Chapter 21-24: 2000 vs 800
[TL Note] The author uses a few Korean words to make sounds that are supposed to be Chinese word. Without the actual Chinese characters, it is hard for me to determine the words so I just guessed the meaning. These instances would have a bracket next to them.
10 days.
Yoo Eun-hye completely changed.
Her confidence rose and she acted more aggressively. Her physical abilities rose to a state similar to a warrior. With a little more help, she could take care of the dungeon alone.
Then after a long time, I finally returned to the top floor of the dungeon.
‘I need to find a skill book for Yoo Eun-hye. An electric current is flowing through her body so she needs to move onto the next step.’
In a previous life, I was a solo person. I did everything alone and tried to get as strong as possible. It took me more than 10 years to realize what was wrong.
Now wasn’t the time to be stingy. Besides, Yoo Eun-hye was very important to my plan. There was no reason to refuse just because of money.
I hadn’t seen Yihi in a long time but there was no change. She was sitting on top of the Dungeon Core with a troubled expression.
Then her wings flapped once she realized that I came.
“Ah, Master! Why did you only come now?”
“What’s going on?”
“The 2nd floor has been broken through. At this rate, wouldn’t they continue breaking through the 3rd and then the 4th floor?”
“Already?”
I had judged that the 4th floor would be impenetrable for the next 6 months. But it was already breached? Yihi nodded at my question.
“They gathered quite a lot of people and are rushing. People from an unlikely country. There are also some white and black people. Yihi was creating a garden on the 3rd floor when those guys came up and surprised me.”
Yihi kicked the Dungeon Core with her feet.
While creating a garden on the 3rd floor, foreigners had entered the dungeon. 72 dungeons existed in the world and mine was the only one in Korea. Why did they bother coming to Korea just for a dungeon?
I thought about it for a while before finding the answer.
‘They are seeking treasure.’
This was the only dungeon where treasure was unearthed. That gossip had spread across the world and the greedy ones had heard it.
“How many people are there?”
Yihi moved her hands to draw a great circle.
“As much as th~is!”
“Accurately.”
“I don’t know the exact numbers. Initially a group of more than 100 people entered…ah, they were also Chinese. How do I know? Yihi has scanned and picked up 3 languages. Chinese is one of them.”
“Many people.”
I acknowledged the seriousness after hearing Yihi’s words.
“Hing! Yihi has seen at least 500 Chinese people. Together with the other humans, aren’t there thousands of them? Of those, 200 people had died on the 2nd floor.”
“What about the current situation on the 3rd floor?”
“They haven’t engaged yet. The leaders are wary.”
“Status of the creatures on the 3rd floor.”
“There are 5 goblin bosses, 4 kobold bosses and they all have 200 troops each. There are also 200 orcs.”
From the 3rd floor onwards, there were goblin and kobold bosses. They had intelligence and knew how to use tactics. Hitting them recklessly would just cause defeat.
“Impenetrable.”
“I agree.”
Yihi agreed.
Even if they had a lot of numbers, many limitations existed. There was no chance if he placed creatures in large quantities.
The orcs were in the minority and it would be great if there was an orc lord. However, an orc lord was an advanced creature and required 120,000 points.
If an orc lord was placed on the 3rd floor then all the Awakened that stepped foot there would die. The kobolds and goblins would also disappear.
Could it be moved to a different floor after the war? However, there was nowhere to place the orc lord. The 120,000 points couldn’t be ignored. It wasn’t easy to use the points.
Apart from the 20% given to the Dungeon Core’s guardian, I needed to use them on all floors.
The 1~4th floors were places for the Awakened to level up. I could leave the orc lord on the empty 5th floor but it was unlikely for anyone to reach there so the summoning would be wasted.
‘I will reserve the summoning of the orc lord.’
I contemplated for a moment before saying.
“I have to meet the goblin and kobold bosses. I needed to check their intelligence. Yihi, how many points are left now?”
“About 560,000.”
“…Did I hear it wrong?”
“It is exactly 562,433 points.”
When I last checked, I had 320,000 points remaining. In the two months I had been away, I had gained 220,000 points.
Usually I earned 5,000 points a month. Every time a weak Awakened was handled, I would earn 200 points. Handling the elites would earn a little over 600?
Humans tended to team up in groups of 8 or 12 people when entering the dungeon. I thought that earning points moderately was good and didn’t feel the need to release stronger creatures on the 1st floor.
In my absence, I could gain 600 points with every Awakened that died. No, I needed more points than that to build my dungeon.
“Ha. Quite a few people have barged in.”
A group. I couldn’t ignore the power of human unity.
Yihi flew over and sat down on my shoulder.
“In addition to the humans uniting, quite a few from foreign countries are wearing gear to sneak in. Quite a few of them were exterminated on the 1st floor. Yihi thinks that it serves them right.”
“Right now there are 800 Awakened on the 1st floor.”
“Won’t Master lend a hand? Right now Master is capable of stepping on the humans like ants.”
“Certainly…but, okay.”
In my previous life, I had rushed out alone. But now I was unwilling.
I didn’t want to lost the dungeon like I did in my previous life but I also didn’t want to be on the sidelines as the other demons devoured the world.
I envied the demons that could move a large number of creatures. Fighting alone on the battlefield couldn’t compare to the contributions from a large number of creatures.
‘Okay.’
War, war.
My dungeon was engaged in a large scale attack. There were many foreign Awakened. They voluntarily entered my dungeon.
Then shouldn’t I directly go and sweep them away?
I grudgingly acted. Confronting them in person wasn’t difficult but it would take away all the fun.
It was only in name but I had received the title of Earl in the Demon World. I didn’t have any creatures that followed me.
‘I placed treasures on each floor. Humans are quite partial to treasure. They tend to lose their lives over it.’
Human greed was a strong animal. It was easy for them to die over greed.
‘By the way, the Chinese. Their quantity is different.’
As time passed, the number of Awakened increased. Right now, one in ten thousand people awakened but that ratio would gradually go higher. But China had a large population. Now more than 100,000 had awakened so 500 people wasn’t a lot.
“Master. There are many points so shouldn’t you release the golem? The golem can take care of the enemies and won’t cause trouble to the ecology of the 3rd floor. The plants will also grow faster so the surrounding scenery will become better. The garden that Yihi placed will make the scenery very lovely. Yihi~”
Yihi gave some selfish opinions.
Her goal was advanced creatures like orc lords or golems. However, there were different good parts among the advanced creatures. An orc lord that cost 170,000 points was 50,000 more expensive but it wouldn’t affect the ecology.
However, the nature of the golem was too much. It was a destroyer that would wipe out the balance. For now I didn’t need it.
‘I will take over the role of floor master.’
A floor master existed on each floor. It was only of the essential requirements for constructing a dungeon but I still hadn’t arranged such presences. Because I didn’t think there was a need to place a floor master on the lower floors.
But this time a floor master was required to rally the creatures. A war with many saints on the 3rd floor. I couldn’t ask another floor master for assistance so I would handle such a role directly.
I shook my head and said.
“The creatures right now should suffice. 200 orcs and 1,800 kobolds and goblins, for a total of 2,000. Compare it to the 800 Awakened. We have the upper hand in terms of numbers.”
“The Awakened on the 3rd floor have a significant level. In particular, two people among the Chinese have fairly strong skills. It looks like a rare skill so won’t Master have a hard time fighting?”
One orc could take care of two Awakened.
The problem was the goblins and kobolds. In order to take care of one Awakened, at least five were necessary. Looking at the calculations, it would be a close battle. There were 2 Awakened with a rare skill.
‘I hope there is a sea.’
I felt my heart beating faster. I remembered fighting against advanced creatures. I wanted to taste a similar power with my own hands once in a while.
Moving units in battle according to my command. Excitement rose up just imagining it. In my previous life, I quickly lost the dungeon and didn’t even have such thoughts.
Gathering points to strengthen myself. Soon I hit the limit but realized it was the wrong choice too late.
In fact, I had experienced a large number of creatures following behind demons after going to other dungeons.
“First I will meet with the kobold and goblin bosses.”
There was a shallow smile on my face.
* * *
The dungeon’s 3rd floor.
A magnificent view unfolded. About 1,800 goblins and kobolds were gathered in one place.
The 9 bosses were standing in front of me.
“Dungeon Master! I came here with all my henchmen. Kobolds are stronger than goblins.”
“Dungeon Master! I came as well. Goblins are strong unlike the snot-nosed kobolds.”
“Dungeon Master! I am the best. My kobolds are the most durable and strong.”
The 9 bosses started talking in a display of their personality. It was a funny competition to see who was stronger.
Two hours ago, I used magic to inform them that I was the Dungeon Master and to gather. The Dungeon Master’s rights were absolute. The goblins and kobolds absolutely couldn’t ignore my commands.
“It is good to see you.”
I said briefly before the 9 bosses started talking again.
“I am also pleased to see you.”
“I am even more pleased.”
“I am the most pleased.”
The bosses naturally had bad brains. They were goblins and kobolds.
The 9 bosses simultaneously welcomed me but there was no rudeness.
‘My goals.’
I pressed my hand against my forehead. Could I really take these guys to war?
‘Crazy.’
Anyway, my role was to direct them. Winning a difficult fight would make me feel an even greater pleasure.
“Humans have come to the 3rd floor. Does everybody know about it?”
The heads of the 9 bosses nodded in unison. They weren’t nervous about the intruders.
“I know.”
“It is disgraceful.”
“I’ll obliterate them.”
Their hostility was excellent. There was a common enemy so the troops weren’t going to be split apart.
“Those fellows have entered my dungeon in order to seek treasure. As a Dungeon Master, I can’t condone this so I am giving you a chance.”
