Mahakan had fallen right into the enemyâs trap. They had used Nazaran as bait, so there was no way he could have avoided it.
As a result, Nazaranâs fist pierced through his chest, and Garupâs sharp claws went through his side.
Mahakan knew he was going to die, so he cast Self-Sacrifice. This spell allowed the caster to perform a miracle in exchange for their life!
âOoh, Lord Rakan! Punish the wicked!â
A gigantic pillar of light surged from Mahakanâs body.
âKuhaaahk!â Garup writhed in pain, his hand still stuck in between Mahakanâs ribs. âI⌠canât die again!â
Garup desperately resisted the holy light with his Super Regeneration.
However, that proved to be impossible. Garupâs body disintegrated and turned to ash. It didnât even take 5 seconds!
Amak, who was controlling Nazaranâs body, didnât remain unscathed either. The powerful, radiant light burnt away the seed embedded within Nazaranâs body, and dealt tremendous damage to Amak.
In order to conduct the ritual, Amakâs main body stood before the altar. All of a sudden, however, he knelt to the floor and slammed his head against the ground as if he were begging for forgiveness. He also writhed in pain; it was as if his organs were being twisted around.
Shards of light spilled from his body like endlessly shedding fur.
The nearby Evil God Worshippers quickly came over and checked on his condition. One of them placed their hand on Amak and immediately turned to ash.
The holy energy still wasnât done with Amak.
âHeop!â The other Evil God Worshipper gasped and distanced himself.
Amak continued to writhe in pain. Then, Nemethâs Skull emitted wicked energy, which enveloped his body.
âUgh.â Amak cried out once more.
It was only natural. Rakanâs power and Jailaâs power were clashing within his body. Obviously, Rakanâs power slowly gave out. After all, its power source was finite.
But that didnât change the fact that Mahakanâs Self-Sacrifice was extremely powerful. The Evil Godâs power was overcoming it, but it wouldnât go down without a fight.
If Amak wanted to go back to normal, then heâd need at least ten days to heal. What a relief.
The ceremony could only be performed by the Evil Godâs High Priest. In other words, it would be postponed for at least ten days.
The gigantic pillar of light had annihilated half of the Evil God Worshippers and demons on the battlefield. Three of the super demons had been destroyed by his sacrifice too.
Mahakanâs last act of sacrifice had spelled defeat for the Evil God Worshippers.
The Protectors of the Continent couldnât rejoice at this news. Once the pillar of light disappeared, the troops could see Mahakanâs form once more.
He stood tall, but he didnât move at all.
A shard of light fell from Mahakanâs cheek. That was only the beginning. His entire body turned to light and dispersed into the air.
Grief-stricken cries filled the air.
This was a huge loss for the Protectors of the Continent. The High Priest of Blood and Iron wasnât replaceable.
He was a religious man that had been respected and beloved by many, and was strong enough to reach the level of Master.
Plus, he was incredibly famous. He was known by the denizens of the Great Forest, the non-humans in the western grasslands, and even the dwarves in the Phamas Mountains.
There were no faults in his personality either. He was a taciturn, yet trustworthy person. Not only had he been extremely charismatic, but he had been an excellent leader as well.
The reason they had been able to gather so many troops was because of their fear of the Evil God Worshippers, as well as Mahakanâs name.
Mahakan had died. The one renowned as the High Priest of Blood and Iron!
âMm.â Hannibal, who led the Protectors of the Continent in Mahakanâs stead, bit his lip.
He was the general that protected Altein. His skills were unquestionable. Even so, he was no substitute for Mahakan. However⌠he knew what he had to do.
Hannibal planted his feet, and coldly stared at the battlefield.
âHear me, Protectors of the Continent!â the gray-haired old man yelled. âLord Mahakan has died. Those wicked beings that killed him are still alive. Kill them all! Leave none alive!â
He spoke with all the rage he could muster.
âI wonât forgive you!â
âIâll kill every last one of you!â
The brigadeâs paladins and gladiators acted first. They fiercely charged at the nearby demons, almost recklessly so.
Even the most handsome priestsâ faces sharpened; they gathered holy energy in their hands and unleashed their most destructive spells.
The ordinary soldiersâ eyes were filled with hatred and malice. They let out a battle cry, and lunged with their spears or swung their swords.
As a final act of respect, Kastenâs mercenaries and the Great Forestâs warriors fought with everything they had.
The players, however, didnât react much differently. They fought for the same reason as before; for their own entertainment, for rewards, etc.
The Evil Godâs followers had already lost half of their army. They had also lost three of their super demons.
Not only that, but Garup had died too. Nazaranâs shackles and bronze helmet had been shattered, and he lay completely silent. His chest rose and fell, so he didnât appear to be dead.
Even though theyâd lost Mahakan, the troopsâ morale was at its peak.
âWe canât win this.â Lubatchi disappointingly smacked his lips.
If not for Mahakanâs Self-Sacrifice, then⌠They wouldâve had a chance. Then again, Mahakan was dead now, so they had definitely won out on this exchange.
âEveryone, retreat. Low-rank demons, stay here and hold them off until the end!â
Lubatchi planned on giving them the weakest of the demons and making his escape.
âYou useless idiots, go over there and hold them off!â
The Evil Godâs followers retreated deeper into the city. The super demons disappeared the same way they appeared; through the ground.
âWhere do you think youâre going!?â
âIâll kill you all!â
The Protectors of the Continent pursued them in order to kill as many of them as possible.
The battlefield, which was rife with demon and human corpses, was no longer filled with Evil God Worshippers or demons.
The Protectors of the Continent had won. However, not a single person cheered. They were saddened by Mahakanâs death.
