Chapter 145

Chapter 145

“As expected, this much can’t stop Brother. Still, I held him back for quite a while, so I suppose I achieved my intended purpose?”

Damian muttered as he stretched.

Spectrum Prison was, quite literally, a prison of light.

It decomposed the negative mana supplied by the Spirit King’s Crown through the spectrum.

The mana decomposed in this way appeared in the form of seven kinds of light.

The seven negative lights basically amplified the hostility of living beings. They also each had different effects on a living being’s mind.

The red light amplified anger, while orange loosened the barriers around the heart and made one lower their guard.

Yellow light called forth sloth, and green light made one forget everything. Blue light made one see the illusion they desired, and indigo made one yearn.

Finally, violet mingled all of them together and created chaos.

This prison made of light drew out every negative emotion that existed at the root of humanity, making people slaughter one another or give up.

What was most terrifying was that time flowed differently in each light.

Time flowed slowest in the outermost red light, while in the inner violet light, it flowed several times faster.

Damian did not know the principle behind it.

Dungeons, by their very nature, were existences that could not be understood through human common sense.

That was why he had given up trying to understand them.

As long as he could use it properly, that was enough. He had no desire to dig into the principles behind it and understand them.

In any case, it would take Zeon quite some time to reach this place.

To reach Damian, who stood at the source of Spectrum Prison, Zeon would have to pass through the remaining six prisons of light.

“By then, everything will be over.”

“GRAAAH!”

At that moment, space tore apart with a monstrous roar.

Brickston, who had been trapped in the violet space, appeared.

“You bastard! What did you do? What the hell did you do?”

Brickston roared in fury.

His figure, drenched in blood and glaring with wide eyes, was terrifying.

But Damian spoke calmly, without the slightest hint of fear.

“You’re rather late.”

“Don’t even mention it. It was like fighting a Great-Horned Armored Bear.”

At that moment, Alexandro appeared behind Brickston.

Like Brickston, Alexandro was also soaked in blood.

The one difference was that a victor’s smile hung on his lips.

Brickston saw Alexandro appear behind him, but he showed no reaction.

More precisely, he was in no state to react.

His side had been completely torn open as if bitten by a monster, and his intestines were spilling out.

It was a wound that could not be healed no matter how many effective Potions were poured over it.

The one who had inflicted that fatal wound on Brickston was Alexandro.

The moment Spectrum Prison unfolded, Alexandro, who had been closest to Damian, some of the White Bear Caravan’s Awakened, Brickston, and the Berserkers had been transferred into the violet supernormal space.

Even when Alexandro and the White Bear Caravan’s Awakened were suddenly moved into the violet supernormal space, they did not panic.

That was because they had experience breaking Spectrum Prison while helping Damian.

They knew very well how to use the violet supernormal space to their advantage.

Inside the violet supernormal space, they had fought fiercely against Brickston and the Berserkers, and in the end, they had managed to win.

“Hah! Hah!”

“Kuh! I’m dying.”

The condition of the White Bear Caravan’s Awakened who appeared behind Alexandro was truly wretched.

Even though they had secured the advantageous space first, it had not been an easy battle.

That was how terrifying the Berserkers were.

A considerable number of the White Bear Caravan’s Awakened had lost their lives to the Berserkers, who had charged in without fearing death.

The condition of those who had barely managed to survive and escape the supernormal space was not good either. But they forced themselves to stand through sheer willpower.

Because they knew they were the only shield Damian had left.

At that moment, Brickston walked toward Damian.

THUD, THUD!

With heavy footsteps, intestines and blood spilled from his torn-open abdomen.

Damian looked at him and smiled brightly.

“As expected of someone who believes in God. Your will is impressive. To think you can still move with a wound like that.”

“Do not insult God, unbeliever!”

“Who is your god? Is it the one who exists above that yellow sky? Or is it that Johan, who sucks the lifeblood out of the people of the slums?”

“Grr!”

“That’s enough. I don’t particularly want to hear your answer.”

“You bastard!”

Brickston stretched out both arms and grabbed Damian by the collar. But there was no longer any strength in his grip.

THUD!

After glaring at Damian for a long while with his collar in his hands, Brickston’s massive body finally collapsed.

Alexandro sighed and approached Damian.

“He was a monster. I’d rather fight a Dungeon Boss alone. That monstrous recovery ability of his was truly......”

He shook his head.

That was how sick of Brickston he had become.

If not for the violet supernormal space, bringing him down would have required far more time and sacrifice.

After staring at Brickston’s corpse for a moment, Alexandro soon looked at Damian with concern.

“Are you all right?”

“I can still hold out.”

“Damian!”

“I’m really fine. I was prepared for this.”

Damian forced a smile, but his face was deathly pale.

“Haa! If it truly becomes too hard to endure, tell me.”

“I will.”

Damian answered and looked toward Neo Seoul.

Life began returning to his exhausted face.

“Finally......”

“Why?”

Alexandro looked in the direction of Damian’s gaze with a puzzled expression.

Neo Seoul’s gate had opened, and a group was rushing out.

They were too far away for him to recognize their faces, but Damian instinctively knew who they were.

