Storm of Illusions
"Snort, ah, I can't see a damn thing ahead."
"Snort, a sudden storm like this?!"
The troops who had rushed out to hunt the intruder amid the abrupt gale could only flounder in confusion.
The storm was mild, but it was hindrance enough to restrict every single step they took.
On top of that, the pounding rain was actively blocking their vision right now.
'Snort, this is ridiculous.'
Samuro, the squad leader commanding twenty orc troops, furrowed his brow.
As an orc warrior on par with Ben's D-rank, he was one of the more capable soldiers in the territory.
Yet even this seasoned orc warrior, Samuro, found it absurd—and a bit shocking—that a single enemy had infiltrated them.
Kaboom!
Thunder crashed with a deafening roar, lightning flashing across the surroundings.
"Snort?"
Samuro was certain he'd just seen a human boy standing right in front of him.
But in the instant the flash faded, the boy had vanished.
"Snort? Chwiik?!"
Samuro scanned his surroundings.
That very moment.
Thud!
Roll, roll.
Thud!
Roll, roll!
"Chwiik, chwiik!"
Orc heads began tumbling to the ground one after another, their bodies collapsing limply.
Samuro gripped his weapon tightly, his face twisted in disbelief.
"Snort, where are you!"
In that instant, a wolf leaped swiftly from the rooftop, lunging at Samuro and tearing into his throat with a savage twist.
Grrr, grrr!
"Chwiik, chwiik!"
Arthur dispatched the remaining orcs using stealth and Brad.
'This is where the true power of the Creation Lord comes into play.'
The link between Creation Painting and the Creation Codex.
To draw beings with combat prowess using Creation Painting, they had to be ones he'd killed at least once before.
In other words, to create a dragon—whether as an illusion or a corporeal form—he'd first have to slay a dragon and register it in the Creation Codex.
Arthur had already used Ben to register him in the Creation Codex.
Now, with Creation Painting massively leveled up, he could draw far more—and far superior—subjects.
Arthur's hand began moving at blinding speed.
Accelerated Drawing in perfect synergy with Creation Painting.
Arthur produced twenty orc troops.
All of them were corporeal forms.
Creating just twenty had already pushed his creation gauge to 60%.
'But that's fine.'
Due to the current level of Creation Painting, they could only exert 50% of their full capabilities.
But that was plenty for a surprise attack.
"Move out."
Chwiik!
Chwiik!
They vanished into the rain.
Arhan Territory Embassy.
One man and ten troops lounged in utter leisure despite the growing commotion outside.
"An intruder. Just one. How amusing. A lord who's barely two weeks into their territory war."
The man rose, sheathing his sword. He was Roden, dispatched to Arhan Territory on orders from the self-proclaimed tyrant, Jakan.
The tyrant Jakan he served was exceptionally competent.
It had been four months since Jakan's Lord Protection Period ended, yet he already commanded multiple C-rank troops.
Roden himself was C-rank among them.
But C-rank was just a label—he hadn't yet synced to a lord's level to unleash his true power.
By his lore, he was the man called the Kingdom's Greatest Swordsman.
Not all C-ranks were equal.
The troops lined up behind him were all D-rank, on par with the Ben that Kashas had commanded.
And Roden—the Kingdom's Greatest Swordsman—had trained them.
"Let's go see this fool's face."
Kashas and Jakan weren't formally allied, but they shared an unspoken pact.
Curious about the big-mouthed lord's mug, Roden led his troops out of the embassy.
Lord Brock warped swiftly to Fordail Land. Without hesitation, he summoned his wyvern.
The wyvern flapped its wings, approaching and lowering its body before him.
"Let's go!"
Urgency etched across Lord Brock's face.
The wyvern charged forward, then beat its mighty wings and took to the skies.
'This is insane!'
Even as he thought it absurd, a broad grin split Brock's face.
He'd received the report.
A lord named Kashas was "lord-stripping" in Fordail Land, of all places.
As leader of the Troll Alliance, Brock couldn't let some punk tarnish the alliance's name.
Worse, the bastard was colluding with outsiders for this lord-stripping scheme.
So he'd sent an agent to Arhan Territory to declare forced expulsion from the alliance and crush the place.
Then came the report from his agent en route to Arhan.
'Arhan Territory is currently in full war mode.'
In other words, they were at war with someone.
Brock's agent had a special ability, akin to Brock's monster-taming—commanding unique scout beasts.
His Piercing Hawk could survey another territory's status at a glance if its rank was lower than Brock's.
Brock had asked him:
'Who's this fool warring with Kashas?'
'A lord named Arthur.'
Brock was stunned.
Arthur, fresh out of training camp less than two weeks ago, already at war?
He'd followed up:
'What's Arthur's territory total level now?'
Expecting it to be under 1, of course.
The answer:
'5.'
Brock was floored. Impossible.
How could a territory total level hit 5 already?
Most lords couldn't manage that even after their year-long Lord Protection Period!
'You could be the one...!'
