Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: The Four Apostates
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A soft smile.
Elatra’s lips curved into a refreshing smile.
Her noble expression alone was enough to bring a sense of calm to one’s mind and body.
“It’s been a while.”
Elatra descended from the altar and curtsied lightly.
Of course, her greeting wasn’t directed at Do-jae, Sarieta, or Oson.
- It has been a long time. I never thought we would meet again like this.
- It’s the Elatra from over there! How many years has it been? Two hundred?
- My other self…
My temples throbbed as the voices of the Ascetics echoed all at once.
It was especially intense when the Elatra within me spoke.
“Elatra. Is it time for us to become one again?”
- They have been resurrected. For our full power, we must become one again. Come back to me.
“I understand. I was thinking the same thing.”
Enveloped in light, the other Elatra walked toward Do-jae.
But Do-jae stopped her.
“Wait.”
At Do-jae’s gesture, Elatra paused, looking puzzled.
“Is something wrong?”
“Instead of the Elatra here going to you, you’re coming over to this side?”
“Of course. We are two halves of one whole. It makes no difference who goes to whom.”
“Then doesn’t that mean other people can’t hear your voice?”
“That is correct. Only you will be able to hear me.”
“One moment. Sarieta has something she wants to ask you.”
Do-jae pushed Sarieta forward to stand before Elatra.
He felt it would be more comforting for Sarieta to speak with her face-to-face rather than having him act as an intermediary.
“No, Do-jae. I have nothing to say to Lady Elatra.”
“Suddenly? Then why did you come all this way?”
“At first, I thought an Ascetic could do anything. After what happened to the village, after losing the elders and my grandmother, I needed someone to lean on. With Lady Arcturia gone, I didn’t know what to do.”
Sarieta’s expression grew distant.
But soon, she bit her lip, her gaze hardening with resolve.
“But this isn’t something an Ascetic can solve for me. The dead villagers won’t return, and she can’t devote all her strength to me alone. On our way here, I saw many kingdoms and other elves. This is not the time to think only of our Nightingale Forest; it’s a time to look after the entire continent. That’s why I will become a source of strength for Lady Elatra. Right, Oson?”
At Sarieta’s words, Oson nodded.
“Seeing you, Do-jae, and seeing Lady Elatra has changed my mind. Even though they’ve lost their homes and families, these people are looking only to me. In the end, I am the pillar of the Nightingale Village. Wherever I am is the Nightingale Forest. That’s why, for now, I will fight the monsters alongside them, and when peace returns to the continent, we will go back to our forest.”
Sarieta clenched her fists tightly.
Do-jae didn’t quite understand the reason for her change of heart, but he interpreted it as her giving him permission to merge the two Elatras.
“Lady Elatra. If you two merge, will there be any changes? For instance, in personality…”
Do-jae asked the question that was most important to him right now.
If Elatra became whole again, her power would double, but what if the personality of the more extreme Elatra within him became dominant?
He thought that could be a bit of a headache.
“Our core essence is closer to my side. I understand your concern, but you need not worry too much. You can tell just by looking at the mask, can’t you? While wearing it, she didn’t try to control you.”
“That’s true… Still, could we wait just a little longer before merging? I’d like for you to comfort Sarieta with your warm voice.”
“Very well. Let’s do that. Hehe.”
***
In a room resembling a reception hall, set up on one side of the temple.
Just like last time, Sarieta brewed tea.
This time, however, she simply steeped a green tea bag in hot water.
“How is it?”
“It’s pleasantly bitter and savory. The aroma is a bit weak, though.”
Sarieta’s expression had brightened considerably as she drank the tea.
Elatra hadn’t said much, merely listening to Sarieta’s story, but that alone seemed to have helped a great deal.
“Now, there’s something I need to tell you… I’m leaving for the northern part of the continent.”
“Really?”
“The north, sir?”
Sarieta and Oson spoke, surprised.
They had assumed Do-jae would continue to travel with them.
“You saw the titan and the human outside, right?”
“Yes. Humans were common in the past, but titans are a very rare race. I was surprised!”
“It was my first time seeing one!”
“Right. That titan has business in the north, so I was traveling with him. I just stopped by here because I had something to discuss with Lady Elatra. So, it’s about time for me to head north again.”
As Do-jae finished, Sarieta’s and Oson’s faces fell.
Though it had been a short time, the two had grown very fond of Do-jae during their travels together.
They had relied on him, laughed with him, and shared many moments.
Now, hearing that they had to part ways just a few hours after reuniting, they were disappointed.
“That’s a shame…”
“It’s sad to part so soon…”
Their words trailed off.
There was clearly more they wanted to say.
That they wanted to travel across the continent with Do-jae once more.
But they weren’t alone now.
As the leaders of their respective races, they couldn’t just abandon their people and leave.
This was especially true for Sarieta.
After all, the gray elves here were all that was left of the Nightingale Village.
“I know how you both feel. But you both have things to protect, don’t you? I came back here for the same reason. To protect the world I originally lived in, and this one.”
