"Enemy attack!"
A loud alarm echoed throughout the restricted area. Orion's eyes were drawn to the commotion in front of the restricted area. In an instant, all the soldiers moved like gears, aligning themselves toward the front.
"Form up!"
Rows of soldiers thrust their spears in unison; the sound of them cutting through the air was crystal clear.
"The Silvermane Guards are here!"
A tall Silvermane Guard stood at the forefront, holding a shield as tall as himself, blocking the front like a city wall. No matter the attack, even a splash of water could not get through. His right hand thrust his spear like a rainstorm, skewering the flying mosquito-like monsters with ease.
What kind of enemy could force such a Silvermane Guard to retreat continuously?
The answer lay right outside the door.
The narrow city streets were jam-packed, resembling a highway gridlocked with cars. A dense sea of monsters, like a swarm of ants, poured in endlessly.
The world-splitting monsters formed an army, with the flying mosquito-like creatures leading the charge, followed by giant crystal beasts over six feet tall.
Fire, frost, and lightning.
Hail poured like rain, lava crashed down like meteorites, and lightning roared from the sky faster than humans could react.
Each attack sent groups of Silvermane Guards flying and shattered their formations.
"Ahhhhhh!"
One Silvermane Guard's weapon melted in the oncoming lava, and half of his arm was burned away. What was terrifying was that the charred bones still clung to his arm, making a sickening sizzle as the burned nerves reacted.
"Back off! Back off!"
The leader of the Silvermane Guard waved his arms, and no one even had a chance to move the wounded soldier to safety.
A giant arm swung around, gathering a strong force, and the tip of the spear glowed with a bright white light.
"Go!"
A powerful strike with visible effects; the flying attacks were neutralized by this blow, and the strong wind pressure even knocked away a few smaller monsters.
However, this only gave the injured soldiers some breathing room.
Just as the attack was launched, an attack from the void struck from the front of the Silvermane Guard.
As he was about to retreat, he saw a soldier in his peripheral vision, dragging his broken body as he tried to move backward, determined not to hold his companions back.
"We can't retreat."
Thinking quickly, an attack hit the head of the leading Silvermane Guard.
A crack appeared on the helmet, and the metal, made with Belobog's best forging process, was heavily damaged and deformed. This showed the severe impact on the person inside the helmet.
His tall, upright posture wavered slightly, but he quickly steadied himself, raised his spear high, and shouted in a hoarse voice:
"Fire!"
A volley of artillery shells flew from the sky behind them, hitting the enemy ranks.
The powerful explosives sent debris flying in all directions.
The impact of the bombing on the monster group was visible to the naked eye. Charred marks appeared outside the door, and the enemy's advance was temporarily halted.
But soon, another wave of enemies swept over, even larger and more numerous than before.
The artillery shells kept coming, raining down outside the door. The Silvermane Guard's supply of shells was limited, but the waves of enemies showed no sign of stopping.
Eventually, the cannon's launch port became red-hot from the heat, and smoke began leaking under the barrel. Finally, it couldn't take any more, and the barrel burst, making it unusable.
A monster, shaped like a lady, waved a staff in its hand. A gear-shaped formation appeared behind it, sending countless rays of golden light through the door.
"Block!"
The former soldiers could only use their bodies as barriers to block the attack. The golden light collided with the Silvermane Guard's shield.
The shield was already damaged, with explosive fragments, melted iron traces, and large and small dents. The emblem representing Belobog on the shield had long since become blurred. Only the determined people stood firm.
The storm might knock down a tree, but it couldn't make the man in front of him take a step back.
But is this person standing tall in the storm really as strong as he seems?
"I've lost all feeling in my arm," the tall Silvermane Guard gritted his teeth, half of his face under the helmet already covered in blood.
The recent attack caused the dent in his helmet to press against his eyes. Half of his vision was gone, blood was still flowing, every bone in his body was screaming, and even the weight of his armor was hard to bear.
He couldn't see clearly what was in front of him. The sounds of roaring monsters, exploding artillery, and the pain running through his armor.
As the person in charge of the front line today, he knew he had to defend this place, even if it cost him his life.
"Yelena... I'm sorry, I might not... be able to see you again."
In his daze, he remembered the promise he made a few days ago. According to the Silvermane Guard regulations, after completing today's patrol, he could return to the administrative area and enjoy a few months of rest.
A creaking, fist-shaped machine appeared at the feet of the Silvermane Guard at some point, its red core glowing with a dangerous light.
"Sir, stay back! It's about to explode!"
This fist-shaped robot would self-destruct after a short time, with enough power to blow up everything within a few yards. Many frontline soldiers had died because of it.
"Retreat? Should I Retreat?"
His consciousness was becoming foggy. He could vaguely hear his comrades' voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.
His subconscious was telling him, "Run, run; no one will blame you."
As the highest-ranking Silvermane Guard present, he could have stayed in the back, watching the soldiers charge ahead one by one. He could have easily escaped safely by asking for help from the rear.
However, the Silvermane Guard's years of training told him, his experience with the soldiers told him, and the oath made in front of the Eternal Winter Monument and the city wall told him, "You can't retreat. Behind me is Belobog!"
"Ahhh!" The figure of the Silvermane Guard was small compared to the city in front of him, but as he moved forward, forward, and forward again, he held the door that divided the battlefield tightly against his body.
His figure was as solid as the city wall that had protected Belobog for thousands of years. The brilliance from the path of [Preservation] blocked the endless sea of monsters at the gate. The self-destructing fist machines looked like small fireworks as they were tossed aside and knocked far away from the door.
The scene was spectacular: cutting chainsaws, flying lasers, lava, cubes slicing through space, and countless streams of golden light. Everything was blocked by the Silvermane Guard's shield and the city gate.
The morale of the soldiers soared, and they rushed forward to support their commander, ignoring their injuries. Although the light that humans emit is incredibly heroic, it often doesn't last long, only a few seconds.
Cracks appeared in the transparent light, and the cracks quickly spread.
The shield was broken.
Willpower often can't change reality. No matter how strong the Silvermane Guard's will was, he couldn't squeeze any more energy from his body. His body, which had been standing firm, was about to fall.
In less than three seconds, he would either be torn apart by the sea of monsters in front of him or see his corrupted body turn into a monster and attack the city he vowed to protect during the next wave of enemies.
"No!" But saying no was useless. The soldiers were getting closer and closer. Even though they were badly injured, they didn't want to see their commander captured by the enemy and turned into a walking zombie in the next invasion.
At this critical moment, a hand lifted up the Silvermane Guard, who was about to fall.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Orion's figure appeared on the battlefield, looking at the enemy with a grim expression. But when attention shifted to the huge object he was carrying in his right hand, the reason for his delay became clear.
It was a running gear that should have been laid at the bottom of the city, large enough to support the entire restricted area.
"That's..." The soldier behind Orion was so shocked by this sight that his jaw nearly dropped. As someone who often patrolled the restricted area, he knew how heavy that thing was—at least hundreds of tons.
Orion holding up this giant thing went beyond natural strength—it was like seeing someone carry a mountain. The black and red gravity held the Silvermane Guard behind him. Orion's eyes focused on the horde of monsters in front of him. For some reason, he felt a deep sense of calm. Slowly, he rose into the sky, lifting the giant wheel in his right hand high above his head, aiming at the road below.
"Go to hell."