Chapter 151: Raid (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Raid (2)
It happened before he could even process it.
Alon’s brow furrowed instinctively.
He watched as the Scolpirion smashed through the castle walls and crawled inside.
It glowed with a dark, ink-black light—far darker than the one he remembered—but there was no mistaking it. It was the Scolpirion.
The Abomination that possessed the Artifact of Pride.
Why is an Abomination here?
As far as Alon knew, the Scolpirion was supposed to be hibernating in its cave until the protagonist went to deal with it.
In other words, it shouldn't be wandering around like this.
Unable to make sense of the situation, Alon froze.
"Bro...ther?"
At the sound of Seolrang’s voice nearby, he reflexively turned toward her.
Seolrang, who had been holding Blackie just moments ago, was staring at the Scolpirion with trembling eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Following her gaze, Alon looked up.
Ah—
Only then did he realize there was a Wolfman standing atop the Scolpirion.
A Wolfman with ash-gray hair.
The moment he recognized the figure—
"!"
The man looked toward Alon and smirked. Then, leaving a trail of black lightning behind, he vanished.
"Acceleration."
Driven by pure instinct, Alon formed a seal and threw himself backward.
It was a reflexive movement, made without a second to think.
And that instinct saved his life.
Craaaash—!!
By a hair’s breadth, black lightning struck the spot where Alon had been standing.
"Whoa—you're quick. Honestly, I didn't think you'd be able to react. What a shame."
The ground was completely pulverized.
Through the rising dust, the man walked out with a thick smirk on his lips.
Seeing the man’s relaxed attitude, Alon’s mind raced.
But no matter how hard he searched his memory, he couldn't place the identity of the Wolfman before him.
No, it wasn't that he couldn't remember.
...Is this the same situation as Duke Comallon?
This was a character who had never appeared in the original work.
Realizing this, Alon’s expression hardened with tension.
"...Who are you?"
Having fully emerged from the dust, the Wolfman slowly opened his mouth.
"Me? Well, how should I introduce myself? As the brother of that girl standing behind you with the stupid look on her face? Or—should I say I'm the Apostle who serves the Great Pride?"
"...An Apostle?"
Alon’s mind grew complicated.
He had only heard a few pieces of information, but those two terms were enough for him to start piecing the situation together.
However—
"Brother Seolgak?"
When Seolrang muttered the name again, Alon couldn't help but look at her.
Having confirmed the Apostle’s face, the corners of Seolrang’s eyes were trembling minutely.
But.
Unlike Seolrang, the man called Seolgak still maintained his relaxed expression.
"Yes, Seolrang. It’s your big brother."
"H-how?"
She asked back, as if the situation were utterly unbelievable. Her voice was dazed, as if she were wandering through a dream.
But Seolgak didn't seem to care about her reaction; the smile never left his face.
"What are you curious about, little sister? Are you wondering why I'm alive? Unfortunately, I don't think we're in a situation where we can have a pleasant reunion. I have work to do, you see."
He turned his gaze back toward Alon.
"!"
And in an instant, he was in front of him again.
Without hesitation, Seolgak thrust his fist toward Alon’s heart.
It was a speed so blinding that even Alon could barely react.
However, that fist failed to pierce Alon’s chest.
"...What are you doing, Brother?"
It was because Seolrang had blocked Seolgak’s fist.
"...Bingo."
Seolgak’s smirk deepened.
"...What is the meaning of this?"
"What do you mean? I'm just doing my job."
"Your job?"
As his sister asked back in confusion, Seolgak tapped her head with his other hand.
"Yes, my job. The thing I must do to ensure my sister is reborn as a 'Great Being.'"
Seolrang’s face remained filled with unanswered questions.
Seolgak let out a sigh of mock disappointment.
"Man—you really are a handful, just like you used to be. I made sure to prepare everything before I left back then, yet you've managed to hold on this long without 'breaking.'"
"What on earth are you talking—"
Seolrang’s voice wavered.
Her eyes were filled with chaos.
But regardless of what she felt—
"Well—don't bother trying to understand, sister. From now on, I'll make you into something worthy of yourself."
Seolgak grinned.
"!"
In that moment, Alon recalled the conversation he’d had with the Golden Dragon Rainisius.
‘Not at all. The bodies they possess are created by the Apostles in the first place.’
‘...The Apostles?’
‘Yes. They often mentally break those with high talent to make them easier for the gods to descend into.’
It had been a short conversation.
Recalling it didn't mean Alon understood everything.
He still had no information regarding the 'Apostle of Pride' before him, nor did he know much about Seolrang’s past.
He only knew that her village had been burned down by some event.
It meant his current information was woefully insufficient to judge the proper cause and effect.
However, if there was one thing he could clearly predict—
"Now then—let's save the most precious thing for last. First, let's clean up these tattered rags my sister worked so hard to stitch together."
—It was what was about to happen.
Then.
Zap—!
Black lightning flashed, and the guild building where the Golden Mane Tribe was gathered began to explode in an instant.
* * *
At that same time.
Chaos had also erupted at the Royal Castle of the Colony.
"What on earth is that—!"
Karsem’s eyes widened in shock.
The massive Abomination had already crushed the outer walls and was tearing through the capital. Now, it was even invading the inner castle.
Fear, terror, and a sense of helplessness dominated his entire body.
