Chapter 116

Chapter 116

#116. Ariana Rune Renslett (3)

When Ariana arrived, the fierce battle was already in full swing.

ROOOAAAAR!

SSSSSIIIIIHHH!

The terrifying cries of the druid transformed into a beast and the unique howls of the orcs drowned out all other sounds.

“Fight!”

“Do not retreat!”

In preparation for such an eventuality, the high knights stationed at the workshop and the warriors of Frosthaven fiercely resisted.

“Hunters! Focus your attacks on the Hunters!”

“They’re too strong! Way too strong!”

But there was a limit to what they could endure.

Each of the invaders was a top-tier monster matching the strength of a high knight.

Even more alarming, their leader was unofficially considered on par with a Swordmaster.

“GAAAAH!”

“Kuulh…!”

“Mo, Monster!”

Already, quite a number of Frosthaven warriors and knights had fallen or been incapacitated, thanks to Orc Lord Hunter.

Thus, the battle situation was neither good nor bad.

“If I survive this, I’ll have to thank Chairman Jin.”

“Thanks to the Magic Shoulder Armor, I’ve escaped death three times.”

It was also due to the magic armor provided by Arad and the mad scientists that the damage was relatively minimal.

“Don’t hold back on using the enchantments on the armor!”

“Chairman Arad said it himself! The magic armor is expensive disposable gear anyway! So use it without hesitation!”

“Our magic armor is far superior to their magical devices! Use this advantage in combat!”

Indeed, the magical devices made by Arad were clearly better than those possessed by the enemy. Without this difference, the casualties would have been much worse.

“Hold them off!”

“Request reinforcements from the wall!”

“Is the magic communication device ready yet?”

Thanks to the magical devices, the standoff seemed evenly matched for a considerable duration.

Will reinforcements arrive from the wall? Can we withstand until then without significant losses?

“Hunter! Reinforce Hunter’s side with additional troops!”

Particularly that damn Orc Lord was the biggest problem. Even the defensive barriers of the Magic Shoulder Armor were useless against a single slash from the Great King Orc’s axe.

“Resist Hunter’s attacks as much as possible!”

“Ugh, UUUUGGGHHH!”

An uneasy situation.

Flash!

The tide turned when an unexpected knight entered the fray.

“That person…!”

“Lady Mary?”

Rare white hair even in the Northern Region with deep gray eyes.

Arad Group’s secretary general, now well-known throughout High City and beyond.

Lady Mary stood before Hunter wielding a pure white mana-infused sword.

Clear mana, the hallmark of a high knight, enveloped her blade.

“Is Lady Mary a high knight?!”

“What the…?!”

It wasn’t the Swordmaster-level Ki, but she was undoubtedly a master close to that level.

Not just any high knight, but an uppermost tier knight.

“The movements she displayed during Sigma’s last invasion weren’t ordinary.”

“But I didn’t expect THIS level…”

What was once estimated as merely a skilled swordswoman turned out to be an uppermost tier knight.

The warriors of Frosthaven and knights stared in disbelief.

“Hmph… Family traits run deep after all.”

“So the rumors about her being a bastard child are true.”

Only some of the warriors and knights who’d suspected Lady Mary’s identity beforehand nodded slowly.

“SSSSiiiiiikk…”

Meanwhile, Orc Lord Hunter, who had been glaring intently at the newly arrived Ariana, sniffed audibly before speaking.

“That smell is familiar. You human female are strong. Are you the offspring of the human lord I killed back then?”

True to form, fluent human language flowed from the Orc Lord’s mouth.

“Hmm… You’re interesting enough to keep things from getting boring.”

Hunter grinned while stretching his massive body.

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh

Imperial steel Warhammer and Battle Axe spun impossibly fast in his hands, almost invisible to the naked eye.

“This fight! No one interferes! Sssssk!!”

At Hunter’s shout, the battle paused momentarily.

Orcs and druids circled with intense gazes.

On the other side, Lenslet knights swallowed nervously as they held their positions.

“…”

Ariana silently glared at Hunter with killing intent.

Peeeeeeeekkkk

Just then, an ominous screech came from the sky.

Even though she was about to duel, Ariana looked up instinctively at the approaching sense of danger.

“!!”

A giant bird-like monstrosity loomed in the distance.

