Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 189

The Wave of Undead – 7

1

Luke wasn’t the only one to receive news of the large-scale undead attack.

The leaders of the allied nations, who were in Nemesis to discuss the division of occupied territories and future plans, were shocked by the reports from their homelands.

“What? Millions of undead, not just a few, are crossing the western desert into our territory?”

“Yes, Supreme Commander! Duke Kutuzov has led the central army to the western border, but we need to come up with a countermeasure quickly,” came the reply.

Vladimir was lost in thought at the report from his Minister of Internal Affairs.

There was a desert to the west of the Volga Republic, the Baroque Empire, and the Principality of Navar.

The harsh environment made it unsuitable for life, except for some monsters and bandits.

There were about a dozen large and small fortresses built during the old monarchy era.

The troops stationed at each fortress ranged from about 100 to no more than 1,000. This was because there had been almost no external invasions through the western desert until now.

About ten years ago, the Baroque Empire had attempted a surprise invasion of the Volga Republic by bypassing the western desert.

However, the expeditionary force, consisting of 50,000 troops from the Baroque Empire and 20,000 from the Principality of Navar, was decimated by heatstroke, lack of drinking water, and attacks from desert monsters. They also lost many Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] in sandstorms.

Since then, there had been no more invasions through the desert, and the only things that came from the western desert were monsters or small groups of bandits.

But now, this was happening!

‘Damn it, I had a bad dream a few days ago, and this was it!’

Supreme Commander Vladimir, who had inherited the powers of an ancient shaman, had a bad dream the day before coming to Nemesis.

He was leisurely watching the sunset when a black whirlwind suddenly struck and injured him.

He thought the sunset symbolized the doomed Baroque Empire.

However, he was not sure what the ominous black whirlwind was.

He had only strengthened his security, thinking it might be an assassination attempt on him.

‘Anyway, we need a countermeasure. Can the troops stationed in the west and the troops Kutuzov took really stop the undead?’

The answer was ‘no.’

The Volga Republic’s standing army was about 400,000.

Of these, 100,000, considered the elite, had participated in the invasion of the Baroque Empire as part of the Continental Alliance Army.

The remaining 300,000 were scattered in various regions, so Duke Kutuzov would not have been able to mobilize them all.

‘He probably only took 100,000 from the capital and central region, and 30,000 from the western region. If he scraped together all the Walker-class Gigants [large, humanoid war machines], which are considered reserves, he would have about 400 to 500. But that’s definitely not enough!’

They might be able to eliminate some of the undead.

However, such a victory would be meaningless. All the undead had to be eliminated to prevent future problems.

‘The reported numbers alone are in the millions. Even if we mobilize the entire army, it’s impossible to wipe them out.’

Therefore, the best option was to use suitable terrain and fortresses to prevent the undead from entering the Republic’s territory.

However, the problem was that the number of undead was overwhelming, and the Volga Republic was almost completely unprepared for this.

Last year, representatives of the elves came and warned that a crisis might occur and that they should prepare.

However, at the time, Vladimir was so focused on attacking the chaotic Baroque Empire that he ignored them.

Disappointed, the elven representatives led their tribes and left for the Holy Empire or the Kingdom of Symphonia.

‘If they had stayed, they would have been a great help in this situation… Anyway, now is not the time to regret it.’

Vladimir shook his head and gave instructions to his Minister of Internal Affairs.

“Tell Kutuzov to focus on gathering troops to halt the undead’s advance and evacuate the people, rather than fighting recklessly. If we respond poorly, we’ll only increase the number of undead.”

“Understood, Your Excellency. But… when will you return to the homeland?”

“I’ll let you know later.”

After ending the magic communication with his Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladimir clenched his fist.

This was a national emergency of the utmost importance.

He wanted to rush back to the Republic immediately.

However, there were things he needed to confirm and promises he needed to secure before he left.

He spoke to Duke Dimitri, who was accompanying him.

“Duke, it seems we need to meet with the leaders of the other countries. And as soon as possible.”

“I will request a meeting immediately.”

Dimitri, who had heard the magic communication, nodded and left the room to give instructions to his subordinates.

As he left, Vladimir sighed deeply.

“Haa, what a bolt from the blue!”

