Chapter 562 – Unknown Variable
He does not know exactly how far the influence of Gluttony's Fangs can reach over its implant hosts.
Still, that does not mean he intends to move across to another continent.
'When assuming the occurrence of unforeseen variables, at the very least, I must remain within reach of Isabella and Adrian in order to properly respond.'
Taking those many factors into account, the chosen distance was where, beyond the horizon, the city-state, Daunt, could faintly be seen.
───Kwaaaaaang!
From the
The wounds on their napes, where bone and muscle were exposed, began to regenerate.
"Ark, is it…?"
Because his vocal cords were still mending, his voice broke intermittently.
Tak.
From subspace, Verden summoned [Interis] as he landed on the ground, drawing their shaken, astonished gaze.
"I clearly altered Gluttony's fragment, and took every measure to prevent my identity from being exposed, so how could you possibly arrive this quickly…!"
"No matter how many times you corrupt and alter it, the core essence remains the same. It isn't something that cannot be discerned."
Verden does not rely unconditionally on artifacts and tools.
Had he lacked his own inherent ability from the beginning, he would never have declared to Listener and Locke that Gluttony would be handled by him.
"By the way, you scattered quite a number of implant hosts across the guild. Yet one of your executives serves as an international merchant adviser? Aren't your identities spread a bit too wide?"
While Isabella had been keeping watch on the Merchant Guild headquarters, Verden had inspected the Brandt Guild that Adrian had mentioned.
The implant hosts there numbered only two.
No doubt, beyond merely using common groups as decoys to mislead the Ark's gaze, it was also to gather information through many channels and allow Gluttony to exercise its influence more flexibly and broadly.
It was a point that made clear why it took the Ark so long to track down Gluttony.
Verden asked.
"Advisor, Hegin is obviously a false name. Rupel Rains di Gardran was the fifth Fang. You, which Fang are you?"
"…I could not read your existence clearly enough to make a precise judgment, but, it seems you truly are of the Ark, judging from your mention of Rupel's name."
Even without being able to penetrate the
"I am Gluttony's third Fang, Beldoran. Since I answered, I too shall ask. Are you the captain of the Ark?"
"No."
Verden leaned his upper body forward.
"Not yet, merely a candidate."
Verden vanished from sight.
Sensing the tremor in space, Hegin──Beldoran──threw his fist instantly, guided by reflexes beyond comprehension.
When it collided with the staff, the transmitted impact sent tremors through his entire body.
'A candidate, he says…!'
That a Magus would choose close combat was shocking enough, but apart from identifying him, once faced at close quarters, instinct sounded the alarm.
His exact position was unclear.
But that he was among the Ark's supreme power was undeniable.
'This is no time to consider losses.'
If it were a captain-class opponent, breaking away from pursuit in this situation would be near impossible, yet at the same time, such a foe was one that must be eliminated.
At once, Beldoran shouted.
"Ruyten! Devour him!"
The command had barely left his lips before Ruyten's sclera turned black. From the implanted crimson fragment, life force drained away.
And then, from him, pitch-black darkness began to spread.
───!
Endless shadow devoured the world surrounding the three of them.
***
Even in darkness without a trace of light, objects could be seen clearly. Not exactly familiar, yet not unknown either.
'This is, Gluttony's Stomach?'
It was the ability manifested from the Gluttony organ that had been implanted in Rupel. As soon as the space shifted, Beldoran retreated to a distance.
Verden's gaze turned toward him.
"Surely, when Rupel died, that particular Gluttony organ should have disappeared."
"As you know, Gluttony's organs regenerate so long as the 'heart' remains. The cycle is very long, yes, but with the life force of crimson fragments, that time can be greatly shortened."
To craft a Red fragment in the first place, countless sacrifices are indispensable.
Sacrifices numbering in the thousands must be offered through a specific process, only then can two or three Red fragments be completed.
Yet just as each individual is independent, so too is the magnitude of their life force.
Gluttony, during the war between Black Hour and the Western Continent Magic Tower Alliance, succeeded in securing the corpses of high-ranking Magi as well as living captives, acquiring materials in quantities incomparable to what was available in the Principality.
'So Gluttony's organs could regenerate?'
