Three months and four days had passed since the Lord of Darkness swore to come back to Solaris with his army and destroy the Oracle. All the children, women and old folks had left the city. Only able-bodied men remained to make a stand and fight for the city. The vast army of Haldor patrolled the inside and outside of the city. Troops from all five regions had begun camping outside the city gates to serve as perimeter defenses. Air balloons were in constant patrol around the city. The soldiers in the air balloons would instantly give the signal to the defenders the moment the army of the Lord of Darkness was sighted. Everyone was bracing for the upcoming siege.

Yet no one knew exactly what kind of enemies they would be facing in the coming days. They only knew that the army the Lord of Darkness would lead would be magical. The horde of the undead that rose from the City of the Dead several months ago were witnessed not just by the group of Captain Jang Hyuk but also by other people. Several folks living in small villages near the City of the Dead had seen the vast horde of undead rising from their graves. Some had even fought these undead. Several people even lost their lives. The stories of the survivors still chilled grown-up men and send frightened children running under their beds.

But whatever monstrosity the Lord of Darkness had summoned to create his army, the defenders of the City of Solaris would not flee. They would die fighting. Because if they lose, the Lord of Darkness would plunge Haldor into chaos and bloodshed for centuries! Those were the words of the Oracle. And the Oracle only spoke the truth.

Sentries assigned to every tower of the walls surrounding the city were doubled. They relentlessly patrolled the walls day and night.

Two sentries, Seungri and Daesung, were assigned on the eastern tower facing the direction of Yore. Both of them came from Ferrest Region and were skilled archers. But like all other soldiers of Haldor, none of them had ever really fought in any battle.

The last battle fought in Haldor was five hundred years ago. And it was only between two villages fighting for the right to use the water of the Icen River that flowed between them. The last war fought in the soil of Haldor was already lost in the memories of the new generation who had never known such warfare. The wars that happened in Haldor before the coming of the Oracle were only remembered through ancient history books rarely discussed in classrooms. Although recorded events of Haldor's past wars and battles were preserved in the castle’s library, no one really bothered to read them. Large scale battle tactics were never taught to soldiers because the Oracle had assured everyone that such wars and bloodshed would never happen again. Everyone had become complacent. No one thought that they would one day face another war for the peace of Haldor.

But in the last three months since the former Prince Jaejoong had announced his attack, everyone in the Castle had begun to peruse these history books. The captains began studying and learning all the tactics needed to win a large war and withstood a siege. These tactics were quickly used to train all soldiers and able-bodied men willing to fight. Haldor women were respected and protected by tradition but were never allowed to fight or take up arms. They were sent away with the children and the elders to hide.

For soldiers like Seungri and Daesung, they knew that they needed to remember two things in order to do their duties well. One was to follow the command of their immediate officers and second, fight as hard as they could to defeat the enemies