Chapter 51: War Game (Wall Breach)

Inside Shreme Castle, everyone was on high alert. The War Game was a three-hour event, meaning the fighting would start as early as possible—no one was slacking. Archers lined the castle walls with bows and crossbows at the ready, while mages stood prepared behind them.

The gate was the most heavily guarded, with the bulk of their forces stationed there to defend the castle's only entrance. The rest of the walls still had lookouts and archers covering them, but breaking through stone or digging underneath would take time—enough for reinforcements to arrive. So the gate remained the priority.

A few seconds after the war game started at noon went by, then a Pallum lookout spotted movement in the distance. She squinted, making out three vaguely humanoid figures moving across the open grassland straight toward them.

"We're being approached!" she called down to the men lining the walls, pointing. "Only three for now!"

Eyes followed her gesture, spotting three figures sprinting side by side, the middle one slightly ahead. Their black cloaks swayed and flapped in the wind as they ran, but not revealing anything above the ankles.

"Let them get closer!" a Level 2 Chienthrope with twin daggers shouted, one of the first to see the figures after the Pallum. "They're probably just a distraction. Watch for more!"

He scanned the western plains, searching for anything out of place, but there was almost nothing. A few scattered trees and boulders dotted the landscape, but no real cover. The only viable approach for an ambush was the eastern forest, and that was why a few other Level 2s are stationed there.

He turned his attention back to the trio as they closed within a kilometer. "Aim!" he raised his arm.

Every archer pulled back their bowstrings in unison, angling their shots.

Noticing the movement speed of the three figures, he frowned. 'Three Level 2s? Sending just three alone? What's their plan?' It didn't make sense. Level 2s shouldn't be able to smash the gate raw. 'So what's their play? Magic?' 

He was trying and failing to think of things from their perspective. 'Is one of them the level 3 of Soma? No, none of them reach his height, nor do they have his build…' It had to be a distraction, afterall why would they charge straight at the most fortified point with only three members. It felt like they were yelling, 'Pay attention to me; I'm a distraction!'

"FIRE!"

The archers loosed their arrows the moment the trio crossed the 600-meter mark. The thrum of bowstrings echoed sharply, followed by the whistling as over twenty-five arrows sliced through the air in near-perfect sync. They arced smoothly, steel tips glinting in the sunlight, before descending with lethal precision toward the spot the runners would reach if they kept their pace.

None of the attackers reacted as they kept running, letting the arrows thwack into the surrounding dirt, burying themselves in the earth. Any arrow that got close to them was dodged with slight movement without breaking formations. Arrows like these weren't much threat to Level 2 adventurers—not unless there were hundreds. But they weren't meant to be threatening.

"Keep firing. Crossbows too." The dogman shouted at the archers as he glanced around for any sign of extra attackers.

He needed to stop the trio from reaching the gate but avoid over-committing forces to what might be a feint. So he quickly commanded one ballista to fire directly at the middle one when they were within 250 meters. Those massive guns could cause danger to a Level 2 if they scored a direct hit—it should at least put fear in their heart and make them hesitate long enough for him to think of something.

'If they're still coming after this, they're either suicidal or hiding something.' He watched as the steady volley of arrows fell on the trio in a conical shape, forcing them to dodge while still maintaining formation. 

Then the trio crossed into range, and the ballista immediately fired. A deep, shuddering *THOOM* ripped through the air as the massive javelin launched, tearing toward them with terrifying speed. It closed the distance in a blink, aimed at the adventure dead at the center.

However, the one to their left quickly got in front of him, and with a flash of silver, they drew their sword from within his cloak and cleaved upward. The javelin split clean in half, the two massive pieces whipping past them and slamming into the ground behind with a deafening *BOOM.* Dirt and stone erupted in a wave, the dust shielding them from view for a few seconds, and then they dashed out of the clouds, not even slowing. 

'Huh?' Even he would have trouble doing that, especially at that speed. 'Fuck.' He thought as the trio got within 100 meters. "Mages, ready spells—!"

