Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Hearing the soldiers' agonizing screams, Hedin muttered to himself.

"Who would personally charge into an army of tens of thousands? Annihilating them with magic is the most efficient and straightforward approach."

The elf seemed to be illustrating a perfectly clear truth, using a bow and arrow called magic to relentlessly shoot down the barbarians before him.

No one could be allowed to escape. The squad took a step forward, and the lightning scattershot fired a step ahead. Even though the situation was already decided, Hedin still accurately used his mental power to maximize the range and set up a lightning barrier through magic to seal off the battlefield, trapping the Valsha army on the sand dunes.

After realizing that no one could escape this vast, sandy, lightning-ravaged region, the Valsha soldiers shamefully began to beg for their lives.

Hedin, who had been calmly carrying out his killings, showed a change in expression for the first time after hearing this annoying noise.

"To be honest, I'd like to ask you: do you really think that crying and begging for mercy will save you? Even the most shallow people should have their limits. None of you should leave here alive."

A small number of Lv.2 members of the La Sharp Familia read Hedin's lips from the other end of the complex and intertwined lightning, and their faces turned ashen with fright.

"You bunch of beasts who eat from the same pot, degrading that goddess's 'private property,' even defiling the 'love' she spread in the Oasis City—no matter how much you disregard human life, how dare you lay a hand on the sacred domain that no one is allowed to violate!"

After the destruction of "Lyod City," Hedin naturally gave a grand funeral to the former slaves who died around the mansion—Freya's "personal property"—because he was very clear about how these victims had been trampled on in their lives. The beautiful women who had been sold into slavery all died in despair.

This result is to be expected.

This is a self-evident truth.

Since Varsha jokingly called it "this is war," it's not hard to imagine that it would inevitably turn into a feast of looting and humiliation.

As such, Hedin, being an elf with noble character, could not possibly stand idly by.

Having sworn to become a killer, he had no choice but to "exterminate them all".

"You claim to be innocent? You insist you didn't do those things? A bunch of idiots, you all reek of the same stench, the disgusting stench of past atrocities, of being no different from beasts!"

Hedin was consumed by rage because the goddess's love had been defiled.

Upon sensing this fiery rage and domineering aura, the nearby Valsha soldiers forgot all about fleeing for their lives. They turned pale and fell into despair, trembling uncontrollably.

The instant those coral-red eyes narrowed slightly—Herdin's eyes flashed with malice, and he grabbed the glasses off his face, crushing them violently.

"In that case, how can 'this great one' tolerate even the slightest flaw in this clumsy world?!"

The wrath of the elves.

Hedin destroyed the mask of rationality, and since liberation, he has never unleashed the slightest bit of his immense killing intent, completely revealing his "true nature".

"Moreover, I myself advised that little girl to be completely eliminated—if I didn't personally demonstrate what it means to ravage, I would be ashamed before my master and that young king!!"

This is Hedin's loyalty to the goddess, and his way of venting his grief and indignation on behalf of the young girl whose country had suffered.

Various emotions exploded within the elf's body, transforming him into an apostle who revered killing.

Hedin roared out his mission.

"Prepare to die! You barbarians of the desert!!"

"...I always felt that Hedin would say something like that."

Hegny muttered to himself under the blazing sun.

"Ee, ee ...

Countless corpses were scattered around him.

The screams were naturally from the soldiers of Valsha.

This is the right wing of Valsha's army.

Facing the Third Division, which had 10,000 troops, Hegny, who was also a "magic swordsman" like his nemesis (Hedin), did not provoke a magical war—but instead engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

"It's because my magic... doesn't have the long range of Hedin's, and it's not very convenient to use..."

He was lost in his own world in front of the trembling soldiers.

The dark elf swordsman lowered his eyes, covered his mouth with his high collar, and muttered to himself.

"...Because I'm definitely better at sword dancing."

After speaking, Hegni gently stroked the surface of the sinister black sword in his left hand with his right hand.

First-tier weaponry: Victim abyss.

This jet-black sword, resembling a lightning bolt, is not only the sole weapon of the exceptionally skilled swordsman Hegni, but also a comrade-in-arms with whom he can confide. It is a special weapon crafted with the assistance of a certain hexer, and is a cursed weapon that "extends its slashing range at the cost of physical strength," purely pursuing the attribute of sword murder.

