325th Chapter
Meteor.
A catastrophic magic spell capable of causing the downfall of entire nations.
Even this mythical magic struggles to deliver a significant blow to the depths of the spatially distorted Demonic Realm.
Thus, the target for the Meteor currently being prepared was not the core but the outer rim of the Demonic Realm.
Bombarding the outer rim offers two advantages.
Firstly, the immense physical force can further distort the already warped space, facilitating smoother entry from the outside.
Secondly, by eliminating traps and forces located at the outer rim through bombardment, it becomes significantly easier for the expeditionary force to establish a first line of defense after entering the Demonic Realm.
Of course, even though the impact would be less severe than on the core, hitting the spatially distorted outer rim with a Meteor would still have repercussions that the continent must endure.
Most of the defensive fortresses in the South, built to monitor and contain the Demonic Realm, would likely be destroyed, but this was an agreed-upon sacrifice.
Kuung-
A massive wave of mana spread across the army.
The main caster of this spell was Ramenta, Guardian of the World Tree.
The Empire granted her access to the Obelisk’s cosmic map, though not as detailed or precise as the one only Luna could access. Even so, the limited information provided was immensely helpful in manifesting the Meteor.
With the aid of dozens of high-ranking Mages, the sky-opening magic was gradually taking shape.
Tsuk-
Ray chuckled as he noticed his fingers trembling involuntarily.
The immense mana fluctuations were causing the illusion he had created to distort repeatedly.
Both Ray and Alexander’s true forms were waiting nearby Ramenta.
As expensive Artefacts prepared to assist the spell disintegrated every few seconds, Ray muttered under his breath,
“It’d be nice if some troublemakers showed up.”
“Better not count on it too much,” Alexander replied.
If any Demon creatures were lured out by the Meteor, it would indeed be fortunate, but given the knowledge that the Meteor cannot truly harm the core of the Demonic Realm, it was unlikely they would willingly expose themselves to unnecessary losses.
Ray waited patiently, though ultimately, no major threat emerged.
Hours later, the expeditionary force completed the Meteor spell without significant interference.
Truduk!
The sky seemed to shatter.
Ray glanced briefly at the beautiful starlight shining through the broken heavens and thought to himself,
“Even though the conditions are completely different… It’s taking far longer to complete than expected with dozens of the continent’s most renowned Mages involved.”
Though their combined power wasn’t inferior to Luna’s, it was clear that Luna’s talent lay in a different domain.
Now, massive meteors pierced through the night sky.
In this moment, no one could fully control the army.
Everyone, except for a few, momentarily forgot their duties and gazed upward.
Fiery meteors tore through the sky, leaving long trails before plummeting down.
Prepared barriers erected by the Mages shielded the army.
Then, with a flash, a colossal flame erupted beyond the horizon.
Heat arrived first, followed by tremors in the ground.
A deafening roar blanketed the army just as they grew accustomed to the shaking earth.
Kuuguuguung!!!
Thanks to the protective barriers set up beforehand, the army remained unscathed.
However, many couldn’t withstand the psychological shock, staggering and collapsing or freezing in place.
The scene conjured by the mythical magic far surpassed their impoverished imaginations.
Some, lost in a dream-like state, wet themselves, though no one noticed due to everyone being equally stunned.
For them, simply avoiding foaming at the mouth and fainting was quite an accomplishment.
Unable to bear the sight, one of Alexander’s aides discreetly signaled to a few Knights.
Upon receiving the signal, the Knights erupted in cheers.
Gradually, these roars of excitement spread throughout the army.
The dazed soldiers finally remembered that those who had created the enormous mushroom cloud were their allies, unleashing their joy.
“Uaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
As the ground continued to tremble, Alexander stepped forward, stamping his foot firmly.
Kung!!!
“Hear me, all troops!!!”
Alexander’s voice reverberated through the ranks.
“The greatest and most honorable battlefield awaits us!!!”
“…”
“Fear no death and annihilate the enemies of the continent!!! Embrace the glory of writing the first chapter of an enduring myth with your blood!!!”
Alexander raised his sword high.
The Sword Energy swirling around Alexander’s blade burned brightly enough to be seen by those at the end of the army.
“Are you ready to ravage the disgusting parasites infesting the continent!!!!”
“Uaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Amidst the renewed cries, Alexander smiled.
“We march forward.”
*
Finally, the expeditionary force began its advance into the Demonic Realm.
Despite the obscured vision and chaotic terrain following the meteor strike, it posed no problem.
This expedition included numerous Spirit handlers, especially many skilled in controlling wind spirits.
They used their spirits to clear away the dust and aided the movement of the expeditionary force.
Tens of thousands of the expeditionary force, with the help of wind spirits, floated slightly above the ground while propelling themselves forward.
Originally, powerful spirit handlers were extremely rare, so even gathering all available ones from the continent wouldn’t have been enough to mobilize such a large number for the expedition.
