Chapter 235
Chapter: 235
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 235
>Chapter Title: Defense Battle (8)
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>Among the items from the Hyperspatial Realm whose uses were known even in the Primary Realm, most operated according to simple algorithms.
For example, consider the "Ice Heart."
Without Spirit Eyes, one couldn't even see the options for this complex item. How could people in the Primary Realm possibly guess its purpose?
In that sense, the "magical items" piled up in the imperial palace reports also had straightforward mechanisms.
Items that could be used with just a bit of intent. In other words, items that operated solely on "wishes."
The night before.
While exploring the Hyperspatial Realm items he possessed with his Spirit Eyes, Seongjin naturally examined the gifts from his siblings in detail as well.
[Luminous Stone: A stone that emits as much light as the user desires]
[Heating Stone: A stone that generates as much heat as the user desires]
An extremely simple operating principle: it simply produces as much as desired.
That was why people without Spirit Eyes had been able to use them freely until now.
So, what was the range of "as much as the user desires"?
There were no separate temperature-setting scrolls, so it was necessary to clearly understand the limits.
Thus, Seongjin first tested with the stone Sisley had given him. He pictured the lowest and highest temperatures he could imagine in his mind.
In the case of the Heating Stone, it didn't get colder than room temperature. Well, if it could lower the temperature, it wouldn't be a Heating Stone.
'Then what about high heat?'
When he tried, a pool of lava instantly formed around the Heating Stone placed on the ground. Even Seongjin, who had inwardly suspected as much, was astonished.
'...No limits at all?'
The Luminous Stone he tested next was the same. He stopped midway out of fear it might emit radiation beyond ultraviolet.
'Items from the Hyperspatial Realm only need [conditions] to operate.'
Seongjin thought as he clenched the stone in his hand.
In any case, since it worked, pondering the energy source or operating principle was pointless now.
Meanwhile, Lord Byeon Gyeongbaek's group was busily discussing the upcoming battle.
"Does Sir Ilma think so as well?"
"Yes, my lord. Until now, it felt like they were gauging our forces before committing fully. But the next clash will be different, won't it?"
"They target the night for the advantage. A simple idea, hardly a strategy, yet all the more clear for it. Hard to believe they're dealing with mindless beasts."
"They've already shown cunning by using Glacier Trolls to breach the ice walls. And through two engagements, we've confirmed how perfectly coordinated they are."
Hendrick Sigismund then rubbed his temples with a weary face.
"Yes, indeed. It's probably due to the Lycanslope Lord we observed earlier."
The Lycanslope Lord they referred to was likely Baz, who had died by Seongjin's hand.
But Seongjin saw no need to mention it.
With Bersius Daiano present anyway, he assumed another familiar had taken the Lord's role.
"They're on higher ground relative to us in this basin. Plus physical and numerical superiority. They won't wait past today to assault our hastily built camp."
Shadows of gloom fell over the faces at Sir Sebastian's words.
A head-on clash right before the territory. No room for tricks.
The only hoped-for reinforcements were Lilyum's detachment, which would be fortunate if they had even departed the capital by now.
"To think we'd lose these ice walls so pointlessly!"
Old man Vincent lamented in a mournful voice.
As the one who had completed the three ice walls, he must have found the situation hard to accept.
"If there's any variable here, it would be if they have another strategy valuable enough to forgo the night's advantage. Glacier Trolls might appear again from somewhere. Or..."
In the quiet tent, only Sir Sebastian's low voice flowed calmly, carrying an ominous echo.
"Another Demon Contractor, or even a demon itself, might intervene."
No sooner had he spoken than everyone's eyes turned simultaneously to one corner of the tent.
Following their gazes, Seongjin understood why Sir Ilma had given such an awkward answer to his earlier question.
There lay a severed human head. Discolored black and distorted, a gruesome head impossible to recognize.
'...Corrosion!'
The one hiding on the cliff was a Demon Contractor.
"We ultimately failed to capture him alive."
Perhaps Seongjin's words sounded like blame, as old man Vincent snapped irritably.
