Chapter 123: The Charge

Pababababak.

‘There?’

As Anthony, who was leading the way through the bushes, pointed forward, Muno nodded silently.

It looked like an ordinary hilly area overgrown with bushes to anyone.

Seueueueu.

But to his senses, an energy that gave him an unpleasant feeling was clearly palpable.

Seuseuk.

When Rauel, who had approached him at some point, was about to draw her bowstring, Muno shook his head silently and stepped forward.

And the moment he stuck his arm into the pile of bushes.

Pasuseuseuseu.

The ordinary hill disappeared in an instant, and a huge cave revealed itself.

Of course, he too had seen that enormous number of corpses.

So Muno was just as disappointed by Rantor’s absence, but.

“Of all times, for all the priests of intermediate rank and above to be on assignment.”

A lower-ranking priest with only a faint amount of holy power couldn’t heal the body of a 6-Star Corporeal Arts user.

“It can’t be helped. The times being what they are……”

The situation where the Temple, spurred by the incident in Ruble, had stepped up to root out the servants of evil hiding throughout the country had worked very unfavorably for them now.

As they were lamenting, Rauel pointed to a large tree quite a distance away.

The faintly visible smoke there.

Muno saw it and let out a smirk.

“It seems we have other allies besides ourselves.”

“What?”

But as soon as Anthony, who had tilted his head, turned his gaze following Rauel’s gesture, the smoke disappeared.

“……Was there something there?”

“It seems to be the free knight I mentioned.”

“Hmm. Why isn’t he following right away?”

Probably because he’s an Imperial.

As Muno recalled the information he had intentionally withheld and gave a bitter smile.

Anthony frowned slightly.

“Can he be trusted for sure?”

“……Yes. At least when dealing with the Demon Cult.”

“Good. If he’s truly a knight of that skill, he’ll be a good asset. Let’s get started.”

As he was about to step forward, Muno cut in front of him again.

“Just in case, I’ll take the lead.”

“Are you doubting the skills of a Red Iron Knight just because Sir Rantor was a little injured. You?”

“Ah, of course not. It’s just……”

I don’t want to give up my prey.

Since he couldn’t say that honestly.

“……Wouldn’t it be safer for the detector to take the lead.”

“Detector? Heh. You use interesting words, you do.”

“As I said, we still don’t know how much of the enemy’s strength there is.”

“……I see. Well, there could be magic traps. You take the lead.”

“Yes. Please step in if you think it’s a bit dangerous. Rauel, I’ll need cover.”

“Yes.”

“……Cover from the natural enemy of magicians and a 5-Star sniper-specialized archer. And even a so-called ghost knight? Well, that’s reassuring.”

“To hear such words from the Blood Knight, it’s an honor.”

As Anthony laughed and took back his earlier words, Muno bantered back.

And soon, they slowly stepped into the cave.

Tadadak.

Just as the tough woman, Chloe, had taught him before.

Despite the weight of his heavy armor, Muno’s movements as he descended the gentle slope of the cave a little faster seemed quiet and relaxed.

But Muno did not let his guard down.

‘As expected, I can’t feel any 6-Circle level demonic energy. A Double Veil……I suppose?’

Imagining the strongest enemy that must exist, he exercised caution.

Hwaruruk.

The moment he moved quickly through the shadows untouched by the light of the torches hanging sparsely on the cave walls.

‘They’re coming.’

He felt a part of the massive clump of demonic energy deep underground break away.

And not long after that.

As expected.

“Elder Sieran himself created the barrier, so why bother……”

“I know, right. Why are we on such high alert……”

“They said the south and west branches were hit. Plus, there’s no word from the inner castle……”

He felt a group of people approaching with the sound of voices.

‘Five.’

Judging by the demonic energy alone, there were two 3-Circle magicians and three lesser ones.

They were all of a mediocre level, but even such a subtle difference was now clearly distinguishable.

‘Two 3-Circle magicians and three 3-Star-level lower magic knights. 100m ahead.’

