novelraw Chapter 189: Content Hunting (4)
Chapter 189: Content Hunting (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Belzerad explained in detail what had happened so far.
Let us try to imagine the situation at that time.
As befitted an Archmage, Jinwoo was able to clearly visualize the scene just by imagining it. It was as if he had unfolded illusion magic inside his head.
Approximately a hundred years ago in Arsilan's time.
After cutting off magical communication with Jinwoo, Belzerad used every ounce of his strength to send the survivors to Arsilan. The Demon Realm had been completely devoured by Erosion, and there were no survivors.
The energy of Erosion swept all the way into the depths of the Demon King's Castle in an instant, and he sat on the throne, watching the incoming Erosion.
A dark and murky energy, with instincts that could do nothing but devour and corrupt.
[Hmm....]
He suddenly thought it was truly pitiful.
Erosion was just about to consume his body.
[Do you feel emotions?]
Belzerad asked Erosion.
At that moment, Erosion paused for a moment.
Was it because of curiosity sparked by the defiance of an insect?
Most likely, that was the case. It was like a human about to crush a reasonably large ant, only for it to suddenly start talking.
Belzerad looked at Erosion.
Judging by its reaction to his words, it seemed to have emotions. However, there was no love within it.
[You are truly pitiable. A being that only covets without love....]
Twitch!
The entire Demon Realm shook.
The higher existence of Erosion shook the Demon Realm just by expressing its will.
Belzerad’s words were not mockery but sincere. That such a great being knew nothing of love and merely consumed was unbearably pitiful.
Belzerad’s words carried genuine emotion. Perhaps sensing this, Erosion created a massive form before him. Erosion showed him its purpose.
Devour, expand, devour again, and grow its body. Then multiply. In the end, a universe made up of countless versions of itself.
Overwhelming stillness.
A world of Erosion made up solely of itself.
What a magnificent journey that would be.
But Belzerad shook his head.
[It is merely an act of reproduction without love. It is nothing but vulgar.]
The massive form, displeased, looked at Belzerad. In the figure burning like fire, anger could be sensed. Seeing potential in that, Belzerad rose from the throne and faced Erosion.
[Let’s make a wager. I will show you the greatness of love. Even if you devour the world, you will not understand it. But if you come to realize love, you can become an even greater being.]
Belzerad, to be honest, was in a state of resignation.
He had proposed a wager to a high-dimensional existence whose identity he could not even grasp. Perhaps out of a hint of curiosity, Erosion accepted Belzerad’s wager.
However, there was a condition. Belzerad had to endure ten years of torture in the abyss of Erosion. From the start, Erosion did not believe he would be able to endure. The sensation of one's soul being torn apart was an extreme pain that no mortal could even imagine.
[Pain always comes with love.]
Belzerad readily accepted.
The torture of Erosion was horrific, but Belzerad endured it with a smile. That was what love was.
At this point, Jinwoo was so dumbfounded that he almost broke out of the vision. Though ten years had passed, less than a year had gone by thanks to time acceleration. At last, the higher existence of Erosion spoke to him not with will but with voice.
[You may be worth collecting. I will allow ten years. Do as you will.]
[In my current state, it’s a bit difficult to show you. I’d prefer it if you took on a more appropriate form. Something like....]
Erosion accepted Belzerad’s suggestion.
Seeing such a lowly being as Belzerad endure ten years of pain with a smile, it concluded that there might be some unknown power involved. It could be useful in surpassing other higher existences of Erosion.
Erosion created a female-shaped body. After imbuing it with a fragment of its will, it sent it down to Belzerad. It was a type of incarnation.
[Oh....]
The moment Belzerad saw that incarnation of Erosion, he nodded in admiration.
“Wait, does that even make sense?”
Jinwoo could no longer stay immersed and awoke from the vision. Belzerad continued his story with a wistful gaze.
"Her beauty struck directly at my heart. Without a doubt, I could say she was the greatest among all beings I have ever seen. Even her expressionless face and cruel words sounded sweet to me."
Belzerad’s eyes were still overflowing with love. It seemed he was still in love with the incarnation of Erosion.
"It was difficult at first. We couldn't even properly communicate. But I overcame all those hardships with the power of love. The day she first smiled at me is still vivid in my mind. And we bore the fruit of that love here in this place."
Belzerad pointed to the bed Jinwoo was sitting on.
Jinwoo flinched, then quietly got up and moved to the chair on the opposite side. His eyes dimmed.
"Belzerad, with Erosion..., that..., that thing?"
"Mm! It was a union of love."
"...That’s quite the way to put it..., I didn’t know that was even possible with Erosion."
"It was completely possible! Surprisingly, she was weak to physical pleasure! Everything went smoothly."
