—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The demon who appeared at the end of the “Dragon’s Nest” arc was Vine, the 45th ranked demon general.
He specialized in siege warfare.
His objective was to eliminate Calciater’s hatchling. Dragons were weaker after laying eggs.
He had taken advantage of this opportunity, bringing a large army with him.
The problem was, his army was much larger than in the original story. He had brought ogres, trolls, and minotaurs, which hadn’t been there before.
Had he adjusted the difficulty based on our four-person party, since the original story was based on a game? Or was this a butterfly effect, increasing the difficulty because of my presence?
I didn’t know.
But one thing was certain: we were in danger.
“We’ll fight too.”
Calciater’s dark blue eyes widened at my words, but she nodded.
“Atlan is once again indebted to you. I will cast a wide-area spell. Please hold them off until then.”
We followed Calciater’s instructions and climbed the castle walls with the Draconian troops. Even Ted volunteered to fight.
Ladders were already being placed against the walls.
Orcs riding Pegasi flew overhead, and the Draconians took to the skies, their wings spread wide.
The Pegasus Knights and the Draconians clashed in the air.
Rasel, her wings spread, soared through the sky, her sword a blur of motion. She was a skilled aerial combatant, expertly dodging attacks and exploiting openings.
A wounded orc fell from his Pegasus.
“Don’t retreat! For Atlan!”
“For Atlan!”
The Draconian mages cast spells on the gargoyle statues lining the castle walls. Cracks appeared on the statues, and the gargoyles awakened.
They roared and took flight.
Dozens of gargoyles swooped down, landing on the plain and attacking the hobgoblins riding wolves.
Several hobgoblins were thrown from their mounts, their necks snapping upon impact.
“Gargoyles! Ogre unit, attack!”
Vine’s command echoed across the battlefield.
The ogres charged, swinging their massive clubs. Gargoyles fell, their heads crushed.
The shattered remains crumbled into dust.
“Focus on the siege! They’re just lizards with torn wings! And their leader is weakened after laying an egg! Don’t be afraid!”
Sepia created a wall of fire on the plain. It was a massive inferno, even from our vantage point on the castle walls. A minotaur charged into the flames, its screams echoing through the air.
But the trolls and ogres easily broke through the wall of fire and continued their advance.
“Double Casting.”
Sepia took a deep breath and extended her hand. A semi-circular mana shield deflected the incoming arrows.
“Telekinesis and Gravity Reversal.”
The deflected arrows reversed direction, raining down on the trolls. They stumbled and fell, their bodies riddled with arrows.
Sepia was amazing. She was a true prodigy. She remained calm and composed even in the midst of battle.
Arthur and I fought the enemies who managed to reach the walls.
“Arthur! Four Pegasus Knights at 7 o’clock!”
“Got it, Ethan!”
Arthur unleashed his golden mana. It was a special type of mana, its power amplified against monsters.
The golden mana struck the Pegasus Knights, their wings torn and broken. They plummeted towards the ground.
I jumped down and finished off the fallen orcs, then kicked the ladders away from the wall.
“Arthur! Six Pegasus Knights at 11 o’clock!”
“Okay, Ethan!”
Arthur unleashed another blast of golden mana. I killed the orcs who had fallen from their mounts.
“Ethan! There are too many of them!”
Vivian shouted, her blade flashing. There were too many enemies in the air. A Draconian fell, struck by an orc’s spear.
“Vivian, I think we should attack from behind.”
Creatures like goblins, orcs, and trolls weren’t very intelligent.
But when they were led by a demon general, they acted as a single unit, obeying their leader’s commands.
If they could eliminate the demon general, the enemy forces would crumble.
Vine was commanding his troops from the rear. And Arthur and I were at a disadvantage on the walls.
We couldn’t unleash our full power for fear of damaging the castle.
‘We have to attack from behind and take down the demon general.’
The castle would fall before Calciater finished casting her spell.
Was this my Combat Intuition, or just rational thinking?
“Rasel! We’re going to attack from behind. We need some Draconians to accompany us.”
Rasel, who had been soaring through the air, landed beside Arthur and me. Vivian joined us.
“I’m coming too.”
Rasel hesitated, then nodded.
“Alright. We’ll attack from the rear. Atlan is in your debt.”
Sepia was busy casting spells, absorbing the demonic energy from the air and converting it into mana. It was the secret technique of the Logness family, demon slayers.
We could leave Sepia here.
