Ch.37[Chapter 37] Preliminary Skirmish

Sir Dominic heard the system’s voice, but he was already in such a state of overflowing happiness that he didn’t notice it.

Instead, Sir Dominic headed toward Hill 2, which was the central position.

“Enemy over there! Respond immediately!”

There weren’t many people defending Hill 2, but unlike Hill 1, they were properly surveying their surroundings.

Above all, since observation between hills was possible, they had already seen what happened at Hill 1.

“Hmph.”

Sir Dominic trudged through snow that reached up to his waist.

His shield was covered with frost and ice fragments that had formed when snow melted and refroze, and snow had hardened on his shoulders and head, but Sir Dominic pressed forward.

From the distance, arrows and bullets flew through the wind.

Sir Dominic instinctively knew he couldn’t dodge them.

Instead, he bent his knees and hid beneath the snow, with his shield thrust forward.

The arrows and bullets, having lost much of their killing power after penetrating the deep snow, failed to pierce his shield.

“Anyone got an AoE skill? Or something with penetration?”

“Those guys all went to attack the fortress! Damn it!”

The people on the hill shouted to each other as they reloaded.

War has always evolved toward killing from greater distances and with greater efficiency.

Those who had been through countless battlefields knew this well.

Nothing beats ranged weapons when it comes to concentrated firepower.

If the current situation had been on a normal plain with clear, calm weather, they would have been right.

In such conditions, Sir Dominic might already be waiting to respawn after falling to their concentrated fire.

But it was different in weather where snow piled high, wind cut like knives, and the cold froze hands and feet.

From their perspective, Sir Dominic would occasionally disappear into the blizzard, only to reappear again.

Like a ghost of the snowfield.

Terrible visibility, terrible conditions.

Only Sir Dominic’s emerald eyes occasionally gleamed from beyond the blizzard.

In such a situation, those on Hill 2 became psychologically intimidated.

Under these conditions, accurate shooting was impossible.

Moreover, in this filthy, irritating weather, their ranged weapons couldn’t perform properly.

The environment seemed to be completely, perfectly helping Sir Dominic.

Now the defenders of Hill 2 had completely lost their fighting spirit.

“Damn, tanks are so broken.”

Someone praising his shield-bearing characteristics.

“Why no nerf? Why no nerf? Why no nerf?”

Someone on the verge of madness at the absurdity before them.

“Shouldn’t we join the fortress assault team while we still can?”

Someone offering a relatively reasonable opinion.

“That’s because you’re an ice mage. If you were a fire mage, you’d either be with the assault team or have killed that guy already.”

Someone trying to stir up trouble.

“Hmph.”

And someone completely pickled in happiness.

Sir Dominic advanced with a faint smile.

There was no more gunfire.

Instead, there was only Sir Dominic’s heroic tale.

…

The Giant of Hundread Hands pounded the ground beyond the horizon, expressing his anger.

Coward. Cowardly fellow.

The Tentacle Explorer pulled out a hidden move, disrupting the Giant of Hundread Hands’ tempo.

[(ALL) Hill 2 has been captured!]

[(BLUE) You have captured Hills 1, 2, and 3. Stage 1 monopoly bonus will be awarded!]

But the plan hadn’t completely fallen apart yet.

An opportunity created by a small variable that hadn’t been anticipated.

The Giant of Hundread Hands quickly began calculating points in his head.

Just once. Just one use of divine power.

It was a card he could use without disrupting his plan, assuming he lost all the hills he currently held.

Psychology is truly fascinating.

The more you think you’re backed into a corner, the more frantic you become, but if you have a trump card you can use, you tend to become calmer.

The Giant of Hundread Hands was like that.

Rather, he gradually regained his rationality thanks to a small card that emerged from the variable.

[(ALL) Star Giant of Hundread Hands has completed battlefield expansion through contemplation!]

[(ALL) The battlefield is expanding! One hill and additional terrain will be connected.]

And when he faced the beginning of his plan, he became completely calm.

…

Plague Bishop Plagius, who quickly captured Hill 4, ordered those with exceptional firepower to destroy the fortress.

Cannons, firework launchers, and anti-tank guns were set up on Hill 4.

[(ALL) Star Giant of Hundread Hands has completed battlefield expansion through contemplation!]

[(ALL) The battlefield is expanding! One hill and additional terrain will be connected.]

“My goodness. God. Thank you.”

Strelch leaned against the fortress wall, breathing heavily.

Pushed to his limits both psychologically and physically, he shed tears as he looked at the system window that appeared before him.

Those tears froze, making it difficult to open his eyes, but hot tears from behind pushed away the frozen ones.

