I Became a Tyrant of the Defense Game - Episode 10
◈ 010. [STAGE 0] End of tutorial
- brother!
In the empty chat window, a one-line message appears..
- Bro, you’re really amazing. How did you break this??
I was speechless.
I didn't know how to react to the first message I received from a viewer after the broadcast started..
In my field of vision, which was frozen in embarrassment, one more message from him came up..
- I'll enjoy it. They'll broadcast it again next time?
and…….
……And I said, what did I say?.
***
“omg!”
opened my eyes.
As I tried to force my sweaty upper body up, a burning pain shot through my arms and shoulders. Wow!
“Oh, it hurts…….”
When I held back my screams and looked down, I saw my condition..
There were bandages wrapped all over his upper body. Both hands were completely sealed like a mummy, unable to lift a finger..
“What is this again?…….”
“You'd better take it easy, Your Highness..”
As I was examining the body, which had difficulty moving, I heard a soft female voice..
“Damian treated it with healing magic, but the burns are deep and it will take a long time to fully heal..”
Surprised, I looked over there..
Sitting on the bed next to me, I'm writing something down with a bunch of documents piled up... … A magician of red blood was seen.
I mumbled her name stupidly..
“lily?”
“You've been asleep for three days, Your Majesty..”
Lily put down her quill and smiled..
“I thought he would never wake up after defeating an army of black spiders..”
“live… … There's left.”
“It's thanks to His Majesty the Prince's command..”
Lily shrugged and waved the papers in her hands..
“How would you like to hear the report? Or would you like to rest some more??”
My whole body ached and I wanted to rest, but hearing the report was more urgent right now. I requested a briefing on the current situation.
“The final bombardment killed the Spider Queen, and the Black Spider Legion ceased its activities..”
Lily explained the results succinctly..
“We have won, Your Majesty..”
“…….”
“All of the survivors were injured, but fortunately there was Damien, a healing priest... … As we were providing first aid to the wounded soldiers and performing maintenance, reinforcements arrived the next day..”
Lily pointed out the window. I saw soldiers moving around busily..
“The reinforcements recovered the corpses of our soldiers and cleared out the stationary spiders. Now, the settlement is almost over..”
“……Right.”
Only then did it feel real..
survived.
In this damn tutorial stage, I really barely.
“His Majesty suffered serious burns on his hands, arms, shoulders and neck..”
Lily calmly told me about my injury..
“When you return to the Crossroads, you'll need to visit the temple. But even if completely cured, scars will remain..”
“A scar is a cheap price compared to life..”
I meant it. As long as I could survive, I was willing to receive even burns or scars..
I sighed in relief and suddenly saw Lily. Lily also had bandages wrapped around her upper body..
“Lily, what are your injuries?……?”
“When I finally ran out of mana, a spider scratched my back. The Queen died shortly afterwards, so she was no longer attacked..”
Lily smiled bitterly and smoothed her legs..
“At that time, the nerves in my back were injured, and I was unable to move my lower body..”
“…….”
“There's nothing to worry about, Your Majesty..”
Lily calmly spoke to me who was speechless..
“I'm just grateful that I survived.”
“…….”
Lily changed the topic in front of me, who was struggling to know what to say..
“Survivors include 4 artillerymen. Lucas. Damian. I. And His Royal Highness the Prince. This is the power supply.”
“…….”
8number of people.
There were hundreds of people before the last battle. only 8 people.
“Pfft…….”
I gritted my teeth and placed my bandaged hand on my forehead..
Was there another way??
Maybe there was a trick I didn't think of??
Isn’t there a way to save at least one more person?……?
“His Royal Highness. Your Majesty is not a god.”
Lily spoke carefully to me who was in pain..
“There was no way to save everyone in that situation. You did your best, Your Majesty..”
“……But I was the one who brought the troops here in the first place..”
Although it was Ash's doing, not mine. But I wasn't in a position to make excuses, saying it wasn't something I did..
Since I was in Ash's body, it was also my responsibility..
“majesty. No one knew that an army of black spiders would appear here. No one knew that monsters would move on a large scale for the first time in a dozen years. That's why no one stopped His Majesty from advancing..”
Lily consoled me by looking at my eyes..
“The Prince's mercenary skills may have been reckless, but they were not unreasonable. During the last battle, he used his wits and carried out a bold strategy, and eventually won..”
“…….”
“so… … Don't be too hard on yourself.”
I bit my lower lip..
It was then. I opened the door to the hospital room and Lucas came in, his eyes widening when he saw me..
“majesty!”
Lucas came running next to my bed in a huff..
A big guy like that, it feels like a big golden retriever is jumping at me..
“lucas.”
“I'm so glad you're awake, Your Majesty.…….”
Lucas came and stood next to me with tears in his eyes..
“Are you experiencing any inconvenience? I'll get Damien right away..”
“No, it's okay. It's worth holding on.”
I chuckled and pointed to the bandages on Lucas’ body..
“Didn’t you also have a pretty serious injury? You can walk around like this?”
“You know. I'm a guy whose strength is by nature..”
Well, that's it. Because you are an SSR level knight..
Still, I was relieved to see that he was safe. Lucas smiled shyly and took out a bundle of documents from his arms..
“In the meantime, I have completed the preparation of the list of war dead. There are many people whose bodies were not even recovered... … All bodies that could be recovered were recovered..”
“Where were the bodies collected??”
