Ever since Reynold Shelman was introduced to the Great Ones through the Jewel of Wisdom, he has longed for them.
Infinite wisdom, insatiable curiosity.
It was inevitable that they would contact him, as he locked himself away in the laboratories of the Tower, searching for all truths.
Therefore──
"Why is he here? Why! Why! Why?"
The demon who had been enticing Reynold through the Jewel of Wisdom had seen Leon on the news.
"I, I give up. I don't. I don't."
When he disconnected, he was more than embarrassed, he was frustrated.
[Yikes--- I'm the one who did it after all------]
He was therefore disappointed with the next successor, the Archdemon beyond the Jewel of Wisdom.
[Are you crazy? Why would I go there?]
[I'm not going?]
[I'm not going!]
The new Archdemon of Wisdom was a coward and seemed to be distancing himself from the invasion of Earth itself.
Still, being the youngest and least powerful Archdemon seems to have gotten him called out here and there.
Anyway, as he acted he came to understand what the Lionheart King is and how terrifying and fearsome he is...
[------]
"------"
Jewel of Wisdom. It is a pass with the contractor and a great artifact that summons an Archdemon by accumulating magical power in the current world.
The summoning of an Archdemon that would otherwise require hundreds of thousands of sacrifices could be performed without such a ritual with the Jewel of Wisdom.
Thus, the first Archdemon summoned by the Lord of Chaos in this war was Gob, the Archdemon of Wisdom and Exploration, linked to the Jewel, and the summoning ritual was performed by Reynold.
[------]
"------"
Reynold looked at the Archdemon he had summoned, a great being he hoped to meet one day, but they merely stared at each other in disbelief.
"I, Great One-─"
[Don't talk to me! Pak! C'mon!]
Gob's temper flared as he swung his staff. Sighing, he thought for a moment, then called out to Reynold.
[Come quickly, you silly thing, you want me to draw the ritual circle alone!]
"Ah, old one, great one!"
The moment he approached Gob, Gob grabbed his ear with magic and pulled Raymond in front of him.
[I'm going to escape this peninsula.]
"------!"
Jewel of Wisdom's --- No, Gob, the Archdemon of Wisdom, had been planning to leave this battlefield ever since he was summoned.
Reynold, who usually criticizes him for being a coward, has to admire Gob's quick thinking.
"The wise man------"
Isn't that the real truth, the wisdom of life?
Somehow, he felt confident that he could survive anywhere with him.
* * * * *
[Chaos Great Old One Merguiola sensed the new tribute.]
"What, what, is that------?"
It was a being so huge that it filled the underground space and the sight of it left everyone speechless.
"An Archdemon?"
"That's not right--- this is the Great Old One, who has been sighted in Taiwan------."
The Great Old Ones, or so he heard, were the most ancient of the demons.
They are so ancient that they are considered elders among demons, and their power is said to be comparable to that of the Demon Dukes.
"These are the kind of monsters the Holy Knights are supposed to be fighting, why is he here?
"Ugh, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"
As Koo Dae-sung watched in disbelief, one of the People's Army Hunters let out a monstrous scream.
Recognizing the hulk of Merguiola, they shuddered in terror. No, it was more than that, more like chaos──
"At the time of Rakshar…!"
It wasn't just the Hunters of the North Korean Special Forces, the North Korean soldiers, and even the members of the Blue Star Guild of and the Divine Sword Guild all had seizures.
[[ Desperate Existence ]]
◆Effect:
-All living things are engulfed in fear, confusion, and despair.
-Decreases Morale by 65%.
-Decreases Physical Resistance by 55%.
-Decreases Defense 55%.
Although it is not at the level of Rakshar, a series of truly despairing traits occurred. The reason why Men at Arms, including Koo Dae-sung, are still resisting is the same.
[Knight full plate mail protects the wearer]
[Knight longsword protects the wearer]
[Knight gaiters offset slowness]
[Knight gauntlets assist with sway]
[Earring of Beatrice, High Priestess of Dreams and Death's Blessing protects the mind barrier]
All Man-At-Arms have been granted a set of Star Iron Armor, plus Knight Koo Dae-sung has been granted Beatrice's special Mind Barrier Protection Star Iron Accessory.
