Chapter 118

Chapter 118
## Chapter 118: The Mercenary City’s Demise

It appeared as though they were throwing themselves into the fray merely to demonstrate their fealty. However, the sheer magnitude of the mobilization was staggering.

‘Guardian Knight Pamelle, the Wyvern Riders, a multitude of Golem Artificers, and dozens of massive heavy siege engines… and that’s only what is visible to me.’

This was a force capable of reducing multiple provinces to rubble—power sufficient to dismantle a global capital in less than a week. Yet, the Empire had refrained from external conflict for generations. The only notable activity in recent memory was specific.

‘The Dersian clan was deployed for the depths of the Abyss Labyrinth and the hunt for the Four Calamities.’

Hudson rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. He made a habit of monitoring the digital discourse among players. Because of that, he was well aware that the Dersian family’s attempt to slay the Four Calamities had ended in a disastrous rout.

‘If this isn’t an internal uprising, they must be gearing up for another attempt at the Four Calamities.’

Why would the Lord of Darkan suddenly pursue these ancient evils? Was he attempting to achieve the glory that eluded the Dersian family? Or was there a darker motivation at play? Furthermore, the pace of these events was frantic.

‘It’s too quiet.’

There was an unnatural stillness to the air. Hudson stood up to leave, but at that exact moment, the door opened.

“Everything is prepared. You are coming with us.”

It was the Lord of Darkan himself, flanked by Guardian Knight Pamelle. Hudson suppressed his anxiety and forced himself to speak.

“My Lord, was it not agreed that we would remain here to await the arrival of ‘That Person’?”

“No amount of waiting will bring That Person here.”

“Then… what are we to do?”

“You shall encounter Them by following our lead. Move now. You will witness the true splendor of Darkan’s might and report it to That Person—I would be most appreciative!”

During their initial meeting, the Lord of Darkan had seemed composed and noble. Now, however, his gaze flickered with a manic intensity. Had the recent purges broken his psyche?

“Where is our destination?”

“To slaughter the Four Calamities, naturally!”

“The Calamities? For what purpose?”

“Are they not the very abominations that toppled the Empire of old? To reclaim our ancient heritage with our own strength! That is the noble mission of every loyal citizen of this great domain!”

He had truly lost his grip on reality.

‘This isn’t just simple insanity.’

It wasn’t a sudden break. It was a madness forged in the fires of terror. He had seen the Reaper Church execute high-ranking nobles without a second thought. This frantic campaign was a desperate bid to prove his worth and escape the executioner’s blade.

‘The Empire maintains order through the sheer horror of the Reaper Church.’

Hudson felt a lump in his throat. This was a nightmare. He hadn’t anticipated the Lord of Darkan would react with such suicidal fervor. Regardless, Hudson lacked the leverage to decline. The Lord was clearly prepared to drag them along in chains if necessary. For the time being, submission was his only path.

—

The hum of magic vibrated through the air as waves of soldiers marched through the teleportation arches. They were all outfitted in the distinctive, heavy plate of the Empire.

“Look, the Wyvern Knights!”

“Is that a legendary Golem Master?”

“Has the Empire finally decided to end the threat of the Four Calamities?”

The crowds murmured in awe and fear. This was Cartel, the renowned city of blades and the last of the five great neutral territories. Standing in the heart of the city, Gracia’s eyes were locked on a single figure.

“…The White Knight?”

There was no mistaking that silhouette: Serengeti, the White Knight. She was known as Wilhelm’s most devoted shadow, yet rumors insisted she had perished during the conclusion of the Great Expedition.

‘How can she be standing there?’

Confusion swirled in Gracia’s mind. She couldn’t be wrong. It was definitely Serengeti. Even if her combat prowess wasn’t at the absolute peak of Wilhelm’s inner circle, Gracia knew the face of the woman Wilhelm had trusted above all others. After enduring a lifetime of betrayal, Wilhelm had restricted his inner circle to a tiny group known as the ‘Seven Knights of the Round Table.’ It was common knowledge that every one of them had died in the final push.

‘Why is she aligned with the Empire?’

The alliance was nonsensical. These were factions that should be at each other’s throats. What had changed? Beyond that, the sheer volume of troops was terrifying. This wasn’t like the Dersian family bringing a handful of elites; this was a total mobilization intended for a god-slaying.

“Hey! Why are they shoving us?”

“Are these cowards planning to use us as human shields?”

“Violence between men is forbidden in neutral zones!”

