Chapter 97

For a while, it was quite peaceful. That is, until the twenty-first Wave began. The lord’s castle, which had been peaceful for exactly two days, was attacked again by monsters just three days after the Wave had stopped.

An attack by monsters much stronger than during the twentieth Wave.

“The west gate has been breached!”

“Don’t let the formation collapse! We must properly defend at least one side!”

“Lord Sa-yoon, please take charge of the west gate!”

It was an overwhelming surprise attack, too much to endure with just two days of rest. The twenty-first Wave lasted for over half a day and overlapped with the twenty-second Wave. Sa-yoon ran across the battlefield, responding to calls for support coming from all directions. Blood followed his every step, and his once-sharp blade was now blunt, covered with chunks of flesh.

Twelve hours of fierce battle.

The knights, who were in shambles after enduring two consecutive Waves, couldn’t blow the victory horn even after winning the war. They couldn’t cheer, nor could they celebrate the return of those who made it back alive.

Too many people had died, and too many Waves remained.

Everyone instinctively sensed it.

That the monster attacks would continue for some time.

“…How long, how long will this keep repeating?”

The lord lamented miserably as he looked at the fallen knights. Looking more tired than ever, the lord seemed to have lost even more weight than when Sa-yoon first saw him, perhaps from not sleeping due to the aftermath even on days without monster Waves.

It was a situation where ordinary people would have given up and fled long ago. Sa-yoon highly regarded the lord of Deluth for not abandoning the castle and staying behind.

However, no matter how steadfast the lord was, this wasn’t a Wave that could be solved by one excellent ruler alone. The number of knights who had pledged their loyalty to him had been halved, and the mercenaries who had been gathered at great expense had largely deserted.

No matter how money-crazed the mercenaries were, there weren’t many who wanted to risk their lives for someone else’s territory to earn money.

The lord didn’t blame them. Rather, he understood.

How grueling it must have been.

That’s why he paid even more attention to the remaining mercenaries and knights, but now even the knights, the lord, and the mercenaries knew all too well that this alone wasn’t enough for the difficult situation.

We must abandon Deluth.

Soon, someone would utter those words. What choice would the lord make then?

Sa-yoon observed the lord while stemming the blood flow from his wounded shoulder. The lord, who had been despairing at the seemingly endless battle, shook his head and ignited a fighting spirit in his eyes that had been losing their will.

“From the next battle, I too shall participate.”

“Your Excellency!”

The knights were shocked at the ruler’s words about directly entering the battlefield. The lord had no children and no heir. If he died, it would be fair to say that Deluth would be finished.

The knights objected to this extreme measure. As Sa-yoon watched the lord gently refusing those who were trying to dissuade him, he scrutinized the man who had a similar build to himself, or perhaps was even a bit thinner.

He looks scrawny, but does he even know how to wield a sword?

A thought crossed his mind that would have enraged the knights if they had heard it. Not understanding why he was speaking so gravely when one more person joining the battle wouldn’t make much difference, Sa-yoon’s questioning gaze fell on the lord’s hands. Ah, a small exclamation escaped between his lips.

The hands covered in calluses looked familiar. Sa-yoon knew the characteristics of those who had such hands.

So there was one here too.

An expert with strength comparable to S-rank.

So that’s why they called it the last hope.

‘In a world where destruction has arrived, Deluth is humanity’s only hope. Achieve victory in a hundred Waves.’

He found himself pondering again over the message the system had explained. He had wondered why this place of all places, but it seemed it was because it was a place where experts capable of withstanding the Waves were quite concentrated.

Considering that the skills of the knights who had survived until now surpassed those of C-rank hunters, it made sense. Expecting the next battle to be somewhat easier, Sa-yoon returned to his room upon hearing the lord’s order to rest. While the knights guarding this place were anxious about losing their lord, it wasn’t particularly his concern.

“Noah.”

Returning to the lodgings with Geon-joo, Sa-yoon called the boy’s name, and Noah, who had been lying on the bed, quickly ran to him. Since that day, that is, since Noah started seeing the strange parchment, he had become particularly attached to Sa-yoon, and Sa-yoon, in turn, didn’t push away Noah who was sticking closer than usual.

Whether it was due to the bond of sharing a secret or sympathy for the boy who had become similar to himself, it was undeniable that his heart had softened.

As he halfheartedly stroked Noah’s hair, who was clinging tightly to his leg, Geon-joo frowned, showing his dissatisfaction. He seemed quite disappointed by Noah’s relatively decreased attention.

Well, he had taken care of the kid quite thoroughly.

He fed him, clothed him, put him to sleep, and even bathed him.

From the perspective of the pretty boy who had been so self-sacrificing when it came to Noah, it wasn’t incomprehensible to feel resentful towards Noah.

Sa-yoon gently detached Noah, who was hugging his leg, and pushed him towards Geon-joo. Although it was a half-forced push, Noah, after stumbling back, quickly warmed up to Geon-joo upon seeing him. Only then did the man’s sullen expression clear up. They were quite the circus act, the two of them.

