"Iʼve found the traces..."
The High Priest of Narak trailed off, clearly displeased by the Apostleʼs report.
Sensing his reaction, the Apostle bowed his head again and continued.
"Do not worry. Theyʼve captured the forest keeper, so we should be able to recover the Black Star soon enough."
The High Priest showed no response to the Apostleʼs words.
After a moment, he turned and gazed at the unconscious Abel before speaking.
"What of the movements on the Siemens side?"
To perform the Second Consecration Rite, they needed Abelʼs body.
While the Siemens side held the Dragon Heart, Abelʼs flesh had fallen into Narakʼs hands, so they would have to join forces again for the rite.
The Apostle approached the High Priest and said,
"The altar for the consecration seems nearly complete. They should contact us from their side soon."
It was Ramon Siemens who urgently needed to complete the Second Consecration Rite.
So, contact was certain before then.
As long as Narak preserved Abelʼs body until that point, they could propose substantial terms to the Siemens side.
They had temporarily inserted a knightʼs heart to maintain Abelʼs body, but whether it could hold until the rite with a Red Knightʼs heart was uncertain.
The High Priestʼs eyes gleamed beneath his worn ceremonial robes.
"Recover the Black Star as quickly as possible. With that, we wonʼt even need to deal with Ramon Siemens."
"Understood. Iʼll relay the order to hasten to the dispatched unit."
Once the Apostles withdrew, Harvey West, the High Priest left alone in the ruined temple, turned his gaze to the emblem carved into one wall.
An ominous symbol: three hooks radiating from a central triangle.
The High Priest raised his hands toward it.
"O Great King in Yellow. The time of your descent is near." Rumble...
As if responding to his words, the cursed temple pulsed.
The High Priestʼs eyes flashed once more.
"A new world, as you desire, shall unfold here."
*
Thud thud thud thud!
After crossing from the Dorta Republic into the Principality of Troy, Zeke headed straight for the Forest of the Forgotten.
Upon reaching the outskirts, he immediately encountered magical beasts of a form he had never seen before.
Growl...
They had reptilian hides, but fangs as sharp as a wolfʼs, four eyes clustered together, and spines densely covering them from head to tail.
And there werenʼt just one or two of them.
Dozens of the beasts bared their teeth at Zeke, advancing with a menacing aura.
'These werenʼt the original beasts of the forest.ʼ
In his previous life, Zeke had guarded the Forest of the Forgotten alongside Nigel and knew most of the types inhabiting the outskirts.
That certainty hit him as he eyed the creatures before him.
'These must have been the ones the Hermit of Stories mentioned—the beasts summoned by Narak.ʼ
They looked as ferocious and savage as the forestʼs native ones, rivaling even highgrade monsters.
The problem was their numbers.
He had never seen so many of the same type gathered in his past life as a Highlander.
'He needed to figure out where they came from.ʼ
Vigilant against the beasts, Zeke donned the monocle given by the Great Sage.
Whirr!
As the Thousand-Mile Eye activated, it scanned the beasts for information.
Soon, data on them appeared before his eyes.
Surprisingly, all the records originated from the Eastern Continent.
Through the Thousand-Mile Eye, Zeke had once read that beyond the Everwinter
Mountain Range on the Eastern Continent lay far more numerous and varied magical beasts than on the Central Continent. And these were exactly from there.
'If they could control beasts from beyond the Everwinter Mountain Range... it meant they might soon cross the Everwinter Wall.ʼ
The Eastern Continent was strictly divided by the Everwinter Mountain Range.
Narak hadnʼt yet reached inside the range, but the lands beyond—territory of the beasts —were different.
For now, it seemed Narak had merely airlifted them for the war, but if they breached the Everwinter Wall, the influence could spread unpredictably.
'One mountain after another.ʼ
Having identified the beasts, Zeke drew the Holy Sword Ascalon and stepped forward.
The beasts flinched and recoiled at the swordʼs radiating light aura.
But their destructive instincts proved stronger, and they soon charged again with roars. Shrieeeek—
Dozens of beasts lunged at Zeke, aiming to sink their fangs into him.
Wielding Ascalon, Zeke calmly assumed his stance and swung at them.
Swoosh—
Just a single swing.
Boom boom boom boom—
The strike unleashed a deafening blast, exploding the beasts.
The power astonished even Zeke.
'What the hell?ʼ
It was incomparable to when he used Roland.
In an instant, the surroundings were left with only puddles of blood from the obliterated beasts.
The surviving ones bared their teeth threateningly but hesitated to approach, drenched in their kinʼs gore.
'Even a casual swing did this much... if he used a divine technique...ʼ To beings infused with demonic energy, Zeke was a nightmare incarnate.
He advanced on the remaining beasts, sword in hand.
"No time to waste. Letʼs end this quickly."
Right then, a massive burst of light erupted from the western outskirts of the Forest of the Forgotten, accompanied by the beastsʼ howls.
*
"Whatʼs that noise?"
Bodmir, his body slick with beast blood, set down his bastard sword and spoke.
Adnan, beside him, lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, and exhaled before replying.
"Beast cries. The ones thatʼve been showing up more lately." Bodmir grimaced at the words.
"You mean those hellhounds. Damn, theyʼre persistent and hard to kill. Already a headache with how theyʼve been multiplying—hope no more are coming." It had been over a month since the fierce battle here began.
The Highlanders held with all their might, but the beasts showed no sign of thinning.
Many comrades had already fallen, and key positions had been lost.
