Chapter 91
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Duke Beshansidug
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[Logistics Monitor: Emergency. Spatial rift detected inside the atmosphere.]
The flagship of the Black Sun Karenden, the 'Lyn', instantly entered the heart of Ratoshiba, the Swamp of Eternity, via a jump drive.
The Swamp of Eternity.
Known today as Trident Point, it is a holy land for adventurers, where countless uncharted labyrinths lie with their maws agape.
[Karenden: Entry in five seconds. Hold on tight.]
A spaceship's jump drive activation from the ground was theoretically possible, but it was an incredibly dangerous maneuver.
Just opening a rift that pierced the spacetime between departure and arrival points within the mists of the Abyss was a complex feat.
Arriving at the desired location was an even more unrealistic challenge. There was a high probability the ship could crash into the earth's strata or the sea and explode.
- It might be theoretically possible in a purified world, but attempting it within the domain of the Abyss is madness.
But Karenden possessed both the audacity and the intellect to perfect such a hyper-tactical maneuver.
“Ugh…!”
For a moment, the warship shuddered violently, and I felt a change in pressure so intense it seemed my eyeballs would pop out of their sockets.
I let out a dazed breath.
By the time I composed myself, the scenery outside the viewport had completely changed.
‘Ratoshiba…’
The Abyss of the polar region, where a frost-laden mist spread out vast as a spiderweb, carrying a unique melody like a string instrument.
[Karenden: Main cannons, fire.]
The main cannons of the Lyn, having arrived upon that supernatural land, immediately opened their ports and switched to firing mode.
As the successor to the Genesis Psalm, Karenden could imbue all his power with the characters of creation.
That power, linked with the warship's main cannons, swept across the swamplands that had been shrouded in cold mist.
The photon cannons held the power of the Revelation Psalm, which bound all things of the Abyss and banished them beyond the order of creation.
Yes, it was the power of the Revelation Sword.
The very power that was the key to the Battle of the Red Mountains, the only tool capable of sealing a Vassal.
To think he could wield that power so freely, so overwhelmingly…
The barrage of Revelation instantly annihilated the menacing swamplands and the frosty spiderwebs.
As these lights spread along the webs, screams of tearing and twisting erupted from all directions.
The dead exposed to the light were bound by chains formed of coalesced photons and instantly disintegrated into fine particles.
However, because the power was widely dispersed, it couldn't inflict fatal wounds on Abyssals of the third rank or higher.
Of course, that wasn't a problem.
The purpose of this surprise attack was to clear the terrain, after all.
By the time the master of this land noticed the anomaly and emerged, the landing of all ground troops would already be complete.
[Ryukael: Enuel, secure the eastern landing zone. I'll take the west.]
Enuel slung Sharrilion onto his back and stood before the hatch.
“All units, prepare for operation.”
The entire assault team, carrying their respective heavy equipment, formed up behind Enuel.
[Varaniye: It's freezing. My balls are gonna freeze off.]
[Griffisorn: When are you ever going to fix that vulgar mouth of yours?]
[Ohlen: It's not like talking will change him. Let's just leave him be.]
Finally… the hatch began to open at an angle.
A gust of wind carried the cold, malevolent air of the polar region, leaving a hazy film on our armor.
As my white breath plumed, I pressed the Primoa helmet down over my windblown hair.
“Eldia Kata (05), commencing operation to subjugate Beshansidug.”
Age of Myths,
Tarhye Rondel - Eldia - Rebirth (12)
[New Enemy: Tan-Tulak.]
- In the modern era, they are beings known as Necroarachne (Dead Spiders).
- Their defining feature is that their sternum extends outside their skin, forming the silhouette of a spider from a distance.
A Takenon longspear pierced through the heads of the Tan-Tulaks that were swarming in, filling the horizon with a frenzied light.
[Griffisorn: Thrust!]
The spear's tip shattered the spine and sternum that spread out wide like spider legs, turning the drooling skulls into a mist of blood as it passed through.
[Ohlen: Pull!]
The longspear returned to the shield, having skewered more than ten Tan-Tulaks.
The Tan-Tulaks couldn't pass through the shield's groove, so their corpses naturally piled up in front of it.
A wall of flesh formed, solidifying the defense.
[Varaniye: Khahaha! This is nothing!]
[Enuel: Griffisorn, I'm entrusting field command to you again.]
[Griffisorn: Yes! Leave it to me, Captain.]
Unfortunately, I had no time to watch the magnificent scene of slaughter.
[Ryukael: Engaging Beshansidug! Hurry up, Eldia Kata!]
As the swampland vanished, a primeval land that defied the laws of nature was fully revealed.
I sprinted across that land in a single breath.
Here and there, stone structures of twisted shapes stood in orderly rows, telling tales of the passage of time.
‘This is…’
The true face of the labyrinth sunk beneath the swamp, which adventurers have yet to fully comprehend.
The stone structures were a tangle of primordial glaciers and ancient debris, forming a new kind of ancient art.
