Chapter 467: Fateful Encounter (2)
Translator: Ares
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
“Have you checked on the outside situation?”
Belphegor, who had sent out reconnaissance because he was curious about Noah’s sudden dormant state, tasked his subordinates to gather information.
The subordinate shook his head.
“It’s completely destroyed. It’s in ashes.”
The paradise that remembered Florida was completely destroyed.
The sandy beaches melted and turned like glass, and the sea had dried up like a desert. Even the artificial sun that was floating in the sky was destroyed, and the heat of destruction remained, burning up the entire residence.
Belphegor asked the subordinate who had a very despondent look the most important question, “What about them?”
“I think they are gone.”
Belphegor frowned at the answer.
‘It would be best if they were both killed…. But, there’s no way things would unfold so simply? Damn it.’
They had initially found heaven, but he couldn’t help be uneasy, seeing those demon-like people that had climbed up from hell.
If they were proudly boasting their presence it would be better, but it was extremely disturbing since everything was so quiet.
Whether he should go out or stay here a bit longer to investigate, Belphegor quickly came to a decision.
He decided to stay a bit longer.
“Investigate the area a bit longer. We need to first resolve the situation here.”
“Yes.”
Instructing his subordinate, Belphegor turned around to examine the man who offered his cause to remain here.
‘Even if I were to leave… I need to find out a bit more.’
There were hundreds and thousands of bodies in front of him as Belphegor pressed down his fingers on the curious pattern carved next to the neck of the dead body.
‘This seems to be some sort of hint.’
On the back of the neck was engraved with a curious line of patterns. Not just the bodies he had examined, but the rest had them as well.
This was the only that all bodies had in common.
It was then…
Kiiiiiiiing!
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, the red pattern on the neck of the corpse began to glow.
At the same time…
Shiiiiiiiiiing!
Something began to flow from the strange tattoo into his body.
‘What the hell is this?!’
At the contact of something foreign trying to penetrate inside his body, Belphegor instinctively flexed his muscles to protect his inner and outer body.
Something that had been flowing was mostly scattered in the air from Belphegor’s quick response, but in that short gap, some of the smoke had seeped into Belphegor’s body.
Belphegor, with an unpleasant look, stopped for a moment as he tried to divert in his inner strength to burn up all of the smoke.
Rooooooooooooooooar!
‘Power…!’
The unknown power that began to soar through the veins caused Belphegor to hesitate.
——————
Keldian frowned at Clementine.
“If you could take full control of Noah, you didn’t have to kill all of them, so why did you work so hard to cause that?”
That was correct.
If Clementine had not known about Noah, then it would be ambiguous. Clementine knew through the ring that there would be an existence called Noah. If he were to have Noah in his hands, whether it was millions or billions, it didn’t matter since he would be able to control everything.
The question regarding residence?
Earlier, he was able to confirm the functions of Noah.
As Noah had mentioned, this small moon had the ability to provide all of mankind that was onboard a paradise.
If he was unaware of Noah, then it would be different, but what if he had complete information about it?
The answer was rather simple.
All he had to do was come up faster than anyone and wait for the others to come up slowly.
Afterward, he would need to simply sweep them all up into Noah.
Security and happiness, both of them were provided so there would be no rebellion from the Adventurers against Clementine either.
Even if one were to rebel, one wouldn’t be able to beat the power that was Noah.
Besides, they, including Clementine, were at the forefront of mankind.
If they had sped up instead of wasting time like that, the guys behind wouldn’t have been able to keep up in the first place.
In other words, why did he bother reducing his numbers to keep a wary eye on Adventurers coming up from below?
Clementine laughed at Keldian’s remark.
“I don’t know what’s so strange? I just want to carry my people on this ship.”
Keldian frowned from his answer.
“… People?”
Clementine answered with a straight face, “Yes. Not those animals. They are no different from monkeys. They are the ones that have left their world for more than a decade without a proper leader just to survive. The same goes for the new ones that had just ascended. I’m just trying to use my newfound powers efficiently.”
Then, Clementine looked at Eres.
“If they had come up one by one and came into your sight, you would have wanted to take them all aboard.”
“…”
Eres remained silent.
She definitely would have done so.
She would have asked him to take them all and give them a chance.
If they could not afford to, then it would be different, but with such overwhelming power, there was no reason not to.
‘… You didn’t even want that.’
Eres was shocked to see the other appearance of Clementine.
She couldn’t believe that her comrade, who always stood by them, would have such thoughts.
This was more than just dislike but closer to abhorrence.
He didn’t even want them to be in his sight, so he was filtering them all, to begin with in case they would ask him to let them on board.
It was as if he was determined to not be beside them for one moment.
