Chapter 48. Stronger Together (3)

The farming corps is strong.

Because they're demons from the Demon King's Castle?

Because they're the final-stage monsters of the game?

No.

They had many things they wanted to protect. Too much to lose. Even more that they didn't want to lose.

"My potato field! My potato field!"

"I worked so hard! Just to grow those!"

"How dare you touch my field! What is my son supposed to eat once he's weaned now?!"

"I promised my daughter, damn it!"

"I swore I'd set steamed potatoes on the table for our first wedding anniversary dinner, just the two of us, dipping them in salt and laughing together!"

"Give me back my potato field!"

"Bring it back!"

Some people say this: those with nothing to lose are the scariest. They do whatever it takes, without hesitation.

But people don't understand.

When you're on the brink of losing something truly precious. That's when people—or even demons—become truly ruthless. That's when they become desperately, fiercely savage.

"My mom! She skipped another meal today!"

"My son just started walking, and he's been crying for two days, hungry—!"

Crunch! Crack!

Furious cries erupted from all around.

Even more violent tearing sounds rang out.

"...!"

The 2nd Star Master's eyes widened in shock.

'What the hell…..!'

He couldn't comprehend it.

He had drawn out all his latent potential. He was going to reduce this whole area to ashes. Sweep away Credos, and all those insolent low-class demons who followed him.

That was his resolve. He'd turned all his leaves to autumn red. He was just about to summon the destructive power etched into his very instincts for the first time. Finally, he was about to bring death to all.

But no one was afraid.

Instead, their eyes flipped as they charged in!

Crash! Crack!

What was it in them?

What kind of emotion could such worthless, insect-like creatures possess…

…that gave them such overwhelming power?

Thunk!

"...!"

One of the largest branches of the 2nd Star Master was sliced clean off. With a thunderous crash, it fell to the ground. The 2nd Star Master thrashed in agony.

"Groooooaaaar—!"

He unleashed a furious barrage of attacks toward the ground.

But there was no one on the ground anymore. So he killed no one. He only ignited the fury of the Four Heavenly Kings and the farming corps clinging to his body.

"This bastard's wrecking the potato field!"

"How dare you!"

"Hit it! Break it!"

"Raaaahhhh!"

Crunch! Crack! Smash!

".....!"

The farming corps' attacks grew even more ferocious. The damage piling onto the 2nd Star Master's body increased exponentially. The more he flailed, the more intense the farming corps became.

"I… I…!"

The 2nd Star Master cried out desperately.

But his voice couldn't spread.

It was drowned out. By the roars of the farming corps. By the howls of rage. He was trampled, torn, broken, dug up, severed, and shredded into pieces.

"...!"

No one understood the final scream of the 2nd Star Master. No one cared to.

Everyone thought only this:

The one who destroys my field.

The one who threatens my family's livelihood.

The one who tries to take away our means to survive.

Such a being must simply be crushed.

Just to protect what's precious to me.

…..!

The massive form of the 2nd Star Master trembled. But the attacks of the farming corps didn't stop. They only grew fiercer.

"Keep pushing!"

"Don't stop!"

"Until it's over!"

"It's not over yet!"

Riding the momentum, Asurat shouted. Hartok pointed at a cracked part on the 2nd Star Master's trunk. Sirgi's blade gleamed. Baal's muscles pulsed relentlessly. The farming corps' battle cries grew louder.

And then, at some point…

".....!"

The 2nd Star Master's giant form violently convulsed.

That was the end.

At the moment of his final spasm, all vitality left the 2nd Star Master's body. Hundreds of thousands of leaves turned gray and lifeless.

Shhhhhh…..

Dry leaves began to fall.

One.

Two.

And finally, all of them.

The branches lost moisture and shriveled up. They detached from the trunk. Unable to withstand the impact with the ground, they crumbled into powder.

The trunk was the same. Having lost all vitality, the 2nd Star Master's trunk also lost the durability to bear its immense weight.

Crunch...!

