Pick Me Up!

The mission had been set in stone, leaving no room for idle moans. With a sense of urgency, I descended from the towering structure and joined the waiting members below.

The combined forces of Party 1 and Party 2 amounted to a total of ten individuals. To support our ranks, we were accompanied by approximately 350 allied NPCs, bringing the total fighting force to around 360.

Though my face betrayed a hint of worry, I managed to conceal my emotions. In the realm of this game, even seemingly impossible missions had a path to victory. Such was the rule of Pick Me Up.

“Gathered at last,” I spoke, my words encompassing the attentive gazes of their comrades.

Now, all eyes were on me. It was time to move forward.

“After compiling all the information, let’s delve into the specifics of our mission, objectives, and individual roles. Let’s go in order, starting from the left. What did you observe?”

“Well, I can start,” Jenna offered, breaking the silence.

She began recounting her attempts to communicate with the people within the city. Alas, no responses came their way. It appeared that although she could see and interact with the villagers, the reverse was not possible. Communication was a frustratingly one-sided affair.

‘Isn’t it easier to leverage the NPCs this way?’

Next in line was Aaron, who shared his findings. According to him, the refugees were converging in the city’s central district. However, escape routes seemed scarce, with no gates to the south or west, leaving the northern and eastern gates vulnerable to the relentless goblin assault.

Aaron concluded his report with a somber expression, “If the city falls, everyone here will meet their end.”

One after another, the reports continued.

From atop the city walls, I beheld a disconcerting sight—a horde of thousands of goblins swarming outside. The city’s defensive forces were vastly outnumbered, and the residents were in fear. Morale among the defenders had plummeted. The situation seemed dire, lacking any notable silver linings. Nevertheless, from my vantage point atop the tower, I had already gained a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances.

Finally, it was my turn to address the gathering.

With unwavering clarity, I told them the mission’s task. “This time, our mission is to defend.”

“Defense?” Edis inquired, seeking further clarification.

I nodded in affirmation. “Indeed. Our objective is to safeguard this city from enemy invasion. It’s unlike our previous encounter on the 5th floor. We can’t simply hunker down in one location and hold our ground. This time, we must fight to save the city too.”

“But it’s strange, isn’t it? Goblins have never breached the boundaries of the human territories before, let alone with siege weapons.”

“Strange or not, we can ponder that later. If we fail the mission…”

Thoughts of what fate awaited the heroes in the event of their failure crossed my mind.

“We’ll all perish.”

“Even if we manage to escape the city?”

“Yes. No matter where we are, the moment the mission fails, our lives will be forfeit. There are no exceptions.”

“That’s a harsh reality.”

Roderick’s complexion stiffened.

“I believe the condition for success is the complete annihilation of the invading army. On the other hand, the failure condition… Look next to the tower.”

Beside the tower stood a small cathedral, its courtyard adorned with statues crafted from plaster. These statues emitted a radiant crimson glow.

“What are those luminous statues?”

Two winged girls embraced each other, their eyes fixed upon the heavens.

They were known as the Twin Goddess Statues, objects frequently encountered during specialized missions when I was a master.

I offered an explanation.

“If those statues fall, the mission is deemed a failure.”

“That’s unbelievable…”

“It may defy reason and logic, but if we wish to avoid meeting our demise, we have no choice but to confront this challenge.”

“But how did you come to possess such knowledge?”

“You just understand that my experience in mission execution far surpasses yours. That’s all that you need to know, if I have to explain this to you we will need a whole night.”

“I see…”

“Now, moving on.”

With a swift motion, I sketched a grand circle on the ground.

Within the encompassing circle, I delineated a smaller one, placing a dot within its confines.

“The larger circle represents the outer defenses, the smaller circle symbolizes the inner defenses, and the dot signifies the goddess statues.”

While the number of allied NPC troops may be modest, our defensive structures remain steadfast.

The city walls stand resolute, and the gates are securely locked—an encouraging sight, to say the least.

With a deft stroke of my sword, I sketched circles to the north and east of the city.

These indicated the advancing goblin forces. Within the northern circle, I etched a ladder-like figure.

“After ascending the tower and surveying the surroundings, I discovered that although the goblins may possess superior numbers, their siege weaponry is limited to ladders. Moreover, such equipment is exclusive to their northern forces. Therefore, if we can impede their ladders in the north, we will have ample time to delay their advance.”

