Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Outpost

TL: Potato-tan

Proofreader: Asianpotato

 

“Russell-nim!”

 

Jess’s loud voice turned everyone’s eyes inside the tavern to Russell and his party.

 

“Wow, what are those big guys?”

 

“One of them is an orc? Don’t they know they’re here to catch them?”

 

“You idiot. His skin color is different. They’re not green skins.”

 

“Really?”

 

“The little one in the back is really pretty. Is she a noble?”

 

“Why don’t you ask if you’re curious?”

 

“You do it, you jerk.”

 

They murmured in low voices, but Russell could hear them all. These looks and voices were now familiar to him.

 

There were over twenty people seated in the tavern, all of them seemed to be mercenaries. Some were here to join the extermination squad, while others came to hear about the situation in Latham territory and find work.

 

They were whispering about Russell and his group, but no one dared to provoke them. Russell and Kai’s aura was too overwhelming, but there was also a sense of self-restraint to avoid causing a commotion within the territory.

 

“Wow, how long has it been!”

 

Jess, who had been sitting up straight, greeted Russell with a broad smile. His hair and eyes were dark brown. Battle scars covered his armor. His face also had small scars that had not been there before.

 

Despite this, the expression with which he greeted Russell was full of joy and happiness. He felt it anew. This world was also a world where other people stepped in and lived.

 

Russell smiled and held out his arms.

 

“It’s been a long time.”

 

When he held out his right hand, Jess grabbed it with both of his.

 

“Yes! It’s been a long time. It’s been about six or seven months, but have you been well?”

 

“So-so.”

 

The two shook hands for a moment and then let go. Jess straightened his back and concealed his surprise.

 

‘He looks even more formidable than before.’

 

Russell’s appearance had hardly changed. He had long, black hair tied back in a ponytail. His handsome face was still the same. His mysterious purple eyes, which seemed out of place in this world, were also the same.

 

Other than that, Russell was a complete unknown. Judging by his speech and behavior, he was definitely not the son of an ordinary family. There was an aura about Russell that made one think he was an extraordinary noble.

 

Furthermore, his abilities were so great that he could not be considered an ordinary youth of his age.

 

When Jess first met Russell, he was facing dozens of ghouls. No, a heap of already-killed ghouls loomed before him, and he faced a formidable foe.

 

When he fell down in one of his attacks, he and Hailyn, the senior Paladin who had been tracking him, attacked the monster together and defeated it.

 

Moreover, even Hailyn said that he could not see Russell’s full strength. Russell’s battles with Ulca, the wolf woman, the undead, and the devil in the canyon proved this.

 

He couldn’t understand the process of how he won, but there was no denying that Russell had defeated the devil Logos. He had cut his neck off with a huge, dark-colored greatsword.

 

“Let’s sit down. Have you eaten?”

 

“We did, but we can’t turn down another meal. Kai, are you okay?”

 

Kai rubbed his stomach and spoke.

 

“Fine. I was just a little short.”

 

Aellasis raised her hand.

 

“I’m full. Just give me some beer.”

 

Russell and his party sat down at the table. The table was large enough to accommodate the new guests.

 

A freckled boy standing in front of the stable took the order and left. Russell introduced his party members.

 

“This is Kai. As you can see, he’s an orc, but he’s not green skin.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jess, a paladin for the Lutheon Church.”

 

“I’m Kai. Nice to meet you.”

 

Jess, who had shaken Kai’s hand, gasped for a moment. Jess took a closer look at Kai.

 

“This aura. . . . . . I can feel a little bit of divine power. Are you a priest?”

 

“I’m not a priest. I’m a champion, I guess.”

 

“If you’re a champion,”

 

Jess looked at Kai with surprised eyes. He was taller and more muscular than himself, with brown  skin and faint black tattoos.

 

“You’re the champion of the orcish god, Vulcan.”

 

This time, it was Kai’s turn to be surprised.

 

“You know about Vulcan.”

 

“Those who follow the gods must also learn about the gods.”

 

“I thought the Lutheon sect shunned other gods, especially those of the minority races.”

 

Jess withdrew his hand and gave an awkward smile.

 

“Some. . . no, most other religions do.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Jess soon made eye contact with Aellasis. A girl had white hair that reached below her shoulders. Her face was as small as a palm, with her facial features densely packed in a golden ratio.

 

She had slightly faded eyebrows and large eyes that matched her hair, blue-gray irises, an upturned nose, and small, red lips. She was an even more beautiful girl than a doll.

 

Jess’s face became surprised.

 

“Russell-nim, is this child?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hey, nice to meet you! Do you remember me?”

 

Aellasis, who had been gulping down beer, shook her head.

