Chapter 248: In a Place Where No One Can See (2)
mf9CaWaMore than ten men were running, yet the narrow, dark hallway remained in complete silence.HfHI
X1qcjtIf it weren’t for the occasional sound of their armor, no one would have noticed their stealthy movements.1ktXvP
5LfQ“Where are we going now?”qOZ
q4g3VN“I don’t know.”Z3Ja
SxObThis was Ramashthu’s world, secretly hidden within the cracks of the world.eMgCO
WvRThe group that had entered through the passage opened by the exorcist priests was now wandering through an unfamiliar hallway.Xi191J
eYwvo“We have no idea where we are. We need to find a landmark first.”vUxIX
gzNrvASBehind Vlad, who was leading the way, Gunther studied an open map.4axUc
PR2pIt was a small map with large concentric circles drawn on it.1QY4r
DNNpG43However, even though the overall shape was a circle, the dense markings of the hallways on the map made it clear just how complicated this place was.yfjlpI
JlosM“The only thing we know for certain is that we need to move towards the center.”HwF24R9
CS3H“What’s in the center?”V3rn
f3xAt Vlad’s question, Gunther, who was looking ahead, carefully scratched his dry lips, as if he was uncomfortable speaking.QT2zRA
iSCzjK“They said there was a tree.”8cvU
y8dThis place, unknown to anyone in the world, was Ramashthu’s hidden world, nestled in the cracks of the world.jmQV
vnoHowever, Vlad, who had caught a glimpse of this world for a brief moment in the mist-filled city, seemed to understand what tree Gunther was referring to.tNt9x
1sOEuvY“It might be something familiar to us.”b77qJJ
PhBJ7o“…”TPeC
PQxRoots growing towards the sky, branches pointing towards the ground.MU83O
imq20IThe tree, representing everything inverted, emerged in Vlad’s mind, and it was no coincidence.Xnm
JQouXM***5oc
TOdNSkRCrash!N73
qoi8iThere was a loud noise, and dark red blood splattered.8csRoop
lNVOjODIt was blood from a corpse that had been split like firewood.iuwq2
cSZbZz4“Damn it! No matter how many I kill, they never stop coming!”vnsQ
t1TDroplets of dark red blood scattered like mist from the tip of the axe wielded by the lanky man.0Rg0fSC
7CTfHowever, the gap he had worked so hard to create was swept away by another wave, leaving him just enough room to catch his breath.Q3A
HsCLOE“Damn bastards! They’ve been gathering these corpses all this time!”oKJYnwB
4X4TsmBehind the man who was fiercely shouting, a large banner with the symbol of an axe fluttered in the wind.olYT4I
YSmJyiKaroy of Harkita. One of the knights representing the North.W5kf
uv2fXHe, who had dealt with Mirshea alongside Vlad in the city of Bastopol, was now constantly expressing his wild fury towards the endless army of the dead.MeA0bb
aiYT“The front line is slowly retreating. Duke.”5Jmz3
xMxlINC“…”DCI
7Ere622In the middle of this battlefield, where the dead killed and were killed.rLxr
Gte8hIBeneath the seven flags of the North that flew over the battlefield, Timur, the Iron Duke, stood resolutely.Iag
3tVbHL“Thousands of corpses have already risen. The problem is we don’t know how many more are coming.”xNwqg2
KBIIF1“And the Dragonblood Duke’s army?”a9uzd
0mRbZ“…The latest reports say they are about two and a half days away.”RZe
EByLfValkov’s voice grew weaker as he spoke.SAoJ
Qx4And for good reason—the Dragonblood Duke’s army seemed to be increasing its pace, as if they were aware of the situation they were facing.t3o
D5P“If we don’t act quickly, they might catch us.”aQkA8R
OPpNow, in front of the Northern Union Army stood the Army of the Dead, and behind them, the Dragonblood Duke’s army was rapidly advancing north.5TH7
t1pAlthough it appeared precarious, like a moth flying into a flame, the Iron Duke Timur had a good reason for moving this way.X2OAj
LSbvoi1“We need to finish this before that happens.”GpSWPhC
csUnXNRooaaar-!ltQg
UVNL0MJust as Timur finished speaking, a deafening roar erupted from within the dark church.k6gXke
dogF4It was such a powerful scream that it made the legs of those who heard it tremble.jySPL
VUZ4LgJ-Hey, what is that?6dd
HjQNlX-It’s a monster! A monster!TCPUZ
bJPxgHA body so large and heavy that it could be compared to a siege weapon used to destroy castle walls.56IY1
08EThe creature, with twisted muscles as fierce as its raised fangs, glared at the soldiers blocking its path with its wide, blood-red eyes that were difficult to face.rbnBoT
eH1-An ogre… MY GOD!DOENOU
gVu1BA-But why does it have two heads!v9M
ZbdIydaThe ogre was a monster as difficult to face as a dragon, said to be no different from a natural disaster.i8bEWdJ
lekBut this one had a second head, roughly sewn onto its shoulder.tubn
