Chapter 212.: Battle of the Kasten Plains 2
Darkness fell.
Both the troll/monster army and the alliance decided to continue hostilities tomorrow. The first day of battle had ended.
The trolls lost 10,000 troops, and the monsters lost 3,000.
On the other hand, the alliance had gone from 120,000 to 90,000 in a single day. Most of their casualties had come from the monster army.
The Warrior Squad, which was under Asuka's direct command, had sustained the most casualties.
They were neither elites nor did they work together particularly well.
Kang Oh had performed remarkably in the first battle.
He'd managed to kill twenty Volcaines, and at least 100 Devil Mosquitoes! Kang Oh had also killed several Helgas and trolls!
'Hehe.'
Through that, Kang Oh had reached level 290. His proficiency in Intermediate-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship had also risen to 98%.
He'd killed countless enemies while under the effect of the 'Potion of Explosive Growth', which increased experience and proficiency gain by 300% for a week, so it was an obvious result.
His increase in proficiency was especially notable.
Word on the street was that you needed to be about level 350 to upgrade a skill to high-rank.
But he'd invested all of his extra stat points into Sense, which increased his proficiency gains, allowing him to upgrade a skill to high-rank before hitting level 300.
'I haven't heard of anyone having a high-rank skill yet. That means I'm the first one.'
If Dukeram, who stood at the peak of the Numbers, didn't have a high-rank skill yet, then it was entirely possible that he would be the first one.
'Good, good.' Unbeknownst to him, Kang Oh's lips kept curling upwards. But he pushed it down, as not wasn't the time to be smiling.
The mood within the alliance was the very definition of 'gloomy'. After all, they'd lost 30,000 soldiers in a single day.
If he was caught smiling at a time like this, then people would treat him like a crazy person.
An Orc Warrior came over. "Mr. Kang Oh."
"Yes, what's the matter?"
"There'll be a meeting soon. Please come to the General's barracks."
"Understood."
Contrary to how he actually felt, Kang Oh sported a grave expression and entered Asuka's barracks.
"Sit down. Now we're all here."
As soon as he sat in one of the empty seats, the meeting began.
"What did you think about today?" Asuka asked, looking over each and every one of them.
"The trolls were worse than I expected. However, the monsters were far stronger than I could've imagined," Balduk answered.
"You're referring to their power."
"That's right."
The troll army was much weaker than they'd anticipated. However, the monster army was freakishly strong. Moreover, the Evil God Worshippers got on their nerves.
"Anyone else?"
"Though the trolls were weak, they acted as meat shields for the monsters. Thus, the monsters didn't take as much damage as I expected," Mumugul said.
"I saw that too. It was quite the horrific sight."
The Devil Mosquitoes, the Mukargas, manipulated the trolls' corpses and used them as meat shields. Like that wasn't enough, the Evil God Worshippers used magic to mind control the trolls into sacrificing themselves for the monsters.
It was like hell on earth.
"Anyhow, how will we fight differently tomorrow? We sustained too many casualties. Whereas our enemies sustained far less, relatively speaking."
"We should take out the Evil God Worshippers and the Mukargas first. Seeing the Evil God Worshippers using their wicked magic and the Mukargas raising the dead to do their bidding lowered our troops' morale significantly," Doran said.
"Mm. The Devil Mosquitoes and the Evil God Worshippers. These two entities truly can't be allowed to exist."
"I agree with the sentiment. We should assign some warriors to fight off the Volcaines, while the others focus on the rest," Balduk said.
"Mm."
"We have to keep our guard up. You never know when the Evil God Worshippers' leader will show up," Doran said.
"Indeed."
After that, the meeting continued for quite some time, and only ended late into the night.
But even after everyone else had left, Mumugul remained.
"Do you have something to tell me?"
"Yes. That's..."
Mumugul and Asuka spoke in secret for quite some time.
* * *
The second day of battle.
It was far more brutal and gruesome than the day prior.
The Troll Champions and their Great Chieftain, Razul, rampaged across the battlefield, forcing the alliance's leaders to deal with them.
Kang Oh dueled the Troll Champion, Ursac, himself.
However, Ursac was far weaker than Nergal. Not only that, but he wasn't of sound mind. He must've been bewitched by the Evil God Worshippers.
Unfortunately, Kang Oh couldn't finish him off.
Before he could land the finishing blow, another Troll Champion, Raikavan, swooped in and retreated with him in tow.
Anyhow, the second battle resulted in far more casualties than the first.
For both sides, that is!
The Ingrit Trolls lost 20,000 troops, while the monsters lost 5,000.
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In total, the troll/monster army only had 32,000 troops left. But if the corpses under the Mukargas' control were taken into account, they had more like 35,000 troops left.
The alliance had lost 40,000 troops. They had lost troops across the board, which included elves, orcs, mercenaries, and the other small tribes.
They only had 50,000 warriors left.
Even so, Kang Oh wanted to cry out with joy.
'This is the best hunting ground ever!'
Kang Oh had leveled up twice in the previous battle, getting up to 292! Unfortunately, his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship still remained at 98%.
In any case, the alliance needed to do something, and they needed to do it quickly. It had to be something that would make the history books!
Asuka secretly called Mumugul.
"Bring them over."
"Understood."
A short while later...
Mumugul brought over two men covered in robes. The robes covered more than two-thirds of their faces.
Even so, their sharp tusks were still clearly visible.
"We're executing the plan tomorrow," Asuka said.
"Understood."
"I hope it works."
"It has to. Our tribe's future hangs in the balance."