To think he actually did it with Erosion.
"You crazy bastard...!"
He was the ultimate lunatic chasing the extremes of possibility, madly in love.
Could anyone sane possibly do that?
Belzerad opened a hidden door. Inside were countless photographs. A younger Belzerad stood next to a beautiful woman, and a boy with violet horns was smiling brightly.
Karienne.
Belzerad had even given Erosion’s incarnation a name. It meant unconditional love and destiny.
He said the moment their child was born, Karienne changed.
She disrupted her connection with the main body to deceive it, absorbed some of its power, and thawed the demons that had been consumed by Erosion. Then she mixed her authority with the souls of the demons and fused them with Erosion, liberating them from corruption.
It was similar to administering a vaccine.
Belzerad, recalling the memories, fell into sorrow.
"Karienne..., she stole the authority of time from the main body."
Listening to Belzerad’s story, Jinwoo imagined the scene once again.
Karienne pretended to have won the wager and returned to the main body. Then, she started a rebellion from within and stole the authority of time. Using all the authority she had absorbed, she sealed the main body and tore off a part of Arsilan’s crust to create a planet.
[Arsilan is already destroyed. I’ll erase it completely so nothing can cross over. In the process, I should be able to obtain the energy needed to sustain this planet.]
[You....]
Karienne weakly shook her head. Her will and body had reached their limit. With the connection to the main body severed, she could no longer maintain her will.
Karienne collapsed into Belzerad’s arms.
[Love..., it really is a great power. It was worth collecting. I’ve become greater, right?]
[Of course. You are greater than anyone I’ve ever seen.]
Karienne reached out and caressed Belzerad’s cheek. Belzerad looked at her with tears in his eyes.
[Does it hurt?]
[...Karienne, it hurts more than the torture you gave me.]
[Endure it. Pain always comes with love, doesn’t it?]
Karienne disappeared in his arms. Her will and body were completely extinguished, never to return.
Jinwoo nodded.
He now had a rough idea of how this place came to be.
"I’m sorry. I thought Arsilan had been completely destroyed."
"It almost was."
"We had no choice but to hope Erosion would disappear along with Arsilan."
Belzerad had founded the Levannas Kingdom and cultivated the planet for a thousand years, managing it fairly well. Using True Magic Stones filled with the energy of Erosion, he had developed magic engineering technology. Since Arsilan’s magic was essential for survival, he said they had transported magic and Magic Stones from Arsilan.
But peace did not last long. Recently, the main body had begun to awaken from its seal, and at the same time, the far side of the planet was completely destroyed.
That was when the invasion began.
He said that he barely managed to create and maintain a Magic Barrier using the spell Jinwoo had taught him long ago. In the process, Belzerad used up all his authority and magic power.
"So that's why you've aged so drastically."
If Belzerad had retained his authority, even after a thousand years, he wouldn’t have aged to this extent.
Karienne’s son had grown into an adult and helped Belzerad rule the kingdom for many long years. Then, twenty-five years ago, he married a demon woman and had a child. It was said that he passed all his power to the child in the womb and left the world.
"Serazade Elun Magris, she is my granddaughter."
Belzerad proudly showed a photo of his granddaughter. Her red hair, reminiscent of Belzerad’s, left a strong impression. Finishing his story, Belzerad put on his jacket.
“Then, I suppose I should stop the Divine Beast.”
“That worm?”
Belzerad nodded and draped his coat over his shoulders.
“It can be stopped directly from the Central Palace.”
“Ah... hmm..., is it important?”
“It supplies magic power, but it also serves as a final barrier. If it transforms into its combat form, it will be quite helpful.”
Apparently, the Divine Beast was something Karienne created using the Authority of Time.
Jinwoo averted his gaze. He couldn’t allow it to keep devouring Arsilan, so resolving it was the right thing to do.
Outside, things became noisy.
The patrolling guards had discovered the unconscious knights, and alarms started blaring as an emergency was declared.
A woman burst into the room leading the knights. She was armed with a gun and wore partial armor. The violet horns protruding from her red hair were striking.
“Your Majesty!”
The woman looked relieved to see Belzerad safe. But then, spotting Jinwoo sitting in the chair, she flinched and quickly pointed her gun at him. The knights followed suit.
Belzerad raised a hand to stop them.
"Sera, stand down. He is an old friend who has come to visit after a long time."
Jinwoo had a good idea of who the woman was.
Serazade Elun Magris.
She was Belzerad’s granddaughter.
Though Serazade and the knights lowered their weapons, their wary gazes remained. It was understandable, since Jinwoo had knocked out the guards at the door and breached the security system with ease.
When Serazade gestured to the knights, they turned on the room’s lights. Under the bright light, Jinwoo’s appearance was fully revealed.
