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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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|What are you doing here, Transylvania…?|
“What business is it of yours?”
|…|
The Murderer, Transylvania.
And beside her, the Frost Duchess.
The Archdemon’s expression twisted into a grimace as he faced them.
What was the ruler of the North doing in Elvenguard? And why was the Murderer standing beside her? The Archdemon struggled to comprehend the scene unfolding before him.
Transylvania had once been one of the Heavenly Kings, though their paths had diverged.
Moreover, Transylvania had always feared the Archdemon, or rather, the being behind him.
Yet, after a brief moment of tension, Transylvania stepped forward, her gaze challenging. The Archdemon felt a surge of bewilderment.
|Are you not afraid…?|
“Of what? Of you, abandoned by ‘Him’? Don’t make me laugh.”
|…|
He had been discovered. The absence of ‘His’ power was no longer a secret.
The Archdemon no longer possessed the power, nor the right, to open the gate to ‘Him.’ Transylvania, sensing this shift, fixed her gaze upon him, poised to attack.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’re Yoo-jin’s enemy, so I have to kill you. Surrender peacefully, and you might live. How about you come quietly and beg for mercy before Yoo-jin?”
|Don’t be ridiculous…!|
“Then it’s a fight?”
Yerina’s expression hardened as she adjusted her grip on her sword.
The Archdemon knew there was no room for negotiation. Despite their first encounter, the Frost Duchess radiated hostility, ready for battle.
|Ahahahahahahaha!!!|
“..?”
The Archdemon’s sudden burst of laughter made Yerina tense.
‘The Archdemon…the one who used the mayor of Cologne as a puppet…!’
This was no easy opponent. Yerina braced herself, anticipating an otherworldly attack.
“What are you doing, Frost Duchess?! Attack him now!”
“What? But what if he-?”
“His true form is weak enough for you to crush with one hand!”
“…?!”
Transylvania lunged forward as Yerina hesitated.
Weak? How could a being radiating such intense demonic energy be weak?
As Transylvania unleashed a sharp gust of wind with her sword, the Archdemon shed his outer form, dispersing a massive wave of demonic energy.
Yerina’s vision blurred momentarily. By the time she dispelled the demonic energy with ambient mana, the Archdemon had already retreated into the dungeon.
“He…He expended that much power just to escape?”
“That’s how he is. His talent lies in escaping and leeching off others. Even if he used all that demonic energy for combat, he wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”
“If he can’t even defeat a weakling like you, he really is pathetic. I was prepared to risk my life, but…”
“…”
Weakling.
Transylvania, having never been called such a thing in her life, froze, her expression hardening. Only the Frost Duchess would dare to insult the Murderer so casually.
She wanted to retort, to demand a rematch to prove her strength, but she knew Yerina would only beat her down again. She held her tongue.
“Thank you, Frost Duchess…!”
“The Frost Duchess has come to our aid!”
“Palana is supporting Elvenguard!”
The surrounding area erupted in commotion as Elvenguard reinforcements arrived.
While the wounded were tended to and the dungeon’s defenses were reinforced, praises for Yerina echoed through the air.
Yerina, however, simply turned away, annoyed.
“Greetings, Frost Duchess. I am Rex, a high-ranking warrior of Elvenguard. We are grateful for your assistance, especially with our reinforcements delayed.”
“Your security seems rather lax. Aren’t you worried about the dungeon conquering Elvenguard?”
“…”
“How about I assist with the defenses?”
“Yes. Those elves…I don’t trust them. You guard the area, Transylvania.”
Leaving Transylvania at the dungeon entrance, Yerina entered Elvenguard, guided by the high-ranking warrior.
‘They requested aid because of the dungeon, but they didn’t mention it belonged to the Archdemon…’
Yerina was bewildered, and slightly alarmed.
She had come to assess the situation and decide whether to send troops, not to engage in direct combat.
