Chapter 77 : Chapter 77

Chapter 77: And So It Shall Fall (3)

The magic in the hands of those who heard Jeina’s shout vanished all at once.

Jeina immediately grabbed a few of the nearby scholars by the scruff of their necks and threw them against the wall.

“Kraaack!”

Furniture like desks and bookshelves were shattered.

With that as the start, everyone joined the fight.

But in the first place, a fight couldn’t even be established.

Because five seconds later, when the scholars were able to use magic again, they were already staggering and unable to come to their senses.

“I did well, right?”

I chuckled and nodded my head.

‘As expected, barbarians are the natural enemies of mages.’

Silent Roar was a skill she had learned at level 15, and if it hit, it could turn a mage into a fool.

Fortunately, everyone cast their magic at the same time, so it had a tremendous effect.

It was proof that they had only learned magic from books and had no practical experience whatsoever.

“Are you going to keep fighting?”

As Tersion asked with an arrow aimed, the soldier placed his spear on the floor.

“I-I surrender.”

“Collie, keep an eye on this person. We’re going up.”

Crack!

The further we went up the stairs, the more clearly the corrupted mana could be felt.

As it did, the expressions on Tersion and Gerard’s faces grew more and more grim.

“I’ve gone and done something rash again.”

“No, it’s fine. I had a few questions of my own while talking to them anyway.”

“What were they?”

“I can understand not going outside out of fear. But they should be thinking about escaping this place, not thinking it's okay to rest and pass the time here… Not unless they’re convinced they can survive by doing so.”

Gerard stopped in front of the door.

From beyond that door, an unsettlingly ominous aura was radiating.

“And seeing this corrupted mana explains everything.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means the scholars were bad guys, just like the count.”

“Oh, you’re smart.”

Jeina said with a smile, but Tersion ignored her.

“Everyone, step back.”

I covered my nose and mouth with mana and opened the door.

In the small closet-like room, Marco could be seen bleeding and praying in front of a bizarre-looking altar.

“What on earth happened? Why is the temple destroyed, and how are they alive? No! Great one, I will never betray you… Who’s there!”

Marco created a fireball as soon as he sensed a presence, but my fist flew faster.

Thwack!

“Keoheuk!”

He couldn’t dodge that single punch.

Like the scholars below, it seemed Marco was all bark and no bite.

“H-How did you get here?”

“What kind of deal did you make with monsters that can’t even communicate?”

As I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and asked, Marco began to laugh like a madman.

“Hehehehe! Monsters that can’t communicate? That’s all you can think of, so you live your life as a mercenary. You think brainless monsters could shake the empire in just a few months?”

“Being brainless and not being able to communicate are two different things. Don’t change the subject.”

My gaze did not waver.

At that, Marco’s expression contorted in displeasure.

“You will never understand. The will of the great one.”

“So you did make a deal.”

“Yes, in exchange for surviving the apocalypse, we promised to offer this castle. That was the contract in the first place. Weren't you suspicious? That too many humans were gathered here?”

As soon as I heard those words, I remembered what Trophin had said.

‘You saw it too, right? The large-scale shield, the cannons… This isn't a scale that can be solved just by us jumping in. But the reward they promised us is a bit excessive.’

The excessively high quest fee, calling in mercenaries despite the immense fortifications.

“It was all bait, wasn't it.”

It made sense if they had no intention of paying in the first place.

Because there was no quest fee to be paid to the dead.

Everything was falling into place like clockwork.

“That’s ridiculous.”

But even after realizing everything, I couldn’t erase the sneer directed at Marco.

“You’ve been tricked.”

“What?”

“What the monsters want is to make this land their own. There’s no land for you to stay in there. You were just being used.”

“What do you know to be spouting such nonsense? You think you’re something just because you survived by swinging a sword a bit?”

“You’re right, I’m nothing. Just a mercenary riffraff who got lucky and survived.”

Marco flinched at my momentum.

I felt a vein pop on my forehead.

The reason I was angry right now wasn't simply because I was fed up with the villains of this world.

“But at least I know enough not to bow my head to the bastards who came to eat us.”

Bang!

Marco’s body was slammed into the wall in the corner.

“Keoheuk!”

On the Emperor route, you meet many people like this.

People who can use the lives of others for their own purposes without a second thought.

It would be a truly wonderful world if they received their just deserts, but unfortunately, there were many cases where they achieved their goals.

This world was like that in the first place.

That’s probably why people like this keep appearing.

“Gerard, what is the imperial law for punishing those who collude with the enemy?”

“If the charge can be proven, it’s summary execution.”

“Then with this altar here, it won’t be hidden.”

“What? W-Wait a minute!”

Stab!

Before Marco could ramble on, my sword cut through his neck.

