The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 109



Operation to Rescue the Saint

The round of 32 matches ended following the round of 64.

The round of 16 matches were scheduled to be held again tomorrow.

As many strong contenders had advanced, fierce battles continued.

The first match had a huge impact.

To overshadow that impact, the students had no choice but to be more desperate.

The international individual competition was a place to show off and flaunt one’s reputation.

Everyone was desperate to make their mark on the world.

But where there are winners, there are losers.

Among them, two of the six stars were eliminated early on.

This clearly showed how intense this tournament was.

One of those six stars.

Acrede’s Saint Narea.

She was the saint of the Holy Kingdom, Rium.

‘As planned.’

I saw the carriage of the Kingdom of Rium rattling along in my eyes.

Currently, I was following the saint’s carriage with Baekmokgong.

The round of 32 was unfortunate for Acrede.

Because her opponent in the round of 32 was none other than one of the most prominent figures among the six stars.

It was Iris Highsillion.

The one hailed as the strongest royalty of the empire.

No matter how much of a saint Acrade was, she was no match for Iris.

Therefore, despite her struggles, she could not avoid defeat.

This is always the case in any official match.

Acrade faces Iris in the round of 32 and gets eliminated.

‘Perhaps there is someone involved in the international individual competition who is part of the holy order or mysticism.’

Otherwise, it made no sense that she always faced Iris in the round of 32.

‘According to the plan, Acrade had to return at this exact time.’

I should look into that side later if I get the chance.

At that moment, Baekmokgong stood up.

“They are scattering.”

As she said, the high priests cleared the area around the carriage as if they had received an urgent message.

The cardinal in charge of escorting the carriage went to Acrade’s carriage and seemed to be having a conversation.

It was clearly a stalling tactic.

Soon, Baekmokgong raised her gaze to the sky.

In the clear blue sky.

Unseasonal flashes began to flicker.

I knew well what it was.

Because it was a divine weapon with a power similar to the one I possessed.

Starfall.

Stars rained down from the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The area was devastated, and the holy knights guarding Acrade were thrown to the ground.

The carriage Acrade was riding in was shattered, and the cardinal who was supposed to protect her was also rolling on the ground.

Yet, Baekmokgong did not move.

Even if Starfall could destroy the carriage.

She knew it did not have the power to kill Acrade in one blow.

“That black-hearted cardinal, pretending to protect the saint, deliberately took the hit.”

Baek Mok-gong read the situation precisely.

This was, after all, a self-made drama.

It was to create a situation where they couldn’t protect Acrede in time.

Amidst the smoke created by the Star Burumi.

The holy knights, who were hit by the Star Burumi, came to their senses and stood up belatedly.

But it wasn’t just smoke that arose.

Before long, the surroundings were filled with white mist, making it impossible to distinguish the view.

Whiteout phenomenon.

It refers to a weather phenomenon where it is difficult to distinguish the horizon due to snow, fog, sand, etc.

Among the mystics, there was someone who harbored a mystery related to the mist.

“Boy.”

At the same time, Baek Mok-gong swung his cloak and stepped forward.

“Let the boy go straight to the saint.”

The corners of Baek Mok-gong’s mouth lifted eerily.

A fierce spirit of a wild beast burst forth from her.

“I will take down all the mystics myself.”

The most reliable ally in the world.

“Yes.”

Baek Mok-gong leaped into the mist like a wild beast.

At the same time, screams echoed here and there in the mist.

The mystics encountered an untimely wild beast.

For them, there was no greater misfortune.

Meanwhile, I also leaped into the mist.

I pushed through the mist and moved in the direction where Acrede was.

“Ku-eek!”

At that moment, one of the mystics rolled and disappeared in front of me.

He had been hit by Baek Mok-gong and flown all the way here.

‘He’s rampaging like a madman.’

Baek Mok-gong is not called a living hero for nothing.

At least, unless it’s the boss of the mystics, no one can handle Baek Mok-gong.

As a mystic, he had met his match.

‘More than that, I am Acrede.’

It was when I arrived at the broken carriage to take her away.

Soon, my eyes widened.

Because there was no one near the broken carriage.

Originally, Acrede, who should have been by the carriage, was nowhere to be seen.

And she was not the only one.

‘Cardinal Centriol.’

The guy who was involved in this matter was also nowhere to be seen.

A thought crossed my mind.

I slightly widened my eyes.

Cardinal Centriol.

He noticed something was wrong and kidnapped Acrede.

＊＊＊

In the forest away from the commotion.

A man in white armor was running.

There was a wound on his forehead, and blood was dripping, but he didn’t care at all.

Cardinal Centriol.

He was one of the most faithful followers of the Holy Order.

Born in an orphanage run by the Holy Order, he went through the ranks of inquisitor, high-ranking holy knight, and received the title of paladin.

He was one of the top forces within the Holy Kingdom.

Such an urgent appearance of Centriol was rare.

But today, Centriol was very urgent.

The woman in his arms was shaking.

Her curly white blonde hair fluttered accordingly.

A woman dressed in a pure white dress symbolizing purity.

Saint Narea of Acrede.

