Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 238

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Chapter 238

North Pole, above the polar point.

Instead of a blue sky, there was a black void, constellations, and artificial satellites floating in space.

A height that ordinary humans could never reach with their bare bodies.

However, ‘they’ stood on the ground, wearing thick robes like sackcloth, ‘looking down’ at the Earth’s sky.

“Something’s happening.”

“Where, where?”

“Do you know? That thing?”

“No. Not in the prophecies.”

“Hmm. Hmm, hmm.”

Because they were wearing thick robes, their faces were not visible at all, but a yellow light flickered, indicating that their mouths and eyes were moving.

“The first one doesn’t know.”

“The second one doesn’t know either.”

“The third one seems to know.”

“The fourth one……”

…….

Like that, seven beings.

The short beings gathered together and chattered something.

Their voices echoed too much to have come from human vocal cords.

And at that moment.

Whoosh!

The western end of the sky they were looking at began to turn black.

They stared intently at that place.

“It has awakened. The Dragon.”

“Dragon. No. The Serpent’s Shedding.”

“It’s the same. With the clone.”

“The gears are turning.”

“It’s just the beginning…….”

They muttered in such a fuss, then trembled.

West, the sky of Europe.

A murky black cloud, as if mixing all sorts of colors together, was spreading out.

Soon, their gaze turned again, this time towards the opposite side.

Flash!

The situation was somewhat different in that place.

Colorful lights like the aurora were bursting out, tearing apart the ominous energy that was rising.

That place was located in the largest unexplored area in the world, spanning Asia, Russia, and South Korea.

Woo Woong!

West and East.

The two skies were showing contrasting appearances.

And in the center, the seven of them huddled and muttered.

“The era is moving.”

“It will get faster. Now, even more.”

“According to the prophecy…….”

“……Prophecy. The owner of the sword has appeared.”

The seven beings observing it from the heart of the Arctic continued to mutter something.

Soon, looking at the ominous energy, the dwarves slowly moved their steps.

Befitting their unique appearance, their movement was more like sliding than walking.

A citadel floating in the distant high sky, watching the world.

One of the six nights, the seven dwarves of the aerial fortress were heading somewhere again.

* * *

Asia Unexplored Zone, the very center.

Black snow was falling over Lee Tae-shin and his warriors.

The world was just a black plain without even a single weed, and an unidentified poison was thickly spreading everywhere.

On that black world, Lee Tae-shin sat down and closed his eyes tightly.

Around him, half of the warriors who had been guarding him were lying on the ground, and half were sitting down, panting roughly.

“……Hoo.”

Lee Tae-shin closed his tired eyes tightly and then opened them again, propping himself up from his seat with his sword.

He was feeling tired.

That Lee Tae-shin was.

“Are you alright?”

Lee Tae-shin turned his head and approached the Ten Swords, who was sitting in front of him.

The youngest of the warriors who followed Lee Tae-shin, and at the same time, the one who suffered the most significant injury.

At Lee Tae-shin’s call, he smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“It seems like this is the end for me.”

The man straightened his crouched back and showed it to Lee Tae-shin.

A long gash was drawn on his chest, and a dark, murky energy was spreading through it.

A cloudy magic power was preventing the invasion of the murky energy, but it was not healing the wound itself.

“I fought like a warrior, and I fought a legendary battle. I fought for the greater good, so I have no regrets. It’s a satisfactory death, so don’t worry about it.”

“……Thank you. Rest in peace.”

“Thank you. I will go ahead and wait for the Captain with Yoo-jung.”

With those words, the man smiled weakly and dropped his head.

Lee Tae-shin’s magic power stretched out and enveloped the man’s body.

Soon, the man’s corpse disappeared without a trace, turning into dust and scattering, leaving only a few relics.

“Organize the relics and investigate the monster’s corpse. I will enter the tomb.”

Lee Tae-shin finished speaking and turned his body to walk.

And before that, he turned his gaze to the other side of the black plain.

There, an unidentified creature with a tiger-like shape and wings covered with membranes was lying down.

The black snow was like ashes rising from his body, and what stained the floor was the creature’s blood.

Its size was so enormous that even when viewed from a distance, only a part of its upper body could be seen in sight.

The king of the Asia Unexplored Zone.

A doomsday-class monster that had been sleeping, Goongi.

And…… the gatekeeper of ‘this place’.

