SWNOVELXO Chapter 157
Chapter 157 – Storm (7)
‘This time, I’ll cut off this bad fate.’
Heavenly punishment fell from the sky. As a result, the enemies were now in complete disarray. Balun wished this battle to be the last.
This kind of fight was of no help to them before their impending battle against the Bugs. Meaningless civil wars needed to be ended as quickly and cleanly as possible.
‘Riena and the Paladins are absent, but I’ll give it a try.’
Despite having a favorable position, there were still anxious points. Most of the main forces had gone elsewhere, and there weren’t enough warriors to match the outstanding warrior, Luke.
While there were warriors currently with Balun, they were still not skilled enough to take on Luke.
Balun was the oldest Druid, but instead of focusing on developing his skills, he had devoted himself to advancing the tribe, so his individual combat abilities hadn’t grown much.
“If Luke starts resisting properly, he could stir things up on our side unless we have a warrior of equal strength to counter him.”
“That’s not wrong, but the world has changed as well.”
Balun’s trusted aide, Res, pointed this out as a warning, but Balun steeled his resolve. One strong warrior stirring up the battlefield had certainly been one of the rules of the grassland that persisted to this day.
However, the Arin Tribe had been born by breaking those rules one by one from the very beginning.
They did not roam around or plunder their surroundings and were able to feed the tribes without resorting to raiding.
They built high fortresses and believed not in ancestral deities but in the Guardian Deity of the sky.
“Magicians! Start the bombardment!”
Balun was the first to instruct the magicians to attack. Luke’s forces, caught off guard by their ambush, attempted to respond, but it was already too late.
The fireballs shot by the magicians pierced the air like cannonballs, beginning to rain down on Luke’s troops. The magicians displayed another hidden strength of the Arin Tribe.
They learned and employed magic in a completely different manner than the shamans or the magicians of kingdoms and empires, utilizing magical skills that existed within the game for rapid-fire and powerful attacks.
While there were aspects that fell short of a cannon, there were also parts that offered a far more efficient offensive.
‘Come at me.’
Although there weren’t strong warriors like Luke within the troops, Balun was confident that with the systems and training they had steadily built up, they could capture the mighty Luke.
“Don’t panic! First, defend against their attacks, then charge the troops! Even the Evil God’s wicked sorcery needs time, so do you think they can do more than that?”
And that went for Luke as well.
Believing it was all or nothing, Luke, who had lost a significant number of troops to the raining bullets from the sky in this chaotic moment, did not back down even when Balun tried to lead a surprise attack.
In accordance with Luke’s orders, the shamans deployed mana defense barriers or summoned earthen walls to fend off the magical bombardment.
“Your Majesty, it’s dangerous!”
“No, I will go myself.”
After that, Luke mounted his horse and launched an attack with other soldiers. The light in his eyes shone brightly as he drew his sword.
For now, it was concealed beneath clothing and armor, so even his subordinates nearby didn’t realize what was in his one arm.
“Here they come. Calmly commence the next operation.”
The problem was that neither his subordinates nor Balun knew about that.
According to Balun’s calculations, which were based on the various tactics they had developed and improved, it was a battle they could definitely win. However, a variable that could disrupt those calculations was on horseback, charging towards them.
*
‘Balun is in battle, and although it’s a maintenance time, time is too precious.’
One of the habits formed since I met the residents in the screen was that I could hardly spend time idly.
Except for essential breaks, I was always sitting in front of the computer, living life with the residents. While I hadn’t yet been directly connected to them, I was confident that I was together with them.
Thanks to that, this life wasn’t hard. It was simply worrisome as I often feared making wrong choices that could harm them.
‘Just watching would be enough.’
Thus, for me, this was both a job and a hobby. I enjoyed simply observing the little figures wriggling on the screen without a moment of boredom.
Because they were not just mere data scraps but truly living beings.
And that meant I had to pay attention to them as much as possible, keeping busy to use my time efficiently whenever I had a spare moment.
“—! –!”
Looking elsewhere while simultaneously communicating and interacting with them through the game was part of it.
The various games I activated allowed me to interact with them using characters. I could provide them direct help that went beyond merely watching over them.
Using the character’s advantages, which were tireless and had ample inventory, I could quickly construct a road they took long to build within a day, or become bait to catch dangerous and strong prey without getting hurt or dying.
I was busy, but I believed that if I prepared thoroughly like this, I could grow without being outpaced by the enemies who were evolving.
