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chapter-298

Chapter 298: Something More Important Than Pride (2)

“Haa… haa… haa…”

Irregular breaths were bursting forth.

Her trembling fingers indicated that her physical and magical strength were completely drained.

Alice struggled to lift the last remaining harpoon with agonizing effort.

“Like a monster…”

“Such a damn annoying power. Does that thing even die?”

“Less than twenty left alive…”

The Levistia clan members shook their heads in disgust.

Already over 300 clan members replenished from the shadows had perished.

One by one, as they fell, the number unsurprisingly continued to grow.

But now, just about 20 were standing unscathed.

And that itself was only because the Head of the Abigail family had stepped in. If they had merely crossed their arms and watched from behind, total annihilation would’ve been unavoidable.

“Seeing Amulram go down, I thought it was foolish… but now, it seems quite justifiable.”

Abigail sighed softly.

Despite the Unique Holy Chant being sealed, they thought they’d be fighting a tiger without its wings…

Seems they were still underestimating the situation.

However.

The relentless battle was nearing its end.

Only a single step remained.

“You were truly magnificent. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you the strongest head the family has ever seen.”

[The Unique Holy Chant ‘Phantom Tree Scythe’ awakens.]

Kieeeee!

The large eye on the scythe began to scream ferociously.

Though lacking a mouth, the thunderous roar resonated throughout the city.

Whisk!

Abigail vanished like smoke, using a blink-like spatial movement.

In an instant, she had clasped behind Alice and raised the scythe high.

…So fast.

Alice reflexively swung her harpoon.

Offsetting it was obviously too much… but if she could at least twist its trajectory.

Crack!

The harpoon was split in a single blow.

Forgetting the long weapon’s characteristics, Abigail wielded the scythe with preposterous speed.

“Aaagh!”

Blood spurted from Alice’s body.

Living up to the Unique Holy Chant’s ultimate cutting force, the harpoon made from ‘Blood Road’ couldn’t possibly compete.

Alice managed to steady her quavering legs.

She had to move.

Only through continued motion could she last even a little longer.

“To run now…? No, is it to buy time? Huhu. It’s amusing how you pick the most foolish actions to the very end.”

Abigail’s lips curved upwards.

With her back turned, this signified a firm grasp on victory.

They say a wounded beast is the most dangerous, but that only applies when it still has the strength to retaliate.

A completely exhausted beast only flails pathetically before being dethroned.

Skeet! Skreek!

With each movement of the scythe, fresh streams of blood followed.

Her clothes, now ragged, were barely recognizable as such.

“Ah… haa. Haa…”

Alice’s breath grew even rougher.

Despite her blurry vision and unresponsive legs, she forcibly moved them.

But, having lost all sense of direction, her body staggered repeatedly.

“Why. Giving up so soon? Run a bit more. Struggle like an insect trying to survive!”

Abigail’s taunting continued.

But why was it?

No anger could be felt.

‘Perhaps… she had accepted her fate more than I thought.’

She never imagined she would face her end with such equanimity.

If only one regret… the last thing she wished for…

Just once more.

She wanted to see the face of her contractee.

If there was any lingering attachment, that was it.

Thump…

Alice’s knees hit the ground.

“At last!”

“Do it! Kill her!”

“The avenger of our kin! The shame of our clan!”

“Waaaah!”

The spectators who had watched exploded with a furious cheer.

Much like the crowd thirsting for blood as gladiators fell defeated in a colosseum.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll sever your head quickly so that you won’t even feel the pain.”

Abigail brought the scythe to Alice’s neck.

A cold sensation trailed from her neck down her cheek.

With that, the brief journey had ended.

“…”

Alice quietly closed her eyes.

Vroom!

The sound of the scythe… swishing horizontally resounded.

But just then.

Whoooosh!

A strange gate appeared before everyone.

Simultaneously, unfamiliar runes surrounded Alice.

Clang!

The scythe was blocked.

Time seemed to stand still.

＊＊＊

Thud!

In less than a second, Abigail maintained distance.

‘My scythe… blocked by a barrier?’

Impossible.

Such a thing couldn’t exist.

But even facing the reality before her, she could not remain in denial forever.

At that moment.

Whoooosh!

A green light flickered on the surface.

The gate, adorned with unknown runes, was freed and a man appeared, dressed in a black long coat.

In one hand, a typical sword.

In the other, a silver gun.

It was Jinhyuk.

“…!?”

Alice slowly lifted her head.

Vitality returned to her dimming eyes.

“You… shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous… Why? Why did you come? Why?”

Why, when she had given up on life and bent her convictions?

After sacrificing everything to save him.

Why… why did the very person concerned end up here?

Her voice trembled.

More violently than the emotions she had been repressing.

Yet, she was deeply grateful that Jinhyuk had come here at this moment.

Without a word, Jinhyuk took off his coat and draped it over Alice’s shoulders.

Then, he slowly rose to his feet and faced forward.

Step.

His steps… were cold.

Even the sound of his footsteps settled with an eerie tranquility.

“Did you make our little vampire cry?”

