Chapter 488: Monsters, Might, And Mayhem [Part 1]

Standing on the ramparts of Eden, Magnus narrowed his eyes at the distance.

From his vantage point, he could see the outline of the tents made by the barbarians three miles away.

Through news from his King, he learned that the Barbarians had faced off against the Kingdom of Britannia and forced the latter to retreat.

But he counted it as their luck. The Kingdom of Britannia could’ve pushed with their campaign and won if it weren’t for the surprise invasion from their neighbors.

In any case, the barbarians could now focus all of their attention on reclaiming Eden.

’It’s quite fortunate that we could use this fortress against them,’ Magnus thought.

When they found out that Eden was abandoned, they immediately checked the wells to see if they had been poisoned.

Just as they expected, they were all contaminated with lethal poison. This wasn’t an issue since they had mages who purified the water right away. For safety purposes, they also double-checked the entire fortress, checking if there were any traps that could threaten their lives.

After doing a sweep of the city, they confirmed that there was nothing aside from the poisoned wells.

With the entirety of the Aurelion Army occupying the space within the walls of Eden, they held the upper hand in this war against the barbarians.

"Make sure to increase the men doing the night watch," Magnus ordered. "There is a possibility that they will conduct a night raid."

"Yes, Sir!" the captain of the guards replied.

When night fell, a tense atmosphere descended upon Eden. The barbarians didn’t make a move during the day, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they attacked during the night.

Everyone was in a battle-ready state, with some even sleeping with their weapons close to their bodies.

And yet, despite their vigilance, the barbarians didn’t make any move to attack that night.

The next day, Magnus gathered all the commanders of the Aurelion Army and told them about the strategy they would use once the barbarians started their attacks.

With the Wind Guardian on their side, defending against ranged attacks wouldn’t be that much of a problem.

"We will force them to scale the walls of Eden and eliminate them in an orderly manner," Magnus said. "They will regret the day they allowed us to take over Eden. No matter what they do, they can never get it back."

The commanders all nodded in agreement. Fighting out on the open plains and fighting inside a fortress were two different battlefields.

The defenders would have the advantage, for they had protective walls on their side.

However, Magnus still didn’t underestimate the barbarians. After all, they had Gundar with them.

Those who had seen his battle with Zepharion several years ago would never underestimate the Great Shaman of the Borderlands.

Even the walls of Eden would feel like a sheet of paper against a calamity that could tear the land asunder.

Morning turned into noon... and noon turned into night, but the barbarians still hadn’t made a move.

They didn’t even attempt to inch closer to the fortress and simply stayed in their camp.

This continued for three more days, which made Magnus wonder what the savages were thinking.

"Perhaps they gave up?" one of the commanders of the Army voiced his opinion out loud. "After all, not only do we outnumber them, but we also have the advantage of having a fortress. Maybe they couldn’t agree on a strategy because every single one they think of wouldn’t work."

While the four other commanders, including Magnus and Evander, didn’t agree with the commander’s words, his words were true.

They had the advantage in numbers, and they also had a fortress. If the barbarians were to really attack them, it would be akin to throwing an egg at a rock.

However, someone who had been keeping quiet during the entire meeting finally spoke up.

"They will come," Zepharion said. "The wind tells me so."

At his words, the commander who spoke earlier quieted down.

Zepharion was the Guardian of the Aurelion Empire, and his words were only second to the High King.

Although Magnus was the Supreme Commander of the Army, Zepharion’s commands would always be prioritized over his own.

"Then, when do you think they will attack?" Evander asked.

"I don’t know." Zepharion shrugged. "What I do know is that they will come without fail."

"Tell everyone to remain vigilant, especially the night watch," Magnus ordered. "We can’t lower our guard no matter what."

Finally, night came once again.

In the past few days, everyone was on edge at night. They knew they had to rest, but they feared that if they closed their eyes, they could become an instant victim of a night raid.

They barely managed to sleep, and as a result, they were all exhausted during the day.

After three days of unrelenting tension, the soldiers were like strings stretched to their breaking point.

They had spent every night on high alert, expecting the barbarians to launch an attack when they least expected it.

The constant vigilance had finally taken its toll, leaving them exhausted and unable to get a proper night’s sleep.

Although they remained prepared to fight, even the most disciplined soldiers had their limits.

’I’ll sleep properly tonight,’ one of the soldiers thought. ’If something happens, the alarms will definitely ring.’

He wasn’t the only one who thought this way.

The majority of the soldiers were the same.

So, with the intention of trusting the watchers on night duty, they all decided to have a proper sleep for once.

Two hours before midnight...

Somewhere in the Barbarian Camp, the youngest chieftain of the Borderlands slowly opened his eyes.

"It’s time," Leone said.

Around him, his vassals, and all the chieftains, all stood up and exited the tent.

Tonight was the night of the new moon.

Although the stars shone in the heavens, their light wasn’t strong enough to illuminate the land like the moon.

And under the cover of that darkness, the barbarians started to move.

They didn’t bring any torches with them.

They simply moved toward the brightly lit fortress in the distance.

Step by step, they inched their way toward Eden.

Three miles...

Two miles...

One mile...

Eight hundred meters...

And then, they stopped.

"Prepare the Fireshard Catapults," Leone said as he stood at the forefront of this mighty barbarian army. His voice was only loud enough for those near him to hear.

And yet, they all moved as if they had heard it loud and clear.

They had brought one hundred and fifty Fireshard Catapults in this battle. The moment Leone gave the signal, a hundred-fifty projectiles of death would descend upon the city and cause massive destruction in their wake.

The shamans positioned themselves as they waited for the signal to strike.

"Kael, it’s your turn," Leone beckoned.

Kael nodded and slowly raised his hand.

Then, as if swatting a fly, he swung down with great vigor.

A moment later, a rumbling sound spread across the entirety of Eden.

Everything happened so fast that no one, not even the watchers, reacted in time.

The city walls beneath their feet crumbled.

The houses where they slept collapsed, burying those who slept inside them without warning.

The bells everyone expected to ring didn’t ring, but were replaced by countless screams as the city of Eden crumbled without rhyme or reason.

While this was happening, two shouts echoed outside the city.

"Fire!" Leone ordered.

The moment this order was given, the Fireshard Catapults unleashed their first volley.

"Chaaaaaaaaaarge!" Troy roared as he took the lead to charge toward their holy city.

War cries from countless tribes reverberated across the battlefield as tens of thousands of barbarians stormed the city with fury.

Leone watched this from a safe distance, guarded by Kael, Brann, Blitz, Vlad, and Maximus.

The rest, including Ulric, Jason, and Otto, joined the battle, eager to kill as many invaders as possible.

The Kingdom of Britannia and the Aurelion Empire referred to the barbarians as savages.

Well, they weren’t wrong.

They were indeed a savage race, especially when it came to fighting in close combat.

The night watchers, who survived falling from the ramparts of the city walls, quickly found themselves the first victims of the barbarian tribes who were all out for blood.

Soon, dying and frightened screams could be heard throughout the surroundings, accompanied by loud explosions from the Fireshard Catapults that continued their onslaught from the rear of the barbarian formation.

This was a battle that both the barbarians and the Aurelion Army would remember for the rest of their lives.

A battle that would be recorded in the pages of history as the Great Battle of Eden, where thousands of Aurelion Army soldiers would meet their untimely demise in the hands of the barbarians they looked down upon the most.