304 - 311

Chapter 304: The Impending Ragnark (1)

Translator: Leyy3

"Fuck off, you maggots."

Kang Chul-In replied to the small fries.

-

F-Fuck off?!

"Are you deaf?"

-

...!

"Fuck off."

Not even 1% of hesitation. It was a perfect rejection.

"How dare you maggots try to negotiate with me?"

Kang Chul-In was visibly annoyed, but that was to be expected. He didn't like how these third-rate dregs whom he had no prior interactions with were taking advantage of the situation. In addition, the Sharada Alliance was trivial to him. Those nations were not worthy of allying with at the cost of splitting the conquered land after battle.

-

Kang Chul-In, aren't you being very disrespectful here?

Grekio tried his best to suppress his rage. He had expected this reaction. The Lords knew that Kang Chul-In was an arrogant man who had a horrible temper. It was natural for someone like that to become infuriated after hearing an exorbitant demand.

That's right, his pride is hurt... but if we state the facts, you will change your mind, Kang Chul-In.

Grekio let out a smile.

-

Look, Supreme King of the West.

He then began to reprimand Kang Chul-In with a staunch voice.

-

Try to read the grand scheme of things!

"...?"

-

Strictly speaking, aren't you on the losing end?

Grekio raised his voice.

-

Look at the Gullveig Alliance's strength, Supreme King of the West! Although you may have murdered its chairman and vice-chairman, its fertile land and well-established infrastructures still remain! Honestly, what good is pride when the enemy has three times the national power of Valhalla?

"Hmm... that is true."

-

See!

Greiko began to speak with fervor after Kang Chul-In agreed to his statement.

-

Supreme King of the West, pride alone doesn't guarantee survival. We acknowledge that our demands are slightly exorbitant, but you have to understand that we are taking a huge risk by joining your side.

"Hmm..."

-

As long as you can win the battle for hegemony, isn't it still to your benefit even after the distribution of land? You will be the emperor! The Sharada Alliance shall pledge loyalty to the newly crowned emperor!

Grekio flattered Kang Chul-In and concluded his speech.

"Alright."

Kang Chul-In nodded.

"Let's be allies then."

-

...!

"Right now."

-

Kueh! As expected from the Supreme King of the West! A wise choice indeed!

Grekio exclaimed in delight, thinking that Kang Chul-In was a simple and naïve man.

"I will work out an agreement right now."

Suddenly, Grekio's face stiffened.

-

Supreme King of the West, we do not need some useless papers like that. We want a genuine agreement via a spiritual contract!

"Haven't you heard of a provisional contract?"

-

...!

"An agreement is a sort of down payment. It doesn't truly indicate the formation of an alliance."

-

I-Is that so?

"We can first work out the agreement, then I can make a spiritual contract just before you send me reinforcements. Isn't that good enough?"

-

Oh! Great idea!

"I will immediately send my secretary and her underlings to your place, so do coordinate with them. I don't like to dilly dally when signing contracts."

-

Alright! We will wait! Let us open up the warp gate channel right now.

Grekio was jubilant.

A secretary was a Lord's aide and often the second-in-command in a territory.

For Kang Chul-In to send his secretary over, it meant that he had given his trust.

"Good."

Kang Chul-In smiled.

"Lucia!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Head immediately over to the land of Corinth, where the headquarters of the Sharada Alliance is located at!"

"Certainly, Your Majesty!"

Lucia began to make her way to the warp gate.

"What a turn of events, I've never expected to hold hands with the Sharada Alliance."

-

The same goes for us, Supreme King of the West.

"It's an honor to fight alongside the Sharada Alliance."

-

Not at all!

Grekio shook his head.

-

Don't say such things, Supreme King of the West! It's a great honor to fight alongside the strongest man in Pangaea. This glory will be passed down for generations to come.

"I'm flattered!"

-

It's the truth!

"Quite humorous, aren't you? Hahahaha~!"

-

Hahahahaha~!

A hearty laugh! Kang Chul-In and Grekio continued to flatter each other, as Lucia stepped into the warp gate. After 10 minutes, when Lucia finally arrived at the Lord's hall in Corinth, trouble began to brew.

-

Argh!

-

Arrghhhhhh!

-

W-What is this!?

A blood bath could be seen over the monitor.

-

How dare you!?

Lucia bellowed.

-

You dare to live after displaying such a disrespectful attitude towards the God of War?

-

S-Secretary Lucia!

-

I, Lucia, shall punish you all in place of His Majesty!

-

Arghhhh!

Lucia was merciless when enraged. Zenith, the Sword of Heaven, ripped enemy bodies apart, while Aegis, the

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Shield of God, shattered their skulls. And that wasn't all. The phantom steeds neighed, and the spectre cavalry swung their huge swords around frantically.

"Hmm."

Kang Chul-In grinned as he observed the situation through his monitor. The Epic item [Owner of the Ghosts] always came in handy. He could lend it to anyone (the level of the spectre knights depended on the user's level), hence it was very convenient. In addition, it allowed the user to conceal the size of the ghost army and did not require any maintenance fee. The only notable downside was its long cooldown time.

-

Kang Chul-In!

Grekio, who had spent a delightful time with Kang Chul-In just moments ago, was furious at this despicable act.

-

You are absolute scum, motherfucker!

"Why don't you come up with better insults?"

-

W-What!?

"Scum, fucker, bastard... I've heard these words so many times that I've become immune to them."

-

You crazy fucker...!

"Ah, that too."

Kang Chul-In shrugged.

"Try harder."

-

E-Eek... eek!

Grekio wanted to tear Kang Chul-In apart in anger.

How could a human be so evil?

-

Kang Chul...

"Before you call my name..."

-

...!

"You should watch your back."

-

Huk!

Suddenly,

Crack!

Lucia smashed Aegis on Grekio's head without mercy.

Thump!

Grekio's corpse, with a shattered skull, fell limp onto the ground.

-

Your Majesty, your humble servant has accomplished her mission!

Lucia bowed to Kang Chul-In.

"Well done, Lucia!"

-

I'm flattered, Your Majesty.

"I've sent an adventurer with a waypoint nearby, so return as soon as possible!"

-

Certainly, Your Majesty!

"Return safely. Don't get injured."

-

Aye!

That was the end. The Sharada Alliance had been erased off the map without a trace.

"Hmm... what a waste of time dealing with these fools. How dare they threaten me?"

Kang Chul-In complained. Even if it was true that he was in a tough spot, he didn't want to hold hands with such incapable opportunists. Well, he could have reconsidered if even one of them had a remarkable ability.

"Your Majesty!"

At that moment...

"Tactician Kwak is awake!"

"Is that so?"

Kang Chul-In stood up from his throne.

"Let's go! I have to meet Kwak Jung!"

It was brutal to discuss work-related matters with a patient who had just woken up from a coma, but Kang Chul-In didn't falter. It was inevitable.Since the Gullveig Alliance had already declared war, Ragnarök was about to begin.

***

Meanwhile, the Gullveig Alliance was enveloped in a mournful and grievous atmosphere.

"Oppa! Sob!"

Mei Ling screamed herself hoarse at Vilhelm and Ao Xin's funeral.

"Kang Chul-In... Kang Chul-Innnn!"

She detested him more than ever, but that was a given. Kang Chul-In was the reason why her married life had been in shambles, and also why her brother had died.

"Lady Mei Ling."

A man approached Mei Ling, who was on the verge of losing her mind from anger.

"Please calm down."

"W-What did you say?"

"This is not the time to be furious."

"Are you kidding me? My brother and husband were murdered by Kang Chul-In. If you were in my shoes, would you be..."

"Are you going to give Kang Chul-In more time?"

"...!"

"You have to be cool-headed in situations like this, lady Mei Ling! While you are mourning, Kang Chul-In is already making preparations to fight our army!"

"T-That is!"

He was absolutely right. Kang Chul-In was indeed getting ready for the upcoming war.

"Lady Mei Ling, our alliance needs your help to respond swiftly!"

"Andrei!"

That's right. The man who approached Mei Ling was none other than Andrei Ivanovic, the rank 2 Overlord.

"I do understand that my remarks may sound opportunistic, with an interior motive to take over the Gullveig Alliance."

"..."

"But there was no other alternative. I have to step up to deal with this chaos and launch a preemptive strike on Valhalla."

"B-But I don't have any power to help!"

"You do!"

Andrei emphasized.

"How..."

"I will find you later."

"When?"

"We need to talk privately. Probably after the sun sets."

"I-I see... how about the location?"

"Leave it to me. Well then, see you later..."

With that, Andrei Ivanovic passed by Mei Ling with ghost-like movements.

W-What is he thinking?

Mei Ling couldn't comprehend Andrei at all.

***

"How are you feeling?"

"Err... not too great actually... sniff sniff..."

Kwak Jung's face was pale.

"Damn it. Why did this happen to me? This is so unfair... a fortune teller... to think that I'm a shaman now... eek!"

"...?"

"Do I have to flip tarot cards and read palms now? And interact with the spiritual realm?"

Kwak Jung groaned. He seemed unaware of the difference between an oracle and a shaman.

What an idiot.

Thanks to that, Kang Chul-In had to doubt the intelligence of his most brilliant underling.

"Keuk... by any chance, am I sick because a ghost possessed me?"

"Not at all?"

"T-Then what is it?"

"Well..."

Kang Chul-In was lazy, but he still explained the oracle algorithm to Kwak Jung. The intelligent latter could clearly understand his condition now.

"Ah, so that's the reason? It's because I'm too brilliant? Wow..."

"It's hard to believe... but yes, seems like it."

"Ha... no wonder they say geniuses die young."

"..."

"Am I now a bed-ridden tactician? Just like Zhuge Liang?"

Brrrr!

For a moment, Kang Chul-In almost wanted to punch Kwak Jung for spouting such bullshit. A bed-ridden tactician? What kind of nonsense was that?

"Enough with your bullshit. Just seal your prophetic ability, you hear me?"

"Of course I will. I wanna live long, for as long as I possibly can."

"Good."

"Urgh... but it still bothers me... welp..."

"Save your depression for later. Let's talk about work."

Kang Chul-In told Kwak Jung.

"Currently..."

He then swiftly listed out the sequel of events that had happened. He wanted to make it short and sweet to give more rest time to Kwak Jung.

"Did Vilhelm and Ao Xin really die?"

Kwak Jung's eyes widened.

"You heard me."

"B-But... wow... I'm shocked... that black silhouette bastard... what an insane..."

It was at that moment.

"Huh?"

Kwak Jung tilted his head.

"Y-your Majesty?"

"What?"

"I-I remember now!"

"...!"

"That black silhouette!"

He exclaimed.

"I can recall who it is!"

"Who!?"

Kang Chul-In also exclaimed.

"Who is that person who returned from the past!"

"O-Overlord..."

"...?"

"Andrei, Andrei Ivanovic... it's that bastard! That mosquito bastard!"

"Really!?"

