Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 483: Chapter 482: Crisis at the Northern Fortress

The Sanctuary was indeed struggling to hold on.

A Demon Wolf, insane with rage, leapt through the air towards the Paladin before it. Facing the oncoming savage wolf, the Paladin swung his longsword, cleaving it in two from head to tail, as its pungent blood sprayed down, staining the once pure white armor a vivid red.

However, the Paladin presently paid no mind to such trifle, kicking the corpse beside him away as the holy flame ignited once more on his blade.

”This isn’t a place for you demon creatures, get back!!”

Accompanied by the roar, the Paladin swung his longsword fiercely, and in an instant, the white holy flames burst spectacularly, tearing the encroaching demon creatures into fragments. But the next moment, the Paladin was seen gasping for breath, staggering back a few steps, and leaning on the sword against the wall.

”Squeak—!!”

Just then, a pitch-black creature resembling a raven screamed down from the sky, claws outstretched towards the Paladin. At the same time, a Magic Missile whistled through the air, striking the creature hard, while the Paladin seized the opportunity to take a deep breath, gripping his longsword tightly and forcefully cleaving the creature before him.

”Huff......”

It was only then that the Paladin caught his breath, nodding towards the Mage beside him.

”Thanks.”

”No need to thank me, this is really troublesome...”

Next to the Paladin, a Mage was also wiping the sweat beads on his forehead, his face filled with worry as he gazed upon the battlefield. Below the city walls, thousands of Demon Beasts were furiously assaulting the fortress. Demon Wolves corrupted by magic power and creatures like iron-skinned boars rammed the massive walls with abandon, even using the corpses of their companions as stepping stones, leaping towards the walls relentlessly, much like moths to a flame.

”These damned Demon Beasts, winter has passed, and what madness has possessed them now?”

As the Paladin spat out in contempt and pondered, the Mage beside him simply offered a bitter smile in silence. The Northern Fortress had indeed suffered great misfortunes lately. Nearly overturned during the winter beast tide, they had barely begun to repair the breach when, with spring’s arrival, these damned creatures returned!

Moreover, their onslaught was even fiercer than in the winter!

At that moment, suddenly, the communication Crystal beside the wall began to shimmer, followed by a grave voice echoing out.

”All Mages prepare, cast ’Mud to Stone’ on the ground ahead in five seconds. Knights’ Order, get ready to cover! The Light of Order Crystal will be activated in ten seconds!”

”What?”

Upon hearing this command, both Paladin and Mage were taken aback, exchanging looks that revealed the deep concern in each other’s eyes.

”What should we do?”

”No matter what, it’s an order. Let’s follow it for now; cover me!”

As he spoke, the Mage held his Magic Wand aloft, and then began to chant loudly. At this moment, the Paladin quickly took up his shield, standing protectively in front of the Mage. After a few seconds, the chant complete, the Mage pointed his wand forward.

”Mud to Stone!”

As the Mages cried out, the ground that was once solid before the fortress suddenly transformed into a bottomless swamp that, like a fierce beast, began to voraciously swallow every Demon Beast that fell into its maw. Demon Beast corpses and their living counterparts quickly sank into the mud, creating a vast no-man’s-land between the fortress walls and the tide of beasts in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, the triangular Crystal atop the fortress wall began to emit a soft, bright beam of light, shooting straight into the sky. The thick clouds rapidly dispersed with a swirl, as if a golden barrier of sunlight descended from the heavens, securely shielding the entire fortress within.

The Demon Beasts touched by the sunlight began to emit painful cries as their bodies burned like candles in the sunlight. The Demon Ravens circling above the fortress also retreated with pitiful screams and, for a moment, the attack of the beasts seemed utterly contained......

”Everyone, immediately return to the fortress to regroup!”

Following the order, the paladins and mages who had been struggling on the city walls for half a day also withdrew, dragging their weary bodies back inside the fortress to rest. However, their faces were filled with worry. The reason was simple—although they had relied on the ”Light of Order” to block the demon beast’s assault, the problem was that the ”Light of Order” wasn’t limitless. It could only be maintained for a few hours, and once that time passed, they would have to continue fighting these demon beasts.

But as for the fortress’s current strength... it was hard to say whether they could hold out that long.

”Commander! Has the support from the rear not arrived yet?”

Listening to his subordinate’s inquiry, Knight Commander Wells shook his head.

”The Sanctuary and the White Tower have already sent all the support they could in the short term. Although other places are currently mobilizing, it will still take some time. However, I have received news from Bishop Carl at the Sanctuary that they have found a very reliable reinforcement, whose vanguard will soon arrive! What we need to do now is to rest and wait.”

”Reinforcements?”

Hearing Knight Commander Wells’s words, his subordinate paladins looked at each other with confusion. These paladins were originally the main force guarding the Northern Fortress, and they had been fighting those damned demon beasts here for some time. They knew little about matters in other places and had no idea what sort of reinforcements the Sanctuary referred to.

In fact, even Knight Commander Wells himself was somewhat skeptical about the Sanctuary’s orders. He was well aware of the internal situation at the Sanctuary. Frankly, the demon beast calamity that erupted last winter had a huge impact on the Northern Fortress. Since then, the Northern Fortress had not recovered its vitality, and although he hoped the Sanctuary could dispatch more people to guard the Northern Fortress... under the current circumstances at the Sanctuary, they didn’t have many people to spare.

Yet the Sanctuary was speaking with certainty and confidence, which made Knight Commander Wells curious... He was very aware of the Sanctuary’s current situation. As for reinforcements, the Tower of Heaven had already sent their Mage Guild, but these mages could only assist in their defense and were not capable of completely driving away the demon beasts. But from what the Sanctuary indicated, the incoming reinforcements this time seemed to be able to completely resolve their problems?

”In any case, you all go and rest for now. In the coming time, you will need to replenish your physical strength, and the mages will need to meditate to restore their spells. If it really comes down to it...”

At this point, Knight Commander Wells hesitated.

”We will order all soldiers to abandon the front-line fortress and retreat to the headquarters in the Northlands!”

”What?”

Hearing Knight Commander Wells speak, everyone was taken aback.

Although the Northern Fortress was nominally a fortress, it was not simply a fortress alone. It had two gates, separately guarding the entrance and exit of this mountain pass. The fortress wall at the front was the first line of defense, and the rear was the actual headquarters of the Northern Fortress.

In the previous winter beast tide attack, the first line of defense was breached by the Demon Beast Lord. If at that time Wells and his two colleagues had not fought with all their might, even the Northern Fortress itself might not have been preserved.

Yet even at that time, nobody had given up fighting and retreated, because that would mean once the Northern Fortress itself was breached, the demon beast tide would charge straight through, and by then, the entire heartland of the continent would fall into the claws of chaos.

But now...

Although they found it hard to accept Knight Commander Wells’s orders, the people could only do so. They were very clear about the current situation. The first line of defense had already been severely damaged in the previous beast tide, almost losing its defensive capabilities. Continuing to hold out here would only lead to the pointless loss of more lives. It would be better to abandon this place and gather all the elite forces for the main defense line—to hold out even a little longer... just a little longer...

”Report!!”

Just then, suddenly, a messenger pushed through the door and entered.

”We have spotted an unidentified object approaching from the rear!”

”Oh?”

At this, Wells was taken aback.

What had happened now?

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