Brock brimmed with anticipation.
The Valkyrie Grand Alliance's emergency decree:
Find a capable lord. Territory total level under 10.
And one who can crush all the lords trained by every grand alliance!
'You might just pull it off.'
Kraaaah!
As if echoing Brock's excitement, the wyvern hurtled toward Arhan Territory with a savage cry, accelerating fiercely.
Outside the castle, Kashas could see the relentless downpour and flashing thunderbolts.
Amid the blinding rain, he spotted two troop squads converging, searching for the enemy.
"Crazy bastard..."
Kashas spat a curse, gripping his sword tightly.
He had no idea who this guy was.
Already over forty troops dead.
Was this even possible?
Then Kashas's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell are those idiots doing?!"
The two squads had merged, but the rear group suddenly ambushed and slaughtered the front orcs.
One orc turned, and the entire ambushing group melted away like raindrops.
"Wh-what the...?"
He'd heard of necromancers.
Those who raised undead from corpses to fight.
But this was different.
Very different.
"Orc mages, prepare your spells!"
"Snort, yes sir!"
Despite his Lord Protection Period, Kashas had grown faster than most by "lord-stripping" with Jakan's aid.
Orc mages from the Gold Shop.
Summonable only at Barracks level 8.
His territory total was 5, but his trait Designated Upgrade let him boost a building by +3 levels, commanding an effective level 8 Barracks.
Thus, more troops than average lords, and higher-grade ones too.
But orc mages were pricey elite units.
Still, Kashas steeled himself.
Better to lose them all at once than bleed out slowly.
His orc mages were 2nd class.
High-tier 2nd class spells could take down this arrogant punk, he figured.
Plip, plop.
Raindrops slid off Arthur's body, hitting the floor with quiet echoes.
Inside an empty mansion's second floor, Arthur stood by the window, silently observing.
You have hunted 50 troops single-handedly.
You may inscribe the lord's name upon the Tower of Records.
Current rank: 6th. You may continue challenging. Rewards will be held until then, improving with higher ranks.
"I challenge."
Arthur didn't hesitate.
Fifty troops down already. But two hundred remained.
'No time.'
He had to clean up before Mad Gambler's effect wore off.
Still, he'd gone into hiding because of the orc mages.
Just three, but he hadn't expected Kashas to have them.
Kashas probably bought them recently—why else wouldn't they show in the territory status?
'Having orc mages means his trait isn't just troop quantity.'
Arthur pierced Kashas's trait instantly.
'Boosts levels of designated buildings?'
Traits were random lord abilities, rare at 1-in-1,000 odds.
'Need to focus fire on the orc mages. To do that...'
Arthur quickly sketched one orc.
He recalled Fenrus from the summon chamber.
'This hinges on my instincts.'
If he was wrong, Fenrus would take heavy damage.
Sensing Arthur's hesitation, Fenrus let out a low grrr, grrr.
Trust you. It's fine.
Synchronization let him read the beast's thoughts.
Arthur tore down a white curtain and draped it over the corporeal orc like a cloak.
The enemies already knew about the ash-gray wolf.
"Go, Fenrus."
Grrr!
Fenrus, with the orc on its back, charged through the window.
Crash!
Glass shattered as Fenrus bolted across the territory with the orc aboard.
Arthur slipped away using stealth.
"There it is!"
Kashas saw his chance.
So that's where you'd been hiding.
Hard to spot in the rain, but the bastard was riding the wolf straight for the walls.
His three orc mages had finished casting, awaiting the target.
"Cast!"
At Kashas's command—sword thrust forward—magic erupted from the mages' hands.
Fire excelled at AoE kills, but with the storm, they opted for Ice Spear, the deadliest single-target 2nd-class spell.
Shiiiik!
Three ice spears hurtled toward the distant wolf and lord.
Shiiik!
The wolf effortlessly dodged all three, howling mockingly.
Awooooo!
As if taunting them to try harder.
"Hurry!"
"Snort, yes!"
They began recasting.
Ice Spear was top-tier 2nd class.
And these orc mages had abysmal MP pools.
Just two casts each, max.
"Hold."
As casting finished, Kashas raised his arm slowly, biding the moment.
He swallowed dryly amid the pattering rain.
Seizing the instant, Kashas thrust his sword.
"Fire!"
Shiiiik!
A smile crept across Kashas's face.
Perfect aim!
Three ice spears rocketing in!
Dodge one, the other two would skewer the lord!
That was when—
Atop the wall where the orc mages stood.
Nearby, someone muttered.
"Dismiss summon."
Whoosh.
Just as the spears neared the lord and ash-gray wolf, Fenrus faded away. The "lord" atop tumbled off-balance to the ground.
And simultaneously—
Kwach!
Kwach!
The ice spears pierced "the lord's" body and slammed into the wall.
Truly slammed into it.
"What?!"
It hadn't pierced through—it had passed clean through. And the "lord" vanished, leaving only a curtain fluttering to the ground.