Chapter 162 : Chapter 162
Chapter 162. Counterattack (3)
All Imperial Army knights with an aura realm of 1-star or higher used the Berserker-type crystal orbs.
Tststst!
Tststst!
Like that, the glint in the eyes of one-third of the Imperial Army turned red, and explosive power flowed from their entire bodies.
It looked like their realm had risen by at least one stage, if not more.
Especially, it was felt that their physical abilities had risen dramatically.
Kuung! Seogeok!
An Imperial Army knight shooting forward like an arrow as soon as he put strength into his toes and severing the neck of a soldier was the very proof.
Considering that this knight's aura realm was only about 1-star just a moment ago, it was a surprising result.
In terms of physical ability alone, the power seemed close to 3-star.
Seeing this sight, Chevalier shouted.
“Do not spare defense and use it!”
However, not everyone could use defensive magic like the Main Battalion or the New Recruit Unit.
For that reason, the 3rd Corps began to be pushed back by the Imperial Army on the other two axes.
Originally, an equal confrontation was possible due to the existence of explosive crystal orbs, but since the Imperial Army gained the advantage in knight-versus-knight fights, it was a natural result.
It was then.
Kwajiik!
Suddenly, an Imperial Army knight smashed the head of an Imperial Army regular soldier with his sword.
It was an unjust death for the Imperial Army soldier who never thought his ally would attack him.
Moreover, this situation was not just a single scene unfolding.
The same scene was being enacted simultaneously all over the battlefield.
Imperial Army soldiers, belatedly witnessing the sight of knights drooling while having lost their reason, shouted.
“It, it’s a monster!”
“Run away!”
Like that, the Imperial Army's formation was disrupted.
But the Imperial Army knights did not care about this and killed everything moving in front of their eyes.
Kwajiik! Seogeok!
Roden thought while watching that scene.
‘Horrible. Is this truly a magic artifact of the Penitudo Mage Tower?’
Even more terrible was the fact that the berserkers were not just losing their reason and killing their own soldiers.
They were absorbing power while killing their allies like this.
It was so.
The more people a berserker killed, the stronger they became.
By absorbing the aura accumulated in the body of the killed person.
‘The amount absorbed is still small. Because the ones killed by the berserkers are only ordinary soldiers.’
But many drops make a shower.
If the number of people losing their lives to berserkers continued to increase, the story would be different.
Above all, there was no guarantee that only ordinary soldiers would be killed by berserkers.
Sure enough,
“Keueok!”
A careless 1-star knight lost his life to a berserker.
Then, the berserker's power rose dramatically once again.
‘Are they absorbing about half of the aura originally possessed...’
It was tremendous.
It meant that if they succeeded in killing a 4-star knight, they could obtain 2-star aura.
And this also meant that the situation of the 3rd Corps was not easy.
“Main Battalion and New Recruit Unit, quickly clear this place and advance towards the Vanguard Battalion!”
Roden realized the seriousness of the situation and raised his voice.
And he used the secret technique of the Malberg swordsmanship, Formation Breaking Cut, to deal with a berserker nearby.
Uuuung! Syukak!
After that, Roden increased his speed more than before and cleared the berserkers as soon as he saw them.
His speed was so fast that the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit, which had been struggling for a moment, were able to regain their composure.
Like that, the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit quickly cleared the battlefield and began to move to help the Vanguard Battalion.
***
‘Whew. Not yet.’
After the Imperial Army knights turned into berserkers.
Tobias thinking like this did not have a very good expression.
Because the soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion were constantly losing their lives due to the berserkers.
‘Even absorbing power and becoming stronger as they kill someone... It's the worst.’
Tobias, who could see the flow of aura, had also grasped the cruel nature of the berserkers.
However, grasping this did not mean he could stop the berserkers.
Originally, he would have tried to solve the problem even if he overexerted himself, but now he couldn't.
Because Sarai was blocking Tobias's way.
‘A person who was originally a 5-star knight is exerting the power of 6-star.’
It wasn't just that his strength became stronger.
Kaang!
Sarai blocking Tobias's sword with an aura curtain just now was the very proof.
Surprisingly, Sarai was freely using the aura curtain, the symbol of a 6-star knight.
Sarai, who blocked Tobias's attack, smiled as if satisfied and licked his lips with his tongue.
Then he swung his sword and used a secret technique.
Like that, flames wrapped around Sarai's sword, adding power.
Hwareureuk! Peoeok!
Tobias thought while barely blocking this sword with an aura curtain.
‘...It might be fortunate that I am facing this guy at least.’
Originally, it was frustrating.
Not being able to quickly finish Sarai and help his allies.
But now his thoughts were different.
If Sarai had met another knight of the Vanguard Battalion first instead of him.
So if he had absorbed that power.
It would have been impossible to face Sarai equally like now.
Eventually, holding out like now was thanks to Tobias blocking Sarai well.
‘But this is also ending soon. Anyway, the Imperial Army continues to get stronger.’
