Who designed this underworld dungeon?.

Chapter 595 Battle Festival (Part 1)

Five days later.

There is one day left until the start of the War Festival in the Warrior Kingdom.

According to tradition, each city would light beacon fires in sequence to announce the arrival of the war festival. Blackrock City's turn was quite late; it would be another day before it was Blackrock's turn to light its fire.

But today, Blackrock City defied tradition and lit its fires early.

Because another festival is about to begin today!
"Goldwin, what have you done? Why hasn't anyone come to my dungeon these past two days?!"

Pantheon, the lord of the Stone City, let out a sound of utter astonishment.

"It was just the start of a festival."

Gong Qiying smiled and said to him, "To express my apology, I'll just give you the mental energy I've accumulated over the past two days."

"No, no, no, this isn't about mental power. I want to know what you actually did. Stop playing riddles, Riddler, get out of Blackrock City!"

"I'd like to show you, but unfortunately you can't see it."

Gong Qiying's consciousness left the underground city and moved to the outside world. His external body was just sitting casually in a corner of Blackrock City. However, when he looked up at the sky...

A "projection spell" large enough to cover the entire sky above Blackrock City enveloped the city, making it appear as if the sky was about to fall!

This screen is several times larger than the original Dianhuo Live broadcast, and it can be seen clearly even in the suburbs!

People from Blackrock City and surrounding cities who had rushed there in the past few days gathered nearby, putting aside their daily work and looking up at the sky. Everyone's eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement, and some even cast envious glances, regretting that they weren't inside.

Every street and alley was packed with people, rooftops and suburbs were filled with people, and even now, civil engineering mages are still urgently building stands. Apothecaries are all out selling ointments to treat neck pain. Blackrock City has never hosted so many people at the same time!

This scene should have been at a war festival in the capital, so why has it been overshadowed?
And all of this is because of one thing—

The Battle Festival of General Ratahn, the Shattered Star!

At this very moment, amidst the anticipation of the outside world, inside Red Lion City, Euphemia handed her lion emblem to Jellian.

"The warriors you requested have all been found. The word 'thousands' might be an understatement when describing their numbers."

“What an amazing result! You are truly admirable,” Jeremy praised.

"No, this is the result of everyone's joint efforts."

Yuffie recalled that ever since the news of the Battle Festival spread, those who were not recognized by the Lion Badge she brought flocked to Red Lion City, desperate to obtain the qualification to participate in the festival, while those who had the badge spontaneously sought out other qualified participants. In a short time, the speed at which the news spread was beyond imagination.

The number of participants also exceeded expectations.

Today, seeing that the scale of the festival has reached an incredible level, and due to the strong demand from the public, the festival will open today!
"Then, go and rest for a while. The stars will soon appear, and the festival will begin when you return."

Jelian's tone was no longer that of an old man; it now carried the excitement of a soldier.

Yuffie nodded, turned around and walked down the city wall toward the place of blessing.

Before resting at the Blessing Hall, she set up a live streaming device, sponsored by the Sky Strategy Team, on the city wall and set the start time.

"Then, the truly exciting moment is about to begin."

Looking at the blessing before her, she breathed a sigh of relief and reached out with her hands, which were almost covered in scabs, to touch the golden light.

When Euphemia stood up from before the blessing and heard a different kind of music coming from outside the small room, she snapped her fingers decisively.

At this moment, the live streaming equipment started the most valuable live stream of its life!
The projection magic that covered the entire sky above Blackrock City also lit up at that moment!

"The screen is on! It's on!"

"Look, look! Hey, why is the city all empty?"

"It sounds like singing! Everyone, please be quiet!"

When the sound came from the projection, it seemed to have a magical power, and the crowd, which had been extremely noisy with excitement, suddenly fell silent.

As if infected by the atmosphere, one's inner self does not allow oneself to make a sound.

Through an excessively large projection, the almost realistic Red Lion City is presented to everyone.

The city's desolation and bleakness, the sword and knife marks on every brick, the blood-stained flags, and the ubiquitous weapons all speak volumes about the nature of war.

