Oni Hill
6:05 p.m. 17 th Zelyr 1092.
6 Hours to World’s End.
“What the fuck is that!?”
Crow, Sonic’s General, exclaimed as he pointed at the night sky.
“Hmm?” Sonic followed his general’s finger to see the black ‘egg’ rapidly growing in the skies above. Sonic frowned as he felt the immense power coming from that egg. Instinctively, he knew that was not something that should be allowed to exist.
‘Sonic, that egg is a Dimension Gate to Razznik’s world.’ Sonic flinched when he heard Niye’s voice in his head. However, he quickly adjusted and then listened intently to her words. ‘You must climb the mountain and stop Skyrm’s spell whatever it takes. I estimate you have about eight to ten hours till it’s fully formed. Be quick!”
Sonic took out a small branch and then placed it between his teeth. He softly chewed on the stem and then looked at the Chaos Order troops ahead. It was time to decide how he would set up his troops to attack.
Roar!
A ghastly roar interrupted the kafu’s train of thought. ‘Watch out for the undead.’ Feeling a strong sense of foreboding, Sonic turned and then looked at the forest behind them.
Rustle.
Even though there was next to no wind, loud rustling escaped the dense forest. Rustle. Roar! Slowly, but surely, the rustling grew louder and more frequent. Dudududu. Sonic looked at the ground that had begun to quake. His expression immediately turned ugly.
“Brace yourselves!” Sonic shouted and then rapidly barked out orders. “2 nd and 3 rd Division, positions at the rear! Shield Bearers to the front! Mages, prepare fortification spells. 4 th Division, prepare bombardment.” Sonic paused and then looked at Crow. “Crow. Your division is with me. We’ll provide support while pulling to the Chaos Order.” Sonic cast a worried gaze at the massive gaping space at the south between his army and Brilith’s. “Make sure we don’t get flanked until we get the Order involved.”
Crow chuckled as he took out a pair of black daggers. He licked a purple liquid of the blades’ edges as he remarked with a sly grin. “Attack? Yeah, that’s more my style.” He licked his lips, a maniacal grin in his eyes as he looked to the bushes. “You think there are any fine mamasitas amongst the undead?” When Sonic glared at him, Crow chuckled and then said with a shrug. “Hey, don’t judge, man. The dead can’t file for sexual harassment.” With those words, he ran off to call on his soldiers. Despite his frivolous nature, Crow always perfectly carried out any tasks he was given. It was for this reason alone he was tolerated.
Sonic watched Crow disappear into the crowd and then looked to the west with trepidation in his eyes. He wondered what decision Brilith would make. Frankly, he hoped she would also pick the slow and steady approach. If they worked together, the burden would be reduced.
Far across the plains, Brilith wore a stoic expression as she looked at the forest. Judging by the speed of the approaching roars, the undead army would be upon their army before they reached the Chaos Order. She glanced at Sonic’s army. Even though his army was several kilometers away, she could see them clearly. As a result, she could tell what the kafu was planning.
“So that’s Sonic.” Brilith smiled as she watched the blue-furred kafu organizing his squad. “He’s not bad.”
“Hey, Brilith, what’s the plan?” GrizzlyDiamond walked toward Brilith with his broadsword resting on his shoulder. He looked toward the forest and then at the Chaos Order’s patiently waiting army.
Brilith once again looked at Sonic’s forces. “They already made the decision for us.” She clucked her tongue as she glared at the empty space between her and Sonic. That kind of massive chasm was a no-go in any army structure. It allowed their enemies to very quickly surround and then attack them from the sides. “We cannot charge alone, or the Order’ll flank and swallow us whole.”
“Alright then,” GrizzlyDiamond gripped his sword with a solemn gaze. “Do I take the rear?”
“No.” Brilith shook her head and then revealed a wicked smile. “There are more suitable candidates.” Brilith walked over to the orcs. “Ragelock, why don’t you and your orcs bring up the rear? We will provide support.”
Renark Ragelock’s brows instantly furrowed. There were only 3,000 orcs present, and they were more suited to attacking than defending. This was especially so when one considered the orcs’ favored attire of animal hide skirts and next to nothing else. Renark did not believe for a moment that Brilith was unaware of this trait. “Orcs are not suited for defense.”
“Maybe so, but we need you to prove you are with us.” Brilith’s emotionlessly sharp gaze pierced Renark’s.
“We?” Renark frowned. Did he miss something?
Brilith chuckled and then pointed at the leaders of other unaffiliated factions. “You should understand. Orcs aren’t beings that can easily be trusted. I tried to vouch for you, but it seems my influence is not as strong as I thought.”
‘This foul woman!’ Renark heard the double meaning in her ‘confession.’ Brilith was still upset that Renark had defied her to join this expedition. So, she decided to make him pay for that insolence.
Renark gritted his teeth as he glanced at the leaders. This was the exact thing he was fighting to stop. Orcs had lived too long under the humes’ boots. This was not helped by the fact that orcs constantly fought and killed each other for the little territory and food that remained. Renark’s goal was to make orcs a force to be reckoned with. Only then could they avoid situations like this one, where humes ganged-up on them.
The Orc Chieftain cursed but then eventually said, “Fine. The orcs will take care of the rear.” Rage flashed in Renark’s eyes, but he turned and called to his people, “Let’s cover the weaklings’ retreat!”
“Huoooo!”
The orcs shouted with vigor and then marched to the rear with fierce expressions.
Brilith smiled and then turned to some of the unaffiliated leaders. “DriedPlum, FarSeeker, have your squads support the orcs.” She then looked at her own men. “Grizzly, you’re with Rono and me. Your squad will lead the attack on the Order.” She then looked at the others. “Hon-chan, I doubt your illusions will work on undead. Support Grizzly with heals. Reaper, keep an eye on our flanks. Have your mages rain hellfire on any undead that go around the orcs.” Brilith looked at the massive mountain range west of her.
