Chapter 297

Chapter 297. Rogue (3)

“Sir Alio, what is, what is happening right now?”

“Why has the homepage icon suddenly reappeared?”

“What on earth is going on…?”

“Why is K posting when all the outsiders have returned to their world?”

“Is he posting from his world then?”

The sudden appearance of the Order’s homepage icon had caught everyone off guard.

To make it even more bewildering, new posts had appeared through it, and comments were being made by outsiders.

Although it was happening right before their eyes, nobody had a clear understanding of what was going on.

Even Rashar, who had stepped outside with knights for patrol, was no exception.

She remained frozen in place with a bewildered expression.

Meanwhile, time passed, and among those who witnessed the same thing, there was one person who took meaningful action.

「Title: K, an explanation is required.

– Author: Jordan Rodiel」

It was Jordan, who was heading to the Chedaltman temple to discuss the situation.

Soon after, a number appeared next to the post’s title.

It meant a comment had been added.

And after that comment, K posted yet another new message.

Following that, a series of posts began to flood in.

「Title: Requesting cooperation for evacuation – Author: K」

「Title: Habon Evacuation Status (Closed) – Author: Nadia」

「Title: Callum Evacuation Status (Closed) – Author: Fruit Basket」

「Title: Loborre Evacuation Status (Ongoing) – Author: Eclair」

「Title: Chedaltman Evacuation Status (Ongoing) – Author: Jean」

「Title: Molbam Evacuation Status (Planned) – Author: Shark King」

…

It was reminiscent of the time when the outsiders roamed this land.

Rashar observed the scene with trembling eyes.

Then, after a considerable amount of time, she cautiously gathered the courage to click on the post Jordan had uploaded.

The comments, which had increased to two, were simple.

– K: I’ve posted the exact details, so please check. Also, may I ask a question? Where is Rashar Bennet? Habon? Chedaltman?

– Jordan Rodiel: The southern front has currently retreated to Chedaltman, and Miss Rashar is there with us.

Right after Rashar finished reading the content, the scene before her eyes suddenly went dark.

A black armor abruptly appeared in front of her.

As she hesitated and stepped back, she saw a familiar face.

Gazing at his golden-colored eyes, Rashar murmured unconsciously.

“……. K.”

Her voice was shaky and strained as if forced from her throat, to the extent that she was surprised at how terrible it sounded.

While Rashar remained rooted for various reasons, Gilenios, standing behind K, casually spoke up.

“What should I do now…”

K fixed his gaze on Rashar and fired his retort.

“If you ever phrase your speech like that again, I’ll make sure you can’t speak at all. No use getting any formal respect from someone like you. Just like always.”

“Heh, then refusing wouldn’t be right. So? What should I do?”

“Your authority, can you move anywhere without restriction? Even to places you’ve never visited?”

“No, I can only go to places where I’ve identified a gap. It’s a bit of a maze inside.”

“Then go ahead first.”

“What?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Immediately go to our world and identify that gap. Make sure I can go wherever and whenever I want.”

Gilenios swallowed dryly, a strange pleasure flashed across his face as he asked again.

“I can cross over?”

“I’ve taken care of it.”

“Then I must do as told. Of course. Moving here and there is my specialty, after all. Just leave it to me!”

After that, Gilenios vanished. As if cut cleanly from the scene.

Rashar trembled and cautiously retreated a few more steps as a reflex.

Momentarily, a small wrinkle appeared between K’s brows.

He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something.

But in the end, he clicked his tongue instead of speaking.

‘Again…’

He swallowed it down without saying anything.

Rashar clenched her teeth and glared at K.

But K was looking elsewhere.

Following his gaze upward, Rashar’s face turned pale.

A massive presence was approaching.

Rashar had already experienced something similar to this.

On a day long ago, when summoned by the Order of Palao to the headquarters’ temple.

She had faced that enormous presence before Palao, who chose her as an apostle.

‘How is this possible?’

This wasn’t even a temple, so why could she sense the presence of a god?

“That’s annoyingly fast. Someone might think they’ve already caught me.”

At that time, K muttered in an irritated tone and readjusted his spear.

“How do they even know I’m here? Stalker bastard…”

An ominous golden spark erupted from beneath K’s feet as he gritted his teeth.

* * *

Right after moving to Chedaltman with Gilenios, Agnotia was the first to appear.

Perhaps intending to hide her betrayal for now, the unsettling black power was not present at all.

Instead, the divinity within it was felt.

In that moment, to some extent, I understood the desperation that drove it to amass divinity.

‘I need it too…’

Although Palao’s divinity is presently within my grasp, it will quickly deplete once additional selections commence.

I’ve brazenly declared to the Damned System my intent to gather divinity, so I must persistently collect divinity until this war concludes.

With the Inheritance Candidate trait, capturing that being would allow me to seize its divinity and status like a complete set, but…

‘A legion commander can’t possibly be on the same level as a god.’

It still seemed like a reckless endeavor.

Until I’m able to confront beings of extraordinary power alone, avoiding direct confrontations with the gods is the better course.

With a sense of regret, I involuntarily clicked my tongue.

Meanwhile, Agnotia closed in significantly.

Since it was a god coming for me, even I felt the tension mounting.

