[Their appearance was horrifying. Their heads looked as if human faces had been forcibly grafted onto bat skulls. Their pale skin was devoid of color, resembling a corpse, with veins visible like blue threads across their faces.]
[When they opened their mouths, the sides split open as if they were tearing apart, revealing hundreds of sharp teeth. Their tongues, forked like a snake's, constantly dripped black saliva.]
[Instead of hair, numerous tendrils grew from their heads, writhing as if alive. Their bodies were grotesque fusions of elongated human torsos and bat-like lower halves. Their ribcages jutted out through their skin.]
[There were so many of them that they formed a forest-like swarm. Capable of flight, they closed the distance in an instant and pounced on the soldiers. Possessing strength to match their massive size, they devoured soldiers...]
Even the elite troops of the north, who were rarely fazed, showed expressions of horror at the sight of the monsters.
"Ugh... What is that?"
"Looks even nastier than the Greggs."
"There really is no end to this."
Sweat formed on the soldiers' palms. It wasn't fear, but an instinctive revulsion toward the appearance of the monsters.
Kaaaah!
Just as described in the records Ghislain had read, the monster bats swarmed in, darkening the sky.
It seemed there were tens of thousands of them. Their sizes varied, with some as large as adult men and others about half that size.
Even the smaller ones were far larger than normal bats, making them no less grotesque.
The bats, being faster than the Riftborn, did not need to fly high to descend upon the gathered soldiers.
Against an ordinary army, such a sudden attack would have been devastating.
But unfortunately for the bats, they faced the wrong opponents.
"Hmph!"
Rumble!
As Jerome stretched out both arms, the monster bats, which had been spreading out, were forced inward as though pressed by an invisible force.
Kieeek!
"Flame Strike."
Vanessa swept her hand and murmured softly, and a towering pillar of fire erupted in the center of the compressed bats.
Boom!
Kaaaah!
The other mages unleashed their magic without holding back.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireballs shot out and lightning bolts rained down. The monster bats burst apart one after another as they approached the northern army.
The ones still emerging from the rear were pierced by countless arrows flying in rapid succession.
Kaaaah!
The forest before them was already engulfed in rapidly spreading flames.
Ghislain dashed forward and shouted, "Extinguish the fire now!"
The mages shifted their focus from attacking the bats to controlling the flames. With their combined efforts, the fire was quickly brought under control.
Taking advantage of the moment, the monster bats flapped their wings and swarmed toward the soldiers.
The superhumans spread out in a long line, shielding the soldiers. Only Ghislain charged ahead alone.
He had already warned them—this time, he intended to fight with everything he had.
Thud!
Ghislain stomped the ground hard and extended his sword forward.
Wooooong!
Once again, the world began to move in harmony with Ghislain's will.
As his sword cut through the air, the sword techniques of great warriors from a thousand years ago came to life in his hands.
Flutter!
The monster bats flapped their wings, but strangely, they could no longer advance.
It was as if time itself had stopped—or as if they were caught in invisible webs.
Wooooong...
The flow of the world shifted. A force as though a thousand years had condensed into a single moment radiated outward. The monster bats were caught in the vortex of that overwhelming current.
Ghislain's sword moved slowly. It danced through the air, and the monster bats were drawn along with its movements.
The soldiers' eyes widened. Even the superhumans couldn't hide their astonishment at the spectacle before them.
Kaaaah!
The monster bats were already moving in sync with the trajectory of Ghislain's sword. As they clustered together, Ghislain's sword flashed.
Boom!
A portion of the monster bats exploded as if detonated.
Ghislain's sword didn't stop. He kept slashing through the air as if dancing with a thousand years of time itself.
His sword was no longer confined to any defined form of swordsmanship.
It was stealthy like a shadow, yet heavy like a knight's blade—free like the wind, yet violent like a volcano.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted continuously. Every time Ghislain moved, the monster bats burst apart mercilessly.
Though the bats kept moving, they couldn't escape the domain of Ghislain's will, as if ensnared in a trap.
Ghislain combined the techniques of ancient warriors with his own swordsmanship, forging them into something entirely new.
The essence of a thousand years of swordsmanship had merged into a single will, transforming into an unprecedented swordsmanship.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kaaaah!
The monster bats screamed in vain as they exploded.
Blood trickled from Ghislain's nose. The cold air of the forest seeped into the crimson streak, but his determination burned even hotter.
'Just a little more.'
His battle with Idun had allowed him to touch the threshold of a new realm. But as Artherion had said, it was only a fleeting step onto the threshold.
Now, it was different. Thanks to the Saintess's help, he had truly crossed that boundary.
Though still at the entrance, Ghislain had finally stepped into the realm achieved by the great warriors and apostles of a thousand years ago.
'A little more.'
Yet it still wasn't enough. He had seen in dreams how powerful the Hero and the Adversary were.
Even the other warriors and apostles of that era stood at the peak of this realm Ghislain had just entered.
Thus, he had to push himself to the limit—constantly driving himself to surpass them.
'More!'
Boom!
Ghislain's eyes glowed red. The darkness surrounding him swirled like a vortex, raging fiercely.
He unleashed the amplification of the Dark, pushing his power to its very limits.
Boom!
For an instant, the world froze. Even time seemed to halt. Everything held its breath, focused solely on Ghislain's sword.
Ghislain slowly traced a path through the air with his sword, leaving behind a single glowing arc.
And then—
Flash!
