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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 139
"Kiieeeek!"
A monstrous creature shrieked as it lunged forward, only to be sliced apart by Gawain’s greatsword.
There was no way it could withstand the force emanating from his magically enhanced body, paired with a blade as massive as a bludgeon.
Even as it teetered on the brink of death, the monster stubbornly clung to life.
Its lower half had already been severed, and its grotesque entrails spilled out entirely, yet its obsession with feeding seemed to overcome the pain.
Scratching at the frost-covered ground with its twisted claws, it slowly crawled toward Gawain.
Puhk!
What fell atop the monster’s head was the steaming blood and mutilated corpse of its kin.
The battle was a one-sided slaughter. Covered head to toe in cold, heavy armor, Gawain swung his greatsword with the precision of a weapon incarnate.
Each time the blade carved through the air, a blue slash would materialize, dismembering the creatures in its path.
Through the visor of his helmet, Gawain’s cold eyes scanned the surroundings. Amidst the advancing monsters, he spotted a suspicious one at a distance, gagging as if trying to regurgitate something.
With a retching sound, "Ugh, ugh," it let out an unpleasant noise.
It wasn’t hard to guess what it intended—this wasn’t the first time he’d seen such behavior.
"Guweeek!"
Moments later, it spewed a greenish liquid. A few drops splattered onto a nearby monster.
Ssshhhhh—
Even amidst the chaos, the sight of white smoke rising as the liquid corroded flesh was unmistakable.
Gawain muttered with undisguised disgust.
“Filthy.”
Clang!
The acidic solution, arcing through the air, froze solid on the spot as if sealed off from the battlefield.
Narrowing his eyes, Gawain assessed the situation calmly.
Though he could easily block it himself, if this were to fall on his companions, the damage could be severe.
It had to be dealt with before such a situation arose.
‘A bit far.’
Though he considered taking action, the distance and the swarming monsters made it difficult.
However, Gawain wasn’t alone.
An arrow embedded itself in the forehead of the acid-spewing monster, sending it tumbling backward.
The presence of his dependable comrades brought a smile to Gawain’s face.
“Hahaha!”
He didn’t stop. A wild swing of his fist connected with a monster’s head.
Crunch!
With a sickening sound, its skull shattered, spilling sticky blood and white brain matter onto his gauntlet, yet Gawain didn’t blink.
No matter how tenacious its life force, losing its head meant it could do nothing.
It staggered, collapsed to its knees, and fell lifelessly. Overwhelming.
Even as it lay limp, Gawain casually lifted his leg and stomped forward.
With a clear sound, sharp ice spires erupted around Gawain, piercing the monsters from below.
The assault didn’t stop there. The ice exploded outward, scattering countless shards.
The sharp crystals tore into the monsters’ flesh, shredding them apart.
No matter how maddened they were by hunger, witnessing such devastation brought them to their senses.
This was a knight.
This was why El Carda, known as the "Magic Empire," could never abandon its knightly forces.
To compare him with mercenaries of the same level would be laughable. He displayed the might of a hundred warriors on his own.
Gawain slowly surveyed his surroundings. From the openings in his faceguard, a faint blue light emanated.
The monsters facing him faltered, fear evident in their hesitation.
Kieee…
Yet, not all were deterred. Among them, one larger and sturdier monster refused to give up, summoning its courage to leap forward.
Kraaaah!
Its remaining energy evident in its thunderous roar, the creature charged. Gawain took a single step forward and threw a punch.
Thud!
It wasn’t a particularly skilled blow, but the sheer force behind it was overwhelming.
The brave monster was sent flying, slamming into the wall. It tried to rise, staggering, but soon collapsed, lifeless.
With that, the situation was mostly under control.
Meanwhile, the group behind Gawain had little to do, thanks to him drawing the enemies’ attention.
Drenched in blood, Gawain plunged his greatsword into the ground and caught his breath.
The blood trickling down his armor froze solid and fell off in chunks.
The remaining monsters hesitated, showing signs of internal conflict, but stood frozen in place, eventually skewered by flaming swords.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Gawain replied curtly, pulling his greatsword from the ground.
Whoosh—
With a casual motion, he shook off the blood and flesh clinging to his blade, his movements natural and unstrained despite the prolonged battle.
Ian, watching Gawain briefly, turned his gaze.
Rustle—
Dust gathered as a robed figure emerged from the shadows.
“Well done.”
Cyphry, who had been nowhere to be seen during the fight, reappeared and offered praise.
“Where were you hiding all this time?” Audrey snapped sharply, her voice laced with overt displeasure.
Cyphry turned his head toward her, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood.
A tense silence hung in the air. Ian didn’t stay silent either.
“Cyphry, this behavior is a problem for us. Even if you won’t join the fight, do you intend to keep disappearing every time?”
“……”
“If this continues, it’s only natural we’d start to suspect you. Surely you understand this.”
Ian spoke calmly, but his words carried weight.
Though delivered diplomatically, the implication was clear:
We’re suspicious of you. If you don’t provide a proper explanation, we won’t hesitate to act against you here and now.
Cyphry remained silent for a moment.
