Lugres immediately tried to dispatch the next force. However, he had no choice but to open his mouth at the report of the foremen who arrived.
“So far, you’ve only improved by 10%!?”
“Yes, yes.”
One month since Brian was dispatched. If that was enough, I thought it would have progressed at least 30% more. Bjorn captured 20% in just 10 days.
But what happened in a month is only 10%.
‘I thought it would be just stupid to talk about hell.’
I’m not joking, I really thought I wouldn’t have moved on. It was so absurd that I couldn’t speak.
“Damn it, so how’s the dungeon situation?”
“To be honest, it’s not good. The agitation of the soldiers who are about to commit to the attack is severe.”
“What? why? You must have promised to give a generous reward if the capture was accomplished, right?”
The task of dismantling the traps of the soldiers conducting the dungeon raid was risking their lives. Of course, if you don’t arrange a corresponding reward, you won’t move.
Usually, Lugres has a miserable temperament, but this time, he decided to write really hard and promised a big reward.
“If it were a commoner, it was an amount that would have cost them even a pit of fire. Or did someone in the middle tell lies with the intention of embezzlement?”
“Wow, there is absolutely no such thing!”
“Then why?”
“Because the existing soldiers spread rumors that undermine morale… … .”
Brian’s dungeon raid left a nightmare-like memory for the soldiers who were put in. A trap that kills you unconditionally if you get caught.
And even the comrades who died each time they were blown to pieces. The fear of death comes and goes several times, but the attack does not proceed.
Even up to this point, it was terrible, but I was even attacked at night. From the standpoint of the existing soldiers, even the word ‘Dun’ in ‘Dungeon’ is enough to cause a match.
“Other soldiers who heard the story are also very shaken. Even if they gave me a thousand gold, they said it would be worse than my life… … .”
“Damn it!”
Lugres’ face contorted. If he had run away unsightly, he would have quietly restrained himself, but to spread agitation.
Even so, if they were punished now, it would be like affirming the rumors.
“Triple the reward you said you would give when clearing the dungeon! I will write a letter saying that I guarantee it in my own handwriting, so put it up as a poster!”
“Hey, are you okay?”
A startled knight looked at Lugres. It’s a lot even if it’s just the amount that’s taken now, but three times that amount. Isn’t it impossible to pay with the current finances of the self-employed family?
“Does not matter. You’re bound to die in the middle of the attack anyway.”
Although Brian shied away from responsibility, he was not an incompetent man. If the raid didn’t proceed properly even after a month’s time was given, it must be a problem with the dungeon itself.
In that case, it is better to attack with a large amount of sacrifice as collateral.
“So don’t worry. By the time you finish clearing the dungeon, the amount will be enough to pay.”
“… … !”
The knight looked at Lugres with an angry expression. No matter how sacrificial the premise of the dungeon raid, isn’t the remark now meant to push it into a trap?
Rugres, who was actually the party to the remark, shouted without batting an eye.
“Notify me immediately through the propaganda hall! I will give you three times as much reward!”
“yes!”
Lugres’ henchmen hurriedly moved. In the meantime, several people, including the knight, bowed their heads with a slightly gloomy expression.
It’s already been five years since he turned his back on Bjorn in the Battle of the Successor. All the lords are there, so I just chose the side with a lot of rice cakes.
‘Maybe I made the wrong choice.’
The thoughts that popped into my head were quickly dissipated. It’s already too late, so what can I do if I regret it now?
Anyway, there is no chance that Bjorn will win with that small army. The knight decided to surrender himself to the flow as he had done before.
There were too many things I had already pretended not to see to protect my chivalry.
* * *
“Leave only the minimum number of troops in the castle and go all out to attack the dungeon. I will direct the lead myself.”
Lugres made a bold decision. A situation where the power was drastically reduced due to Bjorn’s previous attack.
If you send more mediocre moves, it’s obvious that you’ll get the same. In that case, it was better to go with a number that could sufficiently block the night attack.
‘Beldain’s castle is impregnable. It cannot be captured with Bjorn’s forces now.’
Even if there is a possibility of capture, a day or two is not enough. It must take at least a few months to go over or not.
And when that happens, just turn the army around and hit him from the back. While reconfirming the strategy, Lugres looked down at the dungeon.
‘We will finish the strategy within the next month.’
If it takes more time than that, other lords will also start interfering. No matter how many soldiers were replaced, it had to be finished within a month.
Bjorn is a dungeon that I cleared 20% in just 10 days. If you’re determined and willing to sacrifice, there’s nothing you can’t do.
There were gazes staring at Lugres, who was so determined, from afar.
“You really are here.”
Bruno and Ray scanned the army from afar with their characteristic superhuman eyes. A significantly increased number of troops than before.
It was clear that all available troops had been brought in.
“It looks very determined. Just looking at it, it looks like they’re going to push everyone into the dungeon.”
“Try it.”
It was Luke who answered Bruno’s muttering.
“Everyone will turn into a corpse in a dungeon. I wonder how long it will go on.”
“Aren’t you too optimistic? If you keep pushing, the traps will run out.”
