Chapter 107: A Failure Of An Overlord
Chapter 107: A Failure Of An Overlord
"Leader neutralized," Jin reported, already shifting his aim to another target. He tracked a smaller, faster monster making it's way through the battlefield, its strange movements made it a difficult shot.
Jin waited, watching the creature's movment pattern, and then fired just as it moved into his line of sight.
The bullet struck the creature in the throat, shattering its spine and causing it to tumble to the ground, unable to move. Jin didn't waste time watching it die, he was already focused on his next target.
...
"Another one down! Jin's picking them off one by one, and with that kind of precision, the Reapers have nothing to worry about."
"Indeed. Jin's the guy you want covering your back in a situation like this."
"And his talent makes sure each shot is a killing blow, truly outstanding."
...
Kael, leading the charge, moved through the thick of the battle. His sword, glowing brightly with his blue flames, was a blur as he locked in a battle a particularly large monster that had broken through Rex's barriers.
The beast swung a massive arm toward him, but Kael ducked low, avoiding the swing while simultaneously thrusting his sword upward into the creature's armpit, where the armor of muscle was thinner. The blade pierced through and exited the other side, puncturing a lung. The flames on his sword caused the creature to scream it pain, its skin scorching.
...
"Look at Kael, right in the thick of it! That's a clean hit, straight through the lung. The monster's done for!"
"Kael's not just strong; he's tactical. Knows exactly where to strike for maximum damage. That monster never stood a chance."
...
Without pausing, Kael stepped to the side, dragging his sword through the monster's torso and out of its side. The creature stumbled, but Kael spun around, bringing his sword in a wide arc that cleaved through the monster's abdomen, slicing it nearly in half. As the two halves of the beast fell apart, stem rose from them, Kael continued forward, slashing through the head of another beast with a clean, upward stroke that sent it flying.
"Keep pressing forward!" Kael commanded, his voice steady. He charged forward.
...
"Two kills in one! Kael's tearing through them like it's nothing."
"That's what makes him Captain. He leads by example, showing the others how it's done. Pure skill."
"Indeed it's pure skill on display here!"
...
Aria's voice came over the comms, calm and collected despite the chaos. "We've got a new wave incoming, larger than the first. Adjust positions and prepare for engagement."
Kael glanced at the horizon where more monsters were indeed approaching, their numbers far greater than before. He raised his sword, its blade gleaming in the moon light. "Alright, Reapers, let's show them what we're made of. No mercy."
Rex grinned, he was clearly enjoying the battle, one could tell with the look in his eyes as he got ready for the next round.
"You heard the Captain! Let's tear 'em apart!"
Kai teleported to a new vantage point, taking a look at the incoming horde.
"Kai cover the flanks. Don't let any of them through." Kael orders over the coms.
Jin reloaded his sniper rifle. "I'll keep the leaders in check. Just give me a clear shot."
Mira twirled her glaive as she prepared to engage once more. "Bring it on," she said with a fierce grin on her face, ready to face the next wave of monsters.
...
...
Alister felt a sudden jolt in his head that caused him to slowly blink his eyes open.
It felt like his mind was being violently pulled from the depths of a dark abyss. 'Ugh... What is this?' he shook his head, as if trying to shake away the strange sensation he was feeling.
His vision slowly began to settle and the first thing that came into view, he seemed to be looking through visors of a helmet he didn't remember putting on, riding on the neck of a dragon as it soared through the air.
'What's going on...?'
'What happened to my body?'
He looked around in shock, he felt different, sounded different, and where he was now definitely wasn't the stone structure Goro erected for them to spend the night in.
The air was filled with the scent of smoke, and the ground below trembled beneath the weight of massive forces clashing.
Before he could get any more confused, the system materialized.
[Penalty Quest: The Weight of an Overlord's Mantle!
Description: The player has failed in his role as an Overlord. He has failed to keep getting stronger, to carry the hopes of his people, and to obtain the strength to realize their dreams.
As such, the player needs to understand what happens to those who follow a weak Overlord or one who fails to perform his duties.
Quest completion condition: The player will be made to mentally experience the 9th Draconic War as a general who will die due to the incompetence of his lord. In death, the player would come to understand:
An Overlord cannot accommodate weakness.]
[The player has assumed the identity of: General Kaelan Von Valor-Void.]
Reading the text that appears in the system's window, Alister's thoughts raced.
'Penalty quest? 9th Draconic war? Death?'
'Because I failed the daily quest?'
Alister let out a sigh, the massive shoulders of his new body slumping slightly, 'I should have known the system wouldn't take failure lightly, but making me experience death because of
it... isn't that a bit much.'
Alister paused for a moment, raising up his right hand to gaze at it, noticing it was covered In a dark purple armor made of dragon scales, similar to Darven's. Alister's thoughts raced. 'Well, it doesn't matter, I can't worry about things that are beyond my control, it's a waste of
time.'
'I'm here now, the only thing I can learn a thing or two.. before this all ends.'
No longer concerned about where he was, Alister took in his surroundings.
The heat of battle was suffocating. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a blood-red glow across the ruined landscape below.
The fields below had been reduced to a scorched wasteland, littered with shattered weapons and dead warriors. The roar of dragons echoes like thunder in the distance, and Alister could feel the vibrations of their mighty wings beating the air, somewhere in the thick clouds of
war.
'If this is supposed to be a war and I'm a general... Where are my troops?'