Volume 2, Chapter 2 – We’re Going Back

“Well, anyway, Xiaomengyao, you don’t need to worry so much about me. I’m still full of energy right now.”

In truth, Tianyin was deeply moved inside.

No, rather than saying moved, it was more like the warmth of being cared for that touched her heart.

“Well, as long as Master can always stay like this, that’s what matters most. To me, Master is someone really, really important~ As for Xiaobingxue, I’m sure there’ll be a way to save her.”

Although she could tell Tianyin’s condition had improved a little, Mengyao still wanted to continue comforting her with kind words.

As for why she said there might be a way to save Xiaobingxue…

Mengyao quietly sighed in her heart.

Because, after all… this was a virtual game world. Since it was virtual, an unrealistic world inside a game, then… it was possible… that there existed some kind of way to solve the problem…

“Wuu, fine. Since Xiaomengyao says so, then anyway…”

Just as Tianyin opened her mouth, intending to say something, a commotion suddenly broke out among the nearby NPC troops.

“Undead!”

Amid the noise, Tianyin faintly caught someone shouting “Undead!”

The Undead appeared?

For a moment, Tianyin instinctively thought that to herself.

“Master!”

Mengyao, who had also heard the shout, furrowed her pretty little brows and showed a serious expression.

That alone meant Tianyin hadn’t misheard, there really were Undead appearing.

And since the Undead had shown up, that clearly meant one thing… the retreating remnants of the NPC army had been discovered!

“Master… it’s the Undead! What should we do? Should we step in?”

Mengyao gripped the sword at her waist tightly, nervously asking Tianyin.

Although she was capable of taking down some Undead herself, after what had happened at the Northern Fortress, she absolutely didn’t want to leave Tianyin’s side again because of some accident.

Because more than destroying the Undead, what Mengyao wanted most was to protect and comfort Tianyin.

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“Wuu…”

Tianyin turned her gaze toward the direction of the commotion. In the distance, she could faintly make out the flickering of blades and swords clashing. She didn’t even need to think about it, the battle with the Undead had already begun.

However, what surprised Tianyin was that even though the battle was underway, the other resting units nearby hadn’t sent many people to assist.

『What’s going on? Why’s it like this? Shouldn’t everyone be working together to fight back when the Undead attack?』

Tianyin was puzzled.

「Idiot… doesn’t this already show a very simple fact?」

Samael, who had been frequently chatting with her in her mind these days, suddenly spoke up.

『I’m not an idiot! …Fine, Samael, what fact are you talking about?』

「You deny being an idiot, but it’s right in front of you. The Undead are attacking, yet the main force hasn’t gone to support the attacked unit. Obviously, the attacking Undead are few in number.」

『Eh… is that really it?』

Tianyin was a bit surprised.

But thinking carefully, Samael’s reasoning made perfect sense. After all, if the attacking Undead weren’t a big threat, there was no need to send everyone for support.

Though that might end the fight quickly, the enemy could be doing it on purpose, sending a small group of Undead to draw attention while the main force waited in the shadows for a fatal strike.

Even though most Undead were just mindless skeletons, the Graveyard’s ranks did include Liches, beings with cunning, sinister minds.

「Well, looks like it’s not a serious threat right now, so no need to worry too much~」

Having roughly figured out the situation, Samael reassured Tianyin.

『Phew, in that case, can we keep resting then?』

「Idiot. Of course we can’t rest. Our tracks have already been found. If we don’t move before the Undead realize where we are, do you want to wait until they surround us?」

Samael, once able to single-handedly duel a Holy Archangel, really did have a sharp strategic mind. Just from troop movement alone, she could infer the entire situation.

『I see… fine, then I’ll get ready…』

To be honest, Tianyin had been marching all morning, her short legs nearly giving out. She had just managed to get a moment of rest, only to be found by an Undead force again…

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“Wuu… Xiaomengyao, there aren’t many Undead, so let’s just watch for now~  but I think we’ll have to leave here soon.”

Muttering about Samael’s analysis in her heart, Tianyin repeated what Samael had told her to her little loli disciple, Mengyao.

“Eh, eh, eh…? I didn’t expect Master to be so smart… You can really figure that out? Master, you’re amazing!”

After hearing Tianyin’s words, the little loli disciple’s face showed an expression as if she had just witnessed a brand new world.

“Hmph! Of course! I’m still your Master after all. Don’t underestimate me just because I’m cute~”

Tianyin’s little face turned red, but she still accepted Mengyao’s “praise” in a stiff, self-righteous tone.

