The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 405

250. Pharel

“Ha… Hahaha… Hahahahaha!!!!”

Yulla’s form looked at Khalil and burst into laughter, even louder than before. He clutched his stomach and shook his head as if he couldn’t contain himself.

“What’s so funny?”

“Haha… Hahaha… You’re a funny one, alright.”

Yulla even mimicked wiping away tears like a human, shaking his head.

“I have been in charge of this world since the beginning. Yet you speak as if you can change the future, regardless of the oracle I have given.”

“An oracle doesn’t determine the future. It’s not something grand or sublime. An oracle is just Yulla asking humans to create the future *you* desire.”

Yulla’s lips curved slightly at Khalil’s words.

“You only manage this world; you didn’t create it. You are just a victor in the competition with the gods, just like us.”

“So?”

“It means your seat can be vacant at any time.”

It was then.

[Do you think you can bear the price for what you have done?]

Yulla’s form grew as huge as a giant, and a monstrous voice echoed through the Sky Castle. Arms as thick as giant trees grabbed Khalil’s body.

[How dare…!! A human coveting the divine seat!!]

At the same time as the thunderous voice, the gates of the Celestial Realm that had been pouring down over the Sky Castle disappeared.

The Sky Castle, a huge aerial fortress floating in the sky, staggered and shook violently.

“Woah…! Woah…!!”

At the sight of the god, which was enough to make one’s legs tremble, the drakes of the Wyvern Corps, who were returning from the sky, began to scatter, even as the riders pulled on the reins.

“I can’t control them!!”

“Calm them down…!!”

The surroundings of the Sky Castle became chaotic because of the drakes running wild.

“Ugh…!! Ah!!”

“Aaaah!!!”

Drakes, who did not succumb to Dragon Fear [a supernatural fear effect dragons can inflict], were falling, unable to fly properly with just one scolding.

[What are you going to do? If they fall from that height, the riders will not survive.]

Khalil, caught in Yulla’s hand, wasn’t flustered but scoffed at the question.

“If they’re going to die from that, that’s all they’re worth.”

[That’s contradictory. Didn’t you say that this land belongs to humans and that you want to protect them?]

“Yes. If I have to protect them, I will.”

[……?]

“They’re not going to die from that.”

Kwaang—!!

When Khalil put strength into both arms, Yulla’s hand, which had been grabbing his shoulder, bounced off and was pushed away.

“What about you? Why are you only threatening me and not harming me any more than that? Even though I killed your Nephilim [a being of mixed divine and human parentage] and even took the Sky Castle.”

He looked at the huge form of Yulla looking down at him from the sky and said,

“Shall I guess?”

He gave a cold sneer at the silent god.

“You can’t kill me, can you? As you said, the Corruption is about to come. Because only humans can kill it. Isn’t that right? Like the Nephilim, Corruption is a power that can even kill gods.”

[Loathsome human.]

“What about you, trying to throw humans into a fire pit with pretty words like oracles and honor?”

Khalil raised his sword and shouted.

[I will give an oracle.]

It was then.

Yulla slowly stood up, looked down at Khalil, and said,

[This is a war that has existed since the beginning. I tried to help you as a god in charge of the world, but humans, face the disaster.]

Khalil sensed that Pharel, whom he had been waiting for, would appear soon.

A huge tower that could be seen anywhere on the continent, and the first Corruption that appeared with his appearance, called the first disaster, Blood.

‘Now the real war begins.’

It was not just a fight to stop the invasion of monsters and protect their land.

It was the last war to live as humans with autonomous will, not as toys of God.

Just like their ancestor, the first Blader, did.

[Soon, disaster will sweep the sky, and Corruption will overturn the earth. So fight. But there will be no more divine blessings for victory!!!]

Yulla said as if warning.

[You will suffer in the face of the darkness of Corruption, and only darkness that will never see the sunlight will remain in the human realm. All of this is your own fault. You will have to pay the price for disobeying God’s command.]

“That’s not an oracle; it’s a complete curse.”

But despite Yulla’s terrible prophecy, Khalil still scoffed.

[I can’t believe a god can’t hide his emotions. As you said, you’re really just human.]

Aln said, dumbfounded.

“It’s not strange. We’ve already seen the reality of God in the North.”

At that moment,

Kwagagagaga……!!

A huge tower appeared in front of them, piercing through the clouds. Khalil’s eyes widened at the sight of the very familiar tower.

It was the beginning of all events.

It was the culprit who burned the continent, and the place where he spent countless years trying to kill his friend and go back in time to this place.

Squeeze—

Strength went into the hand holding Polsettia’s sword.

“Pharel……”

Khalil said quietly, looking at the huge tower slowly revealing itself through the dark clouds.

“Finally.”

He held out his palm upwards.

“It’s time to show the truth I found in the seal hidden in another Thousand Year Ice Cave.”

At the end of his words, Aln spread black energy in all directions and wrapped around Khalil.

[Yes, thanks to that, my eyes were opened too. The eyes to see the world.]

Aln said as if he had been waiting for the ominous huge tower.

[Yulla himself admitted that there are many gods. He decorated it with grand words like creation and destruction, but in the end, they are also just taking and taking dimensions in the midst of competition and struggle.]

