Chapter 215

(2)

3.

쿠구구구구구!

A fierce vibration is felt from far away.

Following Ulan, Ivella Elea’ad silently grabbed her sword as she leaped down beneath the castle wall.

The swirling dust cloud reflected brightly in her turquoise eyes. Along with it, a swarm of countless monsters appeared.

“Hoo…”

Ivella steadied her breath.

With battle just ahead.

Whenever faced with such a situation, a taut tension always takes over her body. However, this time, she wasn’t that tense.

It was thanks to the sweet singing resonating from the castle wall above.

‘…Fertisha.’

The noble lady of the Lapis family, who possesses the mysterious ability of Spirit Art. She can spread the powers of spirits through her song.

Could it be because of this ability?

Ivella felt the tension leave her body, making her feel lighter. Thus, she was able to regain her composure faster than usual.

Just then, a flurry of talismans spread out from the castle wall into the battlefield.

Pababababak!

The talismans flying towards the monsters suddenly halted in midair. Waiting as if for a signal. Watching this, Ivella glanced up at the castle wall.

‘Noa.’

A girl from the same tribe as Ulan.

With her power of Sorcery, she steadfastly kept her eyes on the battlefield as if waiting for the right moment.

Moments later, as a soldier being chased by monsters darted through the boundary of the talismans, Noa immediately dropped one, impaling it into the ground.

Soon after, a bluish barrier rose up.

This quickly isolated the swarm of monsters right in the middle of the battlefield. Thanks to that, the distance between the fleeing soldier and the monsters grew significantly.

‘Maybe to ensure the soldier’s safety…’

That must be why she used such sorcery.

Yet, even with a sufficient gap established, Noa did not dismiss the barrier. Instead, she desperately maintained it, even bleeding from her nose.

There was a simple reason for that.

She had another goal in mind.

And at this moment, Noa fulfilled the purpose she had yearned for, even at the cost of her blood.

“That’s…”

An anomaly covering the darkened sky.

Countless starlights suddenly twinkled in the ashen sky where not even sunlight could be seen.

Ivella’s eyes widened in surprise.

Similarly, Ulan, who was also gazing at the sky, grinned as if he already knew what it was.

“Meteor Shower.”

Fragments of stars wrapped in magic power.

A 7-star level strategic magic, the Meteor Shower ruthlessly struck the trapped monsters within the barrier.

Kwaaaang! Bang! Kwaaang!

The barrier, caught in the star bombardment, shattered effortlessly, and the battlefield was instantly devastated.

[Gwaaaah!]

However, not all foes had vanished.

Large monsters of 7-star levels and the few lucky ones that had survived began their assault once again.

Now, only about half of the monsters were left.

Using the Meteor Shower once more could significantly reduce their numbers, but that wasn’t an option.

‘Too close to the wall.’

If another Meteor Shower were unleashed, the castle wall would likely get caught up in the bombardment. Thus, only single magic support and close-quarters combat remained.

With that, Ulan and Ivella stomped the ground.

Receiving fire support from the castle wall, the two quickly launched into monster hunting.

The chaotic battle unfolded in an instant.

However, there were no attacks that could threaten Ivella. She was within Ulan’s domain, receiving indirect protection.

While feeling grateful for this fact, Ivella also felt a bit dissatisfied.

‘If only I were a bit stronger.’

Then Ulan wouldn’t have to worry about me.

With that thought in mind, Ivella clenched her fist around the sword.

It was frustrating for no reason.

‘I want to be of help to Ulan too.’

Not as someone who is protected, but as a colleague who fights alongside him.

But she felt unqualified.

Just thinking about the colleagues who were providing fire support from the wall made her feel overwhelmingly inadequate.

Delia Arpen had surpassed being a sorceress, claiming the title of the youngest High Mage.

Noa, too, aided Ulan in battle with her sorcery. Not to mention Fertisha, who freely commanded spirits.

‘Meanwhile, I…’

Have only the status of a High-ranking Knight.

Besides that, nothing at all. Compared to her friends, it felt woefully insufficient. At this rate, she was nothing more than a burden, not a teammate to Ulan.

‘I don’t have talent in anything else.’

She hadn’t received the affection of mana like Delia or Noa, nor did she possess the mysterious ability of Spirit Art like Fertisha.

The talent given to her was but one.

‘Sword.’

The talent Ulan had also recognized.

In that sense, it was an opportunity.

They say the more battles fought, the faster the growth.

‘So…’

She shook off all distractions.

She poured all her remaining mental energy into her sword.

Focusing completely on defeating the monster, without thinking of anything else.

‘Faster.’

Ivella had a weakness.

She was significantly weaker in stamina compared to Ulan.

So, she aimed to achieve maximum results with minimal actions to compensate for her shortcomings. She swung her sword with that awareness.

‘More accurately.’

To shatter the vital point with a single strike.

To obtain the most efficient outcome.

Ivella’s sword carved a path closest and most accurate to the answer.

And the result?

One monster fell in a single blow.

Breathing, stepping, striking—nothing wasted its strength. It was as if she had grasped how to achieve maximum gain with minimal movement.

Truly, her swordsmanship had changed utterly.

Previously, it had been a sword aimed at enemies whose lives were in danger. From now on, Ivella’s sword began to target the lives of her enemies.

Just then, Ulan, who was fighting a large monster at the front, noticed the change as well.

‘That’s…’

A spectacle of evolving swordsmanship.

A merciless yet beautiful blade that pierced the enemy’s vital points, adjusting to the situation.

It was a familiar sight.

That was the sword of Ivella Elea’ad, the Sword Princess that Ulan remembered. At the same time, Ulan also perceived Ivella’s transformation.

