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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 146
“How sad. To think there would come a day when my sincerity would be doubted….”
Talion placed a hand on his chest with a genuinely sorrowful expression, and Ian let out a faint chuckle as he watched.
“Do you need more time?”
Talking too much often means there’s a hidden agenda.
Ian knew this well from experience. It was something unprepared individuals often did.
Talion’s eyelids twitched as though Ian had struck a nerve. This only emphasized Talion’s lack of experience.
A little more pressure, and the mask he wore might come off, revealing his true intentions.
“Let’s drop the poor acting.”
“You speak as if you know me quite well.”
“Of course, I do.”
“Did you hear about me from Cyphry? Judging someone based on secondhand information… I can’t say that paints you as an admirable person.”
Who was judging whom here? Ian gave a derisive smile, nearly bordering on mockery.
“You’re not entirely wrong, but someone like you is easy to read.”
“Oh? And what do you think you know?”
“You’re insincere. Your fake expressions and calculated movements might fool others, but unfortunately for you, they don’t work on me.”
Talion’s narrowed eyes showed his growing displeasure, but Ian didn’t care. Talion’s feelings were irrelevant.
“And… you lack the basics of negotiation. If you wanted to make such a peaceful proposition, you should have gotten rid of all these filthy things around you first.”
“And you think you’re in a position to say that?”
As Ian glanced around and spoke, Talion raised a finger to point above his head.
The flames blooming in midair continued to multiply, now numbering in the dozens.
Bright light and scorching heat filled the dark ruins, making the space a bit more vibrant.
But to the other party, it was nothing short of intimidation.
“I can destroy them anytime. But you? I doubt it. Or… was this an unintended situation because you can’t control them? Looks like you’re in a position you didn’t want.”
“……”
“If that’s the case, we can help. Don’t you agree?”
Their idle conversation wasn’t without purpose.
It had been a way to allow their companions to relax, preparing for the moment they could turn the tide in their favor.
When Ian glanced at his group, it was a signal: get ready for battle.
‘Capable individuals.’
They weren’t oblivious, nor were they living passively.
They didn’t need to be explicitly ordered; they understood their roles and acted accordingly when the situation demanded.
The first to move was Diem. Perhaps embarrassed by how he’d hesitated earlier, he nocked an arrow and immediately let it fly.
Thwip!
The arrow tore through the air with a sharp, resonating sound.
Fweeeeeeeeee!
A piercing, high-pitched whistle echoed, announcing the start of the battle. The sound drew all eyes and commanded attention.
Talion frowned and raised his hand. A black current materialized in midair, snaring the arrow mid-flight.
‘Is that how he stopped Pamael’s attack as well?’
The arrow, now engulfed by the black current, was no longer visible.
From earlier, an orb had been floating near Talion, unsettling Ian. It seemed likely that Pamael was inside that orb.
However, Diem’s arrow wasn’t a solitary shot.
The distinct sound of the signal arrow filled the air as the remaining arrow, buried beneath its noise, aimed for the head of the female mercenary beside Talion.
"......"
The mercenary didn't remain idle. In a flash, she drew the sword at her waist, channeling mana into the blade as she swung it with precision.
Slash!
A streak of blue light carved through the darkness, splitting the incoming arrow in two with masterful skill.
Before anyone could fully take in the spectacle, everyone began to move swiftly.
Screeeech!
The undead let out unnatural cries as they charged forward.
They reacted the instant Talion was attacked, their sole intent to eliminate any threat to their master. Malice burned in their eyes as they rushed ferociously.
The flames Talion had summoned, suspended in midair, illuminated the scene, revealing their ghastly forms.
Ian raised his left hand, causing the fireballs to quiver in unison. As he clenched his fist, the orbs plummeted toward the charging undead.
Boom!
Boom!
Explosions echoed as the compressed flames erupted, sweeping through the surroundings.
The undead caught directly by the descending fireballs were engulfed in flames, writhing as they burned.
Screeeeeeeech!
Agonized screams echoed. Yet, the sheer number of undead swarming the ruins matched the temple's vast scale.
It wasn't difficult to surmise their origins. They must have been soldiers who had once sought the sacred spear in the distance, only to meet their end here.
In hindsight, perhaps Talion had once been a fitting protector, with an upright nature.
However, the involvement of the Outer Gods changed everything.
No matter how steadfast one might be, who could endure the whispers and attention of beings capable of driving anyone mad merely by their presence?
Even those blessed with divine essence could hardly withstand such influence, let alone those without it. Ian knew this all too well.
"......"
He had witnessed an Outer God descend upon the mortal realm with his own eyes. In that moment, his mind froze, and it felt as if he would lose all sanity.
Simply sharing the same space with such a being made it impossible to maintain reason.
Consumed by madness, he had acted on pure instinct, wielding his sword and unleashing flames like a feral beast, driven solely by the intent to assist the hero.
By sheer luck, he survived. In his fading consciousness, he saw Hamir's hero, Abella, strike down the Outer God and secure divine essence.
