Chapter 41: Defense of Horgen Part 2
(Dolf POV)
The atmosphere before the battle was intense.
The goblins gathered in front of the fort, just outside the range of the dwarven ballista.
It was weird that the goblins knew how far they could shoot, but it's most likely because of their master's advice.
A loud sound made from a goblin war horn started the battle.
Dolf: "They're coming! Ready your weapons!"
The first wave was just goblins—around a thousand of them. They had little wooden shields, but they provided little protection from our crossbows.
Dolf: "Keep firing!"
They were going down, but we only had at least 100 shooters here. Not all of them are professional shooters, so we expected a lot of missed shots.
Dolf: "Fire the ballistae!"
Four ballistae fire at once. Its large bolts, made up of energy, destroyed groups of goblins.
Goblins: "Ugahhh!!!"
Goblins: "Eeek!"
Goblins: "Ahhhhhh!"
You can hear the goblins' screams from here.
Dolf: "They got another wave incoming!"
When the enemies saw that the first wave failed to reach the walls, they sent around 2000 for the second wave. They had trolls and ogres in this wave too.
Dolf: "Just keep firing!"
We couldn't keep them from approaching the walls anymore.
Dolf: "Shoot the barrels!"
The smiths and engineers purposely left some explosive barrels in the field.
Boom! Boom!
The explosions killed a lot of goblins and ogres. Most of the trolls survived with their resistant skin.
Next, they would be hitting our traps.
One by one, the traps get activated. The goblins impaled themselves in the spike traps, and the trolls and ogres fell victim to pitfalls.
Dolf: "We're pushing them back! Keep going!"
After I said that, the goblin army that was on standby rushed in all at once.
Hundreds were going down from the traps, but a considerable number of enemies covered the pitfalls themselves.
The goblin army was using their corpses to step on so that they could avoid the traps.
Dolf: "They're at the gates! Pour the oil on them! Let them burn!"
The oil smelter that we built on top of the gate poured burning oil on them.
The burning oil burned them, but as soon as the fires went out, new enemies were banging at the gates.
Dolf: "Keep firing men! We need to deal as much damage as we can!"
From my perspective, at least 3000 of them went down from the traps and ranged weapons.
But they're still 5,000. We can't beat the goblin army in melee combat.
Dolf: "Do we have any more explosives!?"
Dwarven Soldier: "No, sir!"
Damn it.
Dolf: "Everyone, get down from the walls! We're going to defend the gate! Set up the crossbows there!"
I signaled the ballistae to keep firing as long as they could.
The trolls and ogres kept banging at the walls, and finally,
Boom!
The gates fall.
Dolf: "COME ON ALL OF YOU! Let's get this over with! RAAAA!!!"
I shouted with all my might. This shout boosted the morale of the troops.
The Berserker is once again back in the fray.
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(Idmon POV)
There were like 25,000 goblins surrounding Gargan. I've always thought there were supposed to be more soldiers in Gargan, but I think they've already planned it all out.
They had moved out early, so they could trap us inside. Clever.
Idmon: "Hey Bon, how are we on energy?"
Bon: "Since our warriors won the majority of the earlier battles, the mages and wizards all have enough negative energies. As for the ammunition for bows and crossbows, we have a lot of them."
Idmon: "(t) Good. Do you have any spells that could wipe them out?"
Bon: "I wish I had, Milord. The strongest spell that I have can only take out a thousand at most."
Idmon: "(t) That's good enough."
Lina. Something unexpected happened to her.
A few hours later, we arrived here and got surrounded. Lina froze herself. I don't know if she got scared by the number of enemies. I put her in a small castle in the middle of the fort with some guards.
I saw King Wargh coming up. I'm currently standing on the walls to observe our enemies.
Wargh: "Idmon..."
Idmon: "(t) You should rest. And all of you soldiers, too. We'll keep them at bay for as long as we can."
Wargh: "Thank you, but at least let us help you with our siege equipment."
Fortunately, even when we rushed here to Gargan, the dwarves were able to unpack their siege weapons and carry them here. It would be a great help in slowing down the enemy siege.
Wargh: "How about the gate, Lord Idmon? We destroyed it when we besieged the fort."
