landbeastnovel Chapter 190 Objective: Destroy the Demon Egg!
Chapter 190 Objective: Destroy the Demon Egg!
Chapter 190 Objective: Destroy the Demon Egg!
After hearing the old village chief's guess, all the villagers, including the guard Uncle Berest, fell silent, their fists clenching unconsciously at their sides.
They never imagined that the shadow that had lingered in their hearts for three or four years would ultimately originate from Eclair, who was desperately searching for a solution.
This fact was far too cruel for both Acreia herself and them.
"So, it was Acreia's arrival that plunged the entire village into crisis?"
Lucy's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she covered her mouth in disbelief, "How could this be—"
thump.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a sound of a package falling to the ground echoed from the depths of the distant forest.
Covered in wounds, Eclair stood there in terror, her expression blank.
Blood dripped continuously from her limp arm, reflecting her state of mind upon hearing the truth.
Mengmeng stood there helplessly, forcing a smile onto her bird-like face, and asked in a trembling voice, almost pleading, "Hey Lucy, village chief, and everyone else, you're—you're joking, right?"
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"How could Eclair be the cause of the disaster? This must be fake, right?"
The entire place fell silent. The villagers all lowered their heads and remained silent, not knowing how to answer the question, let alone how to treat Eclair.
Even though Acreja is the "culprit" who caused them to lose their loved ones and friends and live in fear every day, her actions for the village over the years cannot be erased.
Having narrowly escaped death at the hands of monsters several times, she worked harder and hoped more than anyone else here for the village to return to its former peace and stability!
Eclair saw the villagers' tacit acceptance, and her last glimmer of hope vanished completely, her psychological defenses beginning to crumble.
"Everyone's experiences, all the misfortunes—"
She slumped helplessly to the ground, looking at her bloodied hands. "It's all—my fault—"
What was clearly blood from wounds caused by monsters in the forest appeared to her as the silent curses and lamentations of the demonized villagers.
She could even call out those people's names with perfect accuracy!
Perhaps due to the intense stimulation, Eclair experienced a sharp pain in her head, and the lost memories surged uncontrollably and violently.
An ancient tribe engulfed in flames, the dying wish of the village chief of the Fire Clan, and the need to find the mage Kaland!
Yes!
The reason she "wandered" to the Forest of Boendali was that she originally wanted to find the mage Caland there!
Two conflicting memories, one from the past and one from the present, were ravaging Eclair's senses. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, and two streams of tears slid down her dirty face. "It's all my fault—"
"It's all my fault, I've ruined everyone in the village—"
Just as the darkness of despair and self-blame was about to devour her entire consciousness, Eclair suddenly felt a weight on her body.
Something soft suddenly crashed into her arms.
Through tears, a wisp of long golden hair was reflected in the vision.
"That's not true at all! Eclair knew nothing about this and has been working tirelessly for the future of the village!"
Lucy opened her arms and hugged Eclair, who was kneeling on the ground. "So, it's not entirely your fault!"
The sudden hug left Eclair somewhat bewildered. The clothes couldn't completely block out body temperature, and she could clearly feel the warmth emanating from the other person's chest.
"She spoke so casually, then after a few seconds of stunned silence, she snapped out of it, her face contorted in pain. She struggled violently, trying to push Lucy away, and roared, 'You powerful mages simply cannot understand how I feel right now!!'"
She has always held a resistant and even disgusted attitude towards mages, believing that their power would bring misfortune.
Now, however, they themselves have become the source of misfortune and disaster.
This made her feel extremely guilty, in pain, and deeply desperate!
Faced with Eclair's almost frantic pounding and struggling, Lucy, contrary to her usual weak constitution, used even more strength to hold her tighter.
"I understand, I understand."
Lucy rested her head on Eclair's shoulder, her golden hair obscuring her sad yet determined eyes.
"Because of my origins, I caused the comrades I wanted to protect to suffer the torment of war, and I also caused the guild that held countless memories to be completely destroyed. So, so—"
I understand your pain and sorrow right now!
Even now, she still remembers vividly the scene where the Phantom Lord drove the Magic Giant to the back of the guild, and her companions risked their lives to protect them.
Eclair's situation was exactly the same as hers back then; she wished she could atone for her sins with her death and repay them with her life.
But Lucy knew very well that doing that, or rather, that idea itself, was completely wrong!
