Book 1 Chapter 754

754.

The Necrolord Hel Kaiser gazed upon the land of death.

The land he ruled was a place where ordinary living creatures could not survive.

The most horrific land of death among all existing places on earth.

The land ruled by Hel Kaiser was still a land of death.

But it was not a land filled with the morale of the dead and the grudges of the deceased as usual.

Now, the land of death had become a place where living creatures could not survive in a different sense.

The Necrolord's dark red eyes flashed as he looked at the frozen earth.

Crack-

As he moved, shards of ice fell like rain.

The Fragment of Erebus that seemed endless… no, the battle against the forgotten ancient evil god.

The Necrolord, who used the power of the Fragment of Erebus, failed to re-engulf the forgotten ancient evil god.

Of course, the ancient evil god also failed.

"Your Majesty, Necrolord."

Beside Hel Kaiser, the Grand Duke of Funeral, Artkhan, appeared.

Artkhan's face, usually devoid of emotion, was clouded with worry.

"What in the world was that?"

It was an unprecedented situation that even Artkhan, who had existed since before the Age of Calamity, could not imagine.

Ice confronting the never-ending, calamitous flames that burn everything to ashes.

Moreover, what attacked the Necrolord was clearly a fragment of a god, to anyone who saw it.

If the Necrolord had not used the Fragment of Erebus to block that entity.

The Necrolord's legion would not have escaped destruction.

"Nyx… an entity that desires eternal unchangeableness."

"Nyx?"

"Yes. It would be a name you wouldn't know. And it's not just you."

The Necrolord said as if it were nothing.

"Because it's an entity even my annihilated brethren don't know."

An entity unknown even to the legion commanders from 5000 years ago.

It was an entity known only to the Necrolord, Erebus's closest confidant and oldest legion commander.

"What is the true identity of this entity called Nyx?"

"An forgotten ancient evil god."

"An ancient… god?"

"Yes. In the distant past. One of the many evil gods swallowed by the God."

Artkhan showed a surprised expression at the unheard story.

The Necrolord curved the corners of his lips.

"Just as the Great Flame of Calamity dreamed of this world burning away without a trace. Nyx also had a profound wish."

"What was that wish?"

"A world immortal forever."

"…Our ideologies are completely different from yours."

"The broad framework is the same."

"What do you mean by 'the same'?"

"Because what Nyx wanted was eternal unchangeableness."

Everything in the world is bound to change as long as it is subject to time.

But Nyx did not want that.

"Nyx dreamed of a world where everything froze and stopped forever."

That was another form of destruction.

Artkhan's face was covered in disgust as he listened to Hel Kaiser's words.

"It would be a worthless world where everything has died."

"Yes."

The Necrolord Hel Kaiser is a demon who governs death.

His confidant, Artkhan, is also the same.

But they are merely beings who defy and insult the truth of death.

They are not death itself.

A world that stops forever and becomes death itself.

For those who believe in the Flame of Calamity, which dreams of a destruction where everything burns and not even ashes remain, there was nothing more repulsive than that.

It is not beautiful.

Grand Duke of Funeral Artkhan sincerely thought so.

The broad framework of desiring destruction is the same.

But the methods are poles apart.

Artkhan realized that for them, Nyx, the ice of death, was an entity they could never understand or walk the same path with.

"The resurrection of such an entity… isn't it dangerous?"

Currently, Tartarus has lost its god.

And amidst that, another ancient evil god has resurrected.

Their lord, the Necrolord, clearly has a fragment of a god and can draw out its power.

But it is still true that a god is absent from Tartarus.

In contrast, Nyx has resurrected.

"Does Nyx also have followers?"

"Yes. In the distant past. Followers imprisoned underground."

The Necrolord said in a leisurely voice.

"…Will it be alright?"

If Nyx gains a military force like Tartarus.

Could Tartarus truly stop them?

Unlike themselves, now that Nyx has resurrected, they would clearly grow stronger as time passed.

"What are you worried about?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't there two others more urgent than us?"

Hel Kaiser smiled slyly.

"The surviving hero and the foolish one."

At those words, Artkhan gasped.

"The reason the God is in conflict with Nyx is merely a difference in opinion on whose method should destroy the world."

Of course, there was no thought of compromise.

"But to them, it's the same. They are in a position to stop the destruction."

Hel Kaiser moved his feet.

He returned to his castle and said.

"No matter who wins, they will suffer great damage. In that case, we can gain an advantage."

Even if Nyx loses, it doesn't matter.

Nyx woke up as a perfectly separate entity, not a fragment of Erebus.

From Tartarus's perspective, it was beneficial for Nyx to cause great damage to the world and disappear rather than confront them.

"It will be quite a sight."

Hel Kaiser smiled sinisterly.

Whatever the outcome, Nyx, the ice of death, would taste hell.

'They are seasoned at hunting evil gods and demons.'

Recalling the hateful great heroes, the Necrolord Hel Kaiser returned to his castle.

