Chapter 17
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 17. 10th Floor (3)
The commander swallowed dry saliva looking down at the battlefield through the gap in the wall.
The scene unfolding before his eyes was too surreal to be reality.
Normally, the gate would have been breached already, and a hellscape mixed with soldiers' screams and citizens' screams would have unfolded.
But now it was different.
—Booooom!
A single knight wearing silver armor.
He was blocking the massive wave alone in the middle of the battlefield.
"Captain... Who on earth is that person...."
A soldier next to him muttered blankly.
The clean iron sword held in the soldier's hand was trembling minutely.
It wasn't because of fear.
Just a moment ago, an Orc climbing the wall had attacked the soldier.
The moment he thought he was dead.
The armor the Knight threw deflected the Orc's axe.
And the iron sword in his hand sliced through the Orc's leather like tofu.
The equipment the Knight distributed protected them.
Almost no monsters approached near the gate.
Because the Silver Knight drew all the monsters' attention.
Thanks to that, the people inside the wall were safe.
The emotion the soldiers and villagers felt when they first saw the monster swarm was fear.
The emotion they felt when the Knight appeared, killed the monster horde, fixed the gate, and distributed equipment was relief.
But the emotion blooming inside the commander's chest right now was something completely different.
'I feel ashamed.'
His face burned so hot he couldn't bear it.
That Knight is a stranger not related to us by a single drop of blood.
He isn't the master of this castle, nor does he have family here.
Yet he is fighting risking his life, no, throwing his life away.
But us?
What are we, who claimed to be masters of this land, doing?
Aren't we just trembling in fear holding the weapons he gave us, hiding behind the safe walls?
"Are we... allowed to just stay like this...?"
The adjutant said tearfully.
Those words became a dagger and stabbed the commander's chest.
It was then.
Three Shamans wrapped in red energy appeared in the middle of the battlefield.
Three giant blood-red spheres shot by the bastards flew towards the Knight.
The Knight didn't dodge.
No, it looked like he didn't dodge to protect the gate behind him and us hiding behind it.
—Boom!
A huge explosion swallowed the Knight.
The silver body was pushed back significantly.
"Ah...!"
Someone screamed on top of the wall.
People's eyes shook.
The seemingly invincible Knight was pushed back.
If he falls?
Is it our turn next?
Just when fear was about to rear its head again.
The commander saw.
The back of the Knight gripping his sword again through the smoke of the explosion.
The moment he saw that desperate and lonely back, something snapped in the commander's mind.
'Until when will we hide?'
He shouted, tightening his helmet strap.
"Open the gate!"
"C... Captain? But the Knight told us not to come out...."
"If that person falls, we all die anyway! I'd rather die fighting!"
The commander drew his sword.
"It is our home! It is our family! Until when do you plan to beg for your lives hiding behind a stranger's back!"
His shout set fire to the hearts of the soldiers on the wall.
Shame became anger, and anger became courage.
"That's right!!"
"Help the Knight!"
"We have to earn our keep!"
Soldiers gripped their weapons again one by one.
Eyes filled with fear changed to eyes full of resolve.
The swords and armor the Knight gave supported their courage.
"All troops! Charge!"
"Waaaaaaah!!!"
The gate opened, and hundreds of soldiers ran out shouting.
Although they didn't have the power to sweep away monsters in one blow like the Knight.
But at least they could block an arrow flying at him or hold down an Orc attacking from behind.
It was a repayment for gratitude and a belatedly realized pride.
The vanguard of the 3rd Wave that entered my vision after the 2nd Wave ended was Steel Hide Trolls.
Basic regeneration superior to normal Trolls aside, their skin itself is hard as steel, so most sword cuts don't even penetrate these guys.
And between them, Hobgoblins, Trolls, Ogres, and even Lycanthropes.
Monsters I encountered while climbing the 9 floors were rushing in all at once.
"Ha... They really do all sorts of things."
I gripped the Mithril Greatsword again.
Numbers are numbers, but each one was a monster that served as a boss on each floor.
Of course, I grew since then and equipped good gear.
But I was a bit scared.
"Kraaaah!"
The Steel Hide Troll in the lead swung a club at me.
I didn't dodge.
—Bang!
A heavy impact was transmitted, but blue electricity flowed on the armor surface, absorbing the damage.
Raising the corners of my mouth, I swung the greatsword.
The special effect of Mithril Greatsword of Blast, 'Area Slash', was activated.
Blue Sword Ki cut down the Trolls' hard leather like cutting radish.
Turning on the 'Sprint' ability of Mithril Shoes of Gale, I roamed the battlefield.
