The Annihilation Subjugation Force
“No, the more spirited she is, the more I want her. Did she max out her charm stat at 1,000 or something? What makes her so damn attractive?”
Brock had no intention of giving up on Arthur yet.
Brock's face hardened as he asked the head instructor if there was any way to get Arthur.
“Why did that guy have to show up right now...”
Head Instructor Valrock let out a shallow sigh.
“It's unfortunate, but what can we do? In the Monarch Game's progression, the 20th round is almost always a total wipeout.”
“Even the bastards who made this game—why the hell do they run it like this? Forcing a near-mandatory massacre every 20th round? What kind of bullshit is that!”
Brock slammed his palm on the table in irritation.
The survival rate for the existing third trial—the Monster Subjugation lord qualification exam—was over 95%.
“So, what's the expected survival rate for the apprentice lords?”
Valrock hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Survival rate!”
“10%.”
“...”
Brock clutched his head.
At this rate, he'd lose Arthur for good.
“What if I give Arthur a heads-up?”
“Absolutely not, my lord. That would violate the Monarch Game's rules, and you'd face severe penalties.”
Brock bit his lip hard.
Valrock's lips twitched.
Brock knew he had more to say, so he sighed and nodded.
“And they say the Dungeon Master leading the operation was pulled from the punishment prison.”
“...Goddamn it all.”
The worst of the worst.
In this third trial of the lord qualification exam, the Monster Subjugation Force would be all but annihilated.
Monster Subjugation Force.
In the Monster Subjugation Force, each apprentice lord was assigned ten soldiers under their command.
The key was to keep as many of those ten soldiers alive as possible. Even if not all survived, the apprentice lord could still pass.
The most important thing was preserving their own life.
The subjugation force marched toward a single goal for five days.
Monster subjugation and hunting the Dungeon Master.
Dungeon Master.
They occasionally appeared in the Monarch Game.
But very few Dungeon Masters showed up in the Monarch Game.
Most of those that did were event-based.
The Asgard Continent wasn't their primary hunting ground to begin with.
And dungeons with them versus without had clear differences.
Artifact drop rates and rewards were much higher if they were present.
No need to worry, then.
The Dungeon Master in the third trial of the qualification exam was usually some green rookie, and there was only one at most.
“Now we'll meet again on the Asgard Continent.”
“Indeed we will.”
Arthur grinned at Orwen's bittersweet tone.
Orwen had heard how Arthur had stunned Lord Brock during the charisma trial.
Just like my student.
“Make sure you bring back the Oath Scroll.”
“You're a pain in the ass to the bitter end.”
Apprentice lords skipped the training camp after the third trial and headed straight to their territories.
“Dew's forming.”
“Cut the crap, you annoying apprentice?”
Orwen chuckled at Arthur's playful tone.
The training room shifted.
Like during the monster hunt, a vast plain materialized.
The apprentice lords took their first steps.
As Arthur set foot on the plain, Orwen began to fade.
“Good luck.”
Orwen saluted, pressing her right fist to her left chest.
Arthur returned the salute.
Once she vanished completely, a bright light enveloped Arthur's body.
Arthur looked around.
About fifty apprentice lords had appeared.
Behind them, their ten soldiers each lined up in formation—totaling five hundred troops.
The same would hold at distant points: fifty more apprentice lords leading another five hundred soldiers, all marching toward the subjugation force's objective.
The troops already knew the route from their instructors.
A boy?
Lance, a middle-aged man, tilted his head at his squad leader—a mere boy. He had a daughter back home about Arthur's age.
Still, he's our squad leader.
The soldiers were programmed to obey Arthur.
Unless he did something utterly idiotic, they'd follow orders without question.
“Hmm, this squad's leader...”
“Got a problem?”
Arthur eyed the bald man stroking his scruffy beard.
He was the company commander, overseeing a hundred soldiers and ten apprentice lords—a knight, naturally.
His rank outstripped Arthur's, so obedience wasn't on the table.
Knight Korman smirked at the cocky-eyed kid.
“Your squad's in for a rough ride, tsk tsk!”
Pure mockery of the bratty young squad leader.
This is gonna be a headache from the start.
He clicked his tongue inwardly.
