VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 21

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 21

While Lark was exploring the Wasteland, the investigation team had been continuously tracking the culprit who had stolen the bloodstone fragments.

They thoroughly interrogated the members of One Stop Clop, investigated the scene where the caravan was attacked, and mapped out the possible routes the thief had taken after escaping.

After determining that the possibility of One Stop Clop being behind this was low, the investigation team began prioritizing chasing after the trails left behind by the culprit.

Unfortunately, not all members of the investigation team were enthusiastic about this.

“Bah! This is so damn annoying!”

“Stupid fucking thief!”

“Why did we have to do this?!”

“We should have been with God Evander by now, carrying him wherever he pleases!”

“Argghhh! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

“Once we catch that thief, I’ll make them experience the worst pain of their life!”

“Human, what are you doing?! Hurry up!”

In order to better participate in the investigation, Blackie had polymorphed into seven old men wearing Taoist clothes. The grumbles and curses they kept spouting one after another betrayed their dignified appearance.

If foul language were capable of inflicting physical wounds, everyone in the team would have died by now.

Even Elias Farsight showed a rare annoyed expression after being bombarded by complaints these past few days. As ridiculous as it may sound, it felt as though they had seven overgrown toddlers constantly throwing tantrums in their team right now.

Elias would honestly have preferred to exclude these seven old men from the investigation team, but he didn’t dare go against the orders of the king.

He understood that the Scylla was really frustrated after being suddenly assigned to this role, but what could they do about it?

All they could do right now was try their best to find the culprit.

“Be quiet!” Elias finally snapped. “You’re making me lose concentration! Do you think it’s easy to follow the traces left behind by the culprit when more than a week has passed since the incident?”

“Haah?!”

“You’re talking back now, human?!”

“Do you think we’re your underlings, you piece of shit?!”

“If we snap your neck, maybe you’ll shut—”

“—Enough!”

The third head, also fed up with the incessant babbling of his brothers, snarled in anger.

“From now on, none of you will speak unless I give permission!” said the third head.

“But eldest—!”

“Didn’t you hear me?” said the third head. “Keep talking and I’ll directly report this to God Evander. I’ll even personally ask him to confine us inside our lair for an entire year as punishment!”

Hearing the threat, the other heads stiffened in terror. They wordlessly told the third head that they would follow his instructions.

Nothing was more terrifying than being unable to accompany their God Evander when the war with the demons was looming closer.

Although they looked fine on the outside, the seven heads were still visited by nightmares about the day their master, the Dragon Devourer, suddenly lost his life.

They didn’t want a repeat of that tragedy.

Now that they’d found another person they desperately wanted to serve and protect, they would do everything to be with him, no matter the hardships or consequences.

Blackie was determined to do anything to protect Lark.

They had long steeled their resolve to die for Lark should the need arise in the future. And they wouldn’t be able to do that if they were confined inside their lair.

It was the most horrifying threat there was—more effective than pure violence or reprimand.

The other heads hung their heads low, showing their surrender.

Finally, peace and quiet returned to the investigation team. Only the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the forest remained.

“Elias,” said the third head. “I apologize for the rudeness of my brothers.”

Elias looked at the ashen faces of the other heads. They were so terrified by the third head’s threat that their faces had been drained of all color. Some were even outright trembling.

Instead of replying, Elias simply nodded in response.

Quietly, he continued investigating the traces left behind by the culprit.

It was a daunting task.

The place they were currently in was the forest between Lion City and Wizzert. Since this place was sandwiched between two major territories, the foot traffic was naturally high.

Elias had to discern between the tracks left behind by merchants, herb gatherers, beasts, patrol soldiers, and the culprit.

Thankfully, the culprit seemed to be quite arrogant. They didn’t bother erasing the traces of mana left behind by their movement spells. Moreover, they didn’t use flight magic and instead moved through the ground at tremendous speed.

Had they used a flight spell and meticulously erased their tracks at the same time, even Elias Farsight wouldn’t have been able to trail them.