“They call it an oracle, but in the end, it’s just a damn fight between gods, and it’s just a packaging to wage their fight on this continent where we live.”

[So, we have to show them. The fact that there is not just one god means that there may be other beings corresponding to him, and in order for another god to exist, it means that this place ruled by Yulla is not the only dimension, but that other dimensions exist as well.]

“That means……”

Khalil’s eyes lit up.

“Pharel is not unique either.”

He emphasized each word, repeating it as if chewing it towards Yulla’s disappearing illusion.

“I’ve already attacked the tower.”

Kwagagaga……!! Kwagagang……!!

Monsters poked their heads out from between the windows of the tower that appeared in the sky, shaking their heads as if they were about to jump out right away.

Sgang-!!

Khalil threw his sword at those monsters with all his might. As Polsettia’s sword embedded itself in Pharel’s wall with a sharp tearing sound, the bricks around it shattered mercilessly.

The monsters, who were baring their sharp fangs and wailing through the window gaps, seemed to have hurriedly run away into the darkness at that wind.

“There’s nothing I can’t do again.”

It’s different from that time when he went back in time for countless years. It’s different from the terrible time when he was lonely and only wielded one sword with the determination to return.

A place to protect and a future to change.

Even more reason to destroy that tower.

“It will be different this time.”

Khalil gritted his teeth as if to calm his mind and steeled his will. Looking at the top of the tower, which soared so high that he could not see the end, he said to the disappeared god.

“Wait. When I reach the top of the tower again, it will finally be the last day I face you this time.”

Wooooo…….

A faint stream of air and an emerald glow flashed and disappeared from his palm.

* * *

“Corruption is a monster that eats humans. But now I think I know why God ordered us to hunt Corruption through the oracle.”

“God was afraid too.”

“Yes, I guess so. I think I understand enough when I see that figure. It’s really terrible.”

Miliana nodded at Khalil’s words, looking at the tower that soared high in the distance, Pharel.

Kugeugeu…… Kugeu…….

As if it were a punishment for opposing God,

The huge tower was constantly pouring out monsters.

People gathered on the Sky Castle without taking a break from the war with the Nephilim.

Dududududu……! Dudududu……!!

Looking down, flames were rising here and there on the ground, and monsters were running. Where they passed, giant trees were broken as if new roads were being made.

“Corruption, which is a crack in the perfect God, is like poison, so they tried to destroy Corruption with the hands of humans.”

“What is a crack?”

[It’s like a gap that occurs when dimensions are created and expanded. A crack is like a kind of chaos, and there is nothing in it, but it is also a place where anything can be.]

Rasis, one of the two great wildernesses, said.

[Cracks are where creation and destruction occur at the same time because light and darkness exist. Not only Corruption, but also our spirits and even God are beings born from cracks.]

And Duat echoed those words.

The two of them had the most similar attributes to the dimension completed in the beginning, so they were more familiar with the providence of God than anyone else.

[But because cracks are unstable spaces, sometimes unexpected beings are born.]

[Yes, that’s why a freak like the Thunder Lord, who has both light and darkness, is born.]

“Because it’s unstable, it’s weak, but conversely, because it’s unstable, it can be a dagger. We have to aim for that gap.”

“But before that, we have to deal with those monsters first. If we only fight without a home to return to, nothing will be left after the war is over.”

Everyone nodded at Miliana’s words.

“We are receiving reports from each base!!”

“Connect them.”

As Khalil lowered his gaze, the images of the castles throughout the continent appeared in the magic mirrors unfolded by numerous wizards and Israfil.

[I will report. The evacuation of the citizens of Ponain Fortress has been completed.]

[Lanion Union is currently about halfway through. We may need support from the Central Plains in case of an attack.]

[The Silver Wing Fleet is advancing towards the Union through the southern coast of the continent. If you grant permission for support, we will dock the ships at the Union port.]

“I permit it.”

“Urgent report from the scouts of the Northern Wolf Fox Tribe!!”

As Khalil nodded, the wizard delivered another message.

[The base of the Jannabi Tribe has been destroyed. Judging from the broken form, the number of monsters is estimated to be about 100 or more! It is estimated that there are also large monsters the size of golems among them.]

“An attack?”

[That’s not the case. It seems to have been destroyed due to a large-scale movement.]

Khalil nodded at the report coming through the communication device.

‘The first Corruption, Blood, has not yet appeared. Until then, the Corruptions will not attack.’

Khalil recalled his memories.

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, the alien race camp has already withdrawn, so it doesn’t matter. It’s rather fortunate that we can check the path of Corruption.”

He said that, but Hwa-rin clicked her tongue as if bitter at the scout’s report.

“It seems like they’re moving haphazardly, but based on the path so far, the Corruptions are all marching towards the same place.”

“Where is that?”

“It’s the Blood Cave.”

Khalil nodded at Anthem Howard’s report.

Because that was where the first Corruption, Blood, invaded the continent in his previous life.

“Prepare for it, but you don’t have to worry about Corruption for the time being. They won’t attack right away. They’re waiting for a leader to lead them.”

Khalil said, looking at the Blood Cave on the map.

“But we don’t have to wait for them. Anthem, launch the Sky Castle.”

“Yes, my lord.”

He said, shining his eyes.

“We’ll make the first move.”