I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 115

"Stop them! Fire your arrows!"

A pale-faced officer shouted, pointing at the approaching giant warrior below the wall. Although they had built the wall tall specifically to stop them, this provided little comfort to the soldiers at the moment.

A gruesome head, with only a thin layer of flesh stretched over the skull, was smiling up at them. The giant tilted its body back as if preparing to swing its ax.

"Argh!"

The soldiers fired arrows at the giant's head, but it wasn't enough to stop its movements.

"Move aside!"

A barbarian warrior, his body filled with red divine energy, shouted. Gripping his spear tightly, he threw it with all his might, teeth clenched.

Whoosh— thud!

The giant, ready to strike, stumbled back, the spear deeply embedded in one side of its face.

"Is it... dead?"

A soldier muttered just as the giant steadied itself. It glared up at the wall, snorting with fury. Flesh crumbled from the spear embedded in its cheek.

"... Was I not strong enough?" The barbarian warrior clicked his tongue.

"No, you did well." Ian, passing by the warrior, spoke.

He then leaped over the wall toward the giant. The Sword of Judgment, charged with the Wind Blade, fell, leaving a red trail.

Crack!

The blade split the giant's head from the crown to the upper jaw. The giant stumbled and collapsed as Ian kicked the head hard.

A red streak arched through the air.

Swoosh!

Sliding back into the wall, Ian looked up. He immediately spoke to the wide-eyed knight staring at him.

"Do you have more spears to throw?"

"There should be plenty; we brought several times more than needed," the knight replied hastily.

Nodding at the barbarian warrior, Ian said, "Then get those all up on the wall. These spears are needed for them to help stop the giants."

Ian turned back to the warrior.

"If one isn't enough, throw multiple spears. If you hold them off, I'll come."

"Understood, Great Warrior!"

When he nodded, Ian was already running in the distance. Another giant was approaching the wall.

***

Crack! Boom!

Another one down.

After stabbing the giant's eyes with the Sword of Judgment and triggering the Vacuum Explosion, Ian launched himself off the giant's head.

With the Blessing of Battle, Wind Blade, and heightened Focus and Instincts, he was able to move in ways impossible for ordinary people.

Although he'd suffer from severe muscle aches and fatigue afterward, that wasn't a concern right now.

He had to survive to worry about that.

Thud.

Landing at the edge of the wall, Ian looked up. There stood a familiar face, Valeri.

Ian immediately got to the point. "They will bring up extra spears brought up to the wall. If the giant approaches, grab a spear and throw it until its head is smashed. Even if you only buy time, I'll be there."

Without waiting for an answer, Ian turned away.

His dark eyes scanned the situation in front of the wall. His efforts were paying off. No giant warriors had yet embedded their axes into the wall.

In the Bellium defense quest in the game, giant warriors were the biggest factor that made the battle difficult. Not only did they try to break down the wall, but once attached, the undead would climb up their bodies and leap onto the wall. If left unchecked, they'd eventually break through the old wall, and that's when things would get troublesome.

The undead would swarm through the gap, infiltrate the fortress, and climb the stairs to attack the soldiers from behind. And by then, you'd be looking at a game over screen.

So, Ian's top priority from the start had been the giant warriors. If he could handle that properly, he would be the weight tipping the scales to maintain the balance of the battle. And so far, he was succeeding.

Crack!

"Keep dropping the rocks! Hey, supply team! Keep bringing more stones! Are you trying to get us all killed?!"

"Stick by the barbarian warriors when fighting the ones climbing up! Just provide support!"

Amid the chaos of screams, explosions, and shouts, the battle was not going poorly. In fact, the barbarian warriors were exceeding expectations.

Crack!

"Oh, Karha!"

The warriors, imbued with divine power, were fighting like literal barbarians. Thanks to Ian having spread them out, even in situations where the undead managed to climb the walls, the front lines held without breaking. Even if a section was in danger, it didn't stay that way for long.

Crack! Snap!

Ian, rushing past with a red streak, disassembled the undead wherever he went.

"That's the Great Warrior of the North..."

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

The soldiers who watched him disappear without acknowledging their gratitude began to think thoughts they'd never had even an hour ago. That maybe, just maybe, they could survive this.

***

How long does that guy plan to keep chanting? What kind of spell is he preparing?

Rolling to the ground, Ian clicked his tongue as he glared up at the mage on the gatehouse tower. The mage who had been hurling fireballs earlier was now motionless, staff held high. The concentration of magic suggested he was indeed preparing a spell.

But Ian couldn't afford to wait.

"Oh, Superhuman of the North!"

Another giant was approaching the wall from afar, and the sight of a barbarian warrior throwing his spear at the giant was unavoidable.

Damn it, of course, it's on the other side.

Ian gritted his teeth and dashed precariously along the edge of the wall. Though dangerous, it was the only way to move faster. With heightened Agility, Focus, and Instincts, he had no choice but to trust his own movements.

Thwack! Crack!

Crushing a few undead who had climbed up, Ian finally arrived, letting out a low click of his tongue. This time, he was a little late.

As he slid to a stop on the wall, the giant warrior was already swinging down an ax he had raised above his head. Ian's eyes narrowed as he followed the ax's heavy trajectory.

Shall we give it a shot?

His body moved the moment the thought crossed his mind. Ian launched himself diagonally downward like an arrow, twisting his body in midair.

Whoosh—

The massive ax barely grazed Ian as he spun, slicing the giant's wrist with the Sword of Judgment.

Crack!

