< Chapter 114 - Guardian #2 >
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Inside the Gate of Flame, there was an endless, dark, black space.
The sky and the earth were indistinguishable, and I felt overwhelmed by the silence and stillness that the stillness created.
That’s why it stood out more.
A door shining alone in the darkness.
It wasn’t a bright, radiant light.
It was a dangerous and lonely light, as if it would be swallowed up by darkness at any moment.
Uther and Cordelia stepped forward, clasping their hands together.
When I looked closely, the white door was larger than I thought.
“It’s the Gate of the Sun.”
Cordelia nodded at Uther’s words. It was the Solari Gate that she had seen several times in the original work and in this life.
“Dangerous purity······.”
Uder, humming softly, opened the space expansion pouch. Then, just like when he discovered the fourth stone tablet, the stone tablets began to glow on their own.
“Let’s fit it into the hole.”
As Uther handed over the two tablets, Cordelia nodded and looked back at the Sun Gate. Beneath the Solari emblem in the center were four holes, which, like the tablets, were triangular in shape.
“It’s star-shaped, as expected.”
The five corners of the pentagram.
The reason there are four holes is because one was already filled.
Perhaps that is the fifth tablet.
“I’ll put it in first.”
As Yuder brought the stone slab to the hole, he felt a magnetic pull.
The second slab felt more powerful, and with each slab inserted, the light emitted by the door itself also grew stronger.
From precarious white to blazing gold.
With the light that leads to the glory of the morning.
Cordelia swallowed dry saliva and placed her slab of stone into the hole.
As each one was inserted, Cordelia’s ring and wings also reacted.
So when all four stone tablets were finally in place.
The brilliant light that arose from the Gate of the Sun did not stop at dispelling the darkness, but rather swallowed it up. It filled the surrounding area with light.
“Solari······.”
Archangel of the Sun.
A kind woman who was revered as the sun goddess by the humans of the Pleiades.
The door opened.
Beyond the Gate of the Golden Sun, darkness had unexpectedly spread again.
A time when light and darkness coexist.
Red sunset and purple sky. Little stars opening their eyes one by one in the distance.
It made no sense to come this far and then back out.
Uther slowly let go of Cordelia’s hand and stepped forward. He covered Cordelia with his body as if protecting her from any possible danger, and then entered the door.
It was a space that was both unfamiliar and familiar.
There was something similar among the temples of the Solari Order.
The sunset light streaming in between the pillars and the pure white floor and ceiling.
Letters engraved in gold throughout.
“pretty.”
When Cordelia spoke softly in admiration, Uther looked away.
I took in the sight of the sculpture of Solari located in the center of the temple.
It wasn’t a scene of him holding his sword high and showing his fighting spirit, as is often the case.
Solari was sitting with all six of her wings spread out. On her thighs lay a fully armed knight in holy armor, resting on Solari’s back.
“Pieta.”
The composition resembled Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
Yuder, muttering softly, walked towards the statue of Solari. It was clearly Garius in his arms.
“big.”
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that it wasn’t life-size. Even though it was sitting, Solari’s head seemed to be over 5 meters tall.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
At the low, yet neat voice, Uther and Cordelia flinched and looked straight ahead.
A handsome man stood beneath the sculpture of Solari.
A fine physique with black hair and broad shoulders.
Although he was wearing the robes favored by priests, anyone could tell that he was a warrior.
“Meet Garius, Champion of the Sun.”
As Uther and Cordelia bowed politely, the handsome man— Garius smiled awkwardly.
“It’s nice to meet you too. And you don’t have to be so polite. I am just an idea left here to guard the tomb.”
I was talking, but I didn’t have a proper self.
Even the expression ‘finally’ was just a cliché greeting, and it was difficult to say that I actually felt the wait.
But instead of playing fair, Uther and Cordelia maintained a polite attitude, and Garius’s thoughts continued with a bitter smile.
“You who have gathered the guidance of the stone tablets and arrived here. As you already know, this is my tomb. At the same time, it is also the final gateway to the greatest treasure of the cult.”
