Bab 557: 971
The enemies' defense was extremely solid.
This was because they had thoroughly prepared for ground battles, aerial battles, and even tunnel warfare in underground passages.
Moreover, the enemies even launched surprise attacks under the cover of night...
The conquest team couldn't easily achieve results and had no choice but to struggle with the siege.
'That's why the log I read before the regression said it took almost a month to open the gate of the enemy fortress.'
But the stagnant siege would end today.
It wouldn't take as long as before the regression, where they had to exhaust their food supplies and fight to the point of exhaustion.
Eun-ha could be confident.
"Clan Lord! My feet hurt. At this rate, my calves will swell up too. Sob sob, what kind of hardship is this after meeting Clan Lord?"
To attack the enemy's rear, Eun-ha's group had deliberately climbed a mountain path avoiding their eyes and were now looking down at the enemy fortress.
At that time, Mei-ling, who was sitting on a rock massaging her legs, complained to Eun-ha.
Her twin sister Mei-rin chimed in.
"That's right! Always making us work, not letting us meet men, not touching us yourself, and making us climb mountains like this! Isn't this too much?"
"If you're not just using us, do something for us when this is over! At least massage my feet!"
"And my calves too! Or anywhere else is fine!"
"Oh my, little sister. Where?"
"Come on, unnie, you know where."
"..."
The twin sisters giggled.
People who had gotten used to them shrugged their shoulders lightly.
On the other hand, they too, especially those who didn't know about Eun-ha's regression, weren't without complaints.
To this, Roberto, who was leading the Italians in place of Albert who was in charge of attacking the castle gate, asked on behalf of everyone.
"Player Noh Eun-ha, are you sure there's a secret passage nearby?"
"Yes, according to our investigation. Player Roberto confirmed it too, didn't you?"
"That's true, but... We don't know exactly where it is, and climbing the mountain aimlessly like this is affecting the morale of the team members..."
Roberto's expression darkened.
Eun-ha could fully understand his concern.
Nevertheless, his response was calm.
"It's okay. Don't worry. The secret passage we're looking for will definitely be nearby."
According to the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea> conquest log Eun-ha had read before the regression.
The conquest team, exhausted from the enemy's defense, accidentally discovers some documents in the castle they're using as their base.
Those documents contained crucial clues for conquering the enemy fortress.
It was about a secret passage.
'The problem is that they had to search through wells in the mountains to find where that passage was...'
However, Eun-ha, having read the conquest log, knew the exact location without needing to go through such trouble.
So he assured Roberto without any worry.
"Noh Eun-ha."
"Oh, did you find it?"
Just then, Kaede, who had gone out to search based on Eun-ha's advice, returned.
He handed her the water bottle he had been drinking from, and she drank the remaining water without minding.
Then, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she reported the results of her investigation.
"You were right. I found it."
"Well done. Shall we get up once everyone's rested?"
Eun-ha raised the corners of his mouth.
* * *
"Is this the place?"
"Yes."
The well Eun-ha had been looking for was in a damp place.
The group, guided by Kaede, looked into the well.
It was pitch black, filled with darkness to the point where the bottom couldn't be seen.
"Eiyah!"
Ariel threw the torch in her hand into the well.
The torch, illuminating the darkness as it fell, made a sound as it hit the bottom.
"Ta-da! As you can see, it's a dry well! Kaede and I went in, and there was a path like a waterway inside!"
"Hmm... Judging from the time it took to fall and how small the light looks, it seems quite deep."
Mei-ling, the navigator who was carefully observing the well, said.
Her twin sister and ranger, Mei-rin, asked Kaede.
"Were there any monsters?"
"From what we explored halfway through, some slime creatures and rat bastards did attack. They weren't strong enough to worry about, but... Still, we should be careful when we go inside."
"Hmm... Slime creatures, that sounds intriguing. Were there any tentacles?"
"What?"
Kaede, not understanding Mei-rin's intention, asked back as if she didn't know what she was talking about.
Eun-ha, who had been listening to the conversation from the side, quietly sighed.
Then, to punish Mei-rin, he lightly hit her head.
"Ouch! Clan Lord, why did you do that!?"
"Don't joke around in this situation. Kaede, can you lead the way inside too?"
"I can. As long as there are people to clear the path and light the way."
"Alright. Avenier and Player Roberto, did you hear that? I'm counting on you."
"Okay! I'll help!"
"Understood."
