Chapter 250: Life of a Man (1)
OgBdlOGroup teleportation in the game was a quality of life magic spell that allowed the player to travel anywhere they wanted outside of battles.BJDutE
Dnoq9MWhen you were allied up with Josephine Clara, who was renowned for the said spell, you were able to not only teleport but also get other supportive spells like meteor strikes.ARFt
wEsHowever, this spell was not something that was unique to Lady Josephine.6QrEoyi
lXxGA4Dimensional magic was a sector of magic.OxaV0F
S9DIn fact, it used to be one of the major cults of the Tower of Mages, back when they suffered severe damage from Josephine’s dimensional spells during the Witch Revolution.9rl
GN2There was, however, one clear downside to dimensional magic.KfDFk6Y
JC0fNsDIt wasn’t cost-efficient.ACAs
Lp7JZThe amount of mana required to teleport one single person rivaled that of grand spells, and that increased even further depending on the distance they had to teleport.KPz
SPWWith the rise of a monstrous figure in dimensional magic called Josephine, normal mages started to give up on even learning it unless they considered themselves to be a future material for a great mage.rqT8
UjIgRsQWhat was fortunate, at the very least, was that there were a lot of mages in this expedition.gMd
1ya6QThe slave mages from the Tower had all joined the war, and because we were in charge of all the Guardian Associations, we were able to command most of the mages and knights under the Associations to participate in the war.dKg
kjnrdYAs a result, there was a high ratio of mages in spite of the sheer number of soldiers we had.6pQM
QxZnRight now, there were 98 mages in Miruam’s army.Lyz
JpHs0aConsidering the distance between here and where Lady Josephine was, each and every mage acting as a mana battery for the group teleportation would only allow the teleportation of about 20~30 people.H2K
JIAp9KfIn other words, the maximum we could take was approximately 3,000.05xNPZ
rQYmaGThen what would happen to the remaining 3,000? They had to stay behind, and there was nothing bright about what would happen to them.tMj6
UXt“I’m assuming you will prioritize the important figures like knights and mages, followed by elites without considering the injured and the conscripted.”J9vjI
0wdu6“Yes. Because they are the core of this expedition.”zbzPu
EMoI could understand where they were coming from.kUHSPy
nWwbtsThe moment they were injured, the injured soldiers couldn’t contribute much in the war. The same applied to the conscripted soldiers who had mediocre equipment – they didn’t have the gears necessary to fight against demonic spirits.atDIO
a4aOStrategically, that might be the right choice to make.nRYp
5hT7I couldn’t deny that.HrEGhUV
sn9I couldn’t but…2DfY7W
CCyzjSR“The rest would all die though.”2WS8O8t
FYnC“I know. But that’s the reality of it.”KyUb
hB5LWithout looking away, Miru stared directly into my eyes. It seemed that she was willing to take the blame for herself.sL9fk
jsaMK“You know what I’m going to say, right?”4tKC
wb6x“I know. So…”sQwZ2
05dMiruam suddenly held onto my hands. Her tiny hands desperately clung onto mine, which were at least double her size.WK2077i
Hun5“Please. Just listen to me this one time.”jubpL0f
Vq7t53As if she knew she wouldn’t be able to gain my approval, she appealed and begged.6jWi
7hKRIzQ“Hmm…”RqU
iskpbI felt a bit hesitant, because this reminded me of the time Miru was begging me in the last iteration.aRI4A
2zVK[Help me with my revenge. Just turn a blind eye to it, and I can give you everything I have.]j9AV
BpJyO4A wife and a child, as opposed to demi-humans whose faces I didn’t even know of. It was obvious who anyone should logically go for, but back then, I had made the same decision I was about to make.wnEGOp
YdeO2r“Sorry. I can’t do that.”PkfkobK
mydI8g“…You really are one hell of a bastard.”SqE4J3
piN“Aigo. Seems that I made our little princess upset.”694DHsT
e3ZayXYIt was at least a little bit different this time, because she was trying to persuade me out of concern for my well being.S3XKdi9
ySyhAs a man, it was something to be happy for.PN6Mq
wfelqR“I will stick to my life convictions.”WB5DTP
gnuVBtY‘I will save the world.’6Ha3
E9G9xq6The moment I decided to shoulder that task was when I had vowed to put my life on the line as often as I needed to.EhU
qO2toGp‘Maybe I’m too much of a romanticist for a modern person.’HueSd3M
NKKXTCEven I had no idea why I couldn’t value efficiency and rationality a little more like others.MWpZ9QF
M7lv“Seriously, why are you like this…” she muttered.BCQG
2KdDQv“Who knows. Hmm… Well, if I had to think of a reason…”gpR
r8c1I will stick to my life convictions.52jyTq8
ZvDy7Even if I were to die doing so.W568wj
jcv“I just don’t want to.”4vyPO
