Chapter 127 – Nesos (13)

The plaza was packed with a cloud-like crowd of people.

They were vehemently cheering for a single person who had taken the podium.

Of course, a considerable number of them were mobilized shills, but even so, this man’s speech had the power to draw in the audience.

A typical eloquent speaker and demagogue.

According to Hans, Nepaya was an ambitious man.

What he ultimately planned was to seize hegemony over all of Nesos.

It wasn’t an absurd dream.

He had a firm grip on the commercial rights of the night market, and his direct and indirect share of Nesos’s entire economy was said to be about 10 percent.

In any world, money was what determined the logic of power. The war Nepaya was preparing was the first step in that direction.

“Nesos may soon become a world ruled by evil.”

That’s what Hans had said.

There were two important meanings contained in these words.

One was that Nepaya was an evil man.

The other was that Nepaya would win this war and gain the power to swallow up all of Nesos.

Hans’s words were not always the truth, but there was nothing as objective as an assessment based on vast data.

Most likely, the history of Nesos would flow as he said.

If I hadn’t come here.

I blended into the crowd.

Next to me, a man who looked to be in his 30s was watching Nepaya’s speech alone.

He probably wasn’t a mobilized shill.

Usually, in those cases, they moved in an organized manner.

“You seem to have come alone?”

“……Yes. I’m alone.”

At my question, the man stared at me for a moment, then raised a placard cheering for Nepaya.

He seemed to be watching my reaction somehow.

He looked anxious, and seemed to have a lot on his mind.

His gaze was directed at Nepaya, but rather than focusing on the speech, it felt as if his mind was elsewhere.

He stood there anxiously, then shouted Nepaya’s name in time with the crowd’s voices.

“There’s no soul in your shout.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, I don’t feel any sincerity in your voice.”

“That’s not true! It’s a very impressive speech!”

As he said that, he clapped enthusiastically towards the podium.

“Which guild do you belong to?”

“Pardon? I-I’m from District 27……”

I had tried to probe him just in case, and as expected, this man was a merchant.

Meaning he was under Nepaya’s influence.

Nepaya managed each merchant guild by district, which was for management purposes, but in reality, the purpose of control was much greater.

And now, this man seemed to be mistaking me for an executive from his district.

Since I had pointed out that his cheering for Nepaya lacked sincerity without any preamble, it was understandable that he would think that.

Nepaya must be quite scary.

“Do you have any complaints or suggestions about the way the night market is run?”

“Of course not! I am completely satisfied with the current method!”

“Are you really? I’m not too fond of it.”

At my words, the man’s pupils shook violently.

Then he bit his lip hard and.

“You! Who on earth are you to say such dangerous things!”

Unlike a moment ago, he looked at me with quite a challenging gaze.

This man seemed to think that I was testing him.

I immediately patted the man’s shoulder.

“Actually, it was a joke. It’s ridiculous to go against the ways of that great man up there.”

“Th-that’s right, isn’t it? I think so too!

“Excellent.”

Then, the man let out a sigh of relief.

Through this man, I could feel the control Nepaya had over people.

Surely, among the crowd gathered here, this case would not be the only one.

It might even be the majority.

Involuntary support disguised as voluntary.

On the one hand, Nepaya’s ability was amazing.

In terms of brute force, he was nothing special.

I moved a little further forward.

The total solar eclipse, which happened once every 26 years, would soon begin.

The planned scenario was imminent.

‘Am I the one who will complete that Book of Revelations after all?’

As I moved closer to the front, there were more groups that were more organized in their rabble-rousing.

Scanning them with Mana Eyes, their power was also formidable.

Each of them was probably one of Nepaya’s private soldiers.

It was impossible for me to face this enormous number alone.

As expected, at this point, there was no other option but assassination.

Moving a little further forward, I could see Nepaya’s elite guards.

The twenty-four warriors surrounding the podium.

All of them were experts who were at least on par with Berun, whom I had faced at Animus.

They were extremely well-trained, and the twenty-four guards were maintaining an iron-clad guard, precisely dividing the directions around Nepaya.

‘I have to break through this.’

Once the total solar eclipse began, a ring of fire would immediately form in the sky.

And from that moment on, I would have to move very busily.

Because during the entire process of the total solar eclipse, the time of complete darkness was about 12 seconds.

A time that could be long or short, I had to finish everything within these 12 seconds.

When the world began to darken, I planned to go around to the back of the podium.

After that, I would break through one side of the guards, quickly infiltrate, and behead Nepaya.

As I went around to the left, Min Ha-rin would distract them from the opposite side on the right, and there should not be a single mistake in our coordination.

If we messed up and got delayed even a little, we would be surrounded by the numerous private soldiers disguised as a crowd.

Before long, Nepaya’s speech was reaching its climax.

His voice grew louder and louder, and the crowd responded enthusiastically to his every word.

He emphasized the justification for the upcoming war, and he propagandized and incited the effects this war would bring.

