Chapter 139 : Parasite Queen ‘Euphemia’ (2)
Chapter 139: Parasite Queen ‘Euphemia’ (2)
“That’s their stronghold.”
Yohan pointed with his finger.
The enormous black structure visible ahead resembled a hornet’s nest.
“This is on an absurd level. There was a reason we were told to focus on defense. There hardly seems to be any opening to get inside.”
Seo Changhee narrowed his eyes.
He’s probably calculating the odds.
Spirituality’s instincts always moved toward success.
By the way, I wonder if everyone’s doing well?
Given the nature of a frontline stronghold, they were probably under quite a brutal assault.
Unlike the vanguard, by now the enemy should have begun deploying their main force in earnest.
Elites composed of higher species were probably flooding in like a tidal wave.
Yohan checked the stronghold through the CCTV cameras he had installed beforehand.
-This body is a great powerhouse of the Abyss. Even High-Level Administrators tremble in fear when I breathe fire, so why. Why am I trapped here playing gatekeeper!
-Huhu. I’m going to plant a pretty yellow rose on your head. Devour them, Tam.
-Do not look down upon the young lady of the great House Juliad. You lowly things.
-Kuhaha! Chopping, chopping heads off like trees~ I am a warrior of Northern Europe!
-Spitting, spitting saliva while healing my allies~ I am a healer of Northern Europe!
-Hoee! Have a taste of the Giant Clam!
-Huhu. For us, the most frightening day is the Dog Days. And for you bastards, the most frightening day will be today.
-Spirit Special Forces! Ready for deployment!
Hmm.
Reliable, yet dizzying at the same time.
It looked as though every villain who ought to be locked inside a psychiatric ward had been gathered in one place.
Still, well. They were performing their assigned roles extremely well.
They had already nearly finished blocking the eleventh wave.
‘First place in Contribution Points is practically guaranteed without even checking.’
All that remained was eliminating the Queen.
There wasn’t much left before the fourth episode could be wrapped up cleanly.
“You do have a plan, right?”
“For now, we’ll enter through the main gate. See it? That huge gate straight ahead. Species that normally live as a collective usually have a direct route leading to the Queen’s chamber. Once we get inside, we’ll be able to find where it is.”
“A strategy that exploits their habits. As expected, not a bad plan.”
“Right. Besides, everyone should be focused on attacking, so we probably won’t get caught easily.”
The darkest place is beneath the lamp.
If anything, the heart of enemy territory would currently be riddled with the most openings.
“Understood. We’ll do that.”
Seo Changhee secured the dangling pincer legs once more before standing up.
Then he strode forward.
“Keeee!”
“Keeee!”
The Parasites immediately swarmed toward him like bees.
Boom! Boom!
Even the huge species as large as houses approached after discovering the unfamiliar intruders.
It was fine.
They had already experienced situations like this several times.
“Ahem!”
Seo Changhee cleared his throat and inflated his lungs to their fullest.
He had long since abandoned any sense of shame.
Now, his sole concern was how much more dignified and powerful a roar he could unleash.
“Kyaaaaa!”
A resounding shriek echoed out.
The surrounding air vibrated as if a genuine higher species had appeared.
“Keeee. Who are you?”
One of the Class-2 Combat Species stepped forward.
It was a female humanoid with long wings.
“Kyaaa. I am Seocharkhik. I was returning after completing a secret mission given to me by Mother.”
“Kee! Seocharkhik? There is no such name among the Class-1 Support Species. I’ll ask again. Who are you?”
Whoooosh.
The atmosphere instantly turned cold.
The Parasites standing by began baring their sharp teeth and raising their pincers.
“……Kang Yohan. Something seems to have gone wrong. What are we supposed to do n—huh?”
Seo Changhee’s pupils rapidly widened as he turned his head to look for Yohan.
There was no one there.
The companion he had been absolutely certain would be right behind him had disappeared long ago.
After about a second of silence.
“That rotten bastard used me as bait?”
Seo Changhee realized he had been tricked.
＊＊＊
“I’ll remember. Your noble sacrifice.”
Yohan, who had been hiding a short distance away, nodded.
Going through the main gate, my ass.
