Chapter 131 : Hall of the Dragon (2)
Chapter 131: Hall of the Dragon (2)
“Bring every Identification Scroll here immediately!”
“What use are scrolls that turn up nothing every time? More importantly, we must escort His Majesty the Emperor somewhere safe!”
“Where are the Imperial Guards right now!”
Voices rose.
Venomous insects that parasitized human bodies, reproducing even their memories and habits.
The Hestia Empire had also suffered great damage at the hands of Parasites in the past.
“Do not worry too much. How can those who are called the brains of the Empire be so swept away by emotion?”
Ioden rose while gripping his staff.
He was one of the highest-ranking mages even across the entire Hestia Empire.
Since he had also devoted a great deal of time to scholarship and research, his words naturally carried weight.
“Your Grace seems to have a clever solution.”
One of the nobles cautiously spoke.
“A few months ago, I developed a drug capable of identifying them. It is harmless to ordinary humans, but if someone is infected, black smoke will pour from their entire body and they will vomit out the parasite inside them.”
A reagent with a bluish hue.
The liquid sloshing inside the flask gave off a peculiar fragrance.
“You are free to refuse, but personally, I would not recommend it. Being suspected in a situation like this would make it difficult to keep your life.”
Trials were only possible when circumstances allowed for such leisure.
When every second counted, most cases were dealt with through summary execution.
Of course.
“For those who are anxious, I will drink it first.”
Ioden downed the liquid in the flask in one gulp.
Naturally, nothing happened.
“Ohhh.”
“If that's the case.”
“I’ll go next!”
Those who had confirmed that it was safe hurriedly raised their hands.
As if eager to prove that they were absolutely not Parasites.
However, the next person Ioden pointed to was none of those who had raised their hands.
“Wouldn’t everyone feel even more at ease if the hero stepped forward first?”
He offered the reagent with a benevolent smile.
“That’s true.”
Yohan nodded.
When he opened the lid, a sweet scent stimulated his appetite.
Whatever it had been made from, it looked quite delicious.
“Drink it all down. You must swallow all of it at once for it to take eff… Urk? Kegh?”
The sound of air escaping mixed into Ioden’s voice as he spoke.
Slash.
Yohan swept his dagger horizontally.
Between the split flesh.
Stab!
He plunged the flask he had been handed straight inside.
Gulp, gulp!
The liquid went directly through the esophagus and into the stomach.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
“Have you gone mad!”
Shocked cries erupted.
He had killed a duke in the middle of a gathering of nobles, so naturally, the impact was enormous.
The escort knights drew their swords.
The mages began chanting various spells.
And almost simultaneously.
“Kieeeek!”
An inhuman scream burst from Ioden’s mouth.
It wasn’t long before a writhing parasite sprang out.
“Y-Your Grace?”
“This can’t be….”
A single scene was enough for anger to turn into bewilderment.
“How… did you know?”
The Parasite bared its sharp teeth.
“Your breath was pretty bad. Figured you needed an endoscopy.”
“How dare you… joke around? Do I look like a fool to you?”
[Grade 3 Combat Species ‘Derek’ is consuming the nutrients it has accumulated and returning to its true form!]
Crack!
Its body grew enormous in an instant.
Venom dripped from its elongated pincers.
‘As expected. They targeted the upper ranks.’
Back when they had discussed magic, Ioden had continuously shown curiosity about the spells Yohan mainly used.
It had probably been to determine the most effective combination for the reagent.
More importantly, when they had first arrived here, separating the members from one another would have been impossible without someone possessing a duke-level title.
‘This is why you can’t trust just anyone.’
Everything happened for a reason.
Expecting kindness without a price was a delusion only a complete newbie would entertain.
“Perfect timing.”
Yohan smirked.
He had needed a suitable test subject to try out his unique ability anyway.
Thanks.
For walking right into his hands.
Wooooong!
Mana rapidly circulated through his body.
One revolution.
Two revolutions.
And three revolutions.
The moment he felt a massive amount of mana disappear.
[Unique Ability ‘Hour of the Extinguished Moon’ has been activated!]
An authority capable of inflicting fixed damage by erasing part of one’s astral rank.
Since it ignored all of the opponent’s defenses themselves, it could inflict damage even on a Champion of the Abyss.
Three moons rose behind Yohan.
[The fragments of the shattered moon proclaim the collapse of the old age.]
Fragments of the moon gathered in his right hand and poured out dazzling brilliance.
[The fragments of the shattered star shall herald the arrival of the age of the void.]
Endless black fragments scattered from the fragments of the star gathered in his left hand.
Crackle!
The two energies merged into one.
Black-purple sparks erupted as ominous characters appeared around Derek.
“W-what kind of power is this?”
The Parasite that had been fiercely baring its teeth only moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
All that remained was an insect frozen in place, terrified by an unknown power.
But only for a moment.
“Glorious Fall(榮落)”
Yohan finished the modifier.
