The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 69

They now recognized Azadin as a formidable enemy, a force to be reckoned with, not someone to be ignored.

“I thought they were completely lost, turned into monsters without a trace of their former selves.”

“It seems some of our pride still remained.”

They began to lap up the blood from the bath.

“Don’t call it cowardly.”

“We’ll use every means at our disposal, Messenger Azadin!”

The wounds healed, and their mouths began to protrude into snout-like muzzles.

-Shhh

-Shh-shhh!

Their tongues flicked like vipers as the former messengers began to move smoothly across the water’s surface. Their legs had fused into a single tail, which propelled them through the water, making them resemble water snakes gliding on the surface.

“Prepare yourselves!”

“Yes, yes, that’s the spirit! Come at me with all your might!”

Azadin opened his left hand, placed it on the water’s surface, then clenched it into a fist, directing it towards the serpentine figures.

-‘Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Lightning that strikes the calm water, Kazas Haze!’

A pillar of water shot upwards, and a shockwave rippled across the surface towards the former messengers who were gliding on it.

Kazas Haze’s Wall of Thunder was a technique that subdued opponents with a concussive force. Azadin had adapted it to the water’s surface, transforming it into a shockwave.

Within the visible shockwave, the incomplete Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon magic within Azadin’s body became a hidden force, engulfing the former messengers.

“Eek!”

“Kieek?!”

As the former messengers thrashed about, emitting strange cries, a sword suddenly pierced Harad’s chest. Azadin, who had concealed himself within the water pillar, had swiftly appeared behind the former messenger and impaled him with his blade.

-Crack, crunch.

The sword was lifted upwards. The blade that had pierced his back was raised, cutting through his spine and ribcage. As if filleting a fish along its backbone, Azadin split Harad open with his sword. Harad, startled, tried to grab the sword with his hand, but his fingers were sliced off in chunks.

“Th-that’s… incredible power!”

Harad, a messenger, possessed strength beyond that of ordinary humans, but Azadin’s power was far superior.

“Damn it!”

Kevna circled around Azadin, seeking an opening to attack, trying to aid Harad. However, Azadin used Harad as a shield, impaling him on his sword, and continued to lift the blade, splitting him open while he was still alive.

Finally, the blade emerged from his shoulder, severing his lungs…

“Ugh!”

The regenerative power from drinking blood couldn’t keep pace. Harad collapsed, blood gushing from his mouth.

“You, you monster. What is this?”

“Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Kazas Haze.”

“Th-this is?”

“Any last words or messages for your family? I’ll be sure to deliver them.”

Azadin stepped on the fallen former messenger Harad, now lying in a pool of blood, and looked at the other one, Kevna, who was still intact.

“…Ha. What can I say in this state? Damn it. What happened to the guy who was called the clan’s biggest fool?”

Kevna said that, but his eyes were filled with admiration.

Was it because Azadin was strong?

That was part of it, but not all. He was deeply impressed by Azadin, who still spoke of honor and pride to those who had fallen into depravity as demons.

Even though his heart was still wavering from the thirst for blood and the pulse of terrible, evil magic, Azadin had awakened the pride of a messenger within them.

‘I never had such pride when I was actually a messenger.’

Kevna glared at Azadin.

‘A boy becomes a man so quickly. This guy is impressive. Is it Elder Kazas’s skill? Or… is it that those born under the curse of service become the best messengers?’

Then Azadin asked a question.

“Who is behind the Count? Is Nagashura involved?”

Nagashura. It was the empire of the Nagas, serpentine humanoids, who ruled humanity before the Eight Divine Clans of the Eight Kingdoms came to this land.

Seeing that the former messengers had transformed to resemble Nagas, Azadin suspected that the Nagas of Nagashura were the ones who had seduced the Count, but he asked to confirm.

“Find out for yourself.”

Kevna said that and began to cast a spell.

-Barrage!

Transparent magic bullets appeared around Kevna. With that, Kevna charged forward in the form of a corrupted Naga, spitting venom from his mouth.

However, Azadin struck the water’s surface with his sword, creating a spray of water. This spray blocked the venom and the magic bullets of the barrage.

“No!”

Azadin advanced and swung his sword.

-Crack!

Kevna also drew his sword and confronted Azadin. But Azadin’s sword, with its terrifying power, easily cut through Kevna’s sword and slashed through his heart and brain in a cross pattern.

“Kuh… Hah, magnificent.”

Kevna fell into the blood. His wounds were regenerating from drinking blood, but the blood flowing from the wounds was more than his regeneration could handle.

In the end, Kevna was gasping, and because of his regeneration, he couldn’t die immediately, suffering as he died.

“It would have been more difficult if you had fought using your messenger abilities rather than your demonic powers.”

“As a messenger, not as a demon? Haha. Yes, I didn’t think of that.”

“Really, no last words?”

