Chapter 1051
Chapter 1051
—Huuuaaargh!
Wrath unleashed a cry that sounded far more like an outright shriek the moment he witnessed the primeval Kraken being hauled directly onto dry land.
—H-how on earth is an octopus emerging from an earthenware pot!
Even after observing the sorcery unfold with his very eyes, he flailed his fists in utter disbelief.
“J-just what is happening here…?”
Balder blinked rapidly, his jaw slacking in astonishment as he walked forward.
“Why was the Kraken stuffed inside a container like that!”
Just like Wrath, the spectacle defied all logic to him, leaving his chin quivering with shock.
“Is that colossal beast truly a Kraken? Its frame surpasses even an Ancient Dragon, doesn’t it?”
“Word was that it carried the entire White Blood Religion Headquarters upon its back, so why in the world did it crawl out of a jug?”
“Could a mere vessel be used to summon the Kraken? At such a scale, isn’t that closer to a miracle of divine authority than ordinary sorcery?”
The remaining warriors stood with their mouths hanging open, completely stunned by the sight of the mythical monstrosity spilling from an earthenware jug.
“While numerous tactics exist for capturing an octopus, the most time-honored and straightforward approach has always been pot fishing.”
Raon dropped his arm to his side while observing the gargantuan tentacles of the Kraken thrashing about like writhing mountain ranges.
“Pot fishing…?”
Runaan cocked her head slightly, unable to grasp the concept.
“It is a traditional maritime technique where pots bound by cords are lowered into ocean depths just like cast nets, only to be hauled back at dawn. Come morning, the vessels are packed with cephalopods that prowled throughout the dark.”
Raon gestured toward the shattered vessel that had just imprisoned the mythical behemoth.
“H-how does that even work? There wasn’t even a morsel of bait inside those containers…”
Krein sucked in a sharp breath, completely baffled by the logic.
“Organisms like octopi possess a natural instinct to wedge themselves into shadowy, enclosed crevices. A hollow pot offers the ideal sanctuary for them.”
A faint grin appeared on his lips as he explained how ancient fishermen turned that peculiar biological behavior into a reliable harvesting practice.
“That Kraken is an authentic beast straight out of ancient lore. Yet, as monstrous and mighty as its physique may be, its primal impulses remain just as potent. Evelyn and the Archmages crafted a trio of specialized incantations solely to exploit that instinctual urge.”
Raon raised three fingers to outline the plan.
“The initial step involved conjuring an earthenware vessel of sufficient scale to accommodate the Kraken’s enormous bulk.”
His eyes shifted toward Evelyn, who had positioned and materialized that astronomical container with absolute, flawless precision.
“The second phase demanded a hex designed to amplify its base predatory impulses, driving the beast to disregard every decree issued by the White Blood Religion.”
He then indicated Larian, who had engineered a unique enchantment that stimulated nothing but primal instinct while concealing any hint of hostility or intent to harm.
“Ah, which means…”
“Precisely. The Kraken completely abandoned its duty to safeguard the White Blood Religion Headquarters. Driven entirely by instinct, it slipped straight into the container Evelyn materialized. And to conclude the sequence…”
Raon turned his gaze toward Chamber, whose ragged breathing signaled severe exhaustion.
“Chamber deployed high-tier spatial displacement to instantly relocate the jug—along with both the Kraken and the White Blood Religion Headquarters nestled upon it—right onto our shores.”
“It really wasn’t anything to boast about.”
Chamber gave an airy flick of her wrist, downplaying her contribution in comparison to the intricate spells cast by Evelyn and Larian.
“No, your part was magnificent.”
Raon shook his head resolutely while fixing his eyes on Chamber.
‘It truly was a staggering achievement.’
Given how extraordinarily sharp and perceptive the White Blood Religion’s Leader was, weaving foreign enchantments directly over the jug was entirely out of the question. Because of that limitation, Chamber had to forcibly transport that colossal jug alongside the ancient Kraken in a single instant, sustained only by mana channeled from a considerable distance. Among the three Archmages involved, the burden placed upon her reservoir of mana and spiritual focus had been overwhelmingly severe.
