Chapter 176. My Son is too Strong (3)

Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin

4.

A good warrior keeps winning.

A really good warrior knows how to accept defeat when they somehow lose.

-I lost.

The musclehead was a really good warrior.

-I'm confident that I wouldn't lose in terms of quantity of aura, but when it comes to the usage of aura, the difference is like heaven and earth. Ugor. I feel like I've been treating aura too simply.

"Don't blame yourself."

I rubbed Uburka's head.

"I also didn't realize it on my own. Instead, I was taught martial arts by my master. No matter how talented an individual might be, it would be difficult for them to compare to the history of an entire faction. There are thousands of years of history behind the Demonic Path."

-Kekerkker.

"Mm."

-Dad.

"I don't even want you to call me 'Father'. Why don't you call me 'sire'(1)? My identity shakes when a big guy like you calls me dad."

-Understood, daddy(1*).

"Uh… the sound is only slightly different, but the connotation is really unpleasant. No, if you absolutely must call me something, then call me whatever you want…."

-Daddy. I have a question. Why have you been sitting on my head all this while? (TL: *shivers*…)

"It's because you're huge, Uburka. Anyone who sees a giant like you would have the impulse to climb up. People have a natural desire to climb. It's hard for me to resist."

-I see. So there was such an impulse.

Uburka nodded. Shake, shake. As I was riding on this child's head, I naturally experienced a sensation similar to the Viking ship ride at an amusement park.

It was kinda fun.

"Now that you've lost to me, listen to my advice carefully. Of course, after you listen to me, you can still decide whether to do what I say or not. You can even tell me if you have a better idea."

-Ugor.

"Even if you were to force the peace negotiations, the chaos in the world would not end."

I stroked Uburka's head again.

"You have to carry out the negotiations so that all parties can be satisfied. Not only the snails, but the other five races should also benefit in some way."

-How can we make them benefit?

"That's simple. For now, put aside whatever you might think from your perspective. Instead, think about the perspectives of the other races. Then you will find an answer."

I said.

"The snail race will welcome peace. That is because it will help them escape the fate of being destroyed. However, it would be difficult for them to accept [removing the source of the conflict by destroying Rimepolis]. Do you understand why?"

-Because it is the Holy Land?

"Tsk. If Rimepolis is destroyed, they won't have a city to live in."

I smacked the top of Uburka's head.

"They would be happy that the crisis of being destroyed had been averted, but they would be anxious since their future was not guaranteed. In other words, if you can somehow relieve this anxiety, the snails will accept the peace negotiations."

-A new city. A new place to live.

"Right. It would hurt to have their Holy Land destroyed. But as you said, you'd destroy the Holy Land [so no one can have it]. That is something they would be able to accept."

-Understood.

Uburka nodded and my Viking ship returned.

-We will promise the snails that we will protect them as they make a new settlement to live in. They will probably be anxious if we were to put them in a place close to the other five races, so we'll have to lead them to a place as far away as possible.

"Right. That's it. The snails have good technical skills, don't they? You can set the condition of them teaching a few of these skills to you. That way, the warriors of the goblin race will have fewer complaints."

-Is that so?

"To be precise it should decrease the shibals a bit."

-That sounds the same, but the connotation feels different…

It wouldn't completely erase the complaints.

Nevertheless, within the goblin race, the law of respecting the strong was deeply ingrained. They would follow the will of Uburka, the Chairman of the Council and the number one goblin. Because the magic words 'if you have any complaints, then come fight me' existed.

"Uburka. Your will to prevent the destruction of a race is good. However, if you want to live ignorantly, then you mustn't be ignorant. It's better to think hard about whether you can achieve something or not."

-Mm. Daddy. What do the other races need?

"I just told you."

I chuckled softly.

"Can't you just think from their perspective?"

5.

-We will help you when you feel like you will fall!

The night of the full moon.

Although reluctant, the snails and the leaders of the allied army attended the meeting. Nevertheless, none of them had good expressions. It would be better to say they were 'forced to attend', than 'attended'. Unfortunately, there was no one who could stand up to the leader of the muscle-heads.

Under the tent where the representatives of each race gathered, Uburka declared with ambition.

-Look. The Snail Empire, which boasted the greatest prosperity after the Primeval Forest burned, also collapsed. There is no such thing as eternal prosperity. The allied forces are in a good condition now, but it's possible for one of you to decline someday. This is the logic of the world that we can't control.

-……

-The defeated race will become the slaves of the victorious race. The enslaved race would then experience the humiliation of 600 years ago, and the master race will repeat the same mistakes the snail race made 600 years ago. That's not good at all! Both sides will have shibal, and eventually, the whole world will be filled with shibal!

Uburka had a sad expression on his face. In other words, he opened his mouth, showed his fangs, furrowed his eyebrows, and wiggled the tip of his nose.

When the strongest hobgoblin in history made such an expression, there weren't many who could bear to look at him.

-Mm. Umm…

The vampire leader spoke in a cautious manner.

-In other words, you will help us in the future just like you're helping the snails now?

-That's right. When you are on the brink of extinction, I, Uburka, Chairman of the Fire River Council, promise to come to your aid. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

-Excuse me. Is there a guarantee that this promise will continue from generation to generation?

-There isn't.

-Then I'm sorry, but this conversation…

Uburka grabbed the haft of his battle-ax. Flinch. And all the representatives in the tent shrank back like frightened deer.

-There isn't, but now there will be.

-What?

-Wait here.

Chairman Uburka left the tent and approached the goblin soldiers who had surrounded it.

-Members of the Fire River Council, listen up! I will conclude the peace negotiations in the name of the Council. And from now on, if any of the tribes here are on the verge of collapse, we will help them.

The warriors glanced at each other.

And one of them, who seemed to have eaten a lot of jjambap(2), said,

-We will do as the Chairman says.

-This promise will remain valid even after I die.

-Ugo? How will that work?

-Because you will all vow [my descendants will never break this promise] now. And if any of your descendants break the promise you made with me, they will be considered sinful and a disgrace.

-What if we don't want to vow?

-Defeat me.

-Shibal.

The warrior who had eaten a lot of jjambap picked up his spear.

-I'm against that decision! My name is Murk. Descendant of Kekerkker and Gorgir, the great warrior who ran beside him. Ranked 49th in the Fire River Council, and brother of Murmu, who died honorably in a duel after defeating many opponents in this war!

Uburka hefted his ax onto his shoulders.

-Nice muscles. I'll only beat you within an inch of your life, instead of killing you.

True to his words, he beat up the warrior who'd eaten a lot of jjambap.

-Guwek!

Uburka buried his fist in the warrior's stomach, and the warrior showed his jjambap to the world.

The name of his exhibit was [Two Fish A bit of Centipede Chicken]. It was a work that stood out because of the contrast between the thin gastric juices and thick ingredients.

The various goblins who witnessed his exhibit trembled with emotion.

-H-, he's still as ridiculously strong as ever….

-I really want to know what the chairman eats that makes him so crazily strong!

-Even a double digit ranker was sent flying in one hit. That's insane.

-Doesn't he seem stronger than before…?

-I think it's a really good decision, Chairman! Chairman is the face and honor of our race! Hooray for the Chairman!

-Who said that?

-That shameless bastard.

-Get out here you slug!

Afterward, several warriors stepped forward to contest the decision. There were those ranked 100th, and even the warrior ranked 6th. Nevertheless, no warrior was able to force Uburka to use his ax. All of them fell with just one punch.

When the number of beaten warriors reached 33, the goblins had no choice but to join together and chant one word in one voice.

-Shibal…

-Shibal…

Uburka put down his ax and folded his arms.

-Weak. How are you guys so weak? You're so weak that I feel bad for hitting you. I'm already very sorry guys. Quietly agree to my decision before I become even more sorry.

