Chapter 465: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility (3)
Dentaria was slightly flustered. What he initially thought was an opponent of the highest caliber now appeared to be a transcendent being.
“How... how is this possible? Another transcendent in the Northern Army?”
This disrupted his plans significantly. The entire operation had been based on the assumption that there were no more transcendents within the Northern Army.
A cruel glint soon flickered in his shaken eyes.
‘Perhaps this is an opportunity.’
He hadn't anticipated a hidden transcendent, but if he could kill that elf here, it would eliminate a significant threat.
Though he couldn’t determine if the elf’s abilities surpassed his own, there were three transcendent-level fighters on his side.
‘We’ll surround them...’
Just as Dentaria was about to call for the other transcendents, Ereneth acted first.
BANG!
Thud!
“Urgh!”
Before Dentaria could do anything, Ereneth had seized him by the throat.
BOOM!
Pinned to the ground, Dentaria’s face twisted in shock.
‘I-I can’t breathe...’
The power Ereneth exerted was overwhelming. Simply being grabbed by the throat rendered him unable to breathe.
Rumble...
“Guhhh...”
It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his neck. If this continued, his neck would snap.
Dentaria mustered more strength, dark energy surging from his hands.
BAAANG!
He unleashed his energy, but Ereneth had already disappeared.
“Hah... cough! Cough!”
Dentaria scrambled to his feet, flinching as he glanced behind him.
Frantically gathering his energy, he crossed his arms.
Flash!
BOOM!
CRACK!
Struck by green energy, Dentaria was sent flying. His crossed arms, which had taken the brunt of the impact, shattered.
“Argh! You wretch! Who the hell are you?!”
Hiss!
Dark energy erupted violently from Dentaria’s body, enveloping his broken arms. He used the energy to stabilize his injuries.
From his back sprouted wings of black light, while sharp claws of dark energy extended from his hands.
This was the power of high priests, something he rarely used. Dentaria pushed himself to his very limits.
“Don’t underestimate my divine power!”
Seething with rage at the unidentified elf who had struck him, Dentaria bellowed.
BOOM!
He shot forward as a streak of black light.
The idea of an elf suddenly appearing with power that surpassed his own was nonsensical. He had only been caught off guard at the start. That was all.
“Die!!!”
His twisted face contorted further as he slashed with claws reminiscent of a demon’s.
The force was so great that it distorted and split the very space around them. He was convinced the attack was unblockable, inescapable.
But Dentaria had only struck Ereneth’s afterimage.
The elf had already evaded, shifting to his side. Ereneth spoke coldly.
“You’re no true transcendent. You’re just a parasite feeding on scraps.”
Flash!
BOOM!
A brilliant flash erupted, and Dentaria’s side caved in as he was sent tumbling.
“Gaaah!”
Writhing in pain, he let out a tormented scream from where he lay on the ground.
Divine power was supposed to dull the pain. He should have been able to endure without feeling true agony until his divine energy was depleted.
Yet, an excruciating pain radiated from his side. He had no idea what was happening.
Desperate, he directed his divine power to the injured area, but it had little effect.
‘C-could it be... her attacks possess a power that overrides divine energy?’
It meant her strength was so overwhelming that it nullified the effects of divine power. Despite having taken only a few hits, Dentaria’s divine energy was almost entirely depleted.
Step.
Ereneth approached, gazing down at Dentaria with contempt.
“Pathetic. Compared to ‘then,’ you’re utterly pitiful.”
“W-what are you saying...?”
“You dare to pretend as a transcendent with such a half-baked power.”
The high priests of the Salvation Church might appear transcendent, occupying time and space with their power. This was due to their faith enabling them to establish a world unique to themselves.
But they lacked the necessary skill and experience. They hadn’t honed themselves; they merely wielded a peculiar power bestowed upon them, leaving them incapable of fully mastering it.
“You’re weaker than an Equidema.”
The Riftspawn known as Equidema fought with primal instinct. Its incredible physical strength and ferocity made it difficult even for transcendents to handle.
The priests, however, were different. They possessed power but lacked the technique, experience, and instincts to wield it effectively. That was why they were referred to as half-baked transcendents.
“Urgh...”
Clutching his side, Dentaria retreated, crawling backward.
There was no way to win. If this fight continued, he would lose his life, and the operation would fail.
