Translator: CinderTL
"Hiss..."
In the dimly lit tent, Roland gasped sharply, jolting upright in bed.
He instinctively pressed his palm against his left chest, panting heavily, a fine sheen of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Damn it..."
A distinct tightening sensation and an ominous chill emanated from his heart, prompting him to curse under his breath.
"I didn't expect the Gaze from the Abyss to corrode so quickly... I must eliminate that demon as soon as possible."
Ever since the demon possessing Arno had cursed him, Roland had tried every method he could think of, even forcibly channeling pure positive energy into his body, but the effects were negligible.
The icy chill in his chest persisted, growing stronger with each passing day.
Though it hadn't yet physically impede his actions, he could clearly sense his blood gradually thickening and turning icy cold.
He shook his head vigorously, dispelling the last vestiges of drowsiness, and the surrounding clamor finally registered clearly in his ears.
It was the sound of mass troop movements and the faint clinking of armor and weapons.
"What's happening?"
Roland's body tensed instantly. He grabbed the Mithril Longsword beside his bed and swiftly rolled out of bed.
Just then, a clear voice rang out beside him.
"That Lucius fellow refused to surrender..."
Before the words had fully left her lips, a slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows in the corner of the tent.
She held an unripe fruit of an unidentifiable variety in her hand, munching on it with relish.
"This has greatly angered His Majesty the King. He's mobilized the troops at dawn, preparing to storm the city."
"Avril?"
Seeing the familiar face beneath the short brown hair, Roland finally relaxed and gently rubbed his temples.
"How many times have I told you? Knock before entering next time."
"What's wrong?"
The elf girl stuffed the remaining half of the fruit into her mouth, hopped lightly onto the edge of Roland's bed, and swung her pale legs playfully as she leaned closer to ask.
"What, were you planning to do something indecent in your own tent?"
Roland shook his head, ignoring her teasing, and quickly straightened his clothes.
At the same time, a sliver of doubt flickered through his mind.
Whether it was his imagination or an aftereffect of the Gaze from the Abyss, he realized that since their reunion, if Avril deliberately concealed herself, he found it difficult to sense her presence or aura.
The sensation was as if she had mastered a technique similar to the Veil of Shadows, allowing her to mask her aura.
And that wasn't all...
Roland recalled recent changes in his other companions as well.
"During my duel with Theresa, her speed seemed to increase exponentially. Even if I gave it my all now, I might still fall slightly short. And then there's Galvis..."
Thinking of the flamboyant bard, Roland tightened his leather belt, the man's singing voice echoing in his mind.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Galvis's voice seemed to have become...
even more melodious.
"Could it be... related to their status as 'chosen ones'? But..."
He turned to look at Avril beside him.
Though never explicitly stated, Galvis's attitude made it clear that the elf girl's identity was far from ordinary.
"Could Avril also be a 'chosen one'? Ha..."
He shook his head with a wry smile, temporarily dismissing the thought.
Firstly, it had no bearing on the current situation. Secondly...
The idea that all his companions were as rare as the "chosen ones" described in ancient texts felt too dramatic to be true.
"What's wrong, Roland?"
Noticing his gaze, the elf girl tilted her head and asked.
"Nothing," Roland replied, taking a deep breath as he walked out of the tent. "Where are Theresa and Galvis?"
"Theresa was practicing her swordsmanship when I came. As for Galvis? Hmph, that lazy fellow is probably still buried under his blankets!"
By the time they finished speaking, they had already exited the tent.
Just as Avril had said, the once-silent barracks had now awakened, stirring like a restless giant beast.
On the hastily erected wooden enclosure wall, a towering figure stood with arms crossed, silently gazing at the distant, majestic Golden Grain City.
It was King Monen of the Golden Valley Kingdom.
Though he uttered no roars or rebukes, the silent figure radiated a suffocating rage.
I hope today... brings a final end to all this, Roland murmured inwardly, then strode toward Gloria, who was directing the soldiers into formation.
Just as in previous battles, King Monen advanced alone to deliver a final plea for surrender to the city wall defenders.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, despite Roland clearly seeing the undisguised panic and fear on the soldiers' faces, they didn't abandon their weapons and surrender like the nobles had before.
Instead, they gripped their weapons even tighter, their expressions resolute in their determination to fight to the death.
Sensing the complex aura emanating from the city wall, Roland couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
The Golden Valley Kingdom had indeed earned its status as the most powerful nation in the region through its deep-rooted strength.
Even a cursory glance at the transcendent professionals gathered to defend Golden Grain City revealed at least several dozen.
This was merely the core of the Golden Valley Kingdom's heartland. If they were to tally the combat power scattered across the entire realm, the number of transcendent individuals might well exceed a hundred.
This explained why Arno had swept through the River Domain Nations with such overwhelming force.
As far as Roland knew, the River Domain Nations combined possessed no more than twenty or thirty transcendent individuals. The disparity in national strength was truly staggering.
While Roland pondered this, the battle had already begun.
The battlefield naturally divided into two distinct areas.
One was the fierce clash between ordinary soldiers, relying on siege engines and city walls for offense and defense.
The other was the duel between transcendent individuals.
Although the Golden Grain City defenders held a clear numerical advantage in transcendent fighters, the battle quickly turned into a one-sided rout.
The reason was simple: the allied forces had Monen.
The King didn't even draw his seemingly ordinary longsword.
He merely stood in mid-air, his Battle Qi surging around him like a tempest.
In an instant, the silver Battle Qi spread outward with a life of its own, swiftly forming a strange force field that enveloped the allied forces' vanguard.
"What is this?"
Sensing the strange sensation coursing through his body, Roland's pupils constricted as he recalled his earlier battle with Paladin Van Buren atop the High Tower.
"A domain!"
Beneath the silver force field, the allied forces' soldiers seemed to have been infused with the soul of a lion.
Ordinary soldiers swung their swords with a sharp, whistling sound that tore through the air, while arrows streaked from their bows, leaving faint trails of silver light in their wake. Even the thunderous impact of the siege rams against the city gates carried an unprecedented weight of power.
The transcendent warriors were even more invigorated. The brilliance of their combat techniques burned brighter, their swordplay gained a new level of precision, and each individual's strength surged to an unprecedented peak.
"It's a group buff, but compared to my Ember Resonance, Monen's domain is several times more potent!"
Watching the allied forces unleash a ferocious assault under the domain's influence, Roland's breathing quickened.
"It's not just the range—the specific effects are worlds apart!"
As he pondered this, the oppressive force of the domain covering the battlefield had already begun to violently shake Golden Grain City's seemingly impregnable defenses.
Despite the battle clearly tilting in favor of the allied forces, Roland remained vigilant.
He turned to Theresa, Avril, and the newly arrived Galvis, whispering instructions.
"Stay alert. The battle isn't over yet."
At that moment, Gloria hurried over.
Perhaps sensing victory was near, the usually composed Imperial Princess wore an uncharacteristic flush of excitement, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Lord Roland," she said, her voice light and cheerful. "It seems the war will end today."
Roland shook his head gently, his gaze fixed on Golden Grain City in the distance.
"Your Highness, it's too early to relax."
His eyes swept across the smoke-filled battlefield.
Battering rams repeatedly slammed against the crumbling city gate, arrows rained down from the walls, and allied soldiers, protected by a silver domain, bravely scaled ladders.
Though the allied forces surged forward with overwhelming momentum, a sense of unease stirred within Roland's heart.
"With the battle reaching such intensity, why haven't Arno and Lucius shown themselves yet?"
(End of the Chapter)
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