Chapter 173: Squad 11. Divergent Paths
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Squad 11. Divergent Paths
“The resistance was fiercer than I expected.”
At Gi-chan’s remark, Juriel and Jin Long nodded in grim agreement.
“Tell me about it. We breached the outer wall so easily that I thought this would be another walk in the park. They really had some nasty surprises waiting for us.”
Seo-un looked up at the wreckage of the magic cannons.
Because of the two magic cannons mounted beside the flagpoles atop the inner castle, they had lost eighty percent of the soldiers who had marched in unopposed. The weapons' destructive power far exceeded their estimates, and Juriel had nearly faced a 'Game Over.' If Jin Long hadn’t kept his cool and pulled her to safety, she would have been vaporized along with the soldiers.
Staring at the destroyed cannons that had caused them so much grief, Li Lingwei spoke with a hint of regret.
“It’s a shame they’re broken.”
“Repair items will turn up eventually,” Seo-un replied. “Or we might just find more cannons elsewhere.”
“The output seemed much higher than the ones we used on the sea map,” she noted.
“Probably because these are specialized for siege defense.”
“Let’s finish the cleanup and farming quickly. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
As he spoke, Seo-un pulled up the map and searched for the Great Castle of Allure. According to the earlier notification, the castle had been captured by Senrurk. It was located a significant distance away, toward the upper-center of the map.
Since he took the largest of the fifty castles, he’ll likely start sweeping through the surrounding territories with overwhelming force.
Seo-un viewed a castle’s size as its capacity for military production. Naturally, holding a massive fortress that could churn out units faster than any other provided a massive strategic advantage. Furthermore, his opponent was the King of Crusen—the man known as the Madman of the Battlefield.
“It’s bothering you, isn’t it?” Gi-chan asked.
Seo-un nodded. “The location is too good. If it’s him, he’ll seize control of the center in an instant.”
At his words, the team members, who had been busy clearing the area and looting chests, gathered around. They were all uneasy after hearing that Senrurk’s squad had claimed the Great Castle of Allure.
“Taking the center also means he’ll be under pressure from all sides,” Dump remarked, offering a surprisingly sharp insight.
“On the flip side,” Seo-un countered, “there’s no better place than the center for conquering the entire map. You can manage supplies with total stability from there.”
Juriel nodded and added her thoughts.
“The difficult part of this game is that it’s hard to gauge the scale of the other squads. We don’t know when they’ll split up or merge. Since we can’t accurately track the enemy’s numbers, I think it’s best to focus on farming for now.”
“That’s true. Farming is the priority—especially the objects. The importance of map objects here is on a completely different level compared to other games.”
There were boss monsters and buff monsters.
A buff monster was located in the swamp between three castles not far from their position, while the boss monster resided at the diagonal end of the map, completely opposite to them.
“Are you planning to go after the buff mob?”
“This is a siege game; we might get backstabbed if we’re not careful. We don’t have enough people to split our forces,” Gi-chan warned.
Seo-un shook his head. “Because our numbers are small, we can move more nimbly.”
“Are you going alone again?!”
“Technically, I’m not alone.”
When Seo-un pulled out two soul stones, Gi-chan let out a heavy sigh.
“Don’t worry. I won’t overdo it. I’m just going to take a quick look around.”
“If someone attacks an empty castle while you're gone, we’ll lose it before we can even react.”
Seo-un acknowledged the concern with a nod.
“We just need to be able to protect the Castle of Goyoji. These three castles over here are just a front line for that purpose.” He looked at Juriel. “I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Leaving behind the uneasy gazes of his teammates, Seo-un departed the castle and headed toward the buff monster’s coordinates. As he moved, he farmed any stray soldiers he encountered along the way.
*
“Meeting this fellow here must be fate.”
At the words of the old man—who possessed a long beard and a scalp smoothed by the passage of time—the two men standing beside him nodded.
“Yes, Master. We have finally found a clue to the transmutation of Eternium. Moreover, to actually see the ancient weapon, the Colossus, in a place like this... it feels as though the blessing of the Goddess Mercury is upon us.”
The three men were visibly moved as they gazed at the massive boss monster, the Forgotten Colossus, which supported its bulk on eight spider-like legs.
And why wouldn't they be? The secret to transmuting the legendary metal Eternium—the lifelong ambition of every alchemist—was right before their eyes. They were facing the Forgotten Colossus, the ultimate weapon said to be forged from Eternium and hailed as the very essence of alchemy. Their emotions were beyond words.
Two men standing behind the three alchemists approached and asked, “Is that thing called a Colossus really that incredible?”