The ominous sound of splitting echoed from the base. The collapse began. In an instant. Pathetically. He fell. Crushed under his own weight. Crumbled. Scattered across the potato field.

The shadow cast by the Tree of Plunder lifted.

For the first time in a while, sunlight caressed the potato fields.

The 2nd Star Master, who had briefly claimed the Demon King's throne.

This was his complete downfall and final end.

It was then.

....Ding-dong!

A sharp notification tone rang in Kim Jangcheol's ear.

[You have successfully defeated the powerful enemy <2nd Star Master Planus> by being the first to use the mana seed's option skill, .]

[This achievement has been recorded as a valuable experience for your mana seed, causing it to grow.]

[Your mana seed has leveled up.]

[Mana Seed (Seed Stage Lv.4)]

[The mana seed's stat amplification rate has increased to 1.4x.]

…..Whoooosh.

The wind blew.

Sweat-drenched hair swayed.

And amidst it all, Kim Jangcheol couldn't bring himself to smile. Even though he had defeated the powerful foe known as the 2nd Star Master, even though there had been no casualties, even though his mana seed had grown once again—

"...."

The truth was, even if he wanted to smile, he couldn't. No matter how much he tried, no smile came.

"We… We did it—!"

"Wooooooh!"

"We actually did it!"

"Bwahahahaha! Bwahaha!"

Cheers and shouts of joy rang from all sides. The farming corps.

Asurat grabbed Sirgi's hand and danced with joy. Startled, Sirgi shot him a fierce glare. But she didn't shake his hand off.

Hartok, swept up by the farming corps, was shouting slogans without knowing why, and Baal was patting the panting Zephyros, who had collapsed to the ground.

And from his arms, Tbong peeked out, looking up at him with a bright, innocent gaze.

"Tbobong? Tbong?"

"......"

Even so, he couldn't smile.

He couldn't just laugh freely.

He couldn't simply rejoice in this victory.

Because what they had lost hurt too deeply.

'The potato field…'

Kim Jangcheol looked around with a pained gaze. The farming corps were flushed with joy from their victory. Beyond them, he could see the potato field.

It was damaged in many places.

Pits were everywhere. Some areas had been completely uprooted.

Of course, not all of it was ruined.

There were places that had survived even the chaos of the 2nd Star Master. But that didn't mean they were intact. The potato stems and leaves had all turned yellow and collapsed.

"......."

Suddenly, he remembered the fuss Hartok and the farming corps made not long ago. About the potato leaves turning yellow. About the stems looking like they might collapse.

What did he say back then?

'It's fine. That's normal. It just means the baby potatoes underground are soaking up nutrients.'

That's what he thought.

He had thought it was just a natural process.

But it wasn't.

The truth was different.

The 2nd Star Master, that bastard, had extended his roots and was stealing all the nutrients like a parasite.

"......"

Then what was the condition of the baby potatoes underground?

He didn't want to see it.

He wanted to, but he was afraid to confirm it.

But still, it wasn't something he could put off forever. And more than that, there was another responsibility just as important weighing on him.

"Hoo."

Kim Jangcheol straightened his expression.

And suddenly, it hit him again.

That he was the commander of the farming corps.

That he was the one who made this potato field.

'Which means, the success or failure of this potato field, and the fate of everyone tied to it, is my responsibility.'

He was the one who halted the invasion of the human world. He was the one who started potato farming and brought everyone along. So the sweat poured into the potato field, and the rewards that came with it, were all his responsibility.

Which meant now, he had to take responsibility.

He had to comfort everyone, and lead them to rise again.

'…Let's do it.'

Truthfully, he was scared.

With the potato field so devastated, would everyone still follow him? He wasn't confident. He'd never done something like this—leading everyone like this.

"You all, did well."

He spoke to everyone.

Finally, the cheers and shouts quieted down.

Their gazes turned toward him.

And soon, their expressions hesitated.

"Ah…"

Had they finally come to terms with reality? Were they now seeing the destroyed potato field that had always been there, beyond the intoxicating joy of victory?