âHaa, what do we do?â
Normally, theyâd advance on the altar and prevent the ritual. But once the battle was over, the troopsâ morale hit rock bottom. Battle was no longer feasible in their condition.
âAre we going to⌠advance?â the Brilliant Paladin, Barus, asked.
Hannibal shook his head. âI donât think thatâs possible.â
âBut⌠even now theyâre conducting the ritual. Time isnât on our side.â
Judge Odirâs eyes were red with tears. He was truly saddened by Mahakanâs death. Thatâs precisely why he wanted to finish what Mahakan had started. Itâs what he wouldâve wanted.
To completely annihilate the Evil God Worshippers!
âI know. But take a look at the troops,â Hannibal whispered.
The soldiers looked completely lifeless. They had just gone through a bloody battle, fueled only by their desire for revenge. But that spark, that desire for vengeance, could sustain them no longer.
âMm.â Odir bit his lip. Then, he said heavily, âLetâs retreat and reorganize our troops.â
The Protectors of the Continent left Franco. They had lost something irreplaceable.
The detached force was camped out in a forest north of Franco.
Valan, Burkan, and Dion came after them. They had come back after fighting off Sraka and Nemeth, the two most powerful members of the Evil God Worshippers.
They werenât able to finish them off.
âWhat the hell happened?â Dion said in disbelief, seeing the state of the detached force.
âHoo, well you seeâŚâ
One of the 100 Fighters explained in detail. They had sustained huge casualties from the witchâs wicked spell.
âImpossible!â Dion groaned, and Burkanâs face darkened.
They received even more shocking news from the main force. Mahakan had died.
âT-Thatâs not possible!â Saru suddenly stood up.
âMaster is dead? Thatâs impossible!â
Saru couldnât accept what had happened.
Valan, Burkan, and Dionâs expressions stiffened. That wasnât news that they could just brush off. But if Mahakan truly was dead, then there was something they had to do as soon as possible.
They had to pick someone else to lead the Protectors of the Continent!
Valan, Burkan, and Saru headed for the main force.
Like how Mahakan was chosen, the churchâs representatives discussed and came to an agreement. After all, the churches were in direct opposition to the Evil God Worshippers.
The churches truly wished for the Evil God Worshippersâ destruction more than any other force that comprised the Protectors of the Continent. They obviously sent every soldier they could spare in order to annihilate them.
Thus, a few of the churchesâ High Priests were suggested. For example, the Sabra Churchâs High Priest, Luina, the Church of Lightâs High Priest, Sai, and the Church of Fertilityâs High Priest, Malik.
However, they were all old, and they werenât nearly as renowned as Mahakan. Thatâs just how influential the Rakan High Priest was; after all, the Rakan Church was the most powerful and most well-known church on the continent.
The High Priests didnât believe they could fill the void left by Mahakan, so the executives decided to pick someone amongst themselves.
They agreed on three names.
First, General Hannibal. He was a man of extraordinary character, and his leadership was second to none. He was also pretty charismatic. Of course, his abilities werenât nearly as good as Mahakanâs.
Unfortunately, he wasnât renowned enough to bring the Great Forestâs warriors, Kastenâs non-human mercenaries, and countless players all together.
Then there was the Guardian of the Continent, Valan. His power was undeniable. He was a Grandmaster, after all! He was also incredibly charismatic. However, he wasnât skilled in leading others. Plus, he had strongly refused the position.
Burkan was the final candidate. He was the most suitable replacement for Mahakan. He was extremely renowned as the Invincible Gladiator, was a Master like Mahakan, and was charismatic enough to bring all the gladiators together! Plus, he was a devout follower of Rakan, so he was well liked by the other churches.
However, he had never commanded such a large army before, and some claimed that he was too young.
But that wasnât much of an issue. After all, General Hannibal could remain by his side and assist him.
Ultimately, Burkan filled the role of supreme commander in Mahakanâs place.
âI wonât forget Lord Mahakanâs sacrifice. We must punish the Evil Godâs followers.â
Burkanâs inaugural speech was short, but profound. He also went right to work. He requested reinforcements from the various churches and free cities, and began reorganizing their troops.
He also asked the four great guilds for assistance. While they had great power, they were always so slow to act. Thus, they were offered a sizable reward in exchange for their help.
Burkan, Saru, and the Rakan Priests were removed from the detached force.
It was only natural. Burkan had assumed the role of supreme commander, and with Mahakan dead and Nazaran out of commission, leading the Rakan Church fell to Saru.
As the new Rakan High Priest, Saru had to look after his churchâs paladins, priests, and followers, and lead them himself.
But in their absence, the detached force was given reinforcements. The Great Forestâs warriors filled the void. Each and every one of them was just as skilled as the gladiators they were replacing.
âItâs been a while.â
Kang Oh and Aman greeted each other. In the past, the two had fought side-by-side.
Several members of the Witchâs Forest had joined them as well. The Blue Knight, Plum, the Wind Tracker, Dambi, and the Kind Druid, Yericka were a given, but several other skilled members had decided to join in.
Asu had obviously come along too.
Kang Oh and Asu had a short date deep within the forest.
The ever so cute Rudy had come along too. Rudy would follow Waryong everywhere. Why, you might ask?
Waryong would spew flames in order to chase Rudy away, but Rudy would eat those flames! Rudy really liked how Waryongâs flames tasted.
Bartâs friends came too. The Assassin, Viper, the Storm Fighter, Rohan, and the Wolf Warrior, Mulan! They were all high rankers, so they were all sufficiently skilled.
Thus, the detached force hadnât weakened significantly, even with Burkan and Saruâs absence.
For now, they waited. They waited until the main force was ready for their final battle with the Evil God Worshippers.
The final battle would probably begin in a few days. After all, they had to stop Jailaâs ritual as soon as possible!