I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 18

The basic premise is a defense game.

What is the cardinal rule of defense games?

It’s that monsters have clear behavior patterns. These patterns allow players to establish a defense plan.

Most monsters in this game have a single behavior pattern.

‘Kill humans.’

They kill the closest human via the shortest route.

Because their behavior patterns are so clear, various strategies can be used.

The easiest tactic is luring. A small unit can be dispatched to draw the monsters’ attention and lead them to a desired location.

And next, the tactic I enjoy using the most is ‘path forcing’.

By blocking paths with wooden fences, walls, or barricades, you can waste their movement.

If you completely block the path, the monsters will break through the obstacles and advance. But if you leave a small opening, and lure them with a small unit, the monsters will be guided that way.

And at the end of that guided path, you set up a crossfire.

By driving the monsters into a narrow space, you can concentrate firepower and eliminate them all at once.

This is the most basic of basic defense game strategies.

‘It’s a kill zone!’

I shouted, clenching my fist.

Bang! Pubububung!

The monsters slowly poured in through the entrance between the outer fence walls.

The cannons on the ramparts fired at those monsters in succession.

Kwagwang! Kugwagwang-!

With a dizzying explosion, the Living Armor that had passed through the gate melted away.

‘Fire-!’

I waved my arm repeatedly and yelled at the top of my lungs.

‘Fire! Fire! Don’t leave any gaps! Keep firing! Fire until the barrels melt-!’

Lukas repeated my command and relayed it.

‘Fire, reload, and fire again! Don’t give them an opening!’

The soldiers attached to each cannon sweated profusely as they repeated the reloading and firing of the cannonballs.

Deafening cannon fire echoed continuously, causing explosions at the impact points. The Living Armor were helplessly shattered.

But it doesn’t end here.

‘Lily!’

I turned my head sharply.

‘What about the gravity field artifact?’

‘Ready!’

Lily, who had somehow become the artifact manager, quickly replied. I nodded.

‘Activate it!’

‘Yes! Activating the gravity field artifact!’

The alchemists on standby chanted in unison and activated the gray-brown magical device.

‘Artifact, activating!’

Woo-woo-woo-!

Along with a strange operating sound, the gravity field artifact was deployed.

One of the few R-grade artifacts [Rare grade artifacts] that had been repaired.

The effect is extremely simple. It strengthens the gravity in a certain area, slowing down the opponent’s movements.

But its simplicity makes it powerful.

As the gravity field covered the kill zone, the Living Armor, already slow due to their heavy bodies, began to struggle.

Naturally, the accuracy of the shelling increased.

‘……If we just keep blocking them like this, isn’t that enough?’

Damian, who was watching the inferno with me, asked with a sullen expression.

‘The monsters can’t get through there, can they?’

‘……’

I kept my mouth shut and stared intently at the Living Armor being torn apart by the crossfire.

If we could easily block them with such a simple tactic, I wouldn’t have defined the Living Armor as the worst enemy.

As expected.

Clatter, clatter……!

Through the thick smoke, monsters emerged from the kill zone one by one.

The Living Armor all carried shields.

They held their shields forward without any gaps, reducing the power of the cannonballs and enduring them.

They were, after all, monsters made of sturdy armor.

Even if we concentrated our fire and poured in damage, it was impossible to kill them all cleanly.

‘Ballista unit!’

That’s why I had prepared a separate cleanup team.

‘Start firing at the ones that come out of the crossfire!’

Lukas immediately repeated my command.

‘Ballista, fire!’

‘Yes! Commence firing-!’

The soldiers who were on standby with the ballistae loaded began firing in unison.

Thud! Thud thud thud!

With a dull firing sound, large arrows were fired from the ballistae.

The fired arrows flew towards the Living Armor that were emerging from the kill zone with their shields up.

Crack! Crud-!

The sound of shields being crushed was gruesome.

The Living Armor, already tattered from enduring the shelling, couldn’t withstand the ballista fire and collapsed.

Grrrraaah……!

Thud, thud!

Looking down at the Living Armor falling like scarecrows, I opened the enemy information window.

[Enemy Information – STAGE 1]

– Lv.? ??? : 1

– Lv.5 Living Armor Soldier : 810 (Kill Counts : 242)

The kill count was rising rapidly.

‘Good, it’s going as planned.’

Form a kill zone, hold the enemies there as long as possible, and eliminate them all at once.

It was the standard defense tactic of this game. Even though it was the first stage, we were fighting quite well.

If we could just maintain the front line like this……

‘Your Highness!’

But,

‘There are some that are bypassing the wall!’

‘……!’

It’s not that easy of a game.

I quickly raised my binoculars to where Lukas was pointing.

Some Living Armor forces were bypassing the wooden fence wall to the left and right.

If we had completely blocked it, they would have just destroyed it, so we had left openings in the middle and at both ends.

When the middle path was blocked and they were stalled, the Living Armor in the rear began to bypass to the left and right.

The number of those bypassing was not large. But we had to stop them.

‘Jupiter!’

I immediately called for Jupiter. Jupiter and his party had retreated and were waiting near the ramparts.

‘I’m leaving the Living Armor unit coming to the right of the fence to you! Intercept and block them with hit-and-run tactics!’

‘As you command.’

Jupiter nodded to me and lightly kicked his horse’s belly.

‘Let’s go! Hyah!’

Jupiter’s party of five dashed away like the wind.

Jupiter, who had rushed straight at the bypassing Living Armor, waved his hands.

