Huh? Blood and flesh poured down like a drizzle. Colin, who had lost his mind for a moment by the fragments of the broken armor and the de, was pushed roughly by Kyle who was next to him. Right after that, something fell to where he was standing. ng-! For a short moment, Kyles body floated up as he swung his hammer hastily at the flying attack. Judging by the weight of the armor he was wearing, it would have been strange if he didnt break anywhere if he fell like that, but before that, Ams spell created several thin shields in the air and reduced the impact of his fall. Thanks to that, Kyle, who protected his body by rolling on the ground, got up and swung his hammer again. As the lightning shed and stretched out sharply, Ruon was swinging his sword fiercely where he fell. Squeak-! The thing that screamed in pain as its flesh was cut off was a huge root. No. Could he call that a root? Not only was it covered with slimy mucus, but it also had suckers and red eyes of crustaceans. Ruon stepped on the wriggling flesh and burst it with his foot, then swung his sword horizontally at the disgusting roots that were pouring toward him. A red line appeared in the air. Based on that line, the root that was cut in half spewed ck blood. But Ruon, as if he hadnt started yet, swung his sword at an incredible speed with both hands. The root that was swept away by the storm-like attack lost its shape and tore apart. Puff-! Then, the ground behind him bulged up and another root flew in to aim at the back of his head. But without even looking, Ruon turned his head and avoided it, then hooked the root between his left armpit and squeezed it hard. In that state, he stretched his legs forward. Squeak-ee-ak! The root that stretched like a rubber band reached the breaking point and tore apart little by little, then made a popping sound and broke offpletely. Only then did Ruon loosen his arm and drop the limp flesh, then chop it down with his sword and looked around. The party had struggled at first, overwhelmed by the enemys presence and the sudden ambush. But they had regained theirposure and fought back fiercely. The situation calmed down temporarily after thest of the roots that had been hit by the blood stream from Ams palm shattered into pieces. But it was only for a moment. Look! Something is falling! Kyle shouted as he looked up at the sky. The fruits that had been hanging on the giant tree branches that faintly shone through the fog began to free fall towards the ground. Thud- They smashed the ground and revealed that they were not ordinary fruits like the roots. The creatures that stretched out their limbs that had been curled up were twisted demons. Kya-ah-ah-ah! The ones that had no eyes or nose, only a long slit mouth that filled their face, screamed and charged at the party. The party clenched their teeth and gripped their weapons tightly. Then, they heard Beoluns voice in their ears. Foolish ones. Bow down. I am the legion. Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Chapter 120 The demons fell from the sky like a sudden downpour ofte autumn rain. Stick together! Someone shouted with a hoarse voice in the midst of chaos, and the group formed a circle with their backs to each other, facing the hungry beasts that attacked from all sides. Am was the first to react. The mage quickly chanted a spell and stomped on the ground, causing the earth to flip and shoot up high. The demons that were swept by it were crushed like mashed potatoes. But there were so many of them that some survived or arrivedte, and they soon tore through the stone pirs that rose like a wall and shed at the group with their sharp ws. Get away! Scram! Colin yelled loudly, trying to shake off the fear that crept into his skin, and stabbed his sword. The shing de pierced deep into the vertical mouth of a demon that had stuck its face through a crack in the rocks. But the de that should have pierced through the back of its head was stuck by the demon that snapped its mouth shut. Colin gasped in shock as he saw the demons mouth glow red like a furnace, apanied by a foul smell that stung his nose. Do you know how much this costs! He had been trying to push the sword further in, but he quickly pulled his arm back and drew a dagger from his waist with his other hand, striking the demons skull. Squeak-ee-ee- Only then did the demons jaw loosen, and Colin quickly retrieved his sword, putting all his strength into the hand holding the dagger. As the thick de mercilessly dug into its head, the demon finally stopped its violent movement and slumped down. Colin looked around with satisfaction, proud of himself for taking down one of these crazy monsters. And he swallowed his dry saliva. There must have been hundreds of demons swarming from all directions. Squeak-ee-ee-ack! There are too many of them! Am, who had used big and small spells all the way here, had her nosebleed start again, but she had no time to stop the bleeding as she gasped for breath. The knights who had lost their divine power had fought as best as they could, but they looked exhausted from the constant battles without a chance to heal their broken bodies. Kyle was the only one who showed an amazing amount of activity, swinging his rune hammer, but he seemed to be worried that the stone pirs that acted as a wall would copse, so he didnt dare to unleash lightning. Just then, An clenched his teeth and swung an ice axe in the air. The axe manifested his will, and transparent ice grew from the stone pirs that were standing upright, and soon they stuck together andpletely blocked the gap. The demons that had been squeezing and digging through the pirs were enraged by the ice that blocked their way, and they repeatedly mmed their bodies into it, but the hard ice didnt break easily, even if it cracked. Colin, who finally got a chance to catch his breath, quickly looked around and said. It seems like someone is missing. Some of our brothers who were fighting in the distance couldnt make it inside. An said that and lowered his hand holding the axe. His iron gauntlet was full of white frost, and his movement was unnatural, as if it wasnt a normal state. It was obvious that he was paying the price for using the forbidden power with a body that had no divine power. Then Am, who had wiped her blood-stained nose with her sleeve, chimed in. Thats the same for Ruon. He didnt seem to have any intention ofing in from the start As if to prove her words, there were continuous explosions outside the stone pirs. Judging by the asional screams of the suffering demons, it was obvious who was fighting alone. Ruon will always fight in his own way. The problem is us. Kyle finished his words and hung his hammer on his shoulder, scanning the surroundings. The demons that met his eyes screamed and pounded the ice more fiercely. Some of them were even trying to climb the wall. Despite the chilling situation, Kyles face remained calm, but Colin muttered with a bitter tone. Shit. What the hell are those? Do the demons usually drop their offspring from the sky? Am answered. If Im not mistaken, Beolun has already be one with the god tree. He called himself a legion, so I guess he nned to create an army with the corrupted divinity She frowned as she found a contradiction in her words and added to herself. No. That doesnt make sense. He already has more than enough northern people to train as an army. Why would he waste his own power to spawn those demons Did somethinge to her mind? She lifted her head with wide eyes, muttering in disbelief as she looked at the demons falling from the sky. Could it be that hes not spending his power? At that moment, the air trembled and the voice of the great demon echoed from within. Youre not very stupid. Thats right, you saw it. Bullshit. Am growled lowly at the voice that filled the space, and got up with her palm on her knee. Did he read herplicated expression? Beolun continued with a sneer. You dont seem to understand. I cant me you. The principle of equivalence not applying, thats like the sun rising from the west in the eyes of a mage. Right? Meanwhile, the cracks that had appeared on the ice wall grew bigger. No matter how hard it was, it couldnt withstand the weight of hundreds of demons. And the muffled screams of the demons became clearer. Nothing hinders growth more than rigid thinking. O enemies, let me rain down some wisdom on your pitiful knowledge. I am the only one who has seeded in rooting myself in the abyssal sea through the divine, and I am the end-bringer who will dedicate that infinite power to the surface! Am shouted with a fierce expression and swung her hand. Shut up! Then, the voice of the archdemon who had been whispering ominous words disappeared as if washed away by water. But the real problem was not that. Crack! The ice wall began to copse. The brief respite was over. The demons seemed to be saying that. Just hold on for a moment, everyone. Am said that and raised her left hand up. Then, all the air nearby began to rush into her palm. The party, who could not breathe due to the sudden vacuum state, flinched in panic, but they trusted the only mage among them and entrusted their bodies to her. As the demons screams that had been ringing in their ears became inaudible, a blue light bloomed in Ams eyes that were gathering air. Soon, as the ice wall crumbled, the demons rushed in with glee. She clenched her palm that had been spread out. *** Ruon grabbed and tore the neck of the demon who was trying to bite his arm. The spine that came out like a root vegetable had nerves and tendons attached to it. He threw it away and swung his elbow to smash the face of the one who was attacking from behind, then spun his body with the momentum. Immediately after, he swung the sword in his other hand and cut off the head of the demon. Ruon kicked away the twitching flesh and walked forward. On the ground, there was a corpse of a knight that was so damaged that it was hard to recognize. He was someone who could not resist properly because he was exposed to the demons that poured from the sky. Ruon remembered how he had swung his sword until the end in pain of having his flesh torn by the teeth. He took off the helmet of the dead knight and wiped off the dull eyes that had lost focus. He had already made up for the experience that wascking after killing the chieftain. But there was no sign of joy on his face. He only saw the people who kept dying. Then he felt the air around him being sucked somewhere and turned his head. At the same time, a huge explosion sound and fragments of rocks and ice burst out. The demons around him were torn apart by the flying debris without even screaming. Ruon found the party who were coughing dryly behind the thick smoke from the impact and walked towards them. Even then, dozens of demons ran at him, but they all fell to the ground with some part of their bodies smashed by his relentless punches. As he approached, Am spoke to him. Her face was pale as if her blood was not flowing, like her palm that had clenched her wrist. This kind of attrition war is meaningless. The divine tree is now rooted in the essence of the abyss, not the phenomenal world, and has gained infinite power. As soon as her murmur ended, a huge something roared. He looked closely and saw a different form of demon shedding its sticky skin and getting up. Am shook her head sharply as if trying to regain her senses and pointed her index finger at the giant tree. It was hard to see clearly because of the harsh snowstorm, but there was a dreadful power surging there. The only way is to destroy the divine tree. You feel it too, right? He is still growing. Indeed. Ruon nodded in agreement. As she said, the tree had grown a foot more than when it first showed itself. Judging by the distance, it was an incredible growth rate of tens of meters. We dont have time to waste. Lets hurry. But contrary to her words, Am was already losing strength in her legs and swayed greatly. Kyle, who supported her from the side, said. I think its toote. All kinds of monsters formed a circr siege and slowly closed in on them. Not only that, but disgusting mucous roots were wriggling from the cracked ground. It was a situation where there was no hope even as much as a speck of dust. Then Am said to Ruon. Just go If you get tied up because of us, its really over. Everyone in this ce knew very well that her words could note true. Even Am herself who said them. The moment Ruon, who could be called a superhuman