Chapter: 123
Pop, din din din—
A floor so dark that light barely penetrated.
The sound of falling stones echoed through the area.
Clatter, clatter—
How long did that sound linger?
Gradually, Haring, who had lost consciousness, began to recover her senses.
“Haring, how long are you planning to sleep? The food is getting cold.”
Faint old memories flickered through Haring’s mind.
It was something her older brother had tenderly said while gently patting her head a long time ago.
He had always been so kind, despite the age gap.
Even until the very last moment, he remained endlessly kind.
She vividly remembered that day, just like any other, having breakfast and chattering away with her brother before heading off to training.
Under the sunlight, shining on the roof of the Lagren household, there stood a man with long, blood-red hair and glimmering red eyes, waving a hand at her.
Haring stared blankly, wondering who that person was, reflecting on how he was raising his hand toward the sky.
Soon after, the sky turned fiery yellow.
Erosion Beasts surged up, transforming the area around the Lagren household into a world of devastation.
The upswell of Erosion Beasts attacked the Lagren family members, and the knights of the Lagren family fought desperately against them.
It would have been fine if the Poison King and the knight order had been present, but for some reason, they were away on a campaign.
The Lagren family was truly vulnerable to external attacks.
While the young Haring remained in shock at the unfolding situation…
“Haring!”
Her brother, spotting Haring, rushed to grab her.
He was determined to protect her at all costs.
Born weak, he had not achieved any remarkable feats, but he displayed a genius talent when it came to poison.
Thus, he planned to hide Haring in a poison chamber, a place so foul that Erosion Beasts would dare not approach.
However, during their escape, Haring made one crucial mistake.
“Eek?!”
While on the way to the poison chamber, she let out an involuntary scream at the sight of an Erosion Beast devouring a servant’s head.
That scream was more than enough to catch the attention of the Erosion Beasts.
Immediately, her brother shoved Haring into the inner part of the poison chamber and threw a vial of poison at the Erosion Beast.
“Greeeak!”
Enraged, the Erosion Beast expressed its fury, half-melted head and all.
Watching it, her brother locked the door to the poison chamber from the outside.
“Brother!”
“Haring, remember when we used to play hide and seek and you’d count?”
He said that while pulling out the remaining vials of poison from his waist.
“Keep counting. Count up to the highest number you know. Until then, no matter who calls, you must not come out. Understood?”
“Brother, no! Don’t, Aring, please!”
At that moment, the Erosion Beast lunged furiously.
Haring trembled at the horrific sounds coming from outside.
She was no more than 7 years old.
The only action she could take was to obey her brother’s words.
“1, 2, 3…”
Thus, she kept counting.
Haring, who excelled at hide and seek, would always ask to come out if Aring couldn’t find her after counting.
Tears dripped from her eyes.
Fearful and terrified, she continued to count as her brother instructed.
And as she counted and counted, at some point, the sounds from outside began to diminish, eventually fading away.
It was only when she realized this that she had counted to the very end.
Haring approached the door that her brother had locked.
Then she heard a faint voice.
“H, Haring.”
The moment she heard his voice trailing off, she immediately tried to open the door.
But from the outside, her brother was gripping the locked door tightly.
“I didn’t come to save you. It turned out this way because I tried to save myself. So you aren’t at fault. Understand?”
Her brother, ever so caring, spouted nonsensical justifications until the very end.
Despite it being entirely his fault, he tried his best to absolve Haring of any guilt.
All she could do was weep in front of him.
After that, Haring fainted, collapsing as though she had tumbled to the ground.
It was a long while before she was discovered.
Aring’s body was found, dismembered, severed at the torso.
It was a result of being torn apart by the claws of the Erosion Beasts.
And one of the treasures of the Lagren family, a book saying to be the Codex of Poison Blood, was missing.
Whether the world’s Erosion caused that or the Erosion Beasts was unclear.
At that time, the Emperor hurriedly dispatched the Imperial Knight Order to assist the Lagren family upon hearing the news.
