alwaysunqualified

  Chapter 40 – Monster surge

  It had been a while, but I found myself once again standing aimlessly in formation, part of a small contingent of a few hundred men positioned to the left of a much rger group, thousands strong. We were assembled just outside the Octave, the protective barrier visible in the distance, in a vast cleared space that accommodated our considerable numbers.

  Merely an hour after dispatching the shadow to the void, a notification arrived: a monster surge was headed our way.

  A monster surge occurs when, for some reason, a horde of monsters converges and moves in a single direction, dragging additional creatures into their ranks as they go, without attempting to fight or kill one another. If not intercepted, they continue their relentless advance until an obstacle halts their progress. Unfortunately, the Octave lies directly in their path, and without intervention, they will overrun it and destroy the massive tree that shields this pce.

  An emergency order was issued in response, instructing us to prepare to confront the surge. The alert, issued directly by the queen, indicated that the surge had originated deep within elven territory and would arrive in less than four weeks. That was four weeks ago, which meant the horde could reach us today, perhaps within hours.

  Over the past few weeks, the elves have been skirmishing with the advancing monsters, attacking from the periphery in attempts to slow their momentum, allowing us time to assemble here. However, we anticipate little further assistance from the elves.

  All the higher-tier personnel remained here, while those in the lower tiers, including my squad mates, were redeployed to encircle and attack the weaker, slower monsters at the back of the surge, leaving the highest tiers to us. They departed just a couple of days after the initial warning.

  Over the past week, numerous high-tier individuals have been arriving and departing from the Octave. From what I've gathered, the military is managing multiple supply lines directed towards and around the monster surge, while adventurers utilize these lines as bases from which to clear areas or engage stray monsters.

  I’ve even recognized some familiar faces on my mini-map, the trailbzers, moving in and out of my viewable range, though I haven't had the opportunity to greet them.

  Today marks the day we at the base take action, having set up multiple devices in preparation for creating a final barrier. I have primarily used my inventory to transport rge items brought in; interestingly, it seems there’s no size limit to what I can carry, a satellite and a candy bar occupy the same slot. However, there are some restrictions I discovered: I cannot store a house, even if it's smaller than other items I can store, and I can't store pnts directly from the ground, though I can if I uproot them first.

  These limitations might evolve as I level up my inventory, but I’m still uncertain if the upgrade was worth it. Everything points to Love Land being the most useful, but that might be because I haven’t fully grasped how all these elements integrate. For example, I could deploy traps in Love Land and potentially use my inventory to transfer them outside—perhaps even entire buildings or the training dummies. Maybe I could store abilities and skills once my level is high enough, or even carry over card uses year to year.

  I’m sure I could discern an upgrade path if my Observe were higher, or perhaps there are items that could unlock new options if I leveled up my shop. I’ve considered bancing my features tiers evenly, as I did with my stats, but that seems like a surefire way to exhaust my points, leaving nothing for leveling or higher tier unlocks.

  I sighed. At least love points are straightforward; you use them as needed without the worry of depletion, as I kept receiving notifications of new points earned even now.

  I sighed again, facing the real solution I’d been avoiding: advancing every girl I held a card for beyond one thousand points. With Yuno already at forty-two thousand, it was unclear if there was even an upper limit. It seems that while love points offer a passive income, Affection requires active effort to accumute.

  I had already resolved to return home, yet I found myself hesitating, likely out of habit. The future version of myself was correct: if they were willing to assist and understood the associated risks, I shouldn’t push them away. Perhaps my real fear was growing too attached to more people here, even though that seemed inevitable. Despite knowing my family was safe in the city, far from the dangers I faced, I couldn’t help but worry about them.

  [A new event has triggered, would you like to start a date? (yes/no)]

  The abrupt notification snapped me out of my reverie. I had pnned to initiate a date as soon as the mission commenced, hoping to use my reset ability to minimize casualties.

  As I selected 'yes,' a new interface appeared: the Faction Wheel. At its center, the bel 'faction wheel' was surrounded by segments featuring groups of women—humans, elves, amazons, orcs, goblins, and many others.

  [Event bonus]

  All the wheel targets aligned to feature the same group, all beled "Cupid City."

  Staring at the wheel, I wondered how this setup constituted a date, but I decided not to question it at this stage.

  [Cupid City Command]

  [Date Target: Cupid City Resident. [Half effect to those under the city's protection.]]

