Chapter 153: Fixation

Edgar walked toward the front section of the Fortress Wall while the workers continued preparing the defenses below.

The Level 4 Watch Tower stood at the highest point of the wall, its enormous structure overlooking the forest beyond the Fortress.

It had already proven itself useful during the previous battles, but Edgar knew that the coming Nightmare Tide would be different.

’If those creatures are connected to the King, I can’t rely on the towers remaining strong enough.’

He stepped onto the platform beneath the Watch Tower and opened the system interface.

A familiar screen appeared before him.

---

⟨Watch Tower — Level 4⟩

Upgrade Available

Required Ritual:

Under the influence of Eternal Night, surround it with one hundred Nightmare Stones.

At midnight, activate the tower using the blood of ten Nightmares that possess ranged abilities.

The ritual must remain uninterrupted until the Eternal Night ends.

---

Edgar stared at the requirements for several seconds. "...Ten Nightmares with ranged abilities?"

He rubbed his chin while thinking about it.

The ritual wasn’t particularly difficult, but it certainly wasn’t something he could complete immediately.

He would need to find suitable Nightmares, collect their blood, prepare the Nightmare Stones, and then wait through the entire Eternal Night.

’That means I need to start tonight.’

Edgar looked toward the enormous tower.

The upgrade would probably make it considerably stronger, but there was no guarantee that the upgraded version would be enough to deal with whatever was coming.

Still, he had no reason to ignore something that could strengthen his defenses.

"I’ll deal with this later."

He closed the system interface and walked down from the tower.

His attention eventually shifted toward the enormous structure standing deeper inside the Fortress.

The ⟨Defence Tower of Souls⟩.

Edgar stopped and looked toward the ribcage-like building.

The massive skull at its peak stared toward the sky while pale mist continued drifting around its bones.

’Should I upgrade this too?’

The thought remained in his mind for several moments.

The tower was already capable of creating large numbers of Soul Guardians, and the latest upgrade had even given him access to stronger Guardians with special traits.

More importantly, the tower didn’t require his constant attention.

It simply continued producing soldiers whenever he supplied it with corpses.

’If I upgrade it now, I might waste resources that I need somewhere else.’

Edgar also wanted to develop the railway network and eventually improve Soragon Bazaar.

There were simply too many things competing for his resources.

Edgar finally shook his head. "Not yet."

He turned away from the Tower of Souls and walked toward the outer section of the Fortress.

---

The sound of digging became louder as Edgar approached the enormous trench surrounding the settlement.

Tens of workers and minions were already busy moving earth.

Some Soul Guardians carried large amounts of dirt away while others continued deepening the trench with simple tools.

Andrew was standing near the center of the construction site, covered in dirt from head to toe.

The young boy noticed Edgar and immediately waved. "Young master!"

Edgar walked toward him while looking over the trench. "You’ve made good progress."

Andrew grinned proudly. "We’ve already finished this entire section, and we’re making the other side deeper."

Edgar crouched near the edge and examined the bottom.

The trench was already deep enough that an ordinary person would have difficulty climbing out.

However, Edgar wanted more than just a simple ditch.

"Andrew."

"Yes?"

"I want you to create openings on both sides of the lower wall."

Andrew tilted his head. "Openings?"

Edgar nodded. "Several of them, spaced evenly along the trench."

The young boy looked confused. "Why?"

Edgar pointed toward the bottom. "I want to install spikes inside them."

Andrew’s eyes immediately brightened.

Edgar stood and looked toward the trench. "If something falls inside, the spikes should be able to cut it before it reaches the Fortress Wall."

Andrew’s grin became wider. "That’s much better than just making a hole!"

Andrew immediately turned toward his minions. "Did you hear that? We’re making spike traps!"

Several of the minions immediately began working with renewed enthusiasm.

Edgar watched them for a moment before adding another instruction. "Make sure the spikes can be replaced easily."

Andrew looked back at him. "Why?"

"Because the Nightmares won’t be the only things falling into them."

Andrew nodded seriously. "Understood."

Edgar gave him one final look before leaving.

The preparations were beginning to take shape.

If the Nightmare Tide was truly going to be unlike anything they had experienced before, then every small advantage could become important.

---

Edgar eventually returned inside the Fortress.

He entered his house and immediately headed toward the room where he kept his Nightmare Stones.

