The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 408

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Chapter 408

The Librarian’s text could not be seen by others.

In other words, the text floating before my eyes was something only I could perceive.

‘Librarian.’

[Confirmed.]

‘Is this real?’

[I apologize. A moment ago, I temporarily lost control due to a transcendent force.]

‘So. Is it real, or is it fake?’

[Verification is required.]

That wasn’t wrong.

To verify it, I exited the space of the Progenitor Dragon.

Then, I released the seal on the completely shattered corpse of the Shoggoth.

I had collected the fragments for investigation—but to think they’d be used like this.

Isna and Luna, who had followed me with puzzled expressions at my sudden actions, looked like they had a lot they wanted to say the moment I took out the Shoggoth.

Of course, regardless of that, I quietly reached out and resonated with the energy contained within it.

Neither aura, nor mana, nor the fundamental particle spirit energy—

but some strange, anomalous energy.

This was not a type of energy I could supply on my own.

It was something I could only use in proportion to what I had secured.

“What are you doing! I told you not to absorb that!”

As Isna widened her eyes and tried to stop me, Luna quietly reached out and restrained her.

“…What are you—”

“Wait. Leon wouldn’t do something like this without a reason.”

I felt grateful to her for trusting me.

Before explaining, confirmation came first.

After all, the small amount of energy from a single Shoggoth would be nothing more than mildly unpleasant to me—it wouldn’t have any significant impact.

Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

Just how did I become corrupted in the Closed World?

After pondering it carefully, I reached a conclusion.

Power from the Outer Dimension is a force that can directly affect Outer Gods.

Perhaps, in the Closed World, I had recklessly absorbed and used this without any countermeasures—and the side effects manifested because of that.

Then what about now?

Like water being absorbed into a sponge, the strange energy seeped into me at a rapid pace.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel any particular discomfort.

It was clearly an alien energy—I could feel that much distinctly.

And there was another astonishing point.

The moment I absorbed the small amount of energy the Shoggoth possessed, the pure white power within me and the Authority of Death, Thanatos, reacted as if they had been waiting for this—rapidly suppressing and isolating the Outer-Dimensional energy.

As if storing reserve batteries.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I think I’m fine.”

Which means the Librarian’s message wasn’t a lie.

According to the research from the Closed World, this power would surely become a major variable when clashing with the Outer God Yog.

Maybe I had gained something far greater than an Authority.

Whatever the case, one thing was certain.

The Book of Fate—no, the Book of Genesis now, perhaps—

needed to be strengthened.

“Isna.”

“What.”

“Garlan is planning to release Shoggoths en masse into this world, right?”

“Judging by the situation, yes. The Shoggoths were probably dormant, attached to either me or Rebecca, and transported here.”

The release of Shoggoths onto this continent would be an enormous headache.

But if you think about it the other way around—

Doesn’t that mean I could secure a massive number of batteries without much effort?

“Is it possible to scatter a Shoggoth legion across the continent all at once?”

“Probably not. They’d open a massive gate and pour them out from there. You can’t just casually open Outer-Dimensional doors all over the place.”

“What if they carried them around?”

“Shoggoths aren’t exactly controllable beings, and Garlan and his subordinates are probably carrying this out while accepting mental collapse and corruption. There’s a high chance they’ll release them all at a single location.”

“Then we start by finding that location.”

If someone’s going to deliver batteries to me on their own, there’s no reason to refuse.

* * *

Based on Isna’s testimony, Garlan likely believes that I wouldn’t remain unscathed after being exposed to Shoggoth power.

More precisely, not the Shoggoths themselves—but the Outer-Dimensional energy they swallow and retain.

Isna had been predicting Garlan’s movements, and she seemed confident that his final destination was none other than Cascadia.

“From the start, Garlan’s only target was you.”

Indeed.

It made sense.

For now, we let his plan proceed.

However, civilian casualties must be avoided.

In other words, we allow the gate to open—but before the Shoggoths spilling out can spread, we deal with and absorb them all.

“Garlan knows very well that it’s hard to beat you through sheer force. And this time, I’m here too.”

“So his objective this time is clear.”

Garlan isn’t trying to do anything to me directly with this terror attack.

He wants me weakened through exposure to Shoggoths.

Which means no additional complications will arise.

“Then let’s do this.”

A way to minimize casualties caused by the Shoggoths.

That would be to lure the place where he opens the gate in the first place.

“Defense instead of offense… I see. If that’s your decision, I’ll keep an eye on Garlan’s movements.”

“Information gathering won’t be easy.”

“I have my own methods and connections.”

If she says so, I’ll trust her.

“Oh. And.”

I formed another plan.

“I’m going to run a social experiment.”

“A social experiment?”

“Yeah. I don’t know about Garlan, but he has quite a few followers. They can’t all think the same way.”

“You’re going to recruit moles?”

“No. We won’t touch them.”

Honestly, even if it fails, it doesn’t matter.

But considering Garlan had trafficked barbarian organs to create transcendents, it was clear his schemes weren’t limited to Shoggoths alone—so we needed to prepare for that as well.

* * *

Night fell, darkness settling over Cascadia.

Unlike most other territories, the Duchy of Cascadia was filled with bright lights even at night.

From the darkness, numerous figures slipped into the brilliant city.

The Moon’s Watchers.

No—now they were nothing more than vengeful wretches who had abandoned the cause and clung to revenge.

“All goods are ready. Leon Cascadia has deployed defenses throughout the territory, but even he won’t be able to stop this.”

They had already tested it.

The Shoggoths had successfully concealed themselves and entered Cascadia.