Flinch!
It was the first time she had ever seen such radiant golden hair. Serazade gripped her gun tightly and stood off against Jinwoo.
“Who are you? If you were a noble, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”
“Didn’t you hear your grandfather?”
At Jinwoo’s words, Serazade looked toward Belzerad.
Belzerad simply looked at her with a gaze full of affection, as if he adored her to death. Perhaps feeling overwhelmed by the look so full of love, Serazade’s cold expression almost broke, but she managed to compose herself.
"Your grandfather and I have known each other for a long time."
She didn’t believe Jinwoo. He looked far too young to be a friend of her grandfather.
“Hoho, what do you think? Isn’t my granddaughter adorable?”
“Her eyes are kind of scary.”
“Haha! That’s what makes her cute!”
Serazade’s face turned red.
“G-Grandfather!”
Serazade lowered her guard and dismissed the knights.
She cleared her throat and glared at Jinwoo.
"Grand..., ahem! Since His Majesty says you are his friend, I will let it pass. However, please identify yourself."
“Archmage.”
At Jinwoo’s absurd answer, Serazade’s brow twitched.
"Please do not joke around. I am asking seriously."
When Jinwoo shrugged, Belzerad chuckled softly.
“Our Sera here has always dreamed of becoming a magic user since she was little. Hohoho! How about it? Would you teach her magic?”
“...Grandfather, please stop...!”
"It feels like just yesterday she jumped off the third floor, and now she's grown up this much. Time flies."
Serazade held her forehead in her hand and let out a sigh.
Jinwoo looked over Serazade. Though her powers were tightly sealed, the authority of Erosion had fused well with her soul. Her natural constitution was also good, showing promise for magic.
This planet had no magic.
Even Belzerad, who had once been the only one capable of using magic, had lost all his Authority and magic power, so there was no one who could wield it. True Magic Stones were treated as mere fossil fuel energy sources.
“More importantly....”
Serazade trailed off and looked at Jinwoo. It seemed she had something serious to say. Belzerad motioned for her to speak, and she opened her mouth again.
“Connection with Tinar has been lost. There’s no response, as if it’s completely vanished.”
“What...?”
Tinar was the name of that worm.
Belzerad turned his gaze to Jinwoo, as if realizing something.
“You....”
“I couldn’t just sit back and watch it.”
“...That’s true. Hoho....”
Serazade couldn’t understand the conversation between Jinwoo and Belzerad. Just then, the radio on Serazade’s waist blared loudly.
[A tunnel has been detected outside the 3rd defense wall!]
“What’s the disaster rank?”
[I-It’s Rank B!]
“B-Rank...!?”
Serazade’s face turned pale. Belzerad's expression mirrored hers. A B-Rank tunnel appeared to be quite dangerous. Belzerad looked at her.
“Prepare for deployment. I’ll go personally.”
“Your Majesty! But...”
“Go prepare.”
“...I will obey your command.”
Serazade bowed her head and immediately rushed out.
This planet seemed inconvenient, with no teleportation available.
Belzerad began equipping himself with armor. Though his life force was nearly depleted, he moved without showing signs of strain.
A B-rank tunnel....
It piqued his curiosity. Jinwoo had a strong feeling this could turn out to be good content.
"I'll come along and watch."
Belzerad smiled slightly at Jinwoo’s words and nodded.
***
Jinwoo boarded a massive airship with Belzerad. Since Jinwoo’s outfit stood out too much, Belzerad provided him with a knight’s uniform.
"This is pretty comfortable."
Wearing the uniform made him look fairly convincing.
Inside the airship’s command room, Supreme Commander Serazade and several generals were waiting for Belzerad. When Jinwoo entered alongside Belzerad, Serazade’s expression hardened.
"Civilians are prohibited from entering here."
Jinwoo shrugged and pointed to the uniform. Serazade’s face stiffened further at his unconventional behavior. When Belzerad gestured for her to let it go, she reluctantly accepted it.
The meeting began.
A large display showed a map of Levannas. A vast city where the royal palace was located, several villages, and darkly tainted lands were marked. Three layers of magic barriers had been installed, referred to here as defense walls. Violent tremors were occurring outside the 3rd defense wall.
Jinwoo sat in the front seat and looked out the window.
‘The technology level is high.’
They were melting True Magic Stones and using them like petroleum to improve efficiency and output. Since the land was full of Erosion energy, there were plenty of True Magic Stones. Using them as a resource was a wise choice.
Though they probably called it something else here, in any case, the output of the magic engine increased as the ship rapidly advanced.
"Commencing high-speed flight."
"Approved."
Once Serazade gave the approval, the demons in the cockpit pressed several buttons and pushed the lever forward.
