Chapter 608
Time to Rampage Again. (4)
Ghislain had also used Chain Lightning magic when he hunted down the twenty thousand Grexes in the Forest of Beasts.
At the time, Vanessa lacked the mana needed to deal with the massive swarms of Grexes. So, they had buried numerous Runestones throughout the area to harness their power.
The reason Ghislain was able to recall that method was because of Jerome.
Even in his past life, Jerome frequently used this spell against overwhelming hordes of magical beasts.
Because of that memory, Ghislain had prepared the same spell against the Grexes. And now, Jerome was casting that very magic, the one that had only existed in Ghislain’s memories.
Without any external aid. Relying solely on his own mana.
Psss...
Ash rained down from the sky.
Like snowflakes, the gray embers drifted gently onto the ground, creating a strangely beautiful sight.
What had once been a sky darkened by flying monsters was now covering the earth like a quiet springtime shower of petals.
For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent, as if in awe of the miraculous scene. The soldiers of the fortress, mesmerized, turned their gazes toward the sky.
Through the veil of ashes, glimpses of blue sky began to emerge.
"Phew!"
Jerome wobbled slightly, feeling dizzy from the excessive mana consumption. But a satisfied smile lingered on his lips.
"It worked."
Ghislain had witnessed this sight many times before, but for Jerome, this was the first time he had ever used it on such a massive scale.
If he failed to control the size and reach of the spell, even his own allies could get caught in it. That was why he had always been cautious about using it.
Fortunately, there were only flying monsters above, so no allies were harmed.
Had Jerome been fighting alone, he wouldn’t have dared to unleash such an enormous amount of mana in one go. But with his comrades at his side, he was able to take the risk.
"Should've tried this sooner."
Ironically, the one who had given him the idea was none other than Ghislain.
After spending so much time together, Jerome had heard many stories from the people of Fenris. Among them was the tale of how Vanessa had wiped out an entire legion of Grexes in the Forest of Beasts using magic.
That had inspired him to attempt it himself.
The past and future intertwined, influencing each other like a continuous loop.
"WOOOOOAAAAHHHH!"
The soldiers of the fortress, momentarily spellbound by Jerome’s overwhelming display of magic, erupted into a deafening cheer.
This was why mages were so important. When their spells landed properly, they could turn the tide of battle in an instant.
Even as he fought against a Cyclops, Ghislain stole a glance at the fortress and grinned.
"Our little prodigy is doing well. See? There's nothing better than magic to wipe out enemies in one go."
There were still plenty of monsters swarming toward the fortress. However, just eliminating the airborne ones had already eased the burden significantly.
"This is it! Push forward!"
"We can win! The tide has turned in our favor!"
"Just a little more! Keep going!"
The commanders' shouts echoed across the battlefield, further boosting the soldiers’ morale.
With the Cyclops’s boulder attacks ceasing and the number of flying monsters greatly reduced, the fortress forces gradually gained the upper hand.
Jerome focused solely on keeping the remaining airborne monsters in check. The others were handling the creatures scaling the fortress walls with remarkable efficiency.
Among them, Belinda stood out, swiftly cutting down the monsters that had climbed up.
Every time she raised her hand, daggers moved in unison. They danced through the air as if they were living beings, moving according to her will.
Papapapak!
Keeeaaak!
The monsters’ screams echoed in all directions. With each silver flash slicing through the air, another monster fell.
One, ten, a hundred... An uncountable number of monsters perished under Belinda’s daggers.
Not a single ally was harmed. Yet, the monsters continued to drop like flies.
Each flick of her wrist dictated the fate of the creatures that had reached the fortress walls. Like the conductor of a grand orchestra, she orchestrated a symphony of death.
Watching the scene unfold, Marquis Alperen shouted loudly.
"Fall back a little! Use the monster corpses as barricades!"
Thud!
The soldiers shifted their formation, stepping back in unison.
It was a timely order. So many monster corpses had piled up that they were now obstructing the fortress troops’ movements.
The newly arriving monsters were forced to scatter in all directions due to the growing mountain of corpses.
Jerome was not the only mage making a significant impact on the battlefield.
While he protected his allies and neutralized flying monsters, Vanessa was directing the flow of battle.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
With every motion of her hand, explosions tore through the monster formations.
Vanessa carefully observed the battlefield. It was impossible for her to eliminate such a massive horde on her own.
Instead, she focused on minimizing allied casualties and shaping the battlefield to their advantage.
"Earth Wall."
Rumble...!