“I finally drew her out. The great queen of the nonhuman races......”

---

Serian could not understand the current situation.

“So you’re saying the Thorn Tree Attack Force moved on its own?”

“I’m sorry.”

Borin answered with an apologetic expression.

She had also only just received the report that the Thorn Tree Attack Force had moved on its own.

That was how covertly the Thorn Tree Attack Force had acted.

“Who moved the Thorn Tree Attack Force?”

“That is......”

“It was Eli, wasn’t it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Haa! What do you have to be sorry for, Borin? It was all Eli’s order. Where is she now?”

“We believe she is at her residence.”

“Bring her here.”

It was then.

“There’s no need for that.”

Eli entered with a cold voice.

“Eli!”

“I’m sorry. But I had no choice.”

“What exactly could you not help?”

“For everyone’s sake, we had to obtain the Spirit King’s Crown faster than anyone else.”

“For everyone’s sake?”

“Yes! For us, and for every race that stands with us, we had to secure the Spirit King’s Crown. That is why I moved the Thorn Tree Attack Force without Your Majesty’s permission. I do apologize for that, but I hope you understand that it was an unavoidable choice.”

“Are you excusing yourself by saying it was a choice made for everyone?”

“That is correct.”

Eli answered without the slightest sign of being cowed.

At Eli’s brazen excuse, Serian frowned.

She had known that Eli was always watching for a chance to take her position, but she had not thought Eli would move troops on her own like this.

“Haa! Eli.”

“Please speak, Your Majesty!”

“Can you take responsibility for saying that you moved the Thorn Tree Attack Force and the elf warriors for everyone’s sake?”

“Of course. I, Eli, am at least not one who avoids responsibility.”

Eli did not avoid Serian’s gaze.

Now that Serian knew everything, she understood that avoiding it would not solve anything.

Borin stood between them, swallowing dryly.

They were, after all, the queen of North District and its second-in-command.

If the relationship between them deteriorated any further, all of North District could be shaken.

North District was the final bastion of the nonhuman races in Neo Seoul.

If such a North District was shaken, the lives of the nonhuman races would also be endangered.

Because both Serian and Eli knew that fact, they had always compromised at an appropriate line.

Borin could only hope that they would do the same this time.

It was then.

Suddenly, Serian and Eli both seemed to sense something and sprang to their feet.

“Mm!”

“What is this?”

Their faces were filled with bewilderment.

That was because they felt a wave that ominously stirred their spirits.

Without either of them needing to go first, they climbed to the rooftop of the building. The first thing that entered their sight was seven colors of light rising far away in the desert.

Serian muttered,

“Could that be Spectrum Prison?”

“What is that?”

“Then the Spirit King’s Crown came from Spectrum Prison......”

At that instant, Serian’s face turned white.

Eli, on the other hand, did not understand and could only look at Serian.

Serian spoke urgently.

“If the Spirit King’s Crown truly is an item excavated from Spectrum Prison, then the Spirit King does not exist inside it. That is......”

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“There’s no time to explain. Everyone, follow me.”

Serian threw herself straight from the rooftop.

Borin, the Blue Fallen Leaf Special Operations Unit, and the elites of North District followed behind her.

Left alone, Eli muttered,

“The Spirit King isn’t sealed inside? Then what does that mean is sealed there?”

Her face was full of conflict.

Judging by Serian’s urgent attitude, it seemed to be no ordinary existence.

After biting her lip for a moment, Eli chased after Serian.

Whatever the reason, now that things had turned out this way, she too had to help resolve the problem.

“Damn it!”

---

“Save me!”

“Please!”

People’s agonized cries rang out from all over.

They were all people with deep wounds, hovering on the edge of death. But Zeon ignored their desperate eyes and voices.

They were all Scavenger.

People blinded by items, who had come looking for their own deaths like moths drawn to flame.

He had no sympathy to offer those who had coveted what belonged to others and suffered mortal wounds for it.

“Fuck! If you’ve got a Potion, share some.”

“Hey, you bastard! Just......”

The Scavenger burst with rage as they watched Zeon pass by indifferently.

They reached out to grab him, but it was no use.

Because they had suffered deep wounds and were dying, they no longer had the strength to stretch their arms all the way out.

Zeon suddenly looked back.

It was because of the overwhelming presence he felt from far away.

“The Elf Queen.”

Like Damian, he could sense Serian without needing to confirm it with his eyes.

That was how unique the mana Serian possessed was.

It was clear, refreshing mana, as though it held a blue forest.

Among elves, Zeon had never seen anyone with mana so refreshing and vast.

Far in the distance, Serian was rushing toward this place with dozens of nonhuman races.

At a glance, they emitted an unusual atmosphere and energy.

They were clearly the elites of North District.

“Everything is going exactly as Damian wants.”

Zeon shook his head slightly and moved forward.

Before him, six supernormal spaces of light still remained.

He had to pass through all of them to reach Damian.

“I need to hurry.”

As Zeon moved, sand surged like waves and followed him.

It was a sand tidal wave.

ROOOOAR—!

The sand tidal wave smashed through everything blocking its path as it passed.