Chapter 118: World Tree Revival Operation (4)
While Kim Ki-Rok stood face-to-face with a Lesser Demon, a High Elf, a Saintess, the Commander of the Paladin Order, and the top-ranked Hunters were fighting elsewhere, locked in a life-or-death struggle against two Intermediate Demons.
However, they weren't the only ones in a desperate fight. The defenders on the castle walls were also putting their lives on the line.
Shriek!
Monsters scrambling up from below were struck down with spears.
—Flying monsters incoming!
They raised their bows, aiming at the rapidly approaching enemies overhead.
"They're swarming us like a pack of dogs!" Nam Dong-Wook shouted from the ramparts, drawing his bow again and again in mounting frustration.
There was no time to rest. The assault was relentless. Among the attackers were everything from low-level Lesser monsters to Greater monsters that couldn't be felled with a single blow. And now, flying monsters swept through the sky, adding to the chaos.
Rooooar!
"Ogre incoming! Fuck!"
At Yoo Seh-Eun's distant cry, Nam Dong-Wook gritted his teeth and drew his bowstring. He couldn't damage Greater monsters without using his Skill, Mana Arrow, especially the giant ones. He released the shot, aiming at the ogre covered in blotches of dark red.
The Mana Arrow streaked through the air and exploded on impact. Although one of those arrows would have been enough to take down an average monster, he was dealing with an ogre, a species usually over Level 80. Because it had been contaminated by the mana of the Demon Realm, its physical abilities were closer to that of a Level 85 monster. Thus, his arrows were nowhere powerful enough to damage it.
Each Mana Arrow let out a thunderous blast as it struck the ogre's side. Nam Dong-Wook fired again, and again, and again, arrows formed of pure mana exploding one after another. The shockwaves echoed through the air, but the ogre continued its advance, slow and unyielding, closing the distance step by heavy step.
Then, without warning, it stopped and slowly raised its head.
"Ugh, shit."
A chill ran down Nam Dong-Wook's spine as he realized the ogre was staring directly at him.
"I must be imagining things," he muttered.
Attacks flew from all directions at the ogre, including that of Elementals summoned by Elven Elementalists and spells cast by the mages. Yet, the ogre's gaze remained fixed on Nam Dong-Wook.
Refusing to accept what he was seeing, he quickly moved to the far right end of the wall and drew his bow again.
"Ugh, fuck."
He met the ogre's eyes once more. Slowly, he lowered his bow and moved again, this time to the far left end of the wall. He pulled the bowstring again, and once more, their eyes locked. He swallowed hard.
The ogre began to march toward him, radiating murderous intent.
"Uh, why? Why me? Other people are attacking it too..." Nam Dong-Wook tilted his head in confusion. Then, as he was struck by a thought, he slowly lowered it to look at his bow.
[Safeguard of Ellinia (A) +2]
Description: Bow of Elf Warrior Ellinia
Effect 1: Mana penetration increased by 25%
Effect 2: Skill and mana usage reduced by 15%
Effect 3: +2 to Strength, Vitality, and Magic
When Kim Ki-Rok gave permission to unseal equipment for the Gate operation, Nam Dong-Wook had immediately equipped the Safeguard of Ellinia. Its first effect alone was enough to make a difference, but it had come to bite him now.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
However, that wasn't all. The ring on his left index finger was an artifact that imbued mana-infused weapons with a poison effect.
[Toxic Ring of the Black Assassin (C)]
Description: A cherished item of the Black Assassin
Effect: Poison Weapon
Until now, Nam Dong-Wook had been channeling mana into the Toxic Ring of the Black Assassin while using the Safeguard of Ellinia, layering poison on top of mana arrows.
"Damn, the aggro is on me now."
He had been shooting arrows using a bow that increased mana penetration, each one laced with mana poison from the Toxic Ring. Even though he was dealing more damage than the Elven warriors or mages, drawing this much aggro could endanger the allies positioned in the rear.
