Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 73: Corpse-Eating Sandworm
At the northern city wall, all units were preparing according to the pre-battle rehearsal plan. Having already repelled the first wave of attacks, the militia atop the wall was no longer as nervous as before—they were full of confidence.
In the distance, a massive horde of undead monsters surged forward in a frenzy.
Following the same order of operations as before, catapults launched stones first, and then shooting began as the enemies drew closer.
A large number of undead soldiers began stacking themselves into a human tower below the wall. The militia and lizardmen above focused on suppression and support, while the archery and knight squads remained the primary combat force.
Occasionally, stones were carried up and thrown down to slow the enemy’s advance.
The scale of the second wave wasn’t much larger than the first, but the ratio of corpse monsters had noticeably increased.
These types of undead moved swiftly and could easily leap onto the wall by using the piled corpses beneath them—making them extremely troublesome.
Although a few shooting team members were lost, it didn’t affect the overall situation. With all units working together, this wave of undead monsters posed no significant threat to the wall.
There were no major casualties. The few who were injured were quickly taken to the infirmary.
Possibly alerted by the horn blasts, a search party from outside the walls hurried back mid-mission to join the battle on the northern front.
Everything was going smoothly. There was no doubt they would be able to hold off this second wave. The battle dragged on until dusk before reaching its final stages.
Just as they were preparing to descend the wall and clear out the remaining undead, a scout suddenly shouted loudly: “Something’s coming!”
Owen looked up into the distance. In the snowy field, a dark line was slithering forward, swiftly approaching the wall.
It was hiding beneath the snow, making it nearly impossible to identify what kind of undead monster it was.
Owen turned to Viscount Jarvis and asked.
“What is that? It doesn’t look like those giant corpse boars we fought before.”
Jarvis paused from loading his weapon, squinted toward the distant figure, and frowned deeply.
“I’m not sure… but I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”
Even Viscount Jarvis—who had commanded countless battles on the north wall—didn’t recognize this enemy. A vague sense of unease crept into Owen’s heart.
“Let’s use explosive packs.”
Owen suggested.
“Alright.”
Viscount Jarvis nodded and promptly ordered the use of explosive packs.
Still uneasy, he shouted an additional command: “Shooting team, regroup!”
The end of every wave always brought out particularly difficult undead. Jarvis knew not to let his guard down. They had to be ready.
Even as the explosives were hurled out, the enemy remained buried in the snow, showing no signs of revealing itself.
The snow was especially deep in the distance. Owen’s men had only cleared snow up to 300 meters directly in front of the wall. The farthest barricade fell just within that range—any farther would be risky in an emergency, leaving them too little time to fall back.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM BOOM!!
Four consecutive blasts shook the field, launching snow high into the air—yet the undead creature remained alive.
There was little they could do. Since the enemy was hiding beneath the snow, the shrapnel from the explosive packs had limited effect.
Awooooo——
Affected by the shockwaves, the hidden undead finally revealed its true form.
It was a— massive worm—just the portion emerging from the ground was four to five meters long. Who knew how long the entire monster truly was?
Its body was segmented, with a ridge protruding from each segment. The outer shell was a deep crimson red, and its thickest part had a diameter of about two meters.
Its body was riddled with festering wounds, leaking yellowish, murky fluid. It had no eyes. Surrounding its head were four long tendrils, and its abyssal maw was held open by four hooked fangs, revealing hundreds of barbed, razor-sharp teeth within—an appearance that was utterly horrifying.
“It’s a Rotting Corpse Sandworm! Sharpshooters, aim at the target! Knights, too—ready yourselves!”
Viscount Jarvis’s expression turned grim—more panicked than when facing the massive Rotting Corpse Boars.
“Is it that hard to deal with?”
Owen asked.
As he reloaded his weapon, Viscount Jarvis explained.
“Bianshu Garrison Town has never encountered this before. These undead beasts only show up near Red Sand Fortress, and they’re notoriously difficult to kill. I never expected that not only would the Rotting Corpse Boars appear early this winter, but now a sandworm too.”
The sandworm dove back into the snow, moving toward the wall. Since the snow near the wall was shallower, it burrowed even deeper into the ground, kicking up dirt and sand.
As the target entered effective firing range, Viscount Jarvis shouted, “All units, open fire!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Pellets struck the snow like stones thrown into a deep lake—utterly ineffective.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
If the firearms were ineffective, then the arrows were even more useless.
Normally, an undead monster’s magic core is located in the head. But since the sandworm burrowed underground, it was nearly impossible to aim at vital points—just hitting its body achieved nothing.
The sharpshooters and Viscount Jarvis hurried to reload, while the knight squads prepared their bows again.
Soon, the second volley was unleashed—but still, it didn’t slow the sandworm’s advance.
Seeing this, Owen had no choice but to act. He raised his staff and cast a prepared spell—Heavenfire!
A ball of flame fell, melting a large swath of snow and revealing the yellow earth beneath.
Flames engulfed the sandworm’s body, spewing black smoke into the air.
It looked like a direct hit—but the creature proved cunning. It dove deeper underground, smothering the flames in the process.
The only effect of the attack was to force the sandworm to veer slightly, now heading toward the right-center portion of the wall.
“Damn this monster!”
Owen cursed.
It was nearly at the wall now, and sweat began to bead on Owen’s forehead. This Rotting Corpse Sandworm was truly difficult to handle.
Viscount Jarvis shouted toward the portion of the wall now being targeted:
“Reinforce that section—brace for attack!”
“All units, stay alert!”
The knight in charge of that area suddenly called out tensely.
The militiamen gripped their spears tightly, swallowing nervously. How were they supposed to fight such a terrifying undead monster? Their courage began to falter.
Before long, the sandworm reached the base of the wall and suddenly burst out of the ground.
“Thrust!”
The knight commanded decisively.
Despite their fear, the militiamen instinctively lunged with their spears—but they couldn’t pierce the sandworm’s hide. With a simple twist of its body, the creature flung the soldiers aside effortlessly.
ROAR—
The sandworm reared up nearly seven meters, lowered its massive head toward the top of the wall, opened its gaping maw, and let out a deep, rumbling roar.
“Run for your lives!”
“Aaah! It’s a giant monster!”
The very situation Owen had feared finally occurred—the militiamen facing the sandworm began to panic and flee.
It couldn’t be helped. Against such a horrifying creature, it was almost impossible for ordinary people to remain calm. Fear easily broke through their psychological defenses.