“…”
“……!”
Gaon couldn’t help but be surprised.
That was because an oracle meant the voice of a god.
As far as Gaon knew, the voice of the gods had been cut off for a long time.
At least several hundred years had passed.
Yet she had received an oracle?
Gaon looked at Adela and thought.
Is it a lie?
An oracle was no ordinary matter.
It was a monumental event that should be proclaimed widely.
Yet Adela was hiding the oracle.
Why hide an oracle?
He wondered if it wasn’t a lie.
But why such a lie?
However, Adela had no reason to lie.
Why would she lie about an oracle?
What did she lack?
“What was the oracle?”
For now, Gaon asked Adela.
It seemed better to hear what the oracle was and then think.
“It said that the worst evil has been born.”
“The worst evil?”
“Yes, in the Demon World. And that the current invasion from the Demon World is because of this worst evil…….”
Adela trailed off.
Her expression darkened.
From Adela’s words and reaction, Gaon thought.
Is she referring to Mirdaon?
No matter how he looked at it, the worst evil Adela mentioned was clearly the Demon King ‘Mirdaon.’
“What did the Heavenly Realm do? Were they just sitting idle while the worst evil was born?”
For now, Gaon asked what the gods were doing.
He was too curious.
Why they hadn’t issued oracles for the past several hundred years.
What on earth they were doing to remain idle now, with the Demon World invading.
“Due to the worst evil, the situation in the Heavenly Realm is not good right now.”
Adela began her explanation.
And Gaon could learn the whole situation.
The Heavenly Realm had waged war with the Demon World 300 years ago.
The war lasted a whopping 200 years.
And at the end of that long war, the one who claimed victory was the Demon World.
Of course, that didn’t mean the Heavenly Realm had submitted.
To be precise, neither side had truly won.
However, the Heavenly Realm’s damage was greater.
Even though 100 years had passed since the war ended, they still hadn’t fully resolved the aftermath.
In contrast, the Demon World had enough strength left to invade the Middle World.
So, if one had to declare a winner, it was the Demon World’s victory.
Of course, what mattered to Gaon wasn’t the victory or defeat between the Heavenly Realm and Demon World.
“So, how much longer until they can intervene?”
Gaon was curious.
How much time the Heavenly Realm needed to check the Demon World.
“That is…….”
Adela trailed off.
After a moment of hesitation, she answered.
“It seems difficult unless the worst evil is dealt with…….”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, the words were that it must be ended when the worst evil descends.”
Gaon was speechless.
It was absurd.
In the end, it meant the Heavenly Realm couldn’t do anything.
“……Alright, got it.”
“Pardon?”
“I said got it.”
Gaon waved his hand.
The barrier disappeared.
Adela seemed like she wanted to say more, but perhaps because the barrier was gone?
She hesitated and couldn’t open her mouth.
Everyone present looked puzzled at Adela’s reaction.
“Graxios.”
“Yes.”
“She says she’s leaving now. See her off well.”
“Yes, understood.”
Graxios bowed his head in response, and Gaon immediately left the place.
Having come outside, Gaon headed to Gardion Tower’s warehouse while thinking.
So strong that even the gods can’t handle it?
Currently, the strongest being in the Demon World was ‘Mirdaon.’
Just how strong was Mirdaon that the gods couldn’t deal with him?
Or is there another reason?
It might not be a lack of power, but some other reason why they couldn’t handle Mirdaon.
*Anyway, since the completeness was separated, I don’t have to worry too much…….
Mirdaon had separated his completeness.
So Gaon was confident in a battle with Mirdaon.
However, after hearing about the Heavenly Realm’s situation, he felt a slight unease.
He thought there might be something unexpected.
Soon arriving at the warehouse, Gaon began pouring out the items he had taken from the silver clan’s secret warehouse.
The warehouse, which had been about half empty, quickly filled with treasures, and Gaon moved to the next warehouse to pour out items once more.
Only after filling six warehouses did Gaon exit.
As soon as he left the warehouse, Gaon saw a mage.
It was Reudi’s seventh disciple, Rotes.
“Lord Gaon…….”
Rotes softly called Gaon.
In Rotes’s voice calling Gaon, there was a mix of sorrow and joy—opposing emotions.
He knew why Rotes reacted this way.
For Rotes, whose lifelong goal was to kill Latun and Blash who betrayed Reudi.
And Blash was dead.
Though Latun remained, from Rotes’s perspective, half of his revenge was achieved.
“Latun will die soon too, so don’t worry.”
Gaon hadn’t just killed Blash.
He had thoroughly interrogated him.
And perhaps because he had let go of everything?
Or to atone for the past?
Blash answered everything without omission, even things Gaon hadn’t asked.
Including information about Latun.
“Thank you. It was something I should have done.”
“It was also something I had to do.”
Reudi was Rotes’s master, but also one of Gaon’s few close friends.
They had founded Gardion Tower together, and he had even passed the Tower Master position to him.
“I’ll stop by Dragonia and then go straight to capture Latun.”
Now, Gaon planned to head to Dragonia.
And as soon as he resolved matters in Dragonia, he intended to go capture Latun.
“Could I perhaps go with you……?”
Rotes asked, gauging Gaon’s reaction.
“Sure.”
Gaon nodded immediately without a moment’s hesitation.
