章節 577: CHAPTER 735
[T.L: punisher87]
[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
Hood-deuk-!
The pieces of chain were falling to the ground.
Alpen, with his face revealed, blinked his eyes in surprise.
He had a much younger face than Jin had anticipated.
Jin instinctively recognized that the energy of Rosa, who had been controlling Alpen, had been released.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ancestor. I am Jin Runcandel, the twelfth flagbearer of the Chiron Runcandel, the 59th patriarch of Runcandel."
Jin kneeled down and formally saluted.
Alpen glanced at the chaotic battle situation behind Jin and then nodded approvingly, seeming satisfied.
[In this current generation, there are those who shine brightly. For now, the situation is urgent, so let's first slaughter the traitors!]
"Understood."
Alpen's sword, which had been engulfed in chaos just moments ago, was now gleaming white.
True to his title of the Knight of Light, his aura clearly possessed a stronger and brighter light than that of an ordinary martial artist.
[Traitors, you are not worthy to wear the helmet of the Black Knights....]
Alpen charged toward the center of the battlefield, brandishing his sword.
The Black Knight Commander, who was engaged in combat with Bianca, was momentarily distracted by the sword, and Jin took the opportunity to strike his head with his own sword.
The helmet shattered, revealing the face of a monster stained black with chaos.
Even the Black Knights present here were in the same state.
Once, they had been individuals who dedicated themselves to the clan and enjoyed the honor of being enshrined in the mausoleum, but now they appeared as grotesque creatures, so corrupted and exposed.
The faces of Alpen and the Black Knight Commander were in stark contrast.
In a desperate attempt to escape the crisis, the Black Knight Commander leaped forward, but once again, Jin and Bianca's swords bound his movements.
Then Alpen's thrust pierced through the face of the Black Knight Commander.
Crack!
With a heavy cracking sound as if a spring had been released, the Black Knight Commander's head disappeared.
[Now, it's time to lay down your burdens.]
With the death of the Black Knight Commander, the remaining Black Knights lost their focal point.
From the beginning, they had never gained the upper hand, and now that Jin and Alpen had joined the battle, they had no means to fight back, not even against their allies.
Escape was impossible. In this desolate space, there was no path for them to flee.
While they were steeped in chaos, they managed to hold their own for a while, but that was all. They were sorely lacking in facing martial artists who ranked in the top tier among all of humanity's history.
Crack!
The long-lasting battle finally ended when Jin overpowered the last remaining Black Knight's torso.
"Now, it would be nice if you explained what happened, 12th flagbearer. Why did the Chaos Knight suddenly become our ally?"
"Why, do you think I have colluded with the evil god?"
"That's not the case, but it's a situation that can easily be misunderstood."
"I... didn't... misunderstand. If... allies... increasing... good. The evil god... is too... strong."
"As you can see, my ancestor has just been released from the control of the evil god. Octavia Zipfel, just as Bianca said, it's a good thing that our allies are increasing. There will be more ancestors like you, right? Ancestor."
[Being referred to as an ancestor feels strange to me, considering my young age. Just call me Sir Alpen, the 12th flagbearer.]
"Understood."
"Alpen Runcandel, is it? The battle for protection of the Holy Kingdom?"
Octavia said, surprised.
[Yes, that's correct. You, who is called Octavia... you must be the descendant of Hanel Zipfel, who fought alongside me in the holy kingdom's protection. Hanel, although he was an eccentric Zipfel, had quite a dignified presence. That's why even when he spared the demons he defected to, I didn't suspect him, like you're doing now.]
"Sir Alpen, I didn't suspect you, I just..."
[When I was bound by the control of the evil god, I roughly understood the situation through her inner self. 12th flagbearer, only you can defeat her and stop this situation. I, Alpen Runcandel, will devote myself to reclaiming the clan name, following you from now on.]
Alpen interrupted Octavia's words.
Jin felt his heart warming once again.
