I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 771

Unstoppable Momentum (8)

The temporary mana fortress forward base.

《Kueeeh…!》

The black knight commander, spewing venom from his entire body, continuously retreated.

His face had no eyes, nose, or mouth, only a writhing mass of black, rotten malice.

I could read the emotions they were emitting as they looked at me.

Bewilderment.

And fear.

“What’s wrong?”

I was equipped with the Lord of the High Tower armor and was relentlessly approaching them.

“Is this the first time you’ve encountered an opponent whose attacks are completely ineffective?”

While my auto-turrets were pouring long-range fire from the mana fortress,

I personally went out to block the black knights, preventing them from getting any closer.

They poured all their filth on me as I approached, but…

I am immune to all poisons. Even the plague lord, Raven, couldn’t corrupt me with direct attacks.

‘Do you think that’ll work? Your poison?’

Boom! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

Another barrage from my auto-turrets swept through the area from the fortress.

Of course, I was caught in the blast, but I easily withstood it with the overwhelming defense of the Lord of the High Tower.

On the other hand, the black knights caught in the blast couldn’t withstand it and collapsed, spewing venom.

《Kueeeh…!》

The black knight commander trembled with his remaining few subordinates.

The plague was nullified by me, and they had no other means to defeat me.

Trying to go around was impossible, as Kellybay was pouring down [Foot Crusher] again on the already devastated terrain.

And the auto-turrets were firing a precise barrage.

The black knight commander belatedly realized that this mana fortress forward base was practically impregnable…

Taat-!

He kicked off the ground and quickly retreated.

Then, leading his surviving subordinates, he began to flee in an instant.

“Whoa, what! They’re running away, Ash!”

Kellybay, shocked, fired [Foot Crusher] from the top of the wall.

Several more black knights fell with the collapsing ground and the barrage, but the black knight commander and about a dozen of his subordinates managed to escape.

“It’s okay, Kellybay. There’s no need to chase them recklessly.”

I nodded, watching the enemies quickly disappear into the distance.

The reason for deploying the forward base in the first place was to break their momentum, not to annihilate them.

Chasing and completely annihilating them is the job of another unit.

“For now, we’ve reduced the number of black knights enough…”

I jumped onto the mana fortress and nodded.

“Let’s go support the other forward bases. Everyone must be having a hard time.”

“Alright! But, are we going to dismantle this mana fortress before we go?”

Kellybay smacked his lips, looking at the hundred auto-defense turrets.

“It’s a bit of a waste. These turret friends are going to disappear too…”

I grinned at Kellybay’s words.

“Who said we’re going to let them disappear?”

“Huh?”

“Even so, we poured 100 mana cores to make this. It’s too wasteful to just use it once and throw it away.”

I planted a flag on the mana wall.

Then, the mana walls that had been assembled into a fortress began to disassemble one by one, then reassembled, sticking together again…

And soon, it transformed into a huge train-like shape, with auto-defense turrets attached all over it.

“Oh, my goodness, golden heavens…”

Kellybay’s eyes sparkled like a child in front of a large toy, and he clung to the train. The other dwarves also drooled and quickly boarded the train’s empty seats.

“Night Bringer also transforms from a train to a fortress, I can’t lose to that.”

If you think outside the box, there are endless ways to apply my abilities.

After understanding the principles and methods of how the mobile wall [Night Bringer] moves, I applied it to my mana fortress, and I was able to succeed in a plausible way.

I sat on the roof of the train’s head car and grinned.

“Alright, let’s go quickly! Everyone, board! We’re going to rescue the other forward bases!”

Kuurururung!

We started running towards the first forward base on the turret train.

***

The battle at the first forward base was almost over.

The enemy knights were mostly incapacitated after being battered by Junior and the mages’ combined magic bombardment, and the enemy knight commander was resisting with his few remaining subordinates, but…

“Bang bang! You damn bastard!”

Thwack-!

Du-du-du-du!

Suddenly, my mana train popped out from behind and rammed into them, and the auto-defense turrets attached to the train poured fire at point-blank range, making it impossible for them to withstand.

《Kuaaa-!》

The enemy knight commander gave a short command, and the surviving enemy knights quickly began to flee, just like the black knights before them.

“That’s enough, let them go! Now is not the time to chase them!”

After urgently stopping Torkel, Kuilan, and Junior, who were trying to chase them,

I pointed towards the second forward base.

“Those who can immediately participate in the battle, board this! We’re going to rescue the second forward base! The rest of the personnel will clean up the forward base and transform the walls into a train shape to return to Crossroad! Go!”

“Yes!”

The subordinates immediately followed my orders without a word.

Torkel, Kuilan, Junior, and other heroes, soldiers, and mages joined us, and we began to move towards the second forward base.

“Everyone did well. Let’s try a little harder.”

I patted my subordinates on the train and winked at Torkel.

“And, Torkel. How is it? Is the commander role manageable?”

Then Torkel smiled wryly.

“…I’ve only ever handled about five or ten subordinates at most, but this scale is definitely difficult. I’m very lacking.”

Then Kuilan chuckled and patted Torkel’s shoulder.

“You’re being modest, you were doing great!”

