Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Leap Over the Wall
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“This way!”
Upon arriving at the Central Barrier Division, we boarded the lift that would take us up to the top of the wall, guided by Kiran.
When Kiran pulled the lever, the creaking sound of chains tightening echoed as the lift rose, making the buildings of the Central Barrier Division shrink beneath our feet.
The wall, now beginning to fade into twilight, glistened with a gloomy purple hue.
“For now, let’s split up here. We’ll head straight to the West Gate.”
The Seolryeong Great Wall housed one headquarters and four branches.
The western West Gate, the central headquarters, the eastern Changdong Gate. The Central Barrier Division was a branch located between the West Gate and the headquarters, with the Silver Horn Bay flowing right beside it.
Following the waterway of Silver Horn Bay upstream would lead to Rabenfel, the city where the beastkin gathered, and crossing that waterway brought you to the battleship base.
“Kiran, can’t you open the gate here?”
“Probably not... There are a lot of guards here, and if we open it, the headquarters would notice right away.”
Kasena bit her lip in disappointment.
There were two good reasons for that. This was the closest gate to Rabenfel. And the West Gate...
“Isn’t that place practically abandoned? Even if we cross there, it’s not imperial territory—it’s Trident Point.”
Sure enough. Beyond the West Gate stretched Trident Point, the barren land revered as a holy site for adventurers.
This trident-shaped cape, splitting the northern Empire and the North Sea, was a land of despair teeming with countless abyssal labyrinths.
The faces of my old friends Rem and Bart, who had suddenly been called to that place, flashed before my eyes... but I shook my head to push the thought away.
“Miss, for now, we should be grateful they’re opening the wall gate at all. Kiran’s doing his best to help.”
“I know that, but...”
The lift jolted to a stop at the top, and Kiran deftly stepped onto the wall, extending a hand to help us down one by one.
Once again, the decadent winds from Harbadonia blew in from Harbadonia, tightening our throats. In that chilling breeze, the frozen wall divided the world of light and the empire of darkness in a straight line—an otherworldly sight.
It was an experience so striking I wanted to etch it into my heart, but there was no time to marvel.
“Ready?”
“All set.”
The wolves, who had descended first, had securely lashed planks together with chains, preparing to lower the two of us beyond the wall.
“Kiran.”
That’s when I noticed the trebuchets neatly arrayed atop the wall.
“Could you place the platform on one of those up there?”
“What?”
“I want to cut down on time as much as possible.”
The wolves gave me puzzled looks, but Kiran, who had been eyeing the trebuchet thoughtfully, caught on and widened his eyes.
“Ah, you’re going to use it like that?”
“Yeah.”
“No wonder Chancellor Madelia has her eye on you as son-in-law material. Bold and clever.”
Kasena, thinking he was praising Rain, nodded along eagerly—until she suddenly realized and smacked Kiran on the back in horror.
The plan was simple. Use the trebuchet’s power to launch into the sky, then create tailwinds and an updraft with wind magic to fly as far as possible.
As the guards placed the planks on the trebuchet’s launch arm and secured our pony to them, Kiran grabbed my arm.
“If Alakishi truly saw it and you truly heard it... remember this, Rain. Never fight that monster head-on. Absolutely never.”
“Why?”
“Shar’kas is one of the five vassals, the Obonwi, who served the Spider Lord. It means he’s a familiar granted divinity by the king.”
The five were Gongan-gong, Hu-singyeong, Baek Do-ryeong, Ja-un-nyeo, and Nam-dong-ja... and Baek Do-ryeong’s true name was Shar’kas.
Legend said he was sealed when Hero Alkaios pierced his heart with his sword in the final battle.
No one knew how he broke free, but...
“Rain, got it? Never fight it. Ever. It’s a god.”
Kiran’s white breath shattered as he pleaded repeatedly, as if begging for a promise.
“I’ll keep it in mind, Kiran.”
Kiran patted my shoulder worriedly, then flicked Kasena’s forehead and gave a wry smile, as if to say she was hopeless.
“I tell her it’s dangerous, and she won’t listen. Same as always.”
Rain had planned to leave Kasena at the wall, but her resolve was so firm there was nothing to be done.
- I’m going to meet Alakishi too. Try to stop me, and you’re dead!
If she were like Tureina with a clear superior-subordinate relationship, he could’ve smacked her and left her behind... but hierarchies came with their own headaches.
“Alright, all set.”
Kiran finally nodded, and we mounted the pony.
“Then, good luck.”
The wolves saluted us, then severed the rope holding the counterweight with a single stroke.
The trebuchet’s vertical beam slammed the horizontal one with a thud, and its arm began tracing a massive arc... Kasena’s hands, gripping my back from behind the saddle, tightened.
Blood rushed to my head with the acceleration, and in the next instant, the eternal tomb of Harbadonia sprawled dizzyingly below us.
‘I’ve blocked the eardrum rupture from pressure differences with wind magic... Now focus on creating tailwinds and updrafts.’
