Book 19 Chapter 16
Fragments of an Old Aristocrat,
Dirbeta Front (4)
In the wake of 'them', only blood and corpses remained.
Specifically, the corpses of the Uruk warrior squad!
Upper and lower bodies were severed in one stroke, or intestines were completely incinerated leaving only ash, or large holes were pierced through vital spots…
Even with this description alone, one could surmise that their skill had already reached a level beyond peak.
And furthermore, through the Uruk corpses, it would be possible to guess.
That 'they' referred to the hero party, the Lister Party, who would become a legend for future generations!
“Freede, this is…”
Lister Alter Schirpfeng swung his holy sword broadly, shaking off blood and flesh. His gaze was fixed on a peculiar structure.
“It’s a dolmen!”
Simian said, crossing his arms arrogantly. Paladin Riven applauded.
“As expected of Master Sasa! To immediately recognize its identity! We found the answer too difficult and gave up even thinking about it! You are supreme! You are great! You are adorable!”
When the surprise worship ended, the Sasadan standing behind also beat their shields with spears, showering unanimous applause of praise! What perfect rhythm and perfect harmony! Mad masters!
“Hahahahahahaha! Stop it! Wouldn’t the Samigul envy my cleverness and cuteness?”
While the elves were making mischief, the hero party was having a serious conversation.
“Lister, as you can clearly see, it was definitely not built by humans. The style itself is different, isn’t it?”
A dolmen is a primitive tomb style from before the common era.
It’s a method where two stones are used as pillars, and a large stone is placed on top of them.
In the civilized world, most were eradicated during purification efforts, but in the Demon Realm, they still exist as tombs for those in power.
“It seems they directly airlifted volcanic rock from the Demon Realm… Only trolls would be capable of such an ignorant feat.”
But to call it a simple tomb, it was somewhat eerie. Volcanic hot winds were swirling out from between the pillars.
“And that must be the path of spirits.”
“Path of spirits?”
“Those scythe-wielding fellows were offering something there, weren’t they? Those with physical bodies like us can’t pass through, but spiritual beings probably can come and go. It seems the harvest speed is faster than we calculated. We need to hurry.”
At that moment, Kies raised one eyebrow, then immediately intricately wove magic brilliantly onto the bowstring of Baekchangung Serwebon.
Soon, the world began to shake.
It wasn't an illusion born from existential intimidation. It was simply, purely, that the sheer magnitude of mass was so overwhelming that the ground was shaking.
“Ha, speak of the devil.”
What soon appeared was… enormous! How could it be so huge?!
“Look there. They’ve appeared, those trolls!”
It is said that humanity, having loved sloth (懶怠), became corrupted into trolls.
Their rock-like bodies are as massive as a mountain, requiring a great deal of sleep to maintain their metabolism at that size.
Dozens of trolls? If it were just that, it would have been optimistic.
The giants leading those trolls, those wearing armor woven from hundreds of bones, are ogres!
“Hung-ry.”
“Shut-up.”
Trolls, meaning 'stone people' (石人), have extremely low intelligence, akin to beasts, but ogres were capable of human-like thought and calculation.
Ogres are extremely dangerous!
For mercenaries fighting on the Great Demon Front, their danger rank is assessed as just below 0-rank.
0-rank signifies enemies that should never be fought. For example, the chieftain of the Uruk tribe, or the Pale Baronet…
And Oukan, who leads the trolls as the ogre chieftain! Right now, that mad giant leading the ogres and appearing before them is also Oukan!
“P-please save us…”
The trolls were carrying humans in nets.
However, when one troll secretly pulled out a child who looked to have tender flesh and tried to chew it, an ogre struck its head.
“?”
“?”
“?”
One thing, a correction is needed in the above description.
The troll did not chew on the human. What it gnawed on was its own finger.
How did this happen?
Is its intelligence that low?
No, it’s not.
In that one moment, a moment they couldn't even perceive, the child was snatched from its grasp.
The hero, Lister Alter Schirpfeng!
“To treat life so inhumanely, I will never forgive you.”
At that moment, a sudden impact resonated on the ground behind Lister.
“Holtranks formation, close!”
It was the impact of planting a giant shield into the ground.
The shields of the Holtranks formation had long stakes at their central axis, making it possible to plant them into the ground.
A wall of shields instantly erected! A few enraged trolls swung their clubs, but the wall was incredibly solid.
“Kill-them-all!”
But the opponents were trolls!
