CHAPTER 24

The Hunting Spider (7)

The top floor of the U.S. Mage Tower Branch.

There sat the Tower Master… the Grand Mage Reynald Shelman, an S-rank magician praised for his immense power.

A figure so influential that even the President of the United States could not treat him lightly. And yet, within his own chamber, he was prostrating himself, desperately begging for forgiveness.

"I beg your forgiveness, O Great One! I have failed to carry out your command!"

The being he pleaded to was a black mass—an orb, seemingly made of condensed darkness.

The Orb of Wisdom. A unique-grade artifact obtained from an American Red Gate.

It regarded the prostrating mortal with an eerie voice.

"Foolish, incompetent wretch. You failed at even a simple task. I granted you the wisdom and truth of the universe, yet you disappoint me."

"I—I am sorry!"

Reynald banged his head against the ground until it bled, groveling for forgiveness.

Such a sight was far from fitting for someone called a Grand Mage. Yet, he had become addicted to the knowledge the Orb bestowed upon him, worshipping it like a god.

"It—it couldn't be helped! This survivor named Leon was an unforeseen variable!"

"A pathetic excuse to taint my ears—Wait, what did you just say?"

"…Huh?"

The Orb's voice, usually deep and ominous, suddenly turned vulgar and startled.

"What… what did you just call him?"

"Leon… I said his name is Leon."

"It… it must be a coincidence. Turn on the news. Now."

The Orb's voice grew unsteady, trembling as if in fear.

Reynald hesitated, confused, but obeyed. He turned on the news covering the recent Cheongju Gate raid.

There, under the spotlight, stood a golden-haired young man.

[I am the Lionhearted King. Leon Dragonia Lionheart.]

"Gkhhhkkk!"

A strangled scream, closer to a death cry, erupted from the Orb. It shrieked in desperation.

"WHY IS THAT BASTARD HERE?! HOW?! WHY?!"

"M—Master?"

Gone was the grand and dignified voice that had once mesmerized the Grand Mage.

The Orb was now trembling in sheer terror.

"I—I give up. No. I refuse. I'm done."

In the next moment, the black aura within the Orb dissipated, leaving behind an empty, colorless husk.

"Master? Master?!"

Reynald called out repeatedly, but the Orb never spoke again.

"You destroyed the Orb of Wisdom?"

Hunter Association President Oh Kang-hyuk sighed regretfully as he heard Leon's report.

"Are you displeased?"

"…No. The dungeon closure conditions required either the destruction or acquisition of the Orb. Since Your Majesty defeated the Jagd Spinne, the Orb's fate was within your rights."

Leon still noticed the slight disappointment in the Association President's expression.

Of course. The ignorant always chase immediate gain.

"Do not lament. That artifact was poison."

"Poison, you say?"

"It was a tool of demons."

"D—Demons?!"

The mere mention of demons made the President jump in alarm.

Demons.

The immortal beings that emerged from Demon Gates. The very nightmares that had brought humanity endless suffering.

"That Orb was a cursed object, crafted by the Malice of Wisdom and Inquiry to tempt mortals. At first, it grants knowledge to those who seek it. But gradually, it begins to demand a price."

In his empire, many mages had succumbed to that temptation.

At first, they used it in the name of curiosity. But it never took long before it led them to seek immortality, undeath, and ultimately, demonization.

"The Emperor of my empire once fell for its whispers and sacrificed millions of citizens. If similar artifacts have been found elsewhere, they must be destroyed immediately."

"…This is unbelievable."

For a dungeon drop item to carry such apocalyptic consequences…

President Oh Kang-hyuk was still skeptical, but if Leon was telling the truth, the implications were horrifying.

"I will report this to the U.S. government."

"That would be wise. But… they may have already fallen for its temptations."

Leon did not overestimate the willpower of modern humans.

They were weak, easily swayed by greed and temptation. Unlike the devoted subjects of his own world, these people knew nothing of divine purpose.

They were sick, poor, feeble, and avaricious.

And that was why they needed faith and enlightenment more than ever.

Only divine grace could save them.

"President. Take me to where he is kept."

"Understood. We have stored him in the Association's underground facility."

Following the President's guidance, Leon walked toward a warehouse.

Normally, this space was used for storing dungeon byproducts. Now, it housed the remains of Jagd Spinne, the Cheongju Gate's boss.

"O—Oh! Your Majesty! President!"

Hunter Association staff, led by Ha-ri, quickly bowed in greeting. They had been instructed to show utmost respect to Leon.

"Resume your duties."

Leon accepted their greeting and approached the Jagd Spinne's remains.

The once-imposing mechanical monster was now a shattered husk.

Its massive body, which had once overwhelmed Hunter teams, was barely recognizable.

Only a fraction of its original size remained—just scraps, really.

"…What do you intend to do with it?"

"As an honorable knight, he deserves a proper burial. I will pray for him to ascend to the banquet hall of the gods."

Perhaps the Blessed Fields of Naju would serve as a proper burial site.

Leon reached out and placed his hand on the Jagd Spinne's remains.

"Loyal knight, find peace."

And in that moment—

The Jagd Spinne moved.

"Wha—?!"

Ha-ri's startled voice cut through the silence.

"What?!"

"It—It's moving?!"

The infamous nightmare of the Cheongju Gate. The boss monster that had repelled three raid teams was moving—albeit weakly.

The staff gasped in horror.

Only one man remained calm.

"Do not panic!"

Leon's commanding voice alone was enough to restore order.

Yes.

The man who had slain the Jagd Spinne was standing right before them.

Leon was here.

With that realization, the panic subsided, and all eyes turned to the moving machine.

"…You."

Leon, too, was perplexed.

Creak… Click!

Jagd Spinne, struggling under its own weight, used its remaining robotic arm to dismantle itself.

It removed bolts, shed armor—restructuring itself.

Leon narrowed his eyes.

He could feel it.

Divine power.

His final blessing had caused a miracle.

The Jagd Spinne, barely functional, had been given new life through the sacred blessing.

It fully dismantled and reassembled itself—into a much smaller form, barely one-twentieth of its original size.

It then turned its gaze toward Leon.

And Leon smiled.

"I see. Perhaps… you may yet earn the Goddess's favor."

He summoned the Holy Grail and filled it with divine water.

Pouring the sacred liquid onto his sword, the old blade was engulfed in light.

A dazzling, sacred radiance filled the warehouse.

"W—Whoa…"

"What is that…?"

Everyone watched in awe as Leon raised his sword.

He slashed through the air, splitting space itself.

And from within the dimensional rift—

A woman emerged.

A goddess with flowing white hair and golden eyes.

"Aah…"

The mortals instinctively knew—

This being was no mere human.

Leon knelt before her.

"O Arianna, Goddess of Light and Justice."

"Lionheart… my first knight."

And thus—

Grail Knight Jagd Spinne 10,253 was anointed as a Knight of the Holy Chalice.