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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
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Chapter 192
“Attack. Kill them as quickly as possible.”
It was right before the Demonic Church Leader’s command fell.
Leciel had already thrown the die.
‘If we fight like this, we’ll lose.’
Currently, their forces were clearly weaker compared to the pursuers.
Something had to be done before a full-on battle ensued.
‘Fortunately, it seems no one anticipated the Heart Sword.’
Leciel forcefully grasped the intention to disconnect and disperse, then reshaped the Heart Sword into a sharp form again.
It was a consecutive attack even Kalende didn’t anticipate.
Swish—
The blade of intent silently flew.
“Ugh!”
“Clang!”
Amidst the pursuing enemies rushing forward, a few sharp screams erupted, and several streaks of blood scattered into the air.
Leciel spat out blood from her mouth with a “pfft” sound, then smiled satisfactorily.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t take their lives, but she succeeded in inflicting considerable injuries.
‘What about the church leader?’
One important enemy, however, was not visible amidst the silhouette staggering with wounds.
“There!”
Ban sharply shouted.
Kalende easily evaded Leciel’s second attack, then fell off the cliff below.
Her gaze was fixed on Leciel.
Around her eyeballs, the vivid red veins seemed to boil with anger.
Feeling a sense of frustration, Leciel raised her hand towards the Shape Shifter.
“They’re coming!”
Luke also raised his voice.
“Everyone, get into formation!”
Their movements were swift, as if rehearsed.
Karen and Evergreen spread out, while the rest moved forward.
It seemed already decided who would face whom.
The leader was for Leciel.
The demon was to be confronted by Ban and Luke.
The problem was the rest of the congregation…
“Lucas! You’ll protect Gerald and the archers. Make sure… make sure their blades never reach them!”
Lucas, Waldiff, Gerald, Karen, and Evergreen.
The remaining five had to handle them.
Numerically disadvantaged and with no clear advantage in skills, it was a difficult situation.
‘…This.’
Evergreen and Karen, falling back, exchanged quick glances.
As close comrades in the archery unit, they had trained together every day.
They could understand each other’s thoughts with just a glance.
‘While they approach from the cliff, at least one of them must be eliminated!’
Clang—
Two bows were drawn simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Lucas, standing in front of them, alternated his gaze between his trembling hands and the approaching enemies.
Beside him, Gerald muttered quietly.
“Calm down, Lucas.”
Lucas shifted his gaze to him.
Gerald’s usually smiling face was now serious.
There was no trembling in the hand holding the spear.
“Gerald….”
The surprise was immense.
While the other kids might not have noticed, Lucas was almost as skilled as Gerald.
He realized now.
‘…The difference that’s widened between us in just a few months.’
Of course, after leaving the Forest of Martial Arts, he had focused on training like a madman.
Partly to forget the pain.
Partly because he didn’t want to be swayed by external forces again.
Partly because he wanted to be worthy of his classmates and the Hero he would meet again someday.
‘But still, the difference in skill is tremendous. It must be because of the presence and talent of the professor.’
Lucas was now humble enough to admit it.
But there was something he wouldn’t lose to, and that was his hatred for demonic energy.
The evil that had shaken his life to its core.
‘I hope this fight will elevate my fallen honor and that of Wellington.’
Lucas took a deep breath.
His hand was no longer trembling.
As if reading his mind, Gerald chuckled softly.
“If this fight becomes known…”
“Yeah.”
“Our popularity will soar.”
“….”
It was then that Waldiff let out a resounding roar.
“Oh, ancestors who sleep in the North Hail! My father! My brothers!”
Kwaaang—
His double-edged axe handle plunged into the snowy ground.
The pale moonlight and the approaching enemies reflected together, creating a chaotic scene.
“Grant us the strength to protect this land from these foolish invaders!”
Woooom—
The mana in the air began to resonate.
Under his feet, the ground undulated like waves, and numerous concentric circles spread out.
At the same time, the children remembered what Cuculli had said a few hours ago.
It was inside the tent where the strategy simulation took place in Dorempa.
“Take Waldiff with you. It may be a deception, but he can protect you.”
“But…”
Cuculli, as if not allowing any dissent, said firmly.
