Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Predation - 2
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A cave in the Secret Forest.
We stood at its entrance.
A memory from before my regression suddenly surfaced.
Me and my companions, all vanishing in an instant from Idria's overwhelming power—a mere flick of her hand.
My head understood that things were completely different now from back then... but my body still froze up involuntarily.
Offense spoke.
“Should we go in, or call her out? Which is better for the fight?”
“Calling her out seems best. Like I said, Idria's mine and Trail's to handle.”
“So we want open space to avoid getting dragged into the battle.”
“Yeah.”
“Got it, but how do you plan to lure her?”
Like this.
I filled my lungs deeply.
Then I shouted at the top of my voice, loud enough to startle birds into fleeing.
“Idria! I know you're in there. Come out now!”
Serein pressed her hand to her forehead.
“She's not just gonna come out because we call her. Not someone like her...”
“Voice like a hero's, that's for sure.”
“Did she come? Why?”
“I quite enjoyed watching your mudslinging match with Kaild last time. Maide Mohan.”
Step by step.
Idria emerged on foot, without using her spatial powers.
Her steps were quite leisurely.
And then.
Snap.
The moment she fully appeared, I couldn't help but be stunned.
‘Trail! Stop time.’
[What?]
‘Hurry!’
[Oh, got it. Hold on.]
[Used Eye of Omniscience.]
[Current Eye of Omniscience level is 5. Can view secrets up to S-rank.]
[Selected condition: 'The secret between Arald Mohan and Dian Mohan.']
[That secret is D-rank. View it?]
Click.
The screen popped up, and time froze as always.
At least that was a relief.
Trail asked, clearly confused.
[Why'd you stop time out of nowhere?]
‘What do you mean? Take a look at Idria.’
[Yeah?]
‘She's unscathed.’
Exactly.
Whenever Idria met Trail—or rather, Bion—she always came away injured.
Her skin would split, blood flowing.
But now?
Trail finally realized, letting out a gasp.
[Y-Yeah. No damage even after facing me.]
‘...’
[Is it because Adin's dead? Idria being my natural counter was because Adin designed me that way.]
‘The blacksmith dying doesn't change the properties of a weapon he's already forged. This has nothing to do with Adin.’
Idria had simply grown stronger.
But why?
She should have weakened.
Hadn't I already shattered her most prominent lies?
No need to go far—just recently, I'd exposed to the emperor that ‘Kaild is the hero Idria raised.’
It hadn't spread widely yet, but it couldn't be anything but a minus for her.
‘What happened?’
That was when it hit.
“Is that power again? Bion.”
My heart nearly burst.
Whoosh.
Even in this stopped world, Idria was speaking to us.
She was even walking toward me.
Clang.
I drew my sword and said,
“Stop there. This distance is close enough to hear.”
“Your companions can't move in a stopped world yet. Except one.”
“One?”
I instinctively glanced back.
Neril was tilting her head.
“Neril?”
“What? You didn't know?”
“Nope. Never imagined.”
“I can convert all my notoriety into power now. Anyway, so this is a stopped world. Neat.”
She looked around casually, not matching the tension.
Seeing her so relaxed made my own nerves feel silly.
I eased up and said to Idria,
“Where are your other minions?”
“I sent them ahead to safety.”
“...”
“Teleported them to the other side of the continent with my spatial powers. Shame for you, coming here expecting a desperate showdown.”
“...”
“You know with that Eye of Omniscience of yours? What happened at the starting line.”
My eyes narrowed.
Idria knew Trail had a ‘secret-viewing’ ability.
But she shouldn't know its name was Eye of Omniscience.
“Where'd you hear that name? Velosian?”
“No. Adin.”
“I already know the Heavenly God and the Demon King are buddy-buddy, but you're exchanging info freely, huh.”
“He didn't spill it willingly. I just absorbed his memories.”
In that instant, I pieced it all together.
The third finger of lies, Bartore.
Right—Bartore devoured Adin's corpse.
And passed all of Adin's memories to Idria.
Adin was a member of Imperium's party in the Forgotten Era.
If she'd absorbed his memories...
‘Right now, she might know more than me.’
[What?]
‘I'm fumbling with puzzle pieces via Eye of Omniscience, but she's got full memories from someone who lived that era.’
I took a deep breath and said,
“Firensha offered you Adin's soul. That's how you got so strong.”
“Quick on the uptake. Correct.”
“...”
“I've lived ages, but never grown this strong before.”
I tensed but kept it hidden.
“Yeah? Must be nice.”
“Let's fight.”
“Huh?”
“Unstop time first. Then pull back your party.”
“...”
“One-on-one. With me, Maide.”
For a split second, I nearly agreed.
But before yielding, I asked,
“You think devouring Adin's pathetic soul makes you stronger than me? I've made massive gains lately.”
“Adin was a lowly human, just like the Kaild he made. But a soul's capacity doesn't scale with character.”
“...”
“He existed as a god for eons after the Forgotten Era. That vast soul granted me infinite power.”
“...”
“You came to fight anyway, right? So let's fight. No need to overthink.”
I told Trail,
‘Cancel Eye of Omniscience.’
[You sure?]
‘Yeah. No matter how strong she's gotten, as long as it's not equal to mine, it's fine.’
[True, but.]
