Boom
We moved swiftly toward Koruntum, but how long had we been traveling, lost in pointless thoughts?
Koruntum seemed to finally be in sight.
And as we arrived near our destination, it was truly a scene of chaos.
"Wow..."
A gasp escaped my lips. How could such mayhem unfold? I wondered.
It seemed like at least tens of thousands of enemies were attacking.
Adventurers and a legion of undead were locked in a chaotic battle, their ranks intermingled. Even ordinary monsters were caught in the fray, adding to the pandemonium. It was a battlefield befitting the word "madness."
I decided to enter Koruntum first.
So, I grabbed Hearts and used [Teleport].
Woom
After a brief moment of dizziness, the teleportation was successful. There was a barrier around the wall, and it took considerable effort to penetrate it.
As we materialized on the other side...
...countless adventurers surrounded us.
I quickly explained myself.
"Ah, I teleported here to help. I have absolutely no malicious intent."
The presence of the barrier suggested they were wary of people like me teleporting inside the wall.
That's why I made sure to clarify my intentions. I had to convince them I wasn't a suspicious individual.
As I spoke, their guard slowly began to lower.
To be precise, it was Hearts's presence that eased their suspicion.
Paladins were the polar opposite of monsters. It was natural for them to trust someone who teleported in with such a figure.
Of course, that wasn't a calculated move on my part.
"Well then, let's get to work."
"Yes, alright!"
I had noticed it before, but Hearts seemed remarkably unconcerned about his surroundings. Perhaps even excessively so.
While his easygoing nature was comfortable to be around, it was also perplexing. How could he be so indifferent to everything happening around him?
Pondering this, I entered the Adventurers' Guild.
The usually bustling space was devoid of adventurers, save for an elderly receptionist.
"Hello."
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"Ah, I'm here to collect the reward for the request I accepted earlier."
I conveyed my purpose succinctly. The receptionist likely had their hands full.
"Hmm, then please return tomorrow at this time. I'll contact you separately."
"Alright."
"Um... And if you have some time to spare, could you perhaps help clear out the monsters outside? No pressure if you're busy."
They even asked for a favor.
Honestly, I was planning on doing it anyway. But being asked directly made it feel more like an act of goodwill, which I didn't mind.
With that in mind, I turned to Hearts.
"Why don't you rest for a bit? I'll take care of something."
"Alright!"
A typical Paladin would have insisted on accompanying me to slay monsters, despite their fatigue. Hearts was definitely a different breed.
He was surprisingly reasonable.
Nothing was more troublesome than someone strong in conviction but lacking in ability. Persuading them was always a challenge.
Leaving Hearts behind, I made my way to the wall, lost in thought.
As I reached the top...
"Fire—!!"
"What the hell are you doing?! Move!!"
"Aaagh—!!!"
A cacophony of sound assaulted my ears. It was a little overwhelming, to be honest.
I hadn't expected such a chaotic mix of people and creatures.
With that in mind, I posted on the forum.
[Author: ReallyDirtPoor]
[Title: What's going on in Koruntum right now?]
[Content: Just got back from eating, what's happening?]
I wrote as if I hadn't been near Koruntum at all. This way, no one could suspect me, even if I ended up playing a significant role in resolving the situation.
I wasn't a complete forum addict in my past life, so it was a bit of a gamble. Still, I figured it was a decent enough distraction and moved on.
"Hmm..."
The battlefield was a complete mess. It was pure chaos, with adventurers, monsters, and the undead legion all jumbled together.
It seemed that even the ranged support adventurers stationed on the wall were hesitant to attack indiscriminately.
'This will work nicely.'
In situations like this, where allies and enemies were so intertwined, magic had to be used with precision. The choice of spell was crucial as well.
And the spell I chose was...
[Gravity Bomb].
The traditional Gravity Bomb pulled all nearby objects towards a central point, but with a few modifications to the runic structure, I could exclude people from its effects.
That was why I chose this particular spell.
