Chapter 139
The start of the war could be considered smooth.
After all, Wi Ji-gang, the lord of the Dragon-Subduing Fortress and the strongest martial artist of the north, stood at the forefront.
What reason was there to fear mere corpse piles?
In reality, Wi Ji-gang's appearance as he swung his martial energy was overwhelming.
He was incredibly powerful.
It seemed there was hope.
However, when they recognized the presence of the Arch Lich, the King of the Dead, who appeared in the form of a white skeleton wearing a crown as the army of corpse piles split apart beyond the plain, they realized how absurd their dream had been.
"To be hindered by mere humans..."
As the Arch Lich, reclining on a throne made of human bones and flesh carried by grotesquely shaped corpse piles, raised his staff while uttering a chilling voice, it happened.
On the throne, black energy concentrated in one place, and a massive sphere of black flame resembling a giant sun rose into the air.
Kuguung-!
Its power was so intense that the mere overflow of its force shook the earth's axis in the area, and the nearby corpse piles disappeared without a trace.
Anyone who could handle even a bit of energy could instinctively understand.
That sphere contained enough power to completely obliterate the fortress the allied forces were protecting with their lives.
"That sphere must not touch the fortress!"
"We must stop it!"
Given the immense power flowing from the sphere, it wasn't difficult to understand the situation, and thanks to this, they could make quick judgments.
However, just because they understood with their minds didn't mean they could solve everything.
How on earth were they supposed to stop such overwhelming power?
Gulp.
As dry saliva was swallowed down the throats of the allied forces, the sphere formed on the throne began to surge.
Hwarareureu-!
The massive black flame sphere, shattering and burning everything in its path, rapidly closed the distance to the fortress.
"No!"
"R-Run away!"
As dark shadows fell over the faces of the allied forces in the face of this insurmountable power, it happened.
Jajan, who had hurriedly stretched out his hand towards the barrier, muttered in a low voice.
"Deep Curtain Multitude Performance."
Kugun-!
With a thunderous sound, invisible veils were generated in the barrier surrounding the fortress.
It started with just one.
However, following Jajan's hand gestures, the energy gathered in the area rapidly formed veils.
Two layers, three layers, and eventually, a thick veil of five layers surrounded the outer wall of the fortress.
Just as a solid defense worthy of being called an iron wall fortress was established, the oncoming black flame sphere collided with the veils.
Kwagwagwagwang-!
With a deafening explosion that threatened to burst eardrums, the black flame sphere gradually disappeared.
They had managed to block an attack they thought was unstoppable.
However, they couldn't simply express joy.
Jjangeurang-!
The barrier responsible for the fortress's outer wall crumbled into glass shards.
Moreover, red blood burst from the mouth of Jajan, who could be considered one of the strongest forces within the allied forces.
"Kuhup..."
The meaning of the current situation was clear.
"Master Jajan was pushed back?"
"Good heavens."
Who was Jajan?
He was one of the five top-tier barrier masters, considered the best among them.
He was currently the best barrier master on Earth.
Yet, this Jajan had suffered internal injuries and was coughing up blood from a single attack.
On the other hand, the expression of the Arch Lich who had fired the black flame sphere was utterly relaxed, even showing a sneer as if finding it amusing.
'This is... the power of the king leading the corpse piles...'
As fear rose in one corner of their hearts at the Arch Lich's overwhelming power, and the morale of the allied forces was rapidly breaking, it happened.
-Hahaha! Despair and scream! Regret your foolishness and die!
Amidst the corpse piles, the Arch Lich's maniacal laughter rang out through mana, and the corpse piles strewn on the ground once again rose.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
All the corpses they thought they had defeated came back to life, and the area around the fortress was instantly filled with corpse piles.
-Face your doom!
There was nowhere to run.
No hope.
Bodies stiffened, and thoughts began to stop.
"It's... it's over..."
"We're all finished."
As hunters from the allied forces uttered words like laments and began to retreat, at that moment, the corpse piles' advance began once again.
"Kieeee-!"
"Kyaaaa!"
Shrieking bizarre sounds, the corpse piles closed the distance and quickly entered the now ruined interior of the fortress.
"What are you all doing!"
"Snap out of it! I said snap out of it!"
The high-ranking hunters, including the executives of the Dragon-Subduing Fortress, raised their voices trying to boost morale, but it was a meaningless struggle.
With the fortress walls crumbling from the Arch Lich's earlier attack, everywhere was exposed defenseless.
It was a situation with clear limits.
Ten minutes.
They wouldn't last even ten minutes at most.
In fact, even this was an optimistic estimate.
"Arghh...!"
"Don't come! Don't come any closer!"
Hunters who had parts of their bodies torn off by the corpse piles as soon as the battle began were crawling on the ground, groaning in pain or shedding tears.
As the interior of the fortress transformed into a hellish landscape of blood and flesh, with not even a glimmer of hope in sight, it happened.
-Stand up!
A massive roar echoed across the battlefield.
It was unclear where the voice originated.
However, that voice striking their ears scattered the fear deeply embedded in their hearts.
