novelraw Chapter 137 : Face of Calamity (1)
Chapter 137 : Face of Calamity (1)
Chapter 137: Face of Calamity (1)
Kugugugug…!
“A sudden earthquake…?!”
“Where’s the epicenter?!”
“It seems to be near the trunk!”
The tremors were followed by a deafening roar that mercilessly battered our ears.
Kukwakwakwa-KWAAANG!
Standing above the massive crater, I muttered briefly as I looked at the revealed enemy.
“…This is insane.”
Even through the thick dust, its bloodthirsty red eyes gleamed vividly.
As the dust settled, its full form came into view.
Its humanoid body was entirely covered in pitch-black spikes, as if it wore a thick full-body armor.
On top of that, a dark blue-black aura clung heavily to its entire body, as though it had been coated.
“…….”
A familiar sensation suddenly ran down my spine, sending chills through me.
That same horrifying, wicked chill I had felt back in Elvrak.
“…Right.”
This was the aura of mana emitted by an SS-rank Beast.
‘Seriously, isn’t this way too fast?’
For the original Eugene Carter, this had happened years ago—but for me, it had only been a month.
With a bitter smile, I took my stance.
SS-rank Beast, Dabios of Slaughter.
True to its name, anything it brushed against would be torn apart instantly.
Whether magic or physical attacks, it was nearly impossible to deal meaningful damage to it.
In fact, it must have dug an enormous tunnel underground on its way here.
‘It probably just walked.’
And yet, the result was a passageway for the Gate Beasts—strategically advantageous, no less.
As proof, Beasts began pouring out of the hole it had created like cockroaches.
At the sight, the soldiers instinctively flinched and stepped back.
The moment I saw that, I swung my sword toward them.
Of course, I deliberately missed—but it was enough to grab their attention.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
“…….”
“You planning to run?”
“Th-that’s….”
“Can’t you see? The Believers you were fighting just now—look at them. Even they’re holding their ground, so what are you soldiers hesitating for?”
I understood.
An SS-rank Beast was essentially a calamity to humans. Ordinary civilians would go mad just from its lingering mana.
Even Special Task Force members, who had grown somewhat accustomed to Beasts through numerous battles, wouldn’t find it easy to suppress their fear.
That was exactly why they had to overcome it.
There was no future if we relied solely on heroes like me.
We needed to build a system for all of humanity—not one that depended on a single hero.
This battle was the first test of that.
We had to win.
“If this were a fight between humans, surrender might be an option. But those things are Beasts. We don’t have a choice.”
So there was only one thing to do.
Believe.
That we could win.
“If you can’t believe in yourself, believe in your comrades. Endure. Then I will definitely secure victory.”
At that—
The dim eyes of the soldiers gradually began to burn with determination.
‘…They really are a handful.’
Honestly, motivating these guys was harder than killing Beasts.
While I grumbled inwardly—
The atmosphere around us had already turned far more solemn.
Though my words were directed at a few, they were enough to steady everyone’s resolve.
I briefly glanced at the allies beside me.
Some had once been enemies.
Some would become enemies in the future.
Even so, in this moment, as I had said—
We had no choice but to trust each other and watch each other’s backs.
That was what Beasts were to humanity in this world.
Dabios, the enemy commander who had already revealed itself, silently observed us for a while.
At the peak of rising tension between both sides—
It stretched out both arms and spoke in a low, heavy voice.
“The Great One has willed it.”
A declaration of continuous battle.
“Your deaths have come.”
At the same time, the horde of Beasts waiting at the outer wall and those pouring out from the crater and the front all charged at us at once.
---
KWAAAAAANG!
The explosive clash drowned out everything—the sound of blades and claws colliding, the roars and dying screams of Beasts, the groans of the wounded, and the shouted commands.
Facing the perfectly coordinated assault of the Beasts, the combatants had no choice but to stand back-to-back.
Most of them had already reached their limits.
The Fanatics of Dellowell, who still had relatively more stamina, were instead suffering from severe mental exhaustion.
Until the Beasts intervened, this had been a war between humans—between citizens of the Empire.
The higher-ups might have seen things differently, but for those fighting on the frontlines, there had been no justification strong enough to demand further sacrifice.
As Frederick had said, if the two Executors had successfully persuaded them, the war would have ended quickly.
Instead, it was being forcibly prolonged because of the Beasts.
No matter how much they steeled themselves, their already exhausted bodies and minds wouldn’t suddenly recover.
Unless they were restored to at least a functional combat state—
There would be no victory.
And—
In this battlefield, the only one capable of doing that alone—
Was himself.
Then there was only one answer.
Even if it meant cutting his already limited lifespan in half.
Master Aleph, who had activated his trump card barrier magic, barely remained standing while leaning on his staff.
Dark blood trickled down from his lips and dripped to the ground.
“…Not something an old body should be doing.”
Still, there was no other choice.
Once a decision was made, hesitation was nothing but a luxury.
All one could do was carry out what they believed in and accept fate.
Aleph clenched his teeth, struggling to maintain his fading consciousness.
Memories from long ago flashed through his mind like a lantern parade.
Once, he had pursued wealth.
