Ch.18Ep.18: A Warning to Those from Another World

“The apostle is coming?”

“Yes. I heard he’s bringing several archbishops and cardinals with him.”

“Why? Those bastards didn’t react at all when Kim Aram died, so why now?”

“I don’t know the details. But now we can’t escape anywhere.”

Once they had entered the village, they would inevitably face Tulcha’s apostle.

Someone of apostle rank would surely see through Arsia’s polymorph magic.

In the end, they would have no choice but to fight the apostle.

“We need to prepare thoroughly. The captain can handle the apostle, but… I’m not sure if Brina and I can hold off the archbishops and cardinals.”

“I’m confident about fighting! Despite how I look, I’m a berserker style!”

With those words, Brina clenched her small fist.

To others, it might have looked quite adorable.

But the two who knew Brina was a dokkaebi just smiled awkwardly.

Though her fist was small, they’d have to see for themselves how much power was concentrated in it.

“One thing’s for certain: I heard that when the apostle arrives, all the villagers will move to see him.”

“Then… we should go see the apostle too?”

“I think that’s the best timing. It’s important to strike first.”

“True, if we’re going to end this, we should do it quickly.”

Arsia also decided it would be better to time their attack when the apostle visited the village.

Not long after, they received notice that the apostle would be visiting the village in 30 minutes.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Of course.”

“Finally I can fight! Let’s go!”

Without further ado.

They set out to fasten the first button to destroy the Tulcha Order.

Meanwhile, while Radios was setting a trap and waiting, the Tulcha apostle’s party was…

“Tulcha hasn’t said anything? It’s been over two weeks since the vice apostle died?”

“That’s right. It seems… he has other matters to attend to.”

“The Olympians are stuck in the Underworld, so what other matters? Hmm…”

A man with flame-red hair.

The Apostle of Dancing Green Flames, also known as Patrick the Flame, was in an anxious state because there had been no revelations from Tulcha for several days.

Something unusual seemed to have happened.

Both Arsia’s prison break and Kim Aram’s death.

There were clearly suspicious elements.

It felt like something was being missed.

“How are the other orders doing?”

“The biggest recent incident… is that monsters called dokkaebis escaped from the Demonic Prison.”

“Dokkaebis?”

Patrick raised an eyebrow.

His secretary continued.

“Yes. The trouble they’re causing is unbelievable… they’re all too strong to capture easily.”

“Tch. I don’t like any of this.”

Kim Aram’s death? That could happen, he supposed.

Even if they were remnants of the Guardian Spirit, someone like Kim Aram could certainly be caught.

He wasn’t particularly strong, which is why they left him to manage the prison rather than keeping him at headquarters.

But the problem was that despite the death of someone who held the position of vice apostle…

Tulcha hadn’t issued any instructions.

Olympus was already completely ruined and confined to the Underworld.

In such a situation, why would Tulcha intentionally cut off communication with the order?

Though he didn’t know the exact details, something was about to happen.

This expedition too was undertaken solely on Patrick’s intuition.

It was just a simple inspection of the village, but remnants of the Guardian Spirit might be hiding there.

“When we enter the village, move very slowly! Everyone maintain alert status!”

“Yes!”

After giving orders to his soldiers, Patrick took the lead of the inspection team on horseback.

If they wanted to travel quickly, they could simply use teleportation magic.

But since this was a village he hadn’t visited once during the three years of ruling Noslet…

He had a strange desire to refrain from using magic as much as possible.

Perhaps he wanted to receive the cheers he was accustomed to.

Thus, when Patrick arrived at the entrance of the village…

He smiled as he saw the crowd welcoming him and the order’s soldiers.

“Waaaaaah!!”

“Apostle! Welcome to our village!!”

“Patrick! Patrick! Patrick! Patrick!”

It was just ordinary cheering from the crowd.

But Patrick felt inexplicably good as he passed through the path formed by the crowd.

However.

“Who is this man?”

“…”

A hooded man suddenly blocked the path and just stood there silently.

The cardinals, sensing something suspicious, were about to draw their swords and move toward him when…

Patrick raised his fist to stop their movement.

For someone to block his path like this, knowing who he was?

He must be an enemy.

If so, this hooded man could very well be the villain who killed Kim Aram.

“State your business if you have any. By your appearance, you seem to be a traveler.”

“…”

“If you don’t speak, I’ll kill you.”

Whoosh.

Simultaneously, a huge fireball rose behind Patrick.

What was peculiar was that, thanks to his skill proficiency reaching its maximum, the flames appeared green.

Perhaps because Patrick used his skill…

The man removed his hood and faced him.

But no matter how hard Patrick tried, he couldn’t remember the man’s face at all.

And at that moment.

“Sword of Judgment.”

“..!”

Grrrrrr!!

As the man activated his skill, the surrounding space transformed into a spectacle Patrick had never seen before.

Cracks appeared on the face of the man blocking his path, revealing a face he could never forget.

“R-Radios Magnum?!”

Patrick was shocked that Radios Magnum was alive.

No, to be precise, everyone present was shocked.

How could they not be when someone thought dead suddenly showed his face after three years!

But there was an even bigger problem.

Boom! Booooom!

“What’s happening!”

