We shook off the monsters' persistent pursuit and entered the new point—the very valley I had indicated on the map. Seeing it in person, the rocky mountains on either side were much steeper. Forget tanks or vehicles; even an average person couldn't climb them. Only hunters using mana could quickly scale the heights.

"I must be crazy," Zhang Wei clicked his tongue. "This isn't a one-front defense, it's a last stand."

"It turned out that way," I replied nonchalantly.

Zhang Wei shot back sharply, "Well, I'll be. How can you say that after leading tens of thousands to their deaths?"

"We won't know if we'll die until we fight. And as you know, this was the best option."

The only positive was that our morale was at its peak. In fact, the morale Hong Yeon had stirred up was so incredible that I even considered storming Selegma's encampment right then and there. But the monsters from the rear were stubbornly following and continuously picking off our forces, so I quickly abandoned the idea.

"Hunter Kim Yusin, you did your best," Samia said, approaching in her modified wheelchair and placing a hand on my shoulder. "From the moment we were pincered, our fate was as good as sealed. Just creating this situation where we can fight back is a remarkable feat."

"…Thank you."

"The rest is up to the heavens."

We looked straight ahead. Selegma's monsters that had driven us into the valley were growling, eyeing us. They weren't attacking even though the living field was within reach. That meant they were waiting for reinforcements. The Alliance had sent down forces to deal with just one legion, but due to some scheme, we ended up having to face two. The only things we could rely on were the narrow passage that could create a bottleneck, the soldiers' morale, and Hong Yeon's presence.

"This is F-4, Master! Is something wrong?" Na Daeyong's voice came over the radio.

"We're going to face Colossus. Team F-4, please continue to stand by at your point."

"Ah, understood! Please be safe! I wish you good luck!"

Just then, Hong Yeon, who had been watching me, asked, "Team F-4? Was there such a team? Who are you talking to?"

"Huh? Ahaha! It's a code name to confuse communications! Don't worry about it!"

'Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!'

The earth trembled. The sound of countless footsteps from beyond the hill filled my ears.

"C-Colossus's legion has arrived!" a scout reported.

In front of Selegma's legion, which had taken a large step back, another gruesome horde of monsters appeared: Colossus's legion, which controlled the entire Uganda region. As expected, there were a sickening number of them, with many company captains and centurion commanders at the front—the kind only hunters could take down. We had to face numbers greater than what we had dealt with so far. I could feel the soldiers' morale, which had just been raised, rapidly cooling.

"Wh-what the?" I heard soldiers murmuring from the right.

At the far end of the narrow passage where the monsters would swarm in, five giant fingers gripped the cliff edge.

And then, something enormous poked its head over the cliff.

"I-it's Colossus!" a soldier screamed.

The soldiers gripped their weapons, terrified. I could hear the sound of swallowing from all around. Its height and build were almost enough to touch the mountains. That was the legion commander of the taves that ruled Uganda. Colossus watched the humans, who were infinitely small compared to its own body, as if observing them, then pulled its head back and disappeared.

Unrest spread throughout the army. The forgotten fear began to grow again.

"All forces, prepare for battle," Hong Yeon commanded.

Just then, she drew her sword and stepped forward.

Just seeing Hong Yeon's small back blocking that endless despair felt incredibly reassuring. The stirring atmosphere among the soldiers subsided once more.

"Still, we're all going to die here."

"It was a life with no regrets."

"If anyone makes it out, tell Amy back home that I loved her."

"There you go with that jinxing talk again."

The soldiers exchanged gallows humor to ease the tension. They weren't hopeful jokes, but they weren't cries of despair, either. Everyone still had the will to fight. Hoping for another miracle, everyone raised their weapons.

'GRAAAH!'

As Colossus roared from beyond the valley, its legion of monsters charged all at once. As if on cue, chunks of living field fell from the sky, forming a path. The second war had begun.

"Everyone, do not die," Samia said before teleporting. "Let's get to work."

"I'll be going as well, Commander," another hunter said. The others also returned to their positions, preparing to face the monsters.

"Here they come!"

Then, the black wave of monsters passed through the narrow passage and crashed into our front line. A deafening roar erupted, and the very air trembled.

* * *

For seven long hours, the regular army held on with grim determination.

Shells, bullets, and mana had all run out. Now it was only close-quarters combat; everyone swung their weapons desperately. But they were not machines. They were weary humans, and it was inevitable that they were pushed back. At first, they had been stable, completely blocking the narrow passage, but as time passed, they were forced back, and the space for the monsters to attack our forces only grew.

"Forward! Push forward, no matter what!"

"Retake the entrance!"

Everyone knew the importance of blocking the entrance, but they were exhausted. The troops at the front, holding shield devices, were already on their twentieth rotation. Tanks that had run out of shells and fuel were dragged forward and used as barricades. They made do with what they had.

The hunters plunged their swords into the monsters' necks and stared ahead. 'This has to be the last one. This one has to be the last.' They fought with that desperate thought, but the monsters pouring into the passage showed no signs of stopping.

