Dragonslayer’s Class Regression Chapter 176

Chapter 176

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The ghost ship was approaching closer to the ship.

The terrified knight stepped backwards. By then, the fog had thickly settled around the knight’s feet.

The knight who saw the ghost ship flailed about in terror.

Just then, a hand holding a dagger appeared suddenly from the shadows.

SLASH!

The dagger cut the knight’s Achilles tendon and disappeared.

Blood spurted from the knight’s ankle.

“Argh! Ghost! It’s a ghost attack!”

The Imperial knight crawled on the ground screaming.

At that cry, the other knights who were waiting below deck rushed out in surprise.

“This is crazy, how could there be a ghost ship on the river..?”

The knights who came up to the deck grumbling were shocked to see the ghost ship appearing in the fog.

“I-it really is a ghost ship!”

Suddenly monsters jumped onto the deck. The startled knights were helplessly overwhelmed by the monsters’ attacks before they could even properly draw their swords.

“AAARGH!”

The knights fell into the river, pushed back by the attacks of ghosts and monsters.

The panicked Imperial knights died in an instant, bleeding out.

* * *

‘Quite a spectacle.’

Zeke was watching everything happening on the ship clearly while concealing his presence with stealth.

When the knight who fell under hallucinations from Visco’s blood ability screamed about seeing a ghost ship, the other knights who came up to the deck also fell under the hallucination of seeing a non-existent ghost ship.

‘So it’s mass hallucination.’

Zeke summoned dragon warriors amidst the panicked knights.

The hallucinating Imperial knights perceived the dragon warriors as monsters and ghosts from the ghost ship.

The terrified knights fell helplessly without being able to properly use their strength, and Zeke was able to easily seize the ship.

‘Visco’s blood ability. There would be many ways to utilize this if used well.’

When the dragon warriors eliminated all the knights on the ship, Visco who had been hiding revealed himself.

“G-good heavens…”

Visco had a dumbfounded expression as he looked at the horrific scene created by his blood ability.

Zeke dropped his stealth and approached Visco.

“Why are you so surprised?”

Visco said while breaking out in a cold sweat.

“This is the first time I’ve used hallucinations like this… I had no idea it would have this much effect.”

Zeke had given Visco a magic scroll for creating mist and an amplifier, and had him spread his blood along with the mist.

Visco’s blood that spread with the mist caused mass hallucinations and triggered a tremendous chain reaction.

“One of the most frightening things in group combat is hallucination magic. Moreover, your ability is blood-based so it can’t be traced by magic. Visco, have confidence in your rare talent.”

Visco had almost been discarded as trash in the laboratory after his ability changed from explosive power to hallucination power.

He felt deep emotion and reverence for Zeke who acknowledged his power.

‘This person is truly my master.’

Leaving behind Visco who was sending him an overwhelmingly moved gaze, Zeke moved to dispose of the corpses on the deck with his decay authority before summoning Nahuel.

RUMBLE RUMBLE!

Then he had Nahuel pull the ship upstream.

He needed to draw attention in a big way to allow Boris to safely escape with Dario.

Zeke said to Visco.

“Visco, seeing the power of your ability made me change my mind. Instead of just luring them, let’s wipe them all out.”

“What? Just the two of us?”

Visco gulped nervously at Zeke’s words.

* * *

The Voltro River that crosses Central Continent horizontally boasts the longest length in Central Continent.

The Voltro River that cuts across the Rom Empire reaching to Midland becomes wider and faster upstream, making it difficult to cross with small boats.

Dozens of combat ships were deployed in such upstream waters of the Voltro River.

Jiemens’ flag with two intertwined snakes fluttered in the wind between the ships.

On the ships were Jiemens’ private soldiers and knights wearing scorpion-patterned armor – they were the Scorpio Knights.

Just then, someone appeared on the deck.

A goateed knight armed head to toe with rare items – it was Calito Luciano, vice commander of the Scorpio Knights.

Calito’s skills as a knight and his family background were both unremarkable.

The reason such a Calito could rise to the position of vice commander of the Scorpio knights, one of the Empire’s 13 constellations, was because he was the only person who could control the commander Gillian.

Also, Gillian, the commander of the Scorpio Knights, was a typical warrior who had little interest in external affairs.

Calito handled most of the brigade’s internal and external affairs in place of such a commander, so he could be considered the actual commander of the unit.

Calito put a cigar in his mouth and exhaled a long stream of smoke.

Next to him stood a chubby-faced man in a black suit wearing glasses.

The man wearing high-prescription glasses was sweating profusely and fidgeting nervously in front of Calito.

After smoking the thick cigar in just a few breaths, Calito said to the man in the suit.

“Six supposedly took care of Dario and the Red Eye trash. Why am I being called out here for this?”

The man in the suit replied to Calito.

“W-well, I hear that Jiemens directly told the elders. They ordered us not to let our guard down and to maintain airtight defenses since another force besides Red Eye might be involved.”

At those words, Calito’s gaze turned sharp.

“Am I in a position where I have to follow orders just because the Family says so?”

When Calito expressed his displeasure, the man in the suit shook his head with an uncomfortable expression.

“H-how could that be? The elders will pay compensation befitting Lord Calito’s status.”

Calito glared at the man with stern eyes and exhaled sharply through his nose.

“They better.”

Calito was someone with exceptional eloquence and political sense, enough to grasp control of the ScorpioKnights by using Gillian, a typical warrior, as a figurehead commander while appropriately utilizing the Nostra Family’s power from behind.

Calito and the Nostra Family maintained a symbiotic relationship while engaging in a precarious power struggle, as they each held the other’s weaknesses.

