I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 765

The rat legion was annihilated.

The ‘Great Mother Rat’… the boss monster I mainly called the ‘Great Rat Mother,’ was also defeated, and the elite ratmen unit that charged towards the fortress until the very end also failed to breach the walls and died.

Back in Stage 2, the damaged fortress was breached just by them charging at it, and the city was on the verge of collapse.

Much time has passed, and we have grown stronger.

With a more overwhelming fortress, overwhelming forces, and overwhelming experience than before. We were able to crush the monsters that were much stronger than before without any difficulty.

《Kiyaaaaaaa!》

The last ratman finally climbed over the corpses of his comrades and onto the fortress wall, trying to kill a human with his bloodshot eyes.

“Quietly…”

Evangeline, who was waiting at the edge of the fortress, powerfully raised her shield, then,

“Hyaaa!”

Slammed it down with a refreshing strike.

Clang-!

《Thud.》

Evangeline laughed cockily in front of the ratman who fell below the fortress after being hit by the shield bash.

Evangeline is equipped with the repaired [Cross Family Spear] and [Cross Family Shield]. These equipment have been reborn with more formidable specs, becoming larger and more ornate than before, with three spirits attached to each…

They say that only the framework of the equipment was kept, and the rest was completely remade. I can only admire the extreme skill of the Kellybay and Crossroad blacksmiths.

“As long as I’m here, you bastards won’t even get close to this city!”

Evangeline roared, banging her spear against her shield, and the surrounding soldiers cheered in unison.

I smiled quietly.

‘Look, Margrave.’

Seeing the successor of the Cross family, who has grown so much, blocking enemies several times stronger than before…

The face of the old man who died protecting the city back then flashed before my eyes.

‘We’ve come this far.’

While reminiscing about old ties fading away amidst familiar enemies, I looked again at the southern plains over there.

“…”

The clown with the dark gray mask, who had been silently glaring at us, slowly turned around and then disappeared, flickering like a shadow.

‘Come as many times as you want, Crown.’

I clenched my fist tightly.

‘I will block your attacks as many times as it takes.’

And, at the end of it all…

I will definitely get the ending I desire.

I nodded firmly. On the fortress, the cheers of the soldiers celebrating another victory continued.

***

A few days later.

Stage 47.

“No, I did say come as many times as you want, but…”

I broke out in a cold sweat as I observed the enemies advancing north.

“Seriously, isn’t it too much to bring only the strongest guys just because it’s the final stage…”

Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!

Three giant statues wearing Eastern-style armor are advancing at the forefront of the monster army.

The heads of the colossi were all those of animals, each in the shape of a rooster, a snake, and a pig.

Also, the rooster is equipped with a guandao [a type of Chinese pole weapon], the snake with twin halberds, and the pig with a snake spear, using them to touch the ground as they advance.

I clicked my tongue and spat out their names.

“Tan, Jin, Chi…!”

Tan, Jin, Chi (貪嗔癡).

Short for greed (貪欲心, lobha), anger (瞋恚心, dosa), and ignorance (愚癡心, moha).

It is said that if one indulges in the five basic human desires (五慾) beyond measure, it is greed.

To be angry, hate, get mad, be furious, envy, and be jealous is called anger.

And the foolishness of not being able to judge things correctly and not seeing things as they are is called ignorance.

These three minds darken wisdom and become the source of evil, so they are collectively called the three poisons (三毒心)….

‘No, forget about these difficult explanations!’

Anyway, the rooster-headed statue is Tan, the snake-headed statue is Jin, and the pig-headed statue is Chi. Each has these names. They are the incarnations of greed, anger, and ignorance, respectively.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

And behind these three statues, a series of soldier statues are following.

There are a total of 108 soldier-shaped statues that are stomping and following behind them.

These statues also have grotesque appearances and ominous auras.

The heads of these soldiers, dressed in Eastern-style armor, were in the shapes of giant eyes, ears, noses, tongues, and brains, and there were also statues with only muscular bodies without heads.

