I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 62

The materials for summoning an automatic defense turret are a magic core of R grade or higher, and building materials like stone and wood.

The magic core I have is SR grade [Super Rare], so that’s covered, and as for building materials…

‘There’s plenty of it.’

The golems had kindly wrecked the villa. There were bricks and wooden planks everywhere.

I threw the magic core into the villa and shouted,

“Summon!”

Kugugugung-!

Immediately, the surrounding debris rose into the air.

Clang! Clatter! Clunk!

The rising stone and wood were finely broken down, then fell like Tetris pieces onto the open roof, forming a structure.

The magic stone golem, sensing something amiss, began to project magic towards the turret under construction.

Bang! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Despite being bombarded by beams of light, the automatic defense turret was steadily completed. In particular, the gun barrel was completed first.

Clunk!

The massive cannon-like barrel aimed at the magic stone golem, and the next moment.

Thudududung-!

The muzzle spat fire.

The magic stone golem quickly twisted its body to evade, but the barrage of magic bullets severed its right arm and right leg.

Guo, ooo…!

The magic stone golem, letting out a scream-like operating sound, fell helplessly.

The automatic defense turret then quickly turned its barrel. It was towards the golems approaching from the opposite direction.

Thud! Thudududung!

Dozens of cyan magic bullets poured down.

The golem at the front was riddled with holes and exploded immediately. Kwagwang…!

The remaining golems stopped and retreated quickly, no longer approaching.

It seemed they realized that they would all die if they came any closer.

‘I’ve been feeling this since earlier, but why are these guys so intelligent…?’

The basic intelligence of monsters in this game should be to just charge and attack along the shortest path to kill humans.

Such movements without a proper command entity.

Still, I took a breather. After confirming that they were retreating, I let out a long breath.

“It seems like things have calmed down a bit.”

“You really have all sorts of bizarre tricks up your sleeve, Senior… Ugh!”

Evangeline let out a painful groan.

I quickly went to her side and took out a regular potion from my inventory, spraying it on Evangeline’s injured area.

“I feel like I’m drinking a lifetime’s worth of potions today…”

Evangeline, who had downed the remaining potion in one go, asked with a pale face.

“What’s next?”

“Wait. Until the sun sets.”

I muttered, looking at the sun still above the horizon.

“I can use my other insurance when the sun goes down.”

It was already late afternoon.

Since this land is located at the southernmost part of the continent, the sun sets late, but night would come soon.

If I just waited until then… then…

“Augh…!”

At that moment, Evangeline clutched her shoulder wound in pain.

It was the area that was hit the hardest during the previous attack. Even after applying the potion, blood was still flowing.

“I’ll look for something like a bandage. Wait here.”

I got up and looked around inside the building. It was a mess from being destroyed, but there were some usable items.

This was the villa’s kitchen.

As the cupboards and shelves collapsed, liquor bottles broke and rolled on the floor. A strong smell of alcohol filled the air.

I found a clean cloth in a drawer and tied it around Evangeline’s forearm.

Evangeline, who was breathing heavily, frowned.

“By the way, why is there so much alcohol…? The smell is overwhelming.”

“Well, Count Cross was a terrible alcoholic.”

“What?”

Evangeline’s sharp eyes widened. I blinked back at her.

“You didn’t know? Your father was something else. He was practically living in a liquor bottle.”

Evangeline muttered, looking bewildered.

“He always said that the lord must be fully prepared in case a monster attacks. He never even took a sip…”

I smiled bitterly.

“A lot must have changed in the three years since you left.”

“…”

“He was in a lot of pain. He couldn’t last a day without alcohol.”

Evangeline’s pale lips pressed tightly together.

Feeling sorry for the little girl, I carefully asked.

“Even after all this, do you still hate your father?”

“Yes.”

The answer came immediately.

“I still can’t forgive him.”

“If three years ago, your father had gone to save your mother instead of protecting the city, would you have forgiven him then?”

“…I wouldn’t hate him as much as I do now.”

“But you were in the city at that time.”

Evangeline’s eyebrows twitched.

“If your father had left to save your mother, you would have been in danger instead.”

“…”

“At that time, the forces of Crossroad could only protect one side. Your father didn’t abandon your mother. He protected you. You know that, too.”

“…Yes. I know.”

Evangeline bit her lip and muttered.

“I know my dad did his best. He always did… I know. I know, but!”

Evangeline slowly lowered her head.

“Then who am I supposed to blame…?”

I widened my eyes.

What?

“My mom was torn apart by a monster, and I’m so angry and sad that I feel like I’m going crazy. But they say there’s nothing I can do about the monster. It’s just an accident, a disaster… So who am I supposed to blame?”

Evangeline covered her face with both hands.

“I know it’s cowardly. Looking for someone to blame instead of the monster that killed my mom… It’s cowardly.”

“…”

“But if I don’t blame someone… I feel like I’m going to burn up inside…!”

Not a monster that was like a natural disaster, something that couldn’t be helped.

But a living human in front of her who could take responsibility.

Because it’s easier to hate someone than to forget the sadness.

“My dad willingly took the blame. He said it was his fault for not going to save my mom. That it was his responsibility. So I could hate him comfortably.”

“…”

“But now you’re telling me to forgive my dad? Because he actually did his best? Because he was trying to protect me?”

Evangeline’s small fist hit the floor.

“Then if it’s not my dad’s fault, then whose fault is all of this…?!”

“No one is at fault.”

I said calmly.

“We’re all… just trying to live.”

No one has bad intentions.

Everyone is just struggling to live their best.

But the monsters attack, and people die.

Family dies, friends die, colleagues die.

“It can’t be helped. Humans are weak… To live, we need a specific target to blame.”

