The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

Chapter 158

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion swept across the battlefield.

Blood Lightning fell from the sky, transforming the entire area into a sea of fire.

Within the flames, the Death Fiends and monsters shrieked in agony.

Even as they tried to extinguish the flames clinging to their bodies, the fire refused to go out.

The flames persisted until they claimed the last breath from their prey.

While Kane launched attacks from afar using Blood Sword, Mikhail charged through the frontline, wielding his spear with relentless force.

Crunch!

Each time Mikhail’s spear struck, a sound of bone-crushing could be heard.

The Death Fiends were powerless against his devastating spear techniques, which ground them to dust.

“Endless, aren’t they?”

As he dispatched foes, he kept an eye on the battlefield.

Indeed, they were reducing the enemy numbers at an impressive rate.

But as fast as the Death Fiends and monsters were killed, new ones appeared to fill their ranks.

One had to wonder—where were all these monsters coming from?

“Heh heh, die already!”

Blata, on the other hand, was having the time of his life.

He was feasting on the blood aura released by slain enemies.

Though it was only a small amount, it was better than nothing.

Driven by his hunger for blood aura, he ruthlessly dispatched foes.

The monsters began to cower in fear before the raging tiger he had become.

These undead monsters had mutated after consuming oblivion energy.

Yet, despite their enhanced bodies and mana, they were utterly terrified of Blata.

And rightly so.

With Blata attacking from the ground and Chrysalis raining attacks from above, it was no wonder the mutated monsters were filled with dread.

Chrysalis flew through the air, unleashing breaths of destruction.

A mere four individuals were standing against an army of over 10,000.

The Orchid Kingdom’s guards were left speechless at the sheer spectacle.

“What… what am I even witnessing?”

“Is that… real?”

“How are they holding off so many with such few numbers… and without being pushed back?”

The guards watched with wide, trembling eyes.

Such a massive force had appeared out of nowhere, instilling fear in them.

If that army marched into the Orchid Kingdom, they’d be overwhelmed in an instant.

The guards clutched their shaking bodies, bracing themselves for the enemy.

But then!

Allies, seemingly affiliated with the Poison Lord, intercepted the Death Fiends and monsters.

A successful repulsion.

At that moment, they felt relieved that the enemy had been held back.

But then came another wave, and with it, despair.

There were simply too many enemies.

Even with powerful allies, they doubted these forces could withstand such numbers.

Yet the result was far from what they expected.

To their shock, the allies were holding the line with extraordinary force.

The sight went beyond admiration; it sent chills down their spines.

“Can they truly hold them all off?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“They’re overwhelmingly strong, but the enemy numbers are endless.”

The guards were doubtful.

No matter how powerful, could sheer strength alone stand against such overwhelming numbers?

“They are allies of the Poison Lord. Meaning they’ve been acknowledged by him. Do you understand what that implies?”

“…The Poison Lord is an 8th-class Mage, so… does that mean they’re on a similar level?”

“That could be one way to see it. Do you think the Poison Lord would befriend just anyone?”

“On the contrary, he’s known to be quite reserved around others.”

“Yeah, so let’s believe in them. Thinking they’ll protect Orchid Kingdom is better for our sanity.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

If those warriors fell, then Orchid Kingdom would be next.

They knew they stood no chance against such a massive army.

All they could do was hope for their victory.

* * *

Meanwhile,

Gestel, the leader of the Solar Knights, observed the battlefield with interest.

“Is that Kane Rehinar?”

“Yes, commander.”

“I see why Lord has been troubled by him.”

“Is he that strong?”

“You can’t tell just by watching? Someone at the level of an Elder wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“For the commander to praise him this much… he must be quite something.”

Gestel wasn’t just anyone.

He was the hidden powerhouse of the Meyer Family.

Even the First Elder, the supposed second strongest after Lord, was no match for him.

A true monster.

If he chose to reveal his full power, he’d change the hierarchy of the Twelve Star Lords.

That’s how formidable he was.

Lord trusted him above all others for this very reason.

“Hmph, he’s not the only one. The others are strong too.”

Gestel’s gaze landed on Mikhail.

A red-haired man with the skill level of a vice-commander—no one to take lightly.

In the sky, the space dragon Chrysalis was raging with fury, as though confronting an old enemy.

“The Meyer Family’s plan was bound to fail.”

There was also someone especially unsettling.

That massive tiger.

Gestel could sense it wielded demonic energy, oblivion energy, and blood aura—three distinct forces.

“That one’s a Predation Beas, one of the ferocious species.”

The highest-ranking predator among monsters.

It was almost an insult to call it a monster.

It was more like a divine beast born with the continent itself.

A class of its own.

“How did Kane Rehinar come to be with a Predation Beast?”

There was no way they had more information than the Meyer Family.

The Meyer Family prided itself on being the guiding force of the continent.

They couldn’t believe any other force would have superior information.

“Release the Blood Owls; that tiger looks extremely dangerous.”

The Blood Owls in front were the lower-ranked kind.

The true Blood Owls awaited at the rear.

Gestel deployed the high-ranking ones to the battlefield.

“When should we move?”

“Wait until the Death Fiends and mutated monsters are dead.”

“That seems too easy, though.”

Gestel turned his head sideways.

The vice-commander flinched as their eyes met.

“S-sorry, commander.”

“We do whatever it takes to win. Remember, our purpose as the Solar Knights is to complete the mission, even through dishonorable means.”

“Yes, commander.”

The vice-commander felt his heart nearly sink.