* * *
The third day of battle.
"Hehe, their troops have gone down significantly. Victory is mine!" Razul laughed evilly.
The Troll Champions behind him were almost expressionless.
They had lost all hope.
It didn't matter whether they died to their enemies or were mind controlled by the Evil God Worshippers and became meat shields. They would die either way. They would probably be forced back into the fight by the Devil Mosquitoes too.
However...
"Ingrit Trolls!" Someone's voice rang out.
The Troll Warriors turned their heads towards the familiar voice.
There were two individuals riding atop warthogs, their bodies covered in robes. One of the two had just spoken.
Swish.
One man threw off his robes, revealing...!
"Shakara!"
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"It's Shakara!"
The Troll Warriors instantly recognized him.
Javelin Master, Shakara!
"I'm here too, my brothers!" The other man threw off his robes, revealing his tattooed face. It was Turkavan.
"Ooh, Turkavan!"
"It's Turkavan!"
"Grr, you traitors. Where do you think you are!?" Razul went berserk and punched his rhino.
"You traitors. In the end, you chose to join the alliance!"
"You're a disgrace to the title of Troll Champion!"
The Troll Champions, Ursac and Angol, yelled. They had chosen to follow Razul, and had fallen prey to the Evil God Worshippers' machinations.
"My Ingrit brothers...!" Shakara completely ignored Razul and his allies' reactions. "Razul is no longer our Great Chieftain!"
"What?" Razul's eyes widened with rage.
"He's nothing more than an Evil God Worshipper now!"
"Preposterous. I am the Ingrit's great leader, Razul!" Razul yelled desperately. However, it didn't have much effect.
"You're the Great Chieftain? You dare say that when this is what you've done!?" Shakara said angrily.
Shakara dismounted from his warthog, and then helped another robbed individual get down from theirs.
"Look closely!" Shakara pulled off the robe, revealing an old troll. However, the lower half of his body had been transformed into bizarre tentacles. It was a hideous, gruesome sight.
"Uoooh," the old troll groaned. It was almost like they were screaming.
"This is Elder Vishum! But why exactly does he look like this!?" Shakara yelled sorrowfully. His shout, as well as Vishum's hideous state, was enough to stir the hearts of the Troll Warriors.
"It is Elder Vishum! What happened? Why does he look like that?"
"Was the rumor true? The Great Chieftain gave him to the Evil God Worshippers because he stood against him..."
"Impossible!"
The Troll Warriors gaped, feeling like they'd been betrayed.
"This is a conspiracy. It's a lie!" Razul yelled desperately.
"A conspiracy? A lie? Take a look around. Why are those Devil Mosquitoes controlling our comrades' bodies? Why are you, the Great Chieftain, allowing our people to be used like that!?" Shakara yelled, letting out his pent up frustration.
Each and every word made the Troll Warriors' very souls stir.
"Troll Warriors. Join the alliance immediately. We need to fix what's been broken!" Turkavan said.
"Hmph, look at that. He's just a traitor! Join the alliance? Even though they've been fighting and killing each other all this time? If they go over to the alliance, then they'll be killed right then and there!" Razul went on a long rant, thinking that this was his chance to turn things around.
But at that moment...
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General Asuka stepped forward.
"From this point forward, the Anti-Ingrit Alliance will become the Destroy the Evil God Worshippers Alliance! Our goal is to completely destroy the Evil God Worshippers! Brave Troll Warriors, lend us your strength! It's true, we may fight again one day, but right now, we need to exterminate the Evil God's followers!"
His confident cry resounded throughout the battlefield.
"Brothers, I ask that you lay down your deep-seated hatred for them, at least for this moment, and accept them. If we don't defeat the Evil God's followers now, then we'll have no future to speak of!"
"Ooooh!" the alliance's warriors exclaimed.
"Troll Warriors. Escape the Evil God's wicked grasp and join us. Return to what you once were, the great, proud Ingrit Trolls!" Turkavan screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Brothers! Fight with me!" Shakara yelled.
However, none of the trolls moved immediately. They were confused, unsure as to what to do.
Mumugul raised his right arm and gave the signal. Then, thirty Troll Warriors popped out.
"I can't stay in this hell any longer. I'll trust and follow Shakara and Turkavan."
"Me too!"
"Brothers, let's escape together!"
"Follow me!"
They ran towards the alliance.
It was as if a dam had collapsed. Like the built up water rushing out of a collapsed dam, 20,000 Troll Warriors ran towards the alliance.
"No!" Razul yelled desperately, but he'd already lost his men.
"It's gone just as planned," Mumugul whispered to Asuka.
"Good job." Asuka smiled in satisfaction.
The trolls that were the first to leave actually weren't Ingrit Trolls. They were Remguard Trolls disguised as Ingrit Trolls!
They had infiltrated the troll army last night under Mumugul's orders.
"Give a warm welcome to the Ingrit Trolls! The Ingrit Trolls can take orders from Shakara and Turkavan!" Asuka declared confidently.
They were ready now.
The western alliance versus the Evil God's followers!
Now, all they needed to do was defeat the Evil God Worshippers with their combined strength.
But then...
The beast mask man dropped from his monster bird and landed on the ground. Thud!
The smile mask man was next to land.
"Damn it. The trolls have escaped our grasp. The plan has gone completely astray," the smile mask man said.
"To think they'd get in the way of our great plan... None of you will die peacefully!" the beast mask man said murderously. He then raised his hand into the air.
A giant portal appeared in the sky.
Countless monsters began pouring out of the portal.
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