“Condone?”
“Dumb goblin, you don’t understand. It means to eat them.”
“No. Condone is the name of my friend.”
I should refrain from using hard words. In the meantime, I had thought that Yihi was simple. Rather, now Yihi seemed smarter.
I said with exceptional patience.
“It means they can’t be forgiven. I won’t let the humans go.”
“Okay. I also hate humans!”
“I will show you the bravery of the kobolds!”
“Grrruk! I hate humans.”
Unified hearts.
However, their motivation was a little lacking. They already weren’t seeing the humans as enemies. I needed to increase their willpower.
‘I guess I need a reward.’
Just like slaves, those without motivation would have their efficiency deteriorate.
A whip and carrots.
This approach wasn’t just limited to humans but any beings with intelligence.
“I will give a reward to the boss with the most merits during this war. Do any of you have a wish?”
And they were given hope.
The goblin boss on the very left of the line replied immediately.
“Females! There are only males. I want to spread my seeds.”
“I agree. Under these circumstances, there can only be matings between males.”
“I can do all by yourself!”
One of them answered and the rest of the bosses agreed.
The 1,700 kobolds and goblins gathered here were all males. I had summoned a number of female orcs for breeding but the goblins and kobolds were pending.
Their inbreeding was too complicated and the orcs’ reproduction was superior. Of course, half of them were likely to die of birth defects before they turned 1 year old.
Meanwhile, the orc’s population would be controlled through hunting.
‘In the first place, goblins and kobolds have the same roots. They hate each other but had to calmly admit it. However, their selfishness means they reject other species as superior. In particular, they might threaten the lives of the orcs unlike the ale snakes or meat bats on the 1st floor.’
It was a situation where the orcs still needed more numbers. A proper balance was the most important factor when organizing the ecology of a dungeon.
‘Their numbers will significantly reduce in this war. Not bad.’
Even if their numbers multiplied indefinitely, they would be reduced during a war.
I nodded.
“Okay. If you eliminate a lot of humans then I will bring in some females.”
“Kiek! I’ll work hard!”
“I will catch more than the goblins!”
“I will catch the most.”
The advantage of these guys lay in their numbers, not their brains. From the beginning, they couldn’t even count all of their fingers and toes. It would be a hassle to have those brains follow a plan to kill the Awakened but I could leave it to Yihi.
They jumped as Yihi popped out with a small laugh. It was an unflattering appearance.
“We will be organizing the troops from now on.”
A confrontation was inevitable. If the orcs joined the fight then the odds of winning would increase. So it was necessary for separate units in order to operate them effectively.
I remembered the wars I saw in the past and started assigning the roles to the bosses.
* * *
The party of 800 Awakened was located at the entrance to the dungeon’s 3rd floor. They were divided into 6 groups and gathered at their respective bonfire.
They lost a number of colleagues on the 2nd floor so the atmosphere was depressing.
But some weren’t affected. The Chinese Awakened. There was a lot of them so they had suffered relatively less losses than the other Awakened.
“Hao! Henhao!” (hen=very, hao=good in Chinese)
“Hahaha!”
A Chinese person was dancing with an orc skull while the people around were clapping their hands in response. The majority of the dance was like acrobatics.
The eyes of the rest were on the dancer.
“They are having a festival.”
Daniel who was sitting in front of a bonfire spat out bitterly.
The American called Daniel had come to the dungeon with five people and one of them had died on the 2nd floor. Naturally it was impossible for him to feel good.
“Leader. Shouldn’t we act separately? If we find treasure then we can monopolize it. Then we won’t have to wait our turn.”
A huge man with red hair like a chicken said. He seemed to have lived a wild life as his whole body was scarred.
Daniel shook his head.
“No. We don’t know the creatures and their numbers on the 3rd floor. We can’t escape from this group until we check it out. If a more annoying creature than the orcs exist then we’ll be killed on the spot.”
“Do you remember those gargoyle like monsters in the Middle East?”
Foreign people had participated as mercenaries when the monster wave occurred in the Middle East. There were other creatures in addition to the kobolds, goblins and orcs.
In particular, the gargoyles that resembled 2 metre large eyeballs were powerful. They fired a short-ranged sharp beam that could cut the body as soon as it hit. The gargoyles also had sharp teeth and excellent resilience to attacks. If they were petrified, after a short time their physical strength would recover.
Many Awakened fell victim to them. Although they were eventually intercepted by dozens of fighter, the thought of them was enough to make him piss in his pants.
“When thinking of the treasure that exists here, it isn’t surprising that creatures more demanding than the gargoyles exist. If there are only 5 of us then we will definitely be wiped out.”
Daniel’s opinion was valid. As the leader of the team, it was natural for him to worry about the lives of his team members.
The chicken haired man clicked his tongue.
