Chapter 27: The Players Arrive!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Nonetheless, it was in the moment of imminent peril that an unusual noise echoed from yet another direction.
Angora turned toward it by instinct to find an unusual convoy of caravans nearby, having appeared at some point in time within that spot of town.
Although they looked like your run-of-the-mill merchant convoy, their carriages were dashing and crashing amongst the skeletons, and reached them soon enough.
It was until then that Angora realized that there were white names hovering above the heads of the merchant group, just like himself.
There was no mistaking it. They were the Players the System mentioned!
Angora’s heart which had been at his mouth was finally eased. While he thought the System was honest and did not lie, he cheerfully shouted, “Our reinforcement’s here! Hold on, everyone, keep fighting until the end!”
But he soon realized that not only did the townsfolk not relax, but that the despair on their faces thickened.
“My lord, the reinforcements… is that it?” Vela could not help but ask.
Angora himself was taken aback by her question.
Indeed, the Players looked to number just around twenty. Was there any chance of victory against the eight hundred skeletons, including the elite skeleton knight?
Angora had not thought about that. He had merely been expecting rescue from the Players, but now, when he had seen their erratic formation, he could not help doubt them as a fighting force… after all, even though he was a Player, he was barely able to fight.
Still, he found it bizarre that the Players’ reaction towards the turbid ranks of the skeleton army.
They were neither fearful nor underestimating them. Instead, it was a confusing feeling as if they had seen moving gold.
“There are so many monsters here! How delightful!”
“They are coming out from the jungle and circling us! Finally, something I could test my new skill with.”
“Hurry, hurry!”
“XP, so much XP!”
“That big one on the horse must be a Boss. No telling what good stuff it would drop.”
“That horse is so cool… maybe I could take it as my ride!”
“Clearing these monsters means we clear the ‘save the village’ quest, right?”
“Ahaha! So many monsters… I, Marni finally could hope to reach level three!”
“Frost Bullet!”
“Hey, no kill stealing!”
Angora’s expectations were entirely subverted by the outcome when the Players collided against the legion of bones—the skeletons were essentially being harvested one-sidedly by the buffed Players.
It was not to say that the Players were so strong that they were completely unafraid of the skeletons, since some of the stronger skeletons would still be able to deal significant damage upon them.
A case in point was that Player called Marni who was dressed as a merchant. While he was dancing around with his battlefield sword style to hold off three skeleton warriors, he was stabbed repet.i.tively on the back.
He cried “Ah, I’m dead!’ and dropped to the ground cold.
However, not a single player flinched. Instead, they fought even more violently.
They seemed to feel no pain. Blood, flesh, and bone splattered everywhere as the battle grew violent.
Hidden behind a wooden crate, Angora himself felt his blood heating up when he saw the sight of violence and gore. He lifted his sword which was already chipped and dented, yelling, “Our allies are bathing in blood. If we don’t fight now, when would we?!”
The other townsfolk had been left stunned by the Players as well. The sight of the bloodthirsty but selfless Players who were trying to save them without any regard for themselves, along with the skeletons that were dropping one after another (they did not notice that the skeletons disappeared right after they had fallen due to the confusion of the battle) left them moved. Hence, at Angora’s rallying call, all of them raised their weapons and dashed out of their shelter, counterattacking against the skeletons around them.
The skeletons, caught defenseless after being engaged with the commotion the Players had made, was being cut down by the townsfolk!
Watching as the townsfolk became roused and launched their own a.s.sault at the legion of bones in tandem, the Players all exclaimed in the thrill:
“G.o.dd.a.m.n it, stop! That’s supposed to be my XP!”
“There’s no use even if you people fight! Spare them, they might drop me some loot!”
“d.a.m.n it all! We’ve come to save you, and you steal our kills?! You’re not supposed to do that!”
“Marni’s dead… again! You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!”
‘Even if what they were yelling was incomprehensible, they looked thrilled so they must be praising my inspired command,’ Angora thought.
The number of skeletons on both sides defeated increased. Still, it was a pity that both human factions were lacking in numbers, leaving the battle exacerbating.
Vela agilely evaded a skeleton warrior’s slash, before using her blade hilt to strike the revenant’s exposed spine as a blunt weapon. Its bone was knocked out of place instantly, causing a chain reaction that left its body dropping apart.
She fought as smoothly as a flowing stream, moving in one swift stroke to destroy the skeleton warrior.
The fight lasted less than three seconds.
Her movements were as elegant and masterful as a dance, leaving Angora staring blankly.
“I see that you’re powerful, Vela…”
“Did I not tell you, my lord?” Vela seized the moment to breathe with a cheeky smile. “I’m the best hunter in town.”
Angora could not help but rejoice that he did not attempt anything untoward after meeting her.
“This won’t do, we’re taking heavy casualties!” Vela yelled after deftly taking out a few more skeletons.
“If we want to defeat them, we have to beat the skeleton knight, their leader,” Angora voiced his guess. “Look, our reinforcements are trying their best to get to the skeleton knight!”
Taking a moment to glance at the reinforcements, Vela realized that the ragtag group had definitely given up on all manner of defense. Instead, everyone was depending entirely on two cleric girls guarded at the center and casting divine arts of healing to stay alive and carve a path towards the skeleton knight!
“Let’s help them, Vela!”
“Yes, my lord!”
Hence, with the other townsfolk covering them, Vela led Angora as they started towards the skeleton knight from another direction.
It was with much difficulty that the two groups finally reached the skeleton knight. However, Angora was just a little curious why the Players were glowering as if they were forced to eat dung. Still, having a rush of blood to the head, Angora did not even think as she stayed with Vela and a.s.saulted the skeleton knight alongside them!
“I’m not letting you have the Boss even if I’m out of mana!” On the other side, a youth whose name read ‘Edward’ had sheathed his wand on a side of his hip and drew the sword on another.
“I’ll protect my fief!” Angora remembered a knight novel he had read before, his adrenaline pumping as he strived to strike down the revenant leader invading his land alongside the other Players.
But in the split second when their weapons were about to reach the skeleton knight, Vela suddenly noticed that the silver-haired girl with twin ponytails kept protected at the center of the reinforcements had suddenly raised her simple wand.
“Spear of Victory.”
In the next second, a luminous spear which was condensed from light and laden with dazzling golden silk cut through five hundred meters of void, at once pinning the skeleton knight down on the ground just as it was about to fight Edward and Angora to the death …