Chapter 248: Fortress of Evil (1)

“So, you’ve heard of me, then,” Ketal said, his expression softening into a faint smile.

“Of course...” the Archbishop managed, voice trembling with awe. There was simply no way not to know that name.

Ketal grinned and extended a hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

His gaze swept over the assembled crowd at the outpost. There were so many gathered here, more than he had expected. More impressively, nearly every individual radiated a powerful presence—most were at least Advanced individuals, with a surprising number of Transcendents among them. Each person here was a figure of note, representing different guilds, faiths, and kingdoms, all drawn together by the looming crisis.

As Ketal scanned the group, his eyes brightened with recognition. There, in the crowd, stood a familiar face. With unrestrained joy, he called out, “Kain!”

“Oh?” The Swordmaster turned, his eyes widening in shock before lighting up with surprise. For a split second, Kain looked almost like a startled animal.

“It’s been too long, Kain!” Ketal said, approaching with a genuine smile.

“Y-yeah. It really has,” Kain replied, still processing the coincidence. Of all the places to meet, he’d never expected to run into Ketal here, at the edge of a battlefield.

The Mercenary King watched this reunion with a curious expression. “So, you really do know each other...”

“There’s no reason for me to lie about that,” Ketal answered, a wry grin on his lips.

“I never doubted you, but it’s still hard to believe. Seeing a being of your caliber casually call out to an old friend... it’s a bit surreal,” the Mercenary King admitted, shaking his head as if to clear away the strangeness of it all. But he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he stepped back and took command of the situation. “Looks like you two have plenty to catch up on. Let’s take a few hours to rest, then reconvene later. I, for one, could use some sleep.”

The Mercenary King’s exhaustion was plain. In his determination to keep up with Ketal, he had pushed himself well past his limits. Now, the fatigue was catching up, and he needed time to recover.

Ketal nodded understandingly. “Of course.”

The Mercenary King turned to the Archbishop. “I’ll be in your care.”

“Of course. Please, follow me,” the Archbishop said, guiding the Mercenary King away for a well-earned rest.

With the crowd dispersing, Ketal motioned for Kain to join him, and the two found a quiet spot at the edge of the camp. Ketal’s voice was warm with genuine curiosity. “So, how have you been? It’s been a while.”

“I’ve been... busy. Very busy, in fact,” Kain admitted with a tired chuckle.

The world was growing more chaotic by the day. The Demon Realms were making their presence felt, dark mages and demons lurked at every turn, and Kain had hardly been able to rest. As a Transcendent, he had responsibilities he couldn’t ignore, especially given his strong sense of duty to his homeland.

To protect the kingdom, he had followed the Emperor’s orders, investigating the Demon Realm’s incursions and facing off against the dark mages who had begun stirring near the borders. When Dungeons erupted into new crises, he was the first to respond. Even now, his presence here was driven by his commitment to the kingdom and its allies; a threat near their shared borders couldn’t be ignored.

“Sounds exhausting,” Ketal said, sympathy in his voice. “You must have been through a lot.”

“I doubt it’s as much as you,” Kain replied, casting a sideways glance. “You know, I hear a lot about what you’ve been up to.”

“Is that so?” Ketal asked him, feigning surprise.

Kain let out a small laugh. “Oh, I know. The Tower Master drops by every so often and gives me an earful. He would say things like ‘You picked a fight with someone who accomplished this, who achieved that. What do you think now, child?’” Kain shook his head, recalling the teasing words that had become a fixture in his life. “Even if I wanted to forget, it’s impossible.”

Ketal grinned. “I’ve certainly kept myself busy.”

Kain’s gaze was full of awe. “You took down the demons that descended on the Denian Kingdom, defended the holy land of Kalosia, protected the merfolk, and saved the elven sacred ground. Each feat is beyond imagination. Any one of them could have made you a legend.”

He paused, searching Ketal’s face for something. “I shouldn’t be surprised, not with the power you have. But what shocks me is that you actually choose to do good. I always thought you were just chasing whatever piqued your interest. I even called you broken, once... But every time, you end up saving lives and protecting the world. That’s more than I can say for most Heroes.”

