#228
Undead King vs Hero Party (3)
Heinrich… no, Seong-hyun Han’s primary feelings towards Geos were sympathy and affinity.
After all, he was in a similar situation.
Moreover, despite having hidden it until now, there was a bit of admiration as well.
Unlike himself, who needed two years and the help of the ability called “Avatar” to rise again, Geos simply shook off the situation and stood up with unwavering determination.
Of course, their circumstances were different, like the power they wielded and the clarity of their revenge, but in the face of that resolute will that could defy death itself, it felt like a trivial issue.
Rumble rumble—
However, that was merely a personal sentiment.
Heinrich, who had recognized the limits of the spear during the process of acquiring “Space Slash,” had not expected anything more than support from Geos from the beginning.
[Ugh, what the heck is this?!]
Thus— the distortion of space that appeared in the Undead King’s chest was something he hadn’t anticipated.
That shock was not something only the target of the attack would feel.
Opportunity!
But Heinrich, already deeply immersed in battle, pushed aside any other thoughts and swung his Holy Sword towards the fleeting opening right before his eyes.
With the magnified Light Sword ready, he unleashed “Space Slash” packed with the martial principles he had honed over time.
[Hmph… no way!]
Crash boom—
Yet in that instant, the tremendous Abyss that erupted from the Undead King’s body managed to shake the tip of the sword even as it melted into the light surrounding the Holy Sword.
Slash! Whoosh—!
[Ugh! Neno—!]
Thanks to that, he was slashed from one shoulder through to the opposite hip, engulfed in flames of holiness that erupted from the wound, but somehow managed to avoid a direct hit to his heart.
Gag—!
And a little way off from him.
Geos, spearing the air and spitting blood, looked at Heinrich being flung back by the Undead King’s force and muttered with regret.
“…Was it too shallow?”
It was, of course, the first time he had used this power.
Since he had only established it theoretically, there were bound to be discrepancies in the actual use.
‘But still, I think I’m starting to get a feel for it. If I can just have one more chance…’
Fortunately, there was still energy left for that.
If he used it, this time he could surely land a more solid attack…
[You dare! You filthy worm—!]
Unfortunately, it seemed there would be no such opportunity.
[Die!]
The Undead King, who had been at ease throughout the battle, expressed his rage and reached out towards him.
Having already borne several attacks and with the Holy Fire gnawing at his body, he prioritized eliminating Geos over responding to it.
“Wait…!”
“Lord Geos!”
Whoosh—!
Before the comrades could react.
The spikes of the Abyss that surged from the ground pierced his unguarded body.
*
‘…That was close. To think he could pull off such tricks!’
Fortunately, the attack had been slightly shallow, and as he sensed the danger through overwhelming time advantage from his transcendent perception, he immediately reinforced the spatial dimension surrounding his heart.
If that attack had been any more threatening, he wouldn’t have been able to properly block Heinrich’s consecutive attacks and would have retired instead.
‘All because of that filthy worm!’
Naturally, he was well aware of Geos.
Thanks to the usefulness of his secret technique, he had been performing above the level, but to be precise, he was still barely at mid-tier among the extreme ranks.
Compared to Heinrich, Harley, the Saint, and even the others, he was clearly a lesser opponent.
In other words, from the Undead King’s perspective, he had just allowed a hit on someone he had never bothered to pay attention to.
‘I am hastening my demise! … I had planned to kill them all anyway, but—’
As he thought.
In fact, he had intended from the beginning to wipe out everyone except for Heinrich and Harley on this spot.
How much karma would he receive if he killed the Holy Church Order’s saint, the High Elf of the Elven Kingdom, and the Grand Wizard, a friend of the next Emperor?
The subsequent fear towards the Undead King would surely return as overwhelming points!
‘Cooperation? Alliance? None needed! If I can gather more karma than all those remaining combined, that would be enough!’
Since he erected barriers in his mind and severed connections, his already unstable thinking was rapidly spiraling into extremities.
While the fundamental goal of accumulating points for power remained unchanged, everything else twisted further into an solely self-centered direction.
Hehehe— yes, if it were too easy, it wouldn’t be fun.
The Undead King suppressed the pouring spirit arrows and Isea’s magic, quelling the holy flames engulfing him into the Abyss.
He believed he was sufficient on his own, but now that it had come to this, he had no intention of being stubborn.
‘After all, I don’t need many.’
