Chapter 141
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Chapter 141: The Iron-Blood Returns
Time passed swiftly as the Golden Branch Legion’s skirmish against the destroyer cavalry stretched nearly half a month.
Domingo had assumed this battle-hardened army couldn’t adapt to changing situations, viewing them as mere cannon fodder against the destroyer cavalry. He believed a few strong assaults would break these low-level soldiers, forcing him to deploy the Hawk Brigade later. Only then would he reveal his trump card to face Midi Asreks directly.
Yet reality proved different. After fifteen days, the Golden Branch Legion not only held firm but grew increasingly resilient, even developing an aggressive demeanor.
Over time, the Legion’s commanders deciphered the workings of Blood Halo and Blood Frenzy. They learned the timing between lightning summons and strikes, how to evade attacks – mastering every detail.
Now it was the destroyer cavalry losing momentum. Their higher levels and flashy skills couldn’t suppress the Legion anymore. Instead, Domingo found himself bogged down in endless daily battles across Scroll branch territory.
Frustrated, Domingo abandoned caution. At dawn, he abandoned gradual advances and sent his full force charging at the enemy camp. No more luring into traps – he immediately summoned thunderclouds with Dragon Sealing power while activating Blood Frenzy and the Tree of Life’s healing to sustain it. Five thousand cavalry formed a wedge formation like a sharp sword unsheathed, aiming to crush all resistance through brute force.
Yet when the frenzied destroyer cavalry collided with the low-level Legion soldiers, they couldn’t advance an inch.
"How?" Domingo choked. Had the Legion hidden strength during weeks of fighting under lightning barrages?
Then he saw him.
A towering figure stood at the Legion’s forefront – flail in one hand, shield like a fortress wall in the other. Every swing sent armored riders flying like pebbles. A howling gale surrounded him, creating empty space on the battlefield. Behind this living bastion, every Legion soldier fought with renewed fury.
Haidrich Hamilton.
The Iron-Blood Duke.
"This…can’t be…" Domingo’s mouth went dry. The Duke – a Second Awakening expert at level 75! A force who could single-handedly stop thousand-man battalions. Across Belmar Duchy and Arad continent, such power commanded awe.
Midi and Fina had earned the Legion’s obedience through victories, but the Duke made them an extension of his will. Where the youths commanded elite soldiers, he wielded a unified war machine.
The Golden Branch Legion was forged from nothing by the Iron-Blood Duke over twenty years. Every knight received their sword directly from his hand, every officer earned promotion through his guidance, and every squadron bore names he personally chose.
The Duke knew each soldier’s talents, flaws, temperament, and combat style – who favored attack over defense, who remained calm under fire. This deep understanding made his leadership devastatingly effective.
His mere presence at the central command post ignited the Legion’s fighting spirit. Without uttering a single order, his appearance drove commanders and foot soldiers alike to throw themselves into battle, desperate to uphold their leader’s undefeated legacy.
How could such a force – an army with true spirit, one even Midi envied – fall to crude destroyer cavalry relying on brute strength and Dragon Sealing power?
When Domingo recognized the Iron-Blood Duke, despair gripped him. As former Hamilton soldier, he knew exactly how this battle would end. Yet before ordering full retreat, one question burned in his mind – if the Duke himself had been commanding these past weeks, where was Midi?
Near the Royal Magic Academy’s camp, five thousand Hawk Brigade adventurers stood assembled. The trial by fire at City of Rainbow Light and the Dragon Sealing calamity had tempered them. No longer green recruits, they carried themselves like hardened veterans, the stench of battle clinging to their gear.
Upon learning their true enemy were Pretenders, the Brigade’s magic research department worked tirelessly. Under Master Norton’s direction, they’d created Soul Sealing weapons in fifteen days – anti-demon arms modeled after exorcist tools.
Midi wasn’t alone in preparing. The red-haired girl Fina mastered demon-hunting magic from exorcists, while Alice bound a demon-slaying Summoned Beast through soul pact.
From rank-and-file to elite fighters, all stood ready. This wasn’t about glory or conquest – they fought to protect Belmar itself.
Only the Tree of Life remained. Nursed by gardeners in the underground space, the sapling fed on dragon vein magic through Belmar’s roots. Now it towered ten meters, leafy crown brushing the cavern ceiling. Further growth required breaking through to surface.
The moment had come.
"Lord Midi," the elven elder cautioned, "Once it emerges, the old Tree will sense it instantly. No hiding then. Are you prepared?"
Midi nodded, feeling Fina and Alice’s steady presence behind him. "Begin."
The underground space emptied as non-essentials retreated. Only gardeners remained as the elder chanted ancient verses. The Tree’s crown dipped in understanding. Vines snatched the gardeners into its trunk as branches fused into a colossal verdant blade.
With earth-shaking thrust, the living sword pierced stone ceiling and soil alike. Roots devoured Belmar’s original tree while tendrils snaked deeper, coiling around the dragon vein. The trunk-shot upward, tearing through bedrock.
Buildings collapsed across a kilometer as the land heaved. Through thunderous cracks in earth and billowing dust, a new titan rose – the reborn Tree of Life, staking its claim in Belmar’s soil.
