Chapter 566

Chapter 566

"Princess Yun."

After a brief silence, Kuilan asked.

"Have you written your will?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Yun blinked and then nodded.

"Yes. Not just for this battle, but because you never know what might happen afterward."

"Let's exchange them."

"Eh? Exchange? Our wills?"

Kuilan was the first to pull out his will and hand it over.

"I'm embarrassed to say, but my will is full of shameful content. I got a bit emotional while writing it. From my thoughts on my deceased brother to messages for my subordinates, it's quite lengthy."

"Ah, I did something similar. I wrote a paragraph each for my mom, dad, brother, sister, and siblings, pressing down with tears. My face was burning when I read it again."Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com

"After writing it, I thought I never want anyone to see this. Never."

"Me neither."

"So, to ensure that nobody reads it, we mustn't die."

After a moment of silence, Yun, laughing, took out her will and handed it to Kuilan. They exchanged their wills.

"Let's keep each other's wills. And after this battle, let's exchange them back."

"..."

"And then let's talk seriously. About how our relationship should proceed."

"Okay."

Yun carefully tucked Kuilan's will into her chest and sat next to him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.

"Since we're still in a flirty relationship, I can at least borrow your shoulder, right?"

"Anytime."

Looking up at the summer night sky sprinkled with the Milky Way, Kuilan whispered softly.

"Let's not die."

"Of course."

Yun chuckled lightly.

"I have no plans to die without even experiencing a proper relationship, only to be rejected all my life."

***

The next day at noon.

The hot summer sun was positioned right in the center of the southern sky, heating the air until the ground seemed to simmer.

At the forward base in front of the black lake, Crossroad's elite forces were positioned ready for battle.

"Remember, this is merely a preliminary battle."

I reiterated to the heroes and soldiers.

"It's a battle close to reconnaissance, to observe their condition and gauge their strength."

Throughout the scouting period, the Fly Monsters monsters had only fled.

Without engaging in proper battle, they merely slithered away into the darkness, avoiding us.

Thus, we currently have no combat experience against them, nor do we know who their legion commander is.

The real gathering of information starts now.

That's why I repeatedly instructed my subordinates to proceed with caution in the battle.

"Don't push yourselves too hard. If necessary, think of the forward base as expendable."

Listening to my words, the heroes and soldiers under my command glinted fiercely.

"Stay light on your feet, heavy in your vigilance. Minimize casualties and gather as much information on the enemy as possible, understand?"

"Yes!"

My elite forces answered in unison.

Then, the newly arrived 5 members dressed in protective suits the 'Insect Busters' strutted their stuff beside me.

"Don't worry too much, Your Highness. As long as we're here, any bug can be exterminated."

"Hmm."

"There's no need to be tense. We'll take care of the pest control..."

The Insect Busters were specially assigned to my direct party for their expertise in exterminating bugs.

Though their boastful attitude made the existing heroes somewhat uncomfortable, I was lenient with them.

For this battle, at least, they were undeniably an elite force comparable to any hero party.

Swoosh...

That's when it happened. The surface of the black lake began to ripple.

"Foam spotted on the lake surface! They're coming out!"

A scout attached to the telescope shouted. I commanded.

"Activate all artifacts around the lake! Don't delay!"

"Yes! Activating artifacts!"

Lilly shouted, stretching out her hand, and the artifacts previously installed by the alchemy team around the lake started to flash and activate.

I gnawed at my dry lips, waiting for the enemy's emergence.

Then,

Boom!

The massive form of the King of Flies, now rising into the air, dominated the sky.

Was it a coincidence?

At this moment, the halos above the King of Flies's head obscured the sun.

Given the time was noon and they were directly to our south, it was a natural occurrence. The dark circle of flies seemed to devour the sun like a solar eclipse.

The brightest time of day suddenly covered in twilight.

And then, the King of Flies, stretching hundreds of its legs to the sides, in the next moment.

Click.

Folded those hundreds of legs inward, gathering them at the center of its body.

It looked like a gesture of prayer or as if putting palms together.

"...!"

Chills ran up my arms unknowingly.

Under the devoured black sun.

A monster in prayer, with halos formed of Fly Monsters above its head and wings of infinity formed by Fly Monsters behind its back.

Ominous, unclean, irreverent.

All actions of this Fly Monsters were beyond human comprehension, something I had never encountered before.

Honestly.

I felt a chill down my spine.

"My lord."

Turning at Lucas's voice, I saw Lucas with an expression I had never seen before.

"Something... something's wrong."

Pale.

Even Lucas had a bloodless face, swallowing dryly and muttering.

"Although the legion commanders we've faced before had extraordinary evil energy, this one..."

"..."

"Is too... too malevolent. It's suffocating. What exactly..."

My passive skill, [Unyielding Commander], was functioning perfectly.

All heroes at this forward base were under the influence of my passive skill. Even if this monster inflicted some sort of mental status anomaly, everyone would withstand it without issue.

But it didn't take any action.

Merely, by its existence.

Its form and actions, alien to human understanding, and its innate malevolence... had managed to dishearten everyone present.

"...Grr!"

I clenched my teeth.

So what now?

Is this the first time we've faced an incomprehensible or malevolent enemy? No, it's not.

Nothing changes. Nothing is different. It's a monster intent on destroying humanity, and we are here to stop such creatures.

"Prepare for battle-!"

At my command, the heroes and soldiers who had been in a daze snapped to attention.

"Don't panic! Fight as we've trained!"

I swung the flag and then firmly planted it into the ground.

"It's a conglomerate of Fly Monsters flies! Don't be intimidated just because it's big! In the end, it's made up of those Fly Monsters we can easily capture!"

It's similar to the carrier and interceptor concept from classic strategy simulation games.

The King of Flies is the aircraft carrier. The Fly Monsters making up its body are the interceptors launched from the carrier.

We were intimidated by the monolith's presence, but at its core, they're just flies.

"We can definitely defeat it! Don't panic, stay calm, and prepare for battle as trained!"

My repeated commands rallied my subordinates into an orderly defense formation.

Experienced artillerymen lined up the cannons, and the mage units gathered their magical power. Various traps and artifacts densely installed around the forward base were ready to activate in an instant.

And then, the King of Flies, slowly rising and approaching us-

Click.

Unfolding one of its hundreds of legs, it leisurely extended it forward.

And the end of that grotesquely hairy leg... gently traced a small circle.

Was it an illusion?

For a moment, that motion felt like the conductor of an orchestra directing with his baton.

Whirrrrrrrrrr!

Following that gesture, a portion of the Fly Monsters stored within the King of Flies's massive body emerged and... began to pour towards the forward base at breakneck speed.

Watching the Fly Monsters form a picture-perfect flight formation, I was momentarily speechless.

No aerial monster we had faced before.

Had ever flown in such a neat and beautiful formation.

"Prepare for battle-!"

I shouted until my throat was raw.

"They're coming-!"