NOVEL NEXT chapter 101
101 – 101. Rampage (1)
Stunningly beautiful men and women, dressed in resplendent ceremonial attire, stepped one by one into the grand estate of the former Count Hilidhar.
Nobles of the night.
Descendants of blood that hunts humans.
The men and women who entered the castle were vampires, followers of the Apostle of Blood.
“Hmm, not a single human in sight.”
“I heard they evacuated the castle since last night. They must have fled to a nearby village.”
He longed to quench his thirst with the blood of a pure maiden.
Desire called out to him.
The beautiful vampires revealed their sharp fangs, as if to display their sinister intentions.
Yet, they dared not act.
For the Apostle of Blood had forbidden all acts of feeding.
The vampires following Ariel suppressed their urges, recalling the command. It wasn’t difficult, as they had already hunted humans in other cities.
“Count Hilidhar… No, it has now become the Marquisate of Hoenberk.”
“A lineage of heroes. Who would have thought we would enter the domain of a family that produced a hero?”
Following the beautiful men and women, figures cloaked in black hoods emerged.
The dark, ominous mages.
With every step they took, a foul stench spread.
The Apostles of the God of Calamity entered the hall. The vampires recoiled, revealing their disdain, creating distance between themselves and the newcomers. It was due to the unique stench that emanated from the Apostles.
“The hospitality of the vampires is quite lacking. By the way, where is Ariel?”
“She will appear right on time! Just wait patiently!”
Though they shared a common enemy in the Earth Mother Gael, trust and camaraderie were hard to come by.
The reason was simple.
Each followed different gods.
Though they were collectively referred to as the “Forgotten Gods” by the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, the faiths worshipped by the cultists varied as widely as the constellations scattered across the night sky. Thus, even among fellow cultists, it was not uncommon for them to snarl at each other like mortal enemies.
“Everyone, be quiet. The Seer will be entering shortly.”
A fierce gust of wind swept through the castle.
At that moment, a woman, as enchanting as obsidian, made her appearance.
Ariel Spella.
The atmosphere, once on the brink of chaos, gradually eased with the appearance of the host who declared the meeting.
The vampires lowered their heads, casting reverent glances at the figure of Awe. Meanwhile, the apostles of the God of Calamity expressed their anticipation at the thought of welcoming the so-called “innocent calamity,” which had been dismissed as a mere delusion.
“Could it be that the innocent calamity truly exists? I can hardly believe it.”
“Ariel Spella…! If you have deceived us, you had better be prepared for the consequences!”
Among those attending the meeting, there were several apostles who had not responded to Ariel’s call.
It was hard to believe.
It could be a sinister trap set by the vampires.
Doubts lingered about the actual existence of the innocent calamity. Furthermore, the being that the Apostle of Blood, who boasted of his unique existence, revered as the “Forebearer” seemed suspicious.
Despite the suspicious glances directed at her from all sides, Ariel maintained her composure.
She was confident that when the Forebearer appeared, the foolish apostles would kneel and bow their heads in submission.
“The vermin that have hidden in the mortal realm have finally gathered. There are quite a few of them.”
Creeeak-.
The firmly shut door swung open.
A man with gray hair surveyed the assembled crowd within the fortress and began to speak.
Vermin.
He spat out curses, proving his usual violent temperament.
Was this a rough provocation to seize the initiative?
No,
That was not the case.
In the man’s voice, there was a palpable, sincere contempt directed at the apostles of the God of Calamity.
“As I said, you’ve sent away all those who resided in the stronghold of the Hilidhar family, right?”
“Of course. I cast a mind-control spell on the humans to ensure they harbored no suspicions.”
Edanant nodded at Ariel’s response and began to move.
At that moment, the apostles of the God of Calamity, who had been watching the situation with tense expressions, finally spoke up.
“How dare you call us vermin!”
“Are you the Forebearer chosen by the innocent calamity? You don’t seem all that impressive!”
They extended their hands, engulfed in flames.
They activated their divine powers, manifesting sharp weapons in the air.
Hostility surged.
They were surrounded by the divine powers of the God of Calamity.
The provoked apostles simultaneously harbored murderous intent towards Edanant, activating their divine powers. It seemed as if they intended to annihilate him without leaving even a scrap behind unless he immediately apologized for his rudeness.
“You’re hiding in the darkness, clinging to life. Pathetically, like a maggot.”
Edanant raised one hand.
At that moment, the divine presence of the god of war seized the air.
