Chapter 381 |
Clang!
The clash of steel, of weapon striking weapon, shook the air. It wasn't a sound coming from just one place. Fierce vibrations erupted from all directions, their echoes a testament to the battle's intensity.
The sounds that followed were a chaotic medley.
Roaring war cries, screams drenched in pain, shouts laced with curses, and desperate shrieks.
Explosions and flames erupted everywhere, sending sprays of damp earth and sand flying. Through the haze, flesh was torn away and blood spurted into the air. It was a chaotic melee where one couldn't see an inch ahead. By now, the Eastern and Western forces were so entangled that it was difficult to tell friend from foe.
"You bastards! Hold the formation! Don't you run! Hold your positions!"
Splurt!
"Aaargh!"
A cleaver that looked like it belonged in a butcher shop sliced through the air, and with a mournful scream, a Vagrant collapsed. As the corpse, its head severed from its body, fell to the ground, the man who wielded the blade let out a deliberately coarse laugh.
The owner of the cleaver was Kim Deok-pil, the 'Vagrant Slaughterer.' Before him lay a pile of several dozen corpses, each one missing its head. As he glared forward, his blood-drenched cleaver held ready, a few of his enemies flinched back.
"Woooooah!"
But, emboldened by the war cries of their allies from behind, they began to creep forward once more.
The battlefield was still tipped in favor of the Western Continent and the Vagrant Alliance. It was inevitable, given their overwhelming superiority in morale, numbers, and various other factors. In a way, it was a miracle that the Eastern Users had managed to hold out and resist for this long.
No. A miracle had actually occurred.
Early on, Kim Soohyun had bought them the maximum amount of time, allowing the Eastern forces to regroup, even if only minimally. Then, Ahn Sol's unique ability, 'Miracle,' had a tremendous impact on the battlefield. Not only did it raise the condition of all allies to its peak, but it also completely erased the lingering remnants of the 'Magic Bullets.'
Although the allied forces currently had the upper hand, time was not on their side, and their insides were burning with impatience. Just when they were on the verge of breaking through, the Eastern forces' resistance had suddenly stiffened.
It happened out of nowhere, and all at once.
In the end, the allied forces' plan to smash through the West Gate forces in a single blow had now all but failed.
And if reinforcements arrived, it was only a matter of time before the tide of battle turned.
"Break through! Break through, no matter what! If you can't, just push past them!"
"Damn it."
Seeing the enemies swarm toward him like a tidal wave again, Kim Deok-pil muttered a curse. He briefly lifted his head to gaze beyond the oncoming horde. His eyes were mostly filled with madness, but there was also a faint glimmer of desperate hope for salvation.
Gripping his bloody cleaver, Kim Deok-pil shouted in a rallying cry.
"Group up! And hold on! Just a little longer and the reinforcements will be here!"
Though no one knew how much longer they had to endure, it was the only hope the Eastern Users had left.
The Eastern Users roared in response, and the war cries of both sides clashed in the air.
And in the midst of it all, a change that would bring a new phase to the war was fast approaching.
* * *
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
In a place somewhat removed from the fierce battlefield, the sound of countless footsteps could be heard.
The sound swept past. On the damp earth, already trampled by the enemy, thousands of new footprints were now being imprinted.
(Faster.)
As an amplified voice echoed, the rhythm of the footsteps began to quicken. Naturally, their marching speed increased.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
The number of Users marching in formation was nearly six thousand.
That was right. The Users advancing in orderly rows and columns were none other than those who had been stationed at the South and North Gates. Having grasped the situation and finished their preparations, the support troops had finally arrived.
"Whew. The situation is no joke. It's a complete mess."
"Hmm."
The man nodded at another User's comment. Even from a distance, the state of the battle felt precarious.
The man let out a soft sigh.
"I hope he's alive..."
"Clan Lord. We've received a message from the East Gate forces. They said they're in position... They must be waiting."
