Chapter 1146: Showdown (18)

Swoosh!!!

A night sky with pouring rain. A thick, stuffy humidity brushed against his nose.

Amidst the violent rain, a colossal, ancient fortress flickered faintly.

A decaying castle, swallowed by darkness, with no light to be seen, not even a trace of human presence.

Lennok, along with the other knights, walked down the sewer path towards the ancient castle, drenched by the rain.

A plan to open The Gate in accordance with Aronbaiger Kabahim’s scheme and obtain the remains of the ‘Dead God’.

Splash, splash!

With each step, the rainwater pooled beneath his feet splashed, making a squelching sound.

They were making their way through the broken sewers, walking towards the distant ancient castle.

“Long ago, it was a fortress used as an underground stronghold protecting the Royal Capital.”

Uzel, the young knight walking beside Lennok, opened his mouth with a smile.

He wore a thick raincoat over his sturdy armor to ward off the rain.

Even while carrying supplies and walking alongside his subordinate knights, Uzel showed no sign of fatigue.

“However, it is also an unfortunate ruin, abandoned after a disastrous accident at the fortress severed its ties with the Royal Capital.”

“So that old castle is a fortress abandoned even by Kabahim?”

“Precisely. That is why His Majesty chose this place for this plan.”

Uzel nodded with a faint smile.

“We will arrive a little further on.”

“…”

Indeed, no trace or presence of people could be felt anywhere in the sewers around the ancient castle.

Evidence that the environment itself had been left neglected, untouched by human hands for a long time.

Lennok thought so, glancing back at the other knights walking around him.

Some of the knight commanders who had assisted in his training, and the high-ranking knights assigned under them.

Clad in armor and raincoats, they led the way, clearing the path and removing debris.

In the midst of these knights, a man with a refined presence strode forward.

Aronbaiger Kabahim.

Hiss…!!!

The heavily pouring rain could not properly drench his body, instead evaporating and vanishing.

Steam billowed above Aron, swirling in the rain as if he was veiled by an invisible barrier.

Behind the monarch, it spread out like blurry wings of mist, flickering.

Hwoooosh!!!

Lennok’s gaze, fixed on Aronbaiger, deepened.

‘Is he emitting that much heat just by circulating mana… he’s a monster.’

Most mana users employ a method of rotating mana throughout their entire body when operating it.

While a common and safe method, excessive mana rotation inevitably generates heat.

Just as an engine generates heat when running, it’s a caloric output that must be endured when drawing out energy.

A wizard like Lennok could suppress heat generation by maximizing mana efficiency to an extreme.

However, most mana users, including physical superhumans, cannot optimize their mana operation processes to that extent.

But Aronbaiger did not bother to suppress the heat generated by his mana manipulation.

Instead, he was constantly circulating mana, using the resulting heat to evaporate the pouring rain.

‘If the heat from his mana rotation is enough to evaporate rainwater, his entire body’s cells should be melting. Just how strong is his physical fortitude?’

Aronbaiger Kabahim is an 8-level physical superhuman and a Talent for Duality holder.

If the information from the strategy meeting was true, Aron undoubtedly possessed another talent comparable to an 8th-level ability.

The problem was that Lennok had not yet confirmed which of Aron’s ‘second talents’ he possessed.

Unlike the knight commanders he had sparred with during training, Aron had never once openly displayed his power in an official setting.

Confirming how powerful a superhuman the monarch of Kabahim was, and what dangerous talents he possessed, was an indispensable part of this operation.

It was possible that this opportunity would allow him to ascertain Aron’s power in some way.

Thud!!

As they halted their steps, the vast landscape of the ancient castle fully revealed itself from the darkness.

The dilapidated remnants of the castle walls, drenched in the pouring rain, thickly overgrown with moss and foliage.

Creak…!!

Knights stepped forward, propping up the fallen castle gate and pushing it open with all their might.

With the sound of rotting wood crumbling, a dark, submerged corridor was revealed.

Rainwater dripped from the ceiling, and the air was damp, almost thick with humidity.

Inside the ancient castle, it was so silent it felt as if one’s ears would go deaf.

Clank, clank!

The rhythmic clash of the knights’ armor echoed through the dark cavernous space.

After walking through the seemingly endless corridor, they arrived at a wide hall with stairs curving up on both sides.

Aron, looking at the neatly aligned knights with his blue eyes, spoke.

“From this moment, I shall begin preparations to open The Gate, alongside the great bloodline.”

“…”

“In the meantime, you, my knights, shall besiege the ancient castle and ensure that nothing, inside or out, escapes.”

The atmosphere was so quiet it felt solemn.

“Though the glory of Kabahim may have begun in this Royal Capital, I shall not allow its end to be here.”

Aron’s expression, as he looked at the knights, turned chillingly cold for a moment.

“I myself will prove that your swords can extend beyond that Central Front.”

“We obey His Majesty’s command.”

Thump!!!

Knights lined up in the ancient castle’s lobby knelt and bowed their heads.

Uzel and the other knight commanders also knelt in their places with solemn expressions.

