novelraw Chapter 35 : Ritual of the Mad Demon and the Egg of Darkness (4)
Chapter 35 : Ritual of the Mad Demon and the Egg of Darkness (4)
Chapter 35: Ritual of the Mad Demon and the Egg of Darkness (4)
Damn it.
A curse welled up from deep inside him.
And for good reason.
The being before his eyes was on a completely different level from Meiba.
A monster who had ascended to the seat of the Sixth Moon.
[White Spirit]
Occupation: Intermediate Administrator
Rank: Sixth Moon (月), 12th Star (星)
Innate Ability: Snow Plum Blossom
Description: A perfectionist. Possesses a dictatorial disposition, unable to rest easy unless everything proceeds under their control. Currently obsessed with gathering promising talents for some unknown reason.
[The level of ‘Eye of the Prophet’ is too low to access ‘Special Information’.]
Throb! Throb!
For a moment, the pressure weighing upon his eyes nearly made him lose consciousness.
‘Krrgh.’
Yohan swallowed a groan inwardly.
When he had peeked at Vivian before, the fortune boost from the ‘White Flame Lighter’ had shielded him from this.
But at Lv2, it was nowhere near enough.
At least Lv5 or higher would be needed. Otherwise, the aftereffects would be severe.
Still, whining about pain now would be a luxury he couldn’t afford.
The Intermediate Administrator, baring sharp fangs and growling, looked greatly displeased.
“This… you’ve done something quite entertaining.”
At White Spirit’s feet, Priscilla and Meiba trembled violently, bound in golden chains.
“I–I was wrong.”
“Please forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me. I never meant it that way.”
If only they could offer some sort of excuse.
But the Low Administrators, consumed by fear, had completely lost their reason before White Spirit.
‘The only one still alive is probably Kim Geunsik.’
That guy too had only postponed his execution thanks to receiving the Knight’s Token.
After all, they couldn’t kill a valuable talent selected to advance the episode like an insect.
Meanwhile, the other priests of the Requiem Cult were all headless.
Scarlet blood flowed like a river.
The iron stench slowly numbed his sense of smell.
And amidst that dreadful carnage—
“Now then, answer me. Were these fools the ones who lured you in and proposed the contract? Whispering sweet promises that if you followed their lead, they’d give you every support?”
The answer to that question would decide the fates of the two Low Administrators.
“……”
Kim Geunsik remained silent.
He seemed to be calculating coldly in his head, though Meiba’s life likely held little weight in that equation.
He was openly ignoring her desperate eyes.
That was the kind of relationship they had to begin with—
One that merely used each other.
Tsk.
Yohan clicked his tongue, looking at Priscilla’s bright, tearful eyes.
No helping it then.
If this was unavoidable, then it was time to lay a new board altogether.
“How strange.”
The words he uttered were a quiet murmur of genuine curiosity.
“What is strange?”
“As far as I know, an Administrator’s role is to ensure that an episode unfolds interestingly within its designated framework. I’m merely curious when petty corruption among minor Administrators became the central focus.”
At Yohan’s words, White Spirit’s lips twitched faintly.
“Oh? Are you trying to lecture me about an Administrator’s role?”
“I wouldn’t dare. I simply meant that this whole mess stems more from the fault of those beings called the Evil Gods. That’s all I wished to point out.”
The Requiem Cult’s rampage here was all in service of expanding the Evil Gods’ influence.
If blame must be cast, shouldn’t it be directed that way?
If they dared to meddle in a sacred episode, they should be punished for it. Don’t you agree?
Of course—
Even White Spirit would find it difficult to directly accuse the Evil Gods—Solomon’s 72 Demon Kings.
Their power was vast enough to influence entire episodes.
“Brandishing shallow knowledge and even tacking on a veneer of politeness… it’s quite irritating. Using the Evil Gods as your shield—are you calculating that I’d lose justification to judge you?”
Murderous intent glimmered in White Spirit’s eyes.
It didn’t seem to be working.
“Don’t be mistaken. If I wished, I could erase this very inflection point from existence. Losing two of you would not affect the episode in the slightest.”
Snowflakes began to gather.