“We’re under attack! It’s a small girl using her fists, and Arsia Cromwell!!”

“Damn it!”

The cardinals in the rear, who had lowered their guard due to Radios’s appearance, began to be swept away.

Patrick gritted his teeth as he looked at Radios, who had created this situation.

“So… I thought there would be a mastermind, and it was you, Radios Magnum!”

“Patrick… a name I’ve never heard. I see Tulcha changed apostles during these three years.”

“Shut up! Do you still think it’s the era when you were active? The times changed long ago!”

“Really?”

Patrick, after his momentary shock, analyzed the situation coolly.

Radios Magnum.

He was surprised that Radios was alive, but when he first saw him, he seemed weak enough to be subdued in one breath.

If his face returning to normal and his magical power being restored were all due to this strange space…

“Do you think it’s impossible to… endure until this skill ends?”

“Of course. We outnumber you anyway.”

“What?”

Just as he was about to say “What do you mean outnumber with only three people”…

“Aaaaargh!”

“W-what is this!!”

“S-skeletons! Don’t panic, block them!”

“There are so fucking many! Tanker, do your job properly!!”

Numerous bones gathered from the ground, forming a skeleton army.

Indeed.

One of the abilities of the Sword of Judgment, the army of the Underworld, had been summoned and began to annihilate the enemy.

This was unexpected, and Patrick’s face contorted visibly.

In contrast, Radios could declare with a triumphant expression.

“Apostle Patrick. If you beg for forgiveness now, I’ll grant you an easy death.”

“…Bullshit. Even if my combat power is low!! I have not the slightest intention of surrendering to you!”

Boom!

As Patrick showed his sincere will to fight, four more fireballs rose behind his back.

His signature skill was the Green Flame Orb.

“Eat this!!”

As Patrick swung his hand forward, the five green flame orbs were fired in different directions.

Radios, without moving from his spot, formed five magic swords.

After destroying the cores of the green flame orbs using the technique of the Sword of Will…

“Jade Flame Tsunami.”

“..!”

He pressured Patrick’s front with a newly created skill.

Patrick eventually abandoned his horse, leaped into the air, kicked off the air, and charged toward Radios.

Radios, holding magic swords in both hands, and Patrick, with flames wrapped around both hands, clashed.

Crash!

“Not bad. There was a reason for the apostle to change.”

“I told you to shut up!”

The first collision resulted in completely offsetting each other’s attacks.

But the two men were still like teeth aiming for the vital points of their enemy.

Recognizing that their attacks were blocked, both Patrick and Radios attempted to attack again without hesitation.

When Radios swings his sword at Patrick’s neck, Patrick thrusts his fist into Radios’s solar plexus.

But unwilling to allow fatal blows, they both deflect the attacks with their other arms just before they land.

A perfect exchange of offense and defense, and a battle of perfect timing.

The two were engaged in a deadly dance, disregarding their surroundings, intent only on killing each other.

‘Unexpectedly strong. He hasn’t just been playing around for three years?’

‘Damn! I thought he was a toothless tiger, but he was a cheetah sitting quietly!’

As the two heightened their vigilance against each other…

Crackle!

With the sound of lightning crackling, Patrick’s instinct rang an alarm.

If he didn’t retreat now, accepting a critical wound, he would die instantly from a single blow.

“Damn it!”

Boom!

In the end, Patrick allowed a sword wound to his side and quickly retreated.

Where he had been just moments ago, Astrape was now embedded, emitting electric currents.

If he had been even a little late, he would have been roasted by that attack.

“That spear… surely…”

The aura emanating from it, the majesty apparent from its appearance.

It was undoubtedly Zeus’s spear, Astrape.

Come to think of it, that strange helmet Radios was wearing also looked familiar.

“Where have you been for three years… did you receive the weapons of the gods?”

“Well, something like that.”

“But Radios Magnum. Even if you’ve become stronger, you won’t be able to defeat us.”

“Really?”

“Don’t think of us as the same humans as in the past anymore.”

“Huh!”

As Patrick closed his mouth, a radiance flowed from his body.

Radios couldn’t help but furrow his brow at the sight of that radiance.

And for good reason.

“That aura… could it be…”

“All of us apostles are beings who have stepped into the realm of demigods. Do you think a mere human like you can stop us?”

“Demigod, is it.”

Radios frowned at Patrick’s completely changed aura.

The aura emanating from Patrick was identical to that of the Underworld messenger, Elysse.

He had truly stepped into the realm of demigods.

Of course, even if he had, in human terms, he had just barely awakened his magical power.

“Thanks to you, I’ve recalled a good saying. Isn’t it said that in a fight, one should hide 70% of their strength?”

“What are you suddenly–“

“Dokkaebi Mask.”

Radios used the skill he had received from Kraud without hesitation.

Dokkaebi Mask.

A skill that temporarily grants the body of a dokkaebi.

As the skill manifested, long horns grew from Radios’s head.

Patrick unconsciously gulped.

“Don’t frown like that. It will be over soon.”

“Who’s frowning–“

Whoosh.

Patrick, who was shouting in irritation, momentarily lost track of Radios’s movement.

After blinking once, he belatedly realized that his vision was covered in darkness.

And.

That it was Radios’s palm.

Boom!!