Bab 723
Kishiar, yang selama ini menghadapi musuh dengan mudah tanpa menggunakan senjata, menariknya pedang sebagai tanggapan terhadap sebuah peringatan tak langsung. Ini adalah keputusan yang langka baginya, karena biasanya ia bertindak berdasarkan pertimbangan rasional yang cermat, bukan insting.
Namun, keputusan ini tepat sasaran. Begitu ia meraih pedang ilahi, gelombang kuat aneh meledak dari kerumunan orang berjubah di sekelilingnya.
Kishiar, seorang penyihir dengan sensitivitas kuat terhadap kekuatan sihir, bisa jelas merasakan aliran dan bahaya kekuatan ini. Bukan jenis sihir biasa yang biasanya ditemui. Di sebuah zaman di mana sihir semakin memudar, ini adalah kekuatan langsauh yang langka mampu melakukan keajaiban.
Menghadapi kekuatan tak berwujud ini sangat berbahaya, namun fortunat bagi Kishiar, ia bukan hanya seorang Pembangkit dan master pedang, tetapi juga seorang penyihir, dan kadang-kadang bahkan seorang pendeta.
Merasakan gelombang kekuatan sihir itu, ia mendorong seorang lelaki berjubah yang sedang ia pegang dengan 'gaya dorong', sementara sekaligus menariknya pedang yang dibungkus kain sederhana dari sarungnya dengan 'gaya tarik'. Pedangnya, yang tampak sederhana, adalah pedang ilahi Orr.
Rilis yang mengatakan bahwa Duke Peleta telah menjadi pemilik baru dari pedang ilahi Orr diragukan karena dua alasan: bias kuat melawan gagasan bahwa sebuah pedang ilahi bisa dibawa begitu saja, dan sebuah artefak magis yang terpasang pada sarung sebelum perjalanan yang melegakkan pengenalan. Artefak ini, sering digunakan oleh bangsawan untuk melindungi harta karun dari pencurian, membuat persepsi pandangan seseorang terhadap penampilannya kabur.
Pedang itu sendiri, setelah semua hiasan dan permata yang ditambahkan kemudiannya dikurangi, tajam dan berkilau abu-abu, namun tak lain dari yang biasa. Namun, sebuah pedang ilahi adalah pedang ilahi. Tidak diketahui banyak orang, ia sama mahir memotong 'kekuatan' maupun memotong bentuk fisik.
Saat kekuatan sihir bergulat melanda, Kishiar mengayunkan lengan tangannya sambil memegang Orr. Jika Yuder melihatnya, ia pasti mengerti betapa besar kekuatan yang terkandung dalam gerakan yang halus namun tak berlebihan. Tapi ia tidak berada di sana.
Seolah waktu melambat, pedang perak itu membelah sesuatu yang tak terlihat—sensasi yang mengerikan namun mempesona. Kishiar menyaksikan jalannya pedang tanpa mengalihkan pandangannya.
Hanya setelah membelah aliran kuat yang kabur ke belakang, Kishiar perlahan menutup dan membuka matanya.
Lalu, seolah dunia telah menunggu, kehidupan kembali berlari, dan kekuatan sihir yang dahulu hebat kini tak lagi kuatnya tersebar ke segala arah.
Segala-galanya terlampaui dalam seketika.
Tidak ada yang sepenuhnya mengerti apa yang terjadi, hanya merasakan sebuah kekuatan tak terlihat meledak dan runtuh di sekitarnya.
Mereka yang jatuh tidak menyadari bahwa jika Kishiar tidak segera menariknya, mereka akan terbawa oleh sihir berbahaya itu, dengan akibat yang jauh lebih buruk.
Di antara master pedang pun, Kishiar telah mencapai sesuatu yang tak terlalu banyak orang berani coba, namun ia tetap tenang. Ia hanya mengamat-lihat hasil penggunaan kekuatan pedang ilahi untuk pertama kalinya, kekuatan yang sebelumnya ia hanya ketahui secara teori.
"Oh, sepertinya sedikit darah menemellong pakaianku."
Di saat ia mendorong orang yang ia pegang untuk membelah aliran kekuatan sihir, darah mereka seolah menyemprot kan pakaiannya. Kishiar menolehkan pandangannya ke arah mereka, sepertinya sedikit terganggu karena segalanya tak berjalan sesuai rencana.
