novelraw Chapter 24 : Chapter 24
Chapter 24 : Chapter 24
Chapter 24. The Battle of Salamis
Coming out of the barracks, I could see the soaring flames.
The firewood piled up like an altar burned, brightly illuminating the dark sky before the dawn.
I headed to the place where Leonidas was being cremated with Themistocles.
“Are you afraid because the enemy outnumbers us! The warriors who closed their eyes at Thermopylae also faced a far greater number of enemies. But they did not run away, and died defending that place!”
In the midst of the dirge, the commander was giving a speech to the soldiers gathered for the memorial service.
The commander of the Greek allied navy was the Spartan commander, Eurybiades.
Having lost his king and royal guard, he was burning with fighting spirit.
“If we run away here, their deaths will be in vain! If we survive as cowards, will we not be ashamed before those who died first! Let us fight! We will stop the Persians from running rampant in the Peloponnesian Peninsula any longer!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
The soldiers cheered at Eurybiades' speech.
The atmosphere created by the heavy instrumental music in the background and the flames of dawn was boosting the soldiers' morale.
Watching him, Themistocles spoke to Lee Han-seong.
“This is a scene you created. Thanks to you bringing King Leonidas' remains, I was able to persuade Eurybiades more easily.”
“…I'm glad to have been of help.”
The fact that I had left my comrades behind and escaped alone had been weighing on my mind.
Seeing this scene, my heart felt a little lighter.
“So don't feel burdened, and take care of yourself. I will lead this battle to victory.”
“No, sir. I will join you.”
I had no intention of staying in the rear and resting.
To keep the royal guard captain's last words, I had to see the Persians' defeat with my own eyes.
“My abilities will be of greater help in a naval battle.”
“You mean the ability to transmit your voice.”
Just as he had by King Leonidas' side, if he acted as a communicator with Six Harmonies Voice Transmission by Themistocles' side, it would enable much closer command delivery between the ships.
Themistocles nodded, agreeing with that fact.
“Will your body be alright?”
“Fighting might be difficult, but transmitting my voice is more than enough.”
“If that is what you wish, then very well.”
“…Thank you!”
[You have acquired the first clue of the History Alteration.]
[Witness Themistocles' (Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin) rare skill
At that moment, a message popped up.
Come to think of it, after coming to this branching point, for some reason, the constellation did not show me any clues.
Perhaps it was because the main character of this History Alteration was not me, but Chungmugong.
The constellation's influence to intervene in the History Alteration was mostly being used to superimpose Chungmugong onto Themistocles.
‘This means I can't receive the constellation's help this time.’
There would be no help like observing the future of other timelines or knowing the clues in advance as in the previous branching point, but it didn't really matter.
I already knew that the Battle of Salamis was a great victory in the original history.
The important thing was to create an accomplishment worthy of being recorded in Pheidippides' name amidst this victory.
‘The goal is Chungmugong's 7-star promotion. And as a bonus, the completion of Pheidippides' 4-star promotion?’
The method to achieve a 7-star promotion was not difficult.
All I had to do was to activate my awakening skill, Transcendence, not on myself, but on Chungmugong.
The history he creates while transcended as a 6-star heroic spirit would be recorded as it is, and even after Transcendence ends, it would make him remain as a 7-star.
[You have acquired the second clue of the History Alteration.]
[Activate Transcendence on Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin.]
‘As expected. This was it.’
Then, the last clue must be for completing Pheidippides' promotion.
Considering the rules so far, the correct sequence was to blossom a new skill based on Chungmugong's rare skill
And then, to sublimate my abilities into a 4th awakening skill by linking them as much as possible, centered on
‘It's true that adding the
But even though I knew it was lacking, no particular inspiration came to mind.
While I was contemplating the third clue, the day was dawning.
The dawn that drove away the darkness seemed to foretell our victory.
***
The Persian army that passed through Thermopylae continued south, destroying and plundering the surrounding cities, and it had been over two weeks since they entered Athens.
Persia was taking a breather to secure the city and repair their fleet, but Xerxes had no intention of stopping there.
There were opinions that they should wait for infighting among the poleis without attacking the Greek navy, but Xerxes, whose pride had been wounded at Thermopylae, wanted a decisive battle.
“To conquer Greece within this year, we need an overwhelming victory.”