Junior added.

“You weren’t bad? But…”

“But?”

I asked, curious, and Junior shrugged.

“I thought it was a bit dangerous to go into the enemy lines alone or have a one-on-one duel with the enemy commander. I wonder who you learned that from…”

Ouch.

Everyone looked at me with a silent, meaningful gaze, so I coughed and turned my eyes towards the train’s path.

“Alright, alright, let’s finish the battle evaluation later! Let’s finish this first!”

The second forward base was right in front of us.

A fierce battle was taking place with the black knights clinging to the walls, but the reinforcements that had been deployed before us were crushing the black knights’ heads.

Flap! Flap!

A beast with a lion’s body flapping huge eagle wings – a griffin.

And the Sky Knights riding those griffins.

Mikhail’s Crossroad aerial cavalry had launched from La Mancha, making a surprise attack on the black knights.

《Kiiik…!》

The black knights kept raising their scales and trying to curse the Sky Knights, but

“Evade-!”

Mikhail gave instructions at the perfect timing each time, and the Sky Knights moved as if they were one body, evading the curses.

“Reorganize formation-!”

On Mikhail’s head, who was leading the Sky Knights, was a crown-shaped helmet that he was wearing for the first time in this battle.

This helmet, with its antlers rising elegantly, was the new Nightmare Slayer – [The buck stops here].

It was an equipment manufactured by defeating Cromwell and using his mana core.

Its effect was ‘Conscious Resonance with Blood-Related Kin’.

Through this ability, Mikhail was able to share his will not only with the Sky Knights but also with the griffins that shared the same blood in his heart.

All the griffins and riders were now moving literally as one.

Swee-ee-ee-eek-!

The scene of the griffin riders in the air performing acrobatic flights and ravaging the enemies without a single gap was beautiful.

My mana turret train then intruded into this place where the tide had already turned.

“Wipe them all out-!”

At my command, the auto-turrets fired, and the heroes who jumped off the train all at once swung their weapons.

The black knight unit could no longer withstand the strong defense of the second forward base, the aerial assault of the Sky Knights, and our rear surprise attack.

They quickly began to flee through the open defenses.

“Senior! And everyone!”

I waved back at Evangeline, who was jumping up and down on the wall of the third forward base, and Mikhail and the Sky Knights landed next to me one after another.

“Ash. You came at the right time.”

“Mikhail!”

“This second forward base was the first to fall into a dangerous situation, so I came to rescue it first.”

I nodded towards the young king’s new equipment as he spoke reliably.

“How’s the new helmet?”

At my question, Mikhail smiled contentedly and tapped his helmet, [The buck stops here].

“It’s great. I can fight as if I’m one with everyone. It’s amazing and efficient.”

For reference, Mikhail had received this Nightmare Slayer and purified the darkness within the equipment in less than a day.

It wasn’t an equipment with a kill count option… but still, is that even possible?

How strong has his mentality become? He used to be the epitome of a glass cannon.

When I subtly asked for his secret, Mikhail looked away with a slightly sad face and muttered.

“Hehe, I guess your mentality can’t help but get stronger when you marry five people…”

“Ah.”

Then I saw the five queens approaching Mikhail with fierce eyes.

“Mikhail?”

“With the magic of that helmet, our consciousness is resonating right now…”

“To think such thoughts so openly!”

“You’re going to get punished!”

“Uwaaa! I’m sorry! It was my fault! Aaaah!”

I quickly turned away, leaving behind Mikhail’s screams as he was being torn apart. Anyway, he seems happy, so it’s okay….

I gathered the personnel who could leave for the next battlefield immediately from the second forward base.

“We must go to rescue the third forward base! It’s where the strongest enemy in this battle is lurking, so only those who have enough strength left should follow!”

The commander of the third forward base was my right-hand man, Lucas.

I thought he would be holding out well, but we still needed to go rescue him as soon as possible.

As I was thinking that and encouraging my tired subordinates from the previous battle…

Boom! Thud…!

A loud explosion echoed in the distance.

Everyone was startled and looked in that direction. I also turned my head urgently.

And, in the nearby sky, I could see a pirate ship-shaped airship falling with an explosion.

Our Crossroad’s new airship that had been deployed for retreat at the third forward base.

“Blue Pearl…?!”

The flagship of the Rompeller Pirates was falling helplessly to the ground.

“Urgent report-!”

Following that, a cavalryman came running from the direction of the third forward base.

Even though his whole body was frozen, he desperately ran to us, then almost fell off his horse and knelt before me.

He opened his frozen, trembling mouth and reported.

“R-reporting, Your Highness!”

“What happened!”

“The third forward base has been captured!”

The blood drained from everyone’s faces.

“We were holding out well, but the enemy commander suddenly unleashed an unknown, enormous power… and when casualties occurred, they suddenly became stronger. Then the tide turned rapidly…”

“Oh no…!”

“Commander Lucas urgently retreated with the remaining survivors…”

The soldier stopped his report, taking a breath. I couldn’t wait and urged him.

“After retreating, what about Lucas?!”

Then the soldier answered with a distorted face.

“He stayed behind at the forward base to buy time…!”