Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The White Eagle
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Karak knew his role. He raised his battle-ax, bolstering his fighting spirit. Karma, too, swallowed hard, glaring at the giant undead and the skeleton knights in the sky.
Daphne was still trembling. But her lips moved ceaselessly. She poured every ounce of her strength into the spell she painstakingly wove.
As if to replace Ingong's shattered *Under the King's Banner*, a dryad's blessing enveloped the entire party.
[You have learned Activation Lv1.]
But Ingong sensed that the spell just cast wasn't Activation, but a much higher-tier magic. It was just like when he learned Heal after Felicia used Massive Heal on him. This spell was an evolved version of Activation.
'Spirit Bloom!'
It was a buff skill that imbued the recipient with the most suitable elemental spirit's power, raising all their stats. Ingong felt the spirits of life and wind settling within him. In *Knight Saga*, you could only be imbued with one spirit at a time, but, perhaps thanks to his protagonist's body, the powers of two different spirits merged into one inside him.
Power surged through his entire body. And it was the same for everyone else, including Fierce Eye, Karak, and Felicia.
Karak gripped his ax and stood firm in front of the exhausted Daphne. Fierce Eye swapped his bow for a spear and conjured a blue aura, while the centaurs chanted the names of nature spirits like Green Wind, building their fighting spirit.
The giant undead—Balkarova—looked down at Ingong's party and smiled. Though its face was only a skull, the emotion was vividly conveyed. It was the arrogance of one looking down at prey in the palm of their hand.
Balkarova leaped from its phantom-horse-drawn chariot and landed on the ground. The earth rumbled from the immense weight befitting its massive size, and the skeleton knights took their positions beside it.
Standing on the same ground, the difference in size and eye level was starkly apparent. Moreover, the power of the violet miasma rising from its body was far more intense than Mustafa's. Just facing it felt like having one's will to fight chipped away.
But they had to fight. It felt like just yesterday they were squabbling with orcs, and now they had to face a monster like this.
'Truly the protagonist's life.'
Ingong eased his excessive tension with a bit of nonsense and didn't hesitate. After Dragon Blood and Activation, he cast Green Wind's support magic on himself, then activated *Under the King's Banner* once more.
A banner of pure white light fluttered grandly behind Ingong, and a blessing of white light was added to everyone around him. Daphne's complexion improved significantly, and courage filled the faces of the centaur warriors who had barely been able to face Balkarova.
Using *Under the King's Banner* twice in a row took a mental toll, but Ingong gritted his teeth and endured. All that remained was the clash.
"Warriors of the plains! Go!"
Fierce Eye roared and charged at Balkarova. The centaurs, as if on cue, rushed toward the skeleton knights. Karma scooped Daphne into her arms and retreated to the rear. Karak glanced momentarily toward Felicia, and Delia, standing beside her, nodded.
"Karaha!"
Karak let out a war cry and joined Fierce Eye. Balkarova swung its black sword at the two of them. The violet miasma split into dozens of strands, becoming sharp blades that descended upon them.
"Uooooh!"
Fierce Eye's blue aura shattered the violet miasma. Karak, who had quickly dodged behind Fierce Eye, charged through the fragmented miasma toward Balkarova. Ingong also kicked off the ground and leaped forward.
Karak struck Balkarova's leg with his ax. But the bone was so hard that the impact made Karak's own arms tremble. Furthermore, the violet miasma billowed up as if to swallow him whole.
In that instant, Ingong ran, tracking Balkarova's gaze. The violet light burning where its eyes should have been was following not Karak, but Ingong.
A sphere of fire flew from Balkarova's swinging left arm. Ingong rolled on the ground to dodge the flame, while Fierce Eye charged Balkarova head-on.
"Kuoooo!"
A deep blue aura concentrated at the tip of Fierce Eye's spear. Just after launching the sphere of fire, Balkarova turned its head and opened its mouth wide toward Fierce Eye.
It was a kind of breath weapon. What could be described as a pillar of violet light poured from Balkarova's mouth and struck Fierce Eye.
