Chapter 471: Astaroth (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 471: Astaroth (2)
‘I hope nothing happens.’
Alon thought to himself as he walked toward the rift.
If it were a gathering of humans, he wouldn't be this tense. However, what was taking place inside that rift was a meeting of the Divine Bloods.
Even if they shared a common goal for now, they were ultimately a group whose purpose was the destruction of this world—a goal diametrically opposed to Alon’s.
That was why he had left his companions and Seolrang behind, wanting to avoid any potential complications.
‘...Seolrang should be fine.’
Alon thought of the woman he’d left behind.
He already knew the situation she was in. He was well aware of how precarious her position was.
Yet, despite that, Alon trusted her.
In Alon’s mind, she was someone who—
“Ah.”
A small exclamation escaped Alon’s lips.
He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't realized he had already reached the front of the rift.
‘Have the other Divine Bloods all gone in?’
Seeing no other Divine Bloods around him, Alon quickened his pace.
No matter the circumstances, he didn't want to make a grand entrance like some protagonist arriving at the last second.
“Whew.”
Taking a light breath, he pushed himself into the rift.
Wooooong—!
The moment he passed through, a bone-chilling sound erupted.
For a brief moment, a bizarre noise, like fingernails scratching against cracked glass, echoed in his ears.
Soon, the landscape inside the rift came into view.
“...!”
The interior was shaped like a massive cavern.
The hollow space was bathed in a faint, ethereal green light coming from an unknown source.
However, Alon’s surprise didn't stem from the light, but from the sheer scale of the cavern.
It was so vast that even if hundreds of Divine Bloods were gathered here, it wouldn't feel crowded at all.
As he scanned his surroundings with wide eyes, a voice drifted from afar.
[You’ve arrived.]
Alon looked toward the source of the voice.
There, he saw two Divine Bloods.
They stood there as if representing the countless others gathered in the shadows.
Alon hesitated for a moment at the sight of their massive forms, but soon resumed his stride and approached them.
Vrrr—!
“!”
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet surged upward, floating into the air.
[It is uncomfortable to keep looking down, so let us do this. I imagine this is more convenient for you as well.]
The speaker was a Divine Blood whose entire face appeared to be a giant cross. Alon nodded in response.
[Now then, it seems everyone is gathered. Let us begin.]
The cross-faced Divine Blood spoke and immediately began to introduce himself.
[I am Red Faith, the leader of the ‘Pure Blood.’]
Following Red Faith’s introduction, another entity spoke from the right. This one had been watching Alon silently, with a massive, black, inverted eye floating where a head should be.
[I am Stuck Eyes, leader of the ‘Closed Light.’]
It was a brief introduction, but Red Faith seemed satisfied. He nodded and turned his gaze toward Alon.
Alon hesitated for a moment.
‘How should I introduce myself?’
Should he introduce himself as Alon Palatio, the King of Palantia?
Or perhaps as the Star Eater?
“I am—”
Just as Alon opened his mouth, struggling with the choice—
[No, there is no need for you to speak.]
“What?”
[There is no one here who does not know of you. Is that not right? Star Eater, leader of the Star Root.]
Red Faith spoke with a chuckle.
“?”
A question mark practically appeared over Alon’s head.
Red Faith’s statement was filled with blatantly incorrect information.
The moment Alon tried to correct him—
“What do you mean by—”
[How insolent.]
A voice rang out from behind Alon.
[You dare speak so casually to the Great Star Eater?]
[Do you think the Star Eater is your friend?]
The voices were... a bit strange.
Alon turned his head. There stood a Divine Blood whose entire body was wreathed in flames and another adorned with black skulls. Both were glaring at Red Faith with blatant hostility.
[Are we really going to bicker over formalities at a time like this?]
[At least show some basic respect. The Star Eater is not someone on your level.]
The flaming Divine Blood, having said his piece, looked at Alon and gave a slight bow.
‘Huh?’
‘Have we met somewhere?’
‘Do I even know your name?’
While these thoughts naturally raced through Alon’s mind, Red Faith spoke to him again.
[Your subordinates are as fiercely loyal as the rumors say.]
‘My subordinates?’
‘When did that guy become my subordinate?’
Alon barely managed to swallow the words that were about to burst out and shifted his gaze.
There were still many Divine Bloods present.
Not just a few, but an overwhelming number—easily over several dozen.
While Alon stood there dazed by the sheer scale—
[By the way, what were you trying to say?]
Red Faith asked, undeterred by the hostile remarks of the other Divine Bloods.
Recalling what he had been about to say, Alon paused.
In his heart, he desperately wanted to know what on earth was going on.
It was only natural. Alon could swear on his life that he had never met the Divine Bloods standing behind him.
Forget meeting them; he’d never even spoken to them.
He hadn't even heard rumors about them.
They simply didn't exist in his memory.
In short, the situation was utterly absurd.
However...
“....”
He wasn't so socially inept that he would ruin the atmosphere by pointing that out here.
“...No, it’s nothing.”
For now, he decided to go along with the mood.
####
[You’ve likely heard from the Sculptor, but I will summarize the situation briefly.]
Red Faith, the leader of the Pure Blood—arguably the largest faction of Divine Bloods at the moment—summarized the situation while keeping an eye on the Star Eater.
To be honest, when he first saw him, Red Faith had felt a sense of doubt.
The Star Eater was human.
Of course, he had known this fact beforehand. It was widely known among the Divine Bloods that the Star Eater had become human for some reason.
