He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 228

“Of course, sieging with only about 3,000 troops is impossible. So, we make them crawl out.”

It was like something called a ‘raid’ in a common online game.

Its literal meaning is ‘plunder.’ To be more precise, it means ‘burglarizing an empty house.’

In simple terms, it’s like about 30 online gamers moving like a kind of army, but from the raid boss’s perspective, it’s like being burglarized.

Isn’t that so? Wouldn’t those with titles like King of the Liches or Lord of the Underworld have that many troops?

Strangely, it seems like they don’t have any troops when it comes to raids. The setting is that gamers are breaking into their empty houses.

Of course, in reality, troops wouldn’t easily leave their posts like that.

Naturally, they only leave when they’re attacked.

“Are those ready?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The field guns and artillerymen have safely crossed over.”

“It’s fortunate, considering the time constraints.”

And what’s the military method to torment those stuck in a fortress to come out?

The answer is bombardment.

“Your Majesty, it’s been a while.”

“It has been, Ambassador James. Thank you for coming to our urgent support request.”

“It is the duty of civilized people to faithfully respond to the requests of gaming partners and allies. Then, let’s begin immediately.”

“Do so.”

콰콰쾅!

The empire’s technological prowess, built up over the past 10 years.

Although they still use swords and spears due to mass production technology and industrial power, the development of firearms has been particularly remarkable.

The same was true for field guns.

Field guns, created by concentrating not only gunpowder and other scientific technologies but also magical engineering, inflicted devastating bombardments from places invisible to the enemy’s sight.

“Holy-blessed napalm incendiary shells. They not only explode but also burn the undead with divine power and flames. Those stuck in outdated fortresses have no way to withstand this.”

If the enemies were hiding in well-prepared molded fortresses or bunkers, bombardment alone wouldn’t be very effective.

However, despite its somewhat plausible name of Black Castle, the fortress’s form is ultimately a medieval-style, square, straight-walled fortress.

That level of wall can be destroyed with just direct-fire guns, let alone field guns.

Moreover, the damage would only increase over time in the face of the field guns’ shelling, which not only destroys the walls but also bakes the enemies inside.

“Still, if they don’t come out, we’ll just have to enter the castle head-on.”

“But it seems we don’t have to worry about that. Look there, the flying undead are already flying out, unable to endure it.”

As James said.

The undead seemed unwilling to just take it, and many flying undead flew in, as if to cover the sky.

With the momentum to sweep away the field guns.

But this side was naturally prepared as well.

“Griffin Riders! It’s time to bring rest to the flying dead!”

“Dark Knights, let’s deliver judgment to the enemies of the empire and the heavens!”

The support troops that came with the field guns, the empire’s air power, the Dark Griffin Riders and Dark Knights, bravely charged towards the flying undead.

촤악!

케에에에엑-!

No matter how many there were, the flying undead’s body structures were deformed for flight.

Either they were small in size with only large wings, making their combat power poor, or if they increased their size for combat, the size of their wings also became as large as a house in proportion, making their body balance a mess.

So, they were simply massacred by our air force, which had good flight capabilities while anticipating combat.

I was a little worried because I hadn’t made anti-aircraft guns yet, but they fought so well that such worries were unnecessary.

“Undead giants are approaching. It seems they’ve come out of the castle.”

Meanwhile, an undead army was approaching from the ground as well.

Originally, I should be fighting those guys too, but…….

“I need to infiltrate Black Castle. Guard Captain, I’ll leave this place to you.”

“We will not retreat a single step from this place until Your Majesty returns.”

As originally planned, I was going to infiltrate Black Castle while our troops drew the enemy’s attention.

After entrusting the army to the Guard Captain, I headed to Black Castle with Lustra and Vostok.

* * *

There’s a saying that war is a sport to those who don’t know war.

It means that those who don’t know the horrors of the battlefield praise war.

“Even though they were undead, this is a gruesome sight.”

That was also the case for battlefields against the already dead.

The napalm bombs fired by the field guns had literally devastated the area around Black Castle.

Undead being grilled, charcoal-like figures, and other fragmented pieces of flesh and organs…….

It was an even more horrific sight because it was not just simple high-explosive bombs but incendiary bombs.

“Rather, thanks to that, there are few troops guarding the castle. Pestras is being careless.”

“Or maybe he’s waiting for us to come.”

Although it’s called a house raid, going with only Vostok and Lustra is not a typical house raid.

In fact, it’s not much different from a hero party invading the Demon King’s castle with only a few people.

Well, unlike the hero party, we are moving as strategically as possible.

저벅-

Once inside the castle, there’s no such thing.

“The gate is closed.”

카가가강!

Silver Rose cut down the gate in one fell swoop.

“Not anymore.”

The gate, painted with skulls and screaming human figures, was cut down in an instant.

However, the sight beyond that gate was telling of what kind of place this castle was.

-흐오오오오…….

Unidentified chunks of flesh filled the walls, floors, and ceilings. Human faces were revealed in various places on those chunks of flesh.

