Chapter 116.1

When Arina arrived, a ferocious battle was already raging.

“Kwoooooooarrr!”

“Ssssssssss!”

The roars of druids transformed into beasts and the characteristic cries of orcs drowned out every other sound.

“Fight on!”

“Don’t back down!”

The high-ranking knights and Frost Knights stationed at the camp for emergencies were fighting desperately.

“Focus all attacks on Hunster!”

“He’s too strong! Way too strong!”

But there were limits. The invaders were top-tier monsters, each rivaling high-ranking knights in power.

And their leader—an orc lord—was considered equal to an unofficial Sword Master.

“Graaahhh!”

“Urgh… cough!”

“M-Monster!”

Already, many Frost Knights and knights had either fallen or were dead at the hands of Orc Lord Hunster.

Because of him, the battlefield was locked in a grim stalemate, neither side gaining the upper hand.

“If I make it out alive, I’ll owe Chairman Jin a big thank-you.”

“This magical shoulder guard saved my life three times already.”

Thanks to the magical armor crafted by Arad and his magical engineers, their casualties had been significantly reduced.

“Don’t hold back on the enchantments in the armor!”

“Chairman Arad Jin said it himself! These magical armors are expensive consumables! Use them without hesitation!”

“Our magical armors are far superior to their magic tools! Take advantage of that and fight!”

In fact, the equipment Arad produced was far better than the invaders’ magical tools. Without that edge, their losses would have been much worse.

“Hold the line!”

“Request reinforcements from the barrier!”

“Isn’t the magic communicator working yet?!”

Thanks to the magic tools, the seemingly even stalemate dragged on.

Would reinforcements arrive from the barrier? Could they hold out without suffering major losses until then?

“Reinforce the troops against Hunster!”

The biggest problem was still that accursed orc lord. Even the magical shoulder guards were useless against a single blow from his massive axe.

“Avoid Hunster’s attacks at all costs!”

“Aaaargh!”

The situation teetered on the edge of disaster.

Flash—

At that moment, the tide of the battle shifted dramatically with the arrival of a female knight.

“That’s…!”

“Lady Mary?”

She had striking white hair, rare even in the North, and deep gray eyes.

She was none other than Lady Mary, Arad’s chief secretary—a name now known to both the Arad Group and the High Tower.

Wielding a pure white mana-infused sword, she stepped directly in front of Hunster.

Her blade carried the clear aura of mana, a mark of a high-ranking knight.@@novelbin@@

“Lady Mary is a high-ranking knight?!”

“This is unreal…!”

It wasn’t the aura of a Sword Master, but her skill was undeniable—she was someone just a step below that legendary rank.

Not merely a high-ranking knight, but one of the highest-ranking knights.

“Now that you mention it, her movements during Sigma’s invasion weren’t ordinary.”

“But to think she was this skilled…”

The Frost Knights and knights, who had assumed she was just a talented magic swordsman, were left speechless.

“I suppose blood doesn’t lie after all.”

“So the rumors about her being an illegitimate child were true.”

Only a few Frost Knights and knights, who had suspected her identity all along, nodded knowingly.

“Ssssss…”

Meanwhile, Orc Lord Hunster stared at Mary intently, sniffing the air before speaking.

“An unfamiliar scent. You, human female, you’re strong. Are you the offspring of the human lord I killed back then?”

As expected of an orc lord, he spoke fluent human language.

“Good, this will keep me entertained.”

Grinning, Hunster began stretching his massive body.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

A war hammer and battle axe forged from imperial steel spun in his hands at a speed too fast for the eye to follow.

“No one interfere in this fight! Sssss!”

Hunster’s roar brought a temporary halt to the battle.

The orcs and druids formed a tense circle, their eyes still burning with fervor.

Likewise, the Renslet knights swallowed hard and held their ground.

“…”

Without a word, Mary fixed her murderous gaze on Hunster.

Screeeeeech—

Suddenly, an ominous cry echoed from the sky.

Though about to engage Hunster, Mary’s head turned toward the unsettling sound, her expression darkening.

“!!”

A colossal bird-like creature appeared in the distance, a terrifying monstrosity resembling an eagle.

The problem was its trajectory—it was descending straight toward the rooftop where Arad stood.

With its massive beak and razor-sharp talons aimed to kill.

“No!”

Overcome with a chilling sense of dread, Mary shouted desperately.

“…Hmm?”

Annoyed by the interruption, Hunster glared at the creature, who was evidently Nuchka in transformed form.

Screeeeech!

Nuchka’s massive form charged toward Arad with incredible speed and precision, leaving no room for escape.

Nearby knights and employees scrambled to protect him.

Clink—Bang!

At that exact moment, Arad’s magnum roared with an explosion of sound and light.

Thud!

Crash—BOOM!

The monstrous bird, hit squarely by the magical bullet, plummeted into the factory building below.

The magical bullet fired from my magnum was a special round infused with fire, earth, and light attributes, powerfully condensed into one.

One might argue that every magical bullet is “special,” but the round I had just fired was designed for situations like this, maximizing its lethal potential. 𝘙ἈＮ𝘰𐌱Ë𝓢

On Earth, it would have been akin to the slug rounds used to hunt grizzly bears.

The problem was that my opponent was far more monstrous than any grizzly bear.

“Is it still alive? Even after taking a direct hit from that?!”

I peered down below, muttering in disbelief.

The druid that had ambushed me possessed greater stamina and vitality than even the toughest trolls.

Before it can regenerate, I need to shoot again!

Taking aim at the druid writhing on the ground, I pulled the trigger.

Whoosh—

It dodged?

The creature, which had been wriggling in the rubble, rolled out of the way the instant the bullet was fired.

Bang! Bang!

I fired again in quick succession, but it dodged every shot.

What a monster. Well, surviving in the extreme north would require that kind of resilience. But to think this creature shares the same lineage as the Renslets?

As I reloaded my magnum, I glanced between the northern folk beside me and the druid below.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The employees and knights protecting me fired crossbow bolts.

But these weren’t ordinary northern steel arrows—they were magical stone bolts, similar to the ones used by the magical corps currently fighting at the barrier.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Flash!

“?!”

“Even magical stone arrows?!”

To everyone’s astonishment, most of the magical bolts were neutralized.

Bursts of light, seemingly from magical tools, erupted from the druid’s body as it lay on the ground.

These magical tools are better than those from the Devil’s Den! Could they be relics from the Golden Age?

My eyes twitched as I observed the druid’s equipment.

“Keep firing!”

While I replaced the magical stones in my magnum to reload, the magical arrows from my allies continued to be nullified.

Crunch, crack!

Nuchka, having transformed back into a towering 2-meter humanoid, rapidly regenerated and staggered to his feet.

“This is no ordinary druid!”

“Good heavens… Is that Druid Chieftain Nuchka?!”