Chapter 6) A War that isn’t Possible
Draka was the commander that led the army of the Haven Empire .
“The captains aren’t leading properly . A prolonged battle wasn’t what I wanted . ”
The resistance from the northern users hadn’t been that impressive . It wasn’t a mature part of the Versailles Continent . The knights were far too weak .
However, if there was a strong leader then there would be some results . Weed caused a disaster and had Hestiger helping him .
If they had the ability then it was natural to use it . If he had the capacity for mass destruction then he would actively take advantage of it at every possible moment .
Most of Draka’s complains were towards the leaders of the Haven Empire’s army .
“The commanders are powerless . What use is the role of the knights and commanders?”
Lafaye and the Hermes Guild tended to carry out unbeatable tactics . The strongest army with 1 . 7 million troops .
Thanks to the exceptional formations and experience of the troops, they could confront many enemies .
Weed and Hestiger had entered the Haven Empire’s army and was waging an infinite battle . They killed many users of the Hermes Guild but the Haven Empire’s army hadn’t collapsed yet .
“But the enemy’s intention is to use close combat to wear us down and win the battle . ”
Draka held a meeting .
He didn’t like the war so far . The northern users were an unstoppable force that kept on coming .
From a commander’s perspective, this fight was too humiliating . A commander couldn’t make any judgements like a scarecrow .
“The defensive formations of the army absolutely can’t be defeated by the coming enemies . ”
In the case of the Central Continent .
Sometimes it was possible to fight with high numbers using the terrain . Or the commanders would take advantage of the knights in order to overcome many situations .
Being the leader of the commander of the northern conquest army was a great position of pride .
A huge army was curled up and unable to fight confidently . This was offensive to Draka’s pride and honour as a commander .
In fact, he was upset but greed actually had a larger effect in his heart .
A powerful army that couldn’t be defeated . A commander who wanted to use more aggressive tactics in order to win!
“This can be called a victory but… A battle isn’t a simple thing . ”
Draka whispered to Balbaro who was the commander of the 2nd corps . They were close friends and colleagues .
-What is the situation?
-This is the forefront . The northern users are coming like crazy while the avians are attacking the front and rear .
-The damage?
-A lot of soldiers have died because of the disaster and the formations are a mess . It is being restored little by little so there are no problems blocking them .
-The battle… What will happen?
-Why are you asking?
-Just do it .
-Naturally it will be our victory . You know that we can’t lose this battle . But it looks like we will be fighting for most of the day . The resistance of the north is strong . The siege weapons are broken and cumbersome .
Draka also sent a whisper to Porcal, commander of the 3rd corps .
-The current situation?
-The archers and magicians are trying to recover but… Enemies keep falling from the sky . The avians are carrying people so it is causing a headache .
-Weed and Hestiger?
-They are surrounded . There is a chance to focus the magic attacks on them but there is no guarantee they can’t break out . Those guys will become tired in the future .
Draka contemplated for a while .
‘Many users are gathered to defend the north and they are prepared to fight all night until they die . ’
A huge scale war on the Versailles Continent . Weed had emerged to decide the fate of the northern continent .
Draka’s eyes gleamed .
“The current system of the Haven Empire is powerful but needs to be discarded sometimes . The real triumph will be achieving a perfect victory in Draka’s name . ”
Draka spoke in the guild chat for the Haven Empire’s commanders .
Draka: As the commander in chief of the army, I am issuing an order to all commanders . Instead of waiting, each corps will actively march forward and crush the enemy!
Instrium: Are you serious? That is different from the tactics that the leaders decided on .
Balbaro: There is no problem with the current battle so why throw it away?
Draka: I will take full responsibility . This is my command but I will not force you to push . If you want to win the battle as a small fry then there is no need to follow . However, if you want to be a hero then let’s start our war!
“1st corps march!”
The 1st corps started to loosen their defense formation and advanced . They expressed their frustration by dashing towards the northern users .
The knights, cavalry and infantry followed behind .
“Go . Kill them all!”
Draka was a competent commander and had an outstanding personal force following him . He had excellent leadership abilities which was why he was given control of the northern conquest army .
“Draka is going… I’m coming as well . 2nd corps march!”
Balbaro also began moving his forces .
