It was an unprecedented shitshow—hostile legions making unexpected appearances in the middle of a stage.
Yet, there were two silver linings in this unfortunate situation.
The first was the existence of the 'Intrusion Penalty.'
[Unexpected Event - Werewolf Legion Intrudes!]
[Repel the suddenly appearing Werewolf Legion!]
- Grey Werewolf Lv.35 : 15 in total
- Brown Werewolf Lv.30 : 25 in total
※ 'Intrusion Penalty' is applied. A 50% stat debuff is applied to the Werewolf Legion.
※ Extra rewards will be provided in the stage settlement window if you resolve the 'Unexpected Event.'
A 50% stat debuff.
Monsters already lost some power when they moved onto the surface from the Lake Kingdom. From the moment they invaded the territories, they fought under a stat reverse-correction.
The reverse-correction was stronger in the initial stages and weaker in the latter stages.
I suppose that was the game's way of balancing.
Now, on top of that, they had a 50% debuff.
'Do they have a conscience? I'm not sure, but they're pretending to have one, it seems.'
Better to have extra rewards than none, but honestly, who needs them? Just let me smoothly finish the stage!
Anyways, the second piece of good news.
Ssscht-!
Nameless followed me.
Dressed in ragged clothes with whitened hair, she looked like a beggar, to be honest.
And according to her, she was also under the penalty, unable to unleash her full combat power.
Ssscht! Thud! Splud-!
...Damn, she fought well.
She moved as though she had spent her entire life studying how to kill monsters.
Not a single skill or trace of magic power activated from her hero character. With ease, she swung her sword, beheading the wolves.
It allowed us to easily dispatch the werewolves who tried to penetrate our flanks.
Grrr!
Grrrr!
Realizing they were outmatched, the remaining werewolves ceased fighting and backed away.
Whoosh-!
"Hey! Where are you going, you little shits!"
They flung their bodies back and scurried away, disappearing into the shadows under the snake.
Watching them escape into the shadows, I gritted my teeth.
The night was pitch black, and they were too fast to catch...!
'But for now!'
I was worried about the party members who had dispersed elsewhere!
Swiftly, I issued orders to my companions here.
"Nameless, can you hold down the fort here?"
"Of course."
Nameless was a formidable swordswoman, but she didn't have a grappling hook and didn't know how to use one either. It was tricky to move quickly together, so I left her here.
"Kellibey, stay with her! It's urgent, so please help Nameless destroy the core!"
"Got it, leave it to me!"
I left Kellibey, who was familiar with Nameless and could handle destroying parts on his own.
I gestured to the remaining two mages.
"Fox, Rabbit, follow me! We're going up to aid the others!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Both mages hurriedly followed me.
Swoosh-! Whoosh!
I quickly attached my grappling hook to Jormungandr's back scales and began climbing up its body.
My mouth felt incredibly dry.
Please, let everyone be safe.
***
Jormungandr, Central Vicinity.
As I arrived, fortunately, Lucas and the Penal Squad had just finished fending off a horde of werewolves.
"Your Highness! You're safe!"
Lucas waved at me with a bright smile. Why was he so cheerful when he was covered in blood from head to toe?
"I was getting worried about you. I was just about to head towards the tail end."
"You should be more concerned about yourself..."
There were claw marks scraped across Lucas's back and shoulders.
When I poured a potion over his wounds, Lucas gritted his teeth to endure the pain.
"Ten of them came. The ones with brown fur weren't much of a challenge. The gray-furred ones, however, were quite powerful. We barely managed to drive them away."
"Where did they go?"
"They ran off and vanished by jumping under Jormungandr's body after we killed about half of them."
So they fled just like the ones at the tail. Are they planning to use the serpent's body as a stage for guerrilla tactics?
I also checked the condition of the other Penal Squad members. Fortunately, no one had suffered serious injuries.
"Good, everyone seems to be alright."
Just as I let out a sigh of relief,
Thud thud...
A hand suddenly rose from the ground. Looking down, Kuilan was lying flat next to me.
"Ahh~ Thanks, thank you. Worrying about someone like me. As you can see, I'm totally fine. No need to worry."
"Quit your whining and get up, Kuilan. You look perfectly fine to me."
"No, I'm not! I'm actually hurt! I can't even get up right now! Show some concern for me, dammit!"
