Chapter: 120
This is dangerous.
Aniks’ intuition voiced that thought.
And Kraush, looking at Decarabia, had the same sentiment.
While the mother spider was flailing about, Decarabia was certainly in the process of killing it.
With each moment, Decarabia’s prowess seemed to rise as it consumed the dying spider.
That creature was currently devouring other Erosion Species like the Erosion Species of the Abyss and amplifying world erosion.
That damn monkey, it came from the Abyss.
Kraush scowled as he realized Decarabia’s true identity.
Besides, it’s just about to reach 7-star level.
That creature had clearly already consumed other Erosion Species lurking in the graveyard before even targeting the mother spider.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so brimming with the power of world erosion.
If Kraush were in his prime, it might’ve been a different story, but in his current state, he wouldn’t stand a chance against it.
“Kraush.”
In that moment, Haring grabbed the collar of his clothing again.
Her expression mirrored his; it was rigid with fear.
A red alert signal was resonating within her as well.
“We need to get out of here now.”
She owed Kraush her life.
So, she was determined to save him, to repay that debt.
But Kraush knew that decision had come too late.
Thud!
Decarabia, in the process of finishing off the mother spider, pivoted its head toward them.
And where that gaze landed was none other than Kraush.
Greedy monkey.
Kraush realized that Decarabia was sensing and coveting the world erosion radiating from him.
Decarabia had shifted its target from the mother spider to him.
[Kraush.]
This time, Crimson Garden warned him that the danger was real.
Kraush surveyed the surroundings.
It appeared neither Haring nor the others were aware that Decarabia had set its sights on him.
Except for one person.
Among them, the most capable and quickest on the uptake was Aniks.
Their eyes met.
In that brief moment, Aniks recognized Decarabia’s gaze had shifted towards Kraush.
Consequently, his eyes were shaking as he faced Kraush.
The double-fold impression was taxing, as they were already exerting themselves against other Erosion Species.
Aniks understood that confronting Decarabia in their current state could very well mean death.
Although there was a special factor of the Abyss, in the past, Valheim had faced a 6-star Erosion Species.
Let alone, Decarabia was essentially on the verge of 7-star status.
Kraush had managed to dispatch 6-star Erosion Species with the advantages provided by the Abyss and being in peak condition.
But facing Decarabia, which was practically 7-star level without Kraush was unthinkable.
Realizing Decarabia was targeting Kraush, Aniks faced a critical decision.
Would the leader of the double-fold choose to face Decarabia head-on for Kraush, despite past grievances, and risk total annihilation?
Or would he throw a bait and escape with the unconscious crucial member?
Either way, the answer seemed all too simple.
“Aniks.”
Kraush asked him directly.
“What’s it going to be?”
Kraush’s eyes bore into Aniks.
In this sudden turn of events, Kraush found himself facing a situation reminiscent of the past.
The decision rested on Aniks; a choice between life and death.
Kraush clenched his fist quietly.
He knew Aniks was a rational person.
At least up until the point when he broke for Charlotte, he had chosen methods that saved the greater number at the cost of a few.
But Kraush also remembered well.
Because of Aniks’ repeated rational choices, he had ultimately been exiled from the generation of the Crescent.
The world stinks.
There were definitely logical decisions to be made, but sometimes, stepping away from reasoning led to better outcomes.
Just like how Kraush had ultimately vanquished Agareth alongside Relish.
Merely rational thinking wouldn’t solve all of life’s problems.
Thus, Aniks’ rational choices were seen as choices of avoidance.
True, some were indeed correct choices, but repeated avoidance yielded no positive results.
This is why I say the world is crap.
Truly disastrous, yet a world where no progress can be made unless someone sacrifices themselves.
That’s the rotten state of affairs.
And Aniks was the foremost character to make such rational choices, eventually leading him to be exiled from the generation of the Crescent.
Once exiled, Aniks became increasingly obsessive and ultimately broke upon hearing of Charlotte’s marriage—a person he had complex feelings for.
That was the future laid out for Aniks.
Thus, Kraush could be certain.
Aniks’ future decisions were about to be sealed.
Certainly, Aniks will choose what he deems the right choice. A decision to sacrifice one to save many—a commander’s role after all.
However, Aniks was the one who broke under the pressure of having to fulfill that role.
Kraush studied Aniks closely.
He felt a hesitation welling up deep within him.
Innate tendencies could be difficult to dismiss.
