Chapter 166   – Entry into Alphen (1)

In a nameless abandoned temple….

There were several pillars at this location, and it was overgrown with weeds.  Then there were the ancillary stone fragments that used to decorate the temple.  People started coming out from between these pillars one by one.

“Hoo-ooh-oohp.”

After taking a deep breath, none other than Kahng-woojin appeared.

“It’s been a while.”

Woojin had purchased the ‘Rhat’s Temple.’  It was located on top of a mountain, and there was nothing obstructing one’s view.   One could see miles around.  Of course, the view wasn’t that great.

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“Ooh ooh.  This place is Alphen?”

“This place looks too desolate.”

Sunggoo and Jaemin had appeared behind Woojin.  They frowned as they looked at their surrounding.  The mountain was patchy with burnt trees.  There were bones and corpses that one couldn’t distinguish if it was from animals or monsters.  There was a horrible stench in the air.

There were quite a few fresh looking corpses amongst the dead.

“I guess they fought each other to be the ones to enter my Dungeon.”

When the abandoned Raht’s Temple was purchased by Woojin, a Dungeon Reset would have occurred.

If there was no rule in determining the order in which one could attempt the Dungeon, strength would determine the order.  It looked as if a big fight had gone on here to resolve this issue.

“….”

Melody was the last to come through.  She swallowed a moan when she saw the terrible sight around her.

The entrance was collapsed, so it was hard to see where the entrance to the Dungeon was.  He left behind his temple as he asked Melody a question.

“Where do you think we are?”

“I believe we are west of the Raht’s Plateau.”

“…”

When Woojin didn’t say anything, she studied his face.  He spoke with a sour expression on his face.

“How would I know where that is?  Where will I be able to find the coalition?”

“Ah…  If we head northeast, we’ll be at the old Alandal.  If we go east, we’ll arrive at the lands owned by the coalition.  I’m not sure what has happened to them, but….”

“All right.  Let’s go and check them out.”

Woojin turned to look at Sunggoo and Jaemin.

“Both of you can fly?”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

“Yes, hyung.”

After he heard their answers, Woojin summoned Shing Shing, and he got on.

“What are you doing?  Come here.”

“What? Yes..”

Melody was taken back at Woojin’s out of character offer.  She grabbed his hand, and she got on Shing Shing.

Heeeeeng!

Shing Shing didn’t like the Holy Maiden being on it, so it let out a rough snort.  However, it didn’t do anything rash.

“After we look around Alandal, we can go to the coalition lands..”

He didn’t know if Alandal remained or if it was destroyed.  However, he would have to check up on it with his own eyes.  He’ll have to check to see if a Colony could be formed there.

“Oh yeah.  Before I do that…”

There were welcome presents all around for his return to Alphen.  He couldn’t just leave them behind.

“Wake up!”

Chwahhhhhhk!

Magical energy flowed out of Woojin’s body, and it swirled around the corpses nearby.  The corpses were raised as Undeads.

Goo-uh-uh-uh!

The ones that looked mobile were brought back as Zombies.  The rest were returned as Skeleton Warriors.

“Let’s go.”

Shing Shing ran across the sky.  Sunggoo gave his body to the burning flame, and he flew across the sky like a rocket.  Jaemin chased after them after morphing into a bat.

In a flash, several hundred Undead had been created, and they madly dashed after Woojin.

Shing Shing was running at frightening speed, and Melody was afraid she would fall off the Phantom Steed.  She grabbed Woojin’s waist tighter.

***

The enormous praying mantises, Vesics, were chasing after the people.

Keh-roohk!

They were dripping poisonous spit from their mouths as they tirelessly moved their legs.  If the Vesics caught up to the humans, it meant death to the group.

“Muster up your energy!”

The leader was a big and strong man.  He yelled out loudly.  He was taking up the rear most position of the group that was running away.

“Hoo-ahhhp!”

The bald heroic man held a mace in his hand.  He swung it to break open the heads of the Vesics.  He had killed three with a single blow when one jumped high into the sky.

“Look above, Tauric-nim!”

At the girl’s shout, Tauric reflexively swung his mace.  He was able to strike the body of the Vesic.  The scythe-like appendage grazed across his head.

A shallow wound formed as a thin red line appeared on his bald head.

“Jeez!  Hurry up and run away!”

Tauric turned his body to increase his speed.  He grabbed his bald head with the hand that wasn’t holding the mace.

Ooh-ooh-oohng.

Accompanying a pure light, the wound on his head was completely healed.  When one of the girl that couldn’t keep up with the group fell down, he ran while holding her by his side.

