1187-1195

Chapter 1187: Burning Forest

The Country of Law's border, Forest of Serenity.

Along with the arrival of the new day, the radiance of the sun spilled into the dense forest. Green leaves covered in clear, refreshing dew reflected the bright sunshine. At that moment, it should have been the start of a new day for all living creatures waking from their sleep. But now, the forest was in total silence, with neither chirping from birds nor growls from wild animals.

Slender figures flashed past the forest, sprinting ahead. They were elf young ladies donned in light green cloaks, carrying giant bows made from dark brown wood. Their faces were concealed by a raised collar and hood, but a pair of long, pointy, and twitching ears revealed their identity. They moved so quickly that at a glance, one could only see a trail of afterimages behind them. The elf young ladies were seemingly as light as air. They dashed ahead, treading the fallen leaves and branches silently while blending into the green forest. After a few moments, the elf young ladies came to a halt, exchanged looks with one another, and spread out into the surroundings.

"Phew..."

Gazing at the everlasting, pitch-black sky in the distance, Corina let out a helpless sigh, gripping her bow. She couldn't be more familiar with this forest as this was where she grew up. But now, everything had changed. As the Country of Law was afraid of any possible ambushes from the Country of Darkness, they evacuated residents of the Forest of Serenity to a safer location. Meanwhile, Corina and the other elf young ladies were in charge of patrolling the border, so as to report any happenings immediately.

As a matter of fact, many elves in the Country of Law didn't believe that the Country of Darkness would launch an ambush on them. That was because the Country of Law had an unique geographical location, where they were surrounded by towering mountains and precipitous ridges. Besides, there were innumerable paths that only elves were able to climb and travel on. Moreover, under the protection of the twin dragons and the vitality enchanted field of the Elf Forest, many elves believed that as long as they didn't bother others, others wouldn't mess with them. Elves were pretty much uninterested in the outside world and only hoped to lead their own lives. They thought they had nothing that could cause a war to break out, but Corina clearly knew that the truth was otherwise.

As a representative of the Country of Law who was sent and stationed in the Land of Atonement, Corina personally experienced the war between the Country of Darkness and Land of Atonement. Even though she viewed the situation from a neutral standpoint and didn't participate, she had a deeper understanding of wars from the experience.

Corina recalled the words Rhode said to her back then in the Land of Atonement.

"Actually, wars are really simple."

Corina remembered when Rhode had said those words, he was standing above the city wall and overlooking the hell-like battlefield below. The putrid smell of death was unbearable for an elf like her. But despite that, Rhode put up an expressionless face.

家を建てるなら/ERABERU - [公式]アエラホーム

"We give various meanings to before, during, and after the war. But it is a pity that everything is meaningless, be it for peace, freedom, survival, justice, or any other foolish reason. All in all, war is a product that cannot compromise both parties. It is like two people quarreling, where if a consensus cannot be reached, they will resort to hurling punches. Perhaps one may bleed, break some bones, or lose one's life, but in fact, it is actually avoidable if one gives it some serious thoughts before the fight breaks out. We always read about historians in history books mentioning the what-ifs... and that the war will not break out. But it is a pity that there are no ifs in history. Humans can never compromise with one another, just like how you can never convince a wolf to not eat meat or persuade a goat to enter a tiger's den. We are standing here to not be conquered and destroyed while they are here to conquer and destroy us. There is only one fundamental reason for this war to break out. And that is, we're standing here..." Rhode said, pointing his finger at the foot of the city wall. Then, he extended his arm and pointed ahead at the eternal night sky. "... and they're standing there. It is just that simple."

We're standing here.

Corina turned to the forest around her and shook her head helplessly. After Rhode became the Void Dragon, the Void Territory and Country of Law had contacts on a higher level, which was why Corina returned to the Elf Forest after she was relieved from her duty as an emissary of the Country of Law. When giving her resignation report, she stated that she was concerned over the aggressive ambitions of the Country of Darkness and thought that the Country of Law should increase their vigilance. However, most elves dismissed the matter and even accused Corina of meddling in others' business. To most elves, there was no need for the Elf Forest to worry about the possibilities of being attacked by other nations. As a matter of fact, even at this point in time, after the twin dragons ordered the evacuation of the residents of the forest, the elves treated the matter as a 'just in case'. They didn't truly believe that the Country of Darkness would attack the Country of Law.

Corina had no other way around her overly optimistic and naive companions. In fact, she empathized with their thoughts. If one never left this forest, one would feel like the entire world was peaceful and had no conflicts. The indifferent personality of elves also ensured that they wouldn't exchange blows with one another over small matters like shrews. Due to this reason, elves put themselves in the place of others and thought that the rest of the world was similar to the Elf Forest in terms of environment. However, only an elf like Corina who traveled abroad and experienced wars had a deeper understanding of the true meaning of life. As for the hothouse flowers, no matter how Corina convinced them, it would be useless unless they experienced wars for themselves.

"Madam Corina!"

At that moment, two elf young ladies shuttled out from the bushes from the left and right, landing lithely beside Corina.

"Everything is normal. There are no strange happenings."

Upon hearing her subordinates' report, Corina pondered for a while. Then, she nodded and said.

"Good, let's..."

"————!"

Before Corina finished her sentence, a deep, resounding explosion boomed, instantly startling her. She lifted her head and turned to the direction of the explosion. In the northeast direction, billows of black smoke rose, while a sea of flames swarmed in all directions, devouring everything in its path. Shortly after, a dozen fireballs descended from above like meteorites, smashing and bombarding the forest.

"Ambush!"

Looking at this scene, Corina's heart sank immediately. She turned around and gazed at her two subordinates. Upon witnessing their pale and terrified expressions, Corina couldn't help but let out a sigh. Even though they were outstanding elf warriors who patrolled the border with her, the training grounds were completely different from a real battlefield, after all.

"Safir! Inform the patrol guards to isolate the rear and ensure that the flames don't reach the central area right away. Nestor, gather the rest and retreat from the front lines immediately. Head to the first line of defense; I will check on Tina and the rest!"

"Madam Corina, we want to fight too!"

Upon hearing Corina's order, the two elves returned to their senses instantly. A few moments ago, they were just like other elves who believed that no one would offend them if they didn't offend others and it was impossible for the Country of Law to be ambushed. But now, that fragile illusion was demolished completely. However, they were well-trained warriors, after all. And they quickly pulled themselves together.

"Stop messing around. This is an order. Get to it now!"

Corina ordered and sprinted toward the conflagration without taking a second glance at her subordinates.

Corina shuttled through the forest like a vigorous cheetah. The entangledvines and low-hanging branches didn't hurt her at all. In the blink of an eye, she arrived at the periphery of the battlefield. Even though she was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but take in a deep breath of cold air upon witnessing the scene.

"This is too much...!"

The exuberant and peaceful forest disappeared completely, only to be replaced by a sea of flames that blazed the ground and trees. A strong smell of smoke assailed her nostrils.

———Swish!

Just as Corina decided to take a step farther to search for the three elves patrolling this area, she turned around and abruptly leaped back. At the same time, a dazzling red flash brushed past her, crashing heavily on the ground. In a loud explosion, burning flames erupted behind her. She somersaulted in the air and agilely landed on a thick tree branch. At that moment, she looked up and discovered the true identity of the enemy in front of her.

It was a mysterious figure in a black cloak. He wore a tall, triangular black hat that covered his head, revealing only a pair of eyes flickering in a mystical radiance. What was most eye-catching about this enemy was the three individual flames burning at the tip of the hat. They were seemingly alive and dancing as Corina took a closer look.

The mysterious black-cloaked figure held a scarlet, steel chain in his left hand. And at the end of the steel chain was a fire elemental monster standing on the ground and glaring at Corina.

This time, Corina knew she had gotten into huge trouble.

Chapter 1188: Flame Monster

Who exactly are they?

Corina didn't understand the undead creatures too much and this was a common problem for most elves in the Country of Law. They mostly relied upon their instincts and intuition to judge whether the other party was harmless or dangerous. If they were dangerous, elves would avoid or eliminate them. If they were harmless, elves wouldn't worry about them too much. Of course, although this approach seemed a bit idealistic, elves' intuitions were indeed capable of determining if one was friendly or hostile. However, this was also their biggest weakness. For instance, even though most elves sensed the ill-intentions of the slave traffickers from the Country of Light and evaded in advance, the slave traffickers had ways around them. They searched for children and pretended to abandon them in the forest. The innocent children weren't aware of what was happening, of course, and through this way, elves who chanced upon the children were unable to judge the hostility of the slave traffickers. When these kind and curious elves escorted the children out of the forest, the slave traffickers who were waiting for this moment pounced at once, using traps and other tricks to capture the elves altogether.

This was the elves' understanding about enemies. Elves were relatively aware of enemies they dealt with frequently, but wouldn't investigate enemies they seldom came into contact with. Anyway, as soon as the enemies appeared before them, they could immediately judge whether the enemies were a threat to them. In Corina's case, apart from experiencing the war that took place in the Land of Atonement and learning from Rhode about various types of undead creatures, she was totally unaware of them beforehand. But now, all of this had no meaning anymore! Because Corina sensed their ill-intention like an unbearable blaze on her skin!

"Foal rand sitfre!"

At that moment, the black-cloaked man raised his left arm. A hoarse voice sounded from underneath the pointy triangular hat. Corina leaped back without hesitation, pulling back her bow string immediately. In just a few seconds, an arrow coalesced from ice crystals flew off the bow string, disintegrated in midair, and metamorphosed into a snowstorm that enfolded the enemy ahead.

Boom!

