Chapter 706: The Uninvited Guest (7)
“The authority holder of the Lighthouse, you say?”
JeByeok’s brow furrowed, clearly displeased.
“And what is this about establishing a Provisional Labyrinth? Explain yourself properly.”
[There’s no need. You’ll understand once you see it.]
“What?”
Instead of answering JeByeok further, Lennok slowly began to manipulate the Lighthouse.
He knew that, considering the JeByeok he had faced in Kaiushyu, he wouldn’t cooperate willingly.
Yanikus Barbaria of JeByeok was by nature far closer to a villain than a virtuous person.
A tyrant who had ruled his city, Kaiushyu, with cruelty and severity.
Though it seemed his mindset had changed somewhat, losing his grandson at Soryu’s hand and nearly dying himself, thereby coming into the Eyes of Blue as a Watcher.
His fundamental nature, that which despised and exploited the weak, would surely not disappear.
Hadn’t he, just moments ago, been savoring death by needlessly dragging out time with his ‘enemy’?
Rather than trying to persuade such a person, it was far easier to simply show him and then reveal his intentions for him to understand.
‘I filtered it once, but it’s unlikely to end here.’
The act of perceiving the Lighthouse’s operation methods and intercepting the Redding Revolutionary Army’s bombers was not magic.
It was Jindun’s barrier magic, inherited by Lennok.
He had merely used an Ascendant’s spell, operating as a trigger for the Hanghasa Labyrinth’s power, as a key to release the inherent power of the Lighthouse.
However, that didn’t mean it could repel all the invaders storming in from beyond the snowy fields.
‘Considering the width of the snowy fields, the height of the Lighthouse spire, and the relative distance, calculating it….’
Whoosh…!!
A golden radiance, rising above the Lighthouse spire, burst forth with light, then began to radiate its thermal energy without reservation in all directions around the Lighthouse.
The thick beams of light that had swept the sky now mercilessly plunged into the snow-covered ground.
Crumble, rumble, rumble!!!
“Uwaaaagh!!”
The earth-shaking vibrations made the still-captured survivor scream, and JeByeok’s expression soured.
“…He’s leveling the ground. He has experience.”
The immense output of light extracted from the Lighthouse was being used to melt the snow and flatten the earth.
It rapidly swept across the surroundings, dividing sections and forming deep, hardened grooves.
JeByeok, who had governed Kaiushyu for a long time, also had considerable knowledge of city planning and architecture.
It was clear that the voice claiming to be the authority holder of the Lighthouse intended to create something substantial, more than he had initially thought.
While JeByeok watched the Lighthouse’s light with his arms crossed, the survivor asked in a trembling voice.
“Why, why would a tyrant who wasn’t even satisfied with Kaiushyu….”
Why, now, had he become a Watcher supporting the Eyes of Blue, and why was he toying with humans in the snowy plains of the Northern Continent?
At those words, JeByeok glared at the survivor as if to kill him on the spot, then answered.
“Why do you ask why?”
A bitter smile seemed to play on the old fiend’s lips for a moment.
“Because I, too, am merely a defeated dog to someone else.”
“That, what in the….”
“Well, is there a need to explain to a worm?”
Snap!!
JeByeok, gripping the survivor’s blood-soaked jaw, twisted his wrist, and the man’s jawbone dislocated with a pop.
“U-u-uh…!! Ughhh!!”
JeByeok bent down towards the man, who had instantly lost his ability to speak.
“From now on, I’ll bend every joint in your body backward. Next, I’ll precisely double the number of your bones.”
“…!!”
“When that’s done, I’ll set your jaw. If you can still beg for your life then, I’ll spare you.”
JeByeok spoke with a gleeful expression.
“Only six people have endured this torture so far. We’ll see if you can be the seventh, while the work is being completed, personally…!!”
Whoosh!!
At that moment, a brilliant yellow flash shot from behind JeByeok, piercing the survivor’s forehead directly.
A stiff yellow talisman paper was impaled vertically through the man’s head.
“G-ghk….”
JeByeok’s expression twisted violently as he saw the last survivor, whose breath had ceased with a peaceful look.
