Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Desperate Pursuit
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"What the hell!"
Altros quickly deployed an Absolute Shield.
KABOOM!
The barrier was hammered as if it would shatter at any moment, and he was sent tumbling backward from the impact.
He was utterly dumbfounded by this unprecedented attack.
Arthur didn't miss the opening while Altros was dazed and summoned his Benelli M1 as well.
He then unleashed a barrage of indiscriminate fire.
BANG!
Dozens of aura blades engulfed Altros.
"Damn it!"
Altros frantically deployed Absolute Shield after Absolute Shield just to block the onslaught.
BOOM! KABOOM!
Deafening explosions rang out one after another, and the sound of knights rushing down the stairs echoed from that direction.
On top of that, Skazana's Spear continued to resist him.
"Goddamn it!"
Continuing to face Arthur in this increasingly dire situation was foolish.
Altros had secured Skazana's Spear, so he decided to escape.
"I won't forget what happened today."
Altros cast Blink and teleported toward the stairs.
"Not a chance!"
Arthur pulled the trigger on his Benelli M1.
BANG!
With the gunshot, Altros cast Illusion Dark and vanished.
Not even a trace of his presence remained.
"Goddamn it!"
Arthur summoned his K1 Rifle to unleash a merciless volley, but he couldn't fire with the knight order pouring down from above.
"You won't get away!"
At that moment.
Millerph and the Devil Squad tensed up the instant they heard Arthur's gunfire.
And soon after.
A group clad in black robes was spotted fleeing on horseback beyond the castle walls.
Millerph quickly cast Hawk Eye.
His face twisted upon seeing a man gripping a spear in one hand among them.
It was Altros. Somehow, he looked exactly as he had before, as if he'd gained immortality.
"We won't let him escape."
Millerph cast Fly and headed toward their presumed escape route.
At the same time, the Devil Squad pursued them on Britannicas as per their plan.
Dark closed the distance fastest.
"Take this!"
He swung his right arm with all his might.
Whoosh.
A dagger flew from his wrist and embedded in the back of the rearmost man.
"Argh!"
As the man fell from his horse, the others ahead halted and turned around.
"What the hell is that!"
"Protect the Lord! We'll handle this!"
Two of them wheeled their horses around and gathered mana in both hands.
The moment Dark saw that, he shouted.
"Brace for their attack!"
No sooner had he spoken than their assaults rained down.
Lightning bolts fell from the sky, and fireballs flew from the front.
Latelle and Kasan, who had been right on Dark's tail, surged forward.
"We'll block them—don't slow down!"
Kasan swung his sword at the incoming fireballs.
KABOOM!
He deflected them with his blade.
Latelle then charged ahead with his shield raised.
KABOOM! KABOOM!
Fireballs hammered his shield relentlessly, while lightning crashed nearby.
Dark pursued right behind them.
"Just a bit more!"
"Urgh...."
Latelle gritted his teeth and pressed on.
When the distance shrank to under five meters!
Dark kicked off his saddle and hurled daggers with full force.
Whoosh!
Two daggers streaked like arrows and buried into the foreheads of the men unleashing magic.
Thud.
Thump!
Dark didn't spare a glance at the fallen pair and chased the rest.
The distance had already more than doubled, but Britannicas could catch up.
Besides, Millerph would be waiting just a little farther ahead.
Catching them was only a matter of time.
Poshe and his siblings rode alongside, shouting.
"We need to thin them out as much as possible! That'll make it easier for Millerph!"
"Each of us take one!"
Dark accelerated even more.
Altros's face contorted at the sound of approaching hooves.
One of his trailing subordinates shouted.
"Go on ahead! We'll handle them and follow!"
"Kill them all!"
"Yes, sir!"
The man wheeled his horse with his comrades and charged the Devil Squad.
"Attack with everything you've got!"
"Air Blast!"
"Flare!"
"Earthquake!"
Over ten magic missiles hurtled toward the Devil Squad, massive flames erupted, and nearby rocks clumped together and flew at them.
"Dodge!"
At Dark's cry, everyone scattered in all directions.
But the magic missiles and rock chunks followed like guided munitions.
"Damn! What do we do about those?"
When Perry asked Ramni, he steered his Britannicas toward a dense thicket.
"Follow me!"
As the two headed for the brush, Poshe shouted to Latelle and the squad members rushing up after dealing with enemies.
"Defend!"
"What the hell is this now!"
Latelle grimaced and charged with his shield forward, blocking all the attacks.
While his subordinates engaged the Devil Squad, Altros fled far ahead.
The moment he escaped the narrow mountain path into the vast plains, a massive fireball came hurtling from the front.
It looked like a simple Fireball spell, but its size and power suggested at least a 5th Class mage.
"Who the hell is this now!"
Altros roared in fury and thrust Skazana's Spear forward.
Ice shards shot out like lightning, shattering the fireball.
He then swung the spear toward the source of the presence.
Black aura in the shape of a crescent moon flew like a knight's aura blade.
BOOM!
It flew with great momentum but was blocked by a white barrier.
A figure in a white robe appeared.
"You!"
Altros's eyes widened at the familiar aura emanating from him.
Millerph threw back his hood and bellowed.
"Altros!"
He thrust his palm forward with full force.
An Air Blast launched magic missiles at Altros like arrows.
"You dare challenge me with such pathetic power!"
Altros swung Skazana's Spear with all his might.
This time, the black aura took a long, scythe-like form reminiscent of the Grim Reaper.
It nullified Millerph's attack and flew sharply at him.