Until transcendence, Verden had not been deeply bound to the Ark, always keeping a measure of distance. This was his first time learning the fact.
In any case.
"And during that process, it must have been Bohemirn Tower that concealed you, allowing you to remain undetected by Black Hour and the other magic towers."
"You are well informed. Thanks to that, progress was made in many ways. The Red fragments are the crystallization and culmination of our desire. Having reached this point, we can strengthen implant hosts further, creating temporary vessels capable of bearing even parts of Gluttony's organs, and moreover… draw out the organs' inherent power to greater effect."
Ruyten gestured.
From the ground, monsters with white eyes and split jaws surged upward. Their number went far beyond what could be counted aloud.
[Kaaaaaaak!]
In the ancient tongue, they were called Sweepers.
Countless cleaners dwelling within Gluttony's Stomach, aberrant types that would appear endlessly so long as the caster continued to expend life force.
Crack.
Beldoran, who had been slightly hunched, slowly straightened his back. With grotesque bone-cracking sounds, the frail frame grew massive.
Then, the Red fragments embedded in the muscular flesh reacted, and the Sweepers in the area began to transform.
Their bodies became larger, their parts sharper, and even Ruyten, the provisional fifth Fang, radiated a newfound menace.
Verden observed the change.
"Mental manipulation to strengthen beings connected to Gluttony. So that is the function of the organ you carry?"
"The third Fang bears Gluttony's cerebrum. Not only mental linkage, but even physical abilities draw closer to Gluttony's main body."
Boom!
Beldoran stamped his foot.
Elbow bent, fist thrust forward.
Gone was the frailty of an old man, in its place the stance of a martial artist.
"I surmise you only very recently ascended to the Ark's captaincy. That is why we have no information on you."
"..."
"Though you may have succeeded with an unexpected ambush, entering this space alone has already sealed the outcome. Arrogance and inexperience. Those are your fatal flaws."
Beldoran's voice brimmed with confidence in his claim, rooted both in numerical superiority and his own strength.
Gluttony's Stomach──space, immortality, summoning.
Gluttony's Cerebrum──mind, thought, reaction.
These were the realms of ability granted to those implanted with each organ.
Long ago, there had been a monster that devoured worlds, defeated by the Ark, called Gluttony.
Just what was it, to possess so many abilities?
And if completed, with all organs intact, how mighty would Gluttony have been?
"So many questions remain."
[Agreed.]
Alpha peeked halfway out from the front of his robe, recording the scene.
It was his first time witnessing a bearer of Gluttony's organs manifest its powers, and the novelty delighted him.
"…? What is that creature?"
At Alpha, Beldoran and Ruyten showed curiosity, but there was no intent to answer. That was not the purpose here.
Verden spoke.
"Even as a member of the leadership, you could never reveal Gluttony's organizational secrets. Then, matters connected to Bohemirn Tower, are they separate?"
"…Why do you ask that?"
"If you dislike answering, then you need not.
Verden set Interis in midair, and pressed his palms together in prayer.
"I shall confirm it myself."
Pitch-black flame spread wide within Gluttony's darkness.
The realm of annihilation.
The Sweepers within range shrieked in agony as they recoiled, some unable to retreat in time, erased from existence.
Pazizizik──!
Next, Verden grasped [Interis] and drew forth crimson currents.
Simultaneous use of
In the past, when battling Rupel, he had struggled, he had been pressed.
At that time, the staff he used was even broken, and blood poured from deep wounds all over his body, leaving him drenched.
However, now it was different.
Then, he had been a 4th Rank upper Mage, but now he was a 7th Rank transcendent.
"Let's see, just how long you endure."
The ray of destruction swept across the horizon, engulfing Beldoran and Ruyten.
***
The core overseeing Gluttony's command chain vanished from Daunt. From now on, even if the implant hosts were eliminated, it meant there would be no unavoidable exposure.
The operation was a success.
Geukye 極叡
Through the heightened senses of the seasonal cycle, tactile perception read the flow of the underground market, picking out those carrying anomalous currents.
And with the stealth and unique speed of the robe-type artifact [Shadow Spider], while sprinting through the underground market, the plan was to strike down, and eliminate every implant host his hand touched, in a single blow.
