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Chapter 286: Kang Chul-In, the One-Man Army! (3)

Translator: Leyy3

In the land of Zolushka inside the arch-shaped passage at the entrance of the inner castle...

Gulp gulp!

Kang Chul-In drank his ninth potion.

"Don't these things ever get tired?"

Heh.

Kang Chul-In had a smirk on his face.

There were no better small fries than these Shatyameba soldiers. How many did he slay so far? A mountain of corpses had already piled up, but the Shatyameba soldiers continued to swarm in.

"You go first..."

"N-No, you go first...!"

"Eeek...!"

The Shatyameba soldiers were getting tired as well. Or rather, they were more scared than they were fatigued.

"Eek... how do we even enter that passage!?"

"There's a murderer there..."

"That's a straight road to hell... everyone's dead... n-now's our turn!"

Before they were sent into the arch-shaped passage, the Shatyameba soldiers backed away like cows in a slaughterhouse.

"Get your asses in there!"

A Shatyameba officer coerced his men.

"You are soldiers! You have to fight your opponent with your lives at stake! How can you fear the enemy and still call yourselves soldiers! Now, charge! Bring your family honor and victory!"

Utter bullshit. Theoretically, he was right. A sacrifice for the greater good! "It was a soldier's duty to sacrifice himself for their nation," as An Jung-Guen [1], a famous Korean activist, once said.

Tsk tsk...

However, the officer's true thoughts were far from ideal.

Poor bastards... sucks to be you all... literally human shields... tsk tsk...

He was encouraging the soldiers with euphemistic terms, but even he himself agreed that charging into the passage was an act of suicide. They were mere expendables to him.

This was a totally contrasting view from Kang Chul-In's, who treated every soldier as his family.

"Go!"

The officer bellowed in a threatening tone.

Creeeek!

The archers began to pull the triggers of their magic-engineered propelling devices, which amplified the kinetic energy of their arrows, and aimed at the backs of their fellow soldiers.

"W-What the fuck...!?"

"Hey... boys... aren't we on the same side... huh?"

"Lieutenant colonel Jayce ... p-please... we are all going to die..."

"M-Mercy...!"

The soldiers pleaded.

"Hurry!"

The officer roared. As a result,

"Argh, fuck!"

"Are you telling us to die?"

"Hey, you fuckers! Might as well tell us to commit suicide!"

"Fucking bastards... just because you aren't the ones fighting..."

His words provoked an uproar from the soldiers.

"Argh, since we are going to die anyway..."

"So you wanna do this..."

"C-Come at us!"

"Rather than going in to die for naught..."

The soldiers turned around to face the officer.

"Y-You bastards...!"

The officer was caught off-guard.

"Are you disobeying my order...?"

At that instant, a soldier cut him off.

"Hey, you fucker!"

His name was Dopinde, a man who worked as a rickshaw driver in Shatyameba's capital, 'Apu city.' He was dragged into the battlefield via the conscription policy.

"Are you telling us to go in there? Even though it's guaranteed death?"

Dopinder snarled.

"D-Did you just call me fucker...?"

"That's right, fucker."

"...!"

"Fuck, you don't even treat us as humans, do you?"

Dopinder was overwhelmed with rage.

"You fuckers... don't we even look like humans to you? To you upper-rank officers, we may appear as mere human shields... but we too... we too are humans! Why the fuck do you keep driving us into the corner...? At least pair us up with some strong knights... at least make the fight a little bit more even..."

It was almost a cry of despair, coming from a man who had his rights completely trampled on.

"Alright... kill us... just kill all of us...! Our nation? That's right, just kill my family living in this shitty nation...! Why do we even live? We are going to starve to death anyway...! Come on, kill us... kill...!"

"You fucker... you must have gone insane... A mere soldier..."

"Yeah... I'm insane... but still..."

Flash! Dopinder's eyes gleamed with rage and sadness.

"Let me take your head first..."

It was a clear declaration of rebellion.

It was already a cardinal sin for a soldier to curse at his commander. But to threaten to kill him was an instant call for a death sentence.

"Right, since we are going to die anyway..."

"Motherfuckers..."

"Let's all die together..."

However, Dopinder and his fellow soldiers didn't care about military law anymore. They were destined to die, anyway. Instead of dying a meaningless death in the passage, it

was better for the soldiers to get the pent-up rage off their chests before death.

"You bastards..."

The officer gritted his teeth.

"Shoot them all, all of them!"

In the end, the commander ordered an immediate disposal.

Pang!

Pang, paaang!

The archers pulled the bowstrings.

"Arghhhhh!"

"You fuckers!"

"Kill us, kill us!"

Dopinder and his comrades charged towards the officer regardless of the incoming rain of arrows.

Hmm?

Kang Chul-In was quietly watching this situation unravel from inside the passage.

It's good that they are fighting with each other, but...

Somehow, he didn't want Dopinder and his comrades to die. He was a commander himself. In fact, he was a great general who commanded over 100,000 soldiers. Even from his point of view, the Shatyameba officer's decision was just too brutal.

A war of attrition could be a strategic move, but this Shatyameba officer's decision appeared to be nothing more than 'population reduction.' As Dopinder mentioned, the fight had to be somewhat even for attrition to even occur.

I shall take them under my wing.

Kang Chul-In decided.

Whoooosh!

A vortex whirled, forming a barrier of wind.

Ting!

The arrows bounced off helplessly.

"W-What the?"

"What is this!"

"What just happened?"

The soldiers of Shatyameba and also the rebellion crew comprising Dorian and his comrades... Both parties were stunned.

Thump, thump! Kang Chul-In made his appearance.

"Whoever wants to live and become my subordinate, stand behind me."

Kang Chul-In declared.

"K-Kang Chul-In?"

"T-The Supreme King of the West?"

"Is it really that Kang Chul-In?"

Everyone was surprised.

"Let me reiterate."

Kang Chul-In did not falter.

"I'm not entertaining any questions. Whoever wants to live and become my subordinate, stand behind me."

A one-way announcement. That was indeed Kang Chul-In's style.

"Argh, fuck it!"

Dopinder was the first one to move.

"M-Me too!"

"Let me survive first!"

"Let's follow the correct leader!"

Dopinder's comrades also queued up immediately behind Kang Chul-In.

"Oi."

Kang Chul-In walked towards the officer.

"Y-Yes?"

"You seem to treat human lives like dirt, huh?"

"T-That's not it... these mere soldiers... kuhuk!"

The officer was split in half vertically.

Pssssst! A tremendous amount of blood spurted out.

Thump! The corpse, now in two pieces, collapsed onto the floor.

"To me, you are a mere officer, too. It's fair now, so just die."

Kang Chul-In lashed out coldly at the dead officer. From a different perspective, the officer was one of the expendables as well.

"And you bastards..."

Kang Chul-In growled at his opponents.

"If you want to die..."

Immediately,

"W-We surrender!"

"M-Mercy!"

"I've looked up to you since before!"

"We wish to be your soldiers, your Majesty!"

Thump!

Thump, thump, thump!

One by one, the Shatyameba soldiers began to kneel down in front of Kang Chul-In.

W-What the hell?!

Kang Chul-In was astonished for a moment. There were too many soldiers. Over 2,000 Shatyameba soldiers had surrendered. That was practically everyone who had reached the inner castle.

"Your Majesty! We wish to be people of the Valhalla Kingdom!"

"Please accept us!"

"We pledge our loyalty to you!"

"I love you!"

"Long live the Supreme King of the West!"

"Long live the Valhalla Kingdom!"

It was a weird sight to behold during a war.

What even...

Kang Chul-In was flabbergasted, but there was a reason for this phenomenon. The Shatyameba people were neither blind nor deaf. Which country had the best welfare system in Pangaea? Which country treated its soldiers the best in Pangaea? Which country was the strongest in Pangaea? Which country did the people of Pangaea wish to live in the most?

There was only one answer. The Valhalla Kingdom!

Kang Chul-In might be notorious as a devilish conqueror, but everyone in Pangaea knew that the quality of life in Valhalla was extremely high. Thus, the Shatyameba soldiers were taking this opportunity to surrender and improve their lives, rather than dying a dog's death!

"Hmm!"

Kang Chul-In stroked his chin once.

"Alright! I will take you all in!"

He accepted their submission. Why not? Even the ignorant Kang Chul-In knew that a larger population led to greater national power. There was no reason for him to reject them.

"We pledge loyalty to you, your Majesty!"

Dopinder swiftly stepped forward.

"Now, everyone, let's salute His Majesty Kang Chul-In! Salute!"

Almost immediately, the Shatyameba soldiers, who were now Valhalla soldiers, released a thundering roar.

"Salute!"

It was a wise move. Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West... the devilish tyrant who had once brought blood and fear into Pangaea, was now winning his enemy over with his virtue!

***

"Commander-in-chief!"

The signaller was anxious. He had to relay this information quickly. Why? The opponent at the arch-shaped passage was none other than 'that' man!

"Emergency!"

"Calm down first before you report."

Lee Ji-Tae was composed.

He was not a man to be startled by any situation...

"The opponent... it turned out to be the Supreme King of the West!"

"W-What?!"

...Or not. How could he not be shocked, knowing that the opponent was Kang Chul-In?

Bang! Lee Ji-Tae slammed his fist down on the table.

Crack crack!

The metal table shattered into tiny pieces.

"Kang Chul-In... that Kang Chul-In?"

"Yes, commander-in-chief!"

The signaller replied.

"Moreover..."

"..."

"2000 soldiers surrendered immediately after knowing his identity..."

"..."

"On top of that, they even pledged loyalty on the spot!"

Brrrrr!

Lee Ji-Tae's body trembled.

Kang Chul-In... you bastard... why are you here... in this rural area...? Why!?

Lee Ji-Tae was about to hit the roof. He who had already lost Rothschild could not even bear to hear the 'k" of Kang Chul-In. That wasn't all. He went to bed every day with the delightful thought of mutilating Kang Chul-In. In other words, his hatred for Kang Chul-In was absolutely phenomenal!

"Alright, Kang Chul-In..."

Lee Ji-Tae grinned with murderous intent.

"Let me make this place your grave... I shall hold a party for you. Ke, kekeke!"

Lee Ji-Tae cackled as if he was demented. He then shouted across the room.

"Signaller!"

"Yes, commander-in-chief!"

"Make a call to the Gullveig Alliance, immediately!"

It was a wise move. If he couldn't combat Kang Chul-In alone, why wouldn't he gather other people to do so? Moreover, this prey called Kang Chul-In just so happened to be a troublemaker who had many enemies.

All Lee Ji-Tae had to do was slip a note that Kang Chul-In was here, and then wait for the others to hunt him down!

[1] Read more about him here!

Chapter 287: Kang Chul-In vs Brynhildr Part 2 (1)

Translator: Leyy3

"K-Kang Chul-In!"

Having heard the news that Kang Chul-In appeared in Zolushka, Vilhelm immediately held an emergency meeting. The source of the information was indeed dubious. He had never even heard of the name Lee Ji-Tae before. It was hence difficult to trust him wholeheartedly. However, Lee Ji-Tae's master – Atal Ramanujan – was an Overlord. He wouldn't just make up stories for naught.

"Your Majesty."

Kwak Jun spoke.

"Oh, military advisor Kwak. Do you have anything to say?"

"We have to be even more cautious in situations like this."

"Cautious, you say...?"

"According to my discretion, it is unlikely that Kang Chul-In is in that rural region all by himself."

"Why do you say that?"

"Your Majesty, how many enemies does Kang Chul-In have?"

"What kind of question is that... ah...!"