Thanks to this black sword, which seemed to be forged from concentrated darkness, the brown desert was stained red by absorbing a large amount of blood.

"...Heh heh heh heh, you've met your doom by encountering my black sword here... Hot sand dances, crimson splatters everywhere... My sword craves a living sacrifice. In other words... Hehehehe, die!"

Hegny charged into the enemy ranks as if he wanted to strike first.

Although Hegni was terrified by the Valsha soldiers surrounding him—or rather, by their eyes—his words meant, "I'm here to eliminate this force. The opening skirmish is over; prepare yourselves."

In contrast, the comments given by the Valsha soldiers were appalling.

"What...what's this guy doing?!"

"He drew his sword the moment we met; he seems to be a madman!"

"And he even spouted a whole bunch of nonsense with a grin!"

"He's clearly an elf, yet he has the face of an ogre!"

"Yeah, he looks like he's about to lick the blade with his tongue!"

"The key question is, what exactly is he trying to express?!"

The reason why Hegni uttered such incomprehensible words was simply because he was so bad at speaking that his ability to express himself had become completely distorted. The strange smile on his face was because his expression was stiff with tension. However, the comments made by Valsha's army did cause considerable damage to Hegni, who was a strong person.

(Ah, I can't take it anymore, I just want to die.)

So the dark elf, who ruined his image the moment he opened his mouth, covered his face, which was flushed with shame, with his collar—and in a fit of rage, swung his sword.

"Ughh ...

Then a breathtaking sword dance unfolded.

The black sword, transformed into a streak of light, easily slain numerous soldiers. Whether it was raised shields, thrusting spears, or swung swords, all were ruthlessly severed on the spot. Each swing of the sword created a waltz of screams, the conductor's black cloak billowing with each violent movement.

At this moment, there was no darkness to conceal Hegny's ugliness—or rather, his loss of control.

Today, unlike before, we're not fighting at night.

The desert sun illuminated Hegni's frenzied sword dance, a symbol of terror to the enemy soldiers, but to Hegni it was like being in hell, as it forced him to stand on the stage alone and perform a one-man show.

(Ah~ Everyone's looking at me, everyone's looking at me~~ Ah~ No, no, no, I really can't take it anymore. Speaking of which, why am I a Level 1 Adventurer? I don't want to attract attention at all, I just want to fight hidden in the shadows. Or rather, I want to become the darkness. Why didn't I become an assassin? No, I can't take it anymore, this is too much. I want to hide back in the forest. Ah~ I've had enough. I want to lie on the lap of the goddess Freya—no, I want the goddess Freya to lie on my lap.)

The enemy force numbered as many as ten thousand. So many that no one had ever looked on with equal intensity.

Those pairs of eyes, unlike the monsters of the dungeon, belonging to humans and possessing reason, caused Hegni's inner turmoil to reach its peak, ultimately manifesting as fragmented thoughts swirling in his mind. As he performed his intense sword dance, the pressure within him had reached its limit.

(I can't take it anymore... I'll have to use that trick.)

So Hegni used that "magic" to escape.

"【Unsheathed and in full bloom, the Demon Sword King's glory】."

He plunged the black sword in his hand into the sand.

A black magic circle appeared around the raised black sword, and Hegni closed his eyes and began to chant clearly.

"【At the cost of reason and the blood of offerings, until the feast ends—slaughter to your heart's content】."

The terrified Valsha soldiers were too late to stop it.

The dark elf finished chanting the short incantation and uttered the name of the magic.

"【Dainsleif】"

The black magic circle beneath Hegni's feet began to glow, then shattered on the spot, turning into countless fragments of light that he absorbed into his body.

At first glance, the thin film of light that seemed to cover his entire body vanished in an instant, and Hegni slowly opened his eyes.

Then slowly open your mouth.

"—You villains who roam the desert, I command you to offer your blood to this body. For you who have committed heinous crimes, this is the only way to atone."

He displayed a different tone and high-pressure attitude than before.

Faced with the Dark Elf's sudden change, the Valsha soldiers were terrified and at a loss.

That was no longer a bluffing look, but a sharp gaze like that of a true swordsman.

This is Hegni's magic, the Dainsleif.

The effect is a rare "personality change".

This move, which is quite rare even among rare magic, can be described as "magic" that reveals Hegni's inner self.

This is the key ritual that transforms the timid and easily stressed Hegni into a "warrior." It is somewhat similar to the high-spirited "magic" used by a certain dwarf nicknamed "Hero."

