novelraw Chapter 101 : Chapter 101
Chapter 101 : Chapter 101
Chapter 101. Battle (2)
Iris was still cold towards me.
Forget making eye contact, she wouldn't even respond.
If it had been Noemi, she would have burst into tears by now, but Iris remained restrained until the end.
Nevertheless, I couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
‘Yes. This is the Iris I know.’
The way she wasn't swayed by a few warm words and chose the path she believed to be right.
Somehow, she was just like me.
In fact, I had been very worried about Iris.
Wasn't she portrayed as quite rebellious in her profile?
On top of that, our separation due to her sudden runaway.
Her status as the master of the Unseen Ones.
To be honest, I was anxious about whether she could grow up strong while carrying all that on her back.
But it's different now.
‘She's a daughter I can trust more than anyone.’
I was just grateful for a daughter who had grown up so well.
Even though I couldn't raise her by her side, I was simply proud of the fact that she had grown up on her own.
‘She understands cold judgment and the tension of the battlefield well. The plan itself is also excellent.’
The strategy Iris proposed was realistic and cautious.
It wasn't about clashing head-on, but rather a method that could inflict a fatal blow by first observing the enemy's movements and hiding our own forces as much as possible.
‘This is nothing more than a prelude. Since we don't know the enemy's numbers or combat power, it's best to be as cautious as possible.’
I led the group, following the fortress Iris was pointing to with her hand.
It was a watchtower on a small hill not far from the capital, but thanks to the terrain, it was an advantageous location for establishing a defensive line.
Our party hid there, watching beyond the distant fields.
Soon, a black wave began to stir within the hazy fog.
“…They're here.”
Everyone could tell without anyone having to say it first.
A chilly aura.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of footsteps shaking the ground.
The undead army was approaching.
The dismembered soldiers of death crawling through the bushes.
The procession, with skeletons holding shields with their whole bodies rotted and twisted, and without a single banner, was utterly incongruous.
Squeak…. Squeeaak….
Despite that, their battle formation was orderly and unbroken.
Since it was broad daylight, I couldn't use my power, but I unconsciously touched the hilt of my sword.
That's how intimidating the enemy's first appearance was.
Warriors whose pre-death combat experience and command structure were preserved intact.
What was before my eyes right now was truly a legion that embraced death.
Just then.
Iris gave Noemi a small hand signal.
Noemi also nodded her head without a word.
Her usual playful expression was nowhere to be seen.
Her gaze was in a state of hyper-focus, and the staff in her hand was trembling delicately.
I wanted to ask if she was okay, but I didn't bother to open my mouth.
Because she had already finished her preparations.
Whoooosh.
For a moment, it felt as if the surrounding air was being sucked into the tip of Noemi's staff.
A vibration spread from beneath Noemi's feet.
Purple mana began to cut through the air in a spiral form.
Soon, the staff turned red-hot.
A scorching flame formed, and a heat intense enough to dry up the surroundings rushed in.
“Hoooo.”
When Noemi exhaled, it was as if even the sky held its breath.
The silence right before something bursts.
That tension enveloped my entire body.
‘I'm counting on you, Noemi.’
I muttered quietly while looking at her back.
The time has finally come to take the first step.
The real fight to return this world to the land of the living.
***
Noemi slowly raised her staff.
“O flame, devour the silent earth. Breath of fury that even the sun fears, Mega Explosion!”
With a low whisper, a giant magic circle was drawn in the air.
It was a spell that Rude had taught her himself.
Explosion magic of a different dimension.
The name ‘Mega’ wasn't attached for no reason.
Red mana swirled and gathered at the tip of the staff.
Just inhaling felt like the heat was scorching my throat.
“You're dead! Get the hell out of my sight!!”
As the vortex of mana was completed, red flames poured onto the ground.
It was a sight as if a giant meteor was falling from the sky.
KABOOOOOOOOM!!
