Chapter 72: The path of the miserable is always filled with good intentions (4).
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Red metal volcano, western region, charred lake .
Swoosh ~
The cold wind made vague sounds as it hit the frozen lava .
The sounds were like wailing, the wailing of creatures trapped in the ice and never to emerge .
A young boy dressed in black walked over the lava ice, on the side of his chest was a red dragon emblem, the clothes were long and his robe fluttered in the wind .
The entire area was crimson like blood, when looking from above, it could be seen that the shape the area took resembled the sun .
The sun brought a frozen age and changed the entire environment .
Within that sun lurk blazing monsters, within the bloody ice their expressions seemed full of life, as if nothing had happened to them .
The source of this disaster was a person who had lived with flames since childhood, a person who had embraced the kindness and cruelty of fire with all sincerity .
This was Raphael .
" Brother… with such information, it's impossible for me not to be tempted. "
Rafael was now heading towards one of the mysterious caves in this volcano .
An explorer told a legend .
Sometime ago, a mysterious creature perished here, and its remains formed a sea of fire, which later became a land of rare metals .
That land was a place of destruction for its inhabitants, and only those who tasted the bitterness of the flames and adapted survived .
And those were what is said about them today, that they are the flame monsters .
" Then came the Red Elves, their dark intentions never revealed, but they appointed themselves as guardians of this land, and then they would not accept an alliance with anyone but the Red Dwarves, who were of a close stock …"
That wasn't what Raphael cared about at the moment .
Rather, it was an echo of the words that had entered his ears three days before .
" Rafael, on our next mission, you will be going to the Red Metal Volcano, and it is preferable that you go alone ."
"… I won't ask you why I went, but why alone ?"
" What's out there, no one deserves to know before you ."
" What are you even talking about- "
" What happened to Vukan before the day you met him, why did he have to leave, what did his forgotten footsteps leave behind, a past he never told anyone about, he left it there for you ."
" Even as I would like to uncover the evidence myself, I believe—no, I firmly believe—that no one is more deserving than you ."
I appeal to you, so take heart and come forward, my dear brother .
With those words, Leon simply disappeared, leaving me, the emptiness of silence swallowing me .
Since then, most of my emotions have dwindled, and only the pure desire to strive remains, gnawing at my heart .
Even with my knowledge of the grand plan and what was coming to us in the near future, everything became unimportant since my brother mentioned about that person .
The person closest to my heart, the one I believed was my ally, the one I promised never to forget even if my life was long .
" He" wasn't just a person I met on my path, he was the hope that made me look forward, the one who made me learn to persevere, not to be afraid, even if that path led me to my death .
The last time Raphael felt this emotionally conflicted was a long time ago .
He walked and walked over the frozen lava, in the cold night of the remains of winter, the lights of the lava spreading behind the ice dispelling the pitch darkness, if only a little .
Rafael shook his head and stopped thinking about it .
Whatever happened, he'll see it when he gets there .
His destination was near the Red Elf village, the Burning Cave Forest .
The forest was formed of lava, burning trees, and some lava rivers, making it a rugged and difficult land for humans to live in.
It was simply an area where fiery ego and rare minerals grew .
Just as ego had a disparity of abilities and levels, materials such as wood and metal also had class disparities .
Minerals form in their own environments, and special environments always have value, so the danger will increase as the environment becomes more unusual .
The Burning Cave Forest was one of those places.
Anyone on the First Moon wouldn't be able to survive the entrance of the forest, let alone anyone. Even those who made it to the Third Moon weren't completely immune .
A person on the Third Moon could only explore the forest to a certain extent, that was because Third Sequence Beasts existed, which although rare were as powerful as the Third Moon .
" Let's not forget that there are rumors of a Grandmaster-level monster that is about to awaken its bloodline, making it evolve into a Super Grandmaster. On top of that, that forest belongs to the lands of the dwarves and red elves. No one would approach there unless the benefits were extremely tempting. "
Fear of danger ?
