Chapter 322: Hero of Laios (1)
The moment a dark red sphere fell on the city, I stared at the scene blankly. It was because even I couldn’t even figure out what was going on.
Of course, I could recognize that something big had happened. That was because I heard screams erupting from everywhere.
“Everyone, head underground! Repeat. Everyone, enter the underground shelter! This is a real situation. This is a real situation, not training. Enter the designated near building with protective magic. I repeat. Go into the underground shelter or the designated building with protective magic and wait!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Oh, God. Oh, God.”
“What are you doing, Marina? Can’t you hear them shouting for us to avoid you? Quickly, now.”
Instantly, I was awakened by the voice.
I began to get dizzy when I realized that the surrounding landscape, which just before felt like a dream, was still there.
‘Leah.’
I thought of my daughter, who would be left alone at home.
‘Please… Oh, God. Please.’
I heard a voice calling me from behind, but I couldn’t stop. I had already started to run. Though I was soon running out of breath, I was still a long ways away from reaching my destination.
Thanks to the people running to the other side, I was far from moving forward.
Everyone must be heading to the shelter or to the place where the protection magic was still maintained.
‘I shouldn’t have left her alone… I shouldn’t have left her alone!’
“Marina!”
“Let me go! Let me go! Let go of me!”
“First, let’s go to the shelter. Leah must have avoided it already. Quickly…”
“I told you to let go of me. Please. Let go of me. Please… I have to check, at least. I have to make sure she’s avoided it safely!”
“Damn… Wait here.”
“James?”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. Wait here. No, wait in a safer place.”
“Ah…”
I saw James running to the other side in a hurry.
I knew I should go with him, but my legs refused to move, probably because of my fear.
All I could do was pray.
“Please be safe… Please, let my beloved Leah and James both to be safe… Please. Please.”
The waiting time wasn’t that long, but I felt like waiting for hours. My tears kept flowing out of anxiety, and my chin and legs were shaking.
Gradually reaching the city, the sphere was being sucked into the earth as if it were ready to devour everything.
As the little bit of hope was about to vanish, I saw James holding Leah from a distance.
Baaaaanngggg!!
The dark red sphere collided with the clock tower with a tremendous sound. The loud roar made my ears hurt.
“It’s dangerous! James! Dangerous!”
He looked at the sky immediately.
As the fragments of the huge tower fell, James laid on his stomach, holding Leah tightly. I was afraid of them getting knocked out from the debris.
Time seemed to stop around me.
“N-No!!”
As I closed my eyes and burst into tears, my daughter’s voice began to be heard faintly.
“Mom… Mom…”
‘What… the…’
It didn’t make sense.
As I slowly opened my eyes, I could see the city surrounded by a crowd of lights.
The fragments that fell from the tower were also engulfed by the light and pushed out more and more. The light seemed to engulf everyone in a dazzling white gleam.
Leah was pulling her collar carefully, and James was looking up at what happened.
‘He helped.’
My prayer to God had reached.
“It’s a miracle. It’s a miracle. God, thank you. Thank you very much. Leah… Leah!”
“No. It’s not a miracle, Marina.”
“What?”
“It’s not a miracle… This… is definitely not a miracle.”
Naturally, I followed James’ gaze while hugging Leah tightly.
What I saw was a scene that could only be said to be horrendous.
-Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! Please, hold on a little more. Just a little bit! Just hold on a little more!
-Ahhhhhhhhh!!
-These dirty bastards! Damn. Damn! Hyung-nim!! If you hold on a little more, support will come! Hold on until then. You know that you can’t die pushing yourself too much, right? Don’t overdo it. I’ve warned. I won’t forgive you if you pass out overdoing it. I won’t forgive you!
The scene in front of me was difficult to understand. My jaw hung open.
“James… that…”
“I don’t know what happened, Marina. But… it seems that people from the State are confronting the demon. The lights surrounding the city now seem to have been created by them. I’ve heard about the… Goddess’s Mirror before, but who knew I’d really see it?”
“It looks dangerous…”
It literally did.
It looked like a close call to anyone.
A large man was wielding a shield and sword while surrounded by countless demons. Rather than taking care of his own safety, he did his best to protect those behind him.
