Dungeon Defense (WN)

Chapter 380: Encounter of Two Heroes (8)

* * *

A fleet immediately set sail from Genova as soon as it was formed.

‘It would be perfect if we could lure the imperial army to the ocean…….’

The Grand Duke stood on the deck and mocked himself for having such a pointless thought.

The Kingdom of Sardinia may have suffered continuous losses on land, but they remained undisputed masters of the ocean. On the other hand, the Empire had no formidable navy to speak of. How would they lure the imperial army to the ocean if they didn’t even have a way to fight on the ocean?

Genova and La Spezia were only like a hair’s breadth apart. The kingdom’s army sailed without any worries. However, midway through their journey, a commotion erupted from a galley that had been leading the way. The Grand Duke called for an officer and inquired about the situation.

“What is happening?”

“Monsters are attacking, Your Highness.”

“I see. Cooperate with the other ships to repel them.”

It wasn’t uncommon for monsters to attack while at sea. You could basically call it a routine event. Each of the 5-tier galleys, which were the Sardinian Kingdom’s flagships, carried over a hundred combatants onboard. Unless facing an unusually large monster, there was no cause for concern.

The commotion that was expected to die down gradually spread to the other ships. The ship captain looked perplexed as he shouted.

“Your Highness! It’s Poseidon’s Wrath!”

“What……!? This is still the 8th month!”

Poseidon’s Wrath was what the people of Sardinia called a phenomenon where a large number of monsters attacked the sea surface. Monsters were known to migrate in significant numbers around winter, which made seafaring at this time incredibly dangerous. However, it was currently the 8th month. Winter was still far off.

– Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

The sound of bells rang loudly from all around. These bells emitted a specific sound that repelled monsters. The sailors desperately rang the bells, but the monsters showed no signs of backing off. Instead, numerous merfolk and lizardfolk climbed onto the deck.

“Push them back! Push them back into the ocean!”

“Fold the sails!”

“Damn it, why is this happening now!?”

The soldiers cursed out loud as they picked up their spears. They went to the side railings of the ship to stab at the monsters that were trying to climb up. The ship had instantly fallen into chaos.

“We were caught off guard……!”

This large-scale attack was undoubtedly planned by the Empire. The timing was too perfect to call it a coincidence.

The Grand Duke immediately figured out the other party’s plan. Even if they get criticized for mobilizing the Demon Lord Army, the Empire wouldn’t even bat an eye to that accusation. The monsters that were currently attacking the ships had no equipment whatsoever……. Therefore, they were obviously wild monsters.

‘The Empire has no ties with these creatures, and the clash with the kingdom’s forces was merely an encounter with wild monsters.’ This was obviously how the imperial army was going to respond. The Grand Duke groaned.

“La Spezia was bait.”

“Bait, Your Highness?”

“It was a deliberate bait to draw us out. The Empire didn’t fully capture La Spezia but instead pushed it to the brink of collapse. They also anticipated our approach by sea, so they strategically placed these monsters here in advance…….”

Elaborate tactics cannot be employed in naval battles. While they might come into play to some extent when two warships are locked in combat, facing a relentless onslaught of monsters left each ship with no option but to fend for itself.

A galley at the front was powerless against the attack. With its crew and helmsman incapacitated, the ship helplessly drifted into a collision with a neighboring vessel sailing beside it. Although the impact did not cause the other ship to sink, their oars could be damaged if they were unlucky, significantly reducing their maneuverability.

The Grand Duke’s adjutant spoke in a worried tone.

“There are many mercenaries who are not accustomed to fighting at sea……. Your Highness, please allow me to utilize our mages. The damage is getting severe.”

“Not yet. If this was planned by the imperial army, I am sure there is still one more—”

“Kraken!”

Screams of terror filled the sky. A massive octopus leg covered with suction cups surged out from the water. The sharp teeth on each suction cup and the leg size being comparable to an old tree were what made it different from normal octopi.

“Abandon ship! Abandon ship!”

“Uaaahh!”

The kraken wrapped its legs around a galley and snapped it like a twig. The 5-tier galley was powerless before the creature’s strength as it snapped in half. The surviving sailors dove into the ocean, but it was obvious what fate awaited them considering the swarm of monsters in the ocean.

