Chapter 241: Core



SZZZZLE!!!

Golden light streaked across the white-streaked skies, illuminating the battlefield as if the heavens themselves had opened.

[High-Grade Light Magic]

[Radiant Storm]

SWOOSH!!!!

Golden swords and spears rained down upon every enemy it could find in a dome, their light shattering the white fields of launching white armies around it.

BOOM!!!

Explosions echoed across the surreal landscape, the shallow seas and jagged terrain splintering as mana erupted in torrents, bending the atmosphere and warping the space around them.

The sheer density of the unleashed power seemed to destabilize everything, twisting the very fabric of reality.

RUMBLE!

Lightning tore through the heavens with a deafening crack, igniting the clouds in flashes of silver and gold.

Kunng-!!!

Spells flew from all directions, their power saturating the air and colliding in blasts that shook the ground.

CLANG!

CLANG!

Weapons clashed with ferocious intensity, filling the air with the ringing of steel against steel.

Through the chaos, a unified rhythm of footsteps thudded across the battlefield, a constant, unyielding beat as if the White Army moved in perfect synchronicity.

“Janica, watch out!”

Lucas’s voice cut through the cacophony just as Janica turned, barely glimpsing the massive white axe hurtling toward her face.

There was no time to sidestep or counter; in a split-second decision, she braced herself, her sword raised in a desperate attempt to block the blow.

CLANNNK!

The impact sent her soaring, the force overwhelming.

She was airborne for a heartbeat, weightless, before her body slammed into a rough, white boulder, the stone cracking under the force.

“Kughk!”

A low, pained gasp escaped her as agony lanced through her limbs.

Her body throbbed from the vibrations, her arms trembling under the sheer power of the golem’s blow.

The white golem, towering and unrelenting, loomed forward, its faceless helmet locked on her with a haunting, mechanical purpose.

“Haah… aghk…”

Janica coughed, the taste of blood sharp on her tongue. Her green eyes blazed with defiance as she scanned the battlefield, each agonizing breath fueling the fire in her gaze.

The white golem stood motionless, its gaze fixed on Janica, almost as if it was waiting, urging her to rise and continue the fight.

Its stoic patience was unsettling, a silent challenge reflected in the dim glow behind its faceless helmet.

“Janica!”

Lucas’s voice boomed across the battlefield as he cut down several white pawns in a single, fluid motion. His aura ignited in golden light, armor manifesting around him like a halo of

power.

Every step he took toward her radiated intensity, his figure an unwavering beacon in the chaos.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes scanning her with barely contained worry.

“I-I’m fine…” she replied, though her voice wavered, betraying the pain that flickered across her face. But there was no time for hesitation; she forced herself into an offensive stance, readying her weapon.

Lucas’s gaze shifted, landing on the golem as he moved beside her, his golden eyes narrowing. “That thing… it’s different,” he murmured, his voice laced with caution.

Janica nodded, her own eyes studying the golem’s massive, gleaming axe.

The weapon itself pulsed with energy, as if it were alive, charged with a density of mana that seemed to distort the very air around it.

Even from a distance, she could feel its force pressing down on them, a dangerous hum that gnawed at her senses. Lucas was right to be wary; this was no ordinary weapon.

She gripped her sword tighter, her mind racing. “That axe… it’s more than just for show. The mana coursing through it-it’s overwhelming.”

“Yeah… be careful…”

Lucas scanned the battlefield, his gaze darting from the white golem to Janica, her battered form barely holding its ground.

The sight made him grit his teeth in frustration.

He was confident that in a one-on-one he could handle that hulking golem, but in the chaos of a battlefield like this, where enemies appeared out of nowhere in staggering numbers, the odds weren’t on his side.

It had only been a few minutes since the fight began, but even his stamina a point of pride— was draining at an alarming rate.

‘How did we miss this many enemies?’ he thought, frustration seeping through him.

All three of them had kept their mana senses active, expanding their awareness to guard against ambushes.

Yet somehow, these enemies had surged onto the battlefield as if they’d materialized from

thin air.

It was like they had stumbled over shadows that had been present yet hidden, obscuring their senses in a way he couldn’t understand.

Luckily, Rose had been quick to react.

She’d cast a counter-protective spell without even an incantation, her mana shaping itself around them in shimmering layers.

Above her, a golden orb hovered, casting a fierce, radiant light. It unleashed a hailstorm of weapons in all directions, each one targeting enemies within a 500-meter radius and forcing them back from their position.

The effect was like a shield and an assault in one, steering the core of the enemy’s numbers

away from them.

Despite the slight relief, Lucas knew this was only temporary.

“Rose will soon reach her limit…”

Lucas cast a quick, worried glance up at Rose, suspended in the air and radiating with mana. Despite the impressive waves of energy she projected, he knew her limits well enough. She could wield high-grade spells like no one else he knew, but even she wasn’t immune to the exhaustion that came from channeling such powerful magic.