Hehe, it was impossible for cowards to ever reach the third moon, because reaching that level had extremely harsh conditions .
Cowards fear danger, no amount of security can reassure their hearts, in this desperate anguish, their fate was pitiable .
Knowledge is only attained by perseverance. A person does not grow strong except through taking risks .
Strength is only attained by the brave, disaster coexists with grace, and only with great benefit can everyone dare to explore this world .
Risks are only taken when there is treasure, that's life .
Rafael thought carefully about his next steps .
Although he could blow up the place and everything in it, the losses were simply unbearable.
The Red Metal Volcano was destined to become his own domain, so cultivating resources here and gaining followers was essential .
After carefully considering and searching through numerous caves and even exploring mysterious inheritances, Raphael found no area that met his own criteria .
That was until he came here, the risks were high, but he could take it .
The red ore volcano was ideal for Raphael's specialty and path, and cultivating and investing in it has several benefits .
Destroying and expanding the charred lake was the first step, the rest of the plan is not very urgent …
Most of the time, environmental intervention causes havoc, but some interventions have desirable results, as long as everything is well calculated .
Not everything can be solved by force, sometimes you have to wait for the right time to act .
In the end, a wise man submits to circumstances .
The development project was a long-term thing, it couldn't be done easily .
It takes resources and manpower, resources must have a renewable pipeline, and manpower needs benefits in order to achieve results .
Life is made up of interconnected threads, each thread connecting to another, the known and the unknown intertwined together, forming a mysterious link .
A true genius is one who can see the hidden threads of connection in his environment, and take advantage of that connection .
When sunrise comes, the Lava Lizards will be extracted from the ice and the reason for their sudden growth will be studied. If they are not corrupted, selling them might be a good option .
"… with our activity on this volcano for a week now, not to mention the noise I've made, they should be alerted by now. I still have to head towards the burning cave forest. "
In terms of the passage of time, the extermination mission in the Thousand Poison Swamp could be considered completed, and the rest was about to be completed .
Freezing the Western Zone was an important step for the plan Leon had prepared. Rafael had a guess about it, but he didn't delve too deeply .
" In Leon's thoughts you see wonders, from the cunning of what is woven that the scholar is ignorant of, a man has not ceased to discern his intentions, except upon a deeper fog that approaches …"
But I have no intentions that would arouse my curiosity or desire for him. My heart is haunted by a fixed goal .
That was the important thing that was the reason for coming here .
Of course, Raphael didn't make his movements public just to carry out the terms of the plan, he had his own intention in mind when he froze the Charred Lake .
Raphael's biggest goal now was to reach the Burning Caves, a place that was mysterious even to its inhabitants .
Sending out a warning signal now would have been a wise move .
Good thing I didn't kill those intruders, it saves time .
" I am supposed to go slowly, then the news will be out, then it depends on how they treat me, if not hostility, then a satisfactory agreement can be reached …"
Even if it was hostility ?
Raphael's eyes became dull, like a flame that had become hollow .
Bloodlust seeped through his body for a moment .
The air in the entire western region trembled .
A ferocious entity, an expression that exudes nothing but a predator .
If they get in my way …
I will turn them into ash .
Either they accept salvation or they are doomed .
Raphael's eyes turned north .
In a moment, the acrimony and death-like omens of his body vanished, and he walked silently away .
His walking path was towards the abode of the people of the flame, those who accepted the volcano's blaze and experienced its hardship .
Where the village of the red jinn was located .
He traveled a lot, but he had expressions that were not known. His thoughts were hidden from what was known and understood .
Leaving the western region where a bloody sun brought crimson snow .
The place Raphael left was silent, but life forms were not completely destroyed .
"… Is-is what I'm seeing real …?"
Long ears and red hair that fluttered as if it was on fire, a tattoo of a dragon clearly visible on their arms, their skin color was a glowing white the color of a candle flame .
