Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 154

4. Toward the Yodong Fortress

1

– Huh, such a thing…!

“So, it would be wise to be cautious when facing the Song Empire’s army.”

That evening, after discovering the Jiangshi [undead, reanimated corpses].

Luke directly contacted the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, via magical communication to inform him of the Jiangshi’s existence.

Jo Won-rak, who had established magical communication with the help of the Fairy Clan, was astonished.

The mass appearance of Jiangshi on the battlefield could instantly turn the tide of the war.

He also felt immense anger at the Hwangbo family for turning corpses that should be resting in peace into war weapons, and at Jo Won-gyun for exploiting them.

– Thank you so much, Your Majesty. I will repay this favor without fail.

“Then, I wish you good luck.”

As Luke ended the magical communication, Shirley, who had finished interrogating the prisoners, approached and asked,

“Your Majesty, what will you do with the transport ships?”

“What do you mean, what will I do? We’ll take them to Bonghwang Fortress. Connecting them to the Osterho with thick ropes should provide enough propulsion.”

Thus, the Symphonia Kingdom expeditionary force, along with the Yemaek navy, led the captured Song Empire transport fleet toward Bonghwang Fortress.

The captured Song Empire navy and landing force soldiers followed obediently without attempting to escape or resist.

It wasn’t just because their weapons were confiscated or because they feared the Osterho and the Yemaek navy’s cannons.

If the rough sailors or martial artists had any intention of rebelling, they would have done so already.

But there was a hot topic that had made them docile.

It was the story about the Jiangshi discovered on the transport ships.

The Symphonia expeditionary force, as well as the Yemaek navy, did not hide this, so the rumor spread quickly from person to person, ship to ship.

“Is it true that Jiangshi appeared?”

“I heard that the Hwangbo family had Guigokja [a necromancer or dark sorcerer] make them secretly for this war. They probably planned to use the Jiangshi to break down the enemy forces first, then use us to occupy Yemaek.”

“Those despicable bastards!”

“It’s a lamentable thing. Not only did they disgrace the dead, but they also nearly abandoned their honor as martial artists.”

The martial artists were even more enraged than the sailors.

Most of them had not fought directly against the Baegyo [a demonic cult], but they had repeatedly heard about the horrors from their predecessors.

There was hardly a martial arts clan that had not suffered from the Baegyo’s rampage in the past.

Moreover, they were already dissatisfied with the Hwangbo family, including Hwangbo Gwang, for manipulating state affairs and arbitrarily suppressing numerous martial arts clans.

And now, they had committed such an outrageous act, not knowing the fear of the heavens!

“This war was already unappealing from the start, but now it has completely lost its justification.”

“That’s right, there’s no reason to fight.”

“No, I will fight!”

At one companion’s words, the martial artists around him were startled and asked,

“What? You’ll fight?”

“Yes, I will stand with the Third Prince, who has been branded a traitor, and help overthrow the Hwangbo Gwang faction!”

“It would be better to do that.”

“Indeed, absolutely!”

“I will join you too!”

Defectors emerged from all over the transport ships.

They requested that their weapons be returned, as they would lend their strength to overthrowing the Hwangbo Gwang faction.

Luke had anticipated this situation.

In fact, he had deliberately spread the rumors and even showed the Jiangshi to some of the prisoners to induce this.

However, he couldn’t help but be taken aback by the much larger number of defectors than expected.

“It’s not bad, but controlling them will be a big task.”

“My lord, do you think they will betray us again?” Hwangbo-sung asked.

Luke shook his head.

“Their defection itself is probably sincere. However, no matter how strong individuals are, a unit that is not properly controlled is useless in war.”

Armies put a great deal of effort into organizing their formations.

There are various concepts and formations, from squads of ten, platoons of a hundred, and companies of a thousand, to brigades, divisions, and corps.

Organizations must be meticulously structured, and officers with the right abilities must be assigned to ensure proper control.

An army that is not controlled is no different from a disorganized mob.

“The problem is that each country has different formations. Also, there aren’t many officers, or military officials, among the defectors.”

Even units composed of martial artists were controlled by military officials from the military.

These military officials hardly defected.

Some even jumped into the vast sea or committed suicide after the battle, and had to be stopped.

They also acknowledged that the Hwangbo Gwang faction was in the wrong, but they could not bring themselves to turn their backs on their country.

They were worried about the persecution their parents, siblings, and family members would face.

“As you said, my lord, that is indeed the problem. Even when fighting the Baegyo in the past, the martial arts clans formed a coalition led by the Martial Alliance, creating a formation comparable to an army.”

