Chapter 33: 021. Imperial Prince is Bestowing Divine Protection -2

Another zombie projectile crashed into the outer wall just as I was about to reach the top. The zombies that were scrunched up as a ball scattered all over the place. A portion of them flailed their limbs and blocked my path.

“Get rid of them.”

The Dead Spirit Soldiers slightly bowed at me before dashing forward.

They sliced and diced the zombies with their swords. As for those holding spears, they forced the rest off the outer wall itself, thereby clearing up my path.

The convicts on top of the outer wall witnessed the company of the Dead Spirit Soldiers led by yours truly and cried out.

“P-Paladins?”

“H-hey, the Paladins are here!”

These cries soon led to a commotion breaking out on top of the outer wall. All of the convicts and soldiers shifted their gazes on to me.

I ignored them for now and focused my attention on the army of undead on the other side of the walls.

“Gee whiz, now that’s a lot.”

I clicked my tongue beneath the mask.

You see, twenty thousand were by no means a small number.

The undead army had completely filled up the front of Ronia fiefdom’s fortress. Monsters that were wielding long spears, swords, shields, crossbows, and siege weapons were emitting a scary glow from their eyes.

Even I couldn’t help but get tense while staring at this spectacle. My heartbeat seemed to synchronize with the pounding drum too.

I felt this urge to cover my ears just then. Screams of the dead were resounding out from everywhere.

This damn passive skill of the Necromancer... Thanks to this damn skill, not only was it not enough to look at the rotting exterior of the undeads, I even had to endure the screams of their dead souls, too.

Boom...! Boom...! Boom...!

The undead placed ladders against the outer walls and climbed up, all the while zombie projectiles were filling up the sky. The tottering zombies were also firing arrows and crossbow bolts this way.

Sure, the fired volleys were slow and inaccurate, but to compensate for that, these monsters showed no signs of fatigue. They ceaselessly rushed in, and until their demonic energy-filled skulls were destroyed, they continued to attack without rest.

If this kept up, then we might really get overrun sooner or later.

Memories from the Witch Morgan incident sprouted back in my head. Goosebumps broke out all over my skin after remembering the ordeal I went through with the zombie bear.

“Oh dear Goddess-nim. This is just too much, you know?”

This was almost impossible for Job Classes other than the Necromancer to deal with. I mean, with what miracles were you supposed to defend against twenty thousand undead enemies?

Oh, dear Goddess of love and mercy, I know you have a grudge against me, but you’re really going overboard here, wouldn’t you say?

Could we really defend against this tide?

I shook my head.

Nope, utterly impossible.

Soon, night would come. Once sunlight recedes away, the undead would grow even stronger after receiving the power of the Negative Field.

And, in addition to this, the 25th was only two days away. The day that the Necromancer King Amon was killed. The one ‘fondly’ referred to as the king of all undead.

In other words, the day when demonic energy found in the Continent would get thicker and start running amok was just around the corner.

It’d be the end for us when that day arrived.

The undead would grow even stronger, and the Ronia fiefdom would be overrun. And then, the undead monsters would slowly spread out to the rest of the Continent.

“What a nonsensical game this is.”

My opponent was an immortal army.

Their soldiers enjoyed infinite stamina and also feared nothing. Not to mention, they would spread around diseases when they died, and they also carried toxins to turn the people they killed into more zombies.

They were hard to kill with conventional weapons, and since communicating with them was impossible, you should forget about negotiating too.

In other words, convicts with zero real-life combat experience couldn’t possibly stop this army.

“So then... There’s only one way to win, eh?”

However, even against such opponents, there would always be a way to win. Even a moron should know of this method.

And that was...

“...To kill the damn commander.”

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I shifted my gaze to where hundreds of undead had gathered for some reason. In the centre of that particular horde, a whole bunch of naked slave zombies were unsteadily holding up a sedan chair. I could see a monster seemingly made out of nothing but fat sitting on it. I activated [Mind’s Eye] to peer into its status.

[Name: Vampire Count.

Age: ???

Traits: Biting, demonic energy emission, Necromancy magic, arrogance, currently in highly excited state.

+ I’m the legion, and I’m the existence who shall become the Vampire King!]

“...Something seems to have changed.”

Information gleaned from [Mind’s Eye] seemed to have changed a bit. The ‘Speciality’ had now turned to ‘Traits’, and some other useful stuff seemed to be added at the end too.

“Kill that swine monster bastard!”

I glanced to my side. A convict operating the ballista took aim at the Vampire Count.

“I’ll blow away that layer of fat for you!”

The large bolt was fired and flew towards the vampire. But then...

“Huh?!”

The bolt crashed into a purple-coloured barrier mid-air and shattering into pieces. As it turned out, a barrier created out of demonic energy was protecting the corpulent Vampire.

“Yup, I thought as much...”

...That bastard was the commander.

