Chapter 252


    <b><i>Raid and Counterattack (3)</i></b>


    The outline was set from the beginning.


    That there might be a spy within our ranks colluding with the rk faction.


    I harbored such suspicions from the fact that the enemies found out how to deal with my [el Piercing], and those suspicions grew into certainty as the keyword ‘Ludenark’ emerged from the runes the enemies possessed.


    This war is not simply a dungeon raid.


    Perhaps a new enemy to the Holder realm, an organization called Ludenark, is involved.


    And if an outside group is involved, the possibility of there being a spy among our ranks…


    ‘The Ripple Raid.’The probability was highest that it would be among the <Ripple Raid> I had founded.


    So I heightened the vignce against spies that I had maintained since founding the <Ripple Raid>.


    Ironically, the main person was Do Seung-min.


    “Me, you want me to find the spy?”


    “Not exactly find them, just be vignt. Since you handle the Stealth Rune well.”


    Unless Holders deliberately use detection-type runes or magic sensing, the [Stealth] of the assassin ss is rarely detected.


    Whilecking in many areas, Do Seung-min was a highly experienced assassin-ss operative.


    His proficiency with [Stealth] was on par with A-grade assassins.


    Of course, at first, I didn’t exclude Do Seung-min from suspicion either, but as I mentioned, he had a long career, a solid alibi, and quite a few records from his childhood.


    With his identity confirmed, joining this <Ripple Raid> for the first time,


    He was the most suitable person for this task.


    “But the viins have all been wiped out now, right? Is there another group that could send in a spy?”


    “Ah, perhaps ones even more vicious than the viins.”


    After maximizing vignce like that, I visited Enrichten at dawn.


    Four additional awakened warriors had gathered at hismand tent.


    A separate squad formed on my advice that the enemy mightunch a surprise attack tonight.


    But it seemed some Lans were disgruntled by the sudden strategy shift.


    “Tol. We still do not understand. No matter that you received a Token of Trust and proved your formidable might, you are human after all. Moreover, you wield the power of those impure beings…!!”


    “Schilten.”


    Enrichten cut him off and gently persuaded him.


    “Do not just see what you want to see. Sense his aura closely.”


    “…What do you mean?”


    “He certainly used the barbarian enhancement arts in battle, but that power was not artificially imnted in him by them. Do Jae-hyun is a descendant of the Barbarian King Magnus Barbarian. He is using the true, formal barbarian enhancement arts.”


    “…!!”


    It seemed there was a misunderstanding due to the rune [Warriors Enhancement Art] that I use.


    This power belongs to the barbarian tribe, and when the Ludenark sect granted this power to the rk tribe, the war rapidly turned.


    ‘Come to think of it, I didbine their abilities into a rune…’


    In any case, the rune I currently possess is the formal [Warriors Enhancement Art].


    And I even have [Descendant of the Barbarian King] to prove that power.


    Enrichten persuaded Schilten by urately distinguishing the unstable power of the rk faction from the power I possess.


    It was the moment my strategic exnation carried undeniable weight.


    “Then Enrichten, let me continue exining. If the enemyunches a surprise attack tonight, the separate squad will go this way and cut off their supply route… …”


    Around 30 minutes into exining the meticulous counterattack n to them,


    -The enemy forces!! It’s a surprise attack by those rk bastards!


    A Lycan on sentry duty shouted at the top of his lungs.


    As expected to some degree.


    A surprise attack by the rk faction at dawn had begun.


    We immediately exited the tent and prepared for battle.


    “Oh no…”


    But Enrichten’s expression outside was not good.


    He looked utterly dumbfounded, as if he had not expected this at all.


    “Why do you look like that?”


    “They cast a spell. They forcibly filled the moon to induce the awakening of the Lans – the Pearl Moonlight spell.”


    Those ones.


    Referring to the Ludenark sect.


    I was stunned by those words.


    The Ludenark sect is here too?


    Does that mean they were in the dungeon from the very start?


    There was no time to resolve such questions.


    “While this spell allows our Baraten to awaken and grow stronger as well, so it’s not too threatening, the problem is the next spell. The Ludenark sect has many strange spells, including one that infiltrates Lycans underground for surprise attacks. For those unprepared, it is a highly devastating attack method.”


    In other words, what he was saying was, “Our forward forces near themand tent are in danger. The warriors on sentry duty may already be… Do Jae-hyun? Where are you going, Do Jae-hyUn!”


    There was no need to listen to the rest of his words.


    I immediately charged forward at full speed, using a mobility rune.


    The Strike Force member on sentry duty right now was Kim Chae-eun.


    Knowing that, I could not just stand idly by.


    That’s how the situation was after we rushed over here with all our might.


    ‘Did Chae-eun take on the Lycan alone…?’


    When I first arrived and nced at thebat situation, I was shocked.


    An A-grade top monster, Lycanthrope.


    It was even a monster that had awakened into wolf form through the magic [Pearl Moonlight].


    Our Lycan was also lying copsed, so it seemed Chae-eun had defeated it alone without a tank.


    It was an astonishing feat for a mage to solo an A-grade top monster, but we didn’t have time to admire it.


    ‘I need to close the distance first.’


    I unleashed all my ultimate skills.


    [Distortion Shadow] that teleports me to the enemy while delivering a powerful strike.


    Thanks to that, one Lycan instantly retired.


    Using that one as a foothold, I leapt over and embraced Chae-eun, then unfolded [True Flowing Sword] with one hand.