“Our officers are not only lacking in numbers, but they also don’t speak the same language… Should we ask the Yemaek army to lend us some military officials?”

As Luke was pondering, someone who could help appeared.

“Your Majesty, I can solve that problem.”

It was Zhuge Soha, a court Taoist from the Southern Continent who had participated in this expedition.

Luke looked at her with interest at her confident words.

“You can solve it?”

“Yes, when I was with my family, I was the head of the Cheongeungbang, an intelligence organization. So, I know almost everything about the martial artists.”

Who had mastered what martial arts, which clan they belonged to, what their abilities were, and what role they played within their clan.

She had information on almost everyone who had reached a certain level, even if they weren’t top-tier martial artists.

“That’s impressive. If it’s information on at least several hundred… no, thousands of people, it must be quite extensive…”

“Hehehe. If I couldn’t memorize that much, I wouldn’t be able to call myself a leader of the Zhuge family.”

Nod, nod.

It might have seemed arrogant, but Hwangbo-sung nodded as if it were natural at Zhuge Soha’s words.

The Zhuge family was that exceptional at tasks that required using their minds.

“There are those among the martial artists who are as skilled in command as military officials. If we appoint them as officers, the problem will be solved.”

After all, martial arts clans also had military organizations, and to efficiently control those military organizations, there had to be a formation.

They could select those who played the role of military officials there.

At her explanation, Luke nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Good, I will entrust that task to you. Please proceed as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Thus, the defector unit that Zhuge Soha took charge of was named the Righteous Army (信義軍), after the Martial Alliance army that had fought against the Baegyo in the past.

These Righteous Army members swore to overthrow the Hwangbo Gwang faction and wore headbands stained with their own blood.

Because of this, Luke and the Symphonia knights sometimes called them the Blood Band.

While the Righteous Army was being organized on the ships, the fleet arrived at Bonghwang Fortress.

Bonghwang Fortress was a port city as large as Lamer City, but it was chaotic due to the war situation.

“Line up! We will disembark now!”

The knights, who had set foot on land after a long time, were delighted, but the blacksmiths and iron mages sighed.

The good times were over.

While the Gigantes [large, humanoid war machines] were on the ships, they only had to occasionally check if the magic circles and core components were working properly.

However, from the moment they set foot on land, almost every day would be a continuous cycle of repairs and maintenance.

If they were deployed in battle, they would be even busier.

The more the repair time was delayed, even by a minute or a second, the more the lives of their allies would be at stake.

“If I had known it would be like this, I would have just stayed in the Symphonia Kingdom…”

“But what can we do? We’re the ones who volunteered to see the Southern Continent.”

These mages and blacksmiths were all volunteers.

Therefore, there was no one to blame.

In the end, they began to disembark the Gigantes with deep sighs.

However, the process was not as smooth as they had expected.

Since they had rarely loaded Gigantes onto ships and landed them, everyone was a novice.

‘It’s more of a mess than I thought.’

As time was delayed and trial and error occurred repeatedly, Luke, who was watching from behind, frowned.

Frankly, he could quickly disembark or move the Gigantes using the subspace bracelet he wore on his wrist.

However, the subspace bracelet was not omnipotent.

He had realized that when he fought Arsen.

He had been unable to summon the Gigantes due to Arsen’s interference and repeated attacks.

Moreover, if there was some ancient magic that interfered with subspace summoning, he wouldn’t be able to use it even if he wanted to.

Also, artifacts were not permanent objects.

Since they were man-made, they could break or stop functioning someday.

Therefore, Luke tried to avoid relying on the subspace as much as possible.

‘I should probably start re-training them on landing procedures when I get back.’

The blacksmiths and iron mages, unaware of Luke’s consideration, were sweating profusely as they repeatedly tied the Gigantes to cranes and unloaded them from the ships.

Hwangbo-sung ran up to Luke, who was quietly watching the scene, and delivered a message.

“My lord, King Biryu has come to greet you.”

“Oh, the king himself?”

Shortly after, King Biryu’s party approached Luke.

King Biryu, who was wearing thick armor and armed with a bow, as it was wartime, greeted Luke politely.

“I am Biryu, the ruler of Yemaek. I am truly grateful that you have come from afar to help our nation.”

“It is an honor to meet the one who is revered as the Divine Archer.”

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two rulers immediately shifted the topic to the war.

“You may have received the report, but we encountered the Song Empire’s navy on our way here. They were planning to launch a surprise attack here with their landing force.”