Avenier and Roberto didn't object to Eun-ha's instructions.
So they took the lead into the well along with Kaede.
Eun-ha led the rest of the group and followed behind them.
Clang clang...
They slowly descend, stepping on the ladder on the well wall.
From below, they could hear the sounds of people who had reached the bottom first fighting monsters.
So by the time Eun-ha stepped down, the surroundings had already been cleared.
Eun-ha, scanning the monsters turning into mana particles and disappearing, spoke.
"Let's keep going without rest."
No one objected.
The conquest team, illuminating the darkness with magic, advanced along the path that continued like a waterway.
They mercilessly killed all the monsters they encountered along the way without delay.
And after advancing without rest.
"Is that it?"
"..."
The conquest team could see stairs.
There was a door above the stairs.
Surely, leading to the enemy fortress.
"Mei-ling, according to the coordinates..."
"It's certain based on the coordinates too."
"Looks like we found our way well."
"..."
Now, if they open that door and go out, countless enemies would be waiting.
The conquest team couldn't help but feel tense at the thought of facing them.
Eun-ha, encouraging such a conquest team, calmly gave tactical instructions.
"The enemies, unaware of our infiltration, are probably attacking our castle under the cover of night by now. So not all of their forces will be waiting in the castle. This is a good opportunity for us. We'll destroy the castle gate and various defense mechanisms of the enemy fortress during this time. After that, we'll deal with the commander-level figures."
"..."
"Mei-ling, Mei-rin."
"Yes, Clan Lord."
"As soon as you go out the door, guide the conquest team to the castle gate. Kaede, act independently while supporting us. Try to buy time without letting the enemies notice as much as possible."
"Got it, I'll do that."
"Avenier, open the castle gate. Player Roberto, please help him too. Ariel, as soon as the gate opens, immediately inform Seo-na or other telepathists."
"Okay, Eun-ha Eun-ha! Leave the communication to me!"
"And Su-bin..."
"..."
Soon after, not long after.
The conquest team burst through the door according to Eun-ha's instructions.
From now on, they'll catch the enemies off guard and destroy the castle gate.
* * *
There were no unexpected events in the operation.
Eun-ha's group, having infiltrated the enemy fortress, was able to successfully open the castle gate without being discovered along the way.
The conquest team waiting outside the castle walls reacted immediately.
"The gate is open! All troops, charge in!"
"The anti-air network is no longer functioning! Aerial units, launch immediately!"
"Quickly send word to the castle too!"
The conquest team led by Albert rushed towards the enemy fortress in a spear formation, and those capable of aerial combat passed over their heads.
Screech!
"H-How did they...!"
"They're coming! Shoot them all!"
The monsters and criminals standing guard on the enemy fortress walls, surprised by the sudden opening of the gate, hurriedly tried to stop the conquest team.
But with their anti-air network breached, they had limited means to deal with the rain of arrows and magic bombardment falling from the sky.
They had no choice but to be helplessly overwhelmed without a chance to properly defend.
Moreover, Eun-ha's group started to rampage in earnest.
"I'll assassinate the key figures, so you take care of the defense mechanisms."
"Got it, I'll do that."
"So I just need to destroy anything that looks like an important facility from the air? That's not a difficult task. Leave it to me."
Eun-ha stealthily moved around the enemy fortress, cloaked in darkness.
While doing so, he assassinated enemy commanders, causing confusion in their chain of command.
Kaede, Bae Su-bin, and others from the group focused on destroying key facilities and acted flexibly as needed.
"Exterminate the enemies!"
"Don't leave a single one alive! Kill them all!"
Eventually, the conquest team led by Albert crossed the gate and entered the enemy fortress.
Those who had harbored resentment from the 7th and 8th floors cut off the criminals' breath without showing any mercy.
Of course, they were merciless to the monsters as well.
Everywhere, the enemies' blood splattered, heads and limbs flew, and screams echoed.
'We've definitely gained the upper hand.'
Eun-ha, who had been fighting on the rooftops, spread his wings of flame and ascended to the top of a spire.
Looking towards the direction of the conquest team's main camp, he could see additional reinforcements coming from the castle.
If they join the battlefield, the enemies' defeat would become even more certain.
Eun-ha, having grasped the battle situation, was confident.
"If I could take down the enemy commander here, we could end this even faster..."
Where is the enemy commander, Lorenzo Mairon?
