Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: 14. Crisis and Cooperation (7)
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The earth was gradually dyed pitch black. From the three sides excluding the riverbank, an enormous army of ghouls slowly advanced toward the great city of Behimluod. Everyone atop the walls who witnessed the sight was utterly overwhelmed by the staggering horde.
Allen had never seen so many of them in one place before, and even roughly estimating their numbers was impossible. There were easily thousands, and perhaps even ten thousand.
...Fuck...!
This was on a whole different level from the territorial skirmishes he'd faced in the eastern regions before. The realization that this was true war pierced his mind like an arrow.
Huff... huff... huff...
Not just Allen—all his mercenaries were already panting roughly at the dizzying sight.
The ghouls, which had been approaching slowly, began picking up speed at some point, and now that they were clearly visible, they broke into a mad sprint.
- Kyaaahhh—.
Ghoulish roars erupted from all directions. Faint-hearted guards collapsed to their knees or fainted outright at the sound.
Thud thud thud thud—as the ghouls swarmed the walls. They literally hurled their bodies to form makeshift stairs. At the same time, dozens of projectiles soared into the sky toward the city.
Aaah—!
They were lumps of ghouls hurled by corpse giants. They tore into pieces mid-fall, raining down like hailstones. Screams and roars immediately filled the air.
From that moment, the Allen Mercenary Corps threw themselves into the fray in earnest. They cut down the ghouls crashing onto the walls, covering the guards' backs as best they could, while the guards huddled at the wall's edge, firing arrows to hold back the crawling horde.
"Pour it! Light 'em up—!"
Allen decided to dump boiling oil since the ghouls were climbing too fast from outside. He'd hoped to save it for a dire emergency, but they needed to blunt the momentum first.
At his command, the guards hoisted cauldrons of boiling oil and dumped them over the ghouls' heads. Sizzle—their flesh melted away amid the stench of cooking meat. The guards followed up with flaming arrows at the oil-soaked monsters.
The blaze spread in an instant, engulfing the ghoul mass. It bought a brief respite at the base of the wall, but ghoul lumps kept arcing endlessly into the city from above.
"Fuck—!"
The city inside was already chaos. The ghouls that landed began climbing the stairs to the walls. The Rudra Mercenary Corps, positioned at the stairs, held the line with shields, blocking any ascent.
Suddenly, a massive hand gripped the stone parapet with a thud. It belonged to a freakishly thick and long-armed corpse monster—a sort of hook.
"Take that thing out—! Ghouls are climbing—! Kill it quick—!"
The mercenaries and guards rushed over, hacking at the fingers with swords or bludgeons. Fortunately, they severed it before the ghouls could swarm up.
But where they failed to cut it fast enough, ghouls poured over in droves. Allen ordered the guards to hold their posts at all costs, then charged there with his men.
"Push 'em back—! Charge and shove—!"
Bald black-eyed Billy, old hound Kallisman, training fanatic Victor, and tattooed Arnold lined up in the front row, shields raised, and charged. Their powerful charge sent ghouls tumbling into each other or off the wall with thudding impacts. The second row, right on their heels, bashed the fallen ghouls' heads in with weapons. The blind saintess in the third row swatted away any escapees with hands and feet, guarding the leader and the red-robe mage.
The Allen Mercenary Corps reached the spot where the corpse monster's hand dangled, swiftly clearing the area and ripping it free. Luckily, nearby mercenaries joined in quickly, and no more ghouls climbed up.
Hah... hah... hah...
The city was hellish. But Allen couldn't spare attention below. He'd have to leave it to the militia and guards.
Returning to their post, Allen saw five or six guards dead or wounded. Gaps yawned in the parapet. He checked one, peering down: the ghoul staircase, crushed once by boiling oil, had reformed more than halfway.
"Elena—! Blast magic below—!"
The red-robe mage unleashed elemental spells on the piled ghoul mound at his order. The high-damage magic worked wonders. But Allen limited her casts—waste too much mana, and it might not be there when truly needed.
The battle dragged on like that. Exhausted mercenaries swung weapons on sheer grit. Sometimes they took hits when fatigue dulled focus.
Allen pulled those back for diluted potion breaks to restore stamina.
Victor's axe haft snapped mid-swing, so he started smashing ghoul skulls with his shield. Swords chipped, spear tips dulled. Iron maces held up best but were battered and bent from endless bashing.
Only the blind saintess, fighting barehanded, moved as nimbly as ever, effortlessly dispatching ghouls.
...And then, right at that moment.
Something massive hurtled through the air and slammed onto the wall with a boom. It stood about 2.5 meters tall, with a bulk to match. Clad head to toe in armor, it gripped a greatsword as huge as itself in its right hand.
Allen identified it instantly.
