Chapter 324
Chapter 324: You Can Do It. (3)
[What I learned later… The Grexes had formed an unbelievably massive kingdom deep underground. Queen Grex lays dozens and hundreds of eggs every day. Those born from the eggs live by eating the monsters and beasts that dwell in the ground, and when food is scarce, they even resort to cannibalism among themselves. We were unaware of this.]
Kwaaang!
The blood of the Grexes scattered like a storm. Ghislaine spared no effort.
“Just a little further! Keep it up!”
At some moment, the surroundings became densely packed with Grexes. They were frantically rushing towards Ghislaine and the group to rescue Queen Grex.
“Kiieeeek!”
Queen Grex continued to scream at the top of her lungs, making the forest tremble. Kaor shouted,
“Can’t we just shut that thing up?”
“Useless. It’s not calling them by noise.”
In the previous life, the Duke’s knights tried to gag Queen Grex as well. Yet the Grexes surged forth regardless of her cries.
It implied there was another way to summon the Grexes, but even the Duke’s faction couldn’t figure that out.
After all, the abilities of monsters were often quite unpredictable, making it difficult to understand their mechanisms.
Belinda urgently suggested a different approach.
“What if we just kill her? We can toss her to those creatures, and then use the troops to systematically wipe them out.”
Ghislaine shook her head with a grim expression.
“That won’t work either. That’ll create a bigger problem.”
[We couldn’t fend off the incoming Grexes with our own power. The camp was swiftly overwhelmed, and countless soldiers died. Even the elite knights and wizards couldn’t cope with such tremendous numbers. Ultimately, we decided to retreat, killing Queen Grex to prevent the Grexes from advancing.]
Kwaaang! Kwaaaang!
Every swing of Ghislaine’s sword caused dozens of Grexes to burst apart.
Yet, the number of Grexes showed no sign of diminishing. Belinda, unable to hide her frustration, asked again,
“Why? What happens if we kill her?”
“Perdium will be doomed.”
[Killing Queen Grex was the worst mistake. Without their queen, the Grexes went completely berserk. They scattered in all directions, seemingly searching for the human who killed their queen. It was an overwhelming number. It felt like every last Grex that had been hiding underground had emerged. The Grex tsunami swept away everything in its path.]
Belinda’s face went blank in shock for a moment. Fighting in the Forest of Monsters, what did Perdium even have to do with this?
“What do you mean by that?”
“They’ll head outside.”
[The Grexes eventually broke free from the Forest of Monsters. They first turned Perdium, which was closest to the forest, into a wreck. Countless people died, and facilities were destroyed. Nevertheless, the Grexes did not stop and began to scatter in all directions.]
Ghislaine gritted her teeth and shouted again.
“We need to reach the fortress! We must trap Queen Grex there and use her to hold off those things! That way, the Grexes will keep attacking the fortress instead of going elsewhere!”
[We were utterly unprepared to stop them. In the end, Count Harold Desmond led the Northern Army, and Commander Arel Haidun, who had been facing the barbarians at the Northern Fortress, brought the fortress troops to finally suppress the Grexes.]
Responding to Ghislaine’s shout, the group rushed through the Grexes in a frenzy. Even if they wanted to ask more questions, there was no time due to the increasing number of assailants.
Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
“Kiieeeek!”
Everyone spared no mana. The incoming Grexes had already surpassed the count of thousands. They continued to surge from somewhere, charging towards the group.
If they got surrounded by mistake, they would be torn apart in an instant.
This territory belonged entirely to the Grexes. The monsters knew this, which was why they hadn’t attempted to claim this land.
“Uaaah! Damn it! I’m going to be caught again!”
Gordon, who was trailing at the back with the Grexes following him, screamed in panic. The Grexes were sticking so close that he was slowing down.
He had a trauma from being caught by a monster. Not wanting to be captured again, he swung his sword with all his might, but there were simply too many charging Grexes.
The knights alongside him fought bravely, but it was no longer enough.
Swoosh!
“Ugh!”
One by one, the Grexes clung to the knights’ armor.
Even if they shook them off while running, more would latch on. At this rate, they would surely be swallowed by the Grex tsunami.
Ghislaine, assessing the situation, shouted,
“Belinda! Kaor! Clear the path! I’ll cover the rear!”
