Episode 119 – Fierce Battle (9)
A bug, a disaster whose identity cannot be clearly identified even by the master program. The only explanation is that it is some kind of phenomenon or law that exists to undermine the world.
Whether or not bugs are really living things, and what happens to their exact genes or data, not even the residents who are engaged in a bloody battle, nor Earth’s scientists and artificial intelligence conducting their own research and experiments at the research institute, have been able to find out.
But one thing was certain. The only goal of these unidentified beings called bugs was to encroach and destroy the world, and they would do anything to achieve that.
“How dare this guy…”
“how..”
It was nothing for them to change their form and ecology for that purpose. That is their very root. And the basis of that method was none other than imitation.
If the enemy is stronger than you, copy it and apply it to yourself.
It wasn’t as intense as it is now, but in fact, the bugs that continued to fight with the residents evolved and grew as if there was a set code, whether it was impossible or possible.
There are varieties that are large, varieties that shoot thorns, and group tactics that are used in a certain line. And there is also a variant that stands upright on two legs like now.
They were the ones who destroyed the dwarf kingdom in an instant without receiving any help, but the dwarf survivors had never seen these variants either. At most, they were larger with thicker shells.
In the end, it was not the power of the bugs themselves that created these terrible mutants, but the influence of the Arin residents who fought them fiercely.
“Get back!”
Rihar and the people around him froze when they saw this variant that appeared in front of them. When Lakum saw this, he intuitively felt a great sense of ominousness and came rushing over.
Meanwhile, Berg had already taken out his weapon. Among the residents, there are those who imitate warriors who can cut down and kill even the largest mutants in an instant, so they do not fight with their bare hands.
‘Sweet, twin swords?’
Lihar thought blankly as he saw the enemy rushing towards him.
The sight of him charging forward with two swords made of black shells in both hands was literally the appearance of a warrior holding and swinging dual swords.
“Daejeon Commander!”
And that guy’s dual swordsmanship was blocked by Rakum’s spear clad in blue flames.
‘strong!’
This is a bug that imitates the Arin warriors who gain mana and skills with the help of Junyoung and fill up their proficiency through constant training for item farming. It means that it is never easy. Rakum gritted his teeth at the strong weight he felt from the spear.
“How dare this monster grab the sword!”
But he soon mustered up all his strength and pushed Berg’s sword away. He was horrified by the fact that the enemy he thought was a terrible monster suddenly felt like a real warrior, so he raised his power and swung his spear.
The skill of the spear magician that Lakum transferred to: Fire Dragon Strike. It was a fairly strong upper tier skill, and it was a very difficult skill for residents to learn. And Lakum was able to use that skill freely.
‘Did it work!?’
The red flames from the spear he pierced formed like a writhing dragon, turning into an awl and piercing the enemy in one go.
Bug tried to block it by crossing his two swords, but as if it wasn’t enough to counter the skill of the best warrior, he slowly began to be pushed back.
“It floated and fell.”
“Daejeon Commander won!”
However, while Rakum was astonished to see that he was able to withstand his skill that could kill even a huge demon beast in an instant, Berg, as if this was his limit, fell outside the castle wall with his two swords broken and his body cut into two pieces.
The surrounding soldiers cheered and were happy to see him win the battle, but Lakum’s hands were shaking. Obviously, the opponent’s strength was weaker than his own, but he thought that this was just the beginning.
It wasn’t even wrong. Even though it hadn’t been that long since they collided with the ‘colony’ bugs located in the north, their evolution had already caught up to this point.
“Ah, the battle is not over yet! Everyone focus on what’s in front of you! “They are the ones who will charge until all troops are annihilated!”
He managed to come to his senses and give orders to those around him. As they say, the war is still in full swing, and many bugs remain.
Fortunately, the unusual variant like before has no longer appeared, so there are no variables. They gritted their teeth and took turns fighting with each other, and together with the tireless defense turrets, they finally blocked the onslaught of monsters that were more than twice as many as them.
They were two horses whose weight was equal to or greater than that of a person. The fact that it did not get crushed by its gross appearance and merciless mass was possible thanks to thorough preparation, a life-threatening struggle, and a combination of good luck.
‘this. It’s late.’
And at that time, Riena, who had returned to the village, arrived at the fortress with reinforcements.
What she saw as she forcibly brought in new soldiers was the soldiers spread out after the battle and the traces of the miserable battlefield.
“A guy who stands up like a human and swings a sword has appeared?”
“I don’t know how or how much stronger they will become.”
Moreover, the testimony of Lakum, whose face turned pale. Riena’s expression hardened. In this place where only 1,000 residents, regardless of age or gender, are considered a formidable tribe, the Arin tribe has now become a large tribe with tens of thousands of forces, but Riena is the undisputed strongest among them.
Among those who had seen her for a long time, she was called the patron saint’s favorite paladin, and she had a duty.
The duty to become stronger than anyone else and defeat any enemy that stands in the way of sacred duty.
