Chapter 41: An Unexpected Attack
Edgar took a second to register that the Fortress Wall had just been damaged.
He quickly walked closer and stood over the damaged area.
The green pouch-like monster was still clinging to the wall like a leech.
Its swollen body pulsated violently before expanding outward.
SSSSSSSSS!!
Green liquid poured from its underside, which immediately began melting the stone.
Smoke rose into the air as the wall slowly started dissolving inward.
’It’s eroding the wall...’
Edgar’s expression turned serious as a Flamethrower shifted its muzzle and burned the green organism.
Its body rapidly shrank before bursting apart with a wet pop.
Edgar looked up and heard multiple sounds of something soft hitting the wall.
THUD!!
THUD!!
THUD!!
More of the green creatures landed against different sections, repeating the same process again and again.
In no time, the whole front wall was covered with those creatures trying to melt it.
Edgar turned his head to look toward the direction where the monster had disappeared.
’Is this your trump card?’
He thought as the Flamethrowers burned those creatures alive. Their close range made it hard for him to use the Ballistas.
The Nightmare Bulls had merely kept him occupied.
These strange creatures were the true siege weapons.
Edgar drew in a deep breath and began to think about his next course of action.
The automatic attack function of the ⟨Watch Tower⟩ gave him the freedom to think.
In his mind, Edgar considered every possible way his Fortress could be taken over.
By breaking the walls, attacking from above, using different varieties of Nightmares...
As the burning smell of acid spread throughout the Fortress, Edgar looked toward the young boy.
"Andrew!!" he yelled. "Hide inside the warehouse with the rest!"
The young boy, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, was startled, but he quickly nodded.
"Alright! Stay safe!"
He ran down the staircase while Edgar sat down with his back against the wall.
’There are too many variables that I can’t account for.’ He smacked his lips and took a deep breath. ’All I can do is prepare.’
Standing up, Edgar walked toward the ⟨Wall Cage⟩ and took a good look at it.
Then he walked to the other side of the patrol path, which faced the inside of the Fortress Wall.
Using forty White Nightmare Stones, Edgar created two more ⟨Wall Cage⟩s.
Immediately, forty White Nightmare Stones floated into the air.
Cracks spread across their surfaces as streams of milky-white liquid flowed toward the inner side of the Fortress Wall.
Two more ⟨Wall Cage⟩s slowly took shape.
Unlike the previous ones, these weren’t aimed outside the Fortress but inward.
As the Ballistas and Flamethrowers killed the Nightmares, Edgar looked at his status screen.
---
⟨Fortress Wall⟩
Current Integrity: 96%
Corrosion Detected
Repair Cost: 12 White Nightmare Stones
---
’They are doing too much damage to the wall.’
Edgar frowned and shifted his gaze back toward the green pouch-like Nightmares.
No matter how many he killed, they kept coming like an endless horde.
Calming his nerves, Edgar first repaired the wall and then turned his gaze toward the direction from which the monsters were being launched.
Using the ⟨Watch Tower⟩’s light, he illuminated that part of the Eternal Night.
Though the light was faint, Edgar could make out a formation of plants.
Each one resembled an oversized flower with a thick green stem and a swollen mouth that repeatedly expanded before spitting another acid creature toward the Fortress.
’So, they’re coming from them?’
After getting a clear view of the target, a plan quickly formed in his mind.
The heavy weapons slowly turned away from the charging horde.
Their muzzles pointed directly toward the distant plants.
As if the commander had noticed his train of thought, a change took place on the battlefield.
The next moment, several Nightmare Bulls suddenly changed direction.
Instead of charging the wall, they rushed toward the cannon-like plants.
"They’re protecting them..."
Edgar muttered to himself as he loaded more Nightmare Stones into the Ballistas.
Even though there was a high chance of damaging the Ballista beyond recognition, Edgar was willing to take the risk.
The muzzles of the Ballistas shifted, and projectiles shot out.
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Three bolts streaked across the battlefield at terrifying speed.
The first projectile struck a charging Bull.
It exploded instantly, tearing a massive hole through the protective formation before continuing forward.
The second bolt plowed through several more Nightmares.
The third flew untouched after all the hurdles were dealt with.
BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
The cannon-like plant exploded into countless pieces.
Green acid sprayed in every direction, making the nearby Nightmares scream as the corrosive liquid melted through their flesh.
Edgar didn’t stop there.
There were many more plant-like creatures.
He immediately rotated another group of Ballistas.
"Keep firing."
One explosion after another echoed throughout the battlefield.
BOOOM!!
BOOOM!!
BOOOM!!
The strange plants burst apart one after another.
The number of acid creatures flying toward the Fortress rapidly decreased.
Before long, only a few of them were left functional.
The same could be said for the Nightmares attacking the Fortress Wall.
More and more Nightmares died, creating another wall of corpses outside the Fortress that slowed those behind them.
’What will you do next--hm?’
A strange tingling sensation sent goosebumps across Edgar’s body.
For the first time since the battle had begun...
He felt an undeniable hatred.
’Is this what everyone calls killing intent?’
Edgar wondered, rubbing the back of his neck calmly.
"...Now we’re finally playing the same game."
His eyes swept across the darkness of the Eternal Night, searching for the Commander.
Suddenly, Edgar felt a chilling silence descend over the battlefield.
Everything around him, the roars of the monsters and the sound of the Flamethrowers, stopped eerily.
THUD!
THUD!!
THUD!!
In the silence, Edgar heard heavy, dominating footsteps.
His gaze shifted toward the wall made from the dead bodies of the Nightmares.
As the Unbroken Fire illuminated that section, Edgar finally saw it.
The Nightmare Commander had used the pile of monster corpses as a foothold.
Using its incredible speed, it launched itself into the air toward the Fortress Wall.
Its scaled upper body slammed into a Watch Tower, shattering it.
But that wasn’t enough to stop its momentum.
The Commander rolled over the Fortress Wall and landed inside.
...The Nightmare Commander was now inside the Fortress.