#218
Lycanthrope (3)
"Oh yeah. If you're busy, there's no need to come. See you next time then. effort."
A phone call from a friend saying hello and ending with a short goodbye.
He immediately put down his smartphone and slowly turned his head to look at the bed placed on one side of the room.
"ha."
He then looked back and forth at the man who looked exactly like him, sleeping as if he were dead, and sighed deeply for the number of times.
'There's still a long way to go before I wake up. Well, it's only natural that less than a day has passed.'
I already knew this, but so many things were happening one after another that I seemed to be getting nervous without realizing it.
Hugo flopped down on the edge of the bed where Han Seong-hyun's body was sleeping and massaged his forehead with one hand.
'It's already a crazy situation, but after Hans, Harley…'
Fortunately, Harley only became a little unruly and the situation wasn't as serious as Hans, who committed massacre without blood or tears for the purpose.
Still, the madness itself was controlled quite easily thanks to the power of the skill "Tyrant of Madness."
'But the problem is that you can't completely escape its influence!'
It was something that could not be helped as it took advantage of madness to overcome the wall.
And the small influence that started like that….
Harley's brutally primitive wildness, simplicity of not wanting to think deeply, and violence of trying to solve everything with force combined to create a truly fantastic synergy.
'For now, I'm turning my attention to satisfying my cravings through gourmet food.'
But that method won't last very long.
There was a need to quickly take other measures.
'The easiest way to dispose of a bomb is to just explode it. 'In a place where no harm will come.'
And the site where the bomb was to explode was already prepared.
It was also a situation where we were already prepared to some extent.
'The place I'm most concerned about right now is…'
Heinz II was in the process of contacting the Vice President of the Republic, Kayla McClair, and was planning to attack the Obaipo smoothly. There was nothing special going on with the other avatars, so there was nothing worth worrying about right now. It was one.
'…Enamel Continent Elven Kingdom.'
***
[A giant appears in the southern Altarica forest. It is said that the Altarica forest keeper is leading the sentinels into battle. Support has arrived nearby, but we are being careful to minimize damage as much as possible, so it doesn't look like it will end soon.]
[Is this the third giant after Bella Canyon and Sorata Swamp? I can't believe something like this happened all at once right after the lycanthropes did their trick. As expected, it has become clear that they are related to the Abyss… and the Immortal King.]
[Tsk, they were in such a pitiful situation that I didn't bother to touch them even if I saw them wandering nearby. Who would have thought that he was a henchman of the Immortal King? After all, I didn't trust those guys!]
'No, this side is just as embarrassing…'
Immediately after dealing with the general-level lycanthrope in the north.
Harris, who had fought an additional four rounds clockwise, swallowed an inaudible answer.
Perhaps it was a special occasion that I encountered a general-level person for the first time, but the person leading the group I encountered in succession was at best a knight-level person.
Thanks to this, I was able to listen to the situation in real time without disconnecting from the network because I had some spare energy left….
'How much was mobilized for this work? 'More than anything, it's more surprising that so many people stayed hidden until just before they committed the crime.'
News of the battle was coming from all directions.
Clashes with giants as well as multiple lycanthropes.
The Elven Kingdom had long since entered an unprecedented state of emergency.
-Harris: So what is the emblem on their chest…? I think this is the reason why the World Tree's eyes were covered and the elves, including me, were unable to recognize them.
-Hannibal Strauss: Hmm, it feels similar to the gold engraved on the oath of the heavens. Rather than being forbidden, this seems closer to a sign of a contract with some higher being. Of course, it doesn't seem like a normal contract, so the price won't be cheap.
-Heinz II: There's nowhere they don't get involved. It has also been confirmed that Obaipo itself was the eastern branch.
'Are there hundreds of people who are all contractors? Could it be some kind of demon lord?'
Harris sighed deeply and slumped his shoulders at that complicated situation.
One thing that became clear was that it was not a short period of time for them to prepare for the current attack.
