Chapter 101. Attack from the Underground (5)

I think it was about a hundred times.

The number of times I played as the Lumer Legion.

Since it was a faction that officially appeared only in World Scenario 3.0, the number of playthroughs was certainly less than the so-called veteran factions like the Empire or the Vampire Archduchy.

Of course, that didn't mean I played it carelessly.

Just like with any other faction, I cleared the game with every playable hero.

Naturally, I was also well-versed in the related lore.

Although I scouted with Vampiric Bats to be cautious, it was also true that I had anticipated the awakening of the ruins from the moment I fell into the valley.

There were a few reasons.

The fact that the murderers threw themselves into the valley without fear of death.

The fact that the weapon used to kill the miner was a spear.

The culture of leaving the bodies of defeated enemies in front of the castle gates or village entrances, and so on.

The collapse of the entire cliff could also be explained.

The ruins of the Lumer civilization possess a mysterious power.

It's likely that they can control the terrain around the ruins to some extent.

I don't know the exact principle.

What is certain is that when the 'Rise of the Lumer Legion' event, which is treated as a late-game crisis, is triggered, all the ruins scattered across the continent burst through the ground.

“……That's the one thing I can't allow.”

This is a mine that has just begun development, a goose that lays golden eggs.

I cannot stand by and watch the treasure of my domain collapse.

Besides, I have to break through the ruins to get to the surface anyway.

Although my information about the ruins themselves was somewhat lacking, I supplemented it by summoning the Lumer Centurion who had become my subordinate.

“Loyalty to Your Majesty! That is correct. As Your Majesty thought, the Legion Commander's room can be reached by following this main passage!”

“What is the number of remaining legionnaires?”

“The awakened ones will now number no more than about ten centuries at most!”

That's a relief.

It matches my calculations.

I was starting to run out of steam myself.

I had fought well over ten battles.

The number of legionnaires I had killed so far exceeded four thousand.

During that time, half of the Imperial army's ranged troops were lost, and among the Beastmen, almost all except for a few Minotaurs were seriously injured and unsummoned.

The artillery corps, the core of my strategy, remained intact, and I was replacing the lack of troops with temporarily summoned mercenaries, Indika soldiers, and Lumer legionnaires, but this couldn't last forever.

Still, a thousand is a manageable number to face in divided groups.

Anyway, I'm curious.

The Lumer ruins usually awaken for two reasons.

Either someone tried to destroy the ruins.

Or the master of all ruins has awakened.

“Do you happen to know if the Lumer Emperor has awakened?”

“To Your Majesty… Huh? Uh, uh…?”

The Centurion tilted his head.

Did my statement cause confusion?

I think I know why.

The truth is, these guys are a bit different from other undead.

Legionnaires, despite being undead, swear loyalty only to one lord, the Emperor of Lumer, not to a necromancer.

Unlike other masterless undead, they cannot be subjugated by necromancy even if they have lost their commander.

I tried to have one of my subordinate vampires attempt to control one as a test, but it failed as expected.

It's [Warrior’s Binding] that's strange.

I asked the confused fellow again.

“Is there a problem?”

“Uh, no! Loyalty to Your Majesty! My Majesty is my lord!”

It seems the effect of [Warrior’s Binding] has distorted the loyalty that was directed at the Emperor towards me.

Not bad.

I can just resolve my curiosity with other questions.

“Were there any intruders in the ruins?”

“Until Your Majesty’s arrival, there were no intruders in the 19th Legion!”

“So the Emperor has awakened.”

‘…It seems so.’

Kkumteuli agreed.

“This has become a headache.”

The Emperor.

The sole monarch who rules the Lumer Legion.

He is called by various titles, befitting an emperor of an empire that once dominated an era.

God-King, Lord of a Million Armies, Reincarnation of the Chief God, and so on.

When Lumer was a kingdom of actual living people, he was said to have been worshipped as a demigod, and while I don't know the details, I know that similar cultures existed in Egypt or Rome, which served as motifs.

