Episode 1093 Eastern Continent: Land of Corruption (2)
A winged beastman who fell rapidly from the sky and destroyed an entire city with the impact of his mass.Varkhazel.When Antias first encountered information about him, he thought.
It is my prey.
Although he was defeated by the Saint, he ultimately put her to sleep for a while, preventing her from intervening in the resurrection of the Old King at all.Moreover, he even survived.Among the Great Beastmen Tribe, no one other than Antias can display such stature.
In other words, Barcazel was the strongest among the other beastmen Antias had encountered, so how could he not take a deep interest in him?
This is Antias’s share.
There is a justification.
The basic policy of the World Alliance is to counter asymmetric forces with asymmetric forces.
I guess I’ll have to skip the intercontinental space travel circle.
Antias shrugged his shoulders with his characteristic smile and spread his arms.
Verden came down to the ground.
“Given that they raided the Great Tribe while you were transported to Delharun, it is highly likely that this is a decoy. Their ulterior motive is likely to kill you, or to intermittently distract attention to effectively force you to withdraw from the front lines.”“Hahaha, if there is such a trap, I must find it myself.”“44 days. I do not need to capture you alive.”
Verden set a clear deadline.
Make sure to track it down and deal with it within that time.
Given that the Water King Antias is being deployed, mediocre results are insufficient. If the Empire’s military power is not decisively weakened, the continent will have to bear the brunt of the damage.
44 days is the maximum margin that can be given to asymmetric forces at this point.
As the war enters its mid-stage and intensifies, their presence could determine the outcome of battles across various battlefields. If there is no certainty that they can complete their mission within the deadline, it would be more beneficial for the Alliance to simply assign them other roles.
Rather than being dragged around, it is one way to wait for the Prisoner of the Massacre to surface, even if it means enduring the troublesome damage.That is, if I can return more to the Xerion Empire than what was suffered.
At this, Antias held up three fingers.
“Thirty days will be enough. Just prepare a stand to display his head.”“I’m looking forward to it.”
There is no need for a lengthy, detailed explanation. We are not so weak that mutual persuasion is necessary. The results desired by the World Union are sufficient proof of our confidence.
Gate
The purple entrance opened.
While ultra-long-range transfers are limited, there is no option to conserve them. It is Verden’s decision to use available resources without delay when the enemy’s asymmetric forces are detected and when significant damage to the Alliance is anticipated.
Thump.
Verden threw Lisandro’s fruit potion.
It is highly concentrated.
Isabella and Rito extracted the Lissandro fruit they received from Serendia, the guardian of the World Tree, as efficiently as possible to minimize consumption, but the amount was limited and the limits were visible.
High-concentration fruit potions were such rare consumables that only the leadership of Eon possessed them.
Antias’s resilience is superior, but he has just fought Akand. Even if he looks fine on the outside, it will be difficult for him to display his full strength.
The Prisoner of the Massacre is on equal footing with the Saint.
Although the status of the awakened saint has been elevated, she remains a formidable and formidable adversary resurrected by the Followers of Fate through the glory of the corpse. This isparticularly true in that it demands a chase rather than a pure head-on confrontation.
If you leave room for error, you will die.You must approach it with that mindset.
Gulp.
Antias did not go out of his way to refuse Verden’s implicit advice and emptied the potion cleanly, leaving not a single drop behind.
Hoho.
The body expanded and then contracted for a moment.
As the life force of the Great Forest was added to the life force of Antias, the synergy effect resulted in a outcome far greater than what Eon had researched so far.
It is enough to give the illusion that one can actually see the vitality.
“It is truly magic.”
Antias let out a laugh, kicked off the ground, and entered the
With this, the asymmetric forces that both sides can deploy to the battlefield have decreased by one each.
The Old King.Four Undead.The Evil Dragon.The Beastman of Massacre.
Verden.The 7th Great Demon King.Dark Warton Tower Master.Lefragium Tower Master.Saintess.Master.Beast King.Great Calamity of Light.Great Demonization Mauler.
Although the World Alliance currently possesses the greater number of top-tier forces, the Xerion Empire has Apostles and Ancient Dragons. In an all-out war, it is difficult to gauge not only the outcome but also the number of casualties even if victorious.
It would be good to bring the Empress and the Great Emperor into the alliance, but the Empress fled in a near-death state and is missing, and the Great Emperor did not seem to have any intention of intervening in the war immediately.
Just as the Alliance has a transcendent being, the Empire has a commander. However, excluding asymmetric warfare, the World Alliance holds a certain degree of superiority, so the top priority is to utilize this to reduce the size of the Empire first.
The key is how much of the Empire’s power can be chipped away before reaching the end.
Whoosh.
Verden manipulated the communication device.He changed the channel.It was a secret channel within the Joint Intelligence Agency that only Alpha and Beta could access.
Implement a deception.
알파가 음성을 바깥으로 내보내지 않고 베르덴에게 화답했다. 통신 장치를 프레임 내부에 설치한 골렘의 기교였다.
───[확인. 이그나시아에게 전달하겠습니다.]
