Chapter 772 Preparing For The Last Battle 1



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"Two hundred survivors, it is much less than I imagined." Elizabeth sighed. "The amount of corpses and things we've found underground... Was this city being used as some sort of place where they butchered people for food? Ugh, my stomach..."

"This is just... so horrible." Monica sighed, looking into the distance as the night was already ending, the sun rising from above the horizon.

"Do the soldiers and knights that go to war... See this every day, for years?" Asked Chris, sighing. "I-I think I would go insane..."

"Hahh... I don't think I can eat anything for a while." Eric sighed.

"A-Are you alright, Eric?" Alberta sighed, caressing her boyfriend's head. "I do remember seeing this a lot back home..."

"You do?!" Asked Chris.

"I-I thought the Dwarven Continent was at a much better state than ours?" Wondered Eric.

"P-Partially. But there's still internal conflicts, armies led by Demon Overlords here and there... I remember that the village I used to live in was massacred by a Demon Army that emerged out of nowhere." Alberta sighed. "When I went back with my uncle, and the demons were dealt with... we only found butchered corpses, pieces of bones... b-burned people... even the children... n-nobody was spared."

"..." Erdrich remained in silence as he watched the horizon. "This is just how it is. This is war, this is bloodshed. We kill one another, and it isn't as if we don't eat demons either. It is painful, yes... But that's what we should expect. Blake always told us that it wasn't going to be pretty, that we were going to see horrors we neve imagined. All of you accepted this, and here we are. Don't get cold feet now, you guys. It's only going to get worse."

"Geez, mister pessimistic and his takes." Elizabeth crossed her arms. "It's just normal! We have to just find a way to cope with this, talking with one another and trying to comfort each other is what all people do... I bet you're just like us, don't act tough and open up a bit more."

"I'm fine." Erdrich shrugged. "I just know what it takes to save our kin and even our world, I'll kill as many demons as I can. They cursed my mother and created me, thinking I would become their new tool, their new weapon... But I'll use this power they foolishly gifted to me to crush them all. I'll regain father's trust..."

"Well, just leave him be." I stepped in. "He's just like that. But... I fear that he's right. Things will only get worse from now on. The more battlefields we visit, the more you'll see the horrors of war. This by itself is a test, a test to our mental endurance and strength."

"I-It's not like it's all bad." Alberta smiled. "We're advancing further and further, one step at a time, right? S-So... cheer up, we're doing this for everyone!"

"We're almost there." I said. "Let's have a meal together first, to rest before we can finish this off once and for all. I promise you that once it's done, we'll go back to our village and take a good break."

"We better do! I'm missing my family, honestly." Chris sighed. "Alright, let's go eat somewhere else though, this place's still reeks at blood."

"And that's when I did my best to purify it all!" Elizabeth sighed. "Oh well..."

"Come on Erdrich, let's go!" Erika said, shaking Erdrich's shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah..." Erdrich sighed. "Anyways, that Demon Overlord will be pretty strong, do you have any strategies? And how big is his army?"

"His army is around fifty thousand." I said nonchalantly.

"F-Fifty thousand?!" Everyone reacted almost in the same way.

"What?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "Maybe a dozen Demon Lords, and mostly just small fries. We can blast them with wide-range magic. I killed like... six thousand now. Of course, I'm not getting overly confident, there's strategies I've been thinking about which we can use."

"B-But fifty thousand... and they're all concentrated in the capital?" Asked Evelyn. "This is... even with your powers, Blake. Aren't you being a bit too optimistic?"

"From the very beginning that coming here was a big bet, now we can't pull back. We either do it or die trying. But don't worry, I am not planning on letting anybody die." I smiled. "My Familiars are the ones here that'll take the hits for us. I've already sent several ones over there too. I'll have to use every single resource I've stocked for this moment..."

"Looks like this'll be a big thing..." Chris was nervous. "I wonder if we'll be able to pull it out even with all of that... Ahh, are my spirits even enough?"

"They're more than enough." I laughed. "Be more confident, like you usually are. Your magic has the most destructive power out of all of us! In fact, you're an important part of my strategy."

"M-Me?!" Chris was genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, your part in the whole plan will be to blow everything up with your fire magic." I nodded.

"T-That doesn't sound like much of a plan..." Chris sighed. "But I get where you're coming from."

"And well, everyone should be pretty strong by now, how high are your levels?" I wondered, checking them through the Grimoire, but still asking them.

"Hmm, I'm midway through." Erdrich said.nove)lb)In

"Me too!" Erika said. "I feel like... several times stronger than when we just arrived here."

"Certainly, the EXP we've earned ourselves is incredible." Elizabeth said. "We would had never had such a good opportunity than now to grow stronger. This growth, even if we explored dungeons every day, would had taken months, if not over a year or more..."

"I'm planning that by the end of this, everyone here should hit Rank 4... or close to it." I said. "If you get a fourth spirit, your strength will increase dramatically as well." I nodded as I analyzed their status.

"Blake, I need to have a small conversation with you, alone." Suddenly, Cattalina walked to my side. "Can you?"

"Hm? Sure." I agreed.

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