I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 556

From the Black Lake to the Crossroad main castle, it was a three-day journey by horse. However, on the first day of their march, the Fallen Knights had devoured most of the horses they had brought. In the end, they had to travel on foot, and since the Fallen Knights themselves were not particularly fast, their progress was quite slow. Ultimately, it took them five days to march north on foot. Even after walking day and night, Crossroad was still not in sight. And the fact that it took five days also meant that… They had devoured five of their fellow Fallen Knights.

《Alright, a little further and we’ll see that damned human world.》 Pendragon said from the front. Pendragon was the only one riding a corpse horse that had survived. Behind him, seven Fallen Knights followed on foot. Including Pendragon, there were eight. Having devoured five of their comrades, the remaining eight were diligently marching north. And Pendragon was still confident that this number was enough to destroy the human world. Because they were monsters capable of taking on a thousand. Because they were monsters who could kill and devour anyone, as long as they fought.

《We’re almost there… Just a little further… and we’ll be able to gorge ourselves on their flesh…》 Pendragon’s encouragement made the Fallen Knights drool. Even though they had feasted on their comrade’s flesh just a few hours ago, they were already feeling hungry again. And Pendragon was no different. The Fallen King gritted his teeth. ‘Faster, faster, faster…! Let the walls appear…! Whatever comes out, I’ll smash it and devour it, so come out in front of us…!’ However. Despite walking all day, the walls of the human world did not appear before them. Finally, the road ended, and what lay before them was a wide cliff.

《Hmm…?》

《Huh?》

《Great King, what is this…?》 Listening to his bewildered subordinates, Pendragon stared at the cliff in front of him, unable to understand the situation. He had definitely been walking due north. He had been advancing straight ahead, using the sun as a reference point. How had they lost their way?

《…!》 Suddenly realizing something, Pendragon pointed upwards. 《The sun.》

《Yes?》

《Shoot attacks at the sun! Now!》 The Fallen Knights did not understand their king’s orders, but they faithfully carried them out. Whoosh! Thud! Thud! Various dark magic spells were fired into the air. Then. Swoosh- The illusion magic was peeled away as if a curtain had been torn. The shape of the sky changed rapidly, and the sun finally found its proper place. The hateful sun was shining down on them from a completely unexpected location.

《…Since when?》 Pendragon muttered, dumbfounded. 《Since when have they been toying with us? An illusionary field of this scale… Since when…?》 They had placed an illusion magic over the sky—or rather, over the heads of the Fallen Knights. The road from the Black Lake to Crossroad had been subtly altered through construction, changing the direction of the path. As a result, the Fallen Knights, having completely misjudged their direction, had been wandering in the wrong place. It was then, as the bewildered Fallen Knights stood still, unsure of what to do.

《…Sniff, sniff.》 One Fallen Knight twitched his nose. 《I smell… oranges.》 Following him, the other Fallen Knights also sensed the smell and turned around one by one. They were all drooling. There was a scent of oranges. From behind them.

《Great King, there’s a fruit scent. Not far from here.》

《It smells delicious…》

《Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.》 The Fallen Knights turned one by one, as if possessed, towards that direction. Pendragon snapped irritably. 《You idiots! We have to go north! Where are you going… Hey!》 The Fallen Knights turned awkwardly and headed south. To the south, a wide field stretched out. The Fallen Knights craned their necks, searching for the source of the orange scent. Despite the thick orange scent, there were no orange trees to be seen. Instead.

《G-Great King! Over there!》 Cackle, cackle- Children. Holding hands, they were playing and laughing together. 《Humans! And young humans at that…!》

《T-They’ll be delicious! They look so soft!》

《I’m going to eat them! I’m going to eat them!》 Pendragon shouted at the Fallen Knights, who were running with drool dripping from their mouths. 《Don’t chase them! It’s obviously a trap! Don’t touch them!》 There was no way children would be in a place like this! But the Fallen Knights ignored their king’s orders and ran after the children. Blinded by their hunger, they could no longer hear anything.

《Hehe, hehehehe! Gotcha, gotcha! You little thing!》 A Fallen Knight, chasing after a child who was laughing and floating away, stretched out his long arm. Hideous tentacles poured out from his arm, wrapping around the child’s ankle and tripping him. 《Where should I start devouring you, you little thing! You little thing!》 The Fallen Knight, baring his sharp teeth like a carnivorous beast, was about to bite the child’s neck when he stopped. It was hard. Without any of the softness unique to a child, the texture in his hand was as hard as wood. The Fallen Knight, regaining his senses, looked down at what he was holding, and it was not a child. 《…A wooden doll?》 It was just a wooden doll that had been moving with the liveliness of a child, but now revealed its true nature. Cackle, cackle- Hahaha- The children, or rather, the dolls pretending to be children, scattered in all directions, laughing innocently.

