I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 577

“It would be best if we all moved together, but realistically, that’s going to be difficult. We probably won’t even be able to maintain party units. We’ll likely split up, move individually, and then regroup.”

I continued to issue instructions for the operation.

“In the process, destroy as many eggs as possible, draw their attention, and create diversions. If you encounter any survivors, rescue them.”

I then pulled out a teleport scroll and showed it to them.

“And when you judge that you’ve held out long enough, use the teleport scroll to retreat without delay.”

The teleport scroll can teleport all allies within a certain range.

The retreat point we’ve set is right here, the teleport gate in the backyard of the lord’s mansion.

We should be able to bring the survivors out with us without any problems, if they’re still alive…

After going over several other minor tactics and points of caution, while the heroes were gathering their equipment and packing their supply bags,

Lukas, who had approached me, asked cautiously.

“My lord, I understand the outline of the operation we’re about to undertake. However…”

“However?”

When I looked at him, Lukas glanced towards the far side of the backyard.

There, Bai Ye was preparing to fly in a clumsy posture.

“The Fly King’s hive mind infiltration operation that Bai Ye is about to carry out… I doubt whether that will be effective.”

I gestured to Lukas to continue. Lukas continued.

“Bai Ye is certainly a great mage, but I don’t think he can take over the Fly King’s consciousness alone.”

“What’s your basis for that judgment?”

“This might sound ridiculous, but it’s a gut feeling.”

I blinked at the unexpected answer. Lukas explained seriously.

“All the monsters we’ve encountered so far have had an innate presence. You could even call it evil. As a knight who uses his body, I’ve used this to estimate the opponent’s level.”

“Hmm, that’s an interesting criterion.”

“The Fly King’s evil is far superior to any enemy commander I’ve met so far. Bai Ye was also a great commander, but… I don’t think he can face the Fly King alone.”

I rested my chin on my hand.

“That’s a good point, Lukas. So?”

“I suggest… taking out insurance.”

I blinked in confusion.

“Insurance?”

“Yes. Actually, I prepared this separately while you were leading the meeting.”

At Lukas’s words, I widened my eyes.

“Instead of just ‘one’ Bai Ye, we’ll mobilize ‘many’.”

“…What?”

“This way.”

Lukas led me to a field a little away from the lord’s mansion and pointed towards it.

“… !”

I opened my mouth slightly as I looked at the field.

There… several mages were creating new Jiangshi flies [a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore, often depicted as a hopping vampire].

“Lukas, what is this…?”

“…You said that Bai Ye’s consciousness transfer magic is basically copy-pasting, right? In other words, the same original can be applied to multiple places.”

Lukas continued calmly.

“I mobilized the mages who created the first Jiangshi fly to create new Jiangshi flies. If you allow it, I will make additional copies of Bai Ye and put them inside.”

“…”

“We can create many copies of Bai Ye, all of whom think they are the only one, the unique Bai Ye, and believe they have been subjected to your mind control magic.”

It seemed that Lukas had called them in advance, as the illusionist party ‘Gamble Club’ was also on standby.

They must be there to imitate my mind control magic.

I was flustered and swallowed my words. Lukas continued.

“If the first Bai Ye fails, we’ll deploy the second Bai Ye. If the second Bai Ye fails, we’ll deploy the third Bai Ye. We’ll keep throwing them in until the operation succeeds.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter if Bai Ye fails to seize control of the Fly King. It doesn’t matter if Bai Ye is consumed by the hive mind of the flies.”

Lukas’s voice was like a sharp, blue blade.

“The flies will become smarter, and as they devour the Archmage, their intelligence will evolve at an insane rate.”

“…”

I swallowed hard.

Keep deploying the copied Bai Ye. Throw Bai Ye into the hive mind as food.

Until they become wise enough.

Until they split and kill each other, just like in history.

And to ensure that the generational change of the smarter flies happens quickly, we will inflict as much damage as possible inside the belly…

Unable to speak, I looked at Lukas with trembling eyes.

“Lukas, this is…”

“I know. It’s too much.”

