Kneel Before the Void
[Jifra... Yeah, that name rings a bell. Quite the cute little thing, always trailing behind me like a lost puppy.]
Kalderet nodded at Adel's words.
"Doesn't sound like such a cute god to me... Plenty of folks have rotted away for life in her eternal prison, trapped in Jifra's Eight Trigrams Formation with no way out."
Jifra, the mid god of corruption, took the form of a massive spider. That was why Ralka bore the epithet Queen Spider—her Eight Trigrams Formation was like a spider's web. Once caught, escape was impossible. Those ensnared slowly lost their vitality until they became nothing but fodder for Jifra.
[That's exactly how cute she is. If it were me, I'd rip their throats out in one go, but that kid at least gives them a brief chance to breathe.]
"...Is that so?"
[And she was always gunning for me. Wanted me dead, that one.]
"...What?"
[See? Don't try to understand those who inherit the void's lineage, Adel. Their brains must be voids too. Cute, my ass. The gods of corruption all followed me while plotting to take my life—fanatics, every one.]
[Such naughty obsession.]
[...Urk.]
Adel chuckled at Garon's blunt reaction.
"Still, if she can wield Jifra's power to this extent, it'll be a big help for what I have planned ahead."
"That little pup sure talks big. Who's using who here?"
A silhouette emerged from the rippling inner wall. The woman, her face veiled in black silk, wore a flowing dress of the same material that clung to her curves.
"You've arrived."
Adel slowly raised his head.
[Jif...]
"Shh."
As Kalderet rose eagerly toward her, Adel covered his mouth to silence him. Then, he gradually drew up his mana to erase Kalderet's presence.
Stay still. With the mana left in the true blood I got from Gerald's lair, I can't fully conceal you. Move, and it'll shatter instantly.
[What are you planning?]
Kalderet stared at him, clearly puzzled by Adel's intentions.
Ralka worships Jifra. She'll follow me without question if she sees you. But that alone won't win me Ruinxen.
"Ruinxen is a free city. Or in other words, lawless. And in the end, its foundation is raw power."
As Adel flared his mana, Ralka's face stiffened behind her veil.
The gods' superiority won't cut it. I need to dominate her through sheer force if I want to sway Ruinxen's other overseers. Sure, no one would dare defy the Queen Spider's word.
[Fair point.]
"...I see. So you're a mana user. Hmm, not a mage, though... What kind of freak are you?"
Ralka asked upon sensing Adel's mana. With a flick of her hand, strands of pure white spider silk whipped out like lashes, quivering in alert.
Tsssk!Tsss!
The threads tensed toward Adel like living things. Her seductive allure clashed with Ruinxen's lawless vibe, yet it radiated the undeniable authority of the city's mistress.
"What do you think I am?"
Adel countered with a faint smile, seemingly pleased by her intimidating display.
"Doesn't matter what you are. You're dead anyway. I wondered who sent Black Spider's flesh and Galm's finger—turns out it's just some brat."
She approached slowly.
"Not flinching before me is praiseworthy, but you still have to pay for the chaos you've caused in Ruinxen, little one."
"We'll see."
Adel shrugged at her taunt.
"You heard what I said earlier. You should take note yourself, Ralka. Kneel and bow your head. Unless you want to die."
"...You mad bastard! Your guts are hanging out!"
Shrrrk!
In that instant, her spider silk surged toward Adel.
"I'll hack off your legs for the gatekeepers' supper and smash your fingers to feed the sewer rats! Let's see if your tongue can still wag then!"
As her dress billowed, black aura erupted from her. Eight magic circles materialized around her simultaneously.
Eight Trigrams at once? Perfect. I was worried her achievements might fall short since this is years before my past life.
Despite the immense power he felt, Adel's expression remained calm as he regarded her.
"Looks like I can wring plenty out of you."
He slowly reached back with one hand.
Krrunch!
Adel drew the Lion Bow's string taut.
Hummm...
The engravings on the bow limbs glowed—not with Nazan's supple light, but a deep purple like congealed blood.
"A bow etched with a blessing rune? Now I get it. You're a damned hunter. From the desert, no less."
Ralka growled at the sight of his bow.
"If you're a hunter, go hunt beasts and live off that! How dare you... stir up trouble in Ruinxen like some arrogant punk!"
"Hunting isn't just for monsters. That's why you all hate hunters, isn't it?"
