Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 174

174. Player as a Constellation

Whoooo-!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Loud horn blasts and drumbeats echoed relentlessly, day and night.

The soldiers, who had been up all night, could barely stand.

“They’re, they’re attacking!”

Bellete soldiers were attacking.

But only for a moment, then they retreated.

“…T-the enemies have retreated!!”

Before long, Kartal’s knights were reporting to Loki.

They belonged to noble families, but with the country already destroyed, the nobles had become nominal [existing in name only].

Rather than taking orders from nobles who didn’t fight to save their lives and only hid in their rooms, they judged that moving under Loki’s command would increase their chances of survival.

“They’re not going to let us rest, it seems.”

Their intention must be to accumulate fatigue by not letting the soldiers rest.

“They’re skilled in siege warfare.”

For a week, the Bellete Kingdom army repeated continuous attacks and retreats, day and night.

In response, the Kartal Kingdom army blinked with fatigue even during the day, and even when the Bellete Kingdom army attacked, they didn’t respond fiercely, thinking, ‘They’ll just do that and retreat again.’

They were aiming for that carelessness.

Whooooooooo-!

The horn sounded.

The Bellete Kingdom army moved.

As they approached, the Kartal soldiers drew their bows.

“Should we shoot?”

“What?”

“Anyway, those guys are going to retreat again. It’s just a waste of arrows….”

A bolt pierced the neck of the soldier who said that.

“Cough-!”

The soldier staggered, clutching his neck, and fell off the wall.

The Kartal soldiers aiming their bows saw it.

The 80,000 troops in the encampment across from Kanta Fortress became busy and began to move.

The atmosphere was quite different from before.

They were really-.

“T-they’re coming!”

“Duck!”

They were about to launch a full-scale attack.

Catapults continuously hurled stones at the fortress.

Thump-!

Thump-!

Fortunately, the walls were sturdy enough to withstand those rocks.

However, they could see that it was cracking and wouldn’t last long.

“Uwaaaagh!”

Crackle-!

One side of the Kanta Fortress, pushed to its limit, collapsed.

Accordingly, refugees who had taken shelter inside the castle were buried under the rubble.

The refugees screamed.

“T-they, they started attacking!”

“T-this is the end!”

Bellete soldiers brought battering rams.

Dozens of soldiers pushed the battering ram, which had eight large wheels and was covered with armor on the roof.

“Heave! Ho!”

“It’s a battering ram! Focus on those guys!”

When the Kartal soldiers, who had been ducking behind the wall’s railing, raised their heads, the Bellete soldiers aimed their crossbows and fired as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Thwack-!

“Uwaaaagh!”

It seemed they were skilled crossbowmen, as screams were heard every time they shot.

The Kartal archers lowered their heads, and the Bellete crossbowmen did not give them a chance to counterattack with constant fire.

The battering ram’s moving speed increased even more.

“Let’s go! Not much left!”

Black, sticky oil poured down from above the gate.

A torch was thrown onto it, and the roof of the battering ram burst into flames.

“T-the roof is on fire!”

“It’s a steel plate, so it’ll hold for a while! So, break the gate!”

The soldiers deployed on the battering ram wound the pulley.

Accordingly, the battering ram moved backward.

When they released their hands, the pulley quickly unwound, and the battering ram slammed into the gate.

Bang-!

“T-they, they’re breaking the gate!”

“Bring the planks!”

The Kartal soldiers added planks to the gate and leaned against it to block it.

Thump-!

The soldiers leaning against the gate groaned, readjusting their helmets from the impact coming from beyond the gate.

Thwack-!

Loki swung his greatsword, slaughtering the Bellete soldiers who had climbed over the wall using ladders.

He aimed the ballista [a giant crossbow-like siege engine] at the battering ram below the gate and fired.

Bang-!

The burning steel plate was immediately pierced, penetrating the screaming knight inside.

“……!”

The soldiers operating the battering ram screamed.

Oil was poured again through the pierced ceiling, and everyone in the battering ram cart burst into flames.

“Hoo, Lord! Bellete soldiers are also at the east gate-!”

Loki said, looking at the Kartal knight who was reporting while reloading the ballista.

“Take care of it over there.”

