Ch.7Ep.7 Rescue

# Click-clack.

In the damp underground dungeon where torches provided the only light.

To meet a high-profile criminal located on the lowest level of the prison.

The former Guardian Spirit First Corps Commander Serena Tolos, now a traitor to Radios and the Archbishop of the ‘Crawling Chaos’ cult, continued her steps forward.

Her footsteps were swift and light as feathers.

Not even footprints remained where she had passed.

With a hardened face, Serena had been descending gradually downward.

She stopped her steps when she reached the cell where a woman was imprisoned.

The imprisoned woman raised her head at the presence of another person she hadn’t felt in a long time.

After confirming the face belonged to Serena, she dropped her head abruptly.

Serena called the prisoner’s name with a regretful tone.

“Arsia… Isn’t it time to stop now? The Guardian Spirit is finished. Hmm? The commander hasn’t appeared for three years.”

“…”

That’s right.

Serena knew Arsia had already reached her limit and came here to persuade her one last time.

Naturally, no answer came back.

Serena didn’t believe that Arsia’s true reason for following Radios was because of his strength and the trust befitting his position as the commander of the Guardian Spirit.

Rather, it was an emotion taken to the extreme—love.

The reason Arsia continued to endure despite Radios’s disappearance was, no matter how she thought about it, only that.

Serena found her friend utterly unreliable for this.

“You need to break free from the past too… The world has already changed, you know?”

“…You.”

“Huh?”

“You… seem satisfied… with your position…?”

When Arsia stared at Serena with empty eyes.

Serena’s face contorted visibly.

Satisfied? Well… of course…

“You… can’t be… After all… you’re nothing but a traitor…”

“Shut up! I am the Archbishop of the Crawling Chaos cult! It’s practically the same position as Corps Commander!”

“Pitiful woman… Do you think… throwing everything away… for something so trivial… can be forgiven…?”

“Eek!!”

“A traitor… is never… welcomed anywhere…”

Arsia’s empty eyes gradually began to burn with hatred.

The reason she ended up like this was because of that damned woman in front of her.

“I curse you, Serena Tolos! You will die experiencing the worst pain from the person you miss the most!! No one will remain by your side! You will end your life alone and in misery..!”

A ghostly fire blazed in Arsia’s eyes.

Momentarily overwhelmed by her intensity, Serena shouted with a vicious expression.

“Arsia Cromwell! I’m telling you for the last time!! Abandon the Guardian Spirit and convert to the Outer God cult now! If not… you will be sentenced to death!”

“I… will never abandon the Guardian Spirit.”

“Arsia..!”

Serena practiced patience several times in the face of her unchanging attitude.

Knowing Arsia’s capabilities.

She had hoped that Arsia would cross over to the Outer God cult.

“Arsia… as a friend—”

“You were the first to abandon our friendship, traitor. Stop with the nonsense and get out… You disgust me.”

Ptui.

With that, Arsia spat, and Serena’s shoes were soaked with her saliva.

Even though her arms were bound and she was forced to kneel.

Even though most of her magical power had been taken away.

Arsia had not lost her defiant gaze from the moment she was imprisoned until now.

What was her driving force?

It was completely incomprehensible.

Although the end of Radios was unsettling.

Wouldn’t it be natural to assume he was dead after not showing his face for three years?

Yet Arsia had not lost hope.

Looking at her, Serena hesitated.

At the same time, her heart sank a little.

‘Am I regretting it? Do I… regret my betrayal?’

It was she who had kicked away their friendship—one where they had stood back-to-back and shared drinks together.

For what?

For survival.

But was she satisfied with what she had gained through that betrayal?

That, she couldn’t answer.

“…”

After looking down at Arsia regretfully for a moment.

Serena finally made her decision and turned around.

It was time to pronounce the end.

“Arsia Cromwell. In the name of Serena Tolos, Archbishop of the Crawling Chaos… I command. In three days, you shall be burned at the stake.”

“…”

Arsia remained unmoved despite the final sentence.

Rather, it was Serena who was more shaken.

“You’ve done well until now… old friend.”

She stepped away, repeatedly brainwashing herself that she had done the right thing despite her bursting inner feelings.

Once her presence had completely disappeared.

Arsia smiled slightly, making sure no one noticed.

“Stupid woman… Radios has finally returned… The commander you betrayed has come back.”

The contingency she had left behind had activated.

A contingency that would only respond to Radios’s magical power, so it was unmistakable.

He would have acquired the coordinates of her imprisonment.

And before long, this rotten underground prison would disappear into history.

“And Serena… you too will disappear.”

No one can stop Radios when he’s angry.

She had seen it with her own eyes.

