Chapter 188: East Gate Battle I

Tap— Tap— Tap—

Footsteps could be heard as a large group of people who were holding their weapons respectively ran through the streets of Bakurad Fortress.

"We’re near!"

Larkson’s authoritative voice sounded as he led them to the East Gate.

It did not take long for them to reach their destination while killing the stray demonic worshipper in their way.

With the massive gate of the fortress looming ahead, he turned to face the citizens and issued his command.

"Archers, mages, and other long-range fighters, ascend to the battlements and strike from above! Warriors and close combatants, follow me outside—we’ll meet them head-on!"

Following his order, the people split into two groups: one took the stairs to take position in the watchtowers, while the other ran through the sally ports to exit the fortress.

"Hey, Little One. You seem to be stressed. Is something the matter?"

The one leading the first group to ascend the battlements asked the black-haired girl beside him.

Pandora’s eyes gleamed dimly, "I’m just worried about my Brother."

She glanced at the old man beside her, wearing a tattered robe and a pointy hat, using his weathered staff for support.

He was none other than Eldrin, the only Master Magician in the fortress.

They had only met a little while back, he approached her with an interested expression, and Larkson took the opportunity to introduce her and the others to the fortress citizens.

Eldrin told her that he wanted her to become his apprentice, to which she refused immediately.

Dumbfounded, the old man awkwardly chuckled before telling her to think first, then they would talk after the battle was over.

From then on, he did not mention anything about the matter and only treated her like a granddaughter.

’Maybe I can learn something from him, hmm...’

In Pandora’s mind, she was already planning to ask him some of the magic spells he knew to copy them.

’I’ll ask for his permission first...’ After all, the other party was a good person, and she did not want to just steal his hard work without permission.

It took them a few minutes to reach the top of the battlements.

"Oh... I guess, I’ll have no choice but to work hard tonight..." Eldrin stretched his back with a groan as he saw the demonic worshippers who marched in the distance.

Pandora also looked at them and held her staff tightly.

Noticing this, the old man smiled before shouting at the others, "Assume your positions and ready your weapons, everyone! We’ll wait for the commander’s signal!"

"Yes, Elder!"

They shouted in reply.

Although it had been a long time since Eldrin exited the front lines, his reputation was still well known in the whole Bakurad Fortress.

After all, Master Magicians like him always set out for the Royal Capital to pursue their magic studies.

***

Meanwhile, at the foot of the East Gate...

Larkson led the warriors, swordsmen, and other close combatants outside the fortress.

Seeing the approaching army of demonic worshippers in the far distance, he immediately ordered for his forces to gather into formation.

The formation was designed with one clear priority in mind: the defense of the sally ports, the only known vulnerable entry points that the enemy could use to infiltrate the fortress.

He knew the enemy would target these areas, seeking to break through and wreak havoc within the fortress walls.

Furthermore, Larkson was determined to prevent the demonic worshippers from launching relentless long-range attacks on the fortress walls.

To counter this, he divided the forces into two groups: the assault group and the defender group.

The assault group would engage directly with the demonic worshippers in close combat, while the defender group would provide support.

This would ensure that the rear of the assault group was safeguarded and that no enemy could breach their defenses.

They wasted no time as they hurried to their positions, the looming scent of battle heavy in the air.

Killian ran alongside the commander as he asked, "Is it alright to leave Aurelia back at the temporary infirmary?"

"I don’t really want to leave her there, but..." Larkson remembered their conversation earlier.

***

A few minutes earlier...

Larkson was busy delegating tasks to ensure that no demonic worshippers were present at the fortress.

Of course, he also did not forget about the injured, "While you tend to the wounded and remain vigilant for any remnants of the enemy, we shall advance to the East Gate."

"At your command, Sir!"

However, Larkson felt something grabbing his sleeves.

He looked down and saw Aurelia, who had a serious expression on her face, "Uncle, I’ll stay behind."

"H-Huh? Why?"

"I can’t contribute to the battle, but I can help with caring for the wounded."

"But..."

"I’ll be fine, there’ll be other warriors here, right? I just want to help with what I’m good at."