"Aaaagh!" Riddled with holes from a monster's attack, Zhang Wei poured a potion over himself and gritted his teeth. He was sick of it all. His mana had long since run out, and his stamina was depleted. He gritted his teeth and looked to the side.

"Kim Yusiiiiiiiin!"

Yusin was holding his ground, dropping Fire Cannons to block the monsters' approach. He, too, turned his head and looked at Zhang Wei. The moment Zhang Wei saw his expressionless face, he felt his reason snap.

"You bastard!" he roared, lunging forward and grabbing Yusin by the collar. "You! You killed us all... Huff! We never should have come in here, where there's nowhere to run! We should have just attacked Selegma! Kegh... Even if we didn't attack Selegma, we could have found somewhere to escape!"

Yusin remained silent.

'Cough! Cough!' Each time he coughed, blood splattered onto Yusin's impassive face.

Staggering, a long string of bloody saliva dribbling from his mouth, Zhang Wei shoved his face into Yusin's.

"How can you look so damn shameless after leading every single one of us to our deaths!"

'Ptoo.'

A glob of bloody spit landed on Yusin's cheek and trickled down.

"You won't even get a clean death! You'll be eaten by monsters, dissolved in their slime, and you'll stay conscious while a living field forms in your guts! You'll writhe in agony, you worthless maggot!"

At that moment, for the first time, Yusin's expressionless face broke into a smile.

He seized Zhang Wei by the face, bent him in half, and slammed him headfirst into the ground.

"Agh!"

Zhang Wei's face plowed into the dirt, the taste of soil filling his mouth. As earth clogged his nose and throat, he began to choke, his legs thrashing wildly.

"I was trying to show you some respect, but you keep crossing the line," Yusin said, pressing down on the back of Zhang Wei's head. He ground it left and right with force, as if snubbing out a cigarette.

"You said it yourself. Is a rank-4 hunter supposed to run his mouth at a rank-3? This world runs on rank, you bastard."

"Gah! Hck! St-stop!"

Only then did Yusin grab his hair and haul him to his feet. Zhang Wei's face was a mess, caked in sweat, dirt, and blood. He gasped, finally clearing his mouth and nose.

"Painful, isn't it?"

Zhang Wei remained silent.

"Be grateful for it. It means you're not dead yet. So pull yourself together instead of whining and spewing curses." Yusin yanked his hair hard, forcing Zhang Wei's mouth open. He popped the cap off a potion and shoved it inside. Half-dazed, Zhang Wei whimpered but gulped the potion down.

"Feeling better now?"

"Cough, cough! Ugh!"

'Thud.'

Yusin tossed him aside and stood. Sprawled on the ground, Zhang Wei growled, glaring up at him.

"You killed them all… It was you…"

"Persistent, aren't you?" Yusin chuckled and fired a few more Fire Cannons at the advancing monsters. "Hunter Zhang Wei. What do you believe a miracle is?"

"…What?"

Panting, Zhang Wei's eyes turned bloodshot, his face contorting with contempt.

"You psychotic bastard! To think a delusional fool spouting nonsense about miracles on the battlefield was leading our army! I should have stopped you, no matter what!"

"What are you talking about? To be a true realist, one must be able to believe in miracles," Yusin said calmly. "A miracle isn't some grand, divine event. Some people think they only happen in religion or fairy tales." He glanced toward Hong Yeon before continuing. "That's not what I think a miracle is. It's the culmination of grueling effort and meticulous planning."

"What in god's name are you talking about—!"

Suddenly, Zhang Wei's eyes flew wide. Above Yusin, an apocalyptic tsunami of sand was taking shape in the sky.

"A miracle," Yusin finished, "is when all those elements converge and activate at the decisive moment."

'SWOOOOOOOSH!'

From the high cliffs, sand spread like a carpet, blanketing the battlefield. A storm of sand arrows rained down, piercing through monsters and continuing onward like a school of fish, tearing the creatures to shreds.

In front of the soldiers desperately holding their ground with shield devices, a barrier of sand rose, forming a massive fortress wall.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"What's happening?!"

A few soldiers who had looked up at the sky froze, their mouths agape.

"Ah…!"

There, seated on a throne of sand high above the battlefield, a woman gazed down upon the earth. Human and monster alike trembled before her overwhelming power.

"It's… It's the Gravekeepers of Egypt!"

The woman gestured. The sand covering the sky poured down like water, transforming into a volley of spiral lances that bombarded the ground.

'Slam! Bam! Pow!'

Monsters were torn apart by the sand and vaporized. From above, hundreds of Gravekeepers and hunters descended on drop devices, unleashing a barrage of firepower.

"Certified rank-4 Sayed, joining the front."

"Certified rank-4 Mohammed, joining the front."

"Certified rank-4 Hosni, joining the front."

"Certified rank-4 Anwar, joining the front."

The voices of countless hunters crackled over the radio.

And then.

"Certified rank-2 Pharaoh Menes, joining the front."

"RAAAAAH!"

The soldiers, who had been trembling with clenched fists, let out a collective roar of catharsis and awe, thrusting their arms into the air.

* * *

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