De facto immunity, able to withstand even the taint of the Great Old Ones.
But not the others.
"Damn, what kind of debuffs are these?"
"It's not quite up to the level of the Slaughtering Archduke, but------"
Similarly, the two old hunters who were given priority access to the expensive Stellar Iron Blade and gear are holding their own. But------
"Sah, help me!"
"We can't beat that thing!"
The fleeing North Korean commandos---even the elite Hunters of the Blue Star and Divine Sword Guilds are stunned.
"Don't run! Stay where you are!"
Chen Jin-soo shouted, but the broken subordinates didn't return.
-Kuung!
-Kwajik!
The evil tentacles blocked their retreat. They slashed at those heading for the entrance, killing them and drawing them in like a web.
It was more akin to a cull than an act of combat.
"Hic---!"
The fleeing soldiers turned back. But they don't come back broken-hearted, just dodging tentacles and returning to the presence of more tentacles.
"Hmph!"
The North Korean soldier falls to the ground, unable to get back up. He was about to be swallowed by a tentacle that was shivering and approaching when──
"Shield wall!"
At Koo Dae-sung's command, the shield wall of the Man-At-Arms deployed. The shields of the fifty soldiers blocked the tentacles of the giant.
Koo-koo-koo---!
The Man-At-Arms are pushed back as they collide but they managed to hold on, supporting each other.
"Stab!"
-Pow! Pow!
Spears stabbed one after another. The blades sliced through the tentacles' flesh like soft tofu, causing black, inky blood to spill out.
The tentacle shuddered in response. As if it felt the pain, the tentacle withdrew, and Koo Dae-sung looked at the North Korean soldiers who were still unable to get up.
-Sa, please help me.
-Eh, eh--- run, run, run------.
Unable to be favored by the gods, they muttered as their eyes filled with fear.
'There are too many people who can't fight---!
It's not clear if we can survive even if we all join forces, but we can't afford to lose non-combatants like this. Koo Dae-sung quickly took out the rice seeds from his arms and scattered them around.
It's not proper farming, and he hasn't even watered it, but it's urgent.
"Mother of Life------"
The only holy name he could think of. He laments that it won't help him in battle, but its power is greater than he could have imagined.
The seed germinates and sprouts. The crested seeds scattered across the surrounding land grew, brightening the dull, black earth.
[The Knight of Life and Fertility blessed the land.]
A faint but potent power springs from the place where the goddess Demera's holy power resides. The Hunters and soldiers were stirred from the freezing cold of the hollow with an alien warmth.
"This, this?"
"Be at peace. The Goddess protects you."
Even if it was only a beam of light in the endless darkness, it had a dramatic effect.
Feeling the power of the goddess their bodies were naturally energized.
"Let's fight. Together."
How could they be so unwavering in the face of such a huge enemy?
They suddenly felt ashamed of themselves; he and his companions could never be called strong.
The Hunters here, the Hunters of Divine Sword, the Hunters of Blue Star, and the Hunters of the North Korea Special Forces, were all the best, and yet they acted worse than Koo Dae-sung or the Man-At-Arms.
When a man realizes his shame, he wants to make up for it.
Watching them get up one by one, Koo Dae-sung sighed in relief.
"By the way, that guy--- he's so huge, how can we catch him?"
At Kim Dohan's words, Koo Dae-sung scratched his head.
"Together?"
"Oh, you looked a little like the main character of a hero movie."
"The two seniors may not be able to endure it at all. We need to support them."
While they fell and got up again, the two S-class hunters were buying them time but they needed their support.
* * * * *
"Spread out."
Kang Jin-sung's swords quickly formed into an army.
Infinite Sword
Kang Jin-sung's unique skill allows him to create as many replicas of his sword as his magic power allows.
The Destruction Demon Sword, which is a clone of the best customizable star iron sword in the entire universe, is twice as powerful as the previous one---or more than five times as powerful against demons.
-Clang!
A barrage of replica star iron swords struck Merguiola.
Tentacles tattered and severed under the bombardment but the Legends' assault did not end there.
