Chapter 114
Chapter 114 – Close Combat (4)
“It’s disadvantageous to delay. Many have already returned alive, so we must strike before the news spreads further.”
No matter what was happening outside, this place was their world. Chieftain Balun was diligently preparing for the expedition.
He shifted from a defender’s role to that of an attacker. However, during the intense combat with the expedition troops, many had broken apart and fled. They would return to inform what had transpired here, making it crucial to raid before the enemies could set up their defenses after hearing the news.
“There shouldn’t be any problems. They don’t have walls as high and sturdy as ours.”
“That may be true, but I want to minimize sacrifices.”
The soldiers who joined Gharhan’s faction boasted that they would surely achieve victory, but Balun merely smiled weakly at their words.
Having already repelled the expedition’s attacks, he harbored no doubts about winning. The battle would happen inevitably, but he could not overlook the losses that would occur in the process.
Each of his people was precious.
“Is it really true that if we achieve merit, the Guardian Deity grants us miracles?”
“C-can I also become a warrior?”
This battle was somewhat special as well. Knowing about the miracles of the Guardian Deity, the soldiers from Gharhan’s faction were understandably eager to receive such miracles for themselves.
It was more than just being accepted as part of a tribe.
“Of course. He watches over us at all times, providing rewards according to our abilities and merits.”
Balun and the existing residents were actively leveraging this fact. They weren’t lying. From what had been shown so far, Joonyoung was sincere in nurturing talented individuals and helping them develop their traits.
“Everyone, let’s move out! Get on your horses!”
Soon, the large force donned their gear and mounted their horses. The five thousand troops, a combined force of the Arin Tribe and the surrendered Gharhan faction, began to gallop across the sunlit plains.
‘We can’t take too long. We don’t know when the Black Monsters will strike.’
Balun’s expression hardened as he looked at the soldiers filling his surroundings. Unlike the others who might boost morale randomly, as the leader, he had responsibilities to consider.
He aimed to complete the mission quickly and return safely.
“I see the tunnel!”
“Let’s enter! Don’t hesitate, go in!”
They began to get sucked into the vast underground tunnel that had been constructed in the open fields.
The tunnel made painstakingly by several miners and a few transporters was wide and comfortable enough for the horses to run in a line. The luminescent stones embedded here and there lit up the tunnel, providing a direct expressway to the heart of the enemies without any obstacles.
‘Everyone’s in.’
It didn’t take too long for all five thousand to enter the tunnel.
Watching from beyond the screen, he turned the display. On the screen rotated the opposite entrance of the tunnel.
It was an area patrolled and hunted by the enemies, but no one had discovered the entrance, covered with earth and grass blocks.
Moving each unit with the mouse was a tiresome task that took too long due to the sheer numbers.
However, with the miners’ abilities to alter terrain, such a tunnel was dug, allowing swarms of soldiers to pour into enemy territory where mouse control was impossible.
“Look over there. Our forces are approaching.”
“We need to break through! Everyone, get up!”
Even though the grassland tribes usually had great mobility, a distance that would originally take double or even triple the time was being crossed in a straight run, bringing them swiftly to the end.
At the tunnel’s conclusion, some miners who had been resting there quickly grabbed their pickaxes and jumped up to dismantle the earth blocking the entrance.
As they swung their pickaxes, heavy earth mounds broke apart into small blocks and fell to the ground. The transporters hurriedly picked them up, and the entrance was opened without a trace of debris.
After completing their task, they quickly sought refuge in the adjacent route.
“There are many.”
Immediately thereafter, a multitude of cavalry swept past, charging onto the battlefield. An endless line. Those who had been guarding the tunnel, unaware of the outcome of the battle, could only let out hollow laughs.
“Chieftain! Everyone is out!”
“Our goal is to save the people. We attack from the nearest point!”
Thus, the mass of Arin warriors that burst forth onto the surface promptly began their actions.
They would launch an attack on the nearest tribe, suppressing any resistance, and rescue the Gharhan tribes that fell under Luke’s command, bringing them to their village for refuge.
To achieve this, Balun left some defense troops at the tunnel entrance and marched his forces, daring to strike at Luke’s soldiers who had not anticipated such a move.
“Wha- how is it already…”
There was no way to resist. The news of the defeat was only just beginning to spread as those who had fled in disarray, of course, hadn’t been able to gather their forces, appearing suddenly in the rear area.
While the Arin warriors had responded while observing the expedition’s route and conditions, Luke’s scattered soldiers, managing the Gharhan faction, were swept away like waves into the hands of the Arin tribe.
“It seems Chieftain Luke has entrusted everything to Ghir and returned to the central base.”
