CHAPTER 40: CONQUERING GIANTS

As the smoke cleared, the second wave behind the blown away fiends emerged, not slowing down at all. Behind him, the energetic adventurers charged with more vigor than the invaders, running past him.

"Nice one, Lord Schoeller!"

"Don’t let him one-up us! Show him the strength of an adventurer!"

"Yeah!"

The first to confront the inhuman army was the Paladin himself, shining brightly like the rising sun. Among cyclops large enough to squash grown men beneath their feet, Charlemagne drew his sword from its sheath as it glistened with a divine grace.

From all directions, the colossal horrors that surrounded the Paladin raised their weapons in unison, seeking to snuff out the hero’s flame–

"First Seal: Open," Charlemagne muttered.

A golden light exuded from the man, manifesting his presence with a press of his boot against the soil, forming a shock wave that disrupted the surrounding fiends. One stroke of the precious sword carried with it a wind sharper than a hundred blades, casting the flesh of monsters to a mist trailing in the wind.

Beneath the abducted sun’s darkness, the illumination of the swordsman’s swing shone like the first day of summer.

The efficiency of the famous Paladin brought the adventurers to a momentary halt, as the monsters did.

Boar grumbled with a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, "Err...He’s not included in our competition, right?"

"If he is, it’s already lost..." Nela mumbled before being forced to raise both of her maces as an orc leapt towards her. "Oh, yeah–let’s get started!"

Ahead of the rest, the Paladin cleaved through the enemy forces, sweeping the golden light through waves of helpless fiends before–his blade was intercepted. Having his own weapon stopped in its tracks surprised the revered swordsman, finding the figure in front of him an undead dressed in tainted armor, as if burnt to a char.

Charlemagne pulled back, immediately going for a quick strike aimed for the rival swordsman’s chest, though was quickly countered. The graceful motion of the undead warrior brought the blackened blade swiftly motioning for the Paladin’s neck.

He intercepted it, repelling the counterattack before sliding back, just as the reanimated swordsman did.

"Well, looks like you know how to use a sword," Charlemagne remarked as the battle raged on all around him, though his focus didn’t leave the figure in front of him. "You must’ve been somebody of some renown before being brought to this."

["???"] [Level: 33]

The undead stood there silently, staring down at his own blade as if it were a precious friend, even masked, the expression was felt, "I was nobody then, I am nobody now. Just a forgotten soul."

Charlemagne’s eyes laid on the blackened steel, feeling some familiarity in the sight of its handle that resembled that of a dragon’s claw. For a man who loved swords like a librarian books, he knew of thousands of legendary blades.

"That’s a beautiful sword. Far too beautiful to be wielded by a nobody," Charlemagne remarked.

"Believing a sword is what gives a man worth is a childish perspective. You’re right, though—this blade is my one partner, in life and in death," the nameless undead admitted.

As both swordsmen raised their blades, words were no longer sufficient, leaving them to clash again.

Around the night-fallen fields, colorful bursts of magic lit up the darkness as the mages supported the warriors.

With some sort of drunken grace, Phoenix maneuvered himself around the wild strikes from the goblins, laughing with flushed cheeks, "Haaah...I’m feeling great!"

Leon had little time to observe the others, being confronted by a swarm of monsters.

As he surveyed the area quickly, a foot large enough to turn him to paste slammed down. He hopped back before it could crush him, immediately finding two gray-skinned orcs on either side of him.

With ruthless persistence, their weapons sailed for his body, forcing him to deflect the axe to his right and duck from the greatsword on his left.

["Deathbringer Orc"] [Level: 25]

["Deathbringer Orc"] [Level: 25]

["Stoneskin Cyclops"] [Level: 26]

’They’re definitely targeting me. Why? I’ve never heard of monsters using any kind of strategy,’ he thought.

Little time was given to him to think as he was forced to act defensively against the relentless assault of the orc duo. Even with Haste

guiding his body with superhuman swiftness, it was only enough to evade the strikes, not letting him get a single attack of his own in.

From the unique mana emitting from each of the elite orcs’ bodies, his experienced mind picked up on one fact:

’They’re enhancing their bodies as well,’ he realized.

