Bastion of Humanity (2)
The first assault on the fortress walls wasn’t a barrage of demonic spells.
Nor was it the relentless onslaught of monstrous hordes or the undead legions wielding fiery weapons.
What came soaring over the horizon were massive spheres, several meters in diameter, composed of human corpses.
These were tightly packed masses of bones, muscles, and entrails, bound together by hellish magic.
Whoosh—
The crimson orbs painted the sky.
They soared over the vast plains and the defensive obstacles, landing directly on the fortress walls and the bronze district beyond.
Crash!
A harsh, splintering sound.
Clatter—!
Tiles shattered and flew in all directions.
The impact of these multi-ton masses caused buildings to sway and collapse. The speed and weight of the corpse projectiles crossing the plains carried unimaginable destructive power.
“Screams! Blood, blood…!”
“Ahh, ahhh!”
Amidst the shower of red, the screams of the townspeople echoed.
Rotten chunks of flesh and entrails, mixed with red brick fragments, flew indiscriminately, defiling both people and buildings.
“Help! Please!”
“Maintain order while evacuating! Order…!”
The labyrinth city didn’t stand idly by.
Mages were dispatched to the walls to intercept the corpse projectiles, while the bronze guard began evacuating residents as per their training.
Of course, training and reality were worlds apart.
It was common for panicked residents to collide with the guards.
Some mages, tasked with intercepting the falling corpses, managed to stop only a fraction.
This wasn’t even the main assault. It was merely a psychological tactic to demoralize.
Deploying excessive force before the real battle was like playing into the enemy’s hands.
The problem was that, in the grand scheme of things, the safety of the bronze district’s residents was a lower priority.
“Ahhh! My foot! Don’t step on me!”
“Jimmy! Jimmy! Where’s my baby?”
Thousands upon thousands of people flooded the main street. The crowd was so dense there was no room to move.
As they surged toward the silver walls, those who couldn’t withstand the pressure began to fall.
What followed was inevitable. The horrific fate of being trampled by the uncontrollable crowd.
“Our guards are securing the bronze walls! Please maintain some order…”
“Screw order! Move! Get out of the way! I’ll kill anyone who blocks me!”
Blind violence turned against the guards. A giant, nearly two meters tall, shoved a guard in the chest, sparking chaos.
The startled guard instinctively raised his spear. But the giant was a seasoned brawler from the back alleys.
“Whoa!”
The spear was effortlessly snatched away. The giant’s eyes, wild with the thrill of holding a weapon.
In the fear-stricken crowd, the typical hot-headed thug easily lost his temper.
And just as the giant was about to swing the spear instinctively, something flashed and struck his solar plexus.
“Ugh…”
The giant collapsed, vomiting bile. Standing between him and the guard was a middle-aged man in a tattered robe.
“Sir Gawain, the captain?”
“Soldier, fall back. From now on, the Silent Company will take command here.”
The guard nodded blankly. Gawain clicked his tongue and drew his sword.
Shing…
The blade shimmered with a vivid aura.
As the blue magical energy caught the attention of some residents, Gawain took a deep breath and spoke.
[Silent Company, advance—]
Thud, thud, thud!
Soldiers in worn robes poured out from the alleys.
The Silent Company, clad in gleaming plate armor beneath their tattered robes, swiftly cut through the crowd with overwhelming strength.
“Hey! Don’t push!”
“How can someone be so strong… Wait a minute!”
In the blink of an eye, the crowd was split. The divided masses began to separate further.
The Silent Company, having carved through the crowd, stood firm, forcibly redirecting the flow of people.
In the past, even the renowned Silent Company wouldn’t have dared attempt such a feat with just a company-sized force.
However, after the cultist incident that shook the bronze district, the Silent Company, led by Gawain, had grown with the full support of the Golden Palace over the years.
Now, each member was effectively a knight-level force.
[Evacuate in an orderly manner.]
Gawain’s voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the street.
[Anyone causing a disturbance will be dealt with on the spot under military law, by the authority of the Silent Company Captain and Bronze Guard Commander.]