“You Young Master!”
Belinda gasped, but Ghislaine disregarded her and instantly moved to the back.
Kwaaang!
The Grexes clinging to the knights were flung away by Ghislaine’s sword strikes. The knights finally took a breath and charged forward.
Alfoy, who had been hanging limply at Belinda’s side, started to think quickly.
‘The rear is being held by the Lord. The front is cleared by Kaor. So I need to run faster.’
He didn’t have much mana left. He had used a considerable amount while putting on a performance in front of Queen Grex.
Thinking he was finally out of danger, Alfoy, snug in Belinda’s embrace, felt a renewed sense of crisis.
‘If I get caught, I die.’
So he squeezed out every last bit of his remaining mana. Having lived a life of mere construction, the amount of mana wasn’t much, but his ability to manipulate it had improved tremendously compared to before.
Zing—!
The resonance of mana spread in all directions. Alfoy used all his strength to cast a spell that made everyone lighter and faster.
“Eh!”
“What?! What is this? Magic?”
“Awesome! I’m faster!”
Everyone was taken by surprise as they suddenly felt their bodies lighten. With this, escaping became much easier.
Alfoy was the only magician present. His actions were clear.
Casting magic on several people simultaneously was not an easy task. It required immense concentration and mana manipulation.
For someone like Alfoy to pull this off! Truly, he was someone who steps up in a pinch.
However, Belinda glared at Alfoy, who was next to her.
She was skilled enough to sense the flow of mana emanating from Alfoy. Thus, she realized.
In this magic application, there was one person who was left out.
“You… you purposely left the Young Master out, didn’t you?”
Alfoy’s spell did not reach Ghislaine, who was holding off the Grexes at the rear.
As Belinda glared at him in anger, Alfoy shook his head vigorously, looking exhausted.
“Ah, no! It’s because I ran out of mana before reaching that far! That’s my limit! I barely managed to cast it on everybody else! You can tell by looking at my face!”
Alfoy protested, seeming quite wronged. He looked deathly pale, shaking all over.
But the truth, once known, could not be hidden. Reluctantly, Belinda gritted her teeth and turned away.
“Young Master!”
As they felt lighter, the distance from Ghislaine gradually widened. Kaor was also breaking through the Grex encirclement thanks to that boost.
Ghislaine laughed heartily as if she didn’t care.
“Well done, Alfoy! Everyone, don’t worry about me and run to the fortress! I’ll catch up soon!”
Belinda hesitated for a moment but decided to trust Ghislaine.
Ghislaine was the strongest among the group. Even if she tried to help, she might only get in the way.
It would be more helpful to reach the fortress quickly and bring out the troops.
Kwaaang! Kwaang!
The knights alongside Kaor, moving ahead, were busier than ever. They needed to deal with the Grexes and secure a path to drag Queen Grex along.
“Damn it! Shit! This crazy forest! Am I insane for following along again?!”
Kaor cursed multiple times as he swung his sword.
When they held the Monster Wave at the Shadow Mountain Range, they at least fought alongside the army. They had never charged through with such a small number.
The Lord, who nonchalantly executes such a reckless plan, is truly insane. What kind of confidence does he have to always act this way?
Looking back after surviving would surely be thrilling and exciting, but right now, it seemed like he wouldn’t last until his next birthday.
Amidst their frantic slashes at the Grexes and felling trees, Kaor and the knights finally spotted a clearing ahead.
“We’re almost there!”
Kaor shouted joyfully. They had definitely reached close to the fortress. The watchtower would have a clear view of the situation here.
Indeed, around this area, it thankfully appeared they were no longer in the Grex territory, and no more emerged from the ground.
Giving up his pride in the heat of the moment, Kaor shouted words he had sworn never to utter in his life.
“Old man! Help me!”
Fwoosh!
At that moment, a torrential rain of arrows poured down from the fortress.
“Kiieeeek!”
The Grexes chasing the group were struck by arrows and fell in heaps. Although there were still many behind them, the mere disappearance of the ones flanking them provided a huge help.
Gillian, watching the situation from the highest point of the fortress, opened his eyes wide and shouted,
“Fire! We need to secure an escape route!”
Fwoosh!
