I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 692

"Looks like it’s started," Cherwyn murmured, unable to tear her eyes away from the wall.

Even amid the raging blizzard, the fireballs did not fade. Instead, they burned brighter, swelling larger as they streaked through the sky.

"Quite the fireworks."

"We should’ve been closer to see that!"

Exclamations rippled through the legion. Gathered haphazardly near the wagons, the soldiers chewed on their rations and watched the spectacle atop the wall as though it were someone else’s battle.

"Damn, it really is a show," Miguel muttered with a snort.

Ian’s eyes curved slightly as he observed the fireballs taking shape. Through the falling snow, he could clearly see purple currents of chaos and converging streams of magic being forced into each blazing sphere.

—Pathetic spells. Why not go show those scraps what real magic looks like, my friend?

It was likely a sight only Yog could see besides him.

Thesaya snorted softly, as if in agreement. "How long those mages can keep pouring out spells is another matter."

Probably quite a while.

Ian reached beside Nila’s saddle and took out a small food packet. He was certain the opportunity for action would not come soon.

The Red Magic Tower had clearly dispatched skilled spellcasters. Each fireball was sizable, formed swiftly, and held remarkable stability. They were likely relying on low-tier spells to conserve magic efficiently.

"Oooh!"

A fresh wave of cheers rose from the legion as the blazing spheres surged forward in unison, fiery tails trailing behind them. The excitement quickly turned into groans as the fireballs vanished beyond the barrier.

"Can’t see a damn thing from back here. It’s driving me crazy," Miguel grumbled, clicking his tongue.

Biting into a strip of beef jerky, Ian quietly stared at the top of the wall, where faint flames flickered once more. A few seconds later, distant explosions brushed his ears.

As if responding to the sound, Thesaya said, "Seems the monsters are still pretty far out."

Cherwyn nodded, and at the same time, Yog’s whisper slid into Ian’s mind.

—Don’t you want to see what’s beyond that wall, my friend?

Ian’s eyes twitched faintly as he chewed. Thesaya immediately turned to study his profile. Almost at the same moment, the roiling clouds overhead flared with a brilliant flash.

The thunder shook him, and Yog’s laughter-tinged whisper followed.

—Either way, this doesn’t look like a time to just stand around watching.

Ian resumed chewing and turned toward Cherwyn. As always, it was advice he disliked—but could not deny. The essence bead of chaos within him was already resonating faintly.

However, if he slipped into another vision now, Cherwyn might notice.

Plenty of people already knew the truth, but he had no intention of letting her be one of them. And it wasn’t simply because she was an apostle of Lu Entre.

If she were to believe there was a way to embrace chaos without falling into madness...

She cared far too deeply about Hyked for that. There was no need to add yet another variable to a situation already overflowing with them.

Having reached that conclusion, Ian casually said, "It doesn’t look like the front line will collapse anytime soon. Could you help the legion recover as much stamina as possible?"

"You’re right. This isn’t the time to stand around distracted." After a brief pause, Cherwyn nodded and turned away. "I’ll offer my prayers."

Almost immediately, Thesaya glanced toward Miguel, then tipped her chin in Cherwyn’s direction and whispered, "Don’t let anyone come near here, Prosthetic."

"Huh? Uh... got it." Miguel tilted his head in confusion, but nodded and turned away.

Thesaya then gave Moro’s reins a light tug.

Snort...

Moro snorted sharply and stepped forward, coming to a halt between them and the legion as if forming a barrier. It complied readily, no doubt because the position brought it closer to Nila.

While Nila turned its head as if ignoring it, Thesaya whispered, "So the snake has a way to peek at the battlefield, huh, Ian?"

I wondered why she was so active.

Ian let out a quiet scoff but didn’t take his eyes off the wall. Above it, fresh fireballs were already flaring into the darkness. That they looked sparser than before wasn't an illusion.

Trying crossfire, are they?

The immediate impact would be weaker, but it would likely be far more efficient at slowing the tide of monsters.

Yog’s giggling laughter brushed against Ian’s thoughts.

—I could give it a try. If you’ll allow it, that is.

Thesaya’s gaze sharpened, burning with interest. "So? What do you say, Ian?"

"You’re really something."

"We need a clear picture of what’s happening out there ahead of time. And there’s no risk of getting caught. I’ll be here, and so will these two," Thesaya said, glancing at Nila and Moro in turn.

