NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77
EP.77 Side Story, The Betrayer (5)
The Hero, Kyle Toven, looked ahead.
A disaster leading the beasts is approaching. With every step she took, Kyle stepped back.
I need a way.
He must find a way to hunt the disaster.
Kyle glanced around. Sara and Remia came into his view. They were no different from him—trembling in fear.
“…”
What Kyle was searching for was not them.
He turned his head slightly more. In moments of desperate crisis, it was always someone else who found the answers.
Kyle’s gaze landed on Raniel.
He was stumbling as he walked, seemingly dragging one foot as he headed for the edge of the cliff.
Thud.
Once at the cliff’s edge, he knelt and placed his hand on the ground. His broken arm was on the ground, while the other reached out toward Kyle.
Smash.
A shockwave shook the earth.
The cliff where Raniel stood could not withstand the impact and crumbled. As he fell into the black plains, Raniel unleashed another spell.
Chain.
Restriction.
Chains shot from Raniel’s outstretched hand.
The chains wrapped around Remia, Sara, and Kyle. Raniel furiously swung the arm that had tied up the chains.
Whirrr!
The bound figures were pulled toward Raniel. The speed was insufficient. Kyle quickly assessed the situation, pushed off the ground, and sprang into action.
“Remia!”
At Kyle’s shout, Remia embraced Sara. Kyle sprang toward them and leaped over the cliff after Raniel.
Crash!
Just then, the Carapace Dragon bit where Kyle had just stood. They barely escaped its range, with no time to be surprised.
Thud!
Kyle landed next to Raniel.
The speed of their descent was alarming. The ground loomed closer. Watching the approaching ground, Kyle screamed.
“Raniel!”
“I know without you calling.”
Raising his broken arm, Raniel clapped his hands. The rubble they had just smashed together was infused with magic.
Deceleration.
The speed of the rubble slowed.
Falling slowly, they looked up at the sky. Dust swirled up from the cliff they had just vacated.
Boom, rumble!
The cliff was shaking.
The watchtower of Rodimel Fortress shattered and crumbled. Cracks appeared in the collapsing cliff as well.
Crash!
Like an earth dragon digging through the ground, the Carapace Dragon burrowed into the cliff’s surface and emerged. Watching the scene, Kyle broke into a cold sweat.
…Can I slice that?
If he could just deal with one, it was possible.
But when faced with five at once, there was no choice but to say it was impossible.
It defied all reason.
The same fear he’d felt when facing Skebal the Ancient Lich and Belial the Black Dragon washed over him. Kyle slowly turned his head.
“…”
There was Raniel.
He was clutching his broken arm, staring up at the betrayer standing on the crumbling cliff.
In his eyes, there was no fear.
As always, it was the gaze of a mage seeking answers.
“…Raniel.”
Kyle asked.
“Can we take that on?”
Raniel replied to the question.
“We’ll have to find a way. Somehow.”
—
The ground trembled.
Boom, rumble something was collapsing. The dreadful stench of beasts prickled their noses.
The knights gathered in the tent sensed the anomaly.
Toot!
A horn blared across the encampment.
Knights sensing the disturbance stepped out of the tents one by one. And then, they confronted the scene.
“…What the hell is that?”
The cliff housing Rodimel Fortress was collapsing. Amid the falling rubble, a gigantic beast rampaged about. The fog that had cloaked the fortress settled onto the plains.
Beasts.
So many that their numbers were incomprehensible now filled the plains. Gazing at the wave of beasts spreading across the horizon, the knights blinked in disbelief.
They want to believe it’s a lie.
But the choking stench of beasts reminded them that this was reality.
Splash.
Someone stepped onto the rain-soaked meadow, approaching the knights. They looked on. Shadowed by the rising sun, figures approached.
The hero and his companions.
Caked in mud, they stood before the knights. Observing their appearance in the condition of Rodimel Fortress, the answer became clear.
The operation has failed.
The knights’ expressions darkened.
—
*
There was still time before the beasts led by Gletus arrived. Taking advantage of the brief moment, Raniel treated his injuries.
This wound is insane.
Sara frowned.
As a saint, she knew how many enhancement spells Raniel typically cast on himself.
Despite the heavy enhancement spell, Raniel’s arm was utterly twisted.
We only blocked one attack.
Five beasts of that level were no joke.
She couldn’t even entertain the thought of winning. Sara’s expression darkened.
“…Raniel.”
As she healed Raniel’s arm, Sara spoke up.
“About us.”
“Uh-huh.”
Her fingers trembled slightly.
“How about we just run away?”
At those words, Raniel slowly turned his head. With a furrowed brow, he asked.
“What did you say?”
“I said let’s run. Can you see outside?”
Sara pointed toward the tent flap. The knights were forming ranks. Trembling despite their fear, they were preparing for battle, adjusting stakes and pulling giant ballistae.
“We’re the heroes, right?”
She continued.
“If Kyle is here, then someday we can take down that disaster. But it doesn’t have to be now.”
Sara was terrified. So far, they had encountered many formidable foes. They had faced two of the four disasters. Yet nothing felt as dangerous as this.
The Ancient Lich, Skebal.
The Black Dragon, Belial.
They were not as dangerous as Gletus the Betrayer. Raniel had thwarted every plan of the Ancient Lich. The Black Dragon hadn’t attacked aggressively, as it was busy protecting the hatchlings.
But Gletus was different.
From the disaster they faced, a madness was palpable. She felt fear confronting one whose very being was an affront to sanctity.
“Yeah, Sara, you’re right.”