“I already heard about that news through carrier pigeons. It seems they thought it would be difficult to fight head-on, so they tried to attack our rear with a separate force. Because of that, I ordered thorough defenses in other regions besides the border.”

“You did well. But how is the war situation?”

“The enemy’s numbers are so great that we are struggling, but the generals of each fortress and stronghold are holding out well. I was about to lead a support force myself, so how about the King accompany me?”

“I will do so. I will quickly finish preparing for departure.”

It was when Luke and Biryu had finished their conversation.

A messenger in armor rushed over and delivered urgent news.

“Urgent news! Yodong Fortress is under heavy attack from the main force of the Song army!”

“What? The enemy’s main force at Yodong Fortress? What were the garrisons of the fortresses and strongholds in between doing?”

At Biryu’s question, which was close to a shout, the messenger replied with a tearful face.

“Judging by the fact that contact has been lost, they may have already been captured…”

“Huh!”

Biryu wore a look of dismay.

Between the Song Empire and Yodong Fortress, they had built dozens of fortresses and mountain castles along the mountain range, in double and triple layers.

But for them to lose contact all at once!

‘It seems like something unusual has happened.’

Having made that judgment, he spoke to Luke.

“It seems we must depart immediately with a support force to Yodong Fortress. So, King Luke, please follow at your own pace.”

Biryu, who was in a hurry, was about to leave first.

Luke stopped him.

“If you give me one hour, no, 30 minutes, I will finish preparing for departure, so let’s go together. I have something to tell you on the way.”

“Hmm, 30 minutes would be fine!”

At Luke’s intense gaze, Biryu had no choice but to nod.

He prayed that Yodong Fortress would not fall until he and Luke arrived.

2

“Fire! Don’t let a single one of them climb the walls!”

Kwakwang! Pew pew pew!

On the walls of Yodong Fortress, where the Yemaek army’s headquarters was located, shouts and cannon fire echoed incessantly.

Arrows and cannonballs fired by both armies rained down like showers and hail, and the ground and walls were soaked with the blood of soldiers.

‘They’re really coming endlessly!’

Eulji Deok-mun, the Grand Marshal on the castle tower, was inwardly horrified as he watched the enemies constantly swarming like ants on candy.

The enemy’s main force had appeared suddenly.

There had been no reports from the fortresses and strongholds they should have passed through.

If they had been attacked and captured, they would have raised the beacon, even if they couldn’t send a messenger, but even that was missing.

It was truly a ghostly matter.

But now, there was no time to be angry or dumbfounded.

“General, hundreds of enemy cavalry have infiltrated the east gate!”

At the messenger’s urgent report, Eulji Deok-mun hastily issued an order.

“Send a separate force composed of the Jo-ui Seonin [elite warriors]!”

“The separate force is already engaged with them!”

“Then send the Royal Guard warriors! Her Highness the Princess will also allow it.”

The Royal Guard was a unit that protected the Yemaek palace, and 300 of them were in Yodong Fortress to protect Princess So-hye.

Along with them, Zhuge Hwi, who had come to Yemaek with Jo Won-rak, and the fairies of the Northern Continent rushed to support the east gate.

When they arrived, the cavalry was about to come down from the walls and open the gate.

“Fire Blaster!”

“Magic Ball!”

“Charge!”

“Defend the gate!”

The fairy mages unleashed ranged attacks, followed by the Royal Guard warriors and fairy warriors, all targeting the vanguard troops that had infiltrated the gate.

The vanguard fought bravely, but they were outmatched.

The Royal Guard warriors were elite Jo-ui Seonin [elite warriors], and the fairy warriors were the best of their tribe.

They quickly repelled the vanguard and secured the east gate.

“Whew, that was close.”

“I didn’t expect them to mix vanguard troops with regular soldiers and deploy them in such large numbers.”

Eulji Deok-mun, having received the messenger’s report, sighed in relief with his adjutant.

However, this was not the end.

Subsequently, the Song forces deployed vanguard troops at the north, south, east, and west gates, attempting to breach them.

However, the Yemaek forces calmly countered, inflicting losses on the Song forces without any significant breaches.

This setback demoralized the Song forces, causing them to temporarily halt their attack on Yodong Fortress and retreat like a receding tide.

“Whew, did we hold them off?”

“I think so. But how did they suddenly appear at Yodong Fortress?”

“How should I know? Anyway, I hope there won’t be any more sieges today.”

It was then, as the exhausted soldiers sat on the ramparts, sighing in relief, that huge, fearsome-looking giants appeared from the rear of the Song army’s camp.

The Yemaek soldiers’ eyes widened at the sight of these giants.

