What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 624

#624

Liberation (3)

The divine artifact governing the Main God’s space rightfully bound everyone with its spatial power.

Already half a day had passed since then.

-Kkeueueu, kkeueueueu······

-Swaaaaa, swaaaa······

The flock of puffins living on the cliff cried out, and the red sunset painted the Evelyn northern sea.

Cardinal Orelly Boutier always compared it to the eyes of a beloved godchild.

‘Someone who can embrace your flame like that sea. I hope you meet such a person.’ The blessing and warm smile that followed were a bonus.

But for Cedric now, those words meant nothing.

“How is the instructor?”

He feared that this place might become a bloodbath, costing them everything.

It was something that should never happen, but the situation was that dire.

“······That is.”

At Cedric’s question, the Duchess looked quickly troubled.

The dim interior of the temple was visible through the pitch-black legs of the divine artifact.

Not to mention the group fighting desperately inside.

-Kkiaaa!

-Ppadeudeuk, padeukpadeuk······

Demi, the Divine Tree that had grown into a thick tree in the center of the building, seemed to be blocking the relentless attacks pouring down from above with the Cardinal.

However, judging by the constant trembling of the leaves and branches, it didn’t seem like it would last long.

Conversely, Perry seemed to be attacking the lower ground, but even that didn’t seem promising, as Langbaye, sitting next to him, had a dark complexion.

The Crown Prince guessed that the Bireom’s Ark had already penetrated the underground space, gripping the group in a long, almond shape.

If so, they would surely be unable to escape in any direction.

Unless the divine artifact forgave them and let them go first.

-Kkiuuu······

“It’s okay, Leia. Your brother is here.”

Leia was crouching at the feet of the priest, looking up at the Duke of Evelyn.

The Duchess held the child and patted her for a long time, then kissed her cheek and sent her to Prince Yeseo for a while.

Then, after confirming that the Divine Beasts were not looking at her, she approached Cedric.

The Crown Prince’s heavy shadow fell over her dry face.

“······As you saw earlier, magic doesn’t work here once you’re trapped. Marquis Dwiem tried to use his specialty, instant movement, but he couldn’t even activate it. I don’t know the exact principle, though.”

That wasn’t an answer about the instructor’s well-being. The young man moistened his lips for a moment.

“And······. I don’t know how long Sir Johann can last.”

The Crown Prince slowly closed his eyes.

The Duchess continued to whisper in a voice layered with calmness.

“No matter how powerful that person is as a Cardinal… The opponent is a divine artifact. It seems impossible for a being that defends the Main God with its life to break the will of God itself.”

“······.”

Indeed. This was nothing short of religious treason.

“I’ve been constantly supplying Aether [a mystical energy source], but since the divine artifact isn’t stopping its pressure, Sir Johann has to constantly consume that much power to push back. He says he’s okay, but… Sweat is forming on the Cardinal’s forehead. I’ve never seen him like that before.”

-Kkigigik, kkkigigigi······

“······.”

The man’s eyelids slowly rose again.

Even at this very moment, the Ark was mercilessly tightening its grip.

The priest’s eyes flickered with worry and anxiety.

His whisper was almost inaudible, buried in the red tide.

“Honestly, I don’t know if we can make it through tonight.”

“······.”

It was the first time he had heard such a hopeless voice.

Cedric silently stared at the white hand clinging to the Ark’s black claws.

As the man stood there without answering, the gaze that had fallen downward sparkled again and rose.

It was a face that had steeled its will and risen again.

The Duchess did such things several times a day without batting an eye.

“No, I can somehow hold out until tomorrow morning. Not sleeping for a day is manageable, and giving Sir Johann strength during that time isn’t as difficult as you might think. As you know, I’m quite strong if I eat well. So…”

“Your divine power isn’t infinite.”

Even though it couldn’t be okay.

“Still, I absorbed the Holy Grail of Wishes. If I grit my teeth and endure, somehow,”

“You once fainted from Aether depletion. At the Imperial Palace.”

“······.”

When the Crown Prince pointed it out, the Duchess’s face went blank for a moment.

His first depletion was because of Cedric Liester himself, and it was their first meeting.

“Your sacrifice alone won’t succeed. Let’s look for another way.”

He officially opposed the plan of sitting and enduring while depleting Aether.

Even the most powerful Archbishop couldn’t endlessly draw out power and stay up all night.

Besides, everyone’s fatigue had already reached its limit.

Even if they escaped in that way, the aftermath would be a problem.

If they wanted to return to the original world line, they had to have at least some stamina and consciousness left.

The Duchess, who had been silent for a while, nodded and continued.

“…The method of extracting the Ark by wrapping vines around it from the outside failed, as you saw a little while ago. Even if three Divine Beasts of the earth attribute joined forces, they couldn’t beat one divine artifact. The difference in physical strength is stark.”

Cedric looked around at the vines scattered haphazardly around the temple.

Until just now, Demi, Leia, and Perry had been engaged in a grueling physical fight against the Ark.

However, even though all the vines were as thick as tree trunks, they couldn’t break the divine artifact’s furious strength.

In addition, at least eleven other methods had been constantly mobilized so far.

However, swordsmen, mages, paladins, priests, ordinary people, Divine Beasts, mottled goats… None of them could release the Ark’s grip.

“Then what about the divine artifact itself?”

“Yes, I’m considering that too. But…”

The Duchess pondered into the air as if lost in deep thought.

Soon, his brown eyes took on a light golden hue.

“First, I’m thinking of trying to openly appease the Ark. The use of force should be the last resort.”

“······Appease?”

“Yes.”