Suddenly, the middle adventurer spread their arms wide, sending their outer cloak flying open and revealing what lay beneath. They held onto scarlet and violet blades—twin magic swords—which caused his eyes to widen. Then the adventurer raised both swords over his head, the movement of his hand removing his cloak's hood to reveal bright white hair that was Impossible to ignore and crimson red eyes.

'Little Rookie?!'

Bell swept both arms down sharply, the red blade erupting with a spiraling inferno of orange and gold and the violet blade releasing a howling gale. Fire and wind collided, the gale whipping the flames into a spiraling drill of pure annihilation. The air itself screamed as the attack tore forward, crossing the 50 meters between them as the blazing tornado of heat and force that struck the gate dead-center.

*BOOOOOOM—*

The firestorm ripped through the massive wooden gate without resistance and barreled down the entire ten-meter tunnel behind the gate. The second gate at the end of the tunnel barely had time to tremble before the flames smashed into it, destroying it and sending a blast of fire erupting out the other side.

The commander's jaw hung open, his mind short-circuiting. "What…?"

———

"ALREADY!" Ibri roared into his mic. "Little Rookie, captain of the Hestia Familia, and his two companions have breached the gate not even three minutes in!"

Cheers erupted across Orario as the floating mirrors showed images of the fading firestorm, leaving behind a smoldering, gate-shaped hole where their strongest defense had stood. The tunnel beyond was a charred ruin, the stone blackened and cracked, the second gate reduced to splinters. The trio now charged towards the gate, with some mirrors zooming in on Bell's serious face as onlookers shouted encouragement.

"They wasted no time," Ibri continued with exaggerated motions. "The gods were right—the Hestia and Soma alliance did NOT need three days for this siege! Lord Ganesha, tell us about those ferocious magic swords!"

"Those are—Ganesha?!" Even the elephant god seemed shocked.

"Speechless already, Lord Ganesha? Don't worry, I'm sure the audience feels the same!" Ibri laughed.

The Guild's front lawn buzzed with electric energy as announcements echoed through the city. Inside Babel Tower, gods voiced their admiration.

"What a powerful magic sword—Crozzo, am I right?"

"Yes, turns out one of Hephaestus' children joined Hestia Familia and he's a Crozzo."

"Now we hear of such a skilled smith? My children need a magic sword like that."

"Yeah, kinda understand why they hesitated and didn't use any magic to attack. Who would've thought they only needed a second to blow away the gate, eh, Apollo?"

"Cheh!" Apollo snapped, baring his teeth as he glared at his mirror. 

Two of his children launched a lightning bolt and a fire arrow at Bell, but the boy simply swung the purple sword, unleashing a powerful wind gust that intercepted both attacks. The wind magic overpowered the two magics and continued going, slamming into the wall with a boom, causing a few adventurers to scream as they fell back.

"Don't get your hopes up." Apollo said as his eyes flicked to Hestia, but the young-looking goddess didn't look up from her own mirror. He was about to say something else, but was cut off by another goddess, 

"Look at that! Here comes another one!"

Movement flashed across a mirror displaying the northern grasslands. This time, it was a tall dark-skinned Chienthrope male sprinting across the landscape like a predator on the hunt. And he was dressed in… a black suit? A slim-fit blazer and matching pants, white dress shirt with a black tie, polished black dress shoes, and black gloves. He had no weapon in sight—the only other color was the golden bandana tied around his right bicep, one of the seven 'flags' from the defending side.

The moment Rex heard the explosion, he knew it was his cue and immediately bolted toward the castle, practically gliding across the plains as he closed in on the wall. The adventurers stationed there, momentarily distracted by the western gate's destruction, didn't notice him at first—until one of the 2 Level Twos guarding the side roared:

"Someone's coming!" All eyes turned to the dark figure streaking across the field. "It's… It's Soma's Level 3!" The guard whirled toward the lone level 2 elf on their side. "Quickly, start chanting!" She shot him an irritated glare but began chanting.

He drew his magic sword, waving it frantically. "No one can hold back. ATTACK!" He pointed the blade at the rapidly approaching man. "Do NOT let him get close to the wall!"

