Chapter 73 - Episode 11. King of Chaos (4)
Chapter 73: Episode 11. King of Chaos (4)
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At the eastern end of Chaos's desert zone, there was a lone cliffside path known as the "Narrow Path."
If one followed that path all the way, one would come upon a region blanketed in thick mist, and those lucky enough to pass through it all would discover a lavish grand palace unlike anything found anywhere else in 《Chaos》.
Magnificent walls made from the horns of rare horned beasts.
Dome-shaped skyscrapers personally devised by the Master Craftsmen of the 《Great Realm》. Buildings so grand they were beautiful.
Chaos revered this ancient palace and called it by the following name.
《Palace of Rebirth》.
A place where those who had lost their lives came to reclaim them.
On the walls of that Palace of Rebirth, a man was puffing out cigarette smoke.
"...How do these Chaos bastards live smoking this crap?"
After exhaling a few puffs of smoke, the man put out his cigarette and flicked the butt over the wall. It fell toward the front of the palace, trailing a long wavering tail behind it.
...Trash.
Where the cigarette butt fell, there stood a crowd treated no better than cigarette butts themselves. The crude sounds of the occasional scuffle grated on the man's nerves.
"Hey, can't you stand in line properly?"
"What? You're the one cutting in line!"
There were members of the Five Great Families, and there were also subordinates of Lords.
From as low as fifth-stage to as high as eighth-stage.
It was a queue of the dead. The line of those desperately waiting for resurrection crossed the drawbridge of the Palace of Rebirth and stretched far beyond the mist.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting? A whole six months! Six months!"
"I've been here eight months, you bastard!"
The two men arguing at the very front were McDowell and Agrippa, both eighth-stage Adapters.
McDowell belonged to the Seventh Zone ruled by Abraxas, the Lord of Immortality, while Agrippa belonged to the Ninth Zone ruled by the Lord of Darkness.
"Those bastards are at it again."
The man on the wall, Hickmeyer the Lord of Mist, frowned as he watched them.
The souls of this world were divided into two kinds.
Souls that could be resurrected again, and souls that could not.
As the seventy-second Palace Lord of the 《Palace of Rebirth》, he had spent long years sorting souls like that.
In his eyes, the McDowell and Agrippa before him clearly belonged to the latter.
Poor bastards.
Those who were meant to be reborn never entered the queue in the first place. Lord-class Adapters, whose immediate deployment onto a battlefield could affect the tide of war, were guided by the 《Palace of Rebirth》 the moment they died and taken to the Fruit repository.
Hickmeyer shouted downward from the wall, his voice infused with spiritual power.
"You bastards! If you've been waiting for half a year, shouldn't you be giving up by now?"
"What are you saying, Palace Lord! You still haven't been resurrected either! Hasn't it already been three years for you?"
"If the Palace Lord comes back to life, we're next!"
"It's not that I can't come back to life, it's that I won't!"
"Isn't that the same thing in the end?!"
At that, Hickmeyer's expression turned ugly.
"You insolent little shits... Want to suffer soul extinction?"
"Ugh, sorry!"
Agrippa and McDowell hurriedly bowed.
Their opponent was a man who would, at least for the time being, remain appointed as the Palace Lord of this 《Palace of Rebirth》. Nothing good ever came from getting on the bad side of the Palace of Rebirth Lord who managed the Fruit.
"Do that one more time and you're dead."
"...We'll keep that in mind!"
Agrippa and McDowell bent so deeply their heads nearly struck the ground.
But Hickmeyer's mood did not improve in the slightest. Their earlier words had scraped right across his sore spot.
"What a rotten mood."
In truth, Agrippa and McDowell had been right. In a sense, he was no different from them.
At first glance, it was a strange thing.
Why was Lord Hickmeyer, a ninth-stage Adapter and a figure equivalent to a Lieutenant General in the 《Great Realm》, still unable to resurrect and stuck handling the role of Palace Lord here?
The reason was simple.
It was because of the Neutral Agreement from nine hundred years ago.
"Lords who die in war and come to Chaos bear the duty of the Palace of Rebirth Lord. The Palace Lord's term shall last until the next Lord dies and appears in Chaos."
If not for that damned Neutral Agreement the Lords had made to preserve the 《Palace of Rebirth》, Hickmeyer would never have ended up shut away in this quiet backwater corner of 《Chaos》.
If only it had not been for that bastard, the Jade-Faced Lord.
Hickmeyer, the Lord of Mist, had died three years ago because of a dispute between the Fifth and Seventh Zones.
To prevent disputes from spreading into full-scale war, the Lords of each zone would sometimes fight one-on-one duels as representatives of their regions.
The Lord who had faced Hickmeyer, then the representative of the Peripheral Worlds of the Seventh Zone, had been Bang Cheonil, the Jade-Faced Lord of the Fifth Zone.
Come to think of it, he had seen that bastard's face not long ago.
A few weeks earlier, for whatever reason, Bang Cheonil the Jade-Faced Lord had crossed over here through the Narrow Gate. Hickmeyer had nearly flared up and come to blows with him, but he had barely held himself back because he could not break the Neutral Agreement of the 《Palace of Rebirth》.