A labyrinthine city, a primeval hub... that's the only way to describe it.
[Karenden: Ryukael, help Asura and stop its movements. Ten seconds is all I need.]
The labyrinth descended deep into the earth, tangled and intertwined like a spider's web. The final destination was the throne where the master of this land resided.
[Chapter - 04: Duke Beshansidug.]
- The ancient Grand Duke of the North and the leader of the Five Vassals who serve the Spider Lord.
- Blessed by Yotos, he temporarily gained power even greater than that of ordinary True Kings.
- Beshansidug enjoyed sinking people deep beneath the swamp and rebirthing them as cold, undead beings.
Yotos, the Overlord of the Abyss, lost the art of creating life when he stole the core from the Creator God Geldharia.
Whether he lost it…
or simply discarded it.
In its place, his power to corrupt and alter created life grew stronger. This was the kingdom of a monster who reveled in his master's wicked tastes.
[Karenden: To defeat him, we have no choice but to land a direct hit with the Revelation Psalm.]
From the very beginning, Beshansidug's power and abilities were recognized, and he was granted a domain south of Harbadonia comparable to that of a True King.
Though not actually a king, Beshansidug commanded his own vassals, and even the True Kings did not question it.
There were even rumors that during the time the Spider Lord was destroying a world, he was less a subordinate and more a friend.
[Ryukael: Even with Asura's help, I can't do it alone! You have to face him yourself!]
That day's battle was against such a being.
And so, precisely because of that.
Was tragedy inevitable from the very start of the fight?
“Arrived at the operation area. Commencing subjugation of the primary target.”
The body of a god, massive as a great mountain.
As the spider opened its maw wide and roared, nature twisted and the geography distorted.
“Hahahahahaha! Is this all you've got, Karenden? Entertain me more!”
Two of the three-headed dragon Asura's arms were sent flying by Beshansidug's spider leg. At the same time, the face of the water dragon Yeriserica was covered in webbing.
Yeriserica's panicked scream.
As the fire dragon Bel'dakidun breathed fire at Beshansidug, the Light Dragon Haraderiman simultaneously spat light to melt the webbing.
[Karenden: I now kneel here and pray.]
Then, Karenden clasped his hands together.
With a sacred whisper that seemed to be reciting an ancient poem, or perhaps a prayer…
As the melodic tremor took on a noble wavelength and swept out from beneath his feet, the land Beshansidug had been corrupting began to crumble.
[Karenden: Image Construction, Yuryangsejon.]
Four circular formations unfolded around Karenden, and a thick fog began to rise, disrupting the entire area's force field.
This was the first time I had witnessed a battle fought by the Seeker of Truth, the Creator of Magic, the Black Sun Karenden.
A noble voice, passed down to Tarsiyo... the recitation of a sacred language, a recitation that births and nurtures ultimate power.
[Karenden: In the beginning, the Holy Light created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of the Holy Light was hovering over the waters.]
The words focused the power of creation.
As words formed sentences and expanded into paragraphs, the power of creation grew ever stronger.
In that instant, Beshansidug and all of us instinctively knew this was the turning point of the battle.
[Ryukael: Let's go, Enuel!]
The moment I kicked off the ground, the sword light emanating from Sharrilion automatically amplified my mana.
I ran alongside Ryukael, shielded by a thin, flowing barrier of air invisible to the human eye.
The celestial net of webbing that Beshansidug spat from hundreds of fangs—Yoniulran roared with a violet light and tore it to shreds.
[Karenden: The. Holy. Light. Said. Let. There. Be. Light. And. There. Was. Light.]
The webs that Yoniulran failed to destroy crumbled under Sharrilion's light…
Our movements.
Our coordinated attacks helping one another.
Made our movements and thoughts faster. Acceleration repeated, and repeated again, until our dash of light pierced the cracks in time.
A feast of silver and violet light.
In the wake of that straight line of light, severed webs dangled emptily in the air.
[Karenden: The Holy Light saw that the light was good, and separated the light from the darkness.]
The psalm's completion also accelerated.
Beshansidug continued to harry the completely defenseless Karenden, but as long as its attention was divided, a fatal blow was difficult.
Asura could more than handle an attack of that level.
One step.
One slash.
One step.
One slash.
Beyond dozens of slashes, a spectacle that could hardly be described as a feast of light, I finally reached the killing distance.
Combat Synchronization: Rune Slash - Yanabatsu.
As the wind of my blade carved the characters of creation onto its body, the lunging webs and spider legs were torn apart by Yoniulran…
“Hahahahahaha!”
But in that moment.
Beshansidug's heads all split open at once, and new heads sprouted from within.
“Your swordplay was quite amusing.”
Venom was already flowing from its fangs. Swirling. Before the character could be fully carved, with no time to evade, it erupted.
Suddenly, its trajectory changed.
In an instant, the blades of Yoniulran wrapped around the head, unleashing the power of Soul Rupture.
But just tearing it wasn't enough.
