The Traitor's Fate (3)
It was a casual straight punch, but the outcome was anything but casual. The castle wall that met the explosive force erupting from Kang Geon’s fist might as well have been a sheet of paper. Kwaaaaang! The wall collapsed pathetically, as if a container ship had rammed it at full speed. Everyone watching from atop the ramparts died on the spot. Those nearby scattered in blind panic.
“Is he really S-class?” Crane muttered.
Even Crane, an S-class himself, couldn’t imagine shattering a wall like that in a single strike. Breaking it with effort was one thing, but pulverizing it instantly was impossible. If Crane had to neutralize those defenses, he would have scaled the wall, slaughtered the soldiers, and opened the gates from inside.
“I need to get closer to him.”
What if Kang Geon was actually stronger than Crane—in other words, SS-class? That would be an unprecedented event in Ferum’s history. Not even the mighty dragons, celestials, or demons reached SS-class the moment they were born or awakened their power.
“Kuhahahahahahat!”
Humans instinctively derive pleasure from destruction. Ancient colosseums, medieval executions, modern war films—all of it sprang from that same primal urge. Kang Geon was no exception. After spending a fortune and countless years to erect those walls, he had demolished them in the blink of an eye and now basked in overwhelming ecstasy.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Kang Geon smashed the ramparts one after another. The occupying forces of Vicander lost all fighting spirit the instant the monster appeared. Against a powerhouse like him, no number of ordinary soldiers—tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands—would make any difference.
Isabel, sensing victory, sent her army forward. Armored infantry clambered over the broken debris. Meanwhile, Kang Geon was joyfully wrecking the streets of Vicander itself. Citizens who had believed Isabel wouldn’t harm them stayed inside their homes. Now they were either ripped apart by his savage destruction or buried alive beneath collapsing buildings.
“Stop! Stop it at once!”
Unable to watch any longer, Isabel galloped over on horseback and tried to restrain him. Kang Geon, drunk on slaughter and ruin, seriously considered killing her too. The moment killing intent radiated from him, Isabel froze like a frog before a snake.
Just what the hell is this man…?!
The overwhelming aura that had paralyzed Isabel vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Kang Geon had seen her beautiful face and decided not to kill her. Had she been a man or an ugly woman, he would have ended her without a second thought.
“I appreciate your contribution, but these people are going to become my assets. So refrain from any meaningless slaughter.”
“Fine.”
Kang Geon answered while mentally planning how hard he was going to fuck Isabel senseless.
The siege ended in Isabel’s victory shortly afterward. In truth, the battle had been decided the moment Kang Geon revealed his might and her troops crossed the broken wall.
Isabel took the rebel leaders alive as much as possible. After prolonged torture, she would behead them in Vicander’s central square and display their corpses on pikes.
“Tomorrow I will challenge the Dominion’s Proof Hall. I ask only the two of you to assist me.”
The two were obviously Kang Geon and Crane.
“Of course. Helping Lady Isabel ascend to baroness is my duty. If it isn’t too presumptuous, could you explain what must be done inside Lend’s Dominion’s Proof Hall?” Crane asked politely.
Kang Geon always found it fascinating how Crane turned into a completely different person at moments like these. Must have been a chameleon in his past life.
“Once inside the Dominion’s Proof Hall, a lake appears. Defeat the guardian within it and you’re done.”
“A simple Dominion’s Proof Hall indeed. Very well. We’ll withdraw for now and prepare for tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow morning.”
The next morning, Isabel’s soldiers rode through Vicander announcing the ruler’s return. Not a single citizen resisted; they all pressed themselves flat against the ground. The overwhelming power Kang Geon had displayed was the reason. Those unaware of the details assumed Isabel commanded someone possessing such might.
“Lady Isabel.”
Isabel had a subordinate who had followed her faithfully even before she left Lend. His name was Paut. Once her diligent servant, he was now her right hand and a brilliant administrator. Through her father’s sudden death and her expulsion from Lend, Paut had remained steadfast by her side. He was the man Isabel trusted most, the one she believed would never betray her.
Isabel thought Paut stayed out of pure loyalty. That was a mistake. Paut harbored deep romantic feelings for the dazzlingly beautiful Isabel. Because he concealed them so well, she saw only flawless devotion.
“What is it?”
“Those men cannot be trusted. Entering the Dominion’s Proof Hall with so few escorts could lead to disaster in the worst case.”
“You’re uneasy because the escort is small? Don’t worry. Crane may hide his brutality behind politeness, but he isn’t foolish enough to assassinate me inside the Dominion’s Proof Hall.”
Every ruler in the region knew Isabel had marched an army to claim Lend. If she died and either Crane or Kang Geon took control, everyone would recognize the Crane Mercenary Group’s betrayal. No neighboring lord would ignore such a perfect excuse to intervene.
“Crane has a solid enough position. I doubt he’d risk everything to become ruler, but once inside the Dominion’s Proof Hall, minds can change. Your beauty carries that kind of power, my lady.”
“I know that better than anyone, Paut. You’ve seen how skillfully I use my looks.”
“That’s exactly why I’m warning you. It could be dangerous.”
“Paut. Do you really think I’d risk this by taking only those two if there wasn’t a reason?”
“Don’t tell me…”
“I’ll give you a hint. Lend’s Dominion’s Proof Hall can change its keyword to ‘sacrifice.’”
“I spoke out of turn because I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine since you didn’t know.”
