Chapter 462 : Fragment (1)
In response to Alon’s request, Karsem readily showed him the ability he had obtained.
He showed it, but.
“......Is this it?”
“Uh...... it does look a bit unimpressive, right?”
Karsem laughed awkwardly.
It was certainly as he said.
Karsem’s ability did not look particularly remarkable.
Because what had newly entered Alon’s sight was simply an arm that had grown from behind his back.
Yes, there was no better sentence to describe Karsem’s ability than that.
Karsem used his ability, and a slightly translucent, normally sized arm grew from his back.
That was it.
Alon, who had been staring blankly at the arm, cautiously asked.
“Do you perhaps have any additional abilities?”
“I’m still looking into it, but as for now, I haven’t found any particular ability—”
As Karsem trailed off, Alon easily understood what he meant.
Just as he was about to express gratitude for showing his ability anyway.
“Your Majesty, if it’s alright, may I take a closer look for a moment?”
Penia, who had been beside Alon, suddenly stepped forward.
“Ah? Of course.”
Although puzzled, Karsem showed his arm.
While examining the arm for a while and even injecting a small amount of mana into it, Penia eventually—
“Thank you.”
She bowed her head as if she had finished her inspection.
Only then did Karsem stop using his ability.
“Thank you as well for complying with such an uncomfortable request.”
“No! If Brother asks, I can show it as many times as needed........ though as you can see, it’s not really an impressive ability.”
Karsem laughed bashfully, and after talking with him a bit more—
“Well then, I should get going now.”
“I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
“Not at all, Brother. If there’s anything you need from me, please let me know anytime!”
After saying, ‘I want to repay your kindness even at times like this!’, he left the room.
The once lively atmosphere quieted down.
Alon recalled Penia’s actions and turned his gaze.
“Penia.”
“Yes?”
“Did you find something?”
At that, Penia thought for a moment before answering.
“Rather than that, the mana emitted from that arm felt a bit suspicious.......”
“What do you mean?”
“Hmm—rather than suspicious, maybe strange? Anyway, how should I put it. You saw the flow of mana too, didn’t you, Lord Alon?”
Alon nodded.
“Didn’t it feel a little odd?”
“Did it?”
Alon recalled the mana that had flowed from Karsem’s arm.
“It certainly was a bit different from ordinary mana.”
Basically, mana, the moment it flowed out into the outside, would quickly and naturally disperse into the air unless refined in some form.
However, the mana that flowed from Karsem’s arm—
“Hmm. Now that I think about it, it didn’t feel like it dispersed naturally.”
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
—It did not scatter in the air, but instead floated for quite a long time before dispersing.
A completely different pattern from ordinary mana.
“But can you tell anything from that?”
At Alon’s question, Penia pondered for a moment.
“This is just my personal thought, though~”
Soon, she began explaining her theory.
While Alon was listening to her reasoning with interest—
“Hm? What are you two doing?”
Evan entered through the door.
“Where have you been?”
“I went to meet the information guild. As we were coming here, we had requested the detailed location of the Fragment, remember?”
“Ah.”
“So I thought it would be good to know in advance if we were going to move early tomorrow, so I made contact beforehand, but—”
“Did you not get the information?”
At Alon’s words, Evan nodded.
“They confirmed that the Fragment fell near the Colony, but they couldn’t obtain any more detailed information.”
“......So we’ll have to search for it ourselves.”
“That seems to be the case.”
As Evan expressed difficulty, Alon thought for a moment before speaking.
“Is there any method to find the Fragment?”
“A method? Hmm~”
Finding a Fragment of unknown size in this vast desert was truly like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Still, just in case, Alon asked.
“There might be one, but..............”
“But?”
“I’m not sure if it’s something we can use.”
“Why not?”
“Well, it’s something they heard from the divine-blood.”
“From the divine-blood?”
“Yes. It seems there are divine-blood exchanging information over there.”
“Is that okay?”
“Well, it should be fine, right?”
Seeing Evan shrug, Alon nodded.
After all, the one leading the information guild was Nangwon, so he didn’t think he would act suspiciously.
“What is it?”
Thus, Alon made his decision.
Evan conveyed the method he had heard.
“They say the divine-blood can naturally sense the location of the Fragments.”
“The divine-blood?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how exactly, but that’s what the information guild said.”
"......."
At Evan’s words, Alon became slightly confused.
Although he did not think of himself that way, strictly speaking, he too was divine-blood.
However, unfortunately, he could not sense anything like the location of a Fragment.
“Hmm~”
As he fell into thought—
“Ah.”
Penia, who was beside him, suddenly exclaimed as if she had thought of something.
“Did you come up with a good idea?”
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea, but......”
......
“That’s right.”
“In the end, what matters is that divine-blood can detect the location of the Fragments, right?”
“Then......”
Penia glanced at Blackie.
Evan made a puzzled expression before looking at Blackie with an “Oh?” expression.
Alon, as if realizing something, exclaimed “Ah,” and looked at Blackie.