Nam Dong-Wook was about to jump down from the wall but was stopped by Kang Seh-Hyuk, who ran up and blocked his path. "Jeez, what the hell did you do to become the ogre's main target?"
"Because I'm too strong?"
"Ha-ha, very funny."
As the ogre leaped forward and swung its massive iron club downward, Kang Seh-Hyuk jumped into the air and raised his shield. A thunderous crash rang out as the club collided with the shield and was deflected, though the impact sent him crashing to the ground.
"Vermillion Bird! Air Cushion!" Kang Seh-Hyuk requested.
"Damn it!"
Nam Dong-Wook pulled out a bundle of spell scrolls from his pocket and tore them all at once.
Kim Ki-Rok had brought a firefighter to the guild, introducing him as a part-time worker. The man had awakened a specialized skill called Air Cushion and saved many lives as a firefighter. At Kim Ki-Rok's suggestion, the firefighter agreed to collaborate with Scroll Maker Cha Min-Ji to mass-produce scrolls imbued with that skill.
Thanks to that, Kang Seh-Hyuk passed through dozens of thin, layered air cushions and landed safely atop the wall.
"Hey, take this. Replenish your stack," Nam Dong-Wook said gruffly, handing over more scrolls.
Kang Seh-Hyuk was already pulling out another bundle from his own pocket, and muttered, "Do you really have to block it like that?"
"You can't just block it head-on. No way. You've got to stop the strike before its force peaks."
"So what? You expect me to keep firing arrows and burn through scrolls?"
"Huh? You're really planning to keep attacking the ogre?" Kang Seh-Hyuk glanced at the ogre's eyes, then its massive arm, before turning back to Nam Dong-Wook.
"Why not?"
"If you keep shooting, it's just going to stay locked on you."
Nam Dong-Wook knew he had no choice. If they wanted to bring the ogre down, someone had to keep up the assault. Unfortunately, the more damage he dealt, the more it would target him.
"What is this, a one-sided love?" Kang Seh-Hyuk murmured.
Without thinking, Nam Dong-Wook smacked Kang Seh-Hyuk's head with his bow and returned his focus to the ogre. If he kept attacking with his bow's mana penetration effect and the poison imbued from his ring, he had no doubt where the aggro would land.
Nam Dong-Wook slung the bow over his shoulder and held a stack of spell scrolls in both hands. "How many of these do I need to tear at once?"
"Roughly six or seven sheets?"
"Is it six sheets or seven?"
"The Guildmaster mass-produced those. Just tear seven."
"Got it."
Nam Dong-Wook steadied himself, preparing to tear the scrolls, while Kang Seh-Hyuk readied to leap as the ogre raised its arm once again.
—There's been a change in strategy.
Kim Ki-Rok announced while engaged in combat with a Lesser Demon. Their one-on-one duel was taking place down below, on the battlefield untouched by monsters or Black Wizards. Nam Dong-Wook kept his eyes on the fight here and listened to the incoming command.
—Open the gates. Lure the monsters into the village. We'll conduct siege and urban warfare simultaneously. Limit their points of entry to maximize damage, and isolate and eliminate any monsters that get through.
A powerful clash rang out as Kim Ki-Rok and the Lesser Demon collided. Kim Ki-Rok, momentarily forced back, vanished, leaving behind only a flickering afterimage. The Lesser Demon raised its head to scan for his location and promptly cast a defensive spell.
Another explosion echoed, much closer than expected this time.
"Huh?"
"Hey, you bastard! Air Cushion!"
"Ah!"
Nam Dong-Wook hastily tore seven sheets of the same spell, but he was a little too late. Kang Seh-Hyuk managed to pass through only two cushions before crashing through the remaining five and slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. He writhed like a squid on fire, his whole body vibrating with pain that ran down his legs. "Arrgh."
He tried to get up to retaliate against his daydreaming friend, but before he could act, Kim Ki-Rok's voice came through the earpiece again.