in this ce, left, the rest of them would not be able to stop the flood of demons and eventually die. The demons were not rushing in directly because they instinctively feared Ruons tremendous presence. It was not because they were taking it easy. In fact, they were steadily narrowing the distance. If he did not step up, the corrupted divine tree and his army would continue to grow stronger. If he did, the party would notst long and die. Neither situation was good for Ruon. In movies, reinforcements usuallye in such situations, but thats all nonsense. Ruon, who had briefly hoped for a childish clich, silently gripped his sword. He decided to split that big tree in one breath rather than wasting time. As he was about to put strength into his legs, An suddenly walked forward. His staggering gait looked like he was possessed by something. Its strange. He came next to Ruon and muttered as he looked somewhere. Its strange. Really. An. Why are you suddenly Kyle, who had lightly touched Ans shoulder, who looked like he was in a bad state, quickly pulled his hand away as if he had touched a hot iron. Then he muttered with a candle-like eye. Divine power? By then, Ruon had also noticed Ans change. A golden light shone in his eyes, which could see through the inner side of the opponent after engraving his name in the sky. Meanwhile, An continued his words. It was not a mere intuition. It was a longing. A longing for the embrace of a mother whom I had never seen At some point, he threw his helmet to the ground with a deep sigh. Contrary to his expectation of seeing a melted face, a man with thick lines on his neck and golden eyes was shining above his neck. That was not the only change. The faces of the knights who started to take off their helmets one by one had all returned to their appearance before they burned their holy power. W-what is this? Why are you all fine? As Colin muttered in confusion amid the sudden series of changes, An said. The holiness of the divine tree that has not beenpletely devoured by the great demon is calling us. I can hardly believe it myself He finished his words with a determined expression. It seems to be Ganax. Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Chapter 121 Ganak. The god that everyone naturally seeks, from the child who woke up at night to pee, to the warrior who fights in the bloody battlefield. Age and gender do not matter. Why did they feel the divine courage that everyone loves from the sacred tree that had be a fertilizer for the god tree after dying long ago? Even as monsters with the shape of evil spirits approached from all sides, Colin frowned and asked, unable to let go of his frustration. The god who became a fertilizer for the god tree died a long time ago! Then what is Ganak now? Who have people been asking for courage from until now? Fuck. He spat on the ground as if he was in a bad mood. An did not say anything to him. He just looked at the knights who came to him one by one with aplicated gaze. Among them was Chevil, who had been his lieutenant in the past. He had a hard time breathing because his nose had melted away in the process of burning his divine power, but his appearance now was restored to his previous solid features. An, sir. What is this? Was he flustered by the divine power that filled under his skin? Chevils voice, which had never lost his calmness in any situation, was trembling. The other knights seemed to have the same question, as they were happy with their own changes, but also confused. Then An said. Nothing has changed. We are just facing the fear in front of us as we always have. At his calm voice, the knights regained their senses and their eyes brightened. Now their eyes were directed at the countless demons that surrounded them. Then An moved his gaze to Ruon and said. I will open the way with you. Then a faint smile appeared on Ruons face. This time, its a real army. An, who smiled back at him, took a big step forward and stretched out his ice axe to the front. From his mouth, a verse of the prayer that he had kept in his heart for a long time quietly flowed out. Instead of making the fear in front of me disappear, please give me the courage to face it bravely. The knights who stood behind him shouted in unison. Even if my death is at the end of it! Let me smile dly that I did not break! Just then, the demons rushed in like a flood. With a ferocity that was iparable to before. Kee-ee-ee-ee! Ruon ran forward without a moments hesitation. An, who ran side by side with him, shouted. For Ganak-! As if blessing the believers who had finally reached this frozennd after crossing thousands of years, a beautiful golden light shimmered over the heads of the rushing party. The party was only a dozen in number, but their momentum was no less than that of thousands of troops. Soon, the golden-protected ones and the evil demons collided head-on. In a situation where the difference in military strength was so great that strategy and tactics were excluded, it would be natural for the side with overwhelming force to swallow up the weaker side, but this time it was not. As Ruon, who was in charge of the front line of the party, advanced by smashing all the enemies that blocked him with his amazing strength and speed, An, Kyle, and the knights of courage who followed him closely finished off the enemies that were split or pushed away the enemies that came from the side. Inside the protection of the knights, Colin was busy moving his feet while carrying the exhausted Am on his back. Even while doing so, he used the abilities of his protective band and dagger to help at the right ce, as if he was not just ying around. The party, which pierced through the soft mud like a golden spearhead, gradually increased their momentum. As if to stop their unstoppable advance, a huge demon with the shape of a cow with eight horns on its head rushed in, but Ruons punch broke its neck and it copsed on the ground. And it never got up again. Immediately after, the ones who followed Ruon swept past the ce where the demons flesh, which had been in the shape of a cow, was scattered in the air. Keep going-! Dont stop! We can do it! Our master is waiting for us! As everyone encouraged each other and ran, from some point on, ck snowkes began to fall from the sky instead of white ones. The bizarre spectacle, which could not be called a natural phenomenon, was the evil that the corrupted god tree spewed out, which condensed and materialized as it approached. Kee-ee-ee-ee-ee! The demons that were hit by the snowkes shivered as if they had received a baptism and became more violent and blocked the front of the party. -Move!- But the ego sword, Ruin, which had grown with its master and cut down two great demons, could not be stopped by any demon, even if it was heavily armed with thick scales. The demons that were torn apart by the hooks turned into experience points in Ruons inner world in a moment. Grrr-oo-oo-oo! This time, a giant demon with three heads ran in, but it also failed to withstand Ruons sword strike and its upper and lower body were separated at the waist. It swung its axe-like right arm even as its upper body slid down, but it was frozen by An and shattered by Kyles lightning that fell on it. Immediately after, Kyle shouted. Weve narrowed the distance so much, but the god tree is not visible! Am! Whats the order? At his question, Am raised her head from Colins shaking shoulder and opened her eyes slightly. Soon, a cluster of light formed in her blue eyes. The space is twisted. To be precise, its better to say that we have our feet on both the phenomenal world and the essential world. He said he had roots in the abyss He was serious. Crazy bastard. At her voice, Ruon asked without looking back. So whats the way? As he asked that, his eyes also saw the ck snowkes swirling in the air and the disgusting part of the world where the ck aura and the mes were waving. This is crazy. Then Am said. Beolun is on the edge of the boundary, so if we time it right and force the broken space together, we can approach him. Ill try it once. Colin lifted his arm to prop up Ames body, which kept slumping down weakly. Do you know that youve bled more than anyone else here, without even getting stabbed once? What are you going to do if you die from overwork after casting another spell? Ame smiled faintly at his worried voice and answered. What can I do? Shit. Theres nothing normal here. Really. Colin grumbled, but he tightened his arm around her. As if he would never let her go, no matter what. Ruon. Were going to ovep the space from the position of that wolf-like demon. We cant hold it for long, so hurry up. Ruon nodded silently, memorizing the location she pointed out. At the same time, Ame uttered a spell at an incredible speed and stretched out her arm forward. Hurry up. He said briefly to Kyle and An on his sides, and then sped up. He pushed away the demons chest with his shoulder, and swung his sword with both hands like a storm in the space he secured. The ones around him exploded as if they had received the judgment of God. Finally, he hooked his finger into the jaw of the wolf demon that Ame had pinpointed, and mmed it to the ground without giving it time to close its mouth. As he crushed the head of the wolf that was writhing and screaming with his foot, the scenery of the world that was half-ovepped in his eyes became perfectly aligned. ! The sound subsided, and a colorless world where all thendscapes faded away unfolded before the party. They didnt understand what was going on, but they didnt try to understand and mmed to the ground. It was because the floor that was crumbling like dust. At the end of the partys sight that broke through the silent corridor, a small entrance that was dimly lit by darkness appeared. It looked ominous at a nce, but they didnt have time to choose leisurely, so they threw themselves into the darkness. And they disappeared. *** Where is this? Ruon frowned at the distorted world that was not standardized. In the scenery that looked like a child who had not healed his hand had scribbled randomly, there was a huge tree that did not match him. And in front of it, an old man with a bent waist stood still, leaning on a jujube tree cane. He scanned the faces of Ruon and his party as he approached them and opened his mouth. Really. Its hard to believe. Its amazing that you broke through all the military forces and entered this bordend Even the knights of courage. Its been a long time since Ive been so wrong in my predictions. Its a refreshing feeling. Then An, who was looking at the tree, pointed his ice axe at the old man and said. You are a disgusting being. My master, whom you could not swallow,mands you to be punished. At that, the old man, Beolun, burst intoughter. As if in sync with hisughter, the tree behind him began to sway without wind. My master? With the remnants of the power that faded away, you repaired your broken body, and you really think you became the agent of God? You are a worm that lives in an instant. The being you call your master has already been defeated long ago. What is embedded in you is nothing but the oxidized residue and secretion he left behind! As he continued to speak, his tone gradually rose, and he finally shouted at the end. He lowered his voice again, though. Of course, I have to admit that its an amazing feat to keep your will in this long time, but still, a ghost is a ghost. The body of the great demon, who said that, began to rise slowly. At the same time, he took his hand off the cane and pped his hands. The moment he did, the pressure that had driven the party into a panic state poured down like a waterfall over their heads. You miserable heavenly dogs. In this bordend, there is only one god, and that is me. All of you- He couldnt finish his sentence. Something flew like a ray of light between the swaying people and hit his chin. Maybe it wasnt a good expression to say like a ray of light. He was already a star that sparkled on the ground. With one punch, Ruon tore off the jaw of the great demon and used the force that came flying to hit his smashed face. The great demon, who was flung back and mmed into a tree faster than the arrow that was shot, shed his hand forward without even groaning. More than ten thick bolts of lightning flew out of his palm, leaving no ce to escape. Ruon dodged or blocked all the attacks with his amazing movement and charged forward. The ground that couldnt withstand the force