Chapter 237 – Escape (4)

Alon let out a calm sigh and looked ahead once again.

Above the canyon, soldiers were holding weapons such as bows and spears, ready to pour them down at any moment.

On the cliffs, monsters with freakishly long arms and legs were drooling.

In front of where they had to advance, an altar of followers so massive it made him sigh instinctively blocked their path.

That was not all.

The red stems that Rumurpa controlled, which were currently blocking Rine’s Golden Coffin, were already swallowing the entire canyon, as if to show they still had energy to spare.

“Eeeugh…”

“Ah…”

Thus, a vicious cycle was being created.

Fear created despair, and despair created grief.

It spread, creating despair and grief among the people, which in turn created fear.

That endless cycle was taking away the hope of everyone here.

Just as those in front of them wanted.

“…”

Alon coolly assessed the situation.

In such a situation, it was practically impossible to break through that ridiculous number of troops and escape toward the alliance.

If those in front were at the level of those they had faced at the altars, it might have been possible.

However, they were not such a ragtag bunch.

‘It seems they can handle divine power.’

The unpleasant divine power emanating from the soldiers.

It made it starkly clear.

They were on a different level from those they had faced so far.

That was not all.

‘…Apostles.’

Alon frowned and looked at the two Apostles standing in front.

The two Apostles, with faces full of joy, were clear targets to be wary of.

While one’s ability was already revealed, the other’s ability had not even been shown yet.

In other words, even if Alon ran rampant alone now, the probability of escaping was not high.

Even if he dealt with the Apostles, he would not be able to deal with all the soldiers here.

Therefore, a change was needed.

A change that would reverse the current situation.

And for that change, hope was needed once again.

“…”

Alon turned his gaze back.

The first thing that came into his view was Liang’a, standing with a firm expression.

Next was Nangwon, holding his sister’s hand.

Behind Ar, who was also shivering, despairing soldiers could be seen.

Watching them, Alon moved his mouth.

Countless words to raise their fighting spirit came to mind and disappeared repeatedly in his head.

What would be good to say?

What kind of story would be good to tell?

How could he break the chain of despair?

In a time that was less than a moment.

Alon, who pondered and pondered and pondered again.

“…Langban.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

In the end, he chose.

“Pardon?”

To say nothing.

Instead…

Spark!

…By showing them.

Without answering Langban, who asked back as if he could not understand.

Alon just walked forward steadily and raised his godhead.

Crackle!!!

His black coat harbored lightning, and at the same time, the gray world was instantly colored by blue lightning.

Two horns grew on his head.

Thunder settled in his black eyes.

What was ultimately created was the god of lightning who had saved the non-human races from crisis several times.

However, Alon knew.

This was not enough.

It was not enough to dispel the despair of the soldiers behind him.

And it was also not enough to wipe out all of Baarma’s followers who were immediately preparing to attack according to Alon’s change.

Therefore.

“Hoo…”

Alon went one step further.

■■■■■■…!!!!!

As Alon clad himself in lightning, the monsters let out sharp shrieks and shot toward the soldiers.

In response, Penia activated a wide-range shield to create a barrier.

They were blocked in front of it.

However, only the troops were inside the protection of the barrier.

The barrier did not reach Alon, who had already advanced in front of Baarma’s army, and he was naturally exposed to danger.

■■■■■■…!!!

Realizing this, the monsters quickly turned their bodies and shot toward Alon, reaching close proximity in an instant.

At that moment.

“Extreme Cold…”

Alon flicked his finger.

Crrrack!!!!

Black mana gushed out from Alon’s finger guard, and a chill like frost began to blow around him.

It was a magic Alon deployed whenever he fought a strong enemy.

The loss of magical ability due to Constraint. To prepare for this, it was a magic he had created just to stand upon the ‘frozen land.’

However, it was not so now.

Crackle!!!!

The blue lightning bursting from the deployed Extreme Cold electrocuted and killed all the monsters around Alon.

■■■■■!!!!

A terrible scream.

However, the monsters that had already entered the domain of Extreme Cold helplessly turned into black ash.

“…! Attack, everyone!”

Rumurpa, who was watching the scene, shouted hurriedly.

At that moment, six hands appeared behind Alon’s back.

At the same time, when the followers who received the Apostle’s command rushed at once to kill Alon.

Crack…

The first ice seal formed a hand seal.

What Alon obtained in the first research he did with Penia after gaining godhead was Trait Transformation.

The second ice seal formed a hand seal.

However, Trait Transformation was not the result Alon originally intended to obtain.

It was merely something obtained through a coincidence; Alon’s research purpose was originally something else.

