An unprecedented Monster Wave occurred.
There were already two A-rank monsters confirmed so far.
In response, the Hunter Association issued a hunter mobilization order to nearby areas, and guilds dispatched their affiliated hunters.
“Hurry up and go!”
“Don’t push! It’s blocked here too!”
The surrounding area was already a scene of chaos.
Hunters were appearing, but no one knew what would happen next.
At best, it was best to stay far away from the area where the Monster Wave occurred.
Even though it was the middle of the night, people who thought so joined the long lines of evacuation.
Hunters and soldiers were controlling the evacuating people.
“You can’t go that way! It’s dangerous!”
“Please follow the control!!”
But their shouts were just echoes.
It was natural.
There weren’t just one, but two A-rank monsters.
Even those who weren’t hunters knew the fame of A-rank monsters well.
Besides, it wasn’t just A-rank monsters.
There were monsters presumed to be B-rank, as well as many low-rank monsters.
It was a situation that wouldn’t be strange to describe as hell.
In short, peace was broken.
As peace was broken, people remembered.
The nightmare of 25 years ago.
The time when dungeons and monsters first appeared in the world.
“Sigh, how long will this last? I hope it’s over soon without much damage…”
A hunter at the scene complained. It hadn’t even been a full day since this wave broke out.
No, only a few hours had passed, but the atmosphere was grim.
Having overcome crises, the world was returning to a state of peace.
For a while, perhaps, the belief that peace would continue had taken root in people’s minds.
But that belief was broken.
Anxiety arose that such things might happen more often in the future.
Indeed, increasingly powerful monsters were gradually revealing themselves.
Just like now.
“It will be over soon. Still, we’re doing pretty well, aren’t we?”
A comrade approached the hunter who was complaining.
They were hunters belonging to the Fire Bird Guild.
“The Divine Guild members went to face the A-rank monsters. Two of them, too.”
“If it’s the Divine Guild, then Suho must have gone too. Since the opponent is Undead, it’s right for Paladins to be dispatched.”
The A-rank monsters that appeared in this Monster Wave were Death Knight and Arch Lich, both Undead.
Attacks with light attributes were most effective against the Undead race.
And the guild most suitable for that was the Divine Guild.
Suho, in particular, was the most suitable.
If he received his Paladin ordination from the White Church after going to the El Dorado Continent, he would likely be able to easily eliminate the perpetrator of this incident.
Even though their guilds were different and they considered themselves rivals, they had no choice but to unite in the face of such a grave crisis.
“Yeah, please don’t come to us.”
At least when it came to their own lives.
“Tsk, anyway, what’s going on with the world?”
They heard that the origin of the Monster Wave had not yet been found.
In such a situation, the combination of Death Knight and Arch Lich made their hearts tremble.
They were beings beyond mere strength.
Their skill of turning people into monsters was truly wicked.
If they couldn’t be dealt with quickly, it would only be a matter of time before this area filled with Ghouls and Skeletons.
In their minds, they hoped that the Divine Guild hunters would resolve the situation.
Of course, it would be dangerous, but their own lives were more precious.
The only fortunate thing was that they were lucky.
Compared to the Divine Guild, they were controlling citizens in the rear.
As the two hunters were talking, screams could be heard from the line behind them.
“Kyaaak!”
“What is it! Why are there monsters here!”
Screams erupted from all over, and people started to flee.
It became a complete pandemonium.
“Fuck!”
The hunters also turned their heads at the sound.
Indeed, there were monsters there.
They were short figures with green skin.
“…Goblins.”
Everyone was armed.
“Are monsters going to keep popping out like this?!”
“Report to superiors immediately! And the rest, prepare for combat!”
The hunter controlling the scene shouted and gave orders.
The only fortunate thing was that the only monsters were Goblins.
Goblins were not difficult opponents.
While they were troublesome as a group, they were truly weak as individual entities.
“They’re coming! Prepare!”
The Goblins were approaching.
The Fire Bird Guild hunters took a stance in preparation for the imminent impact.
Gulp-
Everyone swallowed and tensed up.
“Huh?”
The Goblins suddenly stopped in their tracks.
“…Everyone, hold!”
Someone spoke from behind the Goblins.
