23 First Battle (2/2)
”Since you and Lord Ryson is the strongest amongst us. I need you both as the vanguard, and to use your powerful strength to clear a path for the rest of us. Can I count both of you on that?” Melissa asked both Victor and Ryson with full of expectation.
Victor and Ryson straighten their backs upon hearing Melissa's request.
”You can count on us, young lady. This old man has been itching for a fight, for a while now...” Victor assured Melissa with his hearty words.
”That's right lady... Don't you worry, we'll clear the path ahead.” Ryson also spoke some assuring words.
Melissa nodded to both of them, satisfied with their determination. She's initially rather worried because of the enemy numbers and their average strength that was relatively high. Those Zombies had an average strength of Level 5 - Fighter rank.
But then she remembers that the team still has 3 Grandmaster - rank experts, and not to mention, a Saint - rank expert. That is why she's immediately begun to feel relieved. The team still had huge firepower.
”Alright. Did you guys ready too?” then Melissa asked the rest of the members.
They also steeled their hearts and nodded their heads.
After that, Melissa turns her sight at Arno.
Sensing Melissa's gazes, Arno ask her ”What do you want me to do?” he already knows that Melissa wants to order him.
”We need someone on our back, guarding the rear. Can I trust you to do that?” Melissa requested him to guard the rear, to prevent the Zombies from attacking the team from behind as they make their way to the valley.
”Sure.” Arno replied decisively and shortly.
His calm and leisure expression really confused Melissa. How can someone still able to maintain their composure in this kind of situation?
Even Victor himself who is a Saint expert still felt a bit restless because of all this.
But not long, she changed her mind. It may be good to have someone who still able to calm amidst this situation.
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Next, Melissa turns her vision towards the valley once again. The hordes of Zombies are getting closer and closer to the team, each of those Zombies running sporadically as if they are trying to be the first on reaching the team position.
Melissa is taking a deep breath, before speaking ”Let's do this.”
Victor gave Rionne a nod.
Rionne nod back to him and start shouting in unknown language within her first sentence ”OOOXXX {Light Fortitude}”
Then, a large sparkling white aura suddenly came out from her magic staff. The sparkling aura flies upward few meters above the ground before separated into several smaller aura and scattered towards each team members bodies.
The members bathed by the warm aura for a while. After that, the aura sticks and enveloped all part of their body before vanishing. Most of them immediately realized, the aura gave an immense boost to their physical strength and recharge their stamina. Not only that,it also soothed their restless heart and calmed their mind.
”Huh... as expected from the future Saintess. Your support magic is truly outstanding, my body feels really fresh, hehe.” Zohar praised Rionne.
”Yeah, it's really warm too, and my head now is feeling lighter as well.” Luccio is also giving his praise.
Sasha nods while commenting ”Umm... We can fight more efficient with this.”
”It all thanks to Mother Greysia, there is no need to praise me.” Rionne humbly replied.
Other members also felt grateful towards Rionne. Except for Arno, who is now staring at her, stupefied.
Arno actually is extremely curious about all of the magic stuff he had heard since he descends to this realm. He really wants to know more and learned about it, but hearing about it and experience it directly is two different matters.
When Rionne starts doing her magic earlier, he greatly anticipates it. But he was extremely shocked once the aura blanket his body because he can feel and recognizing something unexpected within the aura itself.
What he felt hidden within the aura was a Power of Domain.
A type of ability that only cultivators with the strength of Martial Ancestor or above can have.
This particular unique Domain feels really familiar because it belongs to someone he knew in the past. That person is a powerful Divine Lord super expert, which should've been dead.
'That Greysia's name really is ”her” huh... But both of them are already dead. What the hell is going on?' Arno's mind is in the middle of a chaotic moment, but not for long, soon his thought was being interrupted.
Bang!!!
-
Woosh!!!
Victor suddenly jumps into the skies. His Saint - rank ”proto-core” circulating mana in light speed, resulting in giving him an ability to defy gravity and fly for a short distance.
His body radiating an immense fiery white aura, while he raises the [Radiant Star] in preparation to attack the advancing Zombies.
”Uoohhhh!!!... <<Crushing Moon>” He shouted the name of his martial skill with a loud voice.
The white aura that envelops his armor became brighter and the [Radiant Star] start letting out a raging fire that engulfs its whole body.
Bang!!!
-
Duar!!!
