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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 198
When they first spotted that gigantic silhouette amidst the thickly descending clouds.
The children fell into despair, thinking another Myrmat had appeared.
Kwaaaaaah—
…but something was different.
Luke stared at ‘it,’ circling through the air endlessly.
‘That roaring sound.’
Every time the roar reached his ears, he felt as if he were standing alone in a field where thunderstorms raged fiercely with each lightning strike.
From the back of his neck to the soles of his feet, chills ran rampant.
It was markedly different from Myrmat’s sharp and irritable cries.
…It was much more formidable.
Yussi, too, was stunned, frozen in place.
Even she, who had vanquished countless demons, had never heard a sound quite like this.
‘…What in the world is that?’
Everyone looked up at the sky with pale faces.
Hatred, murderous intent, warlike intent… amidst the myriad emotions swirling around, one dominated alone.
Fear.
‘Could it be another dreadful creation prepared by the Demonic Church Leader?’
I don’t know.
Even discerning its exact appearance was difficult.
The dark surroundings and thick clouds posed problems, but its speed was so great that even those with keen eyesight found it hard to track with their eyes.
One thing was certain… that monster was flying straight towards this ship.
It was evident from the constantly growing shadow.
Luke reflexively turned to his friends… but hesitated.
‘…What?’
The face of Kalende, who moments ago had been poised to kill them, was now drained of color.
As they tried to examine more closely.
The enormous shadow swiftly engulfed them.
Kwaaaaaah—!
…Something unidentified swooped down and collided with Myrmat.
As if calculated meticulously, it surged forward suddenly, accelerating.
The Demonic Church executives near Myrmat all became mere bloodstains as they were flung dozens of meters into the air.
“Aaaargh!”
The speed was so fast that even Kalende, who had been watching it approach keenly, couldn’t react.
The children reflexively braced for impact, but surprisingly, the shock inflicted upon the ship wasn’t as great as expected.
That was because ‘it’ had seized Myrmat’s neck with its claws and was soaring into the air.
It resembled a hawk snatching its prey.
Kiieee—
Myrmat, struck by the unexpected attack, continued its desperate struggle.
Those on the ship forgot about fighting each other, gaping with mouths wide open, witnessing the spectacle of colossal creatures grappling dozens of meters in the air.
‘…It’s so huge.’
‘Is that thing really a living being?’
Even though it approached closely, they couldn’t fathom the size of the newly emerged monster.
No, they couldn’t even fit its entire body into view.
Its length was easily twice that of Myrmat, and its thickness showed even more disparity.
Perhaps because of this, despite Myrmat’s desperate struggles, it ascended into the air effortlessly.
…Though it seemed unlikely, its movements appeared to be aimed at protecting the ship.
Kiieee—!
Meanwhile, Myrmat continued its fierce resistance.
Wrapping its body around the monster like a snake, it thrashed with its claws and struck with its tail.
It even relentlessly bit with its teeth.
But it was all in vain.
Myrmat’s claws, which had torn the ship apart like sheets of paper, only skimmed vainly over its hard scales.
…Familiar, bluish scales.
It was when a familiar voice resounded in their ears.
[Ouch! Ouch! That hurts! Stay still!]
“……?”
Surprisingly, the monster was speaking in human language.
But the children were too preoccupied to pay attention to this anomaly.
“…That voice.”
Surely not, right?
The children looked at each other with trembling eyes.
Even Luke, doubting whether the medical staff had administered hallucinogens, pinched his own arm.
Yet, whether they spoke or not, the familiar voice continued.
[Well, that should do it by now!]
Kwadduduk—
The claws gripping Myrmat’s neck tightened.
Myrmat could no longer thrash and slumped down.
Simultaneously, the colossal jaws of Cuculli opened wide.
A tremendous amount of mana generated from Dragon Heart flowed through her jaws.
Kiieee…
Myrmat, with eyes filled with terror, looked at the surrounding air beginning to freeze.
That was the end of it.
Zzeojjeojjeok—
Thin, sharp ice rushed over Myrmat’s body, making its surface as transparent as glass.
In an instant, Myrmat became a massive ice sculpture, seeming as though it had been painstakingly crafted by dozens.
However, those watching didn’t have time to observe it closely.
Whirr—
Cuculli folded one of her wings and turned her body.
Kwaaaaaah—
Her tail, thicker than a fir tree, gained tremendous rotational force and swung like a whip.
The sharp thorn at the end mercilessly plunged into the frozen Myrmat.
Zzing—
In this way, it shattered into hundreds of pieces and scattered into the sea.
…It had all happened within 30 seconds, after Cuculli’s appearance.
The children looked at her with expressions of not knowing what to be astonished at first.
Meanwhile, as if it were nothing, the creature settled in the center of the deck with strange gestures.
Kwoooong—
The ship, which held on even when Mirmat landed, sank several meters down and then rose again with difficulty.
If it weren’t for the enchanted buoyancy magic on the hull’s bottom, it would have sunk immediately.
“……”
From that moment on, no one could take their eyes off her.
No one moved hastily.
