Red flames surged atop the snowy fields.

Roar!

Waryong blew flames at a Croot.

When hit by flames, red shards of light would burst from their bodies. It seemed like they shared the same weakness as the rootlets. However, they were also different from the rootlets; they wouldn't be burnt to cinders so easily.

Whoosh!

The Croot coiled itself like a spring, and then extended its body, allowing it to quickly approach Waryong. White tentacles came out of its open mouth, like a frog's tongue flying towards its prey.

Kuhahk!

Waryong shrieked and floated into the air. Of course, it wasn't fully grown yet, so it couldn't fly very high. Thus, the tentacles managed to hit it.

Stab!

Gyaa!

"Get lost!" Sephiro's eyes widened at Waryong's cry. 'How dare you hit my kid!'

Sun Piercing Arrow!

The violently spinning arrow struck the Croot's mouth. Fortunately, the tentacle was severed, but the Croot launched another tentacle at Waryong, looking no worse for wear.

"I said get lost!" Sephiro shot an arrow at the incoming tentacle.

Whizz! Thwock!

Waryong took the opportunity to hide behind Sephiro. However, Waryong wasn't moving properly. The tentacle had pierced its right leg, forcing it to drag its leg across the snow.

"Does it... paralyze you if you get hit...?" Sephiro was interrupted by the paladins' cries.

"Ugh!"

"Be careful of its tentacles! If you get hit by it, then it'll paralyze you and drain your life force!"

"Start using your shields more!"

"Oh goddess!"

Even amidst the chaos, Muhawk kept commanding the paladins.

"Watch each other's backs and attack together! Don't act alone. Trust in each other and the goddess!"

At the same time, he was protecting Cyndia with two other paladins.

"In the name of the Supreme One, be healed!" Cyndia kept praying within Muhawk's ironclad protection.

AoE Heal!

Cure Status Ailments!

She was giving it her all, so much so that the tips of her hair were becoming white. But due to her efforts, the paladins fought even harder.

However, the battle wasn't going in their favor.

"Aah, goddess."

No longer able to withstand the combined assault of two Croots, one of the paladins was pierced by a tentacle. None of the Croots had even been taken down yet.

That was only the beginning. One became two, two became three… If things kept going on like this, then it would only be a matter of time before the paladins were taken down!

* * *

Eder was being protected by two paladins. They were fighting much more effectively than the others due to Eder's medicine.

'This isn't good.' Eder assessed the battle and furrowed his brow. He wanted to go out there and begin healing, but the Croot were preventing him from doing so.

Ultimately, his best option was using his necromancy to its fullest.

He raised his staff into the air.

AoE Curse: Age!

The silver skull staff's eye sockets radiated light, and evil spirits flew across the battlefield. Those affected by the curse became noticeably slower. The Croots' tentacles slowed too.

Unfortunately, the aging curse wouldn't affect Krishan.

Eder pulled out a blue drug from his bag and swallowed it. This particular medicine restored his MP.

"...Arise!" Eder's staff glowed after a lengthy incantation.

Large-Scale Summon Undead!

Flaming Zombies, Poisonous Ghouls, Skeleton Warriors and Mages, Dullahans, and Death Knights joined the battlefield. There were 100 of them!

Eder's maximum number was 200, but he'd summoned 100 of them for now.

'Good job, Eder!'

Although he was fighting Krishan, Kang Oh noticed that the paladins, who had their hands full with the Croots, were able to take a breather due to the undead. Thus, Kang Oh complimented Eder for a job well done.

Kang Oh went with the flow, and pulled out an item from his inventory.

Giant Batura's Axe!

It was an AA-rank item with a level 350 equip requirement! However, it only had one effect!

[Batura's Roar]

Any ally who hears this cry will be filled with confidence, significantly increasing their combat abilities for 10 minutes. Cooldown: One day.

Kang Oh had originally prepared three items for her. He didn't know what would happen during his fight with her, so he had prepared three items that had completely different abilities.

He bought Batura's Axe because he'd be fighting with 100 paladins. Kang Oh had seen first-hand how effective roar-type skills were in the western war.

Boom!

Kang Oh dodged Krishan's Flash and immediately used Gluttony. Using Gluttony while assuming his Jet-Black Demon form caused darkness to rise from behind him like a halo.

All of his abilities had increased threefold! Plus, he got a system message indicating that he could use Batura's Roar now.

Kang Oh immediately used the skill.

Uheong!

A giant roar, one that a human was incapable of making, resounded throughout the battlefield.

[Batura's Roar has resounded throughout the battlefield.]

[Courage +200]

[Stamina regenerates shockingly quick.]

[Your movements have become lighter, and you have become more powerful than before.]

[You have a fixed chance of pinpointing your enemy's vitals.]

[Duration time: 10 minutes]

"Uoooooh!"

"Uwaaaah!"

Once they heard the roar, the paladins felt power well within them, and automatically roared.

Guooh! Kuooh!

Batura's Roar didn't just affect humans; it affected the undead too. The undeads' movements became quicker, and they became more aggressive too.

Kang Oh hadn't expected this. To think that Batura's Roar could increase the power of undead too.

'Well, all the better.' Kang Oh grinned.

"Get back into formation! Use the undead! Make sure you finish off the enemy!" Muhawk yelled.

