Hag stood inside the half-opened main gate, his chest heavy as he listened to the intensifying screams and the sounds of slaughter ahead. He gazed at the encroaching darkness outside the gate; he did not speak, but only silently raised the battle-axe in his hand.

  Beside him, Gren Ironbeard stood tall, his eyes reflecting a heavy yet calm resolve. Behind them were a thousand of Khagurem’s most elite soldiers; every man gripped his shield and weapon tightly, their eyes betraying deep exhaustion and unease.

  "Let’s go out," Hag said in a low voice, almost as if talking to himself. "We cannot let them advance another step."

  Gren nodded silently. He waved his hand toward the rear; there were no shouted slogans, only the rhythmic thud of boots hitting the ground as the entire troop marched out of the gate in silence.

  The scene of the battlefield outside was a nightmare. Broken corpses and shattered shields littered the ground, and the thick stench of blood made it difficult to breathe. The shield-bearers quickly deployed their defense, with Gren standing at the center of the formation, commanding them to plug the gaps.

  Hag stood at the very front, gripping his axe, his cold gaze fixed on the gargantuan figures emerging from the distant darkness.

  When the Minotaur King and the Orc King gradually revealed themselves, Hag felt his heart sink slightly. He knew what these two enemies represented, and he understood that all he could likely do was buy time.

  The Minotaur King struck first. Its massive stone hammer swung with enough force to nearly annihilate an entire row of the shield wall. Hag stepped forward, straining to raise his axe to meet the heavy blow. He caught the strike, but his body was forced back several steps, his chest heaving violently.

  He looked up to see Gren and the shield-bearers gritting their teeth as they pushed the formation back into place, briefly halting the Minotaur King’s advance. The soldiers fought to maintain the line, but their eyes were filled with terror and fatigue, their bodies already covered in wounds.

  By now, the left wing had completely collapsed. Hag didn't even need to look back to sense the black tide of death surging rapidly from the left toward the center.

  "The left wing is gone!" a soldier shrieked in despair.

  Hag clenched his teeth and refocused on the enemies before him: "Hold the center! Just hold the center!"

  But the monster tide quickly flooded in from the flank. The shield-bearers began to roar helplessly as the defense developed gaps and vulnerabilities.

  The Orc King surged forward next. Its massive war hammer sent several soldiers flying as it pushed directly toward Hag. Hag used all his strength to block the first strike, but his arms trembled violently; he felt the strength beginning to leave his fingers.

  The Minotaur King and the "Bloodrage" Orc King launched a simultaneous assault on Hag’s central line from two directions!

  "Gren!" Hag roared. "Command the 'Shield' unit! Form a circular array! Hold it!"

  "Yes, sir!" Gren Ironbeard, the captain of the Shield of Khagurem, immediately commanded his most elite subordinates to form a ring of shields. Like a steel island, they stubbornly resisted the monsters swarming from all sides.

  Hag himself personally engaged the most frenzied "Bloodrage" Orc King. Every collision of their weapons erupted in a deafening boom.

  Just then, from within the enemy ranks, the Shadow Wolf King let out a sharp, long howl. Dozens of shadow wolves lurking in the black tide acted like black lightning. Instead of striking the front of the shield wall, they concentrated all their strength to launch a sudden attack on a single point!

  The shields of several dwarven warriors were instantly torn to shreds by the wolves' sharp claws and teeth. The perfect circular defense was forcibly torn open!

  "Hag!" Gren’s roar echoed from the side.

  He saw several shadow wolves break through the line, lunging toward Hag, whose flank was wide open as he struggled with the Orc King!

  Gren did not hesitate for a second. He abandoned his defensive position and threw himself forward like a cannonball, lunging in front of Hag. Using his battle-scarred greatshield, he forcibly intercepted the first wave of the shadow wolves' assault.

  But because of this, he was left completely exposed—directly beneath the battle-axe of the "Bloodrage" Orc King.

  Gren looked up at Hag. There was no fear in his eyes, only a calm that was so steadfast it was heartbreaking.

  In the next moment, the "Bloodrage" Orc King’s massive axe slammed down. Gren and his shield were instantly smashed away, his body hitting the ground with a heavy thud. He lay there, coughing violently, blood pouring from his mouth. His fingers twitched slightly, and then all movement ceased.

  Hag froze, staring at the fallen Gren. He felt something deep within his heart shatter completely.

  Hag slowly turned his head, looking at the "Bloodrage" Orc King that had killed his dearest friend, and the other Minotaur King that was closing in. Within his chest, a cold and mad fury ignited.

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  He did not scream. He only silently gripped the handle of his battle-axe tighter with both hands.

  The "Bloodrage" Orc King roared, its massive morning star bringing the sound of tearing air as it smashed down toward his head!

  "—Stone Skin!"

  Hag let out a low growl, and his skin instantly took on a greyish-white, rocky luster. He did not dodge; instead, he caught the blow squarely with his shoulder!

  BOOM!

  The massive impact caused the stone slabs beneath his feet to crack inch by inch, yet he did not retreat a single step. A flicker of shock passed through the Orc King’s eyes; it hadn't expected this dwarf to dare take its attack head-on.

  "My turn," Hag’s voice was as cold as eternal permafrost.

  "Earth Slam!"

  He slammed his foot down heavily! A visible shockwave spread along the ground, causing the massive Orc King to stagger, its movements freezing for a full second!

  Hag seized the opportunity. The runes on his battle-axe ignited in a crimson glow all at once!

  "Runic Fury!"

  He charged like an enraged bull. His axe, trailing shadows of flame, hacked continuously and fiercely into the Orc King’s defenseless chest and abdomen! Every strike left a deep, bone-exposing wound marked by scorch marks on the creature's tough hide!