“…”
“…”
“And someday, I might need your help. No, the different races across the continent will have to join forces for peace. The beings we are about to face are that terrifying. They are…”
Just as Do-jae was about to explain.
Elatra set down her cup and spoke.
“Allow me to explain.”
Elatra began to speak about the Apostates.
About Gellahan’s four loyal followers, the Apostates.
“The first Apostate, known as Ridirian of the Wraith’s Dream. He is the strongest among them.”
Ridirian possessed the ability to make anyone, living or dead, dream.
It was qualitatively different from brainwashing or necromancy.
Ridirian’s dreams could not only push a person’s abilities beyond their limits but also grant them knowledge of things they had never learned or experienced.
In other words, if he showed swordsmanship in a dream, even a ten-year-old child could wield a sword with the skill of a knight.
Because of this, Ridirian’s army had inflicted the most damage on the continent during the Hundred-Year War.
“The second most dangerous is Bedeia of the Crimson Purity. Her charm can seduce anything. Men are especially vulnerable. Hehe.”
At Elatra’s words, Sarieta glanced sideways at Do-jae and Oson.
Do-jae showed no reaction, but Oson jumped in surprise and shook his head vigorously.
Bedeia of the Crimson Purity.
As Elatra said, she could seduce anything.
Not just humans or other races, but even monsters and beings without intelligence.
This could also be interpreted to mean she could even seduce inanimate objects.
An inanimate object caught in her seduction would gain a will loyal to her and move according to her wishes.
In that sense, it was similar to Do-jae’s golems.
“Balan, the Beast King, whose personal abilities are enough to take down a dragon. His body is impervious to any form of magic.”
Balan’s abilities weren’t particularly special.
However, his physical strength was powerful enough to overwhelm the other Apostates.
During the Hundred-Year War, he fought an army of ten thousand humans for two weeks without rest, annihilating them all before casually walking away.
Elatra mentioned that Balan was the one who gave the Ascetics the most trouble when sealing the Apostates.
He had tried to shatter the seal with his immense strength and will, forcing them to squeeze out the last of their authority to finally seal him away.
“Next is someone you’ve already met, right? Havik of Choice. He is the weakest among the Apostates. However…”
Havik’s ability was rather unusual.
Depending on the conditions he presented, it could be an incredibly light restriction for his opponent, or it could be an infinite constraint.
If the condition was light, the backlash Havik received for its acceptance was also small.
But if the condition was heavy, Havik had to bear a corresponding backlash.
This directly translated to how much damage his essence sustained, yet Havik enjoyed presenting his opponents with two choices.
Purely for his own amusement.
“Lee Do-jae, when you came here, Havik’s essence must have been greatly shaken. That’s a good thing for us.”
That was welcome news.
For the Do-jae of that time, preparing for a future threat was better than dealing with an immediate one.
The one-month grace period had allowed him to raise his level and even summon Ruiden.
Moreover, if Havik had been allowed to do as he pleased with Briareus back then, Do-jae might not have been able to free him from Gellahan’s control as he had now.
All things considered, the choice to cross over to this world was working out in Do-jae’s favor.
“And… you have been chosen to stand against all of them.”
“Do-jae!”
“Ooooh! Master!”
The moment Elatra finished speaking, Sarieta and Oson exclaimed in admiration.
“Do-jae! You’re amazing!”
“Master! I see you in a new light!”
“What? How did you see Do-jae before, Oson?”
“It’s not how I saw him… I just didn’t know Master was that incredible!”
“I knew it. Do-jae is a problem-solver, isn’t he? Thanks to him, you were able to return to your village, Oson, and he saved Salreuta and Katania during the tournament.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Do-jae is the last Ascetic! No, the savior! The savior of the continent!”
Sarieta jumped up and down with excitement.
Feeling awkward at the grand title that didn’t suit him, Do-jae scratched his head.
“I’m no savior. I just want to protect the people I care about, and races like yours.”
“So cool! That’s so cool!”
“I never dreamed my master had such a grand ambition!”
Moved even more by Do-jae’s words, Sarieta and Oson clung to him.
“Anyway, I just want to deal with the Apostates and Gellahan, so just know that.”
“Okay, okay! Do-jae, we’ll help you! We’ll be your strength!”
“I, Oson Ironhammer, swear on the honor of the Ironhammer clan to be of service to you, Master!”
“Haa… you guys, really…”
Averting his gaze from the fired-up Sarieta and Oson.
He looked at Elatra.
It was time to merge the two Elatras into one.
“Please, go ahead.”
“Myself and Altein, Ruiden and Haydn. There are four Ascetics remaining.”
“Four? Come to think of it, why four…?”
*Fshhh-.*
Before Do-jae could finish his question, Elatra’s form was enveloped in a brilliant light.
Then, like a moving spotlight, the light shifted and fell upon Do-jae.
After feeling a massive amount of mana being absorbed into his body, Do-jae spoke.
“Elatra, why are there four?”