He first divided his troops into 5 and ordered them to target different spaces. But instead of attacking all five spaces at once, he opted for a more proactive approach.
40,000 players attacked the first space. The numbers were enough to overwhelm the natives stationed at the base, so they had to call reinforcement from the nearby villages. The Vajeers used this chance to send another 20,000 troops to one of the weakened villages and also sent a detachment of 10,000 from the first space.
Despite losing a fourth of their numbers, the players attacking the first space weren’t at a disadvantage. The ones who left were either the injured or the ones who had spent all their energy. Rather than resting at the frontlines, it was better if they traveled to the other village and provided support when needed.
On the third day, the first group of players was at a stalemate while the second group was overwhelming the natives. What happened afterward was a repeat of the first time.
Fast forward to now, the players were distributed evenly at all five fronts. All of them were at a stalemate against the natives– but there was a key difference.
They had the initiative.
Unlike the battered natives, they were full of energy. Not to mention they had achieved their biggest goal of getting a terrain advantage. The gates were broken and the towering walls were surrounded by siege ladders. It was simply a matter of time before the outcome was settled.
*BUUUUUUUUUU*
It was at this time that they realized the true horror of Jindao. What they were fighting thus far were local guards and militia made up of common villagers.
*Clack*Clack*Clack*
Thousands of metallic horses marched on the vast plains. Even the sturdy rocks were trampled to dust under their cavalry charge. And if this wasn’t frightening enough, there were three more legions behind them.
5000 soldiers wielding tower shields, 5000 archers, and 10,000 swordsmen. The same lineup was dispatched to all five villages.
The Vajeers didn’t waste a second and sent distress signals to Zyrus. This was the worst outcome as they were now sandwiched between the village and the approaching army. To advance or to retreat– this was the question that would determine the outcome of war.
‘But this isn’t just a war,’
Zyrus tapped his jaw as he observed the map. The biggest advantage of the shatar was in mobility. Different roles gave unique active buffs and mobilization opportunities. The key to winning this event was precisely this.
He looked at the corner where eight blue flames were flickering. The default maximum number of turns was six. The cap was raised after he occupied the native villages. This made it easy to understand how shatar worked.
‘Nonetheless, there’s no need to wait anymore. 7 turns are all I need…’
This was the beauty of intelligent warfare. This wasn’t just about who was stronger or who had more manpower. There were far too many variables that determined the victor– at least when both sides were somewhat similar in power.
[You have used a Turn]
[Your enemy can also use a special power]
[Turn consumption is double the previous amount for actions within the same day.]
The goblin riders marched from the northern space to southwards. 4 out of 5 spaces were in a linear arrangement, so ‘Bishop’ was perfect at a time like this.
‘Can charge in any singular direction without taking any damage’– this was the effect of the Bishop's role. The 100 goblin riders were enshrouded within a projection of a camel as they ran at a breakneck speed. And following them was the army of thousands of players.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
One would think that wolves were faster than camels, but when it came to burst speed, the camels had the potential to outspeed the former.
Besides, the one projected here wasn’t a normal camel. It had pale yellow eyes that seemed to peer through space itself. Brown fur that sliced through the wind and black hooves that didn’t leave a footprint on the ground, it was a majestic creature in its own right.
[Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn]
[They have forfeited their right]
‘As I thought…’
Zyrus's eyes brightened as he read the text. He used his next move without wasting a single thought. Since the enemy was willing to take a one-sided beating, it’d be rude of him to decline.
Ria and Jacob replied one after another. They were used to orders like these after their years of fighting alongside him.
[You have used a Turn]
[Your enemy can also use a special power]
[Turn consumption is double the previous amount for actions within the same day.]
2 turns were consumed, and as a result, 200 projections of horses appeared in the centermost space. Knights had the ability to move anywhere within 500 meters. When the power of a turn was applied, they could directly jump over to the second adjacent space.
What was worthy of note here was that when a turn was used on a space, every player inside was affected. Taking the goblin rider’s case– 15,000 players with ‘soldier’ roles and 100 players with bishop roles were present their a space, along with two Vajeers.
The goblin riders can move in a linear direction anywhere within their space without taking damage. The same went for other roles as well. It went without saying that the soldiers didn’t have any such special powers.
But things became complicated when a turn was used. First and foremost, to use a turn on bishop, knight, mammoth, etc…all players with the said role had to be present in the same space. You couldn’t just distribute 20 bishops in each space and use different turns on them.
This meant that the Vajeers could mobilize troops anywhere within their space regardless of whether the 10 of them were together or not. They had to be together in the same space only if Zyrus wanted to use a turn on them.
One had to know that this was a huge advantage. It was no wonder the players managed to get an upper hand despite their lacking strength.
Second and most important part, when a turn was used on a space, everyone inside would be affected regardless of their roles. Thus, the 2 Vajeers, 100 bishops, and thousands of players could march in a linear direction without taking any damage.
Why did Zyrus initially use 300 mammoths as a separate unit then? It was obviously to bait the enemy into thinking otherwise. Heck, even the normal players didn’t know about this.
[Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn]
[They have forfeited their right]
‘Hehe…checkmate,’
Zyrus used his third and last move by consuming four turns. 300 mammoths knocked back the enemies in the central space, and most importantly, they created a blockade with the trolls and ogres. The battlefield was rearranged in a way that 80% of Zyrus’s army was fighting against enemy’s 40%.
It went without saying who had the advantage.
Zyrus stored all of the documents and waited for the enemy king. If this was a game of chess, then what he had done was downright moronic.
The king was all alone without a pawn in sight. Worse, he was out of turn for the next 24 hours.
The goal of shatar was to conquer spaces, but there was a prerequisite that both sides had their kings. Even if you conquered dozens of spaces, even if you obliterated the enemy’s pawns, you would still lose if your king was compromised.
Zyrus knew that, and so did the enemy.
[Enemy king has been given the priority in using a turn]
[They have used the special ability of the highest order]
“Took you long enough,” Zyrus curved his lips as he looked at the sky above. He knew that his counterpart was observing his every move.
The role of a king was useless in a frontal assault. It didn’t give any offensive boosts, and as if this wasn’t enough, the king couldn’t attack outside 100 meter range. Oh, and he couldn’t leave the original space without using a turn.
Even the common soldiers didn’t have such restrictions.
|-|~Ank-Vysh-Zoran~|-|
A solemn voice rang across the sky. It was akin to a declaration from the heavens that couldn’t be defied. Thousands of silver chains descended from the sky and bound the 100-meter space around Zyrus.
Forget about moving an inch, he couldn’t even activate his mana.
“Lifebound prisoner? That’s a strange ability you have. How envious,” Zyrus looked at the sky without a tinge of worry.
It was impossible for him to know what special abilities the natives had. In the end, this wasn’t an actual game of chess where both sides had the same pieces.
Regardless, the concept of ‘checkmate’ existed here as well. Zyrus left himself vulnerable for this exact scenario as he wanted the enemy to use their strongest pieces to kill him in one go.
‘But this is out of my expectations,’
Zyrus was unable to use his mana, but his senses were as sharp as ever. It was thanks to them that he realized what these chains were for.
“So instead of sending your pieces over to checkmate, you are summoning me to your side?”
This was without a doubt the best way to ensure victory.
But unfortunately for the natives, the king in question was Zyrus Wymar.