Chapter 266 – C266. Black Ravens

—Somewhere on the outskirts of the Darknar forest. 

At the same time as Albert’s battle with the undead regiment led by the chained Giant, another regiment of the undead army had exited the darknar forest and were immediately ambushed by Orias special unit, the Black Ravens. 

 They were an elite force of only about 50 Karma Oni’s and were individually the strongest military force of the Raven settlement. 

 Led by Orias, their captain, the elite group was also accompanied by 200 plus hobgoblins archers, and mages to provide magical and long-range support even though the legion had a few archers and mages more powerful than any of the hobgoblins mages. 

 With the addition of their secret weapon, they were also accompanied by the two predatory beastmen who had begrudgingly joined their ranks to prevent the dragonkin lady they were accompanying from participating in the war as a show of good faith. Or perhaps to earn their master’s favor. 

 However, as Orias had no intentions of disrupting his team’s chemistry for the two even if they were plenty strong, he had originally wanted to task them with a free roam mission that allowed them to use their beastmen agility to the fullest and moved around the battlefield, taking out unsuspecting targets. 

 However, he had quickly changed his mind after receiving the intel that Lord Ty’s shadows provided and assigning them to hand behind with their secret weapon for the right opportunity to strike while they focused on the strongest undead. 

 Even with only a force of around 250 strong, they were rapidly dismantling the 5th regiment of the undead army as though they were nothing but faulty toys. 

 Everyone watching the battle remotely was in complete awe including Tyler who had the greatest doubts about sending a force of only 250 to face an army of 3,000 undead with limitless stamina. 

 Every single member of the black Raven Legion was not only insanely strong, but they also had a perfect synchronization rate with their teammates and moved as though they were one with each other with everyone complimenting each other and covering for their weaknesses. 

 The weakest member of the team was at the intermediate stages of the 4th Tier and there were even actual demon lords level fighters in the unit as Orias and two others had broken past the 5th Tier with Orias already reaching the Advance stages while the two were only at the Basic stage. 

 The combat prowess of the Raven settlement was truly a surprise to Tyler as he couldn’t understand why they had joined him. With the strength of the Black Ravens alone, they could defend or repel any monster raid from their settlement. 

 He was beginning to suspect them when Uriel had stepped in to give him an explanation. According to her, the settlement had severely lacked the resources to manage themselves. 

 They could produce quality perishable foods with their advanced farming techniques but their fighting force relied on their numbers and strategies advantage. Their strength sile relies on their superior intellect advanced weaponry. 

The only force they had that was suitable for hunting was the Black Raven which was not a good thing sending their strongest unit out to hunt. 

 This was why they had relied on the Red ogre settlement for hunting and equipment, so when the settlement moved with Tyler, their entire system had been broken and their town almost collapsed.

 With the increase in monster activities in the region and the movements of high-ranking demons and various noble families, they had to make a decision and had chosen to follow the lead of the Red ogres. 

 *Boom!

Casting an explosion spell was the 5th unit’s undead General, the Deathlock, Demiola. Deathlocks were undead spellcasters bound to serve a master.

 They were usually the remains of warlocks, reanimated by their patrons after failing to fulfill their part of a pact, but could also be created by necromancers.

 However, this deathlock had been summoned by Mammon by using a special scroll but was bound to Zerahut with a pact. 

 Demiola was a powerful undead that could infinitely cast multiple spells and could even double-cast spells at once. He was a powerhouse that was considered a Lord class monster. Or in simpler terms, a Tier 6 mage. 

 However, he was currently being pushed back by two Tier 5 fighters. It was important to note that as one went up the Magic tiers, the disparity between each level much less each tier become wider and wider.

 Hence why a 7th Tier Demigod stood no chance when facing someone at the 8th Tier. Hell, even a basic Tier 6 would soundly lose in a straight fight with someone at the intermediate rank 100 times out of 100 times if no outside Magic tools were used.

 This was why it was strange that only two-tier 5 fighters were pushing a Lord class undead spell caster back in a one-sided beat down that was only be slowed down by the several layers of Magic defenses being used by Demiola. 

 [Greater Magic – Hold Person]

 Having been forced into a corner by Orias and his vice Captian Mia, Demiola cast another spell to stop Mia’s attack when Orias suddenly moved in front of her and swung his blade at nothing. 

