214 - 221

Chapter 214: Preparations Complete

Translator: Leyy3

Everyone busily moved to prepare for the all-out attack.

At the 18th base, Laputa's army constantly knocked on Aleister's doors. Back at home, engineers and technicians were working overtime to complete the Full Metal Project.

Nilus and his magic troop were also immensely busy accomplishing their mission, which had their leader's life on stake.

"Focus." Meanwhile, Kang Chul-In was in a lotus position, strengthening his brain power. He was practicing Oraclomind in his spare time.

It was intense self-discipline indeed. However, it wasn't surprising that he'd train.

An Overlord had tons of duties to fulfill, so Kang Chul-In did not have much time to train usually, unless he used his spare time.

A few days passed by. The morning for the all-out attack finally came.

"Your Majesty." Lucia cautiously entered Kang Chul-In's tent.

"Ah, you came." Kang Chul-In broke his focus from Oraclomind and opened his eyes.

"You are amazing, your Majesty. How are you so diligent?"

"It's nothing."

"Across the entirety of Pangaea, nobody should be as diligent as you, your Majesty. Isn't it tiring?"

"Well, that's the life of an Overlord."

"Your Majesty..."

"When I tell myself that it's my destiny, the fatigue strangely disappears." Kang Chul-In replied nonchalantly.

"Since it's only natural for an Overlord."

It was hardly a bluff.

He was being 100% genuine.

Kang Chul-In believed an Overlord should be a flawless existence. Only then did he deserve to govern his land and take care of his subjects.

As I expected, your Majesty is a natural leader! I am so blessed to be his aide!

Lucia admired Kang Chul-In's professionalism.

She firmly believed that there was no other man as charismatic as Kang Chul-In in the whole of Pangaea. It was indeed an honor for her to be his aide.

"So, what brings you here."

"Nilus and his men..."

"...?"

"Collapsed and fainted from overwork."

"...Damn."

Their given task must have been too much to handle.

A failure?

Kang Chul-In bit his lower lips slightly.

He had to launch an all-out attack today to conquer the 18th peak, but if Nilus could not fulfill his mission then he had to face the Death Calling barehanded. At this rate, he had to withdraw his army or come up with an alternative solution.

"However, your Majesty."

"Hmm?"

"Before Sir Nilus collapsed, he told me he managed to accomplish his mission to the best of his abilities. He wanted to pass this ring to your Majesty."

"...!"

"This is the ring, your Majesty." Lucia cautiously handed a box over to Kang Chul-In.

Dalkak.

Kang Chul-In opened the box.

"Nilus... he made this?"

"Certainly, your Majesty."

"Incredible." A crude, black ring was inside the box. It looked sloppy but possessed power beyond Kang Chul-In's expectations. He was surprised that Nilus could make an item of this caliber.

The ring's stats were as follows:

[Epic rank] Infinite Warp Device.

For his Majesty, Kang Chul-In!

-Nilus, the chief magician of the great Laputa.

Weapon type: Accessory (Ring)

Requirements: One who possesses the Soul Core of Laputa

Level limit: None.

Option 1: Agility +12%

Option 2: Evasion +12%

Option 3: Movement speed +7%

Option 4: Attack speed +7%

-Infinite Warping: For 5 minutes, the user is able to jump to another dimension without restrictions. (Cooldown time: 3 seconds)

-Caution 1: This item is a consumable item. Once the duration of Infinite Warping is over, the item disappears.

-Caution 2: Infinite Warping puts strain on the user's body.

This is it!

Kang Chul- In realized that he finally had a solution to face the Death Calling. It was indeed a trump card to put an end to Aleister's regime.

It wouldn't be as easy as it sounded, of course.

"Lucia."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"When the full moon rises, we are launching the all-out attack as scheduled."

"Certainly, we shall prepare accordingly."

"Any news on the Full Metal Project's progress?"

"I have no clue, your Majesty. The main land's communication device can receive messages but is still unable to send replies back."

"Well, no choice then." Kang Chul-In swallowed his saliva.

He was thinking that if the Full Metal Project was complete, he could conquer the 18th peak with much less casualties.

"Alright, just send the message."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"And..."

Kang Chul-In passed a scroll and the item Owner of the Ghosts to Lucia. The latter could now summon spectre knights armed with Phantom Steeds.

"Relay this order to Podolski."

"May I ask what this is?"

"We have to look for the life vessel, don't we?"

"Right...!"

A Lich could revive indefinitely as long as the life vessel was intact.

Similar to Rothschild, Aleister was another difficult opponent to kill.

There's a high chance that the life vessel is still there.

Kang Chul-In knew of a place in which Aleister may have hid his life vessel.

Hence, he planned to put Podolski's men on the frontlines as the decoy, while he searched for Aleister's life vessel.

That place was called the 'Nekromantik

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bay'.

It was a research laboratory located in the deep underground of Deathwin, where Undead Monsters were studied and created.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Not long after the Ishtar Coalition was formed, Aleister once led Kang Chul-In around the Nekromantik bay and said the following.

"This is where our immortal soldiers are born. It's like a womb in a sense!"

"Well... quite a sense of taste you have."

"Hmph! My taste is too sophisticated for you to understand."

"I shall just remember that this place is special to you."

"Of course! I even stored my life vessel here before. I did shift it to somewhere else though! Hahaha~!"

If Aleister's life vessel really happened to be at the Nekromantik bay, he would be suffering the heavy consequences of his own words. As the saying goes, a man, although Aleister was an Undead, not a human, should always watch his mouth.

All preparations are complete.

Everything was flawless.

Unless Aleister's life vessel wasn't hidden at the Nekromantic bay, Aleister would be dead by nightfall.

That would mark the start of Kang Chul-In's series of revenge.

"Lucia!"

"Yes, your Majesty!"

"Distribute all the health potions we have to the soldiers."

"...!"

"This is no time to be frugal. It's the last battle, so we have to ensure that the soldiers are healthy enough to fight to their best."

"Yes, your Majesty!" Kang Chul-In distributed ten thousand people's worth of health potions to conclude his preparation.

He didn't mind spending an enormous amount of gold for that.

It was because this war decided whether Kang Chul-In could advance to the heart of Pangaea.

***

That evening.

-I apologize. Now's not a good time, so please wait a while more.

Albrecht Vilhelm's hologram said.

"How much longer do you want me to wait? You told me the reinforcements would arrive in a week, but it has already been 10 whole days!" Aleister nagged.

He was getting anxious as not a single one of Vilhelm's soldiers could be seen. It was as if they disappeared completely.

-It's autumn, Aleister.

"So what? It's not even winter; are you telling me the falling leaves are slowing down your army's march?"

-I'm referring to the rain.

"Ah...?"

-Terrible weather has slowed us down. I apologize, Aleister.

"I-Is that so?"

-Of course. The rain was so heavy that our men could barely even march. I hope you understand, and please do not doubt me. Our report says that the reinforcements will arrive latest by today evening, so don't worry too much.

"I see... Sorry about that." Aleister gave an awkward expression and apologized to Aleister.

"I didn't know.... I was wrong, Vilhelm. Do forgive me."

-Not at all. I understand your worries.

"Solid... as expected from the next 1st rank Overlord to be."

-You flatter me. Anyone would be anxious in your situation.

Vilhelm pretended to be humble, while spewing sugar-coated words at Aleister.

-But is there really a need to be so worried? Kang Chul-In's army should be extremely fatigued by now. Aren't your Undead soldiers capable of fighting indefinitely without any food and water?

"You are right. Kang Chul-In's soldiers are indeed very fatigued. The anxiety must have clouded my judgment."

-What you need now is a bit of patience. Once my army joins forces with yours, you shall emerge from this war as the victor.

"Thanks for your wise words, Vilhelm!"

-No problem.

Even in his wildest dreams, Aleister did not think that he was being helplessly manipulated. He believed Vilhelm's words wholeheartedly.

What an idiot... good, continue to hang-in there like that.

Vilhelm snickered cunningly.

He wanted Aleister to fight as long as he could and weaken Kang Chul-In's forces even by the slightest. With that, he could benefit without fighting.

-I will inform you just before my army arrives at your base. I hope you trust me and wait for my call.

"Alright, I will do that."

-Well then, I have an urgent matter to attend to. Farewell..."

Vilhelm ended the call hurriedly.

The 'urgent matter' obviously referred to him taking control of Esmeralda and restoring its infrastructure.

While Kang Chul-In and Aleister were having a face-off, Vilhelm had already engulfed the whole of Esmeralda territory. He grasped this enormous profit before any other Overlord could.

"Alright, we just have to hold our defense a little bit longer!"

Aleister promised himself.

"Your Majesty!"

It was at that moment.

"It seems like the Laputan army is planning to launch an all-out attack!" Stonebridge, the commander-in-chief, anxiously reported the news that signaled the beginning of this war's climax.

***

Thump,

Thump!

It was late into the night.

A roar echoed in the valleys of the 18th peak.

Chuk, Chuk!

The sound of marching boots thundered.

-Growl...!

A gigantic tiger prowled proudly at the frontmost line of the army.

"Artillery battery, fire!" Kang Chul-In, riding on his majestic Godbeast, bellowed in an august voice.

Pow!

The 12 magic-engineered artillery and the 10 Arkellons instantly started to bombard the 18th peak.

"Soldiers!"

"Yes, your Majesty!"

Kang Chul-In shouted at his men as the bombs went off.

"You've done well so far! This is the last battle! After today, our war against Deathwin is over!"

Laputa's soldiers cheered upon hearing their leader's words.

"Yes, your Majesty!"

"I'm really sick and tired of this war!"

"I just want to end this fast and go back home to rest!"

Although they have recovered physically using the health potions, their combat fatigue had already accumulated mentally.

They were reaching their limit.

"I understand how you feel! I say again, this IS the last time. We shall claim victory and return to Laputa. I promise all of you."

"Yes, your Majesty!"

Kang Chul-In reassured his soldiers, and they replied to him in a clear, loud voice. The Laputan soldiers had total faith in whom they perceived as the God of War.

"Men!"

The bombing stopped. Kang Chul-In held the Soul Core of Laputa high up in the air.

"Attack!'

Immediately, the Laputan soldiers began to charge towards the 18th peak at a tremendous speed.

Pow!

The enemy reacted by hurling bombs at them.

"Mortals... Come join the underworld..."

"We shall let you have a taste of our immortal army..."

About 20,000 Undead Monsters challenged the Laputan soldiers. It was an intimidating number.

A battle of the shield and spear.

Aleister's immortal army refused to step a single foot out of its base. It was waiting for an opening for a counterattack.

In contrast, the soldiers of Laputa struggled to advance as far as they could towards the 18th peak.

Neither side could back off. It was an intense battle indeed.

A great resistance.

Kang Chul-In, who was ferociously charging towards the enemy base, realized instinctively that this battle would not be an easy one.

Even if he did win, the damage would be too substantial.

At this very moment, his trump card miraculously appeared on the battlefield.

-Kuooooooo!!!

A loud roar reverberated around the 18th peak.

It came!

Kang Chul-In looked up at the sky.

***

"Argh!"

Aleister, who was about to send Ludwig Heinel's mechanized infantry to the battlefield, despaired at the sudden sight of the unknown flying object.

