What Do You Wish For With Murky Eyes: Record of Highserk War - Chapter 54

It came without warning—a bell of madness resounding continuously. There was only one meaning: the arrival of the main force.

“Evacuate! Get back inside the castle!”

“Don’t push. There’s still time. Don’t disrupt the formation.”

The soldiers around the castle gate, who had been stationed there, guided the citizens who were engaged in construction work as if corralling sheep with a shepherd dog.

Units that had been on the outskirts for hunting began a full-scale retreat, crushing the eager monsters with the stopping firepower of magical soldiers.

Fortunately, each platoon that had been on patrol and ambush duty reached the gate. There were no oversights among the workers.

The chain was wound up, the drawbridge slowly closed, and the double castle gates sealed shut. The complete lockdown of the gate was just the beginning.

“Take your designated positions!”

“Lift up earth and stones for the rampart!”

It was too ominous to call it a storm. It was absurd to call it a tsunami. A directional wave of monsters, a massive rampage, was surging toward Dandurg Castle.

There are already no more refugees running into Dundurg Castle in the surrounding area. It was easy to imagine that they had been caught up and ravaged along the way.

Where Walm was assigned was the gate tower set up beside the castle gate, allowing a clear view of both the movements of the monsters outside the castle and the soldiers inside.

Magical soldiers, archers, and catapult operators crowded the ramparts, peering through arrow slits. Even seasoned Highserk soldiers appeared restless.

“Wait for orders, start attacking after drawing them in.”

The battalion leader overseeing the rapmart shouted, matching the approaching ground rumble. To maintain a sense of distance amid the swarming monsters, several markers indicating effective ranges were placed in the vicinity. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment.

“Catapult operators, begin the attack.”

Slings holding stone projectiles started rotating with a sound of cutting through the air. At the moment of reaching maximum rotation, the projectiles were unleashed from the slings. Although few monsters fell, the mass weapons reliably caused bloodshed.

“Archers, commence the attack!”

With the command, bowstrings drawn to the limit were simultaneously released. Along with the crisp sound, a rain of arrows poured down on the monsters. The leading group came to a stop as if toppling over with each volley, but the following ones, indifferent, continued their mad rush, trampling over them.

With each volley of arrows, the leading group dropped out, but the next monster immediately took the lead.

“Magical soldiers, commence the attack!”

The simultaneous fire from the magical soldiers, possessing the battlefield’s maximum firepower, began. Its destructive power was awe-inspiring. A corner that received concentrated firepower was deeply gouged, and numerous monsters fell to the ground.

Still, it didn’t take much time for the gap to be filled. The soldiers’ expressions showed their concern.

“All unit types, attack freely, don’t let them get close to the walls!”

The monsters pressed forward to within spitting distance. Heads were crushed by catapult stones, and magical attacks sent monster flesh dancing in the air. Whether pierced through the chest by arrows or not, they didn’t know how to stop.

A group of golems, created in advance with earth magic, welcomed the monsters outside the castle, but it was like pouring water on a burnt stone.

“They’re clinging to the walls!”

As the monsters clung to the castle walls, they indiscriminately pounded and tried to penetrate them. Goblins and orcs, with an overwhelming number, were among them, but there were also significant threats that couldn’t be ignored.

“It’s a troll!”

A troll carrying a large log scattered drool and approached the castle walls. Already half of its body had been pierced, and numerous arrows stuck in it, but it didn’t know how to halt its steps. A large amount of earth projectiles, brought in and known for their fuel efficiency among the four attribute magics, struck the troll’s head, shattering its skull.

The massive body fell to the ground, and cheers erupted, but the voices quickly died down. A horde of orcs, lifting the troll’s body, reached the castle walls, using the surrounding corpses as stepping stones. Whether they had a sense of camaraderie was unknown to Walm. Nevertheless, it was certain that the lifeless monster was regarded as nothing more than construction material to gain height.

“Above, death condors!”

Dozens of flying monsters swooped down on the soldiers with dive attacks. Throats were punctured by talons, and another soldier, with a scream, was thrown off the castle wall path to the ground. Some were even carried away into the sky. The interception efforts slackened, and Walm noticed the monsters below gaining momentum. In the midst of chaos, he sensed a faint hint of intelligence.

Walm had been informed that even among the great outbreaks, there existed individuals who acted as leaders. Despite being monsters, they unleashed quite unpleasant attacks. A new flock of death condors was descending onto the castle rampart. Walm foresaw the point of attack and rushed towards it.

“If you don’t want to burn to death, get down!”

The mask he wore continued to tremble with apparent delight. He sculpted magical power and unleashed embodied blue flames into the sky, engulfing the flock. The rear of the group tried to escape, but the high temperature disturbed the air, and swirling hot winds drew the death condors in.

Those directly hit suffered incineration, and even those who escaped immediate death lost their burnt feathers, disrupted the airflow, and with piercing screams, plummeted to the ground.

Unsatisfied, Walm leaned out from the castle rampart and looked down below. Monsters with hands were grabbing, and creatures with fangs were piling up corpses. It seemed like the perfect timing.

Walm thrust himself forward and jumped down.

“Eh, Sir Knight!”

“The Guard Commander has fallen!”

Voices of warning and screams echoed from the soldiers on the castle ramparts. It was a sight familiar to Walm.

Weapons, claws, fangs, and horns were directed at Walm as if impatiently awaiting his arrival. This welcoming reception was a rare occurrence, and Walm couldn’t help but smile as he unleashed the blue flames.

Slightly behind the hot wind, the blue flames spread without knowing how to stop.

A grand chorus of screams began. If it were a human, one might hesitate, but Walm, unenthusiastic as he was, faced non-considerate monsters, densely packed and ready to burn. «Ignis Fatuus», acquired not too long ago with a remarkably short duration, had grown significantly in duration, power, and maneuverability through continuous use in battle.

The blue flames swirled, consuming the surroundings. Within a 10-meter radius, the monsters had already ceased breathing, those within 20 meters were scorched by the fire, and some were still raging. Monsters were experiencing death from pressure or suffocation due to lack of oxygen. In a confused attempt to escape the azure flames, an ogre began to randomly strike and kill nearby monsters.

The unstoppable rampage, which seemed to know no bounds, slightly, but noticeably, receded.

Continuing to incinerate the monsters, Walm, before his magical power ran out, used wind attribute magic to kick off the castle wall and return to the rampart. A wide range of monsters suffered casualties, and the central ones were charred. The monsters, which had been relentlessly approaching, cautiously resumed their advance, as if awakening from a dream.

“Give me a moment to rest.”

No one stopped Walm as he returned to the waiting room from the castle rampart; instead, he was welcomed with joy.