WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Escaping the Tower at Hell Difficulty ◈

Episode 81

──────

Even with my mask on, the smell of gunpowder felt like it was numbing my nose.

The area in front of the Inner Citadel had become our final defensive line.

"Have the reinforcements still not come out?"

"The roads are blocked by refugees! They can't even come out!"

"Bellion! Goloks's unit is retreating too!"

"Why do they just keep coming? There are some minor monsters mixed in too."

"There must be several of them with summoning skills."

At least the Reapers had suffered considerable losses as well.

They had already lost more than a hundred while fighting the elite Death Priests.

But maybe they thought they could recover no matter what as long as they got their hands on Doll Technology.

They still hadn't stopped.

Bellion looked at the shadow approaching from afar.

"If we take down the siege weapon, they'll give up too. They won't have a way to breach the Inner Citadel."

"Who's supposed to take that thing down?!"

Of course, the Reapers knew that too, so they were desperately protecting the largest one.

We could kill it with a single stab from a Death Priest’s Dagger, but getting close was the problem.

"Can't you use that weapon from earlier anymore?"

"I'm out of ammunition..."

I trailed off and thought about it.

He meant the grenade launcher, but it didn't necessarily have to fire grenades.

We still had some hand grenades left.

"Bring some grenades over here!"

"What? Grenades? I've only got two left."

I picked up a long metal rod and tied a pile of grenades around it.

It was a Dwarf city, so there was no shortage of metal lying around.

Using Reconstruction, I even made a small frame so I could arrange them as evenly as possible at fixed intervals.

The team members watching me asked,

"What is that now? Where did you learn it?"

"It's a field-improvised anti-tank grenade from World War II."

Of course, those anti-tank grenades had been far too weak. You had to throw them at tank treads or extremely thin armor for there to be even a chance of causing damage.

But I was going to pack the area around the grenade bundle with high-performance explosives.

[Alchemy skill transcended, All-Creation Cauldron skill activated]

An original explosive made using mana technology.

It was powerful, but also too sensitive to be convenient.

I had to pay close attention to the casing.

It was relatively easy to open ammunition created by the Alchemist's Ammunition Box and collect the gunpowder, a special explosive material.

Reconstruction had reached a fairly high level by now, so I could safely remove just the outer casing.

Inside a building in the middle of a battlefield.

It wasn't exactly a good environment for making explosives.

I barely managed to suppress the trembling in my hands.

"How much longer? It's getting closer!"

"Almost done. Hmm..."

I nodded as I looked over the finished product.

It had been improvised, but it looked pretty decent.

The explosive power was fine, but the delayed fuse had been a problem.

I solved that simply with a grenade.

When the grenade exploded, it would trigger the other explosives too.

The other grenades, aside from the first, would be forcibly detonated, so their power would probably be reduced.

Maybe I should've used only one grenade...

No. I still needed fragments for killing power.

Let's just say the grenades were there for fragmentation.

I had placed them around the outer edge anyway.

"Finished! But it's a little heavy."

"Even with a hunter's strength, fifty meters is probably the limit..."

"Can't we fire it with a catapult or ballista?"

"We only have one shot. What if it misses? And it's pretty sensitive. It could explode from the impact of launching it..."

"I see."

A catapult might have worked.

Still, I was worried about the accuracy.

Bellion immediately gathered the priests.

"Only veterans, step forward. We're going to stop that thing."

"Do you have a good plan?"

"Humans have a useful weapon. Carry your daggers and make your presence known. When I give the signal, pull back immediately."

"Oh, that does sound like a good plan. It means less trouble for us."

The Reapers would be most wary of the Death Priests' daggers.

Just showing themselves would make for an excellent distraction.

"Then who's throwing the bomb?"

"The surest way would be to detonate it directly nearby..."

"I'll take it with a clone! I can switch positions too!"

When Yuki stepped forward, Kim Yuna finally said the forbidden word.

"Is this another kamikaze?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you crazy? Is there nothing you won't say to a teammate?"

"Don't call it kamikaze!"

"Ah, sorry... That was too much, wasn't it?"

It wasn't like we hadn't considered that already.

Even Kim Yuna had days when she couldn't read the room.

Seeing Yuki go cold too, it really had crossed the line.

"If this is kamikaze, then the team leader would be the Japanese army!"

Ah, that was why she was angry?

Thinking about it, maybe I should get angry too.

"They're coming!"

"Goloks, take your men and hit their right flank."

