Chapter 196 - Black Seed (4)
I wiped my cheek.
"......"
Delphine's blood had splattered onto me.
The one Adele had tirelessly boasted about as the strongest in the empire had become a pile of flesh with just a gesture from that woman, offering no resistance.
"What scum."
Persephone shifted her gaze from Delphine's corpse to me, disdain in her eyes.
A soft smile formed on her lips.
"You are worlds away from that scum that moved without any thought or direction. The way you efficiently and effectively killed our comrades was impressive."
I frowned.
By the way she spoke, she seemed to be beyond the category of ordinary monsters.
"Did you think we didn't know that we are mere sacrifices for the growth of you, the heroes? Did you think we would die silently?"
Persephone smiled faintly.
"I'm not sure about other worlds, but we have the great prince with us."
I lowered my stance, ready to move at any moment.
The one before me had easily crushed Delphine.
Using unidentified magic.
I couldn't afford to let my guard down for a moment.
"Oh, there's no need to be so guarded."
Persephone covered her mouth and laughed gracefully.
‘... This has gotten complicated.’
Who would have thought that today's events would unfold like this.
Jenna, Belkist, and Anything were absent.
There was only me.
‘I need to buy some time.’
We were supposed to report to the Lobby periodically.
If contact isn't made by morning, they would send rescue forces immediately.
"What is your goal?" I spoke.
"Revenge?" Persephone scoffed.
"I have no interest in revenge. We are done with that. Here, we are just scum, just as the Taonians are now."
"Then, what is it?"
"Firstly, it's to repay, no, to return a hundredfold, a thousandfold to those who humiliated us."
So much for not being interested in revenge.
Persephone threw Delphine's bloodied horn to the ground.
"Secondly..."
"Liberation?"
"I don't like men who interrupt. But it's fine, liberation, that's a reason. After becoming like this..."
Her cheek next to her eye bulged as black veins twisted.
The pain seemed intense, causing Persephone to grit her teeth.
"..."
"But whether it's revenge or liberation, those are just secondary objectives. We are not fixated on such trivial matters. We simply follow the prince."
Persephone held her cheek and murmured with a dazed expression.
"Ah, my prince..."
It seems she has lost her mind.
I swung my sword. I was ready to attack at any opening, but even as she staggered, her fingers were pointed towards me.
"We... will overcome."
"...?"
"And we will liberate. All those who suffer. That is our cause. That, indeed, is the will of our great prince."
Overcome.
Liberate.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
Their purpose.
‘These lunatics.’
Transcending the duties and confines of heroes and monsters.
Is that even possible?
"It seems you've understood. Indeed, heroes are smart. I'm glad you've noticed. You would be perfect as the prince's left arm. I am his right arm, so that's out of the question."
"Are you recruiting me now?"
"Aren't I?" Persephone winked.
"I am well aware of your feats. It would be a waste to let your skills rot. Haven't you had enough of playing the hero? Come with us. You'll be well treated."
So that's it.
Her reluctance to directly confront me and her detailed explanation of their objectives were all efforts to recruit me?
There's only one thing left to say.
"Your answer is...?"
"Go to hell."
Her fingers pointed at my heart was the next thing I saw.
I fell to the ground.
Kwaah!
A wall of the barracks was shattered like paper in an explosion.
"Ahahahaha!"
A cheerful laughter echoed through the dust.
‘Here...’
This is disadvantageous.
I darted through the hole in the wall.
Then, I landed on the ground with a somersault after spinning in the air.
"I'll show you what a foolish choice you've made!"
Thud!
A gigantic whirlwind erupted from the barracks' roof, and the three-story building was shattered. Soldiers screamed and ran in all directions.
"What's that?"
"Isn't that the commander's barracks?!"
From the rubble of the building, a blue shadow leaped.
Persephone. She floated in the air, humming a tune.
"You! Who are you!" A knight drew his sword and shouted.
Persephone laughed delightedly and pointed at the knight.
Crack!
The knight was instantly reduced to chunks of meat and fell.
Persephone's deep blue cloak fluttered fiercely.
Soon, magical spheres began to float around her.
Dozens of spheres transformed in the air.
They ignited, froze, spun rapidly, and sparks of lightning flashed in all directions.
"I am the descendant of the magical progenitor, Sternberg, Persephone Ridel Von Steinberg!>
"So, I command."
<Attack!>
The soldiers had no time to respond.
Magical spheres from Persephone's cloak began indiscriminately bombarding the camp.
Kwaah!
"Aaaagh!"
A man was torn apart.
The spheres devastated everything within meters of their impact.
Chunks of flesh flew, barracks burned, and the ground was churned.
"Ahahahahahahahaha!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Persephone shot magical spheres like a machine gun, displaying terrifying power.
I dodged the bombardment and ran towards the barracks.
There, a portal connected to the Lobby awaited.
It seemed necessary to call the members of Group 1.
"Oh, by the way, hero."
"......"
"I think you were quite fond of one of my disciples."
I frowned.
【Great Cedus!】
This lunatic...