From behind JeByeok, the relaxed voice of a middle-aged man was heard.
[I don’t believe I helped you just so you could play meaningless games.]
Standing behind JeByeok was a man covered head to toe in talisman paper.
He wore a shaggy mask made of bundled talismans that completely obscured his face, solemnly enduring the falling snow.
Upon seeing him, JeByeok’s lips twitched.
“Drepyeuseu. What are you doing here?”
[I am checking if you are wasting time on pointless antics.]
Gapseon, Drepyeuseu, who had approached without hesitation to within an arm’s length of JeByeok, replied.
[It seems my worries were not unfounded.]
“….”
Gapseon looked at the dead body and said,
[I told you to protect the Lighthouse, but I did not tell you to commit needless slaughter. How dare you toy with an opponent who has surrendered?]
“An opponent who has surrendered? Do you really believe these bugs came to bow before the Lighthouse?”
JeByeok scoffed, then stomped on the freshly deceased body with his foot.
Crunch!!
Pointing to the corpse, which had split into an unrecognizable mess from the force of his leg, JeByeok said,
“Of course not. If I thought that, I would have spared this one.”
[….]
JeByeok smirked coldly at Gapseon, who did not reply.
“Only trash crawling here to snatch crumbs from the Lighthouse come to this place. That must be why I was buried in this desolate snowy field. What’s wrong with enjoying myself as much as I please?”
[Because your nature could ruin the greater plan. Even the other Watchers are wary of you, aren’t they?]
“Ultimately, their own well-being is more important than their mission, isn’t it? No organization has feet as ambitious as its head.”
JeByeok sneered.
“You, too, loathed such behavior, which is why you never involved yourself with an organization like this.”
[I do not mistake responsibility for arrogance.]
Gapseon said quietly.
[If one ruins a task by being fixated on empty rules, that would be truly foolish.]
Kwooooh…!!
Each time the two exchanged words, both physically and through magical projection, intense will-thought erupted, pressing down on the surroundings.
Lennok could only grasp the situation fully after listening to their uninhibited conversation.
Was Gapseon here to intervene and stop JeByeok from going needlessly wild?
He had never imagined that the ruler of Kaiushyu would surrender to Lapis and accept the duty of a Watcher.
Yet, it was undeniable that JeByeok’s cruel nature was likely more effective in this harsh terrain.
From that perspective, Gapseon could hardly object to the current selection.
[So, who is this person wielding the Lighthouse’s power so freely now?]
Gapseon turned his gaze from the old man spitting on the ground.
The intense storm of light radiating in all directions had almost vanished, and the ground around the Lighthouse was being evenly leveled.
[Judging by the use of will-thought, it doesn’t seem to be an individual assigned to this operation.]
“I don’t know either. Shouldn’t you be the one who knows?”
JeByeok twisted his lips into a smile.
“He suddenly appeared and said he would improve the Lighthouse’s performance. Well, perhaps some wicked spirit attached itself to the Lighthouse that child created.”
[….]
Gapseon ignored JeByeok’s words, raising his gaze to quietly observe the golden radiance.
Beyond the talisman mask that obscured his face, Gapseon stared at the will-thought for a moment, then tilted his head as if experiencing a sense of déjà vu.
Immediately thereafter, he gasped loudly, as if realizing the answer.
[I see. You yourself came.]
“What?”
Gapseon, ignoring JeByeok, quietly spoke towards the Lighthouse’s radiance.
[It’s been a long time. I hope you’ve been well.]
[…Drepyeuseu.]
Aware that Lennok had not revealed his name to JeByeok, Gapseon showed courtesy by playing along.
Reading Gapseon’s intent, Lennok immediately began to summon Jinwa’s barrier magic.
Flash!!
The Lighthouse’s radiance, surging up from the spire, shone intensely, unleashing immense gravitational force.
At that moment, mounds of earth surged up from the valleys carved into the ground, instantly forming thick walls.
Crumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!!
[This is….]
In an instant, a complex, maze-like terrain began to rise, surrounding the transparent Lighthouse spire.
