Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 177

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A café run by the Heir of the Dark Guild.
Episode 177
“What do you mean by that?”
“Now that I’m here, I understand. This is what I must do.”
“What happens to you?”
I grabbed Cayden’s arm urgently as his demeanor shifted.
But Cayden didn’t look at me and pulled his hand away.
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter.”
This time Biedler stepped in and blocked Cayden’s path.
“Even if it’s truly something only you can do, we didn’t come this far to sacrifice someone.”
Biedler’s and Cayden’s eyes met.
“If a single sacrifice is needed to protect the peace, and if that one is me—”
Cayden paused for a moment and looked toward High Priest Rifed.
He couldn’t bear to meet Cayden’s gaze and turned away.
“Then I will gladly be that one.”
“Why would you go that far?”
After sacrificing your entire life for the Temple until now. My anger flared at how easily he was offering himself up again.
“Because there’s something I want to protect.”
I couldn’t say anything more to that.
I would have made the same choice.
“…Let me gather the other High Priests and notify Helitria. Now that we’ve found the body, it’s only a matter of time before we destroy it.”
“High Priest, there isn’t much time left.”
Grandfather finally let out a deep sigh and placed a hand on Cayden’s shoulder.
“Try. As long as there’s breath in him, I will save him. I won’t let him die.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Cayden smile as he always did and walk forward.
“So I can only watch again. How utterly helpless I am.”
Biedler stood beside me, biting his lip, his voice thick with anguish.
I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.
Standing before Desikan, Cayden planted four Holy Swords brought from the Temple around him.
Then, gripping the Holy Sword that had transformed from a serpent in both hands, he began to pray.
Cayden’s Holy Power spread outward, and the remaining Holy Swords resonated with one another. Light radiating from the blades began to envelop the area.
“I will pierce through the Demonic Energy that shrouds his body.”
High Priest Rifed condensed his Holy Power to form a Light Bow, aiming it at Desikan.
It was to disturb the Demonic Energy of a body made impervious to even powerful Magic and Holy Power.
“I borrow the strength of all souls that can reach me. Grant me the power to protect this world in which you dwell.”
I felt all the spiritual energy in the surroundings flow toward the blade Cayden raised.
As the Holy Sword grew larger and the light it emitted intensified, wind whirled violently around Cayden alone.
Within the fierce wind, Cayden opened his eyes. At the same time, he drove the blade straight into Desikan’s chest.
“Please…”
The sword pierced into Desikan’s chest as I prayed desperately.
“Did it work?”
“Fall back!”
Black liquid poured endlessly from the hole that opened in Desikan’s chest.
It flowed rapidly across the floor, forming a shimmering pool.
“If it touches your feet, it won’t let go. Be careful!”
As Elder Wyatt cried out, the liquid touching my shoes felt sticky. It was pulling downward.
Grandfather created a protective Barrier to keep the liquid at bay.
But Cayden remained unmoving, the Holy Sword still thrust through Desikan, sinking deeper into the liquid.
Light from the Holy Sword guided the liquid away from Cayden’s side, but it seemed to be struggling.
“We have to help.”
Just as we were all preparing to move toward Cayden again, there was a deafening boom!
A massive sound rang out and the floor shook. Not just the floor—everything around us began to collapse.
“Surely not…”
“He’s come.”
Grandfather and Elder Wyatt joined their strength and cast the highest-tier Barrier Magic.
I could feel in my skin that Desikan was approaching dangerously close.
“We’ll hold him. Go to the priest!”
Grandfather, Elder Wyatt, and High Priest Rifed prepared to face Desikan.
An enormous explosion thundered, and an entire wall flew away.
Fierce wind and flames swept inward. Fortunately they dispersed immediately against the Barrier.
“Kha ha ha.”
Having finally confronted his own body, Desikan began to laugh loudly. The roar made my body tremble.
“So you’re all here. Thank you for saving me the trouble of searching.”
“You won’t get past.”
With his Shackles broken and his strength reinforced by absorption, Desikan and Grandfather faced off.
Deafening clashes erupted from behind, but I didn’t look back, running toward Cayden instead.
Thanks to the buff High Priest Rifed had placed on my feet, I could walk avoiding the pool.
“It’s getting deeper.”
“Cayden will be submerged.”
When I was almost there, the pool had become so deep I nearly fell.
Biedler caught me from the side, steadying my wavering balance, and we grabbed hold of Cayden.