"This isn't my fault! When we caught up, he was already half-corroded and dying! Do you know how much I struggled just to sever and bring back the head of that mage-polluted corpse?"
"......"
"Are you listening? How far did I have to chase that bastard just to capture him as you ordered...!"
The old man's aggrieved protests poured out. But Seongjin let it flow in one ear and out the other, focusing on the Demon King's explanation in his mind.
[He was probably corroded alive gradually. Likely because he was a Demon Contractor who used Spirit Eyes for too long.]
'Because of Spirit Eyes?'
[Ordinary people are different from you, Yi Seongjin. Directly borrowing a demon's senses means equal exposure to vicious demonic energy. Even you couldn't endure without the Flame Crystal's help, right? No ordinary person could.]
He was likely already half-dead, with the demon descending to control the body directly.
'No wonder he evaded the Decaron Knight for so long...'
Only then did a nagging doubt in Seongjin's mind resolve.
Why the Glacier Trolls that destroyed the ice walls hadn't followed here.
'So the remaining one is probably dead from corrosion by now too.'
[Likely, unless it truly was a demon. Once fully descended, demonic energy makes it impossible to distinguish demon from Contractor.]
I see.
Seongjin nodded and turned to the fuming old man.
"By chance, did that guy have an 'Ice Heart,' old timer?"
"...Ice Heart?"
When Seongjin silently pulled out his own, the old man's expression turned bewildered.
"Oh, that ice. Come to think of it, he did have some ice chunk like that."
"Did you bring it?"
"...Was I supposed to?"
I thought it was his last desperate attack. Figured he was gripping the ice to throw it. Is that the issue now?
Seongjin rubbed his forehead, ignoring the uneasy old man nodding vigorously.
Right. He wouldn't have known what it was. Chasing a corroding foe would have been shocking enough.
He understood. He did... but...
"Why is it that nothing entrusted to this old man ever gets done right?"
At Seongjin's mutter, the Decaron Knight wore a deeply hurt expression.
"H-how dare you say such rude words to this body...!"
Cough.
The shocked old man staggered, but Seongjin had no time for it. Something else had been bothering him.
Pushing a possibly dying corroded foe alone near the enemy camp? Without recovering the Ice Heart?
'Do they still have plenty of these Ice Hearts and Demon Contractors to handle them?'
Moreover, the one who raided the canyon fortress hadn't returned.
If that one was still alive and decided to join the assault instead of abandoning the fortress...
"...Damn it."
Whether fast or slow, Glacier Trolls would likely swarm here.
That was precisely the worst case Sir Sebastian had hypothesized.
* * *
Awooooo—
At midnight that day, the Lycanslopes' assault began with a long, drawn-out howl.
Grrrrr, yap yap!
Kwaaaak!
Under the Lord's strong control, perhaps their pent-up aggression from days of restraint was fully unleashed. Their bloodshot eyes glowed crimson as they madly charged the camp.
Even the Wolf Knights, seasoned from years of fighting them, felt chills at the ferocious momentum.
"Gods above..."
One soldier murmured shakily, tracing the holy sign.
They now stood before the hastily built palisade, gripping long spears, awaiting the beasts' arrival.
To maximize early damage against foes as swift as horses. It would inevitably turn into a brutal melee anyway.
Gulp.
They, facing the unstable front line's tension head-on, knew better how disadvantageous this fight was. Thus, they couldn't comprehend that sight even more.
"...How can he stay so calm?"
Right. How could he remain so composed?
The soldiers stole incredulous glances at the boy standing before them.
The young prince at the center of the front line, glaring silently at the Lycanslopes.
"You must retreat without delay, Your Highness."
"I know, Sir Masain."
Seongjin now stood alone on horseback at the forefront of the formation.
Not to charge ahead, but to swiftly fall back upon contact. Only after repeatedly assuring them he would flee did Masain and the others reluctantly agree.
"I'm not sure it will go exactly as Your Highness says."
Sir Ilma, drawing his sword beside him, urged anxiously.
"Before the second rank's spears embed fully, you must move your horse no matter what."