Even with dimensional manipulation serving as her greatest specialty, wrenching that much mass across space must have drained an absurd quantity of mental stamina.
“Understood…”
Balder released a deep, resonant exhalation as the full picture finally snapped into focus.
“That explains why the preparations dragged across two full months, and why the details had to remain entirely confidential from the rest of us.”
His gaze grew remarkably solemn as he watched the spellcasters busily coordinating their subsequent circle of spells.
“Those two are in a league of their own, wouldn’t you say?”
Alice offered glowing thumbs-up gestures toward both Chamber and Larian.
“You performed admirably as well.”
Her expression softened with warmth as she directed a smile at Evelyn, whose eyes were glittering with pride.
“Auntie!”
Evelyn threw her arms around Alice in a tight embrace, exclaiming her joy at their reunion.
“Oof…”
Alice blinked, startled by the sudden show of affection. The boundless vigor and sheer forwardness Evelyn possessed seemed truly peerless across the entire land.
“Such prowess is precisely what one expects from the magicians of the Five Kings!”
“Having that kind of backing behind our lines fills me with absolute confidence.”
“Indeed. Victory feels virtually assured today.”
The surrounding swordsmen clenched their fists tightly, stoking their resolve to wage a battle that honored the monumental efforts of their allied spellcasters.
“How did you manage to piece it all together?”
Larian inclined her head slightly as she studied Raon with curiosity.
“Did Evelyn whisper the plan to you beforehand?”
“I never breathed a single word!”
Evelyn rapidly waved her arms back and forth, adamantly protesting that she had kept her mouth shut.
“Actually, you did.”
A subtle smile tugged at Raon’s lips as he met Evelyn’s gaze.
“I did? Exactly when?”
“You dropped a crucial clue during our second undersea encounter with the Kraken.”
Back then, Evelyn had casually mentioned cephalopod behavior and biological drive while studying the sea monster, enabling Raon to visualize the exact outcome of today’s ambush long before their spell matrix had even been finalized.
“Leave it to Raon to discern all that. I never dreamed you’d reconstruct the entire scheme from such an offhand remark…”
Evelyn’s eyes widened in genuine wonder at his uncanny insight.
“You deduced the entire operation from just a passing phrase? You truly are an unnatural anomaly… urgh!”
Chamber clicked her tongue in sheer disbelief at his perceptual sharpness, only to suddenly bend over at the waist with a sharp grunt.
“Are you all right?”
Raon stepped in immediately, bracing Chamber by her shoulders.
“Your body is strained; you mustn’t force yourself any further.”
Chamber dismissed his concern with a shake of her head, explaining that the distress stemmed from chaining together massive strategic-grade spells before her upper dantian had properly mended from prior wounds.
“You unleashed multiple grand spells in continuous succession?”
“I channeled chaos magic to paralyze the Kraken’s limbs immediately after hauling it here. Its inherent resistance against foreign mana proved remarkably violent, making the containment exceptionally arduous.”
Evidently, she had suppressed its movements with chaos-woven bindings the second the Kraken manifested on the coast. That explained why her face looked so thoroughly drained of color.
“My role reaches its limit here.”
Chamber reached into her robes, produced a sweet lollipop, and popped it past her lips.
“From this point on, I can offer little beyond basic logistics and retreat corridors, so the frontline burden falls to your hands.”
With a faint, tired smirk, she urged them to force the White Blood Religion’s Leader out into the open from that bleached fortress.
“Furthermore…”
Chamber steered one of the robed figures standing quietly behind her into the open.
“This individual shall take command of the Balkar contingent deployed on this field.”
Her lips curved upward as she pushed back the cowl concealing the face of the assigned sorcerer.
“Pulling another surprise like this…”
Jayna. The imperial princess of Balkar stood right before them.
‘I didn’t sense her at all.’
The undercurrent of mana rolling off her had felt extraordinarily dense and stable, leading him to assume she was simply Chamber’s premier protégé, completely unaware that the figure was Jayna herself.