The darkness shrouding him vanished. At the same time, all the monster bats gathered in one place turned to ash and scattered.
Thud!
Ghislain collapsed backward with a satisfied smile.
"Young Master!"
"My Lord!"
"Your Grace!"
"Captain!"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
The onlookers rushed toward Ghislain, calling out in disarray. Their eyes were filled with shock and concern.
Everyone knew he was growing stronger rapidly, but this? Another leap in just a few months?
They were awed by his astonishing growth and also exasperated by his reckless fighting style.
Ghislain lay unconscious, smiling faintly with blood dripping from his nose. He had trusted his allies enough to push himself to the absolute limit.
His closest aides looked down at him and clicked their tongues. No doubt he had overexerted himself again, calling it "training."
But to the soldiers and laborers, their thoughts were different.
"Wow, that's incredible."
"So this is the true power of the Grand Duke."
"He's definitely the strongest on the continent."
He had single-handedly reduced tens of thousands of monsters to dust. At this point, even titles like superhuman or master felt insufficient.
What should they call such a realm of power, one that so thoroughly transcended human limits?
Everyone's faces flushed with excitement. Their belief that they could overcome any hardship with Ghislain by their side surged anew.
The morale of the northern army showed no signs of dropping. Instead, their hearts brimmed with awe and overwhelming inspiration.
Meanwhile, Yulian also felt an unfamiliar emotion as he watched Ghislain fight.
— I'll be the one to settle things with you. Not now, but someday. People seem really curious about who's stronger.
'Who's stronger, huh...'
Why did that comment, which he had never cared about before, suddenly come to mind?
Yulian had never considered himself the strongest on the continent. To be precise, he had never even cared about such matters.
But now, something felt different.
'Why...?'
Why did his grip tighten on his sword as he watched Ghislain's blade?
It was an astonishing sword technique. Yulian wasn't even sure if he could block it himself.
Yet the emotion he felt wasn't mere competitiveness. He wasn't the type to obsess over victory or defeat.
His thoughts grew tangled. He couldn't fully grasp what was stirring inside him.
"Why...?"
Why did he suddenly picture himself clashing swords with Ghislain?
It's not as if he was actually going to fight him.
Yulian shook his head. Lately, his thoughts had been wandering to pointless matters.
Spending time with Ghislain had made him feel gradual shifts in his emotions. He wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.
But one thing was clear—his life was no longer as dull as it had been before.
And these emotions he was experiencing for the first time...
'They're not bad.'
The time spent with everyone didn't feel lonely anymore. Perhaps this was what it meant to feel joy.
Yulian decided to focus only on the good emotions in his heart.
Piote poured holy power into Ghislain with all her strength. Before long, Ghislain opened his eyes.
"Well... wasn't that something?"
Seeing Ghislain boasting with hollow eyes, Belinda smacked her chest in frustration.
"Seriously, why don't you ever know when to stop? Ever since you were a kid, you've never known how to hold back—"
"This was... just a light warm-up."
"Two warm-ups like that, and you'd be dead!"
Belinda started nagging relentlessly. Ghislain turned his head to the side, pretending not to hear.
While others were busy praising him, Kaor wasn't.
"Why did you take down all of them by yourself? I didn't even get to show what I could do!"
Kaor had been feeling anxious lately. He had fought for over two months in front of countless witnesses, but it felt like his skills were the weakest. He had kept count during the battles and found he had taken down the fewest enemies.
As a result, his focus kept slipping. Despite becoming a superhuman, his feelings of inferiority lingered.
Lately, even his aura blade had been flickering again, leaving him uneasy.
Seeing Kaor's frustration, Ghislain clicked his tongue.
"If you keep worrying about pointless things, your level will drop."
"What? Once you rise, how can you drop?"
"If the world wavers... you could regress."
Kaor froze, his anxiety worsening as he retreated to a corner and chewed on his fingernails.
Ghislain smirked. Of course, that wouldn't happen. He had just wanted to scare Kaor a little.
While Ghislain rested, the soldiers and workers resumed their tasks. Since the land would eventually need to be used, they figured it was better to prepare in advance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
They continued chopping wood and building barricades. The gathered resources were sent back to camp, and they brought more supplies as needed.
Watching the activity, Belinda commented, "This forest is unbelievably vast. It's already been over two months."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Even though the hunting was easy and the work was progressing smoothly, spending months outdoors was anything but comfortable.
The laborers had been rotated several times. Back in Perdium, there was no more space to store the lumber, so additional workers had to be hired to transport it to other territories.
Still, everyone looked cheerful. With resources piling up like crazy, there was no reason to feel bad.
The increased workload also meant more pay for the laborers, leaving them grinning from ear to ear.
"Our kingdom's already the richest, but we're about to get even richer."
"That means we're getting richer too."
"It's like money is multiplying!"
Once preparations were complete, the northern army set out again. Dark occasionally scouted the area, but it didn't help much.
— Kreeek! I blew up again!
The forest was swarming with monsters. Dark's clone, unable to fly high, couldn't last long before being destroyed.
The deeper they ventured, the fewer monsters there were, but those they encountered were far stronger.
Even so, with less than a thousand at a time, the superhumans and elite northern troops handled them without difficulty.
But as they pressed deeper into the forest, they stumbled upon something astonishing.
"T-This...?"
"There's something like this in the forest?"
"What is this place?"
Amid the terrifying forest, remnants of civilization appeared—structures that looked as though they had been built by humans.