Chapter 474

C474. Astarote (4)

“Basiliora.”

[Speak.]

“When I finish transforming, take Penia and Evan and retreat with all your might.”

[Understood.]

At Alon‘s serious order, even Basiliora nodded firmly.

“…Alon-nim, wouldn’t it be better if we all ran away together?”

“Yes, honestly it is too dangerous right now.”

Evan and Penia‘s worried words continued.

But Alon shook his head.

“No, I will be fine.”

“Do you have a method?”

At Penia‘s question, Alon‘s head moved.

“…Method, huh?”

Speaking coldly, no concrete method had occurred to him.

From the beginning, it was impossible to find a way to defeat the Spirit Invoker, since they didn’t even know his abilities with certainty.

However, even being fully aware of that, the reason Alon wasn’t fleeing lay in this very situation.

Alon looked at the Spirit Invoker.

He had confused and terrified the Divine Bloods by reviving Red Faith and Clotted Eye, whom he himself had killed.

But, rather than fear, Alon felt that something bothered him about that action.

More precisely, he had found a strange contradiction.

A contradiction that anyone could notice if they thought calmly.

‘If the Spirit Invoker is really in the position of an absolute strongman, he wouldn’t need to do that.’

Alon looked at the Spirit Invoker again.

He continued transforming the bodies of the Divine Bloods killed by Alon into Astarote, covered in black armor.

Alon started thinking quickly.

The scarce information he had about Astarote circulated in his mind.

And along with it, a process of deduction began.

According to what had reached the subjugation squad’s information network, the Spirit Invoker would have gained the ability to absorb fragments limitlessly, but the process would take a very long time.

But the Spirit Invoker was moving before his eyes as if that information were false.

He showed overwhelming strength, utilizing abilities completely different from those described, exhibiting the power of a Divine Form that had ascended to the next level.

It seemed, at a glance…

as if he had already absorbed a huge amount of fragments perfectly.

Yes. At a glance.

Alon‘s gaze remained fixed on the Spirit Invoker.

The enemy was undoubtedly standing in the domain of the strong.

He had killed countless Divine Bloods in an instant, without any effort.

That is why, if he were really that strong, he would have no need to talk to the Divine Bloods coming to hunt him.

Of course, if he wanted to absorb them alive to add strength, then Alon’s deduction would make no sense.

But the Spirit Invoker had declared clearly:

He was not going to leave them alive. He was going to kill them all.

With such a purpose, he didn’t need any dialogue.

No one here wanted to die, no matter how much fear they felt.

Alon‘s eyes narrowed. Because another contradiction arose there.

‘…Could it be that he is lying?’

Maybe the Spirit Invoker was lying.

If he really were strong enough to kill everyone present, why waste time talking?

But his words were strange.

What he said didn’t serve to buy time.

They were words too devoid of “hope”.

As if, rather, he was stimulating the Divine Bloods to fight with even more desperation.

[Kill him~!]

While that unpleasant contradiction swirled in Alon’s mind, he heard the roar of a Divine Blood.

Regaining his senses, he saw a Divine Blood opening his mouth.

[Besides, most of the four great groups have already disappeared, and we have fragments here! Are you going to lose this opportunity!?]

His words, almost encouraging, reignited determination on the faces that until a moment ago were dominated by fear.

[That guy is alone! Even if he is 2nd Stage, he can’t use that power without cost! He must have a huge penalty!]

As soon as he finished speaking, as if they were waiting, numerous Divine Bloods rushed out.

And the battle began again.

Amidst terrifying roars, attacks fell upon where the Spirit Invoker was.

Peseuk–!

In front of the Divine Blood who had attacked, the Spirit Invoker appeared and crushed his head without hesitation.

And that repeated.

The Spirit Invoker dodged the frenzied attacks with incredible tranquility and reduced the Divine Bloods one by one.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow…

As if giving them hope.

And then, as if sowing despair.

…Reducing their numbers as if playing.

And then.

“Alon-nim! We can still flee! In this chaos we can escape right now!”

“I agree!”

While he listened to Evan and Penia, who were speaking, Alon kept watching the battle between the Divine Bloods and the Spirit Invoker.

“Eyadiya.”

And he reached understanding.

An absolute certainty.

And from that understanding, a thought was born.

“I found it.”

He had obtained the answer.

The Divine Bloods were falling.

Their bodies were splitting.

They were pierced.