Ereneth watched Dentaria’s pitiful retreat in silence before speaking again.
“Is that all?”
“W-what do you mean...?”
“I’m asking if you’re the only transcendent here. If so, you’ll die here.”
“You insolent...!”
Dentaria’s eyes gleamed. The only reason he hadn’t called for backup earlier was because he was too busy evading attacks. From the start, the plan was to work together. His opponent’s apparent carelessness now could only work in his favor.
“Attack her immediately!”
At Dentaria’s shout, black pillars of light erupted where Ereneth had been standing.
Boom! BOOM!
Ereneth leaped back, her eyes fixed on the enemy lines.
Noticing two priests rushing toward her, her eyes sparkled.
“Three of them.”
Three transcendents. If she hadn’t been present, the Northern Army would have suffered tremendous losses.
As the two priests joined the fray, Dentaria ascended into the sky, laughing mockingly.
“You arrogant elf. Do you really think you can handle the three of us?”
The priests were confident. Even if their skills were lacking, the combined power of three transcendent-level fighters was formidable.
Together, they could compensate for one another’s weaknesses in combat.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Black energy shot out in all directions. This time, even Ereneth couldn’t afford to underestimate the situation and was forced to focus on evading.
The Northern Army’s camp grew restless at the sight.
“There really were more of them?”
Alfoi trembled as he looked at Claude.
Claude had insisted on gauging how many transcendents the enemy had before making any moves.
Claude’s Strategic Calculations
“If you can kill them, do so immediately. But if you can overwhelm them, draw out more transcendents. We need to precisely assess the enemy’s strength to respond effectively.”
If Ereneth overwhelmed the first transcendent she encountered, the enemy would likely attempt to kill her by coordinating all available transcendents.
No one would pass up the opportunity to eliminate such a formidable foe.
Claude, leaning smugly back in his chair, remarked, “For an expert like me, it’s obvious. I always say war is like a card game. It’s a psychological battle, and the one with the better hand wins in the end.”
Kaor slung his sword over his shoulder and scoffed.
“Expert, my foot. You lose every time you bet against the lord.”
“...That’s because he’s not a normal person.”
Regardless, Claude’s approach had worked. If the enemy had ignored Ereneth and attacked all at once, it might have caused trouble, but instead, they had taken the bait.
Kaor tilted his head, puzzled.
“Why did they take the bait, though? If they thought we didn’t have the lord here, wouldn’t it make more sense to overwhelm us and increase our losses?”
“Tsk, tsk. That’s not how a commander’s mind works. They’re disadvantaged because of the catapults, so they probably want to conserve their forces. Facing top-tier knights causes significant casualties. They likely saw an opportunity to eliminate her now and took it.”
“Hmm...”
Kaor pouted. He found Claude’s attitude infuriating acting like he was the smartest person around. Everything about him was annoying.
Alfoi, however, looked at Claude with admiration.
‘He’s right. I need to play more card games.’
It seemed like a great way to stimulate his brain.
While Claude spoke smugly, masking his true feelings, a cold sweat ran down his back.
‘She’s unbelievably strong. That level of power? Is this for real? Is she even stronger than the lord?’
Claude had made his earlier suggestions without much expectation, but Ereneth was actually holding her own against three transcendents.
Even though the priests lacked combat experience, their strength alone was transcendent-level. Taking a direct hit from them would be no different than being struck by another transcendent.
The fact that Ereneth was fighting three of them simultaneously was unbelievable, even as he watched with his own eyes.
‘Should we just march straight to the ducal house?’
Though he knew it was unrealistic, the thought crossed his mind momentarily. Ereneth’s performance was that impressive.
Watching the fight, Alfoi expressed his concern.
“Is it okay for her to handle all three of them? Shouldn’t we step in now? Let’s send out Vanessa! Show them what we’ve got!”
He had no intention of joining the fight himself, knowing he would be torn apart instantly. Alfoi’s situational awareness was sharp when it came to self-preservation.
Tennant drew his sword and addressed Claude.
“I’ll go out there.”
Kaor, still lounging with his sword over his shoulder, grinned.
“Relax. I’ll go with this guy. Those priests fight terribly, don’t they?”
Kaor had previously fought alongside Ghislain to capture Lavierre. He knew firsthand that while the priests were fast and strong, they lacked the necessary technique.
