I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 29

The item from the chest was a longsword with a jagged, saw-like blade.

I took out the weapon and examined its detailed specs.

[Rat Cleaver (R) Lv.15]
– Category: Longsword
– Attack Power: 20-25
– Durability: 25/25
– Deals 25 percent additional damage when attacking rat-type monsters.

《”Let’s catch the rats, let’s catch the rats, squeak squeak squeak!” – A certain sewer manager》

Guess it makes sense that the gear is rat-related since we cleared a dungeon full of sewer rats.

‘This looks useful.’

I immediately handed the longsword to Lucas. He’s the only character here who uses a sword, so it was the obvious choice.

“Lucas, take this.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Lucas accepted it, looking a bit awkward.

“But I already have a sword I usually use…”

Lucas’s original sword was also an R-grade item. This new weapon wasn’t good enough to replace his beloved sword.

However.

“Just keep it. There will be a use for it.”

The special option on this gear is useful.

At my words, Lucas quietly strapped the new sword to his waist. Now he was wearing two swords.

I watched him with satisfaction, then reached under the chest. There should be one more thing.

“There it is.”

I grabbed something. When I pulled it out,

[Summon Scroll: Automatic Defense Turret]

A scroll glowing with a magical blue light.

“Yes!”

I cheered.

This is a guaranteed drop item from Exploration Zone 1. In fact, you could say I came here for this.

“Your Highness, what is that? Is it a magic scroll?”

Lucas tilted his head, looking at the blueprint in my hand. I quietly tucked the blueprint into my pocket.

“You’ll find out what it is soon enough.”

We’ve collected all the rewards, so there’s no reason to stay here any longer.

“Alright, let’s go!”

I pointed to the back of the chest. The door leading out of the boss room was wide open.

“Yay~!”

Lily, with her arms wide open, was the first to rush out, pulling her wheelchair.

“Wait, Lily! It’s dangerous, don’t go alone!”

Lucas and the rest of the party quickly followed her, and I was the last to leave the boss room.

[Zone 1: Dried-Up Drainage]
– Clear Progress: Normal Room 3/3 Boss Room 1/1
– Acquired Treasure Chests: 2/2

All clear.

We explored all the rooms and found all the treasure chests.

‘100 percent completion rate for the first exploration zone!’

A good start.

I walked with light steps along the connecting corridor, and soon the sewer ended.

The narrow, damp path led to an open space.

[Zone 2: Hidden Back Alley]

We arrived at the second exploration zone of the dungeon, the hidden back alley.

From here, we’re officially inside the ‘Lake Kingdom’.

The party members who came out of the sewer first were all standing still.

They were holding torches and looking around.

“What is this…”

I heard Damian’s bewildered mutter and looked around as well.

‘It’s bustling.’

It was a street in an incredibly bustling city.

The buildings were as tall as those in Seoul, Earth.

Under the towering skyscrapers, the roads were perfectly maintained, and beautiful patterns and decorations were densely embroidered.

And this was just a back alley, not even a main street.

A city built by a highly advanced magical civilization.

That was the identity of the stranded Lake Kingdom.

However, there was not a single light in this bustling city. No living beings could be seen.

It was endlessly submerged in darkness, still and dead.

The back alleys of the city, paved with five-colored stone tiles, were also engulfed in dark shadows.

The only light was from a lone street lamp in a corner.

Rustle, rustle…

The faint sound of insects gnawing at something echoed from all directions.

It was the sound of darkness approaching.

“…”

“…”

All the party members seemed to sense the presence of darkness, and they quickly raised their weapons.

“The base is a safe zone. You don’t have to be so tense.”

I calmed the party members and approached the street lamp.

Now, a familiar pile of stones was set up next to the street lamp.

When I placed my hand on the pile of stones, they spun around and rose up, forming a teleport gate.

Ding!

[The base of ‘Zone 2: Hidden Back Alley’ has been connected!]

The teleport gate was connected.

And at the same time,

[The following areas cannot be accessed yet.]

A message appeared, indicating that the next area was not yet accessible.

I glanced at the other side of the alley where the darkness was swirling. I didn’t plan to go any further today anyway.

If I did, I’d be eaten alive.

“Good work, everyone. That’s it for today!”

I clapped my hands and activated the teleport gate.

[Teleport Gate]
– Please select a destination.

> Lord’s Manor Backyard
> Lakeside Pier
> Dried-Up Drainage
> ……

I selected the Lord’s Manor Backyard.

The teleport gate activated, and a magical door glowed.

In front of the brightly lit path home, I smiled at my party members.

“Let’s go home!”

***

[Free Exploration Ended!]

[Leveled Up Characters]
– Ash (EX) Lv.9 (↑1)
– Lily (R) Lv.20 (↑1) (First job change available!)
– Damian (N) Lv.21 (↑1)

[Acquired Equipment]
– Rat Cleaver (R)

[Acquired Items]
– Summon Scroll: Automatic Defense Turret
– Dungeon Escape Teleport Scroll

***

At the spot where Ash and his party had left.

