Chapter 332

Chapter 332. In the Name of Sloth – (5)

Kingdom of Fildegreen.

“Whew—”

Rine Groff had been immersed in ceaseless study regarding the Sins for some time now.

…In reality, if everything had continued as it was in the beginning, she would have been able to enjoy more pleasant tea times accompanied by research—or more accurately, time dedicated to escorting the Godfather.

But unfortunately…

Someone damaged the badge that had been gifted to the Godfather, and she was left without much to do.

For that reason, Rine had been dedicating most of her recent time to research.

Even after hundreds of years, the knowledge she was still unaware of, which she had not managed to fully comprehend, was overwhelmingly vast.

And today…

For the first time, she managed to obtain truly significant information about the Sins.

Of course, it wasn’t something that revealed the essence of the Sin itself.

But it was information that allowed her to understand why the “previous Sin” had been eliminated so easily.

‘…I didn’t imagine there would be differences in power depending on the body where they manifested.’

She knew that the Apostles of the Sins existed, and that they were the ones who directly chose the body where the Sin would manifest.

But until now, she only understood that process as the search for a host that attuned well with the Sin. She did not know that the Sin’s capabilities changed according to the existence in which it incarnated.

Rine reviewed the knowledge she had read in her mind.

And the more she did, the more questions arose.

The phrase “the power of the Sin varies widely according to the host where it manifests” was clearly written… but there was no further information about it.

Naturally, a doubt then emerged:

‘…If that is so, why not simply choose the strongest as a host?’

She didn’t have the answer. She hadn’t read all the necessary tomes to understand it yet.

And surely, the book she had just consulted didn’t contain it either.

After reflecting for a long while, she decided to focus first on reading the available book thoroughly. She closed her eyes, and immediately, as if it were a vivid projection, the landscape of her internal library appeared in her mind, where she continued turning page after page.

It didn’t take too long before Rine finished reading it all inside her head.

And she immediately opened her eyes, her expression somewhat stiffer.

As she expected, she could not find the answer to her doubt.

However, she once again clearly confirmed the difference in power that existed when a Sin incarnated in a strong host.

She looked at her tea, now cold, and sank back into her thoughts, attempting to resolve her own questions.

---

The battle had begun.

The three great warriors were trying to force their way toward Alon Palatio, who was in the sky—

KWAaaaaAANG~!

But Seolrang, Radan, and Eliban meticulously blocked that advance, preventing them from reaching him, and moving with the clear intention of eliminating them completely.

The situation was overwhelming.

In front of Alon Palatio‘s eyes, golden flashes appeared and disappeared as Seolrang emerged and vanished.

If it weren’t for Reverse Heaven, he wouldn’t even be able to see those brief instants.

With that inconceivable speed, Seolrang was practically toying with Dragon Spear.

Kwang!

The spear slammed into the ground, into the cliffs… and in the blink of an eye, it was floating in the air again.

The next instant, it crashed into the terrain once more.

The enemy’s body was destroyed and regenerated relentlessly.

But the regeneration could no longer keep up with the pace. It was clearly visible that it was losing speed.

The situation was equally harrowing for Cliff Sword.

Countless artifacts fell from the sky.

They limited his movements, and he couldn’t even remove some of the artifacts embedded in his back. Radan pressured him without allowing him to react.

And in front of Millenial Ice—

KWAJIK—!

He couldn’t even stand his ground.

Every time he tried to move, Eliban‘s sword crossed the air.

And the next instant, one of his limbs was amputated.

Even if Millenial Ice tried to regenerate and counterattack, he was incapable of avoiding Eliban‘s swords.

An absolute difference.

‘Is that… even possible?’

Alon Palatio, who had finished the preparations for the plan on the ship and had descended, couldn’t help but tilt his head upon seeing Eliban.

Although in the game Eliban was almost at the max level…

He never imagined he could show that level of power against enemies contaminated by the Sins, whose mana overflowed infinitely.

But in the end, thanks to Eliban having that capacity at this point in time, the balance could be maintained.

“Fuu…”

Alon Palatio held his head, dizzy from the repeated use of Reverse Heaven.

He made an effort to focus and observe the situation.

On the black earth, the battle resembled a total war.

Basiliora crushed and reduced to nothing the infinite mass of black creatures that constantly regenerated.

The soldiers tirelessly massacred the pieces of flesh that threw themselves against the walls.

A perfect equilibrium.

‘Just a little more and—’

Just when Alon Palatio thought that—

Crack!

Everything stopped.

The powerful warriors who were still moving stood still all of a sudden.

The mountains of flesh throwing themselves at the soldiers fell to the ground, like puppets without strings.

HUDUDUDUK—

The fragments of flesh that were still regenerating beneath Basiliora, who had left Blackie‘s armor behind, fell apart without strength.

And then…

It appeared.

“Ah.”

A small voice.

A faint sound, barely audible. But that was enough for all gazes to center on one point.

In an instant, everyone present on the black earth saw a single human appear there.

No… it wasn’t a human. Although it had a human shape.

Everyone perceived it clearly.

That was not human.

“Mmm—”

White hair.

It looked more like a teenager than an adult. That thing stared straight ahead, with a blank expression.

