7
Chapter 7
[George: Jackson Village Raid
We took down 76 Demon Worshippers and one demon.
It was a Low-tier Demon, just like the one in Primson. It looked like an antlion with small limbs fixed to the ground, and it seemed ready for battle as if it knew we were coming.
It was performing some strange ritual in the middle of the village, sacrificing worshippers. It seemed to have made its own preparations, but we wiped it out easily due to the gap in power.
If we had been any later, someone might have been seriously injured. I couldn't have won this alone, which is exactly why we need to form groups.
This time, we captured three Demon Worshippers. My comrades and I are currently torturing them for information.
They keep repeating the same things, behaving more like beasts than humans. I'd say a normal conversation is simply impossible. For now.
I will keep reporting the situation and sharing information. Let's all hang in there so we can go home.]
A strange ritual, huh? Did demons do rituals in the game? I can't remember well since it's a game I played ten years ago.
Back when I was a clueless kid, I loved that game so much I even emailed the developers, but ten years have passed since then.
They say everything changes in a year, let alone ten. I can barely remember the plots of anime or movies I enjoyed as a child, so there's no way I'd remember the game's lore.
Oh, I do remember Force Ranger Magical Power. The protagonist's father was the villain, and if I recall, he was incredibly cool from start to finish. But that's as far as my memory goes.
- ...
That's how memories work. In the end, only a single moment remains long after. I suppose you could call it the most impressive scene.
Surviving as a Holy Knight also had one of those moments.
It was the scene where a Holy Knight, who died by a demon's hand while evacuating villagers, was called by the Goddess and resurrected amidst the ruins.
That was the opening scene of the game. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I started playing because of that scene, with its blend of solemnity, beauty, and dread.
...I should have just seen it, thought it looked cool as hell, and left it at that.
Shaking off my belated regrets, I continued searching for George's posts.
George's raid party had grown rapidly and now consisted of over twenty people.
[George: Devil's Sight is everywhere
It looks like the demons living nearby have marked us. For now, we've decided to retreat from Jackson Village.
Primson has plenty of deployed weapons and we've built temporary walls, so we can actually hold the fort there.
We plan to move before they finish their preparations for an attack.
There are three villages nearby. They're all roughly the same size. I expect there to be one Low-tier Demon in each.
Anyone level 5 or higher can handle a village and take down a Low-tier Demon alone. There are four level 5s in our raid party, including me. It's a fight we can definitely win.
We plan to split into three teams and attack simultaneously. I'll report our victory soon.]
George proactively led the raid party and stood his ground against the demons.
His bold actions caught the attention of those who had previously ignored him, and soon the entire community was focused on the raid party's movements.
[Godori: George is such a beast today.]
[Hell Brown: At this point, he's Sir George. No, maybe we should call him Saint George.]
[Full Play: The atmosphere definitely changed after George formed the raid party. Everyone spent their time in the community talking about ominous things like 'when will I die?', but now it feels like there's hope. Once I hit level 5, I'm going to a village to take down some demons.]
Some people praised George.
[Abraham: Anyone want to start a raid party? I'm level 4. Let's go hit a village together.]
└ [Bramanda: Where are you?]
└ [Abraham: In the mountains. There are lots of things that look like maple trees.]
└ [Bramanda: No map?]
└ [Abraham: Where do you even get one of those?]
└ [Bramanda: How should I know, you idiot? How can we form a raid party if I don't even know where you are? Get a map before you talk.]
└ [Abraham: But what difference does it make if I have a map? Do you think you could actually find me even if I had one?]
└ [Bramanda: What is with this moron?]
└ [Melee-type Spy: *Sigh*... Abraham...! As a level 999 Holy Knight, I command you: you are 'demoted'.]
There were also those who tried to form a group but failed.
[Dino Punch: Is there no way to attach images here? If someone who found a map just shared it, everyone could join in easily. Granted, since the civilization is at a medieval level, I doubt the maps are very accurate, but it's better than nothing.]
└ [Samurai Jackson: I've looked into it, and there isn't. I think the feature is missing entirely or only unlocks at a certain level.]
└ [Won Bulls: We could do so much if we could just upload images.]
Some tried to find new community features. One thing was certain: everyone was waiting for George's news of victory.
[George: Three-village raid successful.
Around 200 Demon Worshippers killed, and three demons.
All three were Low-tier Demons: a moth, an ape, and a flower-like stationary plant. I fought the ape personally, but I only heard about the others from my teammates, so I don't have all the details.
