Chapter 166 : Chapter 166
Chapter 166 : The Revealed Sky
Red blood surged from the Supreme King's split chest.
In a landscape that momentarily seemed devoid of reality, the body of the Supreme King, who seemed like he would never fall, crumbled powerlessly.
Thud.
“What is this…….”
Even Newbie Hunter Ballak could not hide his shock, as if he didn't know the Supreme King would do such a thing.
‘This is…….’
Ballak seemed to not have noticed, but the Supreme King hadn't just committed suicide meaninglessly.
As proof of that, the blood flowing from the Supreme King's chest began to draw a single hexagram.
“This is……!”
Only then did Ballak notice the abnormality and stepped back.
There was no way I wouldn't recognize that phenomenon.
‘Magic of Self-Sacrifice.’
The Supreme King activated a certain magic in exchange for his remaining life.
Squelch…….
The blood of the hexagram drawn in blood began to crawl up like living snakes.
“……Oh my god.”
Watching that sight, Newbie Hunter Ballak gaped.
Both I and Ballak could only watch that grotesque and incredibly ominous sight.
If the Divine Sword Levatein was in my hand, I could have cut that magic itself, but right now, nothing remained in my hand.
Rummmble!!!
Soon, the magic circle made of blood began to rise, then smashed through the palace ceiling and soared into the sky.
The streams of blood that soared into the sky soon scattered in all directions and flew somewhere.
‘That direction is…… don't tell me.’
It seemed I needed to confirm for myself what happened in that sky.
“Newbie Hunter, I have a request.”
“……What is it?”
Newbie Hunter Ballak was also unable to hide his shock at what had just happened.
“I want you to take me up there. There is something I need to see.”
“……Understood.”
The Newbie Hunter didn't ask much and slung me over one shoulder, then climbed up above the perforated palace.
Once we arrived on the roof of the perforated palace, the scenery of the sky finally became fully visible.
As well as where the Magic of Self-Sacrifice used by the Supreme King was heading.
The places the streams of blood were heading were none other than the magic circles the Supreme King had installed at the front lines with the Empire and the cities of the Eastern Union.
What on earth does that mean?
I would soon be forced to know the result of it whether I liked it or not.
“……As expected of that friend, the Supreme King, it seems he had no intention of going quietly.”
Newbie Hunter Ballak said in a bitter tone.
“It seems so.”
I had thought that the Supreme King might be hiding a final move, but since I had already poured out everything, there was nothing I could do.
Now, the only thing the Newbie Hunter and I could do was just watch what would happen next.
The Supreme King was already dead, and the magic born from the deceased's thoughts was a powerful thing that couldn't be easily broken.
Rummmble──!
Soon after, the streams of blood scattered in all directions stretched out to where each city of the Eastern Union was located.
Right to those places where the magic circles the Supreme King had prepared for a long time were located.
The streams of blood scattered in all directions poured down like a curse left by the Supreme King.
No, perhaps that wasn't such a wrong statement.
For the final thought left by the dead was sufficient to be called a curse in itself.
And a brief silence passed.
“…….”
In the illusion that time had stopped because it was so quiet.
The predicted abnormality occurred.
Rumble─
Rummble!
Intense lights began to soar into the sky from the cities of the Eastern Union.
It meant that the magic circles the Supreme King had been preparing for a long time were activated.
However, no matter if it was the Magic of Self-Sacrifice, the sacrifice of just the Supreme King alone could not have fully activated magic of that scale.
No one could know what would happen from now on.
Boooooom──!!!
“That is……!”
Ballak's expression was dyed with shock.
The sight of dozens of intense white lights being shot toward the sky all at once was beyond a spectacle and enough to make one think of some kind of apocalypse.
Ascension.
Yes, that was ascension.
Boom─
Ruuumble!!!
Thunder struck continuously in the dry sky, and the sky rang out loudly.
Dozens of strands of light soared as if to split the sky, and as if to prove that it wasn't just a feeling, the sky began to crack.
Crack, cr-crack──
The sky is splitting.
It wasn't a common metaphor, but such a phenomenon was truly happening before my eyes.
And I saw.
The scenery that began to be revealed beyond the split sky.
“……Oh my god.”
Newbie Hunter Ballak's eyes, who revealed a lot of emotions today, trembled roughly.
It had to be so.
The appearance of the blue star revealed beyond that sky was something that everyone, including me, could not help but know.
Newbie Hunter Ballak also could not hide his shock upon seeing that sight.
“How is Earth……!”
Earth.
That which was revealed beyond the split sky was our hometown.
***
Royer urgently visited Yuliana's office.
What was heard as soon as the office door opened was Yuliana's annoyed voice, same as always.
“Don't you know how to knock? How many times do I have to say the same thing.”
However, Royer didn't care in the slightest and sat on the office chair, drinking water.
“Phew…… now I feel alive.”
“What are you talking about? Where have you been?”
“The Eastern Union's movements were suspicious, so I went to check. It looks like a war will break out in earnest soon.”
Since such signs had been predicted from long ago, it was news that wasn't very surprising for Yuliana either.
“Hmm, really? What about the Supreme King's side?”
