Chapter 123 – Star Fall (6)

Deep into the night.

The mutes that had been patrolling the tops of the Pelas castle walls thought they saw something strange. They already caught all of the living organisms in the area and fed them to the Queen’s clone, but it looked like some weird orc-looking thing passed by its eyes.

“Kraggk! Kakgh!”

When a slightly hazy figure appeared again in front of its cat-like eyes, the mute did not hesitate to jump down from the castle wall. This was the place where Mother’s subordinate had settled down. Not even a single hair of it shall be harmed.

It thought that it was a little weird that its brothers did not answer its call no matter how loudly he alerted them, but the mute pounced off the ground when it saw the hazy figure get further away. Its legs, which were a combination of several different animals, made it able to run on the ground with powerful strength, and every time it stepped foot on the ground, it could feel a growing gratitude and respect for Mother.

‘For Mother, kill Mother’s enemy!’

The walls were already at a distance, and the branches that collided with its body broke like twigs, but for some reason, the hazy figure of the orc lingered in front of it, just an arm’s length further away from its reach.

‘Krrrg! A little more. I will catch that thing, shred it to pieces, and swallow it in one—’

Schlt!

That was the mute’s final thought. The silver claws that had been waiting for it behind a tree had silently sliced off its head.

Revealing his silvery pelt in the moonlight, Borka spoke as he wiped off the blood on his claws.

“Eight. You’ve got an interesting talent there, troll.”

“Grwuh. Fishing is fun.”

“That should be the last of the ones with good eyesight within the range of my sensory weakening magic. It was hard to believe what Professor said… but they really do not seem to be the average monster swarm, looking at how systematic their guard is. There are eight with bright eyes patrolling the castle walls, which you and Notum just eliminated. And…”

When Aldrich waved his hand, a group of mutes looking blankly up at the sky appeared from a bush in the corner.

“I do not know how they knew, but there were eight that started to shake and escape every time you killed one. If it wasn’t for Nell, whom I sent out just in case, then the plan might have been ruined already.”

“Wuuurh. Ghost oldie. Don’t take that out. It scary.”

“Hm? Ahh, I told you, don’t worry about it. He might look like this, but Nell is extremely nice and tame…”

Crunch!

Kragck, crackle! Craackgk!

Just then, one of the mutes that had been blankly staring up at the sky floated up to the sky, then started to disappear chunk by chunk like it was being bitten into like a fruit. The corpse—no, the remainder of the corpse, which was only the two feet of the mute—plopped down from the empty sky.

“…child.”

“Gwuhhh. Cap.”

“…I think you should relearn the meaning of some words.”

“T-there are still seven left, so there shouldn’t be any problem with the operation! It seems that Nell is a little impatient after coming out for the first time in a while, so let’s quickly start!”

As the soul jar on Aldrich’s started to shake, a quiet sound of a bell rang out.

When the souls that no longer had a body started to enter the empty bodies one by one, the seven mutes slowly started to walk back towards the city.

“Borka will start to move when the moon’s at its highest. It’s going to take some time for the mutes to come this way, so we should get started. Mage Ottman, are you ready?”

“I have been ready… but the question is whether it will really work like you planned. If it fails, then you will die immediately.”

“Don’t jinx it like that. Magic doesn’t work when you don’t have certainty. Let’s believe that it will certainly work.”

Located on the completely opposite side of the North Gate from where Borka, Notum, and Aldrich were located, Gyosu was starting to warm up in front of the South Gate.

[Vessel, just a heads up, but your body’s strength has been improving as much as you got hurt. If you use a full punch like you did in the past, you’re not going to burst just your arm, but your shoulder, ribcage, and collarbone too.]

Because of the infective agents, his body could be consumed if it was completely healed. So even while they traveled all this way, he maintained a workout routine that tore his muscles and broke his bones. And on days when they didn’t have the time, he asked Borka to shred his back up.

[Keehee. His expression was hilarious.]

‘He wouldn’t believe me no matter how many times I told him I was used to the pain. He only helped out after I pulled out a big rock and started to slam it down on my thigh.’

Honestly, he was a little worried when he first came into the game. When he was playing consistently, he got used to the pain that would literally make his eyeballs pop out, but after being outside for so long, he was concerned that he would need to get used to it all over again. But what do you know? It was even easier than before to deal with the pain.