Clearly, there was hope remaining within the Runcandel. He wasn't the only one clinging to hope, struggling.
"Thank you, Sir Alpen."
Now they had to call the allies above and inform them of the situation before moving again.
But Alpen brought up a completely unexpected topic.
[This evil god castle is structured in a way that once you descend, you can't go back up, 12th flagbearer.]
"You mean once you descend, you can't go back up?"
[Yes. Each floor of the castle is formed as a completely separate subspace. To be precise, it's not a subspace, but the inner world of the evil god itself.]
The inner world.
Not long ago, Jin had fought Rosa in his own inner world.
And conversely, the castle of the evil god was the inner world of Rosa manifested in reality.
That was why the lower forces suddenly became exposed to mental attacks on the upper floors. The weaker they were, the more difficult it became to progress through this inner world.
[Therefore, it's also impossible to send a signal to the allies remaining on the upper floors.]
If it were a normal subspace, Jin could have solved it by slashing with his Shadow Sword, but that didn't apply to the inner world of the evil god.
"Then we have no choice but to wait for our allies to come here."
[That might not go as planned either. The Zipfel clan's mage... that slow talking demon must be princess of the Kaligo family. Anyway, it was lucky that the mage, the princess, and the knight joined us. The structure of the inner world is constantly changing.]
Above all, the inner world was more like a maze than expected.
If you tried to return the same way you came, you wouldn't end up in the same space.
As Alpen said, the reason Hado, Octavia, and Bianca were able to join them until now was because the structure of the inner world hadn't changed.
"...If Sir Alpen's story is true, we're in trouble."
Hedo said.
"If there's no contact from our allies even after ten minutes, we'll move to the next floor."
Jin concluded.
There was no reason to wait for too long. If no more allies joined them, the paths had already diverged.
While waiting, Alpen provided the group with information about the forces of the evil god.
[According to my knowledge, currently, thirteen former patriarchs have been resurrected.]
It included Alpen and Lionel. The fact that the resurrected patriarchs were of the same number as the pure-blooded second generation was oddly unsettling to the group.
[Each floor is guarded by the resurrected patriarchs. However, I don't know how many of them have resisted the will of the evil god like me. As for the forces other than the patriarchs, I don't have exact information, but the recently deceased Black Knights are only a small part of them.]
So, the rough outline of the battle would involve the heroes of the temporary allied forces, the resurrected patriarchs, the forces below the fleet, and the knights of chaos.
[Elements that disrupt mental attacks and aura generation will become more severe as we go down. It won't be a big problem for the people here, but it could be fatal for those who are less skilled.]
"We brought the entire fleet with us, anticipating an aerial battle with the battleship, Ram... It may have been a wrong choice."
Just when Jin was caught up in that question, Alpen raised his head for a moment.
[When we fought the Holy Kingdom protection war, I was also caught in the same dilemma as you. Unlike the figures representing the era, the elites below them died like flies. However, if it weren't for them, we would have ultimately been defeated. The evil god will undoubtedly make use of everything it has, and before that, it would want to minimize the forces of the temporary allied forces in this place.]
Ten minutes had passed.
No allies had descended from above. During that time, the group had made several attempts to confirm if returning to the upper floors was truly impossible, but they found no success.
In the end, the destination where Jin and the temporary allies had to reach was the abyss of this inner world where the evil god resided.
Hoping that the allies would join them and unite there, they had no choice but to keep moving forward.
They resumed their journey.
After a while, the group encountered a deep and massive cliff, just like they had seen on the upper floors.
"Let's go down."
Jin, Alpen, Hedo, Bianca, and Octavia. The five of them began descending below the cliff at the same time.
***
Meanwhile, the allied forces that remained on the upper floors were descending the cliff, boarding the entire fleet, following Jin's path.
However, what they encountered upon reaching the ground was not Jin and his group, but three resurrected patriarchs from the mausoleum and countless forces of chaos.
