Chapter 35

Even after waiting for a long time, Balta didn't show up.

When I thought about it, there were recent reports of many Odin airships being sighted in this area.

At the time, I wondered why they were acting that way when I hadn't given any special orders, but after encountering Balta, I could roughly deduce the reason.

Currently, Odin was somewhat outside my influence, unlike before.

They still recognized me as their commander, but their feelings weren't favorable.

Their purpose was one: to capture or kill me.

"…It feels like being stabbed in the back by a trusted axe."

Unlike the heroes of other players who prioritized the Queen's commands, they prioritized my orders over the Queen's, so I trusted them even more.

I believed that no matter what happened or when, they would be on my side.

However, reality was harsh.

Before I knew it, I was branded a traitor, regardless of my intentions.

If I was caught by someone rational, I might at least get a chance to explain myself, but if I was caught by someone who acted without thinking, my head would be cut off on the spot.

And Balta was the latter.

He was like a wild boar who acted impulsively and without thinking, driven by his mood.

There was no chance for dialogue.

To survive, I had to kill Balta.

"......"

"Your expression is dark. Well… even though your abilities have significantly improved, they still can't compare to Odin's hero. It's still a gamble with low odds."

Lupel imbued me with magic and once again fiddled with the broken necklace, giving a bitter smile.

I smiled too.

It was true that I had to kill Balta to live, but the overwhelming probability was that I would be killed.

However, it wasn't entirely hopeless.

Thanks to Rupel, a possibility that wouldn't have existed otherwise had emerged.

The difference between 0 and 1.

The difference in having hope or not was significant.

"…There's one thing I want to confirm."

"Confirm?"

"Anything is fine, but can you use curse-type magic? Of the light or dark attribute."

"Curse magic is difficult, complex, and delicate. And I absolutely hate delicate work."

He had a very difficult way of saying he couldn't.

Judging by the lingering disappointment, I must have unknowingly harbored expectations for him.

I shook off the disappointment and checked the time.

2:40 AM.

Despite a considerable amount of time having passed since I received magic from Lupel, Balta still hadn't appeared.

"He's not showing up."

There were about 20 minutes left until the exit opened.

It wasn't likely that something was wrong with his power of detection.

In that case, there was only one possibility to consider.

"…He's waiting for the exit to open. He probably intends to block the exit and prevent anyone from going up."

It was a passage that strongly revealed his determination not to miss me no matter what, and his will not to allow any variables to interfere in the process.

He was a tenacious man.

If he had been an ally, he would have been incredibly reliable, but since he was an enemy, I sighed.

"It's annoying, but what can we do? 20 minutes left. Get some rest. Wouldn't that increase the chances by about 0.1 percent?"

"Well, that's a very motivating number."

I used the given 20 minutes for rest in preparation for the final struggle ahead.

I felt a little better, but physical condition isn't expressed in exact numbers like a growth system anyway.

There wasn't a noticeable change in my body.

While resting, I stretched my muscles and headed for the door directly in front of me.

The door that led outside the building.

Normally, due to the transfer phenomenon, I should have been transported to a completely different place.

However, with the forced transfer phenomenon now severed, I was able to simply open the door and walk out onto the main road that cut across the ruins.

"Ryan!"

From a distance, Lirisa and the others ran towards me.

I was worried that they might be stuck somewhere.

It was fortunate that I had informed them about the exit opening time in advance.

"You're safe. I was so worried."

"I wasn't worried! I believed that our field commander would get out safely!"

Lirisa looked like she was about to cry, and Byan, despite her words, was clearly terrified.

Come to think of it, those two were the most worried when I said I would stay alone.

Lirisa was understandable, but Byan's devotion to me was surprising.

But all those things only mattered if we made it out alive.

"All right, everyone, gather up."

As I gave the order, Sergel and Latia, who had been watching from a distance, along with the soldiers of Unit 450, scurried over and lined up in front of me.

I felt like an extra squad member had appeared without my knowing.

I cleared my throat and began the briefing.

"First, I'm sorry to say my gamble failed. But I told you it was a highly unlikely strategy. Don't be too disappointed."

"Yes!"

A resounding answer came back, but I could tell from their expressions.

They had placed an excessively high expectation on me.

I didn't want to disappoint them either, but what could I do?

The impossible was impossible.

"And now. There's a high probability that Odin's hero is waiting for us, having sealed the exit."

"Then do we really need to head for the exit? By now, our commander on the airship would have requested support from the mainland. There are mages everywhere who want to defeat Odin's heroes and gain medals and honor. Highly skilled mages will likely arrive at the scene very soon. I believe time is on our side."

Sergel offered a rather rational opinion.

As he said, the moment Odin's airship appeared, Selina would have immediately sent out distress calls to the surroundings and the mainland.

Odin was strong.

The renown gained from defeating Odin's soldiers was therefore unimaginable.

Moreover, Balta was a Level 3 rookie hero.

