Chapter 488: The One Beloved by the Gods (1)

Lennok looked down at Amrita’s massive body, burning within the center of a majestic pillar of fire.

It was screaming in pain, awakened from its slumber, yet the vast Apostle’s flesh did not easily ignite.

‘As expected, this wasn’t enough.’

Lennok knew well what a powerful monster the Apostle’s true form was.

The Apostle’s true form, acting as the incarnation of the apocalypse, representing its will. A state close to a phantom beast or divine beast, having shed the limits of its species and the shackles of life.

Even Walter Martinez, who had just become an Apostle at Palgung Fortress, boasted immense physique and durability.

How much more so for the true form of Amrita, the 10th Apostle internally designated in the long history of the Guido Cult?

Though it was merely a completely insane beast lost in endless sleep, it wouldn’t be surprising if its physical strength and power were stronger than an 8-level monster.

It was clear that no matter how powerful and excellent Lennok’s flame magic was, a single preemptive strike couldn’t inflict a fatal blow.

And even more so in the current situation, surrounded by the Cult’s priests, proxies, and bishops.

Hiss!!

He pulled out an ampule from his pocket and unhesitatingly injected it into his shoulder, then gulped down a cocktail made of stimulants and painkillers.

He half-crushed and chewed motion sickness medicine and elixirs, and drank regeneration potions created through alchemy as if they were water.

Lennok stepped forward, with the burning pillar of fire at his back, crushing empty ampoules and potion bottles underfoot as he exhaled.

‘There are three things I need to do.’

Conserve as much magic as possible, divert attention from the other Watchers, and buy time by enduring until reinforcements from Lighthouse arrive.

If he could satisfy these three preconditions, Lennok even thought it wouldn’t matter if the Selection Ritual for the Apostle started normally.

‘As long as I have Jindun’s control code, I have control over the Great Barrier. The ritual itself can be interrupted at any time.’

Whoosh…!!

Lennok gathered flames in his hands from between the pillars of fire, gritted his teeth, and drew forth his magic.

‘The important thing isn’t to stop the ritual itself, but to remain there until the ritual ends. What I need to do now is actually…!’

At that moment, a powerful magical roar echoed, shaking the entire island.

[I had a feeling of unease for a long time.]

An innumerable line of Correction Knights and priests had gathered towards the Far Eastern Branch temple.

At their forefront, the Archbishop Nidri stood suddenly, looking up at the burning temple with a calm expression.

[An anomaly that was invisible, yet never disappeared… an infinitely unpleasant throng of blasphemers. You have finally revealed yourselves.]

“…”

[Remove your hood and show your face. I wish to see it with my own eyes.]

Despite the scorching heat burning all around, the Archbishop stepped forward, causing the other priests to gasp and try to stop her.

“Archbishop Nidri!”

“It’s dangerous. You must retreat before he moves…!!”

[Retreat? You are mistaken.]

Nidri, in response to the priests’ words, let out a chilling laugh.

[He is a heretic who has trespassed upon the sacred sanctuary of the Cult with dirty feet and defiled its glory. Should he not be brought before me immediately, forced to kneel, and made to atone for his sins?!!!]

At the same time, a pale, pure light exploded above her head, beginning to blanket and cover the entire area in white.

Fwoosh…!!

A massive area-of-effect spell, as if she were sharing her power with all the surrounding priests and the entire military force of the Cult encircling the temple.

“Th-this… is the High Priestess’s…!!”

“How could such powerful augmentation magic…!!”

An incredibly powerful augmentation spell, making it hard to believe that the High Priestess herself was not a super-human of a higher Hierarchy.

A widespread and potent force poured equally upon everyone, startling even the other proxies and making them turn to look at the Archbishop.

[I will not say it twice.]

Izel’s figure, arms crossed, looking up haughtily from the center of that pale light.

[Make sure that foolish heretic cannot look down upon me immediately!!]

But Lennok immediately realized that it wasn’t Izel’s own power, but a type of power he was very familiar with.

‘Jindun’s barrier magic.’

She was indirectly applying powerful augmentation spells to the surrounding cultists by overlaying a temporary barrier.

The exact location from which that power emanated was the amber-colored coronet placed on Izel’s own head.

The reason she, not originally a barrier wizard, was using Jindun’s barrier magic. The fundamental reason why Jindun’s Great Barrier was cast over the Cult’s Far Eastern Branch island.

Jindun’s legacy wasn’t hidden in the temple’s secret chamber.

Absurdly, Izel Nidri was personally carrying Jindun’s artifact and using its power as if it were her own.

It was an unbelievable situation that she, not even a high-ranking wizard, was directly using barrier magic.