"And that bastard, he isn't the real Andrei Ivanovic. He is actually..."

Kwak Jung began to speak the truth about this mysterious villain.

Chapter 305: The Impending Ragnark (2)

Translator: Leyy3

Before Kwak Jung revealed the true identity of Andrei Ivanovic, Kang Chul-In thought to himself the following:

So it was him, as expected.

How could a nobody like Andrei Ivanovic, whom Kang Chul-In had never heard of in his previous life, consistently remain as Overlord rank 3? There was no way that Kang Chul-In's return could have changed anything in the northernmost corner of Pangaea. Andrei Ivanovic ruled over Nosferatu, which was a barren tundra area. It was almost worse than Atal Ramanujan's territory. In addition, nobody knew how Andrei Ivanovic could climb to that high of a rank.

That's right... if he is truly someone who returned from the past like me, then it makes sense for his rank to be high... hmm, does that mean I wasn't the only one with the Soul Backup ability?

It was the most plausible hypothesis based on current knowledge.

"Hmm... so right..."

Kang Chul-In was lost in thought when Kwak Jung opened his mouth.

"That thing is not human."

"Of course not."

Kang Chul-In was dumbfounded, as if what Kwak Jung had iterated was pure common sense.

"Since when were vampires humans?"

"..."

"Why don't you call wolverines humans too?"

"That's not it!"

"Huh?"

"Let me correct myself. Andrei Ivanovic is not Andrei Ivanovic."

"...?"

"That bastard, is something else altogether."

"Something else? He wasn't a human to begin with?"

"Yes, your Majesty. Demi-humans, vampires, wolverines, dark elves, dwarves, orcs, et cetera. That bastard doesn't belong to any of these categories."

"How do you know that?"

"Gut feel."

"That's a little vague."

"I can't help it. I have no evidence to produce."

"..."

"I just know, that's all..."

Kwak Jung mumbled timidly. He wasn't confident of saying such fluff to Kang Chul-In, who only believed in actual entities that could be seen.

"You just know... just know..."

Kang Chul-In reiterated Kwak Jung's words.

"Let's say you are correct. No, I shall believe that you're correct."

"Huh? R-Really?"

"Why not?"

"Hmm?"

"To be honest, I don't give a damn whether he is a vampire or a dodo bird."

"Ah!"

Kwak Jung finally understood what Kang Chul-In meant. In the current situation, it didn't matter whether Andrei Ivanovic was human or not. The greatest takeaway was that Andrei Ivanovic was the murderer who killed Vilhelm and Ao Xin. As Kang Chul-In said, so what if Andrei Ivanovic was a dodo bird?

Someone who returned... Interesting, but... it hardly makes a difference at this stage.

Meanwhile. Kang Chul-In was brainstorming viciously.

The problem is, what did he prepare?

Assuming Andrei Ivanovic had returned from the past, then the time frame which he could have taken advantage of had already passed. A new sequel of events had unraveled thanks to Kang Chul-In. What Kang Chul-In had to look out for was how Andrei Ivanovic utilized the 'superiority in information', which was the main privilege of those who had returned from the past. Seeing how Andrei Ivanovic was consistently placed at rank 3, this man certainly didn't just fool around.

"Well, whatever you, you bastard, presents..."

Kang Chul-In snickered and mumbled to himself.

"It's over when I kill you, huehuehue!"

A wise mentality indeed. He couldn't gain any information at the moment, so all he had to do was to continue doing whatever he was supposed to do.

Eek... that devilish smile... at this rate... that mosquito bastard will also be a goner soon... Tsk tsk... poor fella... Goodbye. Let me bid you farewell first...

Kwak Jung secretly wished the best of luck to Andrei Ivanovic, as he looked at Kang Chul-In's expression. Did anyone ever survive after challenging Kang Chul-In? None that he could remember. Even Alex Rothschild, who had multiple lives, had his limbs ripped off by Kang Chul-In. How could Andrei Ivanovic escape the Supreme King's demonic grasp?

"So,"

Kang Chul-In asked Kwak Jung.

"What's the plan?"

"What else?"

"That, huh?"

"The earlier the better."

Kwak Jung spoke.

"Before those bastards stabilize the line of command and sort out the mess, we have to conquer Esmeralda. This is not a choice. The enemies are stronger than us, and they even have a clear justification for war. If we do not take advantage of Esmeralda's strategic value, then we may lose this war."

"It won't stop there, I presume."

"Yes. To be honest, our entire kingdom may fall in a blink of an eye. We have to take control of Esmeralda, no matter what."

"You are right."

Kang Chul-In nodded.

"I will immediately begin the preparations to conquer Esmeralda."

"Huh? Are you doing it yourself?"

"Who else?"

"I can do it!"

"Shut up

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and rest."

Kang Chul-In shook his head at his subordinate, who volunteered to resume work the moment he woke up from a coma.

"Your eyes are bloody-red, so what work do you want to do?"

"Y-Your Majesty! But this war is...!"

"Should I force you to rest?"

"E-Eek?!"

Kang Chul-In slowly raised his fist, which made Kwak Jung gulp his saliva.

"N-No..."

"Rest for the next three days at least."

"Still, this war..."

"Do you not trust me?"

"That's not it!"

"It's just a small expedition. I don't need your brain for this."

He was speaking the truth. Of course, this didn't mean that the conquest preparations weren't important. However, Kang Chul-In had gone for countless expeditions and conquests before. It wasn't difficult for him to prepare an expedition.

"I would rather fulfill my ambition and live happily with my favorite subordinate than to let him die in a pile of paperwork."

"Y-Your Majesty!"

Kwak Jung was deeply moved.

"So listen."

Kang Chul-In was being genuine.

I do not want my close associates to be responsible for my poor decisions.

Kang Chul-In was indeed a selfish man, but he didn't want his people to suffer in the process of him striving for his ambition.

"Well then, rest well."

With that, Kang Chul-In walked out of the room.

***

Deep into the night.

In Bifrost.

Thump!

Mei Ling collapsed onto the bed after a long day at the funeral.

"Oppa..."

She couldn't stop tearing up.

"I... I will definitely take revenge..."

Of course, she didn't mention a thing about Vilhelm's death. Her married life had long been over. Vilhelm treated her like a bug, and he even dismissed their son Viktor Vilhelm. However, Ao Xin was different. He was Mei Ling's older brother, who did not neglect her due to her mishaps. In fact, the upcoming secret meeting's original plan was to discuss about Vilhelm and Mei Ling's relationship problem.

Ding. Suddenly, a new notification popped up in front of her eyes.

['Inheritance' system, activated!]

* The 'Inheritance' system is a hidden system which activates when an Overlord dies and there is a blood-related Lord or explorer present!

* The 'Inheritance' system does not activate upon the death of a Lord.

* The 'Inheritance' system applies only to Lords/explorers.

A completely foreign notification, that nobody knew the existence of.

"W-What is this?"

Mei Ling was puzzled, but what followed surprised her even further.

[Due to Overlord Albrecht Vilhelm's death, the ownership of Bifrost is transferred!]

[You've obtained the Soul Core of Bifrost, Gjallarhorn!]

[Due to Overlord Ao Xin's death, the ownership of Red Valley is transferred!]

[You've obtained the Soul Core of Red Valley, the Red Moon Spear!]

This happened in a flash. The two ownerless territories now belonged to Mei Ling.

With that,

Ssssss!

A golden light wrapped around Mei Ling, and...

[Adventurer Mei Ling, changing title!]

[Adventurer Mei Ling advanced from 'Adventurer' class to 'Lord' class! (Adventurer Mei Ling ?? Lord Mei Ling]

A job advancement took place. Another adventurer had become a Lord, the second one after Lee Ji-Tae!

"M-Me?"

Mei Ling mumbled to herself in shock. But that wasn't all.

[Lord Mei Ling advanced to Overlord rank! (Lord Mei Ling ?? Overlord Mei Ling)]

As Vilhelm and Ao Xin were Overlords themselves, it was natural for Mei Ling to become an Overlord as well.

In addition,

[You've met the requirements to ascend the throne!]

Even the crowning quest – a hidden event – opened.

[Crowning, complete!]

[You've acquired an honorary title!]

[From the system to Mei Ling, the queen.]

[You are granted the title of the 'Heavenly Queen of the North!]

A new queen was born.

If Kang Chul-In was the King of the West, then Mei Ling was the Queen of the North.

"W-What in the world...?"

Mei Ling was flabbergasted by this rapid turn of events. but that was to be expected. Formerly a mere adventurer, she rose countless ranks overnight to even become a queen. Why wouldn't she be shocked?

"Congratulations, lady Mei Ling."

Suddenly, a familiar voice could be heard.

"No, I should now address you appropriately as your Majesty."

Mei Ling turned around. 'He'... was there. Andrei Ivanovic was quietly facing her, with his back facing the bedroom window.

"A-Andrei..."

"Mei Ling, you are not weak."

"...!"

"The powerless Mei Ling that was once abused by Albrecht Vilhelm no longer exists. Now, only the Heavenly Queen of the North exists. You are now the ruler of two great territories and the leader of this gigantic northern alliance."

He was right. Nobody could look down on her now.

"That's not all."

"Not... all?"

"I, Overlord Andrei Ivanovic, and Overlord Neptune Spear, will support you."

"...!"

"Of course, we are not charity workers here. However, what we wish for can be easily granted by you."

"I-Is that true?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

Andrei Ivanovic nodded his head at Mei Ling in a gentlemanly way.

"Neptune Spear, the ruler of the southern sea, has no interest in the fight for hegemony in the continent."

"Then?"

"He wants the future ruler of Pangaea to leave him alone with domestic affairs, acknowledge his sovereignty and sign a semi-permanent non-aggression pact."

"Overlord Neptune Spear is going to be a king soon?"

"I believe so."

"Semi-permanent refers to..."

"500 years."

"...!"

"He does not want the Gullveig Empire in the future to invade his territory for the next 500 years. That is his condition."

"G-Gullveig Empire!?"

Mei Ling was shocked.

"H-How..."

"If you lead the alliance army in this war to destroy the Valhalla Kingdom, then it will happen."

"...!"

"The Empress of the great Gullveig Empire... that is you in the future."

Brrrrr!

Mei Ling trembled. It hadn't really sunk in yet, but she could feel a surge of excitement.

"And now,"

Andrei Ivanovic looked at Mei Ling.

"As for my condition..."

"Yes?"

"I want your love, Mei Ling."

"...!"

"I love you, Mei Ling."

After a surprising confession, Andrei Ivanovic wrapped his hands around Mei Ling's waist with his characteristic ghost-like movement.

"What are you talking about...!"

Mei Ling tried to push his hands away. However, she couldn't resist when Andrei's mellifluous voice wormed its way into her ears.

"A beautiful lady like you..."

"...!"

"You will never know how agonizing it was to hear that you were being abused by a villain like Vilhelm."

"M-Mr Andrei!"

