Chapter 188


    Lucas and Evangeline had been waiting on the walls throughout the defense.


    Neither was the situation to go out and fight, nor were there enemies approaching for a hand-to-hand battle, so their strength had been entirely preserved.


    tter! tter! tter-!


    The two knights, mounted on horses, charged forward like chariots.


    The firepower of Smanders Legion concentrated on them as they burst out of the open gates.


    However, the first bombardment waspletely negated as Reina swung a tornado to counter it.


    That mage officer, I dont like her on a personal level...


    Lucas nced at the walls as he muttered.


    But her skills are reliable.


    If her abilities were worth nothing, I wouldve kicked her out long ago! Lets go!


    Evangeline spurred her horse and took the lead.


    The ordinary smanders continued to breathe fire, but Evangeline raised her shield and blocked them all.


    Immediately following behind her, Lucas swung his sword to the left and right.


    Swish! Snap!


    The smanders in the path of the two knights were all cut in two, spraying blood.


    In no time, they approached the closest giant smander.


    The giant smander, asrge as a house, slowly turned its body and aimed its fiery muzzle at the two.


    Lucas and Evangeline split to the left and right simultaneously, as if by some agreement.


    Boom! Boom!


    Where the two knights had stood a moment before, fireballs now fell.


    But the two knights had already dispersed, diving under the massive body of the giant smander.


    Huh-!


    Lucass Soul Strike skill glowed as he struck down his sword,


    Ha-ha-ha!


    Evangeline thrust her spear, dealing Damage Payback with the umted damage on her shield.


    With Lucass sword strike and Evangelines spear strike, one of the thick legs of the giant smander flew off.


    The giant smander twisted its body, letting out a heavy scream.


    Its head, held high before, came down. The two knights, seeing their prey, simultaneously glowed with anticipation.


    Lets go-!


    Ta-dah!


    Evangeline, driving her horse towards the neck of the giant smander, sprung up like a squirrel.


    Despite wearing heavy armor, she moved in an unbelievable manner.


    The giant smander tried to breathe fire at Evangeline, but,


    Dont breathe fire... on me!


    She smashed the monsters crown with her shield. Bang!


    With the shock, the giant smanders head fell even lower, low enough to reach Lucass galloping sword.


    sh-!


    Lucass sword erupted with brilliant rays of light.


    With the 1st skill Soul Strike, and the unique ability of his newly acquired sword Karma Eater to create sword energy, there was no surviving this attack.


    It was a finishing blow!


    Snap-!


    Lucass fierce upward swing cleanly severed the giant smanders neck.


    The monsters enormous body copsed, spillingva-like blood onto the ground.


    Thats one down.


    Flicking the blood off his sword, Lucas muttered, and Evangelinended next to him with a thud!


    The starts good!


    Four left. Dont let your guard down. Lets go.


    The two knights mounted their horses again and charged towards the next giant smander.


    The battle continued, and it was when Lucas and Evangeline had toppled the third giant smander.


    Vroom!


    Evangelines horse looked noticeably fatigued. When it refused to move properly, Evangeline was taken aback.


    "Huh? Whats wrong with you? Are you hurt?"


    Examining the horse, Evangeline pped her forehead in realization.


    "Oops! The armor was too heavy...!"


    The [Golem Armor] that Evangeline wore offered immense defense but at the cost of its tremendous weight.


    Besides, it was only logical that even the most robust warhorse would have its limits when the rider was performing acrobatics on the saddle while wearing such heavy armor.


    I should have worn lighter armor if I nned to ride!


    Why did she have to make these trivial mistakes? Evangeline swept a hand over the panting horses mane.


    Thanks to the shield Saintess Margarita had provided, the horse had not been burned, but the battlefield was still a sea of mes.


    Superhuman heroic characters were not significantly affected, but it was only natural that ordinary warhorses would tire more quickly.


    "What do we do? We cant fight like we did earlier."


    "No choice. Lets return to the castle for now and then again..."


    Lucas stopped mid-sentence as fireball bombardments rained down from above.


    "Damn, retreat!"


    Instinctively driving his horse out of the bombardments path, Lucas faltered.


    Evangeline, following him, was too slow; her horse couldnt move properly.


    With no time to act, a fireball bombardment struck right above her.


    - Boom!


    "Evangeline!"


    Lucas shouted in front of the thick explosion.


    A momentter, a choking voice emerged from the dark smoke.


    "Im... okay..."


    Despite taking a direct hit, Evangeline had not been seriously injured. Her armor and shield were merely ckened.


    "Ugh, the horse..."


    But the warhorse caught in the fireballs st was instantly killed.


    Evangeline mourned beside her fallen horse.


    "Ughhhhh, Im so sorry..."


    "Nows not the time!"


    Lucas quickly grabbed Evangeline by the back of her neck, hoisted her behind him, and fled the area.


    The falling fireball caused an immense explosion.


    "Weve lost our mobility! We must finish this as quickly as possible!"


    But without their feint, the monsters attacks focused on them. Lucass and Evangelines horse was continually bombarded.


    Approaching the fourth Giant Smander, their horse was finally swept away by the relentless attack.


    - Neigh!


    "Damn?!"


    "Woah!"


    The two knights who had fallen from their horse quickly rolled to their feet, but mes continued to fly at them from all directions.


    - Bang! Whoosh!


    Evangeline held her shield forward, blocking the fireballs, while Lucas swung his sword to fend off minor attacks.


    They were stuck in ce, continuously battered by mes.


    Was it a mistake toe out here with just the two of us?


