Chapter 191

The 12th underground floor.

It was the realm of large monsters.

The undead had long been wiped out, and only humans remained, barely clinging to life.

But even that was nearing its limit.

I knew that if I had arrived even a month or two later, the humans would have perished without exception.

Of course, that wasn’t what I wanted.

My goal was to gather as much human strength as possible and build the largest force.

Naturally, the fewer casualties, the better.

And there were two special individuals.

Norman the mercenary and Milia the knight.

They were undoubtedly strong.

It meant they could be a great asset to our forces.

They were also essential acquisitions on the 12th underground floor.

In that sense,

‘I was lucky.’

I didn’t know what had accelerated the flow of time, but Norman had been in mortal danger earlier than usual.

He would have died if I had been even a little late.

But I was able to save him just in the nick of time.

So, I could definitely say I was lucky.

“How’s your condition?”

I asked Norman, who had received treatment from Annette.

“I can walk without any problems. But I won’t be much help in battle…”

“That doesn’t matter. We have enough manpower anyway.”

Enough.

I never thought I’d be able to use such an arrogant word on this 12th underground floor.

Even with all the carefully gathered forces from the 10th and 11th floors and the large weapons we prepared, this place was a nightmare where more than half of our forces would be wiped out.

But the situation had completely changed.

Because the force I had built had become incomparably stronger.

“It certainly seems like a formidable force… but don’t let your guard down. This place is truly dangerous.”

Still, Norman maintained a cautious attitude.

It was understandable, considering he had survived in this hellish land for over five years.

“Don’t worry. We’ve fought successfully so far, and we’ll do the same here.”

I said confidently.

It wasn’t just to boost the morale of our allies.

I had to become a hero here.

Strategies to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop, bravery to fight at the forefront, abundant supplies to sustain a decent life, provision of weapons to fight against the enemy, and thorough preparations as if I could see the future.

My image in the underground was that of a superhuman.

The 10th floor residents followed me because of my heroic image, and so did the 11th floor residents.

It wasn’t just blind obedience due to the difference in power, but genuine admiration from the bottom of their hearts.

I had to earn that same admiration on the 12th floor as well.

Because only then would they become my reliable force when we went out into the world.

“Um… Master Max.”

Milia spoke up.

“What is it?”

“I’ll… I’ll help with all my might.”

The female knight seemed to be already half convinced.

That was fast.

Am I really a lady-killer…?

“Haha, thank you for your willingness, but I’ll just ask you to guide us.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve been working together for a long time. As a knight, I’m sure you understand what I mean.”

A unit forged through teamwork.

It’s most effective when it moves as one.

But that wasn’t the only meaning behind my words.

It was also a subtle way of saying that they weren’t qualified to fight alongside us yet.

I said it subtly, but they would have understood.

“Ah… Yes, I understand what you mean.”

Milia’s expression seemed a bit dejected.

“But if there’s anything I can do…”

“Hmm, if you insist… I’ll entrust you with the protection of this young lady.”

I pointed to Ran.

Ran was an essential asset to us.

It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared for any unexpected situations.

“Ah, I see. Alright.”

Milia readily nodded and moved.

Even if I was her savior, it was still another matter for her to follow my words so readily.

Especially for someone who was a proud knight.

I could be sure once again.

That she held considerable favor towards me, unlike in the past.

‘It can’t be because I’m really a lady-killer…’

I soon came to a conclusion.

It must be because she felt that the overwhelming power I had built was enough to save this land of death.

The savior who finally appeared.

That’s how she might have seen me.

A faint smile appeared on my lips.

It couldn’t be helped, feeling good.

To be a hero to others.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

“They’re coming right on time.”

I shouted confidently as I saw the approaching troll horde.

“Let’s wipe them all out, without leaving a single one behind!”

* * *

The power of the large ballista and the orichalcum alloy arrows.

It was beyond imagination.

Large monsters with tough vitality like ogres and trolls were blown apart like tofu.

No defense was effective.

They pierced through everything, flying towards their target and shattering them to pieces.

It was truly an overwhelming power.

Of course, there were limitations.

We only had five large ballistae, and the number of arrows was limited to five per ballista.

It couldn’t be helped, considering the precious orichalcum used as the raw material.

So there were bound to be gaps in our firepower.

Large monsters tried to exploit those gaps.

But there was no problem.

Because we had a force waiting for this very moment.

“Advance!”

With Gwen’s booming voice, the residents advanced in formation, their shields raised.

Clank, clank, clank, clank, clank!

A perfect defense, without a single gap.

“Roar!”

“Grrr!”

Ogres and trolls roared ferociously, swinging their massive clubs.

It was a powerful attack that seemed capable of crushing a human body with a single touch.

But.

Clang! Thud! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The residents blocked the attacks with their wall of shields.

The formation seemed to buckle under the force, precariously close to collapsing.

But they supported each other, their shields interlocking, and endured without major disruption.

Just that alone showed how well-trained and strong they were.

It was only possible because each individual was a tough survivor of this hell.

