Mastermind
-5-

Chapter 201

King Pamilono’s awkward smile.

Jenira, with a picture-perfect grin.

Through that two-shot, Alon could grasp the situation in the Principality of Luxibl.

In fact, there was no need to guess.

Anyone could see that King Pamilono had been completely subdued by Jenira.

‘What happened here?’  

Alon was curious about the circumstances that led to the current power structure, but he soon stopped thinking about it.

It was intriguing, but ultimately, it meant that the Thunder Serpent tribe, whom he had once shown favor to, had taken control of Luxibl.

That was a situation overwhelmingly favorable to Alon.

Especially now, when he was mistaken as Kalannon, the Lightning Receiver by the Thunder Serpent tribe.

“I am the Marquis of Palatio.”

“I have heard a lot about you— I mean, I have heard many stories.”

King Pamilono hastily changed his words mid-sentence, glancing nervously at Jenira.

A quick scan of the surroundings revealed that the soldiers, seemingly accustomed to this dynamic, showed no reaction.

After exchanging formal greetings, Alon concluded the audience.

Or more precisely,

Alon had intended to show a bit of decorum, but—

“Ahem, since that is done, I believe you may leave now, Marquis Palatio.”

“…Is that so?”

The king’s expression, which clearly seemed to plead, ‘Please, just leave already,’ left Alon with no choice but to step outside.

“As you said, thank you very much for visiting.”

The moment they exited the audience chamber, Syrkal quickly bowed his head deeply.

Alon shook his head awkwardly.

“It’s nothing. I came here because I had business to attend to in the first place.”

“Please tell me what that business is.”

“The lightning— No, my symbol— where is it?”

At Alon’s question, Syrkal tilted his head slightly, then soon realized and let out a small “Ah.”

“It is at the same place as last time.”

“If you mean last time’s place, are you referring to the ruins?”

“Yes. However—”

Syrkal trailed off, then added with an apologetic expression,

“It may be very difficult to go there now.”

“Why?”

“Have you heard the news about the Lonovellia Jungle?”

The rumors Evan had mentioned.

“Are you talking about the black magic?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Because of that magic, it will likely be very inconvenient for you to go there right now.”

“Hmm—”

Alon let out a small sigh.

He had vaguely expected the situation to turn out this way.

But even so, he couldn’t just wait around here idly.

If he didn’t reach that place within a week, Kalannon would disappear.

Though unintentional, he felt a slight sense of responsibility for having taken the divine power.

Moreover, Kalannon’s proposal to teach him how to wield divine power was quite tempting.

He could sense and manipulate the divine essence, but he still didn’t understand the principles or methods of using it.

Besides, if the entity spreading black magic was an Apostle of Sloth, then Alon would have to deal with it anyway.

In the end, there was only one conclusion.

“You’re certain my symbol is inside that ruin?”

“Yes. May I ask if you intend to enter?”

“I suppose I will.”

At that, Syrkal once again bowed deeply.

“…In that case, we shall accompany you.”

Alon shook his head slightly.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“No, we cannot remain here while the one we serve walks into danger. Please, allow us to accompany you.”

But Syrkal showed no sign of backing down.

In truth, if Alon had been his usual self, he would have brought not just her, but as many people as possible.

Unless there was a drastic power imbalance, having more people was always advantageous.

However, the reason Alon hesitated—

‘If that thing really is the “Sin of Sloth” as I suspect, then having more people would be a disadvantage. The more people gather, the stronger it becomes.’  

It was due to the nature of the entity spreading black magic.

While contemplating the worst-case scenario, Alon finally spoke.

“Then, I will accept your guidance only up to the range of the black magic.”

But—

“The inside of the black magic zone is where the real danger lies.”

Syrkal still couldn’t conceal her worries.

A typical persuasion wouldn’t work on her at all.

Faced with her resolute stance, Alon hesitated briefly, took a deep breath— and then declared firmly,

“Don’t worry. Who do you think I am?”

Of course, as soon as he said it, he immediately regretted it.

‘Ah, that was embarrassing.’  

If he were an undeniably powerful being, there would be no shame in saying it.

But since he didn’t see himself that way, it was nothing more than bravado.

However—

“My apologies.”

To Syrkal, who mistook his identity, it served as the perfect persuasion.

“Lead the way.”

Swallowing his embarrassment, Alon decided to push forward.

“Ahem.”

Clearing his throat out of embarrassment, Alon climbed into the carriage.

Surrounding him were the Thunder Serpent tribe members and soldiers.

As Alon looked outside the carriage, his gaze shifted to Evan, who was seated across from him.

“Aren’t you going to ask this time?”

“Huh? About what?”

Instead of answering, Alon gestured out the window.

Evan had always asked questions whenever something didn’t make sense.

But this time, he was oddly quiet, so Alon asked first.

“Ah—”

Evan shrugged lightly.

“Well, I more or less understand now.”

“…What exactly do you understand?”

“That you’re Kalannon, the Lightning Receiver.”

“……”

“I thought about it.”

“About what?”

“It would be kind of weird if I, who travel with you all the time, kept asking, ‘Is this real?’ every single time, wouldn’t it?”

Well, if it were me, I’d keep being curious—

Alon thought to himself.

But Evan, as if he had already given up, leaned comfortably against the backrest.

“So, I’ve just decided to accept everything.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. At this point, even if you told me, ‘I am actually the god of Sironia!!’ I would believe you.”

“The god of Sironia is a goddess, isn’t she?”

“I’d believe it even if you told me you were a woman.”

He exuded a sense of detachment, as if he had transcended worldly concerns.

As if responding to this, Blackie peeked out from Evan’s pocket and looked up at Alon.

“I see.”

“Well, yeah.”

Silence settled inside the carriage once more.

After a while—

“We have arrived.”

A voice announced their destination.

Alon’s vision was soon filled with the sight of a jungle—no, a domain—where black magic swirled ominously.

“…Is the entire territory in this state?”

“No, not entirely, but about half of it has been consumed, so everyone has already evacuated.”

As if to confirm Syrkal’s words—

“It’s completely desolate.”

Kaslot, which had once been bustling with people, was now empty.

After taking in the bleak sight for a moment,

Alon noticed the tents set up near the boundary where the black magic churned.

“…What’s that?”

“They belong to the knights of Caliban.”

“The knights of Caliban? What are they doing here?”

“I heard they came looking for someone.”

“…Looking for someone?”

As he pondered the unexpected answer—

“…Huh?”

“Hm?”

Familiar faces emerged from inside the tents.

“…Reinhardt? And—”

It was Reinhardt, one of Caliban’s swords, whom he had briefly worked with in the jungle before.

And—

“Deus?”

“…Marquis.”

Anyone could see that Deus looked utterly exhausted.

Yet, his eyes still burned with rage.

At that moment, Alon realized why Deus looked the way he did.

“Deus, what are you doing here?”

Deus clenched both fists tightly.

“…My little sister—”

Biting his lip, he barely managed to utter the next words.

“She’s been kidnapped.”

Alon had no words to say.

***

Inside the tent, Alon listened as Deus explained the situation in detail.

“To summarize, the one who kidnapped Sili lured you here?”

“That’s right. But—”

“You can’t do anything because of the black magic?”

“That bastard—”

Gritting his teeth, Deus lowered his head.

“The deeper I went in, the more I saw the thread around Sili’s neck tighten before my eyes.”

His hands, resting on his knees, trembled slightly.

“…Any other demands?”

“As long as I don’t step into the black magic, Sili’s throat won’t be squeezed.”

“So, they’re forcing someone else to go rescue her instead?”

“Yes. But anyone who enters immediately turns into a puppet.”

Reinhardt added from the side.

“If you don’t constantly cut the threads that form, you’ll lose control of your body in an instant.”

He frowned deeply, as if recalling an unpleasant experience.

After listening to both of them, Alon grasped the situation.

