Eternal Night: Building an Empire from Scratch

The little girl continued staring at Edgar from the shoulder of the enormous Nightmare while Edgar’s mind struggled to understand what the hell that thing was.

’It’s definitely not human.’ Edgar thought grimly. ’A mimic? A shape-shifting monster? What the hell is that thing?’

For several seconds, neither side moved while hundreds of monstrous creatures ran toward the Fortress like hungry beasts.

Then the girl slowly raised one hand into the air.

The movement was small, but every Nightmare immediately stopped.

The creatures that had been charging toward the Fortress froze in place, their enormous bodies remaining completely still.

Even the soldiers on the wall became silent when they saw such a bizarre thing happen in front of their eyes.

Edgar’s eyes narrowed as he looked across the battlefield. ’They actually obey her.’

For a short period, he had hoped that she wouldn’t be important, but it looked like she was.

The girl slowly tilted her head and spoke in a clear human voice.

"Edgar Atreus."

Her voice was soft and gentle, completely different from the monstrous roar that had filled the forest moments ago.

Despite the absurd distance, everyone on the Fortress Wall could hear her clearly.

Every hair on Edgar’s body rose instantly as he felt a sudden wave of discomfort.

Still keeping his composure, he asked, "How do you know my name?"

The girl smiled faintly like a mischievous child. "I know many things."

Edgar didn’t like that answer as his gaze moved across her small body before returning to her crimson eyes.

"You’re the one who wrote those messages."

The girl’s smile widened slightly. "You found them as I intended."

Edgar’s expression became colder as it was now clear she was an enemy. "’Return the King’s Bride.’ That’s what you wrote."

The girl nodded her head, her hair bobbing with the movement. "Yes."

Edgar glanced toward the Fortress behind him, finally asking the question that had been bothering him. "...You came here for Hera."

The girl’s eyes moved past him for a moment before settling on the Fortress.

"She is here." Her voice remained calm as she extended one hand toward him. "Give her to me."

The soldiers surrounding Edgar immediately tightened their grips on their weapons.

Andrew looked toward him, waiting for an order as he knew there was no denying the conflict.

Edgar remained completely still before he replied firmly. "No."

The girl’s expression didn’t change, as if she had been expecting that answer.

"Why?" she asked. "Why not give away that burden?"

"Because she isn’t yours," Edgar replied firmly once again. "She doesn’t belong to you."

The girl tilted her head. "She belongs to the King."

Edgar’s eyes narrowed. "So that King... he really exists?"

The girl smiled but didn’t answer, as if she wanted him to guess the obvious.

Edgar took another step forward. "Who is he?"

"You don’t need to know." Her crimson eyes remained fixed on him. "You only need to understand that you cannot keep his bride forever."

Edgar’s expression became cold as he took in a deep breath.

"I’ve heard enough." He raised one hand. "Fire."

The Watch Towers roared.

Dozens of enormous ballista bolts shot through the darkness, tearing toward the Nightmare army.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The little girl didn’t move as she simply lowered her hand.

The Nightmares immediately reacted.

Several enormous creatures threw themselves into the path of the incoming projectiles while others moved to shield the creatures behind them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The bolts tore through their bodies.

Massive corpses crashed onto the ground, but the remaining Nightmares didn’t hesitate.

They simply stepped over their fallen companions and continued forward.

Edgar kept his eyes on every move the monsters were making. ’They’re sacrificing themselves to protect her.’

This wasn’t a mindless horde. The creatures were organized, and they were following orders.

The little girl watched the destruction without showing the slightest emotion.

Then she quietly spoke. "Kill them all."

The entire Nightmare army suddenly charged.

ROOOOOOOOAR!

The ground shook as hundreds of enormous creatures rushed toward the Fortress.

Trees snapped beneath their feet while the sound of their footsteps echoed through the forest like continuous explosions.

Edgar immediately raised his hand. "Keep firing!"

The Watch Towers continued launching bolts.

The front ranks were torn apart one after another, but the sheer number of creatures made stopping them impossible.

Some Nightmares fell into the newly constructed trench.

SHING!

The creatures screamed as their enormous bodies became trapped inside the pit.

Andrew’s eyes brightened. "It works!"

Edgar didn’t respond as he used the Flamethrowers to burn those that were too close.

But other Nightmares had already begun changing their approach.

