Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Killing Intent Approaches
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Killing intent came surging in.
The aura emanating from roughly thirty thousand Ancient Orcs pressed down with overwhelming pressure.
The first to meet it head-on were three hundred knights.
"The vanguard is ours."
Just three hundred.
A mere one percent of the Ancient Orc horde.
But there was no trace of fear on Ludein's face as he led them.
It was filled only with the resolve to hold the line no matter what and burning battle spirit.
"Draw your swords."
As the green wave began to surge forward, Ludein quietly gave the order.
Shring—
His knights drew their blades with hardened expressions.
Like Ludein, they showed no fear.
'It's a shame we don't have warhorses.'
The true prowess of knights shone when mounted, charging through enemy lines.
This time, tasked only with supporting the heroes' subjugation, they had left their horses behind.
Ludein felt a twinge of regret.
But without warhorses, it didn't mean the knights couldn't fight.
"There is only one thing for us to do."
Ludein's calm voice cut through the Ancient Orcs' roars.
"Kill as many of the enemy as we can."
Blue aura rose up.
The three hundred knights simultaneously drew on their mana, pushing back against the enemy's killing intent.
Ludein looked at his men and smiled.
"For His Imperial Majesty!"
"For His Imperial Majesty!"
With their resounding cries, the knights charged.
At the end of that path stood an endless wall of Ancient Orcs.
* * *
"Brave souls."
Goo Dong-hwan watched the knights' backs and let out an admiring sigh.
"Whoa, it's like watching a movie."
"Aren't we supposed to help? We can't just stand here!"
The other heroes, witnessing the knights' reckless charge, began to ignite with battle fervor.
But Lee Ji-ah, who should have been the most excited, wore a slightly grave expression.
"What's wrong? Scared?"
Goo Dong-hwan asked her.
"No, not that... I was just thinking."
"Thinking? About what?"
"Whose voice was that just now."
Goo Dong-hwan's face grew serious at her response.
"You're right..."
The situation had escalated so quickly that, in preparing for battle, they hadn't thought deeply about it.
But it wasn't something they could just brush off.
'It was an immense demonic energy.'
The distance must have blunted its unique influence, as it hadn't reached this far.
Otherwise, the knights couldn't have moved like that.
Even so, Goo Dong-hwan and the other A-rank heroes had felt it clearly.
The unidentified voice and the accompanying demonic energy were unimaginably powerful.
"It might even be stronger than that vampire apostle we saw at the academy."
Feeling the demonic energy, Lee Ji-ah thought of Reina.
Along with the shock from that encounter.
Because of it, she was on high alert.
If it was on par with Reina, or worse?
The Ancient Orcs alone were tough enough, but blocking a powerhouse like that with just them?
'No way Uncle could handle it either.'
That day, Seo Woo-jin hadn't defeated Reina.
He'd pressed her momentarily with 'Celestial Wing,' but in the end, it was the Sword Sage and Yorn who drove her off.
Of course, Seo Woo-jin was much stronger now, but maybe because that memory lingered so vividly?
Fear flickered in Lee Ji-ah's eyes.
"Don't worry. You think we'd die here?"
Goo Dong-hwan ruffled her hair with his pot-lid-sized hand.
"Just hold on a bit longer. Su-ji will bring that uncle you like soon. Don't tell me you don't trust Seo Woo-jin?"
"No? I do! Totally!"
Lee Ji-ah's eyes went wide as she shot back.
"If Uncle shows up, those punks are all one-shots! Right, Da-hye?"
She turned to her friend Kim Da-hye, who had just returned to base camp, seeking agreement.
"Yeah."
Fortunately, Kim Da-hye nodded in agreement.
"See? Da-hye trusts him too."
She huffed through her nose and cracked her knuckles.
Crack, crack!
A menacing sound echoed.
"So we just gotta hold out till Uncle gets here."
Goo Dong-hwan felt a pang of pity at her forced nonchalance.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Once Seo Woo-jin arrives, Ancient Orcs or apostles—they're all one-shots."
As Goo Dong-hwan reassured her, Lee Ji-ah nodded vigorously.
"Got it!"
Adjusting her gauntlets, she steeled her resolve and glared at the Ancient Orcs.
"Alright, let's move! Before those knight uncles get wiped out!"
With that shout, she grabbed Kim Da-hye's hand and dashed forward.
"U, whoooooa!"
"Kill 'em all!"
"EXP! That's all EXP!"
Seeing her, the heroes roared and followed.
Those who had been waiting for someone to take the lead now charged after her almost reflexively.
Goo Dong-hwan chuckled at the sight and stepped forward.
But his expression soon hardened.