    In the sea of mes, Lucas bit his lip.


    He had been confident in his individual strength during previous battles.


    He had judged that he and Evangeline could handle the situation by themselves.


    Better to finish it as the two best knights rather than risk unnecessary casualties by bringing other soldiers. That had been his thinking.


    But had he been wrong? Had it been a reckless strategy?


    What would my lord havemanded?


    Ashs confident smile, always delivering the optimal instructions, flickered before my eyes. I missed it.


    No, because of that!


    Lucas gritted his teeth.


    Ash had said he trusted Lucas and had entrusted him with themand. He had said that no one but Lucas could handle the role ofmander.


    He had to honor that trust.


    Lucas gripped his sword tightly. Thats when it happened.


    Swooosh-!


    A blue wave shot out from the castle wall, hitting the face of the fourth giant smander.


    Boom!


    The monster, just about tounch an attack on Lucas and Evangeline, twisted its body, screaming in pain.


    Startled, I looked toward the wall to find it was Junior. Exhausting herst strength, Junior had cast a spell, but now she was falling to the ground.


    Nows our chance!


    The monsters attack had weakened momentarily, and Lucas and Evangeline dashed forward with all their might.


    Once they closed in, the rest happened in an instant. Lucas and Evangeline slew the fourth giant smander in a single strike.


    Thump...!


    Standing next to the massive fallen monster, Lucas and Evangeline caught their breaths.


    Only one left now?


    Yes, we just need to take that one down...


    Thest giant smander was particrly far away. Fifty other regr smanders were also gathered there.


    They couldnt just rush in without a n. Lucas wiped the sweat and de grime from his jaw with the back of his hand, clicking his tongue.


    How do we take it down...?


    ***


    Meanwhile, atop the castle wall.


    Hmm...


    Damien was deep in thought.


    He looked down at the magic gun [ck Queen] in his hand.


    The Princemanded that I only fire this gun three times.


    Although the reason was not given, Ash had urgently instructed not to fire the ck Queen more than three times.


    He didnt understand why there was suddenly a constraint on his well-used weapon, but Ashs words must be obeyed without question.


    So he had fired only twice so far, saving thest bullet.


    ...


    Damien looked back at the battlefield. He saw Lucas and Evangeline, isted in a fiery hell, without their steeds.


    Eventually, Damien made up his mind and nodded.


    Ill fire thest shot here.


    He raised the ck Queen and took aim, targeting the giant smander, then hesitated.


    Ash had said to shoot only three times, but not that he should kill only three.


    With one more shot, hitting as many enemies as possible would make the remaining battle easier.


    If I align the trajectory well... hit as many as possible with a single shot...


    Running to the end of the wall, Damien soon finished aiming.


    He took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.


    Bang-!


    With a resounding st, the magic bullet was fired.


    Soaring to the end of the battlefield, the magic bullet precisely pierced the giant smanders eye, prated its head, and additionally impaled two regr smanders that had been guarding it.


    Kugugung...!


    Thest giant smander spewed mes and fell.


    Phew.


    Watching the scene, Damien felt a secret relief.


    With this, they had passed another critical point in this defensive battle...


    ...Huh?


    Thats when Damien noticed something odd.


    From the magic core of the ck Queen, a faint, unknown aura began to spread. It was like smoke...


    "Hungry... so hungry..."


    It seemed like a voice could be heard.


    Whats that?


    Rubbing his tired eyes and looking back at the ck Queen, it was unchanged. It retained its usual smooth and beautiful appearance.


    ...Did I see something false because I used my eyes too much today?


    Shrugging it off, Damien wrapped the ck Queen back over his shoulder.


    As Damiens gaze shifted away, once again, a faint aura began to spread from the ck Queens magic core.


    It was a sinister light, like the darkness of midnight.


    ***


    - Crash...!


    With Damiens supporting fire, thest Giant Smander fell.


    Lucas and Evangeline took care of the remaining ordinary Smanders one by one.


    Regr soldiers also streamed out of the gates to assist in this process.


    After defeating all the monsters and putting out the fires scattered across the battlefield, the sun had already set. The defense had taken the entire day.


    Returning to within the castle walls, Lucas suddenly felt an overwhelming fatigue.


    Evangeline had already leaned against the wall and started to doze off as soon as she got back.


    "You worked hard, Deputy Commander."


    Reina, who was overseeing the aftermath of the battle, smiled at Lucas.


    "I must acknowledge your bravery. But, you wontst long with that approach. You only have one life, after all."


    "..."


    Lucas agreed. Todays battle had certainly felt more awkward than usual.


    Although they had managed to pull through safely, the process had been dangerous and sloppy.


    Above all, Lucas himselfcked confidence in giving the orders.


    What this front line needed was Ash.


    My Lord...


    Surveying his party members, scattered and fatigued around the castle walls, Lucas murmured to himself.


    Pleasee back soon...


    ***


    [STAGE 7 - CLEAR!]


    [STAGE MVP - Damien(N)]


    [Leveled-up Characters]


    - Lucas(SSR) Lv.45 (1)


    - Evangeline(SSR) Lv.45 (1)


    - Jupiter Junior(SSR) Lv.54 (1)


    - Damien(N) Lv.43 (2)


    [Deceased or Injured Characters]


    - None


    [Acquired Items]


    - Smander Legion Magic Stones: 290


    - Giant Smander Magic Core(R): 5


    [Stage Clear Rewards have been given. Please check your inventory.]


    - R-grade Reward Boxes: 5


    >> Get Ready For The Next STAGE


    >> [STAGE 8: A Lucky Day]