“Hoo-oohk, Tauric-nim.”

“Don’t cry, my child.”

Wooooooong.

The light flowed out of Tauric’s body, and it surrounded the twenty people that was running in front of him.

“Muster up your energy!”

They ran as if their lives were on the line.  They had to live.  Strength returned to their shaking legs.  Each of the adults were holding one or two children.  They hugged the children tighter as if they cherished them more.

“Are we going to die?”

At the little girl’s question, Tauric put on a smile that was always overflowing with energy.

“Don’t worry!  We just have to survive as we sincerely hope for a miracle.  It will happen.”

“Hoo-hoohk.  Yes!  I can run by myself now.”

Tauric put down the girl as he ran.  The girl quickly caught up to the back of the running adults.

There were 20 Vesics chasing after them.

More would gather at this location when they heard the sound of the pursuit.  However, the only thing they could do right now was to fight and run at the same time.  The people that were running right now were all that was left of their village.

If they wanted to fight, they could.  However, the children would be killed or injured if they did so.  Even if it was a tough task, Tauric would whittle down the number of Vesics chasing them from the rear.

Kwahng, kwah-jeek!

“What tenacious bastards!”

A Vesic died every time Tauric swung his mace.  If he was injured, he healed himself.  After killing two Vesics, he was about to run again when his eyes turned round.

“Huh? Why did you stop…”

The people in front of him had stopped running.  When he joined the group, he didn’t even have to ask the question.  There were 12 spider-like monsters with tentacles called Launchers in front of them.

Keh-eh-ehk!

The Vesics finally caught up to them, and they surrounded the group of humans.

“Tauric-nim…”

Everyone’s faces were filled with despair.  The adults put down the children, and they grabbed the weapons on their waist.  They had no choice, but to fight even if they would most likely be wiped out.

No, they wouldn’t all be wiped out.

Monk Tauric, who served the god Skia, wouldn’t die.

“Oh Skia…”

Tauric spoke a quiet prayer as he grabbed his mace.

At that moment, he wasn’t swept up by despair.  He had travelled too hard of a road to give up now.

His muscles expanded as the clothes on his body billowed around him.

In a battle, he couldn’t protect everyone.  Children would die in this battle, and sadness would seek him out afterwards.

He decided to use his Rage, so he could pre-emptively strike fear into the enemies.

Hooooooohng.

A radiant pink light surrounded Tauric’s body.

“Tauric-nim!  Look over there!”

At that moment, the girl let out a shout.

Hwahhhhhhng.

A fireball was falling from the sky.  It was heading for the spider monsters called Launchers.

Kwahhhhng!

“Huh?”

Tauric’s eyes widened in surprise.

Shwehhhhhhk!  Kwah-jeek!

An arrow pierced through the Vesic that had charged forward.  Tauric turned his gaze towards where the arrow had come from.

“Oh, my god…”

There were only few heroes left in this world.

These were the heroes of the coalition.  They were the last hope of this land, and they were gathered to collect the Dimensional Fragments from the bases of their enemies.

Mage Graham and the Elven Lady Latasha appeared.

“We are saved!”

“It’s Graham-nim!”

“It’s the Silver Arrow!”

Some in the group had fought alongside these heroes in battle, so they cheered when they recognized the two.

When the two group joined forces, the Vesics and Launchers were defeated in an instant.

Tauric greeted them with a happy face.

“You were right on time!  Well met!”

“You’ve done a good job.  What happened to the town?”

Tauric shook his head from side to side at Graham’s question.  The hidden village had been found, and destroyed.  Most of the villagers had died.  The thirty people here were all that was left.

Moreover, half of them were children.

“Shit!  Those Vesic bastards are everywhere now.”

The beautiful Elf Latasha had a delicate face, but she let out a string of cuss words.  Her forest had been destroyed, and there were no longer any Elves that prohibited themselves from taking life on this planet.

Only the warriors were able to live.

“What happened to the rest of your party that went to attack the Go-shoo-shoo colony?”

Graham shook his head from side to side at Tauric’s question.

“We failed to clear it.  The rest of our members have dispersed to save as many people as possible.”

“Mmmm…”

The news only held despair.  Tauric’s face darkened.

Go-shoo-shoo was the Dimensional lord that had newly built a colony city in this region.  The monsters that lived in this Domain was massing in numbers, and they were encroaching on the surrounding territories.

If the bastard’s colony was destroyed, they would be able to stop the proliferation of the monsters.  It would give them some room to breathe.  However, they had failed.  They would have to abandon this land to find a new place to live.