Karddudduddud──!!!
The loud metallic sound echoed as large and small pieces of metal clashed and fell apart repeatedly.
Simultaneously, countless weapons filled the air within the fortress.
From siege cannons that shattered the walls to numerous firearms mobilized for war, they suddenly appeared. The apostles, facing a hail of bullets like condemned criminals awaiting execution, swallowed their screams as they confronted the calamity of war.
“Is this the calamity of war!”
“It’s certainly the divine presence that erupted from the Apostle of Blood!”
Hundreds of firearms were deployed. The sight of Edanant wielding them as if they were his own limbs left the apostles in shock.
If he lowered his raised hand, they would all unleash fire.
They would die.
Fear and dread seemed to bind their entire bodies.
Could we truly win if we all charged together?
The apostles, unable to confidently assert their chances against the storm of war, abandoned their resistance against the pioneer wielding the calamity of war. They had lost their will to fight upon witnessing the ever-expanding divine presence.
“Ah, such an intense divine presence…! Truly, you are the pioneer who leads the ascension of evil.”
A vampire with flowing black hair knelt on one knee, exclaiming in fervent admiration.
“Dare I witness the calamity of innocence.”
“C-could it be that the calamity of innocence truly exists, as foretold by the priests…!”
The calamity of innocence.
Fourfold disasters that would lead humanity to ruin.
The apostles, witnessing the calamity of innocence right before their eyes, knelt like Ariel, expressing their reverence.
For the cultists, who faced a life-and-death crisis due to the counterattack from the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, Edanant was nothing less than a savior. Thus, the apostles, confronted with the calamity of innocence, bowed their heads and accepted the pioneer of the cult.
“I will cast the Earth Mother Gael from the throne of the One True God. Cooperate with me.”
The command was simple yet clear.
The fall of the One True God.
It contained only one purpose.
He made no promises to resurrect the gods of the cult, expelled from faith. He merely proclaimed that he would cast the Earth Mother from the throne of the One True God.
Yet, Edanant’s proclamation was nothing less than salvation for the apostles.
“I will follow the teachings of the Seer!”
“If I can only take revenge on those b*stards… I will obey any command!”
It is possible to tarnish the name of the One True God.
The time has come to take revenge on the followers of the One True God, who have repeatedly oppressed and persecuted.
The apostles of the God of Calamity felt a strong conviction, sensing that the rise of evil was imminent. Their eyes overflowed with a thirst for vengeance against the One True God.
‘What is a Seer? Those worthless beings that provide no help to the world…’
The reason the Empire and the Holy Kingdom relentlessly persecuted the followers of the God of Calamity was that they collectively stained the continent with blood through slaughter and human sacrifice.
The beings before them were no different.
No,
Rather, they likely led the slaughter and human sacrifice.
They accepted the role of the Seer simply because the existence of necessary evils was required. Once they successfully expelled the Earth Mother from the throne of the One True God, they planned to sweep away the worthless insects that would be of no help to the world.
‘…Ludmila?’
As he pondered how to manipulate the apostles gathered from various regions,
A massive presence was felt.
It was a bizarre form transformed by an alien energy, but the divine essence of a red dragon was unmistakable.
This is absurd.
Only a few hours had passed.
How could Ludmila, who should naturally be in the Imperial Capital by now, have arrived at the Marquisate of Hohenberg?
Ludmila must not discover the scene.
If the Second Princess, who tolerates no injustice, were to find out, all plans would be thrown into disarray.
“Ariel.”
“You called, Seer?”
The turbulent energy emanating from Ludmila was unsettling.
Concerned about potential complications, Edanant ordered Ariel to disperse. He could not comprehend why Ludmila, having left the Imperial Capital for a brief moment, was pursuing them so fiercely.
Could it be that they were discovered?
No,
That couldn’t be the case.
If she had truly grasped the situation, she would have launched a fireball at the Count of Hilidar without a moment’s hesitation. The fact that the Count of Hilidar remained quiet suggested that they had not been completely uncovered.
‘Why on earth! Just because I left for a moment without a word, she chased all the way to the Marquisate of Hohenberg…?’
Edanant trembled, letting out a silent scream.
Clink.
At that moment, a sound emerged from the ring box that had been kept in his pocket.
Edanant displayed a reaction tinged with irritation as he pulled the ring box from his pocket. Little did he know that Ludmila’s true intention was the wedding ring of the Hoenberg family; he regarded the wedding ring as nothing more than a bothersome trinket.