novelraw Chapter 66 : Kalard von Estonpia
Chapter 66 : Kalard von Estonpia
Chapter 66: Kalard von Estonpia
One of the executives of the Redmoon Corporation.
To Kalard von Estonpia, this world was unbearably dull.
They could achieve anything they desired. Anything was possible.
Countless lives revered them, licking the dirt from their boots just to survive.
That was only natural.
It was the law of nature for higher species to devour the lower ones.
However—
Shiver...
His arm trembled slightly.
‘Am I... afraid?’
Me?
Kalard’s face twisted into a vicious grimace.
How dare that man display such insolence before him?
He would engrave the difference in class deep into his very bones.
Pzzzt!
Dozens of high-tier spells were formed in less than a second.
[Bloodline Power ‘Blood Mamba’ is being summoned!]
Crimson serpents shaped like cobras surged from every direction.
And at that very moment—
“Maintain silence. You stand before a great being.”
Vivian’s mana devoured everything in its path.
“Hissss...”
“Keek!”
The Greeds (貪) chewed the serpents to pieces.
Maple leaves scattered, and beneath them appeared a young girl with a face cold as ice.
“A witch...?”
Kalard muttered as he looked at Vivian.
The secretive faction that dwelled within the Inner World—
They rarely revealed themselves unless it was to experiment on or devour humans.
Then why—
Why would a witch move to save a mere human?
＊
Yohan stood beside Vivian, a satisfied smile on his lips.
Ahem! How about her?
She devoured anything indiscriminately and occasionally tried to rip off people’s heads—
But in moments like this, there was no one more reliable.
“I’ll leave the rear to you. I wish to have a quiet conversation, so try not to make too much of a commotion.”
Kalard had likely installed some kind of interference device on his way here to divert the Administrators’ attention.
Even a Count would face sanctions for directly intervening in an episode like this.
However, no device was perfect.
If too much chaos erupted, the Administrators would eventually notice.
“Do not worry. Please, rest easy.”
Vivian bowed politely.
“Who said you could move as you please?”
Kalard summoned a crescent-shaped blade.
Through [Blood Flow Manipulation], it became five times faster and stronger.
Kwa-kwak-kwak-kwak!
A wide-area strike powerful enough to tear through the entire cave.
And just as the blades flew toward them—
Thud!
A staff adorned with yellow eyes struck the ground.
[Vivian Astraia activates her Unique Ability ‘Greed of the Apocalypse’!]
From the ground rose countless grotesque things with teeth and eyes, surging endlessly.
The walls and ceiling were swallowed whole into Vivian’s domain.
“Kieeeeh!”
“Kyaaaah!”
It was like watching a black tide flood the world.
A sinister, dreadful energy consumed the entire space.
“W-What the...”
Only then did Kalard realize—
He had provoked an unthinkable monster.
“You... you’re no ordinary witch. Have you accepted the Blessing of the Moon? How did you acquire such power?”
He couldn’t even gauge her divine rank.
At least the Seventh Moon—
No, perhaps she had reached the Graceful Moon (嘉月), the realm of an Absolute One.
Whichever it was, she was far beyond his reach.
At this level, only one of the eight Marquises—or perhaps even a Duke—could confront her directly.
‘Damn it... I refuse to die such a ridiculous death.’
The primal instinct to flee flashed through his mind.
His movements were swift.
Papat!
Kalard, spreading his black wings, immediately hurled himself toward the laboratory.
No—he tried to.
Crunch!
A Greed (貪) that had risen from the ground sank its fangs into his leg.
The teeth burrowed deep, reaching all the way to the bone.
“Graaaah!”
Kalard screamed at the top of his lungs.
It wasn’t merely a physical attack.
An unknown fluid was being injected through the bite, tormenting his nerves to their absolute limits.
[Kalard activates ‘Blood Redemption’!]
Rumble...!
The space cracked apart.
A massive crimson sword appeared between the lines of a pentagram.
Even amidst agony and terror, his will to survive blazed fiercely for a moment.
However—
“Kieeeh!”
“Kiiiih!”
Before the sword could even be swung, the Greeds were already upon it.
