Chapter 249: The Woman Who Cried Black Tears. Ramashthu (1)
zAcA dense cloud of suffocating smoke filled the air, as if something were burning.axN
cm2p0bThe cries of children could be heard on the other side of the blood-red flames.IN5K
xxW2Those sinister presences carried by the wind wrapped around her heart, filling it with an indescribable anxiety.m7qX
pXgVNE“No, no…”HYmp
2licKKIA nun ran towards the black smoke in the distance.HCEmbB
kGMuw6pA small rosary trembled on her chest as she felt anxious and desperate.T2v5
4fcOBOBIt was somewhat crudely polished, small and cute, as if made by a child.cgcmc
4W8aNow, the tiny hands that had intertwined it would soon be reduced to ashes by the voracious fire.2sIbd
Z595OgG“Ah, no… no…”1Dn
D9bU9Ding—dong—qCzlq
qmKThe sound of bells echoed as the entire village burned.rFzAzwe
1poCorpses were piled everywhere.5HV
kBCklHAnd beneath the ringing of those distant bells, the cries of the children who sought her filled the air.AyX65r
uM8“No!”Fxd
IhKhy93The wind blew towards her as she hurriedly fled, pushing back the flames.KxMgiC
iU3iu9The wind, mixed with the children’s last breaths, began to caress her tearful face and leave its mark.eKl
WEtNHer headscarf fluttered high in the strong wind.JmNLh
elYmHer burned fingers opened the door glowing red hot.GAp3
sl6MsmiEven her tears mixed with the ashes and turned completely black.sWKTYk
4eLfyL“…God. Please!”7H1K46
YkU56IHowever, despite her fervent prayers, when she opened the door, the sight before her was a scene of hell.XAw8q
K84HX1lBecause there were images of children desperately stretching out their hands beneath the symbol of God.jqOwpe
O7c5hAnd in her tears, now stained black, remained only the final desperate effort of the children, abandoned even by God.kRCU
o8QPhzZ***nkNVOSJ
J6CvmJaThe laboratory of a sorcerer filled with strange-looking specimens.EH6B9z
SSzuY9Normally, the place would be full of gloomy voices, but now it was filled only with swords, blood, and the cries of wicked people.rwhmaZ
2LYoW7I[Don’t give them time to cast spells!]15Deyb
3u1w“…!”4xJ
9tJmJp7With a sharp warning echoing in his mind, Vlad’s sword pierced the head of the sorcerer.Wx8
Gwe1t“Agh!”sAt
hd7DaVlad’s sword, which had been pulled from the sorcerer’s mouth to prevent him from casting a spell, pierced through the back of the wicked man’s head and gleamed fiercely.6ari
drd[Don’t let them make signs! When facing a mage, time and distance are what matter.]diqSlXr
Xl2“How dare you!”Q1I5
DhU“Kaaaak!”tFxlbS
OSQVlad’s eyes began to shine at the strange hand gesture seen just in front of him.NsQ
nzdTGWhen dealing with mages who manipulate mysteries, all you need is a quick movement.CJLAaQ
CxE0drIn the flow of a lethal strike, someone’s severed wrist began to bounce noisily.rBTKB
tly7ln“One is enough!”owcd6
6PHlKkZKnights cut down sorcerers without giving them time or space.IlIm
dOEWith every strike, they put the will of God and their own world first, erasing the shadows of the wicked one by one.jf4M
yFQ“We only need one to guide us!”a6EDyE
hYpJAnd even a dragon roared over the gleaming blade of a sword.VK3
LClVlad, with his blond hair and blue eyes, appeared so fierce that even the sorcerers who had escaped death trembled in fear.s6UQnD
KHn“Repent, damned ones!”RdKSIYC
Q7LR“This is vengeance for a comrade killed by you!”H7DKbwh
E91There was a glimmer of madness hidden in the righteousness exercised by the knights, but today, it was justifiable.dapai