"Die!"

"Push them back!"

"In the name of the goddess!"

Fueled by the undead's support and Batura's Roar, the once struggling paladins began a large-scale counterattack.

"Eat this!" Eder forcefully threw a drug at Kang Oh.

Kang Oh leapt into the air and grabbed it. The golden egg gave off a nice smell.

He immediately put it in his mouth.

[You have consumed Eder's Special Energy Egg.]

[Stamina and HP regeneration have increased significantly.]

[Physical +40]

[Stamina +200]

[Duration time: 10 minutes]

Demon Sword Ubist's overpowered ability, Gluttony! Couple that with Batura's Roar, the Legendary Healer's secret drug, and Deborah's blessing!

'I feel like I'd be able to take on Valan in this state.' Kang Oh confidently kicked off the floor and approached Krishan.

"You've come to die!" Krishan piercingly stared at Kang Oh with her jade eyes and pointed her spear at him.

Flash!

The pillar of light flew through the air and devoured Kang Oh. Or it should've, if not for a sharp aura of darkness cleaving right through it.

Kang Oh unleashed an Abyss Claw. However, its power was off the charts.

'This is what it means to be overbuffed!'

Normally, Abyss Claw wouldn't be able to cut through Flash. Flash was just way more powerful. However, he'd been buffed so much that the original power disparity didn't matter anymore!

"Grr!" Her face twisted and she attacked with her trident.

'She's not good with that thing.'

Krishan didn't wield the spear properly, as if she was wearing clothes that were a size too big or too small. It was only natural. That weapon didn't originally belong to her.

That's why she left herself open whenever she swung the trident.

Like right now!

'There!'

Krishan had exposed her abdominal area. There was no way that Kang Oh, with his Hyper Intuition, would miss it.

Kang Oh slightly dodged the trident, and quickly approached while she was withdrawing her weapon. Then, he swung his blade at the exposed area!

Swish!

Krishan didn't have time to block. Everything happened so quickly!

Bam!

Large shards of red light burst from the wound.

"Ugh!" Her face grimaced in pain. It was only one attack, but she took much more damage than she had expected.

"Get lost!" She punched him with her off-hand.

Whoosh!

Kang Oh backed off slightly and avoided the fist.

Puff!

The flowers on her arms emitted various color spores. However, Kang Oh was so heavily buffed that he didn't have to worry about the spores.

It'd prove to be a problem if he was exposed to them for a long time, but there was no reason for him to back down now!

Kang Oh pushed forward.

"Die! I said die!" Krishan's vine hair rose into the air and then fell upon Kang Oh and his surroundings like rain.

Kang Oh sunk into the darkness beneath his feet.

Abyss Transfer!

Bam, bam, bam!

His previous location was riddled with vines. However, Krishan quickly realized that he'd gotten away, so she withdrew her vines.

She tightly gripped her golden spear in her right hand, and gathered green energy in her left. She had prepared herself to deal with Kang Oh wherever, whenever!

Swish!

Kang Oh reappeared in her blind spot and rushed forward. Having sensed his presence, Krishan quickly turned around and swung her fist covered in green energy.

Hammer of Arrogance!

A powerful, destructive energy blocked his way forward like a tsunami.

"Push through!"

Demon Sword Ubist unleashed a powerful blast of electricity.

Lightning Breath!

Bam!

The Lightning Breath pierced right through and hit Krishan directly.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Sparks danced across her skin. Her brown arms, the black armor covering her chest, her lower body's green vines, and the tips of her wings smoked and were burnt black.

Krishan's body was pretty much no different from a plant. Electricity shouldn't be very effective against her. However, Kang Oh's Lightning Breath was way too powerful.

Is this what it'd be like if lightning struck a tree?

"Ugh!" Krishan's teeth chattered. She was completely paralyzed.

This was a perfect opportunity, and you can bet Kang Oh jumped on it.

"Huaahp!"

A cut, a slash, a thrust, another cut, and another slash!

He left behind countless wounds on Krishan. Whenever he sliced through her body, huge shards of red light would burst out. After all, Kang Oh only aimed at the weaknesses, vitals, and exposed areas that Hyper Intuition pointed out.

'The paralysis should wear off soon.'

Kang Oh didn't get too greedy and backed off. They say that a cornered rat would even bite a cat.

He assumed that Krishan would unleash a fierce counterattack. But once the paralysis wore off, she didn't act as he expected her to.

"Hohoho." She laughed like a madwoman.

'What's going on?' Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro, and the paladins were all puzzled.

"My children, make sure none of them can get away!" Krishan yelled.

At the same time, she began to gather green energy around her heart. She kept going and going, so much so that her chest began to swell!

This didn't bode well.

"Get as far away from Krishan as you can!" Kang Oh yelled.

"Retreat! Get as far away from here as you can!" Muhawk yelled. Then, he picked up Cyndia and kicked off the floor.

Sephiro held Waryong under his armpit and ran as fast as he could, stepping on undead skulls along the way.

The paladins had realized what was happening. Krishan was preparing an extremely powerful attack!

"Grr!"

"Out of my way!"

They tried to run away, but it wasn't easy, as the Croots desperately blocked them.

At that moment...!

"Let's see how many of you survive!" Krishan yelled sharply, and the world was filled with green.