A good warrior keeps winning. A really good warrior knows how to accept defeat when they somehow lose.

In that sense, all of the goblins were really good warriors.

-I agree.

-I agree, ugo.

-Those who are against it, speak up.

Silence.

Only the sound of the bonfires burning could be heard in the military camp. All the members of the Fire River Council and all the warriors on the battlefield expressed their approval.

Uburka looked around and nodded.

-Good. Then as the Chairman of the Fire River Council, I hereby declare that [If one of the six races is on the verge of extinction, we will help that race]. Those who shouted in approval, and those who remained silent despite their opposition, as well as their descendants, cannot disobey this decree. Everyone. Swear on the sacred earth.

Uburka thumped his ax on the ground three times.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Without speaking, the goblin warriors also raised their weapons and thumped them on the ground three times.

-Mm.

Uburka returned to the tent and took his seat.

The representatives of the six races stared at him blankly.

Arms crossed, Uburka looked at the representatives.

-We have made a vow that the promise will be passed down to our later generations.

-……

-Any other questions?

-……

The vampire commander bowed his head politely.

-That is sufficient. I don't have any other questions.

One bowed his head and another raised their head. It was the representative of the oni(3) race.

-Hey, mold. You're really strong!

-Our father is stronger.

-Huh, son of a bitch?

-You're wrong. We are not sons of bitches. When Kekerkker descended, he borrowed the body of a lion. Therefore, we are the children of lions, that expression could only suit the snails over there. I'm disappointed that you don't even have such basic common sense. So you can go ahead and correct yourself by calling me son of a lion.

-Huh? Huh? Shit, anyway!

The oni commander drew his sword.

-I speak for the rest. We led the expedition all the way here, pouring in countless resources into it! Even if you say [we'll help you when you have a crisis later, so leave now] that's not enough, is it? What should we do about the resources that have already been poured into the abyss?!

-So what do you want?

-Compensation!

-We are not a rich race either. We consider it a virtue to eat what you earn in a day. So we can't compensate you even if I wanted to.

-Then we can't negotiate with you either!

-Ugor. That's not it.

Uburka stroked his chin.

-You must be worried about something else.

-What?

-The problem is that you spent so many resources but returned without a proper result. The nobles and landowners who were ripped off by you will definitely express dissatisfaction. It might even lead to a revolt, which would cause you to lose power as a result. If you're not lucky, you would be made into a scapegoat and executed. That's what you're worried about, isn't it?

Uburka recited the words we'd discussed in his dream. When he heard the unexpected remarks, the oni commander was shocked…

-Just once. If there is a rebellion in your country, I will help you.

-……

-I won't add this to the agreement. It is something I'll do on my own. With this body, an ax and twelve spears, I should be able to change the minds of any rebel. How about it? Will you assist us in destroying the holy land now?

Uburka bared his fangs.

-If you still need an excuse then come fight me. Saying that you lost to me in a duel should be good enough of an excuse for oni like you.

-You, you bastard.

The oni commander became flushed and brandished his sword.

-Fine then! Let's duel! But if you think I'll go easy on you, you're sorely mistaken!

-If you think that I won't go easy on you, you're mistaken. I'll cut you some slack.

The oni commander was subsequently beaten. His horn was bent, his nose was broken and his leg was twisted. After a few of his teeth fell out, his appearance was thus completed. The oni commander, who was then buried headfirst in the ground, let out a groan.

-Fucking… dog bastard…

Uburka smiled at his masterpiece.

-You look more like a warrior now!

If someone were to bury a person upside down in front of you, you would naturally have a lot less to say.

So that night, the representatives of the seven tribes signed a peace treaty.

(Note:

1.This is (아비-abi), an older/slightly more informal way to say 'father', I settled for 'sire' because I couldn't think of or find any better alternatives.

. What Uburka says is (애비-aebi) which is kind of a ruder/more informal way to say it.

So in those first few paragraphs alone, there were a total of four different ways to say 'father'. 아버지-abeoji, 아빠-appa, 아비-abi, 애비-aebi.

2.This is an expression used as a measure of how many years someone has worked in a certain field. The word 'jjambap' originates from the military and literally means 'military meal' or army rations. Eating a lot of jjambap/military meals meant that your stay in the military is long so you have a lot of experience. The same was true if your rank is higher, it means that you have eaten a lot of jjambap and are now more experienced than those who have eaten less jjambap.

Explanation mostly stolen/plagiarized from cc, another of our translators -. The expression is used a lot in 'The Duke's Eldest Son Escaped to the Military' the novel she is currently working on, it's quite good, you guys should check it out.

3. From now on, I'll change 'sprite' to 'oni'. It's closer to what it should have been, just that at the time, I couldn't think of a good way to translate it and settled for the second best. It had been bothering me for a while and I wasn't sure whether to change it or not, but I decided to say 'screw it'.)

Chapter 177. The Giant's Legacy (1)

Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin

1.

The tale of a city.

Rimepolis.

A city that survived on the mining industry and trade.

Rimepolis had one of the largest and purest salt mines in the Snail Empire, which increased its prestige. There were people who asked 'Can you get food and wealth from digging into the ground?', and the answer was 'Yes, we can get both'.

-The Great Cavern.

-The Skull of the Earth God.

-We collect the teeth of the Goddess.

It was such a place.

A city that prospered from the wealth and glory that came with digging up the ground. The deeper into the ground they dug, the more glory they received, until one day, when they swung their pickaxes, they heard a clanging sound.

They'd reached the bottom.

[The mining ability of Rimepolis has deteriorated!]

There was still some rock salt left. However, they would have to dig too deep to find it. The work time would be much longer, and the level of difficulty would also increase.

[The cost of the Rimepolis salt industry increases!]

The slaves had fled. The snails' skin was naturally weak to salt. It was fine for them to swing pickaxes or manage workers at the entrance of the mines, but it was difficult for them to go deeper. This was why they needed slaves from the other six races. As the slaves disappeared, the economy of the city, which was powered by rock salt, shrank rapidly.

[The Snail Race's dominance weakens!]

The mermaid race looked like regular mermaids, but the sea water irritated their skin which forced them to remain in the rivers.

However, one day, a special species was born. Even when this special species entered the sea, they could withstand it, only saying 'ah, it's a bit salty'. Even those who were born with mixed blood from the special species were able to withstand the sea.

[The Mermaid Race evolves!]

The sea was a magical place that the snails had a hard time going in and out of, and the fact that the mermaids could now go into the sea meant that they would no longer have to interact with the snails.

Then, one day, one of the special mermaids accidentally tasted some of the soil from the tidal flat. 'Huh, it's salty'. Of course, the soil would also be salty since it was a tidal flat that seawater constantly flowed over. 'Can it become more salty?'.

They remembered the time when they had been imprisoned by the snails in Rimepolis. [You have to dig a hole to get salt.] This stereotype had been implanted onto them. So the mermaid dug a hole in the middle of the tidal flat, put wooden sticks in the corner to keep its shape, covered it with reeds before adding mud on top of it. In that way, they created a primitive jar.

A week later, when the mermaid checked the jar, they found that it was filled with seawater. They scooped up the seawater and baked it in a kiln. When they tasted it, they found that it was very salty. It was sea salt. New technology had been created after an old stereotype met with a new environment.

[A new technology has been created!]

[The Snail Races competitors appeared!]

The mermaids were natural sailors. After all, they were amphibious from birth, so they wouldn't die even if they were to be caught in a storm. The Sea God, which was terrifying, was now their Guardian Deity. Ships laden with salt flowed in and out of the waterways like guests at a house. The production and distribution of salt had been completely taken over by the mermaids.

[An ideological conflict has arisen!]

