The Trap (1)
Once a vast expanse of serene beauty, the plains of Barbara now presented a starkly different scene. The once orderly land lay in ruins, with massive flames erupting amidst the scattered soot-blackened patches. Smoke billowed from the fire, drifting away like waves into the crimson-stained sky.
Beneath the blood-red twilight that cloaked the plains.
Suddenly, the sound of bowstrings being drawn in unison echoed from the second battalion. Without any signal from their commander, the archers released their arrows almost simultaneously. Now on the third day of battle, the soldiers moved with a precision that had markedly improved since the first day.
Boom! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With a thunderous roar, a thousand arrows soared into the sky, tracing delicate arcs before disappearing beyond the fortress walls. While arrows might lack the sheer destructive power of magic, they had the advantage of rapid fire.
A swift second volley kept the enemy at the walls on their toes. Meanwhile, the third battalion prepared their secret weapon, ready to strike.
“Amplification!”
The now-familiar incantation resonated through the air, and a card thrown into the sky burst into brilliant light. It created a square, emerald-green barrier aimed directly at the gates of Barbara.
In my personal opinion, if I had to name the two most feared users by the enemy over these three days of battle, it would be my brother, the Thunder Emperor, and the tarot card magician, Seonyul. Their precise control of magic, striking at the enemy’s weak points with lightning, and the ability to enhance hundreds of spells with special effects, would be enough to make any foe curse in frustration.
“Acceleration!”
The spells, now enhanced with speed, surged through the barrier, racing towards the gates with increased velocity. In the blink of an eye, the mass of spells collided with the thick gates. However, anticipating our intent to breach them, the gates were already fortified with numerous protective barriers.
Crack! Crackle!
The distance to the gates was a mere two hundred meters, yet the impact was so immense that blue sparks flew like a fountain, scattering into the air like a spray of water.
The struggle between those trying to break through and those desperately defending was intense, but soon one side began to gain the upper hand.
Crash! Boom!
The magic finally broke through the barriers, slamming into Barbara’s western gate, and the resounding clang of metal echoed everywhere.
A moment passed. The smoke from the clash slowly dissipated, revealing the gate’s condition. Though not completely breached, the attack had left a significant mark. The gate was dented and crumpled like a piece of paper. Another attack of similar magnitude would surely break through.
A small cheer rippled through the ranks as others seemed to share my thoughts.
Then it happened.
Boom!
A sudden explosion, like a fierce slap to the air, made me instinctively look up at the fortress wall. But I didn’t need to see it to know. It was the sound of a massive spell being unleashed, a sound we had grown all too familiar with over the past three days.
‘But… this sounds louder than usual?’
And that wasn’t all.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Zing! Zing! Zing! Zing!
The Eastern forces, who had maintained the upper hand throughout the three days of battle, had advanced well within range to secure a decisive advantage today. Yet, arrows and javelins rained down from the fortress walls like a torrential downpour. The Eastern forces were attacking from four directions, and the enemy had divided their troops to defend each wall. Given the time that had passed, we could roughly estimate the scale of the attack, but the current onslaught far exceeded our expectations.
I quickly understood the situation. This was a desperate move. In a siege, the gate is of utmost importance. Having lost such a crucial defense to a single magical attack, the enemy was frantic to protect it. The unexpected scale of the attack likely meant they had pulled additional troops from other walls.
”───. ───. ───. Protect!”
”───. ───. ───. Reflect Shield!”
The priests of the fourth battalion responded swiftly. And it wasn’t just the priests. Other users, sensing the gravity of the attack, joined in casting defensive spells. Soon, multiple layers of translucent barriers enveloped the entire Eastern formation.
Moments later, a storm of magic, arrows, and javelins, carried by a fierce wind, descended upon the Eastern formation.
And then.
The protective barriers were relentlessly battered.
Boom! Crack! Crackle!
“Ugh!”
“Aaah!”
The haphazardly cast spells outside the barrier were visible in all their chaotic variety. Exploding fireballs spread across the entire barrier, while sharp ice spears pierced through the outer layer. The storm pounded the barrier like a torrential rain, and cries of pain echoed as the strain became too much to bear.
The enemy’s concentrated counterattack was indeed fierce. While our focus drew attention away from other units, that was their concern. Regardless of how many troops they had mobilized, the concentrated firepower was too much for the divided users to withstand.
As time passed, the storm’s intensity waned, but the once-sturdy barrier was also breaking down proportionally.
Sensing this, the frontline melee fighters began raising their shields. The priests, instead of casting time-consuming barriers, started enchanting the users’ shields with small-scale magic resistance spells. With several mages skilled in rapid casting, they aimed to buy time for additional barriers.
At that moment, the amplified voice of the Eastern commander rang out.
“Everyone, fall back!”
The order to retreat was finally given, likely to minimize casualties. Though it was a shame to leave the nearly breached gate, it seemed they decided to wait for another opportunity rather than suffer heavy losses here.