 

“No. Who?”

 

“Don’t you remember? Together, we fought with the devil from the Ice Realm. With me, Senior, and Ulca-nim. In the ice, in the lightning. . . . . . . .”

 

Sarannen greeted Russell.

 

“I greeted you earlier, but I’ll greet you again. I’m Sarannen.”

 

“I’m Russell. Your friend is Magnagarta.”

 

“. . . . . .That’s right.”

 

“You don’t look that strong. You don’t look old either.”

 

Magnagarta was a wolf spirit and a follower of the moon goddess, Illuna, for a long time. If Sarannen said she was her friend, she must have lived for a time that was incomparable to that of a human.

 

Sarannen, who was sitting in front of Russell now, didn’t have the kind of age or presence that would make one think so.

 

Sarannen pursed her lips a few times and let out a small sigh.

 

“It’s the fate of long-lived species to not look old. It’s true that I don’t have as much power as her. But it’s true that we were friends. It was a bond we formed before she left for the north to become a follower of the moon goddess. We would still talk occasionally through the connection between the forest. The last time we talked was when she said that she didn’t have much life left and that the devil’s seal was loosening. “

 

“. . . . . .”

 

“I heard from my other wolf friends that she had returned to the goddess’ bosom. And in the process, I learned of your existence, Russell.”

 

Sarannen said.

 

“I’m a druid.”

 

He had guessed it as a fact. Her appearance was that of a human, but the magic power she felt within herself was a pure natural energy that no human could possess.

 

When Russell looked at Jess, he saw that he already knew. Sarannen continued.

 

“Lately, the magic power of the mountains and forests near here has been changing strangely. Ordinary animals are turning into demon beasts, and dead bodies are rising and wandering around. It’s not normal. That’s why I asked the Temple of the Sun God.”

 

He looked at Jess with his magic eyes. In a realistic way, Jess was telling Aellasis and Kai about his adventure when he first met Russell.

 

“When I first met Russell-nim, I wasn’t yet a full-fledged Paladin. At that time, I was on my first mission with my senior, Hailyn-nim. The mission was about a warlock and devil worshiper named Herokeinin, who had massacred the people of a village he had visited last time. . .”

 

The power of a paladin comes from divine power, and divine power is the power bestowed by the gods. It’s different from the magic that one cultivates and awakens oneself.

 

Although the essence is based on mana, divine power is completely transformed into a power close to the essence of the gods. This power varies depending on what attribute or concept the god governs.

 

Most people on this continent worship the sun god, Lutheon, whom Jess believes in. It is the most antithetical to the devil, and it is also effective in blessing, protecting, and defending with the power of light.

 

His purple eyes began to see the flow of power around Jess with his naked eyes.

 

He saw a line of yellow light extending from the top of Jess’s head to the bottom.

 

Jess was not the only one with that line. People inside the tavern often wore similar yellow lines. They were also believers in Lutheon.

 

There were other colored lines, but he could not guess which god they belonged to.

 

Was that the line connecting the god and the devotee? But even though they believed, only Jess was receiving power from that yellow line.

 

What are the conditions for receiving divine power from God? Is this a baptism? Or is there some other way?

 

If one could use divine power just by believing, even dogs and cows would be using it, but there are not many priests who can use divine power. Few individuals possess innate magic skills and can pursue a career as a wizard or knight.

 

By the way, he can now see such lines. His magic eyes were showing him more and more as time went on, and Russell wanted to see them.

 

He can see the principles of magic and its constituent formulas with his naked eyes, penetrate the flow of mana and magic power, and see inside any magic tool and through all its barriers.

 

When he first became aware of these eyes, he was only annoyed and uncomfortable because of the walking human models.

 

When he began practicing magic power, it felt so fraudulent that he believed he had the ultimate cheat key.

 

Russell turned his head and looked at Kai. And he could see the line that continued over the shiny bald head of the orc, who had finished two pieces of meatloaf and was eating stew. The color was red. It appeared to represent the Vulcan line.

 

“Is there something on my face?”

 

“No. Your head is shiny, so I just looked unconsciously.”

 

Aellasis sprayed her beer, “Pfft”. As the evening wore on, the staff replaced the melted candles and lit new ones, making the interior of the tavern brighter and brighter. Kai’s head, which reflected the light, was also shining brightly.

 

“. . . . . .I shaved this myself. It’s not like my hair doesn’t grow.”

 

“Just eat your stew.”

 

Kai grumbled and scooped up the rest of the stew with his spoon.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

The forest beneath the night sky. A thick, hazy fog flowed like a veil between the trees. The moonlight filtering through the dense leaves and branches touched the fog, making it shimmer white as it gracefully enveloped the trees.