RB7F0uL****NTZHP9
AtnpThe army of 10,000 soldiers was practically no longer effective.pwJ5
TwzNTTeThe normal standard of a battalion being considered impossible to continue fighting was 20%, and it had far exceeded that threshold already. Plus, it was at a point where they had to even consider giving up on the injured.msq2TnZ
DCMbjEssentially, the only reason the soldiers weren’t running away was because they instinctively knew they had a higher chance of survival when sticking together in this pitch-black darkness.hIC
ecnSThat was when rumors started to spread.QBr8Ufa
VVA– I have a friend who’s in charge of communication. He said the executives are preparing to teleport away!RCa
MYu95– What? Are they just gonna run away with the knights and mages?GQYja
RCq– Fuck! They’re just telling us to die then!OXwVp
9TvBLCDuring the fight against the undeads, the higher-ups had to plan for the worst. They gathered the mages to a tent and had been talking extensively on the possibilities and risks of group teleportation.7Y3c
sTfr5MNaturally, they couldn’t stop everyone from spreading that information.O4Y
khdEDu“Captain! Is this true!? Is it true that the higher-ups are trying to run away and leave us here to die!?”0SDCc
jlihNB“Go back! Don’t get swayed by false rumors! And stay where you’re supposed to be!”ZU2ULrR
qb2oThe uneasiness that the higher-ups might discard them turned into fear that they might be enveloped by that unending wave of undeads.l10
OS740It was further amplified by the built-up fatigue and difficulty to think straight, due to them relying on torches for three whole days while fighting to stay alive.rVfEkI
lW3Bg6p“Fuck it! I don’t care anymore! Either way, I’m gonna die anyway!”NikxTv
oXs5xxThe soldiers that threw away all hope pounced at their executives.38EN
Es7ILFBIt was happening all around the encampment since they didn’t have to worry about external enemies thanks to the Sun above them.OCL
jrbS1“Let us out! We want to live too! Don’t you dare think about leaving here alone!”mVk
yVnS3NOne of them even unsheathed his sword. Without even thinking through the potential punishment he could receive, the panicking soldier was about to swing his sword at his superior.CULIwTc
g0Tg51r“Aht?”3RBK
9pA27yThat was when someone grabbed onto his wrist. He glared at the one who was stopping him, but widened his eyes in surprise after seeing who it was.hP2gAX
ziUc9“S, Sir Korin…”lAi3W
oraZxQNRealizing that the one holding his wrist was none other than Korin Lork, the soldier lowered his eyes in awe.mQi
I3cgumADespite the prevalence of doubt, Korin Lork was a special figure.8vh
jd12xHe was a knight who had visited them along with the Sun to save them from the endless waves of undeads.uP6M
xTGMunKorin Lork was the sole person they could trust.MrVi
PpQgSAfter all he, who had saved countless people across various battlefields, was the hero they had been waiting for.A6b1ZpF
VntM“Calm down for a second, and put your sword down.”V5y8I
WBDs9zC“U, uhh… S, sorry sir…”iRzbO
tQt0“Could you please?”oohgim
nXR“Y, yes sir…”Pt4KZV5
xuocWithout rebuking the soldier, he soothingly held onto the hands of the soldier that was about to slice his superior and calmed him down.ozYwtHn
gCLN“Excuse me.”abJ
DbrjWhen he took a step forward, the group of soldiers immediately opened a path in front of him. It was baffling to see the chaotic and frightened soldiers separating into two groups in an orderly fashion.L9Zw
6Ntb7Korin walked down the pathway, and following behind him was the princess.FStz
9YbX7Even the loftiest lady of this continent was walking behind Korin.QWH
cOuAsWith each and every one of his steps, the knight grabbed the eyes of everyone nearby.ViB1
J7bUIt was fascinating.SD6bJ
CIiHsKqHe was just one single man taking a few steps forward, and yet he was able to gain everyone’s attention and respect.C8qW
lSTrGNot a single one tried to stop him or blamed him. It wasn’t just because of his individual strength or scale of influence… Korin Lork had a charisma in him that could charm people.mK6VJG5
WKzOWhether it be the Saintess who led the fusion of two religions, the wealthiest noble lady of the continent, a demi-human who used to be called a monster, or a venomous princess who used to be an enemy…GB85
yqSzV5Korin Lork certainly had a talent.c1SU
IjSIt was the talent to charm people.VzrB
TItF5NvThe charisma to have people follow him and give him trust.VMzR
2zgAnyone who knew him, regardless of their gender, felt urged to want to follow his path at least once, and that was his talent.ibGY1
qsWcGTWThe man stopped his feet in the middle of the crowd while unconsciously making use of his greatest gift.4Ukwrr2
4al5“Ah~. Sir Kalatin and his beautiful daughters, if you could please amplify my voice.”RvWI