"K-Kang Chul-In, you crazy bastard!"

He couldn't believe his eyes.

"How... you are not even a necromancer... but you own spectre knights, and now you even own a bone dragon? Argh!"

He was right.

The flying monster on the battlefield was none other than the bone dragon which once devastated the whole of Seoul!

Chapter 215: The Full Metal Dragon Soars!

Translator: Leyy3

No, it wasn't the bone dragon per se.

This was a futuristic weapon known as the Full Metal Dragon. It was created by incorporating an anti-gravity device, 8 magic engineered V12 engines and other systems onto the bone dragon's skeletal structure.

In other words, it was a new-generation bomber equipped with the newest magic-engineering technology of Laputa!

Of course, Aleister had no idea.

"Preposterous. This is preposterous!" Aleister could not accept the cold reality.

Not only was he a necromancer to the core, he even became an undead on his own will. It infuriated Aleister to see Kang Chul-In control both the spectre knights and the bone dragon.

Like this, what was the point of selecting one's class?

Shudder...!

Aleister's body shook with various emotions, namely inferiority, jealousy, helplessness and humiliation. To think he would lose to Kang Chuk-In in even necromancy, his specialty. He could no longer maintain his composure.

Meanwhile,

Thump!

The Full Metal Dragon paid no attention to Aleister. It flew around in the sky before landing in the Laputan army's base.

"A d-dragon..."

"They actually managed to make this..."

"What in the world..."

The battle was ongoing in the background, but the Laputan soldiers were too captivated by the Full Metal Dragon's appearance.

It was truly a sight to behold.

***

[Landing complete]

[Artificial Intelligence 'Loyalty' activated!]

[Initiating owner recognition... Loading...]

[Owner recognition complete!]

Once the Loyalty system was activated, the Full Metal Dragon turned around to face its sole master.

"Hmm?" Even Kang Chul-In stopped his charge and met with the dragon's eyes.

Thump!

The Full Metal Dragon laid its upper body flat onto the ground. It resembled how a subject greeted his king.

"Interesting." Kang Chul-In smiled.

The dragon that once destroyed Seoul and fought with Kang Chul-In with its life on the line was now bowing down to him like a pet.

"Wow..."

"As expected from his Majesty... He even made a dragon his loyal subject..."

"Waahh!"

"Kya..."

The Laputan soldiers could not stop admiring both Kang Chul-In and the Full Metal Dragon.

His Majesty is truly a hero! He even subjugated a dragon.

To think I'm his Majesty's soldier... What a blessing to fight for him.

Laputa is indeed a great nation that's even capable of controlling a dragon!

For... Laputa!

The soldiers were eager with their loyalty, pride and respect towards their king and Laputa. The sight of a dragon bowing down to Kang Chul-In, a human, had such a huge visual effect.

[You have become the owner of the Full Metal Dragon!]

While the soldiers continued to be surprised, Kang Chul-In inspected his notification window.

[I'm Loyalty, the control system for the Full Metal Dragon. Welcome!]

[Ride]

[Take off/Land]

[Docking]

[Refuel]

[Automated Flight]

[Cruise System]

[Artificial Intelligence Battle Protocol]

[Smart Battle Navigation]

[Smart Flight Navigation]

[Rear Camera]

[Sunroof Open/Close]

[Dragon Fear]

[Booster Activate]

[Hyper-precision Bombing]

[Acid Breath]

[Suicide Strike]

* Warning: Suicide Strike destroys the aircraft. Caution is needed.

ThOse crazy bastards... They actually made it...

Kang Chul-In was surprised.

In fact, he didn't have high expectations for the Full Metal Project.

It's not that he didn't trust his magic engineers back in Laputa.

Fundamentally, he wasn't an Overlord who specialized in magic like Franz or Ludwig Heinel. He thought that it had a low chance of success, but there was nothing to lose.

However, the results were far too good.

For Laputa's engineers to generate a weapon of this caliber, it was now hardly an exaggeration to say that the nation possessed the greatest magic-engineering technology in the whole of Pangaea.

Kang Chul-In almost began to wonder whether his men captured an alien and borrowed its technology.

Well... The magic engineers were once under Franz, so they should be pretty good after all.

Kang Chul-In nodded his head in satisfaction.

Who would have known that his Mecha Dom conquest in the past would become so fundamental for Laputa? Technology was indeed a nation's power.

I should give them higher bonuses and longer leaves.

Kang Chul-In was willing to dish out even a 1000% bonus to the magic engineers and technicians for their achievement.

There weren't many of them anyway, so the extra cost was a trivial matter.

[While deploying the Artificial Intelligence Battle Protocol, the Combat Power (CP) drops below 100%. Do you wish to ride the Full Metal Dragon and fight? Yes/No]

"...!" That was an unexpected notification.

I can ride this dragon?

"Let's try it." Kang Chul-In, somewhat skeptical, pressed the 'Yes' button.

Wi-ing,

Chulkuk!

The Full Metal Dragon's skull split in half, revealing the cockpit.

"What are the controls?"

Even the great Kang Chul-In didn't know how to operate a machine that he saw for the first time.

[Uploading the flight manual to the controller's mind!]

[Adjusting the controls optimally for the controller.]

[Upload complete!]

Laputa's advanced technology could overcome even this obstacle. Now Kang Chul-In really had his suspicions that an alien was trapped in Laputa's laboratory.

[Owner's boarding complete]

[Closing the cockpit.]

Wi-ing,

Chulkuk!

The Full Metal Dragon's skull closed back.

[Full Metal Dragon]

Fuel: 413/1,000

Status: Good

Rider(s): 1/1

[Armory]

---4x Magic-engineered cannons (can equip up to 8!)

---5,000 Litres of acid (used

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for Acid Breath)

---8x A-rank Magic Gems (used for Booster)

---1x Ultra-low frequency wave generating device

---500x highly flammable oil

The equipped weapons were to Kang Chul-In's liking as well.

Bomb attacks with the magic-engineered cannons.

Chemical attacks using the acid.

Crowd control using the ultra-low frequency wave generating device.

And last but not least, fire attacks using the highly flammable oil.

Although it wasn't as grand as Hecate's Temeraire territory, the Full Metal Dragon truly had the power to turn the table in this war.

[Activating Smart Battle Navigation!]

[The enemy army comprises mainly undead monsters, hence Acid Breath is not suitable for use. Moreover, our men and the enemy are mingled in the battlefield, so the use of the highly flammable oil is not recommended as well.]

It was indeed a smart evaluation of the battlefield.

[Using the magic-engineered cannons to target the enemy's main infrastructure and soldiers is the most efficient method.]

"I shall do that." Kang Chul-In agreed.

If not for the Full Metal Dragon, he would have charged into the battlefield himself, riding on Altaica.

[Would you like to add extra magic-engineered cannons to increase firepower?]

"That's possible?"

[Use the 'Docking' function!]

"Docking?" Kang Chul-In was confused, but he followed suit.

[Adding four magic-engineered cannons!]

After using the [Docking] function, the Full Metal Dragon flew up briefly and landed on Laputa's army base.

And,

Wi-inng,

Chulkuk!

Amongst the twelve magic-engineered artilleries, four were removed from the Caterpillar (tank) and were mounted on the Full Metal Dragon.

[Docking complete!]

[4 x magic-engineered cannons were added, now 8 in total! Firepower increased by 50%!]

[Bombard the enemy base!]

"..." Kang Chul-In was lost for words.

"This... is a fantastic machine."

It was baffling

Kang Chul-In thought of giving the magic engineers of Laputa medals and merit for their distinguished service to the state. For Randolph Von Stroheim, he wished to give him a title of honor.

That's for later.

Kang Chul-In claimed his composure back.

Now was war time, and it was time to fight.

"Let's go." Kang Chul-In grabbed onto the controllers and took off from the ground.

"Vroom, Vroooom!"

The 8 V12 magic-engineered engines let out an enormous noise.

-Let's go!

Kang Chul-In's voice, amplified by the magic-engineered loudspeaker equipped onto the Full Metal Dragon, shook the entirety of the 18th peak.

-I will attack the enemy base to open a path for you, my soldiers! Follow me!

Having heard this, the Laputan soldiers replied in the loudest voice they had ever made in the history of the nation.

"Yes, your Majesty!"

They started to charge at the enemy base again. This time, they were in high spirits like no other.

***

"Let's move!"

"Yes sir!"

Podolski and Nieu, the leader of cat assassins, were dashing towards the Deathwin territory.

About 100 members of the counter intelligence corps and cat assassins followed.

"Deathwin is empty right now. Its defence should be loose, hence just the few of you should be enough to invade it." Podolski recalled his previous conversation with Kang Chul-In.

"Why is that so? Isn't it Aleister's main base nonetheless?"

"Deathwin has no human inhabitants."

"...!"

"Everyone from slaves to even the leader, is an undead. There's no way there's a sophisticated social infrastructure there. The defence is bound to be loose. In actual fact, Aleister is the heart of Deathwin itself.

"Y-You are right!"

"Here is a rough map to the Nekromantikbay. Pretend to perturb the enemy from the back, then try to conquer this area.

"Is it really enough with just the few of us? I mean, the defence may be loose but for such an important place, there's bound to be alarm magic..."

"That's why I've already put a helper on standby. Don't worry about it."

"A helper? Who is it? How do we meet him..."

"He will join you sooner or later. Just do as you are told."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"I'm leaving this to you, Podolski."

"Yes, your Majesty!"

That was all.

Kang Chul-In had only handed over a simple map to Podolski and informed him that a helper is on standby.

At that moment,

"W-Wait for me!"

"Sorry! I'm running late!"

"Woof woof!"

An idiotic voice could be heard from the back, together with the barks of a cute dog.

"...your Majesty." Podolski frowned the moment he discovered the helper's identity.

His skills aside, that man was someone who couldn't be trusted!

***

[Do you wish to activate the Hyper-precision Bombing?]

The artificial intelligence Loyalty suggested to Kang Chul-In, who was now flying towards the 18th peak on his Full Metal Dragon.

"Hyper-precision Bombing?"

[It syncs with Laputa's magic-engineered satellite and analyzes the GPS to reduce the margin of error.]

"Oh-hoh." This was technology commonly found in many artilleries, but the Full Metal Dragon's attack was bound to be more precise due to its shorter attack range. One could say that it had a 100% precision rate.

"Sounds good, so do it."

[Yes, your Majesty!]

Kang Chul-In activated the Hyper-precision Bombing.

[Hyper-precision Bombing, activated!]

[3,2,1... Fire!]

Pow!

Powwww!

The eight cannons mounted on the Full Metal Dragon breathed fire.

Thump!

Crash!

The enemy base started to crumble, as the bombs were directed towards any clusters of undead monsters that could be detected.

That side seems to be having some trouble.

Kang Chul-In steered his joystick to move the Full Metal Dragon towards his soldiers, who were in midst of a tough battle.

Koong!

The Full Metal Dragon landed in between the undead monsters and the Laputa soldiers.

-I shall make a path.

Kang Chul-In's voice was heard from the magic-engineered loudspeaker.

Koong!

Bam!

The Full Metal Dragon then started to whip its tail ferociously and trampled the undead monsters.

About 200 skeleton soldiers were smashed into pieces from its attacks.

Incredible.

