Chapter 171: 11-Quad. Solo Siege
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: 11-Quad. Solo Siege
Entering the inner castle, Seo-un pulled out two ochre-colored orbs. A familiar notification chimed instantly.
The moment he pressed the 'O' button, 300 infantrymen and 200 cavalrymen materialized in the previously empty courtyard.
Seo-un furrowed his brows at the pop-up window.
'Is there a population limit for each castle? If smaller castles can only support a few soldiers...'
Then players would be forced to seize other territories to expand their armies.
A system where one could enter under another lord at any time.
A system where one could betray their lord at any time.
A system where one could march out and dominate other castles at any time.
Seo-un’s lips curled into a smirk. The game rules seemed to grant free will only to test the depths of human greed.
'Whether it’s an operator or a god, they always pull this kind of crap.'
He finished his thought and registered the provisions, causing a new status window to appear.
Even the amount of stored provisions was limited.
'Well, I have my subspace, so it shouldn't matter much.'
"March out!"
As he shouted the command and looked over the Earth Soldiers, another prompt appeared.
Seeing his teammates listed as available commanders, Seo-un assigned the members of the attack squad to lead the 500 soldiers and took the maximum 6,000 units of provisions.
Once the settings were finalized, an infantryman hauled open the gate, and the soldiers gathered outside the walls.
"Defense squad, keep a close eye on the house," Seo-un directed. "It’s unlikely, but if we’re attacked, focus on killing the players first. It’ll make things easier."
With those final words, Seo-un led the siege squad forward at a sprint. The cavalry followed closely, and the infantry began their steady run.
"Hyung, the infantry are too slow..."
Seo-un, who had been leading the charge across a bridge, nodded. He immediately sent the infantry back to the castle along with 3,000 units of provisions.
The defense squad, watching from atop the walls, looked puzzled as the infantry returned almost as soon as they had left.
After answering Rimin’s question, Seo-un picked up the pace.
Ju-riel hovered among the cavalry on her Air Board, while Gi-chan positioned himself between her and Seo-un at the vanguard. Li Lingwei stuck close behind Seo-un’s shadow, and Jin Long brought up the rear of the cavalry formation.
It was a formation Seo-un had improvised to handle any sudden ambushes.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, their target appeared in the distance—a castle no larger than a grain of millet on the skyline.
"We'll break through in one go—"
Seo-un was encouraging his teammates when a single arrow cut him off.
Clang!
The arrow, streaking through the darkening sky, failed to pierce Seo-un’s barrier and bounced off harmlessly. Simultaneously, a notification flashed.
About 100 cavalrymen appeared before them, backed by 100 archers. While the cavalry Seo-un led were ochre-colored, these enemies were a dull bronze.
The soldiers following Seo-un halted as he did, and his teammates gathered around him. Ju-riel furrowed her brows in confusion.
"There are a lot of them. I assume they’ll turn into items if we kill them, but why are there so many?"
Seo-un swapped Hamit for his Chainsword and replied, "They could be a 1,000-soldier item, or they might have appeared in their actual numbers because we’re commanders leading troops. We’ll find out once we kill them."
As Seo-un stepped forward, his teammates followed his lead.
The cavalry accelerated, charging toward the enemy. At that moment, Ju-riel completed her incantation and rained magic down onto the enemy formation.
Boom!
Flame Burst and Flame Strike erupted simultaneously, instantly engulfing the archers. Despite the fire, the bronze cavalry continued their charge. Gi-chan smirked at them.
"If they're made of metal, they should conduct electricity better than Earth Soldiers, right?"
Crackle!
Chain Lightning erupted from both his hands, stretching out to electrocute the charging bronze cavalry and grinding their momentum to a halt. Gi-chan then pulled out his staff and swung it. Lightning bolted down from the clear sky, surging through the Chain Lightning and drastically increasing the voltage.
Crack! Clang! Thud!
The 100 bronze cavalrymen, who had been charging so boldly, were shattered and smashed by Gi-chan before they could even clash with Seo-un.
Trampling over the metallic remains, Seo-un and his cavalry swallowed up the archers who were desperately trying to reform their lines after Ju-riel’s opening salvo.
Crack! Clang! Thud!
The archers were annihilated in an instant, the sound of breaking bronze echoing across the plains. Ju-riel approached Seo-un, who had just cut down the last archer, holding a bronze-colored orb.
"They really were farming soldiers."
"Seems so," Seo-un replied, picking up another bronze orb from the ground. "We can register these soldiers after we take that castle."
With that, Seo-un sprinted once more toward the distant fortress. Not long after they resumed their formation, Li Lingwei’s voice came through the comms.
"Seo-un! To the left!"
Turning his head, he saw three players hunting Earth Soldiers. They spotted his group and looked visibly flustered.
"Gi-chan! Lingwei! Clean them up!"
At the command, Gi-chan and Li Lingwei broke away from the main group.
"Priestess, will those two be alright?" Jin Long asked.
"They'll be fine. Sahyeong, jump over the wall and open the gate immediately. Ju-riel! Throw something big to draw their attention!"
Jin Long drew his sword and dashed forward. Ju-riel sent two Flame Birds flying toward the enemy castle’s watchtowers.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As the two Flame Birds streaked through the air and set the watchtowers ablaze, a notification appeared.
Seo-un’s eyes gleamed as he urged the cavalry forward.
