Kaaaargh!
As more stones fell into the rift zone, the screams of the riftborn grew louder.
The area was so vast and filled with so many riftborn that even firing blindly would ensure hits.
Ghislain, watching the steadily advancing blue mist, shouted, "Don't stop attacking! Keep the stones coming! Prepare them without pause!"
Though hundreds of stones were prepared within the fortress, that amount was far from sufficient. Therefore, a separate unit was dispatched to gather stones from the surrounding areas.
But that wasn't all.
Boom! Crash! Smash!
The soldiers demolished anything within the fortress that could be broken.
If the rift consumed everything, it would all be lost anyway. Things could always be rebuilt later.
Thus, a massive supply of material for the catapults was secured.
Boooom! Boooom!
Initially, only catapults were used to attack from a distance. However, after a day, the blue mist crept dangerously close to the fortress.
Ghislain frowned as he observed the encroaching mist.
"That's definitely an abnormal speed. The number must exceed 500,000."
Perhaps it was closer to a million.
Even in his previous life, no rift had ever formed in such an open, barren area. Normally, the Salvation Church found it difficult to create rifts in such regions.
But once it formed, the rift devoured the abundant natural energy and expanded at an incredible pace. With no obstacles like buildings in its way, its growth was even faster.
"They've done something even they can't handle."
If Perdium were to fall, the barbarians who took over the North would ultimately have to deal with the rift.
But could even all the barbarians combined handle this?
Waroka had made a foolish decision, focused only on immediate gains.
As the blue mist grew closer, the soldiers could see countless dark shadows shifting within it.
Kaaaargh!
The soldiers saw the riftborn, writhing as if desperate to charge at them.
"Those... those are the riftborn..."
"They're real monsters."
"There's no end to them."
Though shrouded in the blue mist, those with keen eyesight could make out the grotesque forms of the riftborn.
Seeing them up close would undoubtedly be far more horrifying.
"Archers! Prepare!"
At Ghislain's command, the soldiers snapped out of their daze. The riftborn were now within range of their arrows.
Under the command of Lumina, the archers raised their bows high.
Every soldier in the Fenris army was trained in archery, and this had influenced Perdium's knights and soldiers to adopt the skill as well.
Though they weren't as skilled as the Fenris troops, they could aim and shoot well enough.
"Fire!"
Fwooosh!
Tens of thousands of arrows simultaneously shot toward the blue mist.
Precise targeting wasn't necessary; some would miss, but most would strike their mark.
Unlike catapult stones, arrows couldn't be resupplied from the surroundings. Once they exhausted the stockpiles—both their own and those sent by Claude—they'd be out.
But Ghislain didn't stop the attack.
"Don't hold back, keep firing!"
Since the arrows were finite, the battle would inevitably come down to melee combat. It was better to reduce the enemy's numbers as much as possible before that.
Fwooosh!
The rain of arrows poured endlessly into the blue mist. Riftborn that stepped out of the mist were obliterated before they could approach.
Kaaaargh!
Some riftborn emerged halfway, only for their protruding limbs to disintegrate upon impact.
The soldiers attacked in shifts, ensuring they had enough rest to preserve their strength for the imminent battle.
Sssssss…
After two days, the blue mist finally reached the fortress walls. By this point, the arrow supplies were nearly depleted.
Fenris had been continuously producing arrows in preparation for war, and every last one had been brought to the northern fortress.
Yet, in just three days, they were almost gone.
The Fenris army consisted of 20,000 soldiers, while Perdium had nearly 10,000—bolstered by its efforts to produce food and recruit troops.
With 30,000 soldiers firing arrows relentlessly, three days was already a long time.
"Stop! From now on, only the elves are to use the remaining arrows!"
At Ghislain's command, the archery attacks ceased, and the remaining arrows were distributed among the elves.
Sssssss…
Finally, the blue mist engulfed the fortress walls, brushing against the soldiers' faces.
It felt like being drenched by a cold, damp rain in the early morning, sending chills down their spines.
"Shields!"
Suddenly, Ghislain shouted. The soldiers on the walls snapped to attention, lowering their bodies and bracing their shields.
And in that moment—
Kaaaargh!
The riftborn burst through the mist, swinging their long claws.
Clang!
The immense strength of the riftborn sent shields trembling as they struck.