To be honest, both Brilith and Sonic only really needed to worry about the south. That was because Oni Hill’s entrance was shaped like a fan, with the gate being the smallest part. The mountain range extended to the southeast and southwest for several miles, forming a natural barrier.
Sonic and Brilith’s forces were practically plastered against the southeastern and southwestern walls, respectively. So, their only concern was the open space in the south. Presumably, some other force should have teleported there to fill up the gap.
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, that force had yet to arrive.
Brilith would have charged ahead with her army were it not for that gaping hole. Either the Chaos Order or the undead could easily outflank them if she was not careful.
‘Tsk.’ Brilith clucked her tongue. “Slayer, Rono. You’re on standby.” Her gaze turned vicious as she looked at Renark and then Sonic off in the distance. “An opportunity just might present itself amongst the chao—”
Buuuu!
A loud warhorn interrupted Brilith. The Commander-General’s gaze shifted. That warhorn was used to signify confirmation of enemy sighting.
Snap.
A large vine shot out of the ground following Brilith’s snap. The vine wrapped around the wisben and then lifted her above the army, giving her a clear sight of the rushing enemy.
Dudududu! Rotted teeth, matted bones. Dudududu! Decayed clothing from centuries past. Dududu! Terrible, guttural roars that sounded like someone gurgling water while being choked. Dudududu! Faint will-o-wisps billowing in chests and heads.
Vwoooosh!
“What the fuck!?” A coalition warrior cried in shock.
The warrior was not alone in his shock and fear. From the weakest soldiers to the strongest, every man and woman paled in fright as they stared at the gigantic flood of undead that poured out of the forest like ants out of an anthill. Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands… The undead’s numbers climbed at an astonishing rate!
Sonic and Brilith’s expressions turned ugly upon seeing the immense flood. They instinctively knew. Getting caught up in this storm was tantamount to suicide, especially with the gaping hole between them. There was only one path to survival.
Brilith and Sonic both shouted at the top of their lungs, “RUN!”
The coalition did not need any further prodding. Following their leaders’ shouts, the warriors began fleeing as fast as possible toward the Chaos Order. The plan was simple. When the coalition reached the narrower parts of the ‘fan,’ they could plug the gap and then properly fight off the undead.
Brilith and Sonic did not flee with the warriors. This was because they knew that with the undead’s speed, they would catch up very quickly. Someone had to buy enough time for the coalition to reach the narrower parts of the ‘fan.’
Nornesh frowned as he observed the panicked coalition flee for their lives. “That gap is enormous. They will get flanked.”
Onishi Rai chuckled. “Surely, your forces won’t get decimated by the undead before the battle even starts?”
Lilo Shadebreaker frowned. “That gap is unnatural. I doubt they would have teleported with such a massive flaw between them. Was a force supposed to occupy that space?”
Aedelwulf licked his right paw and then ran his gaze across the battlefield. “The daeben they called Kashi. I don’t see anyone of such note present. Queen Alia was looking forward to meeting him. Surely he didn’t chicken out?”
“That is surely impossible. Kashi is not one to flee from a fight.” Damah Dumm shook his head. The daeben he knew would jump at the first chance to involve himself in trouble of this magnitude. “Perhaps he is delayed?”
“Delayed? For a battle of this import?” Aedelwulf burst out laughing and banged his fists against the table. “There’s such a character? Man, I can’t wait to meet this kid!”
“You and I both,” confirmed Tritan in a low voice. Tap! Tap! Tritan tapped his finger on the desk in a bid to contain the frustration he felt inside. He had never met this Kashi guy. But he had begun to form a negative opinion of the daeben, whose tardiness had already put the coalition at significant risk.
Tritan was especially concerned about his fellow Nordic men and women in Sonic’s army. If such lives were wasted because the daeben’s army was late…
“Sweet Mera.” Palu Sails smiled and then said in a soothing voice, “All hope is not lost. These two generals are some of the strongest beings on the continent aside from us Transcendents. Let us see what they can do to salvage the situation.”
Meanwhile, at the top of Oni Hill, Queen Alia frowned as she watched the chaos below. “I did not realize there’d be this much.” The Chaos Order was not exempt from danger. The Order lost their ‘protection’ when Gunder started the spell. Currently, they were as much enemies of the undead as the coalition was.
In the original plan, the coalition army would act as a buffer between the undead and the Order. Unfortunately, that gaping hole had thrown those plans out of the window. Not only did that hole mean that the undead could flank the coalition, but also, there was now a direct line to the Orders’ army too.
Queen Alia bit her lips as she glared at the space with hatred and anticipation. “Where the hell are you, Kashi?”
Unfortunately, no answer was forthcoming.
Queen Alia had no choice but to take out a rink and issue an order to the troops below. “Prepare yourselves. Worst-case scenario, we might have to charge earlier than expected.”
Alia knew what Sonic and Brilith wanted. The coalition hoped to extend the chaos to the Order. It was not a bad plan, but she could use it to her advantage. If the Order formed a sturdy wall far up enough before the undead overtook the coalition, then the unintelligent undead would attack the sides out of frustration of not advancing.
However, the Chaos Order needed to time it right. If they charged too early, then their forces would be spread too thin, which would make it easy for the coalition or zombies to break through. Ideally, there should be roughly ten rows at the minimum blocking the coalition and zombies’ advance.
Alia kept a close watch on Brilith and Sonic as she raised the rink to her lips.
Brilith glared at the incoming undead forces. Gritting her teeth, she broke through the orc forces to meet Renark. She did not wait for the orc chieftain to say a word before she ordered, “Run with the others and provide cover on the flanks. I’ll buy you as much time as I can.”
Renark stared at Brilith in shock. He was no stranger to the young woman’s nefarious plans. He knew she wanted to reduce the orc numbers as a punishment for his insubordination. That was why she gave the orcs the most formidable job. But now, just when the best opportunity appeared, she was choosing to save them?
“Why?”
