NOVEL NEXT [Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Chapter 193: Defense (1)
In Heavenly City, countless small and medium-sized guilds exist.
District 9 was no exception. These guilds, though small, maintained control over certain areas, collecting protection fees like their larger counterparts. For these smaller guilds, the emergence of the “Money Talks Guild” was a storm to weather.
In a short time, a super-sized guild had formed, absorbing and consolidating ten of the top guilds.
The areas they directly controlled amounted to nearly half of District 9.
Their influence was immense.
Their actions were also quite extraordinary.
―We will develop this city.
They boldly declared their motto as urban development.
“Huh. It seems this friend has gotten a bit too big for his britches. Development is no easy task.”
“Indeed. Their guild members number only five hundred. What can they achieve with a mere five hundred, not even a thousand…?”
“Haha, you’re right. I was worried they might try to exert their influence on us, but… it seems we won’t have to worry for a while.”
At first, everyone scoffed.
Urban development? Was it that simple?
Even the top guilds had attempted it at some point, and they had all failed.
Huge labor costs, individual selfishness, opposing factions… countless obstacles stood in the way of development.
Furthermore, despite absorbing ten guilds, the Money Talks Guild’s numbers remained surprisingly small.
This was because they only accepted those deemed “elite” from each guild.
Simply put, they lacked manpower.
And that wasn’t all.
It was almost certain that they wouldn’t have an abundance of Marks. It was common knowledge that the leaders of the top guilds often converted Marks into personal Merit Points.
Even with the consolidation of the top ten guilds, their assets wouldn’t be that substantial.
“At best, they’ll force the residents into labor with a loaf of black bread and cause accidents while constructing buildings.”
“The will of the people is the will of heaven, as they say. If public sentiment turns sour… then perhaps an opportunity will arise for us.”
“Indeed. How long can they go on as a lone wolf? They’ll need our support.”
“Or… a good opportunity might present itself.”
“Let’s wait patiently until their momentum wanes.”
The initial fear of the emergence of a super-giant guild was short-lived.
The small and medium-sized guilds were brimming with confidence as the Money Talks Guild seemed to be stumbling from the start. If this blunder weakened their momentum, the smaller guilds could breathe a sigh of relief. Or perhaps the larger guild would reach out for cooperation.
That was certainly the expectation, but…
‘They’re insane.’
‘How is this possible?’
The supply of equipment was so overwhelming that it was jaw-dropping. Moreover, the city’s infrastructure development was entirely handled by the undead.
Thanks to rentals and installments, the residents’ equipment improved day by day, and every morning, numerous new residences appeared in the city.
It was unclear how they were organized, but the skeletons erected buildings in the blink of an eye, without a single accident.
At first, the residents were frightened by the sight of thousands of undead, but now they sang their praises endlessly.
It was almost laughable to hear them refer to the undead horde as the “army of God.”
The frightening thing was that even members of the smaller guilds were included in this sentiment.
The provision of housing and equipment was open to everyone, and members of the smaller guilds took full advantage of these benefits.
It was an unstoppable trend.
―He’s truly a great man. Our income has increased significantly, you know?
―We can buy and eat white bread instead of black bread!
―Burp. I’m full.
Stable housing had been provided.
Good equipment had significantly increased hunting profits.
Even meals had changed drastically.
From rock-hard black bread to soft white bread.
The praise for Kim Minwoo was explosive. If anyone dared to slander “Guild Master Kim,” even the vagrants would throw punches.
He had taken care of the people’s livelihood.
And he had done it perfectly.
The only thing the leaders of the small and medium-sized guilds could now rely on was the issue of “security.”
“An attack is imminent!”
“Of course! What good is it to eat and sleep well if you can’t protect your life?”
Every month, a horde of hybrids emerged from the Foggy Forest.
Their numbers were immense.
Even with thousands of members from the top guilds, it was impossible to prevent casualties.
Now, with the Money Talks Guild’s numbers significantly reduced…
‘It will be difficult to completely stop them.’
‘There will be casualties.’
Then, wouldn’t Guild Master Kim’s sky-high reputation be tarnished, and wouldn’t they be able to breathe a sigh of relief?
An invitation arrived for those who thought so.
[We would like to discuss the upcoming attack. This is a very important matter for the city’s defense. We ask that all of you attend without fail, and we will see you in the Foggy Forest.]
It was an invitation from the Money Talks Guild.
“…Isn’t this a trap? Won’t we be wiped out if we go?”
“The attack is imminent. If you harm us, it will hinder the defense.”
“Let’s inform the residents before we go. Then they won’t be able to deal with us easily.”
“…Yes, we have to go. Who knows what they’ll do if we don’t…”
It was unsettling, but they couldn’t refuse the invitation.
If they did, they would be branded as the trash guild that refused to defend the city, and there would be nothing they could say.
They were already being compared to and belittled by the Money Talks Guild, and such public opinion would make things even more difficult.
Thus, dozens of guild masters from small and medium-sized guilds headed towards the Foggy Forest.