"Not Clan Lord. Commander," the man corrected curtly before amplifying his voice once more.
(Before we charge... we need to let them know we're here, so I want you all to shout as loud as you can.)
At the unexpected command, the Users glanced at each other. But when the man in the lead broke into a run, they matched his pace, speeding up even more.
The neat rectangular formation began to change, its center bulging forward. The man and the other squad leaders took the lead, followed by the melee classes, and then the ranged classes.
Thump, thud! Thump, thud!
Slowly, the march of the 6,000 Users turned into a brisk jog.
As the distance closed, tension crept onto everyone's faces, and their hearts pounded.
Thump-thump, thump-thump! Thump-thump, thump-thump!
Now, they were in a full sprint. Deciding this was the moment, the man drew his sword with a flash and shouted.
(We will now begin the rescue of the West Gate forces. All units, prepare for battle!)
At his command, weapons were raised all around, and the sound of incantations being chanted rose in a great chorus.
When the battlefield was finally within sight, the man swung his sword down and roared with a voice louder than ever before.
(Attack!)
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
THUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDU!
Simultaneously, the South and North Gate forces let out a unified war cry and began to charge across the field.
The 6,000 Users surged past the corpses and crashed into the rear of the allied forces like a tidal wave.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
A massive roar shook the entire plain. The moment the sound reached him, Seong Hyeon-min slowly rose to his feet. As he stepped forward, a woman quickly moved to his side.
"Lord Han. It seems they've started, haven't they?"
"Yes. It looks like they moved out right after I sent the message. I like how fast they are. Haha."
The woman wore a strange expression as she looked at Seong Hyeon-min's good-natured laugh.
"Will you not regret this?"
"Regret?"
The woman fell silent at his immediate question.
After a moment of silence, Seong Hyeon-min spoke again.
"I acted according to my convictions. And I was merely following the plan."
"...Still."
"So my answer is... yes. I don't regret it."
After finishing his words, Seong Hyeon-min leisurely scanned his surroundings.
The current number of the East Gate forces was about 3,500. They were gathered at a single point, forming a dense rectangular formation, as if waiting for someone.
In truth, Seong Hyeon-min had noticed something was wrong from the moment the anomaly occurred. When the walls crumbled and he confirmed that all the enemies were rushing toward the West Gate, his suspicion turned to certainty.
However, instead of immediately rushing to the rescue with his 3,500 troops, Seong Hyeon-min chose a slightly different path. He sent a messenger to the South and North Gate forces to inform them of the situation, while his own troops bypassed the battlefield to set up a new line on the enemy's expected retreat path.
While his actions didn't deviate significantly from the overall strategy, they were certainly open to controversy. But Seong Hyeon-min had acted on his own intentions, fully aware of the risks. Only he knew what hidden motives he held.
As the ground began to tremble slightly, Seong Hyeon-min, who had been staring ahead, spoke calmly.
"It seems they're finally coming."
"Can we win? They still seem to outnumber us."
"As we are now, we can win."
Seong Hyeon-min's eyes were filled with confidence as he spoke. The woman sighed at his inexplicable certainty and quietly cast a voice amplification spell.
The faces of the waiting Users were a mix of emotions. Some looked resentful, while others tilted their heads in confusion.
Although they hadn't yet engaged the enemy in a chaotic battle, they were well aware that the West Gate forces were fighting a desperate struggle.
Seong Hyeon-min gave them a quick glance before speaking quietly.
(The enemy is approaching.)
At his words, tension finally began to bubble up in the heavy atmosphere.
(There's no need to be nervous. Our preparations are perfect. You've all been on expeditions before, right? Just do what you always do.)
Seong Hyeon-min's tone was almost joking, but not a single User laughed. The trembling of the earth was growing stronger, and movement could be detected in the distance.
The vanguard of the allied forces, having broken through the battlefield, was beginning to appear.