“Pfft… Master, just tell me honestly, someone else told you that, didn’t they?”

Seeing Tianyin’s tsundere look, Mengyao couldn’t resist teasing her Master.

“N-no… you’re talking nonsense! Who could tell me that! I’m just naturally smart, okay? I figured it out at a glance!”

“Pfft, if you told me you were dumb, I might believe you. But you being smart…”

“Wuu… are you even my disciple anymore?!!”

“I’m Master’s one and only most most most most most beloved disciple!”

“……”

Tianyin suddenly felt exhausted inside, and began to doubt herself.

Could it be that I really am dumb?

Such a dangerous thought popped up in her mind.

But in the next instant, Tianyin shook off that thought.

She wasn’t dumb. It was just that her disciple didn’t respect her Master enough, that’s all!

Yes, that must be it!

Thinking that, Tianyin convinced herself completely.

And her gaze toward her loli disciple started turning strange.

“Master, why are you suddenly looking at me like you’re planning to ‘train’ me properly?”

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Mengyao’s eyes turned wary.

“Master, even if I’m your disciple, I’m not the kind of girl who just lets her Master bite her whenever she wants~”

“W-Who would want to bite you! Damn it, give me back the warm feelings I just had…”

……

Not far away, the Undead that had discovered the remnants of the NPC army had already clashed with the soldiers of the Kingdom Stronghold.

Although the Undead’s numbers and strength were far inferior to the stronghold and the Kingdom’s soldiers, they couldn’t be wiped out so easily.

The reason was because the retreating army had chosen to hide in a dense forest that was difficult to find, which made the battlefield cramped and chaotic.

And the Graveyard’s skeletal Undead weren’t like living creatures with proper instincts or thoughts. They only had the instinct to fight, fearlessly and ferociously charging without hesitation.

Of course, while the Undead fought recklessly, being skeletons, they were extremely fragile that you could say they’d shatter from a single blow.

So, the individual combat strength of the Undead wasn’t particularly high. But once their numbers reached a certain point, they became a vast sea of bones that could make anyone despair just by looking.

That was what truly made the Graveyard terrifying, when the Undead amassed enough to form an endless Skeleton Sea.

Leading this retreating army from the Northern Fortress was Karl, commander of the Holy Hand Knights.

Once a stalwart Paladin in his prime, his once resolute face now looked weathered and worn.

His golden hair had turned grayish-white.

His eye sockets were sunken, his beard unkempt, and the shining Paladin armor he once maintained so well was now covered in grime and dirt.

At a glance, it looked as if in just three days, this Paladin commander had aged years.

“After wiping out this wave of Undead… we’ll have to change our retreat route…”

After a long silence, Karl slowly spoke those words.

Across from him stood a burly middle-aged Beastman with a huge scar running across his face, who nodded heavily.

This Beastman was Orgum, the representative of the Beastmen army temporarily allied with the Kingdom Faction, and the only remaining Beastman commander among the survivors.

“The Undead are moving too fast… Logically, our tracks were well hidden. It shouldn’t have been easy for them to find us…”

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Orgum’s deep, gravelly voice rumbled like thunder.

“Now’s not the time to wonder how they found us so fast, Orgum. What matters most is how we avoid their pursuit.”

“I know… but I think someone’s secretly informing the Undead of our movements…”

Karl could only give a bitter smile at that.

“Even if someone did, what can we do? We don’t have time to find out who betrayed us. What’s important now is escaping the Undead’s pursuit.”

“Only after we’ve shaken them off will we have time to find out who sold us out.”

“Huff…”

Hearing that, Orgum took a deep breath, clearly trying to suppress his anger.

“So, what do you think we can do to escape the Undead?”

“There is a way, but it’s risky…”

“Risky? Beastmen have never feared danger!”

“…Alright then.”

Seeing the disdainful look on the Beastman’s face, Karl slowly spoke of the plan he’d been pondering for a long while.

“We… go back the way we came…”

Translator Note

I decided to differentiate the style format of the conversation in reality and in Tianyin’s mind.

“This is for a normal conversation in reality, as well as any character who is talking or thinking to their own self.”

『This is used when Tianyin speaks in her mind with other characters, such as Samael.』

「This is used when Samael speaks in Tianyin’s mind. If there are new characters in the future who is talking to Tianyin’s mind, this style will be used too.」