Here's an Opportunity-Chapter 149: The Recapture (1)

As the shield that had been created by dozens of Black Wizards shattered in a loud explosion, Kim Ki-Rok used his mana to enhance his vision. The Black Wizards who had gathered in the center of the village to cast the shield spell were now vomiting blood.

"The junior Black Wizards maintaining the shield have been incapacitated. This has prompted the older Black Wizards, who we assume are Archwizards, into action. We will now move to support our allies who launched the attack from the northwest. Ah, and for those of you with RPGs, please stow them in whatever subspace pocket you have. You can return them to me after the operation is over," Kim Ki-Rok instructed as he put away his own RPG and rose to his feet.

He turned toward the awestruck dwarves and gave them their next set of instructions. "We will begin recapturing the village immediately."

Unlike the main assault force, which had launched their attack from the northwest and scattered in all directions, Kim Ki-Rok, his team of Hunters, and the seventy-five dwarven warriors headed straight for the village center. The dwarves were momentarily unable to hide their shock at the power of these unfamiliar weapons wielded by the Hunters, but quickly composed themselves and hardened their expressions.

As they descended the hill, Kim Ki-Rok briefed the dwarven warriors. "Avoid engaging the skeletons whenever possible. Our target is the Black Wizards. The main force has used an artifact imbued with divine power to block any communication spells the Black Wizards might cast. However, since there are two suspected Archwizards among them, we must assume that this interference will only last for the next hour."

He glanced at the advancing warriors and continued. "Within that time, we need to enter the village and prevent the Archwizards from lifting the divine interference, either to summon reinforcements or escape using teleportation magic."

A middle-aged dwarf running at the front of the group asked, "But don't we also need countermeasures against the ghosts and specters?"

Kim Ki-Rok shook his head and replied, "You don't need to worry about the specters."

The middle-aged dwarf turned to Kim Ki-Rok and frowned in confusion.

"Don't worry, we're not going to ignore attacks from ghost-type monsters," Kim Ki-Rok reassured him. "We've already prepared countermeasures. The ghost-type monsters won't be attacking us after we transform them into our allies. So, if at all possible, please don't attack them."

The middle-aged dwarf named Mars hesitated for a few moments before asking, "May I ask what kind of countermeasures you have in place?"

"We have a Spiritualist on our side," Kim Ki-Rok explained.

"Even if you have an exceptional Spiritualist, it would still be difficult to stop a ghost-type monster controlled by an Archwizard from attacking us."

"But our Spiritualist can fully utilize an artifact imbued with divine power, thanks to the pure mana she possesses," Kim Ki-Rok added.

A Spiritualist using dark mana wouldn't be able to harness such an artifact. But a Spiritualist who used pure mana could tap into the divine power stored within the artifact to enhance her Spiritualism.

"Is something like that really possible?"

"Like a saying from our dimension goes, 'A picture is worth a thousand words.[1]' See for yourself," Kim Ki-Rok said, pointing up at the sky as they crossed the outer palisade and entered the village.

The dwarves looked up, eyes widening in disbelief at the ghosts flying in unison overhead.

"There must be ghost-type monsters among them that were summoned directly by the Black Wizards' Archwizards. So how could they all be drawn to the northwest?" Mars skeptically asked.

These ghost-type monsters, leaking killing intent and Demon Realm mana, had previously been ordered to guard the Black Wizards in the village center and attack all lifeforms imbued with pure mana. Yet now, they were obediently flocking to the northwest.

A Hunter at the front of the group shouted back, "Sir Ki-Rok! Skeleton armies approaching from 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock!"

Kim Ki-Rok and Mars turned their heads in those directions and saw hordes of skeletons charging at them from both flanks. Kim Ki-Rok quickly reconsidered the consequences of sticking to their plan and charging straight for the Black Wizards while ignoring the skeleton armies. They weren't just up against third or fourth-circle Black Wizards but two Archwizards as well. Since a quick, decisive battle seemed unlikely, pressing forward might mean facing both the Black Wizards and the skeleton armies at once.

