by Park Saenal
“Shit. You scared me. Why did you make such a joke?”
“It was to raise your awareness. Don’t think too positively about Marie Rose.”
“…?”
“Her presence is too big. You can’t afford it. Your Majesty shouldn’t be involved with her.”
It was surprising. Grid thought Lauel would be more excited about Marie Rose’s appearance than anyone else.
“Why are you thinking so negatively? Even Braham and Noll, who were our enemies at first, are now our colleagues. Meanwhile, Marie Rose has had a fondness for me since the beginning. I think it will be easy to get her as a colleague.”
“Braham and Noll were lacking.”
“…?”
“They were strong but emotionally anxious. Therefore, they unconsciously looked for someone to rely on. They were affected by Your Majesty’s care and affection. Then what about Marie Rose? Braham’s testimony states that she is perfect.”
Being perfect meant there was nothing to regret. It meant she didn’t have to seek someone’s help or affection.
“My guess is that what she feels toward Your Majesty is more of a curiosity than affection. Not only did you unseal her but you weren’t fascinated by her. She must be aware of Your Majesty because she considers you a strange human.”
“…”
“The moment she encounters Your Majesty and resolves her curiosity, her goodwill might disappear. Then she will change straight away. She could eat Your Majesty.”
“No, that’s too extreme…”
“It is based on Zednos’ testimony about the violence she committed against Fenrir. She doesn’t care or respect others. She is a cruel and violent woman.”
“…”
“Don’t be obsessed with her beauty. Think objectively. She is different from the other descendants you have met. She isn’t someone you should hope for luck against.”
Luck…
Grid was very aware of it. He couldn’t deny that he had been able to make friends with Braham and his colleagues due to luck.
“I know it very well.” Grid nodded, rose from his seat, and headed to the bathroom. Then he rubbed his entire body with soap and rinsed it several times until the smell of sweat on his body disappeared. It was an effort to clear up his body odor.
Lauel’s expression was still dark. ‘Marie Rose’s intention behind going to the forest must be to meet the elves.’
He didn’t think she would be meeting the elves just to play house. Originally, the demonkin’s and elves’ aversion to each other was great, so Marie Rose was likely to clash with the elves.
‘It is frustrating.’
Lauel recognized the elves as a useful political tool. He wanted to support the elves’ activities since their movements were causing losses to all nations apart from the Overgeared Kingdom and the empire. However, Marie Rose would strike at the elves’ movements.
Lauel earnestly prayed, ‘Let a great demon fall from the sky. Please let there be a big event that attracts Marie Rose’s attention.’
***
[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]
[You have died.]
[You are qualified to be a ruler of hell, and you transcend the concept of death.]
[Your health is fixed at a minimum, and you won’t die. Your race has changed into an undead.]
[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]
[Your right arm has been broken!]
“Damn…!”
[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]
[Your left ankle is broken!]
“Dammit!!”
[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]
[Your neck is broken!]
“Dammit…!”
[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]
[Your skull is shattered!]
The undead was a race that transcended death and suffering, but it had a deadly weakness. It was the lack of durability of the body itself. The immunity to breakage was very poor.
[Your body is completely damaged and has stopped functioning.]
[Your soul has been sent to a new body in Baal’s sanctuary.]
[Your soul has suffered a devastating blow during the transfer.]
[You have lost 38.1% experience.]
[The item ‘Soul Absorption Cloak’ has been dropped.]
“Dammit!!”
It was the fourth day already, and he had died every day. He even died twice yesterday and received the penalty of having his game access limited. It would be the same today. Agnus knew this, but he didn’t give up. He resurrected in a new body and ran out of the incubator, heading toward the portal again.
“Pathetic. You can’t handle an elf despite gaining so much strength from the great Baal. A human’s weak nature doesn’t go anywhere,” someone’s mocking voice rang out.
Agnus turned his head and saw a big frog with a crown on his head. It was a comical appearance. However, the name ‘Cepardea’ above his head was dyed in black.
“I was given a lot of strength? He only gave me necromancy and commands.”
Cepardea was one of Baal’s Four Heavenly Kings. He was one of the strongest existences in hell who could kill Agnus with a single swipe of his tongue. However, Agnus feared nothing in the world and growled at Cepardea.
Cepardea, who threw up in an exaggerated manner like in a hilarious skit, inflated his chin. “You are incompetent. Originally, those who contracted with Baal gained absolute swordsmanship, magic and wisdom to see through all things. You aren’t able to fully receive them because you aren’t competent enough.”
“Shut your stinky mouth.”
Agnus didn’t have time to waste dealing with the frog. He had to go back and challenge the dark elf again. It would be hard to find her if she hid her tracks. Agnus ignored Cepardea and reached for the portal. Cepardea’s long tongue flew and stopped in front of Agnus. The end of his rolled tongue contained an old book.
“Stand in idleness.”
“…?”
“The descendants of the exile will come close to you. Once you open the book, they will be forced to go back to their coffins.”
“Descendant of the exile?”