The snails couldn't accept it. According to the mythology of the snail race, salt came from the 'teeth' of the Goddess. So it was difficult for them to accept that eating salt from the sea would not cause sickness.

There were several attitudes that a person could take when they couldn't accept the opinions of another.

-It's sorcery.

The snails chose the easiest one.

-It is the work of the devil.

-Sea salt is cursed food created with the breath of the devil.

-The mermaids are all demons who worship the devil!

-The fact that their skin can withstand the sea is proof of their devil worship!

The snails could have taken a more difficult path. They could have simply modified their mythology a bit. [The Goddess actually split in half when she died, half of her body was buried into the ground, the other half sank deep into the sea.]

They could've done that.

The more the empire expanded, the more at jeopardy their myths became. Salt, which they thought only came from the land, also appeared in water. Their world expanded. As their perception of the world grew wider, the myths lost their individuality, and the subjects of the myths seemed to lose character.

It was possible that one day, the empire would abandon [local myths filled with individuality] and instead adopt a [universal, invisible, all-powerful God] faith. Rimepolis might even move from the name of a city to the name of the empire itself, like Rome.

-Those who eat salt made by the demons.

-Regardless of the reason, it is blasphemy!

But the snails didn't do that.

-Salt dissolves when it goes into water. Water dissolves salt. So how can salt come from water? This is a trick of the devil, a scheme to deceive the people and lead them along the wrong path.

Instead they justified the reason why it wasn't possible.

-From now on, all citizens must only eat rock salt produced by the empire. Anyone who digs up salt from mines not recognised by the temple, those who make salt from water, and those who try to bring sea salt into the empire will be punished!

-Trade of water salt is prohibited. Block all the rivers and waterways. Seize and sink every mermaid ship that is loaded with salt!

It was defended by those priests who believed in the old myths. The warriors who fought against the slaves responded. The citizens who still looked down on the other six races cheered. Their support, response and advocacy became a source of support for the snail nobles.

And there was no person who could stop the priests, warriors, citizens and nobles all at the same time.

'Ahh.'

'I will serve you as my Master from now on.'

The God who could do that had already been eliminated.

[The Snails have destroyed the Mermaids' port.]

[The Snails are looting the Mermaid trade ships.]

[The Snails forced other races to trade rock salt.]

[The Mermaids are revolting against the actions of the Snails!]

When an old power declines, a new power rises to take its place.

When the industry leadership changes,

When either side fails to accept a new ideology, when they miss the opportunity to reform, the things that are meant to happen, happen.

[A war of supremacy has broken out!]

That was the tale of the past 600 years.

-Ugor.

There were six wars.

And in the end, the empire collapsed.

-Now, according to the peace treaty signed by all seven races, we will destroy the Holy Land.

The priests lost their religion. The warriors lost their victory. The citizens lost their peace. The nobles lost their power.

All that was left was a mine where rock salt and glory were dug up for 600 years. However, a single line in a history book couldn't stop the spear of time, and an empty cave could not feed the people.

But by the time everyone noticed, it was too late.

It was much too late.

-You have three options.

Chairman Uburka spoke.

-First, I can just destroy everything on my own! I want to do it, too. The title [The one who destroyed a city] is something I'd love to have. But not only am I strong, I am generous. I can put my greed aside for a while.

With a 'hup', Uburka took a bodybuilder pose.

His left pectoral bounced slightly.

-Second, the snails can destroy the Holy Land with their own hands! You guys can do it. But I don't think you want the title [The ones who destroyed their own Holy Land]. That name would be very disgraceful. Nevertheless, I will give this chance to you!

Uburka's right pectoral bounced.

-And finally. All seven races destroy it together.

Uburka let out a laugh.

-Smash the city until your anger has completely dissipated. Breaking something always makes you feel better. Just smash it! All the soldiers who worked so hard to come here and all the people who did their best to protect it. You guys can do it. I'm sure you can.

The last king of the snail race, the Snail King, spoke in a trembling voice.

-Frightening warrior. What if a fight breaks out after we lead them into the city?

-Worry not! Us goblins will take care of security. The hammers you wield will be used to smash buildings, not the heads of people.

-Some things must be preserved. We engraved our history on stone pillars.

-Dismantle it and take it with you. What's the problem?.

-They would be very heavy…

-Then choose only the things you can take with you. A history that can't be moved is not pride, it's stubbornness. If you let it go, you will be much lighter, if you are light, you will be more free, and if you are free, you will be strong.

-Rimepolis is our last remaining city. Where do you intend to take us?

-To a place that will make you lighter, freer and stronger.

-…Some of our citizens don't believe you.

-That's fine too!

Uburka put his hands together and flexed his muscles.

His biceps bulged.

-Tell them to come at me!

A total of 944 snails stepped forward. Of course, 944 snails couldn't rush forward all at once, so the 16 bravest warriors rushed out first. It could be said that the race had fallen, but they were all soldiers who had eaten jjambap till they were sick of it.

-I will give you all the honor of seeing my true form!

The aura giant descended.

-What?

-What!?

-Crazy.

The snail soldiers were only able to mutter these short words before they were all sent flying by Uburka's aura. Not just the 16 people at the front, but even the 28 waiting to go after them were sent flying.

-Ahahahaha!

The giant let out a thunderous laugh.

-Come at me if you can! Little ones!

-……

-My chest is wide! Whether it is 900 or 9000, I will accept you all! It's unfortunate that there aren't enough of you to make me work up a sweat, but it's fine nonetheless! I have enough muscles to make all you kids into adults! I'll be your dad!

There weren't many who would want a goblin as their father.

Rather than dealing with the stress of being beaten by the huge musclehead, the snails decided to release their stress by destroying the builds of their ancestors. It was a wise choice.

-Dammit.

-Shibal!

After one day and night, Rimepolis was completely destroyed.

Shouting side by side, the seven races were able to smash the city to powder.

The final blow had been dealt by none other than Uburka.

-Hup!

Uburka became a giant and punched Rimepolis. Thud! Thump! Thump! The beating lasted for more than half a day. The city within the cavern vanished, the ceiling shattered and rocks poured down as the mountain that contained the cave also collapsed.

-Crazy….

The scene of a single hobgoblin destroying a city on his own.

-Hut.

Chairman Ubruka's lips quirked. It was the unique smile that a child usually had after destroying a sandcastle that had been meticulously built.

-At least I'll get a [City Destroyer] title because of this.

-……

-This event declares that the peace treaty has been completed. Goblins, pack up. Snails, do your best to follow us while carrying those ridiculous stone pillars.

Neither before nor after.

The strongest warrior in the history of the goblin race spoke.

-We will return to Guru.

[The War of Supremacy has ended.]

[The Multi-race Alliance has achieved an incomplete victory.]

[The Snail Race has escaped the danger of destruction.]

And the stage also ended.

[The Goblin Race has gained the prestige of 'Hegemon']

[The prestige of the Goblin Race increases.]

[The authority of the Goblin Race increases.]

[The chances that the Goblin Race will develop a new trait have increased greatly.]

[You have received 9000 race points!]

[You currently have 9800 race points.]

My fellow hunters murmured.

"Hey, that guy's a real monster…"

"There's no way that guys like that would be born in the goblin race constantly, right…? Otherwise I'd feel kind of sorry for my own kids."

"That probably won't happen."

The Crusader shook her head.

"Such an unprecedented warrior rarely appears in history. It was by chance that he appeared in the goblin race. Perhaps the next hero will appear in another race. We just have to wait for our golden ages."

The tower's voice then rang out in our ears.

[You can now declare stage clear.]

[Would you like to clear the stage now?]

"Heh?"

The Black Dragon Master flipped her hair to the side.

