Chapter 52 : Chapter 52

Chapter 52. I Will Show You the True Terror of Black Magic (2)

Physical strength greater than that of an ordinary person.

Durability that prevents them from falling unless their head is crushed.

The fear that arises from being shrouded in death.

If one were to evaluate them without considering such things, zombies are not that threatening of a monster.

At the very least, an adult male armed with armor and a weapon could sufficiently deal with them if faced head-on.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

“Die! Just die!”

The soldiers, though half-driven by rage, were somehow managing to resist the zombies.

They could fight well enough as long as they weren't outnumbered and surrounded, by sticking together and protecting each other's flanks.

‘I can do this. I can survive.’

Hope began to sprout in the mind of a soldier who was diligently wielding his spear, shoulder to shoulder with his allies.

The hope that if he worked together with his comrades like this, he could avoid death.

However….

“Ugh… ughhh?”

“Huh? Hey? What’s wrong?”

The soldier next to him suddenly started screaming and having a seizure.

The moment he turned to his side due to the sudden strange situation….

“Huk!”

The soldier was startled.

A zombie, not his comrade, was suddenly next to him.

The moment he realized a zombie, dripping blood from its mouth and trying to kill him, was right beside him….

“Uwaaaaat!”

He thrust his spear with all his might.

And the zombie that was struck by the spear….

“Keoheok…”

It screamed and fell to the ground.

Why did a zombie scream?

Why did a zombie fall from just one spear thrust to the stomach?

There were more than a few strange things, but that wasn't what was important right now.

“Ugh… uuuugh….”

Suddenly, his surroundings were filled with zombies.

There were no allies, and no matter where he looked, there were only zombies, and more zombies.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

The soldier rampaged, swinging his spear in all directions.

There were no more allies.

To survive, he had to kill everything around him.

And the number of soldiers showing such behavior began to increase.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Stop it! Get a hold of yourself!”

“Uwaaaaaaak!”

Screams were heard from all directions, along with crazed soldiers.

The tide of battle turned more desperate than ever.

“Kugh… this is?”

The expressions of the knights, who had been encouraging the soldiers and fighting their best, turned grim.

Some of the soldiers had suddenly started showing signs of confusion, then began to run wild, attacking their surroundings.

“Sir Kalson! It seems the black mage has made a move.”

“Damn it…”

Who doesn't know that?

“What should we do? Please give us your orders.”

Orders? What kind of orders could he give in this situation? The soldiers were no longer controllable, and the number of zombies was only increasing.

What could be done here?

‘There’s… no way.’

The word ‘defeat’ flashed through Kalson’s mind. Even if he was a powerful warrior who had reached the 4-star level, he could see no way to bring the army under control here.

And the soldiers were realizing that fact as well.

“Uwaaak!”

“Damn it, we can’t win this!”

“Run! Everyone, run!”

A situation where despair was added to fear.

The soldiers of the two families who had taken the lead and entered the bandits’ main base began to flee without looking back.

“Do not retreat! Obey the command!”

“You bastards… Do not retreat! Fight!”

The lords and knights of the Haspir and Baison families tried to rally the soldiers, but the terrified soldiers did not listen to them.

In the first place, with the battle lines broken, there was no way the chain of command would function properly.

The soldiers of the two families were routed, dying and fleeing.

A complete defeat.

The moment despair brushed past the minds of the two lords….

“All troops, form ranks!”

A group of soldiers appeared from their rear.

Lined up in a formation as sharp as a blade, with shields raised at the front creating a wall, they were….

“Viscount Preis!”

“Ooooh….”

Viscount Preis' army, which had been slightly behind while reorganizing its ranks, had arrived.

And Viscount Preis, from the center of his soldiers, commanded in a loud voice.

“Hold the wall and block the zombies! All troops, advance!”

Following his command, the infantry, with large shields at the forefront, advanced at a slow pace with synchronized steps.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Slowly. Slowly.

But the legion of infantry, approaching with sure steps, had a powerful presence.

Their appearance, covered with shields not only at the front but also overhead without any gaps, was like a moving wall.

The bandits’ arrows rained down on their heads, but the soldiers overlapped their overhead shields tightly to block the arrows.