Thunderous impact sound was booming as Victor crashing down to the ground and slam his Warhammer right in the middle of the Zombies rank. Dozens of Zombies in the radius of 50 meters around Victor's crash position was immediately annihilated. His skill also formed a huge impact crater which was now full of Zombies mutilated body parts.
However, he did not stop, instead, he continues attacking the Zombies furiously while also exerting his whole Saint rank power that blasting winds and dust all over the place.
Duar!!!
-
Swing!!!
Another loud sound resound. It was Ryson turn this time, he attacked the Zombies that had positioned themselves just behind Victor. His incomparable body clad in blueish aura as he defeated lots of Zombies by the swing of his greatsword.
Both of them then start combining their strength and working together in order to fight against the rest of the enemies.
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Meanwhile.
Seeing the vanguard already commence their attack.
”Let's go. We should follow them.” Melissa ordered the rest of the members who still in their original position to move forward.
Finally, all of them start running towards Ryson and Victor direction, including Arno whose thought was interrupted before, but he decides to let the matters to rest now.
Actually, just like it has mentioned earlier, ever since before the team entering the mountain, Arno already completely understood about the situation that happens within.
But of course, he couldn't exactly just inform other people about it. Because it will make him conspicuous and other members would question him on how did he knows that. Especially since there is Victor as a member as well, that Saint expert would definitely become suspicious of him.
No one in this entire realm had that kind of overpowered capability and situational awareness.
So, he kept his mouth shut while at the same time keep monitoring the mountain including the valley with his ”Divine Sense”
As a result, he too knows what is or more precisely, who is the mastermind behind those Zombies.
At the middle of the valley, within the ruins of the palace that was being used as the team temporary objective by Melissa's orders.
There exist a secret chamber inside one of the main room of the palace, and the chamber hosted a well - hidden door that contained a secret passage.
The secret passage was formed by an endless stone stair that leads towards another secret room located several hundred meters below the palace, in the underground.
The underground secret room was huge enough to be packed with hundreds of people at the same time. Its interior is almost entirely empty and dark, only dimly lighted by several small candles which weren't enough to illuminate the entire room.
Also, there is a large dome of magical formation located right in the middle of the room. And this magic dome housed a single creature inside of it.
A creature that has big humanoid feature but grotesque appearances, while all of its six hands and his two legs were being chained to the floor.
Arno recognized the magic formation as some sort of a sealing formation. That means, that creature is, in fact, was being imprisoned in that room.
The creature did nothing but sitting there while shutting off his four eyes as if he's concentrating on something. It appears the creature itself did not know that he was being monitored by Arno.
Arno easily discovered everything about this creature. This creature is, in fact, a Demon Beast that possessed sentience and intelligence, but it's not surprising really, because some Demon Beast can gain both after reaching certain cultivation rank, while others were born with it.
And this creature is quite powerful too, his original strength is supposed to be at Martial Sovereign rank. Arno, however, doesn't know with what name did the people of Greysia called this rank, but he doubts they have knowledge about this cultivation rank. Judging from the lack of Martial Sovereign experts in this realm that wasn't being sealed or in a dormant state.
But since the sealing formation not only imprisoned the creature but also heavily suppressed his strength, he is now weaker than his potential peak strength. He can only exert a fraction of his total power which only equivalent of an initial - Martial King rank.
In this entire Greysia realm, there is only a single Martial King expert that was still active. That expert is just some Dragon located on the south coast of Dawn continent.
That is why, if this sealed creature were unleashed upon this realm, there will be no one who had the strength to hold him back.
The creature currently uses almost his entire depleted power in order to control the Zombies. But what for did the creature exactly wants to by controlling those Zombies, Arno did not know of it. He guesses the creature probably wants to break the seal, after all, it is a logical activity for someone who was being imprisoned.
But what method did the creature would use, Arno also clueless about it.
At first, because of its hideous evil nature, Arno wants to immediately destroy the creature, but he thought about it once again.
This bizarre situation is actually a good thing for him. He can make use of both the sealed creature and the Zombies to creating an opportunity for him to study the team's fighting style and power that he'd really curious of. Hence, he eventually changed his plan.
What Arno's going to do now is to let the creature continue it's shady business with the Zombies while he watches the team's fight and controlling the whole situation behind the scene.
If the situation later became highly dangerous to the team's members, then Arno could simply eliminate the creature, secretly. Nothing can harm those that were under his protection.
He smiled lightly as the plan was set in motion.
Thus, he followed the team from behind and at the same time he pretends to do his job on guarding the rear.