Loud clanging of swords and tremendous footsteps ring everywhere in what used to be a bustling market district of Alagos. Ruins of different structures are seen left and right, and even more are being destroyed as a swarm of thousands of various beasts cause an earthquake-like stampede. Sounds of bones being crunched on, screams of dying humans- adults and children alike- being devoured alive and regurgitated by the uncaring beasts that had come to their doom.
They had a warning, but there was nothing they could do to prevent it.
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Just three days ago, Count Varyl Dormer received reports from his scouts that a dragon had awoken from its slumber in the nearby forest and started flying eastward. However, after that, he no longer received any news from them, and soon after, the reason for that showed itself in front of his gates. The city of Alagos, Rigondrion's biggest and most successful city, is under siege by countless beasts that stretch out as far as his eyes can see. Count Varyl stood at the top of his castle as he eyed the incoming catastrophe. He closed his eyes and activated a type of communication magic.
"Citizens of Alagos! Fear not! For I and alongside my family, have stayed behind to defend you. We will not let any beast hurt a single strand of hair from my citizens. This is my vow as the count- no, as a father, as a man with a family to protect." [Count Varyl]
He pauses and grabs a mana stone and saps the mana in it, after he had exhausted the item he throws it to the ground.
"The royal family and the church had both heard and responded to our request. They will be sending a hundred thousand men as reinforcements, alongside the hero Raymond." [Count Varyl]
Count Varyl pauses again and looks around, due to how high he currently is, he could neither hear or tell if his citizens were happy with the news. However he had no choice whether they took it positively or not, he continued.
"They will be arriving in a few days. But I assure you that the walls can last and our soldiers are doing their best to protect you. And I, Count Varyl, will also personally make sure that they will not cross the walls." [Count Varyl]
He falls to his knees and immediately gestures to his servants, who were running towards him, to stop. Normally, Count Varyl would have had one of the highest mana capacity in the kingdom. However as he is currently using telepathy on a hundred thousand people, this was still taking a toll on him.
He realizes this and starts closing his speech.
"For now. I wish for you to stay steadfast, the castle walls is open for anyone who needs food or shelter during this trying times." [Count Varyl]
He spoke again but was cut short because his mana had ran out.
Even if a person runs out of mana, they will not faint as mana is not inherently part of a person's constitution. Although they will feel weaker, but they will not be falling unconscious.
He immediately turns around and looks at his servants.
"Bring me a case full of high grade mana stones, if there is no more in the treasury. Go grab the family heirlooms, they should contain much greater mana than any mana stone." [Count Varyl]
"B-But count-" [Maid 1]
"No buts, our survival is at stake here. I'm sure our ancestors will understand." [Count Varyl]
His servants just bow and leaves the room, Count Varyl follows shortly.
He goes out of the castle and briskly walks outside, headed for the western headquarters to survey the situation. A knight with no armor and a black sword follows behind him.
"Still not wearing armor, are you Winton?" [Count Varyl]
"Of course not, I could just use mana to defend myself anyway." [Winton]
"Same as always, huh." [Count Varyl]
"Aren't you the same? You lecture me about wearing an armor and you don't wear one yourself." [Winton]
"It's due to how we fight. You're a swordsman, I'm a mage. An armor for me would just be a hindrance." [Count Varyl]
"Eh whatever you say boss." [Winton]
After a few minutes, they reach the western headquarters that was just right behind the city wall. From there, they could hear loud screeching of countless beasts on the other side, trying to scratch and gnaw through the stone wall. He knows that the walls won't last long, and he needed to do something quick to prevent it.
"Where are the mana stones?" [Count Varyl]
"Count." [Maid 1]
A servant gives him a case full of mana stones, but the one that sticks out the most is the golden dagger in the middle. It was not sharp; it could not even be used to stab anything as the tip was flat. It was a family heirloom that had been handed down to the Dormer family since their family's inception. However, Varyl had no choice but to use it, as it is made out of pure gold and therefore carried more mana than all of the mana stones in the case combined.
He grabs the golden dagger and saps the mana in it. The golden tint started fading away to ash and soon enough, the dagger shatters like glass, losing its golden shine and properties. It was nothing more than a simple pile of ash now.
"Let's go." [Count Varyl]
He alongside his followers goes up the city walls. He once again looks at the countless beasts trying to get inside the city and he closes his eyes.
"《Ice Domain》" [Count Varyl]
In an instant, hundreds of meters in front of the city wall had instantly frozen. And then eight ice spikes punctures through the walls around Varyl.
"Stand back. Winton, with me." [Count Varyl]
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After that, Varyl jumps down and walks on the frozen fields, he looks down and sees hundreds if not thousands of beast instantly frozen to death. But he knows it wasn't finished, as he looked straight, countless more beasts started pouring out of the forest. Some had slowed down due to the ice, some because their mana is getting drained by Varyl's Ice Domain, and some who steps on the ice with so much force that they pierce through it and prevent themselves from slipping.
"Hey boss, that looks like a lot. Ya' sure just the two of us can handle this?" [Winton]
"Our purpose is to not kill them all, but cause a delay. I will share with you the mana I drain from the beasts. Don't focus on dueling, inflict as much damage as you can. If possible create earth walls that could hinder their movement." [Count Varyl]
Winton only replies with a thumbs up. But before Varyl could move, Winton talks.