Because of this, although he voiced his complaints, it was difficult for Calito to refuse the Family’s request.

He took out a new cigar, put it in his mouth, and furrowed his brow.

‘Those annoying old men. Someday I’ll sweep them all away and swallow the Nostra Family whole in one go.’

Just then.

Suddenly the day grew dark and a thick fog began to settle around them.

As the dense fog enveloped the ship, Calito felt an ominous sign.

He asked the man in the suit.

“You said earlier that Jiemens mentioned something. What did they mean about another force besides Red Eye possibly being involved?”

At those words, the man in the suit made a troubled expression and kept his mouth shut.

Calito grabbed the man’s collar.

“Speak clearly!”

At his shout, the man finally opened his mouth.

“D-Draker. They said Draker might be involved.”

At those words, Calito made a bewildered expression.

“Draker kidnapped Dario? For what reason?”

The man in the suit shook his head and answered.

“I-I don’t know that much either. The information from Jiemens’ side was quite vague…”

Calito threw aside the man in the suit and broke out in a cold sweat as he watched the thickening fog.

‘Not good. This isn’t good.’

Calito had an excellent instinct for grasping and sensing situations. His exceptional eloquence and political sense all stemmed from that instinctive sense.

The vampire gang Red Eye and Draker were incomparable entities.

Although it wasn’t accurate information, if Draker was really involved, all his efforts built up over time could turn to bubbles at once if he got entangled wrongly.

Calito urgently looked for his aide.

Just then.

“Ghost ship! A ghost ship is approaching!”

At the sudden voice, both Calito and the man in the suit were startled and looked beyond the fog.

A blurry shadow gradually became clearer and indeed, an old ship began to approach.

Both Calito and the man in the suit gaped their mouths open.

“G-ghost ship?”

While ordinary people would have panicked, Calito was quick-witted.

‘A ghost ship going upstream on the river? Impossible!’

Calito collected himself and shouted.

“Magic! It’s hallucination magic! Damn it, call Jiemens’ mages! Dispel the hallucination magic!”

But it was already too late.

BOOM!

A loud noise came from the floor of the flagship Calito was on, and the hull shook heavily.

Calito was startled by the contact that came faster than expected.

‘What is this?’

The Scorpio Knights, Jiemens’ knights, and soldiers on the ship were also confused and in chaos.

The man in the suit shouted toward Calito.

“The ship, I think the ship is sinking!”

Just then, the aide ran toward Calito.

“Vice Commander! Monsters are pouring out from the ghost ship!”

The ghost ship that had approached was now attacking other ships.

Calito shouted at his aide.

“You fool! What ghost ship could be on a river! That’s a hallucination caused by magic!”

At Calito’s words, the aide made a dazed expression.

When the aide still couldn’t collect himself, Calito slapped his cheek.

“Ugh!”

“Get your wits about you! Give me the whistle!”

Calito took the whistle from his aide and sent an emergency signal.

WHEEEEEEE!

The signal to retreat spread throughout the entire unit.

At the same time, Calito gestured.

“First we get out of here! Once the magic is dispelled, attack them! We have superior numbers, so we’re in a much more advantageous position!”

Calito, with his excellent survival instinct, quickly grasped the situation and found a way to save himself.

He led the knights to the back of the hull, planning to escape to land by boat before the ship sank.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Simultaneously, the sound of Jiemens’ mages firing magic at the ghost ship could be heard.

Calito smiled with satisfaction.

“Good. The hallucination magic will break soon. Watch for an opening and give the signal for all-out attack!”

He planned to first secure his own safety by taking a boat to shore.

Boom boom boom boom!

Thus, leaving the fierce battle behind, Calito landed on shore after escaping the river by boat. He could see magic flashing in the distance.

Calito nodded while crossing his arms.

“Good. They’ll soon self-destruct after struggling.”

He clicked his tongue while looking at the dumbfounded man in the suit.

“Get your wits about you! I heard you were one of the Six, but you seem quite useless.”

At that, the man barely got up and said.

“Um, I’m not a combat personnel. I mainly serve as a messenger for the elders.”

That’s when it happened.

WHOOSH!

A dagger flew from somewhere and struck one of the knights guarding Calito and the man in the forehead.

THUD!

As the knight fell, Calito drew his sword in panic and shouted.

“What are you doing?! Protect me at once!”

The knights of Scorpio Palace raised their shields to protect Calito while watching their surroundings.

But it was useless.

CRACKLE!

A massive lightning bolt struck down toward the knights of Chungal Palace.

“ARGHHHH!”

The knights who were directly hit by the lightning fell down foaming at the mouth.

Calito shouted at the man in the suit next to him with fear-filled eyes.

“Damn it! There’s a mage! Do something about it!”

The man in the suit merely adjusted his glasses while sweating profusely.

At the same time, thick fog spread between the knights.

“URGHK!”

Suddenly the knights’ eyes changed and they began slashing at each other.

“Mo-Monster!”

“ARGHHHH!”

As the knights began fighting each other while perceiving each other as monsters, Calito stepped back in panic.

“Damn this hallucination!”

Whether it was worth spending a fortune on the rare artifact armor, Calito wasn’t affected by the hallucination.

That’s when the man in the suit behind him spoke to Calito.

“Lo-Lord Calito. This doesn’t seem to be magic. It seems like a bl-blood technique…”

Calito shouted at the man in the suit.

“Why are you telling me this now?! You fool!”

He turned away from the knights slashing at each other and began to flee.

Thanks to the magic armor, his running speed was incredibly fast.

That’s when something appeared in front of the fleeing Calito.

THUD!

A death knight wearing black armor.

The Death Knight revealed itself from within the fog.