If they could have taken the life of his younger sibling or inflicted severe injuries, it would have been an even better result—but Arsha Cascadia’s talent as a beast tamer was more than enough of a variable.

A man wearing a black robe gazed down at the radiant beauty of the territory with icy eyes.

The land Leon Cascadia had built.

After plunging so many into despair, sorrow, and death—

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How dare he create something so splendid and beautiful for himself?

Garlan’s fist clenched so tightly that blood seeped out.

“…Garlan-nim. Is this really the right way?”

“Are you only now having doubts?”

“N-No, sir…”

No matter what, is it really right to go this far?

The look in his subordinate’s eyes said that much.

Garlan replied,

“The Watchers have stained their hands with blood countless times for the sake of the cause. This is no different. If bearing infamy is the price for executing Leon Cascadia, then so be it.”

A man driven purely by revenge.

Leon would have mocked him mercilessly if he’d heard that.

But Garlan didn’t care.

They had already spilled so much blood in the name of the cause—what difference would a few more drops make?

To Garlan, driving away the Outer Gods might be a cause—but in his view, executing Leon Cascadia was the greatest cause of all.

That was where the difference between Isna and Garlan lay.

Was the true enemy the Outer Gods—the root of all evil?

Or Leon, the one who had personally killed them?

Depending on where that center lay, their natures diverged completely.

“…Huaaaam.”

As a patrolling guard passed by, and even the unseen surveillance of the banshees was evaded, Garlan—watching his subordinates infiltrate deep inside—spoke.

“Begin the rift plan. Open the breach and withdraw immediately.”

At the same moment as his command, a rift filled with grotesque light began to form in the central plaza of Cascadia.

Normally, such an act would be absolutely impossible.

It meant tearing apart a firmly sealed wall and forcibly linking the Outer Dimension with Razeroth. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Even intentionally, it was generally impossible.

However, Garlan currently possessed a divine relic of an Outer God he had received from Nyarlathotep.

Just once—but that was enough to open the gate.

The sky seemed to turn red.

Even though the night sky was pitch-black, the sensation felt too real to be dismissed as imagination.

Garlan lightly bit his drying lips.

With this operation, he had to inflict a critical mental problem on Leon Cascadia to win.

Data had already confirmed that mere transcendents were insufficient to defeat him.

This plan wasn’t a frontal clash.

Shoggoths would pour out, but the rift would remain open only briefly.

Even in large numbers, they couldn’t destroy Cascadia.

However, Leon—after suppressing the Shoggoths—would have to deal with what remained.

And there was only one way he could do that.

“Absorb them all. That is the only option left to you.”

“Will he really absorb the corrupted energy the Shoggoths emit?”

“If he doesn’t, Cascadia will become a wasteland. And he knows that.”

Wasn’t that why they had deliberately caused a Shoggoth to appear in Cascadia beforehand?

Leon had recognized the Shoggoth—and the danger of the Outer-Dimensional energy released upon its death.

In an urgent situation, given his personality, his actions were obvious.

Everything was rolling in the palm of Garlan’s hand.

Or so he thought.

Unaware that the opposite was true.

The sudden rift—and the onslaught of hideous monsters.

Naturally, the Duchy of Cascadia was thrown into chaos.

Of course, whatever method they used, the humans who perceived the Shoggoths didn’t suffer mental instability—but it was enough to draw Leon Cascadia out.

The Watchers held their breath, observing from outside the territory.

The Shoggoths moved to devour and corrupt everything around them.

There were hundreds of them.

But the assault was stopped almost instantly.

An enormous number of lightning bolts rained down from the sky, thunder shaking the entire territory as the Shoggoths were burned away in one fell swoop.

“Monster of a man…”

“How is something like that possible with the power of a single individual?”

“That’s far beyond the realm of mere genius. His power is too mysterious. He doesn’t even seem human.”

Garlan’s subordinates murmured.

Garlan knew it too.

Even from this distance, the pressure was enough to make cold sweat run down his body.

Leon’s oppression didn’t stop there.

He twirled a crimson sword—one whose origin was unknown—and then slashed through the air as if brushing something aside.

CRACK!!!!

A massive sword mark was engraved across the huge rift, its color distorting.

Then—

With a deafening crash, the rift shattered, and no more Shoggoths poured out.

However, Outer-Dimensional energy surged from the dead Shoggoths, beginning to engulf Cascadia.

A victorious smile spread across Garlan’s lips.

‘Now! Swallow it! If you’re late, Cascadia will be destroyed. Will you protect the territory—or your own body? Choose.’

Garlan’s chilling gaze fixed on Leon.

Then—

A cold smile crept onto Leon’s lips as he quietly surveyed the Shoggoth corpses.

…Huh?

Garlan sensed something was wrong.

Leon had surely grasped the aftereffects of the Shoggoth corpses—and the phenomenon currently unfolding in Cascadia.

There was no way he didn’t know how dire the situation was.

And yet he was smiling?

At the same time, an eerie sensation crawled up Garlan’s spine.

As he turned his head, he saw it—

A small chick, flapping its wings boldly in the darkness of the forest.

Thought and action happened almost simultaneously.

“Damn it—!”

Garlan knew exactly what that was.

A horned-helmet-wearing chick, bravely flapping its wings.

The moment the fire spirit Sur opened its beak—

A massive, fan-shaped shockwave of extreme heat engulfed Garlan and his subordinates.

Sur’s valiant roar became an invisible, colorless bulldozer of flame, exposing everything within its range to extreme heat in an instant.

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