Chapter 222
Chapter 222
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: Transcendence (2)
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The Elven Kingdom had safely overcome the crisis of continental collapse thanks to Harris's exploits, but the aftermath of this incident was far from minor.
Not only were there massive casualties from the Lycanthrope and giant invasion, but now they also had to devise additional countermeasures for the numerous rifts that had appeared all over the outskirts.
Still, with the birth of a reliable new High Elf Transcender as a pillar protecting the World Tree, and the rifts near the borders receiving support from neighboring countries, it wasn't the worst-case scenario.
The real catastrophe was unfolding not on the Enamel Continent, but on the Ion Continent.
It was humanity's territory, deteriorating by the minute under the Immortal King's relentless assaults.
Boom—! Bang!
Flames erupted throughout the village, accompanied by deafening explosions.
"Kyaaak!"
"Run! We have to get out of the city... Gahk!"
"Mom... Mom...!"
Panic-stricken people fleeing in terror.
Clang! Clank!
[Kieeeek!]
Crunch—!
And the undead forces that massacred the defending troops blocking their path before finally storming into the village and running amok.
It was a tragedy beyond words, but incidents like this were no longer rare on the Ion Continent.
Even with the Saintess forewarning assault locations, defense had its limits against the ceaseless waves of attacks—breaches were inevitable.
This happened especially frequently in weaker nations, and in the end, the three western kingdoms swallowed their pride, signed an accord with the Talia Kingdom, and were the first to request aid from the vampires.
Naturally, they had to make significant concessions in the process.
But amid everyone's struggles, one group was busier than ever, achieving results unmatched by anyone else.
The undefeated saviors on a streak of victories, the continent's hope led by the Saintess of the Church of the Main God...
Boom—!
[Krerrgh!]
"Kahahahat! Die!"
...the Hero Party.
In the midst of the swarming undead filling the surroundings.
Standing at the center of a massive crater, Harley grinned ferociously down at the Death Knight he had grabbed in his huge hand and slammed into the ground.
[Grk... Impossible. For my sword to only leave scratches on this body!]
A burst of intimidating aura erupted from the enraged Death Knight, and surging Black Magic fiercely invaded the body of the one gripping his head.
A technique that integrated offense and curse—even a normal person would die from mere contact, and even a master warrior would succumb without enveloping themselves in aura.
[How... bare-handed...!]
But such a level of attack couldn't even scratch Harley's body, which had surpassed perfection and reached new heights daily—the "Ultimate Evolved Lifeform."
No need to even muster energy; inferior assaults were effortlessly repelled by the vital force and madness coursing through him.
"Huh? No, no! You did great. I didn't expect you to actually wound me! Krahat!"
Though merely a mid-tier officer dispatched from the Immortal Citadel, this Death Knight was still a Master-class heavyweight who had swept the initial target zone clean and lingered, using his body as a beacon to summon reinforcements and ravage southern Resk Kingdom.
Yet all he managed were a few scratches on Harley's body, already regenerated without a trace.
A pitiful result unworthy of his reputation for felling countless Resk experts.
Crunch—!
The Death Knight's helmet began crumpling pathetically under Harley's grip.
It was metal that even equivalent aura couldn't properly damage, but before overwhelming strength, such notions were meaningless.
[Grkigigik! You... Apostle of Madness! The Immortal King will not tolerate...!]
"Yeah, no."
Squelch!
As his fist clenched, metal shards oozed between his fingers.
What was once a helmet rolled across the ground, mangled like clay squeezed by a child.
"Hm! That should do it."
He then effortlessly tore off the breastplate, crushed the Black Magic-infused heart, and stood with a casual shake of his hands.
The undead clinging annoyingly around him flew off like they'd been hit by a truck with just a light twitch.
He roughly smashed a few more with sweeping limbs, then smacked his lips as he watched his comrades mop up the rest.
'This one was a bit fun, but still lacking.'
Right after transcending, the impulsiveness—a core aspect of his personality—had surged uncontrollably.
From then on, he craved only one thing.
Fierce battles with enemies strong enough to stake his life, delicious, nutrient-rich, abundant meat, the instinct to smash anything in his path, exhibitionism to fully reveal himself to the world, and...
'Huh? That's not one? Whatever!'
His desires were somewhat sated now, but not satisfactorily.
He was barely, forcibly suppressing the impulses by scraping together the last shreds of reason.
'Ah, I wanna storm the Immortal Citadel! So many strong ones there—how fun would that be? The King's Crystal worked well too. Would've felt even better if I'd hunted and eaten it myself. Oh yeah, I finished most of the dragon meat—wonder if any are hiding around? Maybe I should become a dragon hunter?'
Fragmented, interest-driven thoughts swirled and vanished in his simplified mind.
Lost in idle musings, his gaze suddenly drifted to the nearby desert.
'By the way, when are we heading south... That Great Chieftain guy should be strong, right? Oh, that old hag's waiting for me. Huh? She doesn't think I'm scared and running away, does she? Hey?'
