Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 168 (Part 1):

“Did you help me because I am the great-grandson of your master?”

“Yes. Although Darien was unaware of your existence.”

Helmut replied lightly.

“How did you achieve such skill… Can one reach your level at your age under the tutelage of a Sword Saint?”

“That’s unlikely. Darien wasn’t as skilled as I am at my age.”

Luke Yeager glared at him briefly, finding him an annoying presence.

“I trained unimaginably hard. It was only natural.”

Perhaps the discipline that Darien’s runaway son received was laughable compared to what Helmut went through.

Helmut pointed out a fact.

“I saw you fight for a moment. But I didn’t feel any killing intent from your sword.”

Even knowing that the opponent was the enemy of his great-grandfather, Luke Yeager seemed shocked rather than angry.

‘Well, it’s a great-grandfather I’ve never seen. It might be stranger if I felt anything.’

“…It was an unexpected situation where someone I trusted turned their sword against me. I had no choice but to fight.”

“You’re too soft.”

Was it a kind of weakness, unable to ruthlessly draw his sword against someone he cared for?

‘After all, Darien never told me to seek revenge.’

It wasn’t just out of concern that Helmut might be in danger. Perhaps there was another reason.

Helmut tilted his head slightly. It was now an unknowable matter.

“By the way, there was a tremendous noise outside. What happened?”

“Ah, outside. Something did happen. And you have something to do as well.”

“Huh?”

“Follow me.”

Helmut led the way out of the cave, with Luke Yeager following behind.

As they emerged from the dark cave, blinding sunlight poured down. Squinting his eyes, Helmut saw a scene the next moment.

“This is… Some bastard has taken the core.”

Lying near the cave was the corpse of a giant red scorpion.

However, there was a gaping hole in the middle of its torso.

A beast of this size would possess considerable magical energy in its core. He had deliberately avoided disturbing it, fearing it might raise the seed of darkness, but someone had cleverly extracted it in the meantime.

‘I was going to have Luke Yeager handle it.’

Though damaged by sacred magic, the core seemed valuable enough to sell. Helmut felt a sense of regret.

Helmut looked out over the empty desert, whipped by sandstorms. The one who took the core would likely become the new ruler of the desert.

Luke Yeager asked, “Did you kill this? How does it obey human commands?”

“The High Priest Dolos was controlling this red scorpion to guard this place. He was in league with the Commander of the Palma Knights.”

Luke Yeager quickly realized something.

“Was the plan to kill me and blame it on the red scorpion?”

“That would be likely.”

“The High Priest?”

“He’s probably squashed under this thing. Unless the creature that took the core didn’t eat the body.”

A savage smile crossed Helmut’s lips as he vividly recalled the event.

Helmut had aimed for the sacred bead embedded in the forehead of the red scorpion. It wasn’t a fatal spot, but the creature was protecting it, aware of the bead’s presence.

Fighting while protecting it must have been an order from the High Priest.

The seed of darkness, which not only detested sacred magic but also refused to allow Helmut near the sacred bead, was difficult to defy.

Enduring the pain, the moment he broke the bead, Helmut briefly felt a paralyzing shock.

‘A part of the holy power must have penetrated the seed of darkness.’

However, the seed of darkness in Helmut’s chest had withstood even sacred barriers. It was slightly subdued but not significantly harmed.

‘Had the red scorpion targeted me in that instant, it might have been dangerous.’

But Helmut knew. The red scorpion, long subjugated to being mere prey by humans, must have harbored resentment towards Dolos.

“I freed you. Now kill him.” Helmut didn’t need to say it out loud.

The moment it was freed from the bead, the red scorpion must have realized. It was the opportunity to express its long-standing grudge and hatred.

And it was a chance to break free from that detestable priest!

As the sacred bead broke, resonating, the High Priest also suffered damage. Before he could regain his senses, the red scorpion turned and attacked Dolos.

‘The lowly beast, dare you!’

Dolos quickly defended himself with sacred magic, but the red scorpion’s attack was fierce. The scorpion didn’t care even as the sacred magic burned its body.

In its past capture, it hadn’t been able to properly resist because it couldn’t assimilate the core into its own.

No matter how incompatible with sacred magic, it wasn’t so weak as to be easily captured by the High Priest.

‘I… I’ll reduce you to ashes!’

As the High Priest’s continuous attacks screamed, he gathered all his holy power. He intended to purify the scorpion entirely.

However, completing the holy magic took a bit of time.

Feeling the crisis, the red scorpion leaped and threw itself at the High Priest. A tremendous collision sound ensued.

‘The red scorpion died instantly upon contact with the completed holy magic, and the High Priest was crushed to death shortly after.’

An inadvertently perfect situation unfolded. Helmut had caught two birds with one stone.

The High Priest Dolos, crushed to death and in agony, screamed.

‘Ah, ahh! Save me, save me. I’ll give you money. Forget today’s events… I am the High Priest!’

‘I could help you. Just answer my question.’

From his mouth, Helmut learned the names of the other two High Priests who had conspired to send Darien to the Forest of Betrayal.

Immediately after, Helmut kicked the body of the red scorpion with a leg heavy with force.

High Priest Dolos could no longer scream and met his perfect death. In a way, Helmut had “helped” him escape his agony; not a lie.

Quickly regaining his composure, Helmut walked towards the inner side of the rock cliff where Palma Knight Commander and Luke Yeager had fought.

That was the full account of the previous battle.

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