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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 115: The Mage of Ashes (5)
The massive King Sandworm charged into the fortress wall like an enraged bull.
Before its overwhelming size, the proud 30-meter-tall wall collapsed powerlessly.
Crash!
The deafening roar and vibrations, as if a mountain had fallen, shook the battlefield.
Simultaneously, urgent cries from Lloyd’s officers reached his ears.
“Damn it! The orcs have all redirected their path! They’re rushing toward the collapsed wall!”
“We’ve deployed defensive barriers, but they won’t hold for long!”
“The number of soldiers buried under the rubble is significant!”
Every report he received was nothing but grim news.
Lloyd, standing with his hands behind his back, scanned his surroundings.
―――!!!
――――!!
The battlefield resounded with indistinguishable sounds of cheers and screams.
It wasn’t just the noise.
The trembling eyes of his soldiers and their slumped shoulders betrayed their fear and panic.
The morale of his troops, soaked in confusion and terror, was visibly scraping the bottom.
“……”
In situations like this, the leader of the group must remain calm.
They must never falter.
Without even blinking, Lloyd maintained his stoic expression.
He absorbed the wavering gazes around him and gave his orders in an astoundingly composed voice.
“Deploy the 7th Mage Corps to the collapsed wall and erect a barrier of flames. Delay the orcs’ advance as much as possible.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Order the 3rd Knight Battalion to rescue the soldiers trapped under the debris and move them to the rear immediately.”
“Understood!”
The swift commands he issued were the best decisions that could be made in the situation.
Lloyd observed the soldiers retreating to the rear, analyzing the overall flow of the battlefield.
‘…This isn’t good.’
The orcs were riding a surge of momentum, their morale sky-high.
A hastily created wall of fire won’t buy much time.
If so, he needed to create a new variable to extend that time.
After a moment of contemplation, Lloyd opened his mouth.
“Order the 2nd and 4th Knight Battalion to exit through the western and eastern gates respectively. Strike and harass the enemy flanks. Don’t go too deep—just enough to keep the orcs from focusing entirely on the front.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Understood.”
But this alone wouldn’t be enough.
What was lacking was a decisive performance that could instantly boost his army’s morale.
‘Ideally, taking down the King Sandworm would’ve been the perfect move…’
However, the creature had already retreated to the enemy lines after completing its role.
The one who issued the retreat command was likely the Orc Chieftain.
The intention was clear, too obvious to miss.
It was as if the enemy didn’t even bother hiding it.
‘They won’t even give me a stage to shine.’
A faint smirk crossed Lloyd’s lips.
The enemy had overlooked one crucial fact:
He wasn’t some ornamental flower to accept whatever they fed him.
If anything, he was more like a weed—resilient and stubborn, capable of thriving even in the harshest conditions.
‘If they won’t give me a stage, I’ll just create one myself.’
Having reached a decision, Lloyd spoke.
“Once the injured are evacuated, remove the curtain of flames. I’m going outside.”
Naturally, his officers reacted explosively to such a bombshell declaration.
“What?! That’s insane!”
“What kind of commander leaps into the heart of the enemy’s forces?”
It wasn’t that they failed to grasp Lloyd’s intent.
“Of course, such a performance would directly lift our troops’ morale, but it comes with significant risks.”
“If the commander enters the battlefield, the chain of command will collapse.”
“If you get injured or fall, it’ll deal an even heavier blow to our morale.”
“Most importantly, no matter how powerful a 7th-tier mage is, you can’t possibly fight tens of thousands alone.”
“Please reconsider this plan just once more.”
Their arguments were reasonable and logical.
But Lloyd shook his head.
“If we don’t suppress the momentum of that massive army, we’ll eventually be overwhelmed.”
Every command he had given so far was merely reactive and remedial.
In other words, they were still dancing on the chessboard laid out by the enemy.
“War, in the end, is a grand flow.”
It’s a game where the one who controls the flow wins.
To achieve that, they needed more than just reactive measures—they needed a move that could shake the board.
‘The knights’ flanking attacks alone won’t be enough to suppress that massive army’s morale.’
That’s why he had to step forward himself.
A 7th-tier mage.
Except for the Orc chieftain, there was no one who could stop him.
“……”
“……”
The officers exchanged uneasy glances.
The plan was a double-edged sword, but it also had the potential to turn the tide of the worsening battle.
‘The only reason we’ve held them off this long despite the overwhelming numbers is the fortress.’
‘But with one wall down, the balance has tipped.’
‘If we’re to gamble, it’s better to do so sooner than later.’
Eventually, the officers relented.
“Understood.”
“However, all mage corps will provide rear support for the commander.”
“Do as you wish.”
Lloyd was not a commander who received glowing reviews.
But no one could criticize a man willing to stand in the most dangerous position on the battlefield.
In fact, the ones most stirred by his resolve were the knights who often viewed him with disdain.
“……”
It was true they hadn’t looked favorably upon Lloyd, who had taken the commander’s seat after his predecessor’s disappearance.
But at this moment, his actions were befitting of the commander of the Red Fortress.
Theodore Bale’s right-hand man and captain of the 1st Knight Battalion, Gallahad, spoke.
“No matter how skilled a mage is, going into the battlefield alone risks being struck by a blind blade. If the enemy employs chariot tactics, you’ll be exhausted and fall easily. The 1st Knight Battalion will serve as your escort.”
The mages, knights, and even Lloyd himself showed slight surprise at his words.
But Lloyd soon replied with his signature impassive expression.
“If you can’t keep up with my speed, you’d better stay here.”
“Tch, do you think knights are slower than book-reading mages?”
“……”
Lloyd, who had been staring at him for a moment, muttered to himself.
"Have the First Knight Battalion follow as escort."