“W-what are those?”

“They look like wooden oxen?”

“No, those are the armored giants of the northern people!”

As some knowledgeable generals pointed out, the figures emerging from the Song army’s camp were Gigants.

Wooden oxen were rare, and the Zhuge family had ceased their production a few years ago due to a shortage of ironwood.

Even if that weren’t the case, the Zhuge family, who supported Jo Won-rak, had no reason to aid Jo Won-gyun’s faction.

Thus, when Jo Won-rak defected to Yemaek, the family head, Zhuge Mun, led his family into hiding at a pre-arranged location.

Due to these circumstances, Jo Won-rak’s faction, unable to mobilize wooden oxen in large numbers for the war, resorted to another tactic.

They lured Rhodisian merchants, who had come to the Southern Continent, with promises of huge profits and borrowed the Gigants and mercenary riders they possessed.

The Rhodisian merchants had brought one or two Gigants each to protect their branch offices or for gladiatorial matches, but when combined, there were as many as 30.

Of course, these Gigants were very old models compared to those actively used in the Rhodisian continent.

Their condition was almost like scrap.

However, the Yemaek forces, unaware of this, couldn’t help but be flustered.

Moreover, the Gigants mobilized by the Song forces were newly painted, making them look quite impressive.

“General! The Song forces have mobilized a large number of armored giants! What should we do?”

Eulji Deok-mun hesitated to issue an order in response to his adjutant’s question.

He had been through many battles, but this was the first time he had faced Gigants, not wooden oxen.

He was momentarily flustered but quickly regained his composure.

“Prepare the Heavenly Cannons.”

The Heavenly Cannons were the largest cannons in Yemaek’s arsenal.

On land, they were primarily used to destroy enemy siege weapons like battering rams or siege towers.

“Do not fire until I give the order. Do you understand?”

“Yes, General!”

With the adjutant’s response, the Yemaek forces began to move swiftly.

In contrast, the Song Empire soldiers cheered as they watched the lavishly decorated Gigants rumble toward Yodong Fortress.

“Go! Go and break down the gate!”

“Show those barbarians a taste of our power!”

“Avenge our fallen comrades!”

The mercenary riders piloting the Gigants were dumbfounded by the sight of the soldiers just watching and shouting.

They were used to piloting Gigants for gladiatorial matches or guarding branch offices, but they were not without war experience.

In such situations, allies should move in support of the Gigants.

If the Gigants advanced alone, they would just be large, easy-to-hit targets.

“Those guys don’t know anything about Gigant combat tactics.”

“I know, right? In a siege, you’re supposed to provide support with cannons.”

“Well, the enemy forces are also in disarray, so what can you expect?”

“I know, right? They call us barbarians and savages, but they don’t even realize their own weapons are far inferior…”

‘I’ll show them how terrifying Gigants can be.’

With that thought, the mercenary riders hurriedly advanced their machines toward the fortress.

It was when their Gigants approached the ramparts.

As the Yemaek soldiers’ faces paled at the sight of the huge Gigants approaching with earth-shaking rumbles, Eulji Deok-mun’s booming command pierced their ears.

“Fire!”

“Fire!”

As soon as the adjutants and officers relayed the order, huge cannons appeared between the battlements.

The mercenary riders, startled, raised the Gigants’ shields, and at that moment, the cannons fired in unison.

KWAANG! KWA-AANG!

THUD-! CLANG! CLANG!

The power of the cannonballs that suddenly poured out at close range was terrifying.

Some pierced through the shields and crumpled the Gigants’ armor, while others struck the arm and leg joints, shattering some parts.

“Damn it, don’t retreat!”

A middle-aged mercenary rider, temporarily in charge of the Gigant unit, shouted from the front.

They had been promised a large reward if they opened the gates of Yodong Fortress.

The amount they were promised was equivalent to what they would earn after several years of hardship in the Southern Continent.

So, the mercenaries raised their shields and stubbornly advanced.

KOOONG! KUNG!

The Gigants, having reached the gate, rammed it with their shoulders.

The thick iron-reinforced gate shook as if it would break at any moment, emitting a scream-like noise as the massive weight of the Gigants collided with it.

“T-this is bad! Quickly, fire the cannons to stop them!”

“We can’t, General. The angle is not right to fire the cannons because they are right below the ramparts!”

“Damn it!”

While Eulji Deok-mun was making a frustrated face, the soldiers on the gate dropped rocks and logs.

However, there was no way that could stop the Gigants.

“Hahaha. You fools. Keep dropping those things all you want.”

