Chapter 314
Chapter 314
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 314
Chapter Title: A Faded Promise (6)
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With the objective set, it was time to flesh out the plan.
Oh-jin, Kellion, and Isabella put their heads together to refine the details of the decoy operation, coordinating routes, personnel, and timing to minimize casualties.
They worried the demons might make a move first.
Fortunately, no demon pursuit teams attacked during the several days they spent planning.
[Hmm. So I just need to use the flashiest techniques possible?]
Vega asked, tilting her head after Oh-jin explained the plan.
“Yeah. You don't have to break anything. Just use it like you're setting off fireworks.”
[If that's all, I believe I can manage.]
Just as she had once fired lightning as a signal flare to reveal Oh-jin's location in the Sky Mountain Range, using it simply to draw attention was well within Vega's current capabilities.
“And I, on the other hand, just have to go over there and smash everything in sight?”
Liaq looked back at Oh-jin after hearing the plan.
“It'd be even better if you let out a roar or two in the middle of it.”
A way to cause a commotion inside the kingdom.
The method Oh-jin chose was to have Vega and Liaq infiltrate alone.
Leading all the dragonians to sneak into the kingdom was impossible, but with just the two of them, infiltration was certainly feasible.
Of course, with demons swarming everywhere, they wouldn't go unnoticed for long.
But getting caught was the whole point, so it didn't matter.
'Vega and Liaq can escape no matter how many troops surround them.'
The two of them possessed a perfect escape route, one that could be called 'absolute'.
“Draw as many of them as you can, and if it gets dangerous, just return to the Sanctuary.”
Return to the Sanctuary.
Unless there was a Constellation's Sanctum or a special barrier, it was an unstoppable, absolute escape.
[Understood!]
“If it's smashing things, I can do that all day.”
Vega and Liaq nodded readily.
When the plan was set and he first called for Vega, she couldn't even meet his eyes and just kept running away, so he'd worried if she would cooperate properly.
But after hearing about the Dragonian Kingdom's situation and the Dragon God, she listened to the plan with a serious demeanor, as if she'd never fled at all.
It was only natural to separate public and private matters, but still.
To be caught moaning pitifully while being spanked on the butt by the man she adored, yet immediately switch her attitude for an important task—Oh-jin was inwardly amazed by Vega's mental fortitude.
[A-Ahem. A-And, my child.]
Vega cautiously approached and whispered in his ear.
[Th-That... that incident was all a misunderstanding. Do not forget it. Absolutely! I am not a woman with such shameless tastes!]
Hmm.
She hadn't quite sorted out her feelings yet.
Swallowing a bitter smile, he turned his head.
The dragonians were watching Oh-jin with tense expressions.
“Don't forget, everyone. The most important things in this operation are sequence and timing.”
The plan was roughly as follows.
1. Vega and Liaq, having infiltrated the kingdom, would cause a disturbance.
2. Blow up the main gate and charge toward the circular structure where the dragonians were being held captive.
3. If the demons showed any sign of using the captive dragonians as hostages or defending them, make a U-turn and flee outside the kingdom.
Put into words, it was a simple operation, but if they didn't move like interlocking gears at the precise moment, casualties would be high.
“Is everyone ready?”
There was no thunderous roar.
The dragonians simply nodded, their faces grim.
“Good.”
The first step was for Vega and Liaq to sneak inside the kingdom.
[Can you confirm the number of guards on the walls?]
“Of course.”
Just as he had when he first scouted the kingdom, Oh-jin climbed a high cliff and used Lightning Step.
The sight of the ruined kingdom spread out below him.
'What?'
Oh-jin frowned, focusing his gaze on the walls.
Did they think they had completely destroyed the Dragonian Kingdom?
There were no demons guarding the walls.
Only a few demonic beasts loitered on top.
In any case, the lax security was welcome news.
“Go that way.”
Oh-jin pointed to an unguarded section.
Vega and Liaq flew at high speed and crossed the wall.
Vega could fly to begin with, and Liaq, like Oh-jin, could use Lightning Step, so they cleared the high walls surrounding the kingdom as easily as a schoolyard fence.
“We'll start the operation in exactly fifteen minutes.”
Oh-jin approached Isabella.
“I can leave blowing up the gate to you, right?”
“Heehee. Of course.”
The entrance to the Dragonian Kingdom was protected by a massive gate, thirty meters high.
But it seemed to have been damaged during the demon invasion, as it was riddled with hideous holes.
If they focused their firepower on it, it wouldn't last long before collapsing.
“Take good care of Isabella.”
Oh-jin gently patted the neck of Bboppi, who had Isabella on her back.
“Grrrr!”
Bboppi clacked her beak and nodded.
In terms of raw speed, Isabella running at full tilt would be faster than Bboppi.
But to deal with the swarms of demons and demonic beasts coming from all directions, it was better for her to stay on Bboppi's back and focus solely on attacking.
“You're coming with us part of the way, right, Oh-jin?”
“Yeah. When we make the U-turn, just me, Ha-eun, and the Elder will break off and head for the Dragon God's lair.”
“...Be careful, Oh-jin.”
“You're the one who needs to be more careful.”
The core of this operation was the dragonian unit, led by Isabella.
Vega and Liaq would cause a disturbance first, but that would only serve as a momentary distraction.
'The moment they see the gate break, they'll swarm toward Isabella.'
In any case, when it came to who needed to be careful, no role was more dangerous than Isabella's.
“Hmph. Are you worried about me?”
“Of course.”
Who wouldn't be worried when their lover volunteered to act as a decoy against an army of tens of thousands?
“Oh my, I'm so happy!”
Isabella shrieked with delight, her hands on her cheeks.
Was she deliberately making a fuss?
