Boom!
"The giant at the front gate has begun throwing rocks!"
"We're moving out."
The onslaught of the beast horde had begun in earnest.
Led by a cunning and intelligent beast, the battle took on the scale and form of a full-fledged war.
"Team 5, ready yourselves."
Silverna gripped her spear, taking position.
Their target was the beast known as the "Giant," hurling boulders from afar.
On the wall, Isaac and the other members of the reconnaissance team gathered near Silverna.
After confirming the team, Silverna leaped off the wall without hesitation.
Whoosh!
As she descended, Silverna swung her spear wide.
Like Helmut's Crimson Descent,
Silverna's white aura burst forth like a storm, sweeping over the landing point.
The yetis and other beasts clinging to the wall were shredded by her aura.
Tap!
Silverna landed gracefully, her gaze fixed on the Giant in the distance.
The rest of the team landed behind her.
At this height, it wouldn't have been surprising if their legs had broken—or if they had died from the fall.
Thanks to Silverna's aura acting as a cushion, they landed as softly as if carried by the wind.
The Caldias Spearmanship style traditionally restricted the use of aura.
Aura was meant for the chosen few, and Caldias Spearmanship prioritized versatility over relying on such a specialized power.
But now, Silverna was focusing on mastering aura, evolving her skills further.
"She'll grow quickly."
Though she still couldn't compare to Liana,
Silverna was rapidly developing and making progress.
"Tch!"
Sharen, also an aura user, pouted and grumbled.
Just a few days ago, her aura proficiency had been superior.
But with Silverna's day-by-day improvement, Sharen couldn't help but feel envious.
"I'll take the lead."
Silverna surged forward, spear in hand, like a living weapon.
Her footwork and spear strikes were so precise that the beasts couldn't even raise their arms to attack before being torn apart.
Right behind her were Anna, Jonathan, and Meladik.
The three dealt with the beasts trying to fill the gaps Silverna left behind.
Rather than killing them outright, they focused on disrupting their stances or pushing them away.
After all, finishing them off was Isaac's responsibility as the team's rear striker.
Isaac's light sword allowed him to attack faster than others.
Moreover, he never missed the vital spots of the staggered beasts.
He played his role as the team's finisher flawlessly,
Though he was supported by Sharen, who watched their backs with unwavering strength.
The team moved like a single war machine, crushing the beast horde beneath their advance.
"Young Lady! We're moving out of the wall's support range!"
"Speed up from here!"
Silverna gripped her spear tightly at Anna's report, quickening her steps.
The rest of the team followed, matching her speed.
And then—
"It's time!"
As the Giant came into range, Silverna planted her feet firmly into the ground and took up a throwing stance.
Anna and Jonathan passed her to take the front, guarding her.
Whoosh!
At the same time Silverna launched her spear, Sharen swung her greatsword high into the sky.
Against the canvas of the white sky, A pale pink aura scattered like a painting.
Empowered by the aura, Silverna's spear pierced through the Giant's forehead.
Thud!
The 4-meter-tall behemoth collapsed.
Even though the mission was a success, no one showed signs of celebration. Instead, they immediately began planning their retreat.
"Frost Howlers incoming!"
Meladik, who was cutting down beasts alongside Isaac, shouted urgently.
From all sides, massive ice wolves surged forward.
Isaac was the first to step up, swinging his sword to fend them off.
However, with a single kick from a Howler—
Clang!
The thin blade shattered like an icicle breaking apart.
"Damn it!"
Isaac's hand instinctively reached for the Pearlsun strapped to his waist. Gripping it in reverse, he drew the blade and sliced through the neck of the Frost Howler that had shattered his previous sword.
The fluidity with which he switched weapons was a testament to his experience. Clearly, this wasn't the first time his sword had broken during a battle.
"Isaac's sword broke again! What about Lady Sylverna's spear?"
"Hold on! It's coming back!"
Silverna raised her hand toward the sky, waiting for her thrown spear to return.
"I told you not to throw it so hard! It takes forever to come back!"
"I did hold back! It's the Crimson Descent that's the problem!"
"Do you even know how hard it is to hold back Helmut's power, you fools?!"
Even amidst their banter, the group continued to fend off the advancing Frost Howlers.
"Should we just leave it behind? There are too many of them!"
"We should've brought a hammer!"
Jonathan and Meladik voiced their complaints.
Despite being beasts, the Frost Howlers felt like smashing ice sculptures, making their arms ache with every strike.
"If you knew what that spear's made of, you wouldn't tell me to leave it behind! Besides, we took down the Giant without any losses thanks to me—"
Thwack!
At that moment, Silverna's hand caught her spear with a satisfying snap. Her aura, still connected to the weapon, allowed it to return to her grasp.
"Got it! Retreat!"
At her command, the group immediately turned and began their retreat. As they ran, Isaac clicked his tongue while glancing at his broken blade.