거대 도시 가르간트에서는 축제와 같은 경매장이 열리곤 한다. 이그나시아의 저울. 베르덴도 발로크의 두 번째 제자 레이셴 테일로드를 죽이기 위해 거기에 참여한 적이 있었다.
당시 경매의 진행 방식은 개미들의 미궁.
경지를 제한해 경쟁하는 무대.
베르덴과 이그나시아는 정신체라는 이름의 환영을 이용해 미궁에 입성했다. 본체를 전혀 드러내지 않고 모두를 기만한 것이다.
‘아칸드의 정보력은 미지수이지만, 연합에 비견될 수준으로 상정하는 게 옳다. 내 위치를 파악하는 데 당연히 일부를 할애하고 있을 터.’
그렇다면 속인다.
미리 이그나시아의 마도로 구축해 놓은 정신체를 내세움으로써.
게다가 베르덴에게는 [투영의 관]이라는, 유골룡을 토벌한 보수로 벨디른 공화국에게서 받은 <환영> 생성 마법 물품도 있다.
<베일>
베르덴은 [아인베르]의 공능을 최대로 활성화하여 존재감을 은폐했다. 머지않아 <게이트>의 빛도 약해져 자취를 감추었다.
베르덴이 사라졌다.
* * *
동대륙 남부, 분쟁 지대.
노바르 보루를 포함한 보급로 담당 부대를 제외한 토벌군단이 어떤 교전조차 없이 하스토우 요새를 손에 넣었다.도시급 규모라고 해도 10만이 넘는 병력을 완벽히 수용하기는 어려웠지만, 층이 있는 건물을 적극적으로 활용하면 어떻게든 가능했다.
크세리온 제국이 설치한 시체 허수아비들은 한데 모아 성화로 불태웠다. 악취도 나지 않을 정도로 썩은 유기물은 순식간에 정화되었다.
“루아스시여, 가련한 죽음을 애도해 주소서.”
교황 로마누스가 기도문을 외우면서 하스토우 요새 전체를 신성력으로 뒤덮었다. 죽음으로 인해 음산했던 분위기가 환하게 밝아졌다.다만 연합을 향한 조롱 섞인 시체 조형물을 목격한 이들의 감정은 식을 줄을 몰랐다.
밤이 몰려왔다.
분쟁 지대에서의 첫날 밤이었다.
* * *
횃불 대신 마석등이 어둠에 맞서고 있는 하스토우 요새, 그 내성(內城)에 동대륙 남부 토벌군단 수뇌부가 집결했다.에온의 방어 골렘 부대가 병사들을 도와서 경계 및 순찰에 함께하고 있다.
“병기의 도착 예정 시간은 약 11일.”
유리온이 손끝으로 지도를 짚었다.
분쟁 지대가 어떤 지형지물로 이루어졌는지 상세히 기입된, 세계 연합에서 최근 정보를 토대로 해 새롭게 작성한 고품질의 지도였다.
연합의 토벌군단장만이 이러한 작전 지도를 소지할 자격이 있다.
“하스토우 요새 도착에 7일이고, 사문에 운반되는 데 4일이다. 당연히 병기 운반에 그 어떤 방해 공작도 없다는 가정하에 산출된 시간이다. 차질이 생기면 그 두 배 이상 걸릴지도 모르지. 하지만 그건 어디까지나 보급로 부대의 임무다. 우리 역할은 미리 길을 터놓는 거고.”
진군 경로는 셋.두 개의 군단도 세 개로 나눠진다.
“나는 갈기 구릉을, 벤디에는 분쟁 지대를 통과해 사문 앞마당 언덕을 점령, 공성 병기가 설치될 공간을 확보한다. 로마누스는 우측을 지나 브레필드를 확인한 다음에 봉쇄, 혹은 토벌을 판단 및 실행하고는 우리와 합류한다.”
유리온이 타락자들의 소굴로 추측되는 브레필드의 그림을 톡톡 두드렸다.
“브레필드까지 거리가 꽤 있으니 시간에 맞추려면 서둘러야 할 거야.”“명심하겠습니다, 서약자.”
로마누스가 고개를 끄덕였다. 루아스교의 비행정은 마법계의 비행정과는 동력 자체가 다르나, 기술적으로 거의 밀리지 않는다.더군다나 이 전쟁에 루아스 교국 최대의 비행정을 동원했다.
로마누스는 언데드의 천적.
그가 브레필드를 맡는다면 지상군을 대동하지 않고 비행정 몇 척만 투입해서 동쪽에서 몰려들 타락자들을 차단할 수 있다.이보다 더한 효율은 없다.
“최대한 많은 걸 도모하고 싶지만 알다시피 시간이 촉박하다. 병기가 여기 도착하기 전에 사실상 사문을 포위해야 하니까. 운반이 이상적으로 이루어지면 10일 만에 사문 앞까지 도착해야 하는 셈이지. 루아스 신이 우릴 도와주길 빌어 보자고. 무구한 광명으로.”