It was when the rider, sneering, was about to deliver the final blow to the gate.

KWAKWANG!

With a roar that was incomparable to the sound of cannons, lightning struck from the sky.

The lightning shattered the Gigant that was about to strike the gate with its greatsword.

The Yemaek forces, startled, turned their gaze to the woman who had appeared on the ramparts with Jo Won-rak.

Holding a sword in one hand and a bell in the other, she was none other than Princess So-hye, the daughter of King Biryu of Yemaek.

She had been quite famous as a Taoist sorcerer representing Yemaek since she was young.

“Waaah! Princess has arrived!”

“Princess has defeated the armored giant!”

Amidst the cheers of the Yemaek forces, So-hye chanted a spell and unleashed lightning bolts in succession.

KWARRRNG! KWARURURUNG!

“R-retreat! Retreat!”

“Damn it! This is why we need artillery support!”

The Gigant mercenary unit, suddenly bombarded with lightning, retreated in a hurry.

No matter how big the reward was, it couldn’t be more precious than their one and only life.

However, many of the machines were damaged by the cannon fire and Princess So-hye’s Taoist sorcery attacks, so less than half of the Gigants managed to escape.

“The armored giants are retreating!”

“Hahaha! Look at those big guys running away with their tails between their legs!”

The Yemaek soldiers, having driven away the Gigants, were filled with morale and shouted with joy.

In contrast, the Song Empire soldiers jeered and cursed at the Gigants that had retreated.

Even Guan Chang, the closest aide to Hwangbo Gwang, who was in command of the Yemaek expeditionary force, was no exception.

“You trashy barbarians! I thought you’d be useful, but 30 of you couldn’t even break down one gate!”

“But they did buy us some time.”

A languid voice came from the side.

Guan Chang turned his head to the person who had spoken to him, the current Grand Commander, in a casual manner.

A young scholar with unfathomable eyes.

Guan Chang didn’t question his rude tone.

No, he couldn’t.

He was none other than Guigokja, the mad Taoist sorcerer who was infamous in the martial arts world for being eccentric and cruel.

If he offended him, not only would this expedition fail, but he could also die without anyone knowing.

“Ahem, as Guigokja said, they did buy us some time. When will we be able to execute the plan?”

“We can do it anytime, but it would be better to avoid a time when we’re easily seen, wouldn’t it?”

“Indeed, it’s almost sunset anyway.”

Looking at the sky where the sunset was gradually setting, Guan Chang smiled sinisterly.

Even Yodong Fortress, which had been known as an impregnable fortress, would soon collapse helplessly under the night attack.

Just like the fortresses and strongholds that had fallen so far.

3

Thud thud thud!

The vast plain located between Bonghwang Fortress and Yodong Fortress.

Ten thousand cavalry and hundreds of trailers were galloping across it at once.

The sight of the plain shaking and dust rising every time the horses kicked the ground was truly magnificent, as if the heavens and earth were being overturned.

“Wow! I’ve never seen such a spectacle before!”

Luke chuckled at Shirley’s exclamation beside him.

“Well, you can’t see this kind of sight in the Rhodisian continent anymore.”

The tactics of operating thousands or tens of thousands of cavalry had long disappeared from the Rhodisian continent.

This was because with the emergence of Gigants, which were much more powerful assault weapons, the concentrated operation of cavalry had become a rather inefficient tactic.

It took considerable effort to raise and possess a large number of excellent warhorses.

It was true that horses were cheaper than Gigants, but unlike Gigants, which could be mass-produced with just a blueprint, horses could not be.

Moreover, unlike horses, which needed to be fed three meals a day, Gigants only needed to have magic stones inserted on time.

As a result, many monarchs and lords in the Rhodisian continent began to raise Gigant units instead of cavalry units.

Of course, cavalry units still existed, but they had stepped down from the main role in war and were now in a position to support Gigant units.

It had become difficult to see a sight like the one now, where tens of thousands of cavalry were moving together.

However, the situation was different in the Southern Continent.

There were wooden oxen similar to Gigants, but they were only used in some martial arts circles.

Therefore, many countries still operated large numbers of cavalry.

The representative countries were the Cathay Empire, made up of nomads, and Yemaek.

While the Cathay Empire’s main force was light cavalry armed with bows, Yemaek’s main force was heavy cavalry wearing heavy armor.

In particular, Yemaek’s heavy cavalry was famous for having magical enhancements on their horse armor and the scale armor worn by the cavalrymen.

The magic on the armor lightened the weight and increased the stamina of the horses and cavalrymen.