—Look at that haughty brat. She’s transformed into an absolute terror.
‘Indeed. Her presence now matches that of a genuine sovereign master.’
The aura radiating from Jayna no longer stemmed from the royal lineage of her birth, but resonated with the formidable might she had forged through her own efforts. The transformation in her was staggering.
“Command me should any requirement arise.”
Departing from her former haughtiness, Jayna dipped her head in a polite bow, maintaining a calm, unblinking focus.
“I place my faith in your aid.”
Raon answered with equal courtesy, keenly perceiving the mature elevation within Jayna’s core essence.
“Then I shall entrust matters to your care.”
Chamber waved farewell toward both herself and Jayna prior to stepping across the threshold of an azure Dimensional Gate. Forgoing even a brief respite, she was departing immediately for the Balkar citadel to organize spatial pathways spanning across the entire Continent.
“Haven’t we spent enough time exchanging pleasantries?”
Balder lumbered forward, rolling his boulder-wide shoulders in anticipation.
“We ought to storm their lines before the enemy regains their wits!”
He brandished his massive fist, silently demanding that the command to commence the siege be given without delay.
“My thoughts align with yours.”
Serena, Leader of the Void Sword Division, creased her brow while surveying the defensive ramparts of the White Blood Religion Headquarters.
“The swarm of Blood Demons scrambling atop those battlements is swelling by the second.”
“Do you observe that haze?”
Raon signaled toward the White Fog billowing out to envelop the White Blood Religion Headquarters.
“That shroud possesses formidable dampening wards against both aura and magical craft, functioning simultaneously as a disorienting labyrinth that induces lethal hallucinations. Marching blindly into that barrier would turn ally against ally until we slaughter ourselves into extinction.”
“H-how then do we…”
“We have an expert on hand explicitly tasked with unraveling that obstacle.”
While he could certainly disperse the mist by unleashing the Heavenly Drive through the full majesty of the Azure Sky Sword steeped in celestial energy, that was not his assigned duty today.
“Evelyn.”
The responsibility belonged squarely to the prodigious sorceress who had scrutinized that very miasma alongside him during their submerged scouting.
“All set!”
Evelyn pressed her palms together in solemn prayer. As her lips rapidly parted to invoke an ancient incantation, the overcast heavens violently shuddered before discharging a colossal bolt of golden-yellow lightning.
A terrifying blast of raw authority capable of cleaving paradise and earth erupted, the ocean swells surged as though the tides would burst, and the lingering White Fog blanketing the White Blood Religion Headquarters was obliterated into nothingness.
“Well? Did you see that? That is the caliber of your chosen woman!”
Evelyn beamed with radiant pride, seeking his admiration. Yet beneath that proud demeanor, her eyelids twitched with fatigue. The sheer power required for that lightning had visibly pushed her physical limits.
“The path is cleared for your charge.”
Evelyn lifted an arm, noting that only the defensive wards anchored to the walls and the citadel itself still held firm.
“You have my deepest gratitude.”
Raon offered a grave nod while steadying Evelyn’s trembling frame.
“My goodness? Right out here where everyone is watching?”
Evelyn teasingly slipped her collar down a fraction, playfully inquiring if he meant to embrace her publicly.
“…”
—That unhinged wench is beyond saving. Her standing rises only to crash straight into a bottomless pit!
Wrath let out a weary groan, grumbling that he was thoroughly sick of her antics.
“Heed my words, warriors.”
Raon pivoted smoothly, deliberately paying no mind to the flushing Evelyn.
“Pour every ounce of your spirit into tearing down those bleached ramparts. Shatter that fortress of butchery erected upon the blood of the defenseless.”
He swept his Heavenly Drive forward, pointing directly toward the White Blood Religion Headquarters, where the stench of gore lingered heavily even after the miasma’s dispersal.
“We shall execute your decree!”
The swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace drew their blades in unison at Raon’s proclamation. Despite dozens of blades clearing their scabbards in that single heartbeat, the collective Drawing Technique produced only a solitary, unified ring of steel.
“The second crossing belongs to us!”