He had heard from King Luke that the Kingdom of Livia had joined forces with the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower.

However, he never imagined that a wave of undead would surge from the Kingdom of Livia like a tidal wave in just a few months.

“Did the elves foresee this situation? Even if you have the ability to foresee the future, it’s useless if the person involved is foolish.”

Vladimir’s face was filled with bitterness as he blamed his own complacency.

2

In less than an hour after Vladimir’s request, the leaders of the six nations gathered at the old imperial palace where Luke was staying.

They had already been informed of what was happening, so their faces were grim.

No, the leaders of the countries that directly bordered the Kingdom of Livia were extremely serious.

Luke was among those who were serious.

“Since we don’t have much time, let’s get straight to the point. I think it’s important to know the exact number of undead first.”

Then, starting with Vladimir, the leaders shared the information they had received.

“I just received a new report before coming here, and it seems that there are over 3 million undead invading the western border of Volga.”

“Haa, it seems that there are about 1 million in our Principality of Navar.”

“According to the reports from our Castilian troops stationed in the western territories we received, the number of undead that have crossed into the Baroque Empire is estimated to be around 2 million.”

When King James II of the Kingdom of Castia finished speaking, everyone’s gaze turned to Luke.

This was because the only country bordering Livia that had not spoken was the Kingdom of Symphonia.

After a moment of silence, Luke opened his mouth in a heavy tone.

“Currently, there are at least 5 million undead swarming towards the Pamire Mountains in the northwest.”

“5, 5 million!”

King Charles of the Kingdom of Irea jumped up from his seat.

There was a reason why he, who rarely showed his emotions, was so shocked.

If Symphonia were to be swept away, the next target would be the neighboring Kingdom of Irea.

Reina, who had already heard the story from Luke before the meeting, sighed inwardly.

She knew that the black mages of Veritas had taken control of the Kingdom of Livia, but she didn’t know that they held such hatred for Luke.

‘Maybe we should be grateful that they didn’t send all the undead to the Kingdom of Symphonia.’

Anyway, the total number of undead reported was 11 million.

Everyone swallowed hard at the unprecedentedly terrifying scale.

“Ha! If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that more than half of the people of the Kingdom of Livia have become undead?”

“What on earth have the intelligence agencies been doing…? I don’t understand why they didn’t realize it until it got to this point.”

Before the war, the leaders of each country had heard from Luke through a magic video conference that the remnants of Veritas were creating undead in the Kingdom of Livia.

To verify this and to understand the movements of the Kingdom of Livia, they had infiltrated their own intelligence agents into the Kingdom of Livia.

However, they had not been able to identify any suspicious activities.

Then, when the Baroque Empire began weaponizing Bers, they hastily raised their armies.

However, the Kingdom of Livia unexpectedly supported the Baroque Empire, and in the process, they spread zombie poison, confirming that they were creating undead.

So, they had planned to invade the Kingdom of Livia as soon as the division of the Baroque Empire was over, but they were attacked first!

“How on earth did they manage to create over 10 million undead?”

Luke answered Supreme Commander Vladimir’s question.

“It seems they used a different method than what we know so far.”

“What do you mean by a different method…?”

“It’s just an assumption, but it seems they developed a wide-area black magic that can turn tens of thousands of people into undead at once, or a new zombie poison that turns infected people into undead when needed.”

Luke judged that the latter was more likely.

According to reports from spies who had infiltrated the Kingdom of Livia, Shaikhan, or rather Arsen, had been distributing food to the people for relief purposes and sending priests to cure diseases.

‘Those priests weren’t the real deal.’

At the time, they thought it was simply a way to gain public support and solidify their rule, but it seemed they had done something more insane than they had imagined.

“Anyway, we need to find a way to eliminate the undead now.”

At Luke’s words, James II glanced at Reina and asked.

“A way to eliminate them… then, are we going to lure them to one place and annihilate them, or rather, purify them, like last time?”

The leaders of the allied nations had already received reports that Reina, along with the 2nd Corps of the Continental Alliance Army, had purified the soldiers who had turned into undead.

However, Henry III of the Principality of Navar showed a negative reaction.

“I am well aware of Her Holiness’s great abilities, but… can she really eliminate 11 million undead?”