So, he decided not to blame him for that.
Perhaps given time in the future, his rational choices might yield better results.
You can’t judge everything solely based on past experiences.
“Haring, go ahead with Aniks first.”
With that, Kraush decided to unburden himself from those thoughts.
From his perspective, it felt more comfortable this way.
Moreover, this time, Decarabia was definitely targeting him.
Kraush was making a sound judgment.
Here, it made sense for Aniks to withdraw while Kraush handled the situation alone.
However, moving forward, Kraush wouldn’t put too much faith in Aniks.
And he had a vague feeling that Aniks’ recovery would eventually lead back to his own hands.
“What do you mean by that?”
At that moment, Haring, still unaware that Kraush was being targeted by Decarabia, shouted back.
Regardless of that, Kraush took a deep breath, still gripping his Thunderstorm.
“Can I borrow your poison pouch?”
“Uh.”
Only now did Haring realize that Kraush had taken her poison pouch.
As she fumbled at her waist, it was the moment Kraush stepped to the edge.
“Kraush.”
Aniks halted Kraush in that instant.
Turning to Aniks, Kraush’s eyes widened slightly.
“Do you have a way to take down that Erosion Species?”
It was a look resolute, having set aside rational judgment and instead choosing to confront.
“…”
Kraush fell silent for a moment.
He hadn’t expected Aniks to ask such a question.
So he was curious.
That question stirred something in Kraush.
Aniks, who usually made only rational decisions, was, in a way, rather inflexible.
No matter the situation, if he thought the rational decision was right, he’d jump headfirst into it instead of listening to anyone else’s input.
Aniks, who would have made judgments in his heart, wouldn’t be the one asking questions.
But for him to inquire now caught Kraush completely off guard.
“…Yeah, if I can avoid being detected for just 3 minutes.”
Facing such a monstrous opponent, three minutes turned out to be a daunting task.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but Aniks held firm, looking back at his team.
“Can you all hold out for 3 minutes?”
Once Aniks posed the question, the members of the double-fold looked at each other.
They had been with Aniks since entering the Rahelan Academy.
“Yes, we can do it.”
Elfin replied with confidence first, looking Aniks straight in the eye.
“I will too.”
“Three minutes is doable.”
Short remarks chimed in from the others.
Their response illustrated how Aniks had fared over the past year at the Rahelan Academy.
Upon hearing their words, Aniks turned back to Kraush.
There he found Kraush with an astonished expression.
“I’ll give it a go.”
Aniks continued.
Kraush couldn’t believe his ears.
He was clearly a complete mess right now.
It might have even seemed like arrogance.
But still, he was entrusting it all to Kraush.
Kraush started to notice cracks forming in the image of Aniks reflecting in his eyes.
And amid those breaking shards, the present Aniks began to reveal himself.
Back when Pendal died.
Kraush had realized that one couldn’t judge everything by just their reincarnation.
And he was well aware that it applied to others too.
However, human emotions are notoriously hard to shift.
Every time Kraush laid eyes on Aniks, he would recall how he felt abandoned and left behind in a pitfall.
That was something that couldn’t be shrugged off so simply.
But in that moment, he grasped.
Kraush needed to let go of the memories from his past reincarnation.
Aniks had changed.
For whatever reason, the Aniks who could make this choice was certainly not the one he once knew.
“Fine.”
Kraush didn’t drag out his response; he simply turned his body.
Acknowledging how reincarnation can ruin people.
“Haring.”
At that moment, Kraush decided to seek the help of a new player.
“I’ll need to borrow your Invisibility.”
Upon hearing Kraush’s words, Haring’s eyes widened as she clenched her fist around the dagger.
“Leave it to me.”
Kraush had intended to deal with Decarabia himself from the start, even without Aniks.
Although it would be an uphill battle, it was not impossible.
So, he had only tested Aniks.
Would he wander the path of a future leader or tread the different path Elfin had described?
And upon facing this moment, the result was unlike before.
Perhaps that moment truly was the most important thing for Kraush today.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Haring, for the next three minutes, I’m focusing only on this.”
Kraush communicated his intentions while opening the poison pouch.
Haring’s face morphed as she saw the crimson powder Kraush took out.
“Kraush, that’s…”
“Don’t worry. I know what it is.”
Crimson Sand.
A poison that enhances the body to peak condition for three minutes, requiring the user to pay the price afterward.
And it was akin to a desperate poison taken by someone resolved for a last stand.
