Episode 1004
Chapter 246: The Battle for the Mitra Great Desert (14)
Western Mitra Great Desert.
Kinzelro and his group were observing the battle raging at the center from a distance. Thanks to Lanke’s successful necromancy, the battlefield had been perfectly set, so there was no need for them to rush into the fray recklessly.
Besides, every time a fight broke out in the center, the Changsung and the aerial fortresses went wild. Even powerful figures like Berakt, Badrey, and Bianca found it difficult to assert themselves in that chaos.
Though the distance was too great to see the battle with the naked eye, Kinzelro’s group felt as if they could vividly sense everything happening at the heart of the desert.
“Wow… it’s brutal, absolutely brutal. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Great Desert suddenly vanished from the map altogether.”
Berakt’s words drew nods from the others.
Lanke’s initial pride after successfully summoning had completely vanished. Perhaps even the legendary demons were powerless against the monsters now unleashed into the mortal realm, siding with the Barmel Alliance.
Rumble… rumble…!
The entire desert trembled incessantly. Until just moments ago, only wide-spreading red flashes stained the sky messily, but now, piercing through them were towering pillars of pure white light.
“Elona Ziphl… that’s definitely her magic!”
Jo, cold and composed, shuddered the moment he sensed Elona’s magic dominating the sky, pushing back the enemy’s necrotic energy.
His awe wasn’t born of admiration as a fellow mage, but from a burning desire to study her power.
“That sacred vessel the captain mentioned…! If something like that exists, it means even monsters like that can be controlled at will. Hah, if that’s the case, grasping the world in these two hands wouldn’t be so difficult.”
“Your nonsense gets worse by the day. Hmm… Elona Ziphl wouldn’t have joined the battle without a purpose. It must be… the destruction of the dimensional gate.”
“Most likely, Lord Berakt.”
Just as they spoke, Sribi suddenly appeared before Kinzelro’s group.
The demons who had absorbed a massive amount of pure power now looked far more robust than before. Their translucent bodies had darkened, and their horns, wings, and muscles thickened.
“You’ve arrived, Sribi!”
[Lanke, the battlefield’s situation is shifting strangely.]
“Because Elona Ziphl appeared?”
[Yes. Until recently, the True Runkandel and the freed Myungwang tribe’s two kings were also on the battlefield. But the True Runkandel group left without joining the fight. Since then, Elona Ziphl and the Myungwang tribe, who should be mortal enemies, have barely attacked each other.]
“So, they’re clearly targeting the Laprarosa gate.”
[Exactly. They’re attacking the dimensional rift as if they’re in cahoots, focusing all their efforts there. Can’t you see? The massive magic and necrotic energy being fired into the rift are hundreds of times faster than what we’re absorbing.]
Understanding Elona and the Myungwang tribe’s actions wasn’t difficult.
Right now, the Barmel Alliance and Laprarosa were effectively the common enemies of the great mortal realm powers.
“…Archdemon Sribi, what do you think? If they unite to attack the dimensional rift, will Laprarosa be destroyed?”
[That depends on how long the warrior inside Laprarosa can hold out. Judging by the aura we first sensed and what Orgal told us, it seems difficult to kill him despite everything.]
“Ha! Even with four aerial fortresses and Elona Ziphl relentlessly attacking, he’s still hard to kill? Does that make any sense?”
“It does, Lord Badrey. Not all attacks entering the gate reach Laprarosa intact. Passing through the dimensional gap inevitably causes losses.”
Jo answered on Sribi’s behalf.
“…Then why did the True Runkandel leave without joining the fight? Don’t they know the Laprarosa gate could be destroyed by external shock?”
[Maybe they were just bluffing. Showing they’re trying hard to defend might make the Myungwang tribe, us, or Ziphl commit more troops.]
“Hmm.”
[From my perspective, why the True Runkandel left isn’t the main issue. What you should worry about is whether the Myungwang tribe and Ziphl will join in destroying the gate.]
A choice.
If the summoned demons joined the attack on the Laprarosa gate, the original goal of buying time would be compromised. But if they kept interfering with the Myungwang tribe and Elona, the full liberation of Laprarosa would be a threat.
This was not a decision for those currently in the Great Desert.
“Phew, then we’ll have to discuss this with the captain once we return…”
Just as Berakt answered, a steel dimensional gate suddenly formed among Kinzelro’s group. Unlike usual, this gate was dented and rusted in places.
“You’ve arrived, Captain!”
“Captain… you’re here…”
Orgal and Marjiela stepped through the gate.