Nila and Moro puffed out visible breaths in response. Ian swallowed the beef jerky he had been chewing and lowered his gaze.

"So what do I need to do exactly?"

It was obvious she was indulging her own curiosity, but she wasn’t wrong.

At that moment, Yog slipped free from the gap in Ian’s gauntlet and lifted its head slightly. Its violet eyes shimmered with an eerie light.

—Good thinking, Friend. It won’t be dangerous at all. I’ll bear everything for you...

The whisper was utterly unconvincing. Instead of replying, Ian simply jerked his chin.

Yog giggled again.

—Don’t you feel your essence bead resonating? Focus your consciousness and ignore the disgusting heat in your left arm.

One corner of Ian’s mouth twitched. Just as Yog said, it wasn’t only the essence bead reacting.

Swoosh...

A faint heat rippled from the battle tattoo on his left arm as well. It felt like a goading whisper, urging him to stir his fighting spirit, smash through the sealed gate, and charge straight into the battlefield.

Of course, he had no intention of granting Karha's wish.

If he were to step into that fortress, it would only be after the defense forces themselves had opened the gates.

—Leave the rest to me. Just trust me and hand over your consciousness.

Yog’s status window showed no change. Even so, Ian closed his eyes without hesitation. At this point, it was hardly unfamiliar.

Thump... Thump...

The faint resonance of the essence bead grew clearer and clearer. Sticky chaos seemed to seep through his veins, and as it did, sensations from the outside world dulled into a distant hush. Only the whispers burrowing into his mind remained vivid.

—Just wait a little longer. The right moment will come again soon.

That moment arrived sooner than expected. His vision, half-submerged in meditation, flickered white in an instant.

Rumble, crash!

With a thunderous roar, his sight plunged back into darkness. All sensation scattered into nothingness, save for the faint feeling of being hurled somewhere at incredible speed.

—Don’t lose consciousness, my friend. If you do, I won’t be able to hold on to you.

Yog’s laughter-laced whisper followed as his vision gradually brightened. The world reformed into a vision of chaos—like seeing through an infrared lens.

The first thing he saw was a blinding white blaze, brilliant like a miniature sun. He realized a heartbeat later that it was a fireball. His consciousness had already surged to the top of the wall.

Rippling waves of magic sketched the silhouettes of soldiers lined along the ramparts in abstract outlines. The shapes of massive ballistas stood out at intervals.

Fwoosh—

The fireballs tore through the air all at once. As the dazzling heat surged forward and vanished into the distance, Yog laughed softly.

—That was close. If we’d gotten caught in that, we would’ve been flung right back out. And it would’ve been pretty hot, too.

Then do it better.

Ian stared at the wall as it drifted farther away.

"Fire!"

The command echoed as if heard underwater. A figure clearly in command swung a sword, and in the same instant, long streaks shot out from the wall in perfect unison.

The ballista had fired.

Boom!

Explosions erupted beyond the wall an instant later. Ian’s panoramic vision took it all in at once. One side of his vision became blindingly bright instantly. Magic detonated like fireworks, and the purple hues caught within them scattered as if burned away.

Fwoosh...

Trajectories scattered to evade the blasts, and beyond them, a surging purple tide came sharply into view. It wasn’t hard to recognize each streak as chaos carried by winged monsters.

—There’s a lot more than I expected.

Yog murmured, sounding almost amused. And it was true. The purple tide filling the sky seemed endless.

Screech—

The same was true below. A grotesque, writhing flood of purple surged forward, so densely packed that the violet among it was barely noticeable.

Did it bring all of its vassals?

There was no other explanation for numbers like these. Why Akihatara had invaded the North like this was unclear—but at this point, it hardly mattered.

Screech— Scree—

More streaks tore through the tide. Purple bursts scattered like ash as fireballs traced brilliant, meteor-like arcs, racing ahead of Ian’s consciousness once more.

As expected, they’re focusing all their firepower on the sky.

Ian observed silently as another blinding explosion filled his vision. The tide pressing along the ground would be stopped by the barrier, after all. Eliminating the immediate threat took priority.

—Next time, we’ll get caught in it.

Even so, it wasn’t enough. Despite the relentless barrage, the purple tide continued to advance—closer and closer to the wall.

—This won’t work, my friend. Let’s latch onto something. We won’t last long, but it’ll be better than this.

The trajectory of their extended consciousness shifted abruptly.

