The wind and snow poured into the shattered watchtower, the smell of blood and spore pulp blending into a nauseating stench.

Willis Calvin stood on the broken watch platform of the city wall, staring at the enormous thing slowly emerging from the fog and snow in the distance.

His hand clutched the sword hilt, yet he found his fingers trembling slightly.

Even though he was already a High-tier Knight, he couldn't control the heavy, anxious suffocating feeling in his chest.

That was the Nest.

It was more gigantic and bizarre than he imagined.

Like an overturned tree trunk, or the back spine of some creature that shouldn't exist, dragging a whole river of writhing insect corpses across the icefield.

Willis gritted his teeth and looked down at the territory behind him.

This little valley, took him a year to build slowly.

He remembered every stone path, every house, and every name of his subjects.

He had sweat and bled for this land, personally inspected the masonry seams at night, and hauled logs with his people during the day.

Now... it might all be destroyed.

He couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh, "Even if the Nest doesn't attack me first... it's my turn."

The two territories closer to Frost Ice Valley than his had already fallen.

The intelligence brought back by his Scout Knight contained only indistinct screams and flames, not even complete corpses, lasting only half a day.

The Nest couldn't be bothered to fully devour them, quickly moving on to the next prey.

"Can I hold out longer than they did?" he murmured, his eyes somewhat vacant.

Willis knew very well that what he faced before were just the vanguard.

Those black-shelled, undying insect corpses were merely appetizers for the Nest.

And himself... he had already lost nearly a third of his knights to clear them, even with Louis's warning, knowing their weaknesses.

And now that the terrifying Nest had personally arrived, could he withstand it?

At the edge of his sight, a massive shadow appeared like a shipwreck in the fog.

Dragging countless writhing tentacles, turning the snow into a mire of spore pulp wherever it went, causing the forest to groan and the earth to tremble.

When he saw the entity, he almost dropped his sword and fled south,

but then he recalled the letter Louis wrote.

A letter written in the simplest words, yet he read every word three times.

"Your location is the Nest's next target. After I resolve things here, I'll send support. If you can hold on a bit longer, you'll save more people."

At that moment, looking at the line "I will arrive," he had an urge to laugh.

That kid actually thought of saving people? Facing such an enemy? Who did he think he was?

But he also understood, only Louis dared to say "I'll be there" when the Nest was pressing in.

Willis turned back and looked at the rundown yet still standing stone walls.

Retreat? Of course, he could retreat.

The knights were there, the warhorses too, and even the escape route on the flank was prepared.

He could ensure his survival.

But he thought of those still hiding in the cellars, by the warehouses, under broken walls, thought of the eyes watching him, of the people he had protected for a year, and couldn't turn away.

Nor did he want to turn away.

"...Maybe hold on a while longer," he said.

He gritted his teeth, lowly growling, "Just a few more hours... just a few hours!"

A signal fire rose from the command tower behind him, and he brandished his sword fiercely.

It was a signal, also a vow.

"Everyone get into defensive positions! Don't let these beasts set foot in Chi Yun!"

Even if he died, he wanted to use this blood-stained snowy land to secure a path for reinforcements.

The main body of the Nest finally approached.

Like a mountain of disaster come to life, dragging hundreds of writhing limbs, it slowly emerged from the thick fog and snow.

The swarm of insect corpses followed closely, surging into the valley like a black tide, turning the snow into spore pulp mire, with the air filled with the stench of decay and death.

The soldiers on the city wall turned pale, some gripping their weapons yet unable to stop trembling.

Willis Calvin donned his armor for battle, his cloak like blood, raised his longsword and roared, "Hold the line! Don't let the enemy set foot in Chi Yun!"

Morale was shaken, but soon plunged into deeper despair.

Because he saw that terrifying sight with his own eyes.

He saw the abyssal behemoth like the mouth of hell, seemingly capable of devouring all courage and hope.

He was speechless for a moment.

Even though he was an Elite Knight, a Lord, the protector of Chi Yun.

Yet at that moment, he wavered.

Willis forced himself not to look at those huddled in the ruins and cellars behind him, not to hear the cries of children.

Forced himself to believe, "Hold on a while longer... just a while longer..."

But he knew this time they might really not wait for rescue.

When the Nest suddenly swung a limb as thick as a city wall, tossing the entire western defense line into the air.

At that moment, soldiers were flung skyward like sandbags, and the entire fortification collapsed with a roar, his last internal resolve crumbled too.

Willis murmured softly, "I'm sorry... everyone..."

He was about to order a full retreat.

When suddenly—

"Whoa—!!"

From the sky, came a piercing scream that tore the air.

A cannonball trailing a fiery tail streaked across the night sky, its speed and momentum, like a meteor crashing into the mortal realm.

"Boom!!!"

At that moment, it seemed as if the earth and sky had cracked.

A gigantic explosion erupted in front of the Nest, flames surging into waves hundreds of feet high, the scorching shock wave crushing everything in its path.

The insect corpses were charred to cinders or flung into the sky on the spot, even the surrounding air seemed to be sucked dry, forming a vacuum-like oppression.

The Nest, the massive entity that had just seemed like the Grim Reaper pressing upon them...

It let out a scream, low and distorted, as if the entire abyss beneath the earth was roaring.

Its front chest burst open, a large expanse of crimson viscera and writhing tubes exposed, blood and flesh splattering as the massive body, weighing tons, began to retreat.

