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‘Family, friends, and…’

The world his friends and him had been protecting and the world his late comrades laid down their lives to protect.

The monster in front of him had just said that he would invade that very world. He was clearly threatening what they valued.

‘How dare he?’

Just who was he talking to?

Seo Jun-Ho put in great effort to cool down the burning fury filling his veins. In the past, he had confidence in his ability to regulate his emotions, but these days, there had been many times when he was furious.

‘...He pisses me off.’

Erebo started sharing his extravagant plans, ignorant of Seo Jun-Ho’s feelings. “I heard from the humans I took prisoner that it only took 350,000 years after the first humans on your planet, the homo sapiens, appeared for the population to reach one billion.[1] Is that right?”

Erebo snorted. “When I first heard of this, I thought that the breeding rate of your species is very slow, but I was wrong.”

“...”

“Though it took 350,000 years for your population to reach one billion, it only took 200 years for the population to reach eight billion!” And then from there, it had taken only a little more than twenty-five years for them to reach 10 billion. “Human, do you know why your rate of reproduction became so high?”

Seo Jun-Ho only stared at him coldly, but Erebo simply shrugged before speaking, “You humans enjoyed an era of peace after World War Two ended. Other than a few petty trifles between countries, the fear of dying in war had become non-existent. That’s the reason.”

Erebo dragged a finger across the needles in the man’s head as if he were playing the piano. “From there, I came to a conclusion. The humans of your planet are the finest specimens, considering that your reproduction rate is the fastest of any species if your stomachs are simply full.”

“So what?”

“So what, you say?” Erebo tilted his head. “When you humans see something you like, you would want to touch it, and then you would want to have it. Is that not so?”

“So you want the human race?”

“I won’t deny that. The humans of your planet are very special.” Erebo nodded. “What entices me the most is that there are countless beings like you with mysterious abilities.”

“You’re so naive. Do you really think Players would follow an alien like you?”

“Even if they do not want to, they will have to.” Erebo tapped his own head this time. “I am the one who captured and ate the World Tree, who has the power of a god. I am absorbing more and more of her power and wisdom with every passing day as well. If I use that power… Who knows, I may become a god myself.”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho thought about it, and he realized that it was possible. Even now, Erebo could still control the hivemind as usual. Seo Jun-Ho became as still as a statue.

Erebo pondered something before he spoke again, “Human, though it was merely a clone, you still killed me. Therefore, I wish to make you an offer.”

“An offer?”

“Indeed. Swear your loyalty and accept me as your master. If you do so, I will give you an infinite amount of power.”

Seo Jun-Ho stared intently at Erebo without saying anything.

Erebo continued. “Do not reject me so quickly. My invasion of Earth will be beneficial to humans as well.

“Beneficial to us?”

“Yes. Humans cannot be controlled by mere laws or ideas. The more threatened they feel, the stronger they will rebel and try to escape control as if they were baring their hidden fangs.”

“You seem to understand us pretty well.”

“But everything will change with me in control. They will become a part of my hivemind, and I will be able to control them completely.”

Seo Jun-Ho’s face darkened. “And why would that be beneficial to humans?”

“Hm? Do you truly not know? If they become one with me, it means that they will become a part of the great Erebo without exerting any kind of effort. It is a great honor.”

“You’re crazy… You’re crazy…”

Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho was shocked. Erebo was rambling about such ridiculous bullshit that he wondered if he was even hearing the latter properly.

‘But… the scary part of this lunatic’s plans is that it could actually succeed.’

Seeing how he could currently control the cockroaches, humans wouldn’t be so different. Once they became his hivemind, they would likely become like puppets, unable to carry any memories or thoughts.

“If I manage to invade Earth successfully, I will leave its maintenance to you,” Erebo added.

“Maintenance…?”

“Isn’t it a tempting offer? All the jewels and money in the world, beautiful women, land, and nations will be yours.”

Seo Jun-Ho snorted. The money would have long lost its value, and those women wouldn’t love him. They wouldn’t be human anymore. There was nothing about this proposal that interested him.

‘I should wrap up this conversation soon.’

According to Erebo, he was still growing stronger by the second. Seo Jun-Ho didn’t know what kinds of amazing wisdom and powers the World Tree possessed, but simply based on the diary that she left him, there was no doubt that her power rivaled a god’s.

