Chapter 249
Alicia had been openly observing Mu-Gun for a while, and a wry smile crept across Mu-Gun's face upon realizing it. He discerned Alicia's romantic interest in him, but he harbored no intention of reciprocating her feelings. It was only fair for him not to initiate a relationship for which he couldn't assume responsibility.
“Alicia! I will leave Avalon as soon as I eradicate the Demon God, so don’t be interested in me.”
“You’re leaving Avalon?” Alicia asked, not denying that she was interested in Mu-Gun.
“I can’t go into the details, but that is the truth.”
“Then, I will be interested in you until you leave Avalon. You’re not going to say no to that too, are you?” Alicia said.
"In the current circumstances, our primary focus must be on the crucial mission of eliminating the Demon God. There's no room to divert our attention elsewhere."
"It's merely an excuse. We won't be engaged in continuous combat against the Demon God twenty-four hours a day. We still need to eat, sleep, and rest during our mission to eradicate the Demon God. So, why shouldn't love between a man and a woman be permitted?" Alicia questioned, unconvinced.
Mu-Gun fell momentarily silent. Despite Alicia's perspective that fostering affection during the mission was acceptable, he couldn't give in to her wishes.
“Ehem, the important thing is that I don’t think of you that way, Alicia.”
“No way. It doesn’t make sense that you are not attracted to an elf as beautiful as me. Humans go crazy over the beauty of an elf.” Alicia said with a look of disbelief.
Mu-Gun found himself momentarily stunned as Alicia confidently flaunted her beauty. However, given her remarkable looks, such self-assurance seemed entirely justified. In fact, when Mu-Gun gazed upon Alicia's face, he couldn't help but be impressed, almost as if he were beholding a work of art. Yet, this admiration didn't translate into romantic feelings; perhaps her perfection made it challenging for him to be drawn to her in a romantic sense.
"Not every human behaves that way. Most importantly, there's already a woman in my heart, and I have no intention of entertaining the thought of another woman above her. So, please, let go of your interest in me, Alicia."
“If you say it that way, it makes me even greedier,” Alicia said provocatively.
“That will only hurt your heart.”
“Even so, I don’t plan on giving up. If I give up without even trying, I will definitely regret it later.”
A wry smile played on Mu-Gun's lips in response to Alicia's words. He understood that, regardless of his statements, rejecting her attention had become a futile endeavor. Given the circumstances, he had no alternative but to fortify his defenses against her advances and create some distance until Alicia restrained herself.
Accompanied by thirteen High Elves, Mu-Gun made his way to the meeting point where members of the Avalon Order and the Yupir Church had assembled. The presence of the High Elves surprised the members, unaware that Mu-Gun had met with the Wind Elves, let alone expecting them to accompany him.
"Allow me to introduce everyone. These are the High Elves, leaders of the Wind Elves. Starting today, they will be joining our ranks."
“Does that mean they will participate in the war against the Demon God?” Philford asked.
"You needn't be concerned about that. Perhaps you're not aware, but Argon has forged a contract with the Wind Spirit King," Alicia reassured.
“Is it true?” Gilphian asked Mu-Gun in surprise.
"Indeed. As Alicia mentioned, with the assistance of the Wind Spirit King Nervatum, it is possible to strip the Wyvern herd of their aerial dominance," Mu-Gun affirmed.
"In that case, we have nothing to worry about. By the way, that's truly remarkable. I'm amazed that you managed to form a contract with the Wind Spirit King while also serving as the Sky God Yupir's representative," Walter expressed, his face reflecting genuine admiration.
"I'm not the remarkable one. If anything, I lack the power needed to combat the Demon God, and it is out of the Wind Spirit King's kindness that I received such assistance," Mu-Gun humbly stated.
"Nevertheless, the Wind Spirit King entered into a contract with you due to the potential it sees. Additionally, only specific entities among the elves have the privilege to form a contract with the Wind Spirit King. The Wind Spirit King choosing you, a human, is indicative of your extraordinary nature."
“You are flattering me too much. Nonetheless, regardless of my abilities, I cannot confront the Demon God alone. So, I implore all of you to assist me until the very end.” Mu-Gun replied firmly.
“We will gladly do so.”
“Don’t worry. We will fight for Avalon until the end.”
“The Yupir Church will also help Young Lord Argon until the day we eradicate the Demon God according to the almighty Yupir’s will.”
"We elves, too, shall share your fate, one who has forged a pact with the Wind Spirit King."
“Thank you all. Well then, let’s go deal with the Wyverns.” Mu-Gun said thankfully.
Subsequently, they embarked on the quest to locate the Wyverns. Once again, they employed the assistance of the wind spirits for this. The Wyverns' habitat was located atop the highest peak of the Patagon Mountain Range. Nestled on a precarious mountain summit, reaching the Wyverns' habitat proved challenging, not only for the ordinary individual but also for Expert Knights.
Mu-Gun made the difficult decision to leave the Expert Knights behind. Even if they managed to ascend the mountain and reach the Wyverns' habitat, their presence would not contribute positively. Recognizing that their involvement would likely impede the battle against the Wyverns, the Expert Knights, understanding Mu-Gun's rationale, abided by his decision and remained at the base of the mountain.
While a few may have questioned the need to bring the Expert Knights if they were to be excluded from the upcoming battle, Mu-Gun had been consistently applying the Thunder God Enlightenment Spell to both Expert and Master Knights since their entry into the Patagon Mountain Range. This ongoing empowerment rendered the inclusion of Expert Knights a valuable aspect of the expedition.
With the Expert Knights staying behind, only the High Elves and knights ranked above Master ascended to the Wyverns' habitat on the mountain's summit. The mountain peaks of the Patagon Mountain Range were so rugged and steep that human access was basically impossible.
Nevertheless, for the knights above the Master rank, who had attained a superhuman state, navigating the treacherous terrain posed no significant challenge. Mu-Gun's party ascended the mountain without hesitation. Upon reaching the summit, a resounding thunderous roar echoed in the distance.
On the far horizon, a massive herd of Wyverns soared swiftly through the sky. The herd comprised thirteen Wyverns, and upon spotting Mu-Gun's party, they promptly unleashed a torrent of Flame Breath from their gaping mouths. The fiery onslaught surged past Mu-Gun's party, who were ascending the mountain peak.
The challenging terrain made it difficult for the Avalon Knights and Yupir Church's Paladins to put on their Chevalier Armor. Wearing a Chevalier Armor was essential to shield against the Flame Breath. Mu-Gun quickly looked over to the High Elves. After summoning the wind spirits, they conjured a formidable whirlwind to intercept the Flame Breaths unleashed by the Wyverns.
Initially, the High Elves appeared capable of fending for themselves. However, the concern lay with the Avalon Knights and Yupir Church's Paladins. Acting swiftly, Mu-Gun positioned himself in front of them, summoning the Thunder God Qi with utmost intensity and unleashing the power of the Golden Thunder God Star.
A radiant surge of golden lightning enveloped Mu-Gun, creating a colossal nine-layered barrier that extended protectively over both the Avalon Knights and the Yupir Church's Paladins.
Then, the Wyverns’ Flame Breaths poured onto the barrier.