Once, he had pursued fame.
After realizing how meaningless those were, he tried to live as a seeker of truth.
Some called him the Great Teacher.
Others called him the Empire’s only Grand Mage.
He had gained many things.
Most of them had not been satisfying, but he believed they still held meaning.
Time passed relentlessly, without even allowing him to indulge in sentiment.
For someone as old as him, new discoveries or grand achievements were no longer possible.
So despite still having the strength to try, he left the tower.
He abandoned duty and responsibility and faced the world.
It was the first purposeless journey of his life.
He wandered beyond the influence of Duel.
The outside world was an even greater hell.
Humans raised blades not only against Beasts—but against their own kind.
The world they had to endure, the world they had to overcome—
Was far too much for them.
At the end of that journey, Aleph witnessed a single prophecy.
A message about the future of humanity.
There was no guarantee that prophecy would come true.
But if it did—
He thought it might be better that way.
That was how disappointing and fragile humanity seemed.
His journey ended.
He planned to spend the rest of his life fulfilling his promise to Clina White.
He was too old.
He couldn’t even handle the power struggles within the Empire, let alone save humanity.
Yet there was no one suitable to entrust the prophecy to.
Having completely given up, Aleph returned to his hometown, abandoning both duty and purpose.
It was when he passed a corner of some village—
That he heard news of a man.
A man named Eugene Carter.
The man’s path was nothing short of unprecedented.
When he openly humiliated the Orthodox Church and the Bernhardt Family at the summit, rejected the Centre Agreement, and responded to Dellowell’s declaration of war with a fight to the death—
Master Aleph decided to retract his stance just once.
Believing that the world Eugene would show, and the world his companions would build—
Would surely be different from the one he had seen.
“Now then, don’t worry about this old life of mine—go on and spread your wings freely.”
---
WAAAAA— WAAAAA—
Knowing that losing momentum meant defeat, the soldiers deliberately shouted louder to bolster their morale.
As I cut down the Beasts rushing in from all directions with minimal movements, I kept my eyes fixed on the enemy commander.
‘Of all things, my first real fight against an SS-rank Beast had to be Dabios. Just my luck.’
There were 21 types of SS-rank Beasts that appeared in MAGA.
Among them, Dabios had the most balanced offense and defense.
The steel spikes protruding from its hardened hide were reinforced with mana, making them difficult to cut.
And on top of that, it was wrapped in a dark blue-black aura specialized in defense and absorption.
If that were all, it would still be manageable—
But its absurd ability doubled the difficulty.
Active Skill: Slaughter Field.
Countless blades of mana roamed the area in random directions, shredding everything they touched.
Of course, the range could be controlled at will, since destroying the very ground it stood on would be inconvenient.
A toggleable sustained skill.
And the opening we had to exploit lay within that.
If it were a passive ability that functioned regardless of its will, it would have been even harder to deal with.
But as a high-rank Beast that acted based on its own judgment—
We could bait it as much as we wanted.
‘Then first….’
I moved toward Betty Scarletwood.
“I want to confirm its maximum firepower.”
After cleaving four Beasts rushing at her in a single strike, she fixed her gaze on Dabios.
“…Let’s try it. I was curious myself.”
Betty Scarletwood, Executor of Earth.
The successor of the Earth Guardian Deity, Gemina.
Though her offensive aptitude was lower compared to the Blood Guardian Deity, her understanding as a successor surpassed Karen’s.
In any case, no one here had ever fought Dabios directly.
For an opening engagement and reconnaissance battle—
There was no one more suitable than her.
KUUUNG!
Betty stomped the ground and charged forward, but the lesser Beasts blocked her path first.
While the mages behind fired Spears and Needles to push them aside, Karen, Frederick, and Dale took on the three A+ rank Beasts.
Their goal was clear: annihilate us and secure a firm foothold.
The Erosion Pillar was essential for that—a Demonic Tree they would prioritize protecting above all else.
“…….”
Dabios, who had been watching us silently after giving orders, took a heavy step forward.
Betty gripped her greatsword with both hands and swung with full force.
At the same time, Slaughter Field activated.
The storm of blades deflected her strike instantly.
Unfazed, she used the recoil to follow up with a second strike.
Dabios responded immediately, extending its right arm.
Ting! Tiing!
The blades couldn’t pierce Betty’s body, only releasing bursts of intense heat—but the real attack came next.
The moment her second strike was blocked by its right arm, Betty shifted her grip to one hand and thrust her left hand forward.
In response, Dabios’s left leg twisted forward in an unnatural motion.
KWAAANG!
And as black spears began to manifest behind it—
Betty slammed her right foot into the ground and shouted.
“Earth Tremor.”
Jjeeeeeeong!
The shockwave forced Dabios to retreat briefly behind the pillar.
As if such an impact meant nothing, Scatter’s barrier shimmered with its characteristic crimson glow.
After retreating several steps, she examined her body, which had entered the Slaughter Field.
“…This is….”
Fine cracks had appeared all over her body.
They soon disappeared—
But both of us reached the same conclusion at the same time.
“We have to stop that skill.”
That as long as Slaughter Field remained active—
It would be impossible to kill that monster.