“Whoa.”
Brian sighed, rubbing his dark eyes. only one month. In that one month, I felt 5 years older.
Involuntarily, a lament leaked out of his mouth.
“No matter how dungeon it is, how can you say it’s so rough?”
Not all dungeons have the same difficulty. Some dungeons are very weathered and can be conquered quickly, but in some cases it may take more than half a year.
But Brian didn’t think this dungeon would be the latter. Because Bjorn’s soldiers had already released nearly 20% of the traps.
-Oh, it seems that the dungeon is easier than I thought. You are lucky indeed.
My teeth gnashed as I recalled the memory. I wanted to hit my old self for saying it without thinking.
‘It’s not easy.’
Brian had never done anything like dungeon raiding. But Brian could say it with confidence.
This dungeon will be one of the most terrifying of all dungeons.
Rumble.
– Aww!
A faint scream came from outside, along with the sound of thunder. A scream that I would have looked at outside in surprise a month ago.
But for now, I just had a headache wrapped around my head.
“Yes, Commander!”
“What happened this time?”
Brian asked helplessly as he saw the adjutant running into the barracks. The adjutant reported with a bewildered face.
“The trap was touched incorrectly, resulting in heavy casualties.”
“How much?”
“Thirty people.”
“To be sick.”
I couldn’t even hear the noise that the trap was lightning or how many more seriously injured.
Until now, only the number of soldiers who had been cut down by dismantling the traps lingered in my head.
‘I’m sure everyone will die like this.’
All of them are malicious traps that want to kill intruders. If even one was caught, it was difficult to find a single survivor, let alone seriously injured.
Twenty-one traps have been activated so far. The number of soldiers who died in the midst of this is horrifying to mention.
“Bite the soldiers. Today’s attack ends here.”
“yes!”
It’s a scam that has been crawling on the floor. Mass casualties have also occurred, so there is no will to dig further.
It would have been better to let him rest early to clear his mind. After the veteran left the barracks, Brian rummaged through his arms.
The order I received today protruded from inside my chest. The content of the order was extremely short and simple.
-Don’t talk nonsense and proceed with the attack.
It was the reply to the letter requesting withdrawal. Brian closed his eyes and sighed for an unknown number of times.
‘Although this is the answer I expected.’
He knew that his master, Lugres, would not give up. It’s a treasure trove that remains even after changing the power level.
However, this was not an adversity that could be overcome by stubbornness.
‘For a month, not even 10% of the raids have progressed, and more than a quarter of the soldiers are already dying.’
Going further than this is crazy. To the extent that I thought that I might be annihilated without fighting a single battle.
Brian picked up a pen. I was thinking of requesting the lord to withdraw once again.
‘If I get rejected again, I’ll go back alone.’
Even if the result was a loss of trust, it didn’t matter. It was better than constantly replacing soldiers in a dungeon with no hope of clearing it.
* * *
That night when I squeezed my head out somehow to convince myself. There was a loud noise in Brian’s ears.
Udangtangtang.
– Aww!
– Avoid everyone!
My eyes widened at the sound I heard outside. I’m sure I told you not to enter the dungeon unless it’s a sunny day.
‘What kind of crazy guy is that!’
An angry Brian jumped to his feet. Someone must have sneaked in out of greed to steal even a handful of treasures.
It was the time when I pushed back the tent and went out, thinking that I would not leave it alone.
“Sweep them all away!”
“Wow!”
“Aww!”
Briann’s eyes widened at the shouts and screams, and the sight of an unfamiliar army stirring up his arms. What the hell is this?
At that time, a large shadow cast beside it.
“Long time no see, Sir Brian.”
“… Bjorn?!”
Seeing the origin of the voice, Brian screamed his name. Bjorn Veldine. The son of the previous viscount and former heir who was banished.
I hope to meet you here. Grinning at this, Brian quickly drew his sword.
“this guy!”
Like a seasoned knight, Brian’s attacks were quick and sharp. However, Bjorn is also skilled in combat.
The two weapons collided several times, firing sparks in the air. The two people who had been together several times stepped back at the same time.
“The kid who used to roll around on the floor in the arena is pretty good!”
“Your skills are rusty. Didn’t you neglect training because you were drunk with power?”
“You speak well! That rusty skill is enough to cut your throat!”
Wow.
Again the two men’s arms collided. In the stalemate of pushing weapons away from each other, Brian raised an eyebrow.
“You fool! Do you think that just because the surprise attack was successful, we won?”
In terms of tactics, surprise is certainly very effective. If done well, even a few can defeat the many.
But that also depends on the situation. Even if a surprise attack succeeds, there are times when it is defeated.
“It seems you didn’t think about the difference in troops!”
Even if the enemy camp is confused in the beginning, it is a temporary effect. If you fight hurriedly, time will pass and you will come to your senses.
Therefore, after a surprise attack is successful, it should be as effective as possible until the chaos is settled. Even after the confusion has been resolved, what if the military gap remains?
At that time, rather, the army that succeeded in surprise is annihilated in the enemy camp.
“If you came all the way here without being caught, you wouldn’t have brought all your troops. You may be good at throwing an axe, but you don’t know anything about military strategy!”
“well.”
Bjorn laughed coldly at Brian’s sarcasm. That’s not wrong. It’s true that the number was reduced to avoid being caught.