Beyond the confines of what had once been a vast lake with a black earthy floor, stood a small group of red elves, terrified, the threat of former death gnawing at their minds .
The young girl covered her mouth, her trembling not going away .
The shockwave of the remnant essence energy that spread beyond the boundaries of the charred lake was extremely dangerous, if it weren't for a tribe elder to defend her, she would have been severely injured .
The faint bloodlust within that essence energy made the young girl feel nauseous and almost vomit .
" We can't- we can't face him… we can't !"
The little lady muttered with a shudder .
The source of danger has been gone for some time, but fear remains in everyone's hearts .
" Heek! Heek! Heek !"
The girl inhaled deeply, her tension at its peak .
Vomit !
Liquids came out of her mouth forcefully, and her body felt weak .
Bloodlust has spread for a moment .
Raphael's bloodlust had only spread for a moment, but no creature in the Western Region was spared .
This was the vast difference between the strong and the weak .
This is the difference between them, this is the tyranny of the powerful .
That horror...it's not something she's witnessed since birth .
The others were terrified as well, but her situation was the worst .
" Ganesha? Ganesha !"
There are three aspects to the use of essence energy in this world .
Sensing, absorption, extraction .
Everyone had a sense of magical energy, how they felt that energy depended on many variables .
Of course, there are always better and worse people in this regard, there are superior races in this aspect, the Red Elves were one of those races .
Why was the young girl in such a terrible state ?
The reason was simple, her sense of essence energy was extremely formidable, she was a talent among the talented, even some powerful entities couldn't compare to her in this regard .
Therefore, the effect of the scattered remains of Raphael's attack on her Core was rather devastating .
The Red Elves were creatures that lived in nature, it made sense that, with their exposure to volcanic essence energy, their sense of flame was better than the rest .
With such data, one can imagine the power of Raphael's attack, which simulated a cold solar flare .
A woman quickly walked towards the girl .
She quickly reached out towards the little lady, a red light appeared and spread across her body .
Whooo …
The tremors began to subside, the pallor of her face disappeared, and the dizziness no longer restricted her thinking .
" Ganesha… are you okay ?"
"… Yes, aunt, I'm fine now ."
The little lady stood up, staring at the frozen lake, it could be seen that the monsters inside were trapped .
" Madam, I know this is rude of me but… I think we should go back and inform the tribe quickly. "
One of the subordinates knelt on one foot, and with a very respectful tone of voice stated a fact that they had ignored until now .
The female elf he spoke to had a slightly golden red head .
The dragon mark on her hand matched the color of her hair, the white line in her red eyes was clear, and her name was Disha, the aunt of their young tribe's lady .
" Hmm…" Disha rubbed her chin and thought deeply, "He seems to be walking towards our tribe at a slow pace. His intentions are unknown, but I hope this gesture means he's giving us time to inform them. As long as there isn't a deep disagreement, we should reach an agreement with him ."
It was impossible that Raphael hadn't discovered their presence, not killing them meant that he didn't care about them, or that he wanted them to deliver news of his departure to their tribe .
It's better to do it quickly .
Even with the Charred Lake frozen, there were still monsters in the volcano, it was best to move before they gathered again .
The Charred Lake was just one large aspect of the western region .
The entire Western Region wasn't frozen, and there were more numerous and increasingly dangerous monsters .
Although they wouldn't dare to move for a while due to the previous bloodlust, the beasts wouldn't take long before going wild .
This time of year was close to the start of the monster tide, which occurs during the mating period of the Moon Island monsters .
In fact, the Red Metal Volcano Monsters' condition had been strange recently.
The explorers were analyzing the situation, and the Flame Monsters' actions were not at all familiar .
This was a cause for concern, but it was not as urgent as the current situation .
After gathering her thoughts, Disha quickly gave her orders .
" You're right, Ganesha, I know this is a little stressful, but we have to move ."
" I understand, too… There's something I have to tell my father about, that day, it's finally here. "
"… Quickly! Let's go quickly !"
