I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 555

“I’m sorry, Damian.”

While returning to Crossroads from District 8 of the Lake Kingdom, Ash apologized as the sniper Damian, who had been waiting in the distance, joined them.

“I’ve made you do another dangerous task.”

To ensure Jackal could die peacefully, Ash had ordered Damian to snipe him. And Damian had carried out the order without hesitation.

“I’m fine, Your Highness.”

Damian nodded silently.

“It was to make things easier for Jackal.”

“……”

“And, in the future… it’s okay to assign me the task of sniping those guys.”

Damian glared at the enemies with clear eyes. Not far away, the Fallen Knights were salivating as they looked this way.

“They might have been human once… but now, they are definitely monsters.”

“……”

Ash took a deep breath and exhaled, then spoke in a strong tone.

“Let’s go back.”

The hand holding the flagstaff was so tense that it had turned white.

Ash gritted his teeth and spat out.

“To thoroughly, without leaving a single one, annihilate those bastards. Let’s prepare.”

***

A few days later.

The Black Lake.

Swoooosh!

Thirteen Fallen Knights emerged, breaking the surface of the water.

Normally, they should have been stopped from advancing by the Nameless One, but for some reason, she didn’t even appear before the Fallen Knights.

The battle between the Black Dragon Legion and the Demon Guardian Corps had escalated, and the Lake Kingdom was currently in extreme chaos.

The Fallen Knights could only guess that the Nameless One was caught up in that battle.

The Dark Event the Fallen Knights had received this time was ‘Enhancement’.

The effect was simple. It uniformly amplified all their stats.

The Fallen Knights were already an elite, small-numbered legion, and this Dark Event made each of them even more powerful.

The acting authority had given it to them after much deliberation to ensure they could advance without losing a single member to the Nameless One, but the Nameless One hadn’t even appeared.

The situation was suspicious, but if they weren’t being stopped, it was a welcome development.

In the end, all thirteen of them were able to set foot on the land of the outside world unscathed.

Tap-

After stepping onto the ground, they mounted their corpse horses made of bone and rotten flesh.

《Is that the sun…?》

Looking up at the sky, the Fallen King Pendragon frowned inside his helmet.

《It still casts its hateful light.》

This was the southern part of the continent.

The summer afternoon sun blazed down directly on the Fallen Knights. It was hot and bright. It wasn’t a very welcome environment for monsters who had been buried in darkness.

《It didn’t even show its face during the winter…》

《Let’s bring down that sun after we destroy the mortal realm, Great King.》

《Keehee, keeheehee, I wonder what the sun tastes like…》

One of the Fallen Knights, who had been joking and chuckling, suddenly became serious and rubbed his belly.

《By the way, Great King, I’m hungry…》

《How can you be hungry again when you just ate?》

《No matter how much I eat, I keep getting hungry…》

After being resurrected in the Lake Kingdom, the Fallen Knights were completely free from food problems.

That was because all the humans in the Lake Kingdom were cursed with eternal life, so no matter how much they ate, they would soon revive.

They were completely out of it, so they were bland and uninteresting prey that didn’t react even when eaten alive. But thanks to that, the Fallen Knights were always well-fed.

However, as soon as they left their base and set out, they felt hunger. And Pendragon was also feeling hungry.

Pendragon ran his hand over his empty stomach.

《…I am hungry.》

《Hungry, hungry, hungry…》

Unable to bear it, one knight began to bite his own finger. Pendragon clicked his tongue and gestured towards the mortal realm’s forward base that was visible not far away.

《Good. Let’s quickly invade that place. Judging by its size, there must be plenty to eat.》

《Keehee, keeheehee! Hurry, hurry!》

《Gulp. Gulp.》

《I want to chew on a living, throbbing heart…!》

Drooling through the gaps in their helmets, the thirteen Fallen Knights quickly approached the forward base.

These thirteen knights were overflowing with confidence in their own martial prowess, but they were also well aware of the overwhelming achievements of the mortal realm’s defense forces.