After quietly listening to Sara, Remia spoke up. She, too, seemed terrified.
“That’s not… How about we prepare for the next time instead?”
“Right, next time. We can do that. Like with the Black Dragon, we’ll be fully prepared and gather enough people…”
In a pleading tone, Sara continued.
Grabbing Raniel’s arm, she looked up at him.
“Let go.”
Thwack, Raniel shrugged her off.
“Do you guys even know what you’re talking about?”
Raniel reached out with his still-injured hand and grabbed Sara by the collar. Hoisting her up, his blue eyes glimmered right in front of her face.
“The knights outside are holding on, expecting us to do something. They are different from us. Just a flick of a disaster’s finger could take them out.”
He said.
“Are you suggesting we abandon those knights and run from this battlefield? Sacrifice all of them?”
“We’re heroes, right?”
“A hero… Isn’t it more important for them to survive?”
“Uh, yes. That is important, but…”
His voice turned cold.
“The reason the hero is important is that he must face the disasters. He must be a symbol of victory.”
That is what a hero is.
A hero must never retreat.
They must always symbolize victory.
“Even if we sacrifice the knights to run away, we can’t just turn back easily. The front line will crumble. If we fail to hold here, it will be hard to resist the pursuers.”
To flee, some must buy time.
Muttering to himself, Raniel asked.
“There aren’t enough knights. Who will buy that time?”
“…”
“We must do it. As you said, to save the important hero, we can either have the hero survive and sacrifice all others.”
“…That’s.”
“That’s something you don’t want, right?”
Raniel snorted.
“Then we must take them down, damn it.”
Thud, he released Sara from his grip.
While Sara rubbed her neck, Raniel staggered over to Kyle.
“Hey, Kyle.”
“…I’m listening.”
He extended his arm.
“Given how my arm looks right now, I can’t keep up with you this time.”
“…”
“Instead, I’ll try another way.”
He spread his two fingers wide.
“Fifteen seconds.”
Pretending to fold his fingers, he said.
“I’ll pause Gletus’s movements for exactly fifteen seconds.”
Raniel asked.
“Can you cut him?”
“…There are five Carapace Dragons guarding him. Never mind the fog; it’s impossible to kill all five and cut Gletus within fifteen seconds.”
“How many can you handle?”
“I can manage two at most.”
“Alright, that’s enough.”
He nodded and stepped out of the tent.
“…Where are you going, Raniel?”
“To find someone to take care of the remaining three.”
Raniel moved toward the tent where the Sword Master, Kuntel, was located.
—
3.
The Sword Master, Kuntel, eyed Raniel as he abruptly entered the tent.
…What a wreck.
His condition was far from good. Even though the saint’s blessing enveloped his body, recovery was slow. His arm looked like it had been shattered and wouldn’t heal anytime soon.
Shaking his head from the injury, Kuntel asked.
“What’s the matter, Raniel?”
“Kuntel, I have a favor to ask.”
Raniel sat on a chair in the tent, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, then pointed outside.
“Right now, can’t you see the beasts gathering?”
“Yeah. To be honest, I think it’ll be difficult to hold them back, but… we did prepare the knights.”
“Thanks for that.”
“I’ll say this in advance, Raniel.”
Kuntel said firmly.
“I’m ready to give my life. Still, I don’t think I can save you all from that swarm of beasts.”
He knew his capabilities well.
No matter how much he was prepared to throw himself into the fray, he might not even be able to kill one of the Carapace Dragons surrounding Gletus.
…This is hopeless.
He had dedicated his life to the sword, yet his options were limited.
As he gazed at Raniel with a gloomy expression, Raniel chuckled.
“I never thought of running away in the first place.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Hey, Kuntel, do you know? No matter how unreasonable a creature may be… it surprisingly follows its own rules.”
Raniel lifted his broken arm.
Shaking it, he spoke.
“There’s a delay with summoned creatures. Bringing forth a servant from another world means there’s a need to open a portal to that world once.”
But listen.
As he murmured, Raniel continued.
“Gletus is different. That crazy lady has one arm dipped directly into the otherworld. I don’t know how she did it…”
Raniel jabbed at his own eyes.
“Looking at the circuit, the summoned beasts aren’t connected to Gletus’s mana. They’re tied to that arm. If we cut that arm off… all the summoned creatures will be flung back to the otherworld.”
“…That means.”
“Yeah. I’ll somehow bring Kyle close enough to cut that arm. Then we win.”
“…”
“So, Kuntel.”
He looked at Kuntel with serious eyes.
“Can you deal with the three Carapace Dragons?”
“…With all the knights?”
“Yeah. Along with the saint and the Archery Master. And I’ll draw the circuit myself. Just keep the attention of the three Carapace Dragons.”
The odds were slim.
Even drawing their attention would cost many knights their lives. Kuntel couldn’t even guarantee his own.
Be the bait at the cost of his life.
That was what Raniel was suggesting.
“Seriously.”
Kuntel forced a smile, fiddling with the hilt of his sword.
“You’re asking for an unreasonable favor.”
“Sorry. You’re the only one I can rely on, Kuntel.”
He knew it was a reckless request.
Raniel hung his head. Kuntel sighed as he looked at the disciple who had once learned martial arts from him.
“Well, it’s better than everybody dying.”
And then with a grin, he said.
“Rather than dying while facing that swarm of beasts, I’d rather die more gloriously this way.”
As the Sword Master, Kuntel grasped his sword tightly and stepped outside the tent. He sensed that his final moments were approaching.