Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Chapter 231. Wipe Them All Out! (2)

The Hydra.

A dragon-type monster with nine heads, typically inhabiting deep swamps, it was the worst of its kind.

While it was often lumped into the category of a national disaster-level monster, there were still levels of superiority within that classification.

The Hydra was a monster on a completely different level compared to the Earth Dragon.

Scales harder than steel.

A massive mouth that could swallow an Ogre as lightly as a mouse.

The acidic breath it spewed could even melt rocks.

According to records, this creature had previously appeared in the Flame Kingdom, in the northern part of the continent.

At that time, the Flame Kingdom’s national power was at its peak since its founding.

The king at the time was an individual who had received abundant blessings from the Spirit Royal Family, a monster who, despite being human, could wield power surpassing that of a high-ranking spirit.

Due to his existence, the Flame Kingdom’s national power had risen significantly, to the point where it held sway over the northern part of the continent.

However, the national power of such a Flame Kingdom was shattered by the appearance of the Hydra.

The king himself stepped forward and defeated the Hydra.

But in the process, more than half of the country’s territory was trampled, and the military casualties were said to have exceeded 100,000.

It was an incident where the Flame Kingdom, which had grown into a major power in the northern continent, was reduced to a small, weak nation because of a single monster.

Although not comparable to a dragon, it was a disaster ranked just below it.

Such a being had now appeared right before their eyes.

‘I knew that the ordinary one wasn’t the Alpha, but….’

Baron Schneider bit his lip hard.

At this very moment, the Schneider fiefdom’s chances of victory had vanished.

Perhaps if all of the fiefdom’s forces were gathered?

With only the forces remaining in the city now, they could not face this disaster.

If so….

“Open all the gates!”

Baron Schneider shouted in a resolute voice.

“My Lord.”

“Open all the gates. And mages, please inform the entire city. Tell them to evacuate immediately.”

“My Lord, if we open the gates, we won’t be able to stop that monster.”

At someone’s desperate plea, others nodded their heads in agreement.

But Baron Schneider spoke firmly.

“Even if we close the gates, we cannot stop it.”

“…….”

“Open all the gates right now. And issue an evacuation order for the fiefdom. We must save even one more person.”

Even in a battle with no visible chance of victory, Baron Schneider did what he had to do until the very end.

To save even one more of his subjects.

That was his duty.

“Damn it…. Let’s see this through to the end.”

“Hahahaha. It’s a good day to die. A damn good day.”

“Uwoooooooh!”

The warriors roused their fighting spirit.

Although their will to fight had momentarily crumbled at the Hydra’s appearance, Baron Schneider had given them a reason to fight.

Even one more person….

They could save even just one more person.

If they could just hold back the monster’s steps for even a minute, a second longer.

Isn’t that enough?

As a reason to fight, risking death.

“Leave the skies to us!”

The Magic Swordsmen flew up above the walls of the Schneider fiefdom.

Against dozens of Wyverns and a flock of Gargoyles that seemed to number in the hundreds, the 20 Magic Swordsmen looked too shabby and small.

But without them, there was no one else who could protect the skies of this fiefdom.

Fortunately….

“We’ve finished memorizing.”

“Good. Everyone, raise your staves!”

“Yes!”

There were those who, though unable to join them, could help.

The mages finished charging and raised their staves again.

And….

“Everyone, follow me!”

“Yes!”

The Elves who had been shooting arrows from the walls threw down their bows, picked up spears, and leaped down in unison.

And they charged, centered around the Elven Knight, Peioreun.

Their target was the Earth Dragon.

The Hydra still had some time before it reached the walls.

But that Earth Dragon was right at the city’s doorstep.

Therefore….

“First, we stop that one. Flare, Metron.”

Peioreun simultaneously called upon the high-ranking spirit of fire and the high-ranking spirit of earth.

It was the moment when the Elven Knight, said to surpass a 7th-star knight in human terms, revealed his true power.

And centered around him, dozens of Elven warriors followed with spears in hand.

The 4th wave of the Stampede.