The moment he got a read on them, Muno sent the predetermined hand signal to the party behind him.

At the same time, he boldly ran forward.

‘Here I go.’

Pabak.

At that moment, he felt a red wind pass by his side.

And immediately after.

Skak.

With a very small noise, he saw the heads of the three vanguard, who were wearing armor among the enemies he had targeted, float up at once.

Moreover, before the surprised voices could even come out of the mouths of those wearing robes who were approaching from behind, who were probably magicians.

Pabak.

An arrow lodged itself in the neck of one of them.

Sak.

And as an arrow lodged itself in the neck of the other, the Blood Knight’s silent sword strike followed.

Thud.

Muno arrived on the battlefield the moment the last corpse fell to the floor.

“Huh……”

The hollow laugh that escaped him unknowingly expressed his current feelings well.

Nevertheless.

“Well, the young lady’s skills are better than I thought. I’ll have to take that into account.”

From Anthony’s words, spoken in a very small voice, his dissatisfaction was clearly palpable.

As expected.

‘Blood Knight.’

How could he ask him to leave his prey?

‘Well, 3-Circle isn’t enough anyway. So it doesn’t matter yet.’

Muno licked his lips as he focused on the massive demonic energy in the underground, which he could now feel more concretely.

– Grrrr.

The Demon Devourer in his head was constantly expressing its anger as it felt the massive demonic energy.

Perhaps because of that, even in the midst of carrying out an important mission, the desire to evolve quickly seemed to take precedence.

‘Get a grip. Dealing with the enemy comes first.’

As he tried to focus again, Anthony suddenly stuck his face in.

“Still can’t feel it accurately?”

“No, sir. But I can tell for sure that there are many of them. Their exact strength is not clear because they are mixed together, but there seems to be a square about 500m ahead. Similar to the basement of that mansion.”

“500m, huh. Good. Then let’s go like this until we’re at a distance where you can specifically identify their strength.”

“Yes, sir.”

He answered simply and took the lead again.

After advancing another 100 meters, he finally began to feel the demonic energy of the square clearly.

But its form was a little strange.

“……It wasn’t because they were mixed.”

“What?”

When Anthony, who had approached him at some point, tilted his head, Muno explained what he felt in detail.

“A single mass of demonic energy is flowing in a huge hemispherical shape. The magicians seem to be inside it, but they are obscured by the demonic energy and I can’t distinguish them well.”

And if it was demonic energy of this form, he had already heard about it from the two Red Iron Knights.

“A magic circle……. What are those bastards trying to do again.”

“The magic knights on the outskirts are guarding the passage. Three 4-Star-level, twelve 3-Star-level.”

Three intermediate magic knights and twelve lower magic knights.

And what that meant was.

“Counting the ones who just died, we have to assume there are at least three 5-Circle magicians and fifteen 4-Circle magicians more. There will be far more lower-level magicians. Damn it, even more than that mansion……”

Anthony lamented.

Since the contract of a magic knight had to be supervised by a magician one stage higher, he was conservatively estimating that the magician was also in this place.

But Muno had no choice but to point out an even more grim fact that he had forgotten.

“I heard the one called Elder is a 6-Circle.”

“……Right. Rantor’s absence is a great loss.”

But he too knew well that he couldn’t just be lamenting.

“That friend following behind, can’t you call him right away?”

“He’ll join in when the real battle begins. He’s a fast one.”

“Right. Then we have no choice but to push ourselves a little.”

“Pardon?”

“Tell me the exact location of the intermediate magic knights first. I’ll take two, and the young lady there will take one. In the meantime, Sir Muno, you take care of the lower magic knights one by one.”

“Then the magicians……”

“If they’re doing something with the magic circle, those flimsy bodies of theirs will only start to deactivate it after they’ve been attacked. So we have to take care of the magic knights as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

Maybe it would be possible if that Victon fellow caught up quickly.

With that thought, Muno immediately explained the locations of the magic knights guarding the magic circle to Anthony and Rauel.