fDvUSBecause today was the only chance to rid the world of the poisons that had accumulated over hundreds of years.vpGHx
IUZ5It was truly inevitable that the Paladins, who had waited so long, harbored a little selfish desire at the tips of their swords.62C51
T1o35jo“Save me, save me…”Jpy4G
kXrhZAIs there anything more amusing than someone who’s already dead begging for help?nsSaSP
JFajNBut now, a voice pleading for life flowed from the mouth of the last remaining sorcerer, and the tip of Vlad’s sword trembled before that weak voice.Fw15q
AokL“Where is it?”Fy8
ASpEThough he was a bit late, the blade still pierced his body.mEtB
lSGAs if the sword he had just swung had punctured his lungs, the sigh he let out was filled with empty air.SBA
39Cn3f“Keh… ugh.”xYl9r
H0GkNA“Where is that damned tree?”4Ts
MkCpJdiBang!d5x
RYATY86The sound of the wall shaking was loud and cruel.c3BQd
mNXLIt was the sound made when the back of the sorcerer’s neck, held by Vlad, slammed into the wall.gTrekAn
XrH“In the center… in the central garden…”WTX
DZD78The back of his head, now completely shattered by the impact, dripped sticky blood that was hard to control.J1b
rqddzg9However, the sorcerer felt more terror from the sight of Vlad’s eyes right in front of him than from the unpleasant sensation soaking his neck.FMHuCd
1cyFY“Over there…”GFonbJA
aHpThe fingers of the dark sorcerer, overwhelmed by Vlad’s momentum, began to point towards a location.wCYTGhy
pwC18Behind all the oddly dissected corpses, beside specimens that resembled people.eBZz
WigyMThere, a door that hadn’t been visible until a moment ago slowly began to emerge, like a mirage.9D51r6
i0WgeHVKuaaaaaa—!Zpp
dYGma7“Keeeeeee!”x27Egz
Kei“What’s going on?!”skA
g5WuAt that moment, a strange scream came from the group that found the door.faM
KmvUbGUpon hearing that vaguely familiar sound, the engraving of the World Tree on Vlad’s sword shone quietly.Q0W
Ezess“…What the hell is that presence?!”tHg
PiuRumble—nka
bbJThe Paladins covered their ears and began to suffer from the immense sound.PaUdw
TIjk8PgWhat they heard was noise, but what followed was vibration.7OvE6W
UYHL1A massive roar from something shook Ramashthu’s world and spread its pain in all directions.yej
WzX“Vlad!”6srzoC
FCs7mJv“….”ZKBDaRi
01sDThe men who heard that sound stood still.j33LK
l2AgGunther and Vlad exchanged glances and nodded.DuJ
IyWbThey could feel that the sound they were hearing now was the same as what came from Moshiam, the fog-covered city.Nu7uGs
cYTpYi“I’ll go first!”KsZf
JLx“Everyone, prepare! We’re moving now! Protect the bishop and the mage!”6RN
5UpiQeBoom!yeu8alQ
mxmYe5qAnother darkness began to creep ahead of Vlad, who kicked the door open with all his might, as if secrets were a luxury.BWoyQ5
YF7n194The darkness of the hallway, where nothing could be seen more than an inch ahead, resembled a black, wolf-like sea, but there was no hesitation in Vlad’s steps as he moved forward.hbHNH
pV9eq“Keeee!”RlnxUSo
xtBWhen the Paladins, having braced themselves, charged out, all that remained was the sorcerer pinned to the wall.pn7uBjy
KXVzHe felt relieved that the will of God was not upon him, but it wasn’t just His will present here.QFH
uPZNaPuff!4P8YtUp
va5yJ1“We have something left to settle, too.”2LUn
UdGPyMaAn ominous sensation came with a chilling voice.GIH
Wi2CoyBright red hair reflected in the wide-open eyes of the sorcerer.GfA7SF
DLliE5“This is my reward for teaching my father to drink blood. Bastard.”YjM