"We just need to pull back before it's too late, right? How will you signal us?"

"There won't be a signal, so manage your distance yourself."

If we sent a signal, the enemy would catch on.

Without a single complaint, Goloks led his subordinates out.

As a Hunter Lord, he had brought his own men in addition to the Death Priests.

"He's surprisingly obedient."

"He's not stupid. He knows it'll all be over if we don't do something now."

Maybe he had become both a Death Priest and a Hunter Lord because he had political skill in the first place.

We immediately took our positions.

The moment the Death Priests showed signs of moving toward the siege weapon, the Reapers overreacted.

"They're coming! Protect our brother!"

"If we open that gate, our job is done!"

From the way they talked, they must still have reserves.

They would be deployed as soon as the gate opened.

Boom!

The Death Priests clashed sporadically with the Reapers that came out to intercept them.

I led the team and attacked from the front as well.

Bang!

I had been firing enough to start worrying about the Hand Cannon's lifespan...

But it was still fine.

It had endured a thousand rounds during test firing, so it should be okay.

"Push them back!"

I pushed myself a little too hard to make it look convincing.

A Reaper suddenly lunged at me while I was reloading.

Count Kwatum, who had been behind me, blocked its attack with a shield and cut it down.

The movement was clean enough to make me admire it.

Count Kwatum was riding high on the effects of the enhancer taken earlier.

"This stuff works great. I like it. Can I get more?"

"You need to get to know me better first."

"Good. Let's get along."

Normally, I had barely managed to kill even one of them by using Desperate Strength.

With the defensive line's firepower properly established and a close-combat specialist guarding me, things were incredibly easy.

The Reapers weren't in perfect condition after breaking through the walls and defensive lines in the first place.

After emptying another magazine, I threw Smoke Screens around the siege weapon.

Then I hid in the smoke and threw an Incendiary Grenade.

"They're doing something! Stop them!"

"Aaargh!"

The throwing range had been too short, so it didn't reach the siege weapon.

That was when Yuki's clones, which had been hiding in the wreckage along the route, finally moved.

Four clones began darting chaotically through the smoke.

The Reapers tried to stop them, but hesitated slightly.

The clones detected by their Detection skills were nothing more than lumps of magic power.

They could be decoys too.

"Ghk, don't let them get close to our brother!"

They still tried desperately to block them.

But because I had mixed Sea of Clouds into the Smoke Screens, their senses were disrupted, and they couldn't stop every clone.

In the end, one clone reached the siege weapon's immediate vicinity.

Clink!

Yuki immediately summoned a new clone, pulled the pin from the grenade, and handed it over.

Then she instantly switched the two clones' positions.

Boom!

The explosion that followed was far more intense than I had expected.

Honestly, I had been extremely anxious until I saw it for myself.

Modern anti-tank weapons ultimately worked by driving a chunk of metal with immense penetrating power into the enemy.

Or by piercing armor with a metal jet.

Relying on explosive force or fragments like this was difficult.

Fortunately, the Reapers' siege weapon wasn't covered head to toe in armor.

It looked like Yuki had thrown it perfectly.

"W-We got it!"

"No! Our race's long-cherished wish, in a place like this..."

"... Retreat! Any further offensive is meaningless!"

The Reapers finally withdrew while slowly maintaining their formation.

We pursued them just enough to confirm that they had completely retreated beyond the walls.

"Did they bring it down with a human weapon?"

"Incredible... I never thought they'd really succeed."

"Those weapons can't be common, but if we see one in the Tower, let's run immediately."

Exactly the reaction I wanted.

I wanted the other races to fear us.

At least enough that they wouldn't easily pick a fight just because we were a new race.

"Did we... really win?"

"W-We survived!"

The hunters dispatched as reinforcements by the Hunter Lords reacted even more intensely.

Bellion returned to the front of the Inner Citadel and looked over the Death Priests.

"Everyone, you can still fight, right? We need to go deal with this place's Iron Lord."

No one could think well of Holos after he had failed to show himself until the end.

The Death Priests felt that way, and so did the reinforcements.

In effect, he had summoned them here and trapped them in a death trap.

"If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have sent reinforcements!"

"There must be a clear explanation and compensation."

The bloodthirsty hunters tried to rush into the Inner Citadel, but some held back for political reasons.

"If we carelessly make an enemy of this place's Iron Lord, our lord..."

"Don't you have any pride? Even common mercenaries make sure they're properly paid."

