Chapter 305
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 305
Chapter Title: Lesson 59. Trap - 5
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The phrase "the sun is falling" felt most fitting.
Or perhaps a solar eclipse.
The crimson flames of the prominences that had filled the skies above Fairytale, the Fairy Queen's domain, gathered together. They coalesced at the center of the magic circle, taking the form of a glowing red orb.
Originally, it had been an utterly ritualistic and adventurous grand ceremony meant to sacrifice the fairies, pooling all their "concept transmutation" to swap the Prominence dimension with Union.
Ban Yu-won had executed a changeling ritual, swapping the sacrifices and sorcerers, dragging it down into the realm of utterly realistic and feasible sorcery that solely gathered their crimson flames.
The attempt to swap dimensions had failed, and it would never be tried again.
"Wh-what is... this?!"
Kraton Prominence, stripped of his core concept, tumbled through the air, gasping for breath.
Ban Yu-won nodded in admiration that the creature hadn't died instantly, then thrust Requiem forward, piercing its chest.
Blood sprayed from its chest like an arrow sprouting forth, seeming as if it might turn to flame—only to scatter futilely downward instead.
"Gah! The... flames...!"
Indeed, more shocking than the wound itself was seeing its blood simply flow out. It seemed the barrier wasn't enough; it even had a counterattack ability where wounds turned blood to flames that assaulted enemies.
At this point, Ban Yu-won couldn't help but be genuinely impressed.
They always shrugged their shoulders boasting about being one of the Ten Families, but from the artifacts they possessed onward, there wasn't a single aspect to underestimate.
Had he not stripped away all the crimson flames, even if Ban Yu-won had overpowered it with skill, this counterattack might have dealt him a fatal blow.
"You've failed."
Ban Yu-won declared curtly, twisting his blade to sever the creature's remaining thread of life before adding one more thing.
"So where's the family head hiding?"
"...Ha! That person..."
—You were not wrong.
The vice family head spat those final words with its last ounce of strength before completely expiring.
With all Prominences neutralized anyway, and no need to behead it to demoralize the enemy forces, he decided to absorb its remaining concepts as is.
Absorbing the concepts of an immensely powerful foe: Life depth reaches 1,500! Origin Body depth reaches 1,130! Vital Energy depth reaches 1,250! Soul depth reaches 1,600!
"Oh."
He hadn't expected much since the crimson flames were already extracted, but lo and behold—excluding that, the opponent was of such a high caliber that the stagnant growth in Life surged to 1,500 in one go. Even Origin Body and Vital Energy, stuck below 1,000 until now, broke through a thousand instantly!
A tingling sensation spread from his heart throughout his body. His bones grew heavier in an instant, the muscles enveloping them tightening firmly.
The blood flowing through his veins and the mana dwelling within quickened and thickened, amplifying his energy.
Even amid the battlefield, Ban Yu-won shuddered in place, sensing the changes overtaking his soul, mind, and body.
'So the 1,000 mark was indeed a special threshold.'
Every component of his body advanced to a higher realm.
Had Dokgo Yeon seen this, she would have clapped, declaring that Ban Yu-won had finally elevated his body to the pinnacle to match his abnormally high soul realm.
The issue was that his soul had also grown in one burst from this enemy...
'More importantly, what was that? "That person was not wrong"? It couldn't mean the Prominence family head knew their centuries-long plan would be crushed by my hand, right?'
[Villains always try to leave us with a lingering unease right up to their dying breath. Wasn't that just part of it?]
Lilith's speculation was quite persuasive, but he couldn't dismiss it entirely.
For now, Ban Yu-won dumped all twenty-five Rainstorm Swords from his inventory, resonating them with Requiem before hurling them at the Prominence fleet.
Having lost their crimson flames, the enemies were likely weaker now than the dimensional pirates they'd commanded moments ago.
He couldn't miss a chance to farm concepts easily.
"And as for me..."
His gaze fell on the lump of pure crimson flame concepts formed at the magic circle's center as a result of the changeling.
Being pure concepts, no one but Ban Yu-won could easily perceive or influence it. But given its immense depth, simply leaving it there could incinerate the Fairytale planet.
So once he confirmed the ritual's success, he planned to absorb it immediately...
'My crimson flame depth is currently 1,500. Swallowing that would probably nearly double it.'
But was that truly the right move?
The Prominence vice family head had fulfilled its role as a villain perfectly.
Those parting words nagged at him relentlessly.
Damn it. After agonizing briefly, Ban Yu-won dove vertically toward the ground, pulled out a Code Core, and perfectly contained the gathered crimson flames atop the magic circle.
Truth be told, one core could barely handle it, but thanks to the sealing ring, it should hold for a few hours.
A few hours was more than enough.
"I'll give it to Sis when I see her."
[Your family love is terrifying. Or is it for Hoxy...?]
"Don't think dirty. This is insurance, just in case."
"Son-in-law!"
Yura, who had been commanding the fairies, rode the wind over to him, waving.
"How on earth did you do it?! The enemies suddenly lost all their power!"
"Didn't you see my changeling?"