The Spider Queen, the Vampire King, the Wolf King, the Goblin God King, the Ghost Pirate Captain, and even the Great Magic Emperor. And according to rumors, even the Plague Lord and the Succubus’s daughter.

An incredibly powerful defense line that had defeated a total of eight Nightmare Legion Commanders. This place, Crossroads, was worthy of being called the final defense line of the mortal realm.

Pendragon ignored all those who called themselves kings in the Lake Kingdom, except for himself.

But that didn’t mean he thought they were weak.

The mortal realm’s commander and defense forces had defeated all these monsters.

‘I acknowledge it. The mortal realm’s defense forces are strong.’

So he wouldn’t be careless.

He would crush them with all his might and chew on the enemies’ flesh as spoils of war. A wicked laugh escaped from the gap in Pendragon’s helmet.

《Everyone, draw your weapons!》

When he judged that the forward base was close enough and they were within the enemy’s firing range, Pendragon drew his greatsword—the man-eating sword, Excarnival. Then, his subordinate knights simultaneously drew their own gruesome weapons.

A huge scythe, a long spear entwined with tentacles, a flaming longsword fueled by human oil, a flail made only of finger bones….

After glancing at his subordinates, Pendragon pointed his greatsword forward and shouted.

《It’s time for a feast! Charge-!》

《Chaaaaarge-!》

《I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eat, I want to eaaaaat!》

The thirteen knights simultaneously spurred their corpse horses and charged towards the forward base.

But why was it?

《…?》

Even as the Fallen Knights got closer, the forward base didn’t launch any counterattacks.

‘What is this?’

Pendragon, who had been known as the Conqueror King before falling into a monster, sensed something was wrong. He was a man who had experienced countless wars in his life.

Why weren’t there any counterattacks?

Was it a trap to lure them in further before wiping them out?

No, but….

‘I don’t feel any presence at all?’

Not only were there no counterattacks from the forward base, but nothing was coming from it at all.

It was as if it were completely empty.

Soon, the other Fallen Knights also noticed the anomaly. All the knights gradually slowed down and stopped slowly in front of the forward base’s gate.

《Great King!》

At that moment, a long-haired Fallen Knight who had approached the gate called out to Pendragon in a flustered tone.

《The gate is open, Great King!》

《What…?》

Surprised, Pendragon looked and it was true.

The thick gate of the forward base was not locked, but slightly open as if inviting them in.

《I’ll go in first.》

The long-haired Fallen Knight took the lead and opened the gate, while the other Fallen Knights followed closely, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

However—there was nothing.

No counterattacks. No enemies. No, nothing at all.

Confirming that there were no enemies, the Fallen Knights poured into the forward base. And they were bewildered as they looked around the empty interior of the forward base.

The forward base, which was clean and perfectly maintained, was empty. Pendragon muttered to himself.

《They’re not using this facility for defense? They just left it empty…?》

《Great King. There’s no one here.》

The Fallen Knights, who had searched the entire interior of the forward base, returned and reported.

《Judging by the signs of life, it seems to have been used until just yesterday… It seems they ran away knowing we were coming.》

《…….》

Pendragon was suspicious, but he couldn’t kill enemies that weren’t there.

《Understood. First, raid the warehouse here and find food. Let’s eat first.》

《Eeeh, Great King! I don’t want to eat anything but human flesh.》

《We haven’t eaten anything but human flesh since we were resurrected…》

《Don’t whine, you brats. This is wartime.》

Pendragon was trying to appease his grumbling subordinates when the long-haired Fallen Knight, who had gone to check the warehouse, came back sweating.

《Um, Great King, that is… there doesn’t seem to be any food.》

《What?》

《The warehouse is completely empty. Not a speck of dust.》

Silence fell.

Pendragon frowned as if he couldn’t believe it.

《What the hell are you talking about? A base of this size, a facility that was used until yesterday… and the warehouse is empty?》

But it was true.

When Pendragon checked, it was indeed true. All the warehouses in the forward base were completely empty.