    It was a technique I was trying for the first time, but I managed to pull it off somewhat clumsily.


    It was the moment I arrived just in time to avert the crisis.


    “Burst like the waves.”


    I continued the battle without pause.


    The ultimate skill [Sky-Shattering Heavenly Sword].


    Unlike the original [Wave Sword Technique] that pierces and erupts on a single target, [Sky-Shattering Heavenly Sword] bes an AoE skill that spreads its power in all directions.


    If you thrust a sword into water and channel magic power, seven ‘des of water’ are instantly created.


    If you then fire those des in the desired direction…


    You can erupt intense magic power on anything pierced by the des.


    In other words, it allowed me to remotely control the original [Wave Sword Technique] and use it on multiple targets.


    The power was less than the original, but its versatility was overwhelming.


    Pop- pababbat-


    ——!!


    Kwahng-!!


    Kwaahng-!!


    The soft water magic power danced on the lycans’ bodies like explosions.


    They had already been softened up by the onught of [True Flowing Sword], so the finishing blow of [Sky-Shattering Heavenly Sword] left them unable to recover.


    Pung- pung-


    The Lycans easily copsed and lostbat ability every time the ‘des of water’nded.


    “Heuk- heuk…”


    …Of course, I wasn’t in perfect condition either.


    I had unleashed three ultimate skills in a row that ordinary holders could hardly acquire even one of.


    An immense amount of magic power drained from me, instantly leaving me depleted, and I could feel my physical strength also waning.


    I was only managing thanks to runes like [Pride of the Forgotten Dragon knight] or [Warriors’ Enhancement Art] that supplemented my health and magic. Without them, I would have copsed before those Lycans.


    “Jae-hyun, finish them…!!”


    And at that moment,


    A familiar ‘chill of ice’ enveloped the surroundings.


    A mist-like magic power that tried to freeze the air.


    It was Chae-eun’s main skill [Frozen Fog] that I had seen dozens of times.


    ‘Brings back old memories.’


    This was always the feeling when fighting alongside her.


    Trapping the monsters with [Frozen Fog] or [Field Freezing], then me delivering the finishing blow.


    An efficient and ssic attack pattern.


    Although I didn’t often fight like this anymore as my abilities diversified, it felt fresh to fight together with her again.


    Reviving those old memories…


    I drew [w Short Sword] using the Art Weapon Exchange.


    For swift finishers, nothing beats short sword skills and [Wave Sword Technique].


    ——!!


    Awoooo-!!


    Finally, the Lycans gasped theirst breaths.


    We had ovee the overwhelming numbers and eliminated them all.


    And those numbers would only grow from here.


    This was just the start of our counterattack against rk’s assault.


    ***


    Ippotrantion


    ***


    Meanwhile, on the side of the Baraten camp barracks.


    The allied forces who became aware of the enemy’s approach due to the rms of the sentries were engaged in their own fierce battle.


    Moon Ga-eun drew the bowstring so tightly it felt like her fingers might break.


    Fortunately, the enemy approach rm was early enough that battle preparations were properly made… but the number of enemies was too many.


    Far too many.


    No matter how many arrows she shot or how much magic she unleashed, the enemies pushed forward relying on their numerical superiority.


    “Hold on! Wait until our allies carry out their operation!”


    “Protect the humans as much as possible! Don’t let the support get cut off!”


    The awakened warriors in charge of each unit shouted until their throats were hoarse.


    At first, they had preferred individualbat between the Lycan and humans, but now that the war had progressed quite a bit, they well knew that the rear support Holders were the core of the battle.


    “Why is this! The wolf forms! Are so! Hard to hit! Annoying!!”


    Amidst that, Moon Ga-eun silently shot her arrows.


    Yet, irritation welled up inside her mind.


    The Lycans who had awakened by receiving the light of the full moon had all transformed into wolf forms and were rushing in.


    Because of that, their stride range became diverse, making it extremely difficult tond attacks urately, and their abilities had also risen through awakening, making their movements excessively sharp.


    In a word, the allied forces were at a huge disadvantage.


    “Well, that’s because the full moon has risen. When the full moon rises, Lycans and virgens be stronger through awakening and can transform into wolf forms. Of course, this full moon was created by magic!”


    And a voice could be heard from somewhere.


    It was Haten, the Lycan assigned to guard Moon Ga-eun.


    Even in this urgent situation, he was too talkative.


    “Then you guys should just transform too…!!”


    “We don’t transform because of our numerical disadvantage. The human form is more convenient for defense.”


    “Geez- Just transform already! We’re all gonna die at this rate!”


    At those words, Haten, who had been fighting vigorously, pped his hands.


    “I’ve been waiting for you to say that!”


    As soon as the words ended.


    Shwack!


    In an instant, Haten’s body began to transform.


    His upright standing form bent into a wolf shape.


    His protruding ws and fangs became sharper.


    The fur all over his body grew longer.


    And…


    [The isted wolfkin, awakened by the moonlight, regains his true form. The chosen wolf n ‘Phorien’ has been a close friend fighting alongside the Valkyries since ancient times. Haten, a descendant of Phorien, became a wolfkin through mutation amid the turmoil, but now that he has regained his original form, he can make a contract with her.]


    [‘Valkyrie of the Battlefield’ Rune and ‘Valkyrie’s Steed’ Rune resonate. Having met all the hidden special conditions, a contract with ‘Haten’ bes possible. This contract is not affected bymand values or rune levels.]


    The long-awaited new power also began to manifest.<hr>


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