Chapter 73
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: 8th Floor - Lv. 195 Fortress Commander (4)
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He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he exhaled.
Calming his startled heart, which was boiling like a kettle, he returned to reality.
Though it felt like that, in truth, it had only been an instant.
Dad? He'd think about what that meant later. First, they needed to escape this crisis.
The God of War was far angrier than he'd imagined.
He'd assumed the god would be busy dealing with his followers from other servers.
Yet apparently not. There must be places even more troublesome than this Greenskin-dominated stronghold.
"How far did you get in magic?"
Maybe upper elementary school level? Her dazed eyes flicked slightly upward.
As if recalling something she'd memorized.
"I told you short-range [Blink] is possible."
"Just like I taught you. You know exactly what you need."
Where had the Girl gone?
She'd probably turned back upon sensing the ominous flames rising—more than just ordinary fire; magical flames, as he'd taught her.
She knew the dangers, too.
In a pinch like this, any support was needed, so it was a sound judgment.
Still, it gave him pause.
How far should he let the Girl's attachment to him go?
Not if it ruined things at a critical moment.
He directed her with a flow of mana. She only knew how to cast it, not fine-tune it with any real skill.
It wasn't a skill [Blink] anyway; it was direct spellcasting.
He avoided spatial magic himself whenever possible. Too risky without buffs.
And it guzzled mana like crazy.
The little vampire deftly accepted his mana guidance and manifested the spell.
The view ahead warped physically, revealing another space.
The goblin-formed Girl startled upon seeing him appear in the direction of the flames.
The suddenly erected [Fire Wall] looked even grander from outside.
Her skillset leaned toward fire-element magic—easy and powerful types.
But her casting didn't look polished.
Experienced mages gave off that vibe just from the execution.
Her talent seemed skewed toward mana over spell mastery.
Her foundations were probably weak. Types like her were a headache even for Barbaroi to raise, so she'd likely been neglected until now.
She probably hadn't been combat-ready when the clan fell.
Even when he'd recruited her, she wasn't instant firepower.
"Dispel it."
While the spell formed, the Girl looked stunned.
"Uncle? What's going on? Why'd you turn human? Who's that?"
"Gonna go naked, so I'll close my eyes."
"Huh?"
Future-him had wisely sent the little vampire loaded with cloaks—four, one per person.
The Girl startled from the [Dispel] and ended up in the same barbaric naked state as him.
"This dagger's too small now... I'll hear about her later."
Trolls pushing through the flames came into view.
The Girl spun her dagger and gripped it properly. The little vampire rummaged in her pouch, approached, and offered a rod.
"Whoa, what's this? Cool."
It was a combat dagger worthy of the name, but the design was... futuristic.
A perfect rectangular rod—that was the sheath. The ergonomic-less handle made it look like a plain white stick.
But when the Girl gripped it, it shaped to her hand.
"Feels familiar. Pump some mana into it."
A hazy glow enveloped the dagger.
"Ooh, aura blade? Right?"
Precisely, a sci-fi take on aura blade from the distant future.
In eras blending magic and science, they analyzed and mimicked each other to evolve.
"Durability's probably low. Use sparingly."
"Why?"
"Can't send high-durability stuff. Weapons are consumables. Gotta have spares."
The Girl frowned slightly.
She wouldn't figure it out alone, so he gave the answer.
"Said someone from the future might come, right? It's her."
The little vampire blinked. Then she said to the Girl,
"Huh, a bit smaller than future Mom. This really is the past."
The Girl froze.
"Mom? Mom!? MOM?!?"
Goosebumps visibly prickled her arms—not just startled, full panic.
Party members panicking wasn't rare. He did it too sometimes, so no blame.
Key was pulling them out. With the Girl, it was easy.
"Kiddo, wanna call me that one more time?"
The little vampire answered without hesitation.
It seemed natural, like everyday talk.
"Daddy's Daddy."
The Girl's eyes widened, rounded, then narrowed.
"Ow!"
Too lost in her fantasy world, he flicked her forehead.
"Get the picture? We'll sort it later. Later. I freaked too when she called me Dad. Got it?"
"Mm. Hehe. Anyway, cool."
Her mind was a flower field. That 'whatever' switch had flipped.
A kid from the future calling him Dad, her Mom.
What did it imply?
00:25
Back in human form with a proper mage, things changed.
Dealing with a troll maybe Lv. 200 was no big deal.
The Girl's dagger spewed fire. Literal physical fire.
Future science tried mimicking aura blade's mystery cutting power but couldn't replicate it fully.
So they settled on plasma containment.
Burn and melt foes with massive heat—same result as aura blade.
Dense mana heat even clashed with monomolecular cutters like aura blades.
Such future weaponry was now in the Girl's hands.
Even a troll wrapped in the God of War's blessings didn't last.
But the god poured full support, so no instant kill.
If the late-joining Hunter's shot hadn't pierced its eye, it could've dragged on dangerously.
[Sharp Shooting]-buffed Quetzalcoatl-acid incendiary exploded inside, roasting the troll's brain golden-brown.
No amount of divine power could revive it from death.
After, they targeted threatening trolls and ogres.
Easy this time.
With systematic magic support, the Girl—already high-damage—wielded cheat gear.
No need for words.
The little vampire divided areas with [Fire Wall] for divide-and-conquer tactics; he hid the party.
Couldn't let Gobleterians realize the shift.
Their memory of this revolution had to stay purely goblin-led.