In any case, the news that the Emperor has awakened is not welcome.

The rise of the Lumer Legion is one of the greatest crises of the late game.

The Emperor's revival is as good as the first button being fastened.

‘Won't it be alright? Just because the Emperor has awakened doesn't mean all of Lumer's legions will rise at once.’

“Hmm…….”

‘Even if he has raised his legions, for the main legion to come here from the southern part of the continent, they'd have to cross half the continent.’

“That's true, but….”

Still, it's better to be prepared just in case.

In this playthrough, there have been an unusual number of unexpected variables.

The Lumer Legion is also ranked quite high on my list of threats.

Since their main force is coming up from the south, perhaps I should build a suitable breakwater in between.

‘Just like my master. A prepared attitude is always desirable. The Emperor of Lumer is also a mighty warrior and mage.’

“Do you know the Emperor of Lumer well?”

‘Of course. He was the one who once possessed half the Sacred Relics. One could say he had the power to conquer the world and establish an eternal kingdom.’

“Kihi, but isn't this kind of talk a violation of the contract?”

‘…Do, do you really have to laugh like that? There's no one watching.’

“…….”

‘Anyway, the Emperor of Lumer does not have the Sacred Relics now. So it doesn't matter.’

Is that so?

The terms of the contract are still a mystery.

He casually spills hidden, high-level information as if it's small talk, but then clams up at strange points if he thinks the Order or Sacred Relics are involved.

And he won't give me a straight answer even when I ask what the conditions are.

‘…I really can't help this one, master.’

Well, it's probably not important right now.

I stood up.

It was time to set off again.

[[Medium Subspace] is deployed.]

Along with the three potions I consumed in the last battle, I took out a bottle of Al Tener's Holy Water and put it in my bosom.

It's something I've been saving for later, but since I got a few bottles in Berenburg, it should be fine to use one.

It's insurance for an unforeseen situation.

The destination was not far.

***

The last two battles were quite arduous.

The number of enemies increased to five centuries at a time, that is, five hundred.

I lost all the Imperial troops and even the artillery corps took a hit.

The remaining Beastmen are only three Minotaurs and two Centaurs.

The legionnaires are my main force, but even their numbers have been halved.

There weren't many fatalities, so most will be fully recovered in two or three days, but it means I can't use them here in the ruins, at least.

It might also be my fault for not being able to support them properly with spells because my own stamina was low.

I regret a little now, wondering if I should have rested a bit more, but it can't be helped.

It was the best judgment.

The opponent is an army that grows in size with each passing day.

In front of them, a long rest is nothing more than a luxury.

‘…I have to neutralize the ruins before they grow any further.’

Still, the trigger is right in front of me.

The trigger that will shut down the entire ruin.

Just as the Lumer Centurions are neutralized by capturing their centurion, the way to neutralize this entire ruin is to strike the head.

The Legion Commander.

I have to get him.

The one who probably woke up first in the ruins, and who, even at this moment, is performing the ritual to awaken his subordinates in his own mausoleum.

For reference, as the centurion said, this ruin is a place called the '19th Legion' by them.

I don't know the exact structure, but I know the general lore about the 19th Legion.

Like the fact that the passage to the outside is in the Legion Commander's mausoleum.

“Loyalty to Your Majesty! That is correct! The exit of the tomb is in Legion Commander Fabius' mausoleum!”

So, by defeating him, I can achieve both goals of escaping and neutralizing the ruins.

[[Warrior’s Binding] is deployed.]

[The slain enemy has been bound.]

[Lumer Centurion (1), Lumer Cavalry (2), Lumer Legionnaire (22)]

Not long after the last battle, I was able to reach my destination.

A door.

A huge stone gate that seemed to be several times larger than an average city's main gate.

I checked my remaining forces.

Three Minotaurs, four cavalry including Centaurs, two Great Beast Cannons, and one Organ Gun.

