Chapter 121: Cold Resolve
Linaria confirmed instantly. "Indeed. That's precisely the reason why these creatures are insensible. Because they're beings without mana, and the existence of a human without even a single drop of mana within them is simply impossible."
Seraphina looked over her shoulder and nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought for a while before asking, "Could this liquid mana be connected to the reason behind how someone managed to turn human bodies into monsters? If so... then how exactly does this thing work?"
Linaria shook her head lightly, her expression thoughtful but calm. "We currently don't have a clear idea about it yet. Whether the state of their mana was turned into this liquid form before their deaths or after their deaths is still unknown. But what we are certain of is that this liquid mana is definitely the main cause behind their transformation into these creatures. One of the signs that led us to this conclusion was because their stomachs had exploded from inside, completely filled with this strange substance. Their entire inner structure is disoriented, and all of their blood seems to have turned into this mana liquid. Even their skin carries traces of it. Of course, that's just a theory for now, but it's the most logical one we have."
Seraphina didn't need much time to think before she asked again, her tone calm yet layered with a quiet intensity, "Alright. But do you know how exactly those humans, despite being dead, were able to move and fight against me to the point of giving me such a difficult time? I initially assumed that someone like a Beast Master must've been controlling them. But now that you've revealed they are dead, and worse, that they were once human, then how were they being controlled so perfectly? How did their bodies even move? Or is it possible that they still had a functioning brain?"
They slowly returned to where they had been before, their footsteps echoing lightly against the marble floor. Linaria halted, then turned to face Seraphina and replied in a steady, quiet tone, "No, their brains were completely destroyed. They aren't capable of thinking or speaking... naturally, since they're already dead. As for how they were being moved or controlled, I think it's also connected to that same mana liquid... or perhaps to whoever is controlling it. Do you have any idea who might be responsible?"
Seraphina did have an idea, though she wasn't certain enough to speak it aloud. The night before, Effie had been taken by a woman who called herself Queen, which clearly meant that Effie had been working under her. Seraphina was sure Caelum wasn't the one controlling those creatures, which left only one possibility... Effie. But Effie had been busy fighting that masked man that night, which made it almost impossible for her to be involved in both fights at the same time. That thought led Seraphina to a third person, someone who had unexpectedly revealed herself from the shadows.
Yes, she was beginning to suspect that the woman called Queen was behind all of it. Even so, she had no clue who Queen actually was. Even after interrogating Caelum, she found nothing of worth. Lyra had told her that during the questioning, when Caelum was asked about that woman, he spoke incoherently, as if his mind was fractured. And when they pressed him about her appearance, he said he didn't know. In the end, they believed he had lost his mind and threw him in prison.
Still, he had given a few pieces of information about Queen. He mentioned that she was the one who granted him power, though what that truly meant was something Seraphina couldn't comprehend either. Was there truly someone capable of granting strength to others like that? Regardless of how it happened, it was clear that Caelum had been completely brainwashed by Queen and had followed her will. She was the one who had sent him to retrieve the relic, though in truth, it was Effie who had requested Queen to send him for her own schemes. The entire situation was tangled and uncertain, leaving Seraphina with more questions than answers.
But now, she had at least understood one thing. She finally knew who her true enemies were. Effie was still alive, and she was the one responsible for everything that had happened to Eska, from her suffering to the attempt on her life. And then there was the masked man who was behind the murder of the knight. She had once suspected Kael of being that man but had dismissed the thought, thinking it was absurd. But, in hindsight, perhaps she hadn't been entirely wrong. There was that strange moment during the last night when he had saved her after being pierced by an arrow. How had Kael managed to move faster than an arrow, and how had he known where it would strike in order to block it? Someone like him shouldn't have been able to do that. And most importantly, why hadn't the arrow pierced his back fully despite having such speed... not that she truly wanted that to happen? But she had clearly noticed he wasn't wearing any armor that time.
Kael had always been hiding something from her. No, that wasn't right. It wasn't that he had been hiding anything. It was her who had been ignorant of him. They had lived under the same roof, eaten at the same table, and even slept in the same bed for three long years, yet she hadn't known that he was a healer. She hadn't known that he possessed a unique element, nor that he had a student. Was he hiding all of this from her intentionally?