The problem was its target.

The monstrous bird was descending toward Arad’s rooftop position.

Its massive beak and talons were fully extended.

With deadly intent aimed at eliminating its target.

“No way!”

Overcome by a chilling sensation that froze her heart, Ariana shouted loudly.

“…Hmm?”

Annoyed at having his duel interrupted, Hunter glared at the shape-shifting druid Nutzka.

Screeeeech

Nutzka’s colossal form dove straight toward Arad at an unbelievable speed.

Knights and staff scrambled frantically to protect him.

Click- TANG!

Right then, a deafening roar and flash erupted from Arad’s magnum.

BOOM!

KWAAANG- KRRRRAAANGG-

The monster struck by the magic bullet from Arad’s magnum crashed into the factory building below.

* * *

The magic bullets fired from my magnum are special rounds powerfully condensed with fire, void, and light attributes.

While most magic bullets are special, the one I just fired was designed specifically for situations like this – maximum lethality.

Comparable to slug rounds used for polar bear hunting on Earth.

The problem is, the thing it hit is far tougher than any Earth polar bear.

“Alive?! After taking a direct hit like that?!”

I muttered exasperatedly as I looked down.

The druid who attacked me had stamina and vitality surpassing even a troll.

‘Time to shoot again before he recovers!’

I aimed my magnum at the twitching druid on the ground and pulled the trigger.

Swish-

‘He dodged?!’

The creature rolled away from the shot at incredible speed despite being pinned to the ground.

TANG! TANG!

My follow-up shots all missed as well.

‘Real monster. Makes sense given his survival skills in the arctic. But this guy and the Lensretians share roots?’

While reloading my magnum, I compared the northern humans beside me with this druid.

Swish! Swish!

Staff and knights protecting me fired their crossbows.

The bolts weren’t ordinary iron arrows but magic stone-tipped projectiles similar to those used by the magic corps currently active at the wall.

POOF! POOF! POP!

“Wha?!”

“Magic stone arrows?!”

Most of our magic stone arrows were nullified.

Light emitted from magical devices on the druid’s body lying on the ground.

‘Magic devices superior to anything from Demon Den! Are these relics from the Golden Age?’

My eyes widened seeing those devices.

“Keep firing!”

While I reloaded my magnum with magic stones.

While our magic stone arrows were being nullified.

CRACK CRACK

Nutzka, who had transformed back into a two-meter tall human from the monstrous bird form, quickly recovered and shakily stood up.

“Not an ordinary druid!”

“My goodness… Could this be Druid Chief Nutzka?!”

Truly a savage apex predator rejecting civilization.

Druid Chief Nutzka’s recovery and resilience were absolutely overwhelming.

Despite taking a direct hit from a magic bullet and crashing to the ground, he quickly regained his senses and evaded subsequent attacks.

KRKKKK SHHHH KRKKKK

Transforming between bird, human, and massive polar bear forms while rapidly regenerating damaged tissues, the druid’s vitality was nothing short of astonishing.

His dedication to nature and savagery inspired awe.

“Grgrgrgr…”

Exuding a monstrous cry impossible for human vocal cords, he glared at me with terrifying intensity.

Even making eye contact from a distance sent chills down my spine.

SSSSREEEEEEK-

Right then. Five monstrous birds identical to the earlier Nutzka appeared in the sky.

“Mr. Chairman! Please take cover!”

“Other druids are coming!”

Staff and knights surrounded me.

They half-dragged me into the factory.

“ROOOAAARRR!!”

Behind us, Nutzka’s roar signaled his complete recovery.

KWAAANG KWAAANG KWAAANG

Soon after, five druids transformed into monstrous birds landed on the factory roof in response to Nutzka’s call.

CRUNCH Crunch

Inside the hastily evacuated factory,

The habitual sound of people checking their weapons filled the air.

I too loaded additional magic bullets into my magnum and double-checked my magic coat, magic bracelet, enchanted shoes, and enchanted gloves.

KRAAANG BOOM! BOOM!! Screech

Moments later, druids in monstrous bird forms broke through the ceiling.

KWAARRRNG!!

Attempting to escape through the front door proved futile.

“We’re surrounded.”

At the entrance stood Nutzka, transformed into a bipedal polar bear.