In each of its eyes, there were two superimposed pupils.

Surrounded by something as dark as the black territory itself, it looked around without emotion.

Everyone could feel the state of that thing.

That thing had no will.

It seemed bored.

It seemed apathetic.

It seemed indifferent.

It seemed sleepy.

It seemed…

Simply, lazy.

And while that thing observed like that, calmly, with absolute disinterest, its eyes stopped.

Exactly at the spot where Alon Palatio was.

The four strange irises fixed upon him.

And Alon Palatio also felt bewilderment upon looking at Sloth.

‘…What is this?’

He knew the Sin of Sloth. He even knew its appearance.

The white hair matched, yes. Everything was just as Alon Palatio knew.

But its reaction…

That was the strange part.

The Sin of Sloth that he knew did not match its title. It was filled with anger.

But this one right now… no.

It was the word “sloth” turned into a being.

That thing didn’t even emanate pressure.

It simply looked at him without any will.

In that strange contradiction, Alon Palatio‘s confusion increased.

In that instant—

Plop.

Sloth let itself fall.

Sitting cross-legged, resting an elbow on a raised knee, it looked at Alon Palatio.

That thing showed no intention of fighting.

And yet, no one there moved.

Not because they didn’t want to.

But because they couldn’t.

“Ggg—”

One after another, they began to gasp, as if they lacked air.

Sloth hadn’t done anything.

It didn’t release mana.

It didn’t emanate a presence.

It didn’t show intent to fight.

But its existence alone was so overwhelming that even the soldiers who were only watching from afar fell unconscious.

The soldiers were collapsing.

Selaim and Parkline felt a chill rising up their spines.

Seolrang, Radan, and Eliban hardened their expressions.

And yet, in the midst of that situation, that thing only observed Alon Palatio with pure apathy.

“You all… intend to fight, right?”

That thing opened its mouth slowly.

The idea that a Sin would speak rationally left everyone perplexed for a moment.

Alon Palatio thought for an instant, and replied:

“…Yes.”

“There is no way to avoid fighting, correct?”

“Weren’t you the ones who attacked first?”

Sloth stared at him at those words.

“…Because I want to protect.”

That thing murmured, with a slightly sad look amidst its apathy.

“What…?”

Alon Palatio asked without realizing it.

He didn’t understand anything.

Why did that thing have that personality?

Why did it say that?

The Sin of Sloth he knew brutally murdered any human without exception.

But at his reflex question, Sloth answered no more.

Instead…

That thing sighed, without getting up, without changing posture.

“One minute.”

And that thing said:

“From now on, for one minute, I will not move.”

It said it like someone speaking out of boredom.

“What… did you just say?”

“You can attack me all you want. I will accept all the blows. So that you understand.”

So that you comprehend…

That dying by my hand is natural.

So that you do not find it unfair.

After murmuring that, Sloth added:

“Well, then begin.”

With that phrase, a brief silence fell.

And the one who moved first was—

KWAaaaaAANG!!

Seolrang.

With a marked smile, she ran toward him.

At a speed no one could perceive, she appeared in front of the Sin.

Kwa-JIJIJIK—!!

Compressing her body to the extreme, she launched him upward with a rising kick.

Sloth was thrown toward the sky by the impact.

With him, Eliban and Hidan moved as well.

And not just them.

“I will prepare mine.”

“Everyone, get ready—”

Selaim, Parkline, and the mages watching activated spells as if they had been waiting for it.

50 seconds.

Sloth’s body, elevated by Seolrang, was cut in the air by Eliban and smashed against the ground.

Upon him fell Radan‘s gigantic sword.

Blood gushed from that thing’s mouth.

And in that instant…

However brief it was…

Alon Palatio saw it.

On Sloth’s mouth, which a moment ago only showed apathy…

A small smile.

A faint expectation.

40 seconds.

“Rangchaaang—”

Discharges gathered around Seolrang‘s body in the air.

The sky and earth were joined by a golden bolt—

A torrent of lightning blinded everyone’s sight.

And immediately after, Radan‘s colossal sword tore through the air and struck the earth.

30 seconds.

The mages discharged their spells.

Thousands of flashes descended like a night galaxy, destroying the terrain.

And as the final blow…

A gigantic pillar of fire, capable of devouring the entire world, rose up.

20 seconds.

With the fire dissipated, Selaim‘s spell raised an enormous block of ice from the shattered ground.

Like a gigantic ice palace emerging, crystalline as amethyst—

And there, Sloth appeared frozen inside.

10 seconds.

With absolute resolution, Eliban unsheathed his sword.

A cut so fast it was invisible.

The ice exploded instantly.

And inside, at the same moment, Radan drove his trident against the fallen Sloth.

0 seconds.

And Radan understood.

His weapon… had not reached the Sin’s heart.

When the cloud of dust dissipated…

Everyone saw it.

“Ah.”

Sloth was destroyed.

Blood on the mouth.

The body full of wounds.

It was evident that the attacks had landed.

But…

Despite that state—

“…Ah.”

The expression of that thing was simply apathetic.

No.

It wasn’t.

That expression…

“…You couldn’t kill me.”

It was regret.

What that thing’s face showed…

Was pity.