Chapter 397
Chapter 397
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 397
Chapter Title: Shattered Handshake
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"Requesting a trade."
Lania eyed the hand extended by the madman, then the massive circuit floating behind him. The circuit, vast enough to touch the heavens, was intricately designed.
"......"
Indeed, that circuit shared some aspects with the direction she had been pursuing. A circuit from someone who had arrived at an answer through a different path. Calling her "junior" wasn't complete nonsense, it seemed.
'...It's definitely worth referencing.'
With a sharp tap, Lania stepped forward.
Taking that step as acceptance, the madman chuckled and continued.
"What do you say? Feeling up for a deal?"
Lania approached the madman.
There was no heaviness in her steps like before, nor any surge of mana. It truly looked like she was walking to grasp the hand he offered.
"The terms are simple. Nothing that goes against your beliefs. It's good for you too."
The madman stretched out his hand, grinning.
Coincidentally, he added,
"You, me, and the apostate—we all share the same goal. Bring down the star. Crush the star. After that, we can go our separate ways. We cooperate until then."
With a sharp tap, Lania stopped right in front of the madman.
The two stood at the same height, in the same position, gazing at each other. Lania slowly extended her hand and grasped the madman's offered palm.
"That's my condition. If you accept, the contract..."
The moment the madman smiled.
Interrupting him, Lania whispered,
"Have you lost your mind?"
"...What?"
"Lost your marbles, you old fart?"
Lania smiled.
Unlike her words, the smile was disarmingly gentle. Her blue eyes peeked half-open through narrowed lids. The moment those deep blue eyes curved like a crescent moon.
Krak.
Lania clamped down on the madman's hand.
Not a handshake, but a grip that refused to let go.
"Trying to piggyback on a half-baked project?"
...From time immemorial, there was one act in the Mage Tower that vied for the top spots in sheer despicability: stealing a new recruit's nearly completed thesis and slapping your name on it as the "guiding mage."
Or outright stealing the thesis.
It was also the first custom she crushed upon taking office as the next Mage Tower Lord. To those old-timers who stole theses or tried to spoon into finished projects, she showed them the bitter side of the magical world.
Just like this.
Lania slammed her foot down with a thud.
In that instant, Lania's spell completed before the madman could react. Without warning, space tore open, and a thick bolt of lightning slammed into the madman's forehead.
Kwajik!
The madman had mana primed for any response. Yet no mana stirred in Lania's body. Despite hundreds of spells orbiting him in standby, he couldn't react to Lania's.
"...Wh-what...?"
A pierced forehead.
With a hole in his forehead and brains leaking out, the madman widened his eyes. The spell that struck without prelude didn't end with one shot. Following it, with a kwakwak!, lightning spears riddled his body.
Plip, plop, blood and flesh sprayed.
"Trade my ass."
Lania yanked the madman's gripped hand hard. Clutching his pulled head with her other hand, she spat,
"That's a failure, isn't it?"
A circuit missing its crucial core.
He must have planned to scam her from the start with that flashy shell of a circuit. If the madman had truly completed it... Lania knew he wouldn't need her help.
Kiiiiing!
Lania's fingers, gripping the madman's head, flashed bone-white at the joints. Stocked spells released in sequence, forming one: Smash.
With a tukwak, the shockwave from her palm exploded the madman's head. As blood, flesh, and bone shards scattered, Lania kicked his solar plexus.
Thud, plip plop.
The headless body, spraying blood, tumbled along the debris of a collapsed building. It rolled for a while before halting upright in place.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 【That was a cherished body. This is too much.】 A human without a head can't live.
Much less stand rigidly in place or creakily rise like that corpse.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 【I expected it, but you still went this far. Makes me want to shed a tear. I offered such generous terms for our junior's sake.】 From the moment it lost its head, that thing was no longer human.
The entity inside the human spoke in a chilling, insect-crawling voice.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 【If you refuse, no choice.】 A shadow surged over the exploded head.
The rising shadow replaced the human head. A mad laugh leaked from its torn mouth.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 【Guess I'll just blow it all away.】 The massive circuit plummeted.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
"The signal hasn't cut out yet?"
"No. Still holding."
"...Sorry for keep asking."
Rox scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
It had been three days since they began tracking Belnoa. They set out a day after her disappearance... which meant Belnoa had been surviving in the Demon Realm for four days now.
'...Honestly, survival odds are slim to none.'
Rox knew what the Demon Realm was like.
No matter how strong, no one survives alone there. Poison everywhere, enemy territory where foes could spring from anywhere.
Thrown into its heart without supplies...
Enduring four days was miraculous. He'd heard rumors she bordered superhuman levels, but Rox had to raise his internal estimate another notch.
'This isn't bordering...'
She's already there.
Rox glanced at the transmitter in Chloe's hand. The signal pointed to the Demon Realm's depths. This would be a tough op either way.
"Hope she's safe."
"She will be."
Chloe declared firmly.
"She said she'd come back."
Her conviction rang true, but Rox noted her trembling hand on the device. He glanced back at the following knights, nodding curtly. Confirming their nods, he whispered to Chloe,
"We'll pick up the pace."
They were already pushing hard, but to boost odds even slightly, they had to.
"Chloe, you need to know this."
Rox's voice turned grave.
"Human survival in the Demon Realm's depths maxes at eight days. Beyond that, the body can't hold. Like the apostates—it starts mutating."
"...That."
"Mind and soul begin to corrupt. Get tainted, break down. That's why frontline knights get purified by priests regularly. That's the Demon Realm."
So, in the worst case.
"...You might face a turned Belnoa. Factor that in."
"I... know."
Chloe squeezed out the words.
