Episode 1109 The Great Offensive (5)
The Transcendent boasts the power to single-handedly bring down a nation, but… …
Strictly speaking, this means that one can overthrow the state system through guerrilla warfare, assassinations, or the destruction of major cities, not that one can wage an all-out war without retreat against millions to tens of millions of people and annihilate them all.
A transcendent being has merely escaped the limits of the species, but is ultimately confined within the framework of a living being. If one desires a status higher than that, one must establish one’s own power.
Because this world is filled with harsh pain and weariness, too much to reign entirely alone.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
The sun of black flames caused a magnificent explosion.
Verden rose low.
Black flames erupted from the fingertips of two hands slicing the horizontal line, engulfing the surrounding area in darkness. A magical barrier emanating from the concept of annihilation held the undead in check, blocking them from filling the void left by the legion.
The Elder of the Larian Magic Tower swallowed hard as he strengthened everyone with magic of the Buyeo lineage. Not all of the high-ranking forces of the Ten Great Magic Towers had followed their Tower Master.They were dispatched evenly to every battlefield as small pillars of the World Alliance.
“No matter how many times I see it, I cannot believe the sight of that Darkmoon magic unfolding in the hands of others.”“Save the admiration for later.”“Luas, embrace humanity with light.”
The High Paladin of the Ruas Theocracy and the Supreme Inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Law prayed for different miracles and bestowed blessings.Light shone upon everyone except Adrian, a transcendent being of the martial arts world, and Leila, a contractor of an archdemon.
A vein bulged on Triton’s forehead.
I’ll deliver it safely to Samun.
A vanguard unit consisting of dozens of men rapidly maneuvered toward the gap between the magic barriers.
The Legion’s elites formed a large encirclement around Adrian and Leonhardt, allowing the Transcendents to conserve their energy and divine power to the fullest while dealing with any commanders who might be in the Gate of Death.
Thanks to Manghwa obliterating the advance troops’ presence so they could not escape beyond the barrier, the Empire’s undead immediately focused their attention on Verden.
However, given that there are numerous commander-level individuals in the Xerion Empire as well, they will notice soon enough.
Verden maximized his presence as a spiritual entity.
Joining Serendia is the top priority.
The arrows and magic aimed at the transcendent were like a downpour coming down in reverse.
As various systems of magic collided, they triggered a complex explosion. Verden emerged through the smoke and manifested a pitch-black spear.Dozens of them rose around Verden and immediately spread in all directions.
Kwagwagwagwagwagwagwagwang!
It was a bombardment aimed at the high-ranking liches that had just cast 6th-tier magic. Even if the lower species is Ignacia’s spiritual body, it cannot leave a single scratch on Verden.
The key is, to use a human analogy, national-level military power.
Just then, a huge anchor flew in from the epicenter.
It was the appearance of entities that had not immediately vanished even in the 7th-ranked flame. As I twisted my upper body in the air, a chain anchor covered in human parts brushed past by a mere handspan.
Where did you get the anchor?
Boom!
Verden severed the middle of the chain with the edge of his hand and brought his hands together. Just as the density of magical energy was increasing exponentially, two undead creatures leaped from below and swarmed Verden from the left and right.
Knight of the Apocalypse
[To you. I. Say. The. End.]
The highest-ranking undead accompanied by the Arch Lich by Kecilus, the fourth servant, during the Bone Dragon incident. Its strength is comparable to that of Adrian at that time.
Verden stretched out his arm.
A dark heatwave, contrasting with the bright sky, swallowed the three of them all at once.
The undead army has approached quite closely.
Verden landed on the ground. The two Knights of the Apocalypse, having withstood the magic, crashed into the earth with a short roar, their armor damaged.They rose again.Among the Knights of the Apocalypse was the undead who had just thrown the anchor. Discarding the broken chain, he waved his hand, and the surrounding undead transformed and merged to become a massive spear scattering aura of evil.
A supernatural ability that uses the undead as tools.Blackened, corroded armor.Blood-red mist seeping from the cracks in the armor.A burnt skull visible beyond the helmet.