A chilling sensation crept along his neck.

One wrong word, and he might have been decapitated on the spot.

That’s the kind of leader Gestel was.

For him, the Meyer Family came before his own honor.

That’s why the Lord trusts and relies on him the most.

“By the way, what’s happening inside the Orchid Kingdom?”

The vice-commander pulled out a transparent orb.

Inside the orb, an image of Orchid city appeared.

“It seems they’re acting on Fifth Elder’s orders.”

“With the Poison Lord absent, it appears he’s managing the interior. Transfer the Destruction Knights and the Priests of Radiance into Orchid City to support Fifth Elder. The target is the Poison Lord.”

The leader of the Destruction Knights and the bishop overseeing the Priests of Radiance nodded.

A magic circle formed at their feet.

Moments later, a light from the magic circle enveloped them all.

When the light faded, the Destruction Knights and Priests of Radiance had vanished without a trace.

Having issued all his commands, Gestel quietly continued to watch Kane Rehinar.

“A remarkable young man. Clearly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This should be interesting.”

Gestel’s competitive spirit flared as he observed Kane.

Who would win if they fought?

His heart was already racing.

* * *

Screech!

Orchid’s central district descended into chaos.

The ground collapsed, and a giant monster emerged.

The creature’s identity was unmistakable—Sendra.

The ancient guardian of Orchid Kingdom, Sendra was a giant scorpion raised by the Poison Lord across generations.

As a divine beast, Sendra spewed venom from both its tail and mouth.

“Keheheh, destroy everything! Kill all living beings and turn them into Death Fiends!”

Fifth Elder was raving with madness.

“Aaah!”

“S-Sendra!”

“Run!”

Fifth Elder’s followers also attacked the people of Orchid, transforming them into Death Fiends.

“P-please spare me! Gah!”

“Grrr-haha!”

The central district quickly turned into a scene of mayhem.

“I thought this place was safe!”

“A monster appeared right in the heart of the city!”

For outsiders who had traveled to Orchid Kingdom, trusting it to be safe, this was the worst nightmare imaginable.

And the place was packed with people, making escape almost impossible.

“M-move!”

"I’ll escape first!"

"Ugh!"

A stampede broke out.

Just as Sendra was about to strike, a thud echoed.

The poison mist that enveloped them blocked Sendra’s claws.

“It’s the Poison Lord!”

“We’re saved!”

The appearance of Caspian brought a wave of relief to the people.

"You used Sendra to create the Death Fiends," Caspian remarked.

"Keheheh, how foolish you are to finally realize that after falling in love with that bitch," Fifth Elder taunted.

"You also seem to know Heike, huh?" Caspian replied.

"That fool was just one of my many assistants. I sent her to charm you, but instead, she ended up falling in love herself. What a shame."

Caspian unleashed a burst of poison, sending it flying toward Fifth Elder.

Crash!

Sendra’s claws blocked the attack just in time.

"Keheheh, mentioning Heike’s name has you shaken too, huh?" Fifth Elder mocked.

"Shut up!" Caspian retorted, firing more poison.

The enormous orb of venom flew toward Fifth Elder.

"Eek!"

Fifth Elder quickly hid behind Sendra, realizing the gravity of the situation.

His opponent was one of the Twelve Star Lords— the Poison Lord, who ranked among the top three in power.

He knew his strength alone wasn’t enough to face such a foe.

Psssh!

Even Sendra’s thick, venom-resistant carapace began to melt under the poison.

It was a horrifying sight. Even the Gaint Scorpian, known for its toughness, couldn’t withstand the attack.

Had Fifth Elder been hit directly, he would have turned to ash instantly.

Seeing this, he froze in fear.

"That monster...!"

"Stop hiding and face me!" Caspian called out.

As Caspian prepared for another strike, Fifth Elder issued an order.

"Attack! Don’t focus on him—attack the humans around him and turn them into Death Fiends!"

Though it was a cowardly command, its effectiveness was undeniable.

Caspian paused in his attack, momentarily diverting his attention.

"Guard unit, form the barrier!"

His elite guard spread out and formed a magic circle.

The magic barrier was deployed, preventing the Death Fiends from attacking any more civilians.

It was a swift, strategic decision worthy of a Sovereign.

Fifth Elder gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Don’t forget, we still have Sendra on our side."

Screech!

Sendra let out an ear-piercing screech.

A vast cloud of poison billowed out in all directions.

However, Caspian and his elite guard were trained in Breath of the Poison.

For them, the poison was a source of power.

"Have you forgotten who owns Sendra?" Caspian taunted.

Even though Sendra had become a Death Fiend, it was still the sacred beast raised by the kings of Orchid for generations.

Sendra responded to Caspian’s mana.

Shriek!

Once again, Sendra released a monstrous scream.

This caused Fifth Elder to panic.

"Why is this happening? Get a grip. I am your master!" he shouted.

Sendra thrashed around, swiping its claws.

Fifth Elder was struck by the claws.

"Ugh!"

His hand turned a sickly shade of purple.

He had been poisoned.

But as a seasoned member of the Meyer Family’s Council, he used Oblivio to detoxify himself.

Even though it was the poison of a sacred beast, it was still manageable for someone of his rank.

"If I can\'t control you, I’ll have to release you," Fifth Elder muttered, grinning maliciously.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a bell.

Ding!

At the sound of the bell, Sendra writhed in agony.

Toxic poison surged from its body, as if it were on the verge of exploding.

As expected, Sendra expanded its body, and the poison burst out in all directions.