“This is the field north of the forward base..”
“I'm going to see it.”
As I stumbled and tried to get up, surprised Lily and Lucas stopped me..
“majesty!”
“No, Your Majesty! You need to relax a little more…….”
“These are the people who died under my command..”
A sharp pain arose throughout my body. But I didn't give up.
“I'm going to go see it. Help me, Lucas..”
Lucas, who didn't know what to do, turned around, knelt down on the floor, and extended his back to me..
“Get on your back, Your Majesty. I'll take you there.”
***
Lucas's back was wide, and his walking posture was neat, so there was less shaking. This is comfortable.
“Lucas, would you like to take my car??”
“As long as you command me.”
“Just kidding, man. Don't listen seriously.”
As I went outside on Lucas' back, the sight of a boy leaning against the castle wall caught my eye..
It was Damian, a healing priest with curly brown hair who was looking outside blankly. He was not wearing his glasses with broken frames and was holding them in his hand..
“damian.”
When I called, Damian slowly turned around..
“Prince. You're awake..”
“How are your eyes??”
When I used clairvoyance, I shed bloody tears, so I was worried that there might be a problem with my eyesight..
Damian smiled faintly with a haggard face..
“Fine… … Oh no. It started to show up again little by little since yesterday. It looks almost normal now.”
So you were using recovery magic without being able to see? This guy was treated really harshly this time too..
As I looked at Damien's haggard, young face, I felt sorry for him and said,.
“Damian. We were able to win this operation thanks to you..”
“…….”
“If you wish, I will pay you enough money to live on for the rest of your life and take steps to ensure that you do not come to battlefields like this in the future. Since you were a mercenary to begin with, you are free to do whatever you want from now on..”
“Prince.”
But Damian shook his head slightly..
“You told me back then, I am the prince's trigger..”
“…….”
“I am… … I want to know.”
Damien stared beyond the walls again..
“The source of those monsters. Who, why, why, created such monsters? Why did half have to die?.”
“…….”
“So please let me follow you, the prince.…….”
I smiled bitterly and gestured..
“Okay, then follow me right now. A priest will be needed to commemorate the dead..”
Damian hesitantly followed us as we headed toward the northern plains..
***
forward base. northern plains.
An uncountable number of corpses were laid out in rows and rows..
Those who managed to save the bodies were able to collect them and lay them down, but there were many who could not even leave their bodies behind..
A fire burns for those people.
The sacred fire brought from the Temple of the Crossroads burned in the middle of the empty lot, splashing blue sparks..
I quietly looked into the flame. As if shaken by resentment, the flames danced.
“…….”
Know.
There was no better way. There was no better trick. There is nothing more foolish than wondering what if something has already happened..
I chose the plan, I executed it, and this is the result.
Then I guess I'll have to deal with it.
On these shoulders, I'll have to move on.
“As soon as the informal funeral is over, collect all the bodies and transport them to Crossroads..”
“yes?”
Lucas' eyes widened at my words..
“I'm not leaving it here.?”
Thousands to tens of thousands of casualties occur at Crossroads every year..
It was a world where funerals were more expensive than lives. Cheap lives flowed into the monster front here and were evaporated in exchange for maintaining the front line..
If you build something like a graveyard, it will soon explode beyond its capacity. So the bodies were usually scattered in the mountains and fields..
A world where death is more common than wild flowers.
I was going to change this world.
“There is an empty lot on the west side of Crossroads. Build a cemetery there. Bury and commemorate them all.”
I ordered a cemetery to be built in the vacant lot to the west where a memorial facility was also built in the game..
“And every year on the last day of February… … It will be designated as a day to commemorate their sacrifice..”
This was not just to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives in this battle..
For all the characters I've killed without feeling guilty while playing and resetting this game hundreds of times. It was also my atonement..
Lucas, who was about to say something, quickly swallowed his words and bowed his head slightly..
“I will follow your orders..”
A short time later, a formal funeral was held..
The priest of the temple who followed the reinforcements sprinkled holy water over the corpses and blessed the dead for their afterlife..
The number of corpses was not usually large, and even though it was a formal funeral, the funeral took a considerable amount of time..
I watched the entire process without leaving..
“lucas.”
It was night when the informal funeral was over. The moon that rose brightly shed cold light..
“I will never fail again.”
There was a chill in the air from death. A coldness that could not be warmed even by the flame of the torch filled the field..
I shivered and gritted my teeth, leaning against Lucas's back..
“twice again... … you won't fail.”
“…….”
Lucas kept his mouth shut and just quietly listened to me..
“Let's go back.”
One battle is over, but the real war is just beginning.
I clearly saw with my eyes the corpses of the soldiers I had killed, and then spoke emphatically..
“To the crossroads.”
***
[STAGE 0 - CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP - Damian (N)]
[Level up character]
- Ash (EX) Lv.5 (↑4) (You can select a job!)
- Lucas (SSR) Lv.27 (↑2)
- Lily (R) Lv.17 (↑2)
- Damian (N) Lv.15 (↑5)
[Dead and Injured Characters]
- Ken (N): Dead
- Lily (R): Critically injured
[Acquired Items]
- Black Spider Legion Magic Stone: 388
- Black Spider Queen Magic Core (SSR): 1
[Stage clear rewards have been paid. Please check inventory.]
- EX grade reward box: 1
>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE
>> [STAGE 1: City on the Tomb]
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