Dungeon of Niflheim

457 Chapter 457: Momentum

Cassandra didn’t stay long, no more than 20 minutes, but it was enough to time to calm her nerves and allow her to regain her natural imposing demeanour.

She remined Leo and Frost to stay safe as well as ordered them to keep an eye on Douglas, to make sure he doesn’t get out of bed before Gilianna gives the ok before returning to her duties.

Once she left Leo took over the command centre in place of his father and Hamon- who was now resting- and his first order was for Frost to immediately help out on the northern wall.

They couldn’t have everyone simply vamoose from their stations and rest while there was a lapse in the waves. That was impractical and insanely dangerous. The waves could start up again at any moment, faster than they’d be able to reman their stations.

Thus during the resting stages the reserves were on call, mainly made up the slightly weaker soldiers, adventurers and volunteers as well as a contingent of elites. Two majors and several captains, weaker than their usual line-up but still a force to be reckoned with.

Given that Frost was still raring to go and full of pep Leo immediately put him to work. Frost guarded on top the wall with his eyes peeled for any signs of movement, eagerly awaiting the next battle.

4 hours later there was rustling in the trees and quakes in the ground, the monsters were on the move once again.

Baaaaadooooonn! Baaaadooooonn!

In response a loud war horn was sounded on the northern wall alerting everyone in the town. Those who were resting rapidly opened their eyes before getting up and heading to the wall. To save time they all slept in their armour and with their weapons and equipment by their sides.

.....

Frost gripped his glaive with tensed fists as a wild smile started to grow on his lips and anticipation filled his eyes. His heart started thumping loud and clear, his muscles quivering desperate to be let loose.

Hamon, Bastion, Ryuu and the other majors swiftly arrived on top the wall and by Frost’s side with Bastion and Hamon placing a hand on his shoulders.

“Relax lad there’ll be plenty of fight to be had, they’re not going anywhere.” Hamon chuckled finding Frost’s eagerness amusing.

Frost turned to Hamon.

“Colonel where am I stationed?” He asked desperate to jump into the thick of it.

Hamon looked hard at Frost and his tensed fists before gazing out beyond the wall, running numerous calculations in his head.

The first line of monsters rushed out of the trees during this time. Dozens of wolves and leopards, fast and aggressive beasts that could rapidly cross the gap to the northern wall. Following them where a contingent of hard hitters, D-rank armoured lizards. Beasts with thick scales perfect for enduring arrow fire. The monster lines had strict purpose, no longer was there mad bull rushing, tossing everything all at once.

Hamon frowned as he saw this before looking towards Ryuu and Jessie.

“Will you be alright without him?” He asked while the permanently assigned squads and their commanders swiftly made their way onto the battlefield or onto the prepared battlements.

Ryuu looked at Frost before a wide smile adorned his lips.

“Sure let him blow off some steam first, he looks like he needs it hahahahahaha.” Along with Ryuu many of the older soldiers laughed out loud, only the young would act like this.

Hamon’s gaze finally returned to Frost before he smirked.

“Looks like you get your wish young Frost. Take the vanguard along with major Bullen, give them hell kid.” Hamon laughed and slammed his hand against Frost’s back before unleashing his aura, seeping his presence into every one of his soldiers and filling them with spirit.

“Rahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!” Loud roars erupted from the soldiers as they ran straight towards the charging wolves and leopards, their weapons drawn and ready.

Frost felt a shiver flow through his body, Hamon’s aura was so thick and heavy, the ultimate backing for allies and a pressuring existence for the enemy.

With his wild smile that now stretched from ear to ear Frost laughed as he released his restraints, fully diving into his battle lust mode.

With a loud bang he kicked off the wall, launching himself towards the charging horde. Many elite soldiers and adventurers followed his lead, inspired by his tenacity and will to fight.

Booooommmm!

Frost landed hard generating plumes of dirt and dust around him before he twirled his glaive, pumping it with energy.

