Chapter 220: The Weeping Serpent (Part 10)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220: The Weeping Serpent (Part 10)
The tide of corpses surged.
These bodies had been cast into the blood pool as sacrifices to the Evil God. Even after their essence and blood had been drained dry, they were denied their promised rest. Their final bit of value was squeezed out as their withered husks, driven by the will of the Silent Moon, transformed into living corpses—monsters lingering on the precipice of life and death. They launched a fearless, suicidal charge toward Muen.
They’re weak.
That was Muen’s first thought upon making contact. Much like the zombies from the television shows of his past life, they moved slowly, possessed meager strength, and fought without any semblance of coordination.
The only things that posed a problem were their terrifying numbers... and their wailing.
"Save me..."
"Help me..."
"Please... save me..."
Driven by the Evil God’s twisted sense of humor, a sliver of consciousness remained within them. Amidst endless agony, their faces contorted in anguish as they wept tears of blood, instinctively seeking salvation from the only living person in this place.
"I will... give you true release."
Muen let out a sigh of pity, and then... he took the head of the living corpse blocking his path.
Living corpses like these, which even an ordinary person might have a chance to escape from, naturally couldn't slow Muen’s pace. He threw himself into the thickest part of the tide. His blade was a blur of light, cold flashes flickering as heads flew one after another.
Under the erosion of the Holy Light released by Elizabeth, even the power of an Evil God could not restore a decapitated corpse. They finally reached their true end.
Muen advanced step by step, drawing closer to the altar.
No matter how many living corpses there were, they weren't infinite.
Under Muen’s increasingly fierce bladework, they fell like wheat before a scythe.
But suddenly, Muen felt a surge of pressure.
The living corpse in front of him seemed to have suddenly grown several times stronger. When it lunged, the impact made Muen’s blade tremble slightly.
Startled, Muen looked at the creature’s body.
Beneath skin as wrinkled as tree bark, several human faces bulged out in shapes of extreme agony, letting out silent screams.
Muen felt a chill and looked around.
Only then did he realize that among the corpses he had decapitated, flickers of spiritual light were suddenly rising, only to be forcibly shoved into the corpses that were still standing by an invisible force.
Those were...
Souls.
Souls that had been mostly drained of their essence by the Evil God, leaving only dregs.
The living corpses purified by Holy Light were useless, but these soul fragments could still be recycled by the Evil God. Thus, the excess souls were stuffed into the remaining bodies, turning them into disgusting monsters where dozens of souls wailed in unison within a single frame.
...Talk about being eco-friendly and cost-effective.
Muen let out a frustrated laugh and looked up at the moon. "Do you want me to teach you how to say 'How dare you'?"
The moon, naturally, did not respond.
Muen channeled his fury toward the Silent Moon into his blade. He alternated between Shadow Step and Thunder Roar, techniques that had reached their peak through constant combat.
At the same time, the alchemy core on his back grew scorching hot once more.
Time Dilation—tenfold!
Everything in his vision slowed down. Without hesitation, Muen began systematically slaughtering the living corpses that were rapidly mutating into monsters.
The number of corpses dwindled, but the pressure on Muen only increased.
As the soul dregs accumulated, the remaining creatures could no longer be called living corpses. Their mutated flesh had distorted them beyond recognition, and the agony of being denied salvation for so long had curdled into bone-deep hatred.
They roared as they pounced on Muen, their twisted limbs flailing with enough force to easily crater the bluestone floor.
The realm of every single monster had been forcibly pushed to the Third-Tier. Faced with a siege by such creatures, even a Banshee in her prime would have met a bitter end.
Furthermore, after continuous fighting, Muen was feeling utterly exhausted. Facing these monsters that seemed to have crawled out of hell, he couldn't help but feel the urge to flee.
However.
Through the gaps between the clashing monsters, his gaze fell upon the girl beneath the moonlight, specifically on her slightly furrowed brow.
Senior, are you having a nightmare?
Dong—
In that moment, a long, resonant sound echoed in Muen’s ears.