The crowd’s fervent cheers grew louder and louder.

A considerable number of them were mobilized responses, but that was not the important issue.

“Great Nepaya!”

“Nepaya!”

“Nepaya!”

Whether their support for him was based on money, fear, or threats, it was vividly present at this scene.

And at the moment the total solar eclipse was about to begin, Nepaya finished his speech and pointed his finger to the sky.

At that moment, as if on cue, silence fell upon the plaza.

“My will is in that very sky!”

Only Nepaya’s powerful voice existed alone in this vast plaza.

At the same time, a ring of fire began to form in the sky.

The moon had swallowed a part of the sun.

The sky gradually darkened.

The blazing red sun was gradually being tinged with darkness.

People all looked up at the sky at once.

To use such a natural phenomenon for his own incitement.

He was by no means an ordinary person.

I broke away from the crowd and quickly began the operation.

It wasn’t dark enough yet, so any overly conspicuous movements would be troublesome.

The gasps of awe that burst out one by one at the spectacle of mother nature were helping me, but it wasn’t enough to rely on.

‘I hope Min Ha-rin is doing well.’

For now, there was no other choice but to trust her.

The world darkened quickly, and I was moving along the planned route.

And soon, complete darkness arrived. The 12-second countdown began.

The people’s gasps reached their peak.

Surprisingly, the twenty-four guards didn’t avert their gaze even once.

After the darkness fell, I accelerated my movements.

Of course, more important than speed was concealing all my killing intent.

If my presence was detected before I completely approached the podium, all my plans would go up in smoke.

Now, there were 7 seconds left.

Since I was taking a slightly wider detour to avoid the guards’ senses, there was still some distance to the podium.

I took out the Holy Sword Bastian.

Friend! To think I’d live to see you assassinate someone!

In fact, I didn’t know I would do this either.

I had always been on the side of preventing ambushes, but I had never tried it myself.

The Holy Sword grumbled about its body being used for an assassination, but it understood the current situation.

‘The targets are that guy and that guy.’

I planned to pass between the two of them and then jump onto the podium.

2 seconds left.

The distance had narrowed considerably, and now was the moment to concentrate the most.

Because it was a time when I had to move at the highest speed while completely avoiding their senses.

Swoooosh!

I cut through the wind and began to draw a circle with the Holy Sword.

In that fleeting moment, a few pairs of eyes in the darkness looked at me.

Of course, it was too late now that they had discovered me.

Before they could react, their heads would already be on the ground.

Swoooooosh!!

Blood spurted from the two necks cut by the Holy Sword’s trajectory, opening a path for me.

It was 1 second before the sun would rise again.

“Assassin!”

The guards shouted simultaneously.

Of course, a similar thing was happening on the opposite side of the podium.

Min Ha-rin had succeeded in creating a diversion.

In an instant, chaos erupted.

The sun was now gradually revealing itself, and I jumped onto the podium.

Several blades were already stabbing at me from behind.

Shwa! Shwa! Shwa! Shwa!

But it didn’t matter.

Because the only one in front of me was Nepaya.

It was the result of Min Ha-rin luring the guards to her side from the opposite direction.

‘I hope she holds out safely.’

Now, what she had to do was to survive without dying.

Not for long.

A fleeting moment, not even 1 second. That was enough.

Swoooosh!

My Holy Sword was aimed at Nepaya’s neck.

Nepaya’s face, pale in the darkness, was quite a sight.

And at that moment.

Pabababababa!!!

Paaaaaaaang!!!

A loud noise erupted as a huge firework was shot into the sky.

Lloyd had also started his role.

It wasn’t anything grand, it was just to commemorate the completion of the Book of Revelations.

The superman on a white horse shall vanquish the darkness and complete his mission.

The blade of the Holy Sword Bastian glittered in the light of the reappearing sun, and a red line was drawn on Nepaya’s neck.

Poooong!

Pooooong!

Fireworks were being shot into the sky ceaselessly.

[Nepaya is dead.]

[You have cleared the quest.]

With this, this journey in the Abyss was also concluded.

The fierce energy of the blades that had been shot at my back had disappeared, and the figures of Nepaya’s soldiers who were rushing towards the podium also faded away.

The world was still a little dark due to the moon covering the sun.

The people of this place, Nesos, would not remember my figure that had disappeared like the wind.

Also, Nepaya’s death might remain an unsolved mystery forever.

Because neither Hans nor Lloyd would bother to open their mouths about my existence.

[As a quest clear reward, you have obtained Ignarog’s Rune.]

[Cannot be transferred, and greatly increases mana when consumed.]

Since it was a quest of extreme difficulty, I had expected a considerable reward, but I hadn’t expected it to be this much.

At the immense mana I felt from the rune, I shouted in triumph.

Nike’s Ring that increased luck, and a considerable recovery of mana.

It was a trip to the Abyss where I had gained more than ever before.

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