Slash!
Derek’s head, arms, and legs were severed in different directions.
A slash of the void that completely ignored its characteristic regenerative ability and defenses.
The magic manifested in the form of a blade annihilated the first Mafia.
＊＊＊
The hall fell silent as though cold water had been poured over everyone.
“…….”
“Th-that was incredible.”
“My goodness. He was that powerful?”
“So there was a reason an outsider was invited into the Hall of the Dragon. He more than deserves to be here.”
The nobles each uttered a remark.
He had overwhelmingly crushed a Combat Species, which belonged to a particularly troublesome category.
They had heard that he had stopped an Outbreak and distinguished himself in Purgatory, but those stories had never quite felt real.
Once they saw it with their own eyes, every doubt disappeared.
He was strong.
Far stronger than even the renowned mages who supported the Empire.
‘The Intelligence Department is going to go crazy over this.’
‘If someone like that came under me….’
‘He’s far too valuable to simply leave alone.’
Yohan could feel greed blazing in their eyes.
Well. This should be enough to make a strong impression for now.
“Priest Pack Bedro.”
“Yes? Yes!”
“Treat His Grace Duke Ioden.”
Since Yohan had cut with precision, proper suturing and treatment would be enough to save him.
The proverbial poison and cure.
Since he had ended up saving the duke while eliminating the Parasite, his position should have become even more secure.
“Understood.”
Pack Bedro immediately used divine power.
They had overcome one crisis, but the remaining process was far from smooth.
“How many of them could possibly be in here?”
“Come to think of it. Baron Histan. You’re unusually quiet today. Normally, you talk so much?”
“Baron Avento, aren’t you the one who hasn’t touched even a sip of the wine you usually drink like water?”
“Th-that’s because this isn’t exactly the time to be drinking!”
Distrust began to bloom between them.
Since the Parasites could disguise themselves perfectly in appearance, no one could be trusted one hundred percent.
“Great Warrior.”
Rodbrock approached Yohan.
Then he added something shocking.
“Vivian seems a little different from usual.”
“…What? Vivian?”
“Don’t look at her. Just listen.”
Rodbrock placed his index finger against his lips.
“What makes you think that?”
“She is drinking wine instead of the maple-leaf tea she usually enjoys. More importantly, the flow of her mana is strange. Almost as though she is not yet accustomed to her body.”
“Are you serious, Brother? If Vivian is infected, then we’re really in serious trouble, aren’t we?”
Lagerseh muttered with a startled expression.
She knew just how important a role Vivian played on the team.
“I hope I’m wrong as well. However, judging from all the circumstances, I believe there is a high probability that I am right.”
“If that’s true, we’ll need to check.”
“Right. I think a diversion would be best. If you draw her attention, I will attack from behind and subdue her. We can interrogate her afterward.”
Grab.
Rodbrock reversed his grip on his axe.
And the moment he turned to move into position.
Baaang!
Without hesitation, Yohan struck the back of Rodbrock’s head with the pommel of his dagger.
“Urgh?”
Rodbrock collapsed on the spot.
“B-Brother?”
“It’s fine. It’s fine.”
Yohan patted Lagerseh on the shoulder and used ‘Blood Bind’.
Streams of crimson blood instantly restrained Rodbrock’s limbs.
“G-Great Warrior. Wh-what are you doing?”
“Say that again. You said you ‘took note’ of her drinking wine instead of maple-leaf tea?”
“Why… is that a problem? I merely observed carefully in order to find the Parasites.”
“No. It is a problem.”
If this were the real Rodbrock, he would have said something like this.
-Bwahaha! I don’t see what the problem is. Of course drinking alcohol is normal compared to something like maple-leaf tea?… Something like that.
No, in the first place, he would never have observed such a trivial detail.
There was also no way he would use difficult phrases about mana flow, diversion tactics, or circumstantial evidence.
“You got caught in the bathhouse.”
When they had first arrived at the palace, only the Vikings had been called away to wash because they smelled of sweat.
Naturally, the men and women would have been separated, so he must have entered separately from Lagerseh.
Bathing naked and unarmed.
Even Rodbrock would have had difficulty handling a Parasite’s surprise attack under those circumstances.
Perhaps Yohan had struck the mark, because the vehement denial stopped completely.
“……What are you planning? I have absolutely no intention of leaving this body.”
It had seen its comrade fall victim to the Hour of the Extinguished Moon right before its eyes, so it intended to hold out.
What else?
Yohan rummaged through his Subspace and pulled out some ingredients.
‘Half-melted mint chocolate’.
‘1 kg of cilantro’.
Then he mixed in a generous amount of ‘peppermint powder’, something Parasites utterly despised.
A dessert filled with a refreshing green color.
Now then, let’s see how long you can endure without coming out.
“Cough! Kegh! Bleeergh!”
Green saliva and foam poured from Rodbrock’s mouth.
However, more of the thick liquid continued to be added to the funnel.
