Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Breakwater
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The island of trials connecting the 49th and 51st floors of the tower, the 50th floor.
Shadows like darkness seeped into every crack and hole across the island.
Along with them, a massive monster emerged from the shadows, roaring terrifyingly without end as it began hunting its own kin.
“Kee-eek!”
The animal-type monsters that had originally guarded the island—now turned into a breakwater by Berddin and his companions—tried to block them. But unexpected reinforcements arrived.
The leader of the monsters surging down from the upper floors on the waves: a red-haired boy with horns protruding from his forehead, who appeared to be one of the apostles.
“Who dares block the waves?”
Before he stepped in, the monsters’ battle had seemed evenly matched. But with the boy’s arrival, the tide turned.
Kwa-gwang!
Wherever his hand touched, pillars of fire erupted, melting the monsters away.
Not only that, the terrain blocking the path warped under the sheer force of his mana.
Sususu—
“Imperator, was this your doing?”
The red-haired boy whispered softly.
Imperator appeared before him, slicing through space, and shrugged his eyebrows.
“Me? No way.”
“Then who did this? Daring to obstruct the blessing sent by the gods.”
“...You’ll have to find out yourself. I only came down here briefly to assist with the trials on this floor. I didn’t touch a thing.”
The red-haired boy glared at him and aimed the mana gathered in his hand.
“Damn demon scum.”
“Huh? Forgot you’re a demon too?”
“I’m human.”
“Speak precisely. You were human. You’re not anymore, are you? Jin.”
Imperator’s sword clashed against the mana-infused fist of the man called Jin.
Kwa-aang!
A deafening roar erupted as their energies blasted outward in all directions. Winds like a typhoon swept across the island.
Kurrurururu.
“Imperator, if it were me, I would’ve cleared those pests before the waves even arrived.”
“Jin, that’s why the other apostles look down on you. You go out of your way doing unnecessary work.”
“It’s not unnecessary. It’s paving the path to fulfill His will.”
“An apostle is one who has the strength to walk that path without needing it paved.”
The two glared at each other.
But no further words passed between them. The apostle called Jin simply departed with a sour expression, hurling a circular orb of his mana into the center of the island.
Kwaang!
As the circular mana lost its glow, dark spheres plummeted like meteors.
His shadow-like ability flooded every corner of the island, devouring all life force in its path.
Not only that, the dark shroud enveloping his body—dotted with gleaming eyes—scanned the surroundings relentlessly, invading the island at a horrifying speed.
“Begone.”
Jin lightly clapped toward the empty air.
Ppak!
The monsters swallowed by his darkness floated high into the sky in an instant.
Tududududu!
Then they rained down onto the ground.
Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
The impact shattered the bodies of the monsters serving as the breakwater, or left them too crippled to move, rendering them useless.
“Heh—”
Imperator shook his head at the sight of his power.
The monsters riding the waves from the eastern sea began engulfing the continent in earnest.
Their presence—far larger and more powerful than we’d imagined—spread terror and unease across the land.
They moved faster than expected, striking from every direction.
Their advance was so swift that, in less than a week, the waves had blanketed the entire continent in darkness and fear.
That’s right.
So I made the inevitable choice.
“Assemble all the southern forces under Strange’s command, summon the Glazer wizards who surrendered to us, and form five battalions.”
It was a last-resort strategy, fit for a final bastion. Even with the breakwater slowing them, the waves loomed far higher than anticipated.
I have no choice but to adapt the plan.
Rox closed his eyes and waved a hand through the air.
“By the way, that breakwater we built in the tower crumbled too easily. Any other way I can push them back with my power?”
I couldn’t answer right away. I had an idea, but the conditions to head there weren’t in place yet.
Alfredo, who’d been listening in, asked me offhandedly.
“Berddin, send me north. I’ll hand over that giant I mentioned to the kid.”
I wanted to.
But we lacked the spare capacity to move together now. Dealing with the monsters swarming the castle was already overwhelming; sending myself north would be far too risky.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I can’t abandon the castle right now.”
“Then just send me and the kid.”
