CHAPTER 20

Another day passed, yet our view remained fixed on the entrance of the Black Mountain, where Count Frank C. Solar stood, his gaze filled with deep fury as he stared at the Black Mountain, which lay at the border of his territory. Beside him stood viscounts, barons, lords, and all his banner-men, accompanied by their armies. Behind him stretched a sea of steel and flesh—three hundred thousand heavily armed soldiers, fully prepared to march into the Black Mountain. This massive force had prompted border guards Vlad and Mordred to each send a messenger to their respective commanders.

At the front of the army, standing before Count Solar—who was clad entirely in silver armor, with only a narrow slit in his helmet revealing his piercing eyes—were the two messengers. One was a werewolf, the other a vampire. Yet even through that small gap in his helmet, his wrath was unmistakable to them.

The vampire, who was far from the noble bloodlines of aristocratic vampires and was known as a wild vampire, wore no clothing at all. He was Vlad's envoy. Yet despite his crude appearance, he was not to be underestimated, as his strength was at the level of a Lord-2. The werewolf, a Lord-3, was Mordred's envoy, dressed in the simple hunting attire of his kind.

"You filthy, demonic creatures, it would be best if you vanished from my sight! I have refrained from spilling your vile blood only to preserve the fragile peace! Do not test my patience!"

Mana surged from the Count, and as a Warlord-Level 2, he effortlessly overwhelmed the envoys, forcing them to their knees. However, the werewolf, through sheer force of will, managed to half-rise.

"The terms of the peace treaty, Article Four! No party is permitted to bring more than one hundred individuals into the Black Mountain border!"

The vampire did not remain silent either.

"Anyone who violates the agreement must pay full reparations for all damages, regardless of any future treaties!"

The Count unsheathed his sword, its brilliance illuminating the surroundings like a star in the night.

"Vlad and Mordred shall never see the day when another treaty is written!"

In that moment, the envoys understood his intent and attempted to flee, but it was already too late. A slash of mana cut through them, severing both in half at the waist with ease.

As the vampire desperately tried to crawl away with his hands, a silver sword pierced his heart. The weapon belonged to Baroness Henrietta, whose report had led the Count to gather all his bannermen in search of the entity responsible for slaughtering the Army of Heroes. Their pursuit had brought them to the Black Mountain, and the Count's fury burned ever hotter due to the disgrace he had suffered in the eyes of the other nobles.

"Forward!!!"

The Baroness turned to see the Count raising his sword, leading his army forward. In her heart, she knew that she would soon claim vengeance for her husband. Mounting her white steed, she took command, leading five hundred knights of the White Sky in perfect formation amidst the vast sea of knights.

As they advanced, the thunderous sound of metal boots and the resounding chants of soldiers echoed through the land, causing all nearby monsters to flee in terror. However, such a massive army did not escape the watchful eyes of the Hazard scouting squads.

...

Hazard, meanwhile, was admiring his new attire—a grand cloak made from the hide of a colossal Hellhound, a Lord-2-ranked beast. He had almost forgotten about it until a lich informed him that the beast had been fully butchered. Now, the skeletal remains of the Hellhound stood before him.

Hazard raised his hand, and after consuming three thousand dark mana, he watched as the massive, thirty-meter-long, ten-meter-tall Hellhound undead gazed back at him.

[Gatekeeper of the Fortress Entrance]

However, he did not pay it much attention, having no interest in riding a creature composed entirely of bones. Instead, he observed the Temple of the Death God, which amplified the power of the dead by twenty percent within a fifty-kilometer radius and ten percent beyond that—a fact that filled him with confidence. Meanwhile, 120 Vengeful Spirit Towers lined the walls and fortress, serving as the backbone of his defenses.

As he moved, he carefully monitored his troops, having received reports from his patrols that a significant army was approaching his home. He was fully prepared to welcome them.

[700,000 standard demonic undead units, 3,500 demonic undead archers, 1,200 demonic undead swordsmen, 50 elite swordsmen, 10,000 elite archers, 20 demonic undead mages, 340 undead giants, 6 demonic undead giants, 1,000 demonic undead knights, 50 demonic liches, 1 demonic undead dragon, 9,000 undead hellhounds, 50 large undead hellhounds, 1 colossal undead hellhound, along with other beasts including 30 mares and 2 Death Cyclopes.]

Even he felt an itch of anticipation at the sheer size of his army. With his forces perfectly arranged, he eagerly awaited their arrival.

...

Five hundred kilometers away, a vampire count stood atop his castle, his black hair flowing as he drank the blood of a young female human knight. His moment of indulgence was interrupted by the arrival of a massive suicide bat crashing into his balcony. He turned towards the creature, letting the lifeless knight's body drop, her head striking the ceramic floor with a dull thud.

"What is so important that you dare to disturb me?"

The bat bowed its head.

"Count Maximian, with the utmost respect, according to urgent reports from our scouts, Count Solar's forces have violated the peace treaty and crossed into Black Mountain from the Empire's borders."

Maximian needed a moment to process the information. Even then, he struggled to believe it.

"Are you telling me that a mere count is single-handedly breaking the treaty?"

"His banner-men's army, three hundred thousand strong, is advancing toward the plains. If we do not act, they will soon reach our walls."

The Count closed his eyes, then stepped toward the fallen knight's body. He cut his finger with his nail, allowing a single drop of his blood to fall into her mouth.

"Spread my words to all my bannermen—we shall gather at the Death Plains!"

Then, as he gazed into the glowing red eyes of the resurrected knight, he whispered:

"We shall show them the true power of darkness!"

The bat flew off, soaring into the sky, where it joined tens of thousands of other three-meter-long suicide bats. Together, they let out a deafening chorus that echoed across the land.

"War is coming! War is coming!"