“Mr. Chairman, we’ll guide you to the rear exit.”

Manager Te pointed to the still clear back exit.

SKREEEEEEK!!

But the monstrous birds immediately landed near the rear exit, denying escape.

“Mary and the knights will arrive soon. Let’s hold out until then.”

Now completely cut off from escape routes.

Our only option: Hold out until reinforcements arrive.

‘Guess I’ll have to rely on my absurd luck stat.’

Deciding to fight half in prayer and half in faith in Mary.

* * *

‘Arad!’

Ariana was frantic.

She needed to reach the factory where Arad was.

The druid who just attacked Arad wasn’t an ordinary druid. It was Druid Chief Nutzka.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

Her heart raced wildly at the thought of facing her father’s nemesis.

‘Arad is in danger!’

Instinctively, she knew.

There was no way Arad and his current protection could defeat Nutzka and the druids.

“ARAD!!”

Without hesitation, Ariana turned and sprinted toward the factory.

“Grgrgr… Where do you think you’re going?”

Suddenly, a chilling voice and menacing aura came from behind.

‘Damn!’

KCHAAANG!!

Baring her teeth, Ariana swung her sword to deflect the incoming attack.

The handaxe thrown by Hunter was blocked.

“SSSSsk?”

Seeing this, Hunter tilted his head curiously.

“That sword… Looks nice. Too bad it’s too small for me to use, pity, sk!”

The handaxe Hunter just threw was custom-made by the empire using imperial steel.

Thoughtfully tailored to fit orc proportions.

Meaning the handaxe Ariana deflected was comparable in size to a regular battle axe for humans.

“Looks better than weapons made by imperial humans. Tell me, chief female. Who made it, sk?”

Hunter’s gaze was drawn to Ariana’s sword which showed no signs of damage despite being crafted without gold plating or fancy designs.

Conversely, the large handaxe infused with mana and thrown with full force by the orc king was deeply cracked and embedded in the corner.

“…”

Facing Hunter, Ariana remained silent and raised her sword.

‘I have no choice.’

She needed to deal with this guy quickly and rush to help Arad.

Woooom

Her sword resonated.

As if responding to its master’s resolve.

‘Arad…’

This wasn’t an ordinary sword.

It was a birthday gift from Arad when she was still Mary.

GAK!

Ariana gripped the pure white hilt tightly.

Snow Cry gleamed snow-white from pommel to tip.

Surprisingly sharp and durable.

The superior magic stones embedded in the pommel and guard, along with the magic circuit running through the blade, carried three simple yet effective enchantments.

Durability enhancement, damage transfer, and automatic repair.

‘Instantaneous repair…’

When she deflected Hunter’s handaxe, a tiny crack appeared on Snow Cry.

But it automatically repaired itself instantly.

The shock was dispersed, allowing her to block effortlessly with one hand.

Apparently, Hunter hadn’t noticed the automatic repair feature.

‘Huff!’

ZAP-

Taking a deep breath, Ariana charged at Hunter.

SWISH

Snow Cry was bathed in Mary’s pure white mana, glowing distinctly.

“ROOOAAARRR!! SSSK!!”

Seeing this, Hunter let out a cry of excitement and swung his massive warhammer and battle axe with both hands.

They clashed.

—–!

A sound transcending audible frequencies erupted.

Their first clash.

“…”

“!!”

Though their first collision, battles between superhumans reveal each other’s strengths instantly.

KWAANG! BOOM! BOOM!

Subsequent sword strikes followed rapidly.

Deafening booms echoed.

“Sk, SSSK?!”

“…”

The advantage belonged to Ariana in Mary’s form.

“Die.”

WHOOSH

Mana surged from her heart and dantian.

“Sk, SSSK!”

Enhanced recovery from elixirs.

Reestablished mana core.

And Snow Cry.

Ariana’s growth being blocked by the wall was half true, half false.

“Sword Master! SSSK!”

“…”

With some strain, accepting potential aftereffects…

She could briefly exhibit skills comparable to her prime.

KWAANG! BOOM! KAANG!!

Therefore, Ariana mercilessly unleashed her full power against Hunter.

Risking danger and consequences.

Though avenging her father remained her top priority,

Saving Arad as soon as possible was now her zeroth priority.

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