Ch#53
“Do you know how many companies were completely wiped out by Krazar 35 years ago? A full two.”
“…….”
“What I'm saying is, 200 holy knights were devoured by Krazar.”
Veil's eyes sharpened.
Ollek sighed and continued with a troubled expression.
“It was so long ago, but one thing is definitely etched in my memory. The white skeletons pouring out from the red mist.”
In Ollek's memory.
The outskirts of Popullosa, smaller in scale than now 35 years ago, came to mind.
‘Everyone, relax! The Lumenen Family is leading the entire Church to siege the magic stone!’
That day, the people of the Popullosa region were excited. Knights had finally arrived to drive out the demons encroaching on their land.
‘Once we siege the magic stone, the starvation ends. We can hunt in the forests like before, restart the furnaces and mines...’
But people's hopes didn't last long.
After slashing through the countless demons pouring from the magic stone, the most headache-inducing and strongest foe revealed itself.
“……That thing had no form whatsoever.”
The ultimate enemy that appeared from within the magic stone.
Krazar's body was, in a word, like mist.
A faintly glowing red mist spread like water across the forest floor.
“Only when the fearless knights started vanishing one by one did everyone realize. They had been pulled into Krazar's subspace.”
The demon Krazar had no sharp teeth or honed claws.
Yet it began killing people faster and more precisely than any other demon.
“Once Krazar's subspace opens, no one from outside can access it. To break it, you have to tear through the spatial barrier from inside.”
“Spatial barrier……?”
“The invisible boundary surrounding the subspace.”
But tearing the spatial barrier was never easy.
Because those sucked into Krazar's subspace without exception faced their deepest fears.
In reality, while Krazar digested around 200 people, only one survived the delirium and escaped.
“Young Lord Lumenen.”
The young holy knight then just twenty years old, Valentis Lumenen.
“Two companies annihilated, and only one survivor? Does that even make sense? Back then, it was truly……”
Ollek's body trembled faintly as he recalled the past.
“The mist showed no signs of stopping, spreading relentlessly. It moved so fast, it seemed like it would engulf not just Popullosa but the entire surrounding area.”
If Valentis Lumenen hadn't torn through the spatial barrier after five days, Krazar might still be alive even now.
“So what does that mean? Our captain got sucked into that subspace or whatever?!”
At Veil's frustrated question, Ollek nodded anxiously.
“Why do you think the Church or blacksmiths like us buy demon cores?”
He fiddled with the whetstone at his waist and continued quickly.
“Even after a demon vanishes, its core retains the magic it wielded in life. The problem arises when that residual magic is too strong.”
Basto's brow furrowed.
“Krazar was such a formidable beast that its core held a considerable amount of residual magic.”
“And?”
“Just now, for some reason, that core cracked, and the magic inside began leaking out! The uncontrolled magic from outside the core instinctively tried to revert to its old form!”
“Old form?”
“Krazar itself! You all saw that vile mist pulling targets into the subspace!”
Basto's lips parted slightly.
The red stone cracking in Tie's hand and the smoke leaking from it flashed vividly in his mind.
“Then what do we do?”
With a blood-drained face, Basto glared wide-eyed.
“You said Krazar's subspace can't be breached easily from outside once it's open.”
“That's right. From what I know, the only way is to tear the spatial barrier from inside……”
“What if she can't get out?”
Veil cut Ollek off.
“What happens if our captain can't get out from in there? What if she can't tear the barrier or whatever?”
Ollek shut his mouth.
He soon muttered in a subdued voice.
“……She'll slowly melt away and disappear inside.”
In his mind, the horrific scene from his childhood replayed.
The dark red mist at the forest edge spewing out 200 skeletons in a heap.
“Damn it all!”
With Veil's curse, a dreadful silence descended upon the Armory.
* * *
“Ow ow ow.”
Meanwhile, Astie opened her eyes in some dark, dim place.
And immediately grimaced at the pain in her butt.
“It hurts……”
It wasn't just her butt.
For some reason, her waist and back stung too.
Tie first stood up and looked around with a frightened face.
“Whewe is this……?”
Suddenly, a cold water drop plopped onto her cheek.
Looking up, pitch-black thunderclouds blanketed the sky.
Rumble—
Soon, terrifying thunder roared as the rain poured harder.
Vroooom—!
Then a loud klaxon blared in her ears.
Stepping back in startle, a rusty gray car whooshed right past Tie's nose.
Tie wiped her cheek, where muddy water dripped, with a panicked face.
Looking around, she murmured in disbelief.
“Jongno-gu……?”
A rainy night street.
The place Tie was in now was unmistakably South Korea.
Splash, splash.
Every step she took made the street's muddy water slosh.
Tie tried to ignore the sound, murmuring in a shrinking voice.
“Chocowate, pizzaa…… fwiend chickhen…….”
But no matter how she listed delicious foods, the fear didn't fade.
And for good reason—right before her eyes, a chilling scene had unfolded.
Rusted iron gates rolling on the roadside, buildings with exposed cement.
Broken windows, flooded roads, cars sporadically driving with empty driver's seats.
“Sweet tomato…… Vienna sausige…… meat, dumpliiiings…….”
The resolute voice gradually grew smaller.
“Mister……”
Tie wiped the tears starting to leak out and called for Basto.
“Veil oppa! Nordics hawabuuji!”
But as expected, no answer came.
The only sound was the torrential downpour.
Staring vacantly at the muddy water up to her calves, Tie sniffled and turned around.
Behind her, the street she'd come from stretched endlessly into the distance.
Crackle—
Suddenly, a static buzz came from behind.
Startled, she saw a red light flashing from afar on an unattended street stall.
“What……?”
Looking closely, it was a lone radio.
The scared Tie took a step back.
[Tongue- current. Tae…… influence…….]
Then the radio, blinking red several times, crackled and began broadcasting the weather report.
[-Currently, due to the typhoon's influence, heavy rain warnings are in effect across most regions nationwide. Strong winds and rain are expected, with up to 100mm per hour in the central region…….]
Tie's face darkened.
“Typhoon……?”
Rain, thunder, lightning.
And on top of that, a typhoon.
An empty night street and the crackling radio.
Her body shivered, and she swallowed hard involuntarily.
Everything was precisely what Tie feared most.
