Chapter 300: Episode 300

Chapter 78: The Holy Sword Ludwig

The invasion of the Peshant Empire had been repelled. On the Naksen Plains, a cataclysmic battle between hundreds of thousands of troops had finally concluded. Though thousands of Holy Knights and Priests—warriors blessed by their god—had been sacrificed, the Empire’s forces had retreated in the face of an unexpected assault by dungeon soldiers.

In the aftermath, the Ain Kart Holy Kingdom began the slow process of restoring its diminished Divinity and stabilizing its internal affairs. Some high priests demanded another campaign to annihilate the demonic forces allied with the Enais Kingdom, but the proposal was so unreasonable that it was immediately dismissed. The Holy Kingdom, sworn to the will of the god Behel, was destined to destroy evil and spread its divine influence. However, with their military strength decimated, they simply lacked the resources to march west and confront an army of the undead.

Their situation was made worse by the disappearance of Wigan, Captain of the Holy Knights, who had been entrusted with the holy sword, ’Ludwig’. Without him, their combat power was all but gone. No matter how grave the threat of a Necromancer, Pope Luminus could not force a war.

’Fortunately, the Peshant Empire has entered a new political phase with the rise of a new noble faction,’ he reasoned. ’If we can just restore our Divinity, we’ll eventually have the chance to rebuild our military. Until then, we must lie low and focus all our efforts on finding the Holy Sword.’

The sword was a unique blessing, a gift from Behel himself. The mere presence of its wielder allowed the Holy Kingdom to detect evil before it could strike and served as the very core of the Holy Knights’ immense power. Normally, Luminus could have located the sword through his papal authority, but for some reason, he could not feel the Divinity of Behel emanating from it. An artifact was surely sealing its true power. Wigan’s fate remained a mystery, but if he ever reappeared, the Inquisitors could be dispatched to secure the sword.

Having reached this conclusion, Luminus turned his gaze to the scroll on his table.

’Leon van Noah. He provoked our Holy Kingdom during his coronation, and now this. What is he planning?’

Leon had earned his reputation as a tyrant from the moment he ascended the throne. He had recently crushed the dissent within his own kingdom and allied himself with the Dungeon Masters. Now, true to form, he had sent another cryptic letter. It vaguely stated that Behel’s will would soon be made known from the west and that the Holy Kingdom should prepare itself. No matter how Luminus tried to interpret it, the message was nonsensical.

With a low groan, he picked up a nearby report. ’Goldenfish’s informants have already infiltrated deep within our borders. If I let this continue, we’ll become puppets dancing on his strings. I must do something.’

It felt as if the entire continent was becoming Leon’s personal playground. He had raised an army of the undead and was challenging the entire Western region, placing the Enais Kingdom at the very heart of the chaos. His head throbbing with worry, Luminus sank into his chair.

And then he felt it—an immense surge of Divinity.

“Th-this feeling?!”

It was a power unique to his station as Pope—at once familiar and distant, yet a presence he innately recognized through his authority. Unless he was mistaken, it was the Divinity of Behel, radiating from the Holy Sword Ludwig. Sensing the energy emanating from the west, Luminus moved swiftly to summon the high priests.

—

The blade vibrated with a life of its own. For ages, the Holy Sword had been bound in sealing wraps, but now, as if finally freed, it unleashed its immense Divinity in a brilliant flash. The undead soldiers closest to it were instantly vaporized, but with forty thousand of them, the loss was negligible. A single skill from Flyten would replenish their numbers in moments.

Wigan gripped Ludwig’s hilt, his eyes fixed on the horizon. “At last, the time has come to conquer Balak. This is all thanks to the consideration of His Highness, Leon van Noah. This time, I will grant you true annihilation.”

His master’s orders were absolute: the destruction of Balak. To fulfill this command, he had to approach this battle with the utmost caution. Taking out a specialized item, Wigan assumed command of the battlefield.

Behind him, the other Dungeon Masters exchanged uneasy glances.

“That Keeper… that’s one of Hanwool Jeong’s.”

“And the SS-rank Guardian belongs to Lady Mihye. Damn it all. If Sir Wigan hadn’t been mind-controlled, we could’ve fought back against that bastard Leon.”

“Why wasn’t Sword Saint Lepilder affected, but Kaihast was? It’s not fair.”

Leon van Noah’s mind control had turned not only Raiders but even their own main units into soldiers for the Enais Kingdom. The powerful forces gathered for this assault had once fought proudly for the Tarantula Faction. Now, subjugated by another master, they trembled with a rage they could not express.

[The soldiers of Balak have appeared.]

[S-rank Mercenary, Ashuanin, Lord of the Black Alliance, has appeared.]

[S-rank Guardian, Grai, Knight of Balak, has appeared.]

[S-rank Named Keeper, Tyrant Kumakuma, has appeared.]

Finally, Balak’s army emerged. Their forces were familiar, their data gathered from the previous battle. The appearance of new units could change the situation, but the Tarantula members had been assembled for that very contingency. They had a staggering twenty-four S-rank or higher units. With an SS-rank Guardian and an S-rank Raider in the mix, the outcome seemed certain.

Furthermore, their side could wield both Raider-exclusive and Dungeon Master-exclusive items. In the ensuing psychological warfare of artifacts, they could counter any move Balak made, driving him into a corner from which there was no escape.

[S-rank Named Guardian, Flyten, Necromancer of Red Blood, has cast Army of Death.]

[S-rank Named Guardian, Flyten, Necromancer of Red Blood, has cast Undying Legion.]

[S-rank Hero Guardian, Pamuloda, Emperor of Martial Arts, has cast Roar of Advancement.]

The battle began. The undead soldiers let out a savage roar, their eyes blazing with crimson light. In the rear, the main units began to draw their weapons, signaling the start of the second war for Balak’s annihilation.

—

[S-rank Main Units: 7]

[S-rank Named Main Units: 14]

[S-rank Hero Main Units: 2]

[SS-rank Main Unit: 1]

[S-rank Raider: 1]

[Undead Soldiers: 40,000]

[Haol Desert Giant Scorpions: 500]

A quick assessment of the forces swarming the Halrung Plains confirmed they were on a completely different level than the last army. Deploying everyone from Wigan and his Holy Sword to an SS-rank main unit was a clear declaration of their intent to wipe Balak off the map. His current forces stood no chance.

Taehyun stared down at the undead horde from the fortress wall when an arrow suddenly shot toward his face, only to shatter mid-air with a sharp crack.

“Looks like they have an archer with exceptional range,” a cheerful voice noted beside him. “Shouldn’t you be a little more careful, newbie?”

The arrow had disintegrated into dust. Seonghwi, who had appeared without a sound, casually brushed the remnants from his hand with a grin.

Taehyun, however, simply returned the smile, completely unfazed. “I was counting on you to block it for me, Seonghwi.”

“Playing it cool until the end, are we? That’s my specialty, you know.”

“I’ve taken a liking to imitation lately,” Taehyun retorted smoothly. “So, what’s your plan?”

“Come to think of it, this is our first time fighting together since the Faction War, isn’t it? Well, we signed a contract. I’ll be sure to help you out, newbie.”

That was a relief. While it couldn’t compare to Balak, Talos was still an S-rank dungeon. Having its master—a man whose power rivaled an SS-rank unit—and his soldiers on their side would be an immense help. Taehyun nodded slightly and drew his own exclusive items.

“Not planning on revealing your Conductor class this time?” Seonghwi asked, his eyes landing on the items instead of the familiar baton. He must have gathered intel on Taehyun’s class during the early days of his conflict with the Leviathan Dungeon.

“S-Sir Taehyun, we can’t handle her!” a frantic voice crackled over his comms. “She’s bound by magic ropes but keeps trying to get to you!”

“Little Brother, this woman is so weird!” Hyena’s voice followed, laced with annoyance. “She just keeps squirming around and giving me these dazed looks!”

