1000 people.
Soldiers, merchants, farmers, citizens.
Different vocations, different lives.
All: united with one cause.
To rise and help their King, who had done so much for them.
One month ago, they had been contacted covertly by Eloise to move gradually into the Black Raven Kingdom under the guise of setting up the uniform trade route which would unite the two Kingdoms in trade.
Permission had been obtained from Faxul, who hadn"t suspected anything because this was a plan that had been in place for a long time.
In turn, the Black Raven Empire Spirit had also not been alerted to anything.
Even now, this contingent had just "happened" to be pa.s.sing through this forest while being disguised by a Warrior-level trinket, just in case.
So, when they suddenly rushed in, both Drakos and the Black Raven Empire Spirit could only watch with dazed expressions, which would have been visible if they had faces.
"FOR KING DANEEL!"
"DEATH TO THE ENEMIES! DEAAATHHHHH!"
"FOR LANTHANOR!"
Various slogans, all with a singular pa.s.sion that could only be born for a true King who cared for his citizens.
As the cacophony of 1000 voices a.s.saulted Daneel"s mind, he felt as if his head had been hit by a truck.
Subject to a throbbing pain unlike any he had ever experienced in his life, Daneel was almost at the state where he might take the decision to just rip off his own head in order to get rid of it.
Thankfully, he had prepared for this.
Gritting his teeth so hard that blood appeared from his mouth, Daneel spit out one sentence in his mind.
"Begin pre-programmed scenario."
[Activating pre-programmed scenario.
Identifying target.
Target found 458 meters north-east of host.
Target is at an elevation of 645 meters and closing in fast on host.
Waiting for target to reach optimal location.
Target has reached the optimal location.
Launching 10x amplified restriction spell.
Objective: Repeatedly cast amplified spells threatening the mage root of target so that his Hero-level Mind Control cannot be utilized without dying, while also using host"s own 10x amplified Hero-level Mind Control to combat target"s attempts.
Executing.]
BOOM!
While the system rattled off its actions inside Daneel"s head, a gigantic hand which was at least 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width had appeared in the cave before slamming into the crazy King who had just descended to attack his target.
The hand was cut off at the wrist, and although it looked like it was made of stone, the truth was that it comprised of various elementary particles that enabled high strength while also allowing the welder to use it as comfortably as his own hand.
This was the Champion level spell Daneel had learned during his foray in the Sect of Hedon: G.o.d Hand.
The name was quite ambitious, but it couldn"t be denied that thoughts about deities really did appear in one"s mind when seeing such an awe-inducing weapon of destruction.
Each finger of the hand could change into any element as required, and when someone was caught in their grasp, they would also deploy a s.p.a.ce-locking spell, although that wasn"t required in this situation.
In many ways, it was very similar to the invincible Dragon claws conjured by the core-formation of the Kingdom of Lanthanor, which had made Daneel think that the Dragon-claw might be a more advanced application of G.o.d Hand.
The crazy king"s eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was twisted into one of madness. No semblance of either personality from before was left: instead, there was only the desire to bathe in Daneel"s blood after controlling his mind.
Alas, it seemed that he would never have his wish.
As soon as the G.o.d Hand slammed into the crazy King"s body, an insanely strong Mind Control spell struck his mind, making him use the Hero-level mage powers he had been granted to just defend himself without moving any closer to his goal.
"Yeargh!"
Shouting with frustration, the crazy King threw off the Mind Control attack using his own. Although the spell had been amplified by 10 times, it was still not an equal match to one cast by a true-blue Hero mage.
After handling the more dire threat, he cast a simple unraveling spell to take care of the G.o.d Hand in the most efficient way possible.
However, just as he was about to leap forward once again, 2 more G.o.d Hands came into being, pommeling toward him in his path, along with a thick bolt of lightning-fire that had ultimate destructive properties.
As if that wasn"t enough, he was also inundated by another p.r.i.c.k in his mind, which meant that his opponent had launched another Mind Control attack.
Feeling vaguely as if something similar to this had happened before, the crazy King, or more accurately, the Black Raven Empire Spirit which was controlling it had to set time aside once again, lest the mage root of its host be destroyed, which would mean that its last hope of escaping its predicament would be gone.
How?! How the h.e.l.l had this brat who wasn"t even as old as the moss on its side set up such an immaculate plan which was being executed so well?
How had he managed to master the Ruler"s Inheritance to such a high degree that he was able to have enough strength to keep his trump card at bay?