If not for that, the roots of the Lagren family might have been pulled up.
It was a major incident.
The Poison King, who owed a debt to the Empire, pledged loyalty to it.
Until then, the Lagren family had maintained a neutral stance between the imperial family and the noble faction, but they firmly returned to the imperial side.
And thus, that was the debt the Lagren family owed to the imperial family.
“Brother…”
Haring, squeezing her eyes shut, slowly opened them again.
The resurfacing memories from long ago made her eyes slightly moist.
She still vividly remembered that day.
Her goals consisted of two parts.
One was to ensure that no one else dies an empty death like her brother due to world erosion.
The other was to find and take revenge on the World Erosion that killed her brother and the Lagren family.
Therefore, she eagerly enrolled in Rahelrn Academy to cultivate heroes to stop world erosion.
However, the students at Rahelrn Academy seemed different from her.
Though she had only seen them briefly, it appeared that their infighting was more important than halting world erosion.
She became disgusted with them within a day.
She didn’t feel like conversing with them at all.
Her struggle was solely to prevent her brother’s pointless death.
Yet one boy of the same age, who had joined her for the practical mission, was different.
“I didn’t come here to play these trivial power games.”
Kraush’s words were directed at Karandis and Mary.
“World erosion has escalated rapidly over the past few years, and I’m here at Rahelrn Academy to learn how to prevent that.”
Upon hearing those words, Haring’s gaze met Kraush’s.
Valheim Kraush.
The renowned heir of the Valheim family.
Was he really a noble?
The spirit he bore was admirable.
While she was secretly thinking highly of him, by some twist of fate, Kraush and Haring ended up in the same team.
Kraush was powerful.
He had triumphed against a creature infused with the power of the God of Night and was decisive with instructions.
Moreover, he maintained a composed exterior, seemingly relaxed, while cunningly inducing the opponent’s carelessness.
In a place where a single mistake could cost you your life, in the face of world erosion, he seemed to have considerable experience.
A part of her felt a slight sense of longing.
It was somehow comforting to know that there was someone her age taking world erosion seriously, just like her.
At that point, however, Haring found herself in a terrifying situation.
She had let her guard down, causing him to be abducted by an Erosion Beast.
Thinking back to that moment still sent a chill down her spine.
Her recklessness and carelessness had resulted in her brother’s death due to the world erosion, and that fact haunted her.
Perhaps that was why she unconsciously kept projecting her brother’s image onto Kraush.
They were the same age, but somehow felt so different.
“Oof.”
Haring held her stomach, feeling a pang of pain.
Only then did she recall what had happened earlier.
After consuming the Baekcheongdan which forcibly released the limits her brain had set to maintain regular bodily functions…
She had plunged a dagger into Decarabia’s chin.
After that, she could not dodge the ensuing strike from Decarabia and lost consciousness.
After recollecting all of that, she surveyed her surroundings.
She wondered where she was at that moment.
Then her gaze stopped at a certain spot.
There sat someone, their back turned to her.
A fuzzy memory from the last moments flickered through her mind.
She recalled the brief moment when she regained consciousness, and saw him embracing her while they fell.
With her consciousness gone again shortly after, the memory was vague, but just thinking about it caused her eyes to widen.
Kraush had saved her while they were falling.
Flustered, she felt inexplicably drained as she slowly approached him.
A foreboding feeling began to rise within her.
If Kraush, who had pushed himself to his limits, managed to catch her during such a fall, he could never be unscathed.
“Kraush.”
The moment Haring reached out to touch his shoulder.
“Oof!”
She thought her hand had touched fire as she made contact with him.
Turning back in shock, she saw Kraush’s eyes fluttering open slightly.
“Did you wake up?”
A cracked voice emerged.
Seeing his reddened face made Haring’s heart begin to quiver.
He looked extremely pained as he exhaled.
Kraush had pushed himself further despite bearing the effects of the Jeokhodan.
As a result, his body was completely wrecked.
Furthermore, he must have overexerted himself to save her from falling.
