Chapter 83
After burning the fused inner core, Woojin headed toward the sleeping quarters set up near the barrier.
He glanced around inside.
“Not bad.”
A hut built from earth and timber. Several layers of fur pelts had been piled atop the bedding, making it reasonably soft. Without hesitation, Woojin lay down.
Fatigue overtook him almost instantly. Hunting without regard for day or night had accumulated quite a bit of exhaustion. He planned to sleep soundly until at least noon the next day.
That plan succeeded by about thirty percent.
“…What’s that noise?”
Four hours later.
Though it was still the dead of night, a series of loud disturbances outside forced Woojin’s eyes open. Something had clearly happened.
He rose to assess the situation. Stepping outside, he saw gnolls rapidly climbing the ropes up to the top of the barrier.
The meaning was obvious.
“The enemy’s here.”
He splashed his face to shake off the last of his drowsiness, then climbed the barrier.
The sight that greeted him was spectacular.
From deep within the dense forest in the distance, various types of abominations crawled forth. Warriors were busily hurling spears to halt their advance.
“Ghk—Graaagh—!”
Shrill screams erupted.
The spears—carved from demonic beast bone—were light yet durable. Aberrations pierced through writhed and shrieked in agony.
But the wounds were not fatal.
Many of the enemy still managed to reach the gate.
Boom. Boom!
Abominations rammed their heads against it repeatedly. Yet the gate was no fragile structure. Though rusted and unimpressive on the surface, it was forged from thick steel.
Still, the situation was dangerous.
The abominations crowded at the gate began stacking their bodies like a grotesque tower, climbing upward toward the top of the barrier.
“Shamans! Hold them back!”
Braknark shouted.
Several gnoll shamans stepped forward, throwing clay jars—fired from earth—down below.
Crash! Smash!
The jars shattered, spilling black powder over the abominations.
The shamans inhaled deeply—
Then exhaled.
Fwoooosh—!
Flames burst forth from their mouths.
When the fire met the black powder, the blaze intensified violently, turning green. Sulfurous flames engulfed the aberrations.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
“The situation’s stable.”
There seemed no need for Woojin to intervene.
The barrier’s defensive advantage was significant, and the gnoll tribe had accumulated extensive experience fighting abominations.
He considered returning to finish his sleep—
But since he was already here, he might as well watch the battle to the end.
He strolled to a vantage point where the battlefield was clearly visible.
“You’re here.”
Braknark greeted him, glancing cautiously as if worried about having disturbed his rest.
“You should return to sleep. The situation is under control—there’s no need for you to act, Guardian.”
“It’s fine. I’m awake now.”
Sleeping peacefully while others fought would leave a bad taste.
Yawning, Woojin took a seat in a nearby chair and leaned back, observing the chaos below.
“I’ve never experienced a siege like this.”
It was something usually read about in history books.
Stories of small forces holding back massive armies—like the Battle of Ansi Fortress, or Thermopylae.
They all shared one thing in common.
“The defenders always have the advantage.”
He could feel that truth firsthand.
Terrain was a weapon unlike any other.
The abominations were risking their lives to climb, while the gnolls atop the barrier struck freely and safely.
Spears were thrown. When enemy density became too great, shamans unleashed flames.
Repeated over and over, it almost looked like routine labor.
“…You prepared the spears well. But didn’t your tribe dislike using such weapons?”
Woojin asked casually.
Gnoll claws and fangs were typically superior to steel. They had once disdained tools like spears.
Braknark answered readily.
“It was devised to prevent assimilation. This method is far more efficient—and safer.”
When pursuing better tactics, one often arrives at similar conclusions.
After losing their homeland, the gnoll tribe had chosen practicality over warrior pride. More efficient strategies allowed them to fight with greater ease.
“…This is simpler than I expected.”
Braknark nodded in agreement.
“The enemies seem weaker than usual tonight. Likely thanks to you.”
Woojin had recently hunted numerous mutant abominations—the powerful, intelligent variants. Eliminating them beforehand had made defense much easier.
But there were some monsters he had deliberately passed over.
Boom. Boom. Boom!
A massive abomination charged forward.
The very one Woojin had marked before.
“The war rhino…”
A rhinoceros aberration.
And on its back rode five mutant abominations.
They were powerful enough to inflict meaningful damage on the gate.
Seeing this, Braknark shouted urgently,
“Take it down before it reaches the barrier!”
In response, Jakal and several other gnolls lashed their tails.
Black venomous quills shot out like hail, raining down on the rhinoceros aberration. Rocks and spears followed.
