Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Blood-Stained Despair - A Broken Heart (6)
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***
—!
A strange light surged from within the darkness.
Countless jets of water manifested by Karite filled the area, and the Apostle of Frenzy continuously threw itself about, either manifesting blood-red thorns or dodging the water pressure.
The battle was, surprisingly, at a stalemate. A mere cadet was demonstrating power that didn't falter against an Apostle.
And to one being who had known Karite for some time, it was an even more astonishing miracle...
“...”
There was a being who was merely observing the situation unfolding in the darkness.
—Vermian Setilpian.
He existed as an instructor at the academy, but he hid his true nature. And following Leteia's memories, he had even amplified the dangers that were to come.
He was the one who had manifested this domain of darkness, the one who had trapped the Apostle of Frenzy within his territory.
Having formed a complete contract with Leteia, he was no longer human nor Apostle. And now... he was genuinely surprised by the situation unfolding before him.
‘Is this truly….’
Possible?
His main objective was undoubtedly Han Cheon-seong. That hadn't changed.
He had amplified the danger left by the Nine Apostles, intending to eliminate or capture his target, Han Cheon-seong, from the outset.
It was a task to prove his worth, to win the favor of the Nine Apostles.
But what was happening now?
*Swishhh!*
Countless jets of water and the blood-red thorns unleashed by the Apostle of Frenzy filled the darkness.
Amazingly, with a mere flick of her hand, Karite didn't allow the Apostle to get any closer.
And amidst it all, a faint sound could be heard.
*Pluck, thud!*
“...”
The sight of Han Cheon-seong pulling the massive thorns from his body was nothing short of astonishing. Even though Vermian could guess the extent of the pain he must be feeling, his eyes had not lost a shred of their will.
A moment ago, at a crossroads, he had made a surprising decision.
‘He chose to save Karite instead of killing the Apostle.’
Even though he could have finished off the Apostle, he had thrown himself forward, giving up everything for Karite. And despite the horrific wounds he suffered as a result, his will remained unchanged.
Though his critical injuries made it hard to even hold his spear, his eyes showed not a hint of regret.
Though his hands trembled violently, he pulled out all the thorns.
“...!”
Vermian could clearly see him groaning silently from the extreme pain... then he was intrigued when he suddenly took out a bottle.
‘A potion?’
Judging by its color, it seemed to be a rather high-grade potion. As he brought it to his mouth with a trembling hand, Vermian found himself staring blankly.
‘Right now….’
If he interfered, he could end it completely. But then, his eyes were drawn to Karite, who was manifesting her power up ahead.
The jets of water surging around her completely drenched cadet uniform didn't lose their momentum even as time passed. And then, an even greater change occurred.
—A radiant blue light.
A brilliant radiance, shining brightly in the darkness, enveloped her entire body. It was the light of a blessing, a grand sign that her trait was about to evolve to the next stage.
‘Unbelievable.’
Even that light was something Han Cheon-seong had brought forth.
A light that should have faded without ever appearing... By throwing his own body on the line to save her, Han Cheon-seong had allowed her to manifest such a great light.
“...”
One impossible event after another was unfolding before his eyes.
That was why he couldn't simply act on his original plan.
He had steeled his resolve to side with the Apostles for Beatrice's sake, but now, a glimmer of hope suddenly flickered before him.
An impossible hope, a hope he thought he would never see.
-One burns with the will to dedicate himself to others, disregarding his own life.
-The other, having survived through that dedication, manifests a miraculous power to stand against an Apostle.
Every part of it was a miracle. And that hope was now unfolding right before his eyes.
*Gulp.*
As the liquid went down his throat, Han Cheon-seong's battered body began to heal at a rapid pace.
“...”
And Vermian could see Karite's relief as she gently watched Han Cheon-seong.
Yet, the momentum of the surging water did not weaken.
‘Strange.’
Because he shared Leteia's thoughts, he understood the hardships Karite had endured for years. An ordinary person would have gone mad long ago. She had survived for years in an unstable mental state.
But now, not only had she returned to normal, she had achieved unbelievable growth.
[That is why humans are dangerous.]
At Leteia's thought ringing in his head, he found himself nodding unconsciously.
Even though they were human, there was something about them that didn't feel human.
Those two were different.
Realizing that Leteia hadn't planted the seed in Karite merely to make her a sacrifice... he couldn't deny that his heart was wavering.
[Vermian. Have you not already made your choice?]
Leteia asked him with a peculiar thought.
‘...Choice.’
Yes, he had chosen. He had chosen the Apostles, chosen to betray humanity.
There was no hope for humanity, so betraying it was the right thing to do. He had genuinely believed that. The mere fragments he'd seen of the Nine Apostles' grand scheme had filled him with endless fear.
But before him were two people who seemed to defy any hardship or crisis.
Even when he had amplified the planned disaster, they had somehow resisted, not only escaping their fated death but shining even brighter.
...To him, it looked like hope.
*Clench!*
He blankly clenched his fist within the deep darkness.
“...”
If he so chose, he could turn the tide of this battle in an instant. No, he knew it would be as easy as flipping his hand to send the two cadets to their deaths.
The Apostle of Frenzy was nothing more than bait.
He had absorbed a certain amount of power from the Apostle's main body, so the body itself wasn't that strong.
But the hope flickering before his eyes refused to die out.
