Chapter 82: Three Irregulars (2)
Hiiro lifted one finger as though he had prepared the perfect defense. He pointed toward Caius with complete confidence, "We have an adult."
Misha slowly turned toward the blond boy as she looked him over again. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen." Caius shifted the shaft of his staff-spear against his shoulder.
"Barely eighteen," Astrid added as she checked the field beyond the wall.
Caius glanced at her, a small smile touched his lips. "Eighteen is still eighteen."
Misha’s gaze moved toward Astrid. "And you?"
"I’m seventeen and Hiiro’s sixteen."
A long silence followed.
Misha closed her eyes and pressed two fingers against her temple.
They’re children...
A sixteen-year-old boy had touched an unknown portal because he wondered what would happen. A seventeen-year-old girl had followed because leaving him unsupervised seemed more dangerous. And an eighteen-year old had apparently been placed in charge of keeping both of them alive.
She almost felt sorry for Caius.
Misha released a slow breath before she folded her arms tighter. "So the answer is no. None of you thought to find someone older and more experienced before entering an unknown floor."
"We considered it." Hiiro raised his hand again.
Astrid turned toward him. "After you touched the portal."
"The timing of the consideration is irrelevant." Hiiro dismissed the detail with a wave.
Caius sighed. "It became relevant when you were dragged through it."
Hiiro looked between them, visibly betrayed by the lack of support. "But I survived."
The red head girl shook her head. "That is not evidence of good judgement."
He placed one hand over his chest. "But it is! It is evidence of good judgement!"
Misha opened her mouth to respond when–
「 〔SYSTEM NOTICE〕
The First Wave has begun.
Time Remaining: 00:15:00」
DONG!
A deep bell rang across the open field.
All four of them turned.
Only a moment earlier, the grass beyond the village had been empty. Now the air began to distort.
Dark shapes flickered into existence across the field. At first, they looked like shadows without bodies. Then armor formed around hunched frames, rusted weapons appeared in clawed hands, and Wargs materialized close to the ground, their lips already peeling back from yellowed teeth.
One shape became ten, and ten became dozens.
Misha rested both hands against Twinfang. The sight no longer filled her with the same fear it once had.
Her heartbeat quickened, certainly, but her fingers remained steady. She had survived worse. She has become stronger now.
"Let’s charge before they finish forming." Hiiro rolled his shoulders as a grin spread across his face. "We take out the Chieftains, ruin the command structure, then clean up whatever is left."
Caius drove the butt of his staff-spear into the stone. The sharp crack silenced him.
"The goblins will advance first." Caius’ expression changed as he studied the field, the faint warmth disappeared from his face. "The hobgoblins will wait until the first line surrounds us. The Chieftains will stay in the rear and redirect anything that reaches the eastern passage."
Misha glanced at him. The monsters had only appeared, yet he spoke as if he had already watched the battle unfold.
His eyes moved across the field without hesitation. He was not guessing. At least, he did not look like he was.
Caius pointed toward the broken ridge on their right. "Astrid, take the high ground." He traced the line between the ridge and rear formation with one hand. "You’ll have a clear view of the Chieftains once the front line moves."
Astrid drew her sidearm. "Very well." She began moving after receiving the instruction.
"Hiiro, break the second line before the hobgoblins can form around the gate." Caius turned toward him. "Do not chase them beyond the center markers."
Hiiro grinned. "Finally, an assignment worthy of–"
"Do not cross the markers," Caius repeated.
The grin weakened. He pulled the wrappings around one fist tighter. "Man, you always ruin the best part."
"I prefer you alive."
The words came so naturally that Hiiro paused. Only for a moment. Then he looked away and pretended to be deeply interested in the approaching army.
Caius shifted his attention toward Misha. "Hold the center. Kill anything that breaks through."
Misha raised a brow as she drew both daggers. "You make it sound like you’re in charge."
"I am the only one giving useful instructions."
Hiiro placed a hand against his chest. "I gave several useful suggestions."
Caius glanced toward him. "You suggested charging directly at the Chieftains."
"It would surprise them." He began bouncing lightly on the balls of his footwear, restless energy gathering in his stance.
"It could also kill you."
Hiiro’s grin returned. "Those outcomes are not mutually exclusive you know."
The goblins began to move along with the timer of the first wave.
The entire front line rushed forward.
Cauis moved first. Mana burst beneath his boots, launching him from the gate. His staff-spear swept through the first group before they had time to spread apart. Every movement flowed into the next without waste. He stepped where the goblins were going to be rather than where they already stood.
Hiiro shot past him in a trail of black smoke. "Try not to finish everything without me!"
He disappeared between two Hobgoblins and reappeared behind them.
"Ninefold Thunderclap Kick!" One explosive kick struck the creature beneath the chin. The hobgoblin folded backward, its feet leaving the ground before it crashed into two goblins behind it.
The second swung a heavy cleaver toward Hiiro’s side. He slipped beneath the blade and drove a mana-coated fist into its ribs. "Supreme Azure Dragon King’s World-Shattering Fist!"
The impact left the hobgoblin completely off the ground.
Hiiro leaned backward to watch it fly and let out an appreciative whistle. "That’s a beautiful one~"
A mana bullet passed over his shoulder. It buried itself between the eyes of a goblin rushing toward his back.
Hiiro froze.
On the ridge, Astrid lowered her sidearm by half an inch. "Don’t get distracted, you idiot!"
"I knew it was there." He straightened.
"As if. You were watching the other one fall." She fired again.
A Chieftain jerked backward in the distance as mana tore through its throat.
Then a group of goblins broke away from Caius and rushed toward the northern passage.
Misha stepped into their path and drew Twinfang. The first dagger entered a goblin’s throat, then she tore it free as she turned and threw the second. The blade struck the creature behind it between the eyes.
「 You have killed a Goblin!
EXP +3 」
「 You have killed a Goblin!
EXP +3 」
A third swung a rusted sword toward her stomach.
She shifted outside the arc, stepped inside its reach, and drove her knee into its chest. The creature stumbled backward with a choked sound. Then she buried her remaining dagger beneath its jaw.
「 You have killed a Goblin!
EXP +3 」
"Return." Misha opened her free hand. The thrown blade tore itself from the corpse and flew back into her palm.
The goblin in front of her barely had time to look confused before both daggers crossed its throat.
「 You have killed a Goblin!
EXP +3 」
The first wave collapsed quickly. The second arrived before the last goblin struck the ground.
The battle continued without giving any of them time to think. By the third wave, the field disappeared beneath bodies.
Misha’s breathing had grown a bit heavier despite the effect of the potion she drank earlier. It was still keeping her on her feet, but the others showed no sign of slowing.
She drew a deeper breath. So this was it. This was where she stood without her Soul Inventory carrying her.
She was not the protagonist. She was not even the mysterious, overpowered companion who appeared every twenty Chapters and solved everyone’s problem. She was the ordinary side character standing beside three teenagers who had apparently been born without reasonable limitations.
The thought should have offended her. Instead, a laugh almost escaped.
King floated beside her shoulder. [Your expression has become foolish nya.]
"I think I’ve discovered my role in this world." Misha wiped one dagger against a dead hobgoblin’s cloak.
Discovered? No, she hasn’t discovered anything. She had always known from the beginning that she was never a protagonist material.
「 〔 FLOOR QUEST COMPLETE 〕
Defend the Eastern Wall (1/1)
Survive 3 waves of monsters (3/3) 」
「 〔 CONTRIBUTION RANKING 〕
1. Caius Solmere
2. Shimura Hiiro
3. Astrid Hale
4. Misha Apocalypse 」
Misha stared at her name. Then she chuckled under her breath. "Looks like I’m ordinary compared to them."
[You possess several Constellation Souls, an illegally modified class, and the personal protection of a Tower Administration.] King’s golden eyes narrowed. [Only a particularly deluded mongrel would describe you as ordinary nya.]
"I’m fourth in contribution." She looked toward the others.
King followed her gaze. [There are four of you nya.]
"Exactly." She returned Twinfang to her sides. "And I’m older than them."
[That does not support your argument nya.] King’s voice carried open disgust. He turned away, apparently refusing to participate in her humiliation any longer.
Across the field, Hiiro stared at the ranking. His body went still, then he pointed an accusing finger toward Caius. "HOW?!!" His voice echoed.
Cauis wiped the blade of his staff-spear against the grass. "I killed more."
Hiiro’s mouth fell open. "That answer lacks emotional sensitivity!"
Astrid holstered her sidearm before she descended from the ridge and approached them. "You lost because you spent too much time announcing your attacks."
"They improve morale!"
"They warn the enemy." She stepped over a goblin corpse.
"Only if they understand me."
She sighed. "They understood enough to move away whenever you shouted."
"That only means my presence controlled the battlefield." Hiiro looked pleased by his own conclusion.
Caius looked toward him. "You named one punch after a dragon."
"It deserved a name." Hiiro’s expression became serious. "That punch and I have history."
"You invented it this morning." Astrid adjusted one glove.
"Every legend has a beginning."
A helpless laugh escaped Misha. He sure reminded her of a certain troublesome brother.
Hiiro turned toward her, vindicated. "See? She understands!"
"I was laughing at you." Misha dismissed her reward window with one tired swipe.
The boy’s shoulders dropped. "That keeps happening today..." He looked toward the sky as though questioning the cruelty of fate.