Chapter 241 239-War! War!
Chapter 241 Chapter239-War! War!
The outbreak of the war was anything but abrupt.
Many with inside knowledge had anticipated its arrival, transporting vast amounts of essential goods to the towns near Dark Lord City for sale, profiting handsomely from the impending conflict.
Others chose to join the Azure Empire’s military, hoping to reap rewards from the opportunity.
In everyone’s view, this was set to be a lopsided war.
Dark Lord City stood no chance, especially since the army was led by none other than Lana Mokos, the most outstanding figure in Azure Empire’s millennia-long history.
Dark Lord City was seen as nothing more than a ragtag group.
Yet, the initial battle left everyone astounded.
“Charge!”
“Slay these monsters; victory belongs to Azure Empire!”
“For Lady Lana Mokos!”
“Every man who kills a monster will be handsomely rewarded!”
Azure Empire’s officers endlessly boosted morale.
However, faced with those terrifying monsters, their cries seemed futile.
Just a regular Holy Light Dragonguard could effortlessly defeat hundreds of soldiers.
Their weapons couldn’t even pierce the armor of the Holy Light Dragonguard.
It was indeed a one-sided massacre, but it was Dark Lord City that was decimating the Azure Empire.
At that moment, Ethan looked at Victor with a displeased expression. “Victor, is this the ‘difficult defeat’ that you spoke of?”
Victor furrowed his brows.
He was not having anticipated such an outcome.
Confused, he speculated to Ethan, “Based on our previous analyses, the army led by Lana Mokos shouldn’t appear like this. Perhaps there is something unforeseen has occurred.”
In truth, Victor’s assumption was accurate.
Amidst the relentless arguments and pressure from the higher echelons of Azure Empire, they had been granted the opportunity to attack Dark Lord City, the allure of a fresh city proving too tempting to resist.
Of course, this was all part of Lana Mokos’s design.
She never professed that Dark Lord City was her sole objective.
In Lana Mokos’s eyes, Azure Empire too required a purge, to rid itself of the irritating pests, and leveraging this war seemed like the perfect means to do such a thing.
The war raged on.
After the armies of those elite nobles had been significantly diminished, Lana Mokos finally deployed her elite troops.
This time, Dark Lord City faced losses.
“What is that?” Ethan stood atop Dark Lord City.
Before Dark Lord City, trees had been felled, revealing a vast expanse of land.
This barren ground served as an ideal battlefield, devoid of obstacles for cover, perfect for a head-on charge.
Victor stood to Ethan’s left, with Henry Powell to his right.
Both had caught sight of what Ethan was pointing at — the armor worn by the soldiers of Azure Empire.
Every time the Thunder Three-Headed Wyvern unleashed Flame Spell, Frost Spell, or Thunder Spell, patterns on the soldiers’ armor would glow, neutralizing the potency of these spells.
As a result, the Thunder Three-Headed Wyvern couldn’t inflict any harm upon them, unless it chose to swoop down at a high speed and knock the soldiers off their feet.
But in doing so, the Thunder Three-Headed Wyvern would find itself ensnared amidst the enemy.
The soldiers, raising their spears which were evidently imbued with magic, pierced the hide of the Thunder Three-Headed Wyvern effortlessly.
With every agonizing cry, more and more spears penetrated its body, swiftly sapping its life force, rendering it unable to soar once again.
Witnessing this, Ethan felt no pang of sorrow.
In Ethan’s eyes, a ghastly green flame flickered, casting an eerie aura.
This was the application of the Soul Language of Nature, granting him the ability to see what the ordinary eye couldn’t — souls.
With the presence of the Heart of the City, the death of monsters didn’t signify the end.
After the Thunder Three-Headed Wyvern met its demise, its soul drifted, merging into a verdant crystal ball hovering above the city.
Within this sphere, countless souls had already congregated.
Ethan could sense a formidable power brewing inside.
Moreover, through the Soul Language of Nature, the landscape Ethan beheld was entirely different.
Numerous green tendrils emanated from the verdant crystal ball, descending and intertwining within every nook and cranny of Dark Lord City.
They resembled veins anchored to the city, with the crystal ball pulsating as its heart.
It appeared akin to a malevolent ritual.
Yet, with command over the Heart of the City, Ethan knew this was merely a natural occurrence.
Perhaps, it was a projection from another dimensional plane.
