Obor-obor itu berkedip.
Obor yang menerangi sekeliling pagar kayu bergetar hebat, lalu padam serentak, seperti lilin yang ditiup angin kencang. Tak tersisa sedikit pun asap.
Klek! Klek!
Rasa takut yang menyeramkan, bercampur dengan bunyi tulang, menyapu masuk bagaikan angin.
Tulang-belulang yang terlihat oleh cahaya bulan dalam kegelapan tampak seolah merangkak keluar dari rawa hitam. Jumlahnya jauh melampaui seribu, melanda bagian depan Lunatie seperti sebuah ombak raksasa.
Para Skeleton tidak berlari.
Mereka melangkah maju dengan langkah gopoh yang teratur. Justru hal itulah yang membuatnya semakin mengerikan.
Desis!
Adipati Agung Utara mengepalkan tinjunya.
Haebyul, pemanah garda depan yang berada di bagian paling belakang garis pertahanan, melihatnya dan menarik busurnya, menarik napas dalam-dalam.
"Tarik!"
Teriakan Haebyul, para pemanah serentak menarik tali busur dan mengangkat busur mereka. Mengikuti jejak Haebyul, mereka menghitung jarak dan menyesuaikan sudut yang membuat anak panah mereka jatuh secepat mungkin.
"Mengucapkan mantra!"
Saat Adipati Agung Utara membuka tinjunya, para penyihir garda depan mengangkat tongkat sihir mereka dan berseru. Para penyihir yang berada di belakang para pemanah semuanya mulai melantunkan sihir secara bersamaan.
Wushh!
Lingkaran sihir mulai terbentuk di udara satu per satu. Awalnya, mereka muncul acak di mana-mana, tetapi dengan gerakan tongkat sihir para penyihir, lingkaran-lingkaran itu tersusun menjadi satu baris di udara.
Para pemain tetap diam. Mereka sepenuhnya fokus, hanya menunggu perintah. Bunyi tulang yang bergesekan satu sama lain semakin keras, tetapi tidak satu pun dari mereka yang goyah.
Kim Seok-jun begitu terhanyut oleh suasana hingga tak mampu berkata-kata. Ia hanya bisa mengepalkan tinjunya erat-erat sambil mengendalikan kameranya yang melayang untuk merekam situasi medan perang.
Pada saat garis depan Skeleton mencapai tepat di depan pagar kayu.
Saat Adipati Agung Utara mengulurkan tangannya ke depan.
"Tembak!"
Seruan Haebyul, semua pemanah melepaskan tali busur mereka. Anak panah melesat dan menembus lingkaran sihir yang melayang di udara.
Fwwush!
Anak panah itu diresapi sihir, dan api yang ganas meletus. Ratusan anak panah melesat di atas kepala para pemain melengkung setengah lingkaran dan jatuh ke arah para Skeleton.
Desak! Bababababam!
Anak panah menembus Skeleton yang mendekati pagar kayu dan tanah. Sebagian Skeleton roboh dengan tulang yang pecah, tetapi itu belum cukup.
"Ledakan Api!"
Saat penyihir garda depan berseru, para penyihir semuanya serentak melantunkan Ledakan Api.
Kwagagagaga!
Kekuatan sihir para pemanah yang terkandung dalam anak panah dan mantra Ledakan Api para penyihir meledak bersamaan, menggetarkan bumi. Ratusan anak panah meledak, memuntahkan pilar api dalam pemandangan yang benar-benar menakjubkan.
"Ugh!"
Gelombang ledakan mengguncang tubuh Kim Seok-jun dengan keras.
Dengan susah payah bertahan, ia membuka bibirnya yang gemetar.
"A, ledakan yang luar biasa! Rupanya anak panah menembus lingkaran sihir dan diresapi sihir peledak!"
Hasilnya sangat mengesankan.
Ratusan skeleton yang mendekati pagar kayu langsung hancur dan benar-benar berubah menjadi bubuk, membentuk lapisan putih di tanah. Tepat saat bubuk putih itu mulai berkumpul kembali membentuk tulang, para cleric mengulurkan tangan dan melepaskan kekuatan suci.
Blaaash!
Sebagian Skeleton yang pulih langsung roboh dan menghilang. Kekuatan suci itu bekerja.