The desperate ordeal had begun.

***

“Run! Run faster!”

“Forget the luggage, just drop it and run!”

The subjects of the fiefdom were madly rushing out of the city.

In truth, they should have left when the evacuation order was first issued.

But abandoning most of their property to become refugees was not such an easy choice.

Moreover, wasn’t the Schneider fiefdom protected by sturdy walls at a glance?

Crucially, they had been too safe for the past 10 years.

Even in the East, which was always plagued by the threat of monsters, this Schneider fiefdom had been able to enjoy a period of peace thanks to the protection of the Orcs and the activities of the Knightly Order.

Being told to abandon that and flee, their sense of reality didn’t immediately accept it.

However….

Now they knew.

They knew that the lord had not given them such an order for no reason.

A roar and vibration as if an earthquake had struck continued for half a day.

Despite the fiefdom’s army fighting with all their might, it was a terrifying destructive power that made them anxious.

And the moment the mages announced through amplification magic that they could hold out no longer….

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

“Run away!”

“Mom, moooom!”

“Kevin!”

The citizens were engulfed in fear and ran outside.

There was no time now to respond to the sorrowful voice of a woman who had lost her child in the chaos.

Everyone just hoped to escape this scene even a step faster.

And there were those who were fighting desperately to buy time for them to escape.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

“Uwoooooooh!”

Boom! Crash!

Oliver, leaning his back against Turanta’s, swung his sword and spoke.

“Are you alright? Chief.”

“I’m fine. Soldier A.”

“It’s Knight A now.”

“Same difference.”

“Damn it….”

The corner of Oliver’s mouth curled up.

Was the reason curses were spewing from his mouth because of this fate that hadn’t changed even after becoming a knight?

Or….

“Is it because of this damn situation?”

Enemies, enemies, enemies….

No matter where he looked, there were only ferocious monsters.

Baron Schneider had ordered Oliver to retreat the Orc warriors, but that order had already failed.

The moment they joined the fierce, chaotic battle below the castle walls, Oliver and the Knightly Order were also swept up in it.

There was no formation or anything of the sort anymore; they just moved and swung their swords at whatever came at them.

He was lucky to have someone to watch his back.

There was no way of knowing what had happened to his other subordinates.

“Damn it….”

“Calm down. Knight A.”

“…….”

“A warrior’s anger is not beneficial. Calm down and fight.”

“Damn it. I know. I know.”

“Let’s go!”

And the moment their backs separated, they shot forward, launching fierce attacks at the monsters.

Oliver swung his sword like a madman.

There was no one left to guard his back.

Fighting mindlessly, he found himself separated from everyone, struggling alone.

Still, a quick glance around told him that the battle was still in full swing.

“Falcon!”

“Cherubim!”

The flames and lightning flashing and erupting from the sky were proof that the Magic Swordsmen were fighting a desperate battle against the flying monsters.

Seeing them fight so fiercely in the sky despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, one could understand why the fame of the Magic Swordsmen was so renowned throughout the continent.

And in a place far away, the Elves were unleashing a formidable power against the Earth Dragon, which was half-buried in the ground.

“Concentrate your attacks! We have to cut its breath!”

Peioreun, who had trapped the Earth Dragon with the spirit of earth, shouted at the top of his lungs.

At his command, the Elves who had learned the Supreme Purity Heart Law from Patrick mobilized all their spirits and aura to attack the Earth Dragon.

Flames and boulders, sword winds and whips of compressed water currents violently struck the massive Earth Dragon’s body.

The Earth Dragon roared in pain at their attacks, but still, every time it swung its tail or a foreleg, it unleashed terrifying destructive power.

Their best…. They were truly doing their best, to the point of tears.

But….

“Aaargh!”

“Kuaaargh!”

The screams of their allies could be heard from all sides.

No matter how much they fought with all their might, in the end, all they could do was buy time.

Limit, defeat.

Words that brought despair to mind flashed through his head.

At that moment.

“Kwooooar!”

An Ogre raised its club high in front of him.

