I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 244

◈ 245. A Peaceful Evening

“……”

Throughout the journey back to Crossroads via the base camp, Quillan remained silent, his shoulders slumped.

It wasn’t just Quillan; the entire penal unit wore gloomy expressions, their mouths tightly shut.

‘They were all giggling with excitement when we caught the demon gatekeeper.’

I inwardly groaned, observing the deeply downcast atmosphere.

Well, it’s understandable that they’d feel melancholic if they thought their ancestors might be such wolf monsters.

‘Koreans are said to have bears among their ancestors….’

I almost recited the garlic and mugwort-scented love story of Dangun and Ungnyeo [a Korean foundation myth involving a bear transforming into a woman], but stopped myself. This wasn’t a situation for such jokes.

“Everyone worked hard today.”

After returning to the mansion’s backyard, I said a few words before dismissing the party.

“It wasn’t intentional, but we got to meet the enemy commander of this defense battle in advance. And that’s a big gain.”

The vampire lord Selendion’s surprise attack in the dungeon came to mind.

We were thoroughly defeated back then. The entire main party was subdued without being able to lift a finger.

But thanks to that defeat, we found a clue to become stronger, and as a result, we were able to repel him.

It’s the same this time.

‘Encountering him will be a clue to the strategy.’

Wolf King Lunared.

Like the vampire lord Selendion we defeated before, he’s a named monster commander.

Of course, I’ve killed him countless times in the game.

Unlike Selendion, he doesn’t have complex gimmicks or various skills. He’s just purely, physically strong.

His stats are high, he’s tough, and each hit hurts. Sometimes, this type is more troublesome.

‘And… he does a lot of strange things.’

Unlike his honest and powerful combat strength.

The werewolf legion is a legion with quite a lot of erratic behavior.

In the game, they would maneuver around, ambush, and even use a ‘turtle’ strategy outside the walls. They were such awful bastards.

‘They said there’s no such thing as being fair in a fight.’

Wolves are intelligent animals. Especially when it comes to hunting. They are likely to be very vicious and dirty in this defense battle as well.

A dirty and vicious monster legion led by a commander who is purely strong in force.

That’s the werewolf. Ugh, how terrible.

Based on my knowledge from the game, I briefly briefed the standard method of dealing with Lunared and his legion.

It’s something I’ll be repeating endlessly in the future, but it’ll be more effective to say it on the day we saw the enemy commander’s face.

“…That’s all. We’ll have a more detailed tactical meeting next time.”

Looking at the penal unit party, whose complexions were still dark, I gave them a gentle smile.

“For tonight, don’t worry about anything and just rest well.”

“……”

Quillan didn’t answer and just hung his head. I clapped my hands.

“Alright, dismissed! Go eat, wash your feet, and sleep!”

***

Crossroads Barracks. The penal unit’s lodging.

“Hmm….”

Kureha, who was cooking with his left hand, loosened his stiff shoulder.

‘My right hand has become mummified… housework is hard.’

During the last defense battle, he used his right hand to subdue the mages, which triggered the ‘curse,’ and like his left leg, his right hand also became like a mummy.

To hide this fact from his younger brother, he deliberately took on the housework, pretending to be healthy. Fortunately, it seems he hasn’t been caught yet….

‘How long can I hide it?’

Kureha looked down at his right arm, hidden by gloves and long sleeves.

‘…No, hiding it isn’t the problem.’

How long can I live like this?

Sooner or later, situations where I have to use my strength will continue to arise, and someday, not only my right arm and left leg but… the ‘curse’ will spread throughout my body.

– Once we reclaim our homeland, we’ll be able to break the curse on our bodies. Just hold on a little longer, brother.

His younger brother’s words from yesterday suddenly came to mind.

“……”

A bitter smile formed on Kureha’s lips.

Homeland, homeland.

‘Even if I go back there now, this curse….’

At that moment, footsteps echoed chaotically outside the lodging, and Quillan and the penal unit members opened the door and returned.

Kureha quickly adjusted the sleeve of his right arm and looked back at his younger siblings with a calm smile.

“You’re back? You all worked hard today.”

“Yeah, uh….”

Quillan avoided Kureha’s gaze and answered weakly.

The other penal unit members also couldn’t make eye contact with Kureha and walked in listlessly. Kureha was puzzled.

“What’s wrong? You all seem so tired today. Did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing….”

Quillan mumbled, then collapsed onto the bed without washing and lay facing the wall. The other penal unit members did the same.

Kureha frowned and asked Quillan’s back.

“You’re not hiding anything from me, are you, Quillan?”

“No, brother… I’m just tired.”

Quillan, who had been lying facing the wall, turned his head slightly and asked.

“Brother. The Maple Fist you taught me….”

“Yeah. Why? Is there something you’re confused about?”

Quillan hesitated before asking.

“You said you learned it from Father.”

“Yeah.”

“And Father inherited it from Grandfather.”

“Yeah. It’s a martial art that has been passed down through our family for generations.”

“……”

“Why? Is there something you don’t understand? Should this older brother give you some guidance after a long time?”

After saying that, Kureha realized his mistake. If he tried to give new martial arts guidance, it would be obvious that his right arm had become mummified.

Fortunately, Quillan shook his head and pulled the blanket over his head.

“I’m tired, so I’ll rest a bit, brother….”