Melihat melalui jubah yang terbalikkan, kulit merah kepala penduduk Selatan terlihat jelas. Tampaknya semua orang berjubah yang menyembunyikan kulitnya adalah warga Selatan.
Orang-orang Selatan yang mencurigakan, menggunakan sihir aneh di tempat ini, dan sekaligus menjadi seorang Pembangkit. Hanya satu identitas yang muncul di benaknya.
Senyum kembali di wajah Kishiar yang tadi menghilang saat ia memegang pedang.
"Sungguh, sebelum pun aku mulai mencari, kalian datang kepadaku. Mengirimkan asisten dan penatapku yang berharga justru sia-sia. Tapi aliran sihir ini... sepertinya bukan karya seorang penyihir. Apa tipu muslihat ini?"
Melihat Kishiar seperti ini, Sera dan para temannya ditakuti oleh sesuatu yang tidak bisa diterangkan. Meskipun semua ini terjadi, mereka tak bisa memahami kemampuan Duke Peletta atau apa yang baru saja dilakukannya dengan pedangnya.
Ketidaktahuan akan musuh dengan cepat berubah menjadi ketakutan.
Sera memutuskan mereka tidak bisa menyia-siakan waktu lagi untuk membantu pedagang Selatan dan buru-buru bangun.
Tempat ini dekat dengan cabang Selatan Kavaleri. Meskipun sayangnya misi mereka belum selesai, meloloskan diri dengan selamat adalah prioritas.
"Sial… semua bangun cepat!"
"Ugh… Ughhh…"
"Hmm. Sudah waktunya berangkat?"
Duke Peletta bertanya dengan mata lebar penuh rasa ingin tahu, tangan di sampingnya yang penuh dengan pedang rileks. Sikapnya tampak menyeramkan bagi para penyeksa.
Memikirkan kembali, ia seperti ini sejak awal. Sejak melompat keluar dari kereta yang diserang, ia tak pernah menunjukkan sesaat pun kecemasan atau ketidaktenangan.
Bagaimana bisa seseorang yang wajar bertindak seperti ini? Membuat orang bertanya apakah rumor tentangnya sebagai seorang gila tidak terduga memang benar, meskipun banyak sebagian ceritanya adalah tidak benar.
Di dekat Sera yang sedang sesak-Sesak, seorang pedagang Selatan berbicara pelan.
"Sepertinya Duke Peletta berada di sini sendiri bukanlah kebetulan. Sepertinya sesuati telah terjadi di tempat yang tadinya kita rencanakan untuk bersembunyi."
"Apa maksudmu?"
"Saat ini, kekuatan yang sangat kuat sedang bergunjing di dua tempat: di mana kami bantuan bertugas dan di sini. Kami meremehkan kekuatan yang dimiliki oleh Duke Peletta. Inilah kesalahan kami."
Sera ingat salah seorang pedagang Selatan yang bisa mendeteksi aliran kekuatan dengan sensitivitas tinggi. Berkat kemampuan ini, mereka dengan cepat mendeteksi gerakan monster yang mendekat ke pangkalan Selatan mereka, memberikan bantuan yang signifikan.
Sekarang, tampaknya kemampuan ini tidak hanya terbatas pada mendeteksi monster, tetapi juga kekuatan manusia.
"Jadi, apakah berarti kami tidak punya cara untuk kabur dari sini? Kamu bilang kamu bisa menemukan cara keluar!"
"Aku tidak pernah bilang itu. Masih ada cara keluar. Tapi kamu perlu memberi kami waktu lebih..."
Saat pedagang Selatan hendak melanjutkan, tiba-tiba ia memutar kepalanya, merasakan sesuatu. Lalu, dari kejauhan, terdengar seruan.
"Duke!"
"Duke ada di sana!"
"..."
Dalam diam, para figur yang bergegas tidak datang dari Kavaleri, tetapi bertenaga seragam tentara Kekaisaran, tak bisa disangkal merupakan penguatan untuk Kishiar. Mengapa Kavaleri tak muncul tetap menjadi misteri, namun sepertinya supir kereta berhasil menghubungi mereka. Kishiar, sambil tersenyum lebar, melambai dan berkata.
"Kamu masih ingin melawan? Aku lebih suka kamu menyerah di titik ini."
Sera menggigit bibirnya. Penguatan memang sudah tiba. Rasanya seperti segalanya hancur.