“And if something happens? If you bolt, it complicates everything.”
“Ha… You don’t trust me?”
Cynthia yanked Alfredo’s beard hard, voicing what I’d planned to say.
Pak.
“A rat who leaked party intel, now yapping all shameless?”
“Aak! Cynthia, calm down!”
“Then shut it and hug the corner wall. Got it?”
“A-alright! Just let go of the beard—”
Before he could finish, she released it and booted his gut.
Peok!
Alfredo tumbled like a ball into the room’s corner.
Kung.
Rox clutched his stomach laughing at the sight, then asked me again.
“Bring back the giants from Legion?”
“No. They can’t move. They need to hold position.”
“Why?”
“It’s not their time yet. Too valuable to waste blocking waves.”
The giant corpses left on this continent numbered at most ten, maybe fewer.
To secure victory in the cataclysmic war I knew was coming, I had to conserve them.
“Here’s the plan.”
“What?”
“Stick with Philip from now on.”
“Philip?”
“Yeah. When his modified monsters die, you revive them and deploy.”
“...Ah!”
“Replacements far stronger than regular troops.”
Rox thrust both thumbs up, spinning them before my face.
“Damn, you’re brilliant. How’d you think of that?”
“Save it. I’ll pinpoint Philip’s location soon—follow him.”
“Got it.”
As our talk wrapped, Philip emerged from behind the curtain. He’d apparently waited there awhile; sweat beaded his forehead.
“You called?”
“...You the one who snuck in the window last night?”
“Huh? How’d you know?”
As if I wouldn’t.
I’d dismissed Bess’s report, figuring such a puny beast posed no threat.
“You heard everything, right?”
Philip stroked the scar on his face, sidled up, and slung an arm around Rox.
“Yes, sir. I’ll handle that and your prior instructions.”
“Good.”
“Heard the Midgard news?”
“Midgard?”
“Yes. One Rothschild heir went berserk, wiped out the Knights of God.”
“?!”
What the hell?
Attacking their key force amid all this?
“Details.”
“Didn’t hear? Asabragg hit the World Tree’s base, purging ‘rebels.’”
“……”
“Slaughtered the eastern wizards who rebelled against Rothschild too.”
“Eastern wizards—Glazers?”
“Exactly.”
So Ragnarok knew Pendragon plotted rebellion.
Then.
Why leave them be till now? If I’d stormed the World Tree after facing them, it could’ve blown up.
After a moment’s thought, I replied to Philip.
“When the waves halt, I’ll head to Ragnarok myself.”
“You, Berddin?”
“Yeah. Drag out those so-called ‘children of god’ from the World Tree. Clear the way for its true master to return.”
Philip cocked his head.
“True master of the World Tree?”
“Yeah.”
Only then could we ascend higher in the tower.
Of course.
Few knew that truth. Brunhilt, grasping the implication, brushed my cheek gently with a paw.
“Our Berddin’s so sharp? Knew that far ahead.”
“Teacher knew too?”
“How not? I discovered it first.”
“You’re a demon, though.”
“Human too.”
Siegfried promptly shoved his sword in my face.
“When do we kill that Timeless bastard?”
How clueless could he be? Dropping that bomb here?
Though I get it.
I knew his heart.
I waved off Philip to end our chat, reclined on the sofa, and answered Siegfried.
“Teacher.”
“Yeah.”
“Honestly? Don’t want to tangle with him now.”
“What? You lunatic—sparing an enemy?!”
Siegfried flew into a rage, slashing at me. His soul blade, of course, phased harmlessly through.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
“No need revisiting cleared trials. No desire wasting time on his grudge.”
“So you’ll let a would-be killer slide?”
“No. Timeless prepped plenty against Strange, I know. But—”
I drew my waist dagger and flung it at the wall map.
Pak!
It pinned dead-center: the Papal Court.
“Us striking first just hands him justification. With so many foes, better we wait.”
“Wait?”
“Yes. Timeless has spies embedded here for sure. Not recent—long-term, right in this castle—”
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone rapped the door just then.
“...Family Head. Guardian Knight Captain Bess requests an audience.”