30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 220: The Most Dangerous Creature in the World... (7)

BOOOOOM!

...Had they hit this thing thousands of times by now?

RUMBLE...

Anyone who’s ever hit a punching bag knows—hitting something repeatedly is far more exhausting than it seems.

At first, after about ten strikes, you start thinking, Huh? This isn’t so bad. Maybe I have a knack for this.

Then, after a few dozen more, reality hits. Shit, this actually hurts. My arms are killing me.

Hitting something, again and again, was exhausting.

And if that target was a massive, living, moving creature?

That made it infinitely worse.

That’s why, after their very first sparring session, most people end up drained, lying on the floor, muttering—

"I... I think I’ll quit boxing (or martial arts in general)."

And now, just like that—

"Huff... Huff..."

"......"

"This is exhausting..."

—They were pushed to their absolute limits, battling against an entirely new type of monster.

This fight had gone on for 98 minutes.

Just two more, and they’d reach the 100-minute mark.

It had been so long, so grueling, that it was making them reminisce about their first-ever sparring matches...

...And now, their lives were flashing before their eyes.

This wasn’t a battle anymore. It was war.

It felt less like a fight and more like trying to build a 90-story skyscraper while dangling off the steel frame, hammering away nonstop.

Had they been ordinary knights, they would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

But by sheer luck—or fate—these three knights had gathered.

And they were anything but normal.

They had long surpassed the limits of regular humans.

If some status window gamer had to describe them, they'd be labeled [Lv.8 Hero-Class Knights].

Their endurance rivaled the camels of the desert.

Which is why—

Despite being pushed to their limits—

Despite everything—

They endured.

And finally—

[...K......E.......]

—The monster fell.

The Abyssal Fiend’s body slowly melted away, disintegrating into dust like sand slipping through fingers.

Just as its name suggested, it was returning to the underworld.

Back to the realm of the dead.

Back to hell.

[Congratulations! You’ve just achieved a legendary feat worthy of history. Truly impressive.]

The owl didn’t hold back its praise.

Had this Abyssal Fiend escaped into the world outside, the casualties would have been catastrophic.

It would have taken an entire army to maybe bring it down.

And these three had done it alone.

This was, without a doubt, a heroic achievement.

The owl, who had spent centuries guarding the sacred relics of the Grand Temple, nodded firmly.

It had seen many things.

This?

This deserved respect.

[Which is why it’s kind of a shame, really. Feats like this should be known to the world. And yet... no one will ever hear about it.]

For knights, fame and glory were worth more than any treasure.

But these three...

They couldn’t reveal this achievement to anyone.

Because they had infiltrated the Grand Temple.

How could anyone announce, “A noble knight ventured into the Grand Temple... to steal a relic”?

This battle against a world-threatening entity would never be known.

It was a victory that could never be celebrated.

A triumph that would remain unspoken.

A wound with no reward.

...But—

"Haha. Honor is something you carry within yourself."

"How is honor real if it needs public recognition? If I'm proud of myself, that’s enough."

"Wow, owl. You’re surprisingly materialistic. Or are you just an attention-seeker?"

[...]

The owl was speechless for a moment.

[...You guys are... different.]

Most knights were obsessed with glory.

They lived for fame.

They fought to be remembered.

Yet these three...

They threw honor away like a pebble.

[...Haven’t seen knights like you since the First Knights...]

The First Knights.

Centuries ago, during the Era of Barbarism, there were no true knights.

Only nobles who used the title for status.

But there was a group—a small band of warriors—who called themselves knights not because of rank, but because of belief.

They dedicated themselves to protecting the weak.

They fought for the helpless not for glory, but for justice.

Those warriors became the original Knights of the Round Table—the first whom both the gatekeepers and fairies acknowledged as true knights.

And the others of that era?

...They were nothing more than bandits in armor.

Those first knights spread the very idea of chivalry, turning Pendragon into the Kingdom of Knights.

It was their belief that inspired the knights of today to take up their swords for the people.

And now—seeing these three—

The owl felt nostalgic.

But also...

[Is this an omen of catastrophe?]

It let out a bitter chuckle.

The mortal world was bound for chaos.

Three heroes had emerged.

And when heroes appear—

It means the world itself is in danger.

Abyssal Fiends.

Corrupting forces.

Unnatural disasters.

Just like in the era of the King of Knights, the world was on the brink of another great calamity.