Thus, the Greek navy and the Persian fleet faced each other for several days, and during that time, a piece of intelligence came to Xerxes.
It was intelligence that the Greek navy would escape Salamis and flee.
Xerxes, who confirmed the intelligence, advanced his navy as soon as dawn broke to block the opponent's escape route.
“Blockade the strait!”
That night, the Greek side, having heard the news of Persia's sortie, had Themistocles send a letter.
「The incompetent general of Athens, Themistocles, realizing that he cannot win against the overwhelming forces of Persia, wishes to surrender. Currently, the Greek commanders are engaged in infighting, and as a result, the Greek navies of the Peloponnesian Peninsula have decided on a unilateral withdrawal. Therefore, if the Persian army blockades the strait, victory will be certain.」
“Hahaha! Even the enemy general guarantees our victory, so how can we remain still.”
It was the news Xerxes had been eagerly awaiting.
As he had been continuously waiting for the Greek army's infighting, he did not doubt Themistocles' letter at all.
He immediately advanced his fleet and blockaded the strait.
“Sortie!”
That was what happened yesterday.
However, contrary to the letter's contents, the Greek navy had steeled their resolve and prepared for battle through a memorial service honoring King Leonidas and the warriors of Thermopylae.
And today, as soon as dawn broke, the Battle of Salamis began with the Persian navy launching an attack.
It was an attack made in a state of severe fatigue from maneuvering at night.
“It's the Persian fleet!”
The Persian fleet charged in, seeing an opportunity when the Corinthian ships momentarily moved north.
“It seems they are scared and trying to scatter. If we attack now, we can easily deal with them.”
However, no sooner had the Persian fleet entered the strait than the Corinthian fleet immediately returned to its position and formed a formation.
In that state, the entire Greek navy slowly retreated backwards.
Lure them into the strait!
[Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin's
[《Six Harmonies Voice Transmission》 responds to
The Greek navy retreated in an orderly fashion as commands were delivered in real time through Six Harmonies Voice Transmission.
On the other hand, the Persian fleet, which became densely packed due to the rapidly narrowing strait as they moved further in, was colliding with each other.
It was a situation where their numerical superiority had become a hindrance.
Seeing the Persian fleet with its broken and scattered formation, Themistocles launched a counter-offensive.
Now is the time! All forces! Charge!
Themistocles, who had given the charge order, muttered under his breath.
“I still have twelve ships left.”
[Chungmugong's rare skill
[Chungmugong's 4th awakening skill 《I, Your Humble Servant, Still Have Twelve Ships》 summons twelve ships.]
[The subject is not suitable for the historical background.]
[The ships' material is adjusted to wood. Gunpowder weapons are prohibited.]
Chwaak! Chwaak! Chwaak!
A fleet of translucent starlight appeared in front of the Greek fleet, leading the way as they cut through the waves.
Due to the suppression of history itself, all the cannons had disappeared, so they could only attack by ramming without
“The fleet of the gods is with us!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
The appearance of the fantastical ships made of starlight raised the morale of the Greek navy to its peak.
BOOM! RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
The turtle ships, which collided with the front line of the Persian fleet, tore through the opponent's formation and advanced.
The Greek fleet also began to collide with the Persian fleet.
The twelve ships summoned by I, Your Humble Servant, Still Have Twelve Ships formed an exquisite formation, paving the way for the allied ships and blocking the enemy's movements.
‘Amazing!’
Lee Han-seong, who was watching the ships of the entire battlefield moving organically through
An overwhelming tactic that he could not even half understand with the tactical capabilities contained in Leonidas'
No, it was only because of the Bird's-Eye View skill that he could vaguely understand it; if not for that, even if he watched from the side, he would not have been able to absorb even 10% of the formation.
[The rare skill reacts to Chungmugong's
The blossoming of the formation skill was imminent.
CRACK! RUMBLE!
As the rams at the front collided, ships began to sink, and on the ships that did not sink, the Greek and Persian armies boarded each other's ships and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
Do not act rashly and hastily, but act calmly and as heavily as a great mountain!
Shalalalala!
[Chungmugong's 3rd awakening skill 《Do Not Act Rashly, Be as Calm as a Mountain》 grants overall resistance to the allies.]
