Chapter 127 – Chapter 22: Dragon Heart

It was a natural story, but it wasn’t easy to fight both the front and rear at the same time. They were surrounded from the beginning, and once one side collapsed, the other side would collapse as well. Indeed, it was a disadvantageous fight.

Obviously, the number of barbarians was greater than that of the demon king’s army which was following behind. However, that story changed when Takar’s defense troops were added. The barbarians couldn’t enjoy the numbers advantage.

Nevertheless, the barbarian king had attacked Takar, and Takar’s troops were in front of him while the demon king’s army was behind.

If so, how would he fight?

Ideally, he would want to fight against the demon king’s army away from Takar. Takar’s defense troops weren’t part of the demon king’s army, but the barbarians could escape the pressure of a simultaneous attack if they fought a certain distance away from the immovable wall.

However, that was just an ideal wish. The demon king’s army and Takar’s defense troops weren’t stupid. The demon king’s army wouldn’t participate until the barbarian king’s army had attacked Takar, and Takar wouldn’t waste such an opportunity.

Therefore, the barbarian king picked a simple way to get rid of the complex dilemma—simplify the situation.

“Ku-pa-ha!”

“Ku-pa-ha!”

The barbarians rushed toward Takar’s walls with a characteristic battle cry, while the barbarian king was the one leading them.

The barbarian king’s rush was strange. He jumped out like he was attacking alone. None of the barbarians were able to stay by their king’s side.

Takar’s defense troops fired their ranged weapons hastily, and arrows poured down from the sky like rain.

The barbarian king didn’t even think of blocking the rain of arrows. He just ran and broke through the rain of arrows with his speed. A great many arrows poured down in the place where the barbarian king had already passed, but none of them passed the king.

Takar’s defense chief, Paion, was confused. The barbarian king had broken through the rain of arrows with a super fast maneuver. However, he couldn’t cross the walls with just this. In front of a variable called height, even a speed machine was forced to be powerless.

What was the barbarian king thinking as he rushed to the wall?

There was no time to think. Having surpassed the rain of arrows, the barbarian king arrived in front of Takar’s walls before the archers could fire a second wave.

The barbarian king laughed and poured strength into his hand which was holding the mace. He rushed toward Takar’s gate without reducing his speed at all. The red power of War soon surrounded his arms and mace.

“Perhaps?”

Someone shouted. Some were laughing while others were panicking.

The barbarian king was rushing toward the gate. The giant mace and his hands were emitting a huge red energy.

All types of attacks rained down from the walls, but the barbarian king ignored them again. He placed his feet on the back of the galloping black horse and looked at one sole point. Then the barbarian king jumped. The rain of arrows poured down on the heads of the other barbarians. Paion breathed in, and the magicians on the walls aimed at the barbarian king.

The barbarian king landed on the ground, swinging his mace at the gate.

Kwang!

It was like thunder shook the heavens and the earth, and the red aura exploded with a huge roar.

The barbarian king’s special move from his weapon, Skull Crusher, was added to his power. The gate could not withstand the blow. Almost all the parts connecting the gate to the walls were destroyed, and the wreckage of the gate fell to the ground. Even a part of the wall collapsed.

Confronted with the unimaginable blow, everyone was silent. It seemed like the entire battlefield was frozen.

The barbarian king grinned wildly in the calm that the destruction had created. Instead of roaring to praise his accomplishment, he climbed back on top of his black horse and dug into Takar’s walls.

The barbarians shouted with pleasure.

Takar’s defense troops were overwhelmed. The gate was breached as soon as the battle began, and the one who had destroyed the gate was now inside.

“Kupaha!”

“Kupaha!”

The barbarians stampeded toward the collapsed gate. Paion moved defense troops to the gate hurriedly, but it wasn’t easy. Fear and agitation dulled the hands and feet of the defense troops. Moreover, there was the barbarian king. He didn’t wait for the barbarians; he ran straight toward the castle.