“…….”

Lee Tae-shin stared at the corpse for a moment, then turned his feet and walked out.

Soon, unfamiliar structures began to come into his sight.

Unidentified structures that evoked unpleasantness beyond the bizarre.

In this place, which has been known to be untouched by humans since ancient times, there stood clearly artificial buildings.

Lee Tae-shin crossed the door standing there.

-……It’s you, Lee Tae-shin.

As he tried to move his steps, something called his name from the air where he could not ascertain the location.

-Nice to meet you.

The surroundings were instantly dyed in darkness by the heavy tone that echoed.

Lee Tae-shin stared blankly at the air with his cloudy eyes.

Even at that moment, the voice continued.

-A child born with a bizarre destiny. A child who rejected fate and gave up life…… I get to meet you like this……

“……Stop the nonsense.”

-Show some respect.

Standing in front of him, Lee Tae-shin gestured in the air.

Soon, a cloudy light gathered and a few swords floated behind his back.

Just with that, the space filled with darkness began to vibrate.

“Dare you demand courtesy from me? You, a ghost of ancient times possessed by obsession.”

Lee Tae-shin grabbed the sword that was floating in the air and bursting with white energy, as if he was amused.

-A ghost. I am immortal and imperishable…… You are misunderstanding something…….

───Koo Woong!

At that moment, Lee Tae-shin heard the sound of collapse that only he could hear.

He turned his head sharply and looked west.

An urgency that did not suit him flashed in his eyes for a moment.

‘Another one. Has it awakened?’

The heavenly energy was fluctuating.

He couldn’t tell which one, but it was clear that another doomsday had awakened.

He was already thinking of finishing it quickly, but it became even more urgent.

“Meaningless questions end here. There is something I want to ask you.”

Lee Tae-shin’s sword drew a large arc, and he spoke the name of the ghost he was talking to.

“The founder, Lee Hyul-hyun.”

At Lee Tae-shin’s call, something pale walked out of the darkness.

-Ask anything. But you will have to give up your life instead.

As he approached, the darkness receded and a colorful radiance burst out.

* * *

Everyone watching the scene stopped breathing.

A giant snake, or dragon, rising towards the sky, or…… something of unknown identity.

It was just a ‘something’ that was so huge, long, and ominous energy was condensed, as if it would swallow the whole world.

Whoosh!

One beat late, the aftermath of Jormungandr’s ascension struck.

Everyone instinctively raised their magic power and crouched on the ground in the storm.

“Ugh!”

“Here! Hold on!”

Even though the distance was at least a few kilometers away, the storm alone almost blew away several members of the Steel Knights.

The storm did not stop for a long time and continued.

And it wasn’t just the storm that had swept all the way here.

“Cough!”

“Cough! Cough!”

Just as the wind was calming down, some of the troops groaned in pain and rolled on the ground.

Symptoms of poisoning, or internal injuries caused by fear. No, even this could not be defined.

Knights and warriors with low training fainted as their magic circuits were shaken, and some who lacked immunity to poison coughed as their bodies stiffened.

‘That’s a Class 1 monster.’

Meanwhile, I was staring straight at the monster rising towards the sky.

That was different from anything I had ever met.

It was something indescribable, an ominous being that was painful to even look at.

Even though the distance was so far away, I could feel my sixth sense ringing alarm bells like crazy.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The Black Ki [dark energy] had already escaped and was covering my body like armor.

No, to be exact, it seemed to be struggling to devour that monster right away.

I controlled the Black Ki and calmed my pounding heart.

‘The monster I saw in Mujin was not a doomsday class. That’s…… a true Class 1 monster.’

I recalled the majesty of the monster that I had mistaken for a Class 1 monster when I first saw Cheokma.

It was a huge mistake.

If that was a proper Class 1 monster, it would be too sorry to even compare it to the one in my memory.

That was a living doomsday itself.

It is meaningless to even think about trying to do anything with human power.

‘Those who have not opened the door cannot even stand before a Class 3, and without a Mind Sword, they cannot even reach a Class 2 monster.’

I looked at the monster, recalling the stories that were passed down in the world.

But so far, there has been no mention of Class 1 monsters in any of the stories I have read.

From ancient times until now.

This is because there are no ‘known’ records of Class 1 monster subjugation.

‘Then how should that be defeated?’

