Ch.100Ep.100 D-4

“Our goblin clan has accumulated numerous spells over generations.”

After receiving Veichel’s confirmation, Kraud took her to the deepest part of the village—a repository filled with spell books that the goblin clan had collected from ancient times to the present.

As soon as she entered the archive, she felt overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of wonder. Kraud simply stated that this was where the essence of the goblin clan was preserved, keeping his explanation brief.

“Most of these spells can be used, but many have been designated as forbidden arts by my decision.”

After saying this, Kraud stopped walking and opened a small door in the corner.

“From here on are forbidden arts that neither goblins nor humans should ever attempt to use.”

“Then in here…”

“Normally, I wouldn’t let you enter this place, but given how dire the situation is, we have no choice. Come in.”

As Kraud led the way, Veichel followed behind him with tension.

And what came into view was…

“You said these were forbidden arts… but this place is even larger than outside?”

“All living beings naturally have more things they cannot do than things they can. The same applies to spells. To be precise… these were spells I developed myself.”

Kraud didn’t know why he had been so obsessed with the study of spells, but as Cronos’s memories gradually returned, he came to understand.

It was instinct. An instinct of Kraud’s body to prepare for Cronos’s revival.

Researching and developing spells was all to gradually prepare for Cronos’s resurrection.

After learning this, Kraud stopped all spell research and declared many spells as forbidden arts.

“Let’s see… the spell I’ll teach you is…”

Veichel’s condition couldn’t be described as good.

Even now, she was barely able to move her body. If she tried to use magic to fight, she would clearly break down immediately.

She seemed well aware of her physical state, as she hadn’t used any magic since waking up.

For someone in her condition, the spell that could give her one last flame would be…

“There’s a spell called Last Dance.”

“…Why is it named like that?”

“Our clan has a long history, and until recently, we were imprisoned in the Demonic Prison.”

Thanks to Radios who freed them, goblins could now roam freely in Kadinant.

“Long ago, there was one goblin among us who could leave the Demonic Prison.”

Kraud had asked him how he was able to do it, but the only answer he received was that he just could.

Yes, there was no explanation for how he could leave the Demonic Prison.

“So, knowing it was wrong, I captured him and conducted live experiments.”

“..!”

“I was a madman back then. Now I’m just an old man, but back then I was a passionate youth.”

As a result, he noticed that the goblin’s body contained traces of an Outer God’s energy.

With the thought of escaping the Demonic Prison, he extracted the Outer God’s energy from the goblin’s body and successfully implanted it into his own.

“As a result, I was able to leave the Demonic Prison. Of course, since it wasn’t truly mine, I had no choice but to return here after a short while.”

“Why are you telling me this story now?”

“The one whose energy was stolen, though it wasn’t his own. He can be seen as someone just like you.”

“..!”

Hearing this, she realized it was true.

Veichel had all the power she had accumulated as Chaos’s spirit devoured taken away by his scheme.

That goblin, though it was because of Kraud’s experiment, had the Outer God’s energy in his body stolen.

Though it’s unclear how he obtained it in the first place.

The point that someone had their power—even if it wasn’t originally theirs—stolen from them was identical to Veichel’s situation.

“I overlooked something. I thought he would die when I took his energy… but that wasn’t the case.”

Enraged, he tore out his own heart, ate it, and went on a rampage in the Demonic Prison.

Brina personally stepped in and managed to stop him, but not before he had killed half of the already small goblin population.

If Kraud, who returned too late, hadn’t managed to clean up the aftermath, the goblin clan might have disappeared into the annals of history, devoured by other monsters in the Demonic Prison.

“But as I said, I was a madman. I studied his corpse and discovered that he had chewed his own heart… and based on that, I created a new spell.”

“So, what you’re saying is…”

“The last flame you can use now… is to use Last Dance by chewing your own heart.”

To kill the opponent, she would have to sacrifice her heart and chew it herself.

A normal person would question if this was insane, but Veichel’s concern was not merely that.

“If I tear out my heart… I’ll die. Especially in my current state where I can’t use magic…”

The moment she attempts to tear out her heart, she would die.