Radios in a state of rage… emitted such a fierce aura that he could be mistaken for an asura.

Could he possibly remain unmoved when seeing a traitor?

Absolutely not.

“Everything is… for Kadinant…”

In preparation for the upcoming prison break.

Arsia closed her eyes and decided to conserve her energy.

Meanwhile, Serena, who had left Arsia, faced the situation she was in.

Her words seemed to gnaw at her inner self bit by bit.

‘A traitor is never welcomed anywhere…’

That’s right.

Someone who has betrayed once is likely to betray again.

That’s why even the Outer God cult had only given Serena the position of Archbishop.

And then treated her as if she didn’t exist.

A person with power but unable to use it.

In other words, Serena was nothing but a figurehead now.

It meant she was just a Kadinant native who helped in the fall of Kadinant.

Rather than being treated like this, would it have been better… not to betray?

Even if they had been defeated, at least she wouldn’t have lost her most precious relationship.

“Haaaa…”

Although it was a decision made after much deliberation, she regretted it many times.

She regretted it yet felt relieved, and while feeling relieved, she regretted it.

The choice of betrayal.

If someone had shown her the right path.

Would she have been able to follow it?

“I miss those days especially today, Commander.”

Even in the midst of repeated defeats, with a smile.

The commander of the Guardian Spirit, Radios, who encouraged everyone to move forward together.

Thinking that she couldn’t finish him off herself.

Serena had spent many nights with the delusion that he might return.

Even though she had received the position of Archbishop, her heart remained empty.

Serena pressed down those uncomfortable feelings deep inside.

She couldn’t help but have lingering attachments.

But now it was truly time to let go of such emotions.

If Radios were alive.

“Don’t come back. I… simply don’t have the courage to face you, Commander.”

A reunion… is something she would rather decline.

***

Radios went to greet the slaves and immediately rushed toward the prison where Arsia was confined.

He thought that if the news of the Cardinal’s disappearance reached the Tulcha cult.

They would visit this place first.

Thanks to getting some rest in the afternoon, he wasn’t sleepy despite it being night.

Additionally, after the fight with the Cardinal.

He realized that the second stage of the seal surrounding him had been broken.

Now he had reached a level where he could act as he pleased.

Of course, if he announced Radios’s return, all apostles of the Outer Gods would chase him.

So he decided to reveal his identity when the fourth stage of the seal was released.

But by then, the information would have already spread.

After running and running, Radios arrived near the underground prison, stopped his movement, and assessed the situation.

‘Indeed… the security is tight.’

The Tulcha cult was among the lowest-ranked among the Outer God cults.

Even for a prison managed by a sub-apostle of such a cult.

It seems the tight security was unavoidable.

However, there was one suspicious point.

‘Why imprison Arsia here of all places…’

Arsia, known as the Best Guardian.

She was practically the greatest driving force that allowed them to withstand the offensive of the Outer God cult.

If one were to measure her threat level to the Outer God cult…

She should normally be imprisoned in a prison managed by the apostle of the ‘Mother of All,’ at the very least.

He couldn’t predict for what purpose they had confined Arsia in the most flimsy prison.

The most plausible guess that came to mind was.

“They deliberately imprisoned her here to persuade Arsia…”

The Outer God cult wasn’t stupid, would they think Arsia could be persuaded?

For Radios, who didn’t know the detailed circumstances, it seemed like this could be a trap.

But he would never know.

That the reason Arsia was imprisoned here was Serena’s unilateral action.

It was her detestable mercy based on old affection.

But that didn’t mean Radios would give up on Arsia.

Tight security?

Sorry, but he possessed the strongest divine object capable of neutralizing tight security.

Although he was wary that Hades might speak to him again if he wore it.

At this moment, there was no ability more necessary than Kynee’s invisibility.

Radios checked again and again whether traps were set around.

After putting on Kynee, he walked forward very quietly.

He had already identified escape routes in case he was discovered.

Soldiers with grim faces scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.

Although they could be dealt with in one punch if he wanted.

Radios wanted to enter the underground prison with as little commotion as possible.

As a result, Radios carefully approached the door of the underground prison.

He successfully passed through the entrance of the underground prison without being noticed by the guards.

‘Now I need to find out where Arsia is imprisoned…’

Using magic to detect would be like announcing “I’m here,” so that was rejected.

In other words, he had no choice but to walk around and check where Arsia was.

Just as he was organizing his thoughts.

A familiar magical power was approaching from below.

Something he tried to forget but absolutely couldn’t.

The owner of this magical power..!

“Serena… Tolos…”

It belonged to the traitor who turned her back on the Guardian Spirit.