【Burn!】
Flames flickered in front of me.
I slid down.
【Explode!】
I lunged forward.
Bang!
An explosion accompanied by flames occurred behind me.
【Inflare!】
A column of fire rose from the center of the explosion.
The last was...
【Union!】
I kicked a broken pillar of the barracks and jumped up.
Whooosh!
Turning, a small sun sucked surrounding objects like a black hole.
"Don't you miss her?"
"Do you want to die?"
"Oh, how scary. Yvolka, that idiot had no talent, but she was too greedy for her own good. It's good she's dead!"
Crack.
Wait.
Now's not the time.
"Where is the commander? Where is he!?"
"Find the commanding officer! Who's giving orders now?"
"It's an ambush! Run!"
The expeditionary camp was in chaos.
Arrows and ballistae bounced off the shield with each shot, while the indiscriminate bombardment continued from the air. Moreover, the personnel capable of commanding the forces had already been massacred in the council chamber.
It was a repetition of when I had annihilated the leadership of the Order Army on the 40th floor.
Bang!
With each explosion, dozens of soldiers were thrown into the air.
The situation was dire. The mage flying around was like a calamity.
I arrived at the headquarters.
Hurriedly, I pulled aside the curtain and entered.
In the corner of the left wall was the portal...
'Gone?'
It was nowhere to be seen.
The portal that should have been spinning was absent.
[Ding!]
[The mission has changed!]
[Mission Type – Escape]
[Objective – Escape from the designated location!]
[Special Objective – The survival of the hero Han Israt (★★★★)]
[Special Objective – The survival of the NPC Priacis Al Ragnar]
The mission objective window that appeared in front of me began to tremble violently.
[Warning!]
[This mission is a personal mission.]
[No other hero besides Han (★★★★) can join the field.]
...What is this?
A personal mission?
'Damn...'
There's no time to waste.
I hurriedly exited the headquarters.
More than half of the expeditionary camp was devastated.
'I must calm down.'
I gritted my teeth.
Hesitating now could get me killed.
Though it's my first time encountering a situation like this, if I keep calm, there should be a way out.
This mission is about escape.
It's a personal mission that I can only undertake alone, with additional conditions.
Both Priacis and I must survive.
First of all...
I have to find Priacis.
His lodging was located quite on the outskirts of the camp. I changed direction and dashed off. In the air, Persephone's magical bombardment was still raining down.
'Does that witch have infinite mana?'
It seemed she had fired a thousand magical orbs, yet she showed no signs of fatigue, still humming a melody.
"What are we supposed to do...?"
A knight was in panic.
Behind him, soldiers stood undecided.
They had gathered at the emergency meeting point as per the manual, but there was no one giving orders. I approached abruptly.
"Who are you...?"
"Listen carefully. The expedition officers are dead. So is that supposed strongest of the empire."
"What?! The commander? That can't be..."
"Shut up. You, gather the scattered men and leave the camp. Try to save as many as you can."
"But, the commander's orders..."
I frowned, and the knight, hesitating for a moment, bit his lip hard.
"Alright!"
"Good. As soon as you've gathered a decent number, head to the launch platform and secure an airship."
"Move! Gather the troops and escape!"
He has quite a quick judgment ability.
He must have experienced many battles.
I slapped the knight on the shoulder and then ran towards Priacis's lodging.
After about a minute.
Bang!
Beyond the barracks, soldiers were thrown meters into the air.
"Aaaaah!"
They flew like pebbles, clustered together.
Shortly after.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Plop. Thump. Plop.
The soldiers who had been thrown high fell down all at once.
'There's someone there.'
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"...!"
Something appeared in front of me.
Instinctively, I extended my left arm.
[Unique Ability, Black Dragon Scale, activated!]
[The hero is immune to physical attacks!]
Bang!
Suddenly, my vision turned white.
My body was thrown at high speed, crashing into a pile of rocks and wood.
"...Ugh!"
What kind of monstrous force was this...?
Even the Black Dragon Scale couldn't fully negate it?
"Ho."
A middle-aged man emerged.
[Beast King]
[Kiadni Vikshabi Lv.???]
The man, with a physique brimming with muscles and sporting brown hair like that of a lion, looked at me with interest.
"To think you could withstand my punch. Impressive."
"You, bastard..."
I wiped the blood from my mouth and staggered to my feet.
"How about this?"
Thud.
Then I fell to my knees again.
"...Eh?!"
My right hand involuntarily grabbed my throat.
Crunch. The grip tightened.
My left hand moved on its own, pulling out a dagger from behind my belt.
'This is...'
Did he take control of my body?
The dagger in my left hand aimed at my heart.
I was on my knees, barely able to move my eyes.
[Blind Saint]
[Irine Lv.???]
A small girl stood in front of me.
The girl, dressed in the habit of a white nun, squinted her left eye.
"Hero, you will die here."
"...Go to hell."
At this point, there was no need to hesitate.
Before the dagger in my left hand could pierce my heart,
I bit my tongue hard.
[Han (★★★★) has entered Exceed state!]
