Chapter 402: The Shadow of War

Outside the city, in a place far away from Bongisto.

Sethis had finally recovered enough strength to move again.

He was running as fast as he could, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Bongisto.

“Fool! That idiot Karimar! I warned him! Dammit, he deserved every bit of this fate!”

“What a waste! All that time and effort, for nothing!”

As he thought about it, Sethis suddenly felt a wave of confusion wash over him.

In his original plan, he’d intended to secretly break the seals of several demons, gather a powerful army, and unleash massive destruction upon the world before the Demon Lord’s return. This would pave the way for the invasion to succeed, and he would earn a place in the new Demon Lord’s ranks with his meritorious service.

But the very first step had gone horribly wrong.

And the worst part was that the problem hadn’t come from the outside.

Karimar had made it abundantly clear that Sethis could no longer command any of the demons.

Demons were a race that respected strength above all else, their hierarchy rigid and unforgiving. Loyalty was a rare myth among them. The fact that Karimar hadn’t killed him was already a stroke of luck. If it had been anyone else, they would have gladly betrayed and killed their former superior without a second thought.

After all, it was the way of demons—when someone who once ordered you around became weak, there was no greater joy than kicking them while they were down.

“No... I can’t go looking for the others like this......”

Sethis abandoned his original plan, a new idea forming in his mind.

But before he could finish devising a new strategy—

HUM——!

The sky suddenly blazed with brilliant light. A colossal Magic Array unfolded overhead, covering the entire sky.

“No!”

Sethis’s face paled dramatically, terror filling his eyes.

“The Adventure King has already suppressed the anomaly! That means he’s free to deal with me now!”

Sethis poured every last drop of mana into his legs, sprinting wildly, desperate to escape the range of the Magic Array.

But it was already too late.

“Found you.”

BOOM!

As the cold voice echoed through the air, a dazzling beam of light descended from the sky, landing directly in front of Sethis.

“!!!”

Sethis froze in his tracks, his heart skipping a beat.

Before him stood a projection of Firuvin, his expression cold and unyielding.

“You’re the one behind all of this, aren’t you?”

Sethis didn’t waste any time talking. He turned and fled in the opposite direction.

“Do you really think you can escape? Every inch of land covered by this Magic Array is my domain.”

Firuvin’s projection didn’t move an inch. He simply raised his right hand slowly, pointing it at Sethis.

In the next moment.

A blinding light erupted beneath Sethis’s feet.

BOOM——!

A massive beam of light shot up from the ground, engulfing his entire figure.

“AAAH——!!!”

Amidst a scream of agony, the shadowy form of Sethis gradually faded away, dissolving into the light.

Once Sethis had vanished completely, Firuvin finally let out a long, relieved breath.

Only now was the battle truly over.

The projection lingering in the wilderness faded into nothingness. Far away, in the heart of Bongisto, Firuvin opened his eyes.

“It’s finally over......”

He murmured softly, then slowly stood to his feet.

HUM!

The Fate Cube, which had been spinning rapidly this entire time, reconfigured itself and returned to his hand. The Magic Array that had surrounded him gradually dissipated.

He took a single step forward, instantly appearing at the highest point of the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters.

Looking out over the city, Firuvin saw that the once-prosperous Bongisto now lay in ruins.

Countless lives had been lost in this battle.

But their sacrifices had not been in vain.

The living would carry on. Bongisto would be rebuilt. This world would never be conquered by its enemies.

A ray of light rose from the horizon, piercing through the sky above Bongisto.

Dawn had finally arrived. The long, dark night was over.

......

......

Southwest of the Himril Main Continent.

Amidst a field of broken walls and rubble, Holstin and Grisa were conducting an investigation.

“Just like before—no survivors.”

Grisa returned from his search, his voice heavy with weariness.

“I see, Master Grisa......”

Holstin nodded slowly, having already expected this outcome. He lifted his head, gazing westward, a faint look of worry in his eyes.

“Headmaster, are you concerned about something?”

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

“Yes... I suppose I am.”

At that moment, a figure approached from behind them.

“You two have worked hard these past few weeks.”

Holstin and Grisa turned around.

Standing before them was a fox-eared beastwoman with golden fur. Even standing still, she exuded an aura of irresistible charm.

Holstin spoke slowly, his tone serious.

“Lady Sylvia, we’ve confirmed the situation.”

“Gulos’s movement patterns are no longer random. Despite their attempts to cover their tracks, we can tell that their main force is moving westward.”

