Chapter 171 Transcendence (2)
Part of the headquarters collapsed.
It was caused by the release of the Patriarch’s mana.
It was a dangerous situation, but I was able to locate it by detecting the presence that flowed through the collapsed gap.
It is because of this that I was able to fly to the scene quickly.
‘It’s dangerous.’
Coming through the collapsed fissure, I noticed the volcano was in a dangerous state.
It is possible that the patriarch’s awakening stimulated the magma underground.
You never know when a volcano might erupt.
“Professor Angela.”
I spoke to Angela.
“Take all the knights and retreat from this volcano.”
“Aernas, what… … .”
“Please.”
“… … .”
Angela was silent for a moment.
“i get it. As always, you are right.”
Fortunately, Angela did not object.
Angela will want to stay here and help me.
However, it is more important to safely retreat those who remain now.
You could be caught in a volcanic eruption… Because you might get involved in a fight that’s about to happen.
“Aernas, are you ready?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Right.”
Angela said in a bittersweet voice.
“I feel that you have reached a different level than before. then… An old-fashioned swordsman like me should step back and take care of it.”
“… … .”
“I wish you luck, Aernas.”
With that said, Angela walked away from me.
After entrusting the others to Angela, I looked straight ahead.
An old man with white hair was staring at me.
“Is it Ernas Landstein?”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
As described in the novel, the Patriarch was an old man with a unique sense of dignity.
His eyes were calm, and his expression was solemn.
Even if you sit in the academy president’s seat, you won’t feel uncomfortable.
But i know
The fact that that old man is the highest level of villain in this world.
“Through Alberich, I heard a lot about you.”
said the Patriarch in a relaxed voice.
“Even while I was asleep, Alberich kept posting reports by my side.”
“I couldn’t have slept well.”
“yes. But I’m glad I didn’t have to ask who you were.”
A smile appeared on the Patriarch’s lips as he spoke.
“Alberich said. You seem to be someone close to the Black Heaven Demonic Cult.”
“… … .”
“He has solidified his position by defeating several famous swordsmen, but they say he has no interest in power. what you want… It just means ‘power’.”
Those were almost the same words Alberich’s alter ego said in front of me.
“That is similar to the thoughts of our Black Heaven Demonic Cult.”
“… … .”
“A long time ago… Demons who reigned over mankind did not covet power.”
Mentioning the demons that the Iron Blood Emperor destroyed a thousand years ago, the Patriarch placed his hand on his chest.
“They rejected the state or the organization. He was proud of being different from the monsters that formed the group. What mattered to them was personal strength.”
“… … .”
“A state of nature that does not depend on anyone and is not oppressed by anyone… The world of struggle, where anyone can carve out a future with their own strength, was the ideal world that the demons thought of.”
world of struggle.
A world where everyone fought against everyone was the right world that demons wanted.
And the Dark Heaven Demons, who inherited the will of the demons, also want such a world.
“Ernas Landstein, isn’t it a world that suits you very well?”
“… … .”
“You do not covet power. Neither the 6th great swordsmith nor Archduke Lichtenauer mean much to you.”
The Patriarch made eye contact with me and said.
“All you want is to reach a higher level and become stronger. then… What suits you is not the empire of the iron-blooded sword system, but the world of the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult.”
Saying that, the Patriarch held out his hand to me.
“Aernas, become your disciple.”
“student?”
“I will pass on my enlightenment to you. You, as Archbishop Aernas, assist me.”
Archbishop Ernas.
It was a fresh sound that had never been mentioned in the novel.
“Why do you need a disciple?”
“Because we need to spread the teachings widely.”
The Patriarch said in a calm voice.
“I can destroy an empire by myself. However, I must not be alone in spreading the ideology of the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult to the world.”
“… … .”
“I am not trying to reign supreme on my own. Everyone wants to fight freely and shape their own destiny. so… We need you as an example.”
I finally understood what the Patriarch was talking about.
“It seems that the people of the world want hope when they see me and say, ‘We can become as strong as Archbishop Aernas!’”
“It is like that. Because that will be a world full of hope rather than reigning as the absolute strongest alone.”
Nodding his head, the Patriarch smiled.