*Kwa-ga-gang!*
Fierce Eye was thrown back. But he hadn't taken a direct hit from the violet pillar. He had managed to lessen the beam's force by swiftly swinging his spear at the moment of impact.
Watching from a distance, Karma let out a sigh of relief, but it was too soon. Though he had avoided a direct hit, Fierce Eye couldn't block the secondary effects of the violet pillar.
A wicked curse enveloped Fierce Eye's body. The blessings of Spirit Bloom and *Under the King's Banner* greatly reduced the curse's power, but couldn't eliminate it completely. The lingering remnants began to eat away at his flesh and life force.
Fierce Eye activated his life-force aura even further to resist the curse. Karak swung his ax again to draw Balkarova's attention, while Ingong threw himself behind the undead.
Balkarova swung its black sword at Karak. Karak quickly ducked to avoid the attack, then struck its leg again. He still couldn't deal any significant damage, but he managed to momentarily break Balkarova's balance.
Balkarova staggered for a moment, then spun around. It was a move that showed it was more concerned with Ingong behind it than with Karak.
Ingong watched Balkarova closely. As it turned and swung its left hand, releasing five consecutive fireballs, he activated the speed of Beast Fist. He practically dove into the shower of fireballs, dodging all five before slamming an Explosive Fist into Balkarova's leg.
*Kwaang!*
With a loud boom, a piece of Balkarova's greave shattered. Balkarova staggered, and Karak poured all the power of the earth spirit he'd gained from Spirit Bloom into his ax. It was a feat possible because orcs, while not on the level of elves, had a high affinity for spirits. Karak's all-out strike slammed into Balkarova's other leg.
"Kraaaah!"
Staggering again, Balkarova let out a monstrous shriek. It flared its violet miasma wide, and Ingong and Karak hastily threw themselves aside to dodge it. The miasma was so intense that the grass where it stood instantly withered and died, and the ground itself turned black.
Balkarova gathered the swirling miasma and unleashed it from its mouth. If the first attack was a pillar of light, this one was a veritable wave of miasma. Balkarova's first target was Karak.
"Karak!"
Just before the violet miasma could sweep over Karak, Ingong called his name. In that instant, Karak leaped through space and appeared in front of Ingong. *Summon* was a skill he could only use once every three days, but this was no time to save it.
Ingong and Karak had no choice but to put distance between themselves and Balkarova. The land swept by its miasma not only turned black but also began to emit a toxic vapor.
A centaur and a skeleton knight fighting nearby were caught in the violet miasma, and their bodies melted as if doused in acid. It was a miasma so potent it was more like a poison than a curse.
Having unleashed the wave of miasma, the creature glared at Ingong again and raised its sword. Ingong met its gaze and began gathering a pure white aura into Earthquaker.
*Draw its attention. Make it unable to look elsewhere. Make it focus only on me.*
*And then, and then!*
Just as Balkarova charged with its massive body and swung its sword, Felicia finally completed her spell. It was the trump card she had been preparing ever since she'd raised the wall of fire.
Felicia was certainly a mage ill-suited for direct combat. But she was competent, and it wasn't as if she couldn't use offensive magic at all.
"Triple Blast!"
A powerful attack spell that combined three different elemental attacks into one to create a synergistic effect!
From the intricate magic circle drawn before Felicia's outstretched hand, streams of blue, red, and yellow light intertwined. The swirling mass of energy shot toward Balkarova.
*It's going to hit.*
That was the thought that crossed his mind.
Balkarova's body suddenly vanished. The Triple Blast pierced through empty air, and Ingong quickly turned around. Delia, who was beside Felicia, screamed.
"Blink!"
A short-range teleportation spell!
Balkarova had never lost sight of Felicia. It could share the vision of all those covered in its violet miasma. While Felicia was preparing her spell, it was also preparing Blink. The very moment Felicia cast her spell, it did the same. It moved about ten meters from its original position and, having played its trump card, opened its mouth wide toward the defenseless Felicia. A pillar of violet light shot toward her!
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gang!*
Another tremendous roar erupted. The violet pillar shattered, tainting the surroundings with a curse. Felicia and Delia stared, dumbfounded, at the person standing protectively before them.
"Fierce Eye!"