Carefully, I began constructing the runic structure, tweaking it here and there as I went. It was delicate work. Any interruption could disrupt the entire process.
However...
...I succeeded without a hitch.
As I modified the runic structure at will, I realized that it was surprisingly easy. It was delicate work, yes, but that didn't mean it was prone to failure.
With that in mind, I unleashed the spell.
[Gravity Bomb]
Woooong—!
As soon as I activated Gravity Bomb, the surrounding monsters and undead were pulled toward the center.
They struggled to break free, but it was futile. I had put a lot of effort into this spell.
"W-What the...?"
"Why are they suddenly gathering in the middle?"
"Shit, what is that?"
Everyone was bewildered.
However, some didn't panic and continued to engage the remaining monsters and undead that weren't caught in the Gravity Bomb.
"Everyone, lend a hand—!!"
Anyone who could resist my Gravity Bomb was undoubtedly powerful.
That's why the other adventurers needed to work together to take them down.
That was the entire point of my Gravity Bomb.
With the weaker enemies out of the way, there was no way these seasoned adventurers couldn't handle a few stronger ones.
As I thought this, I unleashed a barrage of spells.
[Lightning Bolt]
[Lightning Chain]
[Hurricane]
A storm of lightning engulfed the battlefield.
Targeting only the enemies, of course. I made sure to avoid my allies.
Of course, I could heal them if they died, but using [Heal] repeatedly was a significant drain on my mana. It was best to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Crackle—!
Electric currents surged across the battlefield, electrocuting the enemies.
As the storm of lightning subsided, the adventurers pressed their advantage, finishing off the remaining monsters and undead.
Meanwhile, a question lingered in my mind.
What exactly was CocoNenne hoping to achieve by invading this place?
If her forces could be so easily decimated by me, she couldn't have brought anything truly powerful.
Lost in thought, I continued to observe the battlefield.
Here and there, I spotted adventurers who had been brutally slain.
Sadly, there was nothing I could do for them. No matter how skilled I was with [Heal], I couldn't resurrect the dead. That was the realm of miracles.
And then...
Thump...!
Thump...!
In the distance, the colossal corpses of ogres lumbered towards us.
And there weren't just one or two...
...but four.
I might not have been an expert on monster anatomy, but the sheer amount of magical energy emanating from those corpses told me everything I needed to know.
"...Ogres."
Those were definitely ogres. Nothing else could radiate such potent magical energy.
It was almost comical how much fear they instilled. Just four of them were enough to make some of the adventurers vomit.
This was bad.
No matter how many adventurers there were, the necromancer's abilities only amplified the threat.
And indeed...
"Ah... This is troublesome."
The fallen adventurers began to rise as undead, their bodies twisted and broken.
Among them were the adventurers I had seen earlier, their limbs severed and bodies mangled.
Despite their horrific state, they continued to shamble forward relentlessly.
With a sigh, I prepared another spell.
Creatures like these had to be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Leaving them unchecked would only make matters worse.
Drastic times called for drastic measures.
[Tsar Bomba]
I completed the runic structure in an instant and poured my mana into it.
And then...
BOOM—!
A mushroom cloud erupted into the sky, a testament to the spell's devastating power. It was a sight to behold, a masterpiece of destruction.
A moment later...
"Oh... He blocked it."
As if anticipating my attack, one of the four ogres had sacrificed itself, taking the full brunt of Tsar Bomba's might.
The other three ogres remained unharmed.
"Hmm... This is problematic."
Even I couldn't spam Tsar Bomba indefinitely.
And the ogres weren't completely gone. They were wounded, yes, but far from dead.
This called for a desperate gamble.
[Tsar Bomba]
[Tsar Bomba]
[Tsar Bomba]
I poured all my remaining mana into the spells, leaving just enough for a hasty escape if necessary.
It was a risk, but a calculated one. Eliminating these ogres here and now was crucial for the safety of everyone present.
And then...
BOOOOOM—!
Three consecutive mushroom clouds soared into the sky, dwarfing the previous one in scale and intensity.
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