“The archbishops, including Alberich, were frankly unqualified. Not only was he lacking in qualities, but he was obsessed with worldly desires. Such bastards cannot give hope to the people of the world.”
“… … .”
“Aernas Landstein, how are you?”
The Patriarch said, holding out his hand towards me.
“Wouldn’t you like to become a member of the Black Heaven Demonic Cult and play a role in instilling hope in people?”
“… … .”
As I listened to the Patriarch’s words, I furrowed my eyebrows.
This old man really thinks that the world of the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult is to save mankind.
I believe that a world where there is no social system and where everyone lives freely fighting is the best of the best.
“As expected of the leader of the fanatics, Patriarch.”
“what?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s something you all, to be precise, only extreme demons like you would agree to.”
The followers of the Black Heaven Demonic Cult are mainly those who are dissatisfied with society.
From noble mtl dot com.
They had no choice but to be attracted to the teachings of the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult that the social system should be destroyed.
However, they will also express their disapproval when the real world of struggle comes.
“Most people are incapable of protecting themselves in a world of struggle. When the social system collapses, they become prey or prey.”
“… … .”
“Originally, mankind has known that fact from the beginning. That’s why we form a social system and receive that protection.”
When the iron-blooded sword emperor who defeated demons and elder dragons founded this empire, mankind accepted becoming citizens of the empire.
It wasn’t just because I was afraid of the Iron Blood Sword Emperor and the power of his subordinates.
Because I knew it would be much better to go under the system they created.
“Patriarch, you only bring hell to the majority of mankind. Because there will be more people who feel despair in the world of the weak and the weak and die than people who feel hope in my existence.”
“You speak incomprehensibly, Ernas Landstein.”
“what?”
“Why should I worry about those who are dying in despair? Wouldn’t it be more correct salvation for mankind to leave only those who hope and develop their own strength?”
“… … .”
I’m at a loss for words.
And I realized that I had done nothing.
Talking to fanatics is just a waste of time.
“okay… Even in the novel, Arkandel tried to persuade him, but it didn’t work at all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You don’t have to know, Patriarch.”
Saying that and sighing, the Patriarch narrowed his eyes and said.
“Hmm, anyway, it seems you have no intention of converting to the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult.”
“Yeah, I have no idea at all.”
“Don’t you want to reach the transcendental level?”
“It is a transcendent state… … .”
“The ultimate state beyond the pinnacle… Becoming my disciple would be the quickest way to reach the Black Heaven level.”
The Patriarch’s voice contained sincerity.
It seemed that he really wanted to make me his disciple.
“I guess you haven’t heard about this from Alberich.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Heukcheon level is not the answer, Patriarch.”
“… … ?”
“You Black Heaven Demonic Cult thought that the level beyond the pinnacle level was the Black Heaven level, but that was just an illusion.”
After repeating what he had told Alberich, the Patriarch was silent for a moment.
“You speak incomprehensibly, Ernas Landstein.”
“it’s okay. I don’t think you’ll understand with words anyway.”
I have already confirmed that the Patriarch is a non-verbal entity.
So there is no need for a long conversation here.
“What is clear is… It’s just that I’m not at all attracted to black people.”
“… … .”
“Because it’s a semi-perfect, half-baked state.”
The moment I spit it out like that.
The calm patriarch’s eyebrows twitched.
“You’re saying something that’s hard to get over, Ernas Landstein.”
“Could you say it again?”
I looked straight at the Patriarch and said.
“It’s impossible to climb to the top of this world with something like the Black Sky level.”
“Hmm… … .”
The Patriarch’s eyes grew cold.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. Are you thinking of the Black Heaven class based on the archbishops you have fought against?”
“… … .”
“The archbishops did not have the qualifications to reach the level of the Dark Heaven. That’s why I only had that much power… To think of that as a standard is really stupid.”
The Patriarch sighed.
“Okay, it would be pointless to have any more conversations.”
As he said that, the Patriarch moved his hand.
“Die, Ernas Landstein.”
That moment.
An attack with a speed never before experienced unfolded.
* * *
Heukcheon class can be reached by fulfilling two conditions.