  When time resumed, my vision shifted to a woman who came crashing down, nding with a thunderous impact in front of our military formation of thousands, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

  As she swept her hand, the dust dispersed, revealing her standing proudly with her staff. She wore a thin rainbow-colored gi that resembled martial arts attire, her long lime-green hair flowing behind her. Her staff, adorned with golden accents at both ends, matched her vibrant outfit. Her fingers and toes were elongated, reminiscent of a monkey’s.

  [Name: Thalia Kaelin Ironfist Level: ??? Affection: [Married] House: Ironfist [Head of House Ironfist] Highest-ranking military officer and leader of House Ironfist. Has three daughters. Notably commenced a seven-year sexual marathon with her husband, leaving him unable to get it up for the entirety of the following year.]

  Following her, a woman dressed in a maid uniform nded. She quickly swept away the dust around her, efficiently cleaning the area. She then spread a pristine cloth on the ground—all of this accomplished before the next individual nded.

  Next came a girl I recognized from the hydra battle years ago, whom I had seen in the CG I viewed when I was bored. Her sword was already drawn, and the smudges and scrapes on her otherwise pristine skin-tight armor suggested she had been in combat recently.

  [Name: Elsa IronfistLevel: 67 Affection: 0House: Ironfist [youngest daughter]Solely dedicated to her training.]

  When she nded on the freshly cleaned ground, the maid bowed before stepping back to stand behind her.

  Finally, another familiar face arrived—our former military commander, whom I had hoped not to see again. She looked worn out, her hair and clothes in disarray, a stark contrast to the immacute clothing she once wore. Her face bore the marks of exhaustion, and she seemed on the verge of colpsing even as she nded.

  [Name: Ava Ironfist

  Level: 45 Affection: 300 [+200 Fangirl] House: Ironfist [23rd Daughter (2nd Youngest)] Running around tirelessly for the past year on her mother's orders, without rest.]

  Once all three were assembled, the woman called out, "Initiate," before smming her staff on the ground. With each impact, I felt a connection form, and my awareness broadened. Buffs were applied and yered, and all military personnel withdrew the assigned pills, consuming them.

  She smmed her staff down again, and I felt a probing sensation in my mind, linking me with those around me. My consciousness expanded, and I could sense the intensifying battle with the monsters rapidly approaching our position.

  "Deploy," the woman commanded, and the military personnel swiftly scattered, receiving real-time updates on our objectives and positions. I was instructed to stay back. After the tenth strike of her staff, she vanished from my view.

  My vision then shifted to the woman, now soaring high above the trees. Far in the distance, a cloud of dust churned through the forest. Between us and the dust cloud, figures retreated rapidly, casting their Blessing behind them as they moved.

  The soldiers executed their orders meticulously, advancing towards the horde but carefully not overextending. Their hesitation wasn't due to fear or xity; they were strategically waiting for the initial maneuver that would signal them to move into their designated positions.

  The woman suspended above raised her staff above her head, and it expanded to the size of a small mountain. Then, with a forceful kick against the air, she propelled herself forward. Her staff trailed behind, covering miles in less than a second until she reached the forefront of the monster horde that was tearing a clear path through the forest. She targeted the lead monster, a rge green humanoid with no head but a mouth full of teeth protruding from its neck.

  With a powerful thrust, the woman unched her staff forward, outpacing her flight, and smmed it into the lead monster below. The creature tried to brace itself, catching the colossal staff with its six nky arms crossed, but the impact hurled it backward, colliding with the monster behind it, kicking up a cloud of dirt. The staff came to a halt with a tremendous shockwave that cleared more space around it. The bst was so intense that even back at the base, I felt the shockwave's force, struggling to maintain my footing as the wind buffeted me.

  The military personnel continued to hold their positions, watching intently, waiting for the signal to move to their designated locations.

  Some monsters were momentarily stunned, but a rge swath simply maneuvered around the staff as the lead monster began lifting it. Before it could fully rise, the woman's bare foot smmed into the other end, driving it further into the ground and generating a second, even stronger shockwave.

  The command to advance was given, and a number of military personnel quickly formed a wedge before unleashing their own abilities. Each ability momentarily halted the horde just enough for those behind to activate an artifact that erected a shield. A series of explosions followed, cascading down the line, hurling monsters into the air. Although this only stalled the monsters, it created a strategic line shaped like an arrowhead, forcing any advancing monster to either veer around or break through our formation.

