Chapter 254

A few days later, past noon.

Standing atop the city walls, I swallowed a dry lump in my throat.

At last, it was the day of Stage 10.

Regular defense battles were always tense, but today was a boss stage. It was naturally more nerve-wracking.

'It seems easier than I thought.'

I recalled the Vampire Legion that had sprung out in Stage 5.

Those bastards had ridiculous tricks and held horrifying strength.

The Werewolf Legion was also formidable in terms of raw power, but the Vampire Legion was undeniably a tougher opponent. 

Those bastards would resurrect after dying, right?

Moreover, due to the penalty for the Werewolf Legion's intrusion in the previous Stage 9, no dark event had occurred.

According to Aider, several other penalties had also been imposed on the Werewolf Legion.

Probably, the Werewolf Legion I faced in the game now had a lower spec.

'I can definitely handle this.'

I scanned the top of the city walls.

Crowded with various defensive weapons and artifacts, soldiers in fine armor and weapons, and dozens of hero characters ready for battle.

Confidence surged within me. I nodded in satisfaction.

"They're coming!"

Just then, a scout shouted loudly. I raised a telescope and scanned the southern plains.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Hundreds of werewolves kicked up dust clouds as they emerged from the other side of the plains.

Chills ran down my spine. So, these monsters have finally come!

[Enemy Info - STAGE 10]

- Lv.? ??? : 1 body

- Lv.45 White Werewolf : 4 bodies

- Lv.35 Gray Werewolf : 245 bodies

- Lv.30 Brown Werewolf : 450 bodies

Exactly 700 in total.

After swallowing hard, I stretched out my hand to the side.

Instantly, the soldiers rushed to the cannons and ballistae, preparing to fire.

Once those bastards got closer, I planned to give them a mouthful of the famed Crossroad's crossfire.

But then,

Thud! Thud! Thud...!

The werewolves, advancing in formation, suddenly stopped.

They were precisely outside the range of our artillery. The werewolves halted their march, merely marching in place.

Dust clouds continued to rise around the werewolf pack, but time stood still.

Our artillery troops were sweating cold beads. I blinked, bewildered. What are they doing?

'Could it be a "come-at-me" tactic?'

What's a 'come-at-me' tactic?

Literally, 'You come at me'.

It's a strategy where you keep a distance and provoke from afar, waiting for the opponent to break their defense and attack.

To fight on a more advantageous battleground.

In a defense game, it's the stance I, as a player, always take. 

You think you can fight? Come to the walls! That sort of vibe.

... But now, it seemed like the werewolf bastards were challenging us from the plains, as if saying, 'If you want to kill us, abandon your defense and come out.'

While a typical monster legion would immediately attack the nearest human, these were intelligent werewolves under the direct command of the Nightmare Legion Commander.

That's why they could pull off such antics.

'Damn, this is hilarious.'

I let out a hollow laugh. Do you think I'd leave?

In the game, there was a time limit to clear, forcing me to shed blood and tears as I went out to the plains to fight them off.

But here, there's no such time constraint.

Moreover, on this side, we had the overwhelming advantage of the city walls and the siege weapons.

Why would I give up the home ground advantage and fight them on their terms?

I lifted my telescope to observe them. Through the billowing clouds of dust, I could see four giant white werewolves, and seated between them on a chair was a werewolf with silvery-red fur.

Lunared.

Our eyes met, and the Wolf King gave a cruel, sly smile, beckoning me with a finger, as if inviting me to come out.

My eyebrows twitched involuntarily.

'That bastard?'

Soon, the thick dust raised by the werewolves' movement obscured Lunared from my view.

I clenched my teeth and put away the telescope.

'Even if it kills me, I'm not coming out, you bastards!'

Wait for days or months if you want! Come in if you dare!

***

Night fell.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Those damn wolves hadn't advanced an inch, just constantly shuffling their feet.

Given that werewolves received buffs under moonlight, I assumed they would make their move then.

But they didn't. Basking in the moonlight, their faces looked even more spirited, yet they remained stationary. What the hell are they doing, damn it!