Of course, the mindless zombies, undaunted by such a powerful presence, charged at the wall with screams. However….

“Kuaaaaaaaargh!”

“Ggggrrr….”

The moment those zombies clung to the wall, baring their nails and teeth, Viscount Preis' command fell.

“Thrust!”

As soon as those words fell, long, thick spears shot out from between the shields.

Stab! Stab-stab-stab!

The thick, large spears made sizable holes in the bodies of the zombies clinging to the shields, and sometimes even shattered their heads.

One thrust wasn't enough, but with two or three continuous thrusts, even the tenacious zombies had no choice but to fall away.

“Deploy formation!”

And as Viscount Preis' next command followed, his army spread out in a fan shape, taking control of a wide area.

In a situation where humans and zombies were mixed in a chaotic battle, his army had created a safe zone enclosed in a semicircle.

This was it. This was as far as he could go. It was impossible to advance further and push back the zombies. However….

“Young Patrick.”

“You’ve worked hard, Viscount. I heard you were something in your day, and you’re quite impressive.”

“Hahahaha…. I only did as you instructed.”

Although the praise was delivered in a condescending manner, for some reason, it didn't feel bad at all.

Though he was a young man younger than his own son, for some reason, looking at him felt like facing a seasoned field commander with more experience than himself.

In fact, the reason Viscount Preis had been able to proceed this far without a hitch was thanks to this young man who had joined his formation and given him advice.

And the role he had requested of him ended right here.

Pushing back the zombies with an infantry formation and establishing that formation. From here on, it was Patrick’s turn to step forward.

“Can you really do it?”

“Just me, no…”

Patrick looked at the 50 soldiers behind him, grinned, and said.

“Just trust us.”

Behind Patrick, 50 soldiers from the Schneider fiefdom, including Sanson, were on standby.

Wearing light leather armor and holding two swords in their hands, their appearance was quite unique.

Dual-wielding swordsmanship, a rare sight on the continent.

Moreover, where could you find a group organized into a military unit using it?

To others, it would look like they were just fooling around. However….

“Sanson.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

A look of elation was visible on Sanson’s face as he answered. It wasn't just Sanson; the other soldiers lined up behind him were the same.

The slight trembling of their bodies was not due to nervousness.

Patrick smirked.

‘They must be dying to explode.’

He could fully understand.

The moment had finally come to reveal to the world what they had built up through hellish training.

Patrick gave them their orders.

“Squad 1 and 2, take out the archers. The rest of you, defeat the zombies and rescue our allies.”

“Yes, sir!”

The reply came back without hesitation.

However, Viscount Preis, who was listening from the side, was flustered.

“Are you splitting a force of only 50 men? No, and are you deploying soldiers knowing where the archers are located?”

At Viscount Preis' words, Patrick smirked and said.

“Leave them be. They’ll do just fine on their own.”

“What does that…”

“Carry out the Young Master’s orders!”

Sanson’s voice echoed thunderously.

The power carried in that voice was so great that Viscount Preis couldn't help but forget what he was about to say.

“Oliver, take Squad 1 and head left. Vinson, take Squad 2 and head right to eliminate the archers.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes, sir!”

And Sanson himself stepped forward and said.

“The rest will take the front with me. We will defeat the zombies and swiftly rescue our allies.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good.”

Sanson took a deep breath.

Was it because he was nervous? No.

This emotion enveloping his entire body was not nervousness. This was….

“Go!”

“Yes, sir!”

It was the ecstasy of something long held back finally exploding.

As soon as Sanson’s command fell, the 50 soldiers scattered in all directions.

They lightly leaped over the wall created by Viscount Preis' army and rushed towards the zombies.

“We’ve waited a long time, you bastards!”

“We’ll show you who we are!”

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

And Viscount Preis saw it.

“Au… aura?”

The sight of aura gathering on the swords of all the soldiers who had rushed forward.

The Twin Dragon Knightly Order of the Schneider family, which would later be remembered in legend.

It was the moment they revealed themselves to this world for the first time.

For the past five years.

