Chapter 178
Chapter 178
Ch. 178 .｡.:✧ The Trap (18) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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|Ehihihihihi!|
Luna’s chilling laughter echoed from the clouds. Below, the four elementals, under his command, advanced on Elvenguard.
The trapped elves, unable to escape, could only await their fate.
|I will finally destroy Elvenguard, the city Kali failed to conquer! And I’ll kill all the superhumans gathered here as well! This is exactly what we wanted! That man was never our target! This was our true objective!|
Luna muttered to himself, justifying his failure to kill Yoo-jin.
He had considered Yoo-jin insignificant, and he still did. With his Transcendent Being, a body that surpassed all human limitations, he was confident in his ability to defeat Yoo-jin in any form of combat.
But…when he faced Yoo-jin, a chilling sensation had run down his spine. A deep, profound aura of death.
He had believed that as a long-dead spirit, he was no longer afraid of death, but the deathly aura emanating from Yoo-jin had made him tremble.
A bad omen. And his instincts were rarely wrong. He had survived by trusting his gut, and despite the blow to his pride, he would do so again.
That’s why he had retreated to the sky, avoiding a direct confrontation with Yoo-jin.
|Killing him isn’t as satisfying as annihilating everyone he cares about…! Ehihihi!|
He forced a laugh, convincing himself that Yoo-jin was insignificant, a sour grape.
Elvenguard would soon fall, and he would absorb the remaining power of the undead army, completing his Transcendent Being.
He had overcome all obstacles, the combined efforts of the superhumans, the Belphegor’s betrayal…
With the power of his near-divine body, he could conquer the mortal world without ‘His’ assistance.
Just as he reveled in his impending victory, a sudden chill made him flinch.
|What?!|
Meanwhile, on the ground, panic gripped Elvenguard. Surrounded by the elementals, escape was impossible. Only a few had managed to evacuate.
The majority remained trapped, watching in horror as massive spectral figures advanced from all directions, consuming forests and homes in their wake.
“Everyone! Do not worry! We’re negotiating with the elementals! They’ll stop soon!”
“We’re doomed! Elvenguard is finished!”
“The Great Elementals, chosen by the World Tree, are angry…!”
“Negotiating with the elementals?! That’s a lie, isn’t it, Oracle?!”
“Well…”
Mia’s lips trembled as she faced the terrified elves.
She had to calm them, maintain order, but controlling a crowd of a hundred thousand on the verge of death was impossible.
She had ruled them through their faith in the World Tree, but now, with the elementals threatening to destroy it, her authority crumbled.
‘I have to trust him.’
She had to trust Yoo-jin, trust his companions. The thought brought a sense of calm. She had to be strong.
“Alright. I’ll tell you the truth. We’re currently executing a plan to subdue the elementals by force.”
“What?!”
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
Mia closed her eyes, listening to the short-range communication magic flowing through the mana.
‘Commander Rex! The fire isn’t weakening!’
‘The Frost Duchess is about to unleash her full power! We’ll attack when she does, aiming for the core!’
‘But…if the core is destroyed, the Great Elemental will vanish…’
‘Silence! What’s more important, the elementals or the hundred thousand citizens of Elvenguard?! I would slay even a god to protect our people!’
‘Yes, sir!’
Though she couldn’t see them, she knew that Elvenguard’s warriors, along with the Frost Duchess, the Witch, and the Saintess, were fighting desperately to subdue the elementals.
She couldn’t allow unrest and chaos to undermine their efforts.
“How dare you attack the Great Elementals…!”
“Isn’t that a betrayal of the World Tree?”
“The Great Elementals aren’t in their right minds. This has happened before, but back then, the fire elemental had no intention of harming anyone. But now, he’s only interested in destruction. The elementals have lost their reason. But the heavens haven’t abandoned us yet. Even if we lose the elementals’ protection, even if we lose the World Tree, even if we lose Elvenguard, the fate of the elves does not end here. Our fate is not determined by the World Tree. We choose our own path. I, Oracle Mia, will not abandon you. Even if we lose everything, I will not give up. What will you do?”
“…”
Silence fell upon the crowd.