Brilith looked at Renark, who could not help but ask this question. Why indeed? Why put herself at risk, and lose the chance to deal the orcs a heavy blow? “There is a time and place for personal grievances.” In the end, Brilith was too intelligent to succumb to her emotions. She might want to punish Renark, but not at the risk of damaging the overall mission. In fact, she was prepared to save the Orc Chieftain if it would accomplish her goal.
Renark’s eyes turned cold but with a hint of wariness. Brilith was an unfathomable woman. Her cold rationality extended not only to her enemies but also to herself. This was the reason Renark was always so careful when dealing with her. Brilith was not a woman who could be manipulated through her emotions.
Still, all things considered, Renark could consider this a blessing. Orcs were experts at running and fighting. Protecting the flanks was much more comfortable for an orc compared to defending the rear.
Renark hoisted his axes. He commanded his men to begin running and then looked at Brilith and said something he only half-meant, “Good luck.”
“Good Luck?” Brilith revealed a cold smile as she dipped her hand into a pouch. “I have never relied on luck.”
“As expected.” Renark did not take offense to her reply. In fact, he felt only this kind of response fitted this cold popsicle of a woman. The orc chieftain snorted and then took off after his men. This time, however, he ran at the back to be the first point of contact for any charging undead.
It was just a coincidence that this position also gave Renark the best view of Brilith, who calmly jogged a few meters behind the last coalition member.
The saying, ‘Great Minds Think Alike’ was proven correct by Sonic and Brilith as the former had chosen to take up a similar stance to the latter. Sonic reorganized his troops, pushing his strongest division to the left flank while bringing up the rear.
“Hey, Boss! You gonna go all out!?”
Sonic bit on his branch as he looked at the snickering Crow. The assassin was not suited to protection duty, so he chose to hang back and watch Sonic instead. The young man’s eyes sparkled with stars, his toothy grin revealing his anticipation.
“Don’t think I have a choice in the matter.” Sonic glanced at the rapidly closing undead behind him. “These bastards are too fast.”
“Woah. What kinda calcium do you think they’re feeding them?” Crow chuckled as he looked at the undead. This should have been a terrifying scene. Skeletons, Drughers, Zombies, and even Skeletal knights atop different mounts were charging at them.
Crow, however, could not stop his laughter when he saw how the skeletons were busting their non-existent guts to catch up. He almost wanted to burst out the placards and cheer them on.
Sonic, unfortunately, did not see the humor in the situation. He had already begun to perceive the undead’s raunchy smell. By his estimate, there were only about twenty seconds to contact. With this in mind, Sonic opened his menu.
“No! Boss!” Crow panicked and waved his hands in protest. “How many times must I tell you? The most important thing for any man is posing! You’ll never get the girl if you can’t even pose right!?”
A vein popped on Sonic’s forehead. He had to resist and urge to strangle this kid. “Who says I want to get a girl?”
“Fine.” Crow continued without missing a beat. “Then do it for morale. How do you think those common guys will feel seeing their Boss is such a badass? Don’t disappoint your fans, Boss!”
“Goddamn it, alright.” Sonic, unable to form a reasonable counter-argument, reached for his armor’s buckle.
“Brother, where is your champion?”
“Kashi will come.” Rider answered Cathek, who wore a curious smile as he examined both forces.
“You sure have a lot of faith in a Summoned.” Cathek, who knew how flimsy Summoned’s resolve towards Residents could be, did not comprehend Rider’s steadfast faith in this Kashi guy. However, since he did not expect Rider to answer, he instead looked at Anya and Niye. “It would seem your champions have chosen to take the lead for their respective armies. Are they up to the task?”
Anya’s brows furrowed as she gazed at Brilith. “I find that girl’s ambition worrisome, but…”
BOOM!
Giant vines that stretched for at least two kilometers wide shot out of the ground in front of Brilith. The wisben wore a cold smile as she observed the panicked undead knights who crashed into the massive obstacle.
Anya grinned as she looked at the crash. “… Her abilities definitely cannot be called into question.”
Brilith, unaware of the watching eyes, stretched her hand forward. “Grow.” A simple order. But this simple order resulted in a nightmare for the undead. Gruuu! Thousands of thick tree roots, some as thick as two meters wide, shot out from the ground and then began wreaking havoc among the undead army.
Bang! Crash!
The roots smashed hundreds of undead into powder in an instant, sending the army into a massive panic. Surprisingly, Brilith wore a relaxed smile as she twirled her fingers, manually controlling the vines to crush the high-profile targets like mounted skeletons.
“That monster.” Renark’s gaze grew cold as he watched Brilith’s scary display of power. This was Brilith when she got serious. This was the power that forced Renark to submit or risk the orcs’ annihilation. The orc tightly gripped his ax. The main reason he chose to come to Oni Hill despite risking Brilith’s wrath was to obtain a power that could rival hers. The Berserker state and Chieftain Inheritance had closed a lot of the gap, but he was still shy of matching the ‘Walking Forest.’
Within the retreating crowd, Sophie warily observed Brilith. She could never understand Yggdrasil’s choice to split its blessings between the two of them. Brilith got Yggdrassil’s tremendous life energy, which gave her the ability to quickly grow plants. At first, the skill did not appear too powerful. But when coupled with Mera’s mark, which granted Brilith the ability to command plant life, it became an Overpowered Skill.
Sophie, on the other hand, gained Yggdrasil’s cheat-like healing ability. If she claimed to be the second-best healer in Destia, then no one would dare to say they were number one. Unfortunately, while healers were greatly respected and loved, most were far more attracted to overwhelming power on the level of Brilith.
Flashy destruction would always beat quiet healing. Sophie’s goal in coming to Oni Hill was to find a battle-skill that would complement a healer. She firmly believed that the only chance she had of beating Brilith was to become a figure people looked up to on the frontlines.