The being revealed itself, emerging from among the Goblins.
“………”
Everyone was shocked.
At the same time, they fell silent.
Some even rubbed their eyes to confirm if what they were seeing was real.
“Wow, a crown…?”
The Goblin that appeared was different from ordinary Goblins.
It was slightly larger, and unlike ordinary Goblins, it exuded charisma.
Most importantly, the crown on its head reminded them that it was a Goblin Lord.
“Does this even make sense?!”
The hunters despaired. There were clearly two A-rank monsters.
And both were to be dealt with by the Divine Guild.
But a third A-rank monster appeared.
It was the Goblin Lord.
The Goblin Lord, who freely commanded all Goblins and strategized, was no easy opponent.
“Fuck! Hurry and get the Team Leader!”
“T-Team Leader? Whose Team Leader?!”
“You idiot! Snap out of it! It’s Team Leader Yerin Jeong, who else would it be!”
The hunter shouted. Team Leader Yerin Jeong, who came from his mouth.
She was the daughter of the Fire Bird Guild Leader and had recently cleared a dungeon.
Coincidentally, that dungeon was a Goblin Lord dungeon.
When everyone thought it was impossible, Yerin Jeong had returned alive after subjugating the Goblin Lord.
Therefore, the hunters of the Fire Bird Guild first looked for Yerin Jeong.
The monster before their eyes was also a Goblin Lord.
So, there was expectation that Yerin Jeong might do something.
“Everyone, fall back a little!”
Now that they knew of the Goblin Lord’s presence, retreating was the best option for now.
The Fire Bird Guild hunters began to fall back little by little, waiting for Yerin Jeong.
The Goblin Lord stopped and observed the opponent’s movements.
The Goblins also waited for orders from their sub-boss, the Goblin Lord, in a disciplined posture.
The current location of the Goblin Lord was near the dungeon with the dimensional portal.
They came here to secure a retreat route in preparation for their return after carrying out the command of the Great Master.
Of course, their own forces were strong enough to make them wonder if this was even meaningful.
The Knight Captain Death Knight and the Inspector Arch Lich were already present.
With Chief Administrator Celia there as well, the Goblin Lord felt it wasn’t something to worry about too much.
Although this might not be necessary, it was still a superior’s order.
It was simply a matter of faithfully executing it.
“Keh-heuh, some of you scout the surroundings!”
The Goblin Lord ordered some of his subordinates to scout the area.
The opposing humans had fully switched to defensive posture.
Therefore, the Goblin Lord sent his subordinates around to find weaknesses.
They were already experienced scouts.
Based on that experience, they divided themselves and began to search the surrounding terrain.
And a moment later.
Whoosh-
A signal was heard from the scouting unit.
The members of the scout team knew what the current signal meant.
‘Intruder…!’
As pre-arranged, everyone rushed towards the direction where the signal was heard.
“What the? Are there Goblins again?”
At the location of the signal, there were already guests.
Everyone was armed.
They gave off an atmosphere similar to adventurers.
Goblin subordinates lay fallen beneath them.
The Goblin Lord opened his mouth, filled with anger.
“Who are you, Keh-heuh.”
However, the opponent did not panic.
Instead, they looked at the Goblin Lord and boldly spoke.
“A crown? Team Leader, it’s definitely a Goblin Lord.”
“That’s right. I didn’t expect to find a Goblin Lord.”
The one at the front was Yerin Jeong.
Belonging to the Fire Bird Guild, and the daughter of the Guild Leader.
And recently, she had struggled mightily in the Goblin Lord dungeon.
She should have been resting, but upon receiving reports from guild members about the sudden appearance of a Goblin Lord, she had no choice but to rush out.
Even though it was an A-rank monster, she didn’t tremble.
Having defeated a Goblin Lord once before, she felt no fear in the current situation.
“Everyone, prepare for combat!”
Instead, she felt a surge of strength. Yerin Jeong shouted to her team members.
There were many Goblins.
Moreover, there was the Goblin Lord, an A-rank monster.
But there was no tension in Yerin Jeong’s expression.
It was because she and her team members were the ones who had conquered the Goblin Lord dungeon, which everyone thought was impossible.
