Chapter 325: Enri [Hero-Believer] Defeats the Alliance Leader
A prompt appeared: [Failed to Take a Job].
The intense yet unstable aura fluctuating around Enri instantly solidified.
*Swish—*
From all corners of the battlefield, white points of light rose like fireflies, converging around Enri. They radiated a unique and dazzling brilliance, stark even under the blazing sun.
"HROOAAR!!"
The Soul Eater Demon seemed to sense danger and, roaring, charged in Enri's direction.
Positive energy continuously gathered on the longsword in Enri's hand, transforming the metal blade into a pillar of pure white light.
The aura fluctuations around Enri began to climb rapidly. An invisible pressure spread out in all directions, creating a shockwave out of thin air.
*Snap.*
Her hair tie broke.
The chestnut-gold braid tied at her chest broke free, her long, fine hair dancing in the air.
"This is everyone's power."
Enri gripped the brightly glowing longsword with both hands. She raised it high and, as if seized by a formidable force, swung it unconsciously.
"Be gone!"
The pillar of white light became a slashing arc that shot across the battlefield, striking the Soul Eater Demon as everyone watched.
Contrary to expectations, there was no earth-shattering collision.
Like snow under the sun, the Soul Eater Demon rapidly melted the moment the attack made contact, dissolving into fine black motes of energy that dissipated into the air.
Silence!
The entire battlefield fell into a terrifying quiet.
That was a Soul Eater Demon, a high-tier undead spoken of in legends as being even more terrifying than a Death Knight, yet it had been eliminated so simply.
No one could believe their eyes.
The fleeing Humans and demi-humans inexplicably halted. Their gazes fixed on the young woman at the center of the battlefield, wondering if they were dreaming.
*Crack.*
The longsword could not withstand the power it had just channeled and shattered into tiny fragments.
Enri's eyes rolled back. The broken hilt fell from her hand, and her body went limp, crumpling to the ground.
The Green Leaf Witch was the first to regain her senses. She quickly reached out to support Enri, staring in a daze at the fainted girl.
***
Above the battlefield.
"No, impossible, impossible!" the Alliance Leader was the first to let out a hoarse shriek.
That was a Soul Eater Demon!
Tang Zheng, controlling the Archangel Dominion, could clearly see everything happening below from the angel's perspective.
Compared to everyone else's shock, he was far calmer.
The skill, `Heroic Moment`, could apparently raise the user's physical attack to match the highest value among anyone present, friend or foe.
If there were no surprises, among everyone present, the one with the highest physical attack should be Tang Zheng himself, with "548 points," a percentage of 39%.
In other words, calculated using the attributes of a pure warrior, he possessed the physical attack of a level 39 warrior. A Soul Eater Demon's initial level was between "level 30 to 35."
Even if a newly born Soul Eater Demon had devoured many souls on the battlefield, it was impossible for it to reach level 35 so quickly.
Facing a level 39 physical attack that was also infused with the restraining power of a positive attribute!
And it was a special job class, after all.
There should be other attribute and effect bonuses. Calculated this way, killing the Soul Eater Demon in one blow didn't seem particularly surprising.
"`Heroic Moment` is a bit like damage stacking in a game. It seems to be able to completely bridge the gap between level and physical attack."
"The effect seems to rely on the power of fallen comrades..."
Tang Zheng recalled the skill's information, and when he thought of this effect, he was at a loss for words.
This skill was indeed quite powerful. Enri's current level should only be 2 (Farmer 1Lv, Hero-Believer 1Lv), yet this skill could directly allow a level 2 Enri to match Tang Zheng's physical attack.
It was terrifying.
This wasn't the skill's limit; it was purely because among everyone present, Tang Zheng himself had the highest physical attack.
It seemed reasonable for such a powerful skill to have some kind of restriction.
"Perhaps 'comrade' is a broad term. In games, comrades aren't just players; they also include pets or summoned creatures."
A glint appeared in Tang Zheng's eyes as he thought of this.
If he first commanded a group of angels to fight the enemy, and then Enri used the skill after the angels were destroyed, it should produce the same effect.
"Heroes and sacrifices, is it?"
These two words popped into Tang Zheng's mind.
"It did bear some similarities to Shalltear using summoned monsters to heal, or what the Bone King called a sacrificial ritual."
The battle below had ended.
It was time to end the battle up here as well.
*Whoosh—*
The Archangel Dominion suddenly beat its wings. Specks of holy light scattered from its feathers as it pressed forward again, its movements even more ferocious than before.
"I'll slaughter you!"