At the center stood the Lion King, Lionel, said with a dry voice.
[Attack.]
As Lionel spoke, the army of chaos surged forward like a tidal wave.
In the sky were chaos dragons and black ships, and on the ground were monstrous beings and knights with an unknown resemblance to the Giants.
'There is no trace of the battle between them and Jin. I don't know the reason, but it seems we have diverged from Jin... Could it be due to the unstable structure of the castle?'
Veradin quickly made a judgment without being flustered.
"Initiate the battle. Fire dragon Kadun, Sword Emperor Dante, and Knight Bale will take care of the enemy commanders. Orgal and Zephyrin, focus on protecting the fleet."
Veradin immediately gave orders and started the engagement.
The problem was that the firepower of the fleet's main cannons, including Kozec, had significantly decreased.
It was because the influence of the evil god was preventing the generation of aura and the creation of mana.
Furthermore, as the inner world grew deeper, the intensity of mental attacks had also increased. The lower and mid-ranking forces within the fleet were screaming and falling.
A battleship was not controlled by a single person.
As the number of unconscious mages increased, the operation of the fleet inevitably became sluggish.
"Ronil, take command. I will also descend."
"Yes, young patriarch."
"Except for Kadun, Tuyan, Pinia, all dragons return to the fleet and inform them that the Demon's God's Orb has been activated."
Kozec was spreading an ominous resonance from the power system.
As the Demon's God's Orb began to activate, Veradin's body, descending rapidly, aged quickly.
In no time, he transformed into a white-haired old man, extending the patriarch's staff, "Hroti," before him.
[You are not the only ones who can wield absurd power like monsters.]
From Hroti, a modified decimating annihilation flame orb by Kelliark, unleashed.
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[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]
章節 578: CHAPTER 736
[T.L: punisher87]
[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
Hee, hee...!
As the Demon's God's Orb activated, a massive flame spread across the entire battlefield, accompanied by an ominous resonance.
The knights who rushed forward like a swarm were swept up in the flames, forming a river of burning corpses.
With a dry expression on his face, Veradin incinerated the enemies as if they were mere trash.
'In the end, even my friend has resorted to using this ominous power... Moreover, that appearance isn't that similar to Kelliark Zipfel!'
Dante pushed down the bitter feeling welling up in his chest and broke through the enemy lines.
He couldn't accept the transformed appearance of Veradin.
The Demon's God's Orb, evil god, and other terrifying powers beyond reason and common sense were destroying the clans, the land, and friends. They were pushing them into death.
'Jin, are you alright...!'
Dante swung his sword fiercely, as if venting his anger.
The sight of the chaos knights dispersing in all directions like a swarm continued without respite.
Among the three vanguards, Kadun and Bale were slightly slower in their breakthrough due to evading the main cannons and magic of allies while flying, but Dante was cutting through the enemy lines without any hindrance.
The pure white radiance on Rashid seemed like a halo.
What first made Dante falter was Lionel's sword.
Swoosh! Clang!
Dante blocked the straight thrust, causing a large arc to form on the ground.
The sensation of his lower body and waist stiffening made Dante open his eyes wide.
[It seems like you're filled with rage, young Sword Emperor.]
Lionel's aura, having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, left a trace and inflicted shallow wounds all over Dante's body.
"Aren't you angry? Seeing the fallen state of the clan you once led."
Lionel smirked and shifted his gaze to Rashid.
[Depravity to become stronger is merely another name for struggle. The matriarch or the 12th flagbearer, which side is correct will be perfectly proven once this war is over.]
Hiss!
This time, a blade of invisible energy grazed Lionel's cheek.
[An invisible sword... Interesting. Is this the sword your grandfather first mastered? I can't understand what this era has become. How many absolute rulers were there in my time? Now, it's such a shining era!]
Lionel burst into laughter, genuinely enjoying himself, like a madman.
The clash of their swords scattered his laughter.