“But I don’t like the Chinese people. They are the black society (common Cantonese reference to the triads, the Chinese organized crime). Look at that festival atmosphere after people died from the orcs. This might actually stimulate the creatures instead.”
“I don’t like them either. However, be patient. The atmosphere will slowly return.”
“Leader. By the way, is there really treasure? There was only one staff found on the 2nd floor. Doesn’t it only increase magic efficiency by a little bit? It is a questionable treasure.”
“There are things greater than the staff. The Korean Heaven’s Will guild found remarkable things. In particular, the spatial jump scroll would be worth a lot. Just obtaining one of those would make this expedition a success.”
The spatial jump scroll could really be used a lot. It could be used as an extra life or for malicious things. If it was released at a secret auction then many people would come to buy it.
The chicken haired man scratched his head.
“But everyone else will be thinking similar things. That’s why all these guys surged into the dungeon.”
Daniel laughed.
“Right now humans are greedy animals. In that sense, we can’t blame the Chinese for sitting back and watching. All those gathered here…it is thanks to them that we easily reached he 3rd floor.”
It didn’t matter how many people came in, whether it was separately or together. The Chinese or other foreign Awakened were capable people.
The place they came from might be different but they penetrated through the 2nd floor thanks to that. Although one of the team members was sacrificed.
The chicken haired man opened his mouth with disgust.
“Ah, I don’t know. I just hate those guys. Leader, we should act properly this time. We have to live well for the sake of the dead, Jack.”
“We will do that.”
Jack was the name of their colleague killed on the 2nd floor. The atmosphere become solemn for a while as they ate their soup.
“Koheok!”
At that moment, screams were heard out of nowhere.
Daniel and the whole team hurriedly held their weapons as they looked in the direction of the screams.
The Chinese person dancing while holding the orc skull had a wooden arrow sticking out from his head.
“Fuck!” (Chinese)
It happened in an instant. The Chinese people stood up carrying weapons.
Daniel and his team nervously looked ahead.
Kiruk.
Kieeek!
At the same time, they could see hundreds of kobolds dripping saliva. The leader of the kobolds was the size of an adult male and had a crossbow aimed.
He was the one who fired the arrow towards the dancing Chinese person.
“Kill them all!” (Chinese)
The Chinese people firmly ran towards the crowd of kobolds. Their appearance was quite different from those seen in a video medium on YouTube. Their attitude was a problem but the sight of 500 people coming out was certainly impressive.
Hwiiik.
Pasak!
The arrows that came flying were cut by the swords of the Chinese. After the element of surprise was gone, the Awakened can easily deal with the sloppy archery skills.
“Grruk! Kieeeek!”
After the arrows were blocked, the kobold boss immediately turned and shouted. It seemed like they were giving up.
The kobolds started to flee in an orderly manner. They were followed by crowds of Awakened.
Even if they failed to get treasures, the Cores were still money. It was easy to obtain a number of Cores.
“Leader. Shouldn’t we go after them?”
The chicken haired man said while watching the Chinese run after the kobolds.
Daniel shook his head.
“Our team will remain in place. There is something strange.”
“What does that mean? Those guys are kobolds. Isn’t that why they ran away?”
“It is the one in the front. The boss. He knows basic strategy.”
“Hey, Leader. He is still a kobold.”
Once a kobold, always a kobold.
The chicken head man was well aware of the levels of the Awakened. Even if it was a boss, it couldn’t deal with the Awakened.
“I don’t have a good feeling.”
Daniel’s instincts were very good. He knew the moment Jack died on the 2nd floor and informed the rest of the members.
“We don’t know the geography of the third floor at all. A great number of people will die going out there.”
“Well. I understand. Understood. I will do as Leader says. But will we move at a later time?”
“We weren’t going to accompany them until the end anyway. They are only guides to prepare for a situation. We will act separately as soon as I grasp the situation.”
The chicken haired man clapped at Daniel’s situation.
“This is why I like Leader!”
Daniel was able to calmly analyze the situation.
“Richard, you are our quickest member so I want you to scout. Determine whether it is a trap or not.”
“Okay.”
“Andy. Secure the perimeter.”
“Understood.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“A simple thing.”
“Me? Me? What do you mean, Leader?”
The eyes of the chicken haired man shone.
Daniel looked at the pot that was half filled with soup and said.
“Eat the soup. There is too much left.”
* * *
The number of those chasing the kobolds gradually decreased.
The geography of the cave was very complicated and the numbers dropped one by one as they couldn’t keep up the speed.
At first there were 500 people but now only 100 remained.
The people in the lead realized that something was weird but it was too late by the time they tried to turn back.
Chwiik!
Chwiiik!
The Awakened were dismayed. Creatures sprung up from every direction. They wouldn’t have been surprised if goblins or kobolds emerged. But the creatures that appeared were 200 orcs!
Despair appeared on all their faces.
‘There are more than I thought.’
