Chapter 107: A God Created Through Receiving (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107: A God Created Through Receiving (2)
Duke Comallon’s office.
“…A failure, you say? And Marquis Palatio took the Spirit Dragon’s egg?”
“Yes.”
At the Dark Elf’s calm nod, Duke Comallon let out a hollow laugh.
“Why on earth was Marquis Palatio at the location of the Spirit Dragon’s egg?”
“We haven’t fully grasped the reason yet, but it seems he was there at someone’s request.”
“A request? From whom?”
The Dark Elf fell silent at the Duke’s question.
Realizing that information was still being gathered, Duke Comallon chuckled dryly.
“Marquis Palatio… Marquis Palatio, is it…?”
He pondered for a moment, then set down the fountain pen he had been holding before continuing.
“What about the other preparations?”
“Aside from the Spirit Dragon’s egg, everything is proceeding steadily. It likely won’t take long. The same goes for the experimental subjects.”
The Duke let out a long sigh.
“Ensure everything is prepared properly.”
“Yes, Excellency.”
“And as for Marquis Palatio…”
Duke Comallon trailed off into silence again.
“…Shall I have the Spirit Dragon’s egg stolen back?”
The Dark Elf asked cautiously, but the Duke shook his head.
“No. Since the awakening has already failed, the Spirit Dragon’s egg is no longer necessary for the plan.”
“…What would you like me to do?”
“Hmm, send the experimental subjects.”
“The experimental subjects, sir?”
“Yes. They are no longer needed, so we might as well dispose of them. It’s also a good opportunity to verify the Marquis’s capabilities.”
“Understood.”
“Coax them with the right words and send them off.”
The Duke watched the Dark Elf bow and vanish, his expression turning into one of bewilderment.
‘How in the world did that fellow get the Spirit Dragon’s egg…?’
He let out a heavy sigh, calming his turbulent heart. At this moment, with the Great Cause just one step away, he had to remain composed.
Because of that.
‘Everything is for the Great Cause.’
He muttered the words to himself—the phrase he had memorized and repeated thousands of times.
* * *
‘Was it an illusion—?’
Reinhardt knew well enough.
He knew he could be mistaken. In fact, he was clearly aware that the probability of it being a mere delusion or a coincidence was overwhelmingly high.
Common sense dictated it was impossible.
The idea that the back of Marquis Palatio in the Asteria Kingdom was identical to the giant statue he had seen when he entered the Domain of the Hundred Ghosts was absurd.
‘I’m sure that’s the case, but…’
Even though he recognized it made no sense and was likely a coincidence, the image he had seen back then kept overlapping with the back Alon was showing now.
The fluttering ink-black coat.
The two eyes—one black and one blue—on either side of his face.
They were far too similar.
Because he had been facing the terror of death at the time, the scene he witnessed was etched vividly into his memory.
The Ghost King and the statue behind it.
Lost in thought, Reinhardt stared blankly at the scene before him until—
“Execute the intruders!”
The sudden shout from the Thunder Snake Tribe snapped him back to reality. He raised his sword and infused it with mana.
However.
“…?”
He was forced to stop his movements almost immediately.
The members of the Thunder Snake Tribe, who looked ready to charge with their weapons just a moment ago, were now frozen in place, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
And the moment he realized why, Reinhardt saw them.
The Threads of the Purple Eye visible throughout the entire forest.
An ordinary person wouldn't have been able to see them, but anyone with mana could tell that the Threads of the Purple Eye hadn't just spread through the area like a spiderweb—they had ensnared every single tribesman.
The only one still putting up any resistance was—
“You—!”
The man who had been pointing his sword at Marquis Palatio. Unfortunately, he was utterly unable to move.
“…….”
Unlike the others, who were merely bound by threads in necessary places, the man standing right in front of Alon was practically cocooned in the Threads of the Purple Eye, save for his face.
To the point where, if the threads were tightened for even a second, the man would be reduced to a mere handful of flesh.
Furthermore, the expression on Deus’s face as he looked at the man threatening the Marquis was beyond cold—it was chilling.
‘…He’s not just the First Sword of Calliban; he’s practically Marquis Palatio’s personal blade.’
As Reinhardt had that thought, he watched the fight end in an instant, rendering his worries moot, and felt a sense of hollow disbelief.
‘Even I couldn’t properly perceive it… Just how much stronger is that guy getting?’
Just as he began to feel a small prickle of jealousy toward Deus, who had taken another step forward while he wasn't looking.
Alon, watching the masked tribesman struggling to twist his body, thought to himself:
‘I’m glad I brought Deus along… I really am, but…’
He let out a small sigh as he looked at the Threads of the Purple Eye, which were glowing with particular intensity.
Of course, he could have used the flash-freeze of Severe Cold to capture the tribesman and talk to him without issue, but Deus had certainly made things much easier.