  The Orc King let out a roar of agony, swinging its morning star wildly to force Hag back. But Hag had already left four or five fatal wounds on its body.

  He knew there was only one chance.

  Hag ignored the other Minotaur King closing in. He poured all his remaining stamina, mana, and the endless fury from the loss of his friend into his axe. At the edge of the blade, a point of blindingly bright, earthy-yellow light—like the heart of a mountain—condensed.

  "—Mountain Heart!!"

  He stepped forward, seemingly using the last of his strength to deliver this blow that embodied his everything. With an unrivaled, furious force, he swung the axe down!

  This strike accurately and savagely pulverized the "Bloodrage" Orc King’s skull.

  The enemy’s headless corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

  But Hag had reached his limit. His hands trembled violently, and he could no longer hold his weapon. The axe fell to the ground with a clang, and as his strength evaporated, he collapsed onto one knee.

  In that moment, the entire central front seemed to stand still.

  The soldiers of the "Shield of Khagurem" watched as their captain, Gren, fell, and then watched as their invincible Guild Leader collapsed in exhaustion after slaying the mighty foe.

  Despair, like a cold tide, submerged everyone’s heart.

  But just as the unscathed Minotaur King let out a roar of victory and prepared to step forward to deliver the final blow to Hag—

  A young, unknown dwarven soldier was the first to snap out of the daze. He looked at the fallen captain and then at the kneeling leader. The fear belonging to a soldier was replaced in that moment by a hotter emotion called "Glory" and "Fury."

  He did not hesitate. He was the first to raise his shield and axe, letting out the loudest and most resolute roar of his life:

  "FOR KHAGUREM——!!" "FOR CAPTAIN GREN——!!"

  This roar was like a spark thrown into a powder keg, instantly igniting the stubborn dwarven pride and determination within every soldier of the "Shield of Khagurem."

  "OHHHHHHH——!!"

  They no longer defended. They no longer feared. Dozens, then hundreds of heavy-armored dwarven soldiers threw themselves forward without a thought for their lives, launching a suicidal charge against the mountain-like Minotaur King!

  Simultaneously, another group of more rational soldiers shoved their way forward, using their bodies and shields to build a small but incredibly sturdy final shield wall around the kneeling Hag.

  It was not a defensive line, but a tomb wall built of blood and bone.

  "Hold on!"

  The first soldier had barely raised his shield before the Minotaur King’s axe came crashing down. A dull crack sounded, like an entire stone slab splintering; the thick shield and his sternum exploded at the same time. Blood and bone fragments sprayed onto Hag’s face, warm and smelling of iron.

  A second person filled the gap, his knees sinking directly into the slurry of blood, both hands death-gripping the path of the war-axe. Hag heard the sound of joints being crushed one by one, a sickening click-clack, but the dwarf’s scream was choked by blood in his throat, exhaling only a turbulent breath of foam.

  More men rushed forward in succession. Their roars were as hoarse as a death rattle—not for victory, but merely to let their Guild Leader breathe for a few moments longer.

  The thick scent of blood mixed with the smell of scorched earth pressed down from all sides. Hag felt his very breath turning bitter from the cloying sweetness of the gore.

  He tried to reach out to pick up his axe, but could only touch warm, viscous blood-mud.

  He could only look up and watch those youthful faces being torn apart by axe shadows and wolf claws. Some were crushed into a pile of flesh; some twitched with distorted limbs; one even tried to turn back before falling, offering him a trembling smile.

  "...Leader... run...!" The last few cries broke like bubbles in their throats before being submerged by the waves of blood.

  Hag’s heart felt as though it had been hollowed out. He wanted to stand, to fight beside them, but his legs felt as if they had been hammered into the earth; they wouldn't move.

  He could only kneel there, powerlessly and despairingly watching that final shield wall collapse, one after another, along with blood and bone.

  The Minotaur King raised its giant axe, the shadow descending once more. The last few dwarves roared as they met the certain death of the impact—

  At that exact moment, Hag caught a glimpse of something in the distance.

  On the city wall, it wasn't just a flicker of fire—the entire stretch of the wall seemed to be ignited prematurely by the sun, erupting in an incredibly intense light!

  What was that?

  Before he could even think, the entire night sky was dyed a crimson red.

  Dozens, perhaps hundreds of burning meteors, trailing long tails of flame like the wrath of a god, rained down from the torn night sky in a dense, merciless torrent!

  BOOM————!!! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  A series of world-shaking explosions instantly drowned out every other sound on the battlefield! The earth shook violently, and the searing airwaves even slammed into the city gate where Hag was, hundreds of meters away.

  The arrogant Minotaur King, along with the "Bloodrage" Orc King beside it, and dozens of ogres and cyclopes, didn't even have time to react before they were utterly—along with the very earth beneath them—consumed by this unreasonable firestorm from the heavens...

  Deathly silence.

  When the flames of the last meteor faded, the entire central front—that once clamorous and tragic battlefield—fell into an eerie silence.

  In front of Hag, a massive crater appeared, still emitting black smoke and molten lava. Within that crater, not a single monster remained standing.

  Whether it was the charging dwarven soldiers or the roaring monsters, everyone stopped their movements, staring in disbelief at this scene that looked like divine punishment.

  Hag Ironmane knelt on the ground, staring blankly at the sight.

  His eyes, which had been filled with despair and emptiness, were now replaced by an even stronger feeling—a "reverence" that bordered on terror.

  What... what kind of magic was that?

  Who was it?

  Hag’s stand and Gren’s sacrifice have brought Khagurem to its absolute limit. But just as the end seemed certain, a "Divine Punishment" has descended from the sky. The power core is gone, the mages are exhausted... so who could have called down such a storm of fire?

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