“Yes? B-but if you shoot that siege weapon just once, you can stop them. So…!”

The Kartal knight pointed to the ballista Loki was holding.

“I’d like to, but… then this place will be breached.”

Loki turned his head and looked up at the sky.

There, Mercury, the constellation of light, spread its splendid wings, looking down at Loki.

At those words, the Kartal knight sweated coldly.

Loki was right.

The constellation of light had been staring at Loki all along.

If he left his position, it was as if it would pierce through that spot, obsessively staring only at him.

“Do something.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The Kartal knight hurried to the east gate.

Thump-!

Thump-!

The walls cracked as they were hit by the stones fired by the catapults.

Thwack-!

“……!”

The Kartal soldiers defending the walls widened their eyes.

“Crazy bastards-!”

Even though Bellete soldiers were raising ladders against the walls and siege towers were coming, they didn’t stop shooting catapults at the walls.

Thanks to that, Bellete soldiers on the ladders were also seen being hit by friendly catapults and falling off.

However, the fallen Bellete soldiers got up.

“Lord Mercury will protect us!”

Light emanated from his body.

The soldier shouted in that light and headed for another ladder.

“N-they’re crazy.”

Kartal soldiers learned one thing while experiencing the battlefield.

The Bellete soldiers were crazy.

Light emanated from their bodies, but it was clear that it had no effect, as attacks were working.

It was just that light was coming from their bodies.

Nevertheless, the fanatical belief that it would protect them made them continue their mindless battles.

The Kartal soldiers were appalled by that obsession.

Under the deep night, the battle continued.

Thump-!

Crackle-!

The boulder fired by the catapult penetrated one side of the wall.

A crack formed, and the wall collapsed like a landslide.

“Uwaaaagh!”

The Kartal soldiers who were there were buried in the collapsed wall.

“…N-no way!”

Johan was watching that scene from the fortress’s balcony.

The collapsed wall was piled up like a hill.

At that sight, the Bellete soldiers shouted.

“The wall has collapsed!”

“Climb over the collapsed debris and massacre the Kartal people!”

“For the great Constellation Mercury-!”

The Bellete soldiers climbed over the collapsed debris.

“Block them!”

The Kartal soldiers with shields formed a line.

They climbed over the collapsed wall, raised long spears, aimed them over the shields, and struck down.

The spears of the Bellete soldiers and the spears of the Kartal soldiers crossed each other.

At that, Loki jumped down below the collapsed wall.

Thump-!

Dusty smoke scattered.

The Bellete soldiers hesitated.

He stood up between the Kartal and Bellete soldiers.

At that, the Bellete soldiers shouted and rushed at him, and Loki swung his greatsword, slaughtering them.

Thump!

“The east gate has been breached!”

Loki turned his head and looked back.

Bellete soldiers began to enter through the east gate, which had been destroyed by the battering ram.

“Shoot!”

They tried to stop the Bellete soldiers by pouring arrows, but the heavy armor they wore and their fanaticism were not enough to tie their ankles.

“Waaaaaaa-!”

The Bellete soldiers mixed with the Kartal soldiers.

The Bellete soldier’s sword pierced the Kartal soldier’s thin armor.

The ax fell, crushing the head.

“…….”

Thump-!

“The west gate has also been breached!”

The west side, which Loki had been guarding, was also breached.

The Bellete soldiers surged in like a wave, pushing back the Kartal soldiers.

“It’s over.”

Loki muttered.

From the beginning, it was not a fight.

1,000 against 80,000.

Bellete was far superior in terms of equipment and soldiers.

At this point, the Kartal soldiers had lasted quite a long time.

“Don’t leave a single one alive!”

The Bellete king raised his warhammer.

And struck down.

As if the earth was splitting, the ground seemed to collapse, and stone pillars soared from within, piercing the Kartal soldiers.

The Kartal soldiers rose into the sky, dangling like skewers, and the faces of the other Kartal soldiers turned pale as they stepped back.

“May there be light on the path that the great Mercury takes!”

When the Bellete king raised his warhammer, light emanated.

Blinded by the bright light, the Kartal soldiers covered their faces with both hands, and the Bellete cavalry took advantage of the gap to slaughter the Kartal soldiers.