The world was momentarily dyed a dazzling red.
The screams of the undead erupted like a storm, and amidst the flames, bones flew out and flesh evaporated.
The surroundings became a sea of fire, and it felt as if the entire field was being distorted.
‘Good. This should have been enough to break their formation.’
Noemi's heart pounded as she looked at Iris, who had given the order.
She thought she might get praised, but Iris was tilting her head as if something was strange.
“Something's weird.”
“Huh? What is?”
Iris answered Noemi’s question immediately.
“The number of enemies is smaller than I thought.”
She spread out a map and then stared ahead once more.
“If most of the people from the Principality of Polotsk became undead, their numbers should be much higher than that. But……”
At her words, Noemi came to her senses.
She hadn't looked closely because she was preparing the spell, but now that she looked, her words were right.
The number of undead that had appeared before being engulfed in flames was strangely small.
“You're right. If the entire principality was attacked, it's normal for there to be a lot more than this.”
Iris took a deep breath and nodded.
“In any case, there are still many undead left. Noemi, I'll ask you one more time.”
Noemi nodded her head vigorously.
“Okay. I’m going even bigger this time!”
She raised her staff high once more.
The embers were still alive.
This was not the time to hesitate.
“O flame, devour the silent earth……”
Another magic circle was engraved in the air.
A giant red crest tore through the sky and spread, instantly changing the atmosphere of the battlefield.
‘I'll burn you all. So that not a single trace is left.’
This time, wider, stronger.
Her eyes, more focused than for the first spell, held a resolve hotter than the flames.
Soon, a pillar of fire that tore the ground apart shot up once more.
Like the wrath of a god.
A firepower that the undead could not escape raged once again.
***
Meanwhile, at that time.
Anonymous was quietly descending to the underground prison.
In her hand was a glass filled with blood.
An expressionless face.
As she opened the door and entered without any emotion, Noctavira's eyes sparkled.
“Is it you again today?”
The creature hadn't even approached, yet it was already swallowing hard.
Anonymous silently held out the glass.
“Are you some kind of barbarian? Is this really that delicious?”
Her tone was mixed with sarcasm.
But instead of answering, Noctavira snatched the bottle-like glass and drank it in one go.
Gulp gulp.
Her eyelids slowly drooped, and her expression was nothing short of ecstatic.
The creature licked its lips as if savoring a rare wine, then raised its head again.
It didn't part its lips, but it was as if it was saying these words.
One more glass.
A hand extended without a word.
Since when had it been?
In Noctavira’s eyes, there was no longer any sense of propriety or shame.
“You haven’t forgotten that I'm a vampire, have you?”
The creature slowly smiled and continued.
“Just as humans eat meat, this is our daily bread. What’s so barbaric about that?”
Anonymous frowned and turned her head away.
Just talking to her made her feel sick.
But just as she was about to turn her back, Noctavira's hand grabbed Anonymous' sleeve.
“Why haven't I seen Frank lately?”
Anonymous answered irritably.
“I told you. From now on, I'm in charge of your food.”
Despite that, Noctavira tilted her head as if she was suspicious.
“That's strange. He seemed completely smitten with me……”
She uttered the words in a barely audible voice, but Anonymous' eyes wavered for a moment.
Her words were clearly provocative.
Seeing Noctavira’s smirk-like expression, Anonymous couldn't hold back and slammed the door shut.
“Damned vampire.”
Anonymous grumbled as she climbed the stairs.
At that very moment.
She felt a familiar magic power from the northern sky.
“Hm?”
It was that same unpleasant feeling she had felt when she went to the Demon Territory.
Having located the source of the magic power, Anonymous opened the window without hesitation and jumped out.
Instantly transforming into a dragon, Anonymous spread her massive wings and soared, cutting through the darkness.
At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Peaceful clouds in the sky, a quiet forest below.
However, the higher she rose in altitude, the more an incongruous sight came into Anonymous' view.
