A Possessor’s Strategy Guide in a Trash Game

Chapter 4: Tutorial (4)

“Open the gate!”

As we reached the end of the main road, the closed gate began to open.

“Don’t stop! Keep running!”

The viscount’s horse charged forward. As the soldiers crossed the gate, hell broke loose.

“Kieek!”

“Guh!”

Countless Hellmorphs burst from the bushes and ground.

The soldiers tried to counterattack to clear a path, but for every Hellmorph they took down, three or four soldiers lost their lives.

[Lv.7 Hell Soldier (Lowest Grade)]

The enemy levels are too high.

Most soldiers were only level 2 or 3.

My driving off a Hellmorph in the drainage channel was an anomaly; most soldiers couldn’t overcome the level gap.

“Don’t split up! Zone out, and you’re dead!”

“Yes.”

“Got it.”

“Leave it to me!”

At Gerard’s shout, I, Dina, and Jeina responded in unison.

This wasn’t a fair fight.

We were just running for our lives.

[Quest Generated.]

Escape to the western port and board the evacuation ship.

Success Reward: Survival

Failure Reward: Death

Even the quest was demanding I flee.

“Artier! On your right, it’s that thing!”

Crunch!

“Aaagh!”

Several soldiers were flung back.

It was the same creature I’d driven off in the drainage channel.

“Kieeeeek!”

“Hard to believe, but it seems to be looking for you.”

“Seems so.”

While slaughtering the soldiers in front of it, the creature’s red eyes darted around, scanning the crowd.

The only person it could be looking for was me.

“If we stay here, it’ll spot us. Let’s move to the front.”

“Dina, can you clear a path for your big sis?”

“I’m busy too!”

Dina grumbled but supported us by firing translucent mana arrows.

“Push forward! The port’s just ahead!”

At the viscount’s shout, everyone looked ahead.

In the distance, numerous ships were anchored.

“There are ships!”

“If we get there, we’ll live!”

Hope began to spark in the soldiers’ eyes.

But then, something fell from the sky.

Boom!

It crushed the running soldiers instantly.

“What the hell…”

Gerard looked stunned.

A massive Hellmorph, three times the size of a grown man, completely blocked the path to the port.

“Don’t panic! Look for openings!”

Viscount Jestion shouted powerfully and charged.

Boom!

As his lance struck the creature’s body, it was pushed back slightly.

“Kill the monster! Bombardiers, provide support fire! Regular soldiers…”

“Viscount! Above!”

At someone’s shout, the viscount looked up.

“Huh?”

Crunch!

With a horrific sound, the viscount was buried into the ground.

“Ugh, uaaagh!”

“The viscount is dead!”

The soldiers, having lost their leader, fell into chaos.

At that moment, a blood-stained quest appeared before my eyes.

[Quest Generated.]

An overwhelming enemy stands in your way. With the soldiers’ morale at rock bottom, you must find a way to survive.

Fleeing to the forest with your party might let you survive, but everyone else will die.

Using the refugees as bait by scattering them could save your party and the faster soldiers.

Option 1 Reward: Karma Points -5

Option 2 Reward: Karma Points -3

Already time to make a choice?

I surveyed my surroundings with cold, hardened eyes.

“Artier?”

“Captain, there are two ways we can survive here.”

“What?”

Most of the refugees were dead, with only a few surviving.

Their survival was near-miraculous, but to me, it felt like bait deliberately set by some malevolent force.

“What do you mean? Can’t we all just head to the forest?”

Gerard asked after hearing my explanation.

“They’re not idiots. They might ignore a few of us, but if everyone moves, they won’t stay still.”

“Damn it!”

Gerard’s face hardened as he alternated between looking at the soldiers and our party.

Even now, soldiers and refugees were being killed by the Hellmorphs.

“…”

I steadied my breath and gripped my spear tightly. The creature, its blood-dripping pincers raised, stood motionless.

[Lv.7 Hell Charger (Mid-Grade)]

Acting purely on orders without emotion, it was more a weapon than a living being.

Its command was to act as a wall blocking this path.

As if to prove it, it stood firm, ignoring whether the mercenaries or soldiers killed other Hellmorphs.

I can’t kill that thing.

I shook my head.

It was designed to be unkillable.

The second option loses fewer Karma Points.

It was unfortunate, but that’s how this game worked.

As I was about to speak to Gerard, “Artier, let’s break through that thing and clear the path.”

Gerard suddenly pointed his sword at the creature.

“What?”

“This is the right choice. You and I can take it down.”

“What are you talking about? Even Viscount Jestion died in one hit.”

“I know. The two options you suggested are safer and more likely to keep us alive.”

Gerard spoke with conviction.