"It doesn't necessarily say that one race will be eliminated. Are we certain that we've overcome the crisis of destruction?"

"It's possible that another race might be in danger of being eliminated without our knowledge."

We watched from a distance as the armies of the various races scattered and disappeared.

It had been 800 years since the primeval forest burned.

We were still reigning like Constellations, but the kids were slowly beginning to walk their own steps rather than following the constellations in the sky.

"Mm."

I opened my mouth.

"Great job, everyone."

"Did we even have a hard time? That child from your race solved everything on his own. I never felt this comfortable in a stage before."

The Black Dragon Master smiled happily.

"I'm going to watch how those kids live for about ten days before declaring the clear. How about you, Death King?"

"Then I'll also stay for about ten days. There are still some things I want to teach Uburka."

"What else are you going to teach that monster…?"

"Don't worry. It's something good. Something good."

We parted ways after deciding that we would declare clear after ten days.

That's right.

I still had something to pass on to Uburka and the goblin race.

[Purchased 'Dream Appearance'.]

[100 points have been deducted!]

[You currently have 9700 race points.]

Uburka, who was floating on the mud pond, looked at me.

-Ugor, you're back, Daddy.

"Yeah. Dad is back."

-I guided the snails as Daddy advised. Quickly, praise me.

"Aigu, my little boy. Did you save a race that was on the brink of extinction? Ujuju! Good job, you did really well! My little boy is so amazing! It was worthwhile to raise such a good boy! The goblin race is the coolest in the world and my baby boy is the coolest in the goblin race! You're so much better than daddy!" (TL: wtf did I just translate…)

-Ugor. Ugor.

Uburka let out a laugh.

After pouring out a baptism of praise for about ten minutes, I finally changed the subject.

"Uburka. There's something I want to teach you."

-Ugor?

"To be precise, I want you to learn this before teaching the others. So that it will not be forgotten even 100 years after you die or 100 years after that."

-What do you want to teach me?

I smiled.

Then I illuminated my hand with red aura.

"I will teach you about the fire of the world."

The new Infernal Heavens Demonic Art.

I was going to pass my own creation to the goblin race.

Chapter 178. The Giant's Legacy (2)

Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin

2.

"Uburka. I realized something while watching the way you used your mana."

-You mean the Shibal Aura Training Method?

"I can't help but mourn your horrendous naming ability… Anyways, right. I saw a profound possibility after looking at the Shibal Aura Training Method."

I spoke as I say atop Uburka's head.

"It's the Formation Method."

-Formation Method?

Uburka tilted his head.

-What's that, Daddy?

Formation Method(陳法).

Before meeting Master, I knew hardly anything about martial arts, but I'd learned a lot about the common sense of Murim from Bae Hu-ryeong.

The Formation Method was literally a method(法) of attaining a formation(陳).(1)

"Martial arts is basically the method of learning to utilize one's body. On the other hand, you could think of the Formation Method as the method to spread it among several people."

-Ugor, do you mean like battle formations?

"Similar. But it's not the same as simple hand to hand combat."

I told him.

"Let's say people from different factions fought on the same side. They might be attacking together or carrying out joint attacks, but it couldn't really be called the Formation Method. It's the same principle. Only when they use their aura in the same way could it be called the Formation Method."

-Does Daddy want to teach me the Formation Method?

"Right. To be precise, I want to teach you the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art first and then develop it into a Formation Method with you. I've never used a Formation Method before so I'm not sure if it'll work, but so what?! I'm still interested to try."

-I don't quite understand. Is there a reason to learn it?

"Hey, hey. Baby. If you look for a reason or value before doing everything, then you will never do anything!"

I tapped the top of Uburka's head.

"For now, we'll just test it. Then if it doesn't work, we can just give up. But if it does work then we'll delve deeper. Alright?"

-So it's just relaxed.

"Mhm. Relaxed."

I smiled.

"But, baby. I have a question for you."

-What is it?

"Have you ever starved for more than a week?"

Uburka blinked.

-Huh?

After that, I slowly taught him the 'relaxed' Infernal Heavens Demonic Art.

"The Infernal Heavens Demonic Art is divided into nine forms. The first form is the Asa Sword of Starvation. In other words, it is a sword that was created from the longing and desperation of hunger. This is why you are starving now. Aya, this dream world is really useful. Time passes, but you won't die no matter how much you starve!"

-Kill me!

Uburka, who had already been starving in his dream for a week in his dream, cried out. His legs and arms were bound by chains. And I was sitting in front of him, eating delicious fruits and fish.

This was the result after I defeated him in a fair duel.

-I'd prefer if you killed me!

"Is it painful?"

-It's painful!

"Does it hurt?"

-It hurts! It feels like all of my muscles are screaming!

"That's it! My baby. I want you to input that pain, that feeling into your sword. I've also been forced to starve for a week. But even if you're starving, you can't starve without thinking. Think of a farmer starving to death in the middle of nowhere because of a bad harvest, think of the farmer's child. You have to starve while thinking about that."

-Daddy you're crazy!

I taught him.

"This dream world really is nice. If I think of a snow field, a snow field appears, and if I think about an epidemic, an epidemic spreads. It's the perfect environment to learn the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art. There was nothing like this in my time, phew."

-Cold… Daddy, I'm so cold…

"This is what it means to freeze to death! Imagine someone who doesn't even have a blanket, and has to use fallen leaves to cover themself."

-I'll freeze before I can imagine it…

"That's fine, that's fine. You won't die. My baby is the strongest goblin that ever lived. This is easy, isn't it?"

-It's been a long time since I've said this word in this context, but… Shibaaal…

I taught him.

"Is it difficult to learn? Is the burning too painful? I understand. I'll experience this one with you. Even if it hurts, it'll be fine as long as we feel the pain together. Are you not okay? Does it still hurt? That's natural. It's supposed to hurt. But baby, I can't hear you at all. Even if your vocal cords are burnt, you can use your aura to speak. Look at dad. I'm not moving my lips, I'm using my aura to talk freely. Now. Try it."

-Th-… is… is… hell…

"Aigoo. As expected of my baby boy. Such a fast learner! It can be said that Infernal Heavens Demonic Art makes the users experience the various hells one after the other."

-This… horrible martial art… Did Daddy learn it as well…?

"That's right."

I smiled brightly.

"I also had to learn it."

I taught him.

[Purchased 'Dream Appearance'.]

[100 points have been deducted!]

[You currently have 8800 race points.]

Ten days.

While the other hunters were busy spending their time caring for their races, I poured all of my time into Uburka. And if one were to count the time spent in each dream, it would be much longer than 10 days.

"Mm."

I scratched my cheek.

"Well, it's not bad. Not bad. I'm a bit disappointed, but I'll have to be satisfied with this."

-That's it?

Uburka grit his teeth.

-I endured living hell for ten days!

"No. Mm. That's true… I also realized it while teaching you. You have great talent for the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art. But it's not something that's easy to understand even with overflowing talent…."

-That's natural! Only a psychopath would be able to fully grasp the Starving Death, Dehydration Death, Drowning Death, Freezing Death, Poison Death, Sickness Death, Blunt Force Death, and Burning Death! A person can only die once, and when they die, it's all over! If this wasn't a dream, I wouldn't dare to learn this!

"Well…."

The Demonic Cult has always been a bit of a hard place.

-It's strange that Daddy is even able to perform such a horrific art in the first place! I don't know how you can do it! No, the amazing thing is that you're still sane!

I smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment. Now. I will be saying goodbye to this era after today. So before that, we need to create a draft version of the Formation Method."

-……

"Even if you haven't fully comprehended the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art, you have at least reached the level of rising demon. Uburka. You and I are now seeds that sprout in the same direction. We can now share our dreams, or even fulfill each other's dreams."

