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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 148
Talion stood before the burning Outer Gate, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
Ian could see him crouch briefly, preparing to move in a certain direction, but he quickly lost track of Talion.
Immediately, Ian drew upon his magical energy, gripping his holy sword tightly. A foreign presence entered the radius of his Sixth Sense.
As he turned his gaze to the left, he spotted Talion folding his wings and lowering his body, spinning as though performing acrobatics.
He moved like a bird, his body fluid and agile. The folded wings spread wide, skimming the ground as they approached.
Shhhhaaa!
"Hah."
Ian retreated swiftly instead of blocking the incoming attack with his sword.
The wings, massive and covered with feathers reminiscent of an eagle's, moved more like tentacles.
They extended suddenly and unnaturally bent to strike at him.
Had Ian not evaded immediately, the blow would have hit him squarely.
Ian scattered magical energy into the air as if sowing seeds.
[Bane of Evil]
[Blazing Flame Formation, Multi Deployment]
Dozens of flames burst into life, fiery orbs surging forward in an instant.
Talion shielded himself with his massive wings, wrapping them around his body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fireballs collided with the wings, erupting in explosions and cascading flames.
Despite being engulfed in fire, Talion's silhouette appeared completely unharmed.
As the previously folded wings unfurled, the intense heat and flames dispersed like waves.
Talion emerged from within, walking unhurriedly.
"Is this all? I'm disappointed."
Ian let out a dry laugh.
"Impressive, really. Not a single scorch mark? Isn't that a bit unfair?"
The Blazing Flame Formation, created by Dior, was designed to amplify the scale of fire and spread its heat.
However, its strength was far from weak.
Since it carried the unique properties of Bane of Evil, it inflicted significant damage on entities belonging to the Outer World.
Naturally, those wings should not have been an exception, yet they appeared unscathed, likely due to their exceptional durability.
"Perhaps it means your skills are lacking?"
"Hah. Anyone would think those wings were your innate ability."
Talion frowned as if Ian had struck a nerve.
"Hmm. Is it that obvious?"
"You're exuding such ominous magic. How could anyone not notice?"
It was clear that the Outer God—a fallen star—had granted Talion the wings as a gift. There was no other plausible explanation.
What puzzled Ian, however, was the magic itself. The consumption must have been immense, so how was Talion sustaining it?
Unlike Elarcia, he wasn’t using the Outer Gate as an energy source.
Was the Outer God assisting him by bearing the cost? That seemed highly likely.
Still, it didn’t mean he was invincible. There was always a way to overcome such powers.
It was likely that the wings could nullify attacks below a certain threshold, but they were not impervious.
"I thought I had mastered controlling them like an extension of myself, but it seems I still have much to learn."
At Talion's light gesture, the wings moved with intricate precision. There was no awkwardness in their motion.
However, Talion nodded with a subtle expression of dissatisfaction.
"Well, it’s fine. Time is on my side, after all. Even if you figure it out, nothing will change immediately. I’ll consider this practice and keep going."
As he crouched down, Talion dashed toward Ian once more.
The moment Talion fully unfurled his wings, some mysterious force seemed to activate like magic, accelerating him at a tremendous speed.
There was no escaping this time. Ian didn’t lose sight of him and even perceived him with his enhanced senses, but he didn’t have enough time to react.
Clang!
Ian raised his sword to block the wing, but the sheer weight behind it pushed him back, leaving him unable to withstand the force.
“Ugh!”
Boom!
As Ian’s feet left the ground, his body was slammed into one of the temple’s pillars.
Talion immediately launched himself again, driving his fist forward.
In the brief moment it took, Ian had encased himself in flames like armor to minimize the impact and caught Talion’s punch with his hand.
Thwack!
Unlike his wings, Talion’s physical strength was on par with Ian’s.
For a moment, Talion’s movements halted, and Cyphry appeared above Ian.
“…!”
Startled, Talion instinctively flapped his wings, trying to retreat, but it was already too late.
As if defying gravity, Cyphry, who had been clinging to the pillar, slashed down with a dagger in a swift arc.
It all happened almost simultaneously with Talion’s retreat.
Slash!
“Guh!”
Talion’s wrist was cleanly severed. Had he been just a fraction faster, he might have escaped unscathed.
The sharp pain emanating from his severed wrist snapped Talion’s focus back to reality as he spun his body around.
Whoosh!
His wings, now raised like blades, sliced through a pillar thicker than most ancient trees in a single sweep.
Shhhk!
But Cyphry dispersed like dust, and Ian had long since escaped from the pillar’s debris.
The blood dripping from his wrist and the searing pain jolted Talion’s mind. His face contorted into a vicious grimace.
It wasn’t the loss of a limb that frustrated him the most—it was the self-reproach for making the wrong decision.