  Then the adventurers surged in from behind our line along with designated engagement teams, turning the battlefield into what could only be described as organized chaos. Abilities were activated in rapid succession, and it seemed miraculous that they didn’t interfere with one another.

  Or so I thought, until new orders began flooding my mind, outlining my expected actions. I realized then that all these individuals were interconnected, orchestrated by the person who had linked us. This epiphany was accompanied by my vision overying with a screen that depicted our troops spread out like units in a real-time strategy game. Thousands of individuals were dispyed on the left side of my screen. When I focused on one, my view instantly shifted to that person, and a yout of their abilities appeared in a hot bar at the center of my screen. Below that, a queue of actions they were instructed to take was listed, guiding their collective actions in this chaotic battlefield.

  My map, positioned in the bottom left-hand corner, dispyed the ongoing csh with red and blue dots representing the opposing forces, interspersed with golden dots darting across the battlefield. It now also highlighted areas of control and zones impacted by troops' abilities, ranging from buffs to offensive lines of fire.

  Shifting views, I focused on a familiar man wielding a glowing sword, cutting down monsters left and right, supported by several women trailing behind him. Switching to another perspective, I saw the staff-wielding woman in fierce combat, driving the six-armed monster back into the advancing horde, her wide sweeps making it difficult for other monsters to pass as she battled. The third view showed the girl I recognized from the hydra fight years ago, protected by her maid as she struggled to hold her ground against the monsters she faced.

  I realized that the golden dots represented commanders. Each one controlled a segment of the battlefield, leading the main fighting force in their area with support from what were essentially grunts.

  As I observed the unfolding battle, I began to understand their strategy. There was a primary individual who connected everyone, with seers or others possessing precognitive or coordination abilities to direct the combatants.

  Watching a tragic moment where a girl was instantly killed, her head blown off with no chance for intervention, it was evident that the system was not fwless. Whether the error was due to a misjudgment by the strategist or a failure in execution by the girl was unclear.

  The notion of an intentional sacrifice fshed through my mind, and I clenched my fist, contempting whether I could manage any better. Observing the chaos, I believed I could, or at least I would ensure that no one was sacrificed for arbitrary reasons.

  Suddenly, a burst of information surged into my head, connecting me to a group of people. This connection was akin to the effect of my card but far less personal. Nonetheless, I became acutely aware of their conditions and capabilities, and my perspective shifted once again.

  I was assigned to oversee a twelve-man unit tasked with reinforcing another group in dire straits. The group needing support had three unconscious members, while four others had suffered severe injuries, missing limbs that would take time to regenerate.

  As soon as my unit engaged, another field appeared on the right side of my screen. It dispyed an action queue for the enemies, complete with the percentage likelihood of them taking certain actions. These percentages fluctuated every second, with some probabilities disappearing and new ones emerging as the situation evolved.

  Now in command of this group, it was clear they would follow my directives. I quickly absorbed as much information as possible before they fully engaged in the conflict.

  As soon as they engaged, I swiftly pulled them back, directing the advancing monsters into the path of an incoming ability that struck the front ranks. Seizing the momentary confusion, I ordered one of my operatives to go into stealth and maneuver behind enemy lines where a monster was healing its comrades. Meanwhile, I had most of the rest fortify our defenses while two others readied their abilities for an offensive strike.

  As the monsters reengaged, my stealth operative attempted to eliminate the healer. With only a forty percent chance of success, the attempt failed, prompting me to direct my two offensive soldiers to target the healer, using the distraction of the explosion to allow my stealth unit to re-enter stealth and move through friendly territory to regroup.

  Reassessing the situation, I sent my melee fighters in just as the probabilities shifted dramatically; what was once nonexistent spiked to one hundred percent. A monster mutated due to the ambient mana, detonating explosively. My warning came too te: the first fighter was mortally wounded, a gaping hole blown through his chest, his head barely attached, while the second lost an arm and his sight.

  I quickly ordered a retreat, and another unit moved in to secure the area. I chastised myself internally; the two I had sent in initially had a one hundred percent chance of success, which would have allowed them to assist other beleaguered squads but my haste only contributed to the death toll.

  My perspective shifted to another unit, and this time I implemented a backup defense as a precaution. However, nothing transpired, and the unnecessary use of mana ultimately forced the unit to retreat rather than hold their ground, costing those behind them precious seconds to regroup

  ‘No matter my choice I am risking someone's life.’ I thought. Despite the risks inherent in each decision, I was gradually getting the hang of commanding. My main issue was the speed of my decision-making. I tried to slot in Grace, the princess’s card, to compensate for my shortcomings and gain another boost with my angel transformation, but was met with an error message:

  [??? is not a high enough level to combine the two game modes.]