I jumped off of Uburka's head.

"Sit down."

-Ugo.

"Unlike martial arts, formation methods aren't organized. They're all over the place. Most sects use the basic level of formation method in teams."

I sat down in front of Uburka and grabbed a few stones. Using my aura, I rolled the stones around on my palm.

"Think of each stone as a martial artist."

-Understood.

"Five out of six of them are moving in a certain rhythm. Almost like music. Those who are fighting them will get used to the rhythm of the five people. And the moment they get used to this rhythm, the last one rushes in with a completely different rhythm."

Swish!

One of the stones suddenly leapt forward, striking Uburka's chest before he even had a chance to respond.

-……

There was no damage to speak of. Nevertheless, Uburka stared at me with a blank expression as though he was unable to fully comprehend what had just happened.

"This is the basic level of formation method. People have intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to understand rules. Rhythm is also a rule. The key to formation methods is to use people's cognition as an opening ."

-…is it really that amazing?

"It is amazing. But that's on the basic level of formation method."

I smiled.

It was worth it to learn this and that from Bae Hu-ryeong whenever I had time after learning the teachings of the Demonic Cult.

"The next level of formation method is magic."

I sent aura to the palm of my hand.

"What do you see?"

-It looks like fire.

"That's right. Even though it's not fire, it looks like it. This is because I copied the appearance of fire with my aura. Uburka. You're not actually a giant, but you can make yourself become one with your aura."

I focus my aura on the six stones.

The stones were set on fire.

"What if six people made their aura like fire? Imagine being surrounded by those six people. You'd probably feel like you were in a furnace, right?"

-Ugor.

"This is also the path we will go along when we plan together from now on."

Tak.

I caught the stones in the air.

"The only ones who have mastered the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art so far are just me and you. But what if there were three? What if it increased to six? Imagine what would happen if we increase the number to twelve, or twenty-four."

-……

"Imagine what would happen if 100, 300, or even 600 people were to all learn the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art and they all performed it at once."

Uburka's eyes slowly widened.

The corners of my mouth raised like a cunning villain.

"On my own, I might only be able to create a furnace five steps wide. However, if we worked together, we might be able to burn ten or even fifteen steps away. And hundreds gathered together…"

-They could burn the entire battlefield.

Uburka opened his mouth.

His eyes were dazed as though he wasn't looking at me at that moment.

He was probably imagining the scene I'd just described.

-The souls of hundreds of warriors burning at the same time with the same image and technique. The battlefield would definitely turn into hell in an instant.

That's right.

Not a personal skill, but a group skill.

That was the way I envisioned the new Infernal Heavens Demonic Art to be.

-Daddy called it magic, but I think differently. When fantasy imposes itself on the world, it becomes real.

"What do you think? Is it worth doing?"

-I want to try.

"Okay. Then let's try it step by step."

I smiled.

"In order for this to succeed, we'll have to have the same image in our hearts. After all, if a choir wants to sing the same song, they'll have to memorize the lyrics. Uburka. You will have to share not only the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art, but also the scenery we create to the others."

-What scenery are you talking about?

"I'll show it to you now."

I drew a mansion on the ground.

"I encountered the children's dolls in a remote mansion—."

And talked.

About everything I'd experienced so far.

The scenery I'd seen.

The 1st scene.

Little dolls in a burning mansion.

The 2nd scene.

Petra who lived at the edge of a village.

The 3rd scene.

A peony blooming in the middle of winter.

The 4th scene.

The moon whose heart was stolen by a mirror.

The 5th scene.

Teardrops falling onto a rooftop.

Sometimes I drew pictures on the ground. Sometimes I drew them with my aura. I talked about the stories I'd experienced with my body, and the scenes I'd seen with my eyes.

These were just stories. Since they didn't yet have a form, they couldn't be called the formation method.

But these were scenes that would someday become the foundation of the formation method.

"These are the scenes I have. Five. There might be more in the future, and it'll probably increase. But for now, there are five."

-I see.

Uburka murmured.

-Daddy… you've experienced a lot. You've proudly lived a more intense life than anyone else. I'm certain now that Daddy is even more diligent than I am. The density of your time is incredible…

"That's because I travel around a lot."

-Will I also be able to travel to places like Daddy has?

"Well."

I got up.

"Perhaps. Because you have already merged your mind and body. Maybe you'll reach the stage of rejuvenating your body. I'm about to leave this era, but it's possible that you will survive until the next era…"

-I'm going to live for a very long time.

Uburka let out a laugh.

-I will spread the story of Daddy to our race. I will make our meetings into a play and have it performed on stage. I will share it to the younger generations. I will make the five stories into five fire paintings and personally showcase them during the full moon. I swear. Just as Daddy has taken care of our race, we will not forget you.

I stretched out my arm.

Uburka bent over and held out his arm as well.

My tiny human hand grasped the hobgoblin's giant hand and we shook them.

"Uburka."

-Mm.

"You're an amazing child. Continue to spread your Shibal to the entire world."

Uburka grinned widely, showing off his fangs.

-Of course. Daddy.

Then.

'I declare stage clear.'

[Stage clear.]

[You have cleared the 33rd floor.]

[Your compensation will be settled after entering the 34th floor.]

[Chain layers in progress—you will be sent directly to the 34th floor!]

A white light enveloped me. (TL: I hope the little gobbies can survive that hellish training.)

(Note.

1.Formation in this case refers to troop formations.)

Chapter 179. The Giant's Legacy (3)

Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin ED: Sasha

3.

The place that the light took me to was also filled with gentle light.

It was a place where you could only see white stretching infinitely no matter which direction you looked.

In this place, someone had arrived before I did.

"Oh?"

"Hmmm."

The two of us made eye contact.

The other smiled in a way that was eerily reminiscent of a cat.

"Welcome, Death King. It's been exactly 10 days. I must say, there's no one more reliable than someone who keeps their promises so perfectly."

The keeper of the Tower's gold. The Master of the Merchant Union. The Count.

The count was dressed in traditional Indian attire. Despite her immense wealth, the Count only wore a simple, one-color sari. The resplendent folding fan in the Count's hands was the only thing that stood out.

"Thank you. Uh, how are those elf race kids doing?"

"Ugh. Don't ask. They became so shameful after I left them for a while!"

The count waved her fan. The golden arabesque designs sparkled and shone.

"Those kids had no concept of money at all, so I focused intensively on teaching them how to manage it. Regardless of whether they are elves or not, can they survive on just eating grass? Huh, but those guys quickly fell in love with the taste of money. Now, they judge everything based on whether it can make money or not. I can't believe it!"

"……"

The fate of the elves was truly strange.

Before my regression, they reigned as a bloodthirsty fighting race under the rule of the Flame Emperor.

Children really do resemble their parents.

"Doesn't that mean that they're faithfully following the Count's teachings?"

"Ugh. What kind of person do you think I am? I'm the type of person who treats money as water. It falls as rainwater, then flows into a river before returning to the ocean."

"In other words, you spend money like water."

"Aigoo. That's correct. I suppose I can't pretend in front of the Death King."

The Count giggled over her fan.

"Anyway, when are the others coming? It seems we have been getting along too well these days and they've become indisciplined."

Huh.

"Haven't you guys always been close?"

"We became careless. In the past, we were all best friends, so there was a lot of chaos. After the great purge, things became a bit strained. But we started to grow close again after you arrived."

"Heh."

"Of course, there are some who never stopped being close."

I see.

'They had many ups and downs.'

Although I was certain that I was getting along well with the other hunters, I still didn't know much about their past. The Heretic Questioner. I'd heard about Bambolina's past not so long ago.

"Ah. By the way."

After thinking about the Heretic Questioner, a thought popped into my mind.

