Solitary Sword Sovereign Part 2

Duke's Audacious Plan!

Alice's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Merlin, Woodsy. Glad to see you guys. What have you discovered?"

Merlin had the appearance of was a cute blonde blue-eyed girl, whose body was adorned in lavish regalia. Her mage's robe was also quite eye-catching. Even her staff looked flashy with a large diamond-like gem at the tip. Her face was incredibly charming, while her robe did little to hide her incredible curves. Her massive chest swayed from side to side as she walked while her short height and immature face gave a childlike temperament.

Merlin's voice held a note of caution. "The ogres are amassing their forces, preparing for a significant offensive. They appear emboldened, as if sensing a change in the winds of battle. We must be prepared for a fierce confrontation."

The chubby and freckled Woodsy was usually upbeat like Alice, but during times of war, she was always calm and composed. After all, even before her trip into the Gate of Knowledge, she was the only Supreme Candidate that was on the same level as Alexa and Ibrahim. Thus when she was in battle mode, her tone even became formal, completely giving others the impression like she was someone else, "The time for action draws near. Duke's presence is crucial to our plans. We can't wait any longer. We should launch our attack. The fate of this war hangs in the balance. I don't doubt our ability to win, but we need to keep the focus on Letty so Merlin and I will limit our movements."

The excuse Merlin and Woodsy had used was that the Dragonheart Empire had limited their ability to act if Will wasn't present, and there was some truth to this. Thus Letty, Alice and Duke still had to take the final step themselves. Once this stronghold fell, they would have far less to worry about.

Duke always pictured himself as a weakling. The members of the expedition were quite gifted, each possessing unique talents that far surpassed his own. He couldn't help but feel a pang of inadequacy as he compared himself to Letty, the powerful Necromancer hailing from an advanced planet, Alice with her unparalleled information processing abilities, Merlin's mastery of fire and light magic, and Woodsy's exceptional skills in wood element cultivation and vast wealth of knowledge. Duke recognized that his contributions seemed meagre in comparison. While he excelled in hunting yin-type monsters and possessed knowledge of military strategy, it was difficult not to dwell on his perceived weaknesses.

Thus only a day after Will had gone, motivated by a newfound determination, Duke embarked on a relentless hunt for ogres in the vicinity of Tsimikas. For an entire week, he honed his skills and pushed himself to his limits. With each battle, he gained experience and levelled up, gradually shedding the shackles of his own limitations. Finally, after days of aggressive training, Duke reached the impressive level of 85.

His archery prowess had reached unimaginable heights. A single, fully powered arrow from Duke could lay waste to a hill, and his accuracy remained unwavering even while running, allowing him to strike targets hundreds of meters away. Duke's perseverance and dedication had transformed him into a force to be reckoned with if one used Earth's standards.

A day prior to the war on Kolladas, news reached Duke's ears, whispering of a pocket dimension concealed within the realm, holding an inheritance specifically designed for archers. He had received clues about his inheritance earlier, but he needed the final piece of the puzzle to act, not to mention the fact that he had been too low levelled to make a difference earlier. Now that he was level 85, things were different.

The creator of this dimension was rumoured to be none other than Hou Yi, a legendary archer deity whose abilities aligned perfectly with Duke's own attributes. Aware of the immense challenges that lay ahead, Duke acknowledged the slim odds of emerging from the pocket dimension with the coveted inheritance. However, he was undeterred. He devised a plan, anticipating every possible outcome.