I used a crystal ball in order to determine the battlefield in real time. I had two crystal balls and magic could be used to show the scene surrounding the other crystal ball.
The crystal ball showed the battlefield with the orcs. Thus I could view the battlefield in real time from a remote location. It was a magic tool that cost 5,000 pt.
‘It is simpler than I thought.’
I ridiculed the 100 Awakened that had followed until the end. They never even imagined that the kobolds would be a lure.
They thought the kobolds were running away scared. Most of the Awakened that came this far were the Chinese whose thinking was too narrow.
This was the worst result.
‘This is a ridiculously good result for a 1-time operation. Now I will slowly bleed them dry.’
I had the power of my home ground. Furthermore, this operation brought a few advantages.
Now, what method would annoy them?
The smile on my face couldn’t be erased.
* * *
Each of the Awakened had red eyes. The skin at their mouths was peeling.
Over the last few days. They hadn’t been able to sleep.
The goblins, kobolds and orcs roaming around randomly attacked so they had to pay close attention 24 hours a day.
Some of the Awakened that stormed off in anger didn’t return. Dozens of Awakened had died. The number of Awakened had dropped below 700.
There was a proposal to exit the dungeon but the Chinese didn’t agree. They only received one staff so they maintain an unwavering attitude not to leave. The large black society also helped quite a bit in the battles. To be honest, the creatures were no match for their power.
There was still hope.
“The situation isn’t good.”
However, Daniel’s thoughts were different.
“The kobolds, goblins and orcs are united. Their movements aren’t common. Someone behind them…who is it? They must be very strong to exert influence over the creatures. Advanced demon? Or…Dungeon Master?”
The situation was enough to cause him anxiety. Daniel had an excellent sense of smell, especially regarding danger.
Now that feeling was at its peak. He hadn’t felt such apprehension since awakening. Even his time as a mercenary in the Middle East wasn’t as high as this.
“There is something. The opponents haven’t lost their leisurely air. Confidence that they can wipe us out anytime…What are they playing at? Have I been careless since the beginning?”
Daniel had a habit of talking to himself when he was extremely nervous. It was at that moment.
“Leader?”
The chicken haired man asked Daniel with confusion as Daniel stood up.
“This is the only opportunity to get out of the dungeon. Let’s go.”
“What does that mean?”
“We are in front of an ant’s hell. Once we enter, we can never come back. The creatures have stopped playing with us. It means the presence behind them is moving. The kobolds, goblins and orcs don’t have the patience to kill us slowly. Those guys appear to act independently but are actually cleverly linked.”
“Leader. Richard hasn’t come back.”
Richard. Their fastest colleague was sent to scout.
In fact, Daniel was skeptical about whether he would return. More than 100 people had entered deep into the dungeon and none returned alive. The only thing that greeted them was death.
The body and head was so compromised that he couldn’t determine if Richard had died. But everyone knew. He died. However, the chicken haired man didn’t acknowledge it.
At the very least, he wanted to see the dead body. The chicken haired man was such a person. He believed in camaraderie.
Daniel ground his teeth together.
“We need to preserve our power when moving. There is no way the black society will continue moving passively. We will remove our team here. Our team will be removed so that we don’t die!”
“Leader. Richard hasn’t come back.”
The chicken haired man could only say the same thing.
“Richard is dead. You know in your heart that he is dead and not coming back. It would be strange if he returned.”
“Richard……”
“Shut up! Richard would want us to leave the dungeon. Ricard isn’t a fellow with high pride. But he didn’t return which means he was torn apart by the hideous monster! But you want us to wait for him? If we stay in this place then we’ll be torn apart and eaten by the orcs!”
“Leader. I’ll wait.”
“This…this bastard!”
Daniel’s body trembled as he sat back down again. It was his declaration of surrender.
The other team members also agreed with the chicken haired man’s opinion.
Let’s wait a little longer. Their eyes were saying.
It was natural for a leader to follow the opinion of his team.
“Thank you Leader. This is why I like Leader. Do you know my heart?”
The chicken haired man was in mourning. They had been together for over 10 years. Most of that time was on the battlefield so they trusted each other more than anyone else.
Daniel frowned.
“Don’t speak another word. If you say something then I will drive my sword into your mouth.”
“Well, isn’t Leader good? You are so kind.”
“Damn.”
Daniel placed his hand on his forehead.
“Kik!”
“Huhuhu!”
The remaining team members laughed.
The dark atmosphere was lightened a bit. Furthermore, there was still 700 Awakened left. Their situation wasn’t gloomy.
* * *
The black society started moving.
The Awakened moved with purpose.
Among the 700 Awakened remaining, 400 of them belonged to the black society.
It was natural for them to move in this dangerous situation.
Furthermore, they hadn’t been doing nothing over the past few days. The Awakened with navigation or geography skills had found the place with the creatures.
This place was the destination of the black society. They would wipe out the creatures on the 3rd floor once and for all.
“Those monster scum. Today will be their funeral!”