Ketal’s smile softened, his eyes bright. “It’s been fun. That’s all there is to it.”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Kain smiled, a little awkwardly. “Yeah... I suppose you’re right. It’s good to see you again, Ketal.”

Their bond was an unusual one, but it was genuine. Despite Ketal’s eccentricity, there was no reason to keep him at arm’s length. His deeds spoke for themselves, and, more importantly, he had always been a friend.

“You’re here to face the demon, aren’t you?” Kain asked him.

“Of course,” Ketal replied easily.

Kain didn’t see the faint, dangerous glint that flickered in Ketal’s eyes.

***

A few hours later, the core members of the outpost gathered in a small tent, sheltered from the cold wind that swept over the plains.

The Archbishop, calm and dignified, addressed them. “Since you two have just arrived, I’ll explain the current situation. I’ve gathered only those who are Transcendents or above; it would be impractical to summon everyone at once.”

The Mercenary King looked around, eyes widening in surprise. “This many, just from the top ranks...”

Despite the exclusivity of the meeting, there were ten people packed into the tent, all of them at least Transcendent level.

The Archbishop began introductions. “My name is Terranos, and I serve as the Archbishop of the Earth Goddess faith.”

The Earth Goddess’s Church was the largest on the continent, and to rise to the position of Archbishop required tremendous power.

“I hold the power of a high Transcendent,” Terranos added.

Ketal nodded in appreciation. “Impressive. That’s just shy of the highest-level Transcendent.”

Three more bishops of the Earth Goddess’s faith introduced themselves, all Transcendents in their own right.

Next came three mages from the Mage Tower, each a specialist in siege warfare, and all boasting extraordinary power.

Then came Kain the Swordmaster. In all, there were eight of them. Each would be celebrated as a prodigy or a leader in any other assembly, but here, even such figures seemed overshadowed.

The Mercenary King, Bloodedge, spoke next. “I’m Bloodedge, the Mercenary King. Glad to work with you all.”

Kain whistled softly. “To think I’d meet the legendary Mercenary King in person...”

Bloodedge’s exploits were legendary. There was no one outside the ranks of Heroes who could best him in battle. Yet even he, in this tent, wasn’t the star of the show.

Finally, all eyes turned to Ketal.

“I’m Ketal, the barbarian. I look forward to working with you,” Ketal said, flashing his usual cheerful smile.

Archbishop Terranos bowed his head respectfully. “It’s an honor to meet you, Ketal. I never imagined I’d stand alongside someone of your caliber.”

“You’re giving me too much credit,” Ketal replied, but there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

“It’s only fitting if one knows what you’ve accomplished,” Terranos insisted, meeting Ketal’s gaze with earnest sincerity. The faiths of the Earth Goddess and Sun God were the two greatest churches on the continent, and the exchange of information between them was frequent and detailed. Naturally, the Archbishop was well aware of everything Ketal had done.

“We are truly grateful to have you with us,” Terranos said. The great Archbishop of the Earth Goddess’s faith was bowing his head in deference to Ketal.

A new Hero has appeared...

Terranos gulped nervously.

Heroes were someone who could project their will onto the world itself—a feat only a single person in the entire Earth Goddess’s faith had ever achieved. It was a rare and exalted rank, one that could match even the greatest of organizations alone. Such a person could not be treated lightly.

However, even setting aside his strength, Ketal was someone who deserved such respect. He had saved Kalosia’s holy land, the elven sacred ground, aided the merfolk, and defended kingdoms. The deeds he had accomplished were enough to earn the admiration of all. And as long as the incident with the Ferderica faith remained secret, there would be no change to this regard; the Mercenary King would never be the one to reveal it.

The Archbishop maintained a humble posture, as did the other bishops under him.

“It’s an honor to meet you. Thank you for your kindness,” said one bishop.

“I’ve always hoped to meet you someday, great Hero,” added another.

The mages from the Mage Tower were a little different. Spellweaver had already returned to the Tower and shared what he knew of Ketal with other high-ranking Transcendents, so they were well informed about him. As for Cain, there was nothing left to say; he knew firsthand.