DytfWRRooaaar!ccojvz
EMXqfIt wasn’t just the resurrected ones.Kfqvb7X
tCxWitches were beings that created things that should not exist in this world.ge6
oZwkFor them, creating an ogre with an extra head would have been nothing.3xQhD
szuJ“Damn it…”BHnxX
ateE7daKaroy swallowed hard as he saw the enormous shadow looming over his head.cCjVEf
kroTwo pairs of eyes stared at him.1H28
JMeCSThe knight of Harkita, who was facing those grotesque eyes, gripped his axe tightly, unlike the others.VISSQPw
PjRL“Come on, come at me!”WOY9No7
rEwxMen of the North, who had survived the harsh cold winds of the North, rarely retreated.lkor59b
EClEven when faced with a two-headed ogre.iqR
PS9“Aaaah!”1qyv1b
kOsA knight charging headlong into a wave of corpses towards a deadly predator.jypuYV
xPcSeeing that bravery, even the other knights of Harkita began shouting loudly, their morale soaring.9fwP4
XPr9vn“Bastard!”4tEx
6v8iqfKaroy, whose enormous body made the large club he wielded seem to fill the sky, quickly slashed at the beast’s thigh.qtdazz1
8GvRooaaar!TiE
9q1LA9“Ugh!”OC4CHBR
JR8eU8SThe pressure of the roar that echoed in response weighed on his chest, but it didn’t harm Karoy, who was already ablaze with fury.ox3tzF
t6t“Damn giant!”pntXp
4eUKaroy grabbed onto the wound he had made and, step by step, began climbing up the ogre.l2iTZ3
ZTEQMRHis bravery, which didn’t waver even in the face of a colossal giant, reignited the fire in the hearts of the soldiers who had been exhausted just moments ago.ksBrJHb
Y7hQq“What are you looking at, bastard?”hOp
0kYMYqThough he looked like a pile of dust, Karoy managed to climb onto the ogre and reach one of its heads at the top.Rr455Ap
Kx6uhLThe head reached out its arm towards Karoy, but the lumberjack had already swung his axe with all his might, having found his target.UVzNFV
aJ2“Die, bastard!”E7as
Z1STThe blade of Karoy’s axe, lifted with all his strength, gleamed in the sunlight.1QOPl
aHdDJA fierce smile spread across Karoy’s face as he soon felt the impact, but his axe had merely cut through the air in vain.QSti
dWKgzx“Huh?”SYe
B09HKOne of the heads had already fallen and was tumbling back the way it had come.S5YXhJK
K4PoaUnable to withstand a single powerful blow, it rolled away.2QZ
3iLr0f4“Thanks for the hard work, Lord Karoy.”EXAZi
PgHN“Huh?”ndymJ
wCPeWith a perplexed expression, Karoy turned to see a tall man with slicked-back hair.fhl
6RWxEUThe man standing on the ogre’s other shoulder was Guillermo of Romnie.yjroA
PLYKCAnother knight representing the North, Guillermo smiled at Karoy.bZGMtW
xNoBceU“I knew you’d catch its attention.”21DpqhV
jqzq0“…Guillermo, you bastard!”OjRTA
MsTKaroy’s curse rang out loudly, but Guillermo’s laughter didn’t stop.MEMO
ZfxNow, he was determined not only to become a knight representing the North but also an ogre slayer.xnbfOrY
py2“I’ll leave the other head as a gift for you.”KPFXX
xWpcuX8The tip of his sword swung violently towards the remaining ogre’s head.mLF
KKcY***apSBB
TVMVT“My… my masterpiece!”b5lzXE
SAj1cIn a dark room, a cry of sorrow echoed from the space where several men were gathered.xLIo
0YN“It was an ogre! Those damn lunatics!”n1VN
uWB0The crystal ball they had been watching with great anticipation showed the image of the ogre slowly collapsing.R72ik
4vij2“Did we mess up? It doesn’t seem as strong as we expected.”j8dQX
TGy“No, it wasn’t that. Maybe it’s because of the priests chanting in the background.”oLryeP4
xTi0SJ“Besides, it faced Guillermo and Karoy. For its first time, it had really bad luck.”IHN
uRuIBvSome people were mourning, others analyzing.DHu
hJsBoXuAs they watched the scene outside and engaged in a heated discussion about the creatures they had created, they were all sorcerers who had dedicated their lives to creating new life.ktAIkMZ
kMBoX1vThey had gathered here and there, depending on how they dealt with the mystery, and now their eyes gleamed intensely as they watched someone’s creation fall.WTXyw
WusGZBoom! Boom!47fDJ
Pd1But their attention couldn’t stay on the crystal ball for long.MODBJ5A
eLepGQf“What’s that sound?”Rp8
ThOQBZBang! Bang! Bang!GemOO
CipA deafening noise, like something was being smashed apart.P04
HFPKhAEEven the pitch-black wall began to tremble.1udaU0
Jb2With an ominous sound, the desk they were sitting at started to shake slightly.fLZ
gH9lJmAs the sound grew closer with each passing moment, several sorcerers quickly pointed towards the beast.3ftlrR
F6N4OCrash!FuB
G20md“What the hell is that!”oAT8
pwU“The wall exploded! It’s caved in!”yj0ACdz
FtEBefore the figure they were pointing at could even finish, a loud, deafening noise assaulted them.RkW6jIG
