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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 145
The moment Ian recited the name of the Piercing Spear as if chanting a spell, the brand engraved from the back of his right hand to his index finger emitted a faint light.
Then, a bizarrely shaped spear materialized in midair.
Ian grasped it in reverse and assumed his stance. Surely, no one would tell him not to destroy the temple at this point.
Wuuuuung!
As the eight spear blades imbued themselves with magic, the surrounding winds gathered like a loyal dog responding to its master's call.
Breaking the silence, the companions nearby flinched and stepped back.
"We're seeing this again…!"
Gawon spoke in a trembling voice, one filled with anticipation for what was about to unfold.
Cyphry, sensing the gravity of the situation, tried to intervene, but her voice was drowned out by the wind. Or perhaps, she chose to feign ignorance.
"Rend it to pieces."
Ian stepped forward with his left foot, braced himself, and twisted his waist. Then, he released the spear shaft gripped tightly in his hand.
It was a posture devoid of any special flair. Something anyone could imitate, yet the destructive force was something no one could easily match.
Pang──!
The Piercing Spear shot out at lightning speed, and the claim that it once destroyed a fortress wall in a single strike was no lie.
The unleashed wind obliterated the ancient ruins, extending outwards and slamming into the firmly shut stone door.
No matter how thick it was. No matter the ancient magic imbued within it. Even Pamael, whose origins remained an enigma, could not withstand it.
Kwoooaaang!
The stone door shattered in an instant, fragments scattering in all directions.
"-The… the temple!"
The historic structure was now on the brink of collapse. The winds unleashed by the Piercing Spear didn't just destroy the intended target.
It swept away everything in its path. In Gehiel, it shredded all monsters along its route.
Recently, it leveled Matiss's laboratory. And now, it was destroying the temple built to worship a great being.
Kukukukung…!
The pillars that had endured for countless years crumbled with a thunderous roar. A thick cloud of dust rose into the air.
"…Hmm?"
Something felt off. The temple, which should have collapsed entirely, remained intact.
Even after breaking through the stone door and advancing inside, Pamael did not return.
'There's a reaction… but…'
It felt as though something was binding it.
Just as Ian thought visibility was lost due to the rising dust, an ominous gust, laden with malice, erupted from within the destroyed temple door.
Huuuuung!
In an instant, the dust was pushed outward.
Audrey hastily deployed a barrier in front. It was a simple spell, but in such a situation, it was more effective than anything else.
Titing, titing, titing!
Small stones within the dust collided with the barrier, producing clinking sounds.
"Huuup!"
A moment later, Riorg Ribella gasped at the revealed sight. The others, though silent, were equally horrified.
The temple, which until now had merely felt like an ancient ruin, was now shrouded in an eerie, menacing aura. The atmosphere had shifted drastically in mere moments.
"Uh, this… looks like we’ve messed with something we shouldn’t have."
Audrey cautiously brought up the idea, hinting that perhaps they should back off, given how suspicious the situation seemed.
It wasn’t a bad suggestion. The thought of an entity capable of holding off Pamael lurking inside made the prospect of entering unsettling for everyone.
But that wasn’t an option. Now that they’d come this far, there was no turning back. Above all, Pamael had to be retrieved.
Of all the items they currently possessed, Pamael was by far the most valuable. Leaving it behind was out of the question.
If it were to fall into Talion's hands, things would only worsen. After all the effort to retrieve it from the Black Knight of the Outer Seas, losing it to an even more troublesome adversary would spell disaster for the empire. Entering was the only choice.
“Let’s go.”
Ian took the lead, and the rest followed.
“It’s too quiet. It’s unsettling,” said Audrey.
“Maybe it died in that earlier strike?” suggested Rease.
“If that were the case, it wouldn’t feel like this,” Gawain countered.
“…”
Diem remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together. No—beyond silence, his fingers trembled. Ian didn’t miss it.
“Diem?”
“…What is it?”
Though his response was a bit delayed, his gaze still seemed steady. Yet Ian could see the shadowed darkness lingering in his eyes.
Could this be some kind of trauma? Mercenaries often carried heavy pasts, most of them filled with pain.
Perhaps it stemmed from being briefly buried in the dust earlier. He was clearly shaken.
In any other situation, Ian might have trusted Diem to overcome it on his own. But their opponent this time was Talion.
At this rate, an arrow in his back wouldn’t be surprising.
Even with the heightened awareness granted by his battle instincts, which allowed him to detect attacks from behind, the others weren’t as equipped.
If Diem were to suddenly attack... Could Audrey or Rease handle it?
No, they couldn’t. Instead of offering words of encouragement, Ian glanced at the sacred sword hanging at his hip.
Giving this to him isn’t an option.
There wasn’t much to offer as a substitute. The black blade he had was incompatible with the Bane of Evil and wouldn’t perform well alongside it.
And Parmael, which could have been an alternative, was bound deep within the chamber ahead.
Ian’s eyes fell on the ornament attached to the end of his sword’s hilt. Despite enduring the flames of the Bane of Evil numerous times, it was perfectly intact. Without hesitation, he untied it and tossed it to Diem.
“…!?”
The Ornament of Orleha.
A relic woven from the hairs of a divine beast that protected the kingdom of Sandrea, blessed by Avinuks, the Lord of the Sky, and enshrined in the Grand Temple.