Millerph murmured a rune incantation softly and extended his right hand.
The white barrier clashed with the black aura blade.
KABOOM!
A massive explosion and shockwave swept the area.
Altros halted his horse and glared at Millerph, who stood tall.
Millerph glared back with contempt, gathering mana.
"Traitor...."
"You've made some progress. But it's not nearly enough."
Altros channeled mana into the hand gripping Skazana's Spear.
Black aura coiled around the spear.
Millerph frowned at the sight.
"You've gained the power of darkness. That's how you've kept your youth."
"It's the power that will one day rule the world."
"Don't delude yourself! That's the power to destroy the world! Flare!"
At Millerph's shout, a pillar of fire erupted around Altros.
"Absolute Shield!"
The absolute barrier blocked the flames.
"Only death stops me! Take this—Dark Spear!"
A black aura spear pierced the flames and flew at Millerph.
"That's...!"
Millerph's eyes widened at the black aura spear radiating intense power.
It was Dark Spear, the technique used by Hera, the Demon King's familiar.
Altros wielding it so proficiently meant he'd possessed the power of darkness for a long time.
And it was said to rival at least 6th Class power, putting Altros on par with or stronger than him.
'Damn it!'
He decided to prioritize defense.
He cast his strongest defensive spell.
"Reactive Shield!"
But he worried if a 5th Class spell could block Dark Spear.
Dark Spear slammed into the white barrier.
KABOOM!
The massive blast shoved Millerph backward.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the shield, then it shattered.
Crunch.
"Damn it!"
He quickly cast Fly and flung himself sideways.
BOOM!
The shield shattered completely.
Dark Spear streaked across the plains with devastating force.
Moments later, a tremendous explosion shook the ground.
Millerph asked Altros with a hardened expression.
"So you've become the Demon King's familiar after all?"
"He is my true king."
"You mad bastard—have you ever thought how heartbroken Master would be seeing you like this?"
"Why dwell on such nonsense? And he tried to kill me. I only regret not doing it myself."
"I'll end you myself."
Millerph slammed his staff into the ground and murmured a rune incantation.
"Power of light, heir of the World Tree beseeches you...."
"Oho, 6th Class—a great leap forward. But you're still far from challenging me."
As Altros infused darkness into Skazana's Spear, it suddenly resisted fiercely.
-Don't taint me with your filthy mana!
"I am your master!"
As he tried to crush the resistance with force.
"...!"
An alarm blared in his mind.
He twisted instinctively, and an aura blade grazed his forearm.
A belated gunshot rang out, accompanied by someone charging furiously on horseback.
It was him.
The Julius Count's brat who had flustered him with bizarre attacks!
He'd followed all the way here.
"If death is your wish, I'll grant it."
As Altros prepared to launch Dark Spear.
"Take this!"
Millerph's shout rang out.
Altros, having momentarily forgotten him, whipped his head around.
A massive fireball plummeted from above.
It was a modified Explosion, a 6th Class attack spell.
"Absolute Shield!"
A black barrier spread overhead just as the fireball descended.
BOOM!
It hammered the barrier with immense power.
Cracks began forming on it.
"You dare treat me like this!"
As Altros extended his palm toward the barrier to layer another shield.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—
'...!'
Another alarm blared in his mind.
He could have attacked with Skazana's Spear for defense, but it resisted too strongly.
Nor could he cast a defensive spell or dodge.
A desperate crisis!
"You bastards...."
Altros gritted his teeth and hurled Skazana's Spear aside.
The sealed darkness within the spear surged forth.
"I'll kill you all!"
He blasted away the fireball crushing his barrier and hurled Dark Spear at Arthur.
Bang!
Dark Spear rocketed toward Arthur with a sonic boom.
"Keep charging!"
Arthur didn't dodge—instead, he urged Khan even faster.
When Dark Spear was nearly upon him.
He flattened himself sideways to evade it. Then he unleashed the K1 at Altros.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.
"Not a chance!"
Altros expanded Absolute Shield into a massive shield shape, blocking Arthur's fire completely.
"Over here too! Sand Storm!"
Millerph summoned a colossal sandstorm.
It roared toward Altros with power to devour everything.
"You insects!"
Altros raised both hands overhead and chanted a rune.
"Power of darkness, destroy all! Thunder Storm!"
At his shout, black clouds formed in the sky, spawning lightning and storm.
Indiscriminate attacks poured down.
Lightning obliterated the sandstorm, and the gale raced toward Arthur.
"Goddamn it!"
Arthur yanked Khan's reins and fled the opposite way.
He shouted to the Devil Squad approaching from afar.
"Run!"
As the storm closed in to swallow Arthur.
-Raise your mana.
'Mana?'
Arthur drew up all his mana as Parsia instructed.
His 4-star power surged into his heart, and the necklace around his neck glowed brightly.
Parsia's voice echoed in his ear.
-Follow my lead.
Arthur shouted vigorously as she directed.
"Heir of Teheran, Arthur Julius, commands you! Wind spirits, fight against the power of darkness!"
Just before Altros's storm engulfed him and Khan!
A massive whirlwind arose, blocking the storm.
KABOOM!
The tremendous shockwave hurled Khan and Arthur aside.
Altros, who had been watching Arthur, seized the moment and attacked.
"Dark Spear!"
A black aura spear wrapped in lightning flashed toward him like lightning.
"Goddamn it!"
It seemed too late for Arthur to react, his face twisting.
Then wind blew, and someone appeared before him.
It was Parsia.
She raised her hands to chest height and murmured softly.
-Power of darkness, begone.