However, since the blue mist hadn't yet fully covered the walls, many of the riftborn's claws disintegrated into dust.
Kaaaargh! Kaaaargh! Kaaaargh!
The horrifying screeches of the riftborn were now deafening.
When the blue mist finally engulfed half of the walls—
Kaaaargh!
Thud! Crack! Thud-thud-thud!
The riftborn began clawing at the walls, climbing with savage determination.
Their gray, hairless skin, long limbs, bloodthirsty red eyes, and wide, tooth-filled mouths made for a terrifying sight.
"Hup!"
Soldiers who saw the riftborn for the first time sucked in their breath. They had heard stories, but seeing them in person was far more terrifying.
Yet, as elite troops, they gripped their shields tightly and held their ground.
Kaaaargh!
In an instant, hundreds of riftborn scaled the walls, slashing wildly with their claws and snapping their jaws.
Some had arrows embedded in their bodies, but unless their heads were pierced, they wouldn't die from just a few hits.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The soldiers with shields at the front held their ground admirably. The number of climbing riftborn was still manageable.
But soon, the sheer number of riftborn overwhelmed the defenses. They even climbed over each other to reach the top.
As riftborn began landing on the walls, Ghislain shouted loudly.
"Strike them down!"
The soldiers standing slightly behind thrust their spears at the riftborn.
Thwack! Thud! Thwack!
The riftborn's defenses were no different from an ordinary human's. Many were pierced by the soldiers' spears, but they didn't die easily.
Fwoosh!
Dozens of magic spears appeared around Ghislain, created by his mana.
The spears flew through the air, piercing the heads of riftborn landing on the walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ghislain's aides and knights also joined the fight, slashing through the riftborn. They had gained experience fighting these creatures and knew how to conserve their strength.
Fighting riftborn was a battle of endurance. With their overwhelming numbers, the side that lasted longer would prevail.
As Ghislain struck down more riftborn, he shouted.
"Vanessa!"
Finally, Vanessa, who had been waiting in reserve, began her spell.
"Earth Wall."
Rumble!
A massive wall rose between the riftborn climbing up and those following behind.
The wall Vanessa created was so massive that it completely blocked the area in front of the fortress.
Kaaaargh!
For a moment, the riftborn were split into two groups. The ones in the back frantically tried to climb over the wall that had cut them off.
The remaining mages unleashed their spells on the isolated riftborn.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fire and lightning scorched the riftborn rushing toward the fortress.
The soldiers holding shields pushed back the riftborn climbing the fortress walls, trying to knock them off. Any riftborn that managed to climb over the shields were swiftly killed by the knights and soldiers behind them.
The elves, stationed on tall towers, surveyed the entire battlefield and provided support by firing arrows at the most dangerous areas.
Catapults continued raining stones, targeting the riftborn at the very back.
It was a perfect strategy. Vanessa's shield slowed the riftborn's advance, allowing the defenders to systematically eliminate them.
"Hold your ground! If we keep this up, we'll be fine!"
Encouraged by Ghislain's words, everyone pushed themselves harder. Sticking to their training, the battle was manageable so far.
Before long, the area in front of the fortress was filled with the corpses of riftborn. In the rift zone, they didn't disintegrate into dust but instead piled up.
Vanessa's wall had slowed the riftborn's advance, but now a new problem arose—the sheer number of corpses.
Despite the mages continuously burning the bodies, the pile grew so large that it started forming a hill.
Kaaaargh!
The riftborn charged forward, even through the flames. With arrows embedded in their bodies and fire engulfing them, they showed no concern for their injuries.
Their hatred and determination to kill their enemies were palpable.
The soldiers gritted their teeth. They couldn't afford to be intimidated by such ferocity.
Their side was far smaller in number. If even one section of their line faltered, their formation would collapse in an instant. They had to hold.
The earthen wall that had blocked their path began to crumble under the sheer number of riftborn attacking it.
At that moment, Vanessa stepped forward once more.
"Fire Pillar!"
Boom!
Enormous pillars of fire erupted in front of the fortress, incinerating the corpses of the riftborn.
Thanks to this, the riftborn were forced to climb the fortress walls once again.
"Earth Wall!"
Rumble!
Another wall of earth rose, once again blocking the path of the riftborn.
The same process repeated itself, over and over. This cycle of defense formed the first part of their strategy.
"Keep holding on!"