As a result, all the team members were full of confidence.
‘After this is over, I really need to contact Kanghyeon.’
Conquering the Goblin Lord dungeon was purely by chance.
Without the man named Kanghyeon Lee whom she met at the cafe, it would have been impossible.
Yerin Jeong recalled the events of that time and adjusted her stance.
“Everyone knows, right? The opponent is the Goblin Lord! Don’t overdo it, just chip away at the surroundings!”
This strategy was also taught by Kanghyeon Lee, and more importantly, it had greatly contributed to their dungeon conquest.
Therefore, she was confident in this battle as well.
The hunters charged towards the Goblins.
Seeing that, the Goblin Lord simultaneously unleashed his skill.
A faint red light began to spread from his entire body.
[Aura of War]
Empowered by the Goblin Lord’s skill, the Goblins around them also glowed red.
All the Goblins’ breathing became rapid.
But it wasn’t difficult.
Instead, their bodies began to overflow with power.
Most importantly, their bodies felt extremely light.
The strength of all Goblins was enhanced.
This was the effect of the Goblin Lord’s skill.
The Goblin Lord could not forgive his opponents at all.
What did the Great Master command, and what did Chief Administrator Celia say?
‘Minimize damage…’
But he had already lost some subordinates.
He had faltered from the very first step.
Therefore, he had to make up for this mistake.
“Give it your all!”
With the Goblin Lord’s shout, the Goblins began to retreat.
The Goblin Lord also turned back with a smirk.
He wasn’t running away.
They were scouts from the start.
The true strength of the scout team lies in guerrilla attacks.
Fighting the enemy head-on was foolish and stupid.
They just had to defend this place. The night was long.
Everything will be as the Great One wills.
* * *
In the middle of the night, I took a taxi and rushed to the location of the Monster Wave.
Of course, the taxi couldn’t get too close due to the danger, so I had no choice but to get off at a nearby location.
“Maru, let’s go.”
Maru, like last time, was covered in a robe with a Black Mask.
And I also covered myself entirely with a robe I had prepared as soon as I got out of the taxi.
Of course, I wore a mask on my face as well.
It was a suspicious appearance no matter who looked at it, but right now it was an emergency.
It was a Monster Wave, after all.
Naturally, the monsters constituting the Monster Wave were my property.
A game I started after returning from the El Dorado Continent.
I played the game, nurtured dungeons, and took in monster subordinates.
Those guys caused the current situation.
Since they were my property from the start, they posed no threat to me.
Therefore, I had to hide my identity even more.
Even if something happened, those guys wouldn’t attack me.
But if it was that obvious, what would others think of me?
That should never happen.
It would only complicate things.
Maru and I slowly started down the road.
The closer I got to the center where the Death Knight and Arch Lich were, the fewer people there were.
Even the few people I encountered were heading in the opposite direction, evacuating.
How long have I walked?
As I kept heading forward, I unexpectedly encountered a group.
“What the?”
A group of five people saw me first and reacted.
“Beside you is a person… no, it doesn’t seem like it. Is it a Familiar?”
“It looks weak anyway, so why does it matter? Food has come on its own.”
“Heh. That’s true.”
They looked at me and Maru alternately and giggled.
Their expressions looked extremely despicable.
Behind them lay fallen people.
None of them looked normal.
Furthermore, the women’s clothes were also disheveled.
“………”
The problem is not that.
None of them were breathing.
They were all dead.
Not attacked by monsters, but all killed by the people in front of me.
“Hey, are you done looking? Since you saw something good, take out everything you’ve got.”
One of the group said to me.
“Huh? That guy’s weapon looks good?”
Someone took an interest in the Demonic Sword that Maru possessed.
“………”
I was speechless with disbelief at their appearance.
The ones in front of me were also hunters.
There were occasionally guys like this.
Those who only sought their own profit even in danger.
This is clearly a dangerous situation caused by a Monster Wave.
“Kneel down and hand over that weapon. Who knows? Maybe we’ll spare your life?”
Instead of protecting the area, they were oppressing their own people.
“Ha… This bastard doesn’t listen even when I tell him. If you’re weak, just kneel down, you bastard!”
