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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 147
"!"
Wings surrounded by abundant feathers filled Ian’s field of vision as they approached.
Their surface area was immense, and their speed and mass were anything but light.
Dodging rather than blocking seemed to be the better option. It was clearly the best choice in this situation.
However, Ian forcefully suppressed his instinct to retreat. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, holding his stance.
‘I’ll cut it down.’
He channeled magical energy into the Holy Sword. Flames roared violently, gathering at the blade before being compressed.
It happened in an instant. Though not flashy, it exuded an ominous and threatening aura.
[Bane of Evil: Fifth Form]
Ian’s eyes gleamed sharply.
[Judgment, Punishment by Execution]
With explosive momentum, the sword in his hand was swung swiftly, colliding with the wings that seemed to push into the space around them.
Ka-aa-aang!
"!?"
Ian, who had intended to slice through the wings and break through, was taken aback.
Judgment was a technique designed with the intent of delivering summary execution to evil entities.
Among the forms of Bane of Evil that Ian could currently use, it boasted the greatest cutting power, yet it failed to sever the wings.
A strong recoil, as if striking metal, traveled up to his fingertips. Though it didn’t push him back, he was forced to push the wings away, clearing his field of vision.
But that reprieve was fleeting. Two of the remaining mercenaries closed the distance immediately.
"How dare you raise your sword against us!"
"I’ll kill you!"
Looking at them, Ian felt pity. There wasn’t even a hint of doubt in their eyes about this situation.
They had just witnessed two of their comrades perish moments ago, yet there was no fear or anger—only pure killing intent.
A blind and absolute loyalty to Talion.
‘Innocent would’ve wanted survivors…’
Regrettably, Ian had no tools to subdue them.
There were ropes in the prepared supplies, but tying up magic users with them was realistically impossible. In the end, he had no choice but to kill them.
[I’ll take the left.]
Like a moving storm cloud, Cyphry passed by Ian’s side.
The moment he confirmed it, Ian dashed to the right.
"Aaaaargh!"
The charging mercenary let out a roar, opening his mouth wide enough to reveal his throat.
It was a distraction. As the opponent swung his sword widely, Ian frowned.
The mercenary’s body split into two, each moving differently. Both seemed tangible, but one was an illusion.
Even without relying on heightened senses, Ian could discern which was real.
Kaang!
"What the—?!"
The mercenary’s eyes widened in shock as their swords clashed.
A look of astonishment. It seemed that the source of his confidence had been shattered.
As the blades tangled, the light grip caused his stance to falter.
Perhaps he was somewhat experienced, as he quickly attempted a counterattack. However, Ian had already anticipated it and mercilessly pressed the blade against the mercenary’s neck.
"Wait…!"
Without hesitation, Ian cut him down, ignoring his opponent’s desperate plea.
The Holy Sword proved its sharpness, cleaving through flesh and bone effortlessly, demonstrating it hadn’t dulled when it failed to sever the wing earlier.
The event unfolded so swiftly that the mercenary had no time to react.
Splaash!
Unless a high-ranking priest arrived to perform restoration magic, there was no chance of survival.
Ian glanced briefly at the mercenary, who collapsed to his knees. A faint glow emanated from the bracelet on the man’s wrist.
‘A relic?’
No, it seemed far too crude for that.
Judging by its lack of sophistication, it was likely an artifact of some kind. Its utility against both monsters and humans would have proven quite handy.
Ian immediately retrieved the bracelet and fastened it to his own wrist.
Though its method of activation was unclear, channeling magical energy into it would likely suffice. Even if it were cursed, Ian trusted in Bane of Evil’s purifying capabilities.
‘The other mercenaries probably have useful items as well.’
There wasn’t time to inspect them now, but once the situation was resolved, checking their belongings might prove worthwhile.
A deep, guttural roar resounded, pulling Ian’s attention.
Despite Gawain and the others’ efforts to reduce the number of undead and close the distance, not all had been drawn to them.
Extending flames from his hand, Ian violently scattered them across the ground.
Fwoosh—
The fire, striking the ground like liquid, moved unnaturally, slithering like a living snake.
The flames, fueled by his magic, created a barrier that halted the approaching undead.
‘Where’s Cyphry?’
He had just finished dispatching another mercenary, holding a bloodied head in his hand.
Ian frowned at the sight. Cyphry could have simply ended the enemy’s life without such theatrics.
As Cyphry tossed the head aside, a voice filled with resentment echoed.
“Master.”
Both Ian and Cyphry turned their gazes simultaneously.
In the brief moment of distraction, Talion had retreated to the outer gate.
Without flapping his wings, Talion hovered in midair, his wings outstretched.
-Talion.
“You insist on blocking my path to the end.”
-As a traitor, it’s inevitable.
“What about my sister? No, that’s a foolish question. Your presence here means you’ve already dealt with her. Did you kill her?”
-Yes. I ended it with my own hands.
Talion sneered in derision.
“How remarkable. Does it not faze you? We returned from death to live once more, to see the light of this world again, to achieve what we couldn’t in our past lives. It wasn’t your god, whom you blindly followed, but the Fallen Star who gave us this chance. And yet, you waste it so foolishly?”
Cyphry tilted his head mockingly.
-Was that truly my will?
“Does that matter?”
-It does. This mocks not just me but you all as well.
The sword of light did not fail to sever the wings, not because it had dulled, but as if to prove that it was still sharp enough to slice through flesh and bone in an instant.
The act was done in the blink of an eye, with no chance for intervention.
The sound of cutting through flesh echoed in the air!
Unless a high-ranking priest came to heal, the fallen soldier would never rise again.
Ian glanced down at the mercenary on the ground, noticing the faint glow emanating from the bracelet on his wrist.
Is this an artifact?
No. It didn’t seem refined enough for that. Judging from its lack of precision, it was likely a type of artifact. How much magical energy would it consume? How much time does it take to activate? Regardless, it seemed very useful in combat against both monsters and humans.
Ian immediately took the bracelet and fastened it onto his wrist. The exact usage was unclear, but releasing some magical energy might activate it. While there might be a risk of contamination by curses, he trusted in the purifying power of the item.
The other mercenaries might have something useful too.
With time running out, Ian planned to check their belongings once the situation was settled. There could be something of use among their possessions.
A distant howl reached his ears.
Ian turned his head. The undead were now closing in.
Flames swirled in his grasp, and he shot the fire toward the ground with intensity.
The fire spread rapidly across the earth, burning fiercely like snakes writhing as they slithered forward.
Cyphry?
Cyphry had just finished dealing with the mercenaries, holding a blood-dripping head in his hand.
Ian furrowed his brow. He could have just killed them, but why end it like this?
As he threw the head aside, a voice filled with resentment echoed.
"Master."
Ian turned to face Cyphry and, at the same moment, noticed Talion retreating toward the outer gates. With no winged flight, he simply hovered in the air, his wings spread wide.
Talion.
"You’re blocking my path once again."
It’s only natural, as you too are a traitor.
“What about your sister? Oh wait, that’s a foolish question. The mere fact that you’re here suggests you’ve had a hand in it. Did you kill her?”
Yes, I ended it myself.
Talion scoffed, mocking the situation.
"How impressive. Aren’t you unaffected by it? We returned from death, given another chance to see the light of this world. To achieve what we couldn’t in our past lives. This opportunity was not granted by the god you followed, but by the ‘Fallen Star.’ But now you’re squandering it."
Cyphry took a defiant stance.
Was that truly my will?
“Does it matter?”
It does. Because it’s not just me you insult, but all of us.
Talion laughed bitterly, his voice echoing with disbelief.
Ian had heard enough. He had no intention of continuing to listen to their conversation.
"..."
Talion’s movement was swift. While engaged in conversation with Cyphry, he kept a sharp eye on Ian, immediately reacting.
With a single powerful flap, his black wings spread widely. In that instant, dozens of feathers shot from his wings, splitting and filling the air, each one becoming an arrow aimed at Ian.
The feathers rained down like a storm, but Ian didn’t stop. Instead, he accelerated, moving faster as the sound of feathers embedding into the ground followed him.
In no time, he reached the platform, igniting flames in his palm.
Whoosh!
The black wings with sharpened tips were aimed at him, but Ian, knowing their metallic strength, didn’t try to block them. Instead, he retreated.
Bang!
The ground shattered under the force, sending fragments flying as the wings continued their relentless pursuit.
Despite appearing soft, the wings moved with a bizarre, serpent-like agility, bending and elongating in ways that defied logic.
Ian’s eyes briefly shifted to the bracelet on his wrist.
Now’s the time.
A faint glow pulsed from the bracelet, accompanied by a subtle tremor.
The first time Ian used the artifact, he was unsure whether it had activated correctly, but the prelude suggested that the conditions for activation had been met.
His body began to blur, and an illusion appeared, causing him to be flung backward. The use was clumsy, but it worked.
Did it work?
Uncertain, but he decided to make a quick change in direction. Talion’s black wings were chasing the illusion.
It was successful. Ian immediately leapt forward, glancing back.
Boom!
The wings crashed through the illusion. At the moment they hit, the illusion shattered like glass and dispersed into the air.
“What?!”
Talion’s eyes widened in surprise as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
Luck was on Ian’s side, and he was able to spot him almost immediately, but it was already too late.
Standing next to the holy weapon, the spear glowing with divine energy, Ian flung the flames he had gathered in his left hand toward the outer gate.
[Bane of Evil 5th Form, Punishment – Immolation]
At first glance, it appeared to be ordinary flames, but as soon as they engulfed the outer gate...
BOOOOM!
The flames surged fiercely, devouring the rift in the air like a beast opening its jaws.
As the flames raged, the outer gate began to close, as if it were healing the wounds inflicted upon it.
“No!”
Talion rushed forward, throwing himself in front of the gate. He desperately tried to use his wings to suppress the flames.
But it was futile. The futile attempt only intensified the bitterness in his gaze as he glared at Ian.
“Do you know what you’ve done?!”
“I’m sure I know. You mentioned that once the outer gate turned purple, we could escape this sealed space, right?”
“….”
Ian shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, grinning mischievously.
“You can close the outer gate, but you’ll still be stuck in this sealed space. In fact, this is a much safer method. I don’t understand why you’re so upset. You should be thanking me.”
“You… you don’t understand, do you?”
“I hear that a lot. Honestly, I don’t even want to have a proper conversation with someone like you. Let’s cut the pointless chatter and finish this.”
Talion twisted his face into a menacing grin, the corners of his mouth curling up maliciously.
“Alright. Let’s see what you can do.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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