Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]-Chapter 238 - Are There Any Questions?

Miles(cont.)

Somehow, against his better judgment, Miles found his feet taking him in a direction toward the Walls. Gavin had talked him into it while Louis tried to talk him out of it. The devil and angel were sitting on his shoulder and the devil won out.

To be fair to Louis, his mind was made up well before the two tried to convince him.

Ever since Gavin brought it up a week ago, it had been all he could think about. The possibility of seeing the man fight was alluring. Plenty of stories were told about it that piqued his interest and he finally wanted to see for himself.

Which was why he found himself armed and armored, ready for a fight.

As he approached the growing crowd, he tried not to wince at the state of his armor compared to theirs. Miles hadn't exactly had the funds to upgrade what he brought with him, let alone pay for repairs.

He'd left it dirty for so long the metal had started to rust.

One of the worst things to do back home was flaunt something you weren't strong enough to protect. It's become a ritual for him to dirty up the plates of metal to make the chest piece look worse than it was.

Same with the rest of his gear.

Strategically leaving blood in certain places to show that it wasn't worth a fight for it.

That wasn't a thing in Frostheim. Everyone took extreme care of their gear, cleaning and polishing it in a week more than he'd ever done in his life. He'd watched Gavin do it plenty of times even though he wasn't even a melee fighter.

It wasn't only the state of his derelict gear that set him apart, but also the strength. Having used the same set since the tutorial, it was a bit behind him when it came to power.

He left the tutorial high F-rank and was now early E-rank while also using the same gear. It held up, and wouldn't break that easily, but it also wasn't the best thing he could be using.

A coin pouch squirreled away in his home was meant to remedy that, but he hadn't saved up enough yet. New gear was expensive and there was only so much he could save in a week.

With his new job, his daily expenses were taken care of which left his profits from the Dungeon free to use on anything he wanted, but that still wasn't enough for a completely new set.

He could maybe afford a new sword, but that wouldn't mean anything if his armor failed him first.

Still, he wasn't deterred from the odd looks he was getting and marched on anyway. No matter how much he wished to turn back.

Signing up was surprisingly easy, and just like Gavin said, anyone was allowed to do it. You had to put your estimated power level and general skill set so they knew where to put you, but otherwise, that was all.

He didn't need to give his specific Class or exact level, only general terms that would be obvious if someone was watching anyway. He was suspicious about what they were using this information for at first, but it wasn't all that secretive to begin with.

Plus, how were they supposed to know where to put you if you told them nothing?

Miles reached where he assumed all the other melee-based fighters stood based on the heavier armor, but his eyes searched the group with bows for Gavin. It wasn't hard to find him and he had to fight a sigh as he saw the man's goofy wave in Miles's direction.

Everyone who was participating had to arrive before noon, but everyone was well ahead of the proposed deadline. The last few trickled in over a half-hour before time was up.

Miles himself didn't wish to be late and had prepared accordingly, much like everyone else in the crowd.

Said crowd was a lot larger than he'd pictured.

This would by far be the largest battle Miles would ever be a part of. There were easily a few thousand people standing ready for battle. If he had to guess, it was somewhere between two and three thousand!

The city's population was only around eight thousand after the wave of new arrivals stopped when Winter began. That meant over a quarter volunteered!

Why were so many willing to fight when they didn't have to?

The crowd had naturally grown louder as time passed, but a hush fell over right at noon as people waited expectantly. It wasn't much longer until a smaller group of people made their way from behind them, deeper into the city, to where everyone else stood.

Miles didn't need to be a genius to know who these people were.

While the City Lord and his sister, the Mayor, were the most well-known and talked about, that didn't mean the rest of the man's family were unknown.

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It was kind of hard not to be when all of them were such powerhouses. Not for the first time, Miles wondered what they went through for every member of the family to be so strong.

He knew they all weren't at the same level, and some were better than others, but for all of them to be above average was intriguing.

Miles looked over the group quickly but thoroughly, trying not to drag attention to himself while also getting a good look at them. Every member of the group had gear leagues ahead of his.

He wasn't close enough to see, but he didn't have to be to know flame and hammer sigils were stamped on most of it. The Molten Smith, as people started calling him, was the best Smith in the City.

Everyone fought to get the weapons and armor crafted by him.

Not only was it the highest grade from the forging alone, but it was normally enchanted as well! Miles hadn't even seen enchanted gear before, let alone the level of craftsmanship that the man had.

Unconsciously or consciously, Miles wasn't sure, his eyes drifted toward the center of the group. He expected some towering giant covered in Ice from the stories but what he saw was a regular man.

He was far from unassuming though, and Miles could feel the power difference between him and the man, but the stories made him think he was more than just a man.