"Run faster! That gate is about to open! We’re charging straight into the inner castle!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
The cavalry let out a roar, their morale soaring at Seo-un’s shout.
'So these things can make noise too.'
Feeling the heat of the battle cry behind him, Seo-un sprinted toward the enemy castle like a madman. If the gate didn't open now, he would be crushed between the charging cavalry and the heavy doors. Just in case, Seo-un began to pour internal power into the Chainsword.
'It’s a castle gate, though. Can I break it in one hit?'
He was still pondering this when, right on time, the gate began to groan.
Creeeeeak...
When the gate had opened just enough for three people to pass, Seo-un was the first to burst inside. The cavalry followed in a swift, single-file line. Inside the outer courtyard, he saw Jin Long holding the gate open, with six supply boxes sitting beside him.
"Straight to the inner castle!"
Boom! Cr-cr-crack!
As they entered the outer castle, a Flame Strike flew from the inner walls, wiping out about 50 of their cavalrymen. Numerous other spells followed as the enemy’s resistance began in earnest.
"Don't worry about the soldiers! Breaking the inner gate is the priority!"
Seo-un shouted to Ju-riel, who was expanding her barrier to neutralize the enemy spells. She shifted her focus to the inner gate. At that moment, three cavalrymen charged toward the entrance.
"It's just a few Earth Soldiers! Just kill the players!" the enemies shouted from the walls.
A smirk played on Seo-un's lips.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three cavalrymen had somehow pulled out small carts and rammed them into the gate. A series of explosions followed, making the inner castle tremble.
"It's almost through!"
The thick iron bars protecting the inner gate were bent and broken, and the sturdy wooden door behind them was riddled with cracks. Just then, Li Lingwei and Gi-chan returned from their hunt.
"You two, take care of the ones on top of the inner wall!"
At Seo-un’s order, Li Lingwei leaped onto the inner wall and ran up it without hesitation, while Gi-chan provided cover fire against players trying to intercept her.
The Chainsword, infused with internal power to its limit, trembled with a faint hum. Seo-un swung it toward the nearly destroyed inner gate.
Swish—BOOM!
The extended Chainsword shattered the inner gate in one blow, clearing the path.
"Everyone, get in!"
The remaining cavalry, now numbering only about 100, poured into the inner castle.
"Block them! Block them at all costs!"
"No! We have to give up and run!"
Conflicting orders echoed among the enemies. About 20 players fought desperately inside, but they were no match for Seo-un’s team. Seo-un leaped into the pitch-black sky and sliced through the green flag atop the inner castle with his Chainsword.
Simultaneously, a global announcement broadcasted to every player in the game.
Seo-un scowled. The Cloyd system always made sure to broadcast the things he’d rather keep quiet.
"Wait! Surrender! We surrender! We'll join your Quad, so please spare us!"
A mage raised his hands toward Li Lingwei, who was about to strike. The players behind him followed suit. Li Lingwei glanced at Seo-un, waiting for his order.
When the order came through the team voice chat, Li Lingwei gave a small nod and approached the enemies with her hand outstretched. The mage who had first declared their surrender shook her hand.
"A wise decision," the mage said. "Securing more players is important in this game."
"My name is Geompsiria."
"I am..."
Li Lingwei shook hands with every single player.
"But how did you think to attack so quickly? We hadn't even registered our soldiers because of the provisions... Gasp!"
The mage collapsed, coughing up blood. One by one, the players who had touched Li Lingwei turned pale and fell, vomiting black blood.
"You... you tricked us..."
One knight, who held out until the end, drew his last breath with a look of pure resentment.
Ignoring the corpses, Seo-un fell into thought as he surveyed the provisions stored in the castle and the durability of the damaged walls. Ju-riel approached him.
"First, everyone, start farming," Seo-un commanded. "There should be provisions and soldiers that haven't been registered yet."
As the group moved in perfect order, Seo-un registered the remaining provisions and bronze soldiers. After stationing 100 bronze archers on the walls, he began to study the map.
"It's pitch black now; you can't see anything," Ju-riel said, walking over. "Since the castle fell to an early attack, all the surrounding lords will be deploying soldiers and will be on high guard against you, Seo-un."
"I know. But because it's still early and they'll think no one would attack at night, there's no better time to strike. If we take this place, Paryeong-ji, and then Gangryeong-ji next to it, and Dareung-ji on the opposite side, we'll have a solid front line to protect our first castle, Goyoji."
Ju-riel looked at the map. She couldn't deny the strategy. "But in a few hours, a force field will form outside the castles."
"Right. Outside the castles."
"What are you planning?!"
At her worried tone, Seo-un explained his plan to the team.
"Hyung! Even if it's you, that's too much!" Gi-chan shouted.
"Sahyeong, please reconsider," Jin Long added.
"I think it's a good idea," Li Lingwei countered. "If it works, it'll be a huge help in navigating the game moving forward."
Ju-riel looked at Seo-un with a conflicted expression. Seeing his face—overflowing with a vitality completely different from his usual self—she couldn't bring herself to oppose him. She knew all too well that once he made up his mind, he would push through regardless of what anyone said.
"Sigh. When things get dangerous... make sure to use this." She pressed a Teleportation Scroll into Seo-un’s hand.
"I will. Don't worry too much, and take care of the castle."
Having delegated the lordship to her, Seo-un stepped out of the castle alone, disappearing into the night.