I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 129

Two days before the defense battle, it was morning.

I led all four of my subordinate parties to the Lake Kingdom dungeon.

Over the past week, we cleared two dungeons in the 4th district: the [Library] and the [Courthouse].

The dungeons were filled with ghouls and Fallen Blood, each with a vampire boss monster.

The Library had a vampire specializing in blood magic, while the Courthouse had a vampire specializing in melee combat.

There were dangerous moments, but we cleared them safely.

Now, all the party members have gained enough experience fighting the Blood Clan.

So today, we came to the last remaining dungeon in the 4th district, the [Grand Park].

A wave-type dungeon where we have to defend against monsters pouring in from all directions in a wide open space with no significant obstacles.

‘It’s a place that requires at least 4 parties, 20 people.’

Currently, the first unit has exactly 4 parties, 20 people.

I brought everyone, judging that it was doable enough. And indeed, my judgment was correct.

Grrr!

Graaaah!

Monster hordes rushed in from all sides, but,

Thwack! Thud! Crash-!

The tanks, forming a circular battle line, smashed the monsters’ jaws with their shields,

Swish! Swish! Ping-!

Krrrr… KABOOM!

The archers and mages poured attacks in all directions, grinding the monsters to bits.

The party members defended against the repeated monster waves with ease and perfection. Excellent.

Especially, the performance of the newly joined party was remarkable.

The Old Hunters.

A party of middle-aged mercenaries led by Jupiter, with a solid composition of three tanks and two mages.

The two veteran mages took turns unleashing attack magic.

Jupiter’s fellow mage was an ice mage, and a rain of ice and lightning poured down on the monsters’ heads.

“Cough!”

Jupiter occasionally wiped away nosebleeds, and the power of her magic was weaker than before, but.

Anyway, she was effectively frying the monsters. It’s obvious she’s pushing herself too hard…

“……”

Junior glanced at her grandmother.

Junior was secretly coughing up blood into her handkerchief while casting magic.

Grandmother and granddaughter, both doing a great job.

Anyway, the normal monsters were easily annihilated.

The last of the wave were four Fallen Blood. They rushed towards us one by one from all directions.

I ordered each party to deal with one of them.

Clang! Clang clang! Crunch…!

About 10 minutes later.

Everyone struggled because the Fallen Blood were quite high level, but in the end, they defeated them all without any injuries.

“We, we did it…”

Dion, who had plunged a silver dagger into the neck of the last Fallen Blood, muttered, panting heavily.

“We really did it. We… !”

The other three parties also struggled, but not as much as Dion’s mercenary group.

It’s partly because they are composed of N-rank heroes [N-rank is the lowest rank in this world’s hero system].

Dion’s mercenary group is basically all five members are melee characters, i.e., only close-range heroes. Moreover, they have no magic attackers.

However, they pushed the Fallen Blood back by coordinating their defense and attacks as they had been diligently training, and eventually succeeded in killing them.

“To grow this much in such a short period. Well done.”

I patted Dion on the shoulder. Dion nodded his head greatly, looking moved.

“Thank you, Your Highness… !”

“There’s no need to thank me. It’s the result of your efforts.”

I was sincere.

If it were during a game walkthrough, I wouldn’t have even looked at the ordinary five N-ranks.

I never imagined they would grow into such a solid core.

‘Humans have potential that cannot be seen just by looking at the stat window.’

I thought inwardly, watching Dion’s mercenary group hugging each other and high-fiving.

‘As a commander and lord, I need to look at the real people, not just the system window.’

Dion’s mercenary group gave me that obvious but valuable realization.

Not the numbers in the system window, but the living, breathing people in front of me… I need to look at them directly with my own eyes.

The battle was over. The dungeon was cleared.

After taking a short break and collecting all the loot.

I gathered the party members, finished preparing to return to Crossroads, and raised my voice.

“With this, we have cleared all sectors of the 4th district in the Lake Kingdom dungeon.”

We cleared all three dungeons in the 4th district.

In other words, we have cleared all the dungeons that we can currently attack. We have extracted all the experience we can.

‘We’ve done everything we can.’

Equipment settings are complete, traps and artifacts are all installed on the walls.

Now, the result is up to fate.