Rox grimaced bitterly and hurried on. Praying such tragedy wouldn't unfold.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Day 4.
No food left.
She even missed the jerky with its nasty, mushy texture. Hunted a beast to fill her starving gut, but it was utterly inedible. Forget taste—nosebleed hit the moment she ate.
Heard frontline beasts were edible, but deep-Realm ones apparently didn't count.
Beast meat was poison.
Used plenty of mana purging the clotted demonic energy. Exhausted.
Day 5.
Magic tool for purifying water broke.
Thought it had ample life left, but the purification circuit and magic stone failed. Probably from water pooled in the forest.
Tried fixing it, but couldn't fully. Demonic taint mixed in. Drinkable, but ration intake.
Thirsty.
Pursuers closing in.
Must've left traces. Several fights. Arrow lodged in abdomen mid-battle. Lost focus, couldn't dodge despite seeing it. Poisoned arrow. Blocked spread, but dizzy.
Day 6.
Wound festered.
Moved too rashly in fight? Dragon-slayer wound reopened. Used last potion. Head spinning.
Pursuers increased.
They anticipated direction, ambushed pass. Too many. Full strength maybe, but now? No way. Detoured.
Hunger, thirst.
And bone-deep fatigue above all.
Searchers' numbers unnatural. Can't linger, can't sleep. Drank tainted water for parched throat. Sharp pain from demonic mix woke her a bit.
...Long way to go.
Day 7.
"......"
[...You okay?] "......"
[Belnoa.] "......"
[Belnoa?] "Ah, yes. I'm listening."
Belnoa blinked her hollow eyes.
Her response was sluggish.
She'd been wandering the Demon Realm without proper rest or meals. Her eyes lacked focus. Cloudy gaze.
"...Coming again."
Reactions echoed through her spiderweb of shadows. Belnoa narrowed her eyes, suppressing presence. Light flickered in her hazy gaze.
Soldiers approached from all sides.
Time to move, but instinct told her: no dodging battle this time. They were closing a barrier, shrinking the net. As if they knew she was here.
Hide presence all you want; barrier pressure exposes you. Belnoa stood on a twisted branch, eyes closed.
Thud, thoom.
Footsteps vibrated through the ground. As they neared, Belnoa kicked off the branch. The approaching mage heard only a light tap at his ear.
Mid-leap, Belnoa grabbed the mage's head. Slender shadow thorns erupted from her palm, piercing his brain. He collapsed without a scream, breaching one side of the barrier.
-...!
-Over there!
-From that spot!
Shouts erupted as Belnoa bolted through the breach. Soldiers blocked paths, but she slipped between with minimal motion.
"Kuhk!"
Impaled soldiers bled out, collapsing. Belnoa burst from the forest, pounding the earth into a sprint. But this was the Demon Realm's heart—soldiers everywhere to snag her.
Wyverns in the sky, troops combing like rat-hunters, necromancers animating corpses—all eyes turned to Belnoa charging out.
Pursuit began.
Belnoa gritted her teeth and ran.
Shouts of "Chase! Grab her! There!" stabbed her eardrums. She veered toward least-occupied areas. Couldn't shake fully—several clashes.
Puk.
Easy wins normally, but taxing now. Body at limit, movements sluggish, reactions slow—took needless hits.
"Kuhuk, ptui."
Demonic-poisoned body flashing warnings. Belnoa spat dark red blood, pressing on.
Pursuit dragged through the night.
Thought she'd ditched them, but presences lingered behind. Still chasing. Front clear. Belnoa raised arm, wiped brow. Cold sweat.
"......"
Her gaze fixed ahead.
A massive vertical shaft loomed. Not natural—artificial, colossal beyond sight.
[..., ...!] Someone yelled in her ear.
Didn't reach her mind. Fading reason. Muddled consciousness. Footsteps from behind. Belnoa decided.
[...No! Mind..., ra!] Goddess's voice, breaking up lately.
Didn't reach Belnoa.
[...Sil..., ... .] Belnoa stabbed shadow into ground, leaped into shaft. Plunging into darkness felt like abyss. Just before swallowed, goddess's voice rang.
[It's a trap! Lured here!] Shadow Dragon Lord thrust face close, yelling. But form faded quick. Unknown interference blurred, then vanished her.
[Get out...] Her voice cut too.
Last moment, she screamed.
Get out now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
"Mad bastard."
Dragon-slayer Asterio, arriving late via pursuit report, clicked his tongue. He stood at the vertical shaft's mouth where Belnoa likely jumped.
A colossal shaft in the Demon Realm's heart.
No troops near it. When told the Immortal Knight herded Belnoa here, Asterio prayed that damn geezer's plan failed.
"No clean death now."
Wanted warrior's honor, but impossible. Jumping in marked her as neither dead nor alive.
Tsk, dragon-slayer clicked tongue.
He ordered nearby troops to retreat. No point lingering—only to be devoured by the Great One.
"Fall back. Forgot not to tread the Great One's domain? Quietly, minimize footsteps."
Despite, one soldier moved noisily, celebrating with comrades. Insane to Asterio.
"Unless you wanna die like those idiots."
As he muttered.
Something burst from forest center. A giant hand snatched the noisy soldiers. Crunch, chewed them.
Familiar emerged instantly.
Troops froze at the grotesque hybrid beast. All knew its name.
Corpse Harvester.
Its eyes gleamed viciously in dark.
Half-chewed victim, half in back basket—harvester thudded back into depths.
"......"
Troops slipped away silently; lone dragon-slayer peered into shaft. Abyss-dark pit.
'...Where all filth flows.'
Great One's abode.
He mulled the shaft's name.
"Alkeia."
Alkeia, the land for non-believers.