The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 673

The trees rose majestically toward the sky, their towering presence accentuated by the moss-covered boulders scattered irregularly around the forest floor. Between the stones, a narrow, well-trodden path hinted at frequent passage. At the distant end of the trail stood a solitary figure.

It was none other than Basilude, a 6th-circle dark mage. His face, marked with deep wrinkles, was framed by a mane of white hair. As Dark had described, his attire bordered on absurdity. To the unknowing eye, he might have been mistaken for a vagrant wandering aimlessly in the mountains.

But one glance at his eyes would dispel any such notions. Madness flickered in their depths—a warning that Basilude was anything but ordinary.

“Keheheh... I suppose my disciple is already dead...”
Basilude had taken on a disciple through a contract in dark magic, binding them through both their minds and spirits. This connection allowed them to sense each other even from afar, but recently, that bond had been severed.

“The fool must have slipped up... getting caught in a compulsion spell, of all things...”
The dark mage mulled over the events. Despite appearances, Nodehill’s forces included trained knights, and they had already attempted mind control on two occasions. It was no surprise they might have detected him.

Since the bond was broken, Basilude had taken to scanning the area below the mountain daily with his magical sight. Eventually, he discovered that a new army was marching toward him.

“Well, if that’s how it is... I’ll just have to find another way.”
Those approaching would meet a gruesome end, becoming sacrifices for his plans.

“Come... I’m waiting.”
With a sinister grin, Basilude infused his surroundings with magical energy, preparing to face the forces of Nodehill.

It wasn’t long before Nodehill’s soldiers spotted the dark mage waiting for them.

“Is that him? Confident, isn’t he?”
Ghislain smirked as he observed Basilude from a distance. To stand so boldly before an advancing army—either the mage was extraordinarily prepared, or incredibly arrogant.

“That’s a dark mage.”
“Never seen him before.”
“What’s he doing out in the open?”

Those who had participated in the previous skirmish tightened their grips on their weapons. They hadn’t even managed to fight properly before being forced into retreat last time. This was their first real sight of the dark mage.

When Ghislain raised his hand, the entire army halted in place. Already forewarned about possible traps, they scanned their surroundings with caution.

Ghislain stepped forward and shouted, “Are you Basilude, the one targeting Nodehill’s lands?”

Basilude smirked. That they knew his name confirmed someone had confessed.

“Yes... I am Basilude. And yet, despite knowing this, you dare approach me? Your courage, at least, is commendable.”

His voice was low, far too soft to be heard at this distance. But through magic, every word rang clearly in the soldiers’ ears, sowing fear in their hearts.

“I see the fear in your eyes already... Your souls will belong to me.”

The soldiers shuddered at his ominous words. Though the knights shouted for them to hold firm, even they were visibly tense.

Ghislain clicked his tongue in irritation. “A 6th-circle mage? Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?”

Having once taken down a dragon, Ghislain found the situation almost laughable. But he could understand the others’ fear. For the soldiers of this territory, a 6th-circle dark mage was nothing short of a nightmare.

He shouted again, “Stop posturing and fight already!”

Basilude hesitated, taken aback. Judging by the staff and robe, the man was clearly a mage, yet here he was, boldly shouting at the front lines. He seemed slightly unhinged.

“Are you a mage?” Basilude asked, intrigued.
“Yes,” Ghislain replied.
“What circle are you?”
“Fifth,” came the casual answer.

“Pffft... You truly don’t know your place, do you?”

Basilude couldn’t help but laugh. For a lower-circle mage to challenge a higher one was nearly impossible, especially at their level. The gap in mana control only grew more pronounced with each tier.

“Do you think you can beat me with those knights and soldiers backing you?”

That was the only explanation Basilude could muster. Even a 6th-circle mage would be at risk if surrounded by knights. But Basilude hadn’t revealed himself without preparation.

“Fine... You seem to know about me already. Let’s begin.”

Raising his hand, Basilude unleashed tendrils of dark mana into the air.

Rumble.

The ground trembled, and the soldiers of Nodehill tightened their grips on their shields.

Then it began.

Howls. Moans. Screeches.

Eerie sounds like the wails of the damned echoed as the earth split open. Corpses clawed their way out—skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and even the bodies of beasts rose to join the undead army. Their numbers swelled to over five hundred—a legion of the unholy.

This was the reason Basilude could stand alone against an army. He had spent years collecting corpses, amassing a force that no ordinary soldiers could face.

“Keheheh... All of you will die here and become my servants.”

The soldiers recoiled, horror etched across their faces. Though they had heard of such magic, seeing it firsthand was far worse.

“Grrraaaagh...”

The undead’s grotesque cries filled the air, paralyzing the soldiers with fear.

It was then that Ghislain stepped forward, his staff in hand. Without hesitation, he smashed the skull of a zombie still clawing its way out of the ground.

Thwack!
The zombie’s head burst apart, and its body twitched briefly before going still. Ghislain wasted no time, attacking the next undead.

Crack! Thud! Smash!

