Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

"Soldier Captain! Look over there!"

Just as Mista finished dealing with the enemy sentries blocking their way and was catching his breath, the soldiers suddenly pointed anxiously in a certain direction and shouted.

Mista's eyes widened at the sight: a creature completely different from the 'ant' form he had encountered so far.

"sickle?"

When Mista first saw the ant, he thought it was holding two giant scythes.

This ant, which is as big as a two-ton truck, has an unusually well-developed mandible, much like that of an army ant.

When those sharp, blade-like jaws crossed, it seemed as if they could sever everything in between.

"How is this possible! They've actually formed a battle formation and are charging!"

But what's truly shocking isn't the emergence of a new Zerg race.

The soldiers, who had initially relied on their range advantage to launch a barrage of fire to resist, were horrified when they saw the ants advancing in battle formation using their hard carapaces as shields.

Because those guys who always just charge blindly are now using tactics for the first time.

Learning and evolution are not the exclusive privilege of the residents.

"Tsk, everyone retreat!"

Mista, sweating profusely, judged that the current fighting force was no match for them and quickly issued a retreat order.

"They're catching up!"

The enemy isn't stupid; there's no reason for them to let the fleeing group go.

They were completely unable to resist during their escape, and the slightest carelessness could lead to a critical situation where victims could be killed.

"Oh! It's the guardian deity!"

"That great one is protecting us!"

Just then, a giant chainsaw fell from the sky and shredded the enemies chasing them.

The erosion creature raised its jaws to the sky in an attempt to resist the chainsaw, but its jaws were quickly destroyed and its entire body was shredded.

As a result, the faulty components died one after another without even daring to think of resistance.

Mista and the scouts, having been rescued, quickly returned to the fortress where the garrison was located.

"Although we couldn't conduct the reconnaissance as thoroughly as we had hoped, we confirmed that the enemy was also gathering in the northwest. That was my intuition, but it seems we can't give them any more time."

"You mean they've already learned how to form formations? How is that possible..."

Mista urged the warriors and soldiers to quickly capture the enemy's stronghold and weaken their forces.

The reason is that if they are given more time, it is unknown what kind of mutations will occur.

Although the others did not object to this opinion, they were all shocked and stirred up a commotion.

Because subconsciously they always viewed the faulty entity as an ordinary wild animal.

This idea has become even stronger, especially after the recent victory.

"Damn it! Large numbers of enemies are simultaneously pouring out from the three enemy strongholds we've identified, and they're heading this way!"

But the real problems are yet to come.

The swarms of insects they were preparing to attack, as if they controlled the timing of the battle, suddenly led their forces out of their nests and began to approach their fortified strongholds.

"Notify the village immediately! Right now!"

Terrified, Mista ordered a request for reinforcements from the village.

To wipe out the enemy's lair, we can only do so after we win this war.

"These guys aren't stupid after all."

Lin Miao witnessed the whole scene. Biting his lip, he switched between the surveillance cameras to confirm that the enemy was approaching the residents from three directions.

This number can't be solved by just swinging a chainsaw a few times.

"It seems we don't have enough defense towers."

Lin Miao inspected the defensive towers she had set up.

Using these defensive towers as reference points, the residents are mobilizing miners and porters to build walls and dig trenches, making their own defensive preparations.

However, to upgrade or build more defensive towers, one must ultimately defeat the swarms of insects that are considered monsters and acquire resources.

In other words, even for the sake of safety, this battle was unavoidable.

"Grab your weapons quickly! If we can't hold them off there, this place will be next!"

The villages that received the news also entered a state of emergency.

The Attila people urged the villagers to quickly arm themselves and send reinforcements to the north.

They had no choice at all. If they abandoned the northern fortress and retreated to their villages for the sake of stability, they would eventually perish like the dwarven kingdom under the overwhelming onslaught of the swarming insectoids.

"Those monsters are like a black tide, an endless calamity. Even the elite dwarf soldiers can't fight forever."

