The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 274

Side Story 3.

The Forgotten War, The Spider Lord Subjugation (3)

Harbardonia.

The eternal, pure white world of death in the Arctic.

A harsh Arctic gale sweeps through me, a chilling reminder of fate.

To think I’d revisit this untouched snowfield… and with her, of all people.

“It brings back memories.”

I met Kasena Page’s gaze as she stared at me across the bonfire.

“Memories?”

“Of when I was with Alakish.”

Kasena smiled brightly.

“It was so hard back then.”

“It was.”

“But it was really fun when we were all together. I wish Alakish could have seen Aki…”

Kasena spoke of an impossible dream. Perhaps realizing this herself, her voice was melancholic.

“How’s Aki? Did she grow up well?”

“She’s shedding her girlishness and becoming quite the young lady.”

“What! I want to see her too!”

“I’ve tried to introduce you several times, but you were never around. You ran away from home.”

“That’s… don’t blame me! You should have come to find me anyway! Couldn’t you even do that? You’re Yonghyun! You should have used all sorts of magic to find me!”

What an unreasonable demand….

But weren’t such unreasonable words and temperaments what defined Kasena?

I chuckled.

“Hmm… is that guy cheating right now?” Rem’s voice cut through the air.

Bart merely shrugged.

The four-day journey continued in this manner: evading the abyssal blizzards and traversing the snowfields.

In truth, unlike my childhood, the journey was easy because I could use earth-based magic.

I could simply create roads over treacherous terrains like crevasses and cliffs. I even conjured a fiery roof to block the blizzards.

“We’re almost there. That’s Asas Valley.”

Kasena Page, who was walking ahead and leading the way, announced, her breath misting in the frigid air.

Kasena seemed to be feeling the thrill of adventure even in this perilous situation.

Such an irrepressibly positive attitude meshed well with Rem, and the two quickly became close.

“Asas?”

“Ah-sas. It’s ‘sa,’ not ‘zas,’ Rem.”

Unexpectedly, the three had some history as adventurers.

Hmm, now that I think about it, this lady was Platinum rank….

The sound of the wind sweeping through the valley resembled the playing of a wind instrument with an eerily high pitch.

In that wind blowing from the Necropolis of the Universe, the faint sunlight trembled, and the snow-covered trees held their breath.

Bart, whose armor surface was covered in blue frost, asked, “Rain, can you see anything with your eyes? About Bel Sedios?”

“They’ve put up a barrier. But it’s a bit strange.”

“In what way?”

“It feels like they’re inviting us in. Like they don’t intend to stop us. It even feels like they’re guiding us.”

Rem shuddered with a disgusted expression. “What a terrible hobby. This is real horror. They’re toying with people.”

Kasena also wore a serious look.

As the only one among the three who had directly faced an Old Noble in the past, her feelings would be different.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. They might just be expressing curiosity.”

“Aren’t we scary?”

“Scared? Don’t be silly. They’re the rulers of the old era… to them, we’re no different from insects.”

The barrier around the valley entrance led straight to the deep cave.

I carefully scanned the surroundings as we walked, but it was hard to think of it as a trap.

Numerous Necraknes [spider-like monsters] and Old Ones outside the barrier were drooling menacingly, but there were no attacks.

Thus, we arrived at Zaunnyeo Lequeen’s mansion.

The snowy landscape, carved out of stone caves and glaciers in the form of a mansion, its aesthetic beauty far surpassed the aesthetic standards of the human world.

「Look who it is! The hope of the humans has come out in person.」

However, lurking behind that beauty was terror.

Disgusting tumor-like cobwebs were everywhere, with corpses hanging from them, dripping with corpse fluid.

The demeanor of the Old Noble who appeared, clapping her hands, was frighteningly composed and elegant.

「Your reputation is quite impressive. Do you know what the humans whisper as they’re being drained of their blood? That Yonghyun will do something about me…」

Zaunnyeo Lequeen.

The 4th in the Obongwi [Spider Lord hierarchy] hierarchy of the Spider Lords.

A black-haired beauty with the addictive allure of a spider, she wore a shawl made of spider hair, and spider venom dripped from her fangs.

The beauty that stimulates and subjugates humanity’s primal desires is a common trait of the Old Nobles.

