NOVEL WEB Chapter 1119: Last Man Standing
Raidon's heart beat faster and faster as he rode forward to meet his death.
The adrenaline pumping through his veins gave him strength.
The hope that his wife and children would be safe once these foul creatures were taken care of gave him strength.
And lastly, the brave warriors behind him riding into battle alongside him gave him strength.
As the horde of zombies in front of him turned into a tsunami of death and rot, Raidon tightened his grip on the sword. The weight of steel in his hand was nothing compared to the weight in his heart.
He drew in one last breath and spoke his final words to the men behind him:
"This is our final stand! Not for glory! Not for riches! But for our loved ones! For Ravenfell! Be not afraid, my men! Be not afraid! I will ride with you! And when this is all over… we shall reunite in the afterlife!!"
The Magi of the Black Legion roared even as tears trickled down their faces and fear gripped their hearts.
"OOH-AHH!"
"OOH-AHH!"
"OOH-AHH!"
The retainers of the Ranzenberg Family followed suit. And then, together… the twenty-five brave warriors charged headfirst into the sea of undead creatures.
However…
There were too many of them, far too many of them. How could mere twenty-five Magi deal with an army that was a million and a half strong?
So when these brave men clashed with the horde, they were immediately swallowed by it. For a brief moment, it felt as though even time itself had frozen, as the tsunami of zombies closed over them completely.
But then…
BOOM!!
A typhoon of steel and fury erupted within the sea of undead, tearing through the horde as severed limbs and rotten flesh flew into the air.
A small section of the undead sea was instantly cleared up, and in that cleared space, the twenty-five brave warriors emerged like heralds of death, cutting down the zombies again and again and again.
Still at the forefront of the cavalry charge, Raidon brandished two swords as he went into a murderous frenzy. Utilizing the mana combat technique—the Dark King's Twin Blades—that Adam had gifted him and the men of the Black Legion, he reaped one life after another.
The soldiers behind him were instilled with confidence, seeing him fight so fearlessly. At once, the damage that these men dealt increased exponentially.
Mana swirled around them and their blades as they cut apart any zombie that tried to attack them. Hundreds of zombies fell to their deaths as the cavalry cut through the sea of undeath.
And just like that… this small group of twenty-five brave men had managed to attract the attention of the vast majority of the zombies in Corvid Quarter!
Initially, it had just been the zombies in the vicinity of Raidon and his men. But now, these foul creatures from even the farthest nooks and crannies began to stir. Thier eyes flashed with bloodthirst as they all swarmed towards the living.
Not even one minute into this gruesome battle, and already a Magus from the Ranzenberg Family had fallen. And then, another from the Black Legion was swallowed by tens of zombies.
"Keep moving forward!!" Raidon screamed, his eyes blazing with an unknown emotion.
He didn't know what it was. But it gave him strength. The fact that his action here today might have a great impact on tomorrow gave him strength. The hope that his family would live in a world without these foul creatures gave him strength.
"I said… FIGHT WITH ME!!" He roared to the skies, his swords turning into a blur as they reaped countless lives.
"HOO-AAH!"
The men of the Black Legion screamed behind him, following him straight through the sea of undead. But as the minutes dragged on, one by one, the brave warriors met their end, completely swallowed by the horde.
From twenty-five…
To twenty…
To ten…
And then…
There was only one.
A large group of zombies threw themselves at Raidon's horse. Their rotten teeth sank into its flesh, and their claws dug deep into its hide.
Realizing his steed's fate had been sealed, Raidon placed a gentle hand on its neck. With a final pat, he rose onto the saddle, then hurled himself from its back, vaulting down into the horde of zombies.
Mid-air, he sheathed his twin blades, then quickly weaved a series of hand seals. Then, he pointed his two index fingers towards the place he was about to land.
Rank 2 Spell: Scorching Beam!
Two brilliant rays of flames carved through the swarm beneath, instantly burning a path clear for Raidon to descend. The burly Magus landed with a thunderous clash, twin blades flashing in his grip as he hurled himself headlong into the foul horde.
He was the last man standing. Guided by the spirits of his fallen comrades, he erupted into a storm of blood, tears, and blades. Countless undead fell before his blades, until the ground around him became an island of corpses adrift in the sea of undeath.
In the end, even his weapons gave way, shattering under the strain of cleaving through hundreds of rotten corpses. Raidon cast the broken blades aside, then drew his twin daggers, hurling himself recklessly into the horde.
He had to keep their attention. Only then would Daniel have a chance. He was the last one left. Everything rested on him.
Soon… his daggers, too, were destroyed.
Using his hands, feet, and even mouth, Raidon did everything humanely possible to kill as many of these foul creatures as possible, keeping the attention all to himself.
But there were far too many of them…
How could one man even hope to last against an army this big?
But Raidon already knew that. He had accepted his fate long ago.
So when the zombies bit into his arms, his legs, his shoulders, and his neck, Raidon felt no sadness or despair. Instead…
He was hopeful.
Councilor… I leave the rest to you…
As the zombies slammed him into the ground and began to feast upon his flesh, he silently grasped one of the many Potions of Explosions he was secretly carrying with him.
Then, he uncorcked the vial and imbued the last vestiges of his mana into it.
Before the explosions engulfed him and the foul creatures hungrily feasting on him, Raidon thought of his beautiful wife and adorable children.
It was warm.
***
Somewhere in the heart of Corvid Quarter, a shadow slipped past the zombies, moving swiftly and silently towards his destination.
Daniel was almost there when suddenly…
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion echoed in the north. Daniel's eyes gradually widened at that sudden sound. Pressed against the wall of a crumbling hut, he watched as the nearby zombies began swarming towards the source of that blast.
The stoic councilor lowered his head as he subconsciously clenched his fists.
Thank you… Raidon… all of you… thank you!
Eyes glistening with determination, he bolted towards the storage house near him. The fact that he had even reached his destination was solely because of Raidon and the rest drawing the horde's attention. Their sacrifice was what made it all possible.
He entered the building unnoticed. Inside, there were zombies, but none noticed him. With countless emotions swirling inside his heart, he made his way towards the underground chamber. There were more zombies, but the shadows enveloping him concealed him from their senses.
Lifting the hatch, he finally descended the ladder and set foot in the underground tunnels. And then, he froze. For as far as he could see, every tunnel that sprawled before him in all directions was lined with barrels. Thousands upon thousands of barrels.
And he knew exactly what they contained.
Knowing what this meant, he let out a long and heavy sigh. His expression hardened, and then he surged forward. The tunnels also contained zombies, but, strangely enough, their numbers were few—fewer than he had expected.
Guided by Sabrina's disk, he soon reached a vast chamber. At its heart stood a rectangular contraption. All that remained was to place the disk into its core.
But the moment Daniel set foot inside this chamber, a chill ran down his spine. And in that moment, he knew instantly…
He wasn't alone.