Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Celestial (5)
The next day, the party hurriedly departed toward the stronghold of the Apophis Cult.
Since traveling by carriage would take too long, they summoned four Phantom Steeds with Adi's help.
"This... Don't I not need to learn magic from you?"
Gray made a sour expression as Gray looked at the phantom horse placed before Gray.
Rudian replied nonchalantly.
"It's thanks to an artifact."
"What artifact in the world allows one to freely use 7th-class summoning magic...?"
Gray also wore many artifacts, but most were focused on calculation assistance, magic amplification, and defensive spells that were relatively easy to cast.
Artifacts that allowed such intuitive use of high-class magic were truly difficult to find.
"What I want is magical skill, not item dependence. We don't have time, so let's depart quickly."
At those words, Gray glared at Rudian with a sullen expression.
"I'll be consistently checking your magical progress, so don't think otherwise. After this matter is finished, I'll conduct 2nd-class lectures."
"Let's go quickly..."
Rudian turned his head with a rotten expression.
The magic curriculum that Sonya had originally arranged in the capital was taken over entirely by Gray, and despite all the tumultuous and complicated events they had experienced so far, the consumption of that curriculum had continued intermittently.
Since Rudian could already manipulate magic more freely than most magicians from the beginning, entering the 1st class wasn't particularly difficult for Rudian.
Rather, the overwhelming amount of introductory texts that had to be crammed into his head at the start was much more burdensome.
Seeing Rudian's gloomy appearance, Elvin snorted and said.
"I'm not well-versed in magic, but no matter how I look at it, you seem to have dug your own grave quite deep."
"Please be quiet."
The fact hurt too much.
Rudian should have shown off just a little.
***
Phantom Steeds were magical beasts capable of flying through the air to a certain extent.
Their actual speed was only about 1.5 times that of a carriage, but since they could ignore terrain features, their actual perceived speed far exceeded that of carriages by several times.
Of course, they consumed tremendous amounts of magic, but Rudian's body, which had become monstrous by endlessly expanding its maximum capacity using Leviathan's core, was sufficient to handle that magic.
The expressions of the party heading toward the Apophis Cult weren't particularly good.
"There's a possibility it could be a trap, so we need to be careful."
"That person called Eugene isn't someone of low enough caliber to lie, but..."
"The moment we fall for lies, everything ends."
Though they were successors, all of them had experience rolling around in aristocratic political circles for several years.
The reason Rudian had specifically excluded other methods of transportation and summoned Phantom Steeds was because it was the most convenient method for approach and escape.
The Phantom Steeds ignored paved roads and headed straight toward their destination.
"The terrain is getting rougher as we go."
The travelers who had been occasionally visible completely disappeared about two hours ago.
"The frequency of monster appearances is getting severe. At this level, even slash-and-burn farmers would find it hard to live..."
In the southern mountain range they were heading toward, not only monsters like orcs and goblins appeared, but even beasts like bears and wolves showed themselves ominously.
Rudian looked at the surrounding scenery and chuckled.
"They hid their stronghold well."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
Usually, in the case of cult strongholds like the Apophis Cult, due to the evil god's foul preferences, the surrounding environment would be corrupted by miasma, creating hellish scenes.
However, even though they were approaching quite close, no such signs were visible, and it looked like an ordinary remote area, which also meant that the Apophis Cult had done well in hiding.
'Well, that's why they could survive until the original work and play an active role as supporting characters...'
Just as Rudian was praising the cult's preparedness.
BOOM!
In the distance, a massive explosion occurred along with enormous flames rising.
"...?"
The distance was at least 10km or more.
Yet such a clear and massive explosion occurring meant that the scale of the explosion far exceeded ordinary proportions.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Moreover, the flames that rose didn't extinguish but began to create countless chains, painting the sky red.
"Hellfire? No, the firepower at the center is much stronger than that!"
Rudian was certain that the source of that explosion was the Apophis Cult's stronghold.
If not, there was no way such an artificial event would occur out of nowhere.
"It seems combat has already begun."
"Let's hurry and see."
The party approached the source of the explosion at the maximum speed the Phantom Steeds could produce.
And before long, they witnessed an unbelievable sight.
-Kyaaaaaaak!
"Wh-what is that?"
RUMBLE! CRASH!
"Something seems wrong with my depth perception."
A snake so massive that its bulk reached the clouds was rampaging and devastating the surrounding area.
-Unbelievers who have defiled the name of god! Do you think you'll be safe after this?
And around it, several humans who looked like ants compared to the snake's bulk were facing the snake's fury head-on.
"Is that... A physically possible size?"
It looked twice as massive as the Hydra that Gude had summoned in the past.
Rudian saw among those confronting the snake, the one facing the snake's eyes directly.
'That person must be the leader of Celestial.'
And that snake would be the apostle of the evil god Apophis and the Pope of the Apophis Cult.
The poison and divine power emanating from the Pope could truly be called a monster worthy of myths, but there wasn't the slightest trace of fear visible in the appearance of the Celestial leader facing it.
"Hah, a weak god who can't even properly influence the world isn't particularly frightening."
Around that person, magicians who appeared to be close associates were providing escort with Fly magic.
Among them was Eugene, the 9th-class Great Magician that Rudian had seen just the day before.
