Chapter 278

Chapter 279. How to Protect What’s Precious (3)

The Empire’s Solver, Nether, speaks.

A Solver must face problems, observe, and be able to think from different perspectives. If you can do that, there’s nothing in this world you can’t solve.

“That includes you, Keter. You’re no exception.”

Nether “faced” Keter. He spent the entire day watching Keter and thinking about him.

Then, he acted like Keter. If I were Keter, what would I do in a Family War? He repeated this hundreds of times.

“I am Keter. I’m about to face a Family War. Should I fight alongside Sephira? No. That doesn’t suit my temperament. I’ll fight alone. The formula for an absolute strong one to win a war is to pick off the weak enemies one by one. That’s the most ideal. But I won’t do that. Why? Because I’m Keter. I enjoy interest and fun. So, I’ll target the main force where the opponent’s Lord is.”

On the strategic map that shrunk the battlefield, Nether moved Keter’s piece toward Baydant’s main force. Then, like a child messing with toys, he swept through the main force with it.

“There are two Grandmasters in Baydant’s main force, but they’re no match for me. If I go all out, I might even kill them easily. But I won’t do that. It wouldn’t be fun. I’ll make sure the opponent feels enough fear and despair. But, oops!”

The pieces of the Grandmasters from the left and right wings, far from the main force, were moved by Nether’s hand. Keter’s piece was instantly surrounded.

“There were six Grandmasters! And Sword Dragon Rajis is a proper Grandmaster. Even for me, facing six is tough. So, what should I do? I’ll just run away.”

Nether, holding the piece symbolizing Keter, pondered for a moment.

“Where should I run? To the south where Sephira is? To the west with forests and mountains? Neither. I won’t just run away. I’ll head north. To Baydant’s rear base.”

Thud thud thud!

Keter’s piece swept through the rear base. Nether placed his own piece nearby this time.

“After sweeping through once, I’ll be sure. No one in this base can stop me.”

Nether, remembering that Keter used the Divine Speed Technique at the Southern Sword Tournament, widened his eyes.

“That’s right. I don’t care how many Grandmasters Baydant has. Because the knights of the Lilian Kingdom haven’t mastered the Divine Speed Technique. And there’s a speed difference between knights, so there’s bound to be a distance gap. If I exploit that gap and pick them off one by one, I can take on six Grandmasters alone. What if they give up the chase? I’ll just target Baydant’s soldiers.”

This explains everything. Sephira’s insistence on defense, and Keter going out alone.

“Were you really planning to win the war alone, Keter?”

Nether got chills. If he hadn’t been there, Keter’s plan would have been perfect.

“Can you do the same as me? If you’re truly a Solver, you should be able to predict that I’d analyze you and set a trap.”

Nether had two options.

One was to believe his judgment was correct and set a trap accordingly.

The other was to believe Keter would fight the war conventionally, aware of him, and prepare for that.

“No, I don’t care what Nether does. Because he’s not even a Grandmaster. At best, he’s Master-level. What kind of threat could someone like that pose to me?”

Thud.

Nether knocked over Keter’s piece with his own.

“I’m above you, Keter.”

And so, now.

Nether succeeded in stabbing Keter’s chest. To achieve this result, how much money did he spend? He used three 6th-circle scrolls, each worth hundreds of thousands of gold.

The top-tier concealment magic, “Perfect Reflective Camouflage.”

“Thunder Strike,” which pours lightning within a 50-meter radius.

“Hydro Pump,” which causes water pillars to erupt from the dry, frozen ground.

Moreover, the target wasn’t just Keter. The allied Grandmasters fighting alongside Keter were also swept up. If he didn’t do that, he couldn’t properly hit them with magic.

That’s not all. There was one more trump card.

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground exploded and overturned. It was a bomb that Bolos had prepared to use on the “Glory Road,” which Nether had retrieved and planted in the rear base.

Allied casualties were inevitable. But Nether saw it as a necessary sacrifice.

‘The Solver’s Rule, Seventh. If you fear loss, you’ll never gain.’

Having thrown Keter’s senses into chaos, Nether finally managed to stab Keter’s chest.

The sword in his hand wasn’t an ordinary famous sword either. It was a poison sword made from Basilisk’s fangs. The target would be instantly paralyzed, and even a transcendent being resistant to poison would die of a heart attack within five seconds from its deadly venom.

