Hostile NPCs.
As the name implies, they were characters that posed a danger to the players.
These devils would infiltrate the stage and put players through hell, mainly in two distinct categories.
Firstly, the kind that directly engaged in battle.
Just like playable characters, they boasted skills, special moves, and unique characteristics. Typically, these devils all had names and they were alarmingly powerful.
Secondly, the kind that vexed the players indirectly.
They didn't join in direct combat, but these devils tormented players with their exclusive abilities.
They varied greatly, some manipulated the weather, others spread curses.
'That devil is of the second type.'
I gritted my teeth as I scowled at the hat-clad troubadour on the distant horizon.
'He controls monsters with his flute.'
Yes, I had run into him a few times in the game.
However, I didn't immediately remember him as he wasn't this troublesome in the game.
He was an NPC from the Lake Kingdom.
He lacked direct combat capabilities, but he was a bard who could direct monsters with his flute.
The players dubbed him the 'Pied Piper'.
Except for a few special legions, the behavior pattern of most monsters is extremely rudimentary.
They simply charge to slay the nearest human.
However, when the Pied Piper appears, this changes.
Monsters would target the individual indicated by the Pied Piper first.
"Damien! Shoot that devil!"
"..."
"Damien!"
Damien, with his crossbow ready, remained still.
And the Pied Piper, stowing his flute away as if he had concluded his task, turned and vanished.
"I'm, I'm sorry, Your Highness."
Damien, gently lowering his crossbow, bowed his head deeply.
"But... even if they are the enemy, shooting people, for me..."
"..."
I lightly patted the remorseful Damien's shoulder.
"We can discuss this later."
After all, Damien was a healer. He was a young boy whose primary role was not killing people, but saving them.
In the course of fighting on this monster front, he might have slain monsters, but he would never have battled against humans.
'But there are plenty of humans among our adversaries.'
We will unavoidably have to combat humans.
If he can't surmount this hurdle, Damien's combat efficiency will be halved.
I swiveled my head and yelled at the soldiers.
"Artillery! Archers! What are you doing! Concentrate fire on the center! Annihilate them all!"
"Yes!"
The focus of the cannons and ballistas shifted towards the center of the wall. Soon, the cannons and ballistas started to unleash shells and arrows.
Boom! Bang!
A massacre ensued.
In the explosive flames and hail of arrows, the rat-like creatures were obliterated instantly.
But that lasted only for a moment.
Squeak! Squeeeak!
The rat-like creatures resumed their advance determinedly, sheltering between the corpses of their comrades.
The wall of corpses, amassed like a mountain, was becoming a barricade, obstructing our attacks.
"They're ruthlessly pounding the walls! The walls are taking a beating!"
Despite Lucas' frantic cries, I endeavored to stay composed.
"Don't fret. As long as the walls endure, we just need to eliminate them all."
Regardless of how quickly it was patched up, no matter the deficiencies, it was a fortress wall. It wouldn't be easily broken through.
"Do you presume this fortress built by the Empire is frail, you rat devils?"
I spun around and hollered.
"Jupiter! It's showtime! Step forward!"
"I thought you'd call, so I was gearing up."
Crackle, crackling.....
Jupiter, who was already standing behind me priming her magic, hoisted her hand up. I thrust my hand forward and bellowed.
"Scorch them all-!"
Jupiter also thrust her hand forward, echoing my gesture.
Rumble...
Suddenly, the dark clouds congregated in the sky and light scattered,
Flash-!
Numerous lightning bolts struck the ground.
Kaboom!
The lightning reduced the huddled rat devils to ash in an instant. It was an overwhelming power.
But it wasn't over yet. I yelled at Lilly, who was handling the artifacts.
"Lilly! Ready the Flame Emitter Artifacts!"
"How many should we deploy?"
"Clearly all of them! At maximum strength!"
I pointed at the mound of rat corpses heaped like mountains.
"Incinerate them!"
"Flame Emitter Artifact! Engaging!"
Following Lilly's command, the alchemists activated the artifacts.
After a few seconds,
Whoosh!
Flames surged from the artifacts positioned at the brink of the wall.
The flames transformed the rat corpses and the rats nestled in between them into ash.
The battlefield, swept by lightning and fire, was ablaze.
Everyone was gasping and staring at the spectacle. I spoke assertively.
"We're good. We can stand firm."
I was slightly taken aback when they started to dent the walls.
But it's uncomplicated. They're being directed to one spot.
"Just focus your volley on the point where they are congregating! There's nothing to be concerned about!"
We merely had to turn the area in front of these walls into a death zone.
We need to regroup before their second wave approaches. I was about to issue that command.
Ding!
A system alert.
It ominously chimed in my ear.
Hesitantly, I glanced at the system window that emerged in front of me.
[Enemy Information - STAGE 2]
- Lv.30 Ratman Champion : 3 units
- Lv.5 Giant Rat: 1574 units (Kill Counts: 1677)
The names of the boss entities that had always been displayed as ??? were disclosed.
Ratman Champion.
The top-ranked among Ratmen, characterized by its disturbingly robust physique.
And the fact that this name has been unveiled means...
Scream-!
It means they have arrived on the battlefield.
Leading the second wave of rats, three level 30 Ratman Champions trudged onto the scene.
The beast they stumbled upon in the dungeon bore an uncanny resemblance to a Ratman.
However, its stature was double the usual size, nearly as large as an elephant.