「Actually, killing you would be fun too, but I’m a bit more curious.」

The pressure made cold sweat run down my back even in this extreme cold….

The oppressive feeling as if my shoulders were being crushed by rocks….

The sense of inherent disparity, like a gnat staggering in the breath of a human….

「You can think of it as a reward for embarrassing that eyesore, Shar’kas.」

Unlike before, Kasena protected herself directly, but even so, blood dripped from her nose due to the encounter with a transcendent being.

「Oh! A clone of Karen Den and the descendant of the vermin Karen Den used to keep around have come together, how interesting is that?」

“We didn’t come here to chat, Lequeen.”

「Yes, yes. You must be short on time. The Lord will be waking up soon. But what’s important in life is leisure. Without leisure, you can’t make proper judgments.」

“I heard you have the key to Cheonsugung [Heavenly Palace]. Where is it?”

「Shut your mouth! How dare a mere vermin open its mouth while this Lequeen is speaking!」

Suddenly, Lequeen burst into a shout, and the Old Spiders surrounding us took a step forward.

Immediately, Rem nocked an arrow on Serwebon [his bow], and Kasena began to draw runes in the air with her fingertips.

Lequeen raised her hand to stop the spiders, then suddenly began to laugh.

「Yes, that’s it! I really enjoy seeing your fear. Especially that twitching look! It means you’re aware that your lives are in my hands.」

“You bastard….”

「The key to Cheonsuseong [Heavenly Star Fortress]? Yes, I have it. But I have a question. Why? What are you going to do with it? If I know your ultimate goal, I might consider helping you.」

“There’s only one reason for going. You know it well.”

「Of course, it’s easy for me to see through your low-level thoughts. But how well do you know? Aren’t you just doing what that blue snake told you to do?」

My throat went dry.

How does this thing know I got information from Yeriserika?

「Look at those spiders over there. They have no thoughts. They just faithfully follow orders. How lovely is that?」

“Because they’re mindless slaves?”

「Hehehe, thoughts are the exclusive property of the ruler. Thoughts lead to choices, and choices lead to responsibility. Are you humans prepared to take responsibility for your choices?」

What?

What kind of question is that?

「Ah, I asked the wrong question. Do you have the ability to take responsibility? No! Not at all! You haven’t ‘thought’ about anything for a thousand years. You might have deluded yourselves into thinking you were ‘thinking,’ but you haven’t ‘thought’ at all. That’s why you’re in this state.」

“……?”

「You imitated us and set up kings and nobles? Look, that’s your one and only choice! You actually know that it’s happier to live under someone’s rule without thinking! We don’t just reign, we reign because we can take all responsibility for this choice.」

Lequeen, who was getting closer and closer.

Her breath, as warm and sticky as poison, reached my ear.

She finished with a seductive smile.

「If you understand, I’ll spare you and send you back. Tell that blue snake. Tell her that this Lequeen will soon go and take her lowly head.」

A burst of laughter escaped me.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

When I looked up again, everything in my sight was being interpreted as a string of numbers.

“I wondered why you were giving a long speech unlike Shar’kas, but it turns out you were afraid of me.”

「?」

“Don’t try to deceive my eyes. I can see everything. The shape of the shadow rapidly leaving your mansion, this valley.”

The spider fangs protruded eerily from Lequeen’s smile, and spider legs sprouted thickly from her back.

Immediately, Bart’s spear, which had rushed in fiercely, was planted into the ground.

Lequeen, who jumped high from that spot, reached out her hand, and the spiders surrounding us rushed out.

“Lady, go with Rem and Bart. We can’t let that thing get away.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll handle it all myself.”

Are old memories overlapping?

After telling them to go first, I was stabbed in the heart by Shar’kas and died….

Kasena’s eyes were filled with hesitation and bewilderment, but she nodded as soon as Rem grabbed her shoulder.

“Okay. Don’t be too late!”

I’m not underestimating the Old Nobles. I know better than anyone how dangerous they are.

But.

Having faced Shar’kas, Nariaduke, Zernyx, and Beshansidug, my beast-like senses have been sharply honed.

「Handle it? By yourself? All of it? Ha, hahahahaha! I’ve decided. I’ll take my time and train you. I’ll teach you manners and etiquette.」

That’s why I can tell.