Reinforcements would take time to arrive, but they wouldn’t be too late.

The fortress bombardment began.

And the first bombardment was aimed at the wall where Strelch was positioned.

…

Those who had finished setting up poured everything they had at the fortress, as if there was no turning back.

Meanwhile, Plagius was meeting with Yekaterina, who had been stripped of her commander qualification.

“How clumsy, how clumsy. Yekaterina. Is it already time for you to retire? Already?”

Plagius was taunting Yekaterina so much that it was visible even through the bandages covering his face.

The two, who belonged to the same clan and had joined around the same time, had become close by putting each other down.

“It was because of the variable. All because of that anachronistic variable—”

“Enough. Failure doesn’t accept excuses. The result won’t change.”

Plagius smiled vilely as he swung a censer from which an ominous green scent flowed.

“From now on, I’m the commander. Yekaterina.”

Plagius gazed appreciatively at the fortress on Hill 3, which had begun to emit smoke.

“And in a situation like this, there’s no force as effective as ours.”

The bandage across his cheekbone lifted slightly.

…

Sir Dominic looked at the fortress.

The fortress was engulfed in flames and seemed about to collapse at any moment.

“Hmph.”

Sir Dominic looked down from the hilltop.

Stage 1 Commander, Yekaterina.

And a leper talking with her.

The Plague Bishop was merely wrapped in bandages, but Sir Dominic mistook the pus and discharge flowing from his bandages, though unfortunately there was no one nearby to correct Sir Dominic’s misunderstanding.

“What a mess. What a mess.”

Sir Dominic decided to ‘think’ about what to do next.

A purely rational movement, rather than the instinctive movements he had made so far.

But Sir Dominic’s thoughts didn’t last long.

“I will tear apart those who have violated this land, and shred even their souls into pieces!”

Sir Dominic heard a familiar voice.

Looking up, he saw a demon as tall as the fortress emerging from an ominous fire-spewing magic circle that had formed on the ground, holding a whip with a rusty blade in one hand and a vicious sword full of skulls in the other.

[(BLUE) The new commander authorizes the dimensional gate. Forward deployment begins!]

Reinforcements had arrived.

…

“This is too much. Really. Taking all the attention for yourself.”

Stacy began to grumble as she watched v.a.l.l.o.c., who stood out alone at the Giant of Hundread Hands’ base.

I’m the commander. I should be getting the attention.

After briefly venting her frustration, she reminded herself that she was the commander.

“Right. A moment of attention is fine. But from now on, I’m the protagonist.”

Stacy adjusted her officer’s cap while brushing back her flame-like beautiful red hair that fluttered in the sharp wind.

“I’ll show how important information warfare is.”

A smile formed on Stacy’s face, slightly hidden by the officer’s cap as she lowered her head.

A smile of madness so joyful it seemed her mouth would tear.

[(BLUE) Commander Stacy has used the traits [Fear and Hope], [Field Broadcast]! Loudspeakers and communication devices will now be installed throughout the battlefield.]

[(BLUE) Due to the [Field Broadcast] trait, the commander can now make announcements to everyone.]

[(ALL) Stacy(BLUE): “Ah, ah. Mic test one-two one-two.”]

Poles with loudspeakers began to rise across the battlefield.

Stacy’s voice echoed from the loudspeakers placed at regular intervals throughout the battlefield.

At the base, Stacy, wearing large headphones, tested the microphone on the desk, and finding the sound a bit low, adjusted the panel of the input device.

Ah, ah.

After testing the microphone once more, Stacy, satisfied with the sound settings, smiled and began her main broadcast.

[(ALL) Stacy(BLUE): “Attention all troops. This is Commander, Propaganda Officer Stacy. Is the reception good?”]

Next to her, a person also wearing headphones showed their teeth and gave an OK sign with their hand.

Stacy nodded and continued her broadcast.

[(ALL) Stacy(BLUE): “If our allies can hear this, so can others. Like those puppet regime bastards fighting us.”]

[(ALL) Stacy(BLUE): “To those bombarding the fortress: stop the bombardment immediately and fall back, or something interesting will happen.”]

[(ALL) Stacy(BLUE): “This is absolutely not a bluff, but a threat. I say it proudly. This is a threat.”]

After finishing her words, Stacy received information about the battlefield from someone beside her, and while organizing the information in her head, she shouted as she restructured it:

[(ALL) Stacy(BLUE): “And tell the special forces trying to attack the west side of Fortress 3 to leave. You’ve already been spotted—do you want to die for nothing?”]

War was a fight between mad beasts.

And Stacy, at this moment, would be the beast that barked the loudest on this battlefield.