Chapter 38 Part2 (1/2)
<chapter 38.=”” the=”” peddler=”” and=”” the=”” adventurer=”” -=”” 2=””>
[A large group of monsters coming from the east has been confirmed.]
[Without proper fortifications, the city will come to harm.]
The city was informed of the dungeon countercurrent through a report from the patrolling golem network, obtaining an approximation of the monsters' ident.i.ties and size beyond the dust cloud. Immediately after, the golems simultaneously repeated reports and warnings.
[Recommend a mobilization order under Section 3, Article 2 of the City Defense Act.]
[Warning. 19 golems patrolling the city's perimeter have been destroyed. The monsters will crash into the eastern gate in less than 7 minutes. Please prepare sufficiently.]
The patrolling golems were programmed to attack any monsters that approached the city. They reported and simultaneously attacked the monsters, but they weren't able to fend them off, as they were only level 4 while the monsters were level 5 or higher. They had only slowed down the monsters by about 3 seconds.
”Keuk, kihuok...!”
”Hey, wait a second. Isn't that a human?”
”!? Stop. Let that guy in!”
At the ring of the bell, the soldiers situated at the top of the walls closed the gate, too late to respond. But then, right when the gate was about to close, someone just barely rushed through.
All of the soldiers inside gripped their spears and prepared for any eventuality, but the man had fallen flat on his face.
”H-Healing...! Please heal me...!”
Although he had a huge hole in his stomach and his entire left arm had been ripped off, he'd somehow managed to stay alive. The soldiers looked on in awe, as he'd survived with such grievous wounds; only one soldier realized who he was.
”Hey, this is one of the adventurers that was dispatched with the knights! Were these wounds caused by those monsters... Hey, call a priest over here. Hurry up!”
”Kuhuek...! It hurts. It really hurts!”
The city was in an uproar. Due to the golems' reports, children rushed into their homes and before they'd even gotten a good understanding of the situation, the merchants packed their things to take refuge. Despair was quickly spreading through the city.
”Keuk, Keuuuk...!”
”...Report! , Adventurer. What happened over there?”
The Guard Captain ran over, followed by a priest. The adventurer groaned in pain and couldn't answer the Guard Captain's question. But once he had undergone proper treatment, he explained what had happened whilst crying.
”T-There was a trap inside the dungeon...!”
It was simple. The expedition had gone well until the boss room. But the moment they reached the boss room, a boss appeared, one so strong that it was unsuited for a level 5 dungeon.
”It was a high rank level 6... N-No. A level 7! It's definitely level 7. The boss was definitely level 7!”
”Level 7!? That's a load of c.r.a.p. Why would a disaster-cla.s.s monster be here!?”
”There's no way a level 7 boss would appear inside of a level 5 dungeon! Wait a sec. If you were able to take care of the monsters before the boss room, then what's with the number of monsters...?”
”Those aren't just normal monsters. They are all undead, including the boss!”
”...What!?”
It was bad enough that they faced a level 7 boss, but they also had to fight against the undead forms of the felled monsters, which resurrected upon the boss's appearance. The dungeon had turned into h.e.l.l.
The level 6 Knight Leader and the level 6 adventurers tried to find a way out, but all their attempts failed. In the end, they were all killed. The reason the adventurer had even survived was because he'd been injured prior, and stood on standby outside of the boss room.
”So you ran out once you saw the signs...”
”Yes. I told you everything! We can't beat that thing. I'm running!”
”...The city's in danger. If you're going to run away from the front, even after being healed, then I'll strike you down here and now.”
”What...!”
The adventurer's report didn't help them at all. Although they knew what was happening now, they didn't know how to deal with the monsters or what the cause of it all was.
The monsters continued to get closer and closer, yet more and more people were giving up. The city had sent their best soldiers to the dungeon and those soldiers had all died, so there was nothing they could do.
”Did you report to my superiors?”
[It was sent after grasping the situation. Reinforcements are expected to arrive in 3 hours. Blocking the monsters' advance by gathering all the city's golems (intended for guarding, patrolling, and maintaining public order). They can delay the monsters for about 30 minutes.]
The golem network, which the current Emperor had created, was indeed impressive. While the humans panicked, the golems did everything in their power. Despite that, they lacked both time and manpower in this situation.
”I see. It's time I pay back the Empire for its kindness, with my life.”
The eastern Guard Captain (level 5, a 37 year old bachelor) silently muttered and gripped his greatsword. The other three guard captains grabbed their weapons and rushed over. They were well aware of the current situation, due to the golems' reports, and looked ready to die.
”You won't take one more step into this city until we die!”
”Uooooooooh. In the name of the Loyal s.h.i.+eld, I'll kill all of you dirty monsters!”
”Captain, I'll come with you!”
”They'll have to walk over my dead body to get through!”
The sight of the Guard Captain practicing n.o.blesse oblige moved the soldiers, dispelling the once stagnant atmosphere. They were 1,000 strong, excluding the golems! Their resolve to die was truly blinding.
'Ah, what the h.e.l.l. I finally came up to the surface, but there are undead up here too.'
Whereas Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who couldn't empathize with the soldiers, ascertained the situation and frowned. He'd come to the surface, yet he had to fight against a dungeon countercurrent of monsters, which were all undead. There's only so much you can disappoint someone!
”s.h.i.+n Woo, we're almost at the gate.”
”Ok, ok.”
The city was in chaos, so no one cared that a huge warhorse was running across the road. No, they probably didn't have the time to even care. The situation was great for Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and Jin.
”Good, let's go!”
”Heup!”
Jin sprinted forward and leapedleapt up before they hit the gate. The walls were only 5 meters high, so Jin didn't even need to create the springs through Steel Heart. With just a battle cry and a light jump, they were able to pa.s.s over the wall.
”What!?”
”No way...!”