Shadows spreading jet-black beyond the Elburz Mountains.
It wasn't just one or two.
An undead army of thousands, tens of thousands, was marching over the mountains.
“You still haven't learned your lesson after getting beaten once.”
A sneer that appeared and vanished.
Anonymous ascended to an even higher altitude.
And she began to gather all her body's magic power in her mouth.
A high fever flowed through her heart.
A strange whisper leaked from between her teeth.
When all those sensations converged into one, a golden breath was fired from Anonymous' mouth.
KROOOOOOOOAR!!
The sky split as if torn in two.
Her breath became a pillar of light and struck the center of the undead army.
The wind raged with the flames, and countless screams echoed from within.
However, Anonymous' eyes remained cold.
“They're a bunch who just don't know how to learn. Where do you think this is that you dare to invade?”
Of course, this time would be different from before.
The Lich King wouldn't have moved just by trusting in numbers.
‘He must have some other scheme.’
Was it because she had unleashed a powerful breath?
Feeling a sense of fatigue, Anonymous cautiously watched ahead.
She needed to prepare for how they would react.
***
As always, a quiet approach was key.
This time, Nox was thoroughly prepared.
The humiliation of rashly attacking like last time and getting the tables turned on him should never happen again.
“Begin.”
As soon as his words ended, the liches simultaneously spread their magic circles.
Barriers, spreading like red blood, rose layer upon layer, centered on the hill.
Soon, a halo of light struck from the sky.
KABOOOOOOOOM!!
The axis of the earth shook.
Nox, lying flat on the ground and covering his eyes, ground his teeth inwardly.
‘Damn it. To think it has this much impact even when we were prepared.’
Fortunately, the barrier held up better than expected.
The entire front of the liches' formation was blown away, but it was an acceptable loss.
Nox looked in the direction the halo of light had flown from and raised the corners of his mouth.
“Found you. So you were there!”
Amidst the flames, Nox finally found the familiar silhouette.
It was a single black dragon in the sky above the mountain range.
Was it a remnant of the powerful magic?
Blue flames still flickered faintly on her black scales.
But upon closer inspection, her body swayed slightly.
‘My prediction was correct after all.’
The power to incinerate a large army in an instant.
No matter how powerful she was, her body wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Nox quickly fumbled inside his robes.
What he held in his hand was a magic device he had found when he conquered the beastmen.
It was an ancient artifact that could put dragons to sleep.
“I won't miss this time.”
Nox raised the magic device high and threw it forcefully.
The magic device erupted, spewing red smoke as if exploding, precisely near Anticus' heart.
Fwoom!
For a moment, her eyes shook violently.
“Kgh!”
Gasping for breath and rapidly losing altitude, she fell at high speed.
Her magnificent wings disappeared, and her scales gradually peeled away.
Soon, she returned to her human form and fell among the forest of rocks.
“Now! Capture her alive!!”
At Nox's command, the undead army moved in unison.
The soldiers of death swarmed like a colony of ants.
Before long, the undead who had bound the exhausted Anticus' body quickly retreated.
They crossed the Elburz Mountains and disappeared back inside the Demon Territory.
Confirming the sight, Nox shouted in triumph.
“Hahahahaha! Perfect!”
All of this was a single trap.
Targeting the Principality of Polotsk in the first place was just bait.
Attacking the northeast with only 20% of the total forces was nothing but a smokescreen.
The remaining 80% of the forces crossed the Elburz Mountains.
It was not for a full-scale war with humans, nor for the conquest of the continent.
It was for only one thing.
‘To capture Anticus.’
Nox clenched his hand tightly with a sharp smile.
“Now, if I can just make her my subordinate……”
A deep ambition appeared in Nox's eyes.
“Everything will be over.”
Before long, his figure had vanished without a trace.
Only the fiercely burning flames served to prove that someone had fought a fierce battle here just a moment ago.