Even as the Black Raven Empire Spirit asked itself these questions, it felt its consciousness getting sluggish, as a feeling of weakness had started to spread through it.
It was as if something was being…sucked away from it.
When the Black Raven Empire Spirit turned its gaze to the pool it was submerged in, it noticed that the depths which had been murky after its arrival had started to acquire a glow, with light emanating from everywhere.
WHAT?!
Even if he was fighting at such a dizzyingly high level that was beyond him, he was still maintaining the spell to extract energy from the Ker Roots present in its corporeal body?
What was he, a machine? How the h.e.l.l was he doing all this?
If it had known that its guess had been pretty close, it would have been pretty d.a.m.n surprised.
The system was carrying out all the attacks meticulously like a machine, while maintaining the spell on the pool of liquid.
All Daneel had to do was handle the voices in his head from the 1000 Lanthanorians who were still marching to his exact location, but this was easier said than done.
When the Black Raven Empire Spirit turned its attention to the King of Lanthanor expecting a cool image of someone who had everything under his control, it was quite surprised to see him kneeling on the ground, holding his head with both hands and screaming soundlessly, as if he was close to going mad at any moment.
Yes! He wasn"t managing the side-effects of the Ruler"s Inheritance very well!
This was its chance!
There was a very precarious balance that was being maintained right now, what with the attacks from the King of Lanthanor and the attempts to close the distance by the Crazy King.
If it could just introduce a small factor to tip the scale in its favor…it would win!
Instantly, the Black Raven Empire Spirit was reminded of the Protector Raven, which was lying upstairs, unconscious, as it had decided that the Raven might interfere if it saw its master coming under someone"s control.
It also had a Mind Control spell on the intelligent beast, which had enabled it to bring the kid to this place that first time. However, it couldn"t control both with its limited power right now. Yet, a workaround could be found for that easily.
Yes! This would work!
Without hesitation, and without dumbly proclaiming its intentions to alert its opponent, the Black Raven Empire Spirit chose a moment when the crazy King had just thrown off a Mind Control attack.
Letting him suffer an attack by a G.o.d Hand, it s.h.i.+fted its attention to the Protector Raven.
Mind Control only allowed one to control a target when the target was conscious. It wasn"t possible for it to magically wake up those who were unconscious, or incapable of doing so.
However, since the unconsciousness of the Protector Beast was induced by the Black Raven Empire Spirit, it was able to command it to wake and attack the King of Lanthanor, in an attempt to foil his plan.
He definitely must not have prepared for this!
With eager antic.i.p.ation, the Black Raven Empire Spirit watched as the Protector Raven stood before jumping forward and leaping down to enter the cave.
Still clutching his head in his hands, the King of Lanthanor seemed oblivious to his surroundings, as he did nothing to defend himself even when the Protector Raven entered the inner cave and headed toward him to run him through with its sharp beak.
It had held in its glee at outsmarting its opponent till now, but at this moment, where the beak of the Protector Raven was just about to end this whole farce, the Back Raven Empire Spirit decided to speak with euphoric joy.
"DESPAIR! HOW DARE YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD OUTWIT AN EXISTENCE LIKE ME, WHO HAS LIVED FOR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS! DIE-wait, what?"
At the last moment before impact, something hidden inside the Protector Raven"s mind came into effect, knocking it out and making it skid on the floor harmlessly.
[Backup Disabling Switch placed in Protector Raven by host has been activated.]
This statement was heard in Daneel"s mind, but he was too busy trying to keep the voices from devouring him.
However, it seemed as if it was the Black Raven Empire Spirit who seemed like it had had its pride devoured.
In thousands of years, even when it was alive, it had never felt this helpless. This pathetic.
Bully! This guy was just a bully! Here it had just wanted to get out of its prison, and this guy had come along with everything in his grasp! Dammit!
Brought close to tears, the Black Raven Empire Spirit could only ramble like this before deciding to do the last thing it could do in this situation.
"All right, Young King. I admit that you planned everything perfectly. I know that you based my abilities on what you must have found out in the Big 4, through some means. Regardless, there is one thing that I made them think I am incapable of."
Even though Daneel was oblivious, he opened his eyes now a little bit, as he had just managed to more or less reach an equilibrium he could maintain for a few seconds.
So, when he did, he was shocked to see Faxul"s upper body emerge from the pool, while the Black Raven Empire Spirit made a proclamation.
"Stop this whole thing, or he dies."