Ch.384EP.80 – The Knight Makes a Vow Once More (2)

…No matter how fearless a person might be, there will always be at least some creature they find repulsive.

Some might detest rodents or parasites, while others might feel revulsion toward slimy mollusks.

There’s nothing wrong with this.

Physiological disgust is an instinct in humans, formed through the trajectory of one’s life experiences and values.

In that sense, Ihan also has creatures he instinctively hates and finds repulsive.

None other than ‘spell-casters’.

Also known as [Mages], creatures that are utterly disgusting.

How disgusting?

Would you believe it if I said that squirming maggots look cute in comparison, and spell-casters appear more horrifying?

…But this is an unavoidable condition.

Having lived as a test subject for spell-casters from a young age before his sense of self was even formed, it’s the natural result of psychological trauma, phobia, and disgust all mixed together.

Though he’s better now, embarrassingly, in the past he would often startle at the mere sight of a mage.

Despite his intense dislike for spell-casters, Ihan was civilized enough not to outright ‘despise’ or try to ‘exterminate’ them.

After all, during his time as an instructor, he spared the life of a spell-caster professor who had provoked him, didn’t he?

That alone was proof of his status as a fine, civilized person.

But today.

‘Ah, I feel my phobia returning…’

The disgust he thought he had overcome seemed to be resurfacing.

And for good reason…

“That’s a spell-caster.”

And of the kind he found most horrifyingly repulsive…

…Squirming.

“How cruel. I haven’t even greeted you yet, and you attack me right away. Isn’t that a bit much for someone of your stature, Mercenary King?”

That thing opened its mouth—something that made one wonder whether it was human or monster.

The mage’s body, which had just crumbled like minced meat before Caesar’s strike, began to reconstruct itself.

It wasn’t regeneration.

If one had to define it…

“These are my spares…”

It was closer to hatching.

There were eggs densely packed in the cross-sections of his torn limbs.

Like when you cut open a fish’s belly and find hundreds of tiny eggs inside?

Those eggs were hatching and reconstructing the mage’s arms.

Furthermore.

Plop, plop, plop!

Eggs that emerged from the creature’s body fell to the ground, grew in size, and gradually began to take shape.

Crack! Crunch!

What tore through the egg membranes were monsters in the form of cockroaches.

It was an horrific type of monster that even those knowledgeable about monsters had never seen before, and watching dozens of them multiply in an instant was nothing short of terrifying.

…By common sense, that is.

“Don’t you know it’s common sense not to dump weird things in the mountains?”

Tap!

The knight stepped forward with an expression devoid of even a hint of fear, and as he slowly moved…

Whoosh-

[Krr!?]

[Kaa…!]

Suddenly, something strange bloomed from the monsters’ bodies.

Rustle.

Stems and buds with indescribably beautiful colors instantly ensnared the monsters’ bodies.

-Lotus flowers bloomed.

With incomparable beauty.

“Oh, an interesting technique, making lotus flowers bloom.”

“It’s not yet complete.”

The technique had succeeded the day before with the help of holy relics and various strokes of luck, but now it was a technique deployed solely with the energy he had named the Prajna Great Ability.

Therefore, it was still difficult to make large flowers bloom, but even so.

“Well, even if it’s incomplete, it’s enough to deal with these things.”

Whoosh!

– [Lotus Nine Forms.]

As Ihan’s unique martial art, derived from Buddha’s gait, unfolded, dozens of monsters were covered in lotus flowers and perished.

It was nothing short of an overwhelming anti-demonic power that completely annihilated beings of demonic nature, and eventually…

Crunch!

“!!!”

It was trying to devour even the perpetrator himself.

“Oh, it’s trying to devour its host too.”

“I didn’t know this was possible…”

“You didn’t know?”

“I just found out today.”

“Heh heh.”

Even the one who deployed the technique was surprised to discover this function.

Despite a person being on the verge of erasure, they remained utterly calm, and just as the mage was about to lose consciousness from the terrible pain…

-Slash!

The mage’s arm, which was about to transform into a flower, was cleanly severed.

“Pathetic fool. I told you not to provoke unnecessarily.”

“Urghh…”

The mage writhed in pain, but the one who had cut off his arm showed no expression.

Rather, his face seemed to say the mage should be grateful for surviving.

And then.

“I apologize for the rudeness. I was late, and this one committed a disrespectful act. I will apologize for this, so please withdraw your killing intent. We simply wanted to meet you because we need to talk.”

“……”

“Will you give us a chance to talk?”

“…Where do these monsters keep coming from, really.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Ihan shook his head in disgust.

