Chapter 267
Demon race.
The annihilation of the advance party was predicted.
That was the purpose from the beginning.
The advance party, fallen into a massive trap, collapsed under devastating blows as expected.
“Still, isn’t it regrettable? That kind of force would have been a great help in the final battle.”
“It is indeed unfortunate. They too were great pillars supporting the demon race. However, we couldn’t leave uncontrolled power unchecked.”
Sidriel’s decision was firm.
The three families, bound together by arrogant authority, would have caused problems eventually.
They were a force that could become a disaster, starting as sparks of discord.
Such unstable power was worse than having none at all. Using them briefly this time to delay the enemy’s advance was satisfactory enough.
“So now it’s our turn to step up.”
“Let’s go.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
The legends, including Choi Hyun-seok, moved according to plan.
Divided into two teams – one to stop the main force of fanatics, and the other to prevent new groups of fanatics from gathering.
Neither task was easy.
Battle after battle.
Time flowed mercilessly.
One day, two days, a week, ten days…
Choi Hyun-seok gave his all to stop the approaching groups of fanatics.
How fierce and desperate his battles were.
How many times he crossed the line between life and death?
How many enemies did he strike down?
Even a glimpse at his increased level showed this.
▫Name: Choi Hyun-seok
▫Title: Legendary Hero
▫Level: 1713
- Strength: 626
- Agility: 629
- Stamina: 627
- Mana: 683
- Charisma: 175
- Fighting Spirit: 201
Thanks to this, his combat power exceeded 1000,000, making it impossible to measure anymore.
While clearly remarkable, thinking about the process made it impossible to smile.
“Haah…”
Choi Hyun-seok, with a tired face, rubbed it dry.
How many fanatics had he killed to reach this point?
Countless lives were lost.
The weight of each life felt heavier because he had personally destroyed their heads and hearts.
“… Fortunately the evacuation ended safely.”
“The operation was successful for now.”
“Everyone worked hard.”
Still, thanks to their fierce fighting, they achieved their objective.
Currently, the evacuation is 99.9% complete.
There were almost no casualties during that time.
This was remarkable, and Choi Hyun-seok deliberately focused more on this fact.
If he thought about how many people died by his hands, he might truly go mad.
Right now, he would only think about how many people he had saved.
This was what Choi Hyun-seok had to do.
With the final battle approaching now.
Whether to atone, break down and go mad, or fall into hell.
Those were things to think about after finishing the last battle.
Considering the weight of life and sacrifice pressing on his shoulders now, this was absolutely necessary.
“They’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Finally, the end.”
“Yes. The final battle…”
A massive group of fanatics numbering 40 million.
Despite numerous deaths, their increased numbers were now approaching the capital Draxel.
“Can we win…”
Someone muttered quietly.
That soliloquy struck everyone’s heart like a cold dagger.
“…”
An uncomfortable and awkward silence continued.
Everyone was too tired to even force a smile and pretend things were fine.
They fought without rest.
More accurately, they killed people without rest.
The blood they made others spill could probably form a massive river.
They were all floundering in the river of blood they had created.
When no one could think to break the silence.
Choi Hyun-seok spoke.
“We will win. That’s what all this time has been for.”
His calm voice held a strange power.
During the battle, there was no time to wash.
Now, completely disheveled from forgetting about washing entirely.
But his eyes alone remained clear.
He had already sorted out his thoughts.
And knew what he had to do.
“Let’s begin soon. Everyone seems to be here.”
“… Understood.”
Orlaben Grimier stood up.
He began briefing them on the final operation.
“Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the evacuation is almost complete. Not only the citizens of Drason, but also refugees from other countries have safely moved to the rear. Once again, I thank you for your hard work.”
Orlaben Grimier gave a slight bow.
If these legends hadn’t been here, the damage would have been beyond imagination.
Perhaps even the hope of protecting humanity might have disappeared.
That’s why Orlaben Grimier was sincerely grateful for their efforts.
After a moment, he raised his head and continued his explanation.
“The enemy is currently gathering at a location half a day away from the capital Draxel. If things go as expected, they will arrive here in Draxel at dawn tomorrow when the sun rises.”
“I heard the enemy numbers forty million, is that correct?”
“Yes. According to magical observations, about 40.76 million have gathered so far.”
Everyone let out a sigh.
Forty million.
A number beyond imagination.
It wasn’t a scale they could possibly win against in battle.
Although they had gathered all their forces as well, it was woefully insufficient compared to the enemy.
“That’s why your roles are crucial. You’ve done much already, but I’d like to ask one last thing.”
“Put aside the pleasantries and get to the point. We need to save every minute we can.”
Park Hyun-a said cynically.
Though her tone was somewhat aggressive, she wasn’t wrong.
These people don’t have the luxury to leisurely looking around at each other now.
Time was directly connected to the lives they could save.
Since everything would end tomorrow anyway, they needed to keep running without stopping now.
Orlaben Grimier nodded.
“The objective is to eliminate the Pope. If we remove the Pope, the mental control over people will be broken.”
Actually, this much was obvious.
The fact that people’s minds were connected somewhere was discovered relatively early in the situation.
It wasn’t hard to guess that it was related to the Pope.
It just took time to be certain.
Thus, after meticulous research, the mages of the Drason Empire discovered these facts three days ago.
All fanatics’ minds are connected to the Pope.
If the Pope dies, the mental control will be broken.
“As I said, now that the evacuation is complete, it’s time for the final battle.”
The reason they hadn’t moved even after knowing this fact was that the evacuation wasn’t complete yet.
First priority was safely sending the refugees to the rear.
Now that the evacuation was complete, it was time to make their final move.
“The Pope is in Gratiam, the capital of Gatren. In the imperial palace at its center.”
“The location was obvious from the start. The forces guarding it are the problem.”
“The forces are twenty million fanatics. And numerous entities with high holy power, presumed to be Cardinals, have also been confirmed.”
“Hmm…”
The expressions of those present darkened at the mention of Cardinals.
Everyone had fought against fanatics and faced the Cardinals before.
“What’s the exact number of Cardinals?”
“At least ten or more. It’s not certain, but it’s estimated to be around twenty.”
“This won’t be easy.”
Each Cardinal possessed legendary-level power, so they were absolutely not opponents to be taken lightly.