Yeah, we thought we could rebuild it after a few days, but a counterattack right after our victory makes it impossible."
I point towards the barricades.
Idmon: "I have them put barricades at the gates and a lot of traps since we can expect them to rush in there."
Tug! Tug! Tug! Tug!
Suddenly, the sounds of war drums could be heard. There were thousands of them; it was deafening to our dwarf allies.
King Wargh tried to pick up his war hammer, Diamond, to get ready for battle, but his wounds prevented him from doing so.
Wargh: "Argh!!!"
Idmon: "(t) Stay back, King Wargh. We'll handle this."
Then suddenly, the drums stopped, and something impossible happened. Eight colossal trolls appeared on their side.
King Wargh's soldiers carried him back to his tent to rest.
Bon: "Lord, those are colossal trolls." 8 of them."
Idmon: "(t) We'll do what we can. Order everyone to get ready."
Wargh sat down since he had overexerted his remaining energy.
Wargh: "What about the trolls? Do we have any backup plans!?"
Bon: "I'm sure Lord Idmon already has a plan.
Idmon: "(t) No, Bon. I'll think of it while we fight."
Bon: "Ah, yes, Milord. I believe in you."
Bon, you think too highly of me.
He went back to the middle of the fort. I assigned him there since it was the best place to cast spells.
Idmon: "Relay the orders."
Bon: "Everyone! The battle is about to start! Get to your stations!"
Soldiers that were repairing the walls and helping out the dwarves carry stuff went back to the walls or the gate for the defense.
The Skeleton Marksmen and Mages are all lined up at the walls. There were even warriors and champions with bows for the sake of the defense.
It was night, but thousands of torches illuminated the battlefield.
Here they come!
They were rushing in all at the same time! They're not going to come in waves.
Idmon: "(t) Bon! They're coming in all at once!"
Bon: "Got it!"
Bon went up to the highest point of the fort along with some mages.
They started casting a group spell.
In our recent battles, a few mages have also turned into wizards.
I think they may be combining their spells to make it stronger.
They were forming a vast, red magic circle.
Idmon: "(t) Mel! Ran! Mag! It would take time before Bon could release his spell. Keep enemies away from them!"
Mel: "Yes, sir! Absolutely!"
Mag: "Yes, Siree!"
Ran: "(nods)."
It was almost time for me to evolve too. I was glowing bright purple in the middle of this darkness.
I hope I can evolve over time.
A few minutes later, the enemy army comes into range.
Mel: "OPEN FIRE!"
Mel shouts out the orders.
Hundreds of arrows and spells rained on the enemy armies.
Mages were firing
The cannons and ballistae were also doing a real number on them.
Mel: "We're running low on storage crystals! We can only fire an estimated 50 shots!"
Idmon: "(t) It's okay. Keep firing!"
Goblins and Hobgoblins's bodies were flying around. Trolls and ogres were falling and rolling. The falling trolls crushed some people, and their stampede killed others.
Still, you can't see anything but goblins on the battlefield.
Suddenly, goblins were flying towards us. The trolls were throwing them!
Just when I thought the trolls were going crazy,.
Mel: "Ahh!"
Mag: "The goblins are exploding! They're like pancakes!"
The goblins had explosives strapped to them. It was a suicidal tactic that is effective since they have a lot of them to spare.
Shit.
