Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Found It, Finally (2)
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Boom! Kwakwakwakwang!
The wyverns of Squad 5 unleashed every mana bullet stored in their leg guards in one go.
A large-scale aerial bombardment like this was incredibly hard to defend against unless you were a great house on the scale of the Ragnars.
For a mere merchant group like Ceres that hadn’t even earned the title of sword house, there was virtually no way to cope.
Buildings crumbled in the explosions, and flames roared skyward.
Accompanied by deafening blasts and earthquakes, thick black smoke blanketed the sky, turning the area into utter pandemonium.
“N-No……!”
To Quadlak Ceres, the sight looked like the apocalypse.
The apocalypse heralding his house’s destruction.
“How dare you heretics interfere with the divine ritual! Those filthy Maguni scum must be behind this! What are you waiting for? Hurry and bring those wretches into the arms of the god—!”
The district head bellowed like a lion, his face twisted in fury.
The blood priests unleashed a barrage of punches toward the sky all at once, but the wyverns dodged leisurely as if toying with them, swimming freely through the air.
And then,
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Squad 5 dove in unison.
The wyverns’ bombardment was nothing more than cover fire.
It was always the riders’ sharp swords that completely severed the enemy’s lifeline.
“Protect the squad leader and Theo at all costs!”
At Selphred’s shout, the squad members scattered in all directions.
The melee had begun.
–I get the order to protect the squad leader, but why’s that punk Selphred the one giving it?
–Huh? Yeah, weird. Was he that desperate to be squad leader? Guy’s not even a senior swordsman.
–Hey, he was the one who ordered the descent earlier too.
–Oh yeah? I just let that slide. Selphred’s done for.
–Kya! Sneaky power grab?
–Look at that ambition. Let’s never turn into ugly adults like that.
–Yeah. Deal.
Grumbles rippled through the squad members,
“Shut it, you brats! If you’ve got complaints, then run around gathering the squad yourselves!”
But Selphred scowled as he decapitated one foe right in front of him.
He looked ready to charge at them, but the squad members didn’t bat an eye.
–Look at him squirm. He’s gotta be guilty of something. We raised a tiger cub, folks—a tiger cub. Gotta make sure it doesn’t bite our squad leader in the back.
All they did was fan the flames even more.
Grit!
Selphred clamped his jaw, knowing protests would get him nowhere.
Right now, he just needed to focus on clearing the enemies in front of him.
Suppressing a Night of Blood Ghosts was never an easy mission.
Clangchachachang!
Chingchingching—
In an instant, chaos filled every direction,
[‘Skill: Hatching Synchro’ tracks remnant thoughts.]
Theo flung open the gate of his mind’s eye.
His head glowed white-hot as he rapidly scanned the surroundings, pursuing Lily’s lingering traces among them.
‘There……!’
The moment Theo moved to step into Gale Step again, the district head lunged at him with icy bloodlight flashing from his eyes.
“The youngest heretic! Son of Kyle! I’ll kill you first—!”
[Vajra Hand].
The superior art to Black Iron Hand, hardening like diamond, aimed to crush Theo’s temple when Naban intercepted midway.
Kaaang!
“Sorry, but I haven’t claimed my share yet. If you wanna kill him, do it after me.”
“What nonsense are you spouting—!”
Dingdingclang!
Naban and the district head crossed blades dozens of times in a flash.
Each clash sent pain through Naban like striking rock with his sword.
At this rate, his blade might snap.
That was when Evelyn joined the fray.
She approached like the wind from the opposite side, unleashing a storm of strikes.
Their sharpness seemed to boast just how razor-edged the combination of Wind Lord and Demon Dragon arts could be.
Caught between them front and back, the district head could barely budge.
Wounds multiplied on his limbs in seconds, blood streaming from rents in his robes.
“Gaaahhh!”
No matter how he thrashed and screamed in frustration, Naban and Evelyn’s joint assault held firm.
In the end,
Puuuuk!
The district head’s head flew from Evelyn’s sword, his body bisected by Naban’s.
A pathetic end for someone of his stature.
“Squad 5, protect Theo!”
In that instant, Evelyn shouted, drenched in the district head’s blood.
At her command, Squad 5’s emboldened ranks shifted.
They drove the blood priests and ghosts outward like a protective wall around Theo, aiming to seize total victory.
–Avenge the district head!
–Rip the heretics apart!
Of course, the blood ghosts didn’t yield easily.
Far from cowed, they collided even more ferociously.
–Martyrdom! Martyrdom!
–Martyr! Martyr! Martyr! Martyr!
–Exterminate the heretics!
–Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!
All that remained in them was madness, reason long gone.
That fanaticism let more than a few blood ghosts pierce Squad 5’s guard and lunge at Theo.
Kwakwakwakwa—
No matter how many heads he severed or flung aside, they clung on tenaciously.
Their bloodshot eyes burned only with hatred for heretics.