Kang Chul-In, satisfied once again, flew towards another region.

Now to deal with the enemy turrets!

Aleister's magic-engineered artilleries were his next target.

Pow!

The Full Metal Dragon breathed fire, turning Aleister's magic-engineered artilleries into scraps in a matter of seconds.

It was a pity to watch those expensive weapons get destroyed, but Kang Chul-In knew to forgo looting them to minimize his army's casualties.

Does this count as an easy victory?

Kang Chul-In smiled inwardly.

There was nothing that could stop this man.

Deathwin did not possess a single unit that could challenge the Full Metal Dragon.

In that case, this war could have a victor sooner than he thought. That is, if he managed to successfully dodge Aleister's Death Calling.

***

"W-What's going on!? What's happening!?" Aleister was close to having a breakdown.

He thought of entering the battlefield to help, but the bone dragon prevented him from doing so.

His main base was getting pummeled, but what could he do?

Moreover, the Laputan soldiers were creeping closer to Omega the Fortress. The war had become completely one-sided.

There's no choice...

Without the reinforcements, it seemed hopeless for Deathwin.

Seuk!

Aleister took out a black flute from an inner compartment of his robe. It was the Death Calling – the item that Kang Chul-In was so cautious about.

"Alright Kang Chul-In! Let's see if you, you bastard, can still survive after listening to this melody of death! You think you can escape death just because you own the bone dragon? Hehe... Kang Chul-In... even if I lose this war, this 18th peak shall become your grave!"

Aleister let out a cunning smile and began to move. He was about to step out of Omega to face Kang Chul-In.

Chapter 216: The Face-off!

Translator: Leyy3

The Full Metal Dragon displayed a dazzling performance on the battlefield.

It flew at tremendous speeds, attacking the enemy base with Hyper-precision Bombing.

In addition, it bombarded any detectable enemy clusters without a miss.

Thanks to this, the immortal army of undead soldiers were annihilated even before facing the Laputan soldiers.

Of course, Deathwin did have its own air force.

-Kaaaak!

-Keeeeek!

20 Wraiths, which were level 50 ghosts, and 10 Specters, which were level 55 ghosts, clung onto the Full Metal Dragon and attacked ferociously.

[231 magic damage negated!]

[494 magic damage negated!]

[Critical hit! 831 magic damage negated!]

Those low-level undead monsters, however, could never penetrate the Full Metal Dragon's armor.

Its frame was made from dragon bones, one of the hardest metals in the world.

Moreover, the armor was not only coated with the true silver and mithril supplied by Lee Chae-Rin, but it also had an ancient spell that amplified its magic defense.

In other words, even thousands of wraiths or specters couldn't cause a single scratch on this machine.

-Push harder, soldiers! I will open the path!

Kang Chul-In ransacked the battlefield while encouraging his men.

"Let's roll!"

"His Majesty is protecting us!"

"All hail the God of War!"

"Long live his Majesty, Kang Chul-in!"

"Long live the great Laputa!"

The Laputan soldiers had their spirits rejuvenated, and they began to go on a rampage.

These men had nothing to fear.

Kang Chul-In, the true God of War in their eyes, was fighting his opponent while riding in an incredible machine named the Full Metal Dragon.

No matter how evil and dark the undead monsters were, they were shaken to some extent.

[Warning, warning!]

It was at that moment.

[Not enough shells! (Remaining shell count: 8)]

A red warning message popped up in the form of the Heads Up Display (HUD).

[Warning, warning!]

[Not enough fuel! (32/1,000)]

[To refuel, return to the base for the Power Core!]

Unfortunately, that marked the end for the Full Metal Dragon's rampage.

It expended much fuel flying from Laputa to the 18th peak, and it also fought brilliantly for Kang Chul-In. The machine deserved some rest.

Oh well, it was about time for me to make an appearance anyway...

Kang Chul-In decided to disembark from the Full Metal Dragon.

He could not fight Aleister while riding on the Full Metal Dragon. Even its mithril-coated armor and Dragon Bone were useless against the Death Calling. It was a wise move to start preparing for the battle with Aleister.

Can you still go one more round?

Well, of course, to alight from the Full Metal Dragon which still had eight shells was a bummer. It was pretty fun to drive the machine around as well.

[Certainly. The Full Metal Dragon can operate for another one minute before the fuel depletes completely...]

"Nah." Kang Chul-In smiled.

"I don't even need the full minute."

There was only one target.

It wouldn't take long to plunge eight missiles into that place.

Vrooom!

The eight V12 engines let out a thundering exhaust sound.

There.

Kang Chul-In's eyes glimmered.

His target was the castle gate, the most critical area of the 18th peak.

Once the arch-shaped gate was demolished, the brave Laputan soldiers could charge into the Omega Fortress without hindrance.

[Scanning target!]

[Target point set!]

[Adjusting precision to 0.2 centimetres margin of error! Complete!]

[Waiting for command to fire!]

There was no hesitation.

Kang Chul-In immediately pressed the blue switch on the controller.

[Permission to fire given!]

[3... 2...1...]

[Fire!]

The six cannons attached to the Bone Dragon fired instantly.

Pow!

Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!

The eight magic-engineered shells targeted the arch-shaped gate precisely.

Crumble!

With that, Omega's entrance was now completely open.

"You did well." Kang Chul-In was satisfied.

It was a short while, but the Full Metal Dragon did more than enough.

"I shall alight now."

[Would you like to land?]

"Just open the cockpit only."

[The current altitude is...]

"Doesn't matter." The Full Metal Dragon was tens of meters away from the ground, but Kang Chul-In paid no attention to that. He had the physical attributes to survive even a jump off the 63 Building, which was 249 metres high!

[Opening the cockpit.]

Wing,

Chul-kuk!

The Full Metal Dragon's skull split in half, and Kang Chul-In showed himself.

It was at that moment.

"Long live

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his majesty, Kang Chul-In-!"

"Glory to his majesty!"

"We devote this conquest to you!"

"Watch us do it!"

"We love you, your Majesty!"

About 20 Laputan soldiers left their formation and rushed towards the shattered gate of the Omega territory, to greet Kang Chul-In.

These were young, enthusiastic soldiers who fought in the frontlines. They wished to make their leader proud by winning the war.

"...Idiots."

However, Kang Chul-In was far from being delighted.

It was almost an act of suicide.

No matter how brave these soldiers were, they could never be as powerful as Kang Chul-In.

They had to be at least Lucia's or Drakan's level to act on their own accord like this.

I have to save them.

If Kang Chul-In let them be, the soldiers were guaranteed to die. He tried to get out of his seat immediately.

Their excessive enthusiasm and loyalty towards Kang Chul-In was what instigated this situation in the first place. He could not let them die.

However,

"H-Huuuuk...!"

"Keuk..."

"W-What... Euk... Arrghhh!"

The soldiers instantly withered to death. Kang Chul-In couldn't react in time to save them.

"You fucker... you dare to come out and kill my soldiers?"

Kang Chul-In glared.

He only knew of one ability that could instantly drain one's life like this. The ability that infected Kim Sung-Hee with the undead virus. It was Aleister's special ability, the Touch of Death.

"Kang Chul In, you bastard!"

A dull, dry voice echoed in the surroundings.

***

Meanwhile,

Podolski's crew invaded the Deathwin territory and destroyed everything in its sight.

There was no real gain from doing this, though.

The crew destroyed Aleister's chair and paralyzed the enemy communication system as well, but to no avail.

Kang Chul-In was right. There was no infrastructure to destroy in an undead's cavern.

Moreover, Deathwin was almost empty as Aleister directed all his men to the 18th peak.

"Hmm... If this map is accurate, it's definitely somewhere here..." Dorian, who passed through a manhole to hide in Deathwin's underground, frowned as he scanned the map drawn by Kang Chul-In.

"This map sucks. Who even drew this? Such horrible drawing skills, even a kid can draw..."

"His Majesty personally drew this." Podolski replied.

"...Huk!" Dorian freaked out.

"Haha... hahaha... on second thought, this map looks d-decent after all."

"It's too late sir..."

"..."

"I apologize in advance, but I am obliged to report your comment to his Majesty..."

"Argh..." Dorian did dig his own grave.

"Anyways, we have to find the life vessel soon. The defense may be slack, but there's a limit to how freely we can roam around." Podolski urged Dorian.

"That's right." Laputa's chief assassin, Nieu the cat-human, agreed with Podolski's opinion.

"We demi-humans may be agile, but we can't sustain for long. We have to find the entrance to Nekromantik bay as soon as possible."

The clock was ticking.

If Kang Chul-In defeated Aleister even before the crew accomplished its mission, the latter's soul would return to the life vessel immediately. It would then rebuild a physical body to escape with the life vessel. There was a time limit to this mission.

Well, of course, the mission could end alternatively by accidentally activating the alarm magic in the Nekromantik bay.

"I can't do anything about it." Dorian shrugged.

"Ask that lad. Finding secret channels is not my specialty."

His finger pointed at Jackpot, the treasure seeker puppy.

-Sniff, sniff!

Jackpot wasn't there just for show.

This clever dog was investigating the underground drains with its nose.

Half an hour had passed since.

-Woof, woof!

Jackpot briefly barked at Dorian, then started to dash towards somewhere.

"Nice!" Dorian quickly followed Jackpot's trail.

"He found something?"

"Of course!" Dorian answered Podolski's inquiry.

"Jackpot is an expert at finding secret channels!"

This was true.

Even Kang Chul-In acknowledged the power of the Seekers.

If they followed Jackpot, they were almost guaranteed to find the entrance to Nekromantic bay.

The only concern was the time.

***

Kang Chul-In was sitting on the Full Metal Dragon, with moonlight falling onto his back.

Aleister was now in front of Kang Chul-In, with the shattered gate behind him.

The two rivals faced each other on the chaotic battlefield.

"I will never ever forgive you, you bastard." A green beam of light spouted out from Aleister's eyes, almost explosively. It was evident that his hatred and rage towards Kang Chul-In had reached the peak.

"I will make you cower in terror with my undead powers!"

Kang Chul-In smirked in response.

His smile had a prideful nuance, as if to mock Aleister.

And of course, Aleister was extremely irritated by that.

"Hey, coward."

"C-cowardddd?"

"Yeah, who else is here other than you?" Kang Chul-In provoked Aleister.

"It's funny how you call yourself immortal, but you are still wearing a full set of element-resistance armor that you don't even wear usually."

"..."

"All talk but no action... You should know better, right?"

Aleister couldn't reply.

Kang Chul-In was speaking the truth.

Aleister, despite being a necromancer, was wearing a pristine white robe. It was a unique item named the 'Robe of the Brilliant Dawn', which gave its user huge resistance to the light element.

That wasn't all.

He also had an item named the 'Solaris Absorber Bracelet Set' on each wrist, which reduced any fire and light-element damage by 65%.

In addition, he was wearing the 'Anti Force Coil' belt that amplified his physical defensive power (DEF) by 11%, and the 'Dance Epaulette of the Ghost" which maximized his evasion.

Aleister's choice of items clearly indicated that he feared Kang Chun-In 100%. He gave up on attacking him and focused solely on defense.

Carrying so many items, huh?

A tinge of greed flashed in Kang Chul-In's eyes.