Vilhelm was about to get angry at such a redundant question, when he suddenly came to a realization.

"Do you get it now?"

Kwak Jun spoke.

"Kang Chul-In is more cunning than we think. Didn't he even infiltrate the Pentagon with a hostage?"

"Yes, you are right!"

"There's no way a cunning man like him would be so reckless."

It was a logical train of thought.

"With countless enemies everywhere, it doesn't make sense for Kang Chul-In to stroll around alone."

"Hmm..."

"Therefore, I suggest you ignore this report."

"Ignore..."

"Kang Chul-In may appear to be cocky, but he has a sharp dagger hidden behind his back. Just observing may be the best option in this circumstance."

Kwak Jun knew nothing about Kang Chul-In's whereabouts, but he tried his best to distract Vilhelm. He did not want anyone to interfere with Kang Chul-In's actions. Why?

It was because he was Kang Chul-In's spy in the Gullveig Alliance!

"Upon hearing your thoughts, I agree..."

At that moment.

Creek!

A white knight stepped in front of Vilhelm.

"Your Majesty."

"Oh, Brynhildr!"

Vilhelm's face lit up.

"I will personally check it out."

"You?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Huh!"

Vilhelm was very surprised by Brynhildr's statement. He had always been adopting a passive stance. It was rare for him to volunteer for such a task.

"Your Majesty, Kang Chul-In isn't just your opponent. He is my nemesis as well."

Brynhildr, who had lost to Kang Chul-In before, was eager.

"Hmm!"

"It is certainly possible that he may have devised some scheme, as military advisor Kwak mentioned."

"Right..."

"However!"

Brynhildr exclaimed staunchly.

"Assuming Lee Ji-Tae's information is correct and Kang Chul-In is really alone, then isn't this the perfect opportunity to eliminate him?"

"E-eliminate Kang Chul-In!?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. If we can pull in our army and all of his enemies' forces together... then we may be able to capture Kang Chul-In."

Brynhildr's suggestion was tempting.

"That won't do!"

Kwak Jun swiftly refuted his words.

"Your Majesty, there is an old oriental saying that if you know your enemy and yourself, then you can win every battle."

"And?"

"Your Majesty, shouldn't a Lord shun any form of gambling?"

"...!"

"Do not be rash, Your Majesty!"

Kwak Jun bellowed.

"Even if Lee Ji-Tae's information is indeed correct and it's a golden opportunity to eliminate Kang Chul-In, you shouldn't decide rashly if there is even 1% uncertainty."

"Are you telling me to give up this potentially good opportunity...?"

"Your Majesty."

"Hmm?"

"You just have to stay still."

"Stay still? If I don't act..."

"The other Lords will act on your behalf."

"...!"

"Why do you have to be the one to bear the brunt of that 1% uncertainty? I'm sure Lee Ji-Tae relayed this information to many others as well."

"So... I just have to quietly observe the other Lords and do my job?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Keh... as expected from military advisor Kwak!"

Vilhelm exclaimed in delight. Kwak Jun's persuasion was flawless. Kang Chul-In was a cunning and evil man. There was no reason to confront him

directly. All Vilhelm had to do was to enjoy the show as the other Lords tackled his problem.

You tried to drag Vilhelm out, when I'm here with my eyes wide open? Kek... this man called Lee Ji-Tae... Not a bad idea, but... did you really think that I would fall for that?

Kwak Jun understood perfectly that Lee Ji-Tae wanted to borrow the strength of the Gullveig Alliance to subjugate Kang Chul-In. This proved that in no way did Kwak Jun's insight fall behind Lee Ji-Tae's.

"Your Majesty."

However, Brynhildr did not back off.

"I understand military advisor Kwak's intention. Then just send me there alone!"

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"That's impossible!"

Vilhelm shook his head.

"For me to lose Brynhildr the white knight is akin to losing one of my arms..."

"Don't you trust me, Your Majesty?"

"Of course I..."

"If you aren't willing to send me there, then I will have to go there myself!"

With that,

Flicker!

A tremendous amount of mana exploded out of Brynhildr's armor.

"B-Brynhildr!"

"Your Majesty, I will only be satisfied when my sword parries that of Kang Chul-In's!"

"...!"

"Revenge... I will take revenge!"

An incredible fighting spirit indeed. It could almost match Kang Chul-In's aura.

"I-If you are so eager... then I won't stop you, Brynhildr."

In the end, Vilhelm failed to persuade Brynhildr otherwise. He was on the losing end. Without Brynhildr, his army would be half its strength. Therefore, it was better to let him do as he wished, although he was difficult to control.

"Go!"

Since Vilhelm had decided to send Brynhildr off anyway, he commanded in a rather intrepid tone.

"Show Kang Chul-In the power of Bifrost!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Brynhildr, who had gotten what he asked for, replied with a thundering roar.

***

Meanwhile...

"What?! Kang Chul-In, that son of a bitch, is alone in Zolushka?"

"Men, head to Zolushka immediately! Hurry!"

"A golden opportunity to kill Kang Chul-In! Gather all the generals at the Warp Gate!"

Unlike Vilhelm who had Kwak Jun to give him advice, the other Lords in the Gullveig Alliance were eager to send their troops to Zolushka, to take avenge for the humiliation during the Pentagon infiltration incident previously. The information was too juicy for them to ignore, like a well-riped, succulent fruit!

***

Brooom!

Zeppelin emitted a loud engine sound.

"Urgh... so annoying."

Inside Zeppelin, Kwak Jung muttered as he studied the map.

"There are already so many things to do, and this bastard is creating trouble. He should just screw off to a corner, hmph!"

Kwak Jung was referring to Atal Ramanujan.

"Well, so what if you've conquered Itaracia?"

Kwak Jung chuckled condescendingly.

"That territory is too much for you to swallow. Time for you to spit it out."

Kwak Jung had no intention to join Kang Chul-In in Zolushka. His target was Itaracia, located in the Chamonix mountains. Lee Ji-Tae was currently using that territory as the command center for the Shatyameba army.

Why? Located in the Chamonix mountains, Itaracia was great at defense but was extremely small in size. In other words, it was difficult to post a large army in Itaracia!

At beast, there will only be 30,000 soldiers in that tiny ass territory... if we conquer this area, then we can shut off future enemy reinforcements... if so...

The Shatyameba army would be sandwiched between Itaracia and Zolushka. That was Kwak Jung's intention. Instead of just defending Zolushka, he planned to conquer Itaracia, restrict enemy reinforcements, and thus annihilate the Shatyameba soldiers!

***

10 hours later.

"..."

Kang Chul-In, who had already seized Zolushka's outer castle, was lost for words.

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

"Long live Valhalla!"

"I love you!"

"Salute!"

"Just take us in!"

Now, almost 5000 Shatyameba soldiers were fighting amongst themselves to be the first to pledge loyalty to Kang Chul-In. As a result, he had to shake hands and pat backs, instead of battling them.

What's going on?

Kang Chul-In was puzzled, but he managed to put on a façade.

"Good job all for your hard work!"

How could a Lord ever appear disconcerted?

"Y-your Majesty?"

Kim Sung-Hee was equally surprised.

"How in the world... what magic did you... "

Thousands of surrendering enemies? She had never seen something like that.

"Haha! As expected from His Majesty!"

Nilus let out a hearty laugh. As a Kang-Chul-In fanatic, Nilus was hardly surprised to see thousands of Shatyameba soldiers surrender. To him, this was nothing out of ordinary for his king.

"Kang Chul-In!"

At that moment...

"Kang Chul-In you bastard! Where are you!?"

"Come out, Kang Chul-In!"

"Find Kang Chul-In!"

Various elite troops sent by the Lords of the Gullveig Alliance appeared and started looking for Kang Chul-In.

"Huh."

Kang Chul-In smirked.

"Have they gone mad?"

Even a large army wasn't sufficient to challenge Kang Chul-In. To attack in such an uncoordinated manner was hardly a wise move.

"Kang Chul-In!"

Suddenly, a knight in emerald armor charged straight at Kang Chul-In.

"Argh!"

However, his death came almost immediately.

Swish!

With a swing of Kaiforce, the knight's corpse was sliced into eight pieces and was tossed onto the floor. A dog's death for a small fry.

"Ohhhh!"

"So that is the Supreme King of the West!"

"Keh... what majestic strength."

The Shatyameba soldiers, now Kang Chul-In's underlings, exclaimed in excitement.

"It's annoying, so just come at me in groups."

Clang!

Kang Chul-In rested Kaiforce on his shoulder and stood arrogantly. He was displaying charisma and confidence befitting a king.

"Kang Chul-In."

A voice intruded.

"I'm your opponent."

Brynhildr swerved past the crowd and stood in front of Kang Chul-In. The cormorant had appeared.

"God damn it!"

Kang Chul-In's face crumpled.

Chapter 288: Kang Chul-In vs Brynhildr Part 2 (2)

Translator: Leyy3

Where was the Sonic Ring!? This tenacious bastard...

Kang Chul-In had a perplexed expression on his face. When was Brynhildr going to deliver the Sonic Ring like a true cormorant?

No matter how hard he looked, Kang Chul-In couldn't detect anything on Brynhildr's finger.

"Oi, cormorant."

Kang Chul-In spoke in a displeased tone.

"When are you going to fetch me the fish?"

The fish here referred to the Sonic Ring.

"..."

"Work cormorant, work."

He coerced Brynhildr.

Kang Chul-In had to obtain the Sonic Ring before he could kill Brynhildr without hesitation.

"Stop spouting nonsense, Kang Chul-In."

Brynhildr replied coldly.

"Enough with your lame cormorant and fish story."

"Lame? You are only alive because of that fish..."

Kang Chul-In was about to continue his speech when...

Swishhhh!

Arondight – the trusty sword of Brynhildr – was swung at Kang Chul-In at a terrifying speed, with a piercing screech.

It's fast!

Kang Chul-In, startled at its incredible speed, instantly bent his body backwards.

Flick!

Two strands of his hair drifted on the air.

"...!"

Brynhildr was fast. That was a fair statement, as he had managed to slice even Kang Chul-In's hair.

"Let's see how long you can ramble on about the cormorant nonsense."

Brynhildr snarled in a low and deep voice beneath his helmet. He had clearly indicated his wish for revenge for the previous defeat!

"Seems like you've powered up since the last encounter?"

Kang Chul-In smirked. He only had two strands of hair sliced, but that proved that Brynhildr's speed was sufficient to pose danger to his life.

"How about you?"

Brynhildr replied.

"You don't seem as strong as before, am I right?"

Spot-on. During their previous encounter, Kang Chul-In was fully powered-up with the [Full Moon] ability which made him much stronger.

"A real man becomes stronger at night."

Kang Chul-In snickered and replied. He was trying to crack a sexual joke.

"Trash."

With that,

Pang!

He dashed at Kang Chul-In with a sonic boom trailing behind him.

Hah!

Kang Chul-In could see it this time.

Oraclomind and Overdrive had activated instinctively, granting Kang Chul-In a reaction speed beyond human limits!

Clang!

Demon sword Kaiforce and light sword Arondight clashed.

He certainly did get stronger...

Kang Chul-In could feel the heavy impact from the blow. He had to acknowledge Brynhildr's growth. An almost terrifying growth rate, as expected from his nemesis in the previous life.

However,

Getting cocky, are we?

Kang Chul-In's eyes gleamed.

Ooooong!

Kaiforce began to vibrate.

Bang!

It then flung Arondight off.

"Cough!"