‘Plus, I want to test it myself.’
[Eh?]
‘How strong I am now, wielding 1.2 million notoriety as power.’
Trail went quiet, then canceled it.
Time resumed flowing.
The party scrambled into positions.
Jenia said,
“Huh? She was farther away just a moment ago.”
Neril spoke up.
“Your time really was stopped, then. Makes sense.”
“You're talking like yours wasn't, Neril.”
“It wasn't.”
Serein clapped lightly.
“Oh. That...”
“Yeah. That. And Idria moved freely in stopped time too.”
“...!”
“She devoured Adin's soul via Firensha and powered up.”
Offense clicked his tongue.
“Should've predicted this when I heard Adin died.”
I smirked and cut in.
“No need for self-recrimination. My mistake.”
“Maide.”
“Eye of Omniscience confirmed Velosian killed Adin. Thought that was all.”
I hadn't considered his soul or corpse after.
“I'll make up for it by taking down Idria.”
“Her other minions?”
“Sent them far away.”
“...”
“No chance for you to shine this time. Step back. This is between me and her.”
Neril looked like she wanted to argue.
Fair—unlike the others, current Neril could contribute.
But I shook my head.
“I'm curious too. Just how strong am I now?”
“...Fine.”
Neril signaled the party.
Jenia soon summoned Agril.
They rode off into the distance.
I watched them go, then said to Idria,
“Kept you waiting.”
“I'm good at waiting.”
“Figures. Your life's been one long cycle of it. Until your desired lies ripen.”
Whoosh.
Idria lowered her arm.
“The one who shattered most of them says that?”
“...”
“Thanks to your mudfight, Kaild's abandoned by humanity. How many lies can you harvest by making him a hero to kill me?”
“Should I apologize?”
“No need. I've grown stronger than I lost. Thanks to that gracious Heavenly God's soul.”
She paused, muttering,
“Got some info I didn't care for, too.”
“What info?”
“I'll tell you after I beat you. Let's begin.”
Suddenly, I shrank.
No— the ground under my feet sank deep.
The solid floor had become inescapable muck.
“Urgh.”
I powered my shins and leaped up.
Thud.
The filthy swamp floor surged into the air with me.
I aimed my sword at Idria.
‘Attack with Light!’
Boom.
Attack with Light, fueled by over 1.2 million notoriety as power.
Similar to what poured from Adin's mouth at the starting line.
Idria didn't block—instead, she opened a spatial rift behind her.
Then lightly hopped back.
“Gone?”
[Behind you!]
I spun urgently.
Idria had appeared right behind my airborne body, thrusting her hand at terrifying speed.
“No you don't!”
I twisted and activated a skill.
‘Cut What I Desire!’
My sword curved like a snake toward her hand.
Clang!
Her airborne hand clashed with my sword, metal screeching.
Idria furrowed her brow.
“Made it too tough, did you? That fake hero's sword.”
“Too late for regrets!”
I spun fully, kicking her abdomen.
She easily crossed her arms to block.
From midair to landing—mere seconds.
In that blink, we exchanged hundreds of blows.
Thud.
I landed lightly on the still-rippling swamp.
Idria strode across it like water.
Without warning, we both widened the distance.
[After that light exchange, what's the verdict? Is she stronger than you now?]
‘Too soon to tell. I wasn't at full either.’
[That casual against the Demon King?]
‘Yeah. And neither was she.’
I caught my breath lightly.
“From that brief clash—what if you're going easy on me?”
“You're doing the same, Maide.”
“I have reason to. If you die, Trail dies too.”
“...”
“But you? No reason at all. Unless... you expect something from me?”
Idria twisted her lips.
“I've seen all of Adin's memories.”
“Heard that already.”
“So I know how strong Velosian's true form is.”
“And?”
“What he wants too.”
I drew a sharp breath.
What Velosian wants?
“...He wants to help you.”
“Yeah. But ‘why’ does he want to help me?”
“Isn't he a lie demon king too? Sees you as a child or something.”
“No. He has a clear reason for helping me. A thoroughly disgusting one.”
Her eyes blazed.
“So I need to test you.”
“Feels like you skipped a lot.”
“We'll talk after the fight. Once I've locked you away!”
Locked away?
Ridiculous.
‘That's what I planned for her.’
[What?]
‘Was gonna shove her into my spatial pocket.’
[...]
‘Mutual thoughts. Creepy.’
Crackle.
A spatial rift opened beside Idria.
I urgently swung my sword to my left.
‘Rip Space!’
A crack like hers formed.
Our rifts brimmed with dark energy inside.
As if tempting each other in.
Idria's eyes gleamed.
“You had the same idea? Disgusting.”
“Even that matches. Truly repulsive.”
“Heh... We both came to imprison the other. If we're this synced, our methods must align too.”
“Shall we?”
We activated simultaneously.
Whirr.
A black hole sucking everything formed inside Idria's space.
The ability she'd granted her first finger, Sobiaus.
I'd stolen it from him, not her.
Naturally, she could still use her own power.
“Tch.”
I clicked my tongue and used Sobiaus's ability inside my rift.
A massive black sphere rivaling hers appeared.
Within my space.
A combo technique, in short.
Rip space first, then force-suction with a black hole inside.
Yes. If I had to name it...
-Space Devour!