NOVEL NEXT Chapter 210
Chapter 210 – Uprising (10)
“Well, they must be in a hurry. It doesn’t look like they have much prepared.”
“Even so, we can’t let our guard down. They are already under the control of the Black Monsters. We have no idea when or where they might spring up.”
Balun lowered the telescope he had been peering through at the countless enemies visible in the distance.
At last, the defenders and attackers converged in one spot. The Imperial Army needed to hold this area, while the Arin Tribe had to break through and race to the Imperial Palace beyond.
“If we drag this out, it will only hurt us.”
Balun tried his best not to forget that they were the ones at a disadvantage. After all, they were right in the middle of enemy territory; if they weren’t careful, the enemy could emerge at any moment.
Of course, they had a suspiciously powerful reconnaissance satellite watching everything from above in real-time, but they were believers.
They couldn’t commit the sin of slacking off while trusting in their Guardian Deity.
‘Is this the first time engaging in a large-scale confrontation with the Imperial Army?’
With that thought, Balun began to feel a slight tension rise within him.
Although they had fought and won many battles to get here, in reality, proper combat had only occurred once when they crossed the wall.
After that, they had deliberately avoided fighting, racing down the main road and facing only the resistance from those they encountered along the way.
Even if they believed they would win, they had to stay alert to avoid any missteps. Moreover, the enemies still had hidden cards up their sleeves.
“It seems the enemies are aware of Grand Magic. Look, they are creating distance to scatter as much as possible at any moment.”
“But if they do that, their ability to stop us when we charge will weaken. Save the Grand Magic. It’s time to return to traditional methods.”
At Rakum’s words, Balun smiled faintly.
The most important thing in their war was how to utilize the special powers they obtained through Junyoung.
Magic, items, skills—powers that didn’t exist in this world. These abilities, breaking the norms and rules, were key strategies against the Bugs, who were also monsters outside of the ordinary.
And having realized this fact from the beginning, Balun had been maximizing it to achieve victory in almost all battles, including the wall battle against the Imperial Army.
‘We have more options.’
Now the enemy was beginning to grasp this reality and was at the stage of countering it.
Because of this, Balun decided to launch an attack in a traditional manner that the enemy wouldn’t expect.
Using their specialty, a cavalry charge, to break through the enemies whose formations had loosened in response to magic.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to handle this again.”
“It’s my duty.”
The most important thing for that was someone to manage the spear’s tip. Balun sighed inwardly as he entrusted this role to Riena.
If he didn’t take that role himself, more people would die or get injured, so there was no way she could refuse.
“Starting with a charge? Ah, perhaps the enemies are too focused on magic?”
He watched the busy movements of his allies, trying to think things through.
Even a scholar can do a bit of poetry, and he too had naturally picked up on certain things by observing the battles and wars of his allies every day.
Furthermore, unlike the people on the screen, he could look down at the battlefield from above, zooming in and out like looking at the palm of his hand.
‘If the defense at the front is too fierce, it will slow down our progress and increase the damage. Then, I should assist the center.’
Understanding and grasping the strategies of his allies was immensely advantageous. He could specifically cover the gaps in their efforts or maximize their strengths with his support.
Many users who couldn’t do this ended up inadvertently causing harm to their allies or being unhelpful.
“Look to the sky. That being will open the way for us.”
“That being knows what we aim to do.”
Then, the machine gun he wielded made its appearance in the sky. The Arin Tribe cheered upon seeing the direction of the barrel, while the Imperial Army was thrown into confusion.
“Quick, get your defenses ready!”
Caught off guard by a cavalry charge while trying to prepare for Grand Magic, the Imperial Army hastily activated defensive spells to shield themselves from the rain of bullets pouring from above.
However, that, too, ultimately proved insufficient. The focused momentary machine gun fire in the center caused countless soldiers to bleed and collapse, further weakening the defenses in that area. Meanwhile, troops hurriedly pulled in from other locations to reinforce the center, but the Arin Tribe was already galloping in.
‘With that being watching over us, we can’t lose.’
Leading the charge was Riena, enveloped in a golden aura.
Her notorious name had already spread far and wide as she charged straight at the Imperial defense line, wielding a sword made from the horn of a dragon.
Magic and cannon fire attempted to shoot her down one after another, but she summoned her wings, enveloping herself and her horse to deflect and block all those attacks.
To those confronting her, it felt as if a massive spear, formed by a multitude of warriors coming together, was rushing towards them to pierce through.
“Truly fascinating.”
Yet amid all this, there was one person watching her with a distinct, pure gaze different from the others.
