Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: The Hand Collector
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As soon as he appeared, the surrounding air shifted all at once.
He was a powerhouse who could alter everything around him simply by showing up.
He was a man who perfectly embodied the term apex predator.
"I heard something peculiar earlier."
"They say there's a Viper-rank powerhouse among you."
He smiled with his eyes as he turned to look at the burned man.
No way he overheard that.
Moebius hurriedly glanced at the burned man.
The man before them stood frozen, unable to utter a word.
It was only natural.
Who was the one who had inflicted those burns on him?
None other than Baomet himself.
The moment Moebius saw him, he grabbed the burned man's head and forced it down in a bow.
"My apologies, Lord Baomet."
The old man saw this and maintained his benevolent smile once more.
"It's fine. Anyone can slip up. More importantly, a Viper-rank powerhouse? That's concerning."
Fortunately, Baomet showed more interest in the figure the burned man had mentioned than in him.
"So, what was that man's name?"
Baomet asked with an eye smile.
"His name is Havel,"
Moebius answered his question immediately.
At that instant, Baomet's eyebrow twitched.
He looked deeply irritated by something.
"...By any chance, does he have a family name?"
As Baomet questioned him, Moebius turned to the others.
He hadn't heard anything about a family name either.
As the burned man hesitated, the spearman spoke up instead.
"I don't know the family name for sure, but he said he's from the Banpellyon House."
"Hah."
Baomet let out a short sigh and slammed his staff into the ground.
His face twisted as if he'd heard a name he never wanted to hear.
"Recently, someone commissioned intel from our side."
"No way."
"Yes, the client's name was Havel Banpellyon."
As he recalled that name, a slow-burning rage began to surface.
"I don't know which fool decided to use that damn name, but it pisses me off to no end."
Baomet revealed a venomous fury.
Moebius was shocked.
This was the first time he'd seen Baomet harbor such hatred over a mere name.
And for good reason—Baomet was the kind of man who punished his mistakes with a kind smile on his face.
For him to show such deep emotional scars from just a name...
It was astonishing.
What the hell is it about the name Havel Banpellyon?
Moebius couldn't fathom it.
Maybe it was a name from ages ago.
Baomet might look like an old gentleman on the outside.
But the life he'd lived was impossibly long.
He had transcended humanity, after all.
"Or maybe that irritating Banpellyon House has started leaking that name on purpose."
"Banpellyon—you mean that house that's been making waves lately?"
Moebius had heard the name Banpellyon before.
There was that super rookie named Dante.
Lately, though, he'd been hearing that name less and less.
What could have happened between Baomet and the Banpellyons?
"The Banpellyons might be trying to make a comeback by reviving the name Havel, but it's odd that they'd investigate us."
Baomet slowly spun his staff.
Then, just as quickly, he resumed his benevolent smile.
"Simple enough, then. Burns, you said this Havel is on my level?"
"Yes."
The burned man began scratching fiercely at the scars peeking through his bandages.
Seeing this, Baomet turned and stood tall.
"Then we'll avoid the risk and do what he'll hate most. Head to the Banpellyons."
Raze it to the ground and capture their bloodline.
The results would follow naturally.
Perfect. That name's been grating on me lately anyway.
Time to wipe it out for good.
His benevolent smile twisted into something demonic.
Boom!
A commotion erupted from far away.
It sounded like a dust storm kicking up.
"Burns."
The spearman called out in disbelief, and the burned man squinted through his bandages.
"...Looks like we're too late."
"The Calamity is coming!"
In that moment, the crone—who'd been silent till now—shrieked again like she was losing her mind.
Whooooosh!
A sudden gale whipped their hair about.
And then, someone landed before them.
Silver hair bordering on white, and beneath it, piercing blue eyes.
A blue glow emanated from those eyes, sending chills through the air.
The sight of him made goosebumps erupt across Moebius's skin.
His breath caught in his throat.
A nauseating sensation gripped his neck like it was being strangled.
His legs screamed for him to run right then and there.
"Eeeek!"
The crone screamed and collapsed in a convulsion on the ground.
The others followed suit.
The burned man and spearman rolled their eyes back and passed out.
Moebius had felt this sensation once before, faintly.
When he'd briefly communed with the Whisperer.
It was the feeling of facing a being that transcended human perception.
A presence so divine it was hard even to call it a god.
So he couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
Why did this man before him evoke the same sensation?
Cold sweat poured down Moebius as his eyes turned to Baomet.
The man's eyes—always crinkled in a kind smile—were now wide open wider than ever.
Rage, hatred, and shock mingled in a chaotic mess.
"I was just planning to chase you down quietly."
Havel openly displayed his disgust.
The air rippled wildly in tune with his emotions.
Cracking sounds echoed around them.
Trees—the plant life itself—was bending away from him in fear of his wrath.
It was the mark of a transcendent being.
Havel's eyes slowly turned to Baomet.
Anger simmered in them as he met the man's bulging stare.
It was only natural.
Baomet had uttered words that should never be spoken.
"You dare speak the name Banpellyon?"
The one thing Havel could never tolerate being touched.
Banpellyon.
Baomet had crossed that line.
Before that immense rage, Moebius felt like he might black out.
Even he could barely endure it.
"So you're still alive?"
Baomet finally spoke.
Havel narrowed his eyes at the question.
It implied the man knew him.
Quite surprising.
After a hundred years, Havel had all but been forgotten.
He'd thought no one remembered him anymore.
To think someone had held onto that memory for over a century.
But in truth, Havel frowned as he looked at Baomet.
The man wasn't in his memories.
Seeing Havel's reaction—like it was their first meeting—Baomet let out a hollow chuckle.
