Chapter 21 – [Hero] Four Heavenly Kings and Power
On the day of the long-awaited operation.
I woke up pounding.
Of course, it’s not excitement, it’s the excitement caused by tension.
Today I am going to kill the Four Heavenly Kings.
If I fail, it will be me who dies.
When I received the oracle from the Goddess, I thought I had already made up my mind, but when I saw it in front of me, I was so anxious that I couldn’t stand it.
I was uneasy about whether I could do it, but as a hero, I had to do it.
I made up my mind and left the room.
“Oh, Eric!”
Uni saw me in the lobby and waved his hand.
Arin was also next to her. I thought it was quiet, but he wasn’t even looking this way, probably lost in thought.
“Scale?”
“Yes yes? Ah, yo, hero! Good morning!”
When I called her, she greeted me in surprise as if she had finally come to her senses.
“What’s the matter? What’s going on?”
“Oh no! It’s nothing!”
It was a bit odd for some reason, but I was relieved that her expression wasn’t dark or anything like that.
If something happened to her…
No. Let’s not do this.
I shook my head to shake off the anxious imagination.
“M-I’m sorry. Late…”
Not long after, Seria also came down.
Seria, who was coming down the stairs with her hair wrapped around her fingers, looked at her Arin and she awkwardly avoided her eyes. It was the same with Arin.
“Huh?”
What is this awkward atmosphere?
It was like the reaction of people who were caught or saw something very embarrassing.
“Yes?”
Uni also looked at the two in turn as if it were strange.
“What’s wrong with both of you?”
“No, nothing.”
“Huh. It’s no big deal.”
The two said that as if they had squeezed each other out, then returned to their normal selves.
No, I was trying to come back. I could still feel that they were uncomfortable with each other in every action.
Today is an important day. The creaking from the start gave me an uneasy feeling.
It was around 1:00 PM after lunch when the soldiers of Deron Castle launched an all-out attack.
About 5 minutes from now.
We were waiting in front of the castle gate for it to open.
We could have turned around and left the way we came, but we didn’t because the existence of the secret passage could have been discovered if we disappeared without a trace.
Of course, there were reasons why I didn’t want to go back to that reluctant place.
So we decided to go out with the soldiers.
Of course, you don’t go out through the same gate, but use the small doorway right next to the castle gate.
This gate, which was used temporarily for messengers or urgent situations, was small enough for one person to pass through, unlike the wide gates that allowed even riders on horseback to pass through.
Of course, it was invisible to the eye, so it was just the right door to go out without being noticed by the demon king.
If the gate keeper opens the main gate and this side door at the same time, we who cast the invisibility magic will quickly come out and infiltrate to the place where the Four Heavenly Kings are.
“Are you ready?”
Seria looked back at us and spoke in a tense voice.
Everyone nodded with hard faces.
We stood in front of the door in the order of Seria, me, Yuni, and Arin.
Jeren… Mr. Is not here
This mission is dangerous, and even with him there is nothing you can do.
If you fail anyway, you won’t have time to pack your things leisurely, so it was good for both of you to part here.
If successful… I’ll come back here and see you.
Maybe it’s better not to meet again…
I thought about that for a moment, but it was the same as saying that I was going to fail the mission.
It’s time to put personal feelings aside. First of all, I had to think only about making it successful.
“I think it’s about time, so I’ll cast invisibility magic. When the door opens, go out in the order you have decided. Got it?”
As we nodded, she chanted her incantation and raised her staff.
As her body faded, the door began to open.
Cheers.
All the soldiers were shouting and running out of the gates.
All they have left is a sword. No arrows, no oil, nothing left.
If left as it is, it is obvious that they will be annihilated.
We must kill the Four Heavenly Kings as quickly as possible.
5 seconds.
The door opened and 5 seconds passed.
Seria must have already been outside, so I quickly went through the door as well.
When they came out of the castle, soldiers quickly ran out in front of the moat and were encamped.
The leader blocks the arrows with his shield and waits for the remaining soldiers to escape.
It wasn’t like running in a line.
Well, if that were the case, the line would be too long and cut off in the middle.
But it’s still just as dangerous. I had to save as much time as possible.
“Is everything out?”
“Huh!”
“Yes.”
Sarah’s voice.
The shouts were loud, but somehow we could hear them because they were right next to each other at the door.
Perhaps Seria used her magic so that they could hear each other better.
Every time everyone spoke, the shouts around them became quieter for a moment.
“Let’s move.”
The soldiers had to move before they could fill the bridge over the moat.
We stuck to the end of the bridge and carefully passed the moat.
After all, no one was looking this way as if no one had noticed us.
After crossing the bridge, I had to be careful.
This is because from here, it reaches the range of the arrow.
There would be no blind arrows flying around the demon camp anyway, so I decided to rely on Seria’s defense magic until then.
It’s hard to see, but somehow she grabbed hold of her and with her slightly quicker steps we moved to her demon camp.