A giant, a whole head taller than those around him, grinned as he watched Riena rapidly approaching.
*
[The Archfiend Raulothus]
“What’s with all this grandeur?”
Watching the battlefield with anxiety, one enemy caught my eye, and upon checking his info, I realized his title was anything but ordinary.
It seemed he was a secret weapon readied to counter Riena, waiting for our cavalry charge.
‘There’s no way there aren’t strong warriors in such a vast field.’
This was somewhat expected. No matter how transcendent Riena had become after clearing a game, this was a place where many had trained their Mana from the beginning.
There could be sufficiently advanced masters here. She was probably prepared for that as well.
‘Collision ahead.’
“—!”
Soon, the charging allies clashed with the enemies. Even just watching the screen, the impact was brutal, enough to make your eyes squint in horror.
Riena, leading the front, swung her sword first and shot out a cross slash towards the amassed enemies, breaking through their defense barrier in one strike and shattering their formation in an instant.
“We’ve engaged.”
Though she trusted her, I couldn’t help but worry. The cavalry that charged in madly broke through the enemy’s resistance and crashed into what had once been a wall of people, sweeping them away like a wave.
The same was true for the Imperial’s master Raulothus and Riena.
In order to dodge the power emitted from the axe he swung, Riena kicked her saddle and leaped into the air, spreading her wings as she looked down at his sneering form.
If I tried to help those masters haphazardly, it could be lethal.
Here, it was best to place my faith in her and assist others to secure victory in this war.
Ultimately, what mattered was the war, not the battle. Even if she struggled, if we could clean up other areas first, we could isolate and take down the enemy commander Raulothus.
“—!”
“—, —!!”
And this was the case for us too. Knowing this, both sides were locked in intense combat, leaving a radius of several hundred meters around where Raulothus and Riena were engaged.
A delicate, precarious balance was achieved.
These individuals, who could change the tide of battle single-handedly, had created a balance that was fragile and essential; if one side faltered, the other would collapse too.
‘Is it fortunate that there’s only one such madman? Or should I lament that he’s an enemy?’
Surprisingly, Riena and Raulothus were fighting evenly matched.
Realizing that she, the incarnation of the Archfiend, had taken down even the massive Death Worm, which the Bugs had brought out as a secret weapon, I couldn’t help but be astonished.
She had long since surpassed the limits of humanity.
If there had been another powerful being like her in the Empire, and if they had helped in the fight against the Bugs, what could have happened?
Of course, I was aware through all the aid I had provided that our battle-hardened warriors were far stronger than the knights from other nations who were enjoying a time of peace.
Still, more helping hands would always be better. It was all very complex to think about.
*
“Very amusing. They say she’s a witch and whatnot, but this hardly even qualifies as a witch level, does it? What exactly is her identity?”
“And who are you, then? With such skills, why can’t you see the reality as it is?”
The thoughts Junyoung held could not escape Riena’s mind either. She became furious thinking about the countless lives lost to the Bugs.
She could absolutely not tolerate the actions of those with ample skill who made trouble rather than offering help.
“The Emperor is undoubtedly being controlled by the Black Monsters. Are you really willing to serve as a minion for the monsters bent on exterminating humanity with your level of skill?”
“How amusing! I was the one who was rejected and imprisoned by those humans. Rather than caring for their lives, it’s better to battle with you. So! Stop with the pretense and give it your all, Witch of the Evil God!”
Riena remarked about Emperor Rihir’s secret, yet Raulothus was solely focused on her.
Realizing that, Riena sighed and summoned an even stronger light. As he instructed, she began to adjust her output, fully spreading her wings.
‘He doesn’t seem to be controlled by them right now. But the result will be the same. No value in sparing him.’
With her sword charged with full power, Riena charged at him like a falcon snatching its prey from the ground, with an incredible speed and strength.
“Grrr?!”
Engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Bugs, who challenged the limits of living beings while evolving, Riena’s strike was powerful enough to astonish even a former number one within the Empire.
“If you can’t withstand even this much, there’s no need to have expectations. The Black Monsters, constantly evolving, are far stronger than you, who have been stuck at one place for so long.”
“Grah, aaargh!!!”
With a tremendous shockwave erupting alongside deafening blasts, Riena continued to press down on Raulothus, who barely managed to raise his axe in defense.
Even as his muscles burst and blood sprayed forth, she merely pushed forward with her cold golden eyes.
Raulothus’s eyes widened in horror.
The fact that he was powerless against a barbarian warrior who was decades younger than him—not due to skill or experience, but merely strength—was a colossal shock for Raulothus, who had appeared as their secret weapon.