Chapter 251
Chapter 251
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: Attack
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A sinister mist rises from the Balanger Canal, which winds around Bi-am Stream and Bi-am Village, crossing Paju from east to west.
The fishy stench of water.
Wind heavy with moisture.
An ominous magic slowly fills the dark, quiet Bi-am Village.
"It's coming, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming! I can feel it!"
A cultist, addicted to hallucinogens, eyes rolled back, shrieking in frenzy.
Before his eyes, hallucinations appear: the symbol of the Blood Demon King, shivers of ecstasy.
[Abyssal Blessing has been granted.]
And from far away, the smell of blood approaches. A thick, dizzying stench of corruption.
"Ah, good, good, good, good. Yes, yes, yes, yes. This is it. This is exactly it."
The cultist, lost in ecstasy, claws at his own skin.
Another cultist, unable to contain his violent urges, crushes the skull in his hand.
There were about 200 cultists who had fled from Paju to Cheon-tae-dong, but now their numbers exceed 200.
Drawn by blood, hunger, and thirst, other races reveal their grotesque forms and join the hunt to take down that vile Kim Shin-hwa.
"Let's go! Depart! Start the hunt!"
"Kill him! Smash him! Begin the great ritual for our god!"
"Drain his blood! Slam him to the ground! Rip out his guts!"
Cultists, other races, monsters, amphibians, insects swarm out from the darkness.
The hunters emerging from Cheon-tae-dong's rotten swamp for blood, slaughter, and revenge move with movements like a joyous dance—pure and horrific, like children rushing to a festival.
"There, there, there, there! That's it! That car! That car! Kim Shin-hwa is in that sedan! No doubt about it!"
Below this slope stretches a long, dark, eerie national highway branching left and right.
A single sedan races along the road cutting Paju from west to east.
Immense magic power emanates from inside the vehicle.
"Ooh, that's the power! The exact magic the [Blood Demon King] told us about is detected!"
Yes, no matter how hard it's suppressed and hidden, that dense magic—Kim Shin-hwa for sure!
"Let's go! Kill Kim Shin-hwa!"
The cultists, other races, monsters, amphibians, insects brim with confidence. Their eyes glow with eerie red light like blood.
"Yeah, let's go! Hunt Kim Shin-hwa!"
Ah—the blood boils.
It's a hunt. A hunt! Yes, we've held back too long! Tear apart the sacrifices we've hunted in Paju! Rip their flesh, pull out their spines! Wrap their guts around our necks, march with their heads impaled on spears! Start the march of blood!
Squelch, squelch—
Splash, crunch—crack, crack—
Even as they move from Cheon-tae-dong's swamp to the national highway near Bi-am Stream, they continue slaughtering the sacrifices they've captured.
Slice, slice—
Gulp, crunch—splatter—
Tearing the sacrifices' flesh, spilling their blood, pulling out their entrails, shattering their bones—a horrific ritual of human sacrifice.
Foul blood and sin pour into the murky, polluted swamp.
But none among them feel guilt, pangs of conscience, or any human emotions.
"More blood! More blood!"
Empowered by their pleas, the [Blood Demon King], the abyssal being, their god bestows a new blessing.
[Abyssal Blessing has been granted.]
A new blessing is bestowed. Its name is [Frenzy]. A power to tear, smash, and destroy our enemies!
Yes, this is the truth of this world.
In this world, by spilling blood, killing kin, and chanting profane spells, one can obtain power beyond reason.
This is the truth of this world.
The faiths of those who do not serve abyssal beings, and the morals created by humans, are nothing but vain delusions and superstitions.
* * *
"Wizard? What's wrong?"
"The problem is getting bigger."
[System: 'Feast's Sacrifice' trait activates.]
[System: 'Feast's Sacrifice' trait activates.]
[System: 'Feast's Sacrifice' trait activates.]
[System: 'Feast's Sacrifice' trait activates.]