“The Count… is trying to create an undead army. A considerable number are already stockpiled below… The copy of the Divine King’s Scripture [a sacred text] will be offered as a sacrifice to the Naga Queen, Devislin, without any interpretation.”

“Has it already been offered?”

“Not yet… The Count has five copies… Kugh! Azadin, you are a great messenger, but our clan is not worth your loyalty. There is darkness within the clan.”

“What kind?”

“It’s… related to Chief Hatir, but we don’t know much about it either. Be careful of the chief.”

“Understood.”

Azadin raised his sword to pierce the heads of the former messengers on their bodies.

“Thank you, Azadin.”

Azadin freed the former messengers from their pain as they thanked him. Their bodies, which had transformed into Naga forms, were returning to their human shapes.

“Damn it. Now, where is the Count… Huh?”

The water level of the blood bath was dropping. The blood was draining into the bottom of the bath.

*********

Beneath the blood-drenched bath was a rather deep underground passage. Judging by its depth, it was likely the same place as the bottom of the well in Baroness Nort’s mansion, the underground passage where the Apostles of Mezere had invaded. It seemed to be beyond the iron gate that had previously blocked Azadin’s entry.

‘Well, it’s probably already exposed…’

Azadin silently and carefully crawled into the hole where the blood was draining, beneath the bath.

There was a huge hall underground. In the wide hall, there was a heretical statue exuding an indescribable unholy aura, and around it were at least a hundred embalmed undead, mummy soldiers, and undead centurions to command them, and two Nagas and Count Kazel to control them.

Azadin groaned as he saw the scene. There were far more than he had expected. Moreover, they were all well-armed and ready to march at any time.

The embalmed corpses, the mummies, had gleaming barbaric swords lying beside them, and the centurions who would command them were equipped with armor and shields.

An immortal army that neither ate nor drank was ready to march into a world suffering from drought.

Moreover, there were helpless refugees gathered outside the village, and their bodies were the perfect means to fatten these undead.

‘So that’s why they let the refugees gather and subtly accepted them. They were planning to kill the refugees and turn them into undead soldiers… Embalming them, are they making mummies? That’s dangerous.’

Mummies, embalmed and enhanced with magic, are much more powerful undead monsters than ordinary zombies. If an undead army that neither eats nor drinks were to start an invasion while the entire Korasar was suffering from drought, it would be a huge threat.

War cannot be waged without water. A castle surrounded by an undead army would quickly run out of supplies and die of thirst.

However, the core cities of the Eight Kingdoms are protected by the light of the Royal Flower [a magical barrier]. Could the undead really move properly under the light of the Royal Flower?

‘I need to check it out.’

The enemy was numerous, and Azadin was alone, with only a few arrows left. The carefully selected treasured sword was still fine, but he could feel its condition was gradually worsening.

‘Well, I did cut through the opponent’s sword. Even though I cut through their weak point with my strong point, it’s natural for the blade to dull.’

His weapons were inadequate, and the enemy was numerous. But Azadin went down into the underground to investigate further.

*********

“I wanted to prepare a little more thoroughly. But the world doesn’t work the way you want it to.”

Count Kazel spoke to the undead army in front of him, like a lord before a campaign. The army was still dormant, but if it were to rise, its power would be considerable.

The Count looked up at the sky, or rather, at the passage above, connected to the blood bath.

“The other two messengers were also formidable, but you managed to deal with them. Are you really the 108th?”

Azadin was moving in the shadows, but it seemed he had been discovered. Now that he was exposed, stealth was useless.

“Yes, I am the 108th.”

Azadin landed on the statue. The Naga women hissed, considering it blasphemous that Azadin was stepping on their statue, but Azadin was already branded as a heretic by other humans. There was no reason to shrink back from the criticism of the Nagas, who were not even human.

“Hmm… It seems the other messengers had eyes like pinholes. You, the 108th? The two above were quite strong, but they must have been trash compared to you.”

“Rank doesn’t necessarily prove strength. It’s good if it’s high, but there’s no need to… And they were stronger when they were messengers.”

Azadin glared at the Count. Although his eyes were hidden by his mask, the Count felt his piercing gaze.

“Hmm… Are you angry because I insulted the messenger clan? I like you more and more. Are you really not thinking of changing your allegiance? I won’t tell you to become a Naga. I need human servants too. I’ll give you anything you want.”

“I want the copy of the Divine King’s Scripture.”

“Ah, that’s a bit difficult.”

“Then the negotiation is off.”

“Off? Then you’ll die? We will now cut you to pieces with this army and then go out and slaughter the refugees gathered there. While our technicians salvage the good corpses from the slaughtered bodies to make mummies, we will continue to advance, destroying everything in our path and dominating this Korasar.”

The Count said that and laughed.

“Do you really think you can conquer the world with an undead army? The undead won’t be able to withstand the light of the Royal Flower, will they?”

Azadin asked about that point.