Chapter 340: Dropping the Magic Tower
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 340: Dropping the Magic Tower
“Let’s go.”
I had expected them to be holding the line, but the quality of their troops was low. They were nothing more than cannon fodder to buy time. They must have anticipated that our continent’s forces would push in. In fact, since we were preparing to attack the nearby small and large cities, their thinking wasn’t wrong, but they seemed to be acting with more caution than I expected. For an army that had pushed in with such momentum, their posture was excessively passive. They probably had something else in mind.
Unlike us, who think of war as a game of territory, land is meaningless to them. What’s important is the number of troops—the question of whether or not they can kill the living. I organized my thoughts and raised my head.
A rather loud war cry erupted, but perhaps because of the distance, the undead garrisoned in Wingrin's village of Haul hadn't even realized we were coming. They had taken a major blow in the previous defensive battle and were saddled with a huge penalty for the failure of their first operation. If it were me, I would have tried to buy time with sacrificial pawns as well.
“Let’s go.”
“For victory, and victory alone!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
There were no castle walls. The village’s entire defense consisted of a crude wooden palisade built to fend off magical beasts or undead. Beyond that, I could see a wall made of bones and corpses, but it was a meaningless barrier against us. Anyone here could tear it down in an instant.
Slowly at first, the Green Skins began to pick up speed. By the time the enemy confirmed the size of our force, we were already within striking range. Crude arrows flew at us, but the Orc Swordsmen casually deflected the magically imbued projectiles. Mev and the other Orc archers drew their bows, and even before their arrows could find their marks, the Orc Swordsmen had reached the palisade.
“Hmph!”
Hazaku, captain of the 1st Elite Orc Swordsman Squad—seemingly influenced by Gark—drew the longsword from its sheath and sliced clean through the palisade. The strange bones that had been reinforcing it were also split in two. The palisade collapsed, but aside from the enemy’s shrieks, no other sound could be heard.
“Kieeeeeeeek!”
Through the shattered palisade, Orbo the Shield and the Goblin Three Sisters squeezed through the gap and quickly began smashing the enemy’s heads. It had been a while since their last battle, and seeing them so excited was almost enough to make me laugh. The three sisters were always a delight.
“Go!”
“We fly!”
The skeleton soldiers and ghouls with shields crumbled in an instant, and the Elite Orc Swordsmen continued to pour through the breach.
“Kill them!”
“Grant them rest!”
Watching the scene, I muttered to myself.
“They’ve gotten strong.”
Gark nodded beside me. Without me even needing to lift a finger, the green tide swallowed the village in a single moment. Baek Ahyeon was conjuring holy power, and Jung Hayeon was chanting a spell. Not to be outdone, Choi Seulgi began hunting down the undead inside the village as if catching rats. By the time Gark and I slowly walked into the village, the situation was already wrapping up.
There was no sign of a Lich, nor did I feel any immense source of magic. Instead, what caught my eye was a hulking mass of corpses with a massive body. It must have been the one in charge of this area, as it was putting up a decent fight.
I looked at Gark and murmured.
“Tell them not to kill it.”
“Understood.”
The one crossing swords with the beast was Hazaku. A peculiar Orc who primarily used a quick-draw style. Honestly, I had wanted to discourage him, but it seemed his unique ability had also blossomed in that direction, as his efficiency was far greater than before.
Seeing Hazaku facing off against the giant mass of corpses, the other Green Skins deliberately held back. It wasn’t a Sacred Duel, but it seemed Hazaku himself didn't want anyone to interfere.
The creature swung its massive axe. As if he had anticipated it, Hazaku dodged the attack and placed his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. Wingrin probably couldn't even see it. In the blink of an eye, the sword flashed out and returned to its scabbard.
The hulking creature took the blow with its body.
“This won’t be easy,” I muttered unconsciously.
I knew Hazaku was strong, but the monstrosity before him was no pushover either. With the added handicap of not being allowed to kill it, he was in for a tough time. The other areas were being cleaned up. The Half-Minotaur, Wingrin, gaped in astonishment, as if he knew we were strong but had never imagined it would be to this extent.
“Whoa…”
Our warriors wiped the filth from their weapons, sheathed their swords, and watched Hazaku. The fight was still a close one. I wanted to wrap this up quickly and was about to reach for my own sword when it happened.
Hazaku began to slowly control his breathing. He was pushing aside his feral instincts to observe his opponent more closely. The Elite Orc Swordsmen often shake their heads or quietly look down at themselves during a fight. He probably felt he had gotten a little too excited.
“Hoo…”
“Kill! Green monster! Kill!”
As the creature shrieked and swung its weapon, Hazaku made a great leap.
‘He’s won…’
Watching Hazaku’s movement, the word ‘victory’ naturally came to mind. The way he dodged the weapon with minimal movement and extended his sword toward the enemy was enough to make me think he was truly one of the most skilled warriors in the clan. There was no wasted motion, and his muscles began to swell as if they were about to explode.
“Hm.”
CRACK!
With a loud noise, the creature’s arm flew into the air. A second strike sent a severed leg soaring. It was an attack that used the opponent’s own strength against them. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a strike most faithful to the fundamentals—excellent, all around. Even Han So-Hye, who I considered to be at the pinnacle of martial arts, would have applauded that last blow.
“I cannot show a shameful display. However… my sword is lost.”
As Hazaku spoke, his sword began to crumble. The creature’s body must have been incredibly tough. I would have to grant him a suitable sword later. It wasn’t an extraordinary battle, but it felt like I’d witnessed something good.
Looking back on the battle as a whole, it was a victory so small that it was embarrassing to rejoice over what we had accomplished. Still, there was no way I could feel bad. However, Wingrin’s gaze on us was bothering me. I wasn’t certain, but these invaders had likely been the ones who occupied his village. Even from my perspective, they had been dealt with far too easily.
I slowly walked toward the creature and patted Hazaku on the shoulder.
“Well fought.”
The Elite Orc Swordsmen are poor at expressing their emotions, but seeing the corners of his mouth lift, he seemed incredibly pleased. Watching him, the other warriors swallowed their saliva in disappointment. The creature, missing an arm and a leg, couldn't maintain its balance and was rolling and crawling on the ground, still letting out piercing shrieks.
“Kill the green monster!”
Hearing its voice, I murmured an order.
“Bind it and take it to the castle.”
“For Blood Dagger.”
I had hoped to have some sort of conversation with it, but its intelligence was low. Extracting information would be impossible, but it was not a bad specimen to secure as a sample. I cut off its remaining arm and then slowly began to look around the village.
There was much to see.
“Chieftain! Over here! Humans!”
At Mev’s voice, Wingrin flinched and raised his head, but they were probably already dead.
It was incredibly faint, but I had noticed the residual magic. I walked over to where Mev was, and there, nearly all the humans of the village were lying on the ground, turned into mummies. Their magic had been drained to the point where they couldn't even be resurrected as undead. As if afraid to look at the corpses, Wingrin began to avert his gaze.
Besides the village warehouse, human corpses were not hard to find. Humans used as sacrifices cannot be recycled into undead. I began to notice traces of them having absorbed magic from all over the place, and I nodded as I took in the scene.
“Sob… hic…”
As if seeing things he didn't want to see, Wingrin covered his face with his hands, but there was nothing I could say to him.
“Don’t be sorry for surviving.”
“Y-Yes.”
Witnessing how fierce the resistance had been and how the Chinese who had settled this land had died was neither pleasant nor particularly unpleasant. The others who had spent a long time on this continent likely felt the same as I did. As expected, Choi Seulgi, Jung Hayeon, and the other sorcerers were already moving around, collecting samples, while I quietly walked on.
“Um… excuse me… can I go get some of my things? There’s a ranch just ahead.”
“Gark. Protect Wingrin.”
“Understood.”
I hadn't figured everything out, but I was starting to get a feel for it. If what I had until now was suspicion, what I have now is certainty. They are desperately trying to buy time, throwing away land and troops as if telling us to take them.
‘Clever bastards.’
They are generously giving up small cities and villages until their next move is ready, making us think we’re winning. What those bastards really want is an all-out war. More than anything, that’s what our continent desires.
It seemed they were falling into a trap of their own making.
There was much to prepare. I looked at Choi Seulgi and spoke.
“Seulgi!”
“What?”
“Head back to the city first and tell them to focus on capturing the small and large cities in front of the castle walls. Have them deploy priests rather than mages…”
“I have a rough idea of what you’re thinking…”
“The resistance probably won’t be that strong. The troops in the area are just cannon fodder to buy time, after all. It would be best to push in as many of our forces as possible…”
“Hmm… that makes sense. Most of the troops stationed there now are idle anyway… Responding moderately, as long as we don’t take damage, doesn’t seem like a bad idea… and acting too timid would be even more suspicious. I think the main army was about to make a move soon anyway.”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll scout a nearby city and then return. I need to speak with Isaac beforehand, too.”
If they want me to come, it’s only right that I go.
“Getting serious, are we?”
I nodded at Choi Seulgi’s words. I would probably be able to return quickly, even before the main army departed. I considered this current action to be more of a cleanup than a battle.
The thought of landing a blow on them was incredibly exciting. I’ll return what I’ve received in kind. A small revenge for a small revenge, a favor for a favor, a wound for a wound. I was almost certain they possessed a Seat, but I couldn't know if they truly had emotions. Even so, it was going to be quite a spectacular fireworks show.
Watching me tend to my clan members, Choi Seulgi waved her hand and vanished from sight. I didn't know what kind of move they had prepared, but I can declare with certainty that the single move we have up our sleeve is far superior.