“Can’t-kill-them-long-eared-ones-are-all-de-li-cious.”
Trolls possess no special abilities like magic! However, instead of magic, their given abnormal physical stature compensates for all their shortcomings and more!
“Stab!”
Instantly, spears that shot out from the gaps in the shields deeply pierced the trolls’ rock-like bodies, making the trolls scream.
The spears, embedded and fixed in the trolls' bodies, were 10 to 12 cheok in length! Riding along those long spear shafts, five veteran elf soldiers leaped and plunged short spears into the trolls' cervical vertebrae.
Five trolls, which would be nothing short of a disaster for ordinary soldiers, were dispatched so easily! What mad masters of demon hunting!
“This power… retreat, my soldiers!”
The command of the Sasadan's Holtranks formation fell under the Paladin's authority, so Sasa rarely interfered, but in emergency situations, he would step forward like this.
Dimensions!
Horizons!
It was unavoidable to protect his subordinates, who served him wholeheartedly, from this situation where dimensions and horizons were wavering like a mirage, as if trembling in fear!
“Space-Time Annihilation (時空殲)!”
Lister Alter Schirpfeng, who succeeded in drawing a dimension-slashing strike in the time earned by the Sasadan!
“Holtranks, advance 5 steps and change to a wedge formation! I will lead the vanguard! Advance one step every 5 seconds!”
“Kies, get the distant ones first! I'll protect these long-ears!”
[┌(ㅇㅅㅇ)┘]
Is there really any need to describe anew the extraordinary feat (異蹟) that began from that point?!
After the ecstasy of the World Tree, the breath of the dragon, and the thrust of the sacred spear raged and swirled in their respective splendors…!
The process until all the trolls, ogres, and Oukan, numbering approximately 100 (a troll tribe of this size would be counted as one of the top powers and more), lay scattered like rocks across the land!
“Are you okay?”
After all the commotion subsided, Lister gently touched the forehead of the child he had placed in a safe spot just before the battle and smiled.
“Hero, you were so cool!”
The child nodded vigorously.
“Oh my, your brave appearance is truly wonderful.”
“Really?”
“Of course! And you didn't even cry. Well done.”
The Greater Flame Elementals Hagnis summoned by Freede were already burning away the nets, freeing the captives. Kies kept an eye on the surroundings.
‘The level is completely different…’
Among the captured prisoners was a frontline soldier, who thought with trembling eyes.
‘I've seen many mages, witches, ronin, swordsmen, and elves who puffed up their chests until now, but the power of the hero party's Sasadan here… it's on a completely different dimension.’
* * *
“Ben gruz… the harvest offerings… are not coming…”
On the Altar of Harvest, primordial sand was swirling with will and form.
The Uruks prostrated themselves.
The Uruk tribe guarding this altar was the Kiral Clan, a traditionally strong force among the Uruk's top 21 High Tark clans, having never fallen below 2nd place.
“The wrath of mortals evaporates… but the wrath of eternity never fades… if you have not taken my words lightly, then deal with this swiftly…”
At that time, the demon forces targeting the Dirbeta Front were an alliance of Uruk and trolls!
Seven tribes from High Tark alone were deployed, and three of the strongest 10 troll tribes, known as the Sipseokdu (Ten Stone Heads), were also deployed.
Kiral warriors moved, casting displeased glances at the Fossil Realm (火石界) trolls lined up at the edge of the altar.
“Ka ku shi, those dull-witted trolls. They're useless.”
They were the Kiranzki Gaga!
The Kiral Clan’s elite six warriors.
Their peculiarity was that it wasn't a fixed lifelong position, but rather their ranks and members constantly changed through 'Kaltake,' a battle to the death that determined the measure of strength.
“Be quiet. This is a time to be glad the trolls can't step forward. It's a good opportunity to offer military merits to the Asarakalt (Old Aristocrat).”
Kiral's chieftain, Hanyuz, reprimanded the Kiranzki Gaga before coming out of the Altar of Harvest.
Kiral was a land tribe strong in 'wolf cavalry,' and the number and combat power of its cavalry were unrivaled.
Wolf cavalry mounted on Blashwolf were lined up endlessly before the altar.
“Chieftain Hanyuz addresses the Kiral Clan! The riff-raff who dared to disrupt the harvest ritual have broken through the encirclement and infiltrated the depths. Capture them! It's fine if you can't harvest their souls. Capture and kill them all, then resume the harvest ritual!”