‘They’re deliberately forcing someone other than Deus to go after Sili. By making others die in the process, they’re trying to break Deus’s spirit.’  

It wasn’t hard to figure out the Apostle’s true goal either.

Rather than simply killing Deus, they aimed to shatter his mind.

They were deliberately using Sili’s life as bait, manipulating the knights to make Deus suffer mentally.

In the end, they would likely finish it all off in the most traumatic way possible, completely breaking him.

‘…No.’  

At this point, Sili might already be—

Alon looked at the burning rage in Deus’s eyes and couldn’t bring himself to ask the question.

Right now—

Any question about Sili would only shatter Deus’s already fragile psyche.

So instead, Alon quietly shifted his gaze toward the forest visible outside the tent.

“Where is that bastard hiding?”

“Here.”

Deus immediately pointed to a spot on the map.

Even with his exhausted face, his movements were sharp.

At that moment—

“…This place.”

Syrkal joined the conversation.

“You recognize it?”

Alon asked, and she nodded.

“This is where the symbol is.”

“Then this place is—”

“Yes. It’s the ruins where our tribe used to reside.”

Alon fell into thought for a moment before asking Deus and Reinhardt,

“So, what was your plan moving forward?”

“I originally intended to go in myself and attempt a rescue, but I was completely outmatched. I barely managed to escape.”

“Did the knights go in with you?”

“Yes. As soon as we got deep enough, the attacks started.”

“The knights…”

Before Alon could finish his question,

Reinhardt’s expression turned grim.

“They’re all… dead.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. At first, when we realized they were being controlled, we planned to knock them out and carry them back.

But the moment their bodies went limp, their necks were snapped instantly, and they died on the spot.”

“……”

“But we did manage to learn one thing.”

“What is it?”

“It seems that the black threads can’t control more than three people at a time.”

“They can’t control more than three?”

Alon repeated the statement, and Reinhardt nodded.

“Yes. Out of the fifteen knights, only three were controlled at a time.”

“…And the rest weren’t affected?”

“That’s right.”

Reinhardt continued his explanation.

“Because of that, I was devising a strategy. If it can only control three people at a time, we can split into pairs and counter it.”

“…So your plan is to have everyone enter together and reach the target at once?”

“Yes. If we divide the knights into six groups, we can take turns activating our magic to conserve energy while advancing. That way, it won’t be difficult.”

After listening to the entire explanation, Alon remained silent for a moment.

From what he knew, Sins had no limits when it came to controlling people.

‘Is it because it’s just an Apostle?’  

As he pondered this new information, he soon arrived at a conclusion.

And then, without realizing it, he let out a quiet chuckle.

If his guess was correct—

“That plan… you should abandon it.”

“Why?”

“It’s a trap.”

“…A trap?”

It was undoubtedly a trap.

“The one who kidnapped Sili isn’t limited to controlling just three people at a time.”

“…Not three? Then why did it seem like—”

It was a nasty, cunning trap.

“They want to lure you in. Once you go deep enough, past the point of escape, they’ll wipe you out all at once.”

“Then—”

“They deliberately set the bait.”

Reinhardt, about to argue, suddenly closed his mouth as if something clicked.

Deus clenched his teeth even harder.

So hard that blood seeped from his lips.

It was a clear manifestation of his uncontrollable rage.

As aura tinged with violet faintly radiated from Deus, his anxious, furious gaze fixated on the black forest ahead.

“What should we do—”

His voice barely escaped as a mutter.

“Don’t worry.”

“…Marquis?”

Alon spoke in a firm voice.

“I have a plan.”

***

At that moment.

“Boss—”

“Whyy—”

Deep within the Lonovellia Jungle.

Perched atop a rock formation carved into the cliffs, a girl with an utterly bored expression slowly turned her head.

“Why are you calling meee?”

She looked down at the blue-skinned man addressing her.

“It’s about that black guy you told me to keep an eye on.”

“Mmm? What’d he dooo?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Did he cross the boundary?”

“No, not that either.”

“Then whyyy?”

The girl’s tone sharpened slightly.

Since she was naturally edgier during the day, the blue-skinned man scratched his head before hesitating.

“Well, uh… What was it again?”

“If it’s nothing, I’ll kill you.”

“No, geez, threatening me is making me forget even more!”

“Hurry up and talk.”

“Ah, ah— You know that legitimacy thing you were talking about?”

“Mmm.”

“Well, that legitimacy person seems to be heading toward the black guy. And from the looks of it, I’d say… things won’t end well for them.”

As the message was relayed,

“…What? Wait, he is coming here? No, more importantly—”

The girl, who had been expressing clear annoyance, no—one of the rulers of the Four Great Powers— suddenly froze.

“…That bastard is about to mess with my legitimacy?”

A deep, unforgiving expression settled on Hyakki’s face.

Chapter 202

Alon did not know much about the Apostle of Sloth.

That was natural.

Apostles were not a concept that appeared in Psychedelia.

And yet, Alon was able to devise a plan. The reason was simple—he knew what kind of power the sin of Sloth wielded.

Of course, an Apostle and a Sin were different.

However, every Apostle he had seen so far had used the power of sin.

Still, since he knew nothing beyond that, he had to be cautious.

For instance, while he could speculate why the Apostle of Sloth had taken Sili…

He had no way of knowing why they were causing such havoc in the jungle.

Even so, there was a method worth trying.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Alon nodded toward Deus, whose lips had gone dry.

Reinhardt, looking curious, stepped forward.

“So, what’s the plan? Based on what you said, the moment we step into that black magic, it’ll devour our mana, and we’ll all die.”

And on top of that, this guy won’t even be able to enter, Reinhardt added with a tilt of his chin toward Deus.

“That’s right. If we just march into the forest as we are, the knights will be wiped out. Unless you two are at an exceptional level, you’ll burn through your mana just trying to resist that black magic.”

For Alon, this was particularly deadly.

Although his mana had increased significantly compared to a few years ago, he still had a relatively low amount.

Since he could only endure by cloaking himself in mana, the time allowed to him would be mere minutes.

‘Unless divine power could shield me from the black magic…’  

But he only knew that divine power possessed a form of absolute authority.

Whether it could push back mana corruption was uncertain.

Unfortunately.

Alon still did not know how to properly wield divine power.

Relying too much on an untested force would be foolish.

“Syrkal.”

“Yes?”

“How far is it from here to the ruins?”

“……At the very least, it would take about five hours in a straight path.”

Five hours.

While Alon fell into brief contemplation…

“But if we don’t start from here and go through the eastern jungle of Kaslot, we can cut that time down by about thirty minutes.”

Syrkal pointed to another location.

Alon tilted his head.

“…Isn’t that still inside the forest?”

“Yes, but the black magic won’t be able to reach there. That place is—”

“The Selvanus region.”

“Yes.”

Reinhardt, cutting into the conversation, spoke in a slightly disapproving tone.

“But that seems way too dangerous. Deep in that region are the White Ghosts. It’s practically their domain. They don’t tolerate intruders.”

Perhaps recalling a past encounter with the White Ghosts, Reinhardt was visibly reluctant.

However, despite Reinhardt’s reaction, Alon remained silent.

Then, finally,

“We’ll go there.”

He made his decision.

“Are you serious?”

Reinhardt frowned, his brows furrowed.

But.

“Yes.”

“………Do you even know what the White Ghosts are?”

“I do. But don’t worry. What you’re afraid of won’t happen, and we will rescue Sili.”

Alon firmly held his resolve.

“So don’t worry.”

He lightly patted Deus on the shoulder.

***

The ruins where the Thunder Serpent tribe had once lived.

The landscape had changed drastically.

Strange, grotesque eggs of unknown origin clung to various places.

Veins like crimson tendrils spread out like a net, covering the ruins.

Thump, thump—  

Like an orchestra playing in unison, the countless eggs pulsated.

