I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain-Chapter 355

"Speak of the devil," Ian murmured.

Lucas, gasping for breath, looked up at him. "You have to retreat! If another one of those fireballs falls—"

"That’s my line." Cutting him off, Ian adjusted his grip on his greatsword. His voice resonated as he looked down at Lucas, crimson divinity flickering in his eyes. "Relay this to the commanders: from this moment on, survival is the priority. I hope you all make it out alive."

He then turned and dashed off without hesitation.

Lucas, eyes wide, scrambled to his feet as though jolted. "S-Sir! You can’t go out there! Beyond this point, it’s too… Sir—!"

Ian neither responded nor looked back. Of course, he didn’t stop either. He simply raised his greatsword at an angle and charged toward the legionnaires locked in battle with monsters.

"What is…"

What could he be thinking?

Unable to finish his sentence, Lucas let his trembling hand drop awkwardly. His gaze lifted to the sky beyond Ian’s retreating figure.

There, the eye of the swirling vortex tinged with violet became clearer, its center bulging downward. It looked almost like a passage leading to another world.

Whoom—

The sound of the chilling wind clawed at his ears.

The shimmering purple beyond filled him with a primal fear that went right to his core. Staring into the abyss, Lucas remained frozen for a moment.

"Well, damn it all. I had a feeling when you were hanging around the Legion Commander, but seriously? The North really is ridiculously small!"

The loud shout from behind snapped Lucas back to his senses. Finally aware of the approaching sound of hooves and countless footsteps, he turned around.

The next moment, a completely different reason overwhelmed him. The advancing Crimson Legion filled his entire view.

"Incredible! It’s like the gates of hell have opened!"

"Then we’ll just have to beat the devils back into them!"

"Hurry! The Great Warrior is crossing the walls!"

The warriors cloaked in crimson divinity didn’t spare Lucas a glance as they marched past him. The stench of monsters and blood filled his nose, assaulting his senses. While many of them bore injuries, none seemed to feel pain or fear.

Of course, without that kind of resolve, it wouldn’t be possible to press forward so fearlessly while witnessing the chaos unfolding beyond.

"Your voice was booming just a moment ago, but now you look utterly dazed."

Hearing a voice next to him, Lucas fully turned his head.

The sudden brightness he felt wasn’t just his imagination. A carriage carrying a blazing sacred flame was approaching. The roaring orange flames, leaping several meters into the air, were dazzling. But just as eye-catching as the flame was the white horse walking beside the carriage. It was the one Ian had been riding earlier, seemingly escorting the sacred fire.

A priest sat in the driver’s seat, casually raising his artificial left hand with a smile.

"It’s been a while. Good to see you, Sir Lucas."

"Priest Miguel!"

It was a priest Lucas had met before in Travelga. Of course, he also recognized the young priestess standing behind Miguel, her delicate face familiar to him.

"It’s been a while, both of you." Lucia placed her left hand over her chest as a gesture of greeting. The flames that had clung to her cloak had long since died down, but the orange glow still flickered in her eyes.

"You’d best step back for now. It looks like the Great Warrior is heading beyond." Miguel clicked his tongue and added as he passed by Lucas.

Blinking, Lucas hurriedly followed alongside the carriage. The white horse turned its head and snorted briefly, stepping aside to make room for Lucas to approach.

Lucas hastily spoke up. "You have to stop Sir Ian. Heading beyond that point is far too dangerous a choice. Not just the fog, but who knows what kind of horrifying things might come out of that hole—"

Before he could even finish speaking, the sky beyond lit up. Lucas took a sharp breath and turned his gaze. From the eye of the vortex, a purplish fireball glowed brilliantly as it plummeted to the ground.

But this time, it wasn’t flying toward the wall. It was going in a completely different direction, destined to crash somewhere in the Land of Death. Following it, purplish, flickering masses scattered like raindrops, falling heavily.

The sight was entirely different from before, causing Lucas to furrow his brows instinctively. "What on earth is that?"

"Looks like entities from the void. I think." It was Lucia who answered.

Lucas snapped his head toward her, looking up at her as she continued, her glowing eyes fixed on the sky. "That looks like a passage leading somewhere in the Void. Perhaps something even more terrifying than the meteor that destroyed the fortress might cross into our world. It won’t be able to stay here forever, but before it leaves, it will bring countless death and destruction."