Lukas said coldly.

“But the Archmage has already been confirmed as a ‘monster’. So, shouldn’t we use him to the very end?”

“…”

Right. I don’t intend to pretend to be innocent after coming this far.

In the first place, I was the one who devised the cruel plan of putting Bai Ye into the fly’s body, and this copied Bai Ye plan that Lukas prepared without my knowledge… I had actually thought about it too.

In any future, Bai Ye was an existence that would eventually destroy this world for his own ascension. He’s an unavoidable monster.

And I save people. I kill monsters.

The world’s destruction is imminent. This is not the time to be picky about methods. So, there is no justification, reason, or room to oppose treating the monster cruelly for the sake of the strategy.

But.

“…No, Lukas. What I wanted to say was…”

I looked directly at Lukas and said.

“It’s about the danger of this operation itself.”

“…”

“Even if he’s trapped in a fly’s body, Bai Ye is the third-ranked commander of the Nightmare Legion. If we make so many copies of such an existence… even if our operation succeeds and we defeat the Fly King safely, what happens after that?”

Using barbarians to control barbarians.

We are using the enemy to defeat the enemy, but the problem is the one who survives.

If Bai Ye doesn’t just stop at defeating the Fly King, but becomes something more…

Can I control Bai Ye?

The reason why I only conceived of this Bai Ye cloning operation and didn’t use it is simple. I lack the leash to control Bai Ye.

The first Bai Ye, although it was half-coerced, had at least given his consent, and I had even obtained absolute command with [Become Mine!].

But what about the rest of these Bai Ye?

If we really copy and use them, how will we control them?

I judged that this might come back as an even greater risk than the Fly King. So, I tried to dissuade Lukas.

Then, Lukas bowed deeply to me.

“…I’m sorry, my lord. My thinking was shallow.”

“No, Lukas. I was thinking the same thing.”

“Then I will stop this operation here.”

Lukas bowed to me once more and walked towards the field. I watched his back and thought.

I had already decided that I would become someone who ignores the rules for the sake of victory.

And to win ruthlessly, Lukas’s plan might be more efficient.

But why?

I had a feeling that I shouldn’t go any further.

It might be because Bai Ye is dangerous, as I explained earlier.

Or maybe it’s just pointless hypocrisy, trembling meaninglessly while already cruelly using the captured monsters.

Or maybe it’s just that Lukas went one step deeper than me, and I was startled by his actions, making me look around.

Anyway, above all else…

I felt like the dark abyss I had been staring into to kill, had turned its eyes towards me, as if welcoming me, asking why I was only coming now.

“…”

What is this inexplicable unease?

But there was no time to explore its identity. In the distance, the dark sky was gradually beginning to brighten.

Day 3 of the Fly King’s descent.

Only one day left until he reaches Crossroads.

***

The sun began to rise in the distance.

The infiltration team members, each on horseback, rode in a straight line towards the Fly King from the teleport gate closest to where he was docked – the watchtower.

Boooooo…!

At sunrise, the Fly King began his march.

At the same time, the fly monsters that poured out in all directions once again devastated the area, kidnapping prey into their bellies.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

Galloping towards the Fly King, I shouted from the front of the group.

“Alright! Let’s have some fun while we’re at it!”

The 20 infiltration heroes, including myself, spurred our horses at full speed.

Soon, the swarm of flies that sensed us poured fiercely towards us.

Boooooooom-

Screeeeeech!

Since the real battle was planned to take place inside the Fly King’s belly, we had agreed in advance not to waste our energy unnecessarily.

“Do you think we’ll just take it quietly?!”

Clang!

At my shout, Lukas, who was next to me, started by swinging his sword of light.

Kuilran, who had taken off with his saddle, crushed a fly monster with a flying kick, and then Berdandi, who had thrown a blink dagger, appeared in the air and cut off the flies’ necks.

We charged like people who had given up on their lives, tearing and killing the flies, and were shot into the heart of the enemy lines.

And when we came to our senses, we were completely surrounded.

Innumerable flies swarmed around us, their red compound eyes gleaming.

