Hope is in Sight
It was a quiet early dawn. As the eastern window gradually brightened and the starlight that had twinkled all night faded away, a new day was beginning. Soon, with the sounding of the reveille, soldiers stretched and emerged from the barracks, and the fortress began to hum with the smell of baking bread everywhere.
Crete Fortress appeared utterly peaceful on the surface.
But it was right in the thick of battle now. Over the past two days of aerial assaults, they'd slain tens of thousands of Rill Spiders swarming toward the fortress, and even now, pilot soldiers were launching levitation boats into the morning dew.
As I headed toward the southern ramparts, I gazed at the sky and murmured to myself.
"Hope the weather holds up nice..."
Bayan replied like a shadow at my heels.
"It will, sir. Early spring weather on Jores Island is very dry."
I smacked my lips.
"Tch. So you're saying it'll suck."
"Pardon?"
"Truth is, I like rainy weather. Rain means jackpot."
Our arsenal had hardly any weapons affected by rain. Powered by mana, the magic cannons and magic bullet launchers worked fine, and Yosgant's fire never extinguishes in water.
On the flip side, rain turns the whole earth into a sticky mud pit. For Rill Spiders moving on their needle-sharp legs, it's hellish terrain. Their feet would sink, making movement a nightmare.
And when the ground's soaked, lightning rounds pack a punch, plus Yosgant's fire spreads even better on water.
Sure, we couldn't use Rolan's poison fog, but who cares? Its job is stopping Rill Spider movement anyway, and mud does that even better.
Should I whip up a rain ritual? Nah, forget it.
I immediately scrapped the idea of a rain dance. Even if I were a god, they wouldn't grant my wish. To them, I'm the incarnation of evil.
This battle was a test run for the age of ruin anyway, so better not rely on weather. Not all monsters are as weather-sensitive as Rill Spiders.
"Huh?"
When I reached the ramparts, there was a guest already waiting. Sierra Princess. She glanced at me once but kept staring silently at the southern sky.
A long while later, Sierra Princess finally spoke.
"Do I have to stay in the rear again today?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Treating the wounded is important too."
Sierra Princess narrowed her eyes.
"From what I saw last battle, there weren't many wounded."
"We got lucky."
"I heard from the other commanders that's not the case. They've already taken out a good chunk of the Rill Spiders heading here."
"Most are still alive and coming our way."
"So wouldn't it be better if I was up here? My Vermong could help."
I gave Sierra Princess a puzzled look. Surprisingly compliant. Sure, she's protesting her bench role, but not snapping like usual.
No way. This woman's pride is her lifeblood. I basically banished Katrinah's whole crew before, no way she'd grovel like this.
Only one reason then. Something about her homeland.
"What, Kern Kingdom wants the lowdown on levitation boats from this battle?"
Sierra Princess's eyes twitched. Nailed it.
Makes sense. This fight, alongside the Kara-Lobros war, would rewrite human history. First war with levitation boats in the open.
Kern Kingdom would want details, and Sierra Princess is their only eyes on the ground.
"How'd you know?"
"Obvious. A pipsqueak like Kern needs sharp eyes to survive. Bowing and scraping to tiny Lupert Duchy says it all."
Sierra Princess's face crumpled. Kern's weak, sure, but hearing it from an outsider stings.
"You!"
Her shout made me plug my ears.
"Don't get pissy. Just stating facts."
"But people have things to say—and things not to."
"Yeah. Mirror."
My random quip left her baffled.
"What?"
"Plain English: don't dish it if you can't take it. You're all thorns with everyone else, so suck up one barb from me."
"Huh?"
"Simple. I'm still salty about you."
"What did I even say?"
Short version: drop dead. Wrapped in fancy justifications, but when I visited her in the age of ruin, that's what her scolding boiled down to.
And that scolding kept me alive long-term. I swore I'd outlast her—and I did.
"Dunno. Slips my mind. I tune out half of what I hear anyway. Conversations fade, feelings stick."
"Was it what I said at the Holy Hall?"
"You too then? Damn, you must gargle with barbed wire."
Her face flushed red.
"You're so rude."
I waved her off.
"Go to Katrinah already. Quit buzzing around scratching my nerves. I don't play nice when pissed—you'll get hurt."
"Oh yeah? What'll you do, kill me?"
I glared at Sierra Princess with murderous intent. Thinks her Great Saintess title saves her. But I'm all about equality in death. Titles mean jack.
"Shall we start with Kern Kingdom? Then the king and queen, lop off all royal heads, slaughter the ministers, and everyone you know—friends, acquaintances. That shut your trap?"
"Th-that..."
"Kern's got enough enemies. Sharing borders with four kingdoms and one duchy on that tiny scrap of land... No need to add me, right?"
"......"
"Scram. Before it's more embarrassing."
Sierra Princess clamped her mouth shut and fled the ramparts. Finally got the picture.
