C234
I had considered it impossible.
The idea that El Cid could summon the heroes he had consumed without any penalty seemed absurd.
‘As he summons more heroes, his level decreases.’
This suggests...
‘It's not so much his own strength, but an additional ability acquired upon reaching 7-star level.’
This hypothesis makes sense.
I had seen techniques that imposed a temporary burden on the body, but never one that had a permanent penalty.
“Those who have fallen before him find no peace even in death?”
Wiryung, clutching the railing of the Lucette, exploded in frustration.
Without my intervention, she would have already jumped into battle and likely would have been gloriously annihilated. Although she might have had a chance when she was a 6-star hero, the current Wiryung was barely in the 40s, a mere novice hero.
Anyway, the hunting team's forces continued to throw themselves against El Cid's flagship like water pouring into a sieve.
If one group was annihilated, another group from another master would land, and if that group was repelled, then dozens of attack units would take their place. Although this war of attrition would be painful for mid or low-level masters, it did not pose a major threat to higher-level masters.
They had thousands of heroes in their Lobbies.
Choosing the least useful ones, they sent them as cannon fodder while keeping their true elite forces hidden.
Reaching a certain level and leveling up a newly recruited hero was not difficult.
The same applied to the promotion processes. Even if they were annihilated here, they could simply recruit and train new heroes.
The loss of disposable heroes was insignificant compared to the rewards gained by completing the Raid.
I had operated in this manner at some point too.
An efficiency-focused management.
Somehow, they had learned from me.
“To my eyes, El Cid and the masters seem similar.”
I said with a mocking smile.
One reason the exchange between El Cid and the hunting team was not equitable might be that the morale of the hunting team was at its lowest. To other masters, busy pounding their virtual keyboards in chat, they might seem just another game character, but I knew very well they weren't simple game characters.
And now, those landing on the Ximena knew it too.
They knew they were being used as mere consumables, destined to die.
‘Treat the Lobby heroes as if they were living people. They will respond accordingly.’
It was one of the pieces of advice El Cid gave me in the early days of Pick Me Up when there was only one server.
Treat the heroes as if they were people.
If you do, they will respond to the masters.
‘If I were one of those high-ranking masters...’
I would do the same in discarding the useless ones, but in a different way.
Firing them like trash is not my style.
Well, thinking about it doesn't make sense, as I'm just observing from behind.
[Dimensional Channel (Advanced Only) - 58 participants]
Iclios> This is a war of attrition. Look at the boss's level. Every time he summons minions, it drops. If we keep pressing like this, eventually it will end. I'm going to bring out another fleet, so everyone, bring out more than what you've been holding back. Not every day rewards are so juicy.
During the ongoing exchange of casualties between both sides, the leader of the hunting team also noticed the change.
The Conquest Army could revive over and over, but the power of their master, El Cid, was not infinite.
[Warning!]
[The Conqueror of Destiny]
[Laskandar El Cid Level 588]
El Cid's level had entered the 500s.
[Dimensional Channel (Advanced Only) - 58 participants]
Iclios> Once we're done with the minions, we'll move on to the next phase. Stay calm and observe the pattern.
“Pattern, huh.”
El Cid smiled bitterly.
His wolf-skin cloak was soaked in red blood.
[Dimensional Channel (Advanced Only) - 58 participants]
Iclios> Just a little more and...
El Cid waved his cloak once more.
A misty wind emanated from his feet, widely enveloping the dirigible's floor. Dozens of air currents intermingled chaotically, surrounding the entire deck. Soon, they began voraciously devouring the bodies of the fallen heroes on the ground.
What had been piles of flesh and blood transformed into particles of light that were absorbed towards El Cid.
The number floating above his head began to jump abruptly: from 580 to 590, and from 590 to 600.
‘... synthesis.’
He was absorbing the souls of the fallen.
Like specters, the fallen Conquest Army began to rise again.
If this continued, as long as there were casualties on the hunting team's side, El Cid's forces would endlessly revive.
The battle's difficulty was escalating exponentially.
“Don't they already know? To their Masters, they're nothing more than consumables. Knowing they're going to die, they're going to be abandoned, yet they still throw themselves at me? Is their master's order so important?”
El Cid directed these words to the heroes of the hunting team fighting on the deck.
“Shut up! Just die already! Who do you think you are...!?”
An archer shouted as she aimed her bow.
Twang! The arrow, swift as lightning, grazed El Cid's cheek.
