Chapter 374 – The Battle for Cornus (2)

-Dengrang.

The fork slipped from Shiba’s grasp, striking the table before rolling onto the floor.

“Beep…”
“Shiba? What’s the matter?”

Azalea hurried into the kitchen and patted Shiba on the back.

“Mom!”

Shiba extended both arms towards her, an apron wrapped around her waist. Azalea embraced Shiba and retrieved the fallen fork from the floor.

Why did Shiba seem so anxious today, on the verge of tears? Watching Shiba continuously burrow into her embrace, Azalea couldn’t help but feel her own anxiety grow.

“Shiba, are you worried something might happen to your father?”
“Beep.”

Shiba’s whimpering was a typical response when her father was caught up in some sort of trouble.

It had been the same when Lee Si-heon had ventured to the cradle under the pretext of the forest keeper selection trials. Azalea couldn’t help but think about Flower’s attack, which had occurred just a few days after Shiba had shown similar anxiety back then.

“You’re not getting into anything dangerous, are you? No, I’m certain he’ll get involved in something else.”

She had seen him return home injured time and time again. When they came back from the cradle, only the waistband was intact, yet the inside was empty like a hollow rice cake.

And now, just like before, contact with him was cut off.

“It’s going to be okay. Everything will be fine.”

Her own pace was wearing her down. Why did that man always end up entangled in incidents unintentionally? Was it because he was a candidate for the World Tree’s husband? There was something more… something that ensnared him.

Shiba buried her face in Azalea’s chest and began to shed tears.

As Azalea looked at her phone, she hugged Shiba even tighter.

“…At least answer the phone properly. The world is in turmoil these days.”

The stigma of heresy against the Cornus family had already become a publicly known fact among high-ranking officials. It was often said that the military was even summoned to annihilate the Cornus family.

Experts on TV explained to the public that the execution would take quite some time, but Azalea was not one to believe such claims.

Both corporately and within the family, they now faced significant problems. The Jinmok Group had also been severely impacted by the downfall of the Cornus family.

It was only natural, considering the collapse of one of the families that had been supporting the world. The Cornus family had been so influential that they held up the world by leading numerous companies and branch families. The current situation was a struggle to minimize the damage.

In a scenario where it wouldn’t be surprising if the company went bankrupt, Azalea suddenly thought of the Cornus family.

‘…Cornus.’

The Cornus family.

As her thoughts expanded from that small notion, the blonde woman from the Academy came to mind.

‘Surely not.’

Perhaps, long before her time.
The two of them may have been closer at the Academy than Lee Se-Young.

Would they risk their lives over such a brief connection?

‘…If it’s you.’

That person wouldn’t hesitate to act.
After all, he had risked his life the very first time they met.

If he were a candidate for the World Tree’s consort, and had decided to reject the World Tree’s judgment of heresy and plan to help Cornus, then it would make sense that he wasn’t answering the phone right now.
Cutting off all means of communication and going into hiding, what could he be planning to do?

Azalea immediately picked up her cellphone and hugged Shiba. She contacted someone.
Though still speculative, it was likely the right guess.

[Hello?]
“Sis.”

A weary voice came through the phone.
Azalea, concerned, asked Lee Se-Young, whose tone revealed several sleepless nights.

“…What’s going on?”
[Azalea? Ah… well, there’s a lot going on. Aren’t you busy too? With family matters.]

Family matters…
Azalea nodded her head.

Lee Se-Young found herself in a predicament as the main house of the Oak family had been taken over by Flower. She was in a situation where she had to prove that her branch had no connection to Flower.

To make matters worse, the Cornus family had also collapsed, creating significant problems for their business.

Numerous trading companies were facing bankruptcy, and her family was in great danger as well.

“[…Huh? Oh, it’s not because of that.]”

However, Lee Se-Young was disheartened.

“[That’s a problem too, but… Ah, I don’t know. I can’t understand how it’s all unfolding.]”

