Chapter 227: Ashen Expanse

Sister Elira soon carried Rhayne away, while Lieutenant Garrick finally proceeded to the main topic, sharing information with Max about the monsters they were facing.

Max was distracted by Lieutenant Garrick’s words and had already forgotten Rhayne’s strange reaction.

Meanwhile, Rhayne, who had finally composed herself, hurriedly apologized to Sister Elira.

Sister Elira asked, "Did Max mistreat you badly in the past?"

Rhayne was utterly shocked.

She couldn’t respond.

Sister Elira smiled and caressed her hair.

"No matter the grievance between you two, seeing your reaction shows that you love him."

Rhayne’s face turned serious. "I do not."

Sister Elira was stunned.

Suddenly, she burst into laughter.

"I wasn’t talking about romantic love. But just a love in a way that you acknowledge his presence, as you see him as an individual who is worth receiving a compliment from."

Rhayne was utterly stunned.

She wanted to retort, but the words stuck in her throat.

In the end, she couldn’t help but ponder deeply, while Sister Elira hugged her and continued to comfort her.

Max, meanwhile, was completely ignorant of what had happened between Sister Elira and Rhayne.

He was observing the monster wave from afar in amusement.

"Monsters are as threatening as demons. We can’t treat them lightly."

Max nodded. "That is why I just want to fight against demons, where I’m specialized. My younger brother, on the contrary, left my Guild to establish his own Guild—the Monsters Hunters Guild.

"Don’t worry. His Guild is being sponsored by the Imperial Family as well, so its development couldn’t be any lesser than that of my own Guild."

Lieutenant Garrick nodded. "Once their invasion fails, do you think they will invade again?"

Max shook his head. "I don’t think so.

"But my Guild is not created for us to keep defending."

Lieutenant Garrick was shocked. "What do you mean?"

Max’s face turned solemn as he replied, "We will be fighting in the demons’ territory.

"We will explore the Ashen Expanse."

The Ashen Expanse!

Lieutenant Garrick and Sylwen, as they were stationed in the southern frontier, clearly knew about the Ashen Expanse.

The name originated from an ancient event known simply as the Ashfall Era.

According to the Empire and the Holy Church’s recorded history, the Empire’s territory once belonged to the Ashen Expanse.

The massive conflicts between demons, monsters, and ancient civilizations had devastated the lands during that era.

Cities were reduced to ruins.

Forests were burned.

Rivers were poisoned by corrupted mana.

And countless lives were lost beneath the endless warfare.

For centuries, the land remained unsuitable for human civilization.

Until the arrival of the Godhand of Salvation.

The SSS-Rank Healer was said to have traveled across the devastated lands and witnessed countless humans struggling to survive among monsters, demons, and the remnants of ancient wars.

He eventually made a decision that would change the history of mankind.

He would create a sanctuary.

Using his Authority of Salvation, the Godhand of Salvation purified a massive portion of the Ashen Expanse and established a barrier that separated the surviving human settlements from the surrounding devastation.

The land within that sanctuary gradually became habitable.

Forests returned.

Rivers became clean.

Agriculture became possible.

Cities were rebuilt.

And humanity finally had a place where it could develop without constantly fighting for survival.

That sanctuary eventually became the foundation of the Empire.

The provinces were not originally conquered territories.

They were the lands saved by the Godhand of Salvation.

That was why the Empire’s territory was so different from the lands beyond its borders.

It wasn’t simply protected by armies.

It was protected by the remnants of an ancient divine miracle.

However, that miracle had its limits.

The farther one traveled beyond the Imperial territories, the weaker the influence of the Godhand’s Authority became.

And beyond that boundary lay the Ashen Expanse.

The true remains of the ancient world.

When Lieutenant Garrick and Sylwen heard Max’s plans, they quickly dismissed them as impossible.

But it was Max who said it.

The one who killed the Greater Demon.

If he truly dared to venture into the Ashen Expanse with his demon hunter members, he would be able to survive in that place.

"Why do you want to explore that place? Is defending the Empire and staying here not enough?"

Max shook his head. "Unless we find a way to get rid of those who threatened us, how long can we hold out against their potential attacks?"

Lieutenant Garrick was shocked.

He fell into deep thought.

"Humanity failed and became scared, feeling content with their comfort zone.

"That’s very dangerous.

"How many potential talents have we wasted over the past decades?

"I would rather see them die fighting against demons than from old age."

Lieutenant Garrick and Sylwen were dumbfounded.

Max’s words seemed harsh, but they truly made sense.

As they pondered over Max’s words, Max watched as the monster wave finally advanced toward them.

Without hesitation, he cast Radiant Spear one after another.

He did not want to cast the spell through the "gun" gesture, not wanting to embarrass himself.

Furthermore, he could cast it quickly enough through the normal casting method anyway, so he would rather save face than save time while casting.

When Lieutenant Garrick and Sylwen saw the manifestation of the Radiant Spears and how quickly they traveled, they were awestruck.

If they faced the Radiant Spears, they would find it difficult to evade them.

Especially when Max could multicast, firing Radiant Spears one after another.

They turned toward the monsters and saw many C-rank monsters being penetrated by the Radiant Spears.

What was even more amazing was the Radiant Spears’ penetration.

At least three or four tough Rare monsters were taken down by the Radiant Spears.

One after another, every powerful Rare monster was executed by Max.

Just as the monsters neared the village’s walls, there were barely any Rare monsters left.

Lieutenant Garrick was dumbfounded, but he quickly ordered the rangers to start attacking the monsters.

Max halted his casting by then, simply watching the monsters crawling on the wall, wanting to rip him in half...

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