**Chapter Nine: The Start of Humanity's Devastation** "To all players, Thank you for playing [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. We are excited to announce the second official large-scale event. The event is called the "Grand Assault." Reports indicate that undead and other monsters are about to overflow from the monster territories across the continent, attacking nearby towns and villages. Players are asked to cooperate with either the monster or human factions to succeed in the assault or defense. - The event will last for about one week in real time, and ten days in game time. - During the event, experience points earned will be increased by 10%. - During the event, death penalties will be eased; no experience will be lost, but all stats will be reduced by 5% for one hour in the game. - An event-specific SNS will be available for coordination and new community building. We hope that this will be a great opportunity to connect with other cities and build a new community. - There is no need to apply for this event; all players can participate. *The event will be held across the entire continent. Even in areas where the assault or defense is completed before the end of the event period, the bonuses will continue until the event ends. *The bonuses and reduced death penalties will end when the event concludes, but assaults will continue until the situation is resolved. *During the event, a new teleportation feature will be available once per in-game day, allowing players to teleport between safe zones in different cities, regardless of distance. Please use the event-specific SNS to coordinate and allocate your forces. Thank you for your continued support of [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]." *** "To Player [Rare], Thank you for playing [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. We are excited to announce the second official large-scale event. Please see the announcement sent to all players for event details. Regarding this event, we would like to request your cooperation. You currently control the Hils Kingdom's eastern Liebe Great Forest and the Forest of Tre, where the World Tree is planted. As these areas are under your control, the planned monster assaults on nearby towns cannot occur. Therefore, we request your cooperation to attack the Hils Kingdom. This is a voluntary request, and if you decline, the event will not occur in the affected towns, and you are free to join the event on any side you wish. If you agree, we will provide special rewards. Please consider this request. Thank you. Sincerely, The [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse] Development and Operations Team" *** "Hmm. Just when I was about to head south and explore the volcano," Rare muttered, reading the event announcement. "Is there a problem?" Kelly asked curiously. Rare had just finished checking her abilities as a Demon Lord and the new skills she had unlocked. She had gathered her main subordinates to plan an expedition to the volcanic area to the south of Liebe Great Forest. The volcano, being part of the monster territory, was an attractive area with potentially valuable materials. "Well, there's a major event coming up. A continent-wide monster invasion into human territories. They've asked for my help," Rare explained. "It looks like the volcano expedition will have to wait until after this event." "That's quite a large-scale invasion. Even in my time, nothing like that ever happened," "Which side do you plan to support? The invaders or the defenders?" Since Rare had become a Demon Lord, Dias and Zeeke had started calling her "Your Majesty" instead of "Princess." The other members still called her "Boss," and she didn't mind either way. Dias seemed particularly strict about such things, but Rare figured he had his own rules. "I haven't been asked by either side specifically, but if I join, it will be on the invader side. If I don't help, I'll stay out of it. Helping humanity isn't my thing, It's too late to join the human side." According to the system message, if she stayed out of it, the administrators would announce that there would be no invasion from Liebe Great Forest. If that happened, players might suspect something and stop visiting. Even if monsters didn't overflow, the forest would no longer be a place for adventurers to explore. "What kind of monsters are these invaders? Depending on that, our cooperation might change," Dias asked. "The announcement mentions undead, so they might be the main force. Are undead common in monster territories?" That can't be right, Rare thought. This must be the administrators' doing. Dias and Zeeke were probably part of the setup for this event. The first large-scale event had been changed to a battle royale because the planned event couldn't happen. Maybe that was because Rare had tamed Dias. Now that Rare had become a Demon