"Don't worry too much, we are different. Isn't that the meaning of our struggle here? By the power given by God."

The dwarf Helson, who was watching from the sidelines, was breathing heavily and his body was trembling slightly.

The trauma of witnessing the destruction of his hometown and village and fleeing for his life with his family resurfaced.

Maureen comforted him with a look of pity.

Although the reasons may differ, the plight of being forced to leave one's hometown always resonates with people.

"The most urgent task is to complete the remaining city walls. Let's all do our jobs. These responsibilities were assigned by that lord based on your abilities."

Maureen looked around at the nearly completed city wall.

With everyone working together to pile up bricks, the giant wall that took many days to build has almost completely surrounded the village.

For residents accustomed to the vast grasslands, this massive, reassuring wall may feel slightly oppressive, but it also brings an unprecedented sense of security.

The Evil Dragon Horn Sword is a weapon that should never have existed.

This was awarded as a special reward because Lillie's achievement in defeating the Chapter 3 boss who colluded with the malfunctioning entity was recognized.

"I can feel the power..."

Lillie picked up the sword, forged from pure dragon bone, from among the corpses of the enemy.

Through the tactile sensation transmitted through the hilt, one can clearly perceive a power that is completely different from any sword used before.

Its characteristics are quite similar to those of special equipment that contain the magic power of mutants.

Before confronting the malfunctioning army, Lin Miao specially brought Lillie back to this place to arm her.

Gabriel, who appeared in a carriage at some unknown time, suddenly appeared in front of Lillie, who was holding the Evil Dragon Horn Sword, and the man staring at her.

Gabriel spoke, "Since an unknown new evil is eroding the world, the gods will naturally prepare means to counter it. Great hero who has slain countless demons, take up this sword and face the formidable foe!"

"You may not believe it, but those black monsters are attacking my hometown right now."

Upon hearing Lillie mention the malfunctioning entities, Gabriel chuckled: "I knew it all along; those guys are no ordinary beasts."

"I hope you can use the power you've gained here to defeat the enemies of your homeland. Only then can you return here once more. I and... we will all be waiting."

Gabriel finished speaking directly.

Lillie nodded, her face tense. "...Understood."

The game is clearly just a means to become stronger. But Lillie, as the person involved, cannot separate it from reality.

This is also another world where others live, a land that malfunctioning entities attempt to invade.

She wanted to kill the enemy and save them.

This is proof that Lillie, who started as a rookie warrior, gradually developed a firm belief and inner strength, and continued to move towards becoming a true hero.

"As long as I can keep getting items, I'll keep coming."

On the other side of the screen, Lin Miao, who was using the mouse to help Lillie retrieve the Evil Dragon Horn Sword and return it to the village, had the same idea.

Although he didn't have the same lofty sense of mission as Lillie, he didn't want to stop playing Dark Souls easily because he could continuously gain benefits from it.

This is especially true now that the malfunction has gradually spread into reality, and the tools they just acquired have been used very effectively.

"Almost everyone who could come has arrived."

"It is difficult to accurately determine the size of the enemy force that has crossed the deep forest."

"That kind of thing is irrelevant; we must hold this place."

Lillie, wielding the Evil Dragon Horn Sword, arrived at the fortress.

Apart from the necessary personnel remaining in the village and the members gathering resources in the game, Attila had mobilized all available forces in Sauria, and he looked around at the numerous defensive turrets rooted in the surrounding area.

"The guardian deity personally descended these defensive towers so that we could defend this place. If we fail to defend it or abandon this place, we will be going against His will."

Attila called this a holy war desired by the guardian deity, thus inspiring his soldiers. That wasn't entirely wrong.

Lin Miao, who was watching this scene from the sidelines, also hoped to rely on this fortress, which had been equipped with defensive towers, to block the enemy.

Losing this fortress would mean that all the previous investments would have gone down the drain.