The defense was broken, but the shattered gate wasn’t the only problem. The barbarians threw hooks toward the walls. They climbed over the walls and laughed as the defense troops weren’t in the right place.

A disaster had occurred only a few minutes after the battle had started.

The demon king’s army saw all of this. They had been waiting for the barbarians to attack Takar, but there was no reason to wait now. If they made the wrong move, Takar would fall.

The barbarian king’s choice was a terrible melee. Rather than fighting against enemies at the rear and front, he chose to dig into one side and cause confusion.

It was only possible due to the barbarian king’s transcendent streak.

In-gong was reminded of the lycanthrope subjugation. At the time, Caitlin had done something similar to the barbarian king. She had destroyed the gate with one blow and transformed a siege into a terrible melee.

It was a super special move… or a technique with equivalent power.

In-gong didn’t delay any longer and ordered a charge hastily. Kaparang and Alita hastened to spread the order, and the demon king’s army sprang at the barbarians.

In-gong checked the mini-map to determine the placement of the barbarians. As expected, less than half of the total force had rushed toward Takar. The rest of the troops were gathered in the middle of the battlefield, preparing to meet the demon king’s army.

They would block the demon king’s army until the barbarian king took Takar.

No, it wasn’t that simple—they were gathering to rush over here.

In-gong watched them from where he was seated on Maybach. His heart was pounding so hard that it was almost painful.

The barbarians were surrounded with a red, fire-like aura. It was the power of War. It raised the barbarians’ strength, and their angry roars seemed to pierce through the sky.

In-gong didn’t sit idly. While running on Maybach, he raised the king’s flag.

The white power of Conquest spread to the demon king’s army, and it pushed at the angry momentum of War. There was only a little bit left to go before they would collide, but In-gong was busy thinking.

‘The power of War.’

It was one of the reasons why Vandal’s army had been defeated by the barbarian king.

He had to stop it. The source of the power of War which surrounded the barbarians didn’t come from the barbarian king. In-gong knew that through Conquest.

It was coming from the middle of the barbarian camp. That was the source—a blood red flag.

“Vandal!”

In-gong’s shout was like a thunderbolt. According to what they had pre-arranged, Carack hastily sent a signal, and the command to attack the flagpole was sent to each unit.

Vandal took the lead. He left command of the vanguard to Alita and completely revealed the violence suppressed within him. Although there were only half of the ogre guards left, they still gave a powerful cry.

“Arararararai!”

Finally, the demon king’s army and the barbarians collided. Vandal rushed like an angry chariot and smashed into the barbarians. However, the barbarians didn’t stand still. As Conquest and War clashed, a brutal conflict began.

In-gong watched all of this on the mini-map. Vandal’s mission wasn’t simply to beat the barbarians—it was to open a path.

The battlefield was like a living creature. It was inevitable that changes would occur due to the actions from each side.

Picking up such changes while standing in the middle of the battlefield wasn’t something that anyone could do. It was only for those with animal senses like Vandal or those with the means to understand the whole battlefield.

In-gong wasn’t capable of it, but he had the mini-map. Therefore, he could capture the changes to both sides on the battlefield clearly.

He entered that gap. Capturing the flag of War was the top priority.

“Kaparang!”

In-gong shouted. He jumped down from Maybach, while Caitlin and Kaparang clung to In-gong’s left and right. Hundreds of lycanthropes in beast form followed him.

Instead of rushing with In-gong, Carack raised the flag of light which had been given to him. As a king’s knight, he was able to hold the flag of Conquest.

“You!”

A barbarian rushed toward him.

In-gong knew that face.

‘Paratus!’

Due to the power of War, his body was more robust now than in comparison to when he had been at the auction house.

Paratus headed alone toward In-gong. Instead of avoiding Paratus, In-gong met him head on. He ran straight ahead and shouted,

“Paratus!”

At the clear call, Paratus’ movements became even fiercer. There was a look of delight on his face.

The distance narrowed, and Paratus pulled back his fist.