“Westward?”

Sylvia frowned, a bad feeling settling in the pit of her stomach at the mention of that direction.

She nodded, then spoke:

“I understand. Thank you both for your assistance. Now that we know their location, I will lead the Indam Federation army in pursuit immediately. Additionally...... I ask that you two remain in the Southwestern Kingdoms to hunt down Gulos’s remaining forces.”

“Of course. We will do everything in our power to eliminate Gulos’s presence in the southwest.”

Holstin replied firmly.

He hesitated for a moment, then added:

“Lady Sylvia, please be careful. Gulos never acts without purpose. Their slaughter in the Southwestern Kingdoms must have served some goal—and their sudden turn westward suggests they’ve already achieved it. If I’m not mistaken, their target is likely Ravenrim.”

“Ravenrim......”

Sylvia lowered her head, deep in thought.

“That aligns with my suspicions......”

She raised her head again, her expression resolute.

“I will send a message to Ravenrim to recall their troops and prepare for defense. I must take my leave now. Farewell, gentlemen.”

“Farewell.”

Holstin and Grisa responded politely.

Sylvia nodded, then turned and departed without hesitation.

Moments later, the ground rumbled with the sound of thousands of footsteps.

The army of the Indam Federation began their forced march, chasing after the trail left by Gulos.

Up to this point, the Four Great Races of Himril had completed their unification and formed a coalition army. Originally, the plan had been for all four armies to march east to Bongisto and establish a headquarters there.

But the Gulos incident had forced them to postpone that plan.

The Elven army had begun to return to defend their homeland, while the Beastman army pursued Gulos relentlessly. The Dwarven legions in the north had also started marching toward Ravenrim. Only the Human army, led by the Pasara Empire, was unable to reach the west due to the treacherous natural barriers separating them from Ravenrim.

Just as the various races were mobilizing their forces, the S-Rank Demon breakout had occurred in Bongisto in the east.

After an emergency consultation among the races, the Human army halted their westward advance and continued east instead, preparing to establish a base there first to ensure that the future headquarters would not face any further threats......

Watching the Indam Federation army disappear into the distance.

Holstin turned his gaze away.

“Master Grisa, let’s go. We have our work to do.”

“Right.”

The two A-Rank powerhouses from the Manacos Magic Academy then departed, heading in the opposite direction of the federation army.

Although Gulos’s main force had moved west, they had undoubtedly left behind many of their agents in the Southwestern Kingdoms and even the Southern Continent. Their current mission was to root out these remnants and eliminate them completely.

Of course, they were not alone in this task. Other major organizations across the continent—the Seven Heavens Church, the White Tower, the Adventurers’ Guild...... all had dispatched their strongest warriors to hunt down Gulos’s forces.

......

......

Bongisto, the City of Adventurers.

Some time had passed since the Battle of Bongisto.

With the entire city still in the process of reconstruction, and the labyrinths temporarily closed due to the earlier upheaval, most adventurers found themselves with plenty of free time on their hands.

“Brother, are you sure it’s okay to bring me out like this?”

By the shores of a tranquil lake, a golden-haired girl sitting in a wheelchair asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

“It’s perfectly fine, Alice~.”

Arthur replied with a warm smile.

“Taking a break every now and then is important, isn’t it?”

“But brother......”

Alice tried to say more, but Arthur cut her off, having seen through her worries. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, revealing a secret.

“Alice, I can’t spend all my time working to earn money, you know? Besides, the guild doesn’t have many quests right now. And actually...... I’ve known for a while, Alice—”

He looked down at her, his eyes soft.

“You always pretend to be asleep when I get home late, don’t you? But you’re really just waiting up for me. Haven’t I told you not to stay up waiting when I’m out late?”

“I’m sorry, brother......”

Alice lowered her head, her cheeks flushing slightly at being caught.

“No, if anyone should apologize, it’s me.” Arthur shook his head, a trace of guilt in his voice. “I promised to take good care of you, but I always leave you alone in the room. Even this time......”

During the war, Arthur had been away from Bongisto on a quest. Since the mission would take several days, he hadn’t been able to leave Alice alone in the city, so he’d brought her along with him.

But even though he’d taken her with him, Arthur had spent most of his days occupied with the quest, leaving Alice alone for the majority of the time.

“Alright, let’s not talk about that anymore.”

Arthur smiled brightly, changing the subject.

“I brought you here to have fun today. Look, Alice—”

He pointed at the lake spread out before them.

