The mist was thin, not thick enough to obscure vision, but its eerie blue hue exuded a foreboding aura. The soldiers, now within the Rift's domain, swallowed dryly, their expressions tense. “So... this is what a corrupted region looks like?” “Just looking at it is horrifying.” “Isn’t this where all those monsters are lurking?” The landscape before them was drained of life. The earth was a dull gray, and the surrounding trees and grass were withered husks, devoid of vitality. A wasteland of blue mist, gray earth, and death. No life remained in this place except for the monsters. The Rift had already claimed a vast territory, and somewhere within it, countless Rift creatures awaited. As the soldiers whispered anxiously, Ghislain raised his hand and issued a command. “Prepare the catapults and ready the airships.” The moment his words fell, engineers moved swiftly, assembling the siege equipment. First, 200 Galvanium medium catapults from Fenris were constructed. Soon after, another 100 standard catapults, brought by Fenris and other territories, were ready. Simultaneously, 100 airships, carrying mages, ascended into the sky. “Form ranks,” Ghislain ordered. No enemies were yet visible, but the soldiers moved with precise coordination, positioning themselves for battle. Fenris heavy infantry, clad in Galvanium armor and wielding large shields, formed the first line. Behind them stood pikemen, with archers ready in the rear. Cavalry and mounted archers flanked the formation on either side. They held their formation, waiting in tense silence. Are we not advancing? Are we just going to hold position here? I thought this was supposed to be the size of a small barony? The soldiers, as nervous as they were curious, were unsure of the strategy. Why weren’t they advancing to confront the monsters directly? They didn’t wait long for an answer. A faint, chilling cry pierced the air. ―Kaaaaang! The soldiers couldn’t tell whether it was the howl of a beast or the cry of the Rift creatures. They only knew it couldn’t be Equidema’s roar—it was far too distant to be heard from here. Moments later, the sound of rushing footsteps reached their ears. Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud! They’re coming! The soldiers instinctively knew. A horde of Rift creatures was charging toward them. The ground began to shake as their numbers grew. Ghislain dismounted, unsheathing his massive sword. His lieutenants and knights followed suit, preparing their weapons. He gave Black King, his warhorse, a reassuring pat before sending it to the rear lines. The horse snorted indignantly but obeyed. As the sounds of the oncoming horde grew louder, the knights pulled their mounts back, just in time for the creatures’ cries to become deafening. ―Kaaaah! The Rift creatures weren’t yet visible, but their monstrous screams revealed their overwhelming numbers. Ghislain extended his hand forward and issued a calm, decisive order. “Fire.” “Fire!” The soldiers obeyed without hesitation, unleashing their arsenal before the creatures even came into view. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Hundreds of catapults launched massive stones into the distance. Arrows from the archers and mounted archers darkened the sky, streaking toward the unseen enemy. Fwoosh! ―Kaaaargh! Agonized screams erupted in the distance. The attacks had hit their mark. Without missing a beat, the Northern Army continued its relentless assault. Stones crashed, and arrows rained without pause. Then, the monsters came into view. ―Kaaaah! A seemingly endless swarm of Rift creatures surged forward, tearing through the blue mist. Thud! Ghislain slammed his greatsword into the ground, his voice booming across the battlefield. “Do not stop attacking the rear! There are more than 100,000 of them! Knights, follow me!” Ghislain had no intention of staying behind the heavy infantry. They were positioned to shield the rest of the army, but he would lead the charge. “Prepare yourselves!” As the creatures closed in, Ghislain infused mana into his blade. Clang! Clang! Clang! The knights, their weapons raised, did the same. Only Gillian held a massive two-handed axe instead of a sword. When the creatures were mere steps away, Ghislain roared: “Charge!” He surged forward, swinging his greatsword in a wide arc. BOOM! Dozens of creatures were obliterated instantly. The knights followed, their coordinated strikes cutting through the horde like a blade through water. Within moments, hundreds of creatures lay dead. But the sheer number of Rift creatures was overwhelming. Thud! Thud! Thud! Hundreds swarmed the heavy infantry’s shields, their numbers swelling to thousands within the blink of an eye. “Hold the line!” “Push them back!” “Keep attacking!” Pikemen thrust their spears through the gaps in the shields, piercing the creatures. Though strong and fast, the Rift creatures lacked durability, falling quickly to coordinated strikes. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Despite the knights’ efforts at the front, the tide of creatures showed no signs of abating. The line began to waver as the weight of the horde pushed it back. Some knights, overwhelmed by the sheer mass of monsters, were knocked down and nearly trampled. With no fortified positions like the one they’d used against the Grexes, retreating seemed inevitable. We need to eliminate them faster. Ghislain gritted his teeth and swung his blade with renewed ferocity. Compared to his past life, this was nothing—but they had to stop this horde before their numbers grew to 500,000 or even a million. Reinforcements As the line faltered, a radiant hymn echoed from the rear. A warm, holy light washed over the soldiers, revitalizing their bodies. The source: 120 priests who had begun channeling divine power to protect the army. ―Kaaaaaargh! The light extended to the frontline, searing the Rift creatures upon contact. To them, divine energy was the ultimate bane. Sizzle! Where the holy light touched, the creatures’ flesh burned away. Thud! Revitalized by the priests, the soldiers surged forward, shields raised with renewed strength. The knights, similarly empowered, swung their weapons with greater vigor, pushing the creatures back. But the reinforcements didn’t stop there. To protect the flanks, the mages on the airships began their assault. “Fire Wall.” Vanessa, atop one of the airships, conjured enormous walls of flame on either side of the formation. Sizzle! ―Kaaaargh! The Rift creatures charging along the flanks were incinerated as soon as they touched the fiery barriers. Some managed to survive and break through, but... “Chain Lightning.” Crackle! Bolts of lightning arced through the creatures, reducing them to ash. Vanessa’s magic alone eliminated thousands in an instant. Even without Rune Stones, her power as a 7th-circle mage was undeniable. Yet, the horde pressed on, their numbers still in the tens of thousands. Vanessa frowned. She couldn’t exhaust all her mana here—Equidema awaited, and the battle against it could go awry. She turned to the other airships, shouting: “Alfoy!” Alfoy, the deputy head of Fenris’s Mage Research Institute, barked orders in his usual abrasive manner: “Pour everything you’ve got into this! We’re not here to play around! If you slack off, your days in the territory are over! Move it!” The enslaved 6th and 5th-circle mages gritted their teeth, cursing him silently. That bastard... Does he think he’s a king? Why did I end up under someone like him? Despite their grumbling, they had no choice but to comply. Under Alfoy’s command, the mages unleashed a torrent of spells. “Fire Pillar!” “Aqua Ball!” “Earthquake!” Boom! Boom! Boom! The battlefield erupted with destructive magic. With over 200 mages, including six high-circle ones, the sheer volume of spells decimated the Rift creatures in droves. The horde, once over 100,000 strong, began to dwindle rapidly under the relentless assault of catapults, arrows, magic, and holy light. Even the creatures that reached the frontlines were swiftly dealt with by Ghislain and his knights. “Don’t stop attacking!” Ghislain’s voice rang across the battlefield. They had to press their advantage before more powerful monsters, especially flying ones, emerged. Equidema had to be dealt with swiftly to halt the Rift’s expansion. "Hoorah!" The soldiers roared in triumph. Though the battle was grueling, casualties were minimal. The seemingly endless wave of Rift creatures had been beaten back, one after another, by the overwhelming strength of the Northern Army. Even those fighting directly were in disbelief at their success, their morale surging with each victory. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Rift creatures, undeterred by the army’s dominance, continued to charge relentlessly. The soldiers, lost in the heat of battle, moved with an almost mechanical rhythm, following orders instinctively. After half a day of unrelenting combat and slaughter, the endless tide of enemies began to ebb. The thousands of boulders the army had brought were exhausted. Tens of thousands of arrows had been fired, and over 200 mages were drained, collapsing from sheer exhaustion. By then, only a trickle of Rift creatures remained, a few dozen stragglers joining the fray late from distant areas. They posed no threat. The Northern Army had annihilated the immense horde of creatures that had infested the Rift. But the battle was far from over. Mounting Black King once again, Ghislain raised his voice. “Now, we hunt Equidema!” Clang! Clang! Clang! His lieutenants and knights immediately mounted their horses, their weapons at the ready. The 10,000-strong Fenris cavalry, having conserved their strength, gripped their reins tightly. Piote and a handful of other priests and mages also mounted their horses. Neigh! “The rest of you, hold this position and maintain your formation!” “Yes, sir!” The soldiers responded with a unified roar. Fenris’s commanders, including Max the problem solver and Lumina the elf, would oversee the Northern Army while Ghislain’s cavalry pursued the final target. “Forward!” Ghislain spurred Black King forward, cutting through the blue mist like an arrow, his lieutenants and the cavalry close behind. Thud-thud-thud-thud! Though they encountered more Rift creatures along the way, these were small groups of dozens or a hundred at most. Boom! The Fenris cavalry crushed the minor opposition underfoot, continuing their charge toward Equidema’s lair. After an unrelenting gallop, they arrived at the source of the Rift. Face to Face with Equidema Grrrr... There, sprawled on the gray, lifeless ground, lay Equidema. The massive beast, sensing intruders, bared its teeth in warning. ―Kaaaah! From the Rift, a handful of creatures trickled out, but no longer in the massive numbers seen earlier. Equidema had expended much of its power attempting to defend its domain. Thud! The monster rose to its full height, its massive body towering over the invaders. It was clear Equidema understood that its earlier tactics had failed. The beast began to unleash the energy it had conserved for further corruption of the land. ―Kaaaaang! The creature’s roar was deafening, and its effects were immediate. Several horses collapsed, frothing at the mouth. Even the hardy warhorses of Fenris couldn’t withstand the oppressive aura. Only Black King remained upright, snorting defiantly, seemingly as mad as its rider. Ghislain, his lieutenants, and the cavalry dismounted, gripping their weapons tightly. The trickle of Rift creatures posed little threat; they were quickly dispatched by the knights in formation. Now, only Equidema remained. Ghislain surveyed his allies. “Ready?” They nodded in unison. With their combined strength, they were confident they could slay the beast. Ghislain had killed an Equidema alone in his past life, though it had left him gravely wounded. This time, he wasn’t alone. Beside him were powerhouses like Gillian, Kaor, Tenant, Vanessa, and Belinda. The 10,000-strong Fenris cavalry stood ready as well. The only concern was exhaustion. The earlier battle had drained everyone, even those who had conserved their strength. Facing a creature of this magnitude now carried significant risk. One mistake, and lives would be lost. Ghislain smirked. “No need to make this harder than it has to be. Let’s use our strongest asset. Alfoy, you ready?” Alfoy nodded, a sly grin on his face. “It’s time to unleash our ultimate weapon.” The others exchanged confused looks. “Ultimate weapon?” “What’s he talking about?” Ghislain was unquestionably the strongest among them, yet he seemed to be referring to someone else. Belinda, her head tilting in thought, suddenly gasped. “Oh... no way.” There was someone—someone with the potential to wield a power akin to the gods. A power that, for a brief moment, could even surpass Ghislain’s own. The others followed her gaze, turning to look behind them. Their eyes landed on Piote, who stood there blinking innocently, his wide-eyed expression utterly clueless. Alfoy strode toward him with purpose. Piote, now the center of attention, could only stare back at him, his bewildered face radiating innocence.