A deep horn sound came from the top of the city wall, the brass pipes vibrated, and the last note lingered like the low growl of a giant beast. At this moment, the song blended perfectly with the Red Lion City.

That was the song sung in unison by countless Red Lion soldiers standing atop the city walls.

There are no lyrics, only the original and simple tone, with a mix of deep throat sounds and high-pitched shouts, like the shouts of soldiers and the echoes of the battlefield, making people feel as if they are under the city walls, witnessing the legendary army gathering.

The human voice is like both an inspiring battle song and a mournful requiem, with the meaning of victory and sacrifice coexisting. An irreversible sense of destiny advances in the rhythm, just as once a war begins, it can only move forward!

This is not a celebratory symphony, but a solemn declaration of death—the battle ceremony is not entertainment, but a ritual for life-or-death struggle.

The moment the people outside heard the music, they got goosebumps all over. An indescribable feeling surged within them. The music had no fancy embellishments, only the most primal echoes of battle.

It makes your blood boil, yet also sends a shiver down your spine!

"Just from the opening scene's momentum, I knew I made the right decision not to go to the capital!"

At that moment, Jellian, who was located on the highest part of the city wall and facing the crowd, made a move.

He tossed the lion emblem high into the air, then struck the ground with his greatsword before it hit the ground, instantly transforming his aura. His hoarse shouts echoed throughout the city from beneath his white beard.

"Warriors participating in the festival, come forth!"

The lion emblem in the air shattered into countless crimson streams of light in an instant, falling like a torrential downpour onto the empty square.

The next moment, each streak of light transformed into the phantom of a warrior with superior aura and fighting spirit. The phantoms of the warriors gradually solidified, and the originally empty square was now packed with people!
Someone outside couldn't help but cheer, and the cheer spread throughout the city as quickly as a fire burning on a haystack. Everyone cheered excitedly for the appearance of the warriors, knowing that they would be the warriors they knew!
Without any complicated factors involved, all that exists here is people's most primal reverence for battle. Whether inside or outside the dungeon, the atmosphere reaches its first climax at this moment!

It's as if the warrior kingdom of the past has been reborn!
The first characters to appear were from the Sien Dungeon.

Among the crowd were a warrior with his arms crossed, a half-wolf carrying a giant sword, an indestructible mountain goat, an old man who had slain countless people, a furnace knight in bronze armor, and a bald man with a treacherous face.

"What the hell, Patch!?"

Why is that guy here too?

"He actually dares to challenge a demigod? My opinion of this guy is starting to improve."

All sorts of impressive afterimages appeared here, but everyone's attention was drawn to Patch; there was no way around it, he was just too eye-catching.

It is worth noting that many of the afterimages appeared as pale golden phantoms, resembling the spirits of the assistants, with only a few, such as Warrior Jar, being their true forms.

The fact that so many afterimages participated was also the result of the adventurers' efforts, because when they were spreading the Lion Emblem, they discovered that it could also be given to afterimages in the Sien Dungeon, and most of the afterimages would accept it. Some people even tried to give the Lion Emblem to Grik or the Ominous Demon, etc.

Once the afterimages were in place, the real people, who would elicit cheers from everyone, would appear next.

The inhabitants of the Warrior Kingdom pointed at the appearing figures and shouted excitedly:
"Look, it's the Gold-rank adventurer 'Full Moon Angel'! She and her team have actually come!"

"Is that His Highness Temud? He and his army look really impressive!"

"General Yuffie is here too, and the one next to her is the Sword Saint Japal!? And there's a whole bunch of people carrying swords?"

"Why isn't Mr. Edgar, who taught me magic, here? Oh right, he went to the war festival. What a pity."

There were also many people from the Kingdom of Anor who came to watch the spectacle, and they had their own familiar faces to cheer for.

"Brother Fingeri, hang in there! We went through so much trouble to find you!"

Although the gold-level adventurer in the projection, "Flash" Fingri, the captain of the Hasavi team, couldn't hear it, he seemed to sense it and turned around coolly to wave at the camera. His two companions were still dressed strangely.

