I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 69

The complete item that came from the SSR-grade reward box.

It was… a short staff.

Too short to be a typical magic staff. It was like… a short, small baton that an orchestra conductor would use.

‘Could this be…?’

I carefully held the staff in my hand and checked its stats.

[Maestro (SSR) Lv.35]

– Category: Staff

– Attack Power: 35-50

– Durability: 10/10

– Creates and manipulates magic blades in the air. The blades’ attack power is the same as the staff. The number of blades increases depending on the amount of MP [Magic Points] consumed.

– When directly attacking with this staff, it inflicts 1% fixed damage of the target’s current HP and applies a random buff.

《”Start the performance!” – A certain cruel conductor》

“It’s really ‘Maestro’…!”

I twirled the staff in my hand and whistled.

SSR-grade unique weapons have all sorts of unique stats and performance, and this staff boasts a peculiar performance even among them.

The basic function is to create magic blades. It allows you to create multiple magic blades in the air and throw them at will.

There’s also an unlisted feature: the attribute of the magic blades created varies depending on the character.

If Lily were to use this staff, she would create flame blades, and if Jupiter were to use it, he would create lightning blades.

Since I don’t have any magic attributes, I’ll just get non-attribute blades.

Anyway, as long as my MP allows, it’s a good staff that enables powerful mid-range attacks.

Even I, who am not a mage, can fight like a pseudo-mage.

‘But the most unique thing about this weapon is the buff through attack.’

If you hit directly with the staff, it inflicts fixed damage but applies a pretty high-performance buff.

In the game, the character equipped with this would beat up allies whenever their turn was left.

1% of current HP is definitely a sting, but the buff you get in return is greater.

‘…Wait, does that mean I have to hit my party members with this now?’

For a moment, an image flashed through my mind.

The scene of me hitting my party members one by one with the small staff in my hand….

‘In the game, nothing happened even if I hit allies. But this is reality.’

If I suddenly start hitting the kids with a staff, there will definitely be complaints. The trust I’ve built up could collapse.

‘How can I make them understand and hit them with the staff…?’

I looked down at the short staff in my hand and pondered, “Hmm…”

‘Should I make them roll up their pants for a spanking? Hold out their palms? Do push-ups? …No, would that even work!’

Since I hate any kind of corporal punishment, I can’t hit them as a punishment.

‘What’s a way to hit them with the staff that everyone can accept?’

…The night was deepening with such bizarre worries.

***

The next day. Morning.

[STAGE 4]

– Until Start: 10 days

There were about ten days left until the next stage began.

I went out into the city and first looked for the head of the stonemasons’ guild and the head of the carpenters’ guild.

“Ah, Lord!”

“You’ve arrived, Lord.”

The two men, who were working together in the joint workshop, bowed respectfully to me.

I approached them and got straight to the point.

“I’m going to start restoring the forward base.”

“……!”

“The forward base… you mean?”

Tension flashed across the faces of the two guild leaders. I nodded heavily.

The forward base.

A wooden palisade fortress built right in front of the southern Black Lake. The very place where we fought the black spiders in the tutorial stage.

The damage it sustained during the tutorial stage was so severe that it is currently abandoned.

But it was time to start the restoration work.

“I don’t need to tell you the importance of the forward base.”

The two guild leaders nodded silently.

A defensive line built right in front of the lake where monsters crawl out.

If we can properly operate this forward base, we can greatly reduce the number of monsters that invade Crossroads Fortress.

We can also block monster’s pincer attacks.

However, the problem is the difficulty of maintaining it.

We have to take the first wave of the enemy head-on right in front of their territory. If it were to fall, all the stationed troops would die.

“The monster invasions are getting more and more intense. Operating the forward base is a dangerous task, and even the restoration work itself is quite dangerous.”

I spoke firmly to the two guild leaders with tense faces.

“But it’s something we must do to defend against the monster front in the future.”

