Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: 9-Star Erosion Beast
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Kugugugugu...
On top of the writhing cursed centipede.
The spot that had held only Beltua was now joined by three more people and a single beast.
Naturally, those three people and one beast were Krashu's companions.
"Ugh, it's not a bug. No, it's not..."
Among them, Evelask was locked in a fierce battle against the cursed centipede's grotesque form.
Every time its antennae crept up toward her head, she stifled a scream.
In the process, she slyly pressed herself against Krashu's back, burying her face there.
It was getting annoying having something brushing against him from behind, so he wished she'd cut it out—but since it didn't seem to be her intention, Krashu just let it be.
"My head feels better now."
In the meantime, Haring spoke up with a much brighter expression.
Under Beltua's lantern light, the headache that had plagued her like a nightmare had vanished.
"This young lady handles curses too?"
Beltua, following Krashu's lead, eyed yet another curse-wielder with evident curiosity.
After all, curses were generally seen as diseases that gnawed away at the human body.
It was only natural that those who wielded them actively were limited to curse healers.
"Haring Lagren."
"Lagren, huh. A family tied to poisons must make curses feel more familiar."
"It's all thanks to Krashu."
In truth, his help with researching the instant reinforcement elixir had been invaluable.
"Heh, you've got quite the following."
Beltua teased Krashu with a grin.
"The Four Seasons are precisely in the Endless Night, aren't they?"
Krashu swiftly changed the subject.
This old man had a sneaky playful streak—if he latched onto something, he'd tease about it for over an hour straight.
"Just as you say, the Four Seasons do indeed reside in the Endless Night."
The response was a touch vague.
When Krashu showed his doubt at the uncertain words, Beltua smacked his lips.
"The problem is that right now, the Four Seasons is caught up with a certain Erosion Beast."
"An Erosion Beast?"
This was news even to Krashu.
After all, when he'd last seen the Four Seasons, it had already latched onto a human host.
"That's right. And it's one even I can't handle."
Beltua wielded countless curses.
The lantern he held now was itself a curse that repelled Black Species Ghosts, and his curse-based combat was no slouch either.
For a man like that to shy away from a fight meant the foe was no ordinary beast.
'An Erosion Beast of that caliber in the Endless Night...'
Krashu furrowed his brow at the 10-star Erosion Beasts that came to mind.
No matter how capable he was, dealing with those was still beyond him.
They'd require at least a fully mature Master-level knight order.
And even that was the bare minimum.
'I'm not limited to aura alone, so I don't need to measure purely by aura realm.'
Krashu figured that combining his aura with World Erosion power put him around Master upper-level.
After all, he'd only recently stepped into Master intermediate aura.
'With the Forbidden Realm lifting absorption limits on World Erosion, overtaxing my body could push me to top-tier somehow.'
He had the Heaven-Annihilating Asura.
It would demand everything he had, but its momentary firepower could surely touch top-tier.
Yet even top-tier barely scraped by against Erosion Beasts.
Against a 10-star—or worse—Krashu wouldn't stand a chance.
"...A 10-star Erosion Beast?"
So he asked if it was beyond even him.
Beltua shook his head.
"9-star."
At least it wasn't a 10-star.
"...9-star."
Haring's face hardened beside him.
The strongest she'd faced were the fake Ravados at 7-star from the midterm exam and Decarabia at early 7-star.
Skipping two whole grades to 9-star made her breath catch.
She was finally grasping just how perilous the Forbidden Realm truly was.
"No need to panic before we even try."
Krashu eased her worries.
"Evelask, time for you to pitch in too."
"Hoo, that's why we came in the first place."
For all her looks, Evelask was once a famed secret weapon of the Empire.
Her necromancy was suited for crowds, but she had trump cards too.
Probably pulling out corpses from previous squads.
And though unreliable, there was that fanatic priest as well.
He could at least serve as a meat shield.
'We can make this work.'
He had no confidence in escaping unscathed, but repelling it? That he could manage.
Besides, Beltua wouldn't just sit idle either.
They had a shot.
"So, which beast holds the Four Seasons?"
As Krashu asked, Beltua lifted his staff with perfect timing, as if to say right on cue.
The lantern flared, pointing up at the night sky.
"Perfect timing—there it is."
Krashu's gaze followed the lantern to the night sky.
There, amid pitch-black clouds, starlight streaked down once before vanishing.
The moment Krashu saw it, his expression slowly darkened.
He knew exactly what Erosion Beast it was.
"The real Four Seasons is with that thing?"
"Yep. That's why this old man's been helpless."
A sigh escaped Krashu's lips.
Evelask, who had boldly vowed to help, tilted her head in confusion.
She knew next to nothing about the Endless Night.
"What's it? What's with the starlight?"
"...That's starlight scattered by an Erosion Beast toward the sky."
An Erosion Beast that sprinkled starlight to illuminate the Endless Night.
Reverse Night Star
Its goal was to fully light the Endless Night.
Krashu had no idea why it pursued that.
The real issue lay elsewhere.
