Chapter 122: The Plan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: The Plan
Hunting large-scale monsters or conquering dungeons were things the Kim Taesung of the past could never have dreamed of doing. He could somehow manage to squeeze his way into smaller dungeons, but hunting a great beast, which required a raid party to move as a single, organic unit, was naturally a hurdle set far too high.
If, by some miracle, he had been a priest, he might have been able to stand in the rear, but a swordsman with an attack power that couldn’t even pierce a great beast’s hide was utterly useless.
The same went for raiding even a mid-sized monster. As a result, participating in a raid had always been a distant, dream-like fantasy for me.
‘What? You, Kim Taesung, in a raid? Give me a break…’
The look on Choi Seulgi’s face as she sighed at me when I’d cautiously brought it up was something I still couldn’t forget. I don’t even need to say how envious I was of the guilds and raid parties that returned to the western city with a great monster in tow. For my first-ever raid to be against the Beast of the East… it was only natural for my heart to pound with excitement.
At my words, Goff opened his mouth with a puzzled expression.
“You mean preparations for battle.”
“That’s right, Goff. It’s hard to explain right now, but taking that thing down is not impossible. We can definitely do it, and without any major sacrifices.”
As I made this bold declaration, Black Spear gave me a look of disbelief. It was an understandable reaction, given that he knew about the Beast of the East.
Its official name was ‘Hydra.’ The only difference from the monster of myth was that this one had three heads. It rarely left its territory, likely because it knew it would suffer great damage if it approached the human metropolis of Hadum or Storm Shadow’s village. It was that smart.
Even so, it was still just a monster, but its colossal body was certainly a threat.
“If you say so, then perhaps it’s true.”
“Thank you.”
He was undoubtedly recalling our time in the Ancient Warrior’s Grave.
I smiled faintly and began to speak slowly to them. The concept of a raid would be difficult for them to grasp, but I believed they would do well.
“A detailed explanation will have to wait, but for now, a simple one should suffice.”
“Hmm…”
“The basic method of combat is the same, of course. We will hunt it by dividing our forces into a vanguard that fights at the front, archers who can attack from the rear, and finally, shamans to support the other two.”
“Among the vanguard, the most crucial role of Assault Captain will be taken by Goff.”
His face lit up at my words. He seemed incredibly pleased. For Green Skins, the word ‘vanguard’ was always a thrill.
“So I just need to stand at the very front and wring the neck of the Beast of the East… Isn’t that incredibly simple?”
I had expected this kind of reaction.
“It’s similar, but that’s not it. Goff, your job isn’t to kill the enemy at the front, but to protect your fellow clan members and our brothers from the front.”
“…”
It was a simple statement. I looked at Goff’s face, hoping he would understand, but he wore a look of complete confusion.
“Isn’t that… an insult to you all? The Blood Dagger Clan, the Goff Clan, the Black Spear Clan—we are all strong. The only ones who need protection are the young Green Skins and the new recruits Black Spear brought with him.”
I started to feel like this was going to be more difficult than I thought. He couldn’t understand the concept of standing at the front to protect others. Sensing this would take more time, I couldn’t help but swallow a dry gulp of saliva. It was Black Spear who came to my aid. It seemed my words had struck a chord with him, a warrior from a ranged discipline.
“I don’t think that’s what Blood Dagger means. Think back to the battle at the human settlement. The human warriors were constantly blocking the path of the mages and archers who were attacking from a distance… Goff, if you hadn’t come from behind, we would have had to clash with their warriors first. In that time, the human mages could have repositioned…”
His explanation was even more precise than mine. I was somewhat aware that I wasn’t the most eloquent speaker, but losing to Black Spear felt a little humiliating.
“Hmm… That’s right.”
It seemed Black Spear’s explanation was clicking in Goff’s head. He nodded with a bright expression.
“To give a simple example, if the goblin archers are hit by an attack, they’ll be seriously injured. They’re fast, so they can avoid getting hit, but that’s not enough. To hunt the Beast of the East, we need to pour on a relentless barrage of attacks. So, you take the hits for them. Attacks that would terrify the goblins, the ogres can withstand.”
“If you and a few other ogres block the attacks from reaching the archers, they can unleash a constant stream of attacks. This is the most important part.”
“I see!”
I had been worried he might not like the idea of suppressing his wild instincts to focus on defense, but looking at Goff, I could set that concern aside for now.
“Magnificent…”
Fortunately, the idea seemed to appeal to Goff’s sensibilities. I was also a little pleased, so I looked at him and spoke again.
“And the shamans will continuously cast waves of healing on the injured ogres. This way, we can reduce the mana spent on the archers and other shamans. If you do your job well, Goff, even the swordsmen and I, who will be fighting alongside you at the front, won’t need healing waves.”
“Oh…”
It was the most basic concept of a raid.