유리온이 소탈하게 웃었다. 신앙이 딱히 없는 그의 기도에도 로마누스는 진심으로 미소 지었다.성녀와 다르게 광신적인 면모가 없는 로마누스는, 모욕의 뜻으로 여신을 언급하지 않는 한 신앙 문제로 분노하는 일이 거의 없었다.오히려 무신앙자가 여신을 생각하고 있다는 사실을 기꺼워할 뿐이었다.
분위기가 조금 느슨해진 그때였다.
“진군은 당장 내일 아침.”
유리온이 단언했다.
“늦어도 3주 안에 타락의 사문을 폐쇄한다.”
벤디에가 첨언했다.
“초월자들이 앞장서겠습니다. 혹 길을 잃었다면 저희를 찾으시길.”“예!”
토벌군단의 지휘관들이 일제히 대답했다. 유니아와 카인도, 오스라도, 알데반도, 추기경도, 마탑주도…… 모두가 초월자의 등을 쫓으리라.
로마누스가 성호를 그었다.
“무구한 광명으로.”
마석등 불빛 아래에서 황금빛 정십자가가 조용히 명멸했다.
그리고, 동이 텄다.
* * *
하스토우 요새를 수호할 병력을 제외하고 군단들이 움직였다.서약자, 마스터, 교황의 군단이 남쪽에 있을 사문을 바라보는 기준으로 하여 각각 우측, 가운데, 좌측으로 진군했다.
얼마 지나지 않아 서약자의 병력은 저 언덕 너머로 사라졌고, 교황이 진두지휘하는 비행정은 구름 위로 자취를 감추었다.
일순간 구름층 사이에서 은은하고도 선명한 빛을 발산하는 거대한 물체가 보였다.분명 말로만 듣던 교황의 고유한 비행정이리라.
‘이제…… 진짜 시작이군.’
마스터의 군단에 속하게 된 칼리아는 애써 흥분을 가라앉혔다. 적의 아가리에 들어왔다는 생각에 호흡이 본능적으로 떨렸다.전투를 치른 적은 많아도 대규모 전쟁에 참전하는 건 처음이었기에.
투루루루.
Dreadmere sneered as if it were no big deal. The guy who had carried Verden in the Silent Desert and fought the Desert God and the First Tower Master surpassed Kalia in experience.
“I don’t know if this is a horse or a person.”
Callia let out a hollow laugh and stroked the nape of Dreadmere’s neck, though she could not touch his skin as he was clad in metal armor.Just then, Vendie, mounted on an ordinary warhorse, matched her pace and took her place beside her.
Kalia was polite without asking the reason.
“Calia de Esperensa of the Kingdom of Estiria. I greet the Master of the Temple.”“I heard you are close with Verden.”
Bendie observed an Ebonbane breed dreadmere that was extraordinary even at a glance.
“It is a warhorse from Verden. Physically, it is the best I have ever seen among the magnificent horses, so it will be your perfect companion on the chaotic battlefield.”
Hehehe.
“Mentally the best, too. I’ll just say that is the case.”
Kalia blinked at the sight of Dreadmere and Vendie as if they were having a conversation.
“With willpower, one can converse with all intelligent beings without borrowing language. Since the Dreadmere is highly intelligent, that process is quite smooth.”
Bendie pointed to the left.
“Do you see those sinkholes?”“Yes, I do.”“They say these are the traces of the battle fought between Verden and the Empress. The scale was large enough to be marked on the map of the Southern Conflict Zone updated by the World Alliance.”
From north to south in the conflict zone… the aftermath of the violent clashes continues in succession. It was reminiscent of a natural disaster.Although it was somewhat less severe than the meteorite impact on the Foltein Plains, the sight delivered a different kind of shock.
“Verden…….”
A record of the past lacking a sense of presence.
Perhaps that is why it felt like watching history unfold. Or perhaps closer to a legend or a myth… I wonder what sentiments future humanity will harbor upon seeing those scars of destruction, and what they will surmise as its cause.
Kalia was left speechless.
Bendy pulled his lips away as he watched her reaction.
“Have you ever witnessed the battle of the Transcendents?”“Aside from the Plains of Fortein… I have seen only fragments.”“In that case, let me give you some advice.”
Bendie’s gaze turns straight ahead.
“Just consider the transcendents as background.”“Background, you mean?”“If you immerse yourself in nature, such as the rough sea or the vast sky, you will only be overwhelmed for no reason. Therefore, view the background as peripheral poetry, and always keep yourself at the center.”
The Open Master’s Arsenal.
It will be difficult to survive if you do not immerse yourself in yourself.
… … !
Vendie, having vanished from Kalia’s sight, had already overtaken the legion. Immediately afterwards, she swung the longsword she had taken from the armory into the air.
Boom!
The bone arrow, flying toward the legion at speeds exceeding the speed of sound, was blocked by the sword energy and shattered. The deafening roar awakened the senses of the punitive legion.
Bendie raised his gaze.
An undead creature holding a massive bow stood atop a cliff several kilometers away. Beyond its stealthy presence, a different kind of evil surged.
“I have spotted the commander. I will scout the area, so please form a defensive formation.”
Power is strategy itself.
Boom───!
Bendie, having given orders to the entire legion, raced alone toward the cliff.
