Chapter 109: The Reclamation of Aderta
The Demon Realm was filled with black fog. Lee Shin commanded his subordinates, the undead, to attack and eliminate any nearby demons to collect merit points.
[You have used 170,000 merit points.]
[You have acquired the 『Green Pattern』.]
[Green Pattern]
You have received the qualification to go to the Green Zone.
# Your Health and Mana points increase by 12%
# Your overall stats increase by 20%
The pattern on his hand radiated green light.
‘Great. I’ll be able to get there faster than I thought.’
Lee Shin had collected more merit points in the previous Demon Realm than he had expected. And then capturing Delbet had given him another 100,000 merit points. Thanks to that, it took him only a short time to get to the Green Pattern.
"Hmm...?" Lee Shin stopped moving.
As Lee Shin was about to leave the Demon Realm, he sensed a strange demonic power from an entity hovering above him. Even though the sky was not visible inside the Demon Realm, Lee Shin could sense it clearly by expanding his sensory range with his mana wave.
[Necklace of the Forest Guardian brings you serendipity.]
Lee Shin had not thought about this ability because it had brought him no good opportunities even after the cool-down time had passed.
‘Does that mean this demonic beast is a chance?’
Lee Shin promptly extended his mana. No one could have even imagined doing this inside the Demon Realm; of course, Lee Shin was different.
[Psychokinesis]
The intangible force extended in an instant and gripped the flying demonic beast.
"Keeiiik—" The bird-like demonic beast made a bizarre noise as Lee Shin pulled it.
The demonic beast had a fierce-looking beak and sharp eyes with red pupils. It glared at Lee Shin, trying to get away from him, but failed.
"What is this?" Lee Shin muttered.
Lee Shin had never seen a demonic beast like it before. He grabbed its neck and examined it closely. It resembled an eagle, and though it struggled under Lee Shin’s mana, the creature did not seem to have exceptional combat power.
‘The demonic power behind those eyes is different from the others.’
After a moment of thought, Lee Shin ended the creature's life.
[You have defeated the Bird Who Never Closes its Eyes, Aigle.]
[Your merit points have increased by 8,500.]
[You have acquired the 『Skill - Aigle’s Eyes』.]
[Aigle's Eyes]
# Allows the user to see through the Demon Realm.
He was momentarily taken aback after seeing the merit points he had just earned. However, after using Aigle’s Eyes, he chuckled.
Lee Shin could not believe that he could see through the Demon Realm now. This ability was the most efficient among all the abilities in Isocia. Lee Shin immediately looked around. The surroundings were now clear as if he was outside the Demon Realm.
Lee Shin felt like he had just been released from prison; he felt liberated. He could now clearly see the trees, the ground, the rocks, and even the demonic beasts around.
‘I should give this creature to the others if I capture another one next time.’
The ability wasn’t all that helpful for Lee Shin, as he could freely manipulate mana even within the Demon Realm. The difference between having and lacking this ability was significant. Lee Shin felt that if someone like Park Joo-Hyuk or Baek Hyun-Ah possessed it, their efficiency would surpass his own.
When Lee Shin left the Demon Realm, Lilian appeared through the bloodline channel, responding to his call. Lilian had returned to the bloodline because she hated the stuffiness of the Demon Realm but had now returned at his request.
"When are we getting out of this annoying place?" Lilian grumbled, looking at Lee Shin.
"We won’t be leaving here that fast,” Lee Shin replied.
"Can't we just go capture that Demon King quickly? It's just very annoying to see him have that title when he’s nothing,” Lilian said, looking at Lee Shin.
"If a fake wanted to rule a world, he would have had to borrow that name." Lee Shin smiled coldly and looked up at the sky.
"I've been waiting for you," said a Wildes Qualified individual.
After saying that, five familiar faces approached Lee Shin.
"How come you didn't run away?" Lee Shin asked them.
"Doing stupid stuff once is enough," replied another Wildes Qualified individual.
Lee Shin had captured the five Wildes Qualified individuals of the Task Force, but they had become his allies now.
"Natasha Polly," Lee Shin called out.
"Yes," Natasha Polly replied to Lee Shin.
Natasha Polly’s voice was icy, sounding like a machine. Therefore, Lee Shin spoke in kind.
"Wildes is currently our ally, but not too long ago, you were our enemy. Are you aware of that?”
"Yes, I am aware of that," Natasha Polly replied.
"What should you do to earn my trust?" Lee Shin asked her again.
"What do I have to do?" Natasha Polly asked back.
"Tell me about your ability. Explain to me how Space Distortion works,” said Lee Shin.