Wait a minute, why does Matilda look shorter when she's wearing the Hell March outfit?
"Wuhu is guarded by Fran!"

The team uniforms were modified based on the Yharnam hunters' attire, and now they look more stylish. The Farron Guards looked around, appearing mysterious and powerful.

At this moment, Dahl, who was leading the group, was still sharpening his sword. The others threw out their Poké Balls and summoned their partner giant wolves. In the blink of an eye, they formed their complete forms, and the team of nearly a hundred people was soaring with momentum.

“Look, aren’t those professors from the Magic Association? And next to them is the elf gang that always gets in the way? These people are here too.”

"I saw Leon, but what about Maru? Isn't she too short?"

The Sun Warriors, the Dark Moon Sword, the Soul Eaters, and other newly emerging factions with names and identities all appear here. You ask how to identify a Soul Eater? The one that wears a hood and refuses to take it off is a Soul Eater.

Besides them, the Church of Holy Light, the Church of Starfire, and many other powerful figures who had not been mentioned before also appeared here, creating a scene of powerful figures gathering in Red Lion City!
Thousands? There were far more than just a thousand people present; the delegation and the carefully selected army brought by Temud alone exceeded that number!
With so many people present at the same time, just thinking about it makes me realize how noisy it would be, right?

However, things didn't go as expected. After a brief moment of amazement, people fell silent. Everyone present was a person of strength and taste, and they wouldn't miss a single second of savoring the battle festival. Making even a single noise would be a loss.

They all looked towards Jeremy on the city wall. When all the participants had appeared, Jeremy shouted in a powerful voice:

"Welcome, warriors!"

"The sky is full of stars, it's time for the festival!"

"General Ratan, the most powerful demigod in the Shattered War, is waiting for you."

"Warriors, fight! Defeat your mighty foe with honor and claim the Great Rune!"

"The battle festival has begun! The Latan Festival has begun!"

A few simple words can get people's blood pumping!

Does this mean that General Rataen of Shattered Stars is about to arrive? How will he make his appearance? Will he fall directly from the sky?
Just as people were speculating, Jeremy spoke up again, this time in a calm tone like a storyteller.

"Let me tell you something before the festival begins."

As soon as the words were spoken, a brand new image appeared before people's eyes, including the projection of Blackrock City.

"The aftermath of that war."

Outsiders couldn't help but wonder, "How come there are still new images? How extravagant!"

New images slowly unfolded before everyone's eyes, but the scenes were familiar to most people.

On the desolate plains where even the sky had been stained crimson, General Rataen of Shattered Stars and Valkyrie Malenia faced off.

This is a scene that anyone who has entered the dungeon has seen. It appears in the opening introduction of the Sien Dungeon. After this segment comes the classic "reciting the menu" segment, where one after another seemingly invincible title can often leave adventurers stunned.

But why did it happen again?
"Something's not right. Look, Marlenia seems to be at a disadvantage!"

Those with keen observation noticed that at this moment, the two beings, both with "god" in their titles, were facing off against each other. However, Marlenia was leaning on her arm, looking exhausted, while Ratan stood tall with her arms crossed. The situation was clear: the Valkyrie was clearly at a disadvantage!
"Could it be?" Someone in the crowd suddenly realized something and stared at the projection with a tense expression.

"Click——"

Marlenia did not fall down. Instead, she attached a brass-colored prosthetic to her empty arm, from which sharp blades shot out. Only now did people realize that her arm was actually a prosthetic!

Rataen summoned his heavy twin swords and assumed a fighting stance, his broad body casting a shadow that enveloped the Valkyrie, who appeared exceptionally petite in comparison.

This scene makes General Shattered Star seem like a behind-the-scenes big boss waiting to be challenged, and just thinking about being his challenger makes one tremble.

But everyone present was supportive of Ratahn, so they found the scene particularly cool!

"Are we about to fight?"

"I'm so lucky to be able to see two people fighting before the start of the event!"

The thought of the earth-shattering battle that might be about to unfold made even the beggars on the street grin with bloodlust!
Just when everyone thought the two were about to fight, they did indeed start fighting.

