Fear (2)
Chapter 131
Chains cover the ice island.
Though it seemed like belated support, the consecrated spear arrived on the battlefield at the precise timing Ray had hoped for.
The holy barrier is not invincible.
If there were forces capable of gaining the upper hand against Ray, the holy barrier inscribed on a single spear could easily be shattered.
Had the holy barrier been deployed as soon as Ray arrived on the ship, it would have collapsed in less than five seconds.
That’s why Ray requested the spear’s support only after the battle had lasted over ten minutes.
Now, with most of their knights sacrificed and the mages’ mana depleted, the enemies couldn’t actively counter the barrier.
Given time, they could break through without significant losses. However, Ray began moving from within the center of the barrier.
Ray, dragging his body step by step, soon bent down and accelerated.
Just as one of the remaining Graduates severed the chains, they noticed Ray’s charge.
As they pointed their swords at each other, the chains forming the barrier whipped toward them both.
Whoosh!
The chains enveloping the Graduate pierced through their armor and started burning their flesh.
Despite the searing pain of contracting muscles, the Graduate believed Ray would endure the same fate.
This type of holy barrier doesn’t discriminate between individuals.
The Graduate’s judgment was correct, but the chains covering Ray failed to burn him.
Crack!
Instead, they ignited and crumbled away.
Realizing whose blessing these chains truly belonged to, the Graduate sighed and swung their sword.
Swoosh!!
Swinging his blade amidst the flames, the Graduate narrowly missed Ray.
However, Ray’s strike cleanly severed the Graduate’s neck.
Taking two steps, Ray swayed from side to side before accelerating forward once more.
Knights and mages endured the agony of burning bodies as they fought to stop Ray.
Ray appeared to have reached his limits.
This was true, but the techniques ingrained in Ray’s mind compelled him to swing his sword even with severed tendons, so long as his will remained.
Ray’s appearance was far from noble.
His struggle was marked with the same grimness as someone who had received the Blessing of the Dark God.
Facing Ray, the enemies realized that only killing him could halt his advance.
The mages gathered mana to sever the chains and break the barrier, striving to escape the highly disadvantageous environment inside.
Within the barrier, stopping Ray was impossible.
Once the barrier broke, they could easily dispatch Ray, who lacked the mana and stamina to emit sword energy.
Still, Ray clung stubbornly to them, cutting off their heads.
Swoosh!!
Another mage fell.
Finally, Brigette escaped the barrier’s range and shattered it.
The survivors were Brigette and a single high-level 6th-Class Mage.
With his scorched skin clenched tightly, the high-level mage tried to regain composure.
But before he could fully focus, Ray surged out from the collapsing barrier.
The high-level mage hastily extended his hand forward.
Crack!
Ice spears erupted from the icy ground, blocking Ray.
The mage momentarily relaxed but stiffened again upon sensing an enormous presence descending from above.
Boom!
An arm flew off as the mage blocked Ray’s Leaping Sword Energy.
In no time, Ray broke through the ice spears and plunged his sword into the high-level mage’s chest.
“…”
The high-level mage stopped moving and collapsed onto the ice.
Brigette stood alone, her lips curling into a bitter smile.
She had certainly prepared.
Through information relayed by Rangers, she knew a Spatial Blade user had appeared in the Sigini Mountain Range. She suspected that perhaps a similar pursuer might also show up in the Osiris Countdom.
Therefore, she conducted tactical training specifically aimed at countering a Spatial Blade user.
However, she never imagined that the Spatial Blade user would simply drop onto the deck alone, nor did she anticipate his overwhelming strength.
Although Brigette herself was still at the Graduate level, her absolute power was nearing Lord-tier.
“…”
Could she defeat this person if she fought until the end?
The distance was close, and Brigette, having depleted her mana, could only cast 2nd or 3rd Circle spells for a while.
True, Ray had suffered far worse injuries, but compared to Brigette, who had lived her life under disdainful gazes, Ray was more accustomed to enduring such brutality.
Certainly, if they fought ten times, she would lose all ten.
Acknowledging her own limits, Brigette prepared her final spell.
Creak!
Spreading mana drawn from the circle, Brigette caused a phenomenon to occur.
Several broken pieces of the ship rose from the sea and began clustering together.
On top of the clustered ship fragments emerged five magic circles.