"The reason why you let Kang Chul-In into the Pentagon, wasn't it due to motherly love? That was no betrayal or treason. It was just a beautiful struggle of a mother trying to protect her dear son from that demon called Kang Chul-In."

"D-Do you really think so?"

"Of course."

Andrei gently caressed Mei Ling's cheeks.

"Don't you understand why I joined the Gullveig Alliance in the first place?"

"T-That!"

"I don't care about who rules Pangaea in the end. I only care about..."

"Mr. Andrei..."

"You, Mei Ling."

Chapter 306: The Impending Ragnark (3)

Translator: Leyy3

Mei Ling could feel herself succumbing to Andrei Ivanovic's sweet words.

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

Her heart began to race.

D-Does this man really love me...?

Truthfully speaking, that confession came from nowhere. There wasn't any interaction between her and Andrei Ivanovic. They might have seen each other in the Gullveig Alliance official meetings, but that was all. But for him to suddenly confess like this...

"Mei Ling."

At that moment, Andrei Ivanovic interrupted Mei Ling's train of thought.

"Yes...?"

"I told you that I don't care about who rules Pangaea in the end."

"You did..."

"In fact, I was one of the two people who objected to the formation of the Gullveig Alliance. Do you know why I joined the alliance in the end?"

"D-Don't tell me..."

"Yes, you are right."

Andrei Ivanovic nodded.

"There was one meeting when you and Vilhelm saw the Lords out. I immediately froze at that moment."

"I-I see..."

"To see you."

"...!"

"I joined the Gullveig Alliance just to see you and spent the past two years lingering around your side."

"Really...?"

"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not."

"Mr. Andrei..."

"In fact, you don't have to feel pressured to accept me. Just let me be at your side to help you. I won't ask for any profit or power. You may not believe me now, but I trust that you will recognize my sincerity one day."

Andrei gently kissed Mei Ling on the forehead and concluded his confession.

"That was it."

Andrei Ivanovic turned around and bid Mei Ling farewell.

"I will prepare everything you need to seize power. You should focus solely on maintaining your cool..."

At that moment.

"Andrei...!"

"...!"

"Don't go!"

Mei Ling exclaimed in desperation. She then tightly embraced Ivanovic.

"M-Mei Ling...!"

"Don't... leave me... p-please..."

"...!"

"Stay... by my side... please..."

Teardrops rolled down Mei Ling's cheeks.

"It was... too exhausting..."

Ever since the Pentagon infiltration incident, Mei Ling and Viktor were severely mistreated by Albrecht Vilhelm. They were plagued by constant anxiety.

"And even now... it's too... tiring..."

To top it all off, her brother Ao Xin was murdered by Kang Chul-In. She was on the verge of breaking down. It would have been great if only Vilhelm died, but both him and Ao Xin had turned into ashes.

"Mei Ling... how tired were you...?"

Andrei Ivanovic gently patted Mei Ling's back and whispered caring words of encouragement in her ears.

"It's alright now..."

"Mr. Andrei..."

"It will be fine. I will make sure that nothing goes wrong. I, Andrei Ivanovic, will help you become a ruler befitting the title of Heavenly Queen of the North. And... if you open up to me one day... then... I wish to be responsible... for your happiness..."

That was the last straw.

"I will protect Viktor as well... heub...!"

Suddenly, Mei Ling's lips sealed Andrei Ivanovic's mouth shut. [1] A passionate kiss! Mei Ling indulged ardently in her act, as if to relieve her emotional agony. She would've never fallen for Andrei Ivanovic's words under normal circumstances, but the situation was different. Mei Ling was going through rough times with no one to rely on. Moreover, she had unintentionally become the Heavenly Queen of the North, which put even greater burden on her shoulders.

In such a 'mentally vulnerable' state, Overlord Andrei Ivanovic treated her well and even confessed to her suddenly. How could one thus blame Mei Ling for falling for Andrei Ivanovic?

"Mr. Andrei...!"

After the passionate kiss, Mei Ling tried to bury herself in Andrei Ivanovic's embrace even further. But she couldn't.

"No, not yet."

Andrei had pushed her away.

"That's all for today."

"Didn't you say... that you love me?"

"I certainly did."

"Then why..."

"I want to treasure you, Mei Ling."

"...!"

"Also... I will be ashamed of myself if I embrace you now."

Andrei took a step away from Mei Ling.

"Now's not the time. You are very lonely and vulnerable right now. Maybe your feelings for me are mere impulsive tools to console yourself. No, they definitely are at this point."

"..."

"I want a genuine love, not an impulsive one. Mei Ling, I hence beg for your understanding, and it's time for bed."

"Okay..."

"Someday... when

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you understand and our hearts become one, I will embrace you."

"...!"

"As the Heavenly Queen of the North's lover."

Andrei Ivanovic concluded his speech.

"Well then, have a pleasant night ahead... a lot of things will be different tomorrow, so do rest well tonight."

With that, he vanished into thin air.

"Mr. Andrei..."

Mei Ling repeated his name and gazed out of the window.

***

"Such a vulnerable woman."

Andrei Ivanovic snickered, as he stood on the highest spire in Bifrost to observe Mei Ling from afar.

"Well... humans are such beings... naïve, weak... sentimental animals that can't control their emotions..."

It went without saying that everything Andrei Ivanovic had told Mei Ling was a lie. Love? Nonsense! Such a useless emotion couldn't even exist in Andrei Ivanovic's heart. Why, you might ask. Well, it was because he was neither a human nor a vampire. He was Milenius, an Agnaga who had leaped through space and time to chase after the Emperor of Blood and Iron!

"Emperor of Blood and Iron..."

Andrei Ivanovic – no, Milenius – chuckled.

"Your plans are futile against us, the mighty Agnaga... Kek! To hide in the shadows of those who came from the other dimension... a rather crafty move for you, you bastard. Well, that was the only way though... keke..."

***

Kang Chul-In now not only had to oversee the necessary preparations for the Esmeralda conquest, but he also had to clear Kwak Jung's workload. In the meantime, he noticed something very interesting.

"Who are these idiots...?"

Kang Chul-In's face crumpled.

[Overlord Rank] TOP 10

The rankings were a little weird. To be precise, there were new names on the chart. The chart was as follows:

Rank 1. Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West.

Rank 2. [New!] Mei Ling, the Heavenly Queen of the North.

Rank 3. Overlord Andrei Ivanovic.

Rank 4. Overlord Lee Chae-Rin.

Rank 5. Overlord Hecate.

To start with, there was a new Overlord with the honorary title 'Heavenly Queen of the North'. Who the hell was this?

According to Kang Chul-In's understanding, a new Overlord never emerged before the next Lord's meeting when an Overlord died.

"Don't tell me?"

Kang Chul-In had a sudden epiphany.

"Vilhelm's wife...?"

He had a plausible theory. Mei Ling was Vilhelm's wife and also Ao Xin's younger sister. If there was ever an inheritance system, then Mei Ling was highly likely to be the beneficiary. After all, Ao Xin was unmarried and her son Viktor was just an infant.

"Heavenly Queen of the North, huh...? If that bitch has succeeded to the throne... then she would definitely qualify to be a queen."

An extraordinary turn of events.

"Her abilities are still questionable though."

However, Kang Chul-In was not scared. It's doubtful that such an emotion even exists within him. A true sovereign never rises to power overnight. Even with the honorary title, how could Mei Ling ever compare to Kang Chul-In in abilities? But the unification of Vilhelm and Ao Xin's territories under a single monarch was a risk factor to look out for.

Rank 6. Overlord Neptune Spear.

Rank 7. [New!] Overlord Lee Ji-Tae.

Rank 8. Overlord Dorian Explorer.

Rank 9. (Empty)

Rank 10. (Empty)

* List of Fatalities: Overlord Albrecht Vilhelm / Overlord Ao Xin / Overlord Atal Ramanujan.

There were other problems.

"What's this disconcerting name...?"

Kang Chul-In was very disturbed to see 'Lee Ji-Tae' in the charts.

That was because it reminded him of Ah Ji-Tae, who betrayed Gung Ye in the Later Three Kingdoms [2].

"A repulsive name..."

Suddenly,

"Atal Ramanujan!?"

Kang Chul-In realized that Lee Ji-Tae was Atal Ramanujan's successor. That could be the only explanation. The next Lord's meeting wasn't due for a long time, and the only way a new Overlord could emerge was through succession of the throne.

"These fuckers... causing problems even after death..."

Kang Chul-In complained. Why couldn't they just vanish without a trace?

"Oh well, I guess it's my responsibility as a senior to torture my juniors."

Kang Chul-In grinned slyly. The influx of newcomers changed nothing. All he had to do was to teach them a good, but harsh lesson, about death.

Knock, knock, knock!

Suddenly, Kang Chul-In heard someone knocking on his door.

"Your Majesty."

It was Lucia.

"Everyone's gathered."

By everyone, she meant Kang Chul-In's wives, his subjects and representatives from allied nations.

"Alright."

Kang Chul-In replied.

"I will be there in a short while."

An epic war named Ragnarök was rapidly approaching. An all-out war was inevitable. That applied not only for Valhalla but also for its allies.

***

In the Valhalla Kingdom's Lord's Hall...

"The real war starts now."

Sitting on the throne made from the Gold Dragon's skull, Kang Chul-In appealed to his audience with a staunch voice.

"Let me warn all of you, this war is nothing like the small, trivial wars you have encountered so far. Our enemy this time is another superpower in Pangaea, full of animosity. This war will be more devastating and gruesome than any other."

That was true. It was a genuine word of caution from someone who had experienced it before. Kang Chul-In, who was a participant of the Ragnarök in the past, knew its viciousness better than anyone else.

"The battlefield will be strewn with corpses and drenched with blood. However!"

Kang Chul-In bellowed.

"The war has already begun. We can't avoid it, nor do we wish to. I... hope that one of my soldiers will be the one waving the victory flag on the mountain of corpses, not a Gullveig soldier. No, I believe that it has to be my soldier. That's all."

The conclusion was precise and clear. Faith in victory! Regardless of the number of casualties, Kang Chul-In wished only for victory and nothing else. There was no compromise.

"Do you hear me!?"

Kang Chul-In shouted.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

And everyone in the Lord's hall replied to him with a determined voice.

"Tomorrow morning, we will immediately..."

Kang Chul-In was yet to conclude his speech, when...

Ring!

A beep could be heard.

[Due to the Blue Dragon, the subject of the Awakening Quest, leaving its nest, a new quest is given!]

A quest notification popped up out of the blue.

[Quest: Immortal-rank Weapon' is given!]

An Immortal-rank weapon? He had no idea what that meant.

[1] Here's an old classic for y'all to listen to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnNcDrwqqYc

[2] A period in ancient Korean history, when the Korean Peninsula was ruled by three kingdoms. Gung Ye was the king of one of those nations.

Chapter 307: The Greatest Blacksmith in History (1)

Translator: Leyy3

Let's take a look.

