Chapter 179. Karnak (3)

Karnak, awakened with ambition.

However, contrary to its grand and majestic appearance, the speed of the temple once it began to move was unbelievably slow.

“Is this really the best speed?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never handled this thing myself.”

Evan, shocked by the incredibly slow speed, asked in disbelief, but Harashin was just as frustrated.

“No one has moved this since Master Kailam, so how would I know? If you're so frustrated, why don't you try it yourself!”

“……”

At Harashin’s words, Evan thought deeply.

Was the Karnak he faced in the past really this slow?

And the Karnak in his recalled memory seemed to have actually been like that.

‘Well, when I saw Karnak during the war back then, it had already arrived at the battlefield. I just saw it moving slowly in the sky.’

Kailam had never explained such details to him, and moreover, he naturally never had the opportunity to handle Karnak directly, so Evan had vaguely expected this giant temple to have abilities like high-speed flight or teleportation.

“At this rate, when will we ever get to the Ramacht Plains……”

“Damn it! I’m frustrated too, so just be quiet and wait. I’ll try to do something.”

However, contrary to Harashin’s wish, the temple only gained more altitude, and its forward speed did not increase at all.

“Huh?”

Hearing Harashin’s anxious cry, Evan, already resigned, turned back to where the group was and said.

“For now, everyone get some rest. I doubt anything will happen.”

At that moment, Jack, with an innocent expression, said to everyone.

“Then shall we introduce ourselves? I’m Jack, from the Kaien Kingdom!”

At Jack’s attitude, Evan and Jaina just touched their temples as if their heads were throbbing.

“I am the first prince, Harashin Akarun. It’s a bit late to say this, but it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hup! You were a prince!”

As Jack hurriedly tried to stand up straight, Harashin smiled slightly and waved his hand.

“Don't do that. Why would a foreigner go to such lengths for a prince of another country?”

“No, but still, you’re a prince.”

“I said it's fine. But you know your manners, don't you?”

Harashin, subtly pleased with Jack’s attitude.

And bowing his head to him, Jack winked at Evan.

Jaina, who was watching the scene with him, whispered quietly enough for only Evan to hear.

“He’s become quite the smooth talker, hasn't he?”

“I wonder who he learned it from.”

“It would be you.”

“Me?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying, like master, like servant?”

While Jaina and Evan were talking, Jack and Harashin were already laughing loudly and showering each other with compliments.

“Hahaha! You really know how to judge a person. After this war is over, do you have any thoughts of naturalizing in our kingdom?”

“Should I? Just looking at the magnanimous prince, this kingdom seems like a good place to live, doesn’t it?”

“Of course! You seem to be quite good at fighting too, so someone like you could probably go to a pretty high position. I’ll give you a big push.”

“Woooah!”

Jack stayed by Harashin’s side, flattering him and lifting his spirits.

Watching the scene, Evan shook his head.

“I do that?”

And Jaina also corrected what she had said.

“No, it’s not to that extent.”

Finally, Anton, who had been lying down unconscious, opened his eyes.

“Seeing as everyone is alive, we didn't lose, did we?”

“You’re awake. Actually, if you look at it, it was a draw.”

“But why is that guy acting like that?”

He couldn’t bring himself to answer Anton’s question and just maintained his silence.

* * *

While Karnak, with Evan and his group aboard, was moving toward the Ramacht Plains, that plain was once again being stained with blood.

A fierce battle, the number of which was unknown since Gaiard and Rorn joined, was continuing.

“Don’t retreat! If we retreat here, the entire kingdom will fall!”

The cry of Defense Commander Karap, which was close to a scream.

The defense force was holding on with all their might in response to his cry, but this time, the situation was very different.

“This is not right……”

“We’re all going to die!”

The reason they had been able to hold on firmly despite their injuries until now was the hope that they could gain some advantage over the imperial army by using the sturdy castle walls.

But as soon as the report that tens of thousands of imperial reinforcements had joined the plain was delivered, the enemies who had been taking turns launching sieges until now began to push against the walls all at once.

Now, they were not just being pushed back ‘a little’; they were being overwhelmingly pushed back.

That was not the only problem.

“What the hell are those monsters! How are we supposed to hold on against things like that?”

The Empire's reinforcements had even brought monsters and unleashed them on the plain.

The monsters climbing the castle walls with fierce momentum were mercilessly slaughtering the kingdom's soldiers.

“Krrraaaak!”

“Ssssst!”

“Uwooor!”

A grayish-white Basilisk and a human-sized scorpion, the Scorpion, and even an Ogre that uprooted a huge tree and swung it like a weapon.

Monsters that were threatening just by their appearance were sweeping the plain in unit formations.

“Hahaha! This is a hell of its own! Despair, humans!”

In the sky, a troop of vampires was flying over the fortress, hunting the soldiers.

But even so, Gaiard and Rorn fought desperately to protect the fortress.

“Damn it, it’s like those damn bastards have dragged every monster on the continent here.”

“If you have time to complain, deal with your own kind!”