It seemed that way.

The eyes of the Four Heavenly Kings, the farming corps, trembled. Their mouths shut. They couldn't hide their deep embarrassment and sense of loss. That hollow sadness. He understood how they felt.

Because he felt the same.

They were the same.

That's why—

"And all of you, you can see with your own eyes the result we've come to. But still, there's something I want to say."

"...."

He could see everyone waiting for his next words.

Suddenly, a jolt of anxiety ran through him.

That the potato farming might really be over. That they'd gained nothing from this victory earned through struggle and ruin.

How should he spin that truth? How could he ease everyone's disappointment and sense of loss?

He could handle being blamed.

That didn't matter.

But how was he supposed to take responsibility for everyone who had followed him, believed in him, and come this far?

That thought made his chest tighten. He couldn't bring himself to speak the next words.

And then—

"Um, Demon King?"

As he was hesitating over how to start, one of the farming corps members raised a hand awkwardly. It was the member he had saved earlier in the chaos—Flute's dad.

He spoke.

"I don't know if I have the right to say this, but… still, I'd like to say… it's all right."

"…What?"

What was he going on about?

Flute's dad continued.

"I mean, uh, well, we're alive, aren't we? So I think… we can farm again."

"......"

"If we'd died or gotten seriously hurt today, there'd be no hope of farming again. So just surviving today is enough for us. And it's all thanks to you, Demon King."

"....."

"So, when should we plant the potatoes again?"

"....."

Kim Jangcheol looked around at everyone.

Same eyes. Same expression.

They were all looking at him like that.

As if to comfort him. As if to say it's okay.

Maybe it was because of that.

His nose stung unexpectedly. He hadn't imagined he'd be comforted like this by them. It caught him off guard. It stirred something in his heart.

But still…

"Tch. Who's talking like it's all over, huh!"

Kim Jangcheol barely suppressed the sting creeping into his eyes. Putting on a serious face, he scolded them like an old man.

"Farming's not over. It's not ruined, either. Farming is always like this. When you work the land, all sorts of things happen."

And that's the truth.

Typhoons. Floods. Droughts. Market prices changing.

Farming is influenced by everything under the sun. There are plenty of cases where an entire year's crop is ruined because of those.

"So just because something outside our control made things a little tough, we can't collapse. And we shouldn't try to make everything perfect. Got it? We aim for 80 points. The remaining 20, we leave to the heavens. So what's the 80 points we need to fill right now?"

Honestly, it was something he wanted to say to himself.

Don't push too hard.

Don't try to carry it all alone.

Do what you can within your limits, and when it gets tough, lean on the ones beside you.

Pretending to be fine.

Pretending to be the only calm one.

He spoke to them all.

"What we need to do right now is harvest the potatoes from the field that didn't get destroyed. Got it?"

".....!"

"You won't know until you dig. The potatoes underground might be perfectly fine. You haven't even checked—why are you already disappointed? So everyone, chin up! Stay strong! Okay?"

"Baal! I think I saw the Demon King tearing up!"

"...Shut it! Get back to work!"

He barked, chasing them off.

Watching the farming corps run off toward the potato field, he quietly wiped the corners of his eyes. Then came another sigh.

'Seriously.'

If they were going to start farming potatoes again… what would he do with them? They'd all end up starving again. There wasn't much chuno left in reserve. How was he supposed to feed them all?

Despite what he said in front of everyone, inside, things still looked bleak. He was drowning in worries. The burden on his shoulders grew heavier.

And then—

"…Huh? Whoa!"

A strange voice burst out from one of the farming corps who had started digging the field.

"Demon King! Over here! Look at this!"

"..."

An urgent shout.

What now?

Was something even worse happening?

His heart dropped as he rushed over. And then he saw it.

"What on earth is—huh?"

Kim Jangcheol's eyes went wide before he realized it, staring at the spot Flute's dad was pointing at.

There lay a potato.

A super-sized baby potato, bigger than a watermelon.

[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]