Zaunnyeo Lequeen, this thing is nothing compared to those monsters.

As I watched Lequeen’s body swell up in a nauseatingly black web and pure white bubbles, I clasped my hands together.

“Secret Art, Elemental Deployment(元素-展開).”

* * *

“Crazy, how is that thing so fast in the snow?!”

The thing holding the key to Cheonsuseong was a rabbit-sized spider.

It had pure white camouflage, making it difficult to spot in the snow, and above all, it was quite fast.

Fast.

Too fast.

Bart, who was heavily armed, was already far behind, and Kasena, who was moving her legs with telekinesis, was showing clear signs of exhaustion.

If we lose it, all our plans are over.

We can’t lose it.

But the key spider was gradually disappearing from sight. Thanks to the blizzard, it was already hard to see….

“Kasena, legs!”

There was no time to explain.

As soon as Rem jumped into the air without finishing his sentence, a momentary realization came to Kasena’s mind.

The secret technique of the Page family: drawing runes in the air to build telekinesis.

The intangible force of pushing and pulling, creating a dozen of those forces in the air as one mass.

It was easy to spot them thanks to the swirling blizzard. Rem stepped on them one by one as if stepping on pebbles, soaring into the air.

Thwing, shweeeeeeeek!

Three arrows flew in curves here and there.

Evergreen roots sprouted from the arrows planted at the key spider’s feet. They bound the spider as if to subdue it.

With movements more acrobatic than an acrobat, Rem landed on the snowfield.

“Huff, got it!”

“Rem, amazing!”

“This is nothing! I’m Gungseong Rem!”

“This isn’t the time to be talking! Catch that thing quickly!”

From all directions, huge figures were approaching from within the blizzard.

Terror(恐怖).

Disgust(嫌惡感).

The sizes varied, and some had a chilling size like a mountain peak approaching.

Kasena wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on her forehead and turned into frost.

“Kakrebush, a top-tier Old One.”

Bart planted his heel into the ground to brake his body.

Turning around, he transferred the force of the braking to his shoulder, and a powerful sword aura surged, thrusting the Yonggol spear [his spear] forward with all his might.

Cheongeuk(天極) [Heavenly Pinnacle], a wave of power that momentarily reversed the light and darkness of the world, pierced through Kakrebush’s dozen eyeballs.

“KiaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkKK!”

Kakrebush, who had lost his sight, began to rampage. Nearby Necraknes and Old Ones were trampled under his hairy legs.

“Amazing! He deliberately took away his sight without knocking him down!”

“He’s my partner. My partner.”

“Why is Rem being so smug?”

“It’s too early to be relieved.”

Even though there was a direction that Kakrebush was sweeping through, enemies were rushing in like a tide from other directions as well.

Kasena drew four runes in the air. It took quite a bit of time to develop the mathematical formula in her head.

When she finished the calculation and clenched her fist, an intangible barrier unfolded in a semicircle, pushing back the Old Ones.

“Telekinetic Barrier.”

“This isn’t good. Bart and I only have linear techniques. Kasena isn’t an offensive mage like Rain, but a support mage.”

“No, Rain isn’t an offensive mage, he just uses different magic on his own!”

“Why are you being so smug?”

“Stop talking and think of a way to break through here.”

Yes, we had to think of a way.

Against these spiders that were already surrounding us and drooling….

Cold sweat ran down the spines of the three.

Even if Bart made a path, the speed of running on the snowfield was too slow compared to the spiders.

Would the barrier hold until Rain came? No. It was already starting to crack.

And one of the two, Rem and Kasena, had to keep holding onto this key spider that was struggling in their arms to somehow escape.

‘This is the worst.’

‘This is terrible.’

‘If Miria were here.’

None of the three were good at strategy.

At that moment, Bart sensed something and shouted.

“Get down!”

No sooner had he said that than the space-time beyond the barrier began to ripple like a mirage.

In that instant, that dimension was torn apart.

As if to suck in what was standing on the torn dimension, the intangible barrier was cut away, and the same cut surface was drawn on the bodies of numerous spiders.

“Space-Time Severance(時空殲).”

As if to fill the void of providence that had suddenly arisen, two people walked into the swirling storm.

They were truly contrasting figures.