The first is to dismantle the mana heart and fill the veins of the whole body with magic power.
Mana hearts are necessary for humans to control their magical powers well, but their efficiency is inevitably lower than that of Mines who used mana without mana hearts.
If you get rid of mana hearts and fill the veins with magic power, you don’t need to draw magic power from mana hearts.
The second is to use mana to change one’s body.
This is different from simply strengthening physical abilities with magical powers.
By completely reconstructing the body, it is to realize movements that are impossible with human muscles or skeletons.
What is completed through the combination of these two… It’s transcendent speed.
Both the use of mana and the movement of the body are accomplished at a speed that transcends human limits.
For this reason, the existing graduate level can not respond.
As long as the pinnacle moves faster than the maximum speed that the pinnacle can respond to, the pinnacle has no choice but to be defeated by the Heukcheon-class.
It is for this reason that Valentiano collapsed without being able to do anything to the Patriarch.
Valentiano, the number one swordsman in the East, had the ability to fight against any graduate, but he couldn’t cope with the Patriarch’s speed at all.
‘Aernas Landstein, you can’t respond to the speed of the Black Sky.’
The Patriarch could not understand why Aernas was so confident.
It was because the Patriarch had now fully grasped the level of Aernas’ status.
‘you also… It seems that the mana heart has been dismantled.’
The Patriarch, who had reached a transcendental state, saw through that Aernas had dismantled Mana Heart.
Aernas possessed a large amount of magical energy, but it was not stored in the mana heart, but was constantly deployed in the veins throughout the body.
Surprisingly, it was almost the same method as the Heukcheon Main Daebeop.
‘I don’t know how you got to the same way we did… excellent.’
Aernas was in a very stable condition.
Compared to the archbishops including Alberich, he was definitely superior.
but… That’s all.
‘Your body is still human.’
It was a body that had undergone skeletal metamorphosis.
However, it is still the human body.
There is no big difference when compared to Valentiano or Angela.
Comparison itself is not established with the body of the Patriarch, who has been completely transformed for the Black Heaven class.
‘so… You cannot match my speed.’
Patriarch freed from human flesh.
Aernas subordinated to a human body.
At this point, the match is already over.
Anticipating and responding to movements or anything like that didn’t work.
The Patriarch will move at a speed different from that of Aernas and inflict a mortal wound.
‘This is a lesson for you, Ernas Landstein.’
Thinking so, the Patriarch moved his hand.
Patriarchs who have reached the Black Heaven level do not need weapons.
Even if you don’t hold a sword, you can inflict fatal wounds on your opponent just by swinging your magic power.
‘This is it…’ It is an intangible sword.’
Black Sky Intangible Swordsmanship.
The ultimate swordsmanship, in which everything in the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult was gathered, stretched out towards Aernas.
A sword of the Black Heaven class that can never be countered by a human body.
Since his body was already sufficiently relaxed, he should be able to drop Aernas’ head in one blow.
however… … .
“Realize, Patriarch.”
A short voice was heard.
The Patriarch’s intangible sword cut through the air.
Aernas had disappeared somewhere.
“… … !”
The moment I tried to turn my head while swallowing my breath.
Blood gushed from the Patriarch’s shoulder.
The blood that turned black spurted out, staining the Patriarch’s clothes black.
“Aernas, just… … .”
Aernas stood with a sword.
It seemed that he had just swung his sword and wounded the patriarch in the shoulder.
however… The Patriarch could not respond.
“how… Did you move?”
This means that Aernas was faster than the Patriarch.
Aernas, who should have been subordinated to the human body, moved faster than the Patriarch who was freed from the human body.
And that, to the point that the Patriarch couldn’t even recognize it.
Just as the Patriarch acquired a level of speed different from that of Valentiano’s peak… Aernas had acquired a speed of a different dimension from that of the Patriarch and the Dark Heaven class.
“What happened, Ernas Landstein… … !”
“I would have told you, Patriarch.”
Aernas raised his sword.
“If I tried to say it anyway, you wouldn’t understand. so… … .”
Immediately after that, Aernas’ figure disappeared again.
“Let your body realize it yourself.”
“… … !”
Black blood gushed from the patriarch’s body once again.