[Ugh, the necrotic energy waves are filthy. Even my steel gate is unstable like this.]
[Orgal, you’re no gentleman.]
[I came to test the interference of the necrotic energy waves, Sribi. Fortunately, teleportation isn’t completely impossible.]
The group spent some time briefing Orgal on the current situation.
[It’s a simple matter. We will not join the destruction of the Laprarosa gate.]
Orgal made a swift decision.
“As expected, Captain, that’s a wise choice!”
Marjiela smiled slyly, drawing the group’s attention.
“Now, let’s review the actions of Lord Jin so far. He always manages to get what he wants in times like these, right? No matter how much we, Ziphl, or other enemies try to interfere, things somehow work out in his favor. So I believe the Myungwang tribe escaping the mortal realm is already a foregone conclusion.”
“Marjiela, your reasoning feels a bit thin. But it’s true we’ve been burned by overthinking before… Just look at this—Lanke’s successful summoning also opened the Laprarosa gate.”
Everyone agreed with Marjiela’s words.
In truth, they had all sensed it for some time: Laprarosa wouldn’t be destroyed, and the Myungwang tribe would escape into the mortal realm.
“So there’s no need to deepen our grudge against Lord Jin and the Myungwang tribe now. Besides, even if the Barmel Alliance grows stronger by gaining the Myungwang tribe, Lord Jin is someone who can be reasoned with. But the Myungwang tribe? When the Mitra Great Desert battle ends, what offers could we possibly make to them?”
None.
Kinzelro had set the stage in the Great Desert to survive the Myungwang tribe. Moreover, the Myungwang tribe had been harassing the three summoned demons nonstop, so they had even less reason to leave Kinzelro alone.
[Still, what we can hope for is that those fighting over the desert will hurt each other as much as possible while we watch from the sidelines. And that’s a very likely outcome…]
Orgal gazed toward the far side of the desert, where Elona’s magic and necrotic energy split the distant sky like a ruler’s edge.
All that immense power was surely being funneled into the Laprarosa gate.
[So, Karmaš and Masalun and I should keep interfering with the Myungwang tribe and Elona just enough, right?]
[Exactly, Sribi.]
[Got it. Oh, and earlier, Masalun had a dream where a witch appeared and told me to pass this message to you.]
[…Helluram?]
[Yes. She said there are things to give and receive, so you should visit the Abyss once.]
Orgal’s eyes widened. As far as he knew, there was nothing left unresolved between Helluram and himself.
But now that he’d received such a direct message, he couldn’t ignore it. Something terrible might happen.
[Understood.]
At the same time, Laprarosa.
The usual peaceful, bright atmosphere was nowhere to be found. The once clear sky was distorted, harboring a tumor-like rift from which massive necrotic energy and magic poured forth.
The attacks had begun from the Great Desert.
“Damn it, what the hell is this…!”
“Magic!”
“Teto brothers, protect Shaku!”
Itu King Baltrok shouted. Like the other kings, he was guarding the common warriors. Seeing the newly arrived forces pulling Shaku outside the protective barrier because of the magic, he yelled out.
“Ugh!”
Teto leapt forward and grabbed Shaku, who was unconscious and unable to reach out.
A streak of pure white light pierced Teto’s shoulder. Elona’s magical spear had struck precisely through the gap created while protecting Shaku.
Teto descended back to the ground and safely brought Shaku inside the barrier. Blood poured from his wounded shoulder, but there was no time to rest.
‘Because of the spatial collapse, the common warrior brothers can’t use their strength at all. And the Itu kings, including me, keep accumulating injuries. This means the warrior inside has to cover too much territory…!’
Teto patched the torn part of the barrier and looked up at Ban.
Ban, the warrior, was currently holding a massive protective shield over the main hall of the warrior’s temple. Though she showed no visible signs of fatigue, her brothers were all worried about her.
For several days now, the spatial collapses and relentless external attacks had continued without pause. Ban hadn’t rested for a single moment, maintaining the protective barrier the entire time.
“Otu and Tu, is there any way we can help the Twin Warriors more?”
“For now, the best thing we can do is avoid getting hurt any further! Once Kaio is done with his treatment, he’ll tend to you right away. Teto, just hang on a little longer.”
Just as Boras answered Teto, Ban closed his eyes briefly.
After a few seconds of deep thought, he looked down at the Twin Warriors.
“…It seems that simply blocking won’t be enough.”
“The Twin Warriors?”
“Brothers, I’m going to lower the barrier for a moment. You need to understand that Laprasrosa isn’t just a training log for the outsiders out there.”