84. Law of Betrayal (2)
Iratum’s lower body lay collapsed on the ground.
Even the remaining lower half was engulfed in the embers left behind by Dragon Rage Explosion [E], burning fiercely.
‘His heart was obliterated.’
It was unfortunate, but….it was fine.
This was far better than losing the opportunity to eliminate Iratum because I had greedily attempted to use Predation [S+].
Iratum was tremendously powerful.
That much was evident from how completely he had overwhelmed Isolde.
Of course, Isolde had not been in normal condition after using Divine Ascension.
However, considering the Iratum I had witnessed in my previous life....
‘The result wouldn’t have been much different even if she had been in perfect condition.’
Even after I returned to the past, Iratum was still Iratum.
If we had fought him head-on, even Isolde and I together would have been unable to defeat him at full strength.
I could not afford to ruin everything because of my desire to use Predation [S+].
More importantly, Iratum’s ability, Pact of the Abyss [?], offered no particular benefit worth acquiring through Predation [S+].
In every respect, obliterating Iratum had been the best possible decision.
◆Pact of the Abyss [?] : The Bound Individual’s soul becomes connected to the Negative Dimension. This allows the Bound Individual to freely wield the energy of the Negative Dimension, granting access to □□MabeOrit, rrim, yukkuejk, GangHA, and ddxuwnzk insik.
First of all, I had no idea what that corrupted text meant.
What if I used Predation [S+] and ended up connected to the Monarch of the Abyss?
I might be forced to listen continuously to the Monarch of the Abyss’s whispers.
Of course, Player’s Will [EX] would prevent my mind from collapsing, but it did not grant complete immunity.
Just as I finished organizing my thoughts—
I felt a peculiar gaze coming from one side.
When I turned my head, I found Isolde quietly staring at me.
Isolde’s face and expression were concealed behind her ogre mask.
Even so, it was obvious that she was wearing her usual cold expression.
After all, Isolde rarely—if ever—displayed her emotions.
However, the emotion detected by Find Weakness [U] was surprise.
And concern...?
Come to think of it, both of my arms were currently gone.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Isolde knew about my Regeneration [B+] ability, so she did not appear overly concerned.
However, because I had not yet used Regeneration [B+], she seemed worried that something might have gone wrong.
‘So she actually knows how to worry about someone.’
Because Isolde never displayed her emotions, this was the first time I had realized it.
Without Find Weakness [U], I might never have learned it.
In any case—
There was no actual problem, but Dragon Rage Explosion [E] was a skill that consumed every last calorie in my body.
In other words, I could not use Regeneration [B+] until I replenished those calories.
Therefore, I took some oil from my Inventory and said—
“Could you pick up that container of oil on the ground?”
“......”
“As you can see, my hands are currently unavailable.”
I waved both arms, which had been completely obliterated below the elbows.
‘At least my increased stamina allowed me to withstand some of the damage.’
My body had become considerably tougher after my explosive growth inside the Infinite Labyrinth.
The damage that would originally have obliterated my arms up to the shoulders had now stopped at my elbows.
Of course—
“I’m sorry to ask, but could you feed it to me as well?”
Regardless of that improvement, I was still incapable of doing anything by myself.
* * *
Red light painted the alleys.
The streets of pleasure never fell silent, filled with coarse laughter and suggestive moans.
The Red-Light District.
“Matriarch, the Black Grasp has finally broken through the Black Market’s defensive line.”
Lyla, the matriarch of the Crimson Soiree, listened to the reports from her subordinates.
“The Vister alliance’s forces are also advancing into the Black Market.”
“The Ashen Masks cannot respond properly because of the attacker rampaging through the Black Market.”
“Matriarch, the situation is becoming dangerous.”
“Shouldn’t we intervene, even if only now?”
“If either the mysterious attacker or the Black Grasp takes control of the Black Market....”
The Visters of the Crimson Soiree expressed their concerns, but—
“No. The Crimson Soiree will not make a move.”
Lyla’s decision remained firm.
Of course, her subordinates were right that it would be undesirable for the mysterious attacker, the Black Grasp, or anyone else to take control of the Black Market—
“What kind of gambler goes all in with a hand that obviously cannot win?”
“....Excuse me?”
“I’m saying that the Black Grasp is finished.”
Lyla continued with a meaningful look in her eyes.
“Which of you has belonged to the Crimson Soiree the longest?”
“I have been here for approximately four years.”
“Hmm.... Not bad.”
Four years was indeed a fairly impressive length of time.
Surviving for four years in Violess, where murder and violence occurred practically every day, was no easy feat.
In that sense—
“I’ve been here for thirty-two years.”
Lyla had survived for thirty-two years.
“That is how long it took me to rise from a courtesan of the Red-Light District to the Matriarch of the Crimson Soiree.”
“......”
“When I was a courtesan, the Crimson Soiree did not exist in the Red-Light District. Back then, it was called the ‘Scarlet Mask Society’.”
Lyla lowered her gaze for a moment, as though recalling the past.
“Eleonora. She was the madam of the Scarlet Mask Society. She was truly beautiful. She had once been a noblewoman from a count’s family, although her house had fallen.”
“......”
“Dazzling beauty. A keen intellect. Perhaps I should say that every one of her movements was filled with elegance.”
“......”
“I realized then that this was what a noble was. I learned that there were people who were fundamentally different from us from the moment they were born.”
“......”
“Her heart was as beautiful as her appearance. That was why she pitied us—women who spread their legs for men whose names and faces we did not even know.”
“......”
“She helped us considerably so we could pursue other work. That was when I learned weaving. Madam personally taught me so that I could leave Violess and make a living elsewhere.”
“......”
