STM 200

Rumble

The ground shook as if it were screaming, and a blood-curdling sound echoed in the minds of the two.

‘Kirihihik!’

Although monsters were already heading toward this place along with the darkness, this sound felt closer, as if it were coming from right beneath their feet.

“It looks like the rift is about to open.”

Haas muttered; his whole body was shaking. Unlike the terrified man, Enya glared ahead and replied calmly.

“It doesn’t matter, since we’re just going to be sucked into a portal to another dimension.”

“But if too many monsters come out, not all of them will be able to enter, and some will spill over into Tubain.”

Enya gave Haas a look of disbelief.

“Aren’t you scared of the monsters right in front of us? Can’t you see that black magic?”

“No, those have been here for a while, so that’s a different matter. Besides, that person who suddenly appeared is blocking the monsters.”

Haas’s gaze turned toward the distance. From afar where a person looked no bigger than a finger, he saw a figure soaring like a bird and slicing through monsters. It was an ally who had appeared out of nowhere.

It was too far away to see even the face, but there was a clue to their identity. The light emanating from their sword. It was the vivid aura of a Sword Master.

“Where did Sarne Bayan suddenly come from?”

“It’s obvious. She probably followed Lord Lu around hoping to awaken the divine beast, and ended up here. Then when she saw the situation unfolding, she likely felt her pride was hurt by just sitting around, so she jumped in.”

Whatever the reason, it was a relief that she had stepped forward, but Enya frowned.

“However, she won’t be able to stop all the monsters alone anymore.”

As Haas clenched his hands tightly in fear, Enya clicked her tongue.

“If you’re that scared, stop trembling and hurry up. Open the portal and run away quickly.”

She spoke coldly, but her words were filled with genuine sincerity toward her comrade.

“At least you survive.”

Haas looked at her for a moment, then shook his head vigorously.

“We will all survive. If Lord Salvation comes, we will all be able to live.”

But that Salvation suddenly vanished right before their eyes. He left behind only a single sentence: “I’ll be back.” That was why the two of them could not leave.

Even while Haas was trembling with fear and Enya was in a frustrating situation where she could only watch the other knights fight. Unfortunately, none of those trapped in the darkness could come out.

The silence, as if even screams were swallowed, only intensified the fear. But they wanted to believe that there were still those holding on inside. Because another hope lay within.

“Will Lord Tairok… be alright?”

Haas’s voice trembled even more than usual. Enya, who usually responded with curses no matter how much nonsense he spouted, fell silent this time. No matter how high her trust in Tairok was, she could not easily respond that he was fine this time.

Who would have thought Grand Duke Montaine would overpower two divine beast contractors so easily? That implied that no one could defeat her…

“He’ll be alright.”

Startled, Haas and Enya’s eyes widened at the sudden voice coming from behind them. The moment they turned their heads, they screamed.

“Lord Lu!!”

“Lord Salvation!!!”

As the two ran toward him, Lu patted each of their shoulders once. It was the greatest welcome he could show, considering he usually disliked touching others.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it’s only been ten minutes since you left, but it feels like it’s been a really long time… Huh? Your clothes have changed?”

Haas stepped back in surprise to look at him. It wasn’t just his clothes; his appearance seemed a bit different as well. His hair had grown a bit longer and was tied back, his face looked haggard, and most of all, his entire body was covered in dust.

Besides, what was that in his hand? Grass? It was a long blade of grass, about the length of an arm, but it had been pulled up by the roots. Haas couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked.

“What is that?”

“Ah, I checked that it had bloomed, so I picked one.”

So why did he pull grass out? Haas wanted to ask more, but Enya pushed him away.

“Did something happen?”

“I had a lot of work. I really went through hell.”

What?

However, he didn’t have time to explain to the surprised onlookers, he held out his palm.

“Tairok will be fine.”

In his palm lay a fragment of a cracked stone.

What is that…huh? The divine beast egg?!

Reading their minds just from the shocked expressions on their faces, Lu quickly confirmed it.

