Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Illuminate the Dawn on This Land, 'Exalted One' Final Battle (3)
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6.
Star Pleasure Garden Seodaemun-gu Cathedral.
A paradise turned into a slaughterhouse, yet this place remained utterly serene, devoid of any noise.
"You seem awfully pleased, Karlren."
The administrator of Nowon-gu, Lysavera.
At the sound of her voice, Karlren, the administrator of Seodaemun-gu, lifted his head from where he knelt before the incense burner.
"Do I?"
"The problem with you is that your emotions show too plainly on your face. Yes, it looks like things are getting interesting over there."
The sole male among the four Star Messengers.
Bil Tanner spoke in a tone as if it were only natural, laced with cold mockery.
"Of course. The Dull Serpent was one of the leading figures among the Exalted Ones, after all."
"True, but the Dull Serpent lacks any special authority or power."
Incense rose from the altar.
From the three largest burners, the images of the other Star Messengers appeared.
- Sa... save... please save us...
- Ru... run! Where did the 4th Hunting Squad go?
- Heteromorphs... endlessly... Heteromorphs endlessly... coming... tell them... hurry...
From the 118 smaller burners, the crumbling situation in Seodaemun-gu was displayed in full view.
"He rose to that position solely on brute strength. So as a spectacle, it's sorely lacking."
The Star Messengers' laughter echoed through the chapel.
Outside the chapel.
In other words, in the paradise being devoured by nightmares, screams and wails echoed in stark contrast.
"Come to think of it, the Dull Serpent was the first subordinate 'he' took in, wasn't he?"
Tantareska, the administrator of Songpa-gu.
She, who had been silent until now, asked her siblings in her beautiful voice.
"They say he raised him like a son."
7.
Damn... damn it...
Staring at the empty spots left by the departing association members, I could only tremble with helplessness, fists clenched.
Everyone heading to certain death.
While I had to stay here and wait for treatment.
Calm down. Calm yourself.
Even now... there must be something I can do.
I turned my head to look around.
The first thing I saw was Jeong Ha-kyeong, lying with her head in my lap. Her body was wrapped tightly in a sheepskin cloak, but she had no armor on at all.
Probably scattered all across Samcheong-dong.
Jeong Ha-kyeong's recovery might finish around the same time as mine. I needed to find it so we could go together right away.
"Ha-kyeong. Let's go."
I hoisted Jeong Ha-kyeong onto my back, then secured her firmly with [Shadow Exoskeleton Transfer].
Heteromorphs would swarm soon enough; I couldn't leave her behind.
My whole body was exhausted.
As I stood up, my bones shivered.
But.
No time to collapse.
I had to go.
That's when an info window popped up before my eyes.
[Mythic Achievement Unlocked: Rin Script Collection (5 / 5)]
Achievement... unlocked?
Next, the blade of the Dawn Sword in my hand blazed brilliantly.
[《Holy Flame Succession》: Humanity Value (3,500) Increased]
- Humanity: 4,210 -> 7,710
Characters began engraving themselves onto that blade. No, were they being revealed from where they'd been hidden?
[《Holy Flame Succession》: Succession Progress Improved (51% -> 73%)]
- Combat Memory Synchronization. (51% -> 73%)
- Physical Ability Synchronization. (51% -> 73%)
Those characters were none other than.
The five Rin scripts.
What the hell is... As soon as the question formed, the info window provided the answer.
[Unique Skill Acquired: 《Final Liberation: Berkensia》]
Berkensia...?
A familiar name, for sure.
The Dragon Lady Xerinia and Paul had called the Dawn Sword Berkensia.
I read the description over and over. Something felt ominous.
Fill the sword with the blood of the world?
If it were my blood, I'd understand right away... but the blood of the world? I immediately scrolled down to the tooltip below.
I gasped involuntarily.
My mind went blank, breath quickening.
I now understood what that parable of the seed meant.
- I hope we can meet the children in the world we're going to now, too.
Dawn of the Hunt.
During the Gwangnaru-dong攻略 battle.
I'd gone to the Twilight Paradise using Kim Gye-sang's sacrifice. There, the [Master of the Broken Dawn] had said this.
- That true sacrificial blood drew out the Dawn Sword's full power, if only for a moment.
Which meant...
I stared blankly at the Rin scripts engraved on the Dawn Sword like its inscription.
...No way.
To unleash its true power.
Did it mean someone had to die, just like that day in old Gwangnaru-dong?
8.
"What... no way?"
One of the rookies muttered.
Seo Hwa-yoon glared at them coldly and spoke in a firm voice.
"Why? You're all proper <Association> Hunters now."
"But... Squad Leader? We've never even joined a Subordinate攻略..."
Seo Hwa-yoon sighed.
Sure enough... the latecomers were mentally fragile types.
At the <Association> headquarters.
The Hunters lined up at the podium: 32 rookies and 5 veterans.
"Not even funny, shit. You think anyone had experience before their first攻略?"
The one harshly berating the rookies was 2nd Hunting Squad Leader Ko Hoon.
"The people in the <Association> are all those who joined Subordinate hunts without any experience."
"But this is─"
"─Enough!"
Seizing the right moment, Seo Hwa-yoon cut in.
"We're not throwing you into combat in the first place. This is for refugee rescue and transport."
A few rookies' faces lit up with relief. But Seo Hwa-yoon still felt frustrated.
"We're still short on manpower."
Logistics Corps, 3 seats.
Lee Seon-hyo approached and whispered cautiously.
"You said you're moving all the supplies... We need at least 50 more, right?"
Seo Hwa-yoon bit her nail.
Based on combat data so far, logistics support was essential.