Well, but if there aren’t enough spirit handlers, why not mass-produce them?
With the Emperor’s cooperation, Ray secretly forced the spirits into servitude, compelling them into slave contracts with the Mages.
Thanks to this, many of the Mages participating in the expedition gained the ability to command spirits like slaves.
“Hmph, what a pity…”
Ray sighed as he observed the unprecedented large-scale enslavement of spirits absent from history.
He had initially planned to gather twice as many enslaved spirits.
However, despite keeping the operation covert, rumors reached the Spirit Realm, and soon enough, the number of spirits falling into his traps dwindled drastically.
No matter how much he bullied the enslaved spirits into bringing friends, many responded with lifeless faces, shaking their heads.
Attempting to exploit the lack of communication between different types of spirits, Ray targeted non-wind spirits, but this tactic also quickly became ineffective.
It seemed an alarm had sounded throughout the Spirit Realm.
Still, achieving the initial goal significantly boosted the expeditionary force’s strength.
Since the spirits were entirely bound in slave contracts, the burden on the spirit handlers was minimal, making the system highly efficient.
Though future generations of spirit handlers would undoubtedly suffer greatly in forming contracts with spirits, Ray didn’t consider it his problem.
“That is fast.”
The speed of the advance was unreal.
Despite the terrain being devastated by the Meteor’s aftermath, the army moved forward at an incredible pace.
Had they not secured numerous spirit handlers, the plan to bomb the perimeter with the Meteor might have been abandoned altogether.
Hwarak!
Soon, the fiery land came into view.
Approaching the point where the Meteor struck, the heat grew more intense.
However, it posed no issue.
Every member of the expeditionary force carried defensive Artefacts, and the residual heat was easily neutralized by the enslaved spirits, requiring no extra effort from the Mages.
Csuuuuk!
“Wow, everyone’s working hard.”
Ray approvingly praised the cold-emitting spirits as they diligently worked despite visibly trembling.
Before long, the main force of the expeditionary army arrived at the boundary of the Demonic Realm.
“…”
A brief silence fell.
Despite having engraved countless grandiose stories in their minds, their bodies stiffened at the realization of actually entering the Demonic Realm.
Silently, the Mages began deploying barriers to reduce resistance upon entering the distorted space.
Once the barrier was complete, Alexander took the first step into the Demonic Realm.
Following the lead of the Supreme Commander, the army began advancing.
Ray silently stepped into the Demonic Realm.
Ddeok!
After overcoming slight resistance, Ray stepped onto the Demonic Realm’s soil.
“…”
The air felt sticky. The sky was dark red, like rotten blood.
The sensation Ray experienced within the illusions arranged by Resina, which he never wanted to face again, enveloped him once more.
Even standing still evoked a sense of discomfort, as if crawling insects were slowly climbing over his body.
Ray clenched his jaw, feeling nauseous.
Among the elite soldiers below Expert Level who entered the Demonic Realm, many couldn’t suppress their nausea and bent over.
Moreover, the discomfort felt by the expeditionary force was not merely an illusion but a tangible threat.
Peegeuk!
One of the leading Knights, hearing a small sound from his armor, looked down.
Rust had begun forming on the armor protecting his leg joints.
“…”
Rust? On this high-quality equipment freshly maintained just days ago?
This abnormal phenomenon wasn’t isolated to just one Knight.
Soon, voices calling for Clerics echoed throughout the army.
“Te, Templar…!”
The Clerics immediately wielded holy relics or divine powers.
However, upon entering the Demonic Realm, the potency of all techniques related to divine power was halved.
Just as Demons struggle to use their full strength outside the Demonic Realm, the reverse held true.
Even with the increased ratio of Clerics within the ranks, completely purifying the sticky influence of the Demonic Realm proved impossible.
Fear rapidly spread through the army.
Nevertheless, Commander Alexander ordered the rapid advance, ignoring the army’s unease.
The expeditionary force needed to push forward as quickly as possible before the Demons could restore the area devastated by the Meteor.
There was no time to console the army while boiling, melting ground surrounded them.
Many soldiers continued moving, repeatedly gagging.
They resembled livestock being led to slaughter.
As time passed, the voices of middle-ranking officers encouraging the soldiers faded, and silence enveloped the entire army.
Suddenly, a chilling wail came from afar.
Keeeeeek!!!!!!
The grating noise akin to scratching a metal plate startled the soldiers.
However, those at the forefront smirked, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Ray alternated his gaze between Alexander and Anthonyus, asking,
“Most will likely be scouts sent to test our strength, but the numbers seem considerable… What do you two think?”
“The morale of the army is unmatched. Though we should conserve our strength, showing overwhelming dominance in the first battle is necessary,” Alexander said.
Anthonyus nodded slightly upon receiving Alexander’s glance.
“Understood.”
Anthonyus gripped his Sacred Sword tightly.
Advance (4)