Fresh blood began to ooze out from beneath Brynhildr's armor, who was reeling under the heavy blow. An overwhelming display of power! Brynhildr might be fast, but he was no match for Kang Chul-In's monstrous strength. The latter was proving once again that he was the real deal.

I will beat you up just enough to not kill you.

Kang Chul-In charged at Brynhildr with that thought.

***

Meanwhile...

"Troops heading to Iota and Shen, change your trajectory to Zolushka."

15,000 men each. Lee Ji-Tae directed a total of 30,000 soldiers to Zolushka.

"Send in all of our most elite troops to Zolushka. In addition, send half of the 20,000 soldiers stationed in this castle to Zolushka."

He had also decided to send in legitimate soldiers, not just the small fries.

Kang Chul-In... I promise to make Zolushka your grave.

Lee Ji-Tae studied the map eagerly. It was almost an all-out attack.

Except for the 10,000 soldiers stationed in Itaracia's castle, Lee Ji-Tae was sending all of his men to Zolushka.

***

The battle between Kang Chul-In and Brynhildr was indeed remarkable.

"Ohhhh!"

"So that's the Supreme King of the West."

"The white knight was that strong? To even challenge Kang Chul-In?"

"M-Monsters..."

The Lords of the Gullveig Alliance and their elite troops didn't dare to interfere with this intense battle. All they could do was marvel at the two fighters.

Well, who could stop them? Only death awaited whoever stepped in. Observing from a safe distance was the wisest move.

"Urgh!"

However, the battle was more lopsided than it appeared to be.

"What, getting tired?"

Kang Chul-In pressured Brynhildr with a wicked smile on his face.

Clang, clang, clang!

Kaiforce and Arondight clashed relentlessly, creating tremendous shock waves each time.

"How dare you, a mere cormorant, challenge me?"

Kang Chul-In caught Brynhildr off guard for a split second and flung his knee upwards with great strength.

Bam!

Kang Chul-In's knee landed straight into Brynhildr's abdomen.

"Cough!"

Brynhildr's body folded from the impact.

"I told

you..."

Bang!

Kang Chul-In's fist struck Brynhildr's jaw.

"You should've..."

Crack!

An elbow attack this time!

"Just fetched your fish."

Bam!

A kick followed.

Thump!

Brynhildr rolled a good 10 meters on the floor before coming to a halt.

"Keuk!"

"Do you get it now?"

Kang Chul-In grinned.

"This is the difference between us."

A clear arrogance. He proved that he could kill Brynhildr anytime. The only thing that was stopping him from doing so was the Sonic Ring, which was also referred to as the 'fish'.

It was the hard truth. Kang Chul-In could have murdered Brynhildr the moment he caught him off-guard. All he had to do was swing Kaiforce instead of the tedious kicking, punching and elbowing. Brynhildr would've become a corpse by now.

"Kang... Chul-In..."

Brynhildr struggled to get himself up.

"It's not over yet..."

"Really?"

"Don't be arrogant... I can still fight."

A remarkable fighting spirit indeed. Brynhildr's brilliant white armor was dented and torn everywhere, but he refused to give up. This greatly moved Kang Chul-In...

"You fucker."

... Or not. Kang Chul-In was not a cliché main character of a shonen manga, who typically made up with his opponent after a fight.

"Let me crush all your bones into pieces..."

Kang Chul-In approached Brynhildr while mumbling those harsh words.

Suddenly,

Toommmm!

The ground began to tremble.

"Wahhhhh!"

"Capture him!"

"Kill Kang Chul-In!"

From afar, tens of thousands of Shatyameba soldiers were marching at an incredible speed.

"Trying to win by numbers, huh...?"

Kang Chul-In smirked. He wasn't afraid. As long as the arch-shaped passage was unscathed, it was impossible for him to lose.

It was certainly true that he might collapse from fatigue on day 3, but he could just escape before that happened.

"Don't mind them."

Brynhildr walked towards Kang Chul-In.

"You fight with me."

"You still don't get it, do you?"

Kang Chul-In jeered.

***

"Kang Chul-In..."

Having launched an all-out attack, Lee Ji-Tae stood on the watchtower.

"Your corpse..."

He could see Zolushka in the distance. A large troop was approaching it. A battle was about to unfold, and Kang Chul-In was certainly going to die while fending off the relentless wave of attacks.

"You will never escape..."

Lee Ji-Tae was about to complete his sentence, when...

Vroooomm!

A screeching engine sound could be heard.

"...!"

Lee Ji-Tae could sense that something was off. A bit later, three enormous air crafts emerged from the curtain of clouds to reveal themselves in the sky above Itaracia. One of them was familiar to Lee Ji-Tae.

"Z-Zeppelin!"

Wasn't that Rothschild's former aircraft which was used to attack Laputa?

Not only did Zeppelin appear, but also...

Roarrrr...!

A gigantic beast gleamed with brilliant silver shine appeared. It was none other than the famous Full Metal Dragon.

Last but not least, there was the largest aircraft of the three. It was at least five times bigger than Zeppelin.

"T-Temeraire!"

Overlord Hecate's legendary battleship sailed through the sky.

Ah, ah, mike test. Mike test.

Suddenly, Kwak Jung's voice could be heard through the magic-engineered loudspeaker, which echoed throughout the Chamonix mountains.

Fresh vegetables are here... no, that's not it! Ok, I'm giving you guys 10 seconds.

It was a warning.

Choose. Surrender in 10 seconds or become roasted meat.

He was threatening to destroy Itaracia.

"What the fuck!?"

Lee Ji-Tae couldn't believe this situation. Why would Valhalla's main battle force appear in the northern region of Baldur? It already didn't make sense that Kang Chul-In was protecting Zolushka.

Why? Was Kang Chul-In's information network so incredible? No, that's not it. Even that Kang Chul-In wouldn't be able to read the situation in Pangaea so effectively!

No matter how he pondered, it didn't make sense. Of course, Lee Ji-Tae was unaware of the deal between Kang Chul-In and Lily. It was natural for him to be caught off-guard.

10...

Meanwhile, Kwak Jung had already initiated the countdown.

9, 8, 7...

10 seconds. That was a very short time. Not to mention that it was impossible to decide a crucial matter like surrendering within such a short time frame!

6, 5... argh, fuck it!

Kwak Jung suddenly flared up.

Just shoot everything! Now!

As impatient as ever, he didn't bother to keep to the 10 seconds at all!

God damn it!

Lee Ji-Tae's face crumpled.

Pow!

And hence began the bombardment.

Farewell.

Overlord Hecate's ultimate attack, 'Fire,' began to pour down on the opponents!

***

While Kwak Jung was unintentionally screwing Lee Ji-Tae up, Kang Chul-In was facing 300,000 Shatyameba and Gullveig Alliance soldiers, as well as Brynhildr, at the same time.

"Come at me."

Brynhildr stepped up.

"Oi, cormorant."

Kang Chul-In replied coldly.

"You sure you won't regret this?"

"..."

"Should I really kill you here?"

It was his final warning. Kang Chul-In had been giving many chances so far, but any further and he would murder Brynhildr, regardless of whether he could obtain the Sonic Ring.

"Your threats are meaningless."

Brynhildr held tightly onto his light sword, Arondight.

"I - Brynhildr, the white knight - will never back off from a fight against Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West."

"..."

"No matter what happens..."

Suddenly,

"Kang Chul-Innnnnnnnnn!"

An idiotic voice could be heard from somewhere.

Keeeeek!

The unique cry of a wyvern could also be heard.

"I'm hereeeeeeeeee!"

With that,

Thump!

Overlord Dorian Explorer alighted from a gigantic black Wyvern's back.

"... What?"

Kang Chul-In asked Dorian with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you here, bastard?"

"To help!"

"Help who?"

Kang Chul-In asked.

"You!"

"Me?"

"Yep! You are all alone!"

"That's true but... I don't recall asking for help?"

"R-Really?"

Dorian started to sweat.

"Kwak Jung told me that you are in big trouble..."

"Idiot."

"...!"

"Tricked again."

"T-Tricked?"

"Tsk... you suffer more if you are stupid."

Kang Chul-In mocked Dorian.

Brrrr!

Dorian's body trembled with rage.

"Urgh... tricked again... Damn it. Well... what can I do...? Anyways, take this, Kang Chul-In."

Dorian passed something to Kang Chul-In.

"What's this?"

"A tonic!"

Dorian grinned.

"Tonic?"

"Dragon Heart."

"...!"

"Take care of your body. You have three wives to deal with. You need something like this to sustain your virility..."

Bam!

Kang Chul-In smashed his fist onto Dorian's head.

Chapter 289: The Final Investment

Translator: Leyy3

"W-Why did you hit me!?"

Dorian shouted, as if he got an undeserved punishment.

"You asked for it."

"What did I do!?"

"What do you know about my sex life to spout such nonsense?"

"Why wouldn't I know!?"

"...!"

"Even if you do it once per week, that's already three times! Then you won't have any more virility left..."

"I would."

"...!"

"You don't even know anything..."

"D-Don't lie!"

Dorian strongly denied Kang Chul-In's statement.

"Then die!"

"...?"

"Excessive sex can bring serious implications for the body..."

"That's only you."

"E-Eek!?"

"I'm totally fine, so worry more about your own virility rather than mine."

Kang Chul-In reprimanded Dorian.

"You are still a bachelor."

"..."

"Noob."

Dorian had nothing to say. He pouted his mouth and ducked his head.

"Hmph. Ah, anyways, since I gave you that, we are finally even!"

"Sure."

"Then hurry up and drink it!"

"Here?"

Kang Chul-In was puzzled.

"Are you telling me to consume a dragon's heart in the middle of battle... is that it?"

"Yep."

"..."

"Why not now...?"

"Why don't you just hold a funeral for me instead?"

"Ah, is that the problem?"

Dorian scratched his head.

"It's like telling everyone, 'I'm here, so please drive a knife into my stomach,' isn't it?"

"..."

"Idiot."

Kang Chul-In stared at Dorian pitifully. That was the reality.

An 'Energy Core,' or a concentration of monsters' mana, contained a tremendous amount of mana, thus it required caution during consumption.

As for a dragon's heart?

Even Kang Chul-In required at least a week to absorb a dragon's heart.

"A-ahem!"

Dorian faked his cough and pretended to know nothing about it.

"Stop spouting nonsense. Since you are here, just help me deal with the enemy. There's a lot of them."

"O-Okay..."

A swarm of soldiers were charging towards Kang Chul-In and Dorian. 300,000. No matter how powerful a man was, he was bound to be overwhelmed by that number.

"Woah... but that's quite a lot... hahaha..."

Heh, acting weak, huh?

Kang Chul-In smirked inwardly as he looked at Dorian. There was no way that Dorian was afraid. This handsome English man might be an idiot, but he was no coward. In fact, he was a former member of the SAS who roamed around the battlefields of Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and more, fighting armed terrorist forces. How could a man as such fear his opponents?

Moreover,

He is stronger than before.

Kang Chul-In could clearly detect the changes that have occurred in Dorian.

Wriggle wriggle!

Just look at the concentration of mana in his heart! Dorian had absorbed 40% of the dragon's heart previously. The effects were starting to become more apparent. He was ready to become a one-man army, just like Kang Chul-In in the past!

"Kang... Chul-In..."

Brynhildr snarled.

"How dare you... how dare you say that in front of me...?"

"Hmm?"

"You dare to speak about your sex life in front of me?"

"Ah, did that make you uncomfortable?"

Kang Chul-In bantered with a grin.

"If you are jealous, get multiple wives and concubines yourself..."

At that moment,

Bang!

Brynhildr charged at Kang Chul-In, creating a shrilling sonic boom behind him.