"I did, actually! How perfect—you're ideal as a fairy consort. Almost too good for our daughter..."
—Your Majesty, please focus on the enemies for now.
A wind spirit whisked away Yura, who couldn't kick her habit of flirting with her son-in-law.
Ban Yu-won sighed and rejoined the battlefield, soon linking up with his companions.
They were all performing admirably, but as expected in a life-or-death battle, Dokgo Yeon shone brightest.
Wielding her dagger infused with death, she swung tendrils of black aura, smashing dimensional pirate ships like the incarnation of the death god Thanatos.
"Hyaah... eek...!"
[To me, it looks like she's got some resentment built up.]
"She's scary, so let's not talk to her right now."
No matter how he sliced it, she was surely stewing over how he'd chased her off earlier to go on a lovey-dovey charge with Ire.
That sentiment was utterly adorable, but the results were excessively brutal. For now, he could only pray the Crimson Spear fools took the brunt of her wrath in his stead.
"Master!"
Lucelle, transformed into her divine beast form and soaring freely through the skies, incinerating and electrocuting dozens, hundreds of foes with thunder-laced flames, spotted him and flew over.
"Ride me. Let's fight together."
"Lucelle, perfect timing. Actually, I've got something bothering me..."
The original plan: After the fairy legion crushed the Prominence main force, they'd ride that momentum to invade the Prominence dimension. Meanwhile, Ban Yu-won's group would rendezvous with his sister Ban Yu-mi, use the invitation from the previous Ulrike Prominence to sneak into and seize the Prominence command structure, reveal his sister's legitimacy to gain internal allies, then sweep away the opposition.
But the vice family head—despite centuries or more invested—declaring the family head correct even as their plan crumbled nagged at him too much.
'No, come to think of it, didn't their plan originally require Mira? The magic circle wasn't perfect either. If Mira—a royal with authority over fairies—had been at its core, stability would have risen, which is why they tried to lure her in via Kettra-sunbae...'
But Kettra was dead, and Mira secured by Ban Yu-won.
Yet they'd pressed the operation regardless, which he'd judged meant executing the flawed plan as is.
They'd brought so many troops—not just numbers, but Prominence elites—so they clearly intended success...
'What if that wasn't all?'
What if success was ideal, but they'd prepared to gain something even in failure?
Something specific.
What Prominence desired above all.
A trap.
"Such a..."
His sister Ban Yu-mi, bearer of the unquenchable flames—that authority.
The invitation from the Prominence family in her hand.
Realizing this far, Ban Yu-won urgently tried to use spatial translocation, but naturally, instantly reaching his sister was impossible.
"Master, it's fine. Stay calm."
Meanwhile, Lucelle—reading his mind via her familiar authority—calmed him and let out a high, clear cry, summoning the Rebellion members.
The members, joyfully rampaging amid the powerless Prominences and panicked, masterless Crimson Spears, flocked to her urgent call.
"What's wrong, son-in-law?"
Even the Fairy Queen Yura was there, smiling unchanged despite her planet's invasion.
"We have to go to Prominence right now. That invitation from Ulrike—well, Ulrike was probably sincere, but even that idiot got duped by the family head. It's a feint. Get both if possible, but ensure at least one—tying all my allies to Fairytale with this diversion."
Ban Yu-won rarely spoke in a flustered, rambling tone.
Fortunately, everyone except Asha had sharp enough wits to grasp the situation from his deficient explanation.
"So the 'dimensional entry permit' you tricked out of the enemy is actually a 'compulsory summons'?"
"My abilities confirmed no tricks. Shouldn't have trusted it."
His concept-manipulating abilities were flawless.
But as the vice head showed, Prominence's authorities harbored mysteries beyond comprehension.
Blood turning to flames—even failed, witnessing it yielded insight.
He could read concepts, but they shifted constantly beyond his capture. The portion from Ulrike Prominence held such variability too.
A meticulously planned trap.
Knowing Ulrike was a fool, smitten with Ban Yu-won, whoever plotted it accounted for that.
"We have to go now, but..."
"Not the time to conserve family power. I'll help."
Ire stepped forward bravely.
Even as she spoke, one hand backward unleashed hundreds of ice arrows, ravaging foes.
"But it'll take time. And without entry rights to Prominence dimension, we'll need to breach the barrier too..."
"Leave that to me, dear."
Yura stepped up.
Unexpected by all, she received puzzled looks, chin raised indignantly.
"You showed off such a splendid changeling—how could I sit it out? Think carefully. Who are our enemies, and where have they come?"
"Prominence invaded Fairytale, so... ah?"
"Exactly."
Yura snapped her fingers; a wind spirit whipped up a massive storm anew.
The Prominence fleet, already mauled by Ban Yu-won's Rainstorm Swords, was swept up en masse, delivered straight to them without resistance.
Having unknowingly served as sacrifices in their own planned ritual before, now they'd fuel the warp gate.
"Now we invade Prominence. Straight shot, no interference. This is true changeling."
No, that doesn't seem right.
Ban Yu-won muttered inwardly, but worry for his sister outweighed it, so he held his tongue.