“Kill them. Return everything to them.”
The Awakened had suffered over the past few days so they were in a poisonous state. In particular, those that lost their colleagues were furious.
They wouldn’t be shaken any longer. Even now it felt a little too late. The group had argued about when to wipe out the creatures. They wanted to turn back time and reverse their inaction but it was too late.
However, Daniel thought this was much better.
If they rushed in at the beginning without a plan then they would likely be wiped out. Identifying the geography and using the momentum to hit them all at once was better.
‘Nevertheless, I still feel this anxiety.’
Why?
The feeling in his heart was getting stronger. Like he was stepping into an ant’s hell.
But when he judged it objectively, they didn’t lack power compared to the creatures. The only challenging thing about the creatures was their number.
No matter how he speculated, he couldn’t see the person behind the creatures.
‘Richard. Please don’t hate us.’
There had been a chance to escape the dungeon.
But Richard was dead. If the ghost of Richard cursed them then the future would likely be really difficult. However, Daniel didn’t stop moving his limbs.
Biiiik!
The leader of the black society blew his whistle. It was the stop signal.
In front of them was a swamp. It was quite wide but not very deep so they could walk through it. They moved quickly without any disruption to the ranks.
They slowly stepped foot into the swamp.
“Keep your ranks! Slowly, move slowly…eok!”
When halfway across the swamp. Goblins emerged through the swamp. They grabbed the feet of those crossing the swamp. The ones that were dragged away screamed in pain.
Didn’t they confirm that there was no risk before crossing?
But Daniel could soon see the reason why. The goblins were riding creatures through the swamp.
Swamp worms!
A low class creature that inhabited the swamp. They normally fed on small insects in the swamp environment. They were small creatures on 80cm in size. Instead, they were very strong. They weren’t very threatening to the Awakened but the kobolds and goblins could move on them.
An ambush. The ranks were disturbed. It was accurately divided in half.
“Prepare to fight! Prepare to fight!”
The Awakened prepared to attack the creatures heading towards them from the swamp.
Chwiik.
Chwiiik!
However, they flinched as a frightening sound was heard from one side.
The 700 people had been divided into groups of 300 and 400. They couldn’t join in the middle. The orcs crossed the swamp to where the group of 300 people were.
Kiiik.
Keeeek.
The remaining 400 were safe but that didn’t last long. A group of 1,000 goblins and kobolds had appeared. They were completely trapped.
Those split apart had no choice but to fight.
“Guarders more forward!”
“Forward!”
“Protect the damage dealers!”
“Come up! Don’t panic!”
The languages were different but they could understand. The next moment, the two groups started killing at a fast speed.
“Damn!”
Daniel spat out as he wielded his sword.
A kobold’s head flew through the air.
“Be careful!”
The chicken haired man kicked the kobold that was coming up behind Daniel. The body of the kobold was torn apart.
“You can leave the back to me Leader.”
“Run into the swamp!”
Daniel hurriedly shouted.
“Eh? Swamp? Aren’t the goblins there?”
“It is a deception tactic! There aren’t many of them in the swamp. They want to tie us up here! Anyway, it is better if we quickly join up with the guys on the other side!”
“Only us?”
“Everyone!”
“Okay!”
The chicken haired man waved his sword around like it was a toy. It attracted the eyes of the nearby people.
“Follow me!”
Puhung!
A kobold’s throat was cut.
The chicken haired man then winked towards Daniel.
“I really wanted to try this Leader.”
“Louder!”
The chicken haired man laughed before shouting.
“Me!! Follow me!! “
The chicken haired man rushed towards the swamp while shouting. Daniel and his team arrived at the swamp.
They quickly cleaned up the kobolds and the two groups quickly followed behind when they noticed.
One, two and soon one hundred openings were created. The kobolds and goblins had small bodies and couldn’t cross the swamp without the help of the swamp worms. Before long, everyone succeeded in joining together on the other side.
Although there were 200 orcs, there were still 700 Awakened. Handling the kobolds and goblins crossing the swamp was like child’s play.
The situation was reversed!
Hope bloomed even more.
* * *
‘Ha. There was someone who could use his head?’
I licked my lips.
I thought it would be easy to take care of those guys.
It wasn’t possible to prevent them from crossing the swamp. They had noticed and crossed the swamp.
‘War is difficult.’
It wasn’t an easy thing. I never participated in any war strategies like this.
The first bite hadn’t succeeded.
Still, it was a pity.
I had prolonged it for days in order to create a toxic environment. The creatures had deliberately allowed their movements to be scouted.
I wanted them to come running. It was only half successful so I thought it was inadequate.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Anyway, I was satisfied. I was in the best mood for a war.
I had yet to wage a war in South Korea so these guys were like a special dish. They would just die in the dungeons of other demons anyway.
It was better that I eat their points.
I made a mask out of bones. It covered exactly half my face and caused a feeling of fear.