“Seize the castle!”

The Bellete soldiers headed towards the fortress entrance.

At that sight, Johan turned around and shouted to the Kartal soldiers.

“P-protect the refugees….”

But… there was no one behind him.

The Kartal soldiers had abandoned the young king and fled.

Johan wore a hollow expression.

Thump-! Thump-! Thump-!

Thwack-!

The wooden door was destroyed by the Bellete king’s warhammer.

When the Bellete king entered the fortress, he saw Kartal soldiers who had laid down their weapons and raised both hands, and refugees kneeling and bowing to the Bellete king.

“W-we surrender! We will serve the great Constellation Mercury-.”

The corners of the Bellete king’s mouth curled up.

“I know your intentions well.”

At that sight, the refugees and surrendered soldiers had hope.

They might become slaves, but they might still be able to live!

But that hope disappeared.

“You will die and become Mercury’s nourishment. Consider it an honor.”

The Bellete knights moved and swung their swords at the refugees.

There are no slaves.

There is only massacre.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Only the Bellete king’s mad laughter echoed inside the fortress.

***

「Disappointing.」

Loki raised his head.

The constellation of light, Mercury, frowned. Even so, he looked at Loki with a meaningful gaze.

When Mercury stepped forward, the Bellete soldiers stepped back.

「You, are you really a constellation?」

“…….”

「You’re too weak to be a constellation. Too weak! At best, you’re just a heroic human.」

Mercury narrowed his brow.

「Did I see wrong?」

Mercury thought that Loki had only exerted power at the level of a human.

If he were a constellation, especially one who had killed the constellation of the sea, he would have easily stopped this army.

No, he would have been able to use his authority to devastate this area.

He would have been able to inflict a great disaster on the humans who looked down on him and dared to oppose him.

But the person in front of him did not.

「You, could it be that you wanted to protect the humans in that fortress?」

Constellations have powerful strength.

If they use their authority, it is meaningless even if there are tens of thousands of humans.

However, the fact that he was being pushed back by human soldiers like this clearly meant that he was reluctant to use that authority because his ‘allies’ would be hurt.

Mercury burst out laughing.

「Haha! You have the same disposition as the constellation of sin! But that guy was strong, but you’re not strong.」

He killed the constellation of the sea, so he wanted to gauge his strength just in case.

But now, seeing him, he knew.

This guy was purely a fool who couldn’t use his strength for the sake of the safety of humans.

His original strength may be strong, but there must be restrictions on exerting that strength.

He killed the constellation of the sea in the middle of the sea.

There was no hesitation because he could handle it without causing harm to his allies.

That’s what he thought.

Loki blinked. Then he turned his gaze and looked inside Kanta Fortress.

Teeming Bellete soldiers.

Like a swarm of cockroaches gathered to devour delicious prey.

They began to gather together, and Kanta Fortress became their fish farm.

The corners of Loki’s mouth curled up.

“Everyone’s gathered.”

「What?」

“Why do you think I was standing still?”

Loki looked up at Mercury and smiled.

At that smile, Mercury felt a chill down his spine.

“You don’t catch bugs when they’re scattered.”

Black flames swirled in Loki’s grasp.

It was 뭉쳐지고 [Korean word meaning to lump together] compressed.

“You have to gather them all and exterminate them.”

Mercury’s gaze turned to Kanta Fortress, and he confirmed that crazy Bellete soldiers were gathered in Kanta Fortress.

Tens of thousands of soldiers were entering the castle to prove the greatness of the constellation they served.

「Ah….」

Now he could understand.

Loki snapped his fingers.

The breached gates and collapsed walls.

Pillars of fire soared from there, and everything burst into flames.

A whirlwind of fire blocked all sides of Kanta Fortress.

Loki shot the flame in his grasp high into the sky.

Instantly, the flame exploded and disappeared.

Dark clouds covered the sky.

The Bellete soldiers looked up at the sky.

And fireballs and fire rain poured down from the sky.

A simple and crude way to exterminate the bugs that crawled into the house.

Confine them in a closed space-

“Farewell.”

Just burn them to death.

The disaster of flames covered Kanta Fortress.