Amidst his thinking, he deflected a pair of heavy strikes from the duo before a shadow cast itself over him. He brought his gaze up, watching a colossal sole looking down at him.

["Possession Manifestation"]

From the armory locked away within the mansion, he called upon a steel shield, intercepting the cyclops’ foot. The sudden blockade caused the bumbling giant to tumble backwards, much to the dismay of those beneath it.

"Kraa–!" The goblins behind the cyclops yelled out, though silenced as the colossus’ back turned the unfortunate fiends into food for the ants.

Halting himself from being squashed, he immediately turned to the right as the axe-wielding arc rushed right for him. It swung its axe wildly with a downward motion, aiming to sever his shoulder.

He sidestepped the heavy edge, using the momentum to spin around, carving his sword through the orc’s neck.

"Rrk!--" The gray-skinned savage grunted as blood spilled from its throat.

The cut was too shallow to snuff its life out in a blow, though it brought it to its knees, only leaving him to turn to face the other. Just as he spun himself around, the sight of steel blocked his vision–

He ducked down, feeling the heavy object pass right above his head as the greatsword narrowly missed ending his life prematurely. Having dodged at the very last second while moving forward, it left the brutish orc completely open to his counterattack.

Pushing off his right foot, he dashed with wind-breaking speed, thrusting his sword right through its sternum. In a seamless motion, he withdrew his blade, leaving it to collapse.

[EXP: +5,000] [10000/65000]

He faced back towards the other of the Deathbringers, which had risen to its feet, dragging its axe even as its neck gushed with blood. It tumbled towards him, unleashing a war cry as it lifted its weapon with a final push.

As he lunged towards the orc, it was easy enough to watch it swing its axe this time, with a lack of form in its fatigued state. Like a leaf pushed by the wind, he swept his body to the side with a slide of his foot, letting the blade smack into the soil.

Before the orc could retrieve its axe from the dirt, he closed the distance, swiping his blade across its throat, this time with a deepness to sever its life.

[EXP: +5,000] [15000/65000]

"Help...!"

"Get awaaaay–!"

Without a moment to breathe amidst the chaos, the screams from the distance got his attention, turning to find goblins approaching one of the camps. A man helplessly wielded a knife, standing in front of his wife and children as the fiends approached their tents.

There was nobody close to that camp, forcing him to reach his hand out, squinting with one eye shut as he aimed to the best of his ability:

["Possession Manifestation"]

Summoning a cannon in the air, it fired off, launching a lob of magical energy that pierced through the wind, exploding against the nefarious goblins.

[EXP: +11,000] [26000/65000]

The impact frightened the common folk, though they were quick to show their appreciation.

With complete thankfulness, the young father waved in the distance, shouting, "Thank you...!"

Only a nod could be afforded as he turned back around, watching a now infuriated cyclops stomping towards him.

He pushed an exhale past his lips, briefly glancing around to see the state of the battle. Only a few of Newfard’s warriors were capable of holding their own, while those on the lesser end were being pushed back, having to work together just to keep the enemy forces at bay.

It was only thanks to the efforts of the Paladin that the waves didn’t sweep through their meager numbers, a fact that laid at the forefront of his mind.

’If Charlemagne wasn’t here, we’d be done for...Shit, if I just had my magic–I can’t think about that now–I have to make do with what I’ve got,’ he hurriedly thought.

As the cyclops approached, it let out a bellowing war cry, slamming its palm upon him. He slipped out of its path before it crashed into the soil, using the befallen hand to climb up its arm in a sprint.

Ascending its limb, the one-eyed buffoon let out a gasp, attempting to retaliate, though it was too slow to act. He leapt from its arm just as it shot up, pulling his sword back as he stared into its giant eye that looked back at him.

With all of his weight in his fall, he plunged the heirloom blade into its core organ, letting the blade delve into the soft tissue of its eyeball. It cried out with breath that could wither a garden, flailing wildly as its limbs crushed the monsters at its feet.

"Nngh!--" Leon strained before withdrawing his sword, kicking off of the giant’s face.

As his feet touched the ground, the cyclops collapsed, taking a handful of fiendish invaders along with it.

[EXP: +10,000] [36000/65000]