It sounded like a violently thumping heart, or perhaps... the tolling of a bell!
Tenfold.
Twenty-fold.
Thirty-fold.
The alchemy core, personally crafted by Grand Magister Mela Domir, began running at maximum capacity once again, frantically squeezing every last drop of mana from Muen’s body.
Until.
...Sixty-fold!
Muen seemed to have forgotten Teacher Mela’s warnings, pushing Time Dilation to the absolute limit of his current capability.
Then.
In a world that looked like a slow-motion film, he pushed his physical body harder and harder.
Faster, even faster!
In a mere instant.
The monsters' movements suddenly froze.
They lowered their heads, a hint of confusion surfacing in their chaotic consciousness.
A blade wound appeared on a monster’s body.
A second.
A third.
...
Countless wounds.
It was as if the monsters had been struck hundreds or thousands of times simultaneously. Brilliant blade energy converged, so bright it was blinding. As a massive amount of Holy Light poured in, the mutated monsters didn't even have time to wail before they met their end.
Muen appeared behind the monsters at some unknown point, finally... stepping onto the edge of the altar.
Drops of blood fell from the air.
But it wasn't the monsters' blood; it was Muen’s.
Just as Teacher Mela had warned, moving at full speed under high-level Time Dilation had easily shattered his physical limits.
But this breakthrough was not a beneficial one.
When Muen stopped, a large amount of blood sprayed from his pores and his ruptured skin, creating a small rain of red.
Only this time, Muen did not fall.
He stood at the edge of the altar, his body swaying. A fiery light ignited in his eyes, constantly repairing his internal injuries.
Then, he took a firm, powerful step forward toward the girl.
Woom—
An invisible pressure instantly crushed down on him. A bone-chilling cold made Muen feel as if he were in the deep sea, ten thousand meters down.
The high and mighty moon finally cast down its cold gaze!
That terrifying stare made one feel their own insignificance, sparking an instinctive urge to kneel and worship.
Heh, so you... couldn't hold back anymore?
Muen’s lips curled into a strained smirk.
Without any hesitation, he took another step.
Crack.
Muen heard the sound of his own bones snapping.
The colossal pressure, like an endless black tide, submerged him, making it nearly impossible to move an inch.
Even standing was difficult; he was forced to hunch his body low.
Beneath his feet, his shadow under the moonlight seemed to come alive, coiling upward like demonic tentacles, threatening to swallow him whole.
Muen grit his teeth.
Pshhh.
Crimson flames spread, burning the shadow to ash.
But... that was the extent of it.
The Crimson Flame, which was usually invincible, was now confined close to Muen’s body by an invisible force, flickering like a candle in the wind, fragile enough to be extinguished at any moment.
This was why Muen hadn't used the Crimson Flame to clear out the fodder earlier. Within the range of this moonlight, the Crimson Flame was naturally suppressed; it was difficult for it to even leave the surface of his body.
Even so, Muen... continued forward.
Another step.
Spiderweb-like cracks immediately appeared under his feet. The sound of bones breaking and then being repaired by the Crimson Flame was incessant.
The intense pain caused Muen to break out in a cold sweat. Under this mountain-like pressure, he could only keep his teeth clenched to prevent himself from losing his resolve.
Muen seemed to hear a faint, mocking sneer in his ear.
—So what if you dealt with those lowly ants? You are still just a bug.
Muen could clearly feel the disdain and ridicule in that cold gaze. Even though he was only a few meters away from his Senior Sister, the Silent Moon did not kill him directly. Instead, it applied pressure bit by bit, watching him slowly die in pain and despair.
Given the Evil God’s twisted nature, the Silent Moon might even leave Muen alive just so he could watch Anna slowly become its vessel for descent.
This was the gap between man and god—insurmountable.
You could only ever be a plaything to pass its boredom.
It was despair-inducing.
But Senior is right in front of me. How could I ever give up?
Muen swayed, preparing to continue forward, ready to strike at this divine chasm with his meager strength.
