# Chapter 114
At the end of the maze-like underground tunnel was nothing but a solid wall.
When Raziel’s hand sequentially touched three specific spots on the wall surface at a dead end with no path or door, a heavy grinding sound was heard from somewhere. Subsequently, the floor just behind where they were standing sank down, revealing hidden stone stairs.
As Levi was taking a few steps down through the stairs, he stopped as if sensing something.
“I left the water I brought back then as it was without cleaning it up.”
Raziel, who had stepped onto the underground stone chamber floor, pointed to the small square bath located in the center. It was filled with black water that made the gloomy underground even more damp and eerie.
The pitch-black water had been stagnant for a long time like the pond water in the Black Forest, but it didn’t feel rotten at all. Perhaps because of this, Levi’s chest was pleasantly trembling as if he had come to his homeland.
Before he knew it, Levi, who had been looking at the black water, was stepping into it. The black water, which caused gentle ripples and coldly enveloped Levi’s feet, swayed gently as if welcoming him.
“This time, you’ll be asleep for quite a long time. Unlike the fragments so far, it contains memories of hundreds of years.”
Levi didn’t ask Raziel, who was warning him, where the fragment was.
He lowered his hand into the black water that came up to around his knees. Even without having to feel around the bottom, he knew instantly where the fragment was.
He picked up the small fragment that had been quietly sleeping at the bottom as if it had become one with the water. Raziel’s lantern light touched the small fragment, creating a translucent shimmer.
Levi, who had been quietly looking at the black fragment, silently brought his left fingertip to the ring on his right wrist.
Just before releasing the ring, Raziel’s cold voice was heard from right behind him.
“Sleep well.”
With a click, the white ring that had been released fell toward the black water, and then Levi’s vision immediately went black.
❖ ❖ ❖
From the day Levi left Ion’s mansion and crossed the border, the Delos Empire faced a considerably dangerous situation.
Small countries situated all across the continent rose up simultaneously, making the Delos Empire their main enemy and mobilizing their armies. The Delos Empire, facing numerous enemies not only through land routes but also sea routes, reached a level where they no longer had the capacity to pressure the Caron Empire while keeping in check and confronting enemies from all directions.
From this point on, the Caron Empire’s counterattack progressed rapidly.
As if their previous retreats had been a lie, the Caron Empire began to steadily take control of Delos Empire’s territories. The Delos Empire, which had been defeating invading foreign armies from all directions one by one, was suffering considerable headaches due to the Caron Empire, which was eating away at their territory daily during an already chaotic time.
There was one reason why all countries on the continent were rushing at the Delos Empire simultaneously.
Their justification was that Grand Duke Ion Verdit and the Delos Empire had fallen into extreme arrogance and dared to invade the realm of the gods.
Though nicely packaged, in reality, it was because they feared the Immortal Army possessed by the Delos Empire.
The Caron Empire had informed all countries of the weakness of the immortal soldiers that they had discovered during the years they had held deposed Princess Claudia captive.
The Immortal Army was truly remarkable and fearsome soldiers, but they were beings who could not live like people unless they were near their lord, Grand Duke Ion Verdit.
The time they could endure separated from their lord was barely a day at most.
They said that during that time, while marching away from Grand Duke Verdit, their bodies would rot and disappear.
Countries that had only been able to be cautious due to the threatening Immortal Army started moving as soon as they learned the weakness of the army they feared. It was obvious that if not now, they wouldn’t be able to drive out the Delos Empire with its formidable power.
The Caron Empire, which had instigated all countries on the continent, pressured the Delos Empire more strongly day by day as it dealt with countless enemies coming from all directions.
At this rate, it seemed like they could overthrow the Delos Empire faster than everyone’s expectations.
Their momentum faltered right after the Kingdom of Altia, which had been sending armies most passionately among the countries, was thoroughly crushed by Grand Duke Ion Verdit.
It wasn’t just a case of an army being defeated by another army.
It would be more accurate to say it was nearly half-destroyed.
The Immortal Army led by Grand Duke Ion Verdit was more brutal than its reputation.
They killed all the soldiers of the opposing Altian army without taking a single one as a prisoner, and turned all the territories they passed through into a sea of fire without exception. After they also annihilated the reinforcements sent by the Kingdom of Altia’s allies, no more foreign armies intervened.