《Did they take it out through a teleport gate…?》

Pendragon clicked his tongue, kicking a pile of collapsed magic stones.

He was annoyed, but he couldn’t fill an empty warehouse. Then, the other Fallen Knights began to whine.

《Great King…》

《I’m hungry… I feel like I’m going crazy…》

《Tsk.》

Pendragon gestured towards the nearby forest.

《Let’s go hunting. There must be animals in that forest. Let’s go.》

Thus, the Fallen Knights left the forward base and entered the forest.

However, only after several hours of hunting did the Fallen Knights notice another anomaly.

《Something’s strange, Great King.》

《…….》

《Not a single person… or even an animal can be seen.》

Swoooosh-

Only the hot wind swept through the desolate forest.

《It’s a ghostly thing. How can there not be even a single squirrel in the forest?》

The long-haired Fallen Knight, who was following Pendragon, replied.

《Do you remember when we invaded the Fairy Kingdom in our past life, Great King? Back then, the elves played tricks and all the animals in the forest ran away, leaving the forest empty.》

《That was a story from the era when the Fairy Kingdom was full of spirit users. Are you saying that there are elves and spirit users on the human side’s defense line now?》

Pendragon gritted his teeth.

《Don’t tell me these guys are using a scorched-earth tactic…?》

The Fallen Knights picked up mushrooms and berries, but.

Even after eating them in one bite, their hunger was not satisfied at all.

《Great King! This isn’t enough to fill my stomach!》

《Hungry, hungry, hungry…》

《Give me something to eat… give me something to eat, Great King…》

《Shut up and endure it for a little longer, you morons.》

When they returned to the forward base, it was already night. After setting up camp, Pendragon scolded his subordinates.

《They say the mortal realm’s defense line is only three days north. Let’s eat our fill of meat there.》

《Ugh…》

《I feel like I’m going to die of hunger…》

The Fallen Knights’ hunger was practically a curse.

For hundreds of years, they had lived in abundance in the darkness of the Lake Kingdom, eating the Lake Kingdom’s people who would revive even after death, so they didn’t know this fact.

But even a little bit of hunger would severely worsen their madness.

And so, that night.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Crack. Munch. Munch.

《…?》

In the middle of the night. Pendragon, who was pondering the supply problem, heard a strange sound. It was the sound of something being torn apart and eaten.

Alarmed, Pendragon rushed over and saw,

《You crazy bastards…》

The Fallen Knights, unable to bear their hunger, were tearing apart and eating the corpse horses they had ridden.

The Fallen Knights, who were gobbling down the rotten flesh, noticed that their king had arrived and knelt before him.

《Great King, Great King…》

《This isn’t enough to fill my stomach, Great King…》

《Give me something to eat… give me something to eat…》

Looking at the Fallen Knights crawling at his feet, clutching their empty stomachs, Pendragon suddenly realized.

He was hungry.

He was desperately, maddeningly hungry.

《…Heh.》

Inside his helmet, Pendragon’s mouth stretched into a wide smile.

《I really like the number 13.》

《…?》

《But my knights. I can break that for you.》

Pendragon turned around, his eyes gleaming with madness.

《Why do we need supplies? We already brought them with us.》

***

《Please don’t do this, Great King.》

The long-haired Fallen Knight, cornered in a corner of the forward base, took a breath, pointing his longsword forward.

《You can’t do this to me.》

The other twelve Fallen Knights were pointing their weapons at the long-haired Fallen Knight, salivating.

《It’s really sad that our number of thirteen is going to be reduced by one.》

Pendragon whispered, tilting his greatsword.

《But to safely advance to the enemy’s walls, it can’t be helped. Just like in that winter mountain, we have no choice but to eat one person a day.》

《Great King, please…! How much loyalty have I shown you…!》

《Thank you, my friend. I’ll eat well.》

《Don’t do thisssssss!》

The remaining Fallen Knights rushed forward, howling like beasts. The long-haired Fallen Knight screamed, swinging his sword.

《Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!》

That night, the Fallen Knights were able to have a plentiful dinner.