At the center of it all…

“Hmm~”

The Apostle of Sloth stood.

A man with a slightly bored expression, gazing indifferently at the hundreds of pulsating eggs.

Then.

Vwoooom—  

“…So, they’ve finally stepped in.”

A pulse of energy radiated from him. One of the black threads of mana vibrated grotesquely.

Noticing this, the Apostle of Sloth smirked.

He hadn’t waited long, yet the prey he had eagerly hoped for had taken the bait.

No, in truth, they were too weak to even be called prey.

They were so insignificant that he didn’t even need to go through such trouble for them.

And yet, he had gone out of his way to set the stage for two major reasons.

The first was Deus Macallian.

He had done it solely to push his mind to the very limit.

‘That’s why I let this one live back then.’  

The Apostle of Sloth shifted his gaze slightly, looking at Sili, who was tightly bound in black threads.

Her mouth was gagged, and judging by her tattered state, she had been subjected to brutal torture.

Unlike the other Apostles, who killed everything except their sacrificial offerings, he had deliberately kept Sili alive to provoke Deus easily.

But there was another reason he hadn’t simply killed Sili in front of Deus and ended it there.

That reason was none other than Marquis Palatio.

‘That man is dangerous.’  

Marquis Palatio.

His true nature was entirely unfathomable.

There were too many curious things about him.

Yet, the Apostle of Sloth had never felt the need to investigate him deeply.

There was only one thing that mattered.

Marquis Palatio was someone who could greatly interfere with his plans.

That was the crucial point.

A memory still vividly burned in his mind.

The Apostle of Sloth had seen it clearly.

Marquis Palatio—

The way he had taken down the Apostle of Greed.

From that moment onward, the Apostle of Sloth had deliberately kept himself hidden, quietly preparing this setup.

A scenario where he would undoubtedly emerge victorious.

Moreover, he had prepared additional forces in the jungle using hidden resources, just in case.

He had eliminated nearly all possible variables.

Even if Marquis Palatio showed up, there was no way the outcome could be overturned.

‘Looks like they’ve figured out where I am.’  

He could sense the knights approaching, now within close range.

‘Now, how should I handle this?’  

The Apostle of Sloth twisted his lips into a sneer.

‘Turning their mana on and off in groups of three—looks like they’ve completely misunderstood the situation. Hmm, should I just kill them all when they’re halfway here?’  

‘No, maybe it’d be better to wait until they arrive and then slaughter them all, dumping their corpses where Deus is. That’s not bad. I could kill them all and leave just one survivor—let them go back and pour all their resentment onto Deus.’  

‘Then, once I’ve gauged the situation a little, I can lure Deus here and finally kill that woman right in front of him.’  

He turned his gaze toward Sili once again.

“Game over.”

His smirk widened.

Beside her, the corpses of knights who had entered with Reinhardt lay with their necks twisted.

But their necks weren’t the only things broken.

Their bodies were all horrifically mutilated.

Some had lost their arms.

Some had no legs.

Some were missing their heads.

Others still had intact limbs, but their guts had spilled out.

As if to explain why—

Click.  

The Apostle flicked his fingers lightly.

At that moment—

Shhh—  

The corpses lying near Sili began to rise, one by one.

Grotesquely, like puppets in a macabre play.

And then—

Slash!  

They started swinging their swords at each other.

A dead knight’s head was severed cleanly.

Dark red blood gushed from a sword that had pierced through metal armor.

Limbs were hacked off and thudded onto the ground, while entrails spilled out in a wet squelch.

There was no real purpose to this act.

They were already corpses, after all.

And yet, the Apostle continued this gruesome display for one reason alone.

“How do you feel?”

Sili was the reason.

The more she broke, the deeper the wound in Deus’s mind would be.

She clenched her eyes shut, unwilling to witness the horror.

But—

“Tsk, you shouldn’t do that.”

With a flick of his fingers through the air, the Apostle forced Sili’s eyes open.

“This is all for you. If you don’t watch, then it’s meaningless, isn’t it? The knights who came to save you are putting on quite the show, after all.”

He chuckled, his shoulders trembling in amusement.

A gruesome hellscape was etched into Sili’s eyes, layering yet another layer of despair upon her.

***

Sili stared blankly ahead.

The corpses swung their swords at one another.

Lifeless movements severed dead limbs, while grotesquely animated arms spilled intestines onto the ground.

She knew.

They were corpses.

Their movements were nothing but a trick of the Apostle before her.

And yet.

Sili could not watch this tragic play with indifference.

They were knights of the Eclipse Order.

Every single one of them, now cutting each other down—

She knew them.

“Mmmpf—!”

Zan’s arm, the one that always gestured playfully when he told his Sili jokes, was severed in an instant.

Millin, who used to whisper behind Deus’s back with her in jest, had her head sliced off.

Mune, who had once watched her magic with fascination and trained alongside her in the practice grounds, lost his leg.

She—

Her—

Sili—

Because of her—

Everything—

Everything was because of her.

Splurt—  

A spray of crimson blood splattered across Sili’s vision.

It was Mune’s blood.

The one who had once praised her magic.

Once again,

Despair took hold of her eyes.

Her stomach churned.

She felt like she was going to vomit everything inside her.

A suffocating guilt clouded her vision,

while a sickening sense of powerlessness dyed her pupils in darkness.

And yet.

‘Help me.’  

Sili clung to that last thread.

‘Help me, help me, help me, help me.’  

She desperately wished for salvation.

If she stayed here any longer, she felt like she wouldn’t be herself anymore.

As if she would have to run, to flee to a place where she could never return from.

As if she might—

Leap into the abyss.

That thought terrified her beyond anything else.

But gradually, a disgusting self-loathing overtook her.

At the same time, Sili knew.

Even amidst this nightmare, her sharp mind coolly analyzed the situation.

Salvation—

Would not come.

Through her hazy vision, the abyss loomed before her.

There was no salvation.

Then wouldn’t it be better to just let go now?

To just, to just—

“……”

Sili’s pupils began to be swallowed in complete darkness.

At that moment, as the Apostle’s lips curled into a twisted smile—

Crackle—!  

A sound.

A small, almost insignificant sound.

Yet, it was piercingly clear.

As Sili, sinking into that thick darkness, absentmindedly lifted her gaze toward the sky—

A flash of light descended.

BOOOOM—!  

A golden bolt of lightning tore through the darkness, illuminating the world in an instant.

Sizzle—!  

The black magic evaporated like mist, scattering into dust.

Simultaneously—

The black threads binding Sili’s limbs unraveled and vanished.

“What the—?!”

The Apostle’s voice rang out in shock.

And then.

As the dust settled, Sili’s blurred vision was filled— With a man.

Crackle— Crackle!  

A dark coat, flickering with static electricity—

“I’m a little late.”

Marquis Palatio.

“Ah……”

A soft gasp escaped Sili’s lips before she even realized it.

From Alon’s body, lightning coiled and crackled like a living force.

Chapter 203

The Apostle of Sloth was momentarily startled by Alon’s sudden appearance.

However, he quickly tried to seize him.

“!”

His eyes widened.

The black magic, which was supposed to move according to his will, did not respond.

And that wasn’t all.

‘The magic is disappearing?’  

The black magic was scattering under the golden flashes of light.

He couldn’t comprehend the sight before him.

But soon, a realization struck him.

He immediately turned around.

‘The core!’  

But it was too late.

The black crystal, the source of power that connected and sustained all the eggs and thousands of black threads, was being shattered by crackling lightning.

The Apostle of Sloth turned back to face Alon.

His face was filled with fury.

Alon, who had been looking at him indifferently, sighed inwardly.

‘Did it work?’  

Alon glanced back at Sili.

Anyone could see the marks of severe torture on her, but she was still alive.

‘Thank goodness.’  

He was truly relieved.

If she had died, it would have led to an unimaginable catastrophe.