The attack hadn’t just happened at the town where Tauric was in residence.  Other towns had all been attacked, and the heroes decided to go in twos and threes to save the towns.

Kieeeehhhk!

At that moment, a large life form appeared in the air as it let out a long screech.

“Shit!  It’s a Feris!”

It was a massive stingray that could fly through the sky.

It was large enough to blot out the sun if it flew over you.  In terms of size, it was a flying monster that rivalled the size of a Dragon.  The true reason why everyone was afraid of this monster was the fact that it acted as a carrier for other monsters.

Shoo-shoo-shoohk.

Vesics were on top of the Feris.  The Vesics unfurled their dragonfly-like wings as they flooded down from the skies.

Doo-doo-doo-doo.

These weren’t the only monsters.  The ground shook around them as the mole monsters named Tudon pushed their heads out of the ground.  The Tudons were coming up all around them.

“Hah.  It seems the offensive capability of Go-shoo-shoo’s army is beyond imagination.”

Tauric, Graham and Latasha’s faces darkened at the overwhelming number of monsters.

They could run away, but if they did, thirty people would die.  Even if they fought, they couldn’t guarantee the lives of the people.

The most devastating part was that these children could become heroes and archmages in the future.  The lives of these children would be snuffed out, and it would have been all for naught.

“Let’s retreat.”

Graham nodded his head at Latasha’s words.  Monk Tauric held his mouth firmly shut.  Tauric was about to open his mouth when he felt a delicate touch on his rough hand.

A child had grabbed his hand, and she was looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

“Are we going to die?”

“…”

“Is there no miracles left?”

“…”

It was as if the child, who was close to tears, knew what her future held.  Tauric turned to look at his companions.

“Let’s fight.”

“That’s unreasonable.”

“Then the two of you may escape to safety.  I’ll do my best to save these people..”

Graham spoke with great care at Tauric’s words.

“You are Skia’s Monk.  You shouldn’t recklessly use your body like this.  You have bigger tasks to accomplish in the future.  I can’t let you die in vain.”

Tauric’s power wasn’t weak.

“It is my mission to save the lives of the children.  There is nothing more important than that.”

“Huh…”

Graham shook his head from side to side at Tauric’s stubbornness.  To make matters worse, two more Feris had appeared, and the Vesics were jumping off of them too.

The sky was covered with the praying mantis monsters.  It wasn’t a beautiful sight.

“If dying in this place was arranged by Skiah-nim, I will not refuse it.”

Tauric was firm in his words.  At his words, Graham raised his staff.

“I guess we have no choice then.”

Tauric was someone the survivors of Alphen needed.  He was essential to them.  The Holy Maiden was gone now.  There was no hero that was as well versed in Healing magic as Tauric.

He had no choice, but to help the Monk.

If they wanted to run away after defeating this swarm of monsters, this was their last chance.  They had to do it before the Dimensional lord Go-shoo-shoo made an appearance.

Hwah-roo-roohk.

They were getting ready for battle when something extraordinary occurred.

Kwahhhhng!

Accompanying a large explosion, a Feris in the sky was suddenly falling in flames.

Doo-doo-doo-doo.

Eventually, they heard the ground ring out, and they saw a large Undead army appear from over the ridge.

In front of this army, one could see Death Knights charging on their Phantom Steeds.

“My god.”

Latasha’s face turned white.

“It’s the Immortal’s Army!”

Graham’s body trembled as he dropped his staff.

It was futile.  There was no point in struggling to live.

Even the icon of hope, Tauric shook his head.

“There is no miracle coming…”

He never would have expected to meet the Immortal’s army here…

The towns people fell to the floor in despair as they saw the large Undead army charging towards them.  All that was left was to wait for their eventual deaths.

At that moment, a child let out a shout.

“It’s the Holy Maiden!  It’s Melody-nim!”

“…..!”

Tauric raised his head at the child’s shout.

He looked toward the rear of the Undead army.  The Immortal was on top of a large Phantom Steed, and it was walking slowly towards them.

Unbelievably, the Holy Maiden Melody was riding behind him.

“Shit! The Immortal was the one that had kidnapped the Holy Maiden?”

The Holy Maiden had been their beacon of hope.  There had been no news of her for a long time.  They had endured enormous suffering during her absence.  However, they would have never thought that the Immortal had gotten in the way of the Holy Maiden.

While Tauric was glaring at the Immortal, the Undead army charged towards the Vesics that had landed on the ground.