Chapter 863

Of course, it was Nila. To begin with, there probably wasn’t another living horse anywhere on this island besides it.

The creature swung its forelegs down sharply and straightened itself before turning around.

Miguel’s silhouette appeared, flailing atop the saddle like a rag doll. However, that wasn’t why Ian’s eyes narrowed.

Looks like they’re coming this way.

Nila had started running, its shadow rapidly growing larger against the fog.

Soon, the orange glow staining the fog faded away, and the shadow vanished with it. Instead, trails of embers flickered through the darkness like swarms of fireflies.

Clip-clop— Clip-clop—

Before long, the sound of hooves joined the chaos echoing from every direction.

The vague figure of a white horse galloping down the ridge emerged through the haze, its ember-lit mane billowing wildly.

"Sir Ian!"

"B-Brother!"

Naturally, Elia, clinging tightly to Nila’s neck and Miguel riding behind her, came into view as well.

The contrast in their expressions was so extreme that Ian couldn't stifle a low chuckle.

"So that’s why Nila suddenly started acting up. You already made it all the way here!" Elia’s voice rang out cheerfully.

Still walking forward, Ian gave a small nod. "Well, nothing really got in my way."

"Perfect timing, then. Brother, please do something about this lunatic beast!" Miguel cried with a miserable expression.

Nila slowed down and veered diagonally, then fell into step beside Ian.

Miguel adjusted his painful seat. "I don’t know if it got angry because the voyage was rough or something, but it’s even more violent and uncontrollable than usual! I’m scared to death, damn it..."

Ian chuckled, meeting Nila’s fiery gaze. "You heard him, Nila. Ease up a little."

Nila snorted fiery breath sharply through its nostrils.

It definitely didn’t sound like agreement. If anything, it still seemed furious.

Doesn’t feel like this is just stress from staying on the ship.

Elia straightened herself and said, "I, on the other hand, find all of this incredibly fascinating. We’re getting to observe fully mutated corrupted ones up close—and in huge numbers!"

Ian glanced at Elia again as she casually brushed a hand through Nila’s ember-streaked mane.

Only then did he realize she had barely ever seen corrupted ones directly before.

Completely oblivious to the meaning behind his gaze, Elia continued excitedly, "Once everything’s over, I’d love to collect countless specimens! If only we could preserve them properly without decay, the research value alone would be extraordina—"

"You should give up on that idea, Elia," Ian cut her off.

I wouldn’t allow it anyway, but it’s impossible to begin with.

Elia paused and puffed out her lips in disappointment. Miguel, who had been staring at her with open disgust, slowly shook his head.

Suppressing a laugh, Ian jerked his chin toward the upper slope. "Since you’re here, tell me how the battlefield’s looking. You’ve been hearing everything, haven’t you?"

Smacking her lips uneasily, Elia looked toward the fog-covered heights ahead. "The corrupted ones are pouring in, along with the servants of the Black Sea. It looks like they’re crossing over the ridge the moment they land."

Beyond the bluish fog, battle cries, monstrous shrieks, explosions, and booming impacts still echoed nonstop.

They were still pressing forward, but either way, they weren’t that far away anymore.

"Still, it doesn’t seem like there are any major problems. The Great Chieftain leads from the front, carving a path open while everyone else spreads out behind her and widens it. I don’t think the valley leading to the other side is much farther now."

Ian nodded. "That’s good. Still, tell them not to let their guard down, no matter what. If they get hurt, they should fall back instead of pushing through it."

A strange smile spread across Elia’s lips. "I can tell them, but I doubt they’ll listen. Or would you rather give the order yourself, Sir Ian? I can cast the spell for you."

The moment she held out her hand, Ian immediately shook his head. "No, I’m good."

He stared toward the upper ridge with an odd look in his eyes. "It’s already noisy enough as it is. I’m not interested in having my head become a battlefield too."

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, waves of divine resonance had already begun rippling from deep inside him. The beastfolk and fairies’ battle cries were probably the cause.

Elia nodded and was about to say something else when she suddenly froze.

"-------!"

A roar resembling a battle cry suddenly thundered across the island. It sounded like it had come from somewhere beyond the ridge.

Swoosh—

At the same time, the thick fog surrounding them rippled ominously and began pulling away. Elia and Miguel both snapped their heads upward simultaneously.

"Looks like something strong showed up," Ian muttered.

However, that wasn’t the only reason his eyes narrowed. The pulse of divinity inside him had suddenly grown even sharper, almost as though it were reacting.

Fwoosh!

At that moment, Nila turned toward Ian and snorted a spray of embers. The horse tossed its head lightly and scraped the ground with one forehoof as it shifted its stance.

Miguel frowned a beat later while Ian tilted his head slightly and said, "Focus on helping the beastfolk and fairies. And like I said, don’t push yourselves too hard."

