Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: Artisan's Massacre
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“How... how...”
Sahazana's face twisted in horror.
Artisan looked exactly the same as he had twenty years ago.
If anything had changed, it was that his presence felt even more overwhelming now.
Instinctively, he realized the worst had come.
He hadn't been a match for Artisan even twenty years ago—facing him alone would be suicide.
For now, he decided to escape this place, regroup with Bishop to keep the man in check, and report to Emperor Ruan.
Sahazana drew his sword.
But the blade caught in Artisan's grip wouldn't budge.
“Trying to run again?”
“Shut up.”
“You remember what I said? The moment you see me again is the day you die.”
“As if I'd die to the likes of you!”
Sahazana unleashed all his mana through the sword.
The mana-absorbing magic sword flared with even fiercer flames.
The sword gripped in Artisan's hand resisted fiercely.
“This is nothing.”
He seized it with his other hand as well and ripped it apart.
Paang!
The sword shattered with a deafening boom.
“Th-that's impossible...”
As Sahazana reeled in shock, Artisan drove his fist forward.
Paaang—.
A ferocious whirlwind of energy blasted toward him.
Sahazana had no time to dodge and could only block, sending him tumbling backward.
“Ugh...”
As he groaned and tried to rise, Artisan was already there, slamming his foot down on Sahazana's head.
Thud!
“Argh!”
Pain like his skull was about to crack surged through him.
Artisan leaned down, shoving his face close.
“Now Oscar falls into my hands.”
“Th-that won't happen...”
“Wait there first. I'll send them one by one.”
“It'll never...”
“Get lost.”
Thud—.
Sahazana's head burst open like a ripe watermelon.
As Artisan smirked and glanced around, a massive fireball hurtled toward him from the front.
“You still don't know who I am, do you?”
He didn't dodge, crossing his arms in a defensive stance.
The fireball engulfed him.
Kwaaaang—!
An explosion that shook the earth.
“What the hell!”
“Who's that?”
All eyes turned to where Artisan had stood.
Bishop had been fending off his attackers and momentarily lost sight of Sahazana.
By the time he dispatched them and looked back, the unthinkable had happened.
Sahazana's corpse lay beneath Artisan's foot.
Bishop gathered all his mana and unleashed an attack.
But the man took it bare-handed and emerged unscathed.
He was a monster incarnate.
“He's... even stronger than before...”
As Bishop stared in shock, having recognized the enemy, the mage corps unleashed a barrage on Artisan.
Behind him stood spirit summoners, but none intervened—they simply watched in silence.
It spoke to their unshakeable faith in him.
True to that faith, he batted away the magical assaults with his fists in an unbelievable display.
Then he counterattacked the mages who had struck first, thrusting his fists forward.
Even Sahazana hadn't been able to block it. Naturally, they couldn't either. Unlike knights, mages were physically frail, and they dropped dead in a single blow.
Word of Sahazana's death spread across the battlefield in an instant.
“What?!”
“Who did it?!”
“What the hell were the mages doing?!”
Gutun and the Silverado Knights, who had been desperately holding off the Tornado Knight Order, were plunged into shock.
Ahead, the Nanshar Empire's knights had reformed ranks, stretching endlessly like grains of sand.
Artisan stood at their fore, Pigearo drenched in blood to his right, and spirit summoners arrayed behind like a living screen.
The moment Gutun laid eyes on Artisan, his mind went blank.
“A-Artisan...”
“A monster...”
Alpes and his Lefon mages had poured relentless attacks, yet failed to inflict even a scratch. His will to fight crumbled.
With Duke Sahazana dead, the Silverado Knights' morale hit rock bottom, and the Lefon Mage Corps panicked at Artisan's horrifying power.
Artisan curled his lip at their trembling, fear-stricken forms.
Pigearo spoke in a voice thick with killing intent.
“Give the order, sir.”
Artisan eyed Gutun and Bishop's terrified faces in turn.
“Kill every last one. We'll march on the Christen capital trampling their corpses and blood-soaked ground.”
***
“Hmm.”
Before crossing the border, Arthur climbed an unnamed mountain peak and luckily spotted the battlefield below.
Not everyone could see it fully—only he and Blizan, beyond human limits.
Keda and Tagnum sensed their grim expressions and used spirits and magic to check for themselves.
“They're getting crushed one-sidedly.”
“Heading for the Gopra Mountains means they're aiming for the Christen capital.”
“That's fortunate, but...”
The Nanshar Empire's forces far exceeded Arthur's expectations.
Numbers aside, once the spirit summoners joined, their knights wielded power like sword masters.
Duke Sahazana's troops fell without resistance.
It was practically a massacre.
Could Emperor Ruan and Altros hold them off?
The emperor surely had hidden forces, but Nanshar's might seemed poised to overwhelm everything.
Keda approached Arthur.
“Your Majesty.”
Arthur looked at him darkly.
“The spirits say the Tornado Knight Order has mastered using spirits in their attacks.”
