Chapter 348

Chapter 348

Otherworld Demon King Survival Guide.

Episode 348: The Dark Elf Queen (3)

So, this was the biggest obstacle before reaching the capital. I ordered Lilriel to prepare the Black Flame Cannon and instructed the troops to rebuild the fortifications.

“Gyusat, My Lord, it’s been a while since we got to build fortifications like this. It’s so enjoyable!”

Gyuil, clearly in a good mood, said this while twitching his long snout.

“Right? Look at that, isn’t exercise amazing? Hahaha.”

“Gyusat, watching the fortifications being built gives me a real sense of achievement.”

“Wow! Achievement unlocked!”

Gyuil, who said this, was already at a commander level and wasn’t holding a tool, let alone digging with a shovel.

This lazy bastard.

“Great work, Gyuil!”

“Gyusatsat.”

Still, he did an excellent job.

—Clang, clang, clang.

The fortifications were being completed swiftly. At this point, the kobolds’ fortification-building skills had surpassed those of the Roman legionnaires.

Roman legionnaires, insane soldiers who marched dozens of kilometers carrying tens of kilograms of equipment and then immediately built fortifications without rest upon reaching their destination, were considered the ultimate masters of infantry tactics.

My army had surpassed those legionnaires.

Once the fortifications were completed, preparations for an attack began. The palisades were tall, but if we broke through them, it was all over. They couldn’t handle our infantry formations.

However—

“Huh?”

As I stepped outside for a brief observation before the battle, I noticed a woman standing on top of the palisade.

She held a strange staff and wore skull ornaments—a female dark elf who looked like a shaman.

“A sorceress!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs!

Of course, even these ancient warriors possessed superhuman abilities. Just as humans had knights and mages, the dark elves had their equivalents.

According to Nekri, such elite warriors were extremely rare, but their power was immense. Furthermore, their specific abilities remained a closely guarded secret.

Even Nekri didn’t know much about them, as they were rare even among the dark elves.

“What should we do, My Lord? Sorceresses are dangerous!”

“Hmph. We already knew that. Even if they have special abilities, without an organized army, they aren’t much of a threat.”

Take Vanessa, for example.

Vanessa was a skilled knight, but when she entered my dungeon, she was alone. There’s no way she could defeat my army in that state.

“That sorceress may be dangerous, but she’s no match for us. Serinu! Take the team and put some pressure on her!”

“She’s a mage, right?”

“Yeah. Be cautious of long-range attacks or special tricks. Fire Wind Cutters from afar and gauge her reactions.”

“Got it! Hey, everyone! Enemy mage spotted! Let’s show her what we’ve got!”

“Okay!”

—Whoosh!

The pixies took off immediately. Forming a high-speed squadron, they flew towards the sorceress on the palisade and fired Wind Cutters as they advanced.

—Whoosh!

And the result?

—Ping!

—Ping!

The sorceress conjured a mystical shield to deflect the Wind Cutters. Then guards with wooden shields started climbing up to protect her.

And then—

—Flash!

The sorceress fired a purple lightning-like spell!

“Damn!”

But she couldn’t hit the pixies, who were freely maneuvering in the air. The magic missed, and Serinu quickly led her squad back.

“Our attacks didn’t work! And she fired back! If we got hit, it would’ve hurt a lot!”

“Yeah, Serinu. You dodged well. I’m glad no one got hurt.”

I patted Serinu’s head to comfort her.

“That sorceress…! She’s strong, no doubt.”

“But as you saw, she’s not strong enough to face an army.”

War wasn’t something you can fight alone. That sorceress might have some decent skills, but without an army, she was just a slightly stronger individual.

“Lilriel!”

I called out to Lilriel.

“Destroy the palisade!”

“Leave it to me!”

—Fwoosh!

The fallen angels took to the air. From above, they readied the Black Flame Cannon. Flames gathered in their hands, and when the energy was unleashed with a roar—

—Boom!

The dark elves’ palisade was shattered.

“Alright! Buril! Charge!”

“Kyarararak! Charge!”

The sorceress had already sensed the danger and retreated. Regardless, my soldiers poured into the breach in the palisade.

As we entered, the dark elves gathered far ahead, shouting and pointing their weapons. Of course, my goblin infantry was fully equipped. They continued advancing without any issues.

“Ah! Over there! The sorceress has appeared!”

Serinu shouted.

At the very back of the dark elves, the sorceress stood atop a palanquin carried by others, raising her staff.

