Episode 368 - Dark Star (2)
Rengua thought of the Sword Demon—Karvas.
He first t the Sword Demon when he visited Pri Root on his lord’s orders.
His initial impression was, “So ordinary.”
There was nothing special about his aura.
If no one had told him who he was, Rengua would’ve mistaken him for a regular man.
However, his appearance was unforgettable.
Long, snow-white hair that flowed down to his waist.
Pale skin, white eyes.
He wore no armor, wrapping most of his limbs and body in white cloth. From a distance, especially at night, he looked like a ghost—so much so that the na "Sword Demon" had spread because of that eerie image.
He always carried a worn sword, the kind you’d expect to find in a common weapons shop.
Aside from his appearance, there was nothing remarkable.
Rengua's instincts told him Karvas wasn’t strong at all.
A completely false impression.
Pri Root was a city of criminals.
Occasionally, fools would challenge the Sword Demon, and once, even hundreds of raiders ambushed him in an attempt to kill him.
Even then, Karvas looked unimpressive.
Even when he swatted away thousands of arrows with his sword.
Even when he sliced through heaps of explosives with a single strike.
Even when he tore all his attackers in two with frightening precision—He still looked utterly indifferent.
Rengua rembered the sight of Karvas sitting alone atop a mountain of corpses, drinking idly from a bottle with a bored expression. It had sent chills down his spine.
“How... How is that possible?”
The way he controlled his energy defied reason.
He wasn’t ordinary—he just hadn’t t anyone worth unleashing his power on, so he kept it hidden.
Rengua recalled his lord’s warning:
“You must never make an enemy of the Sword Demon in Pri Root.”
In fact, his lord had urged him to catch Karvas’s attention as quickly as possible.
From then on, Rengua carefully followed the instructions his lord had provided. As a skilled puppeteer, he quickly established his position in Pri Root and gradually increased his encounters with Karvas.
After several months of flawlessly completing the Sword Demon’s requests, Karvas finally reached out.
“You’re useful. Interested in becoming a Black Star?”
When Rengua asked why him, Karvas gave a chilling smile and said—
“Because whatever sches you’re hiding, even I couldn’t sense them. That makes you interesting.”
An incomprehensible man.
But one thing was certain—
The Sword Demon was terrifyingly powerful.
That’s how Rengua beca one of the ruling Black Stars of Pri Root.
"Kuh... Khak!"
Cold wind seeped into every fiber of his body.
Rengua coughed blood and fell to his knees. Azolett was the sa, pale and gasping for breath as she leaned against a rock.
The coalition’s pursuit over the past few days had been relentless.
Wounds big and small covered them, and now both their energy and stamina were completely depleted.
They hadn’t slept properly in days—minds were foggy.
Gritting his teeth, Rengua slowly stood.
It was too soon to give up. If Karvas arrived, there was still hope. They just had to endure long enough.
“...If it’s him...”
Yes, their pursuers were strong, but Karvas would overco them.
Still panting, Rengua asked Azolett:
“When did the ssage co?”
“Just now.”
“Just now? Then the boss is...”
“He’s in Leruze.”
“...Leruze?”
Azolett brushed her hair back with effort and stared in that direction—toward Leruze, the black city and her hotown.
She had contacted Karvas through one of the spiders linked to her senses.
And he had responded that he was on the move.
Hearing that, Rengua laughed bitterly.
“Then we’ll be corpses before he gets here.”
The Frozen Desert was vast.
No matter how fast Karvas was, if he was coming from Leruze, it would take ti.
“He said he’d arrive before sunset.”
He looked at the horizon—the round sun was just beginning to set. The sky was bathed in dim twilight. Night was coming.
Then Azolett asked, with desperate eyes:
“Any other cards left?”
“I used everything in the last fight. You’re the sa, aren’t you?”
Azolett nodded heavily.
They had been caught twice during their flight. Each ti, they had barely survived thanks to secret techniques they’d kept hidden.
A four-man, five-star party.
They couldn’t win in a direct fight, so they’d thrown everything they had just to survive.
“I even used all my Crickets, the ones I saved for the very end. There’s nothing left.”
“Sa here.”
“Don’t lie. You still have that one.”
That treasured purple crystal orb he always carried. Azolett didn’t know exactly what it did, but she was sure it wasn’t ordinary.
But Rengua shook his head firmly.
“I can’t use that.”
“You insane bastard, trying to die with it? That thing might be enough to hold out until Karvas gets here. Right?!”
“That won’t happen. If I die, then that’s just my fate.”
“Damn it, you’re out of your mind. Damn old fool.”
Judging by his reaction, he truly had no intention of using the orb—even if it cost him his life.
Considering the serious wound on his abdon had likely co from protecting the orb, maybe it really was more precious to him than his life.
Azolett cursed and looked toward the horizon.
Where the Frozen Desert t the crimson sky.
The sun’s light was dimming. It really was about to set.
The boss had promised to arrive before nightfall. It would happen.
Still, thinking of the strength of their enemies made her chest tighten, and every second stretched into eternity.
“Damn it... They’re here.”
The dreaded mont had co.
Beyond the horizon, their pursuers appeared.
A dwarf, a human, and a witch.
Unrelenting foes they never wanted to see again—not even in their dreams.
“They’re too fast. In this condition, we’ll be caught right away.”
“What’s their formation?”
“Sa as before.”
“Worst case.”
Rengua stopped walking and, wearing a grim expression, looked down at the staff in his hand.
Blood Orc Staff.