Mia’s words, her declaration to rebuild elsewhere, even if they lost the World Tree, seemed to shock them. Elves lacked the resilience of humans or beastmen.
Having lived their entire lives in Elvenguard, blessed by mana, divine beasts, and elementals, many couldn’t comprehend the concept of pioneering new lands, of facing hardship and uncertainty.
But it was simply unfamiliarity, not a lack of capability. Elves who had left Elvenguard and adapted to human lands were proof of that.
They might have lost the gods’ favor, but so had humans and beastmen from the start.
“Wherever elves live is Elvenguard. Therefore, Elvenguard will not fall. It will simply change its form. The gods haven’t abandoned us. We are leaving their embrace. It is time for us to leave the cradle and face the world.”
Elvenguard’s isolationist policies had preserved its peace, but it had also led to technological and cultural stagnation.
Despite being a landlocked nation, it functioned like an island nation, preserving its traditions, but also falling further and further behind.
This was an opportunity to break free from their dependence on the World Tree and the elementals, to emerge from their well and embrace the world.
A change impossible while the World Tree and Elvenguard stood strong, but now, facing destruction, they had a chance to rebuild, to start anew.
“If you are still afraid, then I can do no more. Elves, are you afraid of the world? Do you think you cannot pioneer the lands that the humans and beastmen, whom you have looked down upon, have conquered? Do you think you are incapable?”
“No!”
“We are not!”
Voices rose from the crowd, their fear replaced by a newfound resolve. They were still afraid of death, but they were no longer helpless sheep.
They were beasts, ready to fight for survival. Elves were no longer a weak race hiding behind a facade of elegance.
Mia smiled faintly.
The fate of the elves was now in their own hands, not in the hands of gods or the World Tree.
“Elvenguard, may you live forever.”
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Despite the despair, hope bloomed.
“Aaaah! Master!”
Meanwhile, at the front lines, Guiho, lay on the ground, her body covered in burns. Sogong, clutching her unconscious master, sobbed as Ifrit’s spectral form approached, its flames raging.
Why had she stayed, risking her life to protect this elven land? They could have simply abandoned it and fled.
“Run! You’ll be crushed!”
“Ah…”
Rex shouted, and Sogong finally turned, her face pale with fear.
She tried to lift Guiho, but…
“Uh…?”
…Guiho’s hand clung to the ground, refusing to budge.
Even unconscious, she was instinctively manipulating the formation beneath them, slowing Ifrit’s advance.
Sogong could force her hand free, flee with her master, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Guiho was determined to activate this formation, even if it meant her death. As her disciple, she couldn’t break her master’s will.
“Haa…damn it…I really hate this…”
“What are you doing?!”
“Carry Master and run when her hand leaves the ground! I’ll buy you some time!”
Sogong stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. Breaking her master’s will, even in death, was disrespectful.
There was only one way to save her, complete the formation.
“Huu…!”
Sogong knelt, her fingers tracing the lines of the formation. Her powerful demonic energy, combined with Guiho’s faint magic, flowed through the formation, and it glowed brightly, its power enveloping Ifrit.
It was a sealing technique, but Ifrit’s power was too great. It only slowed him down, but that was enough.
Time, that’s all they needed.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!”
But for Sogong, it was too late. Just as she completed the formation, Ifrit’s spectral form reached her, engulfing her in flames.
The searing pain of burning flesh coursed through her, but she endured, her focus unwavering. She had experienced being burned alive before, at Yoo-jin’s hands.
It was…tolerable.
“Khh…”
As the formation activated, fulfilling its purpose, Sogong’s body disintegrated, consumed by the flames.
Rex, who had been watching in horror, wiped away his tears, scooped up Guiho, and turned away.
“Damn it…that young girl…risking her life…while I…!”
He had no idea that it was just a clone.
“She bought us some time. The formation, created by the Witch, the Governor, and Sogong’s sacrifice…about ten minutes…”
“Ah! Mana depletion! Aaaah! My legs are numb! Huu…”
“And the Frost Duchess’s cold…another five minutes.”
“…”
“…”
The Saintess’s report brought a heavy silence upon the command center.
All they could do was buy time, extend their lifeline bit by bit, hoping Yoo-jin would succeed.
