Silk Road TL

 "M-Mom? Mom?! Y-you monster—what kind of sick joke is this?!" Veins bulged on his forehead as Fisk roared hysterically. The girl in front of him—who called herself Bai Lianyue—seemed entirely unfazed by his reaction, as if she had long grown accustomed to it. She showed no intention of arguing with him. On the contrary— As she gazed at the human powerhouse before her, still radiating a dense aura of spiritual energy, and as she inhaled the scent of blood lingering in the air, Bai Lianyue’s stomach let out a strange sound. A primal impulse, the most fundamental of biological urges, began spreading through her being. Though, to be fair, Miss Bai Lianyue wasn’t entirely sure whether she could even be considered a biological entity. "Well, whether you believe it or not doesn’t really matter. Anyone who has seen my true form… cannot be allowed to live." As soon as she spoke those words— The grotesque, pulsating flesh-wings on her back twisted violently. In an instant, a...

 Some passersby were initially curious about which little noble princess had come shopping, but the moment they saw it was Liana, they all turned away in unison and quickly left. It seemed her infamy was well-earned. "Lady Liana, where should we go?" "Mm…" Liana was still thinking when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. The words sounded strangely recognizable as well. "Is this a place someone like you should be?!" "Let’s go take a look," Liana said as she stepped forward toward the clothing shop. "Welcome, esteemed guests…" The store clerk hesitated awkwardly. She had no idea what had sparked this sudden conflict, but rather than a heated argument, it seemed more like a one-sided attack. "Do you belong in a place like this? A mere commoner?" A maid sneered as she berated Loraville. The maid was none other than Sharido—the one who had escorted Loraville to Liana’s room the previous day. Now, she stood with her head held high...

 Everyone knew that Liana had never been able to use magic since childhood. She harbored an intense hatred and jealousy toward commoners and servants who could wield it. For her to suddenly ask such a question—nothing good could possibly come of it. Liana glanced around. This wasn’t an ideal place to use magic. "Come with me for a moment," Liana said. Alright. Loco was now certain—she was next in line to be tormented. Silently, Loco crushed the magic stone that Nabet had given her. In a world without mobile phones or any means of rapidly transmitting information, magic stones were the only alternative. Though they couldn’t relay thoughts, they could send a signal, letting the recipient know that something urgent had happened. Nabet received the signal immediately. To ensure that nothing happened to Loco, she had to find Liana at once. "That’s enough practice for today." Nabet looked at Loraville, whose forehead was lightly damp with sweat. Loraville was diligent, qu...

 Physician Hyun Ik Dojang looked at the apothecary with a bewildered expression. "Why bring up castor powder out of nowhere?" "Someone came a few days ago and bought out my entire stock. I just mentioned it because I recently restocked." Hyun Ik Dojang's expression hardened. As a physician, he was well aware of castor's effects. His mind immediately went to the mass food poisoning incident among the trainees. At the time, he had assumed it was a serious outbreak. But strangely, the matter had resolved itself rather quickly. Without the use of any medicine. "If that was because of castor powder...!" That would explain why the trainees recovered from their stomachaches within a day or two. "Who purchased the castor powder, shopkeeper?" "It was a junior instructor from the Byeong-rank dormitory. Since he was already out on an errand, I assumed he was buying it on your behalf." Hyun Ik recalled seeing So Jin-sam speaking with Chief ...

 Was it a mistake? Yeon Woo-jin’s reaction seemed strange. He, too, looked surprised, as if he had seen something. But then his expression hardened, and he refocused on the wooden sword in front of him. Had he discovered something? Jeok Seong swallowed nervously and continued to observe. And then— Twitch—twitch— This time, he saw it clearly. The sword was moving. A ghost? Was a spirit manipulating it? Or perhaps— Jeok Seong quickly scanned his surroundings. It had to be Yeon Cheon-baek playing some sort of trick. At that moment— The wooden sword began to rise into the air. Seeing this, Jeok Seong was convinced. Yeon Cheon-baek was definitely messing around. ‘The old man’s playing tricks again.’ But it didn’t seem as smooth as something Yeon Cheon-baek would do. The sword floated up, then dropped back down, only to rise again and fall once more. ‘No way… No, that can’t be it…’ The idea that Yeon Woo-jin was the one moving the sword crossed his mind, but he shook his head. Then he sa...