Marlenia charged forward at an impenetrable speed, and Rataen's giant sword, covered in rock, swung down with a thunderous roar. Marlenia dodged with incredible skill, making this exchange of blows incredibly exciting for the spectators.

But the battle came to an abrupt end the next moment.

Because Malenia had somehow appeared on Rataen's back, and a golden needle-like light seemed to flash by. By the time people noticed, they saw that Malenia had actually stabbed herself through the chest with a sword.

Blood splattered down the blade onto Ratahn's body. The onlookers stared blankly at the scene, completely bewildered by what had happened.

Jeremy's voice rang out at that moment.

"That day marked the beginning of widespread corruption in Galid."

The flowers bloomed the moment the sound landed.

"What is that!" came a gasp from the crowd.

Crimson petals sprouted from Marlenia's body!

Layer upon layer of petals came together, and a vibrant, luscious bud appeared on the wasteland, completely out of place with the background.

However, its appearance did not bring any "life" to the wasteland.

Those were beautiful flowers that even botanical experts had never seen before; elegant and vibrant, yet imbued with the meaning of death.

Adventurers who had died in the Sien dungeon due to the Crimson Corruption shuddered in unison, as if they had seen some terrifying evil god!

The next moment, the flowers bloomed!

Through Marlenia's hand, an exceptionally beautiful flower bloomed on Rataen's body.

The adventurers who died at the hands of the Crimson Corruption no longer even shivered; they exaggeratedly collapsed to the ground, causing a large number of them to fall in Blackrock City!

No one has the leisure to appreciate the beauty of a flower at a time like this, because anyone with eyes can see what appears after the flower blooms.

It's crimson corruption!
The crimson decay, a mixture of red and white resembling disgusting germs, spread outwards from the blooming flower at an extremely rapid speed visible to the naked eye; even a prairie fire would not be enough to describe its speed!

It's practically an outbreak of plague!
Ratahn's figure was engulfed in the very center of the explosion. In the blink of an eye, the entire wilderness was covered in crimson decay. The already sparse vegetation died completely in that instant, and any trace of life was being rapidly taken away.

The viewpoint zooms out infinitely, from the wasteland to Galid, and then to the entire border region. All that can be seen is a crimson flower of decay blooming, rapidly staining the land overlooking Galid red.

Finally, a glaring crimson appeared on the map of the border region.

"."

The entire room was completely silent; you could hear people swallowing their saliva.

Faced with this situation, everyone gave up thinking.

If corruption of this scale were to break out in the Warrior Kingdom, could they withstand it? Absolutely not, not easily!
But what concerns some people most is that corruption has spread throughout Galid.

So what happened to General Shattered Star, who was at the very center of the bloom?

Yuffie covered her mouth to prevent herself from making a sound of surprise, but her eyelids kept twitching.

She had a premonition that the Ratan they met might not be the spirited figure in the video, and at the same time, she vaguely guessed the true purpose of the Battle Festival.

“Since then, General Ratahn has been in a state of uncertainty.”

The abstract map disappeared, and people returned to the familiar wilderness, only to find a emaciated horse, looking utterly exhausted.

Beside the horses were several dragged corpses.

The corrupt knights, the red lion soldiers, and the unidentified dead.

And dragging these corpses was none other than Rataen!
But that body that was once as majestic as a giant god.

Now he's hunched over.

No, it's not hunchback, but that he lost both his legs and could only move around on that skinny horse that was probably not even as strong as his thighs!
Where did Ratahn's feet go?!

If the scene of crimson flowers of decay in full bloom was astonishing, then Ratahn's appearance, resembling a hero in his twilight years, was even more astonishing. The already quiet crowd fell even more silent, everyone staring intently at the screen.

Ratan collapsed to the ground as if exhausted, but fortunately he managed to brace himself with his hands to avoid looking too pathetic. The skinny horse was also completely worn out.

"The crimson corruption brought by Marlenia not only eroded the body from the inside out, but also drove General Ratahn into madness."

“He gathered the corpses together, friend or foe, and then ate them like wild dogs.”

