Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Five Pillars (4)
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The fugitive was fast like a ghost, his presence faint and hazy. But Kadim's superhuman senses never let the trail slip away. Weaving past pedestrians with wide, rabbit-like eyes, sprinting over walls, cutting through alleys that sprawled like spiderwebs—the gap between them shrank with every passing moment.
After chasing for about a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the mouth of a cave-like staircase, carved deep into the earth.
There, Kadim halted for a brief moment.
“......”
......Something felt off.
The fugitive had clearly gone inside, but from that point on, no presence lingered. Unable to gauge the reason, he hesitated to pursue right away.
The fugitive's identity was obvious. The pitch-black garb, that distinctive hand motion covering his eyes, deliberately luring him to a place beyond the sun's gaze. Every clue pointed to a follower of the Forgotten God.
The issue was that among them, some like Ilenia aided him, while others like the Night Raven faction sowed interference.
But the internal debate didn't drag on.
Either way, it made no difference. If an ally, he'd follow to exchange words in secret; if a saboteur, to cleave his skull. Kadim gripped his axe haft resolutely and descended the stairs.
Before long, a profoundly eerie underworld came into view.
Pure white hues were nowhere to be seen—everything within sight had been overtaken by sinister shades. Filthy stalls and passages strewn with refuse, grotesque decorations and sculptures of unknown purpose. It was as if the bright streets outside had been flipped inside out.
And the people were utterly unlike those above.
“Grk, grrrk......”
“Chomp, slurp, chomp, chomp......”
“......”
A pallid man foaming at the mouth in convulsions, a woman placidly gnawing on something resembling a dried goblin finger right beside him. Among the stalls sat a bluish-skinned crone and a middle-aged man with limbs thick as an elephant's. They paid no mind to one another's freakish forms and instead stared fixedly at Kadim.
But what grated on the nerves most was the stench that permeated everything.
The smell of human blood. And the devil's blood, pungent enough to stir long-forgotten cravings...
“......”
Among the stall goods were human torsos butchered at random and chunks of demon corpses. It felt like stumbling into some hellish flea market—absurdity welled up. Then someone approached Kadim and spoke first.
A wizened old man, scrawny and rat-like.
“Barbar... ah, barbarian! Wha, wha, what ya here to sell? Heart? Eyeballs? Fingers? Toes? Or... down there?”
Kadim's face twisted in disgust. Even as he spoke, the old man's gaze stayed locked on his groin.
“Kh, khuhu, go, good stuff. Ba, barbarian meat's prime for virility. Big demand. D, dry it out and sell—tons of buyers. 4, 4 thousand luden, sell to me. I'll cu, cut it nice n' painless...”
The old man abruptly drew a rusty sickle from his robes. So Kadim abruptly seized his collar and hoisted him up.
“Gak!”
Clang—!
The iron grip hauling his tiny frame sent the sickle clattering limply to the ground. With his other hand, Kadim shoved the axe blade forward. The old man belatedly thrashed in terror.
“Hek! No? Not sellin' yer body? Wha, wha then? What ya seekin'? Magic tool? Drugs? Demon parts? Prime wench? Wha, whatever—just say, I'll fetch it...”
“......Where's this place? Doesn't feel like your average black market.”
“Wha, wha? Came blind? Th, this here's 'Demon Den'! If, if ya lost, be, better scram quick? 'Fore they rip out yer guts n' limbs for free...”
'Demon Den'...
He vaguely recalled hearing it from the mage earlier, though the details escaped him. One thing was clear: not a spot to linger. Kadim resolved to handle his business and get out.
“......Huntin' a guy. One-eyed fella in black rags—just pass through here?”
“Bla, black clothes? Ah, th, that one? Headed that way! Eh? Cu, cut his off too? Ain't no barbarian, worth just 1 thousand luden...”
“......”
Kadim let the old man drop straight from midair.
Thud—!
“Kyaaak!!”
As if his tailbone had shattered, the old man clutched his rear and rolled across the filth for ages. The barbarian turned his back on the deranged geezer and pressed the chase.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one treated as mere goods. Kadim spotted humans caged behind bars or bound in chains without rarity. Smeared in shit and filth, they resembled auction beasts more than people.
“...”
“...”
Eyes dulled by accepted doom, not even pleading passersby for aid.
