The Final Boss Has Returned, Chapter 89
The armistice negotiations broke down even before they could begin, but since it was an expected result, the Northern Allied Forces were not greatly shaken.
The members of the Simseong Milkyway Guild, including Rio, already knew.
The fact that there was nowhere left to retreat!
Moreover, the hardcore fandom of the Infinite Yujin Church that had joined the Northern Allied Forces also did not want the war to end.
Drakan!
It was because there was a consensus among them that they had to unconditionally eliminate the one who would surely block Yujin’s path someday, seizing this opportunity.
Therefore, the Northern Allied Forces were united like a well-forged blade, but there was one problem.
The fact that Drakan, their ultimate target, was not in the East!
Drakan, who had completely annihilated the naval forces of the Northern Alliance including the Vikings in the naval battle, had immediately boarded his fleet and advanced north, setting foot in the North; the entire Northern lands were under invasion by the Undead, and Snow Castle was under threat.
Of course, the ultimate goal was to escape the Northern lands where eternal winter persisted, but that didn’t mean the Northern lands were unimportant.
“Should we divide our forces?”
The Northern Allied Forces’ military camp was established near Lawless Port.
A strategic meeting was currently underway in the largest tent erected at the center of the camp.
At the words of Kaian, vice guild master of the Simseong Milkyway Guild, Rio fell into deep thought.
He had come all the way here to catch Drakan, yet Drakan wasn’t here!
Setting aside the fact that it was like a dog chasing a chicken only to stare at the roof, the fact that Drakan had gone as far as to be on the verge of capturing Snow Castle was also a threat to them.
If one thought about it logically, it was right to divide the forces and send reinforcements to the North.
But if the forces were divided into two, not only would the military strength available for the siege of Lawless Port decrease, but there was also the risk of catching neither rabbit while trying to catch both.
Above all, their opponent was none other than Drakan.
Rio was blinded by revenge, but because he wasn’t crazy, he did not underestimate Drakan.
Rio knew.
Rio was certain that what that bastard Drakan was aiming for was precisely to split their forces.
“No, we will not divide our forces. There’s no need for us to move as that bastard wants.”
And Rio had no intention of deliberately going along with what that bastard wanted.
“We take Lawless Port as is.”
Lawless Port.
A port city defended by the forces of Ignis and JDG, and Drakan’s stronghold!
Rio intended to occupy that Lawless Port and, moreover, use it as a base in place of the North to swallow the entire East whole.
“Understood.”
At Rio’s words, Kaian bowed his head, and before long, the Northern Allied Forces began their march toward Lawless Port.
* * *
Snow Castle!
The largest city in the North was enormous, befitting its name.
The fortress city surrounded by high walls of a snow-white color reminiscent of snow was now under enemy attack.
And at the vanguard of the siege were the Undead.
From Skeletons to Death Knights!
Undead of all kinds had surrounded Snow Castle and were continuously attacking for days on end.
Of course, unlike other regions of the North that had been left empty, Snow Castle still had considerable military strength remaining, so Snow Castle’s defense forces resisted fiercely.
But they had no way to stop the endless waves of Undead that swarmed in without eating or distinguishing between day and night.
Truly overwhelming numbers!
Moreover, it wasn’t simply that they were numerous. The Undead knew no fear, and their morale never dropped.
They simply swarmed in endlessly as commanded.
However, the defense forces of Snow Castle, well aware that if Snow Castle fell, the entire North would fall into the hands of the Undead, desperately defended against the Undead offensive, and so the battle for Snow Castle continued with the Undead in charge of the siege holding a slight advantage.
That is, until ‘they’ joined the siege.
Arch Lich, Bone Dragon, Black Knight Commander!
The moment the three strongest Undead joined the Snow Castle siege.
The precariously maintained balance between offense and defense completely collapsed.
The northern gate was shattered by the slash of death unleashed by the Black Knight Commander, enemy soldiers perished en masse in the Arch Lich’s Blizzard, and Snow Castle’s cityscape was destroyed by the Bone Dragon’s breath.
And through the path they had opened, the Undead army flooded into Snow Castle like rushing water.
Thus, it did not take long for the entirety of Snow Castle to fall into the clutches of the Undead.
* * *
“It’s been a while.”
I walked boldly into Snow Castle, muttering in a low voice.
Behind me followed the expedition users who had accompanied me here from the East.
The scenery of Snow Castle had not changed much between the previous game and now.
Even though a thousand years had passed according to the background setting, from the snow-white walls to the Winter Palace in the center of the city, it was exactly the scenery from my memory.
Of course, unlike back then, flames and smoke were rising everywhere, likely owing to the scars of battle, so that was a point of difference; but regardless, the Northern air I was breathing for the first time in a while was refreshing.
“The empty-house raid was a success.”
Shin Hayeon whispered from beside me.
As she said, the empty-house raid was a success.
In fact, failing with that level of force would have been stranger.
With the Undead King’s finest Undead mobilized in full force, if they couldn’t even capture a single Snow Castle, there would be no point in my coming to the North.
