"Not a merchant?" The pale man inquired with a broad grin on his face.
"I never claimed to be 'merely' a merchant, lad," the dwarf responded with a deep and rumbling voice. "A wise merchant knows that sometimes, it pays to keep a few tricks up his sleeve," he added, stroking his thick, rich-brown beard.
"Indeed, you didn't," Aron acknowledged, turning to the battalion of dwarves standing rigidly at attention behind Dwalin. Their disciplined ranks and gleaming armor spoke volumes about their well-honed training.
"So to what do I owe this honor?" Aron asked, his eyes narrowing as he regarded the dwarf with curiosity.
"One moment." From the bag atop his 'mighty' steed, Dwalin retrieved an object, presenting it to Aron.
"The Iron Prince sends his regards and wishes to convey his gratitude," Dwalin said, handing over a small, intricately carved chest.
Aron accepted the chest, his fingers brushing over the cool metal, feeling the weight of whatever was inside. Opening it, he found a small black metal ingot and an iron ring with runes engraved on its surface.
"By the order of the Iron Prince," Dwalin began, dropping to one knee, "The Hearthhold offers their assistance in defending the Great Wall."
"I see," Aron said, narrowing his eyes and towering over the short dwarf. He then shifted his gaze to the army, who followed their commander's suit, kneeling before him.
From what Aron could see, their numbers were about 1,500 dwarves. Yet it wasn't the numbers that caught Aron's attention; it was what they brought with them: siege weaponry.
Massive ballistae, some simple in design, firing arrows, others a combination of multiple ballistae in one, strange-looking trebuchets, but the most peculiar was a weapon that Aron was certain was a furnace. There were five of them, on wheels, each attached to a long metal pipe with an opening shaped like a dragon's head.
"What are those?" Aron asked, pointing at the peculiar furnaces.
Dwalin stood up, turning to see what the Lord Commander was pointing at. Then his grin widened. "Those, lad, are dragon's breath cannons. A new invention of the Iron Dwarves. They spew fire, enough to turn any enemy into ashes."
Aron's eyebrow twitched slightly, hearing that. 'Dragon's breath? Oh, please… the real dragon's breath will burn even ashes. Something that can't achieve that doesn't deserve to be called a dragon's breath.'
"Good," he said, eyeing the cannons. Then he turned to Dwalin, saying, "We can use you. Welcome to the Frostguard, mis—" however before he could finish his words.
CLING! CLING! CLING!
A ringing echoed throughout the fortress from specific bells, causing everyone to freeze in place.
"Don't tell me…" Immediately, Aron sprinted back inside, with Dwalin swiftly following him, seeing the look on his face.
…
Ten minutes ago.
"Ahhh!... This is life," a man with silver hair and red eyes said, enjoying his rest from patrolling the Everfrost. He was inside a small post on top of the wall with his two watcher friends.
"Indeed, I bet this is the best thing that came out of our awakening," one of the watchers said, his mouth full of meat.
"True, and for our little thing, this is great," the third one exclaimed, taking a puff from a pipe.
Men sometimes find joy in the simple things, and on occasion, they might resort to complex measures simply to savor the simple things, and these three watchers were no exception.
They encountered a little problem. Each of them possessed an item. Consumable to be precise. One had a delightful ale from the north. Another possessed a substantial portion of roasted meat. And the last one held in his possession one of, if not the single most prized possession created by the Hobbits.
The Greenfoot leaf. The oldest and the most prized leaf of the Hobbits. A rare leaf that can only be found in the heart of the Greenfoot shire. A leaf that can make even an orc feel like he is in heaven. Some rumors suggested that this was one of the reasons that forced the Hobbits out of Arcadia, as other races discovered immense profit in exploiting the simple halfling folk.
Returning to the watchers, the three of them desired a taste of everything, but the problem was that they had a meager amount, enough for just one, perhaps two people. Their solution?
"This is weird, the taste in my mouth, the ale, the meat, and the leaf all at once," one remarked.
They utilized their newfound mutation link to share their senses. One consumed the meat, another drank the ale, and the last one puffed on the pipeweed. Thanks to the link, each one of them felt as if they were experiencing everything simultaneously.
"Hmm?" The watcher indulging in the ale caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye as he raised his mug to his lips. "What's that?"
He stood up, scrutinizing the vast, frozen wasteland of Fenris. But he saw nothing. "Did I just imagine it? Perhaps it's the leaf or the ale?"