"Kekuatan suci efektif! Kita membutuhkan kekuatan para cleric. Saat ini, kita sangat kekurangan cleric!"
Kim Seok-jun menyiarkan situasi secara langsung, memberi tahu bukan hanya para penonton tetapi juga para Hero yang bergegas menuju Lunatie. Mereka telah mengaktifkan mode radio dan berlari secepat mungkin.
Kim Seok-jun gemetar.
Ia lebih gugup daripada saat pertama kali meliput siaran pertandingan sepak bola nasional. Tidak, bahkan itu tak bisa dibandingkan.
Hanya sebagian Skeleton yang telah dihabisi. Mereka mulai bangkit kembali, menyusun diri, dan terus maju.
"Tahan garis!"
Para tanker mengangkat perisai mereka dan menutup celah di antara pagar-pagar kayu.
"Tudukan Perisai!"
"Uooo!"
Kwaaah!
Gelombang kejut meledak dari pagar kayu, mengirim para Skeleton terbang mundur. Para tanker yang berada di dalam mendorong Skeleton yang memanjat pagar, dan para dealer di belakang mereka membentuk garis pertahanan untuk memblokirnya.
Di antara mereka ada Adipati Agung Utara.
Krak! Kwang!
Dengan kapak dua tangannya, ia menghancurkan para Skeleton, tak satu pun yang bisa melewati garis pertahanan.
"Oh cahaya!"
"Berikan kami keselamatan!"
Para cleric berselimut keringat saat mereka menggunakan teknik suci mereka.
"M-mereka menahannya. Garis pertahanan pertama kokoh bagaikan tembok baja! Para pemanah dan penyihir terus membombardir mereka!"
Fweeee! Kwaaah!
Menyaksikan anak panah yang meledak, Kim Seok-jun merasakan secercah harapan.
"Ramuan!!"
"Di sini juga! Ramuan saya habis total!"
"Kita kekurangan ramuan!"
Para pemain yang bertubringa cepat berkeliling medan perang dengan tas berisi ramuan dan kantong ramuan di tangan. Mereka mengenakan helm keselamatan dan hanya berbekal perlengkapan seadanya.
Meskipun para cleric melakukan yang terbaik untuk menggunakan teknik suci, jumlah mereka terlalu sedikit, sehingga para pemain ini langsung menuangkan ramuan penyembuh ke atas yang terluka. Bertindak sebagai medis pengganti cleric yang kurang, mereka juga berperan sebagai pasukan pasokan yang membagikan ramuan kekuatan sihir.
"T-tuhan, sial! Lengan dan kaki saya sobek semuanya!"
"Saya rasa ramuan tak bisa menyembuhkan ini!"
Luka setingkat ini butuh waktu cukup lama untuk sembuh meski dengan teknik suci para cleric. Para cleric saat ini hanya menangani luka yang memungkinkan bergerak, sambil memusatkan kekuatan suci mereka pada para Skeleton.
Tidak ada kapasitas untuk menangani pemain yang terluka parah.
Saat ksatria yang dipukul Skeleton itu mengangguk, sang medis cepat-cepat mengeluarkan belati.
[TankerBangBang menantang FastFootThief untuk duel.]
[Duel dimulai!]
"Sampai jumpa dalam satu jam."
"Ya, bertahanlah!"
Desis!
Sang medis menggoreskan belati dengan bersih ke leher sang ksatria.
Fsssshh!
Sang ksatria berubah menjadi abu dan menghilang saat mati. Ada pemain yang, karena tak mampu lagi bertempur, memilih untuk mengakhiri hidupnya dengan cepat.
"Kita masih! Masih bertahan! Pagar-pagar rusak, tapi para tanker memblokir dengan tubuh mereka!"
Kim Seok-jun berseru, memperbarui situasi.
"Garis pertahanan pertama masih aman..."
-Tahan sedikit lagi!
-Mereka bilang sedang dalam perjalanan!
-Tahan garisnya!
Tepat saat Kim Seok-jun menyampaikan harapan bahwa mereka bisa bertahan.
Tiba-tiba!
Seluruh Skeleton di medan perang berhenti bergerak secara mendadak. Bahkan Skeleton yang hendak menggigit seorang prajurit, dan Skeleton yang merangkak di tanah dengan tubuh bagian bawah yang remuk, ikut berhenti.
The torches flickered.