Troops of 10,000 or 30,000 rapidly started advancing . Depending on the commander, each troops had slightly different attributes .
Balbaro’s corps was mobility .
He gained the special ability ‘rapid pace’ through war experiences and gave it to his army . The commander increased the speed of the march by 17% and reduced fatigue by 62% .
15 units of the 2nd corps started subduing the northern users .
It was like a relaxing turtle suddenly decided to harm its enemies . Like wild beasts, the 2 corps actively moved out to slaughter the enemies .
The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th corps belatedly started moving .
Each commander understood Draka’s mood after hearing the command . It was the same for them . In the current combat situation, it was reasonable to become active in order to gain more benefits .
“Does he want to plug in the flag of the northern conquest with his own hands? It makes sense as a commander . There is no such thing as being too greedy in a war . ”
“It was frustrating . Besides, we won’t be rebuked since this is Draka’s order . And our purpose is to kill Weed and take the Earth Palace . ”
“If the war ranges freely then it will become a public showdown? The 5th corps will kill the largest number of enemies . Full force assault!”
“The 6th corps has a higher proportion of magicians so we are weak in direct combat but… The knights that trained in magic will show off their abilities . ”
The Haven Empire’s army was showing dramatic movements . Whole crowds struck towards the northern users and the Earth Palace .
“As expected . This is the effort of training an enormous military over several years in Royal Road . ”
“The process of overcoming the difficulties is what makes it fun . Just relax . The current military power of the Haven Empire can’t compare with what is on screen… It will be sufficient to conquer the continent . ”
Bardray, Lafaye and the core leadership of the Hermes Guild were at the Imperial Palace while the war with the north was taking place .
A video was transmitted via magic on an entire wall . It was possible to see videos from the eyes of the commanders as well as those being broadcasted by the stations .
There were also 24 users not part of the Hermes Guild . They were people of the economic world .
They were meeting with the Hermes Guild in the Haven Empire in order to decide some details . There were several practical procedures remaining but the investment was already finished so they were invited to the palace to see the northern war .
A red faced dwarf asked .
“I was surprised, the Haven Empire’s military… Is there a particular trick to becoming stronger in Royal Road?”
Bardray laughed lightly .
“Just fight well . The process is hard to describe in words . ”
“That answer is too vague . But it makes sense . You became the ruler of the continent’s strongest and most influential power for a reason . ”
“With your support, the Hermes Guild doesn’t need to have any concerns about our growth . If you like then the knights of the Haven Empire can run you through a few drills . ”
“Hahaha, I am grateful to accept your offer . ”
He was a wealthy person from the Middle East but had chosen a warrior occupation . The advantage of a dwarf with the blacksmith skill was that a number of different items could be created .
Most financial people had been in Royal Road in the past . The television was constantly showing news about the daily economic expansion in Royal Road . Some distrusted state of the art technology but experienced Royal Road based on the recommendation of their children .
‘This investment will offer boundless potential in the future . ’
‘A whole new world where I can get power and interests . ’
‘Developing more resorts… If I have the capital and land to create resorts in the Haven Empire then there will be no end to the profits . There will be an endless supply of tourists and the political, licensing and building processes are difficult but I have the time and money . I will change this continent to a paradise on earth . ’
The wealthy people would receive a share of their investments . Bardray and the other leaders would also benefit .
The wealthy investors received regular reports that business was proceeding smoothly .
“If I look at it a little longer, it is like real cooking . ”
“Do you want to try the food that comes out from the Imperial Palace?”
There was a sumptuous feast as they watched the battlefield from afar .
‘As a man, I want to live like this . ’
Bardray looked at the powerful people gathered in this room and soaked up the mood . People with strong capital and influence in reality respected and invested money in him .
‘I am no longer an ordinary human being . As emperor of the Haven Empire, I will write a new myth of immortality . ’ He would become powerful in virtual reality and physical reality .
Bardray and Lafaye’s eyes met with a significant glance .
‘We’ve had a really big success . ’
‘In the future, all the profits will be ours . ’
Once the Haven Empire was on a solid rock, they would dominate Royal Road for a long period of time .
Lafaye felt hateful towards the northern users that had gathered to defend the Arpen Kingdom .