Not to hate, but to live.

The people here need someone to blame. They need someone to take responsibility for all this hell.

“So, now.”

I knelt down in front of Evangeline and slowly stroked her head.

“Blame me.”

Evangeline’s green eyes, which had been looking at the floor, widened as she looked up at me.

“…What?”

“I’ll take over the blame instead of your father. I’m the lord of Crossroad now.”

I tapped my chest with my right hand.

“I’m the one in charge here.”

“Senior, you don’t have to do that…”

No, I don’t have to.

But if this is also a burden that the Cross family has carried, then I, as the new lord, should inherit it.

“I’ll be the target of your blame. So… please understand your father a little now.”

“…”

“He just wanted your happiness.”

I ruffled Evangeline’s hair. Seeing the bewildered look on the girl’s face, I chuckled.

“That’s why I’m going through all this trouble to save you.”

“…”

Evangeline stared at me with a heavy look for a while, then opened her mouth slightly.

“I…”

That’s when it happened.

Goo-ooo-!

A rumbling sound echoed from afar. Evangeline and I quickly looked in that direction.

We could see the golems moving through the collapsed buildings.

They were surrounding the villa widely. Evangeline quickly got up.

“They’re surrounding us!”

“Tch, just a little more time…”

The automatic defense turret has a limited amount of ammunition. Moreover, the direction it can fire at once is also limited.

If they surround us and attack at once, the automatic defense turret will be neutralized by attacks from blind spots.

Realizing this, the golems had surrounded us.

These guys are really smart?

“If they push in at once, we’re dead.”

“Then what should we do…”

“We have to strike first.”

The remaining number of them is only fourteen. No, one died from the automatic turret earlier, so thirteen.

Even if they surround the villa in a circle, the encirclement will be thin. It’s possible to break through.

I picked up the magic gun, Black Queen.

“We have no choice but to break through the encirclement on one side and then eliminate the remaining ones one by one.”

I glanced to the west. The sun was now setting.

It would soon be night.

The chance I had been waiting for was coming. A chance to use one of the two insurances I had left.

Then Evangeline showed me her empty hands.

“But I… I don’t have any weapons.”

She had just destroyed two SSR-grade [Super Super Rare] set equipment that she had obtained from the dungeon.

It was a shame. I clicked my tongue and gestured towards the outside.

“There is. Spare equipment.”

“What? I don’t carry spare equipment.”

“Not you, it’s here.”

“Ah, really? Did my dad keep weapons in this villa?”

“No. It’s not that.”

I grinned, a smirk on my face, and gestured towards the orchard’s backyard.

“We buried it. A few days ago.”

Evangeline, who had been blank for a moment, finally opened her mouth wide.

“You don’t mean, that…!”

***

Clink. Clang.

The sound of heavy weight stepping on broken glass fragments.

It was the sound of the golems slowly closing in.

The golems carefully navigated through the debris of the destroyed buildings, approaching the villa.

Woo-oong-

The automatic defense turret, set up in the middle of the villa, was rotating its gun with a threatening mechanical sound.

If an enemy entered its range, it would fire without hesitation in 0.1 seconds.

The golems’ encirclement was getting tighter, and at the moment when the automatic defense turret’s range and the golems’ encirclement overlapped.

Thududududung!

The automatic defense turret’s barrel fired first.

The leading golem was torn to shreds by the barrage of magic bullets. But there were still twelve more golems left.

Thud! Thududududung!

The automatic defense turret, which was firing magic bullets non-stop, was rushed by the golems all at once.

The automatic defense turret turned two more golems into honeycombs, but that was it.

When it turned its gun to find the next target, the remaining golems were already clinging to the defense turret.

Crack! Crunch! Grinding!

The armor was torn off in an instant by the golems’ violent punches, and the gun barrel, which was trying to fire magic bullets until the end, was ripped off.

Kugwagwang…!

The magic core was shattered, and the automatic defense turret exploded.

Killing one golem caught in the explosion was the last achievement of the automatic defense turret.

It was enough.

That was enough.

“Run-!”

I watched the golems tear apart the automatic defense turret until the end, then shouted.

Taat!

Evangeline and I exited the villa building at the same time.

Goo-oo?!

The golems, who were dismantling the automatic defense turret, turned towards us at once. They rushed to chase us without delay.

“Keep running, Evangeline! Don’t look back!”

I shouted to Evangeline, who was running ahead, and pointed the muzzle of my magic gun behind me.

The golems had already caught up to right behind me.

Twakwang-!

The Black Queen spat fire.

The golem, whose head and chest were blown away, fell backward. I immediately fired another shot next to it.

Twang-!

My aim was sloppy, so this time it hit the golem’s lower body.

The area below its thighs was completely blown away, and it fell awkwardly to the ground. It wasn’t intentional, but it was successfully neutralized anyway.

“Just a little further! My last insurance is there!”

Twang! Twang! Twakwang-!

I didn’t spare any remaining bullets and fired them all.

I took down two more, but one shot completely missed. It didn’t matter. I just needed to buy time until the end.

We had already arrived at the orchard’s backyard. There, the tombstones of the Count and Countess were erected.

Evangeline, who had run ahead of me, knelt next to her father’s grave.

“…Kuh!”

And she began to dig into the ground with her hands.

Evangeline frantically dug out the space right next to the tomb.

Soon, a wooden box appeared from the pile of dirt. Evangeline opened the box in one go.

Inside the box were an old cavalry spear and a shield.

The weapons that the head of the Cross family had used for generations.

And the weapons that were buried with the Count at Evangeline’s request on her father’s funeral day.

“…”

With her dirt-covered hands, Evangeline tightly gripped the old cavalry spear.