Ch.1148Predator of Assassination

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The gathering of celestial gods, who had reconvened to discuss countermeasures after the “Hero’s Soul” they had painstakingly created fell into enemy hands, was so gloomy that it resembled nothing short of a funeral.

“…Damn it, was our power insufficient after all?”

“We somehow prevented it from being completely stolen… but I can’t call this fortunate. Of all vessels, it had to go into that ill-starred one…”

The “Hero’s” soul they had created entered not the hero’s body, but a vessel they hadn’t even considered—no, rather, one they should have eliminated before the day of the final battle: the body of an ill-fated being.

The star of savage slaughter.

The wolf that devours the sky.

Into the vessel of the ill-starred Vanirgand.

—-

Vanirgand was originally the Eastern Governor of the Xanten Empire.

A demigod of the great plains who hunted and devoured countless divine beasts and spirit creatures, accumulating divinity and reaching godhood through his own power without divine favor.

However, he was defeated and captured after a bloody battle with Baltyr, and after receiving a baptism of malice disguised as blessing, he fell from grace and transformed into a monstrous wolf-like creature.

The corrupted Vanirgand ascended to the heavens alongside Baltyr when the latter returned to his domain, and established his own realm in the celestial world as Baltyr’s subordinate deity.

That was the birth of the evil god of hatred and gluttony, the ill-starred Vanirgand.

“…Vanirgand’s incarnation. Until now, he was limited to possessing consciousness and rampaging, but… if Heaven’s Wall crumbles, he’ll descend in his true form.”

After ascending to the heavens, Vanirgand bestowed upon his descendants who remained on earth a blessing—no, a curse—that was passed down through bloodlines.

The curse later known as the “Wolf’s Blood.”

Those who awakened this blood gained superhuman physical abilities, but in exchange, indelible anger and madness were etched into a corner of their minds.

Though not severe enough to cause complete mental collapse, it was sufficient madness to transform even the kindest person into a war-crazed being who enjoyed blood and slaughter.

Of course, the easterners were people who praised aggressive and ferocious temperaments as exemplary warrior traits, so they considered this not a curse but a blessing from their ancestral deity.

Except in cases where the blessing was too intense to bear, driving them to madness.

Born with the certainty of growing into the strongest warrior of the plains, but in exchange, invariably going mad and becoming a calamity that burns the plains with their own power.

The plains people of the east named these calamitous beings, born once every two hundred years, Cheonsal-seong with fear and caution.

The avatar of the sky-devouring wolf, Abha Gisaka.

Though the plains people did not understand the true nature of these beings when naming them, ironically, this derogatory name came very close to the truth.

For Vanirgand’s purpose in creating the Cheonsal-seong was precisely that—to descend to the mortal realm in avatar form and revel in slaughter.

The Cheonsal-seong was a medium and vessel created by Vanirgand to manifest as an avatar while minimizing the consumption of divine power.

They were merely prey whose body and soul would be devoured the moment they reached their prime.

Indeed, after the fall of Xanten, Vanirgand repeatedly created a Cheonsal-seong once every two hundred years, using their body as a sacrifice to manifest an avatar and rampage.

After descent became impossible due to Heaven’s Wall, he devoured the souls of the Cheonsal-seong and possessed their bodies, rampaging while wearing human skin.

Humans unaware of the details simply believed that the Cheonsal-seong had gone mad, unable to withstand their own madness, but this was a grave misconception.

Having inherited the “Wolf’s Blood” most strongly, the Cheonsal-seong’s madness was indeed incomparably greater than other bloodline members, but it was still barely controllable.

The calamity that came every two hundred years was not caused by the Cheonsal-seong themselves, but by Vanirgand who devoured their souls and stole their bodies to satisfy his hunger.

This generation’s Cheonsal-seong, Haschal Median Aishan-Gioro, was also destined to be devoured and have his body stolen by Vanirgand.

Moreover, according to their predictions, Heaven’s Wall was likely to be destroyed within twenty years, so this time, rather than mere possession, he would clearly descend in avatar form as before.

“…Is there no way to prevent his devouring?”

“We’ve never succeeded before. How could external interference intervene in a seal passed down through bloodlines…?”

And it was clear that the ascended gods could not prevent this.

