Chapter 450

Chapter 450

TL: xLordFifth

ED:

The joy of arriving on the New Continent had been momentarily set aside, and despite facing an overwhelming preemptive attack, they did not retaliate. Without a mana relay tower, the New Continent ‘Erika’ could only be traveled to and fro in about 120 days. Without proper supplies and manpower, they couldn’t engage in a prolonged battle against the Demon King’s Fragments.

However, even after hearing Leeha’s pivotal statement, Aibex showed no significant reaction. It seemed he wasn’t on the same side as the Demon King’s Fragment, but the eyes on Aibex’s back remained closed.

As an NPC classified as dragon-class, what judgment would this creature make? How was it set up?

The die had already been cast. All Leeha could do was wait.

“I see... So, that’s how it is.”

After a moment, Aibex’s eyes gently opened. The eyeless goat’s face nodded slowly. However, Aibex wasn’t looking at Leeha. Despite the straight-line eyes of the goat head, Leeha could sense some unease from Aibex, even though the goat eyes indicated agreement.

“Now, the clues are finally coming together. Foolish... Foolish-“

“Red goat! Guardian Deity-nim! The black cranes are coming! More than a hundred!”

The shout from outside Aibex’s dwelling reached them at that moment.

Aibex’s eyes instantly widened, almost covering the entire back. Although the internal Paleos were momentarily bewildered, Aibex did have a certain aspect fitting of a “Guardian of the Tribe.”

“My children, no need to be surprised! Call your eldest brother and follow me!”

“Red goat!”

Aibex stood up and shouted! And the paleos inside and outside responded at the same time.

The sudden change in the atmosphere made Leeha momentarily assess the situation, but Aibex didn’t afford him the luxury.

“Human, you said you are ‘Ha Leeha,’ right?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

“We’ll talk about that topic later. Anyway, it seems that the recent conversation and those foolish black crane fellows are somehow related.”

“What?”

“Follow me.”

Aibex stood up and began leaping onto the “Red Wood” with a paat-paat sound! It was as if he was effortlessly jumping on a tree trunk with the slightest curvature.

Each time he lifted a foot, nine red tails fluttered like a fan. The enormous size was incongruent with the speed, reminiscent of Pei Wu.

“What is that, and how am I supposed to say that black crane... whatever it is? Anyway, did the persuasion work?”

Leeha looked puzzled, gazing at the goat leaping onto the tree. Anyway, if they came, they’ll have to deal with it.

Leeha diligently followed Aibex, stepping on the stairs surrounding the tree.

“Red goat! Defend! Show those crazy black crane fellows a lesson!”

“Red goat!”

Swooosh! Swoooosh! Even while climbing the stairs, flashes of red light appeared here and there.

The transformed Paleos, now red goats, leaped towards the top of the tree trunk, stepping on the pillars without hesitation. The speed at which they ascended was impossible to catch by merely climbing stairs.

“Jellypong! Can you extend your hand, or rather your face, and grab onto something to prevent me from falling?”

Before Leeha finished speaking, the hand—or rather the face—of Jellypong, the gelatinous water spirit, protruded from his vest. Leeha chuckled at the sight of the smiling metawater spirit.

“Okay, let’s go. Help me ride the tree!”

Paat! Leeha trusted and jumped as if riding a wooden monkey. As if the arm of a tree-climbing monkey reached out, Jellypong’s arm extended from Leeha’s chest.

Already standing at the top of one Red Wood, Aibex awaited Leeha’s ascent from below.

“Indeed. It seems you received the love of the sea. Is it that creature that separated from the sea god, mermaid, as they say?”

“Yes? Uh, well... something like that,” Leeha replied, bewildered.

Though it was said to have been born where the sea god resided, Aibex casually mentioned it, like talking about a rare animal from a neighboring country.

Considering its spread wings, Hudid was gigantic, possibly comparable to the Gold Dragon Bailephus. Behind it, hundreds of small black cranes, resembling Youngblood in human form, were also flying.

The surrounding paleos—Red Goats—were goat-shaped, but the approaching paleos—black cranes—were human-shaped cranes, each with a pair of human arms.

‘In other words, red goats with two legs, wielding weapons in their arms... and human-shaped black cranes with wings on their backs, fighting with weapons in both hands?!’

Even for Leeha, who had been to the Dragon Palace, this scene was bizarre, to say the least. It might be more appropriate to call it a monstrous battle.

“[Bright Flame].”

Hudid extended a wing-like forelimb toward the direction the thrown weapons were coming from and casually shouted.

For a moment, it seemed like a flash of light from its blue head! However, one of the weapons thrown by the red goats burned even more intensely.

‘Increased the fire?!’

But the brilliance was short-lived. As one of the thrown weapons ignited into an enormous flame, the other fires in the vicinity were all extinguished, creating a surreal scene.

“[Gwangyeom].”

Hudid lightly exclaimed as it withdrew its extended limb.

From its blue head, a flash of light! At that moment, the burning weapon among those thrown by the red goats intensified even more.

‘Added more fire?’

However, the brilliance was brief. As one of the thrown weapons generated an enormous flame, all the surrounding fires were extinguished.

“Oh? What’s this? Did all the fires—”

“He creates fire. It’s a powerful fire that temporarily sucks in all the surrounding oxygen.”

Fire doesn’t burn without a continuous supply of oxygen. If powerful firepower was concentrated temporarily to absorb all the surrounding oxygen? The small fires around are all extinguished, leaving only one large fire.

“Oh? What’s this? Did all the fires—”

“Keep throwing!”

“Red goat!”

The red goats continued to throw their weapons, but the black cranes nullified the attacks with graceful maneuvers and evasive aerial movements. The speed of the thrown spears was fast, but air defense battles inherently favored the defensive side.

‘Without a concept like anti-aircraft artillery... It’s nearly impossible to block attacks with just thrown weapons.’

The black cranes, almost invisible in the pitch-black night sky, could only be discerned by the faint moonlight and the fiery glow from the thrown spears. The flaming spears continued to fly, enhancing the flames with each throw, and the surrounding fires were extinguished in the ongoing attrition.

“Burn it all down.”

“Black crane! Prepare for the bombing run! Explosive assault!”

“Black crane!”

Even the black cranes, not immune to continuous attacks solely based on ‘direct hits’ without explosions or collateral effects, were now creating a single large formation. It was evident to Leeha amidst the chaotic flight.

Amidst the busy throwing of spears, the red goats started to waver.

“Prepare for ground defense! Guardian Deity-nim!”

“Don’t worry. What would happen if the one in charge gets nervous?”

“Sorry, red goat!”

Youngblood, by Aibex’s side, bowed his head.

It was at that moment that Aibex, Youngblood, and Leeha, who were in the circular sky, and the approaching Hoodid and black cranes, seized their opportunity.

“Assault.”

“Assault! Explosive assault!”

“Black crane!”

Finally, Leeha could accurately observe the black cranes’ movements. Like a kingfisher catching fish, all the black cranes descended vertically, and flames ignited on their bodies. True to the name ‘explosive assault,’ they were burning themselves while descending in a trembling manner.

“Wow?! What is that—”