"I suppose so. My appearance has changed quite a bit since then."
Decades had passed since Baomet last recalled Havel.
He too had only recently heard the name Havel Banpellyon again.
"Whereas you..."
The Havel before him looked unchanged from back then.
This fact sparked a strange suspicion in Baomet.
Havel's name had begun fading after he entered the Demonic Palace.
A flicker of realization crossed Baomet's eyes.
Even the Whisperer had decreed through revelation to avoid the Demonic Palace.
Had Havel cleared it after all?
His gaze fell on Havel again.
The faint aura of Calamity emanating from his body.
It was certain.
Havel had cleared the Demonic Palace and absorbed its Calamity.
When Burns said he was on par with our Viper, I thought it was nonsense.
But if he'd absorbed the Demonic Palace's Calamity and become transcendent...
That changed everything.
It meant he was no longer human either.
"I never imagined I'd see you again here."
"You know me, huh? Guess your lifeline's tougher than it looks."
Havel cracked his neck, indifferent to whether the man recognized him or not.
"Too bad, though."
A tyrannical aura surged from his body.
"Looks like it's getting cut today."
Baomet's eyes curved slyly.
"Same arrogance as ever, past or present."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
There was no reason not to be arrogant.
Havel was utterly confident of victory against this foe.
Seeing this, Baomet's eyes curved in an eerie smile.
"Then let me remind you."
His left hand extended to the side.
Darkness dripped from it—Calamity itself.
"Of what you might still remember about me somewhere in those memories."
This was Baomet's personal grudge.
From the distant past, during the Unification War.
The fateful grudge tied to Havel.
Havel drew his sword at an angle as he faced him.
Even with his arrogant expression, his eyes remained cautious.
He could sense the Calamity in Baomet's body too.
Just how strong is this guy?
Not some fake like the Calamity faux he'd met in the Tower.
A true one, just like him, who had absorbed Calamity.
Havel was intensely curious about its power.
He too had grown numerically by absorbing Calamity.
If Baomet had been doing the same for even longer...
He might even be stronger than Havel.
A thrill of excitement rose in Havel's eyes.
For the first time in ages, he might face a worthy opponent.
One that could perhaps even wound his diamond body.
Under that midday sun.
Sensing something ominous, Moebius quickly dragged the three away.
Baomet moved first.
The moment he thrust his staff forward.
Riiip!
A pitch-black rift tore open behind him.
His staff slammed the ground.
From the darkness rose a massive black arm.
It was far from human.
Covered in shaggy fur, with claws, and wearing a bracelet of round black stones.
"The first left arm brings the punishment of karmic fire."
Blue flames flickered wildly from his left arm.
They coalesced into a sword of blue fire.
He slammed his staff again.
This time, a right arm ripped through space.
Covered in white fur, bracelet of white stones, steel spikes protruded from it.
The steel formed a mace bristling with spikes.
"The second right arm brings the punishment of thorns."
Hearing "punishment," Havel's brow furrowed.
It sounded familiar—from ages ago, before entering the Demonic Palace.
As Havel rummaged through his memories, both arms swung at him.
Blue flame sword and thorny mace.
He swiftly dodged the assault.
But the arms were relentless.
As if unbound by any lich-like constraints.
They stretched endlessly, hounding Havel.
Boom!
The mace he evaded obliterated the surrounding forest.
The pursuing flame sword came slashing down.
Roooar!
Explosive flames erased the woods and scorched the earth red-hot.
Hotter than the mutant Calamity Dragon he'd fought earlier.
"The third left arm brings the punishment of lightning."
Another new arm appeared from Baomet.
A spear forged of blue thunder qi.
"The fourth right arm brings the punishment of hunger."
Next came a bizarre arm with multiple mouths.
Drool from its protruding tongues melted the ground.
The arms lunged at Havel.
Boom, crash, boom!
Each swing leveled the area.
And they grew larger with every moment.
Soon they were giant's arms.
Baomet slammed his staff again, and a hand rose beneath his feet.
Riding it into the sky, he looked down at Havel.
He was dodging the arms like a rat.
But it wouldn't last.
The arms were expanding, filling every escape route.
"The fifth left arm brings the punishment of curses."
Yet another hand sprouted behind him.
As it raised one finger.
Thousands of ashen hands burst from beneath Havel's feet.
They pursued him relentlessly, trying to grab hold.
Havel flipped through the air, scowling.
That hand bore a vicious curse that rotted flesh on contact.
Four hands from above.
Cursed hands from below.
The world filled with hands.
Havel vanished, completely engulfed.
Baomet sneered in disgust.
"The Sword Saint reduced to fleeing? Pathetic."
He even remembered that he was the Sword Saint.
"Ah."
As Havel muttered in realization.
Kaboom!
A massive explosion erupted, light swallowing the area.
When it faded, an unexpected sight emerged.
All the arms that had ensnared him were torn apart.
Baomet's eyes bulged at the scene.
Havel spoke.
"You a hand collector or something?"
Back during the Unification War.
Commander of the Belgram Knights from the enemy Veltron Empire.
Hand Collector Baomet Tarim.
The madman who always collected the hands of the famous slain.
He didn't recall the name Baomet.
But remembering the talk of "punishments," Havel smiled slowly.
"Those hands I cut off heal up okay?"
And it was Havel who had severed those hands.
Craaaack!
Flames of rage ignited in Baomet's eyes.
"I'll take the Sword Saint's hand for myself."
The arms he'd conjured reverted to their original forms all at once.
Havel casually tapped his shoulder with his sword, unconcerned.
"Fine by me."
Dawn light began to frost his blade.
"I'll just cut 'em off again."
Time to re-engrave those Unification War memories.