The higher the magic power, the more the opponents felt fear. It was an effect caused by many rare class goods.
Hiiing-!
I wore the half-skull mask and turned to the horse next to me. ‘Inferno’ had a tail and mane made of black fire.
A cousin to the unicorn, it had a long horn on the forehead. It was different from the size of an ordinary horse. The steed had an overwhelming presence.
An intermediate creature that was a means of transportation. I thought about the upcoming Demon World auction and purchased a mount in advance.
I mounted Inferno and stretched my hand out into thin air.
The space distorted and a sword emerged.
‘I will depart.’
I clicked my tongue while holding the sword.
* * *
The hands of an orc grabbed the shoulder of an Awakened. The strength of the orc was enough to tear apart the floor so the situation was obvious.
However, the Chinese Awakened that was caught didn’t panic.
Rather, it was the orc that was struck 20 times in the blink of an eye. 20 slash wounds were carved on the body of the orc as it dripped blood.
It was the work of the Chinese Awakened, Lai Feng.
He had a rare skill that could speed up the agility of his body for 2 seconds. Even the name of the skill was Accelerate. This strength and stamina would run out after using it a few times but it exerted absolute power in an emergency situation.
Lai Feng immediately cut off the head of the orc. In no time at all, the vast majority of the 200 orcs had become corpses. The goblins and kobolds crossing the swamp weren’t a threat compared to the orcs.
Victory!
Hope appeared in the eyes of Lai Feng and all the Awakened.
There were still approximately 500 Awakened left. Their confusion had quickly turned to defense. They used their numeric superiority to cut the throats of the orcs.
Lai Feng checked his body.
‘I can use it once more.’
Accelerate.
It was a juggernaut skill for 2 seconds. Looking at the state of his body, he could only use it once more. A double edged sword that affected his body.
But it was enough. Anyway, the remaining creatures were just orcs and kobolds.
“Just a little more! Exert yourself a bit more! Victory is right in front of us!”
Lai Feng exclaimed.
At the same time, the surviving Awakened flocked to his side. They planned to get rid of the remaining creatures.
Tuuk! Tuuk! Tuuk!
The ground shook strongly as the hundreds of Awakened moved their feet. The kobolds and goblins were dismayed as they approached. Moving in a line meant the creatures couldn’t come readily.
Seokeok!
More than anything, Lai Feng’s blade wasn’t dull yet. The rare grade skill wasn’t the only thing he had. No matter how tired he was, Lai Feng was one of the best warriors of the black society.
Every time his blade moved, the head of a creature would roll to the ground. The dungeon was filled with the corpses and blood of the creatures.
Even some of the goblin and kobold bosses couldn’t avoid death.
Kieeek!
Kihiiik.
The creatures tried to resist. But that was it. Even now, their numbers were steadily decreased. Little by little, smiles blossomed on the faces of the Awakened.
Dagudak. Dagudak.
An entirely different existence arrived.
“……”
Everyone was silent.
The description?
Yes, like a grim reaper……
A reaper like existence. Maybe it was the reaper itself.
A huge steed with a mane and tail of black fire. On top of it was a man.
Only half of his face could be seen. The rest was covered by a skull mask. He wore a black cape and was holding a sword in one hand.
At that moment, fear rose in all their bodies. It was a similar fear to when they first faced the creatures but the quality couldn’t be compared to that time.
Lai Feng tried to suppress his trembling fist. It was so strong that blood flowed through his fist.
The air had changed again. Just a few minutes ago, he had been vigorously wielding his sword while thinking of victory.
Now he wasn’t. The emergence of that man had changed the air. The soldiers were useless when paralyzed by fear. This couldn’t continue. Lai Feng felt a strong pressure to reverse the atmosphere.
Lai Feng made a decision and moved.
He had the Accelerate skill. Even some other skills with the rare rating couldn’t compare to Accelerate.
When this skill was used, he could be called invincible for 2 seconds. No matter how confident the man was, he would have no choice but to die after being cut 20 times.
Lai Feng looked at the man surrounded by flames.
He couldn’t be careless. It might be humiliating for a warrior but he needed to endure for the sake of victory.
But Lai Feng didn’t know. The eyes of the man had penetrated through Lai Feng. The man already knew everything that Lai Feng was planning.
“Huup…..!”
Lai Feng moved closer to the man and activated Accelerate.
The world slowed down as Lai Feng moved faster. His sword moved twenty times. The essence of 20 sword strikes stretched out from Lai Feng’s body. Lai Feng used his most powerful sword strikes!
‘It is over!’
From the man’s view, Lai Feng was infinitely slow. Rather, he seemed like a turtle. It was over. He won. The man only had an overwhelming presence.
At the end of his 20 strikes, Lai Feng’s sword pierced through that man’s throat.
Ah, victory!
Now the atmosphere would change back. Lai Feng turned his head and shouted. But no words came out.
‘Why is my voice…?’
