Village Head's Debauchery

The Arch-knights and Morriel raised their eyes in surprise at the sudden appearance of Orion's armour and crimson greatsword but swiftly regained their composure.

"If that's the case, then let's go," the Arch-knight with the longsword said.

"We will be taking our leave, Priestess. Please stay safe." He turned toward the Priestess and bowed.

The remaining Arch-knights did the same.

"After I'm done handling some matters, I'll come to the fortified walls to spectate the battle," Zera said, refocusing on Orion. "Take care, and don't tax yourself too much with this task," she added with a nod and a smile.

Orion nodded back at her and Aurora. He turned and followed the Arch-knights as they walked through the gap the soldiers had created, exiting the compound.

They quickly arrived outside the manor.

Orion observed the large birds before him. They had long, crested beaks and crowns of feathers on their heads, covered in vibrant azure, white, and icy blue plumage. Their immense wingspans stretched over 10 meters (33 ft). On their backs were lightweight saddles with anchor straps, seemingly made for riders.

There were three large birds and countless smaller ones with wingspans of about 7.6 meters (25 ft)—similar to the ones he had seen circling in the sky when he and Aurora first entered the Mirror Realm.

Now, many were either on the ground or soaring overhead. They must have used them to arrive at the manor as quickly as possible.

"What are they called?" Orion asked.

Kasryn turned toward Orion and responded, "They are called Quradactyls. They are one of the magical beasts the goddess created during her formation of this realm, so you could say they are natives. Their usefulness is indispensable, as they allow us to soar the skies, something impossible for any mortal." She began walking toward one of the saddled flying beasts, presumably hers.

As Kasryn petted her Quradactyl, it lowered its body, allowing her to straddle it.

Orion nodded in understanding. He realized these magical beasts were likely among the many creatures in the pocket dimension before the creation of the Mirror Realm. The goddess hadn't created them but had brought them here to prevent their extinction. With knowledge of the past obscured over generations, they had come to be seen as natives of this world.

The other two Arch-knights approached their flying beasts and mounted them as well.

"This one is mine, and she's Sky-Shattering Empress. She has been with me through countless battles, and I hope we will continue to fight together through many more," Kasryn said, rubbing the head of her beast.

The beast tilted its head under her gentle touch.

"Since I don't think you can fly, hop on. I'll take you on Sky-Shattering Empress to the fortress walls," Kasryn added, her eyes fixed on Orion.

Orion glanced at the two men watching him suspiciously before refocusing on Kasryn and nodding. He could fly using his morphic puppet, but he didn't feel the need to do so yet.

"Alright, climb on," Kasryn chuckled lightly and held the reins, lowering her flying beast to make it easier for Orion to mount.

Orion boosted himself up and straddled the flying beast.

"Don't fall off," Kasryn said, glancing back at him.

Orion grabbed one of the rear grips.

Without hesitation, Kasryn patted the beast gently. In an instant, the flying beast soared into the skies. The two Arch-knights followed close behind.

Orion looked down and saw numerous soldiers mounting their flying beasts and ascending into the sky behind them. The once-busy streets below were now empty, and the houses were sealed shut. Soldiers were still converging toward the fortress walls. It was the first time he had seen the sanctuary become so tense. ȐäNőʙΕŜ

"Do you know what kind of enemy we'll be facing?" Orion asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

Kasryn turned her head slightly, fixing her eyes on Orion. "There are many terrifying enemies we face, so we won't know until they arrive," she said before focusing forward again. "But I must warn you, these enemies are unlike the tainteds you're used to facing. To truly understand, you'll have to see them yourself. There's no need for an explanation."

Orion nodded in response.

Soon, the Arch-knight with the longsword diverted towards another route, leaving the three of them. After about seven minutes, they arrived at the walls.

"Get down," Kasryn said.

Orion dismounted the beast, followed shortly by Kasryn.

Kasryn patted her flying magical beast before handing the reins to a nearby guard.

"I want her properly suited in armour before the battle begins," Kasryn commanded.

