IPUAVNP Chapter 142

Chapter 142

 

A few kilometers west of the capital of Elders’s Canyon lay a secluded mountain temple belonging to the Tiger Tribe.

At dawn, Simon Elders had left his northern Arkan Mountain hideout and rushed to this temple with his subordinates.

Despite knowing that Roden’s spies were everywhere, he had risked exposing himself for one reason: the magic he was about to perform required a space imbued with sacred power.

Upon arrival, Simon Elders headed straight for the main hall.

Though he walked with a limp and moved slowly, there was no sign of his usual irritation.

Instead, he grinned as he entered, guided by a subordinate who held the door open for him.

Before him stretched a vast, circular chamber with towering ceilings.

The first thing that caught his eye was a long, vertical window that extended from ceiling to floor, flooding the altar below with light.

It was the altar used for offerings to the god.

A short distance away stood a massive mirror.

Despite being in the same place for centuries, its surface was spotless.

The sturdy stone frame was engraved with patterns of intertwining vines.

At first glance, it looked like a mirror, but it was, in fact, a door.

A magical door/gate.

Each summer, this door would open, transporting those who passed through it to their desired destinations.

But today, that door was not Simon Elders’s focus.

He turned his gaze back to the altar and pulled a dagger from his coat.

The handle of the dagger was embedded with a blue gemstone.

‘This is the mana stone. If you plunge this dagger into the heart of the Clock Rabbit and chant the incantation I gave you, the stone will glow, fulfilling the wielder’s will.’

It would glow…

‘Before the light fades, focus on the time you wish to return to and repeat the spell three times. You must complete everything before the light disappears. Once it does, the mana stone will lose its power.’

Amidal had not only given him the mana stone.

She had also provided him with a potion that nullified the Clock Rabbit’s abilities, ensuring she could not manipulate time of her own will.

Naturally, this also prevented her from transforming.

It was meant to keep her from escaping.

His subordinates had likely given the same potion to the ones accompanying the Clock Rabbit, stopping them from shifting into their wolf forms and using their strength.

Amidal had prepared everything for him.

Now, Simon Elders closed his eyes, picturing the moment he wanted to return to.

Not the time when war with Roden was on the brink of breaking out—far earlier than that.

Before his childhood injury, before he lost his leg.

That was it.

Simon Elders wanted to turn back time to that moment.

To undo the past where he lost everything and start anew.

He had chosen to reclaim time for himself, not for his family or Elders.

“Leader! We’ve brought the Clock Rabbit!”

Moments later, his subordinates burst into the temple hall.

In their arms was the captive he had long been waiting for.

“Hurry! Lay her on the altar!”

Following his command, they placed the Clock Rabbit on the altar and immediately left the hall.

Their exit was meant to block any wolves who might pursue them from interfering.

Now, only Simon Elders and the restrained Clock Rabbit remained.

He walked toward her, gazing down at the woman lying before him.

Then, he burst into laughter—elated.

She was the perfect sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Kyle and the Oswald twins were in hot pursuit of the tigers.

These were the same opponents they had fought back at the inn in Morgen Village.

They had only realized their true identity when, in the middle of the fight, the men had suddenly transformed into tigers and smashed through the windows to escape.

‘Hey! We got her! Move it!’ someone had shouted.

It was then that Kyle turned back—only to see an unbelievable sight through the open door.

Outside, Brody was being carried away on horseback by a man.

Without hesitation, Kyle and the Oswald twins had mounted their own horses from the inn’s stable and given chase.

Now, they were closing in on the Elders’s capital, racing toward a nearby mountain.

Sweat poured down Kyle’s face like rain as he urged his horse forward.

The more he pieced together the situation, the more everything clicked into place—sending chills down his spine.

The fact that the tigers had specifically demanded Brody meant they already knew she was a Clock Rabbit.

How they had learned this was a mystery, but their organized capture proved it was no impulsive act.

Their leader—the man who had survived the last battle—Simon Elders—was likely behind it.

If he had lost everything in the war, his desire to turn back time made perfect sense.

Knowing that Clock Rabbits could rewind three minutes, it was only natural to deduce that using her life force could send him back to any point in time.

He wouldn’t settle for a mere three minutes—he would use Brody’s very existence to return to his chosen past.

And the one who had likely aided him…

That woman.

The Dark Witch, Amidal.

It wasn’t just speculation based on reports of her appearing near Elders’s Canyon a few days ago.

Kyle was certain their inability to transform was Amidal’s doing.

When transformed, beastmen were far stronger in combat than in their human forms.

Stripping them of their shapeshifting ability was beyond the power of ordinary mages or witches.

Only someone with immense magical prowess could achieve such a feat.

And Amidal, who just so happened to be nearby, was more than capable.

She had to be behind it.

Realizing this, Kyle clenched his teeth so hard his lips nearly bled.

Brody had to survive until he reached her.

