Chapter 322: Heart
kfz20nCedric opened his eyes wide.DvwOui
GuuThe moment the Power of the Voice of Authority was transmitted, his heart gave a jolt.pUl
q4jrRcAnd then—Xfl
Z2CW“……”jEwsBl6
B7zHnUSomething began to spread softly from Cory’s body.PKEog
EYy1Light.Dv1ggd
QsRsNIt was neither too bright nor excessively large. It was simply a faint halo surrounding him, rising like mist.m6R8wtY
2Qd1It was strange, and beautiful, yet at the same time weak.6TE
5vqw76So small and fragile that Cedric, who was completely tense, almost let out a mocking chuckle.96Dzzyk
UFYER72“……”Kyp
U8IEFcEven so, he couldn’t be sure.8jB1pY
B3ju4Cedric had never encountered a being he could not understand, so he held his breath, waiting for something truly extraordinary to emerge from Cory.llsh
trdTBut nothing changed.Bl1eS5e
lVnLwzpThe only thing that appeared was a gentle halo of light imbued with authority. That was all.2Zw5
xWXr52R“Ha…”gg2I
sDJLNCedric let out a laugh.yjqHCwy
rXxovThe black magic he wielded was beyond the level of ordinary magic, aspiring to something far greater.hpbt3Q
Y6AFaced with the enormous flow of power that could fling open the gates between earth and outer space, the trick of this little half-orc was nothing more than something insignificant.FJaWv
H17S2gONow he understood.Leq34
K6TuVThis insect of a half-orc called Cory had simply lost his mind.jVW
znK2“Hahahahaha…”LmHPX
qOJaCedric laughed, his shoulders trembling. He felt like a fool for having tensed up so much.iWBu
LToZ1E“Hahahahaha…!”3zKyU9
EEtVsl3He burst into laughter, pointing a finger at Cory.qVg
4AUAlthough he normally considered it vulgar to display emotions so openly, this time he could not hold back.ujluG
7aw3He shook his head while laughing like a third-rate villain.PHM
QNEgxa“This is it? That great heart you spoke of is this?”EX4aA
TkrMcYCedric smiled maliciously.pZUlr
GvDt0W“Die right here.”M5q
IKxcfIt was at the moment when he was about to crush Cory’s head with a hand wrapped in black magic.GXRQ
mdzThe darkness that Cedric controlled began to disperse. The magical energy he had gathered to harm Cory also began to fade.RsQ4
YbmryLight.jQx
SuK1YGTThere was light somewhere.tolo
8j1Like the night retreating before the dawn, his black magic could no longer remain and began to vanish.RZe
dhFN7Above.ACe0UD
9oxECedric noticed the source of the light was above his head. He looked up.F6SldG2
ZBpFloating above him was a mass of light.49LncYm
qFgeOhSmall and fragile like a little bird, so faint it seemed as though it would vanish with a single wave of the hand.g1KoyOU
vUaE“This…?”BOOpOqc
l2sECedric stirred his black magic. The light flickered like a candle in the wind.RQp
4REBZnBut it did not go out.Uy9W
KyEQInstead, it began to grow, little by little. The source of the light began to rise toward the sky.grPP9
STWRGIt was now clearly visible, large enough for anyone to see, radiating light.bZex5o
EyioEqoIt was still not enough to stop the core of darkness striking the sky.83e7J
Ni0hHowever, even Cedric could clearly see that it was growing. Cedric struck Cory violently. He fell with a muffled cry.7LvH
bgp5“I’ll get rid of this right away.”5ZzOhHV
Wq1His black magic wrapped around Cory’s body. Absolute darkness engulfed him completely.qR7N8x
phetiAMIn that suffocating abyss, not a single ray of light could escape. Cory writhed, but Cedric pinned him down with greater force.FZMWbs
SNmJPRNow then.cTaU33
PlyhfiThat small, strange light would lose strength and go out.LTrOhA
NZLcRAnd yet—XytGw