I wanted to blast the throwing trolls with my Idmon: "(t) Ran! Shoot at the trolls, throwing the goblins! Order the other archers to do the same!" Ran: "Hmm! (nods)" I saw Ran infuse negative energies into her arrow, turning it into a large black arrow. Then she fired. The troll that was about to throw another goblin got hit in the chest. Then suddenly, all of its body turned into a skeleton! Idmon: "(t) Nice shot!" Ran: "Um...Thanks" Idmon: "(t) Keep up the good work!" Everyone: "Yes!" Now, the number of exploding goblins flying toward us is going down. However, the explosions severely damaged the walls and destroyed some of the dwarven siege equipment. Mel: "Down to 10 shots!" Idmon: "Reserve the last few shots! We're going to aim them at the Colossal Trolls!" Even under heavy fire, the enemy army is now dangerously close to us. They're only a few hundred meters from the walls. I think only around 4000 were taken down—20000 or more to go. . . . This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. (Dolf POV) Dolf: "Fire!" Spears and crossbow bolts flew towards the entrance. The first line of enemies that appeared from the fallen gate were all killed. Dolf: "Reload and keep the pressure on them." They kept firing and firing; soon after a few minutes, bodies piled up at the entrance. Trolls: "ORAHHHH!!!" Suddenly, trolls and ogres went in front. They were covering the goblins behind them with their massive bodies! Dolf: "Take them down quickly!" A large number of spears and crossbow bolts did the job. But when the trolls and ogres fell, the goblins were already inside. Dolf: "Pick up your axes and hammers! We fight!" Soldiers: "ORYAHHH!!!" We kept a line formation covering the gate. No one would be able to flank us as long as the line did not fall. The goblins charged and leaped at us. Cutting them down was an easy task, but fatigue was wearing my soldiers down. Dolf: "I gotta stay calm." Also, killing a lot of these bastards is making my blood boil. My berserker instinct is gnawing at me. If I lose control here, I won't be able to command the soldiers. I tried my best to stay calm by counting all the goblins that I'd slain. But looking outside the gate does not help. There was nothing but goblins, goblins, goblins. . . . (Idmon POV) Skeleton Champion: "They have reached the gates!" Mel: "Men concentrate fire on the enemies at the gates!" The archers and mages changed their focus towards the gate. Mel was good at relaying the orders. And his loud voice makes it even more useful. I was now at the barricades. It was piercing the occasional goblin that was lucky enough to get through. By the way, an hour ago, the colossal trolls stopped their march halfway. They must be planning something else right now. The colossal trolls are sticking together, all eight of them. Mel: "Lord! Trolls and ogres are on their way inside!" Idmon: "(t) Got it!" It seems like the big guys have found their way through our defense. We have a line of Skeleton Warriors down here wielding spears and shields, so they are not going to get past here quickly. The first troll came through running. We tried to flatten us, but we stopped it by piercing it with spears and holding our ground. Just when I thought that was the end of it,. The following ogres and trolls used the pierced corpse as a bridge to step on to rush inside. They were now inside! Idmon: "(t) Champions! Get down here! They've breached the gates!" The Skeleton Champions dropped their bows and went down from the walls along with the Dread Heroes. Dread Leader: "Time for us to earn our keep." They wasted no time in slaughtering the trolls and ogres. With their hammers and axes, they were smashed and cut up without resistance. There was a troll that got a hit on one of the Dread Heroes. It was a direct hit by a club. Dread Leader: "Tsk. You can't hurt me with the stick." The Dread Leader blocked it with his forehead or with his skull, to be accurate. Dread Leader: "Here you go!" Then, after drawing the club closer to him and drawing the troll closer, he punched it. The head exploded. Dread Leader: "Don't worry about those guys getting past Lord! We're here to defend your backs!" Idmon: "(t) Thanks! Keep it up!" Unfortunately, more disturbing news came up. Mel: "They're climbing the walls! They're using the trolls and ogres as ladders!" Idmon: "(t) These guys don't give up, do they? Send Master Urah and Granpa!" Mel: "Yes, Sir!" After receiving the orders, Urah and Granpa rushed to the walls. Granpa: "Some undead are ordering me around... You've gone low, Urah." Urah: "You're here too, aren't you, old man?" Granpa: "Old Man? Hah! You're just 720 years younger than me, Urah!" They were exchanging insults about