C208
A man advanced towards me with a spear, showing a clumsy stance.
I easily deflected the spear and plunged my sword deeply into his abdomen.
His eyes widened, incredulous. I kicked him, and the man who fell backwards immediately stopped moving.
"There are quite a few, aren't there?"
They belonged to a guild of 24 Masters.
Even if each Master sent five heroes, the total would far exceed a hundred.
"I heard that those herbivore players don't send enough troops."
Most of those blocking our path seemed doubtful they had ever wielded a sword.
I don't know what words convinced them, but even heroes unrelated to the Self-Defense Squad began to get involved. They probably said that if they didn't join, they couldn't defend themselves with just the Self-Defense Squad and would end up losing everything.
"Damn bastards!"
Another similar guy rushed at me.
I plunged my sword into one who had fallen and at the same time drew a dagger with my left hand.
"Arg!"
The swift dagger pierced his trachea.
He fell clutching at the blood.
Dead.
From level 40, PvP protection doesn't apply.
That is to say, dying here meant the end.
Nevertheless, Silver Star heroes kept coming.
Well, what we had to do was clear.
Deal with the moths rushing to death without knowing their place.
"Why are they doing this? Is there any special reason?"
I heard Adilang's voice beyond the shouts and cheers.
A special reason?
You should look for it in your grave.
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Anything was completely ignoring the guild chat.
Negotiations had already ended.
"Don't let them reach the fortress! Stop them at all costs!"
"Jeez, you just shout from the back."
Belkist chuckled and slashed the neck of a warrior with his sword.
A silver flash shone, and the two staggering figures next to the warrior suffered the same fate.
They were cut down without even being able to wield their swords properly.
"There are many, but they are a disorganized bunch."
"It's because they haven't fought properly."
Jenna spun the dagger in her left hand.
The dagger's blood splattered over the scattered corpses below.
"Die! Please!"
A woman with disheveled hair rushed at me.
She wore a completely torn dress and wielded a broken dagger.
I twisted my body to the left and dodged her thrust.
"We were living well…!"
Thump.
The woman fell.
'Pathetic.'
In a siege, they should concentrate fire.
It's not a tournament; they're attacking one by one.
They just watched from afar, not really participating, while the real attackers were few.
"If you don't want to fight, step aside!"
The spectators stepped aside, and members of the Self-Defense Squad and guards appeared.
With well-fitted armor straps and shiny swords, they were the elite of the Silver Star.
They showed no signs of panic, despite the impending battle.
"They're a little over 50." Jenna whispered in my ear.
Sijal looked at me, baring his teeth.
"I should have known something like this would happen, since they call you Crazy Dog."
It will be troublesome to fight here.
Not all enemy heroes are here.
I signaled Jenna and Belkist with my eyes.
They nodded, understanding my intention.
"Wait, why here!"
Crack.
Belkist took the lead and decapitated a man.
Belkist grabbed his sword and swung it back and forth mercilessly.
The arms and legs of the heroes caught in his path flew through the air.
"This is madness…!"
"Break through! Towards the fortress!"
[The battle for occupation has begun!]
[If you capture the objective, you can temporarily expel other heroes associated with the ruins!]
The left side of the siege broke.
It was simple, as they were brats who didn't even know how to fight.
"You can't do that!"
Bang!
A transparent wall blocked my view.
Adilang's defense spell.
"It won't work."
I gathered all my strength and swung my sword.
Clang!
The sound of shattering glass accompanied the destruction of the wall.
I threw the broken sword and received a replacement from Belkist.
"Let's take the fortress. Belkist, go ahead. I'll go in the middle. Jenna, take care of those coming from behind."
"Understood!"
Jenna's hand moved leaving the trace of a residual image as she shot arrows from her compound bow at the Self-Defense Squad heroes.
Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!
Several heroes hit by the blind arrows rolled on the ground.
"Contact the fortress! Close the gates and send reinforcements!"
"Yayayaap!"
I struck an attacker running towards me with my left hand.
The guy fell to the ground, blood streaming from his nose.
"Let's go!"
"I know."
Dozens of Silver Star heroes were descending the slope leading to the Crystal.
And they weren't the only ones.
'They're completely crazy.'
I looked around.
In the outer port of the field, heroes were on the move.
"Lord Han, there are strange people coming this way."
The pilot's voice sounded.
Lucette was also anchored there.
I brought my hand to my ear.
"Deploy the airship and send it here."
"But what's going on? They were kind people."
"Handle the aircraft. Take a cannon and shoot any bastard who approaches."
"What? What kind of nonsense is that…?"
"Since when does a recruit answer like that? Do you want to experience what it's like to cough up blood?"
"I'm sorry, I'll start right away."
Vroom.
Lucette began to rise at the dock.
Boom!
A flame burst from Lucette's cannon mouth.
Several heroes heading towards the dock turned into ashes and disappeared.
The corpses Belkist disposed of rolled down the hill.
Beyond the hill, a large crystal surrounded by fortified walls could be seen.
'They've already completed the defenses.'
Cannons and ballistas in the fortress were aiming at us, ready to fire as soon as we were in range.
"Hey, brother! Those guys are heading towards a strange place!"
Jenna pointed towards the dock.
In a corner of the dock, three medium-sized airships were rising into the air.
These aircraft were armed with armor and cannons, but they were facing in the opposite direction.
They were moving out of the ruins.
'They're going to attack our main base.'
The target of the attack is Anything's Lobby.
'That's why I hate herbivore players.'
