Chapter 310: 310 [Angel Summoning] (Please subscribe! Please vote monthly!)
"Clang!"
When dazzling light burst forth from the mysterious gemstone set in the shape of a dragon claw, Reiger keenly felt his strength rising.
This was not a power influx from the outside, but rather, a force surging from within him.
The effect of the Dragon’s Secret Treasure was not to grant power to its bearer, but to enhance the bearer’s own strength, allowing the bearer to break through his own limits.
That is why Gejiev, who had been on the verge of entering the Heroic Domain, was uplifted to step fully into it, and even the number of martial techniques he could use had increased.
This was clearly a level of enhancement, an all-around improvement, directly targeting one’s rank and focusing on the bearer himself.
After feeling the power enhancement for a while, Reiger made a specific calculation.
"Whether it’s ’Strength’, ’Endurance’, ’Dexterity’, or ’Agility’, all have risen by one to two tiers, except for ’Magic Power’, which remains unchanged."
"And my developmental abilities, whether it’s ’Light Armor’, ’Swordsman’, ’Warrior Prowess’, or ’Swift Attack’, also all rose by approximately one tier, except for ’Magic Conduction’, which showed no change."
"This is truly... magical."
This was the enhancement brought to Reiger by the Dragon’s Secret Treasure.
Because only the warrior class could benefit from the enhancement, Reiger’s ’Magic Power’ and ’Magic Conduction’ abilities received no boon from the treasure, but all other abilities closely related to the "warrior" profession were improved, both base and developmental abilities alike.
Although the extent of the increase was not significant, spanning at most two tiers, when all close-combat capabilities had improved, the cumulative effect was indeed substantial.
Especially when the bearer had reached the limits of their current level, it could help one break through those boundaries and reach new domains.
This means that for someone like Albert Bolei, who had been on the cusp of entering the Sword Saint domain, with the power of this ring, it was entirely possible for him to step directly into that domain.
In the terms of the Earth Mistake World, when someone’s abilities had all reached the highest S tier of their current level, with the effect of this ring, they might advance to the next level, earning the right to face cross-level challenges.
At the very least, this ring could help someone at the full S tier to break through the limits of their abilities and reach SS or even SSS tiers.
This was the most powerful aspect of the ring – its capacity to assist in improvement and breaking limits across any level, within any realm.
Having realized this, Reiger’s assessment of the Dragon’s Secret Treasure, which had quite a presence in the original work, significantly increased.
"It’s a wonder how these people manage to give and receive such treasures so casually."
Reiger glanced at Gejiev beside him.
The Kingdom Warrior had received the ring as a gift from another.
In the latter part of the original story, this Kingdom Warrior, too, had passed the ring on to someone else, without minding the potential drop in his level.
What was clearly a treasure was being given away again and again as if it were of little value.
If that was the case, it might as well be kept by oneself.
As he thought about this, Reiger deactivated the ring’s effect, causing its glow to gradually fade away.
The next step was to claim the reward.
...
The evening glow gradually reddened the sky, casting a hazy roseate sheen over Kain Village and the nearby great forest, lending an ethereal beauty to the scene.
Under such a picturesque sunset, a large assembly of figures suddenly appeared on the plains in front of Kain Village.
"All members, be ready."
A calm and steady voice timely arose, echoing across the plains.
"The prey has entered the cage; it’s time to move."
The speaker was a tall man of ordinary features, with a scar across his face, dressed in the attire of a clergyman, his eyes devoid of emotion like manufactured glass.
He was Negan Guilder Loin, the leader of the Sunshine Codex of the Special Intelligence Unit directly under the clergy of the Slian Church Nation.
An elite among elites capable of using fourth-tier magic, he wasn’t far from reaching the Heroic Domain where fifth-tier magic could be used, the strongest in the Sunshine Codex.
Surrounding him were dozens of individuals, like him, dressed as clergymen, each radiating an extraordinary aura.
These were members of the Sunshine Codex, each one capable of using third-tier magic — elites among humankind. Placed among adventurers, the least of them would be of Platinum rank without question, upper-echelon adventurers.
Such a group was gathered now as ordinary members of the Sunshine Codex, under Negan’s leadership, setting their eyes on the village ahead.
They could see that the village contained many military horses, distinctly noble steeds unlike those ridden by the Disguised Knights of the Slian Church Nation.
This was proof that the "prey" had been lured out and had come into the "cage" they had prepared.