In particular, when these heavy cavalrymen charged, their armor would emit a black light all at once, which was quite a spectacle.

It instilled fear in the enemy and courage in their allies.

“So, Yemaek’s cavalry corps is called the Black Scale Ghost Horse Corps, right?”

At Luke’s question, Hwangbo Seong, who was riding in the trailer with him, nodded.

“That’s right, my lord. It’s one of the reasons why the Song Empire hasn’t been able to conquer Yemaek until now.”

Whenever the Black Scale Ghost Horse Corps appeared, the Song Empire forces were busy running away.

“That’s why the Black Scale Ghost Horse Corps is also called the Ever-Victorious Army. It means an army that always wins in battle.”

“Hmph, they’re just a cavalry unit. No matter how much magic they engrave on their armor, they’ll be annihilated if there are just 100 Gigants.”

At Shirley’s words, Luke smiled faintly and asked.

“Why do you think so?”

“Well… no matter how much help they get from magic, Gigants made of steel and machinery are much more advantageous than humans and horses made of cloth.”

If a battle were to break out on this plain, the Black Scale Ghost Horse Corps might be active for a short time at the beginning, but they would eventually be defeated by the Gigant unit.

Humans and horses made of cloth have limits in terms of stamina and endurance.

And in terms of attack power as well as defense, Gigants, which are huge lumps of steel with defensive magic circles engraved on them, are much superior.

“So, in the end, the Gigant unit will win.”

At Shirley’s words, Luke nodded as if it was reasonable, but he raised an objection.

“But what if there was someone in the Black Scale Ghost Horse Corps who was skilled enough to destroy Gigants with their bare hands?”

“A Destroyer-level expert? Like His Majesty?”

Shirley’s expression changed at Luke’s question. If that were the case, a variable could certainly occur.

“And during the Republican Revolutionary War in Volga, I heard that the Republican Revolutionary Army’s cavalry lured Gigants to places where they had buried gunpowder and defeated them. There was also an incident where they lured them into narrow alleys where it was difficult to maneuver, and then shot cannons hidden on the roofs to break the hatches and kill the riders.”

“Oh my, such a thing happened…”

“No matter how excellent a weapon Gigants are, they can be defeated if you are careless.”

No matter how excellent the performance of a weapon or military equipment is, if the person operating it is a mess, they can still lose.

“So, you all must never be careless when you go to the battlefield.”

“I will keep that in mind, my lord.”

“Yes, I will never be careless.”

Luke’s words were met with nods of agreement, not only from Hwangbo Sung and Shirley but also from the commanders around them.

After several more hours of travel, two days after departing from Bonghwang Fortress, the plains gave way to the foothills of a mountain range.

At that moment, Biryu Taewang of the Mooklin Ghost Cavalry approached with the Imperial Guard and spoke.

“There’s a small mountain fortress called Ungseong nearby. Since it’s getting dark, how about we rest there for a while?”

Ungseong was a fortress located at the northern end of the Yemaek’s multi-layered border defense line.

While rest was their immediate need, Biryu Taewang had another reason for stopping.

“More importantly, we need to investigate why all the fortresses except for Yodong Fortress have lost contact. Support is crucial, but we can’t go in blind.”

“You’re right.”

Luke readily agreed.

Since leaving Bonghwang Fortress, they had been receiving regular updates via magical communication. The problem was that no reports were coming in from any area other than Yodong Fortress.

It was understandable that there were no reports from the front lines of Yodong Fortress, which were presumed to have already fallen, but it was strange that the same was true for the fortresses and strongholds in the rear.

‘I hope nothing bad has happened…’

Luke hoped that nothing would delay them, as any hold-up along the way would be troublesome.

4

Shortly after, a detachment of the Mooklin Ghost Cavalry’s main force broke away and quickly headed towards Ungseong.

Their mission was to scout the situation at Ungseong first.

The Mooklin Ghost Cavalry and the Symphonia Kingdom army continued their march, maintaining their pace.

After climbing the gentle mountain ridge for about an hour, Ungseong came into view.

The stone-built Ungseong was strategically positioned to monitor the northern coast.

‘Huh? What is this energy?’

Luke, looking at Ungseong, felt a slightly familiar energy and wore a puzzled expression.

The closer they got, the stronger the energy became, but when he looked around, no one else seemed to notice it.

‘Oh, they’ve set up a formation to conceal mana [magical energy].’

Otherwise, there was no way that Hwangbo Sung, a Sword Sage, or Zhuge Soha, an excellent Taoist sorcerer, would not have noticed it.