Even if she tried to cut out her heart with a sword, she would need to use magic, which would be impossible.

Veichel’s current body is like a finely shattered vessel for magic.

Only a tiny amount of magic is being used to maintain her body.

If she were to use this magic for strength, her body would break down uncontrollably.

But Kraud had already anticipated her objection.

“This is a skill stone containing the Goblin Mask skill.”

“…What?”

“If you use this skill, you won’t die immediately. I think I’ve done all I can for you now.”

With those words, Kraud began burning the repository containing the forbidden arts.

Veichel, shocked by his sudden action, widened her eyes and asked:

“Are you crazy?! I don’t know what these forbidden arts are, but…!”

“Be quiet. These are just ancient relics. They’re nothing more than the meaningless diary of a madman that should never be used when the world is ending.”

“But…!”

“I’ll pass on the spell formula for Last Dance to you. So don’t worry.”

There’s a bittersweet feeling emanating from Kraud as he burns the entire repository.

After all, he’s erasing all the time, money, and effort that went into that research at once.

“I’ll pass on the spell formula for Last Dance. Just remember, you must use this spell when facing Chaos.”

“How long will it last?”

“About an hour. But looking at your current state, even 30 minutes would be pushing it.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

If she could become invincible for 30 minutes, neither dying nor disappearing.

If she could use that to deliver a big blow to Chaos.

“I’ll gladly use this body.”

She could die without regrets.

**********

Emptiness.

A state of being completely void or hollow without substance.

Brina hated this word “emptiness” so much.

She hated the idea that she had to abandon everything she had achieved so far.

How desperately she had climbed to this position.

Did she want the title “Blood Killer Ghost” because she desired it?

She didn’t want to merely succeed her father; she wanted to surpass him.

She wanted to awaken her Divine Order, defeat her father, and officially claim the position of clan leader.

But it was impossible.

While she struggled desperately to awaken her Divine Order, the path to it kept getting further away.

Even when she sought advice, her father only told her to empty everything.

She couldn’t understand.

If she emptied everything, what could she fill that emptiness with?

The difference in opinion arose there.

Brina tried to fill herself with everything she didn’t have.

If she pushed and crammed things in that didn’t fit, wouldn’t they eventually go in?

She had lived her entire life that way, but…

‘I think I understand now.’

She realized the true meaning of emptying everything.

It didn’t literally mean discarding everything she had built up.

Impatience, obsession, belief, duty, longing, greed, attachment.

Empty all of these and accept yourself as you are.

-In fact, you’ve already awakened your Divine Order. You just haven’t realized it yet.

How surprised she was when Poseidon told her this.

She had already awakened her Divine Order but hadn’t recognized it herself?

Only after hearing this could she reconsider her father’s advice.

The true meaning of emptying everything.

It meant to look within herself and find her true self.

“I can do it. I can… do it…”

She examines everything from the depths that make up the being called Brina.

If someone were to disturb her now, her very consciousness could vanish.

But Brina believed.

She believed that her comrades wouldn’t just stand by and watch if she were attacked.

For about four days, she had abstained from food and drink, sitting cross-legged, reflecting on everything about herself.

The Order that constitutes Brina’s existence, Blood and Combat.

Perhaps she had been too fixated on this.

Perhaps she had thought that strengthening the Blood and Combat Order would awaken her Divine Order.

If so, she needed to examine what this Blood and Combat Order was made of in detail.

Blood and combat had been everything in Brina’s life.

From birth, she had seen someone’s blood, and growing up was a continuous series of battles.

Blood and combat were inseparable.

So…

‘I’ll forcibly separate them.’

Just as her father, Kraud, had separated the Divine Orders of Time and Death.

Let’s try to separate the intertwined powers of Blood and Combat.

And that attempt…

Whoosh!

“Ha… haha!”

It was a success.

“Hahahahaha!!”

Brina rejoiced, unfolding her cross-legged position and concentrating energy in both hands.

“Finally, finally!!”

Blood gathered in her right hand, and an ominous magical energy in her left.

Her Combat had completely evolved and developed into Magic.

Filled with joy, Brina decided to give her Divine Order a new name.

The Divine Order of Blood Magic.