“Ho ho, it seems Pinyas has reached that age. I trust the Guide will lead her down the right path.”

With Pinyas’s condition worsening back in the master room, he needed to end this fight quickly.

’He said there was no item to weaken the symptoms, didn’t he? That means she’ll be after me like this for a solid week.’ He sighed internally. ’Well, she’s tied up for now. I’ll have to take responsibility and look after her.’

Hyena clearly didn’t care, but it had been his mistake to break the vial and trigger this. Even if he felt no guilt, the responsibility was his. Shaking his head, Taehyun forced his focus back to the battlefield.

“I already have a mercenary who calls himself a Lord,” he told Seonghwi. “He can command the soldiers.”

“‘A mercenary’?” Ashuanin’s voice echoed in his mind. “I’m hurt. After all, I’ve played a crucial role twice now.”

“Last time was hardly a crucial role,” Taehyun shot back. “My soldiers were so strong we didn’t even need a Lord.”

“Hmph. My reputation as the Lord of the Black Alliance is in tatters. Balak’s soldiers were indeed powerful, I’ll grant you that. But this time is different. Even with me here, you must be cautious.”

The sheer number of enemy units made the situation perilous. Taehyun frowned, his gaze sweeping over the information provided by his Wide-Area Radar and All-Seeing Eye. The enemy was using two items simultaneously to secure their vision, clearly on guard against Balak’s other hidden forces. Facing an opponent with such sharp tactical judgment who could use both Raider and Dungeon Master items was going to be difficult.

[S-rank Dungeon Master Seonghwi Hyun has used a Soldier Summoning Coin.]

[Dungeon soldiers and main units who were previously marked are being summoned.]

The soldiers of Talos Dungeon began to materialize. But the Tarantula Faction had no intention of just standing by and watching.

[Baghnanda Dungeon Master Taeyoung Shin has used Item Nullification.]

[Effect: Confusion Card has been used.]

[S-rank Raider Wigan has used Item Block.]

[Item Nullification has been used.]

The enemy faction members unleashed a cascade of counters, using both types of exclusive items in an attempt to block the summons, but it was futile. Seonghwi had activated his own counter-items in anticipation. They might be at an item disadvantage, but with his soldiers arriving, Valpurgis could cover the difference.

[S-rank Hero Guardian, Pacific, the Fallen Watcher, has appeared.]

[S-rank Hero Keeper, Tempetran of Steel, has appeared.]

At last, the main units of Talos arrived. As expected of a dungeon that had existed since the first summons, they were all S-rank Hero-grade units. With a casual wave, Seonghwi leaped from the fortress wall, likely intending to fight alongside his soldiers as his class demanded. Taehyun watched him merge with his troops before calling out to his artifact.

“Are you sleeping?”

“I do not partake in what is known as slumber. What is it?”

“I think I’ll need to use you this time. What’s your magic level?”

“Charged to 520,000 units. Ready to cast at any time. Always on standby. Please do not forget me.”

“Right. Just shut up and wait. I have a feeling I’ll need to let off a few big ones.”

“Excitement. Anticipation. Excitement. Anticipation.”

Even an ancient artifact with a will of its own was looking forward to it. The thrill of a successful nullification was truly indescribable. Taehyun glanced down at Rabiz, nestled in his arm, and issued his orders.

“Ashuanin, coordinate with the Talos soldiers and push them back with everything you’ve got. I’ll send reinforcements depending on how things go.”

“I don’t like that Seonghwi fellow,” Ashuanin grumbled, “but as a Lord, I have no choice but to cooperate. First…”

Just as he was about to rally the troops, a massive iron gate materialized on the other side of the battlefield—the signature skill of an SS-rank unit.

[The SS-rank Guardian, Kaihast, Commander of the Demonic Bow, has cast Gate of Hell.]

[Monsters of the Demonic Bow begin to emerge from the summoned iron gate.]

[Gate of Hell Usage Limit 1/1]

It was the skill of an SS-rank unit.

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