The torches illuminating the perimeter of the wooden palisade quivered violently, then all went out at once, like candles snuffed out by a strong gust of wind. Not even a wisp of smoke remained.
Clatter! Clatter!
A ominous sense of dread, mingled with the sound of bones, swept in like the wind.
The skeletons, revealed by the moonlight in the darkness, looked as if they had crawled out of a black swamp. Their number far exceeded thousands, engulfing the front of Lunatie like a massive tide.
The Skeletons did not run.
They staggered forward at a steady pace. That made it all the more chilling.
Snap!
The Northern Grand Duke raised her fist.
Haebyul, the vanguard archer stationed at the rearmost part of the defensive line, saw this and drew her bowstring, inhaling sharply.
“Draw!”
At Haebyul’s shout, the archers simultaneously pulled their bowstrings and raised their bows. Following Haebyul’s lead, they calculated the distance and adjusted to the angle that would allow their arrows to fall the fastest.
“Casting!”
As the Northern Grand Duke opened her fist, the vanguard mages raised their staffs and shouted. The mages positioned behind the archers all began casting magic in unison.
Whoosh!
Magic circles started to form in the air one by one. Initially, they appeared randomly all over the place, but with the movements of the mages’ staffs, the circles arranged themselves in a line in the air.
The players remained silent. They were fully focused, waiting solely for commands. The horrifying sound of bones grinding against each other grew louder, yet not a single one flinched.
Kim Seok-jun was so overwhelmed by the atmosphere that he could not speak. He could only clench his fists tightly while floating his camera to capture the battlefield situation on video.
It was the moment when the front line of Skeletons reached right in front of the palisade.
When the Northern Grand Duke stretched out her hand forward.
“Fire!”
At Haebyul’s cry, all the archers released their bowstrings. The arrows shot forth and pierced through the floating magic circles in the air.
Fwoosh!
The arrows were imbued with magic, and fierce flames erupted. Numerous arrows flew over the players’ heads in parabolic arcs and fell toward the Skeletons.
Thwack! Bababababam!
The arrows pierced into the Skeletons approaching the palisade and the ground. Some Skeletons collapsed with shattered bones, but it wasn’t enough.
“Flame Explosion!”
As the vanguard mage shouted, the mages all simultaneously cast Flame Explosion.
Kwagagagaga!
The archers’ magic power contained in the arrows and the mages’ Flame Explosion spell detonated together, shaking the earth. Countless arrows exploded, sending up pillars of flame in a truly spectacular sight.
“Ugh!”
The blast wave violently shook Kim Seok-jun’s body.
Barely managing to hold on, he opened his trembling lips.
“A, a tremendous explosion! It seems the arrows passed through the magic circles and were imbued with explosive magic!”
The result was impressive.
Hundreds of skeletons approaching the palisade were instantly smashed and completely turned to powder, forming a white layer on the ground. Just as the white powder began to gather again to form bones, the clerics stretched out their arms and released holy power.
Flaaash!
Some of the recovering Skeletons immediately collapsed and vanished. The holy power had worked.
“Holy power is effective! We need the strength of the clerics. Right now, we are critically short on clerics!”
Kim Seok-jun broadcast the situation live, informing not only the viewers but also the Heroes rushing toward Lunatie. They had turned on radio mode and were running at full speed.
Kim Seok-jun trembled.
He was more nervous than when he first covered a national soccer match broadcast. No, it couldn’t even be compared.
Only a portion of the Skeletons had been eliminated. They began to rise again, reforming and pressing forward.
“Hold the line!”
The tanks raised their shields and filled the gaps between the palisades.
“Shield Charge!”
“Uooo!”
Kwaaah!
A shockwave blasted from the palisade, sending the Skeletons flying backward. The tanks stationed inside pushed off the Skeletons climbing over the palisade, and the dealers behind them formed a defense line to block them.
Among them was the Northern Grand Duke.
Crack! Kwang!
Smashing the Skeletons with her two-handed axe, she did not let a single one pass the defense line.
“Oh light!”
“Grant us salvation!”
The clerics were drenched in sweat as they used their sacred techniques.
“Th-they’re holding them off. The first defensive line is solid as a steel wall! The archers and mages are continuously bombarding them!”
Fweeee! Kwaaah!
Watching the exploding arrows, Kim Seok-jun felt a glimmer of hope.
“Potions!!”
