“Full Retreat! We’re going back to the Dynasty!”

As soon as the orders were given, the Vanguard raised their shields and formed a defensive line, while the other soldiers worked together to take down the tents and store everything that they could possibly carry.

The Orcs were still a good distance away from them, so they had more than enough time to pack everything before they left their temporary camp.

The High Rankers, all lined up at the front lines, were glaring hatefully at the approaching Orcs. Truth be told, they weren’t afraid of fighting them in close quarters.

However, they were very hesitant to do this because their enemies had managed to capture their Weapons of War.

If the Orcs used the same tactics they had used against them in the past, then their chances of victory were very slim.

As if proving their worst fears come to life, a magic cannonball descended from the sky and landed a hundred meters away from the front lines, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.

“Activate the Barriers!” Great General Garret ordered as he rushed to the front lines in order to assist his men in protecting their retreating soldiers. “Don’t let any of those magical cannonballs get past us!”

The Defenders activated their Shield Walls, shaping a wall of light in front of them that blocked all incoming attacks.

The rumbling noise of magical cannonballs hitting the barrier spread across the battlefield, but their defensive formation remained intact.

A smoke cloud that was the result of the continuous bombardment covered everyone’s vision, preventing them from seeing what was in front of them.

One of the High Rankers dispersed the dust cloud because he understood that not being able to see their enemy was a fatal mistake in war. When the Blizzard had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the Undead Army was able to slaughter their men one-sidedly. They had suffered a lot due to that.

As soon as the smoke cloud cleared, everyone saw the Orcs charging in their direction, which made everyone’s face turn grim.

At the very front of the Orc Charge was Barca, followed closely by the Dryad Queen, Cornelia.

Seeing this deadly pair, Great General Garret ordered everyone to retreat.

Ronan, who had run a few meters ahead, turned his head and looked at their Great General in disbelief.

“Garret, what do you think you’re doing?!” Ronan shouted in anger.

“Go, Ronan,” Great General Garret replied without even bothering to look at his comrade. “I’ll hold them off here.”

“Are you insane?! You can’t hold them on your own!”

“Just go. I will hold them for as long as I can.”

Great General Garret then took out a token from his storage ring and raised it high up in the air.

A moment later, an Aurora Borealis that was several kilometers long appeared before him. This was one of the National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty, and its main purpose was to create a barrier that could withstand any attack, even if the said attack came from a Saint.

“Go now, Ronan,” Great General Garret ordered. “You know that this barrier will not last for long. Go back and tell my family that I love them.”

“Garret… must you really do this?!” Ronan gritted his teeth in anger.

“There is no other way,” Great General Garret replied. “If you want to stay, you can stay. But know this–the moment this barrier disappears is also the moment you will lose your life.”

Knowing that the Great General’s words were true, Ronan clenched his fist tightly before running away.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pass the message to your family!” Ronan shouted as he increased his speed, leaving his comrade behind to deal with the entirety of the Orc Army.

The Soldiers of the Haca Dynasty were very relieved when their Great General ordered the retreat.

They no longer had the will to fight, and the only thing they wanted now was to return home safely.

When the Aurora Borealis appeared, the Captains who served under the Great General understood that this was his way of buying time for their escape.

The National Treasure, which was called the Token of the Northern Lights, was an artifact that drained its user’s mana and life force in return for a powerful barrier that could withstand the blows of a Saint.

The one who activated it wouldn’t be able to move, keeping the barrier in place until he was drained dry by the artifact.

There was also no way to cancel its effects, so it was really a treasure that would trade a person’s life for the survival of others.

“Great General…” One of the Captains who was leading his men to escape wept as he looked at the beautiful Aurora Borealis in the distance.

He was not the only one who felt touched by the Great General’s sacrifice. Even the High Rankers couldn’t help but feel sorrow at the loss of one of the most talented individuals of the Haca Dynasty.

When Ronan regrouped with the retreating soldiers, he gave the Aurora Borealis one last glance and sneered in his heart.

‘Don’t worry, Garret,’ Ronan laughed in his mind. ‘I’ll take care of your family–especially your wife and daughters. I’ll make sure to treat them well.”

Ronan and Garret had been best friends since they were young. However, both of them fell in love with the same lady and courted her at the same time.

Unfortunately for Ronan, the lady chose Garret as her husband. Since then, the Vanguard Commander had hated the Great General in his heart, despite keeping a smile on his face any time the two of them talked.

During the war, he tried to look for an opportunity to eliminate the Great General and make it look like an accident.

However, Garret had always stayed at the center of the army, surrounded by his close Aides, so it was impossible for Ronan to make a move and dispose of him.

‘You saved me a lot of trouble,’ Ronan mused as he kept a sorrowful look on the surface. ‘With this, I will surely become the next Great General of the Dynasty. It may take us years to rebuild our army, but when the time comes, I will definitely lead the army to conquer the Wanid Kingdom. Farewell, you bastard. I’ll make sure to enjoy everything that belongs to you.”

While Ronan was gloating in his heart, the Orc Army finally reached the Aurora Borealis.

Barca looked at the Great General, whose hair had already turned white.

His strong and sturdy body, which had fought many battles, had shrunk considerably, and his strong hands had wrinkled, turning frail with each passing minute.

Barca, Cornelia, and the Orcs didn’t say anything. They simply watched as the powerful Great General slowly withered away.

Half an hour later, the Aurora Borealis disappeared, and all that remained was a wrinkled old man, whose eyes had clouded over, no longer able to see.

“… Keep… your word… Necromancer,” Great General Garret said hoarsely. “I… kept… mine.”

Lux nodded. “I will.”

The Great General breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps, due to having received the Half-Elf’s assurance his legs gave way. Just as he was about to fall over, a powerful hand caught him and prevented him from injuring himself further.

“Take him away, ALL-MITE,” Lux ordered.

The four-armed hero nodded his head and carried the frail old man gently in his arms.

The Half-Elf then looked in the direction of the retreating army and summoned his Named Creatures to his side.

“Time to pay the Haca Dynasty a short visit,” Lux said softly. “We have a promise to keep.”