Crunch. Snap!
Countless fangs gnawed away, erasing the very existence of the blade from the world.
The process took no more than a few seconds.
“M-my... my strongest technique... th-this is impossible! It can’t be happening!”
Crack! Crack!
The Greeds completely restrained Kalard’s arms and legs as he screamed.
“Shh.”
Vivian crouched before Kalard.
She gently placed a finger to her lips.
“The one I serve asked for quiet. So please, try not to scream too loudly.”
“Gh... ngh. If... if you kill me, i-it’ll be an act of war... against us. Are you declaring war on the Grand Witches’ Assembly...?”
“I don’t understand.”
Vivian tilted her head slightly.
“W-what don’t you understand? I’m a high-ranking noble! Harming me means—”
“No, not that. I mean, I clearly asked you to keep your mouth shut.”
War, witches, vampires—
She cared nothing for any of that.
What mattered was only one thing.
To follow the command she had been given.
—Do not cause too much of a commotion.
What her master desired must always be fulfilled.
“If you make noise again, it’ll hurt more.”
Vivian smiled sweetly and curled her fingers.
Crack!
Crunch!
The sounds of flesh being crushed and bones shattering filled the air.
“Ghhhaaa!!! Khh—kugh!”
From Kalard’s throat—where a scream was about to erupt—emerged Greeds, wriggling their way out.
Even the freedom to express emotion was taken from him.
Yet, due to the vampire’s resilient nature, he did not die easily.
Unfortunately, that blessed body was, in this moment, nothing short of a curse.
Crunch, crunch...
They devoured and violated him—
Overwhelming violence that consumed every last piece of flesh.
Blood splattered everywhere, and a few droplets reached Vivian’s face.
She licked the crimson drops from her lips.
And with that, Count Kalard von Estonpia of the Redmoon Corporation vanished completely from this world.
Just then—
Thunk!
A glowing mineral fell beside the grotesque remains of Kalard’s body.
A [Trait], released from those who reached a certain level of power after death.
Judging by its radiant hue, it was undoubtedly of the highest grade.
“If I bring this back, maybe I’ll be praised a little.”
A bright smile blossomed on Vivian’s face.
Her mind filled with the thought of hurrying back to deliver it.
Ah—wait, just a moment.
She almost forgot something important.
“It’s full of nutrients. I’m sure beautiful flowers will bloom.”
Vivian took out a yellow rose from subspace.
Then, she planted it right where Kalard had been.
In time, a lovely field of roses would bloom there.
＊＊＊
A night full of turmoil had passed.
After leaving the mart, Yohan and his group headed for Daejeon Station.
Departing at dawn, they arrived at the station shortly after 1 p.m.
The Yokai Train, which had already completed its Nest Formation, offered an incredibly comfortable and cozy accommodation.
“Kiki! Welcome, Sir Yohan. Hot bathwater and tuna sandwiches have been prepared, so please rest comfortably.”
Following the guidance of the Conductor Yokai, the room prepared for them was on par with a five-star hotel suite.
“Khahaha! Thanks to this, we’ll be staying in a fine place indeed.”
“Heehee. Not bad, brother. You’ve got quite the knack for this. I never thought I’d be sleeping somewhere like this in the Apocalypse.”
“I’ll just… pass out first.”
Rodbrock, Lagertha, and Go Hanil each chose a spacious room for themselves.
Yes, they should rest well.
Eat and sleep plenty while there’s still time.
Because tomorrow would bring trials far harsher than today.
Next…
Yohan headed to the room where Reina was staying.
Clunk.
When he opened the door, he saw a blue-haired hipster tied tightly hand and foot.
It seemed she didn’t have the energy left to disguise herself again.
Still, even now, that bright blue was really something.
“It would’ve been nice to part on good terms, but why did things suddenly turn into a kidnapping mode? Hurry up and untie me!”
“Oh, I’ll untie you. Just as long as you keep the promise you made earlier.”
“Huh? Promise? What promise?”
“You said you’d do anything if I just spared your life.”
“Well, I did say that, but…”
Sensing something strange, Reina leaned her chair as far back as she could.
