Episode 142

Around Bergeus, toxins and dark energy were surging.

The closer I got, the stronger and more intense that poisonous aura felt.

And I could truly feel the condition of Bergeus, who must have been suffering unbearable pain throughout his entire body.

As soon as he sensed a presence nearby, Bergeus swung his head sharply.

Upon spotting Desar and Peter, Bergeus’s gaze instantly shifted.

[Humans?]

His voice, laced with metallic tones, was filled with instinctive rage.

Even while suffering from the unbearable agony caused by the toxins and dark energy accumulated in his body, Bergeus revealed a murderous intent toward humans.

[Humans, beasts who know no gratitude! You’ve come crawling to me, begging to be slaughtered!]

In his current state, where rational conversation was impossible, the uncontrollable hatred toward humans made it feel like we were facing an unstoppable monster.

Even though his strength hadn’t fully returned, Bergeus launched an attack at Desar and Peter.

With just one movement of his massive body, the deep and vast Aisil Lake stirred up enormous waves.

Desar and Peter barely dodged his attacks, but even in that fleeting moment, they could feel the overwhelming difference in power.

Even though he couldn’t fully use his strength, Bergeus was still a transcendent existence that mere humans could hardly hope to handle.

Still, the two of them did everything they could from their positions to buy time and keep Bergeus’s attention focused on them.

Bergeus, having lost rational judgment, was attacking recklessly, and that left some gaps they could exploit to at least hold him off for a while.

While Desar and Peter kept Bergeus distracted, I circled around the lake and asked Askan again,

“Askan! Are you sure that if I just touch Bergeus’s body, you’ll be able to purify his toxins?”

[Yes. However, his body is so saturated with poison that it might not be easy to get close.]

“We’ll only know if we try.”

Running until I was out of breath, I eventually made it to the opposite side of the lake.

Thanks to Desar and Peter keeping Bergeus occupied at the front, I was able to approach from the rear more smoothly.

Moreover, Bergeus’s body was slightly pushed out of the lake, so it didn’t seem like I would be swept away by any sudden waves.

Just when I was holding my breath and getting closer to Bergeus,

a mocking voice came from above.

[Another rat shows itself.]

“……!”

In that moment, I felt a terror I had never experienced before.

A huge shadow fell over me, and Bergeus, with unfocused golden eyes, was looking down at me.

“My lady! Run away!”

No matter how hard Desar and Peter attacked from the front, they couldn’t penetrate Bergeus’s armor-like scales.

Bergeus, half-crazed and poisoned beyond reason, stared down at me with an expression of interest and spoke.

[Wait a moment, you possess a blessing. Ah, a descendant of Drenihan. A traitor who should be torn to shreds has come walking right into my grasp.]

That brief interest quickly turned into an earth-shaking rage.

‘This… this might really be dangerous…’

The pressure in front of me was too overwhelming to simply trust Askan’s promise that he would teleport me out if needed.

And after having already stirred the lion awake, there was no guarantee another chance would come.

At that moment, I could feel Kirios, slung across my back, growing hotter and hotter.

Wuuung—wuuung—!

Kirios was resonating loudly, as if demanding to be drawn out.

[Draw Kirios, Sierra!]

As Askan’s urgent voice rang out, I instinctively drew Kirios from its scabbard.

Then, something strange happened.

Bergeus’s fierce and fast attacks suddenly began to look slow.

[Die, human!]

Kwa-gwa-gwang-!

Along with a sensation as if my body was being controlled, I quickly dodged Bergeus’s attack.

The massive boulder where I had been standing left no trace, crumbling into powder under Bergeus’s strike.

“A-Are you crazy? Askan! You said Bergeus was in a weakened state!”

[He is weakened. He’s not even using half of his full strength.]

“That’s weakened?”

[Yes. And from what I see, it’s doable.]

“Doable for what?”

[For you holding Kirios to fight him.]

“What kind of nonsense is that…?”

That thing was a monster.

‘There’s no way a mere human like me, especially one as weak as I am, could face him….’

At that moment.

I once again barely dodged the giant foot that tried to stomp me.

And again, it wasn’t entirely by my will.

[Just by holding it, Kirios will handle everything.]

I began to understand what Askan meant back then.

Even with an untrained body full of limitations, I was able to move freely and dodge Bergeus’s furious assaults.

How many times had I dodged already?

Though I didn’t mean to mock him, Bergeus burned with anger at my continued evasion.

[You dare to mock me, human!]

“Huff, huff… It’s hard for me too, you know?”

Kwa-gwa-gwang-!

The spot I dodged from crumbled into dust under Bergeus’s delayed attack.

As if performing acrobatics, I found that Kirios even unleashed sword energy while I was being manipulated.

Desar and Peter, watching from afar, wore expressions close to shock.

It was as absurd as a toddler winning first place in a marathon.

Of course, this wasn’t my own skill; it was purely the skill of Kirios using my body as a vessel.

Now, rather than just dodging, I began moving with the goal of getting closer.

Dodging attacks like a feather in the wind, I steadily closed the distance to Bergeus.

‘Just a little more…!’