OKtyw4His friendly and cheeky demeanor earned an empty laugh from the mage Kalatin, who soon amplified his voice, and his daughters blushed while showing a bigger image of his appearance so that everyone could see.v7yyk
DbYIcr“Currently,” he spoke. “The command center is preparing a group teleportation. We will teleport to a different battalion, and unfortunately, not everyone can go.”U0EYd
F7zqZg– …!uLS
MiQyjh– Fuck! The rumors were true!qCEA
41g– They’re gonna take the knights and mages and run for their lives!Y7l7iZ3
uiekFN– We’re gonna be left here to die!ahiZ
L9TQTJIt was a natural reaction for them.adU0RT
eKIu3uThe soldiers themselves were aware of their own value more than anyone else. The core figures of this battle were the knights and the mages, and mere soldiers and the injured could never be prioritized over them.WqC
vAkGHowever, a rational understanding of that was different from an emotional acceptance.XjPhl
SJlAs humans, they easily gave into the fear of losing their own lives. They could become as selfish as humanly possible.nfNO9P
XJcBecause if everyone else was selfish, why couldn’t they?kdSuo
vtPXt“I am going to stay behind,” the knight declared.h41mbKp
l3PPmB““???””Fkky5S
g6dbNilNaturally, everyone was baffled by his declaration.ec07qo
0rny47sKorin Lork was by far the most important figure here, and arguably the most important person in the entire expedition.QJAGFp6
tsRCFHe could control the Sun, stop an army of tens of thousands of people by himself, and saved thousands of demi-humans through never-ending duels.Y5SQx
mhY01After leaving for the northern border city, he persuaded a hundred thousand barbarians to join armies, and repelled a horde of giants and demons.JUV
WGeVUnique Grade Knight.zhp
oXQVSnThe iconic figure of this generation.m7yH
2osiQThe strongest person of this era after Sword Emperor Garrand.UAur
Wlirhu9No matter whether they knew him well or not, everyone in the army was aware of the value and symbol he had.kWb
rWPHfBesides, even aside from that, he was a noble and the future prince consort of the two princesses. He was one whom the current king, the duke and the Sword Emperor desperately wanted to have as their son-in-law.PVP37o
ZPgXmFAfter this war, this man would most certainly sit on the noblest of thrones, and it was obvious for him to take priority over anyone else.7dfK
hcunYHis one life was more valuable than that of hundreds and thousands of soldiers. He was so strong and influential that anyone would inadvertently agree to that.KRT94hW
xcIAnd yet he was going to stay behind?Ci2T
NKYJ8MmThat single sentence was enough to miraculously quieten down the crowd.p9i2
7UJh“There is a limit to how many people we can take with group teleportation. Around 2~3,000 is apparently all we can manage.”i1wv4S1
HjgYgE9Korin was honest in sharing information. His words could be seen as quite cold, but he was trying to leave behind no regrets… and to give everyone a choice.GJekF
hL2h0“Apparently all of us combined is about 6,300. The most we can take is half, so we will first prioritize the injured.”okSj
B2dUThere were approximately 1,120 injured soldiers. Which left around 2,000 spots available.LqFACn
yK6Sa“I will give everyone a choice. All of you who want to live or run away; please line up in front of the mages. It doesn’t matter what your rank is – just do what you want.”Tbu
3VtFDBoth the soldiers and the knights were lost, and couldn’t understand what he was thinking.EPpku
KM3WIf he was going to stay, shouldn’t he have the knights stay behind at the very least? Shouldn’t he try to preserve as many soldiers as possible?8ZrYSe
w6UKvh“Is that really okay?” asked one of the knights.48MVO7
OZ6z1Looking at him, Korin replied with a nod.3XeTe
IUTgY“Yes. Not everyone might be able to go. If we have more than the number we can take, we can draw lots. If you don’t make it through that, I guess that means you’re not lucky enough so just accept that.”EEHmO
K6Ks“…If all the key figures leave, the ones remaining here will all die.”ARe
lQK8A6H“I’m going to stay behind so we’ll find a way around it.”vfu
Rvp11YiAgain, despite letting everyone else run away, he was saying that he would stay behind. This young man, who had just turned into an adult, was strangely open to the idea of sacrificing himself.DbWUAU8
hZUg9NsHis openness stirred the adults.p8PEeb
HiiJ“Damn it. What is he thinking?”80v5
Tn9g4sT“Does he really think he can somehow do this by himself?”dqo
3uvcHTheir pride was being hurt.4ri
5zdNThey were trying to wreak havoc and trying to survive as much as they could, and yet that young bloke was staying behind and risking his life.9G6W
73Cu2Z“But sir, why are you doing this?”16b