Hobgoblins threw red beads, but thanks to the resistance of the Silvery Mithril Helm and armor, it was at a level of stinging.
How much time passed?
I gasped for breath roughly amidst the corpses piled like mountains.
The monsters, so many of them, seemed almost cleared up now.
"Is it over now?"
It was then.
A Kobold popping out from somewhere stabbed a spear aiming for my blind spot, my back.
Since it was right after swinging the greatsword, my posture was broken, making it hard to react.
But the bastard's spear couldn't reach my back.
—Stab!
"Kieek!"
Someone ran in and severed the Kobold's neck.
Familiar iron sword and soldiers wearing the armor I distributed.
"Sir Knight! Are you alright!"
"Haa... Haa... Caught it!"
Before I knew it, the gate was wide open, and the commander and soldiers poured out, dealing with the remnants.
I looked at them dumbfoundedly.
"Didn't I tell you to stay inside."
Despite my scolding, the commander didn't back down.
Rather, he looked at me with resolved eyes and answered.
"We are also soldiers of this castle! We cannot just watch while you fight alone, Sir Knight."
"Although lacking, we wanted to be of help. We will risk our lives to block the small fries!"
Soldiers surrounded me and took defensive stances.
Their backs were trembling, but there was no sign of retreating.
It wasn't a bad feeling.
I chuckled inside the helmet and answered.
"I don't know even if you get swept up."
Leaving my back to the soldiers, I turned my gaze.
A heterogeneous aura was felt in the middle of the battlefield.
Other monsters all ran away or died, but three guys alone were keeping their positions.
Monsters wearing dark red robes holding bizarre staffs.
Red haze was rising around their bodies.
As they raised their staffs, a blood-red magic circle was drawn in the air.
As soon as I saw that, memories experienced while climbing to the 9th Floor flashed by like a lantern.
There is one thing I felt keenly while climbing the Tower.
Guys wrapped in red energy around their bodies were all strong without exception.
What kind of buff is that?
"Keeeeek!"
They screamed and shot magic.
Three giant blood-red spheres flew towards me.
The speed was fast, but thanks to the Flexible Mithril Bottoms, my movement was light.
I leaned my upper body back to dodge the first sphere and rolled sideways to let the second sphere pass.
But there was no angle to dodge the third sphere.
"Then."
I raised the greatsword and blocked it head-on.
I trusted the Magic Resistance of Radiant Mithril Armor.
—Boom!
Along with the explosion sound, my body was pushed back.
Hot heat was felt, but the armor blocked it.
Damage was rather converted into the armor's energy.
Grinning, I prepared 'Discharge'.
Simultaneously, I gripped the Mithril Greatsword of Blast again.
Activating the Sprint skill, I narrowed the distance in an instant.
The Shamans panicked and tried to put up a shield, but it was already late.
"Boom!"
I gathered the energy accumulated in the armor to the tip of the sword and thrust it into the middle of them.
Blue flash swallowed the red mist.
—Boooooooom!!!
Three Shamans were swept away simultaneously by the explosive energy.
The shield shattered like glass shards, and their bodies died with their upper bodies blown away.
"Phew... As expected, it's doable because the gear is good."
I turned around, hanging the greatsword on my shoulder.
This much is cleanly handled.
It seemed I could hear soldiers' cheers from behind.
Among them, I clearly heard a soldier's voice.
"Did we get them?!!"
Hey you sh*t!
Who is it?!
Their upper bodies are blown away, of course they're dead!!!
I confirmed the source of the voice and found the soldier who spoke.
I remembered your face, see you in a bit.
—Vwoom.
Sure enough, an unpleasant vibration was felt from behind.
Turning back, an unbelievable sight entered my eyes.
Red blood was flowing from the corpses of the three fallen Shamans.
But that blood wasn't seeping into the ground, but wriggling like a living creature.
Three streams of blood soared into the air and began to gather at one point.
"What is that...?"
Red energy swirled and sucked in the surrounding atmosphere.
The tattered corpses of the Shamans were sucked into the red sphere as if drawn by a magnet.
Terrible sounds of bones breaking and flesh being crushed hit my eardrums.
—Crunch! Snap!
Three bodies clumped into one, creating a bizarre shape.
Three heads attached to one neck, and six arms sprouted from behind the back.
The skin was dyed crimson blood-red, and the killing intent it emitted weighed heavily on the surrounding air.
It couldn't be compared to the pressure experienced on previous floors.
Three heads opened their eyes simultaneously and glared at me.
The middle head opened its mouth wide and laughed.
"Kihihi... Human... Delicious... Smell...."
I swallowed dry saliva and grabbed the greatsword again.
Going home is off the table.