Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: False Savior of the Lion's Truth
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Karuna fixed Snowman with a serious gaze amid the ceaseless roars echoing everywhere.
"Master!"
"I know."
And with that, Snowman decided to grant his request.
"What? Are you insane? You want to take on that monster?"
Jamad was the only one shaking his head in vehement opposition to the decision.
"I have a way."
"Kuh... Why the hell would you even try something this crazy..."
Crazy indeed.
If they clashed head-on, the foe possessed power far beyond what Snowman could currently handle.
But that's precisely why Jamad suspected Snowman had a solid reason for turning back.
"...So you do have a plan?"
"Yeah."
Jamad grinned.
"Alright! If you've got a way, then I trust you."
"Thanks for believing in me."
This was why trust between summoner and summon mattered so much.
Rational summons often refused absurd orders. If that kept happening, the summon would eventually abandon the summoner.
But that wouldn't happen with Snowman.
He charged toward Karen once more.
"Huff... huff..."
The effects of the Life-or-Death Boots were tremendous.
Simply retracing his steps back already drained twice or three times the stamina it'd taken to flee.
And after 10 to 20 minutes had passed, Snowman finally arrived at the scene.
"Block it! Hold that monster back!"
"Restrain it! Bring more subjugation chains!"
"Everyone, hold the line! The Archbishop will be here soon!"
Kwaaaang-!
Kwang!
The battlefield-like scene tensed up further, but Snowman stepped forward without hesitation. The longer they delayed, the worse it'd get.
He took a deep breath...
Then strode forward, bellowing loudly.
"What in the world is going on here?!"
Like a superior scolding subordinates, a natural reprimand flowed from Snowman's lips.
He headed straight for the formation set up by the Lion's Truth Church. Viewers gasped at his suicidal march into the enemy's maw.
This crazy bastard!
He is Madman!
He's lost it...
It's over now! Karuna, Jamad! At least you two run!
The Lion's Truth Church members, already headache-ridden by the freed spirit body, looked flustered as some weirdo popped out hurling rebukes.
"Wh-who is that?"
"No idea..."
Then the owner of the tent where Snowman had swiped the crystal orb appeared.
A pudgy necromancer.
"Who are you, barging in here like this?"
Snowman acted unfazed.
He'd observed Jamad's mannerisms enough to know how a confident bigshot behaved in situations like this.
"Hmph, didn't you get the message? The Church clearly said to wait."
"What... Church? N-no way, you're..."
"That's right, me."
"The Lion of the Eternal Life Church?"
"Took you long enough. How dense can you be..."
"Forgive us... B-but, what brings you here...?"
Snowman rattled off answers without missing a beat, knowing the full context.
"How could Eternal Life ignore your plea? There was some confusion delaying aid, but we've come personally to assist you."
"Whoa..."
Genius?
Acting on point. Oscar of the year goes to you.
Look at that shameless face lol. This is hilarious now.
Whoa; Snowman impersonator for real.
The pudgy necromancer's eyes darted wildly.
He must be at a loss on how to proceed.
They'd assumed Eternal Life had abandoned Lion's Truth, so the Archbishop came personally for the ritual. Now Eternal Life showed up unannounced.
The necromancer wore the expression of a husband busted hosting a booze party by his early-returning wife.
Kwaaaang-! Kwang!
"Kraaaagh!"
"Block it!"
And the situation kept worsening.
In such chaos, sound judgment was impossible for the necromancer. Snowman drove the nail home.
"What are you dawdling for? Isn't there a problem?"
"Y-yes."
"What's the problem?"
"The spirit body broke free and is resisting. No major casualties yet, but it's getting stronger by the minute."
"This is dire. What about reinforcements?"
"The Archbishop is almost here."
"Thank goodness. The Archbishop's foresight saved you all."
"Um... Lion, sir. If I may ask a favor..."
"I know without you saying! I'll buy time until the Archbishop arrives. We're practically brothers with your church."
Snowman played it like he was reluctantly doing them a favor, taking credit anyway.
The pudgy necromancer choked up at those words, bowing his head.
"Sob... Thank you."
"No need for thanks. It's the grace your church deserves from ours."
"Yes! We'll support you!"
Taking credit like a pro lol.
Causing the mess and pretending to fix it. Spot on.
I'd fall for it too if I were there lol.
Before arriving, Snowman had returned Karuna and Jamad to his shadow space.
'Gotta hide my strength as much as possible.'
Posing as one of them in the heart of enemy territory meant playing it safe.
So for now, he'd summon only Karuna, leaving Jamad out.
"Karuna, step up."
Whoooong...
Whirrlik-!
Clank-
"Yes."
When Karuna materialized in front of Snowman, the pudgy necromancer shouted.
"The Lion of Eternal Life is here! Clear a path!"
"The Lion? A Lion?"
"Eternal Life is stepping in? Surely..."
"Reasons don't matter! The Archbishop will sort it! He's here to help us anyway!"
"Right!"
Amid the uproar, Karuna advanced to the frontline.
"Grrr..."
There stood the fairy's corpse, drooling from its mouth as it raised its sword.
