I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 415

Ian knew that, in this world, darkness meant more than just the absence of light.

The same was true for the blackish-blue tide sweeping over the Wolves now. It wasn't just engulfing them—it was pushing back the dim light of the demonic realm itself, as though consuming its faint illumination.

"Stay low," Ian whispered as he spread his cloak, shielding Lucia beneath it. However, contrary to his words, he straightened his posture and stood firm.

The darkness rushed over him the next moment.

Swoosh.

Of course, the darkness had no effect on Ian. It only left behind a fleeting sensation of coolness and stickiness, the unique feel of refined chaos.

—Now that is a delicious darkness.

Yog whispered in delight as the black horse beneath Ian shuddered and growled.

Ian’s vision, momentarily swallowed by the shadow, quickly cleared again. The deep blue darkness that had surged past them was already beginning to dissipate.

Glancing at Diana, who had flattened herself against the ground in disgust, Ian muttered, "You alive?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you." Lucia's voice slipped out from beneath his cloak. Ian nodded briefly before turning his attention forward again.

Woosh.

Darkness was seeping into the Wolves' armor, swirling between the plates. Their halberds had dulled, and faint blue light was rippling along the blades.

"Good heavens. Even the Wolves?" Lucia peeked out from behind his cloak, her voice laced with disbelief. Ian, however, didn't even flinch. Despite not being divine, the chaos power was fundamentally similar to a god's blessing.

Grrr—

The war beasts' eyes had darkened to pitch black. Their stiffened manes and tails pulsed with the same blackish-blue light. Ian's horse was no exception—he could feel the new strength rippling through the beast's tense muscles.

"Hold on to the saddle." With that warning, Ian released the reins and stepped onto the saddle, rising effortlessly to his feet.

Diana, still keeping low, glanced up in surprise, but Ian didn't spare her a look. His cloak billowed wide as he gained a clearer view over the battlefield, no longer obstructed by the Wolves ahead.

Screams—or perhaps battle cries—rang through the air as the enemy horde surged toward them.

Twisted, grotesquely mutated creatures flooded forward in waves, their dark purple bodies writhing as they closed in. Their warped forms made it difficult to recognize their original shapes. If they weren't wearing crude armor or wielding primitive weapons, Ian might have mistaken them for void monsters instead of beasts.

So the closer we get to the archdemon’s territory, the more we’ll see creatures like these.

He finally understood why so many had fallen for such a foolish lure, and why so many of them had willingly walked into the rift—only to be spat back out on the other side, more monstrous than before. As their mutations deepened, their reasoning faded, leaving only instinct and madness to obey the archdemons and their underlings.

Regardless, there was still some distance between them. They were closing in faster than any normal human could run, of course—but Ian had seen far quicker. And he realized he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

So that's where they went.

The three centaur-like creatures that had lured the horde were now splitting apart, veering left and right as they galloped away. Their movements made it clear—they had no intention of charging into the Wolves.

This gave Ian a much clearer view of their appearance.

Yeah, they're definitely corrupted.

A closer look revealed the centaur-like corrupted creatures to be a chaotic jumble of salvaged equipment. Chains, plates, and leather were all haphazardly layered over their bodies as if they had draped themselves in whatever they could pillage. They also clad their lower halves in heavy barding.

The only pieces of equipment that showed any consistency were the horn bows in their left hands, the shields strapped like shells to their backs, and the long lances secured horizontally across their hindquarters.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahaha—"

With laughter that didn't match their hulking frames, the creatures scattered to the left and right of the Wolf formation as if fleeing. However, the monsters following them did not. The horde continued surging straight ahead, throwing itself recklessly toward the Wolf formation.

"Set lances—" Valten's command rang out, his voice carrying a deep, resonant growl.

As one, the Wolves locked their halberds beneath their arms, bracing them against their bodies. The surrounding air churned, blackish-blue currents of magic mingling with the wind.