This was precisely the reason that drove her to step forward and comfort Eclair immediately. Seeing that Eclair's struggles in her arms had lessened, Lucy loosened her grip slightly and looked up at Eclair's tear-filled eyes.
"Some mistakes shouldn't be entirely blamed on oneself; doing so will only bring more regret and sorrow to those around one."
Upon hearing this, Eclair suddenly affirmed.
Following Lucy's gaze, she saw the worry in the eyes of the old village chief and the villagers.
The hand that had been pressing firmly against Lucy's shoulder loosened and slid down limply.
She actually knew it; she knew from the first moment she saw Lucy that this blonde girl was different from other mages, with a gentleness in her eyes that could understand human sorrow.
Based on this, she didn't dislike Lucy like other mages, and even had a slight liking for her, but due to her proud and aloof personality, she didn't give her a very friendly look.
"Lucy, please tell me what I should do," Eclair said, her voice trembling as she revealed her despair and helplessness.
"If you have no one to rely on, then let me be your partner and offer my help!"
Lucy was delighted that Eclair, who had been wearing a sour expression the whole time, could say something like that. She was even happier that she finally understood how her companions felt back in Phantom Lord. A bright smile spread across her face. "Besides, this was part of our request!"
"Well, does saying that sound like I'm showing off? After all, I'm still a relatively inexperienced newbie, and I can't do anything without Chess."
"Aha, ahahaha."
After showing off, she immediately became awkward and embarrassed, scratching her head and laughing awkwardly.
As expected of the guild's strongest sarcastic mage, when she gets ruthless, she doesn't even spare her own sarcastic remarks. Eclair blinked blankly, unsure whether she was moved by Lucy's statement about wanting to become her partner or shocked by the huge contrast between her previous and current expressions.
"As Lucy said, dealing with the village's crisis is exactly what we're here to do."
Seeing that Eclair's emotions had stabilized under Lucy's guidance, Chase slowly walked over.
"And you don't need to blame yourself too much. The Phoenix Stone was just a trigger. Even without the stimulation of the Phoenix aura, the Demon King would have awakened sooner or later."
"Or to be more precise, it was precisely because of your arrival that the demon king lurking in the shadows was exposed ahead of time, giving us a chance to salvage the situation."
Based on the information Ultear provided about the Demon King's abilities, it's not hard to deduce that the abilities the villagers obtained from the egg-shaped fossil were not actually "weakening the power of the forest monsters," but rather "absorbing" them.
The principle is roughly that the dormant demons indirectly obtain energy from the outside world, allowing them to revive, through their bodies.
The villagers used this ability to survive in the perilous forest, while the Demon King could also develop stealthily, quietly waiting for the day he would make a comeback.
At that time, it won't be as simple as some villagers turning into demons!
The appearance of Eclair, who possesses the blood of the phoenix, thwarted this conspiracy, making the Demon King feel a sense of crisis from his nemesis, thus triggering the so-called "anomaly".
This is the whole story.
"So, the rest is quite simple."
Chase clapped his fists together, his eyes gleaming with barely suppressed fighting spirit, and laughed, "Let's go to the underground altar and smash the demon egg!"
The signs of the Demon King's full awakening are quite obvious, and it will be of no use to keep Eclair away from the village now.
"Wait, wait, Chesgo, didn't Ultear tell us not to make any rash moves?" Lucy quickly reminded them.
"If those guys from the council get involved, we can forget about getting paid for the commission."
With just one sentence, Chase instantly energized the timid Lucy: "Yes! Eighteen million!"
Seeing Lucy's impatient expression, the dark magic girl leaned close to Chess's ear and whispered, "What reward? Master is clearly itching for a handy one, isn't he?"
Chess smiled without saying a word.
"Um, if it's alright, could I go with you?" Eclair slowly stood up.
This whole affair started because of her, and she felt she had to settle things with the Demon King.
"We are too, Lady Lucy, Mr. Chase, please allow us to accompany you!"
The old village chief and the villagers walked slowly towards them, their expressions all incredibly resolute.
Even if it was a conspiracy planned for many years, the existence of the Demon Egg did indeed guarantee the village's safety for nearly four hundred years, which is an undeniable fact.
For their ancestors, for their demonized clansmen, and for the future of the village, they wanted to witness this fateful moment with their own eyes!
"Although there is no longer any threat in the village, I cannot guarantee that you will not be affected by the Demon King's aura. Perhaps—"
"He'll turn into a demon like the other villagers!" Chase said seriously.
