Requesting a deal.
Rania saw the hand extended by the Braver and followed it with her gaze to the massive circuit that rose behind him. The circuit, enormous enough to touch the sky, was intricate.
“······.”
Indeed, that circuit shared similarities with what she was pursuing. It was the circuit of someone who had reached answers in a different direction. Perhaps calling him a senior wasn’t just nonsense after all.
‘···Certainly, it has some potential for reference.’
Thud, Rania stepped forward.
The Braver, interpreting her step as a sign of agreement, chuckled and continued.
“Well, do you feel like making a deal?”
Rania approached the Braver.
She felt no heaviness in her steps, nor was her mana bubbling. It was as if she truly walked towards grabbing the hand offered by the Braver.
“The terms of the deal are nothing complicated. I don’t intend to do anything that goes against your beliefs. It’s a good deal for you too.”
With his hand extended, the Braver smiled.
Coincidentally, he added, “You, me, and Gletus have aligned purposes. We will drop the star. We will crush the star. After that, we can each go our own way. Until that moment, we cooperate.”
Thud, Rania stopped before the Braver.
Two people stood at the same height, in the same position, gazing at each other. Slowly, Rania reached out and grabbed the hand the Braver offered.
“That’s my condition. If you accept, the contract will….”
As the Braver smiled, Rania interjected with a whisper.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“···What?”
“Are you senile, old man?”
Rania smiled.
Despite her words, the smile was exceptionally gentle. Between her half-open eyelids, her blue eyes flickered. At that moment, the slightly curved blue eyes shone like a crescent moon.
Crunch,
Rania grasped the Braver’s hand tightly.
Not a handshake, but a grip that said she wouldn’t let go.
“Where do you get off trying to insert yourself into an almost completed project?”
…From the past, within the Tower, there was an act that fought for the top one or two spots in annoyance. It was the act of intercepting a new entrant’s nearly finished thesis with the intent of etching one’s name as the ‘Master Mage.’
Or even entirely stealing the thesis.
This was the very first tradition she had obliterated upon being appointed the next Master of the Tower. She would show those old-timers, who attempted to snatch thesis papers or insert themselves into completed projects, the bitter truth of the magic society.
So, like this.
Rania stomped her foot down.
In that instant, her spell completed before the Braver could react. Without any forewarning, space tore apart, and a thick burst of light slammed into the Braver’s forehead.
CRACK!
The Braver was prepared to respond, retaining his mana. In contrast, Rania emitted no trace of mana from her body. Because of that, despite the hundreds of spells lingering around her, the Braver couldn’t react to Rania’s spell.
“···What, the?”
Pierced forehead.
As his brain matter spilled out from the hole in his forehead, the Braver’s eyes widened. The spell that fell without warning didn’t end with just one shot. Following it, a kachunk! sound echoed as the Braver’s body was perforated by knives of light.
Thud, splat,
Amid blood and flesh spraying everywhere.
“The deal is over with you.”
Rania yanked hard on the Braver’s hand. Grabbing the Braver’s head with her other hand, Rania spat out.
“That’s nothing but a failure.”
The circuit with the crucial part missing.
He came here with a glossy circuit, intending to deceive from the start. Rania knew that if the Braver had genuinely completed that circuit, he would have needed no help from her.
SSSSHHHH!
Rania’s fingers, gripping the Braver’s head, shone brightly. The stockpiled spells were unleashed in sequence, culminating in a single spell.
Smash.
With a boom that erupted from her palm, the shockwave shattered the Braver’s head. Thud! Blood, flesh, and bone fragments splattered in all directions as Rania kicked the Braver’s gut.
Thud, splat.
The headless body, spewing blood, tumbled against the ruins of a fallen building. After rolling for a while, the Braver’s body finally stood upright in its original position.
【It was a cherished body, but this is too harsh.】
A human cannot survive without a head.
Let alone stand upright or awkwardly rise like that body was doing now.
【I expected this, but to see it happen for real… I might just shed a tear. I proposed such a good condition just so I could see our junior’s face.】
The moment it lost its head, it was no longer human.
What had settled within the human spoke in a voice akin to a creepy insect crawling around.
【If you refuse, then I have no choice.】
Darkness surged over the blasted head.
The rising shadows replaced the human’s head. From the torn lips, a manic laughter seeped out.
【I have no choice but to wipe everything out.】
The colossal circuit plummeted.
2.
“The signal has not been cut off yet, has it, Chloe?”
“No, it hasn’t been disconnected yet.”
“···I feel a bit embarrassed to keep asking.”
Roks scratched his head awkwardly.
It had already been three days since he started pursuing Belnoa. They set off the day after Belnoa went missing, meaning she had been holding out for four days in the Phantom Territory.