What was especially unsettling was the possibility of a strong individual from the Vanguard Battalion, who was fighting well so far, falling.
If that happened, the berserker who absorbed that power would quickly reverse the tide of battle.
‘When that time comes, it will be hard for me to hold out too.’
Tobias shouted to somehow shake off the gloomy future drawn in his head.
“The Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit will come to support soon! Endure just a little longer!”
And following Tobias, other commanders of the Vanguard Battalion also raised their voices.
“They are almost here! Hold out until the end!”
“Do not fight unreasonably with the berserkers!”
But it was then.
“Keuaak!”
An ominous scream burst out from someone's mouth.
Everyone's gaze naturally turned that way, and Tobias felt his heart sink with a thud.
Because the Vanguard Battalion's Archery Company Commander had fallen, struck by a berserker's sword.
“Archery Company Commander!”
Tobias screamed as if in a frenzy, but it was useless.
With a smile on his lips, the berserker cut the Archery Company Commander's throat.
Seogeok!
The berserker absorbing power like that.
As a result, the aura of the berserker, who was only 4-star until just now, increased to almost 6-star.
And when that berserker began to swing his sword intoxicated with power, the surroundings were devastated.
Since there was no one to block his way, it was natural.
“Damn it!”
Tobias quickly thrust his sword toward Sarai to manage the situation.
Kaang! Kang! Kaaang! Kaang!
However, Tobias's sword was blocked by Sarai every time, and the frenzied path of the berserker who newly became a 6-star knight continued.
Eventually, someone stepped forward to stop this berserker.
It was Bent, the Vanguard Battalion's Infantry Company Commander.
“No, Infantry Company Commander! That guy absorbs the power of the one he kills!”
Tobias shouted, but Bent also knew this fact.
That the berserker absorbs power and becomes stronger.
But even so, he couldn't help but step forward.
Because countless Vanguard Battalion soldiers were losing their lives due to this one berserker.
‘I will stop him somehow.’
Bent thought and used a secret technique that adds dozens of times the weight to the sword.
Then he thrust his sword.
However,
Kaang!
Bent's sword was blocked by the aura curtain created by the berserker.
‘Au, aura curtain... He became 6-star in that short time?’
It was when Bent was flustered by the power of the berserker, which was stronger than he thought.
The berserker drooled at the corners of his mouth and swung his sword.
Unlike his somewhat foolish appearance, the power contained in the sword was tremendous.
Enough for Bent to be swept away at once.
‘Am I dying?’
Bent thought of death without realizing it.
However,
Chaeaeng!
Someone appeared and easily blocked the berserker's sword.
The person seen in front of Bent's eyes as he raised his head.
It was Roden.
Roden asked Bent with a calm expression.
“Are you alright?”
***
As Bent nodded with a dumbfounded face, Roden shouted.
“Everyone help the Vanguard Battalion!”
Then, the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit rushed at the berserkers like lightning.
The Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit, capable of using defensive magic, did not fear combat with the berserkers.
Earlier, they were briefly flustered by the sight of berserkers mercilessly killing even their own allies, but in terms of skill, the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit were not particularly lacking.
The Main Battalion, where the majority had reached the realm of 1-star or higher, was especially so.
Since the combat power of the Main Battalion and the New Recruit Unit was so solid like this, Roden could move to Tobias's side as soon as he gave the order without other worries.
And he immediately helped Tobias fight Sarai.
Shuuuk! Peoeok!
Like that, the Sea Parting Strike, a secret technique of the Soler swordsmanship, unfolded from Roden's hand, and Sarai lost his life futilely.
While the power of the Sea Parting Strike was indeed powerful, it was also thanks to Tobias, an equal opponent, drawing his attention.
“I apologize for being late.”
Roden, who witnessed the end of the Vanguard Battalion's Archery Company Commander from a distance, offered an apology.
Tobias paused briefly, then shook his head.
“Not at all. How could that be your fault? It is just a problem of war. Thank you for helping even like this, Main Battalion Commander.”
Certainly, the death of the Vanguard Battalion's Archery Company Commander was not Roden's responsibility.
Rather, if not for Roden, even Bent would have lost his life.
Since Tobias was not unaware of this fact, he did not blame Roden but expressed his gratitude.
“By the way, I am worried about the Corps Commander's side. It seemed there was a 6-star knight, the commander of this unit, over there.”
“You are talking about Smith Andor. I am worried too. If that person also used a Berserker-type crystal orb, he would have become a 7-star knight.”
“Perhaps he might be stronger. If he disposed of other knights before fighting the Corps Commander.”
Certainly, this was not the time to be fighting here for long.
They had to quickly clear this place and move to rescue Alexis.
Above all, if by any chance Smith succeeded in dealing with Alexis and absorbed that power…….
The situation would be uncontrollable.
***
At the same time.
“Keuk.”
Alexis was kneeling on one knee and sitting down in front of Smith, who had become a berserker.