...
【Sigh...】
But just then, Muen heard a familiar sigh.
The Black Book.
Muen’s eyes, which had grown nearly clouded, brightened. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and sank his consciousness into his body.
"You finally couldn't sit still anymore."
【I cannot help you much.】
The Black Book flipped open, and these words quickly appeared on the page.
Muen was slightly stunned. Then why did you pop up all of a sudden...
【But】
The pages continued to flip.
【Insult Him.】
"Ha, insult Him?"
Muen was baffled. From the context, he knew "Him" referred to the Silent Moon.
But in this situation, wouldn't insulting Him just make him die faster?
Or was it to give him a quicker death?
"I already insulted Him just now. It didn't seem to do much," Muen said, recalling his earlier trash talk.
【Not just insults.】
The Black Book flipped.
【You must enrage Him.】
"Enrage?"
Muen’s mind raced.
He didn't know the Black Book’s intent, but...
"That is something I am very good at."
...
Muen suddenly stopped advancing.
Under the moon’s increasingly suffocating pressure, he shifted into a more comfortable position on the ground and then laboriously rolled over.
He looked directly at that massive blue moon that nearly filled his entire field of vision.
The moonlight fell like drifting gossamer. It had to be said, it was truly beautiful.
This was the first time Muen had looked so closely at this infamous Evil God.
From the outside, He looked no different from a normal moon, just larger and bluer.
But Muen knew this wasn't His true form. Even this bright moon was likely just a projection of His descent.
Yet, even a mere projection had forced Muen to use every trick in his arsenal and brought him to the brink of despair.
"Come to think of it, every time I turn around, I end up having to face you damn Evil Gods."
Muen chuckled.
"So, could you just go die already, you bastard god?"
"Don't dare to? You coward?"
"Heh, the followers of that one haven't made a move from start to finish; they're clearly gathering strength. But you, because you fear a Divine War, not only throw projections everywhere, you're even willing to discard your divine body and status, relying on a descent just to hide from that one. Everyone says the Love God is the disgrace of Evil Gods, but I think you're even more pathetic."
"If you're that scared, why don't you go back to your mother's arms and suckle?"
"..."
The moonlight remained cold and still.
Only the gradually increasing pressure caused Muen’s face to contort slightly.
"I guess that's not enough."
He was an Evil God, after all.
To Him, these words were probably no more than the buzzing of an ant. He wouldn't care at all.
Time for the big guns.
"【Prayer】"
The world suddenly went silent, leaving only Muen’s solemn voice of prayer.
"【With my secret, I ask the Great Silent Moon for a moment of His attention.】"
Muen could feel the cold gaze fixed on him sharpen, as if the Evil God had truly been piqued by this strange prayer and was listening.
Seeing this, Muen’s lips suddenly curled into a manic arc.
This really was gambling with his life.
Actually, from the moment he stepped in here, he had been gambling with his life.
In that case, what was there to be afraid of?
"My secret is..."
Muen stared at the moon and said slowly, word by word:
"The source that made the Withered King launch an all-out attack on the Silent Moon, the culprit who informed the Withered King of the Silent Moon’s weakness...
—It was me."
...
In an instant.
The blue moon shuddered!
Muen’s eyes suddenly stung with pain.
On that massive bright moon, an overwhelming black tide suddenly spread, quickly covering the entire surface.
Then, within that black tide, countless crimson pupils snapped open, casting malicious gazes toward Muen.
As an Evil God, the Silent Moon could naturally distinguish the truth of Muen’s words.
Therefore.
How dare you?!
You ant, how dare you?!!
The death warning in Muen’s mind began to scream frantically, like a disturbed hornet's nest.
The void suddenly twisted. Unlike the playful, gentle pressure from before, a destructive strike—symbolizing an Evil God’s infinite madness and rage—suddenly descended!
Rustle...
The sound of flipping pages reached Muen’s ears. A ghostly light rose up, clashing violently with that destructive strike.