The snowstorm and flames clashed, evaporating into white steam that proliferated in the forest. Corina didn't seize this opportunity to deal a follow-up assault, but turned around and sprinted into the depths of the forest instead. A few seconds later, she discovered another unconscious elf young lady laying by the foot of a burning tree.

"Tina! Tina! Wake up!"

Corina yelled, carrying the young lady on her back and sweeping a glance at her surroundings. Her heart sank upon witnessing two other flame-devoured corpses that burned into black ash. She gritted her teeth, forcing back the tears in her eyes and dashing deeper into the forest without looking back.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Seconds after she took off, sounds of a broken air barrier reverberated from the back; they were the scorching heat that followed Corina relentlessly. If Corina were alone, she would have no difficulty dodging these attacks as a formidable being in the Legendary Stage. But now, she was carrying a companion on her back and couldn't pick up speed.

"Damn it!"

Corina gnashed her teeth, judging that she couldn't escape the enemy's pursuit if this continued. Corina grabbed the elf young lady with her left hand and hurled her into the air. She looked up and blew a sharp, resounding whistle—in the blink of an eye, a huge goshawk swooped down from the sky and caught Tina with its steel, pincer-like claws, before soaring back into the air with the unconscious young lady.

"Kraff, bring Tina back to the tribe. Get them to be ready to face oncoming enemies—the undead creatures!"

"———!"

Upon hearing Corina's command, the goshawk called and disappeared into the depth of the forest with Tina. Everything happened within a matter of seconds, from when Corina summoned her animal ally to after she gave her command. As soon as Corina landed on the ground, a fire arrow emanating extreme heat was right before her eyes.

"Asita!"

Facing this fire arrow that could burn her into ashes, Corina didn't reveal any fluster in her expression at all. She stared ahead, holding one hand to the ground. As she chanted under her breath, a wall of ice instantly rose from the ground, shielding her from the menacing attack. In a loud, rumbling explosion, the steam evaporated from the collision of water and fire scattered once again. Corina rolled on the ground swiftly to avoid the ice fragments.

The enemy's strength was about the same level as her's, in the Basic Legendary Stage. In addition to the fire elemental monster, it wasn't easy for Corina to take them down. Due to the earlier delay, she could no longer escape even if she wanted to.

My only choice now is to defeat the enemy in the shortest time possible and flee the battlefield.

At this thought, Corina's eyes glinted in a chilly flash. She gripped the bow in her hand and pulled back the bow string in a gradual and elegant posture.

At the next moment, she released her fingers and the arrow flitted across the forest.

Swish———!

This wasn't only the sound of the broken air barrier, but was more like the resonance of airflow trembling under a mighty force. As the arrow flew forward, the surging airwaves erupted to both sides, metamorphosing into a violent storm that crushed every tree and plant in its path. This wasn't all due to Corina's attack. She swirled her beautiful emerald-green eyes around the forest, nocked another arrow on her bow, and released her fingers gently.

Boom! Boom!

Without any signs of warning, almost simultaneously as Corina released her fingers, two dazzling flames flared up in the depths of the forest crushed by the powerful storm. Upon witnessing the flames, Corina's eyes glinted in a bizarre flash. She moved her fingers midair elegantly as though playing a musical instrument. Along with this movement, arrows of light appeared around her, one after another, and darted into the deep forest. The light arrows didn't fly in a straight trajectory, but shuttled across the forest lightly without slicing a single leaf blade as though they were conscious.

"Over there!"

Upon spotting a shadow flashing past the forest, Corina locked onto its presence. She narrowed her eyes and gently released the fully-drawn bowstring...

Swish!

However, what caught Corina by surprise was that the arrow didn't fly toward the target as anticipated. Instead, the arrow turned 90 degrees and shot straight into the sky. Looking at this scene, Corina grimaced.

Could it be... Oh no!

Boom!

Corina sprang to the side immediately after realizing the situation was anything but reassuring. Then, an intense explosion thundered. Blistering airwaves and dazzling, red billows of smoke erupted above Corina, causing her hair to curl up in the extreme heat. But now, Corina didn't have the time to care about her precious hair anymore. Because glancing out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted the extending and warping fire elemental monster stretching its claws with an evil grin, attempting to burn her into ashes.

How is it possible for this monster to be above me? It was clearly standing far away just now...!

With Corina's legendary abilities, as long as she locked onto the target, her arrow would hit it no matter how the target escaped.

But why...!

At this thought, Corina knitted her brows and turned over to dodge the attack from the fire elemental monster. Its strong, enormous claws grazed her before slamming into the ground in a loud boom. As soon as she leapt up into the air, four revolving, scarlet magical rituals appeared around her out of thin air. Then, a dozen magical steel chains shot out and bound the young lady's limbs.

"Damn it!"

Looking at this scene, Corina panicked. Before she was able to release the arrow on the fully-drawn bowstring, her hands were wrapped tightly by the magical steel chains and she raised high up in midair. The arrow that was released abruptly from her grip swished by and vanished in midair, hitting nothing in sight.

"Argh...!"

Corina couldn't budge. She suspended in the air, staring helplessly at the fire elemental monster before her. At that moment, she heard a husky and unpleasant laughter. The black-cloaked man sauntered out of the deep forest. Judging from the punctures in his cloak, it was apparent that Corina's earlier attack was a relatively huge threat to this enemy.

"An elf giving me a hard time? What a surprise... the Country of Law sure is interesting."

"... Why is the Country of Darkness attacking the Country of Law?"

Glaring at the black-cloaked mage, Corina grunted. Upon hearing her question, the black-cloaked mage burst into laughter as though he heard an amusing joke.

"Hahaha. Why, you ask? There's no particular reason. It's an order from His Majesty, so it's only natural for us, his subjects, to comply! Besides, people of the Country of Law are also what we need! The bodies of elves are perfect for vessels. But I'm truly surprised to find such a fantastic one..."

The black-cloaked mage said, staring at Corina with mysterious flashes in his eyes. Then, he extended his arm and reached for a bottle of black, viscous potion from the folds of his cloak.

"... Come. Drink this, Elf Lady. You shall receive stronger powers, break free from the restraints of Order, and become the most loyal servant of our supreme lord—like us! Come, open your mouth and drink it!"

The black-cloaked mage spoke, strolling toward Corina with the bottle of potion in hand. He raised the bottle and a faint black mist emanated from it. Corina revealed a terrified expression. Upon witnessing her reaction, the black-cloaked mage laughed even louder.

"Hahaha, don't worry. Don't be afraid. After you accept this mighty, sacred power, you shall become..."

That was the end of his speech.

At the next moment, a silver arrow descended from the sky and penetrated his skull. The ambushed black-cloaked mage stood blankly on the spot for a few seconds before crashing to the ground lifelessly.

"Phew..."

The magical steel chains that bound Corina's limbs vanished after losing their source of power. At this moment, Corina heaved a sigh of relief. But before she felt assured, she heard an ear-piercing and fuming growl.

"Oooooh!"

Corina turned around and was stunned to see the fire elemental monster pouncing toward her.

How is this possible? After losing the source of energy from its owner, this fire elemental monster should have already returned to the elemental plane, shouldn't it?

Corina had no more time to waste. It was apparent from the swelling body of the fire elemental monster that it intended to self-destruct right here. Corina could no longer dodge in time. The only thing she could do was to pull a distance as far as possible from it and place her arms before her to defend herself against the oncoming explosion. But...

"Aaooo———!"

In a miserable and sorrowful screech, Corina lifted her head in shock, only to witness the bulging fire elemental monster that was about to explode shatter and shrink like a deflated balloon. It struggled and stretched out its claws in despair, but after losing its source of magical energy, its massive body turned into ashes.

"What exactly is..."

Corina stared blankly at the happening. At that moment, she discovered a young lady standing behind the fire elemental monster.

The young lady was entirely wrapped in a white robe. Only a small, round chin under the hood, a pair of pointy ears, as well as the strands of fluttering golden hair revealed her identity.

A white elf.

Chapter 1189: Reappearing Moon Shadow (1)

"Miss Gracier?"

Corina was startled to meet this young lady but didn't feel too surprised. The rebirth of white elves had always been a hot topic among elves in the Country of Law. After the Sword Dance Rite ended, elves began discussing Gracier and Madaras, who followed Rhode. Elves were a long-lived and nostalgic race. They loved looking back at the past and not to the future. This was why most elves showed interest beyond their nature toward the rebirth of the two white elves. Of course, this didn't mean that they supported the idea of overthrowing the ruling system to crown a new ruler, but welcomed the return of white elves as the honor and pride of elves as a whole instead.

Of course, some elves suggested to the Elf Queen to invite the two white elves back and continue their lives in the Elf Forest. Even though the two white elves were in their spiritual forms, they were the pride of elves, after all, and not traitors like dark elves. Some elves thought that following a human was somewhat degrading for the two white elves but despite that, the Elf Queen didn't express any opinion over it. Corina also didn't comment much. She clearly knew that even though she wasn't aware of the relationship between Gracier, Madaras, and Rhode, it was obviously a tough challenge to convince them to leave Rhode's side.

But now, the two white elves were actually here?

Upon hearing Corina's doubt, Gracier nodded in response, turned around, and pointed into the deep forest. Then, she stared into Corina's eyes and made a 'retreat' gesture. At the next moment, Corina's vision dazzled and Gracier disappeared right in front of her. The moment Corina looked up, she sensed the presence of exploding flames and an irritable aura of death coalescing in the distance. She hesitated no more, lifting her bow and shuttling into the deep forest.