It even cast a magical barrier to completely shut out any and all long-distance attacks. However, if you went for a close-range attack, all those hundreds of undead surrounding the Vampire Count would stop you, ultimately resulting in your untimely demise.

So this was the ringleader behind these twenty thousand undead, the Vampire Count!

I took out the musket rifle from my item window.

“Not sure if I can make it, but...”

There was about 400 metres between me and the Vampire. Not only that, there was the barrier capable of blocking a ballista projectile too.

“I should at least give it a shot.”

The only way to end this war in our victory was to kill that commanding Vampire.

I raised the beak mask slightly with my left hand. With my right, I brought the rifle’s ammo chamber closer to my lips. Then, I quietly breathed into it.

[A bullet has been generated through the usage of divin...]

[Divine Aura has activated. The equipment will temporarily be enhanced.]

[You have entered Divinity Control state.]

Stop reporting everything to me, will ya? You’re breaking my concentration.

An intricate holy bullet of highly concentrated divinity was created. However, this wasn’t going to be enough. I needed to focus more. Much, much more.

I need more accuracy... and make sure that the recoil won’t affect my aim...

[Divine Aura is getting stronger.]

[Skill, ‘Sharpshooter’ has been temporarily granted to you due to the evolution of the equipment. Your accuracy will rise.]

[Skill ‘Penetration’ will temporarily be bestowed unto the equipment.]

No, this still wasn’t enough. This wasn’t going to work, I wouldn’t be able to break past the Vampire’s barrier with this much.

In that case...

“Oh, dear Goddess of Love and Mercy, Gaia.”

One of the books I found inside the monastery’s library mentioned the methods of gathering more ‘divinity’. Among them was a rather interesting theory concerning divinity control for the Priests of this world.

It contained a quite provocative element.

– You must pray with all your heart. Pray until your faithful heart can reach the gods. If you do, the gods will grant your wish and bestow unto you a miraculous divine protection. Your exaltation of the gods will soon become your strength.

Magicians used spell incantations and Mana, Priests used prayers and divinity, while Necromancers used lifeforce and demonic energy as their basis for performing magic.

I was both a Necromancer and a Priest. I didn’t need to use lifeforce in order to use my skills, but I also didn’t need to pray to use magic either.

But what if I did? What then?

I didn’t know how to sacrifice lifeforce as of yet, but something like a prayer? I sure could do that.

A prayer towards the Goddess – this was the highly effective ‘divinity control’ method for the Priests which allowed them to gather more divinity quickly, and also spend less amount than usual as well.

It was something so simple to explain, yet the book contained far too many pseudo-cult like phrases for my liking. It kinda made me feel uneasy.

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However, I figured that praying wouldn’t harm me anyway. If I could utilise divinity much more effectively with a simple prayer, then I better go right ahead, no?

“I beseech you to grant your sacred blessing to this lamb...”

[Divinity is condensing.]

“Through your holiness, I shall subjugate the undead...”

[Bullet is becoming even more precise.]

“...So grant me the power to pierce the undead with your divine grace.”

Suddenly, divinity powerfully whipped about all around me. But it felt calm and soothing, almost as if a gentle figure of a woman was embracing me from behind.

Right, this much was enough.

I no longer needed to pray towards the Goddess. If Gaia really granted me her powers, it was now the time to use it.

With this, I took aim at the Vampire Count.

The huge monster had its arms spread wide open while loudly laughing out. It was unknown whether he knew what was going on here or not.

The corners of my lips curled up, “I hope your balls ‘receive’ Gaia’s grace, you stinking Vampire.”

And then, I pulled the trigger.

**

(TL: Back to 3rd person POV.)

Harman stopped staring at Charlotte when he heard the noisy commotion breaking out, and turned his head away to look. A Priest donning a bird beak mask was climbing up the outer wall.

Soldiers were escorting him all the while massacring the undead in his path.

“Who are they?”

They seemed different from regular convicts or soldiers. Although faint, he could sense the trace of divine aura from the soldiers.

Were they apprentice Paladins? However, why was a Priest being escorted by such a group...?

This would be Harman’s first time hearing about their presence in the fortress. Charlotte, next to him, however, opened her eyes extremely wide and muttered softly.

“Imperial Prince-nim?”

Harman was startled after hearing this and quickly took a look at the girl.

That was the Imperial Prince?

Harman’s suspicious gaze shifted back to the beak mask-wearing Priest. And then, both his and Charlotte’s eyes grew even larger from the shock. It wasn’t only them this time, however.

Every convict, soldier, and the fiefdom’s citizen nearby witnessed it together at the same time.

On top of the outer wall, particles of holy light began gathering all around the Imperial Prince. Soon, the particles condensed in one spot to form a figure of a woman that gently embraced him from behind.

Harman felt goosebumps break out all over his body. He involuntarily covered his lips. He knew what this phenomenon was.

‘G-Goddess Gaia’s... Divine Protection!’

