Chapter 295.
The barriers surrounding the Holy Kingdom were expanding outwards day by day.
At first, the barriers only surrounded the Holy Kingdom, but soon, they had crossed the Holy Kingdom’s borders and were about to invade the neighboring kingdoms. The Alliance had been laying siege on the Holy Kingdom, but they had to retreat if they didn’t want to be swept up by the barriers.
Seeing how they had to stop from time to time and block the Waves even as they were retreating, it wasn’t easy for the Alliance.
However, the Alliance showed a surprising degree of strength in the face of adverse war conditions.
The former members of the Western expedition, who had the experience necessary in dealing with the demons and demonic beasts, became the main force as they desperately tried their hardest to make sure the newly recruited soldiers weren’t devoured by the evilness of demons and beasts they were encountering for the first time. And when the soldiers had difficulty dealing with those monsters, the strong knights and mages stepped forward to deal with them.
And at the center of all this was Park Joon-Min, the Warrior who was praised as the Apostle of G.o.d.
As if his body had multiplied, the Warrior flashed from the East to the West, frantically running around the widely spread out defense line.
After all, only the master of the Holy Sword could heal the soldiers contaminated by demonic energy, and only the Warrior could deal with the mighty beasts of Chaos that even the superhumans couldn’t handle.
However, even the Warrior couldn’t be omnipotent and even the mighty holy power of the Holy Sword could not stop the barrier from pus.h.i.+ng forward and expanding its territory day by day.
The priests and Templar Knights had been swallowed up by the veil alongside the Holy Kingdom in the beginning. In order to cover for their absence, the Warrior had been running around and covering the entire frontline by himself - something that was going beyond what his ability should be capable of doing. It was unreasonable to expect more from him.
“Ughh. Was Hyung always right under this kind of pressure?”
Park Joon-Min could feel himself choking under the soldiers’ gaze as they looked at him. It felt like he would suffocate at any moment under the soldiers’ expectations who wanted him to show abilities that went beyond his limit.
The more that happened, the more he overtaxed himself.
[While His grace is infinite, it is the human body that uses it. In your current state, your body may collapse very soon.]
It was to the point where the Holy Sword Balmung tried to dissuade his owner.
“Without the priests, I’m the only one who can stop the corruption from the demonic energy. If I’m lazy, it’ll be the soldiers who suffer more.”
But Park Joon-Min was reckless. It was as if the soldiers dying on the frontlines from the demonic energy was his responsibility.
[I do not agree with you overworking yourself.]
In the end, the Holy Sword had to call on its Holy power and force the Warrior to take a break.
“Ah, no. Stop it. At a time like this, we need to save at least one more soldier.”
When the Warrior showed such an all-consuming reaction, Balmung and the others around the Warrior finally realized that the Warrior couldn’t overcome the pressure and was falling apart from the inside.
It made sense. He may be called the Warrior, or the Apostle of G.o.d, or whatever else, but at his core, he was nothing more than a young man in his late twenties. In the other world, he would have recently gotten a job and started training for it. It wasn’t unreasonable that he wasn’t able to bear such a heavy burden when in the other world, he would barely be a new employee who was just starting to get trained.
“Hopefully the Indomitable Grand Duke returns quickly. Then, the burden on the Apostle would lessen a bit…”
The fact that the Warrior hadn’t completely collapsed was all because his sworn brother had promised to return soon before leaving.
“At that age, the Indomitable Grand Duke had already been in charge of the frontlines of his country. Although the Grand Duke hasn’t truly led as a commander until recently, it’s true that the success or failure of a war was always on his shoulders.”
When it didn’t look like Park Joon-Min would be recovering anytime soon, some people even began to compare the Warrior to the Indomitable Grand Duke.
Of course, there was no comparison.
In recent years, the Warrior had indisputably achieved many great accomplishments during the war and played the biggest role in supporting the frontline, but when compared to an influential giant like the Indomitable Grand Duke, he would be severely inferior.
Aside from the major accomplishments at the borders of his own country, the Indomitable Grand Duke’s success in the Central and Western regions, where he had zero relations, was incredible.
He had been the first to detect and inform the world of the Western region’s collapse when no one knew about it, and he had even infiltrated the Demon King’s land alone and searched out the traces of survivors. Then, the Indomitable Grand Duke had successfully, and miraculously, evacuated thousands of Qeishas and refugees.
All of that had been done by himself without getting support from anyone.
On top of that, the Indomitable Grand Duke had uncovered every detail, and shared it with the world, that the Holy Kingdom was colluding with the Demon King and conspiring to detain the Warrior. In the end, it was the Indomitable Grand Duke who saved the West by eliminating the Demon King. So, it was rather difficult to list all of his dazzling achievements.
Even if it wasn’t the Warrior, there was no one who dared to compare himself against the Indomitable Grand Duke.
Of course, behind that heroic path was a lot of pain and anguish. And that was the difference between the Indomitable Grand Duke and the Warrior.