“[Wyvern’s maw]” The instant he landed Frost launched his most powerful skill. Green energy flowed from his body and into his glaive before forming into a terrifying maw of a wyvern. It screeched letting its presence be known before with a mighty swing of Frost’s glaive shot off into the rapidly approaching line of monsters.

An unfortunate wolf was swiftly eaten as was part of a leopard before the giant maw crashed against an armoured lizard flipping it onto its back after taking a chunk from its supposedly durable scales. But three monsters was just a drop in the ocean. The rest continued unimpeded towards the northern wall.

Frost with a maddened expression dashed forward with his glaive cleaving apart whatever monsters entered his range. Blood and limbs flew out from his position making him look like a veritable flesh grinder.

Emboldened by his actions the elites that followed him as well as major Bullen went all out, carving up swaths of monsters, preventing them from ever reaching the shadow of the northern wall. They wouldn’t let the monsters get hold of the momentum. Moral and the flow of battle played a far more integral role in wars of this scale. An outnumbered force can come out victorious if their wills are of iron, unbreakable even under the most dire of circumstances.

“Mage corps light them up!” Hamon nodded his head approvingly to Frost’s actions before calling up Ryuu and Jessie’s corps. This war had many parts not just the vanguard.

A moment later a deluge of spells hammered down on the following lines of monsters, slaying dozens almost instantly and forestalling their advance.

The vanguard team roared out in victory before accelerating their attacks.

“Looks like we won the momentum first.” Hamon muttered with a smile while his eyes focused on what still lay behind the trees, a nagging feeling somehow wrapping around his heart.

The battle raged on, and monsters continued to charge out from the Northrend forest without end but Frost held his ground at the forefront. His wide and strong back leading the charge as his glaive adorned in chilling flames cut down foe after foe as though he’d never tire.

The younger soldiers and adventurers couldn’t help but occasionally glance his way, their hearts encouraged. Frost though only being a recent arrival had already become a strong support for them.

Major Bullen witnessed all of this with wide eyes.

‘The kid’s got some real talent in leadership, even I feel the desire to follow him into battle.’

It’d be weird if Frost didn’t have strong charisma, he was effectively both a commander and a king. Before coming to Furano he lead his monsters at the forefront in defence of his own territory so of course he picked up a few things.

Corpses quickly littered the battlefield once again though thanks to the gung-ho attitude of Frost, the vanguard team as well as Hamon’s assisting orders few were piled up in front of the northern wall, no more staircase of flesh that made access the to walled troops easy pickings.

Hamon however no longer sported a smile but a pronounced frown.

‘Something’s off, I can smell it.’ Hamon was quite confident in his instincts, instincts that had been grown through numerous battlefields. What started as just a nagging feeling around his heart -something that’s always there during a war- now whispered in his ear, warning him of extreme danger.

He rapidly scanned the horizon, searching for certain entities.

Two low level B-ranks had revealed themselves so far as well as the youngest rindar but the older two were nowhere to be seen, a strangeness that shouldn’t happen. The commander usually needs to be present and in the open so as to instil the greatest effect on both their allies and enemies.

The whispers and sense of danger suddenly magnified.

“Shit! Frost, Bullen pull back now!” Hamon roared out at the top of his lungs while at the same time empowering the many magic inscriptions drawn on his body.

Frost and Bullen had pushed forward thanks to their victories and were now fairly close to the Northrend forest, something they didn’t even realise until Hamon roared out for them to pull back.

However the moment they froze, halting their momentum a venomous aura pounced out from the trees like an arrow, the target being Frost.

“Fuck!” Frost didn’t have much time to react but thanks to Maya’s no holds barred training his reaction speed allowed him to even follow those at A-rank. With deft precision he moved his glaive’s shaft before his chest, protecting him from whatever was launched.

Don!

A loud don sounded from Frost’s glaive as a spiked purple barb that was dripping green liquid crashed against it. Frost’s nostrils were suddenly assaulted by a corrosive stench.

‘Poison!’