Massive walls of earth rose amidst the monstrous tide. The barriers, sprouting throughout the battlefield, momentarily halted the enemy’s advance.
It was a spell that required little mana, allowing Vanessa to create wall after wall without pause.
Kieeeeek!
The larger monsters smashed through the walls and pushed forward, but the smaller ones were not as fortunate.
The sudden obstructions caused the smaller monsters to stumble and pile up in confusion. The mid-to-large-sized monsters mindlessly trampled over them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even when the large creatures broke through, Vanessa promptly erected new walls to replace them.
In the trapped spaces, the fortress soldiers unleashed a relentless storm of arrows and magic attacks on the immobilized monsters.
Killing recklessly was dangerous because allies were engaged in direct combat with the monsters. By delaying and trapping the creatures, the fortress forces could strike with precision, ensuring only the monsters were targeted.
Kagagagagak!
At the front of the fortress, only Julien stood, fighting alone. A mountain of corpses piled up before him.
With every swing of his sword, the monsters charging at him were cleaved in half, along with the very ground beneath them.
Even someone like Julien, who knew no fear, felt a slight tension at the sheer number of overwhelming monsters swarming toward him.
But he did not retreat. He knew that if he allowed even a few more attacks, the fortress walls would crumble.
Because he held the line, the number of monsters reaching the fortress was drastically reduced.
"……"
A hint of exhaustion flickered in his eyes. No matter how many he killed, they seemed endless. His mana was now less than half.
Swish!
Kieeeeek!
Even so, Julien did not stop.
‘I have to cut down as many as possible to keep the fortress safe.’
Lowering his stance slightly, he turned his body with graceful precision. The moment his will was once again infused into his sword, the world seemed to hold its breath in fear.
"……"
His blade sliced through the air, gleaming with a sharp brilliance. It was no mere weapon, it was a tool that reshaped the very fabric of existence.
Julien sought out the cracks in reality and forcefully tore them open. The laws of space and time collapsed before his will.
Kagagagagak!
The air screamed, reverberating with a deafening sound. The flow of reality distorted and fractured, bending under his power.
The boundaries of time and space shattered. Only his will and energy remained within the rift.
Swish.
Every monster that had gathered around Julien was instantly cut down, their bodies sliced apart in a single moment.
They perished so swiftly that not even a scream escaped their lips.
Yet, despite the miracle he had just performed, Julien frowned slightly.
Kraaaaaah!
The damage was less than he had expected. The monsters further back had not been cut down completely, only sustaining minor wounds.
This meant his attack had weakened due to the mana he had already expended.
The monsters roared furiously, charging toward him once more.
Julien’s expression turned ice-cold as he tightened his grip on his sword. Just a little longer… I just need to hold on a little longer.
At that moment, a massive earth wall rose between him and the approaching monsters.
Rumble—!
Kieeeeek!
The monsters’ advance came to an abrupt halt. They slammed their bodies against the wall in a frenzied attempt to break through.
Thanks to that, Julien had a brief moment to catch his breath. Vanessa had blocked the front at just the right time.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
After a short while, the walls crumbled. A flood of monsters surged forward once more.
But just as they charged, hundreds of daggers rained down from the fortress like a waterfall.
Kieeeeek!
The advancing monsters let out agonized screams as they fell.
Belinda landed beside Julien. She gave a tired but cheerful smile.
"Thanks to you holding the line, we’ve taken care of most of them up top. The rest can be handled by the soldiers. Let’s defend this together now."
Julien nodded. The fortress was on the verge of collapse so someone had to hold the front line.
Kraaaaaah!
The two unleashed relentless attacks on the incoming monsters.
If they ran out of mana, they would have no choice but to retreat to the fortress walls. But if they could hold out just a little longer, they could turn the tide of battle completely.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
Suddenly, bolts of lightning and pillars of fire rained down before them, decimating the monsters.
Jerome, while handling the remaining airborne monsters, had begun assisting the ground battle as well.
Marquis Alperen quickly grasped the situation. There were now only a handful of monsters left on the fortress walls.
"Archers and mages, support the front! Move!"
Attacking the middle of the monster ranks would cause significant damage, but it was more crucial to relieve the exhaustion of the superhumans fighting below.
Now that the fortress walls were somewhat secure, the priority was to support the front lines.
Fwoooosh!
The archers and mages rained down attacks in support of Julien and Belinda, allowing them to fight more efficiently.
However, Vanessa’s primary focus was not the fortress front.
