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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 92
The day of the war finally arrived.
I woke up early in the morning and equipped myself with all the gear I had gathered.
These were purchased with the reward money I received from Lena's request.
Although they were a bit faulty because I bought them on the black market, they still had many useful effects.
"This is the first time I've been decked out like this."
First, an artifact in the form of a belt that temporarily increases the total amount of mana.
It has the drawback of consuming more mana than the amount increased when first activated, but it was a very useful artifact for me because of my fast mana regeneration.
And next is a necklace artifact that enhances hearing.
As the name suggests, it amplifies hearing, allowing the wearer to pick up sounds from farther distances than they normally could.
The problem is that it picks up too many miscellaneous things, which can be distracting, but this too can be activated in an on/off manner, making it manageable.
And besides that....
Leather armor that replaces shock with mana consumption, arm warmers that can store mana for a short time, and so on.
I armed myself from head to toe with items that could be useful depending on how they were used.
This should be enough to block most variables in war.
I glanced sideways and saw that the others waiting with me were the same.
"Hoo, I feel a bit heavy."
"Miss, that's a strength issue. You need to exercise."
"I can teach you physical training. I'll give you a discount as a friend."
"...No, thank you."
Everyone was fully armed in their own way.
Watching them chat in such attire, I realized that a real war was really happening.
But was it different for the others?
"Ha, it's finally today. Why doesn't it feel real to me?"
"You too, mister? Me neither. A war on such a clear day..."
Kayla and Thompson exchanged conversations as if they couldn't believe it.
Well, it's not surprising.
How can one truly grasp the sight of blood splattering and flesh being cut on a scale of thousands, tens of thousands before it even begins?
It was understandable for them to react that way if they had no experience in this kind of thing.
Barundel, on the other hand, was silently polishing his axe with an oiled cloth.
He seemed to be more proficient than the other two, probably due to his long battle experience.
He said, his eyes fixed on the axe,
"All battles tend to happen suddenly."
The moment Barundel said that.
Rumble!
The sky suddenly began to scream.
At the roar, everyone turned their eyes to the window, and in an instant,
We witnessed the clear sky being covered by dark gray clouds.
"What is this..."
It was the beginning of the signs of war.
Not stopping there, sirens blared throughout Asternon.
Weeeeeeng!
It was like a signal flare announcing the start of the war.
The atmosphere around us cooled down, and the volunteer mercenaries who had been waiting moved in unison.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
It was obvious where they were going without asking.
Everyone will be moving to their assigned locations.
We can't just stand around either.
"Let's go."
"Oh, okay...!"
I led the group to the location we were informed of in advance.
Our assigned mission was to guard the main gate so that Sector 6 wouldn't be breached, but...
It wasn't exactly a good mission.
That's because, at the current time, the most likely place for the demons to open a rift is near the main gate of Sector 6.
We actually confirmed that Sector 7 was swarming with demons.
That meant that being assigned here increased the probability of danger.
It seems the other volunteer mercenaries here also knew that fact.
"Huff, huff..."
"Is this a real war? Really? No, right? This is a dream, right?"
"...No way."
Most of them seemed confused, unable to come to their senses, breathing roughly, or in a state of panic.
It seemed they hadn't grasped the reality of the war either.
Just in case my companions were swept up in the atmosphere, I said calmly,
"Be tense, but don't be afraid. If we stick to the plan, there won't be any unexpected events."
"...Uh, okay."
After receiving the reply, I turned my head.
Dozens of makeshift outposts at the main gate.
Gathered in one of them, we focused our attention only forward.
Only one thought filled my mind.
'Which side?'
If it's the same as the event I saw in the game, the moment they appear is... as the name [Blood Moon Prophecy] suggests, the moment the moon turns red.
That's the timing.
So...
"Huh? Uh... that!"
Right now.
"It's begun."
Crackle!
Simultaneously with the moon turning red, the now tiresome red lightning strikes.
The place where the lightning struck was a little distance from the main gate of Sector 6.
The space there distorted, and then opened up like a fish opening its mouth.
'A rift.'
A rift connected to somewhere in the demon realm.
I didn't have to recall what happened next to know.
"Ah, demons!"
Kieeeeek!
The demon army, revealing themselves one by one from the rift.
They soon increased their numbers in an instant.
At a rough estimate, there seemed to be at least a few hundred of them.
"Prepare for battle-!!"
"Volunteer mercenaries, charge into the rift!"
"Cha, charge!"
As requested by the royal family, the volunteer mercenaries stood at the forefront and charged towards the rift.
Meanwhile, the knights of the royal family slowly followed behind, sprinkling holy water on their swords.
Splish, splash, splash!
The holy water seemed quite expensive, imbued with holy power stronger than typical holy water.
However, they poured it out generously in this moment.
This temporarily granted them power similar to a paladin.
They raised their faintly glowing swords and closed in behind the volunteer mercenaries.
