Chapter 00018: Hero Unit
# Hero Unit
Chapter 18
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 18 Hero Unit
Pixel art may be a cost-effective design choice, but because everything is made up of little square dots, once too many NPCs show up on the same screen, it immediately becomes hard to tell who’s who.
Maybe it’s because of that, whenever a large-scale battle between armies begins, the display automatically transitions into a turn-based tactical mode.
“Hiss—Is that brain matter? Just how deep does this grudge go?”
Still, no matter how clear it is, it’s pixel art—there’s nothing gross about it.
Mixed with the deafening thunder outside the window, Li Chengxi was calmly eating his instant noodles while watching the events unfold.
They were already in the second turn.
After two rounds of arrow volleys, the mountain bandits had charged into range of the soldiers and were now swinging their axes, hammers, and clubs onto the soldiers’ shields.
But from the looks of it, they couldn’t even break through the frontline…
As long as they weren’t completely outnumbered, it was easy for the trained soldiers to deal with mountain bandits.
The difference in their equipment and training was just too big.
The bandits who charged first were soon skewered and taken down by the spearmen.
And on top of that, Viola had a secret weapon.
At the rearmost end of the formation, four robe-clad figures whose gender couldn’t even be discerned raised their wooden staves high.
Fireballs arced through the air from behind the frontlines, landing in the bandit formation.
With just one round of magic bombardment, a whole chunk of the enemy’s middle and rear ranks were left writhing or unconscious on the ground.
“So this is magic huh?”
Its power felt like artillery fire.
Li Chengxi put down the noodle cup and clicked on one of the cloaked figures’ ability panels with his mouse.
The title read “Former Court Mage”.
Below that, in the skill bar list, under Magic, there were seven or eight skills.
The spell used just now should be the “Fireball” listed there.
Even someone like Li Chengxi, an outsider to this world, could tell—at this rate, it wouldn’t take long before the bandits were wiped out.
It was just a matter of time.
Just as he picked up his noodles again, a pixel character suddenly lunged out from the bandits’ direction.
Not only did it slice right through the bandit formation like a hot knife through butter, it also knocked back a shield-bearing soldier by one square.
Even though this figure was surrounded by soldiers, he lazily stood up, resting his sword on his shoulder, completely ignoring the tips of the surrounding spears pointed his way.
Just from his art style alone, it was clear he wasn’t just cannon fodder.
He had to be a hero unit.
——
Viola wiped the rain from her forehead and said to the Royal Guard beside her:
“Have the archers target the bandit rear lines, don’t let them retreat back into the camp.”
The battle, just as expected, was going smoothly.
Aside from the obvious gap in training and equipment, their biggest advantage was magic support.
Unlike divine arts, magic didn’t just require talent—it was also extremely hard to learn.
There was once even a saying that you could judge a nation’s strength by how many mages it could afford to support.
The Avarus Demon Kingdom had nearly a hundred court mages.
But when the Capital was breached, some fled for their lives, others got separated.
In the end, only four remained at her side, and even those had ranked at the bottom among the court mages—considered unimportant and overlooked.
To say magic could change the outcome of a whole war might be exaggerating, but changing the result of a single battle? That it could definitely do.
The moment the four mages finished casting their first barrage of Fireball, the mountain bandits—who had been full of bloodlust just moments earlier—suddenly calmed down.
Their eyes became alert, even timid.
While taking hits, their entire formation began to retreat.
At this point, the battle could almost be called won.
Viola was already starting to consider post-battle cleanup and follow-up measures.
“Your Highness, it’s still too early to celebrate.”
Bored, Hill quietly leaned over, fiddling with the end of her braid tucked beneath her hood as she said:
“There’s someone very strong in the enemy camp. Might cause some trouble.”
As soon as she finished speaking—clang!
A sharp metallic ring sounded like a drawn blade splitting the sky.
A blurry figure suddenly bolted from behind the bandits.
Every bandit in his way was sliced clean in two.
He slammed straight into the front line of the shieldbearers.
—BOOM!
The sound exploded like a bomb at the front line.
Even the rain was blasted away.
The shield line buckled inward with the impact.
A man in his thirties slowly stood up, slinging a sword onto his shoulder.
With a tone full of mischief and disregard, he shouted:
“Princess Viola! I invoke the ancient knight's code—I challenge you to a one-on-one duel!”
This maneuver was the equivalent of the traditional “duel before the armies” tactic.
It didn’t have to be before battle began—sometimes it happened mid-fight.
Usually, it was the disadvantaged side who proposed it, and generally, it wasn’t refused.
It was a kind of unspoken rule honored on nearly every battlefield.
Even though the man’s entrance was dramatic, Viola wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
Grasping the hilt of her sword, she was about to step forward when Royal Guard Shelly quickly moved to stop her.
“Your Highness, he’s not worthy of dirtying your blade. Let me go.”
“Are you confident?”
“I will definitely win.”
It was understandable—knights always wanted to prove themselves in front of their sovereign.
Viola paused, then nodded:
“Be careful. That man’s swordsmanship is… unusual.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
With approval granted, Shelly drew her longsword and jogged toward the battlefield.
Among the Royal Guard, Shelly was notably the smallest in build.
People often doubted whether she had reached adulthood.
Maybe that’s exactly why she was so desperate to prove herself.
Still, even though she was brimming with excitement, she knew her opponent wasn’t going to be easy.
She would need to be cautious.
The soldiers opened a gap in the formation, giving space for a proper duel.
“Huh? Princess Viola actually sent out a tiny thing like that?”
The man—Roy—laughed in surprise:
“If Her Highness wasn’t going to fight personally, she could’ve at least sent someone older than a little kid!”
“I’m not a kid!”
Shelly gripped her longsword and took a ready stance:
“I am Royal Guard Shelly!”
“Oh? Your stance doesn’t look bad at all.”
In any real fight, intel was the foundation.
Veteran fighters could judge with a glance whether someone had put in serious work with their sword.
Small she may be, but she wasn’t someone who could be casually brushed aside.
Roy raised his sword and took a ready position as well:
“Remember this—this lord is Roy!”
Shelly, meanwhile, was watching Roy’s stance, trying to find out which sword style he used.
But she saw nothing familiar.
Rather than a specific school, his form looked like a fusion of several different styles.
It was more like he was deliberately concealing his true swordplay.
“You’re clearly not some everyday bandit. What are you doing hiding in the mountains?”
“At least you’ve got some eye for talent, little lass. But do you think I’d spill just because you asked?”
As the words left his mouth, Roy’s playful air disappeared.
His gaze sharpened.
A gust of wind abruptly rushed toward Shelly, and Roy vanished from her line of sight.
He’s in my blindspot!
Shelly reacted immediately.
Her sword swept downward in defense.
—CLANG!
Sparks flew as steel met steel.
“Not bad—at least you're no rookie.”
The force running through the sword made Shelly frown slightly.
“This is assassin's swordplay! Who are you really?!”
“Told you already—I’m not telling.”
With a strong parry, their blades separated.
But the very next moment, Shelly lost sight of him again.
Her skin prickled—someone was approaching at high speed.
—Clang!
Their swords clashed again, this time with more force.
The impact made her fingers go slightly numb.
Strength… speed… both far exceed mine!
After just two exchanges, Shelly already understood—Roy’s basic physical prowess was on a whole other level.
But it still wasn’t at the point where she’d give up.
Her Highness was watching!
“Lord Demon God, please grant me strength!”
(End of the Chapter)