But they were reaching their limit. Twenty minutes had passed since Yoo-jin entered the dungeon.
The chilling cold emanating from it had spread beyond the stone gate, freezing the surrounding land, turning the outskirts of Elvenguard into a snowfield. And the elementals showed no signs of stopping.
“It’ll be thirty minutes soon…I’m going to rescue Yoo-jin when the time’s up.”
“Wasn’t it thirty minutes after the elementals stopped?”
“But they’re not stopping! Are we supposed to wait here until they crush us?”
“…”
She would rescue Yoo-jin, even if it meant abandoning the others, escaping with him alone. No one could fault her for that.
Choosing to save a loved one, even if it meant abandoning those beyond saving, wasn’t selfish.
The Witch and the Saintess both understood.
“I’ll be the selfish, heartless bitch. Elvenguard isn’t my land, and the elves aren’t my people. Dying here would be meaningless. I’ve done my best, and it wasn’t enough. When the time comes, I’ll rescue Yoo-jin and create an escape route. Follow me if you wish.”
“…”
“Saintess, Witch. We won’t blame you if you leave. You don’t have to die here. Please, escape while you can.”
“…”
Rex spoke, his voice laced with resignation. Jill and Yulia hesitated, their lips moving silently. They didn’t doubt Yoo-jin.
They knew he would succeed.
But what if he was even slightly delayed? What if the elementals destroyed Elvenguard before he could stop them? The thought brought tears to their eyes.
“I’ll stay.”
“What?!”
“Witch, Frost Duchess, please escape. I am the bearer of hope. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for humans or elves. I’ll stay and help the elves hold onto hope.”
“Saintess…”
It was her duty.
As an individual, she wanted to flee, but as the Saintess, she couldn’t. She was surprised by her own decision, by her newfound courage.
She was starting to understand Yoo-jin. Sometimes, the things you feared the most, the things you wanted to protect the most, required you to face danger head-on.
“I-I’ll…stay too…I…still have some…demonic energy…left…I’ll…wait for Yoo-jin…”
“Damn it! If you two are staying, I can’t leave! I’ll recover my mana and try again!”
“Thank you…thank you so much…!”
Rex bowed his head, tears streaming down his face. Extreme situations revealed a person’s true nature. Superhumans weren’t just physically strong.
‘Strength alone isn’t enough…’
He remembered the time he had burned through eight hundred years of his lifespan, just to win a duel against a human.
Strength wasn’t what mattered. It was the spirit wielding that strength. He felt a surge of respect for these three superhumans.
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
The ground trembled. They looked towards the elementals, their faces lighting up. They had stopped.
And not only that…
[What…have I done…?]
They had regained their senses.
“We should start the thirty-minute timer again.”
“Yes…”
Yoo-jin had succeeded.
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|No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!|
A figure plummeted from the sky. Luna flapped his wings, but they only clawed at the air. His Transcendent Being, its descent unchecked, crashed into the ground.
|Ugh…!|
He rose, covered in mud, his body heavy, the sense of omnipotence gone. His ageless, immortal body…was no longer transcendent.
It was just an ordinary human body, slightly more durable than most.
|Why?!|
He screamed, his voice filled with disbelief. The energy transfer from the undead army had been working perfectly.
He looked towards the dungeon, and his face contorted in horror. The lush green forest of Elvenguard had been transformed into a snowfield, a vast expanse of white surrounding the dungeon.
He stepped onto the snow, and a bone-chilling cold seeped into him.
|That damned rat! What has he done to my dungeon?!|
He forced open the frozen stone gate and entered the dungeon.
The undead army, meant to defend the dungeon, was frozen solid, statues of ice. He shivered, frost forming on his skin as he descended.
There were no traps, no ambushes, nothing to impede his progress. The labyrinthine dungeon, perfect for defense, was strangely…empty, as if inviting him in.
He reached the final chamber, the hidden dungeon below, and froze, his body stiffening as he saw a figure sitting on the altar.
“Oh, you’re here? I thought I was going to freeze to death waiting.”
|…|
Yoo-jin sat there, a blood ghoul girl nestled in his arms, a chilling smile on his lips.
His breath, fogging in the cold air, seemed to carry the scent of death.
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