 

Thud, thud, thud.

 

Through the fog, several groups slowly made their way through the trees. The groups in the fog were opaque and resembled a single large mass.

 

Soon, a green-skinned hand waved away the damp fog, and an orc appeared and spoke.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

“We’re almost there, lord shaman. We’re gathering all the uruks.”

 

Another shaman replied to Kelpag’s question. Each of them was riding a large wolf. A wolf is the size of a bull.

 

Dire wolf. The wolf was two to three times larger than an ordinary wolf, and its power was equally formidable. It was a hybrid of witchcraft and magic.

 

The dire wolf’s low growl and viscous saliva fell on the dirt floor. The dire wolves and the orcs riding on them were prowling through the forest.

 

“Did Tumelun die in the end?”

 

“Yes. We confirmed that his life signs have ceased.”

 

“Who killed him?”

 

“It’s not clear. We can’t track his magic at all. If he had received Geliotos-nim’s magic like us, we should be able to sense it.”

 

Because Kai’s divine power had purified the devil’s magic, it couldn’t be sensed, but the two orcs were unaware of this fact.

 

“It’s fine. He was a guy who liked to act alone. He even went as far as to raid the mountain lodge without being told, and he captured spirits and made them into magical artifacts at will. Anyway, he was a guy who didn’t have any redeeming qualities. It’s a good thing he’s gone.”

 

Furthermore, he was the orc who had received the most of Geliotos’ magic power, making him a potential threat to Kelpag’s position over time.

 

From Kelpag’s point of view, it was better that Tumelun was dead.

 

“Still, the fact that there is someone capable of killing Tumelun is true. Shouldn’t we prepare for that?”

 

“Prepare? What else can we prepare for here?”

 

Kelpag glared at him, and the orc shaman, who had given his opinion, bowed his head.

 

“We’ve waited long enough, and we’ve sacrificed more than enough. If we spend any more time, the human forces will become stronger. Now is the chance.”

 

“I understand.”

 

In front of them, their former brethren, gray-skinned monsters, were staggering along, their sanity lost. Their red eyes rolled around, and thick blood vessels protruded from their faces and skin. They were clearly not in a normal state.

 

There were not only uruks. There were also beasts that had lost their free will through witchcraft, as well as goblins, imps, and kobolds carrying weapons.

 

The beasts, enhanced by the devil’s magic power, had grown in size, and their muscles were overly inflated.

 

The green-skinned monsters had also been strengthened by the magic they had gained from the orcs’ continuous offerings and sacrifices.

 

The most impressive of them were the trolls. Monsters three to four meters tall, with bulging bellies.

 

They were the kind of creatures that could regenerate any wounds unless they were cut off, so they were walking stomping in the rear ranks with large tree clubs.

 

There were five of them. Considering that a single troll usually occupies a mountain and establishes a territory, you’ll know how absurd it is to have five of them here.

 

The demon beast, or army of green skins, trampled on the ground and advanced. The insects held their breath.

 

“Good. . . . . .”

 

Kelpag smiled smugly. The original shamans wouldn’t have dared to attempt such a mental control. The crude shamanism that could only be used on small herbivores was now so powerful that it could control goblins, Uruks, and even trolls.

 

The reason, of course, was Geliotos, the new master that the orc shamans had come to serve.

 

This powerful being, who could not be called a devil, had given them knowledge. They learned how to manage life, extract souls from corpses, and acquire the red Stone of Life by sacrificing those corpses and other lives.

 

It wasn’t very efficient, and one had to use dozens of them to get a piece, but the result was clear.

 

Transplanting it into a warrior would enhance their physical strength, while transplanting it into a shaman would boost their magic power and stamina.

 

No matter who killed Tumelun, he would be helpless against this army.

 

The wrinkled orc shaman asked cautiously.

 

“Shall we start now?”

 

“Yes. We’ll reach the human walls around dawn.”

 

Kelpag grinned, revealing his fangs and long canines, making his face even more sinister and creepy.

 

“This will be a good greeting for them as the prelude to hell they will soon face.”

 

Translator’s Blog

Blog

• How to Know If You’re Cringing Your Classmate: A Guide to Social Survival
• Chaoyang Masses: The Spy Games Your Aunts and Uncles Play
• How to Deal with Your Cringey Otaku Classmate (Without Turning into a Weeaboo Yourself)
• My Brain on UFC: Why I’m Convinced I Could Totally Take on Adesanya (I’m Lying, Don’t Tell Dana)
• Study Guide: Lofi or Punk Emo? The Soundtrack to Smashing Your Next Exam (Like a Boss)