Chap 83-I’m Glad

 

The ominous storm of magical power that erupted from the north spread rapidly, threatening to engulf the entire ‘Farm’ in an instant.

Magical power, grotesquely twisted by Contamination, swirled and began to lash out in all directions like invisible blades.

The rustling of leaves and the howling of the wind sounded like eerie screams.

Crackle! Shatter!

The dozens of layers of concealment magic and alarm magic that Camilla and Lea had erected around the base, protecting us, shattered helplessly before the storm.

With the stench of burning magic circles filling the air, our location was now completely exposed to every being in the forest.

To make matters worse, I felt the faint connection from the magical item on my wrist snap.

The fatal wound prevention magic item that had been issued to all of us for the test.

Those lifeline-like tools were all being neutralized.

Now, suffering a fatal wound in this ‘Farm’ meant true death.

‘Contamination Interference Wave…!’

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

The phenomenon where heterogeneous magical power, warped by Contamination, clashed with the existing magical system, forcibly canceling out less sophisticated sub-magic.

In the game, it was precisely this phenomenon that paralyzed the academy’s control System and the students’ safety devices, preventing a quick response and leading to the deaths of countless students.

“But… why now…?”

The timing was so different from the original story.

Of course, I had expected variables as I changed the story.

But I didn’t expect the variables to be like this.

This is too…

Stupid.

Opening the gate at this timing was the worst possible move from the invaders’ perspective.

If they really intended to strike a blow against the academy…

The latter half of the test.

When most teams were exhausted and gathered near the Ending Point.

Attacking then would have been much more effective.

But with seven or eight hours still left until dawn.

Even our team, the most advanced, was still quite far from the Ending Point.

Thanks to this, the other teams would have plenty of time to evacuate.

‘…Are the others alright?’

Unconsciously worrying about the other students, I checked on Lina and Camilla, who were beside me.

Lina had already drawn out her holy power to the maximum, and a white shield was faintly glowing around her body.

Thanks to that, she was maintaining a relatively unharmed state even in this storm of evil magical power.

Camilla also showed some signs of panic, but, befitting the daughter of a Duke’s family, she quickly regained her composure and guarded her surroundings.

She seemed fine too.

Rumble—!

At that moment, another massive noise came from the north.

A roar that made the ground tremble and the sky vibrate.

Along with the noise, the nauseating stench of Contamination and the unpleasant energy that seemed to gnaw at the soul became even more distinct from the north.

‘…It’s completely open.’

It meant that the core of the gate in the northern barrier had been perfectly reactivated.

Now, countless magical beasts would pour out from there.

I gathered my magical power to assess the situation and prepare.

It was at that moment.

Buzz-

The Medici Family Ring, which I had taken from Camilla and was carrying in my bosom, suddenly began to emit a faint glow and vibrate.

The vibration ran through my fingertips, and a somehow ominous energy spread.

And the ring began to resonate strangely with the evil magical power surging from the north.

“What is this…?”

Before I could react properly, the energy shot towards Camilla.

‘Could it be…?’

…

‘Could it be… that the gate… has opened?’

Lina stared at the northern sky, where a crimson pillar of light was rising, with eyes mixed with shock and disbelief.

It was an impossible event.

Even though this ‘Farm’ was a Contaminated area that had not been completely purified, the Holy State and the Council never managed this place carelessly.

In particular, the core of the gate that had existed in the past had been thoroughly destroyed and sealed with powerful holy magic to prevent a recurrence.

To break through that seal and reactivate the gate, they would have had to penetrate strong security, and then the magical beast side would have had to endure tremendous sacrifices.

But who on earth, and why, would do such a thing…?

For what purpose…?

At that moment.

Lina’s gaze turned to Yeon Bennet, who was standing next to her.

A terrible wound where her left arm had been torn off completely.

Even though red blood was dripping from it, Yeon was just looking at Camilla as if nothing was wrong.

A precious person she wanted to be with no matter what.

That child who had saved her from the darkness…

That child whom she believed was hiding warmth behind a cold mask…

And now…

Perhaps someone she would have to exterminate herself.

An enemy of humanity.

‘…Now’s my chance.’

Lina thought to herself.

She’s completely unguarded.

If she poured all her holy power into it now, she might be able to end it in an instant.

She might be able to break the chain of all this tragedy… here.

She has to… attack her…

“…….”

How can I…

How can I…

How can I do that to you…?

She was pathetic for hesitating even at this crucial moment.

But in the end, Lina’s body did not move.

The reason that she had to attack her and the heart that she did not want to hurt her collided fiercely, binding her.

‘Hmm? Wait… what is it?’

Just then, Lina realized that the energy of Contamination flowing from Yeon’s surroundings was somehow strange.

At first, she thought it was the clear energy of Contamination that she felt directly from Yeon’s body.

She momentarily mistook Camilla’s words that she was a Contamination Worshiper as true, but…

When Lina focused her divine power and looked closely again, the source of the ominous energy was not Yeon.

It was flowing from the ring with the Medici Family crest on Yeon’s hand.

‘It might not be Yeon’s energy?’

But the question did not last long.

Before her thoughts could continue.

“!”

Suddenly, Yeon turned her body and rushed towards Lina herself with fierce momentum.

