Chapter 606
Let’s Go Wild After a Long Time. (2)
The fortress's attacks were first concentrated on the flying monsters that had approached.
Since arrows and magic were prioritized against the airborne creatures, it was inevitable that attacks against the ground monsters would decrease.
Kraaaaaah!
Thud! Thud! Thuud!
Eventually, the large monsters reached the fortress. The massive clubs of ogres and the fists of trolls began pounding against the fortress walls.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
The large monsters struck the fortress relentlessly, as if determined to bring it down. They had no way of climbing over the walls due to their size.
However, the situation was different for the nimble small monsters. They successfully climbed up, using the bodies of the larger monsters and the fortress walls as footholds.
Crunch! Kyaaaak!
“Uaaaagh!”
“Stop them! Knock them down!”
“Hold the line! We must hold the front!”
Desperate cries from the commanders echoed everywhere. But with the overwhelming number of monsters, the situation was inevitably worsening.
As the soldiers struggled to keep the monsters in check, more and more of them managed to climb onto the fortress.
“We must not be pushed back! Stay in formation! We can hold them off!”
“Archers and mages, focus only on the flying monsters! Ignore those that have climbed up!”
“The rest of you, don’t look at the sky! Only target the monsters in front of you!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Following the commanders' orders, the soldiers gritted their teeth and thrust their shields forward. Spears shot out through the gaps, piercing the approaching monsters.
Kiiiaaaak!
Having experienced major battles before, the soldiers moved with discipline. They maintained their formation, tightly packed together, and steadily pushed the monsters back.
Though some monsters had managed to climb up, the soldiers had not given up hope. They still believed they could win, as long as they held their ground.
Kuaaaaaaah!
From behind the approaching monster horde, a thunderous roar erupted once more.
The soldiers, who instinctively turned their heads towards the sound, gasped in horror.
“N-No way… That giant is…”
“That thing… is still alive?”
“It’s a Cyclops! A Cyclops has appeared!”
Five giants, each twice the size of an ogre, had emerged.
Cyclopses were an extremely rare species, once thought to be extinct.
Most people considered ogres to be the strongest monsters on land, but Cyclopses possessed power that far surpassed even them.
The only reason ogres had claimed the title of strongest was because Cyclopses were merely legends, beings spoken of only in myths.
And yet, not just one, but five of these legendary creatures had appeared.
Grrrrrrrr…
Unlike the other monsters, which seemed half-mad, the Cyclopses did not charge in recklessly.
To everyone’s shock, they picked up the boulders used for the catapult attacks—
and began hurling them at the fortress.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!
“Uaaaaagh!”
The sudden barrage of boulders sent soldiers screaming as they collapsed. Many didn’t even have the chance to scream before being crushed to death beneath the massive rocks.
Now, even the monsters were launching a catapult attack. This rendered the soldiers’ formation meaningless.
With each boulder that struck, soldiers were thrown to the ground, and their ranks began to crumble.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!
Kaooooooh!
The battlefield was filled with a chaotic blend of human and monster screams.
The Cyclopses showed no concern for their allies, recklessly hurling boulders. Even flying monsters were struck down by the massive projectiles.
The battlefield had now completely descended into chaos.
“T-This… this can’t be…”
Marquis Alperen, the supreme commander of the fortress, stood in shock, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
He had studied extensively on the dangers of a Monster Wave, gathering a vast amount of data. He had crammed an army equivalent to an entire nation’s military strength into this fortress.
With this much preparation, he had believed they could handle the Monster Wave. His only real concern had been how to fight against a dragon.
But the scale of this monster horde was beyond imagination. This wasn’t just a Monster Wave this was an unprecedented calamity.
And now, even Cyclopses had appeared. A creature so powerful that even a superhuman would struggle to take one down alone.
Clang! Boom! Boom!
“Uaaaagh!”
The soldiers' screams continued to echo across the battlefield. The fortress walls were beginning to crack under the relentless assault of the large monsters.
Despite his confidence in their defenses, they were proving insufficient against the sheer brutality of the monsters’ full-scale assault.
Marquis Alperen’s mind went blank. He could no longer grasp the battlefield situation.
“Monsters… to think they’d be this strong…”
He had built a reputation as a skilled commander. He had been chosen for subjugation missions and had a long record of successful campaigns.
He had led victories against his own country’s rebels and the Salvation Church, and even held the line against the Atrodean Army alongside Marquis Gideon.
Yet even he had no idea how to fight back against such raw, overwhelming power.
Kraaaaaah!
The fortress was completely engulfed by the frenzied horde of monsters. Their eyes held no trace of reason only an insatiable hunger for destruction and slaughter.
They moved as if they felt no pain.
Even as arrows pierced their flesh and chunks of their bodies were torn away, the monsters burned with nothing but hatred for the living beings inside the fortress.
