Chapter 312: Enemy of the World (4)

< Enemy of the World (4) >

Deep within a dark cave…

[It seems to be over. There's no need for me to intervene.]

A strange glint flickered in a pair of large, golden eyes that materialized in the darkness. Sharp, reptilian pupils, vertically slit.

The eyes of a dragon, the most powerful and massive creature in this world.

Shuri Hartgen, the Gold Dragon, observing the flow of energy across the continent in his true form, closed his eyes. He had been ready to intervene if necessary, as Horus had requested, but it seemed his direct involvement wasn't needed.

[…Though the problem doesn't seem to be completely resolved.]

Observing from a distance limited his accuracy, but he could grasp the general situation. The Apostle of the Outer God's presence had vanished from this world, but the Immortal King's aura had changed immediately after.

'Was this his plan all along? To strengthen himself by using the Apostle as a sacrifice?'

If so, the Apostle had been used by the Immortal King from beginning to end. While one threat was gone, the Immortal King, the greatest danger to the continent, remained. He couldn't relax yet.

[At least the Church's losses don't seem to be significant.]

Despite their thorough preparations, there were casualties. The scale of the battle was immense, and the Apostle's power was considerable. Many who formed the divine barrier were killed or injured, and the paladins who burned their life force would require a long period of recovery.

Still, considering the overwhelming power they had faced, the casualties were minimal. The situation could have been much worse if they hadn't been prepared!

'This much… should be enough to avoid the worst-case scenario. They should be able to handle the Immortal King…'

He was particularly impressed by the Hero of the Main God's Church and the other heroes. He marveled at how much the continent's power had grown. He had been deeply concerned about the Immortal King's invasion, as the dragons couldn't help this time, but it seemed the sacrifices of the previous generation hadn't been in vain.

As Shuri Hartgen slowly nodded…

[Then… Cough—! Hack—!]

…a violent cough racked his massive body, and a torrent of blood gushed from his golden maw.

Splatter—

The dark red, dead blood splattered on the ground, filling the cave with a metallic stench.

[…Haa, not much time left. Time to prepare for the end.]

He stared at the pool of blood for a moment, then cleaned it with a simple spell. At least he would be able to spend his final moments with his successor. He had been prepared to sacrifice his remaining life if necessary, but then he wouldn't have been able to leave a final gift for Horus.

'May he become the hope of our clan.'

The old dragon closed his eyes, his gaze distant, as if looking towards a faraway place. He needed to conserve his strength for his final moments.

After the Saint declared the 'Apostle of the Outer God' banished from this world…

…the chaos at the Holy Land quickly subsided.

Church members busily moved about, tending to the wounded and recovering the bodies of the fallen. The Hero's party, including the Saintess, arrived at the Grand Temple of Roselia around that time.

"Haa, we're late, as expected. Spatial transfer magic has so many limitations…"

"Don't mention it. We were able to travel this quickly thanks to you, Isea-nim. Please rest for a while; you must be tired."

Saintess Liesta, ignoring Isea's weary sigh after the consecutive long-distance travels and battles, immediately joined the healers. Most of the critically injured had already received emergency treatment, but there were still many who needed her help.

"Hmm, more injured than I expected."

"This is still fortunate, Saintess-nim. If it weren't for those who came with Saint-nim, the casualties would have been much greater."

"Ah, indeed… They were even more formidable than the Immortal King…"

"It would have been truly difficult without Saint-nim's foresight and preparations. And the Vampire Lord as well. He wouldn't have helped us if Saint-nim hadn't accepted him."

The conversation naturally led to praising Heinrich's wisdom. It was only natural, considering he had instructed the Church to prepare and led the fight against the Apostle. He had also dealt the final blow, banishing the Apostle from the Holy Land, and above all…

"Oh! May the Main God's grace be with us!"

"Hahaha, a second Grand Blessing! What a joyous occasion!"

"Ah— The beautiful moment when those wings of light unfurled is still vivid in my mind. To think I witnessed such a scene with my own eyes! Oh, Main God!"

Heinrich's 'Wings of Radiance', revealed before tens of thousands of devout followers, filled them with awe. A Grand Blessing bestowed upon him by the Main God the moment he plunged his holy sword into the chest of the terrifying Apostle of the Outer God, and the beautiful wings that unfurled, radiating a brilliant light! It was a scene straight out of legends.

'A story to tell for a lifetime!'

'This is also the guidance of the Main God.'

'Such an event must be recorded in detail. In my diary, and if possible, in a painting…!'