It was an attack he could dodge if he wanted to.

But….

‘Have I done enough?’

His stamina and energy were at their limits.

Above all, his fighting spirit would not rise any further.

The moment strength was about to leave Oliver’s sword-wielding hand….

“Charge!”

A familiar voice echoed loudly.

A voice so familiar.

But it was a voice that rarely, if ever, resounded so thunderously.

Kwaang!

Oliver, who had instinctively dodged the attack, turned his gaze to the source of the sound and….

“My Lord!”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Baron Schneider, in old armor and holding a shabby iron sword, was leading the soldiers out of the castle gate and charging towards the monsters.

It was foolish.

It was reckless.

Baron Schneider’s swordsmanship was at best 1-star.

Despite decades of training, he was a man with absolutely no talent for the sword, reaching only that level.

Why would he, a middle-aged man whose body was past its prime, do such a reckless thing?

But that wasn’t what was important right now.

If Oliver was a knight?

There was only one thing to do here.

“Protect the Lord!”

A knight is a being who must die before his lord.

Oliver cut down the monsters blocking his path, wiped away the blood obscuring his vision, and ran forward.

***

‘Father. Did you also feel this way?’

Was it because death was before him?

As Baron Schneider ran, memories of the past flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

It was a memory of his late father.

He was a little better than himself, but still not very talented with the sword.

But whenever news of monsters entering the fiefdom was heard, he always stood at the forefront with the knights and fought.

He respected his father for that, but he also felt anxious watching his mother nervously await his father’s return.

He had once voiced that complaint.

Why be so reckless?

The Knightly Order’s level wouldn’t change much even if his father wasn’t there, so why do such a reckless thing?

Shouldn’t a lord, as a lord, protect his position from the rear? he had asked.

At that time, his father had simply smiled bitterly and said.

[You’ll understand one day too.]

He had thought it was just an awkward excuse.

After all, his father was a man of few words.

However….

‘Yes. I think I understand now.’

You were like this too.

You wanted to protect.

You shed so much blood because there was something more precious than life.

And you could be willingly reckless because there was someone to follow in your footsteps.

‘To think I’d only understand at this age….’

Even if he were to die here, there was someone to carry on after him.

A successor a hundred, no, a thousand times more brilliant than himself.

‘Father, I may be a lesser lord than you. But your grandson will be different.’

A monster was close at hand.

A Troll.

Among the monsters present here, it was on the weaker side, but to him, there would be little difference between it and the Hydra.

Still, he did not retreat and charged forward, sword in hand.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaah!”

‘I will see you soon, Father. I have so much to tell you.’

A clumsy strike swung with the resolve of certain death.

The Troll swung a fearsome fist at such a Baron Schneider.

The moment that hard fist collided with Baron Schneider’s sword….

Kwaaaaaang!

A terrifying roar echoed.

And at the same time, the Troll was turned to pulp and sent flying backward.

“…Huh?”

Baron Schneider looked at his sword with a bewildered expression.

“When did I ever have such terrifying destructive power….”

Answering his dazed voice was….

“Are you… talking… nonsense?”

“…Huh?”

“I… I’m really… so frustrated…. My lifespan…. Damn it all….”

A resigned, jumbled reply came from right beside Baron Schneider.

There, was a familiar face, pale as a sheet.

“Pa…trick?”

It was his son.

His most dependable son in the world was there, with a terrified look on his face.

“I’m going crazy… really… truly….”

He must have rushed over in such a hurry that even the great Patrick couldn’t catch his breath.

He then took a deep breath and said to Baron Schneider.

“Later, let’s talk later, Father!”

Patrick gritted his teeth.

Looking around, everything was a mess.

His hometown.

This place, built with everyone’s blood, sweat, and tears, was being ravaged by the enemy.

Pudeudeudeuk.

Patrick raised his sword high and shouted.

“Wipe them all out!”

Simultaneously with that cry, a group of people poured out from behind the Schneider castle walls like a raging wave.

The main force of the Baron Schneider family had arrived.