Instead of charging directly toward the trench, several spread toward the sides while others leapt over it.

BOOM!

One giant landed on the other side, trying to fight off the flames from the Flamethrower.

Edgar’s expression became serious. ’They’re adapting already.’

He raised his hand as the four Invisible Sage Hands appeared around him.

Four enormous Sword-Clubs immediately rose from the ground, and the soldiers around Edgar instinctively stepped backward.

Edgar stood at the edge of the Fortress Wall as he waited for the Nightmares to come closer.

One of the giants immediately swung its enormous arm toward him.

WHOOSH!

Edgar leaned sideways as the claws passed within inches of his face.

At the same time, the first Sword-Club swung forward.

BOOM!

The weapon smashed into the creature’s chest and sent its enormous body flying backward.

Another Nightmare immediately attacked while being continuously burned by the Flamethrowers.

WHOOSH!

The creature was struck across the face and thrown into several trees.

A third Nightmare charged directly toward him.

Edgar raised his hand as the third Sword-Club descended from above.

BOOM!

The creature’s skull broke beneath the enormous weapon.

Edgar continued his stance on the edge, ready to kill more.

The four Sword-Clubs moved independently around him, striking anything that came within range.

The Nightmares were enormous, but their size made them predictable.

Every time they tried attacking from a distance, Edgar’s Heavenly Spirit Body appeared around him.

CLANG!

A massive claw struck his chest, and the golden skeletal armor absorbed the impact.

Edgar’s palm immediately began glowing.

"Sun Blast."

BOOOOOOM!

A golden beam tore through the battlefield.

Several Nightmares were swallowed by the explosion while others were thrown backward by the shockwave.

Edgar lowered his hand as his gaze immediately returned to the little girl.

She hadn’t moved and was still standing at the back of the army.

And she was smiling. ’Why isn’t she afraid?’

Edgar’s eyes narrowed, and then something strange happened.

The Nightmares around the girl suddenly moved aside.

A clear path appeared through the army.

The little girl stepped down from the giant’s shoulder as her bare feet touched the ground.

She began walking toward Edgar’s Fortress like she was casually strolling in the park.

Edgar’s expression became colder. ’She’s coming here herself.’

The girl stopped several dozen metres away.

She looked at the four Sword-Clubs floating around Edgar. "You are stronger than I expected."

Edgar didn’t answer as the girl looked toward the Fortress.

"You’re protecting her." Her gaze returned to him. "But why?"

Edgar’s eyes narrowed. "Because I want to."

The girl’s smile disappeared. "Then you will die a worthless death."

She raised one hand as Edgar immediately prepared himself, but instead of attacking, the girl pointed toward the ground.

Something moved in front of him. One of the dead Nightmares suddenly twitched, followed by the rest.

The creatures that had been killed by the ballista bolts slowly began moving.

Broken limbs dragged across the ground as enormous bodies slowly stood again.

Their crimson eyes opened as they stared at Edgar standing on the Fortress Wall.

"Young master..." Andrew whispered behind him.

Edgar remained silent as his gaze moved across the battlefield.

The dead Nightmares were returning.

The girl looked at him with a faint smile. "Did you really think killing them would make them disappear?"

Edgar slowly clenched his fist. ’She can control the dead.’

The situation had just become considerably worse.

Every Nightmare they killed could potentially become another soldier.

Edgar’s eyes moved toward the enormous battlefield as hundreds of corpses were scattered across the ground.

And now they were beginning to stand.

The little girl smiled.

"Now..." She raised her hand. "...let’s see how long your Fortress survives."

Every resurrected Nightmare suddenly turned toward Edgar.

Their mouths opened simultaneously, and a deafening roar shook the entire battlefield.

Edgar’s expression became completely cold as the four Sword-Clubs slowly rose behind him.

Then he noticed something that made his heart sink.

The little girl wasn’t looking at him anymore.

She was staring directly toward the Fortress.

More specifically, toward the place where Hera was living.

The girl smiled. "Found you."

Edgar’s pupils contracted.

"Everyone!" His voice thundered across the Fortress and through the Soul Network. "Protect Hera!"

At the same moment, the enormous Nightmare army began moving again, but this time, they weren’t charging toward the walls.

They were spreading out as if they were surrounding the entire Fortress.

And Edgar suddenly realized that the attack had never been about destroying his defenses.

They had come specifically for Hera.

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