The words of the little lady, whose name was Ganesha, were so shocking that they were even more motivated to reach their village faster .
The promised day !
The weight of these words was so great, so overwhelming !
Quickly! Quickly! Quickly !!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh !
Through the staring silence, red shadows tangled their movements across the frozen ice, as if obstacles and environmental differences were irrelevant to them .
Towards their village, they carried with them important news .
They reacted quickly to the brutal raid, reporting strange changes recently .
Certainly, they were faster than the expert explorers in this regard .
but .
It's too late .
The monsters have already attacked towards their village .
The burning cave forest was in a rage the likes of which had not been seen for a long time .
A terrible destruction has encompassed their island, raising the cries of the strong and the weak .
How miserable their condition was .
Tonight was just the beginning .
Bloody omen night .
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The field of charred earth across the horizon was ablaze, the heat increasing with every step, the air like fuel being consumed by the raging flames .
Roar—!! Roar—!! Roar— !!
The roaring sounds echoed, causing a tremor that no one laughed at or rejoiced at .
A torrent of fierce beasts ignited by the flames in the middle of the dark night, leaving hearts terrified and in awe of their condition .
In a place with jagged features, huge caves stood tall like horrors, there were small holes on the caves drawing an ominous smile .
Instead of the normal black rocks, the caves were lit up with red light, burning majestically .
Roar —!
The monster bared its fangs, attacking its enemy .
A lion with flaming fur and black rocks shining between his paws, three tails dancing in the air like whips flogging the sinners .
The lion flew in the air with arrogance, moving his solid claws and his three tails .
Swoosh —!
But the other predatory beast was not easy either, its feathers caught fire and it flew away in an instant, this was a bird with dignity and pride, it didn't accept fighting the vile enemies .
This was a clash of mighty kings !
Kooooooh —!
The flaming bird made a sound that destroyed the ears and left them bleeding .
Quack! Quack! Quack !
As he danced gracefully through the air, his wings flapped and his feathers shot out like swords cutting down their enemies .
Roar —!
The three-tailed lion did not hesitate, with its roar the flames in its fur scattered into the air around its body, protecting it from the attack and saving it .
Bam! Bam! Bam !
Feathers exploded as they hit the lion and the ground resembled burning embers .
The small insects fought and joined forces, some of them died in the battles, some of them fed on the corpses of the dead predators and their own bodies .
The Three-Tailed Lion glared at the flaming bird, the latter not wavering in his aggression .
Roar -!!
Kooooooh —!!
Boom !
The two clashed, claws cutting feathers, feathers stabbing into the flesh, destroying the environment around them .
This was the case with everything in this burning land .
This was the day a king was born .
The hierarchy must be clearly defined, who survives and who perishes, who is honored and who is humiliated .
In the sky the flames exploded into dust, in the lands the ashes became storms, and no one had escape or resting place .
The abode of the weak is annihilation !
The burning cave forest was in chaos, and the situation outside was no better .
Goop! Goop! Goop !
Their footsteps sounded like death, and they had the unthinkable in their arsenal .
Roar! Roar! Roar !
A tide of different monsters, what should not have happened was right in front of the eyes of the people of this village .
The monster tide occurred when the number of a race increased beyond what was possible, and conflicts broke out between the monsters over food, with the winner surviving and the loser being banished .
This year's tide was supposed to be giant lava lizards, led by the lava rock lizard .
This is what they believed and fixed in their minds .
Of course, their tribe took some precautions against the burning cave forest, as this land was not a completely safe haven, but this was beyond what a sane person could understand !
Who would have expected that these beasts would suddenly turn against the red elves, who were stronger than them ?
"… this does not bode well "
A handsome man floated in the air, in whose eyes you could see the wisdom, sobriety and calmness that few leaders possessed .
He saw before him a foreboding of doom, but his heart did not waver .
A robe as luminous as the sun, his dignity evident, his sword swaying in the wind like an everlasting flame of hell, the sword was not hard but it was not soft, it was a flame in the literal sense .
