NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164
Chapter 164 – System (4)
“Those disgusting guys.”
That was the only thought I could muster. No matter how they broke, the bugs that relentlessly searched for answers and continued to attack were beyond mere obsession.
They didn’t express emotions, but observing their actions made that obsession painfully clear.
“Why is this happening? I can’t understand what they’re doing all this for.”
The commander of the artillery brigade from the Kingdom of Baruk, preparing for battle alongside the Arin Tribe, lamented after receiving the news. As they readied for the second battle, they were still less adjusted to the bugs’ onslaught compared to the seasoned veterans.
“Look at those ants crawling on the ground. Do you know what they live for? Can you even understand? To us, it just seems like part of their instinct to survive.”
“Are you saying the Black Monsters are the same? Those crazy creatures are struggling to live?”
The commander’s hollow laugh met Rihar’s snicker. No matter how hard they tried to comprehend, it just didn’t seem plausible that this obsession with slaughter and battle was for the sake of survival.
“No, I just wanted to say that whether we understand or not, it doesn’t change a thing. So don’t worry too much; at least we’re not fighting those mad monsters on our home turf.”
Hearing that, Rihar shook his head. They had no choice but to fight; it was just a matter of whether they would die in battle or sit idly and perish.
Most of those who understood that chose, of course, to die fighting.
‘Our will must be stronger than their obsession.’
Rihar surveyed the area, steadied his resolve. They had already finished their preparations and were bracing themselves for the impending enemy assault.
“There, there! I see them!”
Soon, the scouts reported a swarm of enemies flying toward the fortress, visible to their eyes.
It wasn’t just the creatures in the sky. The main force was the ones crawling swiftly on the ground.
Various forms of monsters that had developed while fiercely battling against the Arin Tribe came rushing in unison.
“The odds are high that this could be the last! We will fend them off safely and immediately counterattack to uproot their nest!”
Rakum encouraged the soldiers, expressing that this might indeed be the final stand. It wasn’t baseless; gathering such a multitude of troops in a short timeframe was a tall order, even for bugs.
“They’re trying to fly over the fortress…!”
“Take aim at the sky!”
Knowing the enemies were coming from above, the Arin Tribe had made preparations. Mages launched spells into the air, and defense turrets fired arrows and magic skyward.
“Rasen, cast your magic immediately. The airborne ones aren’t that numerous.”
In the midst of it all, Rakum instructed Rasen, who had mastered tier 2 Grand Magic, to unleash his spells as soon as the battle began. The Grand Magic Rasen used could only be cast once a day and wielded tremendous power.
Thus, using it at the right moment was crucial, and Rakum was certain that this was the time, just before the agile enemy aircraft intruded into the fortress.
*
“Good. Right on time.”
I watched anxiously as Rasen’s magic unfolded on one side of the screen. The countless bolts of lightning descending from the sky were perfectly suited to target the incoming enemy aircraft.
The insect-like foes, clad in a hard carapace, seemed helpless against the penetrating lightning as they plummeted to the ground.
“—!”
The battles happening on the ground were not vastly different from previous ones. Arrows, spells, and shells rained down from our side, while the bugs desperately tried to breach the fortress.
‘Save the machine gun.’
As I gripped the mouse, helping out with the chainsaw I’d acquired from desktop demolition but reserving my strongest weapon, the machine gun, I remained cautious.
Although the Northern Fortress was the first to engage in battle, it wasn’t the only place the enemies were approaching.
“—, —!”
There lay the kingdom with Balun and our holy site.
Surprisingly, a swarm of enemy aircraft approached that location. It wasn’t the first time facing multiple simultaneous skirmishes, but the increased stakes made it impossible not to be on edge.
I found my eyes darting between two or more scenes, moving ceaselessly.
“Those bastards.”
With the enemies fully encroaching upon our territory and becoming clearer, I grimaced.
The bugs’ characteristic of growing stronger as we did was nauseating. The main culprit of my discomfort was none other than the enormous creature resembling a giant fly.
But its size was insurmountable compared to the others. The beast, with its swollen abdomen, was so massive it felt less like a living being and more like a structure.
It was an enormous size. Accompanied by other smaller ones, the slow-moving giant made me anticipate what it might be carrying within its engorged belly.
Preparing to shoot it down before it reached the residents waiting ready for battle at the royal fortress.
‘They’re resisting.’