Meanwhile, we...
"So this is war..."
"It's more chaotic than I thought."
We were watching the chaotic scene from the outpost at the back, drawing up mana. It's a privilege only mages have, since we're ranged attackers.
Of course, it was different for Barundel.
"Uoooo-!"
He charged towards the rift, pushing to the front lines more than anyone else. Thompson, watching him, said with concern,
"Will he be okay? That dwarf..."
"There's no problem as long as we support him well."
Our current task was simple: protect Barundel with ranged attacks.
Just then, the demon army clashed with the volunteer mercenaries.
Kieeeeek!
Thud!
Kieeee-! Screech!
The battlefield instantly became a scene of blood and flesh. We didn't just watch; we started firing spells, mainly focusing around Barundel.
First came Kayla's fireball.
Whoosh!
It instantly created a long blaze across the front of the legion.
Kiek! Kieek!
Demons caught in the flames writhed and rolled on the ground, while those further back hesitated, unable to approach.
And then an even bigger disaster struck them.
Shwaaaak-! Boom!
Shwaaaak-! Boom!
Thompson hurled rocks like cannonballs, hitting the demons mercilessly.
Kirik, Kiruruk...
The effects of Thompson's physical training were clear; the power was tremendous. Every demon hit by a rock was instantly killed, foaming at the mouth as they breathed their last.
Those who narrowly dodged the rocks were my responsibility.
Pew! Pew!
If there were such a thing as a laser sniper rifle, this would be it.
The demons charging mindlessly were all struck in the head and collapsed powerlessly.
It was around then that we heard cheers.
"Waa-! Ma, magic!"
"Don't be scared! We have mages!!"
"Charge! Charge!!"
The mercenaries cheered, witnessing the power of our ranged attacks.
The flagging morale was instantly revived.
'Yeah, this is what a mage is all about.'
In a large-scale battle like this, a mage holds a significant advantage over mercenaries of the same level. It's not an exaggeration to say they can take on a hundred enemies at once. That's why morale doesn't easily waver where there's at least one mage present.
But here, there weren't just one, but three!
'If I were a Zombie Swordsman... I'd be right next to Barundel.'
And not just standing next to him, but tanking attacks from countless demons.
Just imagining it was terrifying.
This wasn't a game; I'd feel all the pain. Even with my regeneration, I think my mind would break first.
Well, it would be reassuring for the other mercenaries, though.
Still...
"Mages are the best."
Thompson and Kayla agreed with my unintentional exclamation.
"Yeah, that's it! That's what a mage is!"
"Die, you demons!"
As if waiting for this moment, my companions unleashed a relentless barrage of magic. The mercenaries changed their tactics, holding up their shields and enduring.
Our firepower gradually had an effect, pushing the battle lines forward.
Of course, it wasn't just our efforts.
Slash!
Occasionally, when a mid-rank or higher demon emerged from the rift, a royal knight waiting at the back would strike, beheading it.
The demon's head was severed in a single blow without any resistance.
The holy water might have played a role, but the skill of the royal knights was more prominent.
Each and every one of them was at a level slightly exceeding Silver Haired Guy.
With dozens of such knights gathered, even some of the more renowned demons couldn't take more than a few steps out of the rift.
Anyway...
'It's going smoothly for now.'
There were no problems so far; everything was going smoothly. If this continued, we could surround the rift and eliminate the demons as soon as they appeared.
Of course, the situation didn't remain favorable.
Perhaps realizing they were being pushed back...
Shreek, shriek!
The demons started sending out high-ranking demons one by one.
And the power of a high-ranking demon was formidable.
Shriek!
Crack!
"Kyaaaak-!"
A [Giant Demon Cobra] emerged from the rift, squeezed through the ranks, and bit a mercenary with its fangs.
Bang!
Whoosh!
A [Stone Gargoyle] repelled a knight's attack, soared into the sky, and spewed out its breath.
Slurp! Slurp!
And a [Proliferating Slime] that absorbed any physical attack and divided itself.
Despite only a few appearing, the tide of the battle noticeably shifted.
At the same time...
An even more shocking scene unfolded.
"W-wait!"
"Help me... Help meee!"
"People? Are those people?"
Humans, not demons, began pouring out of the rift.
Even I flinched at that unbelievable sight.
'Why people?'
People emerging from a rift to the demon realm?
And it didn't end there.
The people who came out of the rift suddenly rushed at the mercenaries and bit into their necks.
"Gah, ugh! What is this..."
"Die! Die!!"
What in the world was going on?
After some thought, I came to a conclusion.
-Isn't it strange? That flower was planted in Sector 7, where there are few people, in a turtle cave that's not easily noticeable.
The conclusion was that these people had fallen victim to Asmodeus's ability.
The clothes they were wearing were the evidence.
Ragged clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in ages.
Yes, they were definitely the people from Sector 7 whom we couldn't find anywhere.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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