'I'm going to die!'
Kang Byeong-gyu's mind went blank.
It was a powerful premonition he had never felt before.
Fear and apprehension about death were emotions he had experienced, but never as intense as now.
Even in the midst of it all, the fact that he could thrust a dagger into the face of the Dark Elf was thanks to the countless battles he had experienced in Helldane.
However…
"You're quite resilient."
The Dark Elf easily grabbed his wrist.
"Ah, ah."
This is it.
Although it wasn't a fatal blow, he had thought he could escape this situation. It was a misconception.
'If only there was a bit of mana left.'
It wouldn't have been so easy to catch him.
No matter how strong the Dark Elf was, the skills of the Heroes were not to be underestimated.
But because he had scraped together the remaining mana to use the "Light Footsteps" Kang Byeong-gyu had no mana left.
And with his physical body restrained…
'I'm really going to die.'
No matter how much strength he exerted, his exhausted body could not escape the grip of the Dark Elf.
"If this is the end, just die."
The hand gripping his throat tightened.
While the sturdy body of a Hero resisted, it brought even greater pain.
In the agony that felt like his neck would break, Kang Byeong-gyu gritted his teeth.
"S-Someone, anyone…"
At that moment.
Piercing through his fading consciousness, a clear voice was heard.
"Acceleration, Aura."
Shwack!
Warm blood splattered on Kang Byeong-gyu's face.
* * *
"Are you okay?"
Seo Woojin shouted at the fallen Kang Byeong-gyu.
But there was no response.
Frantically, Seo Woojin quickly assessed his condition.
"Fortunately."
Kang Byeong-gyu had lost consciousness, but he was still alive.
Apart from a slightly swollen neck, he didn't seem to have suffered major injuries.
"Ugh, what the heck are you!"
A bewildered voice of a Dark Elf came from behind Seo Woojin.
The arm that had been holding Kang Byeong-gyu's neck was cleanly cut off, pouring out black blood.
'Fortunately, it's not a monster like Gerald.'
Seo Woojin was initially surprised when he saw the Dark Elf holding Kang Byeong-gyu's neck.
There was a suspicion that it might be Gerald.
He was filled with fear, but he couldn't just stand there and watch Kang Byeong-gyu die in front of him.
However, seeing that Seo Woojin's sword couldn't be blocked properly and the arm was cut off, it seemed like an ordinary Dark Elf.
"What are you, a filthy Imperial knight!"
The Dark Elf asked without even considering stopping the bleeding.
But the answer came not from Seo Woojin but from someone else.
"Filthy ones are probably you guys."
When did he approach?
Suddenly appearing behind the Dark Elf, Ludain swung his sword.
That was the end.
The Dark Elf, without even confirming the face of the one who cut his own throat, met his death as it was.
"How is that Hero?"
Ludain, wiping the black blood off his sword, approached Seo Woojin and asked.
"Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be any harm to his life, though he lost consciousness."
"Then it's better to hide him nearby and move again once the situation is resolved."
Bringing Kang Byeong-gyu wouldn't be of much help anyway.
He lost consciousness, so it was better to hide him nearby and take him after the situation was resolved.
Seo Woojin gathered the surrounding bushes to conceal Kang Byeong-gyu and started moving again.
"A Dark Elf. The situation seems more serious than I thought."
Ludain commented.
Both of them thought the red signal flare had exploded due to monsters. They speculated that there might be too many monsters, and even knights wouldn't be able to defend against them.
But that wasn't the case.
If a Dark Elf appeared, the situation would be much worse than anticipated.
"They rarely show up in this place…."
Ludian tried to maintain a calm expression, but he was burning inside.
The reason was simple.
"This is the second time already."
Every time they tried to do something at the academy, dark elves would appear and disrupt it.
By now, it couldn't be dismissed as a mere coincidence.
This meant, soon enough.
"There might be a traitor within the empire."
Only a handful of people knew that the Heroes were undertaking the task of subduing the demonic realm.
It wasn't classified, but it wasn't something that leaked easily either.
Yet, once again, a Dark Elf attacked as if they had been waiting.
It was a situation where suspicion of followers of the Demon King hiding within the empire was reasonable.
"I guess I'll have to look into it when I get back."
Ludian pledged to uncover the culprits even if he had to use all his authority.
But that was a matter for later.
Right now, what needed to be dealt with was the battle unfolding before his eyes.
"Ugh, when is the reinforcement coming!"
"Just hold on a little longer!"
The knights formed a circle, protecting the Heroes in the center and engaging in combat with the dark elves.
There were only eight Heroes.
But most of them seemed exhausted, lying on the ground unable to participate in the battle.
It seemed like they had targeted a moment when the Heroes were tired of repeated battles.
"We have 20 knights ready for combat. In contrast, there are more than 30 dark elves."
If the Heroes were in normal condition, they wouldn't be pushed back like this….
