At the temple entrance. Naga warriors were lined up in orderly formations. Though there had been some combat, as evidenced by the black blood of feral beasts and the remains of undead scattered around the entrance.
“Sha. Great Chief. Will you keep watching?”
“Sha. The warriors are thirsty for blood.”
“Sha. This is our sacred ground.”
The chieftains, each a head taller than regular warriors, surrounded the Great Chief Raknesha, talking amongst themselves.
“Sha. Wait. The time of the promise has not yet come.”
Raknesha spoke in a low voice, watching the strange battle unfolding in the temporary fortress. Endless beasts with heads of cows emerged from the dark gate.
And the undead soldiers that continually revived even after dying. These invaders, led by those two, relentlessly attacked the barrier. Defending against them were not human warriors but peculiar weapons.
Various weapons formed in formations above the sky, mechanically tearing apart enemies crossing the barrier with no emotion whatsoever.
The Great Chief had no idea what the point of this prolonged combat, which had been going on for over a day, was. All he could think of was the conversation he had with a group of humans at the barrier the previous day.
When the battle had temporarily calmed, and the fortress was built in an instant, Great Chief Raknesha, accompanied by young war chiefs, visited the barrier.
Though he feared the aerial weapon army might target them, they did not recognize him as an enemy, allowing them to enter the fortress without incident.
Two individuals represented the humans. One with a stature comparable to a warrior, albeit fake, , and a small child, no more than half his size.
“What brings the Naga tribe here?”
The small human had asked, but Raknesha ignored him. It was best not to converse with the deceitful human race.
“Sha. Human warrior who has inherited His will. Do you have any remaining words from Him?”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to speak directly. Also, my memory of Him is still incomplete. But I seem to recall a vague feeling of regret regarding your tribe.”
“Sha. Is that so?”
It was regrettable but inevitable. It was their own fault for not being able to witness His final moments.
“Sha. Human warrior. I have a proposal.”
“Speak.”
“Sha. This place is our sacred ground, passed down for generations. We must drive out the vile invaders. Will you join hands with us?”
Thus, an impromptu alliance was formed. The humans claimed they could maintain the barrier on their own. They asked for assistance in counterattacking once they sustained their strength in defense, which Raknesha readily agreed to.
‘There’s no need to spill our tribe’s blood in the battles of deceitful humans. We can intervene if the barrier becomes truly endangered, regardless of the agreement.’
Having witnessed the immense power of the humans’ guardian and the warrior who inherited His will, he thought they would hold out to some extent.
But he never imagined the battle would unfold as it did.
“Sha. Great Chief. Do we have to keep this promise with the humans?”
The chieftains continued to press, but Raknesha remained unchanged in his thoughts. Immediate participation in battle was also hindered by the current lack of ‘elite forces’.
Perhaps if other great chieftains and high war chiefs arrived.
‘If the humans can hold out until then, there’s no downside. The reinforcements won’t take much longer to arrive.’
When that time comes, there will be no place for humans in this sacred ground. Except, of course, the heir of that figure.
“Sha. What is that?”
“Sha. A human is flying in the sky.”
Raising his head at the chieftains’ words, he saw three dark shadows flying through the sky toward the temple from outside. Their destination was the imperial camp.
‘This feels ominous.’
“Sha. Bow.”
When he extended his hand, two tribesmen struggled to hand him a massive bow.
Kreeeek.
Utilizing his four arms, he pulled the giant bow—comparable to a ballista by human standards.
Fwaaash!
A red ‘aura’ formed around the arrow made of monster bones.
Thwaaash!
The enormous sound and blast from the released arrow extended the red beam towards the dark shadows.
Boom!
“Shaaa!”
Naga warriors shouted in triumph. The Great Chief’s arrow had never missed its target before. But Raknesha’s eyebrows twitched, and he immediately pulled back the bowstring once more.
“Sha!”
Boom!
The second arrow he shot exploded in mid-air, between the dark shadows and the Naga camp.
“What a rough welcome.”
A mage in a robe and two knights clad in black armor blocked their path. One of the knights held a bow as large as Raknesha’s.
***
‘Tsk. As expected, it’s not going to end so easily.’
Raul clicked his tongue in disappointment. The Naga Great Chief he met the previous day was at least a Master-level figure.
Moreover, the warrior chiefs and chieftains he brought along were top-tier experts, comparable to high-ranking human experts.
Despite their prowess, they hadn’t joined the battle, likely due to Lawrence and his team guarding the barrier.
‘They probably didn’t want to step in and become targets for the imperial superhumans in place of Lawrence and his team.’
Though he seemed like a warrior through and through, the Great Chief was undoubtedly a shrewd thinker. In any case, even if Lawrence and his men were overwhelmed, the final barrier wouldn’t have easily fallen.
With the Great Chief, elite warriors, and thousands of Naga sharing the barrier’s power, it would’ve been challenging for just one Master and a 7th-circle necromancer to break through.
Nonetheless, the fact that the seal was completely broken in his previous life meant.
‘In the end, the Empire has added a force capable of definitively defeating the Naga.’
It was fortunate that their reinforcements clashed with the Naga first; otherwise, it could’ve been disastrous.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
Raul rang the warning bell in the watchtower and shouted.
“Emergency! Everyone prepare for battle!”
To face the newly added superhumans on the Empire’s side, they might need to free up some hands from the monster side.
