The Duke’s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military

<h3>Chapter 236: Dark Clouds Looming Over the North (3)</h3>

TL: Pai_

The numbers themselves weren’t that high.

Perhaps because so many of them had perished during the mythical times, only a few thousand giants remained.

However, the immense power each of them possessed forced nearly all of the empire’s military to gather.

Firstly, they naturally possessed massive bodies and had tough skin that matched their size.

If that were all, Frost Giants wouldn’t be so terrifying.

If they were merely large and sturdy, they could be held back with the array of advanced weapons recently developed.

The problem lay in the second factor.

All Frost Giants could manipulate cold energy.

Even an ordinary Frost Giant displayed such mastery over cold energy that it would make most ice-based mages look trivial by comparison.

This was their innate ability.

Starting from the third factor, even Master Levels would find them terrifying.

Some giants belonged to the warrior class, they weren’t content with their natural strength and learned martial arts.

These were individuals who combined their natural powers with combat techniques, and they wielded a force so great that even Masters found it challenging to contend with them.

Using martial skills with a body that size?

That was a disaster.

“Their king, huh…”

Crimson looked straight ahead with an expression of dread.

At the forefront were Frost Warriors, leading the Frost Giants.

He couldn’t even imagine how strong the king who commanded them would be.

Would even becoming a Grand Master, which an old man like him had given up on long ago, be enough to face them?

“In the mythical times, it must have been nearly impossible for humans to resist them.”

Next to him, Jaiden Wicks looked at the Frost Giants with a grave expression.

Even with just the abilities of the approaching Frost Giants, they were catastrophic enough to be labeled a calamity for humanity.

However, their abilities weren’t perfect.

Thanks to the efforts of Iron and everyone else, a full-scale apocalypse had been prevented, which meant that the abilities of the Frost Giants were also limited.

Had it been the mythical times, their power would have been even greater.

The ones called warriors would have approached the level of Grand Masters, and even ordinary Frost Giants would have been as powerful as Master Levels in abundance.

An apocalypse capable of wiping out humanity, in the truest sense.

‘Their king must have been a god in every sense.’

Records describing the king of the Frost Giants as a being on par with the highest gods of the mythical times seemed entirely accurate.

“…Can we stop them?”

Crimson asked the two people standing behind him.

At this moment, they were the only ones who could potentially stand against the Frost Giant King.

The two family heads who had vied for the title of the empire’s strongest for ages.

The head of the Lion Family and the head of the Godly Sword family shook their heads, as if even they weren’t certain.

The presence emanating from the distant Frost Giant King was so overwhelming that even these two, who were always confident, could only shake their heads.

Boom! Boom!

At last, the main force of the Frost Giants began attacking the defensive line of the northern mountain range, which was the pride of the vanguard corps.

They had already heard the news that the eastern flank had been breached, but there was no time to worry about that now.

“Please, both of you, do not move yet.”

At Crimson’s words, the two family heads nodded heavily.

Even in peak condition, it would be a stretch to take on the Frost Giants, so they couldn’t afford to waste any strength prematurely.

All of the empire’s forces had gathered to stop the Frost Giants.

1. All Commanders except the West and the Mobile Field Army.

2. All Masters of the Southern Confederation.

3. All otherworlders and top-tier adventurers.

All these forces gathered solely to stop the Frost Giants.

Crimson was the first to act.

Living up to his reputation as a seasoned veteran, he took the lead and created a Storm Sword, swinging it toward the Frost Warrior commanding the Frost Giants.

In response, other Masters also each took on a warrior and began fighting.

The remaining warriors were held back with all their might by the knights and mages.

“Are we still at a disadvantage, even with nearly all of the empire’s forces gathered?”

Lioner, the head of the Lion Family, observed the battlefield with a serious expression.

In his heart, he wanted to jump in and slaughter the warriors himself.

With his skills, he was confident he could hold back at least three Frost Warriors.

However, the power radiating from the Frost Giant King in the distance was compelling him to stay put, as if it were forcing him not to move.

The same was true for the head of the Godly Sword family.

The two watched the increasingly dire battlefield with grim expressions, their faces tense as they realized they were gradually being pushed back.

