Volume 1, Chapter 73 – Beyond the Demon King Tier

“Those are… butterflies?!”

Why would they appear in the Northern Frontier? Such things shouldn’t exist in a sub-zero winter zone.

Wait! That aura is… Shadow Essence?! An Abyssal Demon!!

Realizing this, Xiumu’s pupils constricted violently. Before he or the surrounding Blizzard Knight Order members could figure out the situation, an invisible wave of pressure roared out from Garros Fortress like an overwhelming tide following the appearance of the red light and the Blood Butterflies! It swept across ten thousand miles in an instant! The terrifying, blood-colored pressure, sounding like the wailing of ghosts and howling of gods, caused Xiumu to tremble uncontrollably.

The vast storm of Shadow Essence struck everyone’s souls. Under the baptism of this fluctuation, ninety percent of the tens of thousands of troops lost consciousness uncontrollably and collapsed. Of course, the warhorses beneath them suffered the same fate.

Although Xiumu did not faint like most of his subordinates due to his relatively high strength and resilient willpower, he was still forced to lean shakily on his longsword in the snow. With an expression of disbelief and utter terror, he stared at the red light erupting from within Garros Fortress.

If the previous explosion of the Magic Fission Bomb had left Xiumu profoundly stunned, then the blooming of this blood-red light had turned him into a machine of pure shock.

This… this power… Is it the demon king tier? Is it that newly born Demon King?

No, that’s not right!

‘This is absolutely not demon king tier! It is something far more terrifying!’

Reаԁ οո ΚаtReаԁіոgСαfе

The moment this suspicion arose, Xiumu felt a chill run down his spine as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue, leaving him dazed and lost where he stood. In the next instant, under Xiumu’s stunned gaze, the Magic Fission Bomb suddenly erupted with a brilliant purple light!

However, compared to the blood-red light piercing the heavens, this purple light was no longer a rival; they were worlds apart.

Boom!!

Accompanied by a world-shaking roar, the magical runes upon the Magic Fission Bomb operated at high speed! Endless crimson energy broke through the steel shell and burst outward frantically! That apocalyptic light, enough to announce the end of the world, seemed poised to bloom once more.

Yet, in the very second the crimson energy exploded and prepared to expand, Xiumu witnessed an unbelievable sight. Countless butterflies emitting an eerie red glow fluttered up from Garros Fortress, instantly surrounding the searing energy that was capable of destroying heaven and earth. However, the extreme temperatures that could easily vaporize metal had not the slightest effect on those Blood Butterflies. As the Blood Butterflies swarmed forward, the energy that was about to expand began to shrink continuously.

Finally, under Xiumu’s dumbfounded gaze, the crimson energy dissipated completely, unable to cause even a single ripple…

‘What… what just happened?!’

Seeing the Magic Fission Bomb inexplicably turn into a useless hunk of iron, Xiumu felt no joy at the resolution of the crisis, but rather an indescribable shock and confusion. However, it seemed Xiumu had no time to ponder his confusion.

In the next instant, under the terrified gazes of Xiumu and the few who remained conscious, those countless Blood Butterflies hovering over Garros Fortress, the ones that had swallowed the Magic Fission Bomb, suddenly transformed into crimson meteors and charged toward the south!

‘Not good!’

Rеаd on ΚаtReαԁіոɡСаfе

That monster has detected our presence!!

Although the Blood Butterflies were no longer surrounded by that invincible pressure of Shadow Essence, Xiumu did not dare relax his guard in the slightest. The tremors in his heart reached an unprecedented level as he forced himself to stand, gripping his sword and assuming a combat stance. He knew very well that with his saint tier strength, it was impossible to oppose the Blood Butterflies before him.

But he couldn’t just wait for death! Even if he died, he had to give it his all!

Substantial, deep-red fire-attribute sword energy surged onto his blade! Xiumu held his breath, preparing for the final struggle of his life. Other soldiers who remained conscious and capable of fighting also assumed defensive positions. They stared tremblingly at the Blood Butterflies streaking toward them…

However, awkwardly, just as everyone prepared for a life-and-death struggle, the swarm of butterflies flew right over their heads…

Xiumu: “?”

The soldiers: “?”

‘Uh, what’s going on??’

Watching the departing swarm of Blood Butterflies and feeling the sensation of surviving a catastrophe, Xiumu was stunned once more. He looked toward the distance with a dazed expression, staring in the direction the Blood Butterflies had flown.

Why didn’t they attack us? And wait… that direction is?!

Rеαԁ οո KаtRеаdіոgСаfе

On the other side, atop the mountains near Windward City.

“Hmm? What’s the meaning of this?” Looking at the mana stone used for transmitting images, the Third Prince, Bernard, couldn’t help but frown. His displeased mood instantly made the surrounding atmosphere extremely oppressive.

Seeing this, Grand Mage Jake, who was extremely weak from launching the Magic Fission Bomb again, hurriedly walked to the Third Prince’s side after drinking five mana-restoring potions and asked unclearly, “Your Highness, was the attack successful?”

“Successful? God knows if it was successful!” Hearing Jake’s words, Bernard turned back and roared in anger, leaving Jake stunned.

However, faced with Bernard’s rudeness, a trace of displeasure surfaced in the Grand Mage’s heart. If not for His Majesty’s sake, ‘I wouldn’t want to serve a fool like you!’ Of course, the dignity of the royal family was not to be profaned. Though Jake was annoyed, he did not show it on the surface and maintained a respectful demeanor.

“May I ask why Your Highness says that?”

“Heh, you have the nerve to ask?” Bernard gave Jake a contemptuous look. In front of the gathered mages, he scolded harshly and without reservation, “What kind of stupid subordinates do you have?! I just wanted to ask him something and he inexplicably lost contact! No matter how I try, I can’t reach him! Tell me, what the hell is going on?! And if it were just one, fine, but how did all three griffin scouts disappear?! Or is there a problem with the quality of the imaging stones you prepared?!”

“Ah? Lost contact?” Hearing this, Jake frowned. “That shouldn’t be possible.”

Rеаd oո ΚαtRеаdіոgСαfe

Jake felt a wave of confusion. Three communication soldiers, three different angles, all in the high altitude far from the Abyssal Demon and outside the blast radius of the Magic Fission Bomb. Nothing should have happened. Even if it did, it was impossible for all three to have problems simultaneously.

This was a bit strange…

Just as Jake was feeling puzzled, his brow suddenly furrowed. In the next instant, Jake grabbed the Third Prince’s arm and violently pulled him out from under the sunshade!

“What?!” Bernard was naturally extremely displeased by Jake’s sudden and forceful action. Flames of fury erupted from his pale blue eyes. “You old thing, do you think—wait, huh??”

However, just as he was about to start his tirade, several unidentified black objects, accompanied by a spray of viscous, foul-smelling liquid, fell from the sky and slammed into the spot where Bernard had been standing.

“W-What is this?!” At the moment they saw the black objects clearly, both Bernard and the nearby mages trembled. Even the battle-hardened Grand Mage Jake knitted his brows tightly.

The black objects before them were the three missing scouts and their Black Griffins. However, they were now torn into pieces, reduced to a pile of mangled remains. The foul-smelling liquid from before was the blood from their bodies… Furthermore, judging by the frozen expression on one of the heads, they must have encountered something extremely terrifying before they died!

“How… how did this happen?!” Bernard backed away in terror at the sight of the corpses.

It was then that Bernard discovered with shock that the bright sunlight had vanished. The sky had turned dark.