 The Saengsamun leader looked at Jeok Seong with a bewildered expression. "So, you’re telling me the person who took over our secret base was the Martial God Ilmushin?" "That’s exactly what I’m saying. Just try to think of it as fate. It seems we were always meant to end up under Mushincheon." "Heavens…" They had managed to avoid him for so long. But what could they do now? How could anyone refuse the Martial God directly to his face? That would be no different from asking him to annihilate Saengsamun. "More importantly… You’re saying that cold and merciless man has someone he treasures?" "Yes! And not just treasures—he adores him." "But as far as I know, Ilmushin has no blood relatives." "I thought so too, but after seeing him, I doubt it. No one acts like that unless it’s family." "Could it be a disciple?" "He doesn’t treat him like a disciple. And Ilmushin himself publicly declared he’d never take o...

 Fortunately, Nabet had previously given Loco one clear directive: prioritize her own safety. If Liana issued any unreasonable orders, Loco had the right to refuse. Should Liana attempt to resort to force, she could leave at any time. "Loco, wait for me outside for a moment. I’ll be out soon," Liana said. "Ah? Oh… alright," Loco replied, a bit surprised by Liana’s words. It wasn’t like her to act considerate, though it was just a fleeting surprise. Taking a deep breath, Liana prepared herself. After last night’s events, she knew she had to provide a reasonable explanation; otherwise, things would become troublesome. She pushed open the door and entered, where she was greeted by a woman with fiery red hair. Her skin was well-maintained, giving her the appearance of someone barely in their twenties. "Countess Ruth," Liana greeted. The title was something the woman insisted on, clearly savoring the satisfaction her position brought. "Liana," Ruth re...

 "Nabet," Liana greeted as the head maid entered, holding a tray in one hand and elegantly lifting the hem of her skirt with the other. "Your Highness," Nabet replied, bowing slightly with perfect grace. Liana nodded, and the lavish breakfast was set before her. Curious, Liana picked up a fork and twirled a bite of noodles. In the original story, Nabet’s cooking was described as extraordinarily delicious, practically irresistible. She wanted to see just how accurate that description was. She took a bite. "…" Maybe it was her imagination. She rinsed her mouth with tea and tried another bite. The result was the same—it was mediocre. “Is something wrong, Your Highness? Does it not suit your tastes?” Nabet asked. Though Liana knew Nabet was capable of cruelty, she wouldn’t stoop so low as to sabotage a meal. This left only one possibility: the culinary world of this world lacked the kinds of spices and seasonings that could elevate a dish. This might very well...

 Prologue (Part 1) Red Emperor Calendar, Year 1998 "I hereby declare, in my capacity as the President of the Siviva Alliance: Aeria Lingyuan, in recognition of your outstanding achievements in the Battle of Prayer City, the Council has made its decision—to bestow upon you the title of Heaven’s Decree Knight. From this day forward, you are the sixth Heaven’s Decree Knight of the Siviva Alliance." As these words left the mouth of the middle-aged man, they echoed across the Oath Square. Rows of fully armed soldiers raised their rifles in perfect unison. Behind them, towering steel mechas stood firm, simultaneously pointing their massive cannons skyward. "BOOM!!" With an earth-shattering roar, the honor guard executed a salute volley, a ceremonial tribute to the newly appointed Heaven’s Decree Knight. And with the conclusion of this volley of honor, this most anticipated conferment ceremony in history was now officially over. Immediately, the tens of thousands gathered ...

 Loraville had been assigned to a room right next to Liana’s. Although Liana had mentioned the room might be simple, with only basic furniture, stepping inside revealed that "basic" in this context meant furnishings that ordinary people could hardly dream of touching. Loraville lay on the massive bed, unable to sleep. It wasn’t because the bed was uncomfortable. Quite the opposite—this was undoubtedly the softest, most luxurious, and most expensive bed she had ever slept in. But if it came at such a cost, she would have rather slept on a straw mat on the floor. As she reflected on everything that had happened recently, it all felt surreal, like a dream. About a month ago, she had finally gotten the chance to attend the magic academy. A friend who accompanied her had given her a beautiful outfit and an invitation to a banquet. But upon arriving, her friend was nowhere to be found, leading to the events of today. Looking back, it was clear that her so-called "friend" ...