Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 172
There were not many survivors
on the Northern Front (4) .
There are eight agents from the Royal Special Forces who were deployed to frontline defense missions.
Among the existing fortress defense forces, there are about twenty commander-level personnel of platoon size or higher.
These survivors, numbering around thirty at most, were the only traces left by the fortress that housed thousands of troops.
“…You all are so bad. Now, come here and take this. “You’ve had a hard time.”
Felber, who had set up camp first and was waiting, clicked his tongue when he saw Dallan and the survivors returning. He gave some bonfires he had prepared in advance to the survivors.
The survivors hurriedly settled down around the campfire, their faces as if they were half crying.
Red, bloodshot eyes. A face covered in blood and dust.
I could tell without even hearing what a difficult time they had had over the past few days.
While the survivors warmed themselves with stew, bread, and warm drinks, Dallen briefly explained the current situation to them.
Like a veteran who came back alive from an accident, he seemed to be listening intently even while resting.
“…That’s a wise decision. We didn’t believe it until we saw it with our own eyes, but after experiencing it ourselves, we knew. “They are people who can be understood through common sense strategies.”
“After they captured the fortress, they even opened the gates of hell and went back north. “It’s as if they don’t care about things like disrupting the rear or infiltrating the front lines.”
“It seems that they are just trying to use the strength of the main force to have a big fight with the central defense force gathered in Eclahim. Anyway, you barbarians who are crazy about fighting… no, I didn’t mean to belittle Dallan’s origins. sorry.”
“…….”
You say you’ve never been beyond the Frost Plateau.
It would be of no use here to say, ‘I am not a barbarian.’ And even if my identity was misunderstood, it didn’t really matter.
Even within the Tsardom, there were quite a few immigrants from the North beyond the Frost Highlands.
The residents of the Tsarist Kingdom know better than anyone else about the temptations of the devil, as they are on the front lines with evil spirits. Therefore, racism against uncorrupted northerners was not that severe.
If you had the reputation and status of Dallon, there would be virtually no disadvantages due to race.
Therefore, instead of bothering to explain, Dallon decided to focus on the stew like the other survivors.
“By the way, the mercenary that the Tsarina hired was Dallan. “I heard that you requested support from a few places other than the Holy Knights, but I didn’t know it was Dallan.”
said Roman Barkov, who was munching on his stew.
After completing his mission in the labyrinth, he was promoted to executive officer and took on a leadership role among the survivors of the fortress.
Did he go through some difficult training after losing his immediate superior? The momentum I felt from him was also quite different from what I saw in the labyrinth.
Perhaps he is at the beginning of the third level, having just achieved a small area, or has reached a level close to it even if he has not achieved the area.
Looking back, the other survivors are not superhumans who have achieved the realm, but they are strong people who have far surpassed the level of ordinary people.
It was because of the gates of hell that the devil had opened in the middle of the fortress.
It had to be at this level to avoid being polluted by the strange magic flowing from there.
“This man, Master Dallon, is not just a mercenary. “The uprising that occurred in the southeast would have caused much more damage if Dallan had not been there.”
Executor Craig, who was managing the survivors, intervened. Roman’s eyes widened.
“what? Wasn’t the southeastern rebellion a problem solved by the Holy Knights?”
“The Holy Knights were mainly involved, but Dallan was responsible for stopping the attack in the first place. “Wasn’t I there at the scene?”
Craig excitedly told Roman what had happened in the South.
The two are classmates from the Special Forces Agent Training Center. Unlike Craig, who had an easy-going look, Roman had a somewhat upright feel, but the conversation continued as to whether they were a better match than expected.
As I was half-listening to the conversation and scraping up the remaining stew with hard bread, Lucia quietly came to my side.
She said.
“Dallen. “Is it okay to talk for a moment?”
***
“As expected, Sun seems to be preparing for a huge battle.”
Inside the command barracks.
After confirming that there was no sign of anyone around, Lucia opened her mouth.
“We have compiled the testimonies of survivors. “It is said that the monster army led by two demons captured the castle in one hour, opened the gates of hell, and returned the way they came without advancing any further.”