Indeed, it was as she said. In the current situation, there weren’t many people who could predict the future. Se-Young and Azalea remained silent for a while.

Soon, Se-Young’s voice rang out.

“[The Cornus family.]”

Perhaps Lee Se-Young had the same thoughts as her. Azalea pondered.

“[Sansuyu is there, right?]”

* * * * * * * *

“I will undertake it tonight.”

Hundreds, thousands of soldiers armed with artifacts.
An army that has invested the national budget to the point where each individual is called a “walking armor.”

Despite the fact that assisting the Cornus family was branded as heresy, it was undeniable that countless private military companies had cooperated with them.

Utilizing ancient artifacts that have not yet been unraveled, the Cornus family adjusted both the inside and outside of the bunker, fully prepared for battle.

“I presume everyone is aware of the dangers, even without mentioning them.”

No matter how or by whom, death would not be surprising.

Heroes who had led guilds by clearing numerous dungeons, and veteran hunters who had grown by eliminating countless traitors up until now, were all reduced to mere soldiers in this moment.

The war artifact, combining the enigmatic force of magic and science, held the potential to annihilate not only a vast city, but an entire nation. In this place, only two individuals remained unscathed by such bombardments.

Hunters and soldiers of the Order gathered, their eyes fixed on one particular point.

Within the basement, an elderly man with snake-like eyes and a woman adorned in a robe of black dragon scales held their ground.

“Aren’t we expecting too much from a figure of ancient times?” questioned the woman.

Mugung, with a voice tinged with sarcasm, chuckled in response. The sight of his ashen hair and the raspy sound of his voice, as if he had swallowed molten iron, sent shivers down the spines of some hunters.

At this, the surrounding hunters began to whisper among themselves.

“…Are those individuals truly the ones who have transcended the realm?”
“One of them seems too young.”
“I don’t sense anything… Is the gap between us really that vast?”

Their gazes were filled with awe and fear. Merely being in the same vicinity was enough to draw the attention of many.

“Heh…”

Beside Mugung, who was the center of attention, the yellow-haired girl shuddered, forcing a smile.

“What has you trembling like that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing, Chairman Midang. I’ll do my best~”

“Tsk. Boring.”

While Mugung muttered under his breath, White Peach, who was seated nearby, simply sulked and rested her chin in her hand.

Her unique red eyes rolled as she appeared lost in deep thought.

Catching a glimpse of her, Mugung let out a nasty laugh once more.

“Heh. Is the owner of your body not coming out?”

His words were directed at Heaven, who resided within White Peach. At this, White Peach’s face stirred for the first time. She looked up at Mugung from her seated position and growled at him without any hesitation.

“They’re not the kind to show themselves in a place like this.”

Her eyebrows twisted aggressively, contrasting with her tone. Mugung sneered at her.

“Four years or me, we’re both like toothless tigers. Hehehe.”

The Three Giants. Colossal beings.
Though known by that title, Mugung’s life had nearly reached its end, having exhausted almost all of his thousand lives, and Heaven had lost some of her power.

Upon hearing Mugung’s words, White Peach slightly furrowed her brow.

“Did you pass it on to your disciple? I’m not sure if he knows how to use it properly. A child named Lee Si-heon?”
“Keep my disciple’s name out of your rotten mouth. If you don’t want to lose your head right here and now.”
“Scary words. Hehehe.”

Their conversation was hushed, but the weight of it was heavy.
The discussion about tactics and strategy froze in an instant.

Byul, Mugung’s direct subordinate and the vice president of the association, was frantic.
Caught amidst the icy stares exchanged between White Peach and Mugung, Byul, clutching the papers to her chest, didn’t know what to do.

“Uh, can we move on to the next topic?”
A momentary lull followed her words.

Baekdo and Mugung looked in different directions, as they prepared to move on to the next part of their story—the moment when the hunters were about to sweep their hearts.

“There’s no need for a strategy.”