No... no matter how much she wanted to deny it, the truth was clear. He hadn't been hiding anything at all. She had simply never asked. If she had ever cared enough to ask, he probably would have told her. Kael was not the type to boast about himself before others, but when it came to her, he often did. If he had the chance, he would talk endlessly in front of her, sometimes just to make her react, sometimes only to see her expression change.
"That's just how he actually is..." she thought quietly, her eyes softening for a fleeting moment before she turned her gaze away.
Nevertheless, she had already made her own decision, though it was not something she could do lightly. Even for her, it was somewhat difficult to bring herself to suspect someone like him. She had been watching him quietly for quite a long time, observing his movements and his nature, yet in all that time she had never once found a single thing that could make her doubt him, except for the undeniable potential that rested within him. That potential was the very reason she had chosen to strengthen him, to make him capable of standing on his own when the time came, to protect himself without relying on anyone else. Now, she intended to confirm things directly from him, to be absolutely sure before taking any further step.
In any case, she deeply disliked the things that the Queen had been doing. The idea of turning humans into monsters was the most despicable and abhorrent thing she had ever heard in her entire life. It made her question whether that woman had even the faintest trace of morality within her. How could anyone commit such an act? How could she possibly justify taking the lives of humans and turning them into such miserable creatures?
The very thought of how many had been slaughtered and reshaped into monsters made Seraphina's chest tighten.
She herself had fought more than thirty of those creatures and had killed them all with her own hands. But when she thought about it now, she realized those thirty were once thirty living humans, perhaps ordinary people who lived quietly somewhere in her town, people who might have once smiled, once spoken, once dreamed, but were instead transformed into twisted monsters and forced to die without even understanding what had been done to them.
Her expression darkened as she muttered softly to herself, "No more talking. I have to find that vile creature who took away their lives and stripped away their humanity."
Blue flames ignited in the depths of Seraphina's cold eyes, making her face even colder, and the sight of them made Linaria shiver.
Taking a cautious step back, Linaria raised her hands slightly and stammered, "Uh... ma'am, would you mind calming down a little? I don't think I did anything wrong this time. Look, I'm working perfectly fine, I didn't take any drugs, I wasn't asleep with the door open, and my clothing is completely proper too."
Seraphina sighed quietly and pressed her fingers against her temple as if trying to ease her own irritation. "Don't mind me," she said softly, then lifted her gaze again. "Tell me instead, did you find out anything else regarding the large creature?"
Linaria shook her head with a troubled look. "Nothing much, really. We brought the Adventurers Guild's mana measurement orb here and tried to analyze the creature's mana. But the orb acted strangely, almost as if it couldn't even register or contain the mana at all. So we sent it back for recalibration. Right now we're trying to determine what kind of unique mana that creature possessed, since it didn't have a monster core inside its body."
Seraphina nodded at once. "Alright. Keep your focus on that. And if you find anything new, inform me immediately."
Linaria nodded firmly. "Understood, Captain."
With that, Seraphina turned and stepped out of the facility, walking along the long stone path that stretched toward the front gate.
The air outside was calm, filled with the distant hum of wind brushing against the high walls. Before reaching the gate, she slowed her steps and turned her gaze toward the garden that extended along the narrow path between the wall and the building.
Her eyes softened as she stood there, and a strange expression crossed her face. It was there, in that very place, that she had once spoken with her father. She remembered the scene vividly, how she shouted at him, the awkward silence between them, and how at that time she had tried to call him her father but found herself unable to say the word. Her lips refused, her mind resisted, and her body froze completely.
He had played with her life as though it were a game, as if she were some insignificant piece on a board to be moved and discarded at will, and because of that, she knew she could never forgive him. She had tried once to forgive that man who had once meant so much to her... the same man who used to bring her sweets when she cried and begged, who used to hold her close and tell her stories until she fell asleep. But that same man had thrown her away, cast her into another family like a broken thing, something no longer worth keeping.
She lifted her eyes toward the wide blue sky. The sunlight fell on her silver hair, turning it into a soft golden hue, and her eyes glimmered faintly with tears that threatened to fall.
But she did not let them.
