Chapter 77 – Mop Up (2)
“It was when the Immortal visited the forest of the Elves…”
“Huh?”
“At that time… He was protecting the World Branch….”
“Huh? He died because of me?”
“…….”
“Did I really do that?”
He propped his chin on one hand. The Holy Maiden tried to help him recall the memory.
“The Death Knight….”
“Ah, Kiba did it.”
Woojin vaguely remembered it. He needed a branch from the World Tree, so he had visited the forest of the elves. Anyways, he had opened up the way by using the Death Knight and his Undead army.
“Jeez. He could have just given me a branch.”
“…It’s their mission….”
“What?”
“N…nothing.”
If he had only wanted a single branch from the World tree in the first place, the Elves would have given it to him. However, he had wanted to uproot the entire tree, so they couldn’t standby and allow him to do so.
“What about the Great Scholar? What was his name? Noting…”
“The Great Scholar Nauteus died from an old chronic disease…”
“…….”
Woojin decided he didn’t need to ask what had caused the chronic disease. It would just make the situation needlessly more awkward.
“Ah, it’s all right. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…….”
Jung-minchan was looking at Woojin with glazed eyes, which drew some ire from Woojin. After giving a fake cough, Minchan carefully asked his question.
“Hmm. It seems that president had been a little bit rough?”
“Ah….”
The Holy Maiden let out an exclamation. How great would it have been if he was just a bit rough? This guy mildly characterized the Immortal’s actions as just a little bit rough. This bastard was also part of Alandal.
He was tremendously evil. The Holy Melody decided to memorize Jung-minchan’s face.
“I guess I was a little bit.”
“…….”
The Holy Maiden swallowed the words she was about to say when Woojin cooly acknowledged that fact. She didn’t want to respond in vain.
“Still, you should at least remember the name of the deceased…”
There was a brittle atmosphere between the Holy Maiden and Woojin, so Minchan said it just for the sake of saying it. However, Woojin rebuked him in a serious manner.
“Hey, Minchan. Do you remember the English words you learned when you were in elementary school?”
“That’s….”
How could he remember the several hundred to several thousand English vocabulary? No, in the first place…
“I learned it in middle school instead of elementary school. Also, I didn’t learn any English at all…”
It felt as if they were getting off-topic…
“Yes. It would have been great if I hadn’t have to do what I did.”
“…….”
Woojin spoke the truth.
In the beginning, he had killed in self-defense. Afterwards, he became desensitised to killing.
He didn’t have some tremendous talent that allowed him to stand still like an idiot while his enemies aimed for his life.
He wasn’t a pacifist like Ghandi.
“This topic is making my mood sour….”
Melody shook like a leaf at Woojin’s words.
“Please calm your wrath…”
“Ah, no.”
Why did this woman keep shaking at every word he said? Maybe she thought he plan on killing her? It wasn’t as if he had a reason to kill someone who hadn’t meant him ill…
Woojin frowned.
“So what were you talking about before?”
“…what do you mean?”
“Weren’t you inciting the guys into invading Alphen?”
“…….”
“Do want to die?”
The Holy Maiden’s face turned white.
“If you took all the Roused on earth to Alphen, they will die a dog’s death over there. Then what will happen to Earth? You should already know the Dungeons will Break eventually regardless of what we do. Who is going to defend earth at that time?”
This was the one piece of truth she hadn’t revealed. It made the Holy Maiden’s face turn pale. She couldn’t underestimate Woojin just because he was laughing. She didn’t know what that face was capable of doing.
“Are you declaring war against me?”
“Absolutely not!”
The Holy Maiden once again threw her body to the floor.
“Stop bowing your head and sit. Give me a proper explanation.”
“There is a way we can stop the Dungeon Breaks.”
“I’m liking the sound of this.”
If they could stop the Dungeon Break at the Source, then he didn’t care if Alphen was used as the battlefield.
“Speak.”
“If you possessed a Dimensional Domain, you could take over the nearby Dungeons one by one. When you gain ownership of the Dungeons, the monsters won’t be able to head outside without the express intent of the lord.”
“Mmmm? This is the first time I’m hearing about this.”