Eun-ha, scanning the battlefield, was soon able to find him.
He was engaged in a fierce battle with Albert Valentine and Avenier on top of the castle walls.
"Albert Valentine... You might have been lucky enough to escape last time, but this time you absolutely won't be able to. This time, I'll definitely kill you."
"The one who ambushed us before sure talks big. Do you think I'll be taken down easily like last time? Rather than me, it's you who will die."
"...Oh really. Let's see about that!"
"All talk. Shut up and come at me."
Lorenzo Mairon, shouting, shedding tears of blood, and swinging his hand axe recklessly.
Avenier blocked the attacks while repeatedly delivering heavy blows to him.
And Albert, using Avenier as a shield, fired bullets whenever there was an opening.
'...Looks like they don't need my help.'
Lorenzo was dying.
As if to prove this, his movements were gradually slowing down.
Eun-ha decided to quietly watch the approaching end of the battle.
Eventually.
"Damn... it..."
Avenier tripped Lorenzo's feet, making him fall backward.
Simultaneously, he brought down his right fist equipped with a gauntlet.
Whoosh! Blaze! Thud!
The fist causing air friction instantly burst into flames.
That fist accurately struck Lorenzo's face.
With a crunch, starting from the nasal bone, the sound of facial bones breaking echoed.
───!!!
With an impact that shook the ground, he was buried in the stone floor.
"Ah, ah, ah..."
With his face crushed and shattered, Lorenzo, in a dazed state, unconsciously and tremblingly reached out his hand with difficulty.
Albert was at the end of it.
"Ah, Al... ber..."
Lorenzo's teeth fell out and went into his mouth.
Albert aimed the gun in his hand at that spot.
"Go, now."
Bang! Bang! Bang...
Regardless of whether Lorenzo's breath had stopped midway or not, Albert pulled the trigger until he exhausted all his bullets without any concern.
And so, Lorenzo turned into particles and met his demise.
"It's over."
The enemy commander had died.
Eun-ha, taking his eyes off Albert and Avenier, left to deal with the remaining enemies.
Not long after that.
Congratulations on completing the 9th floor mission! We didn't expect you to find the information we had hidden right away. How did you really find it...
The conquest team had captured the enemy's fortress.
* * *
After taking sufficient rest for a while and completing their preparations, the conquest team descended to the basement of the enemy fortress.
There was a massive iron door there.
'We've finally come this far.'
The door leading to the 10th floor of the <Dungeon of the Deep Sea>, in other words, the deepest part.
The conquest team, facing their final conquest, each fell into their own reflections.
Some recalled their past journey, some steeled their resolve, and some suppressed their anxiety.
At that moment, the dungeon guide, flying in front of the iron door, said.
I sincerely express my respect to all of you who have reached this far. It's amazing. But we who are waiting beyond this door will absolutely not be easy to deal with. It will be incomparable to any hardship or terror you've experienced so far. You will face death in the most horrific form.
"..."
I have a proposal for you. If you don't want to go mad even after death, give up the conquest and belong to the dungeon. If you're going to die anyway, wisely accept the most comfortable death. This will be the last mercy we bestow upon you.
The dungeon guide was inciting fear.
Eun-ha snorted, not minding at all.
"Stop saying ridiculous things and shut up."
...
"Are you afraid of us now?"
...Is this your choice?
"Of course."
Eun-ha shrugged his shoulders.
Then, the Korean conquest team and other countries' conquest teams also sneered as if agreeing.
...
The dungeon guide silently glared at the conquest team for a while.
Eventually, giving up on persuasion, it warned sarcastically.
Fine, do as you please. Just don't regret it later. Because by then, it will be too late.
"Nyeh nyeh~"
...
Some people replied mockingly.
The conquest team burst into laughter.
Damn you all...
"Just get out of the way."
The dungeon guide couldn't hide its displeasure.
Eun-ha ignored it and placed his hand on the iron door.
Soon, Albert, Ezekiel, and representatives from other countries' conquest teams also placed their hands on the iron door.
They raised the corners of their mouths.
"Then, let's push."
They push the iron door simultaneously.
With a scraping sound on the floor, the iron door tilts inward.
The world visible through the door gap was pitch black with nothing in it.
Finally, when the door was fully open.
Gush!
"...!"
Suddenly, water poured out from the world full of darkness.
In an instant, the world was filled with water.
Bubble bubble!
The conquest team found themselves in the deep sea.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone