NOVEL NEXT Chapter 228
Chapter 228 – The Final (8)
“No way… Is there more?”
“Quit staring blankly and move!”
What began as a tremendous earthquake captured everyone’s attention, with the Imperial Palace floating in mid-air and Junyoung himself unleashing a ruthless punishment. It was a sight that felt refreshing just to witness, but the residents couldn’t allow themselves to celebrate just yet.
This was because the remnants of the enemy, already ordered into battle, were continuously gathering to diminish their forces.
To the west of the city, a large number of Bugs appeared—infected creatures birthed from the expeditionary forces attacking the Elves.
“This won’t do. We can handle the ones nearby somehow, but everyone’s already worn out. We need to retreat.”
The astonished warriors gathered around Rakum, insisting they should fall back. Even Rakum himself had lost all strength to fight.
His comrades, Shura and Eve, were as exhausted and injured as he was, while his younger brother, Rasen, had just barely regained consciousness. Even Riena had sustained injuries and was rendered incapable of fighting.
‘But in this state, a proper retreat seems impossible.’
The soldiers and warriors were in the same predicament. They were barely holding on, making a successful escape look nearly impossible.
They had managed to achieve their mission of eliminating the enemy leader and stopping their schemes, but it seemed they would need further sacrifices to ensure even a fraction could escape.
“It seems it’s not too late, after all.”
Just then, from the east, a miraculous reinforcement appeared. The main force led by Balun had arrived at the imperial capital—just as the battle unfolded.
“This could very well be the last battle of this war. Let’s show the desperate enemies our overwhelming strength and fulfill our duty.”
Balun surveyed the area while gripping the Druid’s staff.
In fact, the reinforcements Balun brought weren’t just the main force. Numerous individuals in strange armor mixed among the Arin Tribe warriors.
“We can’t hand this land over to vile monsters. Their true nature has been laid bare; who could possibly defend them?”
The commander of the Imperial Army whom Balun brought along drew his sword with his knights. Though they were collateral, he was a duke from the royal family.
Having led the surrounding people to the fortress due to the infected, he agreed to cooperate with Balun after hearing details about the vaccine and the Bugs.
All those who stepped onto this battlefield had received the vaccine in advance, guarding against the threat of infection.
“Indeed. This is a task that must transcend backgrounds, social status, and races.”
Just a year ago, such absurd alliances would have seemed impossible, but Balun grinned and gave the charge command.
Along with a resounding signal, the allied forces formed to eradicate the Bugs began advancing to save their vanguard and purge the enemy remnants.
“Fortunately.”
Rakum sighed in genuine relief upon seeing two groups approaching from both sides.
They had already achieved a miracle. They had bravely toppled a powerful foe at the cost of their own lives and forged an incredible unity that seemed impossible.
Having achieved such a miracle, losing was not an option. Thus, Rakum foresaw victory for his allies.
“It must be thanks to you that the monster punished by the Guardian Deity had to come out of the Defense Barrier.”
“It’s half and half. I had no strength left to fight, but He punished the enemy with His wrath.”
Rakum ordered his allies to retreat and join the reinforcements, then approached Riena, who staggered toward him and offered his hand.
She had already given up on fighting any further. She trusted her companions and her people, convinced they would win against the enemy remnants without her intervention.
“When this war is over… I will establish a force that can convey His will across the continent, including the Empire and the Kingdom of Baruk. I won’t mind being called an Order. If you ask me to become a believer of God, I will gladly do so.”
As the reinforcements and enemies engaged in a fierce battle near the city, Riena expressed her thoughts to Rakum amidst the flashes of light and faint shouts.
“We cannot allow this to happen again.”
“You will be more than able to.”
Rakum bitterly smiled at her statement about creating a force to monitor the entire continent.
While others, especially external forces, viewed Riena and the Paladins as a kind of Order, she didn’t actually see herself as a believer of the Order.
She understood the difference between the Order she knew and the Paladins she led. That didn’t seem particularly important. After all, even without a grandiose Order, the Arin Tribe, as sincere believers, moved as one cohesive unit.
However, to expand that force externally, a structured organization was necessary. Realizing it resembled the Celestial Order from the game world she knew, Riena resolved to embrace that fate.
“I will create a force tasked solely with monitoring and eliminating the Black Monsters, capable of overseeing the entire continent, leaving no room for them to grow.”
This was the moment a powerful new faction, destined to become a significant player in the world, was born. Riena had already laid out some of the plans.
“Reports of victories are coming in from the right, the center, and the left. No matter how the enemy rallies, they can’t defeat our united front. The war is nearing its end. You all have done well.”