"Oh boss- if I kill more than you, will I get a raise?" [Winton]
"Talk to me after doing your job." [Count Varyl]
"Ah as serious as ever." [Winton]
Varyl then turns into mist and disappears from Winton's eyes, and in an instant, several dozen ice speaks with a height of at least a dozen meters appear far away from his position.
"I guess I'm really not winning against that." [Winton]
Winton then gathers mana around his feet and jumps several hundred feet in the air, landing on a swarm of beasts and causing a massive explosion.
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"Is there any beast that stands out among them?" [Count Varyl]
He thinks to himself as he surveys his surroundings. Thousands upon thousands of dismembered corpses of various beasts were scattered throughout the ice field. Varyl had mostly used ice spikes to cause this much damage, as he can manipulate them all like giant swords floating in the air. His control over ice magic was unparalleled, and he was called the Frozen Count. He looks to his left and sees several earth walls had been erected from the ground, followed by rumblings on the ground. It was Winton's doing who specialized in earth magic. However despite their successful attack, he could only sigh in disappointment.
Varyl knew that this was way too inefficient. The both of them had been fighting for half an hour now and the onslaught of beasts didn't seem to go slower, he'd even argue that the beasts just became fiercer. However he had no choice. When inside Ice Domain, it will drain anyone's mana inside it. It will not differ from friend or foe. So what Varyl did is share his mana with Winton. His mana gets replenished through Ice Domain, and he can transfer his mana to Winton every time he comes back to him to replenish his.
This obviously will not work if he had to replenish thousands of soldiers' mana; he will not be able to do any fighting but just become some sort of living battery. Although doing that might be able to net them more kills, that's only if his soldiers were immune from the cold and would never get tired. And due to those reasons, he was only able to rely on Winton, his right-hand man.
"Lost in thought?" [Winton]
Without batting an eye, Varyl stretches out his hand and touches Winton. He then transfers mana to him.
"Thanks. So what do we do now?" [Winton]
"We'll keep on stalling. The church has only said that the hero will arrive in a few days, they had not specified any exact time." [Count Varyl]
"But couldn't the hero reach here in just a few hours if he decided to run full speed?" [Winton]
"He could, but what about the army?" [Count Varyl]
"He still has an army to lead. And even if the hero does reach here fast, he'd be in the same boat as us. Stalling until the army arrives." [Count Varyl]
"So for now, we have no choice but to do this." [Count Varyl]
As he stood up, he hears a voice in his head.
"Count Varyl, I have a report." [Voice]
"Speak." [Count Varyl]
"The northern wall had fallen." [Voice]
"What? I'm on my way. Have the soldiers form a defensive line; do not go on the offensive." [Count Varyl]
"Understood, count." [Voice]
"Winton. It seems that the northern wall had fallen. It seems that I was too focused on the side that was facing the forest, forgetting the fact that other sides are under attack too. For now finish your job here then head straight to the eastern wall. If you need mana, just grab the mana stones I brought with me. I will take my leave." [Count Varyl]
"Alright boss." [Winton]
Varyl once again turns to mist.
In just a minute, he arrives at the northern wall. He sees several holes in different sizes and behind them were his soldiers with big shields trying to push away the beasts that managed to get inside. On top of the walls were archers and mages doing their best to eliminate the intruders.
"What's the situation." [Count Varyl]
Varyl enters a tent that seems to be the northern wall's headquarters.
"Ah count! Unfortunately as you can see, the beasts have broken through the walls. We are trying our best to block them again but due to the number of the beasts, it was simply too hard. We've already lost about two dozen workers from it." [HQ General]
"Hmm. Then order them to stop, I'll figure something out." [Count Varyl]
"Understood, count." [HQ General]
With a bow, he turns around to his subordinates and tells them the order of the count.
Varyl then walks outside and slow trods towards the city gate.
"I don't have much mana left. If I cast another Ice Domain, I will be too weak to even walk." [Count Varyl]
"However, I have no choice." [Count Varyl]
"I will erect ice walls on all the holes on the walls, and on my mark, the shield bearers shall move backwards, and the archers and mages on top of the walls shall kill the beasts that leaks in immediately. Swordsmen, be on standby. Shield bearers form a defensive line behind me after you have retreated, be prepared for anything. Now relay this message to everyone." [Count Varyl]
He orders a nearby courier who bows to his orders.
After a few minutes, Varyl had been notified that all officers posted on each of the holes had been notified. He waits for one more minute and looks around first.
"ON MY MARK!" [Count Varyl]
Everyone tensed as they await for their count's orders.
"MOVE!" [Count Varyl]
The shield bearers respond immediately and started falling back behind Varyl. Beasts then started pouring out from the walls but was then instantly cut out when large meter thick ice walls sprouted from the ground. The archers and mages kill the stragglers that got through, the swordsmen on standby didn't have to do anything as the former group had done their job.
Varyl then falls to his knees for a second time in a day. He scoffs before being helped up by some of the shield bearers behind him.
"Count, are you alright?" [HQ General]
"I am." [Count Varyl]
He pauses for a bit and points at an ice wall in front of him.
"Those walls will melt in half a day; after eight hours, notify me, and I shall strengthen them. However, if I cannot come, then have the shield bearers surround each hole while archers and mages shoot from above." [Count Varyl]
"Understood, count." [HQ General]
"Very well. I will rest. I am exhausted, I will need to replenish my mana." [Count Varyl]
Varyl turns around and walks away. Although he said that he will rest, it was most likely that he wouldn't be able to. And he is aware of it.
"We managed to survive for a day. However I have an ominous feeling." [Count Varyl]