That's why Ryukael… focused on tearing the very sinews of its soul and body to alter its path.
The snake sword is a combination of a sword and a whip.
In less than a fraction of a second, the way to pull with the greatest force and speed was…
An image appeared on the screen.
Ryukael looked at the screen, at me, smiled, and said.
[Ryukael: You live, Enuel.]
Pulled by Yoniulran, the maw of Beshansidug, which had been spewing venom, turned toward Ryukael.
‘No.’
An Abyss that even the Primoa armor couldn't withstand covered her body. The armor melted, her arms and legs and head decayed, sending up immense clouds of vapor.
‘This isn't right.’
The video feed displayed on my visual UI vanished with a sharp burst of static.
Yanabatsu.
Pierce.
Within the irresistible movements of Combat Synchronization, Sharrilion, resonating with the rune carving, cried out.
A brilliant silver light.
The moment the dazzling heat reached its peak, a light commanded by creation blew a massive hole in Beshansidug's chest.
Half a beat later.
An even greater light of creation, woven into the shape of characters like chains, surged up from all directions in dozens of layers.
“Guh, gwaaaaaaah—!”
The chanting of the Revelation Psalm was complete.
The characters woven through the medium of the psalm rose up monumentally… and bound Beshansidug, body and soul.
“—What are you doing, Karenden? Are you mocking me? You're not killing me, but putting me to sleep?”
From the moment it was bound, all resistance was futile.
Under the command of creation, all of the target's power is reduced to nothingness. A being from a universe beyond providence cannot escape it.
Eternal life, eternal authority, immortal matter and phenomena…
“Ha, hahahahahaha! How amusing! Good, very good! I shall gladly await our rematch—!”
All light was sucked into the characters forming the chains, and in the next moment, it exploded with a light so bright I couldn't even open my eyes.
“—I will return! I will return and reclaim my duchy!”
The overwhelming presence that had shaken the atmosphere vanished with the light, but the noise did not.
Because I was still shouting something.
Shouting words I didn't even recognize, frantically digging through the Abyss that covered Ryukael.
The Abyss that melted my gauntlets also melted my fingers, which then regenerated, but even that pain couldn't stop my actions.
I surprised myself.
That I was acting this way.
Synchronization failure warnings flashed one after another, and a pain as if my heart would burst flared up, yet my movements didn't stop.
“This isn't right…”
No, this pain…
“…This isn't right!”
It's not the pain from synchronization failure. This pain, more familiar, sorrowfully familiar, is…
“Like this…!”
Please. Don't make it so I can't hate you.
If you leave like this.
If you leave behind this kind of pain.
How in the world am I supposed to hate you? How can I hate you, Tarsiyo's enemy?
“…It's not supposed to end like this, in this damned way!”
How long did I gasp for breath?
How long did I dig like a madman?
When Ryukael's face was finally revealed…
‘She's alive.’
Two sensations intersected.
‘Alive, for now.’
A sigh of relief.
And a powerful sense of déjà vu.
A vague premonition of parting, just like the moment my mother died in my childhood.
“Stay with me, Ryukael!”
All that was left of Ryukael's body was the skeletal remains of her left arm, a small part of her upper torso, and half of her head.
“We just have to get to Her Holiness Maxencia! Master Karenden! Ryukael, get Ryukael to Her Holiness Maxencia quickly…!”
Even though I knew the Abyss had already invaded her core, that there was no way to bring her back.
Just like that day I wailed before my mother as she bled from the shoulder where the axe blade had been pulled out.
Meaninglessly, meaninglessly.
“Enuel…”
Then, Ryukael's lips parted.
With a mouth whose facial muscles were nearly gone, whose lips and teeth had melted away grotesquely.
“…You weren't born to die. That's too sad, isn't it? Hehe.”
That sad smile, those last words identical to the deceased Camilla's, were Ryukael's final moments.
“So don't you die. Live until the very end, and after it's all over, will you pour a glass of wine on my grave…? Then I'll know if it's really, truly all over…”
Her body, finally melting into a complete slime, spilled onto the ground with a wet splat…
Only Yoniulran remained, plunged into the earth, wailing at its master's death.
Sharrilion, which I had set down on the snowy ground, also began to cry sorrowfully.
Only then did I clearly understand.
The reason why, when our swords clashed, only sadness was conveyed from beyond Ryukael's blade…
She loved the world.
She loved her comrades.
She loved her friends.
Didn't she just want to gather with the other Eldia in a peaceful world and talk again?
I know.
I know it well.
I know better than anyone that I can't condone the things Ryukael did to achieve that goal.
But I couldn't stop…
…the endless tears. I just couldn't stop them.
Was it because I had learned of the life she had lived, the path that led to such a desperate and tearful goal?
From the bottom of my heart, I hated you, who stole my most precious treasure in the future, two thousand years from now.
And from the bottom of my heart, I also hated.
Yotos Yolle Yotiatos, master of the Abyss, for corrupting you, who was once so upright, so full of laughter, so righteous.