“……”
Without being able to see his expression, it was impossible to guess his thoughts.
“Give us a reasonable explanation. Your excuse about conserving energy is no longer convincing.”
Without moving his hands from his sleeves, Cyphry nodded.
“I apologize. I needed a moment to collect my thoughts. I understand your concerns and your frustration. But do not doubt me. I am on your side, and my absence ensured your safety.”
“What do you mean by that?”
- "I'll explain on the way. And these—burning them would be best. Otherwise, you could freeze them all solid."
"The bodies?"
- "There's a high chance they'll revive. Like me."
"...Setting them on fire isn't difficult, but won't the scent wake any monsters still in hibernation?"
Audrey interjected.
"If that's the issue, I can take care of it. I'll make the wind blow outward."
Ian nodded and set the fire. Since the ruins were made of stone, there was no risk of the fire spreading.
The nauseating stench of burning corpses was carried away by the wind Audrey conjured.
In a short while, the flames would die down, and the wind would cease.
- "Let's go. We have a long way ahead."
Cyphry moved smoothly, as if gliding.
- "Earlier, La Ciel was described as a temple, and I said I was its guardian."
"Not anymore, though."
- "True, not anymore, but back then, I was. There were four other guardians besides me. They were skilled warriors and devout priests who held unwavering faith in the gods."
"Is this the time for old tales?"
- "If you asked for an explanation, don't just act snarky—try listening to the end."
He seemed slightly annoyed. After a brief pause, he exhaled and continued.
- "...We took pride in our abilities. Being called 'guardians' gave us a greater sense of duty. Yes, even then, we would walk this path, cracking light jokes, until we subdued troublemakers causing chaos at the entrance."
His voice briefly turned wistful, as though lost in memory.
For a moment, he stood silently, reminiscing. But he soon regained focus and resumed speaking.
- "But that pride was only relevant when dealing with individuals. Against an army, it was useless."
"An army?"
- "Didn't you see the pile of skeletons near the path to the temple? That was the fate of those who invaded, seeking to plunder it. Not to boast, but those were my handiwork."
He seemed oddly proud.
It reminded me of an old saying: kill one man, you're a murderer; kill many, you're a monster; kill thousands, and you're a hero.
Not a sentiment I particularly liked.
- "Someone among the visitors must have spread rumors about a precious treasure stored in the temple. Nearby nations coveted it and launched attacks."
Back then, such occurrences were frequent, given it was an era where magic was systematically harnessed.
And I had a hunch about what that "treasure" referred to.
- "Luckily, we fended off the first assault. But the second was harder to withstand. Protecting both the temple and its priests was impossible for just five of us. So, we sent everyone else away. Only we guardians remained. Naturally, it wasn't long before the second attack began. This time, they even brought warriors as skilled as us."
Cyphry sighed heavily, continuing forward.
Ian wanted to look around more but couldn't interrupt the flow. Instead, he listened quietly while observing the surroundings.
Footprints were scattered across the ground—evidence of the monsters that had swarmed earlier.
If there had been any sign of the mercenary corps, it was now indiscernible. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume there were no survivors.
From beyond a broken door, a menacing sound echoed.
Growl…
It seemed something had just awakened from hibernation. Yet, it didn’t rush forward. Was it holding back out of hunger?
Diem raised his bow, aiming momentarily before lowering it.
Cyphry continued speaking, indifferent to whether anyone was listening.
In the end, it was a story of guardians fighting fiercely and dying brutally.
"Hm?"
Ian, momentarily lost in thought, suddenly questioned.
"Does that mean the treas... No, was the treasure taken?"
- "To get to the point, no, it wasn’t taken. I was the last one standing. I confirmed the treasure was safe and sought forgiveness from the gods for failing to uphold my vow. I prayed no one would ever come here again. And then… the gods responded for the first time. A radiant light enveloped the area around the treasure. Seeing that, I walked to the temple entrance."
"……."
- "At the stairs where I first met you all, I sat, watching the brilliant light encase the temple, thinking it was all over. With that thought, I closed my eyes."
"……."
- "But then… I opened my eyes again. In this form. The radiant light encasing the temple had turned into a grim hue. The sky was painted in shades of purple. The world had changed. And I was no longer something that could be called human. Monsters of grotesque form had taken over the ruins."
Cyphry turned down a corridor. Bones were scattered along its length. At the end was a large door.
- "Among those monsters was a guardian like me. He, too, had been resurrected. From what I could tell, I was the last to awaken. He tried to persuade me, claiming the god we once believed in was an illusion and urging me to follow the gods of the outer world. His speech was wild and frenzied—toward the end, it was hard to tell if he was speaking or shrieking. Watching him, I could only scowl. He was no different from a monster."
"……."
- "I couldn’t accept it. Call it petty pride if you wish. But I couldn’t bring myself to defile what I had sought so desperately to protect. I found my changed comrade repulsive. Betrayers. Yes, they no longer deserved to be called guardians. They had forsaken their beliefs and opened paths to the outer world, inviting vile creatures into this realm."
"……."
- "I killed two of them. Closed two of the four paths they opened. Beyond this door lies one of the remaining two traitors."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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