Ignoring the magic circles completely, Ray gathered the last of his energy to manifest a sword aura on Moros and charged forward.
Rather than waste his strength trying to counter the unknown magic circles, he needed to kill Brigette.
As the five magic circles and Brigette’s circle glowed simultaneously, Ray’s sword pierced Brigette’s heart.
Puuuk!!!
A stream of blood gushed from Brigette’s chest.
For a moment, Ray was confused.
Brigette’s magic circles had clearly succeeded, yet there was no sign of any magical manifestation around.
Breathing heavily, coughing up blood, Ray eventually realized what had happened.
Brigette’s staff was gone, and half of Brigette’s body, now devoid of the Blessing of the Dark God, had hardened like stone.
Brigette, feeling her consciousness fading, let out a defeated laugh.
“Even though I couldn’t win… my mission is complete.”
Despite suspecting that the deal in the Osiris Countdom was a trap, Brigette went ahead because she judged the artifact Duke Matthias’ family would bring to be genuine.
However, securing the artifact would mean nothing if she couldn’t return.
Thus, the most crucial magic circle engraved on the ship docked in the Osiris Countdom was designed for “long-distance transfer.”
The transfer magic, utilizing A-Space technology, was designed to activate even if the ship sank.
“If only you were in your normal state, Templar dog…”
Had Ray been in good condition, detecting the transfer magic and stopping it with a Spatial Blade would have been possible.
However, Ray lacked even the strength to launch a Leaping Sword Energy.
“…Yeah, regrettable.”
Though missing out on the completed artifact of the Dark God left a bitter taste, Ray had achieved his primary objective.
By annihilating everyone here, he deprived the noble house that worshipped the dark deity of any chance to exert direct Influence in the Empire.
As Ray slowly pulled his sword out, Brigette’s corpse collapsed limply.
Ray stripped Brigette’s robe and draped it over himself.
“Haa… haa…”
Realizing the battle was over, the suppressed pain surged back, gnawing at his mind.
They were in the middle of the ocean.
Soon, reconnaissance ships would arrive to investigate the skirmish near the coast, whether they were found or not posed problems either way.
Ideally, returning on his own without being discovered was the best option.
While pondering this, Ray turned his head, sensing a cold presence.
“…Your master has good fortune.”
Ray muttered this towards the lizard-shaped Ice Spirit.
Far away, Clemens lay unconscious on a piece of ice.
Dying after being caught up in the fight after falling into the water wouldn’t have been surprising.
In fact, Ray thought it more likely Clemens would die.
Apparently, the Ice Spirit had somehow intervened to prevent Clemens from drowning or drifting too far away.
It was rare to find a spirit so devoted to its master.
After creating an ice platform and boarding it, Ray summoned a Wind Spirit.
It was a spirit Florya had helped him contract, but Ray generally avoided making contracts with spirits.
Since the circle forming his heart had been artificially adjusted solely for the Spatial Blade, it wasn’t suitable for spirit contracts.
However, needing a way to return across the sea, he temporarily contracted the spirit.
Whoosh!
The wind generated by the spirit pushed the ice platform.
Carrying the unconscious Clemens aboard, Ray steered the ice platform toward the coastline he’d previously scouted.
As his consciousness grew increasingly hazy, Ray breathed heavily and refocused his vision.
Eventually, the ice platform reached the shore.
“…I wish you could treat my wounds a bit.”
“…Understood.”
Albert, standing rigidly on the shore, nodded gravely.
Albert had clearly sensed ominous energy spreading through the wind beyond the horizon.
He could also feel how formidable an enemy Ray had faced and overcome.
Lifting Ray’s robe slightly to inspect his wounds, Albert gasped in surprise.
“The injuries are too severe. We shouldn’t be doing this here. Immediately…”
“Just make me mobile. I’ll handle the rest myself.”
“…Very well.”
Albert took out a thin needle from his robes and inserted it into Ray’s wounds.
Furrowing his brow even as his consciousness flickered, Ray asked, “What is this?”
“It’s a procedure where sacred power is infused through needles to recover the body from the inside. It’s used to heal critically injured patients.”
Of course, stably channeling sacred power through thin needles isn’t easy, but Albert managed.
Ray leaned against a rock without further comment.
The pervasive pain throughout his body gradually subsided several hours after the sacred power was injected.