For the first time, Natasha Polly slightly hesitated at Lee Shin’s words but then quickly made up her mind and spoke.
"I can distort space to shorten or lengthen the distance between two points. I can also lower the opponent's spatial perception," Natasha Polly explained.
"What are the limits of your ability? How much can you lower your opponents’ perception? Does your ability work regardless of the size and weight of the object? What other things can you do using Space Distortion?" Lee Shin asked Natasha Polly.
Natasha Polly and her teammates frowned, uncomfortable with revealing their secrets, but they still answered all of Lee Shin’s questions.
"There are no other abilities yet," Natasha Polly replied.
"Really?" Lee Shin asked her again.
"Yes," Natasha Polly replied.
He would have to affirm the veracity of her words, but it did not seem like she was lying; he smirked. Everything she had said fell inside the predicted range of information Lee Shin had about the future. However, he was not worried about Space Distortion because of these things.
‘Has she not yet acquired that ability, or is she hiding other skills from me?’
Space Distortion was a skill with endless possibilities of usage. And that was after excluding the many ways Lee Shin had seen and heard it used before. It could be used to manipulate space to erase the opponent from this world, create illusions, etc. However, Natasha currently seemed far from being able to use such abilities.
‘It would be best to maintain a good relationship with Germany for now.’
Natasha Polly was likely to become an important piece of Lee Shin’s plan.
"As you may know, if you fail to make an achievement or follow my orders properly, you will remain captive. Understand?" said Lee Shin.
The members of the Task Force answered in unison with determined faces.
The Lantan challengers, who used to accompany Lee Shin, had contacted Lantan in Narden and pulled Lantan into an alliance with Merteng. Lee Shin hadn’t expected that they would ally so quickly.
The influence of those three people was stronger than Lee Shin had thought. The challengers of Merteng were heading toward Windsor, passing Aderta to rescue Windsor. Therefore, Lee Shin had called this Task Force team here.
"We're going to recapture Aderta," Lee Shin said with determination.
The expression of the Task Force members had changed subtly at Lee Shin’s words.
"Do we have more people joining for this mission?” Natasha Polly asked Lee Shin.
"Yes," Lee Shin replied.
Natasha Polly tried to keep her composure, but it did not seem easy. Other team members felt the same way. They thought Lee Shin’s words were too grandiose. However, they had no idea that Lee Shin had captured Delbert alone, as they had been in prison then.
"Any objections?" Lee Shin asked, looking at the Task Force.
"No sir," replied the members of the Task Force.
They thought Lee Shin might be deliberately driving them into a trap.
"A False Demon Realm currently surrounds Aderta. And the enemies will block us from capturing Aderta," said Lee Shin.
There was a high probability that armies from Aman and Cormir were waiting around Aderta. Their goal was to prevent Aderta from being recaptured until Windsor fell.
"If we succeed in recapturing Aderta, I will send you home," Lee Shin said.
The Task Force members could imagine the giant army of enemy soldiers surrounding the Aderta. They thought it was absurd to break through them and destroy the Nucleus of the Demon Realm with just six people. Besides, they had no plans to launch a surprise attack at night, nor was a special operation planned to attack the enemy.
‘Are we really going in like this?’
Natasha Polly had taken part in countless missions, but this was a new experience even for her. She questioned if this person, Lee Shin, was even serious. Nonetheless, they were a crew who followed their superiors’ every order.
Moreover, they were now captives and had received orders directly from Wildes to move with Lee Shin. Therefore, they had no choice but to follow Lee Shin’s order.
"What should we do?" Natasha Polly asked.
Lee Shin smiled briefly at her but did not answer immediately. His silence only increased the Task Force members’ anxiety.
‘The defense is weak.’
Lee Shin used his mana to assess the enemy's combat force.
‘This will be simple.’
Finally, Lee Shin spoke after assessing the enemy's combat power.
"Your mission is to..." Lee Shin doled orders to the members.
The Task Force listened carefully to Lee Shin’s voice, finally hearing about the mission they had to risk their lives for.
"Keep an eye out for anyone running away like a rat,” said Lee Shin.
The members of the Task Force looked at Lee Shin with confusion, thinking if they had heard him correctly. He frowned at their expression, which said they would like an encore of what he had just said.
"I'm telling you I will take care of it, so go catch the ones trying to run away. Is that too difficult?" Lee Shin asked them.
They felt a deep sense of shame as Lee Shin’s contemptuous gaze swept over them.
"Is that really it?" a Task Force member asked Lee Shin.