in his stride crumbled like graphite. You brute! Do you have no eyes as a young star? Beolun clenched his fist and aimed at Ruon, who was approaching through the barrage of lightning. His face, which had been ragged, had long recovered. This spell was more intuitive. Ruon realized that the pressure that gripped his whole body was trying to squeeze him into a ball and sneered. He was confident that he would never lose in this simple contest of strength. In fact, his flesh sank inward as if he was being squeezed by an invisible giants hand, but there was no further progress. In that situation, Ruon, who didnt slow down at all, kicked the ground and jumped up to the body of the great demon, who was trying to widen the distance with a levitation spell. His fist struck down again. Even as his skull copsed, Beolun reached out and hit Ruons body, which was clinging to him, mercilessly. Ruon staggered back from the heavy impact that was unbelievable for the dry old mans fist, and the great demon growled at him. Damn you, young star. Didnt I tell you? Im the god here! His jaw, which had fallen out of ce, recovered at an incredible speed, and his hand was surrounded by ck darkness. He swung his fist in that state and hit Ruons chest. A huge explosion urred as if he had stepped on a mine, and Ruons body began to fall down below. But that was only for a moment. He immediately stabbed his sword into the tree and fixed his body, then stepped on a branch as big as a house and swung his sword at the great demon again. All of that happened before he even breathed in and out once. The light exploded again. Ame, who was watching the whole process from afar, regained her blurred mind and waved her hand at Kyle, who was getting up and staggering next to her. Kyle. At her voice, Kyle shook off the heavy pressure that weighed down his body and approached her. The tree, which is fused with the great demon, is drawing power from the abyss. As long as the tree is intact, Beolun will keep recovering. In the phenomenal world, demons will be born endlessly. Kyle asked. Then what should we do? We have to cut down the tree while Ruon is holding on. Thats simple. Kyle, who got up with a faint smile and forced his body, saw the knights and Colin scattered in his sight. He didnt know the exact reason, but the presence of the great demon, who had already begun to swallow most of the divinity of Ganicus, was like a natural enemy to them. As if to prove that, the knights tried to get up with clenched teeth, but failed repeatedly. And that was the same for An. Are you okay? An, who refused Kyles support by shaking his head, put his hand on Kyles shoulder with a trembling hand. A golden light shed under his palm. Youhave to do it An, who said that, lost consciousness and rolled his eyes. Kyle, who received his divine power, lifted his lightened body and grabbed the axe that was rolling on the ground. Ame, who was looking at his back, smiled faintly and said. Show them what youve got. Lumberjack. Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Chapter 122 As the cold air from the ice axe seeped into his body, his mind, which had been crushed by the pressure, slowly rose to the surface. From Kyles body, which had lifted up the spell destroyer that had been sprawled out, two glows rose likenterns, brightly illuminating the ash-gray world that had no shadows. It was impossible for a human to possess two divine powers. He put aside theplicated reasons for that, and anyway, the arrogant deity would not lend his power to a rude fellow who worshipped not only himself but other beings. It would be a relief if he didnt give him a punishment. From that point of view, Kyles current state was a monumental event. He, the sword of Tive, not only had the protection of Ganakus on his body, but the two powers did not conflict either. Why? He buried the simple question in his chest and kicked the ground. In the direction he was running, the eerie trees were swaying as if they were dancing and singing. Roar-! Was he wary of the warrior who was running towards him with a glow behind him? The ground that had risen concavely cracked and the roots of irregr shapes flew like whips. Kyle, who would have chosen to evade or block with a shield in normal times, decided to trust the power that was boiling hot in his body and swung the ice axe at it. The axe that swallowed the will of the knight who was fully aroused shone pale and dyed the front white. Kyle stepped on the roots that had frozen in front of his nose and sped up. After that, disgusting things that he couldnt identify flew one after another, but he slid on the ice like a slide and avoided all the attacks, reaching the vicinity of the god tree in a single breath. Thud-! When he looked closely, the god tree was not dancing. It was just shaking from the aftermath of the huge shock. Kyle nced up at the fierce battle that was taking ce high above. To him, the fight between Ruon and Beolun looked like a battle between a demon who wanted to drag the world into hell and a god who descended to the ground to judge him. He believed without doubt that Ruon was the only one in the party, no, in the world who could face such an out-of-the-ordinary enemy alone. Ill do what I can! He knew better than anyone what he could do for his friend who was fighting his own fight as always. And that was something that only he could do among everyone here. Without hesitation, he fixed the spell destroyer on his back and clenched the handle of the axe with both hands. From the body of the knight, a sun-like glow burst out explosively. In that state, he pulled the axe back and shouted the names of the two gods who were blessing him. Tive-! Ganakus-! Roar-! At that moment, all kinds of disrespectful attacks flew at him without a gap. The de of the axe wrapped in the glow struck the trunk of the god tree. *** Ugh! A groan escaped from the mouth of the great demon for the first time. He staggered and twisted his neck as Ruon hit him with a headbutt and stabbed his elbow into his face. Blood spurted out like fireworks along with a crunchy sound. Normally, a knife-like counterattack should havee, but for some reason, Beolun, who had retreated far away, looked down anxiously like a child who had been caught doing something he shouldnt. Kyle? He found the knight who was swinging the axe fiercely at the end and threw the sword at the great demon who stretched his arm towards him. Whirring- The Ruin, which rotated at a tremendous speed and flew, cut off Beoluns arm and then turned around like a boomerang. Around that time, Ruon, who had approached the opponent again, kicked the abdomen of the great demon who turned his head and caught the returned sword and swung it right away. With a smooth but powerfulbination, the neck of the one who flew back was cut off. He fell down with a thud. Of course, he was not dead. How dare you You have the power of two gods in you, not enough to engrave your name in the heavens How much do you intend to deviate from my expectations? I have no idea. Ruonughed without knowing it when he heard that. If he deviated that much from his expectations, he had nothing to say even if he died. Then, cluck cluck, the body of Beolun, who wasughing with a bloody cough, slowly rose as if gravity had reversed. He said. Yes. I didnt think I could overthrow the world without this much ordeal. I thought it was urgent to form a legion, so I was paying attention to the distribution of power, but I shouldnt have done that As he continued to speak, his appearance gradually changed. The skin that had been folded in dozens of wrinkles melted down, and the darkness that was wriggling underneath quickly swelled up. Little star. I acknowledge your and yourrades prowess. But thats it. I have reimed the abyss that will spawn thousands of demons just to face you! You will all pay the price without exception. Roar-! In the blink of an eye, a giant of a dark being with a full-fledged shape roared. The indescribable evil power surged from every corner of the giants body and dyed the surroundings ck. At that moment, Ruon kicked the ground and closed the distance in a single breath, but the demons eyes that were like fireballs shed a little faster. He was hit directly by a wave of tremendous power that distorted the space. Ruon was thrown back as if time had been rewound several times. He got up coughing dryly after being embedded in a branch of the god tree that was bigger than a single-story building. The giant who flew over him mmed his hands with his fingers clenched. There was a huge explosion that made his ears ring. Ruon, who swung his fist to block the attack, swung the ego sword roughly in his other hand. A red line appeared on the chest of the giant and then disappeared as if swallowed by the darkness. That was possible because the recovery speed was much faster than the cutting speed. Its useless! Its impossible to face the abyss that has a substance with your tiny light! The great demon roared like thunder and pushed his face forward. Immediately after, the smooth darkness that had no facial features waved and a red sphere flew out of it. Bang-! The sphere exploded as soon as it touched Ruons body. The condensed ck mes greedily devoured his skin and spread throughout his body in an instant. The st snapped the branch he was standing on, and Ruon fell straight down. The giant, who had been watching him fall with a thud on another branch, sprouted membranous wings and a bats tail from his shoulders and tailbone respectively. He descended silently with his huge wings and spoke, looking at the zing front. How do you like it? Its a me imbued with the abyss. It has a destructive power that is iparable to ordinary mes. No matter how strong your body is He was cut off by a loud noise that swallowed his sneer, as Ruon flew at him like a cannonball and hugged his body. The giant, who had fallen unexpectedly, pped his wings to regain his bnce and tried to shake off the warrior who clung to him like a leech, but he was overpowered by his overwhelming strength. Madman! You think- Beolun, who was falling like a broken-winged bird, finally managed to grab Ruons neck, but he was met with merciless punches. What he saw in his eyes was the face of a man who did not lose his sharp gaze even as his whole body was burning. He shouted. Shut! The hell! Up! With thest punch, they both hit the ground. The impact caused thousands of sparks to rise and fall. Before the collision. Ruon, who had been flung far away by the repulsive force of the shield that the giant had hastily created, got up with a grin and turned his head at the sight of someone staring at him. There was Kyle, blinking his eyes, holding an axe in both hands. What are you doing here? Ruon fell, didnt he? Oh, right. Ruon, who had been feverish because of the demon lord who kept whining and not paying his dues, looked around with a calm anger. It seemed that a fierce fight had taken ce here as well, as the roots and branches of the sacred tree were frozen and broken everywhere. Thats when Kyle, who had been spouting nonsense, spat out a mouthful of blood and said. Its hard to inflict effective damage on the sacred tree because its so big. But still, weve been squeezing it all day long and it definitely got weaker But then it suddenly resisted more strongly, so we were dealing with that first. As he said, there was arge triangr cut on the trunk of the sacred tree. It was not a random axe strike, but a skillful one that had also cut off the front teeth. It looked like he had shown his old skills. Ruon couldnt help butugh at his unnecessarily professional appearance. Kyle said to him. Hey. Why are youughing? We have to do this so that the tree doesnt fall on the side of the person who chops it. Of course, we have to hit the other side Before he could finish his sentence, something flew at them with a sound that cut through the wind. Ruon and Kyle, both of them, swung their weapons at the direction where the sound came from without hesitation. Ego Sword cut the crimson sphere first, and Ice Axe froze the spreading me in an instant. Freezing the me was actually absurd, but on second thought, it meant that the me had some unnatural power mixed in it. From the direction where the sphere came from, a giant revealed himself with a thud that shook the ground. In a moment, his size grew muchrger, and his shape was clear even from afar. You were nicely gathered together. He said that and a long disc rose in his