Just as Jeremy's words had suggested, the scene that followed was so unbearable that everyone turned away.

"Let out a heart-wrenching roar towards the sky."

Rotten pieces of flesh slid from his mouth.

Rataen slowly raised his head, revealing a face that had been corrupted to a deathly gray, his eyes revealing a delirious madness.

"Roar--"

He roared to the sky, and the entire wasteland trembled. The roar contained more madness or anger than anything else, or perhaps it was simply meaningless.

The video ends here, and the image gradually fades from view.

"After the outbreak of corruption, the general, who was still of sound mind, dispatched legions to scatter throughout Galid to contain the spread of the crimson corruption with flames, which finally brought the corruption to a halt within the boundaries of Galid."

"Before completely losing his mind, the general cut off his legs and imprisoned himself in the wilderness, with only his beloved horse, which he had grown up with since childhood, by his side."

“I am the general’s guest general. We have made a pact to ensure that the other will die with honor.”

"So this is the purpose of the Battle Festival: to send General Rataen to an honorable death."

As Jeremy finished speaking, the projected image remained completely still.

The soldiers' chanting continued, and Red Lion City was enveloped in the atmosphere of a festival.

After learning the truth about the Battle Festival, the song took on many different meanings in people's senses.

There was complete silence beneath the city walls; it was hard to imagine that so many people gathered together could remain completely quiet.

"Dong dong, dong dong"

Just then, a strange sound appeared in the music, like drumbeats? But it seemed that only each adventurer could hear it.

That's right, that's a heartbeat!

Everyone could clearly hear their own heartbeat, and the sound was getting faster and faster!

The pounding of countless hearts merged into the song, instantly transforming into rousing drumbeats, turning this funeral requiem into an inspiring battle song in the blink of an eye!

"This uncontrollable fighting spirit"

Temud clutched his heart, which was pounding like an imperial engine, and exhaled a hot breath, a smile playing on his lips without him even realizing it.

At this point, even if it weren't for the last battle of their traditional warriors, I would still go!
After understanding the whole story, he felt it was an unparalleled honor just to be able to participate in this festival!

Looking around, everyone was filled with fighting spirit!
Yuffie instantly transformed, Japal instantly tore off his clothes, Leon put away his ring, Dahl howled twice, and Fingeri took out the portrait of Gwyndolin, looking at it from left to right to strengthen his resolve and prevent himself from being seduced by the charm of the general opposite him.

Vann tore away the illusion to reveal his true werewolf form, attracting the attention of the Farron Guards. An elf tried to set off a large firework in the sky to add to the festivities, but was promptly tied up and played with by Vayne. The powerful figures were also flashed with colorful special effects, revealing their extraordinary state.

Although there are no more definitive voices, there is no doubt that everyone is now in an excellent fighting state!
Jeremy seized the perfect moment, raising his sword with both hands and shouting:

"Warriors, the festival has begun!"

"The Battle Festival begins!"

"Oh oh oh-"

Temud was the first to raise his arms and shout, and his legions roared in unison. The others were quickly infected by the atmosphere and made all sorts of shouts.

Thanks to the immense power of the projection magic, those watching from the outside world felt the same way. The entire Blackrock City boiled like a raging river at that moment, and the roar made the city tremble.

"The Rataen Festival has begun!"

With a final roar, Jellian slammed his sword into the ground, and a massive teleportation array lit up in the plaza, instantly enveloping everyone inside.

The next moment, the crowded square was empty again, and even Jellian above the city wall was nowhere to be seen.

At this moment.

On the vast, desertified wasteland, the figures of the festival participants slowly appeared.

"Is this the place? The location where the great battle took place in the footage?"

The group looked around and saw that the wasteland stretched as far as the eye could see, with corpses and weapons everywhere they looked.

Against the backdrop of blood-red light that obscured the starry sky, tattered flags fluttered in the wind atop the sand dunes.

The wasteland was shrouded in an inescapable crimson hue. Although it was a starry night, it looked like twilight here, adding to the atmosphere of a battlefield.

