Chapter 272: Sacrifice (2)
WSkG1Yuri quickly pulled his foot back. Then, the tentacle that had grabbed his ankle was drawn back underground and disappeared.0cNFyj
i9gQ4Tv“There’s something underneath.”CgE
NcyuHYuri pointed Guilty at the ground.vf9
Hf5of“It’s not just corpses—I think that damn tentacle monster is down there too.”Bpnds
G3dZn“Under the ground?”7uO6p
4KsQ“Yes.”aUTRFeQ
patmeBoth Laurent and Jared moved cautiously, keeping their eyes on the ground.wOGJ
jhWb“What do you plan to do? We could ignore it and move on.”QXjx
xWQs“I don’t know…”RAaa
Q8XUsing the vision of the domain of The Cut of the Soul and the Heart, Yuri surveyed the area.5pCk
BGZkThe black magic’s energy was corrupting the earth.w6EHvK
vOhmToPThe Empire had sacrificed the inhabitants of this village as an offering to create a creature made of black magic. No—if he remembered that in the past they had summoned a god from another world, perhaps what they had brought here was an entity from another dimension.03Y
4fovmYuri made his decision.SIH
G1C“Let’s catch it.”Eztz
kjlQIO“Is that necessary?”hNe
art2sQU“It wouldn’t hurt to test the kind of enemy we’ll have to face in the future. And besides…”kyVsxgA
MNFSQdeYuri’s eyes turned cold.Apl0
uJ7CJK“It’s the one that devoured all these people. I don’t want to leave it behind.”kXi2Hq
EAppo6“Understood.”v9E
BUGxQCJared nodded, while Laurent, saying nothing, kept his gaze fixed on the ground.6LUi
xD8uYuri once again felt anger toward his brother.KAPnNgM
UcPOUDF“Cedric…”WgpV6uJ
ylZeLRHe remembered the plan Cedric had shown him—manipulating the world with his own hands to create an ideal that came close to a dream.DFQ5mO3
eRvaNqXBut all that, though beautiful on the surface, was nothing more than a facade.4nU
lhldWBeneath the soil of those beautiful landscapes lay countless corpses like these.DudV
Y7A8gTo Cedric, humans were nothing more than resources to be used and discarded at will.NzyOYJ
NBeQThis village seemed like a harbinger of the future Cedric sought.C2X
HnE“It won’t be weak. Be ready.”yUk5tM9
cB0hKaVOnce resolved to fight, Yuri’s mind began working quickly. This was a monster summoned with the lives of so many people; it couldn’t possibly be weak.chf
cE11He placed his hand on the ground and waited for some vibration. There was no response.H47vOYS
y4BuVS“Maybe we should wait for the main army,” Jared suggested.o459BY
TYtS2k“There’s no need to waste time. I’ll call it out myself.”ISb0rQ
k9ZYuri coated Guilty with sword energy and drove it into the ground. Then, the blade struck a buried corpse just below the surface.Adtk5o
QZVsUgL“Damn it…”1ffhq
lNEK1OMuttering a curse, Yuri shifted his position and drove the blade in again, spreading his mana in all directions.bc3Xy
EJyfIt was a technique possible only thanks to Yuri’s absolute control over his mana. Like a net of fine threads, his energy spread out while keeping precise spacing.WuN
vD47v5EHis perception drew a picture of the underground in his mind.reHT0d8
7ZIThe image of the mangled bodies filled him with rage, but the first priority was locating the unknown monster.ynl
6K0Suppressing his anger, he focused again. Soon, he detected movement.JFj
evfYuri sent a sharp vibration through his mana.HjuczLA
SSGMHi“Eh?”GSivt
gvTvThe ground trembled. Laurent and Jared braced themselves.ueVg
x98sAfvWhen Yuri’s mana touched the monster, it surfaced.nMTwy
lbHq5GKieee!hxcEi
Owx2IJIts head was covered in tentacles like an octopus, and its body, with arms as long as an ape’s, warped with tentacles that appeared and disappeared, as if it had no fixed shape.mMc8Ff
ZukL“That’s it.”b4FDd
9sZz“Ugly thing.”sgQSTs
lH2“They’re all like that.”5w43vv
UdFSmWhile Yuri and Jared exchanged quips, Laurent was the first to charge in.NH7J
hKlyU4GEver since he had returned from the curse of black magic, he no longer used his old white mana; a dark energy flowed from the tip of his sword.coD
nfQcGHis hatred for Cedric and black magic was no less than Yuri’s.Yy566
uszFaOTLaurent swung his sword without hesitation. The monster extended its long arm.ftmgL2
olVMlWA metallic clash rang out.0Ou
XTr“…”5rAoM