As I remained silent, they approached me with angry faces.
Suddenly, past events came to mind.
I endured discrimination and bullying at the academy, but I stubbornly persevered.
After barely graduating, I worked as a porter, but even that was not a smooth life.
What about life in another world?
Weren’t there people targeting me until just recently?
Of course, even a colleague from the academy was involved behind it.
‘Ha.’
Yes, I know too.
If you are weak, it’s like this.
Now, it is a world where only the strong dominate the weak.
The voices of the weak meant nothing.
If you are strong, even a crime is not judged as a crime, but if you are weak, weakness alone becomes a crime.
“…Nothing has changed.”
I muttered softly.
Of course, it’s not my place to say that.
If anything, the current situation is essentially my doing.
The damage must have snowballed and is probably still ongoing.
Yes, I didn’t do anything right either. I know that well.
But these guys crossed the line in a different sense.
“Maru.”
When I said his name briefly, Maru drew his sword.
And he stabbed the opponent with all his might.
*Thump-*
The sword pierced the heart of the guy approaching Maru.
“Huh?”
In the blink of an eye, one person was dead.
The group, who were his companions, were flustered.
They looked surprised that Maru was this powerful.
When people realize that their opponent is stronger than them, they usually react this way.
The expressions of those who tried to kill me in the dungeon were also like this.
This is what power was like.
“I underestimated them too much.”
Perhaps it was just pity.
Perhaps I wanted to appear morally superior.
I saw their bewildered expressions.
And I saw the corpses behind them.
What if I didn’t have this power?
What if the opponent was stronger than me?
Perhaps the person lying on the ground there could have been me.
But there are no “what ifs.”
It’s just that I am strong, so the opponents fell.
Whatever story you tell, it ultimately comes down to power.
No matter how much I emphasize moral actions, it’s just the conscience of one person.
It cannot change the world.
“Maru.”
Those with wrong values and those who abuse power.
“Kill them all.”
It was ultimately power that would eliminate them and change the world.
That power could create a better future that I dream of.
Corpse piled up on the ground.
Normally, cleaning them up would be difficult, but don’t I have a useful trait?
– Trait ‘True Dungeon Master’ has been activated.
– Do you want to use the corpses of these hunters as sacrifices for your own dungeon?
The corpses lying on the ground slowly disappeared.
This absorption was different from the sacrifices sent by Celia.
The corpses of these guys were scheduled to be used for the development of my dungeon later.
That was also my power.
But I knew.
No matter how powerful the strength, it is meaningless if I cannot control it.
“Let’s go.”
Now it was time to move forward again.
To be able to seize power for myself.
* * *
Eventually, I reached a position where I could see the Death Knight.
And I confirmed the Arch Lich was beside him.
Everyone was looking forward, but I couldn’t ascertain what they were looking at.
However, Celia’s figure was barely visible.
I thought Celia would be doing well.
With that thought, Kanghyeon ordered Maru.
“Maru, go and bring those guys here.”
As the order fell, Maru, wielding his Demonic Sword with a dark aura, charged forward.
His target was the Death Knight and the Arch Lich.
“!”
However, the Death Knight, a superior being to Maru, could not fail to notice this.
The Death Knight immediately turned his body and met Maru’s sword.
Clang-
The Demonic Sword and the shield with the Maid Outfit collided, emitting black flames.
And the Arch Lich next to him opened his mouth.
“Tak tak tak. Clatter.”
(You are one of us, so why are you interfering with the plan? This is the Great Master’s plan.)
The Arch Lich spoke and held up a quill made of feathers.
Then, a Skeleton that was attending him opened a bottle of ink.
The Arch Lich dipped the quill in ink and immediately began to write something in the book he was holding.
– Committing rebellion against the Master’s plan and committing insubordination. This is a matter that cannot be resolved with demerits, and I request immediate dismissal.
But Maru had a lot to say as well.
“Tak tak tak tak.”
(This is an order from the Master.)
At Maru’s words, the Arch Lich raised his head.
And come to think of it, he felt a familiar aura.
He saw a figure wearing a black robe in the distance.
Ah.
The Arch Lich nodded.
– Obediently follows the words of the Great and Noble Master. This is a reason for praise.
