Chapter 367 - 352: The Siege

Chapter 367: Chapter 352: The Siege

"Hss..."

In the dim tent, Roland gasped and bolted upright from his bunk.

He instinctively pressed a hand to the left side of his chest, panting heavily as beads of cold sweat broke out on his temples.

"Damn it..."

A distinct tightness and an ominous chill emanated from his heart, prompting him to curse under his breath.

"I didn’t expect the Gaze from the Abyss to spread so quickly... I have to deal with that Demon as soon as possible."

Ever since the Demon possessing Anno had planted the Curse, Roland had tried every method he could think of. He’d even gone so far as to forcibly channel pure Positive Energy into his body, but it had all been to little effect.

The chill in his chest stubbornly lingered, growing stronger as time went on.

Although it hadn’t yet caused any real physical impairment, he could clearly feel his very blood slowly turning thick and cold.

He shook his head hard to dispel the last vestiges of grogginess, and only then did the surrounding clamor become clear.

It was the sound of many people moving about, mixed with the faint clatter of armor and weapons.

"What’s going on?"

Roland tensed, snatching the Secret Silver Longsword from his bedside and rolling cleanly out of his bunk.

Just then, a clear voice spoke up from beside him.

"That fellow, Lucius, refused to surrender..."

Before the words had even faded, a slender figure slowly materialized from the shadows in a corner of the tent.

She held an unripe fruit of some unknown variety, munching on it with relish.

"It made the esteemed His Majesty the King furious. He gathered the troops first thing this morning to prepare for an assault."

"Avril?"

Seeing the familiar face beneath the short, brown hair, Roland finally relaxed, rubbing his temples.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Announce yourself before you come in."

"Why?"

The Elf Maiden stuffed the rest of the fruit into her mouth, hopped lightly onto the edge of Roland’s bunk, and swung her pale calves, leaning in to ask playfully. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"What, are you doing something indecent in your own tent?"

Roland shook his head, ignoring her banter as he quickly adjusted his clothing.

At the same time, a sliver of doubt crossed his mind.

’I don’t know if it’s my imagination or a side effect of the Gaze from the Abyss, but ever since we reunited, I’ve noticed it’s hard for me to sense her presence when she deliberately hides it.’

’It feels as if she’s also mastered a technique like Shadow Veil for concealing her aura.’

’And that’s not all...’

Roland then recalled the recent changes in his other companions.

’During my last spar with Teresa, her speed seemed to be getting faster and faster. Even if I go all out now, I’m afraid I’d be a step behind. And then there’s Galvis...’

Thinking of the somewhat flamboyant Minstrel, Roland tightened the leather belt at his waist as the man’s songs replayed in his mind.

’I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but it seems like Galvis’s singing voice has become...’

’...more captivating.’

’Could it... be related to their identity as ’Divine Favored Ones’? But...’

He turned to look at Avril beside him.

Though it was never stated outright, he could tell from Galvis’s attitude that this Elf Maiden’s identity was anything but simple.

’Could Avril be a ’Divine Favored One’ too? Hah...’

He chuckled and shook his head, pushing the thought aside for the time being.

For one, it had nothing to do with the current situation. For another...

He just felt that all his companions being the rare "Divine Favored Ones" from the ancient texts was a bit too theatrical.

"What is it, Roland?"

Noticing his gaze, the Elf Maiden tilted her head and asked.

"Nothing."

Roland took a deep breath and asked as he headed out of the tent.

"What about Teresa and Galvis?"

"Teresa was practicing her sword when I arrived. As for Galvis? Hmph, that lazy bum is probably still curled up under his covers!"

By the time they finished speaking, they were outside the tent.

Just as Avril had said, the once-silent military camp had now awoken, like a restless behemoth.

On the temporary wooden rampart, a formidable figure stood with his arms crossed, silently gazing at the distant, towering Golden Ears City.

It was none other than King Morne of the Golden Valley Kingdom.

Though he didn’t shout or issue any reprimands, his silent back radiated a suffocating fury.

