Chapter 157
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 157
* * *
I guided Anata to the front yard of the cabin where Jenath's corpse lay.
There, his body—riddled with wounds—lay collapsed in a pool of blood. His breath had already ceased.
I'd thought it would be difficult to kill Jenath. But in the end, even that great mage was an imperfect being.
Anata approached Jenath with faltering steps and crumpled to the ground. We watched her in silence.
Or rather, all of us except Diego, who was carrying Kaiden on his shoulder, stood watching her with caution.
Anata's shoulders trembled. She was weeping. After crying for a long while, she lifted her head with a disheveled face.
"Where's the pendant?"
At that moment, Anata turned to me and asked. I answered without removing the pendant from my pocket.
"Let me ask you again. You truly didn't know? That opening the exit gate was forbidden?"
She stared at me helplessly, like someone who'd lost the will to respond. Soon after, Anata slowly nodded.
"It's true. But even if I explained, could you possibly believe me?"
"If your reason for helping us makes sense, then yes, I could believe you."
Upon hearing my words, Anata looked at Kaiden, whom Diego was carrying with one arm.
Kaiden still hadn't awakened since collapsing earlier. It seemed he'd exhausted himself excessively.
"I know I'm the scum of humanity. But I no longer have the confidence to convince you of anything. Do you think you'd believe me? I'm one of the designers of this damned Experiment."
Anata stared at me with an expression suggesting she had no intention of offering any defense—as if daring me to kill her if I wished.
Perhaps her words were truly sincere. Even if Jenath considered her his sister, he wouldn't have revealed the traps he'd laid to someone who'd betrayed him.
"That's right—that argument holds no weight. You're one of the designers of this damned Experiment."
Asdal retorted with fury etched across his face. He had his eyes covered with cloth torn from his shirt, though the bleeding seemed to have stopped thanks to Yuanna's divine power.
Enoch also spoke with lethal coldness, his sword still drawn and aimed at Anata.
"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because you're the only one who knows how to escape."
Anata buried her face in her palms, her expression anguished.
"I wish you'd believe me anyway. Jenath and I designed and conducted the Island, but it wasn't an experiment we led independently. There were other factions and multiple mages involved. The other mages who came to the Island with us couldn't endure and all died."
"...."
Yes. I'd suspected as much. The Papal See and the Rohade Family were involved in this Experiment, weren't they? I hadn't failed to anticipate that there would be others who'd cooperated in sending us here.
'Everyone who came with me is dead. That's why I'm alone.'
When I first met the young Jenath, he'd said something like that to me. He'd specifically used the word "people" rather than "person."
Jenath's Cabin was excessively spacious for two people to inhabit. It was large enough to accommodate at least ten people, with far too many rooms.
Moreover, it showed no signs of disarray despite having housed quite a number of people.
"Those bastards outside have sponsored this Experiment for a thousand years across generations, killing anyone who opposed it and anyone who knew of it, repeating such deeds endlessly. Of course, this was only possible because Jenath, the mastermind of the Experiment, managed all those factions."
To have done such things for a thousand years. The depths of human depravity and cruelty struck me anew.
Anata continued speaking.
"They revered Jenath like a god. He was a grand mage who'd lived for a thousand years, after all. How else could they bear it? Jenath, intoxicated by their reverence, was confident that if he succeeded in the Experiment, he'd be rewarded for those thousand years. But I think differently. This Experiment ultimately only benefits those bastards outside."
"Is that faction the Papal See and the Rohade Family?"
At my question, Anata looked at me with a thoughtful expression for a moment. After a long pause, she opened her mouth.
"There are others beyond them. You were all brought here because you were betrayed by those close to you. Well, there are exceptions, but..."
As Anata spoke those final words, she looked at me.
Wait—did that mean I was dragged to this Island without even being betrayed? Was my luck truly that abysmal?
Fury choked my breath. All the suffering I'd endured on The Island, dragged here without understanding why, came flooding back.
"Once you leave The Island, find the peony flower pattern caught in the spider's web. That's the proof that demonstrates their faction's existence."
