I can evolve everything

Chapter 97 Horizon

"That's right, we need to charge into the monster horde." Renn patted Thales on the shoulder. "If the monster tide is big enough, the first two lines of defense alone won't be enough. What we need to do is wait until they break through the second line of defense, get disoriented by the traps and explosive traps, and think that there's only the city wall in front of them, then we'll cut in from the flank."

"Cut it in? Cut into whom?"

"Cut off that dire wolf's head."

Raine stood up, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the canyon, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

"As you saw, those beasts were organized last time. Since they were organized, they had a leader. As long as we kill the leader, the remaining thousand will naturally collapse without a fight."

"—A thousand?" Thales felt his legs cramp. "You mean there might be a thousand?"

"To put it mildly," Renn added, successfully turning the mage's face from green to white.

"Hey, Master, don't wet your pants before you've even started fighting."

A soft laugh came from above.

Ella was sitting on the crossbeam, swinging her legs back and forth. She jumped down lightly, landing silently.

"Raine is right. Rather than being overwhelmed by thousands of monsters, we might as well take a big gamble." Ella walked over to Raine and nudged his waist armor with her elbow. "But are you sure this mage can handle it? Don't let him get so scared that he can't even cast a fireball."

"You're the one who can't conjure fireballs!" Thales, insulted, blushed. "I'm a mage certified by the Tower!"

"Alright," Renn interrupted their bickering. "Tails, I don't need you to charge in. Just stay behind Ella, and wherever you see the densest concentration of monsters, or where there's a big, unusual one, just hurl all your fireballs at it. After you're done, just run. Nobody will blame you."

Upon hearing this, Thales's expression finally softened.

"That's more like it—"

The next two days passed by very slowly.

The wind seemed to have disappeared these past two days, and the snow fell vertically, painting the whole world white.

Raine barely rested. He spent most of his time sitting behind the second line of defense, clutching the forty-five-pound black iron greatsword.

He was adjusting his breathing.

It wasn't ordinary breathing; it was a silent activation of the "Black Rock Breathing Technique."

With each inhale, the cold air sweeps across the lungs, then transforms into a scalding heat that pumps into the whole body through the blood vessels.

Until the morning of the third day.

Ella was the first to notice the anomaly.

The half-elf was perched atop the highest watchtower as usual when suddenly she froze.

"Raine".

She didn't scream, she just jumped down with the wind.

"They're here."

Raine opened his eyes, grabbed his two-handed greatsword, and took two steps up the wooden ladder of the watchtower.

Standing on high ground, the view opens up dramatically.

On the horizon, there was originally a pure white line, which was the boundary between the snowfield and the sky.

But now, that line has turned black.

Countless heads, claws, and fangs lurked on the distant horizon.

The ground began to tremble. At first it was very faint, but gradually the wooden railings of the watchtower began to shake, and snow continued to fall.

"This quantity—" Sergeant Hank, who had rushed over, leaned against the railing, his lips trembling, a dry, gurgling sound coming from his throat, "This—how much is this?"

"Fifteen thousand?" Ella narrowed her crimson eyes; her elven eyesight allowed her to see more clearly than anyone else. "No, not just that. There's more to come. Two thousand?"

Raine didn't say anything.

He just stared intently at the black tide.

Dire wolves, gnolls, and ogres mingled among them, running silently.

That was an army made up of monsters.

"Ignite it," Raine suddenly said.

"Wh-what?" Hank hadn't come to his senses yet.

"I said light it!" Ryan turned around, grabbed Hank by the collar, pulled him back from his fear, and shouted, "Light the red signal fire!"

"Yes! Yes!" Hank scrambled towards the beacon tower.

A few minutes later, a column of red smoke shot into the sky, appearing particularly dazzling in the heavens, like a wound.

"Everyone, proceed to your designated positions!"

"Tales, you need to go to the first line of defense and wear them down. Ella, you and I will stay outside the third line of defense with the elite squad. The rest of you, those who are afraid to die, shoot arrows from behind; those who aren't, put up your shields and nail them to the ground!"

Once the order was given, the fear was actually diluted by the busyness.

The soldiers quickly got into position.

Raine stood on high ground, his gaze not fixed on the approaching horde of beasts, but turned to the flank.

He was looking at other encampments.

Soon, a column of red smoke rose from a hilltop to the west.

That was the Garrick Knights' defensive zone. Immediately afterwards, red smoke rose one after another from several more outposts further away.

Hughes Bloodhoof made his move.

Since that person's target is the [Eternal Furnace] magic circle of the Northern Fortress, launching an attack will inevitably lead to a full-scale invasion of the beast horde. The goal is to leave the Northern Fortress unable to defend both ends, preventing the troops stationed outside from returning to reinforce the Northern Fortress, thus exposing its weaknesses.

Everything is going as expected — wait.

Renn's brows suddenly furrowed.

His gaze was fixed on the northeast. There lay a dense, dark pine forest, the Black Pine Forest defense zone garrisoned by the Valen Knights.

There was no smoke there.

Amidst the rising and falling red smoke signals, Valen's defense zone remained as quiet as an outsider. There was no sign of any smoke rising in the sky there.

"What's going on?" Ella noticed Rein's gaze and followed it. "No movement from Valen's side? Could it be that his beast tide has started earlier than before?"

Ryan stared in that direction for a few seconds, his previously tense shoulders relaxing slightly. He exhaled a puff of white breath, which was instantly dispersed by the cold wind.

"Very likely." Renn withdrew his gaze and focused back on the approaching black line in front of him.

"If we consider that night's attack as part of the overall offensive, then it makes sense."

Ella blinked, immediately understanding what Renn meant: "You mean, there was a problem with the direwolf commanding that beast tide, and they acted prematurely before today?"

"Or maybe Valen was just lucky," Ryan sneered. "In any case, we cleared out that threat a few days ago. Now, the Black Pine Forest is actually the safest place on the entire defensive line."

"That guy's really lucky," Ella muttered. "I hope I'll have that kind of luck later."

7

Raine turned away, no longer paying attention to the situation in the distance.

Since Valen is safe, it means that the Black Pine Forest defense zone, which has already been severely damaged, will not suffer another wave of beasts. Valen's safety is not a concern, nor is there any need to worry about being flanked.