A heroine with the Holy Sword Shirpang slung over her shoulder, and a man wielding a fan with the unholy power of the abyss swirling around it.

Seeing them, Rem and Kasena blankly shouted.

“Balsirendis!”

“Chairman Valendisis?!”

“My name is Valensidice……”

“Valensidice, Miria, how did you get here?”

“The great Yonghyun begged and pleaded that he needed our help. So, we reluctantly came.”

At that time, Pipi, who was sitting on Miria’s head, flew with a light flutter and landed on Kasena’s shoulder.

“Kasena, Kasena, Kasena.”

“Pipi!”

How long has it been since we last met? 10 years? Tears welled up in Kasena’s eyes.

Although it was clearly their first meeting, Miria, who was hugging Rem, felt an emergency signal caught by her feminine intuition.

With a light nod, she asked Bart about his identity. Valensidice playfully shrugged his shoulders.

“You can think of it as a shell that Rain Ludwig left behind in the past.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Miria’s voice, calmly replying, was somehow colder than this freezing blizzard.

“……A bloodbath is coming.”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

* * *

“Secret Art, Elemental Deployment.”

Eight rings, each with its own color, spread out greatly from behind.

Fire(火).

Water(水).

Earth(地).

Wind(風).

Lightning(雷).

Ice(氷).

Iron(鐵).

Toxin(毒).

The way to handle all eight attributes is an ideal dream for an Elemental Master.

This Secret Art of Deployment was researched and completed by the 6th Great Archmage, Zernyx.

There is no need to inscribe attribute runes for using magic. There is no need for such initial actions.

All that is needed is mathematical calculation.

In this case, it makes it possible to fire multiple attribute magic of 4 stars or higher in an extremely short time.

The number of mathematical formulas calculated mentally is 5, in other words, the power will be set to 5 stars or higher.

「What……!」

Fire(火) and Iron(鐵).

Countless fiercely burning iron spikes surge up, piercing the bodies of the Old Spiders.

Lightning(雷) and Toxin(毒).

Spreading a poisonous fog and making it act as a conductor, instantly electrocuting a wide area of Old Ones.

And the next moment.

Fire(火), Water(水), Wind(風), Earth(地), Toxin(毒), Lightning(雷), Ice(氷), Iron(鐵).

All the rings merge into one, flashing with brilliant rainbow colors. Power correction with Bel Curious, 7 stars.

Eumjijeonyangjibyeon(陰地轉陽地變) [Yin Earth Turns to Yang Earth Transformation].

The explosive flames, the rushing currents, the winds of the typhoon, the earth of the cataclysm, the ice stones of the snowstorm, the deadly poison of decay, the lightning of the thunder, the steel of the sickle.

Manifesting while transforming the eternal frozen soil, reversing the geographical setting of the area within a radius of 500 meters.

And at the center of all that power, that is, at the epicenter, is the ancient cannibal spider Lequeen.

That huge body, which was about to pounce on me, was struck by thunder and fire(雷火), burned, poisoned water(毒水), festered, iced wind(氷風), torn apart, and earthen iron(地鐵), crushed.

「Paru…… you…… this guy…….」

But Lequeen is Obongwi [one of the Spider Lords], an existence that has drunk the blood of eternity.

Because she has an immortal soul and an immortal body, she has the ability to quickly regenerate from this damage.

That’s why it’s impossible to kill them, but it’s possible to banish them to a distant era.

“Rune Combination, Light(光).”

As the eight runes merged into the rune of creation and poured out a light more dazzling than sunlight, Lequeen began to convulse.

It’s not that she’s afraid of that rune.

It’s just that she’s afraid of this power of sealing that comes from that rune, the power of the Gwangseo Magic Circle [Light Sealing Magic Circle].

“Good kids should be sleeping now. You shouldn’t be getting up already.”

「This lowly…… thing that is less than a roadside bug dares to……!」

The moment Lequeen stretched out her legs, which had been regenerated palely in countless bubbles.

Chachachachachachang, wedges of light pierced through the sixteen pairs of legs and fixed them to the ground.

Following that, two wedges that had dived steeply from the sky pierced through her heart and head. They were about twice as large and dazzling as the ones that had fixed her legs.

“Yeah, you should sleep for another thousand years. So you can grow up well.”

Not you, but my kids.