Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Five City Gates (2)
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I was already standing before the third gate.
Unlike the previous gates, enormous statues flanked both sides here.
Ogre statues, each seemingly around 4 meters tall.
Their destructive bodies, composed of massive, solid muscles, were sculpted with such lifelike vigor that they appeared ready to spring to life at any moment.
It was then that a brilliant red light burst from the ogres' eyes, which had been staring into the void.
At the same time, a harsh grinding and crumbling sound echoed.
Grinddd.
Gray stone dust poured down from every joint of the statues, accompanied by clouds of white powder.
It was the movement I had anticipated.
Given the considerable mana contained within these statues.
Rumble rumble rumble.
The creatures twisted their bodies, loosening their stiff joints.
Each time, chunks of the cracked sculpture surface fell away, revealing the true forms sealed inside, as if shedding their skin.
Their thick, dark brown hides began to regain vitality.
These were not mere statues—they were top-tier security spells that sealed ogres to serve as guards.
Thud!
The ground trembled faintly as a heavy footfall struck the earth.
"Kuaaaang!"
The roars of the fully awakened beasts sharpened the surrounding air like blades.
Killing intent so overwhelming it made one's hair stand on end.
Most people would have lost the strength in their legs just from standing nearby.
"Grrr."
The battle-ready creatures gripped massive clubs that could kill with a mere graze, glaring at me.
Their armor-like muscles writhed fiercely, and their blood-red eyes conveyed crushing pressure upon meeting my gaze.
In a fleeting moment, the giant statues had become living ogres before me.
They clearly recognized me as an enemy.
Each one seemed to possess the power of an upper-tier Expert, but considering their tough hides and brute strength, they were trickier opponents in some ways.
Whoosh!
With no hesitation, a pillar-like club came crashing down.
Boom!
A heavy explosion shattered the ground like a potato, flipping the earth and sending soil shooting straight up.
Anyone struck head-on by that would be pulverized without even a scrap of corpse left.
Whoosh!
No sooner had I dodged one club than another came flying.
For their massive bulk, their movements were fluid and swift. I had to acknowledge their physical prowess.
Kaboomb!
The club swept horizontally through where I had stood.
I had leaped up to the height of the beast's head to evade it.
The ogre's gaze followed me upward, but it was already too late.
A clean, extended kick slammed squarely into its face.
Boom!
With a sound like shattering rock, the beast's massive body flipped and tumbled across the ground.
Its enormous frame mercilessly crushed any structures in its path.
Whoosh!
Another club came flying the instant it hit the ground.
I twisted my body lightly to dodge it.
Bang!
The club smashed empty earth, then was swiftly retrieved and swung down toward me again.
A deep shadow fell over my feet.
The same situation repeated in the blink of an eye, several times over.
Like whack-a-mole, the ogre hammered down with its club.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dirt piles erupted everywhere from the hammer-like strikes.
I evaded them leisurely before rolling my foot toward the creature's chest.
My form scattered like mist, then reappeared suddenly right in front of it. My open palm was pressed against its torso.
Slap.
My hand gripped its tough, rugged hide.
Through the touching palm, I unleashed a swirling surge of internal energy straight into the ogre's body.
A pinnacle penetrating technique that shattered the opponent's internals in an instant.
Boom!
A world-shaking explosion erupted as a transparent shockwave burst from the ogre's back. The aftermath swept away all structures behind it.
The ogre spewed black blood from its mouth and collapsed limply from that single blow.
Thud! Thud!
From behind, the one I had sent flying earlier charged back, snorting furiously.
Without looking back, I dropped into a low stance as the club whistled over my head.
The wind from it whipped my hair and clothes mercilessly.
From that low position, I spun backward and dove straight into the ogre's guard.
Slap.
My open palm met the ogre's abdomen.
Boom!
Once more, a drum-splitting explosion rang out.
The ogre couldn't withstand the strike and crumpled.
Their corpses appeared intact on the outside, but their internal organs would be shredded as if ravaged by a storm.
There was good reason for going to the trouble of killing such resilient creatures this way.
An ogre's tough hide offered not only superior physical defense but also strong resistance to aura and magic.
They were perfect for use as shields.
* * *
"Everyone, stay sharp! It's coming soon!"
"Don't break formation!"
Shouts rang out as personnel hurriedly took their positions.
With few battle-hardened mages, forming ranks was no easy task.
"Good! Hold position like this!"
The mages, keeping distance from the gate, lined up awaiting the white lion that would breach it.