Theo ground his teeth—it was hard to pick up speed.
“Hyah! Outta the way, you bastards! Lord Theo’s makin’ his grand entrance—why you nitpickin’?!”
That was when the Erica siblings stepped in to help Theo however they could.
Erica guarded the rear while Holkus cleared the path ahead.
“Go! Hurry! You said there’s one to chase!”
“Th……anks.”
Holkus suddenly flashed a thumbs-up and grinned.
“If you’re grateful, you better neeeever ever ever forget this faaaavor!”
“……?”
Theo wondered what Holkus was on about, but
「That guy’s nonsense isn’t new. Go, quick.」
After hearing Erica’s telepathy, he moved again.
As she said, the guy always spouted weird stuff, so Theo shrugged it off.
Thudthudthudthudthud!
His Dragon’s Heart pounded wildly, pouring every ounce of mana into his legs.
The moment power surged into his calves,
[Agility has increased by 1.]
The moment Theo had awaited finally arrived.
[Agility coefficient has surpassed 100.]
[A hidden function unlocks: instantaneous bodily acceleration now possible.]
+
[Acceleration]
· Type: Special Ability
· Effect: Upon activation, greatly increases movement and attack speed for a set duration.
+
Kwaaaang!
Theo crushed the ground beneath him.
His footprint sank deep where he’d pushed off, heat waves shimmering above it.
* * *
Finding Lily wasn’t hard.
He just had to follow her remnant thoughts through the tangled buildings and alleys.
Sure enough.
Lily stood before a shabby warehouse but froze upon belatedly sensing Theo’s presence.
“You……!”
‘What’s that?’
Theo barely registered Lily at all.
His eyes locked instead on the blue glow leaking from the warehouse door’s crack.
That exact blue light always found with ancient dragon relics.
‘So Ed Troyvan’s warehouse is here.’
Ed had been steadily collecting relics for ages.
This was probably another one.
“Theo Ragnar, I’ll kill you. Because of you, all this time……! Thinking of the humiliation I’ve suffered……!”
Lily gritted her teeth and swung her drawn sword with full force.
Bloodlight gathered along the blade.
Demonic cult mana.
She hadn’t participated in this Awakening Ceremony, so unleashing her mana was an absolute taboo—but she didn’t seem to care.
Her mind brimmed only with vengeful obsession against Theo.
Slash—
Theo lopped off Lily’s head with Drake’s edge without resistance.
Last time it had been her right arm; this time, her head.
The heat rising from the blade incinerated even the corpse in an instant,
Kwang!
And shattered the warehouse’s sturdy locked door.
Revealing the interior in full.
Ornate ceremonial swords studded with gems hung in rows along the walls, with shelves and bookcases below holding all sorts of documents.
Fwaaa!
Among them, Theo spotted a ring emitting blue light.
A plain band, rusted with flecks of red.
Yet it was preserved in a glass case warded with security magic, treated as something precious.
And moreover,
Zing! Zing! Zeeeng!
The Moonwhite Sword and Drake’s edge were trembling.
The ring trembled in sync.
They were resonating with each other.
That wasn’t all.
In another glass case opposite sat earrings with twin butterfly ornaments, also glowing blue and resonating identically.
“Two relics, huh? Stealing them all will make his eyes pop out.”
Theo could already picture Ed flying into a rage, which put a pleasant smile on his face.
He drew the Moonwhite Sword, smashed the security devices on both cases, and stored the relics in his inventory.
[Congratulations! You’ve thwarted the scheme plotted by your past life’s nemesis and successfully seized two ancient dragon relics, completing Scenario Quest #2.]
[Rating: S]
[Reward: 10 Coins obtained.]
[Additional reward based on rating: +5 Stats.]
Theo checked the warehouse for anything else worth taking and tossed it all into his inventory.
Among them were several items giving off that same ‘ominous’ vibe as the foot mass before.
‘Dragon-slaying items or those tied to related legends……. To gather this much in secret, he must’ve planned it for years. Real determined.’
He couldn’t just leave this be, he thought.
As Theo hurriedly rifled through everything, his steps halted for the first time.
A ledger, heavily worn from use.
But its cover title was profoundly meaningful.
–Rose Palace Relic Report.
‘Rose Palace…….’
The suspicions tying his past life’s unexplained death—and Cecilia’s false accusation—to these people.
He’d grasped the clue.
A chill seeped into his blood.
Kek?
Umbra asked if he was okay, but
Theo didn’t even notice as he flipped open the ledger.
And,
“……!”
Thumpthumpthump!
Theo’s hand trembled with rage as he gripped it.
A few lines of writing, left long ago.
Need to acquire relic while evading Black Dragon surveillance……
……Currently the greatest obstacles identified as Cecilia and son Theo…… Proceed to assassinate them……
‘Found it, finally.’
Strength surged into his hand clutching the ledger.
He had finally touched the truth he’d sought so desperately.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!