“As expected, one should always freeload when they can.”
Hearing my words, Shin Hayeon smiled as if amused.
“You’re right, Lord Drakan. And creating an environment where you can freeload like this is also a skill.”
Hearing Shin Hayeon’s words, I smiled.
As I said, this conquest of the North was practically no different from freeloading.
Because the Undead had handled most of the battles.
And as Shin Hayeon said, in Ard Saga: Second, designing a situation where you can freeload is also a skill.
Thinking so, I headed toward the Winter Palace.
[Welcome, Apostle.]
[We greet the Apostle.]
The Death Knight guarding the entrance of the Winter Palace showed me respect.
Receiving the Death Knight’s salute, I naturally entered the palace.
[You have entered the Winter Palace.]
[Winter Palace]
[The Winter Palace, possessing a beautiful appearance that seems to blend ice and snow, is a symbolic building where the ruling body of the North has been located from the moment humans settled in the North until now.]
[The chieftains of the Northern Tribal Alliance gathered at the Winter Palace to decide important matters of the North, and announced the results throughout the entire North.]
[The warriors of the North regarded gaining qualification to enter the Winter Palace as the glory of a lifetime.]
I waved my hand to dismiss the translucent explanation of the Winter Palace that appeared before my eyes.
Originally, according to the information window, one would need to obtain ‘qualification’ through a quest to enter the palace, but since the Undead had seized control of the entirety of Snow Castle, such things were unnecessary.
I strode unhesitatingly through the palace corridors.
Having naturally come and gone here in the previous game as well, there was no way I would get lost inside the palace.
Shin Hayeon, who was beside me, hummed a tune as if excited about something, and behind her followed named users who had followed me all the way to the North.
Thus, the place I arrived at with the other users was the Hall of Glory located at the center of the Winter Palace.
Hall of Glory!
The meeting place where the chieftains of the Northern Tribal Alliance gathered, and the place where the Ice Throne that only the Great Chieftain ruling the entire North could sit was located!
I entered the Hall of Glory through the open doors, and the Black Knight Commander and Arch Lich waiting inside greeted me.
[Ascend the Ice Throne.]
[Then the entire North shall be laid at the Apostle’s feet.]
Listening to their advice, I looked at the transparent chair atop the stairs and smiled.
Ice Throne!
If I sat upon that object symbolizing the hegemony of the North, the system would recognize me as the Conqueror of the North.
The reason I knew this was because I had experience seizing dominion over the North through exactly the same process in the past when I waged war to unify the continent.
And the moment I acquired that hegemony, the Dark Territory quest would automatically clear as well.
Of course, the entire North had not completely fallen into my hands.
If one considered only human territories, excluding the Land of Death that had originally been Undead territory throughout the North, there were slightly more regions not occupied by the Undead than those occupied.
But Snow Castle was virtually the heart of the North; one could even say, with slight exaggeration, that it was the North itself.
Since I had obtained such a Snow Castle, it was virtually no different from having the entire North already in my hands.
‘Finally, this day has come.’
Thump.
My heart pounded.
Although it had diverged slightly from my initial goal—to devour the East—it was nonetheless the moment when an entire region of the vast Ard World came wholly into my hands.
Even those who prided themselves on being among the top ten guilds of Ard World had not yet obtained an entire region completely.
At best, they were operating under the permission of nations like empires or kingdoms, or had merely obtained autonomy over their strongholds.
Now, even Yujin’s Lightwing Guild, which stood at the very forefront, and its alliance, Five Eyes, had not yet developed to the ‘nation’ stage. If I took control of the entire North, it would mean I had achieved something even they could not.
‘Yujin, I’ll get one step ahead of that bastard!’
I smiled, thinking of Yujin.
Yujin!
Since the start of Ard Saga: Second, I had been tirelessly chasing that bastard’s tail; the fact that I could get one step ahead of him for the first time made my heart begin to race like crazy.
Clutching my pounding heart, I slowly climbed the stairs step by step toward the Ice Throne, and finally took my seat upon the transparent throne that glittered.
The moment I sat upon the Ice Throne.
[The Demon King of Destruction praises you, saying you are quite impressive.]
[The Demon King of the Sea smiles and sponsors 10,000 points.]
[The Demon King of Hatred gives you a standing ovation while sponsoring 10,000 points.]
[The Demon God of Darkness smiles in satisfaction.]
[The Demon God of Darkness sponsors 100,000 points.]
As if they had been waiting, messages from the Transcendents poured forth.
[You have sat upon the Ice Throne.]
[You have achieved the accomplishment ‘Conqueror of the North’.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Conqueror of the North’.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
…….
[All stats have increased by 236.]
And the notifications of stat increases and level ups that always sounded pleasant!
But there was something more important now.
[You have acquired the hegemony of the North.]
[You have fulfilled one of the completion conditions for the quest ‘Dark Territory’.]
[Will you declare the Dark Territory in the North?]
Dark Territory!
The reason I had come all the way to the North was now glittering before my eyes.
I looked at the notification window and spoke in a low voice.