Instead of answering, Fierce Eye dropped to his knees. In that desperate moment, he had hastily drawn up his aura, suffering internal injuries separate from the curse.
A laugh erupted from Balkarova's skull. Instead of swinging its sword directly at Felicia, it turned toward Ingong. At that moment, five or six geists swooped down from the sky. Their targets were Felicia, Delia, Karma, and Daphne.
*Was this too reckless after all?*
No. It was still too early to give up. Ingong continued to gather aura into Earthquaker. He still had Gigantic Piston left.
Balkarova let out a low laugh, as if mocking him. Beyond the wall of fire Felicia had created, Cassius's group and the drake ogres were already gathering.
Karak simply gripped his ax in silence. Ingong took a final breath just before charging.
And it was at that very moment.
'Master!'
He heard Green Wind's voice. But it was strange. The voice was too distant. It felt as if a shout from far away had barely reached him.
Ingong instinctively reached for his waist. From the small piece of wood, Green Wind's sacred object, he couldn't feel her presence as he should have. At most, only a faint trace remained.
*Why, and since when?*
'Master! Awaken Ainkel's power! Unleash her power into the air!'
The voice was so far away. It felt as if she was using all her strength just to make her voice reach him.
Ingong looked at Balkarova. He unknowingly gave a bitter smile and closed his eyes, focusing on the power of Conquest. How long could he sustain this madness of closing his eyes in front of an enemy?
He didn't care. Ingong focused, and focused again. He remembered the power he felt when he became a Draconian, and recalled the aura of Ainkel he had seen in the vision.
Ainkel, the Watcher.
The Elder Dragon who possessed the power of life. Her words. The power she had passed on to Ingong!
Ingong opened his eyes. Balkarova was rushing toward him. Ingong recklessly released the aura he had been gathering for Gigantic Piston, creating an explosion that momentarily halted Balkarova's charge. Then, he roared at the sky.
It was a similar principle to releasing his aura. No, to be honest, he didn't even know if he'd done it correctly. The Draconian's roar echoed through the sky, and Balkarova appeared before Ingong again. It let out a sinister laugh and raised its black sword high.
And then, at that very moment.
A terrifying roar came from the distance. Something rushed forward, tearing through the atmosphere with blades of wind. It was pure white, and it glowed with a green light.
No one could help but turn. Not just Balkarova, but everyone on the battlefield looked in the direction of the sound. And it outpaced the wind. Drawing a white and green arc through the air, it shot past the geists attacking Felicia. Red blood splattered in the air, and the geists, their necks or wings torn, fell to the ground with shrieks.
It drew another beautiful arc. It cut between Ingong and Balkarova, and the undead, startled by the immense life force, unknowingly took a large step back.
The thing that had settled before Ingong.
It was a shield. The armament of Ainkel, the Watcher, with pieces of white metal fanned out like wings, emitting a green light from between the plates!
'Master!'
Green Wind's voice came through clearly. It was coming from the White Eagle. And finally, Ingong understood the whole situation.
Right after the battle began, Green Wind had left Ingong's side. She had gone straight to the tomb where the White Eagle was buried and imbued herself within it.
It was a reckless, desperate act. There was a significant chance she would have run out of power before even reaching the White Eagle.
But she took the risk and reached it. By having Ingong unleash Ainkel's power, she not only woke the White Eagle from its long slumber but also succeeded in making it recognize its new master.
"Green Wind!"
'You can praise me later! But you have to praise me a lot! A lot!'
Ingong laughed heartily. He could feel Ainkel's life force pushing back against Balkarova's miasma.
A natural enemy.
Ingong thought he knew how to fight Balkarova now. So, without further delay, he reached out his hand toward the White Eagle.
The White Eagle, imbued with Green Wind, flew to Ingong's left arm on its own. A gauntlet made of white metal pieces fitted itself onto his arm, and atop it, the White Eagle—resembling a long, vertical kite shield—settled into place.
There was no need to wait for the voice of the white-haired woman with the golden crown. Ingong clenched his left fist and activated the power of Conquest.
Earthquaker and the White Eagle.
A formidable power emanated from the armaments of the two Elder Dragons.