‘Our profits will become bigger the more we obtain in Royal Road . They will become citizens of the Haven Empire whether they want to or not . ’
The desire to conquer the Versailles Continent started after seeing Royal Road on the news . As more users joined Royal Road, the popularity continued to rise .
In the holiday season, people joined Royal Road to entertain themselves with the mountains and valleys .
This was another world and became the ruler of virtual reality . Then the military of the Haven Empire started moving quickly and violently . The army had scattered in order to subdue the northern users .
“Indeed… It really feels like a war in medieval times . The magicians and knights are tremendous . I have been interested in war from an early age and collected civil war weapons but that hobby is obsolete in front of Royal Road . ”
Lafaye laughed softly at the words from an American real estate tycoon .
“If you become a lord then you can command the knights directly . ”
“It is more complicated to reign in Royal Road so I would rather go around fighting on adventures . Still, this virtual reality makes my blood boil like a youth…”
“You can do whatever you want . ”
Lafaye smiled while sipping a glass of wine .
However, the leaders watching the video on the wall showed signs of nervousness .
-How did this happen?
-It is Commander Draknim’s independent decision .
-Did we allow such an active offensive?
-Never . It was outside our control .
The leaders rejected this policy when first determining how to conquer the north . The commanders were allowed independence on the battlefield but if it wasn’t an urgent situation then they should receive permission first .
The northern conquest army was huge so the leaders wanted to make sure they had a tight control over it . They had directed it to a complete victory .
The investors asked .
“Hoh, I wonder what it feels like to participate in the war?”
“Wouldn’t you just lose your life within a few minutes?”
“At my villa… I will have to physically train for the war . ”
From their point of view, the northern conquest army changing to aggressive tactics was worth seeing . The knights and infantry rushed out to meet the users .
Lafaye went back to watching the video .
‘The approach is different but it isn’t bad for victory . There isn’t only one way of winning . It might be better to show off our fighting power at the moment of victory . ’
The 1st, 3rd and 4th corps headed towards the Earth Palace in order to fly the flag of the Haven Empire .
Defeating the region with the most number of users . It would look good to destroy the Earth Palace and the northern users .
Lafaye and the leaders had planned a defense formation because the opponent was Weed . There were some disadvantages because the northern users wouldn’t back down .
There were some contingency operations . They absolutely couldn’t fail even if Weed got involved .
Given that they would rule the north in the future, he wanted a complete victory without worrying about the damage .
However, there was no perfect plan so there were thousands of possibilities .
‘It isn’t a bad approach . I respect Draka for making that decision . ’
Lafaye and the leaders could give an order to rebuild the army to its original formation . However, he feared chaos and decided to give permission .
‘After the northern conquest is finished… I need to make an example of Draka . After the conquest, I need someone who listens to commands . ’
Lafaye’s face hardened but he never even dreamed of losing the war . The gap in power was too large so it was a war that couldn’t be lost .
“Stop them!”
“Uaaaack! S-so strong . ”
“They are engaging in battle with the chariots!”
The Haven Empire’s combat units appeared .
The battle chariots looked plain but its body was 10 metres of steel and pulled by chimeras that would only obey their commands .
The 1st corps that was Draka’s flagship contained the best soldiers . As they advanced on the battlefield, the elite soldiers achieved victory every time .
The power of the 3rd corps was relatively weak but contained many Hermes Guild users who did chimera research .
The magicians started using various summoning magic and black magic . The 4th corps was filled with combat shamans .
The battle chariots mercilessly smashed the enemy .
The 3 corps of the Haven Empire’s army advanced towards the Earth Palace . The northern users that tried to defend against it died horribly .
The destructive power of the Haven Empire’s army was completely different compared to when they were defending .
“There is no chance of winning from the front so attack it from the side!”
“Believe in our numbers . You don’t need to panic . An opportunity will come . Surround them and attack!”
“Catch the ones that fall behind!”
The northern users took the chance to fight .
Although the magic destruction zone had disappeared, the northern users still found it difficult to fight against the Haven Empire .
“Break, break through!”
“Don’t waste time!”
There was a subtle competition between the 1st, 3rd and 4th corps . The first corps to capture the Earth Palace would gain significant achievements .
Draka was the commander in chief but the leaders of the 3rd and 4th corps also had ambition . Just like Draka, they hoped to end the war perfectly by marching into the Earth Palace .