[Karma Points decrease by 5.]

The information window emotionlessly sent a red warning, but I immediately closed it.

“We need to get out of here right now.”

Tersion said.

“If we stay here, we’ll just become their sacrifices.”

“……”

The moment I nodded my head.

BOOM!

From below the room, a chilling explosion roared.

“What was that?”

Everyone hurriedly left the room.

“Wh-Where did they come from?”

“Stop them! Stop them!”

The bewildered shouts of the soldiers were heard a few times from outside the power facility, and then.

“Kuaaaack!”

Finally, screams were heard.

The Hellmorphs were chewing and swallowing something as they entered the power facility.

“Hahaha! You’re all dead now! Our collaborators have arrived!”

A scholar said with a grin.

He raised both hands and approached the fiends, and.

Slice!

He was sliced apart and became a corpse.

“Wh-What!”

“Keoheuk!”

“Wh-Why… We were supposed to be the chosen ones!”

As life turned to meat, the central magic stone began to shake precariously.

“The magic stone…!”

“Gerard! Bow! Provide covering fire from here!”

I immediately jumped over the railing and dropped to the first floor.

“Master!”

“Collie! Put up a wall around the magic stone!”

Krrrrack!

As the ice wall was created, I circled around, cutting down the Hellmorphs approaching the magic stone.

But it was only buying time.

The scholars were falling in an instant, and the number of Hellmorphs approaching the magic stone increased accordingly.

The number of Hellmorphs pounding on the ice wall began to grow.

Crack!

Eventually, the ice wall shattered, and the Hellmorphs began to scratch at the central magic stone with their front paws and teeth.

“Artier, if we fight like this, we’ll all be wiped out.”

“……”

I forced down the breath that had risen to my chin.

There were dozens of Hellmorphs at my feet, but more were still pouring in from outside the power facility.

“Artier!”

“Yes. We’re getting out.”

When I came to my senses, there were no more standing scholars or soldiers to be seen.

I took a longsword from my inventory, held it in my left hand, and activated a skill.

[Unity Rite is activated.]

[Temporarily combines the stats of the summon and summoner.]

Swoosh.

The muscles in my forearms and legs swelled momentarily, and the hard carapaces of the Hellmorphs were sliced as smoothly as paper.

“Collie, let’s break through the front!”

“Understood!”

We disregarded minor wounds.

Artier and Collie rampaged like mad and finally broke through the monsters' encirclement.

As the party escaped the power facility, the entire facility began to collapse with a huge explosion.

Rumble!

“In the end…”

The barrier in the sky lost its power and began to flicker.

The party was enveloped in silence as they confirmed the runes on their wrists had disappeared.

“Artier, what’s the situation?”

At Gerard's question, I, who was catching my breath, checked the communications without a word.

“……”

The trooper type effects have vanished!

Why? Didn’t they say the power facility was successfully defended!

The military equipment has all stopped working at once!

Enemies are swarming from all directions! Requesting immediate support!

The communications of the confused soldiers were coming in from all over.

Most of them seemed to have no idea why this situation was happening.

“Hellmorphs are swarming in from all directions.”

“We have to get out of here right now. You know that, right?”

As Tersion immediately asked, I slowly nodded my head.

This was not a quest that could be completed by being stubborn.

It was a stage of defeat, intentionally prepared to be unbeatable by a single player, no matter what they did.

‘I don’t have the power to overturn this situation.’

The problem was power.

I had individual strength, but not the strength of many.

As a mere mercenary, all I could do was win individual battles.

Of course, that alone was amazing, but it was impossible to change the outcome of a war.

‘All I can do is save as many people as possible.’

Having finished my thoughts, I looked at Tersion.

“Bow, we need to use the artifact now.”

“...Tell me which one it is.”

“It's the Embrace of the Sea.”

“Embrace of the Sea?”

Tersion, who had been lost in thought, seemed to realize something.

“I see. In that case, is our destination the east?”

“Yes, let’s go to the east port.”

“The port? Are you saying we’re leaving by boat?”

Jeina asked.

But I just quietly shook my head.

There was too much left to explain right now.

“For now, let’s go. It will take a while to get to the east anyway. I’ll explain the plan on the way.”

At his words, everyone began to move.

I took one last look at the burning power facility and followed them.

Artier…

A man's weak voice echoed in his ear.

It was a familiar voice.

Trophin?

Can you hear my communication?

Trophin seemed quite pleased to hear Artier's voice, chuckling and responding despite his exhausted tone.

I'm glad. As they say, there's always a way out, even when the sky falls.

What do you mean? Are you in a dangerous situation?

As Artier stopped, touching his ear, Collie, who was walking ahead, turned his head to look at him.

“Master?”

“……”

Artier’s expression grew harder and harder as he talked.

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