This meant he was an optimal target for hunting, easy to defeat while still earning honor.

Mages who lived and died for honor would not miss such a golden opportunity.

Therefore, Sergel suggested that if they just held out, they could receive help from high-ranking mages, so there was no need to dangerously head for the exit.

However, I could say with certainty.

Sergel's judgment was wrong.

"It's the opposite."

"…I apologize. I don't understand."

"Time is not on our side. Well… if we act as you say, we'll be safe for an hour as long as the exit is open. Balta… that is, Odin's hero won't move while guarding the exit. But after that, we'll be forced to simply run away unilaterally."

Their raw stats were overwhelmingly superior.

Naturally, those stats also included speed.

Above all, a group's movements were inevitably slower than an individual's.

Moreover, given that the opponent possessed the power of detection, which allowed them to track us without much difficulty, escaping until the mages' support arrived was impossible.

"But whether we fight without the mages' help, or we're cornered while running and forced into combat. The situation won't be much different, I think. So, leaning towards the side where there's even a slight chance of receiving mage support…"

"That's why we must head for the entrance."

"......?"

"There's one. A mage with considerable skill who can help us right now."

"……!"

One Level 2 hero and four Level 1s.

Not at all reliable, but now with one Archmage and one considerably skilled mage newly added.

With this much, the odds of winning would increase a little more.

Just a tiny bit.

***

We headed for the entrance of the ruins.

As expected.

Balta stood firm before the gateway that connected to the ruins' staircase.

"Your numbers have increased."

Balta glanced over the group and said, as if unimpressed.

It was a natural reaction.

No matter how many Level 1 heroes were added, it wouldn't significantly affect the actions of a Level 3 hero.

"It doesn't matter, though."

There was no more conversation to be had between us.

To be precise, I had a mountain of things I wanted to say, but the other party had no intention of listening.

Balta drew his weapon and approached.

I felt everyone except me take a step back.

It was an unconscious act driven by survival instinct, not intentional.

In Lirisa's case, she looked genuinely shocked that she had retreated.

She had steeled herself so much, yet her body was still afraid of the opponent.

However, it was the difference between Level 3 and Level 1.

It was natural for them to be afraid, just as a fox becomes powerless before a lion.

But knowing their resolve, I, on the contrary, stepped forward.

A commander should observe the battlefield from behind, analyze all possible situations, devise countermeasures, and lead their allies to victory.

But I was not a commander.

To lead by showing my back at the very front.

That was the field commander's job.

"Indeed. When to manage soldiers and when to lead soldiers. You know what attitude to take in each case. I'm impressed."

"Well, thank you."

Clang!

Axe and shield collided.

A thunderous roar, as if it couldn't possibly be the sound of weapons clashing, and a powerful shockwave emanating from the point of impact resonated through the surroundings.

An indescribable pain shot through my arm.

I barely held on, but if I had been even slightly weaker, I might have fallen to my knees.

But ultimately, I held my ground.

I had withstood the blow of a Level 3 hero, and not just any random hero, but one trained with Odin's resources and technology, without backing down.

Unfortunately, simply holding on was all I could manage; it was impossible to counter-attack.

"You've grown stronger."

"…I was lucky."

"To have blocked that last blow without issue means you've reached Level 2…"

Balta's eyes, muttering in a low voice, changed.

All the composure that had been overflowing until now vanished completely, replaced by eyes filled with a determination to crush the enemy.

He intended to give his all from now on.

CRASH!

Another blow struck.

I blocked it with all my might, but the shield split, and half of it lay uselessly on the ground.

I struggled to prevent my stance from collapsing, but there was no way.

Stumbling backward and barely regaining my balance was the best I could do.

Of course, Balta wasn't one to miss an opportunity.

Balta spun his body fiercely.

A blow, compounded by his strong muscular power and rotational force, flew towards my neck.

"Ryan!"

A familiar shout came from behind.

Following that, I heard the sound of something flying.

It was the sound of an arrow shot by Lirisa cutting through the wind.

There was a trust built between Lirisa and me over several life-and-death situations.

Just as I trusted her, she also trusted me, so she wouldn't hesitate even if I was in the trajectory of her arrow.

She believed I would definitely evade her attack, and such a blow, thus fired, could fatally pierce the enemy's weak point.

She had always adhered to this strategy.

However, this time, her choice was wrong.

If I twisted my body to avoid the arrow, a weakness would be exposed, and Lirisa's blow didn't have enough power to compensate for that weakness.

No, to be precise, it had power, but it wasn't enough to be effective against the opponent.

I gritted my teeth.

Lirisa's arrow lodged in my shoulder.

"Ryan?! Why…!"

Ignoring Lirisa's cry, which was clearly bewildered, I raised my left arm to protect my neck.

CRUNCH!

The axe struck the half-broken shield.

The shield was torn apart as if ripped by scissors, and the axe plunged very deep into my left arm.