Constantly being injected with an unidentified green liquid from somewhere, they were suffering, unable to die even if they wanted to.

“Grotesque.”

It was like a scene from a very rare horror genre called biopunk or biomechanical [a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on biotechnology and genetic engineering].

“This is the epitome of the world that Pestras ultimately desires. Each of the undead lords wants something different, but that guy… is uniquely dangerous.”

“One more reason to eliminate him.”

Vostok added further explanation. I added a very personal impression.

“Be careful, by now he must have noticed that we’ve invaded.”

“Of course, he would. So, I’ll take the lead.”

I took the lead in the form of protecting Lustra, who doesn’t have strong direct combat abilities, and Vostok took the rear.

The texture of the soft and sticky floor was not good at all, but I continued without caring.

-흐어어어어… Save me…….

-Go back… You’ll die…….

The whispers of the ‘things that can’t live or die’ clinging to the walls were a bonus.

A normal person wouldn’t be able to maintain their sanity in a place like this.

키륵, 키르르륵-

“Finally, the enemy has appeared.”

For a while, the undead, which were so common, didn’t appear, but as soon as we got out of the first floor, a strangely twisted being appeared.

And it was something different from ordinary undead.

Unlike the undead, which were merely moving rotten corpses, it was twisted but rather vigorous to the point of being sturdy.

A muscular body with all the tendons exposed, a huge physique, and arms and tails transformed like those of a scorpion…….

It felt like it was a being modified solely for combat.

Such things were pouring out endlessly.

“They’re coming from behind as well.”

“There’s a reason why they didn’t show themselves.”

They wanted to surround us.

“Don’t use fire, there’s flammable gas flowing everywhere. This must also be Pestras’s intention.”

It seemed that he had learned that we use fire against his undead.

“He’s using his head a bit. But that’s not all I have.”

[Takes the form of the Dark Dragon.]

[Deploy Shadow Sweep.]

촤아아악!

Can’t use fire? Then I can just use shadow blades instead.

Shadow blades didn’t give additional damage like divine power or flames against the undead, but they themselves inflicted excellent cutting damage.

In particular, it was also a very cost-effective area-of-effect attack.

카가각!

-구우우우…….

“Not bad? To withstand that.”

However, the sturdy ones among the deformed monsters sent by Pestras withstood it quite well, compared to the weaker ones that were easily swept away.

The more scorpion-like the transformed parts were, the more so.

“I’ll take care of them.”

촤아아아아… 파앗!

But we had the Vampire Lord Vostok.

He easily took blood from the high-defense individuals who withstood the shadow blades.

Even if their defense was high, it was inevitable that blood would flow from the shadow sweep just now, and that alone was enough for Vostok to suck out all the blood.

-크륵, 크루르르르르!

“Where do you think you’re going!”

They were trying to struggle even before they were all dried up from having their blood sucked out, but I quickly cut them down.

“Be careful!”

푸슈슈슈슉!

At that moment, scorpion stingers shot by the deformed freaks behind me flew quickly towards me.

But Lustra put up a barrier and blocked them.

“It’s a deadly poison, be careful as even a slight graze is fatal.”

“Lustra, I’m relieved to have you here.”

“Still, be careful, you never know what might happen-”

서컥!

At that moment, I cut off a tentacle that flew from the ceiling. It was an attack aimed precisely at Lustra.

“I will. But you be careful too.”

“…I will.”

Something started to appear on the ceiling as well. Looking closely, it was a creature crawling on the ceiling on all fours, and its long tongue was the identity of that tentacle.

“I don’t have time to deal with them one by one.”

The more time we wasted, the more they would swarm in.

Therefore, we had to wipe them out all at once, but the easiest method, the flames of purification, was blocked.

“Then-”

[Receives Dark Blood from the Abyss Heart.]

[The Dragon’s Soul synchronizes with the Dark Blood.]

[Emits the aura of darkness in all directions.]

I filled the surroundings with darkness.

It was difficult to use divine power because Vostok was here, so I chose the power of Dark Blood.

The lights inside the castle were soon devoured by the thick darkness.

“It will devour everything.”

[Casts ‘Dark Devour’.]

쩌어어억-

In the darkness where you couldn’t see an inch ahead, the sound of a black dragon, synchronized with the darkness, opening its mouth wide was heard.

콰드득! 콰득!

And the sound of all the enemies in the darkness being devoured in turn was heard.

They were literally being devoured by the darkness.

콰득!

When the sound of the last remaining guy being eaten was heard, the darkness surrounding the area disappeared.

“Amazing, this is the power of the Dark Dragon you obtained…….”

Lustra said quietly, looking at the surroundings that were revealed after the darkness had cleared, with only the leftovers remaining.

“Emperor, you are indeed the one we have been waiting for.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We, the guardian deities of the empire, have been waiting.”

She said, reaching out her hand to me.

“The true emperor who will finally complete the empire.”

For some reason, those words sounded like they were implying something.