“At full speed!”
“Raise your maneuverability . Go straight through . ”
“We will go first . Have the knights clear the way!”
The northern users collapsed like straw in front of the Haven Empire’s thrust . But a significant amount of Haven Empire troops were lost to the arrows and magic .
The Haven Empire fought violently with the northern users .
“There is something suspicious about their movements . ”
Weed looked around and noticed the movement of the Haven Empire’s army . He noticed too late that several of the army corps had withdrawn .
“Those guys are moving even faster . The battle is taking place elsewhere so can the Earth Palace stop them?”
Only users were guarding the Earth Palace .
Weed was surrounded by high level defense troops . It was difficult to find a way to safely stop the large number of troops heading towards the Earth Palace .
Weed’s face became pale .
“Kuooh, I realized that my plan was wrong . ”
A cruel plan that caused heart disease and high blood pressure!
The Haven Empire’s strike could destroy the Arpen Kingdom and also deal significant damage to Weed’s pockets .
Weed was momentarily dizzy at the thought .
“There is nothing I can do . Right now I am playing with Hestiger . ”
Weed and Hestiger were taking care of the Haven Empire’s army .
In the vicinity of the northern users, it was the opposite situation as the Haven Empire smashed through them . Of course, it was also because Weed had the rice spatula Hestiger by his side .
“You’ve noticed the difference? However, it is already too late Weed!”
The commander of the 6th corps, Drom spoke while Weed and Hestiger were fighting . The Haven Empire’s troops received a command and moved . Soon a wide, open space occurred around Weed and Hestiger . This place was filled with the elite troops of the 6th corps .
The magic knights .
They were unique knights that could use magic . They could use magic attacks as well as combat to break through the enemies .
It was through a crude method but had surprising results in enormous battles . They could attack from a distance and it significantly improved their ability to take a blow .
Weed’s eyes moved quickly at the sight .
Against an army of monsters, he needed to understand the pros and cons .
‘This… They are tough opponents . If I was fighting alone then I would take the maximum damage . ’
The elite troops of the 6th corps .
The NPC knights reached the late 300s while most Hermes Guild users were over level 430 . Even the equipment they were wearing made them powerhouses .
The individuals that used tactics would have their power increased by several times .
“Weed, the 6th corps will take your head . ”
“Is that right?”
“Any last words?”
Drom started talking before the battle . Weed was in front of him so he naturally wanted to look cool for the broadcasting stations .
Even if they were commanders in the northern war, they didn’t have a high amount of awareness among general users .
Weed also wanted to moderately deal with him . Typically he would receive an appearance fee from the broadcast partners .
“You have invaded the land of the north so only your body will return . ”
“Hahahahaha!”
Drom laughed loudly .
In fact, it wasn’t that funny but he acted like it was for the television broadcast . In order to look like the hero of a movie!
Drom stopped laughing .
“The King of the Arpen Kingdom has turned a blind eye to reality . Well, I hope you can feel the freedom of dying in battle . Start!”
The magic knights moved in a circular motion with Weed and Hestiger in the centre . There was 1,000 of them on mounts .
It was somewhat low compared to the elite troops of other corps but that didn’t matter . Including the magicians, there was a total of 2,000 people .
Weed considered an early breakthrough .
“Hestiger, you will lead the way . ”
“Yes, Great Emperor!”
The dangerous and tough work would be left for his subordinate first! Hestiger bolted towards the magic knights .
“You won’t be able to pass!”
“Heavy Air Resistance!”
“Turbulent Strong Winds!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Magic was used in order to block Hestiger’s advance .
“Blazing Firestorm of Penance!”
He wielded his weapon and killed 16 magic knights .
“Storm of Rage!”
A firestorm rose from Hestiger’s sword and aimed at the magic knights . The flames swelled and the bodies of the magicians nearby caught fire .
“Kuaaak!”
“Save me, my body is on fire!”
“The fire can’t be quenched . The magic just burns even more!”
The area was filled with screams in seconds .
“No, unbelievable!”
Drom’s face turned pale .
He couldn’t understand the situation at first! The troops he was so confident about had easily collapsed .
Drom had been located on the left side and couldn’t see Weed and Hestiger properly while they had been fighting . Only a few people in the army could see how strong they were .