“It hatched as soon as I arrived here. It was shaking hard enough to make my palm hurt.”

Lu frowned in disgust and cursed under his breath.

“It used to torment me like that in the past, and now even as an egg, that dog-like temper… Ugh.”

“Huh?”

Just as they wondered if he was talking about Kun’s divine beast, Lu pointed his finger forward. The two turned their heads toward that spot and their eyes widened once again.

Fine cracks were forming on the solid surface of darkness that had looked unbreakable. At first, it appeared as if a tiny pinhole was being pierced through the darkness.

But soon after, a light burst forth through the gap. It was as if black hide was being torn apart from the inside by a sharp blade.

Huh? That can’t be!”

“I think Tairok has awakened.”

Lu’s voice was low, but filled with excitement. Just as everyone held their breath and watched the darkness, it shattered. The barrier of darkness, quivering from the seeping light, shattered and scattered.

There was no explosion. All there was was a blinding light. However, everyone felt it in their heads.

Boom!

The black magic that had threatened to swallow everything just moments ago was buried under the radiant light it emitted. And in an instant, it vanished into thin air like dust.

Although the light vanished after the darkness disappeared, there was no need to be disappointed. High up in the sky, a powerful light visible to everyone extended downward in the shape of tree branches.

“Huh? That is…”

Lu’s murmuring reached the ears of the two.

“Ah, so the new awakened power was lightning.”

An awakening? The new power of the Kun divine beast?!

But there was still something more to be surprised about. Like a glass ceiling cracking, countless bolts of lightning simultaneously covered the sky.

Branching streaks of lightning extended in thousands of directions; they intertwined and illuminated the world. It was scary enough to make their skin crawl.

‘Crash!’

A deafening clap of thunder belatedly shook the earth. Overwhelmed by fear, everyone slumped to the ground. However, the next moment, they felt a sensation distinct from terror. An intense vibration that stung their skin.

They belatedly realized that the lightning was precisely targeting the monsters and annihilating them in an instant. While everyone else could barely breathe from the shock, there was one person who was different.

“Ugh, its power is as insane as its personality.”

It was Lu.

What had happened between him and the divine beast during those ten minutes he was gone?

They couldn’t bring themselves to ask.

Rumble!

The ground shook again. A howl echoed in their heads once more, as if monsters were about to swarm out of the rift. Lu jumped to his feet with a serious expression and asked the two of them.

“Since when has it been like this?”

“It started a little while ago. I suspect it suddenly opened due to the influence of Grand Duke Montaine’s magic.”

At that moment, an incomprehensible word burst from Lu’s mouth.

“Fuck.”

Then he ran toward the area where the monster rift was located.

“Lord Lu! That place is dangerous…”

There was no need to stop him. Not long after, Lu knelt on the ground and began digging at the earth with his hands.

“What are you doing?”

“Planting.”

“Huh?”

“Enya. Can you dig the ground here?”

Planting grass out of the blue when the world is on the verge of collapse?

Although it was completely incomprehensible, Enya immediately raised her sword and plunged it into the ground. As dirt flew and a hole formed, Lu planted the grass he had brought there and then asked Haas for a favor.

“Give it some water.”

“Lord Lu, what is going…ugh.”

Haas was about to ask, but Enya’s finger jabbed his side, forcing him to stop. He gathered moisture from the air with magic. Soon after, water poured down like rain onto the desert-like ground.

“What is this grass? Why is it planted here?” They had countless questions, but Lu’s serious expression made it impossible to ask. He looked down at the grass for a moment and muttered softly.

“Is this enough?”

It almost sounded like he was asking the grass. Just as the two of them looked at each other in confusion, a breeze blew from somewhere.

It was definitely the dusty wind they had encountered before, yet it felt refreshing and pleasant. It felt like their minds were clearing. However, there was no time to focus on that.

Thud.

Lu suddenly slumped to the ground and muttered while gripping the earth near the grass.

“It’s done. It’s done now.”

He was smiling, but he was crying.