When Corina arrived at the elf encampment, everything was completely changed. It was still a tranquil scene in the morning before they left. But now, it was enveloped in billows of smoke. Long, thick, fireproof vines climbed up the thick trunks, tangling with one another to form layers of strong walls. Elves placed their hands on the trunks and land, praying softly for the call of nature. In the blink of an eye, a thick and sturdy dark green barrier expanded with dark, razor-sharp thorns on its surface, metamorphosing into a powerful defensive mechanism. The dark thorns reflected cold light, powerful enough to turn all intruders into ash. The steep, straight mountain walls blocked off all intruders harboring malicious intentions. Apart from attacking from the front, no one was able to pass through the defensive lines. The surrounding, towering cliffs were the best natural barrier. In addition to the unique magic of nature of the elves, it wasn't surprising why they weren't afraid of being invaded. But it was a pity that trouble still came knocking on their door.

"Madam Corina!"

The elves heaved sighs of relief upon noticing Corina, who sprinted across the forest. Shortly after, the wall of thorns opened up a gap and released fluttering vines to tangle and form a flight of aerial steps. Corina proceeded lithely on her toes, before leaping and landing softly on the ground like a graceful cat. The opening in the wall of thorns closed quickly, not leaving any space for intruders.

"Are the preparations ready?"

Corina gazed at her surroundings. At a glance, it seemed like the elves were ready for battle despite not having enough manpower. Although Corina didn't investigate the total number of enemies earlier, based on the size of the conflagration, she reckoned there was an army of them. Meanwhile, she only had a daily team of patrols on her side. Even though she didn't know how many enemies like the one she met earlier there would be, up until this moment, she still couldn't figure out why a fire elemental monster from at least 100 meters away would appear above her in an instant. She had never seen anything similar in the past, which was why she felt anxious and nervous right now. The number of enemies, their traits, and formation were still unknown. But no matter what, it was impossible for the patrol encampment of less than 100 elves to take them on. Moreover, they weren't seasoned warriors, but ordinary patrols instead. In a peaceful forest, apart from elves who fought against dark elves along the border regions, other elves were basically lacking in battle experience.

"Did you send someone to ask for support according to my order?"

Upon hearing Corina's question, the surrounding elves nodded in response. However, one of the elves said.

"We've sent someone to seek reinforcements, but it may be a little difficult to gather them..."

Corina couldn't help but knit her brows after hearing this response. She knew this was a helpless move.

The low birthrate of elves caused the Country of Law to set up a completely different and unique military system. The elf army in the Country of Law rarely had an authorized strength of more than 500 troops. At this point in time, the largest army was the elf guards in charge of protecting the palace, with a total of 350 troops. The bigger local garrisons only had between 150 to 200 troops, while patrol encampments had at most 100. Due to the trait of nature in elves, such strategies were effective while they were located inside the forest. For instance, while engaging in guerrilla warfare in the forest, a well-equipped elf patrol team could contend with a hostile army of up to thousands of units. But if the elves were forced into a head-to-head battle on a plain, even if each elf was able to contend with 1000 enemy troops, their insufficient numbers would make them perish entirely. Putting it bluntly, even an army of the Country of Light would be enough to crush the elves. However, the elves weren't fools either, which was why they had been relying upon the barrier of nature to deal with enemies.

But now, it seemed like the barrier was about to lose its effect.

Corina gazed at the rising black smoke from below, while the conflagration extended gradually. The enemies weren't luring the elves to attack, but were purely sweeping the battlefield. As soon as the elves lost their natural cover, their threat would fall drastically. Judging from this point, it was apparent that the enemy was clearly aware of it.

Miss Gracier and Miss Madaras aren't here...

Corina couldn't find the petite figure who showed up before her earlier and was unaware of her whereabouts. But even so, Corina took in a deep breath, stifled her emotions, and gave an order.

"Get ready to battle. Activate the enchanted field...! Watch out for the enemies. They are really powerful. We need to..."

"Reporting!"

Before Corina finished giving her command, she was interrupted harshly. She lifted her head and saw an orderly flitting across the forest hurriedly and arriving before her. The orderly seemed anxious, her beautiful face as white as a sheet due to fear and uncertainty.

"Camp 13 is under attack! The enemies are burning the entire forest!"

"What?!"

Corina couldn't help but shriek. She turned to the other direction and indeed, she spotted soaring black smoke in the sky.

"What's going on? What happened?"

"Why is Camp 13 under attack?"

"They burned down the forest. This is too much!"

Upon hearing this news, the elves couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment. They exclaimed in shock, but didn't know how to handle the situation. After seeing their reactions, Corina could only let out a hopeless sigh. This was the first time she deeply felt the negative impact that long periods of peace had on the elves. Elves were a high-class race, where they lived in nature and used the environment to protect themselves. But when they were faced with real wars, they exposed the weakest side of them. So what if the enemies burned down the forest? Corina had personally witnessed how Rhode used cannons to raze the entire forest in front of the Land of Atonement's fortress to the ground. And the reason he gave was that it would be easier for him to spot any enemy trails.

This was just how it was for wars.

"Now isn't the time for this!"

Corina disrupted everyone's discussion. She ascended the flight of steps up the tower and gazed ahead. The conflagration was getting closer and even her elf senses were also affected to a certain degree. It seemed like the enemies didn't set fire only to anger the elves, but to conceal their presences instead. Considering the fact that they were able to summon fire elemental monsters, it would be tough for the elves to distinguish between the fire elemental monsters and actual flames. It could also be said that setting the forest on fire was the best strategy for the enemies.

"Everyone, get ready to attack. Activate the enchanted field!"

Corina yelled, clutching the bow in her hand and aiming forward vigilantly. The uncertainty deep inside her grew. At the same time, as though proving her fears, she heard a loud cawing ahead. One by one, fire crows coalesced from blazing flames flew across the forest and headed toward the campsite!

"Ambush!"

Chapter 1190: Reappearing Moon Shadow (2)

Hundreds of thousands of fire crows glided across the sky, letting out ear-piercing caws that shrouded the whole campsite. Under Corina's command, the elves hurriedly activated the enchanted field that was prepared long ago. Shortly after, a dozen green rays of light emanated from the verdant trees, intertwining to form a thin, crystal-like barrier that protected and enfolded the campsite.

But the enemy apparently came prepared. Right after the defensive enchanted field was set up, Corina discovered that the sturdy enchanted field flickered in dazzling magical radiance, which proved that someone was attempting to break the enchanted field. Looking at this scene, the corner of Corina's eye twitched instantly. The elves' magical enchanted field couldn't be dismantled that easily. Judging from a certain degree, elves' spells and demons' spells were the same; unique only to their specific race and ordinary spells couldn't possibly remove their effects. But now, the elves' magical enchanted field was obviously disrupted. This meant that the enemy was well prepared for this scenario!

"Replenish the power. Maintain the enchanted field. The rest of you will be in charge of wiping out the lurking enemies!"

Corina yelled her orders and sprinted up the city wall. She clutched her bow in her hand and aimed at the sea of flames ahead. Shortly after, arrows coalesced from magic spells were released, scattering from the middle, where she stood like a violent storm. Upon hearing Corina's command, the elves quickly got to work. They climbed up to a tall height, aiming their arrows at the fire crows ahead from between the gaps of huge leaves. As the elves let go of their arrows, the fire crows circling in the sky exploded one after another like fireworks.

But it was a pity that their efforts were utterly inadequate.

"Heh, heh."

Gazing at the elves from a distance, trying their best to defend the stronghold, a pitch-black, shadowy figure let out an eerie laughter. If Corina were here, she would immediately recognize this person who was dressed almost exactly like the black-cloaked mage earlier. The only difference between them was that he didn't seem to own a physical body. An illusory, ghostly, and pitch-black darkness represented his body instead. Looking at the elves above, the black-cloaked mage let out an unpleasant and hoarse laughter before raising his right arm. Along with this action, a shriveled, pitch-black arm was revealed from under this sleeve. A mysterious black fog surged from his arm and coalesced into a black drop of water that fell on the ground, fusing with the blazing flames.

The instant that unknown black drop of water touched the ground, the conflagrations transformed all of a sudden.

"What happened?"

Corina put away her bow, staring alertly at the burning forest below. A few seconds ago, the raging forest changed entirely. The scorching heat that burned her skin turned bone-piercingly cold in an instant. The flames were clearly burning and yet, it felt as though there was a snowfield of 10,000 years below, leaving her shivering. Not only that, but she also sensed an unnatural and hateful energy.

What exactly is...

Before Corina reacted, several streaks of flame that were several meters tall surged into the sky right before her very eyes, metamorphosing into a towering, flaming giant that was at least 10 meters in height. The flame giant had enormous limbs coalesced from raging flames. Its face that resembled a malicious spirit was so terrifying that one would lose consciousness out of extreme fear. The flame giant let out the fierce bellow of a wild animal, sauntering toward the encampment in big strides, where not even the towering trees were able to stop the terrifying giant. The moment the flame giant extended its arm, the trees crumbled to the ground like fragile matchsticks and lit up in flames immediately. In just a few seconds, the flame giant turned the lush forest entirely into ashes. Not only that, but Corina also noticed the instant the trees perished to the fire, the flames returned to the flame giant's body as though they were attracted by some unknown force. Along with the return of the flames, the flame giant instantly increased in size.

"Attack immediately! Destroy it!"

Looking at this scene, Corina commanded and felt a chill run down her spine. She raised her bow and released several streaks of dazzling arrows that shot straight at the flame giant. At the same time, the remaining three elf mages in the encampment lifted their cypress canes and chanted spells loudly in unison. Shortly after, a gigantic, icy cone appeared in the air, under the elf mages' control, striking at the enemy ahead.

