Mastermind
Copyright© 2026 by FantasyTranslater
Chapter 30
All eyes were focused on Count Palatio.
The terrified soldiers.
The despairing knights.
Even Penia and Deus.
The giant standing before him.
The giant’s expressionless eyes looked at Alon, and Alon’s emotionless eyes returned the gaze.
Then.
[Sssss-]
A smile crept across the giant’s lips.
[Hahahahaha!]
The giant’s laughter echoed through the entire space as if it would crush everything.
The ground shook, and the laughter was so powerful that even the dead, who sang of despair, closed their mouths.
Most of the living thought the giant’s sudden laughter was filled with mockery and contempt, but contrary to their thoughts:
[Good. Very good! Oh, noble one!]
The giant’s laughter was filled with genuine sincerity, joy, and exhilaration.
The atmosphere around the giant’s body shifted.
From contempt to joy, from joy to ecstasy.
And then.
[I, Ulthultus, will accept your duel under the great pact!]
At the giant’s cry, the dead who sang of despair began to move in unison, forming a massive circle around Ulthultus and Alon.
Drip—drip—
The blood that flowed from the dead soaked the ground, marking its boundary.
Thus, a blood-red colosseum was formed.
In the arena of ashes decorated by bloodshed,
[Under the great pact, until the duel is over, no one may interfere with this sacred battle!]
As soon as the declaration was made, the bodies of the dead exploded, creating a blood-red wall. With that, a thick smile appeared on Ulthultus’s face.
It was a clear expression of delight.
However, in contrast, Alon’s face remained utterly emotionless.
But—
“ ... I want to go home.”
Behind his impassive face, Alon was trembling with desperate fear.
No matter how many times he reminded himself, the reason Alon came to the North was to kill the Outer God Ulthultus standing before him.
For that, Alon had prepared everything he needed to face the god ever since hearing of the god’s awakening. Now all that remained was to carry it out.
Yet, despite being fully prepared, Alon’s mind was filled with fear from the overwhelming pressure emanating from the god, far beyond his imagination.
‘ ... Stay calm.’
Even though he had taken the “Elixir of Exceptionality,” which was supposed to stabilize his mental state, Alon barely managed to soothe his restless heart, but unlike his emotionless face, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
It wasn’t just the instinctive pressure the god exuded. There was one thing that differed from his expectations.
‘Why has the manifestation process advanced so much already?’
All Outer Gods, once they descend, take time to adapt to reality and eventually complete the process of becoming a “wise god.” Ulthultus should have been no different.
And yet, despite this, Ulthultus’s manifestation had progressed faster than expected.
Though there should have been about a month remaining, the Outer God before him was already close to becoming a complete wise god. It was clear to see.
This rapid progress in manifestation was a factor Alon had not anticipated.
The closer a god gets to becoming a wise god, the stronger they become.
[But more curious still. Oh noble one who bloomed amid savagery, why do you know of our pact, though you are not of this era?]
As Alon swallowed dryly, recalling that point, Ulthultus questioned him.
However, Alon no longer had the luxury to respond leisurely to his words.
‘Can I do this?’
Countless doubts and confusion filled his mind.
Ulthultus, who had become far stronger than expected, was shaking the resolve that Alon had barely maintained with potions, but he soon shook off the negativity.
From the moment he had reached this point, Alon knew there was only one path left for him to walk.
As Alon sorted through his confusion and fell into silence, Ulthultus, still in high spirits, smiled broadly and spoke.
[If you don’t wish to speak, so be it. You have the right. Then, let us begin the sacred duel.]
As the giant’s smile deepened, he raised his arm.
[The duel of Babylonia.]
Ulthultus began to step toward Alon.
With each step, the ground, stained with ash and blood, echoed with noise and left footprints, yet Alon made no move.
He simply stood there, waiting for the being before him.
And then,
Thud!
Even when Ulthultus reached him with a massive sound and raised his fist, Alon remained silent, merely watching.
From a distance, curious voices of the living began to rise, but Alon maintained his silence, observing the giant’s actions.
The reason was simple.
‘The rules.’
To flee or move in this situation would violate the rules of the great Babylonian duel, which had existed in the forgotten age of gods.
There were only two rules in the Babylonian duel.
1. The attacker and defender take turns, and the defender cannot move.
2. The one who requested the duel must yield the first attack.
This turn-based style of duel meant that if Alon moved even a single step, the significance would be lost.
Moreover, doing so would strip him of the chance to deal with the Outer God before him.
Without the restrictions of the duel, there would be no way for him to kill this god, who could effortlessly slaughter even Master Knights in a single strike.
In other words, this duel was the only means for Alon to impose restrictions that would allow him to win.
“Fixation.”
Thus, the only thing Alon could do in this moment was defend.
Muttering under his breath, a sphere appeared before Alon.
“Condensation.”
The condensed sphere focused on his left arm.
“Reinforcement.”
With the words muttered, the condensed energy in his left arm began to emit a deep light.
“Intensification.”
As he finished speaking and sealed the final gesture, Ulthultus, still smiling broadly, drew back his fist.
Muscles pulled back like a ballista.
The gathered force began to concentrate in the drawn fist.
Alon knew this technique well.
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