[This is why the rise of heroes is never a good sign.]

Because whenever heroes appear...

—The world is about to face a trial no ordinary human can endure.

So the owl did what it could.

It fluttered up and—

Tap, tap.

"...What the hell? What was that for?"

[Nothing. Just... a little encouragement.]

"???"

A small, silent gesture.

A pat on the shoulder from a holy relic’s guardian—a silent show of respect.

***

End of the Abyssal Fiend Raid.

It was a victory.

A major accomplishment.

But at the same time—

Clack.

"...Really? We just finished fighting, and you pull this?"

"And you should stop fidgeting with your fingers. It’s annoying."

"Oh? Did you notice?"

"Very much so."

"......"

The temporary alliance was over.

They immediately went back into a standoff.

Raq leveled his spear.

Dyna broke into a cold sweat.

She had seen just how fast Raq’s spear was.

Even if he was exhausted, she knew—he could still kill her instantly.

"Mm."

"......"

With those two in a standoff, Maximus and Yan naturally followed suit.

Maximus frowned as he looked at the shaman.

"...Of all things, my opponent had to be a shaman. I don’t want to be cursed."

"You can kill me if you want. But be warned—the price will not be small."

"...Tch."

Maximus could snap Yan’s neck like a twig.

But a poisonous twig was still dangerous.

A twig that could melt through flesh—was deadly.

Shamans were the bane of knights.

Even a Northern Champion who feared no death had to hesitate against a shaman’s curse.

A standoff of four.

If Maximus and Raq wanted to—Dyna and Yan wouldn’t live to see the sunrise.

And just as the two were preparing to die fighting—

"—I’ve got a question. Why do you keep calling me a traitor?"

A casual question, utterly out of place in the tense standoff.

"...You seriously want to ask that now?"

Dyna sounded dumbfounded.

But Ihan just shrugged.

"If you guys die, there won’t be anyone left to ask, right? So I’d better do it now."

"...You really don’t hold back, Number 8."

"It’s Ihan."

"......."

Dyna fell silent, her gaze shifting as she studied the situation.

She was clearly hesitating.

She looked conflicted, as if weighing a decision in her mind.

Then, after what felt like a long moment—

"There’s nothing to—"

"—Number 8. Why did you kill Numbers 9 and 10?"

"Yan!?"

Dyna had barely started to refuse when Yan cut her off, forcing the conversation forward.

Ihan turned his gaze to him, almost as if he had switched targets.

"Why I killed them?"

"Yeah. On your very first mission as squad leader, you abandoned the mission midway and killed Numbers 9 and 10. Then you fled the organization.

If you’re not a traitor—then who is?"

"......."

"More importantly, you must have known the organization was moving its base. And yet, you..."

Swish.

"......."

Ihan’s expression remained unreadable.

Ihan suddenly raised his hand as if telling Yan to stop talking, and without thinking, Yan closed his mouth.

Even though it was just a simple gesture, the pressure behind it was overwhelming. Yan swallowed dryly.

For a moment, he tensed up, wondering if Ihan was about to kill him out of sheer irritation.

But instead—

"I'm honestly so baffled right now that I just need to say this—I’m not even making an excuse, just stating facts. First of all, I never betrayed anyone. If anything, I was the one who got stabbed in the back first."

"...What?"

"When I took on my first mission, Numbers 9 and 10 suddenly turned on me and tried to kill me. I fought back because I had to survive."

"??"

"And about the organization moving its base? What kind of bullshit is that? I never even heard about that."

"......."

"I thought the organization was destroyed. I thought you were all dead."

"......."

"You might think I’m lying, and if that’s the case—well, that’s just how it is."

Ihan crossed his arms, as if to say I’ve said my piece—believe what you want.

Yan stared at him for a long time.

As if trying to determine whether he was telling the truth or lying.

His gaze lingered, unwavering, and then—

Click.

Maximus quickly raised his battle-axe, but—

"...I surrender."

"Yan?"

—He said something no one expected.

Yan’s eyes still gleamed with that sharp, clear light as he turned to Dyna.

"Dyna. If the Black Moon abandoned us, then our ‘Oath’ is probably gone too. Since they betrayed us first... wouldn’t it be better to surrender to a ‘friend’? We should at least try to save our lives."

"......."

"Number 8 wasn’t lying. I swear it on my soul as a shaman."

