Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: Chapter 5-1. These People Here Are Gifts Prepared for You.
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No being capable of stopping Bel-Terza existed, at least within this forest.
Even if a human who wouldn't live a hundred years became a spirit sword wielder and high mage through genius talent and tremendous effort, the moment Bel-Terza appeared amid a swarm of blue lights, they had to abandon everything in despair. Their skills and abilities weren't enough to even resist.
Even Spear Saint, who had been fiercely clashing with Sword Saint Via, was no exception.
But in his field of spears, he had earned the title of Star. With just a swing of his spear using a few fingers, the approaching lights nearby were all shredded apart.
"What the hell? These things."
He fell back and looked at Sword Saint Via. She too seemed startled by the lights suddenly descending from the sky, and he could see her swinging her sword at the approaching lights. But these unidentified lights showed no interest in the elf, whether attacked or not. They passed by her as if she didn't exist and approached the humans.
One of his subordinates reached out curiously toward a light drifting lightly through the air like a snowflake. The moment the light settled on his arm, the subordinate screamed in shock.
"Arrrghhh!"
The resounding scream instantly drew the attention of the silent forest. The light clinging to his arm grew massive in an instant, while the subordinate's muscular arm withered away.
'Sucking life force!?'
He hurriedly swung his spear at the lights surging toward him like waves. A magical slash rode along the spear tip, obliterating the lights. The lights were weak. Even without the slash, the sharp wind laced with mana from the spear tip would shred them.
But there were too many. His subordinates couldn't hold out against the blizzard-like horde that blinded their vision. He tried to advance to help them, but stopped instinctively as lights blocked his path.
In that brief moment, screams echoed from all directions like ripples. Frowning, he swung his spear to cut through the blocking lights and pressed forward. Knowing that getting close meant death, the lights retreated while blocking his way.
"!"
But by the time he reached the source of the screams, only monstrous corpses with gaunt skin remained. The area was filled with dead bodies, and enlarged lights dotted among the small ones. He stood guard there briefly, then pulled a small magic stone from his bosom and infused it with mana. The stone glowed, but nothing happened. Even the recall spell was useless. He clenched his fist, pulverizing the stone to powder.
"Ha— we've completely screwed this up."
He let out a hollow breath and a wry laugh. Unable to survey the battlefield or the overall situation from his position, he couldn't know for sure. But one thing was clear: they had lost this war.
He didn't know why the lights had suddenly appeared from the sky, but since they ignored the elves and targeted only humans, victory was impossible. The saying that no one could stand against numbers turned out to be true—not just a joke or something for powerless civilians, but fact.
Even his subordinates, whom he believed to be the strongest besides the spirit sword wielders in this war, hadn't lasted a moment. For regular soldiers or knights to survive here would be a miracle.
A hundred years ago, they said Silan's army attacking the elven forest was annihilated by fragments falling from the sky. This must have been how they felt.
"Haaa..."
It seemed like a war they couldn't lose, yet somehow it had come to this. He hadn't even settled his duel with the Sword Saint.
"I don't know what's happening, but looks good for you."
He spoke toward where Via should be beyond the wall of lights. His voice wouldn't reach.
"Now what... should I try to get out of here first?"
He wasn't sure if he could escape, but he had to try. As he raised his spear to clear a path, he felt his body stiffen. His eyes widened, pupils contracting. Feeling his body tremble, he was horrified. This was fear.
'Me?'
The difference between tension and fear was clear.
『Where do you think you're going? You can't leave this forest without my permission.』
Startled by the slow, chilling voice, he reflexively moved his stiffening body. Though crushed by terror, he spun around and swung his spear with all his might. But the spear, which had felt heavy and solid in his grip, suddenly lightened. Looking at the tip, part of it had vanished. The remaining portion was rusted as if ages had passed.
'My spear?'
It had cost a fortune. He'd personally gathered rare minerals to withstand his power, procured the materials, and commissioned Baekje's imperial artisans for this masterpiece among masterpieces. Not only that, he'd asked one of Ranggritsa Magic Tower's tower masters to engrave spells on it—a treasure. Yet it was gone.