They didn't need to be told twice. The two ballistas on the wall fired blindly in front of him, his speed making him a near-impossible target. One javelin sailed harmlessly overhead—but the other shot straight for his skull, its massive head glinting in the sunlight as it spun toward him.

Then, without breaking stride, Rex cocked his right arm back and threw a punch. His fist slammed into the javelin's head, the force crumpling the metal tip like paper, and ripping through the projectile in an instant. Splinters burst outward, the sheer impact reducing the shaft to shattered wreckage before the remnants even hit the ground.

'!!!' The Level 2's eyes nearly bulged from his skull. 'Insane strength!' Even a Level 3 should've felt something from that—like a normal human punching a wall at full force—but Rex had done it like it was nothing. 

"Reload and fire!" he barked, and noticing arrows snapping against Rex's body or bouncing off harmlessly, he added. "Archers, support the ballistas!" 

He wanted to curse his luck. Why did the Level 3 have to come his way? At this range, their magic weapon was useless, so he and the other magic swordsmen could only wait until Rex closed within fifty meters—and by then, it'd be suicide. And seeing as the ballista did nothing, their only hope was the mage.

The wall had the fewest defenders, but Hyakinthos had stationed two of their eighteen Level 2s here: himself, and the elven woman with the strongest single-target magic. Her spell could kill a Level 4 if every hit landed, so a Level 3 shouldn't stand a chance.

Just then, he felt the magic shift beside him as the elf roared, "Phlegethon Barrage."

The red magic circle erupted in front of her outstretched staff, and five fiery lances bursted out. They sliced air with a whistle, snapping into sharp, near-impossible turns and arcs, leaving behind trailing flames. The scorching spears glittered intensely in the sunlight, converging rapidly toward the sprinting figure of Rex, surrounding him from every angle above.

In the blink of an eye, all five lances struck him simultaneously, slamming into him with explosive force. The ground shuddered, shaking violently from the blast as a violent fireball erupted upwards, disintegrating grass and devouring Rex in roaring flames and smoke. Silence followed with thick smoke rising from the area.

However, before they could celebrate, a polished dress shoe stepped out—

"…What?" The commander was confused.

—then Rex ran out while brushing soot off his shoulder like he'd walked through kitchen smoke.

"...How?" A spearman's grip slackened.

"HOOW???"

"My magic…" The elf's eyes widened. "Was brushed off…?"

They struggled to make sense of what they had just witnessed. Not a scratch? Not even his suit had burned? Was it Salamander wool? But even then—the sheer force alone should've damaged him or at least thrown him off-balance! Even their captain couldn't hope to walk out unscathed from that! 

Then Rex squatted, the ground cracking beneath his dress shoes as he launched upward with explosive force. He soared into the air, crossing more than 15 meters from takeoff and arcing toward the wall with his blazer and tie whipping behind him.

"OH SHIT, HE'S JUMPED…!" someone screamed, but quickly noticed Rex's trajectory was too low, set to slam him face-first into solid stone.

"Haha, dumbass," a defender laughed mockingly, tension fading slightly. "Can't even jump a fifteen-meter—" His voice faded abruptly as Rex cocked his left fist back mid-flight with a calm look on his face.

"FALL BACK—!" The commander's shout died instantly, swallowed by a deafening explosion and his vision whited out.

When he opened his eyes again, everything was blurry. The world shook violently around him, the air filled with an agonizing, high-pitched 'eeeeee' ringing. He could vaguely hear moans and groans around him, distorted and muffled by the piercing sound drilling into his ears. Slowly, painfully, he forced himself upright, struggling just to stand.

'What… happened?' he wondered groggily, blinking through the thick dust cloud enveloping everything. 

The warm sunlight had vanished, replaced by choking shadows and floating debris. Looking around, he saw massive chunks of reinforced concrete littering the ground around him—some pieces larger than carriages—broken arrows and wooden splinters scattered among them. He noticed a lone boot, still laced and… blood?

'Rubble?' he thought numbly. 'Rubble… of what?'

Then he slowly turned toward the wall.

'Where is it…?' he stared, eyes wide in disbelief. 