The last sad news from the church.
That which makes even the tomb of the great champion Garius only an intermediate step leading to the secret.
I had a guess.
Of the things that could be considered so precious, two – the Solar Blade and the Holy Sword Claw Solas – were already out in the world, so the scope could be narrowed down even further.
But instead of saying anything, Uther listened to Garius.
His disciples – that is, the very fact that the thoughts of Garius came out instead of angels immediately popping out and guarding them, like the tombs of the Templars where the stone tablets had been hidden until now, hinted that things were different from before.
The stone slabs have already been collected.
There were no tomb guardians to attack anyone who approached the stone slab.
Well then, here’s one possible case.
“I will test you to see if you have the strength and qualifications to entrust the secrets of the church to me.”
It was as expected. It was a development that could be called a cliché, whether in a game or a novel.
‘The question is, what is the test?’
Now, if a test like doctrinal interpretation were suddenly given, even Uther and Cordelia would be tied down.
[What are you worrying about? You’re going to fight anyway, right?]
When Cordelia sent the message with a relieved face, Uther narrowed his brows.
[But you never know.]
[It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m testing my strength. Then it’s definitely a battle. Maybe I’ll fight Garius.]
Cordelia smiled as if her spirit of victory was rising, and she fixed Moonlight, and Uther sighed.
It was because I thought Cordelia, with her eyes burning with fighting spirit, was really pretty and lovable.
[It’s severe. At this level, it’s a real illness.]
Uder, who humbly accepted Belencia’s advice, suppressed his desire to hug Cordelia’s waist and looked at Garius’ thoughts again.
“Only one person can take the test. If that one person passes, the person who came with them can also pass. If that one person fails, that’s the end. You won’t get a second chance.”
Cordelia narrowed her brows in surprise at the firm declaration. Originally, this type of test was basically an infinite retry.
But it’s only once, and only one person can participate.
“Who are you fighting?”
In response to Cordelia’s question, who had already decided that it was a test equal battle, Garius’ thoughts drew a faint smile and said.
“It depends on who takes the test. Which of the two will come out?”
Depending on the participant, the target of the fight changes.
Maybe it was a structure where an opponent would come out and attack your weaknesses.
[If that’s really the case, then there’s no use in thinking about it.]
Because whoever comes out will have their weaknesses exploited anyway.
As Cordelia bit her lip and complained slightly, Uther grabbed her hand and said,
“I’ll do it.”
In context, it was likely to be a one-on-one fight, and of the two, Uther was the one who specialized in one-on-one combat.
Cordelia, like in the original, was specialized in dealing with multiple enemies.
“Phew… I guess there’s nothing I can do. Just don’t get hurt. Okay?”
“You know it’s sturdy, right?”
You must have felt so tired these past two days.
Cordelia blushed when Uther playfully winked at her, and then slapped Uther for no reason before looking back at Garius’ thoughts.
“He’s going out.”
“Is that really so?”
The moment Garius’s thoughts smiled, the entire temple was transformed.
As if it were an illusion rather than a real entity, the statue of Solari was pushed all the way to the end of the temple, and as if to replace it, a large stadium rose in the center.
A large square stadium that appears to be at least several dozen meters long and wide.
It seemed to be about a meter tall.
“Those who wish to take the test, come up to the stadium. The strongest swordsman you remember will give the test.”
Garius’ words were a bit unexpected.
It’s not like it’s hitting on a weak point, it’s just the same test.
But that doesn’t mean he would be an easy opponent.
‘The strongest prosecutor I remember?’
In other words, he is the strongest inspector among those that Uder knows.
‘It can’t be Master Landius.’
Although he was the strongest person I knew, I never thought of him as a prosecutor.
So, will either Kamael or Velencia appear?
[I think there’s a good chance I’ll show up.]
There was no humor in Belencia’s words. She seemed to be genuine in her thoughts.
[Kamael… He possesses the skills to be called a swordsman, but he has not yet reached the level of swordsmanship.]
So it is Velencia herself.