‘Whether we succeed in clearing and survive, or…’

Or…

I swallowed the words I was about to say and clapped my hands.

“The defense battle is in two days. Rest well until then.”

Everyone looked tired from the forced march of the past few days, but they had a proud expression from the sense of accomplishment of clearing three dungeons in a row without any problems.

I smiled back at them.

“Everyone worked hard! Let’s go back!”

***

[Free Exploration Ended!]

[Leveled Up Characters]

>Main Party

– Ash (EX) Lv.36 (↑1)

– Lucas (SSR) Lv.41 (↑1)

– Evangeline (SSR) Lv.41 (↑1)

– Jupiter Junior (SSR) Lv.39 (↑1)

– Damian (N) Lv.38 (↑1)

>Sub Party 1

– God Hand (SR) Lv.38 (↑1)

– Bodybag (R) Lv.33 (↑1)

– Old Girl (R) Lv.33 (↑1)

– Skull (N) Lv.30 (↑1)

– Burnout (SR) Lv.29 (↑1)

>Sub Party 2

– Dion (N) Lv.27 (↑2)

– Ayla (N) Lv.26 (↑2)

– Rock (N) Lv.25 (↑2)

– Hessen (N) Lv.25 (↑2)

– Chey (N) Lv.25 (↑2)

>Sub Party 3

– Jupiter (SR) Lv.42 (↑1)

– Yenichi (R) Lv.32 (↑1)

– Free (R) Lv.31 (↑1)

– Sentence (R) Lv.30 (↑1)

– Viole (R) Lv.30 (↑1)

[Deceased and Injured Characters]

– None

[Acquired Items]

– Low-Grade Blood Clan Magic Stone: 120

– Mid-Grade Blood Clan Magic Stone: 38

***

I look at the long list of twenty names one by one.

Because I don’t know how many will remain in the next settlement window.

I look at each one carefully and preciously.

I repeat everyone’s names in my mouth, murmuring with a prayer.

Live.

Survive.

***

Mansion. My room.

While resting alone, I was looking at the system window.

I manipulated the system window to activate the [Dark Event Tracker].

To find out in advance what kind of terrible event will screw me over this time.

But.

[No Dark Event will be triggered in this stage.]

“Huh?”

I was wondering what was going on, but the reason was absurd.

[This is the maximum difficulty that can be applied. The difficulty cannot be increased any further.]

The reason was that it was already so difficult that it couldn’t be made any more difficult.

In this crazy world. Should I say this has a conscience or not?

While I was resting blankly like that,

Bang!

“Lord! The messenger I sent to the capital has returned with an answer!”

Aider suddenly entered my room and said that. I jumped up.

This time, I had the messenger do various errands in the capital.

So the round trip was slower than usual. Still, he returned before the stage started.

“What did they say? Are they sending reinforcements?”

I asked, not expecting anything anymore.

As expected, Aider shook his head with a bitter smile.

“They say there’s no change in their position. They can’t send them.”

“Those damn bastards… I clearly said it was a final warning… that if they didn’t send reinforcements, I would show them the best disruption…”

I growled, grinding my teeth. So they’re going to do this until the very end…

“Hah… fine. I wasn’t counting on it in the first place.”

I shook my head to cool my thoughts and gestured to Aider.

“What about the other things I asked for?”

“Yes. While the messenger was in the capital, he made contact with the merchant group and the architect you mentioned before.”

The merchant group to entrust with the new distribution of magic stones. And the architect to design the exterior of the hotel to be built in Crossroads.

I had the messenger make contact with them and deliver my letters.

‘They’re all too far in the future…’

To lay the groundwork for the future in a situation where I don’t even know how the immediate defense battle will go.

It feels like playing chess in the fog.

Aider read the replies from the merchant group and the architect.

“They all say they will consider it positively, but the situation on the southern front is unstable, so it’s difficult for them to come easily.”

“Well… I expected that kind of answer.”

Positive consideration, my ass. They’re just refusing indirectly because they don’t want to take on work in this backwater.

I let out a deep sigh.

“I guess I’ll have to go to the capital myself and bring them all back.”

“Are you going to the capital, Lord? But you’re too busy with the defense battle and other things, aren’t you?”