But all was for naught.

There was no doubt that Corina's arrows hit the target. The magical arrows should have exploded the instant they came into contact with the target, dealing incredible damage where even elemental monsters couldn't avoid the explosion and powerful magic torrent. However, the arrows didn't seem to cause any damage to the flame giant at all. After they penetrated the flame giant's body, they were like raindrops falling into a pond; apart from causing ripples, there were no other effects. Not only that, but the icy cone that the elf mages summoned also didn't stop the flame giant one bit. Looking at this scene, the elf mages quickly changed their battle strategy. They tried to forcefully null the contract of this elemental monster to drive it back to its world. However, it was equally pointless. The flame giant was indifferent about the runes that were filled with mystical powers hovering before it. It continued to stride forward like a robot, stepping closer and closer to the elf encampment.

Corina tried all ways to slow it down, but nothing worked. As the flame giant blazed the forest and took in more flames as it advanced, it grew to around 18 meters, where Corina had to lift her head to see its head even as she stood above the wall of vines. Its eye sockets coalesced from flames were filled with darkness on the inside. It was like a form of terrifying, disorderly, and soul-piercing wrath.

At that moment, the elf mages' incantation spell was completed.

"Mnas!"

The elf mages yelled out the spell command and the runes hovering in midair shook abruptly. A mysterious energy began to gather and after a few seconds, the powerful force exploded, attempting to drive everything that didn't belong to this world back where it came from. This time, the flame giant finally came to a halt. Its body trembled and warped abruptly. But shortly after, it returned to its original state. Not only did the incantation fail to drive it away, but it also added fuel to the fire of its rage.

"———!"

The flame giant snarled, raised its tightly-clenched fists, and hammered the magical barrier above the encampment. This massive impact was unbearable, causing some of the elves to lose their balance and falter to the ground. The magical barrier protecting this encampment dimmed under this assault and it seemed like another two to three punches would be enough to shatter it completely. When that happened, a catastrophe would fall upon the whole campsite.

"Damn it!"

Corina scanned the entire battlefield but was disappointed to not be able to find the hidden mastermind who was manipulating the flame giant. Not only that, but she also spotted another two to three flame giants emerging from other parts of the blazing forest. It was obvious from their appearance that they came with ill intentions. At that moment, the elf young lady couldn't hesitate anymore. She jumped over the city wall and darted toward the altar in the middle of the encampment: a circular fountain. Just like every other building of the elves, the fountain was also entirely natural. The only thing unique about it was the emerald-green, oval gem hovering above the middle of the fountain. At a glance, it looked like a tiny seed. Corina grabbed the gem and lifted it up high. Upon noticing her action, an elf who was defending against the fire crows couldn't help but turn pale with fright.

"You want to seek help from the ancient tree? Madam Corina, it..."

"If it isn't willing to wake up, it can only wait to be burned to ash!"

Corina answered and tightly grabbed the gem in her hand. Shortly after, an emerald brilliance erupted from the oval gem, shooting straight at the ancient tree at the back of the encampment. Shortly after, the immobile ancient tree trembled. The ground shook and huge, complicated roots burst out of the soil. Its towering trunk twisted and straightened gradually...

Boom!

At that moment, the flame giant attacked, thoroughly shattering the tattered enchanted field. The flame giant gazed at the elves who were retreating frantically and revealed a greedy, sinister smile in response. It stretched out its arm, attempting to satisfy its greed by munching on these delicious little bugs. But at that moment, a thick, enormous palm appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the flame giant's extended hand.

The ancient tree stood to its feet, releasing a thick, humid mist from all over its body to dampen the blazing flames spreading from the flame giant. At that moment, it accepted the calling of life and awoke from its hibernation, becoming the most reliable guardian.

The ancient tree snarled and broke the flame giant's arm, twisting it in the other direction. Shortly after, flames burst out of the wound tenaciously, attempting to light up the ancient tree. However, the damp ancient tree that had absorbed enough water disregarded the clarity of flames. It raised its right arm and slammed its palm down with force, striking the flame giant in its head.

"Phew..."

At that moment, Corina retreated haggardly. She had used up almost all her power to awaken the ancient tree. Right now, all she could do was observe the battle and pray for the final victory. But shortly after, she discovered a whole new threat.

Even though the flame giant's attack was stopped, due to the shattered magical enchanted field, the fire crows spiraling in the sky swooped down at the elves. Although the elves repelled these terrifying elemental creatures with their arrows, there were just too many of them. From time to time, elves could be seen flying back in the impact of loud explosions. In an instant, the entire encampment was in total chaos.

"Are reinforcements here yet?"

Corina raised her bow and released arrows to eradicate three fire crows, before turning to the back. Reinforcements were yet to be seen. Her heart sank as she became increasingly anxious. The elves were showing signs of defeat and even Corina began to hesitate if they should retreat.

At that moment, a white radiance descended from the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Meteor-like white brilliance enfolded the sea of fire crows, catching them off guard instantly. The fire crows cried and dispersed in all directions. But even so, most of them were eliminated by the brilliance.

"This is..."

Looking at this scene, Corina couldn't help but feel startled. She turned around and quickly saw an unexpected petite figure on the other side. She wore a psychic robe and a flat, wide, and white triangular hat. The young lady held a golden staff and along with her movements, she let out a crisp call.

Corina was taken aback, but it wasn't surprising that she was bewildered. Because even though she didn't know this young lady well, she couldn't be considered unfamiliar with her either.

Isn't that Miss Lesa? Why is she here?

Gazing at the young lady, Corina couldn't help but question. She could accept the fact that Gracier and Madaras came to their help, but was astonished as to why Lesa arrived too. After all, she wasn't an elf. After spending some time in the Land of Atonement, Corina learned that Lesa was a psychic from the Astral Temple and that was all she knew about her. But why did Lesa show up in the battlefield?

Upon detecting Corina's gaze, Lesa turned around and nodded slightly.

"Apologies for arriving late," she said.

Chapter 1191: Reappearing Moon Shadow (3)

"Oh... Ah..."

As Lesa's words sounded without any rhyme or reason, Corina didn't know what to respond to in an instant. At that moment, her mind was in a total mess.

Why are the people of the Void Territory here? Could it be that His Majesty Rhode sent reinforcements over? But why didn't I hear any news about it?

"Roar———!"

But before Corina said anything, a furious bellow disrupted her thoughts. Upon hearing the snarl, she turned toward it hurriedly. At the same time, a thick branch fell to the ground in front of her. She pulled back swiftly, only to realize that the battle between the ancient tree and flame giant was reaching its climax. The ancient tree gripped the flame giant with its two hands, attempting to lacerate it. In response, the flame giant flourished its arms, repeatedly pounding the ancient tree. The formidable flames that it was proud of weren't able to deal enough damage to the ancient tree as the damp mist proliferating around the ancient tree effortlessly overwhelmed the ambush of flames. But despite that, the physical damage from the flame giant was a huge problem for the ancient tree. The leaves on the ancient tree crumbled in the assault and cracks appeared over its solid trunk. At the same time, the ancient tree roared and clenched its fists with all its might, breaking up the blaze on the flame giant again and again. Judging from the situation, even though every punch from the ancient tree was enough to smash a huge hole in the flame giant's head, the flames coalesced on its body healed the injury immediately, perfectly exemplifying the proverb 'even a prairie fire cannot destroy the grass—it grows again when the breeze blows'.

If this continued, the ancient tree would falter at any time now. Corina looked around her; reinforcements weren't here yet. Even though the elves around her were doing their best to resist the enemies, they had little success. What made the situation worse was that they didn't have relevant battle experience at all, which was why many of them suffered different degrees of injuries from the fire crows' attacks. Although Corina was experienced in this area, she could barely command the people below, not to mention gathering them to engage in battle together.

Should I give this place up and evacuate with the rest?

At this thought, Corina gazed at the battle and gnashed her teeth with an ashen expression. With the sharp vision of elves, she clearly witnessed the conflagration in the deep forest subsiding. However, this wasn't good news for her because the flames didn't extinguish naturally, but fused with the flame giant instead, becoming its additional power. And now, the three flame giants on the other side also peered out and headed toward the main battle in the ruined forest.

Seems like I've underestimated them.

Clang!

Just as Corina made up her mind to command the elves to retreat, a sudden crisp collision of metal interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and witnessed Lesa lifting her gold staff and silently gazing ahead. Upon detecting Corina's gaze, Lesa smiled in response. Then, she hit the staff on the ground!

Clang!

Along with this movement, Corina saw a blue light column descending from heaven. Then, a star ritual composed of seven small circles displayed in front of her with surging magical power emanating from it, forcing her back. At that moment, Lesa raised the staff and hit the ground again.

Clang!

Bright magical radiance coalesced and shortly after, some human-shaped figures appeared in the light column one after another. The magical winds dispersed silently and more than 100 fully-armored warriors lined up before Corina. They were clad in exquisite, gorgeous, and solid glass armor. The swords hanging on their waists flickered in a natural green radiance unique to elves. White hoods and capes wrapped their slender figures. They merely stood on the spot, but Corina felt an unprecedented and mighty aura from them.

"T-They are..."

Corina stared blankly at the warriors who appeared out of the blue. She was completely speechless and her head was in a total blank. Judging from their attire, there was no doubt that they were knights. But Corina knew that elf knights no longer existed in the Country of Law. The infantry units closest to them were the elf guards of the palace.

Where did they come from? Who are they?