"I heard that the Crusader is dating someone. Do you know who it is?"

"Mm? Why do you ask?"

"I'm a bit curious. The Crusader always wears a helmet. So I was wondering if she wears the helmet while on dates with the person…"

"No way."

The Count let out a laugh.

"I can't speak for others, but the Crusader cares a lot about hair care. Even when she takes off her helmet, her hair is perfect."

"Huh. Really?"

"Of course. It glows like a beach at sunset. The reason she wears the helmet in the first place is because…"

Pop!

Suddenly, we heard a ridiculous sound effect. The Count and I turned our heads at the same time.

"Sorry, sorry! I was working on something in the Tower so I'm a little late."

The Constellation, [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage, appeared with a pillow in her arms. It seemed she had been busy. With a soft 'phew…', the Lady wiped sweat from her brow.

"Let's see here. Ah. You cleared the 33rd floor. Have you finished talking?"

"Talking? We're waiting for the others."

"Huh?"

The Lady tilted her head to the side.

"Why are you waiting? The others are waiting for you."

"Huh?"

"Ah…. Ahh. Sorry. This is something that I also can't explain. It's been a really long time since I was in charge of a stage, so I always forget things. Really. My intelligence was really nerfed too much when I fell down to a Constellation. It's almost like the main body in Zrakua…"

What was she talking about?

When she saw our blank gazes, the Lady stopped speaking and waved her fingers instead.

[The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage will now announce the person who was eliminated on the 33rd Floor stage.]

I turned to look at the Count, and the Count also turned to me. Eliminated? Weren't we all moving to the next stage with no one being kicked out?

The Lady opened her mouth.

"If you completely give up your right for supremacy, or fall to the point where you are unable to claim it again, you will be eliminated. Simple, right? That's what happened to the snails on the 32nd floor. And on the 33rd floor…."

The Tower's voice sounded again.

[The Count was eliminated on the 33rd floor.]

My eyes widened, and the Count's eyes followed suit.

The Tower made another announcement as if to drive the nail in further.

[Another reminder to everyone.]

[The Count was eliminated on the 33rd floor.]

"W-, wait a minute! That's not possible!"

The Count finally spoke up.

She was so flustered that her ears perked up like a cat.

"Why is it saying that I was eliminated!?"

"Hmm, the elves gave up their right of supremacy. You are automatically eliminated because you are in charge of the elf race. I know you might be mad at me, but I also have to follow the rules… sorry."

"It doesn't make sense! The elves were quiet throughout the entire stage. They didn't actively participate in the war, so it didn't consume much of their power. How could I be eliminated?!"

"Well, what happened was… Hm. This is annoying! See for yourself."

Boing.

With another strange sound effect, a video began playing in the air in front of us. Did Constellations decided on their own sound effects? If that was the case then this one deserved to be judged.

-Hmm.

In the video, several elves were gathered together. Each of them had long, pointed ears.

-The goblins have become monsters.

-I heard the rumors, but I didn't think it was true. They're even more terrifying than I imagined.

The elders of the elf race wiggled their ears as they whispered to each other.

-I thought the general was lying because he didn't want to take responsibility, but that wasn't the case.

-Oh my god. Did you plant spies in the expeditionary army? That's traitorous.

-Anyone who didn't plant spies is a fool. What if the general who went out in the army was to suddenly turn his sword towards us? I know all of you planted your own spies. No need to pretend.

-That's right.

-Yes, that's right.

-You can't always believe your own race. We are all experienced and we know this.

-Such selfishness. We didn't care about the commanders we chose, and only cared about our spies. It's no wonder the holy expedition failed.

Mm.

What was this?

This was far from the discussion among elders that I was expecting…

-What can we do? The money we spent to organize the allied army was wasted.

-We intended to make up for the potential losses by taking the snails as slaves.

-Now isn't the time to discuss the original plan. The problem is that the goblin race has become the hegemon. We spent hundreds of years developing the plan to take control of the mermaids, but now people have come to mess with it. It's time for us to reconsider our grand strategy.

Huh.

I looked at the Count in bewilderment.

"Merchant Union Master…. No way…."

I'd thought that a multi-race alliance like that one couldn't have occurred without reason. Perhaps…?

The Count seemed equally as surprised.

"I-, I only taught those kids how to use money a little bit."

"I'm sure it's not just money. Did you also teach those kids to become a hidden power…?"

"I didn't mean to! I told you, didn't I?! Those kids grew up in a weird way. No, more than that, isn't this a racial secret? It should be confidential. Why are you showing it to the Death King?!"

The Count turned to the Lady.

Unbelievable.

While I was raising my goblins with a pure heart, the Merchant Union Master had been aiming for an economic victory behind the scenes. If I hadn't seen this video, I might not have found out about this till after I cleared the 40th floor.

'Wow. Now that I think about it, I also moved according to the Count's advice, didn't I?'

At that time, when the Goblins were about to clash with the allied forces, it was the Count that made the suggestion to me. So, following her advice, I entered Uburka's dream and told him to [Negotiate in a way that benefits every race].

In other words.

"The Count was trying to suck honey all on her own… When and how did they start taking control of the mermaids? They're like ghosts."

"Come on. They didn't take control, they were only helping them. A mutually supportive relationship. It's difficult for the mermaids, who live in the water, to make trade ships. The elves, on the other hand, live in the forest and are experts at handling trees…."

"Oh my God. So the ships they carry the salt on were made for them by the elves?"

"To be precise, they were loaned to them."

The Count groaned.

"All the ships operated by the mermaids are owned by the elves. They simply pay a shipping tax for every trip. In addition, all ships owned by elves can only be anchored at ports run by the elves…."

"Erk. Why could they do that?"

"They get 30% off their shipping tax when they anchor at an elf port. They also get a free repair service…."

"Wow."

"And while the mermaids can swim in the water, they cannot supply salt to villages and cities that aren't near water. The elves are the ones in charge of this."

"If they take an elf ship and use an elf port, of course, they will use an elf wagon. As long as the mermaids work hard to make the salt and bring it to the port… the elves will play the role of distributors, is that right? The harder the mermaids work, the more free money the elves make?"

"Something like that."

My mouth fell open.

What was this?

It was such a vicious tactic.

"You really… really… are the Merchant Union Master."

"If you want to make a lot of money, it's necessary to dominate a platform!"

The Count was furious.

"I just taught those kids the obvious truth. More importantly, I don't want to receive that kind of look from you who raised the goblins to be a bunch of muscle-headed pigs!" (TL: Muscles!)

"No. I raised those kids to be strong enough that no one would bully them. With pure hearts."

"That purity was frozen to death and became a twisted mummy. I just taught my kids the truth of the world so that they wouldn't have to futilely work hard and suffer!"

"A child needs to suffer a bit in order to grow properly!"

"Huh. What the hell are you talking about? If you're suffering that means you're not living a good life!"

"It's because of parents like the Merchant Union Master that kids these days are so narrow-minded!"

"It's because of parents like the Death King that kids these days are so sick in the head!"

"Ah, you're so salty."

"You're really worthy of your name."

"What's wrong with Kim Gong-ja?"

"It's truly filled with the disposition of a classical scholar!"

"You're crazy."

The Lady observed our quarrel.

"You guys are interesting… You make me think about my mom too…."

Amid our debate on the philosophy of child education, the holographic video continued to play.

-We should point the blade of the allied army towards the goblins.

-No. Cost-wise, it's not worth it. The snails had a Holy Land. What do the goblins have? What's the point of taking over a village full of mud.

-I heard the mud is really good for your skin….

-I'm sure you'd like that dear. But I'm not interested.

-We should surrender.

The elf elders blinked.

The Count and I closed our mouths.

-Mm?