‘Breaking the contract means the additional clause was nullified from my perspective too.’

That clause preventing Biharin gods from harming the player.

While Palao’s divine relic, once given by Gretman, still hung around my neck…

‘Agnotia wouldn’t keep that promise.’

It was hell-bent on collecting divinity.

There was even an attempt to consume me before.

It seemed unlikely that it would honor any pact made among the 7 Great Gods.

‘Better to move now.’

Expecting any rationality from this half-crazed being was plainly a mistake.

By lingering among the refugees, there was a risk that a single attack could cause innumerable casualties.

It’s best to block any chance of such a tragedy from occurring in the first place.

I lightly pushed off the ground.

Step by step.

As I ascended into the air with red mana glowing beneath me, Agnotia eventually arrived just within reach.

At that moment, a fierce presence was sensed. It was trying to grasp me.

The movement was blatant, as if there were no longer any inhibitions.

‘I made the right call to move.’

If I had remained among the refugees, that simple gesture could have swept dozens away.

I flowed like water, turning my body while stepping on mana.

While the divinity was invisible, avoiding the sense of both divinity and presence was not easy.

Once, twice, and then countless times. Agnotia persistently chased me.

While evading a being without visible form, I pondered over the current situation.

Even though the contract with the Damned System was nullified, something felt amiss.

‘It shouldn’t belong in the material world…’

In the laws of causality, beings with a status as massive as the gods do not exist.

In other words, it would be unreasonable to assume they belong to the material world where causality, the rules, apply.

You could say they were thrown out of the world as compensation for their stature.

As a result, significant restrictions exist when they try to intervene in the material world where causality applies.

They have to pay a substantial price, more than what we who were originally inside must expend.

The fact that Biharin’s gods have apostles is also due to this influence.

So why is this one moving so vigorously right now?

‘Could a being mad on divinity act so recklessly?’

I am carrying substantial divinity, so maybe it’s taking its chances?

Perhaps it thinks that by consuming me, any immediate losses will be offset by recovery.

While I mulled over the uneasy feeling, a new presence was detected.

‘Damn it.’

It was Temoria. Noticing its presence, I saw it quickly closing in before abruptly halting.

What wind drives a being that usually just casts a glance and departs, to now linger and watch?

Is that thing also planning to exploit the dissolution of the contract between dimensions to target my divinity?

‘If so, that’s troubling.’

Regardless of any handicap, it is still a god.

Could I evade if both came at me simultaneously?

‘Barely managing to dodge is my limit even now.’

If Temoria intervenes, it becomes a tough situation.

While clicking my tongue mentally, I closely observed Temoria’s presence.

Seemingly in response, before long, Temoria began to move again.

“Huh?”

But not toward me, rather, it targeted Agnotia, who was aiming for me.

As the two enormous beings collided, the resulting impact caused both sky and earth to ripple like waves.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Uaaaaah!”

The abrupt situation also impacted those who densely filled the surroundings of Chedaltman Fortress.

The refugees screamed in panic.

Collapsing under shock or clutching their heads in agony was minor.

The fortress walls shook, and as if they were mere toys, one side crumbled.

“Damn…!”

The refugees, packed tightly against the exterior wall, were about to be crushed.

From inside the fortress, blue mana quickly rushed out to support the collapsing walls.

Meanwhile, nearby holy knights evacuated the refugees.

Shortly after, as the debris slowly touched down, Gretman appeared.

He stared intently at me, hanging in the air, and moved his lips.

– This isn’t the time to be distracted.

Before I could finish reading his lips, I turned my head.

I sensed the sinister intent aiming for me.

Compared to the divinity I had sensed from Agnotia before, this was swift and secretive.

It wasn’t pure divinity, but that unsettling black power, corrupted divinity.

No time to evade. I raised my spear and unleashed divinity.

“Ugh…!”

Bang, bang, bang!

With each collision of my spear against Agnotia’s power, golden lightning burst outward.

Agnotia cleverly evaded my spear’s path and succeeded in finally grasping me.

It felt as though I was trapped inside a giant, house-sized hand.

Having finally achieved its goal, deep and intense ecstasy radiated from Agnotia.

Though, regrettably, I had no intention of being taken so easily.

Right after unleashing divinity, I implemented a lightning storm that I hadn’t had the chance to utilize until now.

‘A magic that innumerably slashes around the caster with blades of lightning.’

Like Flame Strike or Lightning Prison, it’s an area-targeted magic that covers a wide range.

‘Requires too much mana for perfect implementation.’

The necessary materials were all stored in the mana accumulation tool.

Even so, it was a cumbersome and challenging magic, not easily managed alone.

However, its power was undeniably substantial.

Among electric-type magics, it was almost singularly focused on piercing rather than burning.

With divinity mixed in, it didn’t take long to shred Agnotia’s presence, which had grasped me.

Ssshh, ssh.

Just as I broke free from Agnotia’s grasp, Temoria’s divinity began to quake.

「You vile traitor!」

As it happened with my conversation with Karlos, Temoria’s voice was heard.

It finally realized Agnotia’s betrayal, it seems.

No matter the reason, with Temoria’s intervention, escaping from Agnotia became much more manageable.

Right after wriggling free, an eerie chill ran down my entire body.

Damned System