‘Who on earth set up a formation of this magnitude?’

While Luke was inwardly curious, the scouts who had gone to Ungseong earlier returned and reported.

“Your Majesty, the gates of Ungseong are tightly closed, and no signs of life were detected on the walls or inside.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying that Ungseong has fallen?”

“It doesn’t seem like it… something is strange.”

At the scout’s words, Biryu Taewang quickly spurred his horse and arrived in front of Ungseong.

On the surface, Ungseong looked fine.

However, as the scout had said, there was not a single soldier on the ramparts or walls.

“This is indeed strange.”

If the fortress hadn’t fallen, there would surely be guards on the walls.

“Could it be that the enemy has already attacked and left?”

“Perhaps.”

Biryu Taewang nodded in response to his subordinate’s question.

The Song Empire’s ultimate goal was the Yemaek capital, Asadal.

So, while the main Song army attacked Yodong Fortress, a separate force might have bypassed it and attacked Ungseong on their way to Asadal.

Perhaps they didn’t feel the need to occupy a mountain fortress at the end of the defense line and just left it.

“But if there had been a battle, there should at least be traces of a siege, but it’s as quiet as if nothing had happened.”

“It would be best to investigate the inside of the fortress first.”

Shortly after, a few Imperial Guard warriors climbed over the walls and opened the gates.

Creak, creak, creak!

The old, worn hinges of the fortress gate groaned.

About a hundred horses entered through the opened gate.

Clatter! Clatter!

“Hey! Is anyone there!”

Modal, the head of the Imperial Guard, shouted as he looked around.

He was a powerful warrior, roughly equivalent to an upper-level Sword Master on the Lodisia continent, and his shout echoed throughout the fortress.

However, no one responded to his shout.

There was no one, neither enemy nor ally.

Modal, who felt more eerie than strange, couldn’t wait any longer and rushed to Biryu, who had entered the fortress.

“Something is not right. If something had happened, there should be corpses or bloodstains, but it’s too clean.”

At Modal’s words, Biryu Taewang frowned slightly.

He had no idea what was going on.

Just as he was about to order his soldiers to search more thoroughly, Luke, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.

“Be careful. There are many evil beings under the ground.”

“Evil beings?”

“I mean beings that are dead but moving.”

Kkkkkkkkk!

Kikikikiki!

Starting with Luke’s words, Jiangshi [Chinese hopping vampires] began to pour out from all over the fortress.

However, these Jiangshi did not hop around; instead, they flew by stepping on the walls or roofs of buildings, like masters of the martial world.

“It’s an ambush!”

“Protect His Majesty!”

The Imperial Guard warriors quickly surrounded Biryu Taewang and formed a protective formation.

Luke and his subordinates also quickly prepared to respond.

“Thousand Holy Bullets!”

Light spheres that were instantly generated around Luke flew towards the approaching Jiangshi and struck them.

The power of the light bullets was tremendous.

The special Jiangshi made from martial artists turned to dust the moment they were hit by the light bullets.

This was thanks to the divine power contained in the light bullets.

After being attacked by Arsen, Luke had devised several attack techniques using divine power.

Thousand Holy Bullets was one of them.

However, except for the number of light bullets, it was quite similar to Karen’s Holy Bullets, and the name was the same.

‘Is it that if you have similar abilities, you think of similar things, or is it related to bloodline?’

Hwangbo Sung, who had memories of the future, looked at Luke with curious eyes, then discovered a Jiangshi approaching while avoiding the light bullets and blew it away with a wind fist.

Although many Jiangshi were destroyed in the brief attack, the Jiangshi, who had no fear, kept pushing in.

“Cut down all the monsters!”

“Waaaaaah!”

The Imperial Guard and Luke’s escort knights swung their spears and swords at the attacking Jiangshi.

Shirley, Renard, and Modal, among other master-level superhumans, cut down the Jiangshi at the front, while the escort knights and warriors slaughtered the rest.

While they were fighting like this, another attack came from the left and right flanks.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

“Hmm? Arrows?”

Luke, noticing dozens of arrows flying towards them, deployed a shield magic.

Thanks to this, all the arrows flying over their heads were deflected.

Biryu Taewang turned his head and glared at the ones who had just risen from the roofs and shot the arrows.

They were wearing Yemaek military uniforms, but their faces were pale and bluish.

“Could it be that the lord of Ungseong betrayed us…?”

“No, they are already dead.”

Luke sensed the same dark energy emanating from the archers as from the Jiangshi.

Somehow, the Yemaek soldiers in this fortress had become Jiangshi.

