Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: The Goblins' Promise
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Ramin, and even Ariega Rob, froze for a moment upon seeing a dozen or so goblins appear out of nowhere without any warning.
'Goblins?'
Even with their faces covered, their small stature and pointed ears like an elf's made it obvious they were goblins.
But Ramin couldn't recall any connection with goblins, so he had to think for a second about who they might be.
Then, spotting one goblin using sign language, he remembered right away.
"Ah, you're the ones from Hwigyeong's..."
Ariega Rob glanced back and forth between Ramin and the group of goblins.
One goblin translated the signing goblin's words.
"'Do you remember promising to repay the grace of saving Hwigyeong in our stead at the Pantheon?' the boss says."
"Ah."
Ramin recalled seeing the goblins at Hwigyeong and Sairan's wedding in the Pantheon.
He had heard about it from Hwigyeong too.
She had met them in Autosung, formed a bond, and they had protected her.
They believed Ramin had fulfilled their failed mission to rescue her, and they had boldly petitioned Yacheon, earning the right to intervene in causality—a privilege even gods cherished.
The goblins all drew their weapons at once.
Sickles, daggers, shurikens, small crossbows.
All assassin's tools.
The boss, who hadn't drawn yet, signed something, then pulled out a longsword as long as he was tall.
A subordinate spoke.
"'I have come to keep that promise,' the boss says."
Ariega said,
"So you're the empire's dregs after all? I'll deal with this one first, then get to you."
With that, Ariega charged straight at Ramin, who was right in front of him.
At that exact moment, an arrow shot from the opposite side where the goblins stood, aiming for Ariega's eye.
Ariega faltered, swatting the arrow away instead of pressing forward.
'...Chance!'
Ariega's physical prowess could close the gap in an instant, but not for Ramin.
But Ramin had the power of the Chosen.
Ramin thrust his sword, channeling lightning and firing it off.
The bolt extended like a prolonged blade, scraping the ground as it reached Ariega's feet.
"...!"
Ariega growled, trying to dodge Ramin's blade.
But the goblins were already moving.
A shuriken embedded in Ariega's instep.
"...With this pathetic—!"
The moment Ramin's lightning struck and the goblins moved to surround Ariega with their weapons,
Ariega stomped the ground.
-Boom!
The earth shook, Ramin's body wobbled, and the ground collapsed.
'Falling?'
Ramin rolled to regain his balance as he fell.
A large hole opened where Ariega had stood.
Only about human height, but it seemed like one of the many underground passages inside the Sky Fortress.
A goblin sprang up from the hole, but before it hit the ground, Ariega leaped back into view.
"You vermin are such a nuisance..."
Mid-sentence, Ariega scowled deeply, spun around, and slashed with his foreclaw.
The goblin boss, who had stabbed Ariega's back with his longsword, backflipped away and slid to a landing.
The boss signed something, and a subordinate translated.
"'Our weapons can't deal a fatal blow. Rush in when the chance comes,' the boss says."
Ariega growled at the goblins encircling him.
"Goblins not even worth a mouthful..."
Ramin spat out the blood filling his mouth and stepped forward.
The boss followed alongside, signing.
The subordinates trailed behind.
"'Prove it,'" the translator said.
"...The boss says."
Even amid the staff officers issuing urgent orders and taking direct command of critical matters in a frenzy, those words rang clearly in Dordol's ears.
"...The Rasdasil coastline is coming into view."
Dordol turned his head northwest toward Rasdasil.
Sure enough, the Rasdasil coast was visible, just as the staff officer said.
In this battle, spotting the Rasdasil coast wasn't bad—quite good, in fact.
The Allied Kingdom's whereabouts were unknown, so the coastal fortress had been hastily built, but for a rush job, its condition was excellent.
The fortress, poured full of concrete, was larger and sturdier than the empire's ancient ones despite the haste.
Moreover, the artillery batteries the empire's airships had diligently transported right up to deployment filled the fortress to the brim.
If they lured the enemy into coastal artillery range, they could inflict heavy damage on their forces.
'But...'
Despite their fierce resistance, the situation wasn't entirely favorable.
Fighting from long range with fleets maneuvering made artillery accuracy poor.
The God of War hadn't intervened directly yet, but even with the Pantheon's gods coordinating partially, the lack of clear results showed the Wrathful One's power was formidable.
A force under the Wrathful One's influence gained clear advantages in 'war.'
Even cowards lost their fear when killing enemies, gaining the bravery to charge into barrages, and the dull-witted became sharpest in slaughter.
Imperial scholars called the Wrathful One's armies 'war machines.'
Even the meek, donning Allied Kingdom uniforms and receiving orders, performed mechanically, as if self-awareness vanished—like hypnosis or divine possession. But it wasn't quite that.
An indescribable power existed, and no one doubted it was divine.
