The Bugbear Onslaught
Jaiv gaped at the sky, mouth hanging wide open.
Was it the sight of the cylindrical tanks mounted on octagonal discs floating in the air that fascinated him?
Or was it the absurdity of those round plastic orbs dropping from the tanks?
The plastic balls fluttered down over the tens of thousands of bugbears, then—
pssssssh—!
They spewed gas.
“Ugh…”
This is seriously never going to get any less gross.
Watching the gas canisters fall right in front of the royal castle made his stomach churn violently. He’d have to pull those out later with Tribute Trade and store them somewhere.
“Sniff sniff!”
“Boss! It smells amazing!”
“It’s a restaurant… it’s a damn restaurant!”
Bugbears were monsters that were essentially a grotesque fusion of bears and pigs. Naturally, their appetites far surpassed those of other monsters.
And the Force Gen gas designed for large-scale monster suppression was packed with scents specifically engineered to stimulate hunger.
“You idiots! I told you not to eat anything that falls!”
The much larger noble monsters shouted from all directions.
But who could possibly control a pack of bears that had already lost their minds to the smell of the gas?
“Sniff sniff!”
They swarmed in from every side, happily inhaling the Force Gen powder.
“Hmm.”
Kim Hwang-je checked the clock on his phone.
Thirteen seconds. Fourteen. Fifteen…
“Gweeeeeegh!”
“Graaagh!”
Good. Fifteen seconds until it kicks in.
The ones that had inhaled it first began vomiting blood and collapsing everywhere. Their lungs were filling with acid, forcing the blood out through their mouths.
“Hold the other catapults. Don’t fire until the phosgene has taken full effect.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The supervisor lady answered promptly.
Jaiv was visibly shaken by the sudden outbreak of poison gas poisoning spreading through his ranks. But he soon exhaled a heavy breath and roared.
“There is no need to fret over such trivial poison spells. We are the Legion of Destruction that makes the very earth tremble! Advance and crush everything that dares stand in our way!”
Kim Hwang-je frowned deeply.
How the hell does he talk like a third-rate villain?
Was he trying to embarrass the person listening and sap their will to fight?
Unfortunately, many people inside the royal castle flinched at the sound of that enormous voice.
Kim Hwang-je gently pressed down on the trembling orphanage children through the status window and handed them the candy he had prepared in advance.
“……”
I really shouldn’t act all high and mighty.
I’m only comfortable because I’m watching through the status window.
When I actually saw that disaster-grade snake right in front of me, I was terrified too.
Jaiv bellowed.
“Charge!”
“Kuaaaaaaaa!”
“Grrrrrrrrr!”
Jaiv and the bugbear legion charged forward, snorting furiously.
Like an avalanche, the swarm of pigs kicked up an enormous cloud of dust as they stampeded ahead.
Kim Hwang-je spoke to Seo Jun-seo.
“Jun-seo.”
“Yes, sir.”
“In a moment, I’m going to be in excruciating pain. Like I explained earlier, I’m going to be beating the hell out of my own body. And every time I hit myself, I’m going to get seriously injured.”
“Understood. I’ll spray the potion the instant it happens.”
Beside him, Seo Jun-seo had already filled a large sprayer to the brim with potion. Spraying it was far more effective and efficient than simply pouring it on wounds.
A secret magic ritual. He had no idea what was about to happen, and the tension was palpable.
“And if I happen to sustain a truly fatal injury…”
“Yes, I’ve prepared for that as well.”
Seo Jun-seo discreetly pulled out a bottle of Arbocil from his coat and showed it to him.
A serious look passed between the two men.
Kim Hwang-je gave a heavy nod.
This was the true preparation for a bloody battle.
“Safe travels, sir.”
“Yeah. I’ll come back in one piece.”
Kim Hwang-je sat down in his chair, stared at the status window, and shouted.
“Come at me!”
Even if they’re pathetic techniques, I’ll face you with everything I have!
I will protect my people!
Of course, he didn’t mention to Seo Jun-seo that from his perspective, it just looked like the boss was yelling at thin air.
Unlike some eldest son who loved VR games, this was a very real and serious matter.
“Gweeeeegh!”
“Gweeeeegh!”
