The Calm Before the Storm 2

A ‘treasure’ referred to items of immense value from the vaults of Muspelheim’s royalty.

As the central hub of the Alliance, the cost of borrowing treasures from such a prestigious royal household was astronomical.

Hence, the bestowment of treasures was an honor reserved only for exceptional individuals like Heroes or Winny-Kaisk – even they could only receive them once or twice in a lifetime. Long-term borrowing was limited to the highest elite Disciples alone.

Yet the 6-month rookie Disciple Han Doyun had requested a treasure loan.

“…How many years of experience does he have?”

“Not years, months. He’ll be 6 months soon.”

“Maybe he came to the wrong place? How could someone that green have accomplished enough?”

“I’ve heard the rumors, but to this extent…?”

They doubted whether this was realistically possible. While Disciple Han Doyun’s renown was extraordinary, it didn’t seem sufficient for a treasure loan.

Even the counter staff member double-checked.

“Uh… a treasure?”

“Yes.”

“Which treasure did you…”

He handed her the note listing the item details – something Doyun had coveted since Enoch’s era.

After receiving it, the staff member pulled up his accumulated merits on the keyboard, only to furrow her brow in puzzlement.

For a mere 6-month tenure, it was an unbelievable amount. Unprecedented, considering his short time served.

However, it still fell short of qualifying for the treasure loan he had requested.

“I shall supplement the remainder with points.”

“Points?”

The staff member seemed even more perplexed.

‘He has enough points to cover the difference…?’

‘Merits’ were broadly categorized into three types.

Simple merits evaluated by the Alliance. Points assessed by the system itself. And other national or institutional evaluations like Rockenmare’s.

Of these, ‘points’ were undoubtedly the most valuable.

Enabling the purchase of precious items and abilities unavailable at regular system shops, points carried immense worth.

But as a direct bestowal from the gods themselves, an evaluation by the system – naturally, they were an exceedingly rare resource that couldn’t be easily accrued through mere battlefield exploits.

The staff member tapped on her keyboard, obtaining partial system access from the Alliance server to check Doyun’s status window.

While she couldn’t directly view his point total, she could at least confirm if it was feasible.

And the result that appeared on her screen was ‘possible.’

‘…Huh?’

This was allowed?

‘A 6-month rookie has enough points to supplement a treasure loan?’

She was well aware of Doyun’s renowned reputation.

The Human Siege Weapon. Subjugating the Tsunami Tamer. His camaraderie with various Heroes.

But the only point-worthy achievements from his exploits were a couple of major sieges and defeating the Tsunami Tamer.

‘Surely that’s not enough?’

What she didn’t know was that Doyun possessed far more unannounced points.

Contributing to the defeat of the assassins disguised as financial officers. Repelling the Imp army’s Rockenmare raid. Even assisting in the Dragon Lord’s recovery.

All were Doyun’s unseen accomplishments that the system had evaluated and rewarded with points, unknown to the general populace.

Moreover, he was a Boss Monster Killer, wasn’t he? The points from slaying boss monsters were considerable as well.

The sheer amount startled the staff member – it exceeded even the youngest Hero Leah’s total.

Doyun had been accumulating all those vast points for the sole purpose of locating the Apostles.

Stunned, the staff member tapped out the borrowing contract and handed it to him.

“…Your request has been processed.”

The observing Disciples gasped in astonishment.

“He actually got approved!?”

“Huh…? I’d heard the rumors, but to this extent…?”

Murmurs of disbelief echoed all around.

“Whoa… this is the first time I’ve seen someone borrow a treasure.”

“Fuckin’ A, I’m so jealous. While the rest of us scrubs use mass-produced cheap iron clubs from the smithy…”

“Wonder what treasure it is?”

Many gazes turned towards his borrowing contract, but Doyun simply retrieved his insignia, unhesitatingly turning to leave the building.

Two days until the sortie. Time was of the essence.

+++

Thump.

“Phew…”

Doyun’s black cloak fluttered as he landed.

The rock platforms he had used as stepping stones, levitated by Tia’s magic, dropped heavily around him.

Having finished training the mobility technique Barracuda, he let out a deep sigh.

‘As expected, leveling up skills from Level 3 onwards is quite challenging without live combat experience.’