As mentioned, the Reverse Night Star scattered starlight.
If it died, the Endless Night would become true eternal darkness.
And the Erosion Beasts parasitizing that night would rampage unchecked.
'The Reverse Night Star's starlight suppresses the Endless Night.'
Killing a Reverse Night Star in the Endless Night was thus akin to taboo.
After one of the original three was slain, the Endless Night's domain had expanded.
'No wonder Beltua couldn't touch the Four Seasons.'
Messing with it risked worsening the Endless Night.
So he'd never even considered it.
In that instant, Crimson Garden landed on Krashu's shoulder and asked.
Meaning, couldn't he just use Black Hood to steal the Four Seasons?
"...Not that simple."
As stated, the Four Seasons had devoured and replaced a body part.
"Unless it willingly spits out that body part, stealing the Four Seasons would kill the Reverse Night Star."
An Erosion Beast where killing it was the problem.
What an absurd situation.
"Hmm, looks like you've got a way to extract the Four Seasons."
Beltua, who had been watching the starlight, turned to them.
"I have a method to make the Four Seasons regurgitate the body part."
"Really?"
"Assuming the Reverse Night Star doesn't thrash about."
In other words, subduing the Reverse Night Star came first.
But a path forward was emerging.
Krashu desperately needed the Four Seasons.
No room for choosiness.
"Let's do it."
Krashu raised his head toward the night sky.
Steal the Four Seasons from the Reverse Night Star.
It was time.
Reverse Night Star.
True to its name, little was known for certain about the beast that lit the night sky daily.
Only that it sought to illuminate the night sky every day.
That was it.
But one fact was confirmed.
The Reverse Night Star was a 9-star Erosion Beast.
No one disputed that.
Under the Endless Night sky.
Atop two long, stark white legs stretched out straight, black fuzz bristled thickly.
And above them fluttered four sets of moth-like, bright yellow wings, scattering starlight dust.
Its head, in particular, was bizarre beyond compare.
A head formed from overlapping layers of wings.
Dozens of eyes attached to it swiveled in every direction independently.
The creature, roughly twice the size of a human, was the Reverse Night Star.
Its pitch-black arm rose.
Starlight dust trailed from it, sprinkling once more across the Endless Night sky.
The Reverse Night Star simply lived on like that, scattering starlight.
Oblivious even to the Four Seasons now embedded in its body.
Suddenly—
The Reverse Night Star, arm raised to the sky, froze.
It had sensed a presence.
It had no nose, yet a sweet scent tickled its senses.
A sweetness that promised unprecedented bliss if devoured in one bite.
Turning toward the aroma, its eyes reached the horizon's edge.
The horizon where night sky met earth.
A lantern shone there, bright as its own starlight.
Beneath it, an old man with a staff over his shoulder trudged toward it.
"Come on, move."
The old man soon slammed his staff into the ground with a thud.
Dozens of pitch-black centipedes erupted from its base.
They ballooned to cover the area in seconds, charging straight at the Reverse Night Star.
Staring impassively, it slowly raised a black fingertip.
The moment light gathered at its tip—
Peeeng!
With a piercing light-rush sound, the centipedes burst apart.
But they weren't ordinary centipedes.
The moment they shattered in light, their numbers multiplied several-fold.
The swollen horde surged toward the Reverse Night Star once more.
Feeling a twinge of annoyance, it flared its wings wide.
Instantly, the starlight dust it had scattered earlier swarmed around them.
A flash erupted unnaturally under the Endless Night.
Kwagagagagagang!
The light stretched to the horizon's edge, erasing the centipedes without a speck of ash.
"Impressive. A 9-star through and through."
Beltua clicked his tongue at the sight.
True to its rank, the Reverse Night Star displayed a league apart.
"Still, I got a few off it."
He hadn't sacrificed the cursed centipedes for nothing.
The Reverse Night Star belatedly realized the sweet scent emanated from below it.
As one eye on its wing-head turned downward—
It sensed an intense aroma, accompanied by heat even it found scorching.
In that blinding heat, evoking a sun never before seen—
A boy with black-dyed hair and a girl with deep purple locks appeared.
When did they...?
The Reverse Night Star wondered.
There had been nothing moments ago, yet now the boy was right beneath it.
His eyes burned redder than ever.
Seven stars over the night sky within him poured crimson light in unison.
A blood-red moon hung in his night.
A chill ran through it!
Even the Reverse Night Star felt the boy's presence swell overwhelmingly.
Danger.
It thrust out a hand urgently.
Light cloaked it, intent on shredding the boy.
But its speed couldn't reach him.
His sword bore the skill Accel.
The world's swiftest acceleration was already upon him.
Piiiiiiing!
Like the light the Reverse Night Star unleashed, the boy's sword thrust forth in a blaze.
For the first time in its life, the Reverse Night Star saw its vision ignite in white-hot flame.
Flame Erosion AnnihilationFifth Form
Heaven-Slaying Moonfire
The crimson moon's flames engulfed the Reverse Night Star.