Bayan, who'd listened quietly, stepped up with a worried look.
"My lord. You okay?"
I bonked his head with Yojyo's hilt.
"Hey. Don't you lose the plot too. Kara Kingdom's a powerhouse now."
"But she's the Earth Great Saintess."
I smacked Bayan.
"That Earth Great Saintess nearly doomed Kara in the last war."
"Pardon?"
"When Lobros invaded, they had her backing. That's why Shura couldn't sway things. Otherwise, we'd have wrapped it easy."
"Ah..."
"Know your friends and foes. Kara's at odds with the Earth Great Saintess since that war."
"Yes, sir."
I led Bayan to the parapet. I'd vented on Sierra Princess, but the real fight was just starting. Bait units were luring hundreds of thousands of Rill Spiders our way.
"They're here!"
The massive Rill Spider horde appeared on the southern plains of Crete Fortress. The bait units sprinted full tilt toward the fortress, and cavalry waiting by Rolan's poison fog haystacks lit them up as the baits passed, then retreated en masse.
Yellow poison smoke billowed out, exciting the soldiers. The battle horn.
"Hold fire!"
Some Rill Spiders crossed the smoke into fortress range. But all magic cannons stayed silent. Not time yet. As droves reached the moat, salvo magic bullet launchers spat point fire.
Fabius Duke tossed me a line.
"Why no magic cannons? Rounding 'em up to slaughter?"
"Yeah. Cannons now would waste shots."
"You sure? Plenty crossing the smoke."
"No sweat."
"Why?"
"Watch."
As Rill Spiders piled up at the moat, lightning orbs erupted from wall emplacements.
Explosions ripped the air, chains of lightning shredding clusters in sprays of gore.
Kieeeek! Kieek!
Amid the shrieks, Fabius Duke squinted.
"What's that weapon?"
"Mana orb launcher."
Mana orb launchers fired 3-cycle explosive orbs. Less mana-efficient than bullet launchers, but great for wiping clustered monsters nearby. Worth a prototype.
"When'd you develop it?"
"Recently. Got the idea during the Lar Fortress rescue. Told 'em to prototype it."
"Fast work."
"Test version. Lightning orbs only."
Fabius Duke gave me a look.
"What about reliability? Test new gear before battle."
"That's what we're doing."
"Baekmyeon. This a test to you?"
"Yep."
I nodded shamelessly. This Rill Spider fight was a live-fire test for age-of-ruin gear.
I'd rushed here worried about my men and Jores Island, but after the last clashes, story changed.
Even hordes melt before overwhelming firepower—like moths to flame. Might be humanity's hope later, so test thoroughly now.
Fabius Duke shook his head.
"Anyway, you're a mystery."
Time ripe, I ordered cannon fire. Crete's barrage signaled Hardita Harbor and Kasim's raiding fleet to unleash hell.
Shot and shell arced like black thunderclouds into the fog, while transport levitation boats dumped gravel from above.
When smoke cleared, endless Rill Spider corpses carpeted the plain.
But not over. Far more surged behind, shoving toward the fortress.
"Keep firing!"
Cannon range tightened. Our numbers couldn't handle hundreds of thousands alone.
But we had more than cannons.
As hordes crossed the moat, I unleashed Yosgant's fire, turning the base into an inferno sea.
Come on then. I'll burn you all.
Flames everywhere, acrid smoke billowing. Soldiers calmly loosed bullets and arrows despite the plain-blackening horde.
No matter the numbers, few climbed walls. Most moat-crossers burned futilely.
A low-flying levitation boat whooshed by, dropping a massive rock. Stone-drop boat. A 300kg spherical boulder plowed the ground at hundreds kph, pulping everything inside.
Nice.
I approved the stone-drop boats. One rock kills dozens to hundreds. Six per boat—drop right, near a thousand gone.
Three in service. They rained boulders, pulping the fortress perimeter.
Wooong!
Iron-spike drop boats followed, raining long spikes. They pierced bodies deep into earth, screams echoing.
Good too. Even freaks like Preyker would drop.
Iron-spike boats weren't horde-killers. Two hundred spikes barely dented them.
But I eyed the deep-embedded spikes with satisfaction.
They were for heavy land monsters. Penetration power—that's the goal. They proved it today.
Potential here.
Today's fight gave hope. Hundreds of thousands crumbling before human might. Age of ruin brings endless hordes, but firepower like this handles common monsters fine.
Left: production to sustain fights, logistics to supply fronts. We're on it.
Spinning machines mass-produce cheap cloth now. Mana lathes churn precise new weapons. Rail nets spread worldwide; Kara builds mana trucks and cars.
Lock this in, humanity endures the age of ruin long-term.
One issue left: beasts like Sky Despair with insane power. No countermeasures yet.
Hence iron-spike boats—but that's not enough. Need more options.