Chapter 164 - Mosaic War (3)
That night, I found myself sitting in my room's chair, lost in thought.
"This mission is..."
I let out a sigh.
Even though Floor 36 ended with a minor battle, there were several aspects we couldn't overlook.
I set out to gather information in detail, despite the profound weariness that enveloped me.
"First."
The situation on the battlefield.
The forces of the order and those of another faction were facing off against each other.
I decided to call this other faction 'the Lion's Army,' due to their banner displaying a lion with a sword between its jaws. Either way.
"We are at a clear disadvantage."
The number and training of the troops.
The effectiveness of the formation, the competence of the commander, the quality and quantity of asymmetric forces, including mages and cavalry. The combat spirit of the entire army, the equipment they carried. There was no aspect in which we were superior.
All of this was cause for alarm.
The fact that we have 4 chances means that a similar situation will repeat itself 4 times, and if we don't achieve our objective within those chances, the mission will be considered a failure.
A mission in which similar circumstances repeat and within which an objective must be achieved.
This is called a 'Loop.' It's a type of mission known for its high difficulty.
Unlike other missions, although multiple opportunities are provided, the difficulty in seizing them is extremely high.
"I'm not completely sure, but..."
It might not be a Loop.
What I observed was only a fraction of the battlefield.
Probably, tomorrow the conquest of Floor 37 will begin.
I need to get confirmation there.
If my suspicions are correct, we'll have to prepare for a smooth conquest.
It seems I won't be able to sleep tonight. I got up from the chair with a bitter smile.
The next night.
"[Group 1, gather!]"
Iselle's powerful voice resonated in the air.
I didn't know how much longer I could hear that voice. I geared up for battle and descended to the first-floor plaza.
"Are you suggesting that girl might not be dead?"
On a bench in the plaza, the members of Group 1 were waiting.
Belkist asked, and Jenna replied, "Yes, I think so. It's strange, isn't it? After everything we've done for the princess, it would be an unexpected outcome if it all ended like this. Besides, it seems time and space don't have much meaning in these missions."
"So..."
"Let's go back to the moment when she was alive and start over! ...Maybe."
"I also think the same. She can't die so easily."
An intense debate arose among the members.
I smiled and approached. Kishasha, who had stayed out of the discussion, came up to me.
"Han!"
"Why are you standing aside?"
"They're talking about things I don't understand."
"They're not considerate."
I ruffled Kishasha's head before joining the conversation.
"Starting over."
"Brother! Have you arrived? Uh, I have a great idea...!"
Swoosh.
I pulled something out of my pocket and tossed it into the air.
Jenna caught it by surprise and blinked.
"What's this?"
"A pocket watch. It's valuable, so take care of it."
"A watch?"
It was an item I had ordered at Anything's gift shop.
It cost me 100,000 gold and lower-grade magical components. Although Anything hesitated because of the high price, in the end, he agreed to my request.
"It's portable. Take it with you during the mission and handle it with care."
I looked towards the door at the front of the plaza as I muttered.
A faint light leaked from inside the Space-Time Rift.
There were a few minutes left before the entrance.
"Go back to the moment when she was alive and start over. You've summed up the situation well."
"I learned it in Niflheim, you know."
Jenna scratched her head, somewhat embarrassed.
Undoubtedly, she's intelligent.
I continued.
"You're probably right."
"So, brother, what should we do?"
"We have to observe again how the situation unfolds. That's why I prepared the watch. Gather everyone. I'll explain briefly."
The members gathered around.
I spread out a white paper one meter wide on the ground. On it, I had drawn the map of the field we had traversed the previous day. The central battlefield was in the middle, and around it, hills and plateaus extended.
"We were summoned here."
I pointed south of the field.
The hills and plains were outlined with contour lines; likewise, I traced the path through the battlefield. In the middle stretch of the southern path, I marked an "A" with a red pen, indicating the place where we had faced off against the order's supply unit.
"Outside the center and the south, everything remains in shadows. What does that tell us?"
"It's obvious. These are still unexplored areas. If this field repeats, we must complete the map. Perfectly."
"Jenna, if that's the case, information is paramount."
The field on Floor 36 stretched vastly. What was explored, excluding the center, barely represented a quarter. Apart from the south, where we came from, all areas were unknown. Even the south hadn't been thoroughly inspected; after the encounter with the supply unit, our attention was solely focused on the battlefield.