One after another, the undead fell. Flames began to swirl around Ghislain, scorching the animated corpses. In mere moments, over a hundred of them were destroyed.

Basilude, stunned by the sheer carnage, shouted, “Stop!”

Ghislain smirked. “What, you think I’d wait for all of them to crawl out? Are you an idiot?”

Even as he spoke, Ghislain continued to obliterate the undead. Desperate, Basilude raised his hand, casting a beam of dark energy at him.

Boom!

A powerful spell, lethal enough to kill a knight outright, shot toward Ghislain. But as the beam approached, a shimmering blue shield materialized before him.

Basilude sneered. “You fool! Do you think a low-circle shield can block my magic?”

Yet as the beam collided with the shield, it dissipated harmlessly. Ghislain remained unscathed, leaving Basilude speechless.

“How... How can a 5th-circle mage withstand a 6th-circle spell?”

Ghislain twirled his staff lazily and grinned. “Not bad. Ready for round two?”

Basilude snarled, unleashing a wave of darkness across the battlefield. Meanwhile, Ghislain dashed forward, shouting to his soldiers, “Focus on defense! Trust the saintess candidate!”

Behind him, Deneb blushed furiously as she infused her mace with divine energy. A brilliant light burst forth as she prepared to strike.

Whoosh!
A radiant white light enveloped Deneb's mace. While not particularly powerful, the divine energy imbued in it was enough to inspire hope.

The soldiers, unaware of its actual strength, were filled with awe as they saw the glowing weapon. And Ghislain didn’t let that newfound hope go to waste.

As he charged toward Basilude, he released a surge of mana behind him.

Pop! Pop! Pop!
Several orbs of light manifested around Deneb. It was a 1st-circle spell, Light. Useless in combat, but visually stunning. Surrounding Deneb with radiant orbs, it gave her an almost saintly appearance.

“Waaaaaaahhh!”
A thunderous cheer erupted from the soldiers. In the midst of encroaching darkness, the holy light seemed like a divine miracle.

Deneb squinted, temporarily blinded by the sudden illumination. The soldiers’ cheers, however, rang loudly in her ears.

“This is such a sham... but it’s working too well!”

Ghislain’s theatrics bordered on deceit, but if it raised the soldiers' morale, it was worth it.

Grrrraaaargh...
The undead, sensing even the faint divine energy, instinctively swarmed toward Deneb. Though weak, the divine energy’s inherent opposition to dark magic drew their aggression.

“Hmph!”
Deneb swung her mace with all her might. Despite the modest divine power, her mastery of blunt weapon techniques was unparalleled.

Smash!
The ghoul’s head shattered instantly upon contact with the glowing mace. Deneb, fully utilizing her training, struck down one undead after another with precision and force.

The problem lay elsewhere.

“I... I can’t see properly—it’s too bright!”

Ghislain’s excessive display of light may have looked impressive from the outside, but for Deneb, surrounded by it, the brightness stung her eyes to the point of tears. Fortunately, Kyle was by her side, tirelessly fending off the undead, ensuring she stayed out of harm's way.

Slash!
Kyle’s sword moved like lightning, slicing through the undead with the agility and lethality of a wolf.

Nearby, Dark watched the battle unfold, unable to resist his commentary.

“Ugh, you’re so sloppy. Can’t you take them all out in one swing? I’ve seen someone in the future cut through castle gates with a single strike, you know.”

Having witnessed countless warriors of Fenris, Dark found Kyle’s skill decidedly unimpressive.

“Shut up! I’m trying!” Kyle snapped, thoroughly annoyed. The constant comparisons were maddening, stirring an inferiority complex he didn’t even know he had.

Despite Dark’s relentless criticism, the duo’s efforts resulted in dozens of undead falling to the ground. But hundreds still remained.

Grrrrraaah!
The undead flailed their limbs wildly as they continued to advance toward the soldiers. The uneven terrain of the mountain caused some to trip and stumble.

The soldiers cautiously maintained their distance, forming a wide perimeter to encircle the undead.

Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!
The undead struck at the soldiers’ shields, but the front line held firm, gripping their shields tightly. The rear soldiers used long poles with crescent-shaped ends to push the undead back.

Their goal wasn’t to destroy the undead but to minimize casualties while herding them into a central location.

“Hold your ground! You can do this!”
“Push harder!”
“Direct them to the center!”

The knights shouted commands as they shielded the soldiers. Watching anxiously from the rear, Andrew clenched his fists, willing himself to stay composed.

Everyone was following Ghislain’s orders. Though the soldiers weren’t exceptionally trained, the simplicity of the plan made it easy to execute.

Grrraaaagh...
By focusing solely on defense, the undead couldn’t inflict significant damage. Gradually, they were being corralled into one area.

At the center of this chaos, Deneb and Kyle were locked in a frenzied battle.

“Damn it! Why do I have to fight like this?!” Kyle shouted in frustration as he slashed at the undead. Deneb, blinking furiously against the glare, swung her mace tirelessly.

This was all part of the plan. The soldiers' objective was to funnel all the undead toward Deneb and Kyle, leaving them to handle the bulk of the fight.