The machine gun I had bought at a steep price unleashed a torrent of bullets, and the bugs soaring through the sky were torn apart helplessly.
However, they weren’t completely defenseless. Some among them summoned black magic and began to conjure a defense barrier to protect their allies.
Unless concentrated fire was unleashed, the bullets couldn’t break those barriers. Observing them closely, I noticed that those casting barriers were gradually taking on a more human-like form—the special variants.
“Are they mimicking magic?”
Seeing the rapidly increasing barriers as if they had anticipated it, I sighed softly.
It wasn’t just the warriors who were learning from the experience; the bugs were also imitating the form and function of our mages’ spells.
‘Riena must be placed in the center. Should I bring Eve along too?’
Seeing those developments, I quickly adjusted the position of the residents. The enemies headed north were numerous, but there was less to worry about with their bait.
Holding Riena and the Paladins, who were preparing to move north, in place, I also positioned Eve, who could make long-range attacks with firearms.
“—!”
Even as they moved on their own, they followed my commands seriously once I started directing them. That faith and trust wasn’t built in a day; it was forged through our shared struggles.
The residents, still unaware of the situation, were stunned at the sight of the enemy forces appearing from beyond the sky.
Seeing their shock made it clear the scouts hadn’t perceived the larger foes, only the smaller ones.
*
“Father. They…”
“It seems the scouts missed the ones at the back.”
Under the overcast sky, Barun glanced up anxiously, nodding his head.
They were surprised to see more troops than they’d anticipated, but that was all right. After all, the entity they trusted and followed was aware of those foes’ presence and had taken action accordingly.
Although it wasn’t the same boring battle pattern they were used to, it didn’t mean they felt disheartened.
“Those massive ones are key. We don’t know what they’ll do, so Riena, you stay back with the warriors. They surely had their reasons for leaving you here.”
Barun resolved to keep Riena and the Paladins held back. The enemies were undoubtedly up to something. Their strongest force needed to be used to break through whatever scheme lay ahead.
“They may bring strange strategies again, but we have steadily built our strength to counter them.”
The newly transformed Barun moved through the battlefield, issuing commands for operations and actions. It was not typical behavior for a king, but this place operated under a different set of rules than other kingdoms.
By stepping forward to showcase his bravery, the soldiers’ morale would rise as well.
“If we survive today, I must tell the Elf King about everything that happened.”
“Why’s that?”
“Those attacking us and the ones targeting the elves are essentially one and the same. They’ll surely try to use this method against them as well.”
Meanwhile, Riena approached Eve, who was looking up at the bugs soaring through the sky, warning her.
Eve nodded, startled by the implication that the bugs might attack the elves in the same manner. Riena confirmed that the two colonies were exchanging strategies and information.
“They’re coming.”
Soon, the foes soaring across the sky began to descend to make an assault. Though in tatters from the machine-gun fire, a fair number of them still remained.
“Toa, use your magic! Before they get inside the city!”
Like Rakum, Barun instructed the mages capable of casting Grand Magic to launch their spells before the enemies engaged our forces.
A colossal magic circle rose in the sky, raining down fire arrows.
However, the enemies didn’t charge straight into it like a typical defense game enemy; those that could circumvent did so, while others renewed their barriers once more.
“What on earth is that?”
“It seems similar to barrier magic.”
Barun’s eyes widened at witnessing bugs wielding magic for the first time. The mages were equally astonished.
As the Grand Magic he had expended all his strength to cast collided with the enemies’ barriers, Toa gasped for breath, pale-faced.
“Ugh… more enemies are emerging from inside those massive creatures!”
As this was happening, the bugs initiated their real assault. The castle walls, stacked ten blocks high, were casually cleared as they began to spew ground forces inside.
With the gate blocked, Barun was momentarily stunned by the enemies’ tactics to disrupt using such means. No one could have imagined this was even possible.
“Don’t worry. Though they’ve come at us with bizarre methods, we can win. They may be horrifying, but they’re not that numerous.”
Riena approached Barun, who was understandably shocked. Unlike him, her tone was calm.
Thanks to encountering even more nightmarish foes in the game world, she was undeterred.
“There are those using magic too. Can we handle that?”
“In the end, we just need to eliminate those guys.”
Drawing her sword, she pointed at the foes with confidence. If they could take down those enemy command units that had landed alongside the ground forces, she firmly believed they would emerge victorious alongside the defense turrets.