Railgun Field Testing

Bell and Lisa prepared for the impending ice drake threat, uncertain of their exact point of entry. Would it be from the trees? If so, which side or direction within the forest? Bell had no clue, but the distant sound of gunshots already echoed from the forest's general direction.

"Overlord, heads up, we've got incoming snow drakes from the north. We'll handle those pesky lizards, but we may not eliminate them all before they pass through the village," a member of SPEAR Team 1 urgently informed him.

"That's our signal, Bell," Lisa declared as she dashed toward the southern part of the village, clutching her railgun tightly. Bell followed suit, leaving their rucksacks behind, as the drakes posed a far greater immediate threat. Amid their sprint through the village, the perplexed elves could only wonder about the peculiar weapons the demons wielded.

In the midst of the chaos, an elder elf, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and misunderstanding, gestured frantically at Bell and Lisa. "Stop! Your devices will enrage the ice spirits!" he exclaimed, mistakenly viewing the railgun as a tool to summon more dangerous beings rather than a weapon to fend off the drakes.

One elf made an attempt to forcibly seize the railgun from Lisa's grip. In response, Lisa delivered a gentle but decisive kick to his abdomen. "Back off! There are ice drakes advancing on your village!" Lisa then cast a sharp gaze toward the tree lines, pondering where the diminutive dragons might appear.

Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated further. Another group of elves, armed with traditional bows, blocked their path, their arrows trained on Bell and Lisa. Suspicion and fear colored their expressions. "Your dark sorcery will bring doom upon us all!" one of them shouted, utterly misunderstanding the true nature of the firearms.

These elves believed that the use of such unfamiliar technology would violate sacred pacts with the forest spirits, exacerbating the drake assault. However, Bell held no such beliefs. The drakes were charging toward them, and they would lay waste to the village without mercy. Regardless of any supposed pacts with forest spirits, it was evident that those agreements had done a shoddy job of protecting the area, as a true spirit would have diverted the drakes elsewhere.

Through his helmet's radio, a tense voice crackled, "Overlord, visual confirmation of the elves. Are we clear to engage? Over."

Bell, deftly sidestepping an agitated villager, responded promptly and firmly, "Negative, Spear Team. Maintain your positions and standby. We're dealing with a delicate situation on the ground. Over."

"Understood, Overlord. Standing by. But be advised, drake activity is escalating. Time is running short. Spear 1-7 out," came the voice from SPEAR Team, urgency permeating every word. However, with enchanted arrows trained on them, they were effectively immobilized for the moment.

Suddenly, Eldrin reappeared, this time accompanied by more elven archers, their anger palpable. Bell, maintaining his composure under the intense scrutiny of the elves, attempted to reason with Eldrin. "Eldrin, please listen to me. We're not here to oppose you or your people. Our sole purpose is to safeguard your village from the ice drakes," he explained, his voice unwavering yet charged with urgency. "Allow us to help!" he implored.

Meanwhile, Lisa, spotting an ice drake amid the trees, concluded that waiting for the situation to resolve itself was futile. She swiftly drew her pistol from its holster and conjured a magical barrier with her left hand. Simultaneously, she aimed the railgun toward the ice drake, ensuring it would not harm any elves. She squeezed the trigger.

The thunderous roar of the railgun reverberated through the air, startling the elves with its sheer intensity. It wasn't just the sound that was awe-inspiring; electric sparks crackled from the barrel of Lisa's rifle, resembling a fierce thunderstorm. With practiced precision, Lisa opened the breach, loaded another sabot round, steadied herself, took aim, and fired once more. The railgun responded with another ear-splitting detonation of sound, asserting its dominance in the ensuing silence. The elven archers facing them dropped their bows and fled in fear, dreading the potential wrath of Lisa's railgun.

"Good shot, good shot," Bell chimed in, observing the crimson mist that had just dispersed.

The tremendous force of the railgun pierced through three drakes simultaneously before embedding itself in the ground, causing a minor explosion solely from the energy it generated. Lisa swiftly replaced the railgun's battery with a fresh one and scanned for additional snow drakes.

Shifting his attention to Eldrin, Bell cautioned, "Eldrin, please refrain from any rash actions, understood?"

Eldrin stood in stunned silence, having witnessed how the railgun obliterated everything in its path, from the trees to the drakes, even proving challenging for enchanted arrows to penetrate. He directed his archers to cease hostilities and instead focus on launching a barrage of colorful arrows toward the forest, saturating the area with projectiles.

"Overlord, we've got more drakes approaching from the south! We can't provide cover in that direction; it's beyond our surveillance!" came the urgent message.

"Understood."

Lisa tapped Bell's shoulder and said, "Hey, I can handle this on my own. You hold off the ones coming from the south. You've got the right ammunition, right?" She wanted to ensure that Bell was using M995 ammunition, specifically designed to penetrate the drakes' tough scales.

