Chapter 165
Chapter 165
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Dark Squad Assault
-----------------------------------------------------------------
***
“It's pouring like mad.”
The knights escorting Arthur glared resentfully at the sky.
They had been on standby when Arthur suddenly told them there was something to check at the cliff defense wall.
So here they were, fully armed, climbing up on a day when rain was falling like the heavens had split open.
On top of that, it was pitch black, so dark they could only make out their nearby comrades—the darkness itself.
Arthur, who had dismounted from his ma-tan, scanned his surroundings as if inspecting the defense wall, heightening all his senses.
As expected, they would definitely show up here.
They were Artisan's elite, so the one who had chased him would have left a mark only they could recognize before descending the cliff, and they would have spotted it, putting this place under heavy surveillance.
That was why he had decided to serve as bait.
He wore the family head's robes instead of armor, making it obvious at a glance that he was the head of the Julius Count Family.
About ten minutes had passed, so it was about time for them to move.
‘Any moment now.’
It was just as a fierce glint flashed in Arthur's eyes.
Enormous auras surged in from all directions like a tidal wave.
‘What the hell!’
Unlike what he had expected—a silent ambush to pressure them—they were brazenly revealing their presence.
This meant they intended to sweep them away in one go.
Arthur shouted to the knights.
“Everyone, defensive formation!”
“……!”
Only then did the knights sense the enemies' killing intent and swiftly formed a shield wall in front of Arthur.
The Dark Squad inwardly admired how quickly they had been detected.
‘Fast reactions!’
‘He's a Sword Master!’
They glared at Arthur Julius.
From behind them came Ghost's heavy voice.
“Wipe them out.”
In an instant, killing intent frosted over the Dark Squad's eyes, and their figures vanished completely.
“They're gone!”
“Where did they go?!”
It was when the knights panicked, their faces darkening rapidly.
Arthur, who had summoned K1 Rifles in both hands, unleashed a merciless barrage toward the sector between 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock ahead.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—.
Blindingly bright light and aura bullets flew like hail.
The surroundings turned to ruins as unidentified men in black light armor collapsed in heaps.
Then, enemies appeared from the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock directions, thrusting their swords.
Swoosh—.
Pitch-black aura blades shot in like arrows.
“I read you all.”
Arthur parried the aura blades with his K1 Rifle.
Boom!
The summoned weapons weren't as sharp as sword blades, but he knew from Ban that their durability rivaled Oriharukon.
So he used them as shields.
The Dark Squad members, though their attack had failed, didn't linger and charged straight at Arthur.
From two to four.
When they closed to five meters, they became eight.
As if by prior agreement, they surrounded Arthur and swung their swords simultaneously from all sides.
The blades were wrapped in aura darker than darkness itself, invisible.
Unless they sank into the ground, there was no escaping—a perfect encirclement with no gaps.
‘It’s over.’
Just before their swords reached Arthur's body!
Arthur's eyes flashed, and golden aura exploded from his form.
A fierce momentum poured out like a tidal wave, shoving back the Dark Squad members who had surrounded him.
‘Defense Armor’ had activated.
It was one of the skills awakened during his battle with Trevic, even stronger than aura armor, triggering automatically in this crisis.
Having blocked their attack, Arthur swiftly charged at them.
K1 Rifle in one hand for shooting, while drawing a dagger from his back waist with the other.
He plunged into their midst, swinging and stabbing mercilessly with the dagger.
“Urk!”
“Mmgh!”
Even the Dark Squad, who had reached Sword Master level, fell helplessly.
They let out dying screams, swinging their swords with fiery eyes until the end.
Their resolve to kill was palpable, vicious beyond mere ferocity.
‘Like murder ghosts.’
Arthur frowned as he cut them down.
Meanwhile, he scanned the surroundings rapidly, bracing for Ghost's attack from somewhere.
‘Where are you?’
‘Hmm.’
Ghost stood atop a tree directly in front of where Arthur had first unleashed his barrage, watching the scene.
Over ten subordinates had fallen without landing a proper blow.
No, they had executed the encirclement, but it was useless.
Now the mystery was solved, and he knew who had eliminated the strike team.
Arthur Julius!
He was the culprit behind it all.
And his subordinates were swarming in from all sides.
One was a Sword Master, with several more on par.
The squad handling second-line support wouldn't lose if they used Petrium, but if Arthur Julius joined, they might face annihilation.
If he stepped in personally...
‘No guarantee.’
Ghost whistled as if having made a decision.
Wheeee—.
It pierced clearly through the downpour.
The Dark Squad retreated swiftly upon hearing the signal.
Having eliminated all who attacked him, Arthur looked toward the source of the whistle.
He sensed someone standing atop a tree, blended seamlessly into the darkness.
‘That one's it.’
Arthur aimed his K1 Rifle at him. The moment their eyes met Ghost's!
He pulled the trigger.
Rat-tat-tat—.
Ghost calmly twisted his upper body to dodge the incoming aura bullets glowing with bright light.
Then he swung the dagger in his hand vigorously.
Swoosh—.
