Chapter 153 – The Orthodox Alliance (1)

After the ancient magic kingdom was destroyed by the demon king, it hadn’t even been a thousand years since a demon king was summoned to this world again.

And the number of times demon kings appeared itself hadn’t yet reached dozens.

Things about demon kings, dungeons, and demonic energy were only known through rumors.

“Our Holy Kingdom has handled most of the demon kings.”

Knight Commander Illiana spoke with a prideful expression.

Daniel nodded at her words.

Except for a few demon king rampages, most were handled within dungeons by the Holy Kingdom’s holy knight order, heroes, and mercenaries.

“But recently, weren’t there more abandoned dungeons including this one?”

At Daniel’s question, Illiana’s expression darkened.

“I have nothing to say about that. The Holy Kingdom will do its best.”

It seemed there were circumstances she couldn’t speak about.

“Moreover, this time also seems like it would have been quite dangerous…”

At Sun-woo’s muttered words, Illiana kept her mouth shut.

As Sun-woo said, if they had fought alone, they would have been annihilated for sure.

“This time, it was already decided to go together with you all anyway, so that situation wouldn’t have happened.”

Priest Ban, who had barely regained his energy, took the knight commander’s side from the side.

The holy knights didn’t bother asking Priest Ban who had been speaking alone. Perhaps thinking it was a story related to God, they rather seemed to avoid it.

When Priest Ban interjected, Illiana quickly returned to her knight order. The atmosphere was awkward, and she hadn’t forgotten that after exiting the dungeon, the prince’s party had decided to have a conversation with Priest Ban.

“What on earth is the voice chattering in my head? God permitted it so I permitted it, but I can’t understand it at all.”

He seemed confused by the sudden incident.

Fortunately for Priest Ban, there were Sun-woo and Daniel to explain the situation to him.

Sun-woo’s party had been thrown into missions without any explanation and learned about the summoner’s life while overcoming death.

It seemed the summoners intended to give him sufficient time. The summoning voice wasn’t heard even though the reward window had closed.

After the two people’s lengthy explanation, Priest Ban finally understood.

“So you lead contaminated beings scattered across various worlds to death to purify the world.”

The expression was slightly different, but the basics weren’t much different.

“But why does the Holy Kingdom call contamination demonic energy? Can you see the murky color of contamination by any chance?”

“Murky color? Can you see the color? We just notice it by feeling. Since it’s an energy that opposes divine power, if you’re always using divine power, you can tell.”

Come to think of it, if they could see the color, people would have known that demonic energy and contamination were the same thing.

“But the summoners definitely know. Moreover, if demon kings are contaminated beings, they should have sent summoners to handle them. But they just abandoned them?”

Daniel tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

Sun-woo also agreed with Daniel’s words.

“We need to investigate more. Since Summoner won’t tell us even if we ask, we’ll need to ask people who have been summoners for a long time.”

The image of Chairman Douglas at the association headquarters flashed through Sun-woo’s mind.

He had definitely been a summoner for at least decades, or perhaps even longer.

“So if I receive this thing called a mission, I get summoned to another world and have to carry out its contents?”

When Priest Ban confirmed again, the two made puzzled expressions.

“It seems that thing called a mission has come.”

Priest Ban told the two about the content he heard.

“It says to purify and research contaminated water with Summoner Sun-woo and the saint at his house.”

At his words, Sun-woo’s expression became severely distorted.

“We’re not taking any more people. My house is not a boarding house!”

At Sun-woo’s words, Priest Ban made a puzzled expression, but Sun-woo continued to rant toward the sky.

Afterward, the holy knight order left several knights at the destroyed dungeon to handle the aftermath, then returned to the Holy Kingdom.

Priest Ban made an excuse that he had business with the prince’s party, parted with the knight order, and moved with Sun-woo.

Sun-woo’s desperate opposition worked on Summoner, and Priest Ban ended up staying at the Clean Earth Korean branch dormitory.

Priest Ban began researching the contamination injection fluid Sun-woo brought together with Yeonhwa and association summoners.

***

Shortly after Sun-woo finished his mission and returned home, Caroline was summoned to Stuttgart, a recaptured city of the Empire.

Stuttgart was undergoing major construction to transform into a fortress city.

The existing barrier surrounding the city was strengthened several times and rising higher and larger, and watchtowers were being erected throughout the city with surveillance posts being created.

Unlike before, the people carrying out the construction included ordinary Empire citizens, ability users, and mutants working together.

Though awkwardness between them still remained, as long as they had a common enemy, the discomfort between them disappeared quickly.

It was the only city on this star that wasn’t contaminated.

Naturally, contaminated beings from the surroundings kept attacking.

Many people had already evacuated to the underground city and its surroundings, but many people remained in this city.

And the prophets and command of the underground city had no intention of easily giving up this city that was the first foothold.

Thanks to that, fighting was constantly occurring at Stuttgart’s surrounding barriers.

So Caroline and the Korean branch’s refugees were helping this place by dimension-traveling whenever they had time.

Even now, Caroline and the few combat ability users among the Korean branch’s refugees were dealing with beasts that had turned into monsters from contamination in front of the city’s northern barrier.

Roar!

While other beasts dealt with the ability users standing in front, a giant saber-toothed tiger with long fangs broke through the flame ability user’s fire and charged at Caroline.

Caroline stood alone at the end of the defensive formation.

