Chapter 86

“Grandma!”

“Oh dear, our puppy is here?”

A ten-year-old child ran toward and hugged the elderly woman. The grandmother gently stroked her granddaughter’s back and head before looking up to see her daughter and son-in-law standing there with various gifts in hand.

“Greetings, Mother-in-law! It’s always an honor to see you again!”

“Yes, it’s good to see you so full of energy as usual.” She nodded slightly, and her daughter smiled from beside her husband.

“Were you working in the field again? You know sun exposure can damage your skin.”

“Nonsense. For my skin to get damaged, I’d need particle blasts, not mere sunlight.” With a wave of her hand, she carelessly tossed aside her hoe and brought out a kettle from inside the house. Familiar with this routine, the daughter and son-in-law already sat on the floor waiting for her.

Suddenly…

“Ahhhh!”

A black-skinned monster suddenly materialized out of thin air. The old man observed it with a bemused expression.

‘What was its name…? I think I saw something like this in some roguelike game.’

With that thought, he raised his fist.

Heaven and Earth Flower Dance (천지화랑도)

Annihilation Blossom (멸화)

Petals scattered as the screaming black giant stiffened like a mannequin.

Thud!

It collapsed instantly,

Fwssshhh…

and vanished soon after.

“Oh my. What is that, Mom? Training?”

“No.”

“…Then did someone play a prank? It’s dangerous for kids!”

The old woman shook her head at her daughter’s concern.

“Don’t worry. These monsters target life force, so children playing alone won’t be attacked. They mainly appear in the heart of big cities and get swiftly dealt with.”

This was why despite the sudden appearance of Completed Beings, District 34 suffered minimal casualties. The creatures spawned from “[A Very Far Place]” couldn’t appear strategically at chosen locations. Instead, they invariably targeted areas with the highest population density or individuals possessing comparable strength to these masses.

‘However…it might be different for other civilizations.’

On Earth’s District 34, the emergence of level-9 monsters akin to Completed Beings was merely considered a minor incident. Even a single police officer responding could typically handle the situation upon receiving reports.

But what about on other planets and civilizations? Even highly advanced societies would struggle when faced with an ogre appearing in their major cities. Entire urban landscapes would be devastated, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

These creatures were virtually invulnerable to anything less than heavy weaponry and thus couldn’t be taken lightly.

“[It doesn’t belong to me. Despite being game characters…they aren’t part of this world.]”

The Game Master, who personified the concept of games, had relayed these words. The old man frowned deeply.

‘This will bring chaos to the entire universe. Earth’s economy is already intertwined with that of the macrocosm, so we cannot ignore it… Ha, not like I have much time left anyway.’

“Grandma?”

The elderly statesman, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, global superstar, and director of the Hwarang Corps—Choi Bae-dal—who wore a worried expression softened his gaze and smiled warmly at his granddaughter.

“Awww! My little puppy. Yes, shall we go grab something delicious together?”

He held her hand as they headed home with their daughter and son-in-law. It was almost time for him to return to active duty and disrupt his daily routine once more.

“Hold your ground! Push them back!”

“Spear! Thrust!”

“Medic!!”

The massive shield wall advanced steadily, pushing back waves of monsters like a tsunami. Spears thrust between shields, and thousands of arrows pierced the sky above. Elite soldiers with assigned classes yelled out their skills as they engaged the enemy, while new recruits tended to the wounded or diligently distributed consumable items. Despite most of these soldiers having been ordinary farmers just a year ago, their movements were remarkably disciplined. However, the enemy was no pushover either.

“Graaahhh!” An ice golem’s punch shattered the shield barrier, instantly turning the shield bearer into a bloody pulp. The stakes driven into the ground to block monster charges were laughably ineffective against creatures possessing the size and strength of ice golems.

With gaps now open in the shield wall, monsters surged forward to exploit them.

Shwaaaaah!

However, they were shattered by bone swords slicing through the air with explosive force. The bone swords didn’t survive unscathed either, but I wasn’t concerned about losing ordinary equipment at this stage.

“Phew…” From my position amidst the troops, I surveyed the entire battlefield. With such a long frontline, it was more efficient for me to address breaches rather than personally engage every monster blocked by our shield wall.