Kuilan wore a sour face when I treated him so coldly.
Seriously, I made sure you wore two evasion gear sets so you wouldn't get hurt. Quit your Hollywood acting and get up already.
Apparently, he was knocked out when a werewolf's fist merely grazed him. What am I supposed to do with this glass cannon?
Kuilan reluctantly raised his hand to brush through his red hair.
"But something felt strange, you know. This is the first time I've fought against monsters since arriving at this frontline."
"And?"
"It's just... those werewolf buddies seemed oddly familiar, as if I've known them for a long time..."
Kuilan was deep in thought, but I brushed it aside. I had more pressing matters at the moment.
"Any news from the head side?"
"None, Your Highness."
I clenched my teeth.
Jormungandr's head region was where two mages—Junior and Reina—were stationed.
The total number of werewolves was forty.
With twenty-two appearing at the center and tail, that left about eighteen heading towards the head.
If the two isolated mages were surrounded by that many werewolves, would they be safe?
"Quick, let's go and back up the head area!"
I began to hurry the unhurt members towards Jormungandr's head.
As I was counting heads, I suddenly realized something was off.
"...Speaking of which, where did Evangeline go?"
I had sent her here to the center earlier.
"Huh? She came here briefly and then went back to the tail end... Didn't you see her?"
"..."
A cold sweat trickled down my spine.
I glanced at the terrain rushing past us outside Jormungandr's body.
If we were supposed to run into each other but didn't, could it be...
***
Near the head of Jormungandr.
- Thunk! Zzzzzk!
Reina, clutching Junior in her arms, was desperately firing wind arrows to clear a path.
Holding their ground and fighting would be suicide.
Reina quickly abandoned the idea of targeting the head and neural centers, opting to flee towards the middle of the serpent's body instead.
The problem was that the werewolves seemed to instantly understand Reina's decision.
The monsters persistently clung to her, blocking her escape.
Every time she fired her grappling hook, they cut the rope with their claws, making even her spare launchers useless.
She tried to clear a path with magic, but unfortunately, the Grey Werewolves were resistant to wind magic.
They absorbed the wind spells Reina blasted and continued their advance.
She couldn't break through, and amidst it all, their attacks left welts on her body.
'If only I could ignore their elemental resistance and blast them with one big spell...!'
But the werewolves had already tightened their encirclement. She didn't have the luxury of time to cast a big spell.
Just then, Junior, who was clutched in Reina's arms, spoke in a faint voice.
"Leave me and escape by yourself..."
"..."
"There's no need for both of us to die. Ugh!"
The corners of Reina's clenched mouth twisted.
Looking pale from her injuries, Junior muttered, "Act like the rational soldier you are, Lieutenant Reina."
Junior had been injured during the initial ambush by the werewolves and had since been a relentless target for their 'hunt.'
She was wounded anew even before she could recover with a potion.
Werewolves never let go of injured prey.
If Reina abandoned Junior, she could escape safely while the werewolves finished her off.
"...Don't talk nonsense, kid."
To be honest, she had considered that option.
But,
"How am I supposed to face Jupiter in the afterlife if I do something like that?!"
Then all her effort to save this fledgling wizard through her 'skills' would be in vain.
- Zzzzzk!
Reina released blades of wind in all directions, and whenever Junior had enough energy, she too sprinkled magic around them.
But the twenty werewolves skillfully closed in, cornering the two wizards.
- Sigh...!
Before they knew it, Reina and Junior were pushed to the tip of Jormungandr's body.
When Reina glanced back, she caught a fleeting view of the passing forest.
'What if we jump?'
Using wind to cushion the fall, they could survive the jump.
The problem was what came after. What if the werewolves decided to jump after them to finish the job?
'Damn it all!'
The werewolves took one step closer. They were about to pounce.
Teeth gritted, Reina began casting a wind spell, while Junior, her eyes dull, coughed up blood from her mouth.
That was when it happened.
"Jump off now!"
Out of nowhere, a young girl's voice echoed from outside Jormungandr's body.
"...?!"
Stunned, Reina looked in that direction,
- Whoosh-Clank!
A grappling hook attached itself to the side of Jormungandr's body, and sliding down it like a squirrel was... Evangeline.
"I've got you! Jump—!"
"…!"
Reina didn't hesitate. She wrapped her arms around Junior and leapt into the air.
- Krrrrr!
