Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Dryad Forest
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Dryad Forest.
The Dryads living there trembled in fear.
It was because of the unidentified beings that had infiltrated the forest in various places.
They lurked in the forest without revealing any form.
However, the Dryads, who were one with the forest, could sense it.
The horrific and malevolent aura emanating from them.
It was the aura of death.
A ruthless death that sought only to devour life.
The Dryad Forest remained eerily silent day after day.
Rustle—
A stranger visited the Dryad Forest.
He was a hunched old man.
On his back, he carried an enormously large load.
The old man dragged his feet as he slowly advanced through the forest.
Even with the old man's appearance, the forest remained silent.
For no vitality could be felt from him at all.
What would those who had seized the Dryads' territory desire from such an old man?
The old man pressed on through the forest for a long while.
At a glance, he seemed like a mere beggar.
But then, the old man abruptly halted his steps.
With that, the corners of his mouth slowly began to rise.
Whoosh—
A wind swept through the trees.
Those hidden in the forest depths began to sense something one by one.
This old man, devoid of any vitality, whom they had ignored.
The pulsations of life emanating from him gradually became perceptible.
Something was off.
Why had they overlooked this old man?
Such doubts flashed through their minds for an instant.
Whoosh—
The wind blew again.
The beings nestled in the trees slowly widened their eyes.
A giant that had been crouching in silence rose to its full height, reaching toward the sky.
A chill ran through them!
A domineering presence from the old man instantly enveloped the entire forest.
"To think apostles of the Evil Transcendent couldn't even detect a single old man."
Savior Lord.
The one granted immortality by the Good Transcendent to eradicate evil.
With his appearance, the forest erupted in turmoil.
Tremendous movements stirred from between the trees.
The Savior Lord untied the load on his back.
In that moment, a greatsword far larger than himself was revealed.
"Truly insidious beings, hiding in the shadows like vermin."
From the shaken forest, grotesque figures emerged all at once.
Knights appeared, each body as massive as a tree.
The ground they trampled blackened and scorched.
Their rotting flesh was filled with darkness, clad in armor blazing with black flames.
They were undead.
But not ordinary undead.
Far beyond the city walls.
Among the beasts of the land that dwell outside.
There are those called battle beasts.
Balakjan
Pitiful beings whose brains were crushed by the Prophet, leaving only their combat instincts. Balakjan desires only one thing: to die on the battlefield. After death in battle, Balakjan goes to a world of alcohol and endless fighting. There, they can feast on booze and meat to their heart's content and live a lifetime of battle. A world transcending death, unique to them. Balakjan fights ceaselessly to reach that realm. But they do not know. That it is a delusion implanted by the Prophet who tampered with their brains. Unaware until death, Balakjan pursues combat endlessly and perishes. And the world awaiting them at the end is even more horrific. The Prophet, the Crawling Ossuary. They awaken there, denied the world of alcohol and battle.
"I shall embrace you all."
The Dark Legion charged through the forest toward the Savior Lord.
Each one was a colossal giant nearly matching the girth of an ancient tree.
The weapons in their hands brimmed with dark power.
Swords, spears, and axes of the Dark Legion flew mercilessly at the Savior Lord.
Before them, the Savior Lord seemed utterly frail.
Until his muscles surpassed human limits, that is.
An overwhelming power erupted from the Savior Lord.
The greatsword larger than his body spun and surged upward in an instant.
Boom!
Finally, the Dark Legion's weapons clashed against the greatsword.
The tremendous impact tore surrounding trees and grass from their roots.
Through the shattered trees, the Dark Legion pressed forward relentlessly.
Recognizing this, the Savior Lord's lips curled even higher.
"Endless opponents, eh?"
With the sound of his bones cracking, his muscles swelled further.
"Couldn't ask for better."
He shook off the Dark Legion's weapons and lowered his stance.
Then, the Savior Lord leaped ferociously toward the Dark Legion.
It looked like throwing an egg at a rock.
But this egg was far tougher than imagined.
An egg that might even make the rock flinch.
Bang! Boom!
Explosions echoed continuously from deep within the forest.
But the explosions weren't limited to the interior.
Another situation unfolded on the outskirts.
The Shadow Warlord raced through the forest.
As soon as a Dark Legion knight appeared before him, he spread both arms wide.
Claws sprouted from both hands, slicing through the Dark Legion knight in an instant.
He left long gashes on the ground, swinging his arms ceaselessly.
In that moment, another Dark Legion knight appeared behind him.
Just before the Shadow Warlord could react.
Whoosh!
A rapier shot from the forest, blocking the Dark Legion knight.
The rapier's owner was Serin Night Guild Master, Aegis Gaibel.
Without pause, she engaged the Dark Legion knight.
"Sis!"
"These damn things!"
Serin Night guild members soon appeared at her side.
They swiftly coordinated and confronted the Dark Legion knights.
In another spot, a necromancer slammed his staff into the ground repeatedly.
"Heh heh hek! The Abyss Lord's procession! Make way, you fools!"