Tensions flared as Imperial soldiers began physically herding the local guards and independent players toward the rift where the Four Calamities were expected to manifest. They were being positioned as a buffer for the initial strike. While the laws of the neutral cities forbade combat, the Empire was exploiting a loophole by simply ‘repositioning’ the crowds.

“Gracia, you have to stop this!”

“Their plan is obvious; they’re going to sacrifice us!”

As the panicked masses turned to Gracia for leadership, she simply shook her head.

“Let it happen.”

She intended to claim the kill before the Empire could react. She had prepared everything for this moment. The mystery of the White Knight remained, but her goal was singular.

‘…The Four Calamities belong to me.’

Suddenly, the world seemed to split. A thunderous grinding sound echoed as a colossal limb forced its way through the pulsing, crimson rift.

《The Evil God Baal has invaded Cartel!》

《Hidden Quest Triggered.》

《Objective: Prevent the ‘Evil God Baal’ from merging with the Abyss.》

《Rewards will scale with your contribution.》

—

—This is incredible. There have to be ten thousand people in Cartel right now.

—Even the Darkan lords have mobilized everything.

—Wyvern Knights and Golem Masters? Aren’t those units only manageable by Transcendent-tier commanders?

—Just watching the stream gives me chills.

—There’s no way we can lose with this many elites.

The global chat was a frenzy of excitement. The intervention of the Darkan House was a game-changer. While much of the Empire remained a mystery, Darkan’s reputation was legendary. They were the premier school of swordsmanship, producing knights who were unrivaled on the battlefield.

—Guardian Knight Pamelle? I heard he took down an Elder Dragon solo. He’s a freak of nature.

—Soloed a dragon? No way.

—He’d have to be at least 3-star for that.

—I actually saw the footage of the Elder Dragon hunt. It’s the real deal.

—Still, you can’t even put him in the same bracket as the Dersian elites.

—And don’t forget Gracia is on the front lines.

—Even if she only cleared the Labyrinth, she’s miles ahead of any other hero.

—Finally, I can stop worrying.

—For a minute there, I thought the Four Calamities were going to breach into our world.

—With this squad, we could probably take down the Demon King.

—The Empire wasn’t active during the last war. This is a whole different ball game.

Relief washed over the player base. With such overwhelming military power, failure seemed statistically impossible. No matter how powerful a single Calamity was, how could it stand against an army?

Hours passed in a tense standoff. Then, a single notification flashed across every player’s interface.

《‘Evil God Baal’ has seized the neutral city of Cartel!》

《‘Cartel’ has begun its descent into the Abyss.》

—…What just happened?

—Is that a glitch?

—The entire army was wiped out? Again?

—What about Gracia? Or Pamelle, the dragon slayer?

—I’m losing my mind here…

—

The teleportation hubs detonated in a chain reaction. Then, the ground gave way as the city plummeted into the darkness of the void.

“Hey. Wake up.”

*Slap!*

A stinging blow landed on her face. Gracia’s eyes snapped open.

‘…Stunning.’

Standing over her was an entity that looked like a divine messenger. It was Serengeti, the White Knight, clad in shimmering white. For the first time in her life, Gracia was struck by someone’s beauty. She was also the first person to ever strike her across the face.

“Gracia. Do you intend to let the Abyss consume you? You carry the title of hero, but is this the extent of your resolve?”

“You are quite beautiful.”

“…What?”

“If heaven is filled with people like you, perhaps it isn’t so bad.”

“Given your track record, you’re destined for the pit, not the clouds. Stop talking nonsense and get on your feet.”

“Then why is there an angel in the depths of hell?”

“…!!”

As Gracia reached out, Hudson flinched in terror. A cold shiver ran down his spine. He was convinced she had lost her mind during the fall.

‘This really might be the end.’

Hudson looked at the carnage around him and stifled a sob.

“Die!”

“Just die already!”

“Kee-hee-hee!”

Baal’s objective had been the total submersion of the city. Now that Cartel was in the Abyss, the survivors were succumbing to madness, turning their weapons on one another. Trusted allies were committing murder; those who seemed stable a moment ago were now frothing at the mouth. It was a landscape of pure chaos—a fundamental property of this lightless realm.

‘Everyone from the previous sieges is trapped down here too. And the Imperials don’t care about our survival.’

The Lord of Darkan was hyper-focused on Baal. He had sought out Gracia because she seemed the most capable, but even she appeared to have snapped. There was no rescue coming. There was no exit.