If it flies towards us, we will see it bounce off the defensive magic, so we moved away from the soldiers as much as possible.
Anyway, the tent where the Four Heavenly Kings are supposed to be is located in the rear.
The closer they got to the camp, the busier the soldiers of the Demon King’s army came into view.
Various races wear similar armor and run diligently.
In fact, it was embarrassing enough to be called armor, but the Demon King’s army was already a shield itself.
I am worried about the soldiers of the castle again.
If they all fight, how long can you last?
As the strength entered my hand, Seria whispered softly as if she had noticed the touch.
“… Are you okay. You can do it.”
Okay. She believes in me as I believe in Seria.
Can do.
Sometimes I almost bumped into the running soldiers, but somehow I got to the tent safely.
The lord only said it was a tent suspected of containing the Four Heavenly Kings, but the size of this tent was already so huge that it was incomparable to other tents.
A different flag was planted above the tent than the other tents.
Cracked skull. The painted skull is a human skull.
It’s probably the flag of the Four Heavenly Kings.
It was a nasty sense.
With some distance from the tent, Seria stopped her steps.
We, who were moving while holding onto her sleeves or part of her clothes, stopped at the same time.
“… Here it is Looking at it, it seems right.”
“Here are the Four Heavenly Kings…”
“I can feel the evil energy.”
It must have been the words of Arin, the high priest.
There were the Four Heavenly Kings, the ones with the evil energy inside.
“Eric. Now it’s your turn.”
Sarah said to me.
I couldn’t see it, but her expression was so clear that I could see it.
“Certainly, I need to stop breathing. Don’t even think of sympathizing with him.”
“… Don’t worry. There is no such thing.”
Although I showed his comrades a few times that I couldn’t even properly kill a goblin, that didn’t mean I felt guilty for every situation that harmed a life.
My hands become overly merciful when they feel like the weak.
In an emergency situation, you can show off your skills.
Now, there is no doubt about the exhibition situation.
Even in this situation, there would be no sympathy for the mighty Four Heavenly Kings.
“May the warrior be blessed by the Goddess…”
“Eric. Cheer up.”
Arin and Uni’s support.
Seria held my hand with both hands.
“Eric. I’ll be fine… I believe in you, but if things don’t go well, run away. Because nothing is more important than your life.”
Seria’s words, asking not to die.
Because I know that she has a lot of worries about her, I can easily read the worries and worries in them.
“Huh. But I will not abandon you and run away.”
“Warrior…”
Arin responded to my words.
“It’s okay because there’s nothing to fail. Alright then, I’ll leave it to you!”
Seria patted me on the back.
Appropriate tension. If it is too much, the body stiffens, and if less, the reaction becomes dull.
This is just fine.
It was quiet inside the tent.
According to Seria, the existence of the Four Heavenly Kings is a different concept from our human generals.
It is not a being that sweeps the battlefield with overwhelming force, nor is it a being that is good at all kinds of strategies and tactics with genius intelligence.
They made the demons around them stronger just by being there.
In that respect, it can be said that there is an aspect similar to the blessing of a priest.
In fact, the fact that the rags-to-heels of the demon king’s army can drive the elite soldiers to this extent is all because the four heavenly kings make them stronger.
Therefore, it was enough for the Four Heavenly Kings to simply exist on the battlefield.
It was the job of the subordinates to establish detailed strategies and fight the humans at the forefront.
So, if this tent belonged to the Four Heavenly Kings, then only the Four Heavenly Kings and a few of their attendants would be inside.
No matter what you’re doing, you won’t be preparing for an attack by the invisible man.
Flutter.
At that moment, someone walked out of the tent.
A goat that walks on two legs while holding a pile of parchment in both hands.
It must be the servant of the Four Heavenly Kings.
It’s your chance!
I sneaked inside before the tent closed.
I thought it was quite spacious from the outside, but it seemed much more spacious from the inside.
Is it because the inside is almost empty?
In the center of the tent, there was a bonfire made of wood on a sandy beach, and behind it were servants who waited patiently for orders.
And to the right of it, there was a skeleton reading something written on parchment.
Skull?
It was a human skeleton.
A human skeleton with nothing but pure white bones left, staring at the parchment with empty eyes!
How are you moving?
No, where else should I poke?
Of course, there are organs that are essential for life activities. Organs such as the brain or the heart.
But what about the skeleton?
Where is the skeleton’s weakness? Skull? Ribs?
I couldn’t imagine that the Four Heavenly Kings were skeletons, so I froze on the spot.
“Hmm… Next is the forest where the elves live.”
A cool, low voice came from his face.
I didn’t even move my mouth, so where the hell is the sound coming from?
“The resistance is expected to be very strong. It may be inconvenient, but for the time being, stay in the tent…”
“Does not matter. This body doesn’t need rest.”
After interrupting the attendant, he roughly crumpled the parchment.