The hammer he carried on his back was the obvious giveaway, if the subtle pressure he gave off wasn't enough.

For all intents and purposes, he looked like any other person Miles knew. Sandy blonde hair medium in length and a well-trimmed beard kept close to the face.

The man was smiling at what another had said, a spear wielder from the weapon he had on his back, while he walked to the front. Laughing before saying something back Miles couldn't hear.

The Mayor, Miles knew what she looked like as she worked all over town, pinched her nose, and shook her head. It looked like she was about to reach out with her staff and hit the spearman.

It would've been a shame, too, as Miles had never seen a staff like that. At its top was a swirling light blue crystal of some kind that looked delicate. Delicate and powerful.

For as long as Miles had been in Frostheim, and after all the fantastical tales that the townspeople spread about the man he was looking at, they all felt like lies.

How could someone be described as a snowstorm of blood and guts and such savagery be jovially laughing and joking while looking like anyone else?

Nothing was matching up with what Miles had pictured.

Miles wanted to find Gavin and strangle the man for all the stories he told of the serious, no-bullshit man that commanded respect.

Before that thought could turn into him picturing how he would off his friend, a switch was flipped.

The man reached the lead spot and changed completely.

He didn't change physically, as he still looked the exact same, but the air around him was different.

Hell, the air around Miles was different. There was a weighted blanket smothering the area and he was sure everyone could feel it. It wasn't pressing or pushing down on him, but just there.

This is what they were talking about. I take it back Gavin, maybe I don't have to strangle you.

No one was talking anyway, but they certainly weren't now as the man readied to speak.

"Thank you all for coming. Before we begin, I feel like I should warn everyone of what is to come. As you know, this will be our fourth pylon upgrade, turning our Large Town into a Small City.

"Some of you might already know this, but I'll say it for those that do not, this Upgrade will be different from the rest. There are two options to choose from. One, like the others, is a normal Pylon upgrade, moving us from Large Town to a regular Small City.

"The other, is a Noble Pylon Upgrade."

"Not only will it Upgrade us to a Small City, but it also comes with the Noble Title of Baron attached to it. While the Title itself doesn't mean much, it has other benefits for the City that we can't ignore."

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Miles wasn't sure what he was hearing. He knew of Noble Titles from his tutorial, but it was never clear how to get them. He knew Pylon ownership was required, but little besides that.

Was it as easy as choosing an option and getting one? That didn't seem very hard.

Miles highly doubted the Title didn't mean much. There wouldn't be two separate options if the Title wasn't that big of a deal.

"That being said, we're told that choosing this option will make the challenge we face significantly harder. I can't say for certain how high of a level we will face, only that it will be harder.

"Let me be clear, this Wave we will face will contain beasts or monsters in the D-rank. Some might even be higher than that. I don't say this to scare you, only to inform everyone of the risks and challenges they will face."

The reaction to that was worried looks and shuffling feet. Miles himself wasn't sure he was prepared for the fight. He could fight above his level, but not that far above.

"With that in mind, we will be altering our usual strategy. The front line will not be down in front of the Walls. I know that some of you could handle it, but that is a risk we don't need to take.

"I still will, and a few others have chosen to join me, but make that choice at your own risk.

"Second, we will be using the defenses this time. I know most of you have never seen them in action and I warn you to not interfere with their operation. We've planned around them and will make sure no one gets in the way.

"And lastly, before we get into deeper specifics, now is the time to leave if you feel like you aren't up for it. There is no shame in realizing this. It only means you have farther to go until you are ready."

Many broke away from the crowd after that. Some ran while others walked hesitantly away, deciding if they could chance it before deciding not to.

Miles decided to stay. If he was on the wall, surrounded by over a thousand others, the risk wasn't that great. He'd bet his life the Walls would hold, and he was prepared to do just that.

Being a melee warrior on top of the wall would make fighting difficult, but he had a few ranged options he could explore. It wasn't his strong suit but he could do it.

After the crowd sorted itself out, "Great! Now we'll get into the plan. First off, Hal will be leading all Bowmen. Be it Rangers, Archers, or Hunters, if you have a bow and shoot arrows, you will follow Hal's command."

A brown-haired man with a bow stepped up. His armor was heavy for an Archer, and his bow was larger and looked heavier than the one Gavin used.

"Mages will fall under Abigail."

The Mayor stepped up with her staff raised.

"Healers and Supports will be under Ashley."

A woman Miles didn't know stepped forward.

"Warriors atop the wall will fall under Elliot."

A man covered head to toe in metal. Full plate with a metal shield and sword to match. All of it shining in the sun.

"And anyone willing to fight in the thick of it," a similar smile to the one he wore while walking to the front, "Will be under me."

"Are there any questions?"