A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter 163 – System (3)

“Looks like it’s time to get back to work. I need to gather as many materials as I can.”

“Who exactly is that raccoon? It seems like an ordinary beastman to me.”

“External folks always say that.”

An ordinary raccoon beastman, an ordinary knight. The avatar of the Guardian Deity wasn’t that extraordinary after all.

It’s a natural reaction, since the characters he controls are all part of the game. To the locals, just like Tina now, they feel like perfectly ordinary beings with no extraordinary presence whatsoever.

“If you think of him as the one who led us to this world, it should be easy to understand, right? Before we came here, we were those who lived each day in fear of dying at any moment. We may struggle for our lives, but in the end, it’s just a desperate fight for survival. You might not understand, but he has given us both honor and opportunity.”

“Um, I can’t empathize, but I get it. I already knew you guys were serious about hunting.”

Tina nodded at Naruu’s words while watching the spot where the raccoon had disappeared. In fact, that raccoon, who was currently running multiple games at once, was off somewhere else meeting other hunters.

The task assigned to the hunters here was to prepare equipment to arm their kin. The weapons and equipment they used held special powers capable of harming Bugs, which normal soldiers couldn’t accomplish.

They couldn’t be unaware of how important their role was. Especially as Naruu and Dune were handling the heavier burdens of hunting higher-tier prey to gather better materials.

The materials they farmed were crafted by artisans and used by warriors to take down stronger enemies.

“We need higher-tier materials. Tina, we definitely need your help.”

“Well, I see no reason to refuse the request of outstanding companions.”

With her reply, Tina gave a slight chuckle and shrugged her shoulders. As a local, she had nothing to lose by working with enthusiastic and capable companions.

“I hope we hear only good news when we return.”

Dune, who had resumed hunting, glanced back with a wry smile.

Though they were hunters now, they were originally warriors. While their fellow companions fought fiercely against the Bugs, their mission was to battle the gigantic mutants here, but their concerns couldn’t help but surface.

And many others like them, sharing the same mindset, were working throughout the game world by the hundreds.

“They’re big and strong. No matter how well we fight, with our numbers being low, we’ll just get crushed.”

“But, but is it really okay? Fifty thousand people?”

Preparation was going smoothly. With the Guardian Deity they trusted focusing on the worlds of the game, they felt more confident and continued to advance their plans.

In the process, Rakum, who had received a call from Balun, was astonished upon hearing the number of troops to be mobilized. It was a number he had never heard in his life.

Of course, not all were combat troops and there were artillery brigades from the kingdom mixed in, but the past Balun or Rakum leading a small tribe never imagined they would lead such a massive force.

“It’s definitely possible. All the supplies we’ve stockpiled were prepared for this kind of moment. It’s finally time to launch a proper counterattack against them. We must be fully prepared.”

While Rakum’s eyes widened and his voice trembled, Balun remained somewhat calm. It was that serious of a matter. It had to succeed; otherwise, it would endanger everyone’s lives.

“What about the scouting? Are they still holed up over there?”

“As of now, it seems that way.”

“The frequency of their cracks being opened has drastically decreased. It seems the Deity has taken action. They must be flustered and considering their next move.”

Hearing that the Bugs were still holed up in their nest, Balun stroked his beard. Just as suspected, the decision to attempt guerrilla tactics utilizing the gate led to their stillness, thanks to his willingness to take risks.

He cleared the critical main roads and nearby areas to create safe zones.

“…It seems preparations are complete.”

After some contemplation, Balun was convinced that the time had come.

As people worked hard, various resources were brought into the game world. Many freshly absorbed tribe members were trained. Their painstaking preparations were now in the final stages.

[Chapter 5 Clear]

“Phew, that was tough.”

They felt the same. Like everyone else, Riena had entered seclusion training during the given time and was steadily growing stronger as she finally defeated the Chapter 5 boss alongside him.

[Celestial Blessing · Radiant Crest]

He beamed, watching Riena receive her new reward from beyond the screen. The more the game progressed, the stronger the character became.

It was an obvious fact, a rule. The rule was still operating perfectly even in the current situation.

*

“All clear. You can come over.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

On the cool riverside, a Druid flew in to inform them of the safety, and they began to transform into birds to cross the river.