Sanson and the soldiers of the Schneider fiefdom had keenly realized what the words ‘every day is like hell’ meant.

The fact that the sun would rise tomorrow was terrifying, and they even thought, ‘Wouldn't it be easier if I just died?’

There were even reckless incidents where some, unable to endure the harsh training, openly defied Patrick.

But Patrick did not give up on a single one of them.

He somehow grabbed them by the scruff of their necks, dragged them, and threw them into the training grounds to be rolled around.

Training = Hell.

Around the time that thought solidified in their minds.

Sanson was the first to manifest aura from his sword.

The moment a blue light blossomed on Sanson’s sword, the other soldiers saw hope.

The hope that if they endured this hellish pain, they too could become like that.

Humans can endure any hardship if a reward is guaranteed.

Starting with Sanson, Oliver, Vinson, Robi, and so on….

One by one, the soldiers began to manifest aura on their swords.

Finally, all 200 soldiers of the fiefdom became proficient in using twin swords and could manifest aura on their blades.

They had become strong.

And they, who had obtained such power, were finally revealing themselves to the world.

The power they had obtained through relentless training was finally being put to use in a real battle.

How could they not be joyful?

Chwaaaak!

Two swords drew a complex yet elegant arc of light in the air.

The zombies caught in that light were soon sliced into two, four, then eight pieces, falling to the ground in a shower.

Other zombies noticed the enemy and tried to pounce, but before they could even take a step, the twin swords glinted and unleashed a flash.

After the trajectory of the aura that beautifully embroidered the air passed, the dismembered bodies of the zombies fell to the ground with a thud.

The man who had shown such demonic skill spoke to a fallen man.

“Can you move?”

“Sir… who are you, Sir?”

The knight from the Baison fiefdom who had been lying on the ground at the sight of this spectacle opened his mouth.

“I am Sanson, the Guard Captain of the Schneider fiefdom. Please retreat to our allied formation in the rear.”

“Gu… Guard Captain?”

The knight was more shocked by the words ‘Guard Captain’ than the order to retreat.

A guard captain was definitely that.

The leader of the soldiers in a fiefdom.

Although knights sometimes held the position, usually it was….

“You’re a mere soldier? That’s impossible…”

Papat!

While he was speaking, Sanson’s swords passed by both sides of his head and unleashed a flash of light.

And that flash cleanly blew off the heads of two zombies that had been baring their teeth at him from behind.

“Please hurry.”

“I… I underst…and.”

Although the other person’s status was said to be a soldier, he didn't dare to speak down to him.

He hadn't even seen the last move.

If the target had been his own neck instead of the zombies behind him….

“……”

A shiver ran down his entire body, and goosebumps rose. He obediently accepted Sanson’s instructions and retreated.

And as he retreated, he could confirm it.

It wasn't just that soldier named Sanson.

From all directions, soldiers with twin swords were indiscriminately slicing up the zombies.

“Hahaha. Too slow. Too weak. Fight properly.”

“Aren’t zombies originally slow and weak?”

“Ah, right.”

“Just clean them up quickly. If possible, subdue the confused allies without killing them.”

“Yes. Understood.”

The soldiers with twin swords dealt with the zombies more easily than a farmer cutting down sheaves of straw.

The twin swords, shimmering with aura, sharply cut the zombies apart.

And they also subdued the crazed soldiers in their state of confusion as easily as handling a child.

Although it was a terribly chaotic battle, their movements were fast and precise, and their swords seemed to show the pinnacle of sharpness.

With the addition of just 50 men, the chaotic battlefield was being brought under control.

The number of zombies, which had grown to over 1,000, was visibly decreasing.

At that sight, the rescued soldiers, even in this critical situation, just watched their performance, mesmerized.

“They’re all… at a level of 3-star or higher, aren't they?”

“Well, something like that.”

At Patrick’s indifferent reply, Viscount Preis whipped his head around as if his neck would break and said.

“Are you saying those men are mere soldiers?”

“Yes.”

“Where in the world are there soldiers who emit aura?”

“Right here.”

Seeing the jaw-dropped Viscount Preis, Patrick grinned and said.

“Economical, isn’t it?”

“……”

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