[Hope? Do you think you can stand against them with those humans?]
As Leteia sent her mocking thought, a dry laugh escaped his lips as well.
“...”
Through his silent laughter, he saw Han Cheon-seong, now recovered, immediately rising with his spear in hand. And Karite, on the verge of her trait's evolution.
‘With just those two….’
It was absurd.
There were countless beings stronger than the two cadets before him. Instructor Kalli was a prime example, as were the Master of the Magic Tower, Ariya Schpelt, who had recently visited the academy, or Anastasia, a key figure performing incredible feats on the front lines.
They were powerhouses beyond comparison.
But there was something different.
Separate from their current power was the 'will' they displayed. To be more precise, Han Cheon-seong was the source of it.
"...So that's why they want to kill him."
He hadn't thought much about why the clones of the Nine Apostles were trying to kill Han Cheon-seong. Now, he vaguely understood.
He was like a faint ember.
But no matter how faint, an ember can spread and ignite a larger fire, passing its flame to others.
That was perhaps why... he saw the two cadets as hope.
[Vermian.]
Hearing the thought, he slowly steadied his heart.
It was a thought bordering on concern. Leteia, who had become one with him through their complete contract, was showing resistance.
‘Confirmation….’
He had to confirm it further.
He needed to be absolutely certain that Han Cheon-seong's will would not break.
It wasn't his own life on the line. His younger sister, Beatrice's, fate would depend on it...
Right now, he had to see it for himself.
***
A radiant blue light enveloped Karite's entire body.
As he recovered and raised his spear, Cheon-seong anticipated victory. It was a natural thought, considering he had been driving the Apostle of Frenzy into a corner even on his own.
*Shhhhhhh...!*
The moment he lifted his spear, a spiral of energy bloomed and wrapped around its shaft.
And as the spiral current turned colorless from the Asura Spiral Spear, he hesitated no longer.
‘I'll end this.’
I'll finish the Apostle and escape this place safely with Karite.
Both Karite and I can live.
"...Karite."
He called her name, giving her a light signal.
"Han Cheon-seong. Are you really... okay to move already?"
Her voice was extremely cautious. Seeing that the light of blessing still hadn't faded from her, he nodded firmly.
"I'm fine. I'm going to finish the Apostle now. I need your support."
"...Alright."
He gave a faint smile at her reluctant reply and the worried look she couldn't erase.
"Impossible... This can't be..."
Facing the Apostle in the distance, who was muttering in denial, he began to step through the jets of water manifested by Karite.
Karite's power, unable to inflict a fatal blow, was more than enough to hold the Apostle in place.
*Swoosh!*
The current of energy from the spear shaft spread through his body, accelerating him instantly, yet his mind was free of hesitation.
*Whoosh!*
As he thrust his spear forward with pure force, an opportunity presented itself easily.
He saw Karite use a concentrated jet of water to break the Apostle's stance at just the right moment. Then, the current of the Asura Spiral Spear once again slammed into the Apostle's entire body, completely shattering its posture.
*Shunk!*
With nothing to block his spear, he thrust it straight through the Apostle's heart.
"G-get me out!! Get me out of here!! Arghhh!!"
Even as it screamed and struggled, the Apostle uttered strange words.
‘Get it out?’
Despite the momentary confusion, he swung the spear that had pierced its heart upward, leading the Apostle completely to its death.
*Splish!*
As he slashed the spear vertically upward, a line of light flashed, and the Apostle's body collapsed in vain.
*Thud.*
As the remains of the Apostle, split in two, crumbled and were buried in the darkness... he felt a strange sensation.
"Han Cheon-seong. It's over now, right? Let's go get you treated right away. No matter how good that potion was, you need to get properly checked..."
Karite's urgent voice asked as she hurried toward him.
The radiant blue light still enveloped her body.
...Seeing her, he wanted to nod, but his heart stirred strangely.
*Thump. Thump...!*
His heart pounded. He felt like it was over, yet his mind wasn't at ease.
Why.
"...It's not disappearing, is it?"
"Huh?"
"I don't know why the darkness... isn't disappearing."
As he spoke, the darkness filling their surroundings still enveloped them.
It was too strange. An Apostle's domain disappears when the Apostle dies. But that wasn't happening now.
*Whip.*
He reflexively looked at the Apostle's corpse, shrouded in darkness. It was clearly dead. Its heart had been pierced, and its head split in two. There was no way it was alive. He couldn't feel any energy from it either.
But why.
Feeling an unconscious sense of unease, he reached for Karite's hand as she approached.
He was anxious.
He didn't know why, but something was...
*Schlick!*
Without any warning, from the surging darkness, he saw reality unfold.
"Cough!"
Karite coughed up a large amount of blood. A tendril of darkness had pierced her chest, and he could only blink blankly.
Somehow, he managed to catch her as she slowly collapsed toward him.
Perhaps he had caught her out of instinct.
“......”
She seemed to have lost consciousness instantly. As he stared at the corners of her bloodstained mouth... his lips trembled.
It felt as if his thoughts themselves were being dyed by the darkness, and he couldn't... think of anything at all.
Faced with what had happened, he felt nothing but horror.
As if his heart had shattered in an instant... his hands trembled so much he had no idea what he should do.
—*Thud.*
...And yet, a sound made him raise his head.