I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 566: Arbiter back in action

Rhys dropped from Brutus’s shoulder immediately, landing in a crouch that kept him ready for combat despite not yet understanding what Jack was planning.

Jack’s consciousness dove into his soul space, interfacing with the 246 minotaurs bound to his service. ”Come forth. All of you.”

Reality rippled as 246 massive forms manifested simultaneously, displaced air creating a wind that flattened nearby vegetation and sent the purple mist swirling in chaotic patterns.

The minotaurs towered between seven and ten feet tall, their muscular frames wielding enormous weapons.

Battle axes, war hammers, spiked maces, weapons designed for creatures whose strength operated on superhuman scales.

Brutus stepped forward to join his brethren, bringing the total count to 247 minotaurs.

The soldiers on the castle walls noticed immediately, their attention snapping from the attacking snakes to the army of minotaurs that had just appeared behind the siege.

Shouts of alarm rang out, weapons turning toward the new threat as defenders tried to process whether they were about to be caught between two attacking forces.

Torchlight glinted off the horns and weapons as the minotaurs arranged themselves into formation.

The castle’s defenders could see clearly now what had arrived.

It was an army that dwarfed the snake assault in terms of pure martial capability.

”Father Caelen,” Jack’s voice cut through the confusion with absolute authority. ”Buff them. Everything you have.”

The old priest dismounted from Voidweaver, his boots hitting the ground as mana gathered around his weathered form.

Golden light erupted from his position, spreading outward in waves that washed over every minotaur and party member within range, bright enough to push back the darkness and purple mist in an expanding radius.

”Light of Caelora!” Father Caelen’s voice carried power that transcended his elderly appearance, invoking his patron deity with conviction born from decades of faithful service.

[All allies have been blessed with Light of Caelora]

[+50 to all Stats (HP and Mana excluded)]

[Duration: 5 Minutes]

The minotaurs straightened as the blessing settled into their bodies, already formidable strength being elevated beyond normal capability.

Their weapons gleamed with reflected light, the contrast between holy blessing and beastly nature creating a paradox that would have confused anyone who believed such combinations were impossible.

The golden radiance illuminated the battlefield now, pushing back shadows and revealing the full scope of the snake assault.

Hundreds of serpents covered the castle walls, their scales reflecting the holy light in ways that made their corrupted nature more apparent.

Then Father Caelen’s hands slammed together, his demeanor transforming into a more resolute and authoritative presence, departing from his customary gentle disposition.

”Final Edict!”

Radiant energy exploded outward from his position, expanding into a perfect dome twenty meters in radius.

The barrier’s edge caught hundreds of snakes as it formed, trapping them inside the suddenly enclosed arena.

The dome’s interior blazed with holy light that burned corrupted flesh on contact, dealing continuous damage to every hostile creature caught within its boundaries.

The barrier stopped precisely at the castle’s front entrance, its edge pressing against the stone fortification without breaching into the structure itself.

But as Father Caelen stepped forward, the dome moved with him.

Its center point is locked to his position rather than remaining stationary.

Any snakes that had been between the expanding dome and the castle wall found themselves crushed, caught between immovable stone and an advancing barrier that didn’t care about obstacles in its path.

Their bodies compressed into paste as energy and physical architecture combined to eliminate anything trapped in the shrinking space.

The soldiers on the ramparts stopped shouting in alarm, their tactical awareness recognizing what was happening even if they didn’t understand who had initiated it.

The golden light made everything visible now.

The beastly army, the holy barrier, the systematic elimination of threats that had been seconds away from breaching their fortress.

They weren’t being attacked.

They were being saved.

Jack’s command resonated across the battlefield, his voice projecting with considerable force amidst the clamor of conflict and the discharge of energy. ”CHARGE!”

Two hundred forty-seven minotaurs roared in unison, the sound combining into a cacophony that made the ground tremble and echoed off the castle walls.

They could accelerate from a stationary position to full sprint within seconds, showcasing remarkable agility despite their substantial size.

They hit the trapped snakes like an avalanche of muscle and steel.

Battle axes efficiently cleaved through serpent bodies, with the weapons’ substantial mass and the minotaurs’ strength generating forces that shattered scales and severed spines.

War hammers pulverized snake skulls with single impacts, bone and brain matter exploding outward as creatures designed to withstand normal attacks proved woefully inadequate against the assault enhanced by the blessing.

The smaller snakes died instantly, their bodies torn apart by weapons that weighed more than entire serpents.

The truck-sized ones lasted slightly longer, thanks to their durability, and survived the initial impacts long enough to attempt counterattacks.

Their fangs struck minotaur flesh, venom pumping into them as the serpents tried to incapacitate their attackers through biological warfare.

Nothing happened.

The venom had no effect; minotaurs continued their assault without slowing, as toxins that should have paralyzed or killed them failed to take hold.

Jack’s eyes narrowed as he observed the immunity from his position outside the dome, his tactical mind flagging the anomaly for future investigation.

Minotaurs weren’t supposed to be immune to all venoms.

There was something else at play, some factor he didn’t yet understand.

But whatever the cause, the result was absolute slaughter.

Five minutes.

The 247 minotaurs systematically eliminated hundreds of snakes, transforming the battlefield into a scene of severed serpent bodies and spilled blood that steamed in the cool night air.

The Final Edict’s continuous damage contributed to the massacre, holy light burning corrupted flesh, while the minotaurs tore through physical forms with brutal efficiency.

The soldiers on the walls watched in stunned silence, their torches and magical lights now supplemented by the radiant dome’s golden glow.

They could see everything.

Each successful engagement, every neutralized threat, and every instance of the synchronized defense contributed to preserving their stronghold amid a deteriorating siege.

Then the last of the smaller snakes died, and every minotaur turned their attention toward the real threat.

The Disaster-class serpent reared back, its massive body coiling as it prepared to charge. Green scales gleamed in the combined light of pure energy and torches.

Muscles rippling beneath armored hide as the creature recognized it was facing actual opposition rather than helpless defenders.

Its mouth opened wide, revealing fangs as long as a greatsword, venom dripping from its tips to hiss and steam where it struck the ground.

The creature’s greenish eyes locked onto the minotaur formation, intelligence clear in its gaze as it assessed the threat and prepared its response.

Father Caelen’s hands moved in a complex gesture, energy shifting from the fading Final Edict into a new configuration. ”Searing Chains!”

Flaming bindings erupted from thin air, wrapping around the giant snake’s body.

The chains caught everything, binding the massive serpent with restraints that burned corrupted flesh on contact while simultaneously restricting movement.

The snake thrashed, its enormous strength straining against the divine bindings.

The chains held, but barely, cracks forming in the flaming links as Disaster-class power tested holy magic’s durability.