‘Once he finishes absorbing it all…’

- It will not be good.

Keen Intuition spoke.

- Partner, the World Tree created your diary. If that creature completely absorbs the World Tree, there is a large possibility that he will discover how to destroy the diary.

Seo Jun-Ho slowly nodded. He had been thinking about the exact same thing.

“Hey, pest, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Such a rude title. However, I shall listen to what you have to say.” Erebo seemed fascinated by Seo Jun-Ho’s words, and he seemed interested in what Seo Jun-Ho was about to say

“If the World Tree was a god-like being like you said, how did you win beat her?” he asked.

“Simple. There was only one reason she lost.” Erebo grinned, and it made Seo Jun-Ho feel disgusted. “She respected the elves too much as living beings. If she had controlled them like what I am doing with the hivemind, I would have been the one who lost.”

“...Is it fun to live like that?”

It was an innocent question. However, it seemed completely perplexing to Erebo. “What a strange man. What is the intention behind your question?”

“I asked you if it’s actually fun to be alone and rule over a species with neither memories nor emotions.”

Erebo blinked and then scoffed. “Human, do you eat food, drink water, and sleep for fun?”

“...Ah, I see.” Seo Jun-Ho nodded slowly. He hadn’t been able to understand Erebo even after dying at the latter’s hands a hundred times, but now, he was starting to understand the latter.

‘He just has a completely different way of thinking.’

Conquest and pillage came as naturally as breathing. This was the same as asking a person a question as ridiculous as why they breathed.

“You should give me an answer soon. Will you accept my offer?”

“No. But let me make my own proposal...”

“Hm, what would that be?”

“Let go of the World Tree right now and kill yourself. Then, I’ll eat you and allow you to become part of me.”

“What kind of lunacy—”

“See? That’s how the world works. You find it romantic if you do it, but not if others do.” Seo Jun-Ho smiled coldly. “Just wait until I come to you after getting stronger, you pest.”

“You… human. Do you truly intend to challenge me, a god?”

“You’re no god by my standards.” Even if Erebo was a god of insects or something, it didn’t matter. “And if you are, I guess I’ll just try my hand at killing a god.”

“Guh?!”

Erebo suddenly grasped his head. Unfortunately, he couldn’t block the blade from cutting through his enormous head with his current strength.

“Human! You dare… Even if they were mere clones…Twice, you… dared to kill meee?!”

Erebo’s body slowly collapsed. Just in case, Seo Jun-Ho tried to use Confession of the Dead, but it didn’t activate.

“Heh. Hehe.”

Seo Jun-Ho hoisted the prisoner onto his shoulder and quickly left the place.

***

“Ugh! Dammit!”

“They keep crawling out with no end. They’re like… cockroaches.”

“Don’t talk. If you have the energy to do that, run faster instead!”

The party members were still trying to retreat. Even they had no idea how they got here. They blinked once, and they suddenly fell behind the party and arrived here.

‘We’re probably deep underground in the Cockroach Cave.’

‘This is a cockroach spawning ground.’

From what they could see, there were thousands—no, tens of thousands of insects covering the floor all the way up to the ceiling. The expedition team was trying to run away while avoiding the special entities, which were slowly increasing in numbers.

“Why isn’t Specter here yet?!”

“What if he… managed to resist this weird spell?”

“Dammit! Then we can’t count on him as backup?”

Despair flooded their faces. But just then, two men stepped forward.

“Elder Phantom Sword…?” someone muttered.

“He gave me the responsibility of a rearguard, so go ahead and don’t worry about me,” Elder Phantom Sword said curtly. He glanced behind his shoulder. “Youngster. Don’t be so stubborn like me and just go.”

“Don’t make me laugh. He also asked me to do the same thing.”

If no one sacrificed themselves, they could all get wiped out. Elder Phantom Sword and One-Eyed Blood Spear had stepped forward as sacrificial lambs.

The Players were hesitant.

“Can we actually go?”

“I don’t know about us, but if we leave them behind, there’s a hundred percent chance that they’ll die…”

“You know what, fuck it!”

The Players were all considering the same thing. They squeezed their eyes shut and approached the two men.

“This’ll be a piece of cake! Let’s do this together! The Sword of Gangneung[2] shall join you!”