Kang Chul-In paused his speech and decided to check the details of the Awakening Quest. What could go wrong?

[Immortal-rank Weapon]

Explanation: Look for the legendary blacksmith living on the summit of Mt. Hephai and get his acknowledgement.

Difficulty: Extreme

Reward: Upgrade Demon sword Kaiforce and Light sword Mitra (Epic-rank ?? Immortal-rank)

Subject: Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West / Overlord Dorian Explorer / Overlord Hecate

* Caution: Other people cannot meet the legendary blacksmith.

* Caution: The legendary blacksmith is extremely violent and eccentric, hence always remember that your life may be in danger.

An interesting reward, indeed.

Immortal-rank weapon huh... did such a rank even exist before?

Even Kang Chul-In, who had returned to the past, had never heard of such an item in existence. Until now, he had thought that 'Epic' was the highest rank. In that case, wouldn't that mean that his items could be upgraded to perform even better?

You wanna fight me with those 'unawakened' toys? Hold your horses, you bastard. Even your body is in a complete wreck.

Suddenly, Kang Chul-In recalled Desdemona's words. 'Unawakened' toys. They undoubtedly referred to Kaiforce and Mitra.

"Kang Chul-In!"

Suddenly.

Bang!

Dorian Explorer kicked the door of the Lord's hall open and made his grand appearance.

"You bastard!"

Dorian shouted at Kang Chul-In.

"How could you do that!? Huh!?"

"...?"

"They might have been your enemies, but they were still humans! How could you slaughter them like farm animals!?"

It seemed like he had watched the video of 'Kang Chul-In' assassinating Vilhelm and Ao Xin.

"And you still dare to ask for my help, huh? What about our promise..."

"Please."

Kang Chul-In waved his hand, as if he were too tired to entertain Dorian.

"Everyone knows already, stop overreacting."

"Huh?"

"Do you really think that I'm that perverted psychopath in the video?"

"Y-You aren't?"

"Idiot."

"Really!?"

Dorian looked around at his audience.

They were...

"Tsk... that idiot..."

"How could an idiot like him become an Overlord?"

"So tactless..."

"Pathetic..."

The subjects of the Valhalla Kingdom were criticizing Dorian, loud enough for him to hear.

"N-No...? Hmm... i-it looked like you to me... welp..."

Dorian scratched his head.

"Screw it... I will just stay quiet..."

He then slowly walked towards the subjects and hid himself in the crowd. It was difficult to live with such a lack of sense.

"Kang Chul-In?"

At that moment, Hecate also joined in on the meeting and remarked.

"Crazy, huh?"

"What are you referring to?"

Kang Chul-In was puzzled.

"I didn't know that you kill your victims so brutally. I was amazed actually. How scared were Vilhelm and Ao Xin? I'm impressed. Well done, Kang Chul-In. A man has to show his worth sometimes, doesn't he?"

An even worse response than Dorian's.

"It's my style... heung..."

"What if I didn't do it?"

"That's why..."

Kang Chul-In denied the allegations, but Hecate ignored him and continued her sentence.

"Can we do it just once?"

"..."

"I'm really curious to see how a man like you behaves in bed. In fact, I'm about to go crazy with curiosity. So just once. I'm a valuable ally in your battles, aren't I? Please?"

Even a third-rate gangster wouldn't make such a dirty request. The problem was that... Hecate was being 100% sincere.

She hasn't changed at all.

Kang Chul-In had to massage his throbbing head while he dealt with Hecate, who didn't give a damn about his feelings or embarrassment.

"Please."

"No."

"Just once."

"Still no."

"Hey! You are a man, so why are you playing so hard to get?"

The meaningless conversation persisted.

"Hey there, you insane lady."

Finally, Ninetails had to step in.

"How dare you flirt with my husband?"

Flick!

Ninetails had all nine of her tails flared out in an intimidating fashion. In addition, she had a murderous gaze in her eyes.

"Do you want to be punished?"

Lee Chae-Rin also held her money pay item up and threatened Hecate.

And...

"Do you know what this is?"

Skadi hissed, with a doll in one hand and an awl in the other.

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It was obvious that she was about to place a curse on Hecate.

"How ironic."

Hecate snorted and faced Kang Chul-In's wives.

"So you all can share him around but I can't?"

A cutting remark!

Kang Chul-In's wives froze in place, the subjects turned their heads away in embarrassment and Kang Chul-In himself had to cover his face with his hands in humiliation.

"Oh?"

Of course, some were persuaded by Hecate's argument.

"Actually, she's right. What's wrong..."

"Bam!"

The throne made from the Gold Dragon's horn smacked Dorian's forehead.

"E-Eek..."

Dorian gasped for air and fainted soon after. His big mouth was always the root of all problems.

"I won't steal him."

Hecate, however, didn't pay any attention to the commotion and continued with her speech.

"Let me have a taste. Why not? It's not like he is exhausted..."

At that moment...

Bang!

Kang Chul-In crashed into the window with a huge sound.

"...!"

Kang Chul-In was shocked for a moment.

He had to clear the Awakening Quest, upgrade his skills, and escape from this dilemma before the war with the Gullveig Alliance. He tried to escape through the window, as per usual. However...

"What kind of window is this...?"

It didn't shatter. It was a strange phenomenon indeed. Usually, even tempered glass wouldn't be able to withstand Kang Chul-In's body slam.

"Huhu..."

At that moment, a cunning laughter echoed in the hall.

"Your Majesty... you shouldn't be underestimating me... Huhuhu... You have broken so many windows up until now, so I can't just do nothing about that."

The treasurer of the Valhalla Kingdom, Timothy, made a satisfied grin.

"T-Timothy!"

"Huehue... your Majesty... that window was specially ordered and made by me..."

"W-Was that really necessary...?"

"Of course."

"...?"

"How many windows have you broken so far? Not only that, but they were made out of top-class glass made by master artisans, with window frames made from the best wood."

"I-Is that so...?"

"That's not all. The stained glass was personally fabricated by Leonardo, the royal artist of Fox Valley. It is priceless! Do you know how much damage has been caused so far? It's 8,312 gold to be exact!"

8,312 gold. That amounted to 2,829,323 USD. In other words, Kang Chul-In could have easily bought a few apartment flats if he didn't break the glass windows!

"W-What...!?"

"Huhu... it was extremely difficult to see your Majesty destroy the windows when the nation was already running low on finances."

"..."

"So I prepared that window... it is 50 times stronger than a normal glass window... plus that elasticity is amazing. In addition, Sir Nilus and Ms. Arshelly have casted a spell to increase its durability... huhuhu..."

"To that extent...!"

Kang Chul-In was taken aback. He had not expected Timothy's comeback. Who would have thought that he could put an end to Kang Chul-In's bad habit of 'escaping through the smashed window'?

"Sir Timothy... you are quite fearsome..."

"Keuh... as expected from this nation's treasurer!"

Some subjects exclaimed in awe. Nobody could suppress Kang Chul-In in Valhalla except for Timothy.

"Your Majesty... it's time to give up..."

Timothy was about to ask Kang Chul-In to surrender, when...

Chulkuk! Kaiforce began to shapeshift into a club. Or rather, to be exact, a mace.

Bang! Kang Chul-In swung the mace at Timothy's prized window with great strength.

Crack! The window shattered into a million pieces.

"N-No!"

Timothy was crestfallen.

"Y-Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Where are you going!?"

"The expedition is due tomorrow morning, your Majesty! Please maintain your composure...!"

The shocked subjects struggled to hold Kang Chul-In back, but he had already disappeared beyond the shattered window.

"I will visit Mt. Hephai first and join you all at Venedig!"

His voice echoed.

"Huh?"

Dorian Explorer got his senses together.

"H-Hey, let me tag along too!"

He jumped out of the window after Kang Chul-In. It was because of the quest. Dorian could reap the juicy rewards if he just tagged along with Kang Chul-In.

"That idiot is smarter than he looks, huh?"

Having said that, Hecate also followed suit.

"..."

The rest remained silent.

"No...! No...!"

Only Timothy's despair could be heard in the Lord's hall.

***

In Bifrost, in the Pentagon, also known as the headquarters of the Gullveig Alliance...

"I, the Heavenly Queen of the North, wish to be the next chairman of the Gullveig Alliance."

Mei Ling got hold of the alliance in a flash.

"Any objections?"

How could there be? The woman in the chairman's seat was no longer weak and pitiful. She was now the ruler of Bifrost and the Red Valley, and the second monarch after Kang Chul-In. Furthermore...

"Everyone."

Andrei Ivanovic spoke.

"Didn't the Heavenly Queen of the North ask a question?"

That wasn't all.

"Is everyone mute?"

The King of the Ocean, Neptune Spear, joined in to coerce the Lords.

"T-That's not it..."

"A vote..."

"Hmm..."

The Lords hesitated. As members of the Gullveig Alliance, this was a tricky situation to be in, but that was to be expected. Mei Ling was previously labelled the traitor who had let Kang Chu-In into the Pentagon. They didn't expect her to turn into a queen overnight. Moreover, the Lords didn't think that she would receive support from Overlord Andrei Ivanovic and Neptune Spear.

"I, Kwak Jun – the representative of his Majesty, Vito Clemenza – agree to her Majesty."

Suddenly, Kwak Jun came forward.

***

Kang Chul-In, who had penetrated through Timothy's defense, dashed towards the east.

A good opportunity.

He had wanted to upgrade his specs before his face-off with the Gullveig Alliance.

"W-Wait for me!"

Dorian's voice could be heard from afar.

"Can you stop for a while? Y-You are too fast."

Hecate's sharp voice could also be heard.

"Follow me with the best of your abilities, then!"

Kang Chul-In refused to slow down.

Time is gold.

He was already so busy. It was imperative for him to clear the quest immediately and then join his army to conquer Esmeralda.

Pang! Kang Chul-In sped up even more.

Chapter 308: The Greatest Blacksmith in History (2)

Translator: Leyy3

Meanwhile, Kwak Jun's survival project was ongoing in Bifrost.

"Although Her Majesty sinned in the past, it wasn't for her personal gain. In fact, wasn't it a result of her motherly love for prince Viktor? It's not fair for us to be skeptical of Her Majesty's capabilities."

His comment gave strength to Mei Ling. Kwak Jun was just about to gain Vilhelm's trust and thus commence his plan, but since Vilhelm had died so suddenly, Kwak Jun now had to resort to flattery in order to continue his secretive deal with Kang Chul-In.

"His Majesty, Vito Clemenza, is deeply regretful for criticizing Her Majesty in the past. I did so too, but I'm not ashamed of it. Who would happily forfeit a guaranteed victory? But let's not dwell in the past. Do tell me, is there anyone who still harbors resentment towards Her Majesty, Mei Ling?"

Kwak Jun spoke with passion.

"..."

The Lords of the Gullveig Alliance couldn't respond. Resentment? That was impossible to erase. In fact, they had no intention of doing so. However, they were afraid of the potential backlash from Overlord Andrei Ivanovic and Neptune Spear.