—We'll divide the troops. Seventy will remain on the wall, and thirty will lure the monsters into the streets to defeat them one by one. Those on the wall will focus on eliminating the monsters entering through the Gate.
Hunter Kang Ho from the Shine Guild raised an objection.
—Thirty isn't enough. Wouldn't a sixty-forty split be better?
—Once the urban combat begins, the reserve units will move in. The path to the World Tree won't be left unguarded.
—Understood. We'll divide and move out immediately.
The decision was made. Reinforcements in the rear would respond as soon as a support call came in. With that, the team assigned to urban warfare began descending from the wall without delay.
"Hey," Nam Dong-Wook called out.
"What, you little shit?" Kang Seh-Hyuk replied.
"You think we're getting sent into the city?"
"Nope. We're definitely staying on the wall."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? The ogre's locked onto you, dumbass."
Ah, right.
Upon hearing that splitting sound of the ogre's massive iron club cutting through the air, Kang Seh-Hyuk leaped into the air again and shouted, "Do it right this time!"
***
It was common for strategies to shift with the tides of battle.
The Hunters, paladins, and elves didn't panic when the orders changed. Without hesitation, they followed the commands of Kang Ho, the heroic figure who had assumed field command from Kim Ki-Rok.
The red-haired beauty and Greater Fire Elemental Warrior, Lee Ji-Yeon, was no exception. As soon as Kang Ho issued the new orders, she immediately joined the DG Guild's close-combat specialists, including Yoo Seh-Eun, and descended the fortress wall.
Not long after they reached the ground, the castle gates swung open. With thunderous roars and pounding footsteps, monsters poured through the wide-open gates, heading straight for the central keep of the border fortress. The Hunters who had been lying in ambush throughout the village launched a coordinated surprise attack.
At first, it went surprisingly well. The monsters, fixated on destroying the World Tree, charged blindly forward, unaware of the Hunters lying in wait. The real problem lay elsewhere.
It all began when she saved a paladin from danger.
"Thank you, red-haired elf!"
"I'm a hero," she corrected flatly.
"Thank you, red-haired noona!"
"I said, I'm a hero."
At first, she had felt a small spark of pride—they had mistaken her for a beautiful elf. But as time passed and more people called her as such, the embarrassment grew, especially in front of her guildmates.
Yoo Seh-Eun smirked and teased, "So... Red-haired elf, huh?"
"Please... stop..."
Seeing Lee Ji-Yeon's blushing face, Yoo Seh-Eun burst out in laughter.
It wasn't hard to see why the elves and paladins had misunderstood. Lee Ji-Yeon was stunning, and more importantly, she had such a deep affinity for nature that she was able to form a contract with a Greater Elemental.
The Hunters, of course, all knew who she was. On the other hand, the paladins and elves had only just met her. It hadn't even been a full day since they'd learned each other's names and faces. To them, anyone with enough affinity to bond with a Greater Elemental could only be one thing: an elf.
"Unnie."
"What is it, oh red-haired elf?" Yoo Seh-Eun teased.
"Please don't tell the Guildmaster."
Yoo Seh-Eun immediately shut her mouth.
What would happen if Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok ever found out about this? That would change things from "Yes, Miss Ji-Yeon, one of the most beautiful women in the DG Guild, the red-haired Elementalist with striking looks" to "Yes, Miss Ji-Yeon, the most beautiful woman in the DG Guild—no, on the entire continent. Someone so ethereal in appearance that even paladins and elves mistake her for one of their own."
"I can't promise anything," Yoo Seh-Eun finally said.
"Unnie..."
"No, seriously... You know how insane the Guildmaster's intel network is."
With Kim Ki-Rok's knack for digging up information and his almost supernatural friendliness, he'd be best friends with the paladins and elves in no time, and he'd learn everything.
Lee Ji-Yeon let out a long, weary sigh.