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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 77
“KIAAAAAAAAH!!!!”
With a horrifying scream, the Kraken thrashed wildly on the ground, lashing out in every direction.
"Filthy thing is going berserk."
Leon, who had swiftly distanced himself from the Kraken and landed, wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
"An Expert rank alone won't be enough…"
Though he grimaced as if suffering internal injuries, there was no sign of panic or fear on his face.
The Kraken subjugation had only just begun.
* * *
Leon’s ferocious movements were not only being observed by the main attack squad.
“Don’t let a single one get through!”
Monsters under mind control were often far more dangerous than usual.
Creatures that typically lacked any sense of cooperation were now attacking in perfect formation, as if they had trained together.
But this was land.
And the ones fighting them were skilled warriors.
There was no way mere fish-like monsters such as mermen could overwhelm them.
However, their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and the main attack squad needed time to catch their breath, just as Leon had requested.
Although using magic would have been the most effective way to restrain the Kraken, Leon had strictly forbidden its use.
This meant that, aside from magical devices, no magic was being used in this battle.
A foolish decision.
What did a mere boy know to dictate strategy?
The knights who had once doubted him now found themselves speechless as they watched Leon cut through the battlefield like a storm.
Even seasoned experts would struggle to analyze and counter the Kraken’s movements as precisely as he did.
Yet, Leon moved with the ease of someone who had fought Krakens countless times before.
"Wow, look at that…"
"Insane… How is that even possible?"
"My god…"
The knights and soldiers in the disruption squad muttered in disbelief, completely forgetting their decorum.
Leon’s movements were flawless, as if the entire battle had been rehearsed.
And then—
"Honestly, it’s a relief that the Kraken is our enemy. If we had to face Lord Leon as an opponent… he’d be terrifying."
It was the highest form of praise among knights.
"Lady Isna, just who exactly is Lord Leon?"
"I have no idea~."
Isna smirked and casually tossed aside the corpse of a merman she had been holding by the head.
At first glance, she looked like a delicate young girl.
But she was a direct descendant of the Mielephon family.
And, more importantly, a beloved grandchild of the Sword Saint himself.
In other words, only a fool would underestimate her.
With a single, effortless thrust of her sword, she skewered another merman, smiling all the while.
"Lady Isna, your fiancé, Lord Leon, is far more skilled than we expected."
"Fiancé, huh…"
"Wait… You don’t seem too happy about that?"
She avoided answering with nothing more than a bright, carefree smile.
"He’s certainly an interesting person, but…"
"But?"
"Isn’t it even more interesting?"
"Excuse me? What do you mean…?"
"It’s like he’s fought and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Krakens before."
The enigmatic smile on her face made the knights fall silent as they turned to watch Leon again.
Indeed…
"That’s exactly why it’s so suspicious."
Slash!
With that final remark, she effortlessly sliced through another merman’s body.
Her lively, flowing twin tails—so vibrant in their deep red hue—might have been stained with the monster's blood had her hair been a lighter color.
A peculiar young lady, and an equally mysterious Leon Cascadia.
To the knights, they seemed like a perfect match.
Though none of them had any intention of trying to understand what their lady was implying.
* * *
While the attack and disruption squads were in the midst of battle, the support squad—composed mostly of mages—remained in an eerily calm state.
Well, aside from the mana swirling wildly around them.
"This is fascinating… I can’t even begin to understand how this works."
"I’ve heard he’s a necromancer, but this structure isn’t like black magic at all."
Mages were, by nature, obsessed with knowledge.
At first, they had grumbled about being told to do nothing but channel mana into the devices.
But the moment they saw the five magical devices that Leon had created begin to function, all complaints vanished.
"This is incredible. This mana wavelength is unlike anything we’ve ever observed before. But this alone wouldn’t be enough to neutralize the Kraken’s mental attacks or block its regeneration… How is it doing that?"
"Can we take one of these back with us after the battle, Senior? I need to study it!"
"You idiot, you think they’ll let you? Just memorize everything you can now so you can analyze it later!"
The mages were practically drooling over the devices, dedicating their full attention to understanding them.
"Even if a dwarf tried to create something this intricate, could they even do it?"
"Even if they could, it wouldn’t be possible in such a short amount of time."
"And magic?"
"There’s no way to even examine the internal structure."
"Oh… Ohhh, it’s moving! This mana wavelength is remarkable! It’s like the device itself is a living archmage!"
Was this really the same group of mages who had been grumbling just moments ago?
Watching them, Luna could only think: What a bunch of idiots.
The first device had nullified the Kraken’s mental attacks.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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The second device had suppressed its regeneration.
