## Chapter 621 – 621. God’S Atlantis
621. God’s Atlantis
“Now! Deploy the barrier!!”
Following his shout, the assassins made strange movements. They seemed to surround me, but then suddenly scattered. And then, the surroundings suddenly darkened. I was trapped in a barrier.
‘A barrier from assassins, huh.’
It wasn’t surprising. Rather, it was admirable that assassins would use such a barrier.
I turned my head to the side. Riddella was trembling, her body shaking with anxiety.
“Why are you shaking so much?”
“I, I’ve heard about barriers. The elite assassins of the Thirst are said to kill anyone with their barriers, no matter who they are…”
“That’s an exaggeration. Or they’ve only used this tactic on mediocre opponents.”
I reached out my left hand and pulled her into my arms. The assassin’s dagger that had been aiming for her on the left sliced through the air.
“Ah…!”
They weren’t just targeting me. From the Thirst Legion’s perspective, Riddella was a traitor.
‘I can’t let my fucktoy be taken by these bastards.’
I swung my sword and stabbed the assassin who had been aiming for Riddella. Blood splattered as the corpse fell to the floor.
‘This isn’t a very impressive barrier. It’s just a barrier that deceives the eyes. And the assassins are simply hiding their presence and waiting for an opening.’
There are many ways to break this barrier.
If it were the old me, I would have unleashed lightning in all directions like an electric rat from a certain manga, electrocuting the hidden assassins. That’s not a bad method. It’s just too inefficient with the mana consumption.
I raised my right foot. The Demonic Heavenly Energy within my body surged. Any more than this and I would suffer internal injuries.
‘Is this my limit now? Even with the Demonic Heavenly Technique at SSS rank, it’s still not enough.’
Still, I can take one step.
Demonic Heavenly Technique (天魔神功) Demonic Heavenly Sovereign Step (天魔君臨步).
*Thud.*
The moment I took the step, pressure was applied in all directions, and the barrier shattered. The surroundings brightened, and dozens of assassins were coughing up blood and collapsing on the ground.
Originally, from the moment I unleashed the Demonic Heavenly Sovereign Step, I should have dominated this entire space, but my capabilities are insufficient for that.
“What did you do…!”
The master of the Thirst Legion gritted his teeth and rose from his seat. Blood was streaming from his mouth, nose, and ears.
“Can’t you see? I used a footwork technique.”
“Don’t be ridiculous…! Do you think a barrier would be shattered by mere footwork!”
“Because it’s a low-level barrier.”
There was no reason to keep him alive any longer. I swung my sword and beheaded him.
‘And I need to deal with the rest.’
I killed the assassins who were lying on the ground one by one. They tried to kill me, so there was no reason to show them any mercy.
After killing all the assassins, I raised my head.
I could see a small castle built on a hill. Baron Estor would be inside that castle.
“Let’s go, Riddella.”
“W-where are we going?”
“Where else? To that castle.”
“Are you really going to kill Baron Estor too…?!”
“He hired assassins to kill me. I can’t let him live.”
“Baron Estor might not be the one who commissioned it.”
“It’s him, nine times out of ten.”
I could tell just by the way they reacted at the castle gate.
A mere baron blocking a knight of Valdert for a trivial reason? It’s something they wouldn’t even attempt if they didn’t have something to hide.
The road to the castle wasn’t quiet.
Curious citizens were watching me and following me closely. I left them alone. They weren’t blocking my path, so there was no reason to kill them all.
Riddella walked beside me, her eyes tightly shut. Looking at her face, I could see what she was thinking. She seemed to think her life was completely messed up.
At the castle entrance, there were knights and soldiers.
The five knights were wearing armor and carrying swords, exuding an aura as if they would charge at me at any moment, and behind them, over 500 soldiers were lined up.
I drew the Hwaryeon Flying Blades. The atmosphere turned deadly the moment I held the sword in my hand, waiting for the slightest provocation.
