SWNOVELXO Chapter 565
Chapter 565: If You Run Now, You Can Survive. (2)
The priest, with all the bones in his arm shattered, screamed as he fell backward.
The priest next to him couldn’t hide his astonishment. It was as if he were saying, “When did we send a priest flying?” as the massive mace approached without slowing down.
This priest had some wisdom and tried to dodge the attack instead of blocking it, but his panic caused him to react a little too slowly.
Puh-uh-uh!
“Gahhh!”
Creeeak!
The priest, hit by the mace in his side, flew away.
Parniel was about to launch an additional attack on the priests but stopped. Cavalry was charging toward her from up ahead.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
She rushed forward, aimed at the fierce cavalry coming at her.
The fact that the superhumans of the Salvation Society had broken the formation of the Allied Forces meant she could also crush the Army of Atrode.
“Uff!”
Veins bulged from Parniel’s forearms. As she drew her power to the limit, a tremendous light erupted from her mace.
The gigantic mace struck the ground forcefully.
KWA-BOOM!
The earth shook and cracked around her. It was an unbelievable power for anyone witnessing it.
Neighhh!
“Waaaaah!”
The galloping cavalrymen tumbled off their horses.
As those in front rolled over, the cavalry coming from behind got caught up and fell as well.
Count Deproden gaped at the scene.
He knew who that woman was.
“The Saint of War? Why is the Saint here?”
The Saint should be at the main force of Ruthania. Why on earth had she appeared here!
Deproden quickly turned his head. Even the priests of the 10th Legion needed to succeed in their attacks.
The priests of the 10th Legion, who had set off a bit late, gritted their teeth and gathered their strength. They realized that a problem lay ahead.
Bam!
But someone popped up from the side.
“A one-armed guy?”
It was a masked one-armed man. The priests quickly searched their minds for information.
Though he wore a mask, his identity was widely known due to his unique feature.
A man who wore a mask out of shame for failing to protect his incompetent lord and committing vile acts.
“It’s that Tenent guy!”
Bam!
Blue mana poured vigorously from Tenent’s sword. Thanks to Ghislaine, he had reached superhuman status and grown even stronger through the battles so far.
KWA-BOOM!
“Ugh!”
The priest who raised his arm to block Tenent’s sword was pushed back. Another priest attempted to attack during the opening, but Tenent easily deflected it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Soon, a fight began between the two priests and Tenent.
Tenent was skilled, possessing remarkable talent and honed techniques. He might not push through like Parniel, but he could easily handle two lackluster priests in a battle.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The cavalrymen of the 10th Legion were charging from the back. However, Tenent paid them no mind.
The cavalrymen on both sides of the allied formation suddenly pulled out bows from their waists.
They were the archer cavalry of Ruthania.
The elf Lumina calculated the distance before saying,
“Shoot.”
Fwoosh!
A torrential rain of arrows fell upon the cavalrymen.
Ordinarily, an arrow attack wouldn’t inflict significant damage on cavalry. They could quickly approach or deflect with their armament.
The cavalry of the Army of Atrode attempted to lightly knock the arrows away.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
That was until the arrows pierced through their shields and breastplates.
Neighhh!
“Waaaaah!”
Cavalrymen pierced by arrows began falling and getting tangled up. They fell with expressions of disbelief on their faces.
It was true they were cavalrymen and poorly equipped. However, the arrow attacks were overwhelmingly strong.
It felt as if the arrows were shot by crossbows from a short distance.
“Don’t stop! Hurry, charge forward! Now!”
Cavalrymen in the back tried to speed through their allies as quickly as possible. They needed to get close before the next attack came.
But before all the arrows had fallen, a new rain of arrows showered down from the sky.
Pipipipipipipipack!
“What, what is happening!”
The rate of fire was unbelievable.
The Army of Atrode had only heard rumors about the power of the archer cavalry of Penris. They had thought of them merely as decent archers.
They had never experienced firsthand the powerful destructive power and firing speed of the new bows they possessed.
These bows were crafted by Ghislaine, putting the fate of the territory on the line. He almost lost Ghislaine while fighting Count Desmond to create this bow.
However, once the bow was completed, the archer cavalry of Penris began to dominate the battlefield with terror.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
Continual arrows pierced the cavalrymen. They started getting swept away without even being able to approach.
But the attack didn’t stop there.
There was a 6th Circle Mage from Ruthania in the area. Multiple 5th and 4th Circle Mages also existed.
Although the Army of Atrode had brought mages to counter the magical attacks of the Allied Forces, their mission was strictly to block magic.
And even that was not enough to completely block the incredible magic of the Ruthania army.
KWA-BOOM!
Fire pillars erupted where the cavalrymen from both sides had fallen. The mages from Ruthania had managed to penetrate some of the enemy’s magical blocks and successfully cast some spells.
