Chapter 1305: Grand General’s Mausoleum (3)
Simultaneously with defeating Maiya’s clone, three Ascendants burst into the Mausoleum.
A Long-lived Being, an old man, and a woman descended on either side of the broken gate, black Parasitic Flowers blooming on their faces.
Rumble…!!!
The will-thought emanating from the old man and the Dragon-kind, consumed by Parasitic Flowers, heavily pressed down on the Mausoleum’s air.
The scattered will-thought pulsed with physical force, making debris strewn everywhere tremble.
The Priests’ expressions stiffened as they sensed the aftershocks of that transcendent power.
“A Legion General. And a Long-lived Being from Kundara…?”
“Impossible. How is Zabelin here—”
An elderly soldier in a worn uniform. A massive Long-lived Being with a dragon’s head.
And a woman with neatly tied dull blonde hair, descending between the two Ascendants.
Ascendants from the Legion, the Ability Awakening Warband, and Kundara—all of whom were not currently involved in the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors—had appeared simultaneously inside the Mausoleum.
Yet, Lennok remained calm despite the sudden intrusion of the Ascendants.
‘It’s certain that Zabelin, consumed by Parasitic Flowers, isn’t the real one. But I can’t be sure about the Long-lived Being and the Legion’s superhuman.’
It was a widely known fact that Eredis Zabelin had returned alive, leading the Annihilation Squad, after failing in her Demonic Realm conquest.
The Zabelin standing before him now was likely a type of spirit, like Maiya, with her bio-information overlaid onto another corpse.
‘If this isn’t based on Zabelin’s own bloodline, she won’t be able to properly use her true abilities, like Maiya. But…’
Even so, he couldn’t gauge the true extent of Eredis Zabelin’s combat prowess.
All Lennok knew about Zabelin was that she was an extremely famous powerhouse even in the Central Council, an Ascendant whose mere presence could shake the balance of power between factions.
It was said that after the Conjunction Spell Master’s affair, her mere appearance at the First Gate caused diplomatic issues for the Ability Awakening Warband.
If that clone, operating based on Eredis Zabelin’s bio-information, could use even a fraction of her abilities—
—
“……”
Rumble…!!!
As he looked up at the monsters atop the gate, they, too, seemed to look down at Lennok as if on cue.
An inorganic will-thought, like that of a plant, acknowledging each other’s presence and seemingly excluding all other variables.
However, Lennok wasn’t reading the monsters staring down at him, but another presence he felt beyond them.
To be precise, Aileen’s life-response, still quietly concealing her presence and moving behind the gate.
“Apostle-Slayer.”
At that moment, the Bishop leading the Priests called Lennok, his expression stern.
“The monster in Zabelin’s form may not be her, but the Legion General is likely the real one.”
“What are you talking about?”
“His name is Lihito. He was a distinguished Spirit Sorcerer who succeeded Commander Armut, but became obsessed with his dwindling lifespan, attempted a Demonic Realm conquest, and then vanished.”
“……”
“Because of that, I believe the third commander position remained vacant until Baragan was appointed. If that old man is the one I remember—”
“You’re with the Cult, yet you know a good deal about the Legion’s internal affairs.”
Lennok stared at the Bishop and asked.
“Were you a soldier loyal to Ethan?”
“Now, I am merely a humble servant of God.”
“……”
His tone was oddly stiff, so he was a former soldier who defected from the Legion to the Cult.
It seemed the Bishop recognized the monsters at the gate immediately because of his background.
“I will use Divine Possession Spellcraft here to buy time with Zabelin. In the meantime, Cheonbeon, you deal with the Long-lived Being or Lihito.”
The Bishop said with a stiff voice.
“He’s an old monster who has lived for a long time, wielding unique spirits, and he’ll become harder to deal with as time passes. If we don’t handle at least one of them first—”
“You cult lackey, don’t you dare order me.”
The Bishop’s words were cut short by Lennok’s chilling reply.
“I don’t care how you move. I’ll handle it myself.”
“……You bastard.”
The three Ascendants atop the frozen gate, and Aileen quietly hiding above them.
He hadn’t attempted communication to avoid leaving a trace, but Aileen would know that Lennok had sensed her presence.
In that case, Aileen’s presence there was akin to a signal to Lennok.
“……”
It seemed she had succeeded in finding a path inside the Mausoleum while Lennok was dealing with Maiya.
For now, it would be best to figure out what Aileen is after.