“Indeed, the number of those infected in the meantime may be greater than the number of those purified.”

“Before that, there is also the question of which country to save first.”

The eyes of the leaders of each country changed at Supreme Commander Vladimir’s words. The country that received help first would suffer the least damage.

While everyone was just looking at each other, King Charles spoke first.

“Of course, we should deal with the undead in the Symphonia direction first. That’s where the most are.”

“Is that not because the Kingdom of Irea is close to the Kingdom of Symphonia? Among the Continental Alliance countries, our Principality of Navar is the smallest and has the weakest military power. Our country is the one that is in the most urgent situation right now!”

Henry III immediately retorted at Charles’s words.

Unlike other countries that had left some reserve forces, he had mobilized almost all of his forces for this war.

He thought that this would allow him to receive a large share of the Baroque Empire’s territory after the northern campaign.

This gamble had been a success, but now it had turned into a bad move.

At this point, Supreme Commander Vladimir intervened.

“I fully understand what His Highness Henry III is saying. I am also in a position of governing. Therefore, I cannot yield in this situation either.”

With that, he looked at Reina with a desperate gaze and pleaded.

“Your Holiness, or rather, Princess. I know it’s shameless to say this, but they were once your people. Please, even if you hate me and the leaders, do not abandon the people of Volga.”

Vladimir rose from his seat and knelt on one knee before Reina.

Duke Dimitri and the knights who had come to escort the Supreme Commander also bowed down after him.

With the situation like this, Reina’s position became the most difficult.

She wanted to save everyone, but she knew that she did not have that kind of power.

Helpless, she turned her gaze to Luke.

Her partner had always found answers and solved problems even in difficult situations.

However, it wasn’t just because of this expectation that she looked at him.

Although he hadn’t anticipated a crisis of this magnitude, she knew that Luke was devising a response plan to deal with the large-scale zombie horde.

Vladimir, who had noticed where her gaze was directed, couldn’t help but ask.

“King Luke, I ask you. Do you have a way to overcome this situation?”

If things continued like this, the people of the Republic, whom they had worked so hard to build, would all become zombies.

Therefore, Vladimir inwardly hoped that he would say something optimistic, even if it was a lie.

That way, he felt like he could go back to his homeland with some hope.

Luke, who had been lost in thought with a slight frown, opened his mouth.

“A way? Of course, there is. We have already succeeded in purifying a large number of undead during the northern campaign. Of course, this time is incomparable to the last time, but if we put our heads together, I don’t think it’s impossible to solve.”

“It’s easy to say…”

Henry III grumbled from the side. This was because it was not the level of answer he had expected.

Luke said to him.

“The most important thing in this situation is the belief that we can do it. If you give up and become pessimistic before you even start, your body won’t follow.”

“…”

“As Your Highness said, the Principality of Navar is the most dangerous right now. If you don’t have an army to stop them, how about evacuating all the people?”

“Evacuate? Where are we supposed to evacuate them to?”

‘This guy has lost his mind.’

Luke sighed inwardly, thinking that he didn’t know something that even he, a king of another country, knew.

As far as he knew, Henry III was not a very good person or ruler.

It was a great relief that his daughter, Magreta, was not as black-hearted as he was.

Anyway, because he was that kind of person, he was unable to make calm decisions when this kind of disaster occurred.

However, for the sake of the alliance, he had to make him take responsibility for his own work, rather than blaming or scolding him.

“I heard that there is the Beron Mountain Range to the north of the Principality of Navar. I heard that there is an underground city built by an ancient alien race there, is that not true?”

“Ah! The Beron Mountain Range!”

In ancient times, there was an underground kingdom built by dwarves in the Beron Mountain Range.

However, due to earthquakes and volcanic activity, the underground kingdom was destroyed, and the dwarves who lived there were scattered.

Naturally, these underground cities were also abandoned.

However, since the interior was not completely destroyed, explorers seeking ancient artifacts had once frequented the area. But after everything that could be taken was taken, it became a ghost town again.

“It’s dilapidated, but I heard that it can serve as a temporary shelter. If you block the entrance, it seems like it would be safe from external attacks for a while, wouldn’t it?”

“Hmm, certainly…”

It had been so long since it was abandoned that he had forgotten about it.