Verden was the first creature he had seen, but it was not Draven’s memory.
Monarch of Blasphemy.
It is a powerful special entity.
As the Lord of Blasphemy stretched out an arm, the long spear shattered the lifeless earth. Verden, deflecting the spearhead with one hand and lowering his upper body, closed the distance.Wiggling his fingers as if playing the keys of a piano, he manifested the Spear of Bliss.
Magic bombardment was excluded from the judgment.
Since the spiritual body is separated from the heart of the main body and the amount of magical power is not infinite, this tactic is not at all suitable for the medium to long-term battles that are being considered.
Kill with minimal operation.
Although I have stored extra magical power from the main body, it has a separate use.
*Thwack*─── *CRASH!*
As Verden and the Lord of Blasphemy simultaneously threw their spears, the air vibrated with a shockwave. Although Annihilation was superior in destructive power, it did not reach him.
Lee Hyeong-jong, who desecrates corpses, once again uses the undead as material to create a long spear.
[The end. Returns.]
Two swords imbued with malice aimed at his chest and thigh, respectively. Verden did not dodge. He grasped both blades simultaneously with his hand covered in a cloak.
After being pushed back for a moment, he forcibly crossed the Sword of Destruction and struck the blade face with his palm.
Momentium
The 7th-tier gravity magic blew away the two undead while pressing them down, preventing their feet from lifting off the ground for even a moment.
Verden clasped his hands together.
Repulsive forces acted from the outer left and right, while attractive forces acted in the inner center. He finished his calculations toward the Knights of the Apocalypse, who had thus gathered together in a straight line.
Daeamcheon
[… … !]
As the flash of annihilation surged in, obliterating the upper bodies of the creatures, the Lord of Blasphemy let out a scream and thrust his spear vertically into the ground.
Thousands of undead melted away in an instant, and a thick shadow fell before the beam.
Kuuuuuuuuuuuung!
The Wall of the Dead was chipped away and then collapsed. In the process, the Lord of Blasphemy held onto the Great Darkness, whose power had been sufficiently weakened, with one hand.
At that moment, Verden burst in from the flames of annihilation.
He maneuvered at high speed, climbed onto the shoulder of the Lord of Blasphemy, and concentrated his magical power. He brought his hand down. A deep blue lightning bolt struck the guy’s helmet.
The Great Upheaval of Cheongjeon
A thunderous roar exploded intensely, and lightning strikes continuously detonated across the entire body of the Monarch of Desecration. It was a lightning strike of immense heat capable of obliterating even morale.
At the same time, he manipulated the magic barrier he was maintaining, levitated it into the air, and spread it in all directions.
Kwagwagwagwagwagwagwang!
Projectiles of the Flame of the Dead landed in succession between the gate and the advance unit, and upon the undead legion to the east.
Since the advance unit had just passed through the path made of the magic barrier and there was no longer a need to maintain the flames, Verden now focused on holding back the undead legion as much as possible.
… … !
An ominous spear shot up, aiming for Verden’s jaw.
“Have you adapted to the unique lightning magic of the 7th tier? As expected, it is resistance befitting a special individual.”
Verden dodged by twisting his shoulder, then grabbed the long spear between his armpits. *Crack!* He smashed the spearhead, which he had snatched away with strength and magic, into the skull’s face.He couldn’t crush it, but it was quite a sight to behold as it lodged in the gaping eye sockets.
The Monarch of Blasphemy staggered and flashed a crimson light through the gap in his helmet.
[Human.]
Does it look that way?
The figures of the two disappeared.
Boom! Boom! Crash! Crash! Crash!
Verden, maneuvering to the east, confronted the pursuing Lord of Blasphemy. In the aftermath, the inner perimeter of the Xerion Empire’s formation became slightly more chaotic.
However, this is enemy territory.
Under the command of the Lord of Blasphemy, high-ranking liches predicted the movement path and unleashed a magical bombardment. It was not only wide-ranging but also contained elements of formidable power.The moment Verden made his decision and applied the brakes, the shadows accelerated.
