Chương 350: Chapter 336

The area itself was in ruins, and the graveyard was a former shadow of itself. Plants, grass, and other greenery were growing everywhere, while time had weathered the entire area until none of the writing on the headstones could be read. A few decorative runes could be recognized here and there, but otherwise, the graveyard and those interred in it were as forgotten as the name of the old capital.

With Katie at the front, they headed deeper into the dilapidated cemetery, looking for the ominous mausoleum which held the recently revealed portal. Sam knew the talk with the general was a message from the game system. By collecting the keys first, they had gained one lone chance to complete the raid before anyone else. Even then, it wasn't a guarantee that the general would hold the other guilds back. They had the money and influence to make him change his mind. Or even the military might.

Attacking NPC organizations wasn't wise, as the current strength of the player base was lower than the average strength of an NPC organization, especially the ones running kingdoms – to prevent early player takeover – not to mention the hidden experts who alone were worth a guild or two. Naturally, this would change with time as players would get stronger and stronger, which would in turn start the emergence of player-led countries, empires, and by the end of the tenth year of the game, even continents.

This was why he insisted on working on Ferabor. A starting point for their guild to take over the country far in the future. Even then, like the Blood Brothers, several guilds or companies around the world controlled the territory where they resided. Either with money or by force. Sam – or more like Lucy, as this was her area of expertise – was planning something much simpler. Become so important economically that nobody could fart without his say-so…

History proved that one was one of the most viable methods of takeover… However, for now, he had to focus on the present, and the present looked rather creepy. Thankfully, the northern army had swept through the area and made sure to clean up a little at least, so they knew which stone-paved road to follow. As they headed deeper and deeper into the mysterious cemetery, Sam realized that they had met a rather low number of assassins. He expected at least half a dozen, if not more.

"Hmm… it seems Tim is busy…" he muttered loud enough for the others to hear. Katie and Isabella snickered, mimicking fixing their bowtie.

"The gentleman assassin…" Dan snorted.

"I still don't know how he managed to get an entire harem… I have trouble keeping one woman happy." Clarisa just pointed ahead of them where the road terminated in front of a giant mausoleum, half collapsed, but with enough space at the front for them to enter. From inside, Sam could feel an odorous mana that reeked of the usual darkness of evil beings.

"Right. Last equipment check," he called out and began his own inspection. Potions, bandages, magical tools, plates for runes, bombs, and whatnot that came out of the crafter's cave. His weapon was sharp as ever, and his mana was thrumming with anticipation. Two minutes later, everybody gave the ready signal, and they walked up to the ruined building. Ducking under the collapsed entrance, they entered the main hall of the mausoleum, illuminated by stray lights breaking through the holes in the ceiling.

And right in the middle, in front of a broken statue, was a swirling portal. Pitch black with occasional streaks of ice blue tinting it.

"Creepy…" Clarissa murmured, and the rest of them just nodded in agreement. Sam stepped closer and, as the party leader touched the tips of his fingers to the swirling energy. Intellectually, he knew that the portal wouldn't hurt him, but it had such a creepy aura that he wanted to touch it as little as possible. [Heart's Torment] [The mausoleum of a dead queen. Filled with heartbreak and a curse. Find out why someone called the Heart of a Nation is drowning in darkness and relieve their pain.] [Time Limit: None] [Charges: Unlimited] [Current Best Clear Time: N/A] Sam took one more look at his team, all of whom looked back resolutely and initiated the fracture. Surprisingly, they arrived exactly where they started. Inside the mausoleum. However, instead of the moss and ivy-covered ruin, they stood in the magnificent splendor of a recently finished building where everything was brand new and shining after thorough polishing.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. As one, the team walked toward the exit, interested in seeing what awaited them. The first thing that hit them was the cold. The second was the wind. Then the sheer noise. Before them sprawled a giant battlefield while a snowstorm of epic proportions covered the sky.

Even as they watched, the battle was still raging, pockets of warriors fighting each other, magic flying freely, and leaders on both sides yelling at their soldiers. In the distance, they could see several hastily built fortifications, all of which protected one mountain valley entrance, their banners frozen in ice as they did their best to resist the invading army. And what a resistance it was…

Sam from their spot saw wolves made out of rock and ice, frost trolls lumbering with heavy clubs, and warriors dressed in nothing but pants – the only thing keeping them from freezing solid their tattoos that were shining with eldritch blue light – wielding wicked axes and greatswords with blood-crazed eyes. Behind them, shamans danced around totem poles, summoning more and more ice and stone golems, and from what Sam sensed, maintaining the storm. And on their side?

Primitive tents, surrounded by a giant army made up of equally burly men and women, wielding giant weapons and roaring in challenge as they charged toward their enemy. On a small wooden stand stood a woman. A very familiar woman. She looked somewhat like the boss from the Ice Rumble fractal, but wilder and sharper. Not an exact match, but Sam would bet a lot of money that there was some kind of familial connection between them.

'She called herself the last protector of the Titan's Fang… maybe this woman is the first?' he wondered silently as he took in the situation. Sadly, that was all the time they had, because they were noticed.