‘That structure. That’s Baal. He’s becoming the core of the Abyss.’

Hudson stared toward the center of the void where a gargantuan, obsidian cocoon pulsed with dark energy. After dragging the city down, Baal had entombed himself within it to complete his transformation. Logic suggested they should attack the cocoon, but the path was blocked.

—*Skreeeee!*

Leathery black wings beat the air. A creature that looked like a nightmare made flesh dove toward him. Those who perished here, particularly the high-level warriors, were being resurrected as demonic entities. They were faster and stronger than they had been in life. Normal steel and magic seemed to slide right off them. Even the elite Wyvern Knights were struggling to survive against a single one.

‘Damn it all!’

Hudson knew he wasn’t a Transcendent. A single strike from one of those things would end him. He cursed his luck, but he was out of options.

*Crrr-ack!*

Suddenly, the fabric of the Abyss was torn asunder. A rift opened directly in front of Hudson, and a figure stepped through.

“Ah…!”

Hudson gasped in disbelief. At that same moment, a heavy thud echoed.

*Crunch!*

With a single, devastating swing of the ‘Skull Destroyer,’ the newcomer pulverized the demon’s head, ending the threat instantly.

### Wilhelm and the Imperial Legacy

The figure behind the Golden Mask stood in a hidden vault deep within the palace, studying the ancient carvings on the walls. The murals chronicled the long, bloody history of the Empire. One image stood out: a horrific depiction of the Four Calamities laying waste to the old world.

‘Baal the Wicked.’

The image was striking. Baal was depicted with the head of a goat, the body of a predator, and massive wings. He was a creature of a thousand names—The Great Deceiver, The Blood-Drinker, The Foulest One. He had more titles than any of his kin because his nature was fluid and incomprehensible. He mastered the arts of malediction, life-weaving, and mental corruption, and he never stopped changing.

“Are you aware of the true origin of the Four Calamities?”

“I… I am not sure, My Lord.”

The maid wearing the rabbit mask trembled beside him. She tried to maintain her composure, but the pressure was overwhelming. There were eleven figures who governed the Empire while the Emperor remained in his eternal trance, and the Golden Mask was arguably the most feared among them.

“Do not fret; the truth is hidden for a reason. The Four Calamities are the hunting hounds of ‘Destruction.’ Long ago, the old Empire attempted to domesticate these horrors and use them as instruments of war.”

“I was taught that the Calamities were the ones who destroyed the old Empire.”

“That is a half-truth.”

It was a suppressed history—a narrative scrubbed from the records out of sheer embarrassment. The old Empire believed their power was absolute and that they could bend the four primordial monsters to their will.

“The four most powerful noble houses of the ancient era each claimed dominion over one of the Calamities. That success was the very thing that ensured the Empire’s downfall.”

“If they controlled them, then how…”

“You are terrified, yet your curiosity always wins out. I admire that.”

“Forgive me!”

The Golden Mask let out a dry laugh.

“No, it is why I value your company. Regardless, when you possess a weapon of that magnitude, ambition takes over. Each of the four houses decided they should be the one to sit on the throne.”

“So, a civil war broke out?”

“Precisely. A war fought with the Four Calamities as the primary weapons. I suspect that was ‘Destruction’s’ plan all along. Human avarice is a bottomless pit.”

The Golden Mask sighed. An Empire that once held the entire continent in its palm had vanished, consumed by an internal fire fueled by those monsters.

“But the records say the descendants of the Empire eventually bound the Calamities.”

“A convenient fiction created to justify the current regime’s legitimacy.”

The Golden Mask turned away. The monsters had indeed been bound, but it wasn’t by any human bloodline.

“Then who did it?”

“The Celestial Realm.”

“The place where the Goddess resides?”

“No. The Celestial Realm is the domain of the ‘Ascended.’ Some call it the Realm of Immortals. Its inhabitants are far beyond us.”

The maid tilted her head, captivated by the forbidden knowledge.

“They must be incredibly powerful to have stopped the Calamities. Why didn’t they stop ‘Destruction’ as well?”

“They are not allies of the Goddess. Nor are they servants of Destruction. They exist in the spaces between, perhaps? And their numbers are few.”

If they were so powerful, why only seal the beasts? One thing was certain: the founding Emperor of the current era had also descended from that ‘Celestial Realm.’ He had brought eleven ‘eggs’ with him, establishing what he called the ‘Pure Lineage.’ Only the Emperor truly understood the nature of that higher world, but he had been lost in sleep for longer than anyone could remember.