“I am Golber, a knight of Baron Estor. What is your name?”
A knight stepped forward. He was a middle-aged man, probably in his forties. My senses told me that he was the strongest among them.
“I am Sung Yoojin, a knight of Duchess Elena Valdert.”
“Sir Sung Yoojin. I’ll be direct. Go back.”
“Hmm? Go back?”
That was unexpected.
I had smashed the castle gate and killed soldiers. From Baron Estor’s perspective, his territory had been invaded. And it was the lord’s duty to punish the invaders.
“Baron Estor has decided to let this matter go.”
That wasn’t a normal decision. And there was only one reason for making such a decision.
‘Baron Estor is terrified.’
In a way, it could be considered wise.
But I had no intention of backing down.
“Is Baron Estor inside? I want to meet him directly. I request a private audience.”
“That is impossible. Baron Estor is currently ill and unable to move. Baron Estor needs rest.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Do you think I don’t know why you’re requesting a private audience with Baron Estor?”
Golber and I glared at each other.
“Sir, go back. Baron Estor has decided to let this matter go, so there is nothing for you to worry about.”
“I have no intention of letting this matter go.”
“We will compensate you. We will give you 20 million pennies right now.”
200 million won in Korean currency.
But my eyes remained cold. He tried to kill me, and he’s offering a mere 20 million pennies? Baron Estor and the knight in front of me were clearly out of their minds.
“You insult me. Do I look like a knight who’s blinded by money?”
“I’ve heard you’re a knight who’s blinded by women.”
“……”
It was true, so I couldn’t deny it.
“With 20 million pennies, you can have any beauty in the city. And Sir, think about the soldiers you killed on your way here. Baron Estor is making many concessions to you.”
“Concessions? That’s laughable. To my eyes, it just looks like he’s desperately trying to avoid death!”
“Sir! Do not insult Baron Estor!”
“Baron Estor will die by my hand today.”
Demonic Heavenly Technique (天魔神功) Demonic Heavenly Sword (天魔劍).
A black sword aura appeared on the blade.
Golber’s expression hardened when he saw the sword aura. He immediately drew his sword and unleashed a blue sword energy.
“The opponent has the power of a division commander! Do not let your guard down! And do not retreat! Our lord is Baron Estor! Protect Baron Estor even if it costs you your lives!”
Golber shouted. He was trying to raise the morale of the soldiers, but it wasn’t very effective. Their lord was hiding inside the castle in fear, so there was no way their morale would rise.
I charged towards Golber, holding my sword forward. Since the enemies’ morale was low, it would be easier to deal with the rest if I took out their leader.
Golber’s sword and my sword clashed. Golber’s sword was deflected. Upon closer inspection, half of the blade was cut off. His sword energy was not enough to withstand the sword aura. Even if the quality of the sword was good, Golber’s sword was nothing more than a mass-produced item.
‘Still, his skill is quite decent.’
Even though the other knights attacked together, Golber repeatedly blocked my attacks.
‘But that’s reaching its limit.’
Golber’s sword shattered.
‘A fleeting moment.’
I sliced through the bodies of two knights who were charging from the sides, along with their armor, and stabbed Golber in the abdomen.
“I won’t let you…!”
Golber grabbed my body tightly with both arms as he was dying. My brow furrowed. The strength in his arms was not ordinary. It wasn’t easy to shake him off.
“Now! Don’t worry about me and kill him!”
“Yes, Sir Golber!”
The knights and soldiers immediately charged at me. Their movements were so coordinated that it seemed like it was planned in advance.
Demonic Heavenly Technique (天魔神功) Vajra Demonic Dragon (金剛魔龍).
I inhaled and activated a protective barrier, enduring the enemies’ attacks. The soldiers’ spears were easily blocked, but the knights’ sword energy pierced through the barrier.
‘But it’s just a slight cut.’
Demonic Heavenly Technique (天魔神功) Vajra Demonic Dragon (金剛魔龍).
