――――――――――
The level of [Advanced Magic Control] skill has increased.
The level of [Earthen Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Earthfang” spell.
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The game’s clock read midnight. It was a time that favored us, with our night vision. We had completed all the preparations we could make beforehand. If we failed to destroy the gate now, our only option would be to quietly join the monster horde and help them as hard as we could. I hoped things would go smoothly.
“Isam, the monster army has begun its advance.”
It was Moth-san who spoke those words after he landed on my staff with a flutter. Like Seventh Armor, who could also fly, I had entrusted him with reconnaissance. Meanwhile, Seventh Armor was with me and Shiitake, focusing on recovering magic power within the gathering magic array.
For my impromptu strategy, I had made the two of them use a considerable amount of their magic power. Though they had been concentrating on replenishing it since finishing the preparations and were almost fully recharged, I felt guilty for dragging them into my spur-of-the-moment plan, especially since it turned out to be a rather mundane and simple task.
“Alright, from here, we’ll observe the battle from a distance. Then, when the timing is right, we’ll destroy the gate and charge in.”
“I-it’s finally the time!”
Eiji, with visible nervousness and excitement, breathed heavily through his nose. His snorting, accentuated by his pig’s head, was, well, quite imposing. Knowing him to be a kind-hearted young man in reality only made this contrast all the more striking.
In reality, he had always disliked his frail physique and dreamed of having a muscular body like a professional wrestler. Hence, he chose to be an orc warrior in the game, which was the complete opposite of his real self, with robust muscles and all. It wasn’t a base motive at all.
“Moth-san, did you find a good spot?”
“Yes, I did. I’ll lead the way.”
“You’re reliable, truly.”
Good, it looks like he found a suitable location. Let’s move there and patiently wait for the right moment to strike.
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(Third person Pov)
As the waning moon rose to its zenith, casting a pale glow over the world, the reorganized army of monsters surged toward the city of Illeves once more. Leading them was the troll king, who hadn’t shown himself in the previous battle.
The troll king, the undisputed strongest and leader of the horde, took to the field. This alone could show that the monsters were serious. It was clear they aimed to settle everything in this battle.
“Every one of you! Follow meee! Chaaaaarge!”
“””””Uoooooooooooooooooooooh!!!”””””:
With the troll king’s roar, the monster army launched their assault. Their battle cries alone seemed to shake the air, and just their advance caused the ground to shake so much that those standing on the castle walls could clearly feel it. This force was immensely more formidable than their previous attack, which now seemed like mere child’s play.
“Here they come! Everyone, target the leading group as planned!”
Despite the intimidating situation, humanity was not to be outdone. With nowhere to flee, they too fought with desperation.
As the troll king’s vanguard, led by their king himself, entered the range of arrows and magic, a barrage of long-range attacks rained down upon them like a hailstorm. All of them were targeting the troll king. Everyone defending knew that defeating him would mean victory for humanity.
“Ghahahaha! Think such attacks can harm me?!”
But the troll king was unstoppable. Not only did he not slow down, but his momentum didn’t even seem to wane. This wasn’t just due to his toughness but also because his equipment was of the highest quality within the monster army; this was most likely the biggest reason.
If one were to look closely, it was evident that the troll king intermittently took damage. However, due to his monstrous natural healing speed, he immediately recovered from these injuries. This resilience was true even when he faced attacks with the fire element, which was a weakness of all trolls. This was not because he had gradually overcome this weakness over time like Isam had, but simply because his armor and accessories almost completely nullified fire attacks.
Moreover, the situation wasn’t limited to the unit led by the troll king. Within the ranks of the monster army, there were mages and priests. They used their magic to support the king and cast healing spells on him, making the situation even more dire. Even attempts to attack the troll king were ineffective, as he was protected by the troll knights.
Therefore, to defeat the troll king, it was necessary either to somehow destroy his armor, continuously inflict damage that exceeded his regenerative capabilities, or cut off the support from the rear. However, accomplishing this was easier said than done. In the end, the troll king reached the gates of the city, having only lost about a tenth of his health.
“Siege Axe Strike! Shatter to pieces!”
The troll king possessed a skill known as [Troll King Axe Technique]. This formidable skill emerged when the troll king evolved his [Axe Mastery] skill. True to its grand name, it allowed him to wield martial techniques of extraordinary strength, far surpassing ordinary skills.
The enormous axe, even larger compared to the gigantic frame of the troll king, was wreathed in a dull golden phosphorescence as it struck the gate. With a tremendous sound, the blade of the axe embedded itself in the gate. Although it appeared to be a stone axe, the material should be special, as the gate that was reinforced with metal was easily breached by it.
“Guahaha! Fragile! So fragile… huh?”
The troll king burst into laughter as he started envisioning himself and his subordinates pouring through the breach he had made. However, his premature celebration was a miscalculation. Astonishingly, the hole he had created began to close up rapidly.
“Don’t underestimate humanity, you monster!”
“War isn’t just about killing each other!”
The heroes of the moment were the town’s alchemists. They were using a technique called “repair” which they had learned upon reaching level 25 in their [Alchemy ] skill. This technique had the ability to fix items whose durability had decreased. Although they were not adept at direct combat as production classes, they excelled in their field of expertise.
