Chapter 92
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The 704th Wave (2)
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Idic of the Void.
The thing that emerged from the rift was unspeakably hideous.
...Hmm. I feel bad saying this, but if the Sage ever went rogue, I imagine it would look something like that.
Hmph!
[The Sage refutes your impure thoughts!]
"Haha, sorry. Was that too harsh?"
[(ง •̀_•́)ง]
It's the truth, though.
It was the best way to describe that mountain-sized, writhing mass.
A black lump reminiscent of a pathogen.
[Warning! The 704th wave is beginning its invasion.]
And with the status window that appeared before my eyes.
*Gurgle.*
The center of the mass, now fully emerged from the rift, split open, and something popped out.
"...An eye?"
A massive, bloodshot eye. It was staring directly at the Lord's Castle.
To be precise, at me, standing on the watchtower.
A shiver ran down my spine, but I tapped the Sage to ease my tension.
"You still going to say it doesn't look like you?"
[The Sage feels greatly insulted but admits it is difficult to deny.]
The Sage drooped, looking sullen.
This little guy really is the best for chasing away fear and tension.
Just then, the Sage offered some useful information.
[The Sage informs you that the black mass is a 7-star monster by MonMonMak standards.]
'A 7-star.'
That was what I'd been expecting, so it fit perfectly.
I nodded and observed Idic's movements.
The creature remained still after emerging from the rift.
It just glared, its eye darting around.
'We'll wait until it makes a move.'
On a battlefield, a surprise or preemptive strike might be advantageous, but this is a defensive siege.
Lying in wait until the enemy reveals their hand, looking for an opportunity. That's the proper way.
After some time had passed, just as the vibrations in the air and the cumulonimbus clouds covering the sky began to settle.
[--------!]
"Kugh!"
Idic shrieked. It was a sound I had never heard anywhere in this world.
Like the scream of a baby. The piercing, shrill cry seemed to overturn the heavens and earth, shaking my very mind.
*Rumble, rumble!*
And finally, the creature began to act.
*Gurgle, gurgle!*
From Idic's massive body, countless smaller somethings began to fall off.
They were similar masses to Idic, but smaller and without eyes.
Instead, writhing tentacles sprouted from all over their bodies.
[The Sage corrects itself. It emphasizes that those things do not resemble it. (-`д´-)]
"I agree."
Compared to them, you're much cuter.
*Gurgle, gurgle.* Idic spat out countless 'copies' of itself. Proliferation, its special trait.
Moreover, each one was a monster with the Predation trait.
Those monsters slowly began to advance toward the Lord's Castle.
I watched them and asked quietly.
"Sage, you know what to do, right?"
[The Sage acknowledges its duty and is currently calculating the appropriate distance.]
*Slosh, slosh!*
Idic didn't move. Only its multiplied entities advanced.
As the plains before me were covered in black masses.
[The first of Idic's entities is 50 meters from entering the Mana Field's range.]
The Sage began the countdown.
50 meters, 40 meters, 30 meters, 10 meters until they reached the Mana Field's maximum range.
I tapped the pixel window floating on my left.
[Deploying Mana Field.]
*Vwoooom.*
For a moment, a blue energy shimmered from the castle walls like a wave.
The condensed energy soon spread out like a curtain, beginning to cover the plains.
[Mana Field deployed. The movement speed of Idic (Clone) entering the effective range is reduced by 30%!]
The movements of the foremost clones slowed noticeably.
Immediately after confirming this, I lowered the hand holding the Trace Sword.
*Thump!*
That was the signal.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
The Mana Deployment Turrets positioned behind the walls began to spew blue fire.
Fifteen blue meteors traced graceful arcs over the walls and rained down upon the plains.
*KABOOM!*
The mana shells poured down on the black masses like rain.
With a roar, Idic's clones began to explode.
I quickly turned my head to the pixel window.
[Idic (Clone) has taken 50 damage from the Mana Deployment Turret!]
[Hit by a ranged attack. Idic (Clone) cannot activate its Predation ability.]
It worked!
We'd succeeded in dealing significant damage, and the ranged classification prevented them from stealing stats.