"Just keep charging forward," Kim Ki-Rok ultimately ordered.

Mars tried to protest. "There's a good chance these skeleton armies will attack us from the rear and surround us."

"I'll take care of them."

All the warriors still charging forward—from the dwarves watching the left and right flanks to the Hunters awaiting orders—turned to Kim Ki-Rok in disbelief.

As their gazes focused on him, Kim Ki-Rok smiled and said, "These skeletons have been weakened by the blessings of the World Tree. Defeating them all would be tough, but holding them back until you take down the Black Wizards won't be that hard."

Mars hesitated. "But asking you to block them on your own is just—"

"Like I said, I'm not trying to defeat them all, just hold them in place. So don't worry about me."

As Kim Ki-Rok slowed to a stop, the first skeleton army rushed in from his right and the second closed in on the left.

"Really, don't worry," he repeated. "I'm not planning to die here."

He reached into his subspace pocket and pulled out a pure white scroll. Just holding it filled his body with warmth.

[Divine Power Conversion Scroll]

Description: A scroll containing a holy edict created by a priest who serves the God of Light

Effect: Stat conversion (mana into divine power)

Duration: 30 minutes

Kim Ki-Rok immediately tore the scroll, activating the holy edict stored within. After opening his status window to confirm that his magic power had been temporarily converted into divine power, he drew two longswords from his subspace pocket.

[Paladin's Longsword (C) +2]

Description: A longsword wielded by a paladin who served the God of Light

Effect 1: Piercing power increased by 17% when facing users of Demon Realm mana

Effect 2: Piercing power increased by 14% when facing users of dark mana

The Paladin's Longsword's core strength lay in its enhanced piercing against mana defenses. Considering that Kim Ki-Rok's current challenge was to fend off a horde of undead, there were no better weapons.

Kim Ki-Rok let out an excited roar as he faced the oncoming skeleton armies. As they closed in, he muttered to himself, "This is just like a scene from a movie... hmm, what would the title even be?"

After channeling his divine power, Kim Ki-Rok swung his swords—first toward 3 o'clock, then 9—releasing shimmering aura blades with each strike. Unlike the usual mana-based technique, these were infused with pure divine energy. Each one exploded on impact, instantly vaporizing the undead tainted by Demon Realm mana. The leading skeletons on both flanks were obliterated, but the rest charged on, unfazed, their momentum unbroken.

Kim Ki-Rok took a moment to stretch and muttered to himself, "Alright. Just like we practiced. Let's try to break the record."

***

In front of the Southwestern Border City, a massive explosion hurled a towering chimera into the air. It crashed through a swath of trees before slamming into the ground and rolling to a stop. When it rose, its killing intent and mana flared even more fiercely than before.

Its opponent, Champion of the Lion Tribe, had been slammed into the city wall. Laon pushed himself to his feet, his own aura surging to match the chimera's.

"I am going... to kill you!" he roared.

Every time this S-Class monster, the chimera, landed a blow, several of Laon's comrades fell. The Black Wizards treated the battle like a one-man show, barely giving the chimera orders. Yet with every assault from the chimera and the monsters it led, the death toll among Laon's allies climbed.

"You're dead!"

Although this entire battle was a diversion meant to draw the Black Wizards' attention while the real attack occurred elsewhere, Laon had no intention of holding back.

As the Champion of the Lion Tribe began to stalk forward, then broke into a sprint, the chimera's eyes gleamed with malice. The lion's head bared its jaws. The goat's head lifted, gazing skyward. The serpent's head hissed, venom dripping from its fangs. The lion's head unleashed a breath attack, and a massive fireball shot from a magic circle above the goat's head.

Laon had only moments to decide. If he dodged sideways and slowed down to change direction, the Black Wizards could simply direct nearby monsters to strike wherever he landed. But if he leaped into the air to avoid the breath and fire magic, the serpent's head would have a clear shot. Instead, Laon wrapped himself in mana, crossed his arms over his face and chest, and charged straight through.