“The vampires. It doesn’t matter if you are trampled on by the elves, but you can’t disgrace Baal and show any gaps in front of the vampires. Do you understand?”
“Bah,” Agnus snorted and took the Book of Idleness. He hated the frog, but he had no reason to refuse.
***
A new quest was created for all players part of the Yatan Church. This was a quest to reseal the vampire duke Marie Rose, who had just woken up. It was an absurd quest with a rating of SSS+, but there was a huge number of five million players who had joined the Yatan Church. There were no shadows on the faces of the Yatan members who were on the way to the quest destination. No matter how high the difficulty of the quest was, they were convinced they wouldn’t fail as long as they had a large group of this magnitude.
“Aren’t vampires demonkin? In fact, they are hostile to Rebecca. Then aren’t we on the same side? Why should we seal her?” Rose, the 1st ranked black magician and Yatan’s Eighth Servant, remarked.
Having participated every time a great demon was summoned and then made a big profit from it, Rose was now one of the strongest players in the world. She was confident that she wouldn’t lose to anyone apart from the five best players, including Overgeared King Grid.
The person who asked Rose’s question was Yatan’s Fourth Servant Frodo, who was walking beside her. He was the successor of Silvenas, who died during the Vatican raid, and was much stronger than Silvenas who had been beaten by Agnus. “Vampires are descendants of the exiled Beriache. They are a clan that harbors hostility toward the Evil God Yatan. It is absolutely right to punish their leader.”
“However, won’t the Rebecca Church act even if we don’t? Isn’t it better to encourage the Rebecca Church to seal her?”
“The current pope isn’t worth a penny despite receiving the suppo
rt of the templars. He doesn’t have the power to seal Marie Rose.”
“…?”
Weren’t they beaten by the pope? Then perhaps this was a quest that couldn’t be cleared? Rose noticed it and questioned inwardly, ‘Does the great change in the world include the destruction of the Yatan Church?’
She decided that she should break away from the front lines, but unfortunately, it was too late. By then, she was already in front of a large forest.
“Let’s go,” Frodo urged Rose and the Yatan Church players. Then…
“It is up to here.”
Knights armed with red armor appeared and blocked the path of the Yatan followers. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t know their identity.
“The Red Knights?”
Why were the knights of the empire here in the Gauss Kingdom? The Yatan followers were baffled by the sight.
“You will be considered an enemy as soon as you step into the forest, and you will be executed.”
A completely unexpected figure emerged. The man at the center of the Red Knights was a player, and his ID was ‘Zibal.’ He was one of the top five players Rose considered to be above her. This was the majesty of the magic machines.
“Why are you…?”
“My new master is welcoming a precious guest.”
He didn’t mention that his new master was the grandmaster. From the Rebecca Church to the Yatan Church, the Four Heavenly Kings of Baal, and the grandmaster, the emergence of Marie Rose had a profound effect on the world.
Of course, to Grid…
“Husband, didn’t you spray too much perfume today? It is like you are trying to erase the smell of another woman.”
“Irene, don’t misunderstand. There is a reason for this.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I will respect and support you even if you have thousands of concubines.”
“No, I can only do it once a month anyway. What are thousands… Huh? Irene? Where are you going? Irene!!”
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Chapter 1104
Zibal had served Prince Edan—the traitor who killed former Emperor Juander and then got killed. People naturally thought that Zibal had been driven out of the empire. Yet he was working with the Red Knights…? It was surprising that a traitor was still present in the empire.
“Weren’t you in a position where you would be executed for guilt by association…? It seems that even the great empire appreciates your ability.”
The imperial family hadn’t told the world about the grandmaster. The people only knew that Imperial Prince Edan had rebelled, and the emperor had been replaced in the process. It was the same for the Yatan Church. The damn Edan stopped their deal in the middle, so the Yatan Church couldn’t figure out the details. Consequently, the Yatan followers naturally thought the Red Knights in front of them were part of the empire.
“Didn’t the new empress declare that she would aim for world unity? I know there was a proclamation of no more one-sided military intervention. Yet it seems the empire hasn’t changed since the days when it occupied other countries’ territory with force. Rather, it just became more insidious. Is it different for our church? How about using this chance to establish a relationship with our church?”
Rose still had room to act. Yatan’s followers were gathering here from all over the continent. It was Rose’s judgment that with the ever-increasing troops, she could easily break through the Red Knights and complete her mission.
“I don’t care if you curse the emperor or the empire. You have to step back here.” A knight pointed her sword at Rose. Her name was Susan. She was a great beauty, but unfortunately, there was a terrible wound on her forehead.
“Oh…? Isn’t this reaction strange? Is the rumor false that the loyalty of the Red Knights to the emperor and the empire is as deep as the sea?”
“Filthy Yatan’s Servant, do you intend to mix my words forever? Turn away or die.”
“Your tone is as ugly as the scar on your forehead. It is clear you haven’t learned anything.”
“Did you choose death?” Susan’s sword stretched out in a straight line.
