Chapter 91
The level eight erosion entity.
To put it simply in terms of eradication difficulty, it is stated that an 8th level erosion entity can be defeated if there’s a master-level knight leading a team composed of average master-level members or higher.
However, that’s just the bare minimum condition for a possible victory.
The stars associated with erosion entities reflect merely a simple power level, completely disregarding their unique traits and abilities.
So, while it’s technically true that an erosion entity could be brought down with the specified minimum power…
In such a case, that power would suffer devastating losses in the process.
Therefore, when normally hunting world erosion entities, it is customary to dispatch a level higher than what the stars indicate.
And now…
The level eight erosion entity Agaris has appeared.
The Jukcheon Order is a knightly group established with the master-level Lilish Valheim at its helm.
While it’s stated that it could defeat the erosion entity under defined conditions, it wouldn’t be considered a favorable outcome if it meant sacrificing lives in the process.
[What are you thinking? You know the entity’s traits; once you’re caught, it’ll be hard to escape.]
Crimson Garden was already warning Kraush about the current situation.
Kraush felt quite troubled.
World erosions always have a tendency to be unpredictable.
There’s no other way to explain why Agaris has made its way to the eastern region than to chalk it up to sheer randomness.
The issue, however, is that Agaris is headed east.
The east is the place closest to the castle walls.
If Agaris continues straight in its current direction, it will inevitably reach the castle walls.
The wall built to prevent the world erosion won’t collapse easily…
But the possibility always exists.
‘How many have died because of that possibility already?’
Thus, the Valheim Order had to make a decisive choice.
Should they confront Agaris, risking casualties to keep it from reaching the walls while waiting for support?
Or should they quickly retreat, hoping Agaris turns back before reaching the walls?
‘Both options are a disaster waiting to happen.’
One risks total annihilation.
The other could lead to the walls’ destruction.
This sudden situation vividly demonstrated how one unexpected event could worsen conditions.
“Lilish!”
At that moment, a voice could be heard up ahead.
It was none other than Darvian Phenox, the vice-captain of the Jukcheon Order.
“Have you arrived? Let’s talk.”
Seeing other knights rushing from behind suggested they had sensed Agaris’ aura too.
They must have judged that they needed to join up with Lilish quickly.
Meanwhile, Kraush stealthily circled around the woods to head back to the Cheongha Order.
There was no point in revealing himself next to Lilish.
“Krad!”
“Where have you been?!”
The members of the Cheongha Order all exclaimed.
It was natural for them to worry since Kraush had disappeared during the tumult.
“I had something to take care of in the black forest, so let’s not dwell on it.”
To his defense came none other than Reblian.
He truly had a knack for handling situations.
“It was an order from the vice-captain?”
“Could have at least mentioned it!”
“There wasn’t even a chance to say anything during the chaos!”
“Well, that’s fair, but still…”
As the members grumbled about their unnecessary worry, Lilish and the captains gathered.
They quickly began discussing what to do about the current situation.
And the discussion didn’t take long to wrap up.
“All members of the Cheongha Order assemble! We are retreating from the magic labyrinth right now!”
In that moment, Vega, the captain of the Cheongha Order, shouted loudly.
It seemed they had indeed reached that conclusion.
With a team level consisting of expert-level knights, they had no way to handle Agaris.
Sticking around would likely lead to a brutal slaughter, so it was better to return and request support.
Of course, the retreat would be quite a demanding march, but it was still better than facing Agaris head-on.
“The Nokhae Order will assist the Jukcheon Order.”
On the other hand, the Nokhae Order decided to stay behind.
Agaris possessed unique traits, one of which excited the surrounding erosion entities, meaning they would have to manage those.
“The Jukcheon Order will confront the level eight erosion entity Agaris. We will not engage in an all-out war. We will buy time until Ilgeum or other assistance arrives. Of course, the situation will dictate our actions, so always be ready for new orders.”
Finally, the direction of the Jukcheon Order was also decided.
‘So they’ve decided to avoid an all-out confrontation.’
Lilish, as the leader of the Ilgeum, certainly understood that while she might hold her own, most of the other knights would likely fall prey to Agaris.
It seems she made this decision considering their safety.
‘Surely if Ilgeum arrives…’
Agaris could be dealt with readily enough.
The issue, as mentioned, is the timing.
