◈ 681. [STAGE 40] Hero’s Conditions
Southwest from the Crossroads.
Damian, who was newly assigned to the observation tower and was climbing the stairs to the top of the tower, frowned.
“huh?”
A flash of light flashed in the distance to the south, covered in damp darkness.
‘light?’
Damian narrowed his eyes and looked there.
A series of fireworks, flashes, and roars rang out from the south.
‘What happened…’
As Damian urgently climbed to the top of the observation tower, the flash of light turned into a huge pillar of light and was soaring up.
“What on earth is this…”
Damian saw clearly.
The pillar of light soaring so high that it even reaches the veil of darkness that covers the sky.
The curtain of darkness in contact with the pillar of light vibrated violently. The sky trembled and the air rang.
The air on the top floor of the observation tower also suddenly became violently rippling, making breathing difficult.
Observers who had been observing with telescopes from the observation tower watched this strange phenomenon with their mouths wide open.
Damian desperately raised his eyes and tried to figure out what was happening at the source of the pillar of light.
However, darkness, light, flame, heat, and unsettling ancient magic were mixed together… Even with the world’s clairvoyance, I could not clearly see inside.
Eventually, the pillar of light slowly faded away, and the area that had been brightened for a while was once again immersed in gloomy darkness.
“….”
Damian glanced toward the curtain of darkness where the tip of the light pillar touched and then observed the darkness again.
Other observers also raised their telescopes and looked into the darkness, but they could not see anything in the pitch-black darkness.
But Damian didn’t move and tried to see through the darkness.
For several hours, everyone waited with bated breath in a landscape where time seemed to have stopped.
Boom….
a sound rang out.
An unidentified sound echoed throughout the earth. The other observers panicked, agitated as they could only hear sounds and see nothing.
But Damian could see it clearly.
Thump…. Thump…. Thump….
In the pitch-black darkness, the black dragon began to advance again.
No, it wasn’t the black dragon that was moving.
thud…!
It was the whole night of this world.
The entire huge wall of darkness hanging over the south stretched out endlessly, like fingers, tentacles, or claws, expanding… and
creeping up toward the north, covering the entire world.
***
Time passed helplessly.
The time for the next breath was approaching. And Dusk Bringer, who was supposed to block the breath, disappeared beyond the teleportation gate and did not return.
As soon as Dusk Bringer went missing, an emergency meeting was held and the policy decided was as follows.
“Please leave it to me.”
Thorkell.
A shield warrior who was the leader of the leprosy extermination squad and is currently the commander of the World Defense Front’s close-quarters combat unit.
If he uses his ultimate, he can withstand any attack for 10 minutes – the strongest man on the World Defense Front.
Thorkel decided to receive the breath with his body on the front line.
“I’ll try to hold on.”
“…Mr. Thorkel.”
“This is a way to repay the kindness I received here on the front line. “I am thrilled that this opportunity has come to me.”
Thorkel was happy, but Evangeline, who was also part of the close combat unit, felt sick.
This was because he knew that he would not be hit but would still feel the pain.
“But all I can do is endure. I need other measures to ‘block’ its breath.”
Thorkel’s ultimate skill, [Humans are not born to be defeated], has the miraculous power of not taking any damage for a certain period of time, which can be said to be the grace of the goddess.
But he just doesn’t get hit himself.
Thorkel can nullify any attack that an individual can take, but it is ridiculously insufficient to block the black dragon’s breath that burns the entire city.
Perhaps when the breath attacks, even if Thorkell can block some of it, the rest of the breath will destroy the city.
So the operation was established.
thud!
Kelly Bay brought his ship artifact, the giant Siren statue [Solid Superstition], on a cart.
“This Nightmare Slayer has the property of being ‘never destroyed.’ “You should be able to withstand the black dragon’s breath.”
Kelly Bay looked up at the statue with complicated eyes.
It is a keepsake of his son Kellyson and the last fragment of the secret ship Geronimo, who was like another child.
“I’ll attach a handle and modify it so you can use it as a shield. Other shields can’t hold up anyway. “Take this with you.”
“thank you.”
In the previous Lord of the Flies war, Thorkel’s body withstood the attack of the Lord of the Flies, but his armor and shield were all shattered.
The same would be true in front of the black dragon’s breath. It couldn’t be better than this if you had an unbreakable shield.
Kelly Bay asked cautiously.
“I have to deal with two Nightmare Slayers at the same time. Is that okay?”