“They couldn't before?”
“Yes.”
“That explains their strength.”
Arthur's worries eased slightly, but Artisan's prowess still chilled him.
It felt like the first time he'd seen the Demon King on Earth.
Could he even take him down?
That's how strong he was.
He'd vaguely imagined Teheran's power without measure, but now Artisan gave a benchmark.
Artisan combined Millerph's magic, Blizan's beast mode, Skevin and Sir Helm's strength—all in one.
If he fought them without holds barred, full power unleashed...?
No chance.
But at six stars!
He might stand a chance.
For now, he absolutely couldn't clash with Artisan.
After toppling Emperor Ruan and Tomoya Kingdom, then at the very end...
Right now, focus on stopping the Demon King's revival.
“Let's move.”
“Yes, sir!”
Keda and the spirit summoners led the way.
Half a day traversing the mountains.
In the distance, smoke rose from a peak.
Keda pointed it out to Arthur.
“That's the spot.”
“Pretty high.”
“The path up is treacherous—not everyone can make it.”
“Smoke means they're preparing something. Hurry.”
By dusk.
Arthur reached the base of Munar Mountain.
As Keda said, the trail was brutally steep—climbing with the full group would take too long.
Better to send elites up and have the rest stand guard below for any surprises.
Arthur headed to the barbarians.
Tagnum and the others panted heavily, exhausted.
They'd spent most time indoors except for jobs, so the strain was immense.
Drenched in sweat like rain, they couldn't keep up.
Still, he asked.
“Can you make the summit?”
Tagnum glanced at his comrades, face grim.
“Afraid not, sir.”
“Then wait here with the knights.”
“Understood.”
Next, Arthur went to the Horcamun tribesmen.
They weren't as winded as the barbarians but showed fatigue.
Blizan and Alteon approached.
“The Horcamun Tribe stays here on guard with them. You come with me.”
Blizan bowed sharply and signaled Alteon.
As the Horcamun bustled, Millerph approached Arthur.
“Your Majesty, the aura from the peak feels off. We must hurry.”
“Got it.”
Arthur joined Keda and the spirit summoners scouting ahead.
“Spirit summoners stay here. Just you come.”
“Yes, sir.”
Arthur took only Millerph, Blizan, and Keda up the mountain.
Keda summoned spirits for recon; Millerph cast spells to probe the surroundings.
Blizan guarded Arthur, eyes gleaming fiercely.
Some time passed.
Near the summit, voices drifted over.
“Preparations almost done?”
“Not yet.”
“Shaman said Karen's likely to hear us out this time.”
“She has to. Or we're all dead.”
Desperation laced their words.
Arthur glanced at Keda, who held up four fingers toward the front, then two toward two o'clock.
Six in total.
Arthur signaled Millerph and Blizan.
They nodded, readying themselves.
Arthur and Keda dashed forward; Blizan veered to two o'clock.
Millerph raised his mana for what was coming.
“Back to positions, everyone.”
“If this goes well today, things'll get better.”
“Yeah!”
As they moved to posts.
Mysterious shadows appeared in midair.
Arthur and Keda.
Daggers and swords flashed like lightning, dropping them instantly.
They hid behind a tree and peered toward two o'clock.
Blizan burst from the shadows.
But the sentries spotted the area.
“...!”
They tried to shout but couldn't move mouth or voice.
Their bodies froze like stone.
Millerph had petrified them from behind.
Blizan dispatched them easily.
He dashed to a large boulder and took cover.
They gazed at the brightly lit clearing.
A massive stone altar crowned the summit, laden with fruits and food.
Behind it loomed a towering wooden structure.
Straw piled at the base; naked children, hand in hand, lined up single-file into the tower.
Arthur's face contorted.
'Crazy bastards!'
They meant to sacrifice the kids—burn them alive.
These were monsters in human skin.
Keda and Blizan's faces twisted hideously as they grasped it.
They looked to Arthur for orders.
He beckoned them close.
They hurried over; Millerph covered from behind, scanning.
Arthur whispered so only they heard.
“Situation clear?”
“One hundred kids here, about thirty soldier-types.”
Keda relayed the spirits' intel.
“Who do we watch for?”
“No read yet.”
“What?”
“Likely a high-level spirit summoner. Can't detect spirits stronger than him.”
“Can he sense us coming?”
“Hmm...”
Keda pondered gravely.
Among Artisan's houses, those who summoned spirits...
Fire and earth spirits.
Fire's scouting was weaker than wind or earth—manageable. But earth worried him.
No movement despite ritual prep suggested they were undetected.
“Doesn't seem so.”
“Find the shaman.”
As Arthur ordered, an old woman in robes appeared.
A doll-like tiny child followed blankly, eyes unfocused, to the altar's front.
As the crone raised arms and muttered toward it, the child's head turned.
Straight to Arthur's hiding spot, staring piercingly.
Seeing the child's orange-tinged eyes, Arthur thought of the barbarian.
'Why now...?'