"Access to the battlefield is prohibited."
An invisible wall blocked it. If the mission on Floor 40 involves repetition and Priacis's survival intertwines with the mission's objective, then there must be some means to enter the battlefield.
"There..."
Iselle sweated at the entrance to the Space-Time Rift. Our delay was evident. I glanced at her, and she, unable to respond, adopted a worried expression.
"I'm transmitting the orders."
[Loading...]
"Please wait."
Time was pressing, and we couldn't omit details in the explanation. For about ten minutes, I outlined the plan to the team. Finally, we managed to access the Space-Time Rift just as Iselle was about to collapse.
[Main dungeon, current floor: 37.]
[The door will open in 10 seconds. Prepare yourselves!]
"Floor 37."
As I anticipated, Anything chose to advance to Floor 37. If he had chosen wrong, I would have protested to correct the course. Upon receiving the summoning signal, I observed the team members.
Pop!
A sensation of floating enveloped my body. A cool breeze brushed my neck, and the familiar scent of grass reached my nostrils.
[Floor 37.]
[Mission type - Unknown.]
[Objective - Unknown.]
The uncertainty of the objective window was extremely frustrating.
I took a deep breath, expanding my field of vision. Grass, stones, and hills stretched out before me, identical to Floor 36. And then...
"It smells like blood and iron," Kishasha commented, sharpening her senses.
"Here it is..."
"Yes," I responded with a laugh. "We've come back to square one."
If we ascend the northern hill, we'll have a clear view of the battlefield. The development is probably the same: the order overwhelmingly surpassing the Lion's Army and, eventually, Priacis meeting her end in identical circumstances, thus concluding the mission.
"If we waste all the opportunities..."
The floor could collapse, or perhaps remain in perpetual stalemate.
The only certainty is that...
"We won't get out of this without consequences."
"Let's start."
"At your command! I'll go ahead!" Jenna greeted me enthusiastically and ran towards the northern hill.
Her task was clear: to determine the mission's time limit, that is, how long we can last from start to finish. That's why I handed her a pocket watch.
'Precisely.'
The time limit is measured to the second.
Furthermore, you must record every significant event on the battlefield during your observation.
This will serve as a reference to identify points of divergence. For now, Jenna remains excluded from the combat.
'Next.'
"I entrust you with the rest."
"Trust me. It's not for nothing that I belong to the Tribe of the Tempest."
Kishasha smiled, baring her fangs, then crouched down and, with the agility of a beast, began to run across the plain.
She would take care of exploration, moving counterclockwise around the field. In this cycle, Kishasha would also refrain from combat.
"..."
Katio closed his eyes, holding a rainbow stone in his hand. A wave of blue magical power emanated from him.
'This boy is out too.'
He was synchronizing Jenna and Kishasha's visions, ensuring that the scenes they both observed were stored as video data in the magic stone.
"It's just the two of us now."
"That's more than enough."
"Of course."
Belkist smiled silently and unsheathed his sword.
I responded with a smile and drew my sword from its scabbard. In front of us stretched a line of carts loaded with supplies.
"Didn't you hear something strange?"
"Strange? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It sounds like a mouse rustling…"
Slash!
The throats of two soldiers in mid-conversation were cut with a single stroke.
Before the blood could spurt from their necks and touch the ground, I spun on my heels, brandished my sword, and charged toward the front of the caravan.
"Identify yourselves!"
Belkist leaped forward and pierced through the chest of the nearest soldier.
Blood sprayed in an arc. I had no time to waste with these individuals.
I drew my sword and advanced running.
"Aaah!"
"Please, save us... it's a monster!"
"I am Kyle Von Strauss, the Silver Paladin, executor of the goddess's wrath…"
About ten minutes later,
The ground was littered with lifeless bodies.
I shook my longsword, now sticky with dark blood, and turned around.
Underneath a shattered caravan, a blue potion seeped out.
'If we get hold of this supply…'
The magical bombardment from the order could be stopped.
That would mean gaining extra time.
"Hurry up."
"I'm coming."
With no time to catch my breath, we pressed forward.
We headed towards the next area, crossing the hill to the west.
'Anything has prepared something.'
With a snap of the fingers,
[Master, Han (★★★) requests the summoning of a mount.]