CrewCedric realized that the light falling upon him was becoming increasingly intense.TSen
6ppwutXHe raised his head, astonished.ftwe
k0PnyRHe had immobilized Cory. The half-orc could do nothing, trapped in darkness.4wUFQI
VLwThen why on earth was that light still growing? What was that light?MqH9
dUN4oCAnd the color—XfpY2
bGceThat light, which was growing little by little.o5s
cDkeUpon looking closely, Cedric realized. It was not growing on its own.qN6
OmTl1vThat was impossible.SqNX
bI7It was simply—VZ4OT
GfA***Hm9M
ugVtLaurent was striking the wall of darkness created by Cedric.A8w
aoEXtIHis black aura, distorted by dark magic, was the same color as the barrier that blocked him.dyfwZ2P
rIps2syIt did not give way.Q4XSZVT
vf4XT9No matter how much he struck, it would not break.gxZwG
J5IjYEbThe black core rising toward the sky blocked the sun, casting a monstrous darkness over the land while destroying the gate that connected to outer space.wEJGBb
syvGDHe could feel the void from the other side slowly seeping through.TCoQ
dqKgSHe had to stop it.XVn3r5U
rtl8JPLaurent, with his heart full of despair, swung his sword at the barrier, at Cedric.eVc
IUKmmBut it did not reach its target.06UyS
wWaoXWHe clenched his teeth.sI8
buHHqFMemories of a past he thought he had buried surged into his mind. The devastated scenes of Française reappeared.oLt3
5oOIAMemories he wanted to forget but that never disappeared stirred upon the dark barrier.vNF4Bi
1TdZAg5Laurent swung his sword again and again to shatter them. Everything he wanted to change was united into a single mass, blocking his way.DzHm8
hno9He was powerless.HbzbWyM
r1xODsMToo weak to sweep away that darkness.sBIp9
8fberrFinally, he let his sword drop. The immense blackness of the wall completely filled his field of vision.9nvLrU
39TlDK4Was this the end? Would the world end like this, leaving him trapped in tragedy?0sJur
yW6‘No.’kxEqzJ1
2eUMpYSuddenly, someone spoke. No, it was not a voice.28Y
TfWAoPThey were not words, but they carried a meaning that reached directly to his heart.zl5
VddLaurent looked up.Wwh
oi7ia6O“Ah…”hciP5He
sNh5mbThe barrier remained intact. No matter how much he struck it, it would not fall.mOyBJgZ
UqcNWdBut beyond the darkness that let nothing through, something was seeping in.F1yrar
z6bLight.7dqX
lwLIt was rising beyond the barrier.iM2Nmz
gSsZIF4Light.QxA2C0p
PhMThe instant he saw it, Laurent remembered someone. He had wanted to reach for that light, but in the end, he had been caught by a dark hand and dragged into the shadows.QQ4WY
GYxabNFBut that light never disappeared and kept waiting for him.9i474z
hJgFor Laurent, that was light.Bat0
FxE3SV4No matter how deep the darkness, even a single glimmer could overcome it.aVLLC
QosnsT2That light.y86Cv
8MxQWithout realizing it, Laurent reached out his hand toward it.Gi4
uctFfEqA halo of light rose from his body and ascended toward the light in the sky.Z2Nd
eK2dwlW***w0yPoz
CaFCMThe leader of the Murim Alliance, Jang Yeonghak, was gasping for breath.hWbIs5
VqgFollowing an inexplicable impulse, he had come to the West.uCE
SI45nlTo bring down the Star of the Skybreaker that ominously shone in the sky, he gathered warriors and crossed to a continent where they did not even share a language, facing the enemy.PZRZq71
Q9rFDemonic creatures never before seen were corrupting the world.TB85MV5
wqJTFortunately, thanks to the black-haired, black-eyed hero of the West, they had managed to take the lead.SpVLzXC
V0ZN6They thought they had stopped the Star of the Skybreaker.aMQRP9z