“Do you know why your older brothers and sisters left only Waldiff to guard the village?”
“…I don’t know? Because he’s the youngest?”
“No. It’s because Waldiff is a powerful sorcerer. Specialized in water and defense.”
“…?”
The children looked at her with disbelief in their eyes.
Bigger than Luke, with a massive physique, a double-edged axe that could easily sever a bull’s neck, scars covering his entire body.
Where did that scream ‘sorcerer’?
Cuculli also caught their gaze and shrugged.
“He’s not very fond of unarmed combat… lacks talent. So, he carries around those scars.”
“…Professor would be disappointed if he heard that.”
“Anyway, about this party. If I’m not here, there’ll be only martial artists. We need Waldiff to complete the party. You know how the professor emphasized balance in the party, right?”
“But…”
Isn’t Waldiff her last remaining family?
There is no way the older sister would feel at ease as she puts her younger brother in danger.
The children looked at Cuculli with those concerns in their eyes.
After a brief silence.
Cuculli’s eyes slowly scanned through her friends.
“You who willingly risked your lives for me and the North, you’re now my family. So, come back safely if you’re worried. Don’t take any more of my family away from me.”
…That’s how it is now.
Waldiff’s true value was being revealed.
Paaaang—
The waves by the coast moved strangely, as if infused with life.
Huge masses of water gathered in the air, about twenty of them.
Soon, they froze into the shape of human figures and descended onto the coast.
Ban muttered in amazement.
“…It’s an ice golem.”
But that wasn’t all.
Some of the ice masses took the shape of shields and flew towards the group like arrows.
Waldiff backed away, panting.
“I’ll hurry up and recharge my mana as much as possible. Be prepared.”
Unfortunately, there was no time for the children to respond to his words.
Kaang—
As Leciel and the leader clashed at the forefront, the battle began.
* * *
Kalende tried to stay calm.
Myrmat would arrive soon.
The Sanctuary might be hidden in the middle of the sea, but with Myrmat, they would get there quickly.
They might even arrive faster than Cuculli.
So, don’t get excited.
Killing this cheeky kid was the priority.
Kalende’s eyes shifted to Leciel, who was breathing heavily.
“Are you hurt?”
“Not at all.”
“Lies.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
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Three minutes passed.
Leciel’s body had about ten visible wounds.
Blood flowed vividly against her pale skin, then stiffened in the cold breeze.
The girl, covered in bandages, looked terribly fragile… but Kalende’s expression as he looked at her didn’t change.
“Tough.”
…Not a single fatal wound among the dozen or so injuries.
Kalende grit her teeth and raised her hand again.
“The Hero’s disciples training in Rosenstark… they’re called the future of humanity.”
When she first heard about them, Kalende thought it was a gross exaggeration.
Even if they were exceptionally talented, they were still kids barely in their twenties.
How could they possess power to be called the future of humanity, without having all sorts of ‘knowledge and experience’ like her, a Homonculus?
But…
Kaang—
Once again, the ‘severance’ was blocked.
Kalende’s eyebrows twitched in frustration.
‘How am I supposed to deal with this?’
…Severance is an intangible sword that can cut through anything.
It’s an extremely powerful ability to wield a refined sword energy to the point where it’s shapeless and formless.
Since inheriting this protection, all martial artists had become easy prey.
Just a few swings from afar, and they all fell into pieces.
‘Is it because the insight disappeared?’
With the power of mana, everything became visible—weaknesses and gaps were all apparent without even consciously considering them.
Poking and slashing wherever one felt like it resulted in fatal injuries.
Didn’t even Dorempa fall helplessly, all because of mana?
‘If only I had mana!’
Wuksin—
Feeling the phantom pain in her eyes, Kalende gritted her teeth.
The counterattack from the falling Dorempa had snatched away her most potent weapon.
If it weren’t for that, this brat would probably be lying on the ground in twenty pieces by now, rolling in agony.
“Don’t struggle!”
Just as Kalende was about to swing the severance again.
The girl, who had been crouching, suddenly stood up.
“Is it easy… to gain power by… chance?”
“What?”
