Ch.283Chapter 283 – Breaking the Final Barrier

The Barrier of the Oberon Kingdom.

This barrier, formed along the mountain ranges surrounding the kingdom, was created with the contributions of Belinda and Aegir.

Before the official border closure of the Oberon Kingdom began, the two demons were conversing in the underground chambers of the Oberon royal palace.

“Belinda. Are the preparations for the ritual going well?”

“Yes. I think we’ll be able to perform the ritual as early as the beginning of next year.”

Aegir and Belinda were discussing the ‘ritual.’

“As you well know, Lord Enceladus’s energy is growing weaker. If this continues, the chance for his resurrection may be lost forever.”

“That’s right… Of all our numerous kin, only you and I remain now.”

Belinda sighed, agreeing with Aegir’s words.

“After Lord Enceladus was defeated in the ancient war and sealed away, his power diminished, and we demons began walking the path of downfall.”

“And in the midst of all that, the so-called Four Heavenly Kings walked around with their heads held high until they faced rebellion and died. It was truly chaotic.”

As the two demons reminisced about the past, their expressions soured, suggesting their memories weren’t particularly pleasant.

“You and I were relatively fortunate. The other demons were left with only their instincts and killed each other off, leaving just the two of us in the end.”

“That’s right. But since then, no other demons have appeared, and consequently, sentient beings who knew about demons have gradually disappeared…”

“Forgotten in existence, we’ve become creatures that only appear in fairy tales now.”

Aegir and Belinda sighed simultaneously.

How had the proud demons who served Enceladus fallen so far?

Though the two demons knew their glorious past no longer existed, they couldn’t help but recall it repeatedly.

“Our power isn’t what it used to be either. Even now, I’ve barely managed to regain something close to my former strength through rituals, but as time passes, my power continues to fade.”

“Don’t say that! If you disappear too, what am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t worry. All preparations are perfect. Not far from here exists a being of tremendous power. That being’s strength possesses a terrifying might that exceeds even our expectations. If attacked by him, I might be annihilated.”

“Then… do you have some kind of plan?”

Belinda looked at Aegir with a puzzled expression.

“Yes. A method to attempt Lord Enceladus’s resurrection through the completion of the ritual.”

“Really?”

“Yes. However, for that ritual, I must die.”

“…What?”

Belinda was confused by Aegir’s words.

He had to die? That was necessary for the ritual’s completion?

“As you know, there are many people in this region now. Counting by numbers, there are over 200,000.”

“Don’t tell me you plan to use them all as sacrifices?”

Aegir nodded at Belinda’s words.

“Hmm, that method would be more than sufficient! We’d even have some to spare!”

“However, initiating the ritual requires an enormous amount of power.”

At Aegir’s words, Belinda nodded.

“I see. You plan to use your death and the power that kills you to initiate the ritual.”

“Exactly. After supplying the energy needed to start the ritual, the remaining power will be used to deploy a barrier to protect the ritual’s progress.”

“Do you really have to go that far?”

“I must. If it’s for Lord Enceladus’s resurrection.”

Aegir was resolute. Belinda tried to dissuade him from sacrificing himself but soon gave up.

After all, his method ensured the ritual’s success.

“Belinda. I ask of you. Please fulfill our collective wish.”

“…Don’t worry. I will definitely succeed.”

With that, Aegir and Belinda parted ways, and using Aegir’s death as a catalyst, a massive amount of power began flowing into the Oberon Kingdom.

“Now the ritual will begin. It will take about three days to complete. If the ritual succeeds… Lord Enceladus will surely be resurrected.”

Seeing the barrier being formed, Belinda was certain of Aegir’s death and proceeded with the ritual.

The lives of 200,000 people living in the Oberon Kingdom.

It was a ritual to break Enceladus’s seal and fully resurrect him by offering all their lives and souls as sacrifices.

Belinda was saddened by Aegir’s death, but he too had sacrificed himself for the completion of the ritual.

“I will definitely succeed. Definitely.”