“Now! Thrust your spears!”

Gwen shouted again.

The humans’ attack began.

The attack of the spear, the most powerful weapon in group combat.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

The spears extended like a whirlwind, turning the large monsters in front of them into porcupines.

“Groaaaaar!”

“Ugggh!”

Screams of pain erupted from the large monsters.

A single attack might not be fatal.

But what if it was a simultaneous, concentrated attack?

Just as constant dripping wears away a stone, any enemy could be turned into a mangled mess, riddled with holes.

Thud!

Thump!

Finally, unable to withstand the onslaught, the large monsters began to collapse.

This was the power of unity.

The power of armament.

The power of training.

The elite forces of the underground, unmatched anywhere in the outside world.

“How did you create such a unit…”

Norman groaned in astonishment.

“They move as one…”

Milia also expressed her admiration with wide eyes.

The large ballista was the power of weaponry.

They had witnessed its might firsthand.

And now, they were seeing the power of an elite unit.

They must have been convinced by now.

That we had the power to save this 12th underground floor.

“Roar!”

Thud!

In less than 20 minutes, the surroundings were cleared.

But we didn’t shout in victory.

Because we knew.

The battle had just begun.

“There must be a boss here too.”

I said to Milia.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“We’ll head straight there. Lead the way.”

“What? That’s too dangerous…”

“We strike while the iron is hot. That’s the best approach in this situation.”

There were two options.

Head to the shelter.

Or go straight to the boss.

If the new forces we could gather at the shelter would be helpful, the former wouldn’t be bad.

But they would need considerable training to fight alongside us.

It meant they wouldn’t be much help right now.

Then.

The only answer was the latter.

We keep the momentum going and take down the boss in one fell swoop.

“May I say a word?”

Norman interjected.

“Go ahead.”

“I’ve witnessed firsthand how formidable Master Max and his companions are. But there are even more dangerous monsters in this place besides ogres and trolls. Especially cyclopes are very dangerous. To reach the boss, we’ll inevitably have to clash with a horde of cyclopes.”

“You’re saying cyclopes are dangerous.”

“That’s right. Those large arrows are incredibly effective against ogres and trolls, but I’m not sure if they’ll work against the tough bodies of cyclopes…”

Norman continued with a worried expression.

“It would be disastrous if we rush in and the large arrows don’t work. So, how about we clear out the monsters around the shelter first to secure a safe path, regroup, and then advance cautiously?”

Norman advocated for a cautious approach.

He wanted to secure a retreat route to the shelter first.

That way, even if we were forced to retreat due to lack of strength, we wouldn’t be surrounded.

I understood.

I knew firsthand how much our allies had suffered because of those damn cyclopes in the past.

But this time was different.

I didn’t think we’d have any trouble, even against cyclopes.

“They’ll work. They’ll definitely work. Who do you think made these special arrows?”

As if agreeing with my thoughts, Ran puffed out her chest and said.

“Of course, I saw how amazing the arrows you made are, but cyclopes are much tougher than ogres or trolls…”

“Are they tougher than orichalcum? I don’t think such a material exists.”

“Orichalcum…?”

“Yes, these arrows are made of orichalcum.”

“Wh-What…?”

Norman’s jaw dropped.

Milia was the same.

They probably never imagined that someone would use such an insanely expensive and rare metal like orichalcum for large arrows.

But there was one.

Right here.

I chuckled and said,

“It seems the discussion is over. Let’s go.”

* * *

It was getting dark.

It was a truly ominous sign.

Because they wouldn’t be this late unless something unexpected had happened.

“Hmm…”

The non-mage, who had survived for three years, the longest after the two leaders, groaned, blinking heavily.

The eyes of the people wavered anxiously.

“Sob, sob.”

Some were already shedding tears.

“Damn it!”

A middle-aged man grimaced.

He spoke to the non-mage,

“I-It’ll be alright, right, elder?”

But his voice was trembling.

It was proof that he was putting on a brave front.

“Prepare yourselves.”

“B-But…”

“Us too.”

“Ugh…”

The non-mage’s words were quiet.

But the meaning behind them was heavy.

The death of those two meant the death of everyone here.

The fact that no one could deny it was even more chilling.

“…”

A deathly silence.

No one spoke.

But suddenly,

“Elder! Everyone!”

Milia’s excited and elated voice could be heard from outside.

The people were startled and jumped to their feet.

They were surprised for two reasons.

They were surprised that she had returned alive.

And they were surprised that she was shouting so loudly in this place.

“Q-Quiet down!”

The non-mage shouted in panic.

The hideout was hidden, but it wasn’t completely safe.

If the monsters detected them, they could be in grave danger.

And yet, she was shouting like that, attracting the attention of monsters?

It was a reckless act that only a madman would do.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!”

Milia shouted again.

“Are you crazy?!”

The non-mage was about to rush out and stop Milia.

The others felt the same.

But right then,

“The savior has come! The savior has saved this land of death!”

Milia’s happiest voice in the world struck them.