At that moment,

“You… How did you…?”

The apostle’s voice rang out.

Alon turned his gaze back to him.

The apostle was still staring at the dispersing black magic, his expression filled with shock and disbelief.

It was impossible.

Every place touched by black magic, no matter where it was, was under his influence.

In other words, if it was within his field of vision, he was aware of it.

That meant, no matter what or who entered the black magic, the Apostle of Sloth would immediately ‘sense’ it.

‘But I didn’t feel anything at all.’  

And yet, the man before him— Marquis Palatio, who had eliminated the Apostle of Greed— had accomplished the impossible with ease and appeared right in front of him.

And it wasn’t just that.

‘…How did he know?’  

The black crystal.

So naturally beyond his perception, it had been destroyed first— the artifact that was the core of the barrier.

All in a single move.

As if he had experienced this situation multiple times before.

With no hesitation or error whatsoever.

The apostle’s face contorted further.

‘Good. Everything went as expected.’  

Seeing that reaction, Alon let out a breath of relief.

Originally, he should never have entered the black magic.

His affinity with black magic was the worst possible match.

There was no way he could have lasted even ten minutes inside it.

However, not only did he bypass the influence of the black magic, but he also evaded the apostle’s perception and appeared right before him.

The reason was simple—Alon knew the weakness of this black magic.

More precisely, he knew the flaw in this situation itself.

The black magic spread widely from this central point.

Its range was immense.

However, it was strictly bound to the ground.

It did not extend into the sky.

In other words, as long as one could move through the air, they could avoid the effects of black magic entirely.

Even knowing this, very few could actually exploit the weakness.

Even in Psychedelia, it was only discussed as a theoretical vulnerability, but no one actually used it to fight against the Sins.

That was because the range of the black magic spread too widely on the ground.

Unless a human could stay airborne indefinitely, they would eventually have to land within its reach and be detected by the apostle.

Fortunately for Alon, that wasn’t a problem.

He had both the conditions and the personnel necessary to take advantage of the flaw.

The enormous Rain Altar, so vast that even the manifested Basiliora had to climb it, and Reinhardt, who possessed the ability to manipulate gravity.

Simply put, Alon climbed the Rain Altar, used Reinhardt’s ability to launch himself as high into the sky as possible, then used his Thunder God form to descend in a single strike into the apostle’s central zone.

‘Though thanks to that, I’ve used up all my magic power and messed up my landing…’  

Alon subtly moved his leg.

His shin throbbed painfully, indicating that while it wasn’t broken, the pain was strong enough to make him let out a groan.

Moreover, although he had saved Sili, he had exhausted all his magic, leaving him vulnerable to being captured by the black magic.

Of course, by disrupting the structure of the barrier itself, he had temporarily nullified the black magic.

But that wasn’t enough to put his mind at ease.

Even if he destroyed the core of the black magic, unless he dealt with the caster, the barrier would eventually regenerate over time.

‘Though I’m not sure if the magic will recover the same way, since this wasn’t created through Sloth’s Sin ability but rather through an artifact…’  

As Alon pondered, he looked at the Apostle of Sloth.

The apostle let out a short, incredulous laugh and turned his gaze to the sky.

“Amazing, Marquis Palatio. I never imagined you would use such a method.”

“……”

“It’s also surprising how you pinpointed this barrier’s weakness as if someone had told you about it. However…”

A sneer curled across his lips.

“It seems you know one thing but not the other.”

The moment the Apostle of Sloth smirked in blatant mockery, from the previously empty air, black magic began to reassemble as if time was rewinding.

Along with it, the artifact that had been the core of the black magic was also regenerating.

Watching this, Sili gasped.

“Ah…”

A quiet, despair-filled sound escaped her lips.

As if in response, the apostle’s smirk grew even more twisted.

“No matter how many times you destroy the sphere, it will continue to regenerate. As long as I am alive, that is.”

“……”

“What a pity. If you had taken me down in a single strike, the situation might have been different. Well, even if you had aimed for me, I wouldn’t have died in one hit anyway.”

—The apostle sneered as he added those words.

However.

“I know.”

Alon remained completely unfazed.

“What?”

“I said, I know.”

He spoke calmly.

“I knew that you wouldn’t die in a single blow, and I knew that the sphere I destroyed would regenerate shortly after.”

As if he felt no regret about this situation.

“Hah, then are you saying you came here just to die?”

The apostle, momentarily stunned, scoffed again.

“No. I’ve already finished what I came here to do.”

Alon shrugged lightly and looked at Sili.

“What are you—”

The Apostle of Sloth, frowning as he tried to ask, suddenly realized something.

The black crystal that formed the core of the barrier had already fully regenerated.

It should have been functioning normally.

And yet, the black magic was not spreading.

Sensing that something was wrong, the apostle quickly turned around.

And then he saw it.

A web of violet threads coiling tightly around the entire artifact from which black magic was seeping.

Beyond that, lines slashing through the very fabric of this world.

And in front of them,

Step— Step—  

A man was walking forward.

In one hand, he held a sword.

In the other, he grasped the countless threads that seemed to slice through this world itself.

His eyes burned with rage and hatred.

A chilling aura, as if he would drench the entire world in violet, poured out of him.

“I’ll kill you—”

Deus Macallian.

***

Creaaaak—!  

A wire-like noise echoed sharply in everyone’s ears.

At the same time—

Snap!  

Black threads and violet threads snapped apart, marking the beginning of the battle.

Alon could barely perceive the clash—it was too fast.

With just one exchange of blows, the surrounding trees were obliterated.

The atmosphere trembled, rippling with the remnants of destructive magic.

CRACKLE— CRACKLE—!!  

Hundreds, thousands of slicing threads appeared and vanished repeatedly, tearing through the air and the ground, leaving deep, razor-sharp scars.

It was a battle beyond what a mere human could ever achieve.

It was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

“Holy—”

Reinhardt, who had led the knights inside once the black magic dissipated, couldn’t help but curse at the sight of the inhuman battle before him.

The countless knights following him were also overwhelmed by reverence, unable to follow the movements with their eyes.

However.

‘Deus is losing.’  

Alon coldly analyzed the situation.

He couldn’t see the details of the battle clearly, but through the shifting energies, he could tell who had the upper hand.

The current situation was inevitable.

Even if their abilities seemed similar, the apostle wielded the power of sin, unlike Deus.

And more than anything—

‘He’s too emotional.’  

BOOOOM—!!  

Alon saw Deus get thrown out, bouncing between the tangled black threads.

It hadn’t even been a few minutes since the battle started, yet his body was already in shambles.

His dark armor was shattered, with parts of it completely missing.

His body was riddled with deep gashes from the threads.

In contrast, the Apostle of Sloth had regained his composure, his earlier panic gone.

With a relaxed smirk, he wove together dozens of trees with black threads, suspending them in midair.

A stark contrast.

If Deus wanted to turn the tide, he needed to do more than just calm himself down.

And so—

“Deus.”

Alon called out to him.

***

Thump— Thump— Thump—  

His heart pounded wildly.

Feeling its rhythm, Deus glared at the figure before him with bloodshot eyes.

The apostle, still full of ease, had effortlessly suspended the shattered surroundings in the air with his black threads.

Clench.  

Deus gripped his sword tightly again and prepared to charge.

He knew well how foolish it was to let anger take over in battle.

Even so, he couldn’t suppress his rage.

Sili, his younger sister.

When he arrived at this place, the sight that filled his vision—

…was too similar to that moment.

“Hah—”

Deus’s vision momentarily turned gray.

What he saw was a memory he never wanted to recall.

Under the silent night sky, a man repeatedly slamming a woman’s head into the ground, howling.

A woman, half her head crushed, stabbing a knife into the man’s stomach.

And behind his mother and father— grinning wickedly,

[The Black Lamb has chosen you.]

The Apostle of Sloth.