“We eliminated the obstructionist and added strength to the main unit. “I guess it’s for the final fight.”
“…It looks that way.”
It is the same pattern that has always been shown in games.
A strategy of opening the gates of hell, destroying the fortresses on the front lines so that they cannot be rebuilt, eliminating obstacles, and forcing one last fight.
It was an idea worthy of an evil god who was obsessed with one proper fight, regardless of whether he won or lost the war.
“Probably the fortresses we will pass through in the future have also fallen or suffered great damage. “It may be difficult to get proper reinforcements.”
“…….”
“I heard about the power of the Tsarina and the Frost Foot Throne from the Elgaia Tower Lord, but honestly, it’s just a rumor, isn’t it? “We don’t know if we really have the ability to stop the devil’s great army.”
He was chewing his lips nervously.
It was an anxiety that he did not show in front of the soldiers.
“If we ignore the forts on the defense line and advance, we can shorten the time by even a few days. Unless we know when the Tsarina and Ekhlahim Palace will collapse, as soon as possible…”
“Lucia.”
“…….”
“Are you anxious?”
A moment of silence.
At the end, Lucia sighed.
“yes. I’m anxious. “This is not something that only my life depends on.”
The emotions I’ve been holding in are pouring out.
Fingertips trembling slightly. The sacred tattoo sparkles and the sacred power flowing out vibrates.
Even a paladin who receives the call of God and rushes to the forefront of the battlefield cannot be free from everything as long as he is in the flesh.
This is no different from superhumans who have achieved territory like Lucia or even transcendents who have surpassed the limits of their species.
Even after going through a period of perseverance to overcome the past and accept the present, the future remains unclear and dark.
Rather, the higher I climbed and glimpsed into the darkness, the deeper my agony became.
From the beginning, fear was an emotion that came from blurry silhouettes moving in the dark, not from complete ignorance.
“The fate of the continent is at stake. If our fight fails, the Tsardom will be devastated. Next are the City Alliance, Falcion, and the Holy Knights.”
With thin, trembling hands, he opens the water bag on his waist and quenches his throat.
I didn’t know that once the dam burst, my emotions would calm down easily.
Was he suppressing his emotions this much in front of the soldiers?
The answer came when I thought about the reason why no one deserted even after witnessing the fallen fortress before my eyes.
If it weren’t for the magic tower lord, the archmage, the Holy Knights’ interrogator, and the dragon slayer mercenaries, it wouldn’t be surprising if the army had disintegrated long ago.
As much as he knew his position, he must have tried not to show any emotional agitation in front of the soldiers.
“…….”
He clears his throat and lowers his head. Water droplets fall between the pouring golden waterfalls.
Tuk. Tuk. Small circles patterned on the table. Dallon slowly opened his mouth as he saw his shoulders shaking beyond his blond hair.
“I’m scared too.”
***
“…yes?”
A reaction to receiving a completely unexpected answer. Dallen shrugged.
“Probably not for the same reasons as you. “I’m not a very good person to make grand excuses like protecting humanity or protecting civilization.”
Squeak.
I lie down on the chair and raise my gaze to the ceiling of the barracks.
The ceiling of the barracks, made of animal skins for added warmth, reminded me of a hut in the snowy mountains where dried deer skins were hung on a drying rack.
When I opened my eyes in a world where everything was white, I trembled with extreme fear.
He cut down a pack of wolves with an ax on a mountain path and took up mercenary work, doing the same thing to bandits.
What dominated his mind was not any sense of elation from a strong body, but the fear of an office worker whose hobby was gaming.
“I am afraid of dying. I’m afraid of being forgotten. “I am afraid that I will not be able to bear the weight of the world and will eventually collapse.”
“…….”
“From the beginning, I didn’t go around killing people and monsters with swords and axes. I was the one who couldn’t even throw a fist, let alone cast a spell or cut with a knife. “A person who gets hit when he gets hit, but doesn’t get hit.”
“…Dallen got hit and survived. “No matter how young I was, I can’t even imagine it.”
