What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 757

The Vessel of the Divine Nation (4)

Crazy, how many are there?

I’d guess at least seventy or eighty!

“Clericclericclericclericclericclericcleric······!”

“I smell something sweet! A white and pure cleric!”

“Give me your Aether!”

-Kwaaaang!

“Ugh!”

They slam into the holy ground headfirst! I hugged Tete and Leia tightly, hunching my shoulders.

Thud! Squeak······. A bloody palm slid across the golden dome, leaving a gruesome trail. From the mangled fingertips sprouted incongruous seedlings and blood-soaked spring flowers.

The power of earth attribute.

Before the goosebumps on my arm could reach my neck, a corner of the sky flickered like a broken fluorescent light. Rumble······! For a moment, their peeled skin, dripping scalps, and toothless gums flashed in a horror-movie-like blue light.

-Kwaga-ga-gang!

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

-Paji-ji-jit······!

“Aaaaaaak!”

With a roar that tore through the sky, lightning struck their heads!

Gibriel Dioph, with a red magic circle as a shield, strode forward and began to swing his staff.

I grimaced at the pungent smell of burning and the miserable sight, turning my head away.

The magician’s red hair fluttered like a curtain in the eastern wind. No mercy or warmth was reflected in his red eyes.

He moved his arm again like a conductor towards the enemies rushing from behind. Swish······!

“Make way for the Royal Inspector, you bastards!”

At that moment, a chilling shadow fell over the dawn land,

-Swaaaaaaa!

-Dudududu······!

A sea of water, reminiscent of a wave pool, surged forth, creating white horse-shaped foam. Dioph’s specialty crackled with fierce lightning, racing across the water’s surface. Papapapap! The monsters in the water couldn’t even scream before their blood vessels burned to a crisp. It was a perfect concerto, but the situation was not over yet.

On the right, Cedric and Sir Johann were showing off their long-honed, fantastic teamwork. Ka-ga-gang! Whirlick! Ssaeek, seokeong! Ssuk! Puh-uh-uk! The two men stood back-to-back, wielding swords and wind flawlessly, then rotating in a flash at crucial moments to change positions.

The opponents were using the powers of paladins, so we couldn’t afford to underestimate them. Besides, we couldn’t recklessly use massive Divine Arts or Sacred Marks right now. The nearby bushes had already been submerged, and lightning was striking from a clear sky.

“Demi! Rophie! Behind! Perri, I’ll leave it to you!”

In short, if we provoked the soldiers guarding the royal capital or the Royal Knights, our operation would be ruined!

“Help us clean up as quickly as possible!”

-Kieung!

-Kkyat-kkyang!

-Kkiheo!

“Thanks!”

Demi, Perri, and Rophie jumped off the saddle and ran to the rear, raising their front paws.

Golden Aether [a divine energy] billowed from the children’s bodies, fully charged with energy.

The ones moving creakily tilted their heads (or brains) at this brave and fearless action.

Just as one of the more perceptive ones sensed the danger and tried to retreat―

-Kkiaaaa!

-Kwareureureung······!

-Weooo-ook!

-Hwareureureuk!

Dozens of vines poured out from the ground like shower streams, and a large, fiery lion burst out from the gaps.

While prickly thorn bushes wrapped around the fake paladins and threw them far away, Rophie’s doppelganger, the lion, snapped up two or three of the creatures rushing towards the holy ground and flung them away.

Some of them used the power of air, but Sir Johann blew them hundreds of meters away with an even stronger wind. Whoooo-ing―!

“Aaaaaaak! Cleric! Give me the cleric!”

-Thwack, thwack! Sseogeok!

“Keuheok! Please! Just one bite! Or we’ll die!”

“Screw you! Where do you think you’re going, you bastards!”

“You’re perfect! You can live without a cleric!”

“Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense from morning, shut your mouths and go back to sleep!”

-Ssaek, ssaek-ssaek, ssaek-ssaek-ssaek!

“Keuheo-eok!”

“A piece of heart is enough! A piece of heart! Just one piece!”

“Heartheartheartheartheartheartheart······!”

“If we tear apart and swallow the cleric, we’ll live!”

-Kureureureung! Jjeo-jeo-jeok!

“Lord God······.”

Between Gaine’s blue whip cutting through the air and the red magic circles illuminating the dirt floor, the figures of the monsters, all craving my Aether, were reflected.

Seeing them, a scene suddenly flashed through my mind.

Because surely, back then too―

‘Kill them! Target the cleric first!’

‘Crush the circle! Shatter it and kill the cleric first!’

‘Don’t back down! We must eliminate the cleric!’

‘Haaaaaa!’

‘-Clang!’

Flinch!