"Thank you, military advisor Kwak."

Mei Ling began to speak.

"Not at all, Your Majesty."

"I've heard that you are a great tactician from my late husband, so I wish to appoint you as our army's commander."

"R-Really?"

"Of course."

Mei Ling nodded.

"I heard that your strategies were critical in the previous war. We didn't manage to clinch victory due to my misplay, but not this time. Feel free to display your skills, okay?"

"I will do you proud, Your Majesty!"

Kwak Jun bowed at Mei Ling.

"Says who?"

At that moment.

"Stop being cocky, bitch."

Ludwig Heinel, the rank 11th Lord, stepped forward.

"Acting like you are the chairman, no, the emperor..."

"Mind your words, Lord Ludwig Heinel."

"Why should I, after you sold us out to the enemy head?"

Ludwig Heinel spoke ill of Mei Ling in her presence, but that was normal. Who would want an unverified woman, who had become the Heavenly Queen of the North overnight, as the alliance's chairman?

"Oi, bitch."

Ludwig Heinel smirked at Mei Ling.

"Trash belongs in the trash bin."

"..."

"You can become a puppet boss if you're bored. I may accept you as the figurehead, but nothing more."

Suddenly...

Flick! Darkness enveloped the surroundings.

"...!"

Ludwig Heinel froze in place. A black blade, made of shadow, stopped 1 centimetre before Ludwig's neck. This blade was an ability called 'Shadow Domination', which belonged to Andrei Ivanovic.

"Tired of living?"

Andrei Ivanovic spoke icily towards Ludwig Heinel.

"Andrei Ivanovic...!"

"Didn't I tell you? Overlord Neptune Spear and I support Her Majesty."

"..."

"And you still dare to insult the Heavenly Queen of the North? Can I take that as a provocation?"

Andrei Ivanovic snarled. However, Ludwig did not falter.

"Keuk... I don't understand why you are sucking up to that bitch so much... perhaps you are her secret lover?"

He even ridiculed Andrei. Such strong confidence! This was to be expected from the rank 11th Lord, who was going to become an Overlord soon.

"I assume that's your death wish."

"Me? Death wish? Heh...!"

Ludwig snickered.

"You are not even Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West. You dare to threaten me, when you've never even displayed actual ability?"

With that,

Flash! A brilliant beam of light illuminated the whole of the Pentagon. And...

Thump!

A Titan! A 4 metre tall metallic giant stood proudly inside the Pentagon.

-You thought you could kill me with those trickeries? You are too slow to even intimidate me.

Ludwig's snigger echoed from the loudspeaker attached to the Titan's chest. He boarded the titan instantaneously. It was an ultimate move for people like Ludwig Heinel, who were specialized in magic-engineering. Being physically disadvantaged, the magic engineers had to board their machines instantaneously to ensure their survival.

Wiiing! With a sharp mechanical screech, [Ghibli] – the Titan carrying Ludwig – revealed the laser cannons attached to its shoulders.

[High-precision guiding sensor system, Soul Chaser, online!]

[Scanning the target!]

[Identification of target, complete!]

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[Aiming...!]

The [Soul Chaser] system, which was Ludwig Heinel's special ability, locked its crosshairs on Andrei Ivanovic.

-Oy, secret lover. Say that again. Didn't you say that I have a death wish?

Ludwig Heinel was confident and proud. He had the right to be. The Soul Chaser system lived up to its name. It boasted an incredible hit rate, which even threatened Kang Chul-In in his previous life.

-Say that again.

Heh. Andrei Ivanovic smirked intimidatingly in response.

"You think that scrap of metal will make any difference?"

-Just because you are an Overlord...

Suddenly...

Bang! A tremendous roar could be heard.

Thump! Ghibli tossed about on the floor of the Pentagon, with its chest piece ripped out.

"Do you know your place now?"

When did he even make a move?

Andrei Ivanovic smacked his blood-red lips as he grabbed Ludwig Heinel's hair.

"...!"

Everyone stood aghast at this sight. Or rather, there was no 'sight.' Nobody in the Pentagon had witnessed how and when Andrei Ivanovic had assaulted Ghibli.

"U-Urgh...!"

Ludwig Heinel moaned in agony.

"W-When... how...!?"

"Curious?"

"No way...!"

"Find the answer in your grave."

With that,

Munch! Andrei Ivanovic sank his fangs into Ludwig Heinel's neck.

"Arghhhhh!"

Ludwig Heinel's scream echoed in the Pentagon.

***

Kang Chul-In, Dorian, and Hecate reached the summit of Mt. Hephai in just two days.

"Are we here?"

Kang Chul-In glanced at his surroundings and spoke.

Above a lava field, there was a bridge that led all the way to a distant cave entrance.

"I think so?"

Dorian nodded.

"Doesn't this obviously look like a dungeon? What a giveaway."

"We saved some time."

Kang Chul-In smiled with satisfaction.

'Finding the way' was always the most time-consuming aspect of any dungeon conquest.

"Let's go."

Kang Chul-In began to make his move.

"Hmph, what an annoying quest."

Hecate complained as she tagged along with the other two. To be honest, she had no interest in the quest. All she wanted to do was seduce Kang Chul-In... but she hadn't had any opportunity to do so.

There's something there.

Kang Chul-In thought.

This presence... it's not going to be easy.

His Oraclomind hinted. There was something dangerous lurking at the end of this dark dungeon. Needless to say, it was probably a boss monster.

"W-What is that? D-Does that even make sense?"

When the crew reached an enormous hall illuminated by a crimson light at the end of the long cave, Dorian gasped in horror.

"Huh? What is that?"

So did Hecate.

"What is it?"

Kang Chul-In looked at where Dorian was pointing.

And...

"What the fuck?"

Even he was shocked.

Simmer...! 20 metres ahead, a gigantic monkey was bathing peacefully in some boiling lava.

"So, it's true that monkeys love hot springs?"

Dorian mumbled in disbelief.

"You idiot... how is that a hot spring...?"

Hecate reprimanded Dorian.

"Hmm?"

At that moment...

"Humans, huh."

The monkey, which was enjoying its bath, opened its eyes and stared at Kang Chul-In's crew.

"Why are you here? For the hot spring? Well then... come in quick... you will feel your whole body relax... That is, only if you can tolerate this heat, of course."

What a sight. Considering that lava's temperature ranged from 700 to 1,200 degrees celsius, the monkey was basically telling them to go and kill themselves.

"Are you the blacksmith [1]?"

Kang Chul-In questioned the monkey.

"Blacksmith? Well... I was one in the past... but not now."

"..."

"My skills are still solid, of course. But..."

The monkey turned its head and glared at Kang Chul-In.

"Who are you to speak so informally to me? You wanna die?"

Blood-red eyes. The monkey gave Kang Chul-In a death gaze.

"You dare to be so rude to this elder?"

"Elder?"

"I'm 1,231 years old this year. You infantile bastard..."

Suddenly,

"Hmm?"

The monkey tilted its head sideways.

"Oi, human."

"...?"

"That thing, is that Kaiforce?"

It pointed at Kang Chul-In's left waist.

"Right? That's Kaiforce, right? And is that... a light sword? Mitra, huh. Why are you, you bastard, carrying around the sacred sword of the Baldur religious order that worships the sun?"

The monkey identified the other sword precisely as well. It was an interesting fellow, indeed. For a monkey, it could bathe in lava, talk, and even had a pair of sharp eyes.

"Got a problem?"

Kang Chul-In shrugged.

"Problem? Of course I do."

"What?"

"I made that."

The monkey pointed at Kaiforce.

"Do you think I will feel good seeing an idiot carrying my masterpiece around? Huh?"

"Idiot...?"

That triggered Kang Chul-In.

"Oi, you orangutan. What did you just say?"

"What? Orangutan?"

"Then what, are you a human? Know your place."

Brrrr...! The monkey trembled.

"Kek... keke... you have a death wish, don't you?"

With that,

Splash! The monkey got itself up from the lava pool. Red lava flowed down the monkey's body.

Look at this bastard.

Kang Chul-In was flabbergasted. The monkey was totally unscathed by the lava. Not to mention... it was immensely muscular, incomparable to that of an ogre or an ork. Imagine taking one blow from that arm. It would probably hurt less being hit by a car speeding at 200 kilometres an hour.

"Oi, human."

The monkey growled and pointed at Kang Chul-In.

"I will teach you a lesson now. Get ready."

Immediately,

['Proof of Strength' quest, activated!]

A notification popped up in front of Kang Chul-In.

[Prove your strength to Vulkan, the blacksmith in Mt. Hephai. (Reward: Demon Sword Kaiforce / Light Sword Mitra upgrade)]

"Simple."

Kang Chul-In smiled in satisfaction. Yes, this kind of quest was better than a complicated one. All he had to do was fight.

"Come at me, monkey."

Kang Chul-In waved at the monkey to provoke it.

"Lemme test your tricks."

"Tricks? You fucker..."

"If I find them satisfactory, then I will personally write a letter of recommendation for you to enter a circus or a zoo..."

Kang Chul-In was about to finish his sentence, when...

"Eeeeeeeeeeek!"

Vulkan screeched in a monkey-like demeanor and charged at Kang Chul-In.

[1] Kang Chul-In said this in an informal tone. When talking to strangers, it is a common courtesy to speak formally.

Chapter 309: The Greatest Blacksmith in History (3)

"Eeeeeeek!"

With an ear-piercing screech,

Boooooom! Vulkan's fist flew towards Kang Chul-In's head with a sonic boom.

Dangerous!

Kang Chul-In recognized the power in its fist instantly. It was incredible. He felt like he was facing a train that was charging at top speed.

Too late to dodge that.

Kang Chul-In crossed Kaiforce and Mitra just in time to stop Vulkan's fist.

Clang! With an immense sound,

"Cough!"

Blood spurted out from Kang Chul-In's mouth.

"W-What the?"

Hecate was taken aback.

"Kang Chul-In's losing? To that orangutan?"

Dorian, however, was calm.

"He won't lose."

"You still think so? Even after seeing Kang Chul-In being blown away in one shot?"

"Yup."

"What bullshit..."

"He wins every time somehow."

"...!"

"He may be hurt, but that man emerges victorious on any occasion."

"Really?"

Dorian shrugged.

"It has always been unpredictable."

"What?"

"Kang Chul-In's combat style."

"...?"

"Kang Chul-In's strong, isn't he?"

"He is."

"But he doesn't always dominate the enemy from the start. Kang Chul-In is… incredibly cunning."

"Cunningggg? That Kang Chul-In?"

Hecate was shocked to hear that from Dorian. In fact, everyone would be. Kang Chul-In would rather bulldoze his enemies down than to play mind games with them.

"Yup."

However, Dorian knew Kang Chul-In's combat style better than anyone, because he had observed his fights the most.

"That guy is cunning."

"Really?"

"Of course. Kang Chul-In never lays his cards on the table first. Even if there are risks, he would keep at least one trump card up his sleeve."