“Oh, my God.”
“I-is that a wall?”
“They built that? When?”
Their eyes widened at the sight of the massive wall.
* * *
Small and medium-sized guilds.
A privileged class, starting from 11th place. Combined, they controlled half of the city.
Until now, they had been left alone.
‘Because they didn’t attack first.’
Kill them all just to take over some territory?
That would simply make him a tyrant.
‘I started by winning over the people, so that would be troublesome.’
There was no plausible justification for attacking them.
Besides, managing half of the city’s districts was already overwhelming.
‘There’s a reason why kings in the Middle Ages kept nobles around.’
As long as taxes and military power were firmly controlled, granting some autonomy was acceptable.
In fact, that was why he had called them.
“Welcome, guild masters.”
Kim Minwoo greeted the dozens of guild masters.
“Isn’t the wall magnificent?”
“…When did you build this?”
“Not too long ago. The undead are quite handy in these situations. They provide the labor.”
Kim Minwoo clapped his hands and gathered their attention.
“Defense. Let’s do it here. All together. There’s no need to do it without the wall, right?”
“Ahem… Then the command…”
“Naturally, it should be mine. Who built the wall and supplied you with equipment? It was me.”
The guild masters sighed.
It was an unavoidable situation.
“Alright, we’ll cooperate. We’ll send our guild members…”
“Ah, before that.”
Kim Minwoo grinned and added,
“It seems it’s time for you all to fulfill your duties.”
“…Duties?”
“Urban development consumes a lot of Marks. We’re also short on manpower.”
So, pay your taxes diligently, and provide military support when needed.
“Let’s see. How should we arrange the deployment? Those courageous enough to join hands first will be assigned good positions, right? Probably.”
“Ha, haha…”
The guild masters’ faces stiffened.
It was a clear threat.
‘Refuse to cooperate?’
For now, it’s fine.
But the aftermath was the problem.
The Money Talks Guild was building walls and sending its members to actively prevent damage to the city, while they were trying to avoid getting involved.
If the defense at the wall succeeded, their future would be very bleak. They would probably be labeled as the trash guilds of District 9.
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
They might even be eradicated.
The only viable solution was for everyone to reject Kim Minwoo’s proposal. That way, he wouldn’t be able to manipulate the deployment, and even if they were criticized, they would share the burden.
With luck, Kim Minwoo might fail in the defense, and his influence would be greatly diminished.
The problem was that the guild masters gathered here didn’t have such a strong bond.
“Our Orc Guild will cooperate in this defense!”
“Orc Guild. I’ll remember that.”
Someone quick-witted was the first to join, and what followed was predictable. Like a broken dam, everyone raised their hands in a hurry.
This was a group gathered for profit, not conviction. As such, their cooperation crumbled in an instant.
* * *
“Move quickly!”
“Put the quiver there!”
“Boil the oil!”
Atop the wall.
Nearly 10,000 people, including members of small and medium-sized guilds, newly hired mercenaries, and the Money Talks Guild, were preparing for defense.
Their races were diverse, but they had one thing in common: hope in their eyes.
The wall was a staggering 7 meters high.
It was tall enough to block most medium-sized mixed seeds, and the number of people gathered in one place was immense.
‘It was different before.’
Previously, there wasn’t even a proper watchtower, let alone a wall, so they had to engage in urban warfare within the city.
Each attack resulted in significant casualties.
But that wouldn’t happen anymore.
“Amteron. How are the supplies?”
“Thanks to the active cooperation of the small and medium-sized guilds, we have a sufficient amount of food.”
Kim Minwoo nodded in satisfaction. By bringing in the smaller guilds, he had smoothly handled everything from personnel to supplies. Well, if he built the wall for them, they should at least do this much.
“Hey, grab your potions!”
“Get your equipment too!”
The Money Talks Guild also generously supplied their specialty, potions and equipment.
Thanks to the skeletons’ alchemy reaching C rank, they were able to produce quite decent doping potions.
“Was it 100,000?”
“Yes. Usually, around that number of hybrids crawl out over 24 hours.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It’s horrifying. Where do they even breed…?”
He had heard a lot about the hybrids. He had also seen them while patrolling the Foggy Forest.
‘They were literally hybrids.’
From monsters with the upper body of a goblin, the legs of a minotaur, and the head of a gargoyle…
Strange monsters appeared, mixed like a jumble of various creatures.
The people here called them “hybrids.” Their level distribution ranged from a low of 300 to over 1,000. Monsters mixed like a hodgepodge.
Until now, they had been objects of fear, but from today onward, things would be different.
[The attack begins!]
[Time remaining: 24 hours]
The entire Foggy Forest trembled violently, like swaying reeds.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
All sorts of magic spells rose above the wall.
Archers drew their bowstrings taut. Mercenaries sharpened their weapons on whetstones.
Soon, the hybrids began to pour out.
The attack would last for 24 hours.
Nearly 100,000 hybrids would swarm the city, and they would only retreat after 24 hours had passed.
