Chapter 159 - Chapter 30: Exacerbation #2 (1/2)

Chapter 159 – Chapter 30: Exacerbation #2

Curtis had a fairly large number of troops from the Demon King’s Palace stationed there.

Compared to other areas, Curtis had too much rain, so the ground didn’t dry out. In contrast to Evian, which was a wasteland, Curtis was a blessed land.

In the western part which had direct contact with the Western Limit Line, the Paran clan was the main axis of the army. The number of clan members reached 1,000, and almost all of them were part of the demon king’s army. They were giants, so each one could exert the strength of hundreds of soldiers.

To the south of the Western Limit Line, the lizardmen resided in a huge swamp area which bordered the large forest. Unlike the lizardmen who lived near the Jishuka Mountains, these ones had been loyal to the Demon King’s Palace for a significant number of years. The superiority of the Paran clan was great, so the lizardmen were relatively undervalued. However, they possessed excellent courage and outstanding combat skills.

In the eastern part of Curtis, the army consisted mainly of orcs. The orcs occupied a considerable proportion of almost all of Curtis’ area, not just the east but the west and south as well. If the Paran clan and lizardmen were important organs, the orcs were the blood which made them function properly.

The forest, where the Gullam hunters were stationed, was the most distant area from the west and east of Curtis, and only a small number of soldiers were placed there. Since it was the rear with a low chance of facing the enemy, only a small unit was needed to patrol and maintain the security.

As the western part of Curtis landed in the hands of the western barbarians, 3rd Prince Victor and Paran chief Berkintox headed south and east, respectively.

Victor’s goal was to secure the lizardmen. In a situation where the Paran tribe’s betrayal was evident, he placed more hope in the south, than the east. It was likely the lizardmen, who were usually on bad terms with the Paran clan, wouldn’t agree to a rebellion.

As Victor expected, Berkintox hadn’t allied with the lizardmen. Thus, Berkintox headed east instead of south. He would use the orcs, who had revolted in the west, to absorb the orcs of the east and turn them into allies. Simultaneously, they would intercept the connection between the Demon King’s Palace and Curtis.

It was an urgent night. All of Curtis was rattled by the destruction of the transportation formations.

Berkintox sat on the back of a mighty monster and stared toward the east. The monster resembled a horse but had six legs, and it grew beyond the Western Limit Line. It was a special gift the barbarians had prepared for Berkintox.

Berkintox’s life was marked by fighting with the barbarians. He had lived a lifetime as a faithful warrior of the Demon King’s Palace.

So, it was no wonder that Anastasia had never imagined the Paran clan’s betrayal. In the hundreds of years since the Demon King’s Palace had been established, the Paran clan had always been loyal. Many years had passed with no deception.

Moreover, there was no motive for the Paran clan to betray the Demon King’s Palace. The western part of Curtis belonged to the Paran clan originally. They had lived on the land and fought the barbarians beyond the limit line before the Demon King’s Palace had even been established. They hadn’t been forced to join the demon king’s army.

The people of the Paran clan weren’t as foolish as the various species found throughout the Demon World—Berkintox and his ancestors didn’t forget one fact.

The Paran clan was strong, but the Demon King’s Palace was stronger. Even if the Paran clan revolted and took Curtis, it would only last for a short time. The Paran clan wouldn’t be able to hold on once the Demon King’s Palace moved to take Curtis back. It was a fact they felt more strongly due to belonging to the army.

Once again, there was no reason for betrayal as the consequences of the betrayal would be terrible. Why would they incite a rebellion despite knowing this? Anyone who doubted the Paran tribe would have been insane. That’s why Anastasia hadn’t felt any doubt, and neither could Victor imagine the betrayal of the Paran clan.

Berkintox made calculations in his head. He figured out the time it would take for the Demon King’s Palace to figure out that the transportation formations had been destroyed and the time it would take to dispatch the army.

Then Berkintox concluded that it was enough. He could fight against the Demon King’s Palace and win.

It was impossible with just the Paran clan. This was a goal which couldn’t be accomplished even if they joined hands with the barbarians. Even if all of the powers in Curtis were gathered, it would just be a dream.

However, Berkintox dreamt of the impossible. He truly thought it was possible.

It was due to the person he’d met. It was thanks to him that Berkintox and the western barbarians could join forces.