She closed her eyes tightly, drew a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her face had become unreadable once more. Without another glance behind, she continued walking forward.
"There's no meaning in thinking about the past anymore," she whispered to herself. "What matters now is the future, and what it holds. This time, I will not allow anyone else to shape my life. I will decide it myself."
---
Some time later, Kael was walking down a quiet stone path that led to a secluded corner of the district, a place where almost no one came and where he could think in peace. He had wanted to spend some time alone, reflecting on his sword techniques, or at least that was what he thought.
As he walked further ahead, he suddenly heard a faint voice echoing through the narrow corridors between the old houses.
"Help! Someone, please help me!"
He stopped instantly and turned his head. The voice came from deep within the alleys, a part of town where few people ever went. Most of the residents had long since moved away after a dungeon appeared nearby. The entire place felt deserted, lifeless, and silent, so hearing a woman's cry for help there felt strange.
Normally, he would not have involved himself so quickly, but something about the voice stirred a familiarity within him. He could not explain why, but his body moved on its own. He sprinted forward at once, turning sharply through several narrow corridors, chasing the sound that echoed off the crumbling walls.
But when he reached the end of the passage, he found nothing. Only abandoned houses, broken wooden fences, shattered windows, and pieces of stone scattered across the ground. He came to a halt, breathing hard, his eyes scanning every direction.
"That voice... I'm sure it came from here. But where is she?" he muttered under his breath.
He stood in front of a half-collapsed house with its door left open, surrounded by ruins of similar dwellings, the silence pressing against his ears. And then, faintly, he heard it again.
"Don't hurt me... Argh... please..."
Kael's eyes widened as he clenched his teeth. "Damn it!"
He focused on the direction of the sound and sprinted again, moving as fast as his body allowed. But before long, the path ended abruptly in front of a tall wall.
Without hesitation, he leapt up, climbed swiftly, and as his eyes rose above the edge, his expression changed in an instant. His entire body froze.
He could not believe what he was seeing.
In front of him, barely keeping herself upright by pressing against the wall and gritting her teeth, was a woman with long auburn hair and hazel eyes. She was surrounded by several human-sized goblins with green skin that gleamed under the sunlight. Each one of those creatures carried a weapon crudely shaped but oddly sharp, made from what looked like steel.
"Hobgoblins, huh? But what are they doing here, inside the town?"
Celeste was barely holding herself together. Her breathing was rough, her face pale and damp with sweat, and there were cuts scattered all over her body. The largest of them was on her elbow, where blood trickled down her arm, staining her uniform and making the wound clearly visible. Her legs were trembling, and her body seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Her eyes were wide and filled with the raw kind of fear that showed she had already reached her limit.
"Go away… go away from me, you vile creatures!" she shouted with all the voice she could muster, though her words carried more desperation than strength.
The goblins, of course, did not stop. They hissed, their grins stretched unnaturally, their green eyes glimmering with malice.
As they advanced toward her, Celeste took another step back, only to feel the cold stone of the wall press against her back. There was nowhere left to go. It was clear she had somehow managed to stay alive until now, but this time, there was no path for her to escape.
Kael didn't waste time thinking. He leapt down from the low wall nearby, his boots scraping against the ground as he rolled to lessen the impact. His eyes quickly swept the area until they landed on a small rock near his feet. He picked it up immediately, his hand tightening around it as he observed the scene before him.
The hobgoblin closest to Celeste raised its weapon, something resembling a sword yet crudely shaped and without a proper edge, but even without sharpness, it was heavy enough to break a neck in one swing.
Kael didn't have enough time to charge in directly, and he knew that if he tried, he would arrive too late. Instead, he swung his arm back, gathered strength in his shoulder, and hurled the rock forward with all the force he could muster.
The rock shot through the air, whistling faintly as it went. It wasn't a spell or any special technique—just a rock thrown by Kael. But that was enough.
Just as the sword was about to strike down, the rock struck the hobgoblin right in the face, making it stumble for a brief moment. The sword didn't stop, though; it fell with all its strength, but by then Celeste had already thrown herself to the ground, diving under the attack in the last possible second. The weapon struck the wall instead, the sharp sound of steel hitting stone ringing across the alley.