From a magical perspective, blood relation is as powerful a connection as that between a god and an apostle bearing divine stigmata.

Breaking a ritual using this as a medium through external interference was nearly impossible for beings of equal standing to the originator.

Generally speaking.

“…No, this time it might be possible.”

But this time was an exception.

Though they could do nothing about curses passed down through bloodlines, the bloodline inherited by this generation’s Cheonsal-seong, Haschal, was not just the “Wolf’s Blood.”

“The direct descendant of Rotholandus, one of the Great’s Twelve Knights. And having inherited the oath sword Durandal as well, if we use these as mediums to suppress Vanirgand’s interference…”

Haschal’s birth mother, Imelia de Median, was a direct descendant of Rotholandus, one of the Twelve Knights.

Haschal, having inherited that blood, also carried the blessing of Elpinel dwelling in that bloodline, and even possessed the oath sword, which was Elpinel’s divinity forged into the form of a blade.

Of course, due to the innate ferocity from the Wolf’s Blood, even possessing Durandal would make it difficult to be recognized as its master…

‘…But with the addition of the otherworldly soul as an impurity, that ferocity might be somewhat neutralized. If he grows up peacefully, perhaps he could be recognized as the sword’s master?’

If that ferocity didn’t erupt and he grew up without incident, there was a possibility he could be recognized as Durandal’s master.

Perhaps.

—-

Thus, more than a decade passed.

The hero’s body, born without a soul, grew steadily as an emotionless doll, while Haschal, implanted with the otherworldly soul, grew stronger year by year.

…Though not in a desirable direction.

“That, that crazy girl. Now she’s just killing anyone randomly.”

Haschal, who lost her mother before turning ten, awakened the Wolf’s Blood through that anger, and to gain power for revenge, walked the path of a demon steeped in slaughter, following the impulses within.

A blood-soaked path of madness, piling mountains of corpses of the innocent and filling rivers with them to accumulate Karma of Murder.

“At this rate… it won’t be long before she’s completely consumed by the Karma of Murder. Isn’t this a serious problem?”

From the ascended gods’ perspective, this was a concerning development.

The power of Karma of Murder was Vanirgand’s imitation of Ausrine, transforming his divine power into a form humans could utilize.

Thus, the method of accumulation was extremely vicious, and as one’s mastery deepened, their mind would inevitably be tainted by the evil god’s madness, becoming more ferocious and cruel.

Moreover, the purpose behind spreading this power was fundamentally different.

While Ausrine sacrificed herself to spread the power of great deeds, hoping humans would resist and become self-reliant in their suffering, the Karma of Murder spread by Vanirgand was merely bait.

Warriors who received the blessing of Karma of Murder by offering the tribute of slaughter were, without realizing it, devotees serving the god Vanirgand.

Therefore, when they died, they would naturally be guided to Vanirgand’s domain.

Upon facing Vanirgand, they would be devoured, offering their accumulated power and their own souls as food for the deity.

A cursed power that led to endless evil deeds in life, becoming more vicious over time, and in death, reduced to mere food for an evil god—that was the essence of Karma of Murder.

If even ordinary warriors who began accumulating Karma of Murder met such a terrible fate in both life and death, what of Haschal, who was born destined as a Cheonsal-seong?

Growing stronger would make her increasingly vicious, and once she accumulated enough Karma of Murder for Vanirgand to descend, she would have her soul devoured and body stolen.

According to the ascended gods’ predictions, at this rate, she would accumulate that much Karma of Murder in five to six years.

“What happened to the otherworldly soul? It seems to have no influence at all.”

“The Cheonsal-seong’s ego is too strong. The soul is definitely dwelling within… but it’s overwhelmed and unable to awaken.”

“Is there a way to wake it?”

“Well… without a shock intense enough to shake the very soul, or something like a death of the mind, it would be difficult.”

Moreover, the otherworldly soul dwelling within had been suppressed by the Cheonsal-seong’s soul for over a decade, unable to awaken.

The celestial gods could only watch with anxious hearts, hoping for that soul to awaken.

“…What the fuck.”

Half a year later, the ritual prepared by Meiharin using Amin severely wounded Haschal’s soul, allowing the otherworldly soul sleeping within to finally awaken.