Chapter 222: Formulation (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 222: Formulation (1)
As I stepped out of the Nephilim Shrine, a status window floated before my eyes.
[You have obtained the Fifth Fragment of 【???】: 'The Impure Name of the Great One'. Total Acquired: (5/7).]
―Flash!
* * *
『False beings overlay their names to veil the radiance of the Great One.
Yet, that brilliant light can never be entirely erased.
Thus, the false stars shall make their atonement in blood.
And their end shall come through the Apocalypse.』
* * *
[Emergency Quest: Achieved 'Confirm Truth' at the Nephilim Shrine.]
[…….]
[…….]
[Well done.]
* * *
Director Seong paced around in circles, alternating between looking at his wristwatch and the ground.
"It seems the Heavenly Sword should have returned by now..."
He raised his head from the ground. The sun was falling through the gaps in the palm trees, and the faint outline of the moon gradually grew distinct.
The edges of Director Seong’s eyes flushed crimson with the sunset. The anxiety over the anomaly at the Gehenna Gate, the lingering grief from the Joaquin Disaster—for a moment, it all seemed to melt away like the fading light.
"No, this is no time to be standing idle!"
He shook his head briskly. Perhaps due to his recent sleepless nights, his brain felt frozen. The cause of this damned insomnia was obvious.
"...Permush's invasion is impending."
That single fact was despairing enough. Unfortunately, the quagmire of despair ran much deeper and murkier.
Everyone who knew this truth—including Director Seong—was well aware. This was merely the beginning. The invasion by the 4th Corps Commander Permush was just the prelude. Which meant what lay beneath was...
‘The 2nd Human-Demon War.’
It was horrible even to utter aloud. They knew all too well from precedent. Countless lives would perish. Blood would drench the earth so thoroughly that fallen heroes would be unable to return to dust even in death.
『A hellscape filled with empty screams and futile deaths in the mortal realm.』
A line describing the atrocity of the war from seven hundred years ago. Director Seong surveyed his surroundings with a grim expression. This magnificent view of Hawaii before him would be the very first to transform into hell.
Director Seong covered his nose for no real reason—it felt as if he could already smell the reek of blood. The fronds of the palm trees looked like the claws of magical beasts.
In such a place, under such perilous circumstances. On top of that, the Heavenly Sword, who had left that morning, was late to return. His swelling anxiety expanded to the point of bursting.
"Damn it! Lord Edward said he would contact us if anything happened, so why haven't we heard from him?!"
Soon, anxiety turned into irritation. He needed to ask the Sword Emperor to launch a search operation right away. Once night fell completely, even that would become impossible.
‘He may be strong, but he is still a human made of flesh and blood.’
Kang Geomma was humanity’s hope. But at the same time, he was a teenager, an academy cadet. Though his maturity often made people forget, the Heavenly Sword was still a minor—at an age requiring an adult's protection.
"If by some off chance something happened to him..."
Goosebumps rose on Director Seong's skin. A war required balance between two sides to truly be a war. Without it, it wasn't a war, but a one-sided slaughter.
And the one keeping that balance was the Sword Demon. His combat power was roughly equivalent to two or three hero divisions. And that was a conservative estimate; in truth, he easily surpassed the power of an entire nation.
Calculating Hero Points—H.P.—was meaningless when applied to the Sword Demon. Would one attempt to grade the sky? That was pure arrogance.
Director Seong trudged toward the temporary headquarters. His high-performance prosthetic arm and leg felt as heavy as lead.
"Damn it all, seriously."
They could never replace real limbs. The cold plastic couldn't carry the weight of his urgent emotions.
Just as he was grumbling and cursing his luck, a cloud of dust swept past the back of his neck.
Whoosh.
His shadow stretched long before him. Sensing a colossal presence, Director Seong spun around. His eyes widened.
A dragon flapped its wings as it flew toward him, charting a trajectory that sliced right through the boundary between sun and moon—as if severing the very sky.
At that sight, the dark shadows under Director Seong's eyes cleared. Fresh oxygen seemed to flood his brain, reviving his mind after it had grown dull from staying up all night.
Even before the dragon landed, Kang Geomma leaped lightly off its back. Just like yesterday, the ground caved in slightly, kicking up a plume of dust.
Kang Geomma emerged from beyond the dust cloud, approaching with long, brisk strides.
"There is something urgent we need to discuss."
Director Seong nodded blankly, feeling the swell of worry and anxiety that had plagued him completely wash away...
* * *
I went to the Sword Emperor's tent accompanied by Director Seong. My body and mind felt impossibly heavy, like lead. However, I couldn't afford to delay the report.
That was how grave the situation was turning out to be.
So, skipping dinner, I recounted everything that had happened in the shrine. How Edward died, who the priest was, and what Kuarne had predicted... I added my own speculations where the facts were uncertain—such as why Kuarne had appeared in that specific place.
"Th-Th-That's impossible..."
Unable to contain his terror, Director Seong buried his face in his hands. His pale lips trembled violently. The Sword Emperor, at least, tried to maintain his composure, though his face was just as ghastly pale.
I stayed silent, giving them time to process the shock.
Only after the atmosphere inside the tent had gradually settled down did I speak again.
"However, judging from Kuarne's words, an immediate invasion seems unlikely. It will take at least a year and a half."
The two swallowed hard and continued listening to my words.
"The invasion by the 4th Corps Commander, Permush, won't happen within this year either. In short, we have time. As long as we set up our defensive framework before then, we stand a fighting chance."
