Chapter 422: Use the Strongest Force (2)
The mist was thin enough not to obstruct visibility completely.
However, the blue mist exuded an ominous aura.
The soldiers who had entered the rift’s domain swallowed dryly, tension evident on their faces.
“Is this… what they call the,’Corrupted Zone?’”
“Just looking at it feels horrifying.”
“Aren’t there supposed to be tons of monsters here?”
The desolate land was dyed gray. The trees and grass around them were withered, completely devoid of any trace of life.
A land of blue mist and gray soil where all life had perished, except for the monsters.
This was the sight of a territory consumed by the rift.
The rift had already expanded to occupy a massive area. Somewhere within this zone, the Riftspawns would be lurking.
As everyone pondered their next move, Ghislain raised his hand and spoke.
“Prepare the trebuchets and hot air balloons.”
The moment he bellowed his commands, the engineers moved swiftly to assemble the trebuchets.
First, 200 Galvaniium medium-sized trebuchets from the Fenris army were completed. Soon after, an additional 100 standard trebuchets brought from various estates and Fenris were also prepared.
Simultaneously, 100 hot air balloons carrying mages ascended into the sky.
“Entire army, form battle formations.”
Though no enemy was visible yet, the soldiers moved in perfect coordination at the command.
Fenris’ heavy infantry, clad in Galvaniium armor and shields, lined up in the front.
Behind them stood the spearmen, holding their weapons at the ready. Further back, the archers nocked their arrows. Cavalry and mounted archers were positioned on the flanks.
They stood there, waiting in formation.
‘Aren’t we supposed to attack somewhere?’
‘Are we really just waiting here?’
‘Didn’t they say this area was as large as a small estate?’
The soldiers, as tense as they were, couldn’t help but wonder. Whether the monsters were concentrated or scattered, they would have to be hunted down and killed. Yet, they were simply waiting in place.
How long had they been standing like that? A faint wailing sound began to reach the soldiers’ ears.
Kaaaaang!
The soldiers couldn’t distinguish whether it was the cry of a beast or a Riftspawn.
They could only assume it wasn’t the cry of the Equidema, which was supposedly far away from here.
After a short pause, the sound of something rushing toward them echoed loudly.
Dada-da-da-da-da!
‘They’re coming!’
The soldiers instinctively knew that countless Riftspawn were now charging towards them.
Drududududu!
The ground trembled intensely, a sign that the number of riftspawns were increasing.
At the forefront, Ghislain dismounted his horse and raised his greatsword. His close aides and knights beside him did the same.
Ghislain patted the Black King, causing the horse to snort a few times before retreating behind the formation, as if displeased with being sent away.
Once all the knights’ horses had moved back, the sound drew closer.
Drududududu!
Kaaaaaaah!
Though the riftspawns weren’t yet visible, the sheer volume of their monstrous cries made it clear how vast their numbers were.
Ghislain extended his hand forward and commanded,
“Release.”
“RELEASE!”
The soldiers didn’t hesitate, even without seeing the Riftspawn. If Ghislain said to commence launching the projectiles from the trebuchets, they did so immediately.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hundreds of trebuchets unleashed a storm of stones.
Simultaneously, arrows from the archers and mounted archers blotted out the sky, arcing in unison.
Paah!
“Kieaaaagh!”
Painful shrieks echoed from all directions. The attacks were landing.
The Northern forces showed no signs of stopping, continuing their relentless barrage. The sound of stones crashing and arrows whistling filled the air without pause.
And then, as time passed
“Kaaaaaah!”
An overwhelming horde of Riftspawn emerged from the blue mist, charging forward.
Thud!
Ghislain slammed his greatsword into the ground and roared,
“Do not cease the volleys! Their numbers exceed a hundred thousand! Knights, follow me!”
He had no intention of merely commanding from behind the heavy infantry. The heavy infantry were positioned at the front simply to shield the other soldiers.
“Prepare!”
As the Riftspawn drew close enough to be clearly visible, Ghislain infused his greatsword with mana.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The knights raised their greatswords as well. Only Gillian wielded a massive double-headed axe among them.
And the moment the Riftspawn finally came within a few steps
“Charge!”
Ghislain shouted as he surged forward, swinging his greatsword.
BOOM!
Dozens of Riftspawn exploded instantly. The knights’ attacks followed closely behind, eradicating hundreds more in mere moments.
But the Riftspawn were far too numerous.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Hundreds of Riftspawn crashed against the shields of the heavy infantry in a single instant. In the blink of an eye, their numbers swelled to thousands.
“Hold the line!”