"Indeed, befitting a human most beloved by god, what tremendous power."
Perhaps taking those words as provocation, tremendous killing intent burst forth from the Pope.
-How dare you mock me?
"Not at all...? It's just pure admiration."
The Celestial leader stroked his chin and tilted his head slightly.
"Though seeing someone who received such tremendous divine power but can't even use it properly does make me sigh."
...That was definitely mockery.
-Kraaaaaaak!
The Pope, consumed by rage, began to writhe and rampage.
The Pope was an existence that could change the surrounding geography just by rampaging, but for some reason, there wasn't much damage to the surroundings despite the Pope's rampage.
Rudian immediately grasped the reason.
'...They completely suppressed the movements with overwhelming magic power.'
That massive body with that authority...
It was certainly a powerful opponent that even the current Rudian couldn't guarantee victory against if Rudian fought.
However, the Celestial magicians were overwhelmingly pressing down on such an opponent while also carefully controlling barriers to prevent damage to the surroundings.
"Ah, the audience has finally arrived."
The Celestial leader immediately detected the magical creature Phantom Steeds and turned his head toward them.
Then the leader even waved his hand as if pleased.
"I was tired of waiting. I almost let the surrounding nature get ruined trying to prevent those guys from rampaging."
'...Nature? Then that explosion from earlier was?'
It seemed like it had enough firepower to blow away an entire mountain range...
While the others were looking at the leader with incredulous expressions, Rudian rolled his eyes to look at the epicenter of the first explosion.
'...Are those archbishops?'
As Rudian had guessed from the earlier explosion, the Apophis Cult's stronghold had already disappeared without a trace.
Seeing the corpses of snake beastmen—presumably archbishops—who were the snakes Rudian had seen in the basement of Southwood's main castle scattered here and there around the area, it seemed the battle had already ended some time ago with Celestial's overwhelming victory.
'It seems like the rest disappeared without even leaving corpses.'
Looking closely, the Pope's body wasn't intact either.
The Pope's entire body was torn apart, with poisonous blood flowing down through the gaps, defiling the surroundings.
"Well, since guests have arrived, shall we finish the battle now?"
SNAP!
As the Celestial leader snapped his fingers, magicians presumed to be executives, including Eugene, surrounded the Pope.
-Th-these bastards!
"With this size, just burning it would have a bad environmental impact. But well, I'll try my best. This is imperial territory even if it's remote. Hmm, it can't be helped if we want to maintain friendly relations."
'Don't tell me they prevented damage to the surroundings because of something like ‘we respect the Empire's authority’...?'
It was questionable to call undeveloped remote areas Imperial territory, but Rudian wasn't unable to understand that political gesture.
"Now, children, let's finish this."
The Celestial magicians surrounding the Pope all began chanting the same spell in unison.
If Rudian's prediction was correct, each one of them would be 9th-class, so how tremendous would be the magic activated by such people cooperating was beyond question.
Before long, massive golden chains appeared centered on the magicians and bound the Pope's body.
-Kieeeeeek!
Gray, who recognized the identity of that magic, widened his eyes in shock.
"Se-Sealing God chains?"
"Oh, the young friend has quite good insight."
"The legendary grand spell that even confines gods...! To see it directly with my own eyes!"
"Well, it's far insufficient to actually seal a god, but it's certainly the optimal spell for binding divine power."
-Krrrrrek!
The Pope bound by chains let out pained groans as if suffocating.
However, the Pope, whose entire body had already become rags and all power had been suppressed, could do nothing.
"Now I have no more business with you, so let's end this."
WHOOSH!
Above the head of the snake-transformed Pope, the Celestial leader created a small sphere of flame and suspended it in the air.
The sphere that looked like a simple Fire Ball soon rapidly expanded, then began to engulf the Pope's body starting from the head, like lava flowing down to encase an object.
-Kraak! Kraaaaaaak!
'What spell is that?'
Even actual lava couldn't do anything to that body protected by divine power.
Yet seeing the Pope writhing in pain and melting away, that fire's power had certainly surpassed divine power.
-Krrk! Krrk!
The Pope's body, which had been close to the size of a mountain range, soon began to lose its form and melt away in an instant.
Thus, the Pope was futilely annihilated without being able to offer any significant resistance.
"Hmm... Apophis must have withdrawn his power. To abandon his highest priest like a worn-out shoe, that's just like evil gods."
As the Pope's body completely disappeared, the Celestial leader grumbled and descended to the ground.
Behind the leader, five magicians of various ages from elderly to children were looking this way with profound gazes.
Well, one of them showed considerably displeased signs, but Rudian quietly ignored that gaze.
The numbers carved on their faces were all 9.
It was a passage that revealed Celestial's formidable power.
"Nice to meet you, Rudian, was it?"
"That's correct."
Rudian prepared to draw Diablo at any moment as Rudian received the leader's greeting.
"My name is Giovanni. You can call me Gio or Ginny. I'd like you to call me whatever is comfortable."
...Rudian knew.
One of the important villains appearing in .
Giovanni Celestial the Chaos.
Though it seemed like a funny name, Giovanni was humanity's greatest Great Magician and the only one who had currently stepped foot into the divine realm of 10th-class.
And in the original work, Giovanni was also the strongest nemesis that Gray had to overcome to earn the title of God of Magic.