-Let's surrender. We can win in a fight, and we have nothing to win if we fight. There's nothing to gain even if we pour all of our money into it. No matter what we do, it wouldn't be good for business. That's why we should fold early. (TL: In poker, to fold is to discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the current pot. Any bets that were made beforehand will also be lost)

-Are you crazy? Do you want us to stop doing business?

-I meant that we should spread out a new mat.

The elf elder explained.

-We'll offer to become a vassal race of the goblins. And in return, we'll receive their protection.

-Vassal?

-Protection?

-We will give authority of all the ports and ships we own to the goblin race. The entire continent is intimidated by the goblins. So if we sail or trade with the flag of the goblins, we will be much safer than we are now. Since we will be the first to become their vassal, they will certainly trust us even more. Then we'd be able to use the name and force of the goblin race almost for free. Like a donkey in a lion's skin.

The elders were troubled.

-Do we really have to give up so much…?

-The cheaper you are in the beginning, the more expensive tills will be later.

-It would hurt our pride.

-It'll be fine as long as we can recover what was damaged. Aren't we just doing it to make money anyway?

-That's true.

-We'll pay a tribute to the goblin race every year. They'd probably be happy if we said we'd give them 10% of our yearly profits.

-10%? Isn't that too much?

-In fact, we only need to give them 1% and say it's 10%. It'll be fine. There isn't anyone in our race who doesn't know how to maintain double ledgers.

-That's also true.

I'd never heard of the elves using double ledgers in my life, but it seemed to be common sense to them now.

An elder briefly muttered.

-Right. Let's surrender.

-It's just a matter of becoming a vassal race.

-What do the goblins like? Dirt? Would they like it if we brought dirt from our place?.

-We need to think of a plausible reason for our surrender.

-From what the spies told us, they're not that smart. How about we say that we fell in love with their muscles and that we'd like to live with them to appreciate them even more? It would probably work if we told them that we have money, but we don't have muscles.

-Really? Are they really that ignorant?

-It's amazing that such an ignorant race even managed to last this long. Nevertheless, it is a good thing. The more ignorant they are, the easier it will be for us to get into their good graces. We should be thankful.

-Thank you. Great Cat.

-Thank you.

-Like today, let us continue to sponge off of pushovers under the care of our guardian deity.

-Like today, let us make free money tomorrow by making others do the hard work. Let all the honey be eaten by us, in the name of ship tax, land tax, logistics tax, distribution tax, warehouse tax. Thank you.

The elders then drew something in the air. This seemed to be a prayer unique to the elves. The way they all bowed their heads was truly sacred.

"……"

I was silent.

"……"

The Count also had no choice but to remain silent.

"Ng. So they surrendered."

The Lady smiled.

"They have no interest in supremacy. They seem to be happy as long as they can make money. Sincerely. They said that they would be a parasite on the goblin race and suck honey forever… Mm. So you were eliminated because they voluntarily gave up their right to hegemony. Any questions?"

"I have a complaint!"

"Sorry. I don't accept complaints."

[The Count has failed to clear the stage.]

[The Count has been eliminated from the stage!]

"This is unreasonable!!"

The Count's figure began to fade.

She was probably being sent to the first floor.

"It doesn't make sense! I only taught them how to secretly suck honey in life, why would they give up their right to hegemony? Power! Power is the final destination of wealth, so why!"

"Elves are usually not that greedy. After learning the joy of making money, why would they need more? As you said, they just want to suck honey."

"De-, Death King!"

The Count reached out to me.

"Help me! Complain with me! I can't accept that I'm being eliminated like this!"

Um.

Umm.

"I'm sorry, Merchant Union Master. But honestly, I think this is your own doing. I'm not upset about you calling me a scholar or anything, I'm just saying…."

"No!"

The Count let out a scream as she was wrapped in light.

When the light faded, the only thing that remained was her echo.

Paaaht-

And in the next moment, the Sword Saint, Black Dragon Master, Venomous Snake, and Crusader were summoned.

The Black Dragon Master looked around.

"…We were made to wait this time too. Death King, did something happen?"

I shook my head.

"Nothing happened. Let's move on to the next stage."

I will never forget your eye-opening elimination, Count.

Make a lot of money.

(TL: The other hunters might start avoiding Gong-ja if they end up in the white room alone with him)

Chapter 180. Our Children have Changed (1)

Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin ED: Sasha

Naturally, everyone wouldn't just accept my words and move on because I said [Nothing happened]. They were all curious about how the Count was eliminated. So I gave them a rough explanation of everything I saw and heard.

"That person is really… beyond pitiful. How unfortunate."

The Black Dragon Master's expression was strange.

Her expression was usually blank, so whenever her facial muscles moved, it was easy to read her emotions. For example, just by making a slightly disbelieving expression, she had the ability to make the actions of others appear extremely ridiculous. It was amazing.

"It's her fault for choosing the elf race in the first place. They aren't that greedy, so it's easy for them to be satisfied. Since she gave those children a taste for money, there's no way they would care about anything else."

"Count……"

The Crusader looked up into the air with pity. It was as if she could see the Count's figure smiling and waving above us. We had a moment of silence for the absurd being known as the Count.

"By the way. What about the Count's points? Will they be distributed to us?"

"Huh, right. But I don't think it'll be as plentiful as the Heretic Questioners."

The Lady yawned.

"The Count used up her points whenever she got them, so…"

[The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage will now distribute the points.]

[You received 2 race points!]

[You currently have 8802 race points.]

"There weren't many points for me to distribute."

Crazy. We were all shocked by the penny pincher Count's zeal.

"Ah. It wasn't even, so I'm left with 1 point. I'll give this to you, Swordy. Since Swordy is number one. You have to take care of me too, don't you? Thanks in advance! That's what you should take it as!"

"……Th-, thanks."

"It was nothing!"

In the end, what the Count left us with by being eliminated was an understanding of the importance of 1 race point, and a group of frugal elves who had become obsessed with making money.

What was going on? Why did it feel like my colleagues were making things more troublesome whenever they were eliminated? By the time we cleared the 40th floor, I'm afraid we'd have to change the name of our Tower from Deungcheon City to Deungsin City… (TL: Basically from 'Ascending to Heaven City' to 'Idiot City'… roughly)

"Now then, I'll send you to the 34th floor. Is there anyone that wants to buy items before you enter? Hurry up and pick.

"Mm."

I took a look at the Civilization Store. There was an item there I was looking for.

[Race Evolution]

Rank: Undetermined

Effect: Your race can evolve a total of two times. The cost of the second evolution is much more than the first!

Price: 30,000 Race Points

Unlock Conditions: Your race must have acquired at least 6 traits.

I clicked my tongue. It was too expensive.

'It'll be hard to get the final evolution.'

I just wanted to see our kids grow up and conquer the entire world. Unfortunately, it seemed like I would have to postpone my wish for now.

-I can't even believe those crazy guys can grow even further!

'Do you know what a hobgoblin becomes if it evolves one more time?'

-Huh? Well. A dwarf? Or a troll?

'So this gentleman also doesn't know.'

I laughed in my head.

'Wait and see. When those kids grow up you'll understand why I picked the goblin race. At that time, even I won't be able to recognize the goblin race.'

-Zombie… Don't laugh like that. You look terrible when you do that evil laugh.

Those words were too harsh.

The others chose the items they wanted. Seeing that everyone was finished with their preparations, the Lady nodded her head.

"Ng. All the items you bought have been reflected in history! I hope you understand that refunds are not possible. Then if I were to progress time until the next stage… This time, 300 years have passed!"

300 years.

More than a thousand years had passed since the primeval forest had burned down.

I recalled that it was around this time that the Flame Emperor had begun to earnestly unify the world. The elves who worshiped the Flame Emperor as the Fire God's incarnation, began to burn the continent.