Long golden red hair, cold crimson eyes with a bright white line .
His overwhelming aura made every creature tremble in front of him .
This was the king of the Red Elves, Achilles Luganus, whose nickname was the Forgotten Ember, a genius hero who had tasted the horrors of life and experienced much of it .
" O my people, my brothers, my brave warriors !"
The echo of the quiet words entered the hearts like a whisper, and no one was distracted from his speech .
There was a single man floating in front of the village, compared to its size he was incomparably smaller .
But this person wasn't just any person... he's a leader, he's a king, he's a warrior !
An army of red elves stood before the walls of their homeland .
Clack! Clack! Clack !
Swords and spears struck the barren earth in harmony .
" Come in, my brothers —!!"
Like a crashing thunder, Achilles' voice spread through the air .
In front of his soldiers and brothers, he walked with pride !
" This is the moment of the beginning! Come! What is coming has never been seen or witnessed before! Come! I am your protector and brother, I am your leader and guide! Come! Come! —!!"
The brave men responded with resounding voices, their roar shaking the sky .
" O our King, we are loyal to you !"
" Until our death, we are loyal to you! Even if difficulties arise in our path, we will not submit !"
With the sounds of their screams, their march forward began, slowly they walked in order, waiting for the king's signal .
With his cold eyes fixed forward, Achilles calmly held his sword, then …
Swoosh ~
The flaming sword cut the air lightly, a small ember appearing as the blade formed it .
This ember flaunted its sparks as it shot into the air .
In an instant that neither the flame monsters nor Achilles' soldiers could detect, the embers became a huge flame whose heat burned even the air around it .
He extended his sword and with another swing, he struck at the flame .
Swoosh !!
The flame suddenly shot up at a tremendous speed !
BAM -!!
" Reaaaark !!"
" Roar —!!!"
" Kaaaaaggh -!!"
The monsters were roasted and instantly exterminated .
Bam! Bam! Bam !
The explosion spread further and further, and the monsters were burned beyond recognition, turning into ash and nothing .
A huge pit of burning embers, scattering ash after it had set, was created .
The torrent of fierce flames slowed and descended into chaos, the bodies of the dead obstructed the path and they had several wounded .
That was the signal .
The red elves did not notice this slowness and took advantage of it .
" Now! Attack! Attack! Raaaahhh —!!!"
" Aaaaah ! "
" Oriaaaa— !!"
" Kill! Kill! Kill !"
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh !
Red shadows radiating flames disappeared for a moment and then quickly appeared and disappeared .
Baam! Kwang! Kwang !
Bright flames exploded in the air, their fragments falling onto the confused monsters .
Those with swords and spears rushed forward with tremendous force, stabbing into the bodies of the beasts, sometimes a lion, sometimes a tiger, sometimes a wolf, a gazelle, and even a bird .
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam !
Fire ants the size of humans are few in number but have tremendous strength. The ants slam their bodies against their attackers, their cutting pincers opening and closing, hoping to catch the head of their prey .
Kwang! Kwang! Baaam !
the Red Flame Sword Ego !
Mace Flame of Horrors Ego !
One of the tribe leaders struck relentlessly with a sword in his left arm and a mace in the other .
He cuts an ant violently from close by, then extends the mace to shoot flames from afar .
" Unit 4, retreat quickly! Unit 5, cover the gap in Unit 4! Support Unit, throw Pink Dream Mist potions! Archers, destroy the right flank !"
Do not hesitate and do not be defeated !
While controlling the first assault unit, this commander quickly directed the soldiers, while the first remained forward .
But even so, the monsters weren't named that way for nothing, they weren't easy to fight .
" Kiaaagh !"
" Damn it! They're too many! Don't let them reach the walls !"
" Aaaack !!"
The foreground of the battle was filled with blood, as the shouts of humans and beasts mingled, engraving in the heart a beautiful picture of what tragedies mean .