“Your Highness!”

“Now! Order the mages to use all their power to defeat the large creature!”

Twenty mages bombarded the kraken with their spells at the same time. Some of them missed, but most of the spells struck the kraken’s leg. Its flesh erupted as the monster’s leg was severed.

As the kingdom’s soldiers witnessed the leg of the kraken fall, they erupted in cheers. Krakens were feared as sea tyrants by sailors, so seeing one being defeated easily naturally boosted their morale. However, their elation was short-lived, as more legs surged up at the rear of the fleet.

It wasn’t only one that appeared. Several krakens appeared on all sides as if they intended to encircle the fleet. Five galleys were sunk in the blink of an eye.

“Five, no, is it six of them!?”

“Th-This is impossible……. How could six krakens appear at the same time……?”

“Do not panic! The mages can defeat the krakens one at a time—.”

At that moment, a thunderous roar shook the entire fleet. The Grand Duke of Florence felt a primal fear run down his spine and spread throughout his entire body. Despite being engrossed in fierce combat, the Grand Duke and the rest of the kingdom’s forces couldn’t help but turn their heads toward the source of the sound.

They couldn’t see much. Covered in iridescent scales, something resembling a colossal serpent glided through the gaps between waves, swiftly disappearing beneath the sea’s surface. All that remained in its wake were shattered and fragmented ships.

“……Did you see that?”

“O, Poseidon…….”

A faint sound echoed from somewhere in the depths of the sea—a haunting tone akin to the high-pitched melody of a violin—ringing unpleasantly in the ears of everyone that could hear it. The soldiers were facing the looming creatures before them, but their arms trembled uncontrollably due to the spine-chilling terror that gripped them.

“Dear Lord. The last reported sighting of this was more than half a century ago…….”

Waves surged upward again.

The Grand Duke saw it clearly this time. It was a monstrous creature with the body of a serpent, its maw filled with teeth so large that ogres would appear insignificant in comparison. The creature lightly brushed against the galleys as if testing them before swiftly vanishing beneath the sea once more.

The mere action of submerging underwater was enough to effortlessly overturn a galley. The heavily-armored soldiers struggled to swim as they were dragged into the whirlpool, while the sailors were mercilessly torn apart by the rushing monsters. In the blink of an eye, a galley that once carried about a hundred warriors sank beneath the waves.

“Leviathan!”

“Dear God—It’s the Leviathan!”

In a moment’s time, the entire fleet was consumed by shock. The sight of a kraken appearing was a rarity that was hardly reported more than a few times a year, so six appearing at the same time was already terrifying. But to also witness a monster that was said to appear only once every hundred years was beyond comprehension. No, it couldn’t even be considered a monster. The Leviathan was a creature that was once worshiped as a god!

“S-Spread out! That is the only way to survive!”

A few ship captains quickly gave orders to their helmsmen. This was their first time encountering the Leviathan, but they knew that nothing good would come from keeping a bunch of boats close together. Several galleys started to break formation. This promptly broke the Grand Duke out of his daze.

“You fools! Do not break formation! We will die if we split apart!”

If their goal was only survival, retreating from this situation would have been the right choice. However, the Kingdom’s objective was not merely survival; they had to rescue La Spezia. Once one ship fled, the rest of the fleet would be engulfed in fear, and the entire formation would quickly fall apart.

The adjutant held the crystal ball and shouted into it, but a scowl soon appeared on his face as he turned to give the Grand Duke a report.

“Several of the ship captains are refusing to listen to orders.”

“Damn it……. Divide the mages into two groups! One group will attack the krakens while the rest will aim for when the Leviathan appears! Do not lose your composure! The sea does not belong to the monsters! It belongs to Sardinia!”

The Grand Duke of Florence managed to keep the rest of the fleet together with his charisma. This may have been partially because the monsters prioritized chasing down and sinking the vessels that fled. Although this horrified the soldiers, it also solidified the Grand Duke’s statement that they would die if they split up.

A desperate struggle unfolded on the open sea.

As the battle raged on, the mages fought until they exhausted their mana, leaving some of them stranded on sinking ships as they couldn’t teleport to safety. The mercenaries, unaccustomed to close combat at sea, fought with all their might, while even the civilian oarsmen bravely picked up spears to join the fight.

