Turning Chapter 974

Chapter 974

The greatly overturned wave crashed down upon the breakwater of Charloin.

The strength to hold on faltered, and the body, as if flung away, bent and flew through the air.

Within the current, monsters writhed, clamoring and leaping in their frenzy to devour Yuder.

At this point, Yuder lacked the strength to confront them. Yet, he harbored no worry. For a hand, appearing from somewhere, had scooped him up without a moment's hesitation, pulling him close.

Yuder, yielding to the owner of the rescuing hand, gasped for breath for a long while. Opening his eyes, he saw, through his damp, clinging bangs, the face of the man who had plucked him from the water. Both their faces, his and Yuder's, were indescribably disheveled.

Despite this, Yuder had never felt as content as he did at this moment in his life.

He leaned his forehead into the embrace of Kishiar, exhaling deeply. The man, resting his head above Yuder's, asked in a hoarse whisper,

"Just now, if I had been even a little late, you would have been swallowed by the waves. What would you have done if I hadn't arrived in time to meet you?"

"I saw you coming out to greet me earlier... There's no way that could have happened."

Yuder's voice, too, was as strained as Kishiar's.

"My, my. You trust me too much."

"Then whom else should I trust?"

Kishiar did not reply. Yuder felt a slight pleasure in having silenced the man who was so difficult to defeat with words. The man, softening his eyebrows, chuckled silently, shrugging his shoulders. Yuder realized that he, too, was smiling, as reflected in the man's eyes.

"...I've returned."

"Indeed."

The man, embracing Yuder more tightly, looked down at the waves churning at their feet.

"It might be a close call, but... thankfully, they won't reach the height of the medical tent on the hill. It's the perfect spot to watch from."

There was no need to ask what they would be watching.

Yuder had felt a similar sentiment during the hailstorm. His strength was depleted, and like Kishiar, he could only observe the situation in their disheveled state.

However, unlike that time, his heart was now incomparably calm and at peace.

Yuder, looking down at the waves, slowly nodded.

"...Yes."

The waves, which might have otherwise swept over the land unobstructed, clean and engulfing everything, met their first challenge at the breakwater, erected like a fortress wall around the harbor.

Boom......! Crash......!

The sound of water colliding with stone was so tremendous it was hard to believe, shaking the entire world. But the breakwater, reinforced internally by the efforts of the members of the Jung Division, did not easily crumble. The waves, having lost their most powerful moment due to the breakwater's persistent resistance, had their momentum slightly dampened as they barely managed to pass over it.

Whoosh......

The wave, carrying both dead and living monsters, faced its second challenge shortly after.

Boom, boom boom boom!

As soon as the magic tools, which had been widely buried around the sea under Hellem's instructions, came into contact with the monsters in the water, they all began to explode simultaneously. Each time a magic tool containing the poison of the long-tailed Penpen burst, a dark liquid spread widely, staining the translucent monsters and instantly slowing their movements.

Previously, when the waves had not risen this high, the poison had only managed to stain a few monsters.

However, now that the water completely covered the land and crept forward, the Penpen's poison instead spread rapidly over a wider area, successfully performing its role beyond expectations. With just a small amount of magic tools, the monsters in the water were instantly stained and their presence became clearly distinguishable even from a distance.

The third ordeal faced by the waves occurred just before they advanced further to engulf the low-lying settlements.

"...Everyone, be ready!"

Marin, perched atop a tall tree, swallowed a tense breath, feeling a thrill among those who, like her, were preparing for attack, either hanging or standing on the trees.

"Here it comes!"

With a fierce sound, the surging wave collided head-on with the forest.

"Ugh!" "Argh!"

Here and there, those clinging to the trees, submerged in water, let out strained groans.

Yet, Marin's densely grown forest did not falter against the waves. It was because the roots of the forest, tightly grown and supporting each other, forcibly upheld the soggy, unstable ground of the southern region.

In some ways, the trees, supporting each other, were more effective than a breakwater, protecting the settlement behind them and giving the exhausted humans hope to counterattack against nature and monsters.

"We will protect our settlement!"

Ordinary soldiers and knights, lacking any special abilities, launched long, sharpened sticks like spears and hurled heavy stones from the trees to protect the settlement.

They had been doing the same thing since the previous waves had struck. Although they now had to cling to the treetops and avoid the rising water under their feet, unlike before when they only had to deal with a few monsters, the task itself was the same, so it was not difficult.

Small monsters, infected with the venom, exploded and lost their power with just that level of attack. Like water strained through a sieve, the wave also gradually lost its momentum in front of the forest, hesitating and failing to advance further.

The people, encouraged by this fact, shouted loudly. Those who had previously hidden behind the Awakeners, fearing them, now stepped forward to play their part without seeking their protection.

And behind them, swordmaster Nathan Zuckerman was busy confronting the monsters that had broken through.

He stood as a heavy yet sturdy sword, ensuring that no monster could enter where the residents of Charloin had taken refuge. No enemy could surpass his sword.

While this wave struggled to breach Charloin, other waves that had split from the main one and swept into different areas faced similar counterattacks.

The counterattackers stationed in Marin's forest, collaborating with the Cavalry brought by the waves, exerted their final strength, each in their own way.

Kurga, who faced Steiber, struck with a fist as hard as a rock, piercing a large hole in the wave at once. Of course, the water quickly filled up the hole again, but the brutally powerful single attack instantly reduced the momentum of the wave.

Sunz, having chewed the medicine received from the medical unit and returned with Elpkins, protected their assigned area alongside Emon, who had followed him out of concern. The two, knowing each other's abilities better than anyone, covered each other's weaknesses and overcame the difficult moments.

In another region, Ever adeptly commanded her members, systematically and relentlessly bursting and killing every monster. The tips of her fingers, except for the palms protected by monster armor, were bloodstained, yet her attacks, slow but sure, never ceased.

At the same time, another swordmaster of the Empire, Gino Bordelli, looked upon his former disciple, now bound and forced to kneel.

"Master! This is all a setup! That treacherous Meghna Kurlieva has framed me to bring me down! How could I possibly be a traitor? It's unfair!"

"Galexentre. Do you know where Meghna is right now, what she's doing?"

Galexentre Balfors shuddered, his shoulders twitching under the emotionless, heavy voice.

"How would I know that?"

"Meghna is out there right now, cleaning up the mess you've made. Thanks to you, the Southern Army has become untrustworthy, and she hasn't been able to get a proper sleep for days to fill that void."

"...So, it's all a frame-up......!"

Galexentre, about to shout something with a sense of injustice, suddenly stopped as an overwhelming aura of killing intent seemed to pierce through his throat. The veteran general stood up, gripping Galexentre's neck, and forcefully pulled him to his feet.

"Look out there, through that window."

"..."

Beyond the window, the beach was visible. But unlike usual, what existed there was a massive wave, a tremendous force violating the land.

Facing the terrifying sight, as if the wave could hit any moment, Galexentre's complexion turned pale.

"The... the wave is coming, so why aren't you avoiding it and staying here...?"

"Meghna is at the forefront of that wave, confronting the monsters it brings and protecting the residents. Yet, your first thought is to flee and hide."

"..."

"That is the difference between you and Meghna."

Galexentre's body stiffened. The veteran general, with a bitter smile, released Galexentre's neck.

"In the past, you were a child who knew how to work hard as much as you were ambitious. But now, you are merely greedy, and you have failed to grow in any way."