Chapter 214: Connection
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 214: Connection
[He was competent.]
[Lee Wanyong, you mean?]
[Yes. So much so that I’m tempted to keep him in the city a little longer.]
At Jang Ye Ri’s words, I let out a slight smile and sent another message.
[He’s certainly competent.]
[He seems to want to return to the settlement as soon as possible, asking every chance he gets, but I’m holding onto him since there’s still work to be done. It wouldn’t be a problem to keep him for a few more weeks, would it?]
That was unexpected. I thought the guy would want to return to the settlement as late as possible, so I was both surprised and a little proud that he was asking to be sent back quickly. Jang Ye Ri coveting him was also a bit of a surprise, but I had no intention of giving him up.
[I’d like you to send him back as soon as you can.]
Unlike the great city of Garia, which could still function, we were having a real headache over here with Lee Wanyong’s prolonged absence. It was a good thing he’d finished a mountain of work right before leaving for the East. If he hadn’t, I was certain Hakajin would have collapsed from exhaustion by now.
Hakajin’s face was already gaunt before I left the settlement; he was probably the one feeling Lee Wanyong’s absence more than anyone.
[Are you on your way?]
Jang Ye Ri changed the subject, perhaps not wanting to give Lee Wanyong back, but I wasn’t about to fall for it.
[I’m nearby. I’d appreciate it if you sent Lee Wanyong back as soon as possible.]
[Tsk. Fine.]
Jang Ye Ri gave a short reply. In my line of sight were Jang Ye Ri and the elites of the eastern metropolis, Garia. They were waiting for the summoners from the South and the Spider Clan to arrive.
[Hmm… so you’re over there.]
Jang Ye Ri muttered, turning her head as if startled. She was looking directly at our location, but the important thing was that she hadn’t noticed us at first. We were some distance away, but she was a little surprised that she couldn’t sense the presence of not just me, but all of my commanders. The concealment skills of my clan members, who were naturally specialized in hiding their presence, had truly shone. If Jang Ye Ri couldn’t sense us, I figured the Spider Clan wouldn’t be able to either.
Since there was still some time left, I started sending messages to Jang Ye Ri again. I was curious about the outcome of the alliance she said she’d formed with the North a few days ago.
[How did the alliance go?]
[We reached an agreement on good terms. It was thanks to Lee Wanyong. Though there was a rather absurd condition attached… but it has nothing to do with you.]
Naturally, I was curious about the condition. I was about to send another message when she spoke.
[They’re coming.]
Jang Ye Ri said curtly. Focusing as much mana as I could into my eyes, I could indeed see the humans from the South approaching on horseback. The King of the South was not among them. They were decent summoners, but none were skilled enough to take on Jang Ye Ri, so I smiled.
[It’s been a while. Is the King of the South doing well?]
It seemed she was speaking with her communication ring still active, perhaps to relay the situation to me indirectly.
[I am doing well. Same as always. I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for this matter.]
[I don’t need any gifts… but I’ll accept it as a show of good faith. Be sure to pass my thanks to the King of the South.]
[When are they arriving?]
[I see. Let’s have some tea.]
I could hear various bits of casual conversation. As expected, Jang Ye Ri was looking down on the southern summoners with an almost arrogant air. While I found that side of her charming, I was a little worried she might show the same attitude to those of equal standing.
I glanced back slightly and saw Gark, Hark, and the other commanders watching me without even breathing. They were waiting for my signal. I slowly gestured to Alisha. It was the signal to prepare her spell. At my sign, Mev also began to slowly draw her bowstring. You never knew what might happen, so it was best to be ready.
[This is boring…]
[I meant that the waiting is boring. You need not pay it any mind.]
It was at that moment, as Jang Ye Ri sat on a simple chair and spoke to the southern commander, that it happened.
I watched as a space to one side slowly began to distort.
‘They’re here.’
Gark began to hide himself. Activating his unique ability, he slowly started to move.
A total of six people emerged. I’d heard a rough summary of their abilities from that explosion mage, but the most important one was the woman who appeared last.
‘The Master of the Spider Clan.’
As long as I got my hands on that woman, the rest didn’t really matter. In other words, they could all die for all I cared. As I swallowed hard, Jang Ye Ri’s voice continued to echo.
[Hmm… so these are the ones.]
[They said it was difficult to make contact, and it seems they were right. I didn’t realize it would be this hard to get a look at your faces. Let me introduce myself first. I am Jang Ye Ri, the Queen of the East.]
With the Spider Clan’s appearance, the atmosphere in their camp definitely grew heavier.
[Of course. I called you here because I have a request to make. By the way, your Clan Master is quite tight-lipped.]
[…………………]
Indeed, a man with glasses was speaking with Jang Ye Ri on behalf of the Spider Clan’s Master. It seemed the master herself didn’t participate in negotiations.
Park Han Cheol and the Greenbelt clan members looked noticeably tense, a stark contrast to Jang Ye Ri’s completely composed demeanor. Watching her from afar, I too thought she was quite remarkable.
Once the battle began, Jang Ye Ri would be in the middle of the enemy formation. The fact that she could leisurely sip tea there was proof of how confident she was in her own abilities. The reason a veteran like Park Han Cheol was tense was likely because he was worried for Jang Ye Ri’s safety should any variables arise.
[The details of the request… it might be a little difficult. Of course, the payment will be more than generous. Or you can tell me what you want directly.]