The rhino endured the barrage without stopping, steadily advancing.
Woojin rose from his seat.
His hands began to move quickly—like someone performing sign language.
After a series of intricate gestures, two fire orbs condensed in his palms.
He brought his hands together as if in prayer.
The two spheres merged, growing visibly larger.
A fireball.
A spell he had learned during training with Claire.
Though not cast in the orthodox way, he adapted it using his ability to shape incendiary blasts.
Less efficient than standard casting—
But the power was comparable.
BOOOOM!!
A thunderous explosion erupted.
Flames engulfed the rhinoceros aberration’s head.
It collapsed onto the dirt, convulsing violently.
Soon, it stopped moving.
The spell had succeeded.
Seeing the rhinoceros aberration collapse, Woojin smiled in satisfaction—
Then suddenly frowned.
A sharp pain stabbed through his head, as if needles were being driven into his brain.
Mana overload.
“…Ugh. Maybe that was unnecessary.”
He hadn’t slept properly, and it was his first time casting such a large-scale spell in real combat. The headache was severe.
But those around him didn’t know that.
Braknark stared at him with wide eyes.
“Incredible… You can wield such powerful sorcery, Guardian? Astonishing.”
“…Took some effort to learn.”
Woojin answered calmly, masking the pain.
His gaze shifted toward the fallen rhinoceros aberration.
The five mutants that had been riding on its back had abandoned their mount without hesitation and were charging toward the barrier. Though humanoid in shape, they ran on all fours like beasts.
Woojin narrowed his eyes.
“…Why aren’t they trying to retrieve the rhino’s inner core?”
A creature that large would surely possess a valuable core.
Yet neither the mutants nor the surrounding abominations showed any interest in collecting it.
Why?
No time to ponder.
The mutants were already closing in.
Gnoll warriors hurled spears to block their approach—
But none landed cleanly.
The mutants twisted their bodies unnaturally to evade the incoming spears, or used other abominations as shields.
They reached the wall.
Like geckos, they scaled it in an instant.
Braknark read their intent immediately.
“Protect the shamans!”
To win a battle, one dismantled the enemy’s key strategies first.
Just as the gnoll vanguard had once ambushed the Second Expedition’s priests to disrupt their formation, these mutants were targeting the gnoll shamans.
“I’ll have to step in.”
Allowing infiltration would complicate matters.
But then Woojin tilted his head slightly.
“…Aren’t those three coming this way?”
Indeed, three mutants were heading toward him.
Braknark spoke grimly.
“They must be targeting the most threatening sorcerer.”
The earlier fireball had clearly left an impression.
Though Woojin had expended most of his mana in that single spell, the mutants didn’t know that. To breach the barrier, eliminating the greatest source of firepower was logical.
“Funny creatures.”
Woojin smirked—and reached for his waist.
Then paused.
“…You’ve done it again.”
He had left his machete behind.
Lately, he seemed to be making foolish mistakes.
As he chastised himself, the mutants climbed onto the barrier.
“Graaaargh!”
Shrieking, they lunged forward.
Braknark intercepted one, grappling it.
The remaining two rushed Woojin.
Boom!!
Woojin threw a punch.
His fist smashed into one mutant’s face, crushing its skull like a tin can. The creature was sent flying, tumbling back down the wall it had just climbed.
The second mutant halted abruptly, startled by its companion’s sudden disappearance.
Woojin activated his inner sight, examining its body.
Then he stepped forward.
The mutant snapped its jaws open threateningly, baring its fangs.
“Gyaaagh—!”
Without hesitation, Woojin shoved his hand straight into its mouth.
The creature bit down furiously, but its teeth might as well have been gnawing iron.
He moved his arm deeper.
Soon, his fingers found what he was searching for.
He gripped it tightly—
And pulled.
The mutant’s inner core.
Clutched in his gray, scaled hand.
As the core was extracted, the mutant’s body began collapsing.
“…Ghh—”
It flailed weakly in the air, as if begging for its return.
Moments later, its form dissolved into an unrecognizable slurry.
Woojin tucked the newly acquired core into his clothes and glanced toward Braknark.
No help needed.
Braknark had already crushed his opponent’s skull with a bone hammer and kicked the corpse off the wall. The two mutants that had targeted the shamans were swiftly subdued as well.
Sensing the elimination of the mutants, the abominations battering the gate began retreating all at once.
The battle was effectively over.
“…Guess I can go back to sleep now.”
Woojin looked down at the core in his hand.
The inner core of what had once been a Dark Order priest.
What memories might it hold?
Tonight—
He might dream for the first time in a while.