The blade of the sword sliced diagonally through the giant's wrist that was gripping the ax. The severed wrist caused the ax to embed itself shallowly into the wall. With the wrist severed, the ax couldn't deliver its full force.

Meanwhile, Ian spun and collided directly with the giant's face. In that moment of horrid sensation that coursed through his entire body, Ian swung down the Sword of Judgment.

Crunch.

The sword blade embedded itself next to the giant's lip. The giant's bright blue glowing eyes locked onto Ian, who was hanging onto its face. Clutching the sword hilt, Ian swiftly pivoted and planted his foot on the giant's lip. With ash-gray magic swirling in his eyes, he locked gazes with the giant.

Ian's eyes narrowed slightly.

Boom.

With a soundless explosion, the giant's face caved in deeply. Ian kicked off the giant's head and reached for the wall.

Thud, his fingers barely caught the edge of the wall.

"Oh, Great Warrior...!"

The rugged grip of a barbarian warrior pulled him up quickly. This time, it was a familiar face, Volber from the Gray Valley.

"Phew... phew...." Ian lay flat on the ground, panting heavily.

Damn, this is exhausting...

He could already taste the bitterness in his mouth, and his temples were throbbing. He couldn't feel it properly in the middle of battle, but he knew he'd soon suffer from a splitting headache, a common side effect of prolonged Concentration. Although the Blessing of Battle clearly elevated his physical abilities to a superhuman level, it didn't mean he had become truly transcendent.

If this is activating, doesn’t it mean that an incredibly tough battle is ahead...?

Given Karha's nature so far, that was entirely possible. He would only grant his blessing when death was near, testing if the Great Warrior could overcome the crisis. Judging by how game elements forced themselves into reality, it was entirely plausible, especially with a skill described as having a low probability.

“Are you okay? You told us not to do anything reckless...,” said Volber, lifting him up.

"If you're upset about it, why don't you be the Great Warrior?"

Uttering nonsense, Ian took the canteen Volber handed him. At any rate, this reckless action had been worthwhile. Ian's action prevented the giant's ax from destroying the top portion of the wall, likely causing Volber and the surrounding soldiers to fall below.

Panting, Ian brought the canteen to his mouth and raised an eyebrow. It wasn't water—it was alcohol.

Well, even better...!

That wasn't the only good news. While he was gulping down the drink, the mage’s spell finally began to manifest.

Rumble—

Ian turned his head to see the spectacle, with a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.

So that's what kind of spell it is.

The bright yellow flames dripping down from the tip of the mage’s staff were unmistakably a Flame Tide, or at least a similar spell. But it was a much larger and more colossal wave than Ian's. Amplifying both chaos power and the essence bead would be necessary to create something of a similar scale.

It seemed like the reason it took a long time to complete was because the mage was amplifying the spell's power to the fullest.

Roar—

The rolling flames illuminated the surroundings like broad daylight. The wave swept over the undead, assaulting the wall, leaving no trace behind.

"...!"

At the end of the watchtower, the mage stumbled, coughing up blood after the wave had swept entirely in front of the wall. The guards barely caught him as he nearly fell over.

Even before this, the magic consumption must have been no joke. He did well. The magic consumption probably shortened his lifespan by a few years.

Ian chuckled as he looked at the uncontrollable flames. The mage’s decision to unleash high-level magic despite the risk of magic exhaustion had paid off.

The flames swept away most of the remaining undead horde and continued to burn even now.

"Don't stop! There's an end in sight to these cursed monsters!" General Gelud shouted, and the soldiers, filled with hope of survival, picked up their weapons and cheered.

"...?" Ian looked down at his left hand for a moment. The faded brand on his palm suddenly ached.

But there’s no trace of magic...

Frowning, Ian finally raised his head. He had focused entirely on the vicinity of the wall, so he hadn't seen the landscape beyond it until now.

Pitch-black darkness and swirling storm clouds lay beyond. Reflexively looking up, Ian's brows furrowed.

“When did this happen...?”

Jet-black storm clouds had covered the fortress. The dark veil, which had once been so distinct, had crept in unnoticed.

"There, there...!"

"My God, Lu Solar...."

Ian wasn't the only one who noticed the change.

As the Flame Tide subsided, the soldiers realized their surroundings had grown as dark as midnight. Despite the trees in the gorge burning brightly, the area remained dimly lit.

But the soldiers' despair wasn't just because of the darkness.

"What the... fuck...."

Innumerable blue lights flickered in the gorge beyond. Another wave of undead, as many as the ones they'd already fought, was slowly approaching this time.

"Haha, fuck. There's no end to them..."

"We're all... going to die...."

Even faster than their arrival, hope vanished from the soldiers' faces. The soldiers stood speechless, staring at the undead beyond the gorge, while only Ian couldn't tear his eyes away from the swirling storm clouds.

The brand on his palm throbbed, and the shard of chaos also seemed to pulse, resonating.

"...!" Ian's eyes trembled.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming magic aura that took his breath away. It was unbelievable, as though it hadn't existed moments ago but had suddenly materialized.

No way...

Ian's jaw slightly dropped as he focused on the center of the storm clouds.

—■■... Found you...

A telepathic thought reverberated through the battlefield, plunging it into silence.

Ian was probably the only one who partially understood its meaning, but that was entirely irrelevant.

Woosh—

Right at the center of the unmoving storm clouds, a colossal silhouette emerged. In the very center, a blue glow flickered. It was a giant glowing eye.

"Ha...." Ian chuckled wryly.

The awakened dragon roared.