Book 1 Chapter 673
673.
Goooooo-!
A massive amount of magic was swirling around Artian.
Artian, who had been chanting with his eyes closed, soon opened them.
“Flame Wave.”
Hwarururuk-!
A giant tsunami of fire surged from the fortress moat.
The Gigantes, who were approaching to break down the fortress walls, screamed at the sight.
But the magic wasn't over.
“-!”
A beautiful song echoed in the middle of the battlefield.
The wind reacted to the song, which was composed in runic language.
Wheeooooo-
Magic shimmered around Chelsea, who held a staff.
The area around Chelsea was so serene that it was hard to believe it was the middle of a battlefield.
The song, too, was beautiful enough to draw one in, if not for the situation.
But the scene created by the song was incredibly ferocious.
Gooooo-oooo-ooooo-!
The tsunami of fire that was engulfing the Giant King’s army grew even fiercer.
Like waves swaying in the wind.
Instead of swirling in one direction, it surged out in all directions.
Artian's eyes sparkled.
“When did that little kid become such an amazing magician?”
He was a professor of Summoning and Heroics, which wasn't related to magic, but
Artian also had deep knowledge of magic, having contracted with a magician's heroic spirit.
Smiling faintly, Artian unleashed even more magic.
Accordingly, Flame Waves continuously poured out from the moat.
Due to Chelsea and Artian's magic, the area around the fortress literally became a sea of fire.
“Haaaah!”
In the middle of that sea of fire, Dweno swung his battle axe.
“This is the perfect environment for a fight!”
The combination of Chelsea’s and Artian’s magic was powerful enough to turn even allies into ash.
But it didn't do much damage to Dweno.
Dweno had been the shield of Arhi's party against the Flames of Calamity, which could be called the most terrifying fire.
For Dweno, who could even withstand Luna's flame magic, this level of fire posed no great threat.
Puk-!
“Kkueeeeooh!”
“Where are you looking!”
Dweno, who had sliced off the neck of a demon subordinate of the Giant King, who was writhing in pain, engulfed in flames, looked up.
“Die! Dwarf!”
A gigantic demon, holding a huge battle hammer in both hands, was bringing it down on the dwarf.
The force with which it flew through the sea of fire was extraordinary.
Kwaaang-! Jjeojeojeojeok-!
Dweno’s battle axe, which blocked the battle hammer infused with wicked black magic, cracked.
Seeing that, the giant demon laughed ferociously.
“This weapon was bestowed upon me by the great Giant King! There's no way you can block it with something made by a mere dwarf…”
Kwak-!
Suddenly, the dwarf’s fingers, not holding the battle axe, dug into the head of the battle axe.
“Tell the Giant King.”
Dweno smiled coldly.
“That he can’t even hammer a nail properly with such a crude hammer.”
Ppajijijijijijik! Kwadeuk-!
The enormous battle hammer, which had begun to spread from Dweno’s fingertips, shattered into pieces.
“No!”
The giant demon shrieked in horror.
Dweno flung aside his cracked battle axe, opened a sub-space, and leaped.
A massive greatsword appeared.
Dweno, who had jumped up to the giant demon's face, spoke.
“Shall we test if your skin is as tough as your weapon?”
Buak-!
The swung greatsword brutally severed the giant demon's neck.
“Hmm, your bones aren’t strong. Have you been picky about your food?”
Dweno smiled faintly at the flying head of the giant demon and landed on the ground.
“Kill the Iron-Blooded Gatekeeper!”
“No! Aim for the walls!”
The Giant King’s army was in disarray.
Luke, watching from atop the fortress wall, trembled.
“Dweno-nim… He’s truly amazing.”
“It looks like he’s ready to hold them off alone.”
Aina’s eyes widened too.
Seeing that, Enniha bit her lip.
“No. No matter how great he is, he can’t hold them off alone.”
“Indeed, there’s no match for sheer numbers.”
Driana made a bitter expression.
“But we’re here now too!”
Arh puffed out his chest.
“Yes… you guys are here.”
There were many heroes on this fortress wall with greater power than Arh currently possessed.
But Dweno had never gone out alone like that while defending the castle until now.
‘It’s because of us.’
To protect them, Dweno always had to fight unfavorable battles.
