crackle!
boom!
“The barrier is broken!”
“Charge! Our Mortu Nocturn will be the first in the Alliance to cut off the Cultists’ heads!”
The barrier protecting the Nameless Blood Cult’s branch had shattered.
Blue Dragon Knight Commander Samuel had struck a powerful blow, causing cracks to spread everywhere, and then the Alliance’s Peak Realm and above experts combined their strength to break it completely.
The ones leading the charge were Mortu Nocturn.
One of the large powers of the Unorthodox Faction, famous for being headstrong and ferocious.
How frustrated they must have been during the stagnant time.
If things had dragged on any longer, they might have grabbed someone from the Alliance and started a quarrel.
As such, this battle was both punishment and stress relief.
“Kuhahahaha! Who will stop this Gederic!”
Gederic, the Branch Manager of Mortu Nocturn and a cultivator at the Peak Late Stage, had Sword Qi blooming in strands from the dragon claws on both hands.
Swinging his arms widely in that state, ten sword shadows spread out and swept away the surrounding enemies.
Gederic laughed brightly as he cut through the screaming Nameless Blood Cultists.
The other Mortu Nocturn sect members followed behind him.
They too seemed to enjoy the moment of battle, wearing bright smiles.
However, the eyes of Luban, the Deputy Branch Manager right behind Gederic, were slightly different.
He seemed to be smiling outwardly, but his eyes were troubled.
‘Damn. The barrier broke this easily…!
I’m playing the spy, so I can’t help it, but aren’t the ones attacking now my own subordinates who believe in the same religion?’
He had a headache over how things had turned out this way.
The real branch’s location being discovered was not something planned.
‘The discovery was fast, and after the report, the Allied Forces moved too swiftly, leaving no time to escape.’
Unlike a trap, the branch had many important magic circles and ritual tools, making a quick retreat impossible.
‘Besides, the Blood Forbidden Formation Secret Art looks difficult now…!’
All the magical power had been used to activate the barrier that protected and hid the branch.
If it were a slightly larger branch, maybe, but here only one Secret Art could be deployed.
So now that the protective barrier was broken, the branch was in grave danger.
‘Lee Tae-sung… Because of that damned bastard…
Was Ju Rip being captured not because he was stupid, but because Lee Tae-sung was formidable?’
Luban finally realized that.
But since there was nothing he could do right now, Luban pretended to fight the enemies moderately while dreaming of a chance to turn the situation around somehow.
*
Just as the barrier collapsed and the Continental Allied Forces charged in.
The Nameless Blood Cult’s formation was also boosting its fighting spirit.
“The Continental bastards are here. It’s not the meeting point we wanted, but it doesn’t matter! Teach the unfaithful who do not believe in the god about the god!”
“We will make the poor souls trapped in darkness know the Blood God!”
“Judgment, so they may receive true salvation!!”
Despite the disadvantage of a sudden ambush, their morale was high.
They were fanatics from the start.
Even if they were annihilated, they would not retreat.
In their midst, filled with a strange heat.
‘Ugh. It’s hard to follow along.’
Lee Tae-sung was shouting with both hands raised, roughly imitating the ordinary cultist next to him.
He had infiltrated and made it here somehow.
He had been careful all along, but once the war with the Continental Alliance broke out, he would be able to move freely.
In the midst of chaos everywhere, who would pay attention to one loach?
“Go! Kill them! To the one who kills the most, the fastest, there will be the glory of the god!”
“Wooooaaaah!!!”
“Uwaaaaaaah!!!”
Amidst the cultists charging madly, Lee Tae-sung discreetly watched his surroundings.
He wasn’t stupid; there was no reason to rush forward and fight.
Lee Tae-sung moved around casually.
He observed the fierce battle situation and subtly joined in wherever the Allied Forces seemed to be pushed back.
whoosh!
“Die!”
“Guh! Hey, you! Are you shooting flames a bit too much this way?”
The cultist shouted at the flames surging toward him.
If he hadn’t been at the First-class level with excellent Lightfoot Technique, he might not have dodged it.
Lee Tae-sung raised his hand.
“Ah. My mistake. Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. The situation is urgent, so it can’t be helped. Just do better next time.”
“Will do.”
slash!
“Keoheok!?”
After cutting down the cultist who gave him a friendly advice, Lee Tae-sung muttered.
‘I should have taken him out with that flame in one go. Didn’t know he’d dodge. Next time, I’ll make sure they can’t dodge.’
After that, Lee Tae-sung moved around here and there.
Pretending to come as support for the cultists, he inserted himself into the exact spots where the Allied Forces were being pushed and turned the tide.
Among those were intense battles between Peak Realm masters.
A fierce fight between a cultist manager-grade master, almost near Blood Hand level, and an Allied Peak Realm master.
“I’ll help!”
“Well come!”
When Lee Tae-sung intervened, the cultist was delighted.
The battle was so evenly matched that even a little help could turn the situation.
‘An ordinary cultist? His help probably won’t be much, but…’
In the midst of that, he checked the clothes—not enough to be of help, but if he threw away his life, that would be fine.
“Hey you! Rush in with the intent of mutual destruction! Grab him!”
The cultist ordered Lee Tae-sung.