Bell, while unloading his magazine, nodded confidently. "Yeah, don't worry. I've got the right ammo."

"Good. Now, go," Lisa instructed as she prepared to face the oncoming threat alone.

Bell swiftly maneuvered through the wooden houses, traversing the village center before reaching its outskirts. There, he encountered a wide, road-like opening teeming with a mixture of undead and drakes. They remained a considerable distance away, but the presence of the undead in the group raised concerns. Bell suspected that his bullets might hit the undead before reaching the more dangerous drakes. Testing the 120mm mortar seemed like a prudent idea.

Assessing the situation with a tactical mindset, Bell keyed his radio. "Wiseman, this is Overlord, requesting fire support. Fire mission, grid EP-11331129. Mixed elements, undead and ice drakes in the open. Numbers unknown, danger close. How copy, over?"

The radio crackled to life in response. "Overlord, this is Wiseman, solid copy on fire mission. Grid EP-11331129, mixed targets in the open, danger close. Standby for shot, over."

Bell swiftly relocated to a better vantage point, ensuring a clear view of the target area. He observed the approaching drakes and undead, a menacing conglomeration of threats advancing ominously toward the village. Even with his assault rifle, Bell harbored doubts about his ability to handle the entire horde, as piercing weapons seemed essential for dealing with this amalgamation.

"Baseplate, Overlord. Be advised, friendlies are within 100 meters of the target location. Precision is crucial for this strike, over."

"Roger that, Overlord. Adjusting for minimal collateral. Shot out in 20 seconds, over," came the reply from Moore through the radio.

As Bell waited, his gaze remained fixed on the encroaching horde, ready to modify or abort the strike if necessary.

"Baseplate to Overlord, shot over," the voice from the radio announced.

"Shot out, Baseplate. Overlord standing by for effect," Bell affirmed, maintaining his composure despite the advancing onslaught of undead and drakes.

Moments later, the shrill whistling of the 120mm mortar rounds sliced through the air, growing louder as they closed in on their target. The impacts were deafening, echoing across the battlefield. Explosions erupted, unleashing shockwaves and debris into the surroundings. The ground trembled violently, seemingly reacting to the ferocity of the explosions.

The undead met instant annihilation, their forms disintegrating in the wake of the explosions. The drakes, despite their resilience, were thrown off balance, their armored scales offering little protection. Some were torn apart by the blasts, their dismembered remains raining down from the sky in a fiery descent.

With each successive 120mm mortar round that landed, more explosions erupted on the ground, creating a macabre dance of destruction. The elves witnessed this spectacle from the side, some staring directly at it while others peered fearfully from the windows of their houses.

"Overlord, Baseplate. BDA on your call, over," came the inquiry.

Bell assessed the aftermath, quickly gauging the extent of the damage. "Baseplate, good effect on the target. Approximately 100% reduction in enemy strength on my side. I'll provide further updates later. Overlord out."

The elves could only regard Bell with a mixture of awe and fear. It harked back to memories of demons enslaving other species for their own gain centuries ago, a recollection deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness. The explosive display served as a stark reminder of the immense power that a single demon could wield, especially with the capabilities of modern weaponry.

"All clear on my end here, Overlord," Lisa reported over the radio.

The leader of the SPEAR team inadvertently left his communication channel open and remarked, "That was quite the show, huh, Sergeant?"

Bell chimed in with a good-natured tone, "I heard that, 1-7."

"I apologize, sir. It won't happen again. 1-7 out," the leader responded, acknowledging his oversight.

[Trial #3: Off The Grid - Stage 2] 

[Hold Off The Group of Undeads For 12:00:00]

[Wave Will Come in 01:00:00]

Congratulations on successfully repelling the young ice dragon's offspring, but the challenges are far from over. Without the safeguard of the ice spirit, this village becomes increasingly susceptible to a substantial undead assault. Your mission is to maintain your position until nightfall.

Expect attacks to come from every direction, both from the air and the ground. It's crucial to fortify your anti-air defenses and summon additional soldiers, even though this may incur Eldrin's displeasure. The introduction of more advanced technology may potentially provoke the ire of any remaining ice spirits, if they still exist.

[Rewards: None]

"You've got to be kidding me!" Bell exclaimed. Holding off the enemy under these circumstances was an entirely different challenge. He had done it under ideal conditions, but with civilians in the mix and the looming threat of collateral damage, Eldrin needed to be informed. If he couldn't get on board with the plan, Bell was prepared to take charge by any means necessary to ensure the village's safety.

Despite any complaints from the archers, the priority now was to marshal all available resources, from personnel to weaponry, within the village's defenses. Everything had to be mobilized.

"Spear Team 1, this is Overlord. Assemble in the village immediately. Overlord out."

[After Action Reports: 30 Ice Drakes Killed, 40 Husks Killed]

[3,020,000 EP Rewarded, 21,000 EXP Rewarded]