I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 371

For the next three days, we relentlessly harassed the advancing goblins from all sides.

We even brought in the fire support team, which had been resting for a day, and focused our attacks on what I perceived to be their weak points.

Our attacks were somewhat effective. The long road from the Black Lake to Crossroads was littered with goblin corpses.

However, those were not their main forces.

The goblin army always seemed to anticipate where we would strike, deploying decoy units in advance.

Our guerrilla forces steadily reduced the number of goblins, but we never managed to inflict a critical blow.

It was like an aircraft deploying flares as it flew.

No matter how hard we tried to shoot it down amidst a hail of heat-seeking missiles, it would deploy decoys to evade them, enduring only superficial damage as it continued to advance—a massive aircraft.

Moreover, they consistently destroyed our teleport gates.

They would trace our emergence points, dispatch cavalry to search for and destroy the teleport gates, forcing us to retreat to other gates further back to return to Crossroads.

Not only that, but they also sent cavalry ahead to discover and preemptively destroy hidden teleport gates.

With the continuous destruction of our gates, our attacks and retreats became increasingly sluggish, while they advanced relentlessly.

“……”

On the final day of the guerrilla warfare.

Standing on a field of corpses of the decoy goblin units, I had to admit it. I had no choice but to admit it.

The Goblin King, that enemy commander who once burned a third of the world, was a far superior commander than I was.

I was just an ordinary human who had barely reached the ending after hundreds of tries, playing within the rules of a game, fighting only predetermined battles… I was on a different level.

He was a man who had destroyed countless kingdoms in real battles, built a great empire for his race, and ultimately earned the title of Goblin King.

Kali-Alexandr and I were as different as heaven and earth in terms of tactical prowess.

As if my every move was in the palm of his hand… he deceived me and succeeded in achieving his goal of ‘advancing’.

“……But.”

I gritted my teeth.

“But it’s not over yet.”

No, it wasn’t even the beginning, let alone the end.

This battlefield was still within the rules of the game.

And in this game, even if the opponent was the god of war—I had a chance to win.

“Let’s go back.”

I said to the heroes around me.

They all looked tired from the forced marches of the past few days, but their eyes were sharp and fierce.

I turned back towards the gate, grinding my teeth.

“We still have a way to strike back at him.”

***

The next day.

On the walls of Crossroads.

All the heroes and soldiers of the monster front had finished their battle preparations and stood lined up at the edge of the walls.

Before our eyes, we saw the legion of green monsters, also lined up and ready for battle.

Thud- thud- thud-

25,000 goblins.

We had managed to reduce their numbers by several thousand through three days of guerrilla warfare, but the tsunami of green monsters had still reached this place.

“……”

Staring at the endless, overwhelming numbers that filled the horizon, I slowly turned to look beside me.

On the heavily fortified walls, various cannons, ballistae, artifacts, and elite soldiers with the strong will not to flee from the final battle with the monsters were positioned.

2,500 people.

The difference in troop strength was exactly tenfold.

In the end, no reinforcements came from other cities or countries by the day of the defense battle.

“How ungenerous……”

But what could we do?

From the beginning, it was a matter of ‘it would be helpful if they came,’ not that they were absolutely necessary. We had not considered reinforcements from the strategic planning stage.

If we had considered reinforcements, we wouldn’t have declared an independent course from the start. We would have borrowed plenty of troops from the imperial family.

From the moment we declared an independent course, this war was solely Crossroads’ responsibility.

It was an independent course declared while accepting all those disadvantages.

‘To save people, without being swayed by the will of a specific nation, solely to save people…….’

But, however.

If the front line collapses due to the independent course declared to save people, and we fail to save people as a result…….

Would there be any meaning left in all of this?

If we fail to clear, bewitched by a grand cause, a banner…… wouldn’t it ultimately be a failure, no matter what fancy words we use?

“Your Highness.”

“Hmm. Thank you.”

Just then, Junior approached and handed me a cup.

It was a health juice she had prepared herself. I gratefully accepted it.

“Jupiter Junior’s juice… shortened to JuJuJu. I will drink it well.”

“You still have the leisure to joke around…?”

Junior stood beside me and drank the juice with me.

It was already the third cup this morning. It was full of various ingredients good for mana potions and mana recovery.

I felt my mana recovering and let out a long sigh.

“Are you okay? You look tired.”

“I can still hold on……”

I returned the cup and lightly patted my tired face with both hands, clap clap!

At that moment, I saw a goblin wearing familiar helmet and armor riding a mountain goat at the front of the goblin army.

It was the Goblin King, Kali-Alexandr.

“I’ve been waiting……”

I took a breath and gestured to Junior. Junior used wind magic to amplify my voice so it could be heard far away.

I shouted with all my might.

“Kali-Alexandr!”

I saw the Goblin King slowly look up at me, as if my voice had reached him. I shouted at him.

“I request a [Commander’s Meeting]!”

《…….》

A Commander’s Meeting.

Something I had done with him before in the dungeon.