Not moving slowly, but retracting and falling back in terror, like a beast with its nerves set ablaze.

Willis opened his mouth wide, almost able to fit his fist in without noticing.

He couldn't speak, only able to stare at the embers and black smoke, at that "something" still burning.

"What is this...?" he murmured, his voice blown by the wind.

He wasn't the only one stunned.

The knights beside him all halted their movements, staring at the flames and the fleeing Nest, an existence that seemed mythically terrifying yet was repelled with a single blow, almost forgetting to breathe.

This fearsome entity had once crushed a lordship in an instant, a calamity almost insurmountable in their eyes.

But now, it was afraid, afraid of that terrifying explosion.

"It's... it's him!" A young knight was the first to react, trembling as he said, "It's Lord Louis... he has arrived!"

On the hillside, the wind swept the snow, a battle flag with a blood-red background and golden sun emblem rose high.

It was the banner of the Red Tide Territory...

The golden sun ascended amid flames and iron fire, as if to dispel this darkness and despair.

The warhorse neighed, hooves raising dust as a young commander leaped down from horseback, landing like an eagle, the cloak draped over his heavy armor fluttering fiercely in the wind.

He removed his helmet, black hair reflecting the firelight, eyes sharp as blades, voice steady as a hammer beating a drum.

"Fire attack team, advance! Flamethrower formation number two! Target the insect corpse cluster!"

He was naturally Louis Calvin.

In Willis's eyes, at this moment, Louis was no longer human, but a god descended to earth.

With flames and fury, he came on behalf of the Dragon Ancestor, fighting for the hopeless.

"Boom——!"

Another heavy Magic Explosion Bullet whistled out from a portable launcher, slicing through the night sky, precisely hitting the open chest of the Nest.

The remaining core area exploded completely amidst flames and thunder, as if infused with heavenly lightning, black blood and spore mist surged out, the insect shell shattering into pieces.

The Nest let out a distorted wail, half of its body collapsing, dozens of limbs twitching as it fell.

It wanted to escape, to retreat, yet it was suppressed by flames, unable to move.

"First line of flamethrowers! Advance three steps! Burn the spore-infested bodies!"

"Woo——!"

At Louis's command, dozens of knights in the flamethrower team simultaneously ignited their nozzles, Fire Scale Ointment spraying out scorching pillars of fire in the night, weaving into a purgatory-like fire curtain, incinerating the remaining insect corpses in batches.

Those howling, struggling insect corpses exploded, twisted, and turned to ash in the high temperatures.

This Nest's level of evolution was quite strong, so it hadn't died even after two Magic Explosion Bullets.

It swayed painfully, trying to open its mouth to release insect mist, only to be hit in the head by the third Magic Explosion Bullet...

With a thunderous sound, its skull exploded open, collapsing on the scorched earth like a rotting fruit, immobilized.

The entire battlefield fell silent for three breaths.

"...Dead?" Willis murmured, his voice full of disbelief.

Just like that?

This terrifying Nest was thus completely terminated in this sea of fire and blast flames.

The embers of the blaze still burned, a faint bloody scent spreading among the scorched earth.

Willis stood on the ruined city walls, hair singed by sparks, face full of soot and scratches, the whole person seemingly climbed from a pile of corpses.

He panted and wiped away the dirty blood on his face, watching the fire attack team orderly withdraw, unable to help but smile bitterly.

Just then, a heavy-armored warhorse stepped into the ruins, the familiar red-gold cloak fluttering in the wind.

"Lou... Louis!" Willis hurriedly greeted him.

Louis dismounted, unfastening his gloves while glancing at him a few times, his tone calm but with a bit of fatigue and concern: "You held out for quite a while, well done."

Willis relaxed his previously tense nerves, smiling wryly as he shook his head: "Almost couldn't hold on. If you were a few minutes later, I would've really had to run."

"Then I wasn't too late." Louis patted his shoulder, "What about your men, how are the casualties?"

"More than twenty knights dead, around seventy lightly and heavily injured combined. The militia's losses are even worse... you could see it."

Louis nodded, his gaze not reproachful but attentively listening, then softly said, "You didn't lose the city, and you saved many people. This battle, was fought without disgrace."

Having said that, he looked at the distant pile of charred insect corpses before turning back to Willis and said:

"I'll leave you with two groups of flamethrowers and a medic. Let your men rest a bit, finish off any insect corpses that aren't completely dead. I've also arranged with logistics to set aside some supplies for you, try to replenish a bit."

Louis continued, "I have to head to other places in Snow Peak County, the northern nobles' defensive line is about to collapse, need to block the openings before the insect swarm spreads."

Willis nodded, asking no more.

At this moment, Willis suddenly realized that he and Louis no longer inhabited the same world.

Even though they were both Upper Lords, himself being a Baron while Louis was just a Viscount.

After arriving in the Northern Territory, there were times he couldn't help but feel envious.

Thinking that Louis was luckier than him, coming to the Northern Territory early allowed him to rise with so many opportunities.

Yet at this moment, he was left only with admiration and gratitude, and relief.

Relief that he chose his territory with determination right next to the Red Tide Territory.

Relief that he thick-skinnedly begged for help in front of Louis.

Willis looked at the still-burning Nest carcass, once again raised his sword covered in dust and blood, seemingly responding to the receding battle flag.

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