Revenge was revenge, but this fight was also a good opportunity to loot those items. It was like that time he stole the Overpower Bracelet from general Ben Michaels.

"Well then, good luck lasting through my attacks." Kang Chul-In got himself up from the cockpit seat.

Aleister lasting through his attacks?

Ridiculous!

Kang Chul-In was more confident than ever before.

[The full moon is rising...99.8%...]

[The full moon is rising...99.9%...]

As long as Alaric's ability [Full Moon] activated, Aleister could never withstand Kang Chul-In's attacks.

[...100%!]

[Attack: +20% increase!]

[Defense: +20% increase!]

[Regeneration: +200% increase!]

The buff was fully activated. At that moment,

Pzzt, Pzzzztt!

The second phase of Overdrive also activated.

"It's time for your death."

Kang Chul-In became a ray of light and sprinted towards Aleister.

Chapter 217: Dorian the Phantom Thief

Translator: Leyy3

"...!" Aleister was caught by surprise.

He was hundreds of meters away from Kang Chul-In, but that vicious Overlord was already at his doorstep.

Judging from his speed, most people wouldn't even know why and how they died.

"!??????" In that instant, Aleister hurriedly chanted a spell to summon a bone wall.

Crack!

The bone wall shattered in the blink of an eye.

"Huk!" Aleister gasped.

Chulkuk,

Swishhh!

Kang Chul-In swung his Demon Sword Kaiforce at Aleister.

-Kyaaaaahhh!

At that moment, a shadow rapidly charged towards Kang Chul-In while letting out a terrifying scream.

-Kyaaak!

-Kehe!

-Kekeke!

It wasn't just one.

Four female undead monsters with different skin colors were seen.

Huh.

Kang Chul-In could immediately identify them.

Banshees.

Banshees had incredible agility that was five times that of a man. They boasted great attack and movement speed.

Moreover, each skin color indicated a different unique ability, which made dealing with these banshees extremely tricky. Even Kang Chul-In could have some difficulties against them.

-Kyaaak!

A blood banshee with crimson-red skin swung her 15 centimetre long claws at Kang Chul-In.

Known as 'Fresh Blood of Christmas', this claw attack could infect its victim with hemophiliac curse, causing the victim to bleed to death.

-Kekeke!

This time, a blue-skinned arctic banshee ambushed Kang Chul-In from the back, releasing an icy aura. Her attack, known as 'Cold Embrace', could freeze the victim to death.

-Kehee!

Next, a black-skinned demonic banshee attacked Kang Chul-In with a life draining attack called 'Kiss of Death', and a white-skinned electronic banshee tried to electrocute him with 'Thunder God's Aura'.

These bastards.

A corner of Kang Chul-In's mouth twitched momentarily.

The banshees were attacking him from the north, south, east and west. In normal circumstances, Kang Chul-In would have been in some trouble.

However,

"Get lost, small fries!" Kang Chul-In bellowed and mingled with the banshees.

Who could stop him with the [Full Moon] buff activated?

The banshees were launching a deadly attack indeed, but it was no threat to the buffed-up Kang Chul-In.

It didn't take long for him to mangle the banshees.

Crack, crack!

Light Sword Mitra, the ultimate counter to the undead monsters, was held in his left hand.

Chulkuk!

Kaiforce, the bloodthirsty demon sword, was held on his right.

Swinging the contrasting two swords, Kang Chul-In showed dynamic movement resembling a fierce predator. He pushed the undead female warriors back courageously.

***

"!??????? ??????????? ??"

"!????? ????"

"????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??????" Meanwhile, Aleister was constantly chanting necromancy spells.

It was a good battle strategy.

While the banshees were pressuring Kang Chul-In, Aleister was preparing the perfect condition to use the Death Calling.

C-Crack!

A crack propagated through the ground.

-Keuhhhhh...

About a thousand ghouls emerged from the ground, their bodies swollen and dripping with rotten sap.

-Come...

-Come... with us...

-To the deep... cold underground...

These were not ordinary ghouls.

They were ghosts of drowned corpses.

In other words, Aleister was summoning drowned victims as undead monsters, instead of using the fallen soldiers on the battlefield.

His intention was to hold Kang Chul-In in place, as the ghosts of drowned victims tended to not let go of others.

"...??? ????? ?????" Aleister refused to stop.

" ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?? ?? ???????...??????? ???????...????????" He kept chanting spells to summon even more powerful undead monsters.

-Keek, Keeek?!

Among them were ten level 65 spider monsters called 'atlach nacha'.

Their job was obviously to hold Kang Chul-In as well.

The spider webs from atlach nacha, called 'Chain of Restraint', were strong enough to disable even the largest of monsters. It was enough to shackle Kang Chul-In.

Chuk!

50 skeleton knights appeared from nowhere and surrounded Aleister to protect him.

Necromantic Vanguard.

These knights were newly appointed replacements for the death knights who were wiped out in the Fox Valley battle.

Aleister felt safe under their protection. He grasped the epic item 'Jadeite Skull Wand' tightly.

This wand had a jade-colored skull the size of a volleyball attached to its shank. It was an incredible item which amplified mana by a whopping 200% for 10 seconds.

I shall end you fast, Kang Chul-In!

Aleister now acknowledged that he was weaker than his opponent. Therefore, he gathered all his strength to put an end to the strongest and most evil Overlord of all. He was a practical man who could make sound judgment, instead of deploying unnecessary courage.

Moreover, there was no doubt that it was the wisest move he could have made in that situation.

Ooongggg!

The dark mana started to vibrate,

Sssss...!

The skull wand spurted flashes of green light in all directions.

".???? ???????? ?????...?????? ,?? ??"

Subsequently, Aleister began chanting the most powerful spell

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he knew, 'Necromantic Field'.

Necromantic Field was a super high-level magic that boosted all undead monsters within a 1,600m² range of the user by 250%.

In addition, it shaved 10% of the stats off of any living person stepping in the field for three seconds. In total, a living person lost 30% of their power just by standing there.

It made allies stronger and enemies weaker.

With this Necromantic Field, Aleister could hunt down even Kang Chul-In, the strongest figure in the whole of Pangaea.

However, it was easier said than done.

??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ???...?? ????????...??????? ??????? ???...????? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ????"

.?? ???? ?????? ??"

The Necromantic Field was almost complete.

Bang!

An intense sound thundered in the surroundings as rotten flesh, blood, and bones scattered everywhere.

-Kyaaaak!

-Keeeek!

The banshees let out their final shriek.

And,

Swish!

A huge whirlwind headed straight towards Aleister, tearing everything apart in its path.

"W-What?!"

Aleister instinctively sensed danger and flung his body to the side.

Necromantic Field aside, it was game over if he got caught in that vortex.

Bangggg!

A vicious whirlwind swept the place where Aleister was chanting his spells at. It also crossed over to the Omega Fortress.

Crash!

The infrastructures built with hard rocks collapsed like a sandcastle.

"Argh!" Aleister, who barely managed to dodge the whirlwind, was astonished by what he was witnessing.

His surroundings were completely barren.

Only the shattered bones of the Necromantic Vanguard were tossing around on the floor.

"You thought you could stop me with these small fries, Aleister?" Kang Chul-In emerged from the thick curtain of dust, with an annoying smile, his trademark, on his face.

"M-monster...!" Aleister turned pale. He backed off despite being an Overlord.

He was terrified.

Kang Chul-In was strong beyond his wildest imagination.

How could a man just tear four banshees apart in a second, and also use that powerful ability just now?

He couldn't believe his eyes.

H-How...

Aleister was shocked once again.

You... a human... not even a single scratch?

Kang Chul-In appeared to be injury-free, other than a torn cape and a slightly worn-down armor.

Nobody would believe that he was in a battle just moments ago.

It was all possible due to the [Full Moon] buff and [Spellthirst] ability, but Aleister had no idea of course.

All he could do was struggle in terror...

"Eeeeek! S-stop, stop him!" Aleister almost screamed.

-Come... with us...

-Kak, Kaaakk!

-Kelkelkel!

In response, all kinds of undead monsters began to charge straight at Kang Chul-In.

I will kill you, bastard!

At the same time, Aleister whipped out his black pipe and placed it on his lips with a murderous intent.

He had to use his trump card.

He failed to set up the Necromantic Field, but he couldn't just sit there and wait for impending death.

Moreover, his trump card let him have the power of the Death God even without deploying the Necromantic Field.

Beeep...

It was the flute that brought death.

Death Calling, the item that could guarantee death on a single target, began to play its deadly melody.

Beeeeep!

A sharp screech resonated and then,

Squeak, squeak!

A rat's squeaking could be heard.

Squeak, squeak!

It wasn't just one or two.

Squeak!

Squeaaaaak!

In fact, a whole bunch of rats appeared from nowhere and began to crowd around Aleister, covering the ground like a pitch black floor mat.

***

-Woof, woof!

After running for a few miles, Jackpot stopped in front of a wall.

It was just a normal wall that looks no different from the ones the crew saw on the way there.

"Ah, that was easy." Dorian, however, seemed to notice something else.

"Is it here, your Majesty?" Podolski questioned Dorian with a hint of skepticism.

"Yep, this is it."

"How can you tell?"

"Jackpot says so."

"T-That's all?"

"Well, not just that." Dorian pointed at that particular wall.

"These skull-shaped faucets form a marker."

"Hmm... I can't really tell... There are skull-shaped faucets everywhere, and isn't this place a drain? There's easily a thousand of them."

"That's true. But it's a little different here."

"...?"

"Let me explain." Dorian held chalk and marked a dot on the skull-shaped faucet with it.

"If I name this faucet vertex A as in a triangle, the faucet on the lower left will be vertex B, and the one on the right will be vertex C. A perfect triangle, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Now, if I name this faucet down here vertex A as in a reverse triangle, this is B and that is C. If we merge these two triangles... Tadah! It becomes like this!" Dorian showed his drawings to Podolski and Nieu in an exaggerated fashion.

"Oh wow, it's a hexagram?" Nieu tried to look knowledgeable.

"You are right, it's the Star of David. It may be pure coincidence, but if the wall that Jackpot pinpointed also has this sort of pattern on it, do we still have to be skeptical?" Dorian grinned.

"...!"

"...!"

Podolski and Nieu were very surprised.

It was justifiable.

Who knew that Dorian, the number one idiot, had such brilliance in him?

"I-Is that trustworthy? I'm not doubting your Majesty, but you seemed to have figured it out too easily."

"I understand your concerns." Dorian shrugged casually at Podolski's cautious remark.

"I haven't had many opportunities to test this chap's abilities. Right, Jack?"

-Woof, woof!

Dorian threw a dog dental chew to Jackpot. It was a reward for locating the secret channel.

"It looks extremely easy, but you have to remember that Jackpot is an S-rank Seeker. He's so good that he makes it look easy."

"I-Is that so?"

"Of course!" Dorian beat his chest and gave a confident expression. Still, that didn't really persuade Podolski.

"Anyway, I'm certain that the Nekromantik Bay is behind this wall. The problem is... how do we get through it... wait a second?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

Dorian excused himself and started to turn the faucets one by one.

"Hmm... opening this may be pretty difficult. Unless we break the wall open, we will have to turn the faucets one by one to guess the correct password."

"A p-password?"