A young warrior was holding what had been his left arm, dragging a corpse backward, while fending off the monsters with his body like a shield .
"… I will not, I will not let you die, I will not… I will not let you perish !"
This unconscious warrior was his friend .
While killing the ants, the young warrior didn't notice a lizard attacking him from behind, and his friend blocked the attack, letting the brunt of the attack hit him .
But the young warrior quickly recovered, and by choosing to sacrifice his arm, he saved his friend from perdition, but he was about to do so if he was not treated .
I am a fool. If it weren't for my arrogance, this wouldn't have happened .
No, if I were not weak, we would not be in such a state of pity or humiliation .
The young warrior retreated as hard as he could, his bleeding body trailing across the charred ground, the smell of blood and scattered fires mingling, making it difficult to breathe .
Weak … weak, very weak !
His molars clashed in anger, his bloody body protecting his friend with all his might .
He was about to pass out .
… No-no .
No ... not yet ... no, no, no !
He begged his tired body to move .
Move! Move! Move you motherfucker !!
But it was not in his hands .
His essence energy was already exhausted, his ego was in critical condition, his stamina was drained with his blood flowing and loss .
There was nothing he could do .
Swoosh !
One of the birds didn't miss that opportunity and swooped down on the two at a terrifying speed .
The young warrior crawled with all his might and barely pulled his friend's body out .
Bam !
The beaks hit the ground and made a large hole .
" Kaaak !"
The bird opened its beak angrily, emitting a sound wave that caused the young warrior's ears to bleed .
" Kaaaaaaghgh !"
He felt dizzy, almost faint, but he fought himself by putting his hands over his friend's ears .
Nothing happened to the unconscious man .
This sonic attack does not seem to affect unconscious people .
"… no chance of survival "
He muttered to himself, despair gnawing at his heart .
" But it doesn't matter, I will protect my home and my people! Come! Come you damned bird !!"
The young warrior grabbed his sword and protected his friend with his body, ready to perish with these monsters !
You are doomed! I am your killer! I will burn you to ashes !!
" Oriaaaa— !"
He attacked the angry bird with all his might .
Bam! Bam! Bam !
Large charred balls fell across the battlefield, flames exploded and charcoal fragments flew away at breakneck speed .
The birds that dominate the sky release their droppings, which are like explosive bombs, in huge numbers .
" Damn it! Archers! Finish them off quickly !"
" Help the wounded! Help the wounded! Do not stay in this evil eye, my brothers !"
" Oh Lucius! The soldiers will sacrifice even more power with my support magic! Protect me until I'm finished !"
" Good ! "
Lucius grabbed his shield and threw it forcefully at the large insects in front of him, while cutting down the raging birds attacking him with his spear .
White Flame Ash Gear Ego !
Storm Flame Spear Ego !
Quack! Quack! Quack !
" Repeat it !!"
" Roar— !"
" Kaaaaah !"
Lucius extends his arm and the shield rushes forward as if it were a puppet following the path of his arm, the shield blazing white, everything it touches turning to white ash .
The spear fires a slashing attack and flame chi that cuts far away .
Boom !
Lucius stomped his foot on the charred dirt and ash, causing the ash to spread like a whirlwind .
Holding his majestic spear, he cut through the air with overwhelming force, turning the storm into a raging hurricane .
The hurricane hit the ants and other giant insects .
Bam! Bam! Bam !
The number of monsters was terrifying, but the disadvantages of mixing several races without leadership outweighed the advantages, that was chaos .
Not to mention that most of these monsters were monsters in the first sequence, and those in the second sequence were fewer in number .
There was even only one minor boss monster, which was comparable to the Second Moon, and the Second Sequence monsters wouldn't submit to him even if he was stronger .
Truly terrifying monsters were present in the burning cavern forest, fighting each other to the death .
Of course, that didn't mean the losses were small .
" It's your turn !"
With a tremendous war cry, the spear was cut towards the hurricane .
