Chapter 285
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 285
Chapter Title: Defense Battle
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Black mist filled their entire field of vision.
Countless gleaming eyes flickered within it.
And standing against those monsters was a mere few thousand troops.
The subjugation forces, now noticeably thinned out, swallowed hard.
"Fuck..."
"My body's been feeling like lead for a while now."
"Must be that damn curse."
"The Saintess's holy power was playing a bigger role than we thought..."
Their positions had completely reversed from the start of the subjugation battle.
Now, they were crushed under the curse blanketing all of Merdaine, while the undead had grown even stronger under the Lich's dark magic.
It was a battle where anyone could see they were at a disadvantage.
Once the temporary purification zone left by the Saintess expired, they could very well be swept away like leaves in the wind by the undead surging forward like a tidal wave.
Of course, if that were truly the case, the Saintess wouldn't have left them behind.
Rumble...
Even now, the formation was being reshaped.
A massive wall shot up into the sky, and a huge moat carved itself out before it.
Then, bubbling lava began to flow inside.
All of it was the work of a single mage... and the mages from the forces participating in the subjugation battle.
"Magic can do something this straightforward?"
"What the hell are you talking about? I've never seen anything like that in my life."
They had spent a long time purifying Merdaine and had encountered mages more often than expected.
But most of those mages couldn't wield magic as effortlessly as kneading dough.
"Look at those mages' shocked faces."
"Must be the power of the White Whale Mercenary Corps' captain."
"He handed something out to them earlier. Those little scraps of paper."
"Like enchant scrolls?"
"Probably works on the same principle. You can tell from how stunned the mages were."
"No wonder the Saintess didn't leave without us."
Meanwhile, the mages were having similar conversations.
"I've never seen anything like this, even in that godforsaken Mage Tower."
"It's not conventional magic, that's for sure. No way those idiots in the tower would welcome something like this."
"Damn it. Where the hell does he learn stuff like this?!"
"Probably made it himself."
"He created this on his own? Even with the Mage Tower's help, it'd take decades."
"If not, maybe some ancient forbidden art—but if that were the case, the tower wouldn't just sit idly by."
"True... Those bastards nitpick every flaw in human-made techniques, but they hunt down ancient forbidden arts with eyes wide open."
What Jun had given the mages were enchant books imbued with enchantment magic.
Convenient tools that activated spells automatically just by channeling mana.
But the endlessly complex interwoven magic patterns hidden within that convenience left the watching mages pale-faced.
They were nowhere near able to replicate them.
They might mimic the rough shape somehow, but matching the intricate detail inside was impossible.
"Looks like preparations are mostly done."
The wall made of pure silver, enchanted with holy power using the book from Eleanor, and the lava-filled moat.
Ordinary undead would incinerate on contact, and even powerful ones would feel serious unease.
"Should hold for about half a day."
The time they'd have to endure here—the time until the Saintess defeated the Lich.
Unlike before, the Lich wouldn't have time to hide its phylactery. It would carry it openly to counter the Saintess immediately upon resurrection.
Knowing that, she had chosen a short, decisive battle, even at the cost of sacrifices.
"It's about to start. Aiden, Maya. Ready?"
"Yes."
"Yessir."
No sooner had the two responded than the small sun hovering in the sky began to dim.
The temporary purification zone left by the Saintess was deactivating.
Soon, even the single ray illuminating this place vanished.
As if signaling the moment had come, the undead filling the city let out a chorus of wails.
"Hoo... Shit."
"Time to see what we've got."
"Cut the crap. I'm surviving this to go home to my sly fox of a wife and rabbit of a kid and live happily ever after."
"What're you on about, you rabbit bastard."
The imminent battle.
To release their pent-up tension, everyone spat curses and traded light jabs disguised as jokes.
"Let's go."
With that word from the White Whale Mercenary Corps' mage, the undead surged forward like a black tsunami.
Sizzle―!!!
The stench of rotting flesh filled the battlefield.
Gyaaarrr―!!
Undead wailed toward the living even as their flesh melted, gradually vanishing into the lava.
Soon, another took its place, plunging in on top.
It sank just like the last one.
But only for a moment.
More undead climbed over them and onto the moat faster than they could melt away.
Undead pounded against the silver wall coated in holy power.
Among them, a level 7 Death Knight slashed at it with dark magic aura.
A spear wreathed in aura burst from a crack, cleaving the Death Knight's helmet in half.
Similar scenes unfolded everywhere.
If the ground was like that, what about the sky?
Banshees filled the night sky instead of stars, wailing mournfully to drain the living's vitality.
The wall blocked them too, but some undoubtedly exerted influence.
Archers atop the wall fired mana-infused arrows at the Banshees.
Each powerful shot filled the Banshee-packed sky briefly before vanishing, repeating endlessly.
"Damn it, more potions!"
"Hole here! Seal it now!"
"Mages! Fire support!"
"I'm focusing, shut up!"
"Wait! Something weird from underground?"
"Shit! Watch your footing!"
A vibration strong enough for everyone to feel rumbled through the ground.
Then, not far from the wall, something massive burst from the earth.
A Corpse Worm.
This bug made of corpses, usually dormant underground, revealed part of its elongated body.
Its tentacle-like hairs shoved nearby undead into its skin, digesting them before vomiting them out covered in bloody mucus with a gurgling sound.
A sight gruesome enough to make anyone retch.