8RJ“Kughhh.”hnD
5tjxdNyA cold sneer appeared on Radu’s smiling face.LW43J
R9MTCAn indescribable rage flared in the eyes of the sorcerer staring at that smile, but it only lasted a moment, and Pedro’s blessing on Radu’s sword began to pierce the heart of the wicked man.NpasBnP
mJfitA“I never said I’d spare your life.”paMKeJX
6WvA77Radu spat as he watched the sorcerer crumble slowly and started to leave the room.Hcn
sUNNow that even the bound dragon was gone, the only thing left in the completely disheveled room was the sorcerer, suffering from the karma he had finally faced.iQ9yZ
GoAdE0***D8u3l3
DsYq7DIWblp
WjcC“There’s an intruder! There’s an intruder here!”QiZOtJ
Sld“Where the hell…? Ugh!”t3ZSYn
hqxcypI“Stop them! Don’t let them get through!”AyESwPu
Urwm86The spiraling corridor remained dark, and the path ahead was unknowably complex.7z4BHZ3
qDNMv62Rumble-rumble-X1Mlr
F6pEHowever, there was no hesitation in Vlad’s steps, as he could sense the presence of the World Tree through the hand that held it.gAI
JMy“Get out of the way!”2dbrIBP
LDn3T“Aaaah!”lNQ
mQrThe closer they got to the center of the world, the more malicious figures began to appear.jlWB
sEOAqwMany corpses had already fallen to block the Northern Allied Forces, but the ferocity of the spirits that stood in their way was still formidable.IIb
CzHkv“I suppose this is the right path!”bTJZnE
WKXEJHY“Stop talking and do something!”52m
Vt6jFEWAs they advanced, the corridor widened.PZQSuw
rjWNawThis was proof that there was a large space ahead, but it was also a warning that more enemies might be lying in wait.d2p
3b1O“I was getting ready!”7lZfw
UiUJThe knights’ movements swayed back and forth amidst the black waves crashing in from all sides.9ji
QCP0zAs the situation grew more dangerous, Nibelun rummaged through his backpack, as if it was finally his turn to act.7tA
goGZSc“What is that!”cDRT
1sY1lU“Dandelion seeds!”qsBcIe5
2u8OarContrary to Vlad’s expectations, what Nibelun revealed wasn’t some grand and awe-inspiring mystery.DHJR
O10It was merely a tiny dandelion seed, perhaps no bigger than a fingertip.ZLZ
OdTSeeing the cute, fluffy head of the seed, Vlad let out a sigh of exasperation without even realizing it.Fuh
TL4T“What are we supposed to do with that now?”U75f
9AzC4“Please, clear the way for a moment!”mUQM2
hrI4laHowever, while the dandelion seed may have seemed insignificant, the magic within it was something Nibelun had cherished greatly.rt10m
TQhsYj“…Everyone, hold on tight!”fXk8lZ
FVo4jNRNibelun took a deep breath as he spoke.bfW
EYwIt looked rather ridiculous, but the determination reflected in his puffed cheeks and his eyes was unmistakably sincere.lwU
h3xp“Return home, children of the wind!”5T8K
pRFRt8Fuuuuu—k3byUZz
Isp4sIn the gap that Vlad and the knights had opened, Nibelun exhaled a powerful breath along with an incantation.bCqFbQ
pyZTiny dandelion seeds scattered into the black wolf-like sea.cQyV
0Vr5BoThe small spores, blown into the oppressive blackness with no clear hope, appeared to be a futile effort.l2A
lXTKQQ“Oh?”2Tl
7w2TEVIf they hadn’t been infused with magic, it would have been nothing more than an insignificant gesture.IC2FMyZ
FWLeiX9But under the blue sky, the Holssi, who had embraced all the winds of the world, now began to soar powerfully on the breeze, returning home.TWgkI
ewwWoooosh!Uj2
6jc3“Ugh! What the…!”T807
K5oNFc“What is this again?”HIhHxR