However, as Luke said, it seemed like it would be enough to take refuge there for a while.

“I will take responsibility for preparing a way to purify the undead. So, I ask that the Principality of Navar and other countries do their best to hold out so that there is no further damage.”

“I understand, I’ll do my best.”

“If there is anything I can do to help, I will do it.”

At Luke’s words, the leaders of the Continental Alliance Army discussed with each other and devised a plan to slow down the undead’s advance or evacuate the people.

Countries that were not directly invaded, such as Castia and Irea, promised to provide as much support as possible in terms of troops and supplies.

After finishing the meeting, they hurriedly left for their own countries.

No one was unaware that they had to take action as quickly as possible to minimize the damage.

The day after the leaders of each country returned to their own nations, Luke, still in Nemesis, began developing a new large-scale magic circle to purify the undead with Reina and the others.

“Actually, I’ve already grasped the concept to some extent. When we attacked Arsen, we needed to easily subdue the undead he was controlling.”

Luke knew that when the Continental Alliance Army advanced into the Kingdom of Livia, Arsen would surely use the undead as a weapon. He anticipated that Arsen would mobilize at least several hundred thousand undead, so he was devising a way to suppress them. Luke explained his plan to everyone.

“The basic framework will be an amplification magic circle. We’ll create a very large one. Even with the Spirit King’s blessing, there’s a limit to the number of undead Reina can purify with her ether.”

The maximum number of undead Reina could purify on her own was 100,000. However, to purify more than ten times that number, other support measures were needed, and an amplification magic circle was the most promising option.

“Can that magic circle amplify spirit power?” Cho Mimir asked, tilting her head. Luke gave a confident smile.

“Of course! The same magic circle is applied to the core engine of Gigants [large, humanoid war machines], which amplifies not only magic but also aura, divine power, and all the power the caster possesses.”

It could even amplify black magic or the abilities of the demon race because all types of power had the same root. Since all power was based on ether, it was difficult to cast magic and aura simultaneously, but it was possible to amplify aura using magic as a stepping stone.

“I don’t quite understand.”

“There’s no need to think of it as difficult. It’s like using oil as well as wood to start a fire.”

At that, Cho Mimir nodded, seeming to understand to some extent. “Certainly, if we’re going to purify millions of undead, that’s the only way. But a normal-sized magic circle wouldn’t be enough, would it?” Erewen pointed out the problem. Of course, Luke had anticipated that this would be pointed out.

“That’s right, so we need to build a super-large magic circle. A magic circle so large that it has no precedent in the history of the continent!” At Luke’s words, Erewen’s mouth fell open. He imagined the scale for a moment, and it seemed absurdly large.

“Does it have to be that big?”

“Yes, making it big will reduce problems and save time.” It was more difficult to create a small magic circle than a large one. To make it function smoothly in a small size, meticulous calculations and delicate work were essential. Naturally, it required a lot of effort, and it took a lot of time. Moreover, if there was even a slight mistake in this process, the magic would not manifest, and unexpected side effects could occur. That was why the Iron Mages who made Gigants were considered the best elites among mages. This was because they inscribed magic circles on small, confined parts to make various functions manifest.

“Even if we can make an amplification magic circle, what about the magic stones that will go into that huge magic circle? It will be hard to handle with ordinary ones, won’t it?” Following Erewen, Karen pointed out another practical problem. It was a reasonable question, but Luke had already thought of a solution to this problem as well.

“I’m thinking of replacing them with Hero-class Gigants.”

“Hero-class Gigants?”

“Yes, a Hero-class Gigant ridden by a Sword Master-level rider will surpass the output of even the highest-grade magic stones.” First of all, Hero-class Gigants contained many magic stones. The core engine was composed of several high-grade magic stones, and high-grade or mid-grade magic stones were also placed in important joints for smooth movement. What would happen if a Sword Master warrior boarded such a mass of magic stones and maximized its output? It would surpass even the highest-grade magic stones. However, there was a reason why the magic community had not attempted this before. First of all, there had never been a need to use a super-large magic circle like this. And the price of a Hero-class Gigant was much higher than that of the highest-grade magic stones, and it was also difficult to find a Sword Master-level warrior.

“Hmm, that sounds like a good idea.”