A starlight that made it so that even if they were hit by the opponent's blades, they would die after two or three hits instead of one, enveloped the entire Greek allied forces.
Those who seek death will live, and those who seek life will die.
Woooooong!
[Chungmugong's 5th awakening skill 《He Who Seeks Death Shall Live, He Who Seeks Life Shall Die》 becomes the new law of the battlefield.]
From this moment on, the law was changed so that those who were prepared for death would not die.
A soldier who killed an enemy at the risk of his own death would die and then come back to life.
On the other hand, a soldier who fled to live would be hit by a stray arrow, fall, and not get up again.
The formation of a battlefield where only those who were prepared for death would be resurrected, even if it was the same death.
That was Chungmugong's 5th awakening skill.
The completion of a formation that would never break.
The moment I saw it, the image of the formation that had been tickling my mind finally took shape.
[Conditions have been met, and the rare skill blossoms into
“Athena protects us!”
“I will offer this life to the gods!”
At the manifestation of a miracle, most of the Greek allied forces became fanatics with their eyes turned upside down and engaged in a massacre.
“Those guys, they were definitely dead… they came back to life!”
“Uwaaah! How can we win against guys like that!”
On the other hand, the Persian army was in a crucible of fear and confusion, running around in circles.
In a history no different from the second coming of a myth, a new legend is written.
“It's about time to wrap things up. I'm counting on you. Pheidippides.”
Themistocles, having confirmed that Pheidippides had finished acquiring the formation, gave him a signal.
Understanding his intention, I activated Transcendence on him.
To be precise, towards Chungmugong who was dwelling in Themistocles.
Paaaat!
[6-star heroic spirit Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin is temporarily promoted to 7-star.]
[The 1st and 2nd awakening skills are sublimated into legendary skills.]
[The Destiny Awakening Skill 《The Battle Is Urgent, Do Not Announce My Death》 changes to a normal awakening skill.]
From 7-star heroic spirits onwards, instead of gaining new skills upon promotion, they sublimate their existing awakening skills into legendary skills, two at a time.
By becoming beings who can produce their own starlight, they learn to use the awakening skills, which could only be used with the blessing of a constellation, as skills that can be used without the constellation's blessing.
Because they were already complete, rather than adding something new, properly digesting what they already had was the training from 7-star onwards.
“The battle is urgent, so do not announce my death.”
Chungmugong, having reached 7-star, muttered under his breath.
Paaaat!
Then, the 6th awakening skill The Battle Is Urgent, Do Not Announce My Death was activated, and Chungmugong's spirit came out of Themistocles' body.
The original spirit body of a high-ranking heroic spirit that could exert physical force and influence on its own.
When it was a Destiny Awakening Skill, its limit was to summon an original spirit body that would move in his stead until the battle was over, even after he died.
But now that he had reached 7-star, the original spirit body had changed to persist even after the battle was over, and the original spirit body had become the main body instead of the physical body.
Whoosh!
Flying up into the air, he drew the attention of both friend and foe and recited a poem.
“I swear to the heavens with my three-foot sword, and the mountains and rivers tremble. I sweep them away with one swing, and blood dyes the rivers and mountains.”
The two awakening skills that had become legendary skills transformed into the shape of swords and were held in Chungmugong's hands.
A white three-foot sword and a blood-red three-foot sword.
The two auras of red and white spread across the battlefield, empowering the allies and absorbing the deaths of the enemies.
Fwoosh-hahahak!!!!
Every time he swung the two swords, a blood-red dragon was fired, mercilessly sweeping through the Persian fleet.
It was the moment Chungmugong's legend was added to a distant history.
However, Lee Han-seong was captivated by the realization that came to him the moment he saw the original spirit body, and he couldn't pay any attention to the scene.
‘The original spirit body is like a massive formation woven from starlight.’
What if he applied the formation skill to his inner starlight?
An awakening skill comparable to Transcendence might be born.
-Nyaa!
As if confirming that thought, a system message appeared along with the cat's cry.
[You have acquired the third clue of the History Alteration.]
[Construct an inner formation that imitates the original spirit body.]
[The blessing of the constellation is with you on your path, having acquired all the clues.]
Seeing that, I was convinced.
The piece to complete Pheidippides' 4th awakening skill had been filled.