rRyoYHlThe monster caught Laurent’s sword as if it were a mere stick, taking no damage at all. Laurent twisted the blade in annoyance.gSt
WGbmVsoKieee!ut1CI
X8mEmThe monster let out a shriek that turned into a sonic wave against Laurent.wXmfp
sqtsV5He tried to pull back, but the creature refused to let go of the sword.cXeZ5SX
pHt“Tsk…”y5DP
NM50OdULaurent twisted hard to free himself and stepped back a few paces. He had realized that attacking carelessly could cost him his weapon.L0wp5
PlI“It’s not normal…” said Yuri.UE3
iDlIzqkA creature summoned by sacrificing an entire village—killing it would require full commitment.C09mC
w66X1Yuri raised Guilty and advanced.NFt1
bjrovNY“Laurent, distract it.”twiZ
yAqz“Don’t give me orders.”zOdJ
wnB2MlJEven so, Laurent did exactly what Yuri wanted—circling the monster to draw its attention.RXV
GS7TSCKJared rushed forward.cXKYAj
LlPsx“Let’s fight together, Sir Laurent!”ZEW
f9X“I told you not to call me Sir.”KDtu5PZ
z2FXzI1Splitting into two fronts, Laurent and Jared harassed the monster, dodging its tentacles whenever they lashed out. The creature, enraged, began focusing solely on the two of them.EZh3b0E
h2KeYsFor Yuri, that confirmed it wasn’t very intelligent; otherwise, it would have been watching for the one hanging back.9Ez4X5Y
cY1Calmly, Yuri gathered sword energy into Guilty, mixing it with the chaotic energy that had already become familiar to him.cmWeND
D1zYiMany had warned of the danger of this technique, but for Yuri, who had to stake the fate of the continent against Cedric, it was the most efficient method. He had already accepted any necessary sacrifice.ZMbEkTq
cxtA“Good thing I came.”pIbLzXy
LEDoHe watched the fractal spiral pattern appear along the blade and stepped forward.6ea
QRHHe hadn’t chosen to fight out of mere pride, but because Cedric would sacrifice many more lives. When the war truly began, he might even kill all the citizens of the imperial palace to use them as black magic fodder.Jcc
xbgIf Cedric had sealed a pact with a god from another world, the enemies he would bring forth would be beyond anything seen so far.jjRZ
eifQ84He wanted to see if a creature born from the sacrifice of so many people was truly worth it to its summoner.OxDdMv
qZN“Move!”DqLIvX
jlSEYuri shouted and lunged forward.7C21CT
Q2mrswGHis figure flashed like lightning. At the moment Laurent and Jared pulled away, his sword slashed at the monster head-on.w5T
vyHmJnDozens of tentacles bunched together to form a shield, blocking his way—an unprecedented reaction.Qmg2
ZbS4It seemed the creature had sensed the magnitude of Guilty’s power.KFoV
t7soQwLThe blade cut through the tentacles, spraying blood in all directions.7Acj
TZlNJhYuri, pushing through the shredded flesh, reached the creature’s octopus face.HgD
FbDvIts unnatural appearance stirred instinctive revulsion, but Yuri didn’t look away. On the contrary, he brought his face even closer and stared straight into its eyes.Jwu
JKgF5iThe tentacles on its chin stretched toward him, but at that instant the blade sliced between their faces, severing them all in a single stroke.1Ph
gkbOPdGWith his face covered in the monster’s blood, Yuri grabbed it by the neck.iUr6ty
jeN“Can you speak?”D6G1i2
n2suWsThe creature only let out a strange groan. Yuri drove Guilty into its abdomen again.ojk
P8bfqThe monster collapsed.aXXK
pcHe7A bubbling liquid spilled out from inside it.AEMqF2
QyjStT“Your Highness.”V0P
2GkD“Yes?”1xRb
HXF1bq“Something’s wrong.”QH22
RzgC4bYuri, who had subdued the monster, looked at Jared.ZZCvU9
rosiSH8Jared’s eyes were dyed black.nRIu
05h“This…”OET2TzG
FnDOneJared put a hand to his head and shook it. As if dizzy, he staggered a couple of steps and bent his head low.OwY
NZ9Harsh breaths came from his mouth.ziRFC8
hEWjM9Soon, a dark energy began to flow from his body.QgSIvQN
qtb8j“Jared?”YRQKzqF
6Z98SNVJared gripped his sword.lJI
txVhAt that instant, Laurent struck him in the face.Awx
6RmTcIt was a clean uppercut.gIemT
udux“Ugh!”yL5Oyz
abvwFrom the sudden blow, Jared’s head snapped back sharply, and he was sent flying upward before collapsing to the ground.no04T