A trap is a law that disappears once triggered. Whether it’s a trap made with animal traps or a trap made with magic, it’s the same.
You can place multiple traps in one place and trigger them any number of times, but when the stock runs out, the traps become a safe zone.
“If that is really attacked, troublesome things will happen. In any case, if something suitable for use in war comes out among the artifacts, the situation could be turned upside down.”
“Don’t worry, that never happened.”
“Do you know anything?”
“well.”
Bruno shook his head at the meaningful tone. Anyway, he is his master, but his secrecy. If I asked more, they wouldn’t tell me anyway.
Leaving Bruno grunting inwardly, Luke raised an eyebrow.
‘It took a whopping two years for the barbarian king to attack it.’
It wasn’t even a deliberate attack. He used the savage tribes and the northern lord’s territories, who had been hostile to him, as meat shields at random.
The number of sacrifices increases enormously, but the way to attack that much faster. But even with that method, it took two years.
‘You must have seen that the dungeon raid has progressed by about 30%. If you know the truth, despair is good in your eyes.’
What they considered 30% was a figure based on the assumption that it would be the same as the previous dungeons. However, this dungeon has a completely different structure from the dungeons of the past.
Because it was the dungeon that buried the old dragon. The number and danger of traps, as well as their depth and length, are incomparable.
“We can just watch and wish them luck.”
“And you hit the back when you’re exhausted?”
“no.”
“yes? Isn’t it?”
Didn’t he throw the dungeon as bait to fight like that? Luke laughed at the embarrassed Bruno.
“We will attack the Beldine estate.”
* * *
Lugres’ plan was successful. So many soldiers were sacrificed, but I was able to speed up the attack as expected.
The dissatisfaction was great, but each time it was disciplined with huge rewards and strong punishments.
‘Just a little more, a little more!’
Every time the attack progressed, Lugres sweated in his hands. If you look at the dungeons so far, it’s time to see the end.
But after a few more days, everyone noticed something odd.
“Usually, the treasure chest should come out around here… … ?”
“Didn’t you measure the length wrong?”
“No way! The distance calculation itself was correct!”
I checked again and again, but I was not mistaken. Even though they had reached the depth where the treasure house should be, they could not see the end.
Someone said, trying to ignore the anxiety that had sprouted in his heart.
“It must be a bit longer than other dungeons. It’s the end now.”
“I guess… … ?”
Everyone thought so and tried to move on. Since the trap almost disappeared at some point, isn’t it proof that we’ve reached the end?
But their hopes were miserably trampled.
“Come on, stairs! These are the stairs going down to the basement!”
“how is it? Is there a treasure chest down there?”
“doesn’t exist! There is only one more road!”
“what?”
“The dungeon continues! I can’t see the end!”
Those words were the decisive blow. The soldiers completely lost the power to move forward. Keep risking your life in a dungeon where you don’t even know where the treasure house is?
“I’d rather beat you to death!”
“We’ll lie down, so take our heads or not!”
Desperate soldiers lay down on the floor. But there was no punishment. It wasn’t just the soldiers who lost hope.
The biggest shocker was Lugress, who had made sacrifices so far.
“Such nonsense… What do I use so many troops for… … .”
The half-fazed Lugres muttered blankly. The number of trained soldiers equals the strength of the lord.
Losing a lot of soldiers means that the lord’s power is completely cut off. Even so, the reason why he sacrificed himself for the attack was because he believed that there would be more rewards than what he lost.
From noble mtl dot com
He believed in only one artifact from the dungeon and sacrificed so many soldiers.
“But how! How could this be!”
“Your Excellency, calm down.”
“Did I really look like that!”
“Now is not the time to despair. We need to get out of here quickly. Don’t forget Bjorn’s existence.”
At the knight’s words, Lugres felt as if he had been bathed in ice water. It wasn’t that he had forgotten Bjorn.
He always paid attention to the surrounding reconnaissance, and was always fully prepared to deal with night raids.
The problem was the number of soldiers. Obviously, at first, there was an overwhelming difference in troops. But now?
“Ooh, how many of our men do we have now?”
“Except for the dead soldiers and the seriously injured who were evacuated to the territory, there are not many. There were too many sacrifices.”
The blood drained from Lugres’ face. An army that still has the upper hand if you stick to it head-on. However, it is not a number that can be overwhelmed even after being surprised like before.
‘When did you die like this? When did it decrease this much?’
I knew the answer. It’s Lugres. All of these troops were oxidized in the dungeon because of Lugres’ greed.
And the result is like this. There is no overwhelming force anymore. If Bjorn was determined to die, aiming for annihilation, his own life could be in danger.
Rugres closed her eyes tightly and spoke in a trembling voice.
“Prepare to withdraw.”
It’s not too late. Go to the castle and farm. Rugres also has a hard time subduing Bjorn, but even Bjorn can’t attack the castle.
If you secure safety while confronting and trade the dungeon to the surrounding lords.
“dismissal! Viscount Sir! It’s urgent!”
Then, a voice broke my thoughts. Right before the knight could shout at the messenger’s frivolous behavior, the messenger cried out in a cold sweat.
“Stop, castle! Beldine Castle has been captured!”