26 - The Canyon Trap
Brock, the lord, and Chief Instructor Valrock hovered in the air.
They had switched to spectator mode to watch the Annihilation Squad.
Once spectator mode activated, Valrock's face twisted in shock, his body trembling.
"Th-this can't be..."
"What's wrong?"
Brock gave him a puzzled look.
"There are far too many surviving apprentice lords and soldiers right now. Only three apprentice lords have died."
"...What?"
Brock's eyes widened in surprise.
The Annihilation Squad was infamous among lords.
From the second battle onward, apprentice lords and soldiers were swept away without mercy.
By now, they should have lost around 40% of their original forces.
"Apprentice Arthur's contribution is currently at 96%."
"96%?!"
Contribution points rose based on participation in soldier survival, tactics, strategy, and everything else.
But for most apprentice lords, even 10% was considered high.
Arthur's was overwhelmingly superior.
"So you're saying Arthur kept all of them alive and led them here?"
"Yes."
Brock could only let out a hollow laugh.
It was a shame to lose such a talented individual as Arthur.
He was also curious about what Arthur might be doing here right now.
Arthur was exactly the kind of talent Brock coveted and desperately wanted to claim.
And as if repaying that expectation, Arthur was achieving utterly absurd results.
But.
"Once they pass through the canyon, over 60% of the forces will definitely die."
Valrock spoke the truth.
The moment they entered the canyon, most of the forces would be annihilated.
"In the end, the canyon..."
The squad with Arthur and the two squads with Louis met near the canyon.
Spotting the ogres positioned on both sides, the combined squad decided to push through the canyon and began entering.
The apprentice lords entering the canyon swallowed hard in tension.
They had already heard everything from Arthur.
About how to act from here on.
Whether to trust his words was questionable, but thanks to it, they had avoided casualties at the Nile River and the forest.
Lauden swallowed a bitter smile.
'If it really turns out as he said, we'll owe him a debt.'
Arthur had said everyone would leave this place alive.
Without a single apprentice lord lost.
But for Lauden and the others, it felt terribly apologetic.
Because Arthur had said he'd fight alone.
'We can't let you do that. Thanks to you, we've survived this far—how could we leave you behind?'
To that, Arthur had replied coldly.
'I'm sending you ahead because you're dead weight. Don't get the wrong idea. And as promised, once the territory war starts, send 2% of your gold to my territory. If you don't, I'll declare war on you.'
Arthur had called them dead weight and demanded 2% of their gold in exchange for saving them.
He wouldn't help for free, even if he was helping.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As expected, a few kobolds appeared.
The kobolds opened oil barrels and began pouring oil from one end of the canyon to the other.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"Gasp!"
"What are those things?!"
As the kobolds poured the oil and vanished, soldiers and apprentice lords screamed in chaos.
At that moment.
Fire arrows rained from above, igniting the oil-soaked ground and erecting a massive wall of flames.
Roooar!
Roooar!
"They've finally taken the bait."
Carman had been inwardly wary ever since they read his numbers at the Nile River and forest.
The moment they entered the canyon, Carman swiftly opened the cash shop.
Leaving only a tenth of his gold, he invested heavily in kobolds, fire arrows, and more.
Then he glanced back.
"Now it's your turn to have some fun."
"Perfect."
The three races standing behind grinned ear to ear at the thought of the slaughter.
Having spent most of his gold, Carman sneered.
-Gasp, both paths are blocked!
-D-damn it!
Watching through his scout hawk, Carman couldn't help but laugh.
"Die, you worm bastards. Kuhuhu!"
Locked in the punishment prison, Carman received the perk of reduced sentence for every apprentice lord he killed.
He planned to wipe them out—save 10%—and achieve his goal.
Hunting apprentice lords and soldiers would even recover some of the spent gold.
The three races vanished in a burst of light.
Arthur nodded as the three races appeared in a flash of light. He looked up.
The canyon walls were swarming with kobolds.
If they loosed arrows now, the forces would be annihilated.
Carman surely knew that better than anyone.
'He's spent most of his gold.'
Arthur had deliberately entered the canyon to drain Carman's gold.
Dungeon masters also needed to hunt apprentice lords to recoup a certain amount of gold.
With all forces concentrated here, Arthur pulled out the Legion Movement Parchment.
Without hesitation, he tore it.
"Thanks for the smoke show, everyone."
"Sorry about this."
"Thank you, Apprentice Arthur!"
All the forces vanished in a swirl of blue light.
The kobolds above could only utter confused cries.
The three races, striding forward triumphantly, furrowed their brows.
Arthur flashed them a grin.
"Oops. Looks like I reeled you in."
Arthur laughed cheerfully.
What he'd aimed for: drain most of Carman's gold.
And let the apprentice lords escape.
The three races seemed momentarily baffled.
Mage Coil's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, you're planning to raid the kobolds from behind the canyon?!"
At the word "reeled in," Coil blurted.
