Chapter 608
Chapter 608: Let’s Go Wild After a Long Time (4)
When Ghislaine caught the Grex, numbering up to 200,000 in the Forest of Monsters, she also used the Chain Lightning magic.
At that time, Vanessa lacked the mana to face the large horde of Grex. So, she buried many Runestones around to harness that power.
The reason Ghislaine could recall that method was because of Jerome.
In his previous life, Jerome had enjoyed using this magic against the massive onslaught of monsters as well.
Because of that memory, Ghislaine had prepared the same spell against the Grex. And now, Jerome was casting that very magic that had only remained in Ghislaine’s memory.
All by himself, using only his own mana.
Swoosh…
Ash fell like snow from the sky.
The sight of gray ash slowly settling on the ground was strangely beautiful.
The traces of the flying monsters that once covered the sky now quietly blanketed the earth like a springtime flower shower.
For a moment, it seemed as though the noise of battle had ceased in the miraculous scene. The gaze of the fortress troops briefly turned toward the sky.
Between the veils of ash, the blue sky began to reveal itself little by little.
“Phew!”
Due to the excessive use of mana, Jerome felt dizzy and staggered. Yet, a satisfied smile graced his lips.
“Success.”
Though Ghislaine had witnessed this scene many times, it was Jerome’s first time using it against such a force.
If he didn’t properly control the scale and scope of the magic, it could injure allies too. That’s why it had been cautious usage.
Fortunately, there were only flying monsters above, so no allies were harmed.
Had Jerome been alone in the fight, he might not have poured out such tremendous mana all at once. He was able to attempt it because he was with allies.
“I should have tried this sooner.”
Ironically, Jerome’s idea for this magic came from Ghislaine.
During their time together, he had heard various stories from the People of Penris. Among them was the story of how Vanessa dealt with the Grex legion using magic in the Forest of Monsters.
So, he took the chance to test it himself.
In this way, the past and future of each influenced the other, intertwining.
“Waaaaah!”
The fortress troops, mesmerized by Jerome’s massive magic, belatedly erupted in cheers.
This is why mages are important. When magic works properly, it can instantly turn the tide of battle.
Ghislaine, also fighting a Cyclops, glanced at the fortress and smiled.
“Our darling is doing well. Truly, nothing beats magic for a swift breakthrough.”
Many monsters were still rushing toward the fortress. But even reducing the number of flying monsters significantly alleviated the fortress’s burden.
“Alright! Charge forward now!”
“We can win! The situation has turned in our favor!”
“Give it a little more effort!”
The commanders’ shouts echoed everywhere, and the morale of the soldiers soared.
As the Cyclops’s missile attacks ceased and the number of flying monsters drastically decreased, the fortress troops began to gain an advantage.
Jerome focused solely on restraining the remaining flying monsters. The others were dealing excellently with the monsters advancing toward the fortress.
The monsters that managed to reach the fortress were quickly brought down by Belinda’s efforts.
Each time she raised her hand, the daggers moved in unison. The daggers danced through the air as if they were living creatures, responding to her will.
Boom! Crash!
The screams of monsters echoed in all directions. Each time the silver glints sliced through the air, monsters fell.
One, ten, a hundred… countless monsters succumbed to Belinda’s daggers.
Not a single ally was harmed. Nevertheless, the monsters kept falling like leaves.
Every one of her gestures dictated the fate of the monsters that had come onto the fortress. Like a conductor of a grand orchestra, she was playing the symphony of death.
Marquis Alperen shouted as he witnessed the scene.
“Step back a bit! Use the monsters’ corpses as a barricade!”
Boom!
The soldiers lined up and took a step back.
It was a timely command. The piled bodies of monsters were now becoming an obstacle for the fortress troops to fight effectively.
The newly arriving monsters had no choice but to scatter in all directions due to the mountain of corpses.
Jerome was not the only mage active on the battlefield.
While he defended allies and took care of the flying monsters, Vanessa was conducting the battlefield.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Every time she gestured, the ranks of monsters exploded.
Vanessa surveyed the battlefield carefully. It was impossible for her alone to eliminate so many monsters.
Thus, she focused on reducing ally casualties and creating a favorable situation for combat.
“Earth Wall.”
Rumble!