-Stand up! If we fall, everything ends! It means your precious families and friends will become food for these corpse piles! Brave hunters of the north! Grasp your swords! Stretch out your fists! Burn everything!
As life began to return to the eyes of the hunters who had lost focus at these words resonating in their hearts, it happened.
Sswaeeaek-!
With a sound like the sky being torn apart, the sky split open, and a brilliant light descended upon the center of the fortress covered by corpse piles.
The white light penetrated through the corpse piles covering the area and enveloped the entire bodies of the hunters.
"T-This is...?"
They hadn't seen it directly before, but from the changes they felt immediately, they could tell that the light shining down from the sky was Jajan's signature barrier, the Demon-Sealing Devil-Slaying Formation.
Demon-Sealing Devil-Slaying Formation.
As the name suggests, it was a barrier designed to counter demons.
Indeed, as soon as the barrier was deployed, the movements of the corpse piles slowed dramatically, and their regeneration rate also noticeably decreased.
Some corpse piles even disappeared, unable to withstand the power of the barrier.
Naturally, it wasn't just the corpse piles that were affected.
The Arch Lich, also classified as a demon, had the worst compatibility with this anti-demon barrier.
Pajijik-!
With a loud spark, the shell of the staff held by the Arch Lich peeled off, revealing a red sphere, the Life Vessel.
The only weakness of the Arch Lich with its immortal body was now blatantly exposed.
At that moment.
Jajan's shout rang out across the area along with the descending light.
-Lord of the Dragon-Subduing Fortress! Now's the time!
Bang-!
With a thunderous sound, Wi Ji-gang's form shot towards the Arch Lich, leaving a comet-like trail.
Of course, the corpse piles wouldn't easily allow Wi Ji-gang's approach.
"Kieeee!"
They threw themselves to block Wi Ji-gang's path and thrust out their weapons.
However, nothing could stop Wi Ji-gang.
To be precise, he couldn't afford to stop.
'If I fail, it's over.'
This was the last and only chance.
Although they had regained their momentum with the anti-demon barrier, if the Arch Lich fired another black flame sphere, morale would hit rock bottom.
It meant defeat would be certain.
That's why they had to settle it with this opportunity.
'I must, I must succeed!'
He didn't think about the aftermath.
No, there was no need to think about it.
He poured all his will and desire solely into annihilating the Arch Lich.
Therefore, he threw everything away.
Kwajik-!
His left arm was pierced by a spear thrust by an unidentified corpse pile, and red blood burst forth.
Before he could even register the wound, another attack came, piercing his thigh.
"Kiiii!"
"Kiiieek!"
The incessant screams of the corpse piles tried to shake his mind, but they couldn't break the firm resolve that had risen in his heart.
'Faster! I'll burn everything I have.'
It was the moment when he leapt into the sky through a tiny gap, kicking off the ground.
Finally, as Wi Ji-gang's eyes met the form of the Arch Lich, a fierce roar burst from his lips.
"Uwaaa!"
At Wi Ji-gang's rough roar that burned his life, the approaching corpse piles involuntarily flinched, and even the Arch Lich gripping his staff hesitated in his movements.
In that split second, Wi Ji-gang stretched out his tightly clenched fist towards the Arch Lich's Life Vessel.
Kwadeureuk-!
Feeling the heavy sensation transmitted through his fingertips, Wi Ji-gang roared once again.
"It's over-!!"
As the single shout burst out, Wi Ji-gang's fist, enveloped in blue energy, pierced through the Arch Lich's Life Vessel.
Kwajik-!
"Im-Impossible...!"
The Arch Lich's form, wearing an expression of shock, began to dissipate from the feet up.
It meant he was facing death.
Naturally, the Arch Lich's army of corpse piles covering the fortress also collapsed to the ground like puppets with cut strings.
"Uwaaaa-!"
"The Lord has taken down the Arch Lich!"
"We won! We've won!"
The power of the King of the Dead, the Arch Lich, was as strong as they had thought.
Especially, the characteristic of controlling the army of corpse piles that they had seen earlier was truly despairing.
If they had been even a little late, it would have become an uncontrollable disaster.
It was truly fortunate that they were able to subjugate him as quickly as possible.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness."
As a sigh of relief escaped Jajan's lips, it happened.
-Kuhehe... Foolish ones... The true emperor... will soon come for you.
The Arch Lich's voice, filled with mockery, echoed across the area.
"What...?"
As the allied forces' brows furrowed at the sight of the Arch Lich showing leisure rather than fearing annihilation, a thunderous sound rang out.
Jjeojeojeok-!
As everyone was on high alert due to the Arch Lich's meaningful words, the allied forces' gazes all turned towards the direction of the sound, allowing everyone to see what had caused the thunderous noise.
It started as a line.
But its end was not just a small line.
The line that was gradually drawn split the sky that had been shooting out brilliant light, causing a massive black crack.
At the moment when the crack that had begun to bloom finally covered the entire sky.
Kung-!
With a short thunderous sound, the Master Lich, Lethar, an overwhelming demon and the Emperor of the Dead, revealed himself to the world, his blue eyes glowing.