Anata's gaze shifted to Kaiden now. Her eyes held a peculiar significance as she studied him.
Puzzled, I followed her gaze to examine Kaiden, but I couldn't discern anything particularly unusual about him.
The others couldn't hide their shock at Anata's words. Yet soon, all eyes turned back to me, waiting for my response.
I asked Anata again.
"...Is there another way to escape The Island? The Holy Maiden can escape too, right?"
"It's less another method than a different approach. If we open the door now and The Island is destroyed, naturally the Holy Maiden can escape. But to force open the escape gate and have the warp gate function properly, you need power that surpasses that."
"Wait. Can I really, truly leave...?"
Yuanna interjected. Her voice trembled audibly. She covered her mouth briefly, her throat tight, and stared at Anata with disbelief written across her face.
Anata gazed at Yuanna quietly, then nodded.
"You can leave. I'll make it happen."
Yuanna, who had been standing dazed, looked around with a complicated expression. She still couldn't fully believe those words.
"I never held onto hope in the first place. Because it only makes things harder later...."
I quietly grasped Yuanna's hand beside me. Her face contorted as she looked at me. Biting her lower lip, she slowly lowered her head.
Anata, who had been watching us silently, opened her mouth.
"The vengeful spirits the Bishop carries within his body—they haven't found peace yet. Release those spirits. They'll help destroy The Island. I'll unseal the pendant and open the warp gate so you can escape The Island."
All eyes concentrated on Rujeep.
Rujeep answered calmly, as if he'd anticipated this moment.
"...I don't wish for your survival, but understand this. As you know, if you release those spirits, they won't leave you alone."
"...."
"Their power is stronger than you realize. Even if you unseal the pendant and claim its magical force, you may struggle to withstand those spirits."
"I told you. My purpose is to get you out. The Experiment has failed, and I'm going to hell anyway. Consideration isn't necessary."
No one could respond to Anata's final words. A brief silence fell.
For a thousand years, she had toyed with countless lives. Thus, no one pitied her.
Looking at Anata again, her crimson eyes were lifeless. She seemed like someone who had abandoned all will to live.
If Rujeep was right, even if Anata claimed the pendant's power and changed her mind to betray us, there seemed to be no cause for concern.
In truth, there was no other option now but to hand the pendant to Anata.
After long deliberation, Rujeep quietly placed his hand over mine, which held the pendant.
"Don't worry. The vengeful spirits' wrath is beyond imagination. Once you release them from me, The Island may collapse immediately. So when the warp gate opens, you should run straight through it."
Hearing Rujeep's words, I looked at Silver Earthworm, who hung from my forearm and tilted her head with curious interest.
If necessary, I might have to ride Silver Earthworm, whose mobility was excellent, through the warp gate.
"But couldn't only Jenath unseal the pendant?"
"Do you know what this is? This isn't Jenath's 'body.' It's a fragment of his soul and part of his magical power. You can open the pendant by making contact with his spirit."
Anata pointed to Jenath's corpse. Indeed, from a great sorcerer like Jenath, even his corpse could be extraordinary.
I deliberated briefly, then ultimately handed the pendant to her.
"Everyone, step back."
She whispered as she took the pendant. We slowly withdrew from her. The surroundings grew quiet.
Anata dipped her finger in Jenath's blood and pressed it onto the teardrop-shaped amethyst embedded in the pendant. Soon, pure white light rose above the pendant, and magical formulas began to inscribe themselves.
It seemed to be the magical formula for unsealing the pendant.
Seeing this, Rujeep took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. He muttered something under his breath, and suddenly the sky began to darken.
This was the same phenomenon as when the vengeful spirits were sealed within Rujeep's body, and when the seal was broken in front of the Cabin and magical power was unleashed.
Flash—!
White lightning streaked down from above.
Rujeep's long hair whipped violently in the fierce wind. Enoch carefully pulled me back and held me protectively from behind.
Soon, a violent gust accompanied by thunder roared, and lightning struck multiple times again.
[Aaaaah--!]