Mugung murmured an enigmatic sound once more.

“…Pardon?”

This time, even Baekdo didn’t open her mouth. They were gathered in a place with numerous S-class individuals, the majority of whom possessed world-class skills. There was something only the two of them could sense.

“No.”

Mugung corrected his words.

“To be precise, there’s no need for the strategies we’ve devised thus far.”

As soon as Mugung’s words came to an end, the ground began to tremble. Countless hunters belatedly noticed the disturbance and looked around.

*Woooohoooo!*

A tremendous surge of magical power rippled through the air. A storm was brewing. Hail pelted the ground, which had not seen a single drop of rain, and all the artifacts concealing their presence shattered. A hunter who had exited the tent cried out in urgency.

“It’s coming!”

Though not quite panic, the hunters’ expressions revealed their discomposure. Even the stars present spent considerable time gathering their hands in prayer, reciting the incantation for the wooden talisman. White Peach and Mugung remained in their seats, merely diffusing a faint magical energy.

“I wonder what would happen if your disciple turned to heresy,” Mugung said, his words laden with implication.

White Peach lifted her eyelids in response.

“The Heavenly Demon of the previous era was formidable, far more so than in the past four years. At least back then, there was no one who could contend with him.”

“…”

“That disciple became the Heavenly Demon. And to think that she’s now taking on disciples… it truly reminds me of just how long I’ve lived.”

Mugung glanced at White Peach.

“Having faced death and reached the summit, have you grown too complacent?” he asked.

“Considering I still have time to listen to the ramblings of a decrepit soul, I suppose so.”

Three souls sank into a body that had once been devoid of life.

There was a time when he possessed skills so exceptional that even the highest-ranking members of Mugung and Flower could not surpass him.

However, that was all in the past. Now, he was like a white peach with missing teeth. A sly smile appeared at the corner of Mugung’s mouth.

“I wonder when I’ll be able to kill you. How exciting.”

-Kwaaaaang!

With those words, a massive barrage of attacks erupted inside the tent. Startled, the star who had been seated cried out in surprise.

“Hehehe!”

* * * * * * *

“Brother.”
“I know.”

My body creaks and groans. But it’s not entirely unresponsive; sensing when to move, it slowly begins to heat up.

-Thud.

My heart pounds heavily. I catch my breath amid the gripping pain.

Fully prepared.
Muscular strength, stamina, and even magical power.

In perfect sync with my timing, I had managed to draw out the maximum power.

It was a sword crafted from finely honed glass.

“Your Majesty.”

Aori massaged my shoulders, gently rubbing them. I softly brushed aside Aori’s gesture of goodwill and equipped the Mistletoe onto my right hand.

– Zzururuk.

The Mistletoe transformed into the shape of a gauntlet. For some reason, it seemed to emit an even redder hue than before.

Perhaps… it would grow increasingly red each time it killed someone. When I had looked at this weapon in the status window earlier, the name hadn’t been properly set. Could it have been because it was incomplete?

Well, there’s no use in pondering that now. I rose to my feet and hobbled forward.

The tightly packed energy within my Danjeon began to slowly seep out, having been compressed to its utmost limit.

– Cheolkeok.

I opened the door and stepped outside.

As the ashen darkness engulfed the surroundings, Tae-yang and Aori followed me outside, taking their positions on either side of my body.

– Kwaaaaang!

The bombardment rained down, converging on a single point.

The chaotic magical energies flew all the way here, causing goosebumps to erupt. As others’ magical powers radiated in dreamlike hues, an aurora-like spectacle emerged before my eyes, thickening the sky above.

A type of magical phenomenon, said to be seen only on the battlefield. A solitary flower glimpsed just before death.

Gazing at the lacerations etched into the sky above in the form of slanted lines, Aori was the first to soar forward, having discerned the space by disseminating her magic.

“…I shall guide you, Your Majesty.”

It was our turn to make a move.