NOVEL NEXT Chapter 181
Chapter 181 – Savior (1)
“No matter how much you cut off the sides, it doesn’t matter. It’s better to attack their base, draw them in, and wipe them out.”
“I agree with you.”
Riena argued to Balun and the others that they should take the initiative on the battlefield instead of falling into the bugs’ pace.
She suggested they shouldn’t get caught up in the bugs’ long-range boxing but should push forward to make the bugs take a defensive stance.
Balun agreed with that opinion. It’s already been proven by Region, who risked his life, that half-hearted containment wouldn’t be enough to stop the bugs.
“We’ll select the main force to strike their base. Then we will organize a guard to protect the main force and prevent the bugs from surrounding them.”
Balun divided his troops. It was the allied forces composed of the Arin Tribe and the Elves.
He picked out elite troops to create a unit for a direct breakthrough and entrusted Riena with the command of that unit. They would be tasked with breaking through the enemy’s defenses and devastating their inside—this was the most difficult and challenging mission.
So, it was natural for the strongest to take on that role. Neither Riena, the concerned party, nor Balun, who had to lead his daughter into danger, hesitated.
“It seems like the morale of the soldiers is actually rising.”
“That’s right. Many are clamoring to be included in the Sacred Brigade.”
But instead, the popularity of the Sacred Brigade soared. Warriors and soldiers were crying out to fight alongside Riena.
“There are those who believe that fighting alongside her will reward them with compensation from the Guardian Deity, especially after Riena displayed an unbelievable descent from the sky.”
“… I expected this but it might be too much.”
At Rakum’s words, Balun chuckled.
Ironically, the divine nature Riena displayed was so overwhelming that it led to an excessive degree of loyalty.
It was only natural for that faith to become stronger as she continued to show miraculous feats.
“She hasn’t said anything to me. While it’s good for people’s faith to strengthen, I must prevent baseless rumors. It would be a blasphemy to interpret and assume her incomprehensible intentions.”
Riena, hearing this news from Balun, reacted strongly. She believed that it should never happen that his intentions, who would be watching from the screen beyond, were distorted because of her.
More than anything, having seen too much of the twisted side of corrupted religion in Dark Blood, set against the backdrop of the war between heaven and hell, Riena warned against this more than anyone else.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s a situation that occurred because of excessive faith, so as long as it’s explained well, it won’t deviate. And there’s not just the bad side; the Sacred Brigade, unified by loyalty to her, will absolutely obey your words and bravely charge at the enemies.”
Understanding her words, Balun judged that if this were properly managed, it would be advantageous.
A Sacred Brigade with unwavering minds had overcome one weakness, allowing them to stand firm against any potential attacks from the bugs.
“Lead that valiant Sacred Brigade and carve a path, Riena. Their reaction this time will likely be different than when the Elf King merely poked around. They too are lacking in momentum. I assure you, they are afraid of us, especially you.”
As they analyze the bugs, the bugs are also analyzing and researching them. And among them, Balun has conducted the most battles and collected the most data.
Based on that experience, Balun was convinced that the bugs feared Riena.
“…”
And that intuition was not wrong. From the moment Riena left the game and began rescuing the fleeing Elves, the bugs had been on high alert regarding her actions.
‘Riena is the very variable I’ve trained hard to grow. I must protect her.’
It wasn’t just the bugs who were focusing their attention on Riena. He, who was watching her through the screen, was doing the same.
Having completely cleared a game, proven her worth, and achieved a different level of growth, Riena had become the most crucial presence to him not just in affection but strategically as well.
Especially, having witnessed the massacre of Elf warriors at the hands of the strongest variant known as the Assassin, he intended to use Riena to keep that threat in check.
“The assassin is fast and strong. Survivors have testified that warriors who inherited the power of the World Tree and amplified their mana couldn’t withstand a single strike. Its instant acceleration is almost impossible to track with the naked eye, and the mana it emits causes the air to ripple.”
“The moment they engaged us, they desperately tried to mimic us to block our warriors.”
Eve, who had joined the Sacred Brigade with Riena, shared stories about the assassin that the Elves had faced.
The assassin had long become a figure of terror among the Elves. Both Region, the former king, and the renowned warriors had all perished at its hands.
However, upon hearing that there was a high probability the assassin would become her adversary, Riena showed no particular reaction.
Naturally, she felt no fear.
“I was the one who slaughtered all those fakes.”
“But if that imitation speed is true, isn’t the assassin essentially the final version of the variant the Black Monsters were attempting to create through trial and error? Can we really defeat an enemy that has absorbed only strengths and evolved?”
