The training ground outside E-Rantel bustled with activity. Leinas, wielding her [Spuit Lance], and the other followers continued their rigorous training, sharpening their combat instincts against an incessant stream of monsters. They moved agilely, their formations now more cohesive.
Their target this time was a pale-skinned, long-haired demon, feminine in form, yet with eyes, mouth, nose, and even its hands stitched shut with thick thread, as if pleading for a mercy that would never come. This was a Pleading Demon, a demonic entity around Level 40, capable of using special skills and a spell called [Sigh].
Suddenly, an invisible sonic attack emanated from the Pleading Demon's stitched mouth, an unseen yet deadly wave of pressure. Leinas felt a piercing dizziness and blood flowed uncontrollably from her nose. Her body went momentarily limp.
Upon realizing she was under attack by an unknown creature and its strange skill, Leinas immediately cast a purification spell to remove the abnormal condition, feeling her brain clear again. Without wasting time, she used Sixth Tier Magic [Greater Teleportation] to flash beside the Pleading Demon and attack it at close range, her spear flashing.
Through the devastating blows from the [Spuit Lance] and her purification magic, the Pleading Demon finally fell, crumbling at Leinas's feet, dissolving into dust of negative energy.
Just as she was about to face the next target, the space behind her suddenly began to fluctuate, followed by the rustling sound of mana particles. Alert, Leinas immediately thrust backward with all her might, her [Spuit Lance] aimed directly at the center of the fluctuation.
"Such a greeting is too direct."
The [Spuit Lance] pierced an invisible energy barrier, and a familiar, teasing voice reached Leinas's ears. She pulled back her spear.
She observed carefully and found that the newcomer was Kael. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.
Leinas immediately put away her weapon, bowed deeply, and asked, "Oh God, how did you get here?" There was a hint of confusion in her tone, as well as profound respect.
Kael glanced behind Leinas, seeing another Demon about to attack, then unleashed an invisible defensive spell to block the demon's attack on Leinas. Then, he extended his hand to Leinas. "I'm here to pick you up, come with me."
"Yes." Leinas nodded without hesitation, feeling a small wave of warmth spread through her heart as she placed her hand in Kael's palm. The touch felt strong and reassuring.
Sixth Tier Magic [Greater Teleportation] activated, and the two vanished from the chaotic battlefield. When they regained their senses, they had arrived in another wilderness, a different air greeting them.
Leinas looked around and found that besides herself and Kael, there were also Enri, Fluder, and several others. They all appeared tense, yet full of anticipation.
Before she could ask about the situation, Kael pulled a thick magic book from his spatial backpack—an item she recognized as a source of Kael's power—and placed it in her hand. Kael smiled and gestured to her, "This is a magic book for summoning high-level guardians. Use it now."
Leinas didn't hesitate. She held the book, feeling a special connection emanating from it, a whisper of guiding power. With determination, she proceeded with her idea to use it.
The magic book suddenly transformed into dazzling light and slowly left her palm, burning as its pages turned, every word and symbol within it ablaze with mystical energy.
A complex and intricate summoning circle unfolded before her, glowing with bright golden light. Then Leinas was surprised to see a stern-faced female warrior, clad in blue and white armor radiating an aura of purity, emerge in the center of the circle.
"Knight Emilia has been summoned! Master, please give your command." The female warrior saluted Leinas as a knight, with fluid yet powerful movements, and spoke solemnly.
Leinas stared at the female knight in confusion, her breath held. For she sensed an incredibly powerful aura from the female knight, far surpassing her own, even far above the Imperial Knights she had known. That power seemed to belong to a legendary hero.
It's utterly illogical for such a powerful person to call her master? Leinas thought, a mixture of awe and doubt running through her heart.
Kael couldn't help but smile when he saw Leinas's astonished expression. Summoning humanoid mercenaries was indeed quite impactful visually, as they looked almost identical to normal humans, and it was difficult to regard them as dumb magical summons. They appeared alive, real.
"From now on, she will be your guardian. You can ask for her help with anything," Kael introduced, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction at his successful explanation. After introducing Leinas, Kael turned and looked to the other side.
