Turning Chapter 841

Chapter 841

“I have something to say as well. It’s about Hosanna and Nahan. I heard from Kanna just before I came here.”

Yuder organized the story he received from Kanna and conveyed it. Upon learning whose illegitimate child Nahan was, Kishiar's eyebrows slightly twitched, though he showed no sign of surprise.

"...I see. The bastard of the Herne family."

"It was fortunate that First Princess Myra remembered them in detail."

"But why do you choose to convey this information to me at this very moment? Is there another reason?"

Though the information had to be conveyed eventually, Yuder first mentioned it in the midst of Nahan's uncontrollable rampage and the ensuing chaos. Of course, there was a reason.

Yuder looked directly at Kishiar and took a deep breath.

"In the previous game, it was a principle to deal with an out-of-control Awakener as quickly as possible. To achieve this, even bending the rules and laws was somewhat tolerated. Among them, the rampage of a mental-type Awakener was considered far more dangerous than others. You can guess the reason, I assume."

Yuder glanced once towards the darkness swarming with Nahan's illusions, then looked away.

"Right now, this space is filled with Nahan's power. Although the Commander has been pushing it back, we have all been momentarily affected. I believe it's no exaggeration to say that the fiend has peeked into the minds of everyone here at least once. But among us... one person is harboring a secret unknown to him."

Kishiar's eyes flickered.

"...Hosanna."

"Yes. Whether Hosanna is near death or not, the illusion ability has equally read his mind. That means..."

"The secret bound by oath would now be known to him, is what you mean to say."

"Exactly."

Nahan can read the illusions of fear created in others' minds. Hosanna's fears, who would do anything for Nahan, naturally had a great connection with him.

Hosanna knew, but until now Nahan did not – his origin, the hidden secrets.

If the Awakener, in his rampage, had learned this truth, what reaction would he show?

"Soon, a rampage many times stronger than the current one will begin. The moment the shadow barrier is even slightly breached, the illusions he creates will engulf this area. And the first target will undoubtedly be..."

"The Herne family."

"Yes, I believe so too."

Awakener in a rampage usually loses their senses, recklessly expending their power until self-destruction. In such a state, they hardly recognized who was in front of them.

However, mental-type Awakener, perhaps due to their strong mental power, regained some semblance of their senses over time. The more skilled they originally were, the higher the likelihood of this happening. Of course, this didn't mean their rampage stopped. Once they reached that state, they couldn’t stop their frenzy, whether willingly or not, until they saw the end.

And naturally, a madman who had regained some sense was much harder to deal with than one who was completely out of his mind.

And now, the madman they must face was none other than Nahan.

"Currently, he seems to have not regained his senses, but the margin of safety we have will soon end. Therefore, a swift resolution is of utmost priority."

"Do you have a plan in mind?"

"That... I'll tell you after meeting Kurga and Gakane."

It wasn't long before Kurga and Gakane emerged from the shadows. Startled and exhausted from their tense vigil, they were taken aback upon seeing Yuder appear with Kishiar.

"Yuder!"

"So it was you who infiltrated here...! It's a relief to see you unharmed."

"Did you deal with the sage? What about the others?"

"It's fine. There's no need to worry about them. And Hosanna?"

"Here, but still unconscious."

Yuder briskly cut off their questions and looked over the fallen Hosanna. Lying there, unconscious and gasping for breath, a miasma of tangled power pulsated over Hosanna's body, like a pot about to boil over.

'He certainly seems on the brink of a rampage. But it's more likely he'll die before reaching that state.'

The energy of the barely recovered Awakener was in complete disarray. If Hosanna rampaged in this condition, he would likely die from his own power before being able to use it effectively.

'If only we had a spare suppression device, it might have served as a temporary solution...'

Yet, even that was doubtful in such a state.

Keeping Hosanna here was dangerous. Having reached that conclusion, Yuder turned away.

"Gakane, can you pinpoint Nahan's exact location?"

"Sorry, Yuder, but with his energy so pervasive in here, it's hard to locate him. I didn't even properly notice you coming in..."

Gakane shook his head wearily. Yuder stared intently at his face and spoke.

"I heard that. But from what I've seen, you should be able to do it."

"...What?"

"I saw how you handled the shadows earlier. With your skills improved to that extent, it doesn't make sense that you can't do it. It's just that you keep thinking the power that created this space isn't yours."

"But..."

"The Commander's power only slightly enhanced what's visible to your eyes. This is your territory, and Nahan is nothing more than an ant trapped in your hand. Think like that and try again."

"An ant? Nahan...? I suppose it fits..."

Kurga muttered, lips twitching.

"No matter how large your hand is, it's still yours. Does it make sense not to know what you're holding? Don't be afraid. You can do it if you try. It won't even be that hard."

"..."

"You need to do this to save time. Only you can."

Yuder's words made Gakane's eyes flutter. After closing his eyes tightly, then reopening them, he clenched his lips and nodded.

"Okay! I'll try."

"Let me know as soon as you find out."

After responding, Yuder turned to Kishiar and Kurga.

"As soon as Gakane locates him, I'll confront Nahan. My way of dealing with him will surely make it difficult to maintain this space. I'd like the Commander to entrust Hosanna to Kurga to send out, and then, at my signal, to collapse this space entirely. Afterward, I'd like your assistance in ensuring Nahan doesn't approach the Herne family. That's my plan."

"What? But that's too much for you to..."

"Aren't you taking on too much burden yourself?"

Kurga's puzzled reply was followed by Kishiar's quiet inquiry.

"Do you have a surefire way to confront Nahan alone without harm? And how do you plan to break through the illusions that fill this space?"

"Didn't you already see me escape them once? Besides, I have experience dealing with such individuals. You know that."

Yuder spoke briefly, conscious of Kurga, but in his previous life, he had encountered more rampaging Awakener than anyone else and had experience subduing them. He couldn't claim to have never suffered a scratch, but he had never sustained serious, lasting injuries either.

Even now, facing Nahan, his belief in his own victory remained unshaken.

"Consider this. There is no more efficient strategy than this one. We lack the luxury of time to devise another method."

Kishiar himself surely knew that a significant portion of his power had been depleted. In contrast, Yuder, having only assisted Ever in dealing with the sage, still had plenty of energy left.

While Yuder might withstand a few injuries, the situation was different for Kishiar. He was the Commander who needed to oversee the entire battlefield. Though he had gained much more freedom in using his power compared to the past, his vessel was not yet in a perfect state.

Knowing that Kishiar was still paying the price for using such immense power in real-time, how could Yuder add to his burden?

To be honest, Yuder was more worried about Kishiar's vessel breaking than Nahan's threat.

"..."

Kishiar maintained his silence, his inscrutable gaze fixed on Yuder.

'Do I have to say it out loud?'

After a moment of hesitation, Yuder exhaled sharply and spoke.

"...Choosing this method is not just because I believe I can win by throwing myself into the fray. Without the Commander's complete assurance of safety, I too can do nothing. It's just that. So please, allow me this stubbornness just this once."

Finally, Kishiar lowered his gaze and a faint smile crossed his face. A whirlwind of deep-seated emotions flickered briefly in the eyes of the man looking at his hand, then settled.

"It seems I have no choice. After hearing such words, how can I not grant permission?"

"..."

"But still, I will clear the path to Nahan for you. I can manage that much, so don't refuse this offer."