On Starcrest 15, 1850 AC (Arbiter Calendar), the roar of the Snowy Mountain King shook the entire battlefield. The sound was so loud that the fortress walls trembled slightly, and snow fell from the towers. Many soldiers froze in place as the terrifying roar echoed across the frozen plains.
Then a crushing pressure spread across the fortress.
It was the Aura Pressure of a Peak-Stage Aura Transformation Realm monster. The invisible force crashed down on the soldiers like a falling mountain. Warriors below the Early-Stage Aura Transformation Realm suddenly felt their bodies become extremely heavy.
Several soldiers collapsed on the ground while others fainted instantly.
"I… I can't move!"
"My legs are shaking!"
Many of the younger soldiers were terrified. Even some veteran fighters struggled to stand as the pressure pressed against their bones and muscles.
From the command towers, officers quickly began shouting orders.
"All units hold the walls!"
"We must defend the fortress for eight to ten hours!"
"Reinforcements from the Northern Army are on the way!"
One officer raised his sword and shouted toward the soldiers.
"Elite warriors from the Aura Empowerment Realm are coming! Hold the line until they arrive!"
The message spread across the walls quickly. Even though fear filled their hearts, the soldiers understood the situation clearly.
If Frostgate Fortress fell, the northern territories would become defenseless.
Not long after the roar, the monsters began their second wave attack.
Thousands of snowy beasts rushed toward the fortress again. But this time the wave was stronger and more organized. Among the swarm were many larger monsters.
Elite Snowy Beasts.
Commander-type Snowy Beasts.
The monsters slammed their bodies against the walls. Some climbed the frozen stones while others tried to break the gates with brute strength.
Cannons fired from the towers again.
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions echoed across the battlefield as cannonballs smashed groups of monsters. Snow, blood, and broken bodies scattered everywhere.
Behind the walls, riflemen aimed their weapons.
"Fire!"
Gunshots rang across the battlefield. Smoke filled the air while the smell of gunpowder spread across the fortress.
Despite the heavy defense, the monsters kept coming without fear.
The commanders quickly ordered a defensive reinforcement.
"Redirect seventy-five percent of energy to the barrier!"
"Strengthen the walls with aura solidification!"
The barrier surrounding the fortress began glowing brighter as energy flowed into it. The walls hardened as aura strengthened the structure to resist the monster attacks.
Still, the battle remained brutal.
Every two hours more soldiers died. Some were crushed by monsters while others collapsed after exhausting their aura.
The wounded were dragged away by medics while the remaining soldiers continued fighting.
On the Eastern Wall, the situation was becoming worse.
Many soldiers were already injured and exhausted. Blood covered the frozen stones of the wall, and broken weapons were scattered everywhere.
Alistair stood at the front of the defense with his left arm badly wounded.
Blood slowly dripped from the injury, but he ignored the pain.
Behind him, Staff Sergeant Sheba continued commanding the troops.
"Shield line forward!"
"Rifle squad, aim for the commanders!"
Her voice remained calm and strong despite the chaos around them.
Alistair raised his sword and shouted toward the soldiers.
"We can still hold this wall!"
The soldiers looked at him in silence.
Many of them were older and far more experienced than the young knight standing before them.
One tired soldier quietly spoke to the others.
"He is only fifteen."
Another soldier tightened his grip on his rifle.
"If the kid can still fight… then we can't run."
Their morale slowly began to rise again.
The battle continued without rest.
The smell of burning oil from the cannons mixed with the heavy scent of gunpowder. Blood from both monsters and soldiers stained the snow dark red.
After seven hours of continuous battle, the fortress looked like a battlefield of nightmares.
Bodies covered the ground outside the walls.
The remaining soldiers were exhausted, but they still stood in formation.
Then the Snowy Mountain King roared again.
Another wave of Aura Pressure spread across the battlefield. The soldiers trembled as the crushing force pressed against their bodies.
But this time something changed.
The massive monster began to move.
Step by step, the enormous creature slowly walked toward the fortress.
The soldiers stared at it with horror.
The walls of Frostgate Fortress were already enormous, standing nearly seventy-five meters tall.
But the Snowy Mountain King was even larger.
The giant creature stood over one hundred twenty-five meters tall, towering above the battlefield.
Its body looked like a massive gorilla made of snow and ice. Each step it took shook the frozen ground beneath it.
A soldier whispered in fear.
"That monster is bigger than the fortress."
An officer shouted urgently from the tower.
"Reinforcements will arrive in one hour! Hold the line!"
But the situation quickly became worse.
Thirty minutes later, the Snowy Mountain King picked up a gigantic boulder from the ground.
With terrifying strength, it threw the stone toward the fortress.
The massive boulder flew across the battlefield like a meteor.
BOOM!
The Western Wall was completely destroyed.
The tower collapsed instantly, killing every soldier stationed there. Stones and bodies fell into the snow as the entire section of the wall was annihilated.
Panic quickly spread across the fortress.
"The West Wall is gone!"
"Everyone there is dead!"
On the Eastern Wall, Alistair stared at the approaching giant monster.
The Snowy Mountain King slowly raised its enormous arm.
Its massive fist lifted high into the sky.
Many soldiers collapsed in fear.
"We are going to die…"
No one could run.
The monster was too large, and its power was overwhelming.
At that moment, Alistair quietly spoke.
"System."
A blue interface appeared before his eyes.
"I want to open all the gifts."
Hundreds of notifications appeared immediately.
"Activate everything related to defense."
"Defense… protection… damage reflection… guard heal… activate all of them."
The system quickly processed the command.
Out of more than three hundred stored gifts, only one hundred fifty-seven were activated.
Power flowed through Alistair's body.
Then the Snowy Mountain King attacked.
Its giant fist slammed toward the Eastern Wall.
BOOM!
The attack struck Alistair's defensive barrier.
The impact felt like an entire mountain crashing onto his body.
His bones cracked loudly. Blood burst from his mouth and eyes as the overwhelming force crushed his body.
But the defense held.
The damage reflected back toward the attacker.
The Snowy Mountain King suddenly screamed in agony.
Its right hand exploded, torn apart by the reflected damage.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield as the giant monster roared in pain.
At the same moment, Alistair was blasted backward by the impact.
His body smashed violently into the Eastern Tower.
He collapsed onto the ground with shattered ribs and broken bones. Blood poured from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
Yet he was still alive.
The soldiers stared at him with shock and disbelief.
"He blocked the attack…"
"He survived…"
Before anyone could react further, powerful figures suddenly descended from the sky.
Six warriors landed on the battlefield outside the fortress.
Their auras were far stronger than anything the soldiers had felt before.
One of them shouted loudly.
"Reinforcements from the Northern Army have arrived!"
Five warriors stood at the Early-Stage Aura Empowerment Realm.
And one warrior stood even higher.
A Mid-Stage Aura Empowerment Realm champion had finally entered the battlefield.