Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Catching a 6-Star Erosion Beast
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One of the forbidden zones, the Demonic Realm.
True to its name, every Erosion Beast emerging from the Demonic Realm was utterly unlike the common varieties.
This was because 5-star leaders—ones that would normally require an Expert upper-grade knight order to subdue—lurked along every path.
The problem was they didn't appear one or two at a time, but in groups of dozens.
Thanks to that, the Valheim Knight Order pressed forward, locked in endless cycles of battle.
With the Master's Two-Sword unit leading the charge, the Four-Sword and Five-Sword units providing support.
'Smooth.'
And at the very forefront of the Valheim Knight Order.
Standing before the mangled corpse of a torn-apart Erosion Beast, Lilish scanned her surroundings.
There was still some distance to cover before reaching the reported eastern region.
As the Valheim Knight Order had been rigorously trained specifically for World Erosion, everyone was keeping up without strain.
'The Demonic Realm's environment is tricky, though.'
Black rainwater aside—which constantly obscured their vision—the Demonic Realm wasn't some impossible hellscape.
Of course, the prolonged aura drain from constant use made it a real stamina hog.
Then, one figure caught Lilish's eye.
Jet-black hair, a crow perpetually perched on his shoulder, and eyes wrapped in bandages.
Anyone would peg him for some shady underworld type with that ominous vibe. He was Krad, a member of the Azure Sea Knight Order.
Lilish had learned Krad's true identity from the Azure Sea Knight Order's vice-captain before entering the Demonic Realm.
'Krash.'
Her half-brother, but the youngest of the siblings nonetheless.
When she'd first heard about Krash, she'd been baffled.
She couldn't fathom why he'd come all the way to the Demonic Realm—and in disguise, no less.
In her memory, Krash had always been the punchline little brother.
She'd caught wind of rumors that he'd changed recently, but she'd never seen it for herself.
Not that she would've had the time. As captain of the Two-Sword unit, her days were a nonstop grind.
Back when Krash was just starting to toddle around.
She'd already joined the knight order, swinging her sword every single day.
Part of it was chasing after the big brother who outranked her.
But mostly, she just loved the training.
And before she knew it, she was twenty-seven.
A whopping fourteen years older than Krash.
Less brother-sister and more aunt-nephew age gap.
Between that and her knight order duties keeping her buried in work, Lilish had never once sat down for a real talk with her younger siblings.
And he was a half-sibling to boot.
Even Belokin—full blood—felt distant because of the age difference.
Charlotte went without saying, but Krash was tough to approach too.
Deep down, though, she wanted to bond with her siblings.
Of course, that sentiment always got devoured by the Valheim family's innate obsession with martial supremacy.
'Krash didn't even show up to Belokin's funeral.'
She'd been stunned when he actually attended Belokin's funeral.
Hearing he'd died in World Erosion had reminded her of their mother.
The one who'd fretted endlessly over Belokin.
As the eldest daughter, Lilish felt a pang of guilt for neglecting her brother.
But was she the only one?
Charlotte had bolted the second Belokin's body hit the dirt.
Krash skipped it entirely, claiming trauma from witnessing Belokin's death up close during World Erosion.
Naturally, her eldest brother—the firstborn son—and even their father had dipped out quick.
Only the stepmother spared her a few words.
The family hadn't placed much weight on Belokin's death.
She'd lingered at his grave, lost in thought.
His personal butler had mentioned Belokin always seemed terribly lonely.
'Lonely.'
Such things were par for the course among Valheim direct descendants.
Still, the word stuck in her craw.
Her family was brutally detached—seriously so.
And she knew full well she was no different.
Was this really what a family should look like?
Sure, her eldest brother's towering status and Charlotte's meteoric rise as a saint put pressure on her too.
But she'd been wired from birth to care only about the sword.
She'd turned her back on family duties early, so her obsession with the clan's ways was milder by comparison.
Belokin's death gave her an opening to turn her gaze toward family.
And while she pondered family matters day by day.
Krash had shown up out of nowhere—in disguise.
How was she supposed to read this?
"Hmmm."
Even with her robe's hood up, the drizzling black rain had soaked her bangs. She slowly swept them back.
'He must have some goal in mind.'
So even at this late hour, couldn't she help as his big sister?
She'd been mulling over how to strike up a conversation with Krash ever since arriving in the Demonic Realm.
"Lady Lilish, is something else troubling you?"
That's when Jucheon's vice-captain approached, noticing her mood.
Darbian Phenox, who'd served at her side for nearly a decade.
She'd even asked him once how to get close to kids.
He'd suggested handing out candy.
Coincidentally, his advice had led her to give some to Krash's fiancée.
It had worked out decently.
Maybe he'd have solid advice this time too.
"How do you think I should talk to someone I haven't spoken to in ages?"
"Just give a normal greeting. You know, 'nice to see you'?"
"...That's the hardest part."
Unfortunately, that was the toughest hurdle.
"Hmm. What about giving them a gift they want?"
"A gift."
Lilish pressed her fingers firmly into her chin.
If she helped disguised Krash achieve whatever goal he had, would that count as a gift?
'Problem is, I don't even know what that goal is.'
She was right back where she started.
"Is this about Master Krash?"
Darbian cut straight to it.
Having served her so long, he was sharp when it came to her moods.
As Two-Sword vice-captain, he'd been briefed on Krad's identity too.
Lilish nodded without denying it.
Darbian glanced around.
Then he spotted the Azure Sea vice-captain, Reblang.
"Reblang seems to have some rapport with Master Krash. I'll go ask him."
Darbian and Reblang were brothers from the Phenox family.
