I can evolve everything

Chapter 103 The Hero Returns

The third line of defense, atop the stone tower.

Sergeant Hank was pushing a rock off the city wall, knocking down an ogre that was trying to climb up.

He was prepared to die in battle.

The monsters below are endless, the city gates are already teetering on the brink of collapse, and there's still no news from Rein; he's probably already...

"It's over————"

Old Hank wiped the blood from his face and looked at the equally desperate soldiers around him.

"Listen to me, all of you!" he roared hoarsely. "Once the door breaks down, no one is allowed to back down! We'll die here, even if it means dying here—"

His roar suddenly caught in his throat.

Because the scene of the beast tide in front of us has changed slightly.

"W--what's going on?"

Hank lay on the edge of the stack, staring down with wide eyes.

He witnessed a scene he would never forget.

The beast tide that had surrounded the stone tower was collapsing.

Instead of attacking the city walls, the monsters began attacking each other.

At the same time, some monsters began to flee, scattering in all directions without any order.

Some ran up the mountain, some ran out of the canyon, and some even started fighting each other over the escape route.

"They held on...?"

A young soldier asked blankly.

No one had the spare time to answer him.

All eyes were now fixed on the chaotic scene below the city wall.

The once orderly horde of beasts crashing against the defensive line has now completely collapsed. Having lost that special dire wolf, just like the situation in Valen a few days ago, their chaotic and evil nature has once again taken over the minds of these monsters.

An ogre snatched a wooden club and smashed several kobolds blocking its path into a bloody pulp before roaring as it charged toward the fleeing gnoll caravan.

It doesn't care who the enemy is; it just wants to unleash its killing instinct.

"They're... killing each other?" Sergeant Hank lay on the rampart, calmly observing the situation before him.

He served in the army for twenty years and guarded the northern border for twenty years.

He had witnessed hordes of beasts, his comrades being torn to pieces by monsters, and knights leaping off city walls to wreak havoc among hordes of monsters.

But he had never seen a beast tide inexplicably turn on each other when it had a huge advantage.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot!"

Hank snapped out of his daze and slapped the helmet of a stunned young soldier next to him.

"Even though they're insane, they're still monsters! Crossbowmen, keep firing! Shoot down any monsters that try to climb up! Everyone else, stay alert!"

The sergeant's roar roused the defenders, who had been momentarily stunned by the overwhelming scene before them, to action once more.

This time, however, the sense of despair that weighed on everyone's hearts disappeared.

The monsters below are nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs.

Over time, the canyon was filled with corpses left from trampling and tearing each other apart.

The remaining monsters finally lost all will to fight. They screamed and scattered back to the wasteland they had come from.

Rennes and his team won this battle.

Moreover, judging from the total number of soldiers killed, Ryan's assassination plan was a great victory.

When the last few monsters attempting to climb the city wall were pinned to the wall by dozens of crossbow bolts, the entire [Shattered Tooth Canyon] encampment finally couldn't contain itself and erupted in cheers.

The sounds were tinged with sobs; some people knelt on the ground kissing the stone slabs, while others hugged their comrades and wailed.

Hank leaned against the wall, pulled a pipe from his pocket, and tried to light it, but found that the flint wouldn't light. His hands were shaking too badly.

"Old bastard—" he muttered under his breath, unsure whether he was cursing himself or the surging beast tide.

He raised his head, his gaze passing over the devastated battlefield before him, and looked toward the flank between the first and second lines of defense in the distance.

It was quiet there.

The cheers echoed in his ears, but Hank's heart was still pounding.

He knew how this victory was achieved.

If Raine hadn't led the men through the beast tide, and if that commanding dire wolf hadn't died—it would be these few hundred people who are now food for the monsters.

"Lord Renn—"

Hank, with an unlit pipe dangling from his lips, looked on with worry in his eyes.

Just a short while ago, the explosion over there was so loud that the ground here could feel the tremors.

With an explosion of that magnitude, how many people could possibly survive?

Time passed silently, and Hank gazed into the distance, waiting for Ryan's return.

The sky gradually darkened.

The blizzard seemed to have subsided as the beast tide receded, and finally a ray or two of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone upon the northern wasteland.

"Sergeant Hank, over there! Look over there!"

The young soldier suddenly pointed into the distance and shouted.

Hank suddenly straightened up and squinted.

Around noon, in the shadows of the mountains, several dark dots were moving slowly.

They were not on horseback.

Renn and his men's warhorses had already scattered during the breakout.

They walked slowly, supporting each other, emerging from the corpses of the monsters at the second line of defense.

Hank counted them.

One, two, three, four, five.

There are only five.

When they went out, there were a full twenty people, all of whom were the most elite soldiers in the entire encampment and patrol team. Among them was even Thales, one of the rarest mages in the North. Now, it seems that only five remain.

Hank felt a tightness in his throat. But he quickly composed himself and shouted.

"Open the door!!!"

His voice echoed throughout the entire camp.

"The hero is back!"

The heavy wooden door slowly rose.

The five figures finally drew closer.

Leading the way was the red-haired half-elf apprentice knight.

Beside her was Ryan, being supported by two soldiers.

The young knight looked terrible at that moment.

His full suit of armor was deformed in many places, especially the arm guard on his right arm, which looked completely shattered into pieces.

What's even more frightening is that he seems to have a high fever at this moment.

Even from a distance, Hank could see the white steam rising from Ryan's body.

He lowered his head, his black hair soaked with sweat and plastered to his pale forehead.

But he is still alive.

Moreover, he was tightly clutching a two-handed greatsword in his hands.

As they crossed the city gate, the camp, which had been celebrating its victory, fell silent instantly.

All the soldiers, whether they were bandaging wounds or carrying supplies, stopped what they were doing.

They spontaneously stood on both sides, making way for the main tower.

There was no deafening cheering.

The cheers at this point seemed too frivolous.

"when"

Someone tapped the shield with the hilt of their sword.

"When—when one" 1

Then came the second, and the third.

Hundreds of soldiers were striking their weapons and shields in this most ancient way.

The sounds of weapons clashing together echoed through the canyon.

This is the Northern Legion's highest form of respect for the strong—the shield-bombing salute.