Souls, intangible and typically unseen by the average person, were a rarity in most rituals and spells that invoked them.
Furthermore, the realm of souls existed neither in the tangible world nor in the realm of consciousness.
Having gained new insights into the Soul Language of Nature, Ethan yearned to delve deeper but was halted by an overwhelming dread, a fear surpassing even death.
This made him reconsider his venturesome inclinations.
However, he also came to understand the invaluable nature of souls.
After all, in countless tales, ordinary beings often traded with malevolent Devils, bartering their souls.
Yet, the exact significance of such exchanges remained elusive to Ethan.
At this juncture, the war had reached its climax.
Certainly, the monsters of Dark Lord City were formidable, but the elite soldiers of the Azure Empire came with an arsenal of powerful equipment, bolstered by ample reserves.
In the long run, Dark Lord City seemed destined to lose.
Such an outcome might appear inevitable, yet Lana Mokos felt an inexplicable unease.
She believed that things were going too smoothly.
“I will take a look outside.”
Instructing her lieutenant to continue directing the war efforts, Lana Mokos, with a stoic expression, activated a space gate.
She emerged behind the Dark Lord City, intending to infiltrate and uncover the Dark Lord City’s secrets.
However, her plan was thwarted before it even began.
The moment Lana Mokos appeared, Ethan sensed her presence.
It wasn’t just the Heart of the City that alerted him but another Space Magic Circle — the Space Detection Magic Circle.
If one were to name the most vexing type of magus, space magi would undoubtedly top the list.
Not only can they create space gates, effortlessly traversing various locations and seizing whatever they desire, making them unpredictable, but their combat prowess is also formidable.
The power of space is indeed lethal.
They can effortlessly conjure distorted space, tearing adversaries apart or create mysterious space gates to banish foes.
It’s for these reasons that few choose to oppose space magi.
However, every coin has two sides.
While space magi are potent, mastering the power of space is a daunting task.
To date, Ethan had only encountered one such individual, Oberlis.
Now, Lana Mokos joined that shortlist.
“We meet again,” Ethan greeted with a smile, drawing forth his Blasphemous Spear, aiming it at Lana Mokos.
Feeling an imminent threat, Lana Mokos grew solemn, her gaze fixating on the spear. “So, this is what you rely on—a powerful weapon?”
“The greatest respect one can show an opponent is to kill her,” Ethan declared earnestly.
Indeed, to ensure a tragic conclusion to the war, Ethan had decided to take matters into his own hands.
After all, nothing saps morale more than seeing one’s leader defeated.
Lana Mokos was unaware of Ethan’s intentions.
All she perceived was an ever-growing pressure emanating from him.
Back in Red Jade Valley, she had toyed with Ethan, viewing him as nothing more than an insect. But now, that once-dismissed insect demanded her full attention.
“How did he manage this?” Lana Mokos pondered internally.
Had they not been adversaries, perhaps they could have been friends.
However, having become enemies, friendship was impossible.
And in Lana Mokos’s creed, her enemies were fated for one thing alone: death!
Thus, from the onset of their duel, Lana Mokos employed her formidable skills—Illusion and space magic.
“You are but an insect,” Lana Mokos whispered.
Upon hearing her voice, Ethan was immediately enveloped in bewilderment.
In the next moment, he felt as if he had truly transformed into an insect, slowly wriggling atop a verdant leaf.
The sensation was both novel and perilous.
With a casual flick of her wrist, Lana Mokos summoned a space blade, aiming to cut Ethan down.
However, with a swift movement, he evaded the attack. 𝒏𝔬𝑣𝑒𝓵𝑵𝖾xt.𝓬𝒐𝗆
A frown creased Lana Mokos’s brow. “The Illusion didn’t affect you?” she inquired.
Ethan shook his head, replying, “It’s indeed a remarkable Illusion, but I never fall for the same trick twice.”
Ever since he was almost made a fool by Lana Mokos’s Illusion during their previous encounter, Ethan had prepared himself.
Alchemy, being a vast domain, had solutions for nearly everything.
Among the books left by old John, Ethan discovered a unique Alchemy Magic Circle that could stabilize the fluctuations of consciousness, rendering Illusions ineffective.
Over the past few days, Ethan had mastered how to use the Alchemy Magic Circle to resist the Illusion.
But even with her Illusion rendered useless, Lana Mokos wasn’t concerned.
She had a myriad of tricks up her sleeve.
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