"No, you saw it." The other two spoke simultaneously, having their senses shared, they witnessed what he did. The three swiftly exited the post, scanning the horizon, their eyes narrowed. And for a long nine minutes filled with tension, they spotted nothing, until...
"There!" The watcher with the meat pointed at something in the distance.
"What is that?" The ale watcher inquired.
"I don't know, but it's moving fast," the pipeweed watcher said.
The three of them watched as the object in the distance grew bigger and bigger until they could make out what it was.
"A wolf?" The meat watcher asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
"No, it's too big to be a wolf," the ale watcher said, squinting. "It looks like a... bear?"
As the massive creature drew closer, they could see that it was indeed a bear, but not like any they had ever seen before. It stood on its hind legs, its fur a mix of white and gray, blending seamlessly with the snowy landscape. Its eyes shone with an intelligent light, and its claws were as long as daggers.
"A bear in these frozen wastes?" The pipeweed watcher shook his head. "That's unusual."
"Maybe it's merely passing through?" the ale watcher suggested.
"No!" The meat watcher interjected, his tone turning grave. "I recall the Elf Keeper mentioning powerful spells within the surrounding mountains. No creature can approach with such ease under its influence."
This watcher was a survivor of last year's event. "Only during a specific timeframe can they approach."
"W-What timeframe?" the ale watcher stammered, his voice trembling.
The meat watcher offered no reply. He pivoted towards the ancient silver bell affixed to the wall. "The monster waves!"
CLING! CLING! CLING!
…
"REPORT!" Aron roared, landing on the wall with a resounding thud.
"My Lord," one of the watchers, the one who rang the bell approached him, slamming a fist to the chest.
"My Lord, we spotted a creature resembling a bear moments behind the wall," he indicated the direction where they had spotted the bear.
"!!!" Aron's eyes widened the moment he scanned the horizon with his dragon sight. "Sound the alarm!"
"Eh?" The watcher blinked, taken aback by Aron's sudden command. But he didn't care about them at the moment.
"MEN TO THE WALL!" Infused with mana, his voice boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the entire fortress.
CLING! CLING! CLING!
All the bells along the Wall resonated in response to his order.
"Hmph…what's happening lad?" panting heavily from the bloody long stairs Dwalin inquired.
"The waves are upon us," Aron replied grimly. "FUCK!...this is too early," he cursed out loud.
According to the original timer, they had three weeks before the waves commenced, and if Grunt's premonitions were accurate, then it should have been one week. However, the waves had decided to arrive unexpectedly, not one, not two, but a staggering three weeks ahead of schedule.
"LORD COMMANDER!" Eamon called out, reaching the top of the wall.
"Eamon, are the men ready?" Aron inquired, fully aware of what the hunt master's reply was going to be.
"N-No, my lord, we require more time," Eamon stammered.
The repairs were progressing smoothly, and most of the structure was complete. However, the fortress was nowhere near finished. The siege weapons weren't even loaded.
ROAR!!
From within the snow, hordes of monstrous creatures emerged, roaring and snarling, their eyes fixed on the fortress. There were beasts of all shapes and sizes—wolves, bears, trolls, and creatures that defied description. Their numbers were vast, stretching as far as the eye could see, and without hesitation, they charged.
"We don't have time," Aron's eyes narrowed as he absorbed the horrifying sight before him. The monsters were cunning, having managed to sneak close to the wall through underground tunnels. Thankfully, his dragon sight allowed him to see them clearly.
"Dwalin, get your men inside swiftly, I need those siege weapons operational," he commanded, his gaze fixed on the approaching horde. "Eamon, prepare the defenses. I'll buy you all the time I can."
"Yes, my lord—...buy us time?" Eamon stammered, trying to confirm what he had just heard. But Aron had no time for repetition.
"MY LORD!" Everyone exclaimed in shock, witnessing Aron as he leaped from the wall.
"What is he doing?" Dwalin bellowed, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"He is buying us time," Eamon replied, his voice filled with determination. "MEN TO YOUR POSTS, DEFEND THE WALL!" he roared.
THUD!
Leading with a powerful impact, Aron drew a deep breath and cracked his neck. He glanced at his shadow, relieved that Kasumi wasn't present.
ROAR!!
"Good… now," he gazed at the coming hordes of monsters. In his right hand, a long ebony serpent greatsword materialized in his grip. Python's new crimson serpent eyes glowed with excitement.