Celeste hit the ground hard, but she was alive.
The rest of the goblins turned toward Kael. Their ugly green faces twisted with fury, their glowing eyes burning with anger at the human who dared interfere.
Kael straightened himself and laughed, loud and provocatively, as he picked up a few more rocks from the ground. "Well, looks like you guys aren't exactly happy to see me. I get it. I made you miss your target. How rude of me, right?"
Celeste finally noticed him and looked up, her eyes wide in disbelief. For a brief moment, Kael grinned at her. He had acted without thinking again, but maybe that was fine. After all, he had come here because he heard her voice calling out. No matter what she thought of him, he couldn't just stand by and watch. In some distant way, he even thought of her as a friend. A loud, fussy, somewhat bossy friend, but a friend nonetheless.
A few of the goblins broke away from the group and started charging toward him, their steps heavy and unsteady. Kael shifted the rocks between his palms and threw them one after another. Each one flew swiftly through the air, hitting a target—one in the eye, one in the mouth, another in the chest. He wasn't just throwing wildly. His aim was precise, each throw focused only on those that still had their attention fixed on Celeste.
He smirked and shouted, "Hey, you bastards! What's wrong with you? Ignoring such a handsome young man in front of you just for that ugly little woman over there? Come on, don't be shy!"
Celeste shot him a baffled look from where she was crouched. Kael tilted his head slightly, wondering what that look was supposed to mean. Did he say something wrong? The goblins were grotesque creatures, almost painful to look at. From their point of view, he was obviously far more appealing. Or was he not? Surely, he wasn't that bad-looking, right?
"What the hell am I even thinking…" he muttered under his breath, then a crooked smile touched his lips. "That's more like it."
Now, most of the goblins turned toward him, their growls filling the air. Their movements were heavy, but quick enough to be dangerous. Kael took another step back and reached for more stones, throwing them rapidly at those that still seemed interested in Celeste, forcing them all to focus on him instead. And soon, they did—it was the nature of monsters, after all.
The distance between them was several meters, and considering hobgoblins were around D or C Rank, they weren't particularly fast. Kael could easily outpace them, though they were still dangerous enough.
A sudden movement caught his eye—one of the goblins swung its jagged weapon toward him. Kael sidestepped swiftly, and the blade cut through nothing but air. Using the opening, he kicked the creature hard in the stomach, sending it tumbling backward into another behind it. Two more lunged at him almost immediately.
Instead of meeting their attack, Kael turned sharply on his heel and began running.
It wasn't that he was scared, though he admitted inwardly that facing five hobgoblins without a weapon was far from smart. He was running to buy Celeste more time. She, in turn, was crawling away slowly, trying not to draw their attention. As soon as she managed to get some distance, Kael began retreating as well.
Before long, the two of them were side by side, running through the narrow alley. Celeste's speed was nowhere near his own since she was just a receptionist with no combat training, while Kael was used to running for his life. Running was something he had long mastered. He remembered the time he had to flee from a wild orc in a forest not too far from here. What a glorious day of running that had been. These goblins, at least, shouldn't be able to catch him... or so he thought.
Celeste suddenly stumbled, her legs giving out beneath her. She fell hard onto the ground, letting out a pained groan. Kael stopped instantly and turned to see her clutching her injured leg. The goblins were closing in, their claws scraping against the stones, and they would reach her any second.
He rushed back to her without hesitation. Celeste looked up at him with confusion and pain in her eyes, opening her mouth to say something, but before she could speak, he dropped to one knee and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"P-pardon me?" she stammered, startled by the sudden closeness.
The goblins were already upon them, their claws and weapons raised to strike.
Kael didn't waste another moment. He lifted her effortlessly... or at least tried to. His other arm slid beneath her thighs as he pulled her up into his arms.
He sighed loudly, his voice full of irritation. "Why the hell are women always so damn heavy? Damn it!"
Celeste blinked at him, her expression switching between disbelief and mild offense. "I'm not heavy," she said flatly.
Kael didn't even respond. He tightened his grip and started sprinting forward again, dodging the attack that slashed through the space where they had been a moment ago.
"You damn are," he muttered quietly, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own pounding footsteps.
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(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...