Isabel smiled faintly. Even she felt pleased by her loyal subordinate’s sincere advice. Paut was moved by that smile. He was the only man allowed to see Isabel’s smile—the same woman who remained ice-cold before everyone else. Paut secretly rejoiced at that fact. To him, her smile was both a blessing and the guiding light of his life.
“Congratulations on finally becoming a baroness.”
“Save the congratulations until after I clear the Dominion’s Proof Hall.”
“But you’ve practically cleared it already, Baroness.”
Despite her words, Isabel didn’t seem displeased.
“I’ll be back soon. Make sure the soldiers are ready. The moment I return, we suppress the Crane Mercenary Group.”
“Leave it to me.”
Isabel led a small escort out of the mansion and joined Kang Geon and Crane.
“The Dominion’s Proof Hall lies west of Vicander.”
It was only ten minutes by horse from Vicander’s west gate.
“There it is.”
Isabel pointed at a lone building standing in the middle of the plains. Her ancestor had constructed it to prevent unauthorized access. A massive padlock sealed the door.
“Let’s go in.”
Isabel unlocked the padlock. Creeeeeak. The neglected, rusted hinges let out a horrible groan. Inside was a spring.
“Jump in here and you’ll enter the Dominion’s Proof Hall. When your feet touch bottom, come out of the water. I’ll go first.”
Isabel entered the spring. The escort soldiers followed one by one. Kang Geon and Crane went last. The moment Kang Geon’s feet touched the bottom, he kicked off the ground. The instant he burst from the water, a vast lake stretched before him.
So this is the Dominion’s Proof Hall. Interesting. Some kind of teleportation?
Just as Kang Geon emerged, Isabel threw an object into the lake. Splash!
What she threw was a Fire Storage—an item that stored mana optimized for fire magic. Fire mages usually carried them. In simple terms, it was a mage’s battery for when mana ran low. She had dropped it into the lake to alter the Dominion’s Proof Hall’s clear condition.
Normally the Lake Guardian tried to annihilate every intruder. But dropping a Fire Storage triggered a sudden demand for sacrifice. Offer the right one and it would acknowledge you as the rightful ruler. Some Dominion’s Proof Halls hid such secret strategies. Isabel’s ancestor had luckily discovered the hidden clear condition and claimed Lend.
My ancestor offered an S-class as sacrifice. I wonder what happens if I offer two?
Surely it will grant an even better reward?
This was precisely why Isabel had hired Kang Geon and Crane—to use them as sacrifices. Once she became ruler of Lend, she would kill every escort to silence them forever.
She never once considered that Kang Geon and Crane might defeat the Lake Guardian. Her ancestor had measured the guardian’s power at SS-class.
Isabel believed this was a flawless plan.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.
The Lake Guardian rose from where the Fire Storage had sunk. It was a serpent formed entirely of water, its eyes glowing pure white.
Offer the sacrifice.
“It’s those two,” Isabel said, pointing at Kang Geon and Crane.
Crane demanded, “What the hell is this? You told us the condition to clear Lend’s Dominion’s Proof Hall was to kill the Lake Guardian.”
“Did you actually believe something that stupid?”
“Now I understand why you hired us.”
“You realized far too late.”
Kang Geon, having grasped the situation, spoke flatly. “We got played by that bitch?”
“Yeah. My bad.”
“Told you we should’ve just raped her that day.”
“I should’ve listened to you.”
“Anyway, we just need to kill that thing, right?”
The Lake Guardian was sucking in the lake water, swelling larger by the second. What began as a fairly large serpent had grown until its body diameter reached ten meters. It could now be called a true monster, and it was still expanding.
“You’re going to kill the Lake Guardian? Two pathetic S-classes against an SS-class monster?”
Isabel lifted her chin arrogantly. She was delighted. From the first meeting she had found these two suspicious; now she would stab them in the back and claim the title of ruler. It was clearly a life-threatening crisis, yet neither Kang Geon nor Crane showed any tension.
Kang Geon simply didn’t think he would lose. Crane, meanwhile, possessed an artifact that could get them out safely.
Crack. Crunch.
Kang Geon rolled his neck from side to side.
“Geon. You’re actually going to fight?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t feel like I’ll lose.”
“I have a way to escape this place. Let’s get out safely.”
“If we both disappear, the Lake Guardian will kill that bitch.”
“True.”
“No. That bitch doesn’t deserve an easy death.”
“Geon. That thing is on a completely different level from anything you’ve faced before. This isn’t the time for reckless bravado.”
The vast lake vanished, leaving only the Lake Guardian. Coiled, it was so enormous that ordinary buildings looked insignificant beside it. Its eyes blazed like twin suns.
“Ha. Bravado? My power doesn’t lie.”
“Geon! That monster is in a completely different dimension from everything else you’ve fought!”
“If you want to run, run alone. I’m going to kill that thing, then catch that bitch and fuck her up properly.”
Kang Geon strode forward. The Lake Guardian’s head plunged toward him. It was merely descending, yet the sheer mass—greater than a building—moving with such freedom could not be ignored.
Facing the descending head, Kang Geon was consumed by a single thought: I want to fight this thing head-on!
The Authority of Power surged through his entire body. He felt as if he could do anything, as if nothing in the world could stop him.
Kang Geon instantly spread his stance and twisted his waist. The moment the Lake Guardian’s head came within ten meters, he drove off the ground and thrust his fist skyward.
“Diiiiiie!”
The Authority of Power collided with the Lake Guardian.