Chapter 43

Chapter 43 – Chapter 7: Advent

The transfer formations, spread out in various areas of the Demon World like a spider web, varied in size and shape .

In-gong closed his eyes against against the blue light, that appeared when the transfer formation was activated, and slowly opened them after feeling a new sensation .

There were continuous streams of grey light over the blue which hadn’t yet scattered completely .

Under the command of the Demon King, the managers of the transfer formations were required to secure a space of a certain size in case the transfer failed .

It was the same for this stone tower as he arrived at the other end of the transfer formation .

"We have arrived?”

“Yes . ”

In-gong responded appropriately to Carack while looking at the entrance for the person who was supposed to meet them . Indeed, a female soldier appeared not long after In-gong had arrived .

"I greet 9th Prince . I am Karma, a ranger who will be your assistant . ”

The woman said while placing her right fist on her left chest, a special pose used by soldiers .

“Uh, yes . It is great to see you . I am Shutra . ”

In-gong wasn’t surprised by the salute . Instead, he was surprised by the appearance of the woman called Karma .

She had tanned skin, black hair and a pretty face . She was approximately 20 years old and her body was wrapped in armour, but that was common . No, her body was quite pretty but things were different from the waist down . Her legs looked like horse legs and she had horseshoes instead of ordinary feet . Looking closer, she also had the hindquarters of a horse .

‘Uh, let’s see . Isn’t this similar to a satyr?’

Satyr were short people with the upper body of a person and the lower body of an animal, normally one with two legs .

Satyrs often had the legs of deer or goats, so it wasn’t too common for one to have the legs of a horse . However, he had rarely seen them in Knight Saga .

In-gong searched through his memories before focusing on the present situation . The only thing that mattered was the woman, Karma, in front of him, not the rarity of her species . There was no reason to be surprised at a fantasy species when there was an orc, Carack, right behind him with green skin .

"I will take care of you in the future . ”

Karma said to In-gong with a smile . Looking at the bright smile, he felt quite good .

"Thank you . ”

Karma returned to her normal posture and stood, waiting for him . Carack asked impatiently,

"What is it?”

"Um . . . Don’t you have any more soldiers?”

Karma thought it was strange as she looked behind In-gong and Carack . It was out of the ordinary for the prince assigned to the mission to have only one orc as an attendant .

However, this was the reality . In-gong replied with a bitter laugh .

"This is all I have . ”

In fact, In-gong had thought about bringing a troop of soldiers . His merit level was reasonable enough and there had been compensation received from the Merits Department . The reason why In-gong sought out the children of the concubines was to make them join his troops .

However, In-gong lacked the time needed . The mission arrived so suddenly that he couldn’t afford to buy some soldiers .

“I understand, then we will start straight away . ”

Karma was baffled for a moment that it was just the two of them, but she soon smiled and led In-gong and Carack away .

As they descended the transfer formation tower, a few managers came out to greet In-gong . In-gong responded appropriately, distributed the necessary supplies and left the stone tower .

The gift of the dracos Felicia had given them was really good . As soon as he got on a draco, he learnt Draco Unyielding Spirit Lv1 . However, even if he hadn’t learnt it, In-gong wouldn’t have had any troubles moving on the dracos .

"Whoa, isn’t this better than what I thought?”

Carack admired from the top of a draco . The two metre tall Carack was already over 100 kilograms and he was carrying a big bag on his back . Nevertheless, the draco’s face didn’t show any signs of difficulties .

Karma also smiled with admiration .

"I’ve heard about the dark elves’ dracos but this is my first time seeing them . They seem tougher than rumoured . ”

"It is the first time I’ve tried riding one . However, are you going to walk?”

Carack asked, looking at Karma . Karma replied with a smile .

"I have these two legs . You don’t have to worry . ”

Her legs were shaped like horse legs .

Underneath the hill the stone tower was located on was an endless open meadow that spread out in every direction . Karma ran lightly and led the party while In-gong and Carack followed on the dracos .

The wind in the meadow was cool and dry . While riding, In-gong touched the necklace around his neck .

The tears of a dark elf .

It was a powerful magic that guarded the mind of the wearer . There was no other additional ability, but it was a favourite item in Knight Saga due to its excellent defense against magic spells .

