The massive orb hit the plains with a heavy sound, and a loud boom rang everywhere. However, the orb did not suffer even a scratch.
A sparking noise rang, and the orb’s ‘essence’ showed itself before the cloud of dust even disappeared. Black-red sparks splattered from the orb half-sunk in the ground. The sparks seemed small initially, but the intensity and range soon expanded exponentially to cover most of the plains. Not only that, but the sparks infiltrated deep underground and started to dig up everywhere like they were stimulating or bringing something out by force.
How long had it been since the phenomenon from the oval-shaped orb that covered the Eastern Plains in black-red light lasted? Some slight ‘movements’ were felt underground here and there. They were ‘vibrations’ that occurred from Fran Page’s pawns, the entire Immortal Troops, crawling out from the ground. Their small movements gathered together to form a loud vibration.
The Immortal Troops consisted of various races, including natives, orcs, trolls, ogres of the Eastern Plains, and they came out of the grounds with moans and groans. However, there were two different points from when they appeared under Fran Page’s call, and the first was that Ian’s black magic had been why they came out and not Fran Page’s magic.
“He really must have gone crazy during the time we had not met. To think that he had done something like this…Well, it must have been a foreseeable future from the time he had promised us that contradiction called immortality.”
The mechanic Siram gulped at the horrible sight, as Ian had explained the situation to him.
“What am I thinking? Now is not the time to do this. I have to confirm…”
Siram remembered what he had to do, and he adjusted his grip on the airship key. The orb that had Ian’s magic carved in did more than bring out the Immortal Troops by force. It held something more critical, which would be the fundamental ‘solution’ for this situation.
With loud booms, flame burst out of the numerous barrels of the airship. The artillery fire that had erupted against Gargoyles in the Soffit Mountain Range that fit the name of the ‘air bombardment ship’ had just started. However, the indiscriminate fire did not last long, simply because the firing had not been for ‘battle,’ but for an ‘experiment.’
The shots had pulverized Fran’s pawns, and while they would have come back alive cleanly through their immortality, they surprisingly could not even regenerate themselves.
“Did we succeed?”
It seemed Ian’s magic that had been held in the landed orb, the ‘Immortal Releasing Spell’ born from combining the ‘power of language’ and ‘black magic,’ had been successfully administered.
“I hope you all go to a good place.”
Siram looked at the zombies who had returned to dust and prayed for a moment. While their immortal powers and situation had been different, the troops had also been played by Fran Page. Siram felt sympathy and sadness as he was in a similar situation.
“Now…”
Siram’s mission did not end here, as he now would have to bring the main characters to the stage, which they had just perfected. A shot rang again, but this time did not head towards the ground and went up in the sky. The shell had not been for battle but was a flare with blue light bursting in all directions. Blue was the color for ‘success.’ With a whirring noise, numerous portals were built in the southeast, southwest, and north directions of the Eastern Plains.
The southeast portals were connected to the various regions of the Greenriver Empire, and the southwest portals were to the Roe Kingdom, and the northern portals were connected to the Coldwood Empire. The impressive numbers signified that massive troops would gather to the Plains.
“This is the first time I saw something like this.”
Siram finished what he had set out to do and took the airship to a higher position to observe the war that would become history, actually the expedition that would start now from beginning to end.
“I can even watch it in the sky.”
As Siram finished mumbling, the ‘Vanguard Cavalry Regiment’ of the ‘Tripartite Expedition’ poured out from the portals with overwhelming force. They started charging with different armor, insignias, and flags. Of course, their opponents were the ‘Immortal Troops,’ or the ‘Zombie Troops that had lost the power of immortality.’
“Focus, Mogrian Knights! The success of the expedition depends on us!”
Many could be seen in the Vanguard Cavalry from the Greenriver Empire. ‘Eric,’ the knight from a common family in the Mogrian lands who had guarded Ian in the past, was now the leader who led the charge of the Mogrian Knights.
“The best warriors of the Pieric! Had not the Eastern Plains been our responsibility? However, we had not even recognized that horrible catastrophe! I, as the Lord of the Pieric lands, and you, as the best warriors of the Pieric have to feel the tremendous responsibility and shame!”
