The Boundary Man (3)
The next morning.
“Prince, are you there?”
“His Highness is currently out on patrol of the perimeter.”
He was still as busy as ever.
Lunchtime arrived, yet the mess hall remained empty— not a single soul in sight.
“Does the Prince eat separately?”
“He got here first by claiming the line-up time is a waste and left.”
“……”
Even secretly hiding.
Nighttime was no different.
Busy commanding the battle.
Monsters were daily face-stamp perpetrators anyway.
The following day’s lunch, I descended to the mess hall first.
“The Prince…?”
“He sent word he has a meeting with an external guest today and asked us to escort him to the study.”
“He has to get a haircut today…”
“His digestion is a bit off…”
“He doesn’t feel like eating…”
“……”
At this point, wasn’t he avoiding me?
Now even Kyle was at the stage where he simply explained to me why the Prince wasn’t here the moment he saw my face.
And then there was also the head of the Freda Division.
- Mister Blood, when are you coming back?
She had started harassing me.
There was no more time for leisurely waiting.
Nora’s words had completely rattled my nerves.
“Until when do you plan to never even see the back of the Prince?”
I had made up my mind to talk to him tonight.
Lying down on the bed to prepare for the long night.
I closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.*___*___*
Dong— dong—
Once again the sound of drums.
Tonight was the full moon.
The round moon shot sharp rays across the ground.
“Hah, a good day for monster slicing.”
Kyle flashed a grin while swinging the hammer that gleamed in the moonlight.
Beyond him, the Prince Frederick stood with lips tightly sealed, gazing down at the base of the wall.
The full moon made identification of the enemy camp extremely easy.
- Appears to be a Beta-grade entity.
- No Alpha-grade detected.
The monster army marched closer from afar, yet their individual strength looked negligible.
“These monster bastards are really cunning. When the full moon rises they just send minions.”
Kyle stretched and spoke.
I asked him, watching him.
“You think there’s a leader among the monsters?”
“I won’t admit it, but is there any other way to explain this?”
Kyle turned his eyes toward the monster army that had appeared under the moonlight and spoke.
In front stood a colossal armored crustacean-like creature in formation, and behind it a grotesque creature with claws over three meters long that stood firm.
And at the very rear, winged monsters marching in formation.
The humming sound of their wingbeats matched the drumbeat echoing from above the castle wall.
The shadows of the monster army reflected in the moonlight spread across the ground like a giant net.
“It gives me the creeps how well-trained this army is.”
As Kyle had said.
Their movements weren’t those of a wild beast, but of an army following a commander’s orders.
“Thank you for providing today’s material for my weapon! Time to go chop! Whew.”
Kyle descended from the wall with his hammer and stopped.
And then…
“Hey, rookie. Is your divination still good today?”
“Ah, no. Today I’m in a combat squad.”
“Oh? Then stick right next to me and watch what your hyung does!”
Kyle addressed his own brother—well, the rookie—and scrunched his face. Maybe he was smiling. His muscles probably didn’t move well because of the scars on his face.
Nora approached the rookie and handed him something.
“It’s a good one. Trust me, auntie.”
A black aura emanated from her palm, so it was clearly a high-level black magic defense artifact.
The rookie nodded and headed to the battlefield.
The soldiers began moving one by one. They set up magic cannons on the wall, while combat squads gripped their weapons tightly below, waiting for the charge.
The monster army drew near.
- Monster army approaching at five kilometers ahead.
The observer’s voice came through.
The soldiers began working in a frenzy.
Kyle had already vanished.
At that moment…
Kwoong—
The ground shook.
No, it wasn’t shaking—it was trembling.
Kwoong—
Like someone pounding on the earth’s heart. The flagpole on the wall shook restlessly.
Tadak. Ddduk—
Then heavy rain began drumming on the ground, clouds blotting out the full moon.
And fierce rain poured down.
- Damn, you can’t see anything because of the rain.
- Something’s coming though.
- If you’re coming, hurry up. We’ll chop and get some sleep.
Soldiers muttering while wiping rough rain from their faces.
But at that moment, an ominous sound rang out.
Dang— dang— dang—
The sound of a bell whose purpose was unknown shook the ground.
The observer’s urgent voice came through.
- Over there!
Something was emerging through the heavy rain.
The black clouds parted, revealing…
- Death Knight appearing!
A massive knight in silver armor emerged from the torrential rain.
Blue flames that seemed to summon souls flickered around the Death Knight.
The blue flames from the Death Knight’s body were absorbed into the line of monsters in front of it, as if the Death Knight was bestowing new life upon them.
Then the monsters’ skin turned translucent and their internal organs began writhing irregularly.
- Undead legion!
- Undead legion appearing at one kilometer ahead!
- Remaining distance: four kilometers!
Urgent reports cut through the rough rain.
“Mana?”
The mana measurement soldier’s eyes bulged in response to the Prince’s question. He twitched his lips as if trying to read the glowing values.
“Mana measurement… impossible.”
The Prince’s pupils shook.
- Damn.
- He was making a scene earlier, so that’s why he wanted to see this guy?
- It’s a full moon today, right? How can undead appear during the full moon?
- Fuck, last time it was already touch-and-go. This time too…
- Death Knight bastard. I’ll personally take Max’s revenge today.
The soldiers were in turmoil.
It seemed this wasn’t the first time the Death Knight had attacked. Someone was nursing a grudge from a comrade who died in a Death Knight battle.
Whiiiish—
In addition, the storm began raging.
Heavy rain hammered the ground as pouring rain filled the air with dense fog that spread like darkness.
- Visibility is poor!
- Some shells lost.
- Magic circles cannot be deployed.
The military equipment based on magic was collapsing one after another under the overwhelming mana spewed by the Death Knight.