“The culprit stopped using movement spells here,” said Lady Alice.

Elias Farsight nodded in agreement.

“It’s become very faint,” said Elias. “At this rate, we’ll lose the trail completely.”

It was concerning.

For some reason, the culprit had stopped using movement spells after moving past Lion City. Maybe they thought they were completely safe from pursuers and decided to leisurely travel to their next destination.

This made it harder for Elias to track the thief, since the traces of mana had become so scarce it was nearly impossible to know which direction the culprit went.

Seeing the investigation come to a standstill, the fourth head gestured at the third head, asking for permission to speak.

“Go ahead,” said the third head.

The fourth head lazily said, “Human, if you’re still after the mana trail, I’m pretty sure it’s heading there.”

The fourth head pointed in a certain direction.

“Northwest?” said Elias. “That’s the direction of Tranta. How did you…”

“I can see it,” said the fourth head. “It’s faint, like you said, but it’s visible.”

Elias looked at the fourth head in amazement.

He prided himself on his excellent vision and senses, but even he was having a hard time seeing the traces left behind by the culprit after they stopped using movement spells. Several days had passed, after all. A normal scout would have given up long ago.

“Is that true?” said Elias.

The third head said proudly, “You can trust him. He’s the most sensitive to mana out of all of us.”

Elias heaved a sigh of relief.

Although he was trying his best not to show it, he was inwardly worried that they would fail the mission entrusted to them by the king.

King Lark had never requested him to do something before, and Elias sincerely hoped that he would be able to fulfill the king’s expectations.

Fortunately, the fourth head was even more sensitive to mana than him. He would surely be of great help in tracking the thief.

“Let’s go,” said Elias. “Can you lead the way this time?”

Elias lowered his pride without hesitation.

Even though he was the leader of the investigation team, he didn’t hesitate to hand over the role of lead tracker to the fourth head upon learning that the latter had superior mana senses.

“It’s annoying,” said the fourth head, yawning, “but if we dally here any longer, we might lose the thief. I’ll speed up. Follow me closely.”

With the fourth head leading, the investigation team quickened their pace.

Lady Alice and Elias Farsight shared their input every now and then, leading to a more optimal search of their surroundings.

In the end, six days after leaving Blackstone Town, they finally found their target.

“Fucking hell,” the first head couldn’t help but curse. “The damn thief has the audacity to camp near the river?”

As though the culprit didn’t care whether or not people chased after her, she was currently leisurely camping at the Silen River, west of Louan Plains and right before crossing Metesda City.

The culprit was sitting in front of a campfire, her back turned to the investigation team.

“…even carving wooden dolls,” muttered the fifth head.

The seventh head shouted, “Hey! You son of a bitch, piece of shit, filthy asshole! We’ve finally found you!”

The Wandering Sage’s hands paused. She put the half-finished wooden doll down on the ground. Without lifting her hood, she turned to the investigation team that had started moving to surround her.

“Young ones,” she said calmly, “what do you want from this old woman?”

“Young ones my ass!” spat the sixth head.

“Do we look young to you?!” roared the seventh head.

The Wandering Sage looked at them coolly. Even with a glance, she could tell these people were composed entirely of elites.

But she didn’t care.

She’d lived for hundreds of years, and she was even part of the sentinels that had successfully sealed the Elementals currently slumbering in the underground city.

Moreover, she’d fought against the demons before, back in the Era of Magic.

As someone who was once part of such a chaotic era, something like this was hardly worth worrying about.

The so-called strong of this age would have been nothing but small fries in the Era of Magic.

“And we can see through your illusion magic!” said the second head. “Stop pretending to be an old woman, you bitch!”

The seven heads’ anger had been piling up over the past several days. Now that they’d found their target, their suppressed rage gushed out like a torrent.

The Wandering Sage chuckled. “Is that so? Quite impressive.”

“You don’t seem to understand your situation.” Arcturus stepped forward and willed red scales to cover a portion of his face and arms.

“A Dragon?” said the Wandering Sage. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen one.”