He'd succeeded in reassuring the simple-minded Lee Ji-ah, but a major problem remained.
Time.
'He should be here by now...'
It had been quite a while since Su-ji left to fetch Seo Woo-jin.
His other teammates had arrived just moments ago.
'And she said she didn't see Su-ji.'
Even Seo Woo-jin had looked grim and headed somewhere else instead.
'Something must have happened.'
An apostle appearing amid the Ancient Orc horde was bad enough, but now their strongest heroes were absent.
No wonder he was worried.
"Hoo—"
Goo Dong-hwan sighed and wiped his face.
"Not the time to worry."
Seo Woo-jin and Su-ji would be fine.
Just a minor delay from some hiccup.
That's what Goo Dong-hwan decided.
For now, focus on holding off the Ancient Orcs in front of them.
"Transform."
Fwoooooosh—!
A yellow dress and oversized magical hammer wand appeared.
Feeling his surging mana, he kicked off the ground.
Boom—!
The massive musclebound figure soared into the sky.
"Here comes the Magical Girl!"
Well, not exactly a girl anymore, but no one nitpicked that now.
Just...
"Ooh, Magic Hellhammer!"
"Nah, Physical Hellhammer!"
"Hammer's away!"
The heroes cheered as he crossed the sky to take point.
Despite his utterly perverted appearance, Goo Dong-hwan was one of their top powerhouses.
"UHAHAHA! Taste my magic!"
He hurled the hammer.
It had nothing to do with magic, but the effect was undeniable.
KABOOOOOM—!!
Passing the lead knights, the hammer smashed into the enemy front lines.
Raaaaagh—!
In one blow, over a hundred Ancient Orcs were pulverized into paste.
That signaled the true start of the battle.
Ranged heroes unleashed their skills in unison.
Skills of world-shattering might rained down.
Fire and ice, light and darkness poured onto the Ancient Orcs.
Swoooooosh—!
Arrows thicker than an adult man's arm pierced through dozens.
Dozens of spirits took flight, unleashing natural disasters.
Tiny darts smaller than fingernails rained down like arrows.
Each one a lethal strike.
Even before the frontal clash, the Ancient Orcs died helplessly.
But...
Compared to their numbers, the dead were a tiny fraction.
Stepping over their corpses, twice, thrice as many surged forward.
'This won't be easy.'
The apostle hadn't even properly joined yet.
Goo Dong-hwan had a bad feeling this day would drag on forever.
* * *
'Trouble.'
Seo Woo-jin, carrying Su-ji on his back, stopped mid-flight with a troubled look.
"Mmm..."
She had lost consciousness.
Her injuries were worse than thought; even the slightest jolt during movement was too much.
Of course, if that were all, Seo Woo-jin would have hurried even more.
Unconscious, she wouldn't feel the pain.
But instead of speeding up, he chose to stop.
'Keep going like this, and she'll die.'
Because her attacker was an apostle?
Su-ji's internal injuries far outweighed the external ones.
The apostle's demonic energy had eroded her from within, rotting her core.
Any tiny shock left her vulnerable.
"Haa—"
He sighed involuntarily.
Rush, and it burdens her body; go slow, and bleeding becomes an issue.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"This is bad."
To top it off, careful movement meant the 'Celestial Wing' buff expired before arrival.
'Ugh.'
Agonizing pain surged.
He'd reached superhuman heights and minimized output, so not quite dying like before...
"But I can't keep moving like this."
Endure his own pain while minding her?
His hands were already shaking; giving her zero shock was near impossible.
'What to do?'
Seo Woo-jin racked his brain.
No more delays.
The distant killing intent meant battle had begun.
Ardethos had mentioned another apostle there.
Delay too long, and not just Su-ji—other heroes were at risk.
Maybe no one survives.
"Gotta get there first."
But no way.
He couldn't leave Su-ji here.
Chewing his lip in thought, Seo Woo-jin steeled himself.
"No choice, huh?"
One method solved everything.
A last-resort option.
"Demon King Transformation."
Fwoooooooosh—!
Vast chaos energy swirled, altering Seo Woo-jin's form.
A truly overwhelming figure that suited the 'Demon King' class perfectly.
Huuuu—
He exhaled breath laced with chaos.
The surrounding air trembled in fear from that alone.
"Just to the vicinity."
Hide his body, drop Su-ji at base camp, then release and join the fight.
"No one should notice."
Heroes and knights would be battle-focused.
No one to spot him transformed.
Seo Woo-jin savored the omnipotence filling him and took off.
Speed incomparable to 'Celestial Wing.'
Even then, no shock reached Su-ji.
Fast and silent.
Thus, he headed to the battlefield.
But...
As always, the world didn't bend to one's will.