Sssk.

Nether looked down at Keter and smiled. It was the smile of victory, as if to say, “I won, and you lost.”

Keter’s mouth opened. What words would come out? Nether waited with the anticipation of receiving a gift, but—

“I was wondering when you’d show up.”

It wasn’t a curse, nor was it an acknowledgment of him. It was as if he’d been eagerly waiting for this moment.

Nether felt something was wrong. He hadn’t just stabbed any part of the chest; he’d stabbed near the heart. Keter should’ve died of a heart attack in one second, not five.

But Keter was fine. When Nether looked closely, there were no signs of the unique symptoms of Basilisk’s poison.

Sss.

Keter, who shouldn’t have been able to move, raised his right hand. Nether smelled the thick stench of death.

* * *

Jordic couldn’t believe his eyes.

The great Keter, pierced through the chest by Nether? Not to underestimate Nether, but he was just a beginner Master at best.

Thinking it might be an optical illusion, Jordic rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the sword had clearly pierced his chest. Moreover, it was near the heart, the most vital spot.

The chaotic base didn’t catch his eye. Right now, the result was more important than the process.

“Cough.”

Keter spat out a mouthful of blood. It was thin and clotted. It wasn’t from his mouth but from his internal organs.

‘Keter was defeated by Nether?’

It was hard to believe, but it was reality.

Jordic felt conflicted. He was happy, but something felt off.

‘I imagined a fierce battle and sacrifice, ending with my spear killing him.’

Jordic even felt a sense of emptiness at Keter’s end.

‘No, this is normal. Keter was arrogant. He must’ve underestimated Nether and got caught.’

Anyone can die meaninglessly. Like his brother and father. Keter was human too, so it wasn’t impossible.

“Nether! Cut off Keter’s head!”

Jordic, who had once made a hole in Keter’s stomach, knew that even a human should’ve died from such a wound, but Keter had recovered.

So, only by cutting off his head could he be sure Keter was dead.

But he was a step too late.

Thud!

Before Nether could pull out his sword, Keter kicked him away and staggered.

Nether, flung far and rolling on the ground, urgently shouted to Jordic.

“Lord! Keter is currently affected by Basilisk’s poison.”

Jordic knew about Basilisk’s poison. It was a powerful paralyzing agent. But Keter was moving just fine, wasn’t he?

“Cowardly bastards…”

Keter muttered and began to run away again. But this time, his speed was noticeably slower.

Jordic pondered for a moment. Could this also be a trap? But he quickly changed his mind.

No! That’s ridiculous. The sword clearly pierced his chest. And he was affected by Basilisk’s poison. It’s obvious he’ll collapse soon.

“Everyone, pursue him! We can’t let Keter escape!”

Jordic ordered the Grandmasters. The Grandmasters on the scene were in a sorry state, but they could still move.

Whoosh!

Jordic, who had prepared an Elixir in advance, began chasing Keter first. The Captain of the Constellation Knights followed, and the vanguard caught their breath.

“Sir Rajis. What should we do?”

Tesla, a Grandmaster from another family, sought Rajis’s advice. Zion also naturally waited for Rajis’s words.

This wasn’t just because Rajis had saved their lives multiple times while fighting Keter. They acknowledged that Rajis was the only one who could make the right decision here and now.

Rajis looked in the direction Keter had fled and pressed his forehead.

“Keter is fatally wounded and poisoned. Even if left alone, he’s destined to die. But with two fully recovered Grandmasters joining the pursuit, it’s more than enough to finish him off. The three of us should focus on managing this chaos and keeping an eye on the Sephira family…”

Rajis trailed off.

Sephira might send troops to rescue Keter. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a threat.

“If we let Keter escape despite his fatal wound and poisoning… I feel like he’ll come back alive. Even if it’s decades later.”

“That’s a bit chilling.”

“We need to see Keter’s corpse for sure.”

Keter, who had fought almost evenly against six Grandmasters even now. Who knows what he’ll become in 10 years, or even just one year.

Moreover, Keter, who fought alone and was cornered, might not fight alone next time.

“We should join the pursuit.”

The opponent is Keter. That’s why we need to finish him off more decisively.