Massive voices announcing liberation thundered across the sky. It was eerie, as if thousands of people had cried out in unison.
Pure white light erupted from Rujeep's body, and the lightning that descended from the sky struck Anata.
It looked almost like divine punishment.
Crackle—whoosh!
Anata's entire body burst into flames. She let out a scream of agony.
I could no longer see Anata's face through the inferno.
But then the lightning attacking Anata suddenly began striking Kaiden as well. Wait—why was it suddenly targeting Kaiden?!
"Kaiden!"
I rushed frantically toward Diego, who was carrying Kaiden.
Unlike Anata, Kaiden wasn't engulfed in flames. Enoch checked Kaiden's condition in my stead, and it appeared his life wasn't in danger.
Unlike with Anata, it seemed the vengeful spirits' true target was something other than Kaiden.
The strange thing was that the lightning had no effect on Diego whatsoever.
"Look! A gate appears to be opening!"
At that moment, Asdal pointed toward the western region. Just as he said, a massive vortex swirled in the western sky, and something was forming like a black hole.
I felt the ground trembling violently and shared my magical power with Silver Earthworm.
Silver Earthworm's body gradually expanded, soon taking the form of a colossal Anaconda. I leaped onto Silver Earthworm's head and called to my companions.
"Everyone, get on!"
I could see Diego dragging Yuanna, who couldn't bring herself to leave Anata's side.
After loading everyone onto Silver Earthworm's head, I turned back toward Anata. She remained submerged in the flames.
At that moment, as if Anata's magical incantation had finished activating, magical formulas swirled brilliantly from the pendant floating above the inferno.
They quickly spread outward, dominating the entire area.
All sound was instantly erased.
A moment later, the ground trembled with a tremendous flash of light. It truly seemed as though the Island was beginning to collapse.
From within the flames, Anata's fading voice echoed through the void.
[I've opened the door, so leave now. And tell our descendant only this.]
Just as I was about to depart on Silver Earthworm, she added one final word.
[Thank you for living.]
With those words, the flames surrounding her surged even higher. Violent lightning bolts struck down relentlessly upon the inferno engulfing Anata.
The lightning didn't just strike Anata—it continued to rain down on Kaiden as well. Enoch and I sat before and behind Kaiden, yet it had no effect on us either.
Why on earth was it doing this to Kaiden?
"Ugh."
At that moment, Kaiden let out a pained groan.
Rujeep, too, was alarmed and tried to stop the lightning, but it was futile. The lightning relentlessly continued its assault on Kaiden.
"There doesn't appear to be any immediate threat to his life, but if this continues, it could become dangerous."
Enoch spoke as he examined Kaiden's condition.
"We have no choice but to escape quickly!"
At Rujeep's cry, I urged Silver Earthworm forward.
The ground fractured and an earthquake erupted. From the seashore, a massive tsunami surged forward, and the land was being submerged.
On the western side of the Island, black holes continued to form, and moments later, a gate materialized before them. It resembled a warp gate.
Silver Earthworm, carrying us, crawled rapidly toward it. However, the closer we approached the gate, the more intense the magical wavelengths became.
We all experienced excruciating pain as if our entire bodies were being torn to shreds. I thought we would die without even reaching the warp gate.
Suddenly, a brilliant white protective barrier formed in layers, enveloping Silver Earthworm and us.
"Protection magic has been cast! That mage is keeping his promise to help us!"
Asdal, sitting behind me, shouted toward me.
[Destroy!]
With the delighted, frenzied voices of the vengeful spirits as our final accompaniment, we passed through the gate aboard the colossal Silver Earthworm.
At that same moment, the Island exploded completely.
Once we fully emerged from the gate, Kaiden was no longer subjected to the vengeful spirits' attacks.
* * *
Thus we returned to the Langrid Empire, the place we had dreamed of, though a rather minor problem awaited us.
We had landed directly on a battlefield where the Langrid Empire, Hestia Kingdom, the Papal See, and the Northern Nations were locked in fierce combat.
Needless to say, the soldiers were thrown into chaos upon witnessing the colossal Anaconda plummeting from the sky.
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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