In the darkness surrounding the base of the ‘Hidden Back Alley,’ a man slowly walked out.

He was a man wearing a black pointed hat and a minstrel’s outfit.

“…The final player, is it?”

The man held up a gray pipe in his hand and muttered softly.

“You’ve finally come this far.”

Pee-eep-

The man lightly blew the pipe, and the darkness rippled.

Click, click…

Then, countless red eyes spread like dominoes to the left and right of the man.

Like a red galaxy, thousands of eyes flickered in the darkness.

“Forgive our sins.”

The man bowed his head, surrounded by thousands of sewer rats.

“All for the Lake Kingdom…”

***

It was already late at night when we returned to Crossroads.

“Wow…”

Lily, exhausted, slumped in her wheelchair.

“I’m… alive…”

“You worked hard, Lily.”

I patted Lily’s shoulder and looked around at the other party members.

“Everyone must be tired and exhausted today, right? Get some rest.”

“…I don’t know if I’ll be able to rest.”

Jupiter put a cigarette in her mouth.

“To think that such a city is submerged under the lake. That incredible level of magical civilization, swallowed by such darkness. I can’t even begin to imagine what happened.”

“…”

“Above all, that darkness.”

The old woman’s fingertips trembled slightly.

“That darkness… was clearly something ‘abnormal’.”

“…”

“Is there anything else you can tell us, Your Highness?”

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

I hesitated for a moment, but quietly shook my head.

“Not now.”

Even though I’ve cleared the game to the end, the game’s story didn’t clearly reveal why the Lake Kingdom became like that.

I could only make guesses by collecting scattered clues.

However, this time I had a feeling.

I had a feeling that I would have to go into the center of that city myself and uncover the whole truth.

That’s why I could only say this to my party members.

“Let’s find out together, little by little.”

Jupiter grinned and lit her cigarette.

“I don’t think I can sleep sober tonight, I need a drink.”

“Me too!”

Lily raised her hand.

“Let’s go together, Sir Jupiter! I don’t think I can sleep without getting drunk.”

“I’d be happy to, young lady. I’ll take you to a good place.”

The two women were in high spirits and went to the city. They get along well.

“I’ll go back to the temple.”

Damian gave me a weary smile.

“I’m a bit scared just thinking about that darkness, but I think I’ll feel better if I pray at the temple.”

“Okay. You worked hard, Damian. Go get some rest.”

The party disbanded.

All I did was throw one royal punch, but my whole body was tired.

Dungeons were places that drained your mental and physical energy just by visiting them. Ugh.

“Let’s go inside too. We need to rest.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lucas, who was walking back to the mansion with me, asked me.

“But Your Highness. Aren’t we going to the dungeon again?”

“Huh? I’m not going until the next defense battle. Why?”

Do you want to go to that scary place often? Well, if we have time, we can send a party to level up and farm in the areas we’ve already cleared.

“Don’t we need to find out what kind of monsters will attack next? Don’t we need to scout like last time?”

“Ah, you’re talking about that.”

Lucas was asking if we needed to check the monster groups coming out of the lake, like in the previous stage.

That time, we went ahead and confirmed that the enemy was Living Armor.

However.

“We’ve already scouted.”

This time, we’ve already finished scouting.

I smiled at Lucas, who looked puzzled.

“The monster group that will attack this time is the sewer rat group.”

“What? Ah…!”

A sigh escaped from Lucas’s mouth.

The monster groups are beings that ‘overflow’ from the source of the Lake Kingdom.

These overflowing monsters first fill the free exploration areas under the lake, and when they reach a critical point, they overflow out of the lake.

They crawl out of the lake and attack the city.

“The monsters we encounter in free exploration are the same groups we have to face in the next defense battle.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

Although it’s randomly determined each time. Anyway, if you visit the dungeon in advance, you can know the next enemy.

“We need to prepare to fight the rat monsters in this defense battle. Of course, it won’t be easy…”

Still, this time we have relatively more time.

Even though the rat swarms are terrible, they’re easier than Living Armor.

‘It’ll be manageable.’

I tried to think optimistically and flung open the mansion door.

“We’re back! Is the food and bathwater ready, Aider!”

“Oh my, oh my, my lord!”

Aider immediately scurried out from inside the mansion.

“It’s a disaster, oh my!”

Aider’s face was pale.

I blinked in surprise.

I was expecting a warm meal and bathwater, but I was surprised when the director suddenly screamed.

“What’s wrong? Calm down and tell me.”

“There are no reinforcements!”

“…Huh?”

What is he talking about?

As I stood there dumbfounded, Aider’s next words pierced my ears sharply.

“They say they can’t send any reinforcements from the central region or even from nearby cities!”

No, but why?!