palm. The rotating speed was terrifying, so Ruon and Kyle adjusted their posture and prepared for the attack. Zap-! A ray of light from somewhere pierced deep into the giants temple. It didnt do much damage to him, but it seemed to disrupt the flow of his spell, as the disc he was spinning lost its momentum and soon dispersed. Ah, Am! It looks like it worked! I turned my head and saw Colin running towards me, holding Am in his arms. His hand was glowing brightly, probably because he had cast a spell to increase his strength. You worthless worm! The giant tried to pull out the dagger that was stuck in his head, but Colin had already snatched it with his hand, leaving the giant clutching at thin air. Hahaha! You got hit by that worm! Yo-you-! Enraged by the mockingughter, the demon lord lunged at us. Behind Colin, who kept a certain distance from him, the knights bodies shone with light. The light gathered into a huge shield that blocked the demons charge and began to wrestle with him. Meanwhile, Colin, who arrived panting, quickly hid behind Ruon andid Am on the ground. She was too weak to stand up, and she opened her mouth while sitting on the floor. Beoluns pressure has weakened because he concentrated his power on one entity. She added, wiping the blood that was flowing from her nose. That means he may have infinite power from the abyss, but he has a limit to how much he can use at once. Of course, the amount will gradually increase over time. Krrr-oo-oo-oo-oo! Cracks began to spread like spider webs on the light shield that the nine knights, excluding An, had created. Now is our chance. Ruon. While youre fighting him, well cut off his lifeline. As soon as Ams sentence ended, the light shield shattered with a loud crash. Ruon didnt say anything and mmed the ground, heading towards the dark giant beyond. Am turned her gaze away from the warrior and the demon who shed once again. Kyle. Is Tiv not resisting Gannicuss holy power? Not yet. Theres no sign of that. I see. Maybe shes not in a situation to care about her petty pride. Then, Chevil, who walked staggering from the front of the knights, put his palm on Kyles shoulder as An did and said. Im sorry, but this is the best we can do right now. As the demon lords power grows stronger, Gannicuss voice is fading away Youre the only one who can endure this power right now. As all the knights took turns to transfer their remaining holy power to Kyle, he suddenly vomited blood from the surge of power. As the knights who squeezed out theirst strength fell like rotten straw, Kyle moved his trembling body forcibly and took one step after another toward the tree of god. Colin supported him. Lets go, brother! You can do it. Lets cut down that bastard tree right now! As Kyle reached the trunk of the tree of god, he swallowed the blood that flowed back and clenched his teeth. He gripped his axe again and made a vow. He didnt need to think about anything. Wasnt this the best and the greatest moment for the woodcutter who had lost everything once? Fall down-! He swung his axe with all his might, not even realizing that a brilliant golden aura was rising from his axe. ! The power of courage that had been the fertilizer of the tree of god long ago and was now in danger of being swallowed by the demon lord exploded inside the corrupted tree of god, emitting a dazzling light. A terrible scream burst out in all directions. At that moment, Rion stepped on the demon lords knee and jumped up, stabbing his sword into his forehead. He thought it was just a matter of buying time, and he was preparing for the next attack when he saw an unexpected sight in his eyes. The wound where the sword pierced was torn apart, and a huge amount of darkness poured out like blood. He didnt care about the wound, but he seized the opportunity instinctively from the sight of the enemy who couldnt recover right away. Rion flew up again as soon as hended. As the will that came from [Rion] inside him cleared away theyers of darkness, Ego Sword went through the gap as if it was sucked in. The de shed the demon lords flesh. Hey, wait! As the demon screamed in a situation he couldnt understand, his body crumbled like a sandcastle hit by a wave. Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Chapter 123 The moment the great demons body crumbled. The ash-gray world, woven with chaotic lines, began to tremble and tilt. The sight of the enormous trees falling with uneasy noises was strangelycking in reality. Colin, who was blinking his eyes nkly, came to his senses when he heard a voice calling him. Colin! Wha, what? Shit! Crazy! Colin, who had lost consciousness and slumped under Kyles armpit, moved his feet with all his strength. But it was almost impossible for him, who was exhausted from the continuous battle, to drag a heavily armed and muscr man and speed up. Am! This! Colin suddenly remembered something and shouted, throwing the protector on his right arm toward the fallen mage. Am clumsily attached the leather protector that fell in front of her feet to her arm. She knew what Colin wanted without any further exnation. She stretched out her arm. The spell engraved on the protector pulled its pair strongly, and the dagger was firmly held by Colin. In the powerful attraction. Colin held the dagger with all his might, trying to escape from his grip. Fortunately, he had the spell of power that Am had given him to make throwing easier, and he didnt lose the dagger even though the flesh of his palm was peeled off. Sliding to Ams close range, Colin grabbed her wrist with his bloodied hand. And he started walking again. Shit! Im not a porter or anything! He spat out all kinds of curses with his mouth, but he seeded in moving a few more steps with his diligent steps, carrying Kyle and Am. But that was it. Eventually, his legs gave way and he copsed. Colin muttered dejectedly as he saw the tree above him start to fall. Were screwed. The next moment, he realized that his surroundings were moving incredibly fast. He gasped for a moment at the speed he had never experienced before. He was lightly thrown and rolled on the ground. He opened his eyes wide at the fact that there were many knights who had lost consciousness around him. Hahaha. Theres no monster like that. Ruon, who had arrivedte, tilted his head at his hollowugh. Kyle and Am were hanging from his armpits. Why are youughing? Come on, if youre going to save me,e faster. It was so close. I almost pissed myself. Ruon answered with a faint smile at his deliberately whining words and put the two men and women on the ground. He didnt bother to say that he had the time to move the others because Colin had taken care of Kyle and Am. He didnt have time for that. Scre-ee-ee-ee-ee! With a tearing scream, the fallen tree collided with the ground and a shock wave swept like a tidal wave. Ruon faced the approaching wave and stabbed his ego sword into the ground. A red curtain rose from the surface of the sword that sensed the owners will and confronted the invisible force. Then, a sh of light soared and a thunderous sound shook the earth. A momentter. As the aftermath of the shock subsided, Colin, who had opened his eyes tightly, said to Am, who was coughing. Ouch? Youve got a nosebleed again. It wasnt that bad this time. Shut up. Its because Kyles shield interfered with the dagger pulling. No, its over. Whats the point of saying that? Then Coliny down on the ground and chuckled. Yeah. Lets put aside the painful words for a while. Its over, as you said Then Ruon, who had put his sword in the sheath, dusted off his battered clothes and asked. How do we get out of here? Its a random world created by the power of the tree. It wontst long without the driving force. Itll disappear soon. As if it never existed. At that, Ruon frowned for a moment and shrugged his shoulders. It sounds like were not an exception. Well have to suffer a little more at the end. Amughed soullessly. I wonder what kind of guts you had to form a party with three warriors without a decent mageHa, I might be a fool today. Then Colin got up. Hey, you never know, maybe you should confess to Kyle first. Heybrother, brother! He pped the cheek of Kyle, who had lost consciousness, and Am red at him with a murderous look. I dont have to do that, so just stay still! Why are you angry at the wrong person? When did they get so close? Ruon snickered at the sight of the two bickering. It seemed that the few hours they had been stuck together in the extreme situation had been much more effective than the ten days they had spent together. He stepped back to avoid disturbing Ams concentration. And he reflexively drew his sword. In his bulging eyes, the dark abyss that swallowed the fallen tree and bubbled up was reflected. ! The thing that started to erode the tree was not something that was born from theck of light, but the darkness itself that destroyed the mind with its existence. Ugh! Colin, who had been talking well until then, suddenly started to vomit as soon as he saw the darkness. The blood that flowed down under his red eyes showed that his condition was serious. As if he had plunged into the deep sea where the depth was hard to gauge, Ruon resisted the chilling pressure and drew out the brightest light from within. Thanks to his instinctive confrontation with the presence that the darkness emitted, hispanions behind him barely regained theirposure. Ru, Ruon. That is Quick! He shouted and cut off Ams words. Ruon took a big step toward the darkness that was crawling toward him, as if it had taken an interest in him. Oh-oh-oh-oh Like soaked in oil, thousands of arms and legs emerged from the darkness and then began to crawl like arthropods, tapping the ground mindlessly. Ruon, who had furiously wrinkled his nose at the disgusting horde, nced back. He saw Am, who had both hands on the ground, muttering a spell with her lips twitching. Meanwhile, the being that had approached his nose rose like a wave. Thousands of hands and feet poured out of the rippling darkness. Ruon felt the swirling power within it. He could feel the desire to swallow him up and quench its endless hunger and thirst, without any attachment to anything. It was the most pure and violent force among all the violence he had faced so far. Ruon twisted his upper body and shed his sword diagonally. The ego sword, imbued with superhuman strength, tore apart the hands and feet that flew at him. He didnt stop there, and advanced again, shing his sword vertically. The shapeless being, split in half by the tremendous force, seemed to have waited for it, and divided into two, attacking him from both sides. Oh-oh-oh-oh The being. No, the beings that covered Ruons body in an instant, howled with a repulsive sound and wrapped his solid flesh with a cocoon that turned into an oval shape. Bro, brother Colin, who had copsed on the ground, groped his arm toward Ruon, who had been swallowed by the darkness, without even thinking of wiping off the dirt that covered his face. Then, with a crack, a thin crack appeared in the center of the ck cocoon, and a bright light burst out from between them. Immediately after, the light rotated along the circumference of the cocoon, and the upper part crumbled along the white line, revealing Ruon inside. He peeled off the cocoon that wrapped his body with a shing trail and swung his sword again at the shapeless beings that had split again. Just then, Am, who hadpleted the spell, pushed the fallen knights into the cloudy curtain that floated in the air. Colin, who had barely gotten up, helped her. By the time they had hidden Cheville and An in the curtain, Ruon was moving his body in a trance. His expanded thinking ability brought about an artificial slowdown of time, and in the slowly flowing time, he faithfully destroyed the disgusting beings that ran at him. But it was useless no matter how many he knocked down. The darkness that rose as if to dominate this entire space had no end. Moreover, as the darkness grew in size, its power increased exponentially, making him feel as if he was facing a natural disaster that would end the world. We have to follow right behind- Colin, who had wrapped Kyle around him, disappeared without finishing his sentence. Now, the only ones left in this ash-gray world were Am, who was maintaining the curtain, and Ruon. Ruon! Come on. Hurry! Am, whose mental strength had reached its limit, started to shake like an epileptic patient. She shouted in a frantic voice. Ruon, who had torn off the