Shadow Slave

On the outskirts of the Crimson Spire, there were no more passages and tunnels in the coral. It was just a solid red mass, an unbroken surface of the strange living substance that had devoured the Forgotten Shore thousands of years ago.

Currently, Effie was standing on that surface.

Several hundred people were standing beside her, staring at the approaching wave of Nightmare Creatures with horror and shock. All of them knew what was going to happen once they reached the Spire, but even then, the sight of it was terrifying.

She was at the center of the front row of these frightened people, supposedly in command of them. With her tall stature and lean, powerful figure, Effie stood out among the rest of the Sleepers. Her archaic armor glistened in the light of the rising sun, and on her shouldered, there was a flowing white cloak weaved from starlight.

She held Zenith in one hand and Dusk in the other.

Effie seemed like a bastion of strength and resolve in the sea of fear. A mythical hero that had stepped into the mortal realm from an ancient legend.

…But really, she was scared shitless.

Looking at the rolling horde of abominable horrors with a grim expression, the huntress lowered her head a little and summoned the helm of her armor, which was crowned with a tall crest of blue horsehair, and thought:

'Fuck me sideways… fuck, fuck, fuck!'

All around her, people were trembling. Some fool dropped his weapon and took a few steps back, as if considering running away. Even though she was currently seriously thinking of doing the same, Effie snarled and bellowed:

"Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!"

running, anyway? There was

die, they might

said. She was somewhat full of shit, but also never

"Get ready, bastards!"

spear, Effie cast a sideways glance at the two men standing beside her. One of them was Caster, and the other one was Gemma. Who would have thought that one day she and the leader of

enemy was now extremely reassuring.

either too crazy or too stupid… or both… to be

probably either hiding someplace dark or doing something too insane to be entrusted to anyone else. In any case,

herself luck,

at the approaching horde of monsters, Effie waited for a few seconds, and then

"First mark!"

by Seishan, who commanded the second line, and

simple. The first line had to hold off the monsters, changing places with the second once they grew tired. Meanwhile, the third was

to withstand the initial charge. Nothing was more important than breaking the momentum of the

enchanting voice of their resident idol gave the command to fire the siege engines. These monstrous machines were constructed by the Artisans and were supposed to be able to

and a fraction of a second later, six heavy metal spears, each at least two meters long, flew above their heads with incredible speed. They streaked through the air and collided with the front of the horde, sending bits of chitin and streams of blood to the

creature, the other pierce right through a bloodred mantis and skewer several monsters behind it. But the wave of

through her body, Effie gritted her teeth, then

"Second mark!"

or more exotic projectile weapons. Some used their Aspect Abilities, which allowed them to create all sorts of sorcerous attacks, like flying blades made of wind, fire, and ice. Some could even create bombs filled with soul essence, which detonated in the midst of advancing horrors and ripped many