“Everyone!”

I uncapped the antidote I had taken out of my pocket.

“Take the antidote!”

Without anyone saying a word, all 20 of us swallowed the antidote at the same time.

“Kuh!”

I don’t know about the effect, but it tastes really disgusting!

I threw the empty bottle aside, and one unlucky fly got hit on the head and fell over.

“Haha, you idiot.”

Did they mix some alcohol in the antidote? I felt inexplicably good.

I spread my arms wide and shouted with all my might.

“Come on, eat me quickly, you bug bastards!”

Screeeeeech!

At the same time, thousands of flies poured towards me.

***

“…”

After a while, I was being dragged through the hatchery corridor by the flies with a blank look on my face.

‘Ah, damn it, I wish I had been paralyzed instead…’

Not only were the mouths or tubes of these monster bastards piercing my body, but being caught and dragged through the hatchery corridor while flying around was very, very far from a good experience.

It would have been better if I had lost consciousness and been dragged in, then woken up inside, but whether the antidote was working well or my invincibility effect was amazing… anyway, I was dragged in while fully conscious, pretending to be unconscious and staying still.

Eventually, it seemed that the transport was over, and the flies threw me into a large room in the hatchery. I couldn’t help but let out a groan!

Swish, swish, swish.

Then, the flies all glared at me.

“…”

I quietly buried my face on the floor and didn’t move. Pretend to be dead. Pretend to be dead. Let’s pretend to be dead. I’m dead.

Thump, thump, thump…

Fortunately, the flies didn’t suspect anything further and swarmed out of the room. I carefully peeked my head up.

‘There’s… no one around.’

This is not a good start. It seems I was dragged into this room alone.

‘First, move… oh shit!’

I was startled as I got up, leaning on the shiny wall.

I thought it was just a shiny wall, but when I looked closely… flies the size of my fist were lined up neatly, clustered together like bricks.

So, this entire massive structure was a collection of countless flies.

Large flies were used where large pillars were needed, and small flies were used where small structures were needed… like that.

‘I wish I hadn’t known, ugh.’

I was worried that they might suddenly come to life and flutter away, but that didn’t happen. Whether they were dead or hibernating, the flies that made up the structure didn’t react no matter what I did.

This sight was grotesque, and also… the entire body of this giant Fly King looked like a very precisely designed alien ship. It even gave me a strange sense of awe.

‘Okay, enough!’

I shook my head, getting rid of the unnecessary sentiment, and looked around.

‘I don’t know where I am, and I can’t see any allies…’

I need to find them quickly. I need to rescue them before they become maggot food.

I carefully and quietly got up and went out of the room…

“…”

《…》

Ah.

I’m really unlucky.

As soon as I left the room, I encountered another group of flies.

The flies, who were carrying two members of the Shadow Squad – Burnout and Bodybag – in their mouths, were momentarily still, surprised to see me moving.

I sighed and whispered softly.

“Summon.”

Immediately, a huge magic circle was engraved on my back, and from within it, huge tentacles with suction cups poured out.

The flies quickly tried to escape, but the suction cup tentacles were much faster. The huge tentacles wrapped around the flies and crushed them.

Gooooooo-!

The huge cephalopod monster that appeared from the summoning circle roared. I clenched my fist.

“That’s it, kill them all! Kraken!”

Then, I slammed my flag into the ground and deployed my ultimate skill [The Foremost Flag].

From between the rising walls, I unleashed all the captured monsters and summons I had.

From the various monsters I had captured so far to the Colosseum Legion that Jackal had led me to. They all popped out as if they had been waiting.

The most impressive of them was the beetle commander I had recently captured. The SSR-grade Hercules.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!

Herkules, who had emerged with his huge horn in front, smashed the hatchery and even pierced the ceiling with his horn.

A new swarm of fly monsters poured out from the gaping hole in the ceiling.

“Good, it’s a monster war! You fly bastards…!”

My dream of filming a secret infiltration action was completely shattered!

I swung my arms around and shouted with great vigor.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s go all out!”