Clench—!  

A powerful aura surged from Deus’s body.

His bloodshot eyes burned with fury as he glared at the apostle.

The violet magic bursting explosively from his body transformed into countless slicing threads, dividing the world once more.

And just as he was about to charge forward—

“Deus.”

A voice reached his ears.

A voice completely different from the boiling rage inside him—so cold and composed.

A voice he knew all too well.

And then.

“For the sake of revenge, calm yourself.”

As if peering directly into his heart, the words struck deep.

Deus felt as if he had been doused with cold water, his mind clearing in an instant.

The wild pounding of his heart gradually faded.

Only then did things he hadn’t noticed come into focus.

And then.

“Remember this.”

“What you see is not the only thing that can be sensed.”

“……!”

At Alon’s words,

Deus’s eyes slowly widened.

‘This situation isn’t so bad after all.’  

The Apostle of Sloth wore a relaxed smile.

Unlike his initial panic, the situation was not as dire as it seemed.

‘I just need to neutralize Deus first, then kill them one by one. First, the knights. Then Marquis Palatio. Then his little sister— No.’  

A smirk.

‘Killing the marquis first wouldn’t be a bad idea. Breaking his spirit a little and then finishing with his sister… That might make for a nice sequence. First…’  

He formulated, revised, and finalized his plan.

All for the sole purpose of deepening their despair.

‘Right after I show them the overwhelming difference in power.’  

Having made up his mind, the Apostle of Sloth moved, pulling at the black threads.

Boom! Crackle—!!!  

At the same moment—

The trees and boulders bound by black threads above him began to crumble and shatter, forming a massive sphere.

The sphere rapidly expanded in size.

Soon, it had grown large enough to obscure the vast sky.

“What the hell is that…?”

A meteor.

The knights standing below could only stare blankly up at the sky.

A massive, black-thread-wrapped sphere had taken over the heavens.

And then.

“You may have grown stronger, but in the end, you’re no different from when you were a child, Deus Macallian.”

The Apostle of Sloth sneered at Deus, who stood panting while gripping his sword.

His gaze then shifted to the remaining violet threads.

The battle’s outcome was already decided.

Thinking so, he smirked in amusement.

“You still can’t protect anything.”

With a flick of his fingers—

“…?”

The Apostle of Sloth felt a strange sense of dissonance.

Something that should have been obvious—yet was now beyond his grasp.

The inexplicable loss of something fundamental unsettled him.

Stunned for a brief moment,

“What…?”

He belatedly realized what was wrong.

‘Why… isn’t my magic moving?’  

The very black magic he controlled— was not responding at all.

As if it had been shackled by something.

And then.

‘No way!’  

Realizing the terrifying truth, the Apostle of Sloth’s eyes widened.

And at that moment—

“I only need an instant.”

As if waiting for this moment, Deus released a surge of violet magic.

Slash—!  

The violet threads began slicing through the black ones without hesitation.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

No—thousands of threads.

Cut down mercilessly.

At the same time, the massive meteor above— collapsed.

But.

Instead of letting it fall unchecked, the violet threads wrapped around it completely.

Scrape—!  

Carving into its surface.

The debris that broke off rained down upon the forest and ruins, laying waste to everything below.

And from that destruction— a massive, violet-tinged conical spear emerged.

“But for now—”

The towering, oppressive violet spear—

“This should be enough.”

Rip—!  

With a violent tearing sound, it plummeted toward the ground.

And then.

Macallian Eclipse.

Violet Nebula.

A violet star.

Fell toward the earth.

Chapter 204

Kwaaaaaa-!!!!  

The fierce explosion caused by the falling violet star swallowed the ruins and the forest.

As soon as the dust settled, the revealed scene was—

“-!”

It was the sight of Deus instantly rushing in and driving his sword into the heart of the Apostle of Sloth.

‘It worked.’  

Seeing this, Alon let out a small sigh of relief.

Deus had perfectly followed Alon’s advice, just as he had hoped.

What Alon had advised Deus was—

A technique used in the second phase after players cleared the first phase of the game against the Sin of Sloth.

It was the ability to bind ‘mana’ with invisible threads.

‘…As expected, teaching the Sin of Sloth how to use threads was the correct answer.’  

With that thought, Alon turned his gaze to the Apostle of Sloth.

The Apostle’s condition was anything but normal.

Not only had both arms been severed, but the right occipital bone was crushed, making it a miracle that he was still standing at all.

Deus’ sword had pierced straight through the Apostle’s heart.

“Keuhk—!”

With a gushing sound, black blood sprayed in all directions.

Blood surged from the Apostle’s mouth as he coughed it up.

To anyone watching, it was an undeniable victory.

As Deus prepared to finish the Apostle by pushing his sword in deeper—

“Haha—”

The Apostle suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha—”

A vacant yet strangely serene laughter, different from any emotion he had shown before.

Deus stared at the Apostle, whose face was filled with a deep, unsettling smile.

Shiiing—!  

Without hesitation, Deus switched his movement, pulling his sword upward.

A fountain of blood erupted.

And yet—

Even though the body was sliced cleanly from the heart to the head—

“Alright, I admit it. I was careless. I never imagined you could wield your abilities to that extent without borrowing His power.”

The Apostle of Sloth let out a raspy laugh and spoke.

“But do you really think this is the end?”

He grinned—a grotesque, skin-crawling smile.

A laugh so eerie it sent shivers down the spine of anyone who saw it.

In response, Deus wasted no time.

He wrapped the Apostle’s remaining limbs in purple threads and tore them apart.

But—

The shredded body instantly transformed into black threads and was absorbed into the dark veins.

Puhaaaak—!  

Eggs cracked open, and from within, spiders poured out.

Kreeeek!  

The spiders, each the size of a grown man, were hideous.

Each one had a human face embedded like a marking on its abdomen.

They emerged from the shattered eggshells with grotesque, jerky movements.

A sight so repulsive it could induce nausea.

And yet—

That was not the end.

Soon—

The spiders that had spilled out began to—

Pop!  

—kill themselves.

“…?”

“W-what the hell?”

Syrkal was stunned, while Reinhardt unintentionally let out a shocked exclamation.

The spiders’ collective suicide did not stop.

As if controlled by some unseen force, they tore out their own throats or ripped their bodies apart, ending their own lives.

Their lifeless bodies then collapsed onto the ground, absorbed into the veins below.

“_!”

At that moment, Alon finally realized.

What these spiders were doing.

Then—

Boom!  

The ground began to collapse.

Rumble—!!!!  

A deafening noise slammed into everyone’s eardrums.

The tremors were so powerful that it was difficult to even remain standing.

“This is insane—!”

Reinhardt, who had spotted something, cursed harshly.

Something was emerging, overturning the entire land.

It was—

“What is that?”

Something massive enough to destroy the entire ruins.

A monstrosity.

A creature harboring the Abomination of Sloth—Krakscha.

—!!!!!

Like a creature hatching from an egg,

Krakscha burst through the ground with a bone-chilling shriek.

At the sight of its emergence, the knights’ eyes were instantly filled with terror.

“This is insane—”

Reinhardt, unable to resist, let out another curse and tightened his grip on his sword.

His face was marked by utter despair.

Even if they managed to eliminate all the spiders,

Krakscha, like the Apostle, was exuding black mana.

A situation of absolute peril.

They couldn’t run.

And even if they fought, there was no guarantee of victory.

Amidst this inescapable predicament, Alon let out a small sigh.

‘I wasn’t planning to use it here, but—looks like I have no choice.’  

As he reached into his cloak—

“—”

The scenery before him suddenly changed.

What he saw was a starry blue night sky.

The moment he recognized it, Alon instinctively knew where he was.

[I’m relieved that you arrived early.]

A girl’s voice—

No,

[But given the situation, I’ll explain quickly.]

The voice of Kalannon, the lightning receiver, echoed.