Bam! KWA-BOOM!
Not many spells had been successfully cast, but the ones aimed at the already fallen cavalrymen were lethal.
Before long, Parniel had regrouped with the priests of the Salvation Society. Yet the priests, even having taken a beating from her, held their ground quite well.
The captured superhumans, nearly all of the cavalrymen down.
Tenent, who was fighting the priests, shouted loudly.
“Strike!”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Soldiers wielding shields and spears began to move in an orderly manner. They ran past their allies, who were fighting the priests, and easily stabbed the fallen cavalrymen with their spears.
Thwock! Thwock! Thwock!
Cavalrymen of the Army of Atrode were losing their lives without even being able to fight back.
At the same time, the archer cavalry began to spread out in a wide formation.
Fwoosh!
They surrounded the confused enemy and fired arrows. Even the surviving cavalry of Atrode were helpless against them.
Count Deproden trembled as he watched the scene.
“That, that army…”
In terms of numbers and equipment, they were no match. Such overwhelming combat power couldn’t be seen from just any army.
It was a power only the Ruthania army possessed on this continent.
“Why is the Ruthania army here… Could it be… a trap?”
Two hypotheses surfaced in his mind.
Either the traitor they had planted had betrayed them, or Duke Penris had turned the traitor back against him.
The former was practically impossible, as he was a devout believer of the Salvation Society. If he were to betray, it should have been before the Allied Forces suffered a setback.
Then it meant the identity of the traitor had been discovered, and Duke Penris used that to his advantage.
“I must report this fact quickly.”
If Duke Penris was already using the traitor for countermeasures, then other legions might also be acting on incorrect information.
Count Deproden turned his horse around. The 9th and 10th Legions were doomed anyway. Though the infantry remained, they couldn’t do anything.
The priests fighting only with the remaining soldiers wouldn’t be able to handle such a large force and superhumans.
“Move! Relay this news to the other legions!”
Count Deproden began to flee with his Guard Knights.
The archer cavalry was chasing from behind. Thanks to his quick decision, they had opened quite a distance.
But the horsemanship of the archer cavalry was anything but average.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The distance was closing in slowly. Count Deproden and the Guard Knights bit their teeth and urged their horses faster.
Lumina held her bow, narrowing her eyes slightly.
“I don’t want to cause pain to animals on purpose, but…”
She knew well what was important right now.
Whoosh!
The arrow she shot flew swiftly and struck the horse’s behind.
Neighhh!
The horse screamed and fell over. Count Deproden rolled off his horse onto the ground.
“Ugh!”
“Lord Commander!”
His Guard Knights stopped their horses and helped Count Deproden up. But in that moment, they were caught by the archer cavalry.
“Quickly, lead the Lord Commander away!”
The Guard Knights tried to flee with Count Deproden. Some of them charged at the archer cavalry.
The archer cavalry fired arrows straight at the knights.
Clang! Clang! Kaang!
The knights emitted mana, deflecting the arrows. But there were just too many archer cavalry.
Thwok! Thwock! Thwok!
Arrows began to lodge into their bodies. Though they defended valiantly, they were not superhumans.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
With numerous arrows sticking into them, the knights began to fall one by one.
The knights that were escorting Count Deproden were no different.
Thwok!
Eventually, Count Deproden was also struck by an arrow in the calf and fell. They hadn’t killed him, wanting to capture him instead.
“Gah… those bastards…”
Count Deproden bit his lip in frustration.
He had been confident of success, but he had been completely outmaneuvered. He never expected Duke Penris to react so quickly to the traitor’s presence.
‘No matter how suspicious someone may be, it shouldn’t come to this.’
If the target was misidentified, it could lead to even greater damage. That’s why high-level spies are tough to catch.
Yet Duke Penris had pinpointed the traitor with precision. It was evidence that he had been suspicious for quite some time.
‘It won’t be easy, though. Some legions are still holding back in case the traitor is revealed.’
Count Deproden pursed his lips.
Within the Army of Atrode, there were legions that observed their surroundings and did not move. They were precisely those set to respond to sudden variables.
They were the true beings controlling this war.
If regular contact wasn’t maintained, they would find out about the situation very quickly.
KWA-BOOM! KWA-BOOM! KWA-BOOM!
Just as Count Deproden was about to be captured, the two priests fighting Parniel were also becoming ragged.
Like true superhumans, they held out quite well, dealing a few blows to Parniel, but that was all.
She simply tanked their hits and retaliated with her mace.
KWA-BAM!
Creeeak!
“Gah…”
The priest with a broken back couldn’t hold on any longer and lost his breath. There was a limit even with his divine energy holding him up.
“P-please stop…”
The other priest was in a similar state. He was in such bad shape he could barely stand.