‘Even if the Cheongha Order forces themselves, it’ll take a minimum of a day to reach this eastern terrain, and due to the nature of the magic labyrinth, even decent-level mages wouldn’t dare attempt spatial magic. No using scrolls either.’
The Valheim Order had managed to reach the eastern area of the labyrinth in three days, considering their stamina distribution.
Even if they pushed through, it would still take at least a day.
Moreover, communicating with Ilgeum during that time would take another day.
Thus, the time they’d need to buy is at least two days.
Thinking of the possible variables that could arise in between, it could even take longer.
‘No matter how good Ilgeum is, can they really buy two days of time?’
Even now, the black rain is continuously consuming mana.
Honestly, it’s hard to maintain any optimistic outlook.
Kraush’s eyes opened wide with dismay.
The situation is worse than expected.
“Crimson.”
Kraush quietly called out to Crimson Garden so no one would hear.
“Can you convey a message to Mirvis to send Blabi through Seirang?”
This was a trick he intended to keep in his back pocket for the next trade.
But in light of the pressing situation, there was no time to be discreet.
[It’s not impossible to use Mirvis, but… if that happens, her actions will be limited in the future within Sephira.]
Mirvis, a member of the third tier in Sephira, was also the one serving as a bell for Crimson Garden.
If her actions were limited in Sephira, it meant they couldn’t rely on her for support later on.
[Tsk, you’re not thinking of running away, are you?]
“Uh, no.”
As Kraush traverses the world of world erosion, such situations would likely arise hundreds or thousands of times.
If one were to run away every time, they would ultimately fail to prevent destruction.
[Will the princess of Sephira send her Cheongha over? She wouldn’t want to leave her guard behind.]
“She will.”
Kraush had seen the remains of the deceased Seirang when he followed Arthur to the main base of Sephira.
In that room, he found one crucial thing.
Although it lost meaning after Seirang perished…
That card would definitely activate now.
Though he isn’t entirely sure about Seirang herself, he certainly knows one secret she holds.
“And Blabi is merely an insurance. It’s one part of my backup plan.”
As Kraush’s eyes, previously clouded, became clear, a glimmer of determination shone through.
Since he first heard about Agaris, Kraush had made his mind up to defeat it.
After all, Agaris is the erosion entity that devoured many entities and eventually reached the 10th level, shattering the walls and wreaking havoc on the Empire.
If he is in a position where he might lose Ilgeum, he’d rather defeat it and stop the beginning of destruction.
‘The problem is that this time I really must take some risks.’
Kraush took a moment to exhale and then inhale deeply.
“It’s nothing new; it’s always been dangerous.”
[What’s happened to your head?]
Unfortunately, Kraush’s mind was functioning just fine.
His resolve remained unshaken.
This is a golden opportunity to crush one of the beginnings of destruction.
And to make matters better, that entity is coming at him almost in a weakened state.
Once Agaris grows to the 10th level, its restraints will be lifted, allowing its true essence to break free.
That scenario would spell genuine disaster.
‘Of course, there is one pressing issue to address first.’
Kraush looked towards Lilish.
Even though Lilish’s concern for him felt slightly awkward for Kraush, he had learned through Pendal that those he met post-reincarnation weren’t exactly the same as the figures in his past memories.
He shook off the memories of the past Lilish.
Instead, he decided to focus solely on the present Lilish.
Lilish intends to send him back with the Cheongha Order.
But to defeat Agaris, Kraush couldn’t simply leave.
So, he walked past the members of the Cheongha Order who were about to retreat.
“Krad?!”
Just then, one of the Cheongha Order members called him out.
“Where are you going?! We’re heading this way!”
“What?! Krad?”
Although they tried to catch him, it was already too late.
There was no need to hide his identity any longer.
‘Even if I try to keep quiet, it’ll slip out eventually. I tried to keep it under wraps as much as possible.’
He felt a bit sorry for the first prince—but he could always tidy things up later.
Still, being from the Valheim Order meant that it would leak less than if he were from elsewhere.
“Uh? Is that guy…?”
At that moment, as he passed by the Nokhae Order, they too appeared puzzled.
One of them had even been punched by Kraush and now had a contorted face.
Regardless, Kraush proceeded, passing in front of the Jukcheon Order.
As the members of the Jukcheon Order directed their attention towards him, Kraush locked eyes with Lilish.
“Sister Lilish.”
The moment the term ‘sister’ escaped Kraush’s lips, everyone in the Cheongha, Jukcheon, and Nokhae Orders froze in place.