When I took the succubus Shianna under my command, I had roughly established which executives remained in which regions.
'aka clown. He has been active in the Yeokcheon Pledge for more than 20 years. The main area of activity is the eastern part of the Empire and the entire Republic… and the Enamel Continent.'
It became dark before my eyes to see what kind of tricks this guy had been planning while wandering around so diligently for over 20 years.
'Oh, I hate it, I hate it. What's even more confusing here is the specifications. The reward is also lighter than I thought.'
I don't know if they gave me a special service because it was my first time, or if there was a premium for defeating a general-level enemy, but the World Tree reward I received after destroying the altar was not as good as what I received the first time.
It was better than nothing, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed.
'Plus, I didn't receive any compensation for the last altar I destroyed. … Well, since the ritual has already been completed and the crack has not been completely eliminated, there is nothing we can do. 'Couldn't it be that all the rituals have already been completed?'
When he was lamenting alone like that.
'…We ran into each other again. But it looks like they found me over there too. Is he at the level of a general this time?'
He felt a ferocious force rushing in the exact direction he was in.
It is unlikely that he could have sensed the presence of Harris, who had assimilated into nature, from this distance, but he must have smelled the scent of a summoned spirit.
'Thanks to Harley, I was able to learn more about their characteristics.'
The first guy I encountered was in the middle of a ritual, so I was a little late in recognizing him.
A general-level lycanthrope's senses not only detect physical phenomena but also the remnants of magical power, so it was not easy to hide his tracks using spirits.
It might just be a matter of blatantly shaking one's senses and causing confusion for a moment, like when I fought that guy.
'It seems like he's stronger than that guy back then…'
However, Harris himself was much stronger than then.
This time, there were two top-level spirits, Watt and Pascal!
'First bread winner!'
Harris took out his bow, Themis, and immediately focused his energy on one point.
Just a few seconds until he arrives.
But that time.
It was enough time to start with one special move.
***
Not all of the giants that appeared on the Enamel Continent only fought against elves.
Since security was the top priority before starting work in earnest, there was no choice but to gradually open cracks starting from areas that were far from the World Tree in the beginning.
Even though the lycanthropes were able to block the influence of the World Tree through the contract they made with the revolutionaries, it was not 100% perfect, so they needed to be as careful as possible.
[———!]
Kwaaaang—!
"In hunting formation! Don't overdo it! "Just wait until help arrives!"
An outlying hunting force made up of all kinds of ferocious beasts from the Wild Land in the northwest of the Enamel Continent clashed with the White Giant.
"Kahaha! This is my first time hunting such large game! "It's very creepy!"
"Are you saying that only those from the Aeon Continent were playing around with things like this?"
"If you're going to bluff, straighten your tail first! Concentrate! "Dozens of people have already died from this guy!"
"…Tsk!"
Also, even if they did not fight head-on like they did, there were cases where support came from nearby people for the fight between elves and giants that occurred on the border.
Like Sorata Swamp, the eastern border with the Lizardmen community 'Central Swamp'.
"Tsuuu—let's join in. "Forest keeper."
"…I would appreciate any help. Kerich. "I was really thinking that I might die at this rate."
"Chwiiit—? I can't believe a forest keeper would say something like that. First, I'll have to get rid of the ones below and request additional support. Sigh—it won't take long since the swamps are connected."
In the first place, the relationship between the different races was not that bad, and the danger of giants had been reported at the continental summit that had been held not long ago, so it was not strange.
It may have been disappointing for the person responsible for the incident, but thanks to the quick response from the beginning, the incident was calming down sooner than expected.
however.
"Oh! Is this more than you think? I never knew that I could summon a giant I had only heard of like this! Should I see that revolutionary guy again?"
Baukalakas, the Lycanthrope King who didn't care about such things, chuckled lowly as he counted the subordinates connected to him.
Even though the revolutionary had disappeared, the opening of the rift as previously agreed was not because we particularly believed in him.