"For fuck’s sake..."

Just as Miguel let out a defeated groan, Nila snorted again and bolted forward.

The embers woven through its flowing mane flared brighter like rising flames, and Elia immediately buried herself back into them as though she had been waiting for exactly that.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

Ian watched Nila’s retreating figure carve through the fog as though burning it away, then slowly smacked his lips.

Even now, the divine resonance spreading through him was growing sharper and sharper.

Swoosh—

It was likely because of the bluish fog beginning to spread as though flowing down the mountainside. The chaos saturating it was becoming denser by the second.

Did another lord arrive? Or is it the one guarding the sanctuary?

That was as far as the thought went. He would find out the moment he crossed the cliffside ridge ahead, but already, every time the divinity inside him surged outward, the surrounding fog was forcibly pushed away in expanding circles.

Even the black sword resting on his shoulder trembled and thrummed with a low hum.

So I’m even gaining abilities like this now.

Suppressing a hollow laugh, Ian kept walking.

It did not take long for him to realize this power did far more than merely drive away the fog of chaos.

"--------!"

"Damn it! Get a hold of yourself! Don’t let it consume you, you stupid beast!"

"Slow down, you fucking idiot! You’ll get yourself killed!"

Ahead of him, corrupted ones and grotesque monsters came into view, along with beastfolk warriors charging recklessly into them while fairies circled nearby, screaming warnings.

Crunch! Crack!

However, the beastfolk ignored the fairies entirely and hurled themselves at the enemy. They fought like berserkers, utterly unconcerned about the wounds opening across their bodies.

They’re drunk on chaos.

The corner of Ian’s mouth twisted bitterly. It was one of the things he’d been worried about from the start.

Beastfolk were especially vulnerable to magical attacks.

That was why his pace quickened even further.

Swoosh—

Soon, the fog was pushed back in rippling waves, revealing the vast battlefield of fairies and beastfolk in full.

Several startled fairies flinched and turned around.

"The Demigod?"

"Wait... this is...."

They had likely felt the divinity brushing past their bodies.

Without even sparing them a glance, Ian quickened his steps and said, "Pull yourselves together. Don’t get swept away."

His voice, infused with divinity, rang outward like the toll of a bell.

The beastfolk warriors who had been pulverizing corrupted ones suddenly shuddered and sucked in sharp breaths. They turned toward Ian with startled eyes, as though finally regaining clarity.

Crunch, boom!

Of course, not everyone had lost themselves to chaos in the first place. Those who hadn’t were still fighting even while glancing toward Ian in surprise—Palmer and Nehat were among them.

"Quit spacing out and fight!"

Diana was another, hurling a dagger clearly coated in deadly poison toward a corrupted lunging at one of the dazed beastfolk.

Her magic-amplified shout snapped the stunned warriors and fairies back to their senses. They immediately charged at the corrupted ones once more.

"For the great Demigod!"

"The Demigod blesses us!"

Voices from every race roared together at full volume.

Even while frowning at the deafening cries rattling through him, Ian met Diana’s gaze and gave her a slight nod.

Fwoosh—

Even amidst all that, he caught sight of Nila racing along the ridge beyond, smashing corrupted ones aside with its head. Sparks surged through its mane as though it might burst into flames at any moment.

Meanwhile, Miguel, who had tightly wrapped the reins around his prosthetic arm, continued screaming nonstop. "Aaaagh! Aaagh!"

Riding Nila probably felt like clinging to the back of a rampaging bull.

As the front lines advanced even faster, Ian continued forward through the very center of it without stopping.

Before he realized it, the trees had completely vanished, leaving behind only rocky strata and boulders of every size.

Swoosh—

The slope grew steeper while the endless waves of bluish fog filled with corrupted ones poured downward.

Not long after, a golden flash erupted beyond the haze ahead.

"Here, Ian!" Charlotte’s booming shout echoed through the battlefield.

Ian found her location without difficulty.

In the middle of the steep incline, an unnaturally carved canyon cut deep through the terrain.

"You have to enter through here!"

Charlotte stood directly in front of it, looking back toward him. Golden light shimmered across her, and draconic power gleamed within her eyes.

"-----!"

At almost the same moment, a corrupted shrieked and lunged at her from behind.

Charlotte showed no sign of panic. She simply turned and swung one of her fang swords.

Swish! Crunch—

The blade, wreathed in golden dragonic power, sliced diagonally through the creature.

Charlotte kicked the split corpse away and sharply flicked the bloodied fang sword clean.

"------!"

A roar mixed with chaos thundered from the opposite side of the canyon immediately afterward. A massive silhouette writhed beyond the surging fog.

"Don’t worry about that one, Ian." Charlotte’s magic-laced voice spread softly through the battlefield.

She glanced at Ian, then bared her fangs in a grin. "I’ll keep the path open to the very end."