<h4>Chapter 114</h4>


    <i>I have no idea what time it is.</i>


    Outside the barracks, Ian looked up at the cloud-covered sky, lost in thought. He was the only one who had the luxury of gazing at the sky.


    "Get into formation! Stop dragging your feet!"


    "Check your gear! You won''t have time toe back to the barracks!"


    Commanders shouted frantically as soldiers scrambled into position. Even the supply carriers were bustling around, making the entire camp a chaotic mess.


    The assembled soldiers lined up and headed straight for the walls. Despite the chaos, they moved like clockwork, well-drilled and disciplined.


    "Hey! Hurry and gather!"


    "At this rate, we''ll be thest ones up!"


    Despite being the first to prepare, the mercenaries and barbarian warriors were only now gathering. Individually, they were skilled, but as a group, they were far from cohesive.


    Gelud had appointed Ian as a centurion to keep them under control. But Ian had no intention of managing them all the way through.


    <i>I have too much to do to be tied down here.</i>


    "The mercenaries are all here."


    "The warriors are all gathered too."


    Trude and Valeri spoke up, their eyes filled with a mix of tension and excitement as they looked at Ian.


    Meeting their gazes with a calm expression, Ian spoke. "Once we''re up on the walls, spread out. Find an empty spot and follow the orders of the nearestmander."


    "But, Captain, where will you be...?" Trude asked, frowning.


    Ian answered nonchntly.


    "I''ll be moving around, looking for the most dangerous spots to fight in. Don''t worry about me. And do nothing reckless. Especially you lot."


    Ian nced coldly at the barbarian warriors.


    "Don''t follow me around or get so excited that you jump down the walls. Stay in your positions. That alone will give you plenty of chances to crush the skulls of those trying to scale the walls."


    Ian looked back and forth between the mercenaries and the warriors before adding, "Each of you is much stronger than the average soldier. So think of it as protecting them. Remember, our goal is to hold out until the reinforcements arrive. Got it?"


    "Yes!" the warriors and mercenaries shouted in unison.


    <i>They answer well, at least...</i>


    Ian clicked his tongue, still doubtful, and turned around. The walls stretching across the valley came into view. They were much longer and taller than they had appeared in the game, meaning there was a broader area to defend.


    <i>It definitely won''t be easy to handle everything alone...</i>


    He climbed the stairs that lined the wall. Even in the dim light, he could see the backs of soldiers standing in formation, holding longbows in one hand and arrows in the other, their breaths trembling.


    At the top of the stairs, Ian turned back.


    "The vanguard, head to the very end. Remember, you''re protecting this ce."


    He nodded at the mercenaries and warriors passing by, meeting their eyes one by one. He needed to instill some sense of purpose in these unruly individuals.


    After sending thest one to his position, Ian finally set foot on the wall. As he walked toward the central area, he looked beyond the walls.


    "...."


    Across the gloomy, gray valley, an unnaturally low-hanging ck cloud stretched out like a long curtain. Beneath it, darkness loomed like a shroud, writhing like mist.


    <i>It’s no different from the ck Wall, huh...</i>


    Ian''s brows furrowed. Seeing it with his own eyes rified that this was something he''d never encountered in the game.


    The thought crossed his mind that this might not just be a simple increase in difficulty. Perhaps this was the true nature of the Bellium Defense quest, unlocked only by ying the Giant Queen.


    Of course, it didn''t matter now. What mattered was something else.


    The countless blue eyes that were piercing through the darkness.


    Undead of all sizes, from giants to humans to dwarves, ran across the ground like beasts, their blue lights twinkling as they charged forward. The eerie sight of countless blue fireflies swarming together against the dark and dreary backdrop was unsettling.


    Ian was probably the only one who could afford to remain calm.


    "Lu Sr, please have mercy on this mortal..."


    "Damn it... fuck... how are there so many..."


    Fearful whispers and ragged breaths filled the surrounding air.


    "Sir Ian." A familiar voice broke through the tense atmosphere, causing Ian to stop in his tracks.


    It was Mildred, sword in hand, approaching Ian with aposed expression.


    "The mercenaries and wild warriors seem to have scattered. Why are you moving alone?"


    "It''ll be more helpful for them to scatter than to stay in one ce. The same goes for me." Ian replied as he stopped walking.