“…A Frost Dragon. Am I dreaming?”
Someone among the crew murmured.
The giant and graceful body shone brightly even without moonlight.
As long as its body, a tail as long as its body and sharply curved bronze horns.
Wings larger than sails fluttered fiercely and folded.
What could it be if not a dragon?
Compared to it, Myrmat was as insignificant as a mouse.
The expressions of the children and Waldiff were the most notable.
Ambivalence, confusion, and awe mingled on their faces, and Cuculli, facing them, awkwardly scratched her horn with her forefoot.
[Cuculli Appears!]
“……”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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[Is everyone alright?]
In the midst of the gasping words, the children’s expressions wrinkled instantly.
Cuculli quickly continued speaking.
[Who came along?]
…Thud.
Someone leaped off Cuculli’s back simultaneously.
* * *
The Hero looked at the children.
From their hesitant mouths to their widened pupils, even to their lips forming a steep curve of delight.
The children also looked at the Hero.
A stern expression, a body as large as a rock, and eyes as cold as forged steel met their gaze.
The strict gaze softened rapidly when it reached the children.
Reading the emotions contained within, the children momentarily doubted their own eyes.
Relief, faint anger… those were expected.
But there was an emotion they hadn’t anticipated… pride and satisfaction.
A faint smile lingering on his lips.
The Hero was clearly proud of them.
“…Well done.”
The Hero, their mentor.
He acknowledged the fight they had endured.
Just that fact alone made their heavy limbs lighter, and the flames of determination that had been smoldering on the ground were reignited.
As the Hero scanned each of the children’s faces, he turned his gaze to their backs.
“Yussi, you too.”
“…Ha, thank you so much for coming when I still have limbs.”
“Thank you.”
…The last ones were the frozen companions of the Demonic Church Leader.
All the Demonic Church Leaders were either dead or incapacitated.
The remaining ones were just a demon and Kalende.
They were in shock and despair, gazing alternately between the giant dragon and each other.
The demon didn’t bother him much.
The Hero’s eyes were fixed on Kalende’s gaunt face.
‘…The strongest leader in history.’
The possessor of the Zero’s blessing and the one who had killed Dorempa.
Even if his body was in good condition, he couldn’t guarantee victory.
Moreover, he had just fought a battle and didn’t have enough stamina or mana.
Having children and comrades to protect behind him was just a bonus.
However, despite all these unfavorable conditions, the Hero’s expression remained as calm as usual.
In fact, he was thinking along these lines
‘Perhaps it’s fortunate to face it head-on at this moment.’
He had protected the sanctuary while battling 500 demons and monsters in the harsh land of the north, and subdued a giant.
Since obtaining the Iris of Laplace, this was arguably his greatest achievement.
Naturally, the rewards had already been given long ago.
Confirming this while riding Cuculli was a relief.
▼
In the freezing land, the firewood burns.
A flame that will not be extinguished.
▲
▼
Understanding of Ted Redymer deepens.
Understanding: 63/100 -> 70/100
▲
▼
Understanding of Cuculli Evans deepens.
Understanding: 40/100 -> 50/100
▲
▼
Salvation: ‘Fourth Rite, Stellar Rift’ has been unlocked.
▲
There were other minor rewards that followed, but the important ones were this.
As Ted’s understanding increased, his power also rose, and there was significant progress in Salvation rites.
Buk—
The Hero walked slowly towards the Demonic Church Leader.
‘I never thought I’d get Stellar Rift now.’
From the Great Forest to the North.
It was truly a series of the worst timings and misalignments.
However, at this moment, luck seemed to be on his side.
The Stellar Rift was a Salvation rite developed to protect his comrades from formidable enemies and engage in unrestricted combat.
…In the great battle, it was also the first Salvation rite Ted used against the Demonic King.
Oooooong—
It was the moment when the Hero’s remaining mana flowed for the activation of the Fourth Rite.
[Kids, Waldiff, come behind me. Professor, I’ll take care of the demons.]
Cuculli’s calm voice echoed in everyone’s ears.
The Hero looked at her with a surprised expression.
She must have gained strength, and it wouldn’t be strange if she went wild and tore apart the archenemy of her father, the Demonic Church Leader.
Drrrr—
Cuculli’s giant pupils turned towards the Demonic Church Leader before returning to her friends.
The Hero could read her inner thoughts.
‘…She’s grown up.’
Of course, it was true that she had gained tremendous power thanks to the baptism, but it was also true that she was slow to adapt to the power because ‘Cuculli’s essence’ had not disappeared.
Perhaps it would be difficult to face the Demonic Church Leader right away.
It seemed that protecting her friends in poor condition from the demons was the right decision.
[There’s one more enemy.]
“…Alright.”
The Hero briefly pushed aside the image of Ibar Waitanka that came to mind.
The traitor of the Dawn Knights, the culprit who made Ted die.
He was a deeply hated opponent, but now was the time to focus on the enemy in front of him.
▼
Executing Salvation Rite 4: ‘Stellar Rift’
▲
Eliminate the threat in the north and return to Rosenstark with the children.
The final stage had begun.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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