N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 279
The crimson mist, more dazzling than the sun's brilliance, enveloped the night sky of Granseville.
It coiled around the city's upper atmosphere, spreading an eerie energy that sent shivers down the spine just by looking at it.
Thud.
Raon gritted his teeth.
'Ritual...'
No natural occurrence could create such a red mist that required the use of the ring of fire, the Ghastly energy, the Blade of Requiem, and the aura of wrath.
It was undoubtedly a ritual crafted by high-ranking members of the White Blood religion, members well-versed in the arts of sorceryl.
'Do these blood cultists have no sense of restraint?'
This was beyond madness.
Even though Granseville wasn't massive, covering the entire city with sorcery was an unimaginable feat.
It could only be described as sheer insanity.
'I felt that surge of energy earlier flowing from there.'
Raon's realization came as no surprise to Wrath, who let out a chuckle, seemingly having known about it for a while.
Oooong!
The Blade of Requiem resonated with anger and resentment as Raon vented his frustration through the blade's power.
He gently stroked the edge as he narrowed his eyes.
'So...'
What kind of ritual was that?
Considering how meticulously concealed the enormous ritual was, there had to be a specific purpose behind it.
'It's not about blocking access...'
Seeing that there were no issues with entering or leaving Granseville, it wasn't a mere method of controlling access.
With the continuous flow of energy in the ritual, it was likely a dangerous form of ritual.
'I don't understand it here.'
Since he had looked at the forest from afar, now it was time to identify the type of trees up close.
Raon calmed down the gathered energies and descended from the hill.
Like the time he came here before, he hid his presence and crossed the Molbe Lake, returning to Granseville.
Perhaps due to having glimpsed it once, he could now sense the energy of the ritual using only the ring of fire.
"Hmm?"
As Raon inspected the crimson energies, his brows furrowed slightly.
"It's like something is mixed into the energy."
It differed from the energy he had sensed before.
Within the suspended red mist, an indistinct familiarity could be felt.
Most likely, this power was one of the factors concealing the energy.
As Raon exhaled, it was as if he were releasing a heavy burden, all the while observing the crimson waves.
"With this range, they must have killed at least a hundred."
Viewed from directly beneath, the scope and magnitude of the ritual were overwhelming.
It was evident that they had killed without discrimination, accumulating blood ritual with each victim.
"At least the concentration is relatively low."
Nonetheless, there was a problem.
If that energy were to coalesce in a single location, it could become an enormous force, capable of annihilating half the city.
"Tsk."
What a predicament.
If he were to reveal the existence of the ritual and attempt to evacuate people, it might trigger the ritual, resulting in the city's destruction.
But if he did nothing, the activated ritual could lead to even graver consequences.
It was a sealed-off path with nowhere to go.
"And on top of that…"
There's another problem.
No matter how skilled a sorcerer might be, it's almost impossible to operate a ritual of this scale without anyone noticing.
This implies that there could be more than twice the number of White Blood religion belivers in Granseville than expected.
There's also the possibility that the White Blood religion has infiltrated the black market, or maybe even both scenarios.
"It's frustrating."
The only ones Raon could trust were the Light Wind squad.
Information was scarce, and since there was no telling when this ritual would be activated, it felt stiflingly tense.
Pathetic, aren't you?
Wrath hopped onto her shoulder and chuckled.
Seeing you, who can't do anything alone, struggling like this is quite amusing.
"Do you know what that ritual is?"
Hah, I, the king, of course know of such insignificant power.
"Pretending to know while knowing nothing."
It's different! It's not about pretending, but rather about not needing to know!
He looked up at the Granseville sky and stuck out his tongue.
If it was me the king, I would have shattered such feeble energy without hesitation. I've said it many times, but in the face of absolute power, all magic is meaningless! Even when I was in the Demon Realm, there were quite a few who tried to challenge me with feeble techniques, only to have their heads…
"Shatter them without hesitation..."
Raon mused on Wrath's words and savored the meaning.
"To shatter that ritual head-on... Oh!"
Just unravel it.
Undo it.
That ritual was being wielded through techniques, so releasing those techniques would end it.
That was the way to shatter the ritual head-on.
"It's entirely possible."
He had a reasonable grasp of sorcery, and he had a decent understanding of the techniques.
With the Ring of Fire, which could perceive the flow of energy, and the Blade of Requiem, which could break through energy, shattering that massive technique wasn't an impossible task.
"If it goes well, I might even be able to turn this situation to my advantage."
Considering the minute gaps in the ritual, it was clear that it wasn't crafted by a Grandmaster-level senior apostle.
Unless they were a high-ranking apostle, they wouldn't be able to remotely trigger a technique of that scale.
If he waited here and shattered the technique as the sorcerer activated it, he could end the situation in an instant by striking the sorcerer's neck.