The Indomitable Grand Duke had gotten plenty of time to grow and improve while having the full trust and support of the Adenstein royal family. However, the Warrior hadn’t.
After appearing in front of the world, the Warrior had risen too quickly and had been exposed to a great deal of pressure before he could mentally mature.
But to the people, something like that wasn’t important. What was important was that the Warrior was a person who fell short of the Indomitable Grand Duke.
While no one was aware of the problem, the Warrior became sicker.
[Stop! Stop! I give in! I’ll lend you my strength so stop doing crazy things!]
When the Warrior disregarded the Holy Sword’s help, or lack thereof, and risked his life by jumping into the battle line, the Holy Sword raised both hands in surrender.
But by that time, the Warrior had completely lost the ability to speak and became a soulless character who was fighting on the battlefield mechanically.
“I just have to hold on until Hyung’s back. As long as he comes back, we can do anything.”
Occasionally, the Warrior muttered to himself, but it was only about the return of his sworn brother.
“He’s completely broken.”
“What if he causes an accident?”
Only the foreigners expressed concern as they observed the changes in him. After all, they were the only ones who knew the burden he carried.
“Well, he has the Holy Sword, so I doubt he’ll cause an accident but, I’m afraid that he’ll charge into the barrier.”
When Kim Woo-Young expressed his concern as he watched the desperate Warrior, Lee Soo-Hyuk criticized him from next to him.
“Words can become seeds, [1] so be careful with what you say. Especially at a time like now. Didn’t you hear what the mages were saying? They’re saying that if you spoke carelessly near the barriers, whatever you said will really happen.”
The mages dispatched to the frontline had found that the barrier wasn’t just a ma.s.s of demonic energy, it was a more intrinsic and deep-rooted darkness. Soon, news spread throughout the frontlines that wicked and evil hearts could become a reality and find a loyal va.s.sal.
Since it’s said that people are being cautious of even foul language, Lee Soo-Hyuk wasn’t over exaggerating with his concerns.
“Ha, seriously. When is he coming? As long as we have the captain, that barrier and whatever else would be resolved all at once.”
It was almost like blind faith, but no one doubted that their captain, who had never fallen short of their expectations, would surely handle this terrible barrier.
However, the Warrior fell apart before their faith could be realized.
“Just continuing to block the demons like this will never give us the answer. In the end, as time goes on, the barrier will spread, and one day, it will spread throughout the continent.”
The Warrior gathered the Alliance’s commanders and insisted that they attack the wall itself.
Normally, it would be a reasonable statement and rational they would easily agree to. However, the Warrior, even though he had been the one to bring it up, didn’t seem determined to win. Instead, he looked anxious and a bit insane. That was why the commanders couldn’t simply agree.
“The mages are foregoing sleep and looking for a way to break through that barrier. So I don’t believe it is a good idea for us to unreasonably charge at the barrier right now.”
The commander of the Adenburg Empire, who had dispatched the most soldiers to the frontline, rejected the Warrior’s words to his face.
“At the very least, I believe it would be a much better decision to wait until the Indomitable Grand Duke appears. As he has been through countless difficulties, I am sure he will find a way.”
The officers of the Adenburg Imperial Army nodded their heads in agreement with their commander’s words.
However, the Warrior had reached the limit of his patient and refused to bend, his att.i.tude was unyielding.
“It has been three months since Hyung-nim said he would return. No matter how wide the continent is, there is nowhere that would take that much time when he is traveling on the Wyvern. If he were to come back, he would already have returned.”
Until a day ago, the Warrior had been chattering about how the moment his sword brother returned, all their crisis would be gone as if it had been a lie. So when his att.i.tude suddenly changed, the Adenburg Empire’s people protested.
“Are you saying that he is deliberately not returning to the frontlines! Publicly, he is a hero who has sacrificed himself numerous times for the continent, and privately, he is your sworn brother! Your words are highly misleading.”
“When did I say that he was purposefully not coming back? I’m just saying that there may be circ.u.mstances stopping him.”
The Warrior was being stubborn. He was acting like someone would die immediately if he didn’t jump through that wall.
“If you continue to insist upon such an unreasonable advance, the Empire will move separately from the Alliance. We did not bring the Empire’s precious soldiers to this far-off country so they could commit suicide.”
The Adenburg Empire’s commander was equally unyielding.
“Come, come. Let’s all calm down. I’m sure the Warrior didn’t say something like that just to have the soldiers die in vain. I’m sure he has a reason.”
The Tennessia Kingdom had now become an ardent supporter of the Warrior and its people were trying to mediate in the overheated atmosphere.
“I hope you have a compelling reason.”
Park Joon-Min immediately responded to the Imperial commander’s statement.
“There has been a prophecy.”
It was strange that the Warrior spoke of a prophecy all of a sudden, but his att.i.tude was even stranger. Until a moment ago, he had been so impatient it had been to the point of lunacy, but now, he was very calm and serene.
“A prophecy…”
The Empire’s Sword Star, Marek Schnail Roachmin, had never spoken in the meeting before, but now, he stepped forward.
