Chapter 183

Chapter 183

EP.183

The portal, covered in blue ice, was spider-webbed with cracks.

Before swinging the axe, Ivan instinctively realized that he could destroy it with one more strike. He slowly controlled his mana, extended his arm, and opened his mouth.

“Dmitri.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“Immediately after opening the door, if a Type 1 situation is confirmed, retreat and regroup. Inform headquarters of the situation and abandon Kalion.”

“...Yes, Senior.”

The worst-case scenario the Cleanup Unit could face in the Demon King’s territory, a Type 1 situation, meant only one thing: a direct encounter with the Seven Dragon Lords.

During the process of establishing response doctrines for nearly all combat situations, there was truly no way to respond to just that situation.

This was why the tactical orders for the unit always specified a regrouping point. The areas where the Cleanup Unit was deployed were always behind the enemy lines and deep within their territory. In the worst-case scenario, there was a possibility of actually encountering a Dragon Lord.

The principle was that the highest-ranking officer would remain during an encounter with a Dragon Lord. This was the only way to maintain the unit’s survivability. While the most competent agent bought time, the juniors had to escape along the route.

Someone had to relay the situation at the front line to the operation command center. Information such as the current location of a Dragon Lord was classified as top-secret intelligence.

And right here, the highest-ranking officer of this unit was Ivan.

“Elpheira.”

“Yes, yes?!”

“Don’t worry.”

Lastly, Ivan covered Elpheira, who was on his back, with his coat and tightly secured his waist.

“You will definitely return alive.”

Ivan brandished the axe. The mana that had been held back for a moment surged like fire, heating his nerves. Muscles enhanced to their limit writhed roughly.

– KWA-AAAAANG—!!

The noise was so loud that Elpheira’s response couldn’t be heard.

However, the warmth digging into the nape of his neck was comforting.

*

Snow swirled like a canopy. Visibility was extremely restricted, and the storm muted all sound.

Ivan tried to shield his face from the snow but paused and quickly turned his hand behind his back.

Though tightly wrapped, he wasn’t sure. If he could use his mana, maintaining body temperature wouldn’t be difficult, but Elpheira wasn’t in a state to do so right now.

He quickly untied the rope around his waist and pulled the shivering Elpheira into his arms.

“—!!”

Her voice was drowned out. The moment it escaped her lips, the sound was swallowed by the storm. Ivan soon gave up on trying to communicate and tightened the hem of his coat. He could feel her trembling body beneath it.

“—!!!”

Elpheira shouted something. Perhaps he should have taught her sign language. Ivan clicked his tongue at the situation where he couldn’t even perform a spell to communicate.

She placed her hand on the nape of her neck and poured magic into her. For a wizard, magic acts similarly to an electrical current. Just as each machine requires different voltages and power levels, one cannot simply use another’s magic indiscriminately.

Of course, under normal circumstances, it would be an unthinkable act. A delicate magic circuit could easily become overloaded. Normally, Elpheira was capable enough to dismantle and absorb external magic in an instant.

But right now, this is the best option. So, all that remains is to trust.

“—?! –!!”

Elpheira’s urgent shout was felt beneath his hand. The tremor in her nape was vivid. Since it was unlikely to be understood anyway, Ivan ignored Elpheira’s words and surveyed the surroundings.

‘This isn’t indoors.’

It makes sense since a snowstorm wouldn’t rage indoors, but considering the structure of the Eternal Palace, this phenomenon should be impossible.

The courtyard of the Eternal Palace was covered by a massive glass dome.

It was an effort to always provide perfect conditions for the ancestors. To consistently maintain humidity and temperature, control sunlight, and block beasts and pests.

“...”

Ivan barely turned his body to look behind him. The door he had just passed through wasn’t visible.

No door, no building. He narrowed his eyes and cautiously surveyed the area. It was a snow-covered wilderness. Flat with no elevation changes. In the darkness of night, the pure white ground continued to the horizon.

Again, he looked more carefully. To see if there might be any other presence.

‘It’s certain.’

There was no sign of life. Besides Elpheira, who had been close, all the agents present had vanished.

A hallucination spell? No, if that were the case, Elpheira wouldn’t have come through with him.

‘It’s the Dragon Lord.’

Ivan was well aware of this phenomenon. He bit his lip and gripped the axe. There was no denying it anymore. It was a Type 1 situation. Not just a chance encounter, but an invasion level of the Dragon Lord.

A place belonging to those who have become divine by living as mortals, gaining immortality through their souls. It is the territory of beings who have become incarnations of ideas.

The Dragon Lord was akin to another world. All the Dragon Lords he had encountered had been such. It does not merely refer to a well-built fortress or dungeon.

“I’ve done this before. Stay close to me.”

This was not Ivan’s first visit to the Dragon Lord of the Seven Dragon Lords. He had the experience of being a scout for a Hero Party, surveying the Dragon Lord and returning alive to guide the heroes.

Thus, doing the same for the contemporary party was not a particularly grand experience.

And, a trained agent should not find it difficult to repeat what they have done once.

*

The ancient souls of elves sealed in the deep sea.

The magical beasts that have accumulated by gnawing at those souls.

Raising those magical beasts and bestowing them with intelligence to awaken them as a ‘demon race.’

Creating faith in those demon races and condensing them into a singular entity.

“It’s theoretically possible to directly produce a Dragon Lord level.”

Veolgrin quietly smiled and gestured with his hands. When the knight moved, the opposing hand pushed the phone away.

“But should we call that a god?”

Veolgrin’s question echoed in the darkness.

“I would rather call this a vessel.”

His hand grasped the knight and moved. With a snap, the pawns that had come out first were trampled and burst like maggots.

*

Is it the cold slicing through my flesh, the penetrating mana of this other world, or is it fear?

If the reason my hands shake is due to fear, then it isn’t the fear of my death.

Elpheira cautiously touched Ivan’s cheek with her pale, trembling fingertips.

– Crack.

An elf made of maggots was crushed beneath the axe. The maggots scattered quickly, dwindling beyond the snowy field.

Soon, another elf rose from the horizon.

“Yere, Lord Yeremov.”

Barely prying her frozen lips apart to speak, Ivan swung his axe without even looking at her.

The burst bodies of maggots lay scattered across the snow.

“Do what you must, Elpheira.”

“I... I...”

“You can do it. Until then, don’t think about anything else.”

Even in this situation, his voice remained unchanged. Heavy, solemn, an unwavering low tone. Breath not even slightly roughened, firm yet not cold. It was reassuring.

“Don’t fall behind.”

Elpheira bowed her head at his words.

What needs to be done.

The wizard of the hero party, the wizard who lost her magic, the powerless wizard panting in fear must do something.

Under the mana of this other world that entangles the magic circuit, the wizard of the hero party must do something.

– Click.

The gears of the circuit turned. Although it trembled, overloaded and became hot, twisting its configuration.

It felt as if nerves were being burned by electricity under extreme pain, but still—

The wizard of the hero party has something to do.

Because the heir of Grykencos has something to do.

“Right.”

Ivan chuckled quietly, pressing Elpheira’s head down once, then struck down the head of the oncoming elf with his axe.

Crack, the foul liquid soaked the hem of his coat.

*

A word from the author (Author’s note): Delayed Thoughts: Sleep.

I fell asleep right after getting off work and woke up late. I’m sorry...

This week’s serialization will continue until Saturday.

*

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