Formed in an arch embracing the enemy, they had just finished preparations to concentrate their magic.
The mages, casting complete, stared intently at the gate with tense expressions.
A massive roar echoed from just beyond the gate.
It seemed the twin ogres guarding the third gate were clashing with the white lion.
"Gulp."
The silence was so profound that even a single swallow was clearly audible.
Their tension had reached its peak.
No one in the Governor-General's office had ever imagined facing such a moment—not until the alarm announcing the white lion's intrusion had sounded moments ago.
Boom!
An air-bursting explosion came from beyond the wall.
Then, the noises gradually faded.
Cold sweat beaded on temples trickled down to chins.
That was when it happened.
With a thunderous blast, the gate exploded.
Kaboomb!
A gale-force wind carrying gate debris and dust roared in, blinding the eyes.
A fierce sandstorm whipped through.
When I lowered the arm shielding my eyes, I could see the dust settling over the gate area.
A black shadow emerged through it.
"Now! Unleash!"
At the commander's shout, attack spells fired simultaneously from the mages' fingertips.
A barrage of multicolored magic poured out at once.
Raging flames devoured the air, ice spikes laced with chill rained down like arrows. Forked lightning crackled amid the chaos, while razor-sharp wind blades tore through the surroundings.
Assorted elemental attack spells converged on a single point.
The aftermath was staggering.
Kaboomb!
A cataclysmic explosion engulfed the area, strong enough to completely reshape the terrain.
Sssss.
Steam and dust from the clashing magics obscured all vision.
A natural lull followed.
Only the mages' ragged breaths from expending mana in that brief moment echoed in the space.
"......"
As the hazy fog gradually cleared, the situation revealed itself.
Even from the outskirts, where damage was lighter, no one could believe anything at the center had survived.
It was then that a dark shadow flew from the settling clouds.
Splat.
What tumbled out onto the ground was a mangled mass of flesh, unrecognizable in form.
But its sheer size alone allowed the mages to identify it.
An uneasy premonition crawled up their spines.
Swoosh.
As if confirming it, a form shot through the dust.
"I-it's alive! Block it!"
Desperate shouts rang out, but the white lion had already reached their formation before the mages could react.
A long blue trail followed in its wake.
Splurt splurt splurt!
Blood sprayed up across a wide radius simultaneously.
The mages along the curving arc died without even a scream.
"Uwaaaah-!"
Chaos ensued.
Mages screamed and scattered in all directions, only for azure flashes to pierce their backs.
Sword strikes swept the area in an instant.
Knights who rushed forward from the rear to support fared no better.
The massacre resumed.
* * *
Kaboomb!
Sword ki raced outward in all directions.
I pressed forward as before.
Using the ogre corpses as shields allowed me to easily block their magic.
I had anticipated enemies waiting beyond.
With the magic division stationed past the third gate, it was the obvious move.
The enemy's strategy played out as expected.
Magic wielded immense power on large battlefields but was useless in man-to-man combat.
Long casting times and inability to match a knight's speed were the reasons.
Yet its attack range and destructive force could not be ignored.
The ogres' bodies alone couldn't fully block their spells, so I enveloped them with protective aura using vast internal energy.
It cost me dearly in internal energy, but it let me swiftly behead the mages.
"Hoo."
Pausing briefly, I exhaled long to steady my breath.
The fourth gate loomed before me.
I smashed it once more.
Kaboomb!
Stepping through the forcibly opened gate, another wall awaited.
More precisely, things that could be called walls.
The pressure emanating from them attested to it.
Overwhelming hostility severed the space entirely.
It felt like a massive barrier stood before my eyes.
These were the Governor-General's shield and another gate in itself: the Special Task Force, "Steel Wall."
The one at their center spoke.
"You shall not pass further."
A squared jaw and rigidly honed aura conveyed unyielding strength.
I gazed silently at those arrayed before me.
Knights clad in heavy armor, one hand gripping a large shield, the other a harpoon-like spear.
"Steel Wall, advance!"
At the man's command, the knights raised their shields, forming a long iron barrier.
I curled the corner of my mouth slightly.
"This should be interesting."
Compared to the walls I had breached so far, it was incomparably smaller, yet it loomed far taller and sturdier than any before.
No easy breakthrough.
But I had no intention of wasting time here.
Beyond them lay the final gate, and behind that, the Governor-General's quarters.
Halent was now within reach.
I gripped my sword hilt firmly.
"If you wish to delay me, even for a moment."
My blade-sharp aura sliced through the heavy air.
"Give it everything you've got."