SWNOVELXO Chapter 142
Chapter 142 – Evidence of Progress (2)
“Are you suggesting we send the artillery troops? Um, that’s…”
“I believe it’s the best option. We can help them while also protecting our technology.”
The king’s proposal, watched over by the debating ministers, was both brilliant and shocking. They never expected the idea of dispatching troops to come up, leaving them flabbergasted, mouths twitching.
“If they are in a real hurry to fight the monsters, they won’t refuse. This will also allow our allies to gain combat experience and prepare for the future.”
There were no evident flaws in his logic. If we could charge the other side for the costs of sending troops, it would be perfect.
The issue was that sending troops was far beyond mere exchanges. It could easily lead external forces to believe that we had formed a military alliance with the Arin Tribe.
“Won’t they refuse? How can they allow our troops to be stationed in their territory when they’re trying to establish an equal relationship?”
“That may be true, but considering the urgent situation they’re in, it wouldn’t be too strange. They are the ones who proposed an alliance right away.”
The ministers had slightly divided reactions. However, those opposed were not able to voice their objections too vigorously, as it was necessary to inquire about the Arin Tribe’s opinion first.
“Sir Rihar. You will need to make another trip north.”
The king, observing the scene, instructed Rihar to head north once more. Traveling to the rough northern region was a dangerous task, requiring a willingness to stake one’s life.
But Rihar willingly accepted the command, charging north once again.
“The king has made an unexpected proposal.”
Rihar’s message reached Barun surprisingly quickly, thanks to the druids alternating flying across the sky faster than horses could run. Upon hearing the kingdom’s offer, Barun smirked meaningfully.
“Of course, we do need cooperation. But isn’t it a bit risky to allow foreign troops to enter our territory?”
Those around Barun took a cautious stance upon hearing this suggestion. However, Barun nodded in agreement with their concerns but didn’t come to a conclusion just yet.
“Honestly, I’m confident. I’m confident that I can turn the unconcerned soldiers from the kingdom into our comrades. They might act foolishly at first, but were any of us as loyal as we are now from the beginning?”
“Th-that’s true.”
The people around Barun stiffened at his words.
Indeed, the Arin Tribe, like other major tribes, was a community formed by many tribes that had lived separately coming together as one.
However, unlike those ancient rival tribes that had existed in history, we had united at an unimaginable speed, gaining a shared identity that was more vital than long-standing cultural customs or formidable strength.
It was the camaraderie forged from fighting against those horrific monsters that went beyond recognition.
Tribes that once struggled to get along found it impossible to hold onto past grievances when joining forces against the bugs that sought to kill indiscriminately.
“To fight together and become comrades—that is an unchanging truth.”
Barun planned to welcome the kingdom’s artillery troops and send them to the Northern Fortress.
As they fought together, supported by their firepower, they would ultimately have no choice but to meld together as they had in the past.
If that helped establish a closer relationship with the kingdom, there would be nothing to lose at all.
“There is no need for Rihar to come here. R’tai, you’ll take this letter I’ve prepared for him and join him.”
“Understood, Chieftain.”
After a brief but deep contemplation, Barun swiftly put his plan into action.
*
“Um…”
I quietly listened in on what Barun and the residents were contemplating.
To be honest, I wasn’t too fond of the idea of a foreign army stationed within our territory. As long as they were present, I wouldn’t be able to interfere on screen.
However, I understood why the residents had reached such a decision. Even if there were hostile or neutral forces, there wouldn’t be any issue if we turned them into allies.
‘Once we engage in a proper fight, they’ll have no choice but to become friends.’
R’tai and Rihar had already proven the effects of such alliances. While there might be a handful of stubborn individuals, most people naturally joined forces.
Turning my gaze towards the screen displaying the Northern Fortress, I couldn’t help but chuckle at how it was gradually becoming a fortified bastion.
Our forces had cleaned out the Bug Nest, expanding our territory all the way to just before the dwarven kingdom’s capital across the river during the last battle.
Building a new fortress was abandoned for efficiency’s sake, but residents had taken to patrolling the area in groups to prevent any enemy attempts to reclaim the land.
‘With the north blocked off, are they trying to break through elsewhere?’
Glancing over the notes I had recorded, I realized that the bugs’ sporadic invasions were on the rise. Their range was increasingly expanding. As our territory grew, so did their activity radius.
In such a situation, I couldn’t shake the thought that they were plotting something.
‘Bug behavior seems similar in every world.’
For a moment, I blocked the screen and opened a browser window. The site that Lee So-Yeon had started was a sort of archive created by Korean users documenting bugs.
