Chapter 86
"Momentum is on our side. They say we’ll continue advancing like this."
"Of course. We can’t give them any time."
The mercenary leader Robert patted my back. I nodded vaguely. Amidst the ongoing cleanup, the main unit had decided to continue advancing.
After all, we had achieved a major victory in the frontal confrontation.
But right now, I had a hard time focusing on this situation. On the side of my vision that Robert couldn’t see, another world’s scenery unfolded.
"Your expression doesn’t look good. It’s okay to be happy at a moment like this. Thanks to your quick decision and judgment in identifying the enemy's weaknesses, we were able to win and survive. It’s all thanks to you."
"...Because everyone fights like this now."
Perhaps noticing my sullen expression, he spoke brightly, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile and merely mumbled absentmindedly.
On the screen I was seeing at the moment, my younger sibling, Kang Do-Yeon, appeared.
She was annihilating a detached force that had been separated and was believed to consist of enemies, either players or units.
That mask was no longer functioning as a stabilizer. In other words, she was now killing enemies with the same indifferent, mechanical manner as the other legion soldiers, entirely by her own will.
The sight was utterly overwhelming. Even if dozens of people teamed up against her, they wouldn’t be able to defeat her.
"Only the winners survive… That’s the kind of ecosystem this is…"
I barely held onto my composure. I kept repeating to myself that this was just a simple survival competition.
"Ahem, then take some rest. I’ll handle the cleanup."
Robert, sensing the mood, stepped away. Once I was left alone in the vehicle, I leaned back against the seat.
"My current gold remains the same. The 300G I earned from dealing with the Moonlight Fairy survivors. That means we didn’t kill the player or unit we were just observing."
[That’s correct.]
I checked my gold. There was no change—this meant that not once, even after the Legion emerged on the surface, had we killed an enemy unit or player.
‘If they were weak, they would have been eliminated. If they survived, they must have grown stronger.’
At this point, any unit that had survived would be of a certain level at the very least. It also meant that there wouldn’t be any accidental encounters, and they might even have information about the Legion.
"Players who placed units on Earth must have gained significant advantages."
A hollow laugh escaped me. I only knew of two cases, but in any event, compared to the world where Eve currently resided, here on Earth, wars were raging like madness even at this very moment.
That meant that it was easier for players to acquire gold.
"Even if the Assassination Authority is limited to two per person, with each player having two, the quantity is still substantial. No matter how you look at it, it’s ridiculously overpowered."
Killing enemies without hesitation or restriction. Of course, they claimed, "That’s all it is," but even that alone made it an absurdly broken ability.
[Let me tell you one thing: there are no patches in this game. It will remain as it was from the start to the end.]
"So, the balance is supposed to be sufficient? Sure, let’s say there are individuals who can pull off tricks to survive even after being hit by the Assassination Authority. Still, that’s…"
[Don’t fear the system. Instead, think about surpassing it and exploiting it.]
"...If you can’t even do that, you don’t deserve it?"
The intention was obvious. Indeed, it was hard to believe that those who won battles at the risk of their lives on the battlefield wouldn’t be able to overcome the Assassination Authority.
Even Ji Changhyun seemed to have something to rely on.
But that was only true for a select few; ordinary people like me couldn’t resist it.
[On the other hand, would anyone even use the Assassination Authority on someone like you?]
"That’s true."
Feeling slightly relieved, I chuckled. The cleanup was nearly complete.
Now, we would reoccupy the points we had failed to seize last time and continue striking at the enemy's main base.
"We won’t need to use the nuclear bomb, then? It always felt unsettling… There might still be people alive, after all."
Cox, who had returned to the vehicle, looked visibly more relaxed.
"…"
The march continued. Perhaps because we had already achieved victory, the overall atmosphere wasn’t too bad.
‘They’re bound to run.’
The enemies’ movements were being monitored. Predictions kept coming in, but anyone who knew anything understood. Preserving one’s life took priority. If a unit type was completely wiped out, the player would also die.
"They say the survivors are fleeing desperately, but the main base hasn’t shown any movement?"
However, contrary to expectations, they remained entrenched in their main base without making any moves. Just as it seemed incomprehensible—
"…What?"