‘Still, for corpses to shoot arrows… if you make riders into Jiangshi, would they be able to control Gigants [large, humanoid war machines]?’

Just as Luke was thinking that,

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Along with an ominous ground tremor, giant monsters appeared from all over the fortress.

At first, they thought they were wooden oxen [a type of ancient Chinese siege weapon].

Wooden oxen were the representative giant weapons of the Southern Continent.

However, what approached was a giant doll covered in talismans.

The problem was the material of the doll.

It was made by roughly stitching together numerous corpses, all of which were wearing Yemaek clothing.

In other words, they were the people who had lived in Ungseong.

Biryu Taewang’s eyes turned bloodshot, and his fists trembled.

“These bastards deserve to be torn apart! Even the innocent people…!”

“Order the Gigant unit. Stop the monsters!”

At Luke’s command, the Gigants rose from the trailers waiting outside the gate.

They immediately entered the fortress and engaged in combat with the corpse dolls.

Meanwhile, Luke examined the energy flowing from the Jiangshi and corpse dolls.

‘Jiangshi are undead anyway. If mindless undead are showing this level of movement, someone must be controlling them nearby!’

With that assumption, Luke traced the dark energy.

Shortly after, he found that it was coming from a large building with blue tiles located on the opposite side of the plaza.

Using Hawk Eye magic, which allowed him to see distant targets, Luke saw a man standing on the roof.

However, the opponent was someone Luke had seen before.

‘That guy is the one I saw at the Zhuge family?’

He was definitely the crazy guy named Guigokja who claimed to be an envoy of the Jade Emperor [a major deity in Taoism].

He had heard that he was hired by the Hwangbo family to make Jiangshi, but he never expected him to be here.

“What is it? Is something there?”

“Ah, the culprit seems to be over there…”

Just as Luke was about to explain to Biryu Taewang, Guigokja hurriedly ran away.

He seemed to have realized that Luke had discovered him.

“Damn it! Do you think I’ll let you escape?”

Luke quickly chased after him with Fly magic.

However, Biryu Taewang’s arrow was faster.

Swoosh- Thwack!

The arrow, imbued with internal energy, flew in a white arc through the air and pierced Guigokja’s head.

‘Oh, amazing!’

Luke was inwardly impressed.

Guigokja was quite far from where they were.

To the naked eye, he would only appear as a white dot.

Yet, Biryu Taewang had hit him.

He had hit him right in the head, and the speed of the arrow was so fast that Guigokja couldn’t react.

‘They say he’s a divine archer who can bring down the stars.’

At this level, he might be a Bow Master, no, a Bow Sage.

As far as Luke knew, there was no one on the Lodisia continent who had mastered archery to this extent.

Not among humans, nor among the elves who were said to be skilled in archery.

Even the late High Elf Erenes was skilled in archery, but he was a great mage, not a Bow Sage.

‘Anyway, it seems the situation has been resolved.’

Perhaps because Guigokja, who was controlling them from behind, had been hit, the Jiangshi lost their target and wandered aimlessly.

The movements of the giant corpse dolls also stopped.

Luke flew to the fallen Guigokja.

However, Guigokja, who had been hit in the head by an arrow, got up as if nothing had happened.

“Well, if it isn’t you?”

Luke frowned as he looked at Guigokja, who was speaking to him.

“…You’re not the real one.”

“That’s right, this body is a puppet made from my hair and Taoist sorcery. It’s a very useful item that can exert about 1/100th of my original power.”

Guigokja used these ‘clones’ to control the Jiangshi of the Song Empire, as well as to create Jiangshi and corpse dolls locally.

“Although the attack failed, I got some very good information. Your existence and the rumored archery of Biryu Taewang… this war is going to be interesting…”

Bang!

Luke’s fire magic engulfed Guigokja’s clone.

The clone, which instantly turned from a human form into a paper doll, quickly turned to ashes in the flames.

“Interesting war? You trash. I’ll see if you’ll still find it interesting when a sword goes through your neck.”

Luke, who had spoken coldly, returned to Biryu Taewang and told him what had just happened.

Biryu’s expression quickly turned serious.

“Hmm, I never thought Guigokja would directly intervene in the war…! Anyway, all the fortresses and strongholds that lost contact must have ended up like this.”

“We must get to Yodong Fortress as soon as possible, before it becomes like this place.”

At Luke’s words, Biryu Taewang nodded.

The Mooklin Ghost Cavalry and the Symphonia Kingdom army, having reorganized their ranks, gave up on camping and rushed towards Yodong Fortress through the night.