‘···To be honest, survival is almost impossible.’
Roks knew what kind of place the Phantom Territory was.
No matter how strong one might be, survival alone within the Phantom Territory was unfeasible. Poison lay everywhere; you never knew where enemies might jump out of.
Let alone if you’re thrown into the center of Phantom Territory without any supplies…
The fact that she had been holding out for four days was almost miraculous. Though he had heard rumors of her nearing the realm of superhuman, Roks had to elevate his estimation of Belnoa another notch in his mind.
‘At this point, it’s not close; she’s already in the realm of superhuman.’
Roks glanced at the transmitter in Chloe’s grasp. The signal pointed deep into the Phantom Territory. Regardless, it was going to be a challenging operation.
“I hope you’re safe.”
“She will be safe.”
Chloe asserted.
“She said she would return.”
While she stated it confidently, Roks noted that the hand holding the transmitter was trembling slightly. He looked back at the knights following them and waved his chin lightly. After confirming they nodded, he whispered to Chloe.
“I’ll speed things up a little.”
Already undertaking a burdensome schedule, if there was to be any chance of improvement, they had to push harder.
“Chloe, you must know this.”
Roks spoke in a cold, calm voice.
“Human survival in the depths of the Phantom Territory is limited to 8 days. Beyond that, the body cannot hold out. Just like the body of a Betrayer, it begins to deteriorate.”
“···That’s…”
“The mind and soul themselves start to decay. They begin to corrode and break down. It’s no coincidence that the knights at the frontlines routinely receive purification from priests. The Phantom Territory is that kind of place.”
Thus, in the worst-case scenario…
“···There is a possibility you may face a Betrayer Belnoa. You need to consider this.”
“I know.”
Chloe managed to squeeze out a response.
Roks quickened his pace, wearing a bitter expression. He prayed such a tragedy wouldn’t occur.
*
Day 4.
No food remains.
The once horrific texture of jerky began to be missed. Trying to fill his starving belly, he hunted a beast, but it was inedible. Taste aside, he had a nosebleed the moment he ate it.
He had heard that beasts living in the frontlines could be used as food, but that didn’t seem to apply in the depths.
Beast meat was poisonous.
Upon removing chunks of mana embedded in his body, he burned through quite a bit of mana. He was exhausted.
Day 5.
The magical device that purified the water broke.
He thought its usability would last long, but the circuit that served its purification function and the mana stone were damaged. It seemed that using water collected from the forest was the issue.
Though he tried to repair it, he couldn’t fully restore it. Mana had mixed in. While it wasn’t to the point of being undrinkable, he had to reduce the frequency of his water intake.
He was thirsty.
He had been followed by pursuers.
It appeared he hadn’t erased the traces properly. There had been several skirmishes. During one such fight, an arrow buried itself in his abdomen. Due to his distracted focus, he couldn’t dodge in time. It was a poisoned arrow. He managed to halt the spread of the poison, but he felt woozy.
Day 6.
The wound reopened.
Perhaps he had moved too hastily during the combat. The injury inflicted by the Dragon Hunter reopened. He had to use his last potion. His head felt dizzy.
The pursuers multiplied.
As if they sensed which direction he was headed, they had prepared an ambush in the path he was trying to take. They were numerous. If in perfect condition, it would be no problem, but given his current state, he deemed fighting against those numbers impossible. He decided to take a detour.
Hunger, thirst.
And above all, fatigue.
The number of search soldiers was alarming. He couldn’t stay in one place for long, nor could he close his eyes for sleep. He drank water in his dry throat. The mixed mana prickled at his throat, causing a sharp pain that momentarily jolted him awake.
···There was still a long way to go.
Day 7.
“······.”
[···Are you okay?]
“······.”
[Belnoa.]
“······.”
[Belnoa?]
“Ah, yes. I hear you.”
Belnoa blinked her dim eyes.
Her reaction was sluggish.
Belnoa was wandering within the depths of the Phantom Territory without proper rest or meals. Her eyes lacked focus. They were hazy.
“···They are coming again.”
A reaction echoed through the shadow web spread around her. Belnoa narrowed her eyes while keeping her presence minimal. A light glimmered in her hazy gaze.
Soldiers were approaching from all directions.
She knew she had to shift her position soon, yet Belnoa sensed that this time, avoiding battle would be impossible. They were closing in while setting up barriers, as if they had noticed her presence.
No matter how stealthy she was, if they were closing in with barriers, she couldn’t avoid detection. Balancing on a twisted branch, Belnoa shut her eyes.
Thud, thump.
She could hear the sounds of footsteps echoing below. When those footsteps grew closer, Belnoa kicked off from the branch and leapt down. All that reached the mage’s ears was the light thud as she descended from the tree.