[······Meow?]
Blackie, who had been lying down lazily, tilted its head.
The next day.
“Master!”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah!”
Alon’s group headed toward the bandits’ base together with Seolrang.
“Ugh~”
“It’s damn hot the moment we leave the Colony.”
As soon as they set out with the carriage, Evan grimaced as if dying, and Penia let out a groan.
[Meow-]
Blackie also drooped again.
After checking them, Alon looked at Seolrang, who was smiling as usual.
“What, Master?”
Seolrang smiled and wagged her tail.
Feeling the clear goodwill in her gaze, Alon spoke.
“How have things been since then?”
“Hm?”
“Since the Colony started being rebuilt. I never asked how you’ve been.”
At that, Seolrang tilted her head and thought for a moment.
Her tail still swayed gently.
But only for a moment.
“Hmm—just lived normally!”
“Normally?”
“Yeah! Rebuilding buildings and dealing with the annoying ones around the Colony! Hmm, I don’t think there’s anything else?”
Seolrang’s lively voice as always.
At that, Alon stared at her before speaking.
“I see.”
“How about you, Master?”
This time, Seolrang asked back.
As their conversation continued naturally—
“I really can’t take it anymore!”
Once again, Penia took out a mana stone and used ice magic, and as the inside began to cool, Alon asked Seolrang.
“So, how long do you think it will take to reach the base?”
“Hmm—it won’t take long. Thinking about the place I roughly identified last time........ we’re almost there!”
After that, more time passed.
The sun that had risen early in the morning passed its peak and slowly began to set.
By the time Penia had almost used up the mana stones she said only two remained of—
“This is the place.”
The group arrived at the entrance of a massive cave within a rocky mountain on the sand.
“Here?”
“Yeah! The energy the bandits emitted was similar to what came from this cave!”
Nodding energetically, Seolrang said, “I’ll take the lead!” and walked into the cave.
Alon’s group followed behind her.
Inside the cave, it was dark.
It was literally a space untouched by human traces.
Even so, sensing something strange instinctively, Alon did not let his guard down as he walked forward.
“It’s longer than I thought?”
After dozens of minutes passed and Evan said that—
“It looks like we’re almost at the end.”
They moved toward the light visible at the end of the cave.
And the moment they reached the exit.
Alon felt a strange sensation.
Something extremely unpleasant and troublesome.
And as he stepped out—
Shiver—!
Alon felt it.
That chilling mana he had already felt several times.
And as he raised his gaze within it, what entered his eyes was a scene.
“!”
The first thing visible was a massive crater formed in the middle of the rocky mountain.
And within that crater, the corpses of thousands of people were scattered everywhere at a glance.
At the center, black fragments emitting a strange aura were embedded.
And above those black fragments—
“Divine-blood.”
—There were two divine-blood.
[............As expected, it’s a Fragment of a divine-blood who ascended to the Heavenly Seat. To think mere fragments can enthrall humans—impressive.]
[I agree.]
[It seems like power worthy of contributing to that being’s birth.]
Unaware that Alon’s group had entered, the two divine-blood casually twisted apart the last of the rushing humans with a simple gesture and continued their conversation.
Their appearance was extremely peculiar.
That was because—
‘Black armor?’
They were both wearing identical black armor.
And the moment he confirmed that—
[Hm—]
[What is it, humans?]
The divine-blood noticed Alon’s group.
Turning their bodies clad in black armor, they looked at the group.
Seeing that, Alon frowned behind his expressionless face.
‘This is dangerous.’
Alon had already fought divine-blood several times and had even taken down a second-stage one.
However, naturally, facing one and facing two felt entirely different.
But more than anything, the reason Alon felt danger was because of Penia and Evan.
Right now, there was nowhere for them to escape.
Even if they fled back into the cave, once the battle began, the cave could easily collapse.
In the end, there was only one choice left for Alon.
To fight while protecting the two of them.
Of course, with Seolrang present, he didn’t think they would be at a major disadvantage in battle, but even so, having people to protect was a far greater restriction than expected.
‘............Though it’s still experimental, I may have to use the law.’
Just as Alon prepared—
“I’ll be back for a moment, Master.”
Seolrang, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.
“Wait, Seolrang. If we don’t analyze the enemies’ abilities, you might get counterattacked—”
Alon instinctively tried to stop her.
Of course, he knew.
That she had gained enough power to fight divine-blood.
However, what one must be careful of when fighting divine-blood was their abilities.
Their abilities could be extremely unpredictable.
“It’s fine, Master.”
But despite Alon’s concerned warning, Seolrang smiled confidently.
“Before they can use their abilities—”
—just kill them.
She disappeared.
As if she had never been there.
And at that moment.
Chit!
A small spark of lightning flashed into Alon’s view.
Amid the scattering sunset light, golden lightning formed before his eyes.
And then.
What came into view next was—a golden flash, and a massive hole formed in the divine-blood’s torso.
And—
KWA AAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!!!!
A thunderous explosion that sent chills down one’s spine.