“Stand firm!”
“Keep attacking!”
The spearmen thrust their spears relentlessly between the ranks of the heavy infantry.
Though the Riftspawn were powerful and fast, their defense was no better than that of ordinary beings. With each exchange of attacks, hundreds of them fell.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ghislain and the knights held the front, cutting down the Riftspawn without pause, yet the horde seemed endless.
Some knights were even overwhelmed and knocked down by the tide of Riftspawn, trampled beneath the mass.
As the overwhelming numbers surged all at once, the entire formation began to be pushed back. Unlike the battle against Grex, they hadn’t had time to prepare a fortress, so this was inevitable.
This was why, in his past life, large portions of the land had been lost, with people forced to live only within fortified cities.
‘I have to eliminate them faster.’
Ghislain gritted his teeth and swung his sword again.
Compared to his past life, this was a small force. Before the numbers swelled to half a million or even a million, the Equidema had to be slain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
No matter how many they killed, it wasn’t enough. With over a hundred thousand enemies, it was unavoidable. While total victory was possible, if the soldiers suffered heavy casualties here, they would lose ground against other rifts.
Just as the formation began to falter, a sacred hymn echoed from the rear, and a radiant light enveloped the soldiers.
A staggering 120 priests had begun using divine power to protect the soldiers.
“Kiaaaaah!”
As the divine energy spread across the frontline, the Riftspawn writhed in agony. Divine power was their natural enemy, a force they could not withstand.
Shiiiiiik!
The bodies of the Riftspawn burned wherever the holy light touched them.
Thud!
Meanwhile, the frontline soldiers, revitalized by the divine power, pressed forward with their shields. The knights, also empowered, swung their blades with renewed vigor.
The Riftspawn pressing against the formation began to be pushed back.
But that was not all.
To protect the vulnerable flanks, the mages took action.
“Firewall.”
Vanessa, floating in one of the hot air balloons, conjured a massive wall of flames on both sides of the formation.
Shiiiiiik!
“Kiaaaaaah!”
The Riftspawn charging from the sides at full speed were instantly engulfed in the blazing fire conjured by the 7th-Circle Mage, their bodies burning as they tumbled to the ground.
Even so, due to their sheer numbers, a few managed to survive and break through the flames.
“Chain Lightning.”
Crack!
Those who survived were struck by bolts of lightning, turning to ash on the spot. It was the same spell used against the Grex before.
Crack-crack-crack!
Even without a Runestone, Vanessa, a 7th-Circle Mage, incinerated thousands of Riftspawn in a single burst.
Yet, tens of thousands more continued to surge from both flanks.
Vanessa furrowed her brow. She couldn’t afford to deplete all her mana here.
A strategy had been prepared for facing the Equidema, but there was a risk of failure. If that happened, she would need mana reserves for a final defense.
It was time for the other mages to step in.
She turned toward the other balloons and called out loudly.
“Alfoi!”
Alfoi, who had stubbornly secured the position of Deputy Head of the Fenris Magic Research Institute, shouted back even louder.
“Don’t hold back! Pour everything you’ve got! The beasts aren’t your concern other people will handle them! Move it! What do you think this is, a game? If you slack off, you’ll be out of a job!”
He certainly had a way of pushing people harder than Vanessa did.
The two enslaved 6th-Circle mages and the five 5th-Circle mages bit their lips in frustration.
‘That arrogant bastard.’
‘Who does he think he is, a Magic King?’
‘How did we end up under someone like him…’
The unspoken rule among mages was that circle rank dictated superiority. However, in Fenris, seniority mattered more than circle mastery.
While they could tolerate that as part of the territory’s culture, the real problem was Alfoi’s complete lack of respect for higher-circle mages.
Though their blood boiled with resentment, they couldn’t openly defy their superior. Begrudgingly, the mages complied with his orders.
At Alfoi’s command, countless spells were unleashed from the hot air balloons.
“Fire Pillar!”
“Aqua Ball!”
“Earthquake!”
Boom! Rumble! KABOOM!
A barrage of devastating spells rained down upon the Riftspawn.
Even excluding Vanessa, there were two 6th-Circle mages, five 5th-Circle mages, and over two hundred lower-circle mages.
Kiaaaaah!
With each powerful spell, the Riftspawn were mowed down in massive waves.
Hundreds of trebuchets, tens of thousands of arrows, and hundreds of spells filled the battlefield.
Under the overwhelming assault, the Riftspawn, once numbering over a hundred thousand, rapidly dwindled.
Those who had managed to reach the frontlines were cut down by the knights without mercy.