The Wandering Sage wasn’t fazed even after Arcturus revealed that he was part of the Ancient Fire Dragon Tribe.

“But… you look young,” said the Wandering Sage. “Do your parents know you’re here right now? I’m sure they’re worried, hatchling.”

She made sure to emphasize the last part.

Arcturus frowned. “I’m not a hatchling.”

“Of course, of course,” said the Wandering Sage mockingly. “If you say so.”

“We’ve been looking for you,” said Lady Alice. “Why did you do it? Why did you steal those items?”

The Wandering Sage didn’t even bother to hide the fact that she was the culprit. She pointed at a chest near her feet and casually said, “Ah, you mean those things? Well, I like them, so I took them.”

“Do you even know who we are?” said Captain Symon. “Return the items peacefully, and we’ll refrain from using force while restraining you.”

The Wandering Sage laughed, “Hahaha! Is that a threat? It’s funny that mere hunting dogs of Lark Marcus dares to spout threats right at my face. Never heard of ‘finders keepers’? If those items are that important to him, that stupid Lark Marcus brat shouldn’t have let it leave the city.”

“You fucking bitch!” roared the first head. “You dare covet his item, and you even dare mock our master?!”

“We’ll make you pay!” added the seventh head.

Without hesitation, the seven heads undid their polymorph, quickly turning into a seven-headed creature with black iridescent scales and two pairs of bat-like wings.

The fifty-meter Scylla cast a shadow over everyone. It lowered its heads, threatening to bite the Wandering Sage’s body in half.

For the first time, a surprised look appeared on the Wandering Sage’s face.

She knew from a glance that Arcturus was a Dragon, but she never expected the seven foul-mouthed old men to be a Scylla.

After all, polymorph was a spell exclusive to the Dragon Race.

How did another creature successfully cast that spell?

That feat was akin to a human growing fins at will and being able to breathe underwater indefinitely. It was nothing short of a miracle.

“A Scylla?” muttered the Wandering Sage.

“Do you regret it now, bitch?” said Blackie in a deep, hatred-filled voice. “Hand over the items, and we’ll make your death as painless as possible.”

The Wandering Sage’s surprise was only momentary.

She pulled down her hood, revealing her fearless appearance completely.

She taunted, “And if I don’t want to?”

Dragons.

Scylla.

Knights.

None of that mattered.

She was confident she could crush any opponents thrown at her. After all, none of these people could possibly be stronger than the opponents she’d fought during the Descent.

When danger fades and comfort becomes the norm, the sharp instincts forged by hardship begin to dull.

These people, who’d never witnessed what true war was like, would never be able to defeat a battle-hardened veteran like her.

“Don’t push your luck!” said Blackie.

Seeing Blackie open several of its mouths to attack, Captain Symon panicked. He hurriedly said, “Wait!”

“What now, human?”

“If you attack her now, you might damage the items she stole!”

Blackie scoffed. “That’s what you’re worried about? Listen. Those items are near indestructible.”

After saying that, three of Blackie’s heads started gathering mana in their mouths for breath attacks. The remaining heads, on the other hand, began casting all kinds of restriction spells on the Wandering Sage.

A gravity spell fell upon the area where she sat, crushing the campfire and tent she’d set up. Even the wooden doll she’d carved was crushed in an instant, turning into bits and pieces along with the rocks.

Additionally, chains of solidified mana shot from the ground and ensnared her ankles, preventing her from moving from her spot.

“Hoh~ You can still stand?” said Blackie. “Bah! No matter! Let’s see if anything will remain of you after this attack!”

With a guttural snarl, one of the heads vomited a torrent of crimson flame that evaporated a portion of the flowing river in an instant. Heat rippled in the air, distorting the target’s silhouette.

A heartbeat later, another head lunged forward, bared its fangs, and exhaled a spiraling blast of wind so sharp it whistled like a thousand blades, carving into the earth and stripping bark from nearby trees.