As she jumped down, Belnoa reached out to grab the mage’s head. From her palm, slender shadow thorns shot out, piercing the mage’s brain. The mage fell without even letting out a scream, leaving one side of the barrier open.
-······!
-Over there!
-It’s coming from that direction!
The sounds reverberated all around as Belnoa dashed toward the gap in the barrier. Soldiers tried to block her path, but Belnoa slipped through them with minimal movement.
“Cough!”
Soldiers pierced by shadows collapsed, blood pouring out as Belnoa broke through the forest, kicking off the ground and sprinting. However, this was the heart of the Phantom Territory, where soldiers lay in wait to capture her wherever she might go.
Wyverns flying in the sky, soldiers scouring the area like vermin, and necromancers manipulating the bodies all redirected their attention to Belnoa as she burst through the forest.
The chase had begun.
Belnoa gritted her teeth and started running.
Shouts like “Chase them! Capture them! It’s over there!” assaulted her ears. Belnoa moved toward the places where her presence resonated the least. Unable to completely shake off the pursuers, there were several fights.
Thud.
Normally, an easily winnable fight, but for Belnoa at this moment, even that combat was arduous. Pushed to her physical limits, her movements were sluggish, allowing her to take unnecessary hits here and there.
“Cough, spit.”
Let alone her body infected with mana screaming in alarm. Belnoa coughed up crimson blood as she struggled onward.
The chase continued throughout the night.
Just as she thought she had successfully evaded them, she still sensed the presence trailing closely behind. They were still chasing. Only the front remained empty. Belnoa lifted her arm to rub her forehead. Cold sweat was trickling down.
“······.”
Belnoa’s gaze shifted ahead.
What lay before her was a massive vertical shaft. It wasn’t a naturally occurring chasm. It was an artificially created hole, so immense it didn’t appear to have an end.
[···, ······!]
Someone shouted in her ear.
That voice failed to reach Belnoa’s mind. Her reasoning faded. Her consciousness grew hazy. And from behind, the footsteps continued to echo. Belnoa made a decision.
[···It! You can’t! The mind!]
The goddess’ voice became fragmented and barely audible.
Her voice could not reach Belnoa.
[···is, ······.]
Belnoa drove shadows into the ground and leaped toward the vertical shaft. The moment she plunged into the dark abyss, she felt as if she were entering the depths of the void. Just before being completely swallowed by the darkness, the goddess’s voice rang in her ears.
[It’s a trap. You’ve been lured here!]
The Lord of Shadow Dragons shouted at Belnoa, showing her his face. Yet, that vision did not linger for long. The interference rendered the goddess’ image hazy before fading completely.
[Get out now…].
Her voice was cut off as well.
At the very last moment, she shouted.
To escape immediately.
3.
“What a madman.”
Asterio, the Dragon Hunter who arrived late on the scene after receiving word from the pursuit team, clicked his tongue. He stood at the entrance of the vertical shaft, which Belnoa was presumed to have jumped into.
A massive vertical shaft pierced through the heart of the Phantom Territory.
No troops were deployed nearby. When he heard that the immortal knight had driven Belnoa into this place, Asterio could only wish for that damn elder’s plan to fail.
“She’s not leaving this lightly.”
He would at least like to pay minimal respect as a warrior, but that was no longer possible. From the moment she leaped into that hole, Belnoa would be neither alive nor dead.
Tut, Asterio clicked his tongue.
He ordered the soldiers gathered near the vertical shaft to retreat. Staying close would serve no purpose; they would only be devoured by the great being.
“Step back. Have you forgotten that you shouldn’t step shamelessly into the domain of the great one? Withdraw quietly and reduce your footsteps.”
Despite such orders, one soldier clumsily moved about. It seemed they were overjoyed that the mission had succeeded, but to Asterio, that was sheer madness.
“Don’t die like those idiots.”
At that moment, from within the forest, something leaped out. It was a massive claw. The claw snatched two soldiers who moved noisily. Then, crunch, it began to chew them up.
Showing itself in an instant was a summoned beast.
A bizarre monster made from dozens of beasts, the emergence of the Reaper of Corpses had the soldiers holding their breath. Everyone gathered here knew the name of that creature.
Corpse Harvester.
The creature’s eyes gleamed malevolently in the darkness.
Having chewed through half and stashing the rest in its basket slung on its back, the Corpse Harvester thudded its way back into the depths of the forest.
“······.”
As the soldiers silently exited the woods, only the Dragon Hunter remained, staring into the vertical shaft. Enveloped in shadows, the shaft appeared as a deep abyss.
‘…Where all the refuse congregates.’
Where the great being resided.
The Dragon Hunter savored the name attached to that shaft.
“Alkeia.”
The land for the faithless, Alkeia.