Of course, Kuarne hadn't given any hint as to the exact date of the invasion. Though he had treated me gently enough, he was still the enemy.
Why would he be insane enough to leak the date of his invasion? Well, Kuarne was insane, but he wasn't the type to blab such crucial information.
The basis for my argument came from my game knowledge from playing Miracle Blessing M. The 2nd Human-Demon War was the main scenario.
Originally, it was a massive event meant to break out two years later. It wasn't something light enough to just happen overnight.
Naturally, I didn't reach this conclusion rashly based on that alone. It was a conclusion drawn after careful logical reasoning and analysis.
In the end, only two Corps Commanders remained in the Demon King's Army. Since one was preparing to invade soon, Kuarne was the only Corps Commander left to command the forces for the main war effort.
No matter how overconfident he was, leading the entire Demon King's Army all by himself was something he couldn't do just yet.
‘The Dark Elf Elder mentioned there are plenty of demons who refuse to obey Kuarne.’
He needed time to break the spirits of those demons and establish order. In short, the demons were going to take things step by step now.
However, there was no room for complacency. The Demon King's Army would finish its preparations far faster than humanity.
‘Once Kuarne takes action, those noisy sub-factions will be silenced in an instant.’
That was why I estimated the remaining grace period before the outbreak of war to be shortened by half a year from the original timeline—a year and a half. It was a conclusion derived from combining my game knowledge and current perception.
‘Above all, the core of this matter is...’
That it was winnable. I stressed this point to the Sword Emperor and Director Seong.
"It is indeed a desperate situation. But that doesn't mean we can just sit on our hands and suck our thumbs, does it?"
"..."
"It's true our chances of victory are slim. But we can still do this. Think about it. Didn't our ancestors prove it seven hundred years ago?"
"That was... only possible because the Hero of the Origin was there..." Director Seong trailed off.
"We can do it too."
I narrowed my eyes with resolve.
"All I need to do is become as strong as Balor Joaquin within a year and a half, isn't it?"
"...!"
The eyes of the Sword Emperor and Director Seong went wide. They were startled not just by my words, but by the intense light in my eyes.
Admittedly, the bar was set extraordinarily high. I was someone who had witnessed Master's martial prowess with my own two eyes.
‘The realm Master reached...’
It was a realm I might barely attain only if I pushed all my blessings—the Blessing of Painlessness, the Blessing of Transfer, the Blessing of Borrowed Power, and the Blessing of the Sword God—to their absolute limits. As a short-term goal, it was dauntingly distant.
Even so, I spoke with conviction to the Sword Emperor and Director Seong.
"No, I will become even stronger than the Hero of the Origin."
There is a saying: The pupil surpasses the master. Since ancient times, the virtue of a disciple was to overcome their teacher.
And in my past life, I was a swordsman who had surpassed Master. There was no reason I couldn't do it in this life as well.
"Furthermore, it's not just me. Isn't the current generation of Joaquin Academy the most brilliant since its founding? If they grow alongside me, we can face the demons together."
Although it hadn't been formed specifically for this purpose, a Special Class was conveniently about to be established.
Saki Ryozo, Abel von Nibelung, Rachel de Myura, Chloe Auditore, Speed Weapon, Hontail, Leon von Reinhardt.
If we focused on raising them, it was possible. I would make it possible.
Standing quietly at the side, the Sword Emperor looked at me without a word. After a long gaze, he bowed his head toward me.
"Give your orders to this old man, Heavenly Sword. What would you have me do?"
A battle-hardened veteran in his seventies was treating me with deep respect. Momentarily taken aback, I quickly composed my speech and answered.
"War isn't a battle between individuals; it's a clash of faction against faction. We must gather not only the academy cadets, but also Senior-rank and Warrior-rank heroes to form an army."
"So you are asking me to train the younger generation."
I nodded. The Sword Emperor burst into a hearty laugh.
"Of course. I shall pass down the Nibelung Swordsmanship to heroes of talent. Besides, am I not an experienced instructor who has served at the academy before? Perhaps this was destiny leading up to this moment."
I gave a smirk. Then, I turned my gaze toward Director Seong.
"Mobilizing the heroes is something the Association must handle. Please do not reveal the true reason for the summons just yet. It could cause mass panic. So... please come up with a plausible excuse. Is that possible?"
"I-It is possible. No..."
Director Seong corrected his faltering tone and answered again, as if taking a solemn oath.
"I will make it happen."
* * *
Inside the tent after Kang Geomma departed, the heavily clouded atmosphere had brightened considerably.
"First, I will report to the Spear Saint and establish an institution. I will create an environment where Lord Sword Emperor will face no inconvenience in instructing the heroes."
"If the budget seems tight, let me know. I shall open the Nibelung treasury."
At the Sword Emperor's words, Director Seong gasped in shock.
"Open the treasury?! That is far too much!"
"Now, now, man. Look at how critical the situation is. What good is hoarding money in times like these? It is far better to spend it on the fate of humanity."
"I don't know how to express my gratitude..."
"Nonsense. Ah, though I wouldn't call it an exchange, could you do me a favor?"
"Of course, anything."
Director Seong promptly nodded.
"Arrange a meeting between Lord Victor Poison and the Heavenly Sword as soon as possible."
"The Association President and the Sword Demon...?"
The Sword Emperor smiled faintly.
"I feel it is a meeting that must happen before it is too late."
As he prepared to leave, the Sword Emperor added one last thing.
"Ah, and now that I think of it, I would also like you to inquire about the whereabouts of Lady Meain Poison, the All-Power. I'll save my words, as I'm sure you know the reason well, Director Seong."