While Sophie stewed in her unease, Cathek’s brow rose in surprise as he observed Brilith decimate the first wave of undead. “This child. She’s not just relying on Yggdrasil’s Blessing. There’s something else…” The kafu’s eyes shone as he scanned Brilith. A moment later, he spotted an anomaly. “So, she has a god mark. What god championed her?”
Anya answered with a frustrated sigh, “Mera. I don’t know what that goddess was thinking.”
“Now, now. Both Yggdrassil and Mera, beings who love pure hearts, chose this girl.” Cathek rubbed his chin and then nodded. “There must be more to her than meets the eyes, don’t you think so, brother?”
“There are those who hide their true selves beneath masks of cruelty.” Bert briefly glanced at Cathek and then once more shut his eyes. “It is wholly unnecessary, but they never learn until it is too late.”
Cathek chuckled. “I really do miss your lectures, big brother.” He then turned, and then his eyes shone as he looked at Sonic. “Oh, Niye, looks like your champion’s doing something fun. I wonder, can he outshine Anya’s?”
Niye’s lips curled in a warm smile. She observed Sonic’s slightly annoyed expression. This man hated hardwork more than anything. If he weren’t a guildmaster, Sonic would most likely spend his days sleeping on the grass. Unfortunately, Sonic’s propensity for laziness was only surpassed by his vast sense of responsibility. “Just so you know, Sonic also has a god-mark.”
Cathek raised a brow. “Oh, he does? Which god?”
BOOM!
Down below, the ground quaked as Sonic threw his armor and vest onto the ground. The two giant depressions in the ground alerted the onlookers to the fact that the kafu had been walking around with immense weights.
Sonic, who, at some point, had switched to a simple set of cloth armor, raised his right hand to the sky. “Destroy them—”
WHOOOOOO!
The wind suddenly grew turbulent and harsh. Surprisingly though, the heavy winds only affected the undead army.
Sonic clenched his fists around a pair of sharp, meter-long thin blades and then looked up at the undead. Whirlwinds blew around the kafu, but he appeared unaffected. “Kazekiri!”
Vwoosh!
Sonic disappeared. Simultaneously, a sharp, blue line suddenly appeared across the first line of the undead. Skeleton horses, knights, and drughers suddenly crashed to the ground, their will-o-wisps collectively destroyed by an invisible blade. The first line had barely begun to crumble when the blue line attacked the second row of the undead. It once again destroyed will-o-wisps before the undead could even start to think about protecting themselves.
Whooo!
The chaos did not end there. Everywhere the blue line passed, it kicked up and stirred up a terrible windstorm that was getting worse each second. Soon the blue line didn’t even need to destroy will-o-wisps, as the wind blades within the storm began shattering undead before they even reached the line.
Swoosh.
A few seconds later, the blue line came to a stop, revealing a relaxed Sonic. The kafu took out another bamboo shoot and stuck it in his mouth. Chewing silently, he muttered, “That oughta hold a second or two.”
“WOOOOO!”
The coalition burst into cheers as they watched Sonic and Brilith handle the scary undead with relative ease. Many Summoned once considered Sonic and Brilith unfair to be cheat codes, even going as far as reporting to Genaco’s Moderators. Now, though, those same people were beyond pleased to have these game-breaking bugs on their side!
“This aura. Is that Voltoreos’ Mark?” Cathek cast a stunned gaze at Niye. “That stuck-up god has been released?” Cathek chuckled as he turned to observe the kafu that had begun another pass to strengthen the wind barrier. “It is a pity he got the god of storm’s wind trait. Lightning is so much more effective against undead.”
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Niye thinly smiled. “Maybe so, but right now, this is enough.”
Cathek shook his head. “No—”
“It is not enough.”
The Transcendents turned to look at Nornesh, who suddenly dropped a terrifying bombshell. The Divine Dragon did not bother acknowledging the gazes. Instead, he maintained his watch on the generals. The dragon’s brows slightly furrowed as he looked at the space between both armies. “Unfortunately, they lack the numbers.”
“It would seem that is the case.” Bellmaster Rene frowned as he watched the undead flood into the open space, thereby bypassing Sonic and Brilith’s shields. Bellmaster Rene was not pleased with this outcome. The coalition should not have capitulated this quickly. Without them, the undead would soon overrun the Chaos Order. And things would really turn ugly if the undead were let into Oni Hill.
“Wait, hold on.” Tritan prompted. “They haven’t lost yet.”
BOOM!
Dust, bones, and rocks scattered into the air from massive explosions. Renark emerged from the dust with a grim expression, axes hoisted on his shoulders as he glared at the legion rushing at them. “Orcs! Show these foul beasts your power!” Renark roared and then once again swung his axes. The resulting blow shattered dozens of undead but even more instantly filled their place.
Thankfully, the orcs, galvanized by their chieftain, launched a fierce offensive on the undead army. The orcs crushed the undead as they came, suffering numerous injuries in the process. Unfortunately, despite their resilience, the undead were simply overwhelming.
AN orc warrior panicked as several undead skeletons piled on top of him. They pushed him to the ground and raised their blades, edges shining as they struck down.
BAM!
Just when it seemed all hope was lost, a tremendous force sent the undead flying. “Get up!” An armored hand reached for the orc, who gratefully accepted it and then shot to his feet.
“Thank yo—” The orc’s platitude froze in his throat when he discovered his savior’s identity.
“If you have time for thanks, you have time to swing your ax!” GrizzlyDiamond shouted and then charged ahead. The warrior’s blade was like a shinigami’s scythe as it mowed down dozens of undead with each swing. “Fuck! This would be the perfect place to level if it wasn’t so damned scary! Reaper! I could use some cover-fire!”
“Got it!” RustyReaper’s assured voice emerged from within the army. A short, imperceptible chant followed, and then a dozen mandalas appeared over the fleeing army. “Watch out!”
GrizzlyDiamond ducked under a skeleton knight’s swing and then stabbed his sword into the ground. Boom! Ki stored in his sword exploded outward, sending the surrounding undead flying. “NOW!”