I think it should be fine now since the elves were more interested in making money than burning people.

"Then I'll open the 34th floor. You didn't get any quests last time, but you will this time. However, it's not a joint quest that everyone can complete together. It's a solo quest! I will give a quest to each race."

The Lady put down her pillow and smiled.

"Your children's childhoods are slowly coming to an end. If they were people, would this be around the age of [puberty]? It's time for the problems to arise. And it's time for them to have some growth pains."

Pak.

The Lady clapped her hands together.

"Good luck, everyone! The scary kids are beginning to run around, so be careful!"

Good luck.

It was only after the white light enveloped us and I heard the voice of the Tower that I understood the meaning of those words.

[The Goblin Race has gained the new trait 'Noblesse Oblige'!]

As history developed, the goblins had probably experienced several changes.

While waiting for the 34th floor to begin, I heard the voice again.

[The characteristics of the Goblin Race's 'Bad Friend Doctrine' have begun to change!]

[The Goblin Race has gained the new trait 'Demonic Cult'!]

'What?'

Demonic Cult?

Before I could even begin to reflect on the meaning of the voice's words, I was sent to the next era.

2.

As soon as I was transferred, I was immediately able to notice a difference from the previous stages.

I was standing in the center of a secluded street.

"…Black Dragon Master? Sword Saint? Hello. Is anyone there?"

And my companions were nowhere to be seen.

The Lady truly meant it when she said that we would be separated and made to complete our own quests.

It seemed that we had been scattered to cities that belonged to our races.

-Ugor. Let's have a drink in the evening after training.

As expected, I was placed in a city belonging to the goblins.

-Watermelon is in season. When you grind watermelon and mix it with alcohol it's really delicious.

-Doesn't it damage your muscles after a while if you drink alcohol?

-Sometimes you need to drink alcohol in order to make your muscles more flexible.

Goblins walked along the street in groups of twos and threes.

The goblins had become the hegemon in the last stage. But that fact couldn't be seen from this city. There were neither colorful buildings or dazzling streets.

Should I say that it looked like a nest that was neatly built by termites?

Bumpy white buildings flowed in a row.

-There's a Fire Painting Play tonight! All the popular actors will be there! It's called the biggest hit in two years! The seats are sold out. If we don't hurry, we won't even have the space to stand!

Occasionally, there would be unusually large circular buildings in the city. They were theaters. In front of the theaters, ticket clerks sold standing tickets with bright smiles, and surprisingly the ticket clerks were all elves.

-Come come! Almost sold out! Almost sold out!

What was even more surprising was the title of the play.

-A special experience tonight! Bring your lover! Bring your colleagues! To experience [Raviel and Kekerkker!] performed by a luxury theater company with 300 years of experience!

"Puhop!?"

I choked.

-The love story of the century! The heavenly romance! Why did the most beautiful princess in the empire abandon the crown prince to choose Kekerkker, who had little to show! What words did Kekerkker use to seduce the lovely princess? It contains the lesson that, in the end, the most important things in life are words! [Raviel and Kekerkker!] Perhaps you too could learn the wonders of your tongue!

"No, these bastards?"

I ran to the front of the theater. At a three way intersection in front of the theater were posters painted in ink. Portraits of the actors that played Raviel and me. Naturally, the actors were both hobgoblins.

The hobgoblins stood in front of the posters and chatted amongst themselves.

-So beautiful…

-Ugo. Honestly, haven't we already seen [Raviel and Kekerkker] many times since we were young? Now I could even recite the lines with my eyes closed.

-You don't know anything. Nowadays, it's popular to reinterpret classic masterpieces. The last time I saw a play, it was a remake of Raviel and the Lady of the Golden Silk.

-That's ridiculous. Shouldn't it be [The Silver Lily and the Lady of the Golden Silk] instead of [Raviel and Kekerkker]? The title is a scam.

-Don't look down on it. It's gained a lot of popularity in some areas…

-Right. I heard that some people got obsessed with the play and poured their fortunes into it.

-I heard that the elf playwright got a lot of money.

It wasn't just that.

-A golden opportunity! The best Fire Play! [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] is coming to you tonight! Witness the enchanting flames demonstrated by the grandmaster ranked 16th in the Fire River Council! Especially for the role of Sword Emperor….

-The only large scale Fire Play! The number of extras alone reaches 66! [Esdel, from Saintess to Witch]! The only place where you can witness this play is at the Swamp Theater in Guru! Great value for your money, if you buy a ticket now, you'll get one free watermelon beer!

The elves promoted the various plays in loud voices.

There were about three or four theaters concentrated in this three way intersection alone. They were all competing on one boulevard, so it was natural for their acts of solicitation to intensify. The elf ticket clerks also fought amongst themselves, and they even grabbed each other's ears.

-Hey! Watermelon beer?! You can't seduce them with food! You should compete fair and square using the quality of your play!

-There's nothing wrong with doing business! You should also develop your own products! Only losers talk so much!

-Ugor? Are they fighting now?

-There should be a play where the ticket clerks fight to see who wins. I'll be the referee, so good luck.

It was a shocking and terrifying scene.

"Th-, those crazy little…"

Of course, it was as Uburka said.

I will make your stories into Fire Paintings and pass them from generation to generation.

But I'd imagined it as grandparents telling their grandchildren, I never thought it would be commercialized.

-Is this the influence of the elves? They did say that the elves were obsessed with money.

Bae Hu-ryeong let out a bitter laugh.

-Hey, that one looks interesting. Let's go watch it!

In the theater he pointed to, [Raviel and Kekerkker] was in full swing. Half distracted, I followed behind Bae Hu-ryeong.

The circular theater resembled a huge cave. It was dark everywhere, but the actors freely controlled their aura while reciting lines. Should I say that it was more like a musical than a play?

-Ahh. Miss Raviel. I now understand what my heart is telling me.

-Silvia.

-Like a clam, I feel a weakness in my heart. A disease. A sparkling ailment. Just like my destiny, this ailment hardens and becomes a pearl. Miss Raviel. I cannot resist this beautiful disease.

A hobgoblin performed on stage. It was a great performance. Seeing as they were called Silvia, the hobgoblin must be playing the young lady.

-Silvia, no. Stop it. If you say more…

-The person I love is not the sun of the Empire. It's not my butler either. Miss Raviel. Your Excellency the Duke. The one I long for is you.

-Oh my God.

Oh my God.

-Are you out of your mind, Young Lady Silvia!

The kids were insane!

-No. I'm extremely sober. Tomorrow, I will give my farewells to the Crown Prince. He may be angry, but his anger will not consume my love. No. I'd prefer if he tried to consume it! I am willing to burn.

-Young lady!

My mind went blank as I stared at the play unfolding before me.

The plot went like this. Raviel could not accept the heart of the Lady of Golden Silk, the Crown Prince and the Lady of Golden Silk break up, and the Crown Prince, who was unable to contain his regret after the break up, attempts to assassinate her. Finally, as the climax, the butler Kekerkker tries to stop the assassination and is killed instead…

"I can't die, you bastards!"

I shouted without realizing it.

Like the hobgoblin had said before, the title [Raviel and Kekerkker] was a scam!

However, my voice couldn't be heard by the goblins around me. Instead, they chattered on as if they were moved after the Fire Play ended.

-The fire today was wonderful…

-This is already my fourth time watching it and I still can't get enough of it. All the actors used their aura very well.

-Gor. Frankly, I was quite moved. I want to be on stage someday too!

No.

Something wasn't right.

I knelt down at the three way intersection in front of the theater.

"Why… have our kids become so weird….?"

Bae Hu-ryeong looked at me with a strange expression.

-Your kids were weird from the very beginning. Zombie.

:)