It seemed they had moved on to discussing the request. I signaled to Orbo of the Shield and Alisha. The moment they nodded, Jang Ye Ri’s voice came through once more.
[The request is… yes… I suppose ‘taking out the trash’ would be the most fitting description.]
In an instant, I felt an explosion of mana. The head of the man with glasses, who had been standing closest, was sent flying. Jang Ye Ri had summoned the Reaper’s Scythe.
“…………………….!”
“………………………!”
The enemy camp erupted into chaos. I immediately ran toward Orbo of the Shield. Orbo raised his shield, and in the blink of an eye, he shoved me toward Jang Ye Ri. Everything happened in an instant.
I heard the roar of exploding mana as my body shot forward like a cannonball.
I could feel Alisha casting magic on me as well. It seemed she’d sent a few buffs my way in addition to her mental magic. Massive roots erupted from the enemy camp, beginning to block their escape routes.
My body shot forward even faster than when riding Abar. The wind felt like it was tearing at my skin, but of course, I didn’t close my eyes.
“Jang Ye Ri, you bitch!”
The head of the southern commander who had just opened his mouth went flying. It was Gark, who had been even closer than me.
The Spider Clan, sensing that something had gone wrong, drew their weapons, but they were already surrounded by Park Han Cheol and the Greenbelt clan members. The Greenbelt members might not be much, but Park Han Cheol was someone even they would struggle to handle. As a well-balanced warrior, this was even more true when he had the support of a party. In other words, he was a warrior who showed his true strength when all the pieces were in place.
Jang Ye Ri’s target was the Spider Clan’s Master. The sound of space tearing apart was followed by an invisible slash, but the only heads that flew were those of the southern vermin.
I gripped Levatain and charged, unleashing flames with all my might, and saw several people look at me in shock. But there was no time to delay.
“A demon…”
“The demon of blood and flames… Why?”
Mev’s arrow buried itself in one of their foreheads.
‘Fatal Shot.’
I didn’t slow down and continued to charge forward. Jang Ye Ri was keeping them in check, but I thought the Spider Clan’s Master might still try to escape. She was a spatial-teleportation user. There was a penalty of a slight delay, but once her spell was complete, she could escape in an instant.
I cut down anything that blocked my path. I would not waste a single second. Dozens of bodies were split in half. There wasn’t a single scratch on me. Before the blood and guts could even burst out and scatter into the air, my body was already surging forward.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
“Uwaaaaaaaargh!”
The screams were as delightful as ever. I twisted my body halfway to dodge an incoming sword, then immediately lopped off the owner’s head and channeled mana into my feet once more.
KRRRRR-CRACK!
I sliced through an outstretched spear, shaft and all. I dodged arrows by turning my head and swallowed magic with my flames. I raised Dainsleif and activated its ability.
[Dainsleif - Activating the item effect of the legacy of the magic sword Dain.]
There was plenty of material. In an instant, the blood of the southern forces scattered into the air, and using Dainsleif, I took off their heads once more.
The one who withstood the attack and blocked my path was a nameless man from the Spider Clan. It would take time to deal with him. I immediately veered to the side. I decided it was better to avoid him than to cut him down. The target was their master, and only her.
The man, surprisingly agile for his size, was more persistent than I expected. It seemed Park Han Cheol alone wasn’t enough to hold back the entire Spider Clan. I didn’t see any casualties yet, but seeing them tied up fighting the southern forces, it looked like they were preparing to flee.
They were gathering around their Clan Master.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
Amidst it all, the screams continued. Just as I thought I’d been delayed for a moment…
“For Blood Dagger!”
‘Hark.’
He was blocking the big man’s sword with his twin blades.
“Don’t lose.”
In that opening, I slipped past the man’s range. Jung Hayeon’s roots continued to diligently swallow up any humans obstructing the most optimal path for me to advance. Mev’s arrows did the same.
I pushed mana into my legs once more, and my body shot forward again. What I saw was Jang Ye Ri and the Spider Clan’s Master. From the look on her face, she hadn’t expected me to show up as well.
“Too late.”
Jang Ye Ri muttered and reached her hand toward the woman.
A large, black beast tried to swallow the spider, but she easily dodged it. I had no way of knowing what power she was using, but I assumed she was a magician. I could see her hand, which had been continuously casting. Even so, she was dodging Jang Ye Ri’s slashes. Jang Ye Ri was likely holding back her power since her goal was just to buy time, but I still thought it was an incredible display of concentration.
Cornering her.
That was the most important thing. My flames and blood, Jang Ye Ri’s slashes and black beasts, all moved through the air, but the Spider Clan’s Master kept dodging by the slimmest of margins. The cloak she wore seemed to be a decent item, as the way she blocked the flames with it was quite impressive.
I kept moving without rest. The distance was closing. She was backing away while chanting a spell, but to be frank, I had the advantage in speed.
As I swung my sword, she stretched out her hand. The sword, unable to advance further, was blocked, and I let it go. The flames lost their power and died down as a result, but the distance was now close.
“You… from that time…”
There was no time to talk. I had no idea how much time was left on the magic Alisha had cast on me.
The Greatsword Too Large to be a Sword was also blocked by magic, and Dainsleif lost its direction. The more my attacks were blocked, the closer the distance became.
By the time I thrust Dainsleif, we were nose to nose.
I thrust the sword forward and saw her face as she dodged to the side.
“Got you.”
That last attack was meant to make her fall into my arms. I grabbed her hand, and in that instant, I felt my consciousness being sucked into hers.
WHOOOOOSH—