jOwiMXAlong with the shouts of the knights, a fresh breeze began to blow through the dark corridors, where even the air had felt heavy.lUJ1
WbGhAnd with terrifying force, it seemed as though it might tear apart everything in its path.Qu6
0uBaumO“Graaaaah!”wGrpz
9NM“Kiiiik! Kieeeek!”fOLB
lat5GUIt was a gust of wind that shouldn’t have been possible in such an enclosed passageway.Sz14
b1R2But the wind carried by the Holssi had no intention of stopping until it returned to its homeland. Soon, the wind summoned by Nibelun became a fierce gale, sweeping away the evil hordes in front of them.GJ0X1
eo1I9dr“Now’s the time!”9Ke
XbHM“The path is clear! Run!”JRJmlr
3KyJTaking advantage of the momentary gap created, Vlad began to run.zRmbhcq
RdRIt was hard to even keep his eyes open in the howling wind, but this wasn’t a world where one relied on sight to make decisions.roAiZ
edega“Aaaah!”ROQn
kYqEBzz—bzz—shuAT
gi7The further he ran, the more Vlad’s sword vibrated.wMpZMsP
Mr25zNVlad’s sword, born of the stars, forged with a dragon’s fragment, and now inscribed with the mark of the World Tree.WlEJ
uUpuxwThe engraving on the sword now showed Vlad the way toward another tree.yf97lDM
8rX“Light!”9unUFIN
ucb8p“Just a bit more! The end is right ahead!”DVpuLS9
ltbSThe group charged forward, trampling over the bodies that had been swept aside.pg3i
YJKW4jWherever they went, they were greeted by a scene very different from what they’d seen before.Qmkik0
mSiKh“…It was really a garden.”8pk0ofp
t1DPAs they exited the corridor, the first thing they encountered was the sky.JhH1NbY
TtuQYpsA purple sky, with soft waves rippling like the surface of a lake.182g
w5sMZMTAnd beneath that sky, a vast floating garden, like an island, awaited Vlad.7DLD7
fMtEUqb“Kaaaa!”0GhG7mK
mjVob“We need to get there!”ERx
opVGA picturesque landscape, entirely different from the horrid sights they’d witnessed earlier.Vu0Qbg3
WJGuxHowever, the group couldn’t afford to be mesmerized by the view before them.77bivLk
cyqOw“To the bridge, quickly!”cupP
JVEP2IwWith Gunther’s shout, the knights began running again.iNgGn
x8wmgFToward the bridge that led to the island.rZAJe
MJiThe most central place in Ramashthu’s world, a secret and precious location, could only be reached via several aerial bridges.b35
vOb“This is as far as you go, humans!”Fj1hyj
Gb6Lp“Stop disturbing Lady Ramashthu’s world!”ulvRLI
h0QXt6However, headless knights blocked the bridge.LJxYD
BQSeeThe aerial bridge, made of pure white marble, was already lined with black-toned headless knights.BV1Dl
yQBY“Sh*t!”vrr4bqE
HQZfXRk“We need to change bridges! Hurry!”XOb
m3gNoticing the unusually large number of headless knights blocking the path, Gunther quickly directed the group to change course.a7sw
kKNjYet even though they could avoid the knights, there seemed to be no way to avoid the endless stream of corpses emerging from everywhere.3mDqrI
ZJS5aL“Don’t you have more dandelions?!”4uBET
Lh4nG2“No! That was a treasure of my tribe!”DgPR9Y
LPoAs the group ran along the perimeter of the circle, another aerial bridge appeared in front of them.3hmEx
gCLj81XFortunately, fewer knights awaited them there than at the previous bridge, but the problem now wasn’t just those ahead.rxp1reZ
BT79a“This is insane! Why are there so many?”DbX5h3c
OCukRHF“Oh, Lord, have mercy!”hCGK
N9cPteAn army of the dead was approaching like an enormous tidal wave.cP491
Dkk9Even if they crossed the bridge and broke through the line of headless knights, the massive wave of enemies threatened to reach them soon.kJYOz