She was doing well in the ranged battle. There was no need for her to join us in close combat.
The Draconians carried us into the air.
A small group of us flew around the battlefield and landed behind the enemy lines. I landed and sprinted across the plain, channeling my mana.
I had removed the lead weights. My body felt light, almost weightless. I was faster than I had realized. I quickly took the lead.
“Runtar, Lien! Answer my call!”
I summoned Runtar and Lien. Crimson flames enveloped my black blade.
‘Linchester Swordsmanship, Second Form: Sword Soul!’
I unleashed a wave of blue mana, infused with flames. The enemy soldiers at the rear turned around in surprise.
But Vivian and Arthur were already prepared. Red flames, blue mana, and golden mana surged forward.
Crash!
The combined force of our attacks tore through the enemy ranks. The ground shook.
The flames spread, incinerating the corpses.
“Ambush! Form ranks!”
Vine shouted, turning around. But his troops were already in disarray, panicking.
Runtar unleashed a torrent of fire. I charged into the flames.
I was immune to fire.
Lien followed me, swinging his halberd. Orcs fell like wheat before a scythe.
The flames spread, turning the battlefield into a chaotic inferno. But as we approached the demon general, the enemy mages began casting spells.
“Arthur, I need your help!”
A golden aura enveloped me. It was Arthur’s Blessing of Light.
Bang! Bang!
Spells exploded around me.
But Blessing of Light granted high magic resistance, allowing Arthur to move freely even in the midst of a magical barrage.
A translucent barrier deflected the incoming spells. I continued my advance, unleashing all my mana.
Flames and mana intertwined, forming a swirling vortex of destruction.
My sword, gripped tightly in both hands, vibrated with power. The mana storm engulfed the demon general and his guards.
I lowered my stance, bracing against the recoil. A cloud of dust and debris billowed around me. I stumbled back.
“Lien! Protect me!”
Lien stood in front of me, his halberd raised. The dust settled.
The demon general was still standing, his clothes torn and tattered.
Vine, in his true form, had the upper body of a lion and the lower body of a black horse, like a centaur. He must have reverted to his true form when I attacked.
“You bastard!”
He roared and charged, his spear raised.
Suddenly,
A crimson blade sliced through the air, striking Vine from the side. It was Vivian.
“Thank you for clearing the path, Ethan!”
Her blade clashed with Vine’s spear.
Vivian used the force of the impact to spin, her skirt swirling around her.
Her blade sliced upwards, leaving a deep gash on Vine’s body.
Vine, even as he was being attacked, lashed out with his snake-like tail, its fanged mouth open wide. He was trying to take Vivian down with him.
But Lien’s halberd intercepted the attack, severing the tail.
I lunged forward, my blade piercing Vine’s chest.
The demon’s eyes widened, and his body crumbled.
Poof.
He dissolved into black smoke, leaving behind a skill orb and a demon medal.
“Ethan, did you defeat the demon?”
Arthur, who had been fighting the remaining soldiers, arrived, followed by Rasel and the Draconians.
I picked up the demon medal and the skill orb. The skill orb should go to its rightful owner.
“Vivian, is it okay if I give this skill orb to Arthur?”
Vivian nodded.
“You played the biggest role in defeating the demon, so it’s yours to do with as you please.”
“Arthur, here’s a skill orb.”
I tossed the skill orb to Arthur.
Vine was a commander-type demon. His unique skill was “Battlefield Commander,” a buff that enhanced the combat abilities of his troops.
I had already stolen Arthur’s dragon. I couldn’t take this too.
“Ethan, why are you giving this to me?”
“I think you’ll need it. And it’s a thank you for the skill orb you gave me on Arvis Island.”
“Ah… thanks! I’ll repay this kindness.”
Arthur nodded. He believed he had awakened his system and status window through the goddess’s blessing.
And he believed I was helping him because of that. He wasn’t entirely wrong.
A bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
Crack!
Dozens of lightning bolts, originating from the castle entrance, rained down on the battlefield, incinerating the enemy forces.
A deafening roar echoed through the air. Goblins, orcs, ogres, minotaurs… they were all reduced to charred remains.
The relentless barrage of lightning was overwhelming.
Boom! Boom!
It was Calciater’s wide-area magic, powerful enough to wipe out an army of thousands. A blinding flash of light followed, and rocks and debris rained down.
There were no survivors.
The Battle of Atlan was over.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
