Ch.358[Episode 358] Raid

# Ultra-Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Czar & Ultra-Heavy Main Battle Tank Khan

According to the setting book that occasionally drops during raids, these were originally propaganda weapons for the regular army, scheduled for a special parade in the city. However, when terrorists occupied the city, these weapons fell into their hands.

Since they were originally made for propaganda purposes, their performance wasn’t particularly impressive for their size. But due to the Hell difficulty adjustment, these two were transformed into the most terrifying killing machines humans could create.

Perhaps that’s why?

Their appearance was extraordinary from the start.

[“Muhahaha! Burn it! Burn everything!”]

[“Forward! Forward! Forward!”]

They appeared pushing aside building debris piled three stories high.

This would have been impossible for ordinary tanks or self-propelled artillery, but Czar and Khan were nearly 20 meters tall, weighed hundreds of tons, and each track wheel was larger than a person’s height.

Truly the majesty of humanity’s greatest war machines.

These tanks turned their gun barrels toward Sir Dominic’s party.

[“Intruders! Prepare to charge!”]

[“Burn them! Burn them all! Load the incendiary shells!”]

As if they would fire shells at any moment.

“It seems we’re heading straight into a boss fight.”

Sir Dominic looked up at the war machines of overwhelming size.

“I wonder if our attacks will even work against them.”

Eric swallowed hard looking at the thick armor of the two war machines.

“Would you prefer buffs or healing?”

Francisco asked while gathering holy power at the tip of his staff.

“I’ll cast spells that can deal fixed damage.”

The mage team began searching through their mental knowledge.

“Good.”

Sir Dominic raised his shield.

On the surface, it seemed they had no chance of winning, but that’s something you never know until you fight.

That’s when it happened.

Hatches opened at the highest points of both war machines, and twins with fierce expressions wearing haphazardly assembled officer uniforms emerged from each hatch.

One held a flare launcher, the other a sword.

[“You dare challenge us? Ha!”]

[“Let them come. I’ll personally cut that fool’s head with my sword!”]

The twins brandished their weapons from atop the hatches.

Sir Dominic observed the scene trying to understand what was happening, when suddenly he noticed something.

It was a possible route to climb up to the hatches where the twins were.

Sir Dominic finally realized why the twins had opened the hatches and come out.

This was a raid mechanic.

Sir Dominic turned his head to inform his party members about this fact.

But Sir Dominic didn’t need to speak.

All party members already had expressions showing they’d noticed this mechanic.

…

[“F-frustrating… There’s… still so much left to burn…”]

[“S-sword… Bring me my sword… At least let me end with my blade…”]

The boss fight ended unexpectedly easily.

As soon as the party members noticed the mechanic, they split into two groups as if they had planned it and began climbing each war machine.

Naturally, the bosses tried to shake off Dominic’s party, but his party members were more extraordinary than expected.

Eventually reaching the hatches, they destroyed the terrorist officers and entered the war machines to press the self-destruct buttons.

Sir Dominic couldn’t understand why there were self-destruct buttons there, but he assumed it was part of the mechanic and moved on.

Thus, Sir Dominic’s party surprisingly completed the Hell difficulty 4-person raid.

On their very first attempt.

[You have defeated the Raid Bosses: Czar & Khan!]

[Difficulty: Hell]

[Attempts: 1]

[Cleared on the first attempt with no one falling!]

[Amazing achievement! Your feat will be recorded in the Raid Hall of Fame.]

“Quite fun.”

Looking at the system window appearing before him, Sir Dominic thought raids were worth doing after all.

Even considering Sir Dominic and his party’s stats and compatibility, it was fairly manageable for Hell difficulty.

“The rewards are rather stingy.”

Eric said while scrolling through the system message.

“We get little besides honor for clearing Hell difficulty.”

“It’s a regular raid. If raids that can be repeatedly cleared gave too many rewards, that would be problematic too.”

Francisco interjected while Eric was complaining about the rewards.

“But at least we didn’t lose money.”

The mage team breathed a sigh of relief.

“Anyway, are we done with raids now?”

“Well…”

At Team’s question, Eric looked around the raid lobby.

Seeing that there was still no one else besides them, it seemed others hadn’t finished their raids yet.

“Since we’re waiting for some people, I think we should stop raiding here.”

Eric hung his crossbow on his back and sat down on a nearby bench.

He seemed to have no intention of doing more raids.

“I agree.”

Francisco felt the same.

He was waiting for his disciple and vaguely sensed that his disciple would soon emerge from the raid.

“It didn’t make sense for a research-type mage to run raids in the first place. I’m done too.”

The mage team shook his head as if disgusted with raids.

Sir Dominic quite liked this temporary party, but since they were just chance acquaintances, there was no reason to hold them back.

So Sir Dominic respected their decision and disbanded the party.

Using his party leader authority.

“Then I should stop here too. Actually, I came to try a raid at least once, so I’ve already achieved my goal.”

Sir Dominic said this and glanced around the raid lobby.

Various system windows leading to raids were still directed at Sir Dominic, but having already made up his mind, he had no lingering attachment to them.

“It was a pleasure to meet you all. Hope to see you again.”

With those words, Sir Dominic left the raid lobby.

…

In the raid lobby after Sir Dominic left.

The three remaining people seemed to be waiting for different individuals, but soon gathered in one place.

They calculated that Sir Dominic would be far away by now.

“It’s hard to pretend not to know.”

“Indeed. Pretending it was coincidence was quite difficult.”

“Well, that’s fine, but why did you have to drag me out of my room on my day off-“

They conversed informally like people who had known each other for a very long time.

Until just now, they had spoken like complete strangers in front of Sir Dominic, but in reality, they knew each other well.

“Anyway, when are they coming out?”

“Soon.”

Eric tapped the bench nervously with his finger.

As if trying to calm Eric down, Francisco stroked his beard and showed him his phone screen.

A group chat displayed on the screen.

Surprisingly, there were profiles of a blonde swordsman and three women.

And not just them.

“Oh my, can I come out now?”

“My hands are sore from creating rooms and kicking people out constantly.”

People started appearing in the lobby one by one.

If Sir Dominic had been here, he might have found their faces familiar.

They were the party members who had kicked Sir Dominic out.

As more and more people gathered in the raid lobby, finally the blonde swordsman and the women appeared.

“Eric!”

A woman in mage attire ran to Eric and embraced him.

“Ugh, maintaining that expression was so hard. So…”

“You want me to pat your head?”

“Yes!”

Eric looked at his childhood friend with loving eyes as if he’d never acted differently.

“Master.”

“Yes. How was the raid, Holy Maiden?”

Francisco and a woman in nun’s clothing exchanged formal greetings.

“…Don’t call me for things like this next time. I’m busy enough as it is!”

“Ah, sorry. But wasn’t it your fault for being at the clan building then?”

Team and the female archer began arguing.

And…

“Um, I’m sorry, but next time could you give me a nicer role? Like a fan, or maybe just a passing villager…”

The blonde swordsman’s confident and arrogant attitude was gone, replaced by slumped shoulders and an embarrassed expression.

It seemed his real personality was this timid and fearful character.

“What can we do? It’s your fault for being the most unpleasant-looking among the lesser-known members.”

Eric complained while stroking his childhood friend’s hair.

“Well… that’s true, but…”

The blonde swordsman became even more timid as Eric’s voice rose.

He kept looking around nervously, then asked a different question as if trying to change the subject.

“So, what kind of person was Sir Dominic, executives?”

“Well.”

Francisco answered.

“Good enough that I’d want to bring him into our clan.”

Francisco said while stroking his beard.

“That good?”

The blonde swordsman looked at Francisco in surprise.

Though classified as a support priest, Francisco had been a warrior in the past.

Having once been a warrior, he was quite strict in evaluating combat ability.

For Francisco to praise Sir Dominic meant that Sir Dominic’s combat ability was that impressive.

“Indeed, he’s talent suited for our clan.”

Eric looked in the direction Sir Dominic had gone.

“For our John Shepherd Expedition Clan…”

With great interest in Sir Dominic.