Chapter 252: The Desert Battlefield

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: The Desert Battlefield

Although the scorpions possessed formidable defenses, their attack patterns became increasingly predictable once the Awakeners learned to recognize the movements preceding their stinger strikes. The creatures were dangerous enough to punish careless mistakes, yet the combined strength of the three summons and the coordinated attacks of the B-Rank and A-Rank Awakeners gradually began to turn the battle in their favor.

A scorpion managed to break through the frontline and charge toward a group of ranged attackers, but the Stormcrest Griffin intercepted it before it could reach them. Another attempted to circle around the Earth Bear, only to have its legs trapped beneath a series of water blades released by the Tidefang Serpent.

"Maintain your spacing!" Ha-eun called out, her voice remaining steady despite the noise of the battle. "They’re beginning to adjust to our attacks, so don’t rely on the same opening twice. If one of them raises its tail, move out of its immediate range rather than attempting to block the strike. Their venom is too dangerous to take unnecessary risks."

The Awakeners responded to her instructions, gradually finding a rhythm as they fought alongside her summons.

There were moments when the scorpions forced them to retreat, and several fighters had to rely on defensive abilities to withstand the force of the monsters’ pincers, but the situation remained under control. Their opponents were powerful, yet the disparity in numbers and coordination was gradually working against them.

Ha-eun was confident that her group would eventually eliminate the entire swarm on this flank.

Still, she did not allow that confidence to become complacency.

’An S-Rank Gate rarely reveals all of its dangers in the first encounter. These scorpions might be nothing more than the monsters guarding the outer region, and if the boss is powerful enough to require multiple S-Rank Awakeners, we should expect something considerably more troublesome deeper inside.’

She glanced briefly toward the other two groups.

The central formation, led by Kang Ji-hoon, was engaging the scorpions head-on, while the group under Park Tae-hyun had already begun advancing through the right flank. Even from a distance, it was clear that the other two guild masters were handling their respective battles with confidence.

Ha-eun returned her attention to the fight before her.

There was still work to be done.

---

From his position near the center of the battlefield, Ares watched the three groups engage the scorpion swarm, his expression remaining largely unchanged as he observed their respective fighting styles.

His attention lingered briefly on the left flank, where the three magical beasts moved in coordination with the Awakeners under Yoon Ha-eun’s command. The griffin’s aerial attacks, the Earth Bear’s defensive presence, and the Tidefang Serpent’s ability to restrict enemy movement complemented one another quite well, while Ha-eun’s enhancement magic allowed the summoned creatures to maintain a steady advantage over their opponents.

’So those are her summons.’

Ares studied the three beasts for a moment longer, noting the quality of their mana and the precision with which they followed their master’s instructions.

’Not bad. Their abilities complement one another, and her control over the summoning contracts appears sufficiently refined to allow her to coordinate all three without interfering with her own combat capabilities. For an S-Rank summoner, she has a fairly practical approach to battle.’

He shifted his gaze toward the right flank just as a tremendous explosion shook the desert.

A cloud of sand erupted into the air, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of something heavy being smashed apart. Several scorpions were thrown sideways, their armored bodies tumbling across the ground before crashing into the dunes, while a towering figure strode through the resulting dust cloud with the ease of someone taking a leisurely walk.

It was Park Tae-hyun, the Guild Master of the Titan Guild.

Unlike Ha-eun, who directed her summons and supported the Awakeners fighting alongside her, Park had chosen to engage the monsters directly. His class was Berserker, a combat-oriented class that specialized in overwhelming physical strength, explosive movements, and devastating close-range attacks.

His fighting style was correspondingly straightforward.

Park rushed toward the nearest giant scorpion, avoiding its pincers with a sudden sidestep before driving his fist into the side of its armored head. The impact produced a deafening crack, and the creature’s body lurched sideways as several plates of its exoskeleton shattered beneath the force of the blow.

Before the monster could retaliate, Park pivoted on one foot and delivered a powerful kick to its abdomen, sending its enormous body flying several meters through the air.

The scorpion crashed into the sand and stopped moving.

Park did not even glance at it before advancing toward the next target.

A second scorpion lunged at him from the side, its stinger descending toward his shoulder, but he stepped inside its range and struck the base of its tail with his elbow. The impact disrupted the creature’s attack, allowing Park to follow with a crushing punch that sent it sprawling across the ground.

Two or three attacks were all he needed to bring down a single monster.

Watching the scene unfold, Ares tilted his head slightly.

’Hmm. If I were to rank him according to his raw combat capabilities, he would probably stand somewhere around Vhan and Vince’s 20.’

The thought brought a faint smile to his face.

’There are twenty of them in total. I named them the Twenty Seals, and Saora was one of those who received a place among them. Their combat styles resemble that of a destructive type to some extent, but the power granted to them by the Eclipse has elevated their abilities far beyond what an ordinary power can achieve.’

The Twenty Seals were among the powerful individuals Vhan and Vince had gathered beneath their banner, each possessing a specialized fighting style that reflected the nature of their abilities. Although they shared certain similarities with conventional classes, the influence of Eclipse Power had fundamentally altered their capabilities, allowing them to develop strengths that could not be explained by ordinary Awakener classifications.

’What was his name again? Ah, right. Jade.’

Ares watched Park drive his fist into another scorpion’s armored body, the impact producing a shock wave that scattered sand in every direction.

’Jade specializes in destruction. His abilities are built around breaking through an opponent’s defenses and converting his physical attacks into overwhelming destructive force. Watching this man fight is rather interesting, considering how closely his ordinary fighting style resembles that specialization.’

Park’s movements were not particularly elaborate, but there was a certain efficiency in the way he approached each opponent. He understood his own strengths, recognized the limitations of his enemies, and wasted little effort on attacks that would not produce meaningful results.

For someone who specialized in close combat, that level of practical judgment was more valuable than a collection of flashy techniques.

Ares turned his attention toward the central battlefield.

Kang Ji-hoon had already begun using his gravitational magic to control the scorpions surrounding his group, and the difference between his fighting style and Park’s was immediately apparent. Rather than confronting the monsters individually, he manipulated the battlefield itself, forcing multiple enemies into positions where they could be eliminated with a single coordinated attack.

The air around him began to distort.

A series of invisible gravitational fields spread across the battlefield, their influence extending beneath the advancing scorpions. Several creatures suddenly found their movements slowing as the pressure around their bodies increased, while others were forced to their knees beneath an invisible weight.

Kang Ji-hoon raised one hand, and the surrounding sand began to tremble.

"Gravitational Dominion: Skyfall Collapse!"

The moment he spoke, the gravitational force surrounding the scorpions changed direction.

Several enormous creatures were lifted from the ground simultaneously, their armored bodies rising into the air as though the desert had suddenly lost its hold on them. Their legs thrashed helplessly, and their pincers snapped at empty space while the invisible force continued dragging them higher.

The Awakeners fighting beneath Kang Ji-hoon’s command immediately retreated from the affected area, having learned to recognize the warning signs of their guild master’s large-scale abilities..