episode_0036

***

“Wow!”

Instead of the guy who got hit becoming quiet, the guy next to him screamed. I had said I was being careful, but seeing his face sink in made me feel stronger without realizing it.

“How come it flies away as soon as it hits?!”

“It’s probably a magical weapon! Something that flies when touched!”

“Damn it! Isn’t that human a fact element? He’s too fast to fit in!”

“You have to hold on in front to do something…!”

The atmosphere is chaotic due to the overwhelming gap. As for the Demon King’s army and the Demon Tribe, there must be some who were forcibly brought here, just as people are similar wherever they live.

Even though Millea had the ability and skills of the Four Heavenly Kings, he could have opposed the war, let alone participated in it, but just like how a country wouldn’t say “yes, I understand” and give consent if an ordinary young man refused to join the military, the Demon King’s army would have been forcibly conscripted.

This is why I hate war.

Because most of them are powerless and weak people who are dying because of the vested interests of those in power.

“Tsk.”

To be honest, I didn’t want to come out like this.

It’s a little annoying, but the real reason is that the levels don’t match.

For example, if an S-class hero protects a town the size of a township rather than a city or district, the town may be peaceful, but many citizens of the city will suffer in the absence of the S-class hero.

A hero who can only save one million people may not be able to save the one millionth person in need, but it would be difficult if he lost one million people before saving the one millionth person.

So, if you’re the one millionth person who needs help, you can just leave it to the F-class hero who can save that one person.

In practical terms, if an S-class hero helps 1 million people, then an F-class hero has a chance to save the 1 millionth citizen that the S-class hero was unable to save.

The point was that, as someone with great power, one should be fit for purpose.

If experienced workers are taking advantage of the situation, where will new employees gain experience?

As the word overinvestment suggests, it was not a place where I could be active, just like you wouldn’t use a knife to kill a chicken. If it was an ordeal that was beyond my capabilities, it would be right to help, but if it wasn’t, it would be right for the senior to stay silent until the newbie took care of it.

If it’s too difficult, I can give you some advice.

Of course, since I used a hero as an example, you might ask if I am mistaken in thinking of myself as a hero, but I can only say that I am trying my best not to do so.

That’s why.

“You’re just a human! Don’t run away like a coward!”

“Ha, but…!”

“Have you forgotten the pride of the Demon King’s Army! I will take the lead!”

Even though the Demon Commander with a bandage wrapped around his arm came forward, he smiled bitterly, not really liking it.

Even the Demon King is dead, so if you tell him to retreat now, would he listen?

“Yes

“Hey you!”

Uh-, what is it?”

When I cut off the commander who had been shouting repeatedly, his expression suddenly crumpled.

“Go back to Maruk right now. Then I will spare your life.”

“Nonsense! We are the proud Demon King’s Army! We will never tolerate retreat!”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect that either.”

At that time, I was going to give a brief answer that I would respect it, but when I finally offered to spare his life and he said that I would throw my life away so easily, I just blurted it out in needless irritation.

The reason I’m not complaining is because my past experiences have given me patience.

The combat power appears to be roughly that of a regimental commander, but that’s about it.

The funny thing is, even if you look at the individual strength of the Demon King’s army, there doesn’t seem to be a single individual stronger than that injured commander. Even if the size of the army was roughly regiment-sized, and the troops were swarming around the foot of the mountain, their level was still good enough.

Originally, it was more annoying to worry about missing mobs than to kill them.

Considering that the Element Tribe didn’t know that there were such a large force, it seems that they had managed to hide without being caught until now.

“I’ll admit that you’re a pretty strong person, but don’t think you’ll be able to take on all of us and be safe!”

The demons who were running away at the command of the demon commander also returned to their destination. Looking around, it was definitely a number that was worth being proud of.

“No matter how strong you are, if you rush in all at once, it will work.”

At those words, I was worried whether I should stand tall and proud as the enemies slowly gathered around me, or cower in fear and let my guard down.

It turned out well. It was a lot of work to throw them at the enemies who were running away, but since they gathered on their own, I didn’t have to go out and catch them.

The worries didn’t last long.

‘bang-!’

Push the Geumgangbong peak into the ground to prevent it from falling.

Go go go go go go

A rising azalea that energizes the body.