Balder grinned, revealing his bright teeth as he hoisted his shimmering Flexible Sword across his shoulder.
“The premier vanguard of Zieghart has forever been the True Martial Palace! Refuse to let the Light Wind Palace outshine you!”
He thrust his chin forward, stomping the earth with such ferocity that the coastal sands vibrated.
“In that case, shall I take responsibility for the third crossing?”
Alice offered a radiant smile, turning her head toward Lawaine and the seasoned mariners of the Azure Wind.
“A reunion after all this time instantly plunges us into an all-out war. Truly fitting for our lot, isn’t it?”
Her smile was as vast and invigorating as the open sea, beckoning her companions to follow her lead with absolute trust.
“The fourth avenue is claimed by our ranks.”
Void Sword Division Leader Serena and Vanguard Sword Squad Leader Latein exchanged nods, fixing their sights upon the fourth crossing.
“Which leaves the remaining span…”
“Hold that crossing open.”
Larian shook her head, advising against advancing upon it. That final five-span bridge was earmarked for the martial knights of Owen, who were scheduled to link up later.
“So the clash ultimately demands a siege assault.”
Krein flexed his fingers repeatedly, dispelling the lingering tension in his joints.
“Count our blessings. A fortress siege on dry ground beats a desperate boarding battle upon the open water, doesn’t it?”
Raon let out a mild chuckle, giving Krein’s shoulder a firm pat.
“W-without a doubt! It’s merely that we drilled aquatic warfare to such an exhaustive degree, it feels almost wasteful not to display our fruits!”
Krein vigorously shook his head, frantically clarifying that he held no complaints.
“Then let the assault begin this instant. Before the enemy reorganizes their disrupted formations…”
Right as Raon prepared to bark the final charge… an endless tide of Blood Demons surged atop the battlements of the White Blood Religion. Clenching their curved blades, they flooded every inch of the battlements, forging a living barricade constructed out of sheer flesh and bone.
‘Therein lies their greatest threat…’
Raon narrowed his gaze, observing the suffocating influx of Blood Demons.
‘Their boundless numbers.’
True to its legacy as a longstanding demonic congregation, the White Blood Religion wielded the largest auxiliary legion among the entirety of the Five Demons. It was a vile reality to witness, knowing full well the leadership had no qualms throwing legions of disposable thralls into the grinder merely to deplete the stamina of opposing forces.
‘Even so…’
The elite figures of their hierarchy had yet to step onto the stage. While scattered Bishops could be spotted directing ranks, the Archbishops and the dreaded apostle-tier masters remained concealed within.
“Charge forward!”
Balder bellowed at the top of his lungs, recognizing that this window was their best chance to breach the perimeter. That furious momentum acted like an incendiary spark, prompting the Martial Artists positioned along the parallel bridges to surge toward the ramparts of the White Blood Religion as well.
‘Remarkable combat instincts.’
Just as Raon smirked faintly and readied his own stride toward the walls…
“Palace Master, we ask that you conserve your breath until their senior apostles reveal themselves.”
Burren strode out before him.
“Carving this passage open is our duty!”
He dipped his brow in a solemn gesture, pleading for absolute trust. Nor was the sentiment Burren’s alone; every warrior belonging to the Light Wind Palace turned their gaze upon him with eyes clearly declaring, ‘Leave this slaughter to us.’
“So be it. Under one condition…”
Raon returned his Heavenly Drive smoothly to its scabbard and retreated a pace. His expression turned profound and deliberate as he regarded the elite warriors whose swordsmanship he had personally cultivated from the ground up.
“You shall remain at my side as well. The arena before us is not where your blade is meant to fall today.”
He extended a finger, gesturing toward Martha standing silently behind Burren. Her stamina needed to be preserved with utmost care, for her intervention might prove vital in reclaiming her mother from the clutches of the White Blood Religion’s Leader.
“Tch…”
Under normal circumstances, Martha would have snarled in furious defiance. Yet today, understanding the gravity of the stakes, she clamped her teeth down hard upon her bottom lip and quietly fell into position beside him.