“Over here too! I’m completely out!”
“We’re short on potions!”
Quick-footed players roamed the battlefield with their inventories filled with potions and potion bags in hand. They wore safety helmets and were equipped with only the bare minimum gear.
Though the clerics were doing their best to use sacred techniques, they were too few in number, so these players directly poured healing potions on the wounded. They acted as medics in place of the lacking clerics and also served as supply units distributing magic power potions.
“D-damn it! My arms and legs are all torn off!”
“I don’t think a potion can heal this!”
This level of injury required quite a bit of time to heal even with clerics' sacred techniques. The clerics were currently only treating injuries that allowed movement, while focusing their holy power on the Skeletons.
There was no capacity to care for critically injured players.
As the warrior struck by the Skeleton nodded, the medic swiftly drew a dagger.
[TankerBangBang has challenged FastFootThief to a duel.]
[Duel initiated!]
“See you in an hour.”
“Yes, hang in there!”
Slash!
The medic drew the dagger cleanly across the warrior’s throat.
Fsssshh!
The warrior turned to ash and vanished upon death. There were players who, rendered combat-incapable, chose to end their lives quickly.
“We’re still! Still holding on! The palisades are damaged, but the tanks are blocking with their bodies!”
Kim Seok-jun shouted, updating the situation.
“The first defensive line is still okay…”
-Hang in there just a bit more!
-They said they’re on the way now!
-Hold the line!
Just as Kim Seok-jun was delivering the hope that they could endure.
Suddenly!
All the Skeletons on the battlefield abruptly stopped moving. Even the Skeleton trying to bite a warrior, and the Skeleton crawling on the ground with its lower body shattered, stopped.
“Th-they’ve suddenly stopped moving… Oh, wait! The Death Knight is moving.”
Kim Seok-jun swallowed hard after finishing his sentence.
The Northern Grand Duke was also watching the Death Knight. The Death Knight rose from the throne and stretched out its hand.
Creeeak! Creak!
At that moment, the head of a Skeleton near the frontline twisted to the side. And that wasn’t the end.
Crack!
Its head turned all the way around until it was fully backward, flipping its upper and lower halves. In that position, its jaw trembled and then opened grotesquely wide, with a sound like its jaw joint had dislocated.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
The Skeletons screamed in horror. Their screams were disturbingly humanlike. Along with the scream, purple smoke burst from their gaping mouths.
“Something’s coming! Get ready!”
As the Northern Grand Duke’s shout rang out, the behavior of the Skeletons with twisted heads changed. They no longer attacked by swinging weapons. They dropped all their bone swords and bone spears to the ground.
Thud!
Then they rushed at the palisade and tanks.
KABOOOM!
Without any time to prepare, they exploded on contact.
“U-ugh!”
Caught in the shockwave, Kim Seok-jun was thrown backward. He barely got up and looked ahead.
“Ah…”
The exploded area was completely empty. The palisades and tanks had vanished, leaving gaping holes. Through those, more Skeletons surged in. More of the twisted-head Skeletons emerged and overwhelmed the players.
“Th-they seem to latch on if you’re close, like guided missiles!”
Kim Seok-jun observed the situation calmly and shouted. The Northern Grand Duke quickly opened her mouth.
“Tanks! Block them!”
“Understood!”
The tank who had stepped forward charged at the Skeleton with its mouth agape. As if waiting for him, several of them latched onto the tank's body.
More than ten clung to him, forming a ball made of bones.
“Uwaaah! See you in an hour! Shield Charge!”
With the Skeletons still clinging to him, he cast Shield Charge and charged toward the incoming enemies.
Charging straight ahead like a bull.
KABOOOM!
He exploded along with the Skeletons.
[Kekeke, how pathetic. Let me make you hear the screams of the Arsilans.]
The Skeletons with twisted heads screamed.
The Northern Grand Duke’s gaze wavered. Hans, Naria, Lonta, and many others... it felt as though the screams of those who had fallen echoed in her ears.
The Northern Grand Duke glared at the Death Knight, as if about to rush forward immediately, but bit her lip and turned her head.
“Retreat! Regroup at the second defensive line!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
“Fall back to the second defensive line!”
At the Northern Grand Duke’s command, the players quickly pulled back.
“Those who can still move their legs...”
“Uwooooh!”
“Aaaah! For Lunatie!”
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