Talion Fortress Siege Battle (4)
-Kwaaaaang!
A terrifying shockwave rattled the walls. Five streams of breath, infused with horrific mana, slammed into the battlements. A massive explosion erupted, and Talion's twenty-meter-thick walls began crumbling in chunks.
Talion's outer walls had been equipped with powerful magic barriers specifically designed to counter breath attacks. These barriers reacted only to mana, offering no defense against ogres or other giant monsters physically scaling the walls—they were purely tailored to withstand breath assaults. Yet that meticulously prepared barrier shattered without even activating.
No one had anticipated breath attacks launching from inside Talion.
"Aaaahhh!"
Screams echoed everywhere as the walls collapsed, the summoners' cries resembling those from the pits of hell. The subjugation force, steadily holding back the frontal monster assault, couldn't react to the sudden barrage of breaths. The acrid stench of burning flesh filled the air, mingled with the gruesome sounds of summoners crushed under massive rubble before they could even respond.
"Snap out of it!"
"M-monsters... Aaaahhh!"
To make matters worse, monsters surged through the breached walls. The summoners' defensive line, which had leveraged the advantage of defending from high ground, crumbled completely.
-Krurrr!
-Crunch! Crack!
"Aaaahhh!"
A horrific massacre began. Monsters trampling the ruins poured into Talion, indiscriminately attacking the panicked summoners.
Bones shattered, and one summoner's upper body was devoured whole by a monster's maw.
"Descent of the Water Dragon."
A clear woman's voice rang in the ears of the chaotic summoners. It was Park Sia, guild master of Leviathan Guild.
Unlike the battlefield steeped in confusion from the surprise breath attack, her voice was as calm and composed as ever, soothing the nerves.
The powerful mana and icy aura in her voice steadied the rattled summoners' minds somewhat.
Shrrrrr.
Tiny droplets the size of fingernails formed around her body. Thousands—no, tens of thousands—clustered in the air like living beings.
"Ah?"
Short gasps escaped the summoners beholding the wondrous sight. A thrilling shiver coursed through their bodies.
What Park Sia conjured in the sky was a colossal dragon over thirty meters long. Not like Western dragons, but an Eastern serpent-like water dragon with an elongated body.
This was the spell that earned her the moniker Leviathan.
-Krraaaaaar!
The massive water dragon roared. The savage bellow swept the surroundings, sounding just like a real dragon's fury.
-Krrr...
The monsters, hearing the roar, froze with rigid expressions and staggered back.
The predators that had been ravaging the panicked summoners turned meek as lambs in an instant.
"Leviathan..."
The nickname slipped from one dazed summoner's lips as they stared in awe. Leviathan—the sea monster of myths. He now vividly understood why the slender woman before him bore such a fearsome title.
-Krraaaaaang!
The water dragon in the sky unleashed a ferocious roar, opening its massive jaws toward the monsters.
In a flash, an ogre was swallowed whole. The overwhelming dragon, making the five-meter ogre seem like a toy, brutally chewed its prey.
-Crunch!
As flesh tore, dark red blood spread through the transparent water jaws.
"Waaaaah!"
"Long live Leviathan Guild! Long live Park Sia!"
The summoners cheered at the miraculous display of power. The subjugation force's morale, which had plummeted, surged anew.
Clack!
"Leviathan White Unit First Army, advance!"
"Leviathan White Unit Second Army, advance!"
In sync with Park Sia's assault, Leviathan's elite units charged the monsters. Composed in perfect golden ratios of melee, ranged, and healer classes, the White Units carved through the high-level monster horde relentlessly.
"Waaaaah!"
"Let's go, us too!"
Even summoners who had been on the verge of despair charged back at the monsters, inspired by Leviathan Guild's resolute stand.
Park Sia watched the exhilarated summoners rushing the monsters, then hardened her expression coldly.
Observing the summoner-monster clash with icy eyes, she turned her head and spoke.
"Summoner Kang Ha-rin, Park Sang-jun."
Two figures responded to her frosty voice: a sleek beauty with short bob hair to her shoulders, and a suspicious bandaged figure.
"Yes, Guild Master."
Kang Ha-rin replied stiffly, showing none of her usual cheer. Park Sang-jun simply gazed at Park Sia silently.