Even Dordol sometimes struggled to understand how the empire held against the Allied Kingdom and even gained the upper hand overall.
The empire had plenty of cowards. Normally, a unit lost function after 10% casualties.
In a squad of ten, one injury meant one checked the wound, two escorted, four covered in rotation. The last, the leader, left a fresh private who couldn't handle it.
The Wrathful One's forces maintained morale fighting back even at 20% losses—30% in decisive battles. Dordol had clear stats, updated by war researchers, trending sharply upward.
Someday, they might fight on with nine dead, one unyielding.
Yet the imperial army won frequently.
Of course, Dordol knew Yacheon's power lay in avoiding war or setting unbeatable boards against the Wrathful One.
But that didn't explain everything.
The empire had cowards unimaginable in the Allied Kingdom, but also the bravest. Not born for war, ungifted by the God of War, yet they achieved it.
'Something even the God of War misses?'
War researchers debated this. Perhaps this war tested if war machines needed more than mechanical prowess.
Dordol didn't know what, but he bet on something else existing.
'Our fleet's already in coastal artillery range.'
The Allied fleet could pause outside range, but Dordol thought they'd charge momentum unbroken.
'Then we fight desperately, sacrificing the fleet.'
The goal was annihilating the enemy transport fleet aiming for Rasdasil landing, so some losses were inevitable.
Closer fleets meant heavier mutual damage.
The empire had coastal guns and airship reports on Mazdara bridges' air battles—exchange ratios favorable.
'...But is that enough?'
The plan was flawless.
The imperial fleet held one card back; unless the Allied Kingdom revealed something huge, transport annihilation was possible.
'But no clue what the Wrathful One hides. Is this all? Or...?'
Pantheon, Conference Room 3.
Players seated around the round table checked status windows, issued orders, and shared updates.
Imperial priests followed central command 'Nuribaragi' but also relayed incomprehensible precise instructions from gods or apostles to nearby commanders—details even field apostles didn't need, but lifesavers.
For example, spotting an Allied Kingdom warship adjusting firing angle: a player notes, predicts impact, orders at-risk ships to shift dozens of meters.
Inefficient faith-wise, but micro-control essential for must-win fights.
Amid the bustle, Wisdom paused his spinning thoughts.
"Can we stop the landing like this?"
Seong-un, gazing down at the Sky Fortress, looked up.
"Curious about my take?"
"Yeah."
"My thought is..."
Seong-un pondered briefly before speaking.
"Probably not."
"As expected."
Runda, who had listened silently, slammed the table.
"We're busting our asses—why demoralize from the sidelines?"
"We give our all regardless."
"What 'all'? Like a school coach telling a team locked out of regionals to try hard in leftovers? We can stop 'em!"
"Why so specific?"
"Anyway."
Wisdom cut in.
"I'm curious too. Hegemonia doesn't seem to hold other cards. No sign of 'decisive battle.' Issue with the Sky Fortress?"
Seong-un interjected.
"No. Just now... five thrusters started spinning. At this distance, they can halt before coast."
"That range lets the Sky Domain fully unleash, maybe erase the fortress surface."
Among great domains, nature's three wield mighty miracles.
Sea greatest scope, Earth strongest power—but Sky matches, versatile and focused.
"Right."
"Then another problem?"
Seong-un crossed arms.
"First off, we can't touch that."
"Can't?"
"Explanation'll make you see why. My worry's elsewhere."
"Where?"
Seong-un said,
"Hegemonia's barely using faith."
Runda asked,
"...Yeah? So? Less faith used helps us, right?"
Seong-un ignored Runda, facing Wisdom.
Wisdom said,
"Is that it? Hegemonia's aiming for that?"
"You always act like you know without me. Annoying."
Nearby RD chuckled.
"You don't know either. Why laugh."
RD's face fell.
But he watched Seong-un and Wisdom intently.
Seong-un waved dismissively.
"Everyone knows. Hegemonia's eligible for great domain, so hoard faith, claim it."
"...Ah."
Im Chunsik, hooked, blurted,
"Wait. So Hegemonia's getting Earth's great domain to collapse Rasdasil ruins?"
"Yes."
"No way. How's it gathering that much faith in this short war?"
"Because it's this short 'war.'"
Seong-un's emphasis on one word startled Im Chunsik.
Hegemonia held War's unique domain—waging war generated faith.
Seong-un elaborated.
"Crunched numbers: possible. Tight, but land transports, fight ashore, all apostles frontlines—reaches threshold. So Hegemonia has two plans. One: own army. Two: advance domain via war, quake Rasdasil ruins down."
Eldar cautiously,
"Um, presumptuous, but..."
"Speak."
"Even great domain needs proximity to ruins for that power..."
Seong-un shrugged.
"That's why they brought it."
"Pardon?"
Seong-un said,
"The Sky Fortress."