I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 390

The Succubus Queen’s palace is vast. The palace buildings, surrounded by high fences and stone walls, total five, scattered across the large grounds. Thump! Thump! Thump! The Frost Giants, having entered the palace grounds, spread out widely, beginning to inspect each of the palace buildings one by one. There were twenty of them in total. Twenty might seem like a small number, but they are Frost Giants. Each one is a monster capable of combat power equivalent to dozens of other ordinary beasts. It’s by no means a small force. It’s more accurate to think they sent a very large force. Thump! Thump! Thump…! Due to their large size, weight, and presence, stealth was impossible for them from the start. The Frost Giants continued their search, ruthlessly destroying the palace. One of them swung its arm, tearing off the roof of the palace’s largest building with a loud crash. Seeing this, Salome was about to shout something, her eyes wide with shock, so I quickly covered her mouth. 《Ubuub…!》 “Shut up, please. It’s not the right time yet.” Anyway, the Frost Giants diligently searched the palace, smashing and crashing, and when they couldn’t find Salome, they began to spread out even more. They expanded their search not only to the buildings but also to the fences, stone walls, and even the beautifully decorated gardens. Crack! A Frost Giant’s wide foot crushed a marble fountain that was spouting water in the garden. 《Uuuuub!》 Salome twisted her body, almost shedding tears, but I held her tightly and didn’t let go. Just stay still! Thus, all twenty Frost Giants scattered, and one of them approached the spot where we were hiding. In the far corner of the garden. In a wide-open flower bed…! Crunch! The tip of the Frost Giant’s foot trampled the flowers blooming in the flower bed. It was right in front of us. Hiding flat on the flower bed, I glanced at Salome, who was lying next to me. “Now!” 《Ukeueub! ‘Sleep’!》 Salome stretched her hand forward, and a pink aura shot out, engulfing the Frost Giant’s body. Thud…! The Frost Giant’s eyes became cloudy, and it immediately stopped moving. The effect is amazing. “Good, one down for now.” 《Ah… Ahhh… My, my palace… My flower garden…》 Salome, in a panic, mumbled something, but I ignored her and looked for the next target to charm. “The one you charmed, you can control it as you please, right?” 《Yes… If it’s my command, it will follow it for a while…》 “Then lure that one over there to this side. Let’s keep charming them one by one.” And so. 《’Sleep’! ‘Sleep’-!》 We lured two more Frost Giants and successfully charmed them. Bringing the total to three under Salome’s mind control. 《Hah! Hah! I did as you said…!》 “Seriously, you’re supposed to be the Succubus Queen, and you’re panting after charming just three?” 《Eek! My charm has a high output for each use, so I can charm any opponent, but it takes a lot of energy…! I need to use it while taking breaks!》 Indeed, in the game, her charm had an incredibly high success rate. No matter how high my magic stats were, it would ignore them and charm me. But the cooldown was a bit long. “Anyway, three is enough. Good job.” After saying that, I realized I had made a mistake. I had unknowingly praised Salome as if she were one of my subordinates. 《Oh? Really? Hehe, really? I did good?》 Salome immediately beamed, as if she had never been upset. I clicked my tongue and looked at the remaining Frost Giants. ‘Seventeen.’ Just looking at the numbers, they still have an overwhelming advantage. On our side, there are three charmed Frost Giants, Salome who has almost no direct combat ability, and me, who is restricted by the system… 《When my subordinates were here, it would have been worth fighting. If I charmed the enemy commander and my subordinates charmed the enemy’s subordinates, we could have neutralized the entire enemy army.》 Salome said, picking flowers from the flower bed and sticking them in her hair (is she crazy?). 《But now it’s just me… It’s hard to charm the entire enemy army. It’s also hard to charm more for a while… How are you going to fight, Ash?》 “I told you, three is enough.” The enemies are scattered. They don’t know that their allies have been charmed. And above all, my existence is unexpected. Salome, who didn’t know how to fight with her own abilities and only used [Reality Escape], is no more. Because I’m here. I was tormented by this damn Succubus Queen in the game, and I know how to use this nightmare in the most vicious and powerful way. “First, we’ll take them out one by one.” I ordered Salome to send the three charmed Frost Giants to the other Frost Giants and have them quietly assassinate their allies. I pointed out one Frost Giant on the outskirts and specified every move on how to silently take him down. Honestly, I was worried if Salome could control them properly as I instructed. But there was no need to worry. Salome, fully focused, controlled the Frost Giants as if they were her own limbs. Her eyes closed, moving her outstretched fingers, controlling the Frost Giants… she looked like a puppeteer. Thump… Thump… Thump… The Frost Giants didn’t suspect their approaching comrades and were each focused on their search. In that gap, the charmed Frost Giants approached from behind, grabbed their comrade’s body from both sides, and slashed their throats with a knife. The three-man charmed Frost Giant team moved as one. They quietly caught the body of the killed Frost Giant so it wouldn’t fall and laid it on the ground, then moved towards the next target. “Northeast. One Frost Giant. Looking south. Lure one naturally from the south to draw their attention, and have the other two approach stealthily from the east and west.” I watched, observed, and gave instructions, 《Wait, just a minute… It’s getting confusing trying to move three at the same time… Is this an arm? Oh, a leg? No, it’s a neck? Ack! They’re looking this way! Naturally! Naturally! It’s okay, Salome! I can do it! I am a mushroom!》 …Salome’s words were unstable, but her actual control was flawless. Thud! Thump…! Crumble…! The charmed Frost Giant trio faithfully followed orders. By the time the remaining Frost Giants noticed the anomaly, ten of them had already crossed into the afterlife. Booooo-! One enraged Frost Giant took out a horn and blew it. The remaining seven Frost Giants came running towards us from all directions, thumping loudly. 《Kyaaaaak! We’ve been discovered! What do we do now?!》 “Calm down, Salome. This was bound to happen.” Three Frost Giants versus seven. Of course, we are overwhelmingly at a disadvantage. Without even mentioning Lanchester’s laws [a mathematical model of combat], it’s obvious that in a battle between individuals with the same specs, the difference in numbers matters. If things continue like this, we will be defeated horribly. ‘But, there’s a variable.’ That is, these are not just Frost Giants, but Frost Giants under Salome’s control. Frost Giants possess some of the best physical abilities among monsters. They fight based on the overwhelming physical specs they are born with. In other words, their specs are high, but their skills and techniques are not great. They are strong without them. With overwhelming power, there’s no need to waste time honing skills or techniques. In the game, Frost Giants fought with overwhelming specs, but they were implemented without combat skills or special abilities. Only basic attacks, basic attacks, and basic attacks. Then, let’s think the other way around. What if our Frost Giants, with the same specs, had skills and techniques that the others didn’t? What if we had tactics, unlike those who just blindly charge with their bodies and numbers? The difference in numbers can be narrowed enough…! “Retreat the three Frost Giants between the palace buildings! Quickly!” 《Ah, okay!》 As we retreated into the narrow space between the main building and the annex of the palace, the seven enemy Frost Giants came rushing after us. A narrow and limited battlefield is advantageous for the defender. That’s why I led them here. The Frost Giants probably know that too. But they willingly jumped into this battlefield, knowing it was disadvantageous to them. That’s how much they trust the difference in numbers and their own specs. But it’s a misjudgment. I ordered Salome again. “Have two defend with shields, and one stab with a sword. Rotate this order repeatedly!” Salome immediately controlled the three Frost Giants as I ordered. Clang! Clang! Clang! The three charmed Frost Giants continued to defend and attack like a flowing stream. Two held up shields to block the enemies’ attacks, and one thrust a sword through the gaps in the shields. It was as smooth as if the three were one body. What is combat skill? Three people moving as one. That is a great skill…! In a narrow space, with overwhelmingly superior teamwork. The damage to the seven attacking Frost Giants quickly accumulated. The floor was covered in the dark blue blood of the Frost Giants. On the other hand, our three held firm. After the fierce battle, our three Frost Giants were severely injured, but they were all still standing in their places, not dead. On the other hand, six of the seven enemy Frost Giants were dead and fallen. Good job, Salome! This time, I only thought it to myself without saying it out loud. ‘Huh?’ But, among the corpses of those giants… the last one was missing. “Where did one go…” Whoosh- At that moment, I heard the sound of wind cutting through the air. As I looked up at the sky in horror, the last giant fell. Their frontal defense was strong, so they went around – not to the left or right or rear, but on the Z-axis, from above! Crash! The giant Frost Giant, fluttering its cloak, fell and used the sword in one hand to cut off the neck of one of our Frost Giants, and with the shield in the other hand, smashed the neck bone of another Frost Giant. 《Kuk?!》 Under Salome’s control, the last charmed Frost Giant rushed at him, but. Thwack! The attack was blocked by the shield, Stab! Followed by a sword thrust into the stomach, Thud-! With a short interval, a shield strike like a one-inch punch shattered the chest bone, sending it flying backward. Whew… The Frost Giant, who had slaughtered three in an instant, breathed shortly and glared at us. Distinct from the other Frost Giants, with ornate armor and a helmet that seemed to be shaped like the wings of a bird of prey… An elite unit of the Frost Giant army, a Húskarl [a type of elite warrior]. In fact, he is the highest-ranking powerhouse right below the commander. “Oh, shit.” I take back what I said earlier. A big shot like this is a War-Master who has mastered not only his own specs but also skills, techniques, and tactics. “Salome! The charm?” 《It’ll still take a little time before I can use it again…!》 Damn it! Then how do I stop that guy…?!? Thump! Thump! Thump! Without time to think, he is rushing towards us. Not only are his physical specs superior, but his combat skills are incomparable. The moment he reaches us, we will be torn to shreds. I gritted my teeth. Is there really no other way? ‘…Wait a minute.’ Then something flashed through my mind. I quickly turned to the side. “Hey, Salome.” 《Huh?》 “Have you ever tried to charm me while I was sleeping?” 《Huh? Hic, huh?》 Salome’s eyes widened, and she started hiccuping. I asked again, annoyed. “Have you ever tried to charm me! Answer me quickly!” Salome, looking upset, confessed. 《W-well, I did try! But it didn’t work! Just like before, not at all…!》 A smirk appeared on my face. Salome’s charm is powerful enough to succeed on any high-ranking unit. But the fact that her charm didn’t work on me means that my passive skill [Unyielding Commander] is still working. In other words, the system is blocked, but my skills are still usable. Then! “Hey, you giant bastard-!” Even without the system’s correction. If the skills I possess are truly my abilities! I can use them! I made eye contact with the Frost Giant Húskarl, recalling the feeling of using [Commanding Eye]- And shouted. “Drop and give me push-ups-!” A flash of light erupted before my eyes. There was no blue interface that always appeared when using skills, no resistance roll messages, no success or failure judgments. However. I had a feeling. This worked, a feeling! Magic surged from my body, penetrating through his eyes, and then… Wham! The Frost Giant Húskarl, who was rushing in with terrifying momentum, fell to the ground as if collapsing, then rolled on the ground and took a push-up position. Crash…! His huge body crashed into the palace’s main building, completely destroying it. Watching the billowing dust cloud, I laughed in disbelief. “I did it…” I had been too dependent on the system, and I had mistakenly thought that my abilities had disappeared when the system was gone. But it wasn’t. This ability is mine. I can use it at my will without the help or correction of the system…! I clenched my fist tightly. Did you see that, you system bastard? Even if my existence isn’t proven, I am me. I can still fight…! 《My palacccce!》 At that moment, Salome’s mournful scream echoed over the ruins. Come to think of it, that Frost Giant just now crashed right through the center of the palace. Thump, Crumble…! The palace, with its pillars and beams all collapsed, began to crumble in a chain reaction. Completely covering the body of the fallen Frost Giant below. Crash…! 《Waaaaaaah!》 Salome let out a tearful scream as she watched the palace roof collapse. To be honest, it was very satisfying to hear.