[Do you accept? The summoning requires a Summoning Stone.]
[Yes (Select) / No]
[Swipe the screen.]
[Give your hero wings!]
[Ding!]
[Gandalf (★) has been summoned to the battlefield.]
[Saruman (★) has been summoned to the battlefield.]
In a flash of light,
A summoning gate materialized by my side, and two sturdy horses emerged on the plain.
One gray-coated and the other white. Prepared by Anything, captured in the Weekly Dungeon, and trained in the stable.
With a jovial laugh,
I mounted Gandalf.
With a touch of the heels, the horse neighed and began to gallop across the plain.
Behind, Belkist rode on Saruman, following closely.
"Belkist!"
"What's up?"
"Take the left path. Explore the outskirts of the field."
"Received. Be careful!"
With a turn of the reins, Belkist changed direction.
Soon, his silhouette and that of his mount faded into the distance.
'The field is more extensive than anticipated.'
Summoning the horse was undoubtedly the right decision.
I tightened the reins and spurred Gandalf's side.
Laughing heartily,
Gallop across the plain, I raised my hand to my ear.
"Katio, is the communication ready?"
"Everything's set! Establishing connection now."
"Connect with Kishasha."
The image on the left end of my field of vision distorted, replaced by another image.
Kishasha appeared, riding swiftly across the plain. However, behind her, sinister figures mounted on black horses pursued her.
[Black Knights Lv.41] X 13
My brow furrowed as I saw them.
The Black Knights, notorious for breaking into the rear of armies and devastating them.
They pursued Kishasha, effortlessly matching her speed.
"Kishasha."
"Han, these guys emit an unbearable stench."
"Where did they come from?"
"There."
Kishasha nodded toward the right.
On a hill of red rocks stood an imposing black castle.
'That's it.'
An ominous aura emanated from the castle.
Through its slightly ajar gate, a peach-colored statue could be glimpsed.
There was no doubt. It was the crucial object of our mission: the statue of the goddess.
"Not just there. I saw another at the beginning."
"So there are at least two? Can you dodge them?"
"No problem."
As I withdrew my hand from my ear, the connection was severed.
Kishasha would take care of the right side. My task was to inspect the left.
Mounted on Gandalf, I crossed to the west of the plain.
Soon, I spotted the second point of interest.
In the distance, a large number of figures advanced in a group toward the battlefield.
Thanks to my Mind's Eye, I could detail their attire: steel armor and quivers full of arrows.
'A battalion of archers?'
They were elite archers.
Eliminating them could delay the advance on the Lion's Army.
The magnitude of the mission began to take shape in my mind.
'There are delaying targets to the west, and to the east, a fortress with key items.'
Then it occurred to me.
'A simultaneous attack on both fronts.'
Analyzing the available information to date.
'It's the worst possible situation.'
We were facing a mission of maximum difficulty loop.
Time was of the essence, it was necessary to divide our forces, there were multiple critical objectives, and to top it all, we were being pursued by enemies.
'Is this also part of your plan?'
Do you intend to challenge me by increasing the game's difficulty to this level?
It didn't matter. I shook my head, clearing my doubts.
No matter the mission presented, I would overcome it and crush it.
'You should have picked someone else to bother.'
I tightened the reins.
Gandalf, with his mane in the wind, advanced toward the battalion of archers.
But between them and me lay an abyss.
Over the abyss, a rudimentarily built rock bridge, clearly unnatural.
There was no time to hesitate.
I spurred Gandalf once more.
It was not a moment for wavering. I would cross the bridge in one leap and launch myself at the archers.
My goal was clear: from the west to the north, to meet up with Kishasha. That was the goal of this phase of the mission.
Impact!
"Hehehehe!"
Gandalf emitted a painful cry before falling sideways.
We were moving at a breakneck speed. I was thrown from the saddle, projecting forward. In the air, I managed to adjust my posture to land sliding on the ground.
[Gandalf (★) has been unsummoned.]
'What happened?'
It was then that I detected the source of the problem.
I shook the mud off my armor and looked towards the other end of the stone bridge.
On the opposite side of the cliff, near the bridge, stood a figure.
It was a man with a hat adorned with dark feathers, wearing a black robe with wide sleeves.
This individual, whose face was hidden behind a mask, held a longbow.
[Danger!]
[Cursed Archer Lv.?]