From his inventory came a dragon-shaped head, ebony greataxe. Nightfall's edge shined with a dark light as if it was happy to be back in battle. With a bloodthirsty smile, Aron declared for all to hear.
"Let the carnage begin."
[Skill activated: Greed and Wrath Fusion: The Crimson Shroud]
yO!
I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please don't forgot to leave a comment.
The Crimson Shroud.
A skill Aron acquired from the fusion of Green and Wrath. A formidable ability that transformed him into a one-man army.
The skill engulfs him in a dark-red mist within a 100-meter radius, siphoning life force and inflicting debuffs on his enemies, while simultaneously prolonging the duration of his Wrath skill and reducing the drawback timer.
A truly remarkable skill. However, the drawback was that the skill couldn't differentiate between friends and foes; all would suffer under its influence if they dared to set foot inside the mist.
"UGHAAAA!"
In the frozen wasteland below, a pale man was having the time of his life.
"HAHAHAHA! MORE!" With a giant ebony greatsword in his right hand and a dragon-shaped greataxe, Aron was slicing through the monster ranks left and right. "MORE EXP!"
The instant Aron slew the first monster and discovered the amount of EXP he gained, something inside him just...snapped. A single creature provided him with over 5000 EXP, and before him stood thousands of them—a dream come true.
He felt like a starving man being served a five-star meal in a luxurious restaurant, and now that he had taken the first bite, the rest was history.
Aron laughed like a madman. With his dark-red mist covering the snowy field and a few spectral swords summoned from the 'Echoes of the Forgotten Wars' skill, not a single monster managed to pass him.
"HAAAA!"
Aron brought down his greataxe on a giant fur-covered creature's head, cleaving it in half and sending blood splattering everywhere.
"All shall die by my blade," he declared, standing atop hundreds of monster corpses. Aron had been fighting for over two hours, and by this point, the preparations on top of the wall were complete, yet no one dared to intervene, captivated by the legend unfolding before their eyes.
"Is this the true might of the Lord Commander?" one of the watchers voiced his thoughts aloud, but he paid no heed.
"I have never seen anyone fight like that..." another commented.
"And that mist, is it one of his abilities?"
"Undoubtedly," someone else said. "The Lord Commander possesses numerous abilities, and I bet we haven't seen them all."
"You're right."
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ALL JUST STANDING THERE?" A commanding voice suddenly echoed, snapping everyone out of their trance. It was Keeper Eldarion, who had teleported to the top of the wall using his runes. "MOVE TO YOUR STATIONS AND MAN THOSE SIEGE WEAPONS!"
"YES, KEEPER!" The watchers responded in unison and swiftly ran to their respective stations.
Eldarion, Eamon, and Dwalin had spent a considerable amount of time preparing the wall and positioning the new siege weapons the dwarves had brought. If not for Aron standing like an immovable mountain against the hordes of monsters, the wall would have been overrun by now.
The Dragon Breath Cannons were positioned on the ground level beside the massive silver spears, ready to unleash hell on any monster that dared to approach the wall.
Dwalin volunteered to take command of the ground level, as that's where most of the mechanical devices were located, and dwarves have a penchant for tinkering with intricate mechanisms.
The Huntmaster Eamon took charge of the second and third levels, organizing the normal and magical ballistas as quickly as he could, while Eldarion assumed command of the top level, where his skills as a runemaster could truly shine.
"FIRE!" The Elf shouted, ordering the catapults to fire, aiming as far as they could. They couldn't fire the ballistas due to the short range and the fear of hitting Aron, so they relied on the catapults to thin the numbers.
BOOM! BOOM!
The heavy rounds shot through the sky with great speed. Each catapult could fire at least six times per minute, thanks to a mechanical chain that enabled rapid reloading.
The first two shots landed a few meters away from Aron's position, causing a tremendous explosion that shook the very ground. However, thanks to the distance, he didn't receive any damage. Nevertheless...
"HEY!" Aron stopped, turning back and shouting, "LEAVE EVERYTHING TO ME! JUST FOCUS ON THE WALL!"
"..."
Drip! Drip!
"Sob... The Lord Commander is a true man!" The men atop the wall were touched by his words, and tears of joy rolled down their cheeks.
"WE'LL FOLLOW YOU TO DEATH AND BEYOND, LORD COMMANDER!" They all shouted in unison. Aron's commanding presence, his strength, and his willingness to go to the extreme to save his men and defend the wall was something truly unheard of to most of them, especially the new Frostguards and the orcs.