『Excellent. Seems like the most valuable soul among today's offerings.』
With a satisfied voice, something touched his forehead with a tap. At that instant, Spear Saint felt his vision blur as he lost consciousness. Bel-Terza greedily extracted Spear Saint's soul and moved on. He vanished from the spot with the accompanying souls, leaving Via and the remaining elves as if in a dream.
With the strongest human who entered the forest, Spear Saint, dead, the war was effectively over.
Duke Aquila Yes went mad amid the dreamlike scene unfolding before him. No matter how cool-headed he was, enduring this indifferently was impossible. And he too met his end, devoured by the souls circling around.
Soldiers, knights, mages, spirit sword wielders... even Spear Saint.
No human could escape death. Even those just entering the forest from far away for supplies were no exception. The lights hunted humans in the forest at rapid speed.
Where Bel-Terza's hand passed, only cold corpses remained. With their souls taken, they couldn't even harbor grudges against the elves. Cursing them was impossible. Their corpses would merely become fertilizer for this land.
『There was a bird too.』
He missed nothing. He accepted only humans as offerings, but one tempting bird caught his eye. His souls faithfully followed his command, capturing only humans. Yet he saw a bird spewing lightning burn one of his souls and fly into the sky.
Too tempting to let go. Bel-Terza reached out with desire. The souls around him gathered at his will, forming chains that extended forth. Distance didn't matter. He had many souls, and none could flee without his permission.
Thunder Lord Jeung, who had flown far and fast, was caught by Bel-Terza before fully escaping the forest. The elves who witnessed it all from start to finish were dumbfounded, staring in silence as if their souls had fled, unable to believe the scene.
"Huff!"
Someone who had forgotten to even breathe gasped desperately. The air around them was still heavy, the fear lingering like snow. The elves felt as if dreaming. The situation seemed unreal. Yet the thunderclouds above still swirled, and the hateful humans before them lay as withered, cold corpses on the ground.
And the dream wasn't over yet.
『Shall this bird be included in the offerings too?』
Bel-Terza tossed Thunder Lord, bound in soul chains, before Yuda and said. Thud. Thunder Lord's body hit the ground like meat trussed in a butcher shop, trembling violently. A far cry from his earlier confident demeanor.
-You bastard...! Did you summon this being?
"That's right. But your words are quite rude. Calling him 'this being' to my Lord."
-Do you know what you've done! I don't know how you summoned...!?
『Quiet.』
One word silenced Thunder Lord as if by magic. Yuda looked down indifferently and spoke. He'd momentarily forgotten about Thunder Lord, but if Bel-Terza wanted him, he'd gladly hand him over. Yuda's opinion didn't matter anyway. If he wanted it, he took it, so Yuda didn't beg.
"Do as you wish. If it's a soul my Lord desires, it's right that you take it, isn't it?
『Heh heh heh!』
Pleased, Bel-Terza let out a hearty laugh. Thunder Lord's body lifted into the air and was sucked into the swirling thunderclouds.
『The offerings were satisfactory. However.』
"?
『I don't like receiving offerings without reason. I'll give recompense equal to what you've offered me. Reviving all the elves who died here today should suffice, yes? Their souls rightly belong to me, but in exchange for the many souls received today, I'll yield the elves' souls to you.』
Bel-Terza waved his hand. Then a miracle occurred. Some souls circling him seeped into the ground, trees, and dead elven bodies, beginning to revive them. New buds sprouted on winter trees, leaves grew. The land drained of life force by his descent was recovering.
But more importantly than the land and trees reviving, the dead elves' bodies began to move again.
He wondered if revival meant grotesque zombies, but fortunately not.
Their bodies, riddled with fatal wounds from severed limbs or sword stabs, regenerated as black auras swirled around. It was gruesome. Returning from death was in no way beautiful. But what mattered was that they gained another chance at life.
『From now on, you are the master of these revived souls. If chance allows, we'll meet again. I look forward to you becoming master of all fragments and succeeding Perlnirn.』
Bel-Terza left those words and vanished before their eyes.