NOVEL NEXT 181. Unexpected Attack
Trench Line, Southern Port, Kim Island, Kim Dukedom, Ancorna Empire
The trench line lit up with the deadly rhythm of Kim City's first defense, and Hughes, calm in the chaos, kept shouting over the din of battle, unwavering.
"Hold your ground! They are expendable, we are not! Make them bleed for every step they take!"
And so, the final push had begun. The mercenaries, hired swords without loyalty or cause, began to fall in droves, mowed down by rapid-fire crossbows mounted along the trenches. Armor cracked, flesh tore, and blood soaked the sand as the price of each foot gained by the enemy was paid in blood.
Some mercenaries, seeing the futility of advancing under the unrelenting barrage, turned to retreat—only to find themselves caught between death and dishonor. The Imperial Knights behind them, cold and unflinching, raised their tower shields and crushed the deserters without hesitation, ensuring the line advanced no matter the cost.
The invaders had created a living meat shield, sacrificing their own hired help so their knights could move with impunity. It was a cruel, calculated strategy. One Hughes immediately recognized.
He narrowed his eyes as he sighted down his crossbow at the Imperial formation's captain, aiming for a clean kill. But the knight formation was too tight, interlocking iron shields deflected the bolts with precision. Sometimes the captain was hidden behind retreating mercenaries; other times, the elite shieldbearers simply shifted to cover him at the perfect moment.
"Bastard's hiding behind layers of corpses and shields," Hughes muttered through gritted teeth.
Still, he fired again. And again.
Meanwhile, within the Imperial ranks, the captain of the advancing formation let a satisfied smirk stretch across his face as they pressed forward inch by inch.
He could feel it, the tides were slowly turning.
His thoughts drifted briefly to the hidden component of his strategy, and pride bloomed in his chest.
"My battle assassins should be in position by now..."
They were a specially trained unit, stealth operatives disguised as civilians, who had swum ashore in the early minutes before their arrival ashore from the row boats under the cover of fog and confusion. Slipping past defenses, they were now circling the battlefield from the shadows.
"They'll eliminate the enemy command. Cut the head, and the body falls." That was the plan.
All they had to do now was keep the defenders distracted. Hold their attention long enough for the assassins to strike.
"Move forward!" he barked.
The formation responded instantly. Tower shields lifted, boots pounded the blood-soaked sand, and the Imperial knights marched like a single, deadly organism, methodical and unstoppable.
The battlefield shifted again. Hughes saw it and clenched his jaw. He didn't know what, but something felt off.A trap was coming, and he had no idea what it was.
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At The Base Of The Wall, Southern Port, Kim City, Kim Island, Kim Dukedom, Ancorna Empire
Once the paper disintegrated into ash and light, carried away on a sudden breeze of magic energy. Ravenna was just about to close the geographical scan interface in her Reputation System when something caught her eye.
A Figure, running up the southern tower wall. Toward Marie.
Her eyes widened. No one else should have been there. Without a word, Ravenna spun around and broke into a full sprint, daggers drawn in both hands. The suddenness of her movement startled the nearby guards, priests, and workers.
"Your Highness?!"
They shouted after her, confused, but she didn't respond. Her legs moved on instinct, a blur of urgency and dread.
Within seconds, she was flying up the staircase. The tower steps passed beneath her heels like a rushing current. Each beat of her heart pounded with rising panic.
She reached the top landing. Two bodies lay slumped at the doorway, the militia guards, their throats cleanly sliced, blood pooling beneath them.
"No, please" She muttered but didn't pause. She kicked the gateopen and charged up the final steps to the watchtower platform.
And there he was.
A man in camouflaged garb, blending the dull grays of civilian cloaks with the muted steel of Imperial naval colors, stood just beside Marie, whose body was slumped on the floor, a dagger buried deep in her throat. Her robes were soaked red, the divine glow in her eyes already flickering.
Ravenna didn't scream. She didn't even speak.
She moved.
The man turned the moment he sensed her presence, launching into an attack, but Ravenna slid low, dodging under his arm, and slashed cleanly across his waist with a dagger. Even before he could spin back to strike again, her second blade flew from her fingers.
The dagger spun through the air and buried itself cleanly into his forehead.
The assassin crumpled without a sound.
Ravenna dropped to her knees beside Marie, cradling her trembling body. Her fingers pressed hard over the gaping wound at her throat, trying to slow the bleeding. But the blood kept coming: hot, fast, unstoppable.
"Heal yourself, damn it!" Ravenna shouted, her voice cracking. "You're the Saint, remember?!"
Marie's lips trembled. She tried to speak but only coughed, blood bubbling at the corners of her mouth. Her hand reached out weakly, clasping Ravenna's wrist, eyes full of fear and confusion.
"She can't heal herself... Why? Why isn't it working?" Ravenna's thoughts raced. Her hands were shaking now.
"No, no no—don't you dare, stay with me!" With a desperate breath, she flung open the Reputation System interface..
[ Reputation System v0.1 ]
User: Ravenna Solarius / Joy Cha Kim
Current Reputation Points: 209,750 RP
Titles Unlocked: Raven of the Sun Palace, Unruly Princess, Beast Slayer
{ View Reputation Log } { Spend Reputation Points }
Instantly opening the spend reputation points menu.
[ Spend Reputation Points ]
Access to the Internet: 100 Points per Hour
Access to Magic Spell Library: 100 Points per Hour
Geographical Scans: 5 Points per 1 Kilometer
Nullify Minor Poison Damage (Self): 250 Points
Nullify Minor Poison Damage (Others): 350 Points per Entity
Minor Heal: 1,000 Points per Entity
Major Heal: 1,500 Points per Entity
Lie Detector: 2,000 Points per Use
Change Appearance – Locked
Copy Skill – Locked
Loop Back 1 Minute – Locked
Enter Celestial Realm – Locked
Without hesitation, Ravenna selected Major Heal and Nullify Minor Poison (Others), dumping the points instantly.
She clutched Marie tightly and waited: prayed. "Come on… come on…"
[ Notification ]
Major Heal Failed
Nullify Minor Poison Failed
Error: Divine Interference Detected. Source: Unrecognized Celestial Energy Signature.
Ravenna's heart plummeted. "What?!" she gasped. "No—no no no, this isn't happening!"
She clutched Marie's shoulders as the Saint's glow faded further. Her body trembled beneath Ravenna's grip, blood trailing down the side of her neck in dark rivers.