Novel Full Chapter 1626 Harbinger
Chapter 1626 Harbinger
Edras frowned as one of his subordinates burst into his training room.
“L-lord Edras!”
“Kon… what is it?”
He said irritably. He had been just about to immerse himself in his training to purge his mind of the resource wars and the heavy losses they had suffered.
“There’s urgent news, my lord.”
“What happened?”
Edras’ eyes sharpened at his subordinate’s panicked expression. It had to be something significant.
“It’s the other Archdukes, my lord… they’re dead.”
“…What did you just say?”
“Yes, my lord. We only just received confirmation from our spies nearby. Their estates have been destroyed, and every member of their families killed.”
“…Who did it?”
“We don’t know, my lord. Whoever was responsible had already left long before we arrived.”
Edras’ eyes flashed as countless calculations raced through his mind.
‘Who…?’
They had only just concluded the resource wars. For all of them to already be dead meant it was someone with truly terrifying power.
‘Is it… them?’
Only the Willguard and one other entity possessed the strength and reach necessary to carry out something this extreme.
‘The Usurpers…’
“Hm?”
Edras frowned as he noticed the hesitation lingering on his subordinate’s face.
“…There’s more?”
“Y-yes, my lord. I… I’m not sure if it matters, but the way they died…”
“…Say it.”
“Yes… they, along with their families, were cut apart cleanly… and the remains were charred.”
The image of a white haired boy wielding a katana flashed across his mind, and Edras’ eyes widened abruptly.
“…No. That’s impossible.”
“My lord…?”
The subordinate asked with confusion, but Edras’ shock only deepened.
“Summon everyone. Immediately.”
“…My lord?”
“We are leaving the core. Now.”
“Y-yes, my lord!”
Though hesitant, the subordinate hurried out to carry out the order.
Minutes later, thanks to the efficiency of his subordinate, Edras, along with every single Nature faction member within the core, were airborne in vast armadas of airships and carriages, racing directly toward the Core’s portal at its outer boundary.
‘Is it really him?’
Gazing down at the endless wasteland stretching beneath him, Edras frowned deeply.
That Atticus Ravenstein, a child who had only just arrived in the core, had killed more than a dozen Archdukes of the major families…
Trying to truly consider it now, the very thought felt absurd. Impossible, even.
‘No… it can’t be.’
Edras clutched his chest as he recalled the strange sensation he had felt while watching Atticus during the resource war, a coldness that had seemed eternal and unmoving. He could feel that same coldness now, as vivid as ever.
‘It’s better to leave.’
He could not forget his meeting with his master, the Grand Sovereign of the Nature faction. His master had suddenly instructed him to stay obvious of Atticus and allow him to ascend to the summit unhindered.
Given that, it was best to avoid any confrontation with him altogether.
Scrrr!
“Huh?”
Edras frowned as his carriage came to an abrupt halt.
“Kon? Why have we stopped?”
He frowned as his subordinate approached his carriage with a grave expression.
“My lord… there’s someone standing in our path…”
“…Someone?”
Edras frowned deeply. Right now, this procession wasn’t just his family, but the entirety of the Nature faction currently within the core. It consisted of thousands upon thousands of Nature faction members.
It was an army.
“…Yes, my lord. I believe you should see it yourself.”
At his subordinate’s words, Edras nodded and appeared outside his carriage. His eyes immediately landed on the lone figure standing in their way.
‘It’s him!’
Edras’ eyes widened. Snow-white hair swayed faintly in the drifting wind, ocean-blue eyes that seemed to pierce through everything, and an otherworldly presence that stood above the entire universe and made all who faced it feel insignificant.
Atticus Ravenstein.
Edras suppressed his shock instantly.
“Stand down. All of you.”
He waved off the armored warriors and other Nature Archdukes staring at Atticus with hostility, and instead revealed a calm, diplomatic smile.
“Atticus Ravenstein… I’ve long wished to meet you. You’ve made quite the name for yourself in the middle planes.”
He placed a hand behind his back.
“I am Edras… The pleasure is mine.”
“…”
“Hmm…”
Edras’ smile strained slightly at Atticus’ silence. His brows tightened as the surrounding temperature began to rise instead.
“So you truly are the silent type. I see. Well, I’ll speak plainly, then.”
His gaze sharpened slightly.
“The Nature faction has no quarrel with you. In fact, I spoke with our Grand Sovereign not long ago. He is greatly anticipating your arrival at the summit. So tell me… why are you standing in our path?”
“….”
‘Hmm…’
Edras frowned. He had mentioned their Grand Sovereign deliberately, to remind Atticus of a higher authority behind them and also as a quiet deterrent against conflict, but he could not stop his eyes from narrowing as Atticus calmly extended his arm.
