Chapter 68: Stronghold Recapture

They’re using Ulto this soon?

The ultimate move took thirty minutes to recharge after one use. The Solminium armor, scraped from village barriers, was given to the elder rescue team. With thirteen Giants here, three or four were likely with them. If those Giants used Ulto this quickly…

I need to finish here and help.

The crystal on Ion’s staff glowed green, forming small, grape-like orbs around him—each the size of his head but smaller than golf balls to Giants.

Dodging attacks, Ion fired the transparent orbs at the Giant preparing Ulto.

These were mana condensates.

Giants lacked facial features, forming a mouth only to emit Ulto. Ion waited, evading other attacks.

Grooo—

The Giant opened its mouth, fully charged.

Swish!

Ion shot the condensates into its throat.

“…Guh! Urk!”

As the Giant staggered, Ion snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

The condensates exploded inside.

“ARGGH!”

A normal explosion would’ve killed only the Ulto-user, but this was different.

CRASH!

“What the—!”

“AAAGH!”

A chain explosion of mana condensates. One Giant’s head burst, another’s upper body was obliterated. Even Giants couldn’t survive without heads or torsos.

“Call the Executor!” the panicked Giants shouted, having lost six.

Ion was inwardly shocked.

One of the five Executors is here…!

Giants had no king; five Executors gave all orders. High-ranking and sedentary, they rarely left Titan, yet one was here.

BOOM! Rumble—

Meanwhile, the vines diligently collapsed the black powder generator. Ion landed atop the towering vines, eye-level with the Giants.

“Worse than a monster, human scum…!”

The Giants’ heads glowed silvery-white, their brains simmering with Ulto’s roar.

Having seen their attack pattern, they covered their mouths.

Ion showed no fear—only excitement at choosing his next spell.

Then—

Whoosh! Pop!

A red flare burst like a flower in the sky—the signal that the elders were rescued.

Perfect timing.

Ion smirked, his staff’s crystal glowing vibrant green.

He’d fought cautiously to avoid harming the elders. Now, he was unrestrained.

Rumble—

Thunderous noise made some Giants look up. The sky turned green.

The substance wasn’t hard to identify—mana condensates controlled by the small human mage.

Drip.

Green mana clouds filled the sky, raining droplets. One struck an Ulto-preparing Giant’s crown, slicing through its head, neck, chest, abdomen, and lower body, oxidizing into the ground. The silvery glow snuffed out.

Thud! Thud!

The bisected Giant fell, silvery-white matter spilling from the cut.

“What…!?”

“Dodge! Don’t get hit by the rain!”

The Giants tried to flee, shaking the ground, but the sky was already full of mana clouds.

Shwaaa—

Mana rain poured.

Moments later, Ion looked down at a silvery-white puddle—a lake of dissolved Giants, not even skin remaining.

As he surveyed the carnage—

“…!”

Ion teleported 3 meters forward.

BOOM!

A bullet struck where he’d stood.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted, incinerating the towering vines instantly.

“What… are you?” a chilling voice asked.

A Giant appeared behind Ion—white-bodied, featureless, but wearing a ring.

An Executor.

It dipped its hand into the silvery puddle, as if checking blood.

“You did this alone?”

“Don’t you see without eyes? Just me, Executor.”

“Intriguing child…”

“Sorry you think so.”

“Hahaha… I’ll take you alive… as our chimera…”

No mourning for the dead priests or soldiers in its voice.

Ion unleashed another mana rain. The Executor spread its palm.

Whirr—Click, click, click.

Three mechanical sounds, and black matter from the ring thinly coated its body—a protective barrier.

The mana rain couldn’t pierce the millimeter-thick shield.

“Dare underestimate me…!”

The Executor clenched its fists and struck. Ion conjured a vine dome to block it, escaping just as the dome was crushed. A silvery flash peeked through the leaves.

Ion raised a wall of Giant blood to block the beam.

CRASH!

The beam scattered against the blood wall, collapsing it but blocked. It wasn’t a full Ulto—Executors could emit weaker beams from blood vessels, about 10% of brain-based Ulto’s power, still enough to shred Ion’s vines.

Through the thick smoke, the Executor prepared another attack. Black matter shifted at its crossed wrists, revealing silvery skin as a beam leaked.

A leaking beam meant an opening for Ulto.

Pop!

Ion created smaller mana condensates—tiny enough to enter the Giant’s skin—and slipped them into the opening, raising another vine wall.

BOOM!

The vines blocked the Ulto just in time.

And the Executor…

Pop!

“What…!?”

Its wrists exploded from the condensates.

Before the black barrier covered the severed area, Ion slipped more condensates inside.

“This… can’t…!”

The Executor’s final words.

Its body obliterated, leaving nothing, merging into the silvery puddle.

Ion gazed impassively, then dashed to aid the elder rescue team.

News of recapturing Somind’s Giant stronghold spread to each nation’s command.

Ion, a Revelation-attribute Lord-level aura mage, played a major role.

Iliand’s command, already eager to meet Ion, grew desperate. Other continents had strongholds, and Iliand had two more besides the recently reclaimed one—Ion’s help was critical.

“I’ll head there once Lord Sarah exits the field,” Ion said.

-Can’t you come now? Sarah will head here after the Black Marsh anyway, Killia, Iliand’s commander, pleaded via communicator.

“The Giant field transfer crystals aren’t fully collected. The elves are working tirelessly, but it’ll take three more days.”

-Can’t another mage bring them? We’ve secured the Giant coordinates.

“Other mages can’t undo my neutralization spell.”

To input Giant stronghold coordinates, Ion’s green particles had to be removed—only he could do it.

-Ugh… Understood. Come safely. We eagerly await you.

The call with Killia ended.

“We part ways here,” Minwi said regretfully, stowing the communicator.

The royal knights had ongoing missions—saving villages from unsealed field monsters.

“Hope we meet again.”

“We will,” Ion said.

They shook hands firmly. As they finished—

“I want a handshake…”

“Me too…”

Soldiers and mages, eyes brimming with admiration, swarmed Ion. He shook hands like a celebrity at a fan meet, reminiscent of Jin Seongha with Team 1.

Two didn’t join the farewell.

“I want to stay here,” Semir said.

“I’m sticking with Master Ion. I was headed to central command anyway. Gotta smash more strongholds!” Zieg added.

Minwi sighed, as if they’d discussed this.

“Master Ion, these two are stubborn as kids despite their age. I couldn’t sway them. If you refuse, I’ll drag them back with a switch.”

Semir and Zieg stared at Ion with sparkling eyes.

“I don’t mind…”

Objections came from the knights.

“Commander, losing Semir and Zieg guts our strength!”

“Field rates are dropping, and the elders promised three elves to escort us to the capital. Better than these stubborn fools.”

Three elves, neatly packed, waited behind—pristine, with tidy hair, long lashes casting shadows, pink lips, and dancer-like poise. Their earlier frenzied state was unimaginable.

“Master Ion, we won’t be a burden,” Semir said.

“We’re skilled. We’ll help!” Zieg added, eyes blazing, ready to follow even if refused.

They’ll join Sarah anyway…

“Alright, let’s go together.”

Thus, Ion gained companions for his journey.