Tyrant

Flash! In an explosion of light, I transitioned through the gate and found myself standing on the well-trodden pier of a lakeside. Before me, the deep blue expanse of the lake flickered. This was the monsters’ birthplace. A living hell, spitting out demons. The Black Lake, standing guard in the south of the world. Flash!…

[STAGE 2] — Time until start: 9 days 20 hours The next stage was primed to kick off in just under ten days, yet the wall repairs would consume a fortnight, if not more. At this pace, the castle walls would be rendered useless by the onset of the next stage. “Soldiers who escaped injury…

The stage reward boxes were arrayed before me. Two R-grade boxes, and three N-grade boxes. ‘Last time, all I got was a peculiar necklace from the EX-grade box.’ I touched my neck. The necklace I’d acquired then was dangling there. What was it again? They mentioned it would be useful as the story unfolded. ‘I…

The skirmish finally subsided as dusk fell that day. A jubilant feast ensued at the Crossroads. Dubbed as a grand banquet, it was, in truth, a lavish heap of food and drink laid out in the city’s central square, free for all to indulge. “Well then, let’s celebrate the victory we’ve earned by holding back…

-Graaaaaaaaah! A gargantuan specter, swathed in an immense suit of armor. The stage one boss monster, ‘Phantom Knight’, bellowed an uncanny roar. -Kukuwoong-! The entity that had been hovering in the air descended to the ground, shaking the entire vicinity as if an earthquake had struck. We all teetered simultaneously. ‘Damn!’ Confronting the creature on…

-Aaaargh! The Living Armors had reached the moat. Their advance slowed as they negotiated the water-filled moat, all the while enduring a relentless hail of our arrows. Still, they proved hardy. Brushing off the arrow impacts across their armored forms, they crossed the moat and arrived at the base of the castle walls. -Thump! Thump!…

“Better one lives to tell the tale than all perish! Run, kid!” Jupiter implored the last of her companions. “I’ll use my magic to hold them off, use that chance to escape!” The young mercenary, tears streaming down his face, positioned his lance and cried out. “How can that work? Our best bet is to…

“Uh, ughhhh!” “How can we topple such a gargantuan beast…!” The emergence of the boss monster plunged the soldiers on the ramparts into disarray. The once relentless fire of the cannons and ballistae halted, and the once impermeable wall of flame quivered and broke. -Roaarrr! -Roaarrr-! Living Armors that penetrated the weakening wall of flame…

“Protect the Empire” is, at its core, a defense game. And what’s the golden rule of such games? Monsters follow distinct patterns of behavior. These patterns are designed for the players to understand and to formulate a defensive strategy accordingly. In “Protect the Empire”, the monsters usually exhibit one behavioral pattern. ‘Kill humans.’ They choose…

Work was progressing in earnest. I hustled around the site, giving out orders. We fortified our defense mechanisms, set up artifacts on the ramparts, refined the soldiers’ formation, and worked tirelessly to erect the wooden wall. ‘Not too shabby.’ With every preparation made, my confidence in this stage grew. ‘There’s no reason to panic!’ Indeed,…