Humans perceive objects through six senses (六根) – sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought – in six ways (六塵), and from this, thirty-six afflictions arise. And since these afflictions exist in the past, present, and future (三世), they are collectively called the 108 afflictions.

…Well, they are statues that symbolize the 108 afflictions, with roughly this kind of origin.

‘This setting is quite complicated…’

They are not actually manifestations of afflictions or the three poisons.

It is said that the statues, which were displayed in an ancient temple in the Eastern Continent, somehow gained life and roamed the world, killing people. They even crossed the sea to this continent and caused havoc.

Therefore, these three generals and 108 soldiers are collectively called the Three Poisons Affliction Legion.

《To reach Nirvana [a state of perfect peace and enlightenment], you must remove the poison from your mind.》

《Child, we will cut off your afflictions.》

《Abandon your attachment to life, for in that abandonment lies the path to the Pure Land [a celestial realm in Buddhist cosmology].》

The giant Tan, Jin, and Chi are approaching steadily.

And behind them, the 108 Affliction Statues are advancing, chanting scriptures in a metallic, grating voice.

The very fact that profound and pure doctrines are flowing from the mouths of distorted and twisted killing statues, the dissonance itself, gave rise to a strange fear.

“I appreciate your concern for my enlightenment… but why does that method involve ending my life…”

I grumbled.

In past legends, the eminent priests of the temple where these statues were originally located blocked the statue legion with their bodies and engaged in discussions about doctrine with these monsters.

And they finally succeeded in persuading the statue legion that their actions were wrong by reciting scriptures and doctrines.

The statues stopped moving on their own, and the priests, exhausted from the debate that lasted for seven days and nights, collapsed and died on the spot.

‘I obviously can’t use that method… right?’

Still, just in case, I tried talking to them.

“Hey guys! Why don’t we solve this with words? We’re willing to talk!”

《Abandon language. The mouth is the source of affliction. All living beings’ mouths must be torn with saws and their tongues pulled out. This is the first step to the Pure Land.》

“What the hell are you crazy bastards saying!”

I was horrified when they all chanted in unison.

《Pluck out the eyes!》

《Tear the ears!》

《Rip off the nose!》

《Cut the tongue!》

《Burn the body!》

《Eliminate the brain!》

《Eliminate, it must be eliminated! All of the three realms are suffering! Everything in this world is suffering! Life is suffering! To cut off suffering, the only way is to kill and eliminate life!》

Next to me, Lucas, who was also stunned, broke out in a cold sweat.

“They seem… thoroughly corrupted. It doesn’t seem like they are opponents that can be persuaded.”

“Just how amazing were the priests who stopped these guys by persuading them…”

Well, whatever.

The best course of action would be to end the conflict through dialogue without fighting, but if the other side won’t listen, we’ll have to use force.

“Night Bringer!”

I shouted and kicked the train below me with my toes.

“It’s time to work! Let’s go!”

Woo-oong!

Immediately, the train reacted and began to move violently.

The mobile fortress made of black dragon – [Night Bringer].

It is an artifact that can lay tracks on bare ground and move, taking the operating principle of the Iron Demon King that we defeated before.

This fortress, consisting of a total of nine train cars, pulled three cars and came in front of the black lake. With just three cars, a small forward base can be set up on the spot.

But what I was trying to set up this time was not a forward base.

Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!

[Night Bringer], having reached the point I had designated in advance, immediately began to transform.

Two train cars formed a fortress wall and barricade, and one train car transformed into a high gun emplacement.

A special cannon that had been installed in advance was attached to this gun emplacement, and Damian, who was already sitting in the gunner’s seat, let out a ‘Hiiiik-‘ sound as the gun emplacement transformed and the gunner’s seat shot upwards in real time.

“Is this safe, Your Highness…?!”

“Of course. Trust me!”

