It was broad daylight, but it was as dark as late at night because of the rain clouds that swallowed the sky black. On the last day when the sun sets and even the moon disappears, complete darkness will come to the world.
“Fire.”
At Turaina’s command, flames erupted from the fifteen pillars of the Temple of Belachior, which trickled down in a torrent of toxic acid rain.
In the past, a flame nobler than gold rose from this pillar, illuminating the darkness of the world. It wasn’t like the dark blue flames swallowing the light like now.
The center of power was the Polantir Altar, which contained a whimpering baby dragon chained to it, a boy trapped inside an ice stone, and a Beltar Godstone that exudes the colors of the universe.
“Ah, out, abuut!”
Vicious darkness overflowed from the central circle of the Dharma formation drawn there, and soon began to spread out in all directions like an overflowing embankment.
“Ahh… … Destiny begins.”
As the darkness cracked and unfolded, the ground eroded by rainwater collapsed and the forest melted as it ran along its trajectory.
The power of sorcery directed to the other three peaks, the waves of fear imbued with the shady cold of the tomb, and the temples of the peak caught in the abyss resonated with this and shot up an unknown darkness into the sky.
GOO GOO GOO GOO GOO GOO GOO … … .
Thousands of crows soared darkly into the sky, and the ground began to shake violently.
“The portent has begun… … .”
It was visible even to the eyes of the trio as they jumped over the hillside glistening with rainwater. As Valencidis narrowed her eyes, Miria, who was pulling Lane up, asked.
“precursor?”
“It’s kind of like preparatory work for the ceremony to start at midnight. In terms of magic, it could be called formula calculation.”
“I don’t have time to talk… … let’s go.”
The high-frequency noise emitted by the piercing darkness gradually died down, but soon explosions, shouts, and screams began to roar from all over the mountain.
The power of sorcery explodes, severed limbs splatter blood in the air, and the noise of sorcery and sorcery, spears and knives intersecting, flows through the sound of rain.
It must have been the beginning of a bloody battle in which each other’s beliefs collided at the three peaks.
– The seven deadly witches will be guarding the three peaks.
Valencidis explained it that way.
The seven scars are usually ‘buds’ rather than ‘roots’, explaining that they are either full-time great witches or powerful witches.
Yuliana pointed at each map with detailed mountains and said,
– Rivendell will take Jiseonbong in the northwest, the Faquair Corps will take Yeomgyeongbong in the southeast, and Musinyeon and the Witch Association will take Hwayeonbong in the south.
– Where are we going?
– The center of the law, Shinhwabong. Climb up the 1,000 steps and get the body of Jinryong. And meet Turaina.
One thousand steps actually means one thousand steps, not one thousand steps, but one thousand stairs.
Even if you know this, you can guess the height of Shinhwabong, which is twice as high as other peaks.
Following Miria’s guidance, they quietly moved forward by assassinating the watchers, but there was a limit to this advance.
“It’s an intruder!”
On the other side of the dark stairs, the outlines of countless cone-shaped hats were visible, and soon the power of the magic was concentrated into numerous light sources.
“Move… … !”
Before that power is made into power, before the supernatural ability takes shape. before the sound comes out of your mouth.
“… … Belle Curious!”
0101010001, the chant turned into a scream of pain as the mouth turned into a raging flame of fire.
couldn’t kill For me who couldn’t even prepare to kill Turaina.
Starting with neutralizing the witches, corpses slithered out from both sides of the stairs.
Victims whose hearts were eaten by the dead crow were mostly mountain villagers, but there were also adventurers, soldiers, and beasts.
And a witch with a dark blue cone hat, showing off her unusual presence, stood at the very back of the defense line. She must be the Seven Scares Witch.
“I don’t understand, Valencidis. Why are you, his greatest favourite? As expected from Friede-sama, men cannot be trusted.”
Almost at the same time as he finished speaking, the 3-star magic was chanted at high speed without even having time to interfere with Bell Curious.
“Regina is a troublesome opponent. I’m in charge. You go forward.”
At that moment, Valencidis spread an iron fan and stepped forward.