Fortunately, there were enough capable forces available without relying solely on me.

Whooshhh—!

Kaboom!!

A massive fireball followed by hundreds of flaming arrows landed amidst the cold-type monsters, generating shockwaves and radiating intense heat across the battlefield.

The soldiers who were shivering from the cold emanating from the ice monsters now looked much relieved.

‘Smile has finally reached Class 3.’

Moreover, the mages with their rapid growth rate belonging to Fast Three Academy were following closely behind him. Having experienced actual combat, it wouldn’t be long before they also approached Class 3. And once all of them reach Class 3? They would learn Fireball, considered a minimum wide-area spell, and turn the battlefield into a sea of flames.

“Silver Cross Knights! Charge!”

“Steel Shields! Crush everything!”

Two knight orders swept through the disoriented icy army like a storm after the bombardment. The aura-infused greatswords were so fierce that even medium-sized monsters couldn’t withstand them.

Krakoom!

The pets had somewhat different emotions compared to ordinary animals due to their connection with their master. Fearlessly, they charged at the monsters, led by the massive Ironclad Rhino and Frost Wolves emitting cold air.

However, the monsters didn’t go down without a fight.

“Kreeee!” With a loud roar, a yeti leaped onto a knight riding his horse. The knight helplessly fell off but desperately resisted. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t overcome the yeti’s monstrous strength, and his head was ripped away.

“Die!!!” An ice spear thrust by an ice fairy penetrated between the knight’s helmet and upper body armor. Possessing the Cold Protection Ring (Rare) +6, the knight endured the icy chill, but blood poured from the gaping hole in his neck.

”…”

In the middle of my army, I witnessed countless deaths on the battlefield. Ordinary soldiers, elite soldiers with class cards, and extremely rare knights trained in the martial arts of District 34 - they all died equally.

“Sigh.”

With one deep breath, I shook off thoughts of death and gripped the bone sword tightly.

Shwiiing!

We broke through. The damage we sustained was truly immense, but it wasn’t meaningless.

“The reinforcements have stopped!”

“Good! Enter the city.”

“Charge!”

The number of monsters had significantly decreased. Their regeneration speed couldn’t keep up with their death rate. The situation was even worse for the monsters that received support from other castles. They would need to run another 100 km before joining again, so there was no immediate concern about them.

“Keeeek!”

“How dare you enter our territory!!”

The battle had turned into urban warfare, and it started to take its toll on both sides. Rare grade monsters were hiding between buildings. They used the obstacles as shields, and they started attacking the soldiers. The soldiers couldn’t maintain their shield formation against such tactics.

However, we had someone who was known as the king of guerrilla warfare. She was despair incarnate during trench warfare. She was called the godess of urban warfare. We had a sword master amongst us.

She used Instantaneous Sword Technique’s 2nd Form: Rapid Sword Force.

Haze moved like lightning across walls and rooftops. Sword light flickered around her figure. The rare grade monsters didn’t have time to put up much resistance before they were cut down by Haze.

“It is Lady Haze! It is Lady Haze!”

“Sis! I love you!”

“What?! You call her sis?”

“You don’t know about Duelist Knight? She is over forty! That makes me love her more!”

“Ahhh! She is too beautiful, my Queen!!”

Cheers erupted from every alley within the city. Initially, Haze had been treated with disdain since she was considered to be a messenger of death sent by the Chrome Kingdom. However, her close relationship with me and her performance on the battlefield made her incredibly popular amongst the soldiers now. Of course, if a sword master fought for your side, it didn’t matter whether you liked them or not. Even if they were sworn enemies, everyone would become ecstatic at their presence. Moreover, this particular sword master was also beautiful.

As I watched our enemies’ defense crumble, I gave orders to my aide as our soldiers took control over the city.

“Encircle the city then prepare to build temporary walls.”

“Yes sir!”

Since there were more pressing matters, the order wasn’t included in the chat log. The command was relayed directly to the soldiers positioned at the rear.

“Take control of the castle walls and move materials! Establish positions on every street corner!”

“Strip nearby buildings for any missing supplies!”