Each corps ran up to deal with Weed without seeing his previous combat .
“These guys aren’t special . ”
Weed watched quietly for a moment . He wondered where the hell Drom’s confidence came from .
They were helpless in front of Hestiger . It was like gangsters jumping a person only to discover they were a former national level judo player .
After confirming it, Weed joined Hestiger in fighting the magic knights .
‘Well, it’s not like we have no weaknesses . ’
Despite is superior force, even Hestiger would get tired sometime . Still, there was no reason they couldn’t easily break through . Hestiger was too powerful and the flames he emitted complemented Weed . Hestiger’s attribute of fire was an enemy itself when used by Weed .
Drom was freaked out but soon regained his spirit .
“Magic knights, tie up their ankles! Stop them from leaving this place . The 6th corps will initiate a fatal attack here!”
The magic knights and Hermes Guild members immediately resisted .
“What, Commander? Are you going to kill all of us?”
“It is the only way to stop them! Don’t say anything and just fight . There will be backlash if you disobey orders . And if you succeed then the rewards… Isn’t this amount of damage worth it if we can get Weed?”
“Damn . ”
The urgent conversation was conducted through a shout, not a whisper .
Weed quickly noticed the situation .
Most organizations were willing to take some losses in order to achieve their goal .
‘The magic knights are planning to pour ranged magic attacks on us . ’
Weed and Hestiger were in a densely concentrated area of the Haven Empire’s army . It was inappropriate to used ranged attacks here . The Haven Empire troops were widely spread in front of him . They were essentially hostages to the indiscriminate attacks .
However, Weed wasn’t the type of live peacefully if his life was at risk . In addition, the organization would sacrifice anything in order to preserve their own safety .
“Hestiger, he is your goal . Aim for that guy . Him!”
“I understand, Master!”
Weed and Hestiger simultaneously sprang towards Drom .
“Impossible . Rupture of the Corrupted Palace!”
The guard troops around the commander unleashed powerful arrows . However, Hestiger had an aura of lava around his body that just melted the arrows .
“Blink!”
Weed drifted through the attacks using the short distance teleportation .
He was able to appear beside some guards and quickly subdued them using the element of surprise .
Weed was then surrounded but Hestiger would arrive to sweep them all away .
“Dammit . They grasped the situation pretty quickly . Stop them no matter the cost! Catch them!”
Drom noticed their target and turned around to flee .
He was a commander of the Haven Empire but it was too difficult to deal with Hestiger and Weed at the same time . He didn’t want to fight a losing battle .
Drom had wanted to reproduce Bardray’s fight with the Abyss Knight . After finishing, he would emerge as a hero of the Earth Palace battle .
The mistake in his calculation was that Weed wasn’t like Van Hawk . He had overcome many situations in life and in Royal Road with dirty tricks . He also had Hestiger’s brute strength on his other side .
“Chase him . ”
“Yes Master . ”
“Break them all . ”
“It isn’t hard!”
Weed and Hestiger collapsed the core of the 6th corps while chasing .
Every place they passed had fire burning . Drom was too fast and they soon escaped from the encirclement . In no time at all, Hestiger was far from the area where the northern users were fighting .
‘The weight on my body is gone . I can feel at ease and fight better . ’
There was a deafening roar from the land behind them . The magic knights were aiming mortal attacks at them .
“What are you doing? We are on the same side…!”
Drom reprimanded his men but then realized he made a great mistake .
The ranged attack troops consisted of a lot of NPCs .
It was quite tricky to give freedom to subordinates . Instead of making decisions during the battle, they would obey orders first .
The Hermes Guild users stopped their attacks but the rest of the troops attacked .
The magic attacks fell from the sky and destroyed the magic knights that the 6th corps were the most proud of . And the wide range of the magic attacks caused the damage to expand even further .
Drom hurriedly issued a command to the magic unit .
“Cancel, cancel the attack!”
Weed and Hestiger came closer to him .
“Your destiny must be very good . Can I take a look at your hand?”
“Already?”
Drom turned and started to run again . A commander on the battlefield governed the military command and influenced morale .
If a command was captured or killed by the enemy then in the worst case situation, the army might dissolve . Even the Hermes Guild users would inevitably have a reduction in combat power .