“You coward!”
The Allied Peak Realm master he was facing bit his lower lip.
Even a weakling, if they charged with the resolve for mutual destruction, might create an opening.
slash!
“Keuheup!?”
At that moment, Lee Tae-sung’s sword, swung like lightning, aimed at the cultist.
Surprised by the sudden strike, the man let out a single scream and his head flew off.
A pitiful end for a Peak Realm master.
“Uh…?”
The Allied master blinked, wondering what was happening.
He thought it might be some kind of trap, but what trap would sacrifice a Peak Realm master?
“…Who are you? I am Yoo Baek, the Falling Star Sword of the Starfall Tower.”
“I am Lee Tae-sung.”
“Lee Tae-sung? The highest contributor of this operation?”
Yoo Baek was astonished.
Lee Tae-sung’s fame for achieving the feat of finding the branch had already spread far and wide among the Alliance’s masters.
“How are you here…?”
“It just ended up that way. Let’s talk later if we both survive. There’s no time right now.”
“Understood! Visit the Starfall Tower later! I must repay the debt of this life, which is not light!”
“Yes. Good luck. I’ll head elsewhere.”
After briefly greeting Yoo Baek, Lee Tae-sung quickly moved to another place.
Starfall Tower was one of the continent’s major powers, so it would be good to talk more, but it was low priority now.
There was no time.
ding!
[You have defeated a powerful enemy]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Flame Tide Wave Sword proficiency increases]
[Flame Tide Wave Sword skill level increased]
[Flame Tide Wave Sword (Lv.6) → Flame Tide Wave Sword (Lv.7)]
The notifications rang in succession.
‘Talk later. For now, I take down the enemies!’
He only targeted enemies that looked strong, so those he took down were all First-class Late Stage martial artists and mages, or Peak Realm martial artists and mages.
Even ignoring First-class, a Peak Realm opponent in a fair fight is not easily finished.
No matter how strong Lee Tae-sung was compared to his peers thanks to the Flame Emperor’s skills, there was a limit.
But with such sneak attacks, even enemies of higher levels could be taken down if luck was on his side.
It felt almost like an experience point farming event.
Lee Tae-sung resolved.
‘I’ll settle it all today!’
I will burn everything on this battlefield!
*
Lee Tae-sung roamed the battlefield far and wide.
The enemies he had taken down alone were too many to count on two hands.
Considering they were all above First-class, it was an incredible achievement.
And a Peak Realm master performing so actively caused a huge change on the battlefield.
The power balance between the cultists and the Allied Forces, which should have been somewhat equal, had completely tilted to one side.
‘Fuu… I should start holding back a bit. If I do more, I’ll get caught.’
As the cultists slowly retreated, Lee Tae-sung also hid appropriately among them.
To survive, one must strike well and retreat well.
But.
“……Ah.”
It was a step too late.
He felt killing intent shooting from all directions.
That meant the Nameless Blood Cult’s high command had already identified the loach-like Lee Tae-sung.
They were aiming precisely at him, so he couldn’t avoid it.
“…Damn. If only I had a stealth skill.”
Lee Tae-sung muttered.
If he had only used stealth properly before and after killing the cultists, the chance of being discovered would have been much lower.
This was already the umpteenth time he regretted not having stealth.
He planned to learn stealth after this was over.
Soon, the owners of the killing intent revealed themselves.
“You rat bastard. When did you sneak in?”
“Do you know how much damage you’ve caused? I’ll tear you into a thousand pieces!”
Three martial artists and three mages each.
A total of six cultists, all above Peak Realm.
No matter how strong Lee Tae-sung was, facing them meant certain defeat.
But Lee Tae-sung smiled.
Wasn’t this the perfect moment for the intense battle he had aimed for in this war?
whoom!
A black lotus bloomed behind his head, and the flames bursting around his body turned pitch black.
At that momentum, the six cultists flinched, showing an opening, and Lee Tae-sung exploited it.
bang!
He used Flying Flower Explosive Shadow to approach the slowest-reacting mage and swung his sword.
crackle!
The opponent had an Automatic Defense Magic deployed, blocking the sword strike.
But Lee Tae-sung’s sword flames clung to the barrier, blazed fiercely, eventually penetrated inside, and engulfed the mage.
“Kuaaaaahk!”
The mage struggled, trying to extinguish the flames, but couldn’t shake them off, and soon turned to ash.
ding!
[Black Lotus Divine Skill proficiency increases]
[Black Lotus Divine Skill skill level increased]
[Black Lotus Divine Skill (Lv.1) → Black Lotus Divine Skill (Lv.2)]
[Shadow of the Secret Fire proficiency increases]
[Flying Flower Explosive Shadow skill level increased]
[Flying Flower Explosive Shadow (Lv.7) → Shadow of the Secret Fire (Lv.8)]
Hearing the pleasant notifications, he flicked his hand.
“Now five. Come one by one. I don’t have time.”
The cultists’ eyes widened as they saw Lee Tae-sung grinning, and they charged simultaneously.
Lee Tae-sung’s lips twitched slightly.
“…I said come one by one.”
Letting out a deep sigh, he swung his sword wrapped in black flames.