An entire ten-meter wide section of the colossal defensive wall had vanished entirely, replaced by a massive gap surrounded by a swirling cloud of dense dust. Fragments of stone and shattered concrete still crumbled away from the ragged edges of the remaining wall that stood either side, cascading down in slow showers of rubble and dust. The reinforced structure was sheared through completely, leaving twisted metal rods exposed, protruding from the wall's core.

Something moved within the cloud, and he squinted hard to make shape of it. Another distant explosion echoed in his ears, but he was too focused on the silhouette calmly strolling through the dust, hands casually adjusting his tie.

"Yare yare," Rex sighed, slowly buttoning up his blazer as he stepped through the debris. "Can't you fools defend a wall for more than ten minutes?" He shook his head disappointedly as more dark figures emerged silently behind him. "I'll have to deduct a point from your interview, my future comrades."

———

On the northern edge of the city, the Loki Familia executives stared at the mirror displaying the destroyed northern wall. A massive dust cloud billowed outward, chunks of shattered stone raining down fifty to a hundred meters from the breach, and the gaping hole where a ten-meter section of reinforced wall had once stood.

"Whoooooa!!!" Tiona's voice erupted first, her dark green eyes sparkling with excitement as she leaned forward, nearly tipping her chair. "Did you SEE that?! He just—BAM!—and the whole wall was GONE!" She punched the air for emphasis, grinning wildly.

Gareth's brow furrowed beneath his thick beard. "That sort o' destruction... That's no ordinary Level 3." He stroked his beard thoughtfully, turning to the Amazon twins. "Could you two have done somethin' like that when you were Level 3?"

Tione shook her head without hesitation. "I'm strong, but taking out that much stone in a single blow? No way." She cast a quick glance at her sister. "And Tiona's always been stronger than me in raw power, but…"

"Yeah, that's not normal, even for me," Tiona piped up, still staring in fascination at the mirror. "I probably would've cracked the wall or maybe made a hole after a few punches, but an entire ten-meter gap with one punch? Not a chance."

"I see." Finn folded his arms, eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he watched the dark-suited Chienthrope calmly adjust his blazer while stepping carefully through the rubble. "Then that means he's either Level 4… or he possesses a skill that elevates his strength into Level 4 territory."

"Much like Gareth," Riveria added and the dwarf nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the mirror.

The image on the mirror zoomed in on Rex's face as he continued steadily forward, the other Soma Familia adventurers rushing past him. At that moment, realization dawned on Finn. He was sure he'd seen the man before, but now, clearly seeing his face, Finn recognized him as the adventurer who had tried to use a magic sword against Bell's Minotaur a month prior.

'He's Level 3?' Finn thought, raising an eyebrow.

He had been certain the man lacked the demeanor of a Second-Class Adventurer. Back then, he'd possessed no discernible aura of strength, prompting Finn to assume he was merely an overconfident Level 1 who got carried away with a magic sword and wandered down to the 8th floor. After seeing Bell fight the Minotaur, Finn had assumed jealousy drove the man to try to interfere—likely trying to prevent Bell from gaining high-rank excelia.

'Was he actually coming up from the lower floors and just decided to torment a Level 1?' Finn wondered silently.

Riveria also recognized the Chienthrope and turned toward Ais, her voice calm yet intrigued. "Ais, isn't that the same adventurer who carried Bell Cranel down to the 18th floor after his accident?"

Ais, standing quietly behind the couch where Tione and Tiona sat, nodded softly. "Yes." she replied simply. "Mr. Rex."

"Wh-what?" Lefiya, seated beside Riveria, snapped her head to the golden haired girl. "Why are you calling him 'mister' Rex?" Ais rarely uses formal titles or honorifics, so she casually says 'Mr. Rex' was odd and even the others were a bit surprised.

Ais tilted her head slightly. "That's his name." Afterall, the only place she had heard the chienthrope's name was from is Bell during their training who always calls him 'Mr. Rex.'

Lefiya was about to say something but she was abruptly cut short as the mirror swiftly changed perspective, now showing the equally devastated southern wall.