’Let’s hope... this all ends today.’

Roland thought to himself before walking over to Gloria, who was directing soldiers into formation.

Just as in the battles before, King Morne went forward alone and issued a final demand for surrender to the garrison on the city walls.

However, to everyone’s surprise, although Roland could clearly see the unconcealable panic and Fear on the soldiers’ faces, they did not cast aside their weapons and surrender as the nobles before them had done.

Instead, they gripped their weapons even tighter, their expressions showing a resolve to fight to the death.

Sensing the multitude of auras on the city wall, Roland couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.

The Golden Valley Kingdom’s ability to become the most powerful nation in the region was clearly due to its deep-seated strength.

Just among the defenders gathered on the walls of Golden Ears City, a rough count revealed several dozen Extraordinary Professionals.

And this was just at the core of the Kingdom’s heartland; if the forces throughout its entire territory were to be tallied, the Golden Valley Kingdom’s total number of Transcendents would likely exceed a hundred.

This also explained why Anno’s earlier invasion of the nations of the River Domain had been almost unstoppable.

After all, from what Roland knew, all the nations of the River Domain combined had at most twenty or thirty Transcendents. The disparity in power between the two sides was simply too vast.

As Roland mulled this over, the battle erupted.

The battlefield naturally split into two distinct and separate fronts.

One was the fierce clash between ordinary soldiers, relying on siege engines and the city walls.

The other was the duel among the Transcendents.

Although the Transcendents on Golden Ears City’s side held a clear numerical advantage, the battle was one-sided from the very beginning.

There was one simple reason: the allied army had Morne.

The King didn’t even draw the seemingly ordinary Longsword at his side.

He merely stood hovering in the air, his entire body beginning to pulse with a surge of Fighting Spirit.

In but a moment, the silver Fighting Spirit spread rapidly in all directions as if it had a life of its own, instantly forming a peculiar Force Field that enveloped the allied army’s front lines.

’This is...’

Feeling the strange sensation in his body, Roland’s pupils constricted. He couldn’t help but recall his battle with the Paladin, Van Buren, at the High Tower.

’A Domain!’

Under the cover of the silver Force Field, the allied soldiers and officers fought as if imbued with the souls of lions.

The blades swung by common soldiers whistled sharply through the air. Arrows trailed a faint silver glow as they loosed from bowstrings. Even the boom of the Siege Hammer striking the gate carried an unprecedented, crushing force.

The Transcendents, in particular, felt their Spirits soar. The light of their Combat Skills grew more incandescent, the paths of their Sword Skills became several degrees more precise, and every one of them was elevated to the peak of their abilities.

’It’s also a group buff, but compared to my Embers Echo, Morne’s ’Domain’ is several times more powerful!’

Watching the allied army launch a ferocious offensive under the Domain’s effect, Roland couldn’t help but find his breath quickening.

’It’s not just the range—the specific effects are on a completely different level!’

As he was lost in thought, the pressure from the Domain blanketing the battlefield was already causing Golden Ears City’s seemingly solid defensive line to shake violently.

But even though the battle was clearly tilting in the allied army’s favor, Roland didn’t dare to relax his guard in the slightest.

He turned to Teresa and Avril beside him, and to Galvis who had just arrived, murmuring a warning.

"Stay on your guard. The fight isn’t over yet."

Just then, Gloria hurried over.

Perhaps because victory seemed so close, a rare flush of excitement appeared on the normally composed Princess’s face, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Sir Roland..."

Her voice was light and cheerful.

"It looks like the war will end today."

But Roland simply shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the distant Golden Ears City.

"Your Highness, it is too soon to relax."

His gaze swept across the smoke-filled battlefield.

The Siege Hammer repeatedly slammed into the teetering city gate, arrows flew like rain over the walls, and the allied soldiers, enveloped by the silver Domain, were bravely scaling the siege ladders.

Although the allied army’s morale was sky-high, a feeling of unease began to stir in Roland’s heart.

’The fighting has already reached such a fever pitch, so why is there still no sign of Anno or Lucius?’