GBB1jzoOne of the soldiers who felt a prick to his pride asked. Korin looked at him and blinked, tilted his head as if he didn’t understand the point of the question before replying as if it was the most natural thing in the world.OmV3Qm
h9B9fo“Because it must be done.”JgWnFm
SRVIYIt must be done.D5FMGdu
LEl6fkHe spoke of a very simple logic.MGc2u
o5nEven though he was putting his life on the line, he was nonchalantly scratching his cheek.x1ffQ
i0p“Hmm…” He continued embarrassedly. “Well, someone has to do it. We have to either break the damn pond or drink it up, or we won’t be able to stop this massive tree from getting bigger.”tqSY
RYYPzvHe shared the goal that everyone was already aware of—9cuoKVH
r5q“The world is at risk. Some bastard stole light from the world and is trying to destroy it. So someone has to try to stop that.”BXbqw
v3iefeUCalmly, he explained himself without forcing it upon anyone else.qoVXBCE
oNCW“When a big event tries to sweep us away, I think we have a duty to act whether we want to or not. Because someone else is going to get hurt if I don’t do it. If that’s the case, I would rather just do it and feel better. So—”wRhA85
MaekYWOThere was only one thing he was stirring up inside them.J8b
LGZbbMf“If you don’t have the balls to fight, pull your tail down and run away. I’m here to fight and cowards are going to be nothing but a nuisance.”rBw
xKfnWA young man – a boy who had just turned into an adult, was stirring them up. Just because he was strong, he was denouncing the adults into cowards.yn2AN
UwAQdAre you really going to run away? I’m here to fight though?oNN2gdm
ZJSIlHe was asking them and urging them to think.mcLU
HtE“When a man puts his life on the line, it’s going to work out one way or another.”KqEg
9GQzWkNHonor, face and pride.rTxV
mcMAttacking at those primal feelings, the young man scoffed at the cowards. He sent off the men who were going to become cowards.Ht7nMH
w8BaFZsIn an atmosphere like this, men tended to divide into two groups.4EJmXh6
Hk3HL“Ah, dang it. A young man like him is trying to fight. I can’t run away as an adult…”hFV
GFOc“Tch, showing off just because he’s a bit strong. I have 30 years of experience under my belt right here.”gtL6T
89Fa“Fuck it! I’m sure this will work out somehow!”jbzh
vRzgkyAhh, this was a man.pU4
OBF4HTalk some beating, set an example and target their emotions, and they’ll easily become like this.uXJqZCM
nqE6There was a reason why commanders always loved to have a long speech right before a war.KA1
fjK5kWA dangerous journey; low income.hn5R1fE
3RxEndless danger, and small hope for a safe return home.NPl5
2NP2SHowever, what they would get from a successful venture was endless honor and glory.gfJplk
4Zyar9f“People that care about efficiency would treasure their life like a coward.”fZXs
RUgJFrom time immemorial, men had an incurable disease.BDoam
3RdL“Real men don’t care.”OlFuBRk
3i91ujCAnd it was sure to stay that way forever.xNmQ
9spta****TelRW
dYAevThe Sun dimmed down.ELk
LeqPJyNight arrived, and night was the time for the dead.0nyyLGP
i3qaDQThe undeads were afraid. They were afraid of the one behind them – the evil dragon that was eating and shredding them down to pieces.NfYggB
mAyMLThis was their land, upon which they had arrived after losing their last breath. Unable to find their rest, however, they were trampled upon by an evil dragon, burned and devoured, and that endless cycle was making them crazy.LeGX2D
sr1wI– GRRRRRRRR—BoEXW7
4e5DBehind them was the dragon breathing out. Its eyes were gleaming with madness as the dead ran away in fright.8Yr
K9hJjRun.Q1JP
S48oRun away.A3ava
oBRThe living are here.ClUUpad
dzWAlLet’s eat them. Kill them and take over their bodies.ocdnGG
YQyVThat way, we can finally leave this well.ZF53fI
dVoThat was the reason these undeads were so desperate to attack the invaders.I0WJ
l1RNow that the Sun was off, they immediately pounced at the living.v23v
qf48VSHA wave of undeads, so innumerable that it rendered every strategy and military tactic meaningless, was coming towards them like a flood.3L3R9L
GilConfronting that—rAs
2551gz“Knights.”VKB
R5FqLYlA knight holding a spear led the way. His eyes weren’t even on the horde of undeads. He simply relied on his senses to feel the approaching wave.hqd
qnjp7What he was looking into was what was beyond the pouring flood of undeads – the eyes of the evil dragon that were camouflaging in the darkness.LueXuZf
7kbBut before going against the dragon, with the 4,353 warriors behind him—gANJpl
YUgu“Take your swords and spears and stay in your formations.”wVc6O
pMM1The knight raised the Silver Spear in his hand as it burst out with the heat of the Sun and announced.h3i
04AD“Advance.”QfFsA
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!