The kid would freeze up, the soldiers would be stuck, and eventually, the rookie would come crawling: 'Teach me how!'
Then he'd say, 'Figure it out yourself, you moron.'
“Pleased to meet you. I'm Lauden.”
“Likewise.”
The apprentice lords began shaking hands with their subordinates.
Arthur glanced back briefly.
“Squad Leader Arthur. Let's get along.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Our squad leader's so cool!”
Even in those short words, the soldiers cheered with trusting expressions.
What presence from such a young body!
Ooh, our squad leader's got real charisma.
Their eyes sparkled.
“Form up and move out!”
“Move!”
The soldiers echoed Knight Korman's order.
A few apprentice lords jumped at the response, then gave awkward smiles to hide their embarrassment.
As the column marched, Arthur suddenly sensed the surroundings turn red.
No way...
Startled, Arthur looked up at the sky.
The clear sky had turned blood-red.
“Huh? Why's the sky...”
“What's going on?”
Damn it!
The others noticed too.
The knights and soldiers were puzzled by the red sky but dismissed it.
Arthur knew better.
There was only one reason for a red sky.
The Annihilation Subjugation Force!
That's what the lords called it in his previous life.
The subjugation force that unlucky training camp graduates faced.
A lord qualification exam closer to a slaughter!
It happened every 20th round, with only about 10% surviving.
That 10% was just what the system had the attacking Dungeon Master spare.
It was the rule: let 10% live.
Arthur realized his subjugation force was one of those—and how dire the situation was.
All monster placements change. They don't follow preset paths; they move on the Dungeon Master's orders to attack.
Terrifying.
The knights would lead all apprentice lords and soldiers down the usual route.
Then the ambushing monsters would start the massacre.
Beep beep beep!
At that moment, Arthur's Lord Nurturing Device blared an alarm and projected a hologram.
The hologram flashed red, with Emergency Quest in the center.
Save as Many Apprentice Lords as Possible
📍 Rank: ?
🎁 Cash Reward: ?
🎁 Rewards: ?
⚠️ Failure Penalty: ?
The Annihilation Subjugation Force. All apprentice lords will be massacred. You are their only hope. Lead by example, guide them to victory, and save as many as you can.
Why bother saving them all? The thought might cross his mind.
But Arthur held no grudges against the apprentice lords.
Territory wars hadn't even started, and they were just summoned like him.
Besides, a quest full of ???.
One thing was certain: the more he saved, the bigger the rewards.
And Arthur had no choice anyway.
Time to go wild here. I don't know who the enemy Dungeon Master is, but...
Arthur's eyes turned ice-cold.
He's going to lose.
Right now, that bastard was probably foaming at the mouth, eager to slaughter these rookie apprentice lords.
Facing the Annihilation Subjugation Force meant a seasoned Dungeon Master.
No pushover.
But!
He didn't know Arthur was here.
He was probably scheming how to cook the apprentice lords.
Arthur could exploit that carelessness.
First subjugation. Start fast from there.
The power of the War Ghost he'd kept hidden.
Time to show it all.
This fight wouldn't be easy.
Holding back might mean defeat.
Arthur opened the Cash Shop.
It had useful items for territory wars.
One was Scout Animals.
Normal ones are hawks or owls. But this shop has others.
Meaning he could scout without raising suspicion!
Arthur bought two kestrels for 3,000 cash.
A hawk's speed was about 200 km/h.
Kestrels hit 170 km/h—slightly slower, but fast.
Flap flap flap.
Flap flap flap.
One to Louis, one to the enemy Dungeon Master.
Watching the birds soar, the rear soldiers murmured in confusion.
“D-Did he just send scout birds?”
“How'd he get scout birds here?”
The squad mates whispered.
Arthur turned back.
“From now on, trust and follow my every action without question. Do that, and none of you will suffer serious injury or die.”
“Understood!”
“Loyalty!”
They responded with vigor.
Clear faith in him.
That was key.
If they didn't trust him, he couldn't protect them.
And the other squads' soldiers wouldn't obey Arthur.
So he needed something.
I have to dominate the first subjugation.
Only then could he lead them.
“Everyone, halt!”
“Halt! Halt!”
“Halt! Halt!”
The marching subjugation force stopped in unison.
Over a hundred goblins had appeared in the empty plain.