Pured Bridge.

It was a bridge crossing a river that was bigger than a lake. It belonged to the Belto Kingdom and was one of the core transportation routes. It was called the ‘immortal bridge’ because it never collapsed.

Dudududududu!

There were 300 horses marching on the bridge. There were so many that a person had to stare closely at the legs to find out that there were 300 horses. It was the armored elite troops’ 4th Battalion.

"Speed up!”

The 4th Battalion’s specialty was to be swift and surprising. It was in order to supplement the disadvantage of having low numbers.

"Quickly occupy the watchtower at the end of the bridge!”

If their surprise attack was exposed by the enemy guarding the watchtower, things could become annoying. Bocard, leader of the 4th Battalion, believed this and prompted the soldiers. The soldiers responded to his expectations by using advanced skills. Immediately crossing the bridge, they narrowed the distance to the tower to three meters and leapt from their saddle. It was a perfect jump without a loss of balance!

Chwaruruk!

They threw chains that wrapped around the pillars of the watchtower.

“Enemy...! Eek!”

The Ares soldiers on the watchtower detected it too late and died. It was right to say that they lost their lives the moment they discovered the enemy. The 4th Battalion was extremely stealthy and quick.

"The enemy!"

The guards weren’t aware of the enemy’s intrusion until half their defense had disappeared. By then, it was too late. The armored elite troops had already climbed up the chains and were running wild in the watchtower.

"Set a fire! We must inform the others of the enemy’s intrusion!”

The Pured Bridge was in a fully exposed location so it was easy to monitor. That’s why the defense became conceited. They never imagined the armored elite troops would break through here and were too relaxed. Pured’s defense leader tried to set a signal fire. But the armored elite troops wouldn’t let him. He was quickly suppressed by the soldiers and the fire put out. The defense chief on the ground discovered Bocard.

"Right now, you are using Duke Ares’ techniques! If it wasn’t for Duke Ares, you wouldn’t exist! How dare you sprinkle blood on Duke Ares’ land?”

"The reason we trained with Duke Ares was for the royal family. Duke Ares was a great general and teacher, but he’s a traitor for betraying the royal family.”

[Quest failed!]

[You have failed to convince 4th Battalion’s Captain Bocard!]

[Retreat from Pured Bridge! Make sure Duke Ares knows about the enemy’s intrusion!]

'Shit!'

The Pured Bridge’s defense chief was a player of the Ares Army, Baphrang. In fact, he had been disappointed in his role in this war. He was asked to guard the bridge that the enemy would never attack, so he felt like he had been relegated to the periphery. He felt it was unfair because he wouldn’t have a chance to build up achievements. But now his role was very important.

‘It’s over if they break through here.’

Pured Bridge was the shortest route to reach Ares’ city. What if he gave way to the enemy here? Ares would be surprised without a chance to properly defend.

‘It’s dangerous. Somehow I have to pass the news to Ares!’

If he used the guild chat or whisper system then he could easily tell Ares about the enemy’s invasion. But the problem was that a quest was currently in progress. The moment that armored elite troops, Baphrang, received the penalty of having all ranged communications blocked. He had to run directly to the castle.

“Hat!”

Baphrang jumped off the watchtower. A man in heavy armor jumping out of a six meter high tower? He would surely be injured by the fall effect. But Baphrang was a third advancement user and had good control. He used a charge just before his two feet neared the ground, twisted the orbit of his body and countered gravity.

However, he couldn’t escape. It was because Bocard predicted Baphrang’s landing point and threw a spear.

Puok!

“Kuock!”

Bocard was a master of the spear. The spear he threw penetrated Baphrang’s heart and dealt a critical injury. Baphrang lost one third of his health at once. This wasn’t the end.

Kwajijijik!

Lightning emerged from Bocard’s spear. Baphrang was damaged by the lightning and received the additional status of being stunned.

‘Damn bastards!’

Baphrang couldn’t move. Due to the electric shock, he couldn’t drink potions and could only watch as the armored elite troops rushed towards him.

‘It is the end!’

Baphrang saw his death and closed his eyes. The frustration he felt was very big. If he died here, he was likely to be blamed and expelled from the Ares Army. His splendid future guaranteed in the Ares Army would disappear.

‘XX! If only I was alert!’

He would’ve discovered the enemy more quickly and would’ve been able to light the signal fire. Baphrang felt regret. He listened to the sound of the hooves approaching and was ready to die. He gave up on his brilliant future. It was a hell-like moment. Then at that moment...

Kururung!

A lightning bolt fell from the clear sky. It was a huge and intensely destructive lightning bolt that couldn’t be compared to Bocard’s lightning spear.

Kuwaaaaaang!

The sound tore at their ears.

“...!?”

The armored elite troops were shocked due to the lightning bolt that fell at close range. They stopped the spears aiming at Baphrang and spread out in different directions. It was an instinctive survival need that drove their actions.

Gulp!

