Chapter 2580 – 2580. The Ascent To The Light

I knelt before the Emperor on his throne.

“Thunder General, listen. Currently, the war with the monsters is raging in Jimang Castle, the northernmost and front line of the Empire. Three months ago, General Mujin, who guarded the north, was attacked and killed by monsters. Since then, the war has been in a lull, but the monster army of the Hexagonal Demon King has invaded again. Therefore, Jimang Castle is currently in a precarious state, on the verge of falling.”

The Emperor continued.

“I issue an imperial order to Thunder General. With the help of the Imperial High Priest, travel north and save the Northern Army from this crisis. Furthermore, rally the Northern Army and slay the Hexagonal Demon King, thus demonstrating the Empire’s might.”

“I shall obey the imperial order.”

I withdrew from the audience chamber. A pale-faced, slender man was standing in front of the audience chamber. He was Shin Yugo, the current Imperial High Priest. His cultivation was at the ninth level of the Three Stars Realm.

“Thunder General. I will guide you to the transfer platform.”

Shin Yugo was the Imperial High Priest and held the first rank, higher than me, so I couldn’t treat him lightly.

“Understood.”

I quietly followed behind him. Shin Yugo took a small wooden box from his robes and handed it to me. When I opened the box, there was a golden pill inside.

“A pill that resonates with thunder energy.”

“It is the Lightning Gold Pill. His Majesty has bestowed it upon you unofficially. It is not very helpful for cultivation, but it can temporarily grant you immense thunder energy. It will be of great help in battle.”

“Since it’s unofficial, I can’t even thank His Majesty.”

It was difficult to learn the crafting method through the Eight Extremes Alchemy Furnace. Mireung was currently using the Eight Extremes Alchemy Furnace.

“If you achieve great feats, His Majesty will be pleased.”

It didn’t seem like a big loss since I could probably get it later.

I asked him various questions as we walked.

“Do you happen to know the head of the Sima Clan?”

“Are you referring to the former Imperial High Priest? If I know him, I suppose I do. I only met him when I received the handover.”

“I don’t know why the Sima Clan head stepped down from the position of Imperial High Priest and retired… Could you tell me?”

If this guy had used political maneuvering to seize the position of Imperial High Priest, I would immediately become hostile. I was planning to backstab him and kill him when I got the chance. The Emperor? My revenge for Sima Ryung, my woman, was more important than that guy.

“I believe he stepped down from the position of Imperial High Priest for the sake of cultivation. He had greater talent than I, and he was looking towards a higher place.”

“Was there anything bad that happened to the Sima Clan head?”

“Nothing happened. There are records, so you can check them. There’s a rumor going around that you and the Sima Clan head are close… It seems to be true.”

“Well, we have some connection.”

I thought of Sima Ryung. She was a woman with an exceptional calm mind. At the same time, she was a capable woman. Even if I took the initiative to ask her to join me, she would probably refuse.

We arrived at the transfer platform. I headed towards the center of the transfer platform, watching the busy mages.

“Because the monsters are interfering with the transfer magic with their sorcery, we cannot transfer directly to Jimang Castle. Therefore, you will be transferred to Haeum Castle, which is behind Jimang Castle. It is about fifty li away from Jimang Castle.”

How many kilometers is fifty li? I almost asked Shin Yugo but stopped myself. He wouldn’t know kilometers.

“Understood. Begin the transfer magic.”

“Yes, General. May fortune be with you.”

I moved to Haeum Castle through the transfer platform.

The scenery changed. The mages of the Imperial Palace and the splendid transfer platform were replaced by a slightly worn transfer platform and three armed officers.

“General! The situation is urgent! Jimang Castle is on the verge of falling!”

“General! The soldiers of Haeum Castle have already gone to support Jimang Castle! It will take time to gather soldiers from other castles!”

“You must make a decision! General!”

“Get out of my way.”

I pushed them aside and stepped forward. As I exited the transfer platform, the cool northern wind greeted me.

『Using the light of the Heavenly Star.』

『Heavenly Leader Star.』

Thunder Heaven Style Thunder Art, Thunder Eye Golden Gaze.

Thunder light settled in both of my eyes.

I naturally turned my head towards the north, which I knew. Jimang Castle, fifty li away, was visible. It was withstanding the fierce attacks of the monster army. But it was precarious. The castle gate and the barrier would soon collapse.