If there was a problem… Clementine’s abilities were too excellent.
He was able to eliminate and get rid of all the humans below and filter out the competent people that deserved to be on board to serve him.
This was a power that was more than able to overpower them who had been together so far.
“John Stone… Your words were right,” Eres muttered, looking at John Stone who was bound beside her.
At first, it was unbelievable to hear that Clementine had subordinates that they were not aware of which was driving humanity to extinction. However, she now knew that all of that was true.
Clementine had a bitter smile, seeing Eres shocked.
‘I wanted you to stay in that state at least.’
Clementine had no intention of accusing Eres of being wrong for insisting on taking all humans on board, nor did he have any intent on blaming Keldian and Kangate who would have agreed with Eres.
This was why he had liked them and those that followed them.
They were different from those who were desperate to live by trampling on others daily.
What was the difference between a beast and an animal that focuses on survival by hurting others? No, they were worse than animals when it came to abusing their strength.
At least animals use their powers only for survival.
However, they were different.
Even in this world, they had not lost their humanity and optimism. They used their power to save others without using it recklessly. They were determined to protect humans despite living in this damned world and were capable enough to do so.
He did not want to fully control them through his own strength. This was why he did not touch them since the moment he did, that naivety and purity would be destroyed.
This was a long road ahead.
At least, he wanted the people that stayed with him to keep their determinations and hearts intact.
‘… I’m not wrong.’
Even now, his purpose remained unchanged.
However, seeing Eres and the others looking at his exposed self, he could not help but feel bitter.
It was then…
Within him came Noah’s synchronized voice.
<Why do you have so many worries? I can just erase their memories.>
<… Erase memories?>
Noah nodded at his remark.
<Of course. Since I had just woken up recently, I have not been able to figure out all my functions… But there is definitely a function like that.>
To be exact, it wasn’t erasing memories. It was to destroy the soul that had memories and regenerate the soul. For instance, if one destroyed the soul that had lived for 30 years and regenerated it for 29 years, the memories that were intact for that last year would be wiped clean.
This was essentially folding time and space to change the soul.
Neropa, the species that made themselves, had been in contact with the fundamental units of space and life.
This was truly an easy task in comparison.
Clementine, who frowned at the comment, stood up before shaking his head.
<Let’s talk about that later.>
This was a problem that could be reconsidered later. There were more important issues at hand.
Flick!
The moment Clementine flicked his fingers…
Whoooooooooooosh!
Everyone, including Eres, who was bound around Clementine, began to disappear into the light toward a safe area.
This place would soon become a sea of fire.
At the same time…
Booooooooooooooooom!
Someone slowly walked in from the outside, exploding into the white space where Clementine was at.
He was fully equipped with blue armor, a hammer in his hand, and a shield on the other.
It was the image of a man who was emanating red and black energy, foretelling an ominous aura as if he had crawled out of hell.
Clementine laughed at the man walking out of the pitch-black area, contrasting the white space.
“Looking at this, don’t you think I’m on the side of justice?”
Keldian would have definitely found the sight to be strange.
For Clementine, Kang Hansoo was the main culprit who ruined his plan and caused mayhem.
It was normal for him to be full of anger and fury the moment he saw Hansoo.
But, Clementine didn’t really feel that way toward Hansoo.
Rather, he was very curious.
Who the hell was he to push himself this far?
Keldian, Eres and Kangtae.
They were great.
However, that was that.
In the end, they could never stand up against him.
The results spoke the truth.
However, that guy had come all the way here.
A man who had started 20 years later in this world was now standing in front of him, destroying everything he had carefully built for 20 years with a stance as if he would strike him down at any moment.
When Hansoo saw Clementine looking at him with a curious look, Hansoo grinned.
‘You can afford to be in ease huh?’
Though he had lost his memory, his memories of fighting him were crystal clear.
This was why his memories of Clementine remained intact as well.
When Eres and the others were about to take over Noah, he was the main culprit that destroyed Noah, saying that he could not hand it over.
For that kind of guy to now hold possession of Noah, it caused Hansoo to clutch his hammer at the smiling fellow.
Ease did not come from anywhere.
It was from those that possess it to release such ease and relaxation.
‘He’s one that has a lot of secrets.’
Even in his previous life, the guy had smiled before he had perished as if he knew something that others did not know before dying.
‘This time… I’ll make you spill it all out.’
The moment Hansoo stepped on the ground strongly…
Booooooooooooooom!
The white space began to roar in the clash between the two.
——————————-
Rooooooooooooooooooooar!
‘I’m entering.’
Sangjin, looking at Noah’s entrance that began to tremble with sudden vibrations, jumped inside.