Chapter 39

Title: Let Me Tell You About Monster Waves

For you guys who only know about the internet while stuck in your rooms and don’t understand the outside world, let me explain.

1. Variant Wave

(Twisted deer variant monster meme)

(Bone Dragon howling meme)

Yep, this is the regular wave you all know.

It’s a wave where named or specific monsters have been mutated into something supremely strong, howling and wrecking everything in their path.

It’s pretty manageable.

The variant ones from Elard last time were like this too.

2. Rift Wave

(A massive army of monsters meme)

(A scene of various castles and lands burning, everyone dying meme)

This is literally a wave that comes from an open rift.

Just by looking at that meme, you can tell it’s different from the Variant Wave.

But if you respond calmly enough, you can deal with it… well, people say that, but practically speaking, you might as well be dead if it gets any bigger than this, so think of it like a Great War level threat.

– Hahaha, this guy suddenly blew up with laughter!

– Thanks, Shinmok, from the wiki!

– Fact: It’s a fact.

How many countries were destroyed during the Great War?

– Go search if your hands and feet work, huh?

– Here’s a single tuna can for you.

– Current countries remaining on the continent would barely be in the single digits.

But according to pre-Great War history, combining all the petty kingdoms and city-states, there were at least 20 or more.

So right now, we can say more than 75% have been wiped out. Estimating 21 or more.

– Okay, got it, feel free to barter for that.

– Thank you, sir, may you be blessed!

– Lol, the tuna can’s power is definitely legit.

– Suddenly, manners are overflowing, haha.

– How do you even eat a tuna can, haha?

“And these monsters coming here are from the Variant Wave, huh?”

I was told that this is the same wave that featured the Bone Dragon from last time in Elard.

It can be adequately handled, but if you’re caught off guard, it could wipe out a small country.

Didn’t the Kelton Kingdom collapse because they couldn’t stop the relentless Variant Wave?

“Well, we do have steel…”

After investing in steel for Kellierhton, the forge hadn’t stopped burning for days.

However, Kellierhton lacked the molds to shape weapons and didn’t have the technological prowess to refine them.

But this could easily be resolved.

Title: How About This Steel Sword I Made?

(A weapon made by melting steel meme)

(A rough and uneven result meme)

It’s a bit disappointing, but hey.

Isn’t this good enough for a C-grade?

– Damn, you’re something else!

– Is this jerk right here?

– Author) ? Why are you all so mad?

– Isn’t refining just a joke to you?

– You’re making a sword out of gold and calling it C-grade nonsense!

– Do you want to take a C-grade hit?

– This is an insult to blacksmiths!

– To think what was made from that amount of steel resulted in such low-quality swords.

– Why doesn’t Head of the Gallery give us some!!!

– Brother, why are you torturing us?!

Title: Dwarf Bros, Please Evaluate.jpg

(A lumpy and uneven steel armor)

(A steel shield that’s thick in some places and thin in others)

Just be honest, okay?

Isn’t this really something? Haha.

Honestly, I think it’s sturdier and stronger than dwarven weapons.

– (Dwarven axe meme)

– (Image of dwarven armor with soldiers meme)

– Author) Oh, are we comparing my works now?

– (Dwarven weapon splitting a human-shaped statue meme)

– I will find you and make this!

– Author) .

It unintentionally provoked the dwarves.

The completed works flooding the Gallery were a tremendous insult to them.

– I could make better stuff with my feet!

– (Screaming dwarf meme)

Dwarves who had suffered all day looking at terrible equipment.

In the end, they decided to refine steel for humans free of charge.

– You damn humans, I’d rather make it for you!

– I’ll do it for free, so just make it stop!

– I’ve never seen dwarves this angry before.

– They seem more pissed off than when invaded by monsters!

– Human refining skills = defeat from monster invasions.

Thanks to that, in just a few short days, a large quantity of weapons and armor were produced.

When the monsters attacked right before Kellierhton’s capital, preparations were entirely complete.

*

“Cough!”

On a stormy evening.

The wave of ghouls had begun.

– Those ghoul guys really came in droves!

– Can we even win this?

– Well, the knights are wearing steel armor, so maybe we can drive them back a bit.

Resilient skin, massive numbers.

Even moving after sustaining fatal injuries.

“Here come the monsters!”

One by one, the monsters began to climb over the high walls.

“Gyaah!”

“This damn ghoul!”

Three soldiers rushed toward the first climbing monster, stabbing it with spears and swords.

But the ghoul didn’t die easily and instead flailed, draining the soldiers’ strength.

That was the most troublesome point about ghouls.

“Don’t panic! Push them back calmly!”

The knight, Alfred, climbed the wall and directed the soldiers while slashing at the monsters.

At least taking down two at a time.

He was a beastly knight, but ultimately, he couldn’t help but leave openings against numbers.

“Look behind you, knight!”

“!”

A variant ghoul leading the horde appeared.

Its sharp claws could easily break through a thin layer of human skin.

And with its toxin, even if you avoided it, death was inevitable.

“Oh no…!”

“Gyaah!”

By the time Alfred realized it, the claws were already nearing his helmet.

In that moment, Alfred felt an instinctual fear of death.

Thump!

“Gyaah!”

“Hmm?”

With a clear sound, the variant ghoul’s claws bent backward.