It was not a thought that came from despair or frustration.

It was a question of how to defeat it, and whether my Mind Sword would reach even that level of existence.

“……It’s over.”

Soon, Ron, who was watching the scene, muttered blankly.

As Ron said, the ascension of the ominous monster, which seemed like it would last forever, was coming to an end.

Something like a giant sail that appeared to be a tail scattered a lot of black tainted energy into the world and disappeared beyond the black clouds.

Whoosh!

Silence fell in the hall.

“It didn’t…… come this way.”

Serena, who was tightly gripping her mace, pursed her lips.

The consciousness of the monster flying far away never turned this way even once.

The attack that had incapacitated a large number of troops just by rushing in should be seen as nothing more than the aftermath of the monster’s actions, rather than an intentional attack.

Serena felt relieved that the monster’s hostility was not directed at them, but on the other hand, she felt powerless.

‘Am I not even worthy of attention?’

Or, is there another reason?

Whichever it was, Serena had just felt fear.

Even though she was so far away…… she felt fear just by looking at it.

‘I’ve been training so hard since then.’

After the Kyogoku incident, Serena trained with a truly bone-cutting mind.

The realm of Class 3 that she had obtained in that way.

But…… that realm had become less than dust in front of that monster just now.

She was so upset about that.

“Ugh, ugh! Ah!”

The silence disappeared, and the screams of the troops who had been invaded by the poison began to echo.

Only then did Serena try to forget the scene she had just seen and moved her body to reorganize the Holy Knights.

One step late, Ron also followed her and reorganized the knights of the Steel Knights.

‘He’s quick to recover his emotions.’

I looked at Ron and Serena with surprised eyes.

I know better than anyone how terrible that feeling of powerlessness is.

But those two moved their bodies first before being buried in their emotions.

‘I’ll get stronger.’

They are strong people who will each be in charge of one axis of the world in the future.

I understood why they were so strong in my past life.

“Anyway…….”

I also tried to put aside the thoughts that were rising in my heart and looked ahead.

Sreung!

And there, I held Black Night to the neck of the puppeteer who was grinning slyly.

“……I think we have a lot to talk about. Puppeteer.”

“Talk? Me? To you? Why?”

“Because if you don’t, you’ll die.”

“Hahaha! Die? Me? You’re telling me funny stories.”

The puppeteer even clapped his hands as if he was truly happy.

“What do you think death is in the first place? If that sword cuts my neck, is that death?”

Pook……!

I pushed Black Night in a little more and slightly cut the puppeteer’s neck skin.

“This sword can cut quite a lot more than you think. It lightly sliced through those things you worked so hard to make, so would you be okay?”

“Hahaha! You’re really stupid. Why don’t you know that you can just switch to another body right now?”

“If you’re so confident, why don’t you move your body now? I’ll catch you soon anyway.”

“Hahaha! Is that so?”

The puppeteer smiled at my words.

Immediately after, the puppeteer’s head drooped down without warning.

Woo Woong!

I could see a strange energy escaping from the puppeteer’s body in my Mana Eyes.

Not sorcery, not magic, but something of unknown identity.

“Lee Chul! What the……!”

Ron and Serena did not see it as clearly as I did, but they seemed embarrassed as if they realized that something had happened.

Thud!

The puppeteer’s body finally fell to the ground.

“It looks like he ran away.”

Ron and Serena made absurd expressions at my words.

“Did you…… miss him again?”

Serena bit her lip tightly as if she was upset.

“I never said I missed him.”

“Yes?”

“In the first place, whether it’s his clone or his main body, if I could have faced him properly once, I would have won. I’ll catch him within a few days.”

Additionally, I was planning to drag out Kabbalah, who was hiding under the surface.

Ron and Serena tilted their heads as if they did not understand my words.

I reached out and grabbed the small sorcery tool that the puppeteer was holding without any expression.

‘The puppeteer will be able to switch his body at any time.’

It was a fact that I came to estimate as a result of analyzing the data and evidence obtained through the Ireland and Kyogoku incidents.

If so, even if I kill him and chase him, the puppeteer can just switch his body.

But.

‘As for me, once I catch his tail, I can track him to the end.’

I gathered the Black Ki.

The puppeteer would not have expected this far.

I read the memories contained in the puppeteer’s sorcery tool.

And just before moving his body, I accurately captured which location the memory was pointing to.