Chapter 648 – We cannot retreat (4)

Boom-!

The ground felt as if it would crumble from the shaking.

"That, that-"

"…Oh, God..."

The knights couldn't even feel the ground shaking as they were too busy looking up, dazed by what they were looking at.

These knights had prepared themselves to charge forward toward the enemies at any moment, waiting for the order to move.

They were here to protect the Roan Kingdom.

They had come here without any hesitation.

For my kingdom, my friends, my family… Their steps were heavy on this path to save everyone, but they had the courage to move forward.

"I, it really is a m, monster..."

Unfortunately, what they imagined was different from reality.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh–"

"Chhhhhh— chhh—"

A snake and an eel…

The monster that seemed to be something between those two had two heads. One was blue while the other was yellow.

The monster had horns and fangs and was the size of an adult Dragon. They had never seen such a weird monster before. It was a terrible monster they could only see in their imaginations or mythologies. It looked like the type of monster that would appear as a final boss a hero must defeat in a novel.

But at least this snake-thing looked like a monster.

The thing that scared the knights was not this two-headed snake.

"…Ah…unbelievable..."

"…That's a monster...?"

The creature that appeared in this world in a bright white light…

That monster had eight Dragon wings and Dragon scales.

It also had a lion's head with a lustrous mane and claws sharper than those of Eagles.

It walked on two feet and the ground pressed down once its two feet touched down.

Boom, boooooom-

The plaza was barely big enough for the two-headed snake; the buildings started to break down once the lion-headed monster descended as well.

"…Unbelievable..."

But this monster looked so holy.

The monster's eyes glowed gold while the Dragon scales covering the monster's body and its mane were bright white.

If the two-headed snake looked like a villain from a myth, this monster looked like a warrior that protected the gods.

"...."

The lion silently looked around with its golden eyes.

The knight felt as if he had lost all strength in his legs just because the lion looked in his direction.

"…A Dragon…it looks stronger than a Dragon."

His superiors did tell him about it.

He was told that they would have to fight against the worst monster ever. He was told that these monsters would be stronger than Dragons and that they all needed to give their best as these monsters might be from the Demon World.

His superiors had been right.

These truly were the worst monsters, looked stronger than Dragons, and were not from this world.

'…Our best? Is this something we can defeat by giving our best? Forget giving our best, I feel like I'm going to die the moment I charge forward.'

The knight couldn't think about anything else as he was drowning in fear and anxiety from the overwhelming monster's presence.

That was why he couldn't look at the soldiers following him.

"H, holy shit-"

"We're all dead! We're all going to die! Look at that! Nobody will be able to defeat that thing!"

"…Do you think that we are the only ones who will die? The entire continent will turn into a mess!"

The soldiers holding their weapons were shaking in fear.

'We can't do it. We can't fight it. We are not enough.'

They didn't have the courage to charge forward.

"W, who would be able to charge toward t, that monster? T, this is impossibl-"

'This is impossible.'

A soldier lost strength in his hand as he was about to say that.

Clang-!

His sword fell to the ground. However, the soldier could not even think about picking it back up as he pointed toward the sky.

"…Your highness?"

A person in white armor was jumping across the roof tops toward the monster.

"…Swordsman-nim-"

Next to him was a swordsman whose black hair was fluttering in the air. His black aura was around his sword as he moved toward their enemy, the monster, without any hesitation.

Those two must be crown prince Alberu Crossman and Choi Han, the youngest sword master.

One person had an extremely bright white spear.

The other had something that they knew was a sword, but it was sparkling like a starry night sky because of his shining black aura.

"…Shit."

The knight finally snapped out of it after seeing the two of them. He bit down on his lips.

His lower lip started to bleed. However, the knight felt as if he could think properly again after tasting blood.

His eyes, and the eyes of all the leaders standing in front of their troops throughout Puzzle City, became focused on the backs of these two people.

One person was wearing armor with the Roan Kingdom's crest while the other had light leather armor on and only had a sword in his hand.

This white knight and black knight looked extremely different from each other.

However, the people looking at their backs felt the same emotion from both men.

"Fuck!"

Clang-!

The knight swore as he pulled out his sword.

The soldier who had dropped his sword bent down and picked it up.

Their leader, the Knight Captain, moved from the back of the group to the front.

He had shown up later than the rest as he was busy coming up with a strategy with the other leaders. He shouted as he moved to the front of the group.

"There are only two of them!"

The Knight Captain looked at the back of his liege, who had charged forward before him and continued speaking.

"Everybody should remember that there were originally supposed to be eight of those monsters!"

He was right.

Alberu had prepared for the worst after hearing that the summoning would take place in Puzzle City. That was why the knights and soldiers had been training as if eight monsters would invade Puzzle City.

"You should have also heard that the eight became four and then decreased again to two!"

This was also true.

The Knight Captain looked at the soldiers listening to him and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back. He was feeling emotional.

However, he shouted without any hesitation.

"Thanks to former Commander Sir Cale Henituse fighting in front, we only have to face two of the eight monsters!"