Human involvement leaking would weird things out.
Exile status would leak eventually, but hide it now.
Maintaining invisibility nonstop was tough.
Even defended against the God of War and shamans' dispel attempts.
Exhausting, but soon the tide turned again.
Orcs were physically tougher than goblins could handle.
Most were poisoned, barely breathing—easy prey for desperate goblin assaults. They fell one by one.
Hunter and Rookie slipped out invisibly, rearmed, and returned.
Fortress Commander and main forces neutralized.
"Time to pull out."
"Huh, no more help?"
"Victory's gotta be close-call to matter. Saw me carefully slash the commander's corpse earlier?"
Camouflage. Evidence of goblin weapon, goblin strength felling him.
Placed nearby dead goblin corpses, set them ablaze. Dagger in hand.
Goblin ashes scattered with charred leather from the inferno.
No expert assassin could distinguish.
The enigmatic goblin revolution leader heroically perished with the enemy chief.
Well, if the story went smoothly.
Even if not, Chief Goblin might spin it that way. Shrewd old coot.
They left the burning fortress behind.
03:00
Flames consumed all.
The long-oppressed goblins were finally free.
The still-blazing fortress lit the dark night.
But one was missing. The goblin who'd preached from the platform about their wrong lives and rightful claims.
A few began searching.
Yet he vanished like he'd never existed.
His three goblin companions gone too.
Some celebrated victory. Most sat stunned, unrealized.
Not cold.
A massive bonfire roared nearby.
Perhaps one burned in their hearts too.
05:00
Frozen ground held more moisture than expected. The fortress blaze that seemed eternal had lost momentum.
Tension easing, some wounded goblins passed.
Their bodies offered to the new god.
Purple flames rose, souls ascending.
All bowed to the new god.
Search began. Their guide-goblin might be injured, awaiting aid.
Soon, the fortress commander's corpse was found.
Troll, yet unhealed wounds proved the battle's ferocity.
Its lingering dread divinity chilled them.
The new god mercifully shielded them with purple halo from the fallen god's terror.
Beside it, another corpse.
Charred beyond recognition, goblin form.
Clutching a worn dagger.
As most goblins grieved, Chief Goblin stood silent.
He prayed.
'O God, what of he who led us to you?'
No reply.
Normal for his decades.
God of War never saw goblins as true faithful.
Just livestock reared.
This time different? New life might earn favor.
Overthinking?
Disappointment loomed—then the goddess answered.
"Honor the dead. Kin of Chaos. Let the nameless assassin who freed you live eternally in legend. Do this, and I shall always be with you."
All heard the clear divine word.
Survivors never graced even impersonal oracles before.
All knelt again.
The charred hero's body received utmost honors, every rite they knew.
Chief Goblin harbored faint doubt but ignored it.
The god commanded.
Other assassins followed suit.
Truth sometimes hinders.
Unneeded truth? Bury gladly.
Dawn finally tinged the horizon.
He hurriedly held the Girl's hand, instructing what to relay to the Lady Goddess.
"And tell 'em to GTFO quick. Fortress is toast anyway; goblins need new turf. Lavahammer Battalion'll retreat too. Lingering means massacre."
"Got it. But where to send them?"
"Push north first. Lady Goddess, scout settlement spots. Forests suit goblins; empty one's perfect."
Then the God of Nature chimed in unexpectedly.
[The God of Nature says the forest with Kakarish Ruins is vacant.]
"Pardon? Fairy village there, no? Independent from Empire or not, fairies won't love goblins..."
[The God of Nature says all fairies there went to the human citadel.]
"Whoa, abandoned homeland? No-return style?"
[The God of Nature says, 'So when's the fairy nation?']
"Using single quotes? Just use divine speech then."
"Yeah, divine speech's easier. Showboating."
[The God of Nature shakes his head, saying bad habits lead to trouble later.]
"Speaking of, Nature, what promise did Chaos make exactly?"
The goddess suddenly went silent.
[The God of Nature says Chaos offered to become a subordinate lesser god first.]
Insane.
"Oh... Just 'trust me'? Annihilation's better. Hey. Not talking?"
Then, the God of Nature sent divine speech.
"Kuhuhuhu, what an amusing god she is. Fear not, kin of Chaos. I refused. Just admired her sincerity enough to give you a shot."
A cold, chilling man's voice. Yet enchantingly sweet, bewitching.
Flower-petal fairy type.
[The God of Nature says that's why he skimps on divine speech.]
"Fair. More importantly, Lady Goddess? Not coming out?"
The goddess never replied again.
The Girl's face neared overload, so he let go of her hand.
[The God of Nature shakes his head, saying other gods should see this.]
"Yeah, fine. Now, let's hear from our new face?"
The Girl's ears perked. The little vampire had sat quietly, watching throughout.
Unlike the Girl, subdued emotions, blank expression. Abused child vibe.
Barbaroi remnants? Tough times now.
"First, what’s with the Dad-Mom talk?"
Hunter and Rookie watched eagerly as the little vampire pointed at him.
"Uncle's clan master, so Daddy. Always called him Daddy."
Barbaroi thing? Eastern clans did that. Fine, whatever.
"No. Daddy called himself Daddy first."
"...Right."
Now she pointed at the Girl, mouth working deliberately.
"Mom's not vampire but dates Daddy, so Mom."
"Huh?"
The same groan, but his was disbelief, hers delight.
How'd that happen?
Hunter and Rookie burst, clutching bellies rolling.