As their formation broke apart and they were steadily pushed back, fear began to spread across the soldiers’ faces.
“S-Shouldn’t we retreat…?”
Someone muttered, but no one heard. No, it was more accurate to say that no one had the luxury of listening.
Kraaaaaah!
Ogres paid no heed even when their arms were severed, focusing solely on destroying the fortress.
Trolls, stepping over the corpses of other monsters, desperately clawed their way up the walls.
The wyverns paid no mind to their tattered wings as they hurled themselves toward the soldiers.
The battlefield was filled with horrific roars, screams, and the sickening sound of bones breaking. The monsters' frenzied eyes gleamed like nightmares crawling out of the abyss.
“They’re not decreasing!”
“Close ranks! Reform the formation, now!”
“I-I can’t… It’s over… This place is finished.”
Fear seeped into the soldiers as they fought within the chaotic battlefield.
Their once-solid formation had already crumbled when the Cyclopses started hurling boulders. A disorganized army had no chance of withstanding the monstrous tide.
“Get a hold of yourselves! Reform the formation! We can still do this! We still have numbers on our side!”
The commanders roared at the top of their lungs, desperately trying to rally the troops.
The archers and mages continued attacking the flying monsters, while the catapults relentlessly hurled stones beyond the fortress walls.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!
However, the barrage of projectiles was more dangerous to the fortress forces than to the monsters. The Cyclopses had no concept of protecting their own allies.
Their attacks were purely driven by madness a relentless urge to kill their enemies. Dodging such indiscriminate destruction was nearly impossible. As time passed, the fortress suffered heavier losses.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Kraaaaah!
The monsters' assault had no strategy, no tactics only a primal wave of brute force crashing endlessly against the fortress.
Against this savage, overwhelming strength, even the most refined swordsmanship and defensive techniques seemed meaningless.
Eventually, a young soldier collapsed in terror, unable to endure any longer.
“T-This isn’t war… It’s a slaughter!”
CRACK!
A Harpy, with a human head atop a bird’s body, swooped down at the easy prey. The soldier’s head was devoured in an instant.
Slash!
A nearby knight swiftly decapitated the Harpy, but before he could even catch his breath, the surrounding monsters rushed at him with insane ferocity.
Kuaaaaaah!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Below the fortress, massive Gorgons, resembling giant black bulls, repeatedly rammed their heads against the fortress walls.
Creak… Crack…
The unrelenting assault from these large monsters gradually wore down the fortress. The Cyclopses’ endless barrage of boulders crushed soldiers by the dozens.
The fortress walls were now swarming with monsters. From the skies, flying creatures continuously descended.
Marquis Alperen murmured in a daze.
“…It’s over.”
The overwhelming force he had once believed to be sufficient was now being pushed back without end. Even though the fortress had helped limit their engagement with large monsters, it was still impossible to withstand the monstrous tide.
The priests exhausted themselves trying to protect and heal their allies, but more soldiers were falling than could be saved.
Before the sheer violence of this unstoppable force, all resistance seemed meaningless.
In this clash between civilization and savagery, reason and instinct—
civilization and reason were being crushed.
The fortress was like the last bastion of reason, surrounded by a horde of beasts ravenous for slaughter.
"Uwaaahhh!"
"Hold the line! We must hold!"
"Form up! If you flee in fear, you'll only suffer greater losses!"
The soldiers' screams and the commanders' shouts intertwined in a relentless cacophony.
There was no escape. They had no choice but to muster their strength and fight.
But everyone knew the truth. If this continued, they would eventually be overwhelmed in an instant.
They were struggling desperately to prevent that moment, but their limits were beginning to show.
Just as fear and despair began to swell in everyone’s hearts—
Boom!
A sound like the air itself rupturing echoed from the distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions came in rapid succession, each accompanied by flashes of light streaking toward the fortress.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom!
In an instant, a bolt of lightning-like radiance shot down at tremendous speed, striking the top of the fortress.
Kwaaaaaang!
A man emerged amidst the lightning Jerome. He extended both arms outward, golden magic circles forming within his eyes.
"Gravity Wave."
Kuuuuuuung!
A ripple of gravity surged forward from the front of the fortress.
Kyaaaak!
Flying monsters in the sky suddenly plummeted to the ground.
The creatures clinging to the fortress walls couldn't withstand the immense pressure, either bursting apart or tumbling down. Even the massive monsters battering the fortress slowed under the crushing force.
The soldiers didn’t waste the opportunity. They thrust their weapons into the fallen monsters, striking down the ones that had been knocked over.
More monsters were still pouring in. But at the very least, the defenders atop the fortress had gained a brief moment of respite.
"Hurry! Reform the lines!"
At someone’s urgent shout, the soldiers quickly reorganized. It was only then that they realized what had just happened.
"J-Jerome! Lord Jerome is here!"