“······No. The ‘experiment participants’ in the Salt Marsh were trying to eliminate me. Because they knew I was helpful to the paladins, they were trying to subdue me, the cleric, first. But these guys······.”

-Woo woo

Hugging Tete, who was bravely holding back tears, I quickly looked around. Whirly-lit, Kwaaaang―! Gaine, who had quickly entered the holy ground and replenished her Aether, darted out again like a hummingbird. Sseokeok! The one who shot out vines from his wrist to grab her lost an entire arm to her sharp sword.

“Keuhaaaaak!”

“The difference, the distinction between those I saw in the swamp that day and these guys is······.”

A fragment of thought connects to another, creating a feature film. 2x speed playback.

‘Damn it! And after all the trouble I went through to get this secret manual!’

The skin of a certain knight, rotting into a blackish-purple color in the reed field leading to the Salt Marsh.

And the ‘secret manual’.

‘-Badeudeuk, jjiji-jik······!’

‘Heo-eok! No, no! This is just a side effect, cough!’

A certain woman who used the power of both fire and water, whom I encountered in the ‘secret chamber’ of the Salt Marsh that I found after much hardship.

However, soon the blood vessels all over her body swelled as if they would burst out, and blue blood vessels appeared in her pupils, which had hardened like beads.

Her skin was also dyed a dead purple color. That life, which was clearly losing its light······.

‘It is time to embrace the grace that our lord bestows upon us.’

‘Grace?’

‘Yes. The Aether Imbuement [a process of infusing Aether].’

It was the result of failing Wilhelmina Sneider’s secret manual, ‘Aether Imbuement’.

‘Kuluk-kuluk! No, it’s not a failure!’

‘Don’t look at me like that!’

‘Lord, why······! Keok, keoheok······. Choose, me······.’

‘-Thump!’

My eyes are tightly closed. Rewind, rewind.

‘Horrific experiments were being carried out underground. There were people who appeared to be test subjects in the corner, but the golem attacked that side first······.’

‘They did not discriminate between men and women, young and old. The youngest child appeared to be about seven years old.’

The memories quickly grafted onto each other like moon halo grass, Mankrans, Romero, and Yuliter.

Francois’ heavy voice describing the horrors of Statia Rock Castle.

“So, whew. To summarize again······.”

In short, we couldn’t find any survivors in the first secret chamber we discovered.

However, in the second secret chamber, the Salt Marsh, we were able to see the ‘failures’ who had briefly absorbed the ‘secret manual’ and maintained a short life.

And in the third secret chamber, Atsuma, the first ‘success’ who awakened the air attribute Aether was finally born.

‘Thank you for your grace, angel. I sincerely thank you. I pray that all your wishes come true······.’

‘Thank you. I will also pray for Alain.’

Alain.

Fortunately, we succeeded in smuggling her back to her homeland, and the other participants were also placed under the protection of the navy and imperial army led by Admiral Emma Corleone.

Then these guys are······?

“Give us the cleric! Aaaaaaak!”

“We only need the cleric! We only need pure Aether!”

“Ugh, these guys are only alive in their mouths and talk too much! And they’re definitely using Aether, but I don’t feel any Aether at all!”

What?

-Kwaak! Thwack! Sseokeong!

“Steal it even if you have to kill! The cleric’s corpse, even a corpse is fine!”

“Killkillkillkillkillkill······!”

“Hey, Grand Preceptor! Sweep those guys over here!”

“I will.”

-Ssae-aek! Kwagwang!

······Then something’s wrong right in front of us. The last stage of the alchemy went awry.

“······The Aether has settled in the vessel, but it’s not ‘functioning’ properly as a paladin.”

-Awoo?

“They’re alive, but they’re not normal. But Wilhelmina kept them alive because it would be a waste to ‘dispose’ of them······.”

Beings who only have the instinct for Aether left.

But Sneider would have anticipated their usefulness in the future.

I covered my mouth with my trembling palms.

The lips touching my skin were also shaking terribly. It was then.

“······Cleric!”

“Kyaaaaaaak! Aether!”

Flinch. I quickly raised my eyes at the bizarre voice echoing from over there.

To be exact, from the path leading to the center of the royal capital―

“C, c, cleric!”

“Whyarethoseguysokay?Whyarethoseguysokay?Whyarethoseguysokay?Whyarethoseguysokay?”

“Haaaaaaak! Just one bite!”

-Dudududu······!

“Oh my god.”

No way, they’re sensing the circle and dozens more are rushing over!

“Cedric! Don’t use your sword energy too widely, it’ll make the commotion much bigger! Gaine!”

‘Get back!’ I shouted loudly, hastily taking off my glasses and getting off the saddle. The clever horses immediately stood together in one place. Swish! I saw the Crown Prince holding his sword in the air and pulling out a magic staff with his left hand. It was a great pose, but I was a little faster this time!