Soon, a line of blood was drawn on his right cheek.
"How regrettable."
Blood dripped from El Cid's cheek.
"Their masters discard them in pursuit of a few pieces of data."
"What can we do! You're talking pointlessly! Just die already!"
"I suppose so."
El Cid looked indifferent at the heroes battling on the deck.
[Dimensional Channel (for advanced users only) - 61 participants]
Melt> How are we supposed to win? They're dying as soon as we send them. Are you sure you're giving the right orders?
Iclios> It seems to be a slightly modified pattern. Just wait a little longer.
Melt> No, you said we should do this. If we keep going like this, we're all going to die. I've already lost half of my fleet. Is continuing to fight like this even if we win a loss? Can we retreat?
Iclios> Moebius wouldn't launch a Raid without a solution. Hold on a little longer.
"I'll put an end to you."
At a moment when the fierce battle continued on the deck, El Cid stomped hard.
Boom. The entire Ximena aircraft shuddered once, and thunder and storms gathered behind El Cid.
The same effect as when he summoned the Conquest Army. However, there was a crucial difference: even from this distance, a powerful magical force could be felt emanating.
[Danger!]
[The Conqueror of Fate]
[Laskandar El Cid Lv. 452]
El Cid's level had dropped almost 200 points at once.
And as the storm subsided, the newly summoned heroes revealed their figures.
[Danger!]
[The Swift Lightning]
[Leetha of Gor Lv. 99]
[Danger!]
[The Howling Storm]
[Kirzak Delaher Lv. 99]
'Those guys…'
Just as Niflheim has a first team led by Siris,
They were the three heroes representing Dorado alongside Laskandar himself.
Although missions prioritized conquest, PVP battles were common while ascending the tower.
In the early days of Pick Me Up, those two had forced many high-ranking masters to kneel, known as the Swords of Dorado.
Although now their glory days seemed forgotten, at their peak, their notoriety surpassed even that of Master Laskandar.
Leetha, with her dark skin and slender figure, skillfully twirled two daggers in her hands.
Crack. Electric sparks began to emanate from her body.
'The fastest heroine, they say.'
Her eyes showed no light, but her determination was clear.
To the left of Leetha, an elderly man with a thick, white beard gripped the hilt of his greatsword.
Known as the Fierce Cutter, the old man wore heavy plate armor. As he unsheathed his greatsword, the intricate patterns on his armor began to glow with a golden gleam.
And finally, a middle-aged man in worn-out clothes and a conical hat stepped forward slowly.
[Danger!]
[One who has reached the pinnacle of martial arts]
[Dan Ziheum Level 253]
Wiryung opened her mouth in surprise.
Mu-ryeon's submaster, whom everyone believed dead, had reappeared.
To be precise, although his mind was dead, his body was still active.
Since his level was much lower than she remembered, it seemed that the fusion had not been long ago, and the reproduction was quite poor. However, even so, this middle-aged man had been recognized as a swordsman at the level or even higher than Lidigyon. His skills would not have completely disappeared.
"What are those guys…?"
The hunting team that was barely holding a resistance position on the deck was stunned by the appearance.
Sometimes, just by looking at someone, you can feel their strength. If they were closer, they would immediately realize that these were opponents of a completely different level.
'I'm glad I didn't go.'
If Anything had been recklessly greedy and ordered an attack, I would have fled the battlefield immediately.
After all, one must know their place. Although at my level I may be unbeatable, it was still not the time.
"Proceed."
El Cid signaled with his hand.
The three behind him raised their heads and began to move simultaneously.
"…"
With a twist of her daggers, Leetha disappeared, leaving behind only a trail of residual images.
Immediately, dozens of warriors from the hunting team on the left side of the deck had their throats cut in a spray of blood. With a single move, she had annihilated an entire squadron of heroes at the peak of 6-star level.
"…"
Then, Kirzak swung his greatsword with force.
An invisible shockwave erupted, dismembering the hunting team warriors facing his front. The shockwave didn't stop there; it also tore through dozens of heroes descending on ropes from above.
"…"
Dan Ziheum leaped, as if stepping on air, with movements that seemed like a dance. Every time his short sword created flashes of light in the air, the bodies of heroes fell to the ground.
In a matter of minutes.
The hunting team, which had been holding a war of attrition against the Conquest Army on the Ximena aircraft, was completely annihilated. Their bodies collapsed onto the deck and soon transformed into particles of light that were absorbed again by El Cid.
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