Shortly after, Balun approached and removed his helmet, smiling.
Every messenger rushing around the battlefield brought only the good news that they were pushing back the enemy. They were even on track to win the final confrontation.
“The devastated Empire will be ruled by Duke Hartmann, the highest-ranking survivor.”
“I can’t say for certain about everything, but we must secure a promise on this: if they wish to prevent the Black Monsters from sprouting again, they must agree.”
“Don’t worry. They are already well aware. Too much blood has been shed. Not knowing would be the bigger problem.”
Riena insisted to Balun that they needed to create an Order that should have the authority to influence the entire Empire.
Such a proposal would have never passed under the existing laws and customs, but the world had changed.
The name of the Black Monsters had been etched deeply into the hearts of those who had survived horrible disasters; thus, there was no reason to oppose creating a system to combat them.
“I’m more worried about places outside of here now. I’ve sent word, but those places must have begun facing the last desperate efforts of the Black Monsters as well.”
“Don’t worry too much. The hybrids that have mutated are terrifying, but those merely following orders are just ordinary people. They likely won’t be able to defeat our side.”
As Rakum expressed concern for the grasslands under attack, he faintly smiled.
Using every possible means, the Bugs had continuously surpassed expectations, but these people—having fought little against them, knowing next to nothing about their culture—would find it hard to win against them, as proven in countless battles.
*
‘Those fighting without even realizing their main base has been raided will be easy to subdue.’
Had the Bugs had just a bit more strength left, they could have created even more infections and hybrids to turn the tide, but fortunately, it wasn’t that dire.
While our main force was inside the Empire, most of the foreign tribes attacking our main base in the grasslands were acting on the commands of infected kings and chiefs, unaware of what they were doing.
Even if it was an empty house, the seeds I had sown over time were steadily growing; the grasslands could not fall into the hands of such beings.
“—!”
With the remaining allies, as well as support from the Kingdom of Baruk and the Dwarves, they easily defended against the enemy’s invasion and even captured prisoners, continuing a winning streak in the grasslands.
‘For those people, that place is their reality and home, so they will prepare better than I would.’
I didn’t worry much about what would happen next. Those like Balun and Riena, who had already proven their abilities, were sure to devise and implement strategies to stop the Bugs for their own sake.
Just like I was diligently working while wearing a mask.
And if the world on the screen finally found some stability after all this trial and error, I would be able to focus more on real-world issues.
– Tomorrow, the allied forces including the dispatched troops will begin a full-scale operation.
I saw a text from Lee So-Yeon that arrived earlier.
Finally, the allied forces unfurling without interference were set to commence activities in the area presumed to be the enemy’s base.
This wasn’t a half-hearted alliance with just a few countries participating like before.
Since the appearance of parasites and the announcement of methods to detect and eliminate them, officially, not a single nation opposed the formation of a global coalition—everyone participated.
No matter how strong a dictator’s power might be, they had now realized what the real problem was. No matter how great their status, just like the Emperor of the Empire, they couldn’t simply hand over the power they had built to the Bugs.
“I wonder how well they’ll fight.”
With a slightly eased mind, I sank into my chair and opened the internet.
Fighting in a completely different form and manner from the world on the screen, it was challenging even for me, an experienced individual, to catch a feel for it.
‘The Bugs must still be holding back some cards. But I can’t distrust them just yet.’
Manipulating the Master Program from beyond the screen was distinctly different from being a User here.
Unlike the time when I could overlook everything from the sky and cast powers close to omnipotence, I was now just a person in reality.
Even if I were to help, I needed to come up with alternate methods. Charging in without thinking would be a mistake, however I looked at it.
– Congrats on your victory.
“It’s not over yet. But the allied forces should be capable enough now, right? I mean, this was deemed impossible in history, with various issues like religion, history, and ideology.”
– Everywhere we go, we have faith we will win. In fact, we can’t afford to think otherwise.
Still puzzled about the coalition, I pressed Lee So-Yeon for more information.
She replied that all outlooks she had assessed seemed bright. In truth, that made too much sense. If the coalition lost, we would lose, and if we lost, we would die.
In such a situation, anyone would have to find the positives and speak optimistically. After all, they needed to instill hope among the people to maintain the war’s momentum.
– If I may humbly speak, I think it’s still uncertain.
“I agree. It seems we’ll need to observe things a bit longer to determine our next moves.”
However, those with experience weren’t so quick to be optimistic. They knew all too well how desperately and painfully the residents had fought in the world on the screen.
My desktop now displayed the village.