Translator: CinderTL
"Something... feels off, doesn't it?"
"Off?"
Roland swung his sword, cleaving a small demon blocking their path in two. He flicked the warm blood from the blade.
The four of them had already moved far from the center of the battlefield, the sounds of the fierce fighting gradually fading into the distance.
"It's just..."
The bard's slender fingers hovered over his lute strings as he gazed at the distant, still-raging battle, his brow furrowed in concern.
"These demons and devils... they seem far too weak..."
Sensing the questioning glances from his companions, Galvis deftly dodged a sudden bone spike and lowered his voice to explain.
"Though I've never fought devils from the nine hells, the demons I encountered during the last Abyssal Invasion were far more formidable."
"They possessed not only resilient bodies but also wielded various arcane magics with ease. Even the lowest-ranking demons posed a significant challenge to ordinary transcendents. But these..."
He nodded toward the battlefield, urging the others to observe.
"Look at them. They rely solely on brute strength, no different from ordinary demonic beasts. They can't even break through a simple square formation of regular soldiers. And..."
"Wait."
A clear voice interrupted the bard's analysis.
"Abyssal Invasion?"
Avril gently massaged her fingers, sore from continuous archery practice, her brow furrowed slightly.
"If I remember correctly, the last Abyssal Invasion... wasn't that during the Crystal Era?"
Crystal Era?
Hearing this familiar term, Roland couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Compared to the elf race's vast collection of ancient texts, Bronson's personal library was quite limited. His historical knowledge naturally paled in comparison to the extensive expertise of Galvis and Avril.
Yet even he had heard of this legendary era.
It was a glorious age that preceded the Final Epoch. Though only fragmented records remained in ancient texts, glimpses of its former splendor could still be discerned.
However, what truly intrigued Roland wasn't the era's grandeur.
It was the fact that while studying the Epic of Heroes—the very text he had consulted to investigate the identity of "Rudolph," the dragon mentioned in Mist Creek Town—the Abyssal Invasions that occurred during this era had been repeatedly referenced.
But...
With this thought, Roland looked up, his gaze fixed on Galvis with a hint of suspicion.
The Crystal Era...
That was history from at least a thousand years ago.
As if reading his mind, Avril voiced the same question.
"That era was over a millennium ago. You..."
The elf girl arched her delicate eyebrows, her gaze piercing the bard like an arrow.
"You experienced it firsthand?"
The moment the words left her lips, the air seemed to freeze.
After a long silence, Galvis slowly turned his head, a twitch tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"A-Avril... Miss Avril, you must have misheard me..."
Before his companion could press further, the bard quickly changed the subject.
"What we should be focusing on now is how to rescue Sean and Marco, right?"
He turned to Roland, his face etched with embarrassment.
"Roland?"
Roland was no fool. Galvis's behavior clearly indicated he was hiding something. But who among them didn't harbor their own secrets? Deciding not to pry, Roland smoothly took over the conversation.
"You're right, Galvis."
After scanning the surroundings to ensure no immediate threats remained, Roland swiftly retrieved Celeste's head from his pouch.
Avril and Theresa, seeing this bizarre sight for the first time, were immediately drawn in, leaning closer to examine it.
Ignoring Galvis, who was bowing repeatedly behind them, his eyes brimming with gratitude, Roland untied the leather gag binding Celeste's mouth and demanded in a low voice, "Tell me, who placed the curse on me?"
"Pah! Pah! Pah!"
Celeste didn't immediately answer Roland's question. Instead, she twisted her lips in disgust, as if trying to spit out the blood and sweat that had stained her mouth.
After a moment, she finally raised her eyes, her gaze filled with loathing.
"Foolish human, do you think I would—"
Before she could finish, a faint golden light spread from Roland's arm to his fingertips, then expanded into a gentle, luminous membrane that enveloped everyone present.
The venomous curse Celeste was about to utter abruptly transformed.
"It was Malcolm... After noticing you through me, he coveted your soul, branded you with a mark, and ordered me..."
Her voice trailed off.
Celeste suddenly realized what she had revealed and stared at Roland in terror.
"Malcolm?"
Roland nodded slightly, pressing his questioning.
"Who is he?"
Seeing Celeste's lips clamped shut, Roland raised an eyebrow and pressed the Mithril Longsword against her still-beautiful cheek.
"I don't know why you've become like this, but..."
The blade slowly pressed closer, drawing a thin, shallow line of blood across her face.
"Destroying your beauty shouldn't threaten your life, right?"
His eyes turned icy cold.
"If you don't answer, I'll carve your face every day, then heal it, repeating the cycle endlessly. Trust me, I mean what I say. And..."
Noticing the growing wavering in Celeste's eyes, Roland's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Just a heads-up, my healing methods are rather crude. If I accidentally leave permanent scars on your face..."
"I... I'll talk!" Celeste nearly screamed.
Compared to this handsome young man, she suddenly felt more human, while he seemed like the true demon.
"It's that one over there... the slender figure fighting Monen!"
Following her gaze, Roland instantly locked onto the target.
Under the influence of the Zone of Truth, Celeste couldn't lie.
Having identified the target, Roland unhesitatingly stuffed Celeste back into his waist pouch and turned to face his companions.
"Theresa, you should know Sean. As for Darco..."
After briefly describing the noble youth's appearance, he drew his longsword from his waist.
"I'm entrusting the rescue mission to you. If you can't find them, return here and wait for me. Don't put yourselves in danger."
"What about you, Roland?"
Roland gave the elf girl a reassuring look and took a deep breath.
"I'm going to assist His Majesty Monen."
With the plan settled, the group immediately split up.
Inside Golden Grain City, the main forces of demons and devils had been drawn to the fierce fighting outside the walls, leaving the streets nearly deserted.
With Theresa and the others' skills, rescuing Sean and Darco should be no problem.
More importantly, if they could quickly eliminate the two abyssal creatures engaging Monen, the powerful transcendent would be freed to turn the tide of battle.
Although the abyssal creatures had managed to hold their own against Monen thus far, proving their formidable strength, Monen still held the upper hand.
Even though Roland's own power paled in comparison, by exerting himself to the utmost, he could create an opening for Monen to deal a decisive blow.
With this thought, Roland took another deep breath.
"Guided by the Wind Essence..."
The moment he began chanting the incantation, scorching blood surged through his veins.
"Hah..."
A plume of scalding breath escaped his lips, condensing into white mist in the frigid air.
Boom!
The ground trembled beneath his feet as Roland shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, hurtling toward the distant battlefield.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [230] Chapters behind.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [590] now, only on 𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
📚 Read upto [12,000+] Chapters on Site with [9,900+] Free Chapters!
🚫 Also get FREE lifetime ad-free and join the giveaway by joining our Discord!
---------------------------