I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 263

A little while ago.

Crossroad. Downtown.

Vacant lot next to the barracks.

‘Huff, huff, huff!’

I stood there, staggering, breathing heavily.

Right in front of me was a white werewolf, fallen and dead.

Kureha’s Blink Dagger-Flying Kick combo had left him in a critical state, and I barely managed to finish him off with my magic blade.

But, the problem was Kureha.

I turned sharply. I saw Kureha collapsed in a pool of blood.

‘Hey, Kureha! Wake up!’

‘Cough, cough!’

With a large hole in his stomach, Kureha was coughing up blood. I quickly took out a high-grade potion from my pouch and poured it on his wound.

However,

‘The recovery is slow…!’

The wound wasn’t healing easily.

Kureha’s body, which had already used up its power and finished mummifying, wasn’t even properly receiving the potion’s effects.

‘Ugh, cough! Your Highness… those two old men from earlier… are they safe…?’

‘Of course, they’re safe! Worry about yourself!’

To try and protect others in this state…

While I was desperately trying to heal Kureha,

‘Your Highness!’

The scouts I had spread out rushed to me urgently.

I glanced at the scouts while continuing to pour potions on Kureha’s body and pressing his wound to stop the bleeding.

‘Report!’

‘Yes!’

The scouts took turns reporting the current war situation.

And as I listened to the situation in turn, both I and Kureha, whose face had turned pale from losing too much blood, hardened.

Lucas, who was alone on the south wall, was surrounded and under attack.

On the north wall, Evangeline had fallen, and the rest of the heroes were all defeated.

Most of the werewolves who had infiltrated the city had been dealt with, but a few survivors…

‘They’ve taken hostages?’

‘Yes…! The werewolves driven into the central square are holding citizens hostage and barricading themselves! In addition, there are a few others in the alleys doing the same…!’

My head was spinning.

I couldn’t figure out how to resolve this situation unfolding simultaneously from all directions. I tried to think calmly.

That’s when it happened.

‘Help me… up.’

Kureha tried to get up while coughing up blood. I was shocked and shouted.

‘Don’t talk nonsense! You’re dying right now!’

‘I have to… go save my brother, Kuilan. Quickly…’

‘Can’t you just lie down?! In that state, you won’t even make it out of this vacant lot, let alone the north gate!’

‘My brother is dying right now!’

Kureha shouted back. I was momentarily speechless.

Kureha struggled to get up, using his hands to hold in the blood and intestines spilling from his stomach.

But his whole body, having already used its strength to save the two old men, was dried up like a mummy, and even the act of getting up seemed difficult.

To be in a situation where he couldn’t save his own brother because he tried to save unrelated people.

Looking at that miserable sight, I closed my eyes tightly.

‘Think.’

Find a way to get through this situation.

‘Games exist to be cleared.’

There’s always a clever solution and a way to survive in any situation. My 742 past experiences prove it.

Find a slightly higher probability. A slightly more certain method.

Find it.

‘No!’

I opened my eyes wide.

That’s not enough. I shouldn’t judge based only on the given situation. I have to look wider, further.

‘Look above the rules of the game.’

Don’t be ruled by the rules. Rule the rules.

Use all available means.

Bypass, bend, twist – find the weaknesses in the rules.

‘……!’

At that moment.

It suddenly came to me.

The fundamental way to solve all these situations at once.

‘Kureha.’

I spoke in a calm and cold voice that surprised even myself.

‘To save your brother, what are you willing to do?’

Kureha didn’t hesitate.

‘I can do anything.’

‘……’

‘For that child, I’ll do anything.’

I nodded heavily.

‘There’s one way. Kureha.’

I quickly explained the plan I had come up with. A look of surprise flashed across Kureha’s face.

‘Certainly, it’s theoretically possible, but…’

‘Is it really possible?’

‘Yes. But it seems I’ll have to make direct contact with the opponent.’

However, Kureha’s current physical condition is critical.

The scouts had rushed to the temple to call a priest, but he was bound to die before the priest arrived.

The light of life was fading from Kureha’s face every moment. To carry out that plan in this state…

‘……’

Then something came to mind.

‘……Kureha. In the past story you told me before.’

I clenched my fist and asked.

‘You said your father turned your brother, who had become a vessel of curse, into a wolf monster.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘Then you, who are also a vessel of curse now, can also turn into that wolf monster?’

Kureha was silent. I stared at his face.

After a moment, with a face that seemed to have made a decision, Kureha slowly nodded.

‘……Yes, Your Highness. But because there is no ‘tree’ here to assist the spell, the spell will not be complete.’

‘……’

‘I won’t be able to become a complete wolf monster, and I might lose my reason and… attack Your Highness.’

‘It’s okay. I have a way. A way to make you obey my orders.’

‘……’

A smile flickered across Kureha’s bloodied lips.

‘I never thought the spell I learned from my mother as a last resort… would be used like this.’

‘……Kureha.’

‘I’m going to die anyway. Please turn me into a wolf monster. So I can carry out the plan Your Highness has instructed.’

Kureha bowed his head to me.

‘Please help me save my brother.’

I gritted my teeth and replied briefly.

‘Let’s start right away. There’s no time.’

I drew a magic circle on the floor as Kureha instructed and laid him down on it.

Kureha recited the spell to activate the magic in a fading voice. I made an X-shaped wound on Kureha’s forehead with the Blink Dagger.

The full moon’s light was pouring down from the bright sky.

Crack, crunch…!

Along with the gruesome sound of flesh twisting, flesh, muscle, and red fur sprouted on Kureha’s mummified limbs.

