Chapter 110
Chapter 110 – Survivors (10)
‘Uh, when should I step in?’
In the fierce battlefield, Rasen, who had been slightly retreating, gritted his teeth at the sounds of shouts and screams surrounding him. He had to conserve his strength to use his one shot, which meant he couldn’t use other skills.
“Wind of Healing blows!”
“Divine Protection!”
As the war picked up steam, both sides began to reveal their hands one by one.
The expeditionary force deployed shamans to fend off the Arin Tribe’s arrow attacks, clinging to the not-so-high castle walls as they set up ladders, and began to rush in, invigorated by the refreshing wind that healed their wounds.
‘The number of warriors is dwindling.’
Despite summoning the Wind of Healing, he held the mouse with a rather troubled expression.
The battlefield viewed from above didn’t look favorable at all.
The problem lay with the numerous warriors on the side of the expedition. The many warriors Luke had united from the central tribes, along with those that Garhan had subdued and joined.
On the other hand, the Arin Tribe had the power to awaken mana in talented commoners to create warriors, but more than half had already been sent north and were further divided.
‘I can’t help right now.’
He had used his background-breaking skills on enemy shamans and had no way to stop the enemy warriors raving with superhuman strength.
Thankfully, a number of warriors were holding special shields made of mana-infused materials, barely managing to hold their ground.
“Rasen! Now’s the time! You have to step in now!”
Just then, Balun shouted at the precise moment. As the enemies sent in their warriors to seize the momentum, they crowded the area.
If Rasen’s magic could strike where they were clustered, the efficiency would be maximized, and at least hundreds of them would perish in one blow.
‘Now’s it.’
As Balun, transformed back from a bird to a human, shouted upon landing, Rasen hurriedly climbed up to the watchtower.
There was no time to think about anything else. Raising the staff in his hand high, he unleashed the Grand Magic he had been taught and learned in his grimoire, Restra, over several days.
“W-wait, look! It’s the sky!”
“No way…!”
A giant magic circle unfolded in the blue sky. Its brilliance was so beautiful and enormous that it momentarily captivated both allies and enemies.
However, interpretations differed; those who had already witnessed Rasen’s Grand Magic knew it was a move for their victory and cheered, while the expeditionary force, seeing it for the first time, instinctively felt fear and hesitated.
[Fire Rain]
Immediately afterward, burning fire arrows began to rain down from the magic circle, pouring countless arrows towards the ground. This skill, used as a deadly blow in defense games to fend off incoming enemies, was perfectly timed.
“Since the castle isn’t that high, if we attack both sides simultaneously without encirclement, we will undoubtedly succeed.”
Just before Rasen’s Grand Magic was unleashed, the sorcerer, who was actually commanding the siege instead of the ignorant Commander Ghir, was satisfied with how smoothly the siege was proceeding.
True to the sorcerer’s words, the hastily constructed outpost of the Arin Tribe was low in height compared to its size, and once they breached the hill, the siege wouldn’t be particularly difficult.
As the battle continued, they managed to fend off the Arin Tribe’s long-range attacks and were utilizing the greater number of their soldiers to charge, making the siege appear to be progressing smoothly, almost crossing the castle walls soon.
‘Nevertheless, their combat capabilities are impressive. If they unify into a single kingdom as the Emperor wishes, the balance in this region will surely tremble.’
The sorcerer simultaneously admired the combat abilities of the grassland tribes. Even if their siege tactics were lacking, the individual combat strength of each was substantial, and he felt it all the time.
“Hmm?! Look up! It’s the sky!”
Just as he was about to confidently declare victory, the sorcerer inadvertently looked up at the sky at the surrounding shouts and froze.
‘No way.’
Just like the grassland tribes learned horseback riding, the sorcerer had entered the royal academy since childhood to train in magic.
He understood magic better than anyone. Truth be told, he had looked down on the shamanistic spells used by the grassland tribes as primitive.
Huge hammers or chainsaw-like spells falling from the sky were somewhat surprising, but nothing more. They weren’t the embodiment of absolute power.
However, what was unfolding in the sky now was something that could neither be called a spell nor a trick.
“Ma-magic!”
It was undoubtedly magic. Moreover, it was a colossal and intricate transcendent magic, the principles of which could hardly be fathomed.
“Everyone, dodge!”
“Aaaah! It’s fire arrows!”
The blazing arrows pouring down from the giant magic circle in the sky fell upon the heads of numerous expeditionary soldiers who had dismounted their horses and crowded on the hillside to assault the castle walls.
They tried to raise their shields to block it, but it was a blow imbued with mana that was too difficult to fend off with regular shields.
In an instant, hundreds of people fell, and those engulfed in flames screamed. It was damage that could not be calculated by mere arithmetic.
Even with only a few hundred fallen on the ground, those paralyzed with fear at something falling from the sky plunged into collective panic.
“Lord Rihar! Wh-what kind of magic is this? I’ve never heard of such magic before!”
“I don’t know either. This is magic that exists only in theory!”
The sorcerer shouted back at the fellow sorcerers who rushed to him with faces full of horror. It was he who was the most confused by the situation.
‘Who is it, who the hell is it?’
As the expeditionary force floundered in confusion, the sorcerer quickly used visual enhancement magic to survey the Arin Tribe’s formation.
He was certain that it was magic of a scale and level that no savage from the grasslands could cast. He was searching for the unknown power that had sided with the Arin Tribe.
“Is it possible…?”
But what caught his eye was a pale-faced boy with black hair, holding what appeared to be a sorcerer’s staff, propped up by others.
His appearance and attire looked unmistakably local.
“Damn it! Everyone, retreat!”
Then, a flustered Ghir ordered a withdrawal. The expeditionary force, elated by his command, fled, leaving behind heaps of corpses as if water had drained away.
“Does this even make sense!? How can that be, how can that be magic?!”
“Calm down. From what we’ve identified, the sorcerer presumed to have used that magic is in a state of Mana Exhaustion and can’t even hold his body. It’s impossible for him to use that Grand Magic again.”
Ghir raised his voice in disbelief and unjustly scolded Rihar, the representative of the sorcerers. Rihar, who had never expected to have such a level of sorcerer, clenched his teeth and calmly responded.
“W-what if there’s another one like him?! What then?”
“That would… be impossible.”
“If they had been mounted from the start, they could have easily dodged whatever fell from the sky.”
It seemed Ghir had already lost interest in the siege. It was apparent that not only he, but the soldiers and warriors under him also preferred to ride away.
“It’s only because the numbers are overwhelmingly small, and the warriors are few that they can hold out so well. It’s better to proceed with the original plan of assaulting their fields and livestock while bypassing the castle. If we want to strike from behind, let’s do so. We’d rather die riding than die climbing that castle wall.”
Ghir decided to change the plan. He would follow the original strategy to bypass the castle and attack the Arin Tribe’s village.
Though it was unfolding as Balun intended, Ghir’s logic was not without merits.
‘Are these guys really planning to hit and run?’
That dawn, as the expeditionary force awoke, they all climbed onto their horses and began to run. Those on the castle walls didn’t even glance at them, as they galloped eastward.
The horses seemed to be overflowing with energy and spirit, likely because their masters hadn’t ridden them the previous day.
Having pulled an all-nighter at the desk, he rubbed his eyes and hurriedly turned the screen to watch the scene.
*
“The fields and livestock made by the residents… that’s not particularly significant.”
Yawning, I began to observe the movements of the enemy now riding out.
The vast fields reported to the enemies by the double agent were indeed what Balun had instructed the farmers to create, just to grow crops brought into this game world recently.
The livestock were merely those taken out from the game world for immediate use.
In other words, what they were planning to burn and plunder held little value. How disheartening it would be for them to find out.
Having failed to surpass an outpost that barely reached wall height, they could never conquer the barriers within the village.
‘I need to inform them.’
Still, I had to notify them that the enemy was approaching, so I began to move the mouse more seriously.
First, I picked up a sentry who was awake and moved him to the closest screen with the enemies.
The sentry, surprised by this, flailed about, and after confirming he had seen it, I returned him to the village.
The sentry naturally reported this information. Riena, who had been waiting in the village, witnessed as she armed herself, along with the other soldiers, upon hearing the news.
It was around the time the sun was fully up in the morning. The enemies were still racing without rest and would surely arrive at the village today.
‘Thank goodness they’re moving together.’
I was relieved that they weren’t stretching out too far. The more they clumped together in one screen, the more options I had to operate within the scene.
I brought up Balun and the soldiers at the base, who had already made preparations, as high as I could with the mouse. I intended to do so for a flank attack, and if I intervened, they could move much faster.
To stealthily transport thousands of troops without alerting the enemies was certainly tough on my wrist.
Still, thanks to this effort, the enemies were getting closer and closer to the traps we had laid.
“—, —.”
Amidst the ominous atmosphere in the village, I watched as Riena, fully armed, clutched her sword one last time.
With a stern face, she mounted her horse.
Knowing her capabilities well, I wasn’t worried, but seeing her solemn demeanor had me feeling unnecessarily tense.
‘After all, they’re a different kind of enemy than bugs or monsters.’
I won against the boss monster, so she would too; I caught bugs, so that makes her stronger, such simple comparisons were only possible in a game.
In realistic combat, variables abound at any moment. Anyone could die, and anyone could survive. I resolved not to forget this.
For someday, I might have to fight as well.
Thus, Riena was my mentor.
She believed in me as a greater being, but we were not one-sided; we were beings who benefited each other.