An aura blade erupted from the dagger, hurtling like darkness charged with fierce momentum.
Arthur parried it with his dagger.
Boom!
With an enormous explosion, he staggered back a step.
‘Strong!’
Arthur frowned, looking toward where the man had been.
“Mm......”
He was gone.
His subordinates lay scattered around, but with that level of skill, he was evenly matched.
Yet he had retreated, suggesting their goal here wasn't to eliminate him but something else.
He had repelled and routed the Dark Squad without allied losses, but somehow it felt like they had suffered a major blow in this fight.
‘An irritating bastard.’
As Arthur concluded the situation and turned, the knights, cowed by the Dark Squad's momentum, began recovering bit by bit.
Then Skevin and Drakan emerged from the forest with more knights.
“Your Excellency!”
***
‘Beyond imagination.’
Ghost's face hardened as he swiftly exited Grada Territory.
He had thrown a greeting strike at Arthur Julius.
The man hadn't dodged but countered the aura blade with his dagger.
Even a casual attack from a Sword Master, nullified like that.
It was provocation, plain and simple.
Declaring it unworthy of evasion and smashing it with raw power.
At minimum, his equal—or one step above.
A realm lingering at the boundary between mid and high Sword Master.
On par with Trevic, ranked fifth in the Oscar Empire.
Plus, the forces pressuring the Dark Squad, enough to draw him out, and even Keda Alpha.
No force to be underestimated.
The situation was developing in a very intriguing way.
He had thought him merely a tool for Marquis Valtre, but that wasn't the case.
He might even devour Marquis Valtre—no, Emperor Ruan.
Though he had lost subordinates and failed the mission, the gain more than compensated.
Reporting this to Lord Artisan would greatly aid the grand plan.
A faint smile crept onto Ghost's lips.
“Returning.”
***
“Over there.”
Millerph had found Chaos's base with Lord.
In one spot, corpses piled like trash, reeking of rot.
In another, they were incinerating bodies, the nauseating stench of burning flesh assaulting their noses.
Moreover, the numerous pits emitted sewer-like foulness, swarming with insects.
Amid such a place stood wooden houses.
It was the Chaos village.
The fact that people lived here was shocking, and it contrasted starkly with the Hermits' secluded mountain life, stirring inexplicable doubt.
The Devil Squad escorting them pinched their noses, faces twisted in disgust.
Mullan whispered to Latel.
“Gonna puke.”
“Me too. Smells like we crawled out of a shithole.”
As the Devil Squad complained about the stench, Dark silently surveyed the surroundings.
Then his gaze halted on those burning the corpses.
‘What the...!’
Dark's face twisted.
Looking closely at the soot-blackened figures tossing bodies into the flames, they were children.
He hurried to Millerph and reported it.
Millerph, focused on the Chaos base, quickly looked where Dark pointed.
“How......”
Wearing a stunned expression, he turned to Lord.
Though Lord couldn't see directly, Insight of the Abyss allowed him to perceive all.
He turned his head the same way and said.
“Their children.”
“Chaos's?”
“Yes, unlike us, they live fully as humans. Marrying loved ones, bearing children......”
Seeing Lord's pitying expression as he spoke, Millerph intuited there was a problem.
They were afflicted by mana side effects.
Likely hereditary to the next generation.
Come to think of it, the children's faces were eerily calm and composed.
“They can't feel emotions......”
At Millerph's mutter, Lord sighed in response.
“Born outside the bounds of normal life, emotions naturally faded. Their daily lives touch the boundary of death and life, so they see corpses as mere trash.”
“A harsh fate......”
It was as Millerph wore a bitter look.
The village entrance gate opened, and black-robed figures emerged.
They had sensed the intruders.
One grated like rusted metal at Lord.
“Don't you know outsiders aren't allowed here?”
“We're guests come to meet you.”
The man snorted at Lord's words.
“Guests? Old man, what'd you eat wrong today?”
“Envoys from the Julius Kingdom.”
“......!”
Their atmosphere shifted instantly.
Intense hostility emanated, mana vibrating.
Ready to unleash attack magic any moment.
Millerph bowed politely to them.
“I am Millerph, heir of the World Tree and disciple of Mardro.”
‘Heir of the World Tree?’
“Who's Mardro?”
As they glanced at each other in confusion, hesitating, a heavy voice rang out.
“You've brought quite the guest.”
Another emerged from the village entrance.
The man didn't hide his face with a robe but showed it boldly.
Sharp, cold eyes.
Sturdy jawline.
Though missing one arm, his muscular, imposing build exuded overwhelming presence.
Yet oddly, a subtle incongruity emanated from him.
The robed men swiftly stepped aside, bowing to him.
Lord gazed at him and said to Millerph.
“Chaos's leader.”
“Seems a strong man.”
“Hmm......”
Lord's face hardened.
“You just said what he hates most to hear.”
“......?”
As Millerph tilted his head, Lord addressed the man ahead.
“Long time no see, Natasha.”
Chaos's captain, Natasha, ignored Lord's greeting and glared at Millerph.
“You—say that again before I gouge your eyes out.”