Robert frantically grabbed the crackling radio.
"Enemies! Enemies are swarming in…"
"Prepare for battle, everyone!"
Alarms began blaring, both from the radio and outside.
*
"That’s a weapon we’ve seen before, from the northwest."
High-powered cluster bombs filled with submunitions. A dozen of such cluster bombs.
However, he, who was floating in mid-air, intercepted all the missiles heading for the city with an invisible force.
And then he detonated them. Afterward, he condensed the overwhelming energy into a single mass and sent it flying into the air.
‘But this isn’t the kind of power I desire.’
His eyes gleamed. Currently, a part of his vision was shared with another creature.
A swarm of monstrous birds, native species of the Demon Realm, flying across the sky. Through the shared sight of one of these birds, he saw a human army traversing the wasteland.
"Attack them and sweep them away."
The monstrous birds, resembling oversized eagles, began diving toward helicopters and tanks.
It wasn’t only the monstrous birds that had been prepared. There were beasts that roamed the ground, others that charged on foot, and more.
All the creatures of the Demon Realm obeyed the existence that had once been the King of the Demon Realm.
"This… This can’t be… What kind of magic is this?!"
"It’s not magic, you fool. This is divine authority. A power bestowed solely upon the pinnacle of demons."
Descending to the ground, he mocked the wide-eyed Kobold Great Chief.
The Great Chief, who had believed the magic passed down by Player Rozes to be a miracle, was rendered speechless in the face of the true Power of the Demon King, which he was witnessing for the first time.
Nearby, the gnolls wielding beam weapons were shooting down drones one by one as they conducted reconnaissance.
"By the way, your player was making a fuss about dying, yet here you are, perfectly fine."
"Th-that person is currently in hiding."
The Kobold Great Chief flinched and barely managed to respond. He couldn’t even meet his gaze.
Having broken the curse-like seal left by the Hero and regained his original power, the true high-ranking demon's presence rekindled the deeply ingrained instinct of submission, almost etched into his genes.
"Focus on the battle in front of you."
Observing this, he smirked nonchalantly.
Soon, the Kobolds and gnolls, with their player’s permission, dispatched their reorganized main forces.
‘Fools. In the end, we will be the ones who survive.’
He had his own plan. After the foolish orc group used the power granted by their player to strengthen their forces and awakened him, he had assessed the situation and exploited the weaknesses of the current alliance, which was nothing more than an inevitable coalition, to restore his strength.
He believed that his faction, the native demon clan, would emerge as the true victors and resolved to act toward that end.
"Oh, Former King. What in the Demon Realm is happening right now?"
"Lord of Beasts Gartin, I’ll entrust you with the Legion. Go and kill the humans."
He awakened another subordinate who, like himself, had been sealed. Draped in black feathers, this half-human, half-bird figure nodded at the Former King and bowed respectfully for the first time in ages.
"With this fully restored power, I shall annihilate the pathetic humans."
"…You’d better not let your guard down. The world has changed. Now, even the strongest beings can be taken down in a single blow, thanks to absurd new rules."
He gave a peculiar smile at the loyal servant who remained unchanged from the past to the present.
"What… What do you mean by that…"
"Which is why I’m giving you this. It will serve as an additional means to uphold your loyalty."
He tossed a ring to Gartin. Clicking his beak, Gartin caught it, slipped it onto his hand, and soared into the sky at once.
"There are units among the humans… No, there are. Some of them are exceptional. Commander Gartin alone may not be enough."
"It might not be enough. But isn’t it your job to make up for that lack? If you truly wish to overcome the limits of your lowly lineage, then struggle for it yourselves. Both you and I are merely fighting to survive."
He outright laughed at the Kobold Great Chief’s words.
He thought that this was preferable. It had been the same when the Demon Realm fought against the Hero. The only difference was that now it was a pure, unadulterated wilderness.
‘Where has the Goddess gone? Could it be that this so-called Goddess has also created her own units in another world and is laughing in delight?’
He had come to realize that even the Goddess, who had launched a cowardly attack on the Demon Realm using the unfair means of the Hero, had been nothing more than a frog in a well, just like him.