- Kwaaaa-!
Dozens of werewolves lunged at them, their fangs and claws swinging wildly, but narrowly missing, only managing to tear the edges of the two mages' robes.
- Thud!
"Safe!"
Catching Reina and Junior in mid-air, Evangeline skillfully retracted her grappling hook and then—
- Whoosh!
Landed by setting her shield beneath her feet.
"Ugh...!"
She had cradled both of them in her arms and plummeted to the ground.
Even for someone as durable as Evangeline, the impact was not insignificant.
But gritting her teeth, she endured it. She immediately shot her grappling hook again, snagging it on the side of Jormungandr.
- Whoosh!
Evangeline's slender legs glided along the ground, her shield sliding like a sled next to Jormungandr.
Taking a breather, Evangeline flashed a smile.
"Are both of you alright?!"
"We're fine, but... how did you get to us so quickly?"
"Hehe, I've got quick reflexes, you know!"
Having been knocked off Jormungandr by the werewolves' ambush, Evangeline had managed to stick back onto the side of Jormungandr using an extra grappling hook.
In that moment, Evangeline thought to herself, 'Who is at the most risk right now, given the sudden attack by the enemy?'
She quickly arrived at a conclusion.
The most vulnerable were the two mages at the front of the formation.
Lucas was in the middle, and Ash was at the rear; they could handle themselves.
Relying on this judgment, and her trust in Lucas and Ash, Evangeline had flown to the front without looking back.
As a result, she was able to rescue the two mages.
"So, how about it, mages? It's always safer when you have a reliable Vanguard Knight, right—"
Evangeline was shrugging when—
Squeak.
Creak.
An ominous sound echoed.
"Huh?"
Looking ahead, she saw the grappling rope connecting her shield-sled to Jormungandr was about to snap.
Even the sturdiest metal thread couldn't bear the weight of three people.
"Damn it! This is my last grappling hook!"
Creak!
The rope was about to snap. Evangeline clenched her eyes shut.
If the three of them fell now, the mission to conquer Jormungandr might fail—!
Just then, Ash's voice reached her from the body of Jormungandr.
"I'll create a ramp for you, Evangeline! Just slide and jump, got it?!"
"?!"
Surprised, Evangeline looked up to see Ash standing atop Jormungandr, having somehow dashed there.
Ash hurled a magic core in a fast pitch towards her.
As the magic core landed in front of Evangeline, Ash yelled, "Summon!"
Fortunately, they were in a forest.
The surrounding area was filled with trees shattered by Jormungandr's rampage. Using these as materials, Ash summoned an automatic turret into the ground.
It was angled diagonally, offering a perfect ramp.
Clank! Whoosh!
Wood shards gathered, forming the exterior of the auto-turret.
Whooosh!
Evangeline's shield-sled smoothly slid up the ramp.
"Wooohoo?! This is fun...!"
Before Evangeline could fully express her excitement, the jump was over. And at that same moment—
Snap.
The rope broke.
"Ah, damn it!"
With Evangeline's scream, all three were flung into the void.
"Phew!"
Just then, Reina expelled a gust of wind, adjusting the angle so that their bodies would fall toward Jormungandr.
Ash shouted as he saw the three plummeting toward Jormungandr's back.
"Catch them!"
- Thud! Clatter...!
Lucas caught Evangeline, Ash caught Junior, and Kuilan caught Reina.
Lucas held her effortlessly, Ash wobbled but surprisingly held on, and Kuilan spat blood as he crumbled to the ground.
"Wow... what the hell was that? Is everyone okay?"
Ash asked as he wiped away his cold sweat.
Junior had fainted with foam at her mouth, but Reina looked pale yet alright, and Evangeline was full of energy.
"That jump was awesome!"
Evangeline, who had slipped out of Lucas' arms, bounced around with twinkling eyes.
"Do it again, please, senior! One more sled jump! Just one more!"
"What do you mean 'one more'? If we do this again, I won't have a heart left. Do you know how scared I was?"
Ash grumbled as he looked around to assess the condition of his party members.
"Anyway... it's a relief no one got seriously injured."
Everyone sighed in relief as they verified each other's safety.
Just then, Kuilan, who had been under Reina, lifted his trembling hands and mumbled in a fading voice.
"Ah... I'm fine... Thank you for worrying... about me..."
But no one was listening.