Chapter 248: Welcome to Hell

The dynamic vision and reflexes of a superhuman like Regarda or Vitalianus are at a level beyond imagination.

In simple terms, the world they see is different.

They split seconds into finer fragments, grasp the situation within that time, and act.

It’s said that to face the world with only a single sword or a single spear in hand, one needs to be at that level.

Now, let’s think about it from the opposite side.

Just how do you injure a monster like that?

It’s naturally not easy.

You have to strike them at an unexpected moment, with power that is faster and stronger than theirs.

And he managed to accomplish that difficult feat.

KWA-BOOM-

No one had let their guard down.

From the moment Abelard stopped answering, or rather, even before that, their vigilance was sufficient. Knowing that, Hio had allowed Regarda to approach.

It wasn’t just Hio; everyone must have thought the same.

They believed that if it was Regarda, he could handle an explosion right in front of him.

This was the result of that faith.

“Take cover!”

The aftermath of the storming magical power and the Abyssal whirlwind.

Even sensing Regarda’s presence within it is difficult.

Everyone must be in a similar situation.

Hio barely managed to block it and barely managed to dodge.

There wasn’t even time to deploy a skill like ‘Celestial’ or other defensive magic.

Even with an instantly activated skill, it takes a fraction of a second for it to manifest fully.

So he stacked ‘Blink’ nearly ten times, and only then was he able to deploy his defensive skills.

‘How was that possible?’

‘How could he prepare that much power without anyone noticing?’

It’s common sense that deceiving all eight members of the Expeditionary Force and triggering an explosion at a speed that makes it hard for them to react is impossible.

Because powerful energy is needed for powerful force, and the moment it gathers, everyone, without exception, would notice.

But unfortunately, Kreutzvalt was wary of Hio’s eyes that could see magical power.

He knew this and was prepared.

That’s why he concealed his power within the Abyss.

He used Abelard’s skin to scatter their attention and hid the scent of his magical power deep within the Abyss.

This was the Abyss, after all.

One must always remember that anything that makes common sense can be twisted here.

“How dare you…!”

The enraged dragon’s roar shook the Abyss with a resounding clap.

The wildly rampaging magical power and the Abyss gradually subsided in the face of the dragon’s fury.

A strong wind blew the ash far away. The storm of ki calmed down, and the Abyss began to stabilize.

It was only then that presences began to be properly sensed.

“Regarda!”

Unlike usual, Regarda’s presence felt massive.

That meant the situation was bad.

Regarda, who usually suppressed his aura, was radiating this much presence, meaning he had lost control and was in that much danger.

[Skill – ‘Blink’ has been activated.]

Regarda’s condition was not good.

No, even saying ‘not good’ wasn’t quite right.

His primary right arm was torn off below the elbow, and both his legs were in tatters. Despite this, he was somehow holding onto his spear, using the shaft as a crutch to stand.

“I’m fine for now. Leave me and locate the enemy first.”

He said this to Hio.

Injuries that would be fatal to a normal human.

The reason Regarda was still alive was because he was an undead revived through Necromancy.

Even considering that, his calm attitude, even with his limbs blown off, was almost awe-inspiring.

“…Yeah.”

Right now, his words were correct, which was dreadfully infuriating.

“Freya…!”

“I’m fine.”

“I see.”

Fortunately, the others besides Regarda didn’t seem too seriously injured.

They had maintained enough distance to react, and since Freya was positioned between Claire and Melissa, who lacked evasive skills, she seemed to have manifested her main body to protect them well.

Aside from them, Gale was injured, but not severely.

The painful part was that a core member like Regarda was severely injured from the first engagement.

They had to protect him and slowly, somehow, let him recover.

For that, Deathly Energy was essential, but…

“Kreutzvalt won’t let that happen.”

Kreutzvalt finally revealed himself.

And, disgustingly enough, not as himself, but as a golem wearing someone else’s face.

This meant an attack was coming one way or another.

The worst-case scenario would be if he dragged things out like this without directly showing himself, gnawing away at the Expeditionary Force’s stamina and morale…

“…It seems we’ve hit the worst-case scenario.”

Presences could be felt from a distance.

Each one was faint and thin, like ghosts.

Just like the golem wearing Abelard’s face earlier.

“…Kreutzvalt.”

Dozens of these presences were closing in, occupying the surroundings.

He didn’t need to see them to know what form they’d taken.

The mages from a thousand years ago, who trusted Abelard and crossed over into this hell.

They’d be wearing their faces.

“You rotten bastard.”

And sure enough.

As their forms gradually became clear, Hio’s hand tightened.

Gripping his staff so hard it might break, he slowly began to raise it.

The figures appearing one after another, robes fluttering, were faces he had seen before in Abelard’s memories.

They were all mages from the Tower of Mages.

Their expressions were eerily identical.

Smiles twisted grotesquely at the corners of their mouths and eyes.

Then, their mouths all opened at once.

—Disciple.

The voice coming from them wasn’t theirs.