“Overconfident. Could he really think that the loyal general he sent would face defeat?”
Hearing from the captured prisoners that Luke had returned to the central base, Balun unleashed his fury.
Starting to devour the territories and tribes of Gharhan that Luke had painstakingly conquested with half the effort, he began to sweep through one by one.
“Form up and slowly enter!”
“We have set up bases in between. You can rest there!”
Simultaneously, he ordered the massive number of people to migrate.
The direct route created towards the village was teeming with countless refugees, and those who remained had to work hard to manage them.
‘We have truly become a great tribe. No, perhaps even more than that.’
Everyone instinctively knew it upon seeing the figure. The Arin tribe, having absorbed the Gharhan factions, was no longer merely a small tribe on the outskirts.
A large-scale group absorbing tens of thousands of residents and governing them as a single powerful force. The Kingdom of the Grassland that Chieftain Luke dreamt of was commencing to take shape right here.
*
“Black Monsters?”
“Don’t you know? This area has become hell itself, all thanks to those creatures.”
While Balun, having successfully defended, led his forces to attack the enemy lines, the captured Rihar and the magician were being taken somewhere.
The Arin tribe hadn’t mentioned executing them, but there was no way they wouldn’t feel anxious. Moreover, Rihar felt confused by the warrior’s words who led him away.
It was no falsehood that the dwarves testified about the bugs being from his homeland and kin.
“T-this is…”
“If you cross here, you can move there.”
The warriors guided them through a shimmering curtain. Upon crossing here, they would be able to move straight to the northern land.
While the warriors and dwarves, along with other residents, showed no concern, Rihar and the magician felt sheer terror upon witnessing this.
‘How could the space-distortion magic, only spoken of in legends, be real!’
From the magician’s perspective, this was nonsensical. They couldn’t even grasp the principle behind it.
However, those who crossed that curtain did end up in the Northern Fortress managed by the Arin tribe.
‘Was there such a number of soldiers not even taking part from the start.’
Getting another shock there, Rihar let out a hollow chuckle.
If it hadn’t been for the fierce battle fortified by the castle walls, he had inwardly thought they wouldn’t have lost, but in the first place, the opponent hadn’t been earnest.
“Your expression is quite a sight. Are you curious about why we haven’t mobilized our troops here?”
“Of course.”
“You’ll see soon enough. You’ll find out what kind of creatures we’re fighting…”
“They’re coming! Some have wings too!”
Now Rihar no longer blindly doubted the existence of the Black Monsters. The warrior who brought them exclaimed he would see them soon, but the situation spiraled out of control.
The swarm of bugs began to assault the fortress.
“A-attack…”
“It’s a common occurrence. Quickly prepare for combat!”
As a bunch of bugs assaulted the fortress, the upgraded defense turrets began to automatically fire glowing spears and magic in retaliation.
Meanwhile, the hastily armed soldiers climbed the castle walls and shot arrows at the invading enemies.
The bugs, mixed with many variants, couldn’t endure the fierce resistance and retreated without inflicting any damage on the fortress, suffering heavy losses instead.
“Thank goodness. They retreated again after testing the waters. It’s not unusual. They often send forces to stab at us and will try to sneak out whenever there’s an opening.”
“That’s absurd.”
While the nearby Arin tribesmen felt joyful that they had thwarted without significant damage, Rihar and the magician, who briefly witnessed the battle, sank in disbelief at the unbelievable reality.
The shock of discovering that a threat they hadn’t imagined existed in this world, and the realization that those whom they had previously scorned as barbarians were the ones holding it back, was even more shocking.
“I’ve heard the news. By your expression, I suppose there’s no need to say more. Can you now judge who is right?”
“I concede. But what do you want from us? I know it sounds like an excuse, but ultimately I’m just a pawn moving under orders from above.”
As Rihar learned the identity and existence of the bugs, he was dragged to the one overseeing the fortress, Rihar.
Having already received the letter written by Balun, Rihar understood the circumstances and couldn’t help but let out a wry smile at the dazed look on his face.
“It hasn’t been decided yet. Once the Chieftain returns victorious from the expedition, we will discuss it further then, so in the meantime, I hope you will assist Luke’s tribe in paying the price for their invasion.”
Rihar, looking like someone who had given up, was ordered by Rakum to fight the bugs here for the time being. In reality, Rihar and the magicians had no choice.
‘We are surrounded by thousands of enemies, and this land is crawling with bizarre monsters. Escaping is impossible, so I must brace myself.’
Swallowing hard, Rihar clenched his teeth and steeled himself.
It was clear they intended to treat them as slave soldiers, so he aimed to survive and somehow return to his homeland.
