Chapter 313: Sabotage Plan

Lyodra flew through the air in wide arcs, her blazing presence successfully drawing the attention of the magical rune.

The moment the fire laser stopped targeting him, Ethan pulled his sword free and steadied his breathing.

The oppressive heat that had been pressing down on him slowly faded, replaced by a tense stillness that felt almost unnatural.

However, Ethan knew one thing for certain. To destroy that rune, he could not rely on Bloodblade Ashura.

That sword was built for raw destruction, fueled by bloodlust and overwhelming power. The rune floating above the city was different.

It was structured, precise, and guarded by layers of magical balance. If he forced Ashura into it, the backlash could be severe.

Ethan slid the crimson blade back into its sheath. A translucent notification panel appeared in front of him, hovering silently in the air.

[Mode Ashura Deactivated]

He exhaled softly, his body immediately feeling lighter, less burdened by the violent energy that had been coursing through his veins.

Without hesitation, he reached for another sword.

Tempest Reaver.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, a surge of power rushed through him. His appearance shifted subtly.

The pressure around his body changed, and the air itself responded to his presence, swirling as if acknowledging its master.

[Mode Tempest Activated]

Ethan opened both eyes fully and fixed his gaze on the red magical rune hovering above the city.

It continued firing fire lasers relentlessly, each beam capable of reducing buildings and people alike to ashes.

Just as one of the fire lasers began locking onto him again, Ethan moved.

In a flash of wind, his figure vanished from where he stood.

The rune attempted to adjust its targeting, but Ethan’s speed far exceeded its reaction time.

He reappeared several meters away, the wind howling briefly in his wake.

Even so, Lyodra continued flying circles around the rune, deliberately maintaining its attention. The rune’s fire attacks remained focused on her, tracking her movements in the sky.

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

Now.

With the rune fully distracted, Ethan surged forward. He moved with razor sharp precision, striking the four magical core points embedded within the rune’s structure.

Each slash carried compressed wind energy, tearing through the rune’s defenses.

The reaction was immediate.

The rune shuddered violently, its glow flickering as cracks of unstable magic spread across its surface.

Within seconds, the entire construct collapsed into fragments of light and vanished.

Success.

Yuna had been right. Once the four magical core points were destroyed, the fire rune could not sustain itself.

Lyodra descended and floated beside Ethan as he stood alone in the center of the city.

The streets were eerily quiet, filled only with NPC townsfolk who stood frozen in fear.

The remaining city soldiers reacted moments later.

They charged at Ethan all at once, desperation written across their faces. Ethan did not hesitate.

He moved like a storm, activating his skills and cutting through them with clean, efficient strikes. Each blow was precise, leaving no room for counterattacks.

One by one, they fell.

Their bodies lay scattered across the ground, blood pooling along the main road and seeping into the cracks between the stones.

Ethan slowly narrowed his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings.

There was nothing else.

No enemy players. No team members. Not even a team leader.

“They prepared a surprise in the form of an absolute fire defense spell,” Ethan muttered. “I’m certain every city has its own magical defense mechanism.”

“But there’s no one here,” he continued quietly. “No team members. Not even the leader.”

He turned toward Lyodra.

“Lyodra,” Ethan said calmly. “Help me destroy every building in this city.”

Lyodra nodded obediently. She soared into the sky and unleashed her power, striking building after building with overwhelming force.

Towers collapsed. Walls crumbled. Homes were reduced to rubble.

Ethan watched silently.

If they won’t come out to greet me,then they can come home to ruins.

With that, Ethan moved like lightning and left the city behind. He emerged beyond the western gate, standing among the corpses of fallen soldiers.

Yuna, who had been waiting with the main force, saw Ethan approach. His appearance had changed again.

The crimson aura was gone, replaced by pale gray and white tones. Above the city, the magical rune had vanished completely.

A clear sign of success.

Recognizing that the situation was safe, Yuna signaled the entire army to advance back into the city.

When they arrived, they were greeted by a city engulfed in raging flames.

“What happened here?” several unit commanders asked in shock.

Lyodra flew back and hovered near Ethan, having completed her task. Ethan gave a short nod. He knew exactly what needed to be done next.

“Yuna,” Ethan called out.

“Yes, Sir Ethan?”

“Can you help me?” he asked.

“Create an absolute defensive magic rune in this city.”

Yuna blinked, then smiled knowingly. “Absolute defense? Oh, you want them to be destroyed the moment they return?”

Ethan nodded. It was the most effective way to shatter their focus. However, he did not know the cost required to cast absolute defensive magic.