[The way to manifest your true form.]

Dark clouds began to gather over the once-clear sky.

***

The worst-case scenario.

Literally, the absolute worst.

Alon’s normally expressionless face grew even grimmer.

Seeing this, Reinhardt gritted his teeth.

‘Damn it…!’  

A monstrous entity loomed before them.

A spider of incomprehensible size, its sheer presence crushing the atmosphere.

For Reinhardt, the size of an enemy didn’t matter unless it was something like the Rain Altar.

And yet, he felt overwhelmed.

Because instinctively, he knew—

That thing was a calamity.

The black mana that the creature was emanating—

It was no different from the black mana that the Apostle had scattered earlier.

‘This situation is not looking good.’  

Reinhardt coolly assessed the current state of affairs.

A sense of urgency flooded his entire body.

The massive spider radiated such an overwhelming presence that even he found himself tense.

To make matters worse, the smaller spiders had completely surrounded the ruins, forming a siege-like encirclement.

But the most despair-inducing factor here— was the presence of the knights who had entered this place with them.

They had brought them along to prevent the Apostle of Sloth from utilizing the lingering mana in the air.

Yet now, they had become a liability instead.

If the temporary seal on the black mana, imposed by Marquis Palatio and Deus, were to break—

And the black mana regained its strength—

Most of the knights here would inevitably become mere puppets.

‘What should I do?’  

Reinhardt glanced around with an anxious expression.

Syrkal, like him, was unable to hide her tension.

And at this very moment—

Deus was desperately using his purple threads to block the returning black mana.

As if mocking their efforts—

[Hah— I never expected you to push me this far. Good thing I came prepared.]

A voice descended from above.

At the grotesquely distorted sound, Reinhardt instinctively looked up—

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re still alive?”

There, looming over his head—

The Apostle of Sloth, his upper body exposed, stared down at them.

The grotesque-looking Apostle smirked sinisterly.

Then, he spoke.

[Did you really think I wouldn’t have prepared for the worst, after all this? Well, I suppose you could have thought that. Normally, my own power alone would have been more than enough to deal with all of you.]

Crack—!  

[But unfortunately for you, I am someone who prepares thoroughly for any situation.]

Crack, crackle—!  

The Apostle began severing the purple threads that Deus had woven.

“Tch—!”

Deus hurriedly reinforced the threads.

But despite his efforts—

He had already expended far more energy than expected in the previous attack, weakening his control.

As a result, the threads were being cut at an accelerating rate.

In the end, the purple threads holding back the black mana— were completely severed.

“Ah—”

A quiet sigh escaped from someone’s lips.

The Apostle standing atop Krakscha grinned even wider.

And just as the black mana was about to flood the area that Deus had been barely holding at bay—

Rumble!  

“…?”

Reinhardt suddenly had a realization.

The sky, which had been clear just moments ago— was now covered in dark clouds.

And that wasn’t all.

Drip—! Drip, dribble—!  

As if someone had manipulated it artificially— within seconds, rain began to fall from the clouded sky.

“What the—?”

Just as the Apostle of Sloth, who had been basking in his impending victory, furrowed his brow in confusion—

Step. Step.  

Marquis Palatio, who had remained silent until now, slowly began to walk forward.

One step.

Then another.

He moved toward the front of Krakscha, where the black mist was seeping out.

He did not form any seals.

He did not chant any incantations.

He did not recite any passages.

Nor did he even manipulate his mana.

He simply—walked forward.

Toward Krakscha.

Toward the source of the black mana.

Like a moth to a flame.

And without hesitation—

Marquis Palatio continued walking, effortlessly stepping past the purple threads that Deus was desperately trying to reinforce.

[Hah, have you given up?]

“Marquis, what in the world—!”

The Apostle of Sloth let out another mocking laugh.

Deus shouted in alarm.

But then—

Crackle!  

For an instant, everything flashed.

And Deus saw it.

In that fleeting moment—

A spark of lightning flickered at Alon’s fingertips.

A faint static charge.

So small—

Yet in this dark, ash-colored world, it shone brilliantly.

In an instant, the blue light touched the black mana.

The moment contact was made—

Crackle, sizzle, ssshhhhh—!  

The black mana— began transforming into blue lightning.

[Wha—?!]

The Apostle let out a gasp of shock.

But the static coursing from Alon’s fingertips did not stop.

It surged through the black mana, converting all of it into lightning.

As he watched the incredible sight unfold— Alon recalled the words Kalannon had once told him.

‘Handling divinity isn’t particularly difficult. You simply have to bring out the divinity inside you. But to wield the power freely—just bringing it out isn’t enough.’

He looked ahead.

The black mana that had once filled the air— was gone.

Replaced entirely by dazzling blue lightning.

Kalannon’s voice echoed in his mind.

‘That’s why what you must do is not just summon the divinity— You must accept it.’

[Die!!!]

—!!!!

As if sensing that something irreversible was about to occur—

Krakscha raised one of its massive legs.

At the same time, the surrounding spiders let out hideous screeches and lunged forward.

‘Accepting divinity is difficult. It requires a lot more practice than you might think. But this time, I’ll help you. So, you just focus on pulling the trigger. The trigger is—’

As the pouring rain surged upward, Krakscha’s leg came crashing down.

A swarm of spiders hurled themselves toward Marquis Palatio.

But even in that fleeting moment—

Alon did nothing except raise his left hand.

‘Lightning—’

“Catch it.”

He simply grasped— the lightning that flickered around him.

And in that moment—

Snap—!  

Everything came to a halt.

The rain that had been pouring down—

Stopped.

The spiders that had been leaping at Alon—

Stopped.

Krakscha’s massive leg—

Stopped.

And the lightning in Alon’s grasp—

Vanished.

As if time itself had frozen.

And then—

“…!”

The first to recognize the eerie anomaly— was Syrkal.

‘They’re disappearing…?’  

She realized that the countless spiders that had been charging toward Alon just a moment ago— had frozen in midair, turning to dust.

Starting from the tips of their legs, slowly, as if decomposing into the earth, the spiders crumbled into dust.

“Manifestation.”

A quiet voice resonated—

And from Marquis Palatio’s body, an explosion of lightning burst forth.

As if it sought to consume the entire world.

With an earth-shattering roar, the brilliant blue lightning erupted.

At that moment—

A pair of blue horns began to emerge from Marquis Palatio’s head.

And as the storm intensified, even fiercer than before—

A god— had manifested.

Crackle—!  

Kalannon, the lightning receiver.

Chapter 205

Everyone holds their breath.

Even the knights who had fallen into despair.

Even Reinhardt, who had been racking his brain to escape the current situation.

Even Syrkal, whose mouth hung open in shock.

Even Deus, who had been desperately maintaining his threads to block the black mana.

[-!]

Even the Apostle of Sloth, who had been striking down to kill Alon.

In that moment, as everyone held their breath, Alon, emitting blue lightning so bright it illuminated the ashen world, silently extended his hand and made a small motion.

A minuscule flick, barely noticeable unless one looked closely.

However.

The lightning that small movement unleashed shot out in an instant.

It began to massacre the small spiders.

BZZZZZT!!!  

Chaotic blue lines started etching themselves across the ashen world.

At times moving in straight lines, at times shifting erratically.

The lightning mercilessly pierced through the spiders’ bodies, and within seconds, wiped out every spider in the ruins.

The first to react to this sight was none other than the Apostle of Sloth.

‘It must be dealt with now!’  

The Apostle of Sloth, who had merged with Krakscha.

Sensing an instinctive threat from the being before him, he retrieved his disintegrating leg, and without the slightest hesitation, immediately scattered black mana, lunging at Alon to crush him.

Because he knew it with absolute certainty.

This was the only chance to deal with the being before him.

No— even now, it was already too late.

[Dieeeee—!!!]