Should be easy enough.
"Please do."
Darbian started toward Reblang to call him over.
Ironically, Krash had been watching her just as intently.
'What the heck is big sis up to?'
Ever since entering the Demonic Realm, she'd been sneaking glances this way.
Krash had picked up on her behavior ages ago.
He'd first thought she wanted to say something.
But she still hadn't approached, so probably not.
"Lilish sis?"
Krash snorted.
In his eyes, Lilish was the most no-nonsense member of the family.
She handled her duties flawlessly and never meddled in anyone else's.
That was Lilish Valheim.
Her kicking things off with a casual check-in? No way that tracked.
"My cover's just some random squad member."
Like he could just stroll up to the Two-Sword captain in this getup.
"Captain Lilish!"
Right then, one of the advance scouts Krash had sent ahead came sprinting back, calling out to Lilish.
From the guy's expression, Krash knew battle stations were imminent.
"Everyone, get ready."
Sure enough, the order came down from Lilish's side right away.
"It's the named Nisrok we've been targeting."
The scout's report had just come in.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the entire ground shuddered.
It shook violently, like an earthquake had hit.
While the knights braced for Nisrok bursting from the black forest.
Krash cracked his eyes open narrowly.
'Not from the front.'
Krash's gaze dropped to the ground.
Through his spread Sixth Sense.
Deep underground, something enormous was surging upward with ferocious speed.
"It's coming from below!"
The moment Krash bellowed at the top of his lungs.
KWAAAAAAAAANG!
The whole area where the knight order stood exploded in a deafening blast, crumbling apart.
The knights atop it plummeted straight into the pit.
And down there, a raging pool of black rainwater came into view.
Apparently, the black rain absorbed into the earth had pooled into an underground lake.
What happens if you fall in?
Obvious.
Even cloaked in aura, the black rain would worm its way in and turn you into one of those rain humans.
Any ordinary group would've been wiped out in seconds.
Too bad this wasn't some run-of-the-mill knight order.
Clang! Kang!
Here and there, Valheim knights dodged the fall in their own ways.
From slamming swords into the walls to halt their drop.
To blasting aura beneath their feet for makeshift footing and leaping out.
True to their rep as the strongest, they escaped the pit in a flash.
All but one.
Someone who hurled herself downward.
Long blue hair whipping in the wind—it was none other than Lilish.
Splash!
She plunged into the black rainwater lake.
The instant she did, a small whirlpool swirled to life on the surface.
"Everyone, brace yourselves! It's coming!"
"Prepare to attack!"
The captains shouted, grasping Lilish's intent, as they checked on their knights.
Kwagagagagagak!
That moment, a colossal aberration burst through the whirlpool.
Purple skin draped in grotesque chains across its cylindrical body. Its mouth split wide into four jagged sections, lined end-to-end with teeth.
The named Erosion Beast that had begun terrorizing the eastern terrain—Nisrok—made its entrance.
And on Nisrok's back.
Lilish, sword buried deep, rocketed skyward alongside it.
She ignored the brutal wind pressure.
Even carved fresh sword wounds into its back mid-flight.
Meanwhile, the Valheim knights followed her lead, unleashing attacks on Nisrok.
Her Jucheon Knight Order took the lead role.
"Green Tide and Azure Sea—hold back the Erosion Beasts rising from below!"
The other knight orders clashed with Nisrok's offspring swarming up from the hole it had punched.
Clearing the battlefield so Jucheon could focus on Nisrok without hassle.
Naturally, Krash was handling the same task.
'Lilish sis is one hell of a monster herself.'
Krash let out a short whistle of admiration at Lilish, who stuck to the thrashing Nisrok like glue and kept pouring on the attacks.
She might've been overshadowed by Charlotte.
But Lilish was untouchable in her own right.
But skill aside, World Erosion was a hotbed for nasty surprises.
Hearing Crimson Garden's summons, Krash pulverized a Nisrok offspring with his fist and whipped his head around.
"Got it."
Far off, one blip on his Sixth Sense was barreling toward them at full speed.
The one who'd realized its prey was getting hunted.
"Vice-Captain Reblang."
Krash sidled up next to him.
"...Krad?"
Reblang, who'd been directing the blockade against Nisrok offspring, turned to him.
Krash tilted his head to the side.
The prearranged signal for personal action.
Reblang panicked.
Personal action in this mess?
Tough spot.
"Harpas is coming."
Reblang froze at Krash's words.
The named Erosion Beast ruling the eastern region—a 6-star.
If that thing showed up here, all hell would break loose.
Reblang hurriedly scanned the area.
But his detection skills couldn't keep pace with Krash's Sixth Sense.
He couldn't pinpoint its location.
He could barely sense the massive power closing in amid the chaos.
"I'll hold it off. Just be aware."
"What?! Harpas is a 6-star Erosion Beast! You can't take it alone, Master Krash!"
"I know. That's why it'll turn this place into a shitshow if it gets here."
Reblang yelped in shock, forgetting to play along with the Krad act.
Luckily, the chaos drowned out his voice.
But shout or not, Krash was already on the move.
"Don't sweat it. One thing I'm sure of."
Black Flame erupted beneath Krash's feet.
"World Erosion's my wheelhouse."
In a blink, his body sliced through the melee.
Reblang's eyes bugged out watching Krash vanish.
He'd pegged Krash as Expert pinnacle.
That burst of speed was leagues beyond.
'What in the world is Master Krash...'
He snapped out of it and refocused.
Krash was way stronger than expected, but his own job hadn't changed.
'Gotta tell Lady Lilish.'
Only another direct lineage could rein in a direct lineage's rogue move.