"Wow, I feel like I'm in the middle of a war!" Maru jumped out of the crowd and exclaimed the biggest exclamation of her life.

"There are summoning talismans here! They can summon those afterimages to fight!"

Someone discovered the summoning runes scattered on the ground, which allow the phantom characters to travel here.

[The assistant "Old Man" has been summoned]

[Assistant "Liannir" has been summoned]

[Helper "Patch" has been summoned]

In a short time, numerous phantoms were summoned.

"Line up, prepare for battle!" Temud shouted, and the army lined up in perfect formation as if it were an extension of his body. The soldiers tore open the standard military scrolls in unison, and various pre-recorded buff spells flashed on their bodies.

The adventurers were also fully prepared and began to act after seeing the army move. In an instant, everyone showed off their special skills, and all kinds of buff spells flashed across the field.

The Princess's Guardian and the Sun Warrior, the two oath-takers of the two great oaths, can assist each other and are considered to have the best compatibility, but the others also have their own unique skills.

If someone on the field were to unleash a "Regression Principle" at this moment, everyone's mentality would probably explode on the spot.

Just as everyone was making preparations, Luluwo and her strategy team suddenly broke away from the main group. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that each of them was carrying a mobile live-streaming device, which was perfectly connected to the projection magic of Blackrock City.

"I knew the location would be moved when the war started, but luckily I prepared several in advance."

As Luluwo adjusted the camera, she looked at the main group and muttered to herself:
"You can enjoy the festival without worry. My job is to spread the news of your heroic sacrifices."

She was actually quite kind this time; she deserves a thumbs up.

People outside were initially worried because the projected image suddenly disappeared, but as soon as she started her live stream and transmitted the image, everyone cheered and praised the unknown photographer.

Luluwo could almost feel her merits rising rapidly, but a second later, the hairs on her body stood on end as she suddenly felt a deadly chill.

In less than a second, she turned around to look in the direction of the danger and cried out.

"Look over there!"

The group, who were casting a buff spell, all looked towards a certain spot in the wasteland, just like the camera.

People outside craned their necks to look, and saw a familiar giant shadow standing tall beneath the blood-red sky.

Even though his figure was slightly hunched and his eyes were filled with an unclear mind, just standing there, he exuded an unparalleled aura!

Just seeing him made people hear the battle song of a battle festival, and their blood rushed to their brains in that instant.

"It's Ratahn!"

"Finally, we've seen one alive!"

"War! War!"

The audience erupted in a deafening roar of bloodlust, the sound seemingly transmitted through the projection to the participants, who immediately stopped what they were doing.

"rush!"

Without hesitation, Temud gave the order for a full-scale attack!

Just then, everyone's bodies lit up with "eggshells" made of crystalline dust. The dust from each person combined to form a huge protective shield that enveloped everyone.

This is the latest magic from Professor Tulsi, a magic professor specializing in defensive magic within the army.

"Professor, how come you don't look tired at all when you cast spells on so many people at once?" Roger asked Tulsi beside him, sitting on the running female Rathian.

"This is my latest defensive spell, which I call 'Unity of the People'."

Tursie proudly waved her slender, white fingers and said:
"The difference between it and traditional defensive magic is that the magic power required to maintain its existence does not come from the caster, but from the recipient. Moreover, because this shield is fragile, even a child can maintain it for more than half an hour."

"Then, what kind of defensive capability does this have?"

"Of course it does. Its characteristic is that when multiple targets gather together, their shields will combine and their defensive power will continuously increase. In other words, the more people there are, the higher the defensive power!"

Tursi stared at the enormous "eggshell" that completely enveloped the large army, as if it were her own masterpiece, and said:

"If it's a shield of this size, it might even be able to completely protect against some of the weaker forbidden spells! The only downside is that it can't be used in quick succession, and it's quite difficult to learn."

Perhaps you haven't tested it? Roger wouldn't dare to make such a sarcastic remark, but simply said with a smile, "Professor Tursie is exceptionally intelligent, Professor Tursie is unparalleled in the world!"

No sooner had they finished speaking than the moment to test the quality of the project arrived.