I tapped the pixel window again.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Once more, fifteen meteors adorned the night sky.
*KABOOM!*
Blue flashes erupted everywhere along with the explosions.
Some of Idic's clones, hit by the barrage, stopped and writhed in place.
Still, they were not to be underestimated.
They pushed forward with sheer numbers.
While the Mana Deployment Turrets were reloading, they advanced, climbing over the corpses of their own kind.
The plains were still filled with black, writhing masses.
But it wasn't over yet.
[The Sage announces that the vanguard of Idic's clones has approached within 100 meters!]
100 meters. The range of another ranged attack.
"Akasha!"
I shouted from the watchtower.
The command was relayed.
From the spacious barracks in front of the main tower, reminiscent of an antlion's pit.
Nearly 100 soldier ants launched formic acid high into the sky.
*Shwaaaa!*
This time, green meteors rained down upon the heads of Idic's clones.
*Tssssss!*
The masses, doused in potent acid, squelched and writhed.
It probably didn't deal massive damage to them. However.
[Lizardman Crossbowmen and Dark Elf Archers are initiating ranged attacks!]
The acid damaged their durability, and their weakened bodies were pierced by the crossbowmen's and archers' arrows.
[Idic (Clone) has taken 10 damage from a Lizardman Crossbowman's attack!]
Creatures that normally wouldn't have taken damage due to the difference in star-rank were now writhing in pain from every single arrow.
Some, with their tar-like bodies, writhed before dying.
There were those blown to bits by the mana shells.
There were Idics melting away in the acid.
But still, countless Idics dotted the plains.
This was where it truly began.
[Would you like to advance the Prototype Golems outside the Lord's Castle?]
Now that their forces were somewhat disrupted, I had to exploit the opening and widen it.
*Clang!*
The drawbridge of the Lord's Castle was lowered.
The battlefield, a mess of craters and acid pools.
The golems began to charge across it.
The advancing Idics immediately took an attack stance.
*Shwiiiik!*
*Thwack!*
An Idic clone extended a tentacle and stabbed it into a golem's body. It was trying to use Predation upon engagement. But.
"Not a chance."
[Idic (Clone)'s Predation skill does not apply to the Golem, which is classified as a machine.]
*CRASH!*
The golems charged at them, tentacles still embedded in their bodies.
The two-meter-tall golems and the similarly sized clones tangled, trading blows.
It was a true battlefield.
Blue and green meteors continued to fly across the sky toward the plains, and the air vibrated with explosions and acrid smoke.
In the midst of it all.
I prepared my next move.
[Ice Ear Turtle has finished equipping the Ten Thousand Year Frost Shell!]
The pixel window blinked.
And then, suddenly.
*THUD!*
A loud roar echoed from the direction of the Lord's Castle.
When I turned to look, a massive figure I'd never seen before stood there.
The Ice Ear Turtle.
It had grown so large that I could see it clearly even from the watchtower.
'So this is the power of a specialized item.'
I checked the pixel windows that popped up one after another.
[By equipping the Ten Thousand Year Frost Shell, the Ice Ear Turtle has evolved into a special unit.]
[The Ice Ear Turtle can now carry units inside its shell. During transport, it cannot use attack skills, but it becomes immune to all magic, its health increases tenfold, and it gains physical damage resistance.]
Right now, the Ice Ear Turtle was the sturdiest armored vehicle in the world.
Without hesitation, I sent in the units.
The special detachment that would strike Idic's main body.
After loading all the pre-selected monsters, I gazed at the battlefield where the fierce battle still raged.
[Manually setting the ranged attack points for the Mana Deployment Turrets and Soldier Ants.]
My eyes remained fixed on the battlefield as my fingers flew across the pixel window.
Setting the points, preparing for the bombardment.
Then, meeting the gaze of Idic's eye watching from the distance, I gave the order.
Fire.
*Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Blue and green meteors streaked across the sky simultaneously.
Dozens of shells fell in a perfect line, cutting across the center of the battlefield I had designated.
*KABOOOOOM!*
The Idics grappled by the golems couldn't evade.