'Ordinarily, they're just bullet sponges.'
It was a standard sacrificial creature; there was no intricate ploy. The strategy was simple: concentrate your firepower and annihilate them one after the other.
But what about the present circumstances?
All the monsters were attempting to break through one specific spot in the fortress wall-
Thump!
The Ratman Champion leading the charge pounded the ground.
And with startling speed for such a colossal creature, it barreled toward the fortress wall on all fours.
"Halt it."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Observing the beast close in rapidly, I shouted out.
"What are you gawking at?! Stop it-!"
Only then did the soldiers snap back to reality and began firing cannons and ballistae.
Boom! Whizz! Thud...!
But the Ratman Champion, brushing off the explosions and arrows, charged undeterred to the outskirts of the fortress wall.
Ratatatatat!
As the creature entered the range, the automated defense turret sprang into action, pelting it with bullets akin to a shotgun.
Fwack! Whizz!
The horrific sound of bullets ripping through its flesh resonated.
Squeeeek!
The Ratman Champion, screeching grotesquely, stumbled and fell directly in front of the fortress wall.
Its massive body stirred up a dust cloud as it rolled several times before coming to a halt.
A fleeting sense of relief washed over everyone's faces. But this was no time for relief. I persisted to bellow.
"More are on the way! Brace yourselves-!"
Two Ratman Champions.
And the remaining one thousand five hundred rats began their collective charge.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Ratatatatata-!
The ground quaked.
Unwittingly, I gulped.
The swarm of rats converging on a single point wasn't merely a grey wave.
This was virtually a tidal wave.
"We need to eliminate the Ratman Champions first!"
I pointed at the second Ratman Champion spearheading the charge.
"Fire! Don't hold back!"
Explosives and arrows were launched in unison.
But the rats running alongside served as a shield, taking the fall and protecting the Ratman Champion.
Clang! Clang!
The automatic defense turret, having expended all its ammunition, began to reload.
I clenched my teeth. These beasts were already extraordinarily robust, but with this...
"Jupiter!"
"I'm on it!"
Jupiter unleashed her second spell.
"Lilly, activate the Magic Amplifier artifact! Target Jupiter!"
I activated the single-use damage multiplier artifact, the Magic Amplifier. A subtle buff aura enveloped Jupiter.
"Eat this, you rat devils."
Jupiter, with a blue light radiating from her singular eye, thrust her hand forward.
Dark clouds assembled, and dozens of lightning bolts descended from above. The lightning struck the front line of the surging rat horde.
Kaboooom!
The power was undeniably immense.
The area struck by lightning was charred black.
However, the sheer number of rats was overwhelming.
The throng of sewer rats at the front collided with each other, causing the lightning to scatter, and the Ratman Champions, though struck by the magic, continued their relentless charge.
"Damn! Was it not sufficient!"
Jupiter cursed, biting her lip.
From the get-go, Jupiter was a mage known for her area of effect spells. In such a chaotic fray, striking a single target with precision was a near impossibility.
Hence, there was no other option.
"Lilly! Flame thrower!"
"Eh? The flame thrower artifact is still cooling down..."
"Then forget the artifact, release some fire yourself!"
I seized Lilly's wheelchair and bolted towards the wall's end. Lilly turned a shade paler, but dutifully began gathering her magical energy.
"I knew we'd resort to this...here it goes!"
From Lilly's fingertips, a tremendous fireball was launched.
Boom...!
The fireball accurately detonated at the forefront of the horde.
The leading Ratman Champion was entirely charred black. But even in that state, it persevered, attempting to continue its run.
Thump!
An arrow lodged itself in his left eye.
It was a crossbow bolt shot by Damien. The arrow that pierced his eye scrambled his brain matter like a kneaded dough.
Kyeeek....
Thud!
The second Ratman Champion also collapsed.
However, the third Ratman Champion trailing close behind was still brimming with vitality.
He lightly vaulted over the corpse of his comrade and resumed his charge.
Now, he was merely a few strides away from the wall.
"Haaah-!"
Schwing!
Lucas drew the longsword from his waist and flung it.
The spinning blade lodged itself between the Ratman Champion's neck and shoulder. Blood spurted out wildly.
But, it was insufficient to bring him down.
In the heat of the moment, I called out to our marksman.
"Damien! Quickly-!"
Clank!
Slow but steady, Damien, who had loaded the next bolt, lifted his crossbow,
Whooosh-!
and let it fly.
The bolt, flawlessly tracing a clean trajectory,
Whoosh!
pierced the right eye of the Ratman Champion who was almost at the wall.
"We did it! He's down-"
Without even realizing, I cheered in triumph.
But it wasn't so. I had misunderstood.
Kyeeeeek!
Despite sustaining a fatal wound, the Ratman Champion used his remaining momentum to charge, hurling his hefty body into the opening.
The gap that the first wave of the sewer rat horde had carved.
He flung himself into the place where they had ripped apart the iron plates and gnawed at the stone.
Boom!
The impact ensued.
The top of the wall quaked violently. All the soldiers screamed, clutching the wall to steady themselves.
"Your highness!"
Lucas caught me as I teetered on the edge.
Barely managing to stay upright, I glanced down at the base of the wall.
Like sewage rushing into a drain, hordes of sewer rats were flooding into the thick cloud of dust at the bottom of the wall.
I gritted my teeth.
A sinking feeling overcame me.
The wall, it had been breached.