A flare of light appeared before him, and in the next instant, the figure of a man materialized.
“…What is this?”
Edras’ eyes constricted sharply at the sight of the kneeling figure.
‘Wasn’t he dead?’
It was Orvain Virex. Archduke Rhexan’s fifth son, and the very same person Atticus had reduced to ashes before all of their eyes. Though he was trembling fiercely and covered in sweat and soot, he was undeniably alive.
‘He deceived us?’
Edras swallowed silently, his gaze locking onto Atticus with renewed vigilance.
“Is he included?”
Atticus asked coldly, gesturing toward Edras hovering in the sky.
“Y-yes… h-he was the one who called the m-meeting to place a bounty on you…”
Edras’ pupils constricted sharply in realization.
“Wait—”
“Manifest.”
Before Edras could finish speaking, a colossal silhouette of gold and white flame had already risen into the sky.
…
A blazing wasteland. Smoke churned across the darkened skies. Thousands of severed, sizzling bodies lay scattered around him. ‘They’re all dead.’
Atticus took in the scene with the calmness of one gazing upon a still lake.
He flicked the sizzling blood from his katana and unsheathed it, feeling it tremble faintly in excitement at the sheer number of lives it had just taken.
“O-oh shit… o-oh shit… T-they’re dead… they’re all dead…”
Atticus approached the trembling Orvain and fixed him with a detached stare.
“Tell me about the others.”
“H-huh? W-what others? You… you killed them. You killed all of them! The Archdukes of the major families… they’re all dead! Just… just what are you?”
Orvain shivered violently at the sight of the monster standing before him.
‘He’s definitely a monster!’
At first, he had thought Atticus had killed him, but had been overjoyed when he found himself alive again. Orvain hadn’t minded when Atticus asked him to lead him to the major Archdukes’ estates. In fact, he had been thrilled. Despite Atticus insane strength, there was no way he could stand against the true monsters that were the major Archdukes.
But Orvain had quickly been proven wrong when Atticus killed a major Archduke effortlessly. His shock had only deepened when Atticus proceeded to slaughter every single one of the major Archdukes.
“Not the major families. The other major faction Archdukes within the core. Tell me about them.”
“…What?”
Orvain’s eyes widened in realization.
‘Don’t tell me…’
He had believed the major archdukes hunting him were Atticus’ targets, but that was clearly not the case.
Orvain swallowed hard as he met Atticus’ cold ocean-blue eyes. Those were not the eyes of someone who was finished. He was still hunting.
Clenching his fists in an attempt to steady his trembling arms, Orvain began revealing everything he knew about the other major faction Archdukes within the core. When he finished, he bowed profoundly until his forehead touched the scorched ground.
“T-that’s everything. I swear, that’s everything I know. Please… please don’t kill me. I’ll abandon the Redflame path. I’ll serve you instead. I can still be useful. I know things. I can help you. I—”
A streak of silver flashed, and Orvain’s severed head rolled across the scorched earth.
Atticus flicked the blood from his blade and calmly sheathed his katana.
“…Why did you kill him?”
The Arbiter asked suddenly.
“He was no longer of use.”
“…He did possess knowledge of the Redflames. And the other factions. Their forces extend far beyond the core.”
The Arbiter’s words held merit. The major factions’ true forces existed beyond the core. Orvain could have remained a valuable source of information.
Even so, Atticus shook his head.
“It wouldn’t have mattered. Anything he knew would be insignificant. His power was more valuable to me.”
“…I see.”
“What?”
Atticus frowned faintly as he sensed her sudden approval.
“I taught you well.”
“…I don’t recall you teaching me that.”
“Of course you don’t. The best lessons are invisible.”
“…”
“Anyways, as your teacher, this is a major—”
As the Arbiter began another lecture, Atticus ignored her completely.
‘It’s truly overwhelming…’
Atticus could feel the immense power overflowing through him. It felt limitless.
Immediately after the resource games, the moment he reconnected to Eldoralth and assimilated the gods he had slain, the changes had been nothing short of extraordinary.
Though the power within the core was restricted to the mid-archduke rank, Atticus was certain that none could oppose him within the core.
‘There is still much to do.’
The deaths of the major family archdukes alone were nowhere near enough to deliver the message he intended to send.
After everything, he wanted the major factions to have absolutely no doubt about his intentions.
Atticus vanished from the wasteland in the next instant, appearing throughout the core like a silent harbinger of death.
By evening, the entire core had been thrown into chaos, as in every city and settlement, members of every major faction were found dead, severed into sizzling pieces.
The name Atticus Ravenstein echoed across the core.