"Yep. And that's not all. I believe there's some sort of voice-recognition magic casted on this wall. Almost guaranteed. Seems like it's gonna be tricky."

"I beg your pardon...?"

"Aleister's a lich, which makes imitating his voice next to impossible. His voice operates on a completely different wavelength from that of a human. Therefore, it is impossible to deceive the magic sensor implanted here. Tsk, Aleister you cautious prick!"

"So, there's nothing we can do?" Podolski seemed disappointed.

It wasn't disappointment directed towards Dorian, but more towards the fact that they might not be able to obtain the life vessel.

"What nothing? Of course there is!" Dorian spoke with confidence.

"R-Really?"

"Is that true?"

Podolski and Nieu's faces brightened from those delightful words.

"Of course~! This is my specialty we're talking about. I'm even better than Kang Chul-In in this aspect, did you know that?"

Afterwards, Dorian rummaged through his backpack to whip out a flask containing a silver liquid.

"Hu-hu... This shall do the trick!" Dorian gave a cunning and confident snigger, similar to Kang Chul-In's.

"Call me Dorian the Phantom Thief from now! Nyahaahahahaha~!"

Dorian Explorer (Tomb Raider/29 years old).

Indeed, he was THE expert at robbing graves and treasure deposits.

Chapter 218: Death Calling

Translator: Leyy3

"..."

"..."

Podolski and Nieu didn't know how to respond. They just kept quiet.

"Hu-hu... hu-hu-hu... Kang Chul-In better reward me well for this. I have this dungeon that requires some help to clear, so I shall get him to do my bidding!" Dorian revealed his everlasting confidence.

It wasn't surprising, as even Kang Chul-In acknowledged Dorian's skills. In fact, everyone in Pangaea knew that he was the best dungeon conqueror in the world.

"What do you plan to do?"

"We shall sneak in." Dorian replied to Podolski.

"It's gonna take an eternity to guess the password, plus deceiving the voice-recognition magic is difficult. If we break the wall, then the alarm will probably sound. There's only one way. Let's just not touch the wall."

"...May I beg your pardon, your Majesty?"

"Exactly as I said. If we don't touch the wall, how would we get caught?"

"I don't quite understand..." Podolski and Nieu tilted their heads in confusion. Dorian's plan was far too strange for them to comprehend.

"This."

Dorian shook a flask with a silver liquid.

"Ghostifying potion."

"...?"

"This secret drug turns its consumer into a ghost for 30 seconds! With this, is there really a need to open the door? We can just go through the wall!"

"W-Wow!" Podolski was amazed.

"How did you obtain this magical potion..." The same went for Nieu.

Both of them had never even heard of a wonder drug that could turn someone into a ghost.

"Haha your Majesty, that was a nice bluff."

"Your Majesty... if you wish to lie, please make it less obvious..."

In the end, both Podolski and Nieu stared at Dorian with disbelief. They both thought Dorian was making things up.

"W-What's up with those stares?" Dorian was flustered.

"Your Majesty, can't you just say honestly that you don't have a method to enter the Nekromantik bay?"

"Lying is bad!"

Both of them criticized Dorian.

"Grrr!" Dorian exclaimed.

"I'm serious! Just trust me!"

However, Podolski and Nieu continued to stare at Dorian with disbelief.

It wasn't their fault.

Dorian's story was too fantasy-like to believe. It was natural for some skepticism to brew.

"Hey, I'm an Overlord. Do you think I lie about these things?"

Nod nod!

The two of them nodded their heads vigorously.

"Should've taken care of my image..." Dorian regretted, but it was too late.

People already recognized him as the clumsy idiot, hence it would not be easy to fix this image.

"Fuck it, watch carefully then! Hmph!" Dorian huffed and immediately gulped down the whole ghostifying potion in the flask. He distributed a flask to Podolski and Nieu each.

"Erm..."

"Hmm..."

The pair hesitated for a moment but decided to follow Dorian suit. They had nothing to lose.

"Hold your horses!" Dorian shouted in excitement.

Gradually, the transformation began.

Ssssss...

The three of them started to lose color in their skins, then eventually turned translucent.

Moreover,

Swoop, swoop!

Crack!

Thump!

All of their clothes, equipment and accessories dropped onto the floor.

They were naked now.

In their current ghost state, their bodies were not physically present. The items could no longer remain on their bodies hence.

"Kyaa!"

Nieu, a demi-human girl, turned around immediately with a loud scream.

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you guys that we will become naked. Sorry Nieu..." Dorian scratched his head awkwardly.

He himself wasn't totally naked.

He still wore his boots and a huge leather backpack, making him look like a pervert of some sort.

These epic items were the 'Almighty Combat Boots' and the 'Hole of Avarice', which were compatible with the Ghostifying Potion's effect.

"Where are you looking! Turn around right now!" Nieu covered her private parts and hissed loudly at the men.

"S-Sorry..."

"Shut up!"

"..."

"You pervert! Molester! Trash! Kyaa!" Dorian apologized but the poor girl's heart was already devastated. Dorian would have to expect many scratches on his face afterwards.

"Haha..." Dorian laughed timidly and then,

"Run!" He instantly dissolved into the wall. He had used the ghostifying potion's effect to escape to the Nekromantik bay!

"D-Damn it!"

Podolski also dissolved into the wall in panic. He didn't want to be the next victim.

"Dorian, you pervert!" Nieu's cry reverberated in the sewers.

Nonetheless, it was a success.

They could pass through the wall without even touching it!

***

Kang Chul-In was familiar with the Death Calling's options.

In the past, Aleister had boasted to Kang Chul-In about the Death Calling while hunting the Blue Dragon.

Its options were as follows:

[Epic] Death Calling

I will kill you, Overlord of Blood and Iron!

-The ruler of the black desert, necromancer Homedie Hamelin, loathed.

Equipment Type 1: Musical Instrument (Flute)

Equipment Type 2: Consumable (single use)

Restriction 1: Necromancer only

Restriction 2: Level 55 and above.

Durability: 1/1

Option 1:

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Dark Mana +1000

Option 2: Undead Affinity +7 levels

Option 3: Undead Monster Summon Mastery +7 levels

Option 4: Magic Attack +280

Penalty Option: Unable to attack multiple enemies at once (single target)

Unique Activation Option 1: Summon the Rats.

-Upon activation, 100,000 level 70 death rats (immortal) are summoned (Duration: 5 minutes 10 seconds)

Unique Activation Option 2: Aura of Death

-Upon activation, select one entity as the target. The summoned death rats attack only the target with the aura (Duration: 5 minutes 30 seconds).

* Warning: Death Calling disappears after its consumption.

That was it.

Death Calling was not a top-class magic that brought instant death or summoned meteor showers on the victim. Instead, it was an item that summoned an insane number of death rats to bite a single target to death.

In other words, it was bullying.

One might question what the big deal with those rats was.

However, a death rat was a horrifying undead monster that could never be thought of as a harmless animal.

[Death Rat]

Type: Undead/Demon/Rodent

Level: 70

Health: Infinite

Life Span: 5 minutes 30 seconds

Strength: 500 / Intelligence: 500 / Agility: 1000

Characteristics: [Diamond Teeth] / [Jaw of Destruction]

Ability: [Space Warp]

death rats had a short lifespan of 5 minutes 30 seconds (even shorter than a dayfly's) but they had infinite health which made them impossible to deal with.

In addition, they were incredibly agile with lightning-fast attack and movement speed.

That wasn't all.

death rats had [Diamond Teeth] and [Jaw of Destruction], which could even nibble through a dragon's scale. They also had the [Space Warp] ability, allowing them to teleport next to their victim.

It was no wonder that Kang Chul-In was so cautious.

Squeak, squeak!

Countless death rats swarmed towards Kang Chul-In, filling up the entire floor.

Each death rat was as big as a full-grown cat. To witness 100,000 of those gigantic rodents required much courage for the layman.

Here they come!

Kang Chul-In, of course, was eager to face the rats and refused to back off.

This was a skill which he had observed once in the past.

Not to mention the special counter he had prepared for the death rats. What could possibly scare him?

"Charge!" Aleister swung the Death Calling to shoot an Aura of Death at Kang Chul-In.

Come.

Kang Chul-In had no intention of dodging it.

He knew that he would be hit 100%, so it was meaningless for him to even try to dodge it.

"Kang Chul-In, you bastard!" Aleister's roar filled up the entire area.

"You may be strong, but you can't possibly overcome this obstacle! Kehahahaha! After your death, I shall enjoy making you into a spectre knight!" Aleister was extremely confident that the Death Calling could put an end to Kang Chul-In for good.

"Go chew that arrogant bastard to death! My immortal rats!"

-Krrrr!

Immediately, 100,000 death rats began to charge at Kang Chul-In.

Aleister's other undead monsters also began to move to hold Kang Chul-In in place.

However,

Thank you Nilus, I'm grateful.

Kang Chul-In already had the solution to defeat the Death Calling. Hence, Aleister's confident words were nothing but bullshit to him.

-Krrrr!

The death rats were just about to pounce at him.

Flash!

The Infinite Warping Device on Kang Chul-In's right index finger emitted a flash of brilliant light.

Psst!

Suddenly, Kang Chul-In was nowhere to be seen.

He had used the Infinite Warping Device to teleport to another dimension.

"Huehuehue...!" Aleister, having witnessed his rival's disappearance, sniggered proudly.

"You think you can escape from the death rats?"

These undead monsters were able to use [Space Warp] and chase their victim to death, even if the latter used the Absolute Return Scroll.

Psst!

Pssst!

The swarm of death rats teleported, following the Aura of Death marked on Kang Chul-In.

***

Psst!

Kang Chul-In found himself in an unfamiliar forest. He immediately whipped out Kaiforce and Mitra and prepared for battle.

He knew that the death rats would follow him by sensing the Aura of Death on him.

-Krrrrr!

-Keeeek!

-Squeak, squeak!

100,000 death rats charged at Kang Chul-In rabidly.

Swish!

Mitra and Kaiforce were swung to fend the death rats off Kang Chul-In.

-Keeeeek!

These undead monsters, however, were too fast and there were just too many of them.

No matter how rapidly Kang Chul-In swung his swords, it was impossible to defend himself perfectly from the death rats.

He did have a solution, though.

Amplify brain capacity!

Kang Chul-In immediately activated the Oraclomind, decreasing his reaction time and increasing his spatial awareness exponentially.

He received information of the death rats' speed, direction and their angle of approach. His inhumane reflex subsequently allowed him to dodge every single attack.

And,

[3, 2, 1!]

[The cooldown time for the Infinite Warping Device has been reset!]

Kang Chul-In let out a sigh of relief.

Psst!

He vanished again.

Psst,

Psst, psst!

The death rats teleported as well, following him.

Psst!

Kang Chul-In was now located at some beach. He held Kaiforce and Mitra like before and prepared for battle.

Teleport ?? 3 seconds of battle ?? Infinite Warping Device cooldown reset ?? Teleport again.

All he had to do was to abuse this cycle.

It took one second to teleport.

Another second for the death rats to chase him down.

3 seconds cooldown for the Infinite Warping Device.

A total of 5 seconds.

If he repeated this cycle 60 times, he could dodge the death rats for a duration of 300 seconds. That was enough for the Aura of Death to wear off.

