Wanting to Surpass the MC with the Greatest Harem.
Chapter 45: Against the Stolks (4)

Chapter 45: Against the Stolks (4)

The city of the Ghosts trembled under the weight of an unexpected horror.

The morning had started in relative calm. The Ghost Forces were dispersing into squads, the air was still, and the new General—Dominic—had only just begun familiarizing himself with his role. Alice and Lady Fares stood beside him on the Palace terrace, both wearing expressions of quiet anticipation. Their conversation, though laced with concern, had been steady.

And then the ground rumbled.

A heavy boom echoed in the distance—followed by another. The palace shook lightly, and the soft blue morning sky suddenly cracked with a loud crack. Screams followed, not from within, but beyond the outer walls.

A soldier ran into the inner court. Her face was painted with ash and panic. Blood was used like a design against her fabric.

"Stolks! They’re inside! They’re moving fast! They broke through the northern barrier!"

"How is that even possible?" Alice asked, her voice sharp.

"No one saw them coming," the soldier gasped, "They just appeared, like shadows."

Dominic turned to Lady Fares. "This has to be Coris. She’s launched her first move."

Lady Fares’ eyes narrowed. "Then it begins."

The emergency bells sounded, their metallic tolls echoing through the palace like war drums. From every corner, Ghost soldiers sprinted into action. Beautiful and deadly, their armor shimmered beneath the rising sun, shadow cloaks trailing behind them as they moved into formation.

The city’s streets were now flooded with chaos. Smoke began to rise as parts of the eastern market caught fire. The Stolks—warped, swiftly and bred for destruction and charged through homes, tearing through walls with massive arms.

"I should go out there," Dominic said.

"No," Lady Fares said, grabbing his wrist. "Not yet. We need to plan. You’re the General now. You don’t rush blindly."

Alice stepped in beside them, her tone urgent. "We have to figure out where they got in from. The north wall is protected by ancient sigils. That’s not something they can break without inside help."

Dominic nodded. "Coris. She may have disabled the seals."

Just then, Commander Lillian entered. Her armor was smeared with ash, her spear crackling with shadow magic.

"Dominic," she said, bowing quickly. "The First and Second Ghost Regiments are already clashing with the Stolks near the Hollow Quarter. But the enemy is spreading too fast. They’re like a plague. We need to launch a coordinated response."

"How many are they?" Lady Fares asked.

"Over two hundred. Possibly more."

Dominic cursed under his breath. "What about the southern walls?"

"Still intact. But the gates are stressed."

Dominic looked to the city below, the battle already exploding in different quarters. From their high vantage point, they could see smoke and flashes of energy as Ghost soldiers collided with monstrous Stolk brutes.

"Alright," Dominic said. "Here’s what we do:"

He pointed to a nearby table and drew a crude layout with his finger on the dusty surface.

"Alice, take your elite squad through the rooftop paths and flank them from the east. Target their frontlines and cut communication. Fares, reinforce the central line with your shadow mages. Use cover illusions to redirect the bulk of them into the killing zone in Hollow Square. Lillian, you and I will lead the charge from the north."

Lady Fares raised an eyebrow. "You want to be at the front, General?"

Dominic’s eyes burned. "This is my war too. I won’t lead from behind." Lady Fares stared at him. Hie brilliance was amazing her more at each instant.

They exchanged nods.

A boom echoed again—this one closer. Dominic sighed lightly. The battle had come to their doorstep. Coris had finally decided to go open in her betrayal. Guess he would have to kill her without hesitation.

Outside the gates, Ghost soldiers screamed their war cries as swords clashed and spells flew like wildfire. The Stolks had no mercy. They tore through buildings and bodies alike, moving like black smears across the bright ground. The last time they approached, they were not this fierce but now, they were and if nothing was done to pull this off, everyone would be crushed instantly by the sheer force of their rampage.

Alice vanished into the shadows, leading her squad. Lady Fares summoned a cloud of darkness that rippled through the city streets, concealing squads as they formed ambush traps. Lillian and Dominic rushed into the courtyard, weapons drawn.

As the great gates of the Ghost Palace exploded open from the force of a Stolk beast, Dominic jumped.

He landed on the creature with a fierce slam, driving his blade into its skull. The shadows reacted to his fury, wrapping around him like armor.

Alice waved a dark pulse energy and charged it at an army of Stolks below. The energy exploded roughly, sending about six of the Stolks smashing against themselves.

Outside the gates, Ghost soldiers screamed their war cries as swords clashed and spells flew like wildfire. The Stolks had no mercy. They tore through buildings and bodies alike, moving like black smears across the bright ground.

Alice vanished into the shadows, her squad of elite female warriors following her across the rooftops like panthers. Their lithe forms glided silently above the chaos below.

Alice signaled and dropped silently into a narrow alley where several Stolks—hulking, snarling monkey-like beasts with spiked knuckles and twitching tails—were tearing into a merchant’s stall.

"Strike fast and hard," she whispered.

She leapt into action, her dual blades slicing through the first Stolk with precise fury. Her sword met the creature’s throat as her second blade slashed across its chest, sending dark ichor spraying across the stones.

Her squad followed. Blades sang through the air, shadow bolts zipped from trained fingers. One warrior vaulted off a rooftop, landing on a Stolk’s shoulders and driving twin daggers into its skull.

A beast roared and lunged toward Alice, its iron claws aimed for her heart. She rolled beneath the swipe, sliced through its knee, and then spun around to decapitate it in a clean strike.

The street echoed with roars and war cries. Alice ducked a blow, kicked off a punch, and buried her blade in another beast’s eye.

But more were coming.

The Stolks howled in sync, their massive bodies scrambling over rooftops and tearing through walls to corner the squad.

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Circle formation! Now!"

Her squad fell into place, back to back, weapons raised. The Stolks rushed them. The clash was brutal.

Fists smashed against blades, teeth sank into armor, and the screams of both Ghosts and beast ripped through the alley.

Alice’s arm bled, but she pushed through the pain. She channeled shadow energy into her blade and swung it in a wide arc, momentarily blinding three Stolks in darkness.

Her squad took the advantage, cutting down the confused beasts.

"Push forward! Drive them toward the Hollow Quarter!"

The elite unit advanced, their path slick with blood, their shadows dancing behind them. Alice led them like a storm—graceful, deadly, unstoppable.

Far above them, smoke swirled as battle cries raged across the Ghost City.

And Alice knew—they would not fall today. If Coris had led those party then there was a sure bet she was somewhere close.