"You heard the Lord Commander," Eldarion said, trying to sound commanding. "Do not shoot again unless given the order!"
"YES, KEEPER!"
Meanwhile, down in the frozen wasteland, Aron had a completely different reason for his orders.
"Tsk... Don't steal my kills... My EXP," he turned, licking his lips and sending shivers down the monsters' spines. "All of this is mine... MINE ALONE."
"ROOOOOAAAAARRR!"
Aron swung his sword, Python, cleaving through the chest of a creature similar to a wolf in front of him. He didn't even look at it.
"HAHAHA!" He couldn't help but laugh. He had already killed hundreds, yet there were still thousands of them coming—more than 20% of the entire horde was around him now.
"Foolish creatures." Aron raised his right arm, pointing forward. With a red flash, Python transformed into the ethereal serpent, charging towards the monsters ahead.
"Python! Kill! Devour! Leave none alive!"
HISSS!
The moment Python hit the front lines, he opened his mouth as wide as he could, engulfing everything within a 10-meter radius before biting down hard. The dark ethereal serpent devoured the monsters as if they were nothing, leaving behind only a pool of blood and a trail of bones.
Aron didn't stop there. He turned around and ran towards the next group of monsters, using his greataxe, Nightfall, to behead the nearest giant beast, shaped like a troll.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Aron laughed like a madman as he rushed forward to meet his enemies. The crimson shroud enveloped everything around him, and his body glowed red as he felt the wrath surging inside him.
He was having fun... and it was the first time Aron had felt this way.
"HAHAHA! I'm going to eat you all, HAHAHAHA!"
He jumped on top of the fur-covered monster and slammed Nightfall onto its head. He then kicked it with his right foot, jumping towards another target. The more Aron fought, the more excited he became, and the more his strength increased.
"YES! YES!"
Aron was like a child playing in a toy store. His crimson shroud spread across the snowy field, increasing his 'Wrath' stats while draining his enemies' life force.
"UGHAAA"
BOOOM!
Wrapping Nightfall in crimson flames, he swung it in an arc, slicing everything in its path, melting the monsters with ease, like a hot knife through butter. However, there was something strange that kept bothering him the entire time.
These monsters were weaker than he expected. While it was true that despite being weak, their numbers were massive, from what Aron had experienced so far, these monsters wouldn't be able to take down the wall.
CRACK!
Just as he thought about that, a crack appeared in the ground beneath him, catching him off guard, from within burst a long, dark tree root. The pointy tip managed to make a crack in his left shoulder piece.
"Ugh! What's this?" Aron had to take a step back, cleaving the monsters that jumped at him from the right side. But when he turned again, looking for the dark root, he found no trace of it. Even the crack in the snowy ground had vanished.
'An illusion?' he thought, activating his dragon sight and scanning the battlefield.
Surprisingly, finding the source of that dark root was easy. All the way at the back of the monster horde was a humanoid creature made of wood. It looked like a male human with a head close to a deer's, but what caught his attention were the two glowing eyes that kept shifting between yellow, green, and red by the second.
"A leshen?" Aron whispered under his breath, recognizing the creature from the books written by the ancient watchers. What confused Aron was that leshens were supposed to exist only on the western continent, where the World Tree existed, feeding on her nature mana and sometimes acting as her guardians, not in the cold, desolate land of Fenris.
The leshen gazed at Aron with its changing eyes for a second before raising its deer-like head and letting out a sound similar to a roar.
ROAAARRR!
The sound echoed all over the field, and in the next moment, the horde of monsters suddenly went crazy. Their eyes lit up in a glowing red, and they completely ignored Aron, charging toward the wall.
"Tsk... Not good!" Aron cursed under his breath as he watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He was absolutely sure this was the leshen's doing, and when he gazed at the wooden creature, Aron saw the leshen raising its thin wooden arms in the air before exploding into a murder of crows flying north.
"Heh... Coward tree." Aron shook his head, not bothered at all by the fact that the leshen had left. He turned to face the horde of monsters still charging at the wall.
"DEFEND THE WALL!"
...
yOOOOO! We are BAAACK!
Sorry guys fixing the problem in my city took longer that I hopped and they are still not done to this day. however now I can post my chapters.
So...We are back in the game.
Have fun with the new chapter!!
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