Kyaaak! Kyakya!
Ghouls poured from the magic circles sprouting everywhere. Reeking of decay, their flesh-melted undead forms charged at Adel.
"Didn't really want to use this..."
Adel muttered low, then released the tension in his drawing hand.
Bang!
A sharp sonic boom rang out as an arrow rocketed forth at blinding speed.
Thud!
A dull, club-like impact exploded the ghouls around him.
Boom!Shiver...
The arrow embedded in the wall just beside Ralka's cheek, quivering as if unable to withstand its own force.
"Wh-what the...?"
Ralka stared at Adel in a daze.
"Hm. Still only this much? Good at barriers, but combat-wise, you're sorely lacking. Plenty to teach you."
Adel lowered his head and approached her.
"Father must have foreseen something like this. Giving me the Lion Bow and all. You're no pushover, after all."
"F-Father?"
"One of the desert's divine artifacts. Infused with the scorching sands' power, it's peerless at purifying the undead. And its lethality on the living? More than enough to turn them into corpses."
"No way..."
Adel spoke softly toward her trembling gaze.
"Shall I make you one of the dead too?"
To become Ruinxen's mistress, she'd belonged to a cult whose name alone struck fear across the continent.
Not just any hunter.
She was no novice to the continent's brutal ways and knew exactly what the weapon in his hands signified.
"Few possess arms infused with the sands' heat. You... connected to Haien Temir?"
"I'm his eighth."
Yet even hearing the White Ghost's name, Ralka showed no fear or dismay.
"Haien's spawn, huh. Damn it... What a mess. Should've stayed playing king in the desert if you've got nothing better to eat."
Haien took in a new kid... That must be him? The rumors were pretty wild.
She grimaced like she'd swallowed something foul.
"I'm looking for someone. But that's not hard for you."
"If that's all..."
"Besides, that's tribe business, not mine. I came here for a different reason."
"What're you on about?"
Adel faced her scowl.
"How about handing Ruinxen over to me?"
"Ha... Huh?!"
Ralka burst into incredulous laughter.
"Desert heat must've fried your brain. You dare ask for my city?"
"What, bothered that I'm from the desert? That's not the important part right now."
Crack!Crrrack!
The rippling walls suddenly froze solid like ice, then spiderwebbed with fractures.
[Can I move now?]
Kalderet uncurled, shaking his mane as he shook his head.
"Th-this is..."
"Shh."
Her voice trembled, but Adel pressed a finger to her lips.
"Ralka, Haien's name means nothing to me. I called you because I'm certain you'll serve me, even without his fame."
Crack.
Adel yanked the arrow from beside her. Her protective shimmering veil shattered completely.
"...?!"
She couldn't hide her shock.
"H-how?! Shattering the Eight Trigrams barrier in one shot... Even a high god couldn't do that easily!"
[Eight Trigrams? Fancy name. Still just a pathetic collateral god. The nerve...]
Boom!
Kalderet swiped the air with a forepaw, roaring. As his words ended, her veil sliced clean off.
"...!!!"
Claw marks scarred the wall behind her head, revealing her stunning face with crimson lips.
"H-hah!"
Ralka frantically covered her face, bowing her head in embarrassment, eyes darting to Kalderet.
"Th-this power..."
[Yes. Now you know who I am.]
At Kalderet's words, she looked up.
"The void...? Y-you. What illusion is this? Impersonating an ancient god?!"
Adel couldn't help but chuckle at her outburst.
[Impersonating?]
Crunch!
Kalderet slammed his forepaw into the floor with full force.
[You dare doubt me, minion of corruption? Must I demonstrate my power to shut that flimsy yap? Eh?]
"H-heh...!"
Without mercy, Kalderet snatched her by the nape and smashed her face into the ground.
[As Jifra's contractor, you knew the instant you saw me. Real or fake.]
"...Guh!"
[So what's this? You already knew, yet you still hold your head high? Do you truly crave death?]
In that moment, Ralka understood. He was no fake.
Grrr...
Kalderet's razor fangs gleamed, lightly grazing her throat. Gooseflesh erupted across her skin. Her legs shook, knees buckling.
"Ralka. You know what you must do now."
Adel righted a toppled chair from the table and sat astride it.
"O-of course!"
With her head pressed to the floor, Ralka cried out in reverence toward him.