  I attempted to use my ‘Show Hidden Secrets’ skill to uncover any obscured information, but my efforts to activate my skills were futile, and I was struck by the realization that I couldn't reset this date—my mistakes were irreversible, and I was uncertain how to return to my body, or if it was even possible. This distraction nearly cost another soldier's life. I managed to regroup them just in time; fortunately, the monsters' acid-like spray was less effective against the higher-tiered soldiers, so the damage was rgely mitigated.

  I forced myself to concentrate, pushing all my worries to the background as I moved from one battlefield to the next, issuing commands. My confidence and speed in making decisions improved with each transition until I encountered a familiar face from the first Octave I had visited.

  She stood in the center, surrounded by monsters, her small frame swaying back and forth.

  “Behold, as I shatter these feeble shackles of despair! With every heartbeat, the demonic pulse within me grows, uncoiling its ancient wrath. The air crackles with the power I had once sealed away, the power that now screams for release! Monsters, prepare yourselves! For I am no mere mortal maiden; I am the herald of chaos, the empress of darkness!” she shouted as monsters lunged towards her.

  Suddenly, a giant horned creature tore through the sky, smming its hooved fist onto the ground amidst the monsters. Purple smoke and fire erupted on impact, scorching the creatures as they writhed in pain and fell.

  All but one monster succumbed; the survivor charged at the girl. The giant demon attempted to intercept, but the monster passed through it, and my troops were too distant to intervene.

  She dispyed a look of surprise and let out a loud "EPP" sound as she fell onto her butt. Fortuitously, another girl arrived just in time, and with a shout of “Divine smite!” the remaining monster evaporated into thin air.

  The rescuer then grabbed the girl by the ear, her expression stern as she lectured, "Would you be serious and knock it off with the anime antics? This is real life, and you're putting yourself in danger by pretending it's an anime."

  "But you have to do a monologue when—" the small girl tried to argue.

  "Enough! We are falling back before you get yourself hurt," the other retorted, dismissing the smaller girl's protests.

  I paused, puzzled by the word 'anime'—a term I hadn't expected from her, which momentarily distracted me. This distraction almost led to a man being blindsided by a stray ability. Fortunately, his own sharp senses allowed him to dodge it amidst the chaos. I quickly refocused, taking a few deep breaths and organizing a safe retreat for the two girls. I decided to inquire about it ter; for now, my priority was to maintain focus and prevent any needless casualties.

  The battle seemed to stretch on for days, though it was likely only a few hours, given that the sun was still high in the sky. Throughout, I managed to minimize my errors, ensuring that even if someone under my command was injured, I could preserve their life. Then, a notification appeared.

  [The event has come to an end.]

  My perspective shifted to a horde of smiling Amazons racing through the trees before they leapt out at the fnk of the monster horde, hundreds of them flooded in like rain, effortlessly slicing through the monsters. Each Amazon took down any monster she passed. After clearing the ones we were engaged with, they stormed down the line, effectively decimating any advancing monsters. They shouted and ughed joyously all the while.

  [Date end]

  My perspective shifted back, and I dropped to my knees, my body and mind throbbing with pain as I struggled to stay conscious.

  "Here," a familiar voice said. Looking up, I saw a still haggard-looking girl standing in front of me, handing me what appeared to be a high-tier potion.

  [Tier two special mental recovery and reinforcement potion. Has a side effect of dumping unnecessary information that is putting a mental tax on your mind.]

  "Don’t think too much of this. I was ordered to keep you safe while you commanded. Here, hurry up and take this. It's a special concoction to help recover after being part of a network," she said quickly, seemingly worried that I might think she still didn't dislike me.

  She had nothing to fear; I still didn’t like her, but given how terrible I was feeling, and with each thought sending pain shooting through my brain as it tried to catch up with events, that didn’t matter as I struggled to take the potion from her.

  "You are still this useless. Fine, I'll feed you," she said, putting the bottle to my lips. "Come on, even my little sister could drink better than this when she was done with training."

  I seriously considered making a second list of people I wanted to smack. She would be the first one added.

  After taking the potion, the weight on my brain eased, and I let myself drift off.