CH222 Atonement I

***

The moment Alex collapsed, three fully armored individuals immediately rushed forward to surround him and take custody of his unconscious body—Udara, Jared, and Jared's adjutant.

Under Jared's bulwark-like protection, the adjutant moved in swiftly, supporting Alex's weight alongside Udara. Together, they carefully lifted his limp form and carried him away from the Magi Regiment's formation, heading further to the backline toward the tents that had been prepared beforehand.

Although the surrounding soldiers were filled with worry for their General's health—especially after the incredible, almost unbelievable feat he had just accomplished—they could not afford to linger. They understood all too well that hesitating here would only mean throwing away the very effort Alex had poured into his last act.

And so, with heavy yet determined hearts, they obeyed his final order before he collapsed.

They charged.

A unified battle cry erupted, shaking the night air as the Infantry surged forward like a rolling tide, charging straight at the city that was still in chaos and reeling from the visually unfathomable mage attack that had just struck.

Yet, despite their speed, the Infantry were not the first to enter within the city. Surprisingly, it wasn't even the Cavalry—who had already overtaken them in the race to reach the walls.

The first to enter the city were… the Archers.

And not just any regular archery unit, but the infamous Fang unit who made up the bulk of the Vanguard unit.

They were led personally by the Colonel of the Vanguard's first company, a man on a mission to atone for his past failure in allowing the Goblin Priest to escape.

For him, this operation was not only about duty; it was also about redemption and reclaiming the honor of his unit.

Exploiting the confusion within the walls, the Fangs infiltrated through gaps created in the city's defenses, moving with the precision and silence of shadows.

According to Alex's plan, the Fang unit carried with them special mana lamps, tools specially modified by the Mage Regiment. These lamps served a single purpose—to mark key targets that Alex would then strike.

In essence, Alex's Special warfare spell: Meteor Lance Fall, mimicked the very basic principle of a modern guided missile launch systems.

The Fangs identified critical enemy positions, lit them with the magic lamps, and Alex—through the OmniRune—synchronized with their signals. He then adjusted his colossal spell to strike precisely at those locations.

That was why the Mage AI assistant had been able to calculate the bombardment positions with uncanny speed. It hadn't started its calculations after the spell's formation. No—long before that, it had already been tracking the locations of the lamps, preparing in advance.

When the meteor lances finally fell, the effect was devastating. The Wildkin captors holding the hostages were annihilated in a tightly controlled blast, leaving the civilians miraculously untouched. The sudden precision strike shattered the enemy's defensive rhythm and threw the Wildkin's wall garrison into utter disarray.

The Fangs, daring as ever, wasted not a moment. They dove straight into the chaos, exploiting the panic and confusion to carve their path deeper into the city.

Some fearlessly scaled the battered walls under cover of darkness and chaos, while others slipped through fresh breaches blasted open by the earlier meteor strikes.

The sudden, ghostlike arrival of the Fangs spread panic among the defenders. Their appearance caused the Wildkin defense line on the city walls to collapse even faster, buying precious time for the main troops pushing forward on the ground.

Under the archers' relentless cover fire, the advancing Fury soldiers finally reached the walls without suffering usual devastating losses.

Once the Fury Army secured control of the gate-bearing sections of the wall, the Division surged through, storming into the city proper.

And here, within the twisting alleys and shadowed corners, the Fangs were in their element. Like fish to water, they scattered across the city, assassinating key-looking Wildkin figures, sabotaging defensive efforts, and sowing chaos wherever they went.

Meanwhile, their Colonel advanced steadily toward the city's main plaza—the very heart of the city, and Wildkin occupation—where the majority of the captured citizens had been herded together as hostages.

Moving like a phantom, he swiftly neutralized every guard posted in the vicinity. It was then that his eyes fell upon his true prey—the detestable Goblin Priest, the very creature responsible for his previous shame.

Once again, the wretch was attempting to flee.

The Colonel's gaze sharpened. His mission of redemption had truly begun.

Fortunately for the Colonel, more Fangs soon arrived in the area.

He made a series of quick hand signals, silently instructing them on how to spread out and cover the civilians gathered at the plaza. Then, like a shadow blending into the night, he vanished from their side, flashing toward his true target.

The Goblin Priest.

The wretch was fleeing once again, flanked by three Goblin Fighters who guarded it with tense, watchful eyes.

The Colonel's gaze grew even frostier when he saw the Priest's disgusting tactic repeated—the vile tentacles on its back had once again latched onto four terrified civilians, holding them up as living shields for its escape.

Just as he prepared to strike, he felt another presence rapidly approaching. The aura was unmistakable.

Turning slightly, he caught sight of a crimson figure cutting a bloody trail through the battlefield.

The man ignored stealth altogether, leaving corpses in his wake as he bulldozed forward like an unstoppable force.

The Crimson Berserker Major.

Unlike the Colonel's subtle stealth approach, the Major knew only one language—raw violence. Every Wildkin unfortunate enough to block his way was hacked apart without hesitation.

The Colonel let out a faint sigh and shook his head.

'This reckless fool…'

Still, he channeled his Internal Energy, pushing his movement technique to its limit. In a blur of speed, he arrived ahead of the fleeing goblins, materializing before them like a phantom.

The sudden appearance of the human made the Goblin Fighters falter, their feet skidding to a halt. Their expressions darkened with solemn fear.

Even without drawing his bow, the Colonel's presence was suffocating. His late-stage Veteran aura pressed down on them like a mountain, making their breaths heavy and shallow.

They exchanged brief, uncertain glances, a flicker of hesitation visible in their beady eyes.

But the Goblin Priest reacted instantly.

"Shwa! Shing! Shine!!"

Bursts of magic light flared around the Goblin Fighters as the Priest raised its staff and unleashed a flurry of support spells.

[Strength Boost]

[Speed Enhancement]

[Goblin Shield]

[Vitality Trigger]

[Damage Nullification Barrier]

The fighters' bodies pulsed with unnatural energy, their frames bulging with power. With their parameters pushed to new heights, the three early Class 4 Goblins found the courage to raise their blades against the late-stage Veteran before them.

Meanwhile, the Goblin Priest cast the Colonel a mocking, human-like smirk, as if to say 'You can't touch me now'. Then it turned, intending to retreat deeper into the city.

But before either the Priest or its guards could move—

Boom!!

The street exploded.

***

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