A Provisional Labyrinth created by temporarily manipulating the Hanghasa Labyrinth’s ruins, pulling it up from underground.
Gapseon, correctly identifying the nature and essence of the scene, gasped in awe.
[…There was a reason you manifested here in this form. Were you prepared from the beginning for the fifth Lighthouse?]
[I met Lapis and received her help. Installing the Provisional Labyrinth itself was my own judgment.]
After inheriting Jinwa’s barrier magic and the ownership authority from the Hanghasa Labyrinth.
Lennok had once before installed a Provisional Labyrinth in the snowy field where the ruins existed.
Was it during the pursuit after completing everything in Jinwa’s labyrinth?
Lennok recalled that memory and installed a Provisional Labyrinth around the Lighthouse to prevent premature access by invaders.
Simultaneously, he intended to further amplify the Lighthouse’s power based on the labyrinth ruins, thereby enhancing its performance.
However, sensing a different nuance in Lennok’s answer, Gapseon lifted his gaze, startled.
[Lapis, that child met you directly?]
[Is there a problem?]
[She exerted herself greatly, and is now trying extremely hard to stabilize her mind and body. The adjustment process itself is a major undertaking, so she has been recuperating for quite some time.]
Hesitating, Gapseon eventually replied,
[She hasn’t contacted anyone for an entire month. For her to have met you directly and conversed….]
[….]
While Lennok chose his words, Gapseon spoke with a hint of a smile.
[Regarding the cult’s affairs, and other matters, you seem to be uniquely trusted.]
[Perhaps. But….]
Boom, boom, boom!!
At that moment, the approach of forces, tens of times greater in number, began to appear from beyond the snowy fields.
A superhuman legion numbering in the thousands. Moreover, it was a military formation, marching in organized ranks and unified uniforms.
From all sides, cavalry mounted on white leopards advanced ahead.
In the rear, something resembling self-propelled artillery, loaded with bombardment weapons, continuously pumped out magic.
At the appearance of combat forces seemingly thoroughly prepared for battle and siege, Gapseon and JeByeok’s expressions immediately hardened.
[Oh dear….]
“Tell those waiting inside the Lighthouse to neutralize their bombardment equipment.”
JeByeok casually dropped the corpse he was holding and immediately turned his back.
“I’ll kill those furry beasts.”
[The opponent is a military organization comparable to a warlord faction. If we recklessly charge in….]
Flash!!
JeByeok’s form vanished abruptly without waiting for an answer.
Following his footsteps, snowdrifts surged up from beneath his feet, coiling into a blizzard once more.
Gapseon shook his head, watching Yanikus’s form sprint alone, engulfed in the pure white mist.
[Honestly, he’s getting carried away again….]
He spoke as if doing a good deed, pretending to handle the army alone, but in reality, he was likely just happy to have new toys to play with.
Yanikus Barbaria of JeByeok, no matter how generously one viewed him, could not be called a virtuous person.
A beast utterly engrossed in the logic of power, finding ecstasy in competing with the strong and trampling the weak.
However, precisely because he was such a person, he might be more effective than anyone else at protecting the Lighthouse in this treacherous battlefield.
Gapseon nodded, looking at Lennok.
[You do what you need to do. We’ll handle things here.]
[Are you sure you don’t need help?]
[If Lapis entrusted you with something, the priority is set. That is the duty of one who has accepted the calling of a Watcher.]
The moment Gapseon took a step forward, a storm of talismans erupted, following his elongated shadow.
Bang!!
Gapseon’s form vanished in an instant, following JeByeok.
Lennok watched him, then slowly began to withdraw and gather the Lighthouse’s power in one place.
Kiiing…!!
The golden radiance that had gathered atop the spire trembled violently, then exploded on the spot.
It began to scatter a dazzling rain of light across the pure white snowy plain.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
‘This should be enough.’
Since Lennok was not physically present, there was no other way to help the Watchers more than this.
That’s why Lennok activated the Lighthouse’s observation authority, briefly restored Jinwa’s barrier magic that remained in the labyrinth ruins, and scattered it indiscriminately across the battlefield.