 The spell ‘Hold person’ was a 3rd Tier spell that could paralyze anyone visible within a 60 ft range of the caster for a period of 60 seconds. It was an enchantment spell that could only be resisted and not blocked as it had no line of effect and was instantaneous. 

 However, Orias had actually deflected the effect of the spell back at Demiola as though it had been a projected attack. This was due to his innate ability, ‘Deflection.’ 

 He could deflect any spells aimed at him whether projected or enchanted as long as he was holding a weapon of any kind.

 However, this ability was limited to his own strength as he could only deflect spells one level above his tier and all spells below his tier. He could also not deflect spells that had a wide area of effect nor ones that did not influence a person. 

 Sending the paralyzing effect back to Demiola, he received the effect of his own spell however, he was undead and thus immune to negative status effect so the spell effect was nullified by his resistance but that had not changed his current predicament. 

 After deflecting his spell, Mia, who was a Karma Oni with short red hair and two black horns protruding from her forehead— moved swiftly and appeared beside Demiola, bypassing most of his defenses for the first Tim and swinging her Greatsword. 

 Her figure was petite and she looked a bit frail, but that didn’t stop her from swinging the massive blade as though it weighted nothing to her. 

 •Demonic Cleaver•

 *Boom! *Crack!

 Demiola was sent flying as his bones were nearly destroyed by that blow. However, Orias and Mia didn’t give him any time to recover as they chased after him and overwhelmed his spells with attacks.

 They could easily avoid his large-scale spells and Orias would deflect the ones he could back at him, allowing Mia to land a solid hit, and sometimes Orias would be able to complement that with a sword skill. 

Their teamwork was extraordinary, it was almost as though they could read each other’s minds which in a way, they could.

 The entire Black Ravens unit were connected with soul link and could communicate with each other instantaneously in the heat of battle. Most of what they said was just them joking around as they made stupid bets on who would destroy the most undead as Tyler had promised to reward the most outstanding fighters. 

 They all fought the countless swarm of undead wildly without getting in each other’s way and could not be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers around them. 

 The hobgoblins they brought along with them did the exact same thing as with Albert’s group. The mages encircled the battle and distracted the undead mages while the warriors and swordsmen fought on the perimeter as they drew the attention of the undead archers away from the Black Ravens fighting deep in the heart of the battle.

 That was also not the end of it though, as the moment the battle began, a massive giant walked out of the Darknar region. This was not a giant similar to that of the chained Giant as he was a bit smaller but seemed more agile and lively and capable of thought. 

 As it wasn’t a shell of itself like the chained Giant had been, it was clearly far stronger and more dangerous and it emitted a very dangerous and suppressing aura. 

 He also didn’t seem to be hiding his state as a living being as it hadn’t used any method to blend with the undead army. He was clad in silver plate armor and large wielded a golden ax. 

 The moment he stepped out of the forest, he was also attacked by the undead army but completely disregarded them as he moved towards the Black Ravens.

 It seems he had been monitoring and following the 5th regiment for a while now as it could not infiltrate the army without getting noticed. This was one of the representatives sent by one of the Great Five. 

 It was unknown which family had sent an actual freaking Giant that was unable to blend in even though it was probably just a half Giant. Still, giving the ones they had already taken care of thus far, it was either the Mereotti family or the Morningstars. 

 With Orias and Mia busy with Demiola, and the other demon lord-level fighter coordinating the others, no one could stop the Giant from attacking as it was completely disregarding the attacks from the mages. 

 +ROARRRRRR!

 After patrolling the skies for a while, Drago came roaring down in a nosedive at a speed too fast for the eyes to see as he rammed the 20 ft Giant off the ground as though he weighed nothing. 

 Well, given as Drago was more than twice the size of the Giant, this was something that was expected. 

 Without holding back, his tail moved like a two ton whip as it lashed at the body of the defenseless half Giant and sent it flaying back into the forest, it’s body shattering the massive tress in its wake. 

The two predatory beastmen, Yeva and Wrynn then came bumping off one of the trees in a timely manner as their auras wrapped their weapons as they crashed into the body of the flying giant with devastating attacks that immediately halted its momentum and sent it crashing down. 

 •Tri-Rainbow incision•

•Seismic Slash•

 *Boom!

 While their attacks themselves have done little damage to the massive frame of the undead, there was only a set up for what’s to come as they immediately moved out of the way with rapid speed as Dragon came flying back with dark flame gathering in its open maw.

 •Dark Dragon Breath•