Chapter 115: Underwear Thief

The Abyss Crater.

A massive, circular chasm located deep within the Arkana Desert.

It was a perfect circle, as if carved out by a star that had fallen from the sky.

It was so deep its bottom couldn’t be fathomed, and from within, monsters crawled out endlessly.

Two years and three months.

I had been here, swinging my sword without a single day of rest.

Even now, remembering when I first came here sends a chill down my spine.

A tide of monsters pouring out day and night.

Death Eagles, Sand Worms, Crimson Vipers…

Each one was a dangerous A-rank or higher entity, yet they swarmed endlessly like ants.

On the first night, I couldn’t sleep.

The moment I closed my eyes, claws and venomous stingers aimed for my neck.

I had to stand, clutching my holy sword, and fight through the night.

The second day, the third day…

Even after a week, the situation didn’t improve.

If anything, my body reached its limit, making things even more dangerous.

And on the tenth day, a true crisis arrived.

An S-rank monster, a Sand Drake, and a horde of A-rank Basilisks appeared.

‘I’m going to die…’

In that desperate moment, I suddenly remembered the root Lycoris had given me.

I hurriedly applied the root’s sap to my sword and cut down the nearest Sand Drake.

The pale purple blade had merely grazed it, yet the S-rank monster convulsed and collapsed.

‘To think it had this much power…!’

But the joy was fleeting as the remaining monsters charged at me all at once.

With the poison, I could only handle one at a time, but there looked to be over a hundred of them.

Just when I thought it was truly the end, the bracelet on my wrist suddenly grew hot and began to absorb my mana.

In the next moment, the sky tore open, and a massive storm erupted.

In an instant, all the monsters turned to ash and scattered.

‘So this… was the true power of the bracelet…’

I realized it then.

Lycoris was a far more wondrous being than I had ever imagined.

A being who would give such treasures as casual gifts.

The fact that such a powerful being had accepted Seraphina and me as friends was a miracle in itself.

After that, things were different.

Trusting in Lycoris’s gifts, I could fight more boldly.

My body’s reaction speed increased, and the purity and volume of my mana grew.

My swordsmanship became more refined, and above all, my mind was tempered.

After six months, I was finally able to sleep soundly.

I had figured out the monsters’ attack patterns and was able to secure a safe resting place.

After a year, I had managed to claim about half of the crater as my territory.

The monsters in that area would retreat cautiously whenever I appeared.

And now, two years later…

“Hoo…”

I stood at the edge of the crater and took a deep breath.

Looking down, a strange sight unfolded.

A massive Rock Golem crawled out, spotted me, and then hastily hid back inside the pit.

An Iron Scorpion, which boasted a steel exoskeleton, saw me and shrieked in terror as it fled.

Even the normally fearless Sand Bears were shoving each other, desperate to escape.

‘Is it finally time for me to go back…?’

I raised a hand and looked at my own body.

It had changed beyond comparison from two years ago.

My muscles were harder, and my reaction speed was as fast as lightning.

Most importantly, the amount of mana flowing through my body had increased incomparably.

Its purity, too, was on a completely different level.

Suddenly, Seraphina’s last words came to mind.

“Bea, you must return safely. In the meantime, I’ll correct all the temple’s misguided doctrines.”

Her warm smile from that day was still vivid.

I felt like I could go back now and give her a real surprise.

I wanted to show her how strong I had become.

Sheathing my sword, I stood up.

It was time to go back.

It was then.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

A colossal aura of evil, unlike anything I had ever felt before, was flowing from somewhere in the desert.

‘This… what is this absurd aura…’

Goosebumps covered my entire body.

This aura was more dangerous than any monster I had faced in my entire life.

No, it was a being that transcended the very concept of a monster.

A high-ranking demon…

No, it could be something even greater.

I instinctively drew my holy sword.

The blade glowed with a silver light, cutting through the surrounding air.

I took a small vial from my waist and applied its contents to the blade.

It was the last of the poison extracted from Lycoris’s root.

It was a precious thing I had used sparingly over the past two years.

The blade was stained a pale purple.

A unique fragrance spread.

As I exited the Abyss Crater, a figure appeared in the distance.

It was a beautiful woman with black hair fluttering in the wind.

A perfect appearance and an elegant posture.

She looked like a goddess who had walked out of the darkness.

But the aura emanating from her was horrifically malevolent.

‘Is that her…?’

The difference between her appearance and her aura was too great.

An angelic face radiating a demonic aura.

That contrast made her even more terrifying.

I couldn’t hesitate any longer.

My combat instincts, honed by long years of training, were screaming a warning.

This opponent had to be faced with my full power from the very beginning.

I poured my mana into the bracelet on my wrist.

Instantly, the sky darkened, and black clouds gathered.

A blue light flashed from the bracelet, forming a massive storm.

A bolt of lightning that tore through the sky shot down toward the woman.

Simultaneously, I rushed toward her.

My speed was faster than the falling lightning.

It was the result of all my training.

However, just before my sword could reach her neck, my body froze solid.

‘What…?’

Confused, I looked around and saw nothing but a few black threads lightly touching my arms and legs.

The threads weren’t even binding me, yet I couldn’t move a single finger.