If it was a normal army, it would have been reversed along the way, as Brian said.
“But our army is a little special.”
“What nonsense!”
“You’ll know when you look at it.”
“Where do you work!”
Avert your eyes in the middle of a fight? Brian snorted, but a roar from beside him inadvertently moved his eyes.
Brian’s eyes widened as he saw the scene in the corner of his eyeball.
“What is that!?”
“Aagh! It is a monster!”
What came back to Brian’s astonishment was the screams of the soldiers. Five soldiers on one side and three soldiers on the other flew in pieces.
It looks like being hunted by a demon. Unexpectedly, it was humans, not monsters, that sent the soldiers flying.
A knight with red hair and a southern knight with bronze skin.
“Get out of the way. Or die.”
“If you don’t want to die, get out of here!”
The female knight spat out an ice-like declaration, and the southern knight roared vigorously and swept through the camp.
The sight of the soldiers being torn to pieces every time was like a nightmare.
“Such nonsense… … !”
“Isn’t that how you see it too?”
“What about you!?”
Just before saying who did you bring in? Bjorn didn’t miss the moment when he was weak from shock.
Brian stumbled as he pushed his opponent’s weapon away with all his might. Oops, the second ax flew at the moment.
pug.
“f*ck!”
Brian, who had an ax blade stuck in his chest, fell backwards. The body, which had been wriggling for a while, soon cooled down.
Bjorn turned his back after looking at the traitor and knight he had once been friends with. Now that the commander is dead, the chaos will not be settled.
It was a perfect victory.
* * *
morning when everything was over. Luke asked in front of the ruined dungeon.
“How long did the enemy return alive?”
“Judging by the number of corpses, a third of them must have escaped.”
“More than I thought.”
In fact, it wouldn’t be strange if they were wiped out here. Luke murmured as he looked at Brian’s corpse with his chest cut open.
From noble mtl dot com
“Is it because he died too early?”
One of the commander’s jobs is to keep soldiers from leaving the battlefield. However, since the commander was not there, it seems that he ran away without looking back.
Thanks to the collapse of the chain of command, this side suffered little damage, but at the same time, there were quite a few times when they returned alive.
“Well, I will come again anyway.”
“Have you been treated so badly?”
“I think that’s for sure.”
“I think so too.”
It was Bjorn who spoke to Luke.
“My uncle is a man who is sensitive to losses, but doesn’t care what he pays the moment he thinks the gains outweigh the losses. I will definitely come again.”
“Even if it’s not Bjorn’s uncle, most of them will be unbearable.”
It’s like a trap used for monkey hunting. Fill the inside with things the monkey would like, and drill a hole just big enough for your hand to fit into.
The monkey then reaches in and grabs the contents inside. At this time, I went in with my bare hands, but if I clenched my fist, my hand couldn’t come out.
“Even though I could get out of there if I put down anything I had in my hand.”
“You are stupid. If you see a club, you have to run away.”
“It’s not just about seeing it that way. Humans are often no different from monkeys.”
“If it were me, no matter how full of gold and silver treasures, I would let go.”
Luke laughed at Bruno’s boast.
“okay? So what if you have a potion of immortality in your hand? Are you still going to let go?”
“… isn’t that too much? It’s not at the level of gold and silver treasure.”
“There is nothing different. In the eyes of that lord, dungeons are the medicine of immortality.”
In the end, it’s all about what you value. And most of the lords couldn’t think of letting go of the treasure called the dungeon.
Then, now that I got it wrong, I realize right before I pass out of breath. Oh, I thought I should have just given up.
“Well, let’s wait patiently.”
The prey will come back anyway.
* * *
“Brian died and only a third returned alive?”
“Yes, yes”
Lugres’ body trembled with dizziness. I was prepared for the sacrifices that accompany the dungeon raid.
But I never thought I’d be hit so hard by Bjorn.
“How could this be… … !”
anger, humiliation, lamentation. It was difficult even to express all the emotions mixed together. Lugres took a deep breath and controlled his emotions.
I want to overturn everything because it seems like a thought, but it was not something to be solved with emotions.
‘Should I give up the dungeon?’
When the anger subsided a little, reality appeared. Attacking the dungeon means exposing the army to the enemy that much.
Even if an army is sent, as long as Bjorn is in good health, he will be attacked again.
‘Rather than that, it would be better to attack Bjorn with an army.’
After Bjorn disappears, dungeon raids will go smoothly. But another problem got in the way.
As time passed, the news of the dungeon would spread all over the place.
‘If this fact was known, there would have been meddling here and there.’
There was no need to go to the imperial palace. Just being known to nearby lords would make greedy bastards want to put a spoon on it.
Above all, if Lugres stopped interfering, wouldn’t Bjorn also continue raiding dungeons?
‘He’s the guy who captured 20% in less than ten days.’
With more time, I could really just pack all my treasures and lock myself away. As the worst imaginings came to mind one after another, a whisper came from my heart.
Wouldn’t it be better to continue raiding the dungeon even after taking the risk? After thinking for a while, Lugres opened his mouth.
“Form a new army! I will continue raiding the dungeon!”
Lugres decided to follow the prompting. In any case, if you succeed in attacking, wouldn’t it be enough to compensate for all these failures?