Nigun Grid Luin, the captain of the Sunshine Scripture from the Slane Theocracy, who was now detained by the Church of Destiny, stood waiting. The middle-aged man, who had been observing him with profound respect, saw Kael's expression and immediately stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Your Excellency, God of Destiny, can we begin?"
Since the exchange materials from the Slane Theocracy had not yet arrived in E-Rantel, the Sunshine Scripture Team was currently still serving as sparring partners for Kael's followers. The demons that had previously fought against Leinas and the others were summoned by them using magic items, an irony for the Theocracy soldiers who were supposed to eradicate demons.
And what Nigun was about to do now was more or less the same.
"We can begin now." Kael gave Nigun an indifferent command, then approached Leinas, gently wrapped his arm around her waist, and flew with her into the air.
"This man will summon powerful demons next. You just need to give Emilia commands and let her kill the summoned demons." Kael whispered in Leinas's ear.
"Oh." Leinas nodded, still slightly confused by everything, but she basically understood what Kael had told her to do. She relayed the instruction to Emilia as requested, her voice now firmer. "Emilia, target the demons that will be summoned."
Not just her, Enri and Fluder on the other side also gave the same instructions to the [Warrior] and [Magic Caster] guardians they summoned, then they hid far away, staying clear of the danger zone that was about to be created.
After ensuring they were all at a safe distance, Nigun and several other members of the Sunshine Scripture took out the magic items Kael had given them and began summoning demons.
Similar to the summoning magic used in other training grounds, the magic scrolls in the hands of Nigun and the others also contained Tenth Tier Magic: [Armageddon]. A single spell could summon six waves of demons, with extremely high cost-effectiveness—a spell usually only accessible to high-tier Players or NPCs from YGGDRASIL.
The first wave of summoned demons consisted of 128 [Low-tier Demons] with levels below LV10; the second wave consisted of 64 [Sickle Demons] with levels around LV20; the third wave consisted of 32 [Corruption Demons] with levels around LV30... and so on, each wave fewer in number but more powerful. Besides magical summoning with fixed rules, summoners could also choose to stop summoning high-tier demons and use more low-tier demons instead.
The drawback of this [Armageddon] magic was that the summoned demons could not distinguish friend from foe; even the summoner would become a target if not careful. In the game YGGDRASIL, this magic was typically used for sacrifices, where the summoned demons were used as offerings, and then stronger ritual magic or special skills were activated, a complex strategy.
Nigun and the others' levels were too low, and they would originally never be able to use scrolls that stored this kind of magic. However, Kael had previously completed an experiment in replicating innate abilities, so he copied Nfirea Bareare's [Unlimited Item Use] onto them, making them more qualified tools, capable of activating items without level restrictions or class requirements.
The scrolls burned one by one, evaporating into ash as the power of [Armageddon] was unleashed. After completing the activation, Nigun and the others immediately used Third Tier Magic [Fly] to flee to a safe area, away from the hell they were about to create. They were quite experienced in this, knowing when to retreat.
Then, the first wave of low-tier demons, numbering around a thousand, appeared on the plains, crawling out of the opened dimensional rifts. The legendary knights—Emilia, Carloen, and Lancelot—who had received their orders, immediately began to clear out the demons.
Their levels were all as high as LV90, an inconceivable power in the New World. Killing these low-level demons was easier for them than drinking water. Waves of sword energy often obliterated large numbers of them in a single sweep, creating a horrifying yet efficient scene of destruction.
Such a shocking sight left Leinas, who was witnessing the true prowess of a high-level warrior for the first time, stunned and unable to recover for a long time. Her eyes were fixed on Emilia, who moved like a storm, slaughtering thousands of demons single-handedly. Pure awe filled her.
Suddenly, she felt a warm current appear from nowhere within her body, a familiar yet always surprising sensation, then spread throughout her body with incredible speed, filling every cell with new energy.
"This!?" Leinas exclaimed softly, her eyes wide. As this was not the first time, Leinas knew clearly that she had become even stronger!
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