“But I saw it. You displayed incredible skill, deflecting that monster’s attacks!”

“No, that was…”

I couldn’t hide my flustered expression.

Gerard making this suggestion was a first in all my playthroughs.

Is this because I drove off the tutorial boss?

It seemed that doing something impossible in the original game had created a new choice.

“It’s not invincible. The moment the viscount’s lance hit, it was pushed back.”

“Captain, are our odds good?”

Jeina asked.

“Of course.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“Jeina?”

“You listen to the captain, right, Dina? Heh heh.”

“Ugh… I’m not confident, but we have to.”

Jeina chuckled, and Dina sighed, muttering.

It was a life-or-death situation, yet they acted as usual.

I looked at them, dumbfounded.

How can they be like this?

Even if Jeina was a reckless barbarian warrior who trusted her allies, it was odd that even Dina didn’t show a hint of doubt.

After thinking it over, I realized why.

It’s the skill! The skill’s effect is influencing them.

Gerard had the “Tactical Command” skill.

It allowed him to assess the situation and lead allies with the most efficient strategy, skipping the persuasion process entirely.

But how was it activated?

Tactical Command wasn’t mind-control magic.

Issuing absurd orders would cancel the skill and cause allies to resist. But that meant…

It was a reasonable order.

They were NPCs.

They made this judgment because there was a chance of success.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

“This’ll be fun!”

I stepped forward, lightly rotating my wrist.

Right. If I take down this thing, I won’t need to choose either option.

No need to sacrifice Karma Points, feel helpless, or bear the guilt of sending countless people to their deaths.

As I got closer, the Hell Charger swung its pincers at me.

Staring at the incoming attack, I thrust my spear with all my strength.

Clang!

The pincers were deflected.

It worked!

Even though it was my first time facing this monster, I parried it instantly.

Its strength was immense, but its movements were slow.

“I think I can block it.”

“Good, here I go!”

Gerard immediately rushed forward.

Reaching the Hell Charger, he swung his sword, unleashing a sharp blade of wind.

Crack!

The raging wind tore into the creature’s gray carapace.

“It worked!”

“I’ll block its attacks.”

“Dina!”

“Got it!”

Crunch! Thud!

Jeina’s two-handed axe smashed the Hellmorph’s carapace, and translucent mana arrows began piercing its body.

Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to deal significant damage to its massive frame.

But this was a battlefield, and there were plenty of armed fighters.

“Who are they?”

“They look like mercenaries by their gear…”

“That’s not important! If we don’t break through, we’re dead!”

“Yeah! Avenge the viscount!”

Some soldiers joined Gerard and Jeina, attacking the Hell Charger.

Most couldn’t pierce its carapace, but occasionally, a spear or arrow broke through.

It’s playing out like this?

I calmly surveyed the surroundings.

About 400 soldiers remained.

Of them, a staggering 100 were helping me.

“We might be able to kill it.”

“Yeah, let’s survive this!”

Slash!

The creature’s armor was cut again, and a sticky liquid—blood or otherwise—drenched the ground.

Cracks began to form in what seemed an impenetrable rock.

We can survive.

If we kept this up, we might bring it down.

Everyone shared the same thought as the creature staggered.

But then, “Kyaa!”

A high-pitched scream pierced my ears clearly.

A scream standing out in a battlefield meant one thing: it was someone I knew.

“Dina!”

Gerard’s face drained of color as he turned.

Following his gaze, I was speechless.

“Ugh…”

The creature from the tutorial was biting Dina’s neck.

[Lv.5 Hell Assassin (Mid-Grade)]

Tears welled in her eyes as she reached toward Gerard.

Crunch!

She collapsed helplessly.

“You bastard!”

Losing his composure, Gerard charged with his sword.

Blinded by rage, he seemed to forget where he stood.

“Behind you!”

The Hell Charger was still alive.

And while we’d overlooked it due to its pincer attacks, it had a third weapon.

“Damn it!”

The venomous tail, which hadn’t moved until now, shot out like a bullet.

I can’t block it!

Having to deflect the pincers, I couldn’t stop it.

Clang!

“Guh!”

A translucent shield formed around Gerard. He’d used his Shield skill.

But the venomous tail shattered the shield and pierced his side.

“Gerard!”

I rushed forward and struck the tail with my spear. But with a small tick, a cruel status window appeared.

[Miss!]

That’s right…!

Without parrying, I was just a low-level player charging at a high-level boss.

My spear had no effect.

Thud!

“Urk!”

The tail swung, sending me flying.

Moments later, the unconscious Gerard landed beside me.

“Gerard!”

Thump, thump.

“…Ah.”

I turned my head and faced it.

The Hell Charger loomed over me, close enough to touch.