Chapter 70 : False Goddess (1)

The soldiers’ terrified reports weren’t just drunken ramblings or exaggerations.

When Wolfgang personally arrived at the walls, she saw it for herself—an overwhelming number of monsters swarming outside the gates.

Most of the defenders were stunned into silence by the sheer numbers, but Wolfgang immediately noticed something odd.

How had such an enormous force amassed in such a short time?

Jeanne had awakened the heroes at most three days ago, or a week at the very longest. How had so many creatures gathered so quickly?

“Even when I burned the Wyvern’s nest to ashes, it wasn’t this severe.”

Even if the specifics of how monsters appeared weren’t fully understood, they were still living beings. They couldn’t possibly emerge en masse so suddenly without explanation.

There was something at play here, something she was missing.

But there was no time to investigate.

Wolfgang weighed the situation in her mind. The Wild Hunt was larger and stronger than anything she’d seen before. If she didn’t intervene, would the kingdom be destroyed?

The answer was no.

The kingdom had the heroes. According to the legends Wolfgang had studied, each hero was a monstrous force on their own. No matter how many monsters came, they wouldn’t lose.

Once the heroes destroyed the Wild Hunt, the kingdom would fall completely back into Jeanne’s hands.

On the other hand, directly attacking Jeanne and the heroes wasn’t an option either. Jeanne was invincible within the kingdom. No matter how overwhelming the force against her, she couldn’t die.

Her invulnerability wasn’t just personal—it extended to those she empowered.

This was why Wolfgang was operating under the alias of Rana Frost.

Through her research, she discovered that Jeanne could grant her heroes unique abilities, such as:

• Unending stamina.
• Instantaneous healing.
• Enhanced combat strength.

The list of powers was staggering and incredibly bothersome to contend with.

“Until I can ensure Jeanne’s death, I have no choice but to aid the kingdom.”

Wolfgang had already paid dearly for letting power blind her. She wasn’t about to repeat that mistake.

Even though she had defeated the Winter King, this was different.

Jeanne and the heroes had a legendary history of defeating the Demon King. They weren’t foes who could be overwhelmed by sheer force.

Aligning with the monsters wasn’t an option either. She couldn’t stomach the thought of working with the creatures that had claimed so many of her comrades’ lives.

“Your Highness, I will handle this.” Wolfgang declared to Zaide.

“I will join you,” the prince replied.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted them.

“Allow me to assist as well.”

Wolfgang turned to see a man with golden hair and vacant gray eyes. The figure standing in Prince Jaiha’s place introduced himself calmly:

“I am Van Cread, the leader of the heroes.”

Jaiha’s response shocked Wolfgang further.

“Brother, this is dangerous!”

What was this?

Jaiha addressed him as “brother” so naturally that Wolfgang almost doubted her own ears. Van had just introduced himself, yet Jaiha seemed oblivious.

“I’ll explain later,” Van interrupted. “For now, we must deal with the monsters.”

“Fine, but I expect a full explanation afterward,” Wolfgang replied, irritation lacing her voice.

Van smirked.

“You needn’t worry about me, Your Highness,” he added, continuing his charade.

Meanwhile, the other heroes had already leapt into action, charging at the horde of monsters. Wolfgang clicked her tongue and followed.

“Throwing themselves into battle so recklessly… truly chosen by the Saintess,” Ban muttered.

Despite everything, Wolfgang wasn’t acting without reason.

The Growing Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt had plagued the kingdom for generations, but scholars had observed its strength diminishing over time.

Some hypothesized that the monsters’ hatred had faded with time.

After all, their intense enmity was rooted in the defeat of the Demon King, and over centuries, such feelings were bound to wane.

This was evidenced by monsters no longer solely inhabiting the kingdom but spreading across the continent.

Yet Jeanne’s decision to awaken the heroes had reignited that long-dormant hatred.

As soon as the heroes awoke, the monsters’ ancestral anger surged like gasoline on a fire.

Monsters across the continent began converging on the kingdom, their primal instincts overriding logic or boundaries.

This wasn’t just a problem for the Kingdom of Mines.

The other nations were now being caught in the chaos.

A Continental Crisis

“Hold the line!”

“Don’t let any of them through!”

“What is this madness?”

Unaware of the Wild Hunt’s nature, most nations were caught off guard. Armies were mobilized, and countless lives were lost in the chaos.

Jeanne had anticipated this. As the central authority of the kingdom, she understood the consequences of unsealing the heroes.

She had two options:

1. Let the heroes be defeated one by one.
2. Awaken them all and prepare for full-scale war.

She chose the latter.

It was uncharacteristically rash for someone as calculating as Jeanne. Her actions stemmed from desperation.

***

Desperation and Fear

For ten years, Jeanne had been the unchallenged ruler of the kingdom, even brokering alliances with the savage Orc clans.

Yet when confronted with an enemy like Wolfgang, her invincibility faltered.

The death of one hero had been a wake-up call.

Fear—a sensation Jeanne had never known—now gripped her.

Her desperate decision to awaken the heroes had intensified the Wild Hunt, spreading its chaos far beyond the kingdom.

The ripple effects were beginning to engulf the entire continent.