Chapter 226
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 226
Chapter Title: Northern Disaster (6)
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A hundred rangers had volunteered from among the refugees.
They were all advanced in years, yet their eyes burned with a fierce resolve.
The representative who stepped forward was a man who had retired from active duty as a ranger.
"Pleased to meet you. Name's Eostre."
"Likewise. I'm Jun of the White Whale Mercenary Corps. Thank you for volunteering."
"It's only natural. After all, you came all this way for strangers like us."
He explained that his grandson had been part of the refugee procession.
Stricken with frostbite and writhing in pain at the time, Eleanor had healed him.
"I swear, even if it costs me this life, I'll defend this place."
"Your will is admirable, but no one here is dying today."
"You plan to stop an army of ten thousand with just this handful of men unscathed?"
"Of course. I've already tripped them up. It'll buy us a few hours at most."
"Hah..."
[Grease]
And the mage before them wasn't lying.
Indeed, hours later than expected, the legion's army finally came into view.
"There they are. What's the plan?"
"Nothing fancy. They didn't choose this uphill path for no reason."
The legion marched steadily up the narrow canyon, not a breath of wind stirring the air.
And when they judged the enemy fully in sight...
Jun unleashed his magic.
Sometimes, halting an enemy's advance didn't require high-circle spells—just a simple 3rd-circle one.
That was exactly what had drawn Jun to magic.
The ability to create variables in impossible situations with the simplest methods.
And as Jun anticipated, the results delivered.
Kwang! Kwa-kwang-kwang!
"Uahaha!"
The one bursting into roaring laughter at the sight was none other than Eleanor.
Hundreds of legionaries climbing the slope slipped on the greased ground, tumbling into each other and crashing down below.
Not a few even plummeted off the cliffs.
It was downright comical.
"Now!"
"Got it!"
The rangers, never expecting to face foes tumbling so ridiculously, nocked their arrows.
Their strength had waned with age, but their form brimmed with hard-earned experience.
Shoo-shoo-shoo!
In an instant, a hundred arrows sliced through the air, raining down on the fallen legionaries below.
Unable to hold their shields steady, the enemies were pierced clean through, dissolving into mist.
"To think we could kill them so easily..."
The rangers looked stunned.
Before setting out on the evacuation, how desperate had it felt drawing their bows against these foes?
Their shields were impenetrable walls; even closing in was a challenge.
With few numbers, they could encircle and eliminate, but as the horde grew, even that became impossible.
Yet one mage's casual spell had utterly shifted the tide.
'Securing this position ahead was smart, but it wouldn't have been possible without him.'
As planned, the refugees should have been caught before reaching here.
Whatever method he'd used to stall them allowed this vantage.
"That buys us more time."
"You mean that spell won't hold them forever?"
"Their adaptation is a real pain."
"Adaptation?"
The ranger tilted his head in confusion. The answer came swiftly.
"Th-that!"
After several rounds of [Grease] halting their advance, a knight-class emerged from their ranks.
It was the Thousand-Man Commander Jun and Aiden had slain before.
Planting the flag on its back into the ground, it unleashed that same crimson mana.
"Boosted their footing."
Like wearing crampons on ice, their feet no longer slipped on the grease.
The same trick wouldn't work anymore.
"What in the world are those things?"
"An army."
With that, Jun turned to the rangers behind him.
"You've done more than enough. Head back now. To your families."
"What? The enemy's still swarming."
"You're out of arrows."
"Well..."
They hadn't brought many to begin with.
Even with dimensional bracelets, storage had limits.
"We'll handle it from here."
"How could you...?"
"We'll manage somehow. No time anyway. They'll split forces to flank the canyon ridges. If they encircle us, we can't save you."
Implying they'd only be baggage, the rangers relented.
"...We'll meet again alive."
"You bet."
Thus, the hundred rangers withdrew, leaving the four to face the narrow canyon path alone.
"Senior."
"Yeah, Aiden."
"You feel it?"
"Just did."
Jun sighed in annoyance.
A tremendous aura had been emanating from the legion side for a while.
Blatantly oppressive, as if testing their limits.
"Time to meet expectations, then."
Not yet time to borrow his comrades' strength.
Jun's circles spun fiercely, devouring ambient mana, which surged through his circuits and erupted outward.
[Devouring Flame: Primordial Flame]
"Let's see if you can block this like last time."
One change upon reaching 6th circle: inventing new spells.
5th circle was finding the foundation for growth.
From 6th, it was building upon it.