Lord, the administrators saw her as a legitimate raid boss and requested her cooperation. "That makes sense," Rare concluded. If her actions had disrupted the event plans, she should cooperate. Other players deserved to enjoy the game too. Not cooperating and preventing the event in nearby towns wasn't an option. "Of course, if I join, I'll do my best. I'm still a player, so if I win and destroy the towns, that's just the event's outcome." "I'm not sure I understand, but if you're enjoying yourself, that's what matters. So, the invading monsters will be undead?" "Mostly. Some areas might have other monsters, but undead will likely be the majority." Rare glanced at Dias and Zeeke. "They might be your old comrades. If the continent was once unified, their spirits might still be scattered around." "I see," Dias said. "Your Majesty, we were fortunate to be found by you. Please don't worry about connecting us to them," Zeeke added. "Yes, that's right. We are already dead. The fact that I and Lord Dias are able to serve under His Majesty here and now is an exception. As for our comrades, they are to be considered as completely destroyed, so please..." "......Well, if you say so," said Rare, although she was thinking that she would like to take them in if possible. The commanders from the Fourth Knight Corps onward didn’t seem to be particularly skilled, according to Sieg. They mostly seemed to have gained their positions through noble blood rather than merit. So, Rare didn't care much about them. But the Second Knight Corps was different. The First was the royal guard, and the Third was effectively the main army, so she wondered what the Second was for. It turned out to be the military police. Due to the [Domination] system, none of Rare's subordinates would ever defy her. That should have been the same in the ancient unified kingdom. So why was there a need for a military police force? All the military, including Rare, were supposed to be loyal to their lord. She wanted to learn more about that. If it was useful, she thought about incorporating it into her own army. "If we attack a town, there should be a knight corps or a dedicated military force to defend it. If they are [Dominated] by someone like the lord, they should respawn at their barracks or some similar place even if we kill them," Rare said. The event period was one week—ten days in-game time. If they respawned as long as their lord was alive, they could use the event period to farm their respawns. This would apply to players as well. They could monitor inns without directly attacking them and swiftly take down players as they respawned and exited the inn. "Your Majesty, I fear that not many knights would swear loyalty to a mere border lord," "What do you mean?" "Knights of our rank, such as corps commanders or generals, pledge loyalty to the kingdom and ultimately to the reigning king, devoting our lives to them. But for lower-ranked soldiers, it's different. The ceremony of loyalty places a burden on the recipient, so most soldiers are not bound by it. Only a significant number, like the royal guards of the First Knight Corps, are fully loyal to their lord." Rare understood. That was why the military police were needed. Although Diaz hadn't mentioned it, the only squads made up entirely of loyal subordinates were likely the royal guards and the military police. The concept of the [Domination] system being burdensome to the user was new to her, but if it were true, it was a very rational system. "So, we might be able to take over a town quite easily?" "Not easily, but the mercenaries in the town of Airfaren wouldn't withstand our attack for even an hour." Remy, who usually dealt with the town's mercenaries in her business, agreed. "What about the soldiers? How capable are those who are not [Dominated]?" "Well, I don't usually see lower-ranking soldiers in my shop, but the town's guards are about as capable as the mercenaries." That was a problem. The ten-day event might end in half a day. But Rare didn't want to go easy on them—it would be disrespectful to the players participating in the event. Besides, Rare is a human. Even though it just a game, but they've worked so hard every day. She also want to show off their accomplishments to someone. "Alright, bring me the map. We'll definitely destroy the town of Airfaren and the town near the World Tree, what was it called...?" Then Rare traces her finger along the roads on the map. "Alright, let's look at the map. We'll definitely take down Airfaren and Lurd near the Forest of Troe where the World Tree is. And this city, Lacoline, too. It's at a key intersection of all these branching roads, a commercial hub. If we destroy it, the Hils Kingdom will certainly see us as enemies, and they might try to reclaim it even after the event." *** On the day of the event, Rare gathered her main subordinates in the Queen's Chamber. Just