Battle of the Sanctuary (3)
“Commander, the siege weapons from headquarters have arrived. We’ve also restocked the grappling hooks and ladders.”
The aide reported in a businesslike tone. Edgar, the commander of the Holy Knights, nodded slightly.
“What about the wounded?”
“All have recovered except for two knights who were struck by the relics of the special unit.”
“Have those two knights gone to join the divine?”
”…Regrettably, yes.”
The aide’s expression was troubled, though Edgar’s clouded eyes couldn’t see it.
”…”
Yet sometimes, emotions can be felt without words.
‘Some of the casualties were my direct subordinates.’
Recalling the report from the skirmish at the fortress wall a few hours earlier, Edgar raised a hand to pat the aide’s shoulder.
“Delay the next attack by two hours. Let the warriors who have recovered from their injuries rest. Ensure the rest of the troops maintain the siege line thoroughly.”
“Understood.”
The aide withdrew, his footsteps fading away.
Turning his gaze from the retreating sound, Edgar looked up at the sky.
It was the season when spring was approaching. The sunlight felt warm on his skin.
Yet, on the ground where that warmth shone, the thick scent of blood and cold metal lingered.
A war sparked by the deputy commander’s schemes, within the Holy Knights who should have been united under the will of the divine.
‘Civil war.’
The bitter word rolled in his mouth.
‘And at such a time, no less.’
Edgar sighed lightly. In exchange for losing his sight, he had gained more than just foresight.
His senses had become twice as keen, as if he had gained several more eyes.
And whether it was due to those senses or the influence of his foresight, he had begun to have vague premonitions about the future.
In truth, most of what was known as his prophetic ability was not direct revelations from the divine but the product of these premonitions.
Vague feelings of calm, anxiety, or anticipation.
But considering they had never been wrong, they couldn’t be ignored.
‘In any case, this too must be a gift from the divine.’
And a few years ago, his premonitions began to send faint warnings.
Not clear, but a subtle anxiety that tickled the edge of his senses whenever he was about to forget.
As time passed, that anxiety became more defined, and by now, he was having nightmares every other day.
‘A dream of a massive monster assaulting the rift.’
In the dream, the headquarters of the Holy Knights fell.
The knights who fought to the end were brutally ravaged, and this land, a natural fortress and our home, became a charred ruin.
He had to prevent that outcome at all costs.
For that, even a single Holy Knight, no, even a single crusader was precious.
Despite the unprecedented situation of a civil war that should never have occurred within the order.
That’s why Edgar aimed to preserve the order’s strength by saving as many as possible, rather than wiping out the rebels.
“Did you see that? Or am I seeing things?”
“No, you’re right… I definitely saw it.”
A faint murmur began to spread. A small commotion was starting to ripple through the ranks.
Edgar broke from his thoughts and looked up.
Soon, he sensed the aide rushing back. Edgar asked.
“What is it?”
“Commander! The rebels on the wall are collapsing!”
The aide shouted. Edgar didn’t ask again.
He spread all his senses, except for his obscured sight, to their limits.
His awareness expanded instantly, reaching the fortress walls and beyond.
The sacred tattoos around his eyes began to glow softly, processing the endless flood of information.
“It worked.”
Edgar smiled.
The special unit members who had guarded the sanctuary so tightly were collapsing.
With the curse’s core gone, the backlash of their released brainwashing caused them to lose consciousness temporarily.
Seeing the commander’s smile, the aide spoke immediately.
“I’ll send in all troops at once.”
”…Wait.”
Edgar stopped the aide. He frowned slightly.
Amidst the overwhelming stimuli, a faint presence tickled his sense of déjà vu.
A presence that appeared suddenly in the empty air. And then, the trace of Deputy Commander Everlock vanished.
”…Damn.”
Having fought the rift’s monsters all his life, Edgar knew.
He knew who the owner of that faint presence, barely detectable even to his sharp senses, was.
He knew whose incredibly free spatial transfer magic it was.
“Assume formation against a high-level monster.”
Edgar ordered. The aide looked puzzled. A monster? A high-level one?
A flurry of thoughts crossed his mind, but years of training and experience quickly dismissed them.
In wartime, the commander’s judgment was absolute.
The aide shouted.
“Assume formation against a high-level monster!”
“Formation against a high-level monster! To your positions!”
“To your positions!”
