◈ 138. [STAGE 5] Grade N
< Protect the Empire > is a brutal game.
Not only in terms of making mistakes irreversible, but also in terms of grading people.
Rating.
Human values classified as SSR-SR-RN.
Resources in this game are limited. Equipment, items, and experience points are obviously finite.
In order to clear, it must be distributed efficiently.
In the end, resources are concentrated on high-level characters with higher talents.
Good equipment is given, priority is given to acquiring items, and experience points are driven.
The gap widens.
An unbridled gap is created between the high and low grades.
The difference in talent is real. That is an undeniable fact.
However, it is the player’s choice that makes the decisive difference.
While high-ranking characters become protagonists on stage and are praised as saviors of the world.
The majority of low-grade characters, especially the lowest-grade N-grade characters.
Without receiving a decent opportunity, as a meat shield, as a throwaway horse, as a cannon fodder… … used and discarded
Dead or wounded or worse.
Lonely in the shadows, he leaves behind the stage.
… .
That’s just one of the countless brutalities of this game.
***
That’s why N-class must be proved.
You only have one chance.
High-ranking characters continue to receive opportunities even after they fail, but such luxury does not happen to N-rankers.
A moment to be thrown into the battlefield.
You have to seize that first and last chance.
useless.
usefulness.
value of life.
Must show.
You have to show the whole world that you are a simple meat shield and not a cannon fodder.
To get out of the shadows and into the light.
Because everyone wants to be in the spotlight.
Because everyone wants to be the main character.
everyone… .
Because I live with such a dream.
***
The number of humans is meaningless in a Vampire vs. Vampire match.
Rather, if you become a vampire target, it will only be a means of restoring the monsters’ physical strength.
It’s better to skip the regular soldiers and deal with small elites.
Ash ordered that, and Lucas thought it was reasonable.
While Ash was alone with the Vampire King, command of the front line was transferred to Lucas.
Lucas tried to prepare for battle with a party of heroes while the vampires climbed the wall while the regular soldiers retreated to the back row.
However, before the regular soldiers could finish their retreat, the vampires arrived at the wall.
《There are many.》
Vampires – no, predators swallowed their saliva all at once, looking at the humans swarming on the wall.
《How much is a sacrament?》
《The humans of the Lake Kingdom are all broken like corpses, so they don’t even taste good.》
《Let’s drink fresh blood to our heart’s content.》
“… .”
Kwak.
Lucas gripped his sword in front of the monsters licking their lips and talking.
We can’t let them attack common soldiers.
For vampires, blood and life are military supplies.
As much as the damage this side takes, it benefits them. We need to reduce the damage of general soldiers as much as possible.
but.
‘… I can’t block them all at the same time.’
Lucas glanced at the butler and the two vampires dressed as maids.
Alpha and Beta.
Vampire General- The highest individual vampire general, directly below the vampire lord.
‘This side’s core force has to deal with those two.’
I assumed alpha and beta opponents in advance and proceeded with training. You can’t change that squad now.
In the end, the only thing that has to stop five normal vampires
is “Knight! Leave it to us!”
“… Dion.”
these.
It is a redundant force that cannot become the most elite.
Lucas drool as he saw Dion and his five subordinates step up first. Dion raised his voice.
“In the first place, it was our role to stop the normal vampires and pass the time, right?”
“… .”
“You can do it! I trained hard too!”
That’s right. But things have changed.
‘It’s not a situation where only five vampires have to be stopped. General soldiers who are in retreat must also be protected.’
The difficulty of the mission increased this ship.
Would it be right to entrust this task to the Dion mercenaries, who still had little experience?
‘If the lord had been there, what would he have made?’
Lucas shook his head vigorously.
Ash trusted Lucas and gave him command. If so, you shouldn’t cling only to Ash like a child forever.
Vampires are right in front of you. It was time to make a decision.
“I order it as the deputy commander. The big tactic goes exactly as His Highness Prince Ashe instructed.”
Lucas glared at the slowly approaching Beta, dragging the ax on the floor.
“First, I will stop that monster maid.”
Next to him, Alpha was following him while casting blood magic.
“Evangeline. You must stop that butler, the blood mage.”
“Just leave it to me!”
Evangeline, who fixed her shield, grinned.
“God Hand. body bag. Assist both of us.”
God Hand and Body Bag only nodded their heads with stiff faces.
“Jupiter. Junior. Damian. old girl. Skull. Above is the attack team. Then, flexibly choose the optimal target and attack.”
2 wizards and 3 snipers form an offensive team.
The rest of the party will take down the vampires one by one while forming a defensive line.
Everyone silently checked their magic powers and equipment.
“The rest of the Old Hunters and all of the Dion Mercenaries.”
Lucas looked around at the rest of the members and nodded.
“It stops ordinary vampires. Just don’t be too aggressive.”
The veterans of the Old Hunters nodded in unison, and Dion and the mercenaries grinned and slapped their weapons on their shields. bang bang!
“The situation is different from what we had imagined in advance. They will try to kill the regular soldiers who are still retreating first, not you.”
It is natural that he would avoid confrontation with heroic characters and aim for weak general soldiers.
“You protect the common soldiers while they retreat… keep in mind Your life comes first.”
