Chapter 292
Chapter 292
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 292
Chapter Title: Chapter 6-4. Blue Spear Knights
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"Let's go."
Judah immediately issued orders to the wraith knights and spoke to Iris before charging forward. With the cube shattered, nothing stood in their way. The approaching slashes and flying spears were a concern, but since they were still at a distance and all he had to do was evade, he figured it wouldn't be an issue.
Kwarakakakak!
But the ground-shaking roar didn't seem to fade at all. Sensing something off, he glanced back to find the slash pursuing him relentlessly, as if equipped with homing capabilities.
'Gaia's power?'
Its speed was increasing, and its size growing larger—it had to be the fragment <Gaia>. He'd initially gauged its height at about 2 meters, but up close, it had ballooned to 5-7 meters, impossible to miss. It tore up the earth's surface, sending dirt flying everywhere, while buried rocks shattered into fragments and surged forward like a tidal wave.
"...Whoa."
Turning his head to watch, Judah let out a hollow chuckle with honest admiration. It hadn't had homing in the game, yet here it chased him like a living creature. He stopped running, extended his left hand, and stood before the oncoming slash.
Wooong!
Activating <Dispel> from the fragment Valentine on his finger, the slash charging straight at him vanished without a trace, like a lie.
'My mana is low, so the output's too weak.'
It went without saying. While he'd dumped nearly all his level-up points into strength and agility, pushing them high, stamina and mana were still only C-rank. Stamina recovered quickly enough to manage, but mana did not.
Without fragment Valentine, he would've been in real trouble. Judah checked his status window right away.
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arshel]
[Title: The Glorious One (5)]
[Level: 60]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revives: 25]
[Strength: 72 (B) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 58 (C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 82 (A) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 52 (C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 72 (B) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 37 (D) / Potential A]
[Leadership: 26 (D) / Potential S]
[Senses: 66 (B) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Knowledge: 28 (D) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 89 (A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 3]
[Achievement Points: 2]
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He'd always been satisfied with his stats until now, but in this situation, his stamina and mana felt sorely lacking.
'Only 3 points left.'
Assigning them wouldn't make a huge difference, but the gap between C and B was real, so he put 2 into stamina, bringing it to B-rank. He felt a bit lighter, or so he thought.
Stamina could be replenished by absorbing enemy blood with Artemisia, so it wasn't desperate.
'I need to raise mana.'
This ordeal made it painfully clear. He needed more mana. Frowning, Judah focused on closing the distance to Iris first. Fortunately, no further attacks came after the slash.
Instead, the troops arrayed in formation ahead began to move. The Blue Spear Knights hurled their spears, and the soldiers loosed arrows. Spears flew straight on, arrows in parabolic arcs. Iris swung her scythe wide to bat away the spears, while Lime deployed magic to freeze the volley of arrows midair. The arrows thudded harmlessly to the ground, and Iris pressed on, appearing amid the clustered Blue Spear Knights to swing her scythe and begin the slaughter.
Whether mid-tier Blue Spear Knights lower-ranked than those encircling the labyrinth, they couldn't even respond properly to Iris's attacks. Even high-tier ones wouldn't have fared better, but these died far more easily. With each swing of her scythe, heads flew off or bodies cleaved in two.
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The Blue Spear Knights, honed through long training and battle, were a formidable force, but utterly helpless before Iris, who possessed a fragment. Despite their full plate armor and shields—unlike regular soldiers—they fell just the same.
A comrade beside one suddenly had his throat slit, blood gushing out. Another who'd thrust his spear alongside him wailed with his arm severed. Iris, who'd been right in front, was now behind him, cutting down others.
Her scythe swings were a blur. The only clear sight was her long hair, bound tightly with three red ribbons. Even that seemed to dance alone in the air.
It struck him that if the Baekje scarecrows spoke of a grim reaper from the afterlife, it had to look like Iris. The Blue Spear Knight watching motionless from his helmet sweated coldly, his face pale with the urge to collapse and weep in helplessness. But his drilled discipline shook off the weakness, and as he bravely raised his spear—there was Iris before him, scythe raised.