The spiraling wind was quickly followed by a lightning burst from another maw, creating a blinding arc that sent sparks dancing along the river’s surface, mingling with the hiss of steam where flame and lightning had kissed the water.

It was an attack that terrified even the allies around Blackie.

The royal knights prayed to the gods, thanking them they had never snapped back at the foul-mouthed old men on their way here.

Even Arcturus couldn’t believe the Scylla was capable of so much destruction in an instant.

Although he’d heard how horribly his father and elder sister had lost against the Scylla, seeing its strength firsthand was an entirely different matter.

The strength of each breath attack wasn’t that much stronger than a Dragon’s, but the mere fact that three of them were fired at the same time was utterly terrifying. Moreover, the Scylla did it while restricting the target’s movement with gravity magic and mana chains.

The Scylla was so proficient with magic that it felt as though several Dragons had fired those spells at once.

Various thoughts ran through the minds of the members of the investigation team.

Did that attack kill her?

Knowing that their opponent was probably that mythical figure, the probability of her surviving wasn’t zero.

“As expected,” muttered Lady Alice.

As the steam, dust, and smoke slowly receded, the shrouded silhouette of a woman emerged.

The Wandering Sage, who had taken the attacks head-on, remained unmoving from her spot. Blackie hissed threateningly upon seeing her unscathed.

The cloak she was wearing was probably an artifact since it remained relatively intact even after that attack. The breath attack had created holes in her cloak, but that was all. Through those holes, her unnaturally smooth arms were revealed.

The breath attacks hadn’t done much damage to her, but they had dispelled the illusion spell on her face. Now, everyone—including the royal knights—could see her youthful face.

She was breathtakingly attractive, like a doll modeled after the goddess of beauty.

Some of the royal knights even started thinking her illusion spell was justified.
If she went around with that face, she would definitely attract attention—and probably danger—wherever she went.

The Wandering Sage looked up for several seconds, as though reading something in the air, mumbled a few inaudible words, before turning her attention at the group.

“Is that all?” said the Wandering Sage. “Instead of a breath attack, you should call it Cloak Ripper. It made holes in my cloak, after all. Or maybe Cloak Piercer is a better word?”

“Cloak Ripper?”

“You dare call our attack Cloak Ripper?!”

“We’ll kill you, maggot!”

“How perfect! Since you’re sturdy, we can beat you up to our heart’s content! Until our rage subsides!”

While Blackie was uttering threats, the other members of the investigation team started preparing for battle.

Although still mesmerized by her beauty, the royal knights quickly snapped back to reality. Their loyalty to the crown and the kingdom made them endure her bewitching appearance.

Arcturus began undoing his polymorph, Elias Farsight readied his arrowstorm, Captain Symon infused his blade with mana, and the royal knights strengthened their bodies with magic.

After giving the signal to attack, Elias Farsight fired, shooting numerous arrows infused with mana. Each arrow was akin to a ballista bolt, but they were easily repelled by the Wandering Sage with a flick of her wrists.

Captain Symon shot forward, his entire body strengthened with mana. He swung his sword and used the secret technique imparted to him by his father, Sword Saint Marozzo.

‘It hit!’

He was thrilled upon seeing his attack connect, but his joy was short-lived. To his horror, the strike managed to make only a shallow, paper-like cut on the Wandering Sage’s shoulder.

“Not bad for a human,” said the Wandering Sage.

After uttering those words, she flicked her fingers, striking Captain Symon right on the forehead. The finger flick was so powerful that it sent the Captain flying, colliding with several trees and boulders. Had he not protected his head with mana, it would have burst like a balloon.

While Captain Symon was flying toward the trees, the royal knights surrounded the Wandering Sage and began hacking at her repeatedly.

The Wandering Sage frowned in annoyance. She waved her hand, severing the heads of five royal knights at once.

The other royal knights leapt back, and the Wandering Sage waved her hand again, severing the heads of seven more knights.

The stench of blood quickly wafted into the air, and everyone’s faces turned grim upon witnessing the deaths of their comrades.

