Chapter 156

When the unfolding events in your mind get twisted, you panic.

Especially if it goes in a completely unexpected direction.

That’s why the bandits froze in shock.

On the other hand…

Gwen’s group had agreed on a signal beforehand.

A signal to start the battle.

They had decided that the moment anyone on their side drew their weapon first, they would immediately go into a ruthless battle mode.

That difference was what caused the difference in reaction speed between the bandits and Gwen’s group.

It was only a second, in terms of time.

But in such close proximity, that extremely short time could change a lot.

Phoo!

Phoo!

Blam!

Thwack!

“Kyaaack!”

“Khhuk!”

“Khhuk!”

Swords cut through the air.

Screams of pain echoed.

Blood splattered high, staining the room crimson.

The small space instantly became a scene of chaos.

“Th-Those bastards attacked first?!”

“Cowards!”

“Ugh, kill them all!”

The bandits, reacting a step too late, began to fight back.

They swung their weapons, their faces contorted with rage.

As a notorious bandit gang in the central continent, their skills were certainly not to be underestimated.

Their attacks were full of murderous intent, combining strength, speed, and sharpness.

But…

“Shields!”

As soon as someone yelled, Gwen’s group all raised their large steel shields.

Their full steel armor and steel shields were firmly raised, there seemed to be no gaps at all, it was enough to take your breath away just by looking at it.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The bandits’ murderous attacks were easily blocked by the impenetrable wall.

And at that moment…

“Press forward!”

Someone yelled again.

As if it were a signal, Gwen’s group all pushed their raised steel shields forward, advancing relentlessly.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Gasp?!”

“W-We’re being pushed back!”

“Damn it!”

“D-Damn it…the space!”

Gwen’s group, advancing with their overwhelming defense, pushed the bandits back relentlessly.

The difference in strength was the biggest factor.

It was like the difference between skinny conscripts who had only eaten grass and elite soldiers whose bodies were about to burst from eating balanced, high-quality meals.

And on top of that, they were in a cramped space where they couldn’t move freely.

Thwack!

The bandits, who were being pushed back relentlessly, were soon pressed against the wall.

They were completely trapped, like rats in a cage.

And what awaited the bandits, who were frozen in fear, unable to move…

“Stab!”

Blades stabbed mercilessly.

They couldn’t dodge, they couldn’t block.

They could only watch as the blades pierced their flesh.

“Aaaaaack!”

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Kyaaack!”

Screams of agony filled the room.

This wasn’t a battle.

It was a one-sided massacre.

The difference in strength was that overwhelming.

“Aaaaaaaagh! I’ll tear you all to pieces!”

Blade, the leader of the bandit gang.

He was watching this gruesome sight with his own eyes.

But he could only roar, spitting out blood, he couldn’t do anything.

He had been barely blocking Gwen’s attacks since the beginning.

Swoosh!

Blade instinctively ripped off the Infi-face mask that was hindering him.

Then his vision and breathing cleared.

“Heh, that’s your real face.”

Gwen said, narrowing his eyes.

Blade didn’t answer.

His mind was spinning faster than ever, in this crisis.

His men were in ambush outside.

He had deliberately kept them far away, so they wouldn’t be caught.

But that turned out to be a poison in this situation.

The inside was in chaos, but his men outside had no idea.

‘Damn it, there’s no other way.’

He had to get out somehow.

Blade glanced at the nearest door.

There was one guy blocking the door, but he thought he could break through.

“Die, you damn bastard!”

Blade moved immediately.

He first struck Gwen with a powerful blow.

Gwen blocked the blow with his sword.

But…

The blow was a feint, full of energy.

Blade instantly spun around and dashed towards the door.

“You’re quite the entertainer.”

Gwen chuckled.

He looked relaxed.

It meant he trusted his allies.

“Get out of my way!”

Blade, who had reached the door, roared and raised his sword.

“You! Don’t even think about it!”

A resident of the 10th floor stood firmly, holding his shield.

But…

Suddenly, Blade’s sword was enveloped in red energy.

Sword energy.

A blow that proved why he was the notorious leader of the bandit gang.

Gwen yelled, his face hardening.

“Dodge!”

But was it too late?

The resident, frozen in place, couldn’t react properly.

A triumphant smile appeared on Blade’s lips.

At that moment…

“You’re so funny.”

Huh?

As a voice came from behind, a fleeting question popped into Blade’s mind.

Bam!

A strong blow hit the back of his head.

And…

Blade’s consciousness was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

“You…Wh-What happened?”

Gwen’s eyes widened as he looked at me, who had suddenly appeared and knocked Blade out.

“Well, a little trick.”

I shrugged.

It was a pretty good trick, turning the ambush around and knocking out Blade so easily, but I pretended to be nonchalant.

It made me look cooler.

“Huh…A trick? When did you come up with that trick?”

“You have to trick your allies before you trick your enemies, right? Well, I laid the groundwork beforehand.”

“Then, the poison…?”

“No, I definitely drank the poison. I could feel it.”

“Th-Then it’s a big deal.”

“It’s fine. It was just a paralyzing poison.”

“Huh, you’re an expert in poison too?”

Gwen looked at me with eyes full of surprise and admiration.

“Heh, you need that kind of ability to be an advisor, don’t you?”

“…You’re truly an unfathomable man.”

“You’re flattering me.”

I chuckled and looked around the banquet hall.