Bwoooo—

The sound of a horn echoed immediately after. It came from the fleeing centaurs.

Ian's gaze followed their retreating figures, his eyes narrowing.

"I'll carve the path—follow me!" Valten roared like a beast and broke away from the formation, charging forward. The deep blue darkness clinging to him and his monstrous warhorse trailed behind them, leaving long streaks like afterimages.

However, the Wolves did not immediately follow him. Only after Valten had advanced far enough did the front and rear lines finally begin their charge, each with a slight delay.

The thunderous sound of the massive war horses' hooves reverberated through the air, while the supply wagons increased their speed a beat later.

The black horse carrying Ian also began galloping after them. His cloak billowed even more violently, yet he neither lost his balance nor turned his gaze away. His eyes remained fixed on Valten's back as he charged alone into the heart of the monsters. From a conventional perspective, it was no different from a suicidal act.

Rumble—

But not for the Black Knight, who had been blessed by a darkness sent by an unknown force. The monster skewered by Valten's lance was flung aside like a mere toy, while the deep blue streaks he left behind slashed through the monstrous tide, splitting it in half.

Both of them are freakishly strong.

Valten and his warhorse—Neither could have pulled off such devastation alone. It was a seamless combination of both their strengths.

Crunch!

Of course, it was inevitable that their charge would eventually slow down. However, Valten did not falter. He swung his lance violently, tearing monsters apart as he rampaged like a wild beast, thrusting and slashing with his lance shaft.

Crack, boom—

The deep blue trails left by his lance whirled chaotically through the air. His warhorse was just as ferocious, kicking wildly and swinging its head to stab and slash indiscriminately with the bladed horn protruding from its armored skull.

After completely splitting the monsters in two, the Wolves, wielding their halberds at the front, finally surged forward. Like Valten, they too pierced through the monsters, trampling them underfoot as they advanced.

Fwoosh!

A sudden whirlwind erupted among the monsters, countering the force of their reckless charge. Not a single rider was unseated, thanks, of course, to that deep blue blessing. But it was also due to Valten shattering the monsters' formation.

Crunch!

Following the Wolves at the front, those in the rear filled the empty spaces and crashed into the monsters. In an instant, a sharp arrowhead formation took shape, with Valten at its center.

"Oh, Lu Entre, have mercy—"

The hush exclamation that came from behind prompted Ian to whip his head around. Beneath his billowing cloak, Lucia had risen to her feet. In a swift motion, he caught her wrist and pulled her to his side.

"Are you planning to fall off?"

"I figured I wouldn’t get hurt even if I did."

"That’s not the point."

She’s got guts, I’ll give her that.

Ian let out a quiet huff of laughter, catching Diana’s exasperated glare from the side.

Bwoooo—

Cutting through the cacophony of the battlefield, the sound of a war horn echoed once more. Ian instinctively scanned his surroundings. But the sound carried far, and the thieves who had blown it remained unseen. The horn's sound seemed to carry far and wide.

"I knew they'd be strong, but I didn't expect this much," Lucia murmured in admiration once the horn's echoes faded.

Though she barely reached his chest in height, she had no trouble taking in the full scope of the battlefield.

"At this rate, they might rival the barbarian legions blessed by Karha. No..." She trailed off for a moment, watching as the Wolves tore through the enemy ranks with deadly efficiency. "Perhaps, in large-scale battles against monsters like these, they're even more skilled."

Ian turned his gaze forward again and merely shrugged, inwardly agreeing.

Even though the barbarian warriors had been organized into a legion, they were fundamentally more accustomed to small-scale skirmishes, not that it particularly mattered. What mattered was that the Wolves were even more capable than he had expected.

Though their charge had slowed to little more than a fast march, Valten and his Wolves still pressed forward without stopping. Shredded and dismembered monster corpses littered the path behind them. The stench of foul bodily fluids hung thick in the air.