While Corina was baffled, the commander of the elf knights strode toward her and saluted solemnly. Upon witnessing her salute, Corina saluted in a flurry. Then, the commander said.

"Greetings, Madam. Elf Guards First Army—Moon Blade Legion, reporting. I'm the commander, Nightingale. May I know your order?"

"Huh? Ah, I..."

Facing Nightingale's question, Corina was at a loss for words. Even though Corina experienced several battles as a fighter in the Legendary Stage, this was the first time she met an elf with such a strong military presence, where not even the elf guards of the palace were as determined and unyielding. The feeling they gave Corina was like the pine trees in the north: solid, tall, and upright. Besides, what surprised Corina was that all of them were in the Peak Legendary Stage!

Oh my goodness... Who exactly are they? Why haven't I heard about this army in the elf palace before? Besides, why is Miss Lesa the one who brought them here? How are they related to His Majesty Rhode?

"Madam?"

"Ah! That..."

After Nightingale asked again, Corina returned to her senses and couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

This is a race against time, so why am I behaving like a nervous recruit? No matter what, they are stronger than I am. Besides, there are around 100 of them, so they should be able to defend the encampment.

"Please help defend the encampment. We need to protect this path."

"Got it!"

Nightingale nodded in response and turned around to leave immediately. At this moment, Corina let out a long sigh and felt her legs weaken. If it weren't for her strong determination, perhaps she would have already plopped to the ground.

But now, Corina had no time to relax because the other three flame giants had arrived at the periphery of the encampment. In this one versus four situation, the ancient tree could no longer put up a fight. Its massive body swayed, while cracks on its trunk became larger and wider. Looking at this weakening opponent, the flame giant let out an ice-cold and crazy bellow. It lifted its clenched fists, attempting to smash the ancient tree into bits.

At that moment, a purple, magical radiance flashed past its face. The flame giant witnessed a sword-wielding elf knight appearing before it. Her long hair flowed gracefully in the wind as she dashed ahead. Her beautiful green eyes glinted in ice-cold flashes, facing this enormous monster that could devour her in one bite. The fearless elf knight gripped the sword and brandished it at the flame giant.

Swish...!

The surging, powerful blade ray shot straight ahead, ruthlessly slashing apart the flame giant's skull. However, it apparently wasn't threatening enough for the flame giant because shortly after, the scorching flames twisted, gathered, and fused together again. But this time, the flame giant didn't have its wish granted.

Looking at the rebirth of the flame giant, the elf knight didn't reveal any expression. On the contrary, she erupted a golden brilliance from her body, clutched her sword, and struck at the flame giant!

Boom!

The instant the sword came into contact with the flame giant's chest, the flame giant's body exploded in a crisp, shattering impact. It began to crack from the middle of its chest. Its body caved in, fragmented, and turned into chunks of debris. At that moment, the flame giant finally realized that something was amiss. It let out a furious snarl, extending its arms in despair to capture the elf knight. But before it caught its target, the elf knight slashed the sword with all its might! In a resounding collision, the towering flame giant swayed like a fallen stack of building blocks, crashing upon impact on the ground with innumerable fragments scattered from its body. At the next moment, the fragments vanished to nowhere.

"What is..."

Looking at this incredible scene, Corina and the elves beside her couldn't help but gawk. They didn't expect the enemies who left them badly battered to be defeated so easily! Not only that, but the strength of the elf knights was also bewildering. Corina sensed that every single one of them had strength that wasn't inferior to even their elders! Corina knew that such power was unique in the elf race!

What exactly is their background?

Chapter 1192: Seeking Countermeasures

"Everything's fine with the Country of Law for now," Rhode said after receiving Lesa's report.

He leaned back on the chair, held up a cup of piping-hot tea, and gazed at the stars outside the window. This place used to be a country under the everlasting, pitch-black sky. But now, it had turned into a boundless night sky with a flowing river of stars.

"Come to think of it... the Country of Darkness's resistance sure is intense," Rhode said, sweeping a glance at the map before him.

On their fifth day here, Rhode's group finally met the strong resistance of the Country of Darkness. Perhaps the Country of Darkness knew from their earlier clash that they didn't stand a chance against Rhode's magic warships, which was why Rhode discovered the undead creatures taking the initiative in guerrilla warfare. The undead creatures upheld the principle of 'if the enemy attacks, we retreat, and if the enemy retreats, we attack', borrowing the power of the eternal night sky and their familiarity with the land of the Country of Darkness to launch ambushes on Rhode's group. After Rhode's group stormed in retaliation, he realized that the enemy's resistance became stronger and decisively abandoned his plan to continue advancing. In any case, his goal was to turn his magic fleet into a magnet that 'sucked' all the powerful undead creatures in the Country of Darkness to one spot, before devouring them chunk by chunk. The stronger the resistance, the more evidence there was to prove that there was an increasing number of powerful beings. Even though this was dangerous for Rhode, he would need to take some risks if he wanted to perfect it. Moreover, such risks were also within his control.

Rhode didn't care whether the enemies that came forth were undead creatures contaminated by Chaos or just ordinary, powerful undead creatures. His belief was to kill 99 innocent people rather than let that one person off. Besides, it didn't matter if it wasn't a lackey of Chaos that he eradicated. Since they were undead creatures anyways, he could weaken the strength of the Country of Darkness for every undead creature he killed. After all, undead creatures couldn't reproduce on their own. If Rhode used this opportunity to beat up the Country of Darkness, he could wake up smiling. Although this would let Erin down, Rhode wasn't the least bit pressured committing something like this. Since the Country of Darkness had tyrannized the continent for so long, it was about time for them to fall!

"The current situation is still under control. But Rhode, will Lesa and the Moon Blade Legion be enough to assist the Country of Law? I heard from Lesa's report that there seem to be intense battles all over the Country of Law."

Unlike the carefree Rhode, Marlene was deeply worried about the intelligence she had heard. However, Rhode waved his hand airily in response.

"Don't worry, they're enough to handle the situation. Remember, we're not saviors of the world and the Country of Law belongs to the territory of the twin dragons, after all, so they should be the ones to come forward. This time, if it weren't for the sake of Gracier and Madaras, I wouldn't have sent out the elf knights. It is good enough that they help in defending the Country of Law. We don't need to worry about other matters. We'd better focus on the enemies in front of us instead."

"Okay then."

Marlene nodded, while Rhode stopped speaking. However, they knew that the enemies before them weren't undead creatures, but Chaos instead.

"... According to the investigations from Lapis, Karin, and I, the results seem optimistic. Based on our experiments, even though the contamination speed of this mutant of Chaos is fast, after gaining control of it, the contamination speed on Order creatures has gradually decreased. Although it is tough to determine for undead creatures with the same attribute, it is entirely different from humans or other beings with entirely different attributes, where the infected ones are unlikely to spread Chaos to others. If Chaos is spread by a third or fourth party, the contamination can be eliminated entirely. And even if one were contaminated by Chaos, under the worst circumstances, the infected body part can be removed to ensure the safety of life. But for now, we don't have enough results to prove that."

"Hmm..."

Upon hearing Marlene's report, Rhode nodded. Then, he seemed to recall something all of a sudden and asked: "By the way, if one were infected by Chaos and revived thereafter, what would happen?"

"Huh...? About that... Apologies, we currently don't have any results."

"Pass on the order. Let Lize and the rest pay attention to it. If there are similar records, report to us immediately."

"Alright, Rhode."

Fortunately, according to the investigations of Marlene and the rest, the zombie outbreak in Resident Evil that Rhode was most worried about wouldn't happen. After all, the Dragon Soul Continent was a world of Order while Chaos was oppressed. In the beginning, Chaos indeed possessed terrifying traits that could infect even dragon soul heirs. But after the experiments, Marlene and the rest discovered that after two or three consecutive and indirect infections, the contamination rate of Chaos became lower. At the end of the journey, its power was as though a 'Chaos curse', where clerics could eradicate it effortlessly. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He was initially concerned that the influence of Chaos would linger on like a virus and become more powerful with the spread. But now, it seemed like after two to three transmissions, apart from the possibilities of undead creatures being infected, the possibilities of other creatures being infected were greatly reduced.

Despite that, Rhode didn't let his guard down just yet. Judging from the extent of contamination of the undead creatures, Ion had apparently mastered a technique that could contaminate low-level troops on a large-scale. If not, he couldn't possibly have strengthened them within such a short period. But every coin had two sides, after all. Even though the strength of these low-level troops multiplied due to the infection of Chaos, they couldn't contaminate others by themselves.

"Okay then, the next thing is about..."

Knock, knock.

While Rhode spoke, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Anne pushed the door open and entered.

"Is anything the matter, Anne?"

"Yes, Leader. The scout that Sister Heart sent out spotted a team of Chaos elites in the valley who seem really hard to deal with. We're about to lead a team over to check on the situation..."

"Did something happen?"

Upon hearing Anne's words, Rhode couldn't help but feel dubious because he didn't think it was necessary to report to him over such a small matter. He handed over the control of the magic fleet to Celia while he annihilated undead creatures on the surface with the ground troops. Logically speaking, there was no need to notify him over such a small matter, wasn't it? Upon hearing Rhode's question, Anne extended her finger and scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"Actually this time... your younger sister is also participating, Leader."

"What?!"

Rhode stood to his feet. He couldn't stay calm any longer.

When Rhode and Anne exited the room and arrived at the nearby plaza, they spotted his younger sister. She was clad in the same pitch-black dress and displayed a gentle smile while standing besides several magician knights. Standing before her was Orchid Heart with her eyes half-open, hugging a tome and speaking softly to her about something. On the other side, Lize gazed at Rhode and Anne with a complicated expression and was seemingly at a loss for words. Upon seeing Rhode's arrival, his younger sister grinned and took two steps back.