assembling the captains of the Ant and Adamant squads required expanding the chamber. Even with the expansion, some, like the World Tree, couldn't physically enter. But once gathered, it was an impressive sight. The dim cave was filled with a glossy black sheen, the ants and adamant squads lined up in perfect order. Their similar dark hues made it hard to distinguish between them, except by their height, giving a sense of unified beauty. In the front row, Diaz and Sieg, the Death Lords, knelt. Sugal stood behind Rare due to her size. Having Sugal in front would block her view. For the same reason, Mr. Living Armor stood behind. Rare had given him the Philosopher's Stone for reincarnation, transforming him into a Divine Fortress. From Living Mail to Divine Mail to Divine Fortress—it made no sense. The silhouette of the figure as a whole remains the same as before, a slender female figure, but the size of the figure has changed significantly. Its height, or rather, its total height, is about three meters. It is almost twice as tall as Rare. Having him in front would completely obscure her view. The Kenzaki sword group, from Ichiro to Goro, were also resized to match Living Armor. When they reincarnated, Rare chose the greatsword type. Despite their massive size, she could wield them easily with enough STR. For Living Armor, these greatswords were like regular one-handed swords. Kenzaki's current form was Divine Arm, fitting with his new role. The living armor was equipped with all five swords, now placed differently. They removed the three from his back and one from his right hip, instead attaching two to each shoulder with a new design. Kelly and her group of four stood beside Rare in matching uniforms, flanked by White Magic and Silver Flower sitting like guardian lions. The wolf pups were playing with the ants in another room; they couldn't stay quiet during such ceremonies. Yes, a ceremony. Since this was an all-player event, Rare wanted to have a grand departure ceremony as the enemy of human nations. Her subordinates encouraged it. "Everyone, the time has come for us to reveal ourselves to the humans," Rare announced, feeling their focus on her. "You've endured much, refraining from killing humans you could easily defeat, calculating their experience gains, and striking only when necessary. That must have been a great mental burden. I apologize—no, I thank you. You've done well. But that ends now." Rare paused, taking a breath. Their intense gazes straightened her posture. /// *** continue https://i.imgur.com/ZaDFjGw.jpeg *** /// "From today, we will step onto the main stage. Our first target is the Hils Kingdom. We will attack Airfaren, a city adjacent to this forest, and declare war on humanity. No more holding back. Kill everyone you meet—melt, burn, pierce, destroy, and kill them in any way you excel. Let them know the presence of our Great Forest of Lieb. With your power, prove that I am the ruler of this continent. This is neither a command nor a request. It is a certainty that will come true as soon as we move. The sound of hard objects scraping together echoed throughout the hall. Most of the monsters present couldn't speak, so this was their version of a battle cry. "Alright, let's go." *** Unlike the last event's unique circumstances, this one was more of an incident in the daily routine. The organizers had explained this clearly. Therefore, there wasn't a clear signal to start when the time came. The NPCs seemed oblivious. People in the streets appeared to be enjoying their usual day. On the other hand, there were mercenaries rushing in and out of the city, attracting curious stares from the townsfolk. They must be players. Rare was now observing the city of Airfalen from above. Not from the perspective of Ominous-kun or Kenzaki the swords, but her own. Of course, she was inside Living Armor-san. Naturally, no one could normally wear Living Armor-san, who was three meters tall. So how was she wearing it? Technically, she wasn't. Living Armor-san's torso could open from the back like a door, allowing entry inside. Once inside, there was a space about three tatami mats in size. By standing in this space and moving her body, Rare could control Living Armor-san. The inside was like another dimension, with all surfaces except the entrance showing the outside, leaving no blind spots except behind. To see behind, Living Armor-san had to turn around, just like a regular suit of armor. However, without a visor narrowing her view, and with a wider field of vision than a normal human, it was easier to see than in her natural state. Living Armor-san had also acquired [Enhanced Vision] and [Enhanced Hearing], so the external situation was reproduced in this space to an extraordinary degree. Her combat abilities were truly fortress-like. In mock battles against the Adamant series, none of their attacks affected Living