“I can do it,” Yuna said after a brief pause. “But I need time.”

“With my abilities, the cooldown for Absolute Defense Magic is thirty minutes.”

“How does that sound?” Yuna asked.

The man standing before her showed no sign of concern. If necessary, he would simply think of another way to lay traps for their enemies.

“That’s fine,” Ethan replied.

Yuna nodded and joined Ethan atop the western gate wall. She closed her eyes and raised her staff, channeling her power.

A cluster of magical runes appeared in the center of the city. There were three of them, glowing green and layered atop one another.

Ethan watched closely. He knew absolute defense magic existed. In the past, it had often been used to protect parties from high level enemies.

Still, he had never imagined it could be used to protect an entire city.

The three runes merged into one. Its size expanded rapidly, spreading outward until it covered the edges of the city.

Yuna smiled faintly. Casting Absolute Defense Magic consumed a massive amount of MP.

The thirty minute cooldown meant she could not use it repeatedly in a short time.

“It worked.”

The green rune vanished from sight.

The spell would only activate when someone other than Yuna entered the city.

However, because Ethan was standing beside her, the magic immediately identified him as a target.

The rune activated.

Ethan’s eyes widened in shock as massive wind slashes erupted toward him.

He reacted instantly, vanishing from the city in a flash of wind. Once he reached a certain distance, the attacks stopped.

The green rune’s attacks consisted of enormous, overlapping wind blades. Yuna quickly turned and ran toward Ethan.

“Are you okay?” she asked anxiously.

“I’m fine,” Ethan replied. “I moved faster than the magic.”

“That spell automatically detects enemies other than me. You count as one too. It’s an automatic detection warning.”

“I see,” Ethan said. “So that’s how it works.”

He then asked whether the original creators of the rune would know if it was destroyed.

“I don’t think so,” Yuna replied. “They won’t be aware of it.”

Ethan nodded in understanding. He stored Tempest Reaver, deactivating Mode Tempest.

Together, he and Yuna summoned their mounts and continued toward the next city.

Ethan intended to repeat the same strategy.

Fighting across the archipelago region was exhausting and inconvenient. Their enemies were undoubtedly suffering heavy losses as well.

And when they returned, they would be met with Yuna’s Absolute Defense Magic.

The shock alone would be devastating. There was a real chance the magic would fatally injure them.

They traveled toward the next city, which was located close to the previous one. The marching time was approximately twenty to twenty five minutes.

Eventually, they stopped.

Ethan and Yuna sat silently, staring at a city ahead that was once again unguarded by team members and leaders.

“Prepare yourselves,” Ethan ordered. “Once I destroy their magical rune, you move in and destroy the city.”

“Yes, Sir Ethan.”

Ethan stepped forward.

As soon as he entered a certain range, the city’s absolute defense rune activated, along with its soldiers.

This rune glowed blue, clearly aligned with the water element.

Compared to fire, water dealt less raw damage, but its control and area coverage made it dangerous in prolonged combat.

Ethan dismounted and summoned Tempest Reaver.

Speed matters more here. Tempest will serve me better than Ashura.

From the blue rune, massive waves surged forward, crashing toward him. Worried about the range, Yuna ordered the army to retreat, just as before.

Ethan moved in a flash of wind, narrowly avoiding the waves. Another wave followed, then another. The constant pressure made it difficult to find an opening.

Lyodra was still on cooldown. Using Sera or Luna just to destroy the rune was not an option.

He had no choice but to rely on himself.

Ethan sprinted forward, scaled the gate wall, and cut down every soldier who blocked his path. He avoided the waves with precise movements, never slowing down.

Finally, he found an opening.

Ethan launched himself forward and struck the four magical core points.

Thirty minutes passed.

Thirty exhausting minutes of relentless battle.

At last, the rune shattered completely.

Ethan landed atop the southern gate wall, still in Mode Tempest.

“Attack this city,” he commanded. “Kill every soldier and destroy every building.”

The unit commanders obeyed instantly. Thousands of soldiers surged forward. With Ethan controlling the gate, the city’s entrance fell under their command.

Combat erupted. Flames consumed buildings. Smoke rose into the sky.

With every structure destroyed, the enemy lost their base, their barracks, and their ability to recruit soldiers. Resources would be drained rebuilding everything.

Yuna arrived beside Ethan.

“The cooldown is ready,” she said.

Ethan handed her an MP Potion.

“Now you can help me,” he said.

Yuna smiled warmly as she accepted it. “Thank you for trusting me, Sir Ethan.”

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