Chapter 471

C471. Astarotte (2)

‘I hope nothing strange happens.’

As he walked toward the rift, Alon thought that.

If it were a gathering of humans, he wouldn’t be so tense.

But inside that rift, Divine Bloods were gathering.

Although they shared a “common” purpose for now, in the end, their goal was to destroy the world, completely different from Alon’s.

That’s why he left the group and Seolrang behind, to avoid any mishaps.

‘…Seolrang will know how to handle it.’

Alon thought of Seolrang, whom he had left behind.

He already knew what situation Seolrang was in.

He knew how dangerous it was.

Even so, he trusted her.

According to Alon, since the beginning she—

“Ah.”

Thinking of Seolrang, Alon let out a slight sound.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed he had already arrived right at the edge of the rift.

‘It seems all the other Divine Bloods have already entered.’

He confirmed that there were no Divine Bloods around and quickened his pace slightly.

After all, he didn’t want to appear like a dramatic protagonist entering last.

“Pfff—”

With a brief sigh, he entered the rift.

Uuuuuung—!

As soon as he crossed it, a chilling sound resonated in his ears.

Like fingernails scratching polished glass.

It passed quickly, and his sight captured the interior of the rift.

It was a huge hollow space, illuminated by a dim green light entering from somewhere.

But what surprised Alon wasn’t the light…

But the colossal size of the enclosure.

Even if there were hundreds of Divine Bloods there, they wouldn’t fill it.

He barely had time to observe it with astonishment when—

[You have arrived.]

A voice echoed in the distance.

There he saw two Divine Bloods.

They seemed to be representing countless Divine Bloods gathered there.

Alon hesitated for an instant before their gigantic bodies, but advanced until he stood in front of them.

Uuuung!

At that moment, the ground beneath Alon’s feet rose gently, lifting him into the air.

[If I have to be looking down at you, it will be uncomfortable. This will be more convenient for both of us.]

The voice came from a Divine Blood whose face was shaped like a huge cross.

Alon nodded.

[Good. It seems everyone is here, so I will begin.]

After looking around, he introduced himself.

[I am Red Faith, leader of the ‘Pure Bloods’.]

When Red Faith finished, the Divine Blood to his right spoke.

Its head didn’t exist: only a pair of giant black eyes floating where it should be.

[I am Clotted Eye, leader of the ‘Faded Light’.]

A simple introduction.

Red Faith nodded as if it were sufficient and looked at Alon.

Alon hesitated.

‘How am I supposed to introduce myself?’

Should he say “Alon Palatio, King of Palantia”?

Or “Star Eater”?

“I am—”

But as soon as he opened his mouth—

[No. You don’t need to say anything.]

“…Ah?”

[There is no one here who doesn’t know you. Right, Star Eater, leader of Star Group?]

Red Faith smiled as he said it.

“…”

Alon was stunned on the inside.

There was a lot of totally wrong information.

Just when he was going to correct him—

“What is—?”

[Insolent.]

A voice emerged from behind him.

[How dare you speak casually to the Star Eater?]

[Do you think the Star Eater is your friend?]

A strange voice. Several voices.

He turned his gaze, and there was a Divine Blood wrapped in flames and another with a black skull embedded in its torso, both looking at Red Faith with open hostility.

[Are you going to start talking about formalities at this moment?]

[At least show respect. The Star Eater is not someone like you.]

The Divine Blood in flames bowed its head to Alon.

Huh?

Do I know him from somewhere?

Have I heard the name before?

[Your people are really loyal, from what I heard.]

Red Faith spoke again without pause.

My people?

Since when are those two my people?

Alon swallowed his words, trying not to let out an involuntary “what?!”

He looked around.

There were so many Divine Bloods.

Dozens at least.

While Alon tried to process it—

[Well, what were you going to say?]

Red Faith asked without worrying about the threatening voices of the others.

Alon remembered what he wanted to say.

He was curious, of course.

It was natural to try to understand what the hell was going on.

He didn’t know any of the Divine Bloods behind him.

Not a single one.

He had never seen them.

He had never spoken to them.

He hadn’t even heard rumors.

Nothing.

It was absurd.

But he wasn’t foolish enough to say that aloud in this atmosphere.

“…No, nothing.”

He decided not to ruin the atmosphere.

[I suppose you’ve already heard something from the Sculptor, but I’ll summarize the situation anyway.]

Red Faith, leader of the largest Divine Blood group, began to explain while looking at the Star Eater.

The first time he saw the Star Eater, Red Faith felt strangeness.