It was all too clear that he had squeezed out every last bit of strength he had to avoid the fall.
The cost of all that was a body that felt like it was on fire.
The effects of the Jeokhodan didn’t care whether his body was weakening or not.
It only inflicted the pain of burning his insides.
“Why did you save me? If you hadn’t, this wouldn’t have happened…”
She asked, confused and panicked.
Kraush glanced at her for a moment before shutting his eyes again.
“I wasn’t trying to save you.”
Haring’s eyes widened.
Kraush was echoing the same words her deceased brother had said.
“That’s why just stay quiet and wait.”
As soon as she heard that, Haring bit her lip.
During that exchange, Kraush lowered his head.
It was an attempt to endure the aftereffects of the Jeokhodan.
Haring sank down behind him.
The only thing she could do was wait for the effects of the Jeokhodan to dissipate.
At a time like this, interfering with Kraush would only escalate the situation into something much worse.
Just like that day, all she could do was wait.
That fact made her feel utterly powerless.
“……”
She hugged the poison pouch tightly.
That poison pouch was none other than a keepsake used by Aring while battling the Erosion Beasts.
If it was just about waiting, she could manage that.
She could wait as many times as it took.
“……So please don’t die.”
In her heart.
Deeply imprinted with this moment.
Haring desperately wished for Kraush to wake up safely.
Otherwise, she feared she might truly break forever.
*
While the effects of the Jeokhodan lingered,
Kraush kept his eyes closed, enduring the aftermath.
To be precise, he wasn’t facing any real damage from the effects of the Jeokhodan.
After all, it was Kraush’s usual training to scorch his insides daily.
The burning sensation spreading in his body was a minor setback.
Thus, the effects of the Jeokhodan posed no problem for Kraush.
In fact, he was taking advantage of this opportunity to absorb the residual energy of the Jeokhodan.
The Jeokhodan was a poison created with the Lagren family’s secret techniques.
The pain that felt like his insides were burning could be put aside; it was worth absorbing its potency.
Poison, if used well, could be a remedy.
So, Kraush was happily absorbing the effects of the Jeokhodan.
“Crazy guy, lunatic, not in his right mind.”
Thanks to the Crimson Garden constantly cursing him, his focus was broken.
Nonetheless, Kraush kept on absorbing the Jeokhodan with all his might.
As mentioned earlier, poison could be beneficial if used well.
Despite having almost rendered himself immobile due to overexertion, he felt a noticeable improvement in his condition.
He would indeed have to go back and rest properly, but even so, this was better than nothing.
After a while,
When he had fully absorbed the Jeokhodan, Kraush opened his eyes.
His body was drenched in sweat, his face felt flushed, but he felt okay.
Moreover, thanks to the Jeokhodan, his aura had increased slightly compared to before.
‘This is nice.’
He hadn’t worried about the Jeokhodan’s effects, but he hadn’t anticipated its benefits.
If given another chance, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask Haring for some more.
“Haring.”
As soon as he called out to her, she jumped in surprise and turned to look at him.
Taken by surprise at his gaze, Haring’s expression shifted from about to break into tears to hurriedly approaching him.
“Are you okay? How’s your body? Is anything hurting?”
She suddenly leaned in with a concerned face.
Seeing her on the cusp of breaking apart made Kraush a bit taken aback.
‘What’s got her so worked up?’
“Should I help you up, or carry you?”
This one seemed genuine.
Kraush finally realized that she was concerned about how she had saved him.
“Like I said before, it wasn’t to save you. You don’t need to worry.”
In the last moment, his instinct had kicked in and taken over.
But he knew Haring’s Invisible and poison would be crucial for future endeavors.
So Kraush readily embraced her as she fell.
He had too much work ahead of him to die here.
But Kraush was unaware of one fact.
That statement was digging deeper into Haring’s heart.
Haring bit her lip and then replied slowly.
“Understood.”
But despite her agreement, her gaze held a burdening intensity.
‘Now that I think about it, it seems the Lagren family placed great importance on gratitude.’
After all, the Poison King had completely annihilated Hardenharts on the imperial family’s orders, all because of a debt owed to them.
‘Then Haring must feel the same way.’
Kraush also recalled Haring’s strange behavior just moments ago.
She was obsessed with saving him.
‘It seems she has some trauma related to sacrificing someone in her place.’
Coupled with family obligations, one could understand how she ended up this way.
With this situation in mind, Kraush resolved to quickly repay her debt of gratitude.
Then she would surely feel more at ease.
“If you’re worried, let’s just go back and do some research related to poison. That should suffice.”
Kraush had long wanted to link curses and poisons together in his studies.
At the mention of poison research, her eyes trembled again.
Yet, no matter how perceptive Kraush was, he couldn’t fathom the depths of her reasons.
Haring clenched her fists and nodded.
“Research, understood.”
Her eyes shone with a firm will to do anything, which was somewhat burdensome.
Yet, he thought it was better than having a bad relationship.
“More importantly, let’s head back now.”
Kraush felt a bit more rejuvenated, all thanks to the Jeokhodan.
He stood and looked up at the plaza.
It seemed that the way back wouldn’t be easy, given how far down they had fallen.
But Kraush was not worried about that.
Because a sense of danger had pierced through his instincts.
Lifting his head, Kraush saw trees begin to descend from the darkness above.
Soon after, he recognized a certain figure approaching him.
“Kraush, Haring!”
Not Aniks, the one who had abandoned him to fall into the trap long ago.
But Aniks, who had come to rescue them, despite the limits of his celestial calling.
Kraush stifled a brief chuckle.
Life sure was unpredictable, wasn’t it?
*
After completing the mission and exiting the ruins,
The dawn had passed, and the sun was rising overhead.
Consequently, the ruins naturally concealed themselves in the sand.
They would hide their appearance until night fell once more.
“Are you okay?”
Haring asked, and Kraush waved his arms lightly.
“I’m fine.”
[A bit too cocky, aren’t we?]
Kraush ignored the taunts from the Crimson Garden.
As long as he was able to move, he considered himself fine.
His gaze fell upon Aniks.
Aniks, who met Kraush’s gaze, smiled as he usually would.
That smile had been one Kraush once detested.
To him, it was a fake smile.
‘Was it just the perspective from my end?’
At first, when they had gone to find the ruins, Kraush considered Aniks’s smile to be phony.
He had thought of him as someone who regarded the members of the Double-Fold as his pawns, and nothing more than a future betrayal lingered in his thoughts.
However, having glimpsed Aniks’s sincerity, Kraush realized he had completely removed those tinted glasses.
“You did well. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”
Hearing those words from Kraush, Aniks widened his eyes in surprise and then laughed again.
“I never expected to hear such words from you.”
“Neither did I think I would say this to you.”
One part of his heart felt relieved.
Kraush lifted his chin toward the sky.
Having learned that one should not judge a person based on past behavior through Pendel, he had now learned that people could change completely with just a small event.
And perhaps this lesson could also hinder him on the path he was treading.
With thoughts of snatching away skills firmly lodged in his mind, Kraush would often find himself pondering endlessly.
But one truth was undeniable.
‘If I could prevent the world from crumbling on my own, Arthur could surely have done the same.’
When world erosion reaches its most calamitous form,
The world becomes a mess.
While Arthur may be able to thwart one calamity, he also cannot simultaneously counter others.
And Kraush was no different.
Knowing this, he had built countless relationships to lean on.
‘To set things right in the generation of the sky.’
Somewhere, a glimmer of light began to emerge.
He could see a single path to prevent destruction.
‘I will stand at the very front.’
Even if rain pours, sandstorms blow, and storms rage,
His role was to withstand it resolutely at the forefront.
The next generation would soar high into the sky, ensuring that destruction is averted.
Kraush’s eyes shone brightly.
His eyes, solely fixated on a singular goal, sparkled like stars.
The Celestial Pivot Star.
A thought befitting Kraush’s role as the guiding star that Elfin had mentioned.
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