However, Dante couldn't fully concentrate on the battle.
The reasons for the separation between Jin and the allied forces, Veradin's deteriorated state, the ever-increasing chaos army despite the thousands already dead, and Dante's difficulty in controlling his emotions at this moment, all these elements combined to create an indescribable sense of discomfort.
'Is it because I'm worried about Jin? Or is it because there are too many enemies? I need to focus, why suddenly…'
Until just now, Dante had pierced through the enemy lines driven by intense hatred, but now even with a formidable adversary right in front of him, his thoughts were scattered.
Since reaching the pinnacle, or even before that, Dante had never experienced such a state of mental turmoil.
Especially during a crucial moment like this.
Lionel didn't miss that fact.
[To be thinking about something else in front of me, that's a first. Are you alright, young Sword Emperor? Unlike me, you only have one life!]
Swoosh! Thud!
Dante blocked Lionel's horizontal strike, but was pushed back several dozen steps to the left and rolled on the ground.
His delayed reaction caused his stance to crumble.
And it wasn't just Dante who fell near that spot.
Another vanguard, a former matriarch from a different division who had started a battle with Bale moments ago, was pinned beside Dante.
She immediately got up, swung her dual swords towards Bale, who was about to charge again, and Dante adjusted his posture to evade Lionel's follow-up attack.
[Hey, Dante! Why are you being pushed around by some random guy? Fight properly, will you? Why do your eyes look so vacant?]
Even Bale, who spoke like that, seemed to have no spare capacity to assist Dante at the moment.
Once again, Dante's gaze was stolen by the former matriarch from the other side, whom Bale was fighting against.
[What's with the chains on their face?]
That former matriarch also had chains wrapped around her face, a clear sign that she resisted Rosa. However, the allied forces on this side were still unaware of this fact.
The reason Bale couldn't easily overpower his opponent was because it was Rosa who controlled her.
Bale was more accustomed to battles where he subdued his opponents with pure destructive force rather than the finesse of swordsmanship, so the matchup wasn't favorable.
However, Dante found himself shouting at Bale without even realizing it.
"Sir Bale, before you kill that person, remove the chains on her face!"
He didn't know the reason.
Somehow, Dante had a strong intuition that if Bale severed the chains on that former matriarch's face, it would alleviate the oppressive feeling weighing him down, like a dormant burden.
[What did you say? Why the chains? And more importantly, who are you to give me orders?]
"Please, just do it! It's not an order, it's a request."
[It's noisy. I'll just kill her.]
Continuing, Dante also glanced at the former patriarch at Kadun's side. He had no chains on his face.
Once again, Bale turned towards the former matriarch bound by chains and moved to the left side of the battlefield, while Dante parried Lionel's relentless sword strikes and headed towards the center of the battlefield.
[Oh, is it because you couldn't concentrate due to the effect of the chains? I'm curious about how you discovered it.]
Instead of answering, Dante scattered his invisible sword techniques.
His senses were dulled compared to usual, and he led a clumsy battle to buy time and regain his composure.
[It's obvious what you're trying to do. Besides, something like that doesn't suit your straightforward sword.]
Lionel's words exploded with chaos as he dissipated the invisible swords that filled the air.
Dante found himself in a position where he had to pursue Lionel's movements.
Moreover, due to Lionel's mention of the "effect of the chains," Dante's attention was even more drawn to that direction.
While being overwhelmed by the enemy, Dante had reached the point where he couldn't help but constantly look towards Bale.
Certainly, it seemed that witnessing the chains being severed would pierce his heart and allow him to fight properly.
[Sword Emperor, why have you been acting like this since earlier... It seems you have fallen into madness.]
As Lionel said, Dante's current state was no different from being immersed in madness.
In a situation where a single moment of carelessness could cost him his life, he couldn't focus on the center.
The residual wounds on Dante's body grew deeper.