As soon as he finished speaking, the Silent Company members placed their hands on their weapons.
The residents, initially frightened, and even those leading the chaos, hesitated and began to take heed.
“Move according to the instructions.”
“Refrain from any unnecessary personal actions until you reach the silver district.”
Under the guidance of the Silent Company, the residents continued their evacuation in an orderly fashion.
Gawain, having delegated command to his lieutenants, slowly surveyed the situation.
Though they had been deployed urgently to calm the residents, he hadn’t been briefed on the current crisis.
‘The Golden Palace said we had a few more weeks.’
According to the Golden Palace’s predictions, the armies of the evil gods were expected to close in from all directions on the continent.
The east faced Raphilem, the west Enaxagus, the north Sume, and the south Temomron and the Dragon God.
Among them, the north and south were reportedly under control.
The northern offensive had been repelled once by an alliance centered around the Tsar Kingdom, and the forces of the two southern evil gods had been quelled by heroes across the lands.
Even the army of Raphilem, advancing most threateningly from across the eastern sea, had inexplicably halted at a fortnight’s distance.
There were no signs from the western desert, and the Guild Alliance’s defenses remained steadfast.
‘Was it a miscalculation from above?’
Thus, the labyrinth city believed that a full-scale invasion by the evil gods would take several more weeks at the earliest.
Most of the city’s forces were engaged in training, assuming there was still some leeway before the final battle.
‘If only we had more time to prepare.’
Gawain clicked his tongue and shifted his gaze.
Regrets were regrets, but now that the situation had erupted, doing their best was the only option.
Once order was restored, the evacuation proceeded smoothly. The Silent Company and the Bronze Guard evacuated residents in groups of hundreds.
As long as they reached the silver district, immediate safety would be assured.
A grand protective barrier stretched over the silver walls, impervious to mere corpse bombardments.
“Aaaah!”
A piercing scream erupted from the crowd. Gawain immediately turned his head.
The source was the giant from earlier. The one who had easily overpowered a guard.
“A monster… Aaaah!”
With a final scream, his chest was pierced. The creature that drove a tendril into his thorax was a petite woman.
Or rather, what had been a woman moments ago. Now, she was a monster wearing a human guise.
Grrr!
Tendrils burst from her skin, her face bubbling and melting to reveal a carapace beneath.
Starting with her, others began to transform similarly throughout the area.
Gawain drew his sword once more. Of course, the demons wouldn’t just watch the residents evacuate.
[Silent Company, battle formation—]
The commander’s shout echoed through the street once more.
[Battle formation!]
Weapons drawn from beneath their rags were suddenly enveloped in auras.
Tap!
A nimble foot pushed off the wall. Golden hair fluttered with the swift movement.
The young man’s form spun in the air, grabbing a window. Suspended, he descended vertically onto a half-human, half-demon prowling the street.
Crash!
An arm covered in tendrils and carapace fell to the ground. The golden-haired youth, Everon Lactal, frowned.
The creature’s skin was tougher than expected. It was slightly above a low-tier monster, yet a bit lacking for a mid-tier one.
Growl! Screech!
The creature staggered, then suddenly accelerated, lunging at Everon.
Tendrils lashed out, aiming for him. Everon deftly dodged and immediately slashed with his sword.
Slice!
The sharp rapier pierced the eye socket from which the tendrils emerged.
The creature, its eye socket caved in, let out a bizarre scream.
Fwoosh!
In an instant, the tendrils began to melt away, consumed by the white flames emanating from the rapier.
With a swift motion, Everon swung his flame-imbued sword, shattering the head of the half-human, half-demon creature. He then raised his sword skyward, channeling his will.
“O God of War!”
“Yuseop”
Flames burst forth, piercing through the dark clouds, cascading down like branches of a tree growing upside down from the sky, reaching toward the earth with tendrils of white fire.
