Episode 436
Episode 436
Giselle knew her situation was better than her friends', but she quietly remained silent.
Even in Giselle's eyes, it seemed she would be more helpful than Angrago or Batrek.
"Sir Jean-Cliff. Given the time constraints, we likely won't be able to provide antidotes to everyone. Could you select those most in need?"
"Don't worry about that! I'll prepare them immediately."
"This is impossible... absolutely impossible! How?!"
One of the fallen Anti-Magic Zealots nearby suddenly screamed.
His face was twisted in utter disbelief.
"How are you using mana?!"
Sir Jean-Cliff was about to rage at the vile Anti-Magic Zealot's interruption when he suddenly thought, 'Actually, that's a fair point.'
Huh. True.
"But are you really alright?"
"My constitution naturally holds abundant mana, so poisons don't affect me easily."
"What kind of nonsense is this?!"
"Shut up."
Thud!
A nearby knight kicked the Anti-Magic Zealot.
Daring to ambush them with poison and then interrupting their conversation was unforgivable.
"What do you mean 'poisons don't affect you easily because of abundant mana'? Normally, mana reacts violently and resists foreign substances like poison, but in the case of Manabane Mushrooms, they're a special breed that disperses mana without giving it a chance to resist—"
"Sir Jean-Cliff, now is not the time for this! You must prepare! You can ask later if you must!"
Giselle found herself shouting before she realized it.
Considering she was still a squire, this was the kind of rudeness she would never have dared under normal circumstances.
Moreover, Giselle was someone who placed great importance on her reputation and influence among knightly families.
'Oh no.'
The moment the words left her mouth, Giselle immediately regretted them.
If Sir Jean-Cliff took offense, her standing among the Beech Knights would instantly...
"You're right. My apologies! Everyone, move! Knights whose mana hasn't recovered, over here! Reinforce the doors and windows to prevent the enemy from entering. Knights with restored mana, to that side!"
Fortunately, Sir Jean-Cliff acted immediately instead of getting angry.
Giselle let out a sigh of relief.
Click—
"???"
The knights of the Beech Knights secretly gave Giselle a thumbs-up in gratitude.
Giselle stared at them in bewilderment.
"Moradi. Thank you."
"......"
At Lee Han's words, Giselle was left speechless.
To receive such high praise for an irrational act...
It just felt like this entire situation was absurd from start to finish.
Bakdugul sprinted fiercely up the hill.
The moment the signal dropped, the Anti-Magic Zealots charged forward.
"They can't use mana! But don't let your guard down. They're still knights!"
"Don't worry!"
Shouts from mercenary-turned-Anti-Magic Zealots echoed from all directions.
Experienced mercenaries knew the terror of knights—and thus also knew their weaknesses.
In a muddy brawl where poison had already taken effect, the advantage naturally lay with the mercenaries.
Swish—!
At the sound of arrows flying, Bakdugul didn't flinch and instead shouted.
"Block them!"
The sound of arrows deflecting off shields rang out. The Anti-Magic Zealots successfully blocked them without taking any damage.
"They must have noticed."
"Of course, since we poisoned them. We expected this."
No matter how meticulously they had prepared, they never assumed the knights would remain oblivious until the end.
Once poisoned, anticipating an ambush was only natural.
The mercenaries didn't let their guard down for a second.
"Surround and advance. Leave none alive!"
Bakdugul activated the <Antagondals' Piercing Eye> artifact. Despite the darkness, the knights' defensive formation appeared clearly before him.
As expected, there were no traps nearby. No matter how alert they were, they wouldn't have had time to set traps around their encampment.
Then this wouldn't be difficult.
"They seem intent on holding out inside the building."
"Pathetic fools."
The pavilion set up for the banquet was sturdier and more robust than an ordinary encampment, but it was still hastily constructed. Since it was reinforced with wood and fabric rather than iron and stone, breaking through would be easy.
"Should we break down the door?"
"No need to humor them. Why should we play along with the knights' little schemes?"
Bak Deukul let out a derisive snort.
They could certainly smash through the firmly barricaded doors and windows to force their way in, but why should they engage in such an unfavorable fight?
They had already come fully prepared.
"Set it on fire."
"Yes, sir!"
Setting a large tent ablaze wasn't as easy as one might think. Simply throwing fire wouldn't make it spread.
But with proper preparation, it was no challenge at all. From the darkness, flaming arrows ignited and shot toward the tent.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Hey, knights! What are you gonna do now? Gonna burn to death? Come running out!"
The mercenaries shouted and stomped their feet to intimidate and disorient those inside. Flames began spreading across the tent, and smoke billowed upward. To anyone watching, it seemed certain the knights would come rushing out any second.
Splash!
"???"
"What the—?!"
Suddenly, the fires inside the tent began extinguishing. Along with the splashing sounds, the tent grew damp, as though someone inside was dumping massive amounts of water.
The mercenaries were stunned.
"Uh... what do we do now?"
"Shoot more fire arrows! They just blocked it once."
More flaming arrows flew, but nothing changed.
'Was it an Artifact?!'
At first, Bak Deukul assumed they had used an Artifact or scroll to put out the fire. He thought it wouldn't matter—they'd only have one or two uses at most.
But his face twisted in frustration.
To his shock, the mercenaries' supply of fire arrows was running out first.
"...Seems they prepared a lot of water. Break down the door."
"Understood! Hey, smash the door!"
One of the mercenaries tore a scroll. A fierce wind erupted, slamming into the barricaded entrance with brutal force.
BOOM!!!
"We go in together. Break through the other sides too!"
"Yes, sir!"
Another scroll was torn, and the tent's thin walls shattered.