It might look funny to others to see a young man with a body bigger than a bear acting like this. But in Kureha’s eyes, Quillan was still a young and small brother.

“Okay. I’ll cook, so eat when you’re hungry later.”

“……”

Quillan didn’t answer anymore.

Kureha got up again and went to the kitchen to finish the cooking.

The even breathing of his big brother and the sound of the pot boiling, made by his withered brother, flowed quietly.

The brothers had things they hadn’t revealed to each other.

They both believed that sometimes hiding things was the way to care for each other.

Without knowing that the catastrophe was near.

The peaceful evening, with only a few days left, was passing by.

***

That night. A time when everyone was taking their rest.

Three people quietly gathered in the empty training grounds of the barracks.

It was Lukas, Evangeline, and Damian.

“I’m sorry for calling you when you must be tired.”

Lukas said, looking at Evangeline and Damian, and both of them shook their heads.

“No, it’s okay, Uncle Lukas. Actually, I wanted to gather first, you know?”

“Me too. I felt like I couldn’t just… stay still.”

Lukas quietly nodded in response to their words.

All three of them were feeling the same sensation.

-Enlightenment is just around the corner.

The next level of combat was near.

But that level was elusive, appearing in front of their eyes only to scatter like a mirage.

“I’m close to completing my own combat method by synthesizing my combat experience so far, but I can’t grasp its essence.”

Lukas clenched his empty hand in front of his eyes, and Evangeline made a humming sound.

“Me too. It feels like I just need to move forward a little more, but that one step is difficult.”

“Um, so….”

Damian blinked his round eyes and looked around.

“The reason we gathered here today is…?”

“Yes.”

There were many wooden practice weapons scattered on the floor of the training grounds.

Lukas kicked a wooden sword with his toe, caught it in the air with a thud, and nodded.

“It’s a sparring match. Evangeline and I have done it often.”

“Let’s do it together from today, Damian!”

Damian gave a wry smile at the fierce and cheerful proposal of these martial arts knights.

‘My Clairvoyance, magic gun, and output control aren’t working as I want….’

Clairvoyance arbitrarily detects the opponent’s weaknesses, and the magic gun doesn’t have the concept of shooting gently.

There was a reason why Damian hadn’t participated in sparring until now.

But… Damian was also in a heated situation.

The culmination of combat techniques. In Ash’s words, ‘Ultimate Skill’.

Its acquisition was near.

Was it because he had witnessed a powerful enemy? He was eager to acquire a new skill as soon as possible, and his mouth was parched.

A sparring match between those of similar levels would surely be helpful.

Damian silently picked up a blunt arrow and a wooden bow from the floor.

“What are the rules for the sparring match?”

“Of course, it’s a free battle. 1 vs 1 vs 1. If you raise both hands or go out of the ring, it’s considered a surrender.”

As soon as Damian picked up the bow, Lukas and Evangeline took a fighting stance.

Fighting spirit overflowed from the two knights, filling the training grounds.

“I won’t go easy on you, Damian.”

“Maybe Damian is the strongest here in the first place.”

Damian blankly watched the two knights, who were genuinely wary of him, then smiled faintly and placed a blunt arrow on the bowstring.

He felt good, as if he had been recognized.

“Then, I’ll go all out too.”

Damian’s eyes changed.

A chilling white flash crossed his round, soft brown eyes. Lukas and Evangeline swallowed hard at the same time.

Clairvoyance.

They had been helped by those eyes countless times, so facing them as an enemy felt incredibly burdensome.

A fierce tension flowed between the three of them. The three of them walked slowly clockwise around the training grounds, watching each other.

The moment someone showed a gap, they would jump at each other and exchange blows-

“Sorry to interrupt the good atmosphere.”

Someone broke the tension.

Surprised by the broken tension, the three people looked towards the direction of the voice.

A large-bodied fighter walked out from the barracks, looking embarrassed.

“Can I join in?”

It was Quillan.

The mountain bandit king scratched his red hair awkwardly.

“I don’t know about enlightenment or anything like you guys. I just feel stuffy. I think I’ll feel better after rolling around a bit.”

Lukas, who had been quietly watching Quillan, gestured with his chin.

“Put on your gear and come up. I’ll beat you up to cool you down.”

Quillan, who smiled brightly, hurriedly put on his gauntlets and boots and went up to the training grounds.

The four-person sparring match continued until dawn that day.

***

Dawn.

Looking at the blue sky brightening, I let out a long sigh.

“Hoo….”

I went to bed early in the evening, but I kept thinking about this defense battle, and it was already almost sunrise.

‘…I can’t sleep, should I open some boxes?’

I took two boxes out of my inventory and placed them on the bed.

One SSR-grade box received as a reward for stage 9. One SR-grade box received as a reward for stage 8.

I had already opened the smaller boxes below them, leaving only these two precious ones.

‘I was going to open them when I saw some good omen.’

I was going to open them if I had a pig dream, or if I cracked an egg and it had two yolks, or if I saw a bluebird…

‘No, when you play these probability-based games, you can’t help but fall into shamanism and totemism? It can’t be helped.’

Anyway, no good omens appeared, and the next stage was just around the corner.

I couldn’t save them any longer, so it was time to open these boxes too.

I opened both boxes at the same time without hesitation. You have to open them all at once!

Flash-!

Blinding light poured out from the two opened boxes. I shouted loudly.

“Did a complete item drop?!”