The Knight Captain was calling Cale 'Sir Cale Henituse' even though Cale was not a knight. It was a form of respect, and there was nobody here who had any issues with that.

"And now, his highness and Sir Choi Han will be in the front to fight against these two monsters!"

The fact that his liege, the person he should protect, and a swordsman who was younger than him was leading the fight in front of them made the Knight Captain forget his fears of the monsters.

"I don't expect a lot from you! Maintain your positions! Do your part!"

That was the hardest thing to do in battle.

However, the Knight Captain couldn't help but shout like that.

He was saying it to himself as well.

It was at that moment.

Boooooooom-

There was a loud explosion that made their ears ring.

The black aura charged toward the first unranked monster, the Electric Eel, as if it was a thunderbolt shooting up from the ground.

"Chhhhhhhhhh–!"

"Ssss!"

The two snakes' eyes headed toward Choi Han, the owner of the black aura that had attacked them.

However, Choi Han was already preparing his next attack.

Oooooo– oooooo–

As if it was an imugi's last breath on Earth before it ascended to the heavens… A black Yong revealed itself wrapped around Choi Han's sword and his body.

Choi Han opened his mouth while looking at the two-headed snake looking at him.

"I will take care of this thing quickly and then join you soon, your highness."

Alberu touched his spear and asked.

"Can you take care of it on your own? You couldn't do it alone last time."

"…I will at least try."

Choi Han could not be certain that he could take care of it alone.

The Electric Eel's scales were so sturdy that Choi Han couldn't slash through it with his aura. It just had a few places Choi Han could aim for, such as its horn and inside its mouth.

'The question is whether I can attack those spots on my own.'

Choi Han thought about how Cale had tied the Electric Eel up last time he aimed for those weaknesses. The help of their many allies on Earth made that fight possible.

Choi Han didn't share that part with Alberu.

"…Will you be okay on your own?"

Choi Han instead asked Alberu in a concerned tone.

"We've already discussed this."

Other than Cale, Choi Han knew the most about the Electric Eel.

As for Alberu, he was the person best suited to take on this eighth unranked monster.

"We can't let either of these monsters get out of Puzzle City."

That was why Choi Han and Alberu… The two of them stood in front of everybody else to tie these two monsters down.

That was the first and most urgent matter.

"I will take care of it quickly and then help you, your highness."

"Choi Han, don't push yourself too hard alone."

Choi Han turned around to look at Alberu after hearing his name.

This time, Alberu looked at the enemy he was to face and continued to speak.

"…Don't die. We will find the answer if we stay alive and keep fighting. We can't have anybody else push themselves too hard."

"That is what I wish to say to you, your highness."

Choi Han then left Alberu's side and charged toward the two-headed snake.

He reached his sword out.

Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-

The black Yong followed his sword and jumped out of the tip of the sword to charge toward the monster with its jaw open. It seemed as ferocious as the two-headed snake.

"My instructor-nim sure is strong."

Alberu mischievously commented before grabbing his spear and charging forward as well.

'I need to see what this monster is capable of first.'

He needed to test the strength of this monster that was quietly standing there and looking down at him. That was their first priority.

– This monster was called the Lion Dragon on Earth 3.

Alberu cast his magic while listening to Taerang's voice.

Paaaat-

A gold light that resembled the rays of the sun covered the white spear and made it look as if Alberu was swinging a beam of light toward the Lion Dragon.

Baaaaaang—!

There was another loud explosion.

"…Ha, haha-"

Alberu laughed at the end of that explosion.

– The scary thing about the Lion Dragon is that it uses a weapon. It uses a weapon even though it has a strong body, sharp claws, and numerous other abilities.

Alberu sighed while looking at the weapon that blocked his spear.

– And that weapon is a shield.

A Holy White Shield had suddenly appeared in the Lion Dragon's hands.

It made him think about a certain someone's silver shield.

– We call that shield the Unbreakable Shield. That is why this spear that was made from that monster's bone is called the Unbreakable Spear.

Taerang stoically continued speaking.

– Seven nights and eight days. We were finally able to kill the Lion Dragon after seven long nights and eight days. Thousands of people died and an area ten times the size of Seoul became desolate, unable to be restored ever again.

– That was why the monster ranking that had stopped at SSS-Grade had changed to include the EX-Grade for the first time.

The smile disappeared from Alberu's face. His eyes that were cold with anger stared out the helmet and into the monster's gold eyes.

"…The Unbreakable Shield, huh? It has a similar name, but it is used so differently."

Alberu couldn't even make a scratch on the monster's white shield.

– The Unbreakable Spear is able to pierce through the Lion Dragon's hide and bones, which are said to be the strongest among all monsters. However, it is unable to break that shield.

Taerang added on in an emotionless voice.

– Based on your current strength… Your chances of victory are zero percent. One hour. Master, should you and swordsman Choi Han fight to your deaths, you will be able to last one hour.

"Pffft."

Alberu laughed again.

