chapter 134
Episode 134-EJ(4)
“There’s more work to do…”
I muttered absentmindedly and grabbed the mouse.
If you look at it, it’s the same as a freelancer. There is no specific set time for rest or work. Working hours change depending on how I feel.
When the peaceful atmosphere continues, I can enjoy leisure time and find stability, just like the residents, but when things like war become busy, I become busier as well.
No matter how well they do things on their own, there are now many important things in their lives that I must do.
“—.”
Right now, a large-scale battle for supremacy over the grassland has ended. Although it ended a little precariously due to the intrusion of bugs, the friendly forces won anyway.
When a war ends like this, the first thing we always do is collect and check the loot.
Of course, the loot I was checking was different from what the residents were taking. First of all, a number of achievement points earned during the battle.
There were quite a few diverse and minor achievements that came to mind once a war took place, such as defeating a number of enemy soldiers, winning against enemies that were several times more numerous, capturing more than a few enemy warriors, etc.
[7550P]
After collecting them sweetly, I left them unused for now.
There are many things I want to try or activate, but based on what I have experienced so far, I am confident that there will come a time when I will have to use up my points.
‘There are surprisingly few prisoners. There’s nothing we can do about it right now.’
The soldiers mobilized by Luke were gathered from the tribes under his command. Although prisoners were taken, they were soldiers, so the population did not increase as rapidly as before.
Perhaps the population will increase significantly when Varun mobilizes his troops and conquers the tribes of the captured soldiers one by one.
“What? Is this the end?”
Embarrassed, I scratched my head at the unexpectedly quick completion of the task. The most complicated and nerve-wracking task is classifying new residents and assigning them according to their talents.
Thanks to the small number of prisoners, we haven’t had to do that yet.
‘I can’t touch the diplomatic part that goes on internally.’
While others were clearing up the battlefield, I watched Varun talking to the rescued envoy and decided to turn my attention elsewhere.
Even though I’m less busy, that doesn’t mean I have less work to do.
I had to take time to look at things I had put off because I was busy and other things were more important, such as consistently playing Dark Blood with Riena.
‘We can’t keep leaving it that way.’
The first place I looked at was the new game that was most recently activated.
The ability to forcibly manipulate the residents on the screen that I couldn’t touch in case of emergency was useful in this war, including saving the lives of envoys, but I haven’t played this game even once since I acquired that ability.
[Number of people available for deployment: 0/8]
The game required 8 players. This game is quite grand in scale both in terms of game and setting, but what does it ask of the residents assigned to it?
Moreover, it was not even expected that someone with such talent should be included.
[Warrior Shun, Dwarf Warrior Marson, Warrior Tiri…]
First of all, 8 people were filled with former warriors. Riena and others who already had a lot of work to do were not included.
Riena, who was next to Varun, looked calm and uninjured on the outside, but her fatigue level was over 70%.
Even with the power of a paladin, mental fatigue seems inevitable.
“Just in case, let’s just give it a try.”
I couldn’t keep putting it off, so I tried playing the game with the intention of giving it a try the moment I had the chance.
I didn’t know that Glory Tower’s defense turrets and various buildings could be of new help now that I’m putting them to good use.
“—? —-!”
“—!”
At the sudden call, I picked up the eight screaming warriors with the mouse and inserted them all into the game, and the game activated by the master program started.
‘Wait a minute, is this really possible?’
And when I started playing a game that I had only played a little bit as a child, I started to cringe. Originally, this real-time strategy simulation game was mainly about competition with other users.
However, there was also content that could be enjoyed alone, such as a campaign where you performed missions following the game’s story.
“Well, what is it?”
A few small-sized people on the screen approached us, or more accurately, the warriors I had included.
Wearing suits and holding guns, they were soldiers desperately trying to escape their positions after falling behind with the main unit.
The sci-fi full-body suits they were wearing showed a clear contrast with the armor worn by the warriors.
‘same.’
I flinched when I saw this scene unfolding on the monitor. This is because the scenery that was stuck in my memory suddenly came to life.
I quickly watched the campaign walkthrough video and returned to the game. The game ran, but there were no playable characters for me to play as.
Just like in the game, the 8 warriors I added and the 4 soldiers who joined were all people I had to command and manipulate.
“Where the f*ck do we have time for this now!? We need to evacuate quickly!”
“They are chasing you. Run now!”
When the warriors with spears and swords and those with guns were shocked to see each other and reflexively aimed their weapons. With horrified faces, they shouted that something was chasing them and insisted that they run away.
‘I was beaten by those guys in the frontier.’
After recalling the original story, I moved the mouse. Because the words spoken by the panicked federal soldiers were the same as those spoken to me.