Of course, corpses would remain.
Before long, a great commotion would certainly arise.
'Even so, there is no chance of my identity leaking outside.'
He wore once again the metal mask that concealed the lower half of his face.
Above all, capturing Adrian's speed with the naked eye was an impossibility even for the most outstanding warriors.
To deceive the eyes of citizens was a trivial task.
Ggeugeuk.
It was the moment Adrian coiled his strength into his hind legs, preparing to dash.
"?"
The air… felt different. No, the current flowing through the market had changed. Unsurprisingly, moments later, a metallic tang brushed the tip of his nose.
The smell of blood.
Perhaps livestock had been slaughtered and the meat carried into the underground market, but the stench was far too strong for that.
Soon, vibrations rang from afar, accompanied by screams.
"M, murder!!"
"Run, quickly!"
"Kyaaaaaaaa!"
Merchants, citizens, adventurers, mercenaries alike rushed frantically through the passage. Adrian, catching sight of it, headed the opposite way.
Emerging at last into an open area, the wide space at the center of the underground market came into his sky-blue eyes.
A place he himself had passed a few hours earlier while scouting the market.
He looked down.
"..."
In the middle of the cavern lay corpses of men and women alike. At a glance, well over a hundred.
'Judging by the fresh blood trickling from their wounds, they were all slaughtered only minutes ago.'
Among the still-warm corpses, stood figures with their identities thoroughly concealed.
Three in number.
One Magus, two warriors.
Ssshhh.
At that moment, the one wielding twin curved blades in reverse grip lifted his head upward.
His eyes met Adrian's.
Then, like an arrow, he leapt, feet pounding against the wall, soaring instantly to the floor where Adrian stood.
Jjeojeong!
Blades clashed, sparks scattering.
Strong.
Yet what Adrian focused on was not the level of these butchers, but rather the magical constructs hidden in their heads and chests.
'…A forced magic circle?'
Warriors who had been brainwashed by Bohemirn's tower master had appeared in Daunt.
***
'What, I can't connect to the family head?'
There was no need for direct communication, just seeing the signal light up on the device was enough to confirm safety.
Yet no matter how he tried, the connection did not reach the other side.
Two possibilities.
Either too far away, or something was interfering in between.
'Given the travel distance the family head mentioned, it can't be the first, so it must be the second.'
Surely, Gluttony's leadership had caused some phenomenon.
There was no reason to worry.
Who could possibly threaten the family head, the one who had defeated Black Hour's Dark Moon? There was no room for doubt in Verden.
Just as Adrian was doing in the underground market, Isabella hunted implant hosts hidden on the surface───
"?!"
Kwaaaaaang!
Burning stone crashed down where Isabella had stood, exploding. She retreated, cloaked in a mantle of ice, eyes rising.
A grotesque Magus stood horizontally on the wall of a building, both feet planted there.
"Wheeeere, did youuuuu, send, the Faaaaaaangs?"
A bald head, body covered in magical tattoos, and from the throat, a voice like metal scraping.
An implant host bearing five Red fragments embedded near the heart.
'Even standing right there, its presence is nearly nonexistent?'
Only with the Eye of Form could she seize its essence and recognize it clearly.
Likely a guard that had been secretly protecting Gluttony's Fang, unable to respond in time due to the family head's swiftness.
Well, regardless.
Isabella activated the mana circuits throughout her body.
"Curious where I sent them?"
"Curioussssss."
"I'll send you too, so go and ask!"
A wave of ice surged diagonally along the wall. The Magus moved nimbly, immediately escaping the range.
Kwaaaaang!
The two completed spells collided, then exploded. The disturbance was grave enough that citizens nearby fled in panic.
Emerging onto the main road, Isabella checked that no one was close, preparing to unleash her strength more fiercely, when──
"I came to hunt monsters, yet someone else was already at it."
"...!"
Crunch, crunch.
Before an abandoned restaurant, a young man was savoring skewered meat.
Leisurely, seated on a chair, chewing thoroughly the long-cold meat, as he gazed quietly at Isabella.
"Who might you be?"
The transcendent of the previous age, Sandir Paen, asked.