Chapter 279: War, and Excessive Concern

The afternoon sky was devoid of sunlight, with thick, dark clouds pressing against the horizon and a wind that carried a bone-chilling cold.

War was already close at hand.

The Staya Tribe camp was eerily quiet, the usual noisy chatter of the people having vanished completely.

Everyone was waiting in tense anticipation.

Ansu looked up at the cloud-covered sky, thinking that while the weather had been quite nice just a moment ago, it had turned into the calm before a storm in the blink of an eye.

Gulzan certainly knew how to set the atmosphere.

Suddenly, he felt a tremor in the ground.

It was faint at first, then grew increasingly violent and distinct, until even the wooden lookout tower beneath his feet began to sway slightly.

The war had begun.

Beyond the walls, a pitch-black tide of undead creatures was surging frantically toward the pass from all directions.

Ansu stood on the lookout tower, the ideal position for a mage to cast spells. He stared intently at the churning darkness; within the sea of countless skeletons were mixed more than a dozen massive, demonized giant wolves.

A legion of undead that feared no death, paired with giant wargs of immense impact—this combination was the key to every siege and conquest the wolfgars undertook.

A tense atmosphere spread across the walls as the stationed Staya warriors and clergy stared fixedly at the approaching black tide.

Everyone subconsciously gripped their weapons and held their breath.

“Ansu...”

Freya’s cool fingers unintentionally brushed against his hand.

“A war of this scale... it’s the first time I’ve seen one,” she asked softly with a hint of trepidation. “Will we ultimately be victorious?”

“The bad news is...” Ansu smiled. “In the future, you’ll see many more wars even larger than this one.”

The Great Chaos Era was about to begin soon.

Such battlefields would only become more frequent, and they would be impossible to avoid.

“Um... oh? Really?”

Freya was stunned for a moment, feeling that Lord Ansu’s tone didn't sound like he was comforting her at all.

“I’m just teasing you.” Ansu looked at her dazed expression and gently squeezed her cool fingers, conveying a reassuring warmth. “The good news is, we will definitely win this battle.”

“The Stayans have been preparing for this for over a week. With the entire tribe mobilized, a solid defensive line, and the enchanted potions I rushed to produce, those wolf-born demihumans will have their hands full.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Leo. The five members of the hero party, each with a solemn expression, were guarding the most critical positions on the defensive line.

Of course, Ansu knew in his heart that the outcome of this battle didn't actually depend on these factors.

Gulzan would never let Leo die—this battle was a stage prepared specifically for him.

During their brief conversation, the undead army had already rushed within range, the black tide nearly overflowing the entire valley pass.

The Staya commander stared intently at the oncoming black tide and suddenly waved his hand, roaring:

“Fire! Fire!!”

In an instant, the air exploded with dense gunfire and the vibration of bowstrings, and smoke immediately began to drift.

Ansu raised his hand, and a condensed 【Fireball】 crashed into the oncoming enemy ranks.

The powerful intercepting fire caused the giant wolves in the lead to collapse with a crash, while the front-row skeletons were shattered into piles of bone fragments.

However, the number of undead was truly massive; as one row fell, the row behind immediately filled the gap.

“Go help out,” Ansu turned to Freya. “Go support the clergy; they need you more over there. These are just fodder to waste bullets; the truly difficult ones are still to come.”

Freya nodded and hurriedly urged, “Ansu, you must be careful. You have to protect yourself.”

Ansu was focused on the enemy ranks, casting spells in succession, so he responded casually, “Got it.”

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Freya took two steps and then turned back, her brow furrowed tightly as the worry in her heart intensified.

“Mages are the primary targets for the enemy. Standing in such a conspicuous spot on the lookout tower, if you were to...”

If he were to die like in the ‘prophetic dream’...

Although the final outcome had been good, the moment Ansu was on the brink of death in that ‘prophetic dream’ had been seared into the depths of her heart like a brand.

She suddenly realized that Lord Ansu, whom she had thought was omnipotent, could also die.