“I should take one down before we start.”
“What did you say?”
“Move.”
Ignoring the Bishop, who didn’t understand his words, Lennok nodded.
“If you get in the way, I’ll kill you.”
“……!!”
WHOOSH—!!!!
A house-sized Ice Comet rotated and plummeted onto the frozen gate.
A wordless cast, without warning. An assault even the monsters consumed by Parasitic Flowers couldn’t instantly perceive.
The colossal comet, spewing a biting chill, crashed onto the frozen gate and exploded.
It directly struck the massive Dragon-kind at its center, unleashing an enormous shockwave.
CRAAASH!!!!!
A shockwave so powerful it violently rocked the entire gate structure erected in the center of the cavern.
Zabelin and Lihito leaped to either side of the gate just as ice poured down.
“G-grrr…”
The Long-lived Being, frozen solid and shattering, groaning at the core of the plummeting Ice Comet.
At the absurd power that incapacitated Kundara’s Dragon-kind with a single blow, the Priests froze, forgetting their current predicament.
“Insane—!!!”
“How could the spellcraft’s power—!!”
CRACK!!
The moment everyone’s gaze turned to the Long-lived Being crushed by the Ice Comet, Aileen, who had been hiding, leaped down without hesitation.
She stealthily darted between the gate’s upper railings, silently beginning to tamper with the internal mechanisms.
Seeing this, Lennok immediately drew up his mana, focusing Zabelin and Lihito’s attention on himself.
“They’re coming…!!”
WHOOSH!!
Instinctively reacting to Lennok’s explosive mana, the two monsters moved simultaneously.
Zabelin, with Parasitic Flowers blooming on her face, stepped forward and turned towards him.
The old man, Lihito, who had fallen below the gate, clasped his hands together and formed a mudra.
BOOM!!!
Black smoke exploded around the old man, revealing a house-sized spirit.
[Squeal—]
A bizarre sight: a bloated, pig-like creature with flesh swelled up like a balloon.
A grotesquely corrupted form, almost unbelievable for a spirit residing in the Spirit World.
As Lihito, the Spirit Sorcerer, was consumed by Parasitic Flowers, had the spirit contracted to him also been corrupted?
[Weaken][Heavy][Slow][Delusional][Give up]
[Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die…!!!!]
Thousands of mouths on its skin ceaselessly spouted malefic spell-words, unleashing a barrage of curses.
The Cult Priests immediately knelt and began to pray where they stood.
“Unfurl the blessings. We call upon the Apostle spellcraft!”
“By the name of the Subterranean Giant God—”
CRUUMBLE!!!!
Following the Priests’ prayers, the ground beneath their feet surged, forming a massive stone shield.
Simultaneously, a milky white barrier unfolded around the Priests, enveloping them in blessings and divine protection.
The Priests’ power, borrowing the might of the Subterranean Giant God while protecting their minds and bodies through prayer.
The Bishop, standing at the center of the kneeling Priests, spread both hands and began a different prayer from the others.
“Through the Fifth Messenger, I offer this body to the King of Enveloping Shadows.”
“Pouring unpermitted greatness for a moment into this humble servant of God—”
THWOOM!!!!
As he uttered the two lines, an invisible force poured into the Bishop’s body with immense speed.
A grotesque sight, as if the transcendence gained by the Cult’s Apostles was being forcibly jammed into a human body.
Was this the Divine Possession Spellcraft the Bishop mentioned, necessary to face Zabelin and Lihito?
But Lennok’s senses were, even amidst this, fixed on Aileen, moving busily atop the gate.
‘The gate’s form is subtly changing with each surge of dark energy. Is it using the very essence of death as its power source?’
Each moment corpses rampaged and died amidst the humans, the vibrations of the gate erected in the center of the cavern grew stronger.
And each time, Aileen darted between the railings, manipulating the internal mechanisms and equipment located within.
CLICK!! WHOOSH…!!!
She reconnected severed wires, reassembled detached parts, and pulled levers.
Biting her lip and holding her breath to prevent sound or presence from escaping, she opened a panel and set coordinates.
If Aileen was trying to open a path by manipulating the gate, it would be best to buy her time until then, preventing her detection.
Considering that, the best method currently was—
“Zabelin is moving!!!”
WHOOSH!!
Zabelin, with Parasitic Flowers blooming on her face, sprinted forward with a hollow expression, crouching low.
Despite wearing silver light armor, her movements were free and light, as if walking on wind.
