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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 138
In the first blow, 30% of the Holy Army turned into blood.
‘He’ did not stop there and massacred an additional 20% with various abilities.
Although his face was hidden by a deeply pressed robe, twisted delight could be felt in his movements.
“Please, spare us!”
“Oh Lord! Have mercy on your servants!”
The remaining half lost all will to resist and scattered into the wilderness, fleeing to the back.
‘He’ seemed bored with such a sight, stretching lazily as he watched… then turned his gaze upwards.
Lifeless pupils fixed on the zero of the sky.
For the first time, a deep smile crossed ‘his’ lips.
‘!’
There was a great distance between them.
But at that moment, Zero was certain they were gazing at each other.
And he realized what ‘he’ intended to do.
From the back of his neck to his lower back, shivers ran down his spine.
“Good materials have come to me.”
“Stop…”
Vvvvvvvv-
The holy power covering the battlefield vanished.
“Heh, heh.”
“What, what’s happening!”
“Now’s the time! Run!”
The survivors of the Holy Army looked up at the silent sky with a truck-like hope.
Was that demon going to show mercy?
If so, they didn’t know if they could return home alive.
No, perhaps that monster’s power had reached its limit.
However, how could such destructive force be sustained?
…But one thing was certain, it was too early for optimism.
Vvvvvvvv-
Instead of holy power, what filled the sky was magic.
Mana from all over the world surged fiercely, and hundreds of magic circles appeared in the air at once.
Zero looked at them with bloodshot eyes.
The formulas that composed the destruction magic were too familiar.
No, they were so familiar that he could draw them with his eyes closed.
Zero’s Dark Arts.
However, the one replicated was much more powerful than the original.
Vvvvvvv-
Magic circles aimed at the ground.
It was a moment when even the fleeing soldiers had no choice but to abandon even the slightest hope of survival.
“No!!!”
Zero’s cry was drowned in a terrible roar.
He poured out all his magical power to erect a barrier and barely managed to block the initial attack.
But afterward, the magic circles… the replicated hundreds of destruction magics continued endlessly.
Kwaaaaaah-
This was against the order of things.
It was irrational.
How could one person possess such power?
Zero murmured in dismay.
“Error, this is an error.”
Words, people, machinery, holy power, the desperate voices seeking divine mercy.
They all disappeared without a trace amidst the endless barrage of destruction magic.
In less than ten minutes, there were no living creatures left on the wasteland.
There was only Zero standing still in the air and the approaching monster.
Zero realized that ‘he’ had become much stronger than before.
And that terrifying growth seemed to apply even to the grudge ‘he’ harbored against humans.
Swoosh-
As ‘he’ approached, Zero finally removed the robe that had covered him up to his chin.
…The moment I saw that face.
Whether the shock and despair he felt now belonged to Zero or to himself, the hero could no longer tell.
“It’s been a while, magician.”
Mocking like a mirror reflection, a man who looked exactly like him laughed.
…The flashback ended like that.
▼
Understanding Zero Requiem deepens.
Understanding level: 2/100 -> 10/100
* However, it is an object that cannot be replicated.
▲
▼
Understanding of ??? deepens.
Understanding level: ???
▲
* * *
After sending Rosalyn back to the Library of Memories, Larze stood before the hero.
“…….”
It had been thirty minutes since he shared his memories with Memorize.
The hero sat in the same posture as before, staring only at the ceiling of his hiding place.
Although his expression was as calm as usual, his eyes seemed strangely empty.
Larze chuckled softly and then sat beside him.
She had no intention of speaking to him immediately and harassing him.
She needed to give him some time to sort out his thoughts.
‘Ah, how thrilling it is to delve into the unknown.’
Even Larze’s satisfied smile lasted only for a moment before she decided to reconsider her harvest.
First… Yes, it would be good to focus on Doppelganger.
The first time she learned about the ‘weird monster capable of polymorphing’ was when she discovered a record.
A secret document hidden deep underground in the 48th district of the Demonic World, the headquarters of the Holy Church.
Among the numerous records Larze explored and discovered, it was the only data that mentioned the existence of Doppelgangers.