Letting out a monstrous shriek to drive away the suffocating fear surging toward him, the Apostle of Sloth hurled his massive form toward Alon.

Yet, faced with such a desperate onslaught, Alon’s gaze remained utterly—

“……”

Serene.

As if nothing happening before him mattered at all.

Simply, serenely.

He watched the massive form charging toward him.

And just as it was about to reach him— Marquis Palatio raised his hand toward the sky.

Simultaneously—

BOOOOOOM—!!!!  

A deafening roar shook the heavens as if the entire world had exploded.

And in his grasp—

BZZZZT~!!!!  

—was lightning.

As if he had torn it straight from the sky.

Countless arcs of electricity streaked between the ground and sky,

converging into Alon’s hand.

The lightning, twisting and contorting as if about to burst,

ultimately settled within his palm.

And in the very moment the Apostle of Sloth lifted his remaining leg—

A voice rang out.

Heaven’s Wrath (天).  

A quiet yet overwhelmingly clear voice.

And then—

What the Apostle of Sloth saw was—

[A—]

A pure white world blooming within the ashen expanse.

BOOOOOOM!  

Light.

It swept across the land.

A piercing mechanical whine, far surpassing its threshold, consumed all sound.

The blinding radiance robbed the knights of their sight.

Everything was swallowed whole, and a void of sensation took hold of the world.

And then.

The moment their senses returned— what lay before their eyes was— a massive spider, pierced clean through from head to torso, completely motionless.

“……”

And standing before it, gazing down in silence, was Alon, wreathed in lightning.

“Ah—”

A low gasp escaped from the lips of one of the knights.

The unmistakable reverence in his eyes spread like wildfire to all those around him.

Not just the knights.

But also to Reinhardt.

To Deus.

And—

To Syrkal.

“……”

She blankly stared at the radiant man.

She had never once doubted his existence.

Yet, even so.

That did not mean she had been without doubt.

No matter how deeply she had devoted herself, a sliver of uncertainty had always lingered.

Because Syrkal had never once seen Kalannon with her own eyes.

There had been stories passed down.

There had been near-certain speculation.

There had been the unwavering conviction of the previous chieftain, whose judgment had never been wrong.

Yet, there had been no tangible proof.

That one missing piece had planted a seed of doubt in Syrkal’s heart.

Perhaps.

Just perhaps, she had been mistaken all along.

Perhaps the former chieftain, who had never once erred, had been wrong this time.

A doubt, minuscule in size.

Yet at this very moment—

“Ah……”

It vanished, as if it had never existed.

Because she knew.

What the blue lightning coursing through Marquis Palatio’s body truly was.

What the antlers sprouting from his head signified.

And so, Syrkal— she lowered her head in reverence and faith to the great deity she worshipped.

***

“Whew—”

As Alon’s hair, which had been standing on end, gradually settled, he felt the antlers atop his head slowly fading away.

Letting out a small sigh, he clenched his left hand.

Tremble—  

His left hand shook uncontrollably, against his will.

A sharp numbness spread through it, as if blood had stopped flowing.

For a brief moment, Alon worried—had his left hand been permanently damaged?

But he couldn’t afford to dwell on it.

‘My body feels like it’s falling apart…’  

Beyond his left hand, a searing pain racked his entire body, as if he might shatter at any moment.

‘If I move even a little, I might scream.’  

The pain was worse than when he had been bleeding out after his encounter with Ulthultus—so intense it made his vision blur.

Yet Alon didn’t show it.

He couldn’t.

Because every single person around him was watching.

Their faces were filled not just with awe, but with something closer to divine reverence.

Their eyes were wide, their mouths slightly open, as if they were beholding a god made flesh.

‘……This attention is a bit much.’  

Alon wasn’t the type to care about others’ gazes.

At least, not under normal circumstances.

But in this situation, where he was the sole focus of such open veneration—

‘I have no choice but to endure.’  

He had no intention of collapsing from pain in front of them.

……Even if, the looks of “reverence” were to suddenly cool into mere “respect,”

That would be— A little embarrassing, even for Alon.

But just then—

[Still, I’m glad the first attempt went well.]

“1”

Kalannon’s voice echoed in his head, and before Alon could even react, the voice continued.

[No need to reply. I wouldn’t hear you anyway at this point. I’m just delivering my message, so just listen.]

Straight to the point, as always.

[I’ll keep it to three things. First—Even with my help, you actually managed to manifest properly. That’s impressive. It’s not something that usually succeeds so easily.]

[Second—Your body is probably in excruciating pain right now, but if you plan on using divinity again, don’t bother healing yourself. I’ll explain why later.]

[Lastly, I need you to retrieve something for me. There’s a pair of deer antlers buried somewhere in these ruins. You must find them. Without them, we won’t be able to communicate anymore, and I won’t be able to teach you anything about divinity.]

Got it? It’s really important! Really! I’m counting on you~!

Kalannon repeated the request multiple times, emphasizing its importance, and finally—

With one last, “Please, I’m begging you!”

The voice faded away.

“……Well, looks like that’s settled for now.”

Alon sighed softly, committing the girl’s words to memory.

Then—

Boom!  

A massive tremor echoed from a distance.

Despite having just defeated the Apostle of Sloth and the monstrous Krakscha, the sound made Alon turn his head.

“What…?”

His mouth fell open before he even realized it.

It had barely been a few seconds since he had sighed in relief— and yet,  now, even from deep within the forest, he could see it clearly.

A massive horde of monsters.

“What the hell is that?”

“They’re mutants from the Selvanus region! It looks like they lost control of their territory to the black mana, but now that it’s gone, they’re returning immediately!”

“Why does nothing ever end in one go?!”

The urgency in Reinhardt and Syrkal’s voices reached his ears.

Thud, thud, thud!  

But even in that short moment, the mutated creatures had already drawn near.

Reinhardt swiftly drew his sword, but his face was filled with dismay.

And for good reason.

If it were just one or two monsters, Reinhardt wouldn’t have been so tense.

But unfortunately, there were at least eight of them.

Meaning, it was practically impossible for him to take them on alone.

Deus was already exhausted, having exceeded his limits.

And even though Alon looked fine on the surface, Reinhardt could tell that he wasn’t in great condition.

“Looks like I have no choice…!”

Reinhardt steeled himself.

He gripped his sword tightly and prepared to charge forward.

But just as he did—

Splurt—!  

The head of the leading mutant exploded.

“?”

The unexpected, instantaneous event left everyone in shock.

And before they could even comprehend what had happened—

Thunk! Thudududu!  

As if confirming the reality before them, the rolling, blood-soaked head of the fallen mutant skidded across the ruined ground.

But it wasn’t just one.

A moment later—

A snake’s head was split cleanly in two, spilling blood in the air.

A wolf-like mutant’s skull was crushed beyond recognition, its brains splattering in all directions.

And a creature with dozens of tentacles had its torso torn apart, painting the green forest red.

The massive mutants hadn’t even had a chance to strike before—

An instant massacre had unfolded.

As everyone stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had happened—

“Heh, man, it feels good to stretch a little after so long.”

A girl emerged from the field of slaughter, stepping over the fallen mutants.

Everyone held their breath at the sight.

Not because she was leading some strange group.

Not because of her beauty.

The reason every single person instinctively froze was—

“Well, I’m a little late, but.”

The overwhelming aura radiating from her.

A primal, suffocating pressure.

The kind that warned—

If they moved even an inch, they would die.

It wasn’t just enough to make knights hesitate.

It—

“Kh—”

“Guh—”

Made them collapse.

One by one, knights began fainting, unable to withstand the sheer force of her presence.

But the girl—no, the King of a Hundred Ghosts—

Didn’t spare them a glance.

As if their existence didn’t even register to her.

Instead—

“Anyway, long time no see!”

With an impossibly cheerful voice and an energetic wave, she greeted Alon.

“……???”

Those who barely managed to remain standing turned to stare at Alon in unison.

