Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Second Wave Deployment
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7:30 a.m.
Thirty minutes before the second wave war began.
The battlefield was already in an uproar.
“We’ve got six upper-grade knights on our side?”
“That’s right. I saw it with my own two eyes.”
“Huh... Should I be happy about this or worried? Isn’t it dangerous?”
“What does it matter? We just fight where they tell us to. I hope we survive and get a fat reward.”
Everyone was buzzing about the changed deployments from yesterday.
They chattered on, each fretting over their own safety.
And I, the one responsible for this situation...
“Ugh.”
...was far from at ease.
If any of them died, it would feel like it was my fault.
‘Being a commander isn’t easy. Having to feel this way every time...’
It was a pain most people couldn’t endure.
That’s why Elbert had saddled me with this task.
He was right—it truly was a punishment.
‘Don’t overthink it. In war, someone’s bound to die anyway.’
I comforted myself that way, steeling my resolve.
If I let every little thing get to me, it would only lead to greater losses.
Better to keep a clear head and focus on saving as many as possible.
Just then.
“What’s got you looking so glum? What’d you hear?”
Barundel, stretching beside me, asked.
He must have picked up on my troubled state of mind.
No reason to hide it from him, so I laid it all out honestly.
Of course.
“You arranged this deployment yourself? Wait, how the hell...”
Barundel was genuinely shocked.
No surprise—he couldn’t have imagined it.
That I’d get dragged before Elbert Tairan and end up handling something like this.
“He called it my punishment.”
“Ha, ha, ha. Punishment, huh... That knight’s a complete lunatic.”
“Tell me about it.”
Barundel chuckled in disbelief and lightly punched my shoulder.
“Still, don’t worry too much. Looks like a solid setup to me.”
“Solid?”
“Absolutely. With this arrangement, we’ll handle whatever comes out without a hitch.”
I couldn’t keep the surprise off my face.
It was like he knew exactly why I’d set it up this way.
And he did.
“Oh, right—I forgot to mention. I can sense demonic energy. Comes naturally after smashing so many demons.”
Barundel straightened up and pointed at the rifts one by one.
“That one’s got a [Succubus] coming out. That one’s a [Giant Venom Scorpion]. And right here in front, a [Demon Minotaur]. Right?”
“...”
It matched my predictions perfectly.
I pondered how to respond for a long moment before speaking.
“How long have you had that ability...?”
“About five years.”
Five years.
I knew what that power was.
The heroic trait [Demonic Qi Detection].
A growth-type trait that could rival the artifact [Demonic Qi Detector] in function, but far superior in performance.
The [Demonic Qi Detector] could locate potential rift sites, but not identify the demons inside.
[Demonic Qi Detection], however, could.
That’s why it was essential for scouts.
The key was how to acquire it.
Achieve 10,000 demon kills.
That was the unlock condition for [Demonic Qi Detection].
In other words, Barundel had slain 10,000 demons five years ago.
The growth condition for [Anatak’s Large Axe] was the same, so it was no small feat.
‘How many demons did this guy hunt?’
I was newly impressed by Barundel.
Even as a veteran hunter with a reputation, I hadn’t realized it was to this extent.
As I gazed at him in awe, Barundel spoke.
“...Don’t stare like that. I think this ability’s unstable.”
“Unstable?”
“Sometimes I can’t sense it at all. Like back at the Aldeon Magic Tower.”
“Ah.”
I got what he meant.
When the rift opened in Aldeon and Baal appeared.
He was talking about missing that.
‘Figures.’
Not exactly surprising.
A mere heroic-grade [Demonic Qi Detection] couldn’t possibly sense Baal’s energy.
That required fulfilling its second condition and evolving to legendary grade.
Which meant slaying a demon legion commander personally.
Even for Barundel, no easy task.
Though if he stuck with me, he’d get there eventually.
Anyway.
“Still impressive. Puts my mind at ease.”
Confirming my predictions through his trait lightened the load.
The odds of issues from the deployment were now minimal.
As I thought that.
“But how’d you know, Yoo Han? That’s what’s really bugging me...”