Kim Hwang-je’s mouth fell open as he watched bugbears getting shredded and tangled in the barbed wire like rags.
“Whoa, this is brutally effective.”
Even if tens of thousands charged at once, the barbed wire zone was impossible to break through with just their bodies.
“What in the world is that?!”
Jaiv roared.
Bugbears didn’t even have the technology to make wire. And electrified concertina wire, no less?
“Push through and break it! Use your strength, you bear bastards!”
Jaiv shouted at the top of his lungs.
The bugbear legion slammed their entire bodies against the wire with monstrous power.
“Graaaaaagh!”
“Haaaaah!”
But the kilometers-long stretch of concertina wire simply swayed, then snapped back viciously, wrapping around their bodies. Even the sections buried under dirt mounds sprang up and joined the fray.
Silver barbed wire writhed from every direction, coiling around the bugbear legion. Then, in an instant, it tightened—piercing their flesh and wrapping them up completely!
“Guaaaagh! Gweeeeegh!”
“Shut up, you pig bastards! Keep running! Can’t you break through a single wire with your bodies?”
Jaiv screamed in fury, but the bugbears had no choice. It hurt like hell.
Besides, the wire was securely anchored between one-meter-thick steel posts and 100-ton tetrapods. This was the pinnacle of Park Jo-woon-style construction engineering—a masterpiece of defensive design meant to disperse the pressure of a monster charge.
“Wow, these guys really are brainless.”
Kim Hwang-je clicked his tongue.
The vast plain in front of the royal castle had become a thorn-filled pig slaughterhouse filled with nothing but the screams of dying swine.
“Trample them! Crush those pathetic losers beneath your feet and advance!”
“…That judgment…”
Kim Hwang-je let out an involuntary sigh at the horrific scene.
“Why do these idiots keep attacking when they’re suffering like this?”
“I genuinely want to know the same thing.”
“…Want to go in?”
“I’d rather not.”
Seo Jun-seo, who had been sitting glumly beside him, answered firmly and went back to refilling the sprayer with red potion.
The bugbears advanced by laying down the flesh of their own kind like carpet.
Kim Hwang-je gave an order.
“Use the catapults too.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. What about the slimes?”
Kim Hwang-je couldn’t bring himself to fire the cheerfully bouncing slimes. They were cute. No need to kill them.
“Just… leave them be for now.”
Throwing them probably wouldn’t do much good anyway. Maybe they’d be useful somewhere later.
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Thwack!
“Fire the stones!”
At the supervisor lady’s command, the orcs cranked and fired the catapults.
Stones rained down on the bugbear legion, but honestly, they weren’t very effective.
“Mage unit! Prepare lightning-class spells!”
When Dave raised his hand, Gemini gave the order.
The mages atop the castle walls immediately raised their staves and aimed them at the distant plain. Silver sparks crackled and popped along their crystal staves.
“Fire!”
“Launch!”
“Call Lightning!”
“Lightning Flare!”
“Hyper Thunder!”
Lightning spells poured down from all directions, striking the barbed wire.
“Kyaaaaaaaagh!”
“Graaaaaaaaagh!”
Bugbears impaled on the wire. Bugbears running over their impaled comrades. The lightning traveled along the metal, instantly turning the battlefield into a scene straight out of an electric barbecue.
“……”
Jaiv was visibly rattled.
If they advanced, the endless barbed wire still stretched before them. If they retreated, the ones already impaled were sizzling and cooking.
The stench of burning fur-covered chicken filled the battlefield and spread in every direction. Thick black smoke swirled across the field like a raging fire.
“Kraaah!”
Finally unable to endure any longer, Jaiv stepped forward himself, weapon in hand.
“I will deal with them personally! You filthy ticks!”
Boom!
When he slammed his axe into the ground, a V-shaped shockwave erupted.
The shockwave flipped the earth, simultaneously shredding dozens of meters of barbed wire. Of course, the bugbears tied to it were shredded along with it.
“That guy really doesn’t hold back.”
Well, if barbed wire alone could stop something like that, there’d be no need to use nukes on disaster-grade monsters.
Once Jaiv personally stepped in, the barbed wire zone was breached at terrifying speed. Bugbears poured through in a single file behind him.