age while they were repelling enemy attacks on the walls. I contacted Bon via telepathy. We need his spell right now! Idmon: "(t) Bon! Is it ready yet!? They're flooding the walls!" Bon: "(t) Yes, Milord! Where do we aim it!?" Let's see, aiming in front of the gates will thin out the horde, but we could also aim it at those Colossal Trolls that are on standby. Idmon: "(t) Aim it at the Colossal Trolls!" "(t) The Trolls? Okay." Then huge flames burst out of the magic circle that was floating above the fort for some time. It went in the direction of the Colossal Trolls. The ground beneath it burned, and a few thousand goblins also burned. Idmon: "(t) Die! you beas--" Once it hit the Colossal Trolls, it exploded in a torrent of flames. But… There was no corpse, ashes, or anything in the place where the Colossal Trolls were supposed to be standing. Nothing was left but burned ground. Was it an illusion? I saw the searcher coming from the sky. I had ordered him to scout our enemies. Mel: "Milord! I have some good news! The Colossal Trolls are just an ill" Idmon: "(t) Illusion... But we spent our strongest spell on them." He was shocked, but he got his composure back right away. Bon: "Oh, no... Eherm. I'm so sorry, Milord. I need to rest for a while." Idmon: "(t) Go ahead." Damn. I should've just used it to thin the horde. Now I could see Bon and the other wizards kneeling on top of the tower. They won't be moving anytime soon. Just when I thought it wasn't going to get any worse than this,. Mel: "Lord! They are breaching the other side of the wall! They're using the same tactics on the front side!" Is this it!? Damn it all! Idmon: "(t) You guys! Stay here and guard the gate! I'll repel the wave from the other side of the fort!" Mel: "All by yourself, Milord!?" Mag: "You could bring me with you, eh?" I didn't answer and just rushed towards the south side of the fort. When I arrived there, I saw the dwarves that were supposed to be resting fighting off the goblins that got through. Dwarven Soldier: "It's Lord Idmon!" Dwarven Soldier 2: "Thank the ancestors, you're here!" Dwarven Officer: "Have they won the battle in the north?" Idmon: "(t) No. I just went here to relieve you guys." Dwarven Officer: "Thanks. There's no time to waste. Let's go!" Idmon: "(t) You guys can rest! I can take them all on." Dwarven Officer: "Come on now. We gotta fight this one out together." The dwarf soldier pats me in the back. He was short, so he had to tiptoe. Idmon: "Okay, let's go!" Dwarven Officer: "Yah!" I led a group of dwarves to the top of the wall. When we got on top of it, there were at least 3000 goblins on this side! Dwarven Officer: "Just keep cutting them, boys!" Dwarven Soldiers: "Yeah!" They will continue to stab and cut the goblins until those trolls beneath them are eliminated. We were able to clear the walls, at least. Idmon: "(t) You guys stay here!" Dwarven Officer: "What? Where are you going?" Then I jumped down. I felt it. I was about to evolve! I aim my Void Lance downward as I fall. Then. Booooooom! My spear landed on top of a troll. It went through cutting it in half. Then shockwaves came out, pushing nearby goblins away. I evolved into a Skeleton Spearlord. When I raised my head, I thought the enemies got smaller. On closer inspection, though, I was now as big as the average troll. Even my Void Lance and Void Plate got bigger. As I was checking myself out, the goblins rushed at me. I sweep them with my lance. They got cut without any resistance—groups of them. Then I tried charging my Void Lance for a approaching ogres. Ogres: "Ooooohhh!!" It went through them without even exploding! And when the did explode, it was a lot bigger than before and obliterated a group of goblins. I can do this. I kept blasting them away with Just when I thought I'm going to take them out all by myself. A human appeared. He was wearing full-plate armor and wielding a spear and shield. Same as mine. Mysterious Human: "Are you the leader of this undead?" Idmon: "(t) I am. And who are you?" Mysterious Human: "Your inevitable end!" . . . (Dolf POV) The battle line of the dwarves broke after the goblin army sent in their reserves of 3000. Dwarven Soldier: "They've broken through! Sir! Let's go back to the keep! We can hold them from there!" Dolf: "You guys go there." Dwarven Soldier: "What!?" Dolf: "There is no chance for us once we hide there. They would surround us and burn us from the outside. You need to go in there and protect the mages." Dwarven Soldier: "What about you, sir!?" Dolf: "You know... I've been holding back for hours now, just for this one order. So go in there and hold for as long as you can. I'll take care of the rest." Dwarven Soldier: "But