◈ 530. [STAGE 30]
3 months after the crack.
South from Crossroads.
in front of the Black Lake. advance base.
The day of Stage 30.
***
It’s already the 30th defense battle.
Each multiple of 5 stage is called a boss stage, and especially more difficult enemies appear.
In the meantime, the monster-nightmare corps commanders up to the 10th rank under the Demon King had marched out.
But maybe it’s because I defeated several nightmare corps commanders in the dungeon by other means, and the number of nightmare corps commanders to be sent to the boss stage was insufficient. One of the other top-tier monster corps appeared in this boss stage.
The ‘Moving Forest’ Corps.
Originally, it was a corps that did not invade the royalties, quietly guarding its territory in the corner of the dungeon. But this time, these trees invaded Inse.
The cluster of these gigantic trees that are alive and moving is itself a castle, weapon, and labyrinth.
This slow-advancing forest, composed of thousands and tens of thousands of trees, does not receive significant damage from most attacks and lures victims who come close to it to ‘eat’ them.
Those who approach this forest get lost in the forest and slowly wither away, forgetting the flow of time and the movement of space.
There are two strategies to defeat this cursed forest.
The first is to set fire to the forest.
Like a tree, it receives effective damage from fire property attacks. It certainly inflicts strong damage and burns them to death in an instant.
In a way, it can be called a regular method. I got this in game too.
However, there is a big problem, and these trees start to glow the moment fire touches them.
These trees, which had been moving silently and stealthily, let out grotesque screams as soon as they sensed their skin burning, lifted their roots from the ground, and rushed down the ground.
He then finds and kills the attacker who set fire to his body.
It doesn’t take long from the moment the fire catches on to the moment the body is completely consumed, but the tree monsters in a state of madness emit as much ferocious power as an ogre of the same level.
Thousands and tens of thousands of these guys come running mad. This side of the wall, whatever it is, can be crushed.
So, the second strategy.
Bringing a small number of elites closer to the forest to find the boss object located in the center of the forest – the ‘Elder Tree’, by taking advantage of the cracks in the forest possessed by ‘prey’.
The first tree that created this forest and the leader of the tree monsters who spread the curse to the other trees. A cursed burnt root. elder tree.
While the forest is densely clustered with each other, its location cannot be located because it exudes its own aura of enchantment.
However, if we can send a manned force to split them apart, the forest will become less dense and we will be able to direct Damian to the search.
And if you can find it, Damien’s sniping can finish him off in one blow.
This method was confirmed because it was thought to be the least damaging tactic, and the Sky Knights were chosen as the inducement.
These knights, who could run in the sky, were the most mobile of all troops on the World Defense Front.
The sky knights were also in a state of exhaustion due to the fierce battles of the past three months, but the situation was much better than the others.
All military groups, more or less, had lost their lives, but the most elite, the Sky Knights, did not have a single casualty.
Mikhail did the stage 28 and stage 29 boss skills.
Mikhail was an excellent knight, and his men were also formidable, and they could even fly.
It was one of the few cards that could be played with confidence when facing the boss stage. So he ordered a march, and Mikhail and the knights readily agreed.
And-
an accident happened.
***
At first, it went as planned.
The Sky Knights, flying at a low altitude, glided right above the ‘moving forest’ and lured the trees.
The trees stretched out their branches at the griffons and knights moving nearby, but the sky knights deftly kept their distance.
The Sky Knights roamed the ‘moving forest’, luring them in and tearing their formation into small pieces.
When the decoy operation was successful, the elder tree in the middle of the forest finally appeared.
The very moment the monstrous corps commander was captured, with the horribly split stems on his burnt body, looking like an ugly smile.
“- I can do it.”
Mikhail drove the griffon down and slammed it down like a thunderbolt.
“Crown Prince?!”
“It’s not possible! majesty-!”
It was a complete sudden action.
The role of the Sky Knights was to fly from a safe distance and disturb the forest.
All the knights under his command were shocked and tried to stop him, but it was already too late. Mikhail jumped straight into the arms of the enemy general.
The young knight saw an opportunity to kill the elder tree at that moment.
Do you hesitate in front of the opportunity to kill the enemy commander and become a hero or not?
This would be the standard that separates those who can write legends from those who can’t. Mikhail did not miss the opportunity.
… But Mikhail didn’t know.
If that chance is false in the first place.
If what you thought was an opportunity is a trap.
If you can’t tell them apart, you can’t be a hero and you can’t write a legend. I didn’t know.
charrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
The elder tree lashed out like a whip at Mikhail, who jumped into his bosom.
Mikhail swung his enchanted rapier and slashed all the vines, leaping into the arms of the elder tree.
“Haaaaaaaaaa!”
Mikhail’s rapier flew right in front of the elder tree, spraying scarlet magic.
rattle!
And it stopped.
Just before the blade touched, the elder tree sprinkled vines that looked like spider webs everywhere, binding Mikhail and the griffon he rode.
It was an instant difference.
Had the sword been 0.1 second faster, Mikhail’s sword strike would have taken down the enemy general and he would have added a new line to the legend of himself and the Sky Knights.
But it was 0.1 second slower.
“Huh?!”
Mikhail, whose entire body was bound by the vines, twisted his body while groaning in agony.
The Sky Knights, who had been watching this from directly above, hurriedly drove the griffon down.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Wait a minute! We will save you!”
The rest of the knights jumped in to save Mikhail, the crown prince and knight leader.