Soon, the third ice seal…

It was research on magic used while clad in godhead.

Alon, who had devoted a very long time to that research, was finally able to reach a conclusion only after coming here.

The fourth ice seal.

The fact that magic used while clad in godhead contained the traits of godhead.

“…”

Alon looked ahead.

The followers who had already approached the front by the Apostle’s command had their weapons raised to strike Alon’s neck.

Hundreds of monsters shot from the cliffs were jumping toward him, trampling over the corpses of their comrades being fried.

Beings soaked in fanaticism, glaring with creepy eyeballs.

However, even in the midst of that, Alon, who created the fifth ice seal, looked at the sky.

In the sky, there were dark clouds that colored the gray world even more deeply.

The magic clad in the traits of godhead that he had created.

And.

The moment the sixth ice seal formed a hand seal.

Trait Transformation.

Six-seal hand-ice sign.

Thunder Ice.

With Alon’s murmur, a lightning bolt fell.

Crack…!

A lightning bolt that imprisoned everything.

####

Langban was feeling despair.

No, that wasn’t all.

Everyone here was feeling despair.

It was natural.

For now, the enemy’s soldiers easily overwhelmed the size of their own side, and above all, Apostles were here.

Apostles of Baarma.

Those irrational existences who could deal with hundreds of alliance soldiers alone and even rival the gods of the alliance, there were as many as two of them.

Langban thought everything was over.

No matter how strong Alon was, it was close to impossible to deal with two Apostles.

That was why he was despairing.

…Until the world was split in half.

“W-What…?”

Langban muttered unconsciously and looked ahead.

There, a giant flower of ice created by the lightning bolt existed.

“…”

Subsequently, he looked up with a dazed expression.

The giant lightning bolt that had fallen from the sky did not disappear but maintained its form, splitting the world in half.

That was not all.

Inside that ice flower were numerous followers who had been rushing with fierce momentum until just a moment ago.

It wasn’t just the followers.

One Apostle, who had been confident until just now, was also trapped inside that ice flower with an expression of not knowing what had happened.

And in front of it.

“…”

A man was standing.

A fluttering black coat, firmly closed lips.

The appearance of a man who was just keeping silence…

No, the appearance of a god.

“Ah…”

With someone’s exclamation as a signal, everyone’s gaze began to gather on the man all at once.

The man who stood proudly while splitting the world to the left and right.

In the eyes of the soldiers looking at his back, there was no longer any fear or despair.

The fear that had dominated them was now…

“Kaaaaaak!!!”

Unlike the Apostle trapped in the ice flower, Rumurpa, who barely escaped the range of the lightning bolt but lost his entire right arm.

Having heard his scream vividly…

“!!”

“No, that’s impossible…”

…It was transferred to the followers.

The expressions of the followers, who were feeling joy at the thought of hunting the non-human races, were colored with fear.

Fear spread among the soldiers who were rushing to kill Alon.

The momentum created by a bizarre degree of fanaticism was evaporating.

Watching that, Langban…

“!”

…Realized only then.

The meaning of Alon’s words “I’ll leave it to you” earlier.

A smile bloomed on Langban’s mouth.

He tightly gripped the sword in his hand.

As if his body, which had been as heavy as water-soaked cotton due to grief, was a lie, his hand gripped the sword with stronger power than ever before.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!!”

Langban’s thunderous shout.

At this, the soldiers who had been dazed while looking at Alon’s back came to their senses and picked up their weapons all at once.

There was no longer fear on their faces.

Despair was not felt either.

The same was true for grief.

Instead.

A different emotion dwelled in everyone’s eyes.

Hope.

Unmistakable hope was shining clearly.

“Comrades! Raise your weapons!”

Langban shouted once more and raised the hand holding his weapon.

His steady gaze looked firmly at those standing by his side.

Hope called for hope.

The weapon held firmly.

The steady eyes looking at the fear-stricken followers.

They shared hope with each other.

“Do not be afraid!!”

At his words, courage welled up in everyone’s eyes.

“For we have…”

And finally…

Crrrrack!!!!

The moment the ice flower that had imprisoned the Apostles and followers and split the world to the left and right exploded, scattering pure white snow.

They saw it.

The ice that exploded while splitting the sky defeated the gray sky and allowed light in.

Something they had not seen for a long time.

The brilliant sunlight.

And, looking at Alon’s back against that brilliant sunlight.

“God is with us!!”

Langban’s shout, as if his throat would burst, rang out.

──────────────-!!!!!!!!

The soldiers, who let out a thunderous cheer, began to shoot toward the followers.

With the symbol of hope kept in their hearts.