Ch.52Ep.52 Necromancy

“This can’t be happening…”

Mir was witnessing an unbelievable situation with his own eyes.

Serena Tolos was continuing her fight against Namgung Ihyun.

“Lady Ihyun is… losing ground?”

What’s more, Namgung Ihyun’s attacks were increasingly being blocked by Serena.

Conversely, as time passed, she gradually began to overwhelm Namgung Ihyun.

“Serena! How dare you!”

“You should have treated me better from the moment you betrayed me.”

Namgung Ihyun gritted her teeth as she felt her magical power gradually weakening.

That damned Shining Trapezohedron!

Despite it not being a weapon humans should be able to use, Serena was wielding it.

Of course, Namgung Ihyun could counter it using the Necronomicon, but…

Using the Necronomicon came with a tremendous price. It should never be used carelessly.

Yet that damned woman was freely utilizing the Shining Trapezohedron.

“If you kneel right now, I’ll forgive you! Otherwise–“

“What do you plan to do?”

“?!”

A familiar voice, but one that shouldn’t be heard here.

If the owner of that voice was who Namgung Ihyun thought it was…

She absolutely shouldn’t have taken her attention off Serena, but…

“Be torn apart in chaos, Namgung Ihyun.”

“Fujiwara Reeeeeeen!!”

Emerging from the shadows without warning, Ren ripped out Namgung Ihyun’s heart on the spot.

“A-Apostle!!”

“Cough! You rotten bastards!!”

With Mir’s scream, Namgung Ihyun coughed up an enormous amount of blood.

She had long surpassed the realm of demigods and reached the realm of gods.

Even with her heart ripped out, she wouldn’t die immediately. Though she would die eventually.

“Do you think you can do this to me and get away with it?!”

“I’m sorry, but Yog-Sothoth has abandoned you. Do you understand now?”

“What…?”

With Ren’s words, all of Yog-Sothoth’s energy that had existed within Namgung Ihyun flowed into Ren.

Now Namgung Ihyun could finally grasp the situation.

Serena, who wielded the Shining Trapezohedron, had become Nyarlathotep’s apostle.

And Ren had handed that position to Serena and comfortably settled into Yog-Sothoth’s apostle position.

“What nonsense! The Dweller would never abandon me–“

“You should have behaved better. You lost your former self after the war with the Guardian Spirits.”

“..!”

“Back then, you truly were a madwoman, deserving to be called an evil spirit.”

Her path had been paved solely with blood.

And nothing remained behind her.

“But what about now?”

She never once moved on her own to stabilize her Order.

All her operations ended in failure and instead helped the Guardian Spirits.

Yog-Sothoth, who had been patient all this time, finally decided it was right to abandon Namgung Ihyun.

After consulting with Nyarlathotep, he accepted Ren as his apostle, and Nyarlathotep accepted Serena as his apostle.

“You always used to say something. Whether betrayed or stabbed in the back, it’s something one must bear themselves.”

“…Ren!”

“Farewell, Namgung Ihyun.”

As if there was nothing more to say, Ren drew Barzai’s crescent blade and swung it at Namgung Ihyun.

When Veichel used it, her arm rotted away, but he was different.

He perfectly controlled the demonic nature of Barzai’s crescent blade and delivered a slash to Namgung Ihyun.

Swaaaash!

The slash from Barzai’s crescent blade flew at transcendent speed.

In that moment, Namgung Ihyun wondered if perhaps from the moment she first took Yog-Sothoth’s hand…

Such an end had been foretold.

‘Is this the end…’

She never imagined she would meet her death betrayed by those she believed were allies, not even Radios.

She could understand Radios a little now.

So this is what it feels like. The emotion felt when experiencing betrayal.

As she closed her eyes after taking it all in…

Slash!

With the sound of something being cut, pain should have overwhelmed her–

“But it didn’t?”

Then what was that cutting sound?

“Ugh, cough! Apostle… please… run…”

“Mir?”

Thud.

Mir’s upper body, which had taken the full brunt of Barzai’s crescent blade’s slash, was cleanly severed and fell to the ground.

Namgung Ihyun couldn’t understand the situation.

Why?

Why did Mir throw himself in harm’s way? She hadn’t treated him well and had only tormented him, so why did he sacrifice himself?

As her expression showed confusion and her pupils trembled…

“Tsk. This is why humans are creatures weak to emotions.”

“What… do you mean…?”

“Isn’t it obvious? That guy Mir was probably in love with you. That’s why he endured your tyranny.”

“…”

In love with me? Mir was?