The duty of an Administrator who guarded the Episode and System—now it sought to fulfill that duty as a blade of judgment.
“If that is the will of the Great One… I shall accept it humbly.”
Yohan did not avert his gaze.
Instead, he met it head-on, his expression calm and composed.
Intermediate Administrator White Spirit.
Yes, an impressive being indeed.
But in the end, it too was merely a puppet moving within this vast Episode.
There were lines that could be crossed—
And boundaries that could not.
‘Above all, I already know.’
The reason White Spirit was gathering talented individuals.
No—
The reason he had to gather them.
That was why the tip of that blade would never turn this way.
Not without proper justification. Not just because he was being insolent.
As he expected—
White Spirit slowly lowered the hand he had raised.
Crackle.
The gathering snowflakes vanished completely.
“To not even twitch an eyebrow—your audacity deserves recognition. It seems you didn’t receive that Knight’s Token for nothing.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Don’t be too pleased. I’ll now see whether your skills match your words.”
Ding!
A status window appeared before both Yohan and Kim Geunsik.
[Sub Quest – Proof of Worth]
Description: The means and methods are free. Steal the opponent’s ‘Knight’s Token’.
If you lose, the Low Administrator allied with the loser will be erased, and the defeated party’s abilities will be sealed until the start of the third episode. In addition, their ‘Knight’s Token’ will be confiscated.
You will be judged for your sins—but if you can prove a worth beyond that, it will be overlooked.
That was what it meant.
Naturally, there was no option to refuse.
“Thank you for your grace, Administrator. I will gladly accept this challenge.”
Kim Geunsik bowed respectfully.
Without the slightest hesitation.
The source of that confidence was soon revealed.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground began to tremble.
A massive horde of Orcs was approaching from the direction of the lake.
And at an incredible speed.
“You did say all means are allowed, correct?”
“Of course.”
White Spirit answered Kim Geunsik’s question with a smile.
＊＊＊
The Orcs contracted with Kim Geunsik finally arrived on the opposite side of the lake.
Their sheer number was one thing—but the real problem was that the chieftain of the Black Fortress Tribe had personally come.
“……”
The massive Orc, over two meters tall and with pitch-black skin, was unlike the green-skinned warriors or the red-skinned warriors of the Fang of Hatred Tribe.
The murderous aura emanating from his body was so intense it could be felt even from afar.
He couldn’t use the ‘Eye of the Prophet’ again.
Having confirmed White Spirit, the fatigue weighing on his eyes had already reached its limit.
But even without using his eyes, he already knew the name of that creature.
‘Ugrah.’
The leader of the berserkers who delighted in slaughter and torture.
A warrior whose strength was enough to be classified among the upper ranks of A-class beings.
And with over a hundred Warrior-class Orcs accompanying him, there would be no chance of victory unless one brought an entire large guild’s raid party.
A relaxed expression spread across Kim Geunsik’s face.
White Spirit, too, wore a faint, curious smile as he looked at Yohan.
As if to say—since the outcome was already decided, what would he do now?
That if he cried and begged for his life, perhaps he might be spared. That was what White Spirit’s lips seemed to convey.
However, what came out of Yohan’s mouth was not a declaration of surrender.
“If this Sub Quest has such difficulty, shouldn’t the reward be worthy of it? It’s hard to find motivation when there’s no real benefit involved.”
A bold attempt to secure his own gain.
Watching that, Priscilla looked as though she were about to burst into tears.
As someone sharing his fate, this situation could only feel all the more hopeless.
White Spirit, on the other hand, began to chuckle louder and louder, as if finding it all thoroughly entertaining.
“Hahaha! Incredible. To speak of rewards in a situation like this—you’re clearly not in your right mind. Still, since you’re not wrong, I’ll make an exception and add a special clause. Tell me. What do you want?”
White Spirit waved a hand through the air.
A massive quill appeared and began writing at the bottom of the status window.
“Skill Stones would be good. Considering the difficulty, I think ten would be a fair number.”
For a magician to acquire and use a skill, two conditions had to be met.
The first was a ‘Skill Book.’
A tome containing the sealed essence of magic, such as ‘Fireball’ or ‘Lightning Bolt.’
The second was the ‘Skill Stone’ required to master that Skill Book.