‘It’s clearly strange. If that wretched creature in Zero’s memory is a Doppelganger, there shouldn’t be so few traces related to it.’
As if someone deliberately concealed the records, they disappeared.
It’s needless to mention who the culprit might be.
With an excited expression, Larze glanced at the hero sitting beside him.
‘Zero, he, the fake hero. How are these three related?’
The two Doplgangers didn’t seem like the same person.
First of all, their unique energies were subtly different, and their performance was also quite different.
Unlike this Doppelganger who struggled even with just replicating the 3rd salvation formula.
That Doppelganger, with just a glance, replicated not only countless priests but also Zero’s abilities more powerfully than the original.
Larze gleefully mumbled the facts she had gathered so far.
‘It is highly likely that the doppelgänger is a species rather than an individual, so are there any other entities hiding besides those two?’
Delve into the unknown, and another mystery appears.
Larze’s whole body trembled with excitement as her excitement peaked.
While Ted’s death was somewhat regrettable (because his help would have been needed to explore the depths of the demonic realm), now she only thought it was for the best.
His death had become an opportunity for her to encounter such an interesting entity.
If she had known it would turn out like this, she would have personally killed Ted long ago.
‘…Anyway, could the destruction of the First Age be the work of that Doppelganger and the Demon King?’
By looking at both sets of memories, she could roughly organize the situation at the time.
The sudden appearance of the Doppelganger, a threat from the unknown.
The sorcerers of that time opened a ‘gate’ connected to another world to gain the power to eliminate it…
Inviting a new enemy named ‘Demon King’ to this world.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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Humans, Doppelgangers, demons.
As a result of this three-sided conflict, the brilliant civilization perished.
Larze chuckled.
‘It’s ironic, too ironic.’
This Doppelganger was striving to save the lives of humans in the Second Age.
In reality, his kind had caused the disaster that led to the destruction of the First Age.
She scrutinized the silent Hero with her red eyes.
She was so curious about what he was thinking right now.
‘It seems like it’s his first time encountering his own kind.’
Ah, countless question marks poured down like rain.
Larze felt like a withered flower in the desert.
‘The winner of the three-sided war is the demons. But with the power of that Doppelganger, the Demon King and the Archdemons couldn’t have easily defeated them.’
They must have suffered a blow.
That’s why the survivors who crossed to the western continent were able to rebuild and prosper once again.
Now that she had found ‘him,’ countless questions that had been swirling around her began to be answered.
Larze couldn’t help but shake the shoulder of the Hero sitting beside her.
The brilliant knowledge of unanswered questions.
The key to the truth.
They were waiting for her!
“Let’s go find the third memory, let’s go!”
Her urgent urging broke through the long meditation and awakened the Hero.
“Ah.”
…The Hero blinked slowly.
In fact, he was just as caught up in countless questions as she was.
No, perhaps even more so than Larze.
‘Why?’
Why did his kind have such animosity toward humans?
‘Why?’
Why did Zero Requiem want to show him these memories?
‘Why?’
Did he wake up on the edge of the Second Age rather than the First Age like his kind?
In addition to these, there were dozens, hundreds of other questions flooding his mind.
Yet, as always, the Hero tried not to be swept away by them but to pursue clear milestones.
“…Alright.”
The calmly regained colored eyes met the crimson eyes glowing with strange desire.
“We should quickly look at the third memory. And the ones after that, of course.”
“Of course! I thought you’d be very curious about this back story too.”
“In order to do that, what do we need?”
At his words, Larze chuckled aloud.
This fake Hero, the more she found out about him, the tougher and cleverer he seemed.
Rather than agonizing over the frustrating situation surrounded by questions, he seemed to be thinking about gaining benefits.
Quite, no, very much to her liking.
“Yeah, we need to make progress. Is there a way?”
“There is a way… but unfortunately, I don’t have any more memories left for now. Still, will you cooperate with me?”
“Ah.”
Larze grinned broadly and leaned her forehead against his.
“Don’t worry. Because you can pay in advance.”
.
.
.
Looking back on it later, it was a moment when the second turning point of growth came after ‘evolution.’
