Chapter 323
“It’s you…. You’re Cardinal Jephar….”
Alicia shot a wary glance.
Even while having her mana and stamina drained in real-time and being captured by a powerful figure like the Cardinal, Alicia showed no signs of fear.
“Are you giving that look to me, your new father? Hehe, how delightful. Very delightful indeed.”
Jephar, satisfied to see Alicia unafraid, wore a grin. He reveled in the sensation of the experimental subject in his grasp.
“That defiant glare. That fierce voice. It’s just like the first day I faced Salecius. Raw, unprocessed material that no refined technique can polish—its value makes my rusty heart race.”
Mentioning his past with Salecius caused a flicker of her eyebrows. Jephar noticed her reaction and continued speaking.
“Oh, by the way. You must have been unconscious in the warehouse back then, so you probably didn’t see me directly. Hehe. Recalling past situations is good for enhancing memory. Very well, I shall specially recount the events to you, my new invention.”
Alicia tried to resist, gathering her strength. Yet the more she fought back, the weaker her body became, and the loss of mana escalated.
Jephar knew her struggle was futile and continued.
“That day was a day when all probabilities fell in my favor. I stumbled upon a gem like Salecius while attacking a village merely to feed the common entities.”
The small rural village where Alicia’s family lived.
Back then, Jephar was fusing the mindless Priest-level Altife with the Special Entity to create Archbishop Glashalabolas to satisfy the hunger of those Altife.
“At that time, I wanted to create an archbishop with my own hands. In that sense, Glashalabolas could be seen as the epitome of my technique. However… the efficiency was atrociously low. The time consumed, and the number of Altife used to make just one Glashalabolas exceeded fifty thousand.”
Jephar was always brainstorming alternative methods in the back of his mind.
Ways to create the archbishop more efficiently.
It was then that a brilliant fourteen-year-old girl named Charlotte appeared before Jephar.
She appeared before Jephar.
“Charlotte… she was just an innocent girl, stuck in a backwater village her whole life. But now, here she is, using aura and middle-rank magic to butcher my Altifes.”
Jephar smiled, as if the memory was fresh in his mind. He took pleasure in reflecting on Alicia.
“I can’t believe someone could take down priests. Quite a spectacle, indeed. But watching your sister struggle makes my mind spark with ideas. What if I turned her into an Altife, a hero with extraordinary talent?
Once he’s onto something, Jephar would never let go. He relentlessly sent Altifes to gauge Charlotte’s strength and actions. Her swordsmanship, magical achievements, willpower, physical abilities…
The more he understood, the more alluring and ripe with research potential she seemed.
“I deliberately killed the villagers step by step in front of Charlotte to observe her reactions. The only downside? Her parents were already dead, so I couldn’t see any intense emotional responses.”
There was one person Charlotte was fighting to protect.
Except for little Alicia.
“Your sister was tenacious. No matter what, she refused to let the priests get to your warehouse. Hehehe. I was convinced then. If I killed what’s in that filthy warehouse, she’d break.”
A broken material is useless.
Hence, after Charlotte’s heart was pierced by an Altife, Jephar appeared before her and made his proposition.
—I’ll let your little sister in that filthy warehouse go, if you submit to me. Cast aside that dying human body and embrace a new life.
Charlotte had no choice.
If she didn’t accept the offer and ended up dead, that monster, Jephar, would certainly extend his claws toward Alicia.
On the other hand, if she accepted? Not only could she postpone death, but she might also salvage some measure of control.
“Yes, that gaze and those words back then… Your unwavering spirit in a life-or-death situation was quite impressive. Just like you are now, Alicia.”
“Grrk. Grrrgh…!”
Alicia’s entire body was covered in Jephar’s cells.
Her muscles struggled, fueled by mana, as her face, twisted with rage, revealed her disgust and hatred for Jephar.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already conducted almost all the experiments I can with Salecius. I’ll make you an even more perfected creation.”
Jephar slowly drew Alicia closer to him.
He planned to escape from the battlefield with both Alicia and Salecius.
After all, any priest-level or special entity on the battlefield could quickly summon help by attacking a city or village. What was crucial were entities on the level of an archbishop.
The overdue research and Alicia’s transformation came first.
“…I can never forgive you.”
Alicia’s voice dripped with intense malice. Whether she had stopped resisting or reached her limit, her exhausted body slumped, but her eyes remained fierce.
“That thought that treats life as trivial and sees people merely as materials for experiments. Because of that, countless people have died… our hometown… our parents… my sister who wanted to become a hero…! If only it weren’t for you! Only you!”
“That incident, which they only regarded as materials for their experiments. So many people have died because of it… My hometown… my parents… my sister who wanted to become a hero…! If it weren’t for you… just you…!”
Alicia was furious beyond anything anyone had seen until now, and it was unlikely they would see it again in the future.
Those present at the scene thought so.
Moreover, Jephar, who was holding Alicia, had a victorious grin on his face.
“This… is power that far exceeds expectations…!”
BOOM—!!
Alicia’s mana exploded.
A sacred red light illuminated the battlefield, driving away the darkness.
Helion’s secret technique, the Fifth Unique Spell.