“…It’s luck, isn’t it? It’s not something you obtained through your own enlightenment… right?”
Kalende paused her attack for a moment.
Leciel also staggered and struggled to stand up.
But her eyes remained as sharp as ever.
Leciel thought to herself,
‘…Strange.’
Kalende was undoubtedly a formidable opponent, if not impossible to deal with.
A powerful output based on demonic energy.
A lethal transparent weapon.
Unyielding stamina.
Just looking at the gap in strength, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she had already lost her life.
…So why?
‘I feel like I can endure a little longer.’
Kalende’s strengths.
For some reason, they felt intentional… artificially combined, like deliberately arranged by someone to make her invincible.
‘It’s uncoordinated and creaky.’
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Leciel’s mouth.
“Stubborn.”
That was a remark aimed at Kalende’s arrogance.
She was a Homunculus.
A fake life created by humans.
Her consciousness, thoughts, and emotions were all formed by someone else’s “transplantation.”
She could never become a “real” person.
That’s why she harbored hatred and resentment towards humans.
Kalende’s expression faded.
“I will tear you to death.”
Leciel also steadied her breath and stared at Kalende.
“Bring it on.”
* * *
Meanwhile, in the Frost Dragon tribe village.
As soon as the signal flares lit up the night sky, Cuculli wasted no time and opened the path towards the sanctuary.
At the same time, she didn’t forget to send all the remaining tribe’s forces to the coastline where her friends were fighting.
“Hurry, hurry!”
Cuculli’s magical chair made of Frost Dragon bones trembled like a living being as soon as her magic touched it.
What happened next was like something the children had seen.
“Quickly!”
The ancient magic, passed down for centuries, activated, pushing a huge iceberg up to the surface like a living being.
Anyone who witnessed it would be awestruck, but Cuculli didn’t feel any excitement.
“There’s the sanctuary!”
She needed to get on a boat quickly, so she dashed out of the tent.
But the change didn’t end there.
Another phenomenon that defied natural laws was unfolding.
As she ran towards the coast, her lips quivered with confusion.
‘W-What’s happening? Th-The waves…!’
They were flowing backward!
Swooosh—
The waves were pushing towards the iceberg instead of the coastline.
The powerful current created by the iceberg’s formation smashed through the existing waves, creating a new flow.
Ku-ku-ku-ku—
The speed and power were so intense that even the anchored fishing boats and ships were being pushed towards the iceberg.
“…Huh? Huh? This can’t be happening!”
Cuculli, panicked, increased her speed.
If all the boats were swept away, how would they reach the iceberg?
“Stop!”
But unfortunately, by the time Cuculli reached the pier, all the village’s boats had disappeared to the other side of the sea.
Cuculli blinked in disbelief, then slapped herself as if to snap out of it.
Her friends were risking their lives to buy her time.
If she had no teeth, she could chew with her gums.
‘That’s right! Maybe I’ll be faster than the boats!’
Cuculli was about to dive straight into the sea when…
“Huh?”
She paused, emitting a breathless sound.
For someone who hardly ever panicked, her eyes blinked unusually fast.
…In the distance.
Something unaffected by this powerful current was visible.
It wasn’t a mistake.
“A… raft?”
Swooosh—
A raft made of ice was gliding silently towards the coast.
Clear and transparent like crystal.
The starlight from the night sky poured down on it.
Cuculli instinctively realized and jumped aboard.
‘There it is. I have to ride this!’
Of course, there was no time to wait for the boats to arrive.
“Uwaaaaah! Hurry up, will you!”
Splash—
She leaped into the icy waters and paddled vigorously for about three minutes.
Finally, Cuculli boarded the raft.
“Hey! I’m here, so change direction!”
The raft seemed momentarily taken aback by the undignified baptizer but soon changed direction smoothly towards the iceberg.
“Huff, huff.”
Gasping for breath, Cuculli leaned against the railing of the raft and looked straight ahead.
The boat was affected by the ocean currents and was crossing the sea at a speed that would upset even a decent sailor.
The iceberg is getting closer by the minute… The clan’s sanctuary.
Cuculli’s eyes sparkled with determination.
“Just a little longer, just a little longer.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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