[System: 'Feast's Sacrifice' trait activates.]
[System: 'Feast's Sacrifice' trait activates.]
An enormous number of messages flood my vision.
I can't even see ahead.
"They're about to launch their attack."
* * *
"Let's go! Bathe him in a baptism of blood!"
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill Kim Shin-hwa! Kill Kim Shin-hwa! Wizard, wizard, wizard! Kill the foolish wizard who doesn't serve the god, who doesn't worship the god! Slice his flesh, split his belly! Pull out his guts! Kill him! Kill him! Kill the wizard!
"This is, uh, a bit, too, um. Too excited, isn't it?"
The Tuner mutters.
She is a cultist of the Gourmet Expedition Corps and an Arbiter, one rank below the First Division who previously clashed with Kim Shin-hwa.
Though similar organizations, the [Blood Demon Cult] and [Gourmet Expedition Corps] differ completely in origin nation and culture.
Unlike the First Division, the Tuner, who rarely interacted with other cults, feels an odd unease at the Blood Demon Cult's frenzy and that of the other races gathered here.
Her disciple and servant, the Brewer, bows his head to the Tuner.
"Isn't a surge of bloodlust necessary sometimes? Tuner."
The Tuner strokes the anaconda head attached in place of her left hand and gazes at the Brewer's face, reading the dissatisfaction there.
"Ah, you too, you, um, have complaints?"
At her words, the Brewer bows again and speaks.
"The Blood Demon Cultists are just feng shui shamans who wander around with talismans looking for graves, aren't they? They didn't need us to form the Blood Demon Array, but now they're stealing the vanguard in this hunt?"
"Even so, um, our numbers are, too, um, too few. The Feast's Sacrifice, um, who knows how it'll turn out, um um, yeah, a bit uneasy, uneasy. For now, we stay in the rear and observe."
The Brewer looks anxious but says no more.
The reason the [Gourmet Expedition Corps] has even this many survivors is the Tuner's cautious judgment.
[Abyssal Blessing has been granted.]
A new blessing is bestowed.
Its name is [Concealment]. No matter what commotion we cause, he won't notice our approach until we finish our first attack.
Rumble rumble rumble!
A vibration shakes the earth.
"Huh—!?"
The Brewer gasps in horror at the source of this terrifying quake.
"Charge! Charge! Charge! Surge forward! Like a fierce downpour! Raise the blood wind! The era of Clear Sky is over! The time of Blood Heaven has come!"
Screech screech screech!
A massive earthworm that looks like the incarnation of an earth dragon, with the Blood Marquess shouting atop its head.
He wields the Seven Star Sword in his hand like a conductor's baton, directing the cultists, other races, monsters, amphibians, and insects.
"Waaaaah!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
They pour out like waves, the cultists, other races, monsters, amphibians, and insects following the Blood Marquess.
"Hunt, um, this isn't a hunt, it's full-scale war, um, too full-scale? A bit, um, uneasy."
But contrary to the Tuner's worries, the attack happens in an instant.
Crunch crunch crunch!
The massive earthworm carrying the Blood Marquess on its head opens its enormous maw and bites down on the black sedan Kim Shin-hwa is riding.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Show them! Show everyone your power!"
The Big Dipper stars engraved on the Seven Star Sword emit a blood-red glow, pressing the pressure of the Blood Demon Array onto the car Kim Shin-hwa is in.
"No escape! No escape! No escape! Die right there!"
Got him! Caught Kim Shin-hwa! Kill him for sure! Strike a fatal blow before he can resist!
[Abyssal Blessing has been granted.]
A new blessing is bestowed.
Its name is [Devastating Strike]. Our next attack will surely inflict a mortal wound!
"Attack!"
The Blood Demon Cultists hurl the long magnetic needle spears in their hands.
The needle spears fly all at once toward the sedan in the earthworm's jaws, and crunch crunch crunch!