"There are probably more waiting like the one from earlier, so we need even more."
At least ten more seemed necessary.
'Will it work?'
Thinking about the Dark Elf they just faced, it didn't seem too difficult.
Here, there was a Ludein, and there were many other knights as well.
Moreover, considering the other reinforcements that will arrive soon, it seemed entirely manageable.
However, Ludein didn't move immediately.
"That's strange."
Seo Woojin wanted to intervene in the battle right away, but he momentarily calmed his mind at Ludein's serious words.
"What is it?"
"They already knew about us."
They seemed to know not only the exact schedule but also the location.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to carry out such a precise attack.
If that were the case, they would have been well aware of the knights protecting the Heroes…
"Right now, we're pushing them back, but that's the limit."
When the reinforcements arrived, it would be relatively easy to drive them away.
Unless the Dark Elves were fools, they wouldn't undertake such a suicidal attack with little effect.
"Could they be targeting another side?"
The first thing Seo Woojin thought of in Ludein's words was the Holy Eastern Scripture.
A strategy to focus attention on this area and then target other Heroes.
If that were the case, it could result in fatal damage.
However, Ludein shook his head.
"The number of Dark Elves inhabiting Helldane is not that great."
Even if they divided their already small numbers, it would only weaken their strength.
From their perspective, concentrating on attacking rather than dividing their forces was much more likely to succeed.
"Then what is it?"
In Ludein's view, this was a trap.
But since he couldn't precisely determine what it was, there was no choice but to hesitate to intervene.
"For now, it seems better to observe a little more."
Although precarious, the knights were still holding their ground well.
There seemed to be a slight margin for them.
"Then, just for a moment here…"
Seo Woojin, who was speaking, suddenly closed his mouth.
It was the same for Ludane.
Both of them turned their heads simultaneously to look in one direction.
"…Magi?"
It was undoubtedly Magi.
It wasn't the low-quality magic emitted by dark elves.
It was much denser and malevolent.
'Still, not as powerful as that monster.'
Fortunately, it wasn't Gerald.
He was much less formidable.
If it were Gerald, the knights fighting over there would have fallen without putting up proper resistance.
'Still, he's quite powerful.'
The one emitting that magic seemed no easy opponent.
"It was him."
Surprisingly, Ludane seemed to know who the owner of the magic was.
"It's better to change the plan. You help the knights and focus on rescuing the Heroes. I'll take care of him."
"Who on earth is that?"
Seo Woojin asked.
Considering the quantity and quality of the Magi he sensed, he didn't think Ludane could handle it, no matter how excellent a knight he was.
However, instead of answering the question, Ludane pushed Seo Woojin.
"We don't have time."
His expression was desperate.
In that state, Seo Woojin had no choice but to follow his words.
It wasn't the time to fool around with troll-like antics just to satisfy curiosity.
"I'll be back soon."
Seo Woojin glanced in the direction where he felt the magi and dashed forward.
'I need to tidy up as quickly as possible.'
Leaving Ludane, who seemed to communicate well, to die was not an option.
He had to rescue the knights and regroup with them.
'I have enough magic power.'
Seo Woojin used "Acceleration."
Using "Aura" together would be much more destructive, but the consumption of magic power was too severe.
To win while conserving as much strength as possible, he decided to use only "Acceleration" this time.
'That should be enough.'
Although he had been desperate a moment ago and used both skills, it seemed like he could adequately fend off the dark elves with just "Acceleration."
"Ugh!"
Seo Woojin plunged behind the Dark Elf like a beam of light.
They had a triumphant expression on their faces as they suddenly felt magical energy.
Even Seo Woojin behind him could feel that he was letting his guard down.
'First, this one.'
Only then did the guy notice Seo Woojin's presence, turning his head back, but it was already too late.
Swoosh-
Using 'Acceleration,' Seo Woojin's sword swiftly beheaded the guy.
"It's an ambush!"
The dark elves noticed Seo Woojin's presence only after a head rolled and floated.
"Too late!"
Seo Woojin's sword began to dance.
It was a sword technique that was forcibly struck into his body by Van Slaine.
Swish- Swoosh-!
With every dance of the sword, a part of the dark elves' bodies was cut off.
Screams and warnings shook the forest.
Finally, the knights, who had just appeared in support, turned the tide with a sudden offensive.
Leaving only the minimum knights to protect the heroes, they began to overwhelm the disoriented dark elves.
The dark elves soon regained their composure and began to respond to Seo Woojin and the knights.
But that didn't change anything.
They could never block Seo Woojin's sword.
Moreover, taking advantage of the distracted dark elves, the knights attacked mercilessly.
The dark elves couldn't adapt to the sudden turn of events and fell without mercy.
How much time passed?
It was when the number of surviving dark elves became fewer than the fallen ones.
Roar!
A powerful roar, filled with intense mana, struck Seo Woojin's eardrums.