Her eyes looked as though she were staring at a flasher.
“Don’t get weird ideas. Just eat this.”
A black fruit appeared in Yohan’s hand.
The fruit extracted from Elizabeth had the trait of growing a parasitic plant inside the body if one tried to resist a command.
With this, he could not only ensure she followed him to the Hestia Empire, but also make good use of this agent in the future.
“Sorry, but I have a rule not to eat anything suspicious-looking from shady men. Can’t I just have that tuna sandwich and the warm milk on the table instead?”
Hmm.
He hadn’t considered “refusal” as an option.
Oh well.
“Fine then. I saved you once, and now I’ll kill you once. Let’s call it even.”
Yohan neatly summarized the situation.
“You’re… joking, right?”
“It’s reasonable, though.”
+1 and -1.
Add them together, and the result is zero—a mathematically sound approach.
No, actually, considering the effort it took to capture her, he might even be at a loss here.
Yohan drew his dagger.
Beheading might be best.
Though stabbing the heart wasn’t a bad idea either.
Shing.
“Red blood spurting out all over, lalala~ what a joyful sight.”
“Wait, wait! Fine, I’ll eat it!”
Reina hastily swallowed the seed.
She should’ve done that from the start.
The suite almost got painted red for no reason.
Given that it was furnished with the finest materials and faintly perfumed with pleasant aroma, he didn’t want to ruin this perfection.
Slash!
After untying her, Yohan handed Reina a white sheet of paper.
“It’s your one-day bill. Feel free to stay as long as you want.”
“Bed rental… sandwich and milk, electricity, gas, slippers—wait, why am I paying for the ropes I was tied with? What’s this ‘air rental fee’ and ‘sunlight usage fee’ nonsense? You’re an absolute robber!”
“It’s the train’s business policy. You know, with the rise in raw materials and labor costs these days, things are tough.”
Then she shouldn’t have come in the first place.
Still, he generously omitted the emotional labor fee and conversation charge.
＊＊＊
Having settled things with Reina, Yohan went to his assigned cabin.
He needed to speak with Lee Jaehwan too, but that would have to wait.
He had used up nearly all his mana and stamina; his body desperately craved rest.
Flop!
Lying on the king-sized, soft bed, Yohan took a deep breath.
Only a day had passed, yet it felt like a whole week.
No surprise, given how much had happened.
At least it was fortunate that his clashes with that vampire Kalard had barely been enough to secure his survival for the third day.
At the very least, he could sleep like a dead man for half a day now.
‘I need… to revise the plan….’
That was his last thought before consciousness faded.
He didn’t know how long he slept.
When he finally stirred, thinking he’d had a truly deep, timeless rest—
He felt something warm.
Near his right arm.
The touch of soft skin and silky hair.
Someone was there.
“…?”
Yohan hurriedly threw off the blanket.
And there—
“Mmhh… did you sleep well?”
Vivian rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up.
“No, why are you here!!! I mean—hem! Why are you in my bed?”
The situation was so absurd it made him forget his usual composure.
At least he hadn’t thrown her off the bed—yet.
“Pardon? From the moment this place underwent Nest Formation, I said I would protect you from as close as possible, Sir Yohan.”
Now that he thought about it—
He did remember her saying such nonsense.
Still, this wasn’t right.
“My safety is not at risk. From now on, use the room next door.”
This was bad for his heart.
In more ways than one.
“I’ll think about it. Oh, before that—there’s something I wanted to give you. But you were sleeping so soundly that I had to wait until now.”
Vivian carefully placed a glowing mineral on the bed.
No way…
Yohan’s pupils trembled.
A Trait.
And a high-grade one at that.
Kalard’s estimated divine rank had been at least the Sixth Moon. Which meant this was far superior to his current [Sacred Flame].
Could it be the [Blood Flow Manipulation] he’d used in the ice cave?
He desperately hoped it was.
Suppressing his racing heart and trembling hands, Yohan reached for the mineral.
But then—
‘What the hell… This actually dropped?’
After confirming the Trait, Yohan took a sharp breath.
This was a Trait incomparable to [Blood Flow Manipulation].