-Crackle! Eastern front. Restoration complete.

At the sudden communication, both family heads turned with surprised expressions.

-With the Mobile Field Army joining the battle, the front line has been restored, and temporary repairs to the wall are underway.

Hearing that the Mobile Field Army had managed to hold back the Frost Giants who had breached the eastern wall and restore the front line, the faces of the nearby officers brightened.

“I heard they were coming, but they arrived faster than expected.”

“They went on a rampage down south, and it looks like they’ll be helping out here as well.”

The officers of the northeastern region, who had connections with the Mobile Field Army in the past, spoke with relieved expressions.

In the midst of a steadily deteriorating situation, this piece of good news boosted the soldiers’ morale, which had been flagging.

But that didn’t mean the battle lines, currently being overwhelmed, would recover immediately.

“The Frost Warriors are the real problem.”

“If we had just one more Master-level warrior…”

The two family heads spoke with serious expressions.

Crimson was currently holding back the strongest-looking Frost Warrior, while the Northern Commander and the Eastern Commander were each handling two Frost Warriors.

The Southern Commander was using his unique wide-range attacks, intentionally engaging with a Frost Warrior while simultaneously holding back numerous Frost Giants.

The real issue, however, was with the Masters of the Southern Confederation.

Inferior in skill compared to the empire’s Masters, they were struggling even to hold off a single Frost Warrior.

As a result, the forces already barely holding back the Frost Giants also had to contend with some of the Frost Warriors, which was why the battle was not going in their favor.

If this situation continued, the walls would eventually be breached, and things would only get worse.

At that moment, a new threat appeared, plunging the human forces further into despair.

“It’s Ice Wyverns!”

“There must be at least a few thousand of them!”

“Of all times, why now?!”

The officers groaned in frustration.

The only reason the advance of the Frost Giants had been somewhat slowed was due to the airships in the far skies carrying out indiscriminate bombardments.

Since the Frost Giants only had frost-based attacks to counter with, the airships were able to attack with minimal damage.

Now, however, this large-scale bombing was about to be hindered by the arrival of the Wyverns.

And these weren’t just ordinary Wyverns from the northeast.

The Ice Wyverns that lived beyond the mountain range were born with the ability to wield frost, and, having survived the extreme terrain, they were especially formidable.

Known as Ice Dragons, a title once attributed to the legendary White Dragon that dominated the mythical times, these Ice Wyverns were powerful enough to live up to that name.

With thousands of such creatures swarming in, the morale of the imperial forces plummeted even further.

“Do not retreat!”

“Hold the line!”

The officers shouted desperately, trying to rally their troops, but it was difficult to overcome the overwhelming disparity in power.

As the thousands of Ice Wyverns began a full-scale assault on the imperial air fleet, the Frost Giants, now free from the bombardments, intensified their assault on the walls.

Boom! Boom!

“The Northern Allied Forces… they’re in danger!”

“The Mist Legion is in danger as well!”

“The Central Army’s line is on the verge of breaking!”

Reports of danger were coming in from all sides.

And in that moment of desperation, a new threat arrived to further demoralize the human forces.

“It’s Cold Wings!”

Huge creatures with only eyes, wings, and two legs- a bizarre monster.

But these Cold Wings were catastrophically powerful beings, each of them capable of unleashing blasts of frost comparable to fortress cannons, and there were over a dozen of them.

With the appearance of these Cold Wings, the morale of the imperial forces plummeted to rock bottom.

Just as the already precarious front line was on the verge of collapsing entirely…

Suddenly, part of the Ice Wyverns’ formation broke apart as a large number of dead Wyverns plummeted to the ground.

“Huh? Isn’t that the Western Army?”

One soldier, spotting the emblem of the Western Army, shouted.

“The Western Army is here!”

“The Western Army has come to support us!”

The Western Army, once renowned as the empire’s most formidable aerial fleet, had arrived to protect the northeastern region.

At the same time, a massive Aura Blade descended onto the crumbling wall, forcing back one of the Frost Warriors.

Boom!

“Reinforcements have arrived.”

With the arrival of Western Commander German Lunte Stadt, the two family heads who had been preparing to step in reluctantly held back.