Armor-san. Even when the Adamant leader abandoned his sword and punched directly—his most powerful attack—he didn't leave a scratch, but instead broke his own fist. The same was true for magic. No matter which element the Adamant Mage used, it had no effect. Even using the Trent's staff made no difference. Only when using the World Tree staff did lightning magic seem to cause damage, but even that healed naturally almost immediately. Living Armor-san's attacks, on the other hand, were formidable. A single swing of her fist could knock down multiple Adamant Knights at once. If she had been wielding Kenza Ichiro, they would have been cut in half. Now, in full gear, Rare was in the air thanks to her [Flight] skill. It was more accurate to say she was standing in a cockpit rather than wearing Living Armor-san, but it was still considered equipped, allowing her skills to function externally. She could cast magic accurately and use [Coordinate Designation] within Living Armor-san's field of vision. With [Airborne] and [High-Speed Flight], Rare could fly freely with Living Armor-san. However, since the flying skills belonged to Rare, Living Armor-san couldn't fly on her own. In aerial combat, Rare had to pilot Living Armor-san from the cockpit. If Rare used [Coordinate Designation] to cast large-scale spells into the city, the invasion could end in victory. But Rare’s idea of her power was not just about solo strength. If the damage seemed minimal, she planned to command her subordinates to capture the city like a true "Demon King." It was finally time for the siege. The target wasn't exactly a castle but had similar fortifications. It was the perfect opportunity to test the artillery ants' area attacks, which were hard to use in the forest. This was also their first invasion outside the forest. They could finally gauge the true power of the assault ants' flamethrowers. Rare wanted her subordinates to showcase their skills today. She closed her eyes and borrowed Ominous-kun's view from above the Tolle Forest, seeing the Treants emerging. In the week since the event notice, she had used much of her surplus experience points to increase the Treants' numbers. The Treants' [Clone] skill consumed experience points to create clones of themselves. The sight of the Treants marching out of the forest resembled the forest itself expanding. The townsfolk of Lurdo hadn't noticed this yet. There were no mercenaries like in Airfalen, and the players seemed fewer. Although it wasn’t a complete surprise attack due to the distance, those walls wouldn’t hold against so many Treants for long. The World Tree could handle that front. Rare opened her eyes and looked down at the city again. From the nearby Great Liebe Forest, ants were swarming out. Squadrons of Soldier Wasp were flying in perfect formation from the forest center toward the city. They didn't have long-range attacks, so they were just insurance in case of aerial combat. If the enemy had no air force, they would just be spectators. "Oh, right. With [Minion Enhancement] and [Follower Enhancement] raising STR, maybe they can carry artillery ants. If so, they could be used like bombers, or they could carry sniper ants for high-altitude sniping." The possibilities were endless. "But it's too late for this battle. Maybe I'll try it when we go to Lacorine. We don't need to preserve the facilities or take prisoners, so airstrikes should be fine." Destroy everything, kill everyone. The enemy would do the same to any monsters they found. It was mutual. And in a commercial city, there would be nobles using knights as [Servants], and observing how experienced NPCs respond to airstrikes or sniping could be insightful. Rare doubted there were many characters, player or NPC, who could match her current strength. But there might be someone who could draw her out. "Well, it looks like the players are heading out of the city. The battle is about to begin. Exciting, isn't it?" The first to notice the invasion were the mercenaries, who seemed to be players. When one shouted, more mercenaries emerged from the city gates. Too far away to hear what they were saying, Rare descended a bit, activated [Light Magic: Camouflage], and approached unnoticed. [Camouflage] made the target optically invisible. "It's ants! Looks like the event monsters for this city are those ants from the Great Forest!" "I heard it was mostly undead, but I guess they can't ignore the local monsters. No wonder, since they're bugs." "… But someone said there's an undead boss monster in the forest, so undead might appear too!" "With all this sunlight, even an undead boss would be weakened. We have plenty of players here, and NPC mercenaries will help defend the city. We can push them back into the forest!" They seemed like an amusing group of players. ("No wonder they're bugs, because they're not to be ignored... heh, clever.") Everyone