1XyLdBut then, evil tried to destroy the world completely. Humanity was being drowned by evil.fpfUc
iO5UBWould they be crushed just like that, like ants, by those entities of the Other Realm rushing down from beyond the sky?WPjnunc
9YTAt that moment—5kSvFB
hsMLOYHe saw something shining beyond the massive barrier of darkness rising into the sky.SH3ej
agsLight.0DE
AA9TA pure white light was rising toward the heavens.szbj
vsnDEven though the black core covered the sun and the land was shrouded in the darkness unleashed by that demon, there was still a ray of light.ya1AfH
gQz“Dohaengjieoseong….”hTTU
KVJJang Yeonghak smiled.mZBjAfu
OC1mIhHe had been born an orphan and taken in by the Wudang sect. He had spent his whole life wielding a sword.PAd
uLrb3vXIn the martial world, where debts and grudges were intertwined like cobwebs and it was hard to distinguish good from evil, what had he truly been searching for alongside that blade?yz1
wG8Av04The answer was there.Zi8
WZf0807It was that.hfDU0sj
EN7kANThat light.uef2mjx
ewGJ9Y3Jang Yeonghak reached out his hand.NijtCl
cXV7From his body, a halo of light bloomed and floated gently toward the sky.vPVmI
wTcPj***BlImD
hvkza2Heime, still seated on the ground, lifted his gaze.zCMBz
ULBuMHis body was already ruined, unrecognizable.M7Otlef
pQDcmDue to his reckless fighting style, which never accounted for his own safety, a significant part of his body had stopped functioning.T1fEau3
weIHe probably didn’t have much time left to live. But there was still something he had to do.JprKuOD
kf99With his frail, aged body, he struck his weakened heart and moved toward the enemy.l3eY
tZfLXdAnger.u26x5Ie
wDyHatred.R1Nl
CkZsIxThat was his origin.TuGB5
BFD“Sir Heime. Now you should—”a1nJl1
MwpOne of the knights grabbed him, but Heime shook his head.Hg68a
QR9dhM“Leave.”m73a
wFAbF“There’s nothing more we can do, Sir Heime.”KWGSa
3bkpA massive curtain covered the world. Something was happening beyond it.3pBKu
YcKtSThey would probably be defeated.9ky
GeLJ7qvBut Heime did not give up. Flames burned in his eyes.wsvwpU
I0R88W“He will die like this.”ZrDu
87uUiGv“Gladly.”bhH3ovm
T0i7MiLHeime drew his sword and took a step forward.m7JS
fCO“I will die gladly.”MBZw
gYLebaThe resonance of his words kept the knights following him from daring to stop him.KdG
Iq9v“I will go.”4yuQKjk
8VkRSKs“Sir Heime…”VNl
l2y3Heime staggered forward.sA6N
5lRThe image of that day etched into his eyes would never fade. As if someone had burned it into his retinas, he had never forgotten that rage.2FT
Z5QJkk0Orcs.nsm
CiUcvWAnd black magic.tl2
DPuEven if they collapsed as they advanced, there were those in this world who could never stop.bM7
z7vBut his body could no longer move. At last, Heime fell.Nxycs0
UjYTThe knights rushed to catch him.mbGOB
74oWlQJ“Sir Heime!”KrRBzCR
I20xw“Damn it…”yGDg
QtDLxoHeime clenched his teeth, blood flowing from his mouth. With bloodshot eyes, he looked at the core hanging in the sky and the black curtain spreading beneath it.qXfTg
cly1MCOThen, suddenly—h1Rrk
Eu1h8From beyond, something began to rise. It wasn’t that big.5QJ71Q
YzxIMaybe the size of a rock.6mBJ
2Ya2No, by now, perhaps the size of a house.hEU70b
jOEoFLight.NoMP3
qwoSeeing that light, the strength left Heime’s eyes.USw
jh1uie7“What… what is that?”PcU
JtL9O5“What is that?”QPeQUcc
VhO5“Sir Heime?”Ed5s5Jt
JmgWPhHeime let out a faint laugh.h9Z
1ePae“So gentle… Retreat…”vQwU
fiOR7“Pardon?”YrlUUT
FXU9“Really, something like this…”UXr
HKbODAnd then Heime stopped laughing.7T4dmZv
ZpvWith an empty expression, he silently watched the light.