"What? You bastards, if you keep talking like that..."

As the atmosphere began to turn ugly, Goloks, the Orc Death Priest Hunter Lord, stepped forward.

"Get a hold of yourselves. The Reapers have retreated for now thanks to our heroic efforts, but the technology at the root of this problem is still in this Iron Lord's possession."

"... So?"

"Shouldn't we deal with that technology before we can truly say this is over?"

"W-Well, that's true."

Goloks had given everyone a very appealing excuse.

We weren't storming the Inner Citadel because we were furious.

For the safety of every dimension, we were going to properly manage Doll Technology, the source of the problem.

Of course, if the Iron Lord refused to cooperate, unfortunate accidents might occur.

"Fighting always needs a justification."

"If you don't want to die for your lord, open the way!"

There was hardly anyone who could stand against hunters already drenched in blood.

We passed through the Tower and reached the royal court.

It was a royal court in name only, called that only because its ruler was an Iron Lord.

At last, we came face-to-face with the Iron Lord, Holos. He sat on his throne in thick armor and a helmet.

He hadn't swung his weapon even once, yet he was fully armed.

Still, it made sense.

The Reapers weren't the only threat to Holos.

Even if the Reapers were defeated, other Hunter Lords or Death Priests could take his throne.

The castle's elite soldiers and countless dolls stood in formation around him.

"Has he already put Doll Technology into practical use?"

"He had this many usable troops, yet he didn't send any support."

There were pools of blood and several Dwarf corpses on the floor.

They were probably subordinates who had resisted when he closed the Inner Citadel gates.

Fortunately or unfortunately, that wasn't enough to calm the Death Priests' anger.

They were the best in the world at taking Hunter Lords' heads.

"Holos! You left all the fighting to your guests. Was your life that precious?"

"If you don't even have the strength to fight foreign enemies, we can start preparing your funeral. What do you say?"

"... How insolent. I was only thoroughly protecting the treasure the Reapers sought here. Especially since Death Priests like a flock of Crows had appeared. Can't you see the battle that took place here?"

Was he trying to blame us?

Of course, that wasn't going to work.

"A battle? It looks more like an execution to me."

"So that's why you closed the gates and hid while your citizens cried for their lives!"

The Death Priests looked ready to rush him at any moment.

But we were worn down from battle.

On top of that, the Hunter Lords' reinforcements weren't complete allies.

Even so.

I had no desire to step back.

An overwhelming certainty had taken root inside me that someone like him had to die.

"I'll make you pay in blood for my subordinates."

"Even if someone like you holds that technology, the Reapers will eventually take it. We'll manage it."

"... It seems you think I'm easy prey just because I haven't shown my face for a few years."

Holos rose with a long double-bladed axe in his hand.

Then the timid Dwarf civil official who had announced the Inner Citadel's closure earlier moved behind him.

The small Dwarf's body trembled pitifully.

"P-Please show restraint, Your Majesty. The Death Priests are one thing, but making enemies of the other Hunter Lords..."

"You insolent fool!"

Holos swung his axe without hesitation.

It was a powerful strike, as expected of a veteran hunter.

Then the civil official's body blurred, and in the next moment, a dagger was embedded in Holos's neck.

It was unmistakably a Death Priest’s Dagger.

"Gasp!"

"W-Who is that?!"

"... Gillius?"

The Dwarf's body transformed into a slender Elf.

The First Priest, Gillius.

I had wondered where he was throughout the battle. So he had been here.

The moment I saw his empty eyes, I understood his true intention.

For Gillius, the worst outcome wasn't our complete annihilation. It was Doll Technology falling into the Reapers' hands.

That was why he had infiltrated this place early and guarded the technology himself.

If the Reapers had entered the Inner Citadel, he probably intended to destroy the technical documents himself and assassinate Holos as well.

Holos would naturally have been familiar with the technology.

"Uh, uhh? A Death Priest..."

"Y-Your Majesty! Gasp...!"

Gillius personally cut off Holos's head and threw it onto the floor.

"Put this on a spear and show it to the citizens. From now on, we Death Priests will manage Doll Technology."

Overwhelmed by Gillius, the hunters couldn't move.

I belatedly asked Bellion,

"Was this the insurance you mentioned?"

"Yes. Sorry I couldn't tell you beforehand. The fewer people who knew, the better."

Bellion looked sadly at Holos's severed head before personally placing it on a spear.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried