Journey to Become the Zenith

Alone Against the Endless Dead

”Formation!”

Ramona Redcliffe roared.

The remaining warriors instantly tightened their ranks.

The front line lowered their shields while those behind thrust their spears through the narrow gaps.

CLANG!

The first Dullahan’s blade smashed into a shield, sending the defending knight sliding several meters across the blood-soaked earth.

Before the undead commander could raise its weapon again—

THRUST!

Three spears pierced its chest simultaneously.

Its body stiffened.

Green flames burst violently from the cracks in its armor before the cursed knight collapsed into lifeless bones.

”There!”

One Redcliffe warrior pointed toward a group of undead mages.

The robed figures stood safely behind the front lines, raising staffs formed from twisted black bones.

Dark green magic circles spread beneath their feet.

Corrupt cemetery-cold mana gathered into countless ghostly spears.

The temperature around them dropped sharply.

Even breathing became painful.

”Move!”

Ramona shouted.

The ghostly spears descended like rain.

BOOM!

The battlefield erupted.

Several Redcliffe warriors were thrown into the air as explosions ripped apart the ground beneath them.

One knight staggered to his knees, half his armor shattered.

Before a skeletal warrior could finish him—

Ramona appeared.

Her spear flashed.

One strike pierced the skeleton’s skull.

A second spinning thrust crushed another.

Without stopping, she kicked the wounded knight back toward his companions.

”Stand!”

”I... I can still fight!”

The knight forced himself back onto his feet despite blood pouring from his shoulder.

He wasn’t alone.

None of them intended to fall while another breath remained.

Suddenly...

The earth trembled.

Heavy footsteps echoed across the battlefield.

Another Ogre King had arrived.

Nearly four meters tall, the massive undead giant dragged an enormous Giant Battle Axe behind it. Every step crushed bones buried beneath the battlefield.

Its empty eyes glowed with eerie green fire.

The monster roared.

The sound alone shook nearby warriors.

Without hesitation, it swung its Giant Battle Axe horizontally.

WHOOSH!

Several knights ducked just in time.

Those who reacted a heartbeat slower were thrown away by the shockwave alone.

Ramona narrowed her eyes.

”If that monster breaks our formation...”

”We’re finished.”

She gripped her spear tighter.

”With me!”

Five surviving veterans immediately followed her.

They surrounded the Ogre King from different directions.

The giant laughed with an inhuman growl before smashing its weapon downward.

BOOM!!

The ground exploded.

Mud, stone, and shattered bones flew everywhere.

Ramona used the blast itself to leap higher.

Her spear gathered every remaining ounce of strength she possessed.

”Now!”

The other warriors attacked simultaneously.

One severed the giant’s left leg.

Another buried his sword into its ribs.

Ramona’s spear pierced directly through one blazing green eye.

The Ogre King released a deafening roar before collapsing onto one knee.

The remaining knights didn’t hesitate.

They unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.

Steel struck bone.

Spears pierced rotten flesh.

Finally...

CRACK!

The giant’s skull shattered.

Its green flames flickered once...

Then vanished forever.

Cheers rose briefly among the exhausted warriors.

But they died almost immediately.

Another tide of undead was already advancing.

There was no time to celebrate.

No time to mourn.

Only time to fight.

...

Not far away...

Clara, who was unable to return to the walls of Fantom City, was locked in a brutal battle against an undead warrior.

Smoke drifted across the battlefield, partially hiding the countless corpses scattered around her.

Many wore the armor of adventurers.

Many had once answered her commands.

Now...

Only three companions remained beside her.

The rest had already fallen.

Clara’s breathing had become ragged.

Her beautiful blonde hair, once neatly tied behind her head, had become stained with dirt, blood, and ash. Her purple eyes remained focused despite overwhelming exhaustion.

Her armor had been smashed beyond repair.

Large cracks covered every plate.

Several pieces had completely broken away, exposing bruised skin beneath.

Her shield had fared even worse.

After blocking countless attacks throughout the battle, it had finally split apart earlier.

She had discarded it without hesitation.

Now...

Only her sword remained in one hand.

Her mace rested firmly in the other.

Her mana had long since been completely depleted.

Every spell.

Every enhancement.

Every protective barrier.

Gone.

Only the strength of her own body remained.

The undead warrior rushed toward her.

Its rusted blade descended.

Clang!

Clara caught the strike with her sword.

Before the undead could react—

CRACK!

Her mace slammed into its ribs with crushing force.

Bones shattered instantly.

The creature staggered.

She stepped forward.

One clean slash removed its head.

The corpse collapsed.

Another skeletal warrior immediately lunged from behind.

Without even looking—

She spun naturally.

Her mace intercepted its sword.

Her own blade pierced its skull.

Everything flowed without conscious thought.

Block with the sword.

Attack with the mace.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Her movements had become instinct itself.

Every defense naturally became an attack.

Every attack naturally prepared her next defense.

Months of training...

Years of battle...

Everything had fused together within this desperate fight.

She was growing.

Sharpening herself against impossible odds.

Unfortunately...

It still wasn’t enough.

No matter how much she improved...

The enemy never stopped coming.

Suddenly—

”Captain...!”

A familiar voice cried out.

Clara’s heart tightened.

She turned just in time to witness one of her remaining companions being impaled through the chest by a skeletal spear.

”No...”

Another adventurer rushed forward to help.

An undead mage launched a dark bolt.

It pierced directly through his shoulder before several skeletal warriors overwhelmed him.

The final companion screamed while desperately fighting to reach them.

His cries echoed across the battlefield.

One...

Then another...

The voices abruptly fell silent.

Clara heard the dying screams of her companions.

For only a single heartbeat...

Her sword stopped moving.

Grief surged through her chest.

But she forced herself to act.

”I’m... sorry.”

Golden flames erupted from her empty palm.

Although her mana reserves had been exhausted, the last trace of spiritual energy lingering within her body answered her desperate will.

The flames consumed their bodies.

Within moments...

Only ashes remained.

No corpse.

No flesh.

Nothing the necromancers could ever twist into another servant of death.

Clara lowered her head briefly.

”Rest peacefully.”

When she raised it again...

There was no one left beside her.

Now she was truly alone in the middle of the battlefield. Her conscious was already murky at this point but she kept on moving, since stopping means death. She already surpassed her limits long ago, as her body was near the point of breaking.