With their natural healing abilities and the boost they received from the moonlight, the werewolves seemed as lively as ever.

In contrast, our soldiers on the walls were clearly exhausted.

It made sense. The wolves had been constantly stirring, keeping our defenses on high alert, though they hadn't actually attacked. Our forces had been in a state of battle readiness for over half a day, burning both their stamina and will.

The condition of our soldiers had noticeably worsened.

"I've never seen such restless creatures before..."

Lucas, following my comment, narrowed his eyes, adding, "They always used to attack directly and quickly. It's as if they're purposely wasting time to drain our energy."

"It feels like we're at war with humans."

I shut my mouth tight, a chill running down my spine.

In any case, I couldn't let our soldiers suffer through another sleepless night.

I divided them into two groups, instructing them to rest in shifts.

The same went for the members of the hero party. I told them to disperse and sleep until I called upon them.

They were our most important force; their stamina was crucial.

Watching my comrades settle into makeshift sleeping spots or sitting and resting at various points on the walls, I leaned back in my chair, keeping a close watch on the enemy lines.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Under the moonlight, the werewolves moved in a disciplined rhythm.

How long were they planning to do this?

Was their goal to wear us out? Or were they genuinely hoping we'd lower our defenses and come out to attack them?

'What are you thinking, Lunared...?'

***

...The night passed, and dawn broke. Morning shifted into afternoon. A full day had passed since they first revealed themselves.

Citizens began to tremble in unease as, for the first time ever, monsters had not been repelled for over a day.

Historically, the city's defenses had never endured a siege for more than a day.

Moreover, with the monsters continuously stomping their feet and growling all day...

The citizens grew anxious. Many began to inquire if they should seek refuge, just like during the last defensive battle.

The refuge built outside the city's northern walls was better equipped for emergencies. So, in the event of a crisis, it certainly seemed like a safer option for survival.

I announced that any citizen who wanted to could take shelter in the refuge.

Upon hearing this, more than half of the city's inhabitants swiftly packed their belongings and headed to the refuge. After all, safety first.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Those damn wolves still stirred up dust with their incessant stomping, but the soldiers atop the walls seemed to have adapted to the situation.

Soldiers took turns returning to the barracks for rest.

Along the way, some deposited their equipment in need of repair at the blacksmith's, and some of the heroes began to vanish beneath the walls, attending to their own matters.

Things had slackened.

They had gotten too lax.

But one couldn't entirely blame the soldiers and heroes.

Those damn wolves showed no sign of launching an attack. What could one do?

Better to rest a bit and be ready for when they did attack than to stay constantly tensed and exhausted when the actual confrontation began.

"Your Majesty, I'll go take care of the patients at the temple."

"Oh, and I'll stop by the alchemy workshop and then check on the situation at the refuge. I'll be back soon."

Saintess Margarita and Lilly approached me and spoke. I readily nodded.

These two, along with three auxiliary heroes, formed a party of five – they were the last reserve unit.

Even if the wolf bastards began their march again, these five could join the defense at the walls a bit later.

Moreover, both of them had previously overseen the construction and management of the refuge. Given that the citizens' stay at the refuge might be longer than anticipated, they'd want to assess the situation.

"Take care of your tasks and return. If something happens, I'll shoot a flare. Join immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"We'll be back soon! Stay strong, everyone!"

Saintess Margarita and Lilly's five-member party disappeared beneath the walls.

Watching the soldiers and heroes moving up and down the walls, I let out a long yawn.

"Things are getting dragged out..."

***

As the sun began to set in the east, signaling the onset of night, the opposite western sky revealed a rising full moon.

It was a full moon.

A 'blood moon'.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Was it my imagination? As the full moon rose, the stomping noises of the wolves seemed to grow fiercer.

And then, suddenly,

Howl!

Hooooowl!

The wolves, almost in unison, tilted their heads to the sky and began howling.

The howls of hundreds of werewolves filled the vast plains.

The drowsy soldiers on the wall snapped to attention.

I swallowed hard.

'It can't be... Were they waiting for the full moon?'

Werewolves, by nature, receive a buff from moonlight, and its effect maximizes on a full moon night.