‘Because we’re nothing but burdens.’
Enniha looked up at the sky.
Leo was there.
That was why Dweno could fight at the front lines with a clear mind now.
‘If at least one trustworthy comrade like that had been there… If I had been even a little more reliable, Dweno could have advanced with peace of mind.’
Enniha gripped her weapon with a frustrated expression.
“They’re coming, get ready!”
The Giant King’s army, having broken through the sea of fire, surged towards the fortress walls.
Kwak-!
‘It's about time to go back.’
Dweno, who had decapitated the Gigantes in front of him, surveyed the battlefield.
The army's offensive was endless.
‘…But… why isn’t he here?’
But amidst it all, the Giant King, who could be considered the core of the army, was not visible.
‘This isn’t an all-out offensive.’
Dweno saw through it in an instant.
‘What’s your scheme, you sly bastard.’
*
Leo rapidly charged towards the swarm of Fafnirs that filled the sky.
Gooooo-!
Spiritual power swirled from the tip of Leo’s sword.
The sword in his hand, Posteritas, reacted to Leo’s spiritual power.
Pajik- Pajijijijik-
Pure white lightning, emanating from Leo's body, gathered at the tip of his sword.
“Are you ready?”
[Yes!]
The moment Arty’s answer ended.
Pure white light flashed in Leo’s eyes.
Flash!
The spiritual power swirling from Posteritas instantly turned into pure white lightning and soared into the sky.
Koo-roorung-!
The lightning that pierced through the clouds soon created thunderclouds.
Kwarung-! Pajijijijijik-!
[Aaaaaaaaaaah-!]
Arty’s scream of pain echoed everywhere.
The power Leo used was the essence of lightning.
The power of Albus, the last Pegasus King, 5000 years ago.
It was an ability inherited as a reward for conquering Lisinas's world last time.
The Flame Emperor of the Phoenix.
The Pure White King of the Pegasus.
The Fairy King of the Fairies.
Even among phantoms, their powers are special.
Only those who are qualified can wield them freely.
A power that brings immense pain the moment a being other than a phantom king and their successor tries to wield it.
‘Albus couldn’t leave a successor.’
That's why, in this era, there shouldn't normally be a Pegasus capable of fully wielding the essence of lightning.
‘Yes. There shouldn’t normally be one.’
[Aahahahahahahahahahah!]
Arty, who had been screaming in pain, soon burst into a laugh filled with ecstasy.
[This is so good! I feel alive! Ahahahahahahahahah!]
Arty, continuously letting out a maniacal laugh, spread her wings wide and soared towards the sky at incredible speed.
Kuuwaaaaaaa-!
The Fafnirs scattered like dust, crumbling into fine particles in Arty’s wake.
‘First, I need to gain air superiority.’
Having lost control of the sky, they had to fight an unfavorable battle.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason he was entrusted with the sky.
A more important reason was here right now.
‘He definitely participated in the Battle of Ivaldi, didn’t he?’
An old grudge remained here.
A grudge that, regrettably, he couldn’t settle with his own hands.
Fafnirs are clearly high-grade magical beasts.
They were also the phantom beasts that instilled the most fear in people during the Age of Calamity.
But they do have a clear weakness.
‘These guys became high-grade phantom beasts not because each individual was strong.’
Of course, even if one considers a single Fafnir, it is by no means a weak magical beast.
Each one is a considerably threatening magical beast.
However, compared to other high-grade magical beasts, their power is weak.
It appears even weaker when considering that high-grade magical beasts are monsters that possess power equivalent to high-grade phantom beasts.
Yet, there is only one reason why Fafnirs are classified as high-grade magical beasts.
‘Pack behavior.’
The Fafnir's most terrifying weapon is not its powerful physical ability.
It is their reproductive capacity and growth rate.
And their tendency to obey the pack leader's commands absolutely.
Beast tamers can control an entire pack just by taming a single alpha Fafnir.
The day Dweno joined and Arhi’s party was completed.
Lisinas's first goal was nothing less than a large-scale extermination of the Fafnirs.
Thus, the Fafnirs became extinct and disappeared during the Age of Calamity.
‘Lisinas believed that the world could not be saved as long as Fafnirs existed.’