"Don't worry, Sir Ilma. Just remind the soldiers once more not to forget my words."
Even as he spoke, the Lycanslopes closed in rapidly.
Having descended the slope in one dash, they soon entered the archers' range.
"Fire!"
At Sir Sebastian's shout, the rear archers loosed their bowstrings in unison.
Pew pew pew pew!
Kyeng!
Grrk!
The hit Lycanslopes staggered briefly. Yet even under the barrage of aura-infused arrows, their momentum didn't waver.
Their regeneration was too strong; unless a limb was fully severed, the damage wasn't significant.
Puk!
Exceptions existed. Sir Sebastian, piercing a Lycanslope's heart in one shot with a powerfully aura-charged arrow, raised his bow high to rally the archers.
"Fire! Keep firing! Don't spare arrows until they reach the palisade!"
Whirr, whoosh. Whoosh.
Amid the arrow storm, the lead Lycanslope closed to mere meters.
Thud thud thud thud.
The ground trembled fiercely, shaking the palisade faintly.
"Everyone prepare! Your Highness! Retreat at once!"
As Sir Ilma raised his hand, Seongjin tugged the reins, backing up slowly.
Masain blocked his path, aiming his sword Misra forward.
And with Sir Ilma's shout.
"First rank!"
Puk! Puk! Puk!
Lycanslopes impaled themselves headlong on the spears rising from the palisade.
Kyeng! Kekyeng! Keuong!
More surged behind, spraying blood from their skewered comrades.
The heavy weight of the charging beasts pushed the spear-wielding soldiers back helplessly.
"Second rank!"
Sir Ilma's order followed.
Lycanslopes leaping over the first rank were pierced by newly raised spears from the rear, thrashing violently.
"Sir Masain!"
That was when Seongjin signaled and turned his horse.
Confirming the prince's retreat, Masain nodded and bellowed.
"Everyone, close your eyes!"
Rrrring.
As the senior knight's aura-charged voice swept the battlefield, the Luminous Stone left Seongjin's hand and rose high into the air.
"Shine!"
Flash!
A white blaze swept across the night sky.
The light piercing tightly shut eyelids was so intense Seongjin briefly wondered if he'd misadjusted and emitted radiation.
Kyeng! Kekyeng! Kyeng!
Night vision-activated Lycanslopes screamed in agony, rolling on the ground. The first halt to their charge.
Of course, allied casualties weren't zero.
"Kwaaaah! What is this?! My eyeees!"
The Decaron Knight's aura-amplified scream made ears ring.
Seongjin clicked his tongue softly while riding back. Having maximally enhanced his vision with aura, the old man had taken heavy damage.
'No, that's why I said close your eyes, you useless nuisance!'
How could the one who should lead the charge be rolling with the Lycanslopes!
"Now! Everyone, attack!"
Fortunately, Sir Ilma, who had faithfully followed Seongjin's advice, raised his sword and shouted. The Wolf Knights drew blades and charged the momentarily blinded beasts.
Slash!
Aura-sheathed sharp swords mercilessly severed the necks of rolling foes.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Next to appear on the front were the four ice golems Seongjin had prepositioned on the slope.
Their short cloaks fluttering as they advanced slowly, they looked utterly majestic, like giants from legend.
The clear emblem of the Main God etched on their chests left no doubt: an army forged by divine miracle.
"Gods above..."
Awed soldiers unconsciously traced holy signs, murmuring.
[Mode Setting: *Auto* / Manual]
With no need for fine control, Seongjin had switched them to auto mode beforehand. Of course, it took persuading the Demon King for a bit of Spirit Eye access.
The Demon King relented only after Seongjin repeatedly promised not to rush the front.
'These guys and that one, all desperate to keep me back!'
Seongjin grumbled inwardly while galloping rearward, still clutching the Ice Heart in one hand.
The golems now needed no precise commands. Just strong intent designating targets.
'Go! All Lycanslopes straight ahead—they're all our enemies!'
At Seongjin's command—
Uwooo—
Uuuu—
The massive ice monsters bellowed deeply and charged the Lycanslopes en masse.