There was silence for a while. There was only the sound of the armored elite troops gulping. The armored elite troops doubted their eyes. It was due to the light on the ground. That’s right. The lightning bolt that fell from the sky didn’t disappear. The intense presence still existed on the ground. But the more surprising thing...

Pajik!

Pajijijik!

The still lightning started to move.

‘What is this?’

The lightning that fell from the sky didn’t disappear, but moved by itself? The armored elite troops fell into confusion. They didn’t know.

Asura. Out of the hundreds of tens of thousands of martial artists, only one powerhouse succeeded in drawing out the strength of the normal class!

“Regas!”

Baphrang exclaimed.

"Lightning Dragon Ascension!”

Supak!

Regas maximized his movement speed and agility as he moved around the armored elite troops.

Peeng!

Up!

Kwajak!

To the top.

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

There was an onslaught every time he instantly appeared. It was an attack speed that couldn’t be followed with the eyes. The armored elite troops couldn’t react and allowed Regas’ attacks.

‘I can’t...!’

‘...Respond!’

Kwajajajak!

Regas’ fists and feet struck the armored elite troops. There was a thunderous sound every time there was a collision with the armored elite troops and they were caught by the electric shock. The person who appeared at this time was Pon.

"I didn’t want to interfere.”

The Ares Army would be an enemy in the future. Pon thought it was right to appear after Baphrang died. But Regas was someone who honored the spirit of Taekwondo since he was a child. He couldn’t stand back and watch when an ally was in trouble and eventually rescued Baphrang.

"So I listened to him. Well, it’s good for you.”

The laughing Pon threw a black spear as hard as possible. Then.

Peeeeeong!

It simultaneously pierced the bodies of multiple armored elite troops who were stunned by Regas’ attack. It was the power of Mach Spear, which manifested using Belial’s Spear that he gained as a national reward. Baphrang couldn’t close his mouth.

‘Pon and Regas were so strong?’

Of course, Baphrang knew that the Overgeared members were top class. But he looked down on most of them apart from Grid, Yura, Jishuka, and Katz. He was mistaken.

‘Regas’ swiftness and Pon’s damage... It isn’t top class in the Overgeared Guild.’

World class.

Chill.

Baphrang got goosebumps at the evaluation. Regas approached and held out a hand to him.

“Can you rise?”

“...”

Regas was smiling so happily? Baphrang was embarrassed when meeting Regas’ transparent gaze.

‘I will be your enemy someday, but you’re treating me like a real colleague?’

Baphrang was convinced. It wasn’t a coincidence that Regas appeared when he was in a crisis. Regas came to help him.

‘How big-hearted is the Overgeared Guild?’

On the other hand, himself? He was too embarrassed to claim himself as Ares’ subordinate. He had been disgruntled since being appointed to defend Pured Bridge and didn’t fulfill his mission. He didn’t think about taking care of his colleagues, only building up his own achievements.

"I am ashamed...”

He would take a leaf out of the Overgeared Guild’s book. Baphrang grabbed Regas’ hand and got up. His gaze was filled with obvious liking and respect as he looked at Regas.

"How great is Grid that he has people like you as his subordinates...? I can’t even guess.”

“...?”

Regas was bewildered while Pon was in pain from all his laughing.

***

@ The 4th Battalion has collapsed under the cooperation of Pon and Regas.

“...?”

The Ares troops received Baphrang’s report. The 4th Battalion was a small and elite group. Their ability in guerrilla warfare was very threatening. It wasn’t Grid or Jishuka, but Pon and Regas who destroyed them?

“It would be possible if Baphrang efficiently operated the defenses of the Pured Bridge.”

Someone guessed and everyone agreed. But Scott and Luck thought differently.

"No, the power of the Overgeared Guild is more than we guessed.”

“I think the items they obtained from the great demon raid were much bigger than expected. They’re a lot stronger than what they showed in the Belial raid.”

“Stronger than they were during the Belial raid? Then what type of monster has Jishuka become?”

"Grid is overwhelming in a way. 20,000... No, it’s right to compare her to Ares when Ares managed 30,000 troops.”

“...”

“But that’s the problem. Grid will have great confidence in Jishuka and would tell her to take care of the 1st Battalion.”

“Jishuka will fail her mission and die.”

Unlike the other battalions, the 1st Battalion had several types of soldiers mixed in and their defense was excellent. Jishuka’s red phoenix wouldn’t be able to penetrate the armored elite troops’ defense.

“But it won’t be useless. Her role is to consume the enemy’s stamina.”

"Yes, I expect the same thing. The 1st Battalion will be exhausted dealing with Jishuka and it will be easy for us to handle them afterwards.”

The experience that the 1st Battalion dropped would be theirs. The Ares members were confident of this when a new message appeared in the Ares Army’s guild chat.

@ The 1st Battalion has encountered an Overgeared member. But...

@ What?

@ It’s a girl called Euphemina, not Jishuka...?

@ Euphemina?

@ Who’s that?

“...?”

Why was the development always strange?