"AAAAAHHHHHH!""I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!""I CAN'T FEEL MY D-" screams and wails echoed through the battlefield, drowning out the sounds of chaos and destruction. Amidst the chaos, the once formidable front line crumbled in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but death. Gone were the seasoned generals, respected commanders, and fearless leaders who had guided their armies with valiant determination.
Only a handful of soldiers were fortunate enough to survive, and those are the ones finding themself at the rear of the army or barely clinging to life. Those who stood amidst the wreckage were confronted by the grim sight of their fallen comrades, reduced to mere remnants. Some had lost their feet, charred to ashes by an unforgiving beam of destruction. Others, their lower halves obliterated, succumbed to their grievous injuries within seconds. And tragically, there were those who lost their lives altogether, their entire existence extinguished like a soft blow of air to a candle. Now just dust on the wind.
"What...what happened?!!" The desperate cry for answers echoed among the survivors, each one yearning for a shred of crity to guide them forward in this nightmare that suddenly plunged them. And not helping was the scent of charred blood in the air, of the blood of their former comrades.
"I don't know! There were lights! And then this! This happened!" A soldier's voice trembled as he struggled to make sense of reality. Mass hysteria is now widespread among the survivors. Men wailed, horses galloped in fear, and carriages jolted around.
"W-What do we do now?! More than half of us is gone!" Panic surged through the surviving lower ranks, with the remaining higher ranked that sit at the rear long retreated, leaving those they deemed lesser than them in worth. The remains desperately sought anyone, anyone with a higher rank, someone who could offer guidance and hope in the face of impending doom.
"Is there someone?! Someone with a higher rank!? We need instructions-" Their pleas were abruptly cut short, silenced by a sudden, guttural cry that pierced the air.
"CHARGE!"
It was too te.
The kingdom's cavalry unit materialized, descending upon the battlefield like a merciless tide, taking advantage the generosity of whatever or whoever had commenced the attack before. Their arrival signaled the end, as they ruthlessly sought to eliminate the remaining stragglers. The flicker of hope, if there was any, is gone.
In that moment, the men were lost.
"T-The emperor and the general said they should be weakened after the long war! How even?! What even?!" A vice-captain screamed, as every single imperial soldier ran pass him to flee. The mages, with no infantry to protect them soon followed.
"Unless..." mused a soldier who stood unwavering beside him, refusing to succumb to panic like the rest.
"They may be weakened, but we are merely... weaker," he chuckled, settling down on the ground, his ughter echoing through the chaos.
The vice captain, lost in thought, joined him, finding soce in a seat amidst the tumultuous backdrop of countless men fleeing for their lives.
"Perhaps... hahaha," he finally managed to utter, his ughter blending with the cacophony around them. Until finally two spears found their pce in both their heads.
??
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「 New skill obtained! 」
《Kin》
Gain 200% experience points from human type enemies.
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Maple's ughter weakly echoed, as if desperately attempting to disguise her unease. "I'm just...trying to complete my quest," she murmured, her voice ced with an almost nonexistent attempt at self-comfort.
Pausing to contempte her newly acquired skill, she couldn't help but envision its potential. A gleam of excitement in her eyes. "This could be incredibly useful in a PvP event," she mused, a smile forming on her lips. With that, she closed her system, feeling a little better after consoling herself.
Without hesitation, Maple took a daring leap through the gaping hole in the wall, created by the forceful knockback of herself crashing into it during the previous assault. The impact of her nding sent a resounding thud through the ground, accompanied by a cloud of dust that left the surrounding soldiers momentarily stunned. Whispers of the legendary angel's presence in the city pza had reached their ears, but news of her imminent arrival at the king's castle had yet to reach them, let alone her willingness to aid them.
Oblivious to the soldiers tentatively pointing their spears in cautionary defense, Maple continued onward, her destination a desote expanse. Her eyes widened at the sight before her—cinders and bckened grass stretched as far as the eye could see. A raging inferno crackled and hissed, growing bolder with each passing moment, the burning flesh fueling it. The lifeless bodies of fallen warriors slowly lower in numbers.
In a jolt of horror, Maple's realization struck. "My loot!" she cried out. Acting on pure instinct, she sprinted towards the fiery chaos. However, hindered by her negligible AGI, the soldiers could only witness her gliding effortlessly towards the bzing pile of treasure.
As if blind to all the death, devastation, and horror around her. As if it didn't bother her at all.
"Hmm, hmm~" she hummed, wrenching a bastard sword from a hardened, charcoaled hand of an unknown soldier.
Ouch, that look like it hurt. Did the developers update the graphics? The dead ones aren't even disappearing. And she had to pick up the loot herself, rather than have a chest just drop.
Ah well, probably just an update for more realism.
.........
The king and the pope stood atop the lofty inner wall, bearing witness to the unfolding events below. This particur section of the wall served as the final bastion against any potential invaders, towering above the rest and providing them an unobstructed view of what had just transpired.
It was the Great Massacre.
