Chapter 295

Chapter 295

The Deathloop Killzone had a grandiose name, but when dissected, it wasnt that impressive.

Using the trait of monsters that sought to kill the nearest human, they lured the monsters to a point close to the fortress that was directly in their line of sight.

From that point to the fortress, they placed wooden fences in a zigzag pattern, making the monsters waste their movement and take a longer path.

Then, they would clear out the monsters, either with firepower or traps, as they wasted time moving in circles.

However, creating this maze is the very charm of defense games, I thought.

I preferred simple zigzag mazes. But some users enjoyed creating spiral mazes that forced monsters to move in circles, and others built genuinely intricate labyrinths.

Wasnt one of the real joys of defense games watching those dumb monsters wander around, lost inside these mazes, only to get picked off one by one by our artillery?

Clomp! Clomp!

The narrow path between the wooden fences was a sticky mud terrain.

I wasnt sure how the skeletons, made of bones, balanced and moved, but one thing was clear: their leg strength wasnt that formidable.

Already forced to navigate the winding path, they could only move slowly. Naturally, they became easy prey for our archers.

The skeleton fools were hit by arrows, fell, tangled together, and were swept away en masse by our magic and artifact barrage.

While they managed to breach by forming piles of bones,

Whoooosh!

Sorry, thats a trap.

Deeply dug pit traps sent the skeleton warriors tumbling down.

Cannons, already aligned for firing angles, poured their shots into the pits.

Boom! Blam!

The skeleton warriors inside the pit literally burned to ashes. Quite a sight to behold.

Realizing they couldnt advance toward the pit trap, the skeletons took a detour.

Thunk! Clank! Whirr!

Oh, regrettable. Thats another trap.

Rotating iron clubs sprung from between the wooden fences, smashing the skeletons shin bones.

With the sound of breaking bones, the skeletons fell all at once.

It was an unbelievably crude device, but it was still an artifact.

It was of N-grade, with low durability, and its force waned after breaking a few skeletons.

Yet, the halted iron club artifact, intertwined with the shattered skeleton bones, itself became a barricade.

Thats the advantage of low-grade artifacts. Use it once and dispose of it.

Boom! Crunch! Creak!

Other welcoming devices like acid-filled pots, metal ball artifacts, and direct line ballistas greeted the skeleton army.

The skeleton horde was smashed here and broken there, struggling to pass through the Deathloop Killzone.

By the time they managed to breach this delightful theme park of traps, arrows, and cannons to finally reach the fortress, their numbers had dwindled to about fifty.

Drenched and shattered, the leading Skeleton Marshal, who had spearheaded their passage through the Killzone, flashed a menacing gleam in his eyes.

The remaining skeletons also radiated a terrifying aura as they gripped their weapons tightly.

The forward base here hadnt been fully fortified. There were significant gaps, plenty for them to exploit.

"Youve come a long way, and Im sure youre eager to scale these empty walls and slice up some humans, you monstrous bastards."

I smirked.

"While we may not have walls here, we have something just as good."

No sooner had I finished speaking,

Shiiing...

Lucas drew his longsword from its scabbard,

Clank, rattle!

And Evangeline stepped forward, equipping her bone lance and bone shield on her arms.

My two most formidable vanguards, volunteering to act as our frontline, took their positions. Behind them, Damien and Junior prepared their long-range attacks.

I too, held my Maestro Staff in one hand and the Agate Pistol in the other.

Behind our main party, the Penal Squad and the Shadow Squad were lined up in that order.

Should any skeleton manage to get past us, the Penal Squad would block them, and the Shadow Squad would take them down with firepower.

Further back, the reserve parties and soldiers were waiting, but I believed none would get that far.

"...!"

"Uh, umm."

I had given Lucas, a damage tank, and Evangeline, a pure tanker, armor that best suited their roles. But I didnt anticipate Evangeline despising the bone set so much.

Maybe I shouldve given her Lucass cooler armor.

"Do you want to swap now? We can adjust the size at the blacksmiths."

"No? I dont want to. This ones mine."

Lucas immediately declined and hugged his armor tightly.

Why did you even bring it up? You act so generous and then shoot me down!

"Its equipment bestowed by our lord. I wont give it to anyone. Besides..."

Lucas narrowed his eyes, muttering,

"Its kind of entertaining watching Evangeline struggle."

"...You two are starting to act more and more like siblings."

Anyway, setting aside the armor issue,

We were able to eliminate all the skeletons that had approached the forward base.

"I never realized that the kill zone strategy would be this effective," Lucas remarked.

Lucas muttered as he examined the monsters that had been felled within the Deathloop. I shrugged.

"It worked because there werent that many of the damned creatures."

This time, all the right conditions had conveniently fallen into place.

"Besides, setting up such traps in front of Crossroad would be challenging."

The southern wall in front of Crossroad is vast and expansive.

The area in front of this forward base had a narrow and confined terrain, allowing for a dense deployment of the kill zone. Such an arrangement wouldnt be feasible at Crossroad. Thats why we hadnt done it there before.

"Indeed, there are strategies and tactics that can only be utilized here at the forward base."

"Exactly. If we can operate this place correctly, our future defense will be much easier."

When Im away, Lucas would have to act as the deputy commander. I hoped hed use the kill zone strategy effectively.

Lost in thought, Lucas stared at the kill zone, then turned to me with a sudden realization, "Ah!"

"Do you remember where I placed those two additional teleport gates?"

"Of course. You installed them on the path heading north from here to Crossroad."

I had set up gates at the one-third and two-thirds markers along the route from the Black Lake to Crossroad. They were discreetly hidden within the mountains off the path.

As the creatures would take about three days to arrive using this route, the gates had been strategically placed to anticipate their journey of one or two days.

"Ah! Youre not suggesting...!"

I nodded, "While they make their way north, well use the teleport gates to carry out guerrilla warfare."

We would teleport ahead of them, lying in ambush. Once they approached, wed launch our attack, then escape via the teleport gates.

"We dont need to annihilate them during this process. Just inflict damage and pull out."

"Such a tactic..."

"Currently, the teleport gates are temporarily installed. Later, I plan to set up dozens of them, at every key point."

Using the teleport gates, well ruthlessly and persistently harass the monster hordes making their three-day journey from the Black Lake.

By the time they reach Crossroad, they wont have the strength to pose a significant threat. This tactic will ensure the citys safety.

Ill use any trick in the book.

Slyly. Dishonorably. By any means necessary.

Using tactics unavailable in the game,

I will kill the monsters.

And protect the people.

"Of course, some monster hordes might resist this strategy. During our guerrilla attacks, some of our allies might also face danger."

I nodded in agreement, "But well optimize our approach. If a strategy doesnt work against a certain enemy, well find another way around."

"..."

"From now on, thats how well combat the monsters. If you have any good ideas, dont hesitate to share them, Lucas. Understand?"

As I spoke with a smile, Lucas looked at me with a complex expression.

It was a mix of admiration and...

A hint of concern.