At Rajis’s opinion, the two nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

* * *

While five Grandmasters pursued the fatally wounded and fleeing Keter—the soldiers of Baydant surrounding Sephira were slowly relaxing.

“The Sephira guys aren’t moving at all.”

“They won’t even show their noses beyond the city walls. Cowards.”

To them, Sephira seemed to have no intention of coming out of the gates. They were just sitting there, choosing only to defend, like turtles.

But the idea that Sephira was doing nothing was Baydant’s misconception and arrogance. In reality, Sephira’s interior was bustling. They were processing real-time reports from spies outside.

“Keter is moving into the forest. Five Grandmasters are pursuing him.”

Honorifics are omitted for brevity in the report. Hisop immediately asked upon receiving Mail’s report.

“What about the remaining one?”

“He’s the Black Panther Knight Captain, waiting in the main force.”

“Set out immediately!”

Hisop suddenly ordered the departure, but Mail and the elders weren’t flustered. If Keter draws attention, Sephira will advance. This was already a planned strategy.

Only the knights are setting out. A special force of 100 knights, composed of the Holy Knight Order and the Lunar Knight Order, was immediately assembled.

Commanding them was Pekda of the Big Dipper, one of Sephira’s seven strongest archers.

Instead of sending Anis and Taragon to the frontlines, they called in Pekda, who looked like an ordinary middle-aged knight.

But he was a former Holy Knight Commander, Constellation Knight Captain, and Lunar Knight Vice-Commander. In terms of experience, he was second only to Elder Panir in Sephira’s strategic and tactical genius.

The special forces he commanded, armed with incredible mobility and stealth, slipped out of Sephira’s territory, and Baydant was put on alert.

“Suspicious movements have been detected from Sephira!”

“They’re knights. About 100 of them! All moving north!”

The spies diligently reported, but Jordic, Baydant’s Lord who should be receiving the reports, was chasing Keter and couldn’t receive them.

When the Lord is absent, the Branch House Lord usually takes over, but Baydant currently has no Branch House Lord. Then, command authority falls to the elders.

But Baydant’s elders aren’t on the battlefield. They’re safely at the Baydant family estate, leisurely enjoying baths while the soldiers fight.

Ultimately, the next in command after Jordic was the Black Panther Knight Captain.

Puan, the Black Panther Knight Captain, who didn’t join the pursuit of Keter under the pretext of injury, was startled while examining his face in the mirror.

“Sephira, those guys moved? Why?!”

It was more of a lament, wondering why such a thing happened when he was the final authority.

But he thought it wouldn’t be too difficult. After all, Sephira has no Grandmasters, right? At best, three Masters, and only about 100 knights.

Even though the main force swept by Keter suffered significant losses, the left and right wings had no casualties.

“Send out the cavalry to pursue, and have the infantry block their retreat. Focus more on stopping their movement than attacking.”

Even a rotten fish is still a fish. Puan gave a standard order. Then, he grabbed his spear.

Many of the knights Keter killed were Black Panther Knights. Puan decided to personally take to the battlefield to avenge them.

“Assemble three companies. I’ll command them myself.”

Just as Puan was about to set out with 300 soldiers—

“Captain Puan! Urgent report!”

“Again?”

Puan frowned and gestured for them to hurry.

“The main estate is under attack! Sephira’s knights have occupied the buildings!”

“What?! How many Sephira knights are there?”

“About 50.”

“How many are at the main estate? Can we handle it?”

“Well, we didn’t expect Sephira to raid the main estate, so we didn’t station any knights there. We need to send reinforcements immediately!”

“Damn it, crazy… How did archers think of infiltrating the main estate? And how did they evade our eyes?”

Sephira has no mages. That’s a fact. They have Catherine, the Demon Archer, but strictly speaking, she’s not a mage.

But Baydant didn’t know. Catherine didn’t just learn Demon Archery from Keter.

Catherine learned a new magic called the Manifestation Realm, and using the Manifestation Realm’s concealment magic, she hid 50 knights, waiting for the right moment.

This wasn’t Sephira’s strategy, but Keter’s. Forming an infiltration team of 50 Holy Knights with Catherine as the commander was also part of it.

“Captain Puan! Give us orders!”

The pincer operation of Keter and Sephira. Puan, now in a critical situation where he had to make an immediate decision, felt like he was going to go mad from the pressure.