Chapter 6

The Story of the Second Son of a Baron - Chapter 6 (6/123)

< The Story of the Second Son of a Baron – Chapter 6 – >

After that day, battles continued to break out every other day without cease. Fortunately, thanks to the large-scale attack, only the blue alert sounded. As a result, we could accumulate experience in a 'relatively' more relaxed environment. The calendar's vertical column moved down one notch, and during that time, Baron Battery, the leader of the reinforcements, returned to the capital.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to deliver your letter to Baron Dragnil. I hope to see you again next time."

"Thank you for your help."

I sent letters to my parents, my older brother, and my younger sister. The content was that I had arrived safely and was managing well. Although it contained a bit of falsehood, it was to ease the worry of my parents. After that, thanks to Group A being pushed back in the rotation, I had some free time and could start the research I had postponed for adaptation.

"Will it work?"

A tightly closed box. When I opened the box, a stone with the word 'Burst' engraved on it was revealed. It was proof that as long as there was a limit to the distance, one could engrave an inscription without direct contact or visual confirmation of the object's existence.

"The only remaining task is to experiment on a living body."

There was no need to conduct the experiment on my own body. There were plenty of subjects available here.

"Oink, oink."

I immediately headed to the livestock pen. Since they were for consumption, a simple procedure would allow me to use a few of them flexibly.

Moo-

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time. Even if the rotation didn't change, there was no telling when the yellow alert might sound, and even with a blue alert, if the battle dragged on, the later groups would be called up. It wouldn't be strange if I had to go up to the wall immediately. Therefore, I needed to finish the experiment as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry, but..."

I prepared two pigs. I would engrave the inscription 'Pain' on one, and do nothing to the other. If I had more time, I could have prepared other inscriptions to observe their reactions, but given the lack of time, there was no better inscription to elicit an immediate reaction.

Oink, oink?

As mana was consumed, the inscription began to form on the pig's back. I didn't want to cause unnecessary pain – after all, a pig that dies in pain doesn't have good meat – so I used the minimum amount of mana necessary to engrave the inscription. When I drew the final stroke, the inscription began to glow with mana, and the pig, which had been leisurely eating, showed a reaction.

Oink!

The pig rubbed its back against the ground, complaining of discomfort. The other pig continued to eat without any difference, but the pig with the inscription was clearly in pain.

"Whether it's a living or non-living object, there seems to be no problem with the inscription itself."

The inscription quickly disappeared. Since I had used such a small amount of mana, this was to be expected. I repeated the experiment several times and noted the results in my notebook.

The duration of the inscription varied depending on the amount of mana used, and the effect's intensity also influenced the duration. Unfortunately, only one inscription could be engraved at a time. Most of the content was a reconfirmation of what I already knew, but some of it was what I wanted to verify through the experiment, making it a fruitful one.

"It seems I can engrave an inscription up to about 30 cm without much consumption... If I could engrave this on an enemy during battle?"

Not only could I strengthen myself, but weakening the enemy was also a method to achieve victory. For a strong enemy, I could use 'Weak,' for a fast enemy, 'Slow.' There were also inscriptions like 'Weak' and 'Murky' to neutralize strengths or highlight weaknesses. I could also strengthen my allies with inscriptions like 'Strong,' 'Fast,' and 'Recover.' This could be a significant constant in battle and a secret weapon of my own.

"If I weren't at the Terra Wall, I could focus solely on research, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Even the squad leader Yild always went up to the wall to command. As a newcomer, I couldn't leave the front lines for research. Therefore, I had to manage my time more tightly for research.

#

I achieved some small results, but their effects were not significant. The main drawback of inscribing the body was the extreme mana consumption required to see proper effects. The inscription 'Absorb' was fortunate in that it could help recover mana, but if the loss outweighed the gain, it would be better not to use it at all.

The rare peace at the Terra Wall ended, and I was awakened by the loud ringing of the bell.

Ding, ding, ding, ding-

There is only one reason for the bell to ring at the Terra Wall: a monster attack. It had been nearly two weeks since I arrived, and now I would wake up and put on my equipment within seconds of the bell ringing.

Even though I was in the later rotation, the longer the battle, the more mana the mages would consume. I had to be ready to take over, so I waited in the room, tense. I soon realized that this was different from usual.

Ding, ding, ding, ding-

'Is the bell ringing this fast?'

If the bell I had heard before was a coffee, this one was a TOP. It was a very urgent bell, and the soldier ringing it was hitting it with all his might, which could be felt just by the sound.

The soldier was ringing the bell with all his might, without a set interval. Red alert? When the bell rings again after going up to the wall for a yellow alert, that's a red alert.

If not, it's a red alert from the moment a monster is seen on the wall. Remember this well. It's a matter of life and death, so even if you don't want to remember, your body will remember after a few experiences.

'It's not blue. It's yellow!'

This meant that the attack, which could make the usually unflappable soldiers of the Terra Wall anxious, had begun.

'Those annoying creatures.'

They were truly annoying. Since I arrived, the number of monsters I've killed could form a mountain, yet they keep coming in droves, as if mass-produced in a factory.

The only superpower on the continent, the Bahamut Empire, didn't abandon further territorial expansion just because the land was cold and barren.

Even if they advanced beyond the Terra Wall, the benefits from the land would not outweigh the losses in defending it. If not for the natural blessing of the high mountains, the northern border of the empire might have been much further south.

"Damn! I thought it would be quiet for a while, but they're causing trouble in the middle of the night!"

"Move quickly! We need to set up our defenses before the monsters get closer!"

"Please, let me sleep a bit!"

Naturally, chaos reigned inside the building. The calm from a moment ago had long disappeared, replaced by curses and shouts. I, too, had to throw myself into the chaos. This was a place where everyone had to do their best to survive. This was the Terra Wall.

#

"When Group C goes up, Group A comes down!"

"Good work. Leave it to me and focus on recovering your mana."

"Thank you."

The battle that started in the middle of the night showed no signs of ending even as dawn approached. There were many flying monsters like harpies and wyverns, which were rarely seen during blue alerts. Focusing only on the wall below could lead to being caught and dragged away by the monsters, making the fatigue several times worse.

"Damn. No matter how many I kill, they just keep coming."

"Still, they'll retreat when the sun is fully up."

"That would be nice, but who knows? Monsters don't think and act like humans."

Just because we came down from the wall didn't mean we could relax. Flying monsters like wyverns often invaded the interior of the wall. Even if it wasn't a direct attack, they could drop boulders the size of a person from above. We moved to a safer location and encountered a group of soldiers who were bound and under guard.

"Those people are...?"

"First time seeing them? They're traitors. Cowards. They betrayed their comrades, friends, and humanity out of fear of fighting monsters. No matter how scared and hard it is, don't become like them. The end of a traitor is tragic."

During a yellow alert, most of the Terra Wall's forces had to focus on defending the wall, leaving the interior vulnerable. These were the soldiers who took advantage of the gap to desert or hide from the battle.

"Pitiful people."

"Pitiful? Do you think we're here by choice? Someone has to do it, and if we run, our families will be in danger. They're just selfish scum."

It must be scary. They must have wanted to live. But as Yild said, someone had to do it. They ultimately abandoned their comrades and families, so even though it was pitiful, I didn't feel like doing anything for them. We didn't abandon them; they abandoned us first.

"Focus on recovering your mana. If we retreat now, it would be good, but we might have to go up again."

"Yes, I understand."

< The Story of the Second Son of a Baron – Chapter 6 – > End