Chapter 33: Camelot (3)

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Chapter 33: Camelot (3)

"...Did they escape?"

Just a moment ago, the lakeside had been filled with the clamor of weapons and magic, but now only silence lingered.

"This makes the tenth time..."

On the blood-stained lake, Mordred looked up at the sky with a vacant expression.

"It's already gotten this late."

The sky had turned gray.

According to her memory, it would soon start to rain.

Mordred was not particularly fond of rain.

That's why she had intended to finish everything quickly from the start, but some quick-witted rats had managed to escape.

Plop.

Drops of rain began to fall one by one through the gaps in the dark clouds.

Plop, plop.

In the end, it started to rain.

Not once had she been able to avoid these raindrops.

When the rain ended, the king would inevitably appear.

The ending was always the same, but today would be different.

"Hunting them down one by one isn't to my liking."

She'd gather them in one place and crush them all at once.

"Right, Clarent?"

Mordred slung the massive sword, [Clarent, the Demon Sword], which radiated a more ominous aura than before, over her shoulder and turned to walk away, hoping this nightmare would finally end this time.

* * *

It had been two days since they had shaken off Mordred and entered the fortress.

[21:11...]

Of course, it wasn't as if nothing had been done during that time.

The past two days had been spent reading books found in the fortress.

[Acquired Low-Level Swordsmanship LV. 4.]

[Acquired Focus LV. 2.]

'I told her to rest, but Mari ended up training anyway, didn't she?'

I had hoped her Intermediate Archery skill would improve, but it hadn't.

Instead, Mari had been complaining of headaches for the past two days.

- Administrator, someone keeps talking in my head.

Thinking it might just be accumulated fatigue, I had simply told Mari to rest.

Despite that, her Focus level had increased.

'It's good that her level has risen, but...'

I was worried she might be pushing herself too hard.

'I need to make sure she's really resting next time.'

I turned to Khan, who had approached silently.

"How are the rebels? Still no movement?"

"Yes, they've shown no activity since the rain started."

I turned my gaze toward the window.

Shhhhhhh!

Heavy rain was pouring down, as if the sky itself was weeping.

"How far did you test them?"

"The [Danakhoe] employees even tried sniping, but there was no reaction at all."

The fact that the knights had stopped moving was something I heard from the company staff who joined us later.

One of the employees from [Emerald], who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"Right? If those bastards hadn't suddenly stopped, we might have died right there."

Each knight was indeed a creature equivalent to rank 6.

For most companies, escaping from even one knight would be a daunting task.

The [Emerald] employee looked around as they chattered.

"To think there would be a place in the fortress that was still intact."

The fire had died down due to the rain, and I had found this relatively intact space.

"I've gathered all the representatives from each company."

Mino, who had approached at some point, spoke.

"We should get moving soon."

"Oh, by the way, before we go, take this."

Mino handed me a dark red pill.

"This is the Awakening Elixir, as I promised earlier."

[Summoning Pill (Awakening Elixir)]

- Instantly heals all wounds and fatigue upon consumption, and increases all stats by 3.

- The effect is permanent and cannot be used multiple times.

The elixir indeed had quite formidable effects, befitting its name.

I put the pill Mino handed me into my pocket.

"I'll use it well."

Mino nodded once and continued walking.

"Let's go, then."

Following Mino, we headed toward the assembly hall.

Every company that had survived was gathered here now.

"Oh, our hero has arrived."

"I never thought there would be such a place in the fortress."

Some of the employees from [Platinum] recognized me and praised me.

'Well, I suppose it's only natural.'

After confirming that the knights had stopped, I had ordered the search for the other companies that had been scattered over the past two days.

I then brought those with nowhere else to go to the fortress.

"Ahem, our dear Seongjin has discovered a truly remarkable place."

A level-5 employee from [Diamond] cleared his throat as if he were the representative.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, this place that Seongjin found appears to be a safe zone."

A safe zone.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, as if I didn't agree with the term.

A safe zone is, by definition, a place where creatures cannot approach—a hidden element in situational stages.

