The Final Boss Has Returned 89

Chapter 89

The armistice negotiations fell apart before they even started, but since it was an expected outcome, the Northern Alliance forces weren’t particularly shaken.

The Simseong Milky Way guild members, including Rio, already knew.

There was no more room to retreat!

Furthermore, the Infinite Eugene Church’s extreme fandom, who had joined the Northern Alliance, also didn’t want the war to end.

Drakan!

There was a consensus among them that they absolutely had to eliminate him, the one who was sure to block Eugene’s path someday, using this opportunity.

Therefore, the Northern Alliance was unexpectedly well-united like a well-sharpened blade, but there was one problem.

The final target, Drakan, wasn’t in the East!

Drakan, who had completely annihilated the Northern Alliance’s naval power, including the Vikings, in the naval battle, had sailed north with his fleet and set foot in the North. The entire Northern land was under attack by the Undead, and Snow Castle was under threat.

Of course, the ultimate goal was to escape the Northern land where the eternal winter continued, but that didn’t mean the Northern land wasn’t important.

“Should we divide our forces?”

The Northern Alliance’s military camp was established near Lawless Port Granado.

A strategy meeting was being held in the largest tent erected in the center of the camp.

Rio fell into contemplation at the words of Kaian, the vice guild master of the Simseong Milky Way guild.

They came all the way here to catch Drakan, but he wasn’t there!

Leaving aside the fact that they became like a dog chasing a chicken only to look up at the roof, the fact that Drakan was on the verge of capturing Snow Castle was a threat to them as well.

Common sense dictated that it was right to divide their forces and send reinforcements to the North.

However, if the forces were split in two, not only would the power that could be mobilized for the Lawless Port Granado attack be reduced, but there was also the risk of losing both rabbits while trying to catch two.

Above all, their opponent was Drakan.

Although Rio was blinded by revenge, he wasn’t crazy, so he didn’t underestimate Drakan.

Rio knew.

He was certain that what that bastard Drakan was aiming for was to divide their forces.

“No, we won’t divide our forces. We don’t need to play into his hands.”

And Rio had no intention of playing along with him.

“We attack Lawless Port Granado as planned.”

Lawless Port Granado.

The port city protected by Ignis and JDG’s forces and Drakan’s base!

Rio intended to occupy Lawless Port Granado and, furthermore, use it as a base instead of the North to swallow the entire East.

“Understood.”

Kaian bowed his head at Rio’s words, and soon after, the Northern Alliance forces began their march towards Lawless Port Granado.

▄ ▄ ▄

Snow Castle!

The largest city in the North was enormous, as its name suggested.

The fortress city, surrounded by high walls of a pure white color reminiscent of snow, was currently under enemy attack.

And at the forefront of the siege were the Undead.

From Skeletons to Death Knights!

Various Undead surrounded Snow Castle and continued their attacks for days and nights.

Of course, unlike other areas of the North that were completely empty, Snow Castle still had a decent amount of power left, so the Snow Castle guards stubbornly resisted.

However, they didn’t have the means to defend against the endless hordes of Undead that just kept pouring in, regardless of day or night, without even eating.

Truly overwhelming numbers!

Moreover, not only were they numerous, but the Undead didn’t know fear and their morale never wavered.

They just kept coming endlessly, following orders.

However, the Snow Castle guards, knowing that if Snow Castle fell, the entire North would fall into the hands of the Undead, desperately defended against the Undead onslaught, and so the Snow Castle siege continued with the Undead, who were 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 balance of power, which had been precariously maintained until then, completely collapsed.

The north gate was smashed by the Death Slash unleashed by the Black Knight Commander, the enemy soldiers were killed en masse by the Arch Lich’s Blizzard, and the city of Snow Castle was destroyed by the Bone Dragon’s Breath.

And through the path they opened, the Undead army poured into Snow Castle like a flood.

It didn’t take long for the entire Snow Castle to fall under the control of the Undead.

▄ ▄ ▄

“It’s been a while.”

I muttered in a low voice as I walked confidently into Snow Castle.

Behind me, the expeditionary force users who had come all the way from the East followed.

Whether in the previous game or now, the scenery of Snow Castle hadn’t changed much.

Despite a thousand years having passed according to the background setting, everything from the pure white walls to the Winter Palace in the middle of the city was exactly as I remembered it.

Of course, unlike back then, there were differences, such as fire and smoke rising here and there, probably due to the scars of battle, but anyway, the Northern air I breathed in after a long time was refreshing.

“The raid on the empty house was a success.”

Shin Ha-yeon whispered beside me.

As she said, the raid on the empty house was a success.

In fact, it would have been stranger if they had failed with such power.

If the Undead King’s elite Undead forces had been mobilized and failed to capture a single Snow Castle, there would have been no point in me coming all the way to the North.

“As expected, one should take advantage of opportunities when they can.”