There was no emotion in her eyes.

Only a murderous intent, like a beast moving towards a single goal, was full.

Even in the situation where Yeon Bennet was rushing to attack her, the thought that she wanted to check one last time flashed through Lina’s mind.

‘One last time… I’m just going to check one more time.’

If she attacked her with the Power of Benevolent, not divine power?

The Power of Benevolent is a power derived from people’s faith and good will.

Therefore, except for evil beings or those deeply tainted by Contamination, its lethality was almost non-existent.

If Yeon was innocent, nothing would happen even if she faced this power head-on.

The last way to prove her innocence.

Of course, using this divine power as a Saintess Candidate, not a complete Saintess, was clearly reckless.

But—

Right now, none of that mattered.

Lina closed her eyes.

She began to draw out the pure Power of Benevolent from a part of the sacred relic that had been attributed to her soul when she became a Saintess Candidate.

Dazzling golden particles swirled around her.

‘Please… please let nothing happen… please…’

With her earnest prayer, Lina fired the golden divine power towards Yeon, who was rushing towards her.

It was supposed to be the power of purification and blessing, not the power of destruction.

But despite her earnest wish,

Sizzle-!

The moment the golden divine power touched Yeon’s body.

A terrible sound echoed through the forest.

Like a demon touched by holy water.

Yeon’s skin began to char and distort as if it were burning.

Flesh split.

Blood droplets burst.

Flesh peeled off.

Muscles twisted.

And she collapsed in front of Lina’s eyes…

Thud-

‘No way… it’s a lie…?’

‘It can’t be… it can’t be…’

The result was clear.

To react so horribly to the Power of Benevolent.

Yeon Bennet was…

As Camilla said, she was really a Contamination Worshiper.

The certainty that she was evil pierced Lina’s heart like a cold dagger.

She…

Didn’t want to hurt her.

She just wanted to prove that she wasn’t evil.

She didn’t want to kill her with her own hands like this.

No.

From the beginning, she desperately hoped that she wasn’t evil.

‘Please… I wanted you to be okay…’

But—

Her hands.

Her power.

Was ultimately leading her to ruin.

‘I have to stop… stop…!’

Lina tried to withdraw the divine power, but the power that had begun to run wild was already out of control.

Yeon continued to writhe in pain.

The sight of her flesh burning and blood droplets splattering everywhere.

Instead of the thought that she had defeated the enemy, Lina was overwhelmed by only one emotion.

Despair.

Time seemed to have stopped.

As the golden light slowly faded, only Yeon’s blood-soaked body remained in its place.

Blackened skin, twisted limbs, and a small body that was no longer breathing.

She collapsed to the ground and didn’t even twitch.

“Ah… ahh…”

Lina barely managed to raise her body and staggered towards her, carefully placing her trembling fingertips on Yeon’s cheek.

The skin that had felt warm until recently was now as cold as ice.

There was no longer any warmth of life left there.

‘It’s a lie…?’

“Heuheu… Aaaaaah!”

Lina hugged Yeon’s cold body and cried like a child.

What had she done?

Was this the ending she wanted…?

Lina was suffocated by the guilt that was boiling up from the depths of her heart.

Her throat was choked, and she couldn’t even speak properly.

As she sat there for a long time, bowing her head and crying.

Suddenly, she felt an alien presence right in front of her.

A strange sensation as if the warmth of life was blooming again in the space where the cold of death had lingered.

Lina lifted her tear-blurred vision.

And…

“Yeon…?”

When she raised her head, Yeon, who had died, was alive and well again right in front of her eyes.

The torn skin had healed cleanly, and the broken bones had returned to their original state.

She was looking down at herself with a blank expression, as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep.

“What… is this…?”

Lina muttered blankly in the face of the unbelievable reality, her lips trembling.

At that unbelievable sight, her thoughts stopped for a moment.

Thwack-!

Yeon’s kick accurately struck Lina’s abdomen.

Her body soared into the air without even having time to resist, and she flew through the branches of the trees far away.

Even as her brain went white and her senses slowly faded, her gaze instinctively remained fixed on only one place.

Yeon.

Her face.

Even as her eyelids drooped heavily and her vision gradually narrowed…

Lina tried to hold on to that face until the very end.

As the focus of her pupils blurred, Yeon’s outline blurred softly, and her image was layered in front of her eyes like a lingering image in a dream.

‘It’s a relief…’

And…

As her eyelids closed completely.

Lina quietly lost consciousness.

…

“…Stop it, that’s enough, Yeon Bennet!”

As Lina collapsed, Clara and Lea rushed out with voices full of anger.

Their faces were mixed with shock and anger.

Clara drew her sword with trembling hands and stood in front of the fallen Lina, and Lea also raised her staff and began to chant a complex magic.

But Yeon seemed to have no intention of dealing with them any further.

She stared at the fallen Lina and the two wary people for a moment, then lightly slung the unconscious Camilla over her shoulder and began to run in the opposite direction.

“Stop there! Where are you taking Camilla-nim!”

Clara shouted desperately, but she couldn’t catch up with Yeon’s speed.

Yeon disappeared into the darkness in an instant.

Leaving behind only the fallen Lina and the two bewildered girls.