"Hello, Big Brother."

"What exactly is going on?"

Rhode gazed at his younger sister before turning to Lize. Upon hearing his question, Lize hesitated for a while and said.

"This is what's going on... Randolf and Joey discovered an encampment belonging to the undead creatures in the valley upfront. There are about a thousand undead creatures infected by Chaos, which was why they came back seeking reinforcements..."

"Can't we just blast them with the cannon?"

Rhode shrugged in response. In fact, the magic warships were hovering above them right now. Even though the magic warships were gradually depleting in power as the battles became fiercer, they were able to replenish their power with the unlimited magical powers of the Illusion Crystal. As long as the magic warships didn't consume too much power at once, there shouldn't be any issues. Due to that reason, Rhode changed his strategy accordingly. He commanded the ground troops to push forward and send out a signal upon facing any enemies. The magic warships would then aim at the specified area and blast it with their magic cannons. It was just like military special forces on Earth, where they sneaked through the enemy rear and sent out signals for the bomber aircraft to deploy air raids to wipe out the enemies. Even if this attack couldn't fully eradicate the enemies, at least they would be left crippled and stunned. The ground troops could then easily handle the rest of the situation.

"Miss Heart decided to do that too, but she was stopped."

"This was what happened, Big Brother."

At that moment, the younger sister spoke.

"If I recall correctly, there is something really important over there; something that we gave the undead creatures of the Country of Darkness to hold in safekeeping. But now, it seems like we need to get it back in advance."

"Something really important?"

Rhode was taken aback. In this case, it made sense why the younger sister stopped Orchid Heart from bombarding the area with cannons. But...

What exactly is that thing?

"It's my battle attire."

Upon realizing the doubt Rhode's eyes, the younger sister replied with a smile.

"Before I left the Dragon Soul Continent, I left my equipment in the care of the Country of Darkness. And now, since I'm back on the continent, it is only natural for me to reclaim it."

"..."

Upon hearing the younger sister's words, Rhode's expression turned odd instantly. He sized up the slim young lady before him. Due to the years of not exposing herself to sunlight, her skin turned somewhat pale and her fragile body looked as though it would fall to a gentle breeze. No matter what, Rhode just couldn't imagine this slim, delicate, and always seriously-ill young lady in his memories surviving in the battlefield. According to his younger sister, even though she had completely recovered her strength after fusing with this new body, he never considered letting her engage in battles. Due to that reason, although Rhode clearly knew that she possessed the power of the Void Dragon, he continued to keep her by his side. After all, it was a big brother's duty to take care of his younger sister. And now, he was powerful enough for that too, wasn't it?

"Big Brother... This is my world."

Detecting Rhode's gaze, the younger sister dwindled her smile and looked at him sternly.

"I'm willing to give my everything for this world; it is my child. And now, it is in danger and I can't sit idly by. Even though I know what is going through your head, I'm sorry... I have to do it."

"... Fine then."

After the siblings exchanged stares for a few moments, Rhode nodded helplessly. He knew that his younger sister was a stubborn person. Once she made up her mind, he would need to let her do it. But he also had conditions of his own.

"But this time, I will go with you. I'm sure you have no objections, right?"

"Of course not, Big Brother. With you by my side, I will feel much safer."

After hearing Rhode's condition, the younger sister let out an elated grin. Rhode shrugged powerlessly before gazing at the young lady's empty hands.

"But where's your weapon? Do you need to borrow a sword?"

Up until this moment, of Rhode's holy sword cards, Gracier and Madaras had gone to the Country of Law, Celia took over his duty in commanding the magic warships, and Karin and Lapis were responsible for the research work on Chaos. Currently, the two remaining holy sword cards were Shira and Celestina. Of course, considering Shira's personality, Rhode definitely wouldn't lend her to his younger sister. Considering the relationship between him and the origin of the holy sword cards, Rhode believed that his younger sister most likely also used swords in battle.

But to his surprise, the younger sister shook her head.

"It's fine, Big Brother. I have my own weapon."

The younger sister replied and let out a sly laughter.

"Besides, I'm sure it isn't any weaker than any of your holy swords, Big Brother."

The young lady extended her arms.

"———!"

In an instant, everyone felt a roaring magical torrent exploding from her palms. Flashes of thunder erupted, forming a solid barrier that kept all threats outside. Rhode witnessed the flickering brilliance change into the silhouette of an illusory weapon in midair. It changed its shape gradually, extended in length, and in just a few moments, as the magical winds dispersed, it lay quietly in the young lady's palm.

After seeing the true identity of that weapon, everyone couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Chapter 1193: Power of Stars

After taking a closer look at the weapon in the young lady's hand, everyone couldn't help but take in a breath of cold air.

It was a huge, transparent, and azure battle ax that two-meters-long. The constantly glittering stars around its edges formed the boundaries of this battle ax. At a glance, it was like a constellation in the starry sky, but with a much more intricate and elegant pattern. At the tip of the long hilt was a wide ax in the length of 70 cm with bright stars and magical silks that accentuated the mesmerizing patterns and runes. The entire battle ax was wrapped in a layer of faint blue radiance and emanated a gentle and beautiful spiritual light. On its back was an oblong, sawtooth hammer. After taking a closer look, one would discover that in the middle of the sawtooth hammer was a miniature ball of flame like a sun burning inside a caved-in area. On the top was a sharp, triangular pyramid, with thunderbolts flashing from time to time and bursting into light dust that vanished in midair.

As the presence of this battle ax was too strong, everyone merely looked at it and felt the mighty pressure hitting them in the face. That wasn't only spiritual pressure, but was more like a physical experience. This battle ax continuously emanated a cold and ethereal aura. Even though it didn't feel as bone-piercing as the death aura, as soon as one felt it, one felt absolutely tiny as though one were facing heaven and earth.

There wasn't any problem with the weapon, but it lay in the wielder instead. Rhode gazed strangely at his younger sister and was at a loss for words. Even though the weapon seemed domineering, it looked odd held by her. The young lady was shorter than 150cm and due to her long-term illnesses, her growth was much slower than that of people of the same age. That was why even though she was about the same age as Anne when she passed away, she looked like Lilian, Bell, and Angelina in reality—just a little girl. It was imaginable how unspeakable Rhode felt when this little girl held this terrifying-looking weapon like an enormous monster's tooth that was taller than her.

"Woah! This looks so cool!"

Anne was the first to return to her senses and couldn't help but blow a whistle in admiration. As one who also wielded a heavy weapon, Anne didn't have any strange thoughts about this battle ax in his younger sister's hands. After all, Anne was also a holder of an equally huge shield.

"It looks like a godlike weapon at first glance..."

Mini Bubble Gum murmured under her breath. Even though Rhode strongly demanded that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum joined this battle, unlike the projections, he placed the original Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in the rear of the army alongside his younger sister. Due to that, the three of them had gotten along well.

"Can I take a look?"

"Sure, Big Brother."

Facing Rhode's request, the younger sister chuckled and handed the battle ax over. The moment Rhode gripped the weapon, lines of information about it appeared before his eyes.

[Creation Star of Heaven and Earth (Creation. Legendary. Order)———when the world is in chaos, it shall split the boundary between heaven and earth and create a brand new world. It is the supreme authority. Any presence of Order shall bow down to the holder]

[Absolute Dignity——reduces attributes of enemies within the halo by one-third]

[Unlimited Defense——equipment will not be destroyed]

[Star Shatter——select a targeted area to summon a meteorite storm. Cool-down time: 5 minutes (Unlimited Usage)]

[Highest Authority——all Order-level skills must pass the holder's evaluation. Skills that fail will be deemed ineffective]

[Thunderstorm——after hitting the target, there is a 100 percent chance of activating thunder arcs to launch an ambush on enemies within 50 meters. Unavoidable. Undefendable]

[Unstoppable——during battles, there is a 50 percent chance any enemy below level 70 will be annihilated instantly. No immunity. Undefendable]

[Splitting Heaven and Earth——ability to create a brand new world (In Cool-down) (65 Million Years)]

[Only Presence——Soul-bound. Non-transferable]

Rhode knelt on the ground as he finished reading the entire introduction. This was simply cheating... He finally understood why what was called the final BOSS, and the final BOSS was by his side all along! In the past, Rhode thought Christie and the deity wardens were insanely powerful, but after comparing them with his younger sister, they were like fireflies to the bright moon! Also, what was with that cool-down timing that left him speechless? Were the attributes of this weapon really reliable? With such a godlike weapon, not even a party of 1000 players could defeat her! Not only that, but just this sentence [all Order-level skills must pass the holder's evaluation] alone could also eliminate all players. After all, no matter how powerful they were, players were people of Order!

"What's wrong, Leader? Why are you kneeling on the ground? Are the stats of this weapon really that insane?"

Looking at Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum couldn't help but ask curiously. Upon hearing her question, Rhode swept a glance at her and Canary before handing the battle ax over to them. Shortly after, there were three of them kneeling on the ground...

Facing this powerful weapon that reached the 'creation' level, Rhode was entirely speechless. Relying on this weapon alone, even a new player could raid dungeons alone in hell mode, not to mention his younger sister who was the experienced Void Dragon from the past. Frankly speaking, even though Rhode was concerned about her slender body, he counted himself lucky that someone similar to her existed. Gazing at Anne with her slim waistline, fair, tender skin, and yet was able to run about with a shield of more than a few hundred kilograms on her back, Rhode was... at a loss for words.