The sound of the horn that Kiral uses is just like the roar of an approaching sandstorm.
That is the Lizard Lord's Horn!
A holy relic of the abyss, with that sound, the sandstorm rages even more fiercely. The wolf cavalry scattered in all directions with the storm.
* * *
“Argh, another bust.”
Lin clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Already the third 'Dolmen of Harvest' was tragically collapsing under the boy's magic. Master!
He had been chasing only sources of intense power using detection magic, but there weren weren't many strong enemies, only these.
“Hey, Pipi. You said it was an emergency. You said there were many strong guys? Are you messing with me right now?”
Pipi stared blankly at Lin, then tilted its head. It was Pipi's secret technique for when it had nothing to say: pretending not to understand human speech! Mad master!
“Sval, rough up that lying parrot!”
“Kkyuuuut!”
“Come on, come on!”
The truth was this:
Lister, Freede, and Kies, who had gone south from the fortress city <Elsbarh> and then headed to <Yukahara>, were tearing down all the dolmens in the south.
In Lin's case, having gone straight from <Elsbarh> to <Yukahara>, he got lost along the way (Lin has a terrible sense of direction) and, while searching for strong enemies with detection magic, was coincidentally destroying all the dolmens in the north.
[Master already had a big picture in mind. He prioritized destroying the dolmens first rather than heading into the enemy's depths…]
Later, Tureina, the priestess of ash, would muse this, but it was not at all! Lin was just acting like a madman as usual!
“I am, the [Strongest]…”
As Pipi and Sval's song of ice and fire proceeded, Tureina, who was thoroughly reviewing the [Lin's Dialogue Collection], suddenly looked towards the horizon.
A sandstorm?
Its advance speed was completely different from a normal storm. And from within the storm, hidden, the sound of something galloping across the sand was endlessly heard.
“M-master…!”
As Tureina said that and stepped back, Lin was already looking at the sandstorm, posing coolly.
“Hmph, so it wasn't a complete bust after all…”
Then Tureina's eyes sparkled, and she mimicked the exact same pose, even following the gesture of slightly lifting her conical hat.
“Hmph, so it wasn't a complete bust after all…”
Pipi and Sval looked at Toureina with incredibly sad eyes.
It was heartbreaking to see the innocent girl transforming into a madwoman.
“Everything else is fine, but don't copy the gestures. I warned you, okay?”
“Don't, copy the gestures…”
“Hey, I just said that normally, didn't I? Why are you trying to make it sound cool? If you're going to imitate, at least do it consistently.”
Then Toureina shook her head like crazy, clenched her fists tightly in front of her chest, and exclaimed.
“M-master… must always be cool!”
Just then, the sandstorm tore into hundreds of strands, and the wolf cavalry poured out, instantly surrounding Lin's party.
“Krrrrrrrrrrrrr……”
The Blashwolf drooled with its vicious triple-layered teeth. A wolf cavalryman soothed its ferocious appetite and spoke.
“Bek ta, arrogant human brats dare… I will kill you all here and collect your souls!”
Even though surrounded, Lin, who was casually thumping Toureina's crown with his fist without a hint of tension, chuckled.
“Hmph, is that type of dialogue even on the [Minion's Bucket List]? Why does everyone recite such things? Things that'll die in 3 seconds.”
“Hmph, that type of dialogue is on the [Minion's Bucket List]… Ouch! That hurts!”
“I told you not to imitate me. Hey, we've successively faced everything from hybrids to Uruk warriors over the five days it took to get here… I think we could try fighting one of those this time? Though I probably can't win.”
Uruk warriors are a disaster in themselves. Even mercenaries above silver rank wouldn't dare face them in melee combat.
Yet their opponent was a wolf cavalryman, an elite soldier of the Kiral Clan, ranked 2nd among High Tark!
Even in a situation where everyone might ask if they were crazy, Toureina nodded and stepped forward.
This was not courage!
It was simply, absolute trust!
It stemmed from a trust so close to fanaticism, believing that if Lin said she could do it, she naturally could!
“I'm not interested in those weaker than me, you see…”
Even adding Lin's dialogue appropriately! Mad prodigy! Lin closed his eyes tightly, clutched his forehead, and let out a sigh.
“When I do it, it's definitely cool, so why is it so cringey and embarrassing when she imitates it?”
Sval and Pipi simultaneously shook their heads.
“Kkyu, Kkyuung (Nope, not at all).”
“No, no, absolutely not.”