"Lord Adrian, it's time for us to leave," Freya smiled, adjusting her travel bag as she spoke.
The three of them, who had already emerged from the dimensional rift, turned their gazes towards the direction of the Ice Wolf Tribe's territory.
Adrian, using his [Thousand Mile Ear (Blue)], had been keeping an ear on movements in that area.
The scouts sent by the Gyoralar Kingdom were not just the few Adrian had previously eliminated.
It was only a matter of time before the Ice Wolf Tribe's location was exposed.
The Gyoralar Kingdom's army, already prepared for invasion and plunder, had gathered its forces long ago.
However, what Adrian had not expected was the appearance of someone he would never have guessed.
A woman with golden hair and sapphire eyes, wearing men's armor.
It was Blade, the Sword Hero, who had somehow infiltrated the Gyoralar army.
Her arrival triggered a chain reaction.
After Adrian had kidnapped Princess Freya, Blade, upon hearing the news, immediately rushed from a neighboring country.
As a sadistic and twisted woman, Blade had developed a deep obsession with Freya.
Once she learned that Freya had truly gone missing, Blade was enraged.
When she discovered that an invasion of the Ice Wolf Tribe was imminent, she chose to personally join the army.
She planned to massacre the Beastmen and capture a few female Beastmen to vent her anger and grief.
Blade's arrival changed the tide of the battle.
At first, Shana had not been particularly worried about the imminent fall of the territory, as the Ice Wolf Tribe was highly skilled in defensive warfare.
However, upon Adrian's arrival, she realized the situation was far worse than anticipated.
With a single swing of her sword, Blade cleaved through the Ice Wolf Tribe's defenses with a powerful sword wave.
The Gyoralar Kingdom's army, seeing this, erupted in excitement and charged forward.
"Damn humans!!!" Shana gritted her teeth, a murderous intent surging from her.
Just as she was about to charge forward, Adrian grabbed her.
"Now is not the time. Let Freya clear the field with an AOE first."
At Adrian's command, Shana, still filled with fury, bit her lip so hard it bled, but reluctantly stopped.
Seeing her obedience despite her anger, Adrian silently nodded in approval. Her loyalty was unquestionable in moments like this.
With a swift motion, Adrian raised his hand. "Freya, clear the field."
"Understood, Lord Adrian!"
Freya's eyes, cold and unfeeling, glanced at the advancing army below. She lifted her staff, Vanal Gand.
"Fifth-tier magic: Meteor!"
A surge of immense magic power poured forth, and a massive stone ball formed high in the sky, reaching over a kilometer in height.
In the next instant, the stone ball plummeted, turning into a fiery meteor as it crashed into the army.
The advancing forces, seeing the meteor descending from the sky, were overcome with terror.
"No! How is this possible?"
"Run!"
In the chaos, only Blade recognized the magic. "This... This is Freya's spell!"
But there was no time to think about it. Blade gripped her [Divine Weapon: Ragnarok] tightly, a faint light emanating from the sword, enveloping her.
With an overwhelming increase in strength and speed, Blade boldly rushed towards the falling meteor, determined to meet it head-on.
Boom!!
When the meteor hit the ground, the shockwave swept through the area.
Over a thousand soldiers of the Gyoralar Kingdom were instantly wiped out.
The terrain of the entire canyon was reshaped, sinking more than ten meters deep.
The Ice Wolf Tribe's warriors were stunned, never expecting the situation to change so abruptly.
Seeing the remaining soldiers, Shana could no longer contain herself. She charged forward, eager for revenge.
This time, Adrian did not stop her, instead watching as the battlefield became shrouded in smoke and dust.
As Shana wreaked havoc with her ice claws, slaying those she had once struggled to fight, a terrifying sword strike cut through the smoke.
Bang!!!
Adrian raised his hand and fired a magic bullet, immediately shattering the sword strike.
The shattered blade energy scattered outward, easily piercing through rocks.
In the center of the rising dust, Blade emerged, bathed in light, holding the divine sword Ragnarok. She was unharmed.
"You blocked my sword strike... You must be the mastermind behind this… Princess Freya!"
Blade glared at Adrian with disgust, immediately noticing Freya by his side.
Despite her slightly altered appearance, she recognized her instantly.
"So, it's you… You're the Hero of Healing who ambushed Princess Freya and took her away," she deduced, linking the dots with Adrian's unmasked face.
Ignoring her venomous glare, Adrian activated his emerald eyes.
[Name: Blade]
[Level: 35 (Intermediate Fighter)]
[Attributes: Chosen Hero (Gold), Great Strength (Green), Strong Physique (White)]
[Great Strength (Green): Your strength rivals that of a bull, easily lifting objects four or five times your weight.]
"Pathetic," Adrian muttered as he read her attributes. Without the [Chosen Hero (Gold)] trait, Blade would be completely insignificant.
And as a Sword Hero, Blade's swordsmanship had not even formed into a skill, indicating her technique was rather average.
"Lord Adrian, this woman is dangerous!" Freya warned, her eyes filled with caution.
Without hesitation, she aimed her staff at Blade and began chanting a spell.
"Fifth-tier magic: Pillar of Flame!"
In an instant, a fiery column erupted beneath Blade's feet, engulfing her in flames.
But with a sword strike, Blade tore through the fire and charged forward.
"Damn man! You've used dark magic to control Princess Freya! Damn you, damn you all!!!"
Blade's eyes blazed with fury as she locked onto Adrian, her divine sword Ragnarok glowing intensely.
Her muscles swelled like boulders, and her frame grew to nearly three meters tall, cracking her armor in the process.
Now, her aura was as powerful as any high-level demon.
Adrian's gaze locked onto Ragnarok. Without the divine weapon, Blade would be nothing.
"Boosted!" Adrian activated his own power, the hand of the Red Dragon Emperor manifesting and radiating a greenish light.
With his power doubled, Adrian grinned.
"This treasure belongs to me!"
In the next moment, he drew his sword and leapt from his position.
Seeing Adrian daring to approach, Blade swung her divine sword in a berserk arc.
Whoosh!!
The sword strike, full of force, sent a massive wave of sword energy slashing through the earth toward Adrian.
"Too slow!"
Adrian stepped forcefully, shooting like a missile to the side, dodging the approaching attack.
In the blink of an eye, he was upon Blade.
His sword gleamed with cold light as he closed the gap.
"Glarellet Style: Blood Rose!"
The sharp sword beam flashed like a blooming rose, cutting through the air in an elegant arc.
Eyes, neck, wrists, and knees.
In the split second the sword flashed, Adrian's blade sliced through Blade's vital points.