As I drew closer, I was finally able to lay my hand on Bergeus’s massive body.

His body was as hard as armor and as cold as ice.

As if telling the tale of the countless years he had been sealed under the lake, Bergeus’s body was frigid.

At the same time, I could feel Askan’s vast power surging through me.

The golden energy that had once wrapped around Tias’s body now danced around me like butterflies.

Streams of light pouring from my hand wrapped around Bergeus’s enormous body.

I took a deep breath, focusing all my senses on that power.

[What are you doing! Are you trying to imprison me again under that cold lake!]

Bergeus, feeling the unfamiliar energy, struggled fiercely, but the light binding his body prevented him from moving easily.

I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back.

The suffocating pressure felt as if it would choke me at any moment.

But I had no intention of backing down.

I had to finish it. All of it, the misunderstanding that had lasted for a thousand years.

How many minutes passed after the purification began?

Gradually, Bergeus’s eyes began to regain focus.

Once the remaining dark energy was fully purified, Bergeus stopped thrashing and stared at me with a strange, unreadable gaze.

Slowly lifting my hand from his hardened body, I finally faced a rational Bergeus.

[You possess Askan’s power. Have you formed a contract with him?]

“Yes. I purified your body with Askan’s power. You shouldn’t feel the terrible pain anymore, right?”

I said, gasping heavily and wiping the sweat from my forehead.

[Why did you help me? What reason brought you to seek me beyond the barrier?]

“I… I want to talk with you. About a small misunderstanding from long ago, and the tragedy that came from it.”

[Misunderstanding?]

“It’s about Lady Laila.”

When her name came out of my mouth, Bergeus’s golden eyes immediately flashed with rage.

He growled and spoke.

[Laila died at the hands of you humans. Are you going to spit out lies about that now?]

“It’s not a lie. You and humanity were both deceived by Hertz. I’ll show you the truth from that time.”

Before Bergeus could say anything more, I stretched out my hand toward the lake and used Askan’s power.

Soon, the surface of Aisil Lake began to reveal the ancient truth Askan had witnessed.

The lake became like a giant mirror, reflecting the past.

On the surface, two figures appeared.

The man with flaming red hair and golden eyes was unmistakably the human form of Bergeus.

The golden emblem, symbolic of Bergeus, was marked on the man’s forehead.

He spoke in a curious voice.

“I was invited to the banquet? Strange. Recently, humans drunk on power have been hostile toward me. They would have no reason to call me there.”

‘Then the woman standing before Bergeus must be…’

Laila. She was an incredibly beautiful woman.

Even though it was my first time seeing the memories Askan had witnessed, it was also my first time seeing Laila’s real face.

“Maybe it’s because they want to improve relations with you.”

“Hmph, like they would.”

“Bergeus, I want you to get along with people. You like them, don’t you? Living together with humans, this world itself. Isn’t that why you drove Hertz and the monsters back into the demon realm?”

Laila smiled brightly, trying to persuade Bergeus.

“Humans still hold respect and gratitude for you in their hearts. I’m sure the conflict arose from misunderstandings. I’ll go and listen to what they have to say.”

Unable to refuse the sweet voice of his beloved, Bergeus allowed her to go.

Thus, Laila attended the banquet to mend the rift between Bergeus and humanity.

Never imagining it would be her last.

Bergeus, momentarily forgetting his burning rage, stared wistfully at his beloved reflected on the lake.

His eyes held regret.

If only he hadn’t let her go. If only he had swallowed his pride and accompanied her. Those kinds of thoughts.

At the banquet, Laila met with the leader of the anti-Bergeus faction who had requested a private audience.

“Thank you for granting me a private meeting, Lady Laila. Is Lord Bergeus still angry?”

“He drove out Hertz and the monsters and brought peace to this world. It’s natural for him to be angry at humans who formed factions against him.”

The two spoke while gazing out at the vast sea.

Laila looked at the man and said,

“He doesn’t want to be king. He just wants to help humans build their own system of governance. You misunderstood his intentions.”

“I see. We thought Lord Bergeus wanted to become a ruler and dominate us with power.”

“This world has only known peace for less than a hundred years. There are still many unstable elements. Once those are resolved, Bergeus and I plan to leave this place.”

“It seems we misjudged him.”

At the man’s words, Laila smiled and said,

“Then perhaps you can now consider having a conversation with him?”

“Yes, Lady Laila. Thanks to you, we’ll be able to take care of that damn lizard easily.”

“What…?”

In that instant.

Laila’s eyes widened.

The man’s eyes had turned blood-red.

Blood-red eyes—the mark of Hertz.

“You…!”

Realizing the man’s true identity, Laila was already bleeding from her lips.

The man’s sword had pierced straight through her.

“Foolish woman. Thanks to you, things will be much easier. Soon, your beloved will wage war against humanity.”

The man—no, Hertz—shoved Laila over the terrace.

And with the sight of Laila falling into the ocean from the cliff, the lake’s surface once again returned to gentle ripples.

[…….]

Having witnessed the entire event, Bergeus stared blankly down at the lake, speechless.