"Don't retreat! You can do this!"
"Stay strong!"
Shouts of encouragement from commanders echoed across the battlefield. If they could just maintain their position, they would eventually be able to eliminate all the riftborn, no matter how long it took.
Sssssss…
However, the rift continued to expand its zone, spreading beyond the walls and reaching deeper into the fortress. Riftborn began climbing the side walls as well.
"Stop them!"
The catapult attacks ceased. With their smaller numbers, every soldier had to join the fight.
The troops who had been carrying stones for the catapults now moved to block the side walls.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Knights were dispatched to support both flanks. While this slightly weakened the defense at the front, it was still manageable.
Kaaaargh!
"Die, you bastards!"
Both sides gave their all, refusing to yield an inch. The riftborn, devoid of reason and driven purely by murderous intent, showed no signs of relenting.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even the fortress walls were now becoming cluttered with the corpses of riftborn. The sheer number of bodies was making it increasingly difficult for soldiers to move.
Ghislain resolved this problem himself.
Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom!
Hundreds of mana threads extended from his body, grabbing the corpses of the riftborn and hurling them away.
The riftborn climbing up were struck by the flying corpses and shattered on impact.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thanks to Ghislain's extraordinary efforts, the precarious balance of the battle held.
When the walls crumbled, Vanessa rebuilt them. As a 7th-circle mage, she even erected walls around the sides of the fortress.
When the corpses piled up into hills, the mages burned them.
Despite this, they carefully managed their mana. The Equidema was still out there, and no one knew how long this battle would last.
If they continued like this, they believed they could eventually eliminate the riftborn.
At least, they thought so until the day wasn't even over.
'M-my arm won't move.'
'Hold on!'
'Damn it… How many are there?'
There was a limit to how long humans could fight without rest.
If this had been a war against humans, there would have been a lull. The enemy would have needed to rest as well.
But the riftborn were relentless, attacking without pause. No soldier could eat, sleep, or take a break.
It was then that the soldiers began to grasp the true horror of the rift.
This was a fight that wouldn't end until one side was completely annihilated.
Watching his soldiers grow increasingly sluggish, Ghislain bit his lip.
'Endurance is the problem, as I expected.'
When a rift expanded to this extent, its sheer numbers were terrifying.
By now, hundreds of riftborn must have been spilling out of the rift every moment, with no army to stop them. Their numbers were overwhelming.
There was no option to retreat for rest.
Only a small number of people could fight for days on end without pause. Facing an endless tide of enemies, it was natural to feel despair.
The knights, whenever they found brief moments, drank water mixed with powder to sustain themselves. However, the soldiers holding the front line against the riftborn had no such luxury.
Kaaaargh!
Boom!
Ghislain, standing at the very front, unleashed a powerful blow that sent dozens of riftborn flying and shouted,
"Heal them!"
Hearing his command, the waiting priests unleashed waves of holy power.
Fwoooosh!
Sacred light radiated across the battlefield, enveloping the soldiers. The riftborn nearby screamed as their bodies burned in the light.
The soldiers, now partially revitalized, were able to move again.
This strategy of healing and fighting had to be sustained as long as possible. But even this had its limits.
'We need rest.'
No matter how many priests they had, it was impossible to heal tens of thousands of soldiers continuously. The priests, too, would be exhausted after just one round of healing.
'I have no choice.'
The soldiers needed to eat, drink, and rest, even if only briefly, to endure a little longer. Ghislain decided he would buy that time himself.
"Bless me!"
The priests' holy power surrounded Ghislain's body.
Soon, his body began to glow brightly. The goddess's blessing filled him with vitality and reduced the impact of external attacks.
But Ghislain had no intention of using it defensively.
Fwoooosh!
His eyes glowed red as he unleashed his power, carefully managing his strength.
He didn't need to activate his core to the third stage; the second core would suffice to buy time.
Ghislain infused his spear with mana.
Rumble.
The spear, shrouded in a dark red energy, trembled with power.
With a tremendous burst of force, he hurled the spear toward the front of the fortress.
Boom!
An enormous explosion erupted, obliterating the riftborn gathered in front of the fortress.
And then, without hesitation, Ghislain leapt into the fray.
Watching him, Skovan recalled memories from long ago.
"He's starting again."
The only difference this time was that Ghislain had gone down alone.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]