Chapter 526: Heading Toward the Requiem Guild [2]

Leon had expected the Requiem Guild to have some tricks prepared, but this level of destructive power was far beyond what he had anticipated.

Even if they had obtained some powerful equipment, it would be difficult to explain such an enormous increase in strength.

Except maybe...

’The god they’re aligned to.’

As the smoke began spreading across the destroyed plaza, another panel appeared before them.

[Step forward, human.]

[We have been granted impossible power before heading to the Eternal Battlefield for completing our mission.]

[You are still given the chance to leave.]

[As soon as you exit this stronghold, we will all teleport to the Eternal Battlefield.]

Leon stared at the messages for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

"...Heh."

The fact that the Requiem Guild was offering him a chance to leave meant that they were not entirely confident in their ability to defeat him.

They had already demonstrated their power, yet they were still trying to persuade him to retreat.

Perhaps they were afraid of what he could do now.

Or perhaps they simply did not want to risk a battle unless they were certain of victory.

Either way, Leon had no intention of accepting their offer.

[One more step forward... and you will regret it.]

Leon smiled even more broadly as he placed an abyss rift near the destroyed plaza.

Then, without showing the slightest hesitation, he took another step forward.

[So be it.]

The moment he did, a massive announcement rang throughout the entire Requiem Stronghold, reaching every player and native who could hear it.

[All civilians head to safety, a threat unlike we have ever seen before has arrived, the stronghold is at risk!]

[To all those capable of fighting, please eliminate them.]

Beside the announcement appeared four panels displaying the faces of Leon, Violet, Celeste, and Emilia.

Their identities were now openly revealed to everyone in the stronghold.

"W-What do we do?" Emilia asked, a trace of panic entering her voice as she looked at the announcement.

"What do you mean?" Leon raised his eyebrows. "We do the same thing as before. If they try to attack us, just think of them like the students of the Divine Academy."

"...Alright!" Emilia quickly composed herself.

Although the Requiem Guild’s sudden increase in power was concerning, she could not allow herself to hesitate simply because their enemies had become stronger.

Fortunately, the announcement didn’t have the intended effect on most of the stronghold’s inhabitants.

The vast majority of players and natives immediately began fleeing toward designated safe areas, unwilling to risk their lives in a battle against such a threat.

Only a small fraction decided to remain and fight.

Leon led the group toward the center of the stronghold, where he expected to find the Requiem Guild.

Along the way, they encountered approximately thirty players and natives who had gathered to intercept them, blocking the road as they prepared to attack.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

They barely had time to shout before Violet unleashed her power.

A wave of freezing energy spread across the surrounding area, covering the ground and catching all thirty opponents before they could move.

Their bodies were frozen along with everything around them, leaving them completely helpless as the temperature dropped and the ice rapidly hardened.

Violet then swung her rapier, and the ice shattered.

Ding!

[+16 Slaughter Meter.]

"Oh well," Violet remarked with a shrug, showing little concern about what had just happened.

The remaining players and natives stared at the scene in horror.

Some had been preparing to attack alongside the group, believing that their combined strength would be enough to stop Leon and his companions.

However, after witnessing how easily Violet had eliminated thirty opponents, their confidence collapsed.

How could they possibly defeat someone who could freeze them before they even had the chance to fight back?

The few who had been considering joining the battle immediately retreated, unwilling to suffer the same fate.

Leon glanced at them.

[...I guess we’ve made life far too comfortable in this place. No one is willing to fight anymore.]

Leon could not entirely blame them. Most players and natives had probably never encountered opponents capable of overwhelming them so easily.

Nevertheless, he had no intention of allowing anyone to interfere with his objective.

"Last chance to leave for the Eternal Battlefield," Leon announced. "Otherwise, all of you will die."

It was a massive bluff.

Leon knew perfectly well that allowing even one member of the Requiem Guild to escape could create serious problems later.

If they reached the Eternal Battlefield before he had dealt with them, he might lose his chance to settle this matter on his own terms.

Still, he wanted to see how they would respond.

[You believe you are strong enough to defeat us? Foolish.]

[It would only take one attack at your souls to end your miserable existences.]

[We were all granted this power as a reward. You will not survive.]

Leon had barely finished reading the messages when he sensed another enormous attack approaching their position.

Emilia also clutched her head in pain, indicating that it was coming.

He immediately activated the abyss rift he had placed nearby, grabbing the girls and teleporting them away before the attack could land.

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion engulfed the area where they had been standing, destroying the surrounding buildings and tearing through the streets once more.

The blast was even more destructive than the previous one, killing the players and natives who had taken shelter inside them.

Leon and the girls reappeared at a safe distance, looking toward the destruction left behind by the attack.

"You’re destroying your own stronghold," Leon muttered. "That seems stupid."

[We can build all of this again in a matter of days, and thousands of people beg to join our stronghold every day. They are expendable.]

"Damn."

However, the repeated attacks continued afterward.

Every time Leon and the girls advanced, another devastating blast came rushing toward them.

The explosions tore apart entire sections of the stronghold, without regard for who or what stood in their way.

’They can only fire once every minute,’ Leon thought, ’It means its an ability or something that needs to recharge.’

Fortunately, each time he sensed an attack approaching, he used [Abyss Teleportation] to move the group through one of the rifts he had placed along their route.

Whenever they reappeared, he quickly established another rift farther ahead, ensuring that they always had a way to escape the next explosion.

They also started running toward their target, with Leon carrying Emilia as she was the slowest.

The Requiem Guild seemed determined to stop them before they reached the center.

After several more teleportations, Leon finally stopped and looked ahead.

"We’ve arrived."

The group had reached the center of the Requiem Stronghold, where a large building stood among the surrounding structures.

This was the same place where he had first met the members of the Requiem Guild.

The repeated explosions had devastated much of the surrounding area, but the building remained standing, and Leon could sense the powerful presences gathered inside.

"I can feel them in there," he said, his expression becoming more serious. "Be careful. As they said, their strength might have increased because of their god’s influence."

"Yes!"