However, Lennok’s eyes, upon confirming the amber coronet, instead became coldly sunken.

‘It’s not a semi-permanently usable artifact.’

Because the moment he clearly recognized it as Jindun’s legacy, memories of the artifacts inherited from the labyrinth quickly came to mind.

‘It’s closer to a consumable artifact with a built-in capacity and number of uses. Essentially, it’s a tool that single-use stores barriers used by Jindun.’

It was an item that simply manifested the spells stored within the artifact on a consumable basis, regardless of the user’s level or skill.

The fact that it contained Jindun’s barrier magic made it almost a mythical artifact, but its essence as a consumable did not change.

The Great Barrier constructed on the island, the temple’s security barrier, and the temporary barrier just used were all items that, once used, could never be used again.

That’s why Izel herself must have been using barrier magic regardless of her own level.

[Bring him before me alive. I will make that man a living sacrifice for this ritual, and even his disgrace shall become part of our sacred mission!!]

The eyes of the priests and bishops, who had equally received the light unleashed by Izel, gradually intensified, and she continued to unleash sharp magical roars as if whipping them on.

“We will follow the mission…!!”

“Slay the heretic!!”

Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!

The Correction Knights charged towards the burning temple, and the priests chanted spells one after another with strengthened magic.

Innumerable flashes and waves of killing intent converged towards the massive pillar of fire rising above the temple.

As if responding to those intense emotions and passions, the Penteract, which had been peacefully slumbering in his pocket, began to tremble once more.

Kiiing…!!

“…”

How long had it been since it twisted the situation by transforming into Martinez’s nameplate, and now it was reacting again?

But Lennok quietly looked down at the Penteract, then pushed it deeper into his pocket.

‘Not now.’

The Penteract was never an item that spat out a powerful artifact or weapon perfectly suited to every moment’s situation.

If anything, it was more like stimulating the gaps in Lennok’s thought process in a different way.

Its transformation into Martinez’s nameplate was a method Lennok hadn’t thought of, but would the success of this endeavor have been sufficient with just that?

If Lennok hadn’t thought of the carapace shield and naturally led Zaif’s thoughts.

If he hadn’t suppressed Zaif’s suspicion with his rhetoric while turning the temple inside out, it would have been meaningless.

It was merely a small catalyst; making it into something meaningful was entirely up to Lennok.

He understood why The Clown coveted this artifact and why Myeong had gifted it to Lennok.

But now was neither the time to reverse the situation through such variables nor the moment to rely on a mysterious artifact.

At this time, with hundreds and thousands of foes before him and the beacon of battle blazing brightly,

The only one Lennok had to rely on for what he did best was himself.

[Direction control calculation complete. Acceleration assist flow adjustment.]

As Davi muttered from inside his pocket, Lennok sharply lowered his head and twisted his shoulders.

Having confirmed that the medicine had fully circulated through his body with a slight shake of his head, Lennok leaned forward.

[Automatic flight algorithm revised.]

“Let’s go.”

Whoosh!!!

Behind the wizard, a massive inferno began to rotate like a propeller.

Gervin Bellwood, the Correction Knight Captain, clutched the hilt of his sword and lifted his gaze.

A grand spectacle of colossal fire pillars, blossoming around the beautiful crystal palace.

A massive fiery vortex, rising from the center of the island, shot upwards as if to reach the heavens, scorching the surrounding air.

The flames were so intense and hot that it was difficult to focus on anything else.

The embodiment of flame, consuming the senses of every living thing on the island.

It was hard to believe that a single wizard had created it.

“Gervin, you must capture him alive and bring him before me. You understand?”

Izel, who had been injecting augmentation magic through a temporary barrier behind him, spoke.

Her tone was calm and subdued, completely different from the angry urgency with which she had just pressed the priests.

But Gervin knew that this was the true nature of the Archbishop he served.

“Amrita, that child, woke up much faster than planned. We must make that heretic the sacrifice to bear the side effects of the ritual that will arise from this.”

“It won’t be difficult.”

Gervin replied with a gloomy expression, subtly shifting his gaze.

The proxies, who stood as if guarding Archbishop Nidri, observed the situation in silence, meeting his gaze.

“Especially since there are those here who are more capable than me.”

Unless that wizard was dealt with as per the Archbishop’s command, the ritual starting would be a distant hope.

That was certainly not desirable for the proxies who had come here, risking their lives to become Apostles.

Receiving Gervin’s sharp gaze, the proxies one by one stepped forward.

“…There’s no choice.”

“I had intended to refrain as much as possible before the ritual began.”

“It is for the mission. It is only right to step forward for the Cult’s affairs.”