Albert, sweating profusely while continuously infusing sacred power, finally caught his breath after entrusting the surrounding vigilance to Thomas.
He treated Ray’s damaged respiratory system, repaired his shattered left arm, and restored other vital organs that had been harmed.
Of course, this was merely emergency treatment; the burns on his skin remained untreated.
Albert was certain Ray would pass out during the treatment, but Ray stayed conscious until the end.
After removing the needle, Albert hesitated before speaking.
“The forces supporting you seem weaker than I expected… Would relying on another place be better?”
Carefully proposing this for Ray’s sake and for the greater cause, Albert suggested it.
Ray moved without proper rear support.
It was incomprehensible to Albert that someone representing El-Lam’s will could be left in such peril.
If Ray were to seek refuge with the Order, dozens of Templars could easily be mobilized to assist him.
“Consider it once.”
“…Hey, Templar. Even if I’m acknowledged as El-Lam’s Apostle, can I arbitrarily install a new Emperor or execute nobles?”
“That…”
Impossible.
Though Albert was devout, he wasn’t naive. He understood how despicable humans could become in their pursuit of power.
Even if Ray were El-Lam’s Apostle, many would wield swords against him if he threatened their power.
Ray chuckled seeing Albert fall silent.
It was a story he had heard anew, but Ray didn’t consider himself a hero.
For the Transcender to have intended him as a hero was too disadvantageous from the start.
And his physical condition was wrecked.
“There’s only one place where I belong.”
Phillip’s County.
He had to return there.
And now, he felt he had a clearer idea of what he needed to do during the remaining time.
Watching Ray slowly stand up, Albert looked at him regretfully.
“If your mind changes later, come find me. I’ll offer help. The Order will always welcome you.”
“I’m not as kind as you think.”
Ray hadn’t entirely ruled out the option of silencing the Templar by killing him.
Even though his face was covered by the robe, he had interacted with them too much.
However, if the Templar disappeared, the Order would move, leading to even greater danger.
Having assessed Albert’s character over the brief time, Ray decided against harming the Templars.
“And… the Order isn’t as clean as you think. You’re unusual, but there are many deeply sinful ones.”
Albert looked displeased.
Of course, among his fellow Templars, there were those whose actions were inappropriate, but none were excessively egregious.
However, Ray knew something Albert didn’t.
Before reincarnating, Ray had mostly forgotten the novel content his friend told him, but a few things remained vivid, including the part about the Order.
Because of the ‘unpleasantness,’ Ray couldn’t forget the story.
“In any case, I owe you.”
Expressing gratitude with a friendly tone at the end, Ray approached Thomas.
“I owe you too.”
Patting Thomas on the shoulder, Ray led the prepared horse and placed the still unconscious Clemens on it.
As they parted ways, Albert casually asked,
“Why are you taking care of that guy?”
“Aah, this guy?”
There was no obligation to take care of him, and for safety, it would have been right to kill and bury him.
Still, the reason he didn’t leave him to drown…
“It’s probably due to a sense of affinity.”
Because of the transcendent being, living a shitty life, that kind of affinity.
Of course, if Clemens proved useless and dangerous, Ray would dispose of him again.
Muttering quietly, Ray spurred the horse.
Watching Ray quickly disappear, Albert took a deep breath.
It felt like waking up from a rough dream.
Knowing he must remain silent for life unless Ray came seeking him again, Albert turned around with Thomas.
Thomas briefly glanced at the path Ray had taken.
Having been beaten like a dog, Thomas vaguely guessed the identity of the hooded figure altering his voice.
He should go back and pray.
Protect Your Apostle, and may the world firmly overcome these difficult times.
*
Clemens woke up feeling nauseous due to the continuous up-and-down motion.
Upon opening his eyes, all he saw was the horse’s rear, dust, and Ray’s back.
Regaining his senses with difficulty, Clemens cautiously asked,
“Are we heading to the Imperial Palace?”
“What? We’re going to Phillip’s County.”
“…?”
Confused, Clemens hesitantly repeated,
“Wh-why are we going there?”
“Because I’m from Phillip’s County.”
“…?”
Blinking, Clemens stammered,
“W-wasn’t it sent by the royal family?”
“Come on, did you really believe that? It’s impressive you haven’t been scammed while doing business all this time.”
“?”