darkness that clung to his limbs, turned his body. He ran with arge stride like a long jumper and kicked the ground to leap. At that moment, the darkness that crawled out of the ground behind the curtain poured out as if to tear off the back of Ams head. In an instant. Ruon threw his ego sword in the air, which grazed Ams ear and pierced the darkness. The magician, who lost her bnce by the wind, stumbled back and was sucked into the curtain, and the curtain disappeared as if washed away by water, due to the absence of the being who sustained the spell. Ruon, whonded on the ground where everything had disappeared as if it were a lie, still had a calm expression on his face and pulled out the sword that was deeply stuck in the ground. Come on. He spun the sword in his hand and the darkness rushed at him like hungry dogs from all sides. *** It was as if he had been swallowed by a thick fog, and nothing was clear. Anguid sensation enveloped his body as if he had sunk into a milky sea. How long had he fought? Had his sense of time blurred? He couldnt remember how long he had fought with the beings of the abyss. Ten minutes? An hour? A day? No a year? Wait a minute, how did he know they were the beings of the abyss? No, that was obvious. They appeared after the divine tree copsed. And they felt simr to the ck liquid he had seen in the cradle Ruon kept asking himself questions and answering them, even if they were absurd, as he sank. He didnt realize it, but it was a process of his strong inner self resisting the splitting of his ego. It felt like a moment and an eternity at the same time, and at some point, the world began to brighten. And Ruon found himself lying on the ground. The sensations that had been tangled up were unraveled one by one and engraved in his cells again. He sprang up in the midst of them. A man was looking at him. The man had golden-red hair like a summer sunset, and wore armor that was hard to tell which era it belonged to. He was a bit smaller than an average adult male, but his golden eyes glowed like the sun, as if he had transcended the limits of his body long ago. Just by looking at him, Ruons heart started to beat wildly like never before. It felt like the thrill of watching a touching movie, or the sense of aplishment of reaching a long-awaited moment, and at the same time, the emptiness of losing everything. In the whirlpool of confused emotions, Ruon barely uttered a word and spat it out. Garnax? The man did not answer or move at all. But somehow, his eyes seemed to be soaked in sadness, and Ruon licked his lips to ask him why. But before he could, the man who had suddenly disappeared reappeared in front of Ruons nose in an instant. He lightly ced his finger on the chest of the startled Ruon, who had missed his movement, and said, I believe you are different. What? What do you mean- Before he could finish his question, a huge force pushed Ruon away. He tried his best to resist, but his feet left the ground and he flew backwards. The scenery that was quickly fading away was covered by a ck darkness. Then, his persistent consciousness snapped and Ruon lost his mind. Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Chapter 124 Ruon opened his eyes in the cozy feeling of his skin touching. He quietly raised his upper body and stroked the reindeer fur on the floor a few times. From afar, he heard the sound of a dog barking. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw the charcoal burning faintly in therge firece. The redness between the cracks in the charcoal looked like a wound filled with blood. As he stared at it, someone lifted the tent and came in. Ah. The woman who was holding a bucket of warm steam and a dry towel dropped them on the floor and ran out as soon as she met his eyes. What? Ruon, who had covered his body btedly, realized that he was not wearing a single straw and chuckled. Then the tent was lifted again. The person who came in this time was a familiar figure to him. Except for the missing right arm. Dont ask me if Im okay. If I hear it one more time, Ill get a scab in my ear. The chief of the Rock Tribe, Hengel, said that and sat down on the floor. The wind blew up small sparks in the charcoal fire, but neither he nor Ruon cared. Here. Ruon took the leather bag that Hengel handed him and pulled out the wooden cork. The strong scent of alcohol stung his nose. Hengel, who also pulled out the cork with his teeth and spat it on the floor, drank the alcohol by himself without a toast. He wiped the alcohol that soaked his chin with the back of his hand and said. The god tree is dead. It was twisted so badly that it was pitiful. I wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt seen it myself. Is it different in reality? Ruon, who remembered the appearance of the corrupted god tree by Kyles ax, realized that what happened in the bordend had a different impact on the real world and nodded silently. And you guys were lying in front of it. I heard what happened to Colin, who was the only one who was okay, but I couldnt understand what he was saying. I just thought that the chiefs ax was in your hands and his ambition was broken. Hearing that, Ruon took a sip of alcohol. As expected, it was a stupid drink that made his eyes spin in a moment. He snorted and said. But you won the battle anyway. You couldnt have gotten to the god tree otherwise. Hengel shook his head with a subtle expression. The chiefs army annihted itself. They suddenly stabbed each other with swords. Hebert said it looked like the result of losing control after the being that corrupted them disappeared. Whatever it was, it was a good thing. If we had kept fighting, the alliance would have been wiped out. He put the empty leather bag in his arms after saying that. The chief, who had been scratching his head and sparing his words for a while, slowly opened his mouth. Thanks to you, the north remained the north. Many people are grieving over the fact that we lost the god tree, but we cant be attached to it forever. He reached out his hand and added. Thank you. Star of prophecy. I wanted to greet you face to face. It would have been much better if you had left out thest part. Ruon shook his hand and replied with a faint smile. Then Hengel left the tent with a brief word telling him to rest more. Suddenly, Ruon remembered that he hadnt asked anything about himself and his party. No, how many days have passed? Just then. The tent was lifted again, and this time, the blue-eyed mage rushed in. She shouted at the warrior who was staring at her nkly. Ruon! *** Tsk, tsk, you should knock. Knock. Ams face turned red as if it had been burned by the fire at Colins nagging. She muttered in a low voice. Whos the idiot who knocks on a tent. Uh-huh. So what happened? You only got a good look at Ruons naked body-ack Colin, who was hit in the nose by a fist without mercy, stretched out his palm and defended himself. Ruon, who had changed into the spare clothes he had received from Sijong (although they were a bit small), said. Hows your body? At that question, Colin, who was beingughed at by Kyle, answered. My bones feel like theyre going to break, butIm fine. I heard that putting two divine powers in your body is no different from suicide. I guess Im lucky. Colin quickly changed the subject, thinking it was a good opportunity. By the way, how did you get over here, bro? Am only escaped and the space closed, so I was scared, but a littleter, you suddenly appeared in front of me. Then everyones attention was focused on Ruons face. They looked very curious. Ruon didnt want to drag it out and annoy them, so he answered without dy. I think I got help from Ganakus. Am narrowed her eyes as if the intuitive answer sounded suspicious. Is that a metaphor? Yeah. You wouldnt understand if I said that. Ruon exined to his party, who couldnt grasp the clue, what had happened to him. The bloodshed with the abyssal beings, the copsed bordend, the sea of oblivion, and Ganakus. When a period was put on the series of stories thatsted for a while, Kyle muttered quietly. So Ganakus has been living in the god tree all this time? I dont know much about theology, but I dont think thats the case. I think you have to be able to exercise your influence to be alive as a god. Am said that and swept up her front hair. The hair that slipped out of her fingers settled neatly. I think the one who pulled Ruon out of the bordend was Ganakuss residual will. Beolrun said something simr, and more importantly, An and the knights lost their divine power again. She sighed at her words. Everyone must be heartbroken. Colin shook his head. Not really. I talked to them for a while, and they seemed rather happy to burn theirst moments in the true grace. They thought it was a blessing that their broken bodies were restored. Well, thats good. With that, the party closed their mouths for a moment. It was Am who broke the silence that followed. So, to sum up, the god who fell to the earth thousands of years ago was Ganak. Judging by the rise of his church, someone must have taken his ce. That makes the transcendent acts of the Revtor more understandable. He must have used the faith that he umted for thousands of years to contact the abyss. Maybe this whole thing is part of his n that he devised for centuries. Colin, who was listening quietly, frowned and poked the hot charcoal with a stick. What were the other gods doing for thousands of years? They were gobbling up the faith of their worshipers, but they let the world be like this. Damn it. Thats what Im saying. Ruon took a leather bag to his mouth and shook his head. He drank the alcohol nervously, and Kyle and Colin lost their appetite at the sight of him. Just then, the tent opened and Sijong brought in food and drinks. The boiled pork was so tender that it looked like boiled pork, and Ruon was satisfied with the food in front of him and took the meat to his mouth. Everyone took a bite, but Am seemed to have no thoughts and rinsed her mouth with water. Kyle asked her, seeing herplicated expression. Are you upset that Quintuanus is gone? Am didnt deny it. I thought it was a chance to end our bitter feud but Im sorry. But she soon realized that her words were inappropriate and changed them. No, no. If we had been attacked by him right after we dealt with the archdemon, we would have been swept away without any resistance. Even Ruon was unconscious. Maybe it was a good thing. Am quickly reached for the meat, not wanting to dampen the mood because of her. Then Colin, who had sucked the oil from his fingertips, said. Have you all made ns for the future? Im going to follow Quint. He probably went back to Dumpres. She finished her sentence and naturally looked at the rest of the party. What about you? Ruon stroked his stubbly chin. He had felt the same way before he came to the north, but now he felt that it was urgent to raid Ganaks church, which was the most suspicious. But in reality, that was impossible. He had already been worshiping another being for over a thousand years, and there was nothing more stupid than going in and smashing it up, saying that he knew everything. It was not him who should confront them, but the other churches. Wasnt that why Igor, Strabo, and Tarwen left the party for a while? The target he had to attack was not the church, but the Revtor. His intuition told him that finding him was the first priority. He had to crush the bastard who was running around the continent and setting fire to the line of destruction. He finished sorting out his thoughts and said. Lets move together for now. Anyway, that fairy was on the same side as the Revtor, so well find something if we shake him down. Kyle nodded and added. Did that kid put gold on his face? He should have shown up angry or something, but theres no news. Then Colin coughed. Ahem, I think this is it for me. What? Everyone stared at him, and he felt ufortable and coughed dryly. He took a breath and said. Id love to stay with you. How long have we fought together? But the thing is, Ive been thinking about thest few days, and I think its a miracle that I survived this time. Its not that Im d Im alive, its that I wasnt helpful. Am frowned. What are you talking about? You did so much- She opened her mouth angrily, but Colin gently shook his head. He looked like an older brother who wasforting his younger sister. Im not backing out because Im afraid of the great guys were going to fight. Its just that I think Ill be more of a burden than