Warlord Han Yegum

Chapter 6

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As the enemy vanguard swarmed up Blaze Ridge, the U Kingdom soldiers erupted into screams.

“Kill those bastards—!!”

“Die, you sons of bitches—!!”

The roars rolled up the slope from the lower palisades, where the first clash would erupt.

Officers unsheathed their swords, shouting to rile up their troops, and the soldiers screamed back with everything they had, their voices rolling like waves up the mountain.

Nam Pae bellowed at his men.

“I already fucking told you—stick your head too far over the wall, and you’re dead! Those bastards have archers! Watch for arrows when you thrust! Got it?!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Got it, Squad Leader!”

“Chobak! Mukjin! Don’t waste those damn arrows—kill the fuckers in one shot!”

Chobak and Mukjin nodded grimly.

“Understood!”

The roar of voices reached Makjeong’s squad. A nearby officer drew his sword and raised it high.

“Cut those Shang bastards to fucking pieces!”

No one cared about being polite. The cruder the words, the better if it fired up the men.

“You heard him! Cut the fuckers to pieces—!!”

Nam Pae picked up the cry, and the entire squad threw their heads back and roared.

“Aaaaahhh—!!”

“Kill them all—!!”

Makjeong arched his back, screaming toward the sky along with the others.

Oddly, the shouting steadied his nerves.

‘This is why people yell before a fight!’

His trembling eased slightly as he looked over the palisade again.

The enemy had already reached the lower defenses. The battle had begun.

Weapons clashed. Axes split wood. Men screamed.

Makjeong rose onto his toes, craning his neck to see, but the heads of the soldiers in front of him blocked his view.

The noise climbed higher up the ridge. Their turn was coming.

The Shang vanguard clashed with the lower defenders while their second line advanced steadily, formation intact. They marched slowly, but the weight of their numbers pressed down like a suffocating wall.

But the second wave didn’t matter yet.

First, they had to stop the bastards right in front of them.

“They’re coming! Get ready—ready—!”

Nam Pae crouched behind the wall, only his eyes peeking out.

The Shang soldiers were close enough now that Makjeong could see their faces—sweat streaking down from under their helmets, armor patched with dirty strings, and mouths gasping for breath as they climbed the steep slope.

He could hear them panting.

Standing at the edge of life and death, Makjeong gritted his teeth and prayed silently.

‘Father, I can fucking do this, right?! I’ll survive! Just watch me!’

His father must’ve faced this same terror in his first battle.

And he’d overcome it.

—Clench.

Makjeong’s spear shook in his hands. His body trembled, but his heart pounded even harder.

He glared at the enemy, locking eyes with them.

And then—

—Thunk!

“Gaaah—!!”

The spear slammed through the enemy’s shoulder, piercing his armor and burying itself deep in flesh. The man collapsed, screaming and writhing in agony.

Gaesang’s spear tore free with a sickening sound, already poised for the next target.

“Don’t just stab weakly—put your whole fucking weight into it! Or aim for the face if you can’t!”

Gaesang barked out advice before whipping his head aside to dodge an incoming spear.

—Thwack!

“You bastard—!”

Gaesang’s spear shot forward, driving straight into the man’s throat.

“Gurk—!!”

Seeing Gaesang fight with such brutal efficiency lit a fire in Makjeong’s chest.

Fear melted away, replaced by resolve.

Even if he couldn’t fight like Gaesang, he could at least hold his own and be worth something on this line.

Makjeong tracked the movements of the enemies, thrusting his spear at the nearest soldier.

—Thunk!

Finally, Makjeong’s spear struck an enemy in the face.

The blade didn’t bury itself, but it sliced the man’s cheek, drawing blood. The soldier collapsed, clutching his face and gurgling.

‘I did it! I fucking hit him! I—!!’

In this hell where it was kill or be killed, there was no time for guilt.

Makjeong’s eyes sharpened, scanning for his next target.

But then—

—Whoosh—THUNK!

An arrow slammed into someone’s face.

The terrifying part was that the arrows weren’t being fired randomly.

The archers aimed precisely at the U Kingdom soldiers who exposed themselves while fighting.

—Whoosh—!

Makjeong flinched and ducked just in time.

The arrow sliced through the space his head had been a heartbeat ago.

Cold sweat poured down his back as he crouched behind the palisade, struggling to catch his breath.

A familiar voice roared above the chaos.

“Those motherfucking sons of bitches—!!”

—CRACK!

Madal’s axe caved in an enemy’s skull, splitting it open as the man tried to climb over the palisade.

Meanwhile, Chobak and Mukjin stood on barrels, firing arrows relentlessly.

—Twang—!

—Thunk!

Each shot sent an enemy tumbling back, blood spraying as arrows found their marks.

The entire defensive line was now locked in bloody combat.

Axes smashed against wood.

Spears punched through flesh.

Arrows whistled through the air, punching into faces and throats.

And the screams—

The screams never stopped.