Forcefully change the wind flow. The wind, forged into a crescent-shaped blade, tore the flesh of the hosts of the corpse crows that rushed from either side.
The witches that Yuliana had given it as a signal were also rushing forward as the waves of death attacked from all sides, a counterattack, and a frantic flash of light and explosions.
‘Let’s go together until the end, we haven’t even had time to exchange sentimental words like that.’
It was because the abyss of darkness that covered the sky above Shinhwa Peak was gradually getting thicker.
‘I have to go.’
I desperately moved my feet in the rain and wind. The joints of his body, which were not yet intact, creaked painfully.
‘I have to go to those guys.’
There were more than once or twice when Ceressia’s clothes fluttered wildly and she almost lost her balance due to the tremendous strong wind, but she did not stop her feet even for an instant.
– About!
– Boss!
What if Aki’s body was harmed? It is said that the possibility of this converges to zero because it has to be offered as a complete living sacrifice. What if you start your consciousness sooner than expected due to stronger resistance?
‘Toureina.’
What if Paquorear quickly conquered Yeomgyeongbong with his overwhelming force and moved to Shinhwabong, the center of the law circle, and killed Tureina?
‘I have to hurry, I have to hurry.’
To the rear, the clamor of crows and the clatter of magical powers gradually receded into the distance, drowned out by the distant sound of rain, and silenced.
Shoot aaa… … .
As if there was a hole in the sky, I couldn’t even see 5 meters ahead in the pouring rain.
At some point, as I was running down the stairs through the rain, a pillar of darkness that had been gleaming dimly on the other side of the rain curtain quickly faded away.
Miria, who has much better eyesight than me, said.
“Southeast… … It’s Yeom Kyungbong.”
“Yeomgyeong, yeomgyeong, yeomgyeong, yeomgyeong.”
I’ll signal that Milone Alter Gaumris has overpowered the mission area and neutralized the circle. Indeed, Paquerio… … It’s insanely fast.
Hurry up.
The heavy moisture presses down on your shoulders, and your body heat is rapidly draining from your drenched body.
‘This damn window psalm… … How much have you weakened the alternative bodily functions?’
Every time he blew away crows or witches blocking his way with pillars of fire, his stamina was depleted even faster.
“Damn, damn… … .”
At the moment when my vision was blurry, my foot slipped on the stairs and I almost fell, but Miria immediately grabbed my arm.
“Cheer up a little more! Not long now!”
On the other hand, the Beltar Godstone emitted light toward Turaina, who was watching the cataclysmic situation with a smoking pipe in her mouth in front of the Polantir Altar.
「Ru shi han ter… … Continue the ritual of fate.”
“The sun hasn’t completely set yet.”
「Kirhak, the body will be precariously equipped, but it is better than not having it, so start immediately.」
The sorcerous crows sitting next to Turaina fluttered their feathers and flew into the wind and rain, conveying their wishes to the servants stationed throughout the mountain range.
“Isn’t it too sooner than planned?”
It was the time when Mei, the Witch of the Seven Hearts, who guarded the heights of the Thousand Stairs, raised her eyebrows when she saw the strings spread by the crows.
“hmm… … ?”
Far down the stairs, dry explosions resounded one after another, and soon the source of the commotion was revealed. Mei’s eyes widened.
─It’s the dragon’s guardian!
-Don’t let them approach Shinhwabong!
The witches who stood in their way would either shut their mouths and fall down if they wanted to cast out the chant, or they would be beaten with three spears and rolled down the mountain path outside the stairs.
“Miss May!”
“What happened?”
I heard you fell for the window psalm.
However, no matter how powerful the eyes are, there is bound to be a limit called blindness in the human field of vision.
When Mei raised her hand, a long, tearing cry was heard and a thick shadow was cast over the area. It was a three-eyed grotesque bird.
It was only for a moment that the rogue birds that appeared in the air with a strong wind rushed down towards the boy.
“Go away———!”
As the boy gasped wildly and shouted, blindingly intense flames pierced the ground and the bodies of the monster birds burned at once.
“… … !”