But Uther thought a little differently.
‘But I’ve never really experienced Lady Velencia before… Maybe Elune or the First Sword will show up.’
In fact, the possibility of it being Elune was low.
But if it was the first sword, it was definitely possible.
The first sword that he had encountered in the battle of the royal capital was nothing less than despair itself to Yuder at the time.
“Whoever comes out will do well. As I said before, just don’t get hurt. Okay? If you have to, surrender immediately or jump out of the stadium?”
Because this is reality, not a game.
Uther nodded to Cordelia’s worried request and reached out his hand. He held Cordelia in his arms, kissed her, and whispered softly.
“I’ll be back.”
“Have a nice trip. And when you get back… let’s continue on to the next one.”
Is this some kind of cheering?
Melissa and Belencia both looked distressed at Cordelia’s words with red faces, but Uder just smiled.
After kissing the forehead of his beloved lover once again, he went up to the stadium.
The sky has changed.
From sunset to dusk, to the time just before night falls.
The wind blew.
Darkness enveloped the arena, and across from Uther, light gathered to form a human figure.
‘First of all, a man.’
He was tall. He was shorter than Yuder himself, but he still seemed to be in the mid to high 180 cm range.
He was wearing a black partial mask that covered his eyes and nose under his black hair, and he had a longsword on his waist.
The armor is light armor. It is completely black with no decoration.
‘Who is it?’
Kamael wasn’t that big. He was similar in build to Jeilgeom, but he felt completely different.
Elune and Velencia were even more so, so it was truly incomprehensible.
The strongest inspector I remember.
Who could it be? Could it possibly include memories from a past life?
If so, then what if it includes characters from the third volume of Heroes’ Chronicles that we haven’t met in this life?
[future generations!]
At the same time as Velencia shouted, something flashed before my eyes.
The moment the man in the black mask pulled out his sword, the distance that had been over ten meters became zero.
Block it.
Made fun of the capital.
I adjusted the position of my arm according to the angle at which the sword was thrust.
And then I got stabbed.
The man’s sword seemed to glide over the water, but then suddenly changed its angle and stabbed in from an unexpected place.
“Huh?!”
Yuder quickly threw his body back, but his opponent didn’t let him see it. He kicked the ground as if chasing him.
[future generations!]
Yuder also knew. He immediately unleashed the power of the Nine Heavenly Gates. He opened the first gate to the seventh gate in succession as if he was turning up a gear, and released powerful qi waves in succession.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The impact shook the space. It was enough force to push the man in the black mask back.
But the man was not pushed out.
The moment Yuder unleashed the power of the Seven Gates, he swung his sword. He cut through the shockwave itself and split it apart.
“under!”
At that moment, Yuder unleashed his Black Lightning Strike. It was not a choice to gain control of the situation, but simply to distance himself from the man.
Kwakang!
Black lightning struck. Dozens of them covered the sky.
Even Elune could not figure out exactly where Yuder would move after unleashing Black Lightning. All she could do was capture the moment Yuder swung his sword and counter it.
But the man in the black mask was different.
I had already turned my gaze when the black lightning struck. I charged forward, having accurately predicted the path that Yuder had chosen.
It was unbelievable.
As soon as he landed on the ground, Yuder swung his sword in a desperate attempt to block the man’s approach.
The sword energy split the sky. And then the man swung his sword again. Instead of meeting Yuder’s sword energy with the same sword energy, he drew a line through the air and destroyed it. Yuder’s sword energy dispersed and disappeared in an instant as if it had never existed in the first place.
how.
Belencia knew.
The fact that he was able to see through the Black Lightning Strike in an instant, and that he was able to cut through the air and destroy the black energy, all suggested a possibility.
No, Belencia was sure.
[I reached the sword!]
I got to the root of it.
The man in front of me was not just someone who looked at the horizon, but someone who had finally reached it.
[future generations!]
Kwakang!
Once again, the Black Lightning Strike struck. If it were the usual Yuder, he would have rushed towards the man in the black mask to attack his weakness, but this time he couldn’t do that.