“Don’t stop! Keep attacking!”
Ghislain’s voice echoed powerfully across the battlefield.
They could still manage this. Before other beasts arrived especially the flying ones they had to eliminate as many of the Rift’s Equidema as possible and halt its expansion.
“Waaahhhh!”
The soldiers let out a thunderous cheer.
It was exhausting, but casualties remained minimal. They had managed to crush the overwhelming tide of Riftspawn as they came.
Even the soldiers fighting on the front lines found the results hard to believe, their morale soaring as a result.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Despite the Northern army’s overwhelming strength, the Riftspawn charged relentlessly, unafraid.
The soldiers, caught in a trance, simply followed orders, continuing the slaughter.
After half a day of relentless fighting, the seemingly endless battle finally showed signs of nearing its conclusion.
The thousands of stones brought by the 80,000-strong army were completely depleted. Tens of thousands of arrows had been fired. The 200 mages were utterly drained, left in a state of magical exhaustion.
By then, only a few dozen Riftspawn trickled in from a distance, having arrived too late to pose any threat.
The massive horde of Riftspawn infesting this region had been entirely wiped out.
But the battle was not over yet. Mounting the Black King, Ghislain shouted,
“Now, we hunt the Equidema!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
His close aides and knights immediately mounted their horses. The 10,000-strong Mobile Corps, who had conserved their energy, gripped their reins tightly.
A few priests, including Piote, and several mages also climbed onto their mounts.
Neigh!
“The rest of you, hold this position and remain on high alert!”
“Yes, Lord!”
The soldiers responded with a resounding shout. Max, Lumina the Elf, and other Fenris commanders would oversee the Northern army’s defense.
“Move out!”
Ghislain surged forward, slicing through the mist as he led the charge. His close aides and the Mobile Corps followed closely behind.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Along the way, they encountered another wave of Riftspawn. This time, it was only a few dozen, perhaps a hundred.
Crackle!
The Fenris forces trampled over them with ease as they advanced toward the Equidema’s location.
After a long, relentless ride, they finally arrived where the rift had opened.
Grrrrr…
The Equidema lay sprawled on the gray earth, baring its fangs as it noticed the intruders.
Kiaaaah!
A few Riftspawn continued to crawl out of the rift, but they no longer emerged in hundreds as before.
The Equidema required time to gather energy in order to corrupt this world further.
Thud!
The massive beast began to rise.
It was aware that invaders had breached its domain and knew its Riftspawn had failed to stop them.
Reluctantly, it began to release the power it had been hoarding.
KAAAAANG!
Neigh!
With a single roar, the Equidema’s cry caused several horses to foam at the mouth and collapse. Even the mighty warhorses that had survived countless battles couldn’t withstand its presence.
Only the Black King remained defiant, snorting aggressively as if eager to charge ahead. It seemed that madness was required to resist such fear.
Ghislain, his aides, and the entire force dismounted, weapons drawn.
“Kiaaaah!”
A handful of Riftspawn rushed forward, but they were cut down instantly by the knights standing guard.
Now, all that remained was the Equidema itself. If they could slay it, this region would be safe for the time being.
“Everyone ready?”
At Ghislain’s words, the corp nodded firmly. With this many elites, they could surely bring down the Equidema.
Ghislain had slain one before alone. Though he had nearly died in the process, this time he wasn’t alone.
Gillian, Kaor, Tennant, Vanessa, Belinda, and the 10,000-strong Fenris Mobile Corps stood at his side.
The only problem was exhaustion. Though they had conserved their strength, they had already faced an overwhelming horde. Fighting a monstrous Rift creature now was risky someone could die if things went wrong.
Ghislain grinned.
“We’re all tired, so there’s no need to drag this out. Let’s use the strongest weapon our territory has. Alfoi, ready?”
Alfoi nodded.
“It’s time for the ultimate weapon.”
Everyone turned to stare at Ghislain and Alfoi in confusion.
‘What… are they talking about?’
‘The strongest weapon? Ultimate weapon?’
It was obvious to anyone that Ghislain himself was the strongest force here. But the way they spoke, it sounded as if they meant someone else.
While the others exchanged puzzled looks, Belinda suddenly gasped in realization.
“Ah… no way.”
There was someone capable of wielding a power close to divine authority. Though the conditions were strict and the duration short, for that brief moment, they could surpass even Ghislain.
Everyone followed Alfoi’s gaze as he turned to look behind them.
Alfoi strode purposefully toward the figure he was staring at.
Standing there, blinking innocently with wide eyes, was Piote.