The majority of those not including a few executives to maintain undying were busily preparing for war and moving south.
However, he had a lovely little pet he could call at any time.
[Come forth, Heratos.]
As those words ended.
Roar—!
The enormous and vicious Bone Dragon tore through space and revealed itself.
*
Thanks to Liesta’s late intervention, Geos was able to be evacuated without dying.
Of course, he had been pierced all over and was tainted by the Abyss, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if he died at any moment.
He couldn’t even focus entirely on healing right now.
Roar—!
The essence of destruction spewed from the airborne Bone Dragon, Heratos, diving down.
“Intensive Barrier!”
“Holy God!”
Boom—!
The moment the Undead King showed an opening, Isea managed to control her magic, and Liesta, while maintaining the shield to keep Geos alive, defended against the breath attack.
“Horia, Equistine, Meiru, Dimanta!”
Lydia’s arrows, composed of the four elemental properties of fire, wind, water, and earth, targeted Heratos, who was hovering in the air.
Given the already difficult situation, the addition of the Bone Dragon was only expected.
But amidst that, the Undead King’s relentless offensive towards the rear continued without pause.
Hehehe— what are you doing, hero Heinrich? If you want to save your comrades, defeating me is the best course of action, right?
“You—!”
And Heinrich came to realize.
Hans… the Undead King Hannibal Strauss genuinely intended to kill all his companions here.
“Why…!”
He unintentionally opened his mouth, but couldn’t continue as he clenched his teeth.
Even though he had sensed beforehand that things weren’t looking good, there was no way to reason with an opponent who had truly become an Undead King.
Harley…
Outside the barrier, Harley was embroiled in a raging battle against numerous demons.
Having annihilated most of the inferior demons and even taken down a top-class warrior, she was maintaining dominance throughout, but it didn’t seem easy for her to push through and come to help.
So what methods did he have at his disposal?
There’s… nothing.
Blood dripped from his lips as he bit down hard.
Despair expanded within him like poison as he realized he had to rely on others to solve his problems, utterly impotent in this situation.
‘…What’s the point of being a saint or a hero? If this isn’t a scripted play, then I can do nothing!’
The image of Geos, pierced by the thorns of the Abyss, surfaced in his mind.
The desire to accept him into the hero party was not solely based on the hope of a secret technique but mainly due to his precarious state that seemed like it would shatter at any moment.
He had wanted him to survive, even if it was driven by rage, since he bore a similar pain.
In the process, he had handled matters to ensure that Geos could personally kill those filthy black mages involved in the evil ceremony belonging to his true enemy, the “Oath of Reversal.”
Most of the remaining connections would likely be those behind the crack opened in the south by Balteon and the revolutionary forces backing him.
‘…I had tried to keep my mind composed until confronting the final target, the Undead King.’
Heinrich clenched his eyes shut in the face of the overwhelming despair.
Have you given up? Hero. Hehehe— that would be entertaining. Let’s enjoy watching your comrades die together. I shall show you mercy, Heinrich.
Not just Geos on the verge of death, but the lives of others were at risk too.
Before he even became a holy knight, meeting Saint Liesta as he stepped into Rosellia Temple.
The first member of the hero party, a fellow awakened being from Korea, and Isea, the mentor of Hesperon.
Even though he had known Lydia for a short time, she had volunteered willingly for this dangerous task, having some acquaintance with Harris.
But now, he was utterly powerless.
Holy God…
Crack—
As despair surged, he gripped the hilt of the sword tightly with both hands.
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he slowly opened his eyes to gaze down at the Holy Sword in his hand.
In terms of realm, he hadn’t even reached transcendence, but the weapon granted to him by the divine was one that could pull him to the pinnacle of humanity.
Yes.
He still had not reached transcendence.
Why?
He acknowledged his shortcomings as a martial artist.
But he was not only a martial artist; he was also a priest.
A priest who was considered the apex, having received the Great Blessing, the title of “Saint.”
Yet why had he not yet crossed over the wall?
The first condition of a priest, the foundation of Holy Power.
Belief in the divine.
Is my belief enough to reach transcendence?
With the fake belief injected through “Mind Hub” and “Persona” and the Holy Power granted by the mercy of the Holy God.
Can Heinrich genuinely be called a saint?
…The title of saint is but something I earned for receiving the Great Blessing from the divine.
In other words, it was merely a promise among humans.
