Chapter 1040: Fall of the Protection Wall
"Ahh... ahhh! Help! Aghh—"
A sickening squelch cut through the terrifying cry for help, and the head of yet another Protector rolled across the icy ground from a single foot stomp.
The owner of that foot, with his dark, joyless eyes, stared toward the remaining protectors standing opposite him, gripping their weapons with desperate resolve.
His long black hair danced softly in the bitter wind of the Western border as he glided across the snow, pressing fresh crimson blood into the pristine ground.
He stopped halfway while the remaining soldiers stood at a distance, trembling slightly. Though the look in their eyes tried to mask it, they were terrified.
Their killer standing before them sighed and shook his head, clicking his tongue in disgust.
"This could have gone the easy way—do you all realize that?"
He gestured slightly with his hand.
"I explained clearly. I did not come here to fight you. I only came here to claim the Protection Wall."
Their faces hardened as he studied them.
He sighed again.
"I really am tired of all of you and your stubbornness. Rughsbourgh was the founder of the Protectors, yes?"
They all stared at him, their weapons still raised. They did not respond, but he was right.
"You think that old, wasted fool created this place to truly protect the continent?"
They remained silent, but he continued regardless.
"The separation of Stelia and the decision to make it a continent of its own because of its distance from the rest—that came as shocking. But in the long run, it served to fuel my plan perfectly. Rughsbourgh created this place for the same reason. Well, not exactly the same, but something similar.
"The wall is a containment of essence—all of you are containment. Let me make it easier for you brainless creatures to understand: You are all food. Not just any kind of food, but that which has been nourished by the world itself. The leakage in this place—you have all been subconsciously absorbing it for years. Whether alive or dead, you will serve as the initial source of essence restoration for the Origin of War."
Koll breathed deeply, happiness dancing in his eyes.
"And the atmospheric anomaly of the western border? Oh well, that is something Professor Heimburger helped me develop to weaken the intangible prison my master was trapped in."
Koll shook his head.
"That man is brilliant. Every plan he shared with me eighty years ago went exactly as he predicted. ’Brilliant,’ in fact, seems to diminish his great mind."
Koll finally exhaled and looked forward again. His eyes fell on a particularly familiar young man.
The man had a full beard; his eyes were fiery and sharp. Beside him stood two young women with dark hair and piercing, venomous eyes, each wearing protectors’ uniforms just as he was.
"Gilbert, right?"
Gilbert frowned.
"How do you know my name? What are your ties with Rughsbourgh?"
Koll examined him with downturned lips.
"Do you know that he is back? As a Luminary... Rughsbourgh, that is."
Gilbert’s eyes widened for a moment. Then he controlled himself and frowned again.
"And why are you telling me?"
Koll smiled.
"Did you not used to be his dog? Or are you finally rebelling?"
Gilbert’s gaze hardened, a furious light blazing in his eyes.
"I do not think I owe you—stranger, murderer, and twisted demon—any explanations for my actions. The only thing I owe you is death and even if it is the last thing I do, I will make sure I give it to you."
Koll regarded him, smiling maliciously.
"Look at you... aren’t you adorable?"
Gilbert opened his hands, manifesting two long swords into them.
His face was already worn out—but it wasn’t from facing Koll.
After leaving the border, he had gone to the academy, hoping he could pursue a teaching career or something similar. However, he was vehemently refused by the principal—ridiculously, at the gate. He wasn’t even granted entry into the school.
Gilbert returned to Verulania to claim his public Citadel, but another Headmaster had already been transferred there by the government, which wasn’t surprising.
It was as though there was no place for him no matter where he went. He was seemingly rejected by one circumstance or another.
They had even tried opening a small roadside stall to sell late-night noodles, but the stall was destroyed by the authorities and a new law against such practices was released.
After contemplating for a long time, Gilbert decided the best thing for him to do was return to the border and live the rest of his life protecting the Central Plains.
He had bid Ayu and Myu farewell, but those two young girls were incredibly stubborn.
Deciding to return to the wall, Gilbert believed it was the best decision he had ever made in his life.
Apparently, after the Dark Continent student returned, the situation of monsters climbing from the sea to the surface had doubled.
Before, monsters rarely surfaced—it happened perhaps once or twice every three weeks. However, since the student’s return, monsters emerged every day.
If they were unlucky, they had to battle a Destroyer. If they had rotten luck, then the Destroyer would be Abysmal or worse—Apex—rising to the surface with an army of its own.
Gilbert and the protectors had just finished dealing with two Abysmal Maelstroms and one Catastrophic Hellion. Many were wounded, even Gilbert himself, and yet... this person had suddenly attacked.
’...and he knows Rughsbourgh...’
Gilbert tried not to overthink it. He knew Rughsbourgh had lived for a long time; they could be acquainted in any number of ways.
But the things he was saying about the wall’s creation were difficult to dismiss. The problem about the atmospheric leakage was accurate.
If he was right about that, then he was probably also correct that all of them were food.
Gilbert exhaled shakily.
’What in the world is going on? How can I send a message to Northern...’
He paused his thoughts at that moment.
’Northern... How shameless can I be? Something goes wrong and the first person I look to for help is a sixteen-year-old. Or is he seventeen? I wonder how he’s doing these days... how strong he is.’
Gilbert remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly got an idea that made him frown.
He glanced at both girls at his side and lowered his stance slightly as though ready to move, but also positioning himself so he could whisper to them comfortably.
"Ayu. Myu. Listen to me clearly."
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