Even if he couldn’t provide extensive help, this much should be somewhat effective in holding back the forces targeting the Lighthouse.
Lennok thought that far, then immediately concentrated, magnifying the Lighthouse’s focus to its utmost limit and directing it towards the far reaches of the sky.
Click, click…!!
Once the location of the Hanghasa Labyrinth was specified, it wasn’t difficult to aim towards the Central Front.
What was truly difficult to reach was peering directly beyond the veil, something not permitted by human senses.
Beyond that forbidden realm, which did not easily allow any gaze except for those challengers who had set foot directly on the front line.
But Lennok did not hesitate, quickly reminding himself of what needed to be done.
The most important goal was to penetrate the outer veil of the Central Front. To directly observe the outer perimeter of the front. And—
‘To locate the Deadrise main forces stationed in the outer zone and ascertain the flow of supplies they are sending.’
If Peshia was receiving supplies from the main forces to build a satellite factory within Vulcan.
He would surely be able to ascertain that flow using the Lighthouse’s power.
In that case, by simply identifying where the supplies were moving and being brought into Vulcan, he could infer the factory’s location.
A vast distance spanning thousands of kilometers across the continent. A miracle impossible to even attempt with ordinary cognitive abilities and authority.
But for this fifth Lighthouse, possessing the powers of both a Lighthouse Keeper and Jinwa simultaneously, it was not entirely impossible.
Cacaw…!!
As the focus rapidly expanded, the surrounding scenery seemed to be sucked in, drawing closer.
Passing through the blindingly white snowy fields, the Lighthouse’s gaze rapidly moved away.
The speed of its sight vastly exceeded the limits of human perception.
Swoooooosh…!!
It was like an illusion of starlight falling. A strange resonant sound filled his ears.
Even as his entire body’s senses accelerated uncontrollably as if melting, Lennok’s mind and body remained perfectly calm.
Was this the sensation a Lighthouse Keeper felt every time they observed beyond the Outer Sea?
Before that small impression could even fade, the Lighthouse’s light, with its accelerated focus, directly penetrated the Central Front’s veil.
Chirrrring!!
A hazy mist.
A dull sensation, as if pushing through a heavy, water-soaked curtain with his bare body.
But the observation authority, established by the Lighthouse Keeper’s Unique Ability upon Jinwa’s ruins, pierced through all those veils and began to peer into the outer perimeter of the front line.
Ars Nova, the central city located in the heart of the continent.
The continent’s largest battlefield and front line, formed around that already ruined city.
The moment he directly gazed beyond the outer veil of the front, which was so thick that even approaching it was impossible.
Lennok could see the beautiful garden, dyed in purple hues.
‘…An orchard?’
The grand vista of an orchard stretching to the horizon.
Fruits of diverse colors, unlike ordinary trees, hung abundantly everywhere.
The peculiar thing, perhaps, was that even the tree trunks and roots were dyed in a dizzying purplish color.
Along the main path of the orchard, dozens of people walked silently, and among them, a few were captivated by the fruits.
As if unable to resist their appetite just by looking, they drooled and trembled, then couldn’t hold back and broke formation.
“Stop…!!”
Someone in the group tried to stop them, but they themselves couldn’t break formation and immediately turned their gaze away.
Crunch, crunch!!
They ravenously devoured the purple fruit hanging from the tree with both hands.
The moment they took a bite, their eyes rolled back, and an unknown fluid oozed from all their orifices.
The man, having finished one fruit, trembled as if having a seizure, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply towards a certain direction in the orchard.
Following the direction of his gaze, Lennok turned his head and momentarily ceased his will-thought.
[….]
In the sky above the orchard, a colossal Spell-Word Stone, its end invisible, stood towering like a giant tree.
The form of the characters scrawled across the Spell-Word Stone was so bizarre that Lennok could not discern it with his knowledge or memory.
It was a strangeness as if a language used long ago had been forcibly solidified and recorded in written form.
As soon as Lennok perceived the transcendent will emanating from that Spell-Word Stone, he realized.
This was not merely an outer region of the Central Front.
It was a domain ruled by a Transcendent that existed before all continental languages were unified in the past.