a help. You know, your personality is such that youll run to save me even if I pretend Im fine. Right? He smiled slyly and looked at him, and Ruon didnt say anything. It was a cruelly cold self-assessment, but there was nothing wrong with it. He had barely survived in a party that was not even ordinary, with only the merit of being tough on the battlefield. What do you think, then? What are you going to do? Ruon asked, and Colin smiled brightly and answered. Im going to stay with An. They seem to be fighting for their own courage and faith Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I was going to stick to the countryside and kill time? Then Kyle hugged Colin hard. Colin screamed in surprise. Bro, I like girls! You bastard! Kyle let go of his arm and scowled. Did you catch it from Strabo? You damn dog Ruon read the sincerity in his voice andughed without knowing it, and Am, who didnt know who Strabo was,ughed along. Finally, Kyleughed out loud, and Colin looked at them with a dumbfounded expression. Really, you guys are crazy Everyonesughter filled the tent. Can we join you? An and the knights smiled awkwardly and stuck their faces into the tent, drawn by theughter. Of course! Come on in. Its cold outside! The tent was crowded in an instant with Kyles hospitality. Ruon felt a tickle in his chest as he saw the space where he had been lying alone be lively. Yeah. This isnt bad either. Ruon knew from his experience that the sudden encounter would suddenly leave, and he remembered that the farewell was not the end, but the beginning of another reunion. Instead of being sad about tomorrows farewell, the party toasted to the moment they were together. The conversation went on from one tail to another, from silly jokes to deep stories. The sincere stories that they couldnt share because of the harsh reality floated in the air. The night deepened in the peaceful atmosphere. From afar, the sound of a dog barking was heard. Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Chapter 125 The winner takes everything from the loser. ording to the iron rule that had been followed for thousands of years, the tribal alliance took everything from the defeated chieftain. Many things had changed, but the most dramatic change was that Hengels title had changed to Ka. Ka-Hengel. He became the new ruler of the north, following Jigors footsteps. He looked down at the ice axe in his left hand and opened his mouth. Its too heavy for me. At his words, Ruon, Kyle, and Ame, who had finished preparing to leave, smiled faintly. Even though he had lost his right arm, he still looked like he could beat a bear with his bare hands. They knew he wasntining about the weight because of his massive physique. Ruon spoke to Hengel, who had taken on the heavy task of the future of the north. I believe you can do it well. Thank you. Encouraged by the brief cheer, Hengel smiled morefortably. Behind him, An and Colin approached. An spoke first. Were going to El Tigre with Hengel as soon as this ce stabilizes. We have to inform the kingdom of the new chieftains will and stop the meaningless fight. As he said, Hengels first promation as the chieftain was his firm will to end the war. The two groups had already inflicted indelible scars on each other, but Hengel hoped to personally initiate peace negotiations to prevent the worst-case scenario of one sides annihtion. An, who agreed with his intention, volunteered to be the mediator, which was a very encouraging thing. El Tigre and the tribal alliance. Both sides had fought for their lives, and he understood theplex interests involved in this war. If he stepped in, the peace negotiations would be much easier. Of course, it wasnt easy at all. The lord of El Tigre is a flexible thinker, so we might be able to talk to him. But its also important who will represent the king who has gone mad. An nodded in agreement with Ruons words, and Colin reached out with a nervous look. There were a silver dagger and a wrist guard on his hand. Brother. Ive used them well. Now that were saying goodbye, I have to give them back. Ah? Just keep them. Colin muttered with a dumbfounded expression at Ruons indifferent answer. Huh? These are precious. Think of them as a gift. Ah. A gift His eyes welled up with tears at the unexpected word. He looked up and swallowed his tears. His cough was hot. Colin. Ill invite you to the tower if I get a chance. Then Ill give you potions that suit your body, not the shoddy ones. You can look forward to it. Colin smiled with his head down at Ames words. That sounds like a herbalist. Didnt you know? My major was originally herbalism. Ah? Im suddenly jealous of my sister. Whats there to be jealous of? Well- When Kyle joined the conversation, the atmosphere became lively. Ruon didnt rush the three people who wereforting their regrets with silly talk. Instead, he went to Caliban, who was blinking his obsidian-like eyes, and quietly scratched his forehead. The ck horse snorted and neighed, showing his joy at his masters touch. Ruon looked around for a moment. Hengel smiled faintly as their eyes met, and Hebert, who was hiding behind the tent, flinched and closed his eyes, bowing his head. Far away, the children hanging on the giants barrelughed. It was a smile without any worries. He then gazed at the endless barren snowfield with his eyes. He took a deep breath. The air that filled his lungs was cold, but refreshing at the same time. He was sure that he would remember this scenery and air first when he heard about the north in the future. Just then, Kyle and Ame, who had finished saying goodbye, came over. Lets go now. Ruon snapped out of his thoughts at Kyles voice and climbed onto Calibans back. The two followed him and lightly grabbed the reins of their horses, which Hengel had given them. Lets go. As Ruon pulled the reins slightly, the ck horse turned his body and started walking. Kyle and Ame followed him side by side. An, who watched them disappear into small dots, tapped Colins shoulder and turned around. Ill stay a little longer. Colin answered like that and quietly looked at the south, where the party had disappeared. An also stopped walking and turned around again. The two stayed in ce for a long time. Until the horse tracks on the ground were covered by the falling snow. *** It was definitely too cold in the north. Ame, who was roasting deer meat on a skewer over a bonfire, turned her head at the murmur from behind. Suddenly? Its surprising that the temperature difference is so big even in the same winter. Ill try to act as a web novel editor for you. Here is my edited and tranted version of your text: Kyleid down the dry oak leaves he had gathered with Sajung in his arms near the bonfire. He had been careful to pick only the ones that were not damp. He sat down on the ground and added. I guess we can feel that weve entered the kingdoms territory now. Well, anyway The party had finally escaped the northernnds after moving diligently for almost a week. They had descended southwest, not south where El Tigre was located, and they were preparing to end the day with camping again. Ame sniffled and said. You have to be careful not to catch a cold at times like this. Ruon, here you go. She handed him a skewer that was roasted to a golden brown. It was a small gesture of gratitude for him, who had not only hunted a deer for a decent dinner, but also cleaned it neatly. It was delicious. Ruon bit into the meat with a big mouthful and nodded in satisfaction. It didnt have much of a gamey smell, and it was juicy enough to moisten his dry mouth. Oh, this is really good. I wish we had some beer to go with it. Ame chuckled softly as she saw Kyle making a gesture of drinking alcohol with his round hand. After she finished thest piece of meat, she threw the remaining skewer into the bonfire and said. We should be able to reach Dumfries in four days at most, or three days if we hurry. Kyle rinsed his throat with water from the canteen instead of beer and dabbed his wet lips with his sleeve. He asked. Whats the deal with that fairy Quintuanus? Hes the one we have to fight, but I dont know much about him. Ruon knew that the question that followed naturally was not just asking for information about the fairy. Kyle was cautiously asking about the past between Ame and Quintuanus, which he had been dodging until now. The mage, who couldnt have missed that, shifted his gaze to the bonfire with aplicated expression. On the other side of the mes that were ignited by the burning logs, a gloomy shadow stretched out and swayed in a dance. Quin was once one of the masters of the tower. Of course, I never saw him in those days, but those who remembered him said he was a respected schr. He was a schr who suited the words a friend and a teacher to everyone. Ame lifted her hips slightly, pulled the sleeping bag she was lying on a little closer to the bonfire, and sat down. Her words continued. Before I tell youYou both remember that there is a thing called the philosophers stone in the tower, right? Simply put, its aplex puzzle that contains the history and ancient spells that are not recorded. The tower was born as a group of mages who gathered to decipher it. Quin was also one of those mages. It was an interesting story. The mages sanctuary, the tower, was actually a gathering of mages who had gathered to decipher the philosophers stone. Ruon listened with interest to the rare and amusing story. Ames voice rang out clearly in the dark night air. The philosophers stone is a wicked thing that splits the interpretation into hundreds or thousands depending on how you approach it. As a result, even after a long time, it was almost impossible to fully grasp the power and records contained in it. Among them, there were those who reached the peak with their own interpretation, and they were the masters of the tower. Kyle eximed softly. I dont know what it is, but I can tell its amazing. The philosophers stone and the masters. Then Ruon chimed in. That means Quins fall was also rted to the way he interpreted the philosophers stone. Ame nodded. Youre right. Quin seeded in deriving some information from the philosophers stone, and he left the tower and hid his tracks. From what I heard, its been more than thirty years. Thirty years? Ruon recalled the time when the Thunder King Imrek was killed, and Kyle tilted his head and asked. So youre saying that the other mages just watched as their colleague, and a master of the tower, disappeared overnight? They didnt even try to find out what he had deciphered? Ame smiled softly and pinched Kyles cheek, then let go with a start. She pped his shoulder with her hand and said. Hey, I told you. The way mages interpret the philosophers stone is very different. There are certainly somemon methods, but at some point, its better to see it as an independent domain. No one but Quin himself could know what he had concluded. Kyle rubbed his cheek with his palm and nodded nkly. What a show. The awkward atmosphere made Ruon chuckle and he took another skewer to his mouth. It was still a great taste. So what happened then? Ame snapped out of it at his words and continued her exnation after exhaling a short breath. Quin, who had hidden his tracks, reappeared after a few years. The orphanage in Dumfries was where he was. Since then, he took in the children who had nowhere to go and fed and raised them like his own. You might think theres no one like him in this harsh world, but as you know, that wasnt the case. At some point, her expression hardened like a wax doll. She added with a pale face. The children he took in were all outstanding talents with magical abilities, and they grew up under the harsh teachings of Quin, who was once a master of the tower. There were countless children who died in the process. Like my sister Her eyes moistened as she remembered her sisters face in the burning mes. We were orphans. Quin found us and took us with him when we were sucking on the milk of our mother who had died of famine and disease. I was a newborn baby and my sister was lying down. She said this. They were among the most talented children in the orphanage, and they quickly stood out in the training and monopolized Quins love. But Ams older sister, Roselin, couldnt endure the horrible training and experiments that followed. Her brain melted and she died, and the shock made Am break through her limits. She shattered the seal that Queen had ced on her and miraculously escaped from the orphanage. After