‘Even if it is the effect of [Pain Reduction (Med.)], it doesn’t make sense that an open fracture feels like a small sprain… Did the experiences from the Dome affect the gameplay?’

He did have a suspicion. His left arm in real life. A detached feeling that was completely different from the foreign feeling back with just the fingers. He tried to separate the wounded area’s feeling from how that arm felt, and it actually felt like the pain was halved.

[I told you. You have a habit of thinking that your body is ‘human’. Remember that feeling. It’ll definitely help you use your body.]

Clack! Ckgk! D-dgk! Clck!

Enough side-tracking. I could hear Ottman making hand motions behind me.

‘I asked him for the biggest, flashiest attack he had, even if it’s the last one he’ll be able to make. Let’s see the results of a Level 5 mage that’s sacrificed their attack magic, shall we?’

“[Come, my love.]”

The moment Ottman started his chant, the air around them instantly became humid to the point that it was hard to breathe.

“[The ocean, some will feel vastness among thou. Some humility, and some courage. However, I feel love. No matter how much thou were swept away, the relentless love to kiss the shores. My heart had been stolen by a love incomparably longer than any other in the world.]”

Shwoooo—

He could hear it. The waves and salty breeze of an ocean that is impossible to hear in Rodrick, a plain surrounded by snowy mountains in the north and a border in the south.

Ottman’s magic was closer to an earnest serenade than a chant.

“[My love, wrapped in the warm arms of the land. Please provide empathy for this old man in hopeless love. Until the day I reach my grave, please continue your footsteps for that single, shining kiss, oh dear Ocean]”

Shwoooo—

Deep into the night. The full moon shone brightly upon the city and forest under the dark skies, along with the massive wave that appeared in the middle of it.

“[Ottman Bodlair’s… Life of a Water Mage.]”

As if wishing to be embraced by that wave, Ottman raised his hands high into the sky as he spoke to Professor.

“You asked… for me to attract the attention of the enemy, correct?”

Almost in a daze, there was an affection close to respect in the man’s eyes as he stared at the wall of water.

“In my younger days, when I first saw the ocean with my own two eyes, I realized… that for the rest of my life, I will live alone, bound to that moment’s glory. I will share the experience of that day with them. The glorious moment when I met the most beautiful being in my life.”

The mana that had been flowing out of Ottman’s body like a calm river turned into a current and spread out into the sky.

A tsunami crashed down on the city.

“I-I mean, I did ask for the biggest one he had…”

But I didn’t know it would be that big.

While catching Ottman, who fainted with a happy smile on his face after causing that tsunami, Professor struggled to comprehend the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

A dark night. And a wave that reached the skies, swallowing the entire city under the glowing moonlight.

Even with the game logic of GG, this was a ridiculously unbelievable sight.

Far away, he could see small dots of mutes being swept away by the massive wave. The tsunami that swallowed the walls, swept away the village, and seemed like it would easily demolish the Lord’s castle and run infinitely through the plains…

“Grkaahhhhhh!!”

Phloomp!

Pshhhhk!

…was stopped by a few mutes that suddenly appeared.

A boulder the size of a house dropped down in the way of the wave, and as the entire spire at the corner of the castle collapsed, a breakwater was created.

Every time the three black mutes swung their double-bladed spear, the tips of the waves were fragmented and scattered, gradually losing their power and starting to sink, then…

Shhhhh—

…completely lost its power and sank in front of the barricade and seeped into the ground.

Even with its majestic size, not a single drop landed on the Lord’s castle, where the Chamber Maid stood.

‘Rank 3s… They really shouldn’t be taken lightly.’

Not only were their strengths or skills superior, but their combat sense was also superior. A seamless design of a mute based on the data of countless genetics they collected.

On top of the pile of squirming mutes and debris swept up by the wave, the real troops that protect this place started to appear one by one.

======

– Jokass : Speedaemon! Tell us what that is!

+ Player ‘Speedwagon’ is currently offline.

– Jokass : Wait, where’d the Community’s official ghost go?

– takealook : left after talking with prof a while ago

+ Player ‘BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep’ has entered the chatroom

– Numb3rtree : I invited a guy from the ‘follower’ room that looked like they knew something!

