202. The Scaled Empress, Sadarkelisa (3)
When Fernandez fell from Abel’s back, he was carefully gauging his direction while glaring at Yggdrasil.
The terrifying acceleration, the massive serpent’s body wrapped around the burning Yggdrasil, and the dense magic emanating from it… Fernandez slowly gripped the greatsword, the King’s Greatsword, measuring the distance between death and himself.
Not yet, it’s not as close as expected.
-Crackle!!
As the massive pillar of Yggdrasil shook, Fernandez swung the greatsword down. The sound of bones crushing echoed from his forearm. His body barely clung to the pillar after striking the exterior of Yggdrasil.
A long sword mark and bloodstains were visible. Fernandez gritted his teeth and drove the greatsword deeper. The sensation in his arms was already… gone.
The fight with Botan, followed by numerous battles, the injuries and contamination from breaking Sadarkelisa’s barrier—his arms had long lost their function.
If not for the assistance of the spell.
-The damage rate has exceeded 85%. At this point, it’s more like minced meat than arms.
‘Increase ventricular fibrillation by 15%.’
-The vascular load is already severe. I don’t want to see you die from ruptured blood vessels.
‘The blood vessels near the heart regenerate as they rupture. It’s still fine.’
Fernandez spoke to Faijashi, who was digging into his chest. Most of the calculations and spells were left to him, while Fernandez focused on maintaining his sanity.
The spectral arm digging into his chest roughly massaged his heart, reviving the slowly fading heartbeat. The heart is the organ most suited to contain magic and divinity, and it is the most crucial organ supplied with the Blood of Diemonica.
By directly compressing the heart, blood pressure is temporarily raised, and the Blood of Diemonica is dispersed as strongly as possible to repair the body and restore stamina. From a macroscopic view, it’s a crude method of suicide, but from a microscopic perspective, it’s an effective emergency measure.
In any case, the current situation is like walking a tightrope. The moment you stop, you fall into the abyss. Fernandez, with his shattered bones held together by magic, climbed up the pillar of Yggdrasil.
-This is practically… a golem.
‘Creating minions isn’t exactly my specialty.’
-Well. As long as the theory is solid, the conclusion is roughly the same.
Faijashi meticulously reconnected Fernandez’s arm, the torn muscle fibers, and bone fragments, chuckling. If the magic supply were cut off or the blood vessels weren’t repaired by the Blood of Diemonica, the body would crumble immediately.
Therefore, delicately. More meticulously than an imperial surgeon. Every dark mage is a master of human anatomy, and Faijashi is also a master of torture. And assembly is the reverse of disassembly…
-Well, an ordinary human wouldn’t have even dared.
It’s not a matter of mindset or will. The physical performance of Diemonica’s body and the state of his arms, thoroughly soaked in hellish magic, created this situation through a delicate balance.
-Crack!
When Fernandez drove the greatsword in again to take the next step, blood suddenly gushed from his heart. Faijashi began to slowly withdraw his hand, muttering bitterly.
-This is it. It can’t maintain function any longer.
‘You’ve worked hard.’
-What do you plan to do now? You didn’t fall to commit suicide, did you?
‘I needed a state of rest.’
Fernandez finally climbed onto the massive tree trunk. He collapsed onto the pillar, his body trembling. The heat made even breathing difficult, and he coughed repeatedly, feeling around for a flat surface.
After securing a place to lie down, he immediately sat cross-legged. One hand raised to the sky, the other to the ground. He assumed the posture often referred to as the [Mantra of Dual Intent] by the High Council of Aseas, and slowly exhaled a deep breath.
‘The Ascension of Gian-Kel. What’s the success rate of the spell?’
-Are you in your right mind?
‘What’s there to lose?’
-After maintaining it for eighty years like a dog, and now, after returning to the past, all you want is… just a lich? If that’s the case, why not start with magic from the beginning? To gain divinity, become a servant of a god, and fight by recklessly destroying your body?
‘To maintain humanity.’
Fernandez exhaled slowly.
‘To not abandon humanity. To not lose the heart of a father who wishes for his son’s future and happiness. To not let our purpose, our reason, be consumed…’
-It’s weak, foolish, and emotional.
‘That’s what makes us human, Faijashi. All beings with warm blood are like that. An organism that produces only predetermined results from given stimuli is not a human but a biological golem. Our regrets, our lamentations. The moment we faced our end, that was the only time we were truly human.’
-I don’t agree.
Faijashi clicked his tongue.
-But in terms of probability, it’s about 20%… That’s the best we can hope for. In this situation and under these conditions, copying the master’s lich transformation spell without a ritual or sacrifice, relying solely on the spell, has a success rate of less than 20%.
The three elements of modern magic are spell, ritual, and sacrifice. The fact that a grand spell can be completed by abandoning all other conditions is a testament to Faijashi’s abilities.
However, if the price of the gamble is life, one must think differently. After abandoning the divinity of Vaitas, even though it now holds a value that cannot be treated as expendable, if one must gamble with life as the stake, there must be a reward of greater value.
[If I help, you won’t need to go that far.]
Before his thoughts could conclude, Botan spoke from his waist. When Fernandez glanced at him, Botan chuckled.
[Becoming a lich, that is, an undead, isn’t necessary. If it’s about maintaining the living body while abandoning a few innate factors, that’s my area of expertise. There’s no need to become undead.]
“Success rate?”
[Fifty percent.]
Even by simple calculation, an expected value of over 30% is guaranteed. Abandoning innate factors while maintaining biological functions? That’s no different from Diemonica’s procedures.
Fernandez nodded briefly and took a deep breath.
“Let’s begin.”
[Long and comfortable, or short and painful. Which one do you prefer?]
“Do I need to answer?”
[Heh, you’re always entertaining.]
Botan clicked his tongue and laughed. Soon, a circular pattern formed around Fernandez, and lightning began to flicker. Rune Glyphs densely filled the gaps, and the spell activated like gears turning.
Beyond that, Botan’s voice echoed.
[You might want to bite down on something. It’s going to hurt. A lot.]
To cut to the chase, he was right.
* * *
Kirhas was running instinctively. Leaping over collapsing branches, occasionally springing up, down, and up again. Not stopping for a single moment.
[You vermin!]
Above her head, Sadarkelisa’s shout reverberated. The world was engulfed in flames, and the massive earthquake shaking the ground rattled Yggdrasil. But Kirhas paid no heed and kept running.
She once ran to…
There was a time when I chased the spirit messenger of Tarsus. The agility unique to the Beastmen tribe, combined with her innate talent, guided her.
Moreover, the ‘possibility’ as well.
‘He is still alive.’
That was the only thing that mattered. The fact that Fernandez was alive. The purpose of life was still clear, and the path she had to take was clearer than ever.
‘Red.’
It means danger. Without hesitation, she changed direction and threw herself onto another branch. At the same time, Sadarkelisa’s arm shattered the branch of Yggdrasil and disappeared back into the flames.
‘Here, it’s blue.’
It means safety. No, more than safety… it means closer to victory. Kirhas ran, looking at the scattered blue dots and the thin blue lines connecting them.
Like a compass always pointing north, her eyes never lose their way even in chaos. If you sift through the entire race to find a single gem, in this era, it would be Kirhas.
‘Danger.’
The blue lines were turning red moment by moment, and some red areas briefly emitted a blue light before fading. She ran and ran. The moment when her breath reached her chin passed, and now even her dazed mind followed only instinct.
‘Your Excellency…’
Her victory does not mean her survival alone. She vowed to dedicate her entire life to one person. Therefore, Fernandez is alive. He must be. If hope appears before her eyes, it means Fernandez’s survival.
-Crack!
The foothold she was stepping on crumbled in the flames. She quickly twisted her body and grabbed a corner of the broken branch. Even while dangling in mid-air, she rolled her eyes to gauge the direction.
[Annoying beast!!]
Sadarkelisa’s roar, madness, and anger covered the sky. Hanging from the branch, Kirhas was looking for a chance. Half in the realm of instinct, and the other half in the realm of hope.
‘Your Excellency. You must be safe.’
Just as the branch was about to turn red, she let go and quickly ran along the pillar.
‘I need to buy time.’
I don’t know what alternatives there might be, but Fernandez’s last command was that. Buy time. Then…
“Lizard!!!”
Kirhas shouted and climbed over the tree. She drew her sword and sprinted towards the top of Yggdrasil.
“Try to kill me!”
[An interesting way to commit suicide.]
A voice overflowing with madness poured over her head. Kirhas staggered under the overwhelming presence and quickly twisted her body. The spot where she had been was completely crushed.
[Or… yes. Trying to deceive Sadarkelisa.]
Sadarkelisa’s voice suddenly turned rational. A coldly honed madness was felt beneath her voice. Kirhas, panicked, looked at the summit of Yggdrasil.
The giant serpent’s head was grinning hideously, looking beyond the horizon. There, under the sky where light clusters were descending, legions from another world were revealing themselves, slaughtering demons.
[Do you believe the entire world is safe, mortal?]
Kirhas took a deep breath. Sadarkelisa whispered to her in a hissing voice.
[The keykeeper of Bifrost… no matter what tricks that damned hybrid uses, he cannot stop Sadarkelisa. And you, and you all. I will trample your world first, you who dared to oppose Sadarkelisa. I will not kill you. Mortal. Forever, forever I will imprison you. Your soul will retain its sanity until your last friend and last family member breathe their last in your burning world.]
Her whisper grew louder, carrying a terrible curse. Kirhas staggered and sat down on a branch near her arm.
Fear, disgust, revulsion, and despair began to tighten her heart. It was a contamination of madness beyond the matter of will. Kirhas struggled to grip her sword with trembling hands.
[Or… yes. I can read your heart… Good… You have no attachment to your world. There is only one thing you cherish. Yes, that must be it. That mortal. Is it affection? Admiration? Whatever it is. He will crumble before you, begging me for mercy. Your death, I will allow after that.]
Sadarkelisa’s long tongue licked her lips. She hissed and rolled her red eyes to look at Kirhas. At the same time, Kirhas’s body began to stiffen. Slowly, under the overwhelming presence and despair.
-Ting.
At that moment, the clear sound of a string instrument was heard. A clear sound like plucking a pipa. The burning Yggdrasil and the destroyed land. And now, as hell approaches, a sound that doesn’t fit at all.
In a fleeting moment, her sanity returned, and she saw light. Blue light, symbolizing victory and hope—
Paradoxically, from Sadarkelisa’s neck.
[He has come.]
Sadarkelisa twisted her head and looked down at her body coiled around Yggdrasil. Kirhas, out of her sight, gasped and shook her head.
Only then did she fully see it. The blue light clusters gradually thickened into circles, and the circles gathered into lines, showing the direction of flow. A long path from Sadarkelisa’s massive neck, through her body, towards her tail.
Gradually bluer, gradually darker. Like indigo emerging from azure. An infinitely deep, almost black, dark blue light!
“Sadarkelisa.”
A cold voice pierced through the flames. In the upper layers of Yggdrasil, covered in thick, acrid smoke, a chilling voice was heard.
“I will not judge your sins. Judgment is a process of weighing the severity of sins with fairness. I do not have the right to place the weight of fairness against your sins.”
In that moment when even the wind seemed to stop, Kirhas saw the blue light amidst the black smoke. Victory, hope, sanity, and attachment… affection. The light that fully contained all her heart was, ironically, gloomy.
The sound of footsteps echoed like thunder. Gloomy dark blue eyes, half-white hair. With an expression devoid of any emotion, Fernandez walked straight towards Sadarkelisa.
“…Just as Faijashi Wildcast once had that chance. Any evil person may have a last regret. As a cleric, I will give you a chance. Dragon, Sadarkelisa. Will you repent?”
[Was this your plan? Repentance? A chance? Are you trying to beg for your life with such words? Pathetic. Pathetic! Sadarkelisa wanted something more dramatic, more magnificent!]
Sadarkelisa hissed in disappointment. Fernandez walked out of the dark smoke. His body was fully visible. On his back was Abel.
Without a word, he walked to Kirhas and sat Abel down beside her. Fernandez stiffly patted Kirhas’s head, who was desperately looking at him, and then turned around.
A broad back. Through the torn clothes, sleek muscles and numerous strange characters drawn on them were writhing.
-Swish.
His greatsword slowly emerged from his hand. He faced Sadarkelisa and said,
“Even if you are a god, in despair, one offers a prayer. Sadarkelisa. The defendant’s plea is over. So pray. To any god, with any words. Sincerely.”
[Sadarkelisa is the end of this world! Sadarkelisa has dreamed many dreams over a long time. Dreams of burning this world! Now ‘my’ dream will become the worst nightmare you will see!]
-Ting.
The clear sound of a geomungo was heard. Sadarkelisa’s terrifyingly burning madness hesitated for a moment. Kirhas felt the aura of corruption dissipating from her body.
[You… have gained divinity!]
“I have already killed nightmares in the wasteland. Nothing can be eternal.”
I will burn demons, heretics, and witches.
Fernandez charged towards Sadarkelisa’s head.
![[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TS-Obsessed-Gamer-The-Ultimate-Return2.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return")