Ansu looked at her tense little face, a trace of helpless amusement flashing in his eyes.

He suddenly noticed that the little Holy Maiden was becoming more and more prone to worrying, like a little nagging housekeeper.

So, he put away his casual expression and looked at her seriously. “I will definitely be extra careful and protect myself. Don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

Receiving Ansu’s serious promise, Freya finally felt at ease.

She gave a small nod and turned to leave.

...

The battle quickly became white-hot.

Staya warriors and clergy were all fighting desperately. The undead creatures, like an endless tide, constantly scrambled up the walls only to be beaten back time and again.

Then, a sudden change occurred.

Several demonized giant wolves went mad, repeatedly ramming a weak point in the wall. The temporary wall, built according to the terrain, collapsed with a crash, and a massive gap was torn open.

Undead and Wolfgar wolf-born flooded through the gap into the camp, and the once-solid defensive line immediately fell into chaos.

A brief wave of panic rippled through the camp, and many warriors showed fear on their faces.

Ansu continuously condensed his mana, and one 【Fireball】 after another exploded among the enemy ranks, the flames engulfing large swaths of the foes.

But it was still to no avail; the enemy forces at the gap continued to cluster in greater numbers.

“Hold the gap! Follow me!”

Leo let out a roar, then raised his longsword and led the hero party toward the gap, bracing themselves at the very front.

More wolfgars flooded in, their wolf cavalry’s screeching howls shaking the battlefield like sharp blades piercing into the heart of the defensive line.

The members of the hero party were instantly surrounded by heavy enemy ranks. With swords and fangs swinging from all directions, the situation turned critical in an instant.

“It’s over, it’s over... I knew this flimsy wall wouldn't hold...”

“We’re dead for sure...”

Seeing this desperate scene, a young Staya warrior on the wall felt his legs go weak, and the weapon in his hand nearly slipped.

His name was Gronn, and he was the grandson of the tribal chief.

An elder next to him slapped his back hard, attempting to encourage him, his eyes filled with a sense of disappointment.

“Gronn, stand up straight, you damn brat! Don’t embarrass the tribe! Look at Freya!”

On the battlefield, a striking pink-haired figure wove through the smoke, exceptionally conspicuous.

It was Freya.

She gripped her holy seal tightly, a soft and sacred light blooming around her, dispersing a patch of darkness with every wave.

In this seemingly endless war, she moved back and forth across the defensive line, using her holy light to heal the heavily wounded warriors while raising her hand to use divine arts to eliminate the elite undead—half skeleton and half shadow—that had just surged in.

Many Staya warriors began to unconsciously gather around her, following her lead.

Surrounded by holy light and showing no sign of retreat, Freya looked like a goddess of victory descending to the mortal realm.

She brought something indescribable to these exhausted and desperate warriors—confidence and courage, as well as a reason to continue fighting in their dire situation.

“Look at Freya! She’s only lived with the Staya Tribe for a few days, yet she’s helped so much since her return, risking her life to protect everyone!”

The elder continued to scold Gronn: “Remember, there are no cowards in the Staya bloodline. The tribe will never choose a spineless weakling to be its leader!”

Gronn’s face turned red with shame. He gritted his teeth, gripped his firearm, and fell silent.

Ansu was also watching Freya’s combat.

Seeing her figure weaving through the smoke, he suddenly felt a sense of daze.

He hadn't realized Freya had such a side to her. The soft, adorable, and dazed little Holy Maiden he knew seemed to have vanished, replaced by this battle goddess surrounded by holy light on the battlefield...

She slaughtered her way through everywhere she went, like a humanoid holy light turret...

By the end, even the enemy didn't dare to approach her.

It seemed this trip to the North was indeed a trial and a period of growth for her.

Ansu suddenly wore the gratified expression of an old father, feeling a sense of pleasure from the development, while constantly muttering to himself: “Mm, not bad. This is all thanks to me...”

Her darkening couldn't be blamed on him, but her becoming stronger and growing was all his doing!

(Self-deception)

Yeah, it seems bringing her home was the right choice.