“To us alchemists, it is a legend... I suppose in your terms, it would be like finding a lost, legendary method for creating Jiangshi?”
“So it is like a Living Jiangshi of eternal life.”
A group of players nearby furrowed their brows as they watched the Taoists and alchemists exchange impressions.
“We get the gist, so let’s move. We don’t know when other squads might show up. That Madman already took the largest castle in the center. Even Crown Jin Seo-un is in this game, so I’m on edge.”
At the words of the knight leading about sixty guild members, the alchemists and Taoists frowned. They had joined forces with these men because they lacked numbers, but their playstyles were completely incompatible.
Setting aside their skill levels, the way the knights kept glancing around anxiously made it clear they were just looking for an opportunity to jump ship and join another quad if things went south.
And yet they’re so greedy...
For a moment, the eyes of the bald alchemist and the Taoist met, a cold light flashing between them.
*
“So that’s the buff mob.”
Standing in the center of the plain was a giant nearly twenty meters tall—a knight of steel that looked like a massive, upscaled version of a Steel Soldier.
Seo-un, lying prone on a ridge a short distance away, observed the creature. His Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils glowed a deep red. He then pulled two soul stones from his subspace.
As his Immortal Demonic Energy was drained, two monkeys appeared. They looked down at the prone Seo-un and shook their heads in unison.
“What’s with that unsightly posture?”
“Why are you acting like a coward?”
“Because there might be enemies nearby. You two get down, too.”
Ignoring Seo-un’s command, the two monkeys stared at the buff monster in the distance.
“We just have to kill that guy?”
“Let’s finish this quickly. If I have to keep looking at that pathetic posture, my whole body is going to cringe.”
At the monkeys’ taunts, Seo-un stood up slightly and spoke.
“Your roles are...”
After explaining the plan, Seo-un scanned the perimeter and drew upon his remaining Immortal Demonic Energy.
Clang!
The battle began with a preemptive strike from the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, who extended his Ruyi Staff and slammed it into the buff mob’s head without warning. The staff retracted the instant it made contact with the Large Steel Soldier’s helmet.
The impact was massive. The Steel Soldier staggered before belatedly drawing its sword and charging at the Great Sage. Its momentum was terrifying as it swung its two-handed blade with an agility that defied its gargantuan size.
Boom!
It was a simple downward strike, but it sent dust swirling in all directions and made the ground groan with a thunderous roar. The Great Sage evaded the blade with minimal movement and swung his staff again, but the creature rolled nimbly across the earth and delivered a horizontal slash.
“Tsk!”
Clicking his tongue, the Great Sage threw himself backward. The ridiculously large sword whistled past his nose, whipping up a gale.
Clang! Boom!
Clash! Screech!
The duel between the two was fierce despite the massive size disparity. Occasionally, when the Great Sage couldn't dodge and was forced to block, he was sent flying back to slam into the ground. Other times, the relatively tiny Great Sage would trip the metallic giant and rain blows upon it while it was down.
By the time the giant’s steel body was riddled with cracks and the dust-covered Great Sage looked exhausted, new figures appeared on the horizon.
“Everyone, attack!”
Thirty players and roughly five hundred Bronze Cavalry following them charged, aiming for the back of the Great Sage, who was locked in a life-and-death struggle with the Large Steel Soldier.
Suddenly, a man blocked their path. It was, of course, Jin Seo-un.
“Come at me!”
As another Great Sage appeared beside Seo-un, who stood boldly before them, the thirty players at the front faltered.
One of them shouted in shock, “It’s Jin Seo-un!”
At those words, the charging group came to a dead stop. They quickly calculated whether their thirty players and five hundred cavalry could handle Jin Seo-un and the Great Sage who was currently soloing the buff mob. They reached a conclusion all too quickly.
“S-Stop! Everyone, halt!”
Stopping the cavalry in their tracks, they looked at the Great Sage—who was currently finishing off the buff monster—with expressions of intense regret and dread.
The buff monster, now missing its left arm and half its head, didn't look like it would last much longer.
“If we get wiped out here, our main base will be defenseless. Let’s retreat while he’s still occupied.”
At a mage’s suggestion, the martial artist leading the group nodded.
“Return to base!”
Even as they turned and retreated with their cavalry, they kept glancing back, terrified that Jin Seo-un might pursue them.
Seeing him remain in place, a knight let out a sigh of relief.
“But why isn't he chasing us?”
“Because if he chases us and that monkey gets attacked by another quad, he might lose the buff monster. Of all people, it had to be Jin Seo-un. We were just unlucky.”