What was she planning?

—Whoooosh.

A strange power was emitted from the staff, and at the same time—

—Ssshhh.

“What!”

A white mist began rolling in…! Could it be that she summoned the mist?

“All troops, halt! Raise your shields and point your spears!”

I quickly stopped the advance and issued the command. We couldn’t move the troops to avoid the mist now—it would disrupt our formation.

Soon, the mist engulfed our formation.

“Kerrk…! My Lord! The mist! The soldiers are suddenly complaining of fatigue!”

“Fatigue!”

Buril reported swiftly.

“Ugh! This mist seems to have a sleep-inducing effect, My Lord!”

“Shasha!”

The female officers around me gasped, covering their mouths.

“Serinu! Lilriel! Flap your wings like crazy to dispel the mist! Nuns, neutralize it using the power of darkness! Demonic Breath!”

—Fwoosh!

Normally, this type of spell disappears quickly when neutralized with magic. I exhaled fire broadly, clearing away the mystical magical mist.

—Whoosh!

—Flap!

The vigorous wing beats of the pixies and fallen angels scattered the mist further.

—Whoooosh.

As expected, it seemed to work. Buril reported again.

“My Lord! The soldiers are regaining their senses! Kerrk!”

“Good! Keep shouting and waking them up so none of them collapse!”

“Kerrk!”

These dark elf sorceresses were truly threatening.

If they had been commanding a proper army, the sorceress would have been the ultimate supporter. It was unsettling how they could inflict such intense fatigue in a critical moment.

After scattering the mist a bit—

“Advance again!”

I gave the command to advance.

—Clang, clang, clang.

The goblins, regaining their composure, resumed their advance. As the distance between the dark elves and my forces closed, I saw an opportunity.

“Summon tentacles!”

I summoned tentacles beneath the sorceress’s feet.

“…!”

The sorceress seemed briefly startled.

—Boom!

—Boom!

—Boom!

But she quickly unleashed her power, destroying the tentacles as they rose and breaking the magic circle.

“Ho!”

I was impressed.

She couldn’t have known my methods. Was it instinctive? My tentacles were incredibly vulnerable to magical attacks. Even a mere touch of magic made them pop like balloons—an absolute weakness.

Ordinary female warriors couldn’t handle them, but a sorceress like her could counter my tentacles effectively.

“Now, this feels like a proper battle. Hah!”

—Swoosh!

I continued summoning tentacles.

—Boom!

—Boom!

Why? Partly to drain her mana, but also because as long as I kept harassing her with the tentacles—

“Kyaaaahhhh!”

“Grrrrk!”

The sorceress couldn’t support the dark elves. While my troops fought well even without support, how long could the dark elves hold out without their sorceress?

“Die! Kerrk!”

At some point, the dark elves and our formation clashed.

—Thrust!

The goblins thrust their spears while hiding behind their shields, and the imps hurled fireballs from the rear. The kobolds defended the flanks, while the lamias darted out like lightning, flanking the dark elves and targeting their rear.

“Ugh…!”

The sorceress’s expression twisted in frustration.

As we advanced and swept through the dark elf warriors—

“Kyarrrraaaaak!”

“Grrrrrk!”

The retreating dark elves eventually gathered around the sorceress, forming a defensive cluster. We encircled them completely and shouted threateningly.

“Heh heh heh.”

Most of the male dark elves, who were relatively on the edges, had become corpses. However, the female dark elves, who had been positioned inside, remained largely unharmed.

The matriarchal culture of the dark elves greatly satisfied me. This battle alone allowed me to enslave numerous dark elf women.

By the end of this expedition, I would roughly have a regiment-sized force of dark elf female warriors under my control.

“Ugh…!”

Above all, there was that dark elf sorceress.

She too would become mine. The sorceress, after continuously defending against my tentacle attacks, now looked utterly exhausted, her strength seemingly drained.

“Alright, everyone! Switch from kill mode to recruitment mode!”

“Kerrk! Understood!”

“And Nekri! Hurry and persuade them to surrender!”

“Understood!”

As my soldiers transitioned into recruitment mode, Nekri shouted out.

“Surrender, all of you! Surrender, and you will be spared! I, a dark elf, guarantee your safety! If you surrender, you will all live!”

“…!”

At these words, the female dark elf warriors surrounding the sorceress began to waver.

Indeed, if they surrendered, they could all survive.

And I could, of course, sow my seed within their wombs.