If she didn’t—if he failed to save her—he would never forgive himself.

As Kyle and the Oswald twins reached the mountain, a grand temple came into view.

There, the tigers from the inn, along with others, stood guard at the entrance.

The reason was obvious: Brody had already been taken inside.

“Wow…” Oswald muttered.

“This isn’t just a road trip anymore…it feels like we’re heading straight to the afterlife.”

The Oswald twins burst into laughter as if they had lost their minds.

Three humans against dozens of tigers—it was a battle that made their blood boil.

Without hesitation, they drew their long swords from the scabbards attached to their saddles. Then, they spoke to Kyle.

“Captain, from now on, you’re going to ride straight into that temple entrance.”

“Don’t look to the side or behind, just focus on going forward. We’ll handle the fight.”

With those madmen grinning as if they had encountered the most exciting challenge, Kyle charged straight into the midst of the tigers without a second thought.

 

***

 

At the same moment…

‘…They left.’

Brody, who had been pretending to be unconscious, barely twitched her eyelids.

She swallowed hard as she confirmed the sight of the subordinates leaving her lying on the altar.

Now, only two people remained in this space…

“Haha… Finally… Finally, you’re here.”

A man with a limp approached her, his voice dripping with anticipation.

She had already confirmed, while being dragged here on horseback, that these people were from the Tiger Tribe.

Brody recalled how one of the men who left had called the person before her ‘Leader.’

‘So this is Simon Elders.’

Like Kyle, Brody also realized that these tigers had discovered her true identity. The fact that they had brought her here could only mean they intended to use her abilities.

She clenched her teeth as she felt that neither her transformation powers nor her ability to rewind time were working.

It didn’t take long for her to deduce that the dark witch Amidal had interfered in this matter.

And once she realized that, something else immediately came to mind—the existence of the magic stone.

A power capable of stripping others of their innate abilities, a force belonging to the realm of dark magic.

If that stone was stabbed into her heart, even if she didn’t want to rewind time, it would inevitably happen according to the will of the one wielding it.

‘Simon Elders must have received that magic stone from Amidal.’

Unlike Shiloh, who had tried to persuade her to willingly sacrifice herself, this man had instead ensured that she couldn’t use her powers at all.

He had a safety net—he didn’t need her cooperation, only her life.

Brody shut her eyes tightly, pretending to be dead as she watched Simon Elders approach.

The fact that he hadn’t restrained her immediately meant he wasn’t planning to kill her just yet. She had to escape before that happened.

Fortunately for her, the man chasing her had a limp.

Her chance was now, while his subordinates were gone.

Brody subtly cracked her eyelids open when she sensed that he had come close, but before she could react, her vision filled with the gleam of a dagger aimed straight at her heart.

“!?”

Simon Elders, his face alight with ecstasy, was raising the dagger high above her chest.

Before that blade could plunge into her heart—

“Aah!”

Brody rolled off the altar in an instant, tumbling to the floor below.

A harsh metallic scrape rang through the temple as the dagger’s blade skidded against the stone surface.

“What the hell!”

Simon Elders shouted in frustration as Brody suddenly dropped out of sight.

Dagger still in hand, he hastily moved toward the spot where she had fallen.

Meanwhile, Brody, who had landed from a height equal to a grown man’s waist, groaned in pain from the impact against the stone floor.

But gritting her teeth with all her strength, she forced herself up and sprinted in the opposite direction from Simon Elders.

“That *****—!”

Seeing this, Simon Elders immediately turned and chased after her. His gaze caught the flash of her white hair as it trailed behind her.

He reached out desperately, and his fingers managed to seize a handful of her hair.

“Ahh!”

Brody screamed as she was yanked back by her hair.

Simon Elders threw her with all his strength against the stone altar.

However, Brody, unwilling to let go so easily, had grabbed onto his wrist as he pulled her, causing him to lose balance and fall with her.

Clang!

The dagger slipped from his grasp, and the two tumbled across the floor in a tangled struggle.

Brody, recovering first, took advantage of his momentary instability—his weakened leg unable to support him properly—and climbed onto his chest.

She immediately wrapped her hands around his throat, squeezing with all her might.

“Guh…!”

Simon Elders’ face turned red as he gasped for air, his body thrashing beneath her.

Even as she groaned from exertion, Brody poured every ounce of her strength into strangling him.

His pale face became engorged with blood, his bulging eyes threatening to pop out, and veins protruded from his temples.

But even in this dire state, Simon Elders was desperately reaching behind himself—toward the dagger that had fallen between his back and the ground.

Just as his fingers closed around the hilt…

Brody, seeing his eyes widen to their breaking point, flinched for a fraction of a second.

And in that instant of hesitation…

Simon Elders mustered every last ounce of strength he had left and drove the dagger straight into her heart.

My uni has just started again, so I don’t know if the updates’ rate is going to change, but let’s hope for the best.