‘She’s crossed the barrier.’

At some point, Ivella had stepped beyond the threshold of a High-ranking Knight, reaching the level of an Expert.

Of course, it was something expected.

When she had defeated the Swamp Ruler and absorbed its essence, she had already obtained a spirit close to becoming an Expert.

‘But I didn’t expect it to be this fast.’

Truly worthy of being the comrade he recognized.

Ulan smirked in genuine happiness for Ivella’s growth.

[Gwaaaah!]

Just then, a sudden, intense roar echoed.

Following it, the large monsters scattered around suddenly targeted Ivella.

There was a simple reason.

As Ivella crossed the wall, her magic power surged, and the monsters sensed her as a threatening presence.

The monsters came pounding towards her.

But it was a meaningless assault.

Crack! Smash! Splatter!

Soon, a frenzy of axe slashes swept through, and their bodies were all cleaved in half.

“Don’t interfere.”

Ivella was still growing.

Still in a trance beyond the level of an Expert. Thus, she eliminated risks so she could reap as much as possible.

After a while.

Once all the monsters were gone.

“Hah, hah!”

Ivella gasped for breath.

After swinging her sword without pause, she had reached her limit. Now, she had no strength left to wield the sword, but instead felt relieved.

‘Like…’

She felt as if she had dragged everything within her out.

And realized she had crossed the wall on that basis. With a faint smile, she staggered and slowly collapsed to the ground.

Yet she didn’t fall completely.

There was a hand to support Ivella.

“Congratulations, Ivella.”

“…Ulan.”

“Leave the rest to me.”

Just hearing that answer was reassuring.

Comforted by the presence of a reliable comrade beside her, she quickly lost consciousness.

Ulan shouldered Ivella and turned to stride towards the castle gate.

To put an end to the battle.

4.

Meanwhile, at that same time.

Owen, who had been on the castle wall, stared blankly at the battlefield, forgetting even to command.

“W-what….”

The astonishing sights, from the Meteor Shower that halved the hundred-strong monster horde to everything that transpired afterward, had left him in shock.

However, something else caught his eye.

A barbarian man below the wall, unilaterally hunting monsters. That was Ulan in combat.

Ulan swung his axe while darting across the battlefield like teleportation. Owen quickly realized what he was witnessing.

“…Master’s Domain.”

Now that he thought about it, he had heard of it.

The youngest Master had arisen from Arsen Academy, or so the tale went. Yet it was such an unbelievable claim he had dismissed it.

‘But I never expected it to be true.’

His eyes were filled with a mix of horror and admiration.

As he became entranced, following Ulan’s figure, Owen’s gaze suddenly shifted to a blonde girl not far from him.

‘What’s going on?’

She had changed since he first saw her.

What exactly had changed? Just as he pondered that, a transformation began right before his eyes.

“…!?”

Her sword was changing rapidly.

The process of a single swordsman breaking through the wall and growing was etched vividly into his eyes.

As if struck by lightning, his body trembled.

Owen clenched his fist tightly.

‘Why am I here?’

I want to fight on the battlefield too.

Instead of just watching from the castle wall, he wanted to join as a swordsman on the battlefield. The longing for power he thought he had forgotten ignited like a wildfire.

Soon after.

Thud! Thud!

Suddenly, a sound echoed as someone knocked on the castle gate.

Coming out of his thoughts and glancing below, he saw Ulan carrying Ivella and a soldier over his shoulders.

“The battle is over.”

Just as that sentence indicated, the monsters were now unseen.

Under Owen’s orders, the soldiers quickly opened the castle gate. As Ulan entered, he handed the unconscious Ivella to Noa before laying the bloodied soldier on the ground.

“His wounds are too severe!”

“Damn, get the potion quickly!”

The soldier was in such critical condition he seemed on the brink of death.

However, potions were unnecessary. Spirits responding to Fertisha’s song started to cling to the soldier’s body one by one.

Saaaah!

With the radiant light visible only to Ulan and Fertisha, the soldier’s blood ceased to flow. It was thanks to the healing power the spirits possessed.

‘But…’

It wasn’t as effective as Divine Power.

It could only stop the bleeding and ease the pain. Still, thanks to that, the soldier barely regained consciousness.

“Gah! Hah! Hah!”

The soldier awoke, groaning in pain.

Owen immediately spoke to him.

“Flute’s captain Owen Hiraes.”

“H-Hiraes captain.”

“What happened at the Northern Border? Why did you leave the fortress to come here…?”

Before he could finish his sentence.

The soldier abruptly grasped Owen’s hand tightly.

With bloodshot eyes, he stared hard and spoke in a voice that sounded as if it could fade away any moment.

“…The enemy is not just monsters.”

“What do you mean?”

“The fortress, the Northern Border will soon be breached. We have to somehow hold them off before the enemy reaches Flute to minimize the damage…”

As he continued to speak, gasping for breath, the soldier ultimately lost consciousness. Fortunately, he was still alive, so they quickly transported him to the infirmary.

Meanwhile, those left behind pondered what the soldier had meant.

“What could he have been trying to say?”

Professor Melt tilted his head in confusion, but no one had an answer.

However, one thing was certain.

An enemy other than the monsters had appeared, and soon the Northern Border would be breached. Realizing this, Professor Melt murmured with a dark expression.

“An emergency meeting will be summoned.”

Shortly after the professor’s words, a summons fell over the entirety of Flute. With the soldier’s testimony from the Northern Border reported to the upper echelons, it became urgent to formulate a countermeasure.

50. Everything is proceeding as planned.