“Curse youu!”
The troll king seemed to have his pride wounded upon seeing the damage inflicted by his martial technique repaired instantly. In fury, he repeatedly smashed his axe down. These were not attacks using any martial technique, but the pure physical strength of the troll king was terrifyingly high that it seemed like they were. Although each strike was less powerful than those made using a martial technique, the cumulative damage from the barrage could potentially exceed it.
“Spare no materials! Keep bringing more and more!”
“The gate is being eroded faster than we thought! Keep repairing with all your might as long as your magic power holds!”
Despite the dire situation, the alchemists, who were a mix of players and NPCs, continued their frantic repairs. However, this was not a sustainable solution. After all, repair was not a convenient technique that could be indefinitely sustained as long as there was magic power. Materials were needed to mend the damaged areas.
In theory, repairs could be made without materials, but this method would slightly reduce the item’s durability and quality. If repeated too often, even a sturdy city gate would become as fragile and easy to destroy as a rough wooden door.
“We can’t let the production jobs steal all the glory!”
“Come on! Fight back!”
Given the nature of the war event, players who specialized in combat jobs believed it was their time to shine. However, they hadn’t made a significant impact during the fort’s defense. And just as the battle for the city’s defense began, it was those who could repair the city gate who were the most active and vital.
This situation left the combat-class players feeling sidelined. Unwilling to be further embarrassed, they rallied with renewed vigor. Those who had skills like [Bow Mastery] and [Throwing Technique] naturally took to their roles, while even those without such skills busied themselves with tasks like replenishing arrows and ammunition.
“Nuoooooooh… So annoying! Hey, you two, help me out!”
“”Yes, sir!””
The army, led by the troll king, had latched onto the castle gates. Meanwhile, the other creatures were certainly not idly watching. The remaining monsters were attacking from below, climbing the walls, and even attempting to break them down.
Among them, two individuals who had commanded the troops on either side of the troll king’s main force rushed to the front of the gate. These were the troll generals; they were powerful level 60 creatures, second only in strength to the troll king himself.
These formidable monsters left the command of their respective units to their subbordinates and hurried to join their king. As a result, the already intense assault on the gates, which seemed impossible to fully defend, intensified.
“GOOOOAAAAR!”
“GAAAAAAAR!”
“Darn it, darn it, darn it! Focus fire on them! If we don’t, the gate will be destroyed!”
From the perspective of humanity, this was a dire situation. Those who had been attacking the enemy’s mages and priests hastily shifted their focus to the troll king and his generals. An onslaught that would overwhelm an average player in under a minute was unleashed upon them, but the health of the three monsters was not easily diminished. It seemed only a matter of time before the gate would be destroyed.
“It’s a critical moment with the gate possibly breaking… It’s my time to shine!”
“What!? Hey, where are you going!?”
“Don’t do something reckless! We had a plan, remember!?”
At that moment, a player named Arthur, acting on his own, left his post and sprinted towards the gate. Of course, the NPC commander and the players under his command tried to stop him. But Arthur paid them no heed.
“Shut up! Don’t order me around when you’re weaker than me!”
His name was Arthur. he wasn’t like the “Hero” Luke, who had triumphed in the martial arts tournament, nor was he the leader of a big guild. Yet Arthur who lacked any notable title was bold for a reason: he was the first player to reach level 50 and at the same time the first to evolve from a human to a high human
Arthur’s status as “the first player to achieve this milestone” didn’t grant him any special privileges. This was evident, as he had no noteworthy titles or honors to his name. However, he was systemically proven to be the highest-level player; this fact inflated his confidence, and he firmly believed he was ahead of everyone else.
“I’ll do it… If I can take down that boss monster, I’ll become famous overnight!”
Driven by his ego, Arthur was compelled by a single impulse—that is, vanity. He was determined to defeat the source of the event’s chaos with his own hands.
To solo defeat a monster named ‘King’ of its race, a player needed to be at least at the same level as the creature. In addition, such a feat required exceptional skills, surpassing those of an average player. Arthur, however, was unaware of these prerequisites. Therefore, to those in the know, his attempt seemed nothing short of a foolhardy venture.
“Hey, you there, wanderer! What are you doing!?”
Ignoring the NPC’s call, Arthur drew his sword and leaped from atop the city’s gate. He was about to use his only “ultimate technique”. His reason for choosing this powerful technique was not only its strength but also to flaunt it before other players and bask in their admiration.
“Here I go! Taste the might of my ‘ultimate technique’!”
“Ah? What is that?”
The troll king, who had been relentlessly pounding on the gate, suddenly looked up, perplexed by the small shadow plummeting towards him. To him, even the highest-level player was nothing more than a trivial pest, no different from a troll knight. He wondered what difference this insignificant creature could make.
“Ultimate technique! Flying… Waaaaa!?”
“Just try and eat this!”
Ultimately, neither did Arthur’s self-proclaimed lethal “ultimate technique” see the light of day nor did he become a meal for the troll king. This was because, unexpectedly, a massive explosion erupted right beneath the city gate at that same moment.
“Oooh, it was more powerful than I thought.”
At that moment, a skeleton mage who was the culprit of all the chaos nonchalantly uttered these words.
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