Chapter 360: Gaze of the Castle

Luke pushed forward beside Charlie, the biting wind lashing his face as the ground quaked beneath the endless march of the undead. Every fallen creature cleared a fragment of their path, but also reminded him just how endless this war felt. For every corpse that dropped, ten more seemed to take its place.

His bow creaked with each shot, the sharp twang of the string melding with the clash of steel, the guttural roars, and the crackle of spells ripping through the battlefield. Yet, even amid that chaos, Luke’s gaze kept drifting upward, toward the dark fortress looming in the distance. Its black stone walls were now veiled by a relentless snowfall, each flake falling faster and heavier, as if the sky itself wanted to bury them.

Then the air split with a roar, low, thunderous, and primal. Luke froze for an instant, his blood running cold as three towering figures emerged from the curtain of mist. They carried halberds etched with glowing red runes, and their eyes, four burning orbs, flared to life within the fog. They didn’t just look angry. They looked awakened, furious at being disturbed after centuries of slumber.

“If we want to reach the damn Midnight Lord, we’ll have to go through them,” Evangeline said, her voice rough but steady, as the monsters broke into a run.

Mason raised his hands, summoning blazing orbs that lit up the storm around them. Arrows from Erza’s archers streaked through the air, their shafts carved from boar tusks and reinforced with enchantments to hit like sledgehammers. The generals didn’t even slow down.

“Split up!” Allison shouted, her tone sharp and commanding. “Each group takes one!”

The ground shook as the three abominations charged. The one on the right fixed its glowing eyes on Luke.

Every step it took sent up clouds of snow. The red runes on its halberd pulsed like veins, throbbing in rhythm with the monster’s growl, a grotesque heartbeat pounding outside its body.

Before Luke could react, Charlie dashed ahead. Her sword spun in her hand, reshaping into a round shield that met the incoming halberd with a crash that made the air itself shudder. Sparks and shards of ice exploded outward. With her free hand, she pressed her palm against the creature’s chest, her mark flaring to life.

[Mark of Doom (Rare)]: Touch a target to apply an invisible seal that increases damage taken by 10%. Marked enemies become prioritized targets, making it easier to focus them down. Ideal for eliminating high-risk threats quickly. The mark remains until it expires or the target leaves your perception range.

Allison appeared behind her, flipping through the air in a double jump and bringing her katana down in a blinding arc. The impact boomed like thunder as the three of them locked into position, their formation instinctive and tight. It would be three against one. The general roared again, and a shadowy aura poured from its body, thick and suffocating.

[Midnight Warden General (Lvl 80)]

Charlie dismissed her shield, summoning her weapon again as she activated Basic Levitation. For a heartbeat, her body hovered above the snow, frozen in motion, then she dove, her fists blazing with fire. The impact of her Spectral Charge sent shockwaves through the air, slamming into the creature hard enough to drive it backward.

Luke darted forward, drawing both kukris in a fluid motion. His eyes locked on the monster’s glowing chestplate as he triggered his next skill.

[Predator’s Mark (Rare)]: When you mark your prey, your focus locks onto them with unyielding precision. No matter where they run, as long as they remain within your hunting grounds, you will find them. If they slip beyond your perception and they’re bleeding, you can track them more easily, guided by instinct alone. All damage dealt to a marked target is increased, and you gain bonus experience for killing a marked enemy, especially if they are above your class level. Your predatory mark remains until the prey is eliminated or the effect expires.

Allison moved in a blur, the ground freezing beneath her boots, turning into a trail of glimmering frost. Every motion left shards of light behind as she fired iceballs in rapid succession. Luke dodged the bursts, the sharp chill brushing past him with every explosion. He spun his bow around and pulled a handful of rare arrows from his dimensional storage—silver-tipped, gleaming even through the storm.

The monster roared again and charged straight ahead. Charlie reacted instantly, igniting her Flame Aura until her entire body blazed against the darkness. With one hand raised, she unleashed her Spectral Chain, wrapping it around the creature’s arm. Allison seized the opening and struck with her katana, the blade flaring as the Berserker enchantment took hold.

The general’s arm flew off in a clean, burning cut. The roar became a scream.

Luke took advantage of the moment, flinging one of his kukris. The blade spun through the air and sank deep into the creature’s chest. Before the armor could mend, he released an arrow straight into the same wound.

The monster staggered. Charlie pummeled its back, her fists wrapped in flame. Each hit sent sparks scattering across the snow. Luke sprinted around the creature, sliding across the ice, an arrow already notched.

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One of his twenty emergency shots.

[Jormungandr Arrow (Ultra-Rare)]: Forged from fragments of a Jormungandr fang, this arrow retains the serpent’s impossible density and resilience. Its composition grants extreme piercing power, capable of penetrating scales, reinforced hides, and armored plates without fracturing.

Sliding beneath the creature’s leg, Luke drew the string to its limit, channeling every ounce of stamina into the shot. The arrow struck true—piercing straight through the general’s helmet. The impact was sharp and hollow, followed by the deep thud of a collapsing tower.

[You have slain a Midnight Warden General – Lvl 80]

Luke rolled aside, his body coated in snow and cold sweat. His breath came fast, heart pounding.