Unlike some candidates who had secretly become Amrita’s prey under Izel’s hint, those who remained with her in the square were powerful individuals not to be trifled with.

All of them were strong individuals, boasting levels 6 and 7, thoroughly vetted in both mind and body as ‘vessels.’

Among them, the atmosphere around a bulky priest and a young man with a blindfold over his eyes was so volatile it felt like it could explode at any moment.

It was evidence that they had surpassed the level of completing their Hierarchy, reaching a stage just before transcendence.

The fat priest summoned a giant halberd of light with both hands, and a massive scythe sprang from the shadow beneath the blindfolded young man’s feet.

The priest wiped dripping sweat and asked,

“To feel the heat from this distance… It’s an unbelievably powerful flame magic.”

“At least Saint-grade. Or even higher.”

“You mean even with your eyes, Tritan, a proper evaluation is difficult?”

The blindfolded young man replied,

“His magical pattern is very chaotic. All the flows of fire are moving erratically, making it hard to grasp.”

“Hmm…”

“Give up on trying to read his intentions with your senses, Border. It would be easier to react directly to what you see.”

“Bishop Tritan. Why do you speak like that?”

Another man, grinning beside them, stood up, gripping a heavy greatsword.

The proxy, clad in armor of a different form than the Correction Knights, let out a cold smile.

“No matter who the opponent is, a sinner who has committed blasphemy in the Cult’s territory will never escape this land.”

“…”

When Tritan, the blindfolded young man, didn’t respond, the man became more excited.

“You should consider him as good as dead and think about what comes next, otherwise–”

“He’s coming…!!”

At that moment, the rotation of the massive pillar of fire seemed to cease, and then the fiery strands of the pillar split into hundreds of branches, spreading wide.

CRACK!!!

A colossal flower of flame blossomed, covering a radius of several hundred meters over the Sea of Understanding.

Hundreds of fragmented flames, like flower petals, scattered and covered the island’s periphery where the bridge was located.

The sheer impact and concentrated firepower, merely by rotating and rampaging, reduced all surrounding life to a handful of ashes.

“I… I can’t breathe…!!”

“It’s hot, haaak…!!!”

“G-get away from the heatwave… Ugh…”

The Cult’s forces died screaming agonizingly, their flesh melting and sticking to their armor in the heatwave.

The Correction Knights and high-ranking priests tried to protect themselves with high magic and assess the situation,

But the moment they were grazed by the sharp flashes seeping through the end of the heatwave, they collapsed, spurting blood.

Hiss!!

“Gah…!!”

“Prevent bleeding!!”

The moment they were injured, their magical flow was disrupted, and they were swept away by the heatwave filling the space.

As blood burst forth, it evaporated, and exposed wounds burned and cauterized by the heat, causing immense pain.

A suddenly unleashed, one-sided massacre.

Just as the bewildered proxies quickly drew forth their magic to intercept the scattered fragments of flame,

The dozens of fiery strands that had spread in all directions began to converge into one spot.

Rumble!!!

A rotating, long, curved spiral of flame burst forth, intensifying the heat.

A blurred form accelerated along a wide path, like a huge fiery tunnel, with exploding heatwaves.

One moment he flashed at the end of the temple, the next he was already before their eyes.

Lennok’s figure, accelerating forward by rotating immense fiery wings on his back, slammed directly into the center of the Correction Knights’ formation.

CRASSSHHHH!!!

Immediately after, metal and flesh ruptured and splattered, painting a horrific hell on the ground.

“Arghhh!”

“Don’t fall back, hold the line!!”

“How can a wizard have this much physical power…!!”

Screeching!!!

The colossal fiery tunnel twisted and narrowed, becoming a sharp, solid spearhead before Lennok, who floated within it.

Using himself as a massive propellant, he spun the spiral of flames, exploded heatwaves to change direction.

He gathered all the surrounding flames to serve as the spear tip to pierce through obstacles.

Lennok’s lightning-fast figure, turning himself into a giant fiery spear, piercing through the entire formation gathered here.

Precisely because he was a wizard with relatively lacking physical abilities and breakthrough power,

The single preemptive strike Lennok created by interpreting Kebaek’s Geas was sharper and more lethal than anything else, carving deeply into the priests’ defensive formation.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRACK!!!

“No, our stopping power is insufficient!!”

“Stop him, we can’t let him break through any further!!”

He overlapped and exploded various flames simultaneously.

He rotated the heatwaves and scorching winds raging from all directions, increasing his speed.

Like a giant red serpent, he trampled, crushed, and burned the priests who had gathered to surround the temple front.

Hundreds of fiery fragments broke off and twisted, propelling Lennok’s body forward like boosters.