Namun, pedagang-pedagang Selatan sepertinya relatif tenang, jelas masih memiliki rencana di tangan. Sera memutuskan untuk mempercayakan mereka dan tidak menyerah begitu saja. Jika ada cara untuk meloloskan diri, ia rela membantu.
"Semua orang, bangun!”
teriakannya membangunkan teman-temannya, yang satu per satu bangun dan mulai menghadapi Duke Peletta dan para penguatan yang mendatang.
Tapi mengapa ini terjadi? Meskipun mereka bermaksud hanya melibatkan Duke Peletta dan kemudian mundur, setelah sadar kembali, mereka ternyata hampir sampai di cabang Selatan Kavaleri, terjebak di antara penguatan dan Duke Peletta.
"Apa ini...!"
Sungguh, di lokasi itu, para anggota kuil bintang Nagran dari benteng pusat, yang diharuskan untuk mendukung Kavaleri hari ini dengan pura-pura, sudah berada dalam pertempuran tegang dengan Kavaleri. Anggota-anggota Kavaleri yang dimusuhi pun bersorak gembira melihat pemimpin mereka dengan selamat kembali.
"Komandan!"
"Aku sudah mendengar cerita kasar dari Tentara Kekaisaran. Kamu pasti kesulitan dengan situasi mendadak ini."
Sementara Kavaleri bersorak, pasukan Star of Nagran dipenuhi keterkejutan diam.
Anggota-anggota dari benteng pusat, yang turun ke selatan untuk bersiap untuk meresapi Kavaleri dan telah dapat bantuan dari Sera, mengenali dia dan penyihir-penyihir Selatan dari benteng Selatan, memperlebar mata dengan penuh kejutan.
Pertukaran pandangan yang bingung saling mengungkapkan ketidakmampuan mereka untuk memahami mengapa masing-masing berada dalam situasi ini, namun pertempuran kalap yang tak teratur memberi sedikit ruang untuk berbincang.
Hai, jika kamu suka cerita ini, tolong beri peringkat dan ulas novel ini di Thanks!
[BL] Langit Tanpa Awan
Jin Soram, pengejar teratas yang mewakili Pangkalan Fenomena Celah Korea Selatan, lebih kuat dari semua orang dan malas sepertiga orang. Begitu ia tiba di kantor, ia langsung membungkus dirinya dengan selimut dan tertidur. Ketika ia keluar untuk misi, ia sering menyebabkan kecelakaan dan kembali ke kantor, sering melarikan diri dari tugasnya.
"Apakah kamu tahu bagaimana rasanya bermain game yang sudah berantakan? ...Ada saja, ronde berikutnya akan datang, jadi kali ini aku hanya akan bermain dengan ceroboh."
Faktanya, identitas sebenarnya adalah seseorang yang telah bergulung kembali melalui tiga kehidupan, mversi untuk menyelamatkan dunia dari Great Rift, tetapi gagal setiap kali. Setelah mengulangi kehidupan di mana ia tak bisa tidur nyenyak bahkan sehari pun, ia sepenuhnya kelelahan sebelum kehidupan ini bahkan bertemu.
"Aku tahu. Kamu sudah bekerja keras, Jin Soram."
Dan lalu ada Han Tae-un, pria yang menyelamatkan Soram dan mati dalam ketiga kehidupan sebelumnya. Seperti yang dilakukannya dalam setiap kehidupan, ia kembali muncul di sisi Soram sekali lagi. Great Rift akan datang segera. Mustahil untuk selesai ini dalam kehidupan ini tanpa persiapan. Soram beralah untuk menyelamatkan Tae-un dalam kehidupan ini dan mati sendiri. Setidaknya, ia tak akan membiarkan Tae-un menyelamatkan seseorang yang gagal seperti dirinya lagi.
"Untuk sekarang, sampai saat itu, mari kita tidur..."
Seperti Soram yang enggan, ia mengisi hari-harinya sambil menunggu momen itu, perubahan perlahan terjadi di hatinya.
"Aku pikir ini adalah ronde yang sudah berantakan... tapi aku ingin hidup sedikit lebih lama di sini."
[BL] Bermuda
Leonardo Blaine, pahlawan perang sejati dari Kekaisaran Raina Logia dan Komandan Pasukan Armsilver ke-11, dibuang tidak baik hati karena membelot ketika pertempuran akhir yang bisa berujung pada kemenangan Kekaisaran dalam perang wilayah. Orang-orang mengutuk dan menuding dia, dan setelah ditanggung rugi dari penjara, ia menghilang tanpa jejak.