Screams echoed from the half-demons as the sacred flames swept through them, leaving behind only the charred remains of their tentacle-covered bodies. For Everon, who could wield the power of divinity, burning through even the toughest of foes was a simple task. His ability to utilize the myriad powers of his numerous avatars made him a formidable force.
Not everyone, however, could wield such divine power. Yet, the strength of a transcendent was enough to crush mid-level demons without it.
With a rumble, massive vines as thick as ancient trees erupted from the ground, overturning the cobblestones. They wrapped around the half-demons, crushing them and piercing them with thorns as thick as a man’s arm. In an instant, the vines secured the entire street, slaughtering the enemies and then began pulling the wounded from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Catching his breath, Everon turned his head. In the midst of the green-tinted street, an elderly woman with white hair was approaching him. She was Shania Philophon, a businesswoman who ran the largest apothecary in the Bronze District, and a member of the influential Philopherin family of the Golden Palace. She was also a transcendent who could project her mental world into reality.
“Thank you for your help, Shania Philophon.”
“Spare me the pleasantries, Everon. This old woman doesn’t have the luxury to extend a hand to those who don’t need it.”
Her expression was far from pleasant, and she took a deep drag from her pipe before speaking again.
“The situation is different from what the Golden Palace conveyed. I was so focused on producing medicine as requested that I couldn’t even defend my orchard properly, and now it’s in ruins.”
“I’m truly sorry, Philophon.”
“Sorry won’t cut it. You need to explain what happened in a way I can understand.”
“We were wrong.”
“Wrong?”
The old woman’s white eyebrows twitched. Everon sighed deeply before continuing.
“Enaxagous’s power far exceeded our expectations. Not only did it devour Suum and Temomron, but it also absorbed the remaining forces of Lapilem and the Dragon God.”
“What?”
“It opened a massive hell gate near the city without any grand ritual. The allied forces of the Five Great Hells are just a day’s march away.”
The command center in the Golden District was thrown into chaos. No one had anticipated that a hell gate would open so close to the city without any warning.
“The frequency of corpse bombardments is decreasing!”
“Massive numbers of corrupted entities are appearing throughout the Bronze District!”
“The corrupted are occupying the sewers and lower streets. Their movements are becoming increasingly organized.”
“It’s the drugs! The cheap drugs distributed in the Bronze District’s underworld were cursed!”
Messengers from all over the city rushed into the vast hall, breathlessly reporting on the corrupted entities sweeping through the Bronze District. Reports were quickly processed and relayed to the central command, where the heads of the influential noble families of the Golden Palace, including the transcendent, gathered around a large round table with a map of the city.
“The Eastern District is being held by Commander Gawain and the Silent Brigade. He’s familiar with the lower streets, so leave it to him and provide support.”
“The curse from the drugs is of a low level. Deploy the purification mages at the Silver Gate. A wide-area purification spell should resolve it for the fleeing residents.”
“Gather the healers and priests in the central plaza of the Silver District! Triage the wounded at the gate and provide immediate treatment for the critically injured!”
The heads of the noble families, each responsible for managing different parts of the city, quickly exchanged opinions and issued directives, leveraging their expertise. Though the city was ruled by the twenty-six transcendent halls, the noble families were far from incompetent. In fact, most transcendent spent their time maintaining barriers and honing their powers, leaving the actual management of the city to the noble families’ staff.
Under their flexible yet precise judgment and strategy, the sudden attack of the corrupted entities was steadily being suppressed by a small number of transcendent and the city guard.
Suddenly, with a flurry of wings, a half-human, half-bird figure descended from the sky. It was Inouko Todd, one of the transcendent of the Golden Palace, known as the “Bird That Flies Without a Shadow.” Transforming back into human form, Todd strode toward a girl seated at the round table, her eyes closed as if asleep.
“Seer, the demon army’s encirclement is closing in faster than anticipated.”
”…”
“The eastern and western walls are within range of the hellfire bombardment, and thousands of void hounds are prowling the northern Lycanth River area.”
The white-haired girl slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils, white as her hair, shone like stars in the dark glassy orbs. Her gaze, slightly dazed, turned to Todd. After a brief silence, she spoke.