She leaped over frozen debris, closing a distance of several hundred meters in mere seconds.
“All Priests, deploy your spellcraft and erect shields!!!”
“Even if it’s a fake, it’s Zabelin. Don’t let her get close!!”
CRUUMBLE!!!!!!
As the Priests prayed, the Subterranean Giant God’s stone shield rotated violently.
A massive arch unfolded overhead, trapping and pressing down on the superhuman from above.
The Priests’ reaction showed extreme fear, as they guarded even Zabelin’s clone, desperately trying to keep it from approaching.
WHOOSH—
Before he could finish his thought, Zabelin removed the glove from her hand.
Skin as pale and bleached as a corpse. A thin hand with no tattoos or distinctive features.
But upon seeing the cracks spreading across her fingertips, the Priests’ complexions turned even paler than Zabelin’s hand.
“No, keep it!!”
“Gah, ahhh…!!!”
“Everyone, get out of the way before you’re caught in it!!!”
Ignoring the Priests’ desperate cries, Zabelin brought her bare hand towards the falling rock at that moment.
The house-sized rock, falling from above, ‘vanished’ the instant it touched Zabelin’s hand.
CRACK!!
“……!!!”
A powerful sensation, as if not merely erasing matter, but obliterating the very space where it stood.
As space instantly vanished, air and mana rushed into the void, creating vast ripples.
Immediately after, an immense shockwave erupted from Zabelin, sending the Cult Priests flying in all directions.
KABOOOM!!!
“GAH!!”
“Hold on, hold on!!”
The Priests, pushed back, desperately tried not to release their blessings and divine protection.
But Zabelin didn’t even bother to glance back or engage with them individually.
She merely brushed past the fleeing Priests with her bare hands, obliterating the rocks falling from all sides.
“Gasp—”
“My God—”
Without even a proper shout or scream, parts of the Priests’ heads or limbs were erased.
With the space itself gone, their remaining bodies were sucked in, twisting into mere handfuls of flesh.
CRUNCH, CRACKLE!!!!
Flesh and blood, losing their human form and contorted, fell at Zabelin’s feet and rolled.
A pristine movement, massacring over twenty high-ranking Priests with a single gesture, yet not a drop of blood stained her.
THUD.
Zabelin turned, simultaneously accelerating towards the praying Bishop.
Immediately after, she collided diagonally with Lennok, who had intervened beside him.
CRACKLE!!!!!!
Zabelin’s and Lennok’s hands met in mid-air, emitting an eerie ripping sound.
They stood frozen, crushing space between them, as if trying to grip each other’s hands.
“When I heard she was the Warband’s second-in-command, I thought so, but her innate ability itself is immensely powerful.”
CRACKLE, CRACKLE…!!!
Lennok frowned, looking at Zabelin, whose gaze was blankly lifted.
“Does she literally ‘annihilate’ matter and space she touches? How can such a superhuman exist among humans?”
Psychic abilities are a type of innate power that operates based on mental strength.
They rely heavily on innate talent, and most often self-destruct or go mad from inability to control their own gifts.
As one trains psychic abilities and ascends to higher ranks, these problems only worsen, eventually leading to being consumed by one’s own power.
That’s why Lennok had long wondered what the ability of Zabelin, known as the Warband’s strongest spear, truly was.
But he had never quite confirmed that her innate ability would literally be directly related to ‘annihilation’.
‘She’s erasing barrier spellcraft with her bare hands. At this rate, the spatial severance will be completely nullified within four seconds.’
CRACK!! WHOOSH!!!
Each time Zabelin’s clone flexed her fingers, the protective barriers and wards touched by her hand were annihilated and collapsed.
A monstrous phenomenon: a top-tier barrier array, designed to isolate and sever space, being crushed and shattered like paper in Zabelin’s hand.
He could only momentarily block it because he had enveloped his hands in Jindun’s Barrier Spellcraft; originally, it was an ability that didn’t even allow contact.
Even the ability mimicked by her clone, not Zabelin herself, was this powerful?
CRACKLE, CRACKLE…!!
He released control of the barrier array, which was shaking as if it would shatter any moment, and stepped back.
Simultaneously, the distorted space between Lennok’s and Zabelin’s hands exploded, covering the surroundings in a pale light.
KABOOOM!!
Lennok, thrown back in the opposite direction from Zabelin, landed beside the praying Bishop.
“Thanks to the grace of the great gods, it seems certain that woman isn’t the real Zabelin.”