Fast!

Kang Chul-In was surprised again.

Swishhh!

Arondight was swung at an unparalleled speed, threatening to slice Kang Chul-In in half.

Flick!

Kang Chul-In turned his body to dodge Brynhildr's surprise attack.

Crack!

Arondight barely missed Kang Chul-In, only cutting through part of Kang Chul-In's armor. Not a fatal blow, but certainly a dangerous one.

"Next time..."

A blue, chilling light began to flash beneath Brynhildr's helmet.

"I will kill you."

"..."

"Prepare yourself."

A ferocious warning. It was hard to believe that this was the same Brynhildr who had a hard time before.

"Is that so?"

However, Kang Chul-In didn't bat an eyelid.

"You know, tons of people have threatened me like that so far..."

It was just like what he said. He didn't just have one or two enemies. Even his first love during his younger days was gritting her teeth. How could Brynhildr be an exception?

"You wanna know what happened to all of

them?"

"..."

"Experience it for yourself, cormorant."

Immediately,

Boom!

With a thundering crack in the air, Kang Chul-In charged straight towards Brynhildr.

***

Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow. Pow!

'Fire' – Hecate's bombardment – began to rain down on Itaracia's castle.

Wiiiing.

Chulkuk!

The cannon attached onto the Full Metal Dragon's mouth released a ray of destruction.

Crack, bang!

Itaracia's castle walls collapsed in the blink of an eye. Astonishing firepower!

Evidently, Valhalla's firepower was powerful enough to instantly erase a small territory off the map.

"Ahh, like this!"

Lee Ji-Tae despaired as he stared at the falling ceiling.

"Kang Chul-In... you really...!"

He tried so hard to persuade Atal Ramanujan and establish a third superpower just to defeat Kang Chul-In, but it was all for naught. Furthermore, Lee Ji-Tae was certain that Kang Chul-In didn't have a clue about his identity. If he did, Kang Chul-In wouldn't have stayed in Zolushka for so long. He would definitely put everything aside to kill Lee Ji-Tae.

But... to die in the hands of that clueless Kang Chul-In... Lee Ji-Tae, who had sworn vengeance, was about to go insane.

Drip.

In the end, Lee Ji-Tae teared up for the second time after Rothschild's death.

"Ah, Alex..."

The bitterness. Forget about vengeance, Lee Ji-Tae was about to be accidentally murdered by his greatest nemesis.

Crack, crackkk!

At the same time, the headquarters' ceiling began to split and fall.

"I'm sorry... I really... wanted revenge on your behalf... I'm sorry... really... sorry... Alex..."

Lee Ji-Tae didn't try to escape the headquarters. He was ready to embrace death. No, he couldn't escape.

Agnaga. Lee Ji-Tae had been resurrected with a powerful physique and hardware thanks to this unknown species' genetic properties, but it was impossible for him to survive Valhalla's bombardment.

"It's too early to give up, great mind of Agnaga."

At that moment,

"You can't die here."

A dark silhouette appeared before Lee Ji-Tae's eyes.

***

Flash! Light reflected off the swords' blades.

Swooooosh!

They sliced through the air to create wind currents.

"I won't forgive you, Kang Chul-In!"

Brynhildr roared.

Clang, clang, clang!

Sparks flew every time Arondight and Kaiforce clashed.

Brrrr!

Kang Chul-In trembled. He certainly wasn't afraid of Brynhildr. He didn't find Brynhildr difficult to deal with either.

I wanna... kill him...

In fact, he found it difficult to suppress his murderous intent. Head, neck, left wrist, chest, et cetera. Brynhildr's weak spots, which Kang Chul-In had failed to notice in the past, were tempting him to launch an attack.

Thanks to Oraclomind, he had access to incredibly heightened senses.

It depends on whether I follow my usual temper or not.

That damn fish. Sonic Ring – the last piece of the Trinity Impact – was the only saving grace that kept him sane. With two out of the three parts in his hands, Brynhildr was the cormorant who could make Kang Chul-In the true number one in Pangaea.

Sssssss!

Suddenly, Arondight, the light sword, began to emit a brilliant ray of light.

Finally.

Kang Chul-In knew what to expect.

Frozen Sword. It was Brynhildr's specialty move, which concentrated cold Ki in the sword to slow the enemy's movement speed. Kang Chul-In had a difficult time in the past against this skill.

"No more games."

However, things were different now.

Oooooonggg!

On Kang Chul-In's right wrist, a heavy golden bracelet began to release a huge amount of energy.

[Activating Overpower!]

In essence, Kang Chul-In's investment was a failure. Since he had revealed his true strength, there was no way Brynhildr could withstand his attacks.

[Muscle strength +300% increase! (600 seconds remaining)]

[Physical · Magical destructive power +20% increase! (600 seconds remaining)]

[All stats +10% increase! (600 seconds remaining)]

Kang Chul-In faced Brynhildr with energy overflowing from his body.

I will kill him.

Murderous intent! Kang Chul-In's eyes gleamed, wanting to kill Brynhildr. This was why impatient people were bad at investing. Before the cormorant could fetch him a fish, he wanted to break its neck.

Ooong!

Kaiforce began to be infused with Kang Chul-In's monstrous strength.

"...!"

Brynhildr was shocked momentarily by Kang Chul-In's incredible strength.

"T-this is!"

A vicious storm of mana. Brynhildr almost thought he was facing a tsunami.

"Just."

Kang Chul-In, who had already approached Brynhildr, snarled.

"Die."

With that,

Swishhhhh!

Kaiforce landed on Arondight with great might.

Banggggggg!

A huge explosion engulfed the area.

***

"You are...!"

Lee Ji-Tae could immediately identify the stranger. They were members of the same race. In other words, the stranger was an Agnaga.

"It was difficult looking for you."

The black silhouette spoke.

"You... looked for me?"

"It was a mistake to let Aleister take care of your resurrection."

"My... resurrection?"

"Well, Aleister certainly wouldn't have known what I had given him."

Even Lee Ji-Tae, an Agnaga himself, couldn't comprehend what the other Agnaga was talking about. To think about it... he didn't know how he had been resurrected, or why he had become an Agnaga. He only had his suspicions that Aleister's necromancy might have played a part.

"What are you trying to say...?"

"Questions for later."

"Later?"

"Isn't getting out of here your number one priority?"

"...!"

"You are important. I can't let you die here."

"B-but..."

Lee Ji-Tae tried to say something, but he was too surprised to continue his sentence.

It was because,

I-it stopped?

The pieces of the headquarters' ceiling which were falling apart were 'perfectly' stopped in mid-air.

"Ah, are you referring to this?"

The black silhouette smirked.

"I paused time temporarily."

"T-time!? H-how is that possible!?"

"The Emperor of Blood and Iron – that damned man – had resurrected once, reincarnated once, and returned to the past once. This is nothing compared to that."

The plot kept thickening. Lee Ji-Tae could hardly understand anything the black silhouette was telling him.

Chapter 290: The Black Silhouette

Translator: Leyy3

"Let's move."

The black silhouette led Lee Ji-Tae away.

"Pausing time is not an easy feat for me too."

"T-That means... I can survive..."

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"..."

"Didn't I tell you already that you are too important to die here? Well then, let's go."

The black silhouette then grabbed Lee Ji-Tae's arm.

Flash!

With that, the two of them vanished. Time began to pass again, and the headquarters collapsed.

***

"Woah! This is just..."

On Zeppelin, Kwak Jung was standing on the bow, watching the Itaracia castle fall.

"Kueh... absurd... absolutely absurd... does this insane firepower even make sense?"

It wasn't an exaggeration. Valhalla Kingdom's firepower was terrifying. The fortress in Itaracia might have been small, but to demolish it in 10 minutes was quite jaw-dropping.

"Well then, since the mission is complete... shall we begin the base construction?"

Base construction. Any soldier would dread those words. However, Valhalla had people who were specialized in such laborious tasks...

Werber Engineer Brigade, and Mithril Engineer Brigade!

Kwak Jung shouted through the loudspeaker.

Yes, commander-in-chief!

Yes sir!

Several soldiers who were riding on Zeppelin and Temeraire replied. They were not humans. The Werber Engineer Brigade comprised ants, while the Mithril Engineer Brigade comprised Dwarfs.

In other words, they were made of 'genuine laborers!' And thus, they possessed 20 times the efficiency compared to an Engineer Brigade comprising humans.

Begin the base construction immediately after the battlefield has been cleaned up!

Kwak Jung commanded.

You have three days. Construct a more durable fortress than the previous Itaracia fortress! Can you do it?

He was asking for the moon. How could a fortress be built in just three days?

Yes, commander-in-chief!

Three days are enough!

However, these professional laborers didn't even flinch.

We will try to finish it in two days!

That's right! Two days are enough!

In fact, they even deemed the three days to be too long.

T-those crazy bastards!

Kwak Jung was absolutely astonished. He was certain that if they went to Earth, many human laborers would be jobless and might starve to death.

Oh well, that's settled then.

Heh.

Kwak Jung smiled. The Itaracia Fortress located in the Chamonix mountains was a gateway that bridged the northern and central region of Baldur. It was a crucial location to restrict Atal Ramanujan's growth.

How could his people survive? Despite an exponentially increasing population, his territory lacked cool weather and fertile land to harvest food.

100,000, no, 1,000,000 people may starve to death... but...

From a humanitarian point of view, what Kwak Jung was doing (Kang Chul-In's idea, of course) was absolutely sadistic.

One should always eliminate any source of danger. Yup!

Kwak Jung was cold-hearted. He was the tactician of the Supreme King of the West. To make Kang Chul-In's ambition – to conquer the whole of Pangaea – a reality, Kwak Jung had to devise brutal strategies as such.

Was it too harsh? No, it wasn't. Atal Ramanujan was a serious threat. For that reason, it was crucial that Shatyameba fall. If Kwak Jung tried to be compassionate, then the Valhalla Kingdom might collapse instead. This was the law of the jungle. The weak were the prey of the strong in Pangaea.

***

"W-What!?"

Dorian, who was fighting the Shatyamba soldiers with great force, stopped moving when he heard a huge explosion.

"Kang Chul-In!"

He knew who the culprit was immediately.

Who else could create such an explosion?

"W-What is it?!"

"Bombardment, huh."

"Eek..."

The startled Shatyameba soldiers also stopped moving.

"What the hell did you do... Kang Chul-In...?"

He was lost for words. Dorian was much stronger after consuming 40% of the Dragon Heart, but he still could not comprehend what just happened. Well... even Kang Chul-In himself was shocked by the incredible destructive power of the Overpower Bracelet. It was natural for the others to be astonished.

"Hmm..."

The cause of the explosion, Kang Chul-In, observed his surroundings, now covered in a thick veil of dust.

"Hmm... for my investment to be brought to naught... welp..."

Kang Chul-In

smacked his lips. Despite being the one who displayed this destructive strength, he was regretting breaking the cormorant's neck.

It was a pity. Kang Chul-In had no way to find out how Brynhildr got hold of the Sonic Ring. More importantly, how was he supposed to find that item now? Well, he could if he really wanted to, but Kang Chul-In was a busy man who often slept little and ate sandwiches for meals in the office. He didn't have time to look for the Sonic Ring.

In fact, he didn't even have time to attend to his family vacation due to his hectic work schedule.

"That's why I warned him..."

Kang Chul-In mumbled as he glanced at the fan-shaped destruction he had caused ahead of him.

Chuk!

In front of the collapsed inner castle, a knight in white armor was struggling to get himself up.

"Kang... Chul-In..."

"...!"