No helping it. He would have to be content with simply adapting to maneuvering in his cloak.

‘More impressive than I expected.’

Doyun studied the ash-gray cloak enveloping his body.

Truly an item he had long coveted, its texture was exquisite.

Not the slightest hint of bulkiness, its weight utterly imperceptible. It even seemed to enhance his aerial movements with its innate abilities more naturally.

‘Such comfort, yet the highest grade of defensive armament.’

Combined with Doyun’s anti-magic resistance and this cloak, there were scarcely any offensive magics that could harm him now – at minimum, war-grade spells would be required.

‘Perhaps a slight overinvestment, but…’

While he didn’t begrudge the merit expenditure, points had also been consumed – the precious resource he had been hoarding to locate the Apostles.

‘But what use is anything if I die.’

Ever since his conversation with the Vagabond Hero 3 months prior, Doyun had resolved to invest heavily in this war.

For him, it would be an exceedingly perilous battlefield.

While Doyun could sense even the Apostles harboring ill intent through his 7th Sense, preventing sneak attacks or assassinations, the battlefield itself was utterly unpredictable. He could never underestimate it.

It had been Enoch Razvolnic’s ironclad principle after over 200 years of warfare.

Moreover, Doyun’s preparations didn’t end there.

‘Sophie must be training her new technique as well.’

Over the past 3 months, Sophie too had not been idle.

Diligently cultivating while absorbing Doyun’s dense life force daily, her growth had been remarkably steep.

And as a result, she had awakened one new ability inherent to her Unicorn lineage.

It would undoubtedly prove invaluable if Doyun ever found himself in peril.

“Daddy wings look cool!”

Tia came scampering over, hugging Doyun tightly.

“I wanna fly like Daddy! When can I fly?”

“Daddy can’t fly.”

With a smile, Doyun caressed Tia’s cheek as he spoke.

Although only days old, Tia had already begun attempting double casting – yet she found flying even more challenging than that, likely due to her diminutive wings.

Instead, mistaking Doyun’s ash-gray cloak for magnificent wings, Tia beamed proudly, “Just like Daddy!”

“Daddy flap flap more!”

“Shall we go again? Can you levitate the rocks one more time?”

“Yeah! I’m good at that!”

Tia manifested magic circles on both palms without delay.

Grinning, Doyun gently set her down.

“One more time, then we’ll go back to Mommy. Don’t overexert yourself.”

“Okay! Then Daddy nap nap with me!”

And so, until the day of the sortie, Doyun focused on intensively training the Barracuda mobility technique.

+++

The day of the sortie dawned.

In the scarcely believable span of just two days, a staggering force of 40,000 troops had been assembled for deployment – a testament to the urgency of the situation.

‘40,000 in two days…’

And this wasn’t even the entirety. Armies led by individual Heroes had been dispatched to each frontline sector.

Here, Doyun realized the current Alliance’s formidable might. Compared to 100 years ago, they had grown immensely more robust and powerful.

A veritable ocean of troops flooded the path towards Metropolis.

A heavy tension enveloped the ranks, weighing down every breath.

With the frontlines pushed back to Muspelheim’s doorstep and decades of stagnation, this was arguably the largest battle since the 70-year war.

Some dreamed of becoming the war’s protagonists, while others simply yearned for survival, marching in Step.

And among them was Disciple Han Doyun.

“Hey… isn’t that guy Han Doyun?”

“I don’t know his face, just the name. But isn’t he only a 6-month rookie? No way he’d be here.”

“No, I’ve seen his face in the news before – that’s definitely Han Doyun.”

Some Disciples and soldiers recognized and murmured about him, but they were soon quelled by the Centurions and Millenary Commanders.

The generals had received instructions from Lord Hero Haineken to permit Doyun’s presence.

‘That Disciple Han Doyun… while his value is acknowledged, deploying such a green rookie to this dangerous battlefield speaks volumes about the war’s desperation.’

‘A special operations detachment, perhaps?’

While inwardly concerned about Doyun’s participation, they also welcomed it – Disciple Han Doyun’s unique status had reached the point of inspiring trust among his comrades.