Increasing its speed, the fiery tunnel, which had been turning humans into minced flesh, finally stretched out in a straight line.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…!!

A colossal fiery tunnel, as if the pillar of fire that had just stretched towards the sky had fallen flat on the ground.

Gervin and the proxies’ faces turned pale as they realized that Izel Nidri was precisely positioned at its end.

Lennok’s body then accelerated forward, adding 14 more layers of acceleration at that spot.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!!!

A perceived speed at which the surrounding scenery and presences could no longer be visually confirmed.

Only the extreme magic sensing and an Eye of Possibility, close to precognition, pinpointed the target and indicated the direction.

The rest were merely obstacles that Lennok had to overcome, relying solely on his intuition and combat experience.

Clutching his dizzying head, Lennok twisted his body within the enormous fiery tunnel.

At the same time, countless spear-thrusts and barrages of spells rushed in from all sides of the tunnel.

THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD!!!

He dodged, parried, crushed, and accelerated through all the trajectories of killing intent poured out to kill Lennok alone.

Reaching out his hand in a trance towards Izel Nidri’s neck, who looked at him with a pale face at the end, Lennok swung his elbow.

And a massive explosion erupted in the middle of the formation where Izel stood.

CRASSSHHHH!!!

“…!!”

When the scorching heat subsided, the two figures stood facing each other.

Izel, glaring at the wizard with a chilling expression, and Lennok’s pale-faced shadow, hand outstretched, crossed paths.

Lennok’s fingertips, aimed at her forehead, stopped after knocking the coronet off Izel’s head.

At that moment, dozens of proxies and Correction Knights pressed in on Lennok with swords and magical light, completely surrounding him.

The chill of the spearheads surrounding his limbs, as if he were wearing clothes made of blades, was brutal.

“You bastard…”

The blades pressed against his skin were cold enough to cut Lennok down at any moment,

But the stiffened eyes of the proxies looked down at Lennok in disbelief.

Correction Knights and high-ranking priests who stood in front to protect Izel.

Including them, the Cult’s forces arranged in formation. Even the proxies who had moved a moment too late.

The wizard before their eyes had pierced through all those obstacles with a single breakthrough, and had reached the very brink of extending his demonic grasp towards the Archbishop.

If it hadn’t been for Correction Knight Captain Gervin, who had thrown himself in, an absurd situation where the Archbishop was assassinated right there might have occurred.

“Gasp, impossible…”

The greatsword-wielding proxy who had been boastfully chattering beside Tritan was already dying, his entire body melting away.

Lennok silently watched Izel, who glared at him, then let out a pale chuckle.

“Surrender… is that what you mean?”

“…For a paltry heretic, you are indeed, quite impressive.”

Izel couldn’t say anything, then slowly picked up the amber coronet that had fallen to the ground.

With a coldly hardened face, Izel stared intently at Lennok, then slowly put the coronet back on her head and turned her back.

“Apprehend him as soon as the temple fire is extinguished. I will begin the ritual immediately.”

Thump!!

Among the proxies who surrounded Lennok, who stood motionless, priests roughly began to bind Lennok’s body.

Heavy alloy restraints that could never be broken by bare hands, along with various other binding devices including magic suppressors.

But Lennok, far from being flustered even as his entire body was restrained, gazed intently at Izel’s retreating figure.

‘The timing was perfect.’

He knew he might have been able to kill Archbishop Izel Nidri if he had pushed a little harder.

But instead of making a decisive move to take Izel’s neck, Lennok chose to ensure the coronet was knocked off.

Delaying the Cult’s forces by having her proceed with the ritual was more aligned with the objective of wiping them out than killing Izel herself.

He had handed Jindun’s control code to Gapseon, but since Lennok wasn’t using it directly, traces of its use were unavoidable.

Even if others didn’t know, Izel, who was using the coronet, would certainly realize that the Great Barrier had been breached.

That’s why Lennok had been timing it to incapacitate Izel’s coronet before Gapseon used the control code.

Given that Izel had publicly declared she would use Lennok as a living sacrifice for the ritual, she wouldn’t try to kill him immediately, even if things unfolded this way.

Lennok would participate in the ritual as a sacrifice, and then spectacularly ruin the event the Cult had prepared for so long.

‘Considering the control code and the existence of Apostle Zaif, I can create variables in any situation. As long as I can participate in the ritual, the method itself won’t matter much.’

This was a method that would inflict the most certain and fatal blow to the Cult, rather than simply enduring alone by excessively expending magic.

Lennok, stumbling as he was dragged away by the Correction Knights, lifted his head.

All necessary preparations were complete.

It was time to bring everything that had happened on this island to a conclusion.

Wizard of Pill-Eating 489