Tiga tahun kemudian, namanya dilupakan oleh dunia. Dewan terus-menerus mengejar dia, tetapi ia sulit ditangkap. Frustrasi dengan ini, Hugo Agrizendro, Komandan tentara Dewan, memutuskan untuk menangkapnya secara pribadi.
"Sejak kapan kamu memantau aku?"
Leonardo yang cerdik dan licik, tidaklah aneh jika ia telah memantau
Chapter 723
Kishiar, who had so far faced his enemies with ease without wielding a weapon, drew his sword in response to an instinctual warning. It was a rare decision for him, as he typically acted based on thorough rational judgment rather than instinct.
However, this decision was spot-on. The moment he grasped the divine sword, an unusual surge of magic power burst forth from the cloaked figures around him.
Kishiar, a mage with superior magic power sensitivity, could clearly sense the flow and danger of this power. It wasn't the common kind of magic one usually encountered. In an age where magic was fading, this was a rare, pure force capable of wondrous feats.
Facing this formless, threatening force was perilous, but fortunately, Kishiar was not only an Awakener and a swordmaster but also a mage and sometimes even a priest.
Feeling the surge of magic power, he pushed away a cloaked man he had been holding with a 'push force', while simultaneously drawing the sword, wrapped in plain cloth, from its sheath with a 'pull force'. The sword, unassuming in appearance, was the divine sword Orr.
The rumor that Duke Peleta had become the new owner of the divine sword Orr was disbelieved for two reasons: the strong bias against the notion of such a divine sword being carried so casually, and a magic artifact attached to the sheath before the journey that diminished recognition. This artifact, often used by nobles to protect treasures from thieves, blurred the perception of its appearance.
The sword itself, stripped of later-added jewels and decorations, was exceedingly sharp and silvery, but otherwise unremarkable.
Yet, a divine sword is a divine sword.
Unbeknownst to many, it was as adept at cutting 'power' as it was at slicing physical forms.
At the moment when magic power swirled violently around, Kishiar swung his arm wielding Orr. If Yuder had seen it, he would have recognized the immense power in the smooth, unexaggerated movement. But he was not there.
Time seemed to slow down as the silvery blade cut through something invisible, a sensation both eerie and fascinating. Kishiar watched the sword's trajectory without blinking.
Only after slicing through the last of the escaping magic power did Kishiar slowly close and open his eyes.
Then, as if the world had been waiting, it resumed its pace, and the once powerful magic, now completely devoid of its strength, dispersed in all directions.
All this happened in the blink of an eye.
No one fully grasped what had transpired, only perceiving an invisible force exploding and collapsing around them.
Those who fell did not realize that if Kishiar had not quickly drawn his sword, they would have been swept away by the dangerous magic, meeting a far worse fate.
Even among swordmasters, Kishiar had accomplished a feat few would dare to attempt, yet he remained composed. He merely observed the result of using the divine sword's power for the first time, a power he had only known in theory until now.
"Oh, it seems a bit of blood has stained my robe."
In the moment he had pushed away the person he had caught to slice through the flow of magic power, their blood had seemingly smeared on his garment. Kishiar turned his gaze towards them, seemingly flustered that things had not gone as intended.
Peeking through the overturned robes, the distinctive red skin of the Southern people was visible. It seemed that those clad in robes, hiding their skin, were all Southerners.
Suspicious Southerners wielding strange magic in such a place, and an Awakener at that. There was only one identity that came to mind.
A smile returned to Kishiar's face, which had vanished while he wielded the sword.
"To think they would come to me before I even started searching. Sending my precious assistant and adjutant was in vain. But this strange flow of magic power... It doesn't seem to be a mage's doing. What trickery is this?"
Seeing Kishiar like this, Sera and her fellow companions were seized by an indescribable fear. Despite everything that had happened, they still could not comprehend the extent of Duke Peletta's abilities or what he had just done with the sword.
Ignorance of one's opponent quickly turned into fear.
Sera decided they couldn't waste any more time here aiding the Southern merchants and hurriedly stood up.
This place was near the southern branch of the Cavalry anyway. Although it was regrettable that their mission was incomplete, escaping safely was the priority.
"Damn it… everyone, get up quickly!"
"Ugh… Ughhh…"
"Hmm. Leaving already?"
Duke Peletta asked, his eyes wide with genuine curiosity, his sword-laden hand hanging loosely. His demeanor appeared chilling to onlookers.