“Certainly, we have many Sword Master-level knights on our side.” Erewen nodded and looked around. In the Kingdom of Symphonia, there were several Sword Masters, including Marquis Rogers and Count Philip. If that was not enough, they could use the masters who had reached the level of Sword Master among the bodyguards brought by Cho Mimir and Princess Jahye. Of course, some training would be needed to handle the Gigants, but simple starting or maneuvering could be easily learned, as it was not combat.

“But there’s another problem. If we’re going to gather millions of undead in one place, the area will be enormous. Will a super-large amplification magic circle and Hero-class Gigants be enough to cover that wide range?” At Erewen’s question, Luke explained, drawing a rough sketch on the paper he had spread out. “That’s why I plan to install relay towers on the outer edge of the magic circle. We can apply the antenna items that the Zhuge family made before.” Luke explained the principle of the relay towers and the materials needed to make them to Erewen and Karen, who were sparkling with curiosity. After that, Luke and his party’s conversation continued. How to make a super-large amplification magic circle, and how to install it. There were more challenges than they had initially imagined. However, everyone was more determined to solve the problems positively than to be pessimistic, and useful solutions emerged. This was because Karen and Erewen pointed out or supplemented points that Luke had not thought of. In addition, Cho Mimir, who was an excellent Taoist, also stepped in to help.

“Indeed… If we incorporate Taoism in this way, we can solve the problem of fixing the terrain of the magic circle.”

“The problem is that even if we do this, it will take time to build a super-large magic circle.” At Karen’s words, Luke nodded. Installing relay towers, and placing Gigants to replace magic stones at precise coordinates, and so on. He couldn’t be sure if they could actually make it in time in the field. Humans were not perfect beings, and they made mistakes. ‘But we have to try.’ If you give up, the future will not open up. Luke, who knew that fact well, decided to take action without hesitation.

4

Northwest of the Kingdom of Symphonia, beyond the Pamire Mountains, which bordered the Kingdom of Livia, countless undead were pouring in. After repelling the monster army’s invasion, Luke had built dozens of outposts in the Pamire Mountains. This was to detect Arsen’s schemes, such as a second monster army invasion, earlier, and thanks to that, they were able to respond to the undead invasion early. Duke Hans, who had detected the undead invasion, immediately reported this fact to Luke via magic communication and issued an emergency mobilization order to the royal army. As many as 200,000 troops gathered at Berangze Castle, and the Count Renold and Count Renard brothers were appointed as commanders to lead them.

“Damn it, what is this sudden mess!”

“I know. We were lucky to know in advance, or it would have been a disaster.” The two commanders, who had rushed over, grumbled and stared ahead. The undead were not visible yet, as they were still crossing the mountains. However, the occasional monster cries and the sight of countless animals fleeing from the mountains indicated that their appearance was not far off.

“Viscount Kaper, what are the orders from His Majesty?” At Renold’s question, Viscount Kaper, the commander of the Western Army, replied. “We have been preparing for the past few days by mobilizing the engineering corps and mages. We can activate it immediately when the commander orders.” Luke had had quite a bit of success with fire attacks when dealing with the monster army before. The forest that was used at that time had been burned down, but there were the foothills of the mountains and the plains. So, Luke had prepared fire attacks there to stop the undead’s advance, and Viscount Kaper had mobilized the soldiers and mages belonging to the Western Army to draw fire magic circles and bury flammable materials on the ground.

“Undead are vulnerable to fire. We should be able to inflict a significant blow.” The problem was that the number of undead was enormous. According to reports from rangers who were monitoring the movements of the undead as they crossed the mountains, there seemed to be at least 5 million. Fire attacks would not be able to burn even a tenth of them.

“Brother, in the end, we have no choice but to fortify the defense lines, including Berangze Castle.”

“Yes, we have to hold on for dear life.” Yesterday, Luke’s orders were delivered via magic communication. He said that he would prepare a way to stop the undead soon, so until then, they had to prevent the undead from entering the kingdom at all costs. So, Renold and Renard were building a wall centered on Berangze Castle, combining the nearby fortresses. However, it was impossible to build a wall on that vast land within a few days. So, the brother commanders built walls only on the left and right sides of the defense line, so that the undead would be forced to the center. They planned to drive the undead into the middle and hold them back desperately.