He was an opponent who could see through the black lightning.
The moment he charged, it was clear that he would cut his waist.
‘Let’s calm down.’
Let’s calm down.
Uther accelerated his consciousness, splitting short periods of time into chunks to create time to think.
I have never fought an opponent who has reached the level of a swordsman.
The duel with Belencia was literally just a duel.
That’s why Uder focused on information.
First, it was necessary to accurately identify the opponent.
One who has reached the sword.
Black hair.
Height: mid to late 180 cm.
That was it.
Uther held his breath for a moment.
It wasn’t because he had landed on the ground. It wasn’t because the man in the black mask who had seen through the Black Lightning this time flew straight towards me.
‘Demonbane?!’
A holy sword with an entirely silver blade.
The secret that Yuder himself passed on to Lucas.
But there was something even more surprising. What momentarily paralyzed Uther’s mind was not the man’s sword, but his swordsmanship.
‘Sword of the Wind.’
I haven’t seen many.
But I could tell.
It was clear that it was the Sword of Wind that had been passed down through the Bayer Counts.
But how.
Are you talking about your father? Or maybe your older brother?
Neither.
Instead of swinging his sword, Yuder unleashed the Black Dragon’s energy indiscriminately. The man in the black mask once again smashed the Black Dragon’s energy with elegant sword strikes, but he didn’t care. He shouted, breathing heavily.
“Velencia!”
bang!
A light burst out behind Uther. Dragon Slayer Ascalon, who had been silent until now, rose up, glowing.
It was Valencia.
She used Uther’s power to control Ascalon. It was a kind of swordsmanship.
Kakakakakakang!
Ascalon charged at the black man, emitting a fierce light.
However, it was a situation where Belencia could not fully demonstrate her skills.
Ascalon, who had been pushing forward with momentum, had no choice but to switch from offense to defense in just a few moves.
But that was good. Uder didn’t just watch. He took advantage of the gap that Velencia had created and unleashed his wind sword.
Wind, thunder, and lightning strike.
The man in the black mask saw it.
I understood that I couldn’t block Yuder’s attack because I had just exchanged swords with Belencia. Yuder’s sword couldn’t reach him because he had awakened the sword.
Kwagagagagaga-!
A storm of consecutive strikes tore through the air.
The man in the black mask nullified the Wind Thunder Strike with minimal movement.
The first five moves were avoided, and the last seven were sent flying with the sword.
The final blow was countered with an identical attack.
Quagga River!
For the first time since becoming one with Sword Origin, Yuder’s arm was stained with blood.
Uther was thrown back with a great force, and Ascalon, piloted by Velencia, was also blown far away and rolled on the ground.
But the man in the black mask wasn’t in perfect condition either.
It was thanks to Yuder’s instant release of the Black Dragon’s energy at the moment they exchanged the final blow.
The man’s clothes were torn in many places.
The black mask was also partially broken.
Uder looked at the man, breathing heavily.
Instead of immediately raising his sword again as he had done before, the man raised his hand and took off his broken mask.
The black hair fell out, revealing the expected face.
Yuder Bayer.
Uther’s own face.
But I couldn’t understand.
Garius said that the strongest swordsman that Yuder remembered would definitely appear.
So then who the hell is this Yuder?
Is this the Yuder from Hero Chronicles 2 that Kang Jin-ho remembers?
No it wasn’t.
Yuder from Hero Chronicles 2 couldn’t reach the sword.
The sword of wind was not used either.
So then who is it?
Could it be that Garius was lying?
Uder took a deep breath. Belencia focused her consciousness.
And right after that.
The man in the black mask – another Uther – extended his sword. Taking a step forward, he uttered a word that made not only Uther and Belencia, but even Cordelia, who was watching from outside the stadium, fall into despair.
“The nine heavens and the nine earthly gates.”
The divine power of the sages.
Another Yuder opened the door.
Not only the stadium, but the entire temple was covered in pitch-black energy.
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< Chapter 114 - Guardian #2 > End
