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[Vol. 1] Chapter 25: Crimson Flame Flowers and Shadow Guards

The lion and tiger folk that landed on the city walls for the first time displayed the formidable strength of the Beastmen before Violet.

No one used weapons, they relied solely on their sturdy bodies and claws in combat. Sometimes, they would fiercely bite at vital points like true wild beasts.

The fighting style of these two races was basically similar. Speed, strength, defense, and endurance were well-rounded, making them comprehensive warriors.

Regular human soldiers couldn't inflict significant damage on them. Even if a spear stabbed them, it would at most leave a bleeding wound. However, once the claws of the lion or tiger folk landed a solid hit, even with armor protection, the best-case scenario would be a severe injury.

Only squad leaders and higher-level experts could contend with them individually. However, if all officers were to engage in combat, leaving aside the question of victory, the entire defense on the city wall would immediately lose its mobility, becoming semi-paralyzed. This would achieve the Beastmen' goal.

"Die!"

A middle-aged man in the kingdom's lower-ranking officer armor exerted all his strength to swing his sword, beheading the already heavily injured tiger folk beside him. However, he heard a rushing wind sound in his ears. Another lion folk took advantage of his wide-open attack and swiped its claws toward his head!

Unable to evade!

Charles felt a bitter taste in his heart. He was just an ordinary squad leader of the red-bronze rank, making it challenging to individually confront these powerful Beastman warriors. Now, he exposed a vulnerability in order to kill an enemy.

As a veteran who had been in the military for several years, Charles was prepared for death. As long as Wanhe Fortress remained standing, his wife and children in the city would naturally be safe. He would also receive a generous compensation for sacrificing himself on the battlefield…

Nobody wants to die, but if death is inevitable, at the very least, your sacrifice should be meaningful!

At that critical moment, countless thoughts raced through Charles's mind, converging into a poignant roar.

"You damned savages! Uncivilized beasts!"

Without dodging or avoiding, Charles decided to deliver a powerful blow to the enemy even if it meant his death. Even if they couldn't die together, he was determined to create an opportunity for his comrades!

"Ahhh!!"

Swish.

The desperate strike landed in thin air, and the expected claw that should have shattered his skull never arrived. A distant arrow pierced through the toughest part of the lion man's skull, causing it to fly backward and die instantly.

"Huh?"

Charles gazed at the fallen lionfolk nearby with a puzzled look. Only then did he notice a young woman with fiery red short hair, like a phantom, moving through the area. She wielded a short bow and occasionally shot arrows that would explode into fiery flashes, taking the lives of at least one Beastman at a time.

"Or more," because sometimes those incredibly powerful arrows would pass through an beastman's body and hit another unlucky one beside, yet they had never injured any human soldiers.

"A master… a legendary… master, huh?"

Although Charles was just a squad leader, he wasn't entirely lacking in knowledge. He recognized the significance of a bowman with fiery red arrows, and what it represented in the Human United Kingdom.

The inheritor of the Scarlet Flower Archery, a legend of the kingdom. She crossed the limits of humanity at the young age of nineteen and ascended to the rank of a legendary adventurer, one of the Three Legendary-level individuals of Courage City. 

Her title is "Scarlet Flame." "Flora" is her name, and those who respect her like to connect the two and refer to her as "Scarlet Flame Flora."

In the blink of an eye, the heroic girl had completed her clean-up operation and quickly disappeared into the distance. But the man knew that he would remember that dazzling figure for the rest of his life. It had nothing to do with love, it was pure admiration and gratitude.

In less than half an hour since the first group of lion-men and tiger-men scaled the walls, these formidable Beastmen had been completely wiped out. In the process, Violet also saw the so-called "Shadow Guards."

The Shadow Guards were not part of the forces of the Wanhe Fortress, they were Lilya's most elite trump card, nurtured in various ways from a young age to be loyal and skilled warriors. They numbered only a hundred, but each one was at least of the "Obsidian Steel" level or higher.

As a princess, Lilya had devoted a significant portion of her resources to arming this elite force, equipping them to the teeth. From the perspective of [Illusory World], every one of these warriors was wearing a full set of equipment of at least the lowest blue-grade quality. The most impressive among them even wielded weapons of purple-grade rarity.

What does this mean? Even the elite forces of the kingdom, such as the Western Garrison, were only equipped to the point where each soldier could wear white-grade armor. According to Violet's observations since her arrival in this world, many villages, towns, and even some small city guards were not even equipped to reach the lowest game levels. 

They could be described as "tattered xxxx." These were not professionally crafted, but rather armor with steel pieces sewn onto clothing or sharpened pieces of metal wrapped around wooden sticks. Their weaponry was of such a poor quality that it was downright embarrassing.

In this world, equipment of blue-grade quality is considered top-tier craftsmanship, and higher-grade purple items are referred to as magical weapons.

Magical weapons are typically crafted by powerful mages or created through special means, making them rare and hard to come by. An example would be the [Demon God Gem (Fragment)] that Violet casually acquired when she first arrived in that small town.

Items of this caliber are generally only accessible to the royal family of a country or large, influential super-families. For instance, the ring that Lilya wears is a magical item with storage capacity similar to Violet's item inventory, but its capacity is incomparable.

Moving up the hierarchy, golden spiritual weapons are known as spirit treasures or spiritual equipment, referring to magical weapons or equipment with simple spirituality that are even more powerful.

These items are already considered national treasures. While it's unclear about other countries, Lilya mentioned that the Human United Kingdom possesses only three spirit treasures, all stored in the deepest part of the royal treasury.

So, when Lester received the color-changing, golden-quality [Soul Battle Shield of the Black Knight], he was extremely excited. However, at that time, Violet wasn't entirely clear about these details. Otherwise, she would have considered it more thoroughly.

As for equipment superior to gold-rarity, they are artifacts left behind by the gods. Lilya hasn't personally seen items of this caliber, so it's challenging to provide a conclusive judgment.

Therefore, Violet currently cannot determine whether the "artifacts that were left behind by the gods" in this world are the same as the Divine Artifacts in "Illusory World," like her weapon, the [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart], and the robe, [Feather Robe Graria].

Lilya mentioned that the three Saintesses of the Holy Empire each possess the "God Artifact." If Violet is interested, she can inquire further.

The priestess discreetly recorded this piece of information in her heart.