Their heads exploded; one after another, the Divine Bloods met death.

And what blossomed among them was fear.

However, even so, the Divine Bloods did not stop attacking the Spirit Invoker. Because, although at first he had shown crushing strength, now, for some reason, he was slowly weakening.

The Spirit Invoker was moving slower and slower, as if his strength was waning.

So, instead of fleeing, the Divine Bloods ran to try and finish him off.

And when the end began…

[Damn it…]

The Spirit Invoker was still alive amidst the Divine Bloods.

But his body didn’t look good.

Perhaps because he had received many attacks. His body, thin as a skeleton, was full of horrible wounds, and his right arm hung as if it were about to detach.

[Don’t be intimidated! We can kill him if we keep going like this!]

Although they seemed scared by the Divine Blood’s shout, they still raised their weapons.

And just when a Divine Blood lunged again—

Peseuk–!

Suddenly, the head of the Divine Blood who was encouraging them exploded.

Without even having touched the Spirit Invoker.

Which meant he was attacked by something else.

The Divine Bloods looked in surprise toward the place where the corpse had fallen with a crash.

And soon they saw it.

Pajik–! Pajjijik–!

In front of the corpse appeared Seolrang.

The Divine Bloods stood perplexed without understanding the situation.

“Stop, everyone.”

And hearing a voice amplified with magic, everyone turned around.

And there they saw a man—

No.

[…Star Eater?]

They saw the Star Eater.

[Heh— thank you, brother. Thank you for giving me time to recover.]

The Spirit Invoker spoke as if thanking Alon‘s words.

The Divine Bloods, confused by the situation, showed anxiety.

“Everyone, look there.”

At Alon‘s order, they looked again at the corpse that Seolrang had made explode.

The headless corpse.

And then—

[…Huh?]

They didn’t take long to realize something strange about the corpse whose skull had burst.

[There is… no blood?]

Because, although his head had exploded just like the others, it hadn’t shed a single drop.

In that instant when the Divine Bloods felt the strangeness—

“I thought it was weird.”

Alon opened his mouth.

His gaze was directed at the Spirit Invoker.

He, still with that shattered body, was looking at Alon.

“You were strong. Based on the strength you showed, you were powerful enough to wipe out the whole squad in one blow.”

[ … ]

“But you didn’t do it. As if you were only trying to show off your power, you killed only a few.”

Alon averted his gaze and confirmed that Basiliora had already moved away, taking Evan and Penia with her.

“At first I thought it was a restriction of your law, that you needed to buy time.”

“But no. The words you said were not to buy time. They only provoked the Divine Bloods.”

[ … ]

“As if you wanted the squad to fight with all their might.”

Alon added that, even without need, he acted that way.

“And at that moment I realized one thing. More exactly: that you were only killing those who used their abilities.”

[…!]

The Divine Bloods began to murmur.

And soon they understood that Alon was right.

Those who were still alive hadn’t used their abilities yet.

“Then I thought. Why, having that power, do you kill only those who used their abilities? Why didn’t you appear yourself at the beginning and, instead, sent the dead of Astarote that you had devoured? And I came to the conclusion.”

The gazes focused on Alon.

And that of the Spirit Invoker as well.

“…The fragments were a bait.”

Alon said aloud the truth he had discovered.

[What do you mean…?]

[The fragments were a bait?]

Amidst the growing bewilderment, Alon continued:

“Literally. The fact that the Spirit Invoker absorbs fragments was simply a bait that he himself prepared by accumulating fragments on purpose. His real goal was the squad.”

[The squad…?]

“Yes. The law he has is not ‘absorbing fragments’, but absorbing Divine Bloods. And furthermore—”

He revealed what the Spirit Invoker had been hiding:

“The guy cannot use his law if he doesn’t know his opponent’s ability.”

He pronounced the final truth.

And in that instant when all eyes turned to the Spirit Invoker—

[…Ha.]

An old man’s voice let out a small laugh.

As if he were surprised.

As if he were defeated.

And at that moment—

Duk– dududududuk–!!

The Spirit Invoker‘s body, which a moment ago seemed shattered, began to recover as if it were a lie.

The hanging arm returned to its place.

The exposed organs returned to the inside as if time were reversing.

The blood covering him disappeared as if it had never existed.

And then—

[…I didn’t think you would discover it so easily.]

A voice full of contempt.

[Surprising, Star Eater.]

He whispered in Alon‘s ear.