Several containers had already been arranged along the walls.

Edgar sat down in the middle of the room and took several White Nightmare Stones into his hands.

He slowly closed his eyes. ’I need to become stronger.’

The strange events surrounding the Han River Fortress had made one thing painfully clear.

There were creatures in this world that he didn’t understand.

There were also beings powerful enough to influence entire Nightmare populations.

If the King was truly awake, Edgar couldn’t afford to remain at his current level.

He placed the first stone against his palm, and his Solar Heart began circulating energy through his body.

The Nightmare Stone gradually cracked as its energy flowed into him.

Edgar remained completely still while absorbing it.

His body slowly became warmer as the energy accumulated inside him.

He could feel his strength increasing little by little, but it still wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

’Faster.’ He reached for another stone. ’I need to get stronger before the next moon.’

---

Elsewhere inside the Fortress, Hera sat with Semele near the Unbroken Fire.

The flames gently illuminated their faces while the rest of the settlement remained busy preparing for the coming battle.

Semele glanced at Hera with a mischievous smile. "So..."

Hera looked toward her. "So what?"

Semele leaned closer. "How was your first night?"

Hera immediately understood what she meant. Her cheeks became bright red. "Semele..."

The older woman laughed softly. "That’s not an answer."

Hera lowered her gaze and began playing with her fingers.

"It was..." She hesitated. "...good."

Semele’s smile widened as she nodded her head, urging her to speak more.

She paused before quietly adding, "He was kind and gentle."

"And?" Semele watched her carefully. "What did you do for him?"

Hera blinked.

"I..."

She didn’t know how to answer.

Semele sighed dramatically. "Just lying there and letting him do everything isn’t exactly going to make him happy."

Hera’s cheeks became even redder.

"I wasn’t just..." She stopped herself.

Semele continued before Hera could finish. "Edgar is doing everything for you."

Her expression became more serious.

"He protects you, fights for you, gives you a home, and even gave you back the city you thought you had lost forever."

Hera lowered her eyes.

"I know."

Semele gently touched her shoulder. "Then you should think about what you can give him in return."

Hera remained silent, lowering her head.

She couldn’t see how Semele was influencing her thoughts more and more.

Semele smiled again, her deep eyes on the young woman.

"Besides, any woman could simply lie on a bed and allow Edgar to take care of everything."

Hera looked toward her with confusion.

"Any woman?"

Semele nodded. "Even me."

Hera’s eyes widened. "You?"

Semele laughed. "I’m simply making a point."

She leaned closer and whispered in a playful tone.

"If you really want to make Edgar happy, you should learn how to make him feel appreciated rather than simply waiting for him to do everything."

Hera looked down at her hands. "I want to."

Semele’s expression softened. "Then I can teach you."

Semele leaned back against the stone bench with an amused smile. "I know far more about the world than you do."

Hera hesitated. "What would I have to do?"

Semele smiled mysteriously. "There are many ways to make someone feel loved."

She gently tapped Hera’s forehead.

"Start with affection."

Hera listened carefully.

"Spend time with him when he isn’t working. Talk to him about things that don’t involve battles or Nightmares, and make sure he knows that you appreciate everything he has done for you."

Hera nodded slowly.

Semele continued. "And when he’s exhausted, don’t always expect him to be the one comforting you."

Hera’s expression became thoughtful. "Instead, I should comfort him?"

"Exactly."

Semele smiled, her voice slowly turning affectionate. "Edgar carries an enormous amount of responsibility. Everyone expects him to be strong, but that doesn’t mean he never needs someone beside him."

Hera’s expression softened.

She thought about all the times Edgar had stood alone against enemies far stronger than ordinary soldiers.

She remembered the calm expression he always wore, even when everything around him was falling apart.

"...I never thought about it that way."

Semele nodded. "That’s why I’m telling you."

Hera slowly smiled. "I want to learn."

Semele’s eyes immediately brightened. "Then I’ll teach you."

Hera nodded, though a hint of nervousness remained in her expression.

"What should I do first?"

Semele leaned closer with a mysterious smile. "First, you need to understand what Edgar actually likes."

Hera tilted her head. "How do I find that out?"

"By trial and error," she replied before standing up. "Let’s go. I have an idea."

Hera, still confused, followed the lady without any problem to her house.