sir." Dolf: "Go. Now." Dwarven Soldier: "Yes, sir!" Dolf is steaming right now. His skin was red. You could see his Berserker mode was about to go off. The soldiers went to keep rushing. I was now left alone. I removed my helmet because it obstructs my vision. I need to see my surroundings. I took off my full-plate armor because it was massive. It was fast because I had made it like that. Ready to take off anytime. Then I wielded my favorite dual axes. Dolf: "Come on!!!" Then my eyes went red. First, a group of goblins jumped at me at the same time. I cut them down with my axes—some with a kick and others by biting their heads off. Then the hobgoblins came, wielding their clubs and wooden shields. Dolf: "You think those shields can stop me!?" Rushing in without waiting for them to attack will be to my advantage. I strike with my full force. Cutting through the shields and killing them. They hit me with their clubs a few times, but It doesn't matter! And if someone tries to go past me by running straight to the keep, I force myself through them and cut them down. Dolf: "NO ONE'S GETTING PAST ME!" Even my body was glowing red. I don't know if it's my blood or my skill. Maybe both. The goblins and trolls have surrounded me now. Then six trolls larger than average came out of the crowd. War trolls: "Rahhh!!" Dolf: "War trolls, huh!?" I've seen you guys in my storybooks. I've heard about you in my father's stories. Dolf: "You guys are weak! Let's get it on!" Two came to me at the same time. The trolls were using punches. I caught both of their punches with my hand. So, I had to drop my axes to do that. My fingers dug into their fists so that I could grasp them. War troll: "UUUUGGHHH!!!" They roar in pain. Then I throw them at the crowd, flattening the surprised goblins. Next, the four surrounded me. The trolls were going to attack from all directions. They came as soon as I defeated the two, so I didn't have time to protect myself. I just covered my head and endured the incoming attacks. They punched me all at the same time. I felt unimaginable pain from all parts of my body. A few seconds later, I could not feel pain anymore because I felt his anger. I had to get back at these bastards. The Berserker skill. It has suicidal perks, but the strongest perk is when the health goes down—the tougher and stronger the Berserker gets. I was bruised and bleeding. I returned one of the punches that were about to hit me. A punch of a punch. The troll's fist exploded. And I did the same for the following punches:. Now they had no more arms. I jumped to one of them and punched its head again and again until there were no more heads. After I took out the four, the crowd started roaring, and the trolls came at me at the same time. Dolf: "COME ON!!!" Now ogres, trolls, and goblins were coming to me. I was drowning in bodies, but I kept blowing them away. A few minutes pass, and now I'm at the top of the mountains of bodies. I made an effort not to let the corpses crush me. I was bleeding badly, and even when I took them out, with one hit, my vision was already turning black. Maybe I'll just come back as a soldier of Undeth. They would need my strength anyway. Then an unexpected thing happened. I felt more power coming to me. My wounds heal on their own. I had a The soldiers inside the keep came out to check the situation. They were surprised at what they saw—a berserker on top of mountains of corpses. Unscathed. There were no bruises or wounds. It was just the blood of the enemies. Here, a hero was born. Dwarven Soldier: "Come on, guys! The bone behemoths are back in action!" The two Bone Behemoths came out from behind the keep. There were only at least 2000 goblins left. It was easy to work with the bone behemoths. The sun was already rising when the fight was over. Dwarven Soldier: "Sir! Are you okay!?" Dolf: "Hmm?" It was weird. I wasn't even tired. I also felt a lot stronger than before. At that moment, I was not aware of what I had achieved. . . . (Idmon POV) This human, most likely one of the blind ones commanding the goblins, charged at me. He was good. Quick to attack and ready to dodge. Even when I tried to use my unique Mysterious Human: "Hah! Is that your best attack?" I don't know why he is so cocky. He hasn't even scratched my armor yet. Next, he made a maneuver to get behind me by dodging one of my attacks. I could feel a powerful attack hitting me in the back. I was forced to kneel by that attack. Mysterious Human: "Hahaha! Not so tough now, huh? Skeleton King!?" I suddenly shot him with a Mysterious Human: "Woah!" He almost got hit, but he evaded it. Idmon: "(t)I think you got it wrong, human. If I were the Skeleton King, you wouldn't be able to breathe