Even if he and Choi Han died, they would only be able to last one hour. That showed the strength of this Lion Dragon.

– Do you really have no thoughts of running away? Don't you want to live?

Alberu looked into the Lion Dragon's gold eyes.

Maybe this monster didn't have much thought about fighting or it might be thinking about something else as it just silently looked down at Alberu.

Baaaaaang- baaaaang–

Alberu clenched his spear as he could hear the fight happening nearby.

Choi Han truly was giving his best. Yes, he was fighting without caring about his own life. Alberu could tell by the sounds.

It was obvious that Choi Han would soon reach his limit, but he continued to attack not using his regular aura but his black Yong, desperately looking for any openings to attack the two-headed snake's weaknesses.

Alberu responded to Taerang's question about whether he wanted to live.

"…I will live. I will definitely live."

'I, the others, our kingdom… And even this world.'

Oooooooong- ooooooong-

Light shot out of the white spear once again. The area around Alberu started to shake. Regular mana and not dead mana activated intensely in his magic.

– Master, you really meant that.

Alberu, who was prepared to give it his all as Choi Han was already doing, charged toward the monster once again.

The monster just raised its large shield to block the puny Alberu.

Baaa- baaaaang, baaaaang! Bang!

Alberu continued to attack, hoping to either pierce the shield or to dodge the shield and get closer to the Lion Dragon.

"Ugh!"

The Lion Dragon frowned. The monster seemed to be observing the spear before swinging the shield differently from before.

Baaaaaang–!

The loudest explosion could be heard at that moment, and Alberu's body was flung backward.

Baaaaang!

"Ugh!"

His body crashed into a building wall. The monster, not just defending but using the shield to smack him, was so strong that Alberu could not even control his body as it got sent flying.

"…Fuck."

'It is strong. It is too strong.'

– Master, are you okay?

Alberu closed his eyes for a moment, feeling frustrated.

It was at that moment. His eyes jolted open.

Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii– piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii–

He heard the sound of a flute.

"He's finally here."

Alberu stood up.

Crumble.

The debris from the wall fell off his body.

He didn't pay any attention to his crushed armor and turned toward the direction of the flute.

The sound of the flute was coming from the North.

He could soon see a large wyvern appearing in the sky above Puzzle City.

There were four people on the wyvern's back.

"I guess we are the first to arrive."

Chhhhhhh-

A water whip cut through the air before the master of the whip alighted to the ground.

Witira, the future Whale Queen. She smiled brightly toward Choi Han and Alberu, who were looking at her.

Boom! Boom!

Two men alighted behind her. The Whale Archie and the half-blooded Whale Paseton looked at the two monsters before speaking.

"Wow. These monsters look like they would be fun to beat up."

"Mm. I guess we'll need to fight them first."

After the Dragons… The Whale tribe was said to be the strongest of the Beast people.

As for the wyvern master who brought the Whales over…

"We cannot be late on the path to becoming a legend. A true hero is there first to progress with the legend."

Guardian Knight Clopeh Sekka blew the flute.

Piiiiiiiiiiii– piiiiiii-

More wyverns with knights on them would head over after hearing the flute.

"Hmm?"

However, Clopeh felt an eerie aura and stopped playing the flute.

He turned his head.

He looked toward the Eastern sky.

Something black was rising up like the sun over the horizon and getting closer.

Clopeh started to speak.

"…Bone Dragon?"

Alberu looked toward the Eastern sky and smiled.

It was a black Bone Dragon with sturdy armor on top of its black bones.

The Dragon's eyes were glowing white gold. It was the same color as the Dragon half-blood's light attribute.

And on top of that large Bone Dragon that was flying freely as if it was a living Dragon… Who else would it be but Mary, the one and only necromancer in the world?

The sleeves of her black robe were fluttering, and two people were standing behind her.

Alberu immediately figured out who they were.

"…The Dragons are here."

Ancient Dragon Eruhaben and Mila.

The Dragons were here.

Alberu clenched his fists.

He closed his eyes and then opened them again.

They were just the start.

Their allies should be coming from all over the continent right now.

"…It's worth trying."

Alberu Crossman, the man who would be recorded as a great king in the near future, did not doubt their victory anymore.

The reason this war becomes known as the greatest battle in the future was because this was not just a battle for humans. It was a battle that involved all living beings throughout the continent.

Humans. Many different types of Beast people. Those who were shunned for having the Darkness attribute. Mysterious creatures that people had heard about but had never seen before.

They would all fight in this war, and this would be the start of how all creatures living on the continent become aware of each other and live together.

In the future, the person who gathered all these different races together would be called the beginning and the end of everything.

But that person, Cale Henituse, was currently lying on a bed unable to open his eyes.

"…Haaa…ha..."

The man whose breath was heavy and hot was lying in bed with Raon, unable to leave his side.

Raon turned his head for a moment.

Baaaaaaaaaang!

A fierce battle was happening outside the terrace.

—
Translator's Comments

THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF EVERYTHING?! WHAAAAAAT?

What will happen next?

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]