Omni-Mastery - Chapter 494-495: The Demons’ Bag of Surprises

“Huuu…”

Guiding my elements to slowly carve up a new elemental flow channel, I couldn’t help but let out a long breath.

‘It’s really hard to concentrate in this atmosphere…’

Even as someone who was always in and out of dangerous battles, constantly igniting my desire for some ‘peace’. The current momentary peace that I was ‘enjoying’ was excruciating.

After returning to the Dragon Clan’s Stronghold the day before, both I and the Dragon Clan Leader spent the whole night discussing the following battle. For some reason, the Great Elder was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t stop me from selectively sharing certain information that would prove helpful in surviving this unstoppable ordeal.

However, with the matter of preparation being dealt with, I went back to being ‘free’. Although my premonition was partly true, the demons had yet to make an appearance.

According to the collective scouting squads belonging to the makeshift ‘Anti-Demon Alliance’ formed by the Dragon Clan, all of the Dark Gates they monitored were indeed exhibiting abnormal behavior, but no single enemy was witnessed. It was obvious that the demons’ advent this time wouldn’t be as simple this time.

‘Just what we needed.’

Rather than waiting while some sort of scheme was falling into play, I preferred to directly spring into action. In comparison, I was currently unable to even leave the stronghold just in case, no one really knew when they would strike.

Most importantly, we were impressively short of hands. In the Nature Domain, we could still stir it whole with the inhabitants’ power, yet the Fire Domain was already more like an empty husk…

“Sir Azure! They have appeared!”

‘Finally!’

`~~~`~~~`~~~`

“They didn’t exit the Dark Hollows?”

‘Is this what they were scheming?’

Hurriedly entering the main hall, I was surprised to find out that the demons’ battle routine changed from the very start. It was simply as if they were trying to erase any sort of advantage I had thanks to my experience.

The avian beastmen who had been monitoring the Dark Gates that they had knowledge of suddenly discovered that the strange fluctuations that had been going on for the whole day had finally subsided, they thought that the threat was at least delayed. However, the ones that were on the move brought bad news.

“No. They are appearing all over the domain.”

For some reason, the unfamiliar demons just appeared out of nowhere at several locations. Judging from my experience, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for them to have actually found a way to ‘manipulate’ the Dark Gate’s spatial ability, the ‘keys’ they had perfectly sufficed as loopholes.

The question was why now when they already had the advantage?

Looking back at what happened in the Nature Domain, however, it did make sense. Just my act of ‘spreading awareness’ basically toppled the plan they prepared over several years.

Although my player identity made it possible for me to flip the table over them back then, that didn’t make the whole demon camp stupid. The single fact that we didn’t give up yet was enough for them to go all out for the sake of insurance.

“The majority are heading here?”

Looking at the simple map delivered by the scouting squad, the demons’ destination was plainly obvious. While their control over this ‘teleportation’ didn’t seem perfect as they didn’t directly form one great army, over two-thirds of their forces were closely scattered in the area with the Dragon Clan’s Stronghold at its center! Needless to say, they wanted to directly stomp the stronghold with pure brute force!

“…Alright, let’s proceed with the plan as is. As for me…”

The purpose behind their activation of the Dark Gates’ ‘quick travel’ service was obviously to cut off any possibility of counter preparation or use of guerrilla warfare, but the Dragon Clan had no plans to leave their turtle shell from the very beginning. Although… The same thing couldn’t be said about me.

“I will probe the closest unit.”

Even without wings on my back, distance wasn’t an obstacle. However, the wings gave me a whole new set of possible actions. As long as the ‘laws’ were on our side, we did stand a good chance, I planned to make sure of that at least!

“I wish you the best… Don’t worry about us, we will handle ourselves, just do what’s necessary.”

The Dragon Clan Leader temperament had somehow changed ever since I came back from my ‘sweeping’ operation. If he was just going with the flow back then, then the current him seemed ready to exchange his life for the domain’s survival.

“Leave it to me.”

Since I had been feeling itchy from being confined to my room, I immediately launched myself into the air without any further delay. Even the closest demon ‘army’ was beyond the area that I had just ‘swept’ through, so I still had to spend some time getting there.

With the help of my ‘Mental Map’, even the vague scouting map was enough for me to get to position. However, the first glimpse of my target ‘army’ was a bit unexpected.

Rather than directly marching in the position of the Dragon Clan’s Stronghold, the demons’ ranks appeared scattered as if they were searching for something. In fact, not even regrouping could explain their haphazard searching…

‘Let’s break the net first.’

It was clear that there were likely to be more layers to their plans, but the purpose of my solo campaign was very direct! Wrecking up the shamans!

As the demons’ ‘cheat key’, the shamans were simply too much of a nuisance to me. They would still be my target even if I didn’t hold a grudge… Though I did hold one!

[ Activating ‘Transformation’… ]

[ ‘Lightning Cloud’ has adopted the (Longbow) form! ]

Instead of going down to fight a whole army on my own from the very start, I naturally had the most efficient course of action in mind! It was about time I started my career as a sniper!

Looking down on the clueless sea of ant-sized demons from the sky, I fully unleashed the might of my arrows, triggering a similar volley of notifications in my mind. However…

‘It… isn’t changing?’

As if to follow the trend they had set so far, I was once again met with an unexpected result…