Come to think of it, he had been like this from the start. Ever since he jumped out of the ambushed carriage, he had never shown a moment of panic or lack of composure.
How could a sane human act in such a manner? It made one wonder if the rumors about him being an unpredictable madman might actually be true, despite the falsehoods in many of his tales.
Near Sera, gasping for breath, a Southern merchant spoke in a low voice.
"It seems Duke Peletta being alone here was no coincidence. It looks like something must have happened at the place where we originally planned to evade to."
"What do you mean?"
"Right now, tremendous power is stirring in two places: where our helpers are staying and here. We underestimated the power Duke Peletta possesses. It was our misjudgment."
Sera remembered that one of the Southern merchants had the ability to sensitively detect the flow of power. Thanks to this ability, they had quickly detected the movement of monsters approaching their southern base, providing significant assistance.
Now, it seemed this ability was not limited to sensing monsters but also the power of humans.
"So, does that mean we have no way to escape from here now? You said you could find us a way out!"
"I never said that. There is still a way out. But you'll have to buy us more time…"
As the Southern merchant was about to continue, he suddenly turned his head, sensing something. Then, from a distance, shouts were heard.
"Duke!"
"The Duke is over there!"
“...”
In silence, the urgently approaching figures were not from the Cavalry but were clad in Imperial Army uniforms, unmistakably reinforcements for Kishiar. Why the Cavalry was absent remained a mystery, but it seemed that the coachman had managed to reach them properly. Kishiar, with a smile on his face, waved his hand and spoke.
"Are you planning to continue fighting? I'd prefer if you surrendered at this point."
Sera bit her lip. Reinforcements had indeed arrived. It felt like everything had completely fallen apart.
However, the Southern merchants appeared relatively calm, and it was clear they still had a plan up their sleeve. Sera decided to trust them and not give up just yet. If there was any way to escape, she was willing to help.
"Everyone, snap out of it! We need to attack first to survive!"
Her shout awakened her companions, who one by one stood up and began to confront Duke Peletta and the approaching reinforcements.
But why was this happening? Though they intended only to engage Duke Peletta and then retreat, upon regaining their senses, they found themselves nearly at the southern branch of the Cavalry, caught between the reinforcements and Duke Peletta.
"What is this...!"
Incredibly, at that location were the members from the Star of Nagran's central stronghold, who were supposed to fake support for the Cavalry today, and they were already in a standoff with the Cavalry. The detestable members of the Cavalry cheered upon seeing their leader safely returned.
"Commander!"
"I've heard the rough story from the Imperial Army. You must have had a tough time with the sudden situation."
While the Cavalry rejoiced, the Star of Nagran's forces were filled with silent shock.
The members from the central Stronghold, who had come down to the south to prepare for infiltrating the Cavalry and had received help from Sera, recognized her and the southern stronghold's Awakeners, widening their eyes in disbelief.
Exchanges of bewildered looks communicated their mutual inability to understand why each was in this situation, but the chaotic standoff left no room for conversation.
[BL] Cloudless Sky
Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.
"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."
In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.
"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."
And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.
"For now, until then, let's sleep..."
As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.
'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'
[BL] Bermuda
Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.
"Since when have you been watching me?"
Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
"From the very beginning."
[BL] The Mist (Same author as Turning)
In the autumn of his 18th year, after winning the high school kendo championship finals, an unexpected accident occurred.
Due to that incident, Kang Mu-heon lost one of his legs, his closest friend, and his promising future. He closed off his heart and shut himself away alone.
A few years later, the world's first real virtual reality game <THE MIST> was announced, where even those with physical disabilities could play in healthy bodies.
By chance, Kang Mu-heon encountered it and began a new life as the mage Kapros, facing unexpected meetings, reunions, and days of change....
***
"Why was someone like you born into this world to make me so miserable? Do you understand when I say it like this?! You were born with talent for the sword, a bright personality, everything - you must have been laughing at me always lagging behind! Did you even know how pathetic I felt because of your stupid hypocrisy? A genius? What does any of that matter!"
Seung-jo's cries stabbed at his heart, wailing as if he were crying even though he wasn't, but there was no time to think further. He quickly clutched my stomach, got up, and ran towards him.
He looked surprised for a moment, but he was desperate.
Just as the car was about to reach us, he shoved Seung-jo hard. Right after Seung-jo fell and rolled away with wide, startled eyes—
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