"...For those who have survived, you should know that outside right now..."

Even though the knights had stopped, and our safety was assured, it might still seem strange to remain holed up in the safe zone.

'Even if the knights have stopped...'

One significant threat was still roaming outside.

'Mordred was still on the move...'

However, even Mordred hadn't come near the fortress.

Whenever she got close, she would disappear as if by some ghostly instinct.

That was why they considered this place to be a safe zone.

‘…This place is a safe zone?’

Absolutely not.

The stage was fairer than expected.

It was fair to the players, and even to the creatures.

‘…As time passes, the one at a disadvantage is Mordred.’

Moreover, the rain had started falling, causing even the knights, who could be considered Mordred’s subordinates, to come to a halt.

A safe zone that overwhelmingly disadvantages Mordred, who has a time limit, while we gain the upper hand as time goes on?

That's ridiculous.

[‘…What Mordred is probably aiming for is an ambush.’

We could be wiped out in a sudden attack if we're not prepared.

The reason Mordred isn’t attacking right now is either because there actually is a safe zone that still exists and it takes more time for it to be dissolved, or...

‘…Not all the personnel have gathered here yet.’

Either way, we’ve played along with what Mordred wanted for now.

‘It's not like I'm planning to be taken down foolishly.’

I knew it was part of Mordred’s plan, but the reason I went along with it was simple.

It wasn't a trade-off where I was the one losing.

I surveyed the companies gathered here.

[Administrator Zone (Silver)]

[Magleus (Platinum)]

[PeachCreek (Emerald)]

[DuplicateName (Diamond)]

[Danakhoe (Platinum)]

[Madari (Diamond)]

...and dozens more.

Counting just the number of personnel, there were about 61.

Compared to nearly 400 at the start, hundreds had fallen in just two days, but if you think about it differently, the remaining 60 were the elite who had survived Mordred’s pursuit.

Mordred was definitely not a creature that could be captured alone.

‘Even if only some of the top-tier companies here lend a hand, we can achieve half the victory.’

The difficulty of subduing Mordred would change depending on whether I could persuade them.

As I roughly organized my thoughts, the topic of the conversation had already shifted to discussing the subjugation of Mordred.

"…Now, let's proceed with the discussion. Please move to the right if you think we should ‘defeat the creature,’ or to the left if you think we should ‘wait it out.’"

After a 5th-rank employee from a [Diamond] company finished speaking, the crowd began to move.

I observed the divided audience and let out a low hum.

"Hmm…."

The hardliners and moderates were split exactly in half.

So far, so good.

Even with just half, there were still around 30 people, so it could work out somehow.

However, if there was a minor issue, it was that all the [Diamond]-rank major companies had turned to the moderates.

‘…Even if it’s not the other companies, [Diamond] must participate.’

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Even the employees of [Platinum] or [Emerald] companies were at best 6th-rank.

"The creature has weakened. We must strike now."

The person who bravely advocated for the subjugation was an employee from a company that had previously lost colleagues to Mordred.

"Hmm. And what makes you think that?"

"The strength and speed it initially showed while chasing us are significantly diminished."

"Couldn’t it be an act?"

"…That, that’s…."

It could be an act.

That’s a valid point.

When subduing or containing a creature, one must always consider dozens of possible scenarios.

Knowing this, even the employee who had boldly advocated for the subjugation was at a loss for words, clenching his fists and trembling.

‘This is an opportunity.’

I didn’t miss this chance and intervened.

"May I say a word?"

"…Yes, go ahead."

"As you all know, I am just a 7th-rank employee, far below those who first confronted Mordred."

The ones who initially charged at Mordred were all capable individuals of around 6th or 5th rank.

"But they were all cut down one-sidedly."

In hindsight, it was inevitable because Mordred was a 3rd-rank creature.

"Yet I. Today, I exchanged blows with Mordred. It was just one strike, but I managed to endure."

For a moment, the surrounding area buzzed with noise.

It seemed unbelievable that someone as low as a 7th-rank employee could survive a clash with that monstrous Mordred.

"But it’s the truth."