Of course, they neither expected him to perform as a siege weapon nor underestimate him. Ultimately, he was still just an exceptional 6-month rookie.

Having preserved his life over the past 3 months, the glimpses of his combat prowess had often been overshadowed by his siege weapon exploits.

Meanwhile, Doyun had been gritting his teeth against the ominous premonition weighing upon him since earlier.

‘…What is this?’

They were drawing near the fortress now.

He had repeatedly extended his 7th Sense ahead with full force, but to no avail.

Yet Enoch Razvolnic’s 200-year battlefield-honed intuition kept screaming that a grave crisis loomed.

And there were few potential crises that could rattle his nerves to this extent.

‘No traps detected. No Legion Commanders sensed. Just what could it be…?’

Nothing conclusive, yet retreat was impossible.

Metropolis was an absolutely vital fortress that could never be abandoned.

Doyun could only stubbornly march onwards, his fighting spirit sharpened in grim anticipation.

Eventually, the army arrived at Metropolis.

“Wo, wow…”

“Shh.”

A few soldiers and Disciples witnessing Metropolis for the first time gaped at its grandeur.

Under normal circumstances, even Haineken and Doyun would have marveled at the towering walls piercing the heavens, but now was not the time.

“Hmm…”

Haineken clenched his fists tightly, letting out a grim grunt.

“…It has fallen.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah… how could this be…”

The surrounding generals sighed in dismay at his murmurs.

Standing beside Haineken, Doyun paled.

For it to have fallen to the Demon Lord’s army including the Necrotic Gardener meant his younger sister inside would have been turned undead and taken prisoner.

Yet Haineken’s eyes remained calm, only his fists trembling powerfully enough to shatter the air.

‘Not quite a Vagabond, but still admirable.’

After briefly studying the fortress, Haineken turned his gaze towards Doyun.

Meeting his eyes, Doyun nodded firmly.

In a low voice, Haineken issued orders to the generals.

“Prepare for a siege.”

“Yes sir!”

“Prepare for a siege!!”

Bwooooooh-

War horns blared, signaling the opening of hostilities.

Haineken shouted.

“Commanders, listen up! First, Disciple Han Doyun will demolish the gate…”

But at that very moment.

“…!”

All sound died away.

“…Huh?”

“Wh, what… ah…”

No one dared move a muscle.

Haineken’s words trailed off, his eyes bulging.

It was an overwhelming presence that seemed to crush the very earth and heavens.

A sheer terror that forbade any to speak, compelling these insignificant beings to instinctively kneel.

Even Doyun’s eyes shot wide open in shock.

‘This is…!’

Unbelievable.

‘I sensed nothing until just now…!’

As if time had frozen, the 40,000-strong army halted all movement, gazing towards the source of that oppressive presence.

And shortly after…

Gugugugugug…

The massive, thick gates spanning dozens of meters slowly creaked open at a glacial pace.

Gates that should never have opened with a siege imminent, yet none dared voice any objection.

For now, none present cared about walls or gates.

There would be no siege. Those were mere passageways for the formidable entity to manifest, soon to ravage the battlefield itself.

Eventually, the gates opened enough for several people to pass through.

Thump.

And through that gap, a colossal figure stepped forth.

“Hmm…”

A single syllable, a low growl imbued with immense mana – Doyun felt his body trembling, his physical abilities and mana woefully inadequate.

It was a stature barely 3m tall, utterly diminutive compared to the gates.

Yet its presence was akin to a solitary mountain.

“The first time manifesting in the mortal realm, is it not?”

Bipedal, a humanoid form. But its entire body covered in obsidian-like glossy black scales.

Murky violet reptilian eyes brimming with magic.

Thick, dense fists like sledgehammers.

Two yellow horns jutting towards the heavens.

“Around 30,000… and a Hero. A decent debut stage.”

Everyone on the battlefield felt it in their bones.

A monster had descended upon the mortal realm.

‘How did that… end up here…!’

None present, not even Doyun, had ever witnessed this entity before. But they all knew.

The Alliance’s nightmare. The most sinister of existences. One of the Demon Lord’s army’s supreme commanders.

It bared its fangs in a sinister grin.

“Greetings, insects.”

A Legion Commander. A fallen dragon.

Kyu-ryong Berthe.