At that moment, In-gong opened his inventory. He had prepared it in advance, so he didn’t need to look at the inventory to pull out what he wanted.

The Dragon King’s Golden Helmet—

It was a symbol for the barbarians.

Paratus, who was concentrating on In-gong, moved his gaze instantly to the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet that was thrown. Especially since Paratus had missed the golden helmet when it had been right in front of him—this time, he didn’t just follow with his eyes but also stretched out a hand.

Thus, a gap was created.

Dark blue smoke exploded. In-gong used Blink and struck Paratus. His palm pressed against Paratus’ abdomen and used Arang with the aura of Divine Sura Authority, the technique that destroyed the enemy’s aura internally!

‘Arang!’

The white aura dug into Paratus’ body. His hardened shell was useless. Paratus was thrown back while coughing blood, and In-gong took a deep breath. Instead of following, he pulled back the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet which was connected to his left arm with a thin string. Caitlin passed by In-gong. She moved with In-gong and proceeded with a joint attack on Paratus.

Clearly, Paratus was strong. He was able to withstand In-gong and Caitlin’s pincer attack as though it was a normal battle. However, he had been injured from the beginning, so it was like he’d been hit by a very strong blow.

“Kuha!”

Paratus shouted loudly and struggled. A group of barbarians ran out to save him.

Caitlin remained calm. Instead of sticking to Paratus, she maintained a distance. This wasn’t a place where there could be a long showdown of skills but a battlefield where hundreds or thousands of enemies and allies fought together.

Kaparang and the lycanthropes collided with the barbarians. It was filled with blood and death.

In-gong looked at the mini-map once again, and he conveyed his intention to Caitlin through the Moonlight Core. Caitlin’s response came back, and he prepared something else.

‘Black Specter!’

Night Watch’s super special move was activated. There were sounds of hundreds of flying creatures flapping their wings as a black smoke spread far and wide.

However, it was different from before. The smoke didn’t spread in a circle. It moved in front of In-gong, and its length was almost 100 meters. Additionally, one more thing happened. The place where the black smoke reappeared was different. It wasn’t at the place where In-gong had invoked Black Specter. Instead, it was at the other end of where the black smoke had extended.

In-gong had crossed more than 100 meters, and the barbarians couldn’t respond right away to In-gong who had suddenly appeared in their midst.

In-gong sprang up from the ground and used Blink once again. The dark blue smoke appeared before the red flag which contained the power of War.

At the same time, White Eagle and Black Eagle flew. The complex trajectory of light pushed back the barbarians who were around In-gong. Then In-gong reached out and grabbed the red flag.

He felt the power of War. It was red and very intense; the power was like a flame.

The red-haired woman wearing red armour flashed into his head—In-gong knew who she was.

‘War.’

It was the only thing he could call her. She was an existence that stood shoulder to shoulder with Conquest, Death and Famine.

She smiled. Rather than showing a violent affection like Famine or an overwhelming feeling like Death, War had an alluring smile on her face.

‘Conquest.’

The white woman’s voice was heard. Her voice was different from how it usually sounded.

After hearing the voice, the red woman laughed loudly, and the power of War rose like flames.

However, In-gong’s white light suppressed the red flames. Thanks to Conquest, the power of War was suppressed and destroyed.

The red woman laughed as the power of War was scattered. Then In-gong raised his head and looked at reality. The flagpole containing the power of War was crushed, and the aura of War, which had spread throughout the battlefield, was now scattered.

‘Master!’

Despite accomplishing the goal, Green Wind cried out urgently. In-gong raised his gaze reflexively. Although the flagpole had been destroyed, he could still feel the mighty strength of War, and it was rushing toward In-gong from a distance.

“Ku-pa-ha!”

A huge roar shook the battlefield, like a burning meteor radiating red energy.

Barbarian King Karatus…

He leapt from the walls and crossed the sky. Like a lightning bolt, he aimed for In-gong’s head.