A firm voice rang out amid the tightening tension in the barracks.
It was the Prince Frederick.
“Soldiers! We are warriors of the storm!”
He climbed the watchtower.
Lightning flashed and illuminated his armor.
“As long as we stand together, no enemy can frighten us! We will defend this castle!”
His voice pierced through the storm.
The soldiers’ battle cries rose with him, as if they were hardening themselves.
- Until you cut off the monster’s heads, don’t think about sleeping.
- I’ll cut them, so back me up properly.
- Damn, all of you attack!
The fear had lifted, and the soldiers’ fighting spirit began to swell.
The flag of the watchtower rose.
“Third Magic Battery, prepare to fire in the 120-degree front arc!”
- Ready!
The Prince stepped forward and drew his sword.
Golden flames burst from his sword, illuminating the surroundings.
“Fourth Magic Battery, cover at 60 degrees to the left!”
- Done!
Even in the storm, his voice remained steady.
Golden mana flowed from his armor and enveloped the surrounding soldiers.
The Undead Legion led by the Death Knight charged toward the wall, piercing through the pouring rain.
At the same moment, the Prince raised his sword high.
Light exploded from his blade like thunder, illuminating the night sky as a new sun rose.
“Wall defense formation! Magic batteries ready!”
- Completed!
Golden magic circles began to spread across the walls alongside his command.
At the same time…
Kwa-kwa-kwang—
The Death Knight’s mana erupted.
Burning golden mana and the ominous mana of the Death Knight collided countless times in the air.
The shockwaves swept everywhere and the explosive noise rang in the ears.
- Portion of the wall lost.
The Death Knight’s mana sliced through the golden mana. The wall shook and the magic circles wavered.
The Prince released golden flames from his sword. The Death Knight’s ominous mana evaporated. Golden barriers began filling the empty space where it had vanished.
Fredrick Castle was rising again thanks to the Prince’s mana.
Fear had disappeared from the soldiers’ eyes as they watched the scene.
The soldiers had already regained the demeanor of cold warriors.
- Alpha-grade entity upgraded to Beta.
- Estimated five thousand Beta entities.
- Two kilometers ahead.
The cannons roared and combat mages lined up behind them. The sound of bowstrings being drawn came from both sides.
“First Magic Battery, aim at B-3 sector!”
“Third Magic Battery, aim at 38 o’clock!”
The Prince’s command fell. The cannons fired.
Thick smoke of cannonballs spread to obscure the view.
- Completed!
Holy magic cannons targeted at the Undead Legion fired.
At the end of the goddess Eria’s brilliant light tail, the Undead Legion burned black.
“Summon the combat knights!”
The castle gate opened and warriors charging forward, kicking up dust, came into view.
For a moment the rain stopped.
The full moon shone on the world.
In the lead stood a colossal hammer emitting a cold aura in the moonlight.
It was Kyle.
“Kwaaaah. You monsters. Come at me.”
His hammer danced a light dance among the Undead Legion.
Where he passed, only piles of blackened Undead remained.
- Five thousand additional Beta entities confirmed!
- Alpha-grade entities approaching!
The Undead Legion kept coming without end.
At that moment…
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
A flash of lightning illuminated the world.
The lightning that pierced through the dark clouds split a newly formed tornado.
In the gale of the storm, the Prince raised his sword high.
Then, from the end of the wall, a single beam of sword light shot out, cleaving through the storm.
A torrent carrying an aura never seen before.
The darkness that seemed to swallow even the moonlight charged along the wall toward the Undead Legion.
Undead bodies swept away by the sword aura crumbled like smoke.
Nora’s eyes widened.
If undead penetrated by black magic were being purified, it meant the one who could mix black and holy magic had appeared.
Nora’s gaze fixed on the man standing on the wall whose eyes had turned bloodshot.
Her lips moved slightly.
Although unheard, she was undoubtedly reciting the name she had sought for so long.
“Waaaaaaa!!!!”
The soldiers’ cheers split the air.
- Majority of Beta entities eliminated.
- Alpha-grade, seems to be forming the front line.
The aura of a single black mage had shaken the Undead Legion.
“Do not hesitate—attack!”
According to the Prince’s command, the surroundings began burning brightly.
Holy attacks exploded like fireworks.
Cannons spewed fire toward the Undead Legion.
Magic erupted.
Arrows rained like a storm.
The Undead Legion was being erased in the whirlwind of attack.
But without the purifying flames, the Undead would revive and point their swords at us again.
At that moment…
A resonant light descended as if embracing the rough world.
A magnificent pillar of light pushed aside the dark aura buried on the ground, driving back the moonlight.
“What is this?”
“The sun rose?”
It was Nora.
Nora had cast the purifying flame toward the Undead Legion.
Her entire body emitted radiance and wrapped the Undead Legion in purifying flames.
The Undead Legion trapped in the purifying flames writhed in agony.
One by one, the purifying flames wrapped around the Undead Legion.
The Undead Legion marched toward the Death Knight and vanished in flames upon touching his silver armor.
“Wow!”
“Who is that woman?”
“Such a huge purifying flame?”
“I thought she was dead for a second. She was in the goddess Eria’s arms.”
The soldiers, seeing the scale for the first time, were astonished.
The Undead Legion began to disappear before their eyes.
And the Death Knight’s movements stopped.
At that moment…
Dang— dang— dang—
The bell rang.
Purple fog obscured the view.
And then…
The black clouds parted and the full moon appeared once more.
Lightning fell endlessly toward the ground as if trying to kill the warm moonlight.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
The purple lightning split the world and struck the ground in a frenzy.
In my eyes, among the lightning pouring down to engulf Fredrick Castle, a man shot forward like light.
The moonlight glittered sharply on the hammer that had been forged.