InZIt was an explosion that felt as if they had been chanting a spell.PfISbv
YCU“…Looks like I came to the right place.”Qyv9fE
JIZAn eerie silence settled between the thick stone dust that rose from the wall being torn down.FQjN4F9
md3LIHowever, the sorcerers’ attention was more focused on the glowing golden eyes shining through the dust than on the stone debris blocking their view.ou4A
4iDKo“Soa… Vlad of Soara!!”Xbowv
lMALaslThe world created by Ramashthu was too complicated and disadvantageous for me.PCy
bXRSo, Vlad decided to reject the path she had laid out, and now there were walls full of holes behind him.nTOg
z4dEBhw“The path was too confusing.”Dsg
ho7KCThe fastest way to reach your goal is a straight line.szp
tl5SNwThe former pickpocket, who once climbed the rooftops of alleyways to steal wallets, already knew this well.5ATP
ClKmS9r“So, will someone tell me what to do? I’ll let one of you live.”7gz
85vLThe rules you imposed don’t bind me.ioO4dhj
toSggATherefore, behind the path freshly carved out by Vlad, a straight road gradually led towards a strange tree.yQy
8es2Bk***URMW
CiqUt“…!”Z5ij
z8eBJoseph, who was running through the hallway, saw the headless knights ahead and quickly hid in a nearby corner.rva
I1hs‘I’m almost there.’YdCfi
ziniJoseph, panting silently, looked at the large garden before him and frowned in sorrow.a5fDGT0
diBakZRamashthu’s Garden, the center of the concentric circle and the only place where one could gaze upon the bubbles.zqKzHQB
T1npaKIn that ugly garden, a tree with strange roots reached up towards the sky.nRrgzO
1qc0E‘There are too many of them.’7E6Kvv
sjm7LwuIf I get rid of that, I can change a lot about this place.ppy
5DffHowever, there were too many knights guarding the area for him to get close.VFa4bB
3rdlCdmJoseph, who was neither a swordsman nor a mysterious sorcerer, had no choice but to stop and stare at the target in front of him.gwN60Oh
aPCTK46‘My weak body won’t make it…’Qj3m3
Qo0tYThe goal was visible right in front of him.OkASX
HCXpYSEThe target was so close that, if he ran with all his might, he could reach it within a few breaths.AKaW67
mgzHowever, Joseph knew full well that with his weak body, he wouldn’t even make it a few steps before being caught.7F38
h145wRd“…Haha.”feJi
p9O4LOhThat’s why, for Joseph, the desired goal was always far away, no matter how close it seemed.F91wYF
fRDyUEven though he was born a noble, he had always fought against illness, and though born into a family of knights, he was the one who could never swear allegiance to the Swordmaster’s blade.lVLR
flkB“Still, this last step seems like it will be worth it.”pM3w
hvdDnBut Joseph smiled as he looked at the target in front of him.ZWo
q1IBecause Joseph could feel that he had surpassed one of the limits that had always held him back.BRslO9
WA4“I’ve never pushed this hard before.”x4j
IxSJoseph pulled out a small teacup from his bag with a faint smile and took a deep breath, silently feeling the small warmth emanating from it.R7Y
sMizI5“Huff.”Kv2
7rWWRK6He directed his gaze towards the cursed tree ahead of him.Wze45KK
oXbvJoseph’s trembling shoulders were suddenly covered with black marks of death.hFyS
3BB1OZo“I’m sorry.”zAoG
F4C5JcCrack-!J4Pi
3popnJoseph’s fingertips, gripping the teacup, exerted a strength that would normally be hard to muster.89Uy
ZTYHis grip strength, far exceeding that of an average adult man, went beyond the limits of his frail body and slowly began to dent the dwarven-made teacup.LAMs5M0
0V03J“Instead, I’ll burn it all with everything I have.”GLzT1
QsvJBHNow, the black form of death extended beyond his fingers, up to his shoulders.E7z20fp
Do5FZoThus, Joseph’s shoulders, freed from the constraints of his body, began to bend significantly backward.reir
PhLCA“Hmph!”60MP
m5cE7xLThe teacup burned in the hands of a man tainted by death.rrB0UPA
nsRThe magic of the dwarves, refined with an eternal flame.yfmq
TWmFfjoThe teacup, which had purified all the evils, began to ignite a purifying fire in Joseph’s darkened hands.Crx4r98
QdkP“Ugh!”qQo
COxWith all his might, he aimed it towards the world he saw before him.8TdU2YB
qg8Now, with his fingertips, beyond his frail body.ymE
gdenJJoseph’s sling, which he wielded with all his strength for the first time in his life, began to fly towards the cursed tree.M9fh7v
BC1Crash-!b9KqW
lmCQylnThe sound was small, so faint it was barely audible.M35pf
yP7But Joseph’s world, thrown with all his might, was already ablaze.BUY
wKzV0aCreating a small crack in Ramashthu’s bubble-like world.HXU
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