Lower-tier spells required fewer Skill Stones, while higher-tier magic demanded more.
Having only one was useless; only by fulfilling both conditions could a magician actually use the skill.
‘Well, unless someone inherited a previous class or had innate talent like that magic scholar from Canada….’
Magic used without the aid of Skill Books and Skill Stones was weaker by comparison.
That was a rule that applied in 99.99% of cases.
“Do you even realize how valuable ten Skill Stones are this early on?”
“I can’t say I do, but I do know that a bet involving a Knight’s Token isn’t something to take lightly. My Administrator told me this mark would play an important role around the third… or was it the fourth episode?”
“Honestly, Priscilla, this chatterbox’s mouth is as light as a feather. I’m almost tempted to cut it off entirely.”
White Spirit frowned.
He assumed everything Yohan knew had come from Priscilla.
And since she stood precariously on the border between usefulness and punishment, it made her difficult to dispose of outright.
Priscilla shook her head violently, but Yohan pretended not to notice.
They were both as good as dead if he failed anyway, so what difference would one more grudge make?
More importantly—
White Spirit would find it difficult to act rashly in this situation.
[Several divine beings show interest in the ‘Black Lake’.]
[Some deities express favor toward Kang Yohan.]
[The Demon Kings of Solomon desire Kim Geunsik’s victory.]
Given the nature of the Episodes—unfolding simultaneously across the entire world—those divine beings would naturally seek out scenes that offered greater entertainment.
In Korea, of course, the ‘Rock Cave’ where Seo Changhee was would be the hottest spot.
That place was witnessing a massive battle among five united Orc tribes.
Come to think of it, by now that monstrous man in America should have awakened.
And the princess of the Hestia Empire would have realized her fate.
Russia, too—those lurking silently within the dark zones, waiting for their moment—shouldn’t be forgotten either.
Promising talents, large guilds, various cults, and hidden forces that had crossed over during the Second Impact—
There was no shortage of spectacles to watch.
But Yohan could swear that no scene would be more entertaining than this one.
A duel between two mortals, wagering the lives of their Low Administrators.
No one could resist watching that.
It was a guaranteed box-office hit.
“Very well. Considering your disadvantage, the reward shall be ten Skill Stones. Kim Geunsik, if you win, you’ll receive half that number as your reward.”
White Spirit’s quill moved once more.
New lines about the reward appeared at the bottom of the status window.
＊＊＊
White Spirit, Priscilla, and Meiba vanished from sight.
And shortly after, Ugrah approached, leading his personal guards toward Kim Geunsik’s position.
Over a hundred of his detached troops headed toward the area where Scarlett and the Arcane Guild were located.
“It seems things have gone wrong. The sacrifices are all still alive, and the ritual appears to have already ended?”
“There was an intruder.”
Kim Geunsik pointed toward Yohan.
Yohan simply smiled and waved in response.
To remain that calm before three thousand warriors—
Either he had gone completely insane,
Or his sense of fear had been entirely erased.
He was no ordinary human.
“I can somewhat understand why your plan failed. Still, a deal is a deal. I expect what was promised to be delivered.”
“One of your subordinates, Kaimaju, acted on his own. That was one of the reasons for our failure.”
“Khukhukhuk! What a pathetic excuse. If he overstepped, you should have stopped him. If he kept defying you, you could’ve just cut off his head. Either way, it’s none of my concern.”
Skk—
Clank.
Numerous Warrior-class Orcs surrounded Kim Geunsik.
Having lost all the priests, Kim Geunsik was now completely alone.
No matter how long he resisted, only a pointless death awaited him.
“You really leave me no choice.”
With a sigh, Kim Geunsik reached into his robes, pulled something out, and handed it to Ugrah.
“Khahaha! Excellent! Finally, I can try it for myself!”
Laughing madly, Ugrah clenched his fist.
Crack!
Something inside his hand shattered.
A purple smoke began to seep out from between his fingers.
A sinister aura filled the air, sending a chill through their hearts.
“What did you just release?”
Yohan asked.
Then—
Ugrah replied with a faint smile.
“Despair.”
From this moment on,
a nightmare would descend upon humankind.