Confident that he and Tennant could handle them, Kaor was ready to intervene.
But Claude shook his head.
“No, not yet. Let’s observe a little longer.”
Ereneth maintained her cautious combat stance, prepared to retreat or signal for aid if the situation turned dire. Yet, her movements made it clear: she intended to take down at least one of them.
It was still uncertain whether the enemy had more transcendents in reserve. However, if Ereneth managed to kill one and no more appeared, it would confirm that these three were their entire force.
‘So, these three are it.’
Determining the presence of transcendents during war was crucial. Strategies hinged on such intelligence.
Ereneth was executing Claude’s orders perfectly, revealing the presence of at least three transcendents. The enemy’s intent to crush the Northern Army in the absence of their lord was palpable.
Claude gestured to those around him.
“Still, be ready for a fight. If they falter after deploying three transcendents, they’ll go berserk.”
As the Northern Army nervously observed the battle, Count Mathes of the Delfine forces clenched his fists, watching the exchange between the four combatants.
“Who... who in the world is that elf?”
All three of his transcendents were in the fray, yet they hadn’t managed to defeat the opponent. Any competent commander would have prepared knights to counter incoming transcendents.
The difference between being ambushed and having forces prepared to pin down the enemy was vast.
Still, such worries could only matter if the three transcendents managed to win.
“S-surely, they won’t lose, right?”
He had seen them being pushed in one-on-one combat, but he refused to believe they could lose as a group.
Coordinated attacks always yielded exponentially greater power.
“But why isn’t anyone joining in?”
At this point, reinforcements should have come from the Northern Army’s side. Yet, no one was moving to aid Ereneth.
This apparent indifference made Count Mathes even more uneasy.
After some deliberation, he addressed his adjutant.
“Prepare to attack immediately.”
“Pardon?”
“If it looks like the priests are in danger, we’ll charge.”
“But the knight duel isn’t over yet—”
“You fool! With three transcendents already in play, the duel is lost. Their side hasn’t even sent anyone out!”
“U-understood.”
Morale among the soldiers, who were merely spectators, dropped further. The duel was as good as over.
The only course left was to seize an opening and push forward. Surely, an opportunity would arise.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOOM!
The battle intensified. Despite the synergy between the three transcendents allowing them to complement one another, Ereneth remained unyielding.
Her calm, focused gaze suggested she was aiming for something specific.
Above, Dentaria hovered, letting out a triumphant laugh.
“You were so arrogant look at you now! Let’s see if you can block this!”
A deep hum filled the air as Dentaria’s eyes turned a vivid purple. An immense energy began radiating from his body.
Unable to win through skill, he resolved to devastate the battlefield with sheer power.
This attack wasn’t aimed at Ereneth alone it was directed at the Northern Army.
‘If this attack succeeds, Count Mathes will act.’
Dentaria planned to abandon Ereneth and turn his attention toward the Northern Army. The priests would hold Ereneth at bay while his attack inflicted significant damage.
Mathes wouldn’t waste such an opportunity.
Dark energy rippled from Dentaria’s body, forming strands of power.
It was the same technique Lavierre had used when fighting Ghislain. A hallmark of high priests, this ability unleashed thousands of energy strands to annihilate everything around them.
For priests, whose lack of skill made them vulnerable against powerful transcendents, this ultimate technique poured all their divine power into a single, decisive blow.
Even transcendents found it nearly impossible to evade, let alone ordinary soldiers.
‘Foolish elf. You’ll regret your arrogance when your allies are slaughtered.’
At that moment, Ereneth, dodging the other priests’ attacks, narrowed her eyes.
Rumble...
Her left arm, encased in wooden armor, sprouted fresh vines.
The vines wove together, forming a massive bow in her left hand.
This was the weapon of Ereneth, one of the Continent’s Seven Strongest, known as the Guardian of the World Tree.
The Elven Serenade.
Hummm...
Drawing the string with her right hand, a radiant green arrow of pure light materialized.
While continuing to evade the priests’ attacks, Ereneth held the bowstring taut. When she finally stopped moving, Dentaria, who was preparing to unleash his attack on the Northern Army, felt an immense energy and looked down.
In the distance, a green light flickered.
“No... could it be... that elf is...”
Before Dentaria could finish his thought—
Thwack!
The arrow of light pierced his heart.