Chapter 231

(1)

1.

Believer, Verdik.

One of Astevan’s twelve minions, he wandered through the maze, separated from the group.

This was a mission to eliminate stragglers, apart from the royal decree to annihilate the Outsider. His primary target: the threat of the undead.

Specifically, the Herald of the Stars.

【What a lucky day.】

A girl in a pure white robe.

Verdik grinned as he felt the overwhelming Holy Energy radiating from her.

【I didn’t think I’d find the Herald so quickly.】

Just as Verdik had drifted away from the group, he soon spotted Laurea. He moved forward, dragging his mace.

The distance between them slowly narrowed.

Ian gulped nervously.

“……Saintess.”

His senses were heightened to their peak.

Focusing on the enemy who might strike at any moment, he whispered with a serious face.

“I’ll hold him off. You should find an opportunity to escape.”

There was no chance in a direct fight.

It would be best to let Laurea flee and find other allies for help.

But Laurea’s reaction was different.

“No, I don’t think that will work.”

“Uh? What do you mean…?”

“Look around closely.”

Laurea bit her lips.

Noticing something was off, Ian expanded his senses beyond Verdik.

Then his eyes widened.

“……!”

The undead were surrounding them, more numerous than before. They must have appeared when Verdik arrived.

As the suffocating pressure mounted, Laurea’s voice rang out.

“I’ll handle the undead. You focus on fighting that monster.”

“Yeah, that’s probably the best course of action.”

Ian agreed without further argument.

Just as they completed their roles, Verdik’s momentum shifted.

The air grew heavy with malice.

His massive body crashed onto the ground.

KWAH GA GA GA GA!

The ugly mace sliced through the air, coming at them—a truly menacing blow. It was so fast it was hard to track, but there was no need for concern.

Ian had an ace up his sleeve.

‘One step.’

A domain forged from Divine Power.

Though it was only a single step, in this situation, it was a blessing. Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to block Verdik’s strike.

KAANG! BAM! THUD! WHOOM!

A storm of relentless attacks battered down.

Ian raised his shield, narrowly managing to block every one of them. Maybe because the assault had failed? Verdik clicked his tongue.

【Get lost, scraps of stars!】

His target was not Ian.

It was purely about eliminating Laurea.

Planning to move past Ian, Verdik was stopped in his tracks by Ian’s unyielding defense.

KA GA GA GA! KAANG!

Desperately, Ian blocked him.

Even amidst the relentless onslaught, Verdik finally exploded with rage.

【A mere mortal! Know your place!】

The shout reverberated in Ian’s ears.

Ian couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Because he knew his place better than anyone. So he was well aware he had no chance of winning.

‘I can’t win with my strength.’

If he had nothing to protect, he would have simply chosen to run. After all, he was not one to engage in a hopeless fight.

‘But….’

Not this time.

He had something to protect.

With Laurea officially chosen as a Saintess, it was his duty as a Knight to protect her. So Ian steeled himself and continued to block the attacks.

And there was one more thing.

He had a glimmer of hope.

‘……Ulan Bator.’

The barbarian from Arsen Academy.

The man that Laurea harbored feelings for and a stronger fighter than Ian’s master, Kadel.

‘He’s probably around here somewhere.’

If he continued to fight, he was sure Ulan would come rushing to help. Clinging to that faint hope, Ian kept defending.

However, as time passed, his limits slowly began to show. The domain created by his Divine Power couldn’t last long.

And that led to the result.

He failed to track Verdik’s strike, which would be a huge mistake.

CRUNCH! CRACK!

The sound of bones shattering.

Ian screamed.

“Gah!”

Couldn’t blame him.

What took the blow wasn’t his shield but his shoulder. But there was no need for worry.

WHOOSH!

With a pure-white light, his crumbled shoulder returned to its original state, and the pain vanished as if it never existed.

Soon, Laurea’s voice rang in his ears.

“Ian! Even if your arm or leg gets blown off, I’ll fix it right away, so don’t worry and keep fighting!”

She must have cast a Healing Spell.

Ian laughed and asked, “What if my head gets blown off?”

“Then I’ll pray for your soul.”

“I’ll stay sharp and fight.”

Even a Saintess couldn’t heal someone whose head had been chopped off or heart destroyed.

Realizing this fact anew, Ian steadied his breath and focused on the battle.