Other rankers couldn’t respond to the sword that was as fast as light, but Rose responded fully by opening the Diamond Shield. Rose was a top-rated ranker and had been thoroughly prepared from the moment she saw that Susan’s name was gold. However, Susan’s skills were better than Rose expected.
‘Destroying the Diamond Shield in one strike?’
Susan’s sword shattered the shield. Rose recovered it and fired it up again at a much faster speed than before. This time, Rose determined it would be hard to block and gritted her teeth in preparation for the pain. Frodo, who was standing by Rose’s side, swung a spear and blocked Susan’s sword.
“She is a bad opponent for you. Step back and provide cover.”
“I understand.”
“This filth can’t stop me!” Susan swung her sword more vigorously. Her plan was to wipe out the Yatan followers in front of her, but it was surprisingly difficult. Frodo had a very high level of creativity. “A Servant?”
“That’s right. You are a single-digit knight.”
The battle started to expand to the scale of a war. Thousands of Yatan followers, including Rose, cast black magic to cover Frodo while the Red Knights rushed into the Yatan followers and started wiping them out. There were only 20 against thousands, but the knights were worthy of their high reputation.
‘No, isn’t this more than what I’ve heard?’ Rose’s expression darkened. It was because the Red Knights weren’t only masters of swordsmanship but also magic. They easily blocked the black magic because they were casting protective magic and buff magic extremely quickly.
‘Why do the Red Knights know magic? Furthermore, it is the first time I’ve seen these spells.’
Rose stepped back a bit further. Her judgment was excellent for someone who reached this position.
‘The average skill difference is too big. I will lose half my troops before reinforcements even arrive.’
She didn’t know the identity of the ‘master’ of Zibal and the Red Knights. If their master was above the level of the empire’s dukes, then the odds of success were low for the Yatan followers even if the reinforcements arrived. There was also something she couldn’t overlook.
‘What if their master is Marie Rose?’
What if they had a cooperative relationship? The Yatan Church would be destroyed by the Red Knights and Marie Rose. Rose thought up to here and used Fly magic. She was going to flee. The quest? She would give it up for now. Since she was armed with items obtained in exchange for summoning the great demon, death was the worst variable that must be avoided.
‘I don’t feel good. Tsk, I just lost time.’
Rose’s body rose in the air. She was confident that she could retreat while Frodo and the other followers were focused on the enemies. It was a misjudgment.
“Keok…!”
What was this? Had a meteorite fallen from the sky? Rose, trapped on the ground, was thrown into confusion by the shock that she couldn’t handle. Her vision flashed red as her face was buried deep in the ground.
‘This… What is it?’
A huge shadow covered her. It was like a mountain.
“…What…”
She didn’t know what happened to her. Rose was unable to control her chaotic spirit and barely turned her head. Then she saw it. A giant pillar had penetrated her body and the ground at the same time, and a white giant was now pulling it out very slowly.
“Do you know who I hate the most?” Zibal’s voice rang out from behind her. He leaned on the shoulder of the magic machine retrieving the spear and pointed a finger at Rose. “People as selfish as you.”
“Kkuk… Cough…”
“Do you know how many people suffered every time you helped Benoit summon a great demon?”
“It… is sophistry. I’m just doing a quest… Cough, cough. I just did it. The emergence of the great demons
are an inevitable story. Cough. If it wasn’t me, then someone else… Cough, cough. You would’ve done the same thing.”
“Right. I would’ve done so. Even so, would someone else be as shameless as you?”
“…?”
“The time when the Overgeared Kingdom declared they would kill you… I got goosebumps when I saw you appear on TV while crying.”
“What…”
“A rat should die. You shouldn’t have complained about your pain if you harbored the slightest bit of guilt for the millions of people who died because of you.”
“Are you crazy? I was just doing a quest. Why should I feel guilty? Moreover, I’m a person. I have the right to complain if I’m offended.”
Rose secretly took a potion and started casting magic. She was counting the time in her heart, waiting for the moment when Zibal’s magic machine stopped working. Zibal shook his head. “Your quest caused people to die. Did you take their position into account at all?”
“Ah… I see. This is really heartbreaking. What’s up with you? The pain of the dead? I have goosebumps. Aren’t you overly immersed in the game? Are you an otaku?”
Rose, who had been making an unfair expression, suddenly smiled. She appreciated Zibal due to the magic machine. Without it, she wasn’t afraid of Zibal. Furthermore, the operating time of Zibal’s magic machine had now been reached.
“Black Hole!”
This was Rose’s ultimate magic. It was the ultimate black magic that dealt powerful damage to all targets in range and also dealt five or more debuffs. The entire space designated by Rose started to distort. At the heart of it was Zibal. Rose imagined Zibal screaming in pain…
“…?!”
The white giant—the magic machine—swung its spear and knocked the black hole back. Zibal laughed at the shocked Rose. “Isn’t your thinking still premature?”
The day that Edan died, Zibal escaped from the imperial palace with the grandmaster and accepted the grandmaster’s offer of cooperation. Zibal couldn’t miss out on the biggest performance in this changing world. This was the result. He had developed further with the help of the grandmaster.