Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: A Fading Divinity
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It was a place of warm weather and gentle sunlight, where a cool breeze rustled softly.
In the shade of a large zelkova tree standing in a field of blooming flowers.
A cute little boy was sleeping soundly.
A faint smile graced the boy’s lips, though what he dreamt of, no one could know.
Twitch—.
Suddenly, the boy’s brow furrowed.
His eyes snapped open.
Swoosh—.
As the boy rose to his feet, leaves rained down from the tree.
But that was not all.
The brilliantly colored flowers, once radiant, bowed their heads and dropped their petals.
"Havik…"
The boy stood alone on land that had turned desolate in an instant.
Ridirian, the Specter’s Dream, wore a look of disbelief.
"This is a lie, isn't it?"
Ridirian closed his eyes and searched for Gellahan’s mana.
Somewhere in the south, he felt a coarse, rugged mana—unmistakably Balan's.
Next, the far east.
A sticky, sludgy mana—its owner was Bedeia.
And finally, where Havik’s mana should have been, there was nothing.
He searched the mountain ranges of the far north, filled with snowy peaks, but could not find even a trace of Havik's mana.
"Is he… truly gone?"
When the 100-year war ended and Balan was the first to be sealed, he could still feel Balan's presence.
Not long ago, when Havik had crossed dimensions, he could still feel a faint yet distinct presence.
But this time, he realized Havik hadn't been sealed or crossed a dimension; he had been completely annihilated.
Drip—.
A tear streamed down Ridirian’s reddened cheek.
To him, Havik had been like a brother.
Sometimes they clashed, and at other times they fought fiercely.
But Havik was also the only one he could truly talk to.
For an Apostate, who held onto emotions, unlike the Ascetics, it was only natural for sorrow to well up inside him.
"Havik… I will avenge you. I will trap those utterly repulsive Ascetics in an eternal nightmare with my own hands."
Ridirian took one small step, then another.
The ground he passed over became more than just desolate; it turned a deathly black, a land where nothing could live.
"Bedeia. Balan. The games are over."
Ridirian wiped away his flowing tears.
And at his side, monsters began to gather.
From the small monsters scattered across the continent to the medium and large ones.
Even the undead and demons.
One after another, they flocked to him, following in his wake.
***
Clang—.
Havik, who had begun to crumble from his pierced neck, dissipated into dust.
And Elatra bent over, dropping her brilliantly shining spear to the ground.
"Elatra! You… you actually won!"
Altein dispelled the Barrier of Essence and ran toward Elatra.
Ruiden, too, removed his hand from Do-jae's head and went to her side.
"You completely destroyed an Apostate! But…"
Ruiden pulled Elatra into a fierce hug with his large frame.
But Elatra slowly pushed him away.
"Ruiden, it's no use. My essence has already lost its vessel."
Elatra smiled bitterly.
Then, she removed her falcon mask. It crumbled with a rustle, turning to dust that slipped through her fingers before transforming into light and vanishing.
"A good friend is leaving us."
Altein could feel that Elatra could no longer maintain her form.
The minuscule amount of her essence that remained was barely buying them enough time to speak.
And he knew that even this time would not be long.
"Han… you said it was Han's idea, right?"
"Yes. She was truly wise."
Ssshh—.
Elatra's hand turned transparent and faded away.
Ruiden lost his grip on the hand he was holding.
"Still, I'm glad we could destroy one Apostate. Now I'll have something to tell Han. And…"
Elatra pointed her remaining hand at Do-jae.
Freed from the pain, Do-jae was sitting down, overcome with exhaustion.
Ruiden quickly ran, scooped Do-jae up, and returned to Elatra.
"You have done well, Adversary. Thanks to you, we were able to destroy Havik."
Elatra gently stroked Do-jae's cheek.
After a few strokes, her hand turned transparent and vanished, unable to caress him any longer.
With parched lips, Do-jae managed to speak.
"If you… and Lord Haydn… both disappear like this, this world…"
Elatra and Haydn were Ascetics who sustained this world.
Even aside from the battle with Gellahan, they were essential beings for this world.
"It is all right. I am already a rotten root. It is enough to decay and become fertilizer for a new sprout. And I have left that new sprout right here before me."
Elatra looked at Do-jae with a warm gaze.
Do-jae climbed out of Ruiden's arms and stood before Elatra.
He hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to Haydn, but he was determined to see Elatra off properly.
"I understand your will. I, too, wish to protect this world and Earth. Please, watch over me."
Do-jae bowed his head.
It was a final gesture of respect for the one who had given him strength.
"What a relief…"
With Elatra's final words, Do-jae raised his head to find she was gone.
All that remained was the brilliant light that had shone when he first met another Elatra in her temple.
Slowly, ever so slowly, it scattered.
In her place, a single spear lay at Do-jae's feet.