I shouted confidently, but in fact, I don’t really know the personality of this fortress… I think it might cause an accident at some point… but it also seems like the kind of guy who would betray the expectation of causing such an accident…

Anyway, [Night Bringer] transformed into a total of two layers of fortress walls and one gun emplacement, and the tracks that were being laid in real time were still being maintained below. In other words, it can move even in the state of a fortress wall and gun emplacement.

And even in the midst of this, the Three Poisons Affliction Legion is steadily approaching us.

「Your Highness, we will commence suppressive fire.」

「Yahoo! Let’s fire-!」

Voices flowed from the two airships that were hovering in the sky, protecting us. One was ‘La Mancha,’ and the other was the newly joined Rompeller pirate ship ‘Blue Pearl.’

Dududududu!

Thwack! Thwack!

La Mancha fired dozens of machine guns, followed by Blue Pearl firing huge mana cannons attached to the center and sides of the ship.

Bang! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang-!

Thousands of rounds of barrage and three blue mana bullets that were poured out in an instant directly hit the monster army.

A huge explosion erupted.

The excited voices of the pirates echoed from Blue Pearl.

「It’s nothing! We can go home like this… huh?」

The voices of the two Rompellers, who were excitedly talking at the same time, stopped simultaneously.

This was because a golden aura of unknown origin surged from the monster army, forming a dome-shaped barrier, and completely absorbed our ranged attacks.

Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!

Even in the face of the terrifying bombardment, the monster army was advancing without any injuries.

「W-what is that?!」

「What the heck is this…?」

I ignored the bewildered groans of the two pirate kings, who were still practically rookies, and observed the enemy.

By now, they had formed a formation.

The Three Poisons Statues stood in a triangle in the center, and the 108 Affliction Statues stood around them in a battle formation.

《Om(ॐ)-》

When Tan, Jin, and Chi, with their hands clasped together, chanted a mantra (眞言) [a sacred utterance, often used in meditation], the 108 Afflictions followed suit.

《Om(ॐ)…!》

Then, the golden barrier surrounding them shone even more brightly and expanded its area.

Crack! Crrrack!

Shatter…!

The surrounding mountains, rivers, trees, and plants that were caught in this golden area disappeared as if they had evaporated, and the stones turned to dust.

“I don’t understand the principle, but anyway, these guys have… a very solid defensive formation like this.”

I clicked my tongue as I looked at the approaching golden idol group.

“But they’re not invincible. Damage above a certain level will go through. The problem is that they nullify all attacks below that level.”

There’s no need to think too hard.

In the game, they were a legion with a special barrier that had a gimmick of ‘nullifying damage below a certain level.’ The problem was, as mentioned earlier, that the damage cut was quite high.

“But there is a way~.”

In the game, I kept pushing in damage that could penetrate the barrier even a little bit, gradually accumulating damage and taking down the 108 Affliction Statues one by one.

Every time an Affliction Statue fell, the damage cut would decrease slightly.

For example, if it was nullifying damage below 1000 now, it would change to nullifying damage below 500 if half of the 108 Affliction Statues were taken down.

Originally, they were guys that you had to fight a super long battle with, whether you liked it or not…

“But we have a new weapon too.”

I kicked the train below me with my toes again.

Then, [Night Bringer] slowly began to reverse. The two fortress walls and one gun emplacement created their own tracks, putting distance between them and the enemies.

The speed of the approaching monster army was faster, so they were gradually catching up, but this distance was enough.

“Damian, are you ready?”

“Anytime, Your Highness!”

“Good. I’ll leave the timing to you. Fire comfortably… Ah, wait!”

I smiled and put on something I had brought in my pocket.

“Everyone, put on your sunglasses!”

I was wearing sunglasses that are commonly called the MacArthur style, and Lucas, who was quickly taking out his own next to me, was wearing ordinary round-style sunglasses.

“But, why are you telling us to wear these sunglasses, my lord?”

“Well…”

I turned to look at the gun emplacement that Damian was preparing to fire and grinned.

“Because when the new weapon explodes, it might be too dazzling and damage your eyesight!”

What was loaded into the gun emplacement that Damian was preparing was…

A missile that was larger than ever before.