‘Cloud Command.’

An unusually dark cloud formed at my feet. I swallowed the Lightning Gold Pill I had just received and rode the dark cloud towards Jimang Castle.

• • •

Thud!

The castle gate shook from the monsters’ attacks. The soldiers standing on the castle walls bit their lips and shot arrows with their bows. But it was not enough. There were too many monsters. Even after killing dozens of monsters, they didn’t seem to decrease.

Thud!

The castle gate shook again. A monster as large as the gate was pounding on it. The monsters around it were attacking the castle walls with their respective sorcery.

The castle gate, the castle walls, and even the invisible barrier installed here were all shaking.

“Commander On! The castle gate and the barrier are at their limit! The monsters will soon break through!!”

An officer shouted. Commander On Gaejung, his neck veins bulging, commanded the soldiers.

“Maintain the formation! There will be no surrender! Thunder General will soon arrive with reinforcements! Hold out until then! If we hold out, we will win!!”

On Gaejung shouted words that even he himself couldn’t believe.

Thunder General. A general appointed by the Emperor as the commander of the Northern Army about three weeks ago. Yet, a general who hadn’t even shown his face in the north.

Countless rumors circulated. Thunder General was the Emperor’s illegitimate child and had obtained the position of general through corruption. The Emperor had decided to abandon the north.

On Gaejung didn’t believe such rumors. He trusted the Emperor. If the Emperor had appointed him as general, there must be a reason.

‘I sensed the signs of war and sent a messenger a week ago! I even urged the sorcerers to contact the Imperial Palace directly!’

And what he heard was despairing. Thunder General was still in the Imperial Palace. Even if Thunder General had come to the rear of Haeum Castle using transfer magic, it would take at least half a day for him to come to support Jimang Castle.

And by that time, Jimang Castle would already be in ruins. The soldiers and the people would have fallen prey to the monsters.

Kwaaang!

With a roar, the castle gate was destroyed. The barrier that protected the castle also disappeared. Monsters that could fly soared above the castle, and monsters jumped from the ground onto the castle walls. Soldiers and monsters mixed, exchanging blows. Hand-to-hand combat began.

On Gaejung glared at the monster in the rear of the monster army, beyond the broken castle gate. It had a human body and a wolf’s head. Two horns protruded from its head.

Two-Horned Heavy Wolf. A disciple of the Hexagonal Demon King.

The Two-Horned Heavy Wolf was enjoying the war, knowing that there was no general present. If the Two-Horned Heavy Wolf had come forward earlier, Jimang Castle would have fallen two days ago.

‘If only General Mujin had been alive, things wouldn’t have deteriorated this much!’

On Gaejung gritted his teeth. He forced himself to look away. What was important now was not the Two-Horned Heavy Wolf but the giant coming straight at them. The monster that had pounded and destroyed the castle gate was approaching, crushing soldiers with its fists and feet.

The monster’s cultivation was at the early stage of the Three Stars Realm. If On Gaejung, as a commander, didn’t step forward, many soldiers would die. If the giant monster was alone, the soldiers could have subdued it, but now there were monster soldiers rampaging around it.

‘I’d rather die fighting than surrender!’

Just as On Gaejung was about to grip his sword with determination, a huge lightning spear fell from the sky, piercing the giant monster’s torso and embedding itself into the ground. As the giant monster, having lost its heart, staggered and fell, the lightning spear slowly swelled and then exploded. Hundreds of condensed lightning bolts swept across the battlefield. Strangely, the impact only went in the direction of the monsters.

The giant monster’s corpse, as well as hundreds of monsters around it, were burned to death.

Krrrr….

Along with the sound of thunder coming from somewhere, the world began to darken. Due to the sudden anomaly, both humans and monsters unconsciously looked up at the sky.

A dark cloud that had come from the rear of the castle was spreading and covering the sky. Strangely, it was not raining.

The dark cloud completely covered the sky, but the ground was not dark. Rather, it was bright.

Crackling, crackling!

The lightning flashing within the dark cloud illuminated the ground.

And they found it. Below that enormous dark cloud, a man standing on a small dark cloud.

He wore a helmet with two horns and a mountain armor with a white dragon engraved on it.

He held a golden vajra in his left hand and a pure white trident in his right hand.

He looked down at the battlefield with golden eyes that held lightning.

He was Thunder General.