Behind her was the barrier still under construction. Though Empire citizens were on the barrier, they didn’t seem worried at all.

And those not worried were the refugees whose defensive formation was broken as well.

The saber-toothed tiger with tough skin that even broke through flames opened its mouth to chew Caroline in one bite.

However, Caroline’s hand reached the saber-toothed tiger’s neck first.

Caroline jumped into the tiger’s embrace and placed her hand on its neck.

Caroline used her ability, and with dazzlingly bright light, the saber-toothed tiger’s form didn’t remain.

“Indeed, the Goddess of Annihilation.”

Another refugee who had eliminated all the remaining beasts gave her a thumbs up.

It was a nickname attached to her thanks to her accomplishments here.

She, who had to be on the support team in the past due to her incredibly slow ability utilization, was now showing accomplishments beyond ordinary combat ability users.

“Stop that embarrassing nickname. If proper summoners hear it, they’ll laugh.”

Caroline replied a bit coldly toward the summoner.

That appearance was her appearance as an Empire soldier in the past and the director’s appearance she showed at the association.

However, those who had seen her talking with Sun-woo just laughed at this cold appearance of hers.

“Rather, please request support. It seems an enemy we can’t handle is coming.”

As she said, trees in the distant forest were falling haphazardly and something huge was running toward them.

At her words, surprised people waved their hands upward. Then urgent bell sounds rang out from above the barrier, and that sound gradually headed toward the city center.

Thud!

While the bell sounds rang through the city, the being that had been knocking down trees finally showed itself.

It was a giant lizard that looked over 4 meters tall and 10 meters long.

Despite its huge bulk, the lizard looked like it wasn’t fully grown. It had down feathers and a youthful appearance in places.

“No way, is it an unmatured giant monster?”

“Is support still far away?”

Seeing that appearance, the refugees became pale.

Though it wasn’t fully grown yet, it was definitely a giant monster said to live hidden in remote areas.

When everyone was at a loss, Caroline rather let out a sigh of relief.

“We don’t need to receive support.”

She pointed at the giant lizard’s head.

There stood a person in a tilted posture on the slippery head.

At her words, people looked at the lizard closely.

The lizard wasn’t charging to attack this city but was just running forward because it couldn’t endure the pain.

Standing at an impossible angle atop the giant lizard’s head was Hayden.

He was pouring psychic power into the lizard’s head while supporting his body with psychic power.

Though his psychic power didn’t penetrate well inside since it was a living creature, his psychic power strengthened through training and enhancement succeeded in crushing the giant monster’s (though not yet fully grown) brain.

Crash!

The lizard collapsed to the ground after coming near the barrier.

From atop the fallen lizard, Hayden slowly descended downward.

Now he used psychic power freely.

“I’m back.”

Seeing Caroline and the people, Hayden gave a return greeting. This time too, he had gone to find survivors outside.

Though he had encountered a monster on the way and fought, he returned safely like this.

In the distance through the forest path the lizard smashed, people’s forms were visible.

They were the flame ability user Clara who had departed with Hayden and survivors found elsewhere.

They were all ability users.

Unfortunately, only ability users could endure the contaminated world without being contaminated.

“There aren’t that many.”

Caroline, who had been hearing about Hayden’s accomplishments, looked disappointed that the number of people who followed him wasn’t many.

Though both were from the Empire military, the old ranks no longer meant anything.

The two used respectful speech to each other as a sign of respect.

“There aren’t many people left now. Too much time has passed, so it seems even ability users can’t endure.”

Hayden’s expression looking back at the people he saved darkened slightly.

His appearance after going through hardships looked quite melancholic.

“With that expression, I’ll fall for you.”

“I’ll tell Brother Sun-woo.”

Hayden’s growth was now to the point he could even counter Caroline’s jokes.

“Then no. I’m already behind in score. To aim for a last-minute reversal, I need to stay sharp.”

At Hayden’s counter, Caroline became serious.

And shortly after, the two smiled briefly. Then Hayden opened his mouth with a stiff expression.

“It seems I need to go out right away. There’s talk that an incredibly huge facility is being built in the western part of the Empire. Security seems quite tight, so it won’t be easy.”

At Hayden’s expression, Caroline’s expression also hardened.

“It must be really dangerous. At times like this, Mr. Sun-woo should be here…”

“Did Brother Sun-woo get called somewhere again?”

“He just met a demon king and came back, so he could rest a bit, but he was immediately called to the murim.”

Caroline’s mouth pouted as she spoke.

She had planned to come to the Empire together, but plans went awry because of Summoner.

Shortly after, scavengers and Empire citizens who came after hearing the bell sounds warmly welcomed the survivors who found the city.

***

At the same time, Sun-woo looked at the sparring platform with a troubled expression with Seolmyo sitting on his shoulder.

An enormous number of people had gathered at the plaza in front of the Orthodox Alliance where Sun-woo stood, and martial artists were competing with each other on the large sparring platform in the center.

Sun-woo, summoned at the request of the Orthodox Alliance’s Strategist Zhuge, had planned to use Seolmyo to identify the brainwashed, but he had to encounter an unexpected situation there.

“But why do I have to go up there?”

At Sun-woo’s question, Zhuge Hyeon made an apologetic expression, and Nanseol was looking at Sun-woo with an expectant expression.

“Meow~”

Seeing Sun-woo’s bewildered face, Seolmyo made a pleased crying sound.