Revealing a massive pile of dirt.
"...????"
"What the hell?!"
The mercenaries gaped in disbelief at the dirt wall behind the tent, as though they were facing a fortress.
How could they have built an earthen barrier behind the tent walls in such a short time?
Unless there was a mage among them...
"Is there a mage in there?"
"If there were, the bastard inside would've said so. Don't be fooled. Break through another side! The knights are just desperate."
BOOM!
A hole opened in another wall—only to reveal another thick dirt barrier waiting behind it.
By now, the mercenaries' eyes were flickering with unease. Bak Deukul glared at the tent with pure hatred.
Not all the mercenaries were staunch Anti-Magic Zealots. Some had joined purely for gold.
And men like that wouldn't hesitate to flee at the first sign of trouble.
Bak Deukul knew he had to assert firm command.
"The fact that the knights are poisoned hasn't changed. Focus on the door! Use the remaining scrolls on it, then breach!"
Fortunately, the area behind the tent's main entrance had no dirt wall. The knights must not have had time to reinforce it.
As the last scroll detonated, a deafening explosion rocked the entrance. Any knights waiting behind it would have been blown away instantly.
With a battle cry, the mercenaries charged forward, shields raised.
The moment they did—the floor collapsed beneath them.
"!!!"
This wasn't just an ankle-deep pit. The hole was deep enough to swallow them whole.
When had they dug something this deep?!
"Fire!"
Arrows rained down from inside. The fallen mercenaries screamed for help, but their comrades were too busy blocking the onslaught to assist.
"Make footholds and push in!"
Bak Deukul had no intention of saving them either. Now wasn't the time.
Siege equipment, brought just in case, was hurled over the pit. As the mercenaries raised their shields against the arrows and prepared to charge again—lightning struck from within.
"!!!"
Without even a moment to scream, the mercenaries were blasted into the pit.
Lightning magic was notorious among elemental magics for its vicious power. Even when blocked with shields, it could pierce through and tear muscles apart, making the mercenaries flinch and retreat.
"There really is a mage inside!"
"But they seem perfectly fine?!"
"Shut up and get in there."
Park Deokgul's voice was dripping with menace.
At this point, even Park Deokgul realized something was off.
Their plan had gone awry.
Whatever misconception the guys who went inside had, there was clearly a mage who hadn't been poisoned!
"The situation doesn't match what we were tol— Gahk!"
Blood sprayed from the throat of a mercenary who had been arguing. Park Deokgul held up his blood-dripping rapier and glared coldly at the mercenaries.
"Anyone else want to die?"
"Uwaaahk!!"
The mercenaries charged again. Amidst the chaos, Park Deokgul barked an order to his subordinate.
"While these mercenary scum waste time, we need to break through the weaker earthen wall."
"Understood!"
His subordinate immediately grasped the situation.
That seemingly penetrable entrance was a trap now.
With defenses this thorough, even if it looked easy to breach, there was no telling what awaited inside.
He couldn't believe they'd prepared this quickly, but if they didn't want to keep dancing to the knights' tune, they had to seize the initiative.
Thud, thud, thud—
Park Deokgul's men began smashing through the weakened earthen wall.
It was a brute-force method, channeling mana into their strikes, but it worked. The thick mound of earth crumbled, revealing a gap.
"Get in— Gahk!"
Jean-Cliff, who had been hiding behind the debris, began slaughtering the mercenaries.
His sword blazed with searing aura, slicing through their metal armor like paper.
To anyone watching, he was clearly a knight who had reached an exalted state—fresh and untiring.
Both Park Deokgul and his subordinate were stunned.
How???
"You filthy anti-magic scum. How dare you commit crimes and arrogantly hold grudges?!"
"Surround him!"
One of Park Deokgul's men roared, intercepting Jean-Cliff's attack.
True, he was an exceptional knight, but the elite mercenaries Park Deokgul had brought were battle-hardened veterans. If they could just encircle him, he wouldn't last long.
But Jean-Cliff wasn't alone—other knights were waiting nearby. In an instant, the skirmish turned into a full-scale melee.
Knights, disciplined and heavily armed, were masters of group combat. The pressure they exerted was like an unyielding steel wall, suffocating the mercenaries.
At most, there were only about twenty knights—and they should have been poisoned...!
Park Deokgul charged, sword in hand. But his target wasn't Jean-Cliff.
'If the knights are moving like this, it means the main gate is unguarded!'
A counter to their counter!
Park Deokgul gathered mana and kicked off the ground. With a crack, the floor shattered as he launched himself over the pit.
Lightning streaked toward him. He rolled aside, barely dodging.
Another bolt came. This time, he blocked it with the Black Spirit Wood Bracelet artifact, its surface writhing like seven intertwined snakes.
"You damn mage brat! I'll kill you—"
Park Deokgul's eyes bulged.
The mage standing before him was far too young.
This kid was the one who had extinguished the flames, raised the earthen wall, and called down the lightning?
'And why does he look familiar?'
Despite Park Deokgul's murderous intent, the boy remained unshaken, merely waving his staff.
In response, a massive Skeleton Warrior rushed from the side and sent Park Deokgul flying.
Gritting his teeth, Park Deokgul prepared to unleash a secret technique. He couldn't afford to underestimate this young mage.
Against a mage, speed was everything.
He had to kill him as fast as possible.
'One decisive strike—'
But at that moment, a green panther summon pounced, slamming into Park Deokgul. He barely regained his footing, grinding his teeth.
"Two summons...?!"
Finally, a Griffin burst from the ceiling, sinking its claws into Park Deokgul's back.
Abandoning all pretense of dignity, Park Deokgul howled in rage.
"You damnable little mage!"