"You won't regret it."
After quickly organizing themselves, they moved to the collapsed city wall.
Fwoosh!
A blazing wall of fire, 30 meters high, stood in place of the ruined structure, burning fiercely as though it would incinerate anything it touched.
Lloyd, gazing at it, issued a command.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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"Withdraw it."
"Seventh Mage Corps, dispel the magic!"
Bwooooooo!
With the sound of war horns, the fiery wall scattered like a lie.
At the same time, orcs who had been lying in wait surged toward the wall like a swarm of ants.
Lloyd, watching the brutish desert warriors, drew upon his mana.
"Full Bloom."
Flowers unlike any he had ever conjured before bloomed across the battlefield.
Each petal was as sharp as a blade.
"Kill the humans!"
"Bring down the fortress!"
"Raaaagh!"
As the orcs, blinded by bloodlust, charged forward, Lloyd snapped his fingers.
"Dance of the Blossoms."
Thousands of petals scattered like a whirlwind.
The flesh of orcs that came into contact with the petals was gouged and sliced, leaving them to collapse on the spot.
As the leading orcs fell, those behind stumbled and collided, causing chaos among their ranks.
Lloyd, smirking at the comedic sight, opened his lips.
"Gallahad, clear the path."
"Leave it to me!"
Clang!
The knights drew their swords in unison, scattering their aura as they charged forward.
The disarrayed orcs couldn't withstand the piercing attack of the knights, who broke through like a single, sharp spear.
Lloyd leisurely walked toward the path they had cleared.
"Full Bloom."
Each time he made a flower bloom, the life of an orc was extinguished.
As the commander faced the massive army head-on, the soldiers on the fortress walls shouted:
"Riflemen, load your bullets!"
"Provide maximum support to the commander and his escort knights!"
"Mages, prepare fireballs! Target the enemy's rear and collapse their formation!"
The tide of battle, which had been turning against them, began to stabilize rapidly.
Of course, this was strictly from a human perspective.
"…Krrr."
The great chieftain, Ulgur, who was observing the situation, rose from his seat.
It was clear that if he stood idly by, the orcs' morale would plummet to the ground.
"Humans."
If he could just kill that man, the war would essentially be over.
Ulgur gave orders to the orc generals leading the battlefield.
"Feign retreat and lure them deeper. By the time they realize it, they won't be able to escape."
"Great Chieftain, if we do that, many of our soldiers will be slaughtered."
"It doesn't matter."
Shouldering an axe as large as a tree, he replied.
"I will face him myself."
Rumble!
The research lab vibrated periodically.
Commander Theodore, who felt the tremor just like Oscar did, spoke.
"…It seems the war has begun."
"Can you tell just from the vibrations?"
"Of course. Though I look like this now, I defended this fortress for 30 years."
In front of him, bound by magical flora, stood Oscar holding a small flask.
To summarize, he had succeeded in developing a potion that could convert demonic energy into mana.
But there wasn't enough time to perfect it.
"There are a few caveats you should be aware of."
"What are they?"
"I can't guarantee its safety. It hasn't been tested on a living subject."
"All the better."
Looking even more gaunt than before, the commander let out a faint chuckle.
"Such risky experiments aren't meant for humans anyway. After all, I’m a demon now."
"…It will be excruciatingly painful."
"You mentioned that last time."
"Then let’s begin."
After Oscar finished speaking, he severed all the magical flora restraining the commander.
Once he drank the potion, the demonic energy in his body would be converted into mana.
To do so, his body needed to be refilled with demonic energy first.
As soon as the flora was cut away, demonic energy began flooding into his body rapidly.
"How long it’s been since I’ve felt freedom. Though… tch, I’ve lost quite a bit of muscle. It’s hard to rebuild at this age."
The commander quipped before turning to look at Oscar.
"If I lose control and rampage… feel free to kill me."
"Don't worry. I’ll do my best to hold out. Besides, the potion contains a weakening enchantment."
The amount was sufficient to temporarily lower a Level 7 knight to Level 6.
…Of course, it was impossible to predict how it would affect a demon like him.
After briefly giving a grateful look, the commander nodded as if steeling himself.
"No time to waste. Let’s finish this quickly while I’m still sane."
"Understood."
Oscar handed him the flask, and Commander Theodore downed it in one go.
"Ugh! Definitely a rushed job."
His complexion darkened instantly, and he gritted his teeth, leaning against the wall as he muttered.
"Clearly… flavor… wasn’t a priority… Kraaah!"
"Stay focused!"
Despite his words, Oscar kept his full attention on the commander, ready to act at any moment.
He couldn't predict when Theodore might lose control and attack him.
'Demonic energy is starting to convert into mana.'
However, the process was much slower than expected.
At this rate, it would take about 28 minutes for the transformation to complete.
'I just hope nothing happens in the meantime…'
The pain seemed far worse than anticipated.
"Kraaaaah!"
Barely three minutes had passed, yet Theodore Bale abandoned all pretense of dignity, writhing on the floor and twisting his joints unnaturally.
For a brief moment, Oscar gauged the intensity of his agony from those grotesque movements.
"Huff… huff… Gaaah!"
With a scream resembling a death cry, Theodore whipped his head around to glare at Oscar with trembling eyes.
"Sorry."
At that moment, Oscar conjured a blade of wind and swung it immediately.
Clang!
In Theodore's hand was a long stalk of magical flora, which he must have grabbed unnoticed.
‘I thought I’d removed all potential weapons from this room…’
For a master swordsman, even a flower stem could serve as a lethal weapon.
Oscar stared at the demon-possessed Theodore Bale.
‘Time left…’
24 minutes.
With a soft sigh, Oscar parted his lips.
"Come at me."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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