Chapter 84: Visitor
The Eternal Night lingered like a shadow over Edgar and everyone in the Fortress.
But much to their surprise, neither of the two Nightmares that had declared their presence attacked them.
’They really are playing a psychological game with us, huh...’
Edgar thought, rubbing his chin as he looked at the murky grey-black fog taking over the world.
The golden mist surrounding the Fortress kept the fog at bay, but its presence was as clear as ever.
"Alright!" Edgar yelled, gathering the attention of all the soldiers. "You guys should go back and rest. We won’t be attacked for now."
The soldiers let out a deep sigh and relaxed their tensed-up bodies.
They quickly rushed back to their homes, leaving Edgar with Gordon by his side.
Edgar looked at the veteran soldier and asked,
"Why do you think they didn’t attack last night?"
Gordon remained silent for a long moment.
His eyes never left the endless sea of grey-black fog beyond the walls.
"I don’t know," he answered honestly.
"But if I had to guess..."
He rested both hands on the stone battlement.
"...It’s because they want to instill fear in our hearts."
Edgar remained silent because his thoughts aligned with Gordon’s.
"But that doesn’t mean they will not attack us today," Edgar said, tapping on the battlement. "We need to prepare."
Saying so, he walked down the Fortress Wall while he stretched his body.
Like the rest of the people in the Fortress, he had also not slept much and was extremely tired.
’The only one who could sleep peacefully in such a tense situation is Andrew.’
He shook his head and walked inside the warehouse.
Walking around, Edgar quickly found what he was looking for.
---
⟨Iron Vine⟩
⟨Grade: Green⟩
⟨Extremely durable climbing plant. Frequently used in defensive structures.⟩
---
Edgar took all eighteen of the seeds that were inside the warehouse along with another item.
He then asked someone to open the Fortress gate as he walked out.
Creating 3×3 Agricultural Land at the outer edge of the Fortress Wall, Edgar gently put the seeds inside the soil.
Under the effects of the Agricultural Land, their growth accelerated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The tender shoots thickened into vines, and they twisted around one another.
Within minutes, they had become ropes as thick as a man’s wrist.
The vines continued climbing.
Finding the Fortress Wall, they wrapped around the stone like serpents before beginning their ascent.
Edgar watched silently.
Every few seconds, the vines produced new tendrils that dug themselves into tiny cracks in the masonry.
By the time they reached the top of the wall, their color had changed from bright green to a dark metallic emerald.
The Iron Vines continued spreading across the outer wall.
Some intertwined with one another, reinforcing the stone, while others hung down the exterior of the Fortress like thick curtains.
Edgar nodded his head and walked along the edge of the Fortress as he sowed all the seeds at constant intervals.
In just an hour, the Fortress Wall had changed considerably.
Its walls no longer appeared to be made solely of stone.
Dark metallic vines now reinforced large sections of the exterior, giving the impression that the Fortress itself had grown living armor.
Gordon, who had come to watch them grow, slowly approached one of them.
He placed both hands around the thick vine and pulled with all his strength.
Even after doing all that, he was barely able to move it.
The vines had woven themselves into an intricate lattice.
Anyone trying to scale the wall would have to force their way through a maze of iron-hard branches first.
He raised an eyebrow. "...Remarkable."
He turned to look back at Edgar. "Why did you not use such an incredible thing before?"
"I fear that it might die if I expand the Fortress Wall."
"You can expand the wall!?" Gordon shouted in disbelief.
Edgar just gave a crude nod before he walked back inside the Fortress.
As soon as he walked in, he found Hera pacing around.
When she noticed him, she quickly rushed toward him.
There was panic on her face that she was desperately trying to hide.
"T-they are not the ones that attacked the Yamhad Clan," she said, stammering. "I-I have seen them. They are not the same."
Edgar nodded his head. "I understand--"
"No! No, you don’t!" she cut him off. "Look, those monsters that are after me will not attack us before the next full moon!"
She clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"I-I am--."
Her breathing began to turn ragged as she started having a panic attack.
"Hey, hey." Edgar quickly grabbed her face with both his hands. "Look at me. Everything is alright."
Hera’s eyes were unfocused.
They darted from side to side as though she were no longer standing inside the Fortress.
"I... I..."
"Hera. Focus."
He exaggerated his own breathing so she could unconsciously follow it.
The girl gradually relaxed, and Edgar let go of her face.
"I will make sure nothing bad happens," he said, looking into her eyes. "So, don’t worry."
Hera nodded her head hesitantly.
The blond boy gently patted her face before he walked past her.
Gordon, who had been by his side the whole time, was looking at him all this time.
Though, in the end, he kept his thoughts to himself.
Edgar reached the ⟨Tower of Souls⟩ and took in a deep breath.
From his pocket, he took out something that he had obtained not too long ago.
---
⟨Name: Soul Seed⟩
⟨Grade: Yellow⟩
⟨Description: The origin of a Soul Structure that can be fused with a compatible structure to awaken a unique evolution.⟩
⟨Warning: The Soul Seed will be consumed upon use.⟩
---
Edgar decided to create a new ⟨Tower of Souls⟩ that was prominent in attack and use the Soul Seed on it.
’I really hope I get something good that can help me win...’
Edgar closed his eyes and calmed down his nerves.
But before he could do anything, Andrew ran toward him.
"Young Master!" He said in a loud voice. "There is a woman outside the Fortress!"