From the body that had collapsed just like that, no more roars, anger, or black Magi could be felt.
The King of the Frontier, Zrakan, met his end in that way.
For a moment, it seemed as if everything had stopped.
Zrakan’s subordinates, the Monsters, and even the Elves and Human slaves inside the wooden fence.
Everyone stared at Zrakan’s fallen corpse.
It was a final end that was far too hollow for an invader who boasted such overwhelming power.
Sang-woong, standing before Zrakan’s corpse, flicked the blood off the tip of his sword and stood quietly.
It was his victory.
No declaration of victory was needed.
Zrakan’s fallen corpse and the tip of his sword said everything.
A moment later, screams of shock and terror and agitation erupted from Zrakan’s army.
The death of a commander meant the collapse of an army.
Sang-woong’s victory!
Cheers and shouts erupted from among the Elves and Human slaves who were watching the scene from inside the wooden fence.
It was the moment when the flow of a large-scale battle was instantly reversed by the short and intense one-on-one duel between Sang-woong and Zrakan.
“Kill them all.”
At Sang-woong’s command, the Golems that had been standing still moved once more.
The Golems’ massacre of the monsters began.
Leon, who now judged that Sang-woong was safe, also moved in earnest.
His targets were the remaining Demon Tribe members who were Zrakan’s subordinates.
Leon crossed the battlefield swiftly and bit into the Demon Tribe.
The Elves also came out of the wooden fence.
They moved nimbly as if they were not affected by things like the mud and fired their arrows.
Their goal, like Leon’s, was also the remaining Demon Tribe.
These ones must never be left alive.
It was partly because they were the Demon Tribe, but also because it could lead to great future trouble if the news of this fact reached other Demon Tribe who occupied different regions.
“Kuaaaaak!”
“You bastard!”
“You cowardly archers! Fight us head-on!”
The Demon Tribe crumbled, unable to regain their senses under the attacks of Leon and the Elves.
And before long, the war that seemed like it would never end came to a close.
It was a great victory.
“Waaaaaaa!”
The Elves could not contain their joy and let out shouts that rang across the battlefield.
Although they had stepped forward into the fight to defend their last bastion, they had never imagined they could achieve such a victory.
The Demon Tribe was that terrifying of an existence, and the thought of winning didn’t even dare to cross their minds.
Since they had participated with the resolve to face death anyway, they had joined the war with the mind to pour out the pent-up resentment they had accumulated.
Yet, they had won without a single sacrifice.
Especially when Sang-woong fought and defeated Zrakan, a shiver ran through their entire bodies.
“If things go well…”
It felt like they might be able to return to the peaceful times their ancestors enjoyed.
Such hope blossomed in everyone’s hearts.
Though they had only taken down one small King of the Frontier, it was enough to provide hope.
A moment later, Sang-woong left the cleanup of the battlefield to the Golems and led everyone into Zrakan’s land.
The thick Magi mixed in the air announced that this place was the land of the Demon Tribe.
After walking for a long time, there was Zrakan’s castle.
The grandly and highly built castle walls stretched out endlessly.
Sang-woong’s brow furrowed.
It was safe to say that there was no way other Demon Tribe would invade this frontier land.
Ultimately, these high castle walls must have been Zrakan’s vanity, or a giant prison made to prevent any Humans left in this land from escaping.
He couldn’t even imagine how many people had been injured and died to build up those castle walls.
There were no soldiers guarding the castle gate.
“Zrakan probably led every available force he had into the war.”
Even so, without letting his guard down, he passed through the giant castle gate and entered the castle.
The moment he stepped inside, a Magi like acrid and disgusting smoke stabbed mercilessly into his nose.
The concentration was incomparably thicker than the Magi outside.
It was to the point that even Sang-woong felt a strong sense of discomfort.
The Elves also seemed to find it hard to endure, covering their noses and mouths with cloth they had prepared or their sleeves.
He could feel their clear energy being suppressed by the thick Magi.
“Owner of the Land.”
Astilbe approached Sang-woong and spoke in a low voice.
In his voice, a subtle sign of discovery brushed past along with vigilance.
“Over there, do you see the plants and trees that are growing exceptionally well, unlike the other plants and trees?”
At Astilbe’s words, Sang-woong’s gaze shifted.
Nameless plants and trees were growing in various places throughout the castle, but only a few types of plants and trees were growing unbelievably lushly even within the thick Magi.
In the desolation of the Demon Tribe’s territory, these existences overflowing with such vitality felt heterogeneous.
“I see.”
Sang-woong replied briefly. His eyes sharpened.
“Is it those things?”
“Yes. Those plants and trees are emitting Magi. They are existences that create Magi themselves, suppressing the growth of other life forms around them and enhancing the power of the Demon Tribe and Monsters.”
Astilbe continued the explanation.
“They are the source that allows the Demon Tribe’s fortress to be maintained and the Demon Tribe to move actively even in the contaminated lands of this world.”
As Sang-woong listened to Astilbe’s explanation, he slightly furrowed his brow as if realizing something.
“So this Magi was what was blocking the expansion of the land.”
The unpleasant feeling of resistance felt when the land was expanding toward the Demon Tribe’s territory was caused by clashing with the Magi.
He intuitively sensed that the fundamental culprit was the Magi generated by those disgusting plants.
The Demon Tribe fortress before his eyes was not just a simple fortress, but a kind of Magi generation base trying to erode his land.