The tension, which had been stretched taut enough to snap, seemed to loosen a little.
“Oh-jin, before we leave, can I ask you for a small favor?”
“A favor?”
With less than five minutes until the operation began, what kind of favor could she have?
“Give me your hand for a moment.”
Isabella dismounted from Bboppi and asked for his hand.
When he held out his hand, Isabella grabbed it with both of hers.
She looked up at him with hot, wet eyes and let out a suggestive breath.
“Give me something of yours… hot and rich.”
“Huh?”
Give her what?
“Hahmm.”
The soft touch of her tongue tickled his fingertip.
A sharp pain followed as her pointed teeth pierced his finger.
Blood trickled from the wound.
Isabella licked up the blood, then pulled back with a bashful smile.
“Heehee. With this, I have nothing to worry about.”
“Ahem. If you needed blood, you should have just said so.”
“Oh? What did you think I meant, if not blood?”
“Shut up.”
Recalling the lingering, soft sensation of her tongue, Oh-jin averted his gaze.
He knew his blood acted as a sort of buff for her, so why had such a naughty thought crossed his mind?
Finding Oh-jin's averted gaze rather amusing, Isabella burst into a peal of laughter.
“Anyway, if it gets dangerous, pull back immediately.”
“Heehee. Yes, Oh-jin.”
“If you do well, I'll give you a reward.”
“...Oh? A reward?”
Isabella had volunteered for the most crucial and dangerous role in this operation: the decoy.
It seemed like a good idea to offer a suitable reward to ease her tension and boost her motivation.
“You like my blood, right? When this is over, I'll let you drink your fill.”
He said it like a department head promising a premium beef dinner if the project succeeded.
Oh-jin couldn't understand what was so delicious about it.
But seeing her ecstatic expression and the way her body trembled every time she drank his blood, he figured it must be better than a premium beef dinner to her.
“Mmm. Drinking my fill of blood sounds nice, but…”
Isabella sidled up to him and whispered seductively.
“There's something else I'd like to drink.”
Crazy.
Oh-jin leaped back like a cat pricked by a needle, putting distance between them.
“I'll be looking forward to it, then?”
Isabella licked her lips and mounted Bboppi again.
“Look at you two, having fun.”
Just as Ha-eun, who had been watching them, frowned and clicked her tongue.
*Crackle-crackle-crack!*
*Kuaaaaaah!*
A brilliant bolt of lightning flashed like a thunderclap, and simultaneously, the roar of a ravenous beast echoed thunderously.
“What incredible lung capacity.”
The lightning was one thing, but to hear the roar from this distance…
He let out a dry laugh and looked toward the distant wall.
'They're moving.'
Even with lax security, they weren't so incompetent as to not react to such a commotion. The demonic beasts guarding the walls could be seen moving in response.
[My child! The demon army is heading this way!]
A real-time situation report came in through the communicator he had given Vega.
“Let's get ready, too.”
“Understood.”
Kellion placed a hand on his left chest.
The dragonian warriors lined up behind him also raised the mana of their Stigmata and prepared to attack.
“Flow.”
Isabella raised her hand toward the gate.
A drop of blood trickled down her palm.
A blood flower bloomed from within the drop, its crimson petals swirling.
“Now!”
*Rumble!*
A simultaneous barrage was unleashed.
The massive, thirty-meter gate was torn apart like paper.
“Proud warriors of the dragon!”
At the forefront, Kellion raised his staff high.
“Let us go and reclaim our home!”
““Waaaaaaah!””
A war cry erupted.
*Thudududududu!*
They charged through the narrow canyon as if it were an open plain.
Though their numbers were only in the hundreds, the ground shook as if an army of tens of thousands was marching.
“Krrrrk!”
“Shaaaat!”
The pack of demonic beasts remaining near the gate quickly gathered.
“Where do you think you're going!”
With a light wave of Isabella's hand, the charging pack of demonic beasts became minced flesh and rained down.
Blood spurted.
War cries and screams echoed in their eardrums.
The operation to awaken the Dragon God had just begun.
“Flow!”
Isabella stood at the front, slaughtering the swarming demonic beasts indiscriminately.
Thick pools of blood soaked the ground in her wake.
The sight of Isabella, wielding a massive blood-red scythe and cutting down dozens of charging demonic beasts, was terror incarnate.
“K-Krrk!”
“Kiiiik!”
Even the demonic beasts, moving on instinct, seemed to judge Isabella as a threat, hesitating and beginning to back away.
If she kept fighting like this, it felt as though they could win the war without even needing to awaken the Dragon God.
'The real fight starts now.'
Following behind Isabella, Oh-jin ran while discreetly concealing his presence, biting his lip.
According to his calculations, it was about time for the 'real' ones to make their move.
[My child! The demons are heading your way!]
Vega's voice came in right on cue.
Oh-jin gripped his spear, his eyes gleaming coldly.
In the distance, the figures of demons began to appear.
'They're coming.'
Their numbers seemed to be around thirty.
Considering their original force was over a hundred, this was less than half.
'The problem is, Isabella has to face them alone.'
Oh-jin and Ha-eun, who needed to use the chaos to get to the lair, couldn't step in and fight.
Among their group, only Isabella, the 'decoy', could fight the demons now.
He'd heard that the martial strength of each demon was equivalent to at least a 9-Star Awakened.
'Thirty high-ranking Awakened.'
Thinking of it like that, he truly grasped how absurdly powerful the demon race was.
“Ugh…”
Isabella's voice reached his ears.
Oh-jin bit his lip at her heavy groan.
'Even Isabella must be scared.'
Even as a decoy, she had to fight thirty demons. It would be strange not to feel fear.
“Oh-jin's hot… rich… Fufu, fufufufu.”
And yes, Isabella was definitely strange.