novelraw Chapter 156 - 154: Seems a Little Too Dark
Chapter 156 - 154: Seems a Little Too Dark
The platinum-blonde girl had no such reservations. No matter how intimidating Westheid appeared, she approached at once and bowed.
"Brother?"
Westheid asked in a low voice, "What are the casualties?"
"We returned just in time. Although the defensive lines were basically riddled with holes like a sieve, not a single settlement has fallen. Casualties were kept to a minimum."
Yolanda replied immediately, "This is all to your credit."
"Heh, credit? It’s just locking the barn door after the horse has bolted. I was too hasty and too careless."
Westheid sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.
’He thought he understood Chaos well enough. After his first greedy gamble paid off handsomely, he made a second and third high-stakes bet. But in the end, Westheid couldn’t predict the future. As it turned out, a completely unknown Dirt World Desolate God was enough to leave him sweating bullets. He had almost lost control of the whole situation.’
’He had even forced Mivana to make that necessary sacrifice... How infuriating.’
Duke Qinghui stood up, patting the dust from his clothes.
"...Where’s Mivana? What’s the situation in the Purity Forest?"
"The Purity Forest... The Chaos Army surrounding the Holy Land has completely dispersed. They suffered a heavy blow from Miss Mivana and could no longer maintain their encirclement. As for her now... she has probably headed deeper into the Chaos Domain."
At the mention of Mivana, Yolanda’s expression was also one of astonishment. She looked at Westheid and said,
"Brother, you knew all along that this Ranger Knight was... No wonder you invited her to join. She alone is enough to drive out the Chaos Demon Army from the Purity Forest."
"That wasn’t actually my goal. What kind of person do you take me for?"
Westheid glanced at Yolanda. ’My dear sister is just assuming I sacrificed the Lady Knight. I mean, I might play dirty, but I’m not *that* dirty, am I?’
Yolanda answered instantly, "The great patriarch who will stop at nothing to revive the glory of Qinghui!"
"...Never mind. For now, consolidate our forces. We can’t rule out the possibility of another incident. As for me, I’m going to bring Mivana back."
"Yes, I will make the arrangements at once..."
Yolanda nodded instinctively, but then she realized what the Patriarch had said, and her lovely eyes flew wide.
"Wait, Brother, you intend to face that Monster alone? No, no, no... You can’t! Absolutely not! You’ll die!"
Even from a distant glimpse through a scouting Technique, Yolanda knew just how terrifying Mivana had become. That kind of Monster was an existence that couldn’t even be touched.
Yolanda did her utmost to stop him, only to be met with a scoff from Westheid.
"Death? Am I afraid of death?"
Westheid looked at his sister and said in a low, somber tone,
"...Yolanda, do you know what is most important for a person?"
Before Yolanda could open her mouth, Westheid answered his own question.
"It is accountability, commitment, and responsibility."
’This situation is no longer a matter of sharing a Tier T0 Talent!’
’Westheid had personally brought Mivana to face the Dirt World Desolate God Suo Ha. Because she trusted him, the Wolf-eared Maiden had followed without a second thought. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she’d launched a kamikaze attack against the Chaos threatening the Purity Forest.’
’Was Westheid supposed to use "there was nothing I could do" as an excuse to stand by and do nothing? To just let Mivana become lost in the Chaos Domain, then offer a few words of regretful mourning?’
’The power Westheid pursued could be brutal. It could be licentious. It could be reckless and unrestrained, allowing him to do as he pleased.’
’But the one thing it could not be was despicable.’
’If he truly became a despicable coward, Westheid would have no claim to the title of "Powerhouse." He might as well just drop dead.’
"That’s why I must go and bring Mivana back. It’s a matter of principle."
Yolanda hesitated, "But... but..."
"No buts. My mind is made up. Besides, I’m not going there to get myself killed. If I’m daring to do this, it’s because I’m confident I can succeed."
’Of course, confidence isn’t the same as guaranteed success. That’s perfectly normal, right?’
"In that case, I understand."
Yolanda knew her brother’s personality well. He never did anything without a reason. More importantly, once he made a decision, he was an autocrat. No one could stop Duke Qinghui.
"Only... please, have pity on the Purity People gathered here. If it truly becomes impossible, please, value your own life."
Westheid glanced back at the Ying Riverbank, at the countless subjects gazing at him with hope and adoration.
He gripped the scabbard of Shadow-Born and departed, leaving behind only a single, soft-spoken phrase.
"I will."
Westheid then headed straight for the edge of the Purity Forest.
’Though he’d put on a cool and dashing act for Yolanda, Westheid knew he was likely no match for Mivana in her berserk state.’
’That was putting it modestly. Objectively speaking, he would get his face ground into the dirt. There was no fighting her whatsoever. The opponent was a cheater.’
’So, if he wanted to beat Mivana back to her senses, he’d have to use a cheat of his own.’
’Mivana started it. Why can’t I use one, too?’
As for a way for Westheid to gain immense power at this moment... there was only the pact with the Great Demon.
Westheid slowly drew Shadow-Born, his gaze fixed on the deep, uncanny glow flowing along the crimson blade.
Whispers filled his ears.
[You feel Its call. Do you wish to enter the Secret Realm?]
This prompt appeared every time he unsheathed Shadow-Born, but as long as he ignored it, he could still use the sword as he wished. It didn’t stop Westheid from happily carving his way through enemies.
Taking a deep breath, Westheid dropped all his defenses and allowed the whispers to submerge him.
DING—
A sudden wave of vertigo washed over Westheid, making him lose his sense of direction.
But this disquieting vertigo lasted only a moment. When Westheid regained consciousness, the scene before his eyes had completely changed.
Westheid’s eyelids drooped slightly. "A Demon Secret Realm? I can’t believe I entered so easily. It doesn’t feel real."
Every Great Demon possesses its own unique Secret Realm, which can also be considered the Imaginary Space of these Celestial God’s Shadows. It is the plane of existence closest to the Demon.
Even among the Societies that worshiped Demons, entering a Demon Secret Realm was considered the highest of blessings. And even if the Master of Extinction was a Demon friendly toward humanity, wasn’t pulling someone into its Imaginary World on the first go a bit overly familiar?
After a brief moment of reflection, Westheid began to survey the Master of Extinction’s Imaginary Space.
The first thing to meet his eyes was a massive metropolis, now almost completely in ruins.
Countless skyscrapers had collapsed, like building blocks sinking into a quagmire. From their exteriors, eroded by eons of time, he could faintly guess at what a prosperous and flourishing civilization this had once been.
’In any case, a single glance was enough for Westheid to tell that its scale surpassed even that of the Imperial Capital.’
High in the sky hung a stark black sun, shrouded in vast shadows. It cast a dim glow, its blood-red corona staining the skyline.
As Westheid explored further, he got a better sense of the fundamental tone of this Imaginary Space.
It was a city that seemed to be sinking into black sand and sludge, littered with countless scattered weapons. A gray mist created an eerily quiet atmosphere. The air was thick with the lingering stench of blood, yet not a single corpse was to be seen.
Ruined, desolate, somber...
"The Master of Extinction’s psyche seems a bit... too dark."