Anger surged, but Sang-woong observed the surroundings without any change in expression.
The inside of the castle was empty, but he could faintly feel the presence of Humans.
“Go and take care of your families. And since we will be leaving this place, pack what you need as well.”
At Sang-woong’s words, the people who had only been watching for cues scattered here and there.
“And Astilbe, please conduct a search as there might be dangers remaining in the castle.”
“Understood, Owner of the Land.”
Astilbe immediately gave instructions to the Elves.
And following his instructions, they formed teams and began the search.
While the Elves were searching, Sang-woong turned his gaze toward the deepest part of the castle, the inner castle where Zrakan would have stayed.
The place where the thickest Magi was felt.
Seeing as no plants or trees were particularly visible, he had a thought that there might be a more fundamental existence or object creating the Magi.
Whatever it was, he had to deal with it first.
“I will go to the inner castle”
Sang-woong informed Astilbe of his purpose.
Astilbe hesitated for a moment but nodded his head.
“Please be careful, Owner of the Land. The heart of the Demon Tribe can be dangerous”
Sang-woong replied briefly and moved his steps toward the inner castle.
The thick Magi felt as if it were choking his breath, but Sang-woong’s mana protected himself and pushed the Magi away.
The path leading to the inner castle was even more complex and gloomy.
Whether it was Zrakan’s taste or the unique culture of the Demon Tribe, bizarre sculptures and unknown patterns filled the walls.
When he arrived at the large hall that appeared to be Zrakan’s private space at the deepest part of the inner castle, the concentration of Magi reached its peak.
It was to the point that the front felt hazy as if black mist had materialized.
In the center of it, a black object emitting an ominous energy was placed.
“That’s the one.”
It was in the shape of a censer, appearing as if it were made by grinding a giant Human skull.
Delicate but disgustingly evil carvings were densely engraved, and from within it, black and murky Magi constantly rose like smoke, filling the entire hall.
It was a divine object that created and maintained the Magi of this fortress, no, perhaps this entire region.
Sang-woong did not hesitate.
As long as this object existed, this land would continue to be contaminated, and the expansion of the land would be hindered forever.
And someday, Demon Tribe lords like Zrakan could use this Magi supply source as a foothold to invade again.
Sang-woong drew the sword at his waist. He loaded mana onto the blade.
Sang-woong, who stepped in front of the Black Censer, swung his sword in one breath.
Clang!
With a sharp sound, the Black Censer that had been emitting Magi was accurately cut in two.
As the censer broke, the momentum of the black Magi that had been gushing out from within it weakened sharply and began to scatter rapidly.
He could feel the thick Magi that had filled the hall thinning noticeably.
The fundamental source of contamination had been removed.
At that moment, an unexpected message appeared.
-Skill ‘ Magi Resistance ‘ is generated .-
“Magi Resistance?”
There are cases where skills are innate when awakening, and cases where they are acquired skills that occur as situations like training are repeated over a long period.
Sang-woong, being exposed to the most concentrated Magi, the skill was created in order to defend against the Magi.
“I’ve gained quite a good skill.”
He didn’t know how many more Demon Tribe members he would fight in the future.
In such a situation, the Magi Resistance skill would be a great strength.
Even right now, the discomfort felt due to the Magi had decreased considerably.
He sheathed his sword and left the inner castle.
When he returned to the castle interior, Astilbe, the Elves who had finished the search, and the people gathered one by one.
The people were taking care of the families that had remained in the castle and were carrying bundles on their backs for the move.
“Was there no danger in the castle?”
“Yes, Owner of the Land. It seems Zrakan took all his forces to the battlefield. Only Human elderly and children were left in the castle.”
Sang-woong waited for everyone to gather.
When it seemed that everyone had gathered after some time had passed, Sang-woong stood before the people.
In an instant, the gazes of nearly a thousand people turned toward Sang-woong all at once.
In their eyes, where fear and hope were mixed, desperation was contained more than anything else.
“Please check if everyone is here without exception.”
At Sang-woong’s words, the people looked around at each other and checked the numbers.
Seeing them nod their heads silently soon after, it seemed everyone had gathered without exception.
“We are going to a new land where there is no Magi.”
At Sang-woong’s single sentence, the people already began to shed tears.
They had never even dreamed of a world without Magi.
Since the world was already occupied by Magi when they were born.
They thought that finding it hard to breathe, having aching bodies, getting sick, and living as slaves to the Demon Tribe was their natural fate.
The words passed down like legends said that there was originally no Magi in this world.
But that was just a legend.
Yet now, that legend was about to be realized before their eyes.
“Astilbe, take the people and set out first.”
Sang-woong instructed the Elves to take the Humans and head out of the castle first.
“I have something to do for a moment. I will follow soon”
As the Elves and the people moved toward the castle gate, Sang-woong took Leon and Aria and headed toward the place where the plants emitting Magi were overgrown.
“Aria, can you use Fire Magic?”
“Yes, Master. Something of that level isn’t difficult.”
Aria, who understood Sang-woong’s intention, went around various places in the castle and began to set fire to various parts of the castle by generating flames from her fingertips.
Whoosh!
The debris of the castle and the plants that held Magi were instantly enveloped in flames.
It felt as if flames of purification, not black Magi smoke, were soaring into the sky.
As the castle burned, Sang-woong felt the expansion of the land, which had been blocked, begin once again.