"It's not... over... yet... I... won't... die... from this..."

Brynhildr survived.

He barely got his foot on the ground and ignited his fighting spirit.

"..."

Kang Chul-In was lost for words. He was in awe. There was no conceivable reason for his opponent to be so persistent. Where did this man's endless fighting spirit come from?

"Well, but thanks."

Kang Chul-In smirked and thanked Brynhildr.

"What?"

"For being alive."

"A-are you worrying for me?"

Brynhildr was surprised.

That demon was worried for him. Pigs might fly.

"Of course."

Kang Chul-In nodded.

"I almost killed the goose that lays golden eggs, how could I not be worried?"

The problem was that his worry originated from greed.

"I was scared that you might have died."

"..."

"Thank god you have a durable body."

How could one be so shameless? Kang Chul-In nearly killed Brynhildr, and now he was thanking him for being alive.

"Kang Chul-In!"

Brynhildr growled.

"That sort of..."

"Go!"

Kang Chul-In cut Brynhildr off.

"Come back stronger!"

In the end, Kang Chul-In decided to let Brynhildr off again. A merciful heart indeed. He was almost the Buddha himself. Their first encounter, the second time in Baldur's forest, and the third time here in Zolushka. This was the third time he was letting Brynhildr off!

"A-are you not going to kill me, again?"

"This is the last time."

Kang Chul-In emphasized.

"No more mercy."

"..."

"Challenge me one more time, and I will kill you without hesitation."

A final warning. Of course, he planned to visit Brynhildr the moment he got the Sonic Ring. It was a special service.

"Ah, also."

Kang Chul-In added.

"Let me request one thing."

"Request?"

"Can you relay this message to Vilhelm?"

"...?"

"Tell him that marriage is a crazy thing."

"..."

"It's up to you to tell him."

Kang Chul-In sniggered. A demon's grin.

***

"W-Where is this...?"

Lee Ji-Tae looked around.

"Where else?"

The black silhouette replied.

"We are in Atal Ramanujan's territory."

"...?"

"To be precise, we are in a remote area in Shatyameba."

"Ah...!"

Lee Ji-Tae exclaimed. He had escaped from that collapsing Itaracia fortress!

"Who are you, by the way?"

Lee Ji-Tae turned to face the black silhouette.

"Do you want to know?"

The black silhouette asked.

"Alright then. It's no secret, anyway."

"..."

"I'm Milenius, the last Agnaga."

"...!"

"I'm the controller of time."

Thump! Lee Ji-Tae could feel a shudder.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump, ba-dump!

It was a sense of kinship and instinct. They were of the same kind. As only a few Agnagas existed in the whole universe, Lee Ji-Tae felt a special feeling when he encountered his own kind.

"Milenius... the controller of time..."

"Do you know who you are?"

"Me...?"

"As I said earlier, you are the only one who can command our army."

"W-What are you talking about...?"

"You are Cereb, the great mind of Agnaga."

Incomprehensive words.

"I don't get you."

"Of course not."

The black silhouette agreed with Lee Ji-Tae.

"But you will soon figure it out, anyway. I don't see how my explanation will change anything."

"Figure it out anyway?"

"Just a matter of time. Be patient."

"..."

"You won't appreciate whatever I say now. Just focus on developing your abilities for now."

"My... abilities?"

"I'm referring to this."

The black silhouette tapped his own head, which was covered in a hood.

"Your incredible intelligence is the sole reason for your existence. Once you develop it, you will realize everything yourself."

"How...?"

"Your appetite."

"...!"

"You didn't think that your overwhelming appetite exists just to tear the skin and meat off of humans, did you?"

"...!"

"Hey, Cereb."

The black silhouette explained.

"We Agnagas are advanced. How could a lame desire like appetite exist in us?"

"T-that means!"

"Your appetite exists not for survival. It exists to develop your abilities."

"I don't understand..."

"Cannibalism."

"...!"

"I'm sure you didn't just eat your human preys' meat and blood."

Tap tap.

The black silhouette tapped his own head again.

"The brain."

"...!"

"You probably found the human brain to be particularly delicious."

"..."

"You would've eaten the brain and all of its cerebral fluids, even if you left unfinished bits elsewhere."

That was true. Lee Ji-Tae definitely did that.

"By consuming human brains, you can become the true Cereb."

"That means..."

"Now that you know the method, I hope you won't just stay still."

"..."

"Eat as much as you want. And awaken your true abilities. This land has plenty of humans. There's no better place for your growth."

The black silhouette began to walk away.

"When you've finally developed your abilities, we shall meet again."

"W-wait!"

Lee Ji-Tae shouted.

"Who are you, really!?"

"Who am I, you say...?"

The black silhouette pondered for a moment.

"Curious?"

Then... the black silhouette turned around.

Flick!

The hood came off.

"Argh!"

Lee Ji-Tae screamed the moment he realized the silhouette's true identity.

Chapter 291: Lee Ji Tae Becomes a Lord

Translator: Leyy3

After the black silhouette left,

"To think... he was an Aganaga..."

While remembering the strange meeting with his own species, Lee Ji-Tae walked. He was heading towards the Shatmayeba territory. He was planning on returning to Overlord Atal Ramanujan.

"Just..."

He had heard a slight explanation, but he still didn't understand everything. Lee Ji-Tae, who prided himself on being smart, had never felt more confused than this. There was only one answer.

"Is... the only thing left for me to do... is eat people...?"

Consuming human brains. He realized why the Agnaga existed. Also, for the "abilities" that the black silhouette had spoken about, he would have to consume brains anyway.

"I suppose it doesn't matter."

Lee Ji-Tae grit his teeth.

"If only I can take revenge... if I can avenge Alex..."

What did it matter? He had already gone over the edge. After his resurrection, whenever he felt starved, he consumed humans. There was nothing stopping him, who had already done what humans shouldn't do. Also, he had managed to convince Atal Ramanujan to create the third entity, but they had already lost. He wasn't in the position to be picky.

"The awakening of my abilities... ability awakening..."

Repeating those words, Lee Ji-Tae returned to the Shatmayeba territory. A monster who moved only with the mind to destroy Kang Chul-In, that was Lee Ji-Tae.

***

"Just... you... wait... Kang Chul-In..."

Brynhildr left in a mess.

The fancy white knight was nowhere to be seen. There was only the leave of a loser.

"W-what...?"

Dorian tilted his head seeing this.

"Hey, Kang Chul-In!"

"What?"

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"..."

"Hey... you should've said so if you were hurt... haa..."

"What kind of bullshit are you talking about suddenly?"

"Is it an untreatable disease? Hm?"

"Untreatable disease?"

"Yeah."

"On what grounds are you thinking that?"

Kang Chul-In asked, flabbergasted.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Dorian replied.

"They say that people die when they start doing things that they didn't do before!"

"..."

"Or if you have a chronic illness."

"Was that the reason?"

"Yeah."

Dorian nodded his head powerfully.

"The Kang Chul-In that I know is definitely not someone who'd save his enemies."

"..."

"Unless you were sick..."

It was true. Murder, arson, theft, breaking apart families, and more. Even from Dorain's perspective, Kang Chul-In was a demon without any blood or tears. But that Kang Chul-In let go of a dangerous person like Brynhildr? He couldn't believe it after seeing it.

"Tsk, tsk."

Kang Chul-In looked at Dorian pathetically.

"That's why you're stupid."

"I-I'm... stupid?"

"A mere sparrow wouldn't know the meaning of a phoenix."

"T-that's not fair!"

"I'm drawing a big picture."

"A big picture?"

"Shut up if you don't know."

Kang Chul-In turned away from Dorian. It was because there was no way to explain that Brynhildr was going to bring him the Sonic Ring because he didn't know about Soul Backup.

"Humph."

Dorain muttered.

"You should've taken the mask off at the very least. You just let him go..."

"Mask?"

"Yeah."

"Why would I take that off?"

"Because I'm curious!"

Dorain screeched.

"I don't know what kind of guy he is that he keeps hiding himself. I saw earlier that he fixed his helmet first when he was getting up."

"Mind your own business."

Kang Chul-In smirked and scolded Dorian.

"If you have time to be curious about that, go train."

"Wow... aren't you curious?"

"Not at all."

"Really?"

"Where would I use that knowledge?"

"..."

"It's not like I'll get money out of it or be able to use it like a servant."

"Wow... and I'm over here super curious."

Dorian sighed.

"What if he has burns all over his body?"

"Maybe."

"Or he's seriously ugly?"

"Sounds likely."

"He might not even be human."

"That sounds right."

"Or perhaps he's a girl?"

"Where did that come from?" Kang Chul-In frowned.

"Like a girl who dresses up as a guy."

"Then she could've just dressed up as a guy, but why would she wear a helmet?"

"That's true..."

"Stop talking about useless things and let's take care of them."

Kang Chul-In pointed at the Shatyameba forces.

"Oh, right."

Dorian scratched the back of his head and clenched his fist. Right, it wasn't the time to make small-talk. It was time to fight. There were about 30,000 people of the Shatyameba army in front of them. It was impossible to kill them all.

Click! Kang Chul-In grabbed Kaiforce

I'll finish it quickly and return.

His head was filled with thoughts about his family. He didn't want to miss a family vacation because of work.

"W-wait!"

Kang Chul-In thoughts soon became reality.

"Supreme King of the West, please listen to me!"

A middle-aged man with medals on his chest stepped up. He had three stars. This man was a lieutenant general.

"Who are you?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

He replied.

"I am General Apu of the Shatmabeya forces."

"And what do you want?"

"That is..."

"If you're trying to suggest I surrender, I'll..."

"N-no!"

General Apu shook his hands

frantically.

"It's a misunderstanding!"

"A misunderstanding?"

"Yes, your Majesty! I wouldn't dare perform an act of atrocity like suggesting you surrender!"

It was like he was saying...

"Our soldiers will be the ones to surrender."

"...!"

"Please accept us with your benevolence that's as deep as the sea!"

It was surrender.

The 30,000 man army was surrendering to Kang Chul-In.

"Why?"

Kang Chul-In was astounded.

"Why are you quitting? You're the ones at an advantage right now. Even if I'm strong, it's hard for me to deal with 30,000 of..."

"No, your Majesty!"

"No?"

"Yes!"

The general kneeled.

Thud!

It wasn't just him.

Thud, thud, thud!

All of the soldiers began to kneel.

These crazy bastards?

War wasn't a game, so why was this army of 30,000 all surrendering to him? This was the first time he had ever been so astounded in his entire life.

"Your Majesty!

Dopinder, who had surrendered first, bowed down in front of Kang Chul-In.

"May I, Dopinder, say something to your Majesty first?"

Tremble! His entire body was shaking like a tree in the wind. It was because of the pressure that Kang Chul-In was exuding.

"Speak."

Kang Chul-In nodded.

"General Apu is being genuine. Please accept them."

"Genuine...? What is the reason? Is there a reason to surrender to me, throwing away your children?"

"Yes, there is."

Dopinder replied.

"Your Majesty, there is no hope in the Shatmayeba territory."

"The reason?"

"The Shatmeyba territory is lacking in terms of arable land. Why else would they call a jungle a "green desert?"

"A green desert?"

"Yes, your Majesty. The Shatmayeba territory has a great population but 85% of the land is a jungle."

"Are you saying there's nothing to eat?"

"Correct, your Majesty."

"Are you saying that even if you return, your children will starve to death... so you want to surrender to save yourselves?"

"I-It's embarrassing but true..."

Kang Chul-In stroked his chin like he was thinking of something.

So Kwak Jung was right.