"Just as I thought."
With a slight smile, Raon patted Wrath's back.
"I can only count on you to help me."
Wh- What are you talking about! What do you mean, 'helped'!
"What else could it be?"
What is it? Spit it out already!
Wrath swallowed nervously, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
What is it, tell meeee!
*****
Clang.
A middle-aged man, clad in a pristine white robe, walked through a dim corridor.
The authoritative click of his polished shoes was muffled by the sticky, red dampness that seeped into the floor, causing them to sink slightly.
He traversed the corridor, tainted with a putrid odor, and entered a chamber from which a faint light emanated.
To the right of the chamber, a pile of bodies—men, women, and children—lay sprawled, their limbs contorted, and the floor was soaked in a vivid red hue, emanating from the corpses.
"Oh, Apostle."
The man in the robe knelt before a youth sitting beside the mound of bodies.
"Ugh..."
The youth, his upper garments discarded, was tearing at the shoulder of a child.
Groans of agony escaped from the child's lips, barely clinging to life.
"Tus. I'm sure I told you not to disturb during meals?"
The youth shot an irritated look at the man in the robe.
The scars etched into his chest seemed to writhe as if they were still alive.
The Seventh Apostle.
He bore the wounds inflicted by Raon, and here he was, in this place.
"Raon Zieghart has appeared."
Tus, the middle-aged man addressed as such, nodded his head slightly.
"Raon? Raon Zieghart?"
The Seventh Apostle cast aside the child's neck, which he had been gnawing on whole, sending it tumbling behind him. Blood-smeared lips twisted upwards.
"Is it really him?"
"Yes. He entered Granseville this afternoon."
"Kuhahaha!"
He wiped his head with a blood-stained hand, bursting into mad laughter.
"The Blood God hasn't forsaken me."
The Seventh Apostle wiped the blood from his chin onto the back of his hand, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
"How much longer until the completion of the ritual?"
"Thanks to the Master, Bruhle, being consumed, there's less than a week left."
"But he still hasn't gathered enough energy to trigger the ritual! There's even a chance the Blood Nexus couldn't occur!"
Tus pleaded, bowing his head.
"It's sufficient. The offering came to us willingly."
The Seventh Apostle grinned and raised his head.
"Well, then..."
"Of course. Raon Zieghart.
His blood will be the final offering for the Blood Nexus.
That should be more than enough, right?"
"Um, wouldn't it be better to face him after he completes the ritual?"
"You don't know that man, Raon."
"Excuse me?"
Tus swallowed nervously, his eyes fixed on the Seventh Apostle.
His voice was filled with excitement, as if he had just reunited with a long-lost lover.
He was in a state of heightened agitation, as though he might tear someone's throat out if a single word was misspoken.
"That man defies all common sense. If we let him be, he might even discover theBlood Nexus."
"S-Seriously...?"
The creator of theBlood Nexus was the White Blood religion Master, who had concealed an unfathomable level of secrecy even from the Grandmaster.
While it was only natural that his creation couldn't rival the White Blood Master, who was their supreme leader, it was impossible for even a Master, Raon, to detect the ritual.
"Don't think I don't trust you. It's just that he's special. He shattered the rules of common sense. If you leave him alone, he might even unearth theBlood Nexus."
"Y-You don't mean..."
"He might discover the truth even without my knowledge. His expertise is unparalleled. And he left me this scar as a parting gift after shattering my qi."
The Seventh Apostle brushed away the wounds etched into his chest by the Blade of Requiem and chuckled.
"Moreover, a guest has graced us with his presence. It wouldn't be polite to keep him waiting for long. It's only fitting that we extend our hospitality as befits the value of the Legendary Sword Association." (or Celestial Sword Association)
"But..."
Tus furrowed his brow, expressing concern.
"You don't believe in me?"
"N-No, not at all!"
Tus shook his head, his shoulders trembling.
"Well, I suppose it's reasonable, considering Fourth Apostle died after being wounded in the back. But the current me is stronger than the Fourth Apostle."
There was a touch of pride and confidence in the Seventh Apostle's calming voice.
The slight trace of anger that flickered at the end only made his presence more intense.
"Focus on completing the ritual. In two days, I'll extract the blood of the youngest Master on the continent for you."
The Seventh Apostle grabbed the throat of the person standing right beside him and dragged them forward.
"I could kill you by brute force, but I can't grant you such an easy ending. I'll give that man the choice of despair."
His chilling laughter reverberated through the chamber.
"I'm curious to see which choice the Legendary Sword Association will make."
*****
Martha wandered aimlessly around Granseville without a specific destination in mind.
Disguised as a moderately drunk mercenary, she scanned different places here and there, but all she could see were the city's dazzling lights and the revelers enthralled by their glow.