Rorn grabbed the mouth of a Basilisk climbing up the castle wall with both hands, tore it apart with all his might, and threw it to the ground.

Not to be outdone, Gaiard gathered the blood flowing abundantly around him to create a giant spear, pierced the Ogre’s thick hide, and drove it straight into its heart.

“No matter how barbaric my kind is, you want me to kill them all with my own hands?”

“Why? Ah~ are you too weak to do it? As I recall, you killed one of your own kind not long ago.”

“That was because that bastard was trying to kill us. And if it wasn’t me, you would have killed him more cruelly.”

As Gaiard grumbled, Rorn immediately pulled the tail off a nearby Scorpion and threw it at Gaiard.

—Shik!

As he dodged the poison-laced tail, a vampire that was about to attack Gaiard from behind was hit by the tail, and its head was crushed as it fell.

Watching the scene, Rorn raised one corner of his mouth in a sneer and jumped back into the battlefield.

“That bastard, really……!”

He wanted to run over and argue with him right away, but there was no time for that now.

Just stopping the oncoming enemies was already overwhelming.

“Where the hell is that bastard Evan? How long has it been since he went to the village! Don’t tell me he ran away?”

At Gaiard’s angry shout, Mei, who was fighting nearby, shouted in disgust.

“That’s ridiculous! Then what about my money!”

Mei, who had newly joined since last night, was desperately holding back the imperial army with the defense force.

The reason she was doing such a dangerous job was purely because of the huge reward Evan had promised.

The idea that Evan had run away was something she could not accept, even as a joke.

“If that happened, I’ll track him down even if I have to mobilize the entire Viper!”

“Do you think this is the Kaien Kingdom? Surviving first is what matters. Well, we’ll all be dead before that anyway.”

The Empire’s reinforcements had already arrived.

Gaiard and Mei also realized it inwardly.

That the battle happening now would probably be the last battle in the Ramacht Plains.

“Don’t even say that! If the ending is so obvious, why are we bleeding here right now?”

Nevertheless, the reason Gaiard and Mei did not retreat a single step and defended the front line was simple.

It was because of a vague belief that Evan would definitely appear with a solution.

Rationally, it might sound absurd, but since Evan had always made the impossible possible until now, everyone had no choice but to place their hopes in him.

“Yes, I don’t know if we can hold on somehow until Evan arrives…… but that’s on the premise that that monster doesn’t move!”

One disaster after another.

Not only were the numbers overwhelming, but a being who could overturn the battlefield in an instant was currently on the Empire’s side.

That being was the Seven Extreme Stars Varkanon, whom Mei had warned about.

“By the way, how can a half-blood of a Blue Dragon be on the Empire’s side!”

He couldn’t understand how his own kind could side with humans, but he couldn't fathom why the lineage of the famously arrogant dragons would move for the Empire.

“You won’t know by asking me! But the one silver lining is that he’s not moving himself, so it’s manageable.”

“Perhaps from that bastard's perspective, he doesn't even think it's worth it. That's how much the tide has already turned.”

“That’s right. That's why you and I have to hold on with all our might!”

Mei, who was talking with Gaiard, saw something flying towards him and shouted.

“Gaiard! Be careful!”

The moment Gaiard briefly turned his gaze, a giant tree trunk suddenly flew and sent Gaiard flying far away.

—Peok!

The moment Mei was about to turn around in worry, she barely defended against the fierce attack of the approaching vampires.

“Human! You look very delicious!”

“No! It’s really not me, so please eat someone else first!”

Mei threw a smoke screen and hid among the crowd.

But the vampires, having spotted their prey, pursued Mei to the end.

“We can't let that happen!”

“Ah, really! These persistent mosquitoes!”

Just as everyone was being pushed into a corner and the fortress was on the verge of collapse, a shout was heard from somewhere.

“It’s Karnak! Karnak is coming this way!”

It was only a small shout, but the hearts of the Solaid soldiers who heard it pounded like crazy, and they naturally turned their heads towards the sky.

“Karnak……?”

“It’s true! Karnak has come!”

One by one, they began to raise their voices and shout, and the shouts soon spread throughout the entire battlefield as a cheer.

“Let’s defeat the Empire!”

Karap shouted with the resolve that it would be fine even if he lost his voice after today.

In response, the nearly defeated defense force also steeled their resolve and helped their comrades next to them to stand up.

“Waaaaah!!!”

“For Solaid!!!”

What appeared before their uplifted eyes.

It was the flying fortress, Karnak, flying majestically like a savior descended from the sky.

“I have come!”

And in front of that giant temple, stood Evan, whom Gaiard had been eagerly waiting for.

“Let’s defeat the dogs of the Empire!”

In the midst of a despair where they could not see ahead, the moment of reversal had finally arrived.

“So what the hell is that, that everyone is making such a fuss?”

Gaiard, who had been hit by the tree and had fallen far away, stared blankly at the giant structure passing over his head.

And only when Karnak approached the fortress did his question get answered.

The power of the flying temple was manifested before everyone’s eyes.