“Coming!” Following RustyReaper’s confirmation, the mandala shattered into thousands of flame lotuses. The lotuses floated over to GrizzlyDiamond, who twirled his sword overhead like a helicopter blade. The lotus flowers gently descended onto the blade, turning it into a raging bonfire!
GrizzlyDiamond grinned, even as the searing heat caused sweat to form between his brows. “Take this!” The warrior channeled ki into his blade and then swung with all his might. “[Phoenix Breaker!]” A 20-meter wide phoenix gushed out of the warrior’s blade.
Kriiii!
The phoenix let out a shrill cry as it tore through the undead. Hundreds were burnt to dust in an instant, causing a massive gap to open up. GrizzlyDiamond panted and then roared, “Take this chance to run before rei—”
“Watch out!”
Bam!
A heavy force sent GrizzlyDiamond tumbling to the ground. Judging from the angle, it could only have been a fellow orc. GrizzlyDiamond spat dust from his mouth as he righted himself and then shouted, “Son of a—”
Clang!
GrizzlyDiamond swallowed his rebuke when he saw Renark block a Drugher Knight’s downward strike. GrizzlyDiamond instinctively chilled upon staring at the will-o-wisps burning in the knight’s eyes. He could tell from its aura that this was one was on another level compared to the fodder they’d been fighting.
“Fuck!” GrizzlyDiamond cursed and then charged at Renark. The warrior swung his blade with full force, rage evident in his heated gaze.
“Even now!?” Renark spat out in stunned disbelief when he noticed the warrior charging from the side. It was not like he saved GrizzlyDiamond out of the kindness of his heart. He did so because right now, they could not afford to lose any powerful allies, be they secret enemies or not.
Unfortunately, it seemed like GrizzlyDiamond lacked that foresight.
Renark’s sight turned red, and he was about to unleash his berserker form when GrizzlyDiamond suddenly shouted, “Duck!”
Renark’s instinct caused him to move before he could think. He kicked the Drugher in the chest, pushing it about five meters away. It was not much space, but it was more than enough for a split-second duck.
CLANG!
Sparks fell to the ground around Renark immediately he ducked. The orc chieftain turned and saw a skinny humanoid ‘thing’ above. The skeleton, whose long tail suggested it was some sort of beastkin in its past life, floated above Renark. It was held up by a terrifying bone spear that had been interrupted by GrizzlyDiamond’s sword.
Renark’s gaze shifted as he instantly understood what just transpired. Unfortunately, there was neither time for thanks nor acknowledgment. The Drugher Knight had stabilized its footing and was about to launch an attack. Renark’s gaze narrowed. Following his warrior’s instinct, he shouted, “Switch!”
GrizzlyDiamond’s muscles suddenly bulged. “FLY!” Following his shout, GrizzlyDiamond, in a show of herculean strength, launched the tailed skeleton into the air. Borrowing the momentum, he spun around and then blocked the Drugher Knight’s charge. At the same time, Renark jumped and launched a devastating series of blows on the airborne skeleton.
In a fine display of enemies working together for a common goal, GrizzlyDiamond and Renark safely coasted through the terrifying ambush. Soon after, they both dispatched their opponents after settling into a steady rhythm.
Unfortunately, in the short time that they were occupied, both the orcs and humes suffered heavy damage as the skeleton elites charged into their midst. GrizzlyDiamond and Renark roared with anger and then rushed to their allies’ aid.
Meanwhile, across the plains, Sonic’s coalition was not faring any better. The kafu’s generals were fighting strong, doing their best to prevent the army from getting overrun. But soon, even they got entangled with elites, with left the regular forces vulnerable.
Fortunately, there were many crouching tigers and hidden dragons amongst the coalition. These hidden men and women burst into the scene, finally showing off their strength as they helped the generals fight off the elite undead.
Sonic gritted his teeth as he watched the undead forces pile into the empty space between the armies. Even with his speed, he could not stretch himself that far, or the wind-blades would lose their potency. As a result, he could only watch as a massive group of undead dashed past.
Sonic grimaced when he realized their goal. The undead planned on surrounding and then swallowing both forces after passing them with their superior numbers. The kafu inwardly cursed. “Where the hell is he!?”
“This is not how this is supposed to go.”
Queen Alia frowned, her brows drawn together in unbridled rage. At this rate, the undead would rout the coalition in a couple dozen seconds. “Damn it. We have no choice.” She raised the rink and then regretfully gave the order. “Charge! Do not let the undead break out!”
After giving the order, Alia’s pupils trembled as she watched the Chaos soldiers run out while proudly waving their weapons. These men and women dedicated their lives to and followed her because they believed in her. While she was more than prepared to shed the lives of thousands, she always found it difficult to bear the thought of losing anyone who had sworn their loyalty to her—especially in a scenario like this, where their sacrifices were unplanned.
“AAAAAH!”
The bloodthirsty shouts coming from the valley drew her attention to the sight of the Chaos Order troops smashing against the Western and Eastern coalitions and the mass of undead at their center.
Alia’s knuckles turned white from clenching too hard. Just in the last five minutes, she could not count the number of people that died. The Chaos Order’s troops came under heavy fire from all parties involved. The coalition forces needed to break through, whereas the undead was looking to kill any living being. These two forces attacked the Chaos Order’s hume wall with heavy ferocity.
Alia’s heart bled as she watched soldiers crumble to the floor. These people had given their everything to the cause and were now paying the ultimate price. She glanced at Skyrm. The young queen banished any thoughts that it was for the greater good. She did not take any of these deaths lightly.
As time passed, the death toll began to rise. The undeads’ attacks grew more refined over time as the rusty undead warriors regained their former expertise. This inevitably led to even more deaths on Alia’s side. By the time it began to edge towards 5,000 dead Order members, Alia could no longer take it. She raised her head to the sky and let out an anguished roar. She wanted to rush down there, but she knew that doing so would compromise her. Right now, she needed to protect Gunder to ensure he finished the spell uninterrupted.
