The Duke’s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military

Chapter 245: Preparing for Future Threats! (1)

TL: Pai_

Not long after Iron pierced Heurimre’s heart, the Frost Giant King, who seemed impossible to kill, finally closed his eyes.

[You have successfully completed the Main Quest: ‘Stop the Frost Giant King Heurimre!’ Rewards will be distributed based on contribution.]

[You have successfully completed the Sub Quest: ‘Survive!’]

[You have successfully completed the Hidden Quest: ‘Defeat Heurimre!’ Rewards will be distributed based on contribution.]

As the system announced the completion of three consecutive quests, a bright light began to emanate from the bodies of all the humans.

The Ancient Species, who had been waiting for an opening, froze momentarily in place.

The system restrained the Ancient Species who were attempting to attack the victorious humans.

In this now-secured environment, the rewards began to pour down upon the humans who had completed the quests.

[Main Quest reward: Upgrading the Steel Body.]

[Sub Quest reward: Increased healing ability of Baepsae.]

[Hidden Quest reward: Acquired the body of the Giant King.]

- Through the Giant King’s body, you can temporarily enhance your physical capabilities. Enhancement duration: 30 minutes.

As the voice announcing the rewards rang in Iron's ears, beams of light began forming everywhere.

Everyone started receiving rewards based on their contributions, growing significantly stronger than before.

‘Is it over?’

Iron pondered as he stared at Heurimre's lifeless corpse.

When Heurimre had devoured the Snow Giant, Iron had thought it would be absolutely impossible to defeat him.

It was sheer luck that Hræsvelgr had assisted at the right moment, allowing for victory. But if asked to do it again, it was something he’d never be able to repeat.

“Hm?”

While savoring his victory and observing the Ancient Species nearby, Iron noticed something strange.

Suddenly, Heurimre's lifeless body began floating in midair.

“Cough!”

As the Giant’s body rose, a powerful wave of energy erupted. The force sent Iron, who was standing atop the body, flying backward, blood spilling from his mouth. The unexpected shockwave flung him harshly into the snow.

Having exhausted all his Divine Beast power to summon Hræsvelgr, the Divine Beasts had been forcibly unsummoned. Iron’s body was so damaged that even the high-speed healing of Baepsae struggled to keep up, leaving him unable to respond in time.

“Is there… something else going on?”

Iron stared at Heurimre's corpse with a look of unease.

Victory had been achieved through countless battles and by following a painstakingly crafted formula for success.

He had poured everything into this, and the Imperial Army had done the same.

There was no strength left to continue the battle.

Even as blood dripped from his mouth, Iron couldn’t hide the uneasiness in his eyes as he gazed at Heurimre’s corpse. Then, as if to reassure him, the system’s voice echoed.

[The death of the Giant King awakens more Ancient Species. Drive them out and reseal them!]

- Victory in the second chapter of the Apocalypse is near due to Heurimre’s death. However, the second chapter is not yet complete. Seal all the Ancient Species once again!

As soon as the system’s message ended, Heurimre’s body transformed into a massive chunk of ice, radiating an intense wave of energy.

- Protect the King’s Heart!

- Guard Heurimre’s Heart!

- For the victory of the Ancient Species!

The moment Heurimre turned into a massive ice structure, all the Ancient Species, who had been momentarily restrained by the system, began to converge at once.

“We… we have to stop that!”

As Iron shouted, Terrion Sigurd was the first to move.

Moving at high speed, he attempted to slash through the massive ice block.

Even he could sense that the energy radiating from the icy remains of Heurimre’s body was anything but ordinary.

But

Kuuuuung!

A being blocked Terrion’s full-powered attack with its body. It was none other than the leader of the White Dragons.

Though arrogant as the leader of the dragons, it understood the immense importance of the ice block created from the Giant King’s sacrifice. Despite the risk of injury, it used its body to block the attack.

Even with the Family Head of the Lion Family joining the fray, the defense of the Ancient Species remained formidable.

"Attack! Break that!"

Perceptive commanders shouted commands, initiating an all-out assault on the Ancient Species.

The soldiers who had been checking their rewards picked up their weapons again and charged forward. Mercenaries, including those otherworlders, also rejoined the battle.

With Heurimre’s death, the war that had paused momentarily resumed, leading to a fierce battle.

In the midst of this, Iron was helped by the soldiers to retreat to the rear.

Iron, staggering from his internal injuries, was deemed unable to contribute further to the fight, so he was withdrawn.

“Leave the rest to us from here on.”

As Iron tried to rise again after drinking a potion in the rear, Jaiden Wicks placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled faintly.

The severe internal injuries he had sustained could not be healed with a single potion.

The higher the level of a warrior, the slower the recovery from internal injuries.

While such individuals rarely suffered internal injuries, when they did, the recovery time became significantly longer.

Moreover, the higher a warrior's level, the less effective potions and divine power healing became.

For a Master-level warrior, recovering from severe internal injuries could take at least two weeks or more, even with all available healing methods.

And if that was the case for Masters, it was even worse for Iron, a Grand Master. His injuries were so critical that even the healing power of Baepsae couldn’t fully take effect.

“Your task ended with defeating Heurimre. Focus on resting and recovering for the next enemy.”

With those words, Jaiden Wicks gripped his sword and charged toward the enemy.