“Yes…”

“We understand.”

“The forward base is far away. And since we’ll only be able to work between defenses, it will be a rather long-term project. Let’s start the restoration slowly but surely.”

I pointed to the wood and stone piled up in the warehouse next to the workshop.

“First, we need to gather and move the materials. I will, of course, provide the costs for materials and labor. You need to figure out what’s needed for the restoration work and submit a request to me for approval.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Please trust us with it.”

“It’s for all of humanity. I ask for your best efforts.”

I even paid the contract fee for the restoration work on the spot.

After all, whether it’s a machine or a person, once the lubricant is applied, the stiff body loosens up and moves well.

***

Next, I stopped by the blacksmith.

The blacksmith was bustling and busy from the morning. As I entered, the head of the blacksmith guild rushed out.

“Welcome, Your Highness! Have you come to see the magic rifles being forged?”

“No, that can wait.”

Black Queen was completed a few days ago anyway. I had no intention of receiving the remaining three so soon.

“I’m here today because of equipment disassembly.”

I gestured to Lucas, who was standing behind me. Lucas piled the equipment onto the workbench.

It was a collection of damaged equipment.

Evangeline’s SSR-grade cavalry spear and shield that I broke by mistake…

And Evangeline’s SSR-grade cavalry spear and shield that were also broken in the last battle.

A total of four SSR-grade equipment were broken.

It was fortunate that no one died, but I was seething inside for breaking four high-grade items like this.

Especially since two of them were broken by my mistake, I was even more pissed!

“Can you extract the magic cores from this equipment?”

Equipment disassembly is the process of melting down items to recover material items.

If the equipment is intact, there is about a 50% chance of recovering a magic core of the corresponding grade. The problem is damaged equipment.

The probability of recovering a magic core drops sharply depending on the degree of damage.

If you’re lucky, you can recover the magic core intact, but usually, you get scraps of other materials that went into making the equipment.

‘Give me back the SSR core, SSR core! Please!’

Inside, I was crying and begging, but on the outside, I stood dignified like a lord.

The head of the blacksmith guild bowed his head with a solemn face.

“I will do my best, Your Highness.”

“I’ll be waiting for the results.”

After watching the damaged equipment go into the large furnace, I left the blacksmith.

It would take a day or two to melt down the equipment and recover the materials.

‘I hope I can get at least one magic core….’

I got into the carriage parked at the entrance of the blacksmith while praying.

The last workshop to visit was the alchemist’s workshop.

***

“We were researching the golem armor fragments you entrusted to us last time.”

The alchemist’s workshop.

The guild leader, who guided me inside, pointed to the inner part of the workshop.

The alchemists were analyzing the golem armor fragments that we had recovered a little from the last free exploration and obtained in large quantities again in this stage.

“It contains the magic civilization technology from hundreds of years ago. Once the analysis is complete, it will help increase the durability of armor and walls.”

In this way, in the case of specific monster groups, we can upgrade our side through research.

In the case of golem armor fragments, it raises the tier of overall armor. It will be helpful.

“I also came today because of the anti-air artifacts.”

I looked back and forth between the guild leader and Lily and gave instructions.

“We need to expand the anti-air artifacts. Do you have any in stock?”

“By anti-air, do you mean… to intercept aerial enemies?”

“That’s right.”

There are several rules for the appearance of monster groups.

One of them is that flying monsters appear at least once within every 5 stages.

For example, at least once between stages 1 and 5, and at least once between stages 6 and 10. Like that.

‘We have to face flying monsters at least once in either stage 4 or 5.’

If they appear in stage 4, we can prepare from now.

If they appear in stage 5, things get a little more complicated.

Stages that are multiples of 5 are a kind of boss stage, where the number and quality of monster groups are far superior.

If flying monsters appear at this time, we have to prepare in advance anyway.

So, I’m trying to expand the anti-air artifacts from now on.