Sacred Fire.
Along with a superior version mixed with a red aura.
Alicia’s Second Unique Spell.
Crimson Sacred Fire.
For that brief moment, its power surpassed even her master Helion.
“Jephar. I know this isn’t the end.”
Jephar’s blood splattered all around. Watching the falling head, Alicia said.
“I will definitely find your true form and kill you. Please do not forget that.”
Alicia’s eyes were filled with the intent to kill. The eyes of a hero fighting against absolute evil.
“Hehehe…. That’s something to look forward to…”
—Swoosh!
Alicia swung her sword and sliced Jephar’s head in half.
The impact of the strike spread beyond the nest, reaching the battlefield, and Altife’s forces split in two.
It was a power akin to a divine punishment.
At that moment, the semi-hero Alicia was promoted to a hero.
*
Two archbishops fled the battlefield, unleashing their powers.
Archbishop Crosel of insects and Archbishop Beris of flowers sought to distance themselves from the battlefield as quickly as possible.
“How did I end up in such a position…!”
Even while fleeing, Beris spat out phrases full of rage.
She was the archbishop everyone feared; even with her noble status, the realization that she had to run away in disgrace infuriated her.
Ever since Alicia split the battlefield, the tides had completely turned in favor of the heroes.
The damage from the surprise attack was significant, but Alicia’s presence was overwhelming.
Even if it wasn’t her true form, the power that shattered the cardinal’s body in an instant couldn’t be stopped, even by the powers of Beris and Crosel.
“Salecius… Alicia… that detestable sister…!”
Beris and Crosel felt the defeat of the battlefield deeply and had no choice but to abandon their forces to survive.
Even though they ordered their troops to scatter, the terrain at the time was a canyon with blocked sides.
No matter how wide the gap between cliffs, escaping without flying was difficult.
“Damn. We’re in trouble. Loss of two Moving Nests and one archbishop. Sixteen thousand priest-level units… when I go back, I’m going to get chewed out.”
Crosel muttered.
As Crosel said, this defeat was bitter. The moving nests were few to begin with, and the archbishop who had been captured by the heroes was a precious individual cherished by that eccentric cardinal.
While priest-level units could be replenished, it would take a long time.
Moreover, since they couldn’t encircle Yggdrasil, there was a chance the Central Church would move freely within the barrier.
“Crosel, let’s stop for a moment.”
“Here?”
It seemed they had shaken off all the pursuers, as the surroundings were quiet.
Two beings passing through the forest to hide their forms suddenly stopped in their tracks.
“Why? Are you seriously scared to go back? When I get skewered, the moderate me will die first before you do! Who’s in charge right now?”
“…….”
“What’s with the silence? What’s your deal with this mood?”
“Don’t you feel frustrated about Krosel?”
“What?”
“About that hero pretender… Alicia! Doesn’t it infuriate you that she came back with her tail between her legs!”
Before the regular conference, Beris recalled her conversation with Vargan.
—They say she’s currently ranked 9th in the hero ranking. But I see Alicia’s current achievements as far beyond that.
—What makes you think so?
—You’re asking an obvious question.
Back then, Vargan had said with a smile devoid of any doubt.
—Alicia is the best failure I painstakingly created.
Crack—
Beris gritted her teeth.
Just a few years ago, Alicia was merely a toy for Beris when she visited the Academia.
Yet that same Alicia was now being called a hero, possessing more power than even Beris… and Salecius.
Even without facing her directly, she understood that fact.
And it fueled Beris’s anger even more.
“So what? Are we supposed to go back and fight her now? Like hell! If we go back, it’s not just her we have to deal with, but her teammates too. What can we do when we’re already drained?”
“…….”
“I get that you want to wipe them all out, but it’s time to back off. We need to go back and beg like a pathetic loser. …Damn it. Saying it like this sounds terrible. I’ve only controlled flies, never been one myself.”
“…….”
“Stop trying to be all dramatic and let’s head back. If we stick around here any longer, those pursuers might catch up…”
“No. Krosel. I won’t go back.”
“Has she really lost it? Then what do you plan to do—.”
—Swish!
The roots of the plants connected to Beris jabbed Krosel in the back.
While talking, she had stealthily moved the roots.
“Be, Beris…! Th-this girl…!”
“I’m sorry, Krosel. The most beautiful me in the world must always maintain that beauty.”
“What… the hell are you talking about…!”
“Excellence sets the standard for beauty. Strength is no different. I cannot silently accept that she’s stronger than me.”
Beris drained Krosel’s vitality.
Before Krosel could resist, the rapidly growing roots pierced her whole body.
“I’ll admit it. I’ve been arrogant and ignorant of the world lately. Hesitating to use it on my kin wasn’t the right choice; this isn’t the time to hold back.”
“Be… Beris…!”
“I’ll make sure to get revenge for you. Rest easy, Krosel.”
Gulp—
Soon, as Beris absorbed all of Krosel’s life force, her form began to change.
The number of plants attached to her body increased, and the buds that were once closed bloomed fully.
With Krosel’s mummified corpse now devoured by the carnivorous plants, Beris changed direction.
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