Chapter 273: Episode 273

Five S-rank Raiders had invaded the territory. With Gester, the master of swordsmanship, defeated, four enemies remained. Assuming each guarded a stele, it was certain that all four remaining pillars were protected by an S-rank Raider. The problem was no longer just finding the steles; it was defeating their guardians.

“You will never destroy this stele,” the fully armed spearman declared, his javelin held ready. “I suggest you quietly become Lord Dinen Pradio’s faithful subordinates.” His aura was formidable, a clear sign he had been standing guard for some time.

[S-rank Raider Fury has cast Restricted Area.]

[The field around the caster has been declared their domain.]

[For a certain period, other beings are forbidden from approaching.]

[Restricted Area Usage Limit 1/1]

A transparent barrier shimmered into existence around the stele. Fury hurled another javelin, this time aiming for Turner in the sky.

—’It seems impossible to get any closer,’ Turner’s voice echoed. —’I’ll leave the rest to you.’

—’We never needed you in the first place!’ one of the Keepers shot back.

Turner fell back as the territory’s defenders took his place. The four Keepers surged forward, deflecting the volley of javelins. Meanwhile, Grai and Krodin split left and right, charging in simultaneously. But the Restricted Area denied them entry.

—’My Lord, it seems to have no durability! We can’t damage it at all!’ Grai reported.

—’And skills have no effect,’ Krodin added with a dark chuckle. —’Kukukuk. This is starting to get my blood boiling.’

The transparent barrier was no simple shield. Taehyun, after confirming Mederia was receiving treatment, sent in the two Minotaurs. “Get as close as you can and use Taunt…”

“The S-rank forces from Hylon Forest,” Fury sneered. “I’ve already analyzed both of their taunt skills. They won’t work on me!”

“Dammit,” Taehyun cursed. ’So they were watching from the very beginning.’ “Priest soldiers, cast group shields!”

Hundreds of spears began to materialize around Fury. The Blessed Royal Fairies, anticipating the attack, cast their shields to brace for the impact.

[S-rank Raider Fury has cast Whirling Tempest.]

[Hundreds of homing javelins are fired, automatically targeting nearby enemies.]

[Whirling Tempest Usage Limit 1/3]

A deafening cacophony of explosions ripped through the air as spears shot out in every direction. The approaching forces scrambled back, taking cover behind their shields.

“Master Taehyun, at this rate, the synchronization will be complete!” Inhye warned, her voice strained.

“I know. Dammit. What the hell am I supposed to… hmm?” An idea sparked in his mind. He remembered Hyacinth’s raid party. They had already retreated to escape the Control Stele’s effects. ’That means the special ability Hyacinth used to exclude her main forces must have disappeared too!’ With the caster gone from the territory, any active skills would naturally be canceled. Taehyun immediately checked on the Silent Forest.

—’Hoh. Who in the world made such a mess of this forest? They’ve carved a path straight through it,’ a deep voice boomed.

—’It seems this place was invaded while you and I were away,’ another replied.

—’This is intolerable! Not only did they invade the elves’ home, but they left the forest in this state. Insolent fools!’

The two racial representatives had returned. Seeing the ravaged forest, they roared with fury. While Lost Ardor’s skill was the primary cause of the destruction, Taehyun saw no reason not to pin the blame on the raiders.

“Hamolten,” Taehyun projected, “the Raiders who did this to the forest are fighting our soldiers right now. The High Elves are putting their lives on the line. We need your help.”

—’Tell me their location at once, Guide,’ Hamolten thundered. —’This time, I absolutely will not let this slide.’

His strongest assets had just joined the fight. Hasla, bound by their contract, would join automatically, giving him two SS-rank powerhouses in an instant. Seeing the synchronization rate climb past ninety percent, Taehyun quickly summoned them to the battlefield.

—

[Restricted Area has disappeared.]

The transparent barrier vanished. The surrounding soldiers immediately cast their skills and charged. But Fury unleashed another ability, holding his ground alone.

[S-rank Raider Fury has cast Foothold of Opportunity.]

[A large pillar rises from the ground.]

[For a certain period, it nullifies skills.]

[Foothold of Opportunity Usage Limit 1/1]

It was his third limited-use skill. Fury was clearly stalling, throwing everything he had into buying time for the synchronization to complete.

—’He’s on top of the pillar, so the taunt’s range can’t reach him. Mo!’ Maourate reported.

—’The pillar is sturdy, too,’ Gotman added. —’Mo. It’ll take a while to break it. Mo!’

He must have targeted Mederia earlier to neutralize any flying threats. Raviz conjured a black hole behind Fury, but he remained steadfast, likely due to a powerful item. With the pillar nullifying their skills, the main forces grew desperate, frantically trying to find an opening as they watched the synchronization rate climb.

“Soon, the steles will reach one hundred percent synchronization,” Fury declared, his voice ringing with triumph. “Lord Dinen Pradio’s plan will be realized. I will use Balak to reclaim everything he has lost!”

“Even if you fulfill your wish using this dungeon, do you really think the continent will acknowledge you?!” Inhye shouted back.

“Once we conquer the West, they will have no choice but to acknowledge us,” Fury retorted. “Neither the Raider’s Association nor any other nation will dare to look down on us!”

“You people are insane!”

The lion who had lost everything would not be swayed. Fury scoffed at her and cast Whirling Tempest again. As the stamina of Balak’s soldiers dwindled, even the buffs from the main forces became ineffective. Just then, two figures emerged from Raviz’s Great Summon.

—’Is that the bastard who ravaged the Silent Forest?’ Hamolten’s voice was low and dangerous.

—’That is…’ Grai began, thinking of Lost Ardor and Mederia, but he hesitated. A subtle signal from Raviz, however, made him change his tune.

—’That’s right,’ Grai confirmed, his voice firm. —’That bastard and his four accomplices came for the World Tree. They are unforgivable!’

—’And that’s not all,’ Inhye added quickly. —’They’re trying to seize the entire territory with something called a Control Stele. If they succeed, all our soldiers—and the elves—will be enslaved to their will!’

—’Slaves. God’s wrath. Everyone will become slaves!’ Krodin roared.

In an instant, all the main forces were united in their fury. Hamolten, unable to restrain his rage any longer, activated his Magic Library. From his perch atop the pillar, Fury looked down with an expression of contempt, a fatal miscalculation.

A chorus of metallic clinks echoed as spectral chains shot from the ground.

[You have been bound by Ancient Chains.]

[For a certain period, the use of skills and special abilities is impossible.]

[For a certain period, movement is restricted.]

“W-What?” Fury stammered. “My skill should have nullified that!”

“Hoho,” Hasla chuckled. “That might be true for skills at or below your level. But we are a bit different.”

Even the most absolute nullification skill was useless against a foe of a vastly superior rank. Fury was an S-rank Raider; Hamolten and Hasla were SS-rank powerhouses. The gap was immense. Bound by the Ancient Chains, Fury cried out in agony.

“Kuaaaaaargh!”

“Well done,” Hamolten said calmly. “It seems we’re short on time, so I’ll finish this.” With his preparations complete, he unleashed his spell.

[Grand Elder of the Silent Forest, Hamolten, has cast Devouring Vines.]

[A giant vine swallows everything at the designated location.]

Immense magical power surged through the branches of the World Tree. Giant, thorny vines erupted from the ground, converging on the pillar.

“T-To think they had forces like this,” Fury gasped. “Was the information wrong?!”

“Be buried peacefully along with your stele,” Hamolten intoned.

“Kugh. Still, I bought some time. Even if you find the other steles, it will be too la—”

With a ground-shaking roar, the vines converged, swallowing him and the pillar whole. Balak’s forces braced against the shockwave and watched as the stele crumbled to dust.

[The sixth stele has been destroyed.]

[The rate of synchronization increase will slow down.]

They had finally dealt with the fourth stele. Only three remained. They had to find them, and fast. Turner, waiting in the rear, scanned the territory again, but the remaining three were nowhere to be found.

—’I can no longer see any steles within the territory,’ he reported. —’They must be inside a building or concealed by another skill.’

If Turner, who had located all the others, couldn’t see them, they had to be hidden.

’If they’d entered the city of Myol, a message would have appeared,’ Taehyun thought, his mind racing as he studied the map of his territory. ’So where are the other three?’

—

[S-rank Raider Fury has died.]

First Gester, and now Fury, their leader. It was surprising that an intermediate S-rank powerhouse had been defeated, but it no longer mattered. The synchronization rate was at ninety-two percent. As long as they protected the final three steles, the plan would succeed.

—’Are two of them dead?’ Dinen Pradio’s voice crackled through the communication line.

“It would seem so,” Aishala replied. “Perhaps we underestimated Balak.”

—’…Even so, it doesn’t matter. They won’t find the steles right away. And even if they do, the Control Stele will have already activated. This is the moment my plan finally succeeds. Everyone, rejoice.’

“However, even if we take Balak, it will be impossible to face the entire continent.”

—’Do not worry. Our first target is the Aneis Kingdom. After I take Leon van Noah’s head and seize the throne, I can gradually build a new foundation.’

Dinen Pradio was still blinded by vengeance. Aishala, standing guard by the stele, sighed and ended the communication. ’Was following him the right decision?’

Count Dinen had taken her in when she was an orphan. She had served him faithfully, but with each passing day, her regret deepened. Reaching S-rank had changed nothing. She checked on the location of her comrades and leaned against the cold stone. Suddenly, a tremendous wave of magic washed over her.

’…Magic detection of this magnitude. Who in the world could it be?’

The scan was so vast it felt as if it had covered the entire territory. Aishala straightened up, her hands on her swords, as Balak’s forces materialized before her.

“To think you’d find this place already,” she said, her voice steady. “This is much sooner than I expected.”

“Hoho,” Hamolten chuckled. “Did you think I wouldn’t find you just because you were hiding in this dungeon? For the crime of destroying the forest, I shall punish you myself.”

“The forest? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I have no intention of going down without a fight.”

“Denying it to the very end. Mother Nature will not forgive you.”

The S-rank Raiders were hiding in the three dungeons, besides Heimdall, that were not yet operational. Aishala drew her twin short swords and activated a skill.

[S-rank Raider Aishala has cast Final Battlefield.]

[The field around the caster is declared as her domain.]

[For a certain period, the proficiency of all swordsmanship increases twofold.]

The dungeon’s interior instantly transformed into a desolate desert, a landscape that pushed Aishala’s abilities to their peak. But she wasn’t the only master of the blade present. Across the sand, Grai stepped forward, his greatsword in hand.

[A-rank Hero Guardian, Knight of Silence Grai, has cast Silent Battlefield.]

[The field around the caster is declared as his domain.]

[For a certain period, the proficiency of all swordsmanship increases twofold.]

The two domains overlapped. Thousands of spectral swords rained from the sky, embedding themselves in the sand—a battlefield prepared for the Knight of Silence. Gripping Gravolta, Grai fixed his gaze on Aishala.

“You are a threat to my lord. I will eliminate you.”

“Hmph. Step aside,” Hamolten grumbled, pushing past him. “We don’t have time for you to be striking poses.”

“Huh?” Grai grunted, taken aback.

“I’ll end this in one blow.”

Slowly, magical energy gathered, drawn through the branches of the distant World Tree. Both Grai and Aishala stared at Hamolten, their bravado forgotten in a wave of pure shock.

—

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