“I guess so. Now I wonder why I did that too. “Even if I get hit, I’ll give those bastards a thrush.”
Dallen playfully raised the corners of his mouth. Lucia chuckled without realizing it.
“I’ve always taken the easy choice. But in the end, that was the most difficult path. Although I always regretted it, I habitually chose the easy path again. And repeat again and so on….”
“…….”
“That won’t happen here. Now I know the difference between when I was consumed by fear and took the easy route, and when I just closed my eyes and took the plunge even if it seemed crazy. And…”
He continues with his eyes closed.
“Because I hate kneeling helplessly more than failing.”
I have passed hundreds of failures beyond the monitor.
“Because I can’t lose it like that twice.”
Nevertheless, this is why I cannot give up until the end.
It wasn’t just to regain what was lost in order to return to one’s former hometown.
I was able to feel its value because I lost it once. As time passed, Dallen realized that its importance was still the same at this moment.
After losing my life on Earth, where every day was boring and exhausting, it became a memory of my dream hometown.
Is life different here? Dallen thought no.
The desire to obtain the wish stone at the bottom of the labyrinth still did not change. But now the reason was not just one.
As I have deeply felt the longing for the lost daily life, I have also come to know very well the preciousness of this world.
I didn’t know what choice I would make at the last moment, but no matter what, the motivation to protect and retrieve it was greater than before.
Squeak.
The chair cried softly. It was Lucia’s chair.
“…If we do not destroy the hell gates that would have been created in each captured fortress, the entire northern front will become a contaminated zone even after the final battle is won. “The warriors who survived that fortress are the veterans who will be of real help when dealing with the devil’s army.”
A voice that is slightly watery but logical and calm.
“The morale of the soldiers will also improve every time they take care of each fort without passing by. “It will have a big impact on the final battle.”
Regardless of whether she trusted the abilities of the Tsarina and the Frost Throne, she knew long ago that in order to win the war, not the battle, the fortresses on the front had to be taken over.
What was blocking that decision was fear.
Dallen didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
That was the reason he didn’t say that we would fight together until the end or that he would protect you no matter what.
Dallen closed his eyes and added with a low laugh.
“Anyway, don’t worry. “That’s just my opinion, but… he’s probably dying to have a fight with me by now.”
Memories of a fighter encountered at the tomb of the High Orc great ancestor.
Sun’s expression was vividly engraved in the warrior’s last memory, when the sky and the earth were dyed gray.
Emotions of joy, victory, joy, and pleasure that bloom along with desperate efforts to live.
Dallen’s feelings were confident. Those emotions that I couldn’t understand but felt clearly were directed towards me in this episode.
‘The gray warrior also killed the Archduke of the Corpse Swamp.’
Aksin, a fighter who lost the smartest tactician among his associates, has only one reaction to the murderer.
Maybe all the actions of burning and capturing the fortress like this are an invitation to call him to the battlefield…
Page.
A sound that penetrates thoughts.
Strangely enough, the soft touch felt a step later.
“This is not goodbye.”
When I opened my eyes, I saw Lucia getting closer.
It wasn’t difficult to find where the warmth remaining at the tip of the lips came from.
Moist eye area. Slightly flushed cheeks. A soft smile beneath them.
The smile opened.
“You said you couldn’t lose twice, right?”
And then they came and collided once again.
“I won’t lose it twice either.”
There was warmth inside the tent for a while.
***
Reinforcements continued to advance to the central front.
The operation to break the gates of hell and rescue survivors from the fallen fortresses continued once a day or two.
The operation, which had been centered around Dallan and Lucia, soon changed to involve a separate rescue team.
The size of the fortress grew as it got closer to the center of the front line, and this was also because previously rescued warriors wanted to help find survivors like themselves.
Occasionally there were fortresses that were not captured.
The resistance of the defending troops was strong, or the monster army included only one demon.
Most of those fortresses were defensive at first, but after hearing about the situation of the war from the rescued survivors, all but the bare minimum of troops were mobilized.
It’s been three weeks since we marched, calling for reinforcements.
Daelon and his 5,000 reinforcements finally reached the royal capital of Eklahim.
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