Chapter 395: Regressor Instruction Manual (1)
The war they were experiencing and modern warfare was distinctly different.
I had mentioned it several times already, but that wasn’t even enough to overemphasize it.
Whenever I thought about the impact that a single individual could have on a war on this continent, that answer always came swiftly into my mind.
For example, the power Jung Hayan showed at Laios and the mist summoner, Cheon Gwan-wi’s actions at the forest of fog.
The same went for one of the Five General Tigers, who played a significant role in pushing Dawan and Celia out.
How about Cha Hee-ra, who possessed a power that exceeded the mythic grade?
A single entity paralyzed the entirety of Laios, influencing the war significantly.
Of course, in Cha Hee-ra’s case, various factors were intertwined, but it’s an appropriate example of how great of an impact an individual could have.
To put it simply, they were tactical hacks. While most people were warriors, there were those who were more like tanks.
If an enemy force suddenly pushed in with a tank on a battlefield of swords and bows, everyone would have no choice but to be surprised.
If the enemy had strategic weapons, we needed our own to counter them.
If they had a warrior with enough endurance to prevent themselves from being pierced with ordinary arrows and swords, we would need an archer that could impale through them.
The continent’s war history developed in such a way, though a few changes occurred after foreigners fell in.
The results themselves did not change. The only thing that changed was the process.
How many tutorial dungeons one had completed became an indicator of a country’s national power.
As such, the appearance of foreigners was also shocking to them.
In that relationship that had been tightly held together, new and powerful people began to enter.
They naturally weren’t invincible.
If a swordsman’s defense were hit with an attack more robust than it was, it would break. If a wizard was in its place, then even more so.
It was even more riveting when taking into consideration the possibility of descending to the lower world due to a blind arrow that flew in while they were off-guard.
Even a swordsman with seemingly bottomless stamina would start to feel exhausted at some point, and even a wizard who had tremendous firepower would eventually run out of magic power.
If an enemy could keep such ridiculous beings in check, it could reduce the scope of my movement.
Then what about Kim Hyunsung?
What if there was no enemy tactical weapon that couldn’t be kept in check on our side?
He’s a human chosen by God.
He had so much talent that ordinary people couldn’t even dare to surpass it, yet his hard work never stopped.
The status window visible through the Mind’s Eyes was far too exquisite for words to capture it.
The Mercenary Queen had a strength that could exceed the mythic grade, but that guy was well-rounded in all aspects.
All his figures except Intelligence were 90 or higher.
He had legendary-grade attributes.
He’s like the main character in a novel or a cartoon.
I could confidently bet that the current Kim Hyunsung was the strongest in the human world.
At least, among the humans I had seen, there was no human beyond Kim Hyunsung.
Kim Hyunsung hid in a position away from the noisy troops, a calm look dominating his face.
In the returner’s arms, it seemed possible to even sleep in the middle of the battlefield.
He exhaled deeply as he did some light stretches to loosen his body.
The priests’ buffs poured out, and the wizards’ secondary magic started to focus on him.
From anyone’s perspective, it seemed that the main factor of the battlefield was that bastard.
Even the troops that were suddenly attacked felt flustered.
They were prepared for battle, but it was still natural to be surprised when met with an unexpected assault.
I could still hear the explosion.
Lee Jihye and I watched the situation from a relatively safe distance, preventing any shock from reaching us, but it was difficult to say that there were no damages outside.
Baaaannnggg!!!
Boooom…
Boom…
“That force wasn’t deployed to attack allies. Its main purpose is to slow the march or to make the allies accumulate damage.”
“Really? Anyone who looks at it would think they simply want to attack.”
“I think they’re that desperate. I wanted to preserve and move our troops properly, but it can’t be done without any damage. First of all, the terrain is disadvantageous. I wanted to avoid it, but I think this is a fight that we have to face. Maybe it’s a good thing that we’re confronting them here.”
“When are you going to use the Kim Hyunsung tactic?”
“It’s not something to be deployed recklessly. We need to use it as effectively as possible to live up to its name. Where the name is used is important, but the most important is how it’s used. Let’s see… We need to open up a path. It’s my job to deliver the bombs as risk-free as possible.”
“Hmm… Well, okay. Can I leave it to you?”
“Yes. At least, for now.”
“I’ll go outside for a second and review the situation.”
“Don’t get hit by a random arrow for no reason. Just take it and come in.”
Lee Jihye wasn’t saying something useless. As soon as I stepped out, I started hearing all sorts of roaring sounds.
The temperature was different as well.
It’s not that I haven’t been through that kind of situation, but the scale was different, so it felt more real.
From the skies fell all sorts of offensive magic, and allies gathered around to cast defensive spells.
Baaaaaaannng!!
Craaassshhh!!!