“But sex slaves continued arriving at the Black Market. Madam wanted to break that vicious cycle, so she united all the Visters of Violess and launched a war against the Black Market.”
And then—
“She disappeared. In a single instant.”
For some reason, Lyla’s voice was trembling.
“Are you saying that the Ashen Masks possess that much power?”
“No.”
Lyla lightly shook her head.
“Do you think I would be afraid of mere Ashen Masks?”
“That was not what I meant....”
“The Ashen Masks are nothing. They are not the ones who rule the Black Market either.”
“What do you mean...?”
“Violess was once the land of mercenaries whom even the kingdom could not control. But at some point, it became a city of criminals. Why do you think that happened?”
“That is....”
“Someone is concealed behind the Ashen Masks.”
Lyla’s red hair flowed softly beneath her shoulders.
“An absurd monster who annihilated in an instant the mercenaries whom even the kingdom’s army could not defeat.”
* * *
Isolde fed me the oil.
I gulped it down like a baby bird being fed.
Isolde did not say anything.
Her expression was hidden behind the ogre mask, so I could not tell what she was thinking.
I could not even determine her thoughts with Find Weakness [U].
‘Does it only work when someone experiences a major emotional disturbance?’
Apparently, it was not omnipotent.
Then again, perhaps that was simply because the person in question was Isolde.
In any case—
Using the replenished calories, I successfully regenerated both of my missing arms with Regeneration [B+].
However, I still did not have enough calories.
Just as I was about to take another container of oil from my Inventory—
Rooooooooooooar—!!
A tremendous roar suddenly erupted.
* * *
A Dragon of fire illuminated the night sky above Violess for a moment.
All the Visters were utterly astonished by that overwhelming sight, but only briefly.
Rooooooooooooooooooooar—!!
The roar suddenly spread with enough force to shake the foundations of the earth.
The Visters staggered and collapsed like tree branches caught in a storm.
The eardrum-shattering shock wave tore through the air and spread across the whole of Violess, hurling the Visters to the ground.
“Aaaaaaargh!!”
One Vister clutched his ears and screamed in agony.
Blood streamed from his ears, perhaps because his eardrums had ruptured, and he lost his balance before falling backward.
The other Visters were no different.
Some were sent flying because they could not withstand the shock wave.
Some lost consciousness as though they had been struck violently across the head.
Others crashed into walls and the ground.
“Aaaaaaargh!!”
“S-Save me!!”
In an instant, the surroundings became a scene of utter pandemonium.
The area looked as though an explosion had occurred.
Every building had been reduced to rubble, completely clearing their field of vision.
As a result, they could see something truly overwhelming near the Ruins District, which was located some distance from the Black Market.
The dark crimson mist slowly dispersed—
Revealing an enormous figure more than forty meters tall.
Its skin possessed a hard, rocklike texture.
The muscles of its arms and legs were coarse, as though boulders had been fused together.
Strange dark crimson patterns intertwined across the surface of its skin, while several enormous, hump-like protrusions extended from its back.
They resembled the tangled roots of an ancient tree.
The protrusions moved rhythmically in time with the gigantic monster’s movements.
Its half-open eyes glowed red and burned fiercely.
“Wh-What in the world….is that….?”
* * *
Sarpedon, the Ark Master of the Black Grasp, had an expression filled with fear and confusion.
A persistent ringing filled his ears.
His vision had become blurry, and his legs trembled from the impact, refusing to support him.
Looking around, he saw that every single Vister was suffering.
The Black Grasp, the Vister alliance, and even the Ashen Masks—
Not a single one had been spared.
Some were covered in blood. Others lay collapsed on the ground.
And all of this—
Had been caused by a single roar.
At that moment—
The fallen Visters began rising to their feet one by one. Then the looks in their eyes gradually changed—
“Die!!!”
One Vister screamed sharply and swung his weapon at the comrade beside him.
“I’ll cover you in blood!!”
Following him, the other Visters shouted and raised their weapons.
Their blades were mercilessly aimed at the comrades who had been fighting alongside them only moments earlier.
“Kill them! Kill them all!!”
“Kahahaha! Ahahahahaha!!”
They instinctively and blindly unleashed their anger, stabbing and striking one another.
The dull sounds of blunt weapons smashing into skulls echoed throughout Violess, accompanied by piercing screams as blades tore through flesh.
Sarpedon’s thoughts froze.
His mind became completely blank.
The lingering resonance of the roar still remained in the air. It contained a destructive power capable of sweeping away everything.
Sarpedon’s consciousness suddenly snapped—
“If you want to fight, then fight! If you want to kill, then kill! That is the law of Violess!!”
The streets of Violess were instantly drenched in blood and chaos.
* * *
A deafening sound erupted, as though bones were being crushed.
Isolde and I staggered.
I hurriedly regained my senses and steadied my vision—
Whoooooosh—!!
Dark crimson mist was pouring like a waterfall from Iratum’s lower body on the ground.
The mist fused with Iratum and began enlarging his body.
His form continued expanding without end.
Only after reaching a height of forty meters did its growth finally stop.
“What is that...?”
Isolde was beyond surprised.
She was utterly horrified.
I felt the same.
However, the cause of my horror differed considerably from hers.
‘He came back to life?’
….That was impossible.
After all, the translucent message confirming Iratum’s death had appeared before me.
The messages occasionally behaved irrationally.
However, they never lied.
In other words, Iratum had unquestionably experienced a “certain death”.
Then how in the world—
Swallowing my questions, I activated Predatory Instinct [S].
==< Entity Information >==
Entity: Kraulgar
Classification: Kingdom Chaotica, Class Abyssia, Ancient Divine Tree Monster Species
Gender: Androgynous
Age: ????? years
Trait: One Born from Anger [?]
“Damn it!”
I unconsciously clenched my teeth.
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