Arrows flew again. Gillian was already well-prepared for battle on Ghislaine’s orders.
If the soldiers attacked the approaching Grexes from a wide formation, the elves attempted precise support attacks.
“Kiieeeek!”
Thud!
A Grex leaped beside a knight, only to have its head pierced and fall.
The elves’ near miraculous archery skill cleared the way for the fleeing group.
“Kiieeeek!”
The cries of the Grexes echoed all around. The fleeing group didn’t have time to comprehend it, but Gillian, watching from above, gulped nervously.
“What the… is this…?”
The forest trembled. The red hue of the Grexes looked like a red tsunami was rolling in.
Dududududududu!
In his life, he had never seen so many monsters converge at once. Even hunters who made their living by hunting monsters in the Shadow Mountain Range had never experienced anything like this.
It was horrifying. That horde of Grexes seemed capable of devouring the fortress in an instant.
The soldiers, witnessing the approaching Grexes, broke out in cold sweat.
“W-where in the world did all those monsters come from?”
“Weren’t there supposed to be plenty of them visible from the forest already?”
“The Lord again…”
Everyone nodded at someone’s final remark. If something weird happens, it’s always the Lord’s doing.
Thank goodness they had built the fortress. If they had met those monsters without it?
Hell would have spread out right here.
Of course, they couldn’t afford to feel complacent just because there was a fortress. Looking at the numbers, it seemed this solid fortress would not hold for long.
“Lower the rope!”
When Gillian commanded, the remaining knights quickly lowered a sturdy rope. Those who had reached the front rushed to grab it and ascend rapidly.
“Kiieeeek!”
Queen Grex, being pulled up to the fortress, screamed and thrashed about.
The soldiers grimaced at the grotesque sight, but did not attack her.
They had all received the message that this monster was the key objective of the operation.
“Where is the Lord?! Where is the Lord?!”
In response to Gillian’s shout, Belinda, who was covered in blood and looking a mess, spoke up.
“Prepare the knights immediately! We need to rescue the Young Master!”
Gillian urgently turned his head. An even greater number of Grexes were coming now.
The soldiers were diligently shooting arrows but instead of decreasing, their numbers kept increasing.
It looked like it would easily surpass tens of thousands. The ground trembled and the forest shook with the movements of the Grexes.
It was then that Gillian fully understood the meaning behind the orders Ghislaine had given before leaving.
— Just in case, I’m telling you, no matter what happens, don’t ever come out. Hold the fortress with all your might. If the fortress is breached, Perdium will surely be doomed.
Crack.
Gillian bit down hard, feeling his teeth nearly break. If such monstrous creatures escaped the Forest of Monsters, Perdium would certainly be obliterated.
It might even require help from the Crown Prince faction, not just the Duke faction.
He had to uphold the Lord’s order. But he couldn’t leave the Lord alone amidst those hordes of monsters.
Even a Swordmaster would surely tire and die facing such numbers.
Seeing Gillian hesitate, Belinda cried out.
“Gillian! Prepare the knights immediately!”
Gillian looked around.
The soldiers were already starting to show fear at the absence of their Lord.
Those who had participated in the operation, Kaor and the knights, were crumpled on the ground, covered in exhaustion.
‘Lord…’
Gillian turned his head to look at Vanessa, who was waiting at the side.
She had already inscribed a magic circle on the ground and was waiting with the wizards. Everyone had completed the preparations that Ghislaine had given them.
However, for the magic to activate, the Lord had to be present. Casting magic now would surely catch the Lord in it too.
“Kiieeeek!”
Dududududududu!
The Grexes had now gathered thickly in front of the fortress. The soldiers and elves kept firing arrows with terrified expressions.
Gillian sighed deeply and shouted.
“Everyone, hold your ground! With all your strength, block the incoming Grexes! I won’t allow even a single person to leave their post!”
“Gillian!”
Belinda yelled with fierce determination in her eyes. She glared at Gillian, throwing off her robe and drawing her dagger.
She was willing to venture alone to save Ghislaine.
At that moment, Gillian, gripping two massive axes in both hands, declared,
“I will bring the Lord back for certain. Just hold on until then.”
Kuwung!
He left those words behind and jumped down from the fortress.