Meanwhile, during that time.

Having taken a brief pause from the battle, Verdik shifted his gaze away from Ian.

【…….】

His burning look was calm.

Without a word, he soon turned his eyes away and pulled out another mace from his cloak.

The battle resumed.

KWAAM! KA GA GA GA! BAM!

Relentlessly pouring out attacks.

As blows flew like they were aiming to shatter the air, Ian gritted his teeth and continued to defend. He figured that holding his ground was the best plan.

In that process, he occasionally took stray blows, leaving his arms bruised and shoulders dented, but there was no need for worry.

“Holy beings! Protect your Knight!”

Ian had Laurea with him.

Thus, they exchanged injuries and recoveries repeatedly.

When a fight without a hint of compromise unfolded, Verdik suddenly created some distance.

Ian’s eyes gleamed at the unfamiliar behavior.

‘Is he planning to target the Saintess?’

Ian’s domain was only a step.

If he widened the gap even a little, he could reach Laurea. Sensing Verdik’s plan, Ian braced himself.

Sure enough?

He moved exactly as expected.

【Die, Herald of the Stars!】

After exactly three steps, he quickly diverted, targeting Laurea. Ian swiftly blocked his way.

KA GA GA GA! KWAAM!

A near-miss as Ian intercepted the attack.

But just then, Verdik smirked.

【Gotcha.】

A grotesque smile blossomed beneath his mask.

An unsettling feeling crept beneath Ian’s skin. And in that moment, he saw something.

“……!”

The mace flying towards him after leaving Verdik’s hand.

Pretending to veer off to attack, that was all a distraction. The real attack aimed at Laurea was the mace slicing through the air.

Ian quickly twisted away.

【Your fight is with me!】

As if waiting, Verdik stepped in his way.

He unleashed a ferocious barrage trying to pin Ian’s feet down. But he wasn’t one to be easily trapped.

CRUNCH! BAM!

Instead of deflecting with his shield, Ian abandoned it entirely. He then braced his shoulders against several of Verdik’s attacks, pulling back.

All to protect Laurea.

But…….

‘No! I’m too late!’

The mace was inches from her.

Even if he activated his domain, the distance was merely one step. He couldn’t possibly reach her.

Moreover, Laurea was currently praying to cast a Healing Spell. So she hadn’t even noticed the mace’s presence.

‘Move. Move. MOVE!’

He couldn’t let her die.

Desperately, he cast his domain.

In the process, his body overloaded, twisting his legs and arms. Blood gushed from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

But he refused to care.

‘Move!’

Now his Divine Power was completely drained.

Yet, Ian desperately pushed forward. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he began to expand his domain.

An unexpected change came.

‘……!’

His senses started to broaden.

Like a drop landing on a still lake creating ripples, all his senses rapidly expanded.

‘This is…….’

One step, two steps, three steps.

As his senses widened and his cognitive range grew, the surrounding scenery changed alongside it.

He could now perceive the movement of the undead all around as well as the mace heading for Laurea, creeping to a halt.

It felt as though time itself had slowed down around him.

In that instant, Ian realized.

What was once merely a step had broadened along with his expanded senses.

‘Six steps.’

A distance where he could just barely intervene with the mace. Realizing this, Ian strained every fiber of his being to twist his body.

‘Reach it!’

And then, he swung his sword at the mace, which seemed frozen mid-air. The moment the sword wrapped in Holy Aura met the mace—

Time snapped back to normal.

KA GA GA GA! BLAM!

The mace collided violently with his sword.

The impact sent Ian flying into Laurea, and both were knocked backward.

“Eek! I-Ian?”

Laurea screamed, looking shocked.

Caught off guard while praying, she struggled to comprehend what had just happened when Ian’s shout rang out.

“……Get back!”

Ian stood firm in front of her.

The battle wasn’t over yet, and Verdik would strike again. This was a hunch that turned out to be exactly right.

KAAANG! RUSTLE! BAM!

In a split second, tens of attacks were exchanged. As Verdik briefly created some distance, Ian released a breath he’d been holding.

“Ugh! Hah!”

His heart raced as if it would burst at any moment.

A terrible pain surged through his body, yet a smile crept onto his lips instead.

And then.

Ian faced off against Verdik, who furrowed his brow as if he could guess why Ian was smiling.