7J1eLaurent, wearing a cold expression, shook his hand and looked down at him.Fzy
Ty6“Are you just going to stand there gawking like an idiot?”k24zge
4ji76E“Uuh…”JnZ
LIz6YJared, groaning on the ground, clutched his jaw. His eyes had returned to normal.z6qYn
zvl“Still, to hit me…”RM1GLx0
McwS6“If I hadn’t, you’d already be swinging your sword at us.”JgqIB9j
RICMe“Mmh…”VvSY
xhu0T“Yuri.”YMHT
nyjJuILaurent turned his body and called out to Yuri.DSVv
kUGHe no longer spoke to him with formalities and, from time to time, addressed him only by name. To others, it might have seemed disrespectful, but to Yuri it was a sign that they had become friends, and that pleased him.4HLI
KDQ“What is it?”Fmjf
ZjJGa“Don’t you feel it?”PcjCou
Ekvu“Feel what?”Ar9HVi
DAvkZz“That thing is emitting a mental wave. If you stay still, you’ll end up hypnotized and attacking anyone.”DUjNT
ihKInt“And you’re fine?”z0T
0a2“This is bearable.”MyCD
NFraIn fact, Laurent had dealt with black magic countless times. His body had been so saturated with that energy that he apparently now had some degree of immunity.Dvw
7RWYuri called to Jared.WjCh6Y
yRm“Is it serious?”0u7hv1K
eaHy“I let my guard down for a second, and in an instant it got into my head.”CerLng
XvC“Yeah?”MNfs8Vw
xk0J“I’m fine now… though my jaw hurts.”EVt
yxuYuri looked at the monster, which was still convulsing on the ground. Foamy bubbles continued to form from its bubbling bodily fluid.pgzfB
X8E0NkJust as he was about to kill it, the foam piled up and took the shape of a human figure.m7eX0M
02UYuri’s eyes widened.GiPz8
iEpYmX2[Long time no see.]yWg
6QQ***7Hrw4
DNrWEver since he had followed Cedric, Cory had devoted himself entirely to perfecting his Dragon Tongue, because Cedric wanted him to. His mastery was incomplete, making it difficult to use effectively.T6W
eX8WY“Cory.”HYA
lC11m“Yes.”VlyWGkJ
S1BMFw“Can you go to a place called Zveta?”Ffa
OnFt“Excuse me?”uwcq2
x0U86“I’ve gathered many test subjects there.”Ylb
N1f3Cedric smiled. With his allies, he always showed infinite kindness.yQBl
EnI“Train there as much as you like. Especially that technique called Execution Order with the Word of Authority. I find it very interesting. Don’t you think you should try it on people?”N1T
JIq“On… people?”UoYRCK
Rb2“You will, won’t you?”qOf
7KZ5W1Cedric looked straight at him, still smiling. Cory hesitated for a moment, then nodded.lvsZOT
jN2Vz“Alright…”VC22E
euK“When you perfect it, you’ll be even more important to me, Cory.”aPRP8r
aNDThat was how Cory set out for Zveta.A5YLDU
JqzoJThere, a massive internment camp full of prisoners awaited. Most were foreigners, though there were also citizens of the Empire who had shown subversive behavior.tl7bP
4vKeAs Cedric’s trusted man, Cory was received with full honors.Co0
cr0YWhenever he moved within Zveta, he was escorted by numerous soldiers, and the residents didn’t even dare meet his eyes.70SkG9N
0WGsUA2He had never been treated this way before.jGsm
33t1By contrast, the prisoners in the camp threw him looks filled with hatred.GEjo
S7B“Sir Cory.”Ju6
r0uAwPsA knight accompanying him spoke.Whx9tG3
88Yg“How many will you need today?”IWO
ZdC0Jm“Eh? What?”z6KUv4M
4qv“I heard you’re going to test a spell. I can get you as many people as you need.”kiVUzbm
EV1“Ah… uh…”I67n7
577VCLCory, a bit confused, replied,98Y1jOc
Myy32G“I think… just one will be enough.”f1uJ
FEfE“Only one?”qMXVd
OmEleThe knight nodded.HpLv
uak“I think that’s too few, but if you need more, I can bring them.”kYyD
08az8r“No, one will do for today. I’m not quite ready yet.”M8pA
r2r“Understood.”3ufelk
GQbWThe imperial knight nodded without expression and left the room.LMqZ
GBKKKA while later, he returned with a woman.NI2
89l5“I’ll take my leave.”XbEhF
xUai4The knight exited, and Cory remained looking at the woman, who kept her head lowered.ij26r
7XT8SMiFor some reason, she seemed vaguely familiar.q47sc
7bKiIFrowning, he studied her face.1L93
jOmNUYp“Haven’t we met before…?”hILAd
k9xe6NK“You’re…?”iUZSq4L
uVBFUThe woman lifted her head and opened her eyes in surprise.tkc
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