Chapter 174: The Worst-Case Scenario
Night.
In the Baumgarten Territory, an excessive number of lights blazed as the battle raged on.
Humans don’t have good night vision. As if aware of this, the monsters’ offensive was fierce.
Giant Centipedes used their bodies as ladders to send Goblins over the castle walls, while flying monsters invaded a wide area of the Baumgarten Territory, like an airborne division.
The rear echelons had already been suffering damage for some time. We were forced to disperse our forces to protect non-combatants, and a harsh battle continued on the front lines.
“Flying Slash!”
Atop the castle gate, Achim swung his sword at the sky. Instantly, the head of an Orc, positioned some distance from the gate, went flying. This was the power of Achim’s Gift.
“Kuh…!”
He must have been swinging his sword countless times already. The signs of exhaustion were deeply etched on Achim’s face, and he was roughly striking his sword-wielding right arm with his left.
Moreover, there was the consumption of Holy Power from using skills. He was likely feeling the mental fatigue caused by it as well.
It wasn’t just Healing mages who were struggling with Holy Power depletion. Naturally, this included mages on the front lines who used various spells, and warriors like Achim were no exception.
But Achim had no time to rest.
“A Centipede is coming!”
So, another troublesome Giant Centipede had arrived. In Achim’s line of sight, a Centipede was just clinging to the castle wall. It carried Goblins on its back, and soon, Goblins would climb onto the ramparts.
Goblins were synonymous with trash mobs. However, since the Evil God’s revival and the strengthening of monsters, they had become foes not to be underestimated. Even now, a soldier was being wounded by a Goblin.
“Flying Slash!”
Achim pushed through the pain in his arm and swung the sword in his right hand.
Achim’s skill splendidly severed the Giant Centipede’s tough body.
“Huu…”
Perhaps due to exhaustion, Achim let out a heavy breath.
However, the ever-changing battle situation wouldn’t wait for him.
“Huh…?”
“What is that?!”
“It’s huge…!”
It was a large humanoid figure, perhaps four meters tall. It was coming towards them through the collapsed section of the first castle gate.
“That’s… a Cyclops!”
A large, single eye gleaming brightly in the dark night. A one-eyed giant. It was a Cyclops.
“Don’t let it get closer! Ballista squad, aim for the Cyclops!”
VSHUNNN!!!
No sooner had Achim finished speaking than the sound of a Ballista firing echoed.
A giant flaming arrow, deliberately set ablaze to provide light, flew through the air. However—
BAKINNN!!!
The Cyclops shattered the Ballista’s flaming arrow with the giant club in its hand.
Such agility in that massive body.
Cold sweat unintentionally trickled down Achim’s face.
“Ballista squad! Just keep firing! Don’t let the Cyclops get any closer!”
VSHUNNN!!! VSHUNNN!!! VSHUNNN!!! VSHUNNN!!!
The continuous sound of Ballistas firing echoed, and flaming arrows, leaving red trails, flew towards the Cyclops.
BAKINNN!!!
The Cyclops managed to intercept one flaming arrow, but it took the next three—the second, third, and fourth—to its body and fell silent. It was the moment when Achim and all the soldiers watching breathed a sigh of relief—
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
A heavy, oppressive bass sound reverberated across the noisy battlefield.
“No way…”
Achim heard someone’s voice filled with despair. It might have even been his own.
The impact of five flaming arrows had slightly illuminated the destroyed remains of the first castle gate. And there, a group of blue-skinned, one-eyed ogres—Cyclopes—had appeared.
“Ballista squad, reload quickly! Target: Cyclopes! Fire sequentially!”
The Ballistas, originally eight in number, had been reduced to five through combat. All of them had just fired. Reloading the next volley would take time.
And for Cyclopes that stood four meters tall, the Baumgarten castle walls wouldn’t serve to shield them.
And, as is often the case, bad things tend to pile up.
“They’re charging!”
The Cyclopes, seeing the Ballistas as a threat, had started running to close the distance.
The Ballistas weren’t reloaded yet. At this rate…
“Battalion! Prepare to cast magic! Target: Cyclopes! Take aim!”
The command of Sophie, the battalion commander in charge of the mage battalion, echoed, and the mages desperately gathered their remaining Holy Power to manifest their spells.
“Don’t fire yet! Let them get close enough! …Now!”
Fire, lightning, ice, rock—various spells were unleashed upon the rapidly approaching Cyclopes.
The power of the magic was immense. One by one, they slaughtered the Cyclopes.
At this rate…!
But—
A particularly large Cyclops running at the very back charged forward, using the body of a comrade whose head had been blown off by magic as a shield. It crushed even the Goblins and Orcs on the ground beneath its feet—a truly desperate charge.
DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNN!!!
The impact was, in a word, tremendous.
It blew away a corner of the second castle wall, and Sophie and the other mages who had been on top of it were sent flying into oblivion.
What remained was the second castle wall with a large hole blown through it, and the figure of the still-standing Cyclops.