It was the artifact that had elevated him from a re shaman to the Descendant of the Blood Oak Shaman.
Everything Rengua could do ca from this staff.
After a mont of silent resolve, he drove it deep into the cold sand.
“Stay close.”
“What are you doing?”
“My final card.”
“I can buy us so ti. I can’t promise we’ll hold out until the boss arrives, but...”
Rengua stared down the rapidly approaching pursuers and closed his eyes. Then, he began chanting a strange incantation into the air.
When he opened his eyes again—
His irises had turned completely white.
“Ggeaaaahhh!”
A chilling scream erupted from his throat.
A wave of thick, maddening energy exploded from the staff and began to swirl violently around him.
A storm of raw emotion and insanity.
Just looking at it could drive a normal person mad—a wall of pure madness ford, shielding Rengua and Azolett.
Azolett’s face showed relief.
“If you had this... why didn’t you use it earlier?!”
And then—
Crack!
The staff Rengua gripped began to split, fractures forming across it before it slowly crumbled into dust.
Only then did Azolett realize—
This was a technique that sacrificed the staff Rengua treasured like his life.
In a world ruled by power, giving up your power wasn’t sothing done lightly.
Especially not a power worthy of being called a Black Star.
Most would rather die than surrender it.
Yet Rengua had just done so.
It couldn’t be just to survive.
It must’ve been to protect the crystal orb...
Given everything he’d done so far, that wasn’t a difficult conclusion.
What was that orb?
What could it possibly an to him, for him to give up this much just to protect it?
Her thoughts didn’t last long.
“Break it down!!!!”
The coalition launched their full assault right in front of the barrier.
Black vortex. Wall of madness.
Shockwaves rang out again and again.
Boom boom boom boom—!
Natasha attacked the wall furiously, her face contorted in rage.
The wall shrieked.
But even her fists couldn’t break through.
Worse, the cries from the wall disoriented her mind.
Grabbing her throbbing head, she pulled back briefly.
“Ggeaaahh!”
Dorneth struck next. His massive shield swung with the intent to shatter the wall completely.
BOOM—!!!
The wall shuddered violently. It seed to be working, but Dorneth, too, let out a pained groan and stepped back.
Kal, watching closely, suddenly shouted:
“We can’t stay near the wall for long!”
“Is there a way to break it?!”
“One blow at full power, then retreat! We need to destroy the core inside!”
He pointed at the staff embedded at the center of the barrier. With every strong impact, more of it crumbled into dust.
Rengua was desperately channeling his power to keep it intact, but he was losing ground.
“One shot? That’s my specialty.”
Natasha bared her teeth and thrust both fists forward slowly.
The basic stance of Quanru, the Giant Tribe’s martial art.
She closed her eyes and synchronized with Gereflam, the giant.
The strength of the Giant Tribe gathered in her fists.
Spiritual fists of the giant, ford by spirit arts.
“Huaaah!”
BOOM!
A colossal spiritual punch slamd into the wall, and Rengua coughed blood and collapsed.
Dorneth summoned his Oath Shield.
His already massive shield grew even larger, enough to cover his whole body.
Lowering his stance, he readied the charge.
Dwarf muscle—dense and powerful—bulged, and he shot toward the wall.
Boom!
As Natasha and Dorneth took turns battering the wall, it began to collapse rapidly.
Kal held his dagger tightly, scanning the surroundings.
So far, his danger sense wasn’t warning of anything serious.
If the wall fell and both Azolett and Rengua were incapacitated—
Take them out quickly and retreat.
Kal was already planning the next move.
“...Damn it! Get it together!”
Azolett slamd her fist into Rengua’s chest, but he didn’t move, his face deathly pale.
Frantic, she summoned her remaining Crickets.
The Crickets burst out from hiding and attacked, but the enemy was too strong. All six were torn apart in monts.
Panicked, Azolett searched Rengua’s robe.
Vwooom—!
She found the purple crystal orb.
But the mont her hand touched it, Rengua’s hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t touch it.”
He had no strength left to speak, but his bloodshot eyes were filled with insane determination.
Azolett jerked her arm away.
She tried shaking the orb, channeling energy into it.
No reaction.
“Damn it!”
She threw the orb to the ground.
And then—
Ka-zhzzzhzhzhzh!
...!
The wall crumbled completely.
A small giant, eyes fierce, charged in with a massive shield.
Azolett hastily threw up a protective barrier.
BAM!
“Aaagh!”
She vomited blood and slamd into the ground.
Staggering, she raised her head—
A red-haired, short-haired witch lood over Rengua.
A giant’s full-powered fist ca crashing down like a hamr, aid to crush him.
A massive shield followed.
They’re both going to die!
Just as Azolett’s eyes widened in terror—
Whoosh—
A dark shadow flashed above her head.
Flowing white hair trailed behind it.
“B-Boss!”
The mont she shouted the na, ti seed to slow.
It was just an illusion—Karvas had moved so quickly that her perception couldn’t keep up.
Those gleaming white eyes.
As Karvas surveyed the battlefield, his lips stretched into a chilling smile.
“Taat!”
With a battle cry, an imnse surge of energy exploded from his body, swallowing the surroundings.
Touched by his aura, Natasha and Dorneth flinched and froze for an instant, and Karvas drew his blade like a thunderbolt from its scabbard.
The Sword Demon’s formless sword-draw technique.
“This should be fun.”
As the single blade tore through the very air—
“Get back!”
Kal’s urgent shout rang out.
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