It was said to shield its bearer from curses and grant a small measure of fortune.
Looking back, perhaps Ian’s survival through the countless dire situations so far was entirely thanks to this relic.
If it had mitigated the worst outcomes, turning them into lesser evils, then it had more than fulfilled its role.
Diem caught the relic and stared at it, baffled.
“…What is this?”
“A sacred relic. It’s made from the hair of a divine beast in the Grand Temple. It’s valuable.”
Incredibly valuable, in fact.
“Why are you giving it to me?”
Diem asked with a puzzled expression. It seemed he wasn’t aware of his own state. Ian kept his explanation brief.
“Don’t argue. Just keep it. I’m only lending it to you, so don’t lose it.”
"I feel uneasy, worried you might betray me. I couldn’t bring myself to say those words."
Diem fiddled with the tessle before tucking it into his chest.
"Yeah, it’s better to keep it with you than to hang it on a weapon for no reason."
Carefully stepping over the rubble of the stone gate, they stood at the temple’s entrance. The inside came into view—a vast, expansive space.
It was dark and damp, yet two things stood out distinctly.
One was a platform on the opposite side of the entrance.
A single spear was embedded in it.
The ornate, intricate patterns etched along its shaft and the faint glow it emitted gave it the aura of a masterpiece.
"The Angel’s Key."
It was undoubtedly the artifact coveted by the Inoria Foundation.
“They said you’d know it when you see it. And they were right.” Its sacred aura was unmistakable to anyone who laid eyes on it.
But the spear appeared sealed. The light was trapped within, unable to radiate outward, encased in a circular boundary.
Behind the spear was a massive fissure.
***
A gaping crack, as if torn from paper, leaked a blend of red and purple light.
An Outer Gate.
Its form was entirely different from the chapel where Elarcia resided, yet this was its typical appearance.
“Wow…”
Seeing the red and purple light made their hearts feel as though they had stopped.
They didn’t even want to imagine the horror that would unfold when it turned completely purple.
They didn’t know how much time was left, but one thing was certain:
The moment the gate’s color changed, an uncontrollable being—or perhaps several—would emerge.
As much as they wanted to rush over and seal the Outer Gate immediately, obstacles stood in their way.
The path from the entrance to the platform was in complete disarray.
The aftermath of Pamael breaking through the door had shredded everything around with blade-like winds.
Fragments of wood, bright red blood, and white bone shards littered the ground.
But the trail abruptly ended, as if blocked—and in that exact spot stood a man, a black sphere floating beside him.
“Welcome, everyone.”
His soft voice echoed throughout the dim temple.
A neatly dressed man with a strikingly handsome face. His appearance was completely out of place in this ominous temple.
His pristine attire and polished smile were a stark contrast to the grim surroundings—utterly insincere.
“Oh dear, why so quiet? How disappointing.”
Talion.
The one who, believing in the foreign prophecy of the “Fallen Morning Star,” subjugated countless followers and established a cult where he reigned supreme.
He was not alone. Four individuals, presumed mercenaries rather than fiends, stood by his side.
They were likely the Inoria Foundation’s expedition team that had entered earlier. It was thought they’d all perished, but here they were.
Unfortunately, it didn’t matter. Killing Talion wouldn’t bring them back to their senses.
Ian narrowed his eyes, exhaling deeply.
Fwoosh—
As if responding to a spell, one, then two, balls of flame ignited in the air.
The dim interior began to brighten, revealing what had been lurking unseen in the darkness—hidden revenants.
Unlike the wraiths by Elarcia’s side, these appeared as if they had risen from death itself.
Clad in ancient armor, wielding rusted weapons, their shriveled forms stood motionless like statues.
Talion nodded approvingly.
“What a shame. I was hoping for a meaningful conversation with some outsiders for once.”
“Aren’t there outsiders standing by your side?”
“Oh! Finally, someone speaks! Ah, you mean them?”
At Ian’s question, Talion glanced to his side. Wearing a bitter smile, he raised a hand and gently poked the cheek of a female mercenary beside him.
“Well, calling them outsiders feels a bit off… The moment they met me, they begged for their lives. That’s why they’re my loyal dogs now. Look at this—they haven’t said a word because I told them to stay quiet. So dull, isn’t it? Talking to them doesn’t even feel like conversing with humans.”
“……”
“But you’re different. You’re standing here, meeting my gaze, speaking boldly to me. Sure, it’s a little heartbreaking that you’re hostile, but I understand. Truly. So, let me make you a proposal. Just hear me out—it’s not a bad deal for you.”
Talion took a step closer and continued.
“When this Outer Gate turns purple, the barrier isolating this space will vanish. In other words, we’ll return to our original world. To a place with skies bluer than gems and fields greener than emeralds.”
His voice carried an eerie, persuasive power.
“There isn’t much time left. So why don’t we use it peacefully to talk? You’ll get to return safely, and I won’t be bored. Doesn’t that sound like a win-win?”
Normally, such words would be dismissed outright, but in this moment, they seemed strangely convincing.
They swayed the hearts of the listeners, planting comfort in place of doubt.
The group unconsciously let down their guard.
All except Ian. He refused to be swayed by such false emotions.
“Stop spouting nonsense.”
Talion’s smile faltered. Ian grinned as he saw this.
“I know you don’t mean a word you’re saying.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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