“The hounds in the north are a decoy. Sending troops there will create gaps elsewhere. The west is handled by Everon and Shania Philophon, so there should be no issues. Deploy a battalion of the Silver Knights to the east.”
“Understood.”
“How close is the encirclement?”
“The vanguard is advancing at an unimaginable speed… about half a day’s distance.”
The girl nodded, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“Please continue to expand your domain until the vanguard reaches the walls. Inouko, you are currently our most accurate and extensive reconnaissance asset.”
“Yes, Seer.”
Todd bowed and stepped back, spreading his wings. In an instant, he soared into the sky, his half-bird form disappearing into the clouds. The girl watched his departure, her chest rising and falling slightly. A silent sigh escaped her small lips.
”…Ha.”
The white-eyed Seer, Aliat, bit her lip gently. The strain of using her powers to their limit sent a throbbing sensation from her forehead through her skull. Her ability allowed her to hear the song of the stars flowing along the river of fate and read the currents of the Milky Way to predict the future. However, for months now, the river of fate had deviated completely from its original course. Despite her efforts, she could only foresee a few hours ahead at best.
‘The unknown, where I can’t see even a step ahead… I had forgotten what it was like to live a mortal life so long ago.’
In her over a thousand years of life, had there ever been a time when she felt so powerless? The prophet who once foresaw infinite possibilities was now no different from a fortune teller unable to predict even the evening’s sunset.
‘At the end of this path, will we find uncertain salvation, or the foretold end?’
Her white eyes flickered briefly. The future remained obscured. Aliat traced her fingers over her eyebrows, her thoughts drifting back to a few months ago.
’…Dalen.’
The river of fate overflowed through one man. A variable that appeared unexpectedly in the celestial flow that had continued for over a thousand years. Despite being in a mortal body, he was a mysterious existence unreadable by her prophetic sight. The world, which had been heading toward a predetermined end, became unpredictable in his hands.
Witnessing a glimmer of hope for the first time in a millennium, Aliat took immediate action. She rallied the forces of the continent, uniting the Western Guild Alliance, the Northern Tsarist Empire, the elves and high orcs, the Southern noble rebels, and the Eastern Three Kingdoms. She was willing to endure diplomatic and economic losses to project the city’s power and consolidate the continent’s strength.
She believed they had prepared ahead of the evil gods. Even when the paladins who survived the Dragon God arrived, the evil gods’ movements seemed leisurely slow.
‘The northern and southern offensives were thwarted by Dalen and his companions, and the eastern offensive was slowed by the fierce resistance of the Three Kingdoms.’
Enaxagous, considered the greatest threat, showed no signs of appearing on the continent. It seemed he was biding his time to strengthen his forces, as there were no signs of an imminent advance beyond minor terror and sabotage.
‘Who would have thought his plan wasn’t just to grow a little stronger, but to completely unify the Five Great Hells…’
However, Enaxagous’s actions far exceeded expectations. Despite having recently devoured Suum, he absorbed the forces of the remaining three evil gods. When he claimed Suum’s Palace of Destruction as his own, it was thought he had merely eliminated a rival.
The balance that had been maintained for thousands of years had countless opportunities to shatter, yet it endured. It was only natural that no one expected it to crumble so easily.
“Enaxagoras was a strategist who valued the roles of each dark god and often mediated conflicts between them…”
What could have possibly changed the mind of such a cunning being, steeped in millennia of experience?
There was only one thing that came to mind: the prophecy left by the Well of Reversal and the man believed to be its fulfillment, Dalen.
“The convergence of possibilities. Perhaps Enaxagoras found his own clue within that context.”
The Well of Reversal had prophesied a figure who would gather the possibilities of countless timelines to break the cycle. The power of the Great Inferno, once five but now unified as one, bore a conceptual resemblance to that prophecy.
With the unification of the five Great Infernals, the existing strategies were rendered practically useless. The demons and monsters, who were usually at each other’s throats, would now unite under a single will, targeting the labyrinthine city.