It was a sticky, unpleasant voice, echoing as if from the very bottom of the Abyss.

—Welcome to the hell you have walked into.

It was Kreutzvalt’s own voice.

Faced with this sight, Hio had no choice but to admit it.

“This truly is hell.”

This was a real hell, inhabited by a being more terrible than hell itself.

***

Nightfall came again to the Allied Forces’ encampment.

After spending several nights, they should have been used to it by now, but not a single knight let their guard down.

Hadn’t they just experienced the overwhelming presence of a Colossal Abnormality the previous night?

They had met it at the end of the night, so they had been able to welcome the day without a fight.

If such things had appeared from the beginning of the night, the casualties wouldn’t have been in the dozens.

“Get ready! Night is coming soon!”

Night approached.

Perhaps because of the previous day’s experience, a tension similar to the first night settled over the Allied Forces.

And then, soon.

“It’s night!”

Night had come, and the Strange Entities began to rise, one by one.

A black tide of Strange Entities began to fill the surroundings, making the tens of thousands of Allied soldiers look insignificant.

The Allied camp opposing them seemed bright, holy, and full of fighting spirit.

“O-over there!”

“It, it’s here!”

“The Colossal Abnormality is here!”

But misfortune came with the start of the night.

A single fist crashing down on the camp was like a meteor.

KWA-BOOM-

Hundreds of skills flew in, stubbornly clinging to block that single fist, but they had only a minor effect.

KWA-BOOM-

“Kuaaahk!”

“Don’t fight it, fall back!”

“Pour on the skills, skills!”

The section of the camp near the Colossal Abnormality collapsed in an instant.

“If they seize the Passage, it’s over!”

“Don’t just retreat blindly! Draw its attention to the other side of the Passage!”

Its body was absurdly hard.

Its size was also so large it seemed physically impossible.

In short, it defied common sense.

A being that could not be blocked, nor could it be injured.

“It’s slower than I thought!”

“Slow it down even more!”

But the Allied Forces were not a ragtag group of nobodies.

Not only were the commanders highly capable, there wasn’t a single person who was scared or in a panic.

“Pour on more skills! Damn it, the flank is exposed! Snap out of it!”

That’s why they could manage this much.

Yet, this was all they could do.

Protecting the most important priests, barely holding the camp together by force, retreating as far as possible from the Passage.

Even if they minimized casualties, this was the limit.

No matter what, there was simply no way to directly defeat that terrible despair called the Colossal Abnormality.

This was the same for Antipus, Sirbert, and Daphne.

The reason was simple.

They lacked the power.

Attacks below a certain level could hinder the Colossal Abnormality, but could never pierce through it.

It might be impossible on the outside, but this was the Abyss.

A twisted, hellish place.

So, even top-tier skills could not damage the creature.

Because they were too light.

“Why… why can’t I touch it!”

Even pouring out all his confident skills, he couldn’t peel a single layer of its tough skin.

As said before, it was because the force was too light.

Skills with an impressive appearance, but containing nothing.

That’s what all power that cannot handle Ideation is like.

However, Antipus, unaware of this, merely poured out skill after skill, again and again.

His top-tier skills, which had steadily disappeared due to the Dominion penalty until only a few remained.

Towards the core of the Abnormality, towards the deep place he could never reach, he continuously poured them out.

KWA-BOOM-

Of course, it was just a lot of noise; there was still no damage to the creature.

Sirbert’s Telekinesis only slightly impeded its movements.

Even the freezing arrow shot by Daphne using Laflicia merely stuck lightly to its surface, useless.

“Why…

Why can’t I…!”

‘What was lacking?’

He had thought about it countless times, and the conclusion he reached was quite pathetic.

So he had acknowledged it, accepted it all.

He had acknowledged the Supreme Cheonma, and acknowledged that Dominion was overreaching.

He thought he had let go of everything with his slowly disappearing stats and skills.

He thought he would finish this well, return home, and live out the rest of his life with what he had achieved.

That’s what he thought.

But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Deep in his heart, he couldn’t easily let it go.

‘Isn’t that why he’s so angry now?’

No matter how he thrashes and struggles.

No matter how desperately he pours out his attacks.

That bastard who doesn’t even budge.

That giant bastard, too busy swinging its fists at its feet, not even paying attention to him.

‘Wasn’t a familiar face being superimposed over it, making his blood boil?’

As if pouring out all the resentment he had held back, he poured out skill after skill, again and again.

Paying no heed to mana or stamina, focusing only on one thing.

Staring only at that creature he could never, ever reach, no matter how much he attacked, he kept firing his skills relentlessly.

“Stop it.”

‘Why doesn’t it work?’

‘Why can’t he do it, but that bastard can?’

“Antiphus Praman, stop it. It’s over.”

When he suddenly came to his senses, the Abnormality was gone and the night had retreated.

It was the night that saw the most casualties among the Allied Forces since entering the Abyss, and the night Antipus had tried the hardest.

“…That bastard…”

The Colossal Abnormality had vanished without taking a single wound.