He asked.

Who was the cause of all this?

Abigail met his gaze with a smirk.

“What will you do if that’s the case?”

“You’ll die.”

Suuurrr…

The sword blade extended.

Click!

A runic bullet was chambered.

“An insolent human. Do you know who you’re talking to! I will slice that man myself!”

One of the clan members drew a rapier, lunging forward.

Fast and precise.

His skill at inserting the sword into an opening was flawless.

“It’s over!”

But.

Thump thump thump!

The vampire who had been smiling confidently was split apart.

The incident unfolded in an instant before he could react.

Sshhhhh…

The sword scattered blood onto the road.

“You’re next.”

“Me? You mean to tell me you, a mere human, are challenging me, the clan head? Overconfidence due to a peculiar barrier is a grave mistake.”

“You, a mere clan head, are overestimating your worth. If I couldn’t handle you… I would’ve never come here in the first place.”

“Your words. I look forward to hearing them again at your death.”

Abigail nodded toward the remaining clan members as a signal.

Then, as if waiting for that moment, they ready themselves to move.

“Huh, he’s fearless…”

“A human meddling in our affairs. He’s gone mad.”

“He knows how to handle a sword somewhat.”

“That’s fine. Even so, it’s just one. Even three of us could block that strange sword.”

“Let me show you the difference in our level, you greenhorn.”

The vampires, who couldn’t even budge against Alice, approached with confidence.

From somewhere, wolves as big as bulls stood beside the vampires.

‘Pasyod Wolves’: one of the vampiric familars notorious for their difficulty to tame, yet known for their relentless pursuit until their enemy’s breath is cut.

“Grrrr…”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Levistia vampires and an overwhelming number of Pasyod Wolves.

All bared their fangs to eliminate Jinhyuk.

What a ridiculous turn of events.

Just because he’s human, their attitudes changed so drastically.

“You all are not worth my time.”

Above all, there was no need for that.

“Come forth.”

At Jinhyuk’s call, ‘The Bind that Connects Conviction’ activated.

Chasms in the dimension stretched far and wide.

Within them.

Belus and Ophelia appeared.

“Damn you… How dare you do this to Lady Alice!”

“Ah, this time it’s Lord Abigail. Our lord really does stir up incredible incidents wherever he goes.”

Then.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

More footsteps echoed through the connected Bind.

Shortly after.

A massive war cry followed.

“Krooooah!”

“Woooah!”

“Prepare for battle!”

The extraterrestrial species of the tower known as ‘Trolls’, whom Jinhyuk had encountered at the Freshwater Lake, arrived.

Leading them was Karakal, who first greeted Jinhyuk at the forefront.

Having naturally been concerned since it had been some time since the last encounter, it was clear, fitting for a hero of the Troll race, that he had made remarkable progress.

His strength had grown exponentially since their last meeting.

Of course, even with such growth, individually, they couldn’t compare to vampires. Instead, they boasted an army at least ten times larger than the vampires.

It was time to show that quantity could trump individual might.

“Human. We have come to fulfill our promise. Tell us what we must do.”

Karakal rested a lengthy spear on his shoulder.

“Take care of the small fry.”

“And you?”

“I’ll take the head.”

Among them, there was only one person who could defeat Abigail.

“Good. We shall obey your command.”

Karakal gestured to the soldiers behind him.

“Kalam. Prepare to assault starting from the left in groups of three. We’ll limit the mobility of the Pasyod Wolves while focusing on taking them down one by one.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

With a flag at the center, the Troll commanders moved swiftly and orderly.

Before one could blink.

Well-formed troops slashed across the cityscape.

Kaboom! Boom!

The collision of heavily armored monsters caused a tremendous shockwave.

“Screams!”

“Roar!”

Blood and flesh flew as a massive battle unfolded.

＊＊＊

“What, what is going on now…!”

Abigail’s face appeared as if her soul had left her body amidst the sudden upheavals.

She knew it was critical to react immediately.

However, she was clueless where to even start.

‘Right… I must alert Excension. He’s not too far away; if I ask for help, he’ll be here right away.’

Regardless of unforeseen variables, it made no difference.

If Excension and the accompanying Ataraxia vampires came, they could suppress any variables with ease.

But then.

“You shouldn’t be looking away, should you?”

Jinhyuk’s voice came from behind.

Kaboom!

“Arggh!”

With a heavy impact, Abigail’s body was flung to the side.

The Phantom Tree Scythe wildly swung through the air, but Jinhyuk had already distanced himself.

“Tch! Without a sneak attack, you’re nothing but a— Huh?”

A chilling sensation.

Abigail felt a cold shiver down her spine as layers of runes began to form.

“Here I come.”

An odd magical force rose around Jinhyuk.

Lost words and…

Through the ‘Ancient Barrier’ copied from Beltor, the strongest barrier manifested.

[An 11-star barrier ‘Ecliptic Zodiac (黃道十二宮)’ unfolds!]

At dusk, the stars aligned to form a constellation struck by stellar light from the sky.

[The ‘Sagittarius’ of December awakens!]