She turned her gaze to Lucas. "That’s why the Commander plans to close that passage before it’s too late—by killing whatever opened it."

"Such a profound intention…" Lucas parted his lips as if to speak, but ultimately let out an inaudible sigh. At that moment, a renewed sense of awe for Ian surged within him. Once again, Ian was preparing to sacrifice his own life to protect the North.

Yet, for those who remained, he left behind a command that was the exact opposite of his self-sacrifice: to survive.

"Regroup, all forces." Ian’s voice thundered from beyond just then.

Miguel muttered a quiet curse under his breath and added, "Look over there, Sir Lucas. Those are all monsters in human form. Ordinary people like you, me, and the soldiers on that wall have no place among them."

When Lucas turned, he saw fear in Miguel’s eyes—unlike the others. Now that he thought about it, Miguel bore neither the blessing of Karha nor the divinity of Lu Entre.

"That’s why you should follow the Commander’s orders. His foremost command is to stay alive."

"Understood." Grinding his teeth, Lucas bowed his head. Then, with a voice full of resolve, he added, "I hope you return safely."

Miguel snorted. "I’m not answering that. Don’t want to jinx anything."

With that, he cracked the reins, and the two warhorses pulling the carriage picked up speed, galloping forward. The white horse, clad in silver barding, followed close behind as they disappeared into the distance.

For a moment, Lucas watched their retreating forms before turning toward the wall, shaking off his lingering hesitation. The wall was now just beside him.

"Regroup! Reform the defensive line!"

"Maintain spacing and hurry!" As Lucas climbed the ladder, the commotion and shouts from below continued. Without pausing, he ascended to the top of the wall. The strength surging through his limbs came from the warmth radiating off the nearby sacred flame.

"Wh-What’s happening? Why is everyone regrouping outside?" As Lucas reached the top, his lieutenant rushed over, asking anxiously. The ballista operators had all stopped firing and were staring down below.

"The Crimson Legion will continue to advance," said Lucas as he strode toward the front of the wall. The chilling wind from the vortex’s eye sent an eerie whisper past his ears.

"They’re marching into the Land of the Dead? But if that’s the case, we won’t be able to provide cover fire anymore."

"There’s no need."

"Excuse me?" Before the confused lieutenant could press further, Lucas stopped and peered over the wall. The Crimson Legion had already reorganized around the sacred flame into a new formation.

It was a double-layered circular formation, slightly angular and more oval than round, but it seemed designed not for breaking through enemies but for drawing them into its ranks.

Crack! Crunch!

At the forefront of the battle, as always, was Ian. The moment the circular formation was complete, he strode forward with unshakable resolve. The Crimson Legion naturally fell into step behind him. Not one soldier faltered or glanced back.

"How noble." The exclamation was brief. Lucas pressed his lips tightly together and turned to look at the wall. Scanning the line of defenders ahead, he raised his voice. "From this moment forward, our top priority is not holding the line but survival!"

The soldiers who had been watching the Crimson Legion now turned their attention to Lucas.

"Survive! That is the order left to us by the commander, the Superhuman of the North!"

"We will follow the order!"

"We will follow the order!"

A beat later, the officers shouted, and the soldiers followed, their voices rising as if to ensure the Crimson Legion and their commander could hear them.

Lucas clenched his jaw and looked back down at the battlefield. By now, Ian and the Crimson Legion had vanished into the thick, black fog of the battlefield, their sacred flame’s light completely obscured.

"Please return safely." Hearing faint, inhuman screams echoing through the haze, Lucas murmured to himself. He silently vowed that if he met Ian again, he would pledge his loyalty without hesitation.

***

A dense, black fog shrouded the battlefield.

"Keekeeek!"

Ian, however, pressed forward relentlessly, cutting down every monster that emerged from the fog. His greatsword no longer carried the white flames.

The Hellfire had burned through the fog, consuming its source of divinity at an accelerated rate. With its energy nearly depleted, he reserved it for a more worthy foe.

Crunch.

The corrupted magic in the air drastically reduced his visibility. Even though the Magic Detection wasn’t functioning properly, Ian kept it active, scanning the shifting darkness beyond. Despite the interference, like static in his vision, he hoped to pick up the priest’s magic signature somewhere in the gloom.