Then, not long after Bang Cheonil the Jade-Faced Lord had paid his visit, strange rumors had begun to spread.
Bang Cheonil the Jade-Faced Lord had been beaten by an Awakened One from Gorgon.
Of course, Hickmeyer had not believed it.
But that was not all.
Rumors spread that an Abyss Expedition was being formed in Gorgon, and then, before long, even stranger rumors followed, that they were planning to attack the 《Palace of Rebirth》.
Up to that point, Hickmeyer still had not believed it.
Did those bastards even know what kind of place the Palace of Rebirth was?
But not long ago, when forces from the Ninth Zone came pouring through the Narrow Gate, even Hickmeyer had been genuinely startled.
Warlord-class figures from the Ninth Zone had come in person.
What in the world was happening?
He might be called the Palace Lord, but the Palace of Rebirth Lord had no real authority over anything except the Fruit. Yet he also could not throw down the title of Palace Lord and go outside the 《Palace of Rebirth》 to find out what was happening. To him, it was an endlessly frustrating situation.
"Damn it, isn't there a single unlucky Lord out there who'll slip, crack the back of their head, and die? Preferably one weaker than me..."
If someone higher-stage than he was came, that person might refuse the role of Palace Lord, so it had to be someone weaker than him.
"Hm? What's that?"
From afar, a being with terrifying Spiritual Pressure was rapidly approaching.
Hickmeyer's face changed. Speak of a harvester and it appears...
Could it be a Lord?
Hickmeyer's face brightened with anticipation. At this level of Spiritual Pressure, it had to be a Lord-class figure. Otherwise...
But something was a little strange.
KWAAANG!
"Aaaagh!"
Why was a Lord...
"Kraaaah! Move!"
...attacking the Palace of Rebirth?
The powerful people in the queue were screaming as they were swept away by the suddenly surging storm of spiritual power. Among them were McDowell and Agrippa, the eighth-stage Adapters who had been arguing with him just moments earlier.
"What is that?"
Watching the wave of spiritual power crashing toward him like a massive tidal wave, Hickmeyer drew the greatsword strapped across his back.
"Who the hell are you?!"
The tremendous spiritual power of a ninth-stage Adapter rang out in a bellow. The wave of spiritual power surging like a tide collided with his roar and vanished in midair.
Mutual Annihilation Interference.
Hickmeyer's eyes widened at the spiritual power interference phenomenon, something truly rare to see.
At my level?
After losing to the Jade-Faced Lord, Hickmeyer had gritted his teeth and trained obsessively, to the point that he was now on the verge of becoming a tenth-stage Adapter, a Warlord-class figure.
He had become strong enough that he could now crush Bang Cheonil, the Jade-Faced Lord, with ease.
And yet there was spiritual power on par with his?
Savage screams continued through the mist. Combat Power that slaughtered even the seventh- and eighth-stage subordinates of Lords.
Hickmeyer leaped from the wall and swung his greatsword toward the mist.
KKAGAGANG!
A grating crash that seemed ready to tear apart his eardrums. Within the sparks born from that impact, a man's face came faintly into view. It was unfamiliar.
Something occurring to him, Hickmeyer shouted.
"Don't tell me you're that so-called Gorgon Fortress Lord?!"
At the fierce pressure Hickmeyer unleashed, the man shook his head.
"I am not the Fortress Lord."
The man who emerged from the billowing haze of spiritual power was a middle-aged figure carrying the majestic bearing of a vast sea. Hickmeyer narrowed his eyes. He almost remembered, but not quite.
"You are..."
"It has been a long time, Lord of Mist. I suppose you have forgotten me."
Cayman, the South Sea Hall Master, grinned and continued.
"I have come to repay the grudge from nine hundred years ago."
* * *
Meanwhile, battle had also broken out in the rear garden of the 《Palace of Rebirth》.
The Flaming Wheel Lord and the Seven Tribulations Lord, both ninth-stage Adapters, had been running toward the main gate after realizing something unusual was happening, when they suddenly recoiled from a powerful slash flying straight at them.
"I am your opponent!"
An old man stood where the voice had come from.
They recognized who it was at once. That old man was one of the most famous figures in 《Chaos》 at present.
"...Divine Doctor of Despair?"
Why was the Divine Doctor of Despair here?
And what was that disturbance at the main gate?
"Old man, what are you doing here? Looking to die?"
"Heh heh, quite the opposite."
Once the Lords understood how the situation was unfolding, they exchanged glances for a moment, then snorted with laughter.
"We told them to bring the Gorgon Fortress Lord, and some irrelevant old man came instead."
"These trivial souls really are making light of the Palace of Rebirth."
The Flaming Wheel Lord's Yaksha Wheel and the Seven Tribulations Lord's Seven Tribulations Blade gave off clear cries as they were drawn at the same time. But before they could turn defense into offense, Cheongheo's attack came flying at them again, forcing their expressions to harden.