"Take cover! Something big is coming!"
A giant sword the size of a building slashed past Kang Jin-sung, a greatsword that could cut through mountains, struck straight at Merguiola.
-Kaaaaang!
The light sword < Ikkidangcheonmanbubudong> cut through Merguiola's body.
"Unlike the Slaughter Duke, he's bigger, so it's easier to hit him."
"Don't let your guard down. He may not be an Archduke, but he's no ordinary Archdemon."
The two watched Merguiola's mutilated body illuminated by flares. Its form is not easily visible as it is obscured by the cloudy dust, the darkness of the cavity, and Merguiola's black tentacles.
But it's clear, after all the blows he's taken, he's unharmed──
-Kiiiinnnngg---!
-Uh-uh-uh---.
Monsters began to take shape from the black ink-like blood spilled by the severed tentacles.
"Annoying."
"Looks like even the Star Iron Sword can't cleanse it."
Chun Jin-soo slapped Kang Jin-sung.
"Do you know how to use the holy law, Kang Jin-sung? Didn't you say you believe in the God of Sky and Thunder?"
"Then you said you believe in the Goddess of Light and Justice. Is there something wrong with you?"
"I can make my fingers glow."
"I can generate static electricity, too."
"You're pretty useless."
'Is that what you say?'
Although they paid their respects to the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods and received the Star Iron Armor as needed, it was not easy for the two old men, who had been unbelievers all their lives, to build up their faith.
"With someone like this, I'd rather have Yong-wan or those guys from the Golden Lion.
Recently, the two young men had progressed in their faith to the point of receiving knighthoods from Leon, so he wondered if they could use the Holy Law.
"Koo Dae-sung, that fellow--- Hmph?"
Chun Jin-soo's gaze fell on Koo Dae-sung and the Hunters, who were engaging the ink monsters with a loud noise.
They had been freed from the debuffs and were fighting alongside Koo Dae-sung. Just like the knights of the pantheon who could stand up to even the most powerful demons.
'That friend wouldn't have had the charisma of the Lionheart King but somehow he succeeded in encouraging them. Maybe he's better than I thought.'
"All the fugitives have joined us, let's see if the old man can use some more strength!"
Chun Jin-soo charges, and more than just his quirky personality, he has a tendency to turn into a berserker in battle.
The strongest S-class Hunter in Korea, cheers erupted as he tore ink monsters to pieces and severed tentacles.
"I wonder when he'll calm down------"
Looking at his friend, Kang Jin-sung once again unsheathed his sword. He sniped at the largest and most powerful of the ink monsters, stopping the tentacles in their tracks.
Supported by two powerful S-class Hunters, Koo Dae-sung advanced toward the center of the Merguiola.
"Captain Kim Dohan, that!"
"I got it! Lord Yappy's special--- But can I really use this?!"
"I honestly can't think of a way!"
"Me neither!"
Captain Kim patted his pocket, then recoiled in horror at his own behavior.
'If you're going to be surprised, don't be.'
-Kieieieieie!
Koo Dae-sung cut off the monster's head, then blocked the giant monster's punch with his shield and bounced away.
"Koo, are you okay?!"
"It's a water fist compared to its size."
"Ha-ha! You're a big guy, by the way."
"Shield wall!"
Koo Dae-sung shouted as the monsters rushed in, but the Man-At-Arms couldn't keep up with him and Kim Dohan.
In the chaos, the newly reborn monsters had broken through the formation.
"Fall back first──!"
At that moment, hundreds of swords rained down from the sky. The barrage of swords raised dust and swept away the monsters, and above them, Kang Jin-sung descended like a god.
"You've gone too deep."
Koo Dae-sung shouted urgently at Kang Jin-sung's gaze.
"I have the means to kill him, and to do so, we must go to his exact center!"
"Hmph?"
Kang Jin-sung didn't believe that a Hunter of Koo Dae-sung caliber had the power to defeat that monster but he was a knight of the Ten Thousand Gods Temple.
"Are you sure? The opponent isn't an ordinary Archdemon."
"At least--- I can give it one shot."
Koo Dae-sung's expression made him feel confident.