CIATB Chapter 481: If You Can Call It the Worst-Case Scenario
Chapter 481: If You Can Call It the Worst-Case Scenario
, a dragon.The nickname was meant to signify the dragons’ strength, but it also described the reality itself.
God was the nature that constituted this world.
Being close to God meant being most similar to nature.
And while nature embraced all living things, it also possessed the ferocity to destroy everything.
The dragons resembled the rough side of nature.
That was also why they imitated the other races.
While it was easy to blend in with groups of humans or elves to appease their boredom, the true meaning of polymorph magic was to control their wildness and protect the weak.
For such a being to reveal its full form was no different from gradually losing its self-control.
The same was true for Lexion.
He felt like his brain was melting from the irresistible sense of liberation.
But before he could completely lose control, something in his mind held him back.
“…!”
Lexion, startled, suddenly came to his senses.
He struck down Nikephoros’ oncoming blow with a single motion.
A violent explosion tore through the ground, revealing scorched, crimson earth and carving out another massive crater.
In the brief moment of respite, Lexion growled fiercely.
“Stellar, if you move recklessly, I won’t leave you alone.”
Stellar, who had been poised to burst out from the shadows, froze mid-step.
It wasn’t a fight that Stellar could handle.
If he interfered now, he would definitely be wiped out without a trace this time.
‘Damn it.’
Nikephoros, standing tall in the thick dark clouds, came into view.
When Lexion looked at his smiling face, it felt like ice water had been dumped on his head.
Nikephoros, sweeping his fluttering golden hair aside, mocked.
“What’s wrong, Lexi? You’re not tired already, are you?”
Unlike Lexion, whose head was burning with excitement, Nikephoros remained calm.
The contrast between his earlier provocations and his current poise was jarring.
It meant that there was some hidden agenda that Lexion was unaware of.
“Or… did the excitement suddenly wear off?”
When Nikephoros tilted his head and asked again, Lexion let out a dry, humorless laugh.
“Excitement?”
Looking back, Nikephoros had been observing Lexion as they were fighting.
In other words, it meant that he was the only one who got lost in rage and charged in in an ugly manner.
The moment he realized it, his mood soured even further.
“You crazy old bastard… What the hell are you scheming?”
He already knew that Nikephoros’ purpose was to keep him here.
But even putting that aside, he felt a strange sense of alienation.
He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was playing into his hands.
“That’s not what’s important right now.”
Nikephoros’ hummed in response. As he spread his arms, an even stronger storm raged all around.
Golden lightning crackled menacingly, splitting the sky.
Looking down at Lexion, Nikephoros snickered.
“We haven’t really settled things yet, have we?”
“…”
Lexion looked straight into his eyes and growled fiercely.
“Answer me when I’m being nice. What are you planning?”
“Whatever my intentions are, nothing will change, right?”
His tone remained calm.
“There’s only one thing you can do: stop me here.”
“…”
Lexion’s eyebrows furrowed. It wasn’t just because he was offended by Nikephoros’ words.
It was because he vaguely realized the true nature of the sense of discomfort he was feeling.
Those nauseating gestures and leisure were clearly unique to Nikephoros’, but each movement felt strangely unnatural.
As if he were moving under thorough calculation.
In other words…
Nikephoros was acting.
“…This bastard.”
Lexion’s eyes, stained a deep red, glinted with an even more blatant murderous intent.
“Who are you trying to imitate?”
Although the full situation was unclear, one thing was certain.
The Chernion Cult was imitating the methods of Arendt von Eckhart, who had been tormenting them so terribly.
Iris comfortably reclined on her own sofa, lost in thought.
Her lightly closed eyelids made her look as if she were asleep. But the rhythmic tapping of her white fingertips on the armrest told him she was awake.
“…”
Roger knelt down and remained silent, lest he disturb her.
Iris finally spoke after a long time.
“By the way, did you get Jin’s belongings?”
It was a rather random question, but Roger answered it faithfully.
“The equipment related to the test subjects was left as it was. Since we couldn’t collect her body, we burned her clothes as a substitute for a funeral.”
“I see.”
Iris nodded slowly. Roger still couldn’t read her thoughts.
However, he did not ask questions or make any remarks carelessly.
She was a saintess who came to this land on behalf of Lord Chernion.
Because he, a mere human, could never possibly fathom the will of such a great being.
There was another brief silence, and Iris began to speak again.
“Sir Arendt von Eckhart’s catchphrase…”
As she tilted her head, her black hair fell beautifully.
“That everything is just a play.”
All members of the Sword of the Broken Heart were caught in that play. And Iris witnessed the entire process.
Iris let out a small laugh.