* * *
Rosenstark’s public communication room closed at nine in the evening.
As a result, Evergreen was forced out without being able to continue her communication with her parents.
Except for the communication immediately following the Forest of Martial Arts incident, it had been almost a few months since their last contact.
They were usually busy managing their territory, so she wasn’t particularly upset…
“How’s your health? It’s starting to get warmer in the west, so be careful with your food.”
“Honey, do you think Rosenstark is like our territory? I’m sure the chefs there will take good care of her.”
“Hmm, isn’t the training too hard? Don’t overdo it. We’ll be proud of you even if you come in last place.”
“Honey! Our daughter wouldn’t come in last place!”
Evergreen bit her lip.
“Anyway, Evergreen, hang in there in the foreign land. If you need anything, let us know anytime.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about the territory! We’re managing just fine. I’ll pass on your regards to the kids.”
…Seeing the faces she missed so much after a long time made her worried, as they looked unusually pale.
She sighed heavily and sat down on a bench in the park.
It had been quite a while since she felt the warmth of breath not freezing even at night, thanks to the significantly warmer weather.
‘It was so cold when I first left Solintail.’
After passing through winter and spring, summer was now upon them.
‘I wonder if Solintail is still cold.’
Following the refreshing scenery of the grassland, the dry faces of her parents flashed before her again.
Solintail was a very challenging land to manage.
Adjacent to the Great Mountain Range, it had a higher density of monsters than any other territory on the western continent, and the climate was harsh.
Therefore, although Evergreen was technically a noble, she had never experienced a truly noble life.
The lords of other frontier areas seemed to be looking out for their own interests quite well even under adverse conditions.
However, unfortunately, the Solintail family has not been good at such tricks for generations.
If they had money to spare, Evergreen’s parents would repair the territory’s walls or give consolation money to the families of deceased guards.
‘…We’ll have to endure this year’s Wave as well.’
Evergreen gazed at the sparkling night view of the academy.
Each day at Rosenstark was so enjoyable.
The food was delicious, the bed was comfortable, and of course, the training was tough, but…
Real sadness and hardship rarely occurred.
But at moments like today, when reality hit her all of a sudden… she felt uncomfortable thinking that she had just escaped from her hometown’s difficult situation.
‘Three and a half years until graduation… Was I too ambitious?’
In the past, when she felt depressed like this, she would usually joke around with her friends to change her mood.
But lately, even that didn’t seem to work.
Her closest friend… was avoiding her, which made it awkward to even try to talk.
“Oh, I suddenly remembered something I needed to do.”
“You guys go ahead and eat first. I’ll practice a little more before joining you.”
“…Night training? I’m not really feeling up to it today.”
It was so obvious that she was being avoided that it would be embarrassing to insist further.
‘Luke…’
Evergreen inadvertently thought of the boy.
His jet-black hair and towering height flashed before her eyes.
His large and strong hands.
Although he seemed sharp at first glance, his face would become silly when he smiled.
The last image was of him standing side by side with Leciel.
‘…What if he keeps smiling like that!’
Thud-
Frustrated, Evergreen kicked a pebble beneath her feet without thinking.
And in the next moment, she froze.
“Ah…”
The pebble, which had been rolling along, stopped in front of someone’s foot.
Luke, with a very awkward expression, was looking at her.
“Hello.”
“Oh, hi.”
It was a bit different from the uncomfortable atmosphere of the past few days.
It seemed somewhat awkward.
“…Do you have a moment?”
“Uh, yeah? I-I’m not sure if I have time?”
Why was that?
Evergreen felt a strange sense of pride for the first time in her life.
And then immediately regretted it.
[PR/N: It’s okay Evergreen, I don’t have any luck in dating either 😃]
Fool, this was an opportunity to mend things.
She hastily tried to pick up where they left off, but Luke beat her to it.
He bravely asked for a little more time.
“Just a moment. I have something to show you.”
It was only then that Evergreen realized the boy was holding something.
…The flask and instructions that the hero had given as an assignment, tightly gripped in his bear-like hands.
‘Ah.’
The corner of Evergreen’s mouth twitched as she looked up at him.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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