《It’s a puppeteer! It’s their trick! Don’t chase them!》 Pendragon shouted, realizing the situation, but the Fallen Knights were already out of their minds. 《I’m going to eat them!》 When one of the wooden dolls that was running away suddenly jumped forward, the Fallen Knight who was chasing after it also threw himself after it. Over the cliff at the end of the field. Thud! Bang! Crash! Crack…! 《…》 Pendragon looked down at his subordinate, who had fallen off the cliff, with a cold expression. 《Ugh, Great King…》 Having fallen, the Fallen Knight was still a Fallen Knight. Waving his broken limbs, the Fallen Knight barely managed to climb back up the cliff. 《It was a wooden doll… Ugh… It looked delicious…》

《…》

《Ugh, Great King?》 Looking down at his sturdy, and stupid, knight, who was catching his breath, covered in blood, Pendragon let out a hollow laugh. 《It seems like tonight’s dinner is decided.》 The next moment, Pendragon’s greatsword, drawn from its scabbard, mercilessly sliced through his subordinate’s neck.

***

Crack, crack… The sound of sparks flying broke the silent darkness. The Fallen Knights, gathered around the campfire, ate in silence. Tonight’s meal was their comrade who had fallen off the cliff. However, Pendragon did not touch his food, lost in thought. The Fallen Knights glanced at him. 《Are you not hungry, Great King?》

《…》 Watching his subordinates eat without a care in the world, as if they had no worries, Pendragon let out a long sigh. 《They used various illusions to play with us. We’ve lost at least a day.》 The plan was going awry. If they continued to be delayed like this, the Fallen Knights, unable to withstand their hunger, would have to keep devouring their members, and by the time they reached the walls, their strength would be diminished. 《If this is the end, it would be fine, but if our advance continues to be delayed like this…》 As Pendragon was seriously contemplating, his subordinates, oblivious, pointed at the food in front of Pendragon. 《If you’re not hungry, can I eat that?》

《Me too, me too, me too.》

《Kihi. Kihhihi. Delicious, delicious.》

《…》 Pendragon counted the remaining numbers. Including himself, seven. It was still okay. For now. If they finished their meal and walked all night again, and reached the walls of the human world by tomorrow… It was then.

“Indeed.”

A voice suddenly came from behind. “I did toy with you.”

《…?!》 The Fallen Knights, startled, drew their weapons and looked in that direction. Thud. Thud. A young man with black hair and black eyes appeared, making footsteps. 《The guardian of the human world…?!》 It was definitely the enemy commander, Ash, the commander of the human defense forces, who had come with the flag back then. Unlike before, Ash was wearing a sword and shield. Ash’s face was hidden in the shadows, but the voice was definitely his. “Each of you is a powerful tank.”

《…》

“You are terrifying weapons that can destroy the walls the moment you reach them and massacre the soldiers stationed there.” It was a voice filled with clear mockery. “Yes. You are that powerful, but you need supplies, and you are slow.”

《You…》

“Fallen King. Do you know the word ‘Rasputitsa’?” Pendragon blinked, at the sudden and incomprehensible word. Rasputitsa (Распутица). In Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Russia, it refers to roads that turn into swamps during the rainy season. The ground becomes a very muddy, porridge-like state, making it difficult for people and vehicles to move, but conversely, this is sometimes used in war. To stop the advance of hostile forces. Tanks get stuck in the mire, the advance slows down, and supply lines are also blocked. “In short, it can be said to be a terrain specialized for conducting a war of attrition.” The longer the time drags on, the more the attacker’s strength is depleted, while the defender can easily deal with the trapped enemy. “I’ve always wanted to use this war of attrition strategy while dealing with monsters. If I had my way, I would have turned every road into a mud pit to slow down your advance. But I didn’t. Do you know why?”

《…》

“For most other monsters, ‘supplies’ didn’t mean much.” Most monsters don’t even eat. They move by consuming the essence of nightmares supplied by the Demon King. Except for vampires who use blood as a power source, dream demons who devour the dreams of others, and the Fallen Knights who are cursed with hunger, supplies themselves are unnecessary. “Unless it’s a concentrated firepower zone, just slowing down the entire road… It’s not efficient. It’s meaningless for other small, agile, or flying monsters.”

《…》

“If we have to keep fighting and killing them anyway, I decided it was better to save the money and expand the defensive facilities rather than waste resources trying to delay them.” Ash, who had been talking to himself, finally chuckled and gestured with his chin towards the Fallen Knights. “But you are different. Each of you is a heavy tank, and you can’t withstand hunger without human flesh… You are monsters that absolutely need supplies.” Therefore. Ash had planned this defense as a war of attrition. “You guys had a hard time with our Crossroad illusionist team today. Aren’t you excited about what kind of traps await you tomorrow?” Ash covered his mouth in the shadows, a smirk on his face. Towards Ash, the Fallen Knights slowly narrowed the distance. “As each day passes, you will continue to devour each other and reduce your numbers on your own.”

《…》

“In the Lake Kingdom, where supplies are infinite, there are no monsters as terrifying as you, but here in the human world, you are just a bunch of moronic idiots who self-destruct with a simple supply cut-off.” Ash raised a finger to his lips and smiled. “You are already trapped in the mire I created—in the Rasputitsa.”

《Your boasting is good, guardian of the human world.》 Pendragon roared. 《It seems a bit dangerous to declare victory yet-!》 Thud-! The Fallen Knights, who had been slowly surrounding Ash, rushed towards him all at once. The combined attack of the Fallen Knights was like lightning. Their hideous weapons, and their teeth for tearing apart the living, flew wildly. Ash desperately raised his sword and shield, but, Clang-! The sword shattered, Thud! The shield was smashed. And- Crack! Thud! Crunch…! The weapons and teeth of the Fallen Knights pierced his entire body without a gap.