The expedition members, after a full day of rest, had nearly recovered from their injuries and fully replenished their strength. With their fifty members, they could handle all enemies except the Masters on their own.
‘I’d prefer to face them in a more thorough state, but there’s no choice.’
They would hold out inside the barrier for now, and if the situation allowed!
With gleaming eyes, Raul checked the system window.
***
“Stupid fools.”
Ezekiel clicked his tongue in irritation. Failing to evade the eyes of mere monsters. It was as though they were announcing their reinforcements to the entire vicinity.
“A surprise attack… that’s unlikely now.”
MacClanahan also shook his head regretfully.
Bang! Boom!
The reinforcement flying over the temple exchanged Aura Arrows with the Naga Great Chief until they reached the main camp.
Thud.
The mage’s flight magic dissipated, and the three men landed on the ground.
“Damn it, what is this? My cloak’s all dusty?”
A wrinkled old man in his 60s frowned and grumbled. He was Fry, a 7th-circle mage specializing in wind magic.
“Senior, what’s going on here? It’s been over fifteen days and neither the barrier nor the monsters have been dealt with properly?”
“Shut up, you insolent brat. You might be the first to die.”
Snarling with a rotten smile at the sight of Ezekiel, the knight’s name was Stanton. Like Ezekiel, he was a top-tier knight and a novice Sword Master, and they were also seniors and juniors from the same educational institution.
“That one’s mine, so don’t touch it.”
The knight in black armor with a disgruntled expression, bryce, was also a novice master and, unusually, an archer who had reached the level of a master with his bow.
“Alright, now that we’re all here, let’s have a meeting.”
MacClanahan calmed the arrived members and led them to the temporary tent. Gathered in one place, the five superhumans of the Empire:
Three Masters and two 7th-circle mages.
Though they were among the least skilled superhumans, they were still superhumans. In terms of numbers alone, this impressive group could rival the superhuman forces of an entire kingdom.
The fact that such a force was dispatched as a detached unit and not the main force showcased the Empire’s formidable power. Enemies capable of threatening Raul and the special expedition team had finally made their appearance.
***
Temporary fortifications set up within the barrier were being attacked on three sides. Though the area was not particularly vast, there is a significant difference between being completely surrounded and having one side open.
‘The Naga clan’s formation is quite useful.’
Thanks to the Naga clan holding one entrance, the defensive range had decreased.
Moreover.
Shoo~ Bang! Boom!
The Naga clan’s chieftain and the Empire’s bow master were engaged in a long-range sniping duel. Red beams and black arrows clashed repeatedly, shaking the battlefield.
At a glance, it seemed like it had turned into a pride match. Considering that both were focusing solely on each other, ignoring everything else.
‘I’m grateful. Thanks to this, there’s one less superhuman to deal with.’
Whether it was intentional or not, it was a tremendous help. Raul, who was still standing on the watchtower, turned his head to look at the left side of the fort.
“You half-monster! This time, we settle it for sure!”
“Settle it? You, who have turned your back countless times, are shameless. Only those without skill spout such words.”
“Shut up! You fake master who borrows the power of mere monsters!”
Bang! Clang, thud!
Ezekiel and Lawrence clashed again. This time, Ezekiel’s aura was unusually fierce, as if determined to end it for real. Yet, Lawrence, who had recovered his strength and was mastering the Heart of the Guardian, was no pushover either.
Meanwhile, on the right side of the fort, a new master of the Empire named Stanton clashed with the combination of Kane and Jake.
“Kuhaha, so it’s you? The fools who struggled with just Ezekiel. Don’t worry. Unlike someone, I have no hobby of toying with weaklings. I’ll end it right away!”
“A lot of talk for a coward. Come on! What’s wrong? Scared?”
“What did you say? You uncivilized half-breed!”
Unable to hold back Jake’s provocation, stanton lunged, infusing aura into his two short spears.
Whoosh! Bam, bam, bam!
The two short spears moved at a tremendous speed, creating dozens of black spear shadows. But Kane was there. His two hunting knives, imbued with green aura, moved like nimble swallows, deflecting each of the black spear shadows.
“Hyaaat!”
And then, trusting Kane, Jake’s massive aura blade struck at Stanton’s side.
Thunk.
“Tch.”
Stanton, whose face was covered with red tattoos, lightly deflected Jake’s attack with the end of his spear.
However, Jake had anticipated this and used the rebound to swing his greatsword again.
Crash! Boom!
The range of the greatsword was superior to that of Stanton’s short spears. Therefore, it was harder for Stanton to target Jake, and Kane, who had approached to close range, was menacingly wielding his daggers.
“Damn rats!”
Stanton yelled, but nothing changed by doing so. Their battle was also turning into a fierce contest.
‘Hmm. Everyone’s doing well.’
Even without Raul, the three masters of the Empire were held back. Which means. Raul had to deal with the necromancer and the mage.
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
And from the front of the fort, distinctly different enemies were approaching. Until now, the barrier had been attacked by lower-level undead like zombies and skeletons.
But what was advancing now were…
‘Ghouls, Dullahans, Death Knights. And that…’
An undead legion filled with high-level undead. And at the forefront, proudly marching, was a skeletal knight clad in thick bone armor and a cape.
‘A Skeleton General,’ an undead at least of the rank of a knight commander.
As if to prove his status, the skeletal knight’s sword burned with a black aura blade.
‘Interesting.’
Raul smiled and leaped down from the watchtower.
(To be continued)