【……Unbelievable. You somehow breached the wall and expanded your domain in such a short time.】

As he had said, Ian had crossed the boundary between life and death, surpassing the wall that had blocked him.

Moreover, he realized how to expand his senses and, as his cognitive range grew, finally reached the Master’s Domain.

【You’re no mere scrap.】

A dazzlingly swift growth.

Malice filled Verdik’s gaze.

It seemed he realized he had to eliminate not just Laurea but also Ian for the sake of the future.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

“Phew, phew!”

Ian faced off against Verdik, breathing heavily, racking his brain for a way out.

‘It was lucky I broke through the wall, but…….’

That didn’t change much.

To eliminate Verdik, he had to move faster than him within the Master’s Domain.

But now it was his limit.

His body was so overloaded during the breakthrough process that even Laurea’s Healing Spell couldn’t solve it.

‘The only time I can fully spread my domain is…….’

Just once.

That was Ian’s current limit.

Capitalizing on this chance was his only way to win this battle.

As he prepared himself.

From afar, Verdik, who had been waiting for another opportunity to strike, suddenly froze like a stone statue.

【……What?】

His eyes flickered with unease.

Those bright blue eyes gazed into the air.

He then began speaking repeatedly to the void as if he’d heard something unexpected.

【They fell for it? To whom?】

From his reaction, it seemed he was conversing with someone. After a brief pause, Verdik nodded and said.

【Understood. I’ll wrap up this fight and join you.】

His voice turned serious.

Moments later, Verdik’s gaze shifted back to Laurea and Ian.

【Now the games are over.】

With that heavy voice, the Power of the Abyss erupted with a forceful intensity.

Verdik adjusted his stance.

With the intent to unleash everything he had, Ian steadied himself.

As tension filled the air.

The two figures collided.

KWAH AAAAAANG!

In the clash unfolded the final domain.

Ian gathered every ounce of energy he had left to confront Verdik’s assault. At that moment, trapped behind his shield, he fought desperately.

‘Now!’

He spotted a fleeting gap.

Ian seized the opportunity without hesitation, forcing his sword into the opening.

CRUNCH! THWACK!

The sound of slicing through rotten flesh.

But he couldn’t fully sever it. Just before he could destroy the Source, Verdik sacrificed a part of his body, slipping out of reach.

【Hah, what a pity.】

A distance barely the width of a paper separated them.

That small gap left Ian vulnerable to Verdik’s mace.

WHAM! CRUNCH!

The horrifying sound of his body being crushed.

For a moment, the pain was so intense he nearly lost consciousness.

“Ugh! Gah!”

He fought hard to endure, but now he was at his real limit.

He could swing his sword no longer.

On the other hand, aside from his body being half-sliced, Verdik still stood strong. With despair covering him, Ian’s eyes glowed with resolve.

‘If I’m going down…….’

At the very least, he’d save Laurea!

Having made up his mind, Ian placed his unoccupied hand on his left chest. It was time to use the secret technique granted to the Knights.

『Prayer of Sacrifice』

An ultimate strike, offering all vitality and soul to protect someone.

The Holy Spell created through it boasted strength exceeding all other Holy Spells.

At that moment.

“Don’t! Ian! Stop!”

Laurea’s urgent voice rang out.

She realized what Ian was attempting to do through his actions. But he couldn’t stop; otherwise, they’d both die.

【Disappear, mortal!】

As the mace heading for his head drew near, Ian recited the Prayer with all his might.

But he couldn’t utter more than a few lines.

“……Huh?”

Suddenly, the malice vanished.

Not just that.

The mace that had been falling toward his head also paused mid-air. Just as Ian’s sword had, it hung in a precarious situation with a paper-thin gap between them.

What’s happening? What is this?

As he wore a confused expression, it suddenly came.

CRUNCH! SQUISH!

Verdik’s body was split in half.

Just beyond the vertical slit, a familiar voice echoed.

“You’ve crossed the wall.”

The person who immediately noticed Ian’s change.

Ulan grinned and continued.

“Excellent, Ian.”

“Ha, haha.”

The moment he met the crimson eyes, a nervous laugh escaped him. At the same time, an overwhelming relief washed over him, easing his tension.

Ah, now I can afford to collapse.

With that thought as his last, Ian finally loosened the grip on his consciousness, which he had desperately held onto.

Chapter 53. Breach