"This kind of thing will happen again and again. The enemy wants to take our lives, and we must stop them. Although this attack is unprecedented in scale, don't panic. Get back to your posts and fire your arrows. Since our guardian spirit has been with us all this time, we will surely win this time too!"

The claim of a guardian deity's presence is not merely encouragement; it is indeed true.

At this moment, Lin Miao was busy preparing a desktop cleanup program, launching a tower defense game called Kingdom Defense, and checking the status of each defensive tower.

All collected resources must be used to build new defensive towers.

In a sense, I'm fighting alongside them.

Having these means, he believed that as long as both sides cooperated well, they could easily win the war.

Accurate assessment of the battle situation is crucial; constructing defensive towers in suitable locations and supporting chainsaws are essential to effectively assist the villagers.

"The enemy is coming! To the north!"

Soon, a large number of Zerg appeared and began to charge.

Those terrifying monsters knew nothing of fear. They were like programmed instructions, acting for a single purpose.

"All personnel, prepare to fire!"

The villagers, lined up and holding up their shields, simultaneously drew their bows and aimed at the defensive towers that were firing at the same time.

"It's true, they can actually form an array."

Lillie, who was on standby to deal with any emergencies, sighed softly when she saw the enemy lined up, using their helmets as shields to block friendly fire.

The way they march slowly after fully assembling together looks more like an army than a herd of beasts.

"They're coming from here too, one after another!"

"Calm down, raise your spears. This section of the wall isn't finished yet."

Instead of focusing their attacks on a single point, the Zerg, who had a numerical advantage, adopted a strategy of attacking on multiple fronts simultaneously.

Even this place, where the porters hadn't had time to build the wall, was no exception.

The only thing the people guarding this place rely on is the pit that the miners hastily dug, which is 2 blocks deep and 5 blocks wide.

"These guys?!"

But the giant ants did not fall into the pits they had dug as obstacles.

"Those guys in the front row stretched out their bodies to form a human bridge, and the enemies behind them just stepped on them to charge forward."

"Raise your shields!"

At this moment, there was no barrier between them and the enemy.

Forced to form a human wall, the soldiers raised their shields and held their ground, while those with guns began to thrust at the surging enemy.

"It's no good."

This is on a completely different level of brutality than a one-sided barrage of attacks.

In an instant, some people were bitten by the jaw, dragged and torn apart, while others fell to the ground and were trampled.

Bruno, who was in charge of fire support, gripped his staff tightly, his face pale and his eyelids trembling.

It was more intense than any war they had ever experienced. Even the battle against the Gael tribe was an overwhelming victory, but never had it been so devastating.

The defensive towers continued to unleash arrows and magic, yet the number of enemy troops showed no sign of decreasing.

The monsters even continued their advance, stepping over the corpses of their companions as if nothing had happened.

"What are you standing there for! Use magic!"

Rose slapped Bruno on the back of the head and roared as she pointed at the approaching giant enemy.

This formidable enemy, which even soldiers struggle to withstand, is precisely the kind of enemy that requires the warriors to step in.

Bruno hurriedly raised his staff and fired a series of blazing fireballs.

Who will remember this deadly battle?

Bruno, panting heavily, watched the enemy stagger as he was hit by the fireball he had fired.

Those terrifying monsters that attempted to ravage the world, and the people who fell one after another in the battle against them.

In this northern border region that doesn't even have an official place name, they hold their ground.

Faced with the harsh reality, Bruno's beliefs began to waver.

In fact, Bruno was not the only one whose heart was wavering at this moment. Faced with the brutal battlefield and the overwhelming enemy, anyone would feel despair.

"Look!"

"Another new defensive tower has appeared!"

But then, a miracle occurred again that calmed the wavering mind.

Amidst the enemy's corpses, new defensive towers appeared with a dazzling light, standing in front of the enemy and beginning to fire shells.

The soldiers, who had been retreating steadily, cheered upon seeing this.

"That sir is watching us; that's enough!"

Rose, having drawn her sword, pointed to the sky and spoke to Bruno.