Even though this was just a special case, Rhode had no lack of them around him, after all.

With such a godlike weapon, Rhode naturally had nothing to object to his younger sister with. However, he also joined the team with Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Anne, and the magician knights as they headed to the destination. Apart from worrying about his younger sister facing some accidents, he wanted to use this opportunity to let Canary and Mini Bubble Gum experience the meaning of battles. Although he placed them at the rear for their safety, since they came to this world with him, they would still need to experience battles one day. Of course, there was a distinct difference between reality and game. In order to train the two of them, Rhode decided to bring them along. After all, Mini Bubble Gum was often complaining about not participating in battles and this time, since Rhode was around, he believed that accidents were unlikely to happen.

After packing the essentials for travel, the group followed the lead of the scout and arrived in the valley located in the northeast. Just like Joey reported, the valley was covered in a strict defensive network of gigantic, mutated skeleton soldiers and gargoyles. It was apparently impossible to pass through them without capturing their attention.

"What in the world, Leader? Surely we aren't sneaking in this time, right?"

Laying beside Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists in excitement and asked in a lowered voice. Earlier in First Wilderness, she was strongly displeased by the surreptitious style they adopted. Although she was just a cleric, her damage output was much stronger than most official attacking classes. To this little fellow, mowing down enemies was her favorite pastime.

"Seems like it isn't possible to sneak in anymore."

Unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode loved sneaking into enemy's territory. In the game, whenever Orchid Heart executed the 'backstabbing' strategy, it was always Rhode who led the team to the rear. But this time, he had no choice but to abandon this plan. Because at a glance, this was the only path that led into the deeper valley. Meanwhile, he could vaguely discern the pyramid-like building at the top of the mountain. Logically speaking, the magic warship could raze it to the ground in a single cannon blast. But it was a pity considering that his younger sister's 'belonging' was there. He believed that equipment fancied by the original Void Dragon wouldn't possibly be burnt to a crisp by the cannon blast, but after comparing the options of excavating the ruins and slaughtering their way through, he decisively chose the latter.

"Alright, everyone get ready."

After hearing Mini Bubble Gum's question, Rhode scanned the surroundings once more. Upon ensuring that there was nowhere that he could use to his advantage, he let out a helpless sigh, stood up, and extended his right arm. A black radiance flashed and a pitch-black sword appeared in his hand. At the same time, Canary placed her palms together and spiritual brilliance emanated from between them. Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists and couldn't wait to get into action. Anne took off the shield on her back and expanded it before her in attacking mode.

On the other hand, her high-spirited younger sister stood behind everyone silently like a gentlewoman. Well, she would look much like one if she weren't gripping that terrifying and vicious-looking weapon in her hands.

"Attack."

Rhode raised his sword and pointed ahead.

At the next moment, flickering magical brilliance erupted from Canary's palm, metamorphosing into hundreds of flame meteors that streaked across the sky.

Chapter 1194: Charge

Even though it was Rhode who gave the initial command, the first one to arrive at the battlefield exceeded everyone's expectation. His younger sister who stood quietly at the back of the group clutched the battle ax, raised it high up, and slashed forward. The long, heavy battle ax seemed awkward in the young lady's hands and people were worried about whether her slim, fragile body would be swept away by her own swinging of the blade. As a matter of fact, it was just like they were concerned about. The moment the young lady brandished the battle ax, she turned into a dazzling flash of thunder along with the huge weapon, bursting toward the heavily guarded entrance.

What in the—?!

Looking at this scene, Rhode was startled. For safety's sake, he decided to lead the way and let his younger sister fight in a relatively safer environment. But he didn't expect her to be more exaggerated than Anne, which proved that there was something wrong with his thinking pattern. After all, his younger sister was always docile toward him and discussed matters with him before she got to work. That was why he didn't expect this to happen at all. He was about to turn around to inform the younger sister about the start of the battle, but it seemed like she anticipated this from him and was long ready to dash ahead!

Sigh... Like brother, like sister... No! Now isn't the time for that!

"... Charge!"

Gazing at the dazzling flashes, Rhode let out a helpless sigh and threw his original battle strategy to the back of his head.

Damn. I can't even carry out my strategy now!

At this thought, Rhode hesitated no more. He gripped his sword and dashed ahead in a trail of afterimages. Right behind him, a trio of blue, green, and red figures followed him closely.

At that moment, Rhode finally witnessed just how powerful his younger sister was.

Canary's flame spear didn't cause any damage to the undead creatures. On the contrary, her ambush forced them to gather at a spot immediately. The gargoyles that acted as sculptures above the stone columns expanded their wings, widened their eyes, and spiraled into the sky, howling like hungry ghosts in hell. The tall, big skeleton soldiers gripped their swords and knives and gazed ahead. But before they figured out where their enemies were, a blinding electric arc flashed past their vision.

Then, the battle ax flickering in thunder crushed the undead creatures like a battering ram.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

In an instant, countless dazzling thunders erupted with the battle ax in the middle. Shining, electrical serpents whizzed and zapped in all directions. The tall, powerful, skeleton soldiers, strong enough to resist a bombardment of fireballs, were crushed in a split second. The moment they attempted to resist the thunder strikes, the thunderbolts that erupted struck them heavily. The mighty electric current demolished their spiritual powers without the slightest pity, sending their strong skeleton crumbling and scattering into bits. The moment the thunderous rays flashed, heaven and earth became dark in contrast.

"Gaaaa——!"

However, this earth-shattering attack wasn't able to stop all the undead creatures. Upon detecting the position of their enemy, the gargoyles soaring in the air let out a piercing screech, extended their claws, and pounced on the enemy directly. Their maroon eyes glinted as they stared at their prey. The razor-sharp claws that could shred steel plates were about to puncture the slim young lady and rip out her intestines effortlessly.

But at that moment, the young lady also made her move.

The instant she landed on the ground, she twitched her brow slightly. She flipped backward, gaining support from the long hilt of the battle ax. Then, she gripped the other end of the hilt and held it down. As the hilt raised from her shoulder, the battle ax buried underneath the surface burst out and slashed skyward.

Shing———!

The glistening blade ray slammed into one of the gargoyles, slicing it into half like butter. The young lady clutched the battle ax with both hands, using the momentum of her fall to stoop over and swing it forward. In an instant, the battle ax erupted in a dazzling light, shrouding all the gargoyles pouncing from above. The gargoyles had struck from all directions to seal off the retreat of this enemy before them. If the young lady were wielding a sword, perhaps she would have been caught in a tough situation. But it was a pity that it was the battle ax she was wielding that was most effective for large-scale battles. Facing the gargoyles that swooped down on her, the young lady's expression remained unchanged. She flourished the heavy battle ax in her hand as though it were weightless, slashing it skyward in lightning speed. At the next moment, bright thunderbolts boomed once again.

Rumble...!

Heaven and earth turned dark and at that moment, the young lady came to a halt. In that earlier thunderous strike, almost 100 gargoyles were smashed to bits.

Even though it sounded like a long process, as a matter of fact the whole battle took only around half a minute. The moment the carcasses hit the ground, Rhode and the rest had arrived at the battlefield.

"Woah! Leader, your younger sister is so cool!"

Looking at this scene, Anne couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. Their battle styles were similar with each other, where they crushed enemies with absolute, spontaneous force. Due to that reason, after witnessing his younger sister's battle, the excited Anne was ready to jump into battle. On the other hand, Rhode stared at his younger sister, speechless. Upon detecting his gaze, his younger sister couldn't help but let out a chuckle and stick out her tongue playfully.

"Alright, cut the nonsense! Continue to attack; the enemies are here!"

Upon noticing her witty expression, Rhode was caught between laughter and anger. But this time, he didn't stop to speak to his younger sister, but dashed and leapt into the sky in a trail of afterimages instead. In the sound of cracks, the black sword in his hand divided itself and turned illusory. With a 'swish', Rhode penetrated the body of a chanting necromancer at the back with his black sword. Black flames erupted from the blade, devouring the necromancer's magical powers and turning it into ashes in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, three shadow clones split out of Rhode, wiping out the other undead creatures with their swords. The criss-crossed thunder formed a net of light, ambushing and enfolding the undead creatures that arrived from the rear and catching them off guard. Rhode drifted in and out the group of undead creatures like an elegant specter with every swing of his blade leaving one undead creature in half.

"Oooooh!"

In a series of loud bellows, a dozen death knights flew out from the back, mounting the incubi. They raised their swords and metamorphosed into turbulent torrents that gushed into the dazzling net of blades in front of them. In this assault, the large, expanded net of blades shrunk abruptly, merging as one with Rhode in the blink of an eye. Rhode narrowed his eyes, staring at the enemies ahead. Then, he lifted his right arm and slashed the sword downward.

At the next moment, he appeared beside the foremost death knight and slashed the enemy into half from the middle. Then, Rhode swung his wrist—the sword in his hand cracked and turned illusory again, before metamorphosing into a dazzling arc that swept across the battlefield. Upon witnessing this attack, the death knights following closely at the back lifted their swords in defense immediately. But they didn't expect the instant this attack arrived, Rhode swung out his left arm and a pitch-black card appeared in between his fingers.

Innumerable tough tentacles burst out of the shadows, binding the death knights entirely and not even the powerful strength of the incubi could break free from the restraint. The instant the death knights came to a halt, Rhode turned his wrist around and along with this action, the illusory blade restored its original, physical state.

Then, ice-cold, shimmering light flitted across like a specter in the dark. At the same time, the death knights struggling to break free from the tentacles stopped moving like robots that ran out of battery.