“Move!” roared Arcturus. “Out of the way, humans!”

The Red Dragon, who had just finished undoing his polymorph, spewed out a breath attack at the Wandering Sage.

The surviving royal knights managed to move away in time, and the Wandering Sage took the full brunt of the attack.

Just like before, she was unscathed. She took a step forward, disappeared from her spot, then reappeared right in front of Arcturus.

She pulled back her right arm and swung her fist at the Red Dragon’s snout. The punch snapped his head upward, and his body went flying along with it a split second later.

From the Wandering Sage’s back, six mechanical arms that resembled spider legs sprouted. Blackie shot several orbs of mana at her, but they were all blocked by the mechanical arms.

“It’s no use,” said the Wandering Sage.

Even among the Runebound Sentinels, she was one of the strongest.

There was a reason why she was among the few automations that had managed to survive even after sealing the Elemental Lord in Ist’ Tamat.

The Wandering Sage shot toward Blackie and, using the mechanical arms on her back, pierced its body.

The scales of Blackie, which it was so proud of, were pierced easily. Blood spurted out of the six wounds that had been inflicted on its body.

“Aack!”

“Urgh!”

“Damn it!”

For the first time, a grunt of pain escaped Blackie’s mouth.

“Blackie!” shouted Lady Alice.

Seeing that even the Scylla and the Red Dragon were rendered helpless in the fight, Lady Alice decided to use her trump card. She had been trying to save this if possible, but she realized now wasn’t the time.

Lady Alice opened the coffin she had taken from Aravark, revealing the corpse of a certain witch.

The preserved corpse of Louvienne Antasha, one of the strongest witches in the history of Aravark.

The strongest undead under Lady Alice’s command.

Before Louvienne’s death, she had willingly undergone extensive enhancement and body preservation magic in preparation for turning her deceased body into a powerful undead.

Throughout the centuries, her corpse had been used by the leader of the witches as a strategic weapon during wars or invasions.

Normally, Louvienne’s corpse was supposed to belong to the newly appointed leader of the witches. But under the consensus of the entire organization, the corpse was temporarily lent to Lady Alice. Once she died, Louvienne’s corpse would be returned to Aravark.

Upon seeing the powerful undead, the Wandering Sage’s expression hardened.

“…You,” muttered the Wandering Sage. “Seriously… why do you have that thing?”

Everyone noticed the hint of wariness in the Wandering Sage’s voice.

For some strange reason, she—who hadn’t feared the Scylla or the Dragon—seemed cautious of the corpse.

“I see,” muttered the Wandering Sage. “You’re the leader of the witches. No wonder you look familiar.”

“The former leader,” corrected Lady Alice.

Nearby, the frantic voices of the remaining royal knights were heard.

“Aaahh! Noooo!”

“Captain! Wake up!”

“Captain!”

“Potion! Give him a potion!”

It seemed the finger flick of the Wandering Sage had inflicted a grave wound on Captain Symon. Despite protecting his head with mana, the attack had pierced through his skull.

The royal knights rummaged through his medicine pouch, took out the vial of potion inside, and quickly poured its contents into his mouth.

“Oh god!”

“Thank god!”

“He’s breathing again!”

Seeing that Captain Symon was out of danger for now, the members of the investigation team quickly resumed battle.

Elias Farsight continued firing his arrows, and the Wandering Sage effortlessly deflected them using the mechanical arms on her back. The deflected arrows struck the trees every now and then, creating massive, spiraling holes in their bark.

The archer’s attacks would have been terrifying if used against human opponents. Unfortunately for him, the Wandering Sage was a golem created from only the strongest metals in this world.

To her, Elias’ attacks were nothing but annoyances.

The Wandering Sage spat, “Damn pest.”

Two mechanical tentacles grew from her shoulders. They squirmed for a second, then shot toward Elias Farsight—one of them piercing his abdomen.

The other tentacle that missed swerved and shot toward his head, going for the kill, but Lady Alice managed to intercept it.

“That was close,” said Lady Alice in a terrified voice.