Then, he extended his hand.wi0CU
KN7tSeeing that gesture, the knights following him also instinctively raised their hands.HFyt
nGJsOAs if someone had given the order, they all pointed toward the light in unison.0pTpb
r2YwSOvA halo of light shone from their hands, then shot toward the sky.kcQ
sUXl***rB5wNM
hxkzR8“So that’s what happened?”wkD0C9O
vz6qD3M“Yes, that’s right.”Ys8SU
wXeevdPElizabeth listened to a brief account from a woman named Jane.sUi5
LrmSThe little mage who had knocked her unconscious had actually been an ally who tricked Cedric.ZAVlTU
GHs0vXBut even if the magic had freed them from being sacrifices, they would not have survived inside Zveta on their own.doTo
uLWZJJane then pointed behind her.aqUKDWk
iETOcU“This man helped us.”cY99
m3J27It was a man dressed like an imperial knight.Xmz1eb
SjHjoE“His name is Santos. He also escaped the black magic thanks to Cory.”Y9BNri3
Ak6TThe man gave a faint smile.mqX1
aQ6NbS“Cedric assigned me as an assistant knight to Sir Cory, but I was able to break free from the brainwashing of the black magic thanks to him. I could call him my benefactor.”S28s
Jci8DElizabeth understood the general situation. However, the problem was still not solved.4TY
CSKIf that was so, what had happened to Cedric, and how was the war progressing?Y3VE
N1HJVuSuddenly, a great shadow was cast. Everyone looked up.unwu2
hZ2ssWhen the sun was eclipsed, a cylindrical black curtain spread, darkening the view.sJo09Fv
Xgh“Ah…”gHBf
UZBIt was hopeless.s7LABo
mXDuKWould the anti-imperial coalition in the end be defeated by Cedric?SfH7SzW
et8And yet—Irqu
MqF5FPAt some point, a light began to rise.4pbEC4
3FZIcztSantos spoke.b7K65
jMn“That light must be Sir Cory.”e8T
wmxH“Cory…”m9SGT
XqNqElizabeth didn’t know much about Cory, only that he was a small half-orc who followed Yuri everywhere.HBiTuU
bk0Santos said,rx8u
iKRAz“He admired a man named Yuri Briol. But I know that he himself is someone who shines just as brightly as that Yuri Briol.”J8PK0nW
vz5ZNow everyone was raising their heads to look at the light in the sky. The light steadily grew.ZLBDQ0A
juuujNThe world was no longer filled with only darkness.8BDD2Q
p2tbgJ0Without realizing it, Elizabeth extended her hand.IM5w
IL6Jane extended hers too.Hzju
VAGio0sSantos, and then everyone else, stretched their hands toward the light.tM2yz4H
B6zli6***mAk6
XWhsO1q“Did you know from the start?”4empTE
CSr“I suspected it might come to this.”SDBs22K
KGdIGCruar was gazing at the distant horizon alongside Sidherst.j1zDKGP
93S7They could feel the fate of the world twisting over and over. No one knew what ending awaited at the end of all this.yom
HjWDEBOnly—Fop
Ot6QWhen the dark core that had obscured the sun was pushed aside, a single ray of light rose.eHibYf
kFHnnmeSeeing that wonder, Sidherst stroked his beard.p7wTEz
tRrz“Now I understand what you meant back then, Lady Cruar.”tnR
vROs“What did I say?”1ypZjND
5pD“That this world is full of wonders.”P2Ju64f
fWk2bet“Slow to realize, old man.”JMm
hb2HQOCruar smiled.li0tQ5
x5IhThe light, which before had been so faint it could barely be perceived, had now grown enough that both could see it rising into the sky from beyond the horizon.uLkd
K0945oAnd it was slowly advancing toward the black core floating above the skies.9qLf
KQIIt was still not enough. Far from it.1S3LSJB
xvd24NBut that did not mean it would always remain insufficient.4GPMb
9XLRx“Just by doing this, we are fulfilling our role, Sidherst.”NPd
85rL1LR“It is an honor.”oo1d8
nADZDSidherst let out a chuckle.wOAZC
lIaThen, dropping the staff he was holding, he stretched his wrinkled hand toward the sky.sSGI4l
4t0h4eCruar did the same, raising her hand toward the heavens.OX7fRx
CrzpAShe said,u6NAk
FiPEHpc“We are all part of that wonder.”vcmXY3C
TcslDThe light grew even more.V7v8ad
q7TeG5B***kZEHEQ6