With just one shot, in an instant you can’t even tell when the calculations will be finished, you can create a blow like that?
Even as she felt her eyes tremble, Mei smiled in repentance. Because the multiple chanting of 4-star witchcraft combined with the six witches is over.
Just as he was about to unleash his power, which was so intense that the air vibrated, towards the boy, a silver light flashed from the edge of his field of vision and the witches screamed.
“What… … ?”
It was Miria who ran out of the shadows and subdued the six witches in an instant with agile and calm movements.
It was a surprise attack that perfectly targeted the loophole at the moment the chant ended.
Mei, whose side was pierced by the tip of a sword, did not let go of control of her witchcraft even as she vomited blood.
“I can’t let him ruin his longing… … .”
The huge wave of destruction that was trying to target the boy turned directly below, at his feet.
“───!”
From the Age of Origin, a corner of the 1,000 Stairs that led mankind to the peak of the gods began to collapse mercilessly with an eardrum-shattering tremble.
As soon as it was weakened by the erosion of the abyss, the weakened ground collapsed at once, giving off a thick smell of soil and pouring down as a landslide.
I could have been swept away by that collapse. No, I would have been swept away. At that moment, if Miria hadn’t thrown a grappling wire around the boy’s arm.
‘The tree I’m holding on to can’t hold the weight of the two of us…’ … .’
Trees with exposed roots on the weakened ground looked like they would be caught in a landslide at any moment.
The moment Miria realized that, she immediately threw herself onto the cliff created by the collapse. Shiiyiing, the boy’s body was pulled up by the principle of a pulley centered on a tree.
The boy, who was almost thrown up the stairs, looked down, gasping for breath in embarrassment.
“Me, Miria!”
“Stop worrying and go to Aki!”
Miria pointed to the hand opposite her while rubble, mud, dust, twigs, and by-products of all kinds of large and small landslides rained down like crazy.
“I’ll follow you right away!”
Another chain of steel extending from his grip was tied to a rock that had not been caught in the avalanche. The boy swallowed in pain and got up and ran.
I thought the altitude was already high enough to be called the limit, but at the far end of the view, one thousand steps ended and the great fire temple, Belachior, rose.
It moves its body to the limit and lets out a cry like a scream.
“Aki———!”
Belachior Temple, the moment Turena uttered a primitive incantation, the yin energy that built up the square became so dense that it was suffocating, and the temple, no, the entire mountain range began to shake.
At the same time, the moment when the Veltar Godstone rose with an unholy light, the moment when that light became entwined with vines and adhered like a tumor to the bodies of the young dragon and the frozen boy.
The moment the young dragon cries pitifully, the gate of the temple that surrounded the multiple barriers was thrown out as a lump of charcoal by the wildly runaway flames of destruction… … Flames shot out like lightning from the flames.
“Ah-Baat!”
The flame, concentrated in the shape of a stone scepter, blazed, leaving a red aftertaste in the air, and flew right into the center of the Beltar Godstone.
“Da ken ro… … This… … ?」
A crack appeared on the surface of the God Stone, which could not even be scratched by any kind of steel, with an ominous sound.
It was the next moment when Seokjang returned to his primeval flame and burned fiercely.
Then the Beltar Godstone, and the ominous soul of unknown shape dwelling inside the Godstone howled wildly… … .
「Gu, gu guaaa… … !”
On a real level, instead of reaping the deformed vines that extended to the whelp and the boy’s ice stone, it released a blast of disgusting miasma.
“No, no… … !”
The wish of a lifetime, the wish of hundreds of years is now in front of my eyes… … .
As if trying to hold on to the ancient power that was scattered as a handful of dust in the gust of wind, as if trying to maintain the power of the magic that was connected to the three peaks, the boy said as he waved his hands in a daze.
In the flames of transcendence that burn fiercely and burn the miasma that eats away at the temple, staggering as if about to collapse at any moment.
“Toureina… … .”
The name of the first disciple whom he thought he would never be able to call again, the name of the girl who had given up on saying that even if he called it, only an echo would resonate, he could not help it, in a sad voice.
“… … You stupid kid.”