Chapter 15
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Assault on the Lord's Castle
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The power struggle between the two cunning foxes dragged on without yielding for quite some time.
Then, at some point, the bracelet on Alex's wrist began to tremble, releasing a faint blue glow.
It was a magic communication orb linked to the Brighton Magic Academy's northern branch office.
"Looks like a call from the branch. If you'll excuse me for a moment."
Alex gave a slight bow and turned to check the orb.
With a crackling chi-chi-chik sound, a hologram floated up into the air, revealing the face of a mage.
"What is it?"
-We're under attack! The northern branch is being assaulted by unidentified assailants.
"What? What the hell is this all of a sudden? Assailants?"
-It happened so abruptly, I have no idea what's going on.
The subordinate mage's expression looked extremely urgent, clear evidence of the dire situation.
At that moment, Alex spotted something odd while staring at the hologram.
'That’s...'
Before Alex could finish his thought, the hologram shattered like glass, and the connection cut off.
The last thing Alex saw through the orb was a single arrow flying straight at them.
'An arrow?'
Bows were weapons used by ordinary soldiers who couldn't handle mana.
Knight or mage, they possessed far more efficient means of attack, rendering cumbersome bows unnecessary.
Yet someone had dared to attack the Brighton Magic Academy with such a pathetic bow!
It was hard to believe.
Alex stared blankly at the empty air where the hologram had vanished, then belatedly rubbed his eyes.
Watching him intently, Baron Yagnik's eyes gleamed as he feigned a stern tone.
"Seems like trouble at the branch. Shouldn't you go check it out?"
Alex clenched his fists but didn't dare vent his anger, grinding his teeth instead.
"It's not as serious as you might think. For now... I'll go verify."
"Take the mages interrogating Blanc with you. You never know."
The sly fox sneered with an impassive face.
It was obvious he planned to swallow everything whole if Alex backed off now.
Naturally, Alex intended to refuse outright.
But unfortunately, he couldn't.
If the branch's situation was truly grave, he'd need every available combatant he could get.
"Very well."
Alex bit his lip hard and turned away.
However, before he could leave the lord's office, the door burst open as a knight rushed in.
"My Lord! We're under attack!"
The Divine Bow's wrath wasn't aimed solely at the Brighton Magic Academy.
'This one's the last.'
Ruyan drove an arrow into the head of the mage who'd been yelling into the strange orb, then leaped away lightly.
In the end, he'd single-handedly annihilated an entire branch of a magic academy.
And even after such a monumental feat, Ruyan's breathing remained perfectly steady.
This was precisely why he was called invincible with a bow in hand.
Extremely efficient internal energy circulation!
By drawing in the natural qi just at the moment of release, he could unleash overwhelming power.
That was the foundation; the more internal energy he added, the greater the might.
The legend of piercing a castle wall from a thousand paces away with a single arrow was no exaggeration.
'Anywhere your filthy feet have trod, I'll shatter it all.'
Having eliminated every Brighton mage, Ruyan immediately turned.
'Straight to the lord's castle.'
The academy's next target had been the lord's castle from the start.
It was merely a matter of sequence; he intended no mercy for anyone.
Knowing Alex and the lord were together only lightened his steps further.
'If they're all gathered there, Dad should be too.'
In both his past and present lives, Blanc was the one who'd cherished him most.
The man who first taught him that life wasn't just holing up in the training grounds cultivating qi.
'The one person in this world you must never touch.'
Ruyan would protect his current happiness at any cost.
But if it was already too late?
He didn't even want to imagine it, but if something horrific had truly happened?
'I'll shoot it down. Even if it's the heavens themselves.'
The Divine Bow's fury blazed fiercer than ever.
Shrouding himself in shadows away from the lights, Ruyan soon reached the final gateway.
The inner citadel gate.
Just beyond this lay his targets.
Blue flames surged in Ruyan's eyes. His bow hand tensed with power.
'Hiding behind a mere wall like this?'
The inner walls encircled the village threefold higher than the outer ones, appearing far sturdier.
The surface was flawlessly smooth, without even a fingertip's gap—designed to defy climbers.
Yet Ruyan felt no intimidation before those formidable walls.
He simply glared at them with eyes ablaze.
'Foolish bravado. But you're wrong.'
Things weren't like this in the Central Plains.
The Divine Bow comes!
Upon hearing that, people flung open the gates themselves.
They rolled out carpets, planted flowers along the path, knelt, and bowed their heads in reverence.
They knew begging for mercy was the only way to survive.
But the Sobles Continent had yet to grasp what his arrival truly meant.
'If you block me, I'll smash it all. Everything you rely on.'
Ruyan calmly gathered his internal energy, twisting his body perpendicular to the wall.