that, she lived like a vagabond, barely surviving with her talent. A mage from the Tower of Magic noticed her and gave her a chance to start anew, leaving behind her hellish past. That was her story. Many years have passed Salvatore, the traitor of the Tower who was corrupted by the power of the Demon Lord, stole a part of the Philosophers Stone and ran away. I met you two while I was chasing him. You know the rest, dont you? Am looked relieved when her long story finally came to an end. Kyle, on the other hand, looked gloomy. So you went back to that orphanage where you had such terrible memories? Why did you do that? Am smiled wryly and said, It was urgent, you know. The fragment waspletely tainted by Belduciuss magic at that time. If it had gone berserk, not only me, but you two would have been in danger as well. Of course, it would be different with Ruon now. But that was the best option then. Ruon and Kyle, who finally understood why Am made that choice that day, couldnt easily utter the words that were swirling in their mouths. Do you have to make such faces? Am said that and curled up inside her nket. Im tired from talking too much. Ill go to sleep first. Ill take the second watch, so wake me up on time. The two didnt mention that her voice was soaked with tears. They just waited until Ams trembling shoulders calmed down and her breathing became steady. Kyle, who was staring nkly at Am who had fallen asleep, muttered to himself. It seems hard to find someone without scars in this world. Ruon lifted his head silently at the voice filled with deep anger. He agreed. He never imagined that Am, who always smiled, had such a past. The sky was drawing a beautiful Milky Way without a care. Were the gods also looking down on us with the eyes of the stars? He felt a sudden urge to turn their hidden feelings inside out, but he quietly suppressed his heart. He opened his mouth calmly as usual. Of course, the words that came out were anything but peaceful. Lets tear down that orphanage as soon as we get to Dumfries. Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Chapter 126 A thin smoke rose lonely over the cold and extinguished bonfire. Ruon stepped on the faintly sparkling embers and lightly shook the two quiet sleeping bags with his hands. Soon, Kyle and Ame, who showed their faces quickly from inside the sleeping bags, got up with their eyes forced open. The three of them didnt have much conversation while cleaning up the campsite. Ruon rolled up the sleeping bags and tied them with a string and hung them next to the backpack. He suddenly lifted his head. His amazing gaze reached the outer wall of the city that faintly appeared beyond the horizon. When he raised his concentration there, his sight blurred for a moment and then suddenly expanded, as if he had brought his eyes to a microscope, and the wall erged. The peeled-off outer wall, the shabby watchtower, and the face of an unknown soldier who yawned. Ruon, who was rather surprised by the clear scenery, closed his eyes tightly and shook his head vigorously. Then Ame, who had been feeding sugar-coated carrots to Kaliban and other horses before departure, opened her eyes wide. Whats wrong? Whats going on? I can see much better than I expected. What? Ruon didnt answer any more and pressed his palm on his sore eyes. He couldnt say he was an ordinary person anymore. Was it because he engraved his name in the sky? Or was it because he had achieved two level-ups by knocking down the chief and the god tree in session? Maybe both. He decided not to worry about his grown physical abilities anymore. In a world where experience and titles exist, growing continuously was a natural phenomenon, like breathing. He shrugged his shoulders at Ame, who was still looking at him with a worried look, and climbed on Kalibans back. Lets go. With a short word, he lightly tapped the ck horses nk with his ankle, and the guy neighed loudly and started to move his feet. *** Around noon, when the sun was overhead. The party arrived at the gate of Dumpres. They ran at a controlled speed for stamina, and it was the fourth day today. Ruon, who got off the horse and walked ahead, heard someone shout loudly. Stop! A soldier who looked like a guard came dragging his feet from the direction where the sound came from and blocked the party. And he didnt say anything. What? Ruon stared at the soldier in disbelief, and suddenly he started to rant. But the following words were strange. What? Who are you to look at me like that? The soldier made a sullen expression and spat on the ground. The yellowish liquid that sshed from his widely opened front teeth hit the ground and made a disgusting bubble. Ruon. Did Ruons eyes, which sank down, draw the scene of the soldiers bones breaking? Kyle lightly grabbed Ruons arm and muttered. Ruon didnt think so, though. He said. Did you forget that you told me to stop? At his words, the guards eyes widened. Like a person who btedly remembered a forgotten fact. And the pupil that expanded one beatte was strangely alien. Right. I told you to stop. Why did I do that? Ah, inspection, I have to inspect The guard, who was mumbling to himself, chuckled and added. But I dont want to. Its annoying. Just go ahead. He moved his feet as if he was joking and leaned against the wall and sat down weakly. Kyle frowned at the iprehensible behavior. What. Like a madman. I think hes right. He seems to be addicted to something. Ruon answered like that, and Ame, who had been silent, looked back and forth at the saliva on the ground and the soldiers face that kept swallowing. Its drugs. It makes you numb and forces you to stay in a dreamy state. How do you know that? Because Ive tried it before. Ame ran into the gate as soon as she finished speaking. Ruon, who entered the city ahead of her, saw the ruined cityscape in his eyes. The copsed stalls and overturned tables, the scattered various items, and the people who whimpered like invertebrates. He couldnt even guess what had happened in the scene that was hard to understand, and Kyle frowned. How does the world work? He moved his feet unconsciously and kicked something. He realized that the thing that rolled away was a bright red apple and looked around. The fruits are not rotten and fine? Maybe there was a market recently. Yeah. I think so. The city streets filled with sprawled people were not an environment to ride a horse, so the party immediately tied up the two horses except Kaliban nearby. *** The beasts seemed frightened to be left in such a ce, snorting anxiously, but they quieted down quickly when the dark mage stamped the ground irritably. Run to us if theres any trouble while youre waiting. You can do that, right? At Luons question, Caliban nodded vigorously, as if to say it was obvious. Just then. With a surge of heat, mes shot high into the sky in the distance. Am, watching the zing pir of fire, said, Itsing from the orphanage. Lets hurry. As we leaped over obstacles on the ground, I asked, What kind of drug is it? Dodging the hand of a middle-aged man trying to grab her ankle, Am replied, Its a special herb grown with spells. Quen made it. She nced at the drooling man for a moment before turning away and adding, Its useless just by taking it, but when exposed to a certain spell, it induces a temporary state of awakening. Its used to greatly increase magical achievements. It saves time but puts a lot of strain on the mind. Why would the townspeople consume it? The question rose in my mind, but knowing Am wouldnt have the answer, I focused on running. After passing through a narrow alley, we saw arge iron gate and the figure of a gaunt man standing in front of it. Watching the fire with sunken eyes, he spoke as he saw us approaching. Am? I heard you were dead. Am strode forward and said, Gonzalo. Why did you feed the people of the city Skar? You know what happens when those who dont know the spell take it! The man called Gonzalo, with a foreign-sounding name, looked at us with a stony face and answered, It was my fathersmand. He said there are talented ones even among the wretched, and we should weed them out. Like us. He sighed as he watched the still-raging fire and waved his hand. Like a lie, the mes died down. On the scorched groundy a charred body, no taller than my waist. Kyle gripped the handle of his hammer, growling, That bastard to a child! Gonzalo defended himself with the only plump part of his body, his lips, You misunderstand. This child burned himself, unable to control his overly expanded consciousness. Its a regrettable case. Its very difficult to find those with magical talent in this wretched city. Kyle shouted, You call that an excuse! With a roar, white lightning shot from his hammer like an arrow. After a tremendous explosion and a cloud of dust, Gonzalo stood protected byyers of transparent shields, crinkling his nose. I indulged in conversation because I missed my sister and you showed up. But this is uneducated behavior. Then Am spoke, The orphanage no, Quen treated children with magical talent like animals but at least didnt harm innocent people. Of course, that was to blend in with the city. She slowly raised her hand, aiming at Gonzalo, and demanded, Answer me straight. Why did you do this to a perfectly fine city? Gonzalo shook his head, Have you be stupid in my absence? I told you, we were trying to weed out the talented ones among the wretched. And that was my fathersmand. Madmen. With a short reply, an invisible force from Ams palm struck Gonzalos shield with the speed of a hare. The force was so immense that the iron fence behind the orphanage began to crumple as if screaming. Yet, Gonzalo spoke leisurely amidst the onught, My father thinks youre dead for some reason. Im d. I can kill you here without any problem! He raised his arms as if celebrating, and several bodies on the ground began to rise. Having fought resurrected corpses too often, I calmly drew my sword, then suddenly turned my head, feeling a strange sensation. Boom! The force that grazed my ear copsed the building behind me. The direction from which the power came was an old man pointing his finger, his eyes turned white and eerie. As spells flew at us from all directions like a barrage, Kyle quickly pulled out the Spellbreaker and effectively blocked the continuous barrage of spells, though the ovepping shockwaves pushed him back. Am, too, struggled to maintain focus in such a situation, retracting the force pushing Gonzalo and protecting herself. Ah Ah Aaah. Seeing the old man continuously throwing lightning bolts as thick as forearms and blood pouring like a waterfall from his eyes, nose, mouth, and even ears, Kyle yelled. *** Are those people still alive? Am answered, as she extinguished the lightning that flew at her with a spell. Yes. They are pushing themselves to the limit, like wringing out a wet cloth. They will eventually go berserk and die. Gonsaloughed and said. They are ignorant fools who lived their whole lives without knowing their own talents! They are burning themselves in thest moment, like martyrs, even though they didnt know they were the chosen ones of the spell! He shouted, spreading his palms wide towards the sky. Soon, a sinister power began to swell above his hand. He looked at Am and said. I never understood it. Why did father cherish that failure so much, who always whined and clung to Rozelins bosom? As soon as he finished his words, Gonsalo threw a ser ball-sized crimson sphere, but at that moment, a terrifying shockwave burst from thepressed air, and Ruon flew at him like a cannonball, hitting his shoulder. Ugh! Gonsalo had endured Kyles lightning and Ams invisible force, but this time, he flew like he had collided with a dump truck, breaking the wall covered with thorny vines and falling to the ground with a thud. Inom-! Suppressing the dizzying pain that rose from his waist, Gonsalo threw the sphere in his hand at Ruon. Ruon dodged the projectile that flew like a dart with a slight tilt of his head, but the projectile turned in the air as if it were alive, and hit his back, exploding. ! The space was distorted by the explosion, and the air that was pushed out by the vacuum rushed back in. For a brief moment. Gonsalo, who had summoned fiveyers of shields to protect his body from the aftermath of the shock, red at the dusty front and chuckled. Youre such a brute. How low can you stoop to use such a dirty trick. Thats why you wont leave a trace- He couldnt finish his rant. A red disc flew from the front, tearing through the stacked shields and leaving a red line on his neck. His head began to split, unable to bear the weight, and he clenched his eyes in pain. He saw a warrior walking through the fog, approaching him. -Ow! Throw me gently!