These Druids, able to scout in their transformed state, were much faster and better than mounted cavalry; however, if attacked in this form, it would be lethal, marking clear advantages and disadvantages.

“Strange though. It was tough to get over here because the guards were consistently patrolling.”

One of them murmured nervously, glancing around. As he said, this was the place where the remnants of the Dwarf Kingdom still lingered, the Bugs’ stronghold.

Despite their weakened state from repeatedly failing offensives, the enemy still patrolled here, seemingly determined to defend this location, although their numbers had decreased.

“I’ve noticed something when dealing with them. You know? If you leave them alone, they become even more troublesome. Their quietness means they’re likely conspiring something.”

The senior Druid in charge shook his head in frustration.

“Let’s hurry. We need to stay here if we want to borrow the Deity’s power.”

The veteran urged his companions to gather more information and rushed to move on.

Their eagerness for scouting also stemmed from the belief that they were illuminating the Deity’s sight.

“Is this merely a trace?”

In truth, from beyond the screen, he was observing them, who appeared on one monitor. Because of the characteristic that undefined screens couldn’t be examined.

Once a screen is illuminated, even if residents are absent, they can scrutinize much farther, but conversely, places that aren’t lit up cannot be seen or interacted with no matter what.

“Spread out. We must become eyes for the Deity!”

The scouts formed teams from their starting point and began to disperse. They aimed to illuminate as many screens as possible in a short time.

Wherever the residents were, the Deity’s absolute power to survey multiple locations concurrently couldn’t help but capture their curiosity.

As a result, while the Deity’s authority was absolute within its realm, they understood that cooperation was essential for it to extend further, filling them with great pride and a sense of mission as they embarked on their scouting activities.

“According to the Dwarves’ map, villages and towns should start to appear soon.”

The scouts grasped their approximate location using a map drawn by the Dwarf Survivors. This was the area where the Dwarves’ kingdom, on a scale no larger than a small principality, officially began.

“Look over there.”

“Ah.”

Soon, they discovered part of the trace. A small, charming city, intricately carved and built of stone, was visible in the distance.

“Looks like there’s nothing left.”

The one who was scanning the screen with a tense face, just like the scouts, spotted it too. And he sighed softly.

The city now only bore remnants and had entirely transformed into a Bug nest, teeming with enemies.

“Oh no, did they take it all?”

As the scouts illuminated the screen, he was shocked to see a scale he could not ignore, unable to overlook the magnitude of the villages and towns already fully occupied by the Bugs.

According to the map provided by the Dwarf Survivors, such towns and cities were encircling and sheltering the central capital of the Dwarf Kingdom like obstacles.

“Isn’t this enough? If we go any deeper, we’ll be in trouble if they spot us.”

“We have no choice. We’ll just move back to the designated spot.”

The scouts decided not to advance further and retreated. To break through the defensive line that even the scouting net was blocked by would require the main force to come in and smash it all.

“Ah?”

“Our, our bodies!”

But at that moment, their bodies suddenly began to move against their will. Realizing what it meant, they all turned their heads skyward.

“Look, behind us!”

The part of their bodies that began sprinting with all their might was in the opposite direction—towards the spot of the river they had crossed.

Startled and wide-eyed, the scouts turned around and were left speechless.

“What in the world…”

Thanks to the scouts illuminating the screens, he could overlook even further away that which they couldn’t see, and he grit his teeth while watching what was rapidly approaching from the sky.

They were literally flying. A vast number cloaking the sky in black. Of course, there had been flying Bugs before, but never in such large numbers.

“Blocking the gate must’ve triggered their last desperate act. So this is really the end.”

He could see through the Bugs’ intentions. By blocking the gate, the Bugs, unable to strike from the rear, couldn’t forget that sense of taste and were now deploying many flying vessels, enhancing their specialty in disturbance operations once more.

“If we block the gate…they tend to switch to airborne…”

He made a note of this fact and hurriedly urged the scouts to evacuate.

The scouts, forced to comply with his urgent orders, quickly transformed once more and crossed the river at high speed.

“The Bugs are coming from the sky. T-there are so many!”

“Prepare for battle. It’s the Bugs who are desperate here!”

Thanks to this news, it was promptly relayed to the Arin Tribe. The emergence of numerous flying enemies.

Balun, who learned of this news with a modicum of urgency, hurriedly organized the people and wrapped up the war preparations that had been underway.