ushernet Chapter 114
Chapter 114
[translator - night]
[proofreader - gun]
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chapter 114: the mage of ashes (4)
a barren desert stretched out before the red fortress.
the atmosphere in the encampment, lined with endless rows of orc-style tents, was far too relaxed to resemble a battlefield.
it was no surprise—wherever one looked, there were only their own kin.
with numbers like these, it seemed impossible to lose any war against any enemy.
“......”
of course, that was merely the naive thinking of the orc soldiers who knew nothing.
at the center of the camp, inside a massive tent, a pair of eyes were fixed on the enemy positions marked on a map.
those eyes belonged to ulgur, the great chieftain who had unified the orc tribes of the desert for the first time in centuries.
‘humans....’
within that red fortress lurked two humans, both so formidable that even ulgur couldn’t guarantee victory against them.
in fact, hadn’t he barely escaped with his life in their last encounter?
throb.
the long scar slashing diagonally across his face ached more than ever today.
‘but that knight must surely be dead.’
it was impossible for him to still be alive.
after all, ulgur had forcibly infused his unprepared body with the purest grace, ensuring his demise.
yet, even as he convinced himself of this, a simple truth held him back from launching a full-scale assault.
“......”
it was fear.
the unease that whispered—what if the knight was still alive?—kept ulgur hesitating.
then, sensing movement behind him, he quickly turned around.
“......!”
standing there was a human pair, a man and a woman.
even in the heart of the enemy camp, within the great chieftain’s tent, they exuded an air of unshaken composure.
what was even more shocking was ulgur’s attitude toward them.
“you’ve come.”
at his words, the woman crossed her arms and remained silent, while the man responded.
“how have you been? ul... what was your name again?”
“it’s ulgur.”
“ah, right. anyway.”
the man smiled lazily before asking,
“why haven’t you started the war yet?”
“......the preparations aren’t complete.”
“no, that’s not it.”
shaking his head, the man glanced at the map spread out on the central table of the tent.
“even if you’re just lowly monsters, you’ve gathered 80,000 troops. what more preparation could you need?”
“war isn’t that simple.”
“hah.”
a soft, deep smile spread across the man’s face.
“you’ve grown, haven’t you? now you’re even trying to lecture me.”
“......that wasn’t my intention. i apologize if i offended you.”
“no need to apologize. just don’t forget who helped you unify this desert.”
“i’m always grateful.”
“good. but you know, this world operates on a give-and-take system. if you’ve received, you need to give in return.”
the man tapped his fingers on the map, right over the red fortress.
“attack the fortress within three days.”
“but the detailed strategy is not yet—”
“this is a direct order from the fifth finger.”
though the man smiled, his eyes were cold.
feeling an inexplicable unease under that gaze, ulgur had no choice but to nod.
“......understood.”
* * *
the previous project researching the seed of corruption had been terminated, and a new one had begun.
its sole purpose: to restore commander theodore to his human form.
“hmm. is it impossible to completely uproot the demonic energy from the commander’s body?”
“if you’re asking about possibility, it’s doable. the success rate is high too. but he wouldn’t live long afterward.”
“......because he wouldn’t have even the minimum mana needed to sustain life?”
"objectively speaking, which side has the upper hand?"
"...a single hand can’t fend off two or three others."
the moment theodore bale, the level 7 knight, fell, the scales had already tipped.
even so, under normal circumstances, they could have held the fortress for several years.
the red citadel, boasting a history of undefeated legend, had always managed to do so.
"...but with the appearance of the king sandworm as a variable, that’s unlikely now."
"indeed, if that massive body rams into the walls, they’ll crumble with little resistance. do you think the main force can hold out until my research is complete?"
"you don’t need to ask to know the answer."
"make the impossible possible."
recalling those words, oscar chuckled faintly.
* * *
lloyd’s prediction was accurate.
three days after their conversation, the resounding thud, thud, thump! of giant drums shook their ears from the early morning hours.
it was a kind of ritual performed by the orcs before setting out to battle.
"..."
"..."
the mages lined up atop the red citadel gripped their staffs tighter as they watched the advancing orc army.
fear and determination coexisted on their faces, their breaths shallow.
the orc forces slowly approaching the citadel resembled an endless wave of ash-gray, surging forward.
‘we’re supposed to kill all of them?’
‘damn orcs, there are so damn many.’
unable to endure the pressure, some mages felt the urge to unleash fireballs, but lloyd, with his hands behind his back, remained silent.
"commander, give us the order anytime."
"hold your position."
ultimately, the orcs made the first move.
spears they hurled darkened the sky, forming an arc as they fell.
glancing at them briefly, lloyd gave the order.
"deploy shields."
"deploy shields!"
at the mages’ cries, a barrier of flames spread in midair.
whoosh!
the fiery barrier, painting the red citadel even redder, burned and blocked the incoming spears, minimizing damage.
"commander! they’re closing in on the walls!"
"give the command, sir!"
lloyd held back and held back again.
finally, as the leading orcs began climbing the walls, their massive muscles rippling, his lips moved.
"full bloom."
at that moment, unnamed flowers blossomed on the dry desert ground in front of the walls.
the flowers extended like a pathway, cutting through the massive orc army.
"grurk."
"flowers...?"
they could never know.
the flowers were fire lotuses, found only in deep volcanic zones, and they had an explosive nature when ignited.
looking down at the orcs staring blankly at the flowers, lloyd snapped his fingers lightly.
"floral carnage."
boom!
the flowers simultaneously emitted a dazzling light and set off a series of explosions.
caught in the massive blasts, the orcs’ flesh scattered, and their formation collapsed in an instant.
‘incredible.’
the army’s morale surged, as it naturally would, witnessing a miracle performed by a single mage.
‘finding those flowers was impressive, but to bloom so many of them all at once...’
by rough estimate, there were thousands of them.
with a single explosion, the tide of the battle shifted decisively.
"..."
lloyd, watching the advancing orcs, glanced briefly toward the tent housing the research lab.
how many more hours could they hold against that army?
‘please succeed in there.’
――――!!!
the deafening roar of the charging king sandworm tore through the air, and one side of the fortress wall crumbled.
[translator - night]
[proofreader - gun]
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