"Attention, Ratahn is about to attack!" The person at the forefront shouted hoarsely, yet full of anticipation.

On that distant wasteland, Ratan held the Lion's Great Bow, which was almost the same size as him, in one hand, while reaching behind his back with the other.

All that could be heard was the sound of flesh being torn apart; he had actually managed to rip the giant spear stuck in his back off!
Then, using this spear as an arrow, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow at the swarming warriors. The bowstring was bent like a full moon, and dark purple gravity magic gathered on the tip of the arrow. Even the hardest rocks underground were pulled up by gravity and gathered at the tip of the spear to form an even more ferocious arrow!
Everyone who witnessed this moment felt a strong sense of crisis; if they were hit head-on by this arrow, they might be reduced to ashes!

"Don't hide! Now that you've gathered together, your defense is at its strongest!" Tulsi's voice rang out. Trusting the magic professor, people tried to huddle together, and the protective shield enveloping them became even more solid at that moment.

"The exciting moment is about to begin!" Luluwo pointed her camera at the two sides clashing and added a commentary.

"boom--"

The gravity arrow shot out so fast that people didn't even have time to blink before it collided violently with the protective shield!
Tursie clenched her fist in secret, wanting to cheer herself on for her masterpiece.

add--

"boom!"

The gravity arrow shattered at its tip, and the protective shield also broke apart like a mirror at the same time, eventually turning into dust that filled the sky.

The arrow, now without its point, fell into the crowd. Even though the protective shield had weakened its power considerably, the impact still sent many people flying.

"Huh?" Tursie froze on the spot. She hadn't even managed to shout "Go for it!" yet the shield shattered like that.
She swayed as if drained of all her life force, then collapsed onto the female Rathian's back. Roger quickly went over to comfort her:

"Don't worry, look, we successfully blocked an arrow. It's enough that we blocked it. That was General Shattered Star."

Not enough at all

Tursie pointed resentfully at Rataen and said:
"He had over a dozen spears stuck in his body."

The onlookers who witnessed all of this were thrilled, and they cheered loudly.

But why does it feel like they're cheering for Rataen?
Those watching from the outside were enjoying themselves, but those actually engaged in the battle felt immense pressure.

Everyone could feel how hard the protective shield was, and how powerful Ratan's arrow was. But no one expected that just one arrow could break through the protective shield!
They thought that even if things went badly, they could at least withstand two arrows!

But to put it another way, the fact that Professor Tursie was able to withstand General Shattered Star's arrow shows that she is indeed a highly qualified professor.

In the distance, Ratan once again drew his spear and fired an arrow without changing his expression, like an iron man without blood or tears, bringing a great sense of oppression.

Besides Tulsi, the three professors Seth, Hedes, and Naba were also able to use [Unity of the People]. They cast a spell to create a protective shield, but it was only able to block three arrows.

Faced with the next wave of design, people will no longer be able to stay together and will soon be scattered and fighting.

Just as everyone was about to disperse but had not yet, Ratan drew his bow again at high speed. Without the protective shield, this arrow brought an absolute sense of deathly pressure!

"That mere arrow, I'll push it back!"

One member of the delegation, wielding a magic wand, bravely charged out of the main force and ran towards the arrows.

Gravity magic on an arrow is still magic; watch him deflect it with [Distorted Light Barrier]!

Just as he was intently watching General Shattered Star draw his bow, preparing to parry, the other side turned the arrow around.

An arrow was shot into the sky.

"Huh?" The person paused for a moment, then everyone's eyes widened, and they shouted:

"Get out of the way!"

A torrential downpour, a rain of arrows composed of countless large arrows poured down!

They charged towards the crowd with the ferocity of dragons locking onto their target!

In the blink of an eye, they were right in front of me!
All that could be heard were screams as the rain of arrows imbued with gravity magic crushed those who hadn't had a chance to escape like a hydraulic press. When the rain of arrows finally stopped, only the gold-ranked adventurer "Giant Gate" Bala, whose shield had been shattered, was left barely clinging to life within the attack range, with a few other adventurers under his protection.