“Is the fight over?”

“Well. It seems like they’ll be back around noon tomorrow.”

“So soon?”

“Soon? We should be thankful that only three Waves overlapped this time.”

The speed at which the Waves were hitting was getting faster and faster. Even with himself and Geon-joo there, the lord’s castle was too vast, and there were too many places to protect. If they continued to deal with it by dispersing their forces in all directions like now, it wouldn’t be long before the castle fell.

Rather, if they could funnel the monsters into one place, if they could narrow the path through which the monsters could surprise-attack the castle to one direction, it might be manageable. It wasn’t that difficult to deal with them one at a time, after all.

“It would be easier if I could use my ability.”

If he could create ice walls to trap them, the battle would be much smoother. The problem was whether the people here would be able to understand his ability if he did so.

It would be tiring, and there would definitely be more work. However, as he was contemplating this method which had clear advantages, Noah climbed onto Sa-yoon’s bed.

“Don’t you get tired fighting like that every day?”

“It is tiring.”

“Then can’t we just run away?”

“…”

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Geon-joo seemed to feel similarly, looking down at Noah with wide eyes.

It wasn’t because the idea of running away was unfamiliar. It was the kind of thing anyone would say in this situation, but it was unexpected coming from Noah’s mouth.

“…Do you want to run away?”

Geon-joo approached Noah and asked. Noticing the guilt melting in his kind eyes, Sa-yoon snorted.

He must be thinking that he selfishly kept Noah here when he could have taken him to a safer place. Even though the reality was completely different.

The fact that Deluth was humanity’s last hope meant that it was also the last place where humanity here could hold out. Considering this fact, the safest place would be the current castle. As Sa-yoon clicked his tongue at this thought, Geon-joo’s eyes narrowed and glared at him once.

Why.

As Sa-yoon mouthed a retort, a sharp gaze returned, telling him to keep quiet. Geon-joo, who had been rebuking Sa-yoon with his narrowed brow, then gently stroked Noah’s head.

“Noah, should I take you somewhere else even now?”

“…No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I prefer to be where you two are.

The twelve-year-old boy said with a broad smile. Geon-joo, who had been comforting Noah with an expression that was hard to tell whether he was overwhelmed or apologetic, continued talking to the boy. Sa-yoon silently watched this scene while wiping the blood off his face, when he suddenly stopped breathing at what he saw. The same was true for Noah, who was looking at the same place as Sa-yoon.

“…What’s wrong?”

Geon-joo expressed his confusion at his companions who had suddenly stopped talking and were staring into space as if on cue. Everyone in the room heard his voice, but no one could answer. More precisely, they didn’t have the leisure to answer.

The eyes of those who could provide an answer were all fixed on the paper floating in the air.

It was the parchment they had seen that day. Although it appeared blank to him who only shared the title, it would be different for Noah, the subject.

Sa-yoon looked at Noah’s expression to see what that damned system had said this time. The young boy was unusually pale. It was a different kind of reaction from when he first saw that paper parchment.

“Um…”

The boy’s eyes, which had turned to Sa-yoon as if seeking a solution, trembled from side to side.

“What’s going on?”

Geon-joo, sensing that something was amiss, lowered his voice. Once again not answering his question, Sa-yoon sighed towards Noah, who had uttered a single word and then tightly closed his mouth, before slowly extending his hand.

“Come.”

At the briefly uttered word, the boy moved and nestled into Sa-yoon’s arms. He could feel the small body trembling through their contact. Looking down at the boy who was clearly flustered, Sa-yoon pushed Geon-joo, who kept asking questions, onto the bed and turned off the room’s lights.

“What on earth is going on? Is it something I shouldn’t know?”

“Nothing good would come from knowing.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

“Then we’ll talk after sleeping.”

In the current situation, one boy to take care of was enough. Not having the energy to care for a grown man-child as well, Sa-yoon delayed answering and rummaged through his inventory to spray sleep fragrance on Geon-joo.

“Again…!”

Geon-joo’s expression crumpled as he smelled the familiar scent. His eyes, full of discontent, didn’t hold out for long before slowly closing.

After observing Geon-joo’s face, which had become peaceful in less than 10 minutes, Sa-yoon quietly lay down and patted the boy in his arms.

“You sleep too, kid.”

There was no answer, but he could tell from the irregular breathing that the boy was awake. Anticipating how troubled he must be feeling, Sa-yoon exhaled a heated breath like a groan and lifted his head to look out the dark window.

Following the darkness that had fallen outside, night seeped into the unlit room as well. Yet, unable to fall asleep, Sa-yoon tossed and turned until he was awakened by a presence late into the night.

He secured his vision through slowly raised eyelids. With one roll of his eyes, Sa-yoon easily found the source of the presence and moved his lips.

“…Not sleeping?”

In the world he saw upon opening his eyes, there stood a boy holding a sword.