“Make a list of all the repairable artifacts that have anti-air capabilities.”

“Understood, Your Highness!”

The guild leader and Lily hurried to the warehouse.

While the two were busy searching the warehouse, I was lost in thought.

‘A defense battle against flying monsters is quite different from the existing defense battles.’

Land obstacles or barricades are completely meaningless, and the height of the walls also loses its power.

Even long-range interception is not smooth.

In this situation, the monsters quickly approach from the air and engage in melee combat.

In other words, melee combat is bound to occur.

‘The existing tactics of reducing the number of enemies mainly through long-range firepower are meaningless. We need to build a strong and stable melee line.’

I rubbed my forehead as I got a headache thinking about the melee line.

As I always say, we don’t have enough people, people!

‘If only we had one more decent sub-party…!’

It’s not like we haven’t recruited additional characters.

But they are all N-grade, have no outstanding traits, and are low level.

If we train them, they can be useful, but they are by no means as weighty as the main party.

‘Why are there so few usable ones!’

The main party is a luxurious composition of two SSR-grade frontliners, an SR-grade wide-area mage, and a cheat sniper.

From the sub-party onwards, the talent pool has dried up. It’s already stage 4, and it’s making me anxious.

‘I need to reel in some good ones quickly….’

At that moment, Lily and the alchemist guild leader returned to me.

“Here is the list of repairable anti-air artifacts!”

“Let’s see.”

I received the list and scanned it.

“Hmm, good. This one, this one, and this last one… three. Repair them with the highest priority and place them on the walls.”

“Understood! Then I’ll go repair them right away!”

As soon as I gave the order, Lily took the list and quickly disappeared into the workshop.

Hey, you don’t have to do that, I won’t take you to dangerous places anymore, so relax….

I left the alchemist’s workshop, receiving a polite greeting from the alchemist guild leader.

“Haa.”

Lucas smiled beside me as I loosened my collar and took a breath.

“You’ve worked hard, my lord.”

“What? I just went around and gave instructions.”

I took the water bottle Lucas handed me and drank it. Lucas reached out towards the carriage.

“Are you done with your business? Let’s go back to the mansion now. You still need to rest more.”

“Anyone would think I have a terminal illness, you know.”

I’m supposed to be the one exaggerating, why are you doing it for me?

I handed the water bottle back to Lucas and gestured towards the city.

“I have one more place to go.”

“What? Haven’t you visited all the workshops?”

“I’ve seen all the workshops. But there’s a place I need to go besides the workshops.”

I grinned.

“I’m going to build a new facility in the city. Today, I’m going to meet the people who will work there and find a suitable location.”

“What kind of facility is it? Is it a new defensive facility? Or perhaps, a knight training center to create your own knight order?”

“No. It’s not a defense-related facility.”

I opened the system window, displayed the entire city map, and said while looking for a suitable location.

“I’m going to build a casino.”

“……Excuse me?”

Lucas replied a beat late, as if he didn’t understand.

I said it one more time.

“I’m going to build a casino, a casino. The place where nobles and the wealthy legally gamble.”

“……”

“To be precise, I’m thinking of building a hotel with a casino. I wonder where would be good….”

Lucas, who was staring at me with a dumbfounded face, eventually smiled warmly. What, why are you doing that so anxiously?

“As expected, you are indeed my lord.”

“Huh? Why?”

“You can’t let go of your prodigal son tendencies that drain the national treasury, and you can’t forget the taste of gambling and games, so you’re thinking of building a casino yourself in this remote backwater… I, Lucas, am just admiring my lord’s consistency.”

“I’m going to hit you, you punk!”

I tried to hit Lucas with the magic staff I had just obtained, but I stopped myself. Should I give you a stinging buff, you rascal!

“That’s not it, Lucas! Listen carefully! I’m not doing it for my own pleasure!”

I raised my index finger and shouted seriously.

“I’m trying to lure other hero characters with it!”