Just one more hit and he felt he would die. He reached out and said,
“I-I surrender.”
Parniel replied with an expressionless face.
“Will you repent for being tainted by heresy?”
“I-I promise to repent. Just… please stop…”
“First, cleanse your sins with death.”
KWA-BOOM!
Parniel’s mace crushed the priest’s head.
Having completely lost his power to resist, the priest couldn’t avoid or block the attack and ended up with his head shattered and died.
The overwhelming strength caused the remaining enemies to look on with fear. To think she killed not just one but two superhumans so easily.
Parniel, unfazed by the gazes, turned her body. The other side wasn’t finishing up as quickly as she was.
Slash!
“Gah! You bastard!”
Tenent’s sword sliced through the chest of another priest. Nevertheless, they were still fighting.
While Tenent’s skill was higher, he was pressuring the two priests but not completely overpowering them.
If time went on, Tenent would likely win, but it was a waste of time and energy. Parniel had no intention of simply watching this.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
She stomped forward fiercely and swung her mace hard at one of the priests fighting Tenent.
KWA-BAM!
“Gahhh!”
The suddenly struck priest staggered. Although he tried to wrap his divine energy around to cushion the blow, the impact was overwhelming.
Parniel grabbed the priest by the collar and smiled wickedly.
“Oh Goddess, I shall send one more your way.”
KWA-BOOM!
Grabbing the priest’s neck, Parniel slammed him down to the ground.
KWA-BAM! KWA-BAM! KWA-BAM!
She relentlessly pounded the ground with her mace.
“Gah! Cough!”
The priest was hit continuously.
Weakened from fighting Tenent, he couldn’t regain his senses from the unending blows.
Crack! Creeeak! Crack!
He should have retaliated or dodged, but bones had already broken everywhere. Even raising his power was impeded by the divine energy penetrating his body.
“Ugh…”
The last thing the priest noticed as he faintly opened his eyes was Parniel’s face, glaring down at him with a terrifying look.
KWA-BOOM!
Parniel’s mace smashed the priest’s face. The priest’s face exploded, and he took his last breath.
Straightening her waist, she glanced to the side.
Slash!
Tenent’s sword had cut through the neck of another priest. The priest, weakened and exhausted, was caught off guard by Parniel’s sudden appearance and failed to block Tenent’s blade.
“Thank you.”
Tenent nodded slightly at Parniel. She graciously accepted the gesture.
“Not at all.”
“Waaaaah!”
The soldiers cheered. There was something blood-boiling about Parniel’s overwhelming strength.
Plus, with her overwhelming combat prowess, she had decimated two enemy legions. It was impossible not to feel elated by this victory.
Tenent got on his horse and addressed the soldiers.
“No need to clear the battlefield. We move to the next area immediately.”
Thus, the victorious Ruthania army began moving once more.
*
Count Srouk, commander of the 6th Legion of the Army of Atrode, who was looting a city, received new information.
“Hmmm, really? They’ve confirmed the new stronghold?”
The Allied Forces had already suffered a defeat against him once. They judged that information had leaked and that they were restructuring their strategy.
Two legions were positioned close to each other to work together. It was similar to this side’s strategy.
Of course, this side was to attack, while the other was to defend.
“Hmmm…”
Count Srouk fell into thought. Excluding the Ruthania army, the Allied Forces had a total of four legions.
One was a traitor, and two had been decimated and scattered. Thus, there remained only one legion.
“That area isn’t mine to take charge of.”
The moving Allied Forces would likely be dealt with by the 9th and 10th Legions. Even without contact, they had to judge such matters for themselves.
What he had to do was different.
“I need to strike their supply lines and additional forces soon.”
As additional forces gather, things tire out. The fleeing soldiers of the Allied Forces would regroup again.
The goal was to cut off the supply lines in this direction and intercept any additional troops.
“I just need to push a bit more. I’ve reduced the Allied Forces quicker than expected.”
The Army of Atrode’s objective was to reduce the number of Allied Forces as much as possible and then establish a foothold in key areas. This would isolate the Ruthania army.
After all, Duke Penris had said he would give up his supply lines, so he either had no troops or very few.
Thus, from now on, he just needed to ensure no more additional forces stacked up.
“Since Duke Penris and Prince Turian have acted, I’ll quickly move out of this area. Inform the 5th Legion too.”
He already knew the route by which the additional forces were coming. They were coming separately, so dealing with them wouldn’t be difficult.
Thus, the 6th Legion of the Army of Atrode began to move again.
But Count Srouk was unaware.
A crow was circling high up in the sky.
The crow soon flew off. After flying for quite a while, it arrived at a gathering of troops.
The crow landed on the shoulder of the man at the forefront and spoke.
“I found it. They’re moving in the expected direction.”
The man, Yulien, nodded with a cold expression.