NOVEL NEXT Chapter 230
Chapter 230 – The End (10)
“Wh-why is the Southern Kingdom’s army here…”
“You look quite shocked. Well, if you knew that the chieftain you believed in was actually just a puppet now, you’d be even more surprised.”
The soldiers, part of one of the invading forces that attacked the grassland under the Emperor’s prodding, were horrified to see the artillery brigade of the Kingdom of Baruk welcoming them.
At this moment, while the bug leaders were already being dealt with and the situation was coming to a conclusion back in the Empire, it was impossible for these soldiers, who had simply come following orders, to know any of it.
Thus, coming in confidently, thinking this grassland was deserted, they were met with fighters from the Arin Tribe and could only be left bewildered.
“If you’re not going to surrender, then there’s no choice but to let reality hit you.”
The Allied Forces, having initially inquired about their willingness to surrender out of courtesy, saw the stunned invaders hesitating and immediately launched a counterattack without further waiting.
Junyoung, distracted while looking towards Riena, didn’t pay them much mind, but it didn’t matter. Unless the bugs took the initiative themselves, with the solid troop support they received from the Kingdom of Baruk, they were not about to fall to mere enemy forces.
“Fire!”
While the Arin Tribe units provided thorough protection, the cannons of the artillery brigade exploded into action.
With the emergence of gunpowder weapons in a situation where magic could not solve everything, the balance of the battlefield fell apart, and the panicking invaders were left standing there, overwhelmed by the firepower.
“Now’s the time! Charge!”
As the shaken enemy ranks faltered, mounted warriors from the Arin Tribe galloped in and began to sweep through. The difference in strength was already significant, and with such disarray, the outcome became even more one-sided.
The invaders, lacking any combat motivation beyond the chieftain’s orders, crumbled under the bold charges, and those who surrendered or fled began to increase rapidly.
“What a great victory! I wonder how the others are faring.”
“You know what? They’re a disorganized rabble.”
With satisfaction, the artillery brigade commander observed the scene, while Rihar, leading the reinforcements sent by the king, raised a smile on his lips.
Just as he said, the invaders, who had rashly rushed in looking for an opportunity, found themselves unable to break through the defenders who had been preparing to fight the bugs.
“Wh-what on earth built such a solid fortress?!”
The robust walls crafted by the transporters were one of those mysteries. These structures and fortifications, hard to find in the grassland, were nonsensically completed by a multitude of workers in just a few days.
For the invaders, these enormous structures, which hadn’t existed just a year prior, appeared like phantoms and it was only natural for them to be caught in a panic.
“Those are the enemy fighters!”
“F-fall back! We can’t win against even numbers!”
Moreover, the Arin Tribe warriors who had acquired new skills and grown far stronger than the existing fighters were now known to the enemies as harbingers of death.
Fueled by pride in being directly chosen by the Guardian Deity and contrasting with the demoralized enemies, they burned with the fervor to repay grace and protect the land.
The difference in both skill and mentality resulted in one-sided outcomes.
Thus, the enemies who had attempted an all-out invasion of the grassland began to be picked off one by one and were driven back away from the land.
“All I hear are reports of victory from everywhere. Looks like we’ve nearly defeated those who invaded.”
“Now we can safely talk without worry.”
With a considerable number of combatants brought into the stronghold and nearly emptying the grassland, Balun couldn’t help but be concerned about that place.
Luckily, however, a string of victorious news also trickled in from there, allowing Balun to fully focus on the aftermath.
“In the future, we need an unassailable accord that prevents the black monsters from ever growing again in this land.”
“I agree. We learned at great cost what happens when we overlook them.”
At Balun’s words, Duke Raus, now the new face of the Empire, nodded. What Riena had insisted was necessary was now being accepted and agreed upon by someone who held the greatest power on the continent.
Not long after, an unprecedented situation unfolded where the Empire was partially crumbling. To maintain the regime and sustain power, Duke Raus had decided that cooperating with them was essential.
The Arin Tribe also did not wish to see the Empire split into several factions and lose control.
“Blocking the black monsters must take priority over anything else. Politics and power must not come before it.”
Riena expressed her thoughts as the surviving senior officials of the Empire gathered, including the duke.
Just days ago, the barbarian tribes would have been scoffed at for daring to claim recognition, yet now, no one dared to speak, only casting cautious glances.
“According to His command, we will simply fulfill our obligation. That is, to wipe out the black monsters from this land. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. On the contrary, it’s right to actively support and guarantee rights.”
Riena aimed to create a force to combat and prevent the bugs, traversing throughout the continent as she had contemplated.