The group nodded in agreement with the leader’s self-consoling words.
“To face him, you’d probably need at least three thousand Steel Soldiers to stand a chance.”
“Since we can farm soldiers in this game, we'll have a chance to catch him later. No need to be discouraged. This game is about overall strength, not just individual skill. It’s a game you win by gathering the largest army!”
As the player spat out the words he desperately wanted to believe, the others nodded with hopeful expressions.
*
“Well, they fell for it.”
At Shin-geum’s words, Shin-yo—who had transformed into Seo-un’s likeness—replied while watching the real Seo-un (who was currently transformed into the Great Sage) finish off the Large Steel Soldier.
“Whatever else you say about him, his talent for deceiving others is extraordinary.”
“Hearing that from you makes me worried about his future.”
While the two Great Sages spoke, Seo-un, who had completely caved in the Large Steel Soldier’s head, reverted to his original form and panted for breath.
“Phew... that was tougher than I thought. Its durability is no joke.”
He had only started his attack after all the Eyes of Distortion floating around the buff monster had vanished, yet enemies had still appeared. It seemed they were a quad that periodically installed the eyes to monitor the area.
If he had started his assault without destroying the Eyes of Distortion first, he surely would have been backstabbed ten times over.
“I’m glad the bluff worked.”
Seo-un spoke to the approaching Shin-yo and Shin-geum, then looked at a single blue orb lying on the ground. Instead of the buff details that usually followed a successful hunt, an item had dropped. Curious, he picked up the orb, and only then did the notification sound.
Ding! You have obtained an [Enlargement Buff Orb].
Effect: When used on a soldier, it permanently enlarges them into a Giant unit. Can be used once every three days.
This could be quite useful in its own way.
While a single large soldier was something twenty decent players could handle, in the chaos of a siege, there was nothing more effective for breaking lines. It was a shame there wasn't a buff for the whole team, but a giant capable of sweeping away ordinary soldiers in a single swing was valuable enough.
—Farming is starting to slow down on this side. We’re barely finding any soldiers or items.
At Nam Sa-gwang’s voice coming through the communication channel from the Castle of Goyoji, Seo-un stowed the orb and replied.
—Start moving to my position. There are two empty castles on this side.
—Understood. What should we do about the soldiers?
At Rimin’s question, Seo-un issued his orders.
—Bring everyone except the Earth Soldiers. For now, head to Gangryeong-ji. It’s the largest of the castles we hold. We’ll fill Maryeong-ji with soldiers we farm later. What’s our current count?
—Altogether, we have 800 Earth Soldiers, 600 Bronze Soldiers, and 200 Steel Soldiers. We have 300 cavalry, 400 archers, and 900 infantry.
—So, about 800 for Gangryeong-ji? Not bad.
—And we’ve been holding onto the siege defense items just in case. What should we do with them?
—Defense items?
—Everything from catapults and magic cannons to watchtowers and steel gates.
—Bring them all.
—Got it. We’re moving out now.
As the conversation ended, Seo-un felt the grand picture of the battlefield gradually forming in his mind.
*
“Y-You betrayed us!”
Slash.
As soon as the last knight’s head was severed, the Taoist slapped a talisman onto the corpse and drove a dark blue needle into the flesh. Surprisingly, the knight’s body did not dissipate; instead, a loot box simply appeared beside it.
“Foolish brat. This game is nothing but a series of betrayals. This is why knights who only know how to use their muscles are useless.”
The bald alchemist muttered over the knight’s corpse and surveyed the area.
As many as two hundred Jiangshi had slaughtered all sixty of their former allies in an instant and were now standing still, awaiting their master’s command. The undead, frozen in perfect silence, cast a sinister pall over the blood-stained ground.
“Did you call them Great Jiangshi? Their power certainly scales when their numbers increase.”
“If they learn proper formations from formation masters and simply hold the line, they can crush a rabble like this. The ultimate goal is to create a thousand Living Jiangshi and set a formation. Once that happens...”
“Our Side Guild will become the strongest organization active in Crown.”
These people—formation masters, Taoists, and alchemists whose individual power was considered mediocre—had formed a quad to navigate Cloyd. Now, they had established themselves as a guild and were gradually carving out their own territory.
Perhaps they sought to avenge past slights? Despite the pride they took in their specialties, they had long been neglected within Cloyd. Now, they smiled atop the corpses of their teammates.
Clutching the Eternium and the blueprints for the Colossus dropped by the boss monster, they were already savoring victory as if the outcome of the game had already been decided.