"What do we do? We were already short on ammo and Starlight Liquid for Subordinate hunts... For an 'Exalted One', it'll be several times worse."
"What can we do... Um Jae-beom took the main force to Cheonun Hyoja-dong."
Um Jae-beom was the reserve squad leader.
Prepped as reinforcements for the Kim Baek-jun rescue op... but now it was a problem.
"Sorry. I should've finished the pilot project sooner."
Pilot project.
It was for training pilots for the powered exoskeleton, codename [Gundam].
"It's fine, Seon-hyo."
Instead of a sigh, Seo Hwa-yoon smiled and patted Lee Seon-hyo's back.
"You finished it as fast as you could. For now, let's move as much as we can."
That's when she said it.
"We can help with that."
A woman's voice came from somewhere.
Turning around... about thirty people were walking in through the <Association>'s main gate.
What the... are those?
All unfamiliar faces... but equipped as Hunters.
"We can't help with fighting."
And every one of them.
Had low levels. Even lower than the <Association>'s green rookies.
"But we can help with evacuations and transport. After all... we're Hunters too."
Seo Hwa-yoon's mouth fell open.
No way... these are the rear-line Hunters...? They came to the front lines?
"Excuse me... who might you be?"
"I'm Park Ji-yeon. Everyone here is from the Western Hunters."
That's when.
Behind the Western Hunters.
Two other groups rushed in.
"We're from the South. It looked dangerous, so we came right away."
"Northern Hunters. We came to repay the Lead Hunter's favor while it's chaos."
"Don't forget about us."
"We were planning to come today anyway; this just happened suddenly."
9.
It was about five minutes into escorting the refugee column.
When my eyes met the girl's.
"H-Hu... Hu... Hunter, sir."
Crushed by falling rocks, maybe.
A man with both legs mangled. A ten-year-old girl weeping and struggling to move him.
"H-Help... please help. Daddy's alive. Daddy didn't die. Daddy's still alive."
It was true.
Unconscious, but his pulse was beating.
- Our princesses.
Piercing my mind in that instant: the smile of the father who saved his daughters and died.
"Yeah. He's alive."
Doye-jin set down her Cannon Axe, soaked in snake-man blood, and knelt before them.
"Don't worry. Big sis will carry him. Once we round that corner, the checkpoint's─"
That's when.
Chills raced up her spine.
The ground began shaking wildly again.
No, it was approaching.
From that distant place... heading straight for the checkpoint here.
The structures in between.
Roaring in collapse as the city crumbled and fell.
It's... coming here.
Primal terror surged in.
Her head spun, limbs heavy as lead.
"...Hey!"
The one who snapped her back to reality, surprisingly, was Heo Cheon-gyeom.
The workshop's invention, the combined shield-sword.
That shield and blade gleaming red with blood. Had it followed Doye-jin?
"You go back now."
"...These people?"
"Who leaves people behind? I'll hold it off. You're probably key to the counterattack! At least you need to get to Squad Leader Seo Hwa-yoon."
Then Heo Cheon-gyeom froze.
Feeling the earthquake of destruction rushing this way. Doye-jin said.
"Carry this man. Take the girl too."
"You? What about you!"
"I have something to do. Come on, hurry! Don't worry. Big sis will protect you. You and your dad."
Doye-jin pushed the girl toward Heo Cheon-gyeom, meeting those desperate eyes once more.
The sorrow of losing a father.
She knew it better than anyone.
She didn't want this girl to go through that pain, that severance.
"No! You idiot!"
Because she knew that pain all too well.
"What the hell do you have to do!"
"Are you dumb? What does a middle-school magical girl have to do?"
The girl steeled her resolve.
She had learned about the despair of losing family. And the strength that embraced that despair.
Kim Baek-jun.
Seo Hwa-yoon.
Shin Tae-yeop.
Hong Byeong-gyu.
Yoon Geon-woo.
Cha Seung-hyeon.
Xerinia.
Remembering the warmth they had taught her, the girl clutched her heart—her despair—with trembling hands.
"Protecting the world from villains."
The next instant.
The girl peered into the depths of her soul... the abyss, awakening the despair slumbering there, and murmured.
"How I use despair is entirely my choice."
Worn around her neck like a talisman.
Remnants of the 1st Hunting Squad: three blood crystals, which she touched.
"How I use despair is entirely my choice. How I use despair is entirely my choice."
Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump.
Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump.
[Unique Skill 《Subordinate Transformation》 Usage Conditions Met.]
…………………………………
[Activating Unique Skill 《Subordinate Transformation》!]
[Paradise Population List]
- [Paradise District - 6: 'Cheonun Hyoja-dong'] : 489 / 700
[Paradise Population List]
- [Paradise District - 6: 'Cheonun Hyoja-dong'] : 412 / 700
珍, 頌, 璨, 誾, 薰
[Final Liberation: Berkensia]
[Description Summary]
- 1: Blade of Light.
- 2: The final fragment of light entrusted by the Genesis God Geldharya to the First Apostle, Tersia.
[Skill Rank & Description]
- Rank: ??????
- Description: By filling to the required amount with the blood of the world, manifests the Dawn Sword's true form, Berkensia.
- Charge Count: (???) times.
- Activation Macro: Tarhye Rondel.
In the beginning was the light.
Berkensia is that light manifested in the form of a sword.
The power of glory is like a seed.
Only when someone falls to the ground and dies can it bear the fruit of life.
Originally, the Genesis Gods bore that role, but now they are dead and gone.
Thus, now.
Humans must become the seeds.
[Final Liberation: Berkensia]
Until Usage Conditions Met: 0 / 2