‘I must climb higher and further.’
For Riena, who went from being a childish female warrior who was swayed by her emotions and dreamed of revenge to a being carrying unimaginable responsibilities, living with that sacred duty engraved in her body and mind, the evolution of the bug was another whiplash.
“What the f*ck…”
Of course, she wasn’t the only one who had a headache. He was struggling wildly while sitting in front of his desk, clutching his throbbing head and beginning to tear it out.
“It’s so fraudulent.”
Junyoung muttered absentmindedly after seeing the power of the bugs confirmed through the residents. As expected, the defense wall did not collapse and we were victorious after a grueling war, but there was no mercy in the enemy’s change and growth to the point where it was heartbreaking.
If you stop even just a little bit, it will catch up with you. No, honestly, I felt like I would catch up even if I didn’t stop. If you catch up like this, you will one day be overtaken.
The result was defeat with no survivors left, including himself.
‘Of course, the power of the Master Program is also deceptive. But…but I have limitations.’
The power of the master program to bring games and programs to life was certainly enormous, but it was not free. The reality was that the small amount of points awarded based on one’s achievements had to be squeezed to the limit.
‘What on earth are they eating?’
The proliferation and evolution of bugs, invasions and battles seemed to have no regard for necessary resources.
Of course, looking at the bugs moving around in their own efficient way, we can see that bugs do not have infinite resources, but even if those resources are limited, it is clear that they are more than Jumin or Junyoung.
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‘First of all, it is clear that those colony-type bugs and ants have initiative in each nest.’
He organized a few things based on the information he obtained.
Because bugs have so many different types of invasion methods such as cracks, nests, and erosion, as well as colony, assault, and solitary forms, users on Earth actively share information about them and try to utilize them in some way.
And the same goes for Junyoung, who has not yet appeared. He bit his lip as he wrote down information about the bugs that he would share with Soyeon Lee.
‘Each nest even seems to compete with itself. Some variants may have arisen from competition among themselves as well as with us. Moreover, because their goal is ultimately one, they are willing to join forces to attack us if necessary.’
Information on the bugs the Arin tribe is currently dealing with. In particular, information about the colony-type bugs that first appeared in the North is now starting to become more concrete.
It was a more difficult enemy than any enemy I had faced so far.
“The assault-type bugs that appeared through a crack in the rear this time looked completely different from the ant-type bugs that formed the colony… Are they even exchanging information among themselves?”
He muttered absentmindedly and sighed.
Evolution due to the racial characteristics of imitation and rapid cycles is simply superficial growth. What was really scary was that bugs also gained experience and accumulated information.
‘no. We grow, we evolve.’
The infinite possibilities that our enemies harbor. The moment I imagined it, it became pressure and weighed me down.
But he shook his head and forced it out. I don’t know about the residents who live on screen, but he, who can look down on everything, believed in the programs, games, and residents he handled.
It was obviously with his help that he accidentally encountered a fugitive force of only about 30 people and turned them into a large tribe with huge walls and fortresses, excellent weapons, skills and resources in a short period of time.
If you think about it, the growth of the Arin tribe as seen by other forces was faster than the growth shown by the colony-type bugs.
Moreover, they were not like puppets that were moved only by central control.
Sometimes revered as a guardian deity, he was a stern person who could see things that were not visible and develop himself.
“No need to worry anymore. “I was surprised, but I didn’t lose just now.”
He reassured himself on that basis. It’s not like there’s no way, so just keep nurturing the residents like you’ve done so far.
It was a standard method, but it was the most efficient and best.
‘It’s true that it’s disappointing. If a force appears that takes over the entire plain, just as the manipulative foreign wizard Rihar wanted. And if that’s us.’
However, if you add variables to the standard, its destructive power is more than doubled.
Junyoung swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.
In the meantime, I kept reminding myself that the residents were real people, not NPCs that appear in a tycoon game, but I couldn’t help but feel my heart squirm.
It goes without saying that a war against bugs is planned for the future and that more power is needed.
And the core of that power was people, talent. The cycle of games and programs he created was also geared toward discovering the hidden talents of residents and strengthening them.
If there were more people and more resources, war could become easier, and there were countless lands on the desktop that were full of opportunities to achieve that.
‘Is it inevitable? ‘What should I do?’
Until now, there has been a rather passive attitude toward external forces. He only fought and subdued those who forcefully came to him, and did not go beyond revenge. Varun was active, but Junyoung was just respecting Varun’s choice and actually wanted to focus on the bug.
But now that mind was changing.
In order to prevent bugs, I first wanted to move more actively and exert strength.
‘It’s not a question of right or wrong.’
Survival, the single most important value in life. In front of him, good and evil determined by a single human being are meaningless. How effective would the values held by people living in another world be?
After treating the wounded and mourning the dead, the Arin people were celebrating their victory and, under the leadership of Riena and Varun, collectively offering their thanks to heaven in the fortress and village.
Someone in a corner of an old, dark villa was just staring at the screen.