"Lord Jerome has arrived!"
"Woooooaaaahhh!"
A deafening cheer erupted.
Every soldier in the fortress knew who Jerome was.
A great mage who had ascended to the 8th Circle. The one who had held back the monstrous Gartros.
Knowing the extent of his power, their morale surged.
Kuuoooooooh!
The Cyclopes resumed their attack, hurling massive boulders. Even though Jerome had cleared the monsters from the walls, these attacks still posed a grave threat.
As the boulders hurtled toward them, Jerome extended his hand.
Ziiing—!
In an instant, golden magic circles materialized in front of the fortress.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The incoming boulders shattered against the magical barriers. Seeing this, the soldiers erupted into another cheer.
"Woooooaaaahhh!"
"Lord Jerome stopped all of them!"
"Push the monsters back!"
As long as the barrage was halted, they could hold the line.
Reinvigorated, the soldiers resumed their battle against the encroaching horde.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Jerome focused on defending against the Cyclopes' boulder attacks while simultaneously casting spells to suppress the flying monsters.
His role was to protect his allies. Because of that, he couldn't take down the advancing monsters himself.
That task belonged to someone else.
Fwoooosh!
A short distance from the monster horde, Vanessa appeared.
Floating in midair, she gestured, and dozens of magic circles formed in the sky.
Flash!
A brilliant light flickered for a moment, and then dozens of lightning bolts rained down onto the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boooooom!
Kraaaah!
The indiscriminate barrage of lightning tore through the center of the monsters’ formation.
And that wasn’t all. Towering pillars of fire erupted from the ground, preventing the monsters from charging forward properly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The monsters’ advance slowed. However, before Vanessa had intervened, too many had already reached the fortress, and now the walls were once again swarming with them.
"Ugh! It’s fine! We can hold them off!"
The soldiers gritted their teeth, struggling to fend off the monsters.
Even with Jerome’s assistance, it wasn’t enough to stop them completely. They had already suffered too much damage beforehand.
At that moment, a dense darkness spread across the air above the fortress.
Fwoosh!
The darkness suddenly tore apart, and Belinda burst forth from within. At the same time, hundreds of daggers scattered in all directions, reflecting dazzling light.
Kyaaaah!
The monsters that had been charging blindly forward were mercilessly shredded.
The way Belinda’s daggers moved, it was as if hundreds of knights were fighting all at once.
The daggers spread throughout the battlefield, supporting the soldiers in their struggle.
Marquis Alperen clenched his fist and shouted,
"We can do this! We can win this fight!"
With just the arrival of three extraordinary individuals, the tide of battle had shifted. No, at this rate, they would turn the battle in their favor completely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The remaining problem was the colossal monsters attacking the fortress with reckless abandon.
Jerome had taken down a considerable number of them, but they kept surging forward, relying on their powerful bodies.
If the fortress collapsed, the losses would be catastrophic.
The knights might survive, but most of the soldiers would be crushed beneath the rubble.
Marquis Alperen was about to call out to Jerome, intending to ask him to focus on eliminating the giant monsters first.
Even if they had to endure some damage from the aerial attacks and boulders, taking out the ones battering the fortress was a higher priority.
But before he could even summon Jerome, someone else had already stepped forward to handle them.
Dudududududu.
Julien galloped toward the giant monsters on horseback.
As always, his face remained expressionless as he drew his sword.
Ooooooooh…
More mana than ever before surged into his blade.
Before anyone realized it, his sword had turned a radiant yet chilling shade of blue.
Crack!
Julien's horse suddenly changed direction and came to an abrupt stop.
At the same moment, he turned his gaze to the side and swung his sword through the air.
Slice.
It looked like such a light movement.
But the result was anything but.
Kagagagagagagagak!
The ground split apart in a long, jagged line in the direction of his swing.
And in that very same direction, every single giant monster that had been assaulting the fortress was cleaved in two.
Standing atop the highest point of the fortress, Marquis Alperen blinked in disbelief.
"What… What was that…?"
He had heard many times that Julien was strong.
But what he had just witnessed couldn't be described with the simple word "strong."
It was something beyond human comprehension, an unfathomable display of power.
As Marquis Alperen stood there in a daze, Julien charged back into the horde of monsters.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
Every time he swung his sword, bodies were severed, and heads flew through the air.
But even with his overwhelming strength, there were simply too many monsters for him to handle alone.
The mages had yet to arrive. Only those who could rush to the battlefield quickly had made it in time.
They needed just a little more. A little more power to overturn the battle completely.
Slice!
Julien, having just cut down the surrounding monsters, turned his head.
Dududududu!
A unit of cavalry was charging in from the distance, sweeping around in a flanking maneuver.
Without hesitation, they crashed into the rear of the monster horde.
Leading them was none other than Ghislain, followed closely by two hundred Fenris Knights.