"You, over there!" someone yelled, their loud voice cutting through the howling wind and snow. Sam and the rest of the team looked over to see a burly-looking northern man, dressed head to toe in fur, striding toward them.

"Your wave is the next! Prepare yourself! Take the fortification or die trying!" he straightened out and saluted by striking his chest armor with his closed fist and yelling.

"For the Iceguard!" Sam exchanged a look with the others, then they half-heartedly imitated the salute.

"For the Iceguard…" they all yelled or mumbled at various volumes. The man didn't care.

"Good people!" Then a whistle sounded from somewhere. The warrior froze for a split second, then, with a bloodthirsty grin, he began yelling again.

"Go! Go! GO!" Sam and the others went. He rushed forward, magic ready, the void thrumming under his skin, while brief pulses cleared the heavy snow in front of them, making it easier to run. Dan was in the middle of the pack, the air already sweltering around him as he prepared his fire magic. Clarissa ran behind him, with Melody keeping an eye out as his mistress began to buff everybody.

Isabella and Katie, on the left and right of the group, respectively, their weapons brandished and powers ready to defend themselves. From behind them, ballistas screamed, their projectiles flying forward at tremendous speeds, sending snow, dirt, and body parts into the air wherever they landed. As they rushed forward toward the fortifications, they were met with their first enemies.

A giant pack of ice wolves emerged from the snowy hills, as if they had been waiting for them to run by all their lives, and launched themselves at Sam and his team – snarling and growling. Meanwhile, they could feel – even with Clarissa's buffs and Dan's fire magic – that the cold in the air seemed to be sapping their strength.

'Ah, there it is…' Sam noted as he spotted the debuff. [Seeping Cold: An unnatural cold is trying to seep into your mind and body, trying to sap your energy until you are frozen solid.] It decreased mana, health, and stamina regeneration by a minuscule amount, but Sam knew it would only grow in strength as they got closer to their target.

'This part is probably much easier with a big group of people…' he mused.

'Perfect for a raid…' The wolves vanished in a flurry of fire, their bodies unable to withstand the awesome power of Dan the fire wizard with the biggest muscles. Sadly, they were quickly replaced by another pack of wolves from a different direction. So, Sam refocused on the task ahead and began to fight.

They fought through several waves of ice wolves, with a few ice bears and other animals mixed in, until they reached around halfway to the first fortification, the walls standing rather precariously under the heavy bombardment, when the first intelligent enemies appeared. Well, intelligent in some sense… Ice trolls lumbered forward in tightly packed lines, eyes glazed over and magical bindings visible on their necks.

They all held metal-reinforced cudgels, and blubbery and fur-covered bodies were slightly protected by a few stray pieces of wooden armor. Sam launched himself forward, void mana screaming forward before him as a projectile, striking the first troll, then going through all of them behind it.

"They don't have magical resistance!" he yelled before raising his sword and slashing toward the approaching troll army, slicing through their fatty skin, spilling ice blue guts everywhere. Naturally, as trolls, they instantly began to regenerate, especially when in their preferred environment. This is where Dan came in with his fire. They worked perfectly in tandem. Sam would disable the incoming horde, then Dan would rain destruction on them to stop the regeneration and kill them.

Meanwhile, Katie, Isabella, and Melody protected their backs and took care of the stragglers. Poor Clarissa just stood in the middle of this chaos, making sure everybody had enough buffs, health, and mana, and trying to slow down the Seeping Cold. The first battle with the trolls was followed by another and another, the enemy seemingly happy to throw their disposable troops against them. However, with their teamwork and power, nothing stood in their way.

They reached the first fortification in record time, the debuff latching onto their bodies barely having time to hold them back. Sam ran forward, vaulting over the shoddily constructed wooden walls, frozen stiff in the cold, and landed in the middle of a surprised group of warriors. For a long moment, they stared at each other, then…

Sam lashed out, one hand holding his sword, the void extending, allowing him to cut even the farthest away enemy, while his other hand unleashed a pulse of void mana that simply erased parts of their bodies. And as they weren't blessed with the regenerative powers of the trolls, they fell without any issue. Soon, his team followed, all of them vaulting over the chest-high walls with different styles, while Clarisa waited for Melody to cut her a hole where she could stroll through like royalty.

They looked at the healer and grinned. She just huffed in embarrassment. From then on, their advancement was spent going from fortified position to fortified position, taking them closer and closer to the bigger ones. Sometimes, Sam felt he could hear some kind of chanting over the continuously howling wind. And as they went, over their heads, ballistas launched continuous volleys, trebuchets' projectiles smashed into everything, while screaming warriors clashed before them or to the side.

Whenever they saw a friendly face – mostly determined based on the insignias on their armor – they helped them out, but their main goal was to reach the biggest fortification. A small fort built upon a foundation of ice boulders and hastily thrown together stone, supported by wooden beams that seemed to be sourced from all over the country. Inside, emerging from the middle, taller than the wall, was a great totem.

It was carved with all sorts of animals, while a swirl of ice seemed to flow upwards, joining the dark gray clouds. Sam looked at the others and grinned. He didn't need to point. He didn't need to give orders. They all knew what needed to be done.