The tale of Maple, as it would come to be known throughout the ages in the far-reaching world of ????????????????????, transcended time itself. The priest had anticipated Maple's power, yet the magnitude of her strength surpassed all expectations. He couldn't help but feel relieved that such a person.... or being, is on their side.
"Your Majesty," the pope remarked with a smile, addressing the regal figure who stood gazing upon the angel's back. Maple was diligently collecting damaged bronze swords and shattered shields as though they were precious spoils of war. With a coy smile on her person.
"I believe that God has not forsaken us."
The king replied with skepticism, his voice hinting at a touch of cynicism, "Old man, all I see is a monster wearing a maiden's skin."
At once, hearty ughter filled the air, echoing off the stone walls surrounding them. They chuckled, in both amusement and disbelief, at the enormity of the divine gift bestowed upon them—a gift that held within it the promise of hope.
If only they knew....
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New skill obtained!
《Hope》
Effect:
???
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"Eh?" Maple's looting was abruptly halted by the system. "What did I do?"
??
The clerk behind the counter gnced silently at the girl standing before her, her eyes fixed on the stack of badly damaged bronze swords and steel-ced shields that Maple was meticulously piling on the counter.
Cng!
Another pile joined the first.
Klink!
And yet another.
"Can I s-" Maple began, but she was swiftly cut off by the clerk posing a question.
"Do you possess an adventurer's tag?"
"....Eh?"
"If you wish to sell items to us, you must present an adventurer's license," the clerk expined.
"....Why?" Maple tilted her head in confusion.
"Because that proves your affiliation with our guild," the clerk responded, a bulking red bump on her forehead, pulsing faster by the second.
"...What guild?" Maple's expression grew more puzzled.
".................THE ADVENTURER'S GUILD!!! What else?!" The clerk's hands smmed down on the counter as she raised her voice. "Have you been living on a mountain or something?!"
"Eep!" Startled by the clerk's outburst, Maple took a step back. Though she was strong when facing monsters, deep inside, she still remained a shy little girl. "I-I-I..." she stammered. "T-that ojisan said I can sell them here!" she pointed to the knight captain standing near the entrance of the building.
The clerk gred at the knight with intensity. "Fhuuu~" In response, the knight whistled casually and averted his gaze, rubbing his head. Yet even then, he could feel her piercing gre and the silent curses she hurled at him.
Earlier, while observing Maple collecting the belongings of the defeated enemies, the king's messenger arrived, enlightening him about everything. He now knew that Maple was the one responsible for that devastating attack—a figure of great importance, even surpassing the king's own authority, as per the king's instructions, no less.
Thus, when this VVVIP (Very Very Very Important Person) approached him with a heap of weapons, inquiring where she could sell them, there was no other choice but to guide her to the appropriate venue for such transactions.
"You there! Come here!" the clerk called out to him. Reluctantly, he lifted his foot and made his way towards the third counter, where the grumbling beast of a woman eagerly awaited.
"WHY WOULD YOU BRING AN IGNORANT GIRL LIKE HER HERE?! ARE YOU JOKING?! ARE YOU ACTUALLY DIM-WITTED?!" she unleashed her epic rant, abstaining from using far more “creative” words.
With each word, the knight captain's desire to sp her grew stronger. Yet, he refrained. He was unsure of Maple's character, and whether she comprehended the situation or not was a secondary concern. If he were to silence the clerk using his position as a knight, especially as a captain, he risked leaving a negative impression.
But then, an idea sparked—an illuminating lightbulb. Not that he knew what a lightbulb is.
"Hey, miss, do you know who we are?" He leaned in closer across the counter.
"I couldn't care less! You're probably just some perverted uncle attempting to take advantage of a young girl!" The clerk shouted amidst the watching eyes of the other individuals in the guild. Some sipped on their beers, while others ordered snacks.
Such drama, after an attack by an opposing country. It's a free show if anything.
"Heh, my identity isn't important, but perhaps you should take a closer look at midy here." He gestured toward Maple, who stood quietly beside him, patiently awaiting the resolution of the conversation among the so-called 'adults'.
"What does dim-witted mean?" Maple thought to herself quietly, as the clerk eyed her.
Ornate armor, with an insignia of roses?
Immediately, she put two and two together.
"I apologize profusely!" she hastily grabbed every single item from the counter. "There must have been a mistake on our end. Yes, absolutely!" With that, she pced two sizable pouches of coins onto the counter.
"The transaction is now complete, midy! Here is your... trophy!" Her smile masked the sorrow that welled up in her eyes.
Maple, unsuspecting of any lingering issues, believed the matter had been resolved and blissfully accepted the money, stowing it away in her inventory.
"Thank you, obasan!" With a friendly wave, she exited the building alongside the knight, who struggled to contain his ughter.
The clerk at the adjacent counter approached her friend, curiosity etched on her face. "Um, Rina, what was all that...?" Her question trailed off as Rina rushed around, stuffing items into her dandy bag.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm leaving!"
"What?! Why?! Where?!"
"Anywhere they can't find me!"
"Why on ?????????????????????"