seemed to be having fun, which was the most important thing. "Damn! Why are there monsters in this city…? This never happened before!" "Oh, those new players must have angered the forest! Damn it!" The latter part of the shouting was likely from an NPC. While it was clear that "new players" referred to the players, this invasion wasn't actually their fault. However, since Rare was also a player, the perception that it was the players' fault wasn't entirely wrong. Considering that this was an event prepared by the developers for the players, it wasn't incorrect to say that it was indeed the players' fault. "This is confusing. Well, let's just say it's the players' fault. Players are the worst. So, those sinful players must take responsibility and die. Let's start with a bombardment. I want to save some for the siege, but we can wait for the recast after eliminating the defense forces. Alright, load the shrapnel shells!" "Loading shrapnel shells." Sugal, who had set up a command post in the Queen's Chamber, echoed the command. This echo would have communicated the order to the artillery ants. Below Rare, the artillery ants, identifiable by their posture, stopped and positioned their abdomens forward. "What are those...? They look different from the usual ants." "Can ants strike such a pose? They look like scorpions." "No, wait, isn't that dangerous? They might shoot something!" "Don't be stupid, they're just ants. They can't—" "Fire!" "Fire!" At that moment, explosions echoed from all the artillery ants' barrels, and shells were launched at the mercenaries in front of the gate. "Aggh!" "Ugh!" The mercenaries, staring blankly, were turned into minced meat before they could say anything. After a while, some bodies disappeared, indicating they were NPCs. "If their goal is to protect the city, my goal is to destroy it. I have nothing against them personally, but defeating enemies for experience points is the same in any game." Rare offered a brief moment of silence, then immediately gave the order to load the next round. It's unclear what the players thought, but the NPC guards, seeing the recent attack, seemed to lose their will to fight and began closing the gate to strengthen their defenses. "Good. Once it's completely closed, let's attack the gate. Breaking what they struggled to close should break their spirit too." "Understood." After a while, the gate was completely shut, and the city of Earpharen fortified itself like a turtle. "Fire!" The artillery ants launched another attack. The shells exploded upon impact, scattering fragments and flames. The gate was completely destroyed in just a few hits, so Sugal shifted the target to the walls. The stone walls were gradually chipped away by the bombardment. At this rate, even a simple catapult would suffice. If the soldier wasps could carry artillery ants and bomb the urban area, it would quickly turn into a scorched earth. "Well, that's for next time. For now, once the wall is breached, let's send in the assault troops and infantry. The assault troops will clear the way with flamethrowers, and the infantry will clean up the rest." "Understood." On Sugal's command, the assault ants and infantry ants, who had been waiting beside the artillery ants, formed ranks and swarmed into the city over the rubble. Some of the city guards were blown away with the walls and gate, but a few survivors and mercenaries, likely players, stood in their path. "Even if they're monsters, they won't bombard where their allies have entered! Engage them in close combat!" "I'm used to fighting ants! After we hold out here, mages will burn the artillery ants!" Having mainly dealt with ants in the Great Forest, many mercenaries had experience fighting them. However, the assault ants couldn't be deployed in the forest, so they had never encountered them before. This would be their first experience. They should enjoy it from the best seats in the house. As the mercenaries approached, the assault ants calmly extended their abdomens and unleashed a flamethrower attack. "Aaaahhh!" "Wha-what?! Aaaahhh!" The flames incinerated everything, regardless of whether the targets wore metal or leather. The assault ants skillfully swayed their abdomens, spreading the flames in a fan shape to cover a wider area. The magical flammable gel continued to burn for a while, causing high-temperature damage even to those not directly hit. It created a persistent damage area. The mercenary mages tried to extinguish the flames with water or ice magic, but there were more ants than mages. It was like trying to put out a fire with a drop of water. "Heh. This is fun, but flamethrowers alone don't feel very assault-like. I wish we had assault rifles or something... But they're ants. They can't charge while holding guns." Thinking about it calmly, that would make it a different game. In this world, foot soldiers typically engage in