“It seems like things are almost settled inside.”

“We settled things quickly, thanks to you.”

“No, it’s because they’re strong. If they were weak, no tactic would have worked.”

Strength.

It was because they were strong that we were able to create this overwhelmingly advantageous situation for the first time.

A situation that was unimaginable in the past.

I felt a surge of excitement, even though it wasn’t over yet.

“I guess that’s the essence of it all.”

“The leader knows that, that’s why he trained them so hard, right?”

“That’s right.”

Gwen nodded with a faint smile.

This guy is definitely the best helper in the underground.

It wasn’t just about ability.

There were many people who were more capable than him, the further down you went.

But what mattered was humanity.

There was no one in the underground as trustworthy as Gwen.

At least, not from what I’ve experienced.

So I have to save Gwen and go with him, no matter what.

That might be the answer I couldn’t find in my past playthroughs.

For some reason, I felt a sense of certainty.

‘To do that, we need to get stronger. A bigger, stronger force.’

Just like streams merging to become a stronger river, we need to keep increasing our numbers and growing stronger.

Of course, we need to do that here, on the 11th floor.

“Then let’s clean up outside.”

“There’s an ambush, of course.”

“Heh, isn’t that obvious?”

We formed a line and rushed outside.

* * *

“…Are you okay, senior?”

Annette, who had been singing a healing song in a soft voice, checked my complexion and asked.

“Ah, I’m okay, thanks to you.”

I stretched my paralyzed hand, cracking my knuckles, and answered.

Except for the first time, I had always chosen to avoid traps, so this was the first time I had received help from Annette for paralyzing poison.

But it seemed to be quite effective, she’s a named healer for a reason.

“Whew, I’m glad. But you can’t overdo it.”

“I’m more worried about you.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not tired, are you?”

She’s naturally so kind, she probably wasn’t comfortable with a bloody battle against humans, not monsters.

“Ah…I’m okay. They were trying to kill us.”

Annette answered, staring at the ambushed soldiers who were lying dead, holding her sword.

Oh, she’s already saying things like that?

“If we hadn’t reacted properly, Camian…would have been in danger.”

What, it’s all about Camian?

I chuckled inwardly.

It seemed like Camian had chosen Annette at the ball, so their relationship was closer to lovers than in my usual playthroughs.

“Kyaaack!”

The ambushed guys were almost all taken care of.

There were less than ten left.

Their faces were filled with overwhelming fear.

Then, as if they had made a pact, they threw down their weapons and knelt.

“P-Please spare us!”

“We’ll do anything if you spare us!”

“We’ll lick your feet, we’ll bark if you tell us to!”

“We’ll serve you like dogs and horses for life!”

The remaining bandits were showing their willingness to obey, without hesitation, using humiliating words.

My expression changed.

It reminded me of the past.

A victory that left me with nothing but scars, a victory that destroyed our forces, forcing me to take in the bandit guys.

They seemed to be obeying like dogs now, but they were a constant nuisance.

Especially if the situation became unfavorable for us, they would betray us like ghosts and side with the winning side.

How many times had I been betrayed like that?

“Senior…?”

I got up and walked towards those dog-like guys.

I wanted to unleash the resentment I had built up.

But…

Someone’s sword moved first.

It was Gwen.

Swoosh!

A severed head flew high, and blood splattered like a fountain.

“The benefactor clearly said that you guys would betray us whenever you got the chance. So I can’t trust anything you say.”

Gwen’s firm voice made the remaining guys tremble.

“N-No! We would never…!”

“I knew it.”

Phoo!

“Ugh!”

Someone else’s sword quickly pierced the neck of the remaining guy who was trying to argue.

It was Camian.

“Dirty bastards!”

“If the benefactor says so, then that’s probably it!”

“Let’s kill them all!”

The other residents of the 10th floor mercilessly stabbed their spears, cleaning up the remaining bandits.

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched.

They were reliable comrades who trusted me more than anyone else.

The important thing was…

That they were all alive at this point.

That fact made me happy and satisfied.

The battles in the underground, where I had always been alone.

But it’s different now.

I have plenty of comrades I can trust and rely on.

And the number of those comrades will increase.

‘…This time, I can do it, I’m sure.’

I affirmed it to myself, as if making a promise.

* * *

The residents of the 11th floor, not the bandits.

They gathered in the settlement’s open space.

There were dozens of them.

Half of them were women.

It was a completely different situation from the 10th floor, where there wasn’t a single woman.

In terms of military strength, they were definitely less helpful than men.

But I know.

That they can’t rely on my supplies forever.

Especially since we’ve gained the Forest’s territory, we’ll need to engage in various production activities.

Women could be very helpful in those production activities.

Everyone has different skills.

And…

‘There’s one genius.’

Or rather, a genius craftsman.

Ran, the youngest disciple of Craive, the renowned craftsman.

she was stuck here, suffering, but her skills were still intact.

But…

She was a craftsman, after all, she was incredibly stubborn, and she wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want to do, even if a knife was at her throat.

Players who didn’t know this would lose a gem in front of their eyes, but I’m different.

I know.

How to win his heart.

And…

‘It’ll be even easier with Max.’

I smiled.

‘Then let’s start by getting some points.’

I gave Gwen a nod, indicating that I was ready to start.

Gwen nodded.

I chuckled and kicked Blade, who was still unconscious, hard.

“Wake up, you bandit bastard.”