A massive wall of earth rose amidst the tsunami of monsters. The walls that sprang up temporarily halted the monsters’ advance.
Since it was a spell that could be cast using minimal mana, Vanessa continuously created walls.
Boom!
The large monsters struck the earth walls, trying to break through and advance. However, the small monsters were unable to do so.
The small monsters, which had been running vigorously, fell into chaos and collapsed as their advance was suddenly obstructed. The mid-sized and large monsters trampled the small ones thoughtlessly.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Even when the large monsters destroyed the walls, fresh earth walls emerged in no time.
In the meantime, arrows and magic poured down on areas where monsters had become trapped.
While there were allies directly fighting the monsters, making indiscriminate kills was tricky. By slowing the monsters’ advance and trapping them, it actually became easier to attack them.
Crash!
In front of the fortress, only Yulien was fighting alone. In front of him, a mountain of corpses had piled up.
With each swing of Yulien’s sword, the approaching monsters were split apart with the earth.
Even Yulien, oblivious to fear, felt tension building as enormous monsters approached.
But he didn’t evade. He knew that if he was struck a few more times, the fortress walls would crumble.
Thanks to his endurance, the number of monsters advancing onto the fortress was reduced sharply.
“……”
In his gaze, a hint of fatigue appeared. Though he had killed so many, it felt endless. His mana was now less than half.
Slash!
Boom!
Nonetheless, Yulien didn’t stop.
“If I get rid of even a few more monsters, the fortress will be safe.”
Yulien lowered his stance and elegantly turned his body. As soon as his determination flowed into the sword, it felt like the world held its breath in fear.
“……”
His sword gleamed as it cut through the air. It was no simple weapon; it was a tool to decree the laws of the world.
Yulien found the gaps in reality and forcefully pushed them open. The laws of time and space faltered before his will.
Crash!
A deafening sound echoed as if the space screamed. The waves of reality twisted and tore apart, distorting everything.
The boundary between time and space collapsed. Reality split, leaving only his determination and energy within the cracks.
Slash.
The monsters gathering around Yulien were all sliced in half and fell. They met their deaths without even being able to scream.
Yet, the one who performed this miracle, Yulien, frowned slightly.
Roar!
The monsters suffered less damage than expected. Those further behind were not cleaved; they suffered only minor wounds.
This meant that Yulien’s attack had weakened, having consumed so much mana.
The monsters charged violently towards Yulien.
With a cold expression, Yulien gripped his sword tightly. Just a little more, he needed to hold on a bit longer.
At that moment, a massive earth wall arose right in front of the charging monsters.
Rumble!
Boom!
The monsters’ advance came to a halt. They struck the wall wildly.
Thanks to that, Yulien could catch his breath for a moment. Truly, Vanessa had timely blocked the way.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
As a brief moment passed, the walls crumbled. Countless monsters rushed in again.
As if waiting for that moment, hundreds of daggers poured down like a waterfall from the fortress above.
Roar!
The approaching monsters screamed as they fell.
Belinda descended beside Yulien, smiling wearily.
“Thanks to you holding them off down below, I’ve nearly dealt with the ones above. The rest can be handled by the soldiers too. Now let’s hold the line together.”
Yulien nodded. With the fortress on the brink of collapse, someone had to hold the front.
Roar!
The two unleashed their attacks without restraint against the oncoming monsters.
When their mana was fully exhausted, they would inevitably have to retreat to the fortress, but if they held on a little longer, they could completely turn the tide of battle.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
At some point, lightning and flames fell before them, clearing out the monsters.
Jerome had started helping below while dealing with the remaining flying monsters.
Marquis Alperen also assessed the situation. The monsters onto the fortress were dwindling.
“Archers and Mages, support the front of the fortress! Hurry!”
While aiming for the gaps in the ranks of monsters would effectively deal damage, it was more important to relieve the fatigue of the superhumans fighting below.
Now that the fortress had a bit of breathing room, they needed to support the front.
Boom!
The archers and mages assisted Yulien and Belinda. Thanks to that, the two could fight a little more easily.
Vanessa’s primary concern was not the fortress front.
Instead, she focused on aiding the isolated knights of Penris in the most perilous rear.
Rumble!
Countless earth walls appeared around the Penris knights engaged in combat. Columns of fire erupted around them.