The temporary reprieve she’d managed to give them was only that-a brief window. Eventually, the relentless drain on her mana would catch up, and the reprieve she provided would vanish, leaving them exposed to an overwhelming enemy force.

Celestial magic was clashing all around them, and Lucas felt its intensity reverberate through his core as his golden eyes glowed faintly.

Whatever Rose had focused on, it had drawn her attention away from assisting them directly in this fight, which only made Lucas’s worry grow.

They needed her strength, her full attention, to hold their ground. But whatever had caught her eye seemed equally important, maybe even threatening on its own.

“Their numbers… easily more than 10,000.”

He assessed the battlefield, his mind racing as he took in the daunting sight of the sea of

white pawns encircling them.

The endless swarm was dizzying. It felt as though they were fighting against an unbreakable tide, pawns shifting and reshaping around them with mechanical precision.

Whoever commanded this army clearly aimed for a battle of attrition, exhausting them little

by little.

They were at a clear disadvantage.

If they didn’t act quickly, they’d stay trapped, pinned down by this relentless onslaught.

But without pinpointing whatever commanded these creatures, stopping them was next to

impossible.

Even if they did manage to find the entity pulling the strings, there was no guarantee it would end the attack; it wasn’t that kind of straightforward dungeon where taking out a single

leader would send the rest of the army scattering.

The white creatures were far from typical monsters or mindless undead. Intelligent, yes, but there was something unnervingly mechanical about them.

They weren’t sentient in the way a monster or beast might be; they seemed more like constructs-empty husks or white golems, infused with just enough intelligence to comprehend and follow commands.

They lacked fear, lacked self-preservation. If there was a “boss” among them, defeating it might not disperse the rest. Instead, it could just be a cog in the machine, one they couldn’t

afford to rely on as a failsafe.

“… H.u.M.A.n…”

The clanging, distorted voice of the golem snapped Lucas out of his thoughts. He watched warily as the creature’s helmet shifted, revealing a twisted, unnatural grin-a mouth lined with rows of razor-sharp white teeth, its smile stretching grotesquely from ear to ear. “…KE..KE..KE…Human…BLESSED…ME…LUCKY…” it muttered, its words barely coherent, a grating cacophony that seemed to vibrate through the air.

Lucas couldn’t fully comprehend its meaning, but the sudden, jerky movement of its foot was

enough to warn him.

Instinctively, Lucas pushed Janica aside, his aura flaring to life as he braced himself and raised

his sword.

“Wha-” Janica barely had time to react before the massive blow landed.

BANGGG!!!

The impact reverberated across the battlefield, a shockwave ripping through the air as Lucas’s aura-covered sword clashed against the golem’s massive white axe.

Energy crackled between them as their auras collided, each force rejecting the other in a

furious contest of strength.

Cracks spidered across the ground under Lucas’s feet, the weight of the golem’s blow pressing

down on him with relentless force.

Despite his shield of aura preventing severe damage, he knew that if he’d been even a second

slower, that strike could have shattered him.

‘This thing… it’s comparable to a dungeon boss… maybe even an A-rank monster?’

Gritting his teeth, Lucas summoned more mana, feeling the energy surge through him.

With a deep, steadying breath, he activated one of his techniques.

[Solar Wheel] Golden light burst forth from his body, swirling around his blade as he shoved the golem back

with a surge of energy.

Not wasting a second, Lucas surged forward, his feet crackling with golden light as he closed

the distance in an instant.

[Void Step]

In a flash, his body disappeared in a blink of gold, reappearing directly in front of the white

golem, ready to strike at close range.

His sword gleamed as he prepared his next move, his mana condensing into a fiery display of

skill.

[Golden Shower]

SWISSSS-!!!!

Within half a second, he unleashed a rapid triple-strike, each blow aimed with deadly

precision.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

But, as if anticipating every strike, the golem deftly blocked each attack with its massive axe,

its movements almost fluid despite its bulky frame.

With surprising agility, it leapt back out of Lucas’s range, landing a few meters away.

The golem’s mouth twisted into a sinister grin, and it swiped a finger across a scratch on its

forehead, licking the blood that beaded there.

The mocking look in its eyes taunted Lucas, as if inviting him to try harder.

‘It’s far more agile than it looks…’

Lucas observed, a chill of realization threading through his focus.

‘Not only does it wield that strange white aura, but it also has a solid grasp of martial arts….’

From their initial clash alone, Lucas understood that this fight was going to be far tougher

than he had anticipated.

His heart pounded as he recalculated, knowing this creature was unlike any dungeon

opponent he’d faced before.

“FIGHT!!!… HUMAN!!!” the golem bellowed, its voice echoing across the battlefield.

At the golem’s challenge, the two surged at each other once again, their bodies blurring with

speed.