Crack!

The lightning from the sky struck belatedly.

But the black threads spread around the woman completely absorbed the bolt.

When the woman gave a small wave of her hand, the massive storm vanished like a mirage, revealing a clear sky.

‘Impossible…’

A wave of despair washed over me.

The difference in our power was just too vast.

I thought I had become strong enough after all my training…

I thought I had become strong enough to make even S-rank monsters flee…

But in front of this woman, all of it was mere child’s play.

‘What… what have I been doing all this time?’

A sense of self-loathing flooded me.

To think that such an overwhelmingly powerful being actually existed…

The woman slowly circled me, sniffing the air.

It was as if she was smelling a fragrance.

“Hmm… this smells like Lycoris…”

‘Lycoris!?’

My heart pounded.

She knows Lycoris?

“Mmph!”

But the threads prevented me from opening my mouth.

I couldn’t even make a proper sound.

“Oh my, I’m sorry. I’ll let you speak~”

The woman moved her hand slightly, and the threads around my mouth and neck snapped.

But my body was still completely immobile.

“Who are you! How do you know Lycoris!”

“Hmm… if you attack first and then get captured like this, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”

The woman tilted her head and smiled.

The smile was beautiful, but at the same time, chilling.

“Ugh…”

I had no choice.

I couldn’t lie in this situation, nor did I have the strength to resist.

“I am Beatrice… known as the Silver Hero.”

“A hero, are you~ How interesting. So, what’s your relationship with Lycoris?”

“We met once, three years ago. At that time… I received her help.”

“What kind of help?”

The woman’s eyes glittered with curiosity.

“She corrected the false teachings I had learned… and I also received several gifts.”

I said, glancing at the bracelet.

“The scent on my sword is likely from the sap of a root Lycoris gave me.”

“Lycoris’s root, you say?”

The woman’s expression grew even more interested as she approached my sword.

Then she stroked the blade with her finger…

And put it straight into her mouth.

‘!? Is she seriously doing something so stupid!?’

“Hmm~ it’s more bitter than I thought~ But it’s not bad.”

But the woman casually appraised the taste.

She was as composed as if she were tasting tea.

‘That’s a potent poison that could take down any monster in a single blow…?‘

My shock turned into a sense of awe.

I was once again made aware of just how powerful this woman was.

‘Could it be that Lycoris was defeated by this woman…’

“Who… who in the world are you?”

My voice trembled.

“Me? My name is Bellona~ My race is Evil God~”

In that moment, it felt as if my world was collapsing.

“Evil God… Bellona…?”

I had never heard the name Bellona before, but the words “Evil God” alone were enough to bring despair.

The immense evil aura I felt now made sense.

‘To encounter an Evil God right after finishing my training…’

Was this some cruel twist of fate?

Was my two-year ordeal going to end like this?

“Kill me.”

I steeled my resolve and raised my neck.

Let me die like a hero.

For a final moment, Seraphina’s face came to mind.

Her warm smile, the promises we made at the end…

‘I’m sorry… Sera… I don’t think I can keep our promise…’

But Bellona tilted her head and said something unexpected.

“Huh? I don’t kill women. I only kill men~”

“What?”

I was bewildered.

An Evil God would spare a hero?

And just because I’m a woman…?

“And you said you got a root from Lycoris, right? Doesn’t that mean you’re close?”

“Well… that’s…”

“Then I have even less reason to kill you~”

Bellona grinned.

This situation was completely incomprehensible.

“What… is your exact relationship with Lycoris?”

At that, Bellona answered with a proud expression.

“I’m Lycoris’s teacher~”

“What? Teacher?”

Nonsense!

“Lycoris is a fervent follower of Lord Mikel! There’s no way she would become the disciple of some Evil God!”

My voice rose.

Hearing my words, Bellona laughed and clapped her hands.

“Aha~ So she was a follower of Mikel! I thought there was something secretive about her. Thanks to you, the mystery is solved~”

“What on earth are you talking about…”

Lycoris, the disciple of an Evil God.

Then what was the Lycoris I had known all this time?

Seeing my baffled expression, Bellona kindly explained.

“Gods all have different inclinations. Look at humans. Some become heroes, and some become followers of Abraxas, right?”

“That’s…”

“I used to play with Mikel a lot back in the day. We get along well~”

‘What is this Evil God…?’

My existing concept of an Evil God was completely shattered.

It was strange that an Evil God was friends with Lord Mikel, and it was amazing that I could even have a conversation like this.

“You… why have you come here?”

“To the human world? Or the desert? I came to the human world to gather followers, and I came to the desert looking for a quiet place for my artistic activities~”

Bellona said with a cheerful expression.

Art?

Is there a god of art among the Evil Gods?

“What kind of art…?”

“Are you interested? It’s an art that Lycoris is completely obsessed with~”

Lycoris is?

Is that why she’s her teacher?

Curiosity sparked within me.

And this Evil God didn’t seem as evil as I thought.

She was even friendly.

If I followed a being like this, I felt I could learn many of the world’s secrets.

And perhaps I could grow even stronger…

I slowly nodded my head.

The corners of Bellona’s mouth slowly rose.

Within that smile, something profound glinted.