"Guess the wall was never a problem." Gareth chuckled with a shake of his head. 

———

The adventurers guarding the eastern wall of Shreme Castle were in chaos. From their position, they could see the destroyed northern and southern walls, and although dust concealed most of the destruction, they knew the adventurers stationed there had fallen. They weren't even paying attention to the field behind them anymore; instead, they faced inward, watching the clouds of dust rise from the north and east. 

"We should abandon our post," one of the two female level 2 dwarves suddenly said, turning urgently to the level 2 Amazoness beside her. "Take some members and head south. I'll go east—" 

Her words abruptly cut off as she vanished. In her place now stood a girl wearing a short lavender kimono secured with a wide burgundy sash, paired with matching burgundy thigh-high heeled boots. She wore burgundy armored shoulder guards, matching gloves, a katana at her hip, and a golden bandana tied around her right bicep.

"Ab…Absolute Shadow...?" the Amazoness mumbled, just as confused as everyone else. 

At the mention of her alias, Mikoto blushed slightly, turning her gaze away. "Please just call me Yamato," she said quietly.

They stared at the girl, utterly bewildered. What the fuck just happened? Where did the dwarf go? She was standing right there just a moment ago.

"Wha—" The Amazoness began, but suddenly she too disappeared. 

In her place stood the massive dwarf, Chandra, resting a large, double-headed gray-and-silver axe on his shoulder, also wearing the golden bandana. He sighed heavily, massaging his forehead at the sudden shift. 

Then Welf appeared next, and gradually, more adventurers on the wall started vanishing, replaced by level 2 adventurers from the Soma Familia. Soon, there were six level 2 adventurers standing on the wall. Then the level 1 supporter, Liliruca Arde, appeared with her large bag on her back and a mind potion in her hand. 

Finally, Zanis Lustra, captain of the Soma Familia, appeared in his captain's attire—a neat, long light-blue coat with dark-blue cuffs and a high collar, paired with formal light-colored trousers, a belt that held a sheathed sword at his hip, and he also had the golden bandana. Extending his hand, Zanis took the mind potion offered by Liliruca and drank it all in one swift motion before tossing the empty bottle aside.

"Give the signal, Arde," he said as he turned toward the castle, observing the dust clouds rising from the northern and southern walls and faint smoke drifting upward from the western gate.

"Let's get this over with," he muttered, pushing up his glasses, the frame glinting in the sunlight.

"Look at him trying to look cool." Welf said with a smirk as he overlooked the castle, "But you're right, Zanis." He clamed on the edge of the wall, "Let's make this quick." Then he jumped down.

Not even 10 minutes into the war game and the Apollo Familia castle has been breached. 

[Author's Note: I saw a lot of people say I was nerfing the MC after the last chapter fight and seeing as there are more people against me than with me, I will assume I'm in the wrong. For that, I apologize. But let me explain my train of thought.

As the majority agreed, at base, MC is early level 4 I(0~99), with enough stats to bear most new level 4 despite being a recent level 3. With Strong Body + Predator activated, his stats become an average of E (400~499). That's about a 400 points increase in ALL stats and now his stats would be D(500~599). A mid-ranked level 4, which puts him above most level 4. However, Ryuu at this point had her agility at S954, which is her highest stat and her lowest stats is endurance at D501. 

As you can see, she far out stats him, and not only that she has years upon years of battle experience over him. Prime Rex barely knew how to use a sword while Rex has only been in this world for 1 month, even if he is skilled he doesn't have enough 'experiences.' Now, using scavenger, he closed the years of experiences Ryuu had over him + the fact she had more stats than he did. This allowed him to fight on equal terms with her, so I don't see how I am nerfing him. 

Yes, he could have suddenly used Heptathlos to win or suddenly use his fire breath in the middle of the fight to catch her of guard. However I made it so that didn't do it because I am going to tie that oversight of his into the story. Now, apart from this point, if you can, please explain how I had nerfed the MC.

Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and if you have any idea on what should happen in the war game, you can let me know. And last chapter was my 50th birthday so give me your stones as congratulation.

Have a good day ya'll. Don't die on me~]