It was exactly as Kwak Jung said. Atal Ramujan had chosen to climb the mountain range rather than to starve.

"Your Majesty!"

General Apu was bowing his head towards Kang Chul-In again.

"Please accept us! We want to become your people!"

It was a genuine surrender.

"Please accept us, your Majesty!"

"Accept us!"

"We want to become your people!"

The army of 30,000 soldiers all shouted towards Kang Chul-In.

"Whoa..."

Dorian clicked his tongue.

"Kang Chul-In is getting soldiers without lifting a finger... haaa... what do they like about Kang Chul-In?"

Dorian couldn't understand how normal people viewed Kang Chul-In.

"Well, fine."

Kang Chul-In nodded his head.

"I understand what you're saying. I, the Supreme King of the West, will accept everyone as my people!"

Sure, there wasn't any reason why he couldn't accept them. He could accept their surrender and help with the restoration of the Zolushka territory.

"Wooooooh!"

"We'll serve you to our best ability!"

"Hurrah for the Supreme King of the West!"

"Cheers for the Valhalla Kingdom!"

The soldiers of Shatmabeya all cheered powerfully.

"Also!" Kang Chul-in continued, "it might be hard, but I'll also accept your family! As soon as I can, I'll get started with an operation to rescue your family, and if you can prove that you're family, I'll let them pass!"

It was a small act of generosity, but not to those who heard it.

"Y-your Majesty!"

"Keuk!"

"You're a holy emperor, a true benevolent holy emperor!"

"Heuk... heuk heuk..."

The battlefield that was a sea of blood instantly became a sea of tears. All humans missed their families.

They felt grateful at Kang Chul-In's goodwill.

***

A week passed after Lee Ji-Tae met Atal Ramnujan.

"Y-your Majesty...! Keuk...!"

Lee Ji-Tae bowed towards Atal Ramnujan and sobbed.

"I've committed a crime worth dying for! Please kill me!"

The responsibility of the battlefield was always the commander's.

It wasn't a strange thing for him to request for death since he was Atal Ramnujan's head commander.

"No, of course not! Why would this be your fault!?"

Unexpectedly, Atal Ramanujan didn't scold Lee Ji-Tae.

"This is definitely not your fault. Who could've imagined that Kang Chul-In would interfere!"

"Y-your Majesty!"

"No one could've expected it! I, you, and the people here didn't know about Kang Chul-In's arrival! The loss of the war isn't just on you, but me as well!"

It was the truth. Even though Lee Ji-Tae was the prime commander, he received orders from the Lord, Atal Ramanujan. Reasonably speaking, it wasn't anyone's fault in particular.

"Get up, Lee Ji-Tae!"

Atal Ramnanuhan got up from his throne and raised Lee Ji-Tae.

"Your Majesty..."

"If it wasn't for Kang Chul-In, it was a strategy that would've been greatly successful. His interference is like a natural disaster, so how can I hold you responsible for that?"

"Keuk!"

Lee Ji-Tae cried. Actually, it was more like he was pretending to cry, but...

"It's too early to give up, Lee Ji-Tae."

"...!"

"You planted the dream of the north in me. You're also the person who helped me become royal. Stand up. We were just unlucky. You can try again. I'm planning on giving you more chances!"

"I-Is that true?"

"Of course! You're the commander who took over the Chamonix mountains in less than a week. If I throw you away because you dally once, everyone in Pangaea will laugh at me, Atal Ramanujan!"

Atal Ramnujan seemed to be able to make wise decisions. Of course, it wasn't a good one this time. It would've been better for him to kill Lee Ji-Tae however he could.

"Alright, I have something to say to you."

Atal Ramanujan led Lee Ji-Tae.

"I've prepared good wine, let's go!"

"You're too kind, your Majesty!"

Atal Ramanujan made a gesture of encouraging Lee Ji-Tae. This meant that he knew how to take care of his underlings pretty well, but...There was a scary smile on Lee Ji-Tae's face.

***

In Atal Ramanujan's office.

"Isn't it not that bad of a loss, anyway?"

Atal Ramnujan poured a drink, alone with Lee Ji-Tae.

"With this war, we were able to decrease our population by about 50,000 people, Lee Ji-Tae."

"Y-Yes, that's true."

"We were lacking in food, anyway. Shouldn't we be happy that we don't have to feed 50,000 mouths?"

It was a cold statement. How could he say that about his soldiers unless he just considered them his workers?

"Thanks to..."

Atal Ramanujan continued to speak. No, he tried to continue, but he couldn't.

Puk! Tentacles that came from Lee Ji-Tae pierced Atal Ramanujan's body.

"Kuk!"

He gasped.

"J-just... w-what are you... doing... Lee Ji-Tae...?"

"I don't know?"

Lee Ji-Tae smiled faintly.

"An experiment, if you will."

"E-experiment...!?"

"An experiment about what would happen if I absorb your brain?"

"...!"

"If I succeed..."

"...!?"

"I'll become a Lord. It'll be the first case of an adventurer becoming a Lord."

As soon as he was done speaking, the tentacles began to dig deep into Ramnujan's body.

Wriggle!

Chapter 292. Lee Ji-Tae Becomes a Lord (2)

Translator: Leyy3

"O-Oppa..."

The young Lord Lily Sephardi was looking at Kang Chul-In with shining eyes.

"Thank you... truly... thank you..."

Tears brimmed in the little girl's eyes.

"H-How cute...!"

"Keuk! M-My heart...!"

"It must've been hard..."

Nilus, Dorian, and Kim Sung-Hee had a heart attack from how adorable Lily was.

Anyone would've wanted to pinch her cheeks.

"Give it."

However, Lily's looks didn't work on Kang Chul-In.

He had the cheat character Arshelly by his side.

Even though Lily's charms were outstanding, they wouldn't work on someone who had the cutest and loveliest daughter in Pangaea.

"Pardon?"

"That necklace."

Kang Chul-In pointed at Lily's neck.

"Ah..."

"A contract is a contract."

"....."

"You're not planning on dining and dashing, hm?"

"N-No!!"

Lily shook her hands.

How would she dare to dash in front of the person in front of her?

No one in this world could dare to ask Kang Chul-In to do something for free, unless they had a hundred, no, a thousand lives.

"Here it is, Oppa."

Lily handed her necklace, the Amplifier Talisman, over to Kang Chul-In.

"Thank you so..."

"I'll use it well."

Kang Chul-In snatched the Amplifier Talisman from her.

".....!"

Lily realized the truth then.

O-Oppa was a bad guy, heuk!

She had realized that Kang Chul-In's only goal was the Amplifier Talisman.

"Huhu..."

Despite the depressed reaction that Lily had, Kang Chul-In had a satisfied face.

Ke... His Majesty is definitely evil!

T-That demon...

What a scary person... he has no blood or tears...

He looked like an adult who took candy from a baby, and people around him looked twice at him.

[Epic] Amplifier Talisman

Equipment Type: Accessory (Bracelet)

Endurance: 100/100

Option 1: Health +250

Option 2: Mana +250

Option 3: Attack power +50

Option 4: Spell power +50

-Amplfication: It releases the energy in the bracelet and increases the rate at which it is released.

Energy released for 5 seconds +120%

Cooltime: 240 Hours

As I thought!

Kang Chul-In was joyful after seeing the options of the item that was a part of the Trinity Impact.

"Hey, kiddo."

He spoke again.

"Yes?"

"I'm saying this again, but don't do something stupid like taking apart your army."

"Okay..."

"And remember. Your decision to make a territory without an army made what Smire did for you useless."

His words were effective.

Brrr!

Lily shook.

It was because what Kang Chul-In said was painfully correct.

"Do you understand now?"

"Yes! I know what you're saying now, Oppa!"

"Good."

"O-Oppa..."

"This mistake was enough to last you a lifetime. Usually, these mistakes lead to your territories downfall."

That was true.

Lily's mistake could've been the leading factor to destroy her territory. If Kang Chul-In hadn't interfered, it was obvious what would've happened.

"Oppa..."

Lily tried to jump into Kang Chul-In's arms with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Nope."

She failed.

Kang Chul-In was holding her back with his finger pressing her forehead.

"Kiddo."

"...Yes."

"You're not a booger-dripper."

".....!"

"Lords don't have genders or ages."

This was the belief of a man who had pride in the position of Lords.

"You're not a little girl. You have the responsibility of everything in your territory."

"Ah!"

"So become stronger."

".....!"

"At the very least, you should do what you're secretary died trying to do."

Don't act like a child.

Don't make Smire's death futile.

Fulfill all your responsibilities as a Lord.

The above three were genuine pieces of advice that the Supreme King of the West Kang Chul-In was giving the Lord Lily Sephardi.

"I-I got it! Oppa..."

"Don't call me Oppa."

".....!"

"I have a daughter that's your age."

"Huk!"

Lily gasped.

She knew he was married, but she didn't know he had a daughter!

"Anyways, I'll give you some of my forces so use them to restore your territory."

"Okay..."

She had a depressed voice.

The fact that her prince in shining armor was a dad crumbled a fantasy she had.

"Oh, also," Kang Chul-In added on, "no after service."

"W-What do you mean?"

"I'm saying when you're attacked again, I won't help you then."

He was already busy enough.

He couldn't take care of her after she was finished with how much work he had to do.

"Okay!"

However, Lily didn't look sad.

Yeah, I can do this!

She couldn't crumble here.

She had done so much to protect the territory.

It was a territory she barely managed to protect by selling Smire's items. She couldn't let outsiders invade it again!

"Instead, I'll send 10,000 soldiers from the Shatmayeba territory to support you."

"R-Really?!"

"Of course. I'll send two squads as soon

as the construction of Itaracia is finished."

"T-Thank you! Op... I-I mean, Your Majesty!" Lili shouted in a strong voice.

I should return as soon as possible.

However, all Kang Chul-In was thinking of was the family vacation.

All he could see was his family having a good time on some tropical island on Earth.

***

"K-keuk!"

A painful groan escaped from Atal Ramanujan's mouth.

Why wouldn't he?

Anyone would scream if their brains were sucked out by tentacles while they were alive.

Also, he was terrified beyond what anyone could imagine.

G-Gulp!!!

Lee Ji-Tae sucked the data in Atal Ramanujan's head regardless of how scared Atal was.

[Downloading Overlord Atal Ramanujan's information data (54%)]

[Downloading Overlord Atal Ramanujan's information data (76%)]

[Downloading Overlord Atal Ramanujan's information data (99%)]

[Download complete!]

The absorption of the brain was done.

Plop!

Atal Ramanujan's corpse fell feebly to the ground having lost its prime organ.

This was the result of trusting Lee Ji-Tae.

It was a futile end for an Overlord.

[Analyzing information data!]

The brain cells from Atal Ramanujan began to provide an immense amount of data.

[The system has detected a change in adventurer Lee Ji-Tae's condition!]

Then, something shocking happened.

[Adventurer Lee Ji-Tae, position change!}

[Adventurer Lee Ji-Tae is being changed from the 'Adventurer' class to the 'Lord' class! (Adventurer Lee Ji-Tae →Lord Lee Ji-Tae)]

At the same time, a shining light surrounded Lee Ji-Tae's body.

[Ownershp of the Shatmayeba territory is being given to Lord Lee Ji-Tae!]

[The Soul Core of the Shatmayeba territory, the 'Swadhisthana,' is being bound to Lord Lee Ji-Tae!]

A change in his position!

Lee Ji-Tae was the first adventurer to become a Lord!

Also,

[Lord Lee Ji-Tae, promotion to Overlord! (Lord Lee Ji-Tae→Overlord Lee Ji-Tae)]

He had received Atal Ramanujan's position.