In the end, Queen Alia could only cast an enraged glare at the mass of undead where a gaping hole used to be. It was all because of this spot. If Kashi and the Maggots arrived on time, she would not have lost so many good soldiers. The queen gritted her teeth. A chilling aura oozed off the young woman as she looked to the sky and then roared, “Where the fuck are you, KA—”
CRAACCKLE! BOOM!
The world went white after a gigantic bolt of lightning struck the center of the battlefield! The ensuing explosion sent snake-like lightning bolts tearing through the undead forces. The lightning bolts formed purgatory chains that instantly incinerated thousands of undead, leaving only dust in their wake.
VWOOSH!
Queen Alia shielded her eyes, first from the blinding light and then from the powerful winds that followed. When the wind passed, she dropped her hands and then looked to the epicenter of the explosion. Upon seeing the beings there, her eyes went wide with shock. “What the f—”
“Fuck!” Crow shouted as he pushed off a collapsed skeleton. The poor assassin just saw his life flash past his eyes. Fortunately, the lightning bolt dodged him at the last second. Initially, he thought it was a fluke, but upon looking around, he soon confirmed that the lightning’s master was a godly being. It somehow only attacked the undead! Not a single hume or orc on any side was hurt. He looked at the figure at the center with awe in his eyes. “Damn, that’s what we’re up against?”
“Ho-Ho, that child sure knows how to make an entrance.” Nornesh grinned as he observed the newcomer. Across from him, the Order’s Transcendents wore ugly expressions. What kind of power was that? Not even they were confident they could unleash that kind of strike. Was he a Transcendent too?
Elsewhere, Cathek’s eyes shone as he studied the daeben seated atop a magnificent kirin. “So, this is your champion, brother.” A smile tugged at the edge of his lips as he looked at the battlefield that had suddenly gone silent. That’s right, including the undead. “At the very least, he knows how to command a scene. Now, I wonder, are his skills as good as his bluff.”
“You will soon see for yourself.” Rider chuckled and then looked into the distance. “What are you waiting for? Your precious Kashi is finally here.”
Down below, Brilith and Sonic wore complicated gazes as they looked at Kashi seated atop Drixlia. That power. They refused to believe it was his base strength. There had to be some sort of secret to it, or this war would become a quick joke.
Regardless of the reason, both generals were thankful for the temporary relief. Kashi’s attacks had destroyed the undead within the gap. This action greatly relieved the pressure, but at the same time, due to the unique nature of the battlefield, it placed Kashi right at the center.
The Order was at his front, Brilith, and Sonic at his left and right, respectively, and finally, the undead were watching at his back.
Kashi might have opened the gap, but this only put him in the warring factions’ direct sights. It would not be long before he was once again swallowed by the undead’s forces.
While the factions wondered what Kashi’s plan was, the daeben’s lips faintly parted.
Everyone present used their hidden arts to enhance their hearing to the limit. They could not wait to hear what this powerful man had to say. Would he summon his people with a spell? Declare war? Or say something courageous?
Kashi, seemingly oblivious to the curious stares, wiped his brows and said with a relieved sigh, “Phew… Finally made it. Who would have thought I would oversleep? Branches are deceptively comfortable. Right, Drixlia?”
Drixlia harrumphed.
“Haha. Sorry. You’re right. You’ve never slept on a branch – how would you know?” Kashi chuckled as he observed the stares. This was a major bluff that worked in his favor.
‘What? What the hell is he talking about at a time like this?’
Soldiers, warriors, and generals on all sides gave the daeben a disbelieving glare. How does someone oversleep before a battle as big as this? Also, why the hell was he cracking dumb jokes like he was in his backyard? This was a battlefield! Summon your troops, for goddamn sakes!
“Mm. That feels more like it.” Kashi smiled when he felt the gazes shift from curiosity to hostility. The daeben felt much more comfortable. Yes, this was the mindset with which to go do crazy stuff. Kashi dismounted.
Pa.
Kashi’s feet striking the earth coincided with several soldiers’ hearts skipping a beat. Even though Kashi was not the type to flaunt his aura, they could feel something off about this man. It was like he was a hibernating demon, just waiting for the right opportunity to awaken and feast on their souls.
“Alright then.” Kashi pulled up his inventory. Bang! A two-meter water tall water drum dropped to the ground. Kashi took a thick syringe connected to the drum by a transparent pipe and then drove the needle into his arm. Wearing a savage expression, Kashi reached for the ‘tap’ handle and then pushed it to the side.
Grrrrruuuu!
The soldiers watched as a shiny blue liquid flowed through the pipe and into his arms.
“Impossible!” The first person to react was Brilith. As a mage, she could recognize a magic potion anywhere. She also knew what would happen to anyone who ingested mana at the speed Kashi was right now. Instant self-implosion! Had he lost his mind?
Following Brilith’s shout, several magicians figured it out, and they, too, raised a clamor in shock. Was this even possible? What were the daeben’s veins made of!?
Only one person was unfazed. As someone who witnessed Kashi’s baptism, Nornesh wore a proud smile as he watched blue lines begin to shine all over Kashi’s body. This was a sign of mana saturation—a point where the mana in someone’s body had surpassed safe levels. Usually, one would stop at this point, but Kashi just kept absorbing even more.
After a few more seconds, Kashi smiled and then patted Drixlia’s side. “Protect me, Drix. This one might take a while.” With those words, Kashi held his hand out hands. The daeben’s veins bulged through his skin, belying the heavy stress they endured. It seemed they would explode at any moment!
Kashi, however, was not bothered. That was because he knew. Rather than too much mana, his only fear was that his body could not absorb fast enough. The daeben’s eyes glowed with mana intoxication as he shouted, “Open! Orez Gate!”