“This lake is the most beautiful spot in the entire Bongisto region. Isn’t it lovely~?”

WHOOSH~!

A gentle breeze swept across the lake, stirring the surface and brushing through Alice’s hair.

The shimmering waves of the lake sparkled in the sunlight, like countless stars twinkling on the water.

Alice was completely captivated by the scenery, her eyes widening in wonder.

“It’s so beautiful......”

Gurgle. Gurgle......

Deep beneath the lake’s surface.

A consciousness on the verge of extinction suddenly stirred, sensing something familiar. It struggled with its last ounce of strength, fighting to reach the surface.

SPLASH!

A sound of water breaking echoed across the shore.

“Hm?! What was that?!”

Arthur instantly tensed, his senses on high alert. He turned toward the source of the sound, just in time to see a wisp of shadow emerging from the lake.

“HAHAHAHA! Heaven never seals off all paths to survival——!”

A cold, menacing laugh rang out from the shadow. It then shot toward the two of them at an incredible speed.

“No!”

Arthur’s heart skipped a beat. He tried to intercept it, but the shadow was far too fast. Before he could even move, it had already plunged into Alice’s forehead.

“Alice!”

Arthur shouted in panic, his voice cracking with fear.

“Hehe......”

In the next instant, a strange, mocking laugh escaped Alice’s lips.

“Alice......?”

Hearing that voice, Arthur froze, his blood running cold.

“HAHAHAHA! Adventure King! Did you really think I’d be so easily destroyed? I’ve found a way to cheat death!”

Alice laughed maniacally, her body slowly rising into the air, floating above the ground. Her golden hair fluttered wildly without any wind, and purple patterns began to spread rapidly across her skin. Her eyes, once bright blue, were now completely consumed by a sinister purple hue.

“Who... who are you?! Get out of Alice’s body right now!”

Arthur finally realized what was happening. He drew his sword with a clang, his gaze burning with rage and hatred. He knew that killing the culprit would break the curse and free Alice.

But......

The culprit had already taken over Alice’s body. How could he possibly bring himself to harm her?

“Hehe~. It seems you’re reluctant to lay a hand on her, human.”

“Alice” sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.

“Shut up!” Arthur roared, his eyes blazing with fury. “Don’t you dare speak with Alice’s voice!”

“Hmph!”

“Alice” let out a cold snort, raising her right hand and pointing it at Arthur.

“It seems you haven’t realized how dire your situation is, human.”

HUM——!

A Pitch-Black Magic Array unfolded in front of her palm, crackling with dark energy.

“Die!”

WHOOSH!

A black beam of light streaked past Arthur’s shoulder, hurtling toward the distance before exploding in a massive burst of energy.

BOOM!

The powerful shockwave swept toward them like a storm, buffeting both figures.

“Alice”’s golden hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

“What? How is this possible!?”

“Alice” stared in utter disbelief, her eyes widening in shock.

Arthur was equally bewildered, frozen in place.

“Don’t...... hurt...... him......”

A faint, trembling voice escaped Alice’s lips, spoken through the possessed body.

“Alice?”

Arthur stared at the girl floating in the air, his eyes filling with hope.

“Alice...... is that you?”

“Damn it! What’s going on?! Why is your consciousness still lingering?!”

“Alice” screamed in frustration. Unnoticed by her, one of her purple eyes had already faded back to its original bright blue.

“Don’t...... hurt...... him......”

The blue-eyed Alice didn’t respond to the purple-eyed intruder’s question, repeating those words over and over again.

“......Dammit!”

The purple-eyed Alice was furious, but there was nothing she could do. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the original owner’s final shred of consciousness.

She shot Arthur a venomous glare, realizing that her attempt to harm him had triggered the body’s owner to resist fiercely.

Curses!

Could it be that I’m still too weakened to suppress even a mere puppet?

No, I need to reclaim my sealed power as soon as possible.

With that thought, a pair of Mana Wings made of pitch-black energy sprouted from her back, unfurling without any resistance.

It seemed that as long as she didn’t try to harm this human, the original owner wouldn’t interfere.

“I have no choice. I’ll have to maintain this state until I regain my power.”

She glanced down at Arthur, her voice cold and disdainful.

“You’re lucky this time, human!”

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

With those words, she flapped her Mana Wings and flew toward the horizon, her figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

“Alice! Alice!”

Behind her, Arthur’s desperate cries echoed across the lake, his voice filled with helplessness and despair.

“ALICE——!!!”