The soldiers entered Zimail, the capital city of the Chrome Kingdom, and moved busily. The elite soldiers who directly fought against the enemy were scattered everywhere, resting or receiving treatment from medics. Meanwhile, the regular troops, mostly involved in supporting combat roles, diligently began organizing debris and starting construction work.

Thud! Bang! Clang!

“Ugh! Cold! It’s too cold!”

“I didn’t expect Zhima to be this chilly…”

“Ack! Hand! Hand! Hand!”

“Oof, I fell over!”

As I quietly observed, it was complete chaos. One soldier hit his finger while hammering, another tripped and cracked their head while frantically carrying materials, and some cowered trembling in fear at corners.

Fortunately, my army’s medics were proficient in both surgical skills and healing abilities. Additionally, after opening up a general store, we had stocked up on plenty of healing potions, so these injuries weren’t major issues. However, it was still disheartening to see fingers getting sliced off while handling equipment or soldiers barely escaping death under building materials.

‘Still, having more people is better. They can be utilized somehow… It’s all part of the experience.’

Such situations would be unheard of in a conventional military. Instead of being used as cannon fodder for swords and arrows, these injured soldiers would be considered a burden, wasting valuable supplies. But our army’s circumstances differed significantly. With an endless supply of wild boar meat and hides from the Wild Boar Castle dungeon, even with a vast number of troops, we could manage comfortably.

The problem is people. I need more soldiers.

To recruit talented individuals, one needs to have access to a larger pool of candidates. Honestly, jae-yeon wanted to distribute class cards like candy, but that wasn’t possible. While he would appreciate receiving them freely, it wouldn’t mean as much. Only when his soldiers accumulated enough achievements and experience should they be rewarded with abilities and power as proof of their honor.

Right. This is just the beginning.

Although the flower shop was located in a unique area of strategic importance, it still couldn’t be considered high-level territory. It was merely near the center of the board.

Considering that legendary monsters roamed freely within Magic World, my soldiers still had a long way to go. I needed to increase their numbers and train them even more rigorously.

“Fire! Make sure they can’t even lift their heads!”

“This is your chance to rack up experience points! Aim carefully before shooting!”

“Zzzt-zzt, coming on strong! Zzzt-zzt! At this rate, we’ll hit level thirty-five soon!”

“Oh man, our tank leveled up while lying on his back in the hospital bed! Better buy me a drink later!”

Krrrak!

Fwip-fwap!

Archers and mages stationed near pillars of light unleashed a hailstorm of attacks every time monsters emerged, defeating them easily. Occasionally, ranged attacks would come from the pillars instead of monsters.

Bam!

Splash!

Cold orbs emerging from the pillars of light were intercepted by high-level archers and shattered, freezing only the ground beneath them.

With their increased agility stats, these archers’ reaction times are on another level compared to before.

As long as this large group of archers remained vigilant, it was impossible for monsters to attack from within the pillars. Moreover, our encampments maintained a safety distance of over one hundred meters away from each pillar, making it even more difficult for enemies to reach us.

“We’re camping here tonight! Company commanders, follow Thane’s orders!”

I reorganized my units based on new concepts. I abolished the idea of ten-man squads and instead formed five-man parties, which is the maximum number allowed per party. Each company commander acted like a platoon leader overseeing twenty such parties. This structure reflected the reality that soldiers had become accustomed to coordinating with four others while raiding dungeons.

“Ugh! Cold! Too cold! Give me more blankets!”

“Damn monsters! They emit cold even when dying!”

“Charles! Make a fire here!”

“Call me mage-ji.”

“Ah, you made such a big fuss after learning Flame! I also learned Power Strike?”

“Well, light a fire with it if you can.”

The atmosphere within the unit was relatively free. Strict discipline was maintained during combat but not otherwise. What I needed were fighting capabilities, not outward appearances.

‘The effect of general and advanced skills is beyond expectations.’

As evidence, we won the war against enemies filled with advanced and rare grades without much damage. Although they were just general and advanced level skills, there was a huge difference between having them or not.

‘It’s possible.’

I watched as my soldiers prepared to camp inside some safe buildings, thinking about this.

Tomorrow, we would conquer the flower shop.