But in the meantime, the forest was already ready to kill the intruder.
In the air, tree trunks were stretched densely, forming a labyrinth in the air.
The Sky Knights pierced the maze with their bodies, but at some point the overlapping stems were so thick that they could not penetrate the maze head-on and had to take a detour.
Turning sideways, spinning, flipping upside down and… … .
Within a short time they were lost in the woods.
Neither the location of the elder tree nor the figure of Mikhail was visible. The knights of the Blue Sky Knights wandered through the forest calling out the crown prince’s name.
When I came to my senses, they were all scattered.
“what.”
“How much time has passed?”
“Where have you all gone? What about my griffon?”
“here… Where am I for what… … .”
“Why so… light… .”
all over the forest. The Sky Knights are dead.
Poisoned, hallucinating, tied to vines, and drowned in a swamp.
Mikhail had no choice but to watch with his eyes closed as he was tied to the elder tree as his men were scattered throughout the forest and hunted by the forest.
“No no no!”
Mikhail shouted desperately, but
“Get out of the woods right now! hurry! please… !”
It did not reach any of the subordinates.
No matter how hard he struggled, the monster’s vines only tightened Mikhail’s whole body even more.
In the end, seeing the precious subordinates dying one by one.
Seeing the knights annihilate because of his mistakes.
Mikhail had no choice but to watch each one straight.
“AA AA AA!”
***
“We must save the Sky Knights!”
Immediately after the incident, I gave the order.
“Pour fire on the outskirts of the forest! Shoot-!”
It was the Plan B forward method, which was expected to cause more damage. However, it was impossible to lose Mikhail and the Sky Knights here.
pop! Beopbeobung!
The cannons fired all at once. It had been loaded with flammable ammunition in advance.
Key profit!
Kiyi profit!
The trees on the outskirts of the forest, which were swept away by the explosion and set on fire, let out a strange scream and rose up one by one.
And-
boom! thud! thud! thud! thud!
started running forward.
Surprised by the terrifying sight, the soldiers shuddered. However, I ordered more attacks.
“We need to stimulate them more! Keep attacking without rest!”
Continue the attack from this side to reduce the nerves of the monsters that are focused on the Blue Knights who have been captured inside.
Shaking the enemy would increase the chance of gaining sight to the elder tree, so that Damian could snipe him and finish him off.
Clearing this defense battle and rescuing the Sky Knights must all be done quickly… … !
pop! pop! Beep!
Cannons fired non-stop, and cursed trees burned and poured into the outpost.
bang! Kwakwawang!
While the guys are running, the land mines that have been buried explode and the cannon’s fire net is covered over them.
Nevertheless, the trees that caught fire were approaching with terrifying speed. The ghastly anger they harbored was truly terrifying.
“We need to deal with them before they reach our outpost! Fire with all your firepower!”
Having repeatedly encouraged the artillerymen, I glanced around.
“Lily!”
“I know!”
Lily activated all of the artifacts at the right time and gathered magic in her hands.
The other wizards next to her also prepared their own magic.
Since each and every fire attribute magician was in a precious situation, he had asked Lily to join the battle as well. The wizards fired their magic in turn.
Roaring!
The fire wall that Lily unfolded literally formed a wall of flame.
All the trees touched by this magic burned their bodies, but the number of tree monsters was so great that they were finally broken through.
Now the monsters are right in front of you. I gritted my teeth. At this rate!
It was then.
Quaaaaaa!
Suddenly, more than a dozen pillars of flame fell from the sky. I looked there in surprise.
An elderly male wizard with a flowing white beard.
It was the master of the Ivory Tower, Archmage Diarmudin.
“Dear Mudin!”
“Is it time to call my name?! Come on, do something!”
Diarmudin quacked, as if this was too much for the old man.
I urged Damian, who was still groaning with his eyes on the sniper scope.
“Damian! Are you still?!”
“yet… I can’t see… … .”
The forest is so thick, and the flames are rising, making it even more difficult to find the location.
‘Damn it! Even if only my ‘mapping’ worked!’
Perhaps because the elder tree itself is a delusional monster that deceives humans, its location was not identified even though it initially used its map-making properties.
As time passed, the tree monsters eventually approached the defense line of the advance base.
Even though it is several stories high with my magic wall, the heights of the trees entwined with each other are so high that I have no choice but to touch them.
Lucas, who was standing on the defensive line, commanded.
“Prepare for hand-to-hand combat!”
“Wowaaaaaa!”
“Kill the monster-!”
I gritted my teeth as I watched melee heroes and soldiers collide with burning trees.
Fuck!
Fire-!
“Kheuheouk!”
“Ouch! hot! It’s hot!”
Soldiers hit by large tree branches fell like bowling pins, and the injured began to appear one after another in no time.
The strength of the tree monsters with mineralization is also a problem, and the fire on their bodies is also a problem.
Right now, heroes and soldiers are maintaining the defense line despite their injuries, but if time delays like this, the damage will grow out of control.
and that moment.
Flash!
A scarlet flash flashed in the forest.
It was Mikhail’s magic maniac. It gave us a signal.
I shouted and pointed my hand in that direction.
“It’s over there, Damian! Can you see it?!”
“… Yes I found it!”
Clap!
The magic gun [Black Queen] started transforming at will, and transformed into a long railgun with a flash of white magic light.
Damian’s eyes flashed as he aimed his huge horse gun at the enemy general.
“Snipe-!”