The Church's painters had already begun working on capturing the scene on canvas. Once completed, it would be made into murals and passed down through generations, alongside the Church's history. Witnessing such a legendary scene was a glorious moment for the Church's fanatics.

"…Ah! Where is Saint-nim now? Is he injured?"

"He's fine, Saintess-nim. After tending to the urgent cases, he went to the prayer room to meditate on his new blessing. It seems he needs some time."

While he had used his power freely during the battle, he needed to properly understand its limits and fine-tune it for more efficient use. It wasn't just an ordinary blessing; it was a Grand Blessing that elevated his power to a new level!

'Good, excellent. A truly versatile ability.'

Inside the private prayer room of the Grand Temple of Roselia…

…Heinrich, his newly acquired wings spread wide, clasped his hands in prayer and inwardly expressed his satisfaction. 「Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance」 had various functions. High-speed flight, divine power amplification, and enhancement of holy skills were just the basics. It could be used for offense, defense, and support.

And above all…

'It looks amazing! A paladin with wings of light!'

Perhaps the Main God had noticed his secret envy of the Society Master's wings and granted him this ability? Heinrich stroked his shimmering Wings of Radiance and nodded slowly.

He wasn't the only one who gained something from this event. Heinz II, who had left immediately after the battle, gained resistance to divine power from the Society Master's blood, and Harley, who had devoured a part of the wing, obtained some valuable genetic information.

…However, not everyone benefited from this event—

"Harris-nim? What are you doing here…? Weren't you in the Enamel Continent?"

Harris, summoned across the ocean, smiled awkwardly as Lydia, the high elf dispatched with the Hero's party, questioned him. He could only praise the World Tree.

"Ahaha… It's all thanks to the grace of the World Tree. Fortunately, I was able to lend a hand."

"Well, I suppose so. This was a major incident. A follower of an evil god from another world."

She wasn't entirely convinced, but since he hadn't done anything wrong, she let it slide. He was the only Transcendent High Elf, so they had to accept whatever abilities he displayed.

"Haha… Indeed. By the way, the surrounding environment has been severely damaged. How about we help with the restoration? It would benefit both sides."

"Ah, that's a good idea! We could even expand the forest a bit. It always feels a bit cramped here…"

Harris smoothly changed the subject and led Lydia away. The surrounding area was a mess, so they had to hurry.

As those gathered at the Holy Land were busy for their own reasons…

"Hurry up! Hey, raise the furnace temperature! What are you going to do with that lukewarm fire?!"

"C… Chef! More meat!"

"Then chop it! This is war! We're the supply line! Anyone slacking off will get extra drills later!"

""Yes, Chef!""

The third central dining hall of the Grand Temple of Roselia was bustling for a different reason.

"Ah~ This is it! As expected of the Grand Temple, they use good meat. I've been craving this! Pahaha!"

It was because Harley, as comfortable in the Grand Temple as in his own home, had barged into the dining hall, ordered a mountain of meat, and taken a seat. Post-battle cleanup and restoring order weren't his concern. He had worked up a sweat, so replenishing his energy with delicious, nutritious meat was a natural part of his routine. Confident that he had earned it, he devoured the meat, practically inhaling it, and reached a conclusion about the Society Master incident.

'We drove out the intruder. This should be the end of it.'

He was curious about what happened to the Society Master after he disappeared from Auterica, but there was no way for him to know. Judging by the final moments, he wasn't in good shape. He was probably taking out his frustration on Earth.

While it was satisfying, he couldn't be complacent.

'We just landed one blow. This is only the beginning.'

This skirmish was a successful ambush thanks to the home-ground advantage, superior intelligence, and exploiting the opponent's weakened state due to the world's restrictions. Those methods wouldn't work on Earth, the true battleground.

'No, Earth is his home ground, so it's even more disadvantageous.'

To defeat him there, he needed overwhelming power. Power that could overcome any unfavorable conditions, restrictions, and penalties.

'…It's alright. I'm doing well. I just have to keep doing what I've been doing.'

In that sense, this incident, where the avatars grew stronger and weakened the enemy, was a significant achievement. He didn't know when another opportunity like this would come, but he was confident he could continue making progress.

'Because that's what I've been doing.'

Lost in thought, Harley finished the meat on the table, smacking his lips in satisfaction. A server approached with a cart piled high with freshly cooked meat.

"…Um, Harley-nim?"

The server called out to him hesitantly.

"Huh?"

"Y… You shouldn't eat the plates, no matter how delicious they are…"

Harley stared blankly at the table. At the clean, empty table, devoid of both meat and plates.

"Ah."

No wonder the meat felt a bit hard from the middle. He had been too lost in thought.