She was the saint of the Holy Kingdom.

“Cardinal Centriol.”

Centriol turned his gaze towards the voice he heard.

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Then, Acrede looked up at Centriol with an expressionless face.

Acrede always wore a benevolent smile.

Her benevolent smile was fitting for anyone to call her a saint.

However, there were times like today when she had this expressionless face.

At such times, it felt as if she could see through everything.

Cold.

Every time her emerald eyes touched him, a corner of his heart stung.

“Why did you betray the Holy Order?”

A stiff voice without melody flowed from Acrede.

A stark contrast to the usually bright voice.

Centriol felt a chill from it.

But he shamelessly answered without changing his expression.

“Saint, I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You were instigated by King Rium. It was a crisis where the power of the Rium Kingdom was about to be completely transferred. I can’t say I don’t understand King Rium’s choice.”

Since the appearance of the saint.

The power structure of the Rium Kingdom had completely changed.

The citizens of the Rium Kingdom cried out for the saint and elevated the status of the Holy Order.

As a result, the power of the Rium royal family dwindled day by day.

The Rium royal family wanted to remove the saint, Acrede, more than anyone else.

So it was not strange for Acrede to make such a guess.

“Saint, I can understand that attackers appeared at the instigation of King Rium, but my betrayal is a separate story.

Am I not causing this commotion to save you right now?”

When Centriol denied her words as a misunderstanding, Acrede looked beyond the forest.

“Is that so? I see that place as safer than anywhere else.”

“Do you mean the place where the attackers are?”

“Anywhere would be safe as long as it’s not beside Cardinal Centriol.”

Words that confirmed Centriol’s betrayal.

Hearing these words, Centriol ground his teeth.

“Then why did you follow me despite being sure that I am a traitor?”

“Because there is something I wanted to tell Cardinal Centriol.”

Acrede maintained his expressionless face as he spoke.

“The dead do not return.”

Thud-

The running Centriol’s steps came to a halt.

At the same time, he grabbed Acrede and slammed him to the ground.

Bang!

Acrede, with his neck held by Centriol, looked up at him quietly.

The deep-seated grudge in his eyes flared up.

“Cardinal Centriol, you know this well.”

Even while being strangled, Acrede voiced his opinion.

But Centriol had no intention of calming his anger.

“I have believed in God all my life.”

The tone of his voice dripped with anger.

The reason Centriol became an inquisitor.

It was because of his son, who was born sick.

Instead of acting as an inquisitor, he entrusted his son to the high priests.

“I prayed to the damn God thousands, tens of thousands of times. I asked for my son to live longer than me.”

The high priests continued to treat his son.

But his son hardly got better.

It was a natural story.

Divine power only heals wounds or cures diseases.

There was nothing that could be done about a weak body from birth.

Of course, if one continuously received divine power, they could live longer than their original lifespan.

But that was all.

There was ultimately a limit to a short lifespan.

“But no matter how devoutly I lived, God did not save my son’s life.”

Despite living his whole life for the Holy Order, he couldn’t save his son’s life.

If it were like this, he would have stayed by his young son’s side even a little.

He spent his time trying to save his son, but in the end, he couldn’t be with him.

Thud-

Blood tears flowed from his eyes.

They were tears filled with grief.

“So, you intend to bring your dead son back to life?”

Centriol made a deal with King Rium.

It was a deal to revive his dead son through mysticism.

“Such an act will not help your son at all. It will only anger the gods.”

“What do you know to prattle on like that!”

Centriol tightened his grip on her neck.

“My son, who died unjustly without ever seeing the sea he longed to see his whole life!

My son, who cried wanting to see his father, and I couldn’t even hold him properly, left this world without enjoying a single moment!

The gods didn’t even embrace such a good child, so what meaning is there in their anger!”

“Your son has merely gone to the side of the gods. All living things…”

“Shut up!”

Blood drops from Centriol’s eyes fell onto her face.

“I will bring my son back to life. And I will let him do everything he wants to do.”

Centriol’s rampage had already crossed the point of no return.

“If I just kill you, everything will be accomplished.”

Centriol’s grip tightened even more.

Even as her neck was being strangled, Akrede just looked at him.

That was the most unsettling thing for Centriol.

“Accomplished? What will be accomplished.”

At that moment, a voice reached Centriol’s ears.

Engulfed in rage, he hadn’t noticed his surroundings. When he lifted his head.

A fist had already reached him.

Smack!

With a sharp pain in his face, Centriol’s head snapped back.

But he was a cardinal with the title of Paladin.

He wasn’t someone who would be knocked down by a mere punch.

As he regained his senses and tried to counterattack immediately.

He realized that his face wouldn’t move.

His face was frozen from the cold.

By the time he realized this, it was already too late.

The opponent’s fist had already reached his face once more.

If once wasn’t enough, then once more.

Crack!

Unable to withstand the second blow, Centriol’s frozen face shattered as he tumbled to the ground.

And in front of him.

A boy with black hair landed.

“You’re making quite a fuss trying to smash my son Yoon-Hwe to pieces.”

Hanon Airei.

He had arrived.