He smashed big and small monsters coming from everywhere with the shield or cut them with swords, but his body had long since been inflicted with numerous wounds.
I couldn’t understand how he could move in that condition.
As the number of monsters closing the siege increased beyond his control, he began to block them with his body.
Having his arm bit off, his leg limping, and not worrying about his safety; I could see him not sparing himself for his embattled colleagues.
-Hold on a little more. Just a little bit. This time… this time, for sure. This time, I will take you without any wounds. The same thing will never happen again!
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
-I won’t let you finish that way like last time. I won’t be so helpless! I won’t be just staring at it like that! You dirty bastards!! You can’t lay a finger on Hyung-nim. Son of bitches… Son of bitches! Come here. Come here!!
I didn’t know what was going on.
However, even a fool would know that the tears in the large young man’s eyes were not because of pain. Instead, they were filled with anxiety at the thought of losing those who he cared for.
The large young man with the shield seemed to have more wounds, but the dark-haired woman next to him also did not look normal.
I didn’t know why, but one of her legs was limping, and a slender hand was shooting magic at the approaching people.
Anyone could see that she looked precarious.
Not only was her skin cracking, but blisters were blowing out of the skin on her body.
-Haap. Haap. Whew… Let’s hold on just a little. Just a little bit. It’s almost done. Let’s hold on a little more. You can’t pass out yet. Sora, you can do it. Let’s not pass out. Do not pass out. You can still do a little more.
Of course, I didn’t know what kind of force they were using.
She was also doing her best to somehow protect those around her with her own body.
-Hyung-nim, Hyung-nim!
-It’s going well. Everything is going well.
There was one man and one woman. They were holding hands tightly and reaching out to the sky.
Anyone could notice the fact that they were blocking the black sphere falling in this city.
Like the brilliant light surrounding the city, their bodies were shining all over.
-Ahhhhhh!!
The woman holding a shield of light was vomiting blood from her mouth and nose.
-Ahhhhhhhhh!!
Likewise, the man was grabbing his chest and sending light together.
They looked fine on the outside, but their legs were evidently trembling. I could see just how serious their situation was.
-Don’t overdo it. I really won’t forgive you if you die like this! If you two go first like this… Haap… I really won’t forgive you! I’ll die with you, too!
-Ahhhhh!!
-If it’s too hard, you can give up… No one will blame… Gasp. Hyung-nim and Hayan. No one can blame you. You already did enough. Haap… You’ve already done enough.
-Focus, Deokgu. Focus. Kahak.
-H-Hyung-nim.
To make matters worse, the man had begun to vomit blood.
-Don’t look back, focus! I’m okay. I’m okay.
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The woman had also begun to vomit, yet was still trying to exert all she’s had.
-Don’t die… Please. Please… please… God. God. God. Buddha. Goddess Benigore. Please. Please save Hyung-nim and Hayan. Please… if you’re really there… please. Don’t take my good Hyung-nim and Hayan. Please… they are people who have lived this way all their lives. Please don’t take them away with something like this! Isn’t it too unfair to die from something like this? It seems too unfair!!
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
-I’d rather die instead. Rather, take me. Rather… if you’re going to take someone, take me. Haap…
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The light did not fade.
Despite the big young man saying that it was okay to give up now, I didn’t think that the lights that fill the city will disappear.
“A-Are they in danger? James… are they in danger?”
“They could die.”
“What?”
“No… They’ve already crossed their limits for some time. They must be using all the magic power in their body. I’m a low-ranking mercenary who’s only caught goblins, but… I know that much. This is not the kind of magic that a human can manifest. Perhaps… even if they save this city. Those two who unleashed this magic… they will die.”
“Why… to that extent…?”
“I don’t know either. People like me will never understand people like them.”
Tears had begun to flow down my cheeks. My heart had already reached out to them.
‘Please…’
As I looked next to me, I saw my daughter gently putting her hands together.
She pulled her collar and looked up at me as if to do it with her, as if asking for us to pray together.
No wonder I closed my eyes quietly with my hands together toward the sky.
‘I wish they will be all right… Please do not those nobles lose their lives unjustly…’
Immediately after that…
A scene that could only be explained as a miracle began to manifest itself.