Gray Rock Town, a frontline town, even though it’s been a long time since war last broke out, the defense strategies remain comprehensive.
On the street leading to the entrance of the underground shelter, the crowd is moving slowly and anxiously, while the town hall clerks and conscripted militiamen are loudly maintaining order.
"Keep moving! Do not linger!"
"Keep moving! Do not linger!"
"Elderly and children first, into the inner area!"
The air is filled with a sense of oppression.
People carry simple backpacks, their faces filled with confusion and fear.
Children tightly clutch their parents’ hands, their eyes wide open as they look at the streets, so different from the festive celebration days.
It’s important to note, it’s been only a few days since that joyful celebration ended.
The crowd slowly progresses towards the shelter entrance, as if stepping into the throat of a giant beast.
"Father, Mother, Sofia, you go in first."
"What about you?"
"Don’t worry about me, just go in quickly."
Gauss and the others are also saying their farewells along the street.
This underground shelter has been reinforced with Magic, and staying inside is much safer than being in houses above ground.
After all, blades and swords don’t discriminate, not to mention those giant catapults and other unexpected attacks, staying above ground always carries the risk of annihilation.
However, even going underground, Gauss’s family and friends have specialized soldiers to protect them.
In urgent times, whether evacuating or making other arrangements, their priority will be the highest.
It seems like a privilege, but in fact, it is quite fair; otherwise, how could Gauss throw himself into battle at the walls with peace of mind?
His family sighed, the pressing situation leaving them no time to linger here.
Gauss adjusted his younger sister Cicero’s hat.
He then watched as his family was escorted by soldiers to the depths of the shelter.
Besides soldiers ensuring safety, he also left several clay creatures inside the shelter to protect his family, having informed the guards there in advance to prevent causing panic or chaos later.
After bidding farewell to his family, the surface of Gray Rock Town was already a scene of grim determination.
On the streets, aside from Adventurers, there were patrolling soldiers and logistics personnel manufacturing and transporting strategic materials.
Porters in the transport team were shouting chant, continuously moving bundles of arrows, giant stones for catapulting, boiling hot reserve oil tanks, and some murky liquid up to the walls using pulleys and manpower.
At the edge of the city walls, soldiers could be seen everywhere; some had just woken from sleep and splashed cold jug water on their faces, trying to regain alertness as quickly as possible.
This task cannot be taken lightly.
Because the night will be very long, and if distracted, what could be lost is one’s life.
Apart from the veterans brought by Sir Belock, the quality of Gray Rock Town’s city guards and militia seemed much poorer.
Many newly supplemented young soldiers looked uneasy, repeatedly adjusting ill-fitting, simple Armor.
A young man, seemingly no older than seventeen or eighteen, finished praying and was touching the spear with trembling fingers.
"Hey, rookie, grip your spear tight, don’t poke your foot later."
An old soldier with a scarred face purposely walked over, patted his shoulder with moderate force.
"Y-Yes!"
The young soldier was startled, then blushed, and tried hard to straighten his back.
"Remember, follow your leader, don’t rush out blindly."
After speaking, the veteran took a sip from a waterskin filled with diluted liquor, exhaled, and walked away.
Such scenes were common around the city walls.
Many young individuals who had originally been filled with confidence in their ability to showcase their skills in this campaign suddenly felt timid at this moment.
They found themselves amidst a bustling crowd, feeling small and powerless for the first time, only able to follow the instructions of their leaders and superior officers, heading to their assigned areas to prepare for battle.
Gauss and his group were weaving through the flow of people.
Every soldier who saw them instinctively made way for them.
Looking at the slightly uneasy faces mingled with confusion, Gauss didn’t feel too nervous, but his mood grew heavier.
He knew, regardless of how many kills he achieved in tonight’s upcoming battle or whether this battle was won or lost, many of these young men before him wouldn’t see the light of the next day’s sun.
And yet, many of them were pinning their hopes on him.
He slightly accelerated his pace, passed through the barracks, and climbed onto the city walls.
At this moment, as the sky turned gradually dark, in the twilight vision, outside the city, was already a dense sea of monsters.
They were stationed beyond the range of catapults and archers.
Raising his head to look at the sky, he saw, at some point, large swathes of dark clouds had already loomed overhead.
As he looked at the monster army, Gauss felt a heavy pressure.
In his sight, there seemed to be a cloud shaped like an evil dragon hovering and coiling over the Monster Legion, making everyone who looked at it feel a sense of discomfort.
"Is this... a military presence?"
Gauss slightly furrowed his brows.
The army composed of more than ten thousand monsters was enough to create such a sky-altering aura, what if there were one hundred thousand, a million, or even more?
Suddenly, he somewhat understood why books say even the most top-tier fighters sometimes are unwilling to charge alone into a large-scale army.