Of course, some Wolves had fallen, losing their lives in battle. But compared to the sheer scale of slaughter they were unleashing, their casualties were barely significant.

"Die! You filthy monsters!"

"Kill them all—Slaughter!"

Even the danger seemed to thrill the Wolves.

"Do not stop!" And Valten was no exception. He raged on, as if unleashing a fury he had long suppressed. "For His Highness— the Crown Prince!"

The flesh and fluids of monsters had already drenched his deep blue, dark armor.

So, this is their level.

For Ian, who had witnessed countless battlefields in far worse states, it was nothing short of a satisfying sight. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

If warriors like them existed on a legion scale, then locating the core of the demonic realm before the Platinum Dragon destroyed the wall didn't seem to be an impossible feat.

Even more importantly, though it was just a trickle, he was gaining experience points. At the very least, it meant that these warriors recognized him as an ally and comrade.

—I get that watching a fight is fun and all.

Yog's whisper slithered into his mind at that moment. Ian hesitated, and before he knew it, the creature had already perched itself on his shoulder, flicking its thin tongue.

—But something's coming from behind too, my friend.

Ian instinctively turned his head, and Lucia, still gripping his side, did the same. They saw nothing yet; faint mist shrouded the plains they had crossed and the gentle ridges beyond.

"Ah, I see." Ian narrowed his eyes at the distant landscape, curling one corner of his lips. "So that horn was calling for reinforcements."

Diana, who had been focused solely on the battlefield, whipped around to face him. "What? Reinforcement?"

"The cannibalistic corrupted ones." It was Lucia who answered her, turning her gaze back toward the mist. "There are more of them."

"Those crazy horse-munching bastards?" Diana's eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder. The mist along the ridge had stirred.

Her gaze immediately snapped back to Ian. "If they catch up to us, we'll suffer heavy losses. Even if we don't get wiped out, many will die. Or worse, they might just ambush us, retreat, and repeat this whole mess again—"

"I know." Ian cut off her breathless words.

And here I thought I could finally take it easy for once.

He swallowed a sigh before glancing down at Lucia beneath his cloak. "You remember our conversation earlier, don't you?"

"Of course." Lucia nodded at once, then peeked out from beneath the cloak toward Diana. "I'm jumping down. Catch me, Diana."

"Huh? Wha—wait, what?" Before Diana could even fully process her words, Lucia pushed off the saddle and launched herself toward her.

Diana instinctively threw out her arms, catching the girl in a secure hold. Lucia met Diana's masked gaze and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Take me to the carriage. I'll protect you."

"Huh? Oh—uh, yeah. Okay." Diana stared into Lucia's eyes, momentarily entranced, before snapping her gaze away and hurriedly stepping forward.

Lucia let out a faint chuckle. "I can walk on my own."

"Ah, right. Sorry. Didn't mean to." Diana quickly loosened her arms around Lucia and turned her head away, continuing, "A-Anyway, Ian. What exactly are you planning to—"

She stopped mid-sentence. Ian was nowhere to be seen. Blinking in confusion, she turned back—only for her eyes to widen further. Ian had already turned his horse around and come to a halt, facing the rear alone.

At some point, he had drawn his black sword in his right hand, its blade hanging loosely at his side.

A mutter leaked from between Diana's mask. "No way."

Lucia, gripping Diana's wrist, added, "Guarding the rear is Sir Ian's role. Don't worry, let's go. Have you already forgotten Drag Velga?"

"Well, that's true, but—" Diana blinked, dazed, as Lucia pulled her forward.

Here, there were no protective Mantra circuits to shield him. Yet Ian, mounted on his warhorse, stood as composed and unwavering as ever.

"Is he really going to take on those bandits alone?"

Diana had no way of knowing that Ian’s eyes were already gleaming with surging blue magic, a hint of violet chaos flickering at its core. Nor could she see the quest window hovering before him—the one he was reading with an amused smirk curling at the corner of his lips.