And that was the last thought Lai Feng had.
“You saw an illusion.”
I laughed as Lai Feng’s head fell to the floor.
That thing was just acceleration. It was a suicide skill that pushed the brain and muscles. His mind hadn’t recognized it even in death.
Anyway, that body wouldn’t have lasted more than a few years. He would have eventually met a very painful end. It might be a blessing for Lai Feng that I killed him now.
‘Wasn’t there one more person with the rare skill rating? Or are they already dead?’
I turned and looked at the 500 remaining Awakened. One orc could deal with two Awakened. If I counted simply then there should be 300 left…but such a simple comparison wouldn’t work.
Plenty of survived thanks to the owners of the rare skills. Unfortunately, the other one already seemed to be dead.
The ending of the rest was decided.
Genocide!
They were like fish caught in a net.
There was no reason to spare them.
Anyway, they were the ones that came in after hearing of the treasure Heaven’s Will found in the dungeon. They were fish that entered my pond.
The vast majority of the crowd were now a special dish for me to appease my anger. I wasn’t hungry but they couldn’t be allowed to touch my farm……
One day I would be taking the attitude of other demons but not just yet. There were many chances that I could monopolize.
I dismounted from Inferno’s back while thinking of taking them out.
“Dungeon Master!”
A man came forward and kneeled.
‘……?’
I knew the language of several countries including English. Therefore I could understand the man’s words.
“Please calm down and forgive us. We were silly sheep blinded by treasure.”
“Are you crazy, Leader?”
“Pow!”
“Squat down!”
Everyone looked at the man’s behaviour. He seemed crazy.
“Please!”
But the man didn’t care. It wasn’t a simple fear as the man’s body trembled with sincerity. The man could feel something the others couldn’t.
I was interested and used Mind’s Eye.
Name: Daniel Drew Martin
Occupation Hero (Guarder) Title None
Stats
Strength 33 Intelligence 41
Agility 31 Stamina 35
Magic Power 15
Potential: (155/308)
Uniqueness: None
Skill: Insight (Ex N), Second Sense (Ex N)
Second sense and insight!
The ratings were low but the combination of the two skills caused a synergy effect. That’s how he could see my power.
But even if he knew the truth, in their eyes I was just an unusual creature. That’s how the man came up with the idea to kneel down.
Of course, that didn’t mean I would change the ending. It was mere admiration.
“If you let us live then I’ll make sure they don’t bother Dungeon Master again. You will never see us in the dungeon.”
“It is a little bit difficult.”
There were plenty more people who wanted the treasure in this dungeon. If these people lived and talked about my existence then the number of people entering the dungeon would decrease.
“Yes….?”
Daniel seemed surprised.
He never imagined that I could speak English. Frankly, it had been a gamble. There was a large chance communication wasn’t possible. The gamble was a success.
It was true that I found it a little interesting.
So I suggested a game.
“10 minutes.”
“The time to get away?”
Colour returned to Daniel’s face.
500 people scattering. With his skills, he could at least save his remaining team members.
However, I shook my head.
“I will attack for exactly 10 minutes. You will block it. I will stop attacking after 10 minutes.”
I declared while pointing my sword at Daniel.
“First of all…yes, you.”
Chwack!
Degururu….
Daniel couldn’t even speak before he was struck by my sword. The game started the moment his head fell to the ground.
“L-Leader!”
10 minutes.
500 people remaining. I needed to wipe out 1 person every second.
I kicked Inferno lightly.
“These bastards! Kill! Kill them all!”
Hiiing!
Inferno started moving.
The chickened haired man came running but I ignored him. He was the most enraged among all the people.
I would place him last on Daniel’s behalf. The slightest mercy.
And humans became corpses every time I swung my sword.
“Stop! Stop it!”
They formed a tight defense but I pierced through them. I besieged the army. The huge breakwater was neutralized.
Swiik!
Hwaaak!
Flying arrows and magic.
I also ignored this.
The current level of the Awakened couldn’t damage my body.
“Kuaack!”
“H-help me!”
Time passed by simply as I stabbed and slashed. The desperate and terrified crowd dropped their weapons and tried to run.
However, none of them could escape from Inferno. Inferno was equivalent to a unicorn. Those that tried to escape through the swamp had to greet the goblins and kobolds.
At exactly 10 minutes, there was only one person remaining. Out of numerous bodies, only one was alive.
“How lucky.”
I kept my promises.
But that was different from safely leaving the dungeon. Even he wouldn’t be able to escape.
I didn’t know but the chicken haired man was in a towering rage at Daniel’s death. Just like the name Awakened, his anger woke up the potential in his body.
The creatures gradually disappeared under his sword.
I held the reins and turned my steed. The remaining creatures followed behind me. The man that was left behind with all the bodies……
The man cried out.
“Damn. Damnnn!”
The man with a chicken like hair.
He was the sole survivor instead of Daniel.