A few nearby Beastfolk warriors, still fending off their own enemies, flinched as Laon disappeared into the surge of flames, though their concern was short-lived.

Laon burst through the torrent of fire, still wreathed in flames, and roared, "I said—!"

Now face-to-face with the lion's head, he grabbed its jaws with both hands. Behind him, the serpent's head lunged upward like a shadow, only to be crushed beneath Laon's heel as he stomped down without looking.

"I am going—" he growled, every muscle straining as he forced the jaws apart.

He already knew he'd be recovering for months. Even for an Aura Master, charging headlong into an S-Class monster's breath attack was reckless, but this wasn't about survival.

"—to kill you!"

With a final shout, Laon tore the lion's jaws open.

Still grinding the serpent's shattered skull beneath his heel, Laon yanked down on the lion's upper jaw, dragging the chimera to its knees. With his other hand free, he wrapped it in aura as the goat's head dropped into reach. He seized it and detonated the mana in the same motion, shattering the goat's skull in a violent burst. It likely doubled his recovery time from three months to six, but Laon had no regrets.

He glanced down at the chimera's ruined heads, then let out a low chuckle as he slowly turned in place. The Black Wizards in the distance, locking eyes with the Beastfolk still burning from the chimera's last attack, involuntarily flinched and took a step back.

"These Black Wizards are also scum that deserve to be killed..." Laon muttered with a snarl.

—Please return.

Just as Laon took a step toward the Black Wizards, the voice of Ponnel, sorcerer of the Fox Tribe and chief strategist on this battlefield, came through an artifact he carried. Laon turned his head and flinched when he saw Ponnel standing atop the city walls, looking down at him with a very dissatisfied expression.

"But we should take care of the Black Wizards while we have the chance!" he protested.

—If you don't withdraw right away, your recovery period could go from half a year to a full year. Please return immediately!

"No, but still..." Laon muttered, sulking.

—Come back! Right this instant!

"Yes..."

He knew Ponnel was only being so stern out of worry, so he couldn't argue further. With his ears and tail drooping, Laon shot one final glare at the Black Wizards before turning away from the battlefield.

***

In the capital of the Black Kingdom, Kraesel, the 7th Circle Black Wizard Yoost walked with a grim expression.

That alone wasn't unusual, as he was rarely in a good mood. But today, he was annoyed because the Continental Alliance had launched multiple simultaneous attacks across the kingdom. And these weren't just probing strikes; each one hit with full force.

The reason the Continental Alliance had been on the defensive for so long wasn't a lack of military power, but a matter of numbers. The Black Kingdom could endlessly deploy its monster forces as soon as it repopulated, while the Alliance needed much more time to recover from its casualties. As a result, the Black Kingdom had slowly let its guard down, and when the Continental Alliance finally attacked, the damage was massive. If this continued, the Black Kingdom could face a serious crisis.

Yoost stopped in front of a massive pair of doors and gave a command to the Black Wizards following behind him. "All of you, go ahead to the Teleportation Circle and prepare it."

The others, unsure of what lay beyond the tightly sealed doors, stopped in unison and stammered, "U-understood."

As they quickly left to carry out his order, Yoost chuckled to himself. To think that his fellow Black Wizards were so eager to flee from the very being they themselves had summoned. He could understand their fear, but he still found it amusing.

Still laughing, Yoost knocked on the doors before pushing them open. They swung wide to reveal a vast room with only a single bed at its center. As he stepped inside, Yoost had to grit his teeth. The oppressive weight of the Demon Realm mana pouring from the figure resting there was nearly too much, even for an Archwizard like him.

"What's the matter?" asked the black-skinned man lying calmly on the bed.

Still tense under the pressure, Yoost forced out a respectful greeting to the high-ranking demon. "Black Wizard Yoost, at your service, Great Mammon."

1. The original Korean idiom translates literally as, 'hearing something a hundred times isn't as good as seeing it once.' ☜