But—

“……????”

Alon was just as confused as they were.

Chapter 206

Among the four major factions in Psychedelia, one of them is the Hundred Ghosts (百鬼).

Alon knew quite a lot about them.

Unlike the Apostles.

The four major factions are groups that inevitably reveal themselves in the mid-game of Psychedelia.

For high-level players, they introduce a new source of tension beyond just Sin.

In fact, Alon knew quite a lot about the Hundred Ghosts, even among the four major factions.

No, actually, it wasn’t just Alon—any Psychedelia player had no choice but to be the most familiar with the Hundred Ghosts.

By default, the alignment of the four factions—whether they become allies or enemies—depends on the player’s choices and the route they take.

Even if they are categorized as enemies.

By selecting the right dialogue options or completing certain essential quests, players can sometimes avoid fighting them altogether.

But the Hundred Ghosts was different.

No matter which choices or routes were taken, they always appeared as enemies.

Unlike the other four factions, there was no way to avoid combat with dialogue or quests.

In other words, encountering the Hundred Ghosts always meant a fight.

And since they were one of the four major factions, even their lowest-ranking members were incredibly powerful and difficult to deal with.

On top of that, Queen of Hundred Ghosts was so strong that if the player and their party weren’t near max level in the final stages of the game, the best option was simply to reload the save rather than attempt to fight.

Even setting aside their overwhelming power.

The reason the Hundred Ghosts remained most vividly in every player’s memory was—

“Wow, this is seriously pathetic. Is that all you can do? How boring.”

“I’ll kill them all. From here to there, from there to here—every single one, without exception!”

“You fought Sin? And so what? What does your fight against Sin have to do with my boredom?”

“It’s a festival, a festival—! Kill them all!”

It was because of their utterly destructive personality.

The Hundred Ghosts, and especially their Queen.

They were the embodiment of arrogance and recklessness, a “complete lunatic” in the eyes of every player.

They attacked players at any time, destroyed villages without hesitation, and, depending on the route, even annihilated Ashtalon or Caliban.

Even their reason for destroying an entire Kingdom?

“It just seemed like it would be fun.”

—An absolutely absurd justification for entertainment.

Since they constantly roamed around committing all kinds of atrocities.

When the Hundred Ghosts first appeared, Alon was extremely on edge.

If the ones standing before him were the the Hundred Ghosts he knew, then there was absolutely no way he would leave this place alive.

However.

“It’s been a while~!”

At the sight of her greeting him with a bright smile.

Alon couldn’t help but fill his mind with countless question marks.

Because this was completely unexpected.

“What…?”

Alon looked at the Queen of Hundred Ghosts, bewildered.

With a radiant smile and vigorously waving her hand as if genuinely happy to see him.

It was an expression that, to anyone watching, looked no different from someone excitedly reuniting with an old friend.

Alon glanced around.

Every single person was staring at him.

Even those who had been indifferently following behind the Queen of Hundred Ghosts just moments ago.

They all had wide eyes, as if they had just witnessed something unbelievably bizarre.

“What the—”

Out of habit, he started to say something but stopped.

Because he realized that this situation could be an opportunity.

‘Queen of Hundred Ghosts is mistaken.’

Alon was certain—she had the wrong person.

Whether it was a mistake regarding Kalannon, the lightning receiver, or something else.

Right now, she was mistaking him for someone else.

Alon had never once encountered the Queen of Hundred Ghosts before.

In fact, it wasn’t even possible for him to have met her.

‘I need to use this.’

Alon swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to respond to her greeting with a confused question.

But if he did, and she realized her mistake.

That would mean instant death.

No, there was no doubt he would be killed immediately.

So, after swallowing hard, he spoke.

“It has been a long time…”

Matching her energy (?), he greeted her back.

Apparently, the Queen of Hundred Ghosts was delighted that Alon responded.

Her face lit up instantly—the change was so dramatic it was almost audible.

The Queen of Hundred Ghosts, who in the game always looked either bored or irritated, displaying only negative emotions.

Now, she smiled with childlike innocence, as if she didn’t have a single care in the world.

Alon found himself momentarily stunned before something caught his attention.

‘Her hair is black?’

That was it—Queen’s hair was black.

According to what Alon knew, it was supposed  to be white, which raised some questions.

‘Is this a different person?’

He shook his head immediately.

Aside from the hair color.

Her face was exactly that of the Queen of Hundred Ghosts he had seen in Psychedelia.

‘What’s going on? Why is her hair color different…?’  

“Whoa, what’s with the boss smiling? If someone saw this, they’d think—”

BOOOOOM—!!!  

…….

Right.

She was definitely the Queen of Hundred Ghosts.

As the blue-skinned man smugly ran his mouth, the Queen of Hundred Ghosts sent him flying with a single punch, shattering the forest as he crashed.

Alon quietly nodded.

Judging by that ruthless brutality, she was exactly the entity he knew.

Just as all his lingering doubts vanished.

“Hmmm~”

In an instant, the Queen of Hundred Ghosts had appeared right in front of Alon.

She had moved so quickly that he hadn’t even noticed.

With a face full of curiosity, as if observing something, she stared intently at him.

“Black one.”

She suddenly muttered.

Alon had no idea what she meant, but he could tell it was a question with meaning.

His instincts screamed that she was testing something.

But he couldn’t answer easily.

Because a single wrong answer could mean life or death.

Yet, delaying his response for too long would also get him killed, so Alon tried to force himself to speak.

“Uh—”

But he stopped.

Because the expression on her face had changed.

As if she had realized something.

The radiant smile from earlier had vanished, replaced by a peculiar look.

Alon felt a sudden sense of danger in his gut.

“So… not yet.”

“?”

Queen murmured to herself so quietly that even Alon, standing right in front of her, couldn’t hear it properly.

Then, she turned her body.

And.

“Let’s go~”

Unlike before, she lazily stretched out her words and began leading her subordinates back into the forest.

“Wait, what? She came all this way just to leave—?”

At that moment, the blue-skinned man, who had been launched into the forest earlier, rejoined the group, covered in dust.

Even after taking such a devastating blow, he casually scratched his head as if nothing had happened.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, everyone present started considering him an extraordinary individual.

BOOOM—!!!  

Yet, the moment he rejoined the group, Queen punched him again, sending him flying through the air once more.

This time, he crashed into the forest and destroyed the surroundings.

“See you next time~”

As if nothing had happened, Hyakki shrugged her shoulders and disappeared into the forest.

And Alon’s party.

“???”

They stood amidst the corpses of the mutated creatures.

Staring blankly at the place where Hyakki had vanished.

***

Right after the Hundred Ghosts disappeared.

Alon began preparing to return to Luxibl Principality, gathering the horn that Kalannon had requested and the black-threaded artifact that Krakscha had carried.

“So this was why you thought it was safe even in the Hundred Ghosts’s territory.”

Reinhardt asked, but Alon remained silent.

The real reason he had assumed it would be fine to enter the Hundred Ghosts’s domain.

Was not because of Reinhardt’s speculation.

But rather because of the Hundred Ghosts’s nature.

By default, those creatures rarely moved during the day.

Even if they did, they would only act deep within their own territory.

They wouldn’t bother chasing someone just for briefly stepping near the border.

Yet, despite all that, she showed up and left without doing anything.

Alon hadn’t expected this outcome at all.

‘……What the hell is going on?’  

Once again, Alon thought about the Queen of Hundred Ghosts.

There were too many strange things.

‘I could’ve sworn she noticed the mistake.’  

Her final expression.

It was clear that she had realized something.

And yet.

She left without saying anything to Alon.

Not only that, but she even said—

—See you next time.

‘……What the hell is going on?’  

From the moment he got into the carriage, Alon kept thinking about it.

But no matter how much he pondered.

He couldn’t come up with a solid theory.

There just wasn’t enough information to properly grasp the situation.