It was just that I didn't want to give up on the plan that I had been preparing for a long time to reduce the influence of the World Tree and at the same time strengthen its power by supplying madness…
'Has that gentleman been keeping an eye on this from the beginning? Well, the gift will be appreciated! Thanks to this, the losses incurred in getting here were less than expected.'
Although two generals died in the process and one was likely to die soon, even this was not as great a loss as expected.
The fact that the master-level elf forest guards guarding each area were distracted by the giants must have played a big role.
"Kikikick! Well, what can you do when those infamous giants are coming from all directions?"
But no matter how well the situation turned out, there was no benefit in waiting any longer.
If the elves were not stupid, they would have already noticed the abnormality and started preparations, and even requested support from neighboring countries in case of an emergency.
This is to protect Drasha, where the world tree at the center of the Enamel Continent is located.
Yes, what he sees right now.
Right there.
"Kihihihi!" As
he burst into laughter that he couldn't
suppress,
wild beasts began to stand on their feet one by one from the bushes around him.
At the same time, a crazy blood-red glow began to burn in the center of their bright yellow eyes.
Pop!
Uddudduk—
Their bodies swelled to the limit, and the madness mixed with the dark magic flowing within them burned their vitality, giving them tremendous power.
The number here was less than half of what it was at the beginning, but with this, the power itself actually increased compared to the beginning.
'It won't last forever, but it won't matter because it will all be over before then!'
With his eyes blazing red like those of his subordinates, Baukalakas, the king of werewolves, slowly increased his speed toward the goal in front of him.
Crrrrr—
Crrrrr! Kk—!
One king who reached transcendence and five generals who went beyond extremes.
And hundreds of knights and warrior-class lycanthropes to support them.
Finally, they invaded Drasha, the capital of the Elven Kingdom.
***
The lycanthropes had been making a lot of preparations for a really long time for this infiltration.
The ritual of opening the rift in the abyss and the contract sentence engraved on the chest are only a part of it.
The king, with the help of the revolutionaries, personally shook the causality of the World Tree for a long time, hiding himself in the process and constructing an access road inside the Elven Kingdom.
In addition, additional measures are taken to avoid the spirit's surveillance network, as well as training to first detect the spirit's reverberation and bypass it.
It was a plan that took a lot of time, capital and effort… and even costed many lives.
"Move quickly! "Inside!"
"Get all the arrows out of the warehouse!"
"Everyone who can fight, get to their positions!"
However, no matter how thorough your preparation is, there are limits.
Even if the number was only a small number, there was no way the invaders, numbering in the hundreds, would not have been noticed as they approached the capital.
The elves of Drasha were already in full swing preparing for war even before the lycanthropes arrived.
[How are the preparations?]
[First of all, preparations for Mercury have been completed. The watchman commander and the gardener have already finished preparing, and the nearby forest guards who have some spare time are also coming here as quickly as possible.]
[Sigh… That's a mistake. It was best to intercept them before they reached Drasha. [It was too late to realize that the number of approaching bastards was greater than expected.]
Although they were discovered along the way, it did not mean that the invaders' efforts were completely in vain.
This is exactly the result they had hoped for in the first place.
This is because the battlefield was limited to the capital city where the World Tree was located, which the elves had to protect.
After so much time passed in such tension.
As the lycanthropes gathered nearby began their advance toward Drasha, a full-scale war finally began.
And that moment.
"…!"
Harris, who had just killed a general-level enemy from a considerable distance away and was out of breath, suddenly raised his head and blinked at the strange sensation he felt.
"…This?"
It was a hunch.
A strong premonition conveyed through a bond with the World Tree that was unusually strong compared to other high elves.
'…Tabble? No, three times?'
For some reason, the direct will was still not conveyed, but the meaning was fully understandable.
His eyes slowly turned in one direction.
Where the capital Drasha is located.
Gulp—
it's an obvious crisis, but somehow the scent of a big hit is in the air.