Boom —!!
The huge explosion shook the entire area !
" Damn it! Lucius you idiot! I almost got distracted because of you !"
The wizard shouted after Lucius, yet his movements did not slow down .
He extended his scepter towards the sky, as he recited in his heart .
Light the path of my brothers in our war, so that tomorrow may be bright for our people .
The scepter illuminated the area with a brilliant golden hue, the enemy's attacks fading slightly as they came into contact with the light, but the opposite happened to the warriors .
They got stronger .
Light a hope that will not be extinguished or faded, whether our enemy is strong or weak, our swords are drawn and will not fail .
Here we are under the light of the glorious battlefield, winning and not losing for a long eternity !
[ The Seeker of the Horizon's Light: The Second Star ]
[ Under the light of the battlefield !]
Swoosh !
The bright light in the mace floated through the air and illuminated the entire battlefield !
The injured began to heal their wounds, and those whose essence energy had been depleted began to fill up. Of course, this effect did not include the ego .
Those who could enhance ego were extremely rare .
But that wasn't actually necessary, as long as the wounds healed and the essence energy was restored, the fighting situation would reverse .
" Now! Now! Now attack and kill with all your remaining rage !"
" Ura! Ura, Ura, Ura— !"
As the light of the battlefield spread, the red elves became stronger, and conversely, the monsters became weaker because of this light .
The Under the Light of the Battlefield technique was essentially a combination of the essence energy of fire and light, supposed to have no effect on flame beasts .
But this complex technique contains the blood of the Red Elves, who have natural abilities to subdue the Flame Beasts .
What does that mean ?
The submissive instinct of these monsters reduced their ferocity towards the red elves, thus reducing their strength even at the expense of the instinct for survival .
Unfortunately, the combined technique wasn't powerful enough to control the monsters, due to the mage being weak in terms of control .
A sufficient amount of willpower and mental strength was needed to control the hordes of monsters .
Therefore, the focus of this complex approach was on supporting the allies and weakening the enemy .
Monsters were naturally stronger than humans.
From birth they were strong, and their strength developed through preying on enemies and how long they lived. The stronger the enemy they preyed on, the more powerful they became .
So fighting monsters of the same level or lower was not easy .
Assuming a warrior on the second moon is equal to the power of 20 on the peak of the first moon, then what if they become forty, three hundred, a thousand ?
The quality gap can always be bridged with quantity, of course there are exceptions .
For example, the third moon .
These were a force that could only be overcome by a similar force .
Achilles was about to push back this brutal tide and prepare for the next, which was worse .
Whoosh ~
A warm breeze blew across the entire battlefield .
Nobody was supposed to care .
They should have ignored it and moved on .
but .
Humans or monsters .
Their bodies became heavy as mountains, the wind stopped blowing .
What is this feeling ?
It's familiar ...
For the first time, humans and monsters share the same emotion, as strange emotions sweep through their hearts .
Those with refined instincts and who have tasted the bitterness of battles feel it more deeply .
Cold sweat dried in the air before falling, the rising temperature becoming stifling .
"… heeek… heeek… krgh "
Some couldn't breathe, the weak ones already lost consciousness .
But no one had the courage to try to move .
As if moments of time froze, sounds disappeared, everything came to a complete stop .
Tak, tak, tak .
The sounds of light footsteps, like the beat of a serious heart, the eyes of the wild beasts and the jinn turned towards the source of that sound .
What the eye sees, the mind belies. What the mind accepts, the heart fears .
The emotions of the heart are embodied by the body .
Fire.
It is certainly a sight they see every moment of the day, every day, throughout their lives .
But this...this is what his eyes had never seen .
A terrifying flame covers the entire sky .
Gold shines, even the style under the light of the battlefield pales in comparison, it's not even worthy of comparison .
A flame that has not been spoken about nor heard about, in my wildest imagination I did not think about it or believe it .
A young man was walking through the flames in the sky .