Seeing the stubborn expression on his niece’s face, Larkson took a deep breath, "Alright, if that’s what you want. Just be careful, okay?"

"Okay !"

As she went towards the medical tents, he looked at her back with a wry smile.

However, once Aurelia was far enough, Larkson called out to one of the soldiers stationed to guard the wounded.

"You called for me, Commander?"

"Make sure to keep an eye on my niece. If there’s anyone who dared bother her, behead them."

Seeing the fire in his eyes, the soldier answered seriously, "At your will, Commander!"

"Good."

Larkson then led the group towards the East Gate.

Behind him, the soldier watched his back while scratching his cheek, "It’s not like that reminder was needed..."

"Even if one had balls of steel, they wouldn’t dare mess with the commander’s relative..."

The soldier could not help but chuckle as he saw some of the wounded do their best to stand up just to salute Aurelia.

"Hm, so the rumors of the ever-so-stoic commander being doting to his niece really are true..."

***

Back to the present...

At this moment, the army of demonic worshippers was now less than a few kilometers away from the fortress.

They were clad in skeletal armor, protecting most of their bodies.

At the front, a cavalry unit of demonic worshippers rode skeletal horses, wielding spears, lances, and other weapons suited for mounted combat.

Behind them marched warriors, followed by archers and mages.

In addition, the army was bolstered by countless skeleton warriors and skeletal beasts.

However, the most striking sight was a carriage at the rear of the marching force.

The carriage bore a black and silver motif, exuding an air of deathly elegance.

It was drawn by Nightmare Horses— a mutated breed of skeletal horse with horns and bodies covered in blazing blue flames..

Nevertheless, Larkson kept calm and held his hand up with his palm facing the opposing forces.

"4 kilometers..."

"3.5 kilometers..."

"3 kilometers.."

He kept muttering under his breath as his eyes were focused on the demonic worshippers.

’The optimal distance at which archers and mages can deliver long-range attacks with maximum effectiveness and minimal energy consumption is...’

At that moment, Larkson waited patiently, refraining from signaling the long-range attackers to open fire immediately.

As the fortress commander of Bakurad, he had done extensive studies on how each of his forces could fight with the most efficiency.

While it might have seemed better to bombard the enemy with magic and arrows, attacking from too great a distance would only cause the mana and aura consumption of his forces to escalate.

However, this approach would not be sustainable for prolonged battles.

It would drain their stamina and lead to mental exhaustion, leaving them incapacitated in a short time.

"1.5 kilometers..."

As Larkson judged the distance to be around 1.3 kilometers, he struck his hand down.

And in that instant—

Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh— Whoosh—

Wuuung—- Wuuung—- Wuuung—- Wuuung—-

—countless aura-covered arrows and magic spells flew through the night sky, looking like shooting stars.

The colorful streak of lights in the sky seemed beautiful for those who did not know better, not knowing that this marked the beginning of the largest battle Bakurad Fortress had ever faced.

BOOM!!!! BOOM!!!! BOOM!!!!

Numerous explosions could be heard in the far distance.

The attacks managed to chip away at some of the demonic worshippers’ forces, particularly the skeletal beasts.

However, they failed to significantly weaken the army of demonic worshippers, as the demonic mages raised their staffs in unison, conjuring massive gray barriers that blocked the incoming assault.

At this moment, Larkson looked upward, prompting the others to follow suit.

A grin could be seen on his lips, "That old man is showing off again..."

A bluish light illuminated the area within a one-kilometer radius, catching the attention of the demonic worshippers.

Atop the battlement, a massive multi-layered magic circle nearly a hundred meters in diameter caused the eerie glow.

Beneath it stood an old man, his graying beard unkempt and his worn clothes tattered, with a weathered staff raised before him.

The old man laughed maniacally, "HAHA! Let’s see you fools block this!!"

A streak of light shot upward from the magic circle, and the entire region flashed brightly for a moment before the light disappeared into the clouds above.

The old man closed his eyes, and a chant resonated across the area, reaching even the ears of the demonic worshippers.

[Master Rank Magic]

[Tempestum Fulminare]