Soldiers facing the Immortal Army, which was not only cruel but also kept wielding swords after being revived no matter how many times they were killed, turned pale with fear. From a certain point, morale plummeted so severely that there were dozens, hundreds, and thousands of deserters from the Altian army blocking their path.
Thanks to this, the Delos Imperial Army, which was following behind, also easily routed the Altian army and followed the Verdit forces in taking control of enemy territory.
It didn’t take long for the Kingdom of Altia to prostrate itself and raise a white flag.
The Delos Empire sent the Immortal Army, which they couldn’t dispatch separately, to just one country, making it an example.
The repercussions were truly tremendous, causing countries that had enthusiastically dispatched armies to hesitate. Thinking that their countries too might be shattered like the Kingdom of Altia if they weren’t careful, it wasn’t easy to move as actively as before.
Now the Immortal Army turned its head and headed toward the Caron Empire, which was showing uniquely fierce momentum.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Ah-! This is infuriating!”
Hest, who was riding his horse, shouted loudly as if he couldn’t bear it anymore. The immortal soldiers following silently all looked at the back of his head.
“I wish they would all just die already.”
“I trust I’m not included among those you wish would die.”
“What are you saying? Of course you’re the very first…”
As Hest was saying this, he felt the many gazes directed at him simultaneously turning ominous.
After clearing his throat a couple of times due to the unspoken ferocity from the immortal soldiers, Hest quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, will the same method work? That bastard Raziel must know well how the Kingdom of Altia fell.”
When overthrowing the Kingdom of Altia, the Immortal Army didn’t consider priorities for control or defenses, but simply prioritized the shortest route to the capital.
That’s why they say the advance shown by the Immortal Army was even more frightening to the enemy.
It gave the impression of “Try to stop us if you dare, no matter what moves you make or what strategies you come up with, you’ll die just the same.”
Unlike the Kingdom of Altia, which was a small country and helplessly suffered without any geographical advantage or defensive line, the Caron Empire was not easy to overthrow.
The Caron Empire, which had been in a long-standing confrontation with the Delos Empire, was protecting the routes toward the capital with magnificent fortresses of solid defenses. Given that they had seen the situation in the Kingdom of Altia, it was obvious that they would have placed considerable armies at these fortresses and routes. Just looking at how the Caron Imperial Army pressuring the Delos Empire’s territory had clearly decreased, it was evident how many armies they had diverted to defense.
Hest sighed at the thought that it would take considerable time just to conquer each fortress on the way to the capital.
Whether Ion knew Hest’s concerns or not, his face was too calm.
“Anyway, the dead need neither sleep nor meals. Each fortress will naturally be under siege, but it will be a useless act anyway.”
“I need both sleep and meals, you know? More importantly, if you’re thinking of attacking fortresses, shouldn’t we prepare more diverse siege weapons?”
Hest, who had replied with dissatisfaction, looked toward the far back of the army. He could see five large trebuchets following well from a distance.
“Will that be enough? It’s far fewer than when we attacked the Kingdom of Altia.”
Various siege weapons are needed to conquer a fortress surrounded by thick walls. Not just trebuchets to smash walls, but also large crossbows that fire huge arrows, or battering rams to break through gates.
Even with dozens of various siege weapons, it wouldn’t be enough, yet Ion had only attached five large trebuchets to the formation.
“It’s sufficient. Bringing this and that would only delay the march.”
For Ion, a rapid march to the Caron Empire’s capital was essential. That’s why even now, they’re advancing in a straight line without going back and forth.
Hest’s brow furrowed.
“How is it sufficient? It seems barely enough just to break walls.”
“Because I’m not bringing them to break walls.”
When Hest asked “Then?”, Ion chuckled and nodded toward the Immortal Army following him.
“We can launch something more efficient than stones.”
Hest’s face, which had only been blinking with a questioning look, quickly contorted. The words “You’re insane” finally flowed from his mouth.
Ion, who didn’t care at all about Hest’s reaction, had resolute eyes.
“I can’t keep Levi waiting any longer.”
Ion tightly gripped the reins of his horse, thinking of Levi who would be in the Caron Empire’s imperial palace.