Arthur shook his head.
"Do I really need to go that far?"
No need.
Even if it struck their flank, it would still cause friendly casualties.
Arthur had no intention of letting even one apprentice lord die.
The rewards would be bigger that way.
"Isn't the real point that you—the core forces—and this many kobolds are all gathered here just to kill little old me?"
Arthur smiled.
All forces were focused here.
Meanwhile, he'd summoned the apprentice lords and all soldiers far beyond the canyon.
To mark that spot on the map beforehand, Arthur had gone ahead alone with ten soldiers and thirty prisoners before arriving.
Thus, the map was charted, and the apprentice lords and soldiers appeared far from the canyon.
They were now racing toward the objective, guided by Arthur's hawk.
Could Carman stop them?
He'd dumped all his gold here.
No way to block or summon monsters.
Even buying Legion Movement wouldn't move this many kobolds—gold shortage.
If the apprentice lords ran hard, they'd reach the goal and escape the Annihilation Squad.
"But don't squads have to capture the dungeon master to escape upon reaching the objective?"
Coil's question was valid.
Arthur had rescued the prisoners and chosen three parchments.
One was Legion Movement; another allowed apprentice lords to return to their territories upon reaching the goal, even without capturing the dungeon master.
"You'll see."
"I have to kill that bastard anyway."
Furious, Kamans snorted like he wanted to tear Arthur apart.
The dark elf and Coil felt the same.
The joyful slaughter they'd anticipated had turned into a bust because of him.
Arthur feigned surprise.
"Damn, I only used Legion Movement—can't exactly run myself now."
A lie.
Even without it, Arthur could buy personal movement from the cash shop or leave via Legion Movement.
The simple reason he stayed: to hunt all remaining forces here.
Kamans charged at Arthur with raging steps.
Suddenly, he was upon him, swinging his massive axe at Arthur's head.
Arthur's lips twisted.
"Instructor activate."
Instructor Orwen is summoned.
Orwen, emerging in a burst of light, instinctively drew her sword and deflected the axe.
Twaaaang!
Kamans couldn't withstand the force and flew backward.
Orwen, wrapped in light, scanned her surroundings.
The canyon.
Three races ahead, hundreds of kobolds above.
Arthur behind her.
She furrowed her brow.
"Apprentice Arthur."
"Yes, Instructor?"
Arthur grinned cheekily, just like always, baring his teeth.
"Care to explain the situation?"
"The Annihilation Squad broke out, and hundreds of kobolds plus an ugly orc, dark elf, and human are trying to kill me. I'm so scared—please scold them for me, Instructor."
Arthur's expression was innocently pitiful, like 'They're bullying me, punish them, Instructor!'
"......"
Orwen pressed a hand to her forehead.
'Should I drag this brat to a corner and beat the crap out of him?'
For a moment, she scanned for a secluded spot without thinking.
She didn't know the full details.
But seeing the Annihilation Squad, the masses of enemies around Arthur, and her own summoning—it clicked.
'She wants me to take them all out?'
She chuckled lowly.
Not impossible.
Hundreds of kobolds? As a 3rd-class mage and knight, it wasn't much for her.
Like how hundreds of ants couldn't faze an elephant.
"Hohoho..."
Her laughter grew louder. From sheer absurdity.
"Hohohohoho!"
"Hahaha!"
She laughed, and Arthur laughed too.
Kamans stared at his right arm, twitching in spasms.
The force had been so immense that when Orwen parried, he'd nearly dropped his weapon.
If his stats weren't nerfed, maybe not.
"Apprentice Arthur."
"Yes, Instructor?"
"Sigh."
Orwen pressed her forehead again.
What to do with this cheeky little shit?
Then Kamans unleashed a furious roar.
"GRRAAAAH!"
Raging at them laughing leisurely right in front of them.
Orwen scowled.
She lowered her sword and strode forward.
"You guys picked the wrong day to piss me off."
She figured she'd take out her frustration from Arthur on these fools.
Kamans charged at Orwen in fury.
Whoosh!
Orwen flashed past Kamans in an instant.
Kamans' eyes bulged as blood erupted from his body like a fountain.
BOOM!
Coil's fireball hurtled toward Orwen but shattered against a massive shield.
"...W-wait, aren't you a swordsman?"
As Coil looked dumbfounded, Arthur glowed with light.
"Instructor, take out the kobolds too. Sorry for the trouble."
With that, Arthur vanished.
He'd predicted Orwen would vent on these guys and the kobolds.
He knew her fiery temper well.
Orwen's face twisted in disbelief.
The mighty swordmage Iris, used by her own student?
"That damn Arthur!"
Cursing him, she charged.
Her blazing sword reduced the dark elf and Coil to ashes.
Enraged, she cast Fly and soared up.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
"Arthur, you rotten little disciple!"
Immense flames erupted from her hand, devouring the kobolds in one gulp.
She unleashed her fury on them in a massacre.