However, Dante was still more conscious of the chains on the former matriarch from the other side who was still battling Bale than Lionel's sword.
Even Veradin, who was wreaking havoc in the sky and unleashing magic across the entire battlefield, couldn't understand Dante's behavior as he looked down upon him.
'Dante Hairan, what are you up to? The enemy is right in front of you.'
'Please, sever them... quickly!'
Clang!
In a moment of intense longing, Bale severed the chains on the former matriarch.
Just like Alpen, a strong and clear face untainted by chaos was revealed.
As soon as the chains were severed, she sheathed her sword, and her gaze met Bale's.
[I, Tasha Runcandel, the descendant who committed sins due to weakness, express my gratitude, Sir Bale. I am the 21st matriarch of the Runcandel Clan, Tasha Runcandel... thanks to my ancestors releasing me from bondage, I can finally wield the sword not as an evil god, but by my own will.]
Tasha Runcandel.
She was Alpen's daughter and the 21st matriarch of the Runcandel clan. Like her father, she refused to succumb to the powers of evil god.
Bale looked at Tasha in astonishment.
She had a face that closely resembled Sarah's.
[Uh... Y-yes. So, those chains were a form of restraint?]
[Yes, Ancestor. I apologize for my disrespectful behavior under the control of the evil god. Furthermore, may I have permission to fight alongside the 12th flagbearer of the current Runcandel?]
While bound by the power of the evil god, Tasha had been able to assess the current situation through Rosa's inner self.
[Well, I don't have the authority to grant that... But I'm sure that guy would be eager to welcome you with both hands.]
[I understand it as an honor.]
In a chilling manner, determination and fierce resolve were mixed in Tasha's eyes.
Those eyes were not directed towards a temporary alliance but towards the army of chaos.
Ah!
In that moment, Dante finally realized what had been dragging him into madness all this time.
'You can come back...! Veradin! Just like that, you can return!'
Just as Tasha Runcandel had freed herself from bondage and once again illuminated the will of the Runcandels.
The thought of Veradin, their friend who had become a monster, being able to return at any moment also brought peace to Dante's restless mind.
The pressure to manifest himself as the Sword Emperor and demonstrate his worth in this war against the never-ending army of chaos didn't pose any problem.
Dante firmly believed that he would ultimately win and that the army of the evil god would be forever eradicated from this world, a conviction that had never wavered from the beginning.
His only concern was that after the final battle, Veradin might not be able to return to his original self and become another evil god.
Lionel's sword was flying towards Dante's head.
Without turning his body, Dante formed a whirlwind with his invisible sword.
Unlike the previous time when it disappeared without a trace, Lionel was unable to break through the whirlwind this time.
"You were right, Lion King. I momentarily fell into madness."
[Finally trying to regain your composure, huh?]
"But you have been falling deeper and deeper into darkness since the day you resurrected. That's why you, who was once the pinnacle of the swordsmen, couldn't defeat me. And you probably didn't even realize that death was approaching you."
[What nonsense... Hah!]
Unexpectedly, Lionel let out a gasp and looked down at his side.
Death, a sword symbolizing Yona, was piercing his side.
"Hehe."
Yona avoided Lionel's rough attempt and disappeared into the chaos of the battlefield in an instant.
"You warned me that my life is only one, unlike yours, Lion King. It was because of your unwavering belief in continuous resurrection and the power of the evil god that your sword has become dull. After awakening from the mausoleum, how many times have you died this time?"
Dante closed the distance in an instant.
"I sincerely hope that this will be the true end for you. I pray that you will escape from the swamp of the evil god, even if it means dying."
Slash!
Rashid passed through Lionel's neck.
A thud, the fleeting sound of a head falling.
As Dante turned his head to find the remaining former patriarchs, he caught sight of Tasha and Veradin.
'Although we may have been separated, if we continue advancing toward the stronghold of the evil god, we will soon meet again, Jin. I believe that sight will give you strength as well.'
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]
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