I didn’t bother to answer and just smiled bitterly, then got up.

“Yes, since I’m such a busy lord, I should stop resting and go back to work.”

“Oh my, my. Then I’ll prepare the carriage. Where would you like to go?”

“The temple.”

I opened a drawer in the cupboard and took out a pre-prepared money pouch.

“There’s someone I’m going to recruit for the last time for this defense battle.”

***

The temple.

When I visited late at night, the head priestess, Saint Margherita, looked quite surprised.

“Your Highness? What brings you here at this hour…”

“The reasons people seek the temple may vary, but the ultimate goal is the same, isn’t it?”

I put my hands together in front of my chest.

“To pray for salvation in the future.”

I have no religion, but I want to shamelessly ask for salvation.

For victory in the next defense battle.

For as many people as possible to survive.

I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and put the money pouch I had brought into the donation box.

Thud! The heavy money pouch fell to the bottom of the donation box with a sound.

Margherita looked quite flustered.

“There are no party members who need treatment today… why the donation?”

“Saintess, no, Margherita.”

I slowly turned my head and looked at Margherita.

“You said it then. That the fight here is a holy war. That fighting monsters to protect humans is a sacred act.”

“……”

“I dare to ask. Do not abandon this holy war, but jump in yourself.”

Margherita’s eyes trembled violently.

The recruitment condition for Saint Margherita.

Use the temple and make donations every time. Achieve a certain amount with donations.

And I just filled that last amount.

Hospitals are always places where money flows like water.

Especially Margherita’s temple, which operates in this backwater, taking only small donations for poor mercenaries.

My donations, which I have poured into the poor finances here, have been like a lifeline.

Expanding the number of beds, putting in new blankets and sheets, and bringing in clean bandages and gauze.

Since I became the lord, the temple’s facilities have been improving day by day.

Like it or not, this temple is relying on my donations for its finances.

Now, Margherita is in a position where she can no longer refuse my request.

“This defense battle will be more severe than any defense battle this city has ever faced. The soldiers who were treated by you just a few days ago may not be able to return.”

I spoke calmly, but cruelly, about what was about to happen.

“Not only that, but the walls themselves may be breached. If the vampires cross those walls, there will be a festival of blood here.”

“……”

“All the citizens of Crossroads may die. And if Crossroads falls, the entire human world will be in danger.”

I nodded heavily.

“Lend me your strength, Margherita. I need your healing abilities.”

Margherita, who had been fumbling for a long time, finally managed to say.

“I… I’m just a country woman who has no ability other than to care for the injured.”

“……”

“I don’t have the power to defeat enemies. Why me…”

“Margherita.”

I took a step closer to Margherita. Margherita flinched.

“The faster way than treating a patient is to prevent that patient from getting hurt in the first place.”

“……”

“You can do that if you’re on the field.”

A skill set focused on healing and shields.

The best area healer in this game. The representative of a hero who transcends the R-rank [R-rank is a mid-tier rank in this world’s hero system]. Saint Margherita.

She looked up at me for a long time with trembling eyes, then bit her lip and asked in a thin voice.

“What… what should I do?”

***

Thus, Margherita was recruited.

For now, she’s a guest character for this stage only, but in fact, she can be called up as a party member whenever needed after this.

If a healer is needed, she can be used effectively.

This time, I formed two reserve parties by combining Lily and Margherita, and 8 new N-R rank heroes who had been recruited.

The party leaders were Lily and Margherita.

Lily’s party will form the last line of defense in the rear, and Margherita’s party will be in charge of transporting and treating the injured.

After completing the reserve party formation, I returned to the mansion and sat down at my desk in the office.

The traps installed in front of the walls, the repaired artifacts, the readjustment of the kill zone, the evacuation of citizens…

There was a mountain of work to be done before the defense battle.

As I was working, the surroundings became bright before I knew it.

Looking out the window, the sun was rising. I had stayed up all night.

“……”

I stared blankly at the eastern sky where the sun was rising.

‘Sun, can’t you go a little slower?’

Of course, the sun ignored my wish and rose brightly above the ground.

Everything around me became dazzlingly bright.

[STAGE 5]

– Until Start: 24 hours remaining

One day left until the next stage.

Only one day left.