However, even for a human, Red Faith had expected something different. He had felt a momentary doubt because the man looked so... ordinary.
But that doubt quickly vanished.
The Divine Bloods following the Star Eater were all extraordinary individuals.
Seeing those powerful 1st Stage Divine Bloods following the Star Eater with such absolute loyalty, Red Faith couldn't help but wonder.
‘...Are the rumors true?’
Red Faith recalled a rumor circulating among the Divine Bloods, leaked by one who had miraculously escaped after being captured by the Star Root.
He watched Alon, who seemed completely indifferent to the 1st Stage Divine Bloods offering him their undying loyalty.
In fact, Alon looked as if he weren't even interested in this meeting, staring blankly into space. Seeing this, Red Faith finished his explanation.
[That is all. Are there any further questions?]
[No.]
The Star Eater gave a short, clipped answer.
Stuck Eyes nodded as well and spoke up.
[Then it is time to discuss the operation.]
[Is there an operation?]
[No, the operation is simply to crush them with numbers.]
[Hmm—as far as I know, the Divine Vessel has already reached the 2nd Stage. Will that be enough?]
At Stuck Eyes’ question, Red Faith nodded.
[Normally, it wouldn't be. Normally.]
[What do you mean by that?]
[Everyone here should know. The Divine Vessel has obtained a Law that allows him to consume fragments indefinitely. But as you all know, every Law has its constraints.]
[...I take it you’ve discovered the constraint?]
[Indeed.]
Red Faith nodded.
[It’s simple. In exchange for being able to consume fragments indefinitely, the time it takes for him to digest those fragments has increased exponentially. In other words—]
[If we just deal with those Astaroth bastards, it’s over?]
[Exactly.]
[Is this information reliable?]
[Yes. We’ve confirmed it multiple times. The Divine Vessel is currently unable to move at all.]
At Red Faith’s words, Stuck Eyes let out a small, intrigued sound.
[Then a direct assault is a good method. It’s not as if we can expect a sophisticated strategy in this kind of fight anyway.]
What he said was true.
Divine Bloods rarely gained any advantage from strategic warfare using terrain or environment.
If they only needed to deal with Astaroth, there was even less reason for a complex strategy.
But more than anything, the reason Stuck Eyes and Red Faith proposed and agreed to a simple charge was the inherent unfairness of strategy.
A strategy could be devised at any time.
But what if that strategy assigned a dangerous role to one faction and a safe role to another?
That alone could trigger a schism. Thus, they narrowed their options to a direct assault, even if it meant sustaining some losses.
Astaroth had to be dealt with, but that wouldn't be the end of all conflict.
While Red Faith and Stuck Eyes agreed on the charge, they continued to probe each other.
Or rather, they were both harboring ulterior motives.
Of course, thanks to the upcoming covenant, they wouldn't be able to attack each other for a while even after dealing with Astaroth.
However, that only meant they couldn't attack each other directly. Having a rival faction ‘accidentally’ lose its strength while fighting Astaroth was a completely different story.
[Yes, that is precisely why I proposed it.]
[I agree.]
Red Faith and Stuck Eyes agreed to the strategy with their own hidden agendas, then turned their gaze toward the Star Eater.
He was the only one who hadn't responded yet.
As they watched him in silence, the Star Eater, who had been contemplating something with a stoic expression, finally looked at Red Faith and Stuck Eyes.
His eyes were dry and hollow, devoid of any emotion or discernible intent.
[...Is something the matter?]
“....”
When Red Faith asked, the Star Eater didn't answer. He simply stared at the two of them for a moment before silently turning his head.
He looked at the two Divine Bloods standing behind him.
As if he had given some sort of signal, the two Divine Bloods nodded firmly and looked at Red Faith and Stuck Eyes with somewhat triumphant expressions.
‘What was that?’
‘What did they just communicate?’
The two leaders were momentarily taken aback by that triumphant display.
“I have no objections either.”
They snapped back to reality upon hearing the Star Eater’s words.
And so.
[...Very well. Then we shall depart tomorrow.]
With those final words, the meeting—if it could even be called that—inside the rift came to an end.
It left Red Faith and Stuck Eyes, who couldn't help but be wary of the Star Root—the largest faction—with a lingering sense of unease.
And.
Alon, who was walking out of the rift as if nothing had happened, was feeling exhausted.
‘I’m in trouble.’
He was feeling the weight of the situation.
‘I didn't hear a single thing...’
It was only natural. He had been so preoccupied with wondering how on earth the "Star Cluster" behind him had been formed and structured that he hadn't paid attention to the discussion.
‘I looked back just in case, and they just nodded at me...’
When he had looked back, realizing his mistake too late, the two Divine Bloods he had met for the first time today simply nodded as if they trusted him implicitly. Alon felt a mix of bewilderment and fatigue.
Meanwhile, the Darkness-Eating Sword and Burning Vegetation, who had received Alon’s "tell me what happened in the meeting" look, were thinking differently.
‘...I have been acknowledged...!!’
‘I will be the first to be granted power...!!’
They were grinning to themselves, interpreting Alon’s gaze in whatever way suited them best.
And then.
“A-Alon-nim?”
“...What is... all that, all of a sudden...?”
Alon, who had been seriously pondering how this had happened until he reached the carriage with the massive horde of Divine Bloods in tow, spoke.
“Evan...”
“Yes...?”
“I think I have sleepwalking issues...”
He had reached a rather shocking conclusion.
“...What???”
[?]
For the first time in a long while, he received a "What the hell is this guy talking about?" look from both Evan and Basiliora.