“Oh,” Ketal murmured, a strange sensation washing over him. It was rare for people to know both his strength and his deeds and treat him accordingly right from the start. For the first time in a long while, he truly felt honored. It wasn’t a bad feeling—quite the opposite. He smiled softly. “I’ll do my utmost to help. Let’s work together.”

“Thank you very much,” Terranos replied, still bowing. Then he addressed the rest of the group. “There are also many other Advanced and Intermediate priests, mages, and mercenaries here as well.”

All told, there were nearly a hundred people. The Mercenary King muttered under his breath, “That’s quite the fighting force.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. This group could crush any dark mage’s lair in a day. If they’d been at Kalosia’s holy land, Lubitra never would have been able to descend in the first place.

However, Terranos wore a wry smile. “Unfortunately, we haven’t accomplished much of anything.”

“How long have you all been here?” the Mercenary King asked him.

“A week.”

“Hm?” The Mercenary King’s expression shifted, his brow furrowing. For so many powerful individuals to have gathered and yet failed to make progress for a full week—that was no small matter. His face grew serious. “What exactly has descended upon us?”

Terranos began his explanation. “Let me explain the background first.”

The Faith of Lupesiana, the God of Harmony, was not a church that sought attention or caused problems. Like any ordinary faith, they simply lived by the values of their god and worked with others across the continent. However, several days ago, without any warning, a demon descended upon them. That demon attacked Lupesiana’s holy land and destroyed it within a single day.

Terranos’s voice grew grim. “The demon is Carbarax, the Demon of Design.”

“What?” The Mercenary King’s eyes widened. He knew that name.

Carbarax was among the highest of all named demons. He was a being with power of the highest-level Transcendent, and a name known across the land.

Terranos continued, voice heavy, “He was infamous during the Divine-Demonic War.”

In ages past, when gods and demons clashed, the two sides fought for dominion over the Mortal Realm. Naturally, both sides had to defend their own territory. Carbarax was a demon who held the line, who built fortresses and defended the ground they’d seized. It was said that not even a group of the mightiest Transcendents could break through the fortresses Carbarax created. If this really was that demon, it was little wonder they’d been unable to make headway.

The Mercenary King’s frown deepened. “How could a demon of that magnitude descend without any prophecy, any warning at all?”

“It only shows how deeply the world’s fabric is tearing. Earth Goddess, please, watch over us...” Terranos finished with a quiet prayer.

However, prayer alone would change nothing. It was up to mortals to act. Terranos collected himself and turned to the group. “The rest, I think, is best shown in person. Let’s go.”

They left the tent together. Where Lupesiana’s holy land had once stood, a towering black fortress now dominated the land.

The Mercenary King squinted, frowning at the sight of the strange object within the fortress walls. “What’s that flower?”

Inside the fortress, a closed pink flower bud stood—enormous, even when seen from a distance, its petals towering well above the walls. Terranos shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, a rare note of helplessness in his voice. As the Archbishop of the Earth Goddess’s faith, he was supposed to be versed in all manner of evil plaguing the land. Yet, even he could not identify this monstrous bud.

Ketal, who had been quietly observing, finally asked him, “Is the demon doing anything?”

“No. Carbarax hasn’t moved at all,” Terranos answered. “He is the Demon of Design, so his power is in defense and fortification. But that’s exactly what’s strange. Right now, Carbarax is the invader. He has conquered a holy land. He should be expanding their territory, consuming the surrounding land, consolidating their control. Enough time has passed for him to make significant gains.”

“But instead, nothing?” the Mercenary King said.

“Exactly. He is just sitting inside the fortress, doing nothing, as if guarding the flower itself is his sole purpose.”

No one said anything for a moment. The mood grew heavier.

“Whatever it is... it can’t be good,” Terranos murmured, swallowing hard. “If that flower blooms, it will be disastrous for us. I can feel it, something fundamental will be twisted. I don’t know what, but I’m certain of it.”

“I see,” Ketal mused, his expression thoughtful. His eyes lingered on the looming fortress and the strange, ominous flower within. In the end, once the demon shifted to a defensive stance, they would have no choice but to break through the fortress walls and confront Carbarax directly.

“A siege, then,” Ketal said, a wry, almost cheerful smile on his face.