This is estimated to have resulted in the loss of dozens of people!
A second wave of arrows followed immediately.

Dar, with his superhuman mobility, pulled Bala and the others to their feet and shouted using amplification magic:
"The arrows left by the arrow rain haven't disappeared; we can use these things as walls to block attacks!"

His ability to adapt to changing circumstances was simply outstanding. Those who couldn't escape the second wave of arrows took cover behind the giant spears brought by the first wave, and some of them were lucky enough to escape death.

The potential third wave of arrows did not arrive.

Because the adventurers launched their attacks at this moment, colorful magic flew through the sky; if it were special effects, it would definitely be very expensive.

Meanwhile, Stella, who was mixed in with the group, unleashed a barrage of arrows with her left bow. At the cost of temporarily immobilizing her arms, she managed to control Rataen for a mere second with her left bow.

That one second gave Warrior Jar "Alexander" a spinning charge to his side, interrupting the arrow's launch with a rising dragon punch!

"Cool! Warrior's Jar, cool!"

"One more punch!"

"No, Ratahn didn't even flinch during that punch!"

Alexander's Rising Dragon Fist slammed into Rataen's jaw, but the opponent remained as unmoved as a mountain swayed by a strong wind, and with a backhand, he used his Great Bow to knock the Warrior's Jar away.

Temud and his legion rushed in front of him at that moment, and a close-quarters battle was about to break out.

"Scatter! If Ratahn's attacks are unstoppable, then don't get hit!" Temud gave the order, and the legion immediately scattered and formed ranks.

"Roar!"

General Shattered Star let out a deafening roar, and the person closest to him fell to the ground instantly. When they looked up again, they saw that he had two excessively large [Shattered Star Greatswords] in his hands, and the killing intent unique to legendary warriors was almost tangible.

Just like Conqueror's Haki, several people fainted on the spot, and many more were in a daze.

"Stay calm!"

Temud let out a roar that sounded like both a human and a dragon. Those who heard the sound seemed to be calmed by a spell and quickly regained their composure, echoing the roar and swinging their weapons at Ratahn's severed leg.

It's not that they're so despicable as to deliberately target wounds.

Rather, it was because General Shattered Star's body was too enormous that ordinary people could only "trimmed his feet".

The earth cracked, plants grew wildly, and various binding spells appeared on Rataen at this moment. The soaring blade of [Great Kalia] lit up in the crowd. Upon closer inspection, Vann was carrying Leon, who was charging up, on his shoulder and charging forward without hesitation. His target was naturally Rataen's head.

"Watch our combo!" Van En shouted with fervor.

"boom!"

Before the mighty Kalia landed on Rataen, he unleashed a powerful aura that instantly shattered all the binding magic!
The spellcaster Vayne and the others in the distance immediately felt their magical energy become disordered, and they staggered. When she focused her attention again, they realized that...

Ratan raised his greatsword and smashed the mighty Kalia to pieces with a single blow, his entire body bursting with power as he slammed into the ground without stopping!

As the azure blade fragments tumbled up and down, dark purple gravity magic penetrated deep into the cracks in the ground, drawing in hard rocks interwoven with blood and black, causing them to burst from the ground and form a gravity spike stretching for miles in front of them!

It's practically a mini mountain range!
The adventurers, sent flying by the spikes, screamed as they soared into the sky only to plummet back down like Daedalus whose wings had melted, their hearts pierced by the spikes!
Blue, purple, blood red. All sorts of colors intertwine at this moment.

They had tried their best to spread out, but they hadn't expected General Shattered Star's attack range to be so large. After this attack...
Hundreds of people died.

The scene fell silent instantly. People stared at the exaggerated "mountain range," and you could hear yourself swallowing.

That's...that's incredible.
Ratan let out a battle cry, as if inviting people to continue fighting. People gasped, adjusted their mindset, and reaffirmed their determination to grip their weapons. Just then...

The helper "Patch" has returned to his original world.

"???"

　A long-awaited long chapter has been released; today's update is now complete.

　　I still want to keep writing, but I really need to get back to work. I'll write another long chapter tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)