Wait for me, Aleister.

Kang Chul-In made a cunning grin while dodging the death rats.

It was almost time.

Another 295 seconds and it was finally party time.

Time for revenge!

***

"Keke..." Aleister waited for Kang Chul-In in an extremely laid-back manner.

A few more seconds and he would see his enemy torn into pieces by the death rats.

He assumed that Kang Chul-In would never be able to escape from the death rats, no matter how far he ran.

If all went well, Aleister planned to drag Kang Chul-In's limp corpse to the Nekromantik bay and make him the strongest spectre knight of all time.

He could then exploit Kang Chul-In's strength to reclaim his title as the great Overlord, even if he did lose this war.

A few minutes had passed since.

"...Why isn't he appearing?" Aleister started to get anxious as Kang Chul-In was nowhere to be seen.

He thought the death rats could capture him within a minute or so. The Aura of Death was already about to expire.

"Don't tell me... did he die wherever he teleported to?" Aleister hurriedly checked the ranking page to see whether Kang Chul-In was still alive. It wasn't 00:00 yet however, so the rankings were not refreshed.

"No, that's not it... if Kang Chul-In really did die, then the death rats would have returned by now..." Aleister mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light.

Psst!

The spatial dimensions warped to reveal Kang Chul-In.

Psst!

The swarm of death rats also teleported to wherever Kang Chul-In was.

At that moment,

[3 seconds left for the death rats.]

[3 seconds left for the Aura of Death.]

A notification popped up.

"Eek, eek?!" Aleister realized that things were not going according to his plan.

Chapter 219: Guess What?

Translator: Leyy3

-Squeak, squeaaaak!

-Krrrrr!

-Keeeek!

The Death Rats only had 3 seconds left in their lifespan. They still struggled to bite Kang Chul-In.

"You dare!" Kang Chul-In yelled and released all the mana imbued in his heart.

Paang!

The mana carrying Overdrive's properties propelled out in a circular form, knocking back the death rats.

3 seconds left.

The death rats flinched.

2 seconds left.

They recuperated and pounced back.

1 second left.

The death rats flashed their terrifying diamond teeth at Kang Chul-In.

Finally,

Thump!

The death rats began to fall one by one.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

All 100,000 death rats lost their life force and collapsed onto the ground.

"Huu." Kang Chul-In left out a long sigh.

5 minutes.

It was a short but hellish time for him.

Teleporting every 3 seconds strained his body and expended much mana. After doing it 60 times, Kang Chul-In was fatigued to the core.

In addition, avoiding 100,000 Death Rats during the 3 seconds was no easy feat. He had to deploy not only the second phase of Overdrive, but also the Oraclomind.

Is it party time now?

He no longer had to deal with such cumbersome events. All he had to do now was to toy with Aleister.

"Oi, bones." Kang Chul-In grinned slyly at his nemesis.

"Shall we have a long, pleasant talk?"

"...!"

"Just the two of us perhaps?"

"Eeek?!" Aleister could not hide his shock.

[The Aura of Death has ended.]

[The Aura of Death is disappearing.]

[The Death Rats have expended all life force.]

[The Death Rats are disappearing.]

Even Aleister's trump card was useless against Kang Chul-In.

Look at the latter.

How healthy was he?

Although bits of his armor were broken and scratched, and he was bleeding where his skin was exposed, he suffered no major injuries.

In addition, even the light injuries he had were rapidly healing thanks to the [Full Moon] buff.

It was indeed a monstrous regeneration speed.

It was all over.

All Aleister could do now was to run for his life.

"I-I have nothing to talk to you about!" Aleister yelled and,

"Stop him!"

Swung the Jadeite Skull Wand and summoned undead monsters to fend Kang Chul-In off.

"!??????"

Next, he summoned a bone wall in front of him for protection.

"!??????"

"!??????"

"!??????"

"!??????"

Over five bone walls were constructed in just seconds.

This indicated that Aleister's fear of Kang Chul-In had reached a new high.

I-I have to escape!

It was common sense that he could never match Kang Chul-In, who just survived even the Death Calling.

-Uuuuhhh...

-Come with us...

-To the land of the dead...

While Aleister was preparing himself for an escape, the undead monsters swarmed towards Kang Chul-In.

"Oh-hoh."

Kang Chul-In was amused by these undead monsters that were behaving like moths to a flame.

1200 undead monsters were sufficient to hold Kang Chul-In back.

That was, under normal circumstances.

Let's try it.

Kang Chul-In remembered the Overpower Bracelet on his wrist.

After today, there would not be any war or battle for some time.

The item's cooldown was 240 hours (10 days), but he had time to recharge and also wanted to test its power.

"First Impact, activate." The Overpower Bracelet, the first item of the Trinity Impact set, received its user's command.

[Overpower activated! (Duration: 1 minute)]

With that, an immense amount of energy exploded out of the bracelet and flowed into Kang Chul-In.

Ooongg!

The huge amount of energy could even make the great Kang Chul-In ecstatic.

[Strength increased by 300%!]

[Physical & Magical attack increased by +20%!]

[All stats increased by +10%!]

It was at that moment.

[Due to the user's power surge, a stronger vortex ability is unlocked! (Duration: 1 minute)]

[You've unlocked the Mega Vortex!]

"...!"

Kang Chul-In was pleasantly surprised.

He still lacked the mastery in his vortex ability, but the Overpower Bracelet boosted the vortex to its next form.

Let's use it!

A whirlwind began to wrap around the Light Sword Mitra.

Swooshhh!

Swishhhh!

Then, release!

The Mega Vortex, which seemed at least five times more powerful than the normal vortex, was fired at Aleister.

It was no whirlwind. It was a hurricane.

The Mega Vortex had a massive diameter of 50m. It swallowed all undead monsters in its path and also swept Aleister away, who was about to use an Absolute Return Scroll.

Crassshhh!

The Mega Vortex extended its reach to the Omega fortress.

Crack, crack!

Crash!

The fortress was beginning to fall apart.

If Kang Chul-In's old vortex was comparable to a grenade, the Mega Vortex

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was comparable to a cannonball.

"…What's up with this incredible power?" Kang Chul-In mumbled.

He was the one who fired the Mega Vortex, but even he himself couldn't believe his eyes.

***

Even before Kang Chul-In fired the Mega Vortex, the war was coming to an end.

No undead monsters remained on the field.

So what if they were immortal? Their bodies were shattered into pieces.

"Death awaits those who defy his Majesty!"

-...!

Lucia swung Aegis, the mighty Shield of God.

Crash!

With a thundering roar, Stonebridge, the commander-in-chief of Deathwin's army, fell to the ground. His skeleton body scattered like pieces of popcorn.

That was the end.

"Look!" Lucia grabbed Stonebridge's skeleton head high up in the air and shouted.

"His Majesty has destroyed the Omega fortress! This is his Majesty's, and furthermore, our Laputa's victory!"

It was a declaration of victory.

The Laputan army had finally conquered the whole of the 18th peak region, after many grueling battles.

"Waaahhhhhhhh!"

The Laputan soldiers shouted in delight.

"We won!"

"It's finally over!"

"Long live his Majesty, Kang Chul-In!"

"Long live the great Laputa!"

As much as this was a difficult war, they felt a great sense of accomplishment when they finally emerged as the victors.

Moreover, Kang Chul-In was known to reward his soldiers generously, including accolades, bonuses, leaves and et cetera. Thus, the Laputan soldiers were looking forward to receiving their reward when they returned back home.

Also,

"We… actually managed to conquer this harsh terrain..."

"I can't even fathom how we did it..."

"Only us, the soldiers of his Majesty, can achieve such victory!"

"I'm proud!"

Gradually, the soldiers were starting to feel proud of fighting for Laputa. They never lost a single battle.

In other words, they were the invincible army.

Furthermore, being a soldier garnered much respect from the public in Laputa, regardless of his rank. This was especially true for officers, who had high pay and social status. They were hence the number-one husband material in Laputa.

It was the exact opposite of the situation in Korea, where being a soldier was a laughing matter.

All the above created an environment in which the Laputan soldiers felt proud of their work and continued to fight hard for Kang Chul-In.

"Haha!" Lucia was extremely delighted by these soldiers' comments.

As Kang Chul-In's aide, she couldn't help but feel happy to hear such commendable words from her soldiers. She was the one who educated them after all.

Suddenly,

Swirllll!

A huge whirlwind could be seen engulfing the Omega fortress. That was Kang Chul-In's Mega Vortex, which signaled a victorious conclusion to this war.

***

After some time,

"Keuh..."

Aleister, covered in thick dust, struggled to get himself up.

The Mega Vortex had incredible power, enough to even blow a small fortress away.

If Aleister had failed to dodge that, he would've turned into dust.

"We have a little rat here, don't we?" Aleister thought he was hearing the voice of a grim reaper.

"Eek…!"

"Is this the third time we are facing so close to each other? The first time during the Overlord meeting and second time during the Fox Valley battle, am I right?"

"..."

"Well, who cares. This shall be the last time we face each other."

Shudder!

Aleister felt a suffocating horror when he heard Kang Chul-In say 'the last time'.

God damn it, my Absolute Return Scroll…!

He tried to escape again, but the Absolute Return Scroll had been swept away from his hands by the Mega Vortex. The lich's thin fingers couldn't grasp things tightly.

I shouldn't have dodged it...

Aleister regretted, but it was too late.

In actual fact, he did not have to dodge the Mega Vortex.

He only dodged because reforming his body required an extremely long time and tons of dark mana. Even if his body broke into pieces, he could revive sooner or later.

"Kek-kek… Kekekeke!" Aleister laughed like a mad man.

"What's with the laughter?"

Kang Chul-In asked.

"You are an idiot, Kang Chul-In!?"

"An idiot?" Kang Chul-In pointed at himself and asked Aleister.

"That's right! You only know half of the story. Keke..."

"...?"

"What a foolish idiot… you overlooked one important fact." Aleister laughed at Kang Chul-In.

"Huehue… Kang Chul-In… I may be defeated here today, but not next time. You haven't seen the last of me yet. I swear to get my revenge on you… you shall suffer ten times, no a thousand times more!"

"Hmm… is that so?"

"Certainly… hehe... Watch your back Kang Chul-In. When I regain my strength… I will devote my entire life to bringing you down… even if that takes a whole century..."

"That's so scary." Kang Chul-In replied with sarcasm.

"Go ahead, laugh now. Enjoy your momentary victory. But..."

"By any chance..."

"...?"

"Are you referring to how you won't die unless your life vessel is destroyed?"

"Seems like you already know it. Well, it doesn't matter. You will never find my life vessel anyway. Ok, enough said. Kill me." Aleister spread his arms wide, asking for Kang Chul-In to slice him into half.

"We shall meet again, Kang Chul-In. When that day comes, I shall have you do my bidding..."

"According to hearsay, there seems to be a laboratory that studies and synthesizes undead monsters. In the deep sewers of the Deathwin territory."

"...!"

"I believe it's called the Nekromantik Bay." Kang Chul-In smirked as he taunted Aleister, who could hardly maintain his composure.

"Y-You bastard..."

"A life vessel… what a trustworthy insurance. There seems to be merit in allowing the body and life to be independent of each other."

"..."

"But let's say… if someone managed to steal your life vessel..."