As even the Northern Commander rejoined the battle, the entire Imperial Army poured everything they had into destroying the massive block of ice.

The Mobile Field Army unleashed their proud giant aerial fortress cannons, and powerful magic spells rained down.

But the Ancient Species, sacrificing themselves, withstood all of these attacks.

They knew that with Heurimre’s death, their only remaining hope lay in protecting the ice.

- Protect it! Even if it costs your life, protect it!

- This is our only hope!

Dragons, giants, yetis, and even Ancient Snow Bears stood at the front lines, blocking the humans’ advance.

Meanwhile, the massive block of ice emitted waves at regular intervals, awakening more Ancient Species. Even those that were only faintly awakened were empowered by the waves.

The commanders and Masters seemed to sense this as they desperately tried to break through the Ancient Species’ defensive line.

‘If we can’t stop it here, things will only get harder!’

With this thought in mind, the commanders and officers encouraged their soldiers to attack.

But despite their efforts, they couldn’t break through.

Although the Ancient Species suffered massive casualties, the humans ultimately failed to breach their defense and were forced to conclude the battle.

Even after killing countless Frost Warriors and high-ranking dragons, they returned to the fortress atop the mountain range with only a partial victory, unable to destroy the ice.

“…In the end, they perished.”

Iron stared at the three warriors laid to rest in elegant coffins.

Having returned to the fortress first due to his injuries, Iron witnessed the Southern Masters’ bodies being transported by the rear troops and placed into coffins.

Their bodies, tattered from fighting to the very end, were covered with refined cloths to hide their battered state.

“……”

The otherworlders bowed their heads as they looked at the fallen Southern Masters.

Seeing the three strongest Masters who had once defended the South lying side by side was a somber sight for anyone.

And the same held true for everyone else.

In the wars to come, the value of Masters would only grow.

Yet in this battle, the South had lost all its Masters.

This meant that the ongoing battle against the Ancient Species, as well as the potential future war against the Holy Alliance of the West, would become even more difficult.

The soldiers who had returned from the frontlines, exhausted from the battle, closed their eyes tightly as they looked at the fallen Southern Masters.

“In the end… it came to this, didn’t it?”

Jaiden Wicks sighed as he gazed at the Southern Masters.

They had always been somewhat behind the Imperial Masters, both in skill and in the rewards they received.

Despite this, they fought until the very end for the future of humanity.

They fought against the Frost Warriors to protect candidates who were highly likely to become Masters, successfully holding out until Iron achieved victory against Heurimre.

“They fulfilled their duties to the very end.”

Sky Renz bowed his head toward the Southern Masters as he spoke.

Those who had received help from the Southern Masters stepped forward one by one, bowing their heads and observing a moment of silence for a long time.

The two Family Heads and the commanders also bowed their heads in silence, honoring the sacrifice of the Southern Masters. Many mourned their deaths just as they had mourned for the fallen during the Crimson battle.

Nearly all who had participated in the battle attended the Southern Masters’ funeral, ensuring their final moments were remembered with honor. Like Crimson, they were temporarily laid to rest behind the fortress.

After laying many more of the fallen behind the fortress, they turned their focus to preparing for the next battle.

“The battles ahead will only grow more difficult.”

Jaiden Wicks said, standing up with an exhausted expression.

Everyone gathered at the round table, every Master, nodded heavily in agreement.

Though Ariel and Aiden had newly ascended to Master level, three Southern Masters had been lost in exchange.

From a purely numerical perspective, their count of Masters had actually decreased.

But the situation wasn’t entirely grim.

Thanks to the rewards from the latest battle and the accumulated experience, a significant number of individuals were on the verge of reaching the Master level.

Additionally, the two Family Heads, after their intense battles with the dragon leaders, had finally reached the threshold of becoming Grand Masters.

“Commander Iron will be unable to participate in battles for a while due to his fight with Heurimre. That means we must handle everything ourselves.”

Everyone nodded at Jaiden Wicks' words.

Just then, Iron, who had been too injured to attend, staggered in and dropped into an empty seat at the round table.

As everyone turned their eyes to him, Iron quietly opened his mouth to speak.

"More than just succeeding, we need to 'grow.' For humanity to survive the massive battles ahead, we must become stronger."

Everyone’s expressions grew heavy at Iron’s words.

It was already difficult to deal with the Ancient Species, yet now they were being told they needed to grow even stronger. The weight of that responsibility pressed down on them.

“Our next battleground will likely be the western region of the continent. And they are preparing to summon external gods. So… we must become stronger.”

Hearing this, the two Family Heads clenched their fists tightly.

“We will grow stronger.”

“We must.”

The Masters also nodded, their determination ignited by the Family Heads’ words.

“Use the Ancient Species as stepping stones for growth. The system will guide you in doing so.”

Iron said, his eyes scanning the Masters.

His words were not baseless.

He himself had grown this way, and so had humanity’s armies, which had achieved rapid growth thanks to the system.

“I trust in all of you. I will also prepare myself for the next battle.”

The Masters nodded, as if to say they understood and would not let him down.

To prove their resolve, the entire Imperial Army began fighting the Ancient Species with the goal of “growth” in mind.

They were not just aiming for victory. They were preparing for humanity’s next great threat.

Thus, the entire Imperial Army began their preparations for the next apocalypse, while Iron, as his body recovered, also started training to face even more powerful enemies.