".....!"

This was something that Lee Ji-Tae hadn't been able to imagine, so he was surprised.

"An Overlord... I, I'm an Overlord!"

A shocked voice came from Lee Ji-Tae's mouth.

Ah, what kind of happy event was this!

He needed forces to take revenge on Kang Chul-In and served Atal Ramanujan as a result of it.

"With my power... with my forces..."

But now, things were different.

"Kang Chul-In... I'll break you apart... no matter what..."

He could face off against Kang Chul-In on his own.

The condition of the territory was a mess, but it wasn't impossible to restore it with his abilities.

It would be easier if he could control the weather, but unfortunately, he wasn't the owner of the epic item that was the White Fan.

Its owner was Kang Chul-In's tactician, White Fan.

***

Swaaaa-

Skadi closed her eyes in the shower while the water poured down on her.

Your Majesty...

Her head was filled with thoughts about Kang Chul-In.

Kang Chul-In.

He was a scary man.

He was deathly cold, cruel, and merciless. The people of Valhalla considered him the benevolent leader of the century, but he was a supervillain. Demons from hell might be less evil than him.

But,

Your Majesty...

Skadi's cheeks were flushed like a peach while she thought of Kang Chul-In.

It was strange.

Kang Chul-In was definitely a villain and a powerful man without any blood or tears.

However, Skadi found herself being attracted to his charms whenever she thought of him.

"No one can touch my family."

"You dare to touch my daughter?"

"Mother, did you take the supplements I got for you last time?"

"Daughter, I love you."

"Come here, Lee Chae-Rin."

"Did you sleep well? Ninetails?"

Kang Chul-In was more a family man than anyone else.

He was a merciless demon to his enemies, but to his family, he was the best family man (although a bit dense).

"I-I also... Your Majesty's love..."

It was just then, when Skadi was muttering to herself.

Creak-!

The door to the shower opened.

"Were you washing..."

Kang Chul-In froze when he entered the shower.

"Y-Your Majesty!"

Skadi was extremely surprised.

Why was Kang Chul-In, who had gone away to work, here?"

And while she was naked in the shower at that!

"W-Why are you in Ninetails's room?"

Kang Chul-In asked, taken aback.

"T-That's.....!"

".....?"

"She said the ocean view of my room was nice so she wanted to borrow it for one day..."

Skadi explained the situation.

"I-I see..."

Kang Chul-In scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Of course, he didn't do anything unmanly like covering his important parts.

Why?

He was a "confident man!"

"T-Then I'll be off."

"....."

"Continue with your shower."

Kang Chul-In turned around.

"W-Wait!"

Just then, Skadi stopped Kang Chul-In.

No, she didn't just stop him.

Squash!!!

Kang Chul-In felt something soft on his back. Skadi had hugged him from behind!

"Y-Your Majesty...!"

".....!"

"Please... please give me some of your time..."

Kang Chul-In spoke in a desperate voice towards Kang Chul-In.

"Just a little.. will do..."

"Do you have something to say?"

Kang Chul-In asked, his back still turned.

"D-Do... you not like me...?!"

".....!"

"You never look at me..."

It was a timid statement for someone who had done an extreme physical act just now.

"What are you..."

"I.. I'm also your wife."

"Did anyone say otherwise?"

"....."

"No matter what anyone says, the fact that you're my wife won't change."

"B-But...!"

Skadi continued.

"You've never looked for me..."

"....."

"You had a good time with First Sister and Second Sister... but you never came to my room..."

That was true.

"That's..."

But Kang Chul-In had something to say about that.

"The Esmeralda Territory..."

"That's not fair..."

".....!"

"I'm also a woman..."

Skadi countered his attack.

"I also have the desire to be loved by you..."

".....!"

"Your Majesty... are you planning on throwing me away after being done with the Esmeralda territory?"

"T-That's...!"

"Are you planning me on kicking me out of the Kang family coldly?"

She was desperate.

Skadi seemed worried that she would be thrown away by Kang Chul-In.

"Skadi."

Kang Chul-In's reaction to his was,

"Come here."

"Huk!"

Swish!

He pulled the naked Skadi into his wide chest.

Chapter 293: Desdemona in Fox Valley (2)

Translator: Leyy3

In an isolated forest of Northern Ishtar...

"Hmm..."

The ancient Black Dragon, Desdemona, got ready to create a composite of the criminal. Even if the face was known, the identity of the person wasn't known, so it was unavoidable that she would have to take the trouble of looking for him, but Desdemona didn't care. She was a dragon. All she had was time, and her time flowed over. Napping was something that dragons did in years, and looking for a single human was only a small part of her life.

"I'll catch them no matter what... argh...!"

Desdemona ground her teeth.

"Whew..."

It was then.

"Today's a bit tiring..."

A bush rustled and a man in loose clothing appeared. Looking at the A-frame carrier and the axe on his back, it was obvious he was a woodcutter.

"Hey."

Desdemona needed to investigate anyway, so she spoke towards the woodcutter.

"Yes?"

"You, come here."

"...?"

"Aren't you coming?"

Flinch! The woodcutter trembled. He didn't know what this cute little girl was doing deep inside of this forest, but the fear she gave off was not to be taken lightly.

"Ah, yes!"

The pale woodcutter moved frantically even though the girl was speaking rudely. His instincts were warning him that this girl was a fearsome being.

"You."

"Yes..."

"Do you know this guy?"

Desdemona thrusted a piece of parchment in front of the woodcutter's nose.

"Mm!"

"Do you or not?"

"I-I..."

"You do know?"

As the woodcutter hesitated, Desdemona urged him to speak with expectant eyes.

"I don't."

The woodcutter tilted his head as if he didn't know anything.

"You don't?"

"No..."

"Why don't you know!?"

"...!"

"Look again, closely!"

"I-It's..."

"Do you wanna die?"

"N-No!"

"Look again."

"Okay..."

"Look closely."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The woodcutter looked even more closely at the composite on Desdemona's orders.

"So? Do you remember..."

"I don't know."

"Are you sure you looked closely? Hm?"

"I-I really don't know!"

"That's strange..."

Desdemona looked at him with narrowed snake-like eyes. It was because she thought the woodcutter knew the criminal but was pretending like he didn't.

"I really don't know!"

The woodcutter spoke defensively, like he was wronged.

"Really?"

"Can I tell you the truth?"

"Hm? The truth?"

"Yes."

"Go ahead."

"That's... if I'm being honest.. this picture... I can't tell what it is at all."

"R-really?"

"Even my five year old daughter could draw better... I-I apologize..."

The woodcutter lowered his head.

"Y-you really can't tell?"

"I really can't."

"Hm?"

Desdemona tilted her head and snatched away the criminal's composite from the woodcutter's hand.

"It looks good no matter how much I look at it."

"..."

"You're saying this is bad?"

"..."

"You, are you lying...?"

It was then.

"Argh!"

The woodcutter expressed his anger for the first time.

"Look at this!"

"Hm?"

"Is this a person? The circle is the face, the dots are the eyes, and the long thing is the nose?"

"..."

"Please give people something that they can recognize, okay?"

There was nothing wrong with what the woodcutter said. Like what he said, the composite that Desdemona drew looked like something a young child had drawn. Actually, there was a reason why Desdemona's drawing abilities were messy. Even though dragons were a species that were near perfect, there were things they couldn't do. For example: architecture, sculpting, art, and music, etc.. They were weak in fields related to art. They captured dwarves to build their lairs or sirens to perform their songs.

"I-Is that so?"

"Sheesh! Look at your drawing again and ask!"

The woodcutter was scolding the ancient level Black Dragon.

"T-then what should I do?"

Desdemona was taken aback.

If it was true that her drawing abilities were bad, even though she tried her best, then she would have a hard time catching the criminal.

"Do you know what they were wearing?"

"Of course!"

Desdemona answered the woodcutter's question confidently.

Dragons were beings that didn't forget anything.

She could remember the ancient Black Dragon 'Emilia' being born from an egg thousands of years ago clearly, so remembering the face of a criminal was nothing.

"Then how about looking for a skilled artist?"

"A-artist?"

"Yes."

The woodcutter nodded firmly.

"That'll be more helpful for you to find the person you're looking for..."

"Shit!"

"...!"

"Why didn't I think of that before? Stupid Desdemona!"

Desdemona punched herself in the head.

"Hey."

Then, she spoke as she looked back at the woodcutter.

"Yes?"

"You're a nice

guy, right?"

"..."

"For teaching me this amazing tip."

"...?"

The woodcutter was speechless for a moment.

He had only taught her something that even a monkey would've known, but her reaction was extreme.

"I must give you a reward."

"Pardon?"

"What would be fitting..."

As Desdemona muttered to herself, she opened her treasure chest that was stored in another dimension.

Plat, plat, ploop!

She tossed three tools that were supposed to be presents at the woodcutter's feet.

"W-what is this?"

"What else would it be? It's an axe."

"What?"

"You're a woodcutter, right?"

"Yes?"

"If you want to be a pro-woodcutter, you need good axes."

"..."

"Your equipment has to be good."

Desdemona pointed at the three axes with a grin.

"How are they? They're pretty cool, huh? This iron axe works pretty well. It doesn't get damaged no matter how much you chop wood. I also put a spell on it, so it's not a bad item."

She spoke casually about it, but it was a legendary item that was called the "Butcher's Invariant Axe," known for not getting any blood on its blade.

"And this..."

Desdemona pointed at the second axe.

"Isn't this a silver axe?"

"Right."

"Haa... Miss, I'm sorry to say this, but silver is a soft..."

"Do you think it's just normal silver?"

"...!"

"This is pure silver. It's a tool made completely of mithril."

"Heok...!"

"It was an item of a dwarf I knew, but I stol... I mean, I got it as a present."

Actually, she had taken it forcefully. This axe was a holy item of dwarves called "Dvergr" that she took from the dwarf, Rode, exactly 1783 years ago. Of course, Dvergr's price was astronomical because it was a holy item of dwarves and also an Epic Item.

"And lastly, this..."

"It's not made of gold, right?"

"It's something made from the hind bones of a gold dragon."

"...!"

"It's made of 100% pure dragon bones, so it'll be pretty useful."

It wasn't just "pretty" useful. This axe that called for storms, the "Golden Typhoon," had magic circles that dragons casted themselves. It was better not to talk about what happened if it's true power was released.

"This is enough, right?"

"..."

"Why, do you need more?"

"N-no! This is enough!"

The woodcutter quickly waved his hands in case Desdemona changed her mind and firmly nodded his head.

"Okay, then live happily."

Then, Desdemona turned away.

"Oh, right!"

"Yes?"

"Where should I go to find a skilled artist?"

"Mm.."

The woodcutter looked like he was thinking for a moment and then answered.

"Wouldn't it be best to go to Fox Valley?"

"Fox Valley? The city of demi-humans?"

"Do you know it?"

"Yeah."

"Then look for someone called Leonardo. From what I hear, he's the best artist in all of Ishtar."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Ke... good, I'll go look for that Leonardo."

Flash! Desdemona disappeared from the woodcutter's sight. Fox Valley was a city that was thousands of years old, and its coordinates were clear in Desdemona's head.

"Huk!"

The woodcutter gasped.

"Is this a dream..."

When he looked again, Desdemona was completely gone. All she left was the gold, silver, and iron axes.

***

"Do you really want to be by my side?" Kang Chul-In asked.

"Yes..." Skadi replied with her head low.

She never had confidence. It wasn't that she was treated badly, but her importance in the Valhalla Kingdom neared nothing.

"I like you..."

It was a timid confession. Although it was a bit awkward to say it naked in the shower, being alone with Kang Chul-In like this might be a chance she never got again.

"Your Majesty..."

Squash!

Kang Chul-In couldn't speak for a moment while Skadi was confessing because of a particular body part she had. Glamour. Skadi was a woman who had something that was a bit bigger than even Ninetails'.

"Mm!"

It was hard for Kang Chul-In, the man who was so stone-like that he was once thought to be a man who didn't have what it took to be a man, to stay calm.

Fuck it!

At the same time, snip! The string of reason that was holding him together was cut off. Then... the attack began.

"Hup!"

Skadi was surprised at Kang Chul-In suddenly kissing her, but she was soon lost in his skillful tongue movement.

"Hung..."

B-but... I'm dead now...! Sisters said that they had to stay bedridden for 3 days...!

She was scared. Kang Chul-In's ability that Ninetails and Lee Chae-Rin had spoken about was severely dangerous!

***

One week later.

"Alright everyone, work hard while I'm not here."

Kang Chul-In, who returned after his first family vacation, walked with the eyes of sovereigns on him. He wasn't going far. His destination was his individual training area within Laputa's territory.

Dragon heart tastes good anytime.

Kang Chul-In smirked. It wasn't as much as the blue dragon's (a blue dragon was more powerful than the gold dragon that Rothschild had hunted), but a dragon heart was still a dragon heart.

Things worked out pretty well.

The time that he will spend in closed training would be useful to him, and he can consume the dragon heart while at it, too.

"I'll see you one month later."

Kang Chul-In waved his hands.

"Come back soon, your Majesty!"

"Don't worry about anything!"

"I hope you see good results!"

The subordinates all said goodbye to Kang Chul-In.

Boom! The door to the training room closed.

***

It was two days after Kang Chul-In entered closed training when the alarms rang.

Wheeing! Wheeing! The siren rang.

"Emergency situation, emergency situation!"

One messenger soldier looked at the scroll that came flying and screamed.

"What is it?" Kwak Jung, who had been inspecting the messaging systems, frowned.

"What are you making a fuss about? Hm?"

"S-Sir!"

"What is it?"

"I-I..." The messenger soldier was so surprised that he couldn't say anything.

"Ugh!" Kwak Jung grunted.

"Aren't you gonna speak now? Huh?"

"T-That's..."

"Do you wanna die?"

"F-Fox Valley...!"

"...?"

"Fox Valley has been taken over!"

"Huh?"

Disbelief filled Kwak Jung's face.

Chapter 294: Desdemona in Fox Valley (2)

Translator: Leyy3

12 hours ago...

"Whoa~! This place looks the same."

Desdemona was in astonishment as she looked at the city of demi-humans that had thousands of years of history. Fox Valley was the same as ever. It was a city filled with pure white marble. It was exactly as Desdemona remembered.

"Does Ninetails still rule over here?"

Seeing as how there was a fox symbol on the walls of the castle, it seemed so. To her, who was a true dragon, Ninetails was the leader of the demi-humans... something like their king. But right now, it was more important to catch the criminal than to look for a fox.

"Hey."-

Desdemona asked a question to a demi-human girl who was passing by.

"Hm?"

"Nuh uh."

"..."

"You're speaking casually to me, bitch. Watch it."

"Ah, yes ma'am..."

The demi-human girl was flabbergasted by what the girl who looked to be the same age as her was saying, but like the woodcutter, she gave in to her because of the aura she gave off.

"I heard the greatest artist in Fox Valley is Leonardo?"

"Pardon? Teacher Leonardo?"

"'Teacher,' my ass."

Desdemona snorted.

"Why would a mere demi-human be a teacher? He just scribbles."

If people related to art heard her, they would've trembled with anger, but Desdemona didn't care.

Artists were only slaves who made their lairs beautiful.

"B-but Mr. Leonard is respected quite..."

"So what?"

"..."

"Don't talk about useless things and answer my question."

"..."

"That scribbler called Leonardo, do you know where he lives?"

The demi-human girl responded.

"Yes..."

"Where does he live?"

"Mr. Leonard is a royal artist of Fox Valley."

"So what?"

"..."

"Where does he live?"

"Obviously in..."

Leonardo probably lived in the palace as a royal artist.

"Okay, I see."

Desdemona immediately began to head towards Fox Valley.

"Stop!"

Guards in front of the palace saw Desdemona at the entrance.

"Who are you, and where are you from? Please reveal your identity and why you came."

The dog-human guards spoke in a respectful voice towards Desdemona because of the aura she gave off.

"I don't know anything about that, so can you get out of the way? I'm here to see Leonardo."

However, Desdemona's attitude was very dragon-like.

This rude...

The dog-humans were displeased at her attitude, but they didn't bare their teeth.

It was a rule that all guards had to be polite to visitors. That is, unless they crossed the "line."

"Are you speaking about Royal Artist Leonardo?"

"Yeah."

"..."

"So move."

"I apologize, but have you contacted him in advance...?"

"Why would I set up a meeting with that mere scribbler?"

It meant that she had come here without any plans.

"Then you cannot pass."

"What?"

Desdemona's eyes flashed.

"Sir Leonardo isn't someone just anyone can meet. You didn't contact him prior to this, and you're not revealing your..."

"Hey."

"...Yes?"

"Do you wanna be beaten up into dust?"

Desdemona clenched her fists.

"How dare you..."

Eventually, the dog-human guards exploded.

"Where do you think this is!? A young kid like you..."

At that moment, Desdemona's fist landed on the guard's chin.

Pak!

"Kuk!"

The guard screamed as he fell over and fainted, his mouth bubbling.

"Do you want to die...? I said to move."

Desdemona muttered to herself.

"An e-enemy!"

"Stop!"

"How dare a human girl...!?"

The other guards aimed their spears at Desdemona.

"Ha..."

Desdemona had a sour smile.

All dragons, whether they were red, blue, silver, white, gold, green, or black, had a bad temperament, but among all of them, black dragons were especially vicious. Of course Desdemona would be furious with all the guards trying to block her.

"Fine... Since when did I...? Hehe... mental training is really the best for stupid dogs..."

Desdemona stepped towards the guards as she pulled her sleeves up.

***

Back in the messaging room of the Valhalla Kingdom.

"Huh?"

Kwak Jung tilted his head rather than being angry that Fox Valley had been taken over.

What?

He couldn't think of anyone who could suddenly dominate Fox Valley

like this. Also, since the most likely people, the Gullveig Alliance, couldn't attack because of the ceasefire, there was no way it was them.

"The details."

Kwak Jung spoke towards the messenger soldier in charge of Fox Valley.

"The enemies' soldiers?"

"That's..."

"Give me the letter."

"Yes, sir."

Its contents were the following:

Fox Valley Palace, taken over.

Reason, unknown

Forces, unknown

The attacker is a young human girl named "Desdemona."

Currently, the enemy has the royal artist Leonardo and other officials captured as prisoners.

"What is this?"

Kwak Jung looked astounded.

"Are you saying Fox Valley was taken over by this single girl named Des or whatever her name is?"

"..."

"Hm?"

The messenger soldier couldn't say anything as Kwak Jung questioned him. No, he didn't have anything to say. He was also working in the Valhalla Kingdom's capital, in Laputa. There was no way he knew about what happened in Fox Valley.

"Sure... what would you know..."

After realizing that the messenger wouldn't know anything, Kwak Jung decided not to scold the poor government worker.

"Argh... ugh...!"

Instead, he gripped his head.

Kwak Jung was drying up every day because of overworking himself. This was because his cruel boss Kang Chul-In had given him all of his work (what Kang Chul-In had to take care of was enough to kill people from overexertion) and entered closed training.

"Damn it!"

He was busy enough, but Fox Valley was taken over on top of all that... Kwak Jung, who was barely getting by these days with potions, wanted to cry.

But who is it?

He didn't even know the enemy. The Valhalla Kingdom had never even heard of Desdemona.

A Lord? No, there's no way... she's probably an adventurer... hm... an adventure took over Fox Valley?

It was hard to believe. The army of the demi-humans wasn't something to be looked down upon. Why? Because their combative power was vastly different from humans who didn't know how to use mana in the first place.

I don't know where she suddenly came from, but...

He knew that she was strong.

She won't be as strong as His Majesty...

Kwak Jung considered her to be as strong as Brynhildr or Dorian at most.

"Hey!"

Kwak Jung shouted.

"Yes, sir?"

"Go have the Drakan-Amur duo, Kim Sung-Hee, Captain James, Michael, Nilus, and the other kingdom magicians attack Fox Valley.

It was an incredible lineup.

If the people who Kwak Jung named gathered, it was enough to turn a small territory into a pile of ashes within a day. This would probably be enough to simply hold down the girl named Desdemona.

Or at least that's what Kwak Jung thought.

"However, this task is top secret. You must especially not let Queen Ninetails hear about this."

It was a move of respect. He didn't think it late to tell her after the situation was controlled because he thought it would be finished quickly.

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, continue to listen for any updates."

Kwak Jung internally grounded his teeth.

Just wait until you get caught, little girl...

He was planning on punishing her.

***

In Kang Chul-In's individual training area deep inside Laputa...

"Whew...!"

Kang Chul-In breathed out heavily.

Whoosh, swoosh!

He was wrapped around by mana fire.

"Dang... a dragon heart is most definitely a dragon heart."

Thump, thump thump!

His heart was beating fast against his chest, and he could hear beeping sounds in his ears.

Wiggle wiggle!

The clump of mana in his heart shook like it was going to explode at any second.

I'll need at least 3 days to settle the mana down...

Of course a human body couldn't accept a dragon heart easily. Even Kang Chul-In was having a hard time absorbing all the mana.

In the past, it had taken a whole month, so this was actually nothing.

That also showed how much better Kang Chul-In could handle mana.

"I'll focus on absorbing it first..."

While Kang Chul-In was murmuring to himself, someone pounded against the iron door of the training area.

Kwakwakang!

"Hm?"

"Your Majesty! Your Majestyyyyy!"

It was Kwak Jung.

"Why are you calling on me?"

An annoyed voice came from Kang Chul-In. This was a chance for individual training that was hard to come by. He had said again and again not to interrupt him, but why was Kwak Jung pounding the door down?

"I said..."

"S-something bad happened!"

"What? What happened?"

"It's... all the martial artists of the Kingdom are being beaten up by this girl..."

Kwak Jung began to explain.

"What?"

A vein bulged up on Kang Chul-In's forehead.

"All of my subordinates lost?"

This was incredulous. They were subordinates that he trained himself, gave nice weapons, and supplied with energy cores and stones. But they had all lost to a girl he hadn't heard of before? And it wasn't just one or two of them, but all of them had been beaten up...?

These bastards... not training when they should be...

Kang Chul-In clenched his fists. Mental training was in store for them.

"Y-your Majesty..."

Kwak Jung continued.

"I think you may have to come out..."

Just then, with an explosive sound, a window of the 15-meter high training building came crumbling down.

Ssss...!

From the dust, Kang Chul-In came out, his body surrounded by mana.

"H-heek?!"

Kwak Jung gasped upon seeing this.

T-this guy is... r-really... mad...

He looked like a demon fresh out of hell. Annoyance due to his training being interrupted, disappointment in his subordinates, and fury towards the girl that took over his wife's homeland.

Kang Chul-In was the angriest he had been in the past few months.

"Let's go."

Speaking in a low dark voice as he stepped out...

"To Fox Valley..."

The Supreme King of the West Kang Chul-In and the ancient Black Dragon Desdemona were fated to meet.

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