The Alliance Leader's cold, white eyes were bloodshot, filled with shock and fury.
Killing a Soul Eater Demon in a single blow—such immense power instilled fear even in him. However, he noticed that the young woman's condition was clearly abnormal.
If she truly commanded such power, why had she waited until now to use it?
An innate ability?
Or some kind of out-of-spec item?
The two legendary undead he had gone through such painstaking efforts to create had both been dealt with. This was more than just a heavy loss.
He felt as if his heart was bleeding.
A single Magic Sealing Crystal couldn't possibly compensate for his losses. He had to capture the cleric who had merged into the angel's body, as well as that young woman, alive.
Greed is an original sin, Lord Alliance Leader.
Tang Zheng looked at the Alliance Leader, who, despite his battered state, showed no sign of fleeing, and let out a cold laugh.
If his opponent was determined to escape now, Tang Zheng wouldn't be able to stop him.
He knew that after he had revealed the effect of the "Blending Potion," the Alliance Leader would definitely try to figure out such a method.
It wasn't just his opponent.
The Slane Theocracy had been watching the battlefield the whole time; they should be just as interested.
"The feeling of rejection is getting more and more obvious. The time limit should be almost up."
Tang Zheng sensed that the Archangel Dominion felt as if it could dissipate at any moment. He began to slow its movements, creating the illusion of being forced into a retreat.
The "Blending Potion" could allow the user to remain merged with the angel for a longer time, but that was only with a high degree of compatibility.
Tang Zheng's compatibility was too poor. Not only was it difficult to control, but the Archangel Dominion was already absorbing his magic power. The moment he cut off the supply of magic power, the Archangel Dominion would surely dissipate.
"Well, it's an unexpected intelligence gain," Tang Zheng thought to himself.
"Trying to run? Magic Resistance Penetration: Thunder Dragon!"
A glint flashed in the Alliance Leader's eyes as he pursued without hesitation.
Now's the time!
`Divine Confinement`
The Archangel Dominion suddenly raised its arms, aimed at the Alliance Leader, and released a slender beam of light.
Both sides cast magic simultaneously.
*Boom!*
A blinding, dragon-shaped bolt of lightning was the first to strike the Archangel Dominion's chest. After withstanding continuous magic attacks, the silver armor finally couldn't take it anymore and shattered.
The Archangel Dominion began to grow extremely unstable. Its three pairs of wings started to disintegrate, looking as if it would dissipate at any moment.
As for the Alliance Leader, after casting his magic, he had no time to dodge and was struck by the spell as well.
"This is... you've been hiding this spell all this time!"
The Alliance Leader's face changed drastically when he found himself bound, realizing he had been tricked. From the very beginning, his opponent had deliberately kept this binding spell hidden.
Success!
Tang Zheng's heart settled. After fighting for so long, the Alliance Leader was already low on magic power and thus extremely cautious. If he hadn't feigned weakness, his opponent would never have fallen for the trap.
"Then let's end this, Alliance Leader!"
A cold light glinted in Tang Zheng's eyes.
He had exposed a potion that wasn't quite a trump card. Although he had intended to use it for a transaction anyway, a reward was still due.
*Bang—Crack—*
The golden scepter in the Archangel Dominion's hand suddenly shattered, turning into golden fragments that wrapped around its entire body—the sign of activating a special skill.
"W-wait a moment."
"We can talk!" The black mist around the Alliance Leader's body roiled. His normally magnetic voice, part of his disguise, turned into the harsh, piercing screech of a crow.
`Extreme Holy Strike`
A divine purifying force far exceeding what had come before descended as a terrifying pillar of light.
The Alliance Leader's figure was engulfed by the light. The binding force shattered along with him, and he became a black shadow that streaked across the sky, crashing into the distant mountain range.
*Boom—*
After this power was used, the Archangel Dominion completely dissipated.
Tang Zheng's figure was exposed to the air, and he began to free-fall rapidly toward the ground.
*Swoosh!*
A figure in bright silver armor rushed over from a distance. With a forceful stomp on the ground, she leaped high into the air.
"Awooo~"
The Evil Spirit Hound was even faster. The bone chain on its body shot into the air, and just as it reached its limit, the hound jerked its head.
The straight bone chain bent and spun, forming a spring-like spiral that precisely caught Tang Zheng as he fell from mid-air.
*Clatter, clatter...*
The bone chain retracted, pulling Tang Zheng from the air and setting him steadily on the Evil Spirit Hound's back.
*Bang!*
The brown-haired figure also landed from the sky, shaking the ground.
