Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill - Chapter 358:The Onslaught
Chapter 358:The Onslaught
[I don’t know if it can be called evil…]
[I played with corpses.]
[As a mage, research is necessary. People are tortured in research all the time, but my field was corpses. I didn’t need to actively hunt the living.]
[No matter where you go, people are always dying.]
[Aside from that, several knights, priests, nobles, and others died by my hands.]
[If you ask whether I am good or evil…]
[I am definitely evil.]
[One of the most heinous bastards indeed.]
[And if you didn’t have light, and if you were weaker, I would have stolen your body.]
“That’s quite frank,” Ethan said, nodding slowly.
Then he smiled.
“Alright. I forgive you.”
The soul stiffened.
“But,” Ethan continued, and his smile vanished, replaced by a cold, deadpan stare, “from now on, you will work for me.”
“The number of lives you have taken,” he said calmly, “you will have to save ten times that amount.”
“It is not enough for atonement, but it is enough to keep you alive.”
“And for fuck’s sake,” Ethan added, his voice dropping, “if you ever try to reach out again…”
“I will make sure hell looks like heaven to you.”
“You won’t just cry. You will yearn for it.”
A crushing pressure descended on Mareti.
This man was different.
Around forty years old, yet already an Emperor Knight.
A future without limits.
Not chained by bitterness or regret.
Mareti had only one wish left.
To repay his brother.
To kill him and tear him apart.
[But… I need a body.]
“I will arrange that,” Ethan replied. “Until then, slumber here and recover.”
With that, Ethan turned away.
The void shattered.
He opened his eyes.
Outside, Rathlos was staring at him, sweat beading on his forehead.
For him, this should have taken no more than a snap of fingers.
“So why,” Rathlos wondered silently, “is it taking so long?”
Then—
Thud.
Ethan’s eyes widened in shock.
The scepter slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a heavy sound.
“What happened? What took you so long?”
Ethan wiped the sweat off his forehead and forced a small smile.
“Nothing much. I just made a deal.”
“Deal?”
Rathlos’s eyes widened. He grabbed his dark hair in frustration and shouted, “With a black mage? This is insane!”
“Calm down,” Ethan said, raising his hand. “I won’t let him out until I have absolute confidence.”
“Still…” Rathlos hesitated, his jaw clenched.
“I am not that stupid,” Ethan said firmly.
Rathlos fell silent.
Ethan bent down and carefully stored the scepter and the chest that contained the dark orb. He sealed them away.
He knew better than anyone that this was dangerous.
First, he needed a body for the dark mage.
That part was not difficult. He only needed to kill an enemy.
But what came after was the real problem.
He could never fully trust a dark mage’s words. Not ever.
He needed a safety measure. A binding. Something that would make betrayal impossible.
As this thought crossed his mind, Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“Wait… I’ll find a way,” he murmured. “I am not letting that maniac loose.”
…
In the Kingdom of Frontier.
Along the border near Mount Arhat, army camps and barracks stretched across the land. Rows of tents and wooden structures filled the open plains. The air was thick with dust and sweat.
This region was rich in mana and natural resources. It was the backbone of Frontier’s growth and strength.
In terms of raw power, Frontier stood a step ahead of Ruthiana. But they carried a heavy weakness.
Their only Emperor Realm knight was an old ancestor of the royal family. His lifespan was already nearing its end.
It was not that Frontier lacked talent. Many young people with potential existed, but those people chose to leave. They would rather struggle in the Empire than stay here.
The news from Ruthiana did not bring relief.
Instead, it pushed Frontier to the edge.
They did not want to lose their sovereignty.
An imperial command was issued.
Every able-bodied person had to train.
Every household would be tested.
The cost was enormous, but they had no choice. If they did not prepare now, the kingdom would fall.
The army barracks were packed with new recruits.
The training ground echoed with shouting.
“Faster! Faster! Faster!”
“Stop daydreaming!”
“Even a random granny on the street would run faster than you!”
The instructor barked loudly, pacing back and forth. His face was red, veins bulging on his neck as he roared.
The soldiers clenched their teeth. Sweat poured down their faces. Their legs shook, but they kept running.
Some glared at the instructor with anger burning in their eyes.
‘Do you even believe your own words?’ they thought.
Just then, a whip cracked through the air.
SMACK!
The leather lashed across a recruit’s back.
“What are you staring at?” the instructor shouted. “Want me to dig your eyeballs out, assholes?”
The recruit cried out in pain and stumbled, barely keeping his balance. He glared at the instructor, hatred clear in his eyes.
The officer supervising the training watched silently.
He knew what the recruits were thinking.
They had cursed him in their hearts countless times. Some had probably imagined killing him.
But he did not stop the instructor.
They needed to be strict.
“Faster!” the instructor roared again, raising his whip.
But before it could fall—
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The ground shook violently.
“What the hell?”
“An earthquake?”
“Ahh!”
The earth trembled under their feet. The barracks rattled. Trees swayed wildly. Dust rose into the air as cracks spread across the ground.
Some soldiers fell to their knees. Others grabbed onto whatever they could.
The shaking lasted for several long seconds.
Then, slowly, it stopped.
Silence followed.
Everyone froze, breathing heavily.
“Thank God…”
“It’s over.”
“We’re out of danger—WHAAAA!”
A sudden scream pierced the air.
Everyone turned sharply.
A man stood frozen in place, his face pale as death. His arm trembled as he pointed into the distance.
“What happened?”
“What did you see?”
The man swallowed hard and shouted, his voice breaking.
“L-look… over there!”
All eyes followed his shaking finger.
And whatever they saw made their blood run cold.