The Corpse Worm's role was transporting undead from other areas.
Each one spat from its maw was level 7 caliber, some nearing level 8.
Not quite raid boss level like the Lich, but still nothing to dismiss lightly.
A Dullahan.
An advanced Death Knight variant. Its floating head scattered crimson eyes while glaring at the silver holy wall.
[......]
It raised its long obsidian sword high, then slashed down from afar.
Rumble―!
The black aura took the shape of a massive shadow, smashing the wall's top.
Unlike before, the wall crumbled without resistance.
And in that spot, someone dashed in like the wind and drew their sword.
Aiden.
The discarded prince unleashed blazing crimson flame aura, blocking the blow with all his might.
Concentrated at a single point.
[Mountain Collapse Sword]
Aiden's unique swordsmanship, forged from the resolve to cut down the overwhelming presence of the founding emperor.
The sword, tempered by the will to slay a mythical being, pierced the level 8 Dullahan's aura in one strike.
Rumble―!
But undead that had somehow crossed the half-collapsed moat poured in relentlessly.
"Kill them!!"
"Raaah!"
Undead flooded beyond the wall in an instant.
Jun, watching from above, fixed his gaze on the Dullahan that had breached it.
'Takes someone like Maya to kill that thing.'
Aiden could manage, but it would take time.
And he was already busy with the intruders inside the wall.
Maya had skills for crowds, but lacked the precision to spare allies perfectly.
[Fire Spirit]
Three fireballs summoned to exploit the Dullahan's opening—vastly improved en route, spewing fiercer flames to incinerate undead clinging to the wall.
A brief gap opened.
In that moment, Aiden charged across the battlefield again, and Maya, freed up, glanced at Jun.
[Heavenly Thunder]
Storm clouds gathered above the Banshee-choked sky, unleashing lightning fury onto the ground—currents exploding outward on impact.
Boom, rumble! Kraaang!!
Undead convulsed amid the spreading electricity, collapsing like dry leaves—until the Dullahan's head glared at Jun with blazing eyes.
"What're you gonna do about it?"
It couldn't chain big spells like before.
But it had ways to close the distance.
Whoosh―!
Dark magic gathered on the Dullahan's sword.
Then it swung—the aura detached and shot straight at Jun.
Crackle―!
But right after, a [Shield] appeared before Jun, wreathed in blue lightning.
[Shield]
Dozens layered precisely in the path, infused with lightning affinity to counter dark magic—dissipating the Dullahan's aura harmlessly in midair.
A brief standoff.
[......!]
Suddenly, it slashed backward with its sword―whoosh!
But there was only empty air behind it.
In that instant, Maya burst from beneath its feet.
"Not bad instincts on that sword."
Her spirit-infused Acander fangs sliced its arm and chest.
The Dullahan instantly drew its shortsword from its waist and swung, but her body had already vanished into the air.
As it scanned for Maya hidden in the spirit realm, Jun interrupted again.
[Fire Spirit]
The three fireballs merged into one, unleashing ultra-high-temperature flames directly at the Dullahan's face.
Having exposed its back to Maya, the Dullahan was mercilessly shredded by her Acander fangs, ultimately reduced to dust by [Myriad Spirits Frenzy] and vanishing.
"Hoo... Still, better sword arm than before."
"Good work."
The Dullahan was clearly a tier above Maya right now.
Yet she dispatched it with [Myriad Spirits Frenzy] and returned unscathed.
Visibly fatigued, but that was it.
An outcome unimaginable in the past.
'The battlefield...'
Jun and Maya had taken down the Dullahan, but it only bought a little more time.
Endless undead still clambered over, and the moat had long outlived its use.
The wall was overrun; troops had retreated below, and the mages' firepower was waning.
Now, mere survival was the goal.
Then again, this battle was never about annihilating the enemy.
That was impossible from the start.
A few thousand couldn't slaughter nearly ten million undead.
Jun's gaze naturally turned to Mellen Castle, where the Solar Church had headed.
Was the fight still raging?
Solar light flashed repeatedly, clashing with the Lich's berserk dark magic, shaking the earth over and over.
'Not much longer.'
Casualties here were already heavy.
Mid-grade mana potions poured into the wounded like water, but injuries mounted faster.
To survive, half-healed soldiers dragged themselves back to the fray and perished gloriously.
Such scenes multiplied.
Post-7th circle—for the first time mid-battle—Jun's mana circuits glowed blue.
He too was giving everything to save even one more life.
Piles of corpses, dead and living alike, grew mountainous, blurring the line between them.
Was there a hill there moments ago?
Another formed elsewhere.
The silver wall, once radiating holy power, was gone.
Obscured by the blood of the dead? Or crumbled under the assault?
Even mages began to fall.
Overheating mana circuits, crimson-hot.
Potions prolonged it, but limits arrived.
Dying undead dwindled.
Fatigue etched Aiden's face; Maya had grown edgy.
Death whispered from all sides.
Just like the prophecy the former Pope had heard: sky and earth dyed in death.
Bang―!
Mellen Castle's top floor collapsed, and supreme solar light rose, bathing them in warm radiance.
"Ahh..."
"Finally...!"
"Thought we were goners...!!"
The Lich.
The monster that had drowned Merdaine in death for so long had returned to nothingness.
Everyone thought so.
Until―
Shaaa―
―the Saintess's sun was swallowed by darkness erupting from the Lich's corpse.
Death's light began to stain the world.