—Luna, prepare the third.
And now, the third device.
Leon Cascadia harbored a deep grudge against the Kraken.
So he had spared no effort in ensuring its demise.
To be honest, the Kraken was starting to seem pitiful.
The creature was highly instinctual, prioritizing its attacks on the greatest threat.
Sword Saint Osberg?
His sword was certainly dangerous, but the Kraken’s primary target wasn’t him.
Even after sustaining injuries from Osberg’s attacks, the Kraken’s focus remained elsewhere.
It was obvious to anyone watching.
Its target was Leon.
Osberg’s sword might have greater raw power, but Leon’s attacks were far more lethal to the Kraken.
It was the simple truth—an opponent who aimed for the eyes, even if weaker, was far more dangerous than one who merely bludgeoned with brute force.
As its condition deteriorated, the Kraken let out a massive roar.
Whether it was still fighting because it had the strength to continue or simply out of pride was unknown.
Rolling its massive body, the Kraken forcefully shook off all those nearby.
Then, it began gathering a mass of light near its head.
It looked as though a deep-sea fish was generating bioluminescence from within its body.
“What the—?! Something’s coming!!”
No one knew what it was, but instinctively, they all sensed something significant was about to happen and quickly backed away.
- Luna, activate the third device.
Only Leon remained composed, calmly issuing instructions.
Luna relayed his command to the mages.
“Activate the third device.”
At her words, the mages, swallowing nervously as they stared at the Kraken, swiftly set the mechanism into motion.
Unlike the previous devices, this one didn’t release anything.
Instead, it began rotating, much like a centrifuge, before shooting a massive beam of light into the sky and shutting down.
“Wait… Something’s not right—”
“No, it’s working.”
A moment later, at the end of the light’s trajectory, a distant explosion echoed through the air.
Simultaneously—
A colossal storm erupted around the Kraken, fueled by its immense power.
Those witnessing this spectacle for the first time turned pale, realizing that mere retreat would not be enough.
The Kraken’s storm was several times more powerful than an ordinary tempest.
If such a massive natural disaster were to concentrate on a single point, it would be nothing short of an apocalyptic catastrophe.
“A—A storm!!”
“Damn it! Prepare defensive magic!!”
The mages hastily began casting spells—
But Luna stopped them.
“There’s no need.”
“What do you mean… Huh?”
The storm, which had seemed inevitable, suddenly faltered.
The beam of light that had shot into the sky began emitting strange pulses, releasing waves of ultrasonic frequencies.
—SCREEEEEECH!!!!
Even though the sound was too high-pitched for human ears, the sheer force of the resonance could be felt throughout their bodies.
“What is that…?”
“It’s just disrupting the Kraken’s wavelengths.”
Luna, quickly grasping the situation, responded calmly.
“You’re saying a single device managed to neutralize the Sea King’s calamity?!”
“The Kraken isn’t a perfect life form.”
To summon a storm, the Kraken had to generate specific wavelengths, which required an immense mental barrier to protect the process from interference.
But in its current weakened state, it no longer had the strength to maintain that defense.
Luna’s voice remained steady as she explained.
With its trump card neutralized in an instant, the Kraken hesitated and instinctively recoiled.
Already in poor condition, it now faced the terrifying possibility of its own demise.
From that point on, the battle became entirely one-sided.
Leon and the swordmaster Osberg relentlessly exploited the Kraken’s weak points, leaving deep wounds across its body.
The strike team then capitalized on those wounds, further draining the monster of its strength.
As the Kraken’s movements slowed, its body covered in gaping wounds, blood gushed out uncontrollably.
- Good work, everyone. The Kraken was already injured, which made the hunt much easier. Now, we just need to finish it off.
Leon’s calm voice echoed through their communication devices.
Gone was the disbelief that a mere youngster could command such an operation.
Now, only awe remained.
After all, the core strategy of the hunt had been Leon’s doing.
The knights had merely followed the same battle tactics used against large monsters.
The Kraken, utterly drained, could barely move.
It gasped for breath, unable to hold itself up any longer.
The strike team slowly gathered around the near-lifeless creature.
“My god… We actually took down the Kraken.”
“I thought it was impossible, but it happened so easily…”
Even now, they struggled to believe what they had accomplished.
They had prepared for countless sacrifices, knowing this would be a battle of endurance.
But their hunt had been disrupted by cultists, leading to devastating ambushes and heavy casualties.
For a time, it had seemed impossible.
The Kraken had long ruled the seas as the ultimate terror of sailors.
Many had attempted to slay it, but no one had ever succeeded.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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