In fact, during today’s expedition, I had encountered Mordred.

While fleeing, I was eventually caught, and although it was just one exchange, I had crossed swords with her.

"That statement is true. If it weren’t for Seongjin, we wouldn’t be here right now."

The one who spoke was an employee from the company that had joined the fortress last.

"…Hmm, if that monster has truly weakened to that extent, then it seems possible."

"…The rewards for subjugation and survival are different, after all."

Some of the [Diamond] companies, appearing to be convinced, began to shift their positions.

The momentum was good.

‘Alright, if just a few more come over…’

We could raise our odds of success to nearly 70%.

As I briefly harbored hope, at that moment—

Bang!

Something fell from the sky.

It was a familiar sight.

"Everyone’s gathered in one place, I see."

Though it was less intense than when I first faced it, the sinister aura was still palpable.

Those gathered here recognized the red glowing eyes shining through the smoke.

"M-Mordred! Run!"

"Damn it! Wasn't this supposed to be a safe zone?"

The employees of the companies who had been moderates started to flee in a panic.

And even faster than them—

Swish!

Swish!

Something shot out from within the smoke and began killing those who were trying to escape.

"Urgh."

"Aaagh!"

Those trying to escape through the entrance were skewered in an instant.

However, even amidst such a tragedy, there were still those who remained calm.

“Attack! That bastard is definitely weakened!”

These were the hardliners who had already made up their minds to fight.

One employee, who looked like a thug, bravely rushed toward Mordred.

Clang!

“Hah! What's this? You really have gotten weaker!”

He was a fourth-rank employee of [Madari].

“Hey! This guy's really weakened! We can take him down!”

The employee’s feeling wasn’t just a misconception.

Mordred had indeed grown weaker.

Moreover—

‘The effect is certainly noticeable.’

I grasped the talisman and glared at Mordred.

[Nightmare Talisman]

- When used, it decreases the enemy’s stats and causes confusion, but the user also suffers significant mental damage.

I felt slightly dizzy, but...

[Detected a severe level of mental contamination on the user.]

[The Foundation's Star protects you.]

Soon, my mind cleared up again.

“What’s happening?!”

“Ack! It’s Mordred!”

As the commotion arose, other employees who hadn’t been present began to join in.

“Surround him! We can do this!”

Numerous employees charged forward.

Mordred dodged or blocked all their attacks but was gradually being pushed back.

“It seems doable…” Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Isn’t that all she’s got? Push her!”

It was still impressive how Mordred dodged or blocked the dozens of strikes, but compared to the first day when she effortlessly slaughtered hundreds, it seemed manageable.

“If we keep this up, we can win!”

Mino, who was watching the battle with me, shouted excitedly.

Indeed, the situation was somewhat hopeful, but I couldn’t shake a vague sense of unease.

‘No matter how weakened, could she really become this weak?’

Something was wrong.

It didn’t take long for me to identify the source of that unease.

“Ha! Now, almost everyone’s here.”

Mordred, cornered, threw her weapon to the ground.

Her tone and actions didn’t fit someone who was backed into a corner at all.

“Clarent!”

For a brief moment, Mordred’s boldness made the employees hesitate.

She grasped the greatsword that appeared in mid-air.

[Warning!]

A chill was felt.

[Warning!]

The battlefield, once filled with heat, suddenly became cold, as if faced with a snowstorm.

[Warning!]

…The flow of the battle had changed.

“What are you doing?! Don’t give her an opening!”

Sensing the threat, the fourth-rank employee scolded the others and quickly rushed in.

“Die!”

Mordred extended her hand and easily caught the edge of the employee’s blade.

Then—

Crack.

Ice began to form slowly from the sword, and in an instant, the fourth-rank employee was frozen in the same pose as when he had charged.

At that moment, a possibility flashed through my mind.

‘…No way.’

We may have been mistaken all along.

The misconception that there was only one creature in this stage.

‘Phenomenon-type anomalous entity!’

The creature we had to face was not just Mordred.

The sword she wielded—

Clarent was also a creature.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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