-Tang!

[Get lost and disappear!] (Informal)

-Ssaaaaaaa······!

The staff made of World Tree strikes the land of the gods.

At the same time, a high and wide circle expanded in an instant like a wave in all directions, and pure Aether filled my heart, soaring towards the sky like a fountain.

The monsters froze stiff as if they were blinded for a moment.

I clearly remembered the words of Empress Hanan and shouted loudly.

[You can never harm us! So go far away!] (Informal)

-Ssareureu, ssareureu, ssareureureu!

-Kwaaaaaaa······!

As soon as I finished speaking, the Aether pillars on the edge of the holy ground transformed into sharp bars.

But since no one had entered the circle, the oracle wouldn’t work.

I gritted my teeth without giving in. It’s okay, I can still do it.

I can do more.

“Serenite.”

“Princess, I’m a little scared right now!”

Well, I’m destined to be a cardinal.

[Don’t just stand there! Haven’t you seen purple eyes before!] (Informal)

-Taaang!

-Swaaaaaaa······!

When I struck the floor for the second time, the growth burst out with an enormous light that was incomparable to usual.

It was so bright that even the divine beasts hid in my arms, wincing.

But I glared as if to show off.

The golden holy ground stirred my hair wildly, causing intense convection.

Nevertheless, the diameter didn’t grow much. Damn it!

“Heo-eok, heok, th, the moon!”

“The moon has risen!”

“······Huh?”

-Chiiiiik······!

“Aaaaaaak! Moonlight, it’s moonlight!”

“Run away, run away, run away, run away, run away······!”

“G, G, God! God has come to curse us!”

“Kyaaaaak!”

The group of monsters exposed to the light of the holy ground began to scatter in terror with pale faces.

It was a complete turnaround from before. What is it?

“S, s, save me! Save me! Save me!”

“The cleric has embraced the moonlight! The cleric has embraced the moonlight, waaaek!”

“Uwaaaek!”

-Thump! Teolpeodeok, teolpeodeok!

Some of the fleeing ones suddenly vomited blood and collapsed.

“······.”

I blinked blankly at the unexpected result.

Gaine, who was excitedly aiming her whip, also had the same expression.

*

There were many other forces hastily leaving Cheonro and heading to the royal capital.

-Cheolseok!

“Yiruh, hat!”

-Hihihihing!

“Let’s go!”

-Tagak, tagak, tagak, tagak······!

There were no crests or patterns engraved on the outside of the large, jet-black carriage.

However, there were more than a dozen carriages escorting it, and more than hundreds of soldiers escorting them again.

The noise of exactly four times that number of horses’ hooves hitting the ground was deafening to the passengers’ eardrums across the door.

A knight in a red robe, seated in the reverse direction of the car, looked out the window and opened his mouth.

“······There are no enemy troops following us. We gave the emperor bait in Cheonro, so the distance must have widened considerably.”

“······.”

“However, by now, the ‘scraps’ must have covered the entire royal capital······. There was more than one storage facility, after all.”

‘Lord, are you really going to be okay?’ He asked the noble sitting across from him cautiously.

Then Wilhelmina Sneider replied curtly.

“······I have to do this much to bring down the Crown Princess.”

Her face was not as relaxed as it used to be.

In fact, her limbs were noticeably thinner and her cheeks were sunken, making her look much sharper than before.

“The authority of the Venetian royal family was not created overnight. It takes effort to cut down a thousand years of history.”

“······.”

“Not only are there frightening rumors about the Crown Princess’s madness, but the paladins are also corrupting and harming the civilians of the royal capital. Which way will the arrow eventually turn if this happens?”

The corner of the old woman’s mouth curled up dryly.

“‘The Venetian royal family has been cursed by the Lord God.'”

“······.”

“The moment that saying starts to circulate, the Crown Princess will regret the day she turned her back on me.”

Gulp. The saint swallowed hard and nodded. Wilhelmina then ordered.

“Send a messenger pigeon to my private soldiers who went to the Kamingha Grand Duchy in the south, and tell them to return to the royal capital immediately.”

“That means······.”

“Countess Lavinia Valentine’s army chased after them, I heard. Since she’s like a puppet of the dead Grand Duke.”

-Dageudak, dageudak, dageudak······!

For a while, only the sound of wheels rolling and the rough breathing of horses swirled inside the carriage.

After a long time, the duchess smiled bitterly.

“If the private soldiers eliminate the scraps of the royal capital, the Sneider Duchy will become the hero of the royal capital.”

“······.”

“Count Valentine, who chases after them and massacres them, will become a traitor to the Divine Nation.”