One of the death knights maintained its sword-lifting stance but just couldn't flourish the sword no matter what. Because right in the middle of its chest, the area protected by the heavy armor had shattered completely. Shortly after, pitch-black flames erupted from within, devouring the death knight in the blink of an eye.

"Say, Big Sister, don't you think Leader and his younger sister should swap their battle styles?" Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn't help but ask Canary in a lowered voice. "I think Leader's battle style is more beautiful than his younger sister's. But will everything be fine this way?"

"That is Rhode's concern. You don't need to worry about it."

Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum's words, Canary responded and extended her right arm. Shortly after, a sword coalesced from flames appeared in her hand along with her summon.

"But what I do know is that if we don't perform well, Rhode will surely not bring us along for future battles."

"Right! Why did I forget about that!"

After hearing Canary's answer, Mini Bubble Gum grimaced instantly. The latter thumped her left hand downward and circles of light flashed across her body.

"Let's do it, Big Sister—show them our worth!"

Chapter 1195: Protector of the Star Mausoleum

As the protector of the Star Mausoleum, Margaery Tyr didn't know how long she had spent on this mountain peak. She remembered some vague details from when she was chosen as the protector. Back then, when the final list was published, everyone except Margaery heaved long sighs of relief. No one was willing to come to this god-forsaken place to lead life like a captive. Nominally, even though being a protector was an extremely honorable job, everyone knew that there was no true meaning for a job that only allowed one to move about in a small space on a mountain peak despite obtaining the highest power of glory. To dark elves who were obsessed with power struggle, this was a punishment more terrifying than death.

However, Margaery wasn't mindful of this result at all. On the contrary, she was actually glad to become the protector of this place. As a heterogeneity of the dark elves, she never liked or looked forward to battles. She also bitterly detested the crafty plots and machinations. But in the dark underworld, one would be down the road to ruin if one didn't follow rules. Even though Margaery always sensed and felt the murderous intent and criticisms from her sisters as well as hatred from her mother, she just couldn't find ways to make herself as bloodthirsty as the other dark elves. It was due to her difference in character that turned her family into a laughing stock of the world of dark elves. This was why Margaery wasn't surprised when she received the news of her being chosen as the protector. She knew that her family had been trying to banish her and now, with such a great opportunity, they surely wouldn't let this chance go. Indeed, just as she had expected, it was 'inevitable' that she was chosen as the protector, to leave this dark underworld, and arrive at the Star Mausoleum at the peak of this mountain.

In the beginning, Margaery wasn't used to living here at all. For a dark elf who lived her entire life in the deep underground, exposure to the sudden changes in air pressure was unbearable. Despite that, Margaery held on and no matter how dry and dull life was here, it was better than her seeking survival in the reign of terror in the dark underworld. Just like this, she became the protector of the Star Mausoleum, leading a peaceful yet boring life.

Margaery didn't know what she was protecting and not even the predecessor was aware. All they knew was that their duty was to ensure that the mausoleum remained intact. There were neither tombstones nor coffins, not to mention any records of the buried. Instead of treating this place as a mausoleum, it would be more appropriate to see it as a monastery or prison. But Margaery was unperturbed by it. She was satisfied with her life without disruptions from the outside world. To a 'special' dark elf like her, this was considered a pleasant living environment.

But a few days ago, Margaery's tranquil life was smashed. An undead army arrived and forcefully occupied the mausoleum. It was only then that Margaery learned that the Country of Darkness and Void Territory had broken out in a war, with the latter invading their territory. This left Margaery somewhat surprised, but she didn't take it to heart. Even though she was displeased with the undead army occupying her sanctuary by force, she didn't comment much. After all, they were undead creatures, so it was impossible for her to request them to leave. But even so, she kept a distance away from them. For some unknown reason, she felt like these undead creatures were acting strangely as though they emanated a mysterious and dangerous aura...

"Madam Margaery."

Upon hearing someone calling her name, Margaery lifted her head and looked forward. Shortly after, a specter young lady drifted out from nowhere silently. She wore the same attire as Margaery, albeit in different colors. This was where the mausoleum stood out from the masses. Apart from the mausoleum protector, there were no other creatures except for the five specters responsible for assisting and taking care of the protector.

"Is anything the matter?"

"This was what happened. Somebody is launching an attack on us."

"... Huh?"

This news was beyond her expectation as Margaery took a while to process the situation before returning to her senses. She didn't expect the mausoleum to be ambushed too.

Why is this happening? Isn't this place only a mausoleum? Could it be that the undead army is the root of the trouble? If that is the case, the situation will be hard to handle...

At this thought, Margaery let out a sigh.

"Is there anything that we need to do, Madam Margaery?"

"... Where are the undead creatures that were stationed outside right now?"

"They have descended the mountain to fight with the enemies."

"Is that so..."

Upon hearing the specter's report, Margaery lifted her head and gazed outside the window. Through the thin layer of cloud, she saw some dazzling flashes on the mountain road and heard some faint explosions. It was apparent that the battles below were intense.

But... This has nothing to do with me.

"Seal off the mausoleum. Whatever is happening outside has nothing to do with us."

"Yes, Madam Margaery."

While the Star Mausoleum was being sealed off, the battles on the mountain road intensified.

"Heyahhhh!"

Mini Bubble Gum snarled and strode ahead, clenching and throwing her fists forward. Along with this movement, a straight, dazzling light column descended from the sky, landing on the position her fist pointed at. In a series of rumbles, the undead creatures that stopped the young lady were crushed to bits by the light column. The pitch-black ghouls that were proliferating a filthy aura screeched and withdrew desperately. But even so, their bodies were ripped apart by the mighty gales of Mini Bubble Gum's punch. The ghouls bellowed and forced open their wounds abruptly, spraying dark green blood at the young lady.

"The same trick won't work on the Saint Seiya!"

Gazing at the filthy, putrid streams of blood, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips in disdain. She swung her left hand forward and a ray of silver-whitish brilliance glittered beside her, shining on the dark green, poisonous blood, making them disappear to nowhere. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum turned her hand over and hurled a punch. In the blink of an eye, a burst of light devoured the ghouls that failed to escape. Meanwhile, Canary stood beside Mini Bubble Gum, the fiery sword in her hand dancing like butterflies fluttering in the air. Walls of flame rose from the ground and the blazing flames in her hand metamorphosed into a submissive, yet terrifying monster that pounced on the death knights. Even though the death knights' swords emanated an ice-cold fog that dissipated the surrounding flames, that didn't stop Canary at all. She dashed forward sideways, piercing the flame sword into one of the death knights. Facing this attack from her, the death knight flourished its sword from above. The blades clashed, splashing flames in all directions.

Using the momentum from this attack, Canary retreated elegantly, swinging the fiery sword in her right hand continuously as though she were drawing a dazzling magical rune in midair using a light feather. The instant the young lady's eyes glinted in a scarlet flash, the rune drawn by the fiery sword flickered abruptly. As though resonating with each other, the flames scorching the death knight from the explosion drilled into the gap of its armor on its own. Before the death knight reacted, its body, clad in solid armor, exploded like an over-pumped balloon. Flames surged and enveloped the surrounding undead creatures.

At the same time, a pitch-black figure stared at the young lady ahead. It extended its shriveled finger and chanted quietly under its breath. The power of death coalesced at its fingertip.

"Sia!"

Along with the necromancer's incantation, an almost invisible ray of light burst out from its finger, aiming straight at Canary. Before Canary reacted, powerful, whistling winds had rushed past her. But at the next moment, a spinning shield appeared from the side and defended her from this attack. The lethal power of darkness that was enough to destroy Canary's life was stopped by the shield firmly. Anne gripped the shield handle with both hands and swung it forward. Suddenly, the spinning shield adjusted its trajectory and crashed into the necromancer with a loud bang. Not only that, but razor-sharp, monster-like teeth also emerged on the surface of the shield and crunched the battered necromancer. Anne tugged the shield and the necromancer's body was ripped apart like a rag doll, crumbling to the ground lifelessly.

With Rhode and his younger sister leading the way, in addition to Canary, Bubble, and Anne, their group of five was unstoppable. Blade rays and thunder roared, while holy brilliance and flames followed closely behind like waves. No matter how many undead creatures there were, they were all killed on sight. As long as the undead creatures were engulfed in battle, most of them couldn't escape. But despite that, the luckier ones who fled disaster didn't have it much better. Because the magician knights that followed closely behind would eliminate the fish that slipped the net and send them to meet their companions in the netherworld.

"Right there!"

Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum saw the mausoleum in the shape of a pyramid ahead. Her eyes glinted as she flitted across in a flash.

"Heh. Leader, I'm the first to arrive..."

But before Mini Bubble Gum finished her sentence, a blade light suddenly burst out from the flat ground and turned into a barrier that stopped the little fellow from advancing. Fortunately, Mini Bubble Gum was a veteran in battle. Upon realizing that something was amiss, she hurled a punch forward, colliding with the barrier and leaping back immediately. However, that blade light didn't seem to intend to let its enemy go. As Mini Bubble Gum retreated, the barrier metamorphosed into a blinding blade light that whizzed and followed her closely. But at that moment, the whizzing shield showed up again.

Clang!

The blade light and shield collided, letting out a crisp rasp. The blade light that failed its attack flew back quickly, while Mini Bubble Gum seized the timing and returned to her group.

"Thanks, Anne."

Mini Bubble Gum patted Anne's shoulder and said. Even though Mini Bubble Gum was also able to evade the attack without Anne's help, the former would end up more embarrassed. Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum turned over and looked ahead.

A knight donned in a suit of gorgeous, pitch-black armor stood silently before the mausoleum entrance.