after the moment you meet him." Mysterious Human: "You can bluff all you want!" He kept attacking me, but his spear wouldn't pierce my armor. Then, after a few attacks, I memorized his pattern. I was able to counter with a kick, which sent him flying towards some goblins. Mysterious Human: "Ooooff!! Ah, Ah. Get away, you freaks!" He stabbed the goblins that were trying to help him. He was bleeding through his helmet now. I didn't think that would do so much damage to him. Mysterious Human: "Ah, hahh. To be pushed around like this. It's time to release that technique." Then he produced a purple magic circle. That magic circle looks familiar. Right after he cast a spell, everything went black. It was like the light from this place was gone. I wasn't able to hear the spell's name. I wonder what happened. Hmm. I tried walking to get a grasp on the situation, but then something stabbed me. It tried to go through my helmet but was unsuccessful. Then after that, a barrage of spear stabs attacked my body. Mysterious Human: "Hahaha! Only a blind person can see in this darkness!" The attacks kept coming. I received hits all over my body. Idmon: "(t) This place looks familiar. This darkness." Mysterious Human: "Huh?" Then I used the skill Idmon: "(t) This place is the Void. Isn't it?" Mysterious Human: "What the hell are you?" His next attack hit me, but I knew where he was coming from, and I grabbed his arm. Then I choked him. Mysterious Human: "UGHHKKK!!! What is this!?" Idmon: "(t) You made this area using negative energies, didn't you? This spell was your biggest mistake." In the void, there were only two of us. So my Mysterious Human: "Guuuughkkk..." I used the negative energy around us and wrapped him in it. Mysterious Human: "Reeleasee Me...!" Then I tightened the grip, crushing him. His eyes came out, and blood was coming from all the holes in his body. Idmon: "(t) Fighting undead in the Void was the biggest mistake you've made." We were originally inhabitants of the Void. I'm referring to the negative energies that sustain us now. After that, the darkness disappeared. All I could see around me were paralyzed goblins and other monsters. I think the Idmon: "(t) Well, well. I will require your bones despite the fact that you did not realize what you were doing; therefore, please spare my feelings. Okay?" Then I chased down the fleeing goblins. I blasted them here and there. I threw some trolls at groups of goblins. As I was having fun chasing weaklings, a blue light was coming from the fort. What is it? Idmon: "(t) Lina!?" I rush back inside the fort. I went towards the back because the gate was on the other side. I ignored the enemies that I encountered. After I got to the front side, Idmon: "Hey! What is..." What I saw was a floating woman. She had crystals for eyes. No nose and no mouth. She had this beautiful, icy dress. It had crystals all over it. And her hair. It had long, light blue hair. She was beautiful. Everything about her is. Idmon: "(t) Is that you, Lina?" Lina: "Yes, Milord. I'm so sorry; I'm late." Idmon: "(t) What happened?" Before she had a long white dress and white hair, she never had a face, but now she had eyes. Lina: "Ah, about that. I'm sorry about lying to you that it was a new spell. I forced myself to evolve by consuming a large number of storage crystals." Idmon: "That was dangerous." Lina: "Yes, I know! But I wanted to be stronger, so you won't have to protect us any more." Idmon: "I'm glad you're okay." Then I patted her on the head. Lina: "Thanks, Milord..." She hung her head down. I let her be after that. But looking at this side of the battlefield, I think she took down at least 10,000 of them. She had ended the battle single-handedly from this side. Most of the monsters and goblins were frozen. Ice spikes impaled some. I believe it was a cold massacre. The bones are useless now, but still, it was a good result. Idmon: "(t) Still, good job!" I tried cheering her up. She was still worried that I might be angry at what she did, but the results are more than enough. I thanked everyone for their hard work, but we have something else to do. I rounded up at least 300 of the remaining soldiers that I have. The remaining dwarven soldiers went to their meeting with King Wargh. Lina was the only one that could accompany me as a commander. Because everyone was exhausted, Mel and his friends almost used up all of their negative energies. And the searcher had to command the place in my stead. Bon is also exhausted. Idmon: "Let's go, Lina! Raise your head! I'm not disappointed or anything. I wish you would tell me everything in the future." Lina: "Yes, Milord!" Then she flew beside me as we went to Horgen to relieve Dolf.