“It seems they issued a mobilization order for the kings and lords of the Eastern Union in Arkendale this time. He'll probably be in Arkendale for a few days.”
“Arkendale. How long will it take if we leave now?”
“It's highly likely we won't make it in time. There's also a possibility that this information itself is a trap.”
“Tsk. As expected.”
The Empire had also been trying hard to figure out the Supreme King's whereabouts until now.
The center of the current Eastern Union was the person called the Supreme King, and if only the Supreme King could be eliminated, it was fully possible to dissolve the Eastern Union once again.
However, as if mocking the Empire's intelligence network, the Supreme King's whereabouts had been unknown until now.
Although his location was finally identified, unfortunately, there was nothing the Empire could do now that war was imminent.
Now, war would be unavoidable.
The Empire's forces had already gathered at Bernhardt, and the Eastern Union's forces were also gathering at Hanover.
A truly volatile situation.
In this situation, even a very small justification or spark would immediately escalate into war.
Yuliana found that part very regrettable.
Because it was clear that countless lives that didn't need to die would die in the future.
“I think there's something I need to tell you about…… somehow things are going quite interestingly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It seems Winter Castle launched a solo operation.”
“……What does that mean? What solo operation? Tell me in detail.”
Royer held out a document from his bosom in front of Yuliana.
“It's the report from Winter Castle to the Imperial Household. They said they plan to assassinate the Supreme King by selecting a separate special task force.”
Yuliana's expression was dyed with absurdity.
“Targeting the Supreme King? Are you saying Winter Castle figured out the Supreme King's location?”
“No, I don't think so. They said the solo operation unit intends to go to the Eastern Union locally and find out for themselves.”
“That's a ridiculous plan. There's no way such a plan would succeed, right?”
“Naturally, I thought so too. But the person in charge of the selected unit is quite interesting.”
“Who is it?”
Royer grinned and said.
“They said it's 4th Special Task Force Squad Leader Vell Blackwood.”
“……Vell Blackwood? Surely not that Vell Blackwood we saw back then?”
“Yeah. It seems things are turning out interesting, right?”
“What on earth is that fellow thinking? Surely he doesn't think he can catch the Supreme King with just that level.”
“Well, I don't know about that. But it seems correct that something is going on interestingly.”
“What do you mean interesting…….”
Yuliana pressed her temples firmly at the onrushing headache.
The player's body was certainly incredibly sturdy, but stress-induced headaches were an exception.
“Wait, but isn't this clearly exceeding authority? Winter Castle shouldn't have the authority to initiate such a solo operation. Who approved the operation?”
“I think so too, but the Imperial Household doesn't seem to say much about that part either. Like they tacitly condoned it?”
“……Really?”
That part was certainly strange, but since strange things didn't happen just once or twice, Yuliana stopped caring about it.
Rather than that, there was a separate part that was immediately concerning.
“I just hope they don't provoke the Supreme King needlessly…….”
“So what? It's not an exaggeration to say that the war has already started anyway. Wouldn't it be better to convey the Empire's warning even like this?”
“That's true too, but we can't have the magic circles activate because the Supreme King got provoked.”
“Hmm, that's also true.”
It was relatively recent that the Empire realized the existence of the magic circles installed by the Eastern Union.
The purpose of the magic circles hadn't been revealed yet, but judging by the scale, it was certain that they were unusual magic circles.
“Anyway, let's get moving.”
“You're going to Bernhardt?”
“I should, since we can't just be playing around.”
Since the Eastern Mountains were not a land humans could cross, the all-out war between the Empire and the Eastern Union was highly likely to happen in the Mülhen Granary Zone between Bernhardt and Hanover.
In other words, if the front line in the Mülhen Granary Zone was pushed back, it meant the war would become significantly disadvantageous.
Yuliana, who had finished preparing, looked at Royer who was staring blankly out the window.
“What are you doing, not going?”
“No, wait over there…….”
“What?”
Yuliana's gaze moved out the window, and soon her expression gradually hardened stiffly.
Dozens of white pillars soaring from the east beyond the horizon.
Watching that sight, Yuliana could not hide her shock.
“What…… on earth is that?”
Even for Yuliana, who had experienced all sorts of things in this world until now, such a phenomenon was something she was seeing for the very first time.
No, anyone would likely not know about such a phenomenon.
“Magic circles…….”
Then, as Royer muttered quietly, Yuliana spoke.
“What did you say?”
“The locations where those pillars soared. Some of them are places confirmed to have magic circles.”
“What?”
Then does that mean the magic circles the Eastern Union installed have activated now?
But so suddenly, without any warning?
Even in a situation that was completely incomprehensible, the abnormality occurred without stopping.
Just when the pillars of light, which soared as if to tear the sky apart, began to gradually fade, the sky began to split.
Crack, cr-crack───
Who would have known such a sound would come from the sky.
“No, way…….”
The moment she saw the scenery revealed beyond the split sky, Yuliana had no choice but to sink to the ground.
The strangely familiar scenery of the blue star.
Yuliana already knew the name of that star.
“How, is Earth…….”
Beyond the sky.
Another world that was there revealed the appearance it had hidden until now.