[Equipment Information]
Name: Elatra's Spear
Classification: Spear
Description: Elatra's divine weapon, engraved with the eye of a falcon at its tip. Nothing can withstand its piercing power. One thrust brings a strong wind, two a gale, and three a tempest.
Effects: Attack Power +3,000 / Durability ∞ / All Stats +1,000 / Mental Resistance +500
Skills: Courage Lv. Max / Eye of the Storm Lv. Max
Click—.
Do-jae gripped the spear Elatra had left behind.
It was thin and light, yet it felt as if it could pierce anything.
"I will put it to good use."
Do-jae carefully placed Elatra's Spear into his Subspace.
***
Whoosh—.
"What the! Where did you go? What about that guy?"
Herteias cried out in a flurry.
He was thoroughly surprised to see Do-jae suddenly reappear after vanishing somewhere.
"It's over."
"What is? What's over?"
"Havik. We destroyed him."
"Really? How?!"
Do-jae glared at Herteias.
He wanted to linger in the moment for just a little longer, but the frivolous questions were breaking his focus.
"Sigh… It wasn't me. We were able to destroy him thanks to Lady Elatra's sacrifice."
"Elatra? Who's that?"
"What?"
Do-jae was stunned by Herteias's question.
Just yesterday, they had been in Elatra's temple, and Herteias had even spoken with her directly.
"I asked who Elatra is. How did this person destroy Havik?"
"Wait… you know Havik, but you don't know Elatra?"
"Why wouldn't I know Havik? He's the one who used that Authority or whatever divine power to stop me from polymorphing!"
"…Hmm."
Do-jae stroked his chin.
He remembered Havik but had forgotten Elatra.
Both of them had expended all their essence and vanished from this world.
"Heltein, do you know how many Ascetics and Apostates there are?"
"Of course. Nine Ascetics and four Apostates. But since Gellahan is a traitor, it would be eight Ascetics, and since one Apostate was just destroyed, there are three Apostates left."
He knew the numbers correctly.
As expected of a dragon, called a proxy of the gods for a reason.
Do-jae asked one more question to be certain.
"Can you name the Ascetics?"
"What do you take a dragon's memory for! Altein, Haydn, Ruiden, Han… Huh? Who were the others? Huh?"
Herteias tilted his head in confusion.
He then grabbed his hair, trying his best to remember, but it seemed the names wouldn't come.
"Huh? Wait, this is impossible. Altein, Haydn, Ruiden, Han…"
"Heltein, have you tried to recall the Ascetics since the 100-year war?"
"How would I know? I was in such a deep sleep I didn't even know the 100-year war happened."
"Right…"
Let's organize this.
Herteias knew about the Ascetics, the Apostates, and Gellahan.
But he only remembered the Ascetics who had appeared to grant Do-jae their Authority. He couldn't remember the others at all.
He also had no recollection of Elatra, who had been annihilated.
Not even the fact that she was an Ascetic.
The only possible conclusion was that when a divine being was sealed or destroyed, they were erased from the memories of living creatures. But if that was the case, shouldn't Havik have been forgotten as well?
- Havik's essence originally belonged to Gellahan. As long as Gellahan himself has not vanished, it is difficult to call this a true annihilation. If he finds another of the same species as Havik and bestows his essence upon them, a second Havik will be born.
- Altein! You make Elatra's demise sound so futile. Do-jae, Elatra's sacrifice has significantly diminished Gellahan's power. Gellahan was only able to start the war because of the Apostates. Eliminating one of the four is a tremendously encouraging development!
Altein and Ruiden remembered Elatra.
It was likely because they were divine beings themselves.
In any case, their words suggested that Havik, who had received his essence from Gellahan, could be remembered, but Elatra, an independent divine being, could not.
That meant the only non-divine being who remembered Elatra was Do-jae himself.
‘Then what happens to the things Elatra left behind?’
- Things with physical form will remain.
- Like the spear you picked up.
That was a relief.
An image of her temple in the central continent flashed through Do-jae's mind.
If the temple that Sarieta and Oson were using as a base disappeared, they would surely be in a panic.
However, the temple had been safe because of Elatra's blessing. With her gone and her blessing lifted, their safety could no longer be guaranteed.
"So who is this Elatra?"
"She was one of those trying to save this world."
"How could I not know someone so great? Hurry up and explain who she is!"
"…Later. More importantly, you didn't mention Eurabia's name. Wasn't Eurabia an Ascetic?"
Herteias hadn't mentioned Eurabia's name.
He realized he had someone right next to him who could tell him about her.
"Eurabia? She's not an Ascetic. She's a god who failed to become one."
"A god who failed to become an Ascetic? What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like."
"…Anyway, I need to meet Eurabia and then head back immediately."
With the black golems present, there was no need for major concern unless the Apostates came in person.
Still, nothing was certain, so Do-jae decided he needed to check on this goddess Eurabia and return quickly.
Without hesitation, he leaped into the hole.
Shuk-