*

Title: I Saved You.jpg

Author: Alfred

(A meme of the head of the Gallery with a cute girl and a goat)

Once again, I saved my life, goat…

Is it you again, Head of the Gallery?

– Damn, this drawing is amazing, haha!

– Why does this meme even exist?

– So, is this what Head of the Gallery looks like?

Nope, it’s just a hypothetical image made by combining fan art from the Gallery.

Title: God

(A meme of steel with a goat)

Agh! So bright!

– Hahaha! Agh, so bright, what the heck!

– What’s this meme about? Haha!

– How many variations are popping up, for real? Haha!

To get straight to the point, it was a resounding victory.

The teeth and long claws that had been the ghouls’ means of attack couldn’t pierce the steel plates.

Initially, a prolonged battle was anticipated atop the walls, but when they couldn’t penetrate the steel, they ended up hunting ghouls outside the walls.

General Post) Current Status of the Kellierhton Wave

(10 ghouls clinging to one knight meme)

(The knight smiling brightly meme)

Yeah, keep it up~ You guys are the ones in trouble, haha.

– Hahaha, look at that happy expression!

– What… what is this?

– Ghouls, kyaah!

– (Monster sneaking… meme)

– So, how did they actually win?

1. Wear steel armor.

2. Lift the monsters.

…21. The monsters become blood pudding and die.

– ??

– Surprisingly, it’s a fact…

“Oh, they couldn’t even penetrate it.”

That was a medieval tank for real.

If a monster like a troll hammered at them, it would be a different story, but a blade couldn’t pierce it.

Moreover, the sheer strength of the knights contributed to this.

Title: I Love You, Head of the Gallery

(A steel armor that’s 6mm thick meme)

(A fully armed knight giving a thumbs up meme)

It’s a bit heavy, but the defense is seriously insane.

I just had a one-on-one with a troll and came out effortlessly.

– 6mm? Just don’t become a knight.

– For real, not even 1cm, and you’re talking 6mm? Haha.

– There’s definitely a way less masculine man here.

– Is that heavy?

– The Head of the Gallery would just sigh upon seeing that.

– Shouldn’t it at least be an armor that’s 1cm thick?

– Author) Maybe, I feel bad since I got steel for nothing.

– Author) I’ll work on my strength next time so I can wear a 1cm one, okay?

…

– Head of the Gallery☆) ? What’s up?

The standard thickness of regular armor is 1.5mm.

A bizarre combination of the Great War and medieval times meant only strong beings survived.

1.5mm? What’s even the point of wearing armor?

1cm should be the norm for a knight, haha.

“Ugh, it’s so scary.”

Moreover, the steel touched the hearts of the knights.

It captured their romantic ideal of always going unarmed, as they had no materials to craft weapons.

After the Kellierhton Wave, the Gallery began to buzz with steel armor memes like crazy.

– Any reviews for my 2cm steel armor?

– This is a large shield I recently bought using my savings. Thoughts?

– I don’t know why, but I feel good. Even if I get hit, it doesn’t hurt, so it feels nice, okay?

The immediate goal was to equip themselves entirely in steel armor.

An image of “a knight equals a person who can move in steel armor” was even starting to form.

And Kellierhton seized this opportunity without a second thought.

Proposal) Kellierhton Knight Recruitment Announcement

Author: Lloyd

We are planning to train knights with a large investment in steel recently.

Anyone qualified can receive steel armor and become a knight.

Ensnare fame and fortune as a knight, enjoy the fruits of the nation until you die!

Wow, knights! Wow, steel meals!

Trial process:

1st: Physical test.

2nd: Monster dueling test.

3rd: Interview with the Queen.

9999+ Recommended, 412 Not Recommended

[Comments 932]

– Are you saying that if I become a knight, I’ll get steel armor?

– Let’s grab that knight exam pass!

– Can fools apply too?

– Lloyd) You need the stamina to move while wearing steel armor + some decent skills.

– But what’s with the 3rd interview?

– Lloyd) It’s just a light personality test.

– How does that test proceed?

– Hahaha, I’m just beating around the bush without you getting it.

– We’ll check in your gallery logs if you’ve talked bad about the Queen or Head of the Gallery, haha.

– Just put simply, if there’s any insulting remarks about the Head of the Gallery or the Queen, you’re done!

– Damn, I’m definitely passing this.

– Steel armor? I’ll keep trying till I get through…

– !Advertisement! Come join the knight academy where knights personally coach and teach you!

– @@@@Knight lore brought to you by an Adrian-born knight!@@@@

“What is this?”

The fallout of casually spilling steel was tremendous.

The amount of steel was limited, and not everyone could carry the weight.

Therefore, distributing it only among the knights naturally led to intense interest in the knight job exam.

– Adrian-born knight recruitment seminar for just 100 mana pills!

– The secret to passing the knight exam 100% guaranteed, will there be a refund if you fail, or not!

For some reason, it felt like I was looking at the past from Korea’s Noryangjin.

Fortunately, after overcoming the monster wave, it was the time Kellierhton started to thrive in earnest.

Knock Knock Knock.

“Is anyone in there?”

“It’s a command from the Queen. If you’re in there, please step out to assist with the investigation.”

Someone knocked on my warehouse door.