Chapter 361: Storm of Arrows

Luke and his group pressed forward through the battlefield, always aiming for the next general. Piles of corpses littered the snow, but an even greater problem loomed ahead. The storm was getting worse, visibility was collapsing, and the cold had turned deadly. This wasn’t natural cold. It was something else, something enchanted.

He noticed it first in the corner of his interface. Every minute, his HP ticked down by one point. Slowly, steadily, the blizzard itself was killing them.

[Estimated Time Until End: 04 hours : 15 minutes : 18 seconds]

Another general fell, its body collapsing in a heap of armor and ash. They were getting faster, each fight shorter than the last. It was astonishing how quickly a level 80 monster could die in their hands, but then again, this wasn’t just any group. This was the tutorial’s elite.

A roar echoed ahead, deep enough to rattle his bones. Another Warden General burst from the mist, charging straight toward them, halberd raised.

Luke loosed a flurry of arrows in rapid succession. By now, everyone moved as one, no wasted motion, no stray spells. They didn’t even bother with high-cost magic anymore.

The creature barreled forward. Charlie stepped into its path, her shield absorbing the hit with a metallic crack that sent shockwaves through the snow. At the same time, Erza’s wires lashed out from behind, wrapping around the monster’s limbs. Evangeline exhaled a cloud of black smoke that curled around the creature’s form like living shadow. Mason sprinted in and slammed his shoulder into its back, using his weight to topple it.

As it stumbled, Charlie’s flaming fist came down like a hammer, shattering the creature’s helmet with a sharp, ringing crunch. Allison followed up in a flash, her katana slicing downward in one clean motion. The general’s head rolled across the snow, leaving a dark smear behind. Another one down.

“Where’s the Midnight Lord?” Mason asked as Evangeline’s raven swooped low, its wings beating erratically.

Her face tensed. “Jerry can’t stay up anymore. The white mist, it’s freezing him.”

They all looked skyward. The midnight sky had vanished, swallowed by a spreading white fog. It was rolling downward fast, thick and hungry, devouring the world one breath at a time.

“No choice,” Erza said, her voice steady. “We keep moving.”

Their gazes turned to the timer. The numbers kept slipping away, cold and merciless. They still had to kill three bosses, the Midnight Lord, the Witch, and the King, and nearly two hours had already vanished. They hadn’t even seen the first.

“Cold,” Franky muttered, trembling beneath Luke’s clothes. He hated the cold more than anything.

“So, Luke,” Artemis’s voice echoed in his head, dry and unimpressed, “is this when we hit the ‘we’re screwed’ button?”

Now that I’m this close to going home? he thought. No. The only one screwed is whoever stands in my way.

They pushed forward, running alongside squads of surviving soldiers. Together, they moved like the tip of a spear, piercing through enemy lines. This unit, Luke’s unit, was responsible for cutting down the generals and forcing open a path to the castle.

“He’s close,” Allison called out. “The Midnight Lord has to be near the castle.”

They sprinted, boots crunching against pure white snow. Ahead, other units were already clashing with the undead ranks, forming a wedge formation to keep the advance open. A wall of Midnight Wardens blocked their path. A squad of soldiers charged ahead, shields raised, slamming into the undead and scattering them to carve a way through. They were close now. The castle loomed beyond the blizzard, its massive bridge rising like a dark spine over the abyss.

“The Midnight Lord must be in the castle!” Mason shouted.

Luke glanced around. Ronan was fighting Wardens on the front line; to the left, more soldiers were cutting through; and to the right, a group of mages from the Haven unleashed devastating spells. They were forcing a corridor open, breaking through piece by piece.

“Generals!” someone yelled.

Five of the towering creatures emerged from the storm, roaring in unison as they charged. One swung its halberd, striking Ronan and sending him flying. The others crashed into the formation, tearing through it like beasts unleashed.

The battlefield shook again. This time, the fight wasn’t about holding the line. It was about surviving the next minute. The group picked up speed, already splitting into formation. One enemy alone was manageable—they could take it down fast—but with several closing in, things got messy. Without the use of powerful spells, a single hit from those creatures could leave a serious wound.

They moved as they always did, falling into rhythm without words. Luke fired a volley of arrows, drawing one monster’s attention. It charged, halberd raised high. Princess Charlie ignited her Flame Aura and rushed forward. Allison slid across the frozen ground straight toward it.

Luke dropped his bow the moment the clash began. Channeling energy through his legs, he launched forward with a Basic Dark Dash and leapt. Midair, his body dissolved into mist, blinding the general for a heartbeat before solidifying behind it. His kukri sliced deep into the back of its leg. Charlie followed up with a fiery punch that sent the creature crashing to one knee.

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[Mark of Doom activated]

Luke jumped again, summoning his dark mimic. The two figures mirrored each other in motion, blades in hand, descending like shadows.

[Skill Activated: Demon Blade Dance]

The twin kukris shimmered as he infused them with mana and stamina, slashing in a blur as he fell. Metal met flesh, armor split, and the first thing to go was the monster’s hand—still gripping its halberd.

Charlie drove her sword straight through its chest. Allison followed up instantly, her katana slicing through its neck.

The head hit the ground and rolled to a stop.

“We did it,” she said, catching her breath.