I gathered the accumulated damage at the tip of my sword and swung it in a circle. Black sword energy spread in all directions, cutting down the enemies.
Dozens of soldiers, including the knights, were killed.
“Aaaaargh!”
“T-this is madness!”
When the knights who were leading the soldiers were annihilated, the soldiers no longer showed any will to fight. They threw their weapons on the ground and fled in all directions.
I didn’t bother chasing them. There was something more important than chasing and killing the soldiers.
I entered the castle.
The butler, who was trembling, fell to the floor as soon as he saw me.
“I, I greet the knight of Valdert! Please, have mercy!”
“Lead me to where Baron Estor is. If Baron Estor is there, I’ll spare him.”
“I will guide you right away!”
The butler acted wisely. I followed the butler, touching Riddella’s breasts.
The butler opened a large wooden door with elaborate patterns engraved on it.
It was Baron Estor’s bedroom.
The baron greeted me on his knees, as if he knew I was coming.
“W-welcome. I am Baron Estor. I was wrong. Please, spare my life!”
I chuckled and lowered my hand from Riddella’s chest and drew my sword. *Shwing*. The sound of the sword being drawn from its scabbard was particularly cold.
“That’s absurd. Baron Estor. Don’t you think it’s too late to apologize and beg for your life?”
“I-I’m sorry! I had no choice! The Crown Prince pressured me to kill you! It’s all because of the Crown Prince’s orders! The root of this problem is the Crown Prince! I was just being manipulated by the Crown Prince!”
“I know a thing or two about the Crown Prince.”
The sword touched Baron Estor’s shoulder. I slowly began to dig it into his shoulder.
“Aaaargh! Aaaaargh!”
He screamed so loudly that the castle seemed to shake. He flailed his arms and legs, but he couldn’t escape my sword. I focused on making sure he didn’t die and applied pressure to the hilt of the sword.
“The Crown Prince promises benefits when he uses those who lack loyalty. You don’t seem to have any loyalty to the Crown Prince.”
“Ughhh…. Spare… spare me….”
“Did you agree to receive money if you killed me? Did you agree to receive a territory? Did you agree to receive a special item?”
“I agreed to receive a barony and a territory…! Ughhh!”
“Just that? The Crown Prince must really underestimate me.”
I looked at Baron Estor and pondered.
It’s annoying, should I just kill him now?
But that would be too easy. He’s the one who hired assassins to kill me. It was too infuriating to kill him so easily.
“……Butler.”
“Yes!”
“Bring Baron Estor’s family. You wouldn’t say he’s a bachelor, would you?”
“I’ll bring them right away!”
“It doesn’t matter if they run away. I can just chase them and kill them. But don’t think you’ll die peacefully then.”
“T-that won’t happen! Please wait a moment!”
The butler ran out of the room. I was still slowly moving the sword that was embedded in his body.
A short while later, Baron Estor’s family was brought in. It didn’t even take five minutes, and judging by their poor condition, it seemed like they had used forceful methods.
‘Not my problem.’
I pulled the sword out of his shoulder and scanned his family.
A middle-aged woman with brown hair. She looked like she was in her early to mid-thirties, probably because she spent a lot of money on beauty treatments. As a noble’s wife, she was exceptionally beautiful.
A young woman with brown hair as well. She was exceptionally beautiful. She had large breasts and I liked her blue eyes.
And a young man. He was undoubtedly Baron Estor’s heir.
Without hesitation, I beheaded the young man. The young man’s head rolled on the floor.
“A, ah…!”
The middle-aged woman collapsed to the floor as if she was about to faint, and Baron Estor only watched my reaction, even though his son had died.
I looked at Baron Estor’s wife and daughter and said,
“I’ll give you a chance to live.”
I swung the blood-stained sword. Baron Estor’s left leg was cut off. This was a warning to them.
“Take off your clothes.”