Hundreds of high-ranking knights raised their mana, resonating and spreading its heat in all directions.

A tingling aura instantly cleared the damp humidity inside the ancient castle, swiftly changing the atmosphere.

“The 4th Knight Division will move to the inner corridors of the ancient castle. Block all entrances and ventilation shafts.”

“The 9th Knight Division will stand guard on the outer castle walls.”

“7th Knight Division, we will occupy the facilities near the sewers. Let’s go!”

Each knight commander led their divisions, moving swiftly and in unison both inside and outside the ancient castle.

The presence of superhumans, swiftly taking control of the rain-drenched sewers alongside the fully armored knight divisions.

“I didn’t realize Kabahim was dreaming of advancing to the Central Front.”

Amidst the bustling knights, Lennok crossed his arms, looking at Aron.

Because Lennok had immediately understood what goal Aron’s recent message to the knights implied.

“Is it merely a pretense, or genuinely part of the process?”

“As you also know.”

Aron slowly turned and said.

“Not long ago, Outer Tribulation City crashed into the Western Front, officially declaring its advance to the Central Front.”

“…That is.”

“Kundara’s Elder Council explained it as an unavoidable disaster, but no one in the Central Front fully believes that.”

Aron’s eyes glinted as he watched the silent Lennok.

“Everyone knows the end is near. That is why the Long-lived Beings have abandoned that clumsy ‘Outer Tribulation’ and returned to the mortal world.”

“…”

Aron’s answer suggested that Kabahim had also solidified its resolve to advance to the Central Front, observing Kundara’s movements.

The knights protecting the Royal Capital benefit from a ‘Blessing’ that allows them to wield power stronger than their original rank.

Conversely, because of this, most of Kabahim’s knight forces are necessarily centralized, bound to the Royal Capital.

Aronbaiger Kabahim intended to bring the remains of the Dead God from beyond The Gate and craft them into a Forbidden Armament, rather than rely on the ‘Blessing’ tied to the Royal Capital.

‘Considering the value of the Dead God’s remains, it’s not entirely impossible, but…’

While all of Kabahim’s knights are highly skilled, and the Royal Capital’s Blessing is incredibly powerful, far beyond imagination.

The forces currently dominating the Central Front are all titans, each scattering their power across the continent.

From the Cult and the Alliance, the Ability Awakening Warband and Deadrise leading the charge, to the elites conquering the demon realms on the front lines heading towards Ars Nova.

If Kabahim were to advance to the Central Front, could they secure the same standing and status as them before the end approaches?

‘Kabahim once sent knights to the Hanghasa Labyrinth to claim Jindun’s legacy. There were indications they had long dreamed of continental expansion.’

When participating in the Hanghasa Labyrinth’s subjugation, Lennok had met a knight division dispatched from Kabahim within the labyrinth.

They participated in the labyrinth’s subjugation led by Knight Commander Dane, clashed with Jawoon Audis, lost all their subordinate knights, and fled, if he recalled correctly.

It was a long time ago, and Lennok’s memory was hazy, but it was clear that Kabahim had dreamed of continental expansion since then.

It would not be strange for the monarch of Kabahim to now use the ‘power’ dormant in the Royal Capital to embark on an advance to the Central Front.

“For the aforementioned goal you spoke of, we first need to find The Gate.”

Lennok, deep in thought, raised his gaze.

Lennok looked back at the knights, who, with their helmets pulled down low, had begun to stand guard all around the ancient castle’s lobby, and spoke.

“Right now, there’s no reaction detectable in this vicinity that would indicate The Gate.”

According to The Clown’s direct confirmation, The Gate’s coordinates were beneath Kabahim’s Royal Capital.

However, Aronbaiger had led his knight divisions to an ancient castle devoid of human presence.

Was it a bluff to conceal The Gate’s location, or had its position been moved after The Clown’s visit?

No, could the concept of The Gate itself be moved so freely?

But Aron, even after hearing Lennok’s words, calmly averted his gaze.

“The sewers where this ancient castle is located were originally designed as a large-scale sewage facility to be built outside the Royal Capital.”

Aron said so, slowly moving his steps.

“It is now heavily damaged and unrecognizable, but the entire sewer system was designed in exact opposition, as if reflecting the Royal Capital in a mirror.”

“Are you saying the entire sewer path was designed as an inverted reflection of the Royal Capital’s roads?”

“That is why there exists an inverse aspect of the concept, which can only be observed here.”

“…No way.”

Lennok’s expression hardened as he instantly grasped Aron’s objective.

“From the beginning, to attempt opening The Gate from outside the Royal Capital–”

“The Gate I intend to open with your aid is not the one within the Royal Capital.”

Aron, caressing his eyelids with one hand, his eyes closed, spoke.

“I will open the reverse side of The Gate, which can only be observed in this ancient castle. The ‘Backdoor,’ which should not inherently exist.”

Boom!!

As he took a step and drew upon his mana, a domineering aura fiercely emanated from Aron’s entire body.

Each time his head twisted with a creak, the radiating heat warmed the rain-soaked lobby.

