Chapter 42 – The Art of Ruling (2)
“An incredible feat. Until now, there wasn’t a single case of surviving an attack from them!”
“It was only possible thanks to not dealing with their full strength.”
“Even so, what’s the problem! Both Mayor and the Defense Captain had fled. If it weren’t for you, the place would have fallen!”
The moment my soldiers retreated, Cruiger and the residents there erupted in cheers and cries of joy, celebrating the victory.
They rejoiced in their survival and soon realized the magnitude of the achievement they had accomplished, trembling with pride.
In truth, my Legion had never failed in an attack. Whether by infiltrating with duplicates for superior intel and deploying greater numbers or creating new types of soldiers to counter their foes, every battle had been carefully orchestrated for success.
While it was close, my soldiers almost triumphed regardless. Cruiger’s decisive leadership during the crisis undeniably played a significant role.
“But… seeking rescue elsewhere will be impossible. To be honest, it’s doubtful that holding this place will even be feasible. The walls are damaged, and the turrets are in need of repair due to overload. If they attack again, we won’t be able to hold out.”
“You’re right. In my opinion, we should use this time to retreat slowly with the survivors.”
Cruiger did not refute the words of the other Orc Mercenary.
Unfortunately, their strength and miracles have their limits. Compared to my soldiers, who were designed solely for combat and lived only for it, the endurance of Cruiger’s forces paled in comparison.
“It depends on the situations elsewhere.”
Cruiger muttered as he prepared for the retreat, standing beside me.
If the other regions resisted as successfully as this one, there might be an opportunity for a counterattack.
But reality contradicted his thoughts. This place was the only one that had managed to hold out. Initially, I had no intention of sparing others.
I hadn’t held back against the other locations, nor did I fairly distribute my forces.
“Siege the Lord’s castle.”
Even more, the castle of Lamia Lord Rozalyn that my main force is currently assaulting faces a similar plight.
The battle there between the opposing Player faction’s forces and my soldiers was of such intensity that it made the one here seem trivial by comparison.
*
“Adjust the turrets to target those coming from the rear. Focus on shooting down the bombs they’re launching!”
The main force of the Lamia territory, gathered at the Lord’s castle, fiercely fought against the swarming enemies. The land and the sky were both battlegrounds in the intense clash.
The artillery battered the enemies flooding the grounds, while archers and mages worked tirelessly to intercept the flying combatants and biological bombs crowding the skies.
“How much longer can this keep going?!”
Lord Rozalyn, overcome with anxiety, wriggled her tail instead of pacing back and forth.
Despite eliminating numerous foes in each fleeting moment, the horde of legion soldiers covering the land in her sight showed no signs of reducing.
It seemed as though the defense would crumble like this. It felt as if she’d lose everything she had.
Just like the Oak Baron’s Territory that had fallen miserably not long ago.
‘Foolish woman. If only we had more time. We, who were supposed to serve Him, could have become the rightful owners of this territory.’
General Manuel of the Lamia army sighed inwardly as he glanced at Rozalyn.
Rozalyn had merely inherited her territory from her predecessor and lacked the remarkable talent to develop or expand it.
While Manuel had once been loyal to her, that was no longer the case. The reason being the divine revelations he received at some point in the past.
‘Under His governance, this land was destined for great prosperity and flourishing!’
The deity who bestowed upon Manuel revelations and numerous gifts transformed him from an insignificant local noble into the strongest figure in the region. With vast resources at his disposal, he gained access to extraordinary warriors.
Lord Rozalyn, who relied on him for guidance, even called upon his help in their time of crisis.
However, time fell short. His plan, which involved expanding his power to devour the entire territory and reach even greater heights, was disrupted by the monster Legion invading from the north.
The invaders who had already razed a Demon territory were monstrous entities committed only to destruction and slaughter. Everyone had to unite with all their might to survive.
“Charge! Show those uncivilized beasts the grace of our Lord!”
As the masses of the Legion soldiers crawled towards him, Manuel ordered his underlings to strike.
They were a distinct group of Lamia warriors.
The dark-scaled, copper-skinned Lamia fired off arrows, each shot accompanied by surging lightning that crackled through multiple streams.
This lightning instantly electrified and downed countless Legion soldiers, causing Rozalyn to widen her eyes in astonishment.
“Who are they? I’ve never heard of such a group…”
“They are those born through the revelations of the Almighty One. Moreover, the battle is far from over.”
Manuel pointed forward as he mocked Rozalyn’s surprise.
Instead of the smaller and weaker Fiends, the Alpha Types, wrapped in dark crimson magical barriers, appeared in large numbers, attacking them.
The magical shields of the Alpha Types were not easily penetrable. Even worse, countless enemies kept surging forth with no sign of stopping.
“Those… monsters…”
Manuel was shocked as he spotted waves of fresh reinforcements joining the Legion far ahead.
Certainly, they were putting up an incredible fight beyond their capacity, but the nests scattered all over their territory numbered in the dozens, manufacturing more soldiers from the nutrients obtained by destroying everything on the ground in real-time. Without clearing out these nests, defeating the Legion through a war of attrition was impossible, even with the aid of a Player.
“Is this even possible? What are those creatures?! This is cheating!”
[There is no issue with the system.]
Not only the players at the battlefront but also those providing command were shocked at the overwhelming numbers of the endless Legion swarming their foes.
Even for those who knew nothing, like Rozalyn, the Legion’s overwhelming strength and expansion capabilities were incomprehensible.
‘How can such beings exist? And to think they’re in the same category as me?!’
The Lamia faction’s Player clenched their teeth, realizing that their forces wouldn’t be enough.
“What are you? Answer me!”
They attempted hasty communication with the enemy. The system had already acknowledged the monstrous Legion as entities controlled by a Player.
“Hey, bastard!”
But the adversary remained silent. Unaware that they were in a state where communication was possible but no response could be given, the Player had to suppress their rage and search for a way to survive.
Defeat meant death. It was the same in both reality and this game.
“I’ll order a full retreat. I can’t die here like this.”
“It’s not exactly clear, but the unidentified monsters appearing in the north are undoubtedly linked to a Player. We need to eliminate that Player first.”
In the end, the Player had to make a desperate attempt to survive.
Deciding to evacuate all forces, including the ones fighting and those stationed in their base, the Player chose to flee.
Then they sent chat messages to other “Players” they knew. Although they were all potential rivals, they had so far refrained from direct conflict for pragmatic reasons.
To these recipients, the Player proposed forming a united front to halt the monstrous threat advancing from the north.
[Each faction lacks the strength to establish a united front at this time.]
“Shut up! This is the only way to stand against those monsters now!”
Among the Players who were still expanding their influence, those who had ascended to the ranks of Lord were few and far between, but there was little choice in the matter.
If these monsters are left unchecked, they will consume everything in this land, no matter if it belongs to locals or Players.
“Wha- What is this?! Manuel! Come back!”
“We have no choice! This is the command decreed by the Almighty!”
Simultaneously, chaos erupted in Rozalyn’s Lordship castle.
Just as they were fighting fiercely, Manuel, acting upon a Player’s orders, led his troops away without looking back. The front line they barely held onto collapsed instantly and was swept away.
“Ugh…”
As the castle fell and enemies surged in like a flood, Rozalyn, unable to escape in time, hung her head in despair before the countless Legion soldiers surrounding her.
Before her stood Syla, holding the head of the last Lamia Knight who had resisted until the end, her red eyes flashing eerily from behind her mask as she approached.