Of course, generally speaking, reaching a level worthy of receiving the Great Blessing would naturally entail possessing a corresponding level of belief… but wasn’t his case a little special?
…Holy God.
Heinrich tightened his grip on the Holy Sword again.
And he repeated the reckless challenge he had failed numerous times before.
…Oh? Are you going to fight again? That’s fine. Hah! Try your best, hero!
Ignoring the Undead King’s mockery and laughter, he lunged forward, swinging the sword through the distorted space.
However, Swoosh he easily parried it, and the distance he had closed in an instant widened once more.
Despite this being shameless thinking at this point.
He didn’t give up and charged again, but the incoming black magic and the power of the Abyss gradually accumulated damage, and he became more and more blood-soaked.
Belief isn’t that easily formed, is it?
His body was heightened by the Holy Power conveyed from Liesta.
Maintaining the barrier and healing while additionally providing buffs while continuously keeping an eye on the situation was indeed expected of a “Saint”, giving him a bittersweet smile.
But I believe.
No matter how much Heinrich embodied a self compounded of belief and conviction, without the right faith, its purity would inevitably decrease in quality.
However, he had been granted sufficient Holy Power merely through the divine’s tolerance.
Why was that possible?
I can help this world, this Auterica that the Holy God cherishes.
The answer was simple.
Just because the divine had permitted it.
Then why did the Holy God grant him such a privilege?
I believe that I can accomplish what the Holy God desires.
That was another simple matter.
A special being from another world, who could somehow contact the divine through a loophole, likely had something sought after.
And perhaps it was something related to the Abyss.
I believe in myself… my potential! And I believe in you, who believe in me!
It wasn’t pure worship of the divine but rather a somewhat twisted belief…
What he could do now was the best he could manage.
You, Holy God, must also believe and grant me this power!
The Abyss that came plunging down tore into his side.
The pristine armor he received upon becoming a saint, moving like a bastion of glory, had become ragged, with holes punctured all over.
So!
The same process being repeated yet again.
Despite enduring all sorts of damage and closing in, the situation was not improving; rather, it was only getting worse.
The overwhelming accumulation of the Abyss in his body had reached the extent of disturbing the operation of his Holy Power.
If I’m going to believe, then don’t hold back— just believe in me! I’ve built up a bond, so I’m asking for it in advance!
He would strive to believe in you in the future, so for now, he asked you to believe in him first.
As he pushed out such unreasonable demands, ignoring his body’s limits, he pressed forward and swung the sword.
As if to say that as long as he had this belief, he would never stop.
Hahaha— You’re like a moth to a flame, hero… hum?
But the first to respond to that will was.
An unexpected phenomenon he had encountered once before.
Rumble rumble—
The distortion of space at the Undead King’s chest.
The battered Geos finally stood up, defying the opposition around him, and unleashed the last of his life force in a rain of destruction.
But.
Ghh! You brat, you think I would fall for the same trick again after having been hit once by it?
Indeed, the Undead King was such an unreasonable being.
No matter how life-threatening the blow might be… unless it was the first surprise attack he had never expected, he would certainly not be caught off guard by an attack he had already experienced once before.
He forcefully reconnected the rift in space, applying power in the opposite direction of the twisting motion, backed by his understanding of overwhelming space and transcendent perception.
The craftsmanship has improved significantly compared to the first time. If I’d been caught off-guard then…
Perhaps he would have suffered a fatal blow that would force him to retreat in disgrace, unable to adequately respond to the Holy Sword that followed.
But that was all in the past.
Now, he had safely defended against the attack, and someone at Heinrich’s level could not exploit the gaps created in this realm of transcendent perception…
“I told you, Hans.”
Yet again, his calculations went awry.
Heinrich, who had been toyed with so far, stepped casually into his “time” and—
Pshh—
“I will definitely stab the Holy Sword into your heart.”
Gah?! You, you can’t be…!
The dazzlingly shining Holy Sword of Heinrich was embedded in the chest of the Undead King Hannibal Strauss.
*
Swoosh—
I rose from the bed.
Avatar is me.
No matter how separated the physical bodies, it was impossible that such a significant event occurring three times in succession had no effect on the main body.
Thus, it wasn’t strange that I awakened earlier than planned.
Sigh—
But even so, all that comes out is just a sigh.
…What a mess.
And simultaneously.
The wills that had been shattered to pieces until now converged into a single point.
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