"Huh. That's unexpected."

"That's not all. Do you know why Kang Chul-In is strong?"

"Hmm?"

"He makes bold decisions when necessary. He can even put his life on stake to strike the enemy's weak points."

"Ah…?"

"In other words, Kang Chul-In has no fixed combat style. He has incredible power, speed, craftiness and boldness."

Dorian tapped his own head.

"Not only does he have amazing hardware, but Kang Chul-In also possesses commendable software."

"Hmm..."

"That's why he will win."

Dorian had just concluded his argument.

"Oi, idiot!"

Kang Chul-In lashed out at Dorian furiously.

"You dare to laze around while I'm fighting this hard?"

"E-Eek!? I-I didn't..."

"I will deal with you later."

"Ah..."

Dorian instinctively knew that mental training was on its way. He was crestfallen. It was all thanks to his big mouth. He could've stayed low this whole time.

"Hmph… not like you would've wanted me to join your fight..."

Dorian pouted, and he was right. Kang Chul-In definitely wished to battle that insane monkey alone. If not, he would've asked for help from Hecate and Dorian from the very beginning.

"Phew… Seems like you are a gorilla, not an orangutan."

Kang Chul-In wiped the bloodstains around his mouth off and mocked Vulkan.

"Kueh… you arrogant human bastard… what a big mouth you have..."

"You think that's all I've got?"

Suddenly...

Pzzzt, pzzzzt! Tremendous amounts of electricity began to spark viciously around Kang Chul-In's body.

Ssssss! And a golden aura wrapped around his body.

With that, Kang Chul-In looked stronger than ever.

"...!"

Dorian and Hecate were lost for words.

"W-What is that…!?"

Dorian was appalled.

"That's not Overdrive… what the hell… Kang Chul-In… what are you planning to do…?"

His reaction wasn't out of the ordinary. Kang Chul-In had just activated the 4th phase of Overdrive for the first time since he had returned from the past.

"Oi, gorilla."

Kang Chul-In began to approach Vulkan.

"Prepare yourself."

"...!"

"Let me pluck out all of your yellow teeth."

Having said that,

Bang! Kang Chul-In dashed towards Vulkan.

"How dare you!?"

Vulkan bellowed.

"Eeeeeeeeek!"

However...

Heh.

The moment Kang Chul-In's mouth produced a smirk,

[Overpower, activated!]

[Release, amplified!]

Both the Overpower Bracelet and Amplifier Talisman activated simultaneously.

"...!"

Vulkan was shocked to its core.

***

Thump!

Ludwig Heinel's corpse rolled across the floor.

"...!"

The Lords of the Gullveig Alliance were appalled.

Lick! That fear was exacerbated when Andrei licked the bloodstains on his lips.

"My Lords."

Andrei turned around to face his audience.

"Ludwig Heinel was being disrespectful. He may have been guaranteed the Overlord title in the near future, but Neptune Spear and I are already Overlords."

In other words, he was killed for his poor attitude.

"Also, look at Her Majesty Mei Ling standing over there. She is now more noble than both of us Overlords. Although she may have succeeded Chairman Vilhelm and Vice-chairman Ao Xin, she is still the queen of a nation. She even has an honorable title that was granted by the system – who can ever question her legitimacy? Mocking her is an unforgivable sin. And..."

Andrei continued.

"If Ludwig Heinel had been respectful while presenting his argument, I wouldn't have touched him at all. We are standing in the very core of the Gullveig Alliance. Violence in this venue can put everyone's life at risk."

He was right. Honestly speaking, Ludwig had gone slightly over the top.

"You are right."

"I

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will humbly accept any criticism, but not insults or violence. Let Ludwig Heinel's death be a good example for all of you."

It was a warning. She had essentially declared that she would kill anyone who dared to mess around.

"My dear Lords,"

Mei Ling resumed her speech.

"I'm aware that many of you aren't very pleased with me on the throne. But I wish for all of you to believe in me and give me your support even just once. If you do… I promise to reward you correspondingly."

Mei Ling was quite a clever woman.

She was offering both the stick and the carrot.

"I, the Heavenly Queen of the North, pledge not to interfere with the sovereignty of everyone in this venue. Moreover, I will issue war bonds with high dividends to ensure maximum profits for all. Furthermore, I promise to divide the Valhalla Kingdom's territory equally upon our alliance's victory."

Mei Ling continued to persuade the Lords with sweet words. They were sufficient to dissipate the heavy atmosphere from moments ago.

"Erm… Your Majesty."

Dimitri, the rank 12th Lord, cautiously inquired.

"Can we really trust your words?"

"Of course."

Mei Ling nodded.

"However, Your Majesty… your promises are..."

"Too much, aren't they?"

"..."

"Yes, I know. It sounds unbelievable, but I'm speaking nothing but the truth."

"Can you prove it?"

"Certainly."

Having said that,

"Look."

Mei Ling whipped out tens of scrolls and waved them at the Lords.

"...!"

The Lords were surprised. Of course they were. Those scrolls were spiritual contracts – vows that nobody could disobey.

"Is this enough?"

Mei Ling asked the Lords.

"O-Of course!"

"We can trust you, Your Majesty!"

"We will lend you our strengths!"

There were no questions. Since Mei Ling had brandished the spiritual contracts, she had gained 100% credibility.

"Good."

Mei Ling nodded in satisfaction.

"Well then, can I assume that I have your consensus to become the second chairman of the Gullveig Alliance?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The Lords replied simultaneously. There was no reason to hesitate. The conditions that Mei Ling had proposed were incredible and too tempting to refuse.

"Then, I, Mei Ling, the Heavenly Queen of the North, shall henceforth become the second chairman of the Gullveig Alliance..."

Mei Ling announced.

"And officially declare to conquer that demon Kang Chul-In and his kingdom. Those who agree, please raise your hand."

The Lords raised their hands enthusiastically to show their support. In the end, everyone agreed to her. Except, of course, the dead Ludwig Heinel.

***

"Keeeeeeek!"

Vulkan released a devastating scream.

Bam, bam! Kang Chul-In, who favored fists over swords, tossed Kaiforce and Mitra away and began to pummel Vulkan without mercy. It was hard to watch. Kang Chul-In 'dissected' Vulkan using his fist, elbow, knee, head and more. The thousand-year-old monkey had to experience a level of humiliation like never before. So what if it had a body that could withstand lava? In front of Kang Chul-In, Vulkan was nothing but a durable sandbag.

Crack! Kang Chul-In grabbed Vulkan's head.

"Oi, monkey."

"Keeeek..."

"Say that again."

"..."

"What?"

Vulkan couldn't say anything. No, he had nothing to say. He had never imagined getting beaten up by a mere human.

"A-Actually..."

"You dared to act so high and mighty?"

Having said that,

Bam! Kang Chul-In rubbed his fist against Vulkan's head.

"Kuekkkkkkkkkkkk!"

Vulkan made a pig-like squeal.

"Know your place, gorilla."

"I-I'm sorry…!"

"Shut up!"

"..."

"Shut up and taste my fists."

"E-Eek?!"

Kang Chul-In continued to pummel Vulkan for another 10 minutes.

Brrrr…! The thousand-year-old monkey fainted with foam in its mouth.

"No substance but still so cocky."

Heh.

Kang Chul-In smiled as he stared at Vulkan.

"Wow… strong..."

Hecate mumbled.

"Yeah..."

So did Dorian.

"Nobody can stop him now… scary..."

Dorian, who had been trying his best to catch up with Kang Chul-In, was about to give up.

[Quest complete!]

At that moment, a notification popped up in front of Kang Chul-In, Dorian and Hecate.

[Proof of Strength, clear!]

[Rewards given!]

[You've obtained an item upgrade ticket! (Epic rank → Immortal rank)]

In addition, Kang Chul-In claimed a tremendous amount of experience points for defeating such a high-level monster, which led to multiple level-ups.

[Level up! Level 97!]

[Level up! Level 98!]

[Level up! Level 99!]

Level 99. It was a pity he couldn't reach level 100, but he had now reached an incredibly high level!

***

Mei Ling met Brynhildr a day after she had assumed the presidency.

"I apologize, Your Majesty."

Brynhildr kneeled in front of Mei Ling.

"I failed to protect Chairman Vilhelm and Vice-chairman Ao Xin due to my absence."

"Not at all, Brynhildr."

Mei Ling shook her head.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"..."

"Strictly speaking, you weren't even an official knight for my dead husband."

Mei Ling was right. Brynhildr didn't stay in Pangaea all the time. In fact, he spent more time on Earth than in Panagea.

Therefore, Brynhildr was more of a hitman and mercenary who occasionally offered his hand to Vilhelm.

"Anyway… why did you come here?"

Mei Ling went straight to the point.

"There's no reason for you to find the Gullveig Alliance, since my husband is now dead. If it's due to your guilt..."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"...!"

"As long as you permit it, I will share my honest thoughts with you."

Brynhildr told her.

"Sure."

Mei Ling nodded.

"Go ahead."

"As for Chairman Vilhelm's death… I'm not apologetic, to be honest."

"I know."

"My relationship with the dead chairman was like what you've mentioned just now. We took advantage of each other, nothing more or less."

"I know that too. But… I do have one question. May I ask?"

"Certainly."

"What Vilhelm wanted was your combat strength. A power great enough to challenge Kang Chul-In, the Supreme King of the West."

"Exactly."

"Then what did you want from Vilhelm?"

"..."

"What did you wish for, Brynhildr?"

"Kang Chul-In."

"...!"

"I wanted to stop him."

"That means..."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I became Vilhelm's partner only because he was the rank 2nd Overlord and the chairman of the Gullveig Alliance. I can fight Kang Chul-In, but I lack an army."

"Then as to why you are here..."

"Yes."

Brynhildr nodded.

"I saw the video in which Kang Chul-In brutally murdered Chairman Vilhelm and Vice-chairman Ao Xin."

"..."

"He's insane."

"Right… he is a devil."

"I decided not to leave my post anymore. So please take me in, Your Majesty. I will put an end to Kang Chul-In's rampage."

"...!"

"Mei Ling, the Heavenly Queen of the North… I will be your sword."

Brynhildr's proposal was simple. He wanted to switch partners after Vilhelm had died.

"I understand, Brynhildr. It will certainly be great to have you as my sword. However..."

"..."

"You've already lost twice to Kang Chul-In. You will stop him, you say…? That doesn't sound too persuasive."

So blunt! That was enough to dent Brynhildr's pride.

Chapter 310: The Ragnark Begins! (1)

Translator: Leyy3

"Just to make it clear, I'm not trying to mock you, Brynhildr."

"..."

"But the truth..."

"I will prove it."

"...!"

"I do acknowledge my previous defeats. However..."

Flicker! A bluish flame began to envelop Brynhildr.

Shiver! Mei Ling almost collapsed from Brynhildr's vicious spirit.

"Not anymore."

Brynhildr placed an emphasis on his words.