“To your positions!”
As soon as the order was given, the Holy Knights and crusaders moved in perfect unison.
The siege line, constructed for the assault, split into dozens of groups, each forming their own formation.
Behind the bustling knights and warriors, Edgar slowly raised his head.
”…”
His clouded blue eyes moved slowly.
Even though he couldn’t see, his gaze seemed to be following something.
And when that gaze reached beyond the wall, to the high roof of the sanctuary—
Boom!
The sanctuary’s roof exploded, sending up a massive cloud of dust.
[―――――!]
A roar that shook the souls of mortals swept through the area.
Rising through the gray debris and dust was a massive creature, its body over ten meters long, covered in blue scales.
It was a great dragon, gleaming fiercely against the warm spring sunlight, exuding a sharp, intimidating presence.
“A dragon!”
“Load the siege weapons!”
The Holy Knights responded swiftly to the sight of the dragon.
Ballistae the size of carriages were drawn back, and sacredly imbued catapults were slowly rolled into place.
Though brought for the siege, these weapons were primarily designed for hunting massive monsters.
The giant catapult stones guided by sacred power and the ballistae coated with sacred oil were effective against giants, dragons, and golems alike.
”…”
Meanwhile, Edgar didn’t take his eyes off the sanctuary. His clouded eyes were still tracking something.
Not the dragon that had already soared into the sky above the roof, but his gaze remained fixed on the dust cloud.
His remaining senses, more acute than his lost sight, and the intuition they formed, recognized a distinct presence within the dust cloud.
Whoosh!
Something shot up through the dust cloud.
Compared to the dragon’s massive form, it was a much smaller figure.
Leaping towards the dragon, using the debris of the roof as a springboard, the warrior held a blue holy sword.
‘The warrior favored by the divine, Dalen.’
Though he couldn’t see it, Edgar smiled again at the unmistakable presence.
He remembered that presence.
No, it would be more accurate to say he could never forget it.
The day he followed the foresight’s revelation to find Lucia’s group, the moment he encountered the warrior who single-handedly dealt with a special unit squad in the forest.
How could he forget the moment when the anxiety that had been gnawing at him for years melted away, even if just for an instant?
That day, Edgar had a gut feeling.
The apocalyptic nightmare he had foreseen for so long was now a near future.
And this warrior, favored by the divine, was the key to overcoming that end.
Ssshing—
The commander drew his sword. He entrusted the command to his aide and walked through the formation.
His steps flowed smoothly past the loading catapults and ballistae.
Behind him, the white flames covering the blade dripped like water droplets, marking the presence of the first holy sword’s wielder.
‘Arrogant and cowardly reptiles.’
Though it was an experience from beyond the monitor, Dalen’s definition of dragons was clear.
They weren’t beings that transcended mortals like true dragons or elder dragons, sometimes rivaling gods.
They were creatures that had one foot in the mystical, yet still relied on their physical forms.
However, being used as minions by true dragons or elder dragons had raised their standards, leading them to view mortals, including humans, as mere insects.
Despite being hunted countless times by those very mortals, giving rise to the term “dragon hunter.”
Boom!
A storm erupted from the tip of his sword, slicing through the air.
The dragon, moving its massive body with agility, narrowly evaded the storm and spread its wings wide.
Its yellow eyes glowed. A sign of an impending spell.
[――!]
Its maw, filled with sharp teeth, opened, spewing out an incomprehensible incantation, and a massive wave of power shot forth from its head.
Thud!
An invisible force struck Dalen’s body. It was a shock and pressure that would have turned an ordinary person into pulp instantly.
With a single deep breath, Dalen shook off the shock and twisted his body mid-air to regain his balance.
Whoosh—
There was nothing beneath his feet.
He had leaped from the rooftop, now shattered into pieces, and found himself suspended dozens of meters above the ground. Falling from this height would not only result in injury but also leave him vulnerable to the dragon’s relentless assault.
[Crawl on the ground where you belong, you worm!]
The dragon’s voice boomed with disdain. Dalen half-closed his eyes, focusing inward.
In the heat of the moment, time seemed to stretch like taffy, and his mind perceived something beyond the immediate danger of his fall.
Thump. Thump. Rumble…
The pulsating mountain ridge, the sky painted in hues of red, the unending thunder, and the scattered shards of metal flying through the air.