Fafnirs, having multiplied in such numbers, were more threatening than any other magical beast.
But even these Fafnirs were not originally high-grade magical beasts.
Originally, they were mid-grade magical beasts.
‘These guys became high-grade magical beasts after the Age of Calamity began.’
The Fafnirs' abnormal reproductive capacity and growth rate were not originally their characteristics.
“Eliza!”
“Why are you calling me!”
“Can you handle these alone for a moment!”
“What’s going on?”
Leo looked up at the sky.
“There’s something up there.”
At his words, Eliza looked up at the sky.
Then, she curled the corners of her lips.
“I can.”
“Are you sure?”
“'Transcend your limits,' that’s our school motto, isn’t it? And…”
Eliza frowned slightly.
“I also don’t want to see that human flaunting his heroics.”
Eliza, displaying a subtle competitive spirit, unleashed spiritual power.
Pegasus Ru, influenced by that spiritual power, emitted even more intense lightning.
“Reliable, aren’t you?”
“Hmph.”
Eliza scoffed at Leo’s words and summoned a phantom beast.
Innumerable flying phantom beasts were summoned, led by Wind Wyverns.
“Kids.”
Eliza smiled faintly.
“Let’s hunt those ugly lizards.”
Pajijijik-!
The phantom beasts summoned by Eliza were granted the blessing of the Pegasus.
Leo, seeing that, marveled inwardly.
‘She hasn’t been successful in summoning a Pegasus for long, but she has such application ability.’
Leo, marveling at Eliza, grabbed Arty’s reins and said.
“Arty. As high as possible.”
[Yes! Master!]
Arty’s eyes flashed, and she soared into the sky.
Kieeeeeeeee!
An immense number of Fafnirs blocked Leo’s path like clouds.
As if they couldn’t let Leo pass.
Leo held out his palm.
Pabababababat-!
The essence of lightning began to gather on Leo’s hand.
Kwak-! Kwajijijijijik-!
As he clenched his fist, a pure white spear appeared.
Hwaak-!
As the pure white spear was flung, the Fafnirs disintegrated.
As if a gigantic hole had opened in the clouds.
An empty space was created among the Fafnir swarm that had gathered in black masses.
The pungent smell of burning protein permeated the air, but Leo paid it no mind and charged through.
Hoo-uk-!
Arty, soaring above the clouds, discovered something.
[Master, is that…?]
“It’s a dragon.”
Leo said calmly.
The white-haired man standing above the clouds looked noble at first glance.
It was as if silence flowed around him.
A beautiful, handsome man who seemed detached from the world.
Leo approached the man who stood silently with his eyes closed.
“Hello?”
“Not only has an inferior human invaded my territory, but they dare to speak to me?”
The man opened his eyes with a serene expression.
“It seems you wish to die.”
At his words, Leo laughed.
“I wanted to meet you. Gimeon.”
“Hoh? Is there still a human left who remembers Lord Gimeon? But your tone is rude.”
A black sword light flashed in Leo’s eyes for a moment.
At that, Gimeon’s eyes twitched.
“That spiritual power… Lisinas?”
“It really bothered me that I couldn’t tear you to pieces with my own hands.”
Leo’s eyes curved softly.
But a chilling murderous intent swirled in those eyes.
“Now that unpleasant feeling will be resolved.”
“Haha, you’re an interesting human. A mere inferior species claiming to kill me, a dragon? What an amusing joke.”
Gimeon burst into laughter as if he had heard an amusing joke.
“I don’t know how you got Lisinas’s power. But it seems you mistakenly think that by obtaining a dragon’s power, you can fight me.”
Gimeon scoffed.
“Just as you humans have status, so do dragons. There’s no way the power of Lisinas, who should have served me in the darkness, could be a match for me, the Dragon King.”
Gimeon declared with an openly condescending gaze.
“A Dragon King is, quite literally, the strongest dragon.”
“Strongest my ass, you traitorous lizard.”
“What did you say?”
Gimeon’s complexion changed.
“And Dragon King… I wish you wouldn’t use the title of Dragon Lord so carelessly?”
Leo’s voice became cold.
“The only Dragon Lord in this era is that guy, Lisinas.”