However, the [Dainsleif] did not significantly increase stats.

Ultimately, it only works on personality, making it a relatively simple type of "magic" among elaborate spells.

"If you have any last words, hurry up and tell me, or you won't get any mercy from me."

However, this magic, which only works on the mental aspect, is a form of "self-modification" that surpasses the effects of self-hypnosis.

This kind of effect, where one's personality and behavior are completely different from what is literally said, is equivalent to "revealing the ideal self".

This is the "magic" of summoning one's strongest self when one hates oneself to the extreme.

The instant Hegni casts this spell, he will become a cold-blooded and ruthless "War King" who only seeks killing and ravaging, like a demonic sword that will not stop until it has caused a large number of deaths after it is unsheathed.

"—Die, you rabble. Ugly sacrifices abandoned by the love of the goddess, you have no value in living."

Hegni vanished from the spot in an instant.

His kick caused an explosion in the desert, and before the enemy soldiers could react, he had already wiped out a squad.

"Ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!?"

The real feast of despair is just beginning.

Due to the alteration magic (the Black Elf Sword), Hegni's last shred of compassion vanished. Thanks to the magic, the weakness (limitation) that prevented him from fighting with all his might completely crumbled, transforming him into a ferocious and monstrous being. To paraphrase his nemesis Hedin's assessment, he was "the most detestable elf among his own kind, skilled in melee combat."

Moving at high speed, like a streak of black light, Hegni slaughtered all the soldiers, creating a whirlwind of blades accompanied by a bloody storm.

The soldiers of the 3rd Division who witnessed this scene looked far more terrified than the soldiers on other battlefields.

The person before them was the embodiment of the demonic sword. Tears streaming down their faces, their lips trembling, they instinctively understood one thing: this was a death messenger who would never stop except by continuously offering up blood and flesh. In an instant, they would become sacrifices to the murderous blade.

Hegni's nickname, "Dainsleif," is actually a direct quote from the name of the magic he casts.

This is the greatest encouragement from the gods who worship and love Hegni, praising his transformation from "Dark Knight (laughs)" to "Dark War King".

"There are many offerings this time... but rest assured, I can unleash even more strikes. This sword will be your tombstone."

The most ferocious elves continued their sweeping campaign in an attempt to wipe out the entire army.

"General Orcas! Enemy attack!"

"What?! Quickly report the enemy's location and size!"

In the "Sinde Sand Plains," where screams of agony echoed throughout, General Orcas and his soldiers formed the rearguard of the Valsha army. This force of up to 20,000 men was meant to be deployed to support other units as needed, and thus played a vital role in the war.

Upon receiving the report, the reserve force commander, Olcas, immediately questioned the commander loudly.

It seemed the enemy staff had discovered the presence of their reserve forces and had arranged for soldiers to ambush them. Orcas was frantic with worry that their entire formation had been exposed. Other units also appeared to have been attacked; even without reports, screams echoed from the other side of the rolling sand dunes.

Despite the nonsensical reports that came one after another, such as "a lone warrior launched an artillery attack on our army" and "a swordsman routed our 10,000-strong force," he at least understood that the battle situation was indeed very chaotic.

After the veteran general, who had fought countless battles against the Sharzad army, asked a stern question, the soldier quickly answered.

"There is an enemy in each of our four cardinal directions!"

"…………What?"

"Um, this is... there's an enemy in every direction. Four fully armed little people are flanking our army from all sides..."

The well-trained messenger spoke with unusual hesitation.

Riding a camel, Orcas focused intently on the four directions and indeed there were only four figures in total.

At the highest point of the sand dunes in the four cardinal directions of the army, which numbered as many as 20,000, stood a small humanoid creature with a similar build, but each wielded a different weapon, such as a spear, a large hammer, a giant axe, or a greatsword.

"Hmph... Hahahahahahahahahahaha!! Has Sharzad gone mad!? He thinks he can take on an army of 20,000 with just four people!"

Faced with this unbelievable scene, Orcas, who had undergone countless trials and tribulations and possessed a strong physique, laughed so hard that he fell over with his confidants.

This force is composed of soldiers and mercenaries who have received the "Grace of God (Pharna)". No matter how strong the opponent is, even if one can fight against a thousand soldiers alone, he will be crushed by three thousand soldiers.