Developing signature techniques, introspection, exploring the image of one's ultimate self.
Fwoosh!
Jun's unique magic didn't infuse attributes into mana to cast spells.
It infused mana into existing attributes.
Seemingly just reversed order, but the results were profound.
"This... is magic."
Aiden's eyes sparkled.
Ever fresh, no matter how many times.
Look now: like true sorcery, fierce flames roared across the canyon field like a prairie fire.
The crimson army atop them resembled glowing embers.
"What spell is this...?"
Eleanor, watching beside him, gazed at Jun with a mix of awe and dread.
Deep in her recent magic studies, she knew how Jun diverged from traditional mages.
Infusing mana into attributes? No mage had conceived such.
"Hoo..."
Jun focused utterly on controlling the blaze.
'It's powerful, alright.'
Legionaries dissolved helplessly into mist amid flames erupting from the earth.
Like moths charging a fire pit—but only briefly.
Their mana enhancing footing began countering his spell, just as in the first refugee rescue with [Flame Rage] laced with [Devouring Flame].
But this was different.
That [Flame Rage] infused attributes into mana.
Couldn't fully unleash [Devouring Flame]'s essence.
Now, mana layered atop attributes.
Attributes wielded the mana.
[Devouring Flame]'s properties swelled massively, even consuming the crimson mana cloaking their bodies as fuel.
A principle befitting its name.
To quench it, they'd need force overwhelming Jun's poured mana.
The Thousand-Man Commander's flag couldn't manage.
And perhaps that blaze provoked the powerful aura beyond.
"Hahahahahaha!"
A flag-bearing figure like prior commanders appeared, bellowing wildly.
It strode the searing [Devouring Flame] earth as if home.
"Delightful! This is how the surface should be! Worth returning to my homeland!"
"...You?"
"I stand at the pinnacle of ten thousand elite! Thus granted by the sole noble one on this earth—the name, Rikedaemon! You who block our advance—what is yours?"
"Jun, leading the White Whale Mercenary Corps."
"You possess the qualities of an outstanding warrior!"
No retort about being a mage.
Ignoring it, he planted his massive flag.
Crimson mana surged unlike the prior, devouring the blaze and forcibly suppressing it.
"Ten-Thousand Commander, huh."
"Indeed! I had no intent to appear thus, yet each gathered here stirs my battle lust!"
His gaze lingered on Jun, then swept to his comrades.
"Heir to the great one's bloodline, vessel of that cursed outer god in frail flesh, and finally..."
It settled on Maya.
Since when?
Killing intent uncontrollably leaked from Maya.
"Even the child we missed that day. Inheriting her father's power, no less. Astonishing. I thought bloodline supreme, yet she transcends it, earning spirits' approval?"
From his words, Jun realized this was one of the culprits who destroyed the Jöking Clan.
"So it was you bastards. The invincible army, Eldark."
"...!!"
The shocked reaction came from Aiden.
As imperial kin, he couldn't not know the name.
"E-Eldark...? That's... the name for His Imperial Majesty's founding legion, isn't it?!"
"Yes. Phantoms slumbering in the Blackout."
"Hahaha! Correct! We are phantoms of the past. Even in death, we never forgot His grace, awaiting His call. And He raised us personally!"
"What does that even...?"
No time to explain here.
"Impossible... Figures from centuries ago, how...?"
"Surface descendants know not. None witnessed His end. They believe He ascended."
The Ten-Thousand Commander spoke reminiscingly.
Thumping his ornate armor, he declared:
"Such matters are irrelevant now. Time to unleash this burning battle thirst!"
"What do you want?"
"Combat! War! Struggle! All of it!"
"A duel?"
"Yes!"
"No reason for me to oblige."
Even now, Jun had ways to halt the army.
Refugees likely all descended the mountains by now.
He could trigger avalanches or landslides with grand magic.
Stopping ten thousand was feasible.
The foe knew it too.
"Don't be dull, brilliant strategist!"
"Then?"
"Duel me to the death! Blood-soaked, fury-boiling! Ignite a warrior's soul in battle! Win against me, and I swear to bind my army here."
"Got a conscience?"
This Ten-Thousand Commander outclassed Aiden's prior foes.
Level 7 at least, fully ripened.
No one here could handle him solo.
"It's fine. You're already one entity. Bound by the World Tree's power!"
"Hoh..."
So, take on the four as one, eh?
Tempting offer.
"That vow sincere?"
"Yes!"
"I accept the duel."
"Excellent! Splendid!"
His satisfied laughter filled the canyon.