It wasn’t like they had used Polymorph. The very idea of passing through the bastards’ headquarters with such half-assed cosplay was comedy in itself.
Besides, there were only three Class-1 Combat Species. And only nine Class-1 Support Species.
Did he really think giving some fake name like Seocharkhik would work?
This outcome had already been decided.
‘The sacrifice of the few for the many.’
In a way, perhaps this was the most fundamental and essential message running through the Forbidden Book itself.
Just then.
Rumble!
Seo Changhee’s battle began.
He unleashed every ability of Spirituality. And ran wild while spouting one cringeworthy quote after another.
The World Tree grew between the moon and stars floating behind him.
Golden mist stretched outward in hundreds of waves.
Wow.
Bringing him along really was worth it.
Parasites endlessly pouring from the nest surged toward Seo Changhee.
Mixed in among the noise, Yohan thought he heard things like ‘Kang Yohan. I’ll kill you the next time I catch you!’ and ‘I’ll never forget this!’….
He must have misheard.
A corpse couldn’t talk, after all.
Yohan quickly moved toward the rear of the nest.
Since a considerable portion of the forces had been drawn toward Seo Changhee, he was able to reach it relatively easily.
The outer wall had been made by mixing black mud with various secretions.
‘It should be around here….’
At first glance, it merely looked sturdy, but someone who knew what to look for could find something more unusual.
For example, here.
The section faintly tinged with gray had been made by the Class-1 Support Species ‘Vanreimon’.
There was a mechanism that opened a secret passage if certain points were pierced with a pincer.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
Yohan drew a picture by piercing the wall to a precise depth of 3.75 cm.
It was modeled after the appearance of a tiny parasite burrowed inside the body of a living creature.
In other words. The symbol representing the Parasites.
Stab!
The moment the pincer pierced the final point.
Rumble!
The outer wall shifted, creating a small passage.
“Looks like I haven’t lost my touch yet.”
Once a craftsman, always a craftsman.
Yohan hummed as he entered.
Damp and sticky air, faintly mixed with the smell of blood.
As befitted a passage used to transport prey, scraps from various monsters were scattered everywhere.
It wouldn’t be very difficult from here.
He only had to follow the bloodstains to reach the Spawning Chamber.
＊＊＊
The Queen’s Spawning Chamber.
Inside this enormous space where all Parasites hatched sat a beautiful girl.
‘Euphemia’.
The mother of them all and the final boss of the fourth episode.
Surrounded by the protection of numerous higher species and Royal Guards. Euphemia’s gaze turned toward the man standing before her.
One of the five most elite assassination units even within the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. ‘Black Kill Division(黑殺隊)’.
And the man who led them as their Division Leader was ‘Hyeongbi’.
He had a slender build and finely sculpted features, but a terrifying fighting spirit swirled around his body.
Even by the most conservative estimate, his aura approached that of a Class-1 Combat Species.
“It’s quite noisy outside.”
“Pay it no mind. A small creature is running wild. It will be dealt with soon.”
“Hmm. Well, if Lady Euphemia says so, then I suppose it will be.”
Hyeongbi, having lost interest in Seo Changhee, spoke again.
There was another reason he had come here.
“I remember that the Emperor was supposed to be handed over to us. May I ask why there has been no news whatsoever?”
Since Armadan, a Class-1 Combat Species, had personally devoured him, they had confidently guaranteed that no unexpected variable could arise.
However, contact had been lost some time ago.
“It seems the human mages played some kind of trick. My subordinate is carrying out his assigned role well, so you only need to concern yourselves with the role given to you.”
Euphemia already knew of Armadan’s death, but she deliberately chose not to share that with Hyeongbi.
It was advantageous to conceal as much information as possible if it could put them at a disadvantage.
But just then.
Boom! Crumble!
One side of the wall collapsed.
Someone had entered this place through the secret passage.
“Wow. Is this a Spawning Chamber? Or a postpartum care center? This place has absolutely everything. Everything. Do they serve nourishing food for dinner too?”
The one who appeared while joking was a black-haired man.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of tension in his mischievous smile.
A person of interest widely known both within the intelligence division of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
And among the Parasites.
“So. You’re Kang Yohan. I’ve been wondering how I should kill you, yet you came here on your own feet.”