"I've become stronger."

"...!"

"Do you know why I had left my post? It was because I was fully indulged in radical and agonizing training."

"I-I see..."

"Do you know why I showed up again?"

"T-That...!"

There was no need for explanation. Brynhildr had clearly gotten stronger. Through his asceticism, he had achieved a certain degree of improvement that gave him the confidence to defeat Kang Chul-In. That was why he returned to the Gullveig Alliance!

"Take a look for yourself."

Brynhildr spoke.

"L-Look at what?"

"Can't you see?"

"Huh?"

Mei Ling was puzzled.

"What are you asking me to look at..."

At that moment...

Crack! A nearby desk was split into half.

"...!"

Mei Ling was appalled. When and how did he even cut the desk? This was astonishing speed indeed.

"F-Fast..."

That wasn't all.

Crack! The bookshelves broke as well.

Slice! So did the curtains.

And...

Crack, crack, clang! The objects in the office began to break one by one.

"...!"

Mei Ling was lost for words.

"H-How...?"

Extreme speed? No, that wasn't good enough of a description. Light speed. Yes, light speed! Brynhildr had managed to surpass human limits!

"Your Majesty."

Brynhildr spoke in a staunch and charismatic voice.

"Yes...?"

"Is this..."

"Good enough...! It's more than enough!"

In the end, Mei Ling had to acknowledge Brynhildr's strength. How couldn't she? She had just witnessed the greatest speed with her very own eyes, after all.

"Brynhildr."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"I hereby appoint you as the general of the army, and I leave you to fight with Kang Chul-In."

Mei Ling's decision was to no one's surprise. To be honest, she had no reason to not take Brynhildr in, even if he hadn't increased his strength. Heavy hitters like him were rare. In fact, he was one of the strongest warriors in Pangaea. To top it all off, he had mastered light-speed sword skills. It was quite a serendipity.

"That's not all, of course. I will..."

Mei Ling tried to offer him more rewards but,

"I don't need it."

"...!"

"I only care about my battle with Kang Chul-In."

Brynhildr denied Mei Ling's proposal in advance.

"Your Majesty. I only live to stop Kang Chul-In's rampage, not to gain wealth and honor."

"Is that so...?"

"Therefore..."

"...?"

"Let me tell you first. I will leave you after I achieve my goal."

"Ah...!"

Brynhildr was drawing the line. He was stating that their relationship was a pure partnership, not that of a sovereign and subject.

"Brynhildr... seems like it's impossible to earn your loyalty... not even my late husband couldn't..."

"I'm sorry."

"N-No... I understand that you do not wish to be tied down. I shall not force it. You and I will be partners with a common enemy."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"In return... I hope you strictly uphold the military law at the very least. Although you are strong and worthy of respect, I can't let our army's discipline slack."

"Don't worry."

Brynhildr nodded.

"Moreover, I wish to respectfully decline any events like commission ceremonies."

"Sure."

"Yes, then I will excuse myself..."

Brynhildr cautiously walked away from Mei Ling.

Hmm?

At that moment...

His hand...?

Mei Ling detected something peculiar from Bryhildr's back view. It was a snow-white hand. Brynhildr wasn't wearing a gauntlet on one hand. His hand was thin, white and beautiful.

It was as if...

A girl?!

As if Brynhildr was a girl.

But...

It was too early to jump to conclusions. Mei Ling only noticed Brynhildr's pretty hand and failed to notice another peculiarity. On his ring finger was a light blue ring that was absent in the past...

***

"Roll left."

"Keeek!"

"Roll right."

"Keek!"

"Sit."

"Keek!"

"Stand."

"Keek!"

"Roll right, stand, roll left, roll left, roll left, roll left, roll right, don't stand and then roll right."

"K-Keek...?"

Vulkan, who had been rolling diligently according to Kang Chul-In's order, was suddenly dumbfounded.

"Got it wrong, huh?"

"K-Keek?!"

"Time for some punishment."

"...!"

"Bite the bullet."

Kang Chul-In clenched his fist with a ghastly expression.

"Eeeeeeek!"

The thousand-year-old monkey had to experience bone-shattering pain and scream in agony.

"Wow... he really has no mercy..."

Hecate marveled.

"How could a human be so cunning?"

"Hmm... a

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bit too brutal, huh?"

Dorian agreed.

"Kang Chul-In's personality is really..."

"Really my type..."

"W-What?!"

"How should I say... it's very stimulating? Just my style. Also..."

"..."

"He seems to be amazing in bed, according to the rumors. How can I not be tempted?"

"Ah, okay..."

Dorian, absolutely appalled by Hecate's eccentric taste, refused to comment further.

This person is a complete psychopath... why do women even crave for a guy like that...?

Dorian, who was 'somewhat normal', couldn't comprehend this phenomenon at all.

"Oi, monkey."

"Yes sir?"

"Let me give you a job."

Kang Chul-In stopped beating Vulkan into a pulp and began to engage in real business.

Clang! Kaiforce and Mitra were casually tossed at Vulkan's feet.

"K-Keek?"

"You are a blacksmith, aren't you?"

"T-That's right?"

"Then do your work, monkey."

"Do what...?"

"Upgrade."

"...!"

"I heard that you are capable of upgrading an Epic-rank item to Immortal-rank."

"Y-Yes, I certainly can! Just these two?"

Vulkan hurriedly replied. He didn't want to get beaten up anymore. All he wished was for this devil to scram as soon as possible.

"Can you upgrade more?"

"I can upgrade up to four items. Anymore and..."

"You can't?"

"Yes... skills aside, it is extremely costly to craft an Immortal-rank item... it's not like money can solve that issue too..."

"I understand."

Kang Chul-In nodded. The materials needed could be difficult to obtain even with money.

"B-But..."

"...?"

"Do you happen to have the Seal of Pardon... without that, I can't craft an Immortal-rank item, even if you beat me to death."

"Seal of Pardon?"

"Yes... I need that to..."

"Are you talking about this?"

Kang Chul-In brandished the [Item Upgrade Ticket], which he had received from the system just now.

"What...?"

Vulkan gasped.

"T-That's it! That's definitely the Seal of Pardon! Oh...! Dear god...!"

"...?"

"Finally... finally...! Keeeeeeek!"

Vulkan began to roar with his both fists clenched. A dramatic response indeed.

"You are noisy."

"Keeeeeek!"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

To Kang Chul-In, Vulkan's emotional response was nothing but an animal's rabid cry.

"Keeeeeek!"

"Ignoring me, huh?"

"Ke..."

Immediately,

Bam! Kang Chul-In smashed his fist on Vulkan's head.

"Argh!"

Vulkan screamed in pain, with his hands wrapped around his head.

"Need more?"

"S-Sorry... I was just so happy..."

"...?"

"I-I need three Seals of Pardon to escape this place..."

"Escape? What escape?"

"Actually, this place is..."

"Ah, forget it."

Kang Chul-In waved his hand.

"I don't want to hear your business. Just do your work."

"Ah, alright!"

Despite Kang Chul-In's merciless violence, Vulkan brimmed with excitement and immediately began to work on Kaiforce and Mitra.

"Mine too!"

"Here, monkey."

Dorian and Hecate also handed their items and Seals of Pardon to Vulkan.

"Just give me two days! I will upgrade your items in no time! Hahahaha~! Keek! Keeeeek!"

Nobody knew what Vulkan was so happy about. It was smiling widely with its pink gums showing.

"Meanwhile, we shall..."

Kang Chul-In spoke.

"...Have our meal. Oi, idiot!"

"Huh?"

"Prepare the meal."

"M-Me? Why me!?"

"You dare to tag along for free and not do anything...?"

"How about Hecate!?"

Dorian pointed at Hecate.

"Tell that..."

"I want to eat food, not poison."

"Huh?"

"Hecate is horrible at cooking."

"Really?"

"I would rather eat pig feed than to eat her food..."

At that moment.

"Hey!"

Hecate shouted angrily.

"How do you know!? Huh? You've never even tasted my cooking before!"

"Hmm...!?"

Kang Chul-In suddenly froze, having realized his mistake.

"I-I... shall excuse myself for some sightseeing."

Kang Chul-In hurriedly left the place.

***

The Valhalla army led by Lucia marched towards Venedig at an incredible speed. There were 150,000 soldiers. That was purely comprised of combat-capable soldiers, excluding the supply squad. In other words, Valhalla's army was the largest homogenous army in Pangaea at the moment.

Two days later, the Gullveig Alliance commenced their expedition despite the chaotic atmosphere due to Vilhelm and Ao Xin's death. They had about 450,000 soldiers. That was three times the strength of the Valhalla army. 150,000 vs 450,000. It would be an immensely large-scaled war involving over 600,000 soldiers in total.

-Receiving orders from the commander-in-chief. Men, march faster!

Kwak Jung, who had recovered somewhat, returned to his duties immediately. He was now riding a carriage and commanding the Valhalla army.

-We can't afford to camp today. Endure. Keep walking even if your feet blister. We have to reach Venedig by tomorrow morning!

It was a tall order but,

"Yes, commander-in-chief!"

The soldiers replied loudly and heeded their leader's order. They had to. If Kang Chul-In was the God of War, Kwak Jung was the 'electronic brain' who led the army to victory like a navigator. Thus, the soldiers believed that there was a reason for every instruction that was passed down from their tactician. After all, Kwak Jung's tactics were incomprehensible for laymen.

If we position the army in Venedig and wait for his Majesty to join...

Kwak Jung began to brainstorm. His head began to throb intensely, but he didn't falter.

"Commander-in-chief!"

Suddenly...

"There's an urgent message from Venedig!"

The carriage door swung open and a signaller made his report rather anxiously.

"Urgent message?"

"A fleet of ten warships appeared 3 kilometres to the north of the port..."

"...!"

"And they are attacking our naval base indiscriminately!"

"S-Steel warships? Who in the world...?"

A thought crossed Kwak Jung's mind.

"Don't tell me...?"

Only one person could possess steel warships in Pangaea, which was a plot of large land. It had to be the ruler of the northern archipelago, the man who became the 'King of the North Ocean' two days ago, the man who was, quoting Kang Chul-In, a hikikomori amongst the Overlords. Only Neptune Spear could possess ten steel warships in Pangaea.

"Damn it!"

Bang! Kwak Jung slammed his fist on the shelf.

"Forget about our pre-emptive strike... we are getting attacked first...?"

It was an emergency. At this rate, Valhalla's plan to quickly expedite and conquer Esmeralda was going to become obsolete.

-This is your commander-in-chief speaking!

Kwak Jung hurriedly picked up the magic-engineered loudspeaker. That signaled the start of the war... the Kingdom of Valhalla versus the Gullveig Alliance.

These two superpowers were about to brawl it out!

Chapter 311: The Ragnark begins! (2)

Translator: Leyy3

[Your commander-in-chief is speaking!]

Kwak Jung urgently shouted amidst the heat of the military.