“Attack!”
Dave commanded.
Immediately, the seasoned archers on the walls drew their bows and fired. Every attack focused on Jaiv.
Flash!
Boom!
Jaiv swung his axe, creating another shockwave. The arrows raining down were all deflected.
Jaiv smashed everything in his path, finally kicking and shattering a tetrapod before smashing through the outer wall.
Building it had taken forever. Destroying it took an instant.
Using his massive shield to topple the outer wall, he pushed forward the pile of rubble and charged toward the main gate.
Rumble—!
“Whoa… ugh…”
The monster’s axe drew near the castle gate.
Kim Hwang-je’s heart was pounding so violently that his temples throbbed with pain.
“I shall go out myself.”
“Your Highness?”
“Do not worry. I am prepared.”
The ultimate anti-colossal monster weapon.
Dave drew his sword and leaped down from atop the gate.
Gemini supported him from the gate with every spell she could muster.
“Heh heh heh… You are but a grain of sand thrown into the sea, human. I heard you cherish that castle of yours…”
Jaiv appeared through the crumbling outer wall. His red eyes glowed within the choking cloud of dust.
“Sun-swept Sword. Martial Blue Wave!”
No time for words!
Dave sliced sharply through the swirling dust.
A blue sword aura surged forth, sweeping across the collapsing outer wall and grazing past Jaiv’s face.
Drip.
Blood trickled down his face. Jaiv grinned viciously.
“Heh heh heh heh!”
Crash!
Jaiv hurled his gripped axe with all his might toward the castle gate.
“N-no!”
Why do all these bastards immediately go for the gate without even looking back?!
“Griffon’s…”
The moment Kim Hwang-je reached toward his crotch to activate the skill, Dave moved at astonishing speed.
“World-destroying Sword. Fine Annihilation!”
Dave stabbed his sword into the flying axe, spun it smoothly, and hurled it back at Jaiv.
While Jaiv caught the returning axe, Dave closed the distance and thrust.
“World-destroying Sword. Heavenly Annihilation!”
Boom!
Dave’s holy sword sank deep into Jaiv’s chest.
Staring at the blade embedded in his own chest, Jaiv’s eyes widened in shock.
“Heh heh… Not bad at all…!”
“Whoa!”
Kim Hwang-je couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
In just three or four seconds, he had driven a sword into a disaster-grade monster’s chest?
Of course, if a single stab was enough to kill it, it wouldn’t be called disaster-grade.
But these people had their own secret trump card.
“Weren’t you supposed to be immune to magic?”
“Heh heh heh… Indeed I am!”
Dave kicked off the ground, spinning once around Jaiv’s body.
Jaiv shook his head violently and tried to grab Dave and throw him.
But Dave dodged the grasp, pulled out a long chain from his coat, and momentarily bound Jaiv’s arms.
“Puhahaha! You think you can stop me with mere metal like this?”
When Jaiv flexed his muscles, the thick iron chain shattered into pieces.
Dave shouted loudly.
“Foreman Park! Now! Use His Majesty the Emperor’s grace!”
“Yes! Pound him!”
Rumble—!
It sounded like a wall collapsing.
Excavators and forklifts that had been hiding like castle walls charged forward.
“Ugh?”
Eight golems the size of four-story villas rushing at him—how could Jaiv not be startled?
Moreover, instead of digging buckets, they were equipped with hydraulic rock crushers designed to pulverize boulders.
“Oh…?”
Boom!
First, bulldozers pressed Jaiv down from all sides with their blades.
“Pound him!”
From four directions, the forklifts drove the hydraulic crushers straight into Jaiv’s head.
Crunch!
“Grrrrrrgh!”
At first, it only left light scratches on his thick helmet.
“Start the engines! Begin crushing!”
“Yes, boss!”
“The Heavy Machinery Knight Order offers its head to His Majesty!”
“Yes! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
Vrrrrrrrrrr!
Rrrrrrrrrr!
The thunderous roar of engines filled the air.
Then the hydraulic hammers fell heavily, striking the crushers.
The spikes drove straight into Jaiv’s skull.
Clang!
“Gweeegh!”
That was the last scream he ever made.
Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk!
