Chapter 7: Solar Eclipse (1)

[Strategy] Must-Read for Newbies! EP1. Solar Eclipse Event Perfect Guide (ver 1.1)
Author: Veteran12 | Date: XXXX-XX-XX | Views: 9999+
Content:

Hello, you ghost of TeLe.
The season for a massive influx of newbies is upon us, so I’m rewriting the guide for the infamous first hurdle, the ‘Solar Eclipse’.
Please read this before asking questions.
Instead of posting things like “Why did I die?” or “How do I save the heroine?” just read this.

Note: This guide only applies to some Western fiefs. If that’s not you, you don’t need to read this. But seriously—who doesn’t start in the west?

Basic Mechanism:
The difficulty of the Solar Eclipse event (monster volume and grade) is based on your fief’s level. But don’t be mistaken: a low fief level doesn’t mean it’s easier.
Even a Lv.1 fief will have monsters pouring in at a level you absolutely cannot block alone—so don’t whine.
If you let your guard down, your fief gets destroyed, and it’s character deletion ending.

For the record: it’s fewer monsters, not weaker ones.
Probably 99 out of 100 newbies won’t survive.

You ask what kind of game this is?
How to survive?
…
Suck it up and endure, lol.
You’re the ones who chose this game.

Basic Strategy:
So how do you clear this?
Simple: strengthen your fief.

During the prologue (before the eclipse), you have to work your ass off—grow your fief, build defensive facilities, secure troops.
Anyone wasting time flirting with heroines during this period is going to die.

Always remember: TeLe is a dark fantasy, not a dating sim.

The best way to strengthen your fief is through Heroes. You cannot progress in this game without them.
Secure at least two 3-star or higher heroes—level them up and equip them properly.

For defenses, upgrade in this order:
Wooden Palisade < Stone Wall < Magic Barrier, and install as many traps as possible (spike traps, oil traps, etc.).

If you manage this well, you might survive the normal monster waves with minimal losses—maybe a few villagers or a hero.

Wave Boss:
If you’re running a low-level fief (3 stars or below), no boss monsters appear. But once you go above 3 stars, stronger enemies start showing up.
Don’t waste all your resources on the regular waves—you’ll need strength for these guys.

Bosses usually have a huge or bizarre appearance.
They’re tough.
But beatable—if you’re willing to get your head smashed in.

Warning: ‘Anomalies’
Here’s the real threat.

Once your fief reaches a certain level (roughly 5 stars or more), special monsters called Anomalies—boss-tier creatures—start showing up between waves.
These aren’t your standard monsters.

They’re f*cked-up in every way.
Some understand human speech. Some use powers different from magic—curses, mental contamination, etc.
Some attacks your mind directly or cause hallucinations. Some ignore physical defense entirely or deal damage in unpredictable ways.

There are too many types and their patterns vary wildly—so there’s no universal strategy.
Dozens have been discovered, and new ones are reported constantly.
Some are weak to specific items; others require specific hero skill combos…

You’ll have to figure it out through experience.

One common tip:
Hold on to your sanity. These things target your mental state. They’ll lie to you. Sow doubt. Mislead you.
If an NPC starts acting weird, don’t listen—be suspicious and shut them down.

P.S. Don’t ask, “How do I catch XXX Anomaly?” in the comments. Find out yourself.
P.S.2. To the newbie who asked about starting in Seorigol… Just reroll, seriously.

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A pitch-black darkness swallowed the world.
The sun that had been scorching a moment ago was gone.
Not a single star or sliver of moonlight remained in the sky.

A dim, ashen night.
A chill sharp enough to cut skin.
And an ominous silence that seemed to devour all sound.

The only lights were the torches burning in Seorigol.
Crackle, crackle.
The orange flames, making dry, brittle sounds, danced in the darkness.
They flickered, casting long shadows that swayed in the cold wind—oddly beautiful in this twisted night.

— Hoot! Hoot!
Far away, an owl cried from the forest.
Confused by the flipped day and night, its call sounded unusually mournful.

But the people standing beneath that sky felt only fear and disbelief.

At the main gate of Seorigol, beneath the old earthen wall, stood Kaelen and his soldiers—who had been mocking me only moments ago—now frozen, dazed.
Their swords and spears trembled in their hands.

“……”

I looked around.
Grandma Ellara, who had been hiding behind a rock, and Anya, who had crouched behind a tree—were gone.

Did they run away?