“Brother. I think he’s going to die at this rate?”
“Seems like it.”
“No, I’m saying he seriously looks like he’s going to die? I can see the whites of his eyes.”
“Seems like it.”
Eating a little soap and toothpaste wouldn’t kill him that easily.
However, unexpectedly, the second one possessed remarkable endurance.
It had held on and continued holding on even after drinking nearly 5L.
It couldn’t be helped.
At this point, there was no choice but to use Plan B.
“Sergeant Sea Otter. Are you ready?”
“Hoeee. Just leave it to me!”
The sea otter came trotting over and pulled out a gigantic conch shell.
The Magic Conch knew everything.
The Magic Conch granted everything one desired.
It was the perfect interrogation tool for the enormous Rodbrock.
The sea otter positioned the conch shell precisely against Rodbrock’s vital spot.
“I-if you do this, it will affect the Viking who originally owned this body as well! Did you not say he was your comrade!”
“You don’t get it.”
Yohan smiled.
“Rodbrock is a Tanker.”
Tankers were tough.
Their entire bodies were extremely sturdy.
So it would be fine.
“Hoet!”
Baaang!
The Magic Conch struck a very unfortunate place.
“Kieeeeee!!!”
The desperate screams of two males echoed through the hall.
Within a few minutes, the Parasite could no longer endure it and crawled out of Rodbrock’s body.
Slash!
With a single stroke, Yohan cut it down, clearing the second one.
Now there was only one left….
But this was precisely where an unexpected problem arose.
[More than 10 Parasites infiltrating the entire Empire have been discovered!]
[The ‘Blessing Box’ has been opened!]
A golden status window announcing success flashed.
Normally, he would have celebrated an event ending so quickly….
But for a veteran, this kind of happiness didn’t feel entirely welcome.
‘How many people could possibly have gathered information in advance and found them as quickly as I did?’
Hard to say.
The odds weren’t high.
Which meant.
Had they deliberately allowed themselves to be discovered?
That was the correct premise.
The next thing he needed to determine was why.
Yohan’s eyes narrowed.
‘It must be to open the Blessing Box.’
Small clues gathered together and led to a single conclusion.
What they wanted wasn’t a curse, but a blessing.
＊＊＊
“Kiiii.”
“Keeee.”
Inside a cave crowded with Parasites.
Step.
A thin old man dressed in black walked between them.
His benevolent face and white beard naturally brought a smile to anyone who looked at him.
However, no one who knew the old man’s true identity would ever think that way.
Yeom Ma-ak, Left Guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
He was a master among masters who had spent his entire life walking through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
“Hmm. This is quite a decent hideout. Had I not been shown the way, I would have wandered around for quite some time.”
Yeom Ma-ak stroked his beard as he spoke.
Then.
“I thought we agreed there would be no contact between us until the job was finished?”
A pair of bright yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness.
An insectoid monster with the beautiful appearance of a human. The ‘Queen’.
The mother of the Parasites who ruled the Colony appeared under the protection of countless insects.
“Of course, that was my intention. However, even after I gave you such excellent prey as the Bloodwind Division, you failed to handle the matter properly, so I had no choice but to move personally, did I?”
“…What happened at the temple was unexpected. I never imagined someone capable of dealing with a Grade 2 Combat Species would be there.”
“Hoho. I’m sorry, but that is your problem. If you failed to do the job properly, is it not only proper that you pay an appropriate price?”
Yeom Ma-ak cut off the Queen’s excuse without hesitation.
“Kieee!”
“Kyaaa!”
The Parasites exposed their sharp teeth and pincers.
They clearly could not forgive a human who dared speak so insolently to their Queen.
Thoom!
Even large species exceeding 10m prepared to charge from every direction.
“What ill-mannered children.”
Yeom Ma-ak’s eyebrows slanted downward.
In that instant.
Fwoosh!
The surrounding air rapidly heated.
Rumble!
As the internal energy boiling within his dantian was released, flames began engulfing the surroundings.
Flame Emperor Heavenly Fire Art(炎帝火天功)
It was Yeom Ma-ak’s signature martial art, one that had reduced countless enemies to ashes.
Most of the Parasites faltered and backed away from the unimaginable heat.
Only the Queen and her Royal Guard remained standing calmly where they were.
“Tell me what you want.”
“I need assistance pursuing the younger generation. The young brats of the Namgung Clan and Tang Clan have been remarkably elusive, and they are becoming troublesome. In return. When you make your move in the Empire, we will lend you our aid as well.”
They had eliminated nearly all the major masters of the orthodox factions. However, a small number of remnants were still desperately gathering their forces.
Even if they were merely insects, leaving them alone could allow them to become a great blaze later.
Their breath had to be cut off while there was still a chance to do so completely.
“Granted. I will send the children.”
“I’m glad we understand each other.”
On top of the existing contract to hand over a portion of the Imperial Family’s blood.
A new clause was added.