"..."

"That would be really unfortunate, don't you think so?"

Aleister froze in place, as he considered the possibility of his life vessel being stolen.

"You must be desperately wishing to use the Absolute Return Scroll to return to the Nekromantik Bay, am I right? To check whether your life vessel is safe and sound."

"T-That..."

"Ah, fret not."

"...?"

"I don't have your life vessel. Not yet, at least."

"What? Are you pulling my leg..."

Aleister was about to yell angrily at Kang Chul-In.

-Keeeekk!

A reptilian cry could be heard from somewhere.

"Kang Chul-Innnnnn!" Dorian Explorer, who was riding a black wyvern, shouted loudly.

"Here, take it! As you requested!"

Swoooop!

Dorian threw a red marble at Kang Chul-In. It was a similar size to a baseball.

Chuk!

Kang Chul-In received the red marble without missing.

"Nice catch, Kang Chul-In!" Dorian shouted.

"Strike." Kang Chul-In replied with a smile.

He then turned around and asked Aleister cunningly.

"What's this? Perhaps you have a clue?"

Aleister went pale.

"Argh!"

He could only reply to Kang Chul-In with a scream.

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Chapter 220: The Traitor's Death

Translator: Leyy3

"H-How... the alarm magic didn't even activate..."

Aleister couldn't fathom the situation he was in.

The Nekromantik bay was hidden somewhere in the vast sewers. Finding its entrance was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Even if the entrance was discovered, the skull-shaped faucets had to be rotated to enter the correct password. There was a lower chance of guessing it right than winning the lottery.

Furthermore, an alarm was designed to sound when the password was entered wrongly, or when the voice-recognition magic detected an abnormality.

In other words, it was almost impossible to sneak into the Nekromantik bay without him knowing.

Aleister's life vessel, nonetheless, now laid in Kang Chul-In's hand. Aleister's security measures were all in vain.

"How... what even... there is an alarm magic installed within the Nekromantik bay..."

"Oh, that?"

Dorian, who had alighted from his black wyvern, received his queries. His face was red from numerous scratch marks.

"This is my secret~!"

"...!"

"'Presence Erasing Wine'. Heard of it before?"

Dorian shook a flask containing a light purple liquid. It was his second secret drug following the Ghostifying Potion.

"This wine completely deletes the presence of the consumer. With this, who would be scared of your alarm magic?"

"W-What!?"

"As to how we entered, we used the Ghostifying Potion... well, it may be unfamiliar to you, so just know that we managed to pass through the wall."

Dorian shrugged his shoulders proudly.

"I did well, didn't I?"

He then began to fish for compliments from Kang Chul-In.

"Hmm? Don't you think so?"

"Well done."

"Huhu~! I'm just too good! The dungeon was a piece of cake with my special-made secret drugs..."

"Special-made, you say?"

Kang Chul-In snickered.

He was familiar with the source of most items in Dorian's bag.

"Huh? What are you implying...?"

"You picked up the Ghostifying Potion while conquering the Whibstaff Mansion dungeon. As for the Presence Erasing Wine, you probably obtained it from a boss monster at the Masyaf castle ruins, the Hall of Assassins to be precise. Am I right?"

"H-How did you know!"

Dorian was shocked.

"Special-made my foot."

"..."

"Don't even try, idiot."

"Urgh..."

"Nonetheless, good job. I appreciate it."

"Hehe!"

Dorian smiled like an idiot after Kang Chul-In praised him.

"W-Whatever! Just know that I'm this good!"

"Alright."

"Well then, you're gonna do me a favor, right?"

"Of course."

"Keh~! Kang Chul-In! What a man of his words! Oh right, err... what was it... suddenly can't seem to remember..."

"Tell me next time then."

Kang Chul-In immediately cut Dorian off and headed towards Aleister. He held the life vessel in his hand.

"Oi, bones."

"..."

"If I destroyed your body, you would've ran off with this in your spirit form, am I right? Then revive and stab me in the back?

"..."

"How unfortunate?"

Aleister couldn't rebut Kang Chul-In's sarcasm.

M-My life vessel... how...

Aleister despaired.

He wished desperately for the life vessel to be a fake, but how could he not even recognize his own life vessel?

The red marble in Kang Chul-In's hand was definitely his life vessel.

"Now, let us have some..."

Kang Chul-In was getting ready to have some fun, when Aleister acted suddenly.

Thump.

The bony knees of the lich fell onto the ground.

Crack!

He smacked his skull on the floor.

"M-Mercy!"

"..."

"If you spare me, I shall be your loyal dog!"

Hearing this, Kang Chul-In was extremely delighted and even got Aleister up himself...

"Look at this fucker."

...or not.

Only a swear word with a mixture of rage and absurdity came out from Kang Chul-In's mouth.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I want to live!"

"..."

"I will serve you as my master forever! I shall be your Majesty's undead commander and aid in your Pangaea conquest!"

Crack! Aleister smacked his skull on the floor once again.

For that prideful man to have said that, he must have really wanted to live despite being an undead.

To think my former ally was such a piece of trash... I was stupid to rely on him to achieve big dreams in the past.

Kang Chul-In, however, remained cold and indifferent.

Aleister could become a valuable subordinate indeed.

He was a necromancer, the definition of a one-man army.

Moreover, Aleister was extremely passionate about the undead and even he himself was a lich. He was leagues above the other necromancers.

Kang Chul-In knew this better than anyone else.

However, Aleister had a critical flaw. He was all style, no substance.

Traitor.

Kang Chul-In didn't change his mind at all.

If he took Aleister in as his subordinate, it would be akin to keeping a ticking time bomb.

After all, wasn't Aleister's betrayal the biggest contributing factor to Kang Chul-In's death by Rothschild in the past?

He already had a bad record.

There was no guarantee that Aleister wouldn't betray him again.

"P-Please... spare me..."

"Then first..."

"Yes sir."

"Hand over all of your equipment."

"...!"

"You don't want to?"

"A-Alright!"

Aleister hurriedly dropped all his epic and unique-rank items on the floor, including the Jadeite Skull Wand.

"The robe?"

"S-Sir?"

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"That looks expensive."

The Robe of the Brilliant Dawn had light-element resistance, hence it was pretty rare and costly.

If Kang Chul-In sold it in auction, he could earn some profit.

"A-Alright..."

Aleister swallowed his pride and took off the Robe of the Brilliant Dawn.

Swoosh.

The wind blew.

Shiver, shiver...!

Aleister's thin body shuddered in the late autumn's icy wind.

"The Soul Core of Deathwin?"

"H-Here it is..."

Aleister handed a ring over to Kang Chul-In. It had a green skull attached to it.

Subsequently, a pledge was read to establish that Aleister was no longer an Overlord and had lost possession of Deathwin.

"To my conqueror, Kang Chul In, the great Overlord of Laputa."

"To my conqueror, Kang Chul In, the great Overlord of Laputa."

"I forfeit all my territory and subordinates."

"I forfeit all my territory and subordinates."

"All of them."

"All of them."

The Soul Cores of Laputa and Deathwin began to transmit a wave of energy.

Crack!

The Soul Core of Deathwin shattered into pieces.

The magic energy from the broken Soul Core of Deathwin diffused into the Soul Core of Laputa.

[You've acquired the Deathwin territory!]

[You've gained +3 levels from conquering an enemy lord (Overlord)!]

[You've gained +1000 Overlord points (+ bonus) from conquering an enemy lord (Overlord)!]

Kang Chul-In now had possession of Deathwin, along with numerous rewards.

[Level up! Level 68!]

[Level up! Level 69!]

[Level up! Level 70!]

[You've reached level 70! Unlocking the awakening quest! (Opening in 719hours 59 minutes 59 seconds...58 seconds...57 seconds...)

All sovereigns received an awakening quest and another reward upon reaching level 70.

[Bonus is given for becoming the first conqueror of an Overlord!]

[You've acquired 5 S-rank Infinity Stones! (Caution: the stones cannot be used on an Overlord.)]

"...!"

Kang Chul-In was surprised.

The Infinity Stone was a game-changing item which could upgrade one's ability.

A B-rank Infinity Stone had similar value to 10 B-rank Magic Gem, or a single A-rank Magic Gem. Thus, the S-rank Infinity Stones could cost a few hundred thousand gold each.

It was a pity he couldn't use the stones to upgrade himself, but he could just make his loyal subordinates become stronger.

What a steal.

Kang Chul-In was extremely elated.

No wonder Albrecht, that bastard...

He recalled that in the past, Albrecht Vilhelm was the first to conquer another Overlord. Kang Chul-In now understood how he could become such a powerful existence. The early bird did indeed catch the worm.

"W-Would that be all, your Majesty...?"

Aleister asked cautiously, interrupting Kang Chul-In's celebration.

"I gave you everything in my possession..."

"So?"

"...!"

"You are saying you've sacrificed enough so I should let you live?"

"T-That...!"

"Do you, you bastard, really think that you have what it takes to be my subordinate?"

Kang Chul-In glared at Aleister.

It wasn't just a glare. It was a condescending look, as if he was looking at a bug or sewage water of some sort.

"T-Then!"

Aleister bowed his head again.

"I shall be your faithful slave! If you do spare me..."

"..."

"I-I beg for your mercy... please..."

Kang Chul-In could no longer watch.

"Aleister."

"Yes, your Majesty!"

"You betrayed me."

"...Huh?"

"You betrayed the Ishtar coalition for Alex Rothschild. Thanks to you, I had my heart pierced and my neck sliced off."

"W-What are you talking about? W-What... your Majesty, you are still alive and healthy here..."

"Shut your damn mouth."

"...!"

"And listen."

Kang Chul-In was stubborn.

After all, he returned to the past purely for vengeance. Why did it matter whether Aleister could comprehend his story?

"A pledge of loyalty from a trash like you? Bullshit."

"..."

"You think I would fall for that insincere, fake surrender?"

"Does that mean..."

"Die, Aleister."

With that,

Crack!

Kang Chul-In smashed Aleister's life vessel into pieces.

"N-Noooooooooo -! Arghhhhhhhhh!"

Aleister despaired.

"Heuk, heuk... Heuuuk! Keuk... Keukkk... Keuk!"

Without his life vessel, Aleister now had 0% chance of survival.

"K-Kang Chul-In... y-you toyed with me... m-mocked me... took everything from me... and now... you evil fucker... I even swallowed... my pride... you heartless bastard..."

"Bullshit. You had no pride to begin with. Be it the past or present, you deserve no respect. You sicken me."

Kang Chul-In replied and immediately turned around.

He had no luxury to witness the final moment of someone as worthless as Aleister.

Revenge?

Good.

His main target, however, was Rothschild.

Furthermore, he did not intend to stop after achieving his vengeance.

His final goal was to conquer the whole of Pangea and be crowned as the one and only emperor.

Kang Chul-In was a man of great dreams. He couldn't be satisfied by Aleister's death alone.

Thump.

A sound of a withering corpse falling onto the ground could be heard, but Kang Chul-In paid no attention to it. He continued to walk towards his base.

"Waaaahhh!"

"Long live his Majesty, Kang Chul-In!"

"Long live the great Laputa!"

His loyal soldiers were admiring him by shouting and singing triumphantly.

2 years have passed since the Great Summoning. It was autumn.