Barundel narrowed his eyes with a sly question.
Without [Demonic Qi Detection], how had I predicted the demons from the rifts?
I was mulling over my answer when he spoke again.
“Come to think of it, there’s a lot that’s fishy. You’re too skilled for your age and experience. Know way too much about demons. Oh, and you’re an expert on dungeons too, right?”
All my past actions had piled up, raising suspicions.
“Uh... well...”
Tough to explain.
Even I thought I seemed a bit off.
‘How do I dodge this?’
Right then.
Rumble! Crackle!
Rumble! Crackle!
Crimson lightning struck from both sides.
Time was up—the war had begun.
‘Perfect timing.’
I whipped around and bolted for the rift.
‘With the war starting, Barundel won’t press further.’
Sure enough, he gripped [Anatak’s Large Axe] tight and fell in right behind me.
His face had shifted to that of a grim, life-or-death warrior.
‘Good.’
This rift ahead was just me and Barundel teaming up.
I’d reassigned Thompson and Kayla to the [Succubus] rift.
A upper-grade demon like that would be tough for those two alone, but they wouldn’t get overwhelmed.
Priority now: Slay our upper-grade demon and rush to join them.
I mapped our path in my head, then looked up.
“There it is.”
A familiar silhouette emerging from the rift.
[Demon Minotaur].
The one that crippled my leg in our last fight.
And now, amplified by the ‘red moon.’
ROOOAR-!
Far stronger than before.
At least twice as much.
But.
“That ticklish magic from last time? Not anymore.”
I’d grown just as much.
Time to show it what real revenge looked like.
***
“Aura.”
Float.
As the war kicked off, Elbert Tairan levitated into the air.
Normally, he’d wait a bit longer to conserve his aura-heavy flight, but not today.
He was dying to know.
Would the war really unfold as that mage predicted?
The battlefield spread out below him.
And.
“Huh, no way...!”
Elbert Tairan saw it with his own eyes.
[Succubus], [Giant Venom Scorpion], and [Demon Minotaur] emerging from their respective rifts.
It was true. The mage had been right.
“...Impossible.”
Truth be told, he hadn’t even half-believed the mage.
Which was why the shock hit Elbert so hard now.
He’d commanded over a dozen wars himself.
Others called him capable and shrewd, but hundreds had died under his orders.
He’d always given his all, of course...
‘...If I’d known this?’
He could’ve commanded more perfectly.
Saved half those soldiers, maybe?
Regret shadowed Elbert.
But only briefly.
“...No. Better late than never.”
He snapped himself out of it.
He’d faced trials like this hundreds of times on his path to knight commander.
This wouldn’t break him.
“Whew.”
He steadied his breath, calming the turmoil.
Then turned his gaze.
To the mage who’d provided the intel.
His conflicted feelings shifted swiftly to astonishment.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
How had the mage known info even he didn’t?
Despite claiming zero command experience.
The mage said it came from research, but if it were that simple, someone would’ve told him when he first learned to command.
No one had, meaning no one knew.
After some deliberation, Elbert reached a conclusion.
“That bastard’s insane.”
Likely, unearthing this via records took insane effort.
He’d have scoured every book on the [Prophecy of the Red Moon] like a rat.
And not just once—repeated deep reads to spot the patterns.
Effort bordering on madness.
The kind a commander like him should emulate, though.
Anyway.
That madness implied something else.
“Interested in command, huh...”
The mage dreamed of being a commander.
No other reason for such dedication.
“Probably became a mage for that too.”
To command, you needed power first.
Knight commander or high mage.
Without that level, command was impossible—and it demanded grueling effort.
Just like Elbert in his youth.
He watched the mage silently for a moment, then nodded.
“Fine, mage. I’ll make you a commander.”
He couldn’t help with magic, but command? He could teach plenty.
Learning a commander’s essentials early would serve him well later.
Rare knowledge he wouldn’t share lightly—but this mage was worth it.
He’d always loved spotting talent.
Yoo Han cleared Elbert’s bar by miles.
“Brace yourself. I’ll pass it all on.”
For this one, he’d gladly impart everything he had.