Chapter 403

Words : 2289 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

The mountain slowly rose as if it were alive. All the beasts scattered away in a rush, and Rudger also flew up into the sky to get a better view of the scene. What was rising, pushing the forest outward, was a rocky mountain. The giant sword that Belkart had just fired was stuck in its pointed peak. However both Rudger and Belkart could feel it simultaneously, this was not a natural phenomenon. Rather, it was closer to something moving with a ‘will.’ Rudger remembered seeing something similar to this. “No way.” It was during the time when he wandered the world with his master Grandel. Rudger, who had gone out to sea by boat, was looking at the horizon where the sun was rising in the early dawn. It was there. A being that revealed its massive form while emitting the morning sea mist from its entire body. It resembled a giant whale, but had more fins and thin tentacle-like appendages on its back. That overwhelming pressure was a bizarre sensation rarely experienced in life. Fearsome yet familiar, solemn yet beautiful, an elemental spirit born with will within nature and among such spirits, a being standing at the pinnacle. “Elemental Lord.” That being, which stimulated the instincts possessed by living creatures to their limits just by existing. It was the unknown and awe itself of this world that has yet to be discovered. The Elemental Lord of Earth, occupying one corner of that realm, had appeared here. -Kuguuguung. The world stirred. Just the Elemental Lord raising its head made the air tremble. Something of that size suddenly emerging should have caused an earthquake long ago, but surprisingly, the earth was more peaceful than anything. ‘A mountain moving on bare ground, yet not making any sound. It’s hard to believe even while seeing it.’ Such was the nature of the Earth Elemental Lord. Because it was the very land itself in this area, its appearance didn’t cause any impact on the earth. ‘And what’s with that size.’ Even from quite a distance, the Earth Elemental Lord couldn’t fit entirely in one’s field of vision but overall, one could guess what it looked like. Although it would be discourteous to real turtles, it resembled a giant turtle. There was no other way to describe it. The huge rocky mountain that had suddenly emerged was the Elemental Lord’s shell. The giant sword that Belkart had just fired was stuck in it, but even that massive sword seemed insignificant compared to the shell. “Why is an Elemental Lord here of all places?” Elemental Lords are known to exist in remote places untouched by human hands and actual observations are extremely rare. Of those, only three have ever been actually observed: The Water Elemental Lord that stays in the deep sea and occasionally surfaces. The Ice Elemental Lord, said to exist at the North Pole, at the edge of the frozen lands beyond the sea. The Fire Elemental Lord that exists in the deep magma of volcanic regions and burns eternally. And now, at this moment, another new Elemental Lord was observed. The Earth Elemental Lord, which raised its long neck and held its head high, emitted an irresistible presence. It was a natural statement. After all, the mountain itself was breathing. What wouldn’t be overwhelmed by that? The Earth Elemental Lord was large enough to be observed sufficiently even from a distance. “My, my goodness.” The people waiting at the forward base turned pale seeing the rocky turtle standing tall beyond the forest. In the tense situation where the ley lines could burst at any moment, now a giant monster had appeared. The faint-hearted fainted foaming at the mouth, while some fell into panic. “Please calm down!” Yekaterina had to break a sweat trying to stop such people but even while saying so, she was just as perplexed as them. The Old Magic Tower mages who had left were returning, and the ley lines they were heading toward were bursting. Just when they thought it was all over, the ley lines of the Secret Manor stabilized, and moreover, this huge monster emerged from there. It was hard to follow even when organizing the situation mentally. “What on earth is happening?” From an observer’s perspective, all they could do was pray earnestly that all of this would end safely. * * * Rudger looked at the Earth Elemental Lord. He didn’t know why this being, which had never been observed until now, suddenly revealed itself but the moment he met those pure, clear giant eyes of the Earth Elemental Lord, Rudger could understand the reason without hearing it. “I see. You too wanted to prevent this catastrophe.” The Earth Elemental Lord didn’t bother to nod but considering where it was now firmly planting its two legs, Rudger’s words were as good as correct. The Earth Elemental Lord had come to prevent the collapse of the Kasar Basin and the great catastrophe that would unfold because of it. As the being that oversees this vast land, it didn’t want this place to collapse and become ruins. So now the Earth Elemental Lord was directly blocking the burst ley lines with its body. No, beyond that, it was even stabilizing the tumultuous ley lines while repairing the split earth. ‘To think it could stabilize twisted ley lines.’ The ley lines flowing through the Kasar Basin are a torrent of massive energy. Once burst, containing ley lines that defy quantification was almost impossible but the Earth Elemental Lord accomplished it far too easily, with a power that would be miraculous to humanity. It was a sight that made one newly realize just how transcendent a being an Elemental Lord was. -Kwang! At that moment, a huge explosion occurred above the Elemental Lord’s head. It was Belkart’s attack, enraged at the Elemental Lord’s appearance. “Why!” Belkart felt like the sky was falling at the appearance of the Elemental Lord, which had thwarted all his plans. He had poured everything into this. For many years, he had planned, accumulated knowledge, and received help. He hadn’t hesitated to burn his own life for his purpose. But what was this? No other words came to mind except natural disaster. A living natural disaster had, instead, interfered with him. “Why!” The mystical power that had been fading to the point of disappearing was rising again. What that meant was that the prison he had barely managed to break was returning to its original state. This can’t be. This can’t end like this. What was everything up until now for? Belkart gritted his teeth and created a huge iron sword to shoot at the Elemental Lord’s head. The steel sword, carrying intense electricity, was shot at near-sonic speed and collided with the Elemental Lord’s brow but despite the huge explosion, the Elemental Lord was fine. It showed no reaction, as if it wasn’t even ticklish. Rather, the steel sword crumpled and bounced off, falling to the ground with a thud. Belkart gritted his teeth. His armor creaked, and the capillaries in his body burst. His body, having reached its limit, was breaking down. ‘Just a little, just a little more!’ From the moment he had received the drug after his final visit to Viktor, this moment had been foreseeable. -Oh ho ho. This is quite surprising. To think that Mr. Leslie would request such a thing from me. Viktor handed over the reagent to Belkart with his gloved hand, letting out his characteristically grotesque laugh. -This is it. Thanks to you, I had a truly enjoyable experiment! Ah, don’t worry about the effects. I guarantee this! With this alone, you’ll be able to demonstrate over 300% of your abilities! Said Viktor, spinning once in his swivel chair before staring at Belkart through his glasses. -But the burden is enormous. While I should be happy to see the results of this masterpiece, still, given our shared history as First Order members, I’ll give you some advice. Don’t use it. It was an unusually serious piece of advice coming from Viktor. -If you use this, you will definitely die. And not just die. You’ll experience terrible pain, and your brain will be destroyed. Even at the moment of death, you won’t be yourself anymore. What could be a more horrible death than that? His face, which usually only showed smiles, bore a rare gravity. Belkart recalled the conversation they had then. Yes. What had he answered to such a Viktor? “That’s what I want.” Yes. He definitely said that. Why was such a thing suddenly coming to mind at this moment? Belkart couldn’t understand the reason. That was because there was confusion in his memories that should have realized that reason. Because of the drug’s side effects and excessive physical strain some of Belkart’s overheated brain cells had burned out. “I, I...” Belkart, bleeding inside his armor, stared at the Elemental Lord with empty eyes. The Elemental Lord also looked up at Belkart who was attacking it. A worthless mortal. At the same time, the person who plotted to collapse this Kasar Basin. The Elemental Lord had already seen through all the situations unfolding on this land. Therefore, it neither felt anger towards Belkart nor considered him presumptuous. What flickered momentarily in those huge eyes was merely pity. Even that disappeared in an instant, replaced by indifference. “...!” Belkart found it hard to bear the gaze of that being which had ruined everything. Belkart gripped his Magnetar Sword and charged at the Elemental Lord. The sight of Belkart charging at the huge mountain was like an ant rushing at a rock. The Elemental Lord watched Belkart for a moment before opening its mouth wide. From within that cave-like mouth, larger and deeper than anything in the world, came a shockwave that surpassed thunder. It was merely an exhale but the Elemental Lord’s exhale struck Belkart and sent him flying far away. The beasts of the forest bowed their heads at the sight. Before the awe of great nature, the beasts who lived by its grace showed proper respect to the superior being. This was true even for the king of the forest. Having finally stabilized the ley lines completely, the Elemental Lord slowly turned its body and left the place. The Elemental Lord, being one with the earth, had no need to walk on four legs. It moved as if swimming with its head buried in the ground, as if the ground itself were water, yet the ground neither split nor shook. The forest that stood in its way naturally parted to make way, and after the Elemental Lord passed, it returned to its original position as if a wound were healing. Its shell, slightly protruding above ground level, broke through the fog barrier of the Kasar Basin. In an instant, the dome-shaped fog barrier greatly rippled, and holes began to form as the flow distorted in various places. “...I received great help.” Rudger, who had watched all this, headed towards the forward base as if remembering something. * * * Belkart opened his eyes, moving his eyelids that barely lifted. Where is this? In pain that felt like his entire body was being torn apart, Belkart raised his upper body. -Huddeuk. The fragments of broken armor that had wrapped his body fell helplessly downward. Only then could Belkart survey his surroundings. This was the outermost edge of the Kasar Basin. It was the edge of the forest that touched the fog barrier. The ground was full of craters and shattered metal fragments. ‘Did I...lose?’ The Elemental Lord’s exhale, caught in it, Belkart had been thrown far and crashed into the ground. Belkart recalled what had happened at the end. His summoned beast, the golden bird, had caught Belkart as he was flying through the air with its body before they crashed to the ground together. Thanks to that, Belkart was still alive and hadn’t died. Though his armor was all destroyed and even the golden bird had disappeared, he was still alive nonetheless. Belkart’s gaze turned toward the fog curtain. “...!” Where it should normally rise in a haze suggesting a white wall, there was now a huge hole. Through that hole, he could see the huge rocky mountain disappearing beyond the mountain range. It was the trace left by the Earth Elemental Lord’s passing. Belkart slowly got up from his spot. His staggering footsteps were precarious. Nevertheless, his mind was clear. Hadn’t they said both body and mind would be destroyed due to the drug’s after-effects? Belkart smiled wryly as he thought about this. Having a clear mind meant his condition was that much more serious. If he didn’t receive treatment immediately, he would die soon. If he escaped outside through the hole that had opened and received treatment, there might be a possibility of survival but Belkart turned his stumbling steps not toward the fog wall, but in the opposite direction. -Haa. Haa. How long had he walked through the forest, catching his labored breath? He fell several times along the way, and each time he got back up. Every time he stood up, his joints broke and his muscles screamed. Still, Belkart didn’t let out a single pain-filled groan. -swoosh. Then, along with the sound of stepping on leaves, someone appeared before Belkart. Belkart’s blurry gaze turned forward. There stood a small boy with brown hair looking at him. Belkart’s eyes widened as he recognized the boy. Leslie tried to call out the boy’s name with trembling lips. He certainly would have, if the boy hadn’t asked first. “Mister, who are you?”

Chapter 403

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