“A prophecy at a time like this. I’m very curious about what this prophecy said.”
The old knight, who had lived more than 200 years as an Adjuster, turned to look sharply at the Warrior. It was as if he was trying to dig into every detail behind that calm expression.
“G.o.d does not want that evil barrier to exist in this world. He has asked me to drive that darkness out.”
“I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t believe that you, the Apostle, have the power to break through that barrier.”
The air in the conference room instantly chilled at Marek’s blunk remarks that left out all niceties. In recent years, the Empire had built up a force and reputation that no one dared to oppose, but even so, Marek’s words were excessively rude.
“Of course, the Empire is not disrespecting or looking down upon the Apostle’s merit. If you weren’t at the frontlines taking care of the soldiers, I doubt they would be as sane as they are right now from the demonic energy.”
Belatedly, the commander from the Empire stepped in and took control of the conversation. However, the mood in the conference room had already chilled and it didn’t warm up again.
But it seemed like Marek’s rudeness didn’t register with the Warrior because his expression remained calm.
“I will show you at the next Wave. If you still feel that my strength is insufficient, then I will not bring it up again.”
Instead, the Warrior smiled leisurely and said he would prove that he was capable of breaking through the barrier during the next Wave.
That moment came soon.
The Warrior stepped forward after the Alliance’s superhumans successfully blocked the first Wave.
Thump.
In the middle of the battlefield tainted with the black bodily fluids of the demonic beasts, the Warrior stabbed the Holy Sword into the ground and knelt on one knee. He closed his eyes.
A miracle happened.
Oooooooooh.
A dazzling flash of light fell from the sky and instantly melted the numerous beasts that poured out of the barrier the moment the second Wave started.
Forget screaming, there weren’t even traces left behind. The beasts evaporated as if they never existed in the world in the first place. Even the beasts’ corpses lying on the battlefield were engulfed by the light and disappeared.
“Oh! Oh, Heavenly Father!”
“Thank you! Thank you G.o.d!”
“G.o.d has not forsaken us.”
The soldiers who witnessed this amazing miracle laid flat on the floor and praised G.o.d.
It was at this moment that the embers of faith, which had been buried and forgotten in face of the Holy Kingdom’s atrocities, began to burn again.
“So in the end, he couldn’t stand to watch the fall of his grace and stepped forward.”
Marek watched this scene with a hard face.
“How was it? Do you now believe that I have the strength to remove that barrier?”
The Warrior approached like a phony religious leader while saying a cheesy second-rate remark.
“Let me ask you one more thing.”
“Ask me anything.”
Marek frowned at the Warrior’s c.o.c.ky and sly att.i.tude. He was so different from before.
“Have you also received the powers of Avatar?”
“If you’re asking about His glorious power, then…”
The Warrior nodded.
“Yes.”
Marek nodded at the Warrior’s words and stepped back.
“Then can I a.s.sume that the issue is now settled?”
Marek didn’t respond as he disappeared amongst the soldiers who were screaming as if they were truly looking upon G.o.d.
That day, plans, including what to do beyond the barrier, were drawn up.
“For humanity!”
As if they were already victorious, the commanders’ excited shouts echoed out the barrack.
“In the end, the boundaries that separated the worlds have come to an end. From now on, this world will become a chessboard for the Transcendental beings, not the humans.”
Marek took a deep breath as he stood outside the barrack.
“I hope that idolatrous man does not expect too much.”
Even the Warrior, let alone all the other soldiers, had completely changed after hearing the prophecy. It was no different from saying that the Transcendental beings’ will begin to dominate their proxies.
“Would there be someone among the proxies who have not forgotten themselves?”
From the start, it wasn’t possible for a weak human to overcome the strong will and power of a Transcendental being.
“No, there is one.”
Marek’s face finally softened as he lifted his head to look up at the northern sky. He was looking in the direction the Dragon’s Companion had gone. The Dragon’s Companion had said he would be returning quickly.
“You are the only one I can trust.”
He hoped and hoped again that the Dragon, who had once balanced the world before Adjusters like himself had one, would not forget her mission of moderating the world.
***
At that moment, Kim Seon-Hyeok was paying the price for crossing the borders of the world.
“It really wasn’t intentional this time!”
He had belatedly realized that the time flowing through the gaps of the s.p.a.ce and time didn’t flow the same as the world.
“Hurry! Quickly!”
Edda sighed at the screams of the married man whose time spent outside had unexpectedly extended.
[You will live a life that is close to eternity. The time spent in the gaps of s.p.a.ce-and-time is like scooping out a handful of water from the ocean.]
“That’s not the problem right now.”
Kim Seon-Hyeok frowned at Edda’s carefree words.
“I promised that I would return as soon as possible.”
[I see. I still do not understand, but alright.]
Edda accelerated when he continued to pester her.
Paaawk.
Redvern, with Geheimnis on his back, chased after them quickly with his tongue lolling out
1. This is a Korean proverb, "말이 씨가 된다’ which means that things can happen as you say, so don’t say things recklessly.