The scythe looked formless, like it would scatter like cigarette smoke if swatted, yet its edge was insanely sharp. He'd thought he'd blocked with his shield, but it pierced through and cleaved his head. As consciousness faded, he dropped the spear gripped in his hand.
"......"
Iris felt the hot blood splatter on her cheek with an expressionless face. Gripping the scythe's tip with both hands, she swung wide. A line appeared at the waists of the knights and soldiers encircling her in formation, their upper and lower bodies separating all at once. Watching the brutal, overwhelming scene from afar, they gasped when Iris's gaze next turned to them.
Iris prepared to shadow-step toward the next foes but turned at the voice calling her name from behind.
Judah had rejoined the wraith knights and was calling her. Iris shadow-stepped to his side.
"Good work."
She emerged from his shadow, running alongside, and Judah spoke. Plenty more lay ahead, but he thanked her first for sweeping the enemies even briefly. Iris nodded. Covered head to toe in blood, she felt it dripping from her hair. The metallic stench rose sharply.
Judah summoned Artemisia, hurling one dagger into the blood pool Iris had just cleared, then summoned another to absorb the blood soaking her body, hair, and clothes.
"Ah...."
Seeing the sticky blood turn to red mist and get sucked into Judah's dagger, Iris let out a small sound. Surprisingly refreshing. She stared at the dagger he held, then continued.
"...Which way are we heading?"
Judah didn't answer right away. He spread his shadow wide to check enemy positions on the . Their numbers were far more than expected. Baffling how they'd mobilized so many to surround them in that short labyrinth stint.
A single red dot closed in rapidly behind, followed by two more and a horde too numerous to count quickly.
The fastest was likely the basilisk who'd launched the slash.
The two behind were probably Organ and Calyxter. Then the Blue Spear Knights or the holy knights with the saintess.
Judah exhaled. What to do? Just fleeing might not shake the plains. Fighting was an option, but if they targeted Arhil and Lime, no counter.
He suddenly missed Bell-Terza's Descent.
Should've used it here, not in the elven forest.
'No, if I'd used it here, the Holy King might've descended too, turning everything to chaos.'
Who knew. The lord's descent was spent long ago, irreversible, so he let it go. His thoughts turned to Asmodeus.
Fight the basilisk, Calyxter, Organ here...
'And reset?'
Then grab Asmodeus as she left and ask her to take the party somewhere safe. But as the 7th lord and Artemisia's subordinate—tied to some [Fragment Collector] group even Judah didn't know—owing her big wasn't wise.
"South."
Judah changed direction. Straight ahead led to Ahman, kingdom of alchemy. Using their mystic powers wasn't bad, but holding out against a group with four fragment holders seemed unlikely.
Better stick to the original plan: the scorching lands. Canyons there would make shaking pursuit easier. Judah kept the wraith knights running, diving with Iris into blocking enemy units, killing them, and absorbing their blood with Artemisia as they advanced.
"......"
Judah glanced at Iris. He recovered stamina via Artemisia, but she endured purely on her own power. Even with Arhil's blessings and holy magic easing fatigue, the burden would grow over time. Indeed, she panted faintly, short of breath. Judah pondered briefly, then stuck by her side.
"Iris. Don't misunderstand."
She nodded.
"No time for long explanations, and wording might mislead, but... want to submit to me?"
"......"
Iris's eye twitched. Her look screamed, *What are you saying now?* Judah felt awkward but got to the point.
"Yeah, figured you'd react like that. Anyway, if you submit to me, I can lend you this fragment, Artemisia, temporarily. And recover stamina with its power."
Fragment transfer methods varied.
Some, like Valentine or Yakar, transferred just by the owner handing them over. Others, like Ludmilla or Artemisia, parasitized body or soul, requiring the owner's death to claim.
But Judah had another way. When he gained Valentine via Carpediem, an unlisted ability activated: [Lending (Hidden)].
Lend fragments to the submitted. The lender and borrower couldn't use it simultaneously, but he could reclaim anytime—no worry of theft. Judah planned to lend Iris Artemisia for stamina recovery. Still moving, Iris glanced at him and nodded.
"Got it. Do it, then."
Behind, Arhil and Lime stared blankly, utterly lost on the exchange.