Tang Zheng, his face pale, sat on the Evil Spirit Hound, feigning weakness. He looked a little dazed at the brown-haired figure opposite him. "Captain Remedios?"
Remedios's expression was stiff.
"Ahem, I was just preventing you from getting killed in the fall."
Remedios forced herself to remain calm. She raised her arms and crossed them over her chest. After observing Tang Zheng and seeing that he wasn't injured, she reverted to her usual cold demeanor.
"You even managed to defeat a formidable enemy like the Zuranon Alliance Leader. It would be too pathetic to die from something so trivial."
As she spoke, Remedios's expression grew inscrutable.
Whether it was the most threatening Death Knight or the terrifyingly strong and evil leader of the secret society Zuranon, both had indirectly died at Tang Zheng's hands.
Even the suddenly appearing legendary undead, the Soul Eater, had died at the hands of an ordinary young girl named Enri from the Free Will Adventurer Team.
Ordinary?
A bitter smile touched the corner of Remedios's lips. If Enri was called ordinary, then what did that make her?
Frustration! Indignation! Humiliation!
An ordinary girl she had previously paid no mind to had suddenly displayed such overwhelming power. Remedios, who had always been proud, felt a storm of complicated emotions rise within her.
This war and undead calamity, instigated by the cult Zuranon...
In the end, the ones who resolved this matter were neither their Holy Kingdom nor the Slane Theocracy, but an Adventurer Team!
"In any case, it's over, Captain Remedios."
Tang Zheng squeezed out a smile, his voice weak as he replied.
"That's right, it's over." Remedios paused for a moment, then let out a breath.
Countless corpses littered the ground.
There were Humans, demi-humans, and even more undead. Everyone on the battlefield was silent at this moment.
Then, a heaven-shaking cheer erupted!
"We won!"
"We won."
"..."
"The calamity is over!"
All sorts of excited howls came from the demi-humans, and a joyous mood filled the entire battlefield.
Some demi-humans threw down their weapons, knelt on the ground, and wept loudly. On the Human Faction's side, some collapsed limply to the ground.
Two legendary undead, an Alliance Leader possessing power comparable to a Demon God—the oppressive feeling from these enemies had long since stretched everyone's nerves to the breaking point.
Now, it was all released in one go!
At this moment, Tang Zheng was not immersed in this atmosphere. He was controlling his shadow clone to search for the Alliance Leader.
That's right.
After taking the full-force blow from the Archangel Dominion, the Alliance Leader hadn't died. Tang Zheng knew this because his status panel showed no notification of experience gained.
***
Where the remnants of the Holy Knight Order and Cleric Corps were gathered.
"We really won."
Kelart muttered to herself, her face a mask of complexity. She gazed toward the center of the distant battlefield, and when she thought of her sister suddenly running over there, her expression became even more complicated.
She understood Remedios's personality very well. Since when had she ever cared so much about someone else?
"Free Will."
An unparalleled gravity rose in Kelart's heart.
This Adventurer Team was simply too far beyond common sense. Both now and in the future, the entire Holy Kingdom had to treat them with the utmost friendliness.
Especially that miraculous technique of merging with an angel!
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Kelart's eyes, but she ultimately suppressed them. For now, there was no need to consider these things.
She raised her head.
She looked at the surviving demi-humans on the battlefield. Although they were relatively scattered, Kelart could still roughly estimate their numbers. There were still about 3,000 of them.
These demi-humans were definitely the most elite forces in the entire hills region at present!
She withdrew her gaze and looked at the Human Faction.
The Holy Knight Order had less than 70 survivors. The Cleric Corps had lost half its members, with 100 remaining. The Sunlight Scripture was left with only about 30 people.
They had very little combat power left at the moment.
"This opportunity cannot be missed."
Kelart watched all the demi-humans on the battlefield, her eyes turning cold. She grabbed the magical leather pouch on her waist with one hand and quickly said:
"Prepare the ritual!"
Several clerics, their faces weary but joyous from the victory, suddenly heard this. They exchanged glances and rose to stand beside Kelart.
***
Slane Theocracy.
Divine Capital.
Stargazer Far-Sight, dressed in a JK uniform, sat on the floor in a daze. A red, half-frame magical item called "Glasses" had fallen beside her.
Stargazer Far-Sight pressed her lips together, somewhat silent.
She was contemplating how to report this to the several Cardinals. If she submitted this report, the Cardinals would surely think she was fabricating the story.
The legendary undead, a Soul Eater Demon, was killed by a young girl with a single sword strike!
What kind of joke was that!
(end of chapter)