Death Knight—!
A battle-mad beast summoned by a lich from the pits of hell, offering its own body. Its presence was indescribably overwhelming. Just looking at it froze the body stiff.
A combined 177 in Strength, Agility, and Stamina—practically A-rank. Few in Behimluod could face a Death Knight.
It swung its greatsword viciously. A nearby mercenary was cleaved in half, weapon and shield and all.
The mercenaries who saw it recoiled in horror. It screamed "unbeatable" at first glance.
The Rudra Mercenary Leader spotted it too and glanced at Allen. If she left, the stairs would be exposed—someone had to cover.
"Allen, Leader—!"
Allen got it and swapped with the Rudra Mercenary Corps, bringing his unit. In that time, three more mercenaries fell to the Death Knight.
The red-robe mage sporadically blasted ghoul clusters. But gaps filled instantly.
Soon the Rudra Leader arrived with her men before the Death Knight. But seeing one precious subordinate pulped in a single blow terrified her.
This thing... it's a real monster...!
Even her Captain charged, clashing swords, but was utterly outmatched in power. The enemy was a cut—or two—above, swinging that massive greatsword faster than the Captain.
The Captain flew back after six exchanges, but the Rudra mage finished her spell right then, slamming a mana bolt into it. Not elemental, but potent.
...Yet the Death Knight, with its overwhelming Magic Power, took no scratch from amateur magic.
Only then did the Rudra Leader realize she couldn't take it. She'd need her father's mercenaries at least. But they couldn't abandon the margrave.
In that split-second hesitation, the Death Knight lunged, sending another mercenary to the afterlife, then targeted her—the head.
Ah.
The Captain moved, but the greatsword was already whistling down to split her skull. No elite mercenary had dodged it; someone with [Agility: 8] had no chance.
"Nooo—!!"
As the Captain screamed, something slammed the sword, twisting its path.
———!!!
The blade grazed the Rudra Leader by a hair, smashing the stone. A powerful force yanked her back, flinging her airborne.
...Ah...
"Ugh, aaagh—."
Bald black-eyed Billy caught her awkwardly flailing midair.
Standing before the Death Knight was the blind saintess. Her eyepatch off, her cosmic-deep eyes glared murderously.
Then, whoosh—the greatsword ripped through the air from the ground. She bent backward in a fluid ㄱ-shape, dodging, then drove a powerful fist into its torso.
Kwaaaang—.
The Death Knight skidded back, scraping the stone. ...Hmm. She frowned slightly at the numb tingle in her arm, shaking it out.
...Tougher than expected.
Red glint flashing from the black void in its helm, the Death Knight exploded forward to her face.
Bam bam bam bam.
Not slashing to cut—smashing to pulverize, pounding the ground. She slithered aside like an invertebrate, then kicked its gut mid-gap. It swung the downward sword horizontally on cue, but she dodged fluidly again.
No matter how it thrashed, it was child's play compared to Master.
She evaded every swing with nimble footwork, pummeling relentlessly. But its durability was insane—her arms were tiring.
Suddenly, it raised its left fist. Ghouls charged her madly.
Allen worked desperately to keep ghouls from her. One Death Knight was tough enough; adds could spell trouble.
Still, Odd Eye parried lunging ghouls while hammering the Death Knight.
Have to end this. No matter what...!
Many ghouls linked to this beast. Kill it, and folks get breathing room.
Fighting conservatively wouldn't end it quick. It didn't tire like humans—prolong, and she'd lose.
Sip... whoosh.
Deep breath. She clenched her fist tight.
...Full power.
Explosive speed—her fist hammered its armored flank—.
———!!!
She gritted through the backlash. Hitting hard hurt her too.
The Death Knight tumbled back, crashing into the parapet. But it sprang up, irritably batting aside blocking ghouls, charging her.
- Odd Eye.
- Yes, Master.
- Remember: a fist is concentrated force?
- Yes.
- Then heed this.
- What?
- Find the center, strike true—nothing breaks you.
As its dark mana raged, Odd Eye's eyes locked on the core.
She charged the oncoming Death Knight, dodging the horizontal greatsword by a nose hair, stepped twice more, and thrust at the center.
————!!!!!!!
Monumental impact rocked it. Swirling dark mana exploded outward on the shockwave. Crunch—thick armor cracked, shattered.
"It's dooown—!!!"
With a final roar, she poured everything into the piercing arm.
Grind—as it pierced the torso. The Death Knight toppled backward with a thud.
The blind saintess panted roughly, watching the fallen beast crumble to dust.
Her right arm shattered on the finisher, but she'd won. With its fall, countless ghouls collapsed too.
Master...!
...Overjoyed, the blind saintess dared impious thought: Could I punch Master in the solar plexus now?
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