“It’s dangerous.”
Latun was at Kurshum’s headquarters.
And Kurshum’s headquarters was located deep in the Demon World’s camp.
In other words, it was a demonic energy-dominant area.
And one with very thick demonic energy at that.
Of course, Rotes had crossed the wall.
However, at Kurshum’s headquarters, he would only be able to exert power at the 6th-Circle level.
In other words, it was too dangerous.
“Understood.”
“Build your strength as much as possible. Reudi’s death wasn’t just because of Latun and Blash, but also those Demon World bastards.”
The reason Latun and Blash betrayed in the first place was because the Demon World invaded.
If the Demon World hadn’t invaded?
Latun and Blash wouldn’t have betrayed.
In other words, the targets of revenge weren’t just Latun and Blash.
“Yes!”
Having understood Gaon’s meaning, Rotes answered with flashing eyes.
After exchanging farewells with Rotes, Gaon left the tower.
Now it was time to go to Dragonia.
The silver dragons’ treasure mountain.
Currently, the treasure mountain was occupied by a legion composed of demons from the Demon World.
“……”
“It seems like he’s already left?”
Demon World Marquis and legion commander Faisto tilted his head and said.
“It appears so.”
“Well, he wouldn’t stay here without fear anyway.”
Chorgo and Rurdon, the demon marquises who came with him, each added a comment to Faisto’s words.
The reason the three demon marquises had led the legion to the treasure mountain was twofold.
First, to kill Gaon if he was still boldly there after pushing in and causing trouble.
Second, to break through the dragons’ defensive barrier and collect the treasures.
“I wanted to see what kind of guy killed Gergona…….”
“Well, since he ran away, doesn’t that show his level?”
“That’s true.”
Listening to Chorgo and Rurdon’s conversation, Faisto sank into thought.
*The barrier is intact…….
Faisto wasn’t visiting this place for the first time.
He had come once when the treasure mountain’s existence was first revealed.
And back then, he had seen the defensive barrier installed by the dragons.
The current state of the barrier was the same as then.
Surely he didn’t enter and come out?
The barrier’s state was unchanged, but what if Gaon knew the entry method?
……No.
Faisto denied his own thought.
Gaon wouldn’t have been able to check the interior.
He must have just left. It had to be that way.
Too many resources had been invested this time.
Since they couldn’t kill Gaon, they at least needed to take the treasures.
If Gaon had taken the treasures too?
It would be the worst situation.
“Let’s just collect the treasures.”
Faisto spoke to the two demons still conversing and took the lead into the cave.
Upon entry, Faisto furrowed his brow.
It was because of the magic circles created by the dragons.
I need to blow them all away this time.
Previously, the demonic energy wasn’t thick, so he couldn’t use his power properly.
That’s why he had left it to Kurshum.
But the situation had changed.
Now, the area around the treasure mountain had very thick demonic energy.
In other words, he could use his power properly.
And he wasn’t alone.
Chorgo and Rurdon were mid-ranked among the marquises.
In other words, with the two demons?
He could destroy all the magic circles and traps the dragons had installed for defense.
Soon, Faisto reached the barrier and stopped.
He looked at the two demons.
At his gaze, the two demons nodded as if they knew without words and began gathering their demonic energy.
Faisto also gathered his demonic energy.
Soon, the immense demonic energy of the three demons flew toward the barrier.
Chijijijijik!
The moment the demonic energy struck the barrier, sparks flew, and the barrier’s energy began weakening rapidly.
Jjeong!
Soon, with the sound of glass shattering, the barrier collapsed.
“Easy.”
Faisto murmured with a bright smile.
But only for a moment.
“……!”
Faisto’s eyes flashed as he poured all his gathered demonic energy into creating a shield.
Not just Faisto.
Chorgo and Rurdon, who had destroyed the barrier with him, also hastily created shields.
The reason the three demons created shields.
It was because of the numerous magic circles activated inside the barrier.
Kwaaang! Kwaang!
Soon, explosions began.
Faisto gritted his teeth against the immense pressure bearing down on his shield.
Damn, this!
He hadn’t imagined such preparations inside the barrier.
At this rate, the treasures…….
The explosions were extremely powerful.
Would the treasures remain intact in such explosions?
No matter how he looked at it, they didn’t seem likely to.
No, had there even been treasures in the first place?
Perhaps the dragons had tampered with it?
Soon, the explosions subsided.
Faisto retracted his shield and scanned the surroundings.
It had clearly been inside a cave.
But not anymore.
They hadn’t been moved elsewhere.
The cave—no, the entire mountain—had vanished from the recent explosions.
The surroundings were empty.
Faisto couldn’t say anything.
The treasures had vanished so futilely.
The problem wasn’t just the treasures.
He had brought a ‘legion’ to the treasure mountain.
What vanished in the recent explosions wasn’t just the mountain and treasures.
The legion waiting outside the cave had vanished as well.
He hadn’t killed Gaon, nor obtained the treasures.
Yet the legion was gone.
What a fucking situation…….
The dragons’ sacred land, Dragonia.
“Whoa…….”
Having arrived near Dragonia, Gaon let out an exclamation.
The reason Gaon exclaimed was the massive barrier enveloping Dragonia visible ahead.
“Incredible…….”