It was months before the commencement of the second lord meeting.

The Laputan soldiers led Overlord Kang Chul-In were the victors of the 18th peak battle!

1700 Laputan soldiers were dead, 600 were injured.

All Deathwin soldiers were dead.

Quidor, the Deathwin commander-in-chief, lost to Kang Chul-In and was killed during battle.

Stonebridge, the next Deathwin commander-in-chief, lost to Lucia and was killed during battle.

Aleister, the necromancer Overlord, lost to Kang Chul-In and was killed.

Deathwin was now Kang Chul-In's territory.

It was a tremendous victory.

***

A few hours after Kang Chul-In had killed Aleister and engulfed the Deathwin territory...

The other lords shuddered in fear as the ranking page refreshed at 00hrs.

[The Overlord Aleister has died!]

[Deathwin territory now belongs to the Overlord Kang Chul-In!]

The tragic news of Aleister's death aside, Kang Chul-In's victory clearly showed everyone who was the strongest and the weakest amongst the Overlords.

1. Overlord Kang Chul-In (↑ 1,000P)

Who could stop Kang Chul-In, now that he had so many points and also the Deathwin territory?

"Hmm..."

Kang Chul-In checked the ranking page on his way to Laputa. He was very satisfied.

Everything was perfect.

With this victory, he could significantly increase his lead over Albrecht Vilhelm.

At this rate, he could advance towards the East by next spring and try to conquer the Esmeralda territory.

"Oh, right."

Dorian remembered.

"What is it?"

"At the Nekromantik bay..."

Dorian, however, couldn't continue.

He was interrupted.

Tens of thousands of men were approaching them from the far horizon.

"W-Who's that?"

Dorian tilted his head in confusion.

"They don't seem like enemies. Aren't they just civilians? They are not carrying any weapons. Are they your people, Kang Chul-In?"

"No way."

Kang Chul-In shook his head.

"Our communication device may have spoilt, but my people would never come here without my permission. I didn't issue any orders."

"Then who?"

"Beats me."

Both of them had no clue.

"Your Majesty!"

At that moment,

"An urgent message!"

A scout reported to Kang Chul-In.

"What is it?''

"T-That is..."

"...?"

"Congratulations, your Majesty!"

"Congratulations what?"

"Four nearby self-governed cities have pledged loyalty to your Majesty, with the message that they would like to serve you as their king!"

This was a fortunate stroke of serendipity.

Chapter 221: Kang Chul-In's Decision (pt. 1)

Translator: Leyy3

There weren't only Lords from Earth that owned territories within Pangaea. An example was the Fox Valley ruled by the Ninetails.

And because these territories were often ruled in different ways depending on the people, the people within the territory normally didn't have a good relationship with other territories ruled by the Lords from Earth.

It was especially rare that there was a case like this where the people from those territories approached them first.

From what he knew, only Alex Rothschild of the past had managed to pull in these free states and territories through his wordplay and fake politeness.

As for the other free states?

They were either absorbed by other Lords, or were treated as colonies.

For example,

"Hohoho~! I'm telling you, it's quite fun conquering those territories! I'd say that there's great pleasure in picking which territory to pick and conquer!"

Like this.

Hecate, who was almost the female version of Kang Chul-In, went around conquering cities and territories like this.

"Last time, I went and conquered a city in the Southern Tropical Region, and they had a male to female ratio of 1:9!"

"...So?'

"What do you mean, "so?" Of course, I took them and forced them to marry my subordinates! I don't want to be known as the Lord of the gay territory after all."

"..."

"Anyway, if you're feeling stressed, you should go out conquering those cities! It really is great fun."

Ignoring Hecate's tastes though, it was quite a bit of a shocker that these territories came knocking at Kang Chul-In's door asking him to rule over their territory.

"...Rule over those guys as king?"

Kang Chul-In spoke, with a dumbfounded expression.

"Apparently, they have been greatly moved by what Milord has been doing."

"What do you mean, moved?"

"Well, according to them, they have felt extreme respect and amazement at Milord's compassion and mercy! And since then, they have been praising Milord as a benevolent ruler!"

"..."

"Congratulations, Milord!"

And Kang Chul-In's reaction to getting this message from one of his envoys,

Me, a benevolent ruler? What kind of sick joke is this?

Was stunned.

"...How stupid are these people?"

"Kang Chul-In is a benevolent ruler?"

Even though Kwak-Jung and Dorian seemed to feel the same about this, they kept their mouths shut. It was because they were afraid that Kang Chul-In would start to beat them up.

"..."

But Kang Chul-In didn't care about them.

"What the..."

He was just dumbfounded, and stunned.

Now that two years had passed since the Great Summoning, Kang Chul-In was seen as a brutal conquest Overlord that had conquered almost all of the nearby Lords to him.

He had acted like a tyrant, so how could he be a 'benevolent ruler'?

But these people were now praising him, and wanted to become his citizens?

Kang Chul-In himself, who knew how evil and bad of a person he was, went speechless.

"Kuku!"

At that moment, Drakan stepped forward.

"As expected of Milord! This Drakan knew that the other, smaller cities and territories would surrender to Milord at some point!"

And soon after, Lucia, Nilus, James and the other generals quickly agreed.

"That is right, Milord!"

"Isn't it obvious that they would want to join Milord, since Milord is obviously going to become the future ruler of Pangaea?"

"It is an obvious fact that Milord is a benevolent ruler, so it's only expected that these kinds of rumors would spread!"

And Podolski added a weird fact to this relay of praises.

"Ehem... If I'm being honest, the news that Milord is a benevolent and wise ruler is spreading throughout mainland Pangaea. Especially in those smaller territories and cities, Milord's popularity is unmatched!"

"W-What do you mean?"

At this ridiculous news, Kang Chul-In involuntarily stuttered.

"Did you not know?"

Podolski began to explain.

"According to a recent survey that we held, the Laputa territory has been ranked 1st as the territory that people want to live in!"

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"When did you guys even make a survey like that...? That's a waste of money..."

"Haha! Of course we wouldn't do something like that! It's just that we got news from traveling merchants or adventurers!"

"..."

"Even though the Laputa territory isn't an extremely luxurious or wealthy territory, it still is a great one to live in due to Milord. After all, Milord does have a reputation of hiring anyone as your subordinate as long as they have the ability and the loyalty."

"Hmm..."

"And not only that, Milord also respects the human rights of those that have been absorbed into our territory."

What Podolski said was right.

Though it was true that Kang Chul-In was a conquest Lord, he wasn't a crazy bastard that rampaged around killing innocents. He was just a 'benevolent lord' that led an undefeated army across Pangaea.

"Milord, it isn't a bad thing that these people want to be absorbed by us!"

Podolski added.

"Milord is the Lord of the territory that everyone is jealous of. And since Milord also has a powerful army that is able to defend this territory, wouldn't it actually be a loss if we didn't take these people in?"

"..."

"Please take those people in, Milord!"

To this, the other subordinates of Kang Chul-In quickly agreed, and spoke.

And since things have already come to this, Kang Chul-In had no reason to say no.

Even though he was quite taken aback by their misunderstanding of him, it was definitely a gain if he could take 4 different cities without shedding any blood.

"Very well."

Shaking off his previous thoughts, Kang Chul-In smiled.

"We will take them in as members of the Laputa territory!"

***

Inside a cellar of the Cyamodus territory.

"T... There's only this method left..."

Alex Rothschild spoke, his eyes on the mountain of gold stacked up in front of him.

He had lost almost everything in Pangaea.

He had lost Lee Gong-Myung.

He had lost his own clone.

It was a given that he had lost a ridiculous amount of stats, but that wasn't all. He no longer had the safety measures for at least a year.

Since he had lost those expensive airships as well as his elite troops and generals... The only thing left for him was money... the wealth that the Rothschild family could supply him.

***

After triumphing in battle, what greeted Kang Chul-In in Laputa was a huge welcome parade for him.

"Hooray Overlord Kang Chul-In!"

"Hooray!"

"Hooray for the Great Laputa territory!"

"Hooray!"

The citizens of Laputa all praised and cheered for Kang Chul-In, and didn't hesitate in singing about all of his great achievements.

[+200 Lord Points due to the increase in the pride of the citizens.]

[+200 Lord Points due to the increase in happiness of the citizens.]

[+200 Lord Points due to the increase in respect of the citizens.]

And due to this, Kang Chul-In gained a bunch of Lord points, and a new system was also unlocked.

[The 'Increase Magical Engineering' option has been opened!]

And,

[Special Event, 'Becoming King,' has been opened!]

[Due to pride, happiness, respect, and Lord points being satisfied, it is possible to become King!]

[Will you open the requirements and rewards of 'Becoming King'?]

A special event that Kang Chul-In hadn't experienced in his previous life opened.

The hell is this?

It wasn't like he didn't have any information about this.

In the past, there were a few Lords and Overlords that gained the title of King in the past.

Even though it didn't have much effect or have much influence in the past.

"Father!"

But Kang Chul-In's thoughts didn't last very long.

It was because his daughter, Arshelly, came to congratulate and greet him.

With the Arc Knight transformation off, Arshelly looked the same as before.

There was no beautiful woman.

She remained as the cute, lovely child she was.

"Daughter."

"Yes, father?"

"I've heard that you've defended the Laputa territory well."

"No, father! I was just doing what I had to do!"

"Thanks, daughter."

"Hehe~!"

"I'm proud of you. And..."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Saying that, Kang Chul-In gently kissed Arshelly's cheeks. It was truly a great improvement from before.

"Husband."

At that moment.

"Congratulations on the victory!"

The ruler of the demi-human city, Fox Valley.

The fox-human queen that came out in legends, the Ninetails, smiled at Kang Chul-In.

"...!"

Honestly, it was a great honor for a man to marry a woman like this. One couldn't dream of this without great wealth, ability, and fame.

"Husband, do you know just how much this girl has been waiting for you? I honestly thought I was going to die while waiting."

"..."

"How could you be like that? But it's okay. After all, I can soon remain near you forever. Huhu..."

At that moment, Arshelly asked Kang Chul-In a question.

"Is Lord Ninetails the one that will become this girl's mother?"

Dammit...

Kang Chul-In couldn't answer immediately.

Even though the marriage between him and the Ninetails was unavoidable for the expansion of his territory, he was afraid of hurting young Arshelly.

"Well, I think it's a good idea, father."

"...!"

"Hehe~."

Arshelly laughed cutely towards Kang Chul-In.

"I know that father is a Lord, and that taking in a lot of wives is unavoidable. I'm not hurt at all."

"...Daughter."

Kang Chul-In was shocked at Arshelly's adult-like behavior.

"After all, wouldn't I also get a cute little brother or sister?"

"..."

"But father..."

Arshelly said, her face full of curiosity.

"I have a question."

"Ask whatever, I'll answer you."

"Well..."

"...?"

"How does a child come out?"

"...!"

"I've been wondering for an extremely long time since no one has told me!"

Kang Chul-In's face stiffened.

This was a problem that he had never encountered, or even thought about before!

"Well princess, the..."

Kwak-Jung quickly intercepted.

"You see, the process is simple. There's this thing called ovulation, and when sperm... Aghhh!"

Kang Chul-In's fist struck Kwak-Jung's stomach.