It was like two ripples meeting; no terrifying shockwave was released, but as if countless bubbles were bursting, the space was torn into pitch-black gashes. The two forces annihilated each other, eventually returning to nothingness.
The Black Book shuddered slightly, as if it had taken a heavy blow. The ghostly light around it dimmed instantly, and then it turned into a streak of light, retreating into the depths of Muen’s consciousness.
"Wait."
Muen’s lip twitched at the sight.
"You blocked one hit and that's it? But for the Silent Moon..."
That was clearly just a casual strike.
Muen didn't have time to say the rest, because the destructive fluctuations on that hideous blue moon were clearly beginning to converge again, ready to descend.
It was over.
Muen’s face was pale. Facing an enraged Evil God, no matter how powerful his cheats were, there was no possibility of a comeback now.
He could only wait for death...
...
Ting—
But just then, amidst the endless silence shrouded in moonlight, Muen heard a crisp, light chime.
It was so clear.
His eyes widened as he looked toward the source of the sound.
His Senior.
No, more accurately, his Senior’s chest.
A teardrop-shaped gemstone that Muen was incredibly familiar with was now slowly floating up, radiating a brilliant light.
"That’s..."
The Tear of True Love.
At this moment, the gemstone known as the Tear of True Love trembled. Phantom images surfaced, flashing before Muen’s eyes.
They were countless figures, vaguely wearing ancient clothing that didn't belong to this era. They were looking up at something amidst the rising firelight.
They were looking up at a girl—a girl struggling in agony on a pyre.
The girl’s serpent tail writhed; she looked like a monster.
The phantom of a young man standing at the very front, closest to the girl, suddenly shed tears.
He turned his head and said something to Muen.
Muen couldn't understand his words; they were ancient and archaic, not belonging to any language Muen could comprehend.
The young man shook his head helplessly, reached out, and pointed at Anna.
Muen suddenly stumbled, as if he had been pushed by something. He instantly crossed the remaining few meters and arrived at Anna’s side.
Seeing this, the young man smiled.
He suddenly looked up.
The countless phantoms also suddenly looked up.
Together, they stared at that eerie blue moon with bone-deep hatred.
"Iso..."
Those two words appeared in Muen’s mind.
This was the remote kingdom Teacher Mela had mentioned—the one that had likely been destroyed by the Silent Moon because they had discovered a cure for the Snake Transformation Disease.
"So that's how it is?"
Combining the name of the gemstone, the Tear of True Love, with what his Senior had said before—that the gem had the special ability to suppress the Snake Transformation Disease—how could Muen not realize the truth?
Two hundred years ago, that kingdom destroyed by the Evil God hadn't just left behind documents on how to treat the disease.
They had also left behind a seed of revenge.
And now, at this moment when Muen had drawn all of the Silent Moon’s attention—even causing Him to briefly abandon His corruption and suppression of Anna—this seed seized the opportunity and instantly sprouted.
It became... a backstab from two hundred years ago!
Thus, the countless phantoms filled with hatred turned into streaks of light, surging toward that eerie blue moon!
The Silent Moon let out a silent roar. Its crimson eyes were hideous, yet still cold.
What can a bunch of remnant souls do to Me?
However, perhaps even the Silent Moon hadn't expected that those streaks of light weren't attacking Him.
Instead...
They converged into a barrier.
A barrier that could isolate all of the Silent Moon’s influence.
But even this barrier, formed from the hatred of hundreds of thousands of people, could probably only last for an instant under the power of an Evil God.
An instant was enough.
"I told you, being bitten by a bug can be very painful!"
Muen burst into laughter. As he laughed, endless fire and light erupted from his body.
The Crimson Flame, which had been suppressed by the Silent Moon all this time, was now completely unrestrained. It gushed out from his body all at once. In this dark space where no moonlight fell, it was as bright... as a lighthouse!
A lighthouse sufficient to point out a location to a certain existence in the void!
"So, it's your turn to take the stage."
"WITHERED KING!!!"