That Archdemon…he might seem weak against superhumans like Transylvania and Yerina, but against ordinary soldiers, he could single-handedly annihilate thousands.
This high-ranking warrior seemed strong, but he was no match for the Archdemon.
He might be able to fight him to a standstill by burning through his lifespan, but a lifespan-obsessed elf would never resort to such suicidal tactics.
‘They must be desperate.’
As Yerina passed through Elvenguard, she noticed a significant number of mercenaries loitering in the streets.
For the xenophobic elves to allow mercenaries within their city…even many citizens had packed their belongings, ready to evacuate.
The precarious situation of Elvenguard was palpable.
They had summoned mercenaries, and now they were seeking foreign aid. It seemed Elvenguard’s prestige had plummeted, unlikely to recover.
A pang of pity struck Yerina.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind her, accompanied by the sound of approaching carriages.
Two carriages, racing neck and neck, arrived almost simultaneously. The doors opened, and two women emerged, one from each carriage.
“Huh…?”
“It’s been a while, Frost Duchess.”
“W-Why…why is the Frost Duchess…?”
She had recognized the carriage emblems, but seeing Saintess Jill Diner and the Witch, Yulia Petenburg, emerge in the flesh still stunned Yerina.
The three had once united for a common cause, but Yerina had assumed they would never meet again. Yet, here they were, reunited in one place.
Such a coincidence seemed improbable.
The three women, slowly realizing why they were all gathered here, exchanged wide-eyed glances.
“Oh! Could it be?!”
They shared one thing in common.
Yoo-jin.
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…It’s coming.
What I must face.
My karma is catching up to me.
I felt my heart pound, a deep premonition settling within me.
“Yoo…jin…”
Nameless mumbled my name, clutching my sleeve. Kali had fainted from the shock of Belphegor’s attack, allowing Nameless to regain control of her body.
“Mmm…”
I stroked her hair, and she closed her eyes, a soft moan escaping her lips. Then, she placed her hand on her chest and spoke.
“I…help…”
“…?!”
Something began to glow within Nameless’s chest. As she removed her hand, a swirling mass of crimson light emerged, coalescing into a familiar shape.
Status: Good
A magical tool crafted from the True Soul of the Great Druid Kali. It will bloom when the time is right.
Accumulation: 0/62,500
Kali’s soul, transformed back into a mana stone. By her own power! Nameless offered it to me, as if urging me to take it.
“No. No. Put it back.”
“Woo…”
“No way…the accumulation has been reset to zero?!”
Nameless looked slightly dejected, and I felt a wave of dizziness. The accumulation had been reset.
That meant I couldn’t transform Kali back into a soul until it reached over sixty thousand again.
My plans were crumbling. My mind raced, desperately searching for a solution.
Perhaps sensing my distress, Nameless began to manipulate Kali’s True Soul again.
“…!”
The mana stone dissolved, returning to its fluid form, a swirling mass of crimson light.
Nameless drew it back into her chest, and the light faded. Kali’s True Soul, in its soul form, had returned to Nameless.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is that…a soul manipulation talent…? I didn’t know you had that.”
“Help…!”
“Yes. You’ve helped a lot. Thank you.”
“Woo!”
I was certain now. Nameless was no ordinary being. I had restored Kali’s soul simply by filling the accumulation gauge and activating the item’s function.
No special skill or ability was required. But Nameless was different. She was manipulating Kali’s soul directly, regardless of the item’s function.
Temulen could only see souls. Nameless could control them.
I couldn’t even begin to comprehend how she did it, what ability she possessed. But one thing was clear, this power had limitless potential.
I had to nurture and train Nameless, to turn her into a valuable asset.
The door opened, and Mia entered.
“Yoo-jin. The guests have arrived.”
“Guests?”
“Yes…they all arrived at the same time.”
“…”
It seemed Yerina wasn’t the only one who had arrived.
It was time.
Time to face the monsters I had created.
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