Even more confusing.

What is love?

When someone who hurts you is in mortal danger, risking your life for them.

Is that love?

‘I don’t know…’

She didn’t understand how this situation had unfolded either.

But Namgung Ihyun could understand one thing.

Mir had sacrificed his life for her, and his last words were for her to run.

She had always thought of him as just Subordinate #1, but…

Seeing him sacrifice himself for her, Namgung Ihyun could awaken to a new emotion.

She had to escape.

But if she just ran, she would be caught.

She needed to inflict meaningful damage on them before dying.

So where should she go?

‘The Goblin Village…’

The only place she could hide from them now was the Goblin Village.

“Stop struggling and just die— Huh?”

“You’ve… made a mistake…”

With a do-or-die determination, Namgung Ihyun unleashed the Order of Heavenly Killing from her entire body.

Ren, not expecting things to get this complicated, frowned and spoke.

“Namgung Ihyun. You’re about to die. Can’t you die peacefully?”

“Shut up. No matter what… I’ll kill all of you.”

“Do you think that’s possible in your condition?”

“Not me… but Radios Magnum could!”

“..!”

Boom!

With those words, Namgung Ihyun flew westward with all her might.

Ren instinctively realized.

Namgung Ihyun was heading toward the Goblin Village somewhere in Westret.

If she were to meet with Radios, Arsia, and the entire goblin clan there… Ren would lose his chance to finish off Namgung Ihyun.

“Chase her! And stop her! Mobilize every cult in Westret if necessary, but don’t let that woman contact the goblins!”

“Yes!”

Led by Serena, the elite of the Chaos Cult began tracking Namgung Ihyun at high speed.

Normally, they would never be able to catch up to Namgung Ihyun.

But she had lost her heart and was weakened.

They could catch her before she reached Westret.

For the sake of the upcoming large-scale descent of the Outer Gods into Kadinant…

“Her information must not fall into the hands of the goblin clan!!”

Namgung Ihyun had to be eliminated.

***

Meanwhile, around the time chaos was breaking out in Midret…

“Hup!”

Crash!

Radios was training repeatedly according to Rin’s instructions.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

After days of running like crazy, he could feel a dramatic improvement in his skills.

All his movements gained elasticity, and his use of magical power became more fluid.

He could use the Flashing Sword of Destiny twice without using the goblin mask.

With the goblin mask, he could use it about 7 times.

Rin’s training was painful, but it showed results.

What about Arsia?

“…”

Thanks to Rin’s training, the power of her Order had increased explosively.

She transformed her unstable Clairvoyant Eye into a completely new skill.

She was able to create a skill called “Foresight Eye” that combined Insight and Clairvoyant Eye.

Of course, since she couldn’t control it completely, she had to meditate frequently like that.

But being able to observe the future with her eyes was an enormous advantage.

“Hyaah!”

By the way.

What was Radios doing now?

Having finished his daily running, he was now repeatedly throwing straight punches.

Footwork for perfect posture.

Having achieved meaningful results from Rin’s training, Radios no longer complained.

Follow, and become stronger.

Following this simple principle, he strictly adhered to everything Rin said.

There’s a saying that warriors become absorbed in training when they feel themselves growing stronger day by day.

Right now, Radios thought he was absorbed in his training.

“Now you’re ready to learn.”

“Pardon?”

While training diligently as usual.

Rin appeared with arms crossed, examined Radios’s posture from various angles, and then…

Saying it was time to teach him, she pulled out a piece of parchment.

“Have you heard of Subduing Dead?”

“No…”

“Of course not. It’s a very vicious spell that even our clan has designated as forbidden magic.”

“Then why–“

“I intend to teach it to you.”

What? Why would you teach a human something that’s forbidden even among goblins?

Radios wanted to ask this but exercised superhuman patience and kept his mouth shut.

If he talked back like that, an attack would surely come flying.

Rin continued as if his reaction was nothing unusual.

“Subduing Dead will become your hidden card in the future.”

“Is it something like a necromancer?”

“Yes. Think about it. What if you kill Milliana, Ren… and Namgung Ihyun and turn them into undead?”

“..!”

“And if you could control them while fighting? How would that be?”

How would that be? Obviously welcome.

The power of the three major cults of the Outer Gods was that strong.

And its source stemmed from the abnormal power of the apostles.

And there’s a way to handle them, to turn them into safe allies once defeated?

“Is that really possible?”

“Of course. Have you been deceived all your life?”

“Please teach me. This time too, I will follow.”

No matter what, he was determined to acquire that method.