KKAGAGANG!
Cheongheo's Extraordinary Slash, tempered over two hundred years. The Yaksha Wheel and the Seven Tribulations Blade cried out as though in pain. Feeling the heavy oppressive force running through their wrists, the Flaming Wheel Lord and the Seven Tribulations Lord arrived at the same thought at once.
Strong.
Combat Power that did not fall behind in the slightest even against two Lieutenant General-class opponents. The Lords' pride was wounded. To suffer this humiliation at the hands of a mere old man?
The Flaming Wheel Lord ground his teeth and said,
"I don't know what happened, but it seems you've grown quite a bit stronger."
Cheongheo did not answer.
The truth was, he was not in a particularly comfortable position either. Repeatedly using slashes with such horrifying destructive power was no easy task even for him, a seasoned third-stage Awakened One.
The Flaming Wheel Lord, who knew that, smiled coldly.
"But it's useless. Even if you can handle the two of us..."
He did not finish the sentence, but Cheongheo knew exactly what had been left unsaid. From inside the Palace of Rebirth, he could feel a terrifying Spiritual Pressure that the two before him could not even compare to. By now, they too had likely become aware of the situation.
"It isn't too late yet. Bring the Gorgon Fortress Lord."
"Heh heh, no need to worry. We already brought him."
Brought him?
At those words, the Flaming Wheel Lord and the Seven Tribulations Lord both extended their senses toward the interior of the Palace of Rebirth.
But something was strange. The powerful Spiritual Pressures that had been moving toward the rear garden and the main gate were, for some reason, turning back toward the inner palace.
Only then did the expressions of the two Lords harden.
What in the world was going on?
* * *
Even within the luxurious Palace of Rebirth, there was one place where aesthetic excess reached its peak.
Pavilion of Pleasure.
In the depths of this Pavilion of Pleasure, where the Narrow Gate and the Fruit were said to be preserved, several Lieutenant Generals had gathered.
Brilliant lights poured down from all sides.
A faintly intoxicating smoke hung in the air.
Lewd moans drifted between curtains so sheer one could see straight through them. The shadows of men and women twisted together like snakes. More than ten Lieutenant Generals were each enjoying their time of pleasure, surrounded by men or women suited to their taste.
There was only one Lieutenant General who was not taking part in that heat.
A man who looked like a timid rat spoke with an anxious face.
"Sounds like something happened at the main gate. Shouldn't we go take a look?"
"Forget it. Hickmeyer will handle it."
The voice said clearly that there was no time to bother with something like that.
Breathing repeated in quick bursts.
A bed heaving passionately.
After going at it for quite some time, the Fifth Dragon Lord finally shuddered and rose from the bed. A bizarre burst of laughter followed.
"Kuhahat, Chaos women really are the best!"
The women of the 《Great Realm》 had none of this kind of appeal.
If one mishandled what was below the belt, one could get caught by the female Lord alliance known as Castration and end up crippled forever.
But in Chaos, there was no need to worry about that.
Besides, reproduction was impossible here.
"With a place this good around, I don't know what those Chaos bastards are bitching about. Every time I come to Chaos, if I don't stop by here, I can't shake off the travel fatigue."
At that, the Third Dragon Lord and the Fourth Dragon Lord beside him burst into laughter in agreement.
"How about you all stop and come out? Something about the atmosphere outside feels off."
The man rebuking the Lords was Cowardly Lord Laika. The one who reacted to Laika's words was the First Dragon Lord.
"...The eunuch bastard sure is obnoxiously loud. If you're that worried, why don't you go look yourself?"
"W-What?!"
Cowardly Lord Laika bristled. That was because he truly was a eunuch. In fact, back in the 《Great Realm》, he had once messed around below the belt and gotten caught by Castration, which had led to an important part of him being cut off.
The Second Dragon Lord next to the First Dragon Lord snorted with laughter.
"What, want to try me?"
"N-No. It's not like that..."
Even though he had been humiliated right in front of them, Laika could not bring himself to draw his sword against them.
They were both Lieutenant General-class, but even their epithets were on a different level. His opponent was the First Dragon Lord, the strongest of the Five Dragon Brothers, while he himself was merely Cowardly Lord Laika, no better than a rat.
Damned bastards.
Laika turned sharply away and thought.
At this point, there was no choice but for him to go by himself.
...There was no telling what he would hear from the Warlords later.
The Five Dragon Brothers were frightening, but the Warlords were even more frightening.
Those terrifying Warlords had told him this.
Keep a close watch on the 《Palace of Rebirth》.
Should I go to the main gate first?
But Laika did not know. In that moment, the fact that he had turned his back was the once-in-a-lifetime choice that saved his life.
The instant Laika planted his right foot and put force into it as a pivot, the space inside the Pavilion of Pleasure warped and a man and a woman appeared. A man with a face that looked stubborn to the core, and a woman who seemed to have followed along because she could not quite bring herself to stop him.
The gazes of the Lords, having sensed something, focused on them all at once.
"So it's here."
It was Jaehwan.
Footnotes:
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