The Idics and golems caught in the bombardment were annihilated, creating a path through the middle of the battlefield like a scar.
Now's the time.
[Ice Ear Turtle switching to transport mode.]
The blue turtle, with its head and legs tucked into its shell, slid out over the drawbridge.
The armored transport, formed by its shell, crossed the battlefield without slowing down, as if gliding on a path of ice.
Only then did the eye of the main Idic body widen in the distance.
*Gurgle!*
Idic's clones hurriedly tried to block the path. But.
"---------!"
From above them, the sharp, clear cry of a bird echoed.
[Phoenix, Ru, casts Flame Wave!]
*FWOOOOSH!*
A wave of scorching flames poured down from behind the shell.
The wave of fire also washed over the shell, but thanks to its flame immunity, only Idic's clones melted away.
They were tough, but it took time to regenerate their burnt bodies.
*Tssssss!*
Amidst the raging bombardment and flames, the shell advanced like a ship forging a path.
Its speed increased as it went. And finally.
[The Sage announces that the Ice Ear Turtle is about to reach Idic's main body!]
The special detachment reached Idic's main body.
The Ice Ear Turtle, enhanced by the special item, was similar in size to the one I saw at the sanctuary before.
But Idic's main body was several times larger.
I checked the pixel window in real-time and thought.
'Now, let's see how well Predation works.'
Predation has a simultaneous activation limit. Meaning, it can't absorb stats from multiple monsters at the same time.
And Predation basically starts by absorbing from the monster with the highest stats.
In other words, for this creature, the priority for Predation is...
[Idic casts Predation on the Ice Ear Turtle!]
...the Ice Ear Turtle, whose health is vastly superior to the other monsters.
*Shwiiiiik!*
A massive tentacle shot out from Idic's body and stabbed into the turtle's shell.
[Idic begins to absorb the Ice Ear Turtle's stats! The Ice Ear Turtle activates 「Impregnable」. The stat debuff will be applied more slowly.]
I smirked. The best choice had paid off perfectly.
Even though it evolved into a special unit, the Ice Ear Turtle's stats are still poor.
Only its health had increased exponentially.
This means the creature could get tougher, but not stronger.
Besides, the Ice Ear Turtle's 'Impregnable' passive allows it to withstand Predation for a while.
So, while it holds on.
[Would you like to redeploy the monsters aboard the Ice Ear Turtle?]
'I'll end this as quickly as possible.'
My finger tapped the pixel window.
Simultaneously, monsters began to pour out of the Ice Ear Turtle.
Odolph, Gono, Jen Karuk, the Lizardman legion, the white tiger San-gun, Iramatus, White Wolf Fang, and even Grom-mel from the allied forces.
[Flames of Hellfire]
[Carrion Crow's Wingbeat (A)]
[Tear of the Ancient God - Destruction (破)]
[Lizardman Shattering Strike (破擊術)]
[Ruler's Roar]
[Reign of Death]
[White Star (白星)]
[Berserker's Axe]
The disembarked monsters began to charge at Idic's main body.
From the sky above, Ru rained down a shower of embers.
[-------!]
Idic's eye flew wide open, as if it would tear.
Log-sized tentacles shot out from its body, approaching the monsters.
*Swoosh!*
Sharp streams of water, the ogre's flames, and the wave of fire from the sky tore them to shreds.
*Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Fire support poured in from the Lord's Castle as well.
As the high-angled Mana Deployment Turrets fired, blue-green meteors mixed with the ants' acid bombs rained down on Idic's main body.
*KABOOOOOM!*
The flesh of the unknown invader was torn away, its torso caving in.
Idic blinked its bloodshot eye and screamed. It was clearly dying.
Yes, at this rate, I can finish it off completely while the Ice Ear Turtle holds on!
But, at that very moment, the pixel window sounded an alarm.
[Idic's health is at 5%. Sensing a crisis, Idic borrows the power of the Lord's Castle.]
"...?"
For a moment, I couldn't comprehend the information on the flashing red pixel window.
The power of the Lord's Castle?
But before the thought could fully form.
[Idic casts Void Bombardment.]
Idic's massive eye glowed, and a violet flash erupted.