LIGHTNOVELONLINE (Vol3)102. Ancient Memoir
It's hot...and bright. I open my eyelid to be blinded by the sizzling sunlight.
I instantly cover my face with my hands and get up. The floor beneath is pure sand.
Melissa, Audrey, me, and seven other officers sink separately in the golden sand.
Behind us is a large metal gate and wall that encircles a city.
"Everyone!" Melissa cries out.
She goes to help everyone up. "Is everyone okay?" She asks.
All of them nod except me.
...
That system notification. Did it ask me to die?
And that deceased hero boy.
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck! What is going on?!!
I grasp my hair and look around.
"Arsto! What's wrong?" Audrey asks me.
"I-I..."
...
I take a deep breath.
"I'm fine," I say.
Even with so many questions, I am forced to move forward for the sake of survival. However, one irritating question has been answered: The system is not on my side. Every main mission leads to a grim reaper aiming for my neck.
First, it was the town invasion at Elvis and now this.
...
I clench my fist with a sour expression.
It wants me to die yet I still need the system to survive. Damn it.
A lonely desert that extends to the horizon and a single fortress. During the events of "Elvis Arcane", this city had ceased to exist and I don't even know what it was called.
It is simply a fragment of memory buried in history.
"Are we in a dungeon?" an officer says.
"That shouldn't be possible. I've never heard of a magic that can create a dungeon."
"That mage did not create a dungeon, he simply forced our entry into an existing dungeon in a faraway coordinate," I say.
Melissa raises her brows. "Ancient magic?" She says.
Correct, it is ancient black magic called "Hell's Door" but I only know its functionality.
A panel abruptly pops up.
----------------
Hordes of monsters are approaching the city. With no reinforcement and hope, you are the last row of defence for the city. Defend or die trying.
You are now granted the "Tower" status. Monsters won't attack you and will instead head for the city.
The first wave will arrive in 1 hour.
You currently have 5000 coins.
Prepare your defences.
----------------
That's right, this current dungeon is a "Tower Defence".
"Ugh?!" everyone aside from me grasped their head. Unlike my system notification, instructions about a dungeon will be forcefully imparted to participants.
"Defence and hordes of monsters. Shit, a defence dungeon...there are only ten of us!" Audrey exclaims.
Dungeons are categorized into 3 genres: Siege, Defence, and exploration. The first dungeon I entered when I first came to this world is an exploration dungeon.
"It's alright," Melissa tries to calm everyone. "We have coins and can use those to prepare a defence-"
"It will not be enough." I cut Melissa.
"What do you mean?"
...
"I've spoken to a survivor of this dungeon before," I lie to convey information about the dungeon. "There will be ten waves we need to clear before they let us leave. Seems easy but the size of the horde is the problem."
...
"How did that survivor survive?" Melissa asks.
I was waiting for this. "Simple, we simply have to find the escape ticket and all of us can leave safe and sound. Now for the bad part, the escape ticket can be hidden literally anywhere around us."
I point at the sand. "In the sand." I shift my point to the giant gate and wall. "Or inside the fortress."
"You can get in?"
"Yes, but you will need some time. It's tall."
The officers regain their morale from the glimpse of hope but I purposely left out one crucial piece of information to prevent despair, the estimated number of enemies.
With the first wave nearing, setting up a defence is the priority.
Like in a tower defence game, "towers" can be built to repel monsters; The monsters will ignore any defence and go straight for the fortress.
A health bar is above the fortress gate. It can take 5 million hits at best.
I extend my hand pointing at an area of sand.
A panel pops up.
----------------
Build a tower.
Current coins: 5000
-Turret(100 coins)
-Barricade(50 coins)
-Research Centre(10000 coins)
-Spike Trap(50 coins)
-Coin Mine(2000 coins)
-Moat defence(5000 coins)
-Healing Totem(10000 coins)
[More...]
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With the most knowledge about the dungeon, everyone agreed to let me lead the defence.
Ten of us which means in total 50000 coins.
"We should consider long-term investment into the coin mine first," Audrey suggests.
"Does that matter if we die?" Melissa counters.
I side with Melissa. "According to the survivor, the hordes are randomized and we don't know what or how many will be coming. We should increase our chances of survival as much as possible."
...
Audrey nods and the rest follow.
Three layers of the barricade are placed around the gate, each spaced quite some distance apart. Between the barricades, many turrets are built and fit as much as possible.
Defences can be upgraded. At the first level, a turret is simply a tall wooden structure with a black humanoid figure holding a wooden bow. However, what we need right now is not firepower but fire rate, totalling down to 300 turrets after using all of our coins.
"With this...w-we should be able to last right, even if it's just ten of us." an officer asks me.
I stay silent.
...
----------------
The Intermission Period is over!
The wave is approaching!
Total enemies:
×100,000 Goblins
×250 Goblin Cavalries
×1 Goblin Mage
Defend the fortress.
----------------
!!!!!!!!!!!
"W-What?! One hundred thousand goblins for the first wave?!!" Melissa exclaims.
Like a tsunami crashing into a building. We can hear a sea of footsteps heading our way.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*
A warhorn sets the atmosphere, initialising the first wave of hell.
What are the chances of survival at my current level and party? Zero. From the start, the only way we can survive is to find an escape ticket.
There is no fucking way we can clear this dungeon as it is...a late-game dungeon.
I turn behind to my comrades.
"From now on, it will be a battle of stamina and fatigue. Good luck." I say.