I dragged them all at once and moved them to the other side by repeatedly right-clicking.
“Hurry up! You too!”
“—-?!”
The warriors all looked surprised, as if it was still awkward for their bodies to move on their own according to my commands.
However, it is not that difficult to induce movement by right-clicking the mouse, so the campaign cannot end with just running away.
“f*ck! It’s the enemy!”
“I can’t help it. Fight!”
A large monster hiding in the ground ahead broke through the barren ground and revealed itself. Monsters with black shells that resemble scorpions.
Looking at it now, it has some similarities to bugs.
‘We have to kill that guy too.’
Once you’ve learned how to control your units, it’s time to learn how to attack enemies.
I don’t know what will happen next, but I pressed the attack key and ordered those in control to attack.
“W-what are you doing!”
The space soldiers in the game, who were firing bullets from the rifles they were holding, were frightened when they saw the warriors.
Those armed with spears and swords ran forward to faithfully carry out attack orders, while those who had become wizards or druids performed magic and incantations, respectively.
‘Is it worth it?’
Actually, my control is not good to say the least, but thanks to the villagers, who can be seen as ultra-high-performance AI that moves each and every thing on its own, I was able to catch the enemies without any difficulty.
***
“Warchief. First, we will send those who are ready back to the first village.”
“That’s right. It’s probably impossible to finish it all today.”
Unaware of the fact that some of their colleagues were now flying to an unexplored area somewhere in space and fighting huge space monsters there, they were engrossed in post-war processing and recovery.
However, Varun was rapidly growing tired from leading all the work.
“I think it would be best for you all to just rest today. I would like to lead you to the safe first village, but there is a road that leads there, so it would be better for you to just rest here.”
Varun advised the kingdom’s envoys to rest here today. The second village was less safe because the walls had not yet been completed, but the main force was still planning to remain there.
“Okay. Oh, no, it’s okay. I’ll follow you.”
The Vice Minister, the representative of the delegation, nodded with a slightly nervous expression. What I saw today was very shocking, but the delegation, which only had a few people left alive, was unable to survive without the protection of the Arin tribe.
Even if I didn’t like it, I had no choice but to obediently follow Varun’s suggestion.
‘It’s unfortunate that there were victims, but this makes the cause even stronger.’
Of course, not all of those who survived felt shaken. In Lihar’s case, I felt sad but relieved at the same time.
This is because it proved the danger of bugs and the power of the Arin race, clearly engraved in those eyes.
The alliance between Lihar’s homeland, the kingdom, and the Arin people has become one step closer.
“…”
And besides Lihar, there was one more person who followed the words of the Arryn people without any doubt.
Guard leader Leo is a member of the Royal Guard, which recruits only the most outstanding knights in the kingdom, and is himself an aristocrat from a promising family.
His eyes were fixed on one spot even when the Deputy Minister was talking with Varun and when Rihar and the Deputy Minister were discussing measures.
“excuse me.”
Finally, a gap appeared. When I was assigned a place to rest and moved to rest. Leo gathered his courage and approached her first.
The woman was still wearing her armor and was talking to a girl with short black hair wearing similar armor.
“What are you doing?”
Riena responded with somewhat cold eyes. I didn’t feel anything, but it was because I was a little tired right now.
“I am Leo Dyke of the Dyke family.”
When he started introducing himself, his voice trembled. I had a lot of thoughts, but when it was right in front of me, my words got mixed up.
Starting with who you are, how on earth you acquired such power, who your teacher is, and whether you are the strongest female warrior that Rihar has heard about.
How can people like you exist in a barbarian land? Where and how did you get that armor and why do you wear it? Do you know how to read, how old are you, etc.
“You don’t have to say thank you.”
“Yeah, huh?”
But before he could open his mouth again, Riena spoke first. Leo flinched at her unexpected words.
‘Did you just take it for granted?’
Only then did Leo realize that he had inadvertently been looking at her with prejudice against barbarians.
As Varun’s only daughter, she is effectively the heir and princess of this great tribe. Even though he was a noble of the kingdom, he was not someone who could be treated with great contempt.
“No. That’s not right. Thank you for your help.”
He changed his tone of voice and greeted me politely, and Riena accepted it.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off your sword from the moment I first saw it. As a knight, I want to know about it. Can you give me the answer?”
“I can give you an answer, but it will have no meaning to you right now. Not only me, but everyone in the tribe, including Shura, have achieved this level through the grace we received from Him.”
“Him?”
“I am the one who decided to give my all for my life.”
At him with wide eyes, Riena smiled faintly and placed her hand on her chest.