And as soon as he did.

“Let’s go.”

The Blood Knight began to surge forward explosively with a low voice.

And Rauel, who was following silently behind him, also passed Muno in an instant.

In order not to fall behind those two.

‘Damn it. Acceleration.’

Muno began to sprint forward, even using his secret art.

And.

“Intru……!”

Skak.

One 4-Star-level magic knight, who was about to shout at the surprise attack, had his head sent flying by the Blood Knight’s blade.

And as an arrow was shot from Rauel’s hand.

Chwareureuk.

Muno leaped to the ceiling using the chains on his legs and shot out chains with both hands as well.

Puk.

Kwang!

“Intruders!”

“Kill them!”

Chaeng!

The moment the chaotically entangled shouts erupted.

Muno’s chains, which fell from the ceiling, wrapped around the weapons of two magic knights and climbed up their arms like snakes.

“What?!”

“Wh-what!”

As the bewildered enemies began to stagger, feeling a force pulling them back like a receding tide.

Muno’s ‘Blade,’ swung as it was, became a long bladed whip imbued with a gray, flame-like mana blade and slit the enemies’ throats.

Hwiririk.

Jjeeeok.

“Geok, geok.”

“Geureuk……”

Thud.

Thud.

The moment he landed.

“You bastard!”

A spear, a sword, and an axe flew in from his left, right, and above, respectively.

But soon, as the gray mana spewed out from the shining Red Heart on his chest flickered like a faint flame and enveloped Muno’s entire body.

Kwang!

His ‘Blade,’ swung again in the form of a greatsword, only deflected the axe aiming for his head.

Kwaaaaang!

Kwadeuk.

Ignoring the attacks of the spear and sword that dug into his side, Muno’s greatsword, which had advanced as it was, was swung towards the owner of the axe who had lost his balance for a moment.

Thud.

Jjeeeok.

“Geuk……”

Pushushuk.

A two-handed sword with his full weight behind it.

As the corpse, literally split in two by the powerful blow, spewed a fountain of blood.

The magic knights, who had seen their attacks blocked by the armor and bounce off without inflicting any damage, swung their spear and sword again, this time aiming for his head.

However.

Thud.

Muno ignored them and leaped forward with the momentum of having split his enemy, swinging his greatsword only at another spearman approaching from the front.

Paaaaang.

The spear and sword that had been aiming for his head from behind naturally cut through the empty air.

Kwang.

Padeudeuk.

At the same time as he deflected the spear from the front, Muno’s transformed ‘Blade’ pierced the neck of one spearman.

And.

“Die!!”

“Ha!!”

Chwareureuk.

To the owners of the spear and sword who had approached right behind him, two strands of chains that shot out from his legs wrapped around them.

“ie……?”

“Ugh!?”

Thanks to their comrades who had died one after another, the two magic knights, who had been swinging their weapons without bothering to avoid the chains, staggered for a moment.

Kwang.

Only then did Muno turn around exhilaratingly and step forward powerfully, swinging his large greatsword horizontally.

Jjeeeok.

Two heads that flew up at once.

It was an overwhelming feat, having slaughtered five magic knights of the same rank in an instant.

But Muno couldn’t be satisfied with that.

While he was taking care of those five, the Blood Knight and Rauel had already dealt with all three 4-Star-level magic knights and the remaining 3-Star knights.

Muno’s gaze naturally had to turn to the magicians who were staring at him from within the black, translucent hemispherical shield.

The shield, which was still not deactivated, unlike what Anthony had said just a moment ago.

To that, the Blood Knight put forward the most primitive solution.

“Break it!!”

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!

The Blood Knight’s sword, swung so fast it was invisible.

Next to it.

Kwadeudeuk.

Muno’s hand and four strands of chains, extended as they were, began to dig into the black shield.

– Grrrrrrr.

‘Right, not much left now.’

The magicians who were looking at him with pale faces from the edge of the shield.

Muno, who made eye contact with them, was already wearing a creepy smile.

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