Had she been a step too late, Elias Farsight would have been among the corpses strewn about the ground by now.

“U-Ugh… T-Thank you, Lady Alice.”

“Don’t speak,” said Lady Alice. “Here’s a potion from His Majesty. Take it, quick.”

Thankfully, King Lark had given all the key members of the investigation team a vial of healing potion each. The potion worked wonders, and the wound on Elias’ stomach quickly healed.

“How’s Captain Symon?” asked Elias.

“…He’s fine,” said Lady Alice. “He’s lost consciousness, but he’s been taken to a safe location by one of the knights.”

Their current situation was utterly horrible.

Although the Wandering Sage was fighting them on her own, they were receiving a one-sided beating. They had also lost so many lives—a tragedy they could have avoided had they been more careful in their approach back then.

As the leader of the investigation team, Elias Farsight felt responsible.

‘Should I order a retreat? But we still haven’t retrieved the items stolen from His Majesty.’

Although King Lark had told them before to abandon the mission should it turn out to be too dangerous, Elias still couldn’t bring himself to order everyone to retreat.

More than death itself, Elias was terrified of failing the king’s expectations of him.

As he was contemplating whether or not they should retreat, several roars were heard.

The Scylla and the Red Dragon began attacking the Wandering Sage again.

“Raaaahhh! Damn it!”

“Don’t think it’s over!”

“Die! Die! Die!”

“Eat this, bitch!”

Explosion spells and breath attacks, far stronger than previously, were fired one after another. The forest near Silen River began to be engulfed in flames, and the river water sloshed from the earthquakes and shockwaves.

Unlike before, the Wandering Sage no longer took the attacks head-on. She began dodging the explosion spells and breath attacks, then retaliated using her fists, legs, and the mechanical arms sprouting from her back.

The intensity of the battle had just risen by an entire level.

“Move back for now,” said Lady Alice. “Leave this to us, Sir Elias.”

The archer understood this was already beyond his limits. It was no longer a fight a mere royal court magician like him could participate in.

Thankfully, King Lark was wise enough to have asked the Scylla, the young Dragon, and Lady Alice to accompany the investigation team.

Had it been just them, they would have died in mere seconds upon encountering the Wandering Sage.

“Louvienne! Awaken! Slaughter my enemy!”

Under Lady Alice’s command, the corpse twitched. It opened its eyes and, without warning, whizzed toward the Wandering Sage.

Under the constant barrage of attacks from both the Scylla and the Red Dragon, the Wandering Sage failed to dodge the attack from the undead.

“Ughh!”

Her seemingly impervious body was sent flying by a single punch from the undead. Her abdomen caved in, and one of the mechanical tentacles she used to block the attack was torn to shreds.

Blackie and Arcturus looked at the scene in bewilderment.

They couldn’t believe the Wandering Sage, who had been blocking their attacks effortlessly, had been sent flying by a mere undead so easily.

“Louvienne!” shouted Lady Alice.

Life force continuously oozed out of Lady Alice, acting as the fuel for the strongest undead of Aravark.

Currently, Lady Alice was literally spending the few remaining years of her life in this battle. This was one of the reasons why she was so hesitant to use her trump card unless necessary.

“Rip off her arms and legs!” she roared.

The undead moved as fast as lightning, and the mechanical arms behind the Wandering Sage and her remaining mechanical tentacle could hardly block the barrage of fists and kicks.

“It’s you again!” shouted the Wandering Sage in frustration. “Even after death, you’re trying to interfere with my fun, Louvienne!”

Hearing those words, Lady Alice realized the Wandering Sage had met the undead back when it was still alive.

But…

…the dates didn’t match up.

According to records, Louvienne Antasha was the seventh leader of Aravark. She had died around three hundred and fifty years ago.

‘I see. The Wandering Sage… is not human.’

Lady Alice arrived at this conclusion. There was no other way to explain her ridiculously long lifespan. Moreover, the mechanical arms sprouting from her back were a dead giveaway that her body wasn’t normal.