He answered with a slight lift of his lips.

Cedric couldn’t shake the question that suddenly arose.

Hadn’t they already offered confession and prayers of repentance a few hours ago?

*

“Ah, one, two. One, two. Mic test. Yukgaejang [spicy beef soup] large bowl, one, two.”

“One, two. Ah, one, two, three, four.”

Ha…

“Come! Back! Come back to me! Come back! To me, eh?”

“I! Didn’t do well! For every! One! Cough, cough!”

‘Ah, I’m sorry. My throat isn’t warmed up yet.’ Christel de Sarnes’s excuse was, I swear on the sacred moon, the most unbelievable nonsense Cedric Liester had ever heard.

Juliette, the Duchess, could be seen lowering her eyes and gritting her teeth to hold back her laughter.

His golden sanctuary trembled, but no one had the mind to point it out.

Francois Dwiem hurriedly covered his mouth and buried his forehead in the Ark’s grip, and Elizabeth Mute had already been thrown into some corner, not even showing her tail.

Prince Yeseo was the only one among them who maintained a picturesque smile, and the Divine Beasts wagged their tails and murmured when they saw him.

Cedric leaned against one of the pincer legs and looked for another version of himself.

“Don’t ever! Behave! Like that! Again!”

“Hoo!”

“······.”

He had a pretty shocked look on his face.

It wouldn’t be noticeable to others, but he couldn’t fool his own eyes.

It’s the first time you’ve heard it, kid.

“Ahem, this isn’t working. Let’s go to the next song right away.”

The shocked Instructor Schu gaped.

However, Langbaye had a more serious expression than ever.

As the Duchess busily clapped her hands, Marquis Dwiem hurriedly gave a standing ovation.

On the other hand, the divine artifact of air did not react in any way.

“The next song is also prepared with the content of admitting our mistakes and deeply repenting. I’ve completely changed the genre as well. Please take care of me.”

Around that time, Rophy, who had finished patrolling the area, trudged over and plopped down next to Cedric.

Thus, a man and a Divine Beast were sitting and looking at the distant horizon.

Soon, a faint whisper flowed out from behind.

“Don’t go······.”

“Don’t? Leave, me! Please!”

“Are you saying don’t eat eggplant?”

“No, Instructor Schu. I’m saying don’t leave.”

“Don’t go······?”

“I, love? You, ah!”

“Oh, indeed.”

Rophy repeatedly flapped his ears and laid them flat.

The song quickly rushed towards the chorus.

“Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go!”

“Oh my, I wish you wouldn’t leave······.”

“Aaaaaa! Jiiiiik! For you! Baaaaa! For you!”

“Like a fool? I live, but! You are!”

The Crown Prince frowned at the faltering high note.

No matter how he looked back, his father was not this tone-deaf when he was alive.

The man clenched the Hye Geom [a magical sword] in his side seat and thought.

-Weoooog

“······I agree.”

At this rate, they might truly incur the wrath of the Main God.

*

Dawn 넘어가는 새벽 [Dawn passing into dawn – a poetic expression for the very early morning].

Bireom’s Ark escape operation, 32nd attempt.

-Whirrrl!

-Krrrroooo······!

“Everyone, stick together in the middle! Absolutely do not act individually, and do not approach the divine artifact’s pincer legs!”

“Beware of burns! Absolutely beware of burns!”

Those trapped in the divine artifact’s grasp were moving busily in the darkness.

The Duchess’s fluttering brown hair was clearly visible from above.

Cedric climbed up the Ark, which gleamed black like a crushed cannonball. Rophy’s doppelganger, the Flower Flame Lion, also jumped up and followed him.

As the group had expected from the beginning, the top of the divine artifact was a streamlined shape like the corner of an almond.

‘Sreung!’ As soon as the man drew the Hye Geom, the red lizards began to crawl up the outer wall of the Ark with all their might.

-Tododok, tododok, tododok······

-Sreureu, sreureu······

“······.”

The divine artifacts ‘Heart of the Four Dragons’ and ‘Hye Geom of Mars’ were both fire attributes.

In addition, Cedric and Rophy were also paladins and Divine Beasts who wielded the Holy Fire at will.

Although it wasn’t an attribute that could deal a huge blow to the air—in fact, that applies to all attributes except air—the combination was so powerful.

Moreover, the opponent was a divine artifact that had no owner and had not fully awakened.

The Crown Prince did not lightly become arrogant, but he felt a glimmer of confidence.

-Hwiuuu······

He, who had climbed to the top, waited for the signal, fluttering his pure white shirt collar.

The black sword also cried out lowly, anticipating its owner’s strike.

Meanwhile, the group inside the Ark stood close together in the center, taking their positions.

When the man looked down for the last time, Christel Langbaye was looking up.

The two gazes, hotly calm and coldly rampant, collided head-on.

And finally—

-Weoooong!

Rophy, who remained on the ground, let out a sharp cry.

The Crown Prince did not hesitate any longer and swung the Hye Geom to press down on the top of the Ark.

-Kwaaaang!

‘Whirrrl!’ Along with the explosion that tore apart the entire cliff, the bright red flames licked out and spread across the entire outer wall.

The frenzied Flower Flame Lion ran around, adding heat to the flames again and again.

Every time the beast roared, the Ark, which had been rusted black, turned completely red.

The divine artifact was instantly heated to pure white. As if heading towards the end of its existence.

-Uuuuuung······!

-Krrrroooo!

Thus, at the moment when the lion let out its final roar,

“······No.”

The Crown Prince’s pupils narrowed, and

-Kwakwakwakwang!

The Ark completely closed its mouth.

Like a lie.