[Hyper Field: 6000p]
“It’s time.”
After repeating my deliberations, I looked at the precious points with reluctance as I decided to add a new game. These points were earned as a reward for victory, and their worth was not insignificant, so I had to be cautious.
The Master Program’s recommendations hadn’t surfaced yet, so this activation was completely of my own volition.
The Hyper Field was a popular game in the hyper FPS genre these days.
‘I’m sure it’ll help the Elves.’
The reason for wanting to activate this game, which I had been eyeing for some time, stemmed from the potential of the Elves, who had joined our side this time, led by Eve.
Perhaps due to their racial traits, many Elves had archery characteristics, and some even exhibited a talent for sharpshooting.
No games had yet been developed to hone that talent. Dark Blood only featured medieval fantasy-like job classes.
I couldn’t bring items that were not treated as such even in the strategy simulation game that allowed me to gain control abilities.
[Program Activated]
[Deployable Personnel 1/1]
‘Starting with one person?’
Once the activated game began, the Master Program instructed me to choose a resident to throw into the game.
Since I still had about 5,000 points left, I could raise the levels and deploy several people at once, but I shook my head.
They needed time to adjust. Especially the Elves, who were notably slow and cautious in accepting the unfamiliar.
It was better to nurture one capable person to lead them, then throw them into the game to guide the others, rather than throwing in a large number all at once and creating chaos.
Indeed, I chose one person who should be in the vanguard, without hesitation. It was Eve.
She was the first Elf to awaken and became our ally, and she was a talented Elf warrior with the potential for sharpshooting.
“—?!”
‘Sorry, but I’ll see you in the game.’
As I picked her up and placed her in the game, Eve, who had never experienced this before, screamed in shock and flailed her limbs.
Unlike the other residents who hung helplessly like laundry on a drying rack when lifted, she evoked memories from the past.
Chuckling to myself, I threw her into the game and entered it as well.
This game was primarily focused on PVP combat, yet I couldn’t tell if it would follow the storyline in a campaign mode or unfold differently.
“The perspective is weird.”
Upon logging into the game, I frowned. It was proceeding in a manner entirely unlike any of the existing games, which was to be expected.
Although I had played FPS games before, I had not played this particular one. However, I could easily tell that it was different from the videos I had researched online.
“Rogers, can you hear me?”
Someone spoke to my character. More precisely, it was a radio transmission. A familiar face appeared in the hologram that popped up at the bottom of the screen as if conducting a tutorial.
It was Luna, a character from the game who instructed on the tutorial and various functions.
She was giving me serious directives. Until now, everything felt so much like a game that I had just listened quietly.
“Do you understand? You must return alive. Save the rookie behind you too.”
“…Eve?”
The rookie behind me. Instinctively, I turned my mouse to look back. There lay a girl with bright green hair sprawled on the ground.
As I pressed the crouch key to make my character sit and check her status, Eve soon stirred and began to get up.
‘So this is how the game progresses.’
It felt familiar. A world that was a game yet not a game. In this place, which was undeniably reality to those living in it, I had to help the rookie soldier Eve, an Elf, navigate past obstacles to reach our allies.
“-, —!”
With a groan, Eve stood up, and upon seeing me, she was startled and jumped up. She hastily looked around, perhaps searching for her bow.
‘If you’re going to use a bow, I wouldn’t have brought you here.’
I blocked her from reaching for the bow that had fallen on the ground. Her eyes trembled as they met my helmeted face.
Confusion and a strange fear mixed together in the expression that appeared on her face, which filled the screen.
I understood all too well what that look meant.
‘Does she already have a clue about my identity?’
Eve, who was close to Riena, surely had heard something about me. Although not perfectly, she must have heard tales about the world within the game.
So now she was merely observing my actions, unable to voice her objections.
“You won’t use a bow. Pick up the gun, Eve.”
Muttering words that she wouldn’t hear to herself, I pointed to the rifle lying on the ground. It was the cheapest gun provided by the game.
“—…”
As if she understood my words, she grabbed the bow and strapped it to her back while awkwardly picking up the gun. With my character holding the gun, she caught on how to hold it, and it was presentable enough.
‘An Elf with a gun.’
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the mismatch as I repeated sitting and standing as a sign of approval.
If she had heard it from Riena, she might even understand the meaning of this gesture.
As expected, whether my guess was correct or not, her face brightened slightly at seeing this absurd action.