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Woahhhhhhh! It’s the main stream! I actually came into the stream that Gyosu Park-nim visits! I, I did it!

– Noru_is_druig : What an original name.

– Soygaybar : The end of the world is near…. With all of these profans all over the wordl….

– Jokass : nice to see you, and any info about what that thing is?

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Yessir! Now then, I will try to provide what little knowledge I have!

First, the black chad ant-human hybrid! Those spear guys are famous! They’re the most famous out of the Ranks 3s! Nicknamed ‘Zhaozilong x3’, they are called Chevaliers!

– Soygaybar : Oh, these are those? Thought they were something else cause they look diff

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : They are a bit different based on the seed. There’s a version with thin legs that looks like a real ant. A white ant version. An axe wielder version. But that shiny, sleek muscular body that that’s a combination of their signature chitin and human flesh is one hard to forget! Like their nickname, they’re crazy good with their weapons. Even a combat-type Hero Unit would struggle if they’re going up against about five of those. They’re more well known for the slaughtering of normal soldiers than assassination. You can’t stop them unless you’re on par with the strongest knights.

– takealook : and theres eight of them. then what about the ones next to them?

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : The one that tore off the gate and is swining it around? Eh…. I’m not positive, but looking at those tusks and nose, I think it’s most likely a brute-type mute based on orcs. Except for the named ones, there’s always new types of mutes in each seed. I don’t know how they managed to get orc that are usually all the way in the western, but yep. They’re definitely orcs. Even with the same tusks, trolls and ogres don’t have beards. It’s definitely a Rank 3. The rank systems between mutes are strict, so it’s impossible for lower ranks to walk together with higher ones. Consider any mute holding a weapon at least a Rank 4.

– Soygaybar : Hey, weren’t those corpses? The guys that got swept away by the wave are getting back up.

– Jokass : Do you see those torches moving? Since all of the torches near the south gate are off, those guys are from the north gate. They’re all coming in this direction.

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Up to the Rank 7s, which are the infected, they’re all just empty shells, but starting with the Rank 6s where the mutes are created, they’re built to be pretty sturdy. Even if some of their bones shattered here and there from the wave, the ones that didn’t break their neck or spine will recover soon.

– Noru_is_druig : Dang. You really do know a lot. Pretty useful.

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : thank you! I haven’t stepped foot outside a single time since the war and stayed inside on the Community 24/7!

– Soygaybar : Oh, uh, yeah…..

– Jokass : Oh…… nice….

======

“So they’re that kind of guys…”

After burying the unconscious Ottman (that looked like the safest option), Professor walked towards the mutes approaching the southern gate with flashing eyes.

“Our objective was to attract attention anyway. We’ve definitely completed at least one of our goals.”

Ottman performed beyond his expectations. Most of the stronger mutes were still alive, but a few of the unlucky Rank 5 and Rank 6 mutes died, and most of the ones under that rank were completely out of commission.

When he walked into the castle, the low-rank mutes holding the torches were surrounding the front of the gates.

“Int…skreeek—ruder…”

Their voices were almost indistinguishable from the sound of scratching steel. When he turned his head, one of the guys with the spears that was standing on top of the collapsed spire was moving its mouth while looking at Professor.

======

– professor : hey, uh….. mister rep?

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Gaaaasp! p, professor! I, it’s really him! It’s Gyosu Park-nim’s actual ID!

– professor : Yeah. It’s me, but does that thing talk too mister rep?

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : AHHHHHHH#@*&!&*^#(* He’s really here! In the same chatroom as me!

– takealook : ay, he’s talking to you

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Huh?

– takealook : mister rep. that’s you

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : aslkjgorsnafdlkl!!!! P, please ask me nything!

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : No, anything! It wass a tyop!

– professor : i dont have time so make it quick. that zhozilong chavelier guy, can that mute talk?

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : they cannot. They’re combat skills are extraordinary, but they can’t talk. Mutes are know to speak through telapathy!

– professor : Then what’s that.

======

“I…skrk—! Don’t kno…skree—! Why you a—re here… but…..it i—skeek—! A golden… opportunity…”

While Professor tried to figure out its identity, the voice that sounded like they were forcefully controlling the vocal cords continued to speak to him.