"Captain, let's call it a night and head back."
One of her companions whispered as they joined her.
"You've been wandering around too much; you might attract suspicion."
"Tsk, I get it."
Martha clicked her tongue and nodded her head.
She would have liked to search on her own, but she couldn't afford to make mistakes.
Suppressing her impatience, she turned away.
"As I was sayin'..."
Just as she was about to turn back, she accidentally collided with a slightly messy-looking girl.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
The girl quickly bowed her head and dashed off into an alley between the bars.
"She's quite adorable when flustered."
Martha grinned as she watched the girl's back.
"Excuse me?"
"Wait here."
Martha signaled to her comrades and headed into the alley where the girl had disappeared.
However, the alley was now empty, and the girl was nowhere to be seen.
"As expected."
Martha nodded knowingly, then crossed the alley and turned right.
A little while ago, the girl had been examining a familiar wallet in the inner alley.
"Oops!"
The girl was startled and tried to run, but Martha swiftly pushed her against the wall, blocking her path.
"Just hand it over nicely."
"Wha-what!"
The girl bit her lip, concealing the wallet she was holding behind her back.
"Just hand it over politely, will you?"
Martha calmly smiled, snapping her fingers.
"Urghh..."
The girl trembled with fear and struggled to hand over the wallet.
Martha understood the reason for her hesitation.
'She has to give tribute.'
Seeing the girl's appearance and her clothing, Martha deduced that she was paying some form of dues to someone.
She was desperate enough to resort to pickpocketing even someone dressed as a mercenary.
"Sigh..."
Martha tapped the girl's head gently and flicked her fingers again.
"If you give it back now, I'll give you enough for a meal."
Normally, Martha might have investigated and dismantled the person demanding tribute, but her mission right now didn't allow her that luxury.
She remembered her own past and decided to give the girl some coins and send her away.
"Really?"
"If you don't want it, I can give you a beating."
"No, no!"
The girl shook her head frantically and held out the wallet to Martha with both hands.
"Okay, then... huh?"
Martha chuckled, about to take the wallet, but then she hesitated.
She noticed a messy scar on the girl's wrist and clenched her teeth.
"What, what's wrong?"
"Why do you have this scar?"
"Why are you suddenly asking about that?"
"I need to know."
Martha grabbed the girl's wrist, her voice filled with determination.
No matter what was happening, she needed to find out.
Because there was a very faint trace of energy in the girl's wrist.
*****
Raon circled around the entire city of Granseville, observing the flow of mana.
Even in the middle of the night, there were many people out and about, carrying bottles as if they were drunk, so no one suspected anything unusual.
"Phew..."
Leaning against the city walls, Raon exhaled softly.
"My head feels a bit fuzzy."
Due to the massive scale of the city, observing everything was not an easy task.
However, because of the city's vastness, there were tiny gaps that could be spotted.
Focusing primarily on stealth, Raon had perhaps neglected to perfectly balance durability.
"But it's definitely doable."
After observing the intricate magic formations covering Granseville, Raon became certain.
While it might take some time, he could certainly unlock the magic formations using the Ring of Fire and the Blade of Requiem. (I'm not sure this is ghastly energy or blade of requiem)
"But the first priority is to find it."
He needed to identify the other energy permeating through his blood.
Once he knew that, dismantling the magic formations would become much easier.
"It's definitely an energy I'm familiar with..."
Raon raised his head, deep in thought.
The bright moon was gradually approaching, casting a different light compared to the serious situation below.
"Annoyingly bright... huh?"
It was at that moment, observing the serene moonlight that contrasted with the grave circumstances, that a sinister energy began spreading from within the city.
"Energy?"
Raon frowned and rushed towards the source of the energy.
As he halted on the main avenue, which was bustling with people even at this hour, he shivered.
"What is this...?"
The presence of the energy could be felt from everyone around him.
Whether it was people leaving taverns, priestesses bidding farewell, wagon drivers shifting cargo, or even young waitstaff receiving guests – every living being in this city emitted the energy.
No one else seemed to notice, but Raon, who had been studying magic formations until now, was certain.
It was much weaker than the bloodlust aura cultivated by White blood religion, but it was undoubtedly an energy woven into people's bodies.
"Are all these people White Blood religion believers?"
Absolutely not.
White Blood religion believers learn Blood Aura, a type of aura similar to the mana of mages, that accumulates in their hearts.
The energy Raon felt from these people was not centered in their hearts but spread throughout their bodies.
Given that White Blood religion believers strictly adhered to their doctrines, they couldn't possibly be White Blood religion believers.
Swallowing his dry mouth, Raon raised his head.
He clenched his fist, watching the mist of energy spreading like an omen.
"Could it be... that magic formation?"