“Yeah. I’ll win.”
At Eve’s slight in-take of breath, Riena nodded without an ounce of doubt. This faith, close to certainty, stemmed entirely from her own experiences.
The same experiences of having cleaved through both the bugs and the demons of hell. The strength achieved under his guidance.
“… That’s reassuring.”
Eve smiled at Riena’s confident demeanor. If someone who could stand firm against the most challenging enemy showed such resolve, it was sure to empower the others.
‘Is this the power of the one called the Saintess? Or perhaps the power of an even greater being?’
It wasn’t just Eve who thought so, which was why many were eager to volunteer for the Sacred Brigade.
Even when going to fight against terrifying monsters they didn’t want to associate with, Eve was astonished by the bubbling enthusiasm and looked back and forth between Riena and the blue sky.
*
‘Literally a hero.’
It’s odd that the being she mentally relied on and followed thought this way, but Riena was, in fact, the ideal hero I envisioned.
The strongest and most beautiful warrior from the start. At the same time, she was a saintess who could share hope and will with the people.
‘Will such people emerge on Earth too?’
It was natural for such thoughts to occur. I wasn’t sure if anyone could be as strong as Riena, but I already knew that users each had heroes they trained as their main force.
Conversely, that means there could be such people here on this Earth, where someone is watching over us.
And those candidates are highly likely to be guardians. Although it’s still in the early stages of development, I know that guardians are gradually increasing and growing stronger without any particularly standout individuals so far.
Thanks to this, there are many who want to step up and become guardians. So, as time goes on, heroes will appear one by one.
‘As long as the Sacred Brigade doesn’t collapse, victory will be ours.’
Taking a deep breath, I watched the residents preparing to fight. I agreed with their thoughts that they needed to take a gamble, so I simply observed without intervening.
Instead, my role was to do whatever it took to protect the Sacred Brigade, who would be subject to the bugs’ concentrated attacks.
To that end, I was saving resources to build defense towers and waiting while keeping the desktop destruction to a minimum.
It was difficult to accumulate points beyond a certain threshold. As the revealed territory widened, the area for blocking the bugs’ tricks also expanded.
Since the focus was on the Elves, the northern land, which hadn’t needed to be closed off until now, was nearing completion of its blockade.
“—, —.”
‘Is there still some time left before departure?’
Preparations were made swiftly, but it seemed we wouldn’t set off right away.
With some time to spare, I diverted my gaze to other screens. Using multiple monitors, I could quickly survey areas the residents couldn’t see, so I had considered it basic to play the reconnaissance satellite in the remaining time for unexpected situations.
[Southwest border of the Empire (1)]
“Where is this?”
In my sight, a somewhat unfamiliar land appeared. It was beyond the Land of the Elves. It was a place that had not yet been revealed.
‘Could the disconnection be lifted?’
For a moment, I was frozen before realizing why this place had just appeared now.
The World Tree had reverted to seeds due to the bugs’ attack, and the Land of the Elves, which had been disconnected from the world, had reappeared as a result.
Upon closer examination, I could see a handful of Elves who had narrowly fled to avoid the bugs and were now escaping in the opposite direction, failing to join us.
Some among them were marked as allies—essentially, they were creating a path as they fled.
‘They don’t seem to be chased at the moment.’
Fortunately, a close inspection of the screen showed no bugs pursuing them.
The problem is that just as the Elves had ventured into the outside world due to the broken disconnection, the bugs could also go out there.
That place is a territory with a force known as the Empire. According to the information collected thus far, they are a massive force occupying a part of the continent.
However, it was a place quite distant from where we had established ourselves, which is why I hadn’t paid much attention to it until now. We could inadvertently get entangled with them, so I couldn’t afford to lower my guard.
“–! —!”
“Huh?”
In that moment, as I watched the screen with a troubled heart, a sudden crisis unfolded.
A group of people had ambushed the fleeing Elves from above on the screen.
[Thief Victor]
[Thief Alex]
While I was startled, the thieves attacked and subdued the previously small number of Elves.
Those who resisted were killed, while the powerless were forcibly taken away, and I had no choice but to grab the mouse with urgency.
“—!”
They couldn’t resist the descending hammers from the sky. The ground trembled as trees and stones were crushed, and their bodies were turned into mush.
‘Just like going from bad to worse.’
After all the thieves were cleared away, I sighed softly as I saw the trembling eyes of the Elves looking up at the sky.
The way of the world isn’t neatly divided into stages or chapters like quests in a game.
Like a chain reaction, new events keep crashing down.
My desktop village has been established.