Chapter 246 – Probing The Frontier (2)

Chapter 246 – Probing The Frontier (2)

The night was incredibly dark and cloudy, and it could have turned into a raining nightmare at any time—it just refused to do so.

"Major, should we attack them? They are in the yellow zone, after all."

It was not the first time Pion heard this question. He himself had asked it once, but it was hard to find the answer. At the moment, he was holding a meeting with the leaders of the squads under his command, deciding their next step for the night. The enemy had made camp, erecting their tents and sentry posts on two of the hills they had deliberately left empty, without traps or obstructions. They could easily shoot at them as they were within their howitzer's range. Even if they start running, they could still continue bombarding them... The issue was how dark the night became; without the light of the moon, people could slip away, and they were not in a position to pursue them for far.

But it was such a good opportunity...

"I say, we don't attack." Multiple heads turned towards the voice belonging to Polo, who stood amongst them, arms crossed, his face dead serious. "They are using magic. My Rook has detected it being cast. My guess is that their mages either utilized some kind of detection or shield spell. It could very well be some kind of observation magic, too."

"With our firepower, it could blast through it." Argued one of the captains, but Polo just shrugged his shoulders.

"I am confident in crushing them, too. But I am not optimistic about killing them all. Especially the mages. They could slip away in the chaos. Even if we use flares to light up the night, that is not a hundred percent guarantee we will kill them all."

"It is up to the major to decide." Corporal Kovrad added, looking at Pion, who was holding up his stoic gaze, but deep inside, he was making one of the most nerve-wracking decisions since being promoted to his current rank.

"We wait. We have the advantage. They have been sent here and won't turn away. Let's see what they do tomorrow morning. The future will tell if my decision was good or bad!"

"Yes, Sir!" They all saluted, whether they voiced their concerns or advocated for attacking that night; the moment Pion made a decision, they all fell behind him, acknowledging his orders and focused on their task. If they were told to wait, they waited; no questions were asked after it had been decided.

...

....

......

The following dawn came in gray and grim as the sky looked heavy and foreboding. It wasn't a good start... I hadn't slept much, and from the look of the men around me, I wasn't the only one. Edrik had tossed and turned through the night, muttering about dreams he couldn't remember, but he swore they were important. I felt as though something had been watching us the entire night—unseen eyes hovering just beyond the ridge, eyeing us like a hungry beast. Fuck... Maybe it was because of those... floating things. Could they be some witchcraft things? Causing us to doubt our victory? Nobody could answer that question for me.

As we all broke camp, the weather hadn't changed for the better at all. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low, ominous sound that never quite reached us but echoed through the hills. A light drizzle had started shortly after dawn, slicking the muddy ground beneath our boots as we prepared for the day. For battle. No one spoke much; there was nothing to say. We all felt the nervous tension that clung to us like a second skin. The mages were still silent, still watching, though now they stood a little closer to the front lines, their dark robes fluttering in the breeze. Maybe it was finally time for them to annihilate these barbarians, and I have been feeling nervous for no reason.

"It looks like a storm's coming..." Edrik spoke, his voice hoarse, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He spat into the mud, his mouth twisted into a grimace. "Perfect weather for a battle."

I grunted in a fake agreement as I adjusted my mail shirt and held onto my long spear more firmly. It felt heavier in my hands today, not from the weight of the wood and iron, but from something else. The same unease settled deep in my bones; it was the first time I couldn't shake it off. Usually, by now, the excitement of battle would have worked me up, putting me in the same state as Edrik was... But... This time, it just refused to come to me. As we gathered into formation, the drizzle thickened into a steady rain, the clouds rolling closer, darker, heavier.

I felt my thoughts stop and my breath be stuck in my throat.

Although my legs, ingrained with years of marching and fighting, kept carrying me forward, my mind could barely comprehend what was happening. What was I seeing?! The fireball, the thing that should not only set ablaze their puny, laughable fortress but turn their barbarian bodies into ash... It exploded mid-air. Before it even reached the barbarians' position! It... It hit something invisible. A wall. Whatever it was, the mage's spell made it shimmer in a brilliant light, like a massive, dome-shaped prism.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but finally, my legs reacted, stopping me from running further. It wasn't just me, but all the others who were there began slowing down, stopping... Then I heard Edrik shout.

"Watch out!"

It was too late. Like the rain, the glorious spell, its searing, crimson fire began falling down from the sky after it exploded, heading straight at us. I watched as multiple soldiers just melted away, like cheese above the open fire. I was lucky; I stopped in time, backing into the others while one of the splintered parts of the fire landed before us, killing dozens at once.

Without thinking about it, my eyes traveled toward the floating things, which were more visible now that I was closer. They looked like oversized balloons... Still floating there. Were they the cause of–

I felt it. The rumble echoed in my chest. Thunder? From behind the fog that the exploding fire-spell caused... But... Then it came from behind us? Another magic?!

I turned my head back and could only see the earth exploding behind us, where our camp was, and where the cavalry and archers stood. I thought lightning struck us down, but that was impossible—not until it was because of the wrath of the gods! Yet, I saw our archers and backlines explode.

"They have magic... THEY HAVE MAGIC!" I cried out because I knew it could only be that! The enemy had mages! And they had to be stronger, causing me to understand why one of ours suddenly faltered!

Another round of heavy shaking, traveling through the softened, wet earth... But this time, it came from the front.

As I turned my head back, looking at it, I dropped my spear into the mud. Lifting my leg felt heavy, and it was not because the soaked ground was holding me in place but because the thick, soup-like earth was trying to glue me in place. It was because all my powers had left me.

"Gods, protect me. Save me. Please. Save us!" I shuddered, knowing that what was rolling down my face was not the rain but my tears.

"There is nothing that–"

But I couldn't hear Edrik's voice anymore. I watched as the fog dissipated, and we could see a tall, black monster materializing before us. It was walking up to one of the hills on its side with a literal tower shield, looking at us like the Avatar of Toobu. The God of War. It was human-like, a grotesque, demonic knight because it was still a beast, a mix between the worst nightmares one could dream of... it was the end times. There were grotesque protrusions on its shoulders, tubes that then turned towards us, and...

There was a bright light, and everything was gone. I was gone. There was no pain and no more worry... In a way, peace came to me in that moment, relieving me of my duty... Gods Preserve Us...