“However.”
His skull turned towards me.
No way… Are you looking at me
“What kind of things have crawled in.”
Three, Seria…
He said he wouldn’t hear… !
What to do Shall I stab you first?
“Khehehe. I was perplexed. Have you ever been confident that you wouldn’t be caught? Is it magic?”
The skeleton said so and rose from its seat.
He wasn’t very tall. Is it similar to me?
It looked a little shabby with only a bony skeleton, but the fact that the dead body was moving was so shocking that it was hard to accept.
“I only realized it when I threw away my human body. That creatures are truly warm beings. Even this cold body can feel it, your body temperature… !”
Did you notice it with the temperature?
I didn’t think of this case… !
Tadadak.
The attendants around me run to my location.
Can they see me too? Or is it just following the gaze of the Four Heavenly Kings?
I pushed one of the attendants blocking the entrance with my body and got out of the tent.
Judging by the bewildered reaction of the attendants, it seemed they couldn’t see me.
As they ran out of the tent as if they were rolling, their panicked voices could be heard briefly.
“I got caught!”
“W-what are you talking about! It can’t be!”
When I shouted, Seria responded in bewilderment.
“Oh, you noticed it by the temperature?”
“There are people who feel that… ?”
Seria muttered something absurd.
I can’t believe it either, but the skeleton already noticed.
“They are huddled together. Is it an assassin sent by the lord? It sucks for a bucket.”
Raising the tent, the skeleton trudged out.
The black pupils of the skull were looking at exactly one point.
This is the place where the other three except me are gathered.
“Kuu… Temperature… That’s ridiculous… !”
As Seria shouted in a voice of resentment, the skeleton rattled her chin.
“Khehehe. Are you a wizard? Wizards always do. He never thought he’d be wrong. That is your limit.”
Damn. Now that this has happened, it seems that the only answer is a head-to-head match.
“And to the priest, the elemental sage. An unusual combination for an assassin.”
Chuck.
One of the attendants knelt down to the skeleton and handed him a sword.
It was a fairly old sword. The entire scabbard was cracked and frayed, and it seemed that it would not be able to function properly.
“But it doesn’t matter. Even while alive, this body repelled countless assassins.”
Sereung.
The skeleton drew a sword from its scabbard. Unlike the fairly worn scabbard and handle, it was a sharp blade with anticipation.
“Come on, show your strength. It’s really easy to draw a knife yourself.”
“Bless you!”
Arin’s urgent cry. I feel my body lighten up.
Kuruk.
The dirt around the skull rose and bound his ankles tightly.
“Lord Remnant.”
He laughed like it was funny.
Perong!
After that, Seria fired hot heat.
The skeleton was hit by the heat from the front without any defensive posture, but there was no change in his body.
“It cannot be melted at that temperature… ! Don’t think I’m a bone like you!”
Pudeuk!
As he braced his legs and stepped forward, the mound collapsed.
Strong.
Before approaching my colleagues, I somehow!
I ran up to him and swung his sword wide.
Chaeeng!
But he lightly deflected my knife and kicked me with his bony feet.
“Have you ever learned swordsmanship, kid?”
“Keugh!”
I don’t even have muscles, but where the hell did the strength come from? I was hit by him and pushed all the way back.
“Eric!”
I heard a scream that I didn’t know who it belonged to.
Sick. Is this really the one with nothing but bones?
“Did you just try to kill me like this? How arrogant you are.”
The earth rose and bound his legs, and the heat struck him again and again, but nothing could stop him.
“Chu, blessings… !”
“No, I can’t stop it!”
At this rate… Everyone is in danger… !
“Keuuugh!”
I forced myself to get up and run to him.
Visor!
However, the old sword he wielded blocked the blow of my whole body in vain.
The knife escaped my grasp and fell to the floor, revealing itself beyond recognition.
“Pathetic… I’m so pathetic… !”
He turned to look at me and grabbed my neck with his free hand.
“Shut up!”
An unimaginable grip gripped my neck without hesitation.
It felt as if my neck would break if I applied a little more force.
Sick. It’s painful.
“Eh, Eric!”
“Let go of that!”
Perong! Pop!
Magic continued to explode behind his back, and the spirits tried to hold his hand with earth or wind, but to no avail.
“Keuheugh!”
It’s getting more and more difficult to breathe.
Are you going to die like this?
So desperately?
The screams and urgent voices of the party members ring in my ears.
But nothing can change the current situation.
“It is your mistake. It is your mistake that you mistakenly think that you are someone who can do anything with just that much power, and that is your sin.”
Our mistake…
Maybe.
‘Cause we’re so weak
With what kind of confidence… Did you think you could win…
Goddess…
What on earth did you see in me and gave me this mission?
Goddess warrior.
It was a false name.
The powerless hero ends here… Tie up
“Hmm?”
It was at that moment that pure white light erupted from beneath my vision.