The helmet worn by Thorkel is also a Nightmare Slayer [Original Sin] cast from the Goblin God King’s magic core.
Using two Nightmare Slayers at the same time would place an enormous burden that the criminal could not bear.
“it’s okay.”
Thorkel smiled bitterly.
“Because I have already surrendered myself to the darkness.”
“….”
Everyone was equally saddened by the loss of Ash.
Even Thorkell, who had always quietly and sincerely devoted himself to the world defense front, was seething with revenge.
“Night Bringer’s breath output steadily increased with each new shot every 12 hours.”
The wizards and alchemists who had been analyzing the Night Bringer’s breath gave explanations while flipping through charts with dizzying numbers.
Lily, who attended the meeting as their representative, opened her mouth.
“If it rose to the same level this time, even if Thorkell blocked it in the first place, it would have been a ricochet… I don’t know if it’s right to say it was a ricochet. Anyway, the distributed breath alone is enough to destroy the entire Crossroads.”
“if?”
“We need to anticipate the ricochet path and establish a second line of defense. We need a defensive measure to block the Black Dragon’s breath in this second line…”
Boom!
Someone came up behind them and placed the large shields in their hands on the floor.
Miller Aryan was the king of the Aryan Kingdom. Before I knew it, I had changed into white furry armor.
What he put down on the ground was one huge ice shield and several smaller ice shields.
It had a unique structure that could be transformed into a huge axe by attaching a handle.
“These are the perennial snow and the thousand-year snow, the treasured shield and ax of our kingdom. According to legend, it is ice taken from the top of the world in ancient times.”
Miller tapped the surface of the ax blade, a shield emitting white cold air, with his fingertips.
“It boasts near-invincible resistance to all types of flames. “Even if it’s just the breath of a black dragon, you’ll be able to withstand it to some extent.”
“Are you saying you want to give me this secret?”
“Not only will I provide it, but I will personally participate in the war.”
In response to Evangeline’s question, Miller lowered his desperate face in silence.
“In the first place, no one but the king of the Aryan Kingdom can handle the ice cap.”
“….”
Among the defensive tools currently available on the front line, this shield provided by Miller had the greatest chance of withstanding the Black Dragon’s breath.
Miller’s suggestion was adopted.
Lily continued her explanation.
“great. Then, place perennial and millennium snows at each point where a ricochet is expected. “It forms a second line of defense.”
“Can you accurately derive the expected point, Senior Wizard?”
“Of course, Acting Commander. “The waveform of the black dragon’s breath has already been analyzed.”
Lily gestured and Bodybag brought out a large piece of paper and spread it out on the table.
The breath that had been analyzed by all the wizards and alchemists on the front lines over the past two days had been interpreted one by one with complex formulas.
“Its breath is powerful, but even if it gets hit five times, things start to show up here too.”
Lily pointed south on the map and drew a straight line toward the Crossroads.
“And the black dragon’s breath traces an almost completely straight line from launch to strike. If Sniper Leader Damian from the observation tower specifies the exact coordinates, place Thorkel at the end of the southern field. “First, block the breath.”
Lily explained the operation quickly and concisely.
“Here is the shield [Sturdy Superstition] that Thorkel will use that will never be broken. Breath waveform analysis has been completed. Predicting the ricochet trajectory itself is not difficult.”
Lily then placed her hand near the center of the southern field.
“We will set up a secondary defense line at this predicted point and hold out with ice shields.”
“Can you stop it with that?”
“no. Here it will ricochet and disperse once more. A third line of defense must also be established. “This is the place.”
Lily pointed in front of the southern wall of the Crossroads.
“Artifacts have already been installed here. “All remaining barriers and barricades on the front line have been deployed.”
All the artifacts that had been stored up in the meantime were consumed in hundreds, and now even that was at an end. But it was not the time to save.
“I will sort it out. This is an operation to defend against the Black Dragon’s sixth breath. In the first round, Thorkel withstood it with [Strong Superstition], and in the second round, he guarded the ricocheted breath with ice shields. “We use all the remaining barriers and artifacts to block the 3rd bullet ricochet.”
“….”
“This is an operation to block the Black Dragon’s breath by dispersing it into fragments in three stages and finally neutralizing it.”
The kings who heard the reckless strategy groaned.
Imperial Emperor Traha, who sat quietly and listened, asked.
“What is the probability of success?”
“It’s low.”
“What if I fail?”
“The city will burn and we will die.”
Lily spoke calmly and put away the chart and paper.