Instead, she concentrated on assisting the Fenris Knights, who were isolated in the most dangerous rear section.
Rumble!
Countless earth walls rose around the Fenris Knights as they fought. Pillars of fire erupted around them.
Vanessa carefully coordinated her support, ensuring that too many monsters did not swarm them at once.
Thanks to her precise control, the Fenris Knights had been able to maintain their strength despite the overwhelming odds.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
Kieeeeek!
Magic explosions erupted continuously, but the Fenris Knights remained unfazed.
They all placed absolute trust in Vanessa’s abilities.
Their focus was solely on slaying the monsters before them. At this point, each of them had become a living weapon.
And among them, one person fought with unmatched ferocity.
Kwoooooom!
A Cyclops, covered in wounds, finally had its head severed.
"Hoo…"
Monsters charging from the rear completely surrounded Ghislain, his entire body soaked in blood.
Boom! Boom! Boooooom!
His greatsword tore through the air mercilessly. The two remaining Cyclops swung their massive clubs repeatedly, trying to crush him.
Kraaaaaah!
Even as the monsters perished under Ghislain’s greatsword and the Cyclops’ clubs, more surged forward.
Grit.
Clenching his teeth, Ghislain swung his greatsword once more.
Kwaaaaaang!
Dozens of monsters surrounding him were obliterated in an instant. Many more were sent flying backward by the shockwave.
Neigh!
Black King leaped into the open space, and Ghislain swung his greatsword again. At the same time, countless mana spears materialized and shot through the air.
Even amid the chaos, Ghislain dodged every single massive club aimed at him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A thunderous roar echoed through the battlefield as if the heavens and earth were trembling.
At the center of that deafening sound stood Ghislain. He and Black King moved in perfect harmony, dominating the battlefield.
Kwoooooom!
Ghislain weaved through the monsters like a bolt of lightning. Wherever his sword sliced, flesh and bone were torn apart.
His gaze was cold, yet the madness lurking within his eyes surpassed even that of the monsters.
Blood and severed limbs filled the air. In his wake, only destruction and despair remained. His very existence was the personification of a natural disaster.
Kraaaah!
The monsters, now reduced to primal instincts, shuddered at the sight. Their most basic senses screamed warnings.
The being before them was not something that belonged to their realm of being.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
Every movement Ghislain made carried a calculated ruthlessness. The bodies of monsters disintegrated before his blade.
It was not a battle of instinct versus reason no, it was instinct versus instinct, and the monsters were the ones being overpowered.
Ghislain's rampage only grew more ferocious. The battlefield itself was reshaped by his sheer will.
Kwaaaaaang!
The monsters' flesh was torn apart and scattered in all directions.
"Not much left… We're almost there."
Even as he continued fighting, Ghislain assessed the situation. The number of monsters emerging from the mountains had significantly decreased.
That meant this region had nearly run out of reinforcements.
"Just a little longer."
This was the most flawless battle they could have fought. Everyone was performing their roles perfectly.
The only issue was that there were simply too many powerful monsters, preventing them from achieving complete dominance.
But reinforcements were still on their way. And they would be arriving soon.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Magic exploded across the battlefield while arrows rained down endlessly. The soldiers' battle cries mixed with the monsters' roars, filling the air with chaos.
How much time had passed?
Dudududududu!
The sound of galloping hooves approached from the distance. Their long-awaited reinforcements had finally arrived.
Vanessa, who had been conserving her mana while supporting her allies, narrowed her eyes. Extending both arms, she poured out the last of her mana, unleashing a powerful spell.
Ruuuuuumble!
An earth wall, larger and longer than any before, began to rise from the ground.
It cut off the monsters fighting against Julien and Belinda at the fortress front.
It also separated the monsters battling Ghislain and the Fenris Knights.
Kieeeeek!
Now, only small groups of monsters were left on either side, while the bulk of them were trapped between the two walls.
For a brief moment, the monsters hesitated. But then, just as before, they shrieked in rage and started hammering the walls furiously.
Rumble!
At that moment, the sky darkened. A massive surge of mana gathered in a single location, twisting space itself as the atmospheric pressure intensified.
The monsters, caught in their frenzied state, failed to notice the eerie phenomenon.
But Ghislain and the other skilled warriors instantly recognized the change.
A triumphant smile spread across Ghislain’s face. Turning slightly, he murmured under his breath.
"They've arrived."
Beyond the horizon, over a thousand mages emerged, their presence commanding.
All at once, they began unleashing their power toward the space where the monsters were trapped.