A bitter smile crossed my lips.
Good. That was the right choice.
I trained them so they’d survive—just a little longer—in this hell.
An old woman and a child… better they escape under the cover of darkness than die here.

I hope they’re safe.

“…How did you know?”

The distant roar of monsters began to rise.
Kaelen spoke just loud enough to be heard over it.

“How did you know this would happen? That the world would go black and monsters would pour in? Everyone laughed at you—the second daughter, the eldest son, the family head, the wise men—everyone!”

Of course, I knew that.
I was the one they scorned and ridiculed.

But Kaelen’s reaction irritated me.
If I had predicted the future so well, shouldn’t he be a little grateful? Why the accusations?

“Did you make a deal with a witch? Or… did you sell your soul to a demon?”

“Sir Kaelen.”

He flinched at my voice. His eyes were still fixed ahead, toward the monster roars.

“It’s not too late. If you’re scared, run now.”

He scowled and grit his teeth.

“…Don’t be ridiculous!!”
He was trembling—but still trying to muster courage.

“I am a knight of Darkest! I will never run away—not with my honor on the line!”

“Oh? For me?”

“Don’t misunderstand!” Kaelen growled.
“I don’t fight for the likes of you! I fight for our honor—for the pride of being a knight of the Darkest family! A pride that will shine brighter than this darkness!”

At his shout, the soldiers were also agitated and readjusted their grips on their swords. Though fear lingered in their eyes, pride and honor now layered over it.

…Fools.

I scoffed inwardly.
Just as I’d planned.

Normally, they would have enjoyed watching me die. But now? Their obsession with honor made them useful. Running would disgrace their so-called noble pride. That was the bait I’d set.

— Grrrrr… Guoooo!
A shriek tore through the dark.
The ground began to tremble.

“They’re coming…!”

Kaelen and the soldiers went pale again. I tightened my grip on my sword and stared into the darkness.

“Grrruk…!”
“Gruk, gruk!”

First came the goblins—small, green-skinned beasts emerging from the shadows. I stepped forward, adjusting my stance. Kaelen sneered.
“Your stance hasn’t improved one bit, young master.”
“You sound like you were my mentor.”
“I’ve seen enough. With that posture, you’ll struggle against even one goblin.”
…And he wasn’t wrong. Despite a year of training, my swordsmanship was still terrible.

Thwack!
I barely parried a goblin’s club.
Pain shot through my arm.

I’m going to die at this rate.

Damn it. I’ve trained every day for a year—why does it feel like nothing?

Well… I never got proper lessons. I learned from books. From watching others. I even begged for training from the family, but they ignored me. I know. For a commoner, this isn’t a bad result. But to survive this… I need more.

“Put a little more strength into your standing foot,” Kaelen muttered like a teacher.

I braced my left foot and blocked the goblin’s next strike.

— Clang!
Better.

“You could’ve said that sooner!”
“Who would teach a bastard child swordsmanship? The family head would cast them out.”
“Then why are you helping now?”
“If you can fight even a little, my chances of surviving go up. Since you’re going to die here anyway, there’s no point worrying about favor.”
Damn this family.
But the anger gave me strength.
I focused. Shifted my weight.
Lowered my stance to absorb downward strikes.
Twisted when blows came from the side.
It looked ugly.
But I was still alive.
“That’s not bad for a young master.”
“If you have time to mock me, help!”
“I told you. I fight for honor. You should, too.”
That just means you want me to die.

Damn honor.
Damn the Darkest family.

Then—

“Kegegegegeck!”

A goblin with narrow, slanted eyes darted toward me.

Hey! Don’t come over here! I’m already in a fair 1v1!

The goblin I was facing (probably SSS-class… okay, maybe not) kept pressing me. The slanted-eyed one crept closer, relishing my fear.

— Screeeech!

The first goblin struck again—this time aiming for my stomach. I yanked myself back.
A sharp pain.
Something warm ran down my side.
Please don’t be intestines.
At that moment—

──────────
[Record: First Sword Wound has been viewed]
▶ You have acquired a Fragment of Memory: <Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.1)>
──────────

Maybe because I’d brushed death, my mind sharpened. I saw the goblin’s unguarded neck—wide open after its attack. Gritting my teeth, I swung my sword. The goblin blinked, staring at its own neck—

—Slice!
Its head hit the dirt.
…Oh.
So they can be cut?
Behind the falling corpse, I saw Kaelen’s mouth hanging open.
“Close your mouth, mister. You’ll get blood in it.”