ux3oMoThe black mage who had consumed the Empire was trying to destroy the world.trjNE
sbE1OAnd the imperial prince of Briol, Yuri Briol, was leading his army north, toward the Empire.fH28YE
NdmLaFEveryone on the continent joined their hands, wishing for victory. In their own places, all prayed for the triumph of the anti-imperial coalition.Q5qJv6
9RkO2YNo news had yet arrived.WDYbTe
FRFa0Only from time to time did strange energies surge from the distant horizon, hinting that a great battle was being fought.Z3iu
YPUThen, one day—mVSnJc
PIqqQ9Darkness fell upon the world.pcCiSrf
lYVXXCE“Uh…?”nfI
G2bpThe citizens walking the streets stopped and looked up at the sky.8bU
XUt1Fear gripped them.o54
klokFrom the Holy Kingdom, from Brusen.zuorgBj
lXNGP6GFrom Liberta, from the Alliance of Small Kingdoms.Fch
2Pd1dAnd from Briol.M2y
JTXfPeople and animals alike, all who lived on the continent, looked up at the sky at that moment.0VYlYm
rKnrThe sun was being devoured.5Jy
ZHv98aiDarkness descended, and something from beyond was trying to cross over.N5IPP0
CdiIt was an omen of destruction. The world was on the brink of collapse.xEE
9ySdIn that instant, everyone instinctively understood that something terrible was happening.pFGl
i9STJn“Ah…”ZSFVOz
n53ASome collapsed in fear. Others embraced their loved ones.ts5
OaxtAIn the midst of that despair, as fear consumed their hearts—vVJWTi
srXSuddenly, a light began to rise.BSs
EZ2zwM5At first, it was small.kvif13
19dALSo small and weak that it was impossible to even tell what it was. It seemed merely a tiny firefly slowly ascending into the distant sky.JrTN
flUIt grew.lpLHzy
GR5cFrom the size of a grain of sand to a fingernail, then to a small stone. Soon, it reached the size of a fist, piercing through the darkness and rising.TZjjxk
ZvV4uXAt the moment they saw it—GSi3kl
QPBSomeone, as if hypnotized, raised a hand.ROlG
qI8nBPThey didn’t know why.SDaMJ
ypUx4FSomething had simply touched their heart, and they responded.8KztxZJ
cOOThen another.2nUV9I
VirVEvHAnd another.MjBz
quE0OOlThump.oaWp2eI
rEAm7BThump.Tk8
xUViHB4The view trembled.40G
xOQIoeIt was as if the very sky was being distorted.8Dy1
52tmAnd still, the light, little by little, advanced toward the dark core that had devoured the sun.hQau
S6hiWRYHands were raised.nr3
gYx75fEvery human standing on the continent stretched their hands toward the light.940Xv
ZRqq7i***NajCuRm
tOVETEna, with a frightened expression, grabbed Yekaterina’s sleeve.m02bV
nLa“Lady Yekaterina, what is happening…?”5ppId78
Io2TSHWThe two were on the terrace, looking toward the sky. A completely black sky.OJRPw
YSwAnd the light.8BXzrf
VgYhhp2Something was happening.BEY
wD7O2ZS“Look. Everyone is raising their hands.”Ji2
hOB29S1Ena pointed outside the royal palace.r49Y
da0All the citizens of the capital had gone out into the streets, looking at the light in the sky and stretching their hands toward it.h2EQdsy
3tWIt seemed as if the crowd were sending their strength to that light.1SE
NPrYekaterina looked up again.eRf9MsU
AABJmFeThat unyielding light advancing toward the darkness.9KvLM
lBh00dIt resembled someone.3g8h7l
tkrMYekaterina smiled.GWqth
xw66DYGBefore they knew it, even those inside the palace were looking toward the sky.3HF
Es6X5xThey didn’t know what was happening. Only that, following their hearts, everyone was raising their hands toward the light.aSySUI
B1YXIt was big now.RgZ0W
bfsmBXfSo big it seemed capable of burning away all the darkness that had risen into the sky.Zl2eNgD
V7vAj“Ena.”C8NHrI
zfLth8r“Yes.”Mu9dx
iCLXMJF“Shall we do it too?”RALqqE
tv2bo“Yes!”lFi
5svhzpYekaterina and Ena stood side by side, raising their hands.fCJv9rE
8PFfa***YVV
3D5j34Yuri Briol.RgDFWj
cANsHe.Udvz
VWOwVReached out his hand toward the light.C8Cin
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