Boom! “Screeeeeech!” The Grex surrounding Gillian exploded into sprays of blood as his twin axes carved through them with devastating force. His clenched jaw ground audibly, and his piercing blue eyes glowed with a fierce light. Every muscle in his body bulged with raw power, veins threatening to burst under the strain. He was unleashing everything he had, holding nothing back. Against this endless tide of Grex, conserving strength wasn’t an option. Boom! Boom! BOOM! With every swing of his axes, dozens of Grex were obliterated, their bodies ripped apart in mere moments. But despite his relentless onslaught, Gillian had barely managed to advance a few steps. No matter how many he cut down, there were always more. The sheer number of creatures was suffocating. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. Not even during his brutal campaigns against the Desmond forces had he ever felt this overwhelmed. It wasn’t just about fighting weak creatures—this was like battling a suicidal, unstoppable army. Boom! Gillian charged forward like a berserk ogre, smashing everything in his path. His unrelenting power was so immense that even the soldiers watching from the fortress walls were momentarily frozen in awe. “What are you doing?! Don’t just stand there! Keep firing!” “Focus your shots! Protect Gillian!” “We need to kill more Grex to keep him safe!” The commanders barked orders, bringing the stunned soldiers back to their senses. Despite the chaos, they quickly regained control, directing fire and maintaining discipline. Whoosh! Another volley of arrows rained down, providing critical support. Though it didn’t reduce the Grex numbers significantly, it at least prevented too many from swarming Gillian at once. Still, the ground trembled ominously as even more Grex surged forward from the depths of the forest. The vibrations grew stronger, heralding an even larger wave. Gillian gritted his teeth and pressed on, his axes carving through flesh with every step. He had one thought driving him forward: The Lord must be rescued. If Ghislain was swallowed by this endless tide of monsters, not even his extraordinary skills would save him. Boom! Slash! Every swing of his axes sent blood and viscera flying, but the gaps he created were immediately filled by more Grex. It was as if he was slashing through illusions—no matter how many fell, there were always more. Before long, Gillian found himself unable to advance further. He stood rooted in place, hacking away but making no real progress. Suddenly, dozens of daggers whizzed through the air, striking the Grex around him. Thud! Thud! Thud! “Screeeech!” The source was unmistakable. Without even turning, Gillian knew it was Belinda. “Phew!” For the first time, Gillian felt like he could breathe again. Belinda fought with precision and intelligence. The dozens of daggers connected to her by fine wires danced through the air like living creatures, slashing and stabbing Grex with deadly accuracy. Her blades didn’t just kill; they also distracted and redirected the Grex’s attacks. This created openings, allowing Gillian to start moving forward again, albeit slowly. From behind, Belinda’s strained voice called out. “We make a surprisingly good team, don’t you think?” “...I won’t argue with that.” Gillian replied curtly, focusing entirely on his axes. He could tell from her labored breathing that she was already exhausted from the earlier mission. Even so, she fought on, her determination unwavering. Together, they pressed forward, inch by grueling inch. Meanwhile, the soldiers at the fortress continued to provide cover fire. “Don’t stop firing!” “Use your spears to knock them off the walls!” “Hold your positions! Don’t retreat!” Without Ghislain to direct the full might of their defenses, they couldn’t risk using the siege engines or magic. For now, all they could do was hold the line with arrows and spears. Despite their efforts, the Grex tide showed no signs of thinning. “Screeeech!” Grex clawed and climbed up the fortress walls, their razor-sharp talons sinking into the wooden barricades. The corpses of their fallen brethren piled beneath them, forming makeshift ramps for the relentless creatures. “Push them back!” The soldiers jabbed at the climbing Grex with spears, trying to keep them from scaling the walls. Without the fortress, they would have been overrun long ago. Vanessa, observing the battle from a distance, wore a grim expression. She turned to the mage standing beside her. “We need to clear a path for them.” The mage hesitated. Despite Vanessa’s