Vanessa carefully supported the Penris knights. She ensured that more than a certain number of monsters wouldn’t swarm them.
Thanks to her proper coordination, the knights of Penris had been able to maintain their strength against all those monsters thus far.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Roar!
Even though magic exploded around them non-stop, the Penris knights paid it no mind.
They all trusted Vanessa’s skills.
They concentrated solely on killing the monsters directly in front of them. At this point, each of them was a remarkable fighting machine.
And among them, there was one engaged in the most intense battle.
Roar!
A Cyclops, covered in wounds, finally had its head severed.
“Hah…”
As the monsters rushed in from behind, they surrounded Ghislaine, drenched in blood.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Ghislaine’s greatsword moved mercilessly. The two remaining Cyclopes relentlessly struck the ground with their clubs in an attempt to capture him.
Roar!
The monsters charged forward, dying under Ghislaine’s greatsword and the Cyclopes’ clubs.
Crunch.
Ghislaine gritted his teeth and swung his greatsword.
Roar!
Dozens of monsters that had been swarming him were obliterated in a single swipe. Many monsters were sent tumbling back from the shockwave.
Screech!
As the Black King leapt into the empty space, Ghislaine again swung his greatsword. Magic spears continuously formed and launched through the air around him.
Even amidst it all, Ghislaine dodged the huge clubs flawlessly.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
A sound reverberated that made the earth tremble.
At the center of that sound was Ghislaine. Together with the Black King, Ghislaine dominated the battlefield in perfect harmony.
Roar!
With lightning-like speed, Ghislaine weaved through the monsters. Everywhere his sword struck, monsters were torn apart.
Ghislaine’s eyes were cold, but the madness hidden within surpassed that of the monsters.
Flesh and gore filled the air. In the wake of Ghislaine’s passage, only destruction and despair remained. His very presence was akin to a natural disaster.
Roar!
The monsters, driven only by instinct, shuddered at the sight. Their primitive senses emitted alarm signals.
The being before them was no entity of their kind.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Every motion Ghislaine made was laced with calculated cruelty. The bodies of the monsters scattered and vanished before his sword.
The struggle between instinct and reason. No, in the fight between instincts, the monsters were the ones being outmatched.
Ghislaine’s momentum continued to grow wilder, and the battlefield was reshaped as per his will.
Roar!
The flesh of monsters was torn apart and exploded in all directions.
‘Not much left. They’re almost all out.’
Even as he moved ceaselessly, Ghislaine gauged the situation. The monsters emerging from the mountain range had indeed begun to dwindle.
This meant that no more monsters would appear in this area.
‘Just hold on a bit longer.’
He couldn’t have fought any more flawlessly. Everyone was doing their part well.
It was simply that the number of powerful monsters was too great, preventing them from overwhelming the foes.
However, there were still reinforcements here. They would arrive soon.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Magic erupted across the battlefield, and arrows continued to fly in all directions. The soldiers’ spirited cheers and the monsters’ roars filled the air.
How long had it been?
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The sound of approaching hooves echoed. Finally, the awaited reinforcements had arrived.
Vanessa, who had been saving her mana to assist her allies, lit up with excitement. She extended her arms to the side and poured all her remaining mana into casting the spell.
BWOOOOOOSSHHHHH!
A wall, larger and longer than ever before, began to rise from the ground.
This wall blocked the way for Jerome and Belinda, who were fighting at the front of the fortress.
And it also stopped the monsters that were battling Ghislaine and the knights of Penris.
Roar!
Both sides could only face a few monsters due to the wall. The multitude of monsters that had filled this area was now caught against the walls on either side.
The monsters paused momentarily, but soon began attacking the wall with wild howls.
Rumble!
At that moment, the sky darkened. A tremendous amount of mana converged in one place, twisting the space and sharply increasing the pressure in the atmosphere.
The monsters were oblivious to this bizarre phenomenon, caught up in madness. However, the skilled individuals, including Ghislaine, quickly sensed the change.
A victory-confirming smile spread across Ghislaine’s lips. He turned slightly and whispered.
“They’re here.”
Over the horizon, more than a thousand mages emerged.
All of them began to release their mana towards the confined space occupied by the monsters.