======

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Ah, I think it’s because of that! The thing on top of the one that’s talking! It’s bumpy and is glowing green!

– professor : oh yeah, it looks a little different

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : I’m positive! The Chavalier is a command-combat mute that is able to send simple commands and recieve reports! Since they’re able to use brainwaves, if they plant a special part of a mute, then it should be possible to plant it into the brain of the mute like that and make it talk directly! There isn’t an identical case, but there was a similar type of mute that appeared in Rank 27 Player thomasTRAIN’s stream….

======

“Then, that means the mutes have been maintaining this place using telepathy.”

He had a feeling. The way they set up mutes with sharp eyes on patrol and made them use torches, a much too human way of defense for mutes. He was a little puzzled that not a named but a Rank 3 mute was able to set it up like this, but the story changes if someone’s ordering them from afar.

Planting and controlling the high-rank mutes with communication devices, and controlling this entire game was…

The bastard that screwed me over.

“…You must be pretty darn busy. Popping up here and there.”

“Kgggrk…skkkkgk…kegk, kreek kk…!”

It must have understood the innuendo in Professor’s tone, as it laughed in response.

“I would say…likewis…sskgk—! To you. Since you ne—eekgk—! To fight… yourself in—stead… of those useless… humans.”

‘It’s…really friendly??’

Aside from its disturbing voice, its tone almost felt like they were considerate of our side.

Whoosh!

The Chavalier with a bug planted in its head spread its arms open like announcing the start of the party.

“I wished… to meet on the battlefield. But thi…ssgk—! Fate. Always… wanted to…kreeek—! Meet y—ou…!”

“Aw, I also wanted to meet you and shove my fist through your—”

“Father.”

.

.

.

.

.

.

“…What?”

======

– takealook : wut?

– Undam_undam : Father?

– Nutriagena : Is this some kind of reverse Darth Vader moment? Like ‘I’m your son?’

– Noru_is_druig : Queen! Give birth to a human child!

– BDSM3rdOpenRecruitmentCandaditeRep : Afdhgksk

======

The mute that made Professor fall into confusion with just one word then placed its hand against its chest and elegantly bowed down.

“From now on… I—skkkkg—! Palcatus of the Morning Star… will serve… you. Fath—”

“Aghhhh! Shut up! [Blood Shot]! [Blood Shot]! [Blood Shot]!”

Bang! Bang! Baang!

“…There is much… time to speak in the future.”

After parrying away the shots with its spear, the black mute commanded the troops that surrounded Professor.

[If possible, capture him as unscathed as possible.]

Thumppp!

“Grwuhhhhhhhhh!”

As if they were waiting for that command, the mutes, who had been burning with hatred towards humans, started to charge towards Professor all at once.

“Damn it! What the f—! We’re canceling the ‘buy time’ plan! I’ll kill all of them, or at least that bugged bastard!”

======

– Noru_is_druig : You know that right? Strong denial is…..

======

“Shut up! I didn’t! I didn’t do it!”

Schkkk!

Looking at the swarm of mutes in front of him, Professor scratched his front arm open with his nails. The weak flesh ripped open, and blood started to flow out of the deep wound.

The hand drenched in that blood started to create signs.

The thumb represents the most important thing. Fold once to represent instinct.

Use the index finger that represents command to wrap around the thumb, representing that instinct obeys command.

And by keeping the other three fingers straight to create the image of a shield. A magic created from the most basic instinct, the survival instinct.

‘Hand signs are only a means of framework. The activation of magic is, in the end, based on the awakenings and images of the user!’

It was his first time, but he was certain that he would be able to do it. The awakening of acceptance made it possible for him to use blood in his magic.

Blood. The strongest memory left from his life. Since magic is the manifestation of the mage’s image, this can’t be just a coincidence.

Psshhhk!

According to Professor’s will, blood spewed out of his arm like a fountain.

The blood spread out like mist, combined with his awakening of repulsion, then slowly started to settle down on his right arm and shape into form.

“Origin Spell. [Blood Armor]”

On his right arm was a blood-red gauntlet, created from the maximum potential of his current magical capacity.

Clank.

After opening and closing his right hand a couple times, Professor turned around and swung his right arm directly at the face of the mute, which had its sharp teeth aimed for his throat, and pinned him down to the ground.