Thus crossing gazes of the bleak inmates and endless reeking stalls, Kadim finally cornered the fugitive at the deepest, utterly deserted core.
Or more precisely, he got ambushed.
A one-eyed man materialized silently at his back.
“......Best stay put. Unless ya fancy a fresh hole in yer neck.”
“......”
The man prodded Kadim's nape with an unseen dagger, poke after poke. A black cloak draped his shoulders—its hem fluttered, presence flickering in and out.
“Ha.”
From the stairs to this depth, Kadim hadn't slacked vigilance a second. Yet that cloak concealed all presence utterly. First flawless sneak attack since his senses sharpened so keenly.
More marvel than setback, he asked evenly.
“Fine relic, that cloak. Dodges magic too? Could use somethin' like it right now.”
“......”
One-eye hardened, jamming the invisible blade tighter.
“Situation sinkin' in slow, eh? This dagger slices steel like butter. No time for actin' like ya got extra lives...”
“Nah, the one's not gettin' it is you.”
“......What?”
“Need 1 thousand luden? I'll hook ya up now.”
“......What bullshit...”
One-eye scowled, then sensed a chill below and glanced down.
A razor-sharp throwing axe targeted dead under his crotch.
“That old fart offered 1 thousand luden for yours.”
“......!!”
Had he stayed cooler, he'd recall the neck outranked crotch for lethality.
...But no man keeps cool with that spot under threat.
“Eek!!”
Twitch—the blade edged up, and one-eye yelped, dropping the dagger and stumbling back.
Kadim whirled without missing a beat, lunging like a predator to close in. He batted the reflexive dagger swing aside with his axe, seized the arm, hoisted it skyward, and smashed mercilessly to the ground.
Thud—!
“Krhek!!”
He wrenched both arms back at once. Pinning overlapped forearms and spine under knee, the pressure like a mountain left the man unable even to writhe, let alone breathe.
Kadim casually peeled off the black cloak, coiling it round.
“Fightin' game's trash. Ambush proper? Keep the rag on full. Mighta landed one clean stab.”
“Kuh, da, damn it...”
“Why the sudden jump? You with that 'Night Raven faction' or whatever crazies?”
“Kuhk, ha—don't soil yer mouth with those filthy heretics. I'm from the venerable 'Dawn Shadow faction'......”
“......”
“......Same as the one ya know as 'Ilenia'.”
That caught him off guard. Kadim arched a brow faintly.
“Hold up—you lot are the helpers, right?”
“Khuhu...... Aye, so we were....... Clueless fool....... That dwarf-made throwin' axe ya pointed at me? Lost this eye fetchin' it north—know that?”
One-eye shot venom at the 'Thunderstrike' gripped in Kadim's hand. Betrayal dripped thick from his tone.
“Khu, managed til now...... Held grudge, sure—but deemed it meaningful sacrifice....... But ha...... Never dreamed the warrior we swore as savior colluded with Elga Church......”
“......What drivel. Collude with Elga Church?”
“Quit feignin'! Saw ya meet their Arch Paladin fresh! Faked a scrap, took orders from the bastard, then headed here!”
“......”
A faint sigh slipped out.
Ah, right. Thought no witnesses, but this fool had spied the Arch Paladin rendezvous.
Misread solo, tried clueless hit—prime work. Kadim half-wanted to bury an axe in his skull or smash his crotch, tidy up neat.
But drawing on vast patience, he granted one pass. If true, that eye-lost axe had paid dividends aplenty.
Kadim led with ancient baggage. Three centuries back: mad Arch Paladin mangled comrades horrifically, nearly claimed him too.
Spilled the tale, then queried the man.
“Answer me. You, fed tales of ancestors' fallen realm; me, watchin' limbs wrench, joints shatter, comrades dyin' slow, awaitin' my end—which harbors deeper hate for Elga Church?”
“......”
“Think I'd dance puppet for some brainless knight's whims?”
One-eye gnashed teeth. No retort came. Kadim waited for the turmoil to settle, then relayed the Arch Paladin talk verbatim.
Long沉思 later, one-eye bit his lip in chagrin.
“Elga Church still harbors...... knights like that......”
“......”
“......Tough sell to swallow easy. Yet our own church floated Magic Tower tied to demon surge. Evidence thin, ended pinnin' ultimate source on that sky 'Watchin' Eye'......”