No matter how much he had practiced magic over the past six months to reach the 1st Tier, there was nothing he could do in this situation.
As Karsem watched the Abomination grow larger in his vision—
"Prince! You must flee!"
At the knight’s belated shout, he let out a short groan and turned around.
He wanted to stand against that monster, but he already knew.
Facing it now would be a meaningless death, and such a reckless act would only lead to more of the knights who followed him dying.
Unlike before, Karsem was now well aware of not only the power that came with his title as a prince but also the responsibility.
Thinking he had to make a rational decision, he turned to leave.
"We must evacuate until the Babayagas arrive!"
He joined the knights, but.
In that moment.
"Gah—!"
He turned his head at the sound of a pained cry.
The one who had made the sound was a young maid.
The girl had fallen to the ground, perhaps having sprained her ankle, and was sobbing.
The child was looking up at the Scolpirion—which had already entered the inner castle and reached the garden—with eyes full of helplessness and terror.
The moment he saw her, Karsem’s footsteps slowed.
Of course, even in that moment, he knew.
Even if he went now, the probability of saving that maid was abysmally low.
Therefore, going to save her was a fool’s errand.
Despite knowing this, Karsem hesitated.
He knew he wasn't a hero.
He knew he was a man who didn't even have the strength to become one.
But despite knowing, the scenes from that time kept replaying in his head.
The image of Marquis Palatio and Seolrang saving Philian from the brink of death without a moment's hesitation.
The image of him saving the Merkillan Territory without any reward, as if his own safety didn't matter.
What about himself?
Why had he, who used to be nothing but a walking pig, worked so hard for the past six months?
Karsem had run this far because he wanted to be like him.
"Prince!"
"Run forward!"
As he shouted those words, Karsem pulled out the wand from his robe and summoned the wind.
Having manifested the magic with remarkable skill for someone who had studied for less than half a year, he grabbed the young maid in an instant and—
"Hup—!"
He rolled to the side.
Craaaash!
The Scolpirion’s massive pincer slammed down exactly where they had been.
Sssssss—!
Seeing the ground turn black and oxidize the moment the pincer struck, Karsem immediately scrambled to his feet and ran like mad toward an ornamental well connected to the underground sewers.
If we get down to the sewers, it won't be able to follow us...!
He chanted another spell to freeze the ground.
In an instant, an icy path was created between the well and Karsem.
He slid across the ice to dodge another attack from the Abomination and tried to throw himself into the sewer, but—
"Ah."
A look of despair crossed his face.
The entrance to the well he had struggled so hard to reach had collapsed and was blocked due to the previous impact.
Before he knew it, the shadow of the Abomination loomed over him.
Karsem watched as the monster prepared to drive its pincer down toward him once more.
As he gritted his teeth—
"You held out well."
"...Huh?"
Karsem saw it.
A girl with an otherworldly eye on her back had appeared in front of him.
And.
Dozens of Golden Tubes were pushing back the Scolpirion’s pincer.
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■—!!!!
Enraged that things weren't going its way, the Scolpirion let out a deafening roar and swung its pincers.
Under the relentless assault, the summoned Golden Tubes began to break one by one, but—
"Hmm—it’s quite troublesome when things like this happen while Godfather is resting."
Line did not lose her composure.
...If it had been just a day ago, she wouldn't have been able to act like this.
It was obvious that the ability she had gained after fully awakening her 'Eye' wouldn't be enough to stop the Scolpirion on its own.
The only reason Line could remain calm today was simple.
Yesterday, after Alon had left for the ruins.
Through the first clue provided immediately after the 'Stalker's Eye' awakened, Line had found a hidden ruin somewhere in this desert.
And she had uncovered a secret that didn't even exist in the Library.
The information she gained from that ruin wasn't much.
In fact, there were only two things.
The fact that the 'Stalker's Eye' was a 'Key,' and a method to activate the 'Eye,' even if only partially.
But even that small amount of information was enough.
She might not know exactly how to use this Stalker's Eye, but she knew the existence she could summon through it.
Therefore.
"Well, I needed to test what I recently learned anyway. This worked out perfectly."
With a relaxed face.
"────Assemble."
She uttered the command.
And with it.
Vroooooom—!
A halo formed from the massive eye behind Line.
Soon, countless Golden Tubes poured out like an explosion, beginning to form a certain shape.
First, the skeleton was formed.
Then, more Golden Tubes twisted and layered over it, covering the frame.
Once again, countless Golden Tubes intertwined in a complex mess to take shape.
And so.
What was finally completed was a gate so massive it easily towered over the castle walls.
And then.
Rumbleeeee—!!!!!!
"Illanef Empire Magitech Weapon. 'Pluto.'"
With a roar that shook heaven and earth, the circular gate opened.
What emerged from within was something that overwhelmed even the Scolpirion—
"...A hand?"
Even Karsem, who had been filled with despair, stared blankly up at the sky. It was a hand made of machinery.
A massive mechanical hand made of countless parts and golden tubes, looking as if it could grasp the very sky in its palm.
An immense hand that blocked out the sun, its mere presence making one feel the 'alien nature' of the world, descended into the empty air above the Royal Castle.
"Limited Deployment."
As Line gave the command.
"Divine Punishment."
The overbearing hand of a god shot down toward the earth.
To punish the Abomination that should not exist in this world.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!!!