As a preparatory move before releasing life energy, it is a wide-area skill with somewhat poor performance compared to the effort put into it, but for enemies who refused the chance to escape despite being given the chance, any more mercy was a luxury that could not be afforded.

There must be one or two elements that are friendly with the water spirit, right?

He was lightly complaining inwardly that his whole body was going to be covered in blood.

Unfortunately, cleansing magic is a rather delicate magic, and only a handful of people in the world know how to use it.

On the other hand, it is relatively common to cleanse the body using the priest’s purification techniques.

“I am Makkuga, the adjutant of the commander of the Four Heavenly Kings, Kuhora, and the arm wrestling champion! I will fight you!!”

I thought he was going to command from afar because he had a bandage wrapped around his arm, but he actually rips the bandage off with a bang by flexing his muscles.

“That’s cool.”

Even though I saw him become stronger after taking the suspicious pill, I didn’t point it out.

“Wow-. I was thinking of using the wide-area skill after a long time.”

I pull out the Diamond Bong that was stuck in the ground and face Makkku. As he introduced himself, I was given time to introduce myself, but I wasn’t stupid enough to introduce myself as a warrior to the enemies without telling my party members my name.

“Die, die!!”

He was secretly waiting for me to tell him who I was, but when I started talking nonsense, he seemed to have lost his patience. Instead of becoming stronger due to the effects of the pill, he ran towards me as if he had lost half his senses, but to me, he just looked suspicious.

It hurts a bit when a regimental commander hits you.

As with anything, if you focus on one thing for a long time, even if you don’t like it, you will gain experience.

Since I was training so desperately to catch the Demon King here, I had a similar feeling that I could roughly predict how my opponent would move when he attacked.

To put it in a modern-day analogy, it would be similar to when you are driving and you can roughly guess whether the next car will cut in without using the turn signal.

As it is.

It seemed like the guy had some hidden secret.

***

Let’s sort things out.

The operation to infiltrate the element city and open the gates so that the Chujara horde could invade had failed. Instead, the intended goal of tying down the element tribe supply force and overtaking them had been achieved. Even though he was the commander in chief, he did not want to think that he would not be able to carry out even the simple operation of trapping and capturing the enemies.

No matter what, I can’t do that one thing.

Rather, at this point, we should have been worried about killing them rather than capturing them alive.

But since there’s a Makkku, I’m sure it’ll be stopped well.

There was a variable called the Chujara herd, but Chujara were treated like bears by the general public or those encountered in the wild. To the Demons, they were nothing more than wild dogs, so they were harmful creatures that could be dealt with sufficiently as long as they did not bite at vital points.

The only thing we need to watch out for is the priestess. Sam Sam Yeonggang will take care of it, so we can just finish what we originally planned.

I had been fiddling with the teleportation scroll for return to headquarters whenever there was a dangerous moment, but this time I tried not to touch it and just shook it off.

Even though the variable of being a priestess was involved, if this operation is successful, promotion is a certainty.

As compensation, he plans to ask that Kehyo, who sacrificed himself, be resurrected, even if he is an undead. Although there is no news of his death yet, it was a precautionary measure.

Even if you’re a shaman, you’ll probably leave behind a corpse. Kehyo. I’ll definitely take care of your corpse.

If you dig through the regiment-level troops one by one, they are full of scraps. In fact, I was quite proud of myself for silently carrying out operations with these troops, but I was exhausted by the continuous damage and had no other plans than to return to the Demon World after completing the operation.

“Everyone is a loser!!!!!”

“… ?!!”

A chilling sensation as if electricity had run through my entire body from the sudden shout. As I instinctively grasped the incredible power contained in the voice, the 1st Corps Commander came to mind.

Is this power, perhaps, Tian Ge?

The pride of the Demon King’s Army and the pride of the Demon Tribe, who was said to be the strongest being except for the Demon King. It was strange to hear the news that Tiangu had been defeated by the warrior party and died.

That power.

In terms of sheer strength, he was stronger than the Demon King, and might even be able to defeat Turtlelick, who has not died for a thousand years.

Oh no, you’re still alive…?!

A hope that is visible along with the fear of killing that does not even forgive one’s own allies.

Critrick-nim had a plan and told us to catch the priestess’s ankle! I wondered why the priestess abandoned her duty as a member of the warrior party and came all the way here, but the news of Tiang-nim’s death was a lie that even fooled our own forces!