“But didn’t you mention this is different from the 5th floor? That we cannot rely solely on buying time?”

“Indeed, you’re correct. Merely stalling will not lead us to victory.”

‘Being aggressive could be an answer. But this is not just a game.’

“We’ll split into groups. Luckily, we have two parties available. One group will head towards the outer defenses in the north of the city and provide support in the defense efforts. Give priority to disabling or removing the ladders placed against the city walls,” I explained, glancing at Edis.

“Are you assigning us that role?”

“If anyone has any objections, feel free to voice them.”

“But we’re just five people. Even if we add ourselves to the 300 soldiers, it doesn’t seem sufficient to protect the entire city,” Edis expressed her concerns.

“You’re right.”

When objectively comparing, the heroes were far more powerful than the allied NPCs, even at a lower level. It all comes down to the differences in stats and skills. However, being powerful didn’t mean they could effortlessly handle a hundred or a thousand enemies. Even with Edis’ party joining the defense, they would merely contribute to a force of around 50 soldiers in terms of human resources.

Of course, it didn’t mean that a hundred-to-one or a thousand-to-one victory was impossible, but that would come later.

I continued with my explanation.

“The only means of breaching the city walls are the ladders. Moreover, the walls are high and narrow. If you can secure the most perilous positions on the walls and hold your ground, it will significantly improve the efficiency of our defense.”

“Is that what you mean?” Edis sought clarification.

“Are you implying that although we can buy time, we cannot secure victory?” she further inquired.

I chose not to respond, yet my silence spoke volumes.

“I understand,” I interjected.

Even if both parties stuck together, the outcome would remain the same. They could withstand the onslaught for a longer duration, but ultimately, the enemy would break through their defenses.

There existed a considerable power disparity between the enemy and allied forces.

Hence, my plan unfolded.

“You need to delay the enemy for as long as possible. If the outer defenses are breached, you’ll retreat to the inner defenses. Secure the gates and hold your position. If necessary, you can use soldiers and villagers as decoys. You must hold your ground until we return.”

“Until we return? Are we going somewhere else?” Jenna questioned, seeking confirmation.

“Yes.”

“…I see,” Edis nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

“Understood. We’ll hold our ground for as long as we can,” she pledged, rallying the other four members.

Once the group of five was assembled, Edis led them towards the northern avenue of the plaza.

Even without providing intricate details, they comprehended the essence of my instructions.

Resourceful, indeed.

“Oh? Did you forget about me? What’s our role in all this?” Asher, the remaining member, spoke up.

“Prepare yourself. We’re heading to the eastern gate,” I replied.

“Hyng, why are we going outside? There are thousands of goblins out there. It’s too dangerous,” Aaron expressed concern.

“Is there any hope for a solution if we stay entrenched here?” I raised my gaze, met by a clouded sky. Raindrops fell, lightly caressing my cheeks.

“No matter how you look at it, staying here would only result in total annihilation.”

The odds were stacked against us, with a power imbalance of over ten to one. Even if we intervened, the odds would merely shift to ten against two.

Recalling the frenzied onslaught we faced on the 5th floor, it seemed unlikely that the enemy would retreat due to temporary setbacks. Logically speaking, it was an insurmountable battle.

However, there was a clue.

“Towards the east of the city, there lies a river. Let’s think back to the 7th floor,” I prompted, seeking Jenna’s attention.

“Are you referring to the river on the 7th floor located to the east?” Jenna pondered, trying to grasp the connection.

“Exactly.”

From the 5th floor up to the 9th floor, all the diverse fields we encountered merged into one on the 10th floor.

“Just before we left the 7th floor, do you remember hearing any peculiar sounds, Jenna? Give it some thought.”

Jenna furrowed her brow, lost in contemplation. Then, a spark of realization ignited within her, and she clapped her hands.

“Come to think of it!”

“Do you understand now?”

“I do! I got it!”

“What did you realize?”

“It was the sound of hoofbeats. I heard the echoing gallops of horses from across the river.”

On the rain-drenched 7th floor, the collapse of the dam caused the water to overflow, creating a flood.

“Our task is straightforward. We need to exit through the eastern gate, break through the ranks of goblins, and prevent the collapse of the dam,” I elucidated.

“Then…”

“We’ll get reinforcements.”

Unsheathing my sword from its scabbard, I secured the strap of the shield around my left arm.

“What? I’m completely lost,” Aaron admitted, seeking clarification.

“I’ll explain it to you on the way…”