There was no need to wonder what Yog was aiming for. They surged straight toward a purple trail that had shot upward to evade an explosion.

A massive, birdlike silhouette wavered into view around it.

Boom, boom, boom!

Fireballs detonated below in blinding succession. Heat and shrieks churned together in dizzying waves, yet Ian’s consciousness pushed forward without slowing.

At the center of beating wings, a purple abyss split wide open. Ian instantly recognized it as the monster’s maw, but by then, he was already being dragged straight into it.

—You might feel dizzy for a moment. If it works, that is.

With the whisper, the world flipped once more. Sensation returned faintly, as though he were waking from anesthesia.

Screech— Screech—

Piercing shrieks tore through the air. A violent rush of wind battered him, and the unfamiliar sensation of wings beating spread through him. His vision sharpened, no longer abstract. It was unmistakably physical.

—A bit awkward, but it looks like it worked.

At the whisper echoing through his mind, Ian realized with certainty that he was now lodged inside a monster, most likely a mutated harpy.

I see.

Concluding that it was for the best, Ian fixed his attention on the scene before him. His vision felt sharper, wider than it had been before.

Boom, boom, boom—

Below, fireballs detonated across the sky. Monsters caught in the blasts looked horrifyingly real. Mutated harpies, griffins, gargoyles, and countless warped birds of prey filled the heavens.

—They don’t seem to be targeting us. Still, let’s keep our distance.

As Yog’s whisper faded, the wings beat harder. Their altitude rose, revealing the purple tide below, spreading endlessly across the land.

Even now, there had to be several thousand at least.

Enough of these. Look up.

The moment the thought formed, Yog lifted its head mid-glide, as if reading his mind.

Rumble—

Straight ahead, the massive wall came fully into view. At a glance, Ian could see the ballista mounted along the battlements and the soldiers stationed beside.

At the front, soldiers braced behind spears and shields. Just behind them, ranks of crossbowmen stood perfectly still, weapons leveled and ready.

—Ah, right.

At the very rear stood the mages, staffs and wands raised as they formed fireballs. Each was paired with a knight acting as a bodyguard.

—Looks like even among those scraps, there are a few decent spellcasters.

Ian could easily spot what Yog had noticed, not only because they were sharing vision.

Fwoosh...

Amid the countless blazing fireballs, one flame spiraled upward in a coiling helix, like a serpent rearing back. It was impossible to miss.

An archmage?

That gigantic serpent of fire was being drawn from the tip of a raised staff, wielded by a white-haired mage. The old man’s face, lit by a red glow, was filled with unrestrained joy.

Whoosh—

Almost in perfect sync with the volley of fireballs, the mage swung his staff sharply to the side. Along its arc, the fire serpent lashed out like a whip, then unraveled into a slanted spiral and surged forward.

Rumble!

It swallowed the outgoing fireballs whole. The resulting explosions only fed it, making the spiral larger and faster. In moments, a colossal vortex of flame flooded the sky like a tidal wave.

To amplify a spell like that...

Ian couldn’t help but admire it. He even recognized the spell. It was a high-tier red magic, Flame Storm.

Boom!

The Flame Storm surged forward, dyeing the sky crimson as it collided head-on with the purple tide. Everything caught within it was incinerated, falling as blazing debris.

—We'll get swept up, too.

The Flame Storm wasn’t merely halting the monsters. It was dragging them in, along with the surrounding air.

Yog was no exception.

It beat its wings frantically, struggling against the pull. However, faster than that, the flames sweeping monsters exploded in unison in an instant.

Boom!

A scorching blast wave tore through them. Yog was hurled aside, wings screaming with dull pain as the world spun violently.

—This is as far as we go, my friend. Still, we got plenty out of it, didn’t we?

Even as they traced a tumbling arc through the air, Yog whispered with unsettling nonchalance. Ian didn’t reply. He simply fixed his attention on the scene unfolding as everything spun around him.

Rumble, crash!

Beyond the flashing storm clouds rumbling with thunder, he caught sight of a massive shadow appearing and vanishing in an instant.

There was no doubt about it—it was the archdemon Akihatara.

Just like the corrupted dragon did in the past, it was following behind vassals, hiding in thick dark clouds.

Screech—

The next surge of monsters swallowed his vision in darkness. Even as a heavy, dull pain washed through him, Ian clung to the image he had just seen: wings spread wide, and faintly gleaming eyes at their center.

Why are they violet?