Hurban, leader of the Necromancer group Monkey Hand.
He spewed mad laughter while scattering curses.
His body sprouted pitch-black hairs that twisted into curse strands, unlike before.
Undead, Curse Monkey.
An undead perfectly suited to Hurban, born with curses from birth.
Hurban pounded the legendary equipment [Zannabi] into the ground.
Each strike unleashed waves of curses surging from the earth in masses.
The Dark Legion engulfed by the curse waves flailed helplessly.
Yet some among them broke through the waves.
The Dark Legion retained their lifetime combat experience even in death.
They knew how to fight curse sorcerers.
But their path was soon blocked by various undead.
Armies of undead made from bones and corpses.
Undead Bone Artisan, Undead Corpse General.
The two necromancers stood tall beside Hurban.
The Bone Artisan shed black tears from his sunken eye sockets.
"Ahh, to be of service to the Abyss Lord—nothing could bring me greater joy!"
The Corpse General poured power into the crystal orb in his hand and bellowed furiously.
"Corpses! I want those corpses! They're mine too!"
Necromancers are often deranged.
And these three were no exception.
The mad trio unleashed their unique passions against the Dark Legion.
Having become undead by the Abyss, they wielded their powers freely.
Throughout the Dryad Forest, necromancer battles erupted everywhere.
The undead necromancers rampaged like fish in water.
As if venting the frustrations suppressed their entire lives.
But the Dark Legion was no pushover.
Among them were exceptional individuals.
Some even pierced the necromancers' onslaughts to reach them.
A Dark Legion knight charged at one necromancer.
He swung his sword like a storm, aiming to impale the necromancer's head.
Just before the knight reached him.
Halt!
The knight froze mid-thrust into empty air.
Soon, thin threads connected to various parts of the knight's body.
Click—
A woman stepped through the gaps in the threads.
She elegantly unfurled her fan with a smile.
Her name was Moshna.
One of the five Flamehead women.
"Saoaz."
In that instant, saliva shot through beside her.
The spit embedded into the Dark Legion knight's side and neck.
Boom!
Followed by an explosion, the knight's head and side blew apart.
Explosive Spit.
Even headless and maimed, the Dark Legion knight twitched.
Moshna narrowed her eyes at the sight.
Dark Legion knights wouldn't die unless rendered completely inoperable.
Beings compelled to fight relentlessly by the Ossuary even in death.
That was the Dark Legion knight.
Moshna raised her fan overhead.
Screeech! Clang!
The threads tightened all at once, shredding the knight to pieces.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Moshna snapped her fan shut after the necromancer's greeting.
Hero-grade members had gathered in such numbers.
Yet disposing of Dark Legion knights was progressing sluggishly.
'And this feels like...'
It reeked of bait.
Moshna glanced downward with slight worry.
Had Rockroden and the Abyss managed to infiltrate during this distraction?
She couldn't know, but she hoped so.
For the fate of the world hung on them.
"Moshna, more coming!"
"They never end."
At Saoaz's shout, Moshna unfurled her fan again.
Right now, the surface team had to draw attention with all their might.
So she resolved to fulfill her duty to the best of her ability.
While the surface team battled fiercely.
Leyzon rode Pauli's siege fortress, descending at tremendous speed.
Leyzon's group was currently divided into three teams.
One was the surface team.
The other two were Leyzon and Flamehead team, and Rockroden team.
The Bloodless Sovereign was assigned to Rockroden's team.
She had confirmed certain facts through Nermakadia.
Namely, that a hatchling could prevent the Dark Prophecy.
When Nermakadia activated the Dark Prophecy or Revelation, the Bloodless Sovereign had clearly moved.
The reason the Bloodless Sovereign could move was the hatchling's will.
The hatchling was a remnant spawned by the Evil Dragon.
A being born by absorbing ample nutrients from the Transcendent's corpse.
As such, the hatchling possessed the power to counter the Dark Prophecy.
The Bloodless Sovereign confirmed this via Nermakadia.
Thus, a method to counter the Dark Prophecy using the hatchling was complete.
As for the opposing Leyzon group.
"D-Do I really need to come along like this?"
Narmyeok shouted beside Leyzon, her face pale with fear.
She couldn't understand why she was assigned to the underground infiltration team.
All other Serin Night members, even the Shadow Warlord and Savior Lord, were on the surface.
There was no reason for her to go below.
Hearing her question, Leyzon paused for a moment.
Narmyeok stared at him intently.
"Ahem, I told you. You need to put in some effort."
Leyzon cleared his throat and grinned.
Narmyeok's eyes welled up at his smile.
Beside her, Hanok Wilbria shook his head sympathetically.
He was the only one who truly understood her feelings.
"Leyzon!"
Then Pauli's voice rang out.
"We're entering!"
Leyzon drew his staff.
Narmyeok followed suit, gripping hers.
"Everyone, get ready."
Leyzon bared his teeth in a wide grin.
"It's war with the Ossuary."