He was so focused he didn’t even notice we’d arrived.
Seeing Cayden’s hands trembling, I immediately gripped below the blade to keep it from slipping.
The moment I grasped the Holy Sword, my own strength drained away rapidly.
But slowly, bit by bit, the blade drove deeper into Desikan.
‘So that’s what he meant.’
Cayden’s Purification Ability extended to Desikan as well, and the Demonic Energy began to fade.
“Just hold on a little longer.”
“Don’t fall into the pool.”
Biedler pointed to the shimmering liquid now reaching our ankles.
He wrapped his Aura around the blade and made several attempts to cut through Desikan’s body.
I thought it wouldn’t work, but as Cayden purified him, the body slowly pierced through.
As the hole widened, more liquid poured out, and soon the body itself cracked with a squelch and crumbled apart.
“It’s done now. We can—”
Cayden murmured with relief, then lost his balance and collapsed.
“Cayden?!”
I caught him before he fell into the pool and propped him against the wall.
I checked if he was still breathing, terrified, but thankfully he had only lost consciousness.
“Thank goodness… he’s alive.”
“His strength is severely depleted.”
“He must have exerted himself too much. We need to show him to the High Priest.”
Biedler and I left Cayden leaning against the wall and looked back at the pool blocking our path.
All of Desikan’s shattered body had seeped into the pool and vanished.
Desikan realized this belatedly and cried out in agony.
“Ahhh! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!”
Desikan, having lost his main body before our eyes, began to rage.
As he unleashed his power, everything around us was torn away. Grandfather and Elder Wyatt, who had been holding him back, were flung to the sides.
I was worried they’d been badly hurt, but there was no time—Desikan spread his wings and was flying toward us.
“It’s too late.”
I stepped forward to shield Cayden and glared at Desikan.
“How dare you destroy my body… I won’t leave anyone here alive!!”
High Priest Rifed drew the string of his bow toward the enraged Desikan.
This time, the arrow of light pierced Desikan’s body cleanly through.
“This… ugh… Impossible…”
Desikan’s confident expression twisted. The hole in his wings wouldn’t close.
Having lost his balance, Desikan plummeted from the sky. With his main body gone, he weakened rapidly.
“I can’t end like this… How long have I waited…”
Desikan, staggering, opened his eyes savagely and threw himself into the pool.
“What is he trying to do?”
I stared, bewildered, at the pool that had swallowed him, Biedler beside me.
Grandfather and the High Priest, who had been knocked back by Desikan, ran toward us but were blocked by a Barrier he had created.
“It looks like we’re trapped.”
……
As I searched for a way to escape with Cayden, the pools scattered around began to coalesce and deepen.
Then I heard Desikan’s voice.
“I’ll use you to return to the Demon Realm. This isn’t over.”
The black pool rushed toward me at terrifying speed.
Afraid that the unconscious Cayden would be caught up as well, I began to run.
“Rosia!”
Biedler followed right behind, but the distance between us grew as I dodged the pool.
“Take Cayden and get out first!”
I tried to buy time, but escaping from the liquid flowing like water proved difficult.
The moment my feet touched the liquid that had encroached all around me, my entire body was pulled down as if I were sinking into a swamp.
In an instant, my feet, knees, thighs, and entire upper body sank into the pool.
I thrust the blade I was holding upward and tried desperately to hold on somehow.
“It’s useless. Accept it. You’re coming with me.”
Desikan gripped both my legs and pulled me downward.
There seemed to be no way to escape from his fierce grasp.
“At least it’s fortunate.”
Desikan would be destroyed in this world, and Grandfather, Seniel, and everyone else would be safe.
If I could take Desikan and disappear instead, perhaps it wasn’t a bad ending.
Now, with the sticky liquid rising to my neck, it was hard to breathe.
‘Hah…’
Just as strength was fading from my hands and my eyes were closing, something pulled me with an incredibly forceful grip.
“Hold on. I’ll get you out no matter what.”
Crimson eyes flashed before me. It was Biedler.
Looking thoroughly enraged, he thrust his arm into the pool to pull me out.
But his strength alone wasn’t enough. With most of my body already submerged, I shook my head.
“Please… let go. If you don’t, you’ll be pulled in too, Your Highness.”
“If it were you, would I let go?”
……
“I will never let go.”
I tried to pull my hand away, but the harder I did, the tighter Biedler held me.
Even as he sank into the pool himself, his grip showed no hesitation.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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