“Hmm. On the outside, you still look like a wet-behind-the-ears brat….”
Euphemia and Hyeongbi spoke at the same time.
Tsk.
They’re really running their mouths from the very first meeting.
He understood.
‘Because right now, I must look exactly like a rabbit that walked into a tiger’s den.’
Recklessness no different from suicide.
Which was precisely why.
From their perspective, curiosity would outweigh caution.
“Capture him.”
Hyeongbi jerked his head toward the Black Kill Division.
Shing!
Clank!
Two assassins immediately drew their weapons.
Even at the lowest estimate, they were powerhouses who had reached the end of February Rank.
With ‘Fate of the Declining Star’ almost completely exhausted, there was no chance of winning through combat.
Even if he subdued the two of them, dozens of times more enemies would come rushing at him.
However.
‘I wasn’t planning to win by fighting in the first place.’
Click.
Yohan took out a bead.
It was the very bead stained with a single drop of Evangeline’s blood.
“D-don’t tell me, that’s… the Princess’s blood?”
A distinctive pattern spread out from the bead.
There was no mistaking it.
It was the blood of the Imperial Family.
And not blood extracted by force, but the kind of pattern that appeared only when it had been willingly given.
Trait [Royal Blood].
The most basic requirement for manifesting it was the blood of the Imperial Family.
“You lot should know, right? That you can do quite a lot with just this tiny trace.”
The Divine Cult manufactured Jiangshi. And researched all kinds of sorcery.
Naturally, the things they could obtain through this were limitless.
Stop!
Hyeongbi immediately extended a hand to the side.
The Black Kill Division stopped where they stood.
“Hand it over. Then, I’ll spare your life.”
His voice turned as cold as ice.
An uncontrollable desire flickered in the eyes of Hyeongbi, who had always maintained his composure.
Of course it did.
Everything they had done until now, humbling themselves and catering to the insects’ whims, had been for the sake of obtaining the Trait commanded by the Heavenly Demon.
An enormous investment had been made, to the point that even the Protectors and Elders had become involved.
And if he resolved it himself?
He couldn’t even imagine how high his position within the Divine Cult would rise.
“Seeing you freak out like that, I guess it really is important. But, if you’re trying to threaten me, you picked the wrong target.”
Yohan smirked and enclosed the bead within his fist.
Then he slowly applied pressure.
Crack.
As pressure gradually bore down on the bead, Hyeongbi became the desperate one.
“What do you want?”
“If something is given, something should be received in return. My objective is to clear the fourth episode.”
If they helped with that, he would hand over the bead.
In pristine condition, with even the seal placed upon it removed.
“What guarantee… is there that you’ll keep your promise?”
“I’m not stupid enough to lie when making a deal. Besides, if you’re from the Divine Cult, you obviously brought the Two-Colored Gu Poison with you, didn’t you?”
“……You know quite a lot. Yes. I have it.”
Hyeongbi took a red-and-blue insect from inside his clothes.
[Two-Colored Gu Poison]
If the contract is violated, it will immediately devour every organ inside the body, and if the contract is fulfilled, it will turn to powder and disappear within 24 hours. (The two people entering the contract each consume one.)
An effect capable of enforcing a contract.
With this, neither side could deceive the other.
“You bastard. What do you think you’re doing?”
Realizing that the atmosphere had taken an ominous turn, Euphemia rose from her seat.
However, Hyeongbi had already finished calculating everything in his head.
The fact that a considerable portion of the troops had left to deal with the intruder who had appeared outside the nest also played a major role in his decision.
Gulp!
Gulp!
The two divided the Gu Poison and swallowed one each.
[Contract : The Black Kill Division must attack the Parasites and assist in clearing the fourth episode, and Kang Yohan must hand over the bead in his possession intact to Hyeongbi of the Black Kill Division.]
“This actually worked out for the better. I won’t have to cater to the whims of a female insect anymore.”
Crackle!
Hyeongbi’s sword became enveloped in dazzling blue light.
“Strike. All of them.”
“By your command!”
The Black Kill Division scattered in every direction.
And so.
The battle between the two forces began.
“Keugh. This is ridiculously sweet.”
Yohan found a suitable place to watch and sat down.
＊＊＊