He had known there was someone else besides the spell-caster, but he hadn’t expected someone of such skill.

‘Not a spell-caster or a swordsman…’

That clean cut that severed the arm.

What was remarkable about it was that it had completely severed the energy of the Prajna Great Ability.

And it wasn’t done with swordsmanship or magic; that energy was clearly…

“…A shaman?”

Yes, it was undoubtedly the power of shamanism.

But it wasn’t just any common shamanic power; it evoked the monstrous power reminiscent of the former head of the magic tower, known as the Tower Master.

‘There’s still someone similar to that monster?’

Grand Mage Tyr.

The blind shaman who reminded him of that monster had a jewel-like eye gleaming on his forehead.

* * *

“A shaman with a jewel-like eye embedded in his forehead… Yes, I remember now. Surely there is one called the ‘Grand Shaman’ who has such an eye? I thought it was just a legend…”

Caesar spoke in a low voice, and the shaman slightly shook his head in response.

“Even legends are mostly just empty names. And isn’t a greater figure than someone with a mere empty title like me standing right here? The Mercenary King. I never expected someone of your caliber to be here.”

“Haha, to receive such words from the Grand Shaman makes me quite proud.”

“You are worthy of praise.”

“Ha ha ha! Well, well. You’re easy to talk to. How old are you this year?”

“Exactly eighty.”

“So you’re my senior. I was thinking of offering you a drink.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t drink.”

“Oh my! You’re missing one of life’s greatest pleasures.”

The shaman and Caesar engaged in friendly conversation.

They were laughing and talking as if they had known each other for a long time, and at a glance, it seemed like they understood each other, but…

Crack!

Crunch!

The intense energy waves occurring around Caesar and the shaman mercilessly destroyed objects like rocks and trees.

It wasn’t the release of killing intent or aura, but a collision of forces created by the clash of their existential presences, emitting shocks that could crush the bones and tear the flesh of even large beasts.

The Mercenary King and the Grand Shaman.

If these two monsters, each comparable to strategic weapons, were to clash seriously, the forest and mountains would likely be reduced to wasteland.

Perhaps displeased by this destructive behavior…

Whoosh!

Rumble!!

…Rain began to pour with dark clouds, and thunder started to roll.

Vulcan was ‘angry’.

Angry at the intruders who had entered without permission and at those trying to destroy a part of itself.

Boom!

The ground began to shake, demonstrating a different level of anger, and Caesar and the shaman swallowed hard.

“Neither of us wants to incur the wrath of nature.”

“I don’t want to die in vain before achieving my goal.”

If Vulcan’s anger grew stronger, they would not only face nature’s curse but also a difficult life ahead.

So they lowered their guard against each other, and their powers became calmer.

On the other hand…

“The rain isn’t falling on my head?”

“…This level of favoritism doesn’t even make me jealous.”

“?”

“Never mind. More importantly, you seem to be quite popular with strange people.”

“…That kind of popularity doesn’t make me happy at all.”

Ihan’s expression soured at those words.

What popularity…

“Being popular with such ominous people is what I call bad luck.”

Ihan looked directly at the shaman and the mage and sighed before asking.

“…Introduce yourselves first.”

Though Ihan usually maintained polite speech even with strangers, right now he was exceptionally hostile.

He had a rough idea of who these people were from the moment they met, hence his antagonistic attitude, but the blind shaman’s expression remained unchanged despite this hostility.

He simply…

“…First, let me thank you for allowing this conversation.”

He greeted with an indifferent tone, showing a more reasonable attitude than expected, but.

“Despite hearing about you often from my comrades, this is the first time we’re actually talking.”

“……”

“Hmm, you probably already know about us, but I’ll introduce ourselves anyway. That mage comrade over there is named Kundan. He had a different name in the past, but with each death, his memories have become hazy, and he can no longer maintain his original name or personality—a deeply sinful being.”

“?”

“It’s fine if you don’t understand. It’s just personal history.”

“……”

Ihan wondered if this blind shaman was mocking him.

After all, he hadn’t provided any proper explanation.

…But the next moment.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Amos. I’m just an old shaman, but within the organization, they call me [The Prophet].”

Flinch!

The moment he heard the name “Prophet,” Ihan’s fists clenched involuntarily.

Surely…

“That’s right. As you suspect, I am the one who burned down the Grand Temple. Also…”

Whoosh-

—I am also the one who summoned the Demon King.

Bang!!

…As soon as those words were finished, Ihan was striking the other’s face.

With the resolve to abandon his respect for the elderly just for today!