Kraush was about to ingest it.
Haring reached out as if to stop him.
However, Kraush merely handed the poison pouch to her hand.
“I’m going to handle this. I can’t let them die for nothing.”
Haring bit her lip.
Even if she took the Crimson Sand, it wouldn’t help much against Decarabia.
They definitely needed Kraush’s firepower.
“Gwa-ha-ha!”
Meanwhile, the mother spider let out its last desperate wail.
Boom!
Chunks of the mother spider’s torn flesh began plummeting to the ground.
Seeing that scene, Kraush shoved the Crimson Sand into his mouth.
Suddenly, his heart raced as the poison seeped through his body.
The potency of the Crimson Sand lasted for three minutes.
It enhanced his physical condition to its utmost for that period.
However, the shock that would come ten minutes later would be fully borne by him.
Whoosh!
As evidence of this, black flame erupted from Kraush’s body as his condition violently shifted.
Three minutes.
That was ample time to smash that creature’s head.
Flames of Annihilation…
No, that wouldn’t do.
Today, he couldn’t risk the insane fury of the Phoenix of Annihilation or the Grand Catastrophe’s power.
If he poked it just a bit more, both would go berserk.
If that happened, the situation would worsen.
It was disappointing, but Kraush paid no mind to it.
He would do everything possible within his limits.
As he withdrew his hind legs, Kraush held the Thunderstorm firmly at his waist.
In that moment, he felt a gentle touch on his back.
Haring had wrapped her arms around him from behind.
And with that, both their presence and aura began to fade completely.
Even upon looking again, it was an extraordinarily overpowered skill.
But Haring’s Invisibility carried a significant downside.
If the user of Invisibility used their aura directly, the effect would wear off.
Thus, while attempting to attack, Haring had no choice but to reveal herself.
If they were up against an opponent that could be hit without using aura, there’d be no reason to utilize Invisibility.
Thus, Kraush had no interest in stealing Haring’s Invisibility.
Even if he did, it would only serve as a hindrance if it only had stealth capabilities.
Instead, Kraush planned to use Haring’s Invisibility for another purpose.
Invisibility can erase the presence of any contacted target, and those touched will not be revealed even if they use their aura.
In other words, only the user would be revealed when using their aura.
The others would remain hidden, even while using their aura.
In a certain sense…
Haring’s Invisibility suited Kraush perfectly.
If he had time to prepare, he could endlessly set up to deliver a fatal strike as long as he remained standing.
Indeed, during the era of the Crescent, Haring had showcased the infinite potential of her skills.
However, that potential didn’t last long.
Her family, the Lagrains, were labeled as the cause of the war.
As a result, Haring stood trial for her family’s crimes during the peace treaty negotiations of the war.
The Poison King wiped out Hadenhart.
In that process, Bianca, who turned into a White Ghost, killed the Poison King, destroying the Lagrains.
And even Haring, who murdered the White Ghost, was ultimately sentenced as a cause of the war.
Due to the conflicting interests between the Empire and Starq, both families were essentially sacrificed.
Thus, Haring’s Invisibility bore potential but went unused.
During the very war against the Erosionists, her corpse was already rotting underground.
This time, it won’t happen.
Bianca wouldn’t become a White Ghost.
And Haring wouldn’t have to seek revenge against Bianca.
She wouldn’t allow it to happen.
After all, she wouldn’t let it.
“If I stay like this, it’s too hot to bear. Just touching should be fine.”
If they didn’t use their aura and got exposed to the heat of the Flames of Annihilation, they would burn.
So when Kraush warned her, Haring shook her head.
“If I do that, we might fall when the blind blow comes in.”
“You’re stubborn.”
Yet it was a valid point, so Kraush didn’t press further.
Instead, he focused the heat of the Flames of Annihilation into Thunderstorm.
Right now might not be the time, but chances are high we’ll need this again in the future.
If that was the case, practicing now wouldn’t be a bad idea.
There would be countless life-threatening situations ahead.
Boom!
In that moment, after finishing all its meals, Decarabia stirred.
It seemed to be searching for the now undetectable Kraush, shaking its blue eyes in frustration.
Here we go.
“Let’s do this!”
“Yeah!”
Simultaneously, Kraush fashioned a sword of lightning through Lioner and began infusing the Flames of Annihilation into Thunderstorm.
Three minutes ahead.
He gathered the lethal blow to take down that creature.
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