Even in Maluk, Tiang-nim led his legions to capture the warrior party that had escaped to the dangerous Garden of the Forgotten Gods, and eventually concluded that the priestess of the warrior party had escaped here after being struck by Tiang-nim.

As expected, it’s Tian Geun! The rumors that he died in that dangerous place were not true!

Even though I was fooled by a scheme that boldly fooled my own forces, I was happy. I was even invigorated.

Let’s go. Lord Tiang has come to support, but as the commander, I can’t be absent from the battlefield.

With no need to conserve power, he willingly transformed from his elemental form into the demonic Behemoth.

“Kreuk, Tian-nim, you too. To give me such a gift.”

I saw some birds lying around that looked like they had fallen to their deaths while I was running, so I quickly picked them up and ate them as a snack.

‘Ugh.’

Hmm-. Isn’t that something to like too much?

The superior of another unit came to help, but the field commander was not present?

I am grateful for the asymmetric power, but the belated embarrassment of an inappropriate or excessive investment made me lower the corners of my mouth, which had been filled with joy.

If I had known this would happen, I would have tried to catch one element even if it meant forcing myself to do so.

In order to grasp the situation on the ground, he sent the fastest of the lower-level servants. The only notable achievement was that he tied up the feet of the supply unit.

I wonder if Tian-nim will be satisfied with this. No, is it really true that Critique-nim wants to tie up the priestess’s feet…! To make sure that the priestess who escaped from the warrior party that Tian-nim defeated is dealt with?

“Ahh-! Indeed!”

This time, I finally figured out a proper deduction. The servant horse will arrive soon to share the situation, but even if the results are lacking, since I received help, it is only right that I treat him properly.

If Tian Ge has come, the Allied Forces must be pushed back as well.

‘Kwarrr-!!!’

‘Keep on. Keep on.’

I almost tripped and fell over from the sudden thunderclap. Instead, the hair on my whole body stood on end, and I lay down, trembling and covering my eyes like a dog soaked in rain.

This is not Tian Ge…!

I tried my best to turn the happiness circuit around, but my intuition warned me that the situation was not going well.

What the heck, what the heck…!

I focus on sharing the sight of my servant horse to see how the situation on the ground is going.

The elemental forces engaged in battle with the Chujara group. Some of the Demon King’s forces are dead and most are fleeing. And in the middle of them, there is a human male crushing Makku’s head.

What the heck is this?

Is it because it’s such an absurd scene?

Hallucination? Illusion? Dream?

My thoughts stopped for a moment at the sight I couldn’t believe even though I was seeing it with my own eyes.

No, this is reality. Fucking reality.

He recalls the fact that the priestess had run wild in his own camp all by herself. Even though she was just a single human male, there was no way that something similar wouldn’t happen to the priestess.

Let’s sort out the situation. If the being I thought was Tian-gnim was that human male, then the warrior…?!

Oh-oh-oh

As I became convinced of the existence of a warrior other than Tian Gu, I acknowledged the identity of the anxiety that had been rising in my mind.

The reason the priestess is here is not because she ran away from Tian Gu, but because it was the opposite. Contrary to vain expectations, the rumors were true.

No, no no no, that’s not right. Why? Why! Why is the warrior here!?

Even if you are denying reality inside, you must calmly interpret the cause and effect of the incident in your head.

Tiang chases the warrior party that entered the Garden of the Forgotten God, but is killed.

However, the damage to the warrior party will also be serious.

The warrior party, which had suffered considerable damage, also came to the Land of Elements to replenish its supplies.

Ah, Mr. Critic. Such important information, why…!

While blaming his immediate superior, he thought that it might be the work of the 43rd generation, but denied it.

Because it was information that could have resulted in both of us being killed if we made a single mistake.

I really didn’t know. Neither Mr. Samsam nor Mr. Critic.

The commander’s exemplary attitude of trying to overcome even the worst situation was a model, but the reality was harsh.

Since she recently revealed the existence of the priestess, she must be fighting hard on the battlefield to invade the continent.

In the absence of the warrior party, what Lord Critic really wanted from us was for the priestess to help the warrior party gain the upper hand on the battlefield by holding them back.

“This is not the time!”

After finishing my reasoning up to that point, I immediately used the only dedicated short-term communication tool to contact my immediate superior.