"I'll handle the monster horde with First and Second Armies. You two lead the pre-planned strike team and go hunt the boss monsters."
"Yes."
Kang Ha-rin turned curtly at the order. As she did, Park Sia continued.
"There were five breaths fired earlier. Over twenty dragonians likely remain with stamina intact. It's impossible to face them with the current strike team. Avoid full engagement—just buy time. We'll wrap up here and provide support as fast as possible."
"Hmph, who do you think I am? I can take those fake lizard brats alone, so don't worry, Sia sis!"
"...I told you to mind your manners in official settings, Ha-rin."
Park Sia sighed deeply after issuing the order.
Kang Ha-rin grinned sheepishly, scratching her head.
"Hehe~ I just don't vibe with these stiff atmospheres, y'know."
"Sigh... Anyway, be careful. No full battles."
"Got it!"
Kang Ha-rin nodded vigorously and dashed forward. As she ran, she shouted to Cheon Tae-hwang.
"Let's go, Tae-hwang!"
"Yes."
Cheon Tae-hwang nodded briefly and followed.
For a strike team hunting S-rank boss monsters, including a mere 61st-turn summoner like him was absurd under normal circumstances. But Cheon Tae-hwang was already a powerhouse beyond most summoners' reach. He trailed Kang Ha-rin with a faintly excited expression, anticipating boss combat.
"Everyone for lizard hunting, step up!"
Kang Ha-rin's voice boomed across the chaotic battlefield. The pre-assigned strike team members stepped forward.
The group numbered about twenty—far fewer than the original fifty-plus planned.
"?Damn it."
A rough curse escaped Kang Ha-rin's lips upon confirming the turnout. The strike team volunteers were all level 90+ high-rankers, elite forces including key guild officers and even guild masters.
Yet the sudden breath ambush had scattered them for cleanup, leaving less than half assembled.
This is seriously dangerous.
She swallowed heavily, thinking so.
The dragonians hadn't even expended much breath, and facing them with half the planned force was suicidal.
...But we can't back out.
Kang Ha-rin gripped her long sword on her back, biting her lip. Park Sia's efforts had barely reignited morale; a dragonian raid now would turn the field into a bloodbath again.
If we had just one... no, two more rankers...
Her face set grimly as she headed toward the breath's origin. With things like this, stalling as Park Sia said was their only option.
"Impressive."
Yeong-sik murmured lowly, watching Leviathan Guild's swift response.
Even after a surprise attack from inside the fortress—one that could easily plunge them into chaos—they handled it with astonishing composure.
No wonder she's one of the three great guild masters.
His eyes gleamed as he regarded Park Sia, who had instantly reversed the battlefield's momentum from potential rout to renewed vigor.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Yes. No injured guild members."
Park Cheol-tae replied to Tiriya's concerned scan. She sighed in relief, hand to her chest.
"To infiltrate the city and fire breaths... no way."
A chill ran through her at the monsters' unforeseen intelligence. The magic barriers focused solely on outer walls had been exploited perfectly.
"...This is trouble."
Yeong-sik frowned, stating so.
The original plan was for the strike team to ambush exhausted dragonians post-breath. But this breach derailed it simply.
Only five breaths used to topple the walls. With over thirty dragonians, most remained far fresher than expected.
"Can the strike team handle them now?"
Tiriya asked worriedly. Not concern for the team itself, but the catastrophe if they failed.
A strike team wipeout would tilt the war decisively to the monsters. No—beyond victory or defeat, if Leviathan crumbled, Elnot Kingdom's natives and summoners faced annihilation.
"The chance of failure... is higher."
Yeong-sik spoke reluctantly after deliberation. The team was sufficient originally, but not now.
"...I'll go myself."
Tiriya clenched her fist lightly, declaring so. Strike team failure meant war loss—and her guild, everything to her now, at risk.
Her words stirred unease among the guild members.
"Everyone, hold the monsters here. I'll check on the strike team and return."
Tiriya turned to go alone. Yeong-sik grabbed her arm.
"Wait."
"...Sorry, Yeong-sik. Even if you stop me, I have to go this time."
She told him darkly. He shook his head.
"I'm not stopping you."
"Pardon?"
Tiriya blinked in confusion.
"I'll go with you."
Yeong-sik tightened his grip, stating firmly.