Episode 354 – Master of Aintrier (4)
Flash—
The office space was engulfed in a blinding wave of light.
As the entire space transformed dramatically, the Siren’s Hymn began affecting the surroundings.
The Cleaners, who had been closing in on Arthur, halted in the dazzling light.
A sign that they were wary of a power they were encountering for the first time.
Azolett was no different.
“Damn it, what the hell is going on? This isn’t what we talked about at all!"
Obscuring her opponent’s vision with spiderwebs, she created distance and checked her nest.
Narrowing her brow as she inspected the state of the nest, she appeared to be calculating her timing.
Kakakakang—!
Of course, there was also Richard, who ignored the surrounding changes completely and focused solely on his opponent.
His expression was weighed down, deep in thought as he watched Lochter’s swordsmanship.
In the moment when everyone’s vision was obscured by light,
Arthur calmly observed the changes around him. Then, he focused on the clinking sound of coins scattered across the floor.
“I should deal with this first.”
[You mean the coins?]
“Yes. If not now, they’ll be harder to handle later.”
Charrurrururu—
Even now, the coins Azonne had thrown continued pouring out, revealing Midas’ Coins.
Azonne hadn’t yet given up on the [Greedy Judge].
Everyone else seemed too absorbed in the desperate battle to pay attention to the rolling coins, but Arthur knew well that those coins could become a trap capable of overturning the tide of battle at any moment.
“If you come into contact with Midas’ Coins, the chance of being judged rises, and that could put my allies in danger.”
As the light gradually faded, Arthur closed his eyes.
Azonne’s aura caught in his hunter’s senses.
A murky madness made of greed and killing intent. Arthur extended one arm toward that aura.
Then,
Viiiiiiing—!
The moment he clenched his fist, a golden bow materialized as if it had always been there.
Divine Weapon: Bow of the Divine Name
Opening his eyes slightly, he drew the bowstring.
A mysterious light rapidly gathered at his fingertips, forming a single arrow.
The arrow’s tip was aimed precisely at the target’s aura.
Strange characters floated through the aura.
[Azonne Vistas – Hand of Midas (Luck)]
[Eye of Greed]
[Eye of Golden Castle]
[Maker of Midas’ Coins]
[Greedy Judge (Target: Master of Divine Name) – Lily Base.]
Azonne’s divine name list.
When Arthur saw Lily’s name floating beside "Greedy Judge", he slightly widened his eyes.
So, he had been waiting for the judgment probability to rise and was targeting Lily.
It made sense. Only the witch Lily could dismantle the spider nest, and by taking her out, the rest would be trapped inside.
Tick—
Arthur quietly released the string. The arrow vanished without a sound, like a stealthy assassin.
From experience, Arthur knew that nothing could stop a divine arrow.
Not even Azonne’s golden barrier.
[Greedy Judge] (Sealed)
Confirming one title had been sealed, Arthur shifted his focus to Rengua.
“Arthur!”
Lily’s voice echoed from beyond the fading light. He kicked off the ground and lunged toward her voice.
Knights of misrule lay strewn across the floor as he passed.
Sacred power was the force that restored order from chaos,
and a hymn imbued with it was the natural counter to those knights, born from chaos.
The same applied to the black shaman Rengua.
Bzzzzzzzt!
Ahead, Rengua was barely pushing back the golden tide with a blood-colored barrier.
In front of him, Lily was pressing forward, attacking with a summoned moonlight source.
It looked like breaking through wouldn’t be easy.
“You cursed bitch!”
“Shut up!”
Under pressure from the hymn, Rengua was steadily pushed back.
The composure vanished from his face.
Watching the situation unfold, Arthur silently circled to flank Rengua from behind.
He had simulated this moment countless times through Reto.
If it’s now, he could take Rengua down.
[Now!]
At Reto’s signal, Arthur’s eyes turned golden.
The color spread through his entire body, gathering at his fists.
Body Enchant, imbuing his body with elemental attributes.
A technique he once had to risk his life to use at 4-star,
but now, as a 5-star awakened Divine Hunter, he could wield it with ease.
When sacred power imbued his fists, he unleashed Quanru, the Giant Tribe’s martial art, against Rengua’s barrier.
Kwaaang—!
Gueeeeaaaagh!!
The blood-red barrier screeched like a living creature.
Touching sacred power, it blackened and shriveled.
Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, Rengua’s eyes widened in rage as he turned to Arthur.
“Long time no see, old man.”
“You…!!!”
“Let me send you to Kamel.”
Arthur shredded the barrier apart.
If he took out Rengua, their chances would flip. His fists turned a piercing blue, striking straight with Quanru toward Rengua’s face, neck, and heart.
Simultaneously, Lily’s spell surged from the front, swallowing Rengua.
A pincer attack.
Arthur was certain it would end here—
But Rengua’s eyes flipped and turned pitch black. A crystal orb glowing with a purple hue was now in his hand.
Puh-puh-puh-puhk!
Sgagagak!
Arthur’s fists bit into Rengua’s flesh with vicious force. Lily’s spell hacked mercilessly.
It should have torn his body to shreds. But both the fists and the spell stopped right before Rengua’s eyes.
“…?"
Arthur looked at him in confusion. Faint, white wraith-like things were blocking the strikes.
A mysterious force protecting Rengua. And that power was pouring from the crystal orb in his hand.
As those wraiths spilled out of the orb, Lily staggered back, coughing blood.
Then Arthur’s body—
Kzzzzzzzt!
“Kugh!"
Starting with his outstretched arm, his shoulder, torso—his skin tore apart like it was being shredded.
Covered in claw and bite marks.
In an instant, wounds spread across his body, and it began rotting rapidly.
Reto’s urgent warning rang out.
[They’re wraiths of the dead. Get back! There are too many.]
“Wraiths…???”
[Retreat now!]
Crack—
Arthur stumbled back, gripping his limp wrist.
His corrupted body was crumbling at terrifying speed.
Following Reto’s advice, he cloaked himself in sacred power—
Graaagh!
Gyaaaagh!
Wailing voices tore through his head. Then, pain vanished.
The dead clinging to his body were shaken off.
The corruption stopped, and Reto’s heart began healing his wounds again.
He had survived.
But Arthur bit his lip, recalling that power. It was truly terrifying.
“No, no! Stop! That’s enough!”
Clutching the orb to his chest, Rengua shouted in panic.
Like he had used a power forbidden even to him, he desperately tried to suppress the orb.
Arthur didn’t miss that brief opening.
Boom!
He vanished into the air, instantly closing in and aiming for Rengua’s head. But two shadows abruptly leapt out to block him.
Boom—!
His punch was stopped by a shield.
Vwooom!
A greatsword swung down at him.
Arthur cursed and leapt back. Cleaners had closed in to guard Rengua.
Looking at them, Arthur groaned.
In the end, he hadn’t overturned the odds.
‘Still, I have to keep moving.’
The gears were already turning. If he stopped or gave up here, they’d all die.
“Lily!”
Arthur called her name. Lily wiped blood from her lips and staggered to her feet.
The signal had been given. But she hesitated, unable to move immediately.
A powerful black shaman and two Cleaners. Even for her, it would be a tough fight.
Would it be okay to leave Arthur behind in this state?
Sss—
Sssssssss—
“…!?"
Suddenly, eerie footsteps echoed all around. Arthur snarled and shouted again.
“Lily, don’t you trust me!?”
Trust.
As that word left his lips, Lily clenched her teeth and turned around.
Then she began to run, like mad.
The things Arthur had warned her about were entering the nest, summoned by the queen.
Greeeeaaaaaagh!!!!
Soon, black horrors appeared on the ceiling and walls, screeching hideously.