This was a monthly occurrence, so those gathered here were well aware of the situation.
Despite the monstrous appearance of the hybrids, the people on the wall remained calm.
“Stand by!”
“Don’t attack yet!”
“Wait until they get closer! We have the wall!”
The presence of the sturdy wall was reassuring.
Moreover, the undead army was assisting them.
[Title, ‘Professional Commander’ activated!]
[Allied morale increased by 15%!]
Kim Minwoo’s Commander title greatly boosted morale, as they were all under his command.
‘Let’s get started.’
A total of 100,000 monsters.
Even if he only killed half of them, that would be a whopping 50,000.
Even low-level monsters in the 300s could lead to massive level-ups when there were so many.
The power leveling begins.
“Take care of the ones approaching the wall! I’ll handle the rest!”
With that, Kim Minwoo jumped down from the wall.
“Huh?”
“Commander?!”
Where are you going, you madman?!
Even if they were blinded by the prospect of glory, how could he jump down from the wall to face tens of thousands of hybrids?
It was suicidal.
Moreover, after jumping down, Kim Minwoo was running towards the hybrids.
At that moment…
[Heavenly Projection LV 20 activated.]
[All recovery speed increased by 20%.]
[Skill power increased by 20%.]
[All stats increased by 20%.]
[Mana consumption reduced by 20%.]
His entire body glowed a blinding white.
‘Heavenly Projection.’
In short, it was a broken skill. It boosted everything by 1% per level, literally everything.
‘So that’s why they embezzled.’
There was a reason why they converted Marks into Merit Points and then purchased Heavenly Projection. It was because the effect was that good.
So he splurged a little.
The purchase price of Heavenly Projection increased by 100 per level.
Level 1 cost 100 Merit Points.
Level 2 cost 200 Merit Points.
And so on.
Reaching level 20 had cost a whopping 20,000 Merit Points.
But it was worth every point.
The guild masters of the small and medium-sized guilds stared wide-eyed as they saw Kim Minwoo charging forward.
‘It’s glowing that brightly?’
‘What level is his Projection?’
They had seen the Projections of the top guild masters. Even those who were a little over level 10 didn’t emit such a radiant aura. This meant that Kim Minwoo’s Projection level was much higher.
Soon, Kim Minwoo extended his hand towards the horde of hybrids.
[‘Deadly’ modifier activated!]
[Hybrids’ level rapidly increasing….]
[Curse of Weakness (S) activated….]
[Curse of Aging (D)+9 activated….]
[Plague Lord’s Gauntlets activated….]
The Plague Lord’s Gauntlets spread curses. The strengthened curses significantly reduced the hybrids’ movement speed, defense, and maximum health.
[Land of Death (S) activated….]
The ground drained the hybrids’ life force. From now on, if they died, they would be resurrected as his allies.
[Skeleton Intermediate Warrior summoned….]
[Skeleton Death Mage summoned….]
[Specter summoned….]
[Dullahan summoned….]
The undead horde emerged.
“Prepare for battle!”
Clank!
Skeleton Intermediate Warrior.
The enlarged skeletons, their weapons enhanced by dragon blood tools, raised their arms. Their eyes glowed crimson red.
[Heart of the Legion (SS) activated….]
Kim Minwoo’s thoughts were freely transmitted to thousands of skeletons.
The skeletons skillfully blocked the front. Soon, the formation clashed with the horde of hybrids.
Boom!
A heavy thud.
Despite being strengthened by the deadly modifier, the hybrids couldn’t break through the skeletons’ phalanx.
Close-quarters Combat Skill C.
[TL/N: I have no idea what this is]
Moreover, the skeletons were equipped with high-quality items crafted through production. Their stats easily surpassed those of average Awakened of the same level.
“Strike!”
A skeleton from the back thrust a sharp spear.
They swung axes with all their might and plunged swords into the enemy.
―@!$!@#!
The hybrids, emitting terrifying noises, started to fall one after another.
But only for a moment.
The resurrected hybrids began to bite into other hybrids.
Winged hybrids swooped down from the sky. A horde of hybrids descended, aiming to overwhelm the skeletons on the ground.
Black mist flowed from their eyes. That’s when it happened.
Thud!
Hybrids, their necks pierced by sharp swords, began to fall. Specters, with their transparent forms, were ambushing them.
‘Break through!’
―Kuoooh!
Dolsoe swung his massive mace.
With tremendous power that was hard to believe for a mere summon, the heads of three hybrids blocking his path exploded. Dolsoe started to pierce through the front lines like an awl.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of hooves echoed.
A group of Dullahans, riding giant dragon blood horses, slammed into the tense front lines.
―For our great master!
―Heeeeyah!
With Duel’s cry, the cavalry charged into the hybrids.
Slice!
A hybrid’s head was scattered by a blade.
“Oh my God…”
The people on the wall were in awe. They thought he was crazy when he jumped down alone.
A mere few thousand undead were holding back tens of thousands of hybrids.
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]