Three hours later.

Against all odds, the kingdom’s army miraculously succeeded in repelling the onslaught of monsters.

From the captain to the lowliest deckhand, everyone on board was panting and on the ground. Four out of the six krakens were killed, and although they didn’t confirm if the Leviathan was dead or not, they were sure they had at least dealt a huge blow to it.

“W-We did it! We won!”

“Glory to Sardinia!”

As the last kraken fled, the soldiers of the kingdom mustered the last of their strength to let out a triumphant cheer. The once imposing fleet of 130 vessels that had set sail from Genova had been reduced to a mere 60. More than half of their fleet had been swallowed by the sea. It probably wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they had been wiped out…….

“Hahh.”

The Grand Duke sat on the ground, utterly drained of energy. Even in a land battle, fighting for three hours straight would be exhausting, but enduring such a grueling battle at sea was even more taxing. He felt completely spent, every fiber of his being drained. They were victorious, but it was a victory filled with only wounds…….

“Your Highness, congratulations on your victory.”

Contrary to the Grand Duke’s gloomy complexion, his adjutant was moved.

“A fleet that managed to come out victorious against the Leviathan—No, a fleet that managed to survive against the Leviathan is unheard of. Your Highness achieved a miracle.”

“……Adjutant, inform La Spezia that there will be no reinforcements.”

The Grand Duke muttered with a heavy heart.

“If a trap like this was prepared, then the Empire’s decision not to capture La Spezia immediately was just another ploy. Heading towards La Spezia now would be like walking straight into their hands. We are returning to Genova immediately…….”

“As you command, Your Highness.”

With the adjutant relaying the order to each vessel, the sailors mustered their remaining strength to unfurl the sails. The intense battle had left many ships with damaged oars, leaving them with no option but to rely on the winds to carry them back to Genova.

“……?”

As each vessel was busily trying to set their sails in motion, a sailor gazed at the distant sea and squinted. Sensing something, they nudged their colleague with their elbow.

“What? Don’t bother me. I already feel dead tired.”

“If you’re dead tired, then I’m already in a grave 10 feet under. Hey, do you see that over there?”

“Huh?”

The other sailor carefully looked in the direction that was being pointed at.

“……It doesn’t look like a monster.”

“That’s because a white monster doesn’t exist. Isn’t that a boat?”

As conversations like this echoed across several other ships, the information rapidly spread from sailor to officer, and then to the ship captains, before finally reaching the Grand Duke himself. The Grand Duke retrieved his telescope and peered through it towards the distant horizon.

“…….”

The Grand Duke’s body froze up, which made his adjutant curious.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

“……They have the kingdom’s flag. It is a fleet from La Spezia.”

The sudden good news made the adjutant rejoice.

“This is good. Their navy must have escaped since La Spezia looked hopeless. We should be able to return to Genova with more ease if we receive their help.”

“Men, prepare for battle.”

“Pardon?”

The Grand Duke lowered his telescope.

“……We received news about La Spezia’s outer walls falling quite a while ago now. There is no way that the ships at the port would be perfectly fine when their outer walls have fallen. Therefore, this means that they have either been hiding somewhere, or their outer walls have not fallen. Either way, this means they tricked us.”

The Grand Duke’s lips trembled in anger.

The edge of the Grand Duke’s mouth twitched.

“Immediately inform the other ships, adjutant. From this moment on, La Spezia is our enemy…….”

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Dantalian really pulling out the sea monster card. I wonder if this is something the Demon Lord Army can only resort to in the ocean. Could they rely on a similar monster on land? Well, I guess they wouldn’t be able to do it in this war since it’s supposed to be a fight between “human nations”. The sea monsters can be played off as a coincidence since they left no witnesses. Welp, maybe we’ll find out later on when the Demon Lord Army starts to take action again.

In any case, I completely forgot about my reserved troop military training last Thursday, so I got no work done that day. I still have one more training left on Sep 11, so I’m going to be dead on that day as well. I think this might be the last training I’ll ever have to go to? As long as North Korea doesn’t decide to do something that is 🙂

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.