"Well, what else would I want from you guys? If this is too difficult for you, just sit down and watch," Lee Shin replied.
"It's not difficult, Sir. I understand. I won't let a single one escape," Natasha replied, clenching her teeth for the first time.
Lee Shin ignored her and her expression and walked toward Aderta. His lone charge into the enemy territory impressed the Task Force.
A soldier standing in front of Aderta, surrounded by the Demon Realm, noticed Lee Shin and shouted, "Lee Shin is here! It's Lee Shin!"
"What? Lee Shin is here? What are you talking about? Why is he here?" The soldiers started to panic.
"He already has the Green Pattern?” another soldier exclaimed.
Chaos erupted in the enemy territory. Whether Lee Shin was aware of it or not, his calm footsteps did not halt even for a moment
[Shadow Space]
Lee Shin’s shadow stretched out behind him. And every time he took a step, undead rose from the shadows around.
"Get ready to shoot him!" A soldier shouted.
"Gather the people who can use divine power!” Another soldier shouted.
Hundreds of undead had instantly materialized to form an army. Lee Shin's dominance had rapidly increased since the twentieth floor and now exceeded 500. With the power of the Pattern, it was almost 600. Furthermore, the title Death Ruler further strengthened Lee Shin’s dominance.
[You have called out Knight Hausen.]
[Due to the Death Ruler's effect, Hausen's required dominance had reduced from 8 to 6.]
[You have called out the Knight Judkal.]
[Due to the effect of the Death Ruler, Judkal’s required dominance had reduced from 7 to 5.]
[You have called out the Knight, Martin.]
[...]
[Charisma of the Conductor]
# There is a 10% increase in dominance when conducting more than 50 troops.
The Charisma of the Conductor also increased Lee Shin’s dominance. The existence of this military force made him a one-man army. The sight of hundreds of undead emanating black mana and approaching the citadel was a premonition of imminent death.
"This is unbelievable..." Natasha Polly muttered.
"Captain, can anyone else operate such an army?"
"No, there isn't," Natasha Polly replied.
The Task Force was stunned by the sight of the undead army. They could understand why Lee Shin had said that he would fight alone. He could really fight the enemy’s massive army alone.
"We will begin our mission," said Natasha Polly.
"All right," replied another member of the Task Force.
Since the battle had begun, Natasha Polly and her team had to follow Lee Shin’s orders. They scattered in all directions to monitor the enemies.
Bang—! Baaam—!
Thousands of bullets flew toward the undead. After building a trench, the enemies activated all their cannons and aimed them at Lee Shin. And Lee Shin activated his mana to intercept all the cannons.
Woong—
An arrow was heading toward Lee Shin’s head fast as lightning, crossing hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye.
Thunk!
However, the arrow failed the mission, as Lee Shin’s black mana-covered hand intercepted it mid-flight. No matter how excellent the enemies’ skills were, they were child’s play to Lee Shin. Their skill seemed elementary to Lee Shin—someone close to reaching the transcendental class.
[Hawk Eye]
As mana gathered in his eyes, he looked toward the arrow’s origin. A beautiful blonde woman, who could easily be mistaken for an elf at first glance, stood there, seemingly perplexed. It was understandable since a wizard had just caught her arrow with his hand.
However, that confusion was momentary. The next moment, three more arrows flew toward Lee Shin. They were shot in quick succession.
Lee Shin's hand quickly swept through the air, and a shield appeared before him. The arrows bounced off it. However, the enemy did not want to give Lee Shin any time to relax as they relentlessly fired arrows.
Was this the textbook example of one-point shooting? Even from such a distance, multiple arrows accurately hit the same spot.
Squish! Crack—!
The shield, which had cracked, shattered; eventually, the arrows pierced through, darting toward Lee Shin’s eyeballs. However, once again, the arrow was caught by Lee Shin.
Snap—!
Lee Shin’s hand froze suddenly.
‘This is impress—’
Crack—!
A cold metallic sound rang in his ears when Lee Shin was exchanging a few moves to gauge the opponent's skills.
Bang—!
And there came a sound of firing. When Lee Shin turned his head in surprise, he saw Natasha Polly sniping the archer who had been shooting arrows at Lee Shin. Lee Shin hurriedly spread his mana to read the opponent's mana wave.
Lee Shin realized that the flow of the opponent's mana, which had been pulsating vigorously, was now tangled up. Natasha had finished off the opponent with a single blow.
‘Are you kidding me…? Why would you kill her...?’
Lee Shin was taken aback, but Natasha did not seem to notice his confusion as she nodded satisfactorily at him.
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