Lucas repeatedly said to his regular vampire counterpart.
“Vampires are different from normal monsters. very wicked… … and they are evil If they see an opening, they will try to kill you first.”
Lucas looked around and nodded.
“Block them as much as possible and respond appropriately to the situation.”
“yes!”
“good. All sortie!”
Blue eyes spilled over his faceplate, and Lucas pressed down on his helmet.
“If we stop these guys, it will be our victory! let’s go-!”
The heroic characters fixed their weapons and started running towards their respective enemies.
Dion and the Dion mercenaries wow! I jumped at the five normal vampires who were screaming and approaching.
***
“Stay in formation and fight no matter what! If we scatter, we die!”
Dion shouted, holding a silver dagger in both hands. The Dion mercenaries nodded at the same time.
How long have you been training to move as one body?
Dion and the mercenaries knew themselves well. that each of them is insignificant.
However, when all five of them come together as one, they can create a much stronger synergy than the sum of each individual.
Even that powerful vampire could be sufficiently stopped.
however. It was as Lucas said.
Vampires were cunning and evil.
They didn’t even care about the Dion mercenary’s line of deterrence in the first place.
He evaded the defense line and rushed at the general soldiers behind him.
“no!”
“I had to stop… !”
Lightly skipping over the dejected screams of humans.
Five vampires rushed at the regular soldiers who were still retreating under the walls.
Pooh-!
Blood splashed everywhere.
The regular soldiers were also those with thick bones on the front lines here.
In particular, those who remained until the end were the Twilight Troops.
They were veterans who had survived battles with monsters hundreds of times, not just veterans.
Blasphemy!
But the shield bends like candy and
chokes!
The armor is torn like pieces of paper.
Kwadeuk-!
And bite the nape of the neck
The five vampires planted their heads on the scruffs of humans and greedily sucked their blood.
The five general soldiers who became victims died violently without even screaming.
“iced coffee… .》
A vampire with his head raised, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, murmured in a low voice.
“It’s not enough, it’s not enough… .》
Throwing the human corpse, which had dried up like an old tree in an instant, on the floor, the vampire turned around to find the next prey.
“profit… !”
“I’ll turn off the time, so you guys quickly retreat!”
The Twilight Corps leader raised his mace and shouted. And that became the will of this old man.
Chow-!
A vampire clad in armor lowered his longsword.
The twilight leader’s mace shattered in that blow.
In addition, the shoulder and waist below it were cut in two diagonally.
“nice… omg.”
After joining in Stage 2, the end of the old soldier who took over the command of the general soldiers during the four defense battles was empty and disastrous.
The body, broken in two, fell backwards. The vampire who killed the old soldier hung his head on the floor and swallowed the bloody water.
“Daejaaaaang!”
“These damn monsters dare to captain… !”
Seeing this, the eyes of the other Twilight Corps veterans widened.
The retreating soldiers drew their weapons in unison and turned back.
“This is not the time! retreat! You must retreat! Holy shit folks!”
Dion screamed at his throat.
“Retreat-!”
However, the call has not yet reached. Enraged by the death of their captain, the soldiers gave up retreat and rushed back to the vampires.
Of course the veterans knew.
Having gone through countless battles, he knew very well that there was no chance of winning against these vampires.
But in front of the death of the captain who has been with him all his life.
They are too old to turn a blind eye to death and run away to life.
And he had to pay the price.
hooked! Pucak! Pooh… … !
A massacre took place.
The old soldiers who had been soaking the walls of this place with the blood of monsters for decades drenched the walls with their own blood.
In no time, the top of the castle wall became a field of corpses. On it, the vampires feasted.
blood.
flesh.
It devours, chews, and covets.
“Hey hey… !”
In front of the deaths of those who shared the joys and sorrows until just yesterday.
The coolness of the Dion mercenaries was evaporating. Hessen, the warrior in charge of the vanguard, was the first to put reason into anger.
“You fucking vampire bastards!”
“No Hessen! When it comes out alone… … !”
Hessen kicked off the ground and charged towards the nearest vampire.
“Keep your formation! Cool! Damn Hessian!”
Dion reached out and tried to grab Hessen’s back, but it was too late.
“Aaaaaaa-!”
Hessen, who ran out holding a silver longsword, swung down at the vampire right in front of him.
Hessen’s level is 25.
In the meantime, countless monsters have been cut in that hellish dungeon.
Maybe I was confident in my heart. No matter how much the opponent is a vampire, he can feed at least one blow.
Zeng-!
However, the silver sword hit an empty floor, not a vampire.
‘uh?’
When the bewildered Hessian raised his head.
Vampires surrounded Hessen as if they had been waiting.
Yes, other than that expression, there was no other expression that was more appropriate.
As soon as Hessen ran out, they surrounded them as if they had been waiting for them and smiled.
Revealing sharp fangs stained red with blood.
“Oh shit… .”
Whoop! Whoop!
The vampires’ swords and claws penetrated through the cracks in Hessen’s armor.
Hessen, who was coughing up blood from the side of his mouth, barely turned his head toward Dion and his colleagues and murmured softly.
“I’m sorry, guys.”
In the next moment, five vampire fangs lodged in Hessen’s nape at the same time.