“Trahnet’s seventy-two commanders are the Great Lords. There are also numerous lords underneath them.”
“Is that so?”
“…You didn’t know about this?”
“Is it something I should have known about?”
The Holy Maiden made an expression as if someone had shit in her mouth. Why was it so hard for her to maintain her composure in front of the Immortal?
So why did Alandal fight Trahnet in the past? What had he been fighting for?
“I fought him because he stepped on my land.”
“…….”
When she looked back at her memories of the Immortal, he killed anyone who had invaded his territory. It didn’t matter if the enemy was Trahnet or the alliance. He had invaded his opponents as a form of retaliation. However, he had never seized or occupied the other territories.
Quite literally, he only took his revenge. He only demolished and plundered them.
“Currently, earth only had empty Dungeons. The low rank Dungeons are farmlands. The lords would be tempted by the high rank Dungeons, but the Great Lords won’t be satisfied with just the high rank Dungeons.”
The low rank Dungeons were 1~3 stars, and the high rank Dungeons were 4~6 stars.
“The moment when the highest Dungeon is formed, they will fix their eyes on earth.”
“Hmmm.”
Woojin tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
It was as he had predicted. When the 7 star Dungeons starts to crop up, Trahnet’s commanders will show up.
The Holy Maiden knew much more about Trahnet than him. She also knew how the enemy’s enormous forces were structured.
“So why do the Dungeon Breaks happen?”
“It is a process to synchronize with earth.”
“Synchronize?”
The Holy Maiden calmed her voice, then she explained patiently.
“For example, a Dungeon with 30,000 Dungeon Energy is reset. If the Dungeon isn’t cleared within the thirty days it takes for the Dungeon to synchronize, it’ll break. The monsters will run havoc on earth, and the mana equivalent of 30,000 Energy will be spread across earth.”
“So what happens when the Dungeon is cleared before the thirty days is up?”
“It turns into a well-behaved Mine to provide bloodstones. When the amount of bloodstones excavated reach the amount of 30,000 Energy, the Dungeon will reset. In the end, the excavated bloodstones will increase the mana on earth equivalent to 30,000 Energy.”
“So it is impossible to stop it. Eventually Earth will change into something akin to Alphen?”
“Yes….”
“And the Dungeon Break?”
“When there is enough mana on earth, and the synchronization process isn’t needed, the thirty days become obsolete….”
“…….”
Basically, the monsters would come out immediately after the Dungeon is reset.
It would be devastating.
The time need to clear the Dungeon won’t be there any more. The more serious problem would be the lack of time the locals would have to evacuate.
“Without a doubt, when the Dungeons are opened, there will be a mass confusion before everything collapses.”
“…….”
The entire earth will fall into a state of panic.
The Holy Maiden let out a secret sigh when she saw Woojin accepting her words. This was the information she had also given to the Titan Guild master.
“All right. Let’s say we can block the Dungeon Break if we own the Dungeons. So why do we have to go to Alphen?”
The Holy Maiden swallowed her saliva. When the Dimensional Domain was established, earth’s Dungeons could be placed within the Domain. The Dungeon Break won’t happen since the Dungeons would follow the will of the being that owned them.
“The Dimensional Domain can be stolen once again.”
“Ho-oh?”
Woojin showed a reaction to those words.
“If one wants to keep it, one has to become stronger, and…”
The Holy Maiden’s voice continued.
“Alphen will become the best hunting ground to do so.”
Earth will eventually be filled with Mana. Afterwards, where will earth procure the Energy?
Alphen could be the alternative.
“That’s sound pretty reasonable.”
The Holy Maiden internally sighed at Woojin’s reaction.
“If we steal all the Domains from Trahnet’s underlings, they’ll basically be unemployed?”
“…….”
As expected of the Immoral. He thought about taking instead of protecting first. His reputation was well deserved.
“Yes.”
Woojin grinned at the Holy Maiden’s reply.
“If I steal all of them, then I’ll finally be able to meet Trahnet, who has never shown himself before.”
“…….”
The Holy Maiden kept silent when she heard Woojin’s vicious plan.
Lies and truth exist in one place, as they are two sides of the same coin.