The monarch of blasphemy overtook him.
Boom!
Verden crossed his arms to block the spear shaft. The ground he stood on sank. As his movement was restricted, a wave of undead rushed in.
Dark Night
Countless hands of the undead flickered from all directions above the curtain of black flames. Despite their bodies disintegrating with every blow, the dead were relentless.
The Lord of Blasphemy repeatedly thrust his spearhead to shatter the shield. He did not stop, regardless of whether the lower-ranking undead were destroyed.That was not all.Undead entities of rank 6 or higher were approaching, led by the commanders.
An overwhelming offensive of sheer numbers, led by a few special entities. As expected, is it difficult to face an army of this magnitude with the limited realm of the 7th tier?
Although he boasted of his experience, no opening appeared to defeat the Monarch of Blasphemy within a single day. It does not matter. Verden does not need to create that opportunity anyway.
“The number of undead guarding the Eastern Curtain has been significantly reduced. Bombard them.”
───Yes, Your Majesty!
The light of magical power approached.Before the Lord of Blasphemy could even turn around.
The curtain forming the boundary of the inner enclosure was partially broken.
Kwaaaaaaah!
Several magic particle cannons scorched the terrain around Verden from an ultra-long distance. Beams boasting high heat and high pressure left sizzling craters.
Eon’s wizards had fully adapted to the weaponry of the Hellion Magic Tower, and surprisingly, they operated the particle cannon to miss Verden.
In a mere split second────the undead covered in the veil of annihilation were wiped out, and the Lord of Blasphemy was deprived of his senses as he was exposed to the heat pressure.
I dared to make the mistake of turning my gaze away from the Transcendent One without even the protection of the Legion.
Tsukakagagagak!
The Spear of Annihilation swung across the armor, severing the back of the knee, the right elbow, and the left wrist. The Lord of Blasphemy was pulled down by gravity and slumped to the ground.Almost simultaneously, the tip of the spear curved diagonally and pierced the creature’s helmet. Verden thrust his hand forward, piercing the armor as well and completely shattering all the large ribs.
Extinction
Flames erupted from within the armor. The Lord of Blasphemy was swallowed by pitch-black flames. His burnt skull turned completely black.
[… … Aaaaaaah!!]
Nevertheless, it still emitted an aura of death, but it was a small struggle.There was nothing Verden could do.
Bang!
An arrow laden with a storm struck the raised arm of the Lord of Blasphemy. A natural wind blew. A silver flash flashed and beheaded the weakened Lord of Blasphemy.A Guardian Elf landed on the ground where thick malice scattered from the corpse.
“Thanks to you, it was easy to get here, brother.”
The Ternetia Federation Suppression Corps moved from north to east and cut away at the outer perimeter.As the Eon-style assault caused considerable confusion in the inner formation to the east, the Elves were able to break through the wall of the Undead more easily than expected.
The elves who marched from the east, including Karans, Merquien, and Serendia, arrived at the inner perimeter of the Undead Legion as planned and joined him.
“It reminds me of the time we fought together in the Kingdom of Esteria in many ways. Although I received the blessings of a great mother that were beyond my station, the gap between us has actually widened, far from being able to match my brother… I will stand by you with all my heart so as not to become a hindrance.”“I have never considered you a hindrance.”“…!”
Karans laughed loudly, unable to contain the joy welling up inside him.
Boom! Boom!
Merquien frowned as he defeated the undead with the ancient spirit Prima.
“The evil energy is too strong. Won’t the living tree die halfway through growing?”“Normally, that would happen. However, we possess the purest magical power.”
The guardian of the World Tree—Serendia—approached Verden with her bow slung over her back.Karance’s sister extended a pure white hand.
“Let’s begin, Verden.”
Why did the Elf forces have to break through to the center and for Verden to assault and create a gap near the center of the Undead Legion?
The key is Serendia.
This is because only her magic can take back the land overrun by the undead.