- The ego sword, which had only the handle left and was stuck deep in the ground,ined. Ignoring the sound, Ruon walked up to the writhing mage and lifted his foot. Gonsalo squeezed out a voice that didnte out of his mouth, looking at the ck shadow looming over his head. Yourfatherwait Bang! Ruon stomped his foot without waiting for the rest of his words, rubbing his shoe that was stuck with flesh and bone fragments on the ground. One down. Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Chapter 127 As Ruon crushed Gon Sallos skull, Kyle and Ames frantic fight outside was reaching its climax. Kyaak! The woman who had gone berserk stretched out both hands. Sparks flew from her palms as if she had struck a flint, and soon a zing me poured out in front of her. But Kyle, who had anticipated the trajectory of the spell by the movement of her shoulder, slid across the ground and let the me pass over his head. Then he tripped the womans foot and knocked her down. Stop! Snap out of it! He climbed on top of the fallen woman and tried to grab her wrists, which were still spraying fire in all directions. No, he tried to. It hurts. It hurts so much The womans hands, engulfed in mes, began to melt likeva. Kyle flinched at the sight of her flesh and bones dripping down. Then the womans face cracked and a red light leaked out from underneath. It hurts so much With a faint voice, the woman exploded. Kyle! Ame, who had just subdued some of the rampaging residents, shouted as she saw the knight flying away with a loud bang. She was about to run towards him when she saw a hand rising quietly from the rubble of the copsed stone wall. She sighed with relief. The fist that came out of the outside gave a thumbs up, as if to say it was okay. After coughing and getting up, Kyle healed his scorched face with holy power and said. Theres no saving them. Ame tapped her temple with her index finger and replied. Theres nothing we can do. Theyve unleashed their power beyond their limits while being out of control. The ones who survived will live as idiots for the rest of their lives. Sadly. Her gaze moved to the residents who had lost consciousness. Fortunately, they didnt die like the woman Kyle had faced, but they didnt look very good either, shaking their bodies like epileptic patients. Then the iron gate of the orphanage broke with a loud noise and Ruon appeared from the other side. Ame, who remembered that he had rammed into Gon Sallos bodyst, asked him. Did you kill him? Ruon nodded silently, and she smiled slightly, as if she had expected it. Yeah. No need for a miserable farewell. Then Kyle, who was rotating his arm that had hit the stone wall, opened his mouth. That mage tried to kill Ame by using Quins misunderstanding that she was dead. That means Quin is not in the orphanage, right? Ruon tore off the loose hinge and threw it away with the door and answered. Lets go in. We might find something. With that brief remark, he led the way to the mansion, and the other two followed him closely. After reaching the front door of the mansion, Ruon swung his fist without hesitation. The sound of the lock breaking was heard, and the door opened weakly. The hottest knock in the world. Kyle muttered quietly and took charge of the rear of the party with the spell destroyer. Ruon felt a bit strange to see that the woodcutter, who had been struggling to save his own body when he first came to the orphanage, had be a reliable shield for the party. Of course, no one saw his faint smile on his face as he walked in the front. The corridor, which smelled of rotten flesh, was strangely dark despite the bright daylight. He thought it was greedy to hope that a child who had spent a cruel childhood in such an environment would grow up to be a proper adult, and Ruon continued to move inside. As he passed through the corridor, a spacious lobby of the mansion unfolded. He gave Ame the choice in the ce where there were dozens of doors and a central staircase connecting up and down. Where to? Lets go down. Ruon didnt bother to ask why. He would find out anyway when he went down. The spiral staircase that went clockwise seemed to suck the party in like a ck hole. As they stepped on the floor in a strange dizziness, they were greeted by a huge cavity. It was clear that it was not a natural cavity, but a ce where artificial hands had touched, as the inside was smooth and oval. Its the same here Well, theres no reason to change. Ames face hardened as if she remembered the past she had forgotten. She pointed to therge entrance in front of her and said. If I remember correctly, there should be Quins office there. It sounds nice to call it an office. In reality, its a ce where all kinds of horrible experiments took ce. Its definitely a stinky ce. Ruon walked towards the entrance. The corridor without a single light was enough to make a normal person blind, but his senses, which had been sharpened by the previous battle, gathered all the information around him and presented him with an arbitrary scenery. Thanks to that, Ruon was able to block the attacks that came flying even without Ames light spell. He knocked down something that flew faster than the arrow shot by the crossbow and moved his arm without stopping. Ruons swordsmanship, which had naturally grown through breaking through countless lines, did not have a refined feel, as he did not have a teacher. But his explosive movement, which had no waste at all, was intuitive and beautiful. The red afterimage drawn by the Ego Sword in the air deflected all the sharp attacks that aimed at the vital points. Ruon saw the wriggling existence behind the sparks that rose in a curve and kicked the ground hard. He gripped the sword with both hands and thrust it down with force. Aaah! The moment a piercing scream erupted. Ams spell lit up the dark corridor. It all happened in a few seconds after Ruon entered the hallway. Squish-squish- The shapeless mass of slime writhed as if in pain, then burst with a gurgling sound. Kyle muttered with a disgusted face. Damn. I cant help but swear. Meanwhile, Ruon shook off the sticky flesh and blood that clung to his sword and felt a faint presence in the hallway. He snapped his fingers at Kyle and Am and moved on. With arge stride, he crossed the hallway in an instant and saw a horrific sight in his eyes. Inside therge ss tubes lined up in a row, creatures that were half-human and half-octopus rolled their dozens of eyeballs and stared at him. Among them, he saw a shattered ss tube and a green liquid that soaked the floor below. It must have been the one that attacked Ruon in the hallway. At the end of the ss tubes, a young woman was slumped on a plush sofa, looking at the group that entered the room. Hello, Am. Its been ten years, hasnt it? Am, who was grimacing at the disgusting creatures swimming in the ss tubes, turned her head and said to the woman who pretended to know her. I dont know who you are. The woman smirked. I understand. I was a newbie who was dragged here a month before you ran away from here. You must remember the moron who was addicted to Skar and drooled every day. Isnt that strange? She chuckled and added. But I know you well. You were our queen who absorbed our fathers teachings without taking much Skar, werent you? Then, the light source that floated above their heads rose higher, revealing the space that was covered by a dark shadow. Crazy. Kyle cursed again. No wonder, the back of the womans head was fused with arge lump of flesh that pulsed like a heart. Hahaha. Why? Are you disgusted? Compared to the kids who are addicted to Skar, Im lucky. Thanks to our father who mixed his body with these things, my lifespan has increased. She withdrew her hand that pointed at the ss tubes and ced it on her chest, smiling calmly. Sorry for thete introduction. Im Olivia. Friends. What a surname. Ruon was speechless, but he didnt bother to attack Olivia. She was already dying, even if he didnt step in. Her paleplexion and weakening pulse proved it. As you can see, I dont have much time left. If you have any questions, I think I can talk to you. Do you have anything to ask? Everyone closed their mouths as if they were silenced by her natural smile. Am was the first to break the silence that weighed on their shoulders. Where did Quinn and the other kids go? Olivia pursed her lips. Thats disappointing. I thought you would easily guess, since you were our queen. Listen carefully. Im not your damn queen. So just answer my question. Anger was in Ams voice. Olivia stared at her zing eyes and opened her mouth with a nk expression. What do you think our father taught and raised us for? To establish a new school of magic? Or did he suddenly want to start a family? She got excited as she continued, and the flesh that was connected to the back of her head wriggled violently. We are his army. Thats how we were raised! A loud roar echoed through the ss tubes, causing them to crack slightly. The disgusting creatures that only rolled their eyeballs might spill out at any moment. Ruon quietly gripped the handle of his sword. Kyle was the same, as his rune hammer started to heat up white. Olivias words continued. It seems, Am, that you dont know who we were trained to fight against. Yeah, I get it. You ran away before you realized our fathers true intentions. Am slowly opened her mouth at the word that shed through her mind. Dont tell me Quinn is going to start a war with the Tower? I almost lost hope in you. Olivia grinned at Am and growled. Dont make meugh. Even if you ignore the masters of the Tower, there are countless monsters that can change the course of the war with a single blow. Do you think he can face them all? Olivia started to giggle. She tapped her tear-stained eyes with her bent finger and answered. Hey, Am. Do you think youre the best magician that the orphanage raised, just because I called you queen? Can you imagine what kind of training we went through for the past ten years? Kyle couldnt stand it and cut in. You saw it well. The skinny mage who calls himself Gonsalon. How do you think we got into the mansion? At his words, Olivier smiled faintly. Gonsalon is nothing but a discarded chess piece like me. I advise you not to judge the whole by his level. The weakest of the Four Kings. What a joke. Thats what Ruon was thinking when Am sighed deeply and said. Why are you telling us this? Olivierughed silently. From some point on, bright red blood was pouring from her nose. Well. Should I say Im tired? Endlessly impregnating those octopus bastards to produce better seeds And yet being abandoned in the end. Im tired of everything. Her eyes gradually lost their vitality. The lump of flesh connected to the back of her head also made a wheezing sound and shriveled up rapidly. Judging by how fast she was dying, she must have been forcing herself to maintain her current state. But Im d I had apanion on my way out. Actually, I, was, lone, ly Olivier couldnt put a period to her words that came out emptily and dropped her head. Seeing her, Kyle dropped the hammer he had been ready to swing and muttered. Shes dead. Then Am bit her lip and said. If the Queen is going to wage a full-scale war with the Tower That must be because of the Philosophers Stone. Why didnt I think of that? How stupid. As she med herself, Ruon raised his palm and said. Wait. Someonesing. They dont give us a break. Who is it this time? Kyle sighed lowly and lifted the hammer to his chest again. Meanwhile, several footsteps were heard approaching their party. And their voices too. Do you know the way?.. If you mess up the job by being reckless Friends. Dont you feel sorry for doing this over and over?.. Caw. Scary. Scary Caw? Ruon tilted his head at the familiar feeling. The whispering voices grew louder. Look. Theres a light. Lets go!.. Hey, wait! Sto- As someone tried to shout in panic at the rash action. Running footsteps were heard from the other side of the corridor. Soon, a bunch of someone showed up and yelled. Got you! You bastards! You thought youd be safe after making the city like this- Huh? Ruon? Kyle? I knew it. Ruon sneered at the stupid face of the dwarf who widened his eyes. Why are you here? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!