His gaze was drawn to a peculiar corner of the snow-covered mountain, where strange landscapes had taken root.
Crash! Rumble!
It was a waterfall of stones and sand, cascading upwards.
Rocks and pebbles of various sizes climbed the cliff, bouncing into the sky as if propelled by an invisible trampoline.
[Leap (E)]
A skill that allows one to soar high with a single step. Though simple in motion, it embodies a comprehensive application of strength and technique.
Mastery: 100%
The skill’s details surfaced naturally in his mind.
This terrain was born from a skill he acquired long ago after defeating the Silver Masked Assassin. The leap skill, which had been a cornerstone of his mobility for months, had finally reached full mastery as he emerged from the ruins below.
Thud— Thud-thud—
Rocks bounced upward, creating ripples in the air below.
Dalen, who had been a fan of fantasy and martial arts since childhood, never limited the concept of leaping to just the ground.
The waterfall of inverted stones illustrated the expansion of possibilities.
“Haa—”
He inhaled deeply, bringing his focus back to reality. Concentrating from his spine down to his thighs and finally to his toes, he harnessed just the right amount of power, as he did when first using the leap skill.
There was nothing beneath his feet.
Yet, if he willed it, nothing was impossible.
The air itself became his foothold, and the magical winds of this world formed a solid ground beneath him.
What he needed was superhuman strength, skill, magical sensitivity, and the experience signified by mastery.
And the vessel of his imagination to contain it all.
Vroom—
In the vast expanse of the sky, ripples began to form beneath Dalen’s feet.
The magic in the air twisted, creating an unusual flow.
The unceasing magical wind formed a closed loop, solidifying into something akin to a firm ground.
The leap skill, which had propelled him by breaking through floors and splitting trees, now pushed against this magical platform with his toes.
And then—
Boom—!
With the sound of fireworks, his body shot forward.
The dragon’s slit eyes widened in shock as it watched him soar, shedding the remnants of the spell’s power.
[You insignificant mortal!]
The dragon roared, its jaws opening wide. A blue glow flickered deep within its throat.
‘Dragon’s breath.’
The sensation of magic and malice in the breath tingled on his skin, sounding alarms in his mind.
It was no surprise. The breath from that maw was potent enough to melt even Dalen’s steel-like body.
But Dalen did not retreat.
A dragon’s breath is most dangerous from afar.
As the old dragon hunters’ adage goes, the moment a dragon breathes is both the most perilous and the perfect opportunity to strike.
‘It was the same when tackling dragon bosses from behind a monitor.’
Recalling the past, Dalen allowed himself a slight smile.
He remembered the first time he faced a screen-filling breath attack.
It felt like charging into a living fortress with a feeble character.
But once he got used to it, the erratic claw swipes and spell patterns became more of a nuisance, and he would simply wait for the dragon to gather its breath before slicing its throat.
Haa—
He exhaled, scattering the memories, and drew in a long breath.
With his breath, a new power surged through his limbs.
Boom—!
The magic beneath his feet twisted, and with each step he took in the air, shockwaves erupted.
The acceleration gained from the leap soon approached the speed of sound.
From the ground, Dalen’s form appeared as little more than a fleeting shadow.
And just as the dragon was ready to unleash its breath, Dalen was already upon it.
[Dare you…!]
He met the reflexive swipe of the dragon’s massive forepaw with his holy sword.
Beyond the intense pressure on his arms and shoulders, he felt the satisfying sensation of scales and tough hide giving way.
Crack!
He deflected the flailing paw with two swift swings of his sword, then gathered magic beneath his feet to leap once more.
Boom—!
In an instant, he was beneath the dragon’s maw, raising his left hand as his right arm, steaming from the dragon’s claw, hung at his side.
Fwoosh!
Flames enveloped his fist like armor.
His hand, already resembling a bear’s paw, doubled in size with the fire.
Crash!
With strength surpassing that of a giant, he slammed the dragon’s half-open jaws shut from below.
[Roar—!]
A scream erupted from the dragon, its breath leaking out in a hiss between its closed jaws.
Before the dragon could reopen its mouth, the fiery armor around Dalen’s hand flickered.
And then—
Fwoooosh—!
A storm of flames, powerful enough to pierce the tombs of the Sandstorm Dynasty, fanned out like a dragon’s breath, engulfing the dragon’s blue scales.