Including legionnaires, mercenaries, and other miscellaneous troops, I had just over a hundred infantry.

‘This is doable.’

There will be losses, but I can win.

I downed a mana potion and extended my staff towards the stone gate.

The stone gate, which moved up and down, was firmly shut.

A block of stone that size must weigh at least several hundred tons.

Without the magical power of the ruins, it would be next to impossible to lift that stone gate.

It doesn't matter.

If it's hard to open, then I just won't open it.

I am a commander, a necromancer, and a swordsman, but at the same time, I am also a mage of the School of Earth.

In an underground cave like this, a stone wall is no obstacle to a mage who has mastered earth spells.

[[Devouring Purgatory] is deployed.]

Kwaarrrrrr……!

Beyond the gate, which sank down as the floor gave way.

A huge stone chamber was revealed.

I led my remaining forces inside.

The Legion Commander's mausoleum was a huge space that seemed to be a moderate mix of architectural styles, like a Roman arch in a pyramid's burial chamber.

- Intruder.

The Legion Commander was in the center of that space.

He was no ordinary undead.

He was a giant stone statue.

Like a legionnaire magnified about ten times.

- You rat gnawing at the Empire's legion.

I know his name.

19th Legion Commander, Fabius.

A named hero.

I've even played as this guy before.

Among Lumer's many Legion Commanders, he's a hero with considerable combat power, and his specialty is shooting destructive green beams from his hands and eyes.

The eyes, made of giant green gems, shimmered with a strange heat.

Watching his movements closely, I looked beyond the Legion Commander's huge body.

‘…There it is.’

As expected, behind the Legion Commander was a huge door just like the one I came through.

A stone gate large enough for an army to pass through.

That gate must be the entrance to the passage connecting these ruins to the surface.

The Legion Commander moved.

He stretched out both hands.

- I will burn you.

I know that motion.

It's a beam barrage I also used mainly in emergencies when I played as him.

It shoots a magic beam of formidable power from the crystal spheres embedded in his palms, melting and piercing everything it touches.

Its destructive power is comparable to a 6th-level spell.

“Everyone, get clear!”

Fzzzzzzzt-!

I immediately rolled to the side.

A green beam slammed into the spot where I had just been standing.

The beam followed my movement.

Without even a moment to stand, I rolled again.

The beam, leaving a deep scar on the floor, chased me for several seconds, pulverizing everything it touched.

One chased me, but the other targeted my minions.

One Minotaur was cut in half at the waist and died instantly.

The Great Beast Cannon that was aiming at him was also severed, along with the artillery crew.

About twenty legionnaires evaporated in a few seconds.

The moment the green light flickered out, I stopped rolling and stood up.

I immediately raised my staff.

This is the chance.

I've played as Legion Commander Fabius about five or six times.

Naturally, I am as aware of its weaknesses as I am of its destructive power.

There's a reason why the beam barrage was only used in emergencies in the first place.

Legion Commander Fabius is not a combat unit.

That attack reveals a weakness immediately after the attack.

Just as a gun barrel that has been fired repeatedly requires time to cool down, that attack also has a backlash from consuming a lot of energy.

3 seconds.

During that time, he can neither use the beam barrage nor move.

It would be impossible to face that rock-like body in close combat, but I have spells and an artillery corps.

It was the moment I was about to gather my mana and give the artillery corps the order to fire.

“?!”

Kugung!

Kurrr…!

The gate the Legion Commander had his back to shattered.

Fwip-

Immediately after, a faint sound as if tearing through the air tickled my ear.

Something flew through the thick cloud of dust that had risen.

In the soft, yellowish light emitted by the luminescent stones, it looked like a gleaming golden discus.

CRACK!

The projectile hit the stone statue right in the back of the head.

With a sound like a cannonball exploding, its head disappeared.

Watching the Legion Commander's headless body slowly collapse, I silently said to myself.

‘Kkumteuli?’

‘Ma-master.’

‘Back to normal. Quickly.’