“Wizard Support Unit! Shield casting! Shield casting!”
“Collect maximum magic power! Move fast! Faster! Out of bombing range! What are you doing?!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Priests! Priests!”
“This is an order to prepare the response magic! This is our top priority.”
“Cast after confirming the magic circle.”
“Ready to cast!”
“Launch!”
“…”
It’s evidence that the unit was well trained. I wasn’t the one who taught them, but I couldn’t help but feel proud.
With the control tower, they responded well to unexpected situations.
However, it looked like their magic couldn’t reach the enemy located on a relatively higher slope than us.
The situation was no different from an uphill battle.
I could confirm that the demon summoner prepared quite a bit.
“The warriors are to keep their formation as they move forward. You all are to avoid damage to the rear as much as possible. Consider it your top priority.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Gather around the ones with defense artifacts! Push back in!”
“Sh*t! Don’t let them come up!”
Lee Jihye continued to give orders in the command room, and the troops followed her orders in real-time.
Of course, overall, all we were doing was decreasing our distance from the enemy, but giving instructions down to the smallest details was different from just approaching and charging in.
The problem was that the wizards’ magic powers and the priests’ divine powers were being rapidly consumed.
Even if they were to penetrate the enemy ranks successfully, the question was whether they would have enough stamina to continue the next war.
Of course, the enemy could easily remove its troops.
It’s already beneficial for them to undercut our physical strength, and if they could cause a lot of damage to our forces, then they’ve done their job quite excellently.
In many ways, the situation was unfavorable for us and advantageous for the enemy.
I had to be curious about the timing of when the tactic Kim Hyunsung would be dispatched.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Medical Corp! Medical Corp!”
“5th platoon, direct fire magic! It looks like the shield is broken.”
Our troops were taking damage.
I wondered if something had happened, but I thought that wasn’t the case.
She’d also know when the right time had come.
As I was contemplating whether to ask for more details in the command room, something caught my attention.
I saw ice flying over our heads.
To be more accurate, it was ice in the shape of a spear.
It didn’t seem to be visible to other people’s eyes.
It felt like time was passing by slower than usual. I was wondering why I couldn’t notice it until it came so close.
The spear flew our way and broke through our defensive magic. It made me feel a chill crawl down my spine.
Although I was the one who cast it, the dragon shield still emerged slower than the flying speed of the spear.
It wasn’t just an attack that ended with minor injuries.
It’s no wonder that I felt annoyed by my dull body that wouldn’t move.
I tried to avoid fatal injuries by twisting my body away from it as much as possible, but the damn thing that flew right in front of me was enough to make me think of all kinds of things.
There’s someone specialized in assassination or shooting among them.
Being able to throw a spear that couldn’t be seen from such a long distance was difficult to execute if it wasn’t someone named.
I leaned away as much as I could.
Clink!
I heard the sound of a glass breaking.
“Huh?”
“Are you okay?”
Kim Hyunsung stood next to me.
I remembered him getting ready to charge.
We’re located far away from the main unit.
I didn’t know when he noticed the spear flying towards me, but it’s a mystery how he got to where I was in no time.
Actually, what was a little more surprising was his appearance.
Half-holding me, he completely broke the invisible spear with his other arm.
Regardless of whether it was made of glass or ice, he turned it into powder, causing it to sprinkle down onto the ground.
It felt like I was looking at a filtered picture even though he was just standing still.
Even the sun shone just at the right time to make me feel like he’s in a photoshoot or a movie.
Kim Hyunsung began to speak first just as I was about to with a strangely ambiguous pose.
“I think it would be better to go inside, Kiyoung-ssi. It’s dangerous outside. At least just until we get rid of the snipers… since everyone will be aiming at you.”
“Yes. I… was careless. I didn’t know protection magic could be pierced so easily.”
“It’s probably magic that focuses on penetration. An attribute may have influenced it. It’s threatening, but it probably won’t reach into the control room. Quickly go inside.”
“Ah… Yes. Okay. Thank you, Hyunsung-ssi.”
“It was only natural for me to do that.”
“Okay. More importantly… can you stay here like…”
“It’s a little late, but it’s fine. I just received an order. Then… I will come back.”
“Yes. Catch you later.”
“Oh! And I keep telling you, but you need to be as careful as possible, Kiyoung-ssi. Please tell that to the command and control room.”
“Ah… Yes. Okay.”
“Then…”
I was left speechless after seeing him disappear in an instant.
I hurriedly entered the control room, not wanting anything aimed at me to come again.
Kim Hyunsung was reflected in the magic hologram as he ran.
It’s almost obvious where he was charging towards.
I watched him go to the position of the sniper that tried to aim for my life.
“How is he so fast?”
My eyes felt strained just watching him move.
Shortly after that, screams began to echo from all directions.
“Nuke is falling!”