This was the southernmost region of the Resk Kingdom in the southwest of the continent.
In other words, adjacent to the desert leading to the Southern Tribal Alliance.
'...Might as well just go.'
The moment he realized the target was right in front of him, his barely contained impulses exploded upward.
And with his shallow patience—strained by the other avatars' influence—snapping like a thread.
Harley's lips curled up, revealing sharp fangs.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Immortal Citadel buzzed with activity, preparing for the daily invasions.
But its lord had delegated everything to his subordinates, content to sit on his throne in the grand hall, lost in thought.
🧠 MIND HUB CHAT 🧠 -Heinrich: Harley! Where are you going again! I told you to wait just a bit longer! -Harley: Uahaha! I've held back enough! I'll go rip that bastard's head off quick! -Heinz 2nd: Wish I could handle things that easily. These Obai포 guys have such tangled connections—hard to tell where to cut without starting a war if I wipe them all out. -Hubert: Guess Brocoslak swallowing Talia Kingdom left an impression. Looks even more refined now. Must've done a lot of research while in hiding. -Hugo: Um, shouldn't we stop Harley first...? -Howard: Hmph! Guy's basically unkillable now anyway. Who cares? More importantly, heard Detrium ore only comes from the southern desert—grab some while you're there! It's export-banned, smuggling routes are dried up, and even Hubert can't get it. The usual flurry of mental exchanges.
Without the main body to centralize, they resorted to this convoluted method, but enough time had passed on Earth for over a day.
Baron, roughly diagnosed via Hugo, was expected to wake in about three days, possibly opening his eyes in as little as half a month.
[Hmm, half a month.]
Realizing this anew, Immortal King Hannibal Strauss entered another solemn period of reflection.
Watching the Enamel Continent crisis had profoundly impressed—and enlightened—him.
'...Haven't accomplished much, have I? I thought I was ruthlessly pursuing gains, but lingering memories subtly influenced me.'
He had merely sent minions to engulf the continent in war.
Meanwhile, the Oath of Reverse Heaven—which he'd dismissed as a nuisance—had plotted to submerge an entire continent and nearly executed it!
They came perilously close to success; without Harris backed by the World Tree, it might have happened.
The karma from that would have been immense...
Crack!
The armrest of his bone throne crumbled under Hans's "Brute Strength."
Muscles meant nothing when Black Magic handled all movement.
'Humiliating. For the Immortal King to lag behind those fools!'
Admiration was one thing; accepting it was another.
He had to be this world's true mastermind!
He'd dominated clashes with the Oath, absorbing many into his fold, leading to complacency...
'Right, can't underestimate guys who can open the Abyss and unleash madness. Definitely a mistake. Gotta own it.'
Reflection complete, it was time for course correction.
He wanted to ignore promises and march south with his army, but that risked losses once the main body awoke.
Once started, he'd need gains exceeding Heinrich's tarnished prestige, but the main body likely wouldn't tolerate prolonged war.
'No time for new schemes now. They prepared for at least a decade.'
His mind raced.
From the Abyss madness leak to the recent princess raid, Lycanthrope invasion of Enamel, the tribal alliance declaring independence and gearing for war, the republic infiltrated by Obai포 showing suspicious moves.
The scale of past events guaranteed massive ripples from future plots.
Then...
'Fine, I'll take the whole pot myself.'
Of course, karma followed strict causality—scooping from nearly done plans wouldn't yield much.
Better than nothing, but if doing it, do it right.
Decision made, he acted immediately.
🧠 MIND HUB CHAT 🧠 -Heinrich: Wait, Hans! What the hell are you planning! It's already too much! No more big issues...! The nagging Heinrich—always preaching the straight and narrow—kicked up a fuss, but it couldn't sway his resolve.
-Hannibal Strauss Hm, while we're at it, one correction: I am not Hans— I am Hannibal Strauss. -Heinrich: Didn't we agree to drop that... Ignoring the buzzing in his mind, he used the Immortal Citadel for long-distance travel and slowly surveyed his surroundings.
The bright moon and stars in the night sky, sand dunes sparkling under their light.
And far off, a desert city glowing with countless torches even at midnight.
This was the Kalcos Tribal Alliance that Harley was heading toward.
Specifically, 'Beorsen'—the chieftain's stronghold and coup epicenter, uncovered through long-term intel.
Dong-dong-dong-dong—!
"Alert! Alert! Everyone to battle stations!"
"Shamans, wake the berserkers immediately!"
Vmmm—
As expected of a key stronghold, preparations were thorough.
The moment he appeared, the city erupted in chaos, soon enveloped in a bizarre barrier across Beorsen.
[Kuhuhu— I like that. No need for incompetents anyway.]
The Immortal King had suddenly raided the south.
He shoved a massive shovel—not just a ladle—into their smoothly progressing plans.
If they wouldn't hand it over nicely, he'd flip the whole table.