[We just received news that the enemy's fleet is attacking our allies' ports and...]

He was only able to shout up to there.

"He says the enemies are attacking Ventetz!"

"Those sons of bitches!"

"They're attacking where? Lemme head over there right away!"

"Walk faster, huh?!"

"Let's march forward faster!"

"Faster! Tomorrow morning my ass, we're getting there by tonight!"

The soldiers began to quicken their pace without anyone telling them to, all the while spewing different curses and shouts.

"..."

Kwak Jung was flabbergasted.

"Look at these guys..."

He was proud of them. Their pace right now was probably the fastest of any army in the continent, and even so, they were trying to move faster. Without anyone's orders at that. Thanks to them, Kwak Jung didn't have to tell them to move faster and ended his speech telling them to conserve energy. He didn't understand how this military's leader, Kang Chul-In, and even the lowest foot soldiers were all passionate to the extreme.

[Don't run, and move at an appropriate pace. We're marching, not participating in a marathon. So what if we arrive early? Does it matter if we can't fight properly because we're exhausted?]

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers of the Valhalla Kingdom all bellowed in response.

"Messenger soldier."

Kwak Jung immediately sought a messenger soldier after he was done giving his commands.

"Yes, sir."

"We'll dispatch Temeraire, Full Metal Dragon, and the Zeppelin to Temeraire. However, I won't accept any of them being damaged. Tell our forces to avoid a direct fight and only attack when they're in a safe position to do so."

"Yes, sir!"

"What about Bat?"

The "Bat" he was talking about was a code name for Kwak Jun.

"No news from them, sir."

"Really? That bastard really..."

"According to our spy, Bat is leading the Gullveig Alliance as their commander-in-chief..."

"Wow."

"It seems like the Bat has crossed over..."

"No."

Kwak Jung shook his head.

"Not yet."

"I-Is that so?"

"I don't know what he's thinking, but not yet. If he crosses over now, the deals he made with us will all be revealed, and he's not crazy enough to do that."

"Oho?"

"There's something up his sleeve, but he's not someone to move easily. He'll reveal his true self at a decisive moment. Until then, leaving him alone is better for us."

"But isn't it too dangerous?"

"If we can catch that bat, this war will be a slice of cake for us. No, we'll be able to swallow the entire continent."

With Kwak Jun as the commander-in-chief of the Gullveig Alliance, the amount of insider information he would have could be destructive.

"It's a double-edged sword... but let's leave him alone for now."

If Kwak Jun betrayed them, the damage they received would be enough to topple their kingdom, but Kwak Jung was confident that he wouldn't be betrayed by Kwak Jun.

"Yes, sir."

"Instead, have the Fox Valley assassination squad on standby to bat-hunt. Bat has to be taken care of within 12 hours in case of emergency."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and also."

"Yes?"

"What about Trinidad? They're not late, right?"

"No, sir."

"Really?"

"Yes, they're en route to arrive at Ventetz by tomorrow morning by the latest."

"Mm... then I suppose tonight is the most important."

"Wouldn't that be the case, sir?"

"Tell them to endure using any means possible. When Trinidad arrives, the situation will reverse."

"Yes, understood, sir."

That was the end of their conversation.

"Whew... things are going wrong from the beginning..."

Kwak Jung wrapped his hands around his head after the messenger soldier left when they were finished with their duties.

Throb! Another headache was coming on because he used his head a bit.

***

Tang, tang! At the peak of Mt. Hephai, the sound of hammering didn't stop in the smithy.

"Wukiiiii!"

Vulkan focused on his work, screaming as monkeys did. He was hammering his Immortal-rank item "Odmalica" down onto the weapons of Kang Chul-In's party.

"I guess he's actually doing something, huh?"

Dorian muttered to himself in amazement while looking over at the smithy.

"A monkey blacksmith... will he really make us Immortal-rank items?"

"The system said so, so there's nothing we can do but wait. I'm also a bit suspicious since it's a monkey but..."

Kang Chul-In's sentence was cut off abruptly.

Flash! The hammering stopped, and a brilliant light began to emanate from the smithy.

"...!"

Each member of the party looked shocked.

What is that?

Kang Chul-In's body shook from the energy that was coming from Vulkan's smithy.

Boom! The door to the smithy opened, and...

"They're... finished..."

Vulkan came out.

"W-What?"

Dorian was taken aback.

"Why did you get old so suddenly?"

"Yeah."

Hecate

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seemed to be wondering too.

"You've aged a bunch."

It was a sudden change. His previously shining copper-bronze fur was now white and his face was filled with crinkly wrinkles. The muscles that even Kang Chul-In had been amazed by were all gone. Vulkan looked irrefutably older.

"Here... they are."

Vulkan plodded over where Kang Chul-In was with heavy footsteps and handed him the two swords, Kaiforce and Mitra.

"Kaiforce and Mitra are some of the best swords I've ever seen. There was nothing to change about their functions, but... it was difficult to grow the demonic and holy powers..."

"...!"

"Do you... like them?"

It was quite a stupid question.

"Of course."

Kang Chul-In nodded with a stiff face.

"I've... never these kinds of swords in my life."

It was the truth. Kang Chul-In was genuinely shocked.

[Invincible] Soft Sword Kaiforce

The famous sword of the Emperor of Blood and Iron of the Ancient Kingdom.

Attack Power: 2000

Durability: Infinite (Indestructible)

Property: Dark

Application limits: At least level 95

Option 1: All stats + 30%

Option 2: Can change forms

(Penalty options deleted)

Special skill 1: Blackout

Special skill 2: Hell Road

Before awakening, Kaiforce's original attack power was 500, but now? It had increased by a whole 4 times, reaching 2000. Moreover, the annoying penalty options were gone, and two special skills had been opened.

"I adjusted some things."

Vulkan explained.

"Kaiforce and Mitra are polar opposites of each other, so Mitra's owner wasn't able to use the hidden functions of darkness within Kaiforce."

"Did you unlock it?"

"As aforementioned... Kaiforce is my creation."

"I see."

"Please take a look at Mitra too."

"Hm?"

"I don't know if you'll like it. Mitra is an item that was made 500 years before I made Kaiforce... It's not polite to touch creations of other blacksmiths... anyhow, please take a look."

"I will."

Kang Chul-In checked Mitra's details at Vulkan's words.

[Invincible] Holy Light Sword Mitra

Oh pure light, shining light!

Attack power: 1999

Durability: Infinite (Indestructible)

Property: Light

Application limits: At least level 95

Option 1: All stats +30%

Option 2: Can shift forms

Penalty Option 1

-Cannot Kill: The user cannot kill other humans.

Special skill 1: Sharp Winds of Light

Special skill 2: Blessing of the Sun God

It was strange that its attack power was one less than Kaiforce at 1999, but he had no complaints about it.

"I could get rid of the Refusal of Malice, but there was nothing I could do about the Cannot Kill."

"I see..."

"Mitra was created with a special material called the ectoplasm of holy fire in the first place... there was nothing I could do about it. The soul of the saintess inside it doesn't budge..."

It seemed like the Ego inside of Mitra had fought to keep its spot, but Kang Chul-In didn't care. It wasn't like it was the first time that Mitra was picky. When he had to kill people, he could just use Kaiforce anyway.

"So... is there anything you don't like...?"

Vulkan asked Kang Chul-In in a careful voice. He seemed to be worrying about what to do if Kang Chul-In didn't like the gift.

"No."

Kang Chul-In shook his head.

"I like it."

"R-Really?"

"These... aren't they the most powerful weapons in existence?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Are you unconfident?

"No!"

"Then why are you acting so careful around me?"

"...!"

"Have some pride."

"Heok...!"

"You're the greatest blacksmith I have even seen."

Brrr! Vulkan trembled at Kang Chul-In's compliment.

"K-keuk!"

Then, he began to cry.

"Heuk... heuk heuk..."

"...?"

"I thought... I-I couldn't do it anymore... keuk... a thousand years... pent up in here... keuk..."

"Ah."

Kang Chul-In realized why Vulkan was so unconfident.

"Don't worry."

"Heuk heuk..."

"They say that fame is temporary but class is forever."

"T-That's a saying?"

"Of course."

Vulkan didn't have any way of knowing a famous saying back from Earth, and Kang Chul-In nodded to comfort the monkey that was stuck for a thousand years.

"Still, it's a relief..."

"Hm?"

"Kaiforce and Mitra are like... my last works. I won't regret anything... even if I die right now... keuk..."

Vulkan thumped his chest and plopped down to the ground.

"Did you overwork yourself?"

"It's the effect of making Immortal-rank weapons... I expected my lifespan to be cut short, haha... Still, it feels nice..."

"...?"

"I was... exiled here because of an unforgivable sin from the past. I've lived a thousand more years than I was supposed to, so why would I be regretful about dying now?"

"Hmm..."

"I still have about 1 to 2 years left to live, so I'm planning on returning to my homeland and spending my last days there... ah, also..."

Vulkan turned to Dorian and Hecate.

"The gauntlet made of Adamantium... I think it's a weapon that prioritizes the efficiency of mana..."

"Huh? Yeah, that's right!"

Dorian nodded.

"I've raised the efficiency of mana from the original 65% to 97.7%... I've named it... 'God Hand.'"

"Wow!"

"It might be hard to use because the efficiency of the magic was raised to the extreme... but it's much better than what you used before..."

"Of course! Thanks! Wow, the options are incredible!"

Dorian couldn't contain his pleasure and thanked Vulkan over and over again.

"Miss..."

"Yes, monkey?"

"I got rid of the revolver you used to use."

"G-Got rid of it?!"

"Instead..."

Hecate looked like she was going to explode. Vulkan pulled out a musket and a pouch that looked like it was made from the skin of a reptile.

"It's a demonic gun called Monster Double. I can guarantee ten times the firepower of what you used to use."

"R-Really?"

"The accuracy of the aim decreased, but it'll be able to destroy 50 meters within its target."

"O-Oh? Dang, then two bullets can..."

"The pouch I gave you is the magazine."

"What?"

"It's a special leather pouch with a magic cast on it. As long as there's ammunition inside of it, it'll automatically reload. I included how to make the ammunition inside, so you can make more when you need it."

"Oho?"

Hecate didn't express her feelings explicitly, but she looked extremely satisfied. For Hecate, a musket that could automatically reload was perfect for her destructive tendencies.

"Oh, also..."

Vulkan looked back at Kang Chul-In.

"The weapons are Kaiforce and Mitra, and your accessories are the Overpower Bracelet and the Amplifier Talisman of the Trinity Impact, am I right?"

"...!"

"I thought so."

His accuracy was fitting of the title of "greatest blacksmith."

"And your protection sucks."

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

Kang Chul-In had an awkward face. He had been planning on looking for the Ishtar Set because his defensive ability was a shame, but he had been so busy that he wasn't able to.

"So I made one."

Vulkan held out a black belt.

"What's this?"

"On the house."

"A freebie?"

Kang Chul-In tilted his head.