Dark Fantasy: Magical Eye Knight – Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Crossroads (5)

 

Just because the battle that began in the morning ended by noon does not indicate the conflict is over.

 

The cries of the injured were gradually replaced by the priests’ healing prayers and the surgeons’ meticulous care.

 

A messenger barged into Julia’s barracks without authorization, attempting to convey the gravity of the issue.

 

And Julia was a commander who recognized something more essential than the disrespect of her authority.

 

“Speak appropriately. What is going on?”

 

Her cold stare and speech caused the messenger to barely regain his composure. So he shouted remarkably calmly.

 

“T, The corpses are rising!”

 

One may question how many people could perish in combat that lasted less than two hours. The number and quality of troops are irrelevant to those who indulge in pointless disputes.

 

It’s like the dumb who believe they know the contents of a book just by looking at its cover.

 

If they were handed antique wooden spears and iron helmets and sent to experience the conflict for themselves, they would have a lot to say. Of course, assuming they returned alive.

 

There were numerous pits excavated to bury the corpses. It would be inhumane not to be upset with the duty that was imposed immediately following the war, but Julia ignored the objections by digging the pits herself.

 

She carved the trenches, not excavated them, because cutting extended across the land rather than shoveling.

 

A few swipes of the blade, which appeared to be imbued with light, dug a big, deep pit. Julia had mentioned this.

 

“I believe you gentlemen can wield a shovel more neatly than I.”

 

The soldiers started to work without saying a word. Soon, hundreds of trenches were dug to house around 600 stripped corpses.

 

And one messenger reported that bodies were creeping out of the trenches.

 

The messenger, who described with vivid expressions how the first soldier discovered the dead had risen and was running towards them, awaited orders.

 

Julia’s instructions were more intuitive than that.

 

“Call the wizards.”

 

They had the soldiers dig the pits far away from the encampment. Not only was it aesthetically unpleasant, but they also wanted to avoid the stench that would emanate from the decaying corpses, and the wild animals and birds that would be attracted by the stench.

 

Even Julia had not anticipated the corpses in the pits turning undead. This was because no evil sorcery, such as black or blood magic, had ever been seen in Prince Aldrick’s army.

 

Julia, who jumped out of the barracks, immediately realized there was no reason to flee so quickly. The bodies creeping out of the pits moved slowly. Maybe a brisk walk at most.

 

The bodies that emerged from the pits, which were some 500 meters away on the far fringes of the facility, approached them with stumbling steps.

 

Julia and her escort knights, staff, priests, and wizards stood side by side, watching the scene. Simply gazing at the squirming carcasses made people gag.

 

There were no intact corpses. The one with the cleanest cut had a beautifully severed throat. The majority of them had their heads smashed by horseshoes, their faces ripped off, their ribs ripped out, or one or more of their limbs severed.

 

It seemed impossible for those undead to arrive so rapidly.

 

“It appears that my brother has finally decided to borrow their power. It’s later than I expected. Launch.”

 

The order that followed the mumble was so bland that the wizards reacted somewhat late.

 

Only after the captain who led them kicked a wizard in the shin did the wizards return to their senses and summon their magical abilities, each chanting a spell.

 

“The burning, cold heat━”

 

“From the depths of hell━”

 

“I shall become a storm!━”

 

As numerous charms and incantations were shouted, heat and wind began to build up above the front lines.

 

The gathering heat turned into a tremendous display of flames, which were exacerbated by the rushing wind.

 

“Fire!”

 

As the captain lowered his outstretched arm, the baptism of fire, which had been waiting above the wizards, shot towards the approaching corpses.

 

“Kyaaaaah-!”

 

“Gyaaaah!”

 

The bodies struck by the fireballs slumped with horrifying yells and groans. The corpses that rose up with their entire bodies enveloped in flames resembled devils with fiery wings growing from their armpits.

 

“Spread it out rather than focusing on a single point. Wizards who have some leeway, change the direction of the wind to the opposite side.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The captain’s footsteps got frantic as he conveyed instructions. Julia ordered the priests to take a step back and begin chanting hymns as the corpses were swiftly consumed by the flames.

 

The melody that the priests sang as if inhaling, along with the executions taking place in front, created an unusual sense of admiration.

 

The troops prayed to their gods, whispering, calling, and yelling. The bodies completed their executions and lay down amid prayers and hymns.

 

The bodies that had risen suddenly fell just as quickly.

 

A strong, meaty odor wafted through the soldiers in the wind. Despite having eaten, the smell made their mouths swim with appetite, followed by agonizing self-disgust. They were now smelling the aroma of burned human flesh.

 

Julia stared down with uninterested eyes. The burnt bodies were lying in a shriveled state.

 

When burned, the human body burns from within. The tremendous heat melts the skin and muscles, causing them to contract inward. That is why people who have been burned often end up coiled up like fetuses.

 

Looking at the stench of burning flesh and the black and white smoke spreading eternally on the plains, she considered the worth of a human being. Julia said.

 

“Withdraw.”

 

The commanders and staff didn’t ask why. They promptly issued the order to withdraw, not trying to conceal their movements to prevent the stench of human flesh in the air.

 

The soldiers who had been lined up immediately removed their barricades, barracks, and tents.

