Chapter 420: The Support Mission in the Somodo Mountains

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG......

That earth-shattering collision marked the start of a ferocious duel between two peak A-Rank powerhouses. A terrifying storm raged across the battlefield where they clashed; any creature caught in its wake was torn to shreds in less than a second.

Just as the two combatants were locked in a stalemate—

RUMBLE......

The ground trembled violently.

On the distant horizon, a massive, dark army was charging toward them at full speed.

It was the Indam Federation Army, which had remained stationed at Wintermoon Hill.

Upon detecting the monster horde’s movements, they had immediately dispatched a support detachment—and now, they had arrived at the battlefield......

CLANG!

After what felt like thousands of exchanges of blows,

their weapons ground against each other once more, neither side yielding an inch.

Arudok glanced sideways at the arriving orc legion, then fixed his gaze back on Pujeliru before him.

A sinister grin spread across his face.

“Well, you win this round—but only for today......”

“What do you mean by that?”

Pujeliru frowned, her grip tightening on her rapier.

“Heh heh. Nothing much. It’s just that we’ve finally found a way to crack that tough little shell of yours.”

Pujeliru’s eyes narrowed sharply, her expression darkening.

CLANG!

Seizing the moment she was distracted, Arudok shoved her rapier aside with all his strength and leaped backward, putting distance between them in an instant.

His voice echoed faintly from the sky as he retreated.

“Just you wait. Next time...... will be when we settle the score once and for all.”

“......”

Arudok led the monster horde in a full retreat.

Pujeliru did not pursue them further. Without the means to kill Arudok, chasing him would have been pointless.

And so, Gulos’s sudden assault came to a hasty end.

“......We let their leader get away.”

Ignir muttered, sounding disappointed. He lowered his head to glance at Hulim.

“If you’d stepped in earlier, you could’ve stopped him, right?”

“In theory, yes. But in practice, it would’ve been impossible.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“The reason is simple,”

Hulim replied, her gaze fixed on the retreating enemy forces.

“Darius is only holding back because he’s wary of Irus. But if his most trusted subordinate were to fall into mortal danger, even a monster as cruel as him would have no choice but to intervene. And that would’ve escalated into an all-out battle between S-Rank powerhouses.”

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“Ugh...... You’re right about that.”

......

Inside the War Council Chamber of the Elven Royal Palace.

“Pujeliru, you’ve all worked hard.”

Irus spoke up, her tone gentle.

“I offer my deepest apologies.”

Pujeliru bowed deeply, her voice laced with remorse.

“I failed to capture the enemy’s leader.”

“Nonsense. You’ve done more than enough. Besides, it would’ve been impossible to hold him back under those circumstances. Don’t dwell on it. Now, please take a seat. We need to discuss our next course of action.”

“As you command.”

Pujeliru returned to her seat and sat down.

Once everyone had settled in, Irus spoke again.

“Then let’s begin the war council. Sylvia, you’ll lead the proceedings as usual.”

“Yes, my lady. Leave it to me.”

Sylvia stepped forward and activated a magic projection, displaying the terrain surrounding Ilz along with the current troop deployments of all factions.

“Thanks to the arrival of the Indam Federation Army, we’ve successfully breached Gulos’s encirclement. With Wintermoon Hill under Federation control, we can evacuate at any time if needed. Strategically speaking, we’ve regained a measure of the initiative. But——”

“Our ultimate goal is not merely to survive this war against Gulos. It is to eliminate them completely before the true great war begins, ensuring the safety of our rear lines.”

“According to our latest intelligence, the size of Gulos’s monster horde has exceeded our projections. While our combined elven and federation forces might be able to achieve victory on our own, the cost would be catastrophic—and there’s a high chance that some of their senior leaders would escape.”

“To prevent that from happening, we must ensure the safe passage of the Lidyall Dwarf Legion into Ravenrim. Once they arrive, our combined strength will surpass that of Gulos. We’ll be able to annihilate them completely, with minimal casualties!”

“......”

A brief silence fell over the chamber. Then Inulson spoke up.

“The question is—how do we assist the dwarf legion?”

“Precisely.”

Sylvia nodded.

“On that note......”

She manipulated the projection, switching the display to a topographical map of a mountain range.

“This is where the dwarf legion has been stalled—the Somodo Mountains.”

“The terrain here is extremely treacherous, making it difficult for large armies to traverse. To make matters worse, Gulos has seized the high ground and is mounting a fierce resistance. The dwarves stand no chance of advancing on their own. External assistance is absolutely essential.”

“That may be true......”

Inulson said again, his brow furrowed.

“But deploying our main army to reinforce them is out of the question. First, any troops we send would be highly vulnerable to ambushes by Gulos. Second, the mountainous terrain would trap our forces in the same predicament as the dwarves—we’d be fighting blind, unable to even locate the enemy.”

“Exactly.”

Sylvia replied.

“Therefore, this mission can only be entrusted to a small team of elite operatives. Just as our main army cannot deploy effectively in the Somodo Mountains, Gulos is also unable to station large numbers of troops there. In fact, the forces they’ve positioned there are a small, elite detachment.”

“If we send a team of our own top warriors to carry out a decapitation strike against these elite units, we can resolve the situation and clear the way for the dwarves.”

At her words, everyone in the chamber turned their gaze toward Irus.

Without a doubt, she was the most qualified candidate for such a mission.

But Sylvia was quick to shake her head.

“That’s not feasible. Lady Irus cannot be spared. She must remain here, ready to confront Darius, the leader of Gulos, at a moment’s notice. We’ll need to find other suitable candidates—preferably individuals who are not currently holding critical positions.”

“If a high-ranking officer were to suddenly disappear, Gulos would surely notice. They’d likely dispatch their own powerful warriors to reinforce the Somodo Mountains, and the situation would only become more complicated.”

A murmur of discussion broke out across the chamber.

“Then who exactly can we send? All our strongest warriors are already tied up with vital duties.”

“You’re right. Anyone not in a critical position probably lacks the necessary strength for this mission.”

“And sending too small a team would be useless......”

As everyone in the room wracked their brains for a solution, Hulim stood up.

“If it’s all right with everyone, I’ll take on this mission.”

Every pair of eyes in the chamber instantly locked onto her.

A flurry of whispered conversations broke out.

“Who is this young girl?”

“You don’t know? That’s Hulim Heyerar—she came with the Holy Maiden.”

“I’ve heard that name before. So this is her? She looks so young......”

Sylvia looked at Hulim, then nodded.

“With your strength, Hulim, you’re certainly more than capable of handling this mission.”

She then swept her gaze across the entire chamber.

“Are there any other candidates anyone would like to recommend?”

For a moment, the room fell silent as everyone exchanged uncertain glances.

“Why don’t we compile a list of suitable candidates first, then make a decision?”

someone suggested.

“Yes, that makes sense......”

Several others echoed the idea.

“Everyone, please quiet down.”

Irus’s voice suddenly cut through the noise.

The chamber fell silent at once.

Irus glanced around at everyone present, then smiled and said,

“There’s no need for further discussion. Hulim alone is more than enough for this mission~.”