***

Devian, where snow began to fall.

Following the mediation of Lumerne and Seirun, the civil war entered a temporary truce.

The Second Prince, who had falsely drawn Seirun in, publicly disgraced his honor.

Bringing in external forces for a civil war was itself a matter to be condemned.

Even if it was Seirun, who had no interest in profits.

Of course, that didn't mean the situation for the First Princess faction improved.

The reason was simple.

They had annoyed Queen Elena of Lumerne.

Elena was famous for being a scoundrel to begin with.

Yet, they committed rudeness towards Leo, who could be called the representative of Lumerne.

Lumerne is the focal point of the human race.

As long as they committed a diplomatic faux pas against the representative of Lumerne.

There was no way they would be viewed favorably externally.

Especially since Leo had not taken a single life of the Second Prince's soldiers, he was being praised within Devian.

While their own royal family and nobles pushed them onto the battlefield, a young and famous hero from outside protected them.

The people of Devian had no choice but to cheer for Leo.

In that capital city of Dean, the First Princess and the Second Prince each took up positions, leading their confidants.

This was to prepare a mediation plan for ending the civil war.

With the immediate crisis averted, Devian gradually began to regain stability.

The most pressing issue in Devian currently was nothing other than the cold snap.

And ironically, those suffering the most from the cold snap were.

"Achoo!"

None other than the students of Lumerne and Seirun.

Celia sneezed in the hot spring.

It was a very rare sight for Celia, who was always a thorough and perfect honor student in everything.

This was because Celia had always perfectly managed her condition.

As she strived to be a perfect honor student, Celia's motto was to show no flaws in front of others.

Not only did such a Celia sneeze, but she was also clutching herself and trembling violently.

In a way, it was natural.

The hot spring Celia was in was ice-cold water, itself a sheet of ice that had lost its warmth.

There were even ice cubes floating in it.

It was originally a frozen hot spring, but they broke the ice and forcibly entered.

Bubble bubble bubble.

Then, bubbles began to rise next to Celia.

Splash-

With that, Lunia, an elf with red hair, appeared.

Even Lunia, in the cold ice water, seemed to be shivering, unable to help herself.

The two soon embraced each other to feel even a little warmth.

Seeing that, Lisinas, the mastermind who created this ice hell, smiled faintly.

"No. The purpose of this training is not to feel even a little warmth."

At those words, Lunia and Celia made sad faces and separated.

The reason the two were suffering in the ice water amidst a cold snap was extremely simple.

The two use the power of the Phoenix.

And Lisinas was the Phoenix King's last sworn ally.

To help the two grow even further, Lisinas had prepared special training.

Of course, the two were not the only ones receiving training.

All the students from Lumerne and Seirun who had come this time were training subjects.

"By the way."

Lisinas, who had been watching the two battling the severe cold, furrowed her brow and stared intently at Celia and Lunia's attire.

"Swimsuits, huh."

Lisinas grumbled with a displeased expression.

"What kind of immodest clothes are these? Aren't you really embarrassed to stand in front of others wearing such clothes?"

At Lisinas's指摘, Celia and Lunia looked flustered.

"Huh?"

"Such a thought… I haven't really had it."

"I really can't understand kids these days. Aren't they excessively open? Is this okay?"

Celia thought as she watched Lisinas with her arms crossed and a serious expression.

'If she saw bikinis on the beach, she'd completely faint.'

Of course, Celia was also embarrassed to wear that swimsuit.

But there were quite a few people who wore them without hesitation, depending on their culture.

Meanwhile, Lunia recalled something Luna had told her before.

'Lisinas? She's a complete boomer. A boomer. She told me about elf etiquette this and that. Blah blah. Ugh. Anyone would think *she* was an elf, not me!'

Remembering Luna, who was shuddering, Lunia shivered.

'Sometimes I feel like Leo is also a boomer…'

She seemed no match for Lisinas.

Lunia, who was thinking that, realized that Lisinas was staring intently at them.

"Celia… it seems she wants us to go in and come out one more time, right?"

"…Yes."

Lunia and Celia had been repeatedly going into and coming out of the ice water without using even a little mana since earlier.

And as of just a moment ago, today's training was all finished.

Training to make mana react more easily even to small flames, as they normally use powerful flames.

And it was training to strengthen their mental power.

But it seemed the King of Wisdom was not satisfied.

The two closed their eyes tightly and dived back into the ice water.

Seeing that, Lisinas was momentarily flustered.

'No, why are they going in again?'

They could rest now, but the two girls were full of enthusiasm.

Lisinas didn't realize it was a misunderstanding caused by her staring intently at them.

She was simply distracted by other thoughts.

'If that kind of attire isn't a big problem… then it means I can wear it in front of Kyle, right?'

Lisinas fell into serious thought.

Although she had shown herself completely unclothed when she had obtained a physical body before, that was purely an accident.

'If I wear that outfit, will even that blockhead look at me differently?'