Despite that thought, a small seed of anxiety took root.
The vivid Threads of the Purple Eye Deus was showcasing for the first time in front of Alon were strikingly similar to the technique he used when awakening as a Sin—if only the color of the threads were changed.
Because of that.
‘…It’s not that, right?’
Alon glanced back at Deus.
“My Lord, shall I kill him?”
Deus asked, sounding no different than usual.
“No.”
Answering the question, Alon found himself unable to decide whether he should be relieved or more anxious.
‘That power might not be from awakening as one of the Five Great Sins, but rather a natural ability Deus would have gained anyway upon becoming a Sword Master. More importantly—’
Ending that train of thought, he turned his attention to the tribesman, a question forming in his mind.
‘…Normally, they wouldn't swarm like this if we’d only just entered. What’s going on?’
Alon tilted his head slightly as he looked at the dozens of Thunder Snake tribesmen, then shrugged.
“It seems we need to talk.”
“…Do you think we would ever take you with us?”
Alon sighed as he listened to the tribesman, whose voice sounded more like a beast’s growl despite being human.
“I, hidden beneath the low sky, shall come to you; so you who greet the dawn, welcome me with joy.”
At the sudden words that tumbled out of Alon’s mouth, Evan, Deus, and Reinhardt all looked puzzled.
However.
“!”
At the somewhat long, poem-like sentence, the tribesman who had been snarling just a moment ago recoiled in shock.
Seeing the shift in emotion in the eyes visible through the mask, Alon continued.
“How about it? I believe this should be enough to grant me an audience with your chieftain.”
Of course, he himself had no idea what those words actually meant.
The only reason Alon had spoken with such confidence was that his memory of meeting the Thunder Snake Tribe in the game was still vivid.
He remembered that during the game, if you received a quest related to the Thunder Snake Tribe, the accompanying NPC would use that exact sentence to enter the tribe’s territory without any conflict.
With that half-certainty, Alon stared at the tribesman.
“How on earth do you know those words—”
The man muttered, looking at Alon as if he couldn't possibly understand.
“…Follow me.”
But he soon relented.
Alon allowed himself a satisfied smile inwardly.
* * *
The first thing Alon felt upon entering the village of the Thunder Snake Tribe was a sense of ‘mystery.’
Though he had seen it several times in illustrations, the village was built upon sunken ruins.
Alon turned his gaze to survey the surroundings.
There were houses built inside trees, much like those of elves, and others constructed by repairing the ruins.
From within them, the Thunder Snake tribesmen emerged, watching Alon’s group with extremely wary expressions.
Under the intense scrutiny of the tribesmen, who were fiercely protective against outsiders, Alon’s group soon arrived at a massive temple in the center of the ruins.
Looking at the temple, which felt more like a part of nature than a grand structure as it climbed up tree vines, Alon waited.
“Follow me.”
As soon as a four-horned tribesman who had entered the temple first spoke, Alon and his group followed him inside.
Before long, they reached a large tent within the temple, where he saw an old man.
The old man, like the other tribesmen, was dressed in white fur clothing.
‘He’s different from the chieftain I saw in the game.’
Alon thought as he observed the old man.
Despite the deep wrinkles around his eyes, the old man had eyes that shone with intelligence. He looked at Alon and spoke.
“…I heard a noble guest wished to see me. Is that correct?”
At the old man’s words, Alon was momentarily puzzled by the term ‘noble guest,’ but he soon realized it was because of the sentence he had spoken earlier.
‘Right, that NPC was also treated as a noble guest.’
Recalling the girl NPC who had suddenly joined him in the jungle and then parted ways as soon as the job was done, Alon nodded.
“That is correct.”
“First, let me introduce myself. I am the one who leads the Thunder Snake, ‘Wise Ashgul.’”
“I am Marquis Palatio.”
Seeing the old man bow politely, Alon introduced himself and bowed in return.
“You should greet him as well.”
At Ashgul’s command, the tribesman who had been wearing the four-horned mask until a moment ago removed it.
‘…A woman?’
Alon was secretly surprised.
The tribesman he had assumed was a man was actually a young-looking woman.
And not just any woman.
‘…Swift Sirkal?’
“I am Swift Sirkal.”
Realizing she was the person who would become the chieftain of the Thunder Snake Tribe in the future, Alon looked at her with a fresh perspective.
“So, may I hear why you have sought me out?”
At Ashgul’s subsequent question, Alon began to deliberate on how to phrase his response.
“…….”
Alon remained silent for a moment. After a short while, as if he had finished his deliberations, he gave a small nod.
“The reason I have come to the Thunder Snake Tribe is—”
Looking directly at Wise Ashgul, he stated his purpose for being there.
“To subjugate the god the Thunder Snake Tribe worships, ‘Basiliora the Receiver.’”
He uttered his final objective, a declaration that left everyone’s mouths agape.