“Damn it.”
Fortunately, the noble families of Geumgang Palace were effectively leading the defense, but the real assault had yet to begin. The troops in training were being deployed constantly, yet even holding the line was proving to be a daunting task.
“The Holy Knights are ready to deploy at any moment, Seer of the White Eye.”
Edgar Reinhardt, the commander of the Holy Knights, spoke as he watched with his clouded, sightless eyes.
Aliat shook her head, her small hands clenched tightly. She replied, “Thank you, but it’s not time yet. Not yet…”
Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes again, her small frame slowly rising from the floor. Her shadow flickered strangely across the hall’s floor, creating an illusion of faint stars whizzing by.
Edgar quietly retreated to the outskirts of the hall. Joining Lucia, who was waiting by the door, the commander quickly exited the complex chamber.
“How did it go?”
“The situation doesn’t look promising. But it seems our turn hasn’t come yet.”
“Sienna sent a message from Kylebercus. The Dragon’s Shield and Scale have refused the offer. It’s presumed they’ve joined Enaxagoras’s forces.”
“After finally being freed from their shackles after thousands of years, they immediately submit to a new master. They boast of being different from other mortals, yet dragons are not so different from humans after all.”
The two knights traversed the streets of the Golden District. Like the Silver District, movement was restricted here as well. The intersections, usually bustling with nobles, merchants, high-ranking officials, and their entourages, were now filled with the clatter of shining armor and the harsh cries of warhorses.
Soldiers hurried somewhere, carts laden with supplies formed a procession, messengers clutched urgent dispatches to their chests, and mages from the tower, draped in ornate robes, moved in groups.
“I must go to the senior knights. I need to share the situation and assist in revising the detailed strategies.”
“I will…”
“Lucia, you should act independently in this siege. Fight alongside the comrades you’ve been with all this time.”
Leaving a word of caution, Edgar headed straight for the temporary headquarters of the knights.
As Lucia made her way toward the city walls, she suddenly turned at the sound of a familiar voice.
“Where are you! Didn’t I ask?”
A booming voice echoed through the wide alley. Her steps naturally led her into the alley.
Not far ahead, a massive figure, easily five times the size of an average person, was shouting in the face of Felber. It was Tarum, the High Orc Chieftain.
“Why can’t you speak? If there’s something, say there is! If not, say there isn’t!”
”…”
“I don’t understand! Why is a smart wizard like you…”
“Tarum.”
The enormous orc turned his head sharply. His heaving shoulders showed just how agitated he was.
“Holy Knight, it’s been a while.”
“It’s been a while, Tarum. How have you been?”
“Well-fed and well-fought! That’s all a High Orc needs! But losing a friend makes it all useless! The wizard keeps silent, but where on earth is Dalen…”
“Dalen went down into the labyrinth.”
Tarum, who had been shouting with spittle flying, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. He furrowed his brow and asked again.
“The labyrinth? That monster-infested underground cave? Those things taste terrible! Pah! Dalen wouldn’t eat them!”
“To be precise, we all went down together. And he sent us back. Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious. Just…”
“When he returns, we’ll have a good meal! Dalen is a good eating buddy! I’ll prepare some meat!”
With a loud shout, Tarum strode out of the alley. His massive frame made the alley, wide enough for a carriage, seem full.
“Ah, I forgot to say goodbye! Thank you, Holy Knight! Wizard!”
Before completely leaving the alley, Tarum turned and shouted, then disappeared in an instant.
Felber’s gaze, watching Tarum’s retreating figure, was filled with a peculiar bewilderment. Lucia chuckled softly and shrugged.
A subtle silence lingered in the alley where the High Orc had vanished. After a moment of contemplation, Lucia spoke up.
“I’ll be direct, Tower Master.”
”…”
“Have you learned anything about Dalen’s safety?”
Perhaps because it was an anticipated question, the answer came swiftly.
“Dalen’s presence has been completely erased. The bond formed by the master-servant contract has been severed.”