“Humanity and the world will be destroyed.”
“….”
“Instead, if we somehow manage to block it just this once, then next time… wouldn’t we be able to give the black dragon a shot?”
After this, the Black Dragon directly reaches the Crossroads.
Not only can you finally face monsters on the walls of this original frontline fortress city.
The last hope of the World Defense Front – the special team commanded by Lucas has the opportunity to plunge the blade of revenge into the Black Dragon.
“….”
Traha, who was silent, looked around.
In order to continue the last possibility, a small number of kings and troops were sent north… but all the remaining kings and troops remained here at the Crossroads.
If you can hold on to this breath, you will be able to launch a final counterattack with all of them.
If I can just hold on to this breath…
“…Lord Thorkell.”
The emperor called quietly.
However, Thorkel did not realize for a moment that he had been called. That was because it was my first time hearing the title ‘Gyeong’.
“Lord Thorkel.”
Thorkell, who had been blinking blankly, was startled when the emperor called him once more and bowed down.
“Yes yes! your majesty! sorry. “Please order.”
“I’ll ask you to take care of me.”
Traha approached Thorkel and placed his hand on his shoulder and whispered softly.
“The fate of the world rests on your shoulders.”
“…The joy that this city has given me for the grace that His Majesty the Crown Prince gave me.”
Thorkel bowed his head deeply.
“And to protect the warmth of this world that the saint enlightened me… I will do my best.”
The words flowed so eloquently that even Thorkell himself was surprised.
Traha, who grinned and held Thorkel’s shoulder tightly, made eye contact with everyone inside the conference room, nodded, and left the conference room.
It was midwinter, and snowflakes were falling over Crossroads.
As Traha let out white breath from the corner of his mouth while looking at the sky, the adjutant who quietly approached him whispered lowly.
“your majesty. Emergency repairs to the flagship Alcatraz have been completed.”
“….”
“Although it has been declared decommissioned, it is fully capable of flying to New Terra if Your Majesty flies it herself. Please leave quickly.”
Traha looked back at his adjutant with sunken eyes. The adjutant spoke with an unwavering voice.
“This place is too dangerous.”
“….”
“The Supreme Majesty of the Empire must not throw his life away carelessly. If you truly care about the world, your Majesty should be in a safe place. “I do.”
“….”
Traha did not answer right away but closed his eyes once.
After a while, the emperor’s lips slowly opened.
“…Alcatraz flight is possible right now?”
***
Time passes.
It has been 60 hours since the Black Dragon’s royalties landed.
Now, in the thick darkness of the south, not far from the city…
Huuuuk –
As expected, the black dragon was ready to spit out its sixth breath.
And all of this was being accurately captured by Damian on the observation tower.
Even if he is assimilated into the endless night, Damien’s eyes can see through its essence.
Even in the fog-like darkness, Damian figured out how the black dragon gathered its breath and where its breath was aimed.
“Urgent alert-! Preparing the Night Bringer’s sixth breath!”
The information was relayed to the Crossroads and to Thorkel, who was preparing with his shield at the end of the southern field.
After confirming the predicted path of the breath, Thorkel and the shield installation team immediately moved the shield and fixed it to the floor.
[Solid Superstition] was a statue large enough to be attached to the bow of the ship. It was like a shield, but in reality it was no different from a huge wall.
No matter how great Thorkell’s strength was, he could not hold it and swing it.
So the dwarves, including Kelly Bay, quickly fixed it to the floor and nailed it.
“Good luck.”
After finishing the work, Kelly Bay left the area, said this, and gave a thumbs up. Thorkel just nodded silently.
“Huh…”
When Thorkel took a breath and raised his head to look straight ahead.
Kwaaaaaa!
The final breath that Crossroads had to block was already fiercely shooting towards the city.
It was a black flame of tremendous force.
Even though Thorkell had endured attacks from all kinds of legendary monsters, his breath was filled with such terrible hatred that it made his spine go numb.
“Ugh…!”
Thorkell closed his eyes tightly as he became afraid without even realizing it.
Then
– Welcome to Crossroads!
The innocent face of the prince smiling while saying that flashed through my mind.
“…!”
My eyes opened.
Then, I clenched my teeth as hard as I could, as if my molars were about to break.
Thorkel held on tightly with both hands to the shield in the form of a huge statue that had been planted on the ground, and let out a loud roar that consumed all his strength.
“Come on!”
Oh my!
An even more massive breath attacked the huge shield held up by Thorkel.