His fervor ebbed; eyes shed their poison. Gazing troubled at the distant ceiling, he knelt at last and bowed deep.
“......My apologies, warrior. Unravelin' the surge's root, extirpatin' demon spawn—vital work. No betrayal. Won't leap to misunderstands n' ambushes again...... Oath on Forgotten God.”
“......”
Tongue-twistin' regrets were cheap. Kadim curled a sardonic smirk.
“Mighty meek apology for comin' at me blade-first like a lunatic. Sincere? Fork over that cloak at minimum.”
“......Take it. Came here to hand it over from the start.”
“......”
“'Shadow of Night Cloak'—Forgotten God's holy relic, as ya guessed. Foils human senses n' mystic probes flawless. Sun's sight voids it, though—night or shade only......”
Handed over prompt, usage tips too—left speechless. What the hell. Delivery boy, yet swung steel on his own call?
“Not enough. Transparent dagger too.”
“What? No can do. My sole armament...”
“Or slice that 1 thousand luden prize n' hand it.”
“......!”
One-eye recoiled, shielding his lower half. Pitched vital intel as trade in frantic bargain. Kadim twirled his axe haft, said he'd hear it out first, judge after.
Taut voice unpackin' the goods.
“This 'Demon Den' draws Magic Tower scraps n' every shady trinket....... One's the key ya need: a 'Pillar'.”
“......!”
Kadim recalled the mage's words late. 'Earth Pillar' in Demon Den, Vesta's underbelly black market...
“Findin' those 'Pillars' is your solo charge. Spillin' spots? Too direct meddlin'—'Watchin' Eye' sniffs it, heavenly smackdown risks. But my fault ya faced needless peril, so I'll shoulder hazard gladly......”
Left precise 'Earth Pillar' whereabouts.
Solid haul. Kadim nodded approval. One-eye capped with a warning.
“Yer prowess clear as day. Still, tread wary here. Den merchants deal anythin'—some salivate for fresh barbarian bits.”
“......”
“Like...... the pack mobbin' up behind ya.”
Kadim glanced back casual.
Shuffle, glassy-eyed horde ringed them.
“No way, for real? Khuhu, live n' learn. Barbarian strolls into Demon Den bold as brass...”
“Heart, skull, prick mine. Rest you lot divvy.”
“Bullshit, hoggin' premium cuts! Tryna swipe the gold...”
Weaponed thugs already scrapped over shares like dogs at chow. The rat-old man lurked amid 'em.
“Cu, cut di, dick fast! No, hands off that! Tha, tha, that's mine! Grind n' dry fine, priceless barbarian powder...”
“......”
Looked like the loony coot led this slaver posse.
Glanced back—one-eye gone in a blink. Kadim huffed inwardly. Spooked over losin' his own junk, bolted.
No sweat regardless. Small fry he could solo easy. Mop 'em swift, hit the coward's tip—snag two 'Pillars' by day's end.
No parley needed. Kadim flung Thunderstrike.
Whirrrrack, crunch-crackle—!
“Ghek!”
Feral gust shredded the old man's cranium. Savage spin pulverized shrunken skull n' brains, punched clean through occiput to smack the ceiling.
Rumblerumble...
Cavern thundered grand, shards rained. No bolt loaded, yet raw ruin outdid mid-tier phys spells.
“......Hiee.”
Just meat scraps clung to the old man's tongue. Head-stumped carcass crumpled, spewing gore. Thugs' mugs warped in dull shock.
“Uh......?”
“Kyak! What?!”
“Hu, hu, huh—what th......”
Stutters sealed someone's last breath.
Whoosh, swing, swing, crunch—crack!
“......Gerk!”
Reboundin' blade clove another's hindskull. Head halved neat at the bridge, eyes ballooned out snail-trails from shock.
Thud—axed reclaimed as thug dropped. Kadim flicked gore clear, bellowed at the rest.
“......Buyers for mashed-skull stiffs too?”
“......”
“Spit it before ya croak. Curious my dome's goin' rate—market quote bonus.”
“......Uh, uhek, uuhek.”
“Uuuu......”
Slavers turned slaughter-stock for once, they leaked dazed whines in terror beyond their wildest nightmares.