Because there is ample magical energy being absorbed, mages who come here to carry out commissions will not be demonized as long as they run fast enough; at most, they will experience adverse reactions such as magical energy deficiency.
But the situation is much worse for the weak villagers; the risks are considerable and unpredictable!
Although Chase already knew the answer to the question from the enlightened looks in the eyes of the village chief and others.
Even so, we have nothing to fear!
As Chase had predicted, none of the villagers, including the old village chief, backed down.
Having learned the whole truth and that their demonized relatives and friends could never be restored to their original state, they seemed to have made a certain decision. Seeing this, Chase said no more, waved his hand, and led everyone through the walled gate again, stepping into the village.
Lucy, Dark Magician Girl, Eclair, and Mengmeng walked beside him, with the villagers, led by the old village chief, behind them.
The journey was smooth and unobstructed.
Soon, the group arrived at the central square without incident and proceeded along the dark and damp underground passage toward the altar at the end.
Chase led the way, his dark golden magic barrier enveloping everyone.
Although it cannot completely resist the invisible suction force from the magic egg, it still has some effect, preventing it from being completely devoured.
Finally, they arrived at the deepest open space and saw the demon egg floating above the altar, surrounded by a scarlet energy halo!
"I haven't seen this place for years, and I never imagined it would become so terrifying—"
Despite being mentally prepared, the old village chief was still shocked when he saw the scene before him.
When the village first started acting strangely, he risked his life to come down and check it out once.
The demon egg at that time still retained its original fossil appearance, and there was no longer that chilling energy aura around it.
Eclair reacted much like the other villagers, unable to believe that the area beneath the village would be in such a state.
"Akrea, could I borrow your Phoenix Stone for a moment?" Chase asked, looking at Akrea.
Clearly, to destroy the demon egg and prevent the demon king from awakening, the outer energy ring must first be shattered.
Based on the feedback from the previous "suicide" attacks by Kuriboh and Pru, the energy aura seems to contain some kind of rule-based power similar to Ferid's magic, making it very difficult to forcibly destroy it through external force.
Although Chase was confident he could destroy it with full firepower, that would mean the village would be completely wiped off the map!
Therefore, he decided to try using the Phoenix Stone, which contained the aura of the Demon King's nemesis, to conserve magic power as much as possible to deal with any unexpected situations. If all else failed, he would then destroy it violently.
As a former Magic Weekly Destroyer, this kind of thing didn't bother him at all.
Without the slightest hesitation, Eclair quickly removed the half of the phoenix stone she was wearing around her neck.
Chase didn't rush to receive the Phoenix Stone; instead, he held it in his hand and weighed it.
After all, it was used to seal away an extremely dangerous monster like the Phoenix. The material used to make this thing was quite special, with extremely high hardness. Even seven years later, Natsu's full-force Fire Dragon Iron Fist could not destroy it.
Driven by the damn competitive spirit between men, he wanted to see if he could crush it.
The result is obvious: it cannot.
After letting out a regretful sigh, Chess's gaze gradually turned serious, and a slowly rotating golden magic circle lit up on his right arm.
The chains swayed, revealing the sealed man's right wrist, gathering power for the upcoming attack.
Immediately afterwards, a crimson stream of light representing the Sky Dragon God-Slaying Magic burst forth, pushing this power to an even higher level!
"Alright, let's go!"
Chase stomped heavily on the ground, shattering it, and hurled the Phoenix Stone from his palm.
Under the tense gaze of everyone, the Phoenix Stone, carrying a violent aura, streaked through the air with a crimson ray and crashed directly into the energy circle of the Demon Egg!
Whoosh!
The energy aura, struck hard, rippled violently, and after a brief stalemate of a few seconds, it shattered, turning into countless points of light.
"Great! It worked!!"
Lucy and the others couldn't help but cheer.
Chess frowned, noticing something amiss: the Phoenix Stone fell to the ground after shattering the energy circle, clearly without touching the demon egg inside, so why did cracks also appear on the surface of the demon egg?
boom!!!
As he pondered, a deep black light suddenly burst forth, and a violent yet oppressive ancient aura swept across the entire area.
Amidst the scattered, broken eggshells, a pair of scarlet eyes slowly opened.
A terrifying monster that existed hundreds of years ago.
I woke up early!