The ‘Shield of the Lands’ that had checked all movements in the history of the Eastern Plains, the best warriors of the Pieric lands also formed an axis of the vanguard troops.
“We have no way of washing away this disgrace! However! Now we have a chance to redeem ourselves at least a little! The method is simple! Pull your reins! Charge! Wipe out all of them!”
The lord of the lands, ‘Kalian Pieric,’ who was more of a head for a charging troop than a leader, was at the first line of the Vanguard Cavalry with loud shouts. As Kalian’s horseback riding skills were the best of the best, he showed that he was at another level amidst the charging cavalry.
The rushing horseshoe noises rang out to the vast lands, and the dust from the charging troops speedily narrowed down from three sides. They then began to mercilessly trample down the zombies of the Eastern Plains according to the planned routes.
Was it because they were laid bare after losing the power of immortality? The zombies of the Plains died out without being able to do anything against the storming troops with the sounds of bones breaking. Their skulls burst, bodies mangled, and as they were pulverized, returned to dust.
Of course, since the number of zombie troops was immense, the cavalry could not annihilate them on their own. Their actual main goals had been ‘confusing the camp’ of the zombie troops, ‘forestalling’ before the main battle, and ‘raise the spirits’ of their ally troops.
Right after the cavalry had stormed the plains, the expected shouts were heard from the portals in the three directions. They were the main troops, infantry units, troops that had not been included in the cavalry, and magicians of the tripartite expedition.
“The brave warriors of Greenriver! Face the monsters in front of us, those who could not die! If we do not win here! Survive here! Those monsters will gather to towns and villages and devour your parents, wives, and children!”
The Crown Prince Hayden Greenriver was surprisingly at the foremost line of the Greenriver main troops with the Second Empire Knights behind him. Not only that, but he was also uplifting the members of the expedition using an enhancement tool for his voice.
“Those who cannot abide such a sight! Those who desire to remove those horrible things from our lives and lands..!”
The Crown Prince raised his sword amidst the protection of the Second Empire Knights and a few magicians. He led the main troops despite everyone, including the Emperor, Ian, and Oliver having tried to dissuade him. It was not a mere competitive spirit, as Crown Prince Hayden had contemplated this issue more seriously and carefully than he ever had and decided to participate by his own firm will.
“Do not hesitate and follow me! For me, for your family and friends! For our country Greenriver! And…for humanity!”
Had the Crown Prince’s intentions been delivered? All of the Greenriver troops began to follow Hayden in earnest, and they began to repeat the slogan the Crown Prince had shouted at the top of their lungs.
“For humanity!”
“For humanity!”
“For humanity!”
The Crown Prince Hayden sheathed his sword without reluctance as he began to run with the main troops the path that the cavalry had charged. While he had learned swordsmanship from Oliver for the past few years, he had not been successful. His talents were below average. However, the Crown Prince recently gained his own special ‘weapon,’ and he found the courage to go on this expedition because of this ‘special skill.’
With a click, the Crown Prince unlocked the special belt he had worn on his thigh. He took out an object long with a handle that had been sheathed there. It was not a sword or a bow, nor a crossbow. It was evidently lighter and smaller than any other lethal weapons, and it was difficult to estimate its use.
A ‘magic missile’ fired from the object Crown Prince Hayden held in his hand with a fleeting noise, which accurately pierced the head of a zombie. While the missile’s size was smaller than an ordinary magic missile spell, its velocity and penetration capacity were peerless.
“One.”
The object that was hurling reinforced magic missiles was the ‘Boom Stick,’ which had been created by using magical technology and also had been Siram’s masterpiece. The burdensome item that had not been allowed mass production began to show its true colors from the Crown Prince’s hands.
“Two.”
Hayden had thought nothing of the item after Ian had given it to him as a present, but the weapon had felt right in his hand as he practiced during his free time. It was not an overstatement, as he did not miss a shot. It was the first time Crown Prince Hayden, who did not have anything outside his countenance and bloodline, had been drunk by the ‘taste of talent.’
“Three!”
The Crown Prince did not miss a shot even in this chaos, and it was due to the Crown Prince’s ‘unpredicted talent’ that had actually been ‘overwhelming.’
“Charge forward!”
Crown Prince Hayden, the first ‘Boom Shooter’ of humanity, shouted.