“If what you say is true, then I will be in the most danger…”
It was an undeniable fact. If things went wrong, Goff would be the one to buy time and minimize the damage. He would be the one standing at the very front, blocking the attacks head-on. When I nodded, he nodded back with a pleased expression.
“I thank you for yielding such a glorious position to me, Blood Dagger.”
In truth, it wasn’t that I was yielding it, but that it had to be this way. Still, I nodded.
“Then it will be my Black Spear Clan and I who must attack relentlessly from the rear.”
“That’s right, Black Spear.”
They understood perfectly. They nodded, lost in thought. Explaining the theory was important, but training and synchronizing our movements beforehand was crucial as well. It wasn’t common, but if our paths got tangled, one of Black Spear’s spears could end up lodged in Goff’s back. I had no choice but to resolve to start training tomorrow.
“We must begin training tomorrow. It would be best for each of you to return to your clans and inform your people. The battle could go on for a very long time, so I recommend Black Spear gather consumables like arrows and spears, and Goff, you should acquire red potions for healing wounds and a large shield.”
“Understood. This isn’t a battle against humans, but my heart is pounding.”
My heart was pounding, too. In fact, my desire for this was far greater than theirs. I had a feeling they would head straight for the Item Shop as soon as they returned. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I’d entered the shop myself. I hadn’t even used the rewards from my last quest. I must have earned a good amount of points from the war, so I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit the Item Shop on this occasion.
As I rose from my seat, Abar, who seemed to have been waiting for our conversation to end, immediately got to her feet. She approached, wagging her tail again, and as I stroked her neck, she let out a soft “Grrrrr.” Gurba, watching this, was glaring in our direction.
“…”
Goff looked a little dumbfounded by the sight, but he didn’t comment on it and simply spoke to me.
“Then I’ll see you again tomorrow morning.”
“Rest well, my brothers.”
And so, we began to head back to our respective villages. I lightly swung myself onto Abar’s back, and she began to move at a slow pace. I prayed that Gurba would win Abar’s heart, but it was clear that would be impossible for now. I was once again reminded of why the Giant Wolf population was so small.
I idly stroked Abar’s head, and she shook it as if pleased. She seemed to be walking a little faster, at a pace that felt like a full-grown man’s sprint. I once again thought of the legendary wolf riders and prayed that Gurba would hurry up and steal Abar’s heart.
Upon entering the village, the first thing I saw was the sight of children playing peacefully. I could also see the Orc swordsmen training and Hakajin at work. When they saw me return after my brief meeting, they all stopped what they were doing and began to greet me.
“For Blood Dagger.”
“Fow Bwood Dagga!”
The entire clan had a relaxed air, almost as if they were on a break, which brought a smile to my face. After handing Abar over to Kim Yoora, I headed to my tent. As expected, Mev was still waiting for me, her legs propped up.
Her persistence was truly something else. To think she had been in that position from the moment I woke up until I finished all my business was astounding. Mev, who had been waiting for me, beamed and opened her mouth.
“You’re late, Chieftain! Hehehe.”
“Yeah.”
Even the spot where she was lying was the same; it seemed she hadn’t moved at all for a long time.
“Have you been like that this whole time?”
“Yup! It’s almost done. The goblin matrons said this is the most effective way…”
It seemed to be based on nothing, but she appeared to trust their words completely. After a little more time passed, Mev slowly began to get up. It was a majestic sight, Mev standing on the ground for the first time in a while. But for some reason, her wings didn’t look right. They began to tremble violently. Just as I was starting to worry that something was wrong, I heard her voice.
“Aack… My… my wings are numb… Chief… Chieftain…”
Having lain down all day, it was no wonder her wings had a cramp. I chuckled and gently massaged Mev’s wings. Soon, she began to receive my massage-that-wasn’t-a-massage with a look of pleasure.
“Feels good…”
After a little more time, the numbness in her wings seemed to have subsided, and she put on her crown and clothes. The way she carefully put on the crown showed that, although she didn’t express it, it was an item she truly cherished. It seemed she was planning to spend some time in her own tent. I was actually worried she might throw a tantrum and insist on staying in my tent, so her not doing so was quite surprising. I opened my mouth just in case, but her voice was incredibly confident.
“Are you going back to your tent?”
“Yup. The goblin matrons said they’d check if it worked. If I had my way, I’d stay here forever, but monopolizing you isn’t good. The plant and the human are probably waiting, too. The more heirs, the better! Of course, I’m first, hehe.”
The way she raised her chin as if she’d said something incredibly cool was quite cute. I found myself smiling slightly as I looked at her.
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ll tell the plant to bring you something, Chieftain.”
“Thank you.”
She was quite adorable as she flapped her wings, about to leave the tent. Watching her go, I slowly brought the Item Shop to mind, and soon, I felt my body being transported there.