The blessing of the Gods personally bestowed unto their believers; a miracle that even a high-ranking Priest might or might not get to experience once in their lifetime!

And such a phenomenon was happening to the Imperial Prince right now.

‘This... this doesn’t even make any...!’

A prince who blasphemed against Gaia receiving her blessing? What kind of a contradictory event was this?

Didn’t this mean that the Imperial Prince was loved by Goddess Gaia?!

It was then.

After the boy prince finished his prayer to the Goddess, he aimed his musket rifle at the Vampire Count and spat out this line.

“I hope your balls ‘receive’ Gaia’s grace, you stinking Vampire.”

“...”

Harman froze up while doubting his own ears, but then, an incredibly powerful noise tore into his hearing as a blinding flash of light exploded and blinded his eyes. action

And then...

BOOM!

The Vampire’s barrier was struck and visibly distorted before shattering into pieces. One heavy bullet managed to shake the aura of death.

– Kuoooohh-!!

Divinity spread out all around the area as dozens upon dozens of zombies and skeletons collapsed into ashes.

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**

– Fuu-wooph!!

The Vampire Count sucked in its breath at this feeling of confusion.

Since it was an undead, basically a walking corpse, its lungs didn’t operate at all. However, its faintly-beating heart suddenly palpitated and let it taste the emotion of ‘fear’.

The undead monster’s eyes opened wide and stared at the ‘light’ that crashed into its barrier. Soon enough, its irises began quivering.

‘What was that? Just what the hell was that?!’

The Count was so shocked that it tried to get up, but seeing as it couldn’t carry its own heft, it fell back on the sedan chair once more.

This was strange.

By now, its army should’ve devoured that fortress. It was deliberately taking on enormous losses while pounding away at the target.

The human soldiers concentrating on the defences of the outer walls should have already fallen into chaotic confusion by now since hordes of undead had already infiltrated the fortress’ interior.

However, it was simply too quiet.

The Count couldn’t even pick up the auras of the undead it sent into the fortress. Could it be that the monsters were destroyed already?

But how...? How did the humans find all the hidden holes spread evenly throughout on the ground?!

‘No, now isn’t the time to worry about a matter like that!’

Maybe because its brain had rotted away and its thoughts were now formed through the manipulation of demonic energy, the creature’s attention kept shifting elsewhere.

The Count recalled the bullet that flew in its direction. It contained a truly detestable aura.

A power completely at odds with death itself broke its barrier.

Goodness... To think that the sturdy shield created out of demonic energy by using the Necromancer King’s skull was shattered, when not even a ballista could break it!

The Vampire Count quickly moved its gaze around.

Its blurry sight stared at the top of Ronia fortress’ outer walls about 400 metres away. Its eyes couldn’t look closely at the countless humans there. But it could sense their ‘auras’ instead.

The sacred aura that drove away ‘death’.

The incredibly terrifying aura that sent shivers down the monster’s back!

It was gathering again!

– This, this...!

The Count’s complexion paled even further.

It was gathering again? Didn’t the attack end just now?

– I m-must stop it!!

The Vampire Count waved its hand. The barrier generated again as a zombie ogre stood before it too.

And then...

Yet another powerful flash of light shot out from the outer walls. The barrier which was yet to fully form shattered once more. The zombie ogre’s large torso was also penetrated cleanly through.

– ...!

The white light’s trajectory was altered by the barrier and the zombie ogre. Which was why, instead of hitting it in the head, the ‘bullet’ had now struck the Count’s nether region.

– ...

The vampire looked down at its lower half.

Its crown jewels were burning and scattering away as ashes. Powerful and hot aura spread throughout its entire body, almost as if the monster was on fire right now.

– Uwaaaaahk!!

It hurt! It hurt so badly! But.. but how could a Vampire experience pain...?

The Vampire Count thrashed about from the pain it felt for the first time in the past 50 years. Thanks to this, the zombies beneath the sedan chair couldn’t maintain their balance and fell before being squashed flat into bloody bits and pieces from the sheer weight of the vampire.

– Aaaaaahhk...! Dammit! Those abominable Priests...!

The Vampire Count crawled unsightly on the ground. Could it be that the fortress had a group of high-ranking Priests?! Did they invent a weapon that could fire the divinity they gathered?!

The Vampire Count screamed out loudly.

– R-run... Retreat...!!

The Vampire Count trembled and continued crawling on the ground. Zombies, zombies ogres, and skeletons heeded their leader’s commands. And after grabbing hold of the Count, began dragging the corpulent monster away.

Due to its weight, its heavy flesh got dragged across the ground.

– W-wait, wait! Lift me up...!

The Vampire Count roared on, but too bad, these undeads weren’t so good with carrying out detailed orders.

And so, the once-triumphant Vampire was unceremoniously dragged away from Ronia at the hands of the zombies.

< 021. Imperial Prince is Bestowing Divine Protection -2 > Fin.