The addition of one Master and the aerial fleet allowed the human forces, who had been steadily pushed back, to start a counterattack.

Suddenly, the Frost Giants began to retreat.

“He’s a clever one.”

Crimson observed the retreating Frost Giants with a serious expression.

Just as the tide of battle was shifting in favor of the humans, the Frost Giant leader skillfully pulled his forces back.

He had quickly averted a situation that could turn unfavorable for them.

This was a level of judgment even an experienced commander might struggle to make.

“It’s not entirely a bad thing.”

Jaiden Wicks, who had come up beside him, looked around.

From the human side’s perspective, having experienced the Frost Giants’ full-force assault once wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Moreover, the arrival of the Western Army was a crucial development.

As the Northern Commander, Jaiden Wicks was well-versed in warfare, and in his assessment, the current situation wasn’t unfavorable for the humans.

“If we regroup, we’ll be able to fight much better than before.”

“…That’s true. And also…”

Nodding at Jaiden Wicks’ words, Crimson looked towards the eastern sky.

He cast his gaze upon the Mobile Field Army, which was now regarded as the mightiest aerial force, even surpassing the once unrivaled aerial fleet of the Western Army.

“It’s the 22nd Corps.”

“I’ve heard the 21st and 23rd Corps are on their way as well, so we should be in a better position.”

Crimson spoke, considering the increased reinforcements.

Furthermore, there were still other powerful forces yet to arrive.

While Jaiden Wicks and Crimson exchanged glances, both thinking about the empire’s strongest forces, they received a new report.

“Message from the South.”

Crimson turned to look at the communications officer who had delivered the news.

“Is it from the Mobile Field Army Commander?”

“Yes, sir. He said he’ll be here soon.”

Crimson smiled slightly at the communications officer’s words.

He had already been briefed on why Iron had remained in the southern great forest.

“A new Master, perhaps?”

Jaiden Wicks also smiled at Crimson’s words.

If the Mobile Field Army, widely regarded as the empire’s strongest force, joined the battle ‘in full’, there was indeed a chance of victory in this war.

The main problem remained the presence of that being in the distance, radiating such immense power that even Masters could hardly fathom it. But somehow, there was a sense that if Iron arrived, he would find a way to handle it.

The temporary respite brought by the arrival of the Western Army.

During this time, the human forces worked quickly to repair the collapsed walls and reorganize the front line.

With time, the empire’s defenses would only grow stronger.

Hoping for a delay in the Frost Giants’ next assault, the human forces prepared, though this was just wishful thinking on their part.

The Frost Giants resumed their attack after only a single day.

In response to the giants’ all-out attack, monsters lurking beyond the mountain range started attempting to cross over, heading south.

“It’s the Silver Wolves!”

“Damn it! Ice Trolls have shown up too!”

“They’re trying to use this opportunity to cross the mountains!”

The sudden mass appearance of monsters left the imperial forces reeling.

It was already overwhelming dealing with the Frost Giants, but now they had to face monsters as well—it was enough to drive them mad.

With the arrival of the Western Army, a glimmer of hope had appeared, but now they found themselves plunged back into a desperate situation.

Moreover, unlike before, the Frost Giants no longer tried to break through the human lines in one swift attack.

Instead, they began to gradually wear down the humans’ defenses, using their own regenerative abilities.

While the Frost Giants could quickly recover from injuries sustained in battle, the humans needed time to heal.

The giants fought cunningly, exploiting this advantage.

After two weeks of relentless attacks, the imperial forces began to falter, and eventually, parts of the wall were breached, allowing the Frost Giants to push deeper into the mountain range.

“Finally… is he moving?”

Was it because the time had come?

At last, the being they had been so wary of began to move.

As the king lifted his massive body, the morale of the Frost Giants soared, and they prepared to shatter the imperial front lines in one fell swoop.

Right at that moment, the reinforcements they had been desperately waiting for appeared.

Kwaaaaaa!

A massive fortress cannon blasted several Frost Giants attempting to breach the wall.

It was the appearance of the super-massive aerial fortress cannon, the pride of the Mobile Field Army.