Drom knew the importance of his position and fled .
“Defend the commander!”
“This savage dares challenge the Empire…”
The knights that jumped at Weed and Hestiger were defeated . Excellent Hermes Guild users gathered like flies but Hestiger was a blazing volcano . He was constantly spewing lava and repelling the enemies .
Hestiger wasn’t immortal . Despite the knights having the highest levels on the continent, he was the worst opponent they’ve faced .
In order to subdue the Abyss Knight Van Hawk, they had mobilized a lot of troops and planned a trap . But Weed and Hestiger didn’t make mistakes or engage in reckless behaviour .
The commanders other than Drom quickly noticed it .
‘Weed is coveted but… I will drop it for now . ’
‘The Earth Palace is the main goal so getting rid of him will be the last resort . ’
‘Even a strong individual can’t minimize the damage of an army . ’
‘I hope he doesn’t come to my section . After from Hestiger, there is nothing specifically different in this war . Then we will surely win . ’
Apart from Hestiger, the war wasn’t very difficult . Compared to the other commanders, Drom was too greedy . And now he was in a difficult situation .
However, Weed was still calmly analyzing the situation .
‘The commander of the 1st corps has put me in a disadvantageous situation . And there might be other commanders like this guy . Anyway, the Hermes Guild users can still command the troops . ’
No matter what Weed did, the Haven Empire could quickly rebuild their army . Even Hestiger couldn’t win alone .
“Hestiger, chase after them moderately . And the magicians are the primary threat . ”
“I understand . Master . ”
“I feel bad but I will leave command of the army to you . You will be in charge of the entire war . ”
“I have no complaints . Master has the ability to perceive the enemy’s weakness and give courage to people like me . ”
“Hmm hmm . ”
Weed coughed for a moment . It was strange to hear compliments from a hero he was jealous of .
“Then… Come, Phoenix!”
Weed yelled as a burst of red rose on the horizon . A red creature that was the manifestation of beauty .
Phoenix .
He had enormous health thanks to the unquenchable fire and was strengthened by the sacrifice of his four brothers .
Among Weed’s sculptural lifeforms, he was one of the strongest .
“Hukiaaaack!”
Phoenix’s appearance .
He was the sculptural lifeform that people tended to enjoy seeing the most . It was like a noisy apartment had come to the battlefield .
“It appeared! The sculptural lifeform!”
“Ohhhh! The phoenix that I saw on television!”
“Divine Advent! Greetings from the Fire Chicken Porridge unit . ”
The northern users cheered . It was common for all the users to know the sculptural lifeforms .
“Let’s go . ”
Weed jumped on Phoenix’s back . Usually he would avoid the heat but right now he was a chaos warrior .
He soared into the sky and could see the battlefield with one glance .
The avians were plaguing the Haven Empire while the northern users fought more aggressively . Individuals were fighting for their lives on the wide plains .
“The battlefield is so large that it is difficult to predict the orders . ”
It was the largest scale Weed had even seen .
He felt the pride of commanding one side of the war . However, it was somewhat unsatisfactory since he was being invaded .
From the sky, he could see battles going on even in places far from the Earth Palace .
Flames and arrows were flying across the entire plains .
A grand spectacle .
Weed could feel the cold breeze on his face due to the disaster .
“Phoenix, go higher!”
“Yes, Master-nim . ”
The tail of flames streamed behind as Phoenix rose upwards . A wider view of the land, rivers and mountains!
A total of 3 army corps were pushing through the northern users towards the Earth Palace . The users died in large numbers under the fearsome attacks of the Haven Empire .
The Haven Empire also seemed to have lost some troops . However, this number was small enough to be insignificant .
Any openings in the infantry were quickly filled . If 100 knights died then 200 more would take their place .
The rough march of a powerful army . The cavalry harassed the enemy and it seemed to only be a matter of time until the northern users collapsed . They fought fiercely but failed to stop the march of the Haven Empire’s army .
Weed’s eyes narrowed .
It wasn’t a bleak expression .
“The army of the Haven Empire is strong . But I still need to try . Preserving the Earth Palace but losing the war… That can’t happen . ”
Weed spoke decisively .
“Today, all members of the Hermes Guild and soldiers of the Haven Empire in this place will die . ”
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