“…Will the actor like the scenario I directed? Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Roger, who had been silent for a moment, gave a stiff answer.
“This is the last time. We will surely be able to draw out the god of dirty light and annihilate the enemy.”
“That’s how it should be. A non-believer got involved and it became a ridiculous three-way battle.”
It was clearly a showdown between Luce and Chernion at first. Within established rules, each player would move their chosen piece, eyeing the other’s camp with a keen eye.
But a cocky kid kicked over the table just as the game was in full swing.
Thanks to that, even the great gods found themselves wallowing in the mud alongside their fallen pawns.
‘Maybe it’s for the best.’
. Iris’s fingertips drummed against the armrest once more.
Lord Chernion and the Order had little to lose. Even if they were defeated, they could simply start over.
“We will succeed, no matter what.”
But God Luce who took over the world was different.
Since forcibly seizing the world, he had never once faced such an insult.
While Luce trembled with rage, all He had to do was trample that white garment once more and reach out His hand toward the world again.
“I’m not as skilled as Jin, but.. thanks to what that child left behind and thanks to Lord Nikephoros, I was able to create a decent piece.”
Iris asked calmly.
“Are you ready, Roger?”
“Of course.”
Roger bowed his head even deeper.
“Everything will go according to Lord Chernion’s will.”
The crack in the barrier had now grown visibly larger. Llewellyn’s trembling hands moved again, gripping the arrow.
Blood was flowing from the tip of his cut finger, but he didn’t care.
Salem, who discovered the wound, was startled and grabbed his arm.
“Prince Llewellyn! Please stop and rest, you’ve pushed yourself too hard!”
“It’s okay. I’m used to this much. Who do you think I am?”
But Llewellyn smiled faintly, his face pale as he met Salem’s gaze.
“I’m an explorer. This level of suffering isn’t even a tickle. Don’t worry, I’ll make Arendt pay me back many times over for this later.”
“Prince Llewellyn…”
Salem murmured. But there was no time to hesitate.
The knights led by Diana were guarding the area, but they too were visibly growing tired as time passed.
It might have been better to quickly deal with the barrier and help them.
“Lord Salem, let’s go.”
“…Yes.”
Salem nodded with a stern face and poured even greater power into the two spirits.
The air around Llewellyn stirred violently, and the tip of the arrow began to glow blue.
It was the result of pouring out the maximum power of the magic stone.
“This will probably be the last attack.”
Llewellyn spoke calmly. The magic stone he was holding was the last one he had. Even that would surely lose its power after this single shot.
“That will be enough.”
Salem nodded firmly and summoned Luna and Ray.
Ray and Luna melted into Llewellyn’s arrow. Then, the arrow, once bathed in a bluish glow, began to vividly reflect the golden magic of the spirits.
Salem’s face also turned pale due to the sudden drain of magical power.
But he spoke steadfastly.
“Let’s finish it with one strike.”
Instead of answering, Llewellyn pulled hard on the bowstring. His target was the center of the crack in the crimson barrier.
The flesh on his fingertip tore and soaked his palms. But Llewellyn didn’t lose focus, maintaining the artifact’s power until the very end.
And finally, the arrow left the bowstring.
The arrow, which flew with a golden flash, hit the exact center of the crack.
The arrow sank into the barrier with a dull thud. It was a stark contrast to the previous results, which had merely bounced off after impact.
“…!”
Just as Llewellyn’s eyes were about to widen, golden magical energy began to spread rapidly around the arrow.
The spirits dug into the already fractured parts, mercilessly exploiting the weakened spot in the barrier.
In the blink of an eye, the barrier was enveloped in a golden spiderweb-like crack.
Like ice cracking on a frozen lake, the sound shook the air.
The barrier, unable to withstand the final blow, shattered into pieces.
Even the knights, who had been fighting fiercely, couldn’t help but glance back in astonishment.
The crimson fragments of the barrier that had spilled onto the ground soon completely scattered along with the golden magic.
After completing their mission, Ray and Luna returned and settled on Salem’s shoulders.
“Hah…”
A short sigh escaped Llewellyn’s lips. His vision was spinning, and he tasted blood.
His half-focused gaze turned blankly towards the dormitory.
Contrary to expectations, the Third Knights’ dormitory was quiet.
At first glance, everything seemed as usual, but it wasn’t hard to see that things weren’t as peaceful as they seemed.
Through the large window facing the garden, he could glimpse the interior, which was white with frost.
Something had happened.
Llewellyn, who had been lost in thought for a while, took a step forward as if in a trance.
One step. Then another.
“Hey, Arendt!”
When he came to his senses, he had thrown down his bow and arrows and was running towards the dormitory.