Aron, who had begun to operate his mana at full power, slowly lifted the eyelid he had been pressing with one hand.

“This will be a shortcut to illuminate the deepest part of the otherworldly sanctuary beyond The Gate, all at once.”

Wooooong…!!!

Between his fingers, Aronbaiger’s dual pupils, glowing blue, flashed, rotated, and intersected.

Two pupils, fiercely flickering within his irises, narrowed the distance between them with each surge of mana.

The moment they overlapped into a single pupil within his eye, like a solar and lunar eclipse.

Screeeeeeech-!!!!!

With a grotesque, ear-splitting screech, space twisted, and something appeared.

A bizarre rectangle, as if roughly drawn by violently dragging a black line.

‘Something’ fiercely convulsing and flickering, forcibly dragged before Lennok.

As soon as he saw it, Lennok realized that this rift before his eyes was the ‘Backdoor’ Aron had spoken of.

The inverse of The Gate, located beneath the Royal Palace.

The result of forcibly observing a concept that should not inherently exist, through the Talent for Duality.

Crack!!

With the sound of shattering glass, blood streamed from Aron’s eyes.

A gruesome sight, as if Aron’s eyes were shattering and melting just from observing the Backdoor.

But Aron, despite the agony of his eyes splitting, did not flinch, calmly averting his gaze.

Shedding bloody tears, Aron calmly looked back at Lennok and spoke softly.

“Now.”

Clack!!

Before Aron’s words even finished, Lennok was already drawing upon his mana.

Kikikikikik-

Black Mana Threads furiously shot out, covering Lennok’s left arm, and violently rotated.

A glass-colored gauntlet summoned within the veil of Mana Threads was obscured by a black ring.

Clack!!

Lennok, avoiding Aron’s gaze, equipped the gauntlet and stepped forward, extending his hand towards the Backdoor.

As he drew upon mana, the Mana Threads covering his left arm violently rotated, accelerating like a black ring.

The moment Lennok, with a clenched fist, plunged the gauntlet—concealed by Mana Threads—into the spatial rift before him without hesitation.

Boom!!

The Backdoor, which had been closing as it appeared, began to twist with a grotesque sound.

A violent reaction, as if sensing the power of the Forbidden Armament Lennok possessed, trying to close and hide itself somehow.

Snap, snap…!!

The spatial rift pressed against his wrist, tightening fiercely as if to sever Lennok’s entire hand.

But Lennok calmly focused his mind despite the crushing pain that felt like his wrist would be severed.

Around Lennok’s wrist, Mana Threads spun furiously, rotating like a black ring.

Slowly, he began to push back against the Backdoor’s pressure that was crushing his hand.

Wooooong!!!

He had practiced borrowing the power of the Forbidden Armament without fully deploying it countless times.

If that was possible, recalling the sensation of grasping a visible ‘concept’ like this was not difficult.

An esoteric task relying entirely on innate intuition, yet precisely for that reason, one Lennok would never fail.

From deep within, he simultaneously moved intuition and instinct, ‘grasping’ the invisible Backdoor.

The moment he slowly turned his hand, the vibrating, narrowing rift gradually widened.

As Lennok forced open The Gate, the landscape of the sanctuary beyond unfolded…

Fwooosh!!!

A frozen snowfield, which he had once encountered through the Ice Seal.

An ice monument embedded at the end of a snowy mountain, and a frozen knight kneeling upon it—

“…Wait.”

Lennok realized the landscape before him was completely different from his memory and stopped his hand.

There was no biting wind that froze the body, no snowfield where everything turned pure white.

Above the sky, shattered and scattering like glass, only a colossal hole rotated.

Hwoooooosh!!!!!

Beneath the broken sky, a colossal black circle rotated, shedding black tears below it.

The black tears, falling like a waterfall, dyed everything around them in abyssal darkness.

Upon a colossal throne submerged in the darkness, sat a giant knight, his entire body cracked and broken.

The knight, clad in precarious armor that seemed on the verge of shattering with cracks all over his body, scattered a tingling cold.

Above the heart of the knight, slumped powerlessly on the throne, a black-dyed black hole rotated and pulsed.

A black orb, piercing and settling into the giant knight’s chest.

A strange, intense, and captivating pulsation, as if replacing his heart.

But Lennok instinctively understood the true nature of the scene before him and fell silent.

“…”

The scenery of the sanctuary was completely different from what he had seen through the Ice Seal.

This endlessly twisted, decaying black domain was, in fact, familiar to Lennok—

“You succeeded.”

Behind the silent Lennok, Aron, wiping the blood streaming from his eyes, spoke.

“That is the remnant of the Dead God, dormant in this Royal Capital.”

His voice was calm and composed, devoid of pain or emotion.

But Aron’s eyes, gazing at the sanctuary, shone intensely, as if ablaze.

“And that demon realm where its remains are stored is… Ban-gung’s prestige domain, ‘Mandala’.”

Leaving Lennok, who had momentarily stopped breathing, Aron whispered softly.

“It is a vessel of the world capable of containing even the death of an Outer God in its true essence.”