    Not too far from the center of the wall, he stood where General Gelud and his guards, along with a robed mage, stationed themselves atop the gatehouse tower.


    "I''ve heard the stories, but seeing it with my own eyes is a unique feeling altogether. Today may be the day we go to be with Lu Sr," Mildred murmured, gazing at the wraiths charging across the valley.


    He had epted death before the battle even began. It was weak, but Ian couldn''t me him. Most people would probably reach a simr conclusion after seeing this sight.


    "I''m not nning to die. We''re holding out until reinforcements arrive." Ian drew the Sword of Judgment, speaking calmly.


    He wouldn''t need to use it just yet, but he wanted to be prepared for battle since the vanguard of the undead had already entered the valley.


    "...?" While gripping his sword, Ian nced at his left shoulder. A warm heat and a surge of holy power spread through his body. It was the Blessing of Battle.


    <i>For once, this guy is actually helping me.</i>


    A smirk appeared on Ian''s lips. In a situation where conserving his magic was crucial, having the Blessing of Battle activated was a rare stroke of good fortune.


    Mildred''s astonished voice broke the silence.


    "S—sir Ian, what is that...?"


    "Karha is granting us his blessing."


    "Karha? Then, does that mean you''re really the Great Warrior of the North...?"


    "This is just Karha acting on his own—" Ian''s voice trailed off.


    The holy power wasn''t stopping.


    <i>What the...</i>


    He frowned as he looked down at his body. The holy power was thickening all over him. It was actually happening. The holy power was flooding into his body endlessly. The heat was condensing in his lower abdomen, growing hotter by the second.


    <i>No way, what is this fucking—</i>


    Ian''s body instinctively lurched as if moltenva were boiling inside him.


    "Sir Ian, are you alright? Something doesn''t seem right..." Mildred stuttered nervously, but Ian couldn''t answer.


    Ian felt like he was burning up from the inside. If he hadn''t been clenching his teeth, he would have screamed.


    Then, the tightly condensed, unbearably furious energy slowly rose, resembling bubblingva.


    <i>Are you trying to kill me, you fucking asshole?</i>


    Ian''s face twisted in agony.


    He wanted to suppress the heat, but he couldn''t. He couldn''t contain this power with his will. The more it rose, the faster it moved, and the more violently it surged.


    In the end, Ian couldn''t hold it in any longer. He arched his back and unleashed the fiery energy.


    "<i>GRAARRRRR</i>!"


    A mighty roar, so loud it seemed unreal, shook the air.


    ***


    "....?!"


    General Gelud, standing on the tower, snapped his head around. He felt a battle cry so powerful that it resonated through his body.


    "What on earth is that...?!"


    He saw its source and his eyes widened. Waves of red holy energy were exploding outward in concentric circles. At the center stood Ian Hope, head thrown back as he howled at the sky.


    The waves of holy energy swept across the wall and passed over the tower where Gelud stood. He shuddered from the heat of the waves.


    "<i>GRAA.... RAAAAAR</i>—"


    "Oh Karha!"


    The barbarian warriors'' cries echoed from all sides. As they looked up at the gray sky and howled, red holy energy shrouded their entire bodies.


    The crimson glow even enveloped several mercenaries and soldiers.


    "Oh, Superhuman of the North!" A northern soldier clutching a longbow screamed.


    Mendes, the mage watching this spectacle with a curious gaze, finally spoke.


    "He really is the Great Warrior of the North. Fascinating. I never thought I''d see Karha''s blessing right before my eyes...."


    "I didn''t believe it either... but it appears to be true...." Gelud murmured in awe as he looked at Ian.


    Ian had finished his roar and was now grimacing as he spat on the ground.


    “... If Karha is watching, this may be a battle for the history books,” Gelud muttered grimly before turning his gaze back toward the valley. He saw the blue lights filling the valley and surging forward.


    Although he had converted to the Lu Sr faith, he had grown up hearing tales of Karha''s achievements. He couldn''t show cowardice in front of God. Gripping his sword so tightly that his knuckles whitened, Gelud raised it high and shouted.


    "All troops, prepare to shoot!"


    ***


    The volley of arrows began.


    Standing behind the reloading soldiers, Ian gritted his teeth once more.


    <i>That fucking butcher bastard.</i>


    Even Ian himself could barely believe what he''d just done. A battle cry, of all things.