Kureha’s whole body, exposed to the moonlight, was transforming.

Finally, when I had finished making the X-shaped wound on his forehead, Kureha had transformed into a hideous wolf monster.

Grotesquely grown claws, ferocious fangs that didn’t align, distorted joints and asymmetrical muscles, and red fur all over his body…

A wolf monster that had taken on all the curses of the clan.

《…….》

The giant wolf monster slowly rose.

I tensed up, preparing for him to attack me, but the monster didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

I used [Commanding Eye] first.

‘Kneel, show me your loyalty.’

[Commanding Eye] was easily applied. Kureha slowly knelt on one knee before me.

‘Kureha.’

Looking into the monster’s kind eyes that were staring at me, I spoke the activation phrase for my 2nd skill.

‘Become mine.’

Clatter!

Then, a shape like a dog collar with dangling chains appeared in the air and clamped tightly around Kureha’s neck.

Ding!

[Unknown Werewolf Kureha (SSR) has been added to your allies!]

– Current Loyalty: 90/100

– Absolute Command Authority: 1 time

Success.

I let out a sigh of relief. Whew…

That’s when it happened.

Thud, thud, thud!

From the center of the city, magic bullets poured out like rain. I immediately recognized what it was.

‘Damian’s ultimate skill, Duel!’

I had read the skill description beforehand and knew its effect.

It was Damian’s wide-area skill that fired healing magic bullets at all allies it captured and attacking magic bullets at enemies.

However, the magic bullet that fell on me was a healing magic bullet, but,

Tsuk-!

The one that fell on Kureha was an attacking magic bullet.

Kureha casually reached out his arm and blocked the magic bullet, but I was dizzy looking at that.

Damian’s clairvoyance had made a cold judgment.

Kureha was a monster.

He was no longer human.

Then Kureha slowly opened his mouth.

《…Give, me, orders.》

‘……’

《Your, Highness.》

Even though he had become a monster, he hadn’t lost his reason.

‘Kureha. Go. Carry out the plan.’

I gave a simple order and added.

‘Save your brother.’

《…….》

‘And… save this front line.’

Kureha bowed his head slightly.

《With all my might. I will.》

Thud!

Kureha’s huge body, kicking off the ground, shot north in an instant.

I watched his receding figure with a heavy heart, gritted my teeth, and clenched my fist tightly.

***

Currently.

In front of the north wall.

Splat!

Blood splattered everywhere.

‘……?’

Kuilan closed his eyes and waited for Lunared’s claw to fall, but he didn’t feel any pain.

Kuilan opened his eyes, bewildered.

Thud. Thud.

The sound of blood dripping to the floor.

‘……?!’

A giant werewolf suddenly appeared, wedging himself between Lunared and Kuilan, taking the attack on his back instead… was visible.

Blood was flowing from this werewolf’s back.

No, could this be called a werewolf?

A hideous wolf monster with grotesquely bent limbs, looking like a wolf that hadn’t fully transformed.

But why? Kuilan stared blankly at the monster’s face.

Was it his imagination that he felt the monster’s gaze towards him was warm?

《What is this.》

Lunared said in a bewildered voice.

《What are you? You seem to be of my clan, but why are you interfering…?》

《…….》

The monster, who had been looking at Kuilan with gentle eyes, suddenly rotated his body like lightning, clenched his fists with his arms of different lengths, and,

Thud!

Slammed both fists into Lunared’s chest.

《Kuh-?!》

Lunared spat out blood and fell backward.

Thump!

Kuilan, who had fallen from Lunared’s hand, sat down on the ground, dumbfounded, and looked up.

《…….》

The wolf monster, standing as if to protect Kuilan, looked at Kuilan once more with a gentle gaze, and then,

-Thump.

Took a stance.

It was a grotesque stance due to his reverse-bent joints and limbs of different lengths, but.

Kuilan could immediately recognize it.

That was the martial arts stance of the Maple Wolf Clan.

The one his brother had taught him… that one.

《You, a descendant of my blood, dare!》

Lunared, with murderous eyes, charged again. The unidentified wolf monster rushed to meet him.

Whack! Thump! Whack…!

The two monsters began to fight hand-to-hand.

Muscles that far surpassed those of humans twitched, and they fired punches like cannons to kill each other.

Next to Kuilan, who was blankly watching this surreal scene,

‘We have to kill them now.’

Evangeline came and stood. Kuilan was startled and looked at Evangeline.

Evangeline, clutching her stomach wound, was pale, but she was holding her shield firmly in her left hand.

Behind Evangeline, the other party members struggled to walk and stood.

Thanks to the healing magic bullets that Damian had fired, they were all able to gather their last strength and stand up.

‘I don’t know why those two monsters are fighting each other, but this is an opportunity.’

‘……’

‘We’re all exhausted to our limits. There won’t be a second chance. We have to kill them both at the same time.’

Evangeline gestured.

The Shadow Squad members, led by God Hand, and the Punishment Squad members gripped their weapons and nodded with determined faces.

The bloodied heroes moved forward to make their final attack.

‘……!’

At that moment,

Kuilan, who had noticed something, urgently stopped the party members. Evangeline narrowed her brows.

‘Kuilan? What are you doing…’

‘D-don’t attack.’

‘Huh?’

‘That’s my brother.’

He couldn’t explain it clearly, but he knew.

‘That monster, that’s my brother!’

In this world.

The only being who looked at him with such warm eyes was just one person.

So Kuilan cried out as if wailing.

‘That’s my brother…!’