“Ack!” Kashi coughed blood as a tremendously dangerous amount of mana escaped his body in a single blow. The daeben’s muscles shrunk as he was drained damn near to the last drop. Luckily, the drum’s mana rapidly refilled his reserves, just about preventing him from turning into a hollowed-out husk.
“The hell?”
Kashi’s pain was not for nothing. Several soldiers exclaimed in shock as they pointed at a pea-sized portal behind the daeben that slowly began to expand. Within a few seconds, it had grown to the height of a man and was still expanding!
“This son of a bitch!”
It did not take long for the crowd to figure out Kashi’s intentions. Unlike they, who relied on teleportation matrixes, this mad man was opening a portal to transport his entire army at once! It had to be known that opening a portal was the easy part. Supplying a portal with enough mana to transport numerous people usually required hundreds of support items like mana-stones. But this mad daeben actually intended to rely on his own mana (plus the giant drum next to him.)
But Still!
If the humes could figure it out, then the undead definitely did. Within the undead ranks, several more intelligent beings shook off their initial shock. They immediately ordered the less intelligent masses to converge on Kashi!
The undead could not suffer Kashi to successfully summon reinforcements! They would lose the tactical advantage if the new force closed that gap! Of course, the undead army held an overwhelming numerical advantage, but who did not like to complete a battle in the most efficient way and with the least casualties.
Kashi, who had his back to the undead, did not spare the onrushing mob a glance. Well, not that he could. Once he opened the portal, he was stuck until it wholly opened. If he moved, the portal would close, and then he would have wasted all his prior effort and mana.
Kashi, however, was not worried.
Why?
Brrraccckklle!
Kashi had the ultimate guardian!
Drixlia ran in a ring roughly 100m around the daeben. Similar to Sonic earlier, the kirin’s speed and attribute formed a giant wall filled with lightning. Drixlia did not need to fight off the undead. Any that touched the wall instantly crumbled to ash. Of course, this was not just because of Drixlia’s strength but also thanks to the undead’s fatal weakness to the purifying nature of lightning. This was a weakness much worse than that of fire and second only to holy magic.
The unaffiliated soldiers at either end cheered as they watched the undead’s futile attempts to break past the wall.
Sonic, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief. He’d gotten some clues from watching Drixlia’s run. That thunderbolt earlier seemed to be some sort of supercharged stored ability. His guess was that as Drixlia ran, it built up electricity in its body. It could then either release that energy around it like it was doing right now, or store them for one mega-attack like it did when Kashi made his entrance.
Sonic was not sure how long Drixlia needed to store that much energy or if that was even its limit. But it was comforting to know that the kirin could not unleash that kind of devastating strength at command.
With his fears allayed, Sonic once again put his full focus on preventing the undead from ambushing his forces. Thankfully, the pressure had significantly reduced because most of their forces were rushing to stop Kashi.
Fortunately, like moths to a flame, the undead were endlessly burned to a crisp upon striking the lightning wall.
Woof! Woof!
Just when it seemed like Kashi was in the clear, the disturbing sounds of snarling dogs and terrible growls burst out from the undead army.
“What?” Brilith frowned as hundreds of skeleton dogs, wolves, bears, and all sorts of creatures charged out, snarling as they rushed at the wall.
BANG! ZZT!
As expected, these undead monsters also vaporized upon contact. Zzt. But there was a difference. A small tiny gap appeared after the first dozen struck the same spot.
“Damn it!” Brilith cursed. She looked to send one of her generals to assist but soon found they were all occupied by powerful elites. It appeared the undead forces were not without strategy. The earlier attacks had sussed out the coalition’s strongest members. Now, the undead used that information to keep them out of the way.
As such, Brilith could only watch as the hole grew wider, despite Drixlia’s efforts to reinforce it. Eventually, the gap grew to roughly the size of a man. But at the same time, the undead had run out of monsters to throw at the gap.
Hundreds of undead monsters had been sacrificed to open this gap. It was a testament, both to Drixlia’s strength and to the undead’s steadfast resolve to their mission.
Drixlia moved to close the gap once the final monster vaporized.
Woooosh!
The undead were even faster!
Seven Elite Drughers slipped through the gap before it could close.
Drixlia was enraged! It wanted to charge at these fools, but the undead army right outside its range gave it pause. If it let this wall fall, then Kashi would have to deal with the wrath of thousands of undead at once.
Drixlia neighed in anger, but during its pass, it noticed Kashi’s relaxed expression. Only then did it calm down. If Kashi was not worried, then it would just do its job and keep out the trash.
The Elite Drughers glared at the daeben ahead. The portal he was opening now stretched at thirty meters wide and over sixty meters tall. What the hell was he trying to summon that needed that much space and height? No wonder he needed so much mana!
Well, there was no need to find out.
Roar!
The Elite Drughers roared and then charged out, flames burning in their eyes as they raised their blades, swords, and spears. Within the blink of an eye, the monsters closed the gap and then either swung or stabbed at the daeben.
“Damn it!” Sonic cursed.
“I overestimated him.” Brilith’s gaze dimmed.
“This can’t be the end.” Queen Alia glared at Kashi. Her knuckles whitened with fear as she shouted, “Come on!”
BOOM!
The area around Kashi suddenly exploded, sending the Elite Drughers flying. Two figures burst out of the generated smoke and then charged down the flying undead.
The first figure was a young girl with tufts of dark fur growing along her arms and legs. A pair of pronounced canines, sharp, angled features, and thin, cat-like pupils revealed she was most likely a werewolf. “Don’t hurt Kashi!” Despite her ferocious form, Zuri’s energetic voice remained intact, albeit tinged with a lot of rage at the moment. “You’ll pay!”
Vwoosh!
Zuri kicked hard and appeared before the first Elite Drugher. The Elite Drugher swung hard in retaliation, sending its blade toward Zuri’s exposed neck! Rather than panic, Zuri turned and then glared at the incoming blade.
Crunch!
The Elite Drugher faltered. Disbelief echoed in its flickering eye sockets as it looked at the little girl who ‘ate’ its sword.