The guard nodded in understanding and swiftly walked away, with the flying magical beast obediently following him.

The other Arch-knight landed and did the same with his mount. Then, he led the way up the wall, with Kasryn and Orion following him.

They passed several checkpoints within minutes until they arrived at the top of the fortified walls. Stretched out before them was an expansive snowy plain, surrounded by a massive dense forest that made it difficult to see within.

In the distance, snowy dust clouds were brewing, inching closer by the minute, and countless

dots painted the sky above, heralding the arrival of their attackers.

A single glance was all it took for Orion to understand the severity of the situation.

A familiar man abruptly appeared before them.

"Commander Valer! We have a problem. The enemy's numbers are much greater than we initially calculated," Jareth said, halting before the Arch-knight with a spear, his tone and expression anxious.

Orion recognized him as the same man who had found and brought them into the sanctuary.

More importantly, he was dressed similarly to the Arch-knight, with a navy-blue insignia of a lightning bolt splitting a storm cloud embroidered on the red cloth draped across his armour and right shoulder.

Orion had seen a few similar designs belonging to Kasryn, so he immediately recognized them as part of the same team.

The man glanced briefly at Orion with a deep frown before swiftly recomposing his

composure and refocusing Arch-Knight Valer.

Hearing Jareth's words, Valer and Kasryn frowned deeply.

"How many are there?" Valer asked sternly.

"According to the Northen gate reports, we've calculated their numbers to be more than ten

million death vines and corrupted," the Jareth responded. "The eastern and southern walls

and western gate report the same numbers."

Valer's and Kasryn's expressions morphed into shock. They snapped out of their thoughts and hurriedly pushed forward, approaching a wide telescope.

Valer swiftly nudged the guards aside and peered through it. His arms fell limp, and he stepped back with a bewildered and shocked expression.

Kasryn pushed him aside and also looked through the telescope. Her expression mirrored Valer's as she pulled back, staring at the approaching snowy dust clouds in trepidation and

anxiousness.

"They've always come in swarms of two to three million. The highest we've ever faced was ten million, but this is twice that!" Kasryn muttered under her breath as she bit her lips. "How are we supposed to defend against this?" Her voice was tinged with fear and anxiety. "Tch! There's no use thinking about that now. We'll have to assume our formations and do our best... Besides, hasn't the goddess already assured us of victory through him?" Valer responded, clenching his teeth as he glanced at Orion.

"We'll be counting on you. However, if this becomes too much to handle, let us know. Your safety as the candidate for the goddess's inheritance is more important, and we must ensure

nothing happens to you."

Orion nodded, meeting Valer's and Kasryn's terrified yet determined gazes.

"Can I take a look?" Orion asked, gesturing toward the telescope with an inquisitive look.

They exchanged glances for a brief moment, exhaled, and stepped aside.

"Go ahead. But steel your heart and prepare yourself not to falter," Valer said.

Orion nodded, stepped forward, and lowered his head to peer through the telescope.

In the distance, within the vast snowy dust clouds, Orion spotted numerous gigantic, four- legged creatures that appeared to amalgamate of inky black vines radiating a dark, eerie hue. With each step the creatures took, the vines swarmed and slithered, creating an unsettling movement of rustling and twisting.

Orion stood gobsmacked and wide-eyed, recognizing the terrifying monster that had once caused the deaths of countless warriors and had been a thorn in their territory.

They were three-star Vylkr vines!

Orion frowned, scrutinizing them further, sensing something was off. He saw numerous magical beasts entangled within the monstrosities as he looked closer. Strangely, these beasts emerged from the creatures' bodies, with Vylkr vines squirming around them like living armour. Yet, their movements were oddly monotonous, as if they were being

controlled.

A sudden thought struck Orion, causing him to swallow hard. These weren't just three-star vines-they were none other than four-star Vylkr vines!

Orion realized this because four-star Vylkr vines could control one-star and two-star Vylkr vines. So, it made sense that such control could extend to other beings as they matured, given the adaptability of the Vylkr vines.

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