As one of the first active users in this country, I held a significant share in this archive.
The classification of the bugs, including short-lived types that close on their own, persistent types that need manual closure, nests that erupt after a certain time, and colony-type bugs attempting to consume territory, originated from my input.
Now, foreigners had begun to visit this site, allowing users to gather information on bug behavior and types organized from their perspective.
– They are cunning. Their ultimate goal to break into reality through the “screen” is evident, but they will stop at nothing to achieve that.
“They seem to be probing here and there, but they won’t stop at that.”
Lee So-Yeon agreed with my assessment. Our forces had won several large-scale battles against them, but those same bugs who had already destroyed the dwarven kingdom wouldn’t just retreat quietly.
They are insane monsters willing to sacrifice their lives for their goals.
[Elf Village Entrance (Contamination)]
“Ha.”
And soon, my predictions were confirmed. At the moment Barun was sending his reply to the Kingdom of Baruk, I checked a sudden alert with a sigh.
A crisis had unfolded where I had been contemplating when to connect.
“—?! –!”
Given that the situation had erupted, I couldn’t afford to be slow like with the dwarves. I wasn’t entirely sure where this place called the Elf Village referred to by the Master Program was located, but if left alone, a large-scale enemy force would surely come after us.
Without hesitation, I paid the cost to unlock the screen. I connected it to the eastern part of Village 1, a location that residents hadn’t utilized yet.
And I quickly dragged my mouse to transport the residents there.
“—!”
The bewildered residents, who had been drawn to me, quickly reported the situation to Barun and the tribal leaders after grasping what was happening.
‘There’s no time to waste.’
I actively utilized my mouse and unit designations to urge them on. We needed to hurry through the portal to drive off the enemies that had appeared there.
As expected, the paladins were the first to mobilize. The most reliable and powerful among us, they had already proven their worth.
Even when I issued forced movement commands, they charged forward without a moment’s hesitation.
Simultaneously, my screen shifted. I found myself in a forest with an entirely different ecology and scenery from the Northern Grasslands where the residents lived. Rolling the wheel to zoom out as much as possible, I scanned the area looking for the right path.
[Forgotten Forest (1)]
[Elf Hunter Pilrim]
“Are they real elves? Well, there were real dwarves.”
Eventually, I found those bustling about in this unfamiliar forest. Seeing their person-like figures, I quickly transported the residents I had designated as a unit to that location.
Regardless of who they were, those fighting the bugs had to be saved first.
“—!?”
Leading the charge were the paladins, with Riena at the forefront. They winced at the sight of elves being attacked by bugs but charged forward without hesitation.
I was toying with the idea of constructing a defense turret but decided against it for now. Instead, I pulled out a chainsaw and began carving through the bugs that were further away from the paladins.
“—, —…”
Fighting against the bugs was a familiar task for us. But the sudden appearance of the paladins and my chainsaw seemed to throw the elves into a panic.
Seeing them frozen in confusion brought a smirk to my face, but there was no time for that. We would save them regardless of their intentions.
‘We need to move quickly.’
I hurriedly sent the recently arrived reinforcements to the area where the paladins were fighting. With my guidance, they could move straight to the destination without getting lost, joining the battle to push back the bugs. The power of seasoned soldiers equipped with quality gear.
Even in the midst of chaos, I couldn’t help but smile faintly at the results of my diligent training.
Meanwhile, the elves, who had been cast aside, were huddled together, eyeing our forces warily.
‘They are starting to set up a nest.’
While our residents were engaged in battle, I searched the screen for the location where they were opening a gate. It appeared to be an elf village, already occupied by multiple enemies who were guarding the gate.
To close that gate, I needed to eliminate all the nearby creatures first. Marking that spot on the mouse prompted our forces to hurry there.
With my assistance, they could navigate swiftly without getting lost in unfamiliar territory.
‘Are these guys different from the ant bugs?’
And in that fleeting moment, as I observed the spider-like forms of the bugs, I predicted their allegiance. They seemed somewhat different from the ones that had destroyed the dwarven kingdom.
Their collective behavior was bothersome, but it wasn’t unusual for smaller groups to act in unison.
“Uh?”
However, my prediction quickly veered off course.
As our soldiers discovered the bugs and ran towards them, the bugs, as if waiting for this moment, clustered together and unleashed their tentacles, deflecting the arrows.
Seeing one of the enemy fall forward when struck by a spell cast by our mage while others were destroyed before their explosion left me dazed.
The combat style exhibited by these unknown bugs perfectly mirrored the response method of the Arin Tribe against the northern ant colonies.