"You idiot. You don’t even know if they’ll let us live."

"Haha, then I’ll personally make sure you survive."

"......Hah."

With a heavy sigh—

Thud.

Dyna let herself collapse to the ground and raised both hands in surrender.

There was no mistaking her intent.

The battle was over.

***

"Hahaha! Our northern shamans are still useful, huh?! Brother, following you was a stroke of luck! Ahahaha!"

"Stop calling me brother..."

Maximus roared with laughter.

They had captured a high-ranking officer of the enemy.

This guy would have even more valuable information than Number 4, the one they had captured yesterday.

And considering their current goal of tracking down that fanatic Blood Cross Cult, this was a huge breakthrough.

But Maximus wasn’t the only one pleased by the outcome.

"Don’t even think about taking them to the North."

Raq de Duron, that damn annoying spearman, was visibly satisfied as well.

Of course, just because they were happy didn’t mean the issue was settled.

Now came the real problem—

Who got to keep the prisoners?

With the temporary alliance over, it was clear things would soon devolve into infighting.

[Knights... They’re always like this.]

"Well, are you satisfied, owl?" Ihan asked.

But both he and the owl had already moved on from the discussion.

They weren’t wasting energy on things that were already decided.

[More than satisfied. Actually, to be honest, that was outstanding.]

When the guardian of the relic first made its request, it had simply asked him to eliminate the intruders in the Holy Vault.

In exchange, it promised him whatever he wanted.

And so, true to its word—

[Here. A gift.]

Plop.

Something dropped into Ihan’s hand.

Clink.

Ihan caught it—and immediately noticed something unusual.

"This is..."

Even at a glance, it was extraordinary.

It radiated a holy light, pulsing with an unmistakable power.

There was no doubt.

A sacred relic.

An artifact left behind by saints and holy figures.

And now—it was in Ihan’s hands.

[The moment this relic leaves the Holy Vault, the entire place will be sealed off. For about... three years, at least? Even the fairies won’t be able to get inside.]

"Is that how it normally works?"

[Yes. Once a sacred relic is removed, the vault locks itself automatically. That’s how the relics are protected.]

"Huh."

With this, Ihan finally understood why Raphael had wanted him to steal a relic.

"Just taking it out means the temple can’t access the Holy Vault anymore."

That old man had planned everything.

Ihan couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

As he turned the relic over in his hands, it felt oddly familiar—almost as if it belonged there.

Was that normal?

[No. That’s resonance. This relic’s energy matches the wavelength of your soul perfectly. That’s why it feels so natural to you.]

"Oh, the old man mentioned something like this..."

So this is what he meant.

That scheming bastard...!

"By the way, what’s the name of this relic?"

Despite holding it, Ihan still had no clue what it actually was.

He looked at the owl for an answer.

The owl smiled, as if it was nothing special.

[It’s just a ‘fragment’ of the Holy Grail.]

"Hmm, the Holy Grail, huh? That’s interes—...huh?"

...Did he mishear?

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Ihan blinked.

He must have misheard.

So he asked again.

And the owl, still smiling innocently, repeated itself.

[No, you heard me right. Take good care of it. If you gather all four pieces, it’s one of those ‘wish-granting’ treasures.]

"......."

Unfortunately, Ihan had heard it correctly.

And he immediately regretted it.

Because it felt like he had just—

"Wait. Wait a damn minute—this is basically the One Ring, isn’t it?"

—Grabbed onto something way too dangerous.

Every instinct in his body told him he needed to give it back.

Right now.

So he turned to the owl, about to return the relic, but—

FLASH!

[Oh, look at that. Time’s up.]

As if perfectly timed, a pillar of light descended.

It wrapped around Ihan and his party before he could even think about throwing the relic back.

And just before he was fully engulfed—

[Goodbye. And good luck with your future. You’ll need it.]

The owl’s voice carried a strange mix of sympathy and amusement.

And just like that—

He was gone.

...Was he just imagining it, or did the owl actually look sorry for him?

*

...No, screw that.

He wasn’t imagining it.

"...Goddamn it. That owl didn’t give me ‘good luck’—it cursed me, didn’t it?"

Ihan let out a long, exhausted sigh.

And he had every right to be frustrated.

Because—

WHOOSH!

—The moment they stepped outside—

They were immediately engulfed in flames.

If this was good luck, then what the hell did bad luck look like!?

The Grand Temple was on fire.