‘However, the method to obtain it is completely different . ’

The tears of the dark elves had been products obtained after Felicia died on the Day of Massacre . However, at present, he had received the tears of a dark elf as a gift from Felicia herself .

‘Take care of your body . ’

Felicia’s words once again popped up in his head . It was a voice as warm as her body temperature when she embraced him .

It wasn’t just Chris and Caitlin who she had a changed relationship with . Felicia was now a powerful ally rather than an enemy .

'The Day of Massacre . ’

It was no longer just In-gong’s life at risk . Chris, Caitlin and Felicia’s lives were also hanging on it; the three people he wanted to protect .

‘Well, it is still just the beginning . ’

Setting Caitlin and Felicia aside, his laughter emerged unconsciously at the thought of protecting Chris . While Caitlin and Felicia appeared slender, Chris was full of incredible muscles . It seemed more like In-gong would use him as a shield, rather than protect him .

After finishing those thoughts, In-gong opened his inventory and looked at the items he had stored recently . They were the rewards he received from the Merits Department for his merit level .

‘It is surprisingly reasonable . ’

It was obvious, but the Merits Department used a system where those with a higher merit level would receive better rewards . However, low level rewards weren’t necessarily bad .

As long as the items weren’t expensive, they were given things necessary for the mission:

A health potion; mana potion; tent with protective spells on it, for sleeping; and a sleeping bag with a spell to preserve body temperature .

In-gong currently had a merit level of five, so he would get equipment such as swords and armour after completing this mission .

'When I finish this mission, my merit level will be around seven?’

The casios subjugation quest was a repeat quest from the Merits Department . It could only be performed once a year, so the recurrence frequency was low among the recurring quests . However, the merit points gained from it were quite high .

‘Speaking of weapon problems . ’

The casios were four legged creatures reminiscent of giant wolves . If he fought in front, he would be able to use Earth Quaker and Beast Authority when he was close to it . However, this mission wasn’t based on a one-on-one confrontation .

It was fighting a crowd .

Moreover, the herd of centaurs was the perfect cavalry . He had speed to match with the cavalry, so he needed a suitable weapon .

‘A sword might be conventional, but don’t riders normally use a spear or something similar?’

Due to the weapons taken from the dungeon, he had a variety of weapons, such as axes and crossbows as well as swords and spears .

Thanks to the power of Conquest and Protagonist Body, after starting the learning process for a sword, it would take a few days to raise it to a sufficient level .

‘I have to discuss it with Carack, so let’s not decide too quickly . ’

In-gong deactivated the inventory and looked straight ahead . He didn’t know what would soon unfold in front of him .

&

The Enger Plains were so wide that it would take two days to reach a centaur settlement . As a result, the party started to prepare a camp in the early evening instead of overworking themselves .

As a guide, Karma knew a few good places to camp . There were hills to stop the wind and a few camping trails had remained .

In-gong got down from the draco, activated the inventory window and put his hand into Carack’s bag . He was used to the lie and now found it natural to pull things out of a bag .

Karma looked on with admiration as the tent and camping supplies set received from the Merits Department were taken out . At first, she was surprised that the prince was bringing things out personally but that soon changed . It was because so many items were pouring out that she doubted the capacity of the bag .

"Wah, that is real strength . ”

Carack was carrying around a bag containing so many things .

Carack shrugged at Karma’s pure admiration and said,

"Heh, I have a little bit of strength . ”

He would keep In-gong’s inventory a secret until a knife came to his throat . Carack tried to wink at In-gong, but it was useless .

“No, that . . . It is the draco . ”

It was the draco that carried Carack and the bag .

Carack laughed awkwardly at Karma’s words and turned to In-gong .

The atmosphere was pretty good as they set up the tent and prepared a fire for their meal . The ingredients stored in his inventory were preserved, so Carack prepared a quite luxurious dish of chicken stew .

“Now, eat . ”

The tough but kind Carack handed In-gong a bowl . It was steaming hot and looked tasty .

“I will eat it well . ”

That was when In-gong heard it .

He felt the earth start shaking . At first, it seemed to be coming from a distance but it became stronger instantly . The draco also noticed the abnormality and gave a low cry .

In-gong swallowed quickly and put his bowl down as Carack picked up an axe instead of a ladle . Karma, who had climbed up the hill, shouted towards them,

“Casios!”

He guessed it was due to Protagonist Correction .

In-gong equipped Earth Quaker on his right arm .