“You two are the strongest members of the expedition team. You really want us to run away?”

“Yeah, if we fight together, we’ll all have a better chance of survival.”

“Hah…”

The old man initially thought that this world was heartless. However, he didn’t expect to see something so heartwarming in a situation like this. He hid his surprise and turned to One-Eyed Blood Spear. “Are you sure you will not regret this?”

“What, you mean fighting here until I die? Probably. Unlike you[3], I have a promising life ahead of me.”

“Then, why are you staying behind? You should run away, even if it is by yourself. No one would blame you.”

Kang Shin-Woo, the One-Eyed Blood Spear, snorted. “I’m fine. I don’t want to be thought of as a coward for the rest of my life.”

“How honorable...”

However, it made the young man even more pitiful. The old man smiled bitterly and slowly unsheathed his sword.

“Keep fighting. If you do, we might be able to survive,” he said.

Kang Shin-Woo looked at him, squinting. “What, you got a good strategy or something, old man?”

“No. But I have someone reliable…”

The reason Specter was still respected as a Hero even after decades wasn’t just because he was strong.

“That man never gave up on those who followed him, even until the end,” the old man said.

“...But that’s just the kind of epic tale they tell in children’s books,” Kang Shin-Woo muttered. Ever since he was young, he had been raised reading picture books filled with the legends of Specter. “Do you really think he’d come here on his own will? He’d have to be crazy to do that. He doesn’t even know if we’re dead or alive.”

“He will come.”

The old man had no doubt that Specter would. He had faith in Specter as someone who had been watching the hero ever since his glory days.

“...Really? To be honest, I don’t think so.” Kang Shin-Woo pushed away the fear flooding in and gripped the shaft of his spear so hard it looked like it would break. “If he does come, I hope he comes before I die.”

When Kang Shin-Woo’s words fell, the cockroaches unleashed hundreds of missiles, which flew toward the party.

“I’m glad...”

A familiar voice rang in their ears before the missiles could approach them.

“It’s a good thing I ran here.”

Fwoosh!

A mass of darkness flew through the air and instantly melted into the shape of a human.

“Specter!”

“Damn, I knew you’d come!”

“Now’s not the time for that! Behind! Look behind you!”

Seo Jun-Ho turned his back while listening to the members\' bustle and gently held out his hand. A giant field of darkness spread over the air like a blanket and swallowed the missiles and cockroaches. It swiftly crumpled like paper, growing as small as a speck of dust until it disappeared just like that.

“...Haa.” Shin-Woo sighed as he watched. He would already be drenched with sweat after killing just a few cockroaches, but Specter had just instantly killed an impossible number of monsters without even breaking a sweat.

“You guys seem unimpressed. Should I have come a little later?” said Seo Jun-Ho.

“No, you came right on time. Hoho, this old man had the nerve to step forward, but my legs are trembling…” Elder Phantom Sword said coyly.

Seo Jun-Ho looked at him. And before the Players could make a tragic melodrama out of this, he clapped his hands together and spoke, “I command you as the leader of the expedition. Destroy the eggs in this spawning ground.”

If they destroyed the tens of thousands of eggs here ahead of time, they would have an advantage over the cockroaches in the battle later on.

And the order he gave was even more useful than he had expected.

[The Fourth Quest has been completed.]

“...Huh?”

The fourth Quest was to win the war in the second city. However, if there were no soldiers to send into battle in the first place, a war couldn’t take place at all.

‘Ah, is this what Sun Tzu meant?’

To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles was not the acme of skill—it was to subdue the enemy without fighting.

“Report.”

“Yes, sir! Twenty-one wounded. Zero casualties and no one was critically injured. 824 cockroaches were killed. 385,291 cockroach eggs were destroyed!”

Seo Jun-Ho’s lip curled up to one side when he heard that.

They had won by a landslide.

1. Although google says otherwise, we have stuck with the numbers that the author wrote ☜

2. Gangneung is a city in the province of Gangwon. He speaks with a slight Gangwon dialect, which is also spoken in parts of North Korea. ☜

3. He uses a very uncommon second-person pronoun which is a respectful way of addressing someone who is either the same rank or lower rank than the speaker. So he’s technically being respectful, but still arrogant. His general manner of speech is still informal and therefore disrespectful to someone older than him. ☜