The Bishop, who had been praying with his eyes closed and sweating, said.
“Seeing her use her ability only with bare hands, it seems she’s wielding a significantly degraded version compared to the original. I can handle her at that level.”
“That’s a ‘significantly degraded’ ability compared to the original?”
“Once the Divine Possession Spellcraft is complete, I will deal with her, so you focus on killing Lihito.”
The Bishop slowly opened his eyes and said.
“The Pantheon’s long-cherished wish lies in the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors; if we can obtain a shortcut to Paradise, then I can offer this life to the gods—”
WHOOSH!!
A halo of light echoed in the air. He drew up the Black God Demonic Art and lowered his shoulder.
Zabelin’s hand, shattering space and thrusting forward, swept across the spot where Lennok had stood.
Lennok, narrowly dodging Zabelin’s hand, powerfully seized her shoulder with his right arm and twisted it.
KABOOM!!!
‘If it doesn’t touch bare skin, the ability won’t activate. In that case—’
Though the ability was different, he had experience being wary of an opponent’s bare hands when fighting the Conjunction Spell Master.
Then it should be possible to kill the clone here without being touched by Zabelin’s ability.
HMMMM!
With his consciousness slowed to its limit, he rotated his upper body and got behind Zabelin.
Pulling the clone’s shoulder and kicking its back, he simultaneously calculated his remaining mana and will-thought.
‘If I rest for a moment, I can recover about half of the mana I’ve used so far. I’ll have to push through.’
He didn’t know the exact principle by which Zabelin’s ability worked, but it was clear that it could annihilate matter and space entirely.
Its destructive power and versatility, not to mention its range, were comparable to top-tier Trait-type Spellcraft.
Having made his judgment in a flash, Lennok, holding Zabelin from behind, powerfully spread both hands.
WHOOSH!!
The flame kindled in his left hand stretched out long, taking on a brilliant blue jade flame light and rotating furiously.
Processing and condensing the flame, which had reached a plasma state through Property Transformation of nuclear fusion, into a spherical form.
[Flame Void]
If Zabelin’s ability was to annihilate space, this was a jade flame that incinerated space, returning it to a void.
The instant Lennok, having completed his incantation while getting behind her, gripped the Flame Void and unhesitatingly slammed it into Zabelin’s back.
Zabelin’s clone gripped her own shoulder with her bare hand.
“……!!!”
KABOOOM!!!!
Zabelin’s entire upper right body was annihilated by her own ability, and Lennok’s hand swept through empty air.
Immediately after, Zabelin’s body, leaning as if falling, regenerated at a terrifying speed, covered in Parasitic Flowers.
She then explosively accelerated, reached the Bishop, and caressed his face with one hand.
“……Ah.”
KABOOOM!!!!
With the Bishop’s single cry, his head was annihilated, and a fountain of blood erupted from his neck.
The Bishop’s corpse, unable to complete the Divine Possession Spellcraft, losing his head and collapsing.
Immediately after, Lennok kicked Zabelin’s back, pressing her body onto the ground at tremendous speed, grinding her.
CRASH!!!!
SCRAAAAPE!!!!
“—!!”
“Using the regenerative ability of Parasitic Flowers to self-inflict damage and catch me off guard… This is not just a simple clone.”
Lennok tilted his head, looking down at Zabelin’s clone, whose face was being ground into the floor.
“Does it possess enough intelligence to even utilize abilities that the original does not?”
“N-no…”
WHOOOOSH…!!
With a muffled sound, Zabelin bit and tore off the glove on her other hand with her lips.
Simultaneously, the spirit summoned by Lihito from below the gate ceaselessly spouted cursed spell-words.
An attempt to infuse curses into the corpses pouring in from all sides, trying to separate Lennok and Zabelin.
But Lennok didn’t even glance at Lihito, instead drawing up his mana and swiftly turning his body.
“You’re from the Legion, yet your situational awareness is slow. Is it hard to think, consumed by Parasitic Flowers?”
Rotating his shoulder, he flung Zabelin’s body, which he had by the scruff, into the air and ignited flames.
He shattered Zabelin’s defense head-on, blasting her body high into the sky.
KABOOOM!!!!
A power disparity so overwhelming it was almost one-sided.
The surviving Priests gasped; in that instant, Lennok’s figure appeared above Zabelin’s head.
Two house-sized Ice Lances crossed diagonally, pinning both Zabelin and Lihito simultaneously.