Shin Ha-yeon smiled as if she found my words amusing.

“You’re right, Drakan-nim. And creating an environment where you can take advantage of opportunities is also a skill.”

I laughed at Shin Ha-yeon’s words.

As I said, this conquest of the North was practically a walkover.

This was because the Undead had done most of the fighting.

And as Shin Ha-yeon said, in Ard Saga Second, designing a situation where you can take advantage of opportunities is also a skill.

Thinking so, I headed towards the Winter Palace.

[Welcome, Apostle-nim.]

[We greet you, Apostle-nim.]

The Death Knights guarding the entrance of the Winter Palace saluted me.

I entered the palace naturally, receiving the Death Knights’ salutes.

[You have entered the Winter Palace.]

[Winter Palace]

[The Winter Palace, with its beautiful appearance that seems to be a blend of ice and snow, is a symbolic building that has housed the governing body of the North since humans first settled there.]

[The chieftains of the Northern Tribes Alliance gathered at the Winter Palace to decide on the major and minor affairs of the North and announced the results to the entire North.]

[The warriors of the North consider it a lifelong honor to earn the right to enter the Winter Palace.]

I waved my hand and erased the translucent description of the Winter Palace that appeared before my eyes.

Originally, as stated in the information window, I would have to earn the ‘right’ to enter the palace through a quest, but now that the Undead had taken over the entire Snow Castle, there was no need for such a thing.

I walked unhindered through the corridors inside the palace.

As it was a place I had frequented in the previous game, there was no way I would get lost inside the palace.

Shin Ha-yeon hummed a tune beside me, seemingly excited, and behind her followed the named users who had followed me all the way to the North.

The place I arrived at with the other users was the Hall of Glory in the center of the Winter Palace.

Hall of Glory!

The meeting place for the chieftains of the Northern Tribes Alliance and the place where the Ice Throne, which only the High Chieftain who rules the entire North can sit on, is located!

I entered the Hall of Glory through the open door, and the Black Knight Commander and Arch Lich, who were waiting inside, greeted me.

[Ascend to the Ice Throne.]

[Then the entire North will be at your feet, Apostle-nim.]

I listened to their advice and smiled as I looked at the transparent chair on top of the stairs.

The Ice Throne!

If I sit on that object, which symbolizes the hegemony of the North, the system will recognize me as the ruler of the North.

I know this because I had the experience of seizing control of the North through the exact same process during the war for continental unification in the previous game.

And the moment I gained hegemony, the Dark Sanctuary quest would also be automatically completed.

Of course, not all of the North was completely under my control.

Excluding the Land of Death, which was originally Undead territory, considering only the human territories in the entire North, there were slightly more areas that the Undead had not yet occupied than those they had.

However, Snow Castle was the heart of the North, and it could be said, with a bit of exaggeration, that it was the North itself.

Now that I had Snow Castle in my hands, it was as if I had the entire North in my grasp.

‘Finally, this day has come.’

Thump.

My heart raced.

Although it was a little different from my initial goal of devouring the East, the moment had finally arrived when a vast region of the Ard World would fall entirely into my hands.

Even those who prided themselves as the top ten guilds of the Ard World had yet to fully seize a single region.

At best, they were still operating under the permission of a nation like an empire or kingdom, or had only gained autonomy for their bases.

As even Eugene’s Lightwing guild, currently at the forefront, and his allies, the Five Eyes, had yet to develop into a ‘nation,’ if I were to seize the entire North, I would be achieving a feat that even they hadn’t accomplished.

‘Eugene, I will be one step ahead of him!’

I smiled, thinking of Eugene.

Eugene!

Since starting Ard Saga Second, I had been diligently chasing after him, and the fact that I could finally be one step ahead of him made my heart race like crazy.

With a pounding heart, I slowly climbed the stairs towards the Ice Throne, and finally sat down on the transparently sparkling throne.

The moment I sat on the Ice Throne.

[The Demon King of Destruction praises you, saying you’re quite something.]

[The Demon King of the Sea laughs and sponsors 10,000 points.]

[The Demon King of Hatred gives you a standing ovation and sponsors 10,000 points.]

[The Dark God smiles with satisfaction.]

[The Dark God sponsors 100,000 points.]

As if they had been waiting, messages from the Transcendent Beings poured in.

[You have sat on the Ice Throne.]

[You have achieved the ‘Ruler of the North’ achievement.]

[You have acquired the title ‘Ruler of the North’.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

……

[All stats have increased by 236.]

And the always pleasant stat increase and level-up notifications!

But there was something more important than that right now.

[You have acquired the hegemony of the North.]

[You have fulfilled one of the completion conditions for the quest ‘Dark Sanctuary’.]

[Will you declare a Dark Sanctuary in the North?]

Dark Sanctuary!

The reason I came all the way to the North was now sparkling before my eyes.

Looking at the notification window, I said in a low voice.