Even in this situation, Seong Hyeon-min remained composed. There were two possibilities: the enemy would either turn left or right and flee, or they would charge straight ahead.
Frankly, it didn't matter which they chose. From the East Gate forces' perspective, it was the allied army that was in a hurry. His own troops were perfectly organized. This would no longer be a chaotic brawl, but an orderly battle. They could now fully display the skills that the Northern Continent's Users were so proud of. Of course, there was a calculation behind that confidence.
After a moment of thought, Seong Hyeon-min smiled coldly.
(Well now. The time for our long-awaited revenge has come. You've all been very patient. Everyone, get ready.)
As the enemy's vanguard slowly came into view, Seong Hyeon-min's amplified voice spread without delay.
Creek, creak!
“~, ~, ~.”
The sound of archers nocking arrows and mages chanting spells began to ring out majestically.
Some of the more hot-headed Users tried to fire warning shots.
(Hold your fire.)
But Seong Hyeon-min immediately stopped them, his eyes fixed sharply on the front.
The allied forces seemed to have noticed the East Gate forces blocking their retreat. They paused for a moment, but then, as if being chased by something, they began to charge straight ahead.
Watching them, Seong Hyeon-min thought they were fools, but he didn't let his guard down. A direct charge meant that there were still a good number of enemies who had successfully broken through, just out of sight.
(Wait. Hold.)
Dudududu! Dudududu!
As if to prove him right, a large number of allied troops appeared behind the vanguard. A quick glance suggested their numbers were at least one and a half times that of the East Gate forces.
Although they were charging in a disorderly fashion, their appearance was certainly menacing.
In response, some of the Users began to visibly waver. Hands holding bowstrings trembled, and static crept into the voices chanting spells.
(There is no need to be afraid. We can win. We will become the heroes of this war!)
Finally, the enemy's vanguard was fully revealed.
"Uwooooooooooooh!"
The moment they entered range, Seong Hyeon-min shouted without hesitation.
(Don't let a single one of them get through! All units, attack!)
Skuttish! Skuttish!skuttish!
At his command, the nocked arrows flew into the air.
The volley of arrows drew a parabola across the sky before raining down on the charging enemy.
* * *
What is this?
As I ran, I was puzzled by the sudden increase in the number of corpses. The ground all around was torn up by arrows and magic, and the bodies littering it were almost all from the allied forces.
To be honest, I had considered breaking through this area to be the biggest obstacle in my pursuit of Simon. Although cutting straight through was the fastest route, I had expected to encounter more enemies who had already crossed the battlefield, and fewer allies.
But there were almost no enemies in sight either. This meant...
Ah.
The answer became clear the moment I broke through the piles of bodies. In the distance, I could see the chaotic scene of a battle raging. The sight of Users and allied forces clashing in a massive brawl told me that the reinforcements had arrived.
Well, it was about time for them to get here...
If that was the case, the troops I saw up ahead weren't reinforcements, but a force that had cut off the Vagrants' retreat.
A nagging question remained, but as the sound of clashing steel grew closer, I immediately shook my head.
It didn't matter. No, the Users of the West Gate forces might think it cruel, but for me, it was the best possible turn of events.
I was already having trouble with Simon fleeing for his life while enemies constantly tried to block my path. But this created a diversion for them. I could break through without any interference.
For a moment, I hesitated, wondering what to do, but I decided to charge straight through the battlefield.
Even though I kept seeing through his attempts, Simon's Evil Eye was constantly fixed on me. His attitude was as if he knew I was going to kill him.
But if my memory served me right, Simon wasn't a melee class. He was closer to a mage, if I had to categorize him. If I didn't have to deal with enemies swarming me like moths to a flame, I was confident I could catch up to him within ten minutes.
A cloud of coarse dust rose before me. The ground I ran on was no longer damp.
Without hesitation, I plunged into the dust cloud where the fierce battle was raging.
To buy two years of time.