'Confirmed. Layers of penalties stacked on her.'
Karen's status window he'd glimpsed was terrifying.
For these seemingly weak necromancers to hold her with this numbers? It meant massive penalties on her.
'Opportunity.'
If he couldn't take her down, just stall till the Archbishop arrived. If he could, all the better.
"Karen..."
"Grrruh..."
"Forgive me."
Shriiing-
Breathless revealed itself for the first time before so many.
Karuna enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 1: Crescent Moon.
The necromancers sighed in relief at Karuna's imposing blue sword.
"It's really the Lion!"
"From Eternal Life!"
"They didn't abandon us!"
Karuna moved first.
Pop-!
Kaaaaang-!
His speed was monstrous—most foes couldn't react. But Karen countered without much trouble.
"Grraaah..."
'Reacting on instinct alone?'
She met Karuna with beastly movements.
Kang-! Kang!
Whirrlik...
Kaaaaang!
Slash, slash, slash, spinning into more slashes.
Her all-out assault was ferocious.
"Support the Lion!"
Whoooong...
Necromancer Jetura uses Living Bone Armor.
Karuna's Defense +10%.
Necromancer Ming uses Dark Benediction.
Karuna's Elemental Resistance +5%.
...And more spells burst over Karuna. Even minor buffs were welcome to Snowman.
Kagang-!
"Grrr..."
"Karen, snap out of it!"
"Kraaaagh!"
Kwa-gwang!
Magic missed Karen entirely, and Karuna was busy matching her feral strikes.
Whoooong-!
"Not yet!"
Karuna enters Moonlight Ascension Stage 2: Half Moon.
A brilliant blue glow leaked from Karuna's helmet.
"Ooh!"
"As expected!"
Karen's gear was ragged from the start—one solid hit would shatter it.
But that hit never landed.
"Gr..."
"Hah!"
Kagagak-!
Breathless screamed as the half-broken mystery blade repelled it, sending Karuna flying like rotten wood.
Kwaaaang-!
"Kuh..."
"M-my god... The spirit body..."
"Too strong!"
In the meantime, Karen closed on the necromancers, swinging her sword.
Chwaaak-!
"Kaaaaagh!"
Splooosh...
"Urk... guh..."
Snowman's face hardened coldly.
'Even in Half Moon... missing her movements?'
She seemed to push harder in Half Moon than Crescent. This wasn't normal.
'She's getting stronger!'
Spirit body penalties aside, resurrection penalties didn't last forever.
Karen was likely recovering from resurrection penalty, regaining some stats.
'Damn, can't suppress her solo like this.'
Even with Jamad, probably no change. And revealing Jamad would leave Snowman's life to chance.
This was enemy turf.
Currently 2:1, but really 1:1:1 singles.
'To win, I can't reveal Jamad.'
A gambler flashing all cards loses. Snowman observed warily.
Puuuk-!
Kwajik!
Karuna's attacks weren't useless.
His kick smashed Karen's left shoulder pauldron.
"It landed!"
"Now! Reform the line!"
The swept necromancers rallied to support Karuna again.
'Less than twenty necromancers left now.'
The camp fit fifty, but their numbers had dwindled that much.
Blame the shockwave from Karen's revival and her monstrous prowess.
"Kee-yaaah!"
"Karen!"
Karuna smashed down from above. Her bisected sword thrust up to repel it.
Grrrrrind...
"Don't you recognize me?"
"Kraaaah..."
"I'm back, Karen. Open your eyes!"
"KRAAAAAAAH!"
Kwaaaaaang-!
'Damn it!'
Karen erupted with explosive force, igniting flames. She'd fought only with body and blade before—now magic too.
Sss...
Intimidating pressure.
The air seemed drawn toward her, as if prepared just for this.
It returned as a massive blast.
Kwaaaaaaaaang-!
Roooar...
Siiiizzle...
"Kaaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaaagh!"
"Fire! Someone put out the fire on me!"
The huge explosion engulfed nearby necromancers.
Snowman was in the flames' range too, hot inferno rushing at him.
Pajijik-!
Spirit Veil activates.
Ember Veil consumed.
Ready again in 1 minute.
His belt, Universe's Authority: Spirit Veil, blocked the elemental damage.
'Flame attribute's raw power...'
Snowman swallowed hard.
Fire had the purest destructive force among elements, with strong propagation too.
Before his eyes, flames flaunted their superiority with devastating might.
"The Lion's fine!"
"Keep supporting!"
Snowman assessed coldly.
'Spirit body's seals breaking one by one. At this rate...'
Karuna could fall pointlessly.
In truth, he was barely holding now through sheer effort.
'Release Full Moon?'
Karuna reaching Full Moon this early was bad for Snowman.
Later, to crush Lion's Truth once truth dawned, he'd need both Jamad and Karuna.
If even Karuna's Full Moon lost to Karen, summoning Jamad was inevitable.
'No choice.'
But as Snowman moved to order Full Moon...
The long-awaited news rang out—from the pudgy necromancer's direction.
"The Archbishop has arrived! Galipa is here!"