Chapter 129 : Darkness (5)
Chapter 129 : Darkness (5)
With a nervous military salute, I nodded in gratitude and stored away the sword and armor they had bestowed upon me. As I made this gesture, I couldn't help but notice how the soldiers' once impeccable, shining armor was now stained with blood and dirt.
My hands trembled slightly; the harsh reality hit me hard. Even these brave soldiers were falling on this infernal battlefield. My mind was instantly filled with a flood of despairing thoughts, and my heart seemed to sink deeper into an abyss of desolation.
Bang!
A punch landed on my cheek, jolting me back to reality. Although my hands still trembled, I carefully began to remove the fallen soldier's armor.
"I'm sorry... really, I'm sorry," I murmured with a choked voice, feeling my eyes moisten slightly. Behind that imposing armor lay a young man of barely 25 years old. His eyes were open but vacant, devoid of any spark of life. There was only death in them.
After a few minutes, I managed to adjust the armor, although it was a bit big on me. It didn't matter. I looked forward and witnessed the gut-wrenching scene of a bloody battle where thousands of soldiers fought against double their number of horrifying creatures. Steeling my mindset, I plunged into the heat of the battle, a contemptible smile creeping onto my face.
There was no other choice but to move forward.
Gripping the hilt of my sword tightly, I joined the symphony of cries and roars filling the air. My body reacted instinctively, dodging the claws of death with every move. Though my swordsmanship was clumsy, my senses were alert and sharp.
As I swung my weapon, I caught sight of how one of the creatures devoured the upper half of a soldier, but before I could fully process the scene, two other soldiers pounced on the beast, ending it. Looking ahead, a feeling of anguish flooded my gut as I saw endless hordes of creatures running rampant towards us.
In this desolate place, time seemed to stand still, and the only landscape stretching before my eyes was a sea of bodies and blood.
The symphony between life and death continued unabated, like an endless dance between opposing forces. It seemed that the beasts would never stop coming; for every one that fell, two more took its place. As the battle intensified, more and more soldiers surged to the front, bravely facing the relentless flow of enemies.
However, amidst the chaos and fury of battle, an unsettling fear seized me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw how a huge serpent shook its colossal body, rising towards the sky and creating a cloak of darkness that enveloped us all. At the same time, thunderous explosions resounded throughout the firmament, as if the very end of the world was nigh.
The earth trembled incessantly, and it seemed that every corner of the battlefield was torn apart before our astonished eyes.
And then, just when we thought the situation couldn't be more apocalyptic, I beheld with horror as a gigantic dragon emerged from the shadows of the storm that was brewing. Thunder rumbled with a tearing intensity, each clash between those colossal creatures seeming to crack the skies and shake the ground beneath our feet with overwhelming violence.
BOOMM!!! BOOMM!!! BOOMM!!
Lightning bolts fell from the sky like lashes of wrath, making no distinction between allies and enemies. With a deafening roar, they struck the battlefield's ground, forming huge craters in their wake. My eyes scanned the chaos surrounding us, watching in horror as my armor grew even darker with each discharge.
The sword I held in my hands also acquired a sinister tone, imbued by the unleashed energy of the battle.
"Let's go!" The general burst onto the battlefield with an explosion of energy, his figure enveloped in a dazzling glow that made him an unstoppable force. With a quick swing of his sword, several creatures fell lifeless to the ground. The soldiers, upon seeing their leader at the front, erupted in cheers of joy and courage.
And no wonder, for for every great army, there were ten generals, each of them fighting on different battlefronts.
The general's sword traced a deadly arc in its path, leaving a trail of corpses in its wake. The soldiers, inspired by their leader's courage, surged after him with determination, ready to follow his example and face the endless tide of enemies looming over us.
Amidst the chaos and destruction, the presence of the generals was a ray of hope, a light in the darkness that urged us to keep fighting, no matter how grim the panorama before us.
With the weight of their support upon us, we managed to advance towards the front lines, gaining ground little by little. However, the endless sea of creatures seemed to have no end. I joined the group of soldiers, feeling part of a brotherhood amidst the chaos.
For a moment, I forgot my status as a mere commoner, for every time a creature threatened to attack me from a blind spot, a soldier stepped in to protect me, and I did the same for them. It was a warm feeling amidst the desperation and constant danger.
Hours passed, and although we gained ground, fatigue and mental exhaustion began to weigh on me. Just as I felt on the verge of passing out, someone grabbed my arm firmly. "It's not time to sleep, soldier," I heard a soft, melodious voice say. I looked up, meeting the gaze of a woman of supernatural beauty. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her golden eyes gleamed with determination.
Unlike the others, she wasn't wearing a helmet, revealing a serene face and a small smile that lit up her expression.
She pulled out a small vial from somewhere unknown and handed it to me gently. My hands trembled, barely having the strength in my arms to hold it. With a great effort, I managed to take the liquid contained in the vial, letting it flow down my throat to fill my stomach. A comforting sensation spread throughout my being, as if every cell in my body were revitalized by that potion of recovery.