Swipe.
His legs spread naturally like flowing water, rooting firmly.
The bow flashed toward the sky, then slowly descended, locking onto its target.
Distance: roughly 500 meters.
Far beyond an ordinary arrow's reach. But for the Divine Bow, it was different.
Creak.
The bow bent powerfully.
But this time was different—no arrow on the string.
Ruyan pulled the empty bow with all his might, no shaft nocked.
Twang.
The frail bow screamed, on the verge of snapping under his power.
'Hold on just a bit longer.'
Ruyan even poured energy from his cherished dantian to protect the bow from breaking.
At the same time, he activated his mana circle.
The mana circle above his dantian spun. Mana within swirled violently.
Wooong.
With dantian and mana circle operating in tandem, a thunderous vibration echoed inside him.
All preparations complete.
Ruyan scattered mana and intoned lowly, opening the gates of hell.
"Fire Arrow!"
⟨ Fire Arrow ⟩
A 1st-circle spell that conjured a burning arrow.
The very basics, known as an introductory incantation.
But the arrow that settled in Ruyan's hand was far beyond 1st-circle level.
Roar.
The flames blazed so fiercely that nearby weeds withered instantly, collapsing limp.
Any stray ember that dropped consumed everything it touched without a trace.
And the size!
The house-sized blaze made it more pillar than arrow.
'Take this. It's the magic your bastards wanted from Dad.'
Confirming the fiery shaft secure on the string, Ruyan released.
Shiiiaak.
The fire pillar scorched the air itself as it hurtled forward at tremendous speed.
A thick red line slashed across the night sky.
Its overwhelming presence drew every eye.
The gate guards clearly witnessed the incoming fire arrow.
Yet they floundered, too stunned for any counter.
"Wha-what..."
"What the hell is that?!"
"D-dodge!"
In that instant, the crimson streak slammed into the gate.
-Gate Obliterated
20cm-thick gates vaporized; flames spread to walls
The gate, over 20cm thick, was punched through effortlessly.
Flames erupted from the hole, melting the gate and leaping to the walls.
Whoosh.
Knights too slow to evade were trampled by the fire demon, dragged to hell.
Where Ruyan's arrow passed, only black smoke lingered; nothing remained.
"Assault!"
"All knights, assemble at the gate!"
Knights scattered along the walls bellowed until hoarse, converging en masse.
But it proved a poor choice. They were rushing right into the Divine Bow's path.
Pi-pipit.
Azure beams pierced the obscuring black smoke.
Arrows flew unerringly at the knights' foreheads, as if with eyes of their own.
Pak.
Too swift for reaction, the arrows pierced helmets like paper with devastating force.
Dozens of knights collapsed without grasping their deaths.
"Locate the enemy!"
"Arrows! Watch for arrows—"
Shouting to overcome fear, the knights' cries faded over time.
They could no longer open their mouths.
In under 30 seconds, only five knights remained before the gate.
Ruyan, who'd kept drawing his string, narrowed his eyes slightly at them.
'Not amateurs.'
Shockingly, the five survivors were deflecting his arrows with their swords.
Though lacking full power, these were the Divine Bow's arrows—not something anyone could block.
'Peak Realm experts?'
Peak Realm warriors wielded sword ki with mastery.
True elites incomparable to mere first-rate warriors who barely projected it.
'Hah! Peak experts guarding a mere gate.'
Objectively, the gap between them and Ruyan was vast.
His current internal energy barely scraped second-rate, far from first.
Facing five Peak experts was, naturally, daunting.
Impossible, even.
Yet Ruyan merely found it annoying, unshaken by needless tension.
'I'd love to play longer, but time's short.'
Prolonging fights benefited neither him nor this flimsy bow.
Better to push through swiftly, even at a strain.
'Come on, then!'
Ruyan halted, steadying his breath.
He fiercely drew in the surrounding natural qi.
A bold move!
Pausing mid-battle against elites was perilous.
As expected, Mason's elite knights glared fiercely, surging their sword ki.
"Arrows stopped. Find him!"
Worthy of Peak Realm.
The elites seized the brief opening, pinpointing Ruyan's position.
"500 meters ahead. Single enemy!"
Despite the distance, they didn't miss him.
"Seize him now!"
The elite knights kicked off nimbly, charging at Ruyan.
Tat-tat-tat.
From spotting to charging: barely three seconds.
Astonishing reaction speed.
But that sliver was plenty for Ruyan.
'Too late.'
Preparations done, Ruyan drew all six remaining arrows from his quiver, gripping them in one hand.
Clunk.
The now-empty quiver dropped carelessly to the ground.
And with that, the first arrow flew from his hand.