"What did he say? 'It'll never break'? So confident, wasn't he?"
"Seems like that old man Antonio has a bit of an ego!"
Jonathan chimed in, agreeing with Isaac's complaint.
Antonio, their blacksmith, had assured them that the blade was unbreakable, urging Isaac to swing it freely during the mission. Clearly, the smith's boasts were just that—boasts.
Once they reached the range of the defensive wall's support, the concentrated fire allowed them to quickly make their way back. Inside the fortifications, the group took a moment to catch their breath while Isaac grumbled.
"Today, I'm definitely going to have a word with that blacksmith."
Uncharacteristically emotional, Isaac rolled up his sleeves as though ready to storm off immediately. Anna handed him a towel and asked,
"Isaac, didn't something feel off today? It was like the Frost Howlers were waiting for us."
"Yes, I noticed it too. It felt deliberate." Jonathan agreed, nodding. Silverna crossed her arms, waiting for Isaac's opinion.
He sheathed his broken sword and nodded.
"Yeah, it makes sense. We've responded the same way to the Giant's ambushes multiple times. The enemy must've started laying traps for us."
It was clear that the Frost Howlers had been stationed there in advance, anticipating their attack.
"Here, drink this."
Sharen handed Isaac a water bottle. Taking a sip, he organized his thoughts before continuing.
"Historically, large beast colonies are usually led by highly intelligent beasts. This is no exception."
In truth, Isaac already knew the identity of the creature leading the colony, as well as how it would eventually die.
'It hasn't moved yet.'
For now, the leader had yet to make its presence known. After all, it was not something that could be easily found by humans unless it revealed itself.
'You told me so yourself.'
Isaac glanced at Silverna. Based on what she had told him in his previous life, the beast commanding this colony was no ordinary creature.
Even Uldren Caldias, a renowned master, had struggled against it.
"What? Why are you staring at me?"
"Right? I agree! Things are only going to get harder from now on!"
Anna jumped in, blocking Silverna, who was starting to blush with embarrassment.
While Silverna could keep her composure on the battlefield, her emotions were still easy to read in casual moments.
"Hey! That hurts!"
"Oops, sorry."
Isaac yelped when Sharen suddenly started massaging his shoulders. Even after his protest, she didn't stop and instead gently kneaded his muscles.
Watching the scene, Jonathan couldn't resist commenting.
"Lady Sharen seems to be unusually kind to Sir Isaac these days."
"Ah, right. I saw it too. Last time, when Isaac said he was hungry, she went all the way to the cafeteria to bring him a sandwich."
When Meladik added his comment, everyone's attention turned to Sharen.
However, Sharen confidently shrugged and responded,
"What's so strange about being nice to my brother-in-law?"
Fair enough. After all, they are family.
Hearing it, there was no flaw in her logic. It was just surprising because it was Sharen.
"Isaac, does it feel good?"
"…"
"Does it feel good?"
"…"
"Does it feel good?"
Isaac, avoiding answering with the water bottle in his mouth, finally nodded in resignation.
"Yeah, it feels good."
If he had to answer whether it felt good or not, it did.
Then Sharen immediately stepped forward and leaned her head toward him.
It was a signal—she wanted him to pat her head.
It wasn't even a request at this point. The last time he hadn't complied, she'd headbutted him repeatedly all day.
Rustle, rustle.
"Heheh!"
Satisfied, Sharen grinned. Suddenly, Jonathan approached Isaac and asked,
"By any chance, is there anywhere you're feeling stiff? I give excellent massages."
Why seeing him pat her head made Jonathan suddenly want to offer a massage was a mystery.
Isaac declined and turned his gaze beyond the wall.
"They're retreating."
"Because the giant is dead. They don't have enough firepower to breach the wall."
The beasts were retreating.
This attack had been little more than a test.
Before breaking through the wall, they had knocked on it to assess how sturdy it was.
"I'll have to consult with the Margrave."
If he joined Silverna as her lieutenant, he'd have access to strategy meetings.
In his previous life, the Malidan Wall had handled the great colony on its own, so he wasn't too worried.
Still, minimizing the casualties now would make it easier to deal with future threats.
Still, first things first…
'I need to visit the blacksmith.'
He walked off, intent on confronting the boastful blacksmith who had promised the sword wouldn't break — only for it to shatter like glass.
"Isaac!"
Suddenly, Silverna, now out of her armor and wearing a coat, pointed a finger at Isaac and declared,
"Cut your hair! Stop tying it back!"
"…What?"
"It's an order from your commander! Cut it! Shave it completely bald! I hate looking at it!"
With that, she stormed off, clearly annoyed.
While Isaac stood there, stunned by her unexpected outburst, Sharen, watching from the side, muttered in disbelief.
"What's her problem? I think the tied-up hair looks deadly and charming."
"Haha…"
Anna scratched her cheek awkwardly, then quietly added,
"That's why she's like that."