close combat with blades or fists. As a unit, it might have been better to put the infantry in the front and have snipers provide cover. But then, the assault ants couldn't use their flamethrowers. "I guess this worked out fine. The results are good enough." The mages in the rear gave up trying to extinguish the flames and shifted to directly attacking the ants. With only long-range attackers left, staring at each other over a wall of flames was pointless. Rare ordered the assault and infantry ants to fall back and the artillery ants to fire from behind the rubble that used to be the wall. Though it was indirect fire behind the rubble, the wasps above acted as spotters, efficiently turning the mages into minced meat with the artillery. This coordination was possible thanks to Sugal's strategic mind. Enemies hiding behind buildings were either roasted by flamethrowers or turned into rubble by the shells. The ants, getting used to the situation, efficiently pushed the front line. The city's outer area was no longer functional. The guards were wiped out, mercenaries were turned into corpses leaving only the players, and the residents, who hadn't imagined the wall could be breached, were fleeing in panic. Rare ordered all characters with combat power to be killed for experience points, but the general citizens were ignored. The goal was to destroy the city, not kill residents. Weak citizens didn't provide much experience. They would die as a result. As the ants' invasion reached the city center, the lord's knights appeared. Their arrival was too late. Even if Rare's forces retreated at this moment, the city could no longer recover. "Ah, it's because the lord's mansion is in the city center. It's more accurate to say we've reached the knights guarding the mansion rather than them appearing." Since they had worked hard to get here, Rare thought it would be nice to let the assault ants finish burning everything, but the soldier wasps had been doing nothing but spotting and seemed bored. Rare wanted to give them something more engaging. Since this country lacked air power, the soldier wasps' main opponents would be ground forces. Rare thought it might be good practice for them to engage here. "So, I'll leave it to you. Do it however you want. Let's pull back the assault and infantry to the artillery." "Understood." Soon after Sugal's reply, the soldier wasps, who had been observing the situation from the air, dove down. The lord's knights, who had only been aware of the ground ants, were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of new monsters. "Whoa!" "The enemies aren't just ants! Damn it, no one told us this!" "Damn mercenaries! They can't even report accurately!" The knights cursed the mercenaries, but it didn't change their fate. As the Soldier Wasps descended to ground level, they swooped down and grabbed the knights, then quickly ascended back into the sky. "Dammit! Stop! Let go!" Once they had risen about fifty meters, they released the knights, tossing them down. "Aaaaaaahhhhh!" The knights, unlike the mercenaries, wore impressive armor, but it couldn't mitigate the damage from the fall. Their armor partially embedded into the ground as they crashed into the earth. The impact was enough to kill them instantly, and none of them moved afterward. The Soldier Wasps, created in large numbers to counter human aerial forces, outnumbered the knights. The knights were subjected to a no-strings-attached bungee jump courtesy of the numerous Soldier Wasps, resulting in the near annihilation of the lord's knights. If any of these knights had been officially [Employed], they might respawn eventually. Players would respawn immediately, but NPCs who can't hear the system message would only respawn after an hour. Respawn hunting NPCs is inefficient. Besides, these characters don't yield much experience, so waiting would be a waste of time. "Alright, let's check on Lourdes. Things here are almost wrapped up, but I wonder how it's going over there." Flying around is dangerous since Rare is controlling the armor, so they landed on the ground. Once on the ground, it was safe to let Living Armor-san take over. Rare closed her eyes and synced her vision with Ominous-kun. *** The city of Lourdes, seen for the first time in hours, was surrounded by several giant Treants, and the city walls were covered in vine-like structures. The walls were enormous. From a distance, they appeared covered in vines, but they were actually much thicker than vines. These were all branches and roots of trees. The city itself was filled with greenery, extending from the Forest of Tre. From a bird's eye view, it looked as though the city had been swallowed by the forest. The forest's center was Rare's World Tree, and the forest's trees were Treants under Rare's command, so the expression that the city was swallowed by the forest was accurate. Even as they