He should have maintained steady pressure, but emboldened by a moment of momentum, he recklessly engaged in close combat—a mistake he now regretted.
Still, the past was unchangeable. All he could do was press on more cautiously from now on.
To Talion, his body was secondary to his wings, which were essentially his true core. All his attacks and defenses revolved around them.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
His wings became swords, shields, and blunt weapons, all at once.
Yet Ian managed to slip past them with remarkable skill.
Frustration bubbled up. Ian seemed so close, as if Talion could reach him, but no matter how much he extended his wings or quickened their movements, Ian eluded him.
If only the wings could stretch just a bit farther. If only they could move just a bit faster. Then he could shred that infuriating man into pieces.
But Ian continued to evade by the narrowest of margins. On top of that, Cyphry’s intermittent interferences were endlessly irritating.
“You’re like a rat! Do you think you can keep this up forever?”
“Forever,” Ian replied with a faint smirk.
The ability to accelerate so suddenly had initially caught Ian off guard, but after adjusting, he regained his composure.
Of course, that didn’t mean he could let down his guard.
Every one of Talion’s attacks was designed with lethal precision, as if tailored for assassination—a testament to the skills Ian had once been taught by Cyphry.
Ian struck the tip of Talion’s wing with force, knocking it upward.
“Getting impatient, are we? You seem a bit flustered.”
“Who do you think you’re mocking right now!?” Talion snapped.
Pretending to strongly deny it, there was a subtle tremor in his tone.
“Really? Aren’t those wings’ maintenance time almost up?”
Talion's eyes twitched momentarily. He suddenly became curious.
How did he know? Did Cyphry tell him? That couldn’t be.
He had shared a lot to persuade him, but he had been completely silent about the wings.
After hearing everything, when the person called him a traitor and came at him with hostility, Talion had briefly shown his wings, but they hadn’t even properly clashed, so there was no way he could have figured everything out.
In the end, he had deduced it himself.
“I don’t know what price you paid, but you must have borrowed the authority of an outsider or an apostle temporarily. Seems like you're quite favored. Those types tend to change into horrible forms.”
It would be considered a parasitic summoning type.
Though not common, a few dark mages who had made contracts with outsiders had brought out similar powers before.
They had been in danger a few times after demonstrating abilities beyond their capabilities, but unlike them, Talion seemed to have minimal physical transformations and appeared to retain his self-consciousness.
“If you're envious, why don't you also submit to the Morning Star?”
“Oh, are you telling me I should even close the outer gate that I’ve been diligently opening...?”
BANG!
While speaking, a violent burst of energy erupted from the right. The ominous-colored outer gate, which had been spilling chaotic hues, finally shut.
There was no trace left of the gap that had been engulfed in flames, burning fiercely. With nothing more to burn, the flames quickly extinguished.
Ian glanced at the platform above and continued speaking.
“I closed it, yet you’re still willing to accept it? The outsider you believe in seems remarkably merciful.”
“Of course, you’ll have to provide proof of your faith. One arm. Or one eye. Which would you prefer?”
“I never said I would submit.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry. I’ll remove it for you painlessly.”
One of Talion’s wings shot up and suddenly pierced a small shadow behind him.
BOOM!
The surroundings shook with a loud explosion.
“But Cyphry, you are not the one.”
Talion’s gaze was cold as it swept over the shadow.
“You’ve already squandered several opportunities. Unless the Morning Star himself says he will embrace you, I won’t accept you.”
—Anyone would think I’m begging to be accepted by now. Talion, even if I were to meet death in this very moment, my heart would not waver.
The voice echoed calmly, filled with the determination that no matter the cost, his will would not bend.
It seemed inevitable. After cursing the outside world and calling it trash, wasn’t it laughable to now succumb?
Talion pondered a way to turn the tide of the situation.
‘Should I run?’
That would be the wisest option. Since the outer gate had closed, the isolated space would have returned to normal.
He could immediately break through the ceiling and escape outside. But retreating now would be a blow to his pride.
At that moment, his gaze shifted to the platform.
Though the outer gate that had been open earlier was now gone, the sacred spear, which had been corrupted by the magical energy leaking from the gate, was still firmly embedded in place.
“Aigeios.”
Should he take that?
Its exact origin was unknown. It was said to be a treasure once held by a guardian who had carved a temple into this mountain long ago.
For countless years, this spear had continuously radiated a sacred light, blessing visitors with its divine aura.
The history of the temple, from beginning to end, was also intertwined with this deeply symbolic object, having accompanied it through the ages.
The hesitation didn’t last long. Talion swung his wing wide. Not only did it scrape the ground, but it also flipped over, sending shards flying in all directions.
His destination was the platform above.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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