The issue was that Lilish displayed no particular objection.
Only two people in the world could call her “sister.”
One was the now-deceased Belorkin Valheim.
And the other was the youngest Valheim, Kraush Valheim.
So, who might be standing before them?
The answer was simple.
The face of a member from the Nokhae Order, who had clashed with Kraush before, went pale as a ghost.
He looked as if he might faint at any moment.
While all the members of the Cheongha Order were in a flurry, only Reblian let out a long sigh internally.
He thought it would have been better to inform the Cheongha Order in advance if that was going to happen, though he kept those thoughts to himself.
It was no wonder Kraush needed to hide his identity.
His revelation now stemmed from his urgent belief that the situation with Agaris was critical.
‘Since you’ve revealed you’re Valheim’s direct descendant, you can’t back down from the battle against Agaris.’
Even so, Kraush made a point of revealing himself.
There was certainly a strong intent behind it; he was determined to face Agaris.
‘Even if I’m still young, being a direct descendant of Valheim means I won’t take a step back.’
Valheim would never retreat against the tide of world erosion.
Even if it meant facing their own demise.
That’s why the Valheim family is respected, not just for being the strongest.
Their unwavering stance against the horrors of world erosion is undoubtedly heroic.
Lilish’s impassive eyes turned toward him.
To an observer, she seemed emotionless, but inside, she was trembling with turmoil.
Now Kraush could read her reactions.
He had decided to focus entirely on from her present, rather than her past.
“I will also help in confronting Agaris.”
The moment Kraush’s declaration rang out, Lilish furrowed her brow.
“Kra…”
“My body is laden with the power of curses. You must realize that.”
As if to prove his point, Kraush lifted his hand, and black flames surged forth.
“It shall assist in confronting Agaris. No one knows curses better than one who has experienced them firsthand.”
Lilish’s lips parted and closed repeatedly.
She was torn between a younger brother who was foolishly heading towards danger and the logical thought that Kraush had bested a level six erosion entity on his own.
Though he might outwardly appear to be the peak of expert level…
He would become a more significant asset than a single member of the Jukcheon Order.
Above all, he is still a Valheim.
Even though he hadn’t reached adulthood, a direct descendant of Valheim holds equal standing.
In times past, Kraush might not have the standing to make statements like this, but now, it was universally acknowledged.
Of course, Lilish was still in command here.
It wouldn’t be out of the question for her to issue a strong directive for him to back off.
But the moment she met Kraush’s resolute gaze, she ultimately decided to let him stay.
‘When did I become so emotional…’
Valheim should be Valheim.
And right now was a moment when they needed to embody Valheim more than ever.
“Kraush, I am the commander of this expedition. You are a knight in my expedition.”
“Yes, I understand well.”
“Follow me. We will stop Agaris.”
Lilish declared and turned her body.
The direction she took was none other than toward Agaris.
“Jukcheon Order, follow Lady Lilish!”
With that command, Darvian, the vice-captain of the Jukcheon Order, promptly led the members alongside Lilish.
Following closely behind, the Nokhae members also moved, while Kraush turned back to Reblian.
“Let Bianca know I’ll be back soon.”
“…She’s going to be really mad.”
“I’ll deal with it when I return.”
Reblian sighed and nodded, turning to leave.
Indeed, even though Kraush found Reblian immensely appealing, he’d have to incorporate him into his squad once he formed a knightly order.
“Kraush.”
In that moment, hearing Lilish call out to him, Kraush moved his feet.
As he did, the color of his hair began to shift back from a jet-black hue to a deep blue.
As his closed eyes opened, his original blue irises sparkled brightly.
Perhaps it was due to his rapidly growing phase, but his handsome features emerged distinctly.
Having not taken additional antidotes allowed him to revert to his original appearance.
“Now that’s how I remember it.”
Was it just that it had been so long since he’d seen his younger brother’s face?
Perhaps that’s why Lilish felt strangely awkward.
“I seem to have inherited some of your features, sister.”
However, hearing Kraush’s jest, a soft chuckle escaped Lilish.
It was as if she realized how long it had been since she discovered she had such a brother.
“I won’t die and return.”
“Since I plan to return, I’ll also defeat Agaris.”
With his bold remarks, a rush of energy filled Lilish.
Why be afraid when the direct descendants of Valheim are standing together?
“Let’s go.”
To vanquish Agaris.
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