watched, branches broke through the roofs of houses from within. The rapidly growing tree trunks consumed the buildings. The seeds of the Treants, scattered everywhere, were sprouting and growing rapidly. Normally, the seeds dispersed by the [Proliferation] tree's [Seed Dispersion] skill didn't have such rapid growth capabilities. What made this possible were the glowing particles filling the city. These particles floated like pollen from the giant Treants surrounding the city walls. These giant Treants were clearly different from other Treants. They were Elder Comfort Treants, created from the World Tree's [Offshoot]. A regular Treant's [Offshoot] skill consumes its own experience to produce an identical clone. However, the World Tree's [Offshoot] couldn't create another World Tree. Instead, it produced the ancestor species of the World Tree, the Comfort Treant. Though weaker creatures are created, the World Tree's [Offshoot] consumes LP and MP instead of experience. The Comfort Treants can relay some of the World Tree's skills. For instance, when the World Tree wants to use area or dispersal skills, the Treants serve as terminals to activate those skills at specific points. The glowing particles filling the city now are from the World Tree's [Great Blessing]. Its effect is the abnormal growth of all life forms categorized as "plants" within its range. Ordinary plants in the city grew instantaneously but withered without pollinating, leaving no fruit behind. In contrast, Treants, having no set lifespan, typically take a year to reach normal tree size and then grow slowly over decades or centuries to become Elder Treants. However, under [Great Blessing], scattered seeds grew instantly and rapidly became enormous. Though [Seed Dispersion] doesn’t use experience points and doesn’t produce fully grown clones like [Offshoot], [Great Blessing] negated such limitations. The Comfort Treants surrounding the walls grew into Elder Comfort Treants under the effects of the [Great Blessing] they relayed. Few Treants actively attacked humans in the city; it wasn’t necessary. The roots and branches covered the ground entirely, and no houses remained intact. The people inside were crushed by the rapidly growing trees or immobilized. Even mercenaries and knights who dodged initially couldn’t evade the unpredictable branches and roots forever. "Whew. I felt sorry for the people of Airfaren being overrun by ants, but Lourdes is a disaster. I doubt anyone's left alive. Maybe we should stop [Great Blessing] now. It’s not needed anymore." "Indeed. My remaining MP is also running low, so I will cease the skill." The World Tree responded, and the glowing particles gradually faded. As they did, the trees’ growth slowed, and the city became still and silent. "It’s a dreadful scene, but in a way, it’s breathtakingly majestic. Truly awe-inspiring." "To be so praised by Her Majesty, the magnificent and divine Demon King, is the highest honor." Rare’s loyal minions’ flattery felt unsettling, so she pretended not to hear and observed the city. "No signs of movement. Is everyone in the city dead?" Players would typically respawn quickly, but with their respawn points overrun by monsters, that wasn’t possible here. Initially, they hoped to hunt respawning players, but it seemed impossible in both Airfaren and Lourdes. "Indeed. What will you do with this city?" "Let it be consumed by the forest. Overrun the highways as well." "As you command." Treants surged from the Forest of Tre, overwhelming the highways. The forest would expand significantly, engulfing the entire area. "Alright, this should do. I’ll take care of the other side." "Take care." Although, there wasn’t much left to do in Airfaren either. *** "Well, Lourdes is settled. We don’t need the lord’s manor anymore. Let’s destroy it and move on." Rare ordered the artillery ants, who had been waiting patiently, to rain down fire. Responding enthusiastically, the artillery ants quickly turned the lord’s manor into a burning pile of rubble. Whether the lord was inside was unknown, but if he was, he was surely dead. If he survived, it would be best to eliminate him for the experience points, but compared to the city’s destruction, that seemed trivial. "Let’s have the infantry search for anyone who looks like the lord. The other soldiers can continue the invasion. This city is too close to the forest to be useful as a base, so feel free to level everything." Once the city was completely leveled, the infantry would handle the mop-up operations, and they could head to Lacinne with the aerial and artillery units. Securing Lacinne would completely cut off the kingdom’s supply lines. The desire to create a new "Ruins-Type" monster domain remained. But this event called for a location with maximum impact. The capital city, the kingdom’s symbol, was perfect. They would turn it into ruins, a haven for the undead.