    It was likely a bonus event tied to the quest. The Blessing of Battle was not originally a skill with an area of effect. He surmised that the quest involving the northern warriors had something to do with it, probably part of the final quest in a series of barbarian warriors. It was a bonus event fitting for such a quest.


    <i>Now that it''s reality, it''s probably just Karha throwing a fit. Or he must’ve enjoyed seeing me in pain.</i>


    He never wanted to experience it again, but in the end, the result was favorable.


    <i>Very favorable, actually.</i>


    All the barbarian warriors were blessed as well. Although his own holy energy outshone theirs in intensity, they would still experience a significant boost in their fighting power against the undead horde.


    <i>Looks like Karha is only blessing his followers. Petty for a God who doesn''t even need believers. If he had blessed every soldier on the wall, this battle would have been much easier.</i>


    "Fire!"


    Despite Ian’s thoughts, the battle continued. Gelud shouted themand once more, and his soldiersunched a volley of arrows.


    Arrows arced through the air and rained down upon the undead. However, it wasn’t the most efficient attack.


    While some blue eyes went dark as skulls shattered, the undead barely suffered any damage from many arrows. The arrows had little effect on the undead, but they were nearly useless against the giant warriors, who could only be taken down by the ballista.


    Fortunately, themanders were aware of this, and they directed the few avable ballistas only toward the giant warriors.


    Two soldiers strained to turn the winch on each side while another loaded the bolts, aiming at the hulking silhouettes in the distance.


    "Reload!"


    "Reload!"


    The volleys weren''t entirely ineffective. Precision wasn''t crucial, as the horde of undead now filled the valley.


    Darkness trailed behind the horde, slowly but surely.


    <i>Why isn''t it moving together with them? Some kind of limitation?</i>


    Ian couldn''t understand why, but he knew one thing for sure. The attack of the undead he had experienced in the game was only phase one. When that darkness covered the fortress, phase two would begin.


    <i>So before we reach unknown territory, I need to deal as much damage as possible. </i>


    Ian calmly organized his thoughts.


    For now, he couldn''t do much. This was the time for the soldiers andmanders to shine.


    But soon, the moment woulde when individual prowess would determine the battle''s oue. That’s when Ian would make his move.


    <i>I''m not sure if I can handle this alone, but...</i>


    "They''re getting closer! Aim and shoot!"


    After a few volleys, themanders called for individual targeting. The undead horde had reached the middle of the valley, now not far from the gatehouse.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    mes suddenly illuminated the air. A mage stood before Gelud, raising his staff high.


    The mage rapidlyunched Dancing mes, simr in size to Ian''s, into the air, causing them to explode among the horde. Fragments of bone scattered everywhere, and the mage didn’t stop there.


    <i>Woosh, crash–!</i>


    A fireball incinerated the skull of a charging giant warrior.


    The soldiers didn’t rest either. They shot arrows until their hands bled. The barbarian warriors and mercenaries alongside them didn’t let up with their longbows and crossbows.


    "Light the arrows!" Themanding officers shouted.


    Several ming arrows fell into the moat.


    <i>Woosh—</i>


    The piled-up oil-soaked firewood from earlier caught fire. The area around the walls became brightly illuminated as the mes spread. Finally, only a few of the leading undead reached the front of the moat.


    As they hesitated, arrows rained down on their skulls. A few undead, however, leaped over the moat and clung to the wall, climbing like insects.


    Several soldiers set aside their bows and picked up the heavy stones that were piled nearby, dropping them over the wall.


    <i>Crunch—</i>


    All the stones were heavy enough to shatter the skulls of the undead. It was a series of excellent defensive measures. Even if the undead ultimately climbed the walls, the soldiers could hold them off. It had been the same in the game.


    <i>...If only it weren''t for those things.</i>


    Ian''s gaze, scanning the surging tide of undead, finally settled on one point.


    In the distance, a lone giant warrior, having survived both ballista and magic attacks, was advancing toward the wall. In the game, the bnce had tipped the moment these giants reached the wall. It wouldn’t be much different now that it was reality.


    <i>So this time, I won''t let a single one of them reach the wall.</i>


    Ian tightened his grip on the Sword of Judgment, then leaped forward.


    A red streak cut across the wall.