Journey to Become the Zenith

The Will to Stand

It took half a day for Eon and Brinda to return with at least a hundred men.

The sun had already begun its slow descent toward the western horizon by the time they arrived. Long shadows stretched across the wilderness outside Fantom City, painting the earth in shades of gold and amber.

The gathering point that had once been quiet was now crowded.

Mercenaries.

Former gang members.

Veteran fighters.

Young warriors who had never seen a real battlefield.

Men and women from every corner of the region stood together beneath the fading sunlight.

Some carried swords.

Some carried spears.

Others held bows, axes, or staffs.

Yet despite their differences, every single one of them wore the same expression.

Unease.

Fear.

Expectation.

The rumors had already spread.

An army was coming.

Not bandits.

Not enemy soldiers.

An undead army.

Meanwhile, Clara had yet to return.

The Adventurer’s Guild was in chaos as preparations for the upcoming battle accelerated. Barricades were being planned. Supplies were being gathered. Messages were being sent.

Instead of returning personally, Clara had sent a detailed report through a messenger.

Lane stood beneath a large tree and silently read the document.

The contents were grim.

Due to the ongoing war with the Blackthorn Kingdom, reinforcements from the capital would not be able to reach Fantom City for at least half a month.

Half a month.

For ordinary people, that might not sound like much.

For people facing an undead army, it felt like an eternity.

That meant there would be no help.

No royal army.

No knights.

No powerful reinforcements.

They would be completely alone.

The messenger nervously waited nearby while Lane finished reading.

After a moment, she folded the report.

The wind gently moved strands of her dark hair.

Then she closed her eyes.

Silence fell around her.

’I wonder where Victor is right now...’

The thought appeared naturally.

In moments like these, her mind always drifted toward him.

The man who somehow always seemed to have an answer.

The man who could look at impossible situations and smile as if they were nothing.

The man she trusted more than anyone else.

’If he were here... what would he do?’

She stood there quietly for several moments.

The gathered fighters waited.

Nobody dared interrupt.

Eventually, Lane opened her eyes.

Her dark gaze swept across the assembled force.

Eon stood at the front with folded arms.

Brinda leaned against a nearby tree, a small smile on her face despite the situation.

Behind them stood nearly a hundred fighters.

Some looked determined.

Some looked uncertain.

Some looked outright terrified.

Lane studied them carefully.

’A hundred people...’

For a brief moment she assessed their strength.

Their discipline.

Their equipment.

Their morale.

’This is all the forces they could gather?’

Her expression didn’t change.

’Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

Whether there were a hundred.

Or a thousand.

The enemy was still coming.

Lane stepped forward.

Immediately the crowd fell silent.

The surrounding wind seemed to grow still.

Every eye focused on her.

”Right now an undead army is heading towards our town!”

Her voice was calm.

Yet somehow it carried across the entire gathering.

”I want everyone here to help me delay that army from getting to Fantom City.”

She paused.

Her gaze swept across the crowd.

”We delay them for a minute, an hour, a day, and if possible a week!”

The words hit the assembled fighters heavily.

Many lowered their heads.

Others exchanged nervous looks.

Then someone finally shouted.

”That’s impossible!”

The voice came from somewhere within the crowd.

A large man stepped forward.

Fear and frustration were visible on his face.

Eon immediately recognized him as one of his own subordinates.

His expression darkened.

He was about to step forward and discipline the man—

But Lane moved first.

A blazing arrow of fire appeared.

For a split second, the battlefield was illuminated by orange light.

Then—

Boom.

The spell pierced through the man’s skull.

Before anyone could react, flames consumed his body.

Moments later there was nothing left but drifting ashes.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The crowd froze.

Several people subconsciously stepped backward.

Others felt their blood turn cold.

Lane looked at the spot where the man had stood.

Her gaze remained completely indifferent.

As if she had merely stepped on an insect.

”Anybody else thinks it’s impossible?”

Her voice wasn’t loud.

It didn’t need to be.

The scene they had just witnessed was enough.

Fear spread through the gathering like ice.

Nobody answered.

Nobody even dared breathe too loudly.

The atmosphere became suffocating.

”Good.”

Lane nodded.

Then she slowly continued.

”I’ll tell you now.”

The pressure surrounding her began to rise.

Mana gathered around her body.

Invisible.

Yet impossible to ignore.

”I don’t care what you guys think.”

The air grew heavier.

Many fighters felt their shoulders sink.

Some struggled to maintain eye contact.

”All you people need to know is that you are people under Victor’s command.”

At the mention of Victor’s name, several expressions changed.

Some looked inspired.

Others looked respectful.

A few even looked hopeful.

Victor’s influence had spread farther than most realized.

”As such, I don’t want to see you guys cowering in fear.”

Lane’s voice became colder.

Sharper.

”Those of you who show any signs of retreating without permission will be killed on the spot.”

Several people visibly trembled.

The killing intent radiating from her felt almost tangible.

It pressed against their skin.

Their lungs.

Their hearts.

Many had faced dangerous opponents before.

Yet few had ever experienced pressure like this.

It felt like standing before a predator.

A monster wearing human skin.

Then Lane took another step forward.

Her eyes seemed to burn with conviction.

”An undead army is marching towards our area.”

The crowd listened in complete silence.

”They came here to wreak havoc in Victor’s territory.”

The words carried weight.

This wasn’t just a battlefield anymore.

This was their home.

Their streets.

Their people.

Their families.

”So as Victor’s loyal subordinates...”

Lane’s voice echoed through the gathering.

”What are you supposed to do with that undead army?”

The pressure became overwhelming.

The crowd felt cornered.

Pushed beyond fear.

Beyond hesitation.

Then finally—

One voice broke through.

”DESTROY THEM!”

A young warrior shouted from the back.

The moment those words were spoken, something changed.

The fear that had dominated the gathering began transforming.

Into anger.

Into determination.

Into resolve.

”DESTROY THEM!”

Another voice joined.

Then another.

And another.

Soon the entire gathering erupted.

”DESTROY THEM!”

”DESTROY THEM!”

”DESTROY THEM!”

The roar echoed through the surrounding wilderness.

Birds scattered from nearby trees.

The ground itself seemed to tremble.

Hearing them shout those words, Lane simply nodded in satisfaction.

Outwardly, she remained the same as always.

Calm.

Composed.

Beautifully stoic.

The image of an untouchable warrior.

Yet inside...

She was already celebrating.

’Victor...’

A rare warmth appeared within her heart.

’I hope you return soon so that you can see my gallant figure as I kill all of your enemies.’

For perhaps the first time that day, the corner of her lips twitched slightly upward.

A smile so faint nobody noticed it.

’Surely when you see me like that you’ll fall even more in love with me.’