Rumble—

A tremor spread through the ground. It was likely caused by the remnants of the star that had illuminated the sky moments ago before crashing down.

That thing has no intention of closing, does it?

Ian clicked his tongue as he glanced up at the approaching vortex in the sky. Its gaping maw, swirling violently, still radiated a deep violet hue.

Whoosh—

That was the main reason Ian was hurrying forward. All manner of objects were falling from the vortex beyond, and among them were no small number of meteors.

With the falls being random and without aim, the legion fought under the looming threat of impact.

Hopefully, the other fronts aren’t in this state. There shouldn’t be any other places where the void passages opened, at least.

Perhaps this phenomenon was the very factor that had most contributed to the fall of the North in the game.

Regardless, everything about the situation set Ian on edge. Ever since that vortex had opened, his instincts had been sending him relentless warnings.

If it weren’t for this damn fog, this would’ve been so much easier.

Ian was the only one who could move freely in this environment. Even the soldiers of the legion, who bore the Blessing of Battle, would have suffered from various status ailments. It wouldn’t have been surprising if mass confusion had caused them to turn on each other in a bloody disaster.

Fortunately, that hadn’t happened. The legion continued their search, maintaining a cautious distance from Ian and staying under protecting the sacred flame.

This region was better suited for solo action, but Ian couldn’t afford to abandon the Blessing of Battle.

"Screech—"

A monster’s cry echoed through the fog. Judging by the sound, this time it was a mutated ogre. Ian’s gaze locked onto the writhing silhouette beyond the fog, its heavy breathing sharp in his ears.

There it is, panicking again.

The monsters charging at him lately seemed more consumed by fear than rage. The mutated creatures, typically driven mad by their condition, still retained emotions. Just as they felt an instinctive hatred for humans and the world, they were also capable of experiencing fear.

"Screech!"

Annoying pests.

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly as the ogre’s massive form emerged from the fog.

Whish—

Just as he raised his greatsword, a sinister slicing sound cut through the air from beyond the fog.

Crack!

A thick, sharp tendril pierced straight through the ogre’s chest the very next moment.

Ian’s brow furrowed instinctively. He wasn’t looking at the ogre, which was vomiting black ichor as it was lifted, but at the swirling fog behind it.

"Scree..."

The tendril that had pierced through the ogre’s chest split apart like a hook, gripping the creature tightly.

Shing—

The ogre’s massive body was yanked into the fog and vanished as if swallowed whole. The black fog churned violently, leaving a long trail of magical residue in its wake.

Ian’s eyes gleamed sharply.

Found it.

Beyond the briefly parted fog, an ominous ripple of magic shimmered before disappearing. There was more than one source, but the most foreboding and sinister magic had to belong to the priest.

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So, they were right beneath the vortex’s eye.

At the same time, a memory from the game flashed through Ian’s mind. He’d seen tendrils like those before, though it had been beyond the Black Wall back then.

Are they using them as guards? No wonder the monsters are so terrified. Before they grow any stronger…

As Ian walked forward, lost in thought, he suddenly halted. A tingling sensation shot through the crown of his head, and his gaze snapped upward.

Rustle, rustle—

From the vortex’s eye, purplish clumps of dust-like particles began raining down.

What the hell is that now?

Before he could fully process it, the particles spread wide, covering the sky.

It was then that Ian realized the sound he had just heard was the beating of wings, and those clumps were actually swarms of creatures.

Void Swarm?

They weren’t ordinary insects, of course. Each one appeared as large as a bird of prey.

What deepened the furrow in Ian’s brow wasn’t their numbers, which were impossible to count.

Rustle, rustle—

It was the direction they were heading—directly toward the legion.

It made sense. Over a thousand humans gathered around the radiant sacred flame would be a conspicuous beacon, even from the skies.

Of all times, fuck.

Ian sighed in frustration, his gaze darting between the fog where the tendrils vanished and the legion’s position behind him.

The hesitation didn’t last long.

Thud, thud, thud!

Ian spun on his heel and sprinted toward the swarm’s path. As he looked up at the mass blanketing the sky, his eyes swirled with ashen magic, a distinct streak of violet glimmering at its core.