In an instant, the vehicle is pierced by dozens of spears, turning into a pincushion.
From the holes in the car's body, thick, sticky liquid gushes out. It looks just like the sedan itself is bleeding!
We've brought him down! Brought down Kim Shin-hwa! We snuck up in the darkness and chomped him dead! He couldn't resist at all and is spilling that thick red blood!
Pull him out! Skin him! Rip open his belly! Extract his guts and offer them in the holy war for our god! Strengthen the Blood Demon Array! Push all the way to Paju like this! Kill the traitor Red Heads! Kill the Blue Tigers who attacked us!
"Wait, wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Something's wrong! Something's off!"
The Blood Marquess shouts.
Crunch, munch crunch—
Crash rumble rumble—
Only now do the cultists see inside the attacked sedan.
No Kim Shin-hwa. In the driver's seat—no, inside the sedan are tin cans, iron balls, metal bolts, needles, nails, scissors, knives, and all sorts of metal scraps. Junk.
'Why is the car filled with all this stuff?'
And where Kim Shin-hwa should be sitting is a massive amount of magic stones, magic stones, magic stones, magic stones, magic stones, magic stones, magic stones. Magic stones rolling around—rumble rumble.
No,
'Wait? These aren't ordinary magic stones.'
Specially processed magic stones imbued with certain properties.
And right now, from the driver's seat, passenger seat, trunk—liquid gushing out in huge quantities, shiny and slick. 'This smells like oil?'
* * *
"Hey, Hyun-deok. See that? We almost died."
"Ugh, yeah. Where'd that come from all of a sudden?"
"No idea. Probably some blessing from an abyssal being."
"Ahh— so now, uh…… what happens?"
"What happens? Nothing much. It explodes."
I channel my magic into the pre-prepared spell array. Crimson flames rise in all directions.
[SSS-grade accessory 'Embers of the Northern Pleasure Gate' unique function, 'Trace of Extreme Flame' activates.
// Trace of Extreme Flame: All fire-type magic effects increased by 100%.]
[SSS-grade weapon Sai-nam-jeom-jeong-geom (Luk-john)'s unique function, 'Image of Heavenly Flame' activates.
// Image of Heavenly Flame: All fire-type magic effects increased by 100%.]
[Supernova Flames]
[Spell Enhancement: Range Increased]
[Spell Enhancement: Maximized]
[Spell Enhancement: Chain Explosion]
* * *
Just before Kim Shin-hwa activates his spell.
Far west of Bi-am Village.
In the heart of Paju, Geumchon-dong, on the rooftop of Basilissa, Tudor whistles in casual vacation clothes. He's even wearing sunglasses in this dark night.
"Hmm, this spot good enough?"
As Tudor gestures, the floating sofa bed beside him settles into position.
"A bit visible. Sigh, shoulda built the building taller if I knew."
Tudor lies on the sofa bed, gazing east.
"Tudor. Why. Rooftop?"
Orb, who followed him to the rooftop puzzled by his antics, asks.
"Ah, Orb. Come over here. Good for your health once in a while."
"Health? Here?"
"Come on already."
Tudor grabs Orb's massive arm and pulls. Orb has no eyes on his head, but he can see.
Orb soon realizes why Tudor chose this spot.
"East. Kim Shin-hwa?"
Perfect positioning.
From where Tudor lies, looking east reveals a sliver of sky between buildings.
And far, far away—beyond human sight—is Kim Shin-hwa.
"Ah, it's happening now. Watch, Orb. Boom—"
As Tudor spreads his arms, in this midnight hour, a sunrise begins at the distant eastern edge.
Like creating a new small sun at the eastern horizon, an eerie, beautiful light radiates in all directions.
Light bright enough to push back the night and summon morning abruptly.
Followed belatedly by a massive roar.
Kim Shin-hwa's spell has activated.
The light that blanketed the sky vanishes in an instant, but the aftermath it created is only just beginning.