“Have faith in our vanguard.”
Burren hammered his fist against his breastplate, urging them to remain steadfast in their belief.
“We shall shatter their gateway without fail…”
Runaan gazed at Martha, shedding her typical dazed, vacant demeanor in favor of a sharp, brilliant clarity that gleamed like an icy constellation.
“Don’t you dare throw your lives away, you fools…”
Martha gnashed her teeth, threatening that should any of them fall, she would personally drag them back to end them herself. The swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace merely smiled faintly at her trademark show of concern.
“Advance.”
Raon raised his arm, pointing toward the ramparts of the White Blood Religion that seemed practically slick with viscous white essence.
“Ensure our bridge is the very first among the four to tear through those gates.”
“We hear and obey your mandate!”
The warriors of the Light Wind Palace launched forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, charging the walls with drawn blades raised high in perfect harmony.
“Observe them in peace.”
Raon offered a brief, affirming nod, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Behold the caliber of the allies standing at your back.”
“T-the sacred White Fog has been completely dispelled! Restoring the barrier will demand upwards of half a day!”
“F-five siege bridges have linked our perimeter directly with the coastline! The vanguard of Zieghart is already—”
“D-despite severing the sorcerous links, the Kraken remains completely unresponsive! It appears entirely comatose!”
A deluge of disastrous intelligence crashed down upon the White Blood Religion’s Leader, who stood motionless upon her Throne, resembling a marionette whose strings had been ruthlessly severed.
“Haaaah…”
With a trembling palm, the White Blood Religion’s Leader lifted a long smoking pipe to her lips.
“We were completely outmaneuvered from the very start. That wretched Ninth Apostle led a pack of ravenous mongrels straight to our doorstep.”
Her jaw clenched tightly, recognizing that the reckless failures of the Ninth Apostle had brought this catastrophe upon their heads.
“Send word to Derus Robert at once. Command him to dispatch auxiliary forces immediately.”
The White Blood Religion’s Leader discharged a billowing ring of pale smoke, nodding toward the Tenth Apostle.
“And bring that miserable Thirteenth presence before me as well.”
Her voice resonated with a thick, iron-scented bloodlust, issuing explicit instructions to contact Derus before summoning the Thirteenth Apostle.
“…By your decree.”
The Tenth Apostle gave a solemn bow.
“First Apostle, revive that slumbering Kraken even if you must drain every drop of my own vital ichor to fuel the ritual. Twelfth Apostle, mobilize every remaining apostle and bishop to hold those battlements.”
Though consumed by an inferno of rage down to the marrow of her bones, the White Blood Religion’s Leader distributed the most ruthlessly pragmatic orders required by their desperate predicament.
“Your will shall be executed.”
The First Apostle dipped low, pledging to awaken the colossal beast even if the backlash consumed their own life force.
“Orders received. Nevertheless, regarding your own person, Leader…”
The Twelfth Apostle tilted their head, inquiring about the sovereign’s personal intentions. In that chamber of dread, only they possessed the stature to pose such an inquiry to the master of the Throne.
“I intend to enter profound seclusion this very second.”
The White Blood Religion’s Leader crushed the brass pipe to splinters within her palm.
“Presently, Larian, Chamber, and Raon Zieghart stand gathered beyond our walls, but other monstrosities may descend upon us at any given hour. If I fail to tear down the boundary restraining my power here and now, our total destruction is guaranteed.”
She tightened her pale fist, determined to place the definitive cornerstone required to break past her existing bottleneck.
“A resolve most fitting of our Leader.”
The Twelfth Apostle gave a nod of deep reverence, honoring the conviction behind the decision.
“I shall hold the exterior line even if it requires the drainage of my entire life’s blood. May your breakthrough in seclusion bear absolute fruit.”
A merciless sneer surfaced on their features, swearing that no trespasser would breach the perimeter.
“I shall also revive the Kraken with maximum haste and immediately reinforce the Twelfth Apostle’s line.”
The First Apostle maintained a resolute gaze, signaling that no failure would occur on their front.
“I shall depart to relay the summons.”