‘Eat this!’

Flash-!

Kugwagwagwang!

Lightning struck, frying the Living Armor with bolts of electricity.

‘Good. Jupiter is blocking that side well.’

All that’s left are the ones bypassing to the left.

I turned to the side. Damian swallowed hard when our eyes met.

‘Damian.’

‘Yes, sir!’

‘It’s your turn.’

I gestured with my chin towards the Living Armor approaching from afar.

‘Snipe the ones bypassing to the left of the fence.’

‘……Yes, sir.’

Damian gripped the crossbow in his hand tightly and stood near the ramparts.

He placed the crossbow on the ramparts, aimed at the Living Armor running in the front, and then,

‘Hoo……’

He closed his eyes, took a breath, and then opened his eyes wide.

And then, he pulled the trigger.

Clang!

Fwoosh-!

With the sound of wind tearing, an arrow was fired from the crossbow.

The fired arrow flew far beyond the range of a normal crossbow.

Clatter!

The leading Living Armor, the target of the snipe, raised its shield,

Tsukaak-!

The arrow, like a snake, twisted its body and drew a bizarre trajectory in the air, avoiding the shield and piercing through.

Thwack!

It pierced through the gap between the helmet and breastplate of the Living Armor.

The blue flames flickering inside the armor scattered and then dissipated.

Urr, kuung!

The armored monster’s movements stopped instantly, as if its heart had been pierced. Then, the empty armor fell to the ground.

The mouths of the soldiers watching this side dropped open in unison. I smiled with satisfaction.

This is [Clairvoyance].

It finds the enemy’s weak points and snipes them accurately.

‘Even so, to pierce the spirit core of a wraith with a normal crossbow and just an arrow……’

How much compensation are you getting, you broken skill!

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Damian continued to fire arrows without taking a breath.

Grrr……

Grrrraak!

And all of those arrows pierced through the Living Armor.

One shot, one kill.

It was truly a godlike skill. The surrounding soldiers stared at Damian with their mouths agape.

Damian, not caring about the gazes around him, continued to reload and fire arrows.

The front was the kill zone. The right was Jupiter. The left was Damian.

The defense was progressing extremely smoothly,

[Enemy Information – STAGE 1]

– Lv.? ??? : 1

– Lv.5 Living Armor Soldier : 560 (Kill Counts : 492)

500 kills were just around the corner!

I nodded, looking at the stabilized front line.

‘If it stays like this, it should be smooth sailing until the boss monster appears, right?’

That’s when it happened.

From the armor of the Living Armor that had been scattered and killed all over the battlefield, a whitish mist began to slowly emanate.

‘……?’

I blinked blankly.

What is that?

There was nothing like that in the game?

The mists slowly gathered in the sky, clumped together, and became one mass.

What had been hazy became clearer and clearer. The more Living Armor died, the more……

Finally, the moment the kill count reached exactly 500,

Ding!

A change occurred in the enemy information window.

[Enemy Information – STAGE 1]

– Lv.25 Wraith Knight : 1

– Lv.5 Living Armor Soldier : 552 (Kill Counts : 500)

The name of the hidden boss monster was revealed.

The boss monster of the Living Armor legion, ‘Wraith Knight’.

So far, it was as I knew it.

But at the same time as the name was revealed,

Saaaaaaa!

The mass of mist gathered in the air began to take shape.

With grotesquely bent pale limbs, draped in tattered rags…… a giant ghost, I guess you could call it.

‘The boss monster of the Living Armor legion, the Wraith Knight!’

This guy originally appears when all the normal monsters of the Living Armor legion are defeated, and all the wraiths inside the armor combine.

This is the reason for the Living Armor legion’s monstrous strength.

The legion itself is tough, but even after defeating them all, a boss monster appears as if it’s a second phase.

‘But, I haven’t even defeated all the Living Armor yet?’

Why has it appeared already?

The Wraith Knight, who had revealed its appearance, did not do anything. It didn’t cast a wide-area debuff, nor did it unleash a powerful attack skill.

It was just standing still in the air.

‘U, ugh……?!’

‘W, w, what is that?!’

But this is not a game. It’s a clear reality.

The mere appearance of a giant grotesque being in the sky caused the soldiers to panic all at once.

‘Damn it!’

I gritted my teeth.

This is the difference between a war between humans and a war between humans and monsters.

The primal fear that a giant, monstrous being gives.

The soldiers were terrified just by the appearance of the boss monster, and the efficiency of the front line plummeted.

And it’s not just humans who are terrified.

Whinny-!

The horses, unable to overcome their fear, began to go berserk. They couldn’t withstand the evil energy emitted by the boss-level monster.

The warhorses of Jupiter’s party, who were conducting guerrilla operations outside the ramparts, were no exception.

The horses went mad, and Jupiter, who was preparing his next lightning magic, lost his balance and fell out of the saddle.

‘Damn it……?!’

Thud!

Jupiter, who had fallen off his horse, tumbled to the ground.

‘Ugh?!’

‘Kuh!’

The rest of Jupiter’s party members were the same. Everyone who had fallen from the wildly bucking horses groaned.

‘Kuh, ugh……?’

Jupiter, who had hit the ground headfirst when he fell, couldn’t regain his senses.

He struggled to get up while lying down, and eventually lost consciousness and collapsed.

Grrrraaaaa!

In the meantime, the Living Armor that had escaped the loosened kill zone rushed madly.

To kill the living humans in front of them.