Four hydraulic crushers operating simultaneously from four points produced a sound like someone blowing into a fan.
Boom!
Finally, unable to withstand the sacred power of the Celestial hydraulic crushers, Jaiv’s head shattered!
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The residents of Adel Kingdom who witnessed the sight burst into cheers.
“The enemy leader is dead!”
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Long live! Offer your heads!”
“Let’s kill every last one of them!!”
They danced and ran across the castle walls in celebration.
“Hahaha…”
Kim Hwang-je scratched his nose.
“Looks like it went well?”
“Yes, we handled it cleanly without even needing to summon—ahhhhhhh!”
Kim Hwang-je, who had been smiling contentedly at the cheers, suddenly convulsed in terrible agony.
He leaped up from his chair and collapsed to the floor, rolling in pain.
Seo Jun-seo rushed over, dropped to his knees, and held Kim Hwang-je tightly.
“B-boss! Boss?! Are you okay? Where does it hurt? I’ll spray it right away!”
“N-no! Don’t! Wait! Just wait!”
“Huh?”
Seo Jun-seo was bewildered.
But Kim Hwang-je was dead serious.
This feeling…!
Kim Hwang-je urgently checked World Observation.
Damn it.
His gut feeling was right.
Stealth-type noble monsters were hammering at the rear gate walls!
Thud!
Thud!
Gurgle.
For a moment, it felt like his insides were being wrung out.
To put it in perspective, it was like getting a protruding hemorrhoid kicked full force.
For the sake of everyone involved, it was best to end the description here.
Kim Hwang-je felt so utterly miserable and tormented that tears poured from his eyes.
“Huuuuurgh, huuugh! Uuuuurgh! Aaaagh! Agh! Huuuuuurgh! Aaaaaagh!!”
“B-boss? Boss?!”
The screams were so deafening that Seo Jun-seo had no idea what to do.
Does it really hurt that much?
Just how heavy is the burden of protecting the royal castle?
These tears and sorrow—are they not the lament of a general who has lost his country?!
To think the grief for his people could be this great…
“Huuuuurk… huuuuuuurk!”
Beyond his reddening vision, Kim Hwang-je checked World Observation again.
Translucent, shimmering monsters had used teleportation to break through the rear gate.
[Alarm]
Your Majesty!
Please regain your senses, Your Majesty!
If this continues, Your Majesty’s rear gate will—
Kim Hwang-je swatted the screen away.
But the alarm popped up again.
[Alarm]
Your Majesty,
Please remain calm.
That gate is made of titanium and steel.
It can hold for a while!
Use your skills calmly.
You won’t die from losing a little blood!
Kim Hwang-je quickly scanned the message and immediately activated a skill.
“Haaaaaaaah! Turtle Knee Strike!”
Thud!
Kim Hwang-je immediately used Emperor’s Iron Fist—‘Turtle’s Knee Strike’—and slammed his own stomach!
A spinning turtle spirit descended from the sky and smashed into the noble monsters and powerful bugbears, sending them flying in every direction.
“Ugh!”
Critical damage!
Blood gushed from his mouth and nose.
“Gweeeeeegh!”
“This won’t do! Swallow this!”
Seo Jun-seo urgently poured an entire bottle of potion down Kim Hwang-je’s throat.
Whether it went down his windpipe or his esophagus was unclear, but since it was magical potion, simply getting it into his mouth restored his strength.
“Cough?”
Thanks to the potion, Kim Hwang-je slowly regained his senses, though his head still rang with dizziness.
“Boss? Boss?”
Kim Hwang-je didn’t respond to Seo Jun-seo.
Instead, he shouted with all his strength.
“All citizens! Defend… the rear gate…!”
Within his rapidly fading vision, Kim Hwang-je used every Citizen Summon available.
Since it was the royal castle and not Earth, he could move them all.
With a potion bottle still clenched in his mouth, his arm slipped and the bottle clattered to the floor.
“Booooooooss!”
Seo Jun-seo held Kim Hwang-je in his arms and cried out desperately as he looked up at the ceiling.
He’s not dead…
But the words wouldn’t come out.
Completely drained of strength, Kim Hwang-je mumbled inside his mouth.
This game really sucks.