“All right. Then tell me how I’ll be able to acquire a Dimensional Domain..”
“You can steal it… Or you can personally declare one. Both options requires a gem called the Dimensional Fragment…”
Woojin took out a bright purple gem from his inventory.
“W…where did you get that?”
“I picked it up.”
“…….”
“What do I do with it?”
“Only one Dimensional Fragment is needed to steal a Dungeon. However, Immortal doesn’t have a Dimensional Domain right now. You will need 3 Dimensional Fragment to declare your first Domain.”
“I can go to any Dungeon?”
“You have to be chosen by a Dungeon.”
“Why is the process so particular?”
The Holy Maiden bowed her head.
“There will be specific Dungeons that will react to each Dimensional Fragment.”
“Hmmm. So I need three of them?”
Woojin returned the Dimensional Fragment into his Inventory.
“Give me two.”
“…….”
The Holy Maiden’s expression stiffened.
“Since you aren’t saying anything, it seems you do have them.”
“…….”
The Holy Maiden couldn’t lie. Woojin grinned as he put his hand out.
“I’ll pay you back. Give it to me.”
“I’m only lending you one.”
The Holy Maiden was planning on using it to open a Dungeon on Earth. If Woojin snatched it away from her, she…
Still, it wasn’t as if she had a choice in giving it to him or not.
The Holy Maiden took out a single Dimensional Fragment from her sub-dimension. Woojin suddenly made a grab for it.
“Let go of it.”
“…I really paid a lot to obtain this.”
How much blood had she spilled to earn this? The surviving people of Alphen was waiting for her…
She had to obtain a Dungeon on earth. Then through the Dimensional Domain, she was going to open a way to Alphen.
“I know. I’ll pay it back. Give it.”
“You really have to return it to me.”
“Do you want it stolen? Or do you want to lend it to me?”
The Holy Maiden released her strength from her hand. Woojin quickly took the item, and he laughed as he put it away.
“So we just have to find a Dungeon that’ll react to it?”
“…….”
How could he be so excited when this matter decided the life or death of an entire planet?
Woojin kept asking various questions about the Dimensional Domain. While he was asking his questions, a being slipped suddenly into his shadow. Woojin’s body shuddered.
‘What is it?’
Woojin used his inner consciousness to ask the question. Ggaebi, who had returned to his shadow, spoke in a somber voice.
[Master… The Illusion Witch was captured.]
‘What? Bibi was captured?’
Woojin was surprised. His familiars in his summoning room shared his senses. Dolsae was summoned even though Woojin hadn’t called for him.
“Aigo.”
Minchan was surprised when Dolsae suddenly appeared. There was a bright light, and numerous small lights like fireflies flew around it. Dolsae was letting out a magical glow.
The light, which was basically Dolsae’s body, shook uncontrollably.
[Weeeeeng.]
Dolsae was very close to Bibi, so he shook from worry. Woojin felt the same way as him.
How dare someone capture his familiar?
‘Who did it?’
[Trahnet’s underling… It was Rashmode. I escaped when the Illusion Witch was captured.]
‘You did well.’
Rashmode was one of the 72 commanders.
Woojin stood up abruptly from his seat.
“I’ll have to go first..”
“The response team isn’t ready yet.”
He didn’t have the time to wait for them.
“Rashmode is here.”
The Holy Maiden’s eyes twinkled at Woojin’s words.
Rashmode was one of the 72 commanders. Finally, the highest ranked Dungeon had opened on earth. If she could take over the Dungeon to make it her own…
‘My Dimensional Fragment was taken from me.’
Even if an opportunity was revealed in front of her eyes, she couldn’t do anything about it.
“Just gather the team as best as you can, then follow after me. The location…….”
Woojin started explaining the pertinent information he had received from Ggaebi. He suddenly paused.
“There aren’t any subway stations near there?”
“…….”
Woojin looked at the Holy Maiden, and his gaze was asking for an explanation from her.
“The s…synchronization…is drawing near.”
Woojin’s expression broke into frown.
“Follow me.”
“I do as the Monarch wishes…”
Woojin had a freezing atmosphere around his as if he was angry. The Holy Maiden carefully followed after him.