“The fight is already over.”
CRACKLE!!!!!
“—”
“Guuh…!!”
Zabelin’s clone, bowing its head without a scream, and Lihito’s response, a painful groan.
The bodies of the two Ascendants, impaled by the frozen lances, were sliced and torn apart at a cellular level by the ice.
Their black blood seeped through the transparent ice, rapidly chilling.
The Rectification Knights, watching Lennok rise from beneath the house-sized ice lances, gripped their swords with stern expressions.
“Apostle-Slayer… His combat power exceeds the rumors.”
“So much time has passed since the Mausoleum conquest began, yet he still has this much power left?”
Overwhelming combat power, destroying not only the executor consumed by Parasitic Flowers, but also the other monsters that appeared one after another.
An incomprehensible divine might that unilaterally crushed high-ranking superhumans without even using high-powered techniques or magic.
Faint killing intent began to mix in the gazes of the Rectification Knights, watching Lennok from afar.
“He’s dangerous and untrustworthy. We must implore the Cardinal now to change the agreement.”
“Besides, it’s suspicious why he didn’t kill the monsters immediately, despite possessing such skill—”
ROOOOAR!!!
At that moment, the two pillars of the gate in the center of the cavern separated and began to rotate violently.
All parts composing the frozen gate disassembled in mid-air and reassembled into the form of an elevator.
The entire gate became a colossal elevator, seemingly descending even further below the lowest floor.
The moment Lennok stepped onto the elevator, Aileen’s figure appeared from within.
Only then did the Priests, realizing the situation, visibly blanch.
“……!!!”
“Impossible, surely not!!”
The Rectification Knights gripped their weapons tighter and ran forward.
“He’s trying to reach the Grand General first!!”
“Get on the elevator. We must go too!!”
KABOOOM!!!!
“Martinez, get on!!”
Aileen, clinging to the violently vibrating elevator, stretched out her hand and pulled Lennok strongly.
Watching the Rectification Knights running towards the elevator from afar, Aileen manipulated the control panel.
“This gate is a type of Transformed Dimensional Gate also used in the Imperial Palace, so I can operate it. It took some time because it runs on dark energy, not mana, but—”
Aileen spoke rapidly amidst the flowing light.
“If we go down this elevator, it’s directly in front of the Grand General’s Remains. If we set the passenger limit to just us and move… huh?”
Aileen’s eyes widened as she saw Zabelin’s and Lihito’s corpses in Lennok’s hands.
“No, we’re about to go down, why would you bring that—”
KABOOOM!!!
Before Aileen could finish, two presences pierced Lennok’s magical perception at incredible speed.
A faint wisp of smoke streaking across the cavern ceiling. Red blood drops falling like tears from the ceiling.
The gray-haired Grand Spell Master and the bat-winged Seventh Apostle appeared from both sides, smashing through the ceiling and walls at tremendous speed.
KABOOOM!!!!!!
“That’s them.”
“Kyahahahahaha!!!! So you were here!!!”
Manic laughter echoed over the frozen cavern. Thick smoke instantly filled the surroundings.
Had they deduced his location by reading the traces of the Divine Possession Spellcraft the Bishop attempted before dying?
The figures of the two Ascendants, realizing the situation the moment they saw the elevator operating in the middle of the cavern, approached with immense speed.
“No, there’s still time…!!”
The moment Aileen frowned in dismay, seeing the two monsters accelerate, instantly leaping past the Rectification Knights.
Lennok, cloaked in Black God Demonic Art, flung Zabelin and Lihito, whom he held in both hands, out of the elevator.
THWOOM!!!
“Huh?”
The two corpses, consumed by Parasitic Flowers, having left Lennok’s hands, instantly began to regenerate.
The moment they regained consciousness, they charged towards the mighty presences moving before them.
CLANG!!
The Seventh Apostle’s eerie red eyes, deflecting Zabelin’s ability while wielding a double-edged greatsword.
The Yeonri Spell Master’s faintly distorted expression, kicking Lihito’s spirit while holding a long pipe in his mouth.
“Sorry, but I really hate freeloaders.”
Lennok smiled, seeing the two stop, unable to instantly reach the elevator.
“I’ve drained their strength, so go deal with them. I’ll go first this time.”
“You. Just how awful is your personality—”
KABOOOM!!!!
Before she could finish, Lennok and Aileen, aboard the elevator, were enveloped in light and plummeted downwards.