They barely managed around the central redoubt guarded by the High Table, but most Highlanders were exhausted.
Bodmir pulled a nearly empty potion vial from his pocket, took a sip, and tossed the rest to Adnan.
Adnan caught it silently and poured the few drops left into his mouth.
It was just enough to catch their breath, but there was no choice.
Then, a horn flute sounded from the rear.
Toot toot tooo—
Receiving the urgent alert signal, Adnan and Bodmir rose.
Incredibly, something black swarmed toward the central redoubt from below.
Adnan, with his keen eyes, realized what it was and clenched his jaw.
"...Theyʼve lost their minds."
Thousands of hellhounds charged at the central redoubt.
Bodmir, catching on late, gripped his bastard sword and spat.
"Damn, I always nail the bad omens."
Whether this small force could hold against thousands was doubtful.
Then, chanting of Buddhist sutras echoed from the central redoubt.
Whirr!
Mannaʼs Absolute Barrier unfurled around the hilltop redoubt, blocking the oncoming hellhounds.
Meanwhile, mages and archers unleashed ranged attacks on them.
Boom boom!
Archers fired whatever they could grab, broken arrows be damned.
Mages squeezed out their mana to hurl spells at the hellhounds.
Rooaaar!
Despite the Highlandersʼ desperate onslaught, the beastsʼ numbers were overwhelming.
For every one felled, another filled the gap.
That was when the Hermit of Stories appeared in the air above the central redoubt.
He opened a book and began reciting.
"Erm, letʼs see. Ah, damn, itʼs in ancient Eastern tongue. In the moment of crisis as countless foes charge our walls, two massive fireballs cleave the skies, striking the enemy center with devastating force. No, wait—not quite. They crash into the heart, unleashing a shockwave that engulfs them. Thus, the foundation of glorious victory is laid!"
As the Hermit finished the passage, the book began to glow.
Whirr!
Soon, enormous fireballs rained from the heavens.
Boom boom boom boom!
The heavenly flames swept through the hellhounds.
Seeing this, Adnan shouted to the Highlanders.
"Hurl the oil jars at them!"
The Highlanders, seizing on the command, quickly threw the stacked small oil jars at the burning hellhounds.
Splash!
As the oil poured, the flames surged, engulfing more beasts.
Growl gurgle...
The aflame hellhounds collapsed with shrieks.
Nabuʼs area attack reduced their numbers, but the horde was endless.
Survivors sought unburnt spots to flee to.
Bodmir yelled at the airborne Nabu. "Hermit! Hit 'em with a stronger story!" Nabu replied in a weary voice.
"Iʼm already spent! Ugh, those damned beasts..."
They held with Mannaʼs Absolute Barrier, but no one knew when it would break.
The Highlanders gritted their teeth, striking at the charging hellhounds to the last.
Archers out of arrows and mages drained of mana hurled stones in desperation.
Then, one section of the barrier they targeted cracked open.
Thud thud thud—
Hellhounds poured through the small breach, racing toward the inner trench.
Adnan and Bodmir leaped the rampart, swinging at the intruders inside the barrier.
Slash!
Bodmirʼs bastard sword and Adnanʼs twin blades cleaved the hellhounds.
"You mutts! Come on!"
Bodmir cursed as he hacked away.
But the influx was too great.
Exhaustion crept into their sword arms amid the endless tide.
"Hah, hah..."
Breaths grew ragged, vision narrowing.
They gripped their blades to fend off the beasts, but their bodies had long reached their limit.
Adnan said to Bodmir,
"We need to seal that first."
He pointed to the breach in the barrier.
Bodmir nodded.
"Right. Letʼs go, partner!"
Resigned to death, they charged the hellhounds.
"Haaah!"
They pushed forward with renewed fury to drive the beasts back outside.
Growl!
Intimidated by their resolve, the hellhounds retreated beyond the barrier.
In the gap they created, Bodmir shouted to Nabu.
"Hermit! Seal this!"
Nabu, seeing their sacrifice, bit his lip hard.
Then, with effort, he recited another passage.
"Behold! The hole in the dam is sealed, and no more shall the waters overflow!" Shimmer...
The breach in the barrier closed at his words.
Outside, Adnan and Bodmir faced the thousands of approaching hellhounds with grim eyes.
Bodmir said to Adnan,
"Damn, I wanted a big score in Dorta and to go out in a beautyʼs arms." Adnan lit another cigarette and shook his head.
"Such luxuries donʼt suit us."
As the two conversed calmly, the hellhounds lunged with bared fangs.
They raised their swords for one final stand, aiming to take as many as possible.
"Hyaaah!"
As Bodmir swung his bastard sword with a fierce kiai—
Boom—
Dozens of beasts exploded, splattering him with blood.
"Huh?"
Bodmir stared blankly at the vanished foes.
Adnan tapped his shoulder and said,
"Maybe we can pull it off after all. That big score in Dorta." Whirr!
A massive light erupted in the sky.
It splintered into countless bolts, raining down.
Crackle crackle—
Lightning infused with light struck the charging hellhounds.
Rooaaar—
The hit beasts turned to black ash and vanished.
The Highlanders in the redoubt gaped at the spectacle.
Nabu, slumped against the wall and gasping, looked up.
Zeke rode into view on Bucephalus at the end of his gaze.
Seeing the crashing lightning, Nabu trembled with fists clenched and shouted.
"Zeke Draker! The Knight of Salvation has arrived!"