8ap“Vlad, you go first!”gV94m
vZl2mdxGunther, seeing the scene, showed a determined look in his eyes.6MI7T8
S3BXThe Holy Knights of the Northern Orthodox Church, having confirmed the resolve in his gaze, exchanged signals and nodded.Z0AhyOj
7a6kD0q“You need to run and don’t look back!”e3y5nk
hsD“…Gunther!”BFGOP2B
781hyVlad, realizing their decision, turned back in surprise, but the swords that followed God’s will had already made their choice.i09
Bmlw“Please, cut down that tree, as you did last time, knight who protected the children’s breath.”bTQ
kYii6NiWith a barely audible voice, Gunther turned around.9QsDs
DcpWith the other paladins on the bridge.xZBj
5GroFr0“Graaah!”bpqjMLh
lxSTa8“Argh!”EyaAz
PTpmYlThe knights had resolved to become the prey that blocked the black tide.jnWO
N9pWith the recitation of God’s words, they began to form a protective stance that only the Holy Knights could perform.MvE
gLx9ge“Sh*t! Damn it all!”YVC2Vr
yqROFVlad heard the cries of the corpses behind him.7opV4
wzoYBut he and his group had to run across the white bridge, leaving those cries behind.KoxRgqg
CLK“Aaaah!”In7h
sYFDestroying the headless knights that stood in their way.RMM5v
DvFN4ZThe roar of a golden dragon echoed, its power insufficient to change the fate of those left behind.BQUgDs
nIdVON“I’ll kill you! Every last one of you!”rPJ
QjpDOEA dragon roared with rising fury, alongside an old heretical inquisitor and a mage with a backpack.XjKO
iSOPekpThey were running toward the enormous tree ahead of them.CaPNg
BRCWF4***U0SoEIy
Wsac“Huff… huff…”VkMKAh
5LZWith its roots stretching toward the sky and its branches hanging toward the ground, a completely twisted tree stood alone on the island, forming its own world.Wk5
LKHX“Huuuaah…”CHOB1Wt
CuHK2And right in front of that black tree, a woman with her feet on the ground was dancing.lqS
8And1hShe was shedding dark tears that she couldn’t control.gNQdrL
WcmtA“I’ll kill them, I’ll kill them all.”4nuJb
bWGYRamashthu twisted from side to side, as though she were dancing.O7zY6ca
AMYWZBBut now, instead of dancing, she was merely contorting her entire body in agonizing pain.hHHI
p443G“My children, again…”OOW
8EGDVOA black smoke rose before her as she continued to weep.F4Wp
PwHoghThe magic of the dwarves, which purifies everything.5iYkBm
jals5v6Ramashthu was going mad again as she watched the flames, created by the fragments, purify the evil tree.ZuJC
ICIVh“It’s burning!”XsawA
En5z6Rumble—0F3huk
WGnHREAt her cry, the purple sky began to tremble.rH2AQ2
qrpmZFBut despite her wails, the flames that would never extinguish continued to incinerate the inverted tree little by little.MWKh
VH9DLnG“Kyaaaaa!”5wIiewk
jx984Her children, whom she couldn’t save when they were alive, and whom she couldn’t save when they were dead.Ny8
UZc4KA root rose toward the sky above the head of the woman who wept for her children.itLSUMt
KHSagIt was like the black wolf-like handprints of children who had cried out beneath the symbol of God in the church.xGUr
RMsvbt8“…”8aXqXC5
VPKnAnd at the end of that root hung a man, lifeless.ejpR
tvFAgPTHis black hair fluttered weakly, his heart pierced.PX0W
R5XMThe color of his hair, gently swaying, was the black of Bayezid that Vlad had been searching for, his heart now impaled.CPB
3GliwKUnder the purple sky, where both had sworn to kill each other, Joseph’s black hair floated silently.AhVh0FZ
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