The launch angle was northwest—straight across Silver Horn Bay to the battleship base. Kasena, scanning around in a daze, suddenly shouted.
“Rain, look!”
Thanks to the deepening dusk, a winding line of torches stretched clearly into view all the way to the battleship base.
Pip succeeded...
It should’ve been a moment of relief, but when I followed Kasena’s pointing finger next, my jaw dropped in shock.
“It’s a blizzard...”
From the north and east, a ferocious blizzard raged, obscuring whatever lurked within as it pursued the torchline.
Shar’kas’s undead had caught the scent of the living...
North would be the undead horde, east the lord himself. Had Alakishi joined the beastkin first? I could only pray.
“Hold on tight!”
The vast white snowfield loomed closer. Closer, even larger.
The landing spot was precariously just across Silver Horn Bay on the opposite shore—about two or three hours’ walk to the battleship base, per Kiran.
Finally, the planks slammed into the ground, kicking up a whirlwind of snow, and the startled pony bolted forward.
“Northwest from here! Straight ahead!”
These ponies, raised by the white wolves from childhood with special methods, could run through snowfields without issue.
‘But...’
Even so, there were limits. They didn’t slip or stumble, but speed was inevitably slow.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, intense heat surged, and a dragon’s flame grazed overhead, shooting powerfully ahead.
Alakishi? I glanced back in surprise, but it was Kasena grinning proudly behind me.
“I’ll clear the path! Save your mana, Rain! You’ll need it to fight that bastard!”
I couldn’t help but smile faintly. Just yesterday she’d been a total novice mage, but after training with Alakishi, she’d become reliable.
She’d even mastered filtering abyssal air through mana for breathing...
As Kasena’s flames melted the snow, hard earth emerged, and the pony’s hooves pounded westward, ever westward.
“Rain!”
How long had we galloped through the scrub woods? As starlight poured brilliantly, the surrounding forest suddenly ended, opening our view.
Far ahead, a massive wrecked ship—too huge for words—lay embedded in the snowfield, emitting a faint lighthouse glow.
“Wow, that’s the battleship base...”
Before it, beastkin marched in a long column, but two young beastkin warriors hurriedly blocked our path.
“Wait! Don’t attack! It’s us!”
“You two...?”
As I answered hastily, someone from the column waved and ran over, and the warriors saluted and stepped aside.
A beastkin with a russet fox face—the Durankus tribe chief, Beduel.
Pulling the reins to stop before him, Beduel extended his bushy fox-furred hand, and we each clasped it with one of ours.
“You’re both safe... Truly, truly fortunate. The gods’ grace.”
His voice was warm, his grip warmer. My chest swelled with emotion, but there was no time to hesitate.
“Chief, you too... Where’s Pitch? Griffion and Barlzen?”
“They’re at the rear. The undead keep pursuing, so most of the warrior unit is guarding the back. Your sun parrot’s with them too.”
Knowing the undead were coming and forming the column properly... Finally, a moment’s relief.
“And Frisbia? Is her adventurer party helping?”
“No, they’re just blocking us from getting too close to the base—they won’t help... But what about Lady Alakishi? I thought she was coming with you.”
“Huh? She hasn’t arrived?”
I’d assumed she’d joined them first... Cold sweat beaded down my back. Was her injury severe, forcing her to recuperate elsewhere?
“Must’ve split off. No wonder I didn’t know. With her temperament, she’d head straight to the rear.”
That eased the ominous thoughts filling my head, letting me nod. Kasena pointed at the wall.
“We’re opening the gate! Head west to the West Gate—they’ll let you through!”
Gasps verging on sobs erupted from the beastkin gathered around, listening.
Some prayed to the gods, others embraced—mostly those with strong human traits who couldn’t become warriors, or the elderly, weak, and children.
Kasena seemed pleased at giving them such joy, then bit her lip as if sorry for something.
“Sorry... But beyond there isn’t such great land.”
“Hm?”
“It’s called Trident Point... But Rain and I will definitely get you to imperial soil!”
Beduel clasped Kasena’s small hands in both of his and gently shook his head.
“Don’t worry, and don’t apologize. We’re descendants of warriors who fought in this Harbadonia. Such a place holds no fear for us.”
“...!”
“We owe you thanks instead. Infinite gratitude to the gods who sent you, and may the gods’ grace be with you.”
As Kasena wiped tears and nodded, the beastkin resumed marching.
Earlier they’d trudged wearily from forced march, but now their steps quickened, soon breaking into a jog.
I watched the scene with some pride for a while, then turned my horse toward the battleship base. Now, it was time to drag the top adventurer onto the battlefield.
“Heh, that brat managed to come back alive. I figured the wolves would rip his throat out at the wall.”
On the battleship base’s deck, Frisbia spotted Rain and Kasena approaching and arched an eyebrow amusedly.
“Hmm~”
Stroking her chin as if pondering, she soon ordered her adventurer party members, who’d been blocking the beastkin’s approach at the base entrance with optical gear.
“Let those two inside. I’ll rip their throats out myself instead of the wolves.”