CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56 – GATE DOOMSTY CITY

Crowne was still standing in the long line. The sun had begun to set toward the west, painting the sky above Doomsty City in shades of crimson and orange. The air was turning damp, and the sounds of people complaining about the long wait grew louder.

The coachman was starting to lose his patience. "Sir, at this rate, we might only get into Doomsty City tomorrow," he said with a half-defeated tone.

The coachman, who had been calm and patient earlier, was now visibly irritated. They had been waiting in line for nearly eight hours and had moved less than a hundred meters. It was truly exhausting and nerve-racking.

Crowne just stared straight ahead. His gaze focused on something in the distance. The crowd near the entrance still looked packed, and it seemed like the line would only move again in a few more minutes. Crowne let out a long sigh.

"It seems we’ll be spending the night outside," Crowne said.

He turned around, intending to get into the carriage and rest inside, but just as he took a step, the coachman suddenly shouted.

"Sir, there’s an attack!"

Crowne quickly turned his head and saw chaos breaking out near the gate. People in line were shouting. Some pointed toward the gate, others started running away. Within seconds, the calm atmosphere turned into pure panic.

"Monsters!" someone screamed.

"Run!" another voice yelled.

Crowne narrowed his eyes. He could now see several monsters emerging near the gate. They were undead, and there were dozens of them. At first, Crowne just stood there silently, but a few seconds later, a sly smile appeared on his face.

He had just thought of something interesting.

He turned to the coachman. "You can leave if you want. I’ll go to the front."

The coachman wanted to say something. His mouth even opened, but he stopped himself. He nodded firmly, then quickly climbed onto the horse.

"Very well. Then I’ll head back. Thank you for hiring my carriage," said the coachman.

Crowne simply nodded. He began walking toward the city gate. People in the line were running away in terror, but Crowne continued walking forward. From a distance, he could see the soldiers clashing with the undead.

The ground trembled faintly. The horses neighed loudly, and many people fell as the undead tore through the crowd. From the direction of the gate, the sound of heavy metal striking something hard echoed.

BAAANG!

"What’s that?" Crowne muttered, sensing something powerful was about to appear.

It appeared.

Smoke and dust burst outward. A second later, a massive gray figure emerged, its body covered in dripping blood. It was nearly three meters tall, its eyes glowing red like fire. In its left hand, it dragged something—a human head, still dripping fresh blood.

Crowne narrowed his eyes. "What kind of creature is that?" he whispered.

The soldiers began attacking the monster, but none of their strikes could wound it. Instead, they were slaughtered effortlessly. The giant swung its weapon, smashing a soldier’s body to pieces.

"Undead Ogre," someone whispered.

Crowne turned and saw a figure standing beside him. The person wore a brown cloak. When Crowne glanced downward, he noticed an elegant sword in the figure’s hand. He could feel powerful energy coming from this person.

"Are you going to help them?" Crowne asked.

The cloaked figure tilted their head slightly. "I’m not sure. I don’t particularly like them. I’ll decide after thinking about it."

From that answer, Crowne was certain the person beside him wasn’t from the Everon Kingdom. It was only his guess—it could be right or wrong. Either way, Crowne didn’t really care.

He shrugged lightly and looked back at the gate. The Undead Ogre had stopped before the entrance. It lifted the severed head high and let out a hoarse yet clear voice.

"DIE. YOU ALL MUST DIE!"

The voice echoed throughout the area near Doomsty City’s gate.

The crowd screamed and scattered. The guards who had been maintaining order tried to form ranks again, but many of them were sent flying as the monster swung its weapon.

Crowne was nearly there. He drew his weapon. "You’ll be the perfect test for my new toy."

As he reached the line of soldiers, they all turned toward him, frowning at the unfamiliar face. Some were about to shout at him to leave, but before they could, Crowne vanished.

The soldiers’ eyes widened. "Where did that young man go?"

A heartbeat later, Crowne appeared in front of the Undead Ogre.

He stood right before the giant creature. The ogre immediately noticed him and swung its massive club. The ground quaked as the weapon struck.

"Aaaarrrrgh!" the Undead Ogre roared.

"DIE!" it shouted again.

Crowne leapt backward. "Interesting," he muttered, taking a deep breath.

He stretched slightly, then took a proper stance. Crowne was intrigued because the Undead Ogre wasn’t a weak monster. It could sense his presence and react quickly—something lesser creatures couldn’t do.

The soldiers behind him looked puzzled. "What is that boy doing?"

"Is he insane?"

"Fall back! You’ll die!" one of the soldiers shouted.

But Crowne didn’t move back. He simply glanced behind him. "Retreat! I’ll deal with this one. Handle the others!" he said in a calm voice.

The soldiers exchanged bewildered looks. They clearly doubted him. Crowne knew that. The best way to get their attention was to show what he could do. He vanished again.

In the next instant, he appeared in front of the ogre once more. The giant raised its club.

BAAANG!

The strike was powerful. Crowne’s body was pushed downward, the ground beneath him cracking and forming a small crater. Crowne snapped his fingers. In that moment, the undead was hurled backward, losing its balance.

SLASH!

Blood burst from the creature’s chest. Crowne moved in again, ready to strike once more, but just as he swung his weapon, the undead vanished.

"Damn it. It’s... fast."

BAAARRRGH!

Crowne’s body was thrown forward. He coughed up blood but immediately stood back up. The ogre reappeared in front of him, raising its weapon again.

BAAAM!

[Undead Ogre lv. 62]

"Ah, no wonder you’re strong. You’re a high-level monster," Crowne said while flexing his fingers. "Alright then. I’ll get serious."