Hand-sized spiders with black shells. Azolett’s spider swarm.
The number was endless. Hundreds, thousands crawled into the nest.
With a single gesture from Azolett, they swarmed around Karl.
He was in danger.
[You’re the only one who can stop the spider swarm.]
Lily recalled Arthur’s words. She ripped off her wide-brimmed hat.
Swish—
Tossing aside her cloak, she gripped her staff tightly. She closed her eyes and gathered all her remaining energy into the staff.
Her hair fluttered in the air.
The staff glowed bright yellow and began to resonate.
Opening her eyes, they were glowing yellow too.
“Disappear, all of you.”
She pointed her staff at the spiders, and the glowing orb split into hundreds of smaller projectiles.
Boooom!
Kieeeeeek—!
Moonlight's glow.
Her energy blasts tore through the spiders like paper.
Seeing the swarm appear, the Cleaners looked relieved.
They seemed certain the witch couldn’t stop it alone.
A tense silence fell.
The Cleaners appeared more confident as time passed,
but that was only half right.
Arthur looked at Rengua, who was gripping the now-suppressed crystal orb, glaring at him with murderous intent.
[So noisy.]
“You hear something?”
[The wraiths are wailing. Incredible. Just how many souls are sealed in that thing?]
A small orb that looked like a jewel.
Violet light.
Countless dead.
And Rengua.
With those four clues, one item came to mind.
The Dagger of the Dead.
A cursed blade made from witches’ hearts.
The dagger that once corrupted and killed the Millennium Tree.
The gem embedded in it had been missing—but if the orb in Rengua’s hand was that missing core, it explained everything.
“You’re the one who sent Lyon to the Millennium Tree, aren’t you?”
He didn’t expect an answer. Just buying time was enough.
“Kamel told you how to destroy the Millennium Tree, didn’t he? Probably right before he died.”
Rengua’s expression twisted grotesquely.
‘He’s laughing?’
It was unmistakably a sneer.
“Why?”
“How could a wretch like you know the will of the heavens?”
“Heavens? Your heavens have already fallen. Kamel lost.”
At the mention of Kamel, Rengua’s face contorted. Madness flared in his eyes.
“Lies! He never loses! He foresaw everything and watches from above!”
“Oh really? That’s funny, I’m good at foresight too.”
Arthur exhaled and looked at the Ring of Desire.
Its light was fading, but his broken body no longer needed much time to recover.
It truly was overpowered.
He loosened his shoulders and said softly,
“Want me to make a prediction? We’ll win this fight. So give up.”
“I’ll rip that mouth apart.”
“Let’s see whose mouth gets ripped, then.”
“Kill him!”
The talk was over.
Rengua swung his staff as crimson light poured toward Arthur.
The Cleaners charged from both flanks with weapons drawn.
Arthur retreated, rapidly scanning his surroundings.
“How long can we hold out?”
Karl holding back Azolett. Lily suppressing the spider swarm.
And—
Kakakakang—!
Lochter deflecting Richard’s swords with his twisted expression.
Though bloodied, his fierce eyes showed he could still fight.
Everyone was doing their part.
The die had been cast. Now, it was one or the other.
Either this place became their grave,
“Or reinforcements arrive in time.”
Had they killed Rengua, the odds would have flipped. A shame.
Still, 45 percent wasn’t bad.
“Kraaaagh!”
Arthur roared and clenched his fists.
The Ring of Desire activated again, surging vitality through his body.
The Siren’s Hymn resumed, and the steel attribute coated him in dark gray.
Then—
“Reto.”
[Heart of Retonicalus (Resonance Rate: 75%)]
Above that, Reto’s spiritual technique was deployed.
Arthur grinned viciously and raised his fists.
“Come.”
The rest—he would cover with his toughness, and the strength of a Divine Hunter.
If they won this fight, they could change the course of Hell Grime.
45 percent.
A gamble worth taking.