KNNNG!!!

KNNNG!!!

The fierce exchange erupted in flashes of light and energy, their strikes clashing with

explosive force. Sparks flew as their weapons collided, the metallic echoes ringing out over

the battlefield.

…..

A few kilometers away from the chaos of the battlefield, the White Bishop floated just above

the treetops, its piercing eyes fixed on the battle unfolding in the distance. Before it hovered a levitating chessboard, meticulously arranged to mirror the terrain below.

Tiny red dots represented the enemies, while white and grayish ones marked its own forces. “…ANOMALY… STRONG… DECISION… RIGHT…,” it muttered in a distorted, mechanical tone, as though processing each piece of information individually.

It had deliberately positioned itself in this open area, allowing for both a strategic vantage

point and an unbroken connection to command the army.

Here, it could monitor and direct its forces without delay, adjusting its tactics based on the shifting dynamics below.

“…ROOK… COMPROMISED… NEGLIGIBLE…,” the Bishop assessed, noticing the rogue Rook it had deployed earlier in an attempt to test the strength of the three anomalies on the field.

The Rook, however, was beginning to act erratically, ignoring the Bishop’s direct commands

and engaging with its own fierce intent.

The Bishop knew the Rook would likely be defeated soon if it remained focused on the warrior anomaly, but it chose not to intervene.

The data the Rook’s encounter was providing was valuable; each clash, each maneuver the

anomalies used, each pulse of their aura contributed to the Bishop’s understanding of its opponents. Initially, the Bishop had been most wary of the mage anomaly, whose sheer destructive prowess had obliterated entire swathes of its forces.

The mage’s devastating spells and efficient command of light magic marked her as the primary threat.

Yet, the warrior anomaly was proving equally perplexing.

Whatever lay dormant within him was potent enough to not only capture the attention of the

rogue Rook but also disrupt its primal instinct to flee.

It was unusual for a creature like the Rook to disregard orders, yet it seemed fixated on testing

itself against this warrior anomaly, even at the risk of its own destruction. While the Bishop resolved to keep an unwavering eye on the warrior anomaly, its primary

focus remained the mage.

The female warrior could be set aside for now; her power, though notable, was still uncertain

in the grand scheme.

The mage, however, represented a critical problem.

Turning its gaze to its two knights behind it, the Bishop noted the shimmering, red magic

circles that encased them, each brimming with an energy so dense it distorted the air around

them.

The spell binding them radiated celestial magic, and the Bishop recognized the ominous

significance.

It hadn’t anticipated that any of the anomalies would be capable of deploying such a formidable spell from such a distance. Even more surprising was how swiftly the mage had acted, binding the Bishop’s knights-its

strongest pieces, imbued with the authority of its Queen-within moments of the battle’s

start.

“…ANOMALY… RANGE… UNCOMPREHENSIBLE…,” it muttered, a hint of frustration underscoring its typically mechanical voice.

It was unable to grasp how the mage could cast such an advanced, binding spell over such an

extensive range, let alone directly target its most valuable assets.

Without his two knights and their enchanted weapons, victory against the anomalies was no

longer a certainty.

The mage, in particular, presented a substantial threat, her power unsettling even for the

Bishop, whose strength lay in numbers and resilience rather than direct magical prowess.

In an all-out magical battle, the Bishop assessed he would likely lose against the mage

anomaly, so formidable was her command over mana.

The only feasible strategy, then, was to force a stalemate and stretch this into a battle of

attrition.

If he could just wear down the mage’s seemingly bottomless mana pool, the situation would

resolve itself.

As powerful as she was, even she must eventually exhaust her reserves, and with that, the anomalies would crumble.

In contrast, the Bishop had an endless supply-so long as his connection to the dungeon’s

core remained intact, he could draw mana blessed by the Queen herself, using it to regenerate his army endlessly.

Destroyed white husks could be recreated in seconds, their cores replaced with a mere

thought.

“ANOMALY… MANA… HIGH… NEGLIGIBLE…NOW…” it muttered, a sinister gleam in his eye

as he calculated. While the mage anomaly’s mana was indeed formidable, it was ultimately

finite.

She would tire; he would not.

In his mind, the outcome of this battle was already determined.

With every white pawn, rook, and knight the mage destroyed, he would send forth another.

The Bishop’s small smile grew, savoring his supposed inevitability.

…

Walking deeper into the dungeon a smile couldn’t help but escape my lips.

It had only been a few minutes since the whole army left this cave and yet…

[Note: You have gained experience!]

[+200 Exp]

[+1400 Exp]

[+500 Exp]

[+1200 Exp]

[+900 Exp]

[+1500 Exp]

…

—

…

[Note: Congratulations! You have levelled up!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

It was clear that the battle has already started between the white bishop and the others…

looks like this place was more of a EXP hot spot than I thought.

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