authority as the head of Fenris’s magical research institute, the implications of such a move gave him pause. “If we cast now, it will take time to recover our mana. The soldiers will have to hold out until then.” Vanessa’s voice was firm. “If the Lord doesn’t make it back, none of this will matter. Prepare the spell.” “...Understood.” Vrrrrrr... Vanessa extended her hands as the magic circle etched into the ground began to glow. They had used every rune stone in Fenris for this battle, embedding some directly into the magic circle to amplify its power. The dozens of mages surrounding her channeled their mana into the circle, which flowed into Vanessa like a rushing river. Her voice rang out, clear and commanding. “Ice Spear.” Water condensed in the air, forming crystalline lances of ice. Hundreds of them materialized almost instantly, their sharp points gleaming with lethal intent. “Go.” With a single word, the lances shot forward like a storm. Boom! Boom! Boom! “Screeeeeech!” The ice spears tore through the Grex, clearing a path on either side of Gillian and Belinda. Without missing a beat, Vanessa followed up with another spell. “Earth Wall.” The ground rumbled as massive walls of earth rose on either side of Gillian and Belinda, blocking the Grex from closing in. “It won’t hold for long,” Vanessa warned, her voice steady despite the strain. She sank to the ground, closing her eyes to focus on recovering her mana. The mages around her followed suit, quickly entering meditation. Thanks to Vanessa’s efforts, Gillian and Belinda were able to push forward faster. Belinda, panting as she fought, grumbled under her breath. “Sometimes I wonder why the Lord insists on doing things the hard way!” Despite her irritation, Gillian couldn’t help but chuckle. His laugh was cut short as he noticed something ahead. “It’s the Lord!” Boom! In the distance, Grex were flung into the air like ragdolls as Ghislain carved a path toward the fortress. Ghislain was battling more Grex than anyone else, surrounded by hundreds of the creatures. “Screeeeeech!” In a terrifying display, the Grex swarmed him all at once, their sheer numbers engulfing him until he was completely obscured from view. Boom! Grex swarmed Ghislain, their claws and teeth tearing into him—only for their bodies to explode in a crimson haze. Boom! More replaced them instantly, piling onto him like a never-ending tide. With a roll and a powerful burst of energy, Ghislain broke free, momentarily clearing the area around him. Yet, the respite was fleeting. More Grex surged toward him, their numbers overwhelming. “Whew... this is no joke.” Ghislain muttered under his breath as he continued to swing his sword. Despite the chaos, a faint smirk played on his lips. With his current strength, he could annihilate armies of thousands with ease. Yet, against this relentless swarm, even he struggled. Humans could be broken through fear. Decimate the vanguard, and the rest would waver. Even monsters, driven by primal instincts, often recoiled in terror when faced with overwhelming power. But the Grex weren’t like that. They didn’t fear death. They didn’t retreat. They moved as a single, unyielding force, driven by the commands of their queen. This wasn’t just a horde—it was the ideal and most terrifying army imaginable. “Even knowing all this, it’s not easy,” Ghislain muttered, his blood-soaked figure cutting through the mass of monsters. He had anticipated the difficulty, relying on memories from his previous life. But experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. Boom! As crimson smoke billowed from his body, his lips curled into a manic grin. Despite the dire circumstances, Ghislain reveled in the thrill of battle. He thrived on combat, especially when it pushed him to his limits. Boom! Boom! His crimson eyes glowed as his blade danced, cutting through waves of Grex. His newly mastered defensive techniques proved invaluable, deflecting claws and fangs that should have torn him apart. But one question lingered in his mind: Can I hold out until I reach the fortress? By his estimation, over 100,000 Grex had already surged toward him, with no end in sight. Despite cutting them down in droves, their numbers only seemed to grow. The path ahead felt like an impenetrable wall of flesh and claws, layered thousands deep. He calculated his remaining strength and frowned. The odds of reaching the fortress unscathed were slim. Still, he pressed forward. I didn’t come here to die. As long as he succeeded in the end, nothing else mattered. Boom! Ghislain shook off his doubts and refocused, his blade a blur as he hacked his way forward. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed figures approaching from the opposite direction. It took him a moment to realize they were people—not more monsters. “Lord Ghislain!” “Young Master!” “Gillian? Belinda?” He shook his head, half exasperated and half amused. “I told you not to come.” Still, he couldn’t help but smile. “With you two here, my odds just went up.” Reunited, the trio quickly formed a tight formation, cutting through the Grex with renewed vigor. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of mana bursting and Grex screaming echoed endlessly. Vanessa’s earth walls had been a tremendous help, but their effects were temporary. As the mana sustaining them dwindled, the walls began to crumble. The Grex that had been held back surged forward with renewed fury, surrounding the trio. By the time they reached the clearing in front of the fortress, they were once again knee-deep in the sea of monsters. From the fortress walls, shouts rang out. “It’s the Lord! The Lord has returned!” “Fire faster! Clear a path!” “Ready the trebuchets!” Now that Ghislain’s location was clear, the defenders no longer hesitated to unleash their heavy artillery. Galbaric, overseeing the trebuchets with the dwarves, barked orders. “Adjust the angles! Make it count!” The dwarves, ever meticulous, had already surveyed the area extensively. With precise calculations, they let loose the first volley. Boom! Boom! BOOM! Massive boulders hurtled through the air, crashing into the Grex with devastating force. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖 “Screeeeech!” The Grex behind Ghislain were crushed under the relentless barrage. Their compact formations made it impossible to miss. As the trebuchets continued firing, the momentum of the Grex horde faltered slightly. Fallen boulders and growing piles of corpses created obstacles that slowed their advance. But the effect was limited. While the rear lines faltered, the Grex at the front continued to swarm Ghislain and his companions from all sides. Despite their strength, the trio struggled to maintain their footing. The endless waves of Grex were too much, even for seasoned fighters like them. Vanessa, watching from the walls, clenched her fists. “I’ll create another path,” she declared, standing up. The mages around her looked pale. “Lady Vanessa, the magic circle and rune stones are almost depleted!” “If we use the remaining mana now, we won’t be able to cast the Lord’s planned spell.” “Perhaps we should wait a little longer—” The risks were clear. Without the Lord’s prepared spell, the battle could drag on for days, leading to countless casualties. But Vanessa’s voice was firm. “We don’t have time. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late.” The mages couldn’t argue. As dire as the situation was, allowing Ghislain to die was unthinkable. Still, they hesitated, caught between conflicting priorities. It was then that Kaor approached, wiping blood from his face. “I’ve been listening to you lot, and it sounds like casting that spell right now is a bad idea.” Vanessa nodded grimly. “Look at the forest. If we delay any further, we won’t have a choice.” She pointed to the horizon, where the forest now glowed a deep, ominous red. The sheer number of Grex pouring out of the woods was staggering. Kaor spat on the ground, his expression grim. “You just need a path cleared, right?” Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a plan?” Kaor grinned. “We’re the best at breaking through. If it’s a charge you need, leave it to us.” The Fenris knights were famous for their shock tactics. When fully committed, their charges could punch through almost anything—if only briefly. Kaor gestured for his armor, his voice tinged with resignation. “Damn it, looks like I owe the old man one.” He donned his gleaming new armor, its design marked with Fenris’s crest on the chest. Unlike the standard issue, Kaor’s armor bore an additional emblem on the back—a fierce black hound baring its fangs. “Get ready, everyone!” At Kaor’s command, the knights gathered. These seasoned warriors, already bloodied from the day’s battles, quickly formed up. “It’s time to make a path!” Clank. Lowering his visor, Kaor’s voice carried a steely resolve. “Let’s show them why we’re the best.” As one, the knights drew upon their mana, the air around them shimmering with raw energy. Vrrrrrr... Bright light began to pour from the gaps in their armor as they prepared for the charge.