Within the lands she governed, a military group that wouldn’t respond to her orders was forming, yet the duke did not deny her words. In fact, he was quite pleased with them.
If she took care of the bugs before he even had to worry, that would be beneficial enough.
“We plan to establish bases in each major city of the Empire and begin operations by selecting personnel. However, most of the members forming branches within the Empire will be its citizens.”
“We alone wouldn’t be meaningful. The entire continent must unify through this endeavor so we can finally be free from them. We’ll use every means to persuade others.”
“With the next emperor aiding us, it won’t take long.”
Though the Empire was already crumbling from internal strife due to the bugs, it remained the largest force on the continent. With those who led the existing order actively stepping in, establishing a new system would be that much easier.
“However, there may be those who disagree. To make them recognize reality, we still have work to do. Help us eliminate the remaining remnants that run rampant in this land.”
Of course, the next emperor wouldn’t just hand out support. He sought the Arin Tribe’s help, especially Riena’s, to rid the land of the remaining enemy remnants under the pretext of actively collaborating and persuading the lords and citizens.
He intended to conserve resources in a state where national strength had already been significantly depleted.
“Understood.”
However, she had no reason to turn down this proposal.
The vaccine distribution wasn’t even finished yet, and capturing the bugs aligned with her objectives. She figured she’d be able to rest quite a bit after this task was over.
“Eliminating the remnants, provided they don’t keep proliferating, won’t take long.”
“So no need to rush and mess it up. Recovery comes first.”
After the meeting concluded and they moved to exit, Riena smiled faintly at Rakum, who followed her.
“It was quite a challenging battle, and we’ve lost enough. Rest well.”
“Yet you plan on leaving right away, don’t you?”
“I’m actually quite glad.”
Riena shook her head at Rakum’s worry for her. After all, dealing with remnants wasn’t particularly difficult for her.
Rather, the thought that she could finally put a definite end to this excited her even more.
In essence, this was the culmination of everything that had begun the moment she lost her family and hometown to the marauders.
“Have you ever thought about it? Thanks to His grace, we’ve achieved an unprecedented feat in history. The unification of the grassland, war with the Empire, an agreement involving the entire continent. If everything goes well, what will you do afterward?”
Rakum carefully broached the subject. If things worked out well, Riena, already at a peak level, would ironically have little need to use her powers. If she had to step in, it was likely that everything wasn’t on track.
Thus, Rakum was essentially asking whether she planned to return to a normal life, but Riena couldn’t respond.
She had experienced too much already and couldn’t figure out if returning to her old self was even possible. She had long since transcended being an ordinary human since awakening her divinity.
‘Maybe He will reveal something to me.’
She instinctively looked up at the sky.
Others, including Rakum, now regarded her as a divine being and often sought answers from her, yet she still felt inadequate to play the role of a proper saintess and lacked much knowledge.
*
‘I don’t know what will happen. I’ll have to try it to find out.’
A system that the residents in the screen aimed to create together. I couldn’t tell what effects it would have or whether it would be good or bad.
Personally, I thought it would be good, but in the end, true results are only clear once you see them, and that is reality.
What I could do was to help as much as possible when that time came. That’s how I had been operating all along.
—Once again, a gate appears, gate increase rate 460%, cumulative casualties over 100.
—The Allied Command acknowledges this as a retaliatory attack from the bugs, emphasizing the need for swift resolution.
My gaze turned towards the news articles. The damage from the enemies’ mutual destruction strategy was currently piling up even at this moment.
Indeed, they understood human society all too well. Deliberately repeating their offensive to stir up opposition sentiment within human society was clearly a ploy aimed at creating division.
From a broad perspective, sacrificing lives to fight seemed the most rational, but once you became the party involved, it was hard not to feel that way.
‘I can’t just dance to their tune.’
Smiling wryly, I opened the portal again and moved to where the gates had appeared. For now, my plan was to jump in and block as many as I could.
It wasn’t just because of the actively moving world and my mission to save people.
[Achievement Unlocked: Gate Prevention (2)]
Like in a game, if I move diligently, rewards come in. I was steadily collecting these rewards with one specific goal in mind.
It was to be expected that it would take a long time, but there was an end to it.
“The vanguard of the Allied Forces was utterly defeated?”
—It seems the worst fears have come to pass. It’s only a small number of entities now, but the growth rate of the bugs has begun to surpass our allies.
In the midst of it all, a devastating piece of news reached me.
The main force of the Allied forces that I had placed my trust in, which I expected to soundly defeat the bugs, was failing to push forward as I had anticipated.
My desktop now displayed a village.