His plan, his goal…

The collapse of the Demon King’s Palace. It was inevitable that a new order would dominate the Demon World.

Berkintox produced the red energy of War. As an apostle of war, he spread the fires of war.

&

The night deepened.

The barbarians surrounding the central fortress didn’t attack instantly. They just shrieked in an eerie manner all night.

It was a clever act.

There was an order to the barbarians’ movements, who seemed disorderly at first sight. They moved in shifts. There was a group which howled to scare the central fortress and a group which rested. The barbarians’ behaviour was to hide several things.

First, it was to buy enough time to gather more barbarians. Barbarians were still coming from beyond the Western Limit Line. The barbarians, who had helped Paran tribe take over the other fortresses, were moving to the central fortress.

The second was to harass the central fortress. The barbarians knew there would be no fighting during the night. It was also virtually impossible for the troops stationed at the central fortress to start the battle first.

However, the central fortress didn’t know these facts which meant they couldn’t rest easily for one moment during the night. Furthermore, staying up all night would cause tension and fatigue which would weaken the army.

Thirdly, night was the time of the nightmares. The barbarians weren’t nocturnal. It was daytime, not night, which was familiar to them.

Night was the time of the nightmares. Anastasia and her nightmare troops could exert more power during the night than the day. So, from the barbarians’ point of view, it was natural to avoid a night battle. Fighting the enemy at that time, when they were stronger, would be a foolish act which not even a monster would make.

Anastasia discovered all of this, but even if she told them there would be no fighting tonight, the soldiers of the central fortress wouldn’t be able to rest. In the end, it was just a guess. Moreover, if soldiers weren’t seen on the walls, the barbarians would strike. The barbarians held the initiative in this fight.

Anastasia thought positively.Buying more time wasn’t only useful for the barbarians. Although Victor had abandoned Anastasia, she hadn’t given up. She would hold on. If she survived for a while, there was still hope.

Anastasia ordered the nightmares to rest and also had the soldiers on the walls sleep in shifts. The nightmares used a sleeping magic, unique to them, for the soldiers who couldn’t sleep due to tension and fear.

After climbing up to the top of the walls, Anastasia looked down at the barbarians. According to her estimates, their number exceeded 20,000.

How long could she hold on?

Anastasia didn’t calculate it. In the few hours left before the battle started, she prepared as many magic spells as possible.

Then at dawn, the sun rose to signal morning.

The barbarians started to move.

&

The roar of a monster announced the start of the battle. It was followed by the sound of horns which shook the entire central fortress.

The barbarians were faithful to the basics. There were 20,000~30,000 warriors, so they chose the most effective means of attack when surrounding a fortress. They rushed from every side of the central fortress with shouts which seemed to tear the sky apart.

The walls of the central fortress were thick and high. Even though the Paran clan had an average height of 10 meters, the high walls were at least 30 meters in height. On top of that, soldiers from the demon king’s army were present. Although they were lacking, in comparison to the 30,000 enemies, they didn’t lose their nerves as they fought bravely.

“Shoot!”

The soldiers fired arrows from the fortress. The barbarians raised their shields above their heads and ran through the heavy rain of arrows. The number of arrows was less than the number of barbarians which were coming from four directions.

The barbarians stuck to the walls. Some were carrying hooks and look ladders recovered from the fortresses near the limit line.

The demon king’s troops poured boiling oil and stones down the walls. It was already a situation where they couldn’t shoot arrows as the barbarians were climbing up the walls.

Kwang!

There was a roar and the walls shook significantly. It was the sound of a monster, whose body was around 20 meters long, banging against the walls. The monster’s head was very big and hard.

The soldiers were confused at the existence of such a monster. They couldn’t imagine how to deal with it. Originally, the Paran clan would be the ones to deal with such monsters. So, it was doubtful the attacks from common monsters would work.

However, it wasn’t just the monsters striking the walls which made things difficult. Barbarians riding on the backs of wyverns covered the sky. Some fired energy shots toward the walls, while others descended and picked up soldiers.

In this terrible situation, the only thing they could believe in was magic. The 200 nightmares dispatched to Curtis, along with Anastasia, poured out magic toward the barbarians.

However, it wasn’t efficient. The mental magic, which was the best specialty of the nightmares, was being blocked. The red aura around the barbarians meant they didn’t fall to the lure of the nightmares. The nightmares had no choice but to respond with attack spells.