"Offer your faith to the god," commanded Negan, prompting everyone to begin an invocation.
This was the simplified form of divine prayer.
The Slian Church Nation was a human country with a strong foundation of faith.
It covered a land area about twice the size of the Re·Yestijie Kingdom, with a total population of approximately 15 million, making it the strongest among neighboring human nations. In both human resources and talent quality, it far surpassed other countries.
It is said that about 600 years ago, six divine beings descended from the heavens, came to this world, and established this nation during an era when humankind was being oppressed by other races.
Due to the existence of the six great gods, the church state of Slien was able to continuously repel the non-human creatures of different races and continue its legacy to this day, becoming a mighty nation that could represent all of humanity.
Therefore, the church state of Slien established a very firm religious system based on the worship of the six great gods and promoted anthropocentrism, excluding other diverse races.
In this country, the highest position was not held by the King, but by the heads of the six sects led by the Supreme High Priests—the six Great High Priests, who acted as the nation’s heads of state, managing the entire country.
In such circumstances, a special force directly subordinate to the High Priests is of the same nature as one that serves directly under a king.
The Sacred Scriptures of the Sunlight are one of the direct forces of the six great High Priests, their faith even deeper than that of ordinary citizens; they would spend time in prayer like this even when carrying out missions within foreign territories, to demonstrate their resolve to dedicate everything to the church state of Slien and to God.
Once their prayers were completed, these people would carry out their cruel orders without any hesitation.
This is because they firmly believed that all they did was for the nation, for God, and, even more so, for all of humanity.
Their actions were not sins but were the necessary choices to embrace the dawn’s arrival.
"Proceed,"
ordered Negan, his voice void of emotion.
"Surround Kain Village, and completely annihilate the target Gejiev Storunov, as well as the village itself."
Thereupon, all the clergy stretched out their hands and began chanting magic.
"[Summoning of the Third Choir Angel]."
—— "Angel."
This is a type of demonic being from another realm.
Many, including the church state of Slien, believe them to be messengers of God, beings that only the truly faithful can command.
[Summoning of the Third Choir Angel], as the name implies, is a summoning magic capable of calling forth a high-ranking Flame Angel among the angels, to eradicate the enemies of God.
As the clergy of the Sacred Scriptures of the Sunlight released this magic, one by one, arrays appeared before them.
Within the arrays, angels with wings shining bright as light, their entire form seemingly made of inorganic substance, were summoned.
They wielded swords of flame, their visage purely white; their appearance, indeed, could be described as quite divine.
Only after his subordinates had summoned the upper echelon Flame Angels, did Negan use his magic.
"[Summoning of the Fourth Choir Angel]."
Negan summoned not an angel with a sword of flame, but a massive angel wielding a spiked mace and a round shield.
This angel’s stature exceeded all others’, and the sense of sanctity it emitted was wholly unique, allowing one to clearly recognize that this being was not of the same level as the others.
This was a Watcher Angel, summonable only with the fourth choir’s summoning magic, an entity even higher ranking and more powerful than the Flame Angel.
If the power of the Flame Angel was comparable to that of an adventurer rated either platinum or mithril rank, then the strength of the Watcher Angel would be on par with those at the Mountain Copper rank or even the steel rank.
Such calibers of angels, together with a few dozen other upper echelon Flame Angels, could overwhelm even beings from the Heroic Domain when confronted with such an assault.
This was the power the church state of Slien deployed to eradicate the Kingdom Warriors leader hailed as the mightiest warrior; it was completely different from those who had earlier masqueraded as Imperial Knights.
After making these preparations for the onset of hostilities, Negan, leading the entire Sacred Scriptures of the Sunlight along with the accompanying angels, began to close in on Kain Village.
However...
"Why is it so quiet?"
As they drew closer to Kain Village, Negan began to sense something was amiss.
Having come this near, the prey should have noticed being surrounded and would be starting to retaliate, right?
"Are they planning to hole up in the village and fight a defensive battle?"
Negan sneered.
"That won’t do, Storunov."
"As the strongest warrior, you should meet your end in a blaze of glory."
"Hiding like this doesn’t suit the last Chapter of someone with your status."
Saying so, Negan waved his hand grandly.
"Use fire magic, and burn the entire village down."
If the opponent wouldn’t come out, then they had to be forced out.
That’s what Negan thought.
Unfortunately...
"That will not do."
When such a voice resonated from mid-air, the control of the battlefield, in an instant, shifted.