The Eastern forces began to retreat, maintaining their formation.
Then it happened.
Rumble…
With heightened senses, I suddenly felt a massive surge of magical energy. It was an overwhelming force, unlike anything encountered in the previous exchanges.
In that instant, the twilight that had bathed the plains deepened. My throat inexplicably felt hot, and a wave of heat swept over my body.
‘What is this…?’
An alarm rang in my mind. Instinctively, I reached for my ear, gripping the transformed “Victoria’s Glory” tightly.
And then.
Roar!
A colossal, fiery roar swept across the plains like a whirlwind. The sound was so loud that the air and ground trembled.
As the deafening roar reverberated, I squinted slightly, and the shocked voices of nearby users reached my ears.
“Ah, ahhh! A dragon!”
‘A dragon?’
At this point, there shouldn’t be any dragons. Knowing this, I immediately dismissed the thought, but my gaze was already drawn skyward. There, above the fortress wall, I saw two suns hanging in the western sky.
No, they weren’t suns. It was a momentary optical illusion caused by the blinding light. Blinking a few times and looking again, I saw it—a dragon.
To be precise, it was a massive flame in the shape of a dragon. A dragon’s head with two horns at the end of a long neck. A massive body with two fiery wings extending from its back. And a tail, coiled like a giant serpent, forming an S-shape. Constantly spewing flames in all directions, it unmistakably took the form of a dragon.
Flap! Flap!
The dragon circled the sky slowly, ever so slowly. After a few loops, it spread its fiery wings wide, veering not straight ahead but to the west. With a bone-chilling roar, it began to flap its wings, closing the distance between itself and the eastern formation with each powerful stroke. The implication was clear.
The dragon of flames intended to sweep over the entire western battalion.
“Is it trying to split us in half? Or cut off our retreat?”
The mages and priests, focused on maintaining their defensive spells, were retreating at a painfully slow pace. Abandoning defense to retreat faster would also result in significant losses. The bold move to gain a decisive advantage today had suddenly trapped the western battalion in a dire predicament.
Kroarrrr!
There was no time to assess the situation further. The dragon of flames was not about to give them any more time to think, let alone respond. It accelerated, descending smoothly to align with the plains, then charged at the eastern flank with blinding speed.
Fwoosh!
Sparks fell from its body, forming a massive blaze. As it continued to accelerate, the flames grew larger in the blink of an eye. Facing this explosive inferno, I tightened my grip on the sword I had been clutching since earlier.
During the three-day siege, I hadn’t made much of an impact. I had my role, but not being on the front lines, I mostly observed from the rear. But now, as part of the contingency team, it seemed my time to earn my keep had come. Cutting through magic was my specialty.
“Mercenary Lord!”
The voice of the swordmaster reached out to me, but I immediately leaped away, pushing off the ground with all my might.
I quickly moved westward, and soon, the dragon was almost upon us. As I faced the oncoming inferno head-on, I felt its terrifying force pressing down on me.
‘This might be a bit dangerous…’
I had to abandon the idea of relying solely on magic. The explosive force was more overwhelming than I had anticipated, but I quickly steadied myself.
Boom!
As the flames bore down on me, I awakened the power dormant in my heart. I raised Victoria’s Glory, aiming straight for the dragon’s center. The distance closed rapidly as we approached from opposite directions, and the heat grew more intense with each step forward.
Just as Victoria’s Glory was about to meet the dragon’s flames—
Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
In that moment, something dormant in my heart stirred.
It began to unleash an explosive force, as if growling.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I’ve intentionally skipped over the details of the three-day siege. I felt that a back-and-forth exchange of fire without significant events would be tedious. So, I decided to focus only on the beginning and the end. It’s about time the mages start feeling the drain on their magic, which will allow the protagonist to shine.
I don’t plan for this war to drag on too long. (Initially, I envisioned about 50 chapters.) I’ve set up the situation so that one side will soon realize they need to resolve things quickly.
Anyway, more details will be revealed gradually. :)
PS. I’ll be responding to messages over the weekend. Thank you for your understanding!
『 Reader Comments 』
pen36: Wow, first comment! Thank you so much! (__)
달을쫓는아이: Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh! I love you, oppa! Oops, sorry!
가연을이: Ah, which character did you find so charming? Haha. :)
우리천사: Thank you for always reading. :)
Nodens: I wanted to post as quickly as possible. Lately, I haven’t been able to update at midnight. I’ll work on that. ㅜ.ㅠ
유온.: Oh no! Are you okay? Surely your father wouldn’t push you too hard?! Your health is more important!
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탄환: Unfortunately, there’s no plan for a unicorn transformation! ㅜ.ㅠ
brisingr: I’m really sorry. I have no excuse for that. ^_ㅠ
천겁혈신천무존 + Lea: Yes! 천겁혈신천무존 and Lea are now an official couple! Everyone, please congratulate them! Yay! Clap, clap, clap!
Thank you for always reading. I hope you enjoy the story with a relaxed mind.