Turning Chapter 971

Chapter 971

Shadows stretched forth from beneath him, enveloping the breakwater, the members, and Kanna, then surged upwards, creating a wall even larger than the breakwater itself.

"My goodness."

"Gakane, that guy... He still had that much strength left?"

Several members, not far from the scene, inadvertently let out a gasp as they beheld the shadow wall. The wall, erected by Gakane, appeared so dense and sturdy that it seemed it could replace the breakwater should it fall.

In hindsight, Gakane Bolunwald was undoubtedly a skilled and tenacious member, often one of the last to leave during the Cavalry's group training. Despite knowing all this, his approachable nature, handsome appearance that often sparked more conversations than his skills, and the notable people around him, made it hard to believe he came from a prestigious noble family. Somehow, this overshadowed his reputation as a skilled fighter.

Reflecting on it now, he was almost the only one who had endured an entire day of battle without once visiting the medical tent. His ability to calmly and promptly respond to the continuous flow of reports from various fronts, and his quick thinking of temporary measures during the current breakwater repair situation, had been enough to astonish even those members who had considered themselves close to Gakane.

The members felt the unease they had unavoidably felt due to the absence of the Commander, Yuder, and the Deputy Commanders being offset.

While Gakane maintained the wall, Kanna, without blinking an eye, put all her effort into directing the repair of the breakwater. Her handkerchief, covering her face, started to turn red again with nosebleed, yet her demeanor remained unshaken.

Meanwhile, those observing the giant wave swelling in the distance approached Gakane with grave expressions and whispered.

"Gakane. That thing in the distance... it looks like..."

"Yeah. Probably the fourteenth wave."

Gakane replied softly, gazing at the distant sea.

"The Commander and Yuder haven't returned yet, and with such a huge wave... What if something has happened to them? What should we do here?"

"What to do? Just what we can."

Gakane wiped the sweat trickling down his temple and looked down.

"The Commander already told us what we need to do. If we run out of strength, we'll retreat towards the forest on that side and climb up the trees in advance to prepare. We should move more people to the medical camp to protect it..."

"And you?"

"I'll stay here to keep this wall up until the repairs are done and everyone has had a chance to retreat."

The dark blue wall, undulating like the sea itself, grew larger. Even as the fog hovering over the sea thickened, obscuring the horizon, the fact that it remained clearly visible was an ominous sign. The closer it seemed to approach, the taller it appeared, rather than diminishing, sending shivers down the spine just by looking at it.

Quietly assessing the change, Gakane mustered more strength. The shadow wall in front of the breakwater leaped higher again.

"Are you sure you'll be alright alone? We could stay with you..."

"No. I appreciate the thought, but I'll be fine. There's only one part left to repair, and it's more likely we'll finish it before the wave reaches here. So it's better for you to go ahead now and then help us when we retreat and join you later."

As the members hesitated, even knowing Gakane was right, he shouted while still fixing his gaze on the sea.

"Sir Zuckerman from the forest must have already heard the news and will be here soon. You all need to go now!"

"Alright!"

The members turned and ran. Gakane continued to watch the repairs on the breakwater and the dark blue wall in the distant sea, biting his lip.

'I've done all I can... But knowing that Sir Zuckerman will back us up gives me some peace of mind. After all, he is a swordmaster...'

Nathan Zuckerman, after Kishiar had left, stayed by Gakane's side, assisting with urgent communications and discussions. He was currently guarding a position midway between Marin's forest and the seashore. Although not a member of the Cavalry, Zuckerman, Kishiar's adjutant and a swordmaster, was the most reliable presence there.

The Cavalry members might not fully grasp the extent of Nathan's strength, but Gakane, who was secretly learning swordsmanship from him, knew well how formidable he was.

'I'm not saying I'm not intimidated by him... But fortunately, I know he's a good man.'

Nathan Zuckerman usually stayed behind Kishiar, not drawing much attention. His imposing height and not-so-sociable demeanor were intimidating enough to others, and this only intensified after it became known that he was a swordmaster.

However, the Nathan Zuckerman Gakane knew through his swordsmanship lessons was surprisingly gentle and extremely fair. Gakane had seen countless knights who would show off and begrudge teaching even the basic movements of swordsmanship to their squires, but Nathan was unlike any of them.

Even when Gakane had pleaded to learn, expecting at least some rough treatment, there was none. Nathan never praised him for doing well, but he also never got angry at him for doing poorly. Such teachers are often thought to be indifferent, and Gakane initially thought the same, but Nathan was different.

Busy as he was, Nathan could pinpoint what was wrong with just a few observations of Gakane's practice. Bad habits Gakane himself wasn't aware of, or directions for improvement, were all captured in Nathan's brief instructions. His quiet nature and almost unchanging expressions did not mean indifference, and Gakane felt inwardly moved by this realization.

If Yuder's teaching was about rolling with the punches until one subconsciously knew what to do, then Nathan's was more about sharply pointing out deficiencies to foster self-realization. Different yet somehow similar, the teachings of both these men had enabled Gakane's growth to this point.

'Yuder... he must be safe.'

Gakane sighed, thinking of his friend out at sea. The approaching giant blue wall genuinely frightened him. But with Yuder and others out there, he couldn't flee.

It was then that it happened.

Rumble!

The subtle vibration underfoot suddenly intensified, causing those repairing the last breach in the breakwater to stagger.

"Whoa...!"

As one member faltered and fell, losing control of his power, it affected the inside of the breakwater.

The stones piled on the breakwater emitted an ominous sound and shook violently. A heavy top stone that had been resting on the very top cracked and plunged down towards the heads of the members who were making repairs.

"No!"

Instinctively, Gakane twisted the shadow wall to envelop the members. While he could protect them, the trembling breakwater was beyond his power to stabilize.

'Is the repair doomed to fail... Did my suggestion unnecessarily endanger my friends who could have escaped earlier?' These thoughts flickered briefly through his mind as he shut his eyes in despair.

"..."

Just as the breakwater seemed about to collapse, it suddenly stopped shaking. The large stone that was about to strike Gakane's shadow barrier also paused in mid-air.

As if forcefully yanked back into place, the stones hovered momentarily before snapping back to their original positions. Simultaneously, a sharp cheer erupted from behind the shadow wall.

"We did it! We succeeded!"

'What...?'

Gakane withdrew the shadow barrier. The Jung Division members and Kanna, who had continued to exert their powers on the breakwater even while surrounded by the dark wall, looked towards him with faces bright and disheveled.

As Gakane had requested, they had trusted him and did not stop repairing the breakwater regardless of the situation. Those who had not seen what had happened to the breakwater were now beaming.

"Gakane! We did it! You can retract it now!"

While Gakane blinked in dazed surprise, a voice nearby spoke.

"Good, I'm not too late. You took a dangerous risk, focusing on protecting others without securing yourself."

Gakane nearly burst into tears at that moment.

"Commander!"

Soaked and battered, it was undoubtedly Kishiar La Orr. Finally, he had returned.

Following him, a small boat emerged through the mist near the breakwater. Familiar comrades were aboard the boat that had drawn close.

"Commander. There's a new wave from afar... Sir Zuckerman is..."

As Gakane stumbled through his report, Kishiar smiled faintly.

"I know. You've done well. Leave the rest to me, and you can step back now."