KWAHHHH!
The massive airship began flying at tremendous speed. The squadrons accompanying the airship also picked up speed. They cut through the sky swiftly and reached the area around the 3rd defense wall.
‘It’s weakened.’
Without mana from Tinar, the defense wall couldn’t be maintained properly. There was also a shortage of Magic Stones, and they had recently emptied the treasury, but it still wasn’t enough to stop a major crisis.
And now, a B-Rank scale tunnel was forming.‘Is that the tunnel?’
He saw the land splitting. Like water draining away, a vortex formed, and a massive section of the ground began to collapse inward. The surrounding boulders and trees were instantly swallowed up.
Belzerad groaned at the sight.
“Deploy all Light Core Bombs.”
Following Belzerad’s command, Serazade issued orders immediately.
“Prepare for Light Core Bomb deployment!”
“All ground forces have withdrawn!”
“Disable safety locks!”
“Loading complete!”
Urgent voices echoed through the airship’s interior. Serazade looked at the tunnel on the display and spoke.
“Deploy!”
At her command, the Light Core Bombs were dropped. They were large warheads with a black sheen. Dozens of them fell from the airship squadron down to the ground.
PAPAPAPAK!
The moment the warheads struck the ground.
KWAHHHHHH!
They exploded with massive bursts of light, sweeping through the tunnel and the entire surrounding area.
‘At this level, it’s probably a B+ Rank.’
The power was stronger than expected.
A rain of bombs falling from the airship!
It was a sight that would have driven the Heroes mad with awe. Silence fell inside the airship. Everyone watched the display in silence, waiting for the aftershocks of the explosion to settle.
With that level of force, hadn’t the tunnel been completely wiped out?
That’s what Jinwoo was thinking when it happened.
Beep! Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!
Red dots began appearing on the display one by one, and in an instant, they filled every screen.
“T-The tunnel has opened! It’s still intact!”
“There are too many enemies!”
Black insect-like creatures burst out of the ground and charged madly toward the defense wall. The smallest of them was larger than a bull. They had sharp, blade-like front legs, and they even had wings.
“G-Giant bugs too...!”
A colossal insect, as big as a building, raised its body. Its massive frame was attached to multiple long legs, and it looked extremely grotesque.
‘Wow, this content is insane.’
Jinwoo was honestly impressed.
Such a wide variety of insect-type monsters were rarely seen even in Arsilan. If FS Games’ art team saw this design, they’d probably be blown away.
“The 3rd defense wall is reaching its limit!”
“How much longer can it hold?”
“At most... 10 minutes!”
Serazade’s face was overcome with despair at the report.
So was Belzerad’s. Behind the 3rd defense wall were several villages, and behind the 2nd wall was the city housing the royal palace. The palace walls themselves were the final layer of protection.
Jinwoo stood up and looked at Belzerad.
“Belzerad.”
"Archmage, please speak your will. Belzerad, the 33rd Demon King of the Demon Realm, listens to your words from the depths of his soul."
Everyone was shocked by Belzerad’s formal response.
They didn’t understand terms like Demon Realm or Demon King.
"This land belongs to Arsilan. In the name of the Archmage who mediated the Non-Aggression Pact, I declare the pact broken and commence the invasion. You shall soon receive guests more magnificent than any you have ever seen. Do you consent?"
A document appeared before Belzerad.
It was the pact of non-aggression. When Belzerad tore the document, it burst into flames and disappeared in an instant.
Jinwoo walked to the side and looked at the wall. As he reached out his hand, the wall melted away, revealing the outside world. The magic kept the wind from entering.
“W-What...! How...?”
Serazade and the demons were shocked at the sight of magic. It was something far beyond their understanding.
As Jinwoo was about to step outside, Belzerad, who had remained silent, asked again.
“Archmage, then... are we also Arsilan?”
Jinwoo looked at him and gave a deep smile.
“Of course.”
With that short answer, Jinwoo leaped out of the airship.
Serazade, startled, rushed to look outside. When she saw Jinwoo’s falling body suddenly soar into the sky, she was left in a daze.
“G-Grandfather..., w-who in the world...”
“I told you, didn’t I? He’s an old friend of mine.”
Belzerad laughed out loud.
“And he is the greatest Archmage in all of Arsilan.”
There was strong conviction in Belzerad’s voice.
“The Archmage of Arsilan... That’s just a fairytale...”
Serazade stared at the Archmage on the display. Arsilan was a legendary utopia. And the Archmage was a ridiculous, childish story from the fairy tales she read as a child.
“Watch carefully, the legend that has appeared before your eyes.”
There wasn’t a trace of worry on Belzerad’s face.
Because the great Archmage who had once brought the Demon Realm to its knees alone had descended upon Levannas.