We lost four squad members. All of them were level 3 Holy Knights. Despite the casualties, it was still a great victory.
I've hit level 6. Killing demons definitely gives more experience than worshippers. If I remember, you had to be level 7 to be considered a strong user in the game, right? Now I'm just one level away.
For now, I plan to cross the mountains and keep moving upward. It's like playing a game of territory capture. If I'm lucky, I might run into other users.
If you want to join the raid party, send me a private message. I'm busy with a few things, so I may not be able to reply immediately.]
George's Raid Party continued to push forward, defeating various demons and expanding its influence, all while receiving an enthusiastic response from the community.
[Melee-type Spy: (Unpopular opinion) I don't know, damn it~
I'm not sure where George's Raid Party is, but I doubt they're anywhere near the Imperial Capital...
It's some total middle-of-nowhere place, right? Like a village at the end of the world?
Aren't they being too cocky? You all need to come here and see for yourselves. Do you have any idea how many of these bastards there are? Or how big they are?
Even if I try to warn you, no one will believe me anyway~
Just don't overdo it. What do you mean, raid? This is just banging your nuts against a rock.
Giving tips is all well and good, but don't get people's hopes up.
Everyone~ You can't win~ Just stop trying to understand and live quietly by yourself in some dark corner~
That is the advice from a level 999 Holy Knight.]
Melee-type Spy was the only one expressing concern, but no one paid him any mind.
With George delivering real results and Melee-type Spy just shitposting, it was obvious whose word people would trust.
George continued his streak of success and moved forward with his raid party, and the number of Holy Knights grew until it became a large group of over forty people.
There were even posts claiming that more than half of the active users in the community were members of George's Raid Party.
[George: I found a group of survivors
They aren't users, but inhabitants of this world. It's a group of over thirty people, led by a few nuns.
Just to be sure, I pricked their fingers, and they didn't have green blood.
We encountered them while raiding a mine, and they said they'd been hiding inside all along. They were in a secret location and came to us after hearing the sounds of battle.
Oh, we took down the Mid-tier Demon that lived near the mine. It had five Low-tier Demons under its command. The worshippers it controlled were all Bat-humans, and they were more persistent than other worshippers.
I'm mentioning this in case you run into similar demons. If you face a demon with a lizard's head and a bat's body, keep searing its chest with Holy Flame skills. Otherwise, it won't die and will just keep regenerating.]
He used some strange magic, which made it quite a struggle. Even as he was dying, he kept muttering and trying to trigger something. Because of that bastard, I lost seven teammates.
Pumopumo. Gustavro. Hell Brown. Won Bulls. Spotty. Zwofferzwoffer. Deullongnallong.
These are the nicknames of the Holy Knights who fell in battle. They were someone's family, friends, or parents.
And they were all Holy Knights dragged into this world and users of the community. Please remember them all.]
A few users who were frequently seen in the early community lost their lives, and George took in the group of survivors hiding in the mine.
Even then, there was one person who continued to express concern.
[Melee-type Spy: Have these raid party bastards never played the game?
That muttering the Mid-tier Demon did before he died...
That could have been a Coordinate Transmission Spell.
In the game, they called it a Buster Call.
You cut him off before he finished the spell, right? If not, we're in deep shit.
Mid-tier demons are basically executives, so if he sent coordinates to his superior, consider us completely screwed. Yep.]
I'm getting a bad feeling.
Melee-type Spy's post was quietly buried with zero comments, but for some reason, it caught my eye.
Maybe it was because he spoke seriously, without his usual nonsense?
[George: I got some very important information from the nuns.
They said that to drive the demons out of this land, we need to close the Dimensional Gate used to summon them.
Doing so would cut off the supply of demonic energy—which acts like oxygen for them—and cause them to self-destruct.
They say a Dimensional Gate is open in the Imperial Palace in the Imperial Capital. From what I can see, it seems to be the only way back home.]
The Dimensional Gate in the Imperial Palace. After saving this crucial information in my head, I clicked on another post...
[Melee-type Spy: Hey, you fucking idiot George!!!
Where the hell are you? You're near Latria, right? Didn't you hear the ground shaking???
They're all heading your way!!! Even the ones in hibernation are waking up and moving toward you!!!
Run, you moron!!! Don't just run, everyone scatter!!!
I told you not to fucking mess around!!! I told you we'd all be screwed!]