Verden and the Elves cooperated to demolish the eastern section as much as possible, acting as a catalyst to allow the main force to enter; now, all that remains is to maintain and expand that path.
Verden memorized the starting phrase.
I will draw on the future for the present.
Verden’s spiritual body retrieved the necklace-type artifact [Master’s Respect] from the main body in advance.The vast magical power that the main body had stored before the start of the war began to take the place of the infinite magical power contained in Verden’s heart.
“Do I just need to hold hands?”“Yes, I’ll take care of the rest.”
The hands of the elf and the transcendent being overlapped.
A blue magical power comparable to, or perhaps even purer than, that of the World Tree was transmitted to Serendia. To the elves, that power was practically the power of a god.
I expected it… but this sense of omnipotence.
Her hair and eyes shone brilliantly, as if holding the essence of nature.
Oh, great mother.
Serendia temporarily approached the World Tree.
“A fragment of the world, please, let it reach this land.”
At that moment, a massive amount of magical power stored by [The Master’s Respect] was consumed. It was enough to say that it swallowed the entire magical power of a 7th-rank transcendent being.After a brief silence, a massive earthquake occurred centered around Serendia and Verden.
The dead earth twisted.The axis of the earth shook.
Between the cracks in the deeply split ground, the trunk and roots of a tree that would likely exist deep within a great forest shot up and stretched toward the sky.
Arbor’s living wood.
Life overflowing from the power of the World Tree manifested before death;soon, nature overflowed.
* * *
The advance unit, which was racing with the support of Verden, reflexively turned its head to the rear at the tremendous vibration and roar.
“What, what is that!”“Is that the tree the elves were talking about…!”
A giant living tree was born in a space that had been filled only with the undead just moments ago. The energy radiating from the living tree caused a violent magical reaction, and the mages trembled reflexively.
Seizing control of the Elf territory.
With a forest sprouting in this barren land, the plan seemed to be proceeding as intended.Before long, the main force would be able to enter the Empire’s inner formation through the territory seized by that tree and advance into the Four Gates.
thud!
Increased the speed.
The Mountain King charged from the center. Layla, having drawn out the power of Triton and the Great Demon, repelled the enemies approaching from the left and right, respectively.The undead army was surging forward, but it was somewhat too late to catch up with their movements.
Adrian and Leonhardt concentrated their energy and divine power again and again without swinging their swords even once, and prepared to unleash their absolute maximum power.
Soon, the gate began to approach rapidly.
“inrush.”
Whoosh!
At the command of Commander Adrian, the advance unit threw themselves straight into the gate without stopping.
* * *
The feeling of my soul fluttering did not linger long and quickly subsided. Finally, I entered the world of the Four Gates, where the very emergence of a massive undead legion was a function.
A plain stretched out there.
A flat plain where even the undulations of the hill were faint. There were hardly any structures on it. In reality, it consisted entirely of weapon-class undead entities and the source bodies of the Four Gates.
However, there were many enemies.
Are you suggesting an all-out war without a single wall?
The undead elite forces formed their ranks to welcome the uninvited guests of the World Alliance.Although their numbers were fewer than those of the outside, the presence of each individual on this side was of a higher standard.
Leonhardt let out a tense sigh.
“……2nd Commander, I have confirmed.”
The aforementioned asymmetric force, which had appeared in Delharun with the Old King and the Fourth Commander, stared at them from the rear of the Legion while mounted on a massive undead beast.The other commander who had provoked Adrian from beyond the scouting magic item was also visible.
“Of all things, it had to be asymmetric forces. What a disaster.”“I don’t think the advance units alone will be enough. What shall we do, Corps Commander?”“Our objective is to secure time and space for the main force to establish itself within the Gate. We are not ordering you to annihilate that massive army without exception.”
Adrian stepped forward, drew his lightsaber [Silendar], and aimed it forward.To be precise, at a single commander.
“Come out. I’ll kill you.”
Adrian initiated a one-on-one battle—a battle between commanders.