Belinda was determined not to waste this final opportunity gained through Aegir’s sacrifice.

And a day later, Pathos approached the barrier surrounding the Oberon Kingdom.

It was just one day before the ritual’s completion.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

When I touched the barrier blocking the entrance to the Oberon Kingdom, it felt squishy but with a firmness inside.

It wouldn’t budge when pushed with force, and stones thrown at it simply bounced back.

With something like this surrounding the entire kingdom, there was no one coming out or going in.

“Huff…”

I took a deep breath and held a hammer in my right hand.

The moment I struck the barrier three times with this hammer, it would break, and the people waiting would advance into the Oberon Kingdom.

“Then I’ll break the barrier!”

After declaring my intention to break the barrier, I swung the hammer in my hand down on it.

The rotation that started from my shoulder traveled through my arm, moving the hammer in my right hand to strike the barrier.

“Ugh!”

However, I stumbled backward due to the tremendous rebound force from the barrier.

It seemed like the squishy part had deflected my hammer.

But I had no intention of backing down.

I gripped the hammer again and swung it toward the barrier.

“Tsk, the recoil is too strong.”

Once again, the hammer was deflected, and a shock that made my arm numb was transmitted.

I gripped the hammer in my right arm once more and swung it toward the barrier.

As the third and final hammer blow was delivered and touched the barrier, it began to shatter like a mirror…

“What’s this?”

The sky beyond the barrier was dyed a dark red.

Moreover, clouds were rotating along a pillar of light at what appeared to be the capital of the Oberon Kingdom.

Once the barrier was confirmed broken, the holy knights and priests began advancing toward the Oberon Kingdom.

“What is happening?”

“The barrier is definitely broken, but what is that phenomenon?”

The Elder Priest and Eterna approached me after sending the others ahead.

“I don’t know. But it’s hard to see it as something good happening.”

A pillar of light soaring high into the sky, with clouds spinning around it.

It looked just like someone was summoning a demon lord…

Wait a minute?

“Could it be?”

“Do you have any idea what’s happening?”

Eterna was startled by my reaction and approached me.

“Could some ritual related to the resurrection of a demon god be taking place there?”

“Hmm?”

“What?”

In creative works, when clouds form in that shape, something sinister is usually happening there.

However, since the concept of creative works as I knew them on Earth doesn’t exist in this world, I had no way to explain it.

“Looking at that pillar of light shooting up into the sky and the clouds spinning around, doesn’t it remind you of something? It’s like something is being shot up into the sky to break something.”

“Hmm, now that you mention it, it does look that way.”

“Then we can’t just stand here! We need to rush there immediately and stop that plan!”

The Elder Priest and Eterna seemed impressed by my deductive reasoning, even if it was somewhat forced.

“Everyone, move as quickly as possible to the kingdom’s capital!”

“Help each other with blessings and holy magic so you don’t collapse from exhaustion!”

The Elder Priest, sensing the gravity of the situation, urged everyone to move quickly, and in response, all received holy magic and blessings, advancing at an incredible speed toward the capital of the Oberon Kingdom.

The sight of thousands of holy knights and priests rushing forward was truly that of valiant warriors going to wage a holy war.

I too moved to the capital of the Oberon Kingdom, carried in the arms of Cheonhyeryeong, who had been hiding her presence.

“The people’s bodies have no vitality at all.”

Upon investigating the people lying around in a village we passed through during our journey, we discovered something truly horrific had occurred.

“Not a drop of blood comes out even when pricked with a needle. It seems all the blood in their bodies has dried up.”

“Truly, some evil ritual is taking place!”

Upon hearing that all the people’s blood had dried up, the faces of the holy knights and priests completely hardened.

“Using human blood and vitality as a medium is only done when summoning an evil entity.”

Upon learning that a ritual related to “summoning,” which had been merely a speculation, was indeed in progress, everyone’s pace quickened even more.

Is something really big happening here?

I was just fidgeting with the gun in my possession, desperately hoping that nothing would happen.