The Tenth Apostle moved instantly, slipping away to establish communication with Derus.
“Persevere just a fraction longer…”
The White Blood Religion’s Leader twisted her mouth into a savage sneer as the war cries of the swordsmen echoed outside the citadel walls. Grinding her teeth, she exhaled the lingering fumes trapped within her lungs.
“I shall grind every last one of you into a sea of crimson sludge.”
“Repel their advance!”
“Slaughter these heretics daring to menace our Leader!”
“Shield this sacred ground with your flesh and souls!”
The zealots of the White Blood Religion entrenched across the ramparts released bursts of bloody energy, entirely prepared to perish where they stood. Cascades of sanguinary aura cascaded down upon the charging warriors like a violent, torrential storm.
“Pay it no heed! Press the assault!”
Balder, spearheading the vanguard, swept his Flexible Sword in a sweeping arc, weaving an impenetrable canopy of steel. The profound, overwhelming mastery of his blade technique severed every plummeting droplet of lethal bloody energy into harmless vapor.
“Breach their threshold!”
His thunderous bellow demanded that his troops slam into the defensive perimeter, assuring them his blade would cover their flanks.
“Advance, anchored by faith in the Palace Master!”
“Those creatures are not true Martial Artists, merely frenzied cultists!”
“Shed your doubts and strike!”
Bolstered by absolute faith in Balder and their corresponding commanders, the swordsmen surged against the battlements, systematically hacking apart the pale sorcerous formations flaring across the stone.
Against the coordinated might of martial masters who had spent two relentless months honing their Martial Prowess, the layered defensive wards began to fracture and unravel within less than ten minutes.
‘Their plea for trust was well justified.’
Raon gave an approving nod, a soft grin gracing his lips.
‘Their growth is undeniably formidable.’
In stark contrast to the disorganized, fanatical mobs of the White Blood Religion, every single warrior of Zieghart threw themselves into the fray fueled by immaculate discipline and iron resolve. A palpable bond linked them all; even should an individual fall in battle, they possessed absolute conviction that the comrade beside them would shatter the barricade and claim total victory.
‘I can afford to observe for the moment.’
Right as Raon began loosening his fingers from the hilt of his weapon… the Kraken, which had appeared entirely catatonic, violently snapped its eyelids open and began thrashing its massive limbs. As its titanic bulk heaved against the coastal shelf, the five conjured bridges anchored by the spellcasters groaned under immense stress, teetering on the verge of total collapse.
“W-what in the world!”
“The Kraken has broken free of its stupor!”
“F-fall back! We will be crushed like vermin beneath those limbs!”
The advancing ranks scrambled in sudden disarray, while even the division commanders overseeing their flanks froze in stunned disbelief at the sudden upheaval.
“I shall intervene.”
Raon brushed past Alice, who was guarding the perimeter beside him, and cleared the Heavenly Drive from its scabbard.
‘It will demand an immense expenditure of force, but there is no alternative.’
Even if hacking down the ancient Kraken would burn through a massive reserve of power due to the defensive wards nullifying external aura, standing idle was out of the question. Yet, just as he gathered his breath to initiate his martial footwork, Haerang, who had been sitting quietly near his feet, kicked off the coastal sand and plunged straight into the roaring tide.
The instant Haerang struck the water, the ocean churned into a violent maelstrom, and a lupine beast of equally staggering proportions surfaced right before the Kraken as it attempted to retreat toward the deep.
A thunderous impact reverberated across the coast. Haerang, whose form had expanded beyond even the massive stature displayed when drunk on bloody energy, snapped its jagged fangs shut, sinking them deep into the Kraken’s thrashing tentacle. Unleashing a deafening, earth-shaking howl toward the heavens, Haerang looked back toward the battlements, as if telling the warriors of the Light Wind Palace to march forward without fear.
Comments for chapter "Chapter 1051"
MANGA DISCUSSION
Madara Info
Madara stands as a beacon for those desiring to craft a captivating online comic and manga reading platform on WordPress
For custom work request, please send email to wpstylish(at)gmail(dot)com