“How is the earth wall construction going?”

“We have completed the earth wall connecting the three fortresses on the left using Gigants. However, the earth wall connecting the four fortresses on the right…” Viscount Kaper looked troubled at the delayed construction, and Renold waved his hand and said, “If the earth wall is difficult, at least put up a wooden barrier. It’s better than nothing.” They must never let the undead spread to the left and right. If such a situation were to occur, even if all the royal army came, they would never be able to stop the undead.

“Understood.” As Viscount Kaper went down the command spire to carry out the order, Renold and his younger brother once again reviewed the defense plan. Which fortress to deploy how many troops and Gigants, and how many reserve wooden fences and troops to keep on standby in which location in case some of the walls collapsed.

“Haa, I never imagined that an army of 200,000 would seem insufficient.”

“I know. 5 million… The guys in the Southern Continent were just bragging about having an army of 1 million.” How big would an army of 1 million be? Assuming that one unit was dispatched per day, it would take at least half a month just to start the dispatch, which was an enormous scale. But 5 million, five times that of 1 million! Before meeting Luke, the Renold and Renard brothers had lived as mercenaries in the Southern Continent. So, they knew the culture there well, and they also knew that they were prone to exaggeration when counting troops. But now, such exaggeration seemed rather realistic! The good thing was that the undead had no intelligence. The attacks were simple, and no particularly powerful undead had been sighted.

“Prime Minister Hans said that he will continue to send reinforcements, so we have no choice but to believe and fight.” While the Gram brothers were building a wall to stop the undead, the people were evacuating in the rear. Prime Minister Hans, who had received Luke’s instructions, evacuated all the residents of the territories and villages located in the northwest.

“Geez, I thought there would be no more wars after the Baroque Empire collapsed…”

“Tell me about it. It turns out that the Livia Kingdom guys were the worst.”

“I heard that the king there is Rudolf’s half-brother.”

“Tsk tsk, the dirty blood of the Baroque imperial family can’t be helped.” The people of Symphonia were evacuating while freely criticizing and cursing Shaikhan. From Shaikhan’s point of view, it was an unfair situation. However, the fact that he had been possessed by Arsen was only known to a very few people, including Luke, so there was nothing he could do.

“But I heard that the number of undead crossing the border is enormous. Can we really stop them?”

“It won’t be easy. But His Majesty will do it.”

“That’s right. His Majesty defeated the monster army before without much damage.” The people had already seen and heard of Luke’s achievements in several wars. They trusted their king even in the face of an unprecedented situation. It was then.

“Move aside! Please make way!”

“It’s the kingdom’s business, please yield!” A group of knights on horseback appeared from the direction of the capital and shouted, and the evacuees all moved to the side of the road. As the road opened, a procession of carriages appeared.

“Who is riding in that?”

“Maybe it’s a high-ranking commander of the army?” Those who didn’t know simply assumed that they were related to the royal army going to stop the undead. However, some people, especially the priests on the evacuation route, paid attention to the emblem drawn on the carriage.

“Huh? That’s…?”

“If it’s the emblem of the dark moon, doesn’t that mean the black mages of the Black Tower?” The only group of black mages recognized by the state and the Elkasel Order. The Black Tower, which was formed by selecting only the good ones among the black mages to prevent incidents caused by black magic, had already made several contributions to the Kingdom of Symphonia. They had exposed the remnants of Veritas who were trying to infiltrate Brenden, and they had enhanced the performance of Gigants by incorporating black magic. Therefore, even though the priests were inwardly displeased with them, they could not call for their unconditional execution as before.

“Where are they taking the black mages?” At one priest’s question, the priest next to him answered. “The reason they were recognized was to treat poison with poison. Isn’t it possible that they are trying to use them somehow in this situation?” Knowing the purpose of the Black Tower’s founding, the priests roughly guessed what the country was trying to entrust to them.

“I don’t know what will happen, but I hope they will be of help.”

“Geez, I never thought the day would come when we would expect something from black mages.”

“That’s right. Isn’t that proof that the world is changing?” The priests, who were making jokes with an absurd expression, turned their gaze away from the black mages’ carriages that were disappearing in the distance. Just as they had things to do, they also had things left to do, so they busily moved their feet.