He was human.

Although he already knew that fact.

Among the Divine Bloods, it was well known that the Star Eater had become human for some reason.

Even so, he expected there to be something special about his human form.

But he was absurdly ordinary.

That disconcerted him for an instant, but Red Faith shook his head.

He couldn’t be normal if first-level Divine Bloods followed him with absurd loyalty.

First-level Divine Bloods with immense power…

And yet they followed him like fanatics.

‘…Is that story true?’

He recalled the rumor spread by a Divine Blood who had escaped from Star Group.

While looking at Alon—

Alon who didn’t even seem attentive, staring into the void with no interest in the meeting.

Red Faith finished his explanation.

[That is all. Questions?]

[No, none.]

Star Eater replied curtly.

Clotted Eye spoke then.

[Then it is time to discuss the operation.]

[Operation?]

[No. We are just going to crush them with numbers.]

[Hmm. As far as I know, the Spirit Invoker already reached level 2. Will it be enough?]

At that, Red Faith nodded.

[Normally it wouldn’t be. Normally.]

[What do you mean?]

[Everyone here knows that Spirit Invoker obtained a Law that allows him to devour fragments without limit.

But as everyone knows, Laws always have restrictions.]

[…So you discovered them.]

[Exactly.]

Red Faith continued.

[It is simple. He can eat fragments infinitely…

But his digestion takes a colossal amount of time.

In other words—]

[If we eliminate those from Astarotte, it’s all over?]

[Exactly.]

[Is that information confirmed?]

[Verified several times. The Spirit Invoker cannot even move.]

Clotted Eye murmured “hoh”.

[Then a direct assault is convenient. It makes no sense to use strategy in this case.]

It was reasonable.

The Divine Bloods didn’t have great tactical advantages using the terrain, and if only Astarotte had to be eliminated, there was no reason for complex plans.

But the main reason was another:

avoiding internal fights.

If they created a plan where one group was left with the dangerous part and another with an easy part, division would be inevitable.

So they agreed on a direct assault.

Even if Astarotte was key, it wouldn’t be the only battle.

Accepting it, Red Faith and Clotted Eye observed each other…

Because each was thinking something else.

Although a pact would prevent them from attacking each other after eliminating Astarotte, that didn’t prevent one of their groups from being “accidentally” eliminated by Astarotte’s attacks.

[That’s why I proposed it.]

[I agree.]

Both affirmed.

And they turned their gaze to the Star Eater.

He was the only one who hadn’t given an answer yet.

A heavy silence fell.

Alon, with a neutral expression, looked at them.

Eyes without intention, without emotion.

[…Why that face?]

Red Faith asked.

Alon didn’t answer. He just turned his head and looked at the two Divine Bloods behind him.

He seemed to give them a signal.

The two Divine Bloods nodded with a triumphant expression and looked at Red Faith and Clotted Eye as if they had already won something.

What…?

‘What just happened?’

Both Divine Blood leaders tensed—

“I agree. I have no objections.”

Alon finally spoke.

[…Good. Then we depart tomorrow.]

And so the meeting inside the rift ended.

Leaving an uncomfortable sensation and an inexplicable bad feeling in the leaders who had to watch out for Star Group.

---

Leaving the rift with total normality, Alon thought:

‘I’m screwed.’

He was exhausted.

‘I heard absolutely nothing…’

It was understandable, since he was seriously thinking about what structure and how the Star Group standing behind him right now had been created, so he didn’t hear exactly what was discussed in the meeting.

‘I looked at them just in case and they just nodded their heads…….’

Even when he looked back realizing it late, the two Divine Bloods he saw for the first time today just nodded as if they firmly trusted him, so Alon felt bewilderment and fatigue at the same time.

The Darkness-Eating Sword and the Burning Tree, whom Alon looked at with eyes saying ‘Tell me the content of the meeting’.

‘…… I have been recognized……!!’

‘The first one to receive power will be me……!!’

They understood the meaning in their own way and were smiling with the corners of their lips raised as if they were happy.

---

“Ah, Alon-nim?”

“…What is that… all of a sudden…?”

With that insane army of Divine Bloods following behind him,

Alon returned to the carriage.

And while he was trying to understand seriously what the hell just happened—

“Evan…”

“Y-yes…?”

“I think I have… sleepwalking…”

With that devastating conclusion—

“…What??”

[?]

Evan and Basiliora frowned at the same time.

The expression clearly meant:

With the meaning of ‘…… What is this bastard saying?’.