 

Half of the day had already passed. The dismal season would cause the sun to set fast. Julia looked up and saw the other side of the castle.

 

Her opponent was on the other side of the Ferger Plains, which fluctuated between lowlands and low ridges. And the person who caused the mischief would also be present.

 

Julia considered the warning contained in this wickedness.

 

What type of warning? The presence of a wizard who can cast magic to make corpses walk, a wizard who can cast magic within the encampment that her soldiers are monitoring?

 

Or a sign of the willingness to insult the dead or to not care about them?

 

Or maybe it was just killing the six hundred dead soldiers again. Now, she may have to execute the dead again.

 

She had never considered this manner of execution before.

 

“. . . . . . .”

 

The sight of hundreds of dead bodies sprawled across the plains remained unchanged from a few hours before.

 

The difference is the distinction between black and white. The odor was also different.

 

Julia realized it. The absence of an individual. If Julia was not present, whether freely or involuntarily, there would be no one to lead this army and these warriors.

 

Each group has a second-in-command. Julia’s armies currently lack a second-in-command.

 

Julia turned around once she realized this. She was disillusioned with the war, which had barely begun.

 

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

 

Ketelz broke a runestone that contained the spell ‘Sensory Deprivation’. The intuitive spell’s name implies that this rune stone, which releases a flash that blocks the senses, might be harmful if the caster is also affected by the spell.

 

That’s why, when Ketelz opened his eyes after tightly closing them and breaking the stone, he expected to see a miniature giant screaming and collapsing where his head had been.

 

Expecting too much will lead to disappointment. Ketelz, on the other hand, didn’t have time to be disappointed before he had to fly to the side.

 

Kakang!

 

Russell’s fist landed exactly where Ketelz’s head had been. The glass did not break; instead, a translucent blue force field emerged, causing a ripple before disappearing again.

 

Russell turned his head after glancing at the window, which did not crack and remained intact despite the clutch of magic force.

 

“You decorated the entire building. It must have been very expensive. How could you afford it?”

 

“How are you still okay? I checked to make sure you were within the spell’s range!”

 

They both stated that they had no intention of addressing each other’s questions. Russell spoke again.

 

“You weren’t just trying to catch Weizen? Who else is the target?”

 

“What’s your name?”

 

Russell shrugged. This question was pretty simple to answer.

 

“Russell.”

 

Russell, with his eyes open, approached Ketelz. Ketelz, who had rolled back and jumped out of his seat, shot something.

 

Russell took a step back when he saw that what he had fired out in reflection was another rune stone. It was faster for the white frost to emerge from the rune stone fractured by the recoil than to take a step back.

 

Ketelz did not think this time, either. Russell charged at Ketelz, his body shivering with cold.

 

At that point, the same procedure that had caused Weizen’s fall to the second floor below occurred.

 

The floor collapsed, resulting in dozens of spikes shooting up. However, the consequence was not the same.

 

Tatadadadang!

 

The sound of metal colliding and sparks flying struck the ice shards and vanished with a fizz. Ketelz was unaware when Russell took out the ax. Russell moved too quickly for that.

 

Russell could quickly see dozens of people approaching him. He recognized their faces from the first floor.

 

“What’s with all this fuss over two people. . . . . .?”

 

A man in the center of the group collapsed while spinning a meteor hammer. His bottom body dropped slightly later than his upper body. There was no blood, and all eyes were quickly attracted to one location.

 

The master of sight spoke.

 

“No need to talk.”

 

And Russell’s ax followed a terrible path, scattering frigid, bleeding shards.

 

Against that trajectory, the assailants put forth their weapons . It was as worthless as exposing your neck to the guillotine.

 

The muscles and bones that were chopped off screamed in place of screams, and the spilled blood moaned in place of groans. The sight of frozen blood droplets rolling like sand, decorating the floor, was enough to scare even seasoned mercenaries.

 

Twitching muscles and bones yelled instead of screams, and the blood that flowed replaced the groans. Even seasoned mercenaries were terrified when they saw frozen blood grains spreading like sand across the floor.

 

Kwaaaang!

 

A blast of chill erupted from Russell as its epicenter, engulfing the mercenaries. Only a few could resist the terrifying chill.

 

No one could blame Ketelz for assuming a running posture after witnessing a person being ‘shredded’ in real time.

 

However, Ketelz did not flee to save his life. He turned his back to kill the monstrous beast.

 

“Shoot!”

 

“Stop.”

 

Holes opened in the walls that had previously isolated the room on the third floor, and crossbows fired and stopped.

 

Ketelz noticed at least thirty crossbows magically stopped as if they were lying directly in front of Russell’s body.

 

‘He must have said that on purpose to taunt me.’

 

That thought was not incorrect. Russell approached him, wrapped his ax blade around the sword Ketelz was swinging, snapped it, and then lifted him by the scruff of his neck.

 

His feet lifted off the ground as he struggled. Ketelz laughed meanly as purple eyes flashed in front of his nose.

 

“Heh. I still have more to prepare. What do you think?”

 

Russell replied with a grin.

 

“No.”

 

Bang!

 

The punch that got closer in an instant was the last thing Ketelz noticed.

 

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