We should just face off in the ruins, but they insist on bringing it to an open battle.
This fight probably won't end just by taking the ruins.
With intentions of revenge or whatever, those guys will surely break into our Lobby.
There's only one way.
As always, wipe them out completely.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One of the Silver Star's airships exploded as it advanced out of the fortress. It wasn't the work of Lucette.
As expected, they were here.
The scavengers lurking near the ruins seeking an opportunity.
It was a fleet of PvP players.
Boom!
The second Silver Star airship exploded.
Caught off guard from the side, they had no chance to resist.
They were indiscriminately bombarding even the evacuation airships fleeing from the ruins.
The west gate of the fortress opened, and cavalry troops rushed out in panic.
They ran towards the port, completely ignoring us.
I suppose so.
If those guys also land, the problem will multiply by several degrees.
It won't be one-on-one but one-on-one-on-one.
Resulting in total chaos where it's difficult to discern the fronts.
'But, that's their problem.'
Jenna lowered her center of gravity, tightening the longbow string to its limit.
A large steel arrow was wrapped around the bowstring.
Jenna's eyes gleamed with a red light.
[Unique Skill, Steel Storm, activated!]
Boom!
The arrowhead was enveloped in wind, and the arrow shot out at a terrifying speed.
A slight shockwave hit my face.
The 70 cm long, nearly 10 kg steel arrow drew an arc.
Crack!
Several riders in the vanguard were cut along with their horses and vanished.
The shattered bodies of horses and people rose several meters high.
"Ready. Let's go."
Jenna slung her longbow.
The formation of the riders collapsed as if they were straw bundles.
'If you're going to work with me, you have to be this good.'
I smiled and moved to the fortress.
Jenna's marksmanship had already surpassed that of a ballista, akin to cannon bombardment.
"Deal with them first!"
Shouts came from the fortress wall.
It seems Jenna's arrow had just shot caught their attention.
Archers, ballistas, and cannons were aiming towards us.
Thwack!
A huge arrow was shot from the ballista.
"Hmph."
Belkist cut the ballista arrow in half, which flew to both sides.
Then, a cannon about to fire exploded.
Jenna had stuck an arrow into the cannon's mouth just before it fired.
"You first."
Belkist, dodging arrows like a ghost, pressed against the fortress wall.
And then he vertically climbed the wall.
It didn't take long before bodies started falling from above it.
"I'll go too!"
Jenna also jumped, alternating between the wall and the air.
"..."
I looked up.
Lucette was already floating in the sky.
"Excuse me... they're humans like us, right? I mean, they haven't taken some strange drug or developed superpowers, have they?"
This noisy kid.
<Should I stay here?>
"Don't be silly. Take the target."
<Oh, but it seems they're doing just fine on their own...>
I moved aside.
The soldiers' bodies fell in heaps where I had been.
The fortress's defensive forces weren't paying attention to Lucette.
Only two people were ruthlessly sweeping the inside of the fortress.
"Shoot the gate. Let's get in."
<Ahem.>
A clearing of the throat was heard.
<They both went up, don't tell me you can't...>
"..."
<Can't you really?>
"What's your name?"
Boom!
Lucette's cannon mouth spat fire, opening a small hole in a part of the gate.
<Ahahaha, I'll cover you!>
Lucette increased its altitude.
'He's a fun guy.'
I grabbed the small hole with my hand and widened it.
The steel-reinforced planks separated, creating a gap.
I moved in. Inside the fortress, numerous troops were coming and going.
The reserve forces kept pouring out of the inner buildings.
It was Adilang's doing.
It seems he had been replenishing personnel through a portal.
The estimated level of these soldiers was between 10 and 20.
They hadn't received proper training.
They simply increased their number.
'Even so, they must be around a thousand.'
Are they trying to buy time until the Self-Defense Squadron arrives?
"Stop them! At all costs!"
A young militia uniformed man shouted from the second-floor watchtower.
I propelled against the side wall, the building, and the watchtower railing, instantly elevating myself.
"Huh!"
Crack.
By grabbing his neck, the man died instantly, his breath cut in a second.
I stood on the tower, looking around.
Jenna and Belkist were sweeping troops on the wall as if they were brooms.
<Haha! These hypocrites! Well done!>
Through the fort's gate opening, I could see the port's landscape.
It was burning along with the smoke.
Dozens of armed heroes descended from an airship with a red flag.
<Equality? Peace? What nonsense!>
<Haha! That sounds good!>
I looked behind the fortress, towards the sharply rising cliff.
At the top of the cliff, an airship was parked, and armed heroes with swords and spears were descending towards the bottom of the fortress.
Obviously, they didn't belong to the Silver Star.
'It wasn't just one.'
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The distant sound of cannons tickled my ears.
It seems a fleet battle was raging somewhere.
'The hunters must be at least a dozen.'
It seems they've set the day.
The looters' airships filled the field of ruins, landing on the ground with the intent to occupy it.
They were annihilating anyone who crossed their gaze as they advanced towards the crystal.
That's how it should be.
It's not that they've retreated but they were lurking for an opportunity.
'It's not one-on-one-on-one...'
How many against how many?
It's hard to tell.
Ping!
I tilted my head to the side.
An arrow grazed my cheek as it passed.
"..."
An archer outside the fortress, descending down the cliff, had shot towards me.
If I've received a gift, I must return the favor.
I adopted a throwing stance and hurled a dagger.
The dagger's blade embedded into the archer's forehead a hundred meters away.
'Of course...'
In the end, we will win.