A special gimmick exclusive to boss stages. Both commanders are unable to use their characters for 10 turns. 100 percent success rate.

When this gimmick is activated, he and I must face each other alone for 30 minutes.

And as expected with a 100 percent success rate, I saw Kali-Alexandr nod his head.

Flap!

I adjusted my coat and descended from the wall. My gaze met the eyes of the waiting heroes and soldiers one by one.

“While I’m gone, just move as instructed beforehand.”

I had shared detailed operational instructions with everyone over the past few days.

They would all fight well on their own, even without my direct control.

“I wish you all good luck.”

Believing that, I simply said those words and stood before the city gate.

Thump-

I rode out through the slightly opened gate. Kali-Alexandr was also approaching on his mountain goat from the other side.

In the center point between the goblin camp and Crossroads, a meeting place had been prepared from the start.

A gray table and gray chairs. And a white flag fluttering beside them.

We dismounted from our respective rides, silently bowed to each other, and sat down in the chairs.

《Thank you for requesting the meeting, Ash.》

Kali-Alexandr spoke first. I frowned.

“Thank you?”

《You are actually the first enemy commander to sit across from me and talk.》

Kali-Alexandr replied awkwardly.

《When fighting the orcs, there was no option for dialogue, and when warring with humans… they wouldn’t even try to talk to a goblin.》

“……”

《You are practically the first of my enemies to acknowledge me as an individual, as someone capable of dialogue. How could I not be grateful?》

The Goblin King placed his right hand on the table.

《So, is there a reason you requested this meeting? Or is it perhaps just a way to buy time?》

“Buying time… you’re not wrong.”

10 turns.

30 minutes.

Once this time passes, the war will begin. It could be said to be the last peaceful time that Crossroads can enjoy.

So, shall I try to talk for 30 minutes?

“First, I want to acknowledge something.”

《What is it?》

“As a commander, Kali-Alexandr, you are superior to me.”

I spoke honestly.

“I felt it while attacking your army for the past three days. It seemed like you knew exactly how I would move.”

《Considering that, your attacks still inflicted a lot of damage on our army.》

“You only suffered damage that you could handle. In the end, all the troops you will use for the siege have arrived here intact,”

Kali-Alexandr did not deny it. I smiled bitterly.

“For this battle too, you must have already thought of all the tactics to break down my walls……”

《Haha. You’re not asking me to tell you those tactics, are you, Ash?》

“Would you tell me if I asked?”

《Of course, I can’t tell you about specific tactics. But…》

After hesitating for a moment, Kali-Alexandr looked at me intently.

《I think I can tell you about the basic ideas I have as a commander. Although I’m hesitant to say this myself, as a senior commander who has been fighting for hundreds of years before you.》

“I’m willing to listen.”

As I nodded, Kali-Alexandr nodded back.

《First of all, I want to make it clear that all my tactics are tactics that can only be used because I am a goblin. I am willing to sacrifice my troops without hesitation, and even if the exchange ratio is terrible, I will ultimately achieve my goal.》

“That’s a very goblin-like approach.”

《On the other hand, Ash, you are the complete opposite, aren’t you?》

From behind his mask, the Goblin King’s eyes flashed heavily.

《You cherish each and every one of your troops. Except for the inevitable sacrifices, you try not to waste a single life.》

“……”

《Even at the forward base, you gave up the defense early and retreated to avoid taking damage. You even dispatched a rescue unit to save your stranded troops.》

“Is that wrong?”

《I’m not talking about value judgments, Ash. I’m talking about efficiency.》

Value or efficiency?

People or strategy…….

《Of course, the resources and time it takes to create a single human soldier are vastly different from that of a goblin. It’s not for me to say, but a human life is more ‘expensive’ than a goblin’s life.》

“……”

《But even considering that, you seem too reluctant to sacrifice your soldiers… you’re too kind for a commander, Ash.》

Regarding the lives of his own kind as nothing more than a single bullet, that was the goblin way.

《A true king must be able to sit calmly on the blood, tears, and corpses of his subordinates.》

It was also the mindset of rulers.

《Are you trying to play chess without losing a single piece?》

“If it’s not an essential exchange, there’s no need to throw them away, is there?”

《Of course not. But sometimes, you have to be willing to boldly throw a chess piece into the enemy’s mouth. And from what I see, you don’t seem to have that courage.》

“……”

《A commander must be able to shed tears at the graveside, but while assessing the war situation, they must be able to coldly calculate the losses and damages of their troops. But you seem to be hurting even in the midst of the battlefield.》

Kali-Alexandr shook his head.

《You can’t fight for long like that, Ash.》

“……”

《You must become a steel-hearted person to the core. If you truly desire victory, you must wage a real war.》

“A real war? How do you do that?”

《Cross the line.》

The Goblin King, leaning close to the table, whispered softly.

《Become a monster, willing to abandon the lives of your subordinates, able to sit on a throne built on death without guilt.》

“……”

《A real war begins from there. The path to becoming a true king opens from there.》

The ancient, legendary monster king, who was also a senior commander, said that.

If you want to become a king, first become a monster.