Zuri sneered when she saw the skeleton’s expression. Was this blade supposed to be hard? Rider made her chew on much harder bones every day. This weakling dared to harm Kashi? “Zuri will never forgive you!” The ferocious werewolf reared her head back and then swallowed a huge breath. “DIE!”
BOOOOM!
A colossal sound wave stormed out of Zuri’s mouth and then slammed into the Elite Drugher! Crack! The Elite Drugher’s bones cracked in various places after suffering the brunt of that vicious attack. It could only gaze at the ‘little girl’ in disbelief as its entire frame crumbled to dust.
‘Rooar!
Zuri had barely registered her win when two more Elite Drughers recovered and then charged at her. The young woman growled and then crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Shiing!
Twn centimeters long nails protruded from her fingers. The little girls’ eyes narrowed as she channeled ki into her hand. Once then Elite Drughers were 5 meters away, Zuri suddenly swung her claws in their direction.
Naturally, her claws could not reach the Elite Drughers.
Shling!
But, who said it had to? Giant ki blades shot out from her fingertips and then crushed the rushing skeletons to dust.
A few feet away from her, Hektor watched as the remaining Elite Drughers charged at him from different angles, and at different speeds to confuse him. Hektor, however, regarded the Elite Drughers with an eerie calm. Seemingly unconcerned with their numbers, Hektor held out his right arm.
“Come, [ChaosBringer]. ”
Vwuuuu…
Hektor’s aura skyrocketed as a terrible buster sword slowly appeared in front of him, the hilt firmly grasped by his right hand. Hektor regarded the incoming Drughers with a calm gaze.
Bam!
Hektor took one step forward and then raised the buster sword overhead. “Cheap tricks.” The sword suddenly began to glow red as heavy, oppressive ki leaked from the sinister weapon. The young swordsman appeared unaffected, however, as he took the next step.
Vwoosh!
Hektor swung downward. Surprisingly, four arcs shot out his swing and then smashed into the Elite Drughers!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
An instantaneous defeat! The remaining Elite Drughers could not withstand even a single blow from Hektor! The red-haired youth grinned as he stared at his pile of broken bones.
He had gotten stronger! Hektor always knew from the daily training that he had gotten stronger, but he never really grasped how far he had come. Today. Today, he finally showed his worth as someone who could protect Kashi!
Hektor and Zuri surprisingly did not go back to Kashi’s side. Rather, as if planned earlier, the duo positioned themselves north and south of Kashi to cover him completely.
“Drix, that’s enough. You can rest now.” Kashi, the man, supposed to be protected, suddenly said these words. It was an order that seemingly made no sense, considering that the lightning wall was all that stood between Kashi and the undead.
Kashi, however, knew that despite Drixlia’s brave front, the kirin was beyond exhausted. It had run nonstop for over 12 hours from Kerta to Drakase. It was a miracle it was still on its feet.
Besides…
Drixlia obeyed Kashi’s order and immediately stopped its run. It then trotted over to Kashi and stood by his side.
Bzzzt.
The lightning wall weakened following Drixlia’s departure. The undead did not miss this opportunity to break through and then charged en masse.
Hektor and Zuri glared at the incoming horde with rugged determination. The two had been forged in the heat of countless battles and then tempered by battle geniuses. Their wills were tough and incorruptible. They never considered running for even a second.
“…We don’t need the wall anymore.”
Vwoosh!
Following Kashi’s words, a shadow suddenly burst out from his portal.
BOOOOM!
Explosions simultaneously rang out over the undead army as the figure zoomed overhead. A raging fire consumed the undead, its indescribable rage burning the damned to dust.
“Haha!” Syèl laughed as he flew overhead. “Ashes to Ashes! Dust to Dust!”
Skrriiiii!
A sharp shrill cry exploded over the battlefield as a 30-meter wide ki-blade broke out of the portal and then mowed down the undead en masse.
Shokō then calmly stepped out of the portal. She took a look around. Her gaze brightened when she saw Zuri and Hektor, “Zuri, Hektor, shall we go raise some hell?” With the duo at her side, she charged into the undead army.
Contrary to expectations, this party of four managed to push the undead back, allowing Kashi to move to the next phase. “Coast is clear. Come out.”
Following Kashi’s shout, the most unbelievable sight occurred. Three gigantic floating ships pierced out of the portal to hover over the battlefield. Absalon and the Hopeful Maggots’ main forces occupied the first skyboat. The second was manned by Stryke and the guilds' coalition that had submitted to the Hopeful Maggots.
A powerful, earth-shattering song boomed from the final and most beautiful skyboat. Lunette and Shadow stood atop this boat with everyone from the choir and volunteer musicians.
Kashi, however, was far from done.
Leila walked out of the portal and then stood a step behind Kashi. Behind her, nearly fifty thousand soldiers from Rosendun, Serisis, and Merriheim’s official armies marched out in an orderly fashion. A tremendous knife-edge ferocity smoldered in these soldiers’ eyes. These people were not mercenaries. They fought for the pride in their country. For that pride, they would happily lay down their lives at any time.
As Kashi held the tunnel, even more prominent figures walked out, Asha, Miote, Durst, Rudega, and many, many more.
For the first time, perhaps because he could not move, Kashi noticed how many people he had around him. He was never alone. Not truly anyway. There were people who genuinely cared about him.
“I’m not alone.” Kashi looked up to Oni Hill's top, as Syèl, Shokō, Hektor, and Zuri returned and then took their place alongside him. Kashi looked at the people he had gained along the long journey that was his life. No matter what happened in the future, no one could ever deny that he was alive right here, right now.
A toothy, slightly cheeky grin spread up Kashi’s lips as he raised his and, “MAGGOTS!” It did not matter whether they were directly affiliated with the maggots or not. Everyone gathered under Kashi’s banner shouted in response.
Kashi’s grin widened as his eyes turned into sinister slits. “It is time to feed…”