No one could think of resisting, of escaping, of anything .
In their empty minds, nothing remained .
Only a hollow expression sees the horror of what is in the sky .
" Monsters simply won't understand my words, so …"
The young man spoke clearly, and no one dared to make a sound .
The young man's golden eyes gleamed as he stared at the ground below .
He extended his finger towards them, and the flame above slowly fell .
However, no one moved .
[ Sky Flame King: The First Star ]
[ King's Domain: the submission of the wretched ]
The flames touched all the predators, yet nothing happened .
Only a dazzling golden ash spread across the place .
And then after that ...
Lower your heads
Words were not what entered the ears but entered the mind .
No, it was an inscription within the soul .
The words themselves were an embodiment of what drove their being .
Power lies within the words themselves .
Absolute obedience .
Obedience to the strong .
That's all .
The beasts moved in unison, all of them, whether corrupted or pure of mind, there was no exception .
They lowered their heads at the same time, slowly, respectfully, obediently .
Tak, tak, tak .
The young man walked down the flame stairs that formed in the air .
Where most of the golden flames still covered the sky, the ash mist did not disappear around, the beasts were submissive with hollow eyes .
" O people of the Red Elves, whose home is the flames of this land, I have a request of you ."
The young man spoke quietly, a mysterious smile plastered on his face .
"… I am the king of the red elves, Achilles Luganus, I greet our guest. News of your arrival has reached me. come and ask. We are not reluctant to grant your request. "
Despite the horror of what he saw, despite his eyes denying what he saw, he remained calm no matter the situation .
" Very well," the young man thought for a moment, before answering, "I have a business with the Burning Cavern Forest, so I came wanting to enter it ."
"… This is not difficult for your majesty's strength, so you have another intention in coming ?"
Rafael was inwardly praising the man, he had quickly grasped the situation .
" Yes, as you can see, the conditions of the jungle are not easily avoided, and the condition of your people is visited by ferocious beasts. That did not please me at all, so I wanted to purify the jungle for you, in exchange for allowing me to complete my business there without gossip or prying eyes. "
"… This is easy, no, I beg your majesty, I wished to do so, but the beast nesting there will not perish without many sacrifices, excuse my impudence in my request, please, my people, we will not skimp on you in return "
Achilles lowered his head, pleading with the young man .
There was no need to even think, he was weaker than this young man .
Most of the tribe did not know how serious the situation was .
The monster tide meant that the evolution of the strongest monster in the Red Metal Volcano was about to be completed, this was faster than anyone expected .
This was a tremendous danger, and unless it was eliminated before it fully developed, a hopeless doom awaited them, their tribe and the Red Dwarves as well, who would perish .
But the day this monster woke up, the entrance of the crimson full moon was a sign .
The sign of their prosperity or doom depends on how Achilles handles the situation .
" I am not ashamed of pleading and suffering if it is for my people, whether it is for building or destroying, I will not hesitate for their sake even for a moment ."
This was his duty as a king, as a leader and even as a member of the tribe .
Therefore, he must open the doors of his tribe that have been closed for years again, even if there is opposition .
His eyes turned towards the young man standing on top of the floating flame stairs .
" Oh King of the Red Elves, it seems we truly share the same ideas. I have been thinking about this matter, and I give you my full approval ."
The young man smiled at Achilles .
" We will go to defeat the burning cave forest ."
Achilles smiled back, "I really hope so. "
I really hope so .
Achilles closed his eyes, remembering the ancestors' will .
" One day, that person's descendant will come, and then the sands of forgotten time will begin to move again. "
" My grandchildren, do not hesitate or be afraid. We do not fear hardships. The path to success comes to those who walk towards risks. "
How did Achilles know this ?
It was because of this unique energy, he remembered it completely, it was impossible for him to ever forget it .
He remembers this aura as if it were yesterday, so he will not make a mistake in recognizing it .
finally …
The promised day... has finally come .
This young man .
He's the one they've been waiting for for a long time .