If they were waiting for the full moon to receive their most powerful buff, then their behavior over the last day made sense.

'Ha!'

I snorted in both amusement and disbelief.

A month ago or even today, no matter how powerful a buff you received, you weren't invincible.

At best, you would become a bit faster, a bit fiercer.

Yet, when facing the crossfire from our side, they scattered all the same.

'Stop dilly-dallying and hurry up! Just knock them all out!'

I raised the telescope to scrutinize their camp. As the sun was setting, I wanted to get one last look.

"Damn."

But the dust cloud they had stirred up was so thick that I couldn't see anything clearly.

Especially Lunared. After catching a glimpse of him at the start, I hadn't been able to spot him again.

It was as if... he had slipped away from his own camp...

"...?"

In that moment, chills ran down my spine.

Thud!

I threw the telescope to the ground and pressed my hand against my forehead. Hold on, just a second.

Why were they noisily moving about and howling?

I had assumed it was to distract our soldiers and break our formation. But what if it wasn't?

'To divert attention to themselves?'

Why would they want all eyes on them? Obviously, to distract from 'something else.'

What were they trying to hide?

'Distract the enemy with noise from the east and attack from the west.'

This basic military strategy came to mind. 

If, while their main force was loudly drawing our attention, they had dispatched a separate unit under the cover of night and the dust cloud?

'But where would they send this separate unit? Those monster bastards always attack the southern wall of Crossroad...'

Mid-thought, my eyes widened in realization.

Why had I assumed they would only attack the 'southern wall' of Crossroad?

The land in front of Crossroad's southern wall was a plain.

Whereas, the areas in front of the eastern and western walls were swamps, and the region around the northern wall was rugged mountain terrain.

Due to these geographical features, and the proximity to the Lake Kingdom dungeon, the monsters, always seeking the shortest route to kill humans, had always attacked the southern wall.

It was the same in the game. In fact, the game didn't even manage the walls on the north, east, or west sides.

Only the southern wall saw any combat.

But this was reality.

And for these nefariously cunning werewolves, crossing the swamp, traversing the mountains, and flanking to attack a less-defended wall was entirely possible...!

"...Wait a second."

Then it hit me.

The refuge.

Built in anticipation of an attack by Jormungandr, it was... located outside the northern wall.

If the Werewolf Legion truly had dispatched a separate unit.

And if this unit were to storm the refuge-

"Damn it."

I wasn't certain. But I had a bad feeling.

In desperation, I shouted.

"Strengthen the defenses at the eastern, western, and northern gates! Place barricades outside the refuge by the northern gate!"

"Huh?"

Lucas, startled by my outburst, questioned, and I yelled back at him.

"Tell everyone to get inside the walls! Now-!"

***

North-east of Crossroad. The Refuge.

"Why are these monsters taking their time this go around, Lilly?"

A worried citizen asked, and Lilly responded with a smile.

"Don't worry. Our troops will handle them soon enough. Just one more night here and it will all be fine."

"It's unsettling, isn't it? I've been living here for nearly 20 years, and I've never seen monsters manipulate time like this before."

"Haha. You know our lord, don't you? They've defeated even the fiercest monsters before. This time will be no different."

"I do trust our lord, but..."

Lilly, after finishing repairs on the malfunctioning alchemical water purification system, offered a comforting smile to a groaning citizen.

Not far off, Saintess Margarita was attending to the sick.

The atmosphere in the refuge was palpably tense, a stark difference from normal. This prolonged standoff with the horde of monsters was casting a grim shadow.

The faint sound of monsters' footsteps and howls reverberated all the way to where they were.

'...It'll be okay. I just need to do what I have to do.'

Suppressing the rising anxiety, Lilly wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around to see if there were other systems that needed fixing.

That's when it happened.

"Ah! No!"

"Arghhh!"

The screams of the guards echoed harshly.

As Lilly and the startled citizens turned their heads in that direction—

"What the—?"

Holding the body of a guard torn in half, a massive werewolf with silver-red streaks was laughing malevolently.

"There's plenty of tasty prey here, isn't there~?"