If he hadn't acquired divine essence at that moment, what would have become of him?
Ian glanced at Talion, who remained amidst the undead. His expression was one of dissatisfaction.
Watching him, Ian unclenched his fist.
Fwoooosh!
The flames surrounding the area leaped onto the passing undead, engulfing them in fire.
Even those who broke through the inferno to approach his companions wouldn't change the outcome.
"I’ll take care of the flanks!"
Audrey's confident voice rang out as a combat golem stepped forward, brandishing its shield and sword.
Instead of blocking the undead's strikes, the golem deflected them with its shield, plunging its blade into the enemy's neck.
Blessed by Rease, the golem's holy power annihilated the undead, who had risen from death.
Meanwhile, Diem carefully scanned the surroundings, shooting down any undead that bypassed the golem.
Thwack!
An arrow struck an undead squarely in the forehead, causing it to collapse to its knees, never to rise again.
Though undead, they had only been granted a single life. A second death meant complete annihilation.
Ian briefly observed his companions battling before drawing his holy sword and swinging it mightily.
The fierce flames coiled around the blade and surged upward, scattering directly forward.
Whoosh!
The oncoming undead were engulfed, and as if that wasn't enough, the flames advanced further.
“Come to think of it, I am late in expressing my gratitude.”
Talion's voice suddenly echoed. Despite the cacophony of clashing weapons and the activation of Gawain's supernatural abilities, his voice was clear.
There was no need to confirm who he was addressing.
“It was an excessive gift. I'll return it to you.”
Ian's heart sank momentarily as he saw the raging spear, Pamael, piercing through the flames, hurtling directly toward him.
Just the sight of being the target of its eight pointed spearheads was unnerving.
However, Pamael's full power had not been unleashed. It was simply hurled, nothing more.
‘There’s no need to parry it with the sword.’
He had already confirmed that it wouldn’t respond to his call. Most likely, the black aura clinging to the spear served some unknown purpose.
If so, all he needed was to alter its trajectory. Predicting Pamael's flight path, he triggered an explosion just as it passed overhead.
Boom!
Flames surged upward from below, blasting Pamael away. With a sharp redirection, the spear embedded itself into the ceiling.
Though its weight made it likely to fall soon, that wasn’t the important part—there had been a faint reaction.
‘So it can be burned.’
The black aura could be destroyed by the Bane of Evil's flames. Committing this to memory, Ian charged forward.
Screeeech!
He swung the holy sword, cutting down the undead in one swift motion. When one lunged at him from the side, he slammed it down with his shoulder.
As the creature lost its balance and collapsed, Ian embedded a dagger into its forehead before drawing his sword again.
──────!
The undead could not withstand the sharp onslaught of his blade.
Though they displayed traces of their former swordsmanship, their withered bodies dulled their techniques.
Ian pressed on without hesitation.
“……?”
But suddenly, a strange sensation swept over him. Instinctively, he halted and glanced down.
A shadow. There was something within it.
Cyphry. He had entered. Ian wondered what he was up to, hiding in the shadows.
–Why do you stop? Go forth. I am with you.
It was not a trustworthy voice, but it didn’t seem like he would stab Ian in the back either.
Ian resumed moving. At that moment, sharp energy emanated from beneath his feet, severing the ankles of the surrounding undead.
They toppled over, creating an open path.
–Go on. Don’t just stand there.
Even without being urged, Ian intended to do just that. Leaning forward, he shifted his weight.
As his feet pushed off the ground, flames engulfed his body, and he accelerated explosively, shooting forward like an arrow.
[Bane of Evil: Second Form – Comet]
Ian streaked through the fallen undead like a comet cutting through the heavens.
Talion, watching the spectacle, widened his eyes in disbelief. It was a technique he had never seen before.
Having no knowledge of Bane of Evil, he could not formulate an appropriate countermeasure.
Before his regression, Talion had been an infamous cult leader, but at this moment, he was merely a novice relying on the blessings of an Outer God.
However, the mercenaries at his side moved swiftly. Among them, a woman on the right stepped forward, shouting sharply.
“How dare you!”
She drew her sword and, just as she had sliced through Diem's arrows earlier, she attempted to intercept Ian.
Her blade, shrouded in a blue glow, swung fiercely. But Ian was no arrow—he could dodge.
Lowering his stance, Ian thrust his right foot forward.
Screeeeech!
With a screeching sound as his shoe soles scraped against the ground, Ian abruptly stopped right in front of the mercenary woman.
Her sword, meant for Ian, cleaved through empty air.
Their gazes met. In that brief instant, myriad emotions flickered in her eyes.
Though she was bound to Talion's will, she was not an emotionless puppet.
Anxiety, unease, shock—a mix of emotions were evident.
Ian’s holy sword severed her arm, and in the next instant, his dagger pierced her throat.
Behind him, Cyphry emerged from the shadow of another mercenary, slicing their throat with a dagger.
In an instant, two mercenaries were eliminated.
Ian turned his gaze to Talion.
But instead of Talion’s figure, what filled his view was a thick pair of black wings.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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