episode_0041

Kel’Thazar shouted in despair.

“Why… did so many people die just by temporarily sealing the Red Gate? What happened before I came?”

Even after Kel’Thazar arrived on the battlefield, not that many people had died. That means that many people died before he came.

“There was a mutant monster that caused a mass explosion at one of the Red Gates…because of him…”

“Where is that gate?”

It was a serious problem. A mutant monster that committed mass murder. If that were true, it meant that once the temporary seal was over, it could come out again.

“Drezar Imperial Knight Commander entered…the Red Gate.”

The highest level Red Gate, where monsters flocked like crazy and it was difficult to break through. The place where Drezar is imprisoned must be hell.

Kel’Thazar urgently stretched out his hand and shouted.

“All troops rush. We still need the power of the Imperial Knight Commander Drezar. Even if it isn’t, we have to stop that vicious mutant monster from going to the imperial palace.”

*

Leos, who had sealed all 10 red gates, waved his hands and walked out of the gate.

“It takes less than an hour to seal 10 advanced red gates. It’s amazing.”

The assassination team leader, Rakarte, burst out laughing, and Faron next to him had such a stiff expression that he could not bear to laugh. Even after seeing the scene before my eyes, I couldn’t understand it. It wasn’t with the help of any artifact or strange power, but a mere human was showing such an overwhelming sight.

Faron approached Leos without realizing it and spoke to him.

“What on earth did you do?”

“What?”

When Leos questioned, Faron asked more detailed questions.

“I just received news from the former empire. It took nearly 1,500 knights to clear out and seal a large number of low- and intermediate-level red gates and temporarily seal 15 high-level red gates. Even if we were only targeting high-level Red Gates, it doesn’t make sense.”

“It is the difference between awareness and efficiency.”

“…?”

“You have no choice but to be defeated because you do not recognize what abilities your opponent has, and as a result, you have no choice but to cram in personnel inefficiently. That’s the difference.”

Faron looked like he didn’t have a sufficient answer.

‘If you don’t know the characteristics of monsters, you’ll never be able to do it. If you don’t know how to respond, it’s not surprising if hundreds or thousands of people die, because it’s a high-ranking Red Gate.’

The same applies to the Red Gate we just attacked. Leos briefly explained it to Faron, who was stuck in an unsolvable question.

“Just now, there was a guy named Quirum at Red Gate. What would you have done if you were the knight commander of the Empire?

“… Since they don’t know their identity, they will enter the Red Gate as a group to at least temporarily seal it.”

“At that moment, it is already over. Quirum becomes proportionally more powerful each time a human enters the Red Gate. If only one person enters, it is just a strong monster, but if dozens or hundreds of people enter at the same time, it becomes a crazy monster that will repel any attack or magic. The problem is that the minions that follow him also become stronger.”

“…”

“You never realize it until someone tells you. Even if the troops that went in first were annihilated, was there a lack of power? Thinking about it, we will continue to deploy troops. If that happens, everyone will be wiped out.”

“…Then what is the solution?”

“Only one person can enter. Or, all nearby companions will die, and only one strong person will be lucky enough to survive intact.”

“…?”

“Quirum becomes stronger based on the number of living creatures within the Red Gate. So, if all of the companions die, Quirum and his minions become proportionally weaker. However, even if they are only strengthened to the level of one person, Quirum and his minions are powerful. Even if you are lucky enough to know this trick, if the lone lone person dies, Quirum’s ability will once again become an unsolved mystery, and the next troop will die again.”

Only then did Faron realize. The reason why Leos can’t attack Red Gate, which he casually attacks alone, even if some groups pour in dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people.

There are various tricks in Red Gate. And if you don’t see the trick, you will have to endure huge losses. Faron listened to the story and asked Leos a question.

“But how do you know that?”

As Leos remained silent, Faron covered his mouth as if he had made a mistake. Assassination leader Rakarte shook his head and whispered to Faron.

“Faron, why are you being like this?”

“Sorry. However, the difference in military strength is so ridiculous…”

“You know the knights training in the empire better than anyone else, so I understand that you are shaken by the fact that many of them have died. It’s not because I’m worried about them, but because it’s your personality, I really don’t understand the current situation logically. But Redgate is not a phenomenon we can understand. No, not only us, but no one in the empire except Leos knows this much in detail.”

“That’s right.”

Faron bowed his head to Leos and apologized.

“Sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“It is done.”

After saying that, Leos walked towards the new Red Gate. As Faron looked at the back, he remembered again what Leos had just said. How to destroy Quirum’s abilities.

– Only one person can enter. Or, all nearby companions die, and only one strong person is lucky enough to survive intact.

‘Perhaps all the colleagues who entered the Red Gate with Leos died and he was the only one who survived.’

After thinking that, Faron felt goosebumps starting to form on his arms.

‘No way… Then you know everything about how to deal with other Redgate mutants because you have experienced it yourself…?’

Paron was confident that he had crossed the line of fire countless times and walked a tightrope on the border of death. However, he began to realize that compared to Leos, his dangers and events were nothing.

‘It’s surprising that I haven’t gone crazy.’

Countless comrades would have died, and countless deaths would have had to be faced head-on. It is basic to have your body and flesh torn apart, but there will never be a moment where you do not risk your life in battle. The end of Leos was imprisonment due to his disciple’s betrayal.

‘…This is terrible. If it were me, I would have killed Velin right away, but looking at Master Leo’s actions, it seems that he wants revenge on the Empire and the shadow group itself that carried out the order rather than taking revenge on Velin right away. It doesn’t seem like he was even considering revenge until we came forward… I guess that means he was enduring everything on his own.’

It was difficult for Faron to even imagine the depth and pain of that time.

*

After sealing a few more red gates, Leos began to shake off the blood all over his body. As I look around, the sun is already setting. However, unlike before, the population of Mons has clearly decreased.

Because of the red gate transfer phenomenon, it was normal for monsters to overflow around the whirlpool, but as Leos attacked and sealed all the gates along the way, the range of the safe zone began to expand.

Naturally, whenever a safe zone was created, vagrants began to approach one by one. As the transfer phenomenon occurred, the places that Leos could not reach became even more hellish than before, so ordinary people without professional training had no choice but to struggle in pain and try to survive somehow or come to a safe zone.

By now, Leos’s face was so well known among the Interrunners that most outcasts knew who Leos was. But nothing came close. Leos had a warning on the Interrunner.

[LEO]

[Title: Say in advance]

[Text: There is no need to say anything about surviving on your own. But I have no intention of taking responsibility for anyone, nor do I have any desire to sacrifice for someone. I, who devoted myself to the empire, was treated like an asshole in return, so I will not make the same mistake. If you come close and pretend to be friendly, I will consider you an enemy and cut you down. But I don’t care what you do as long as you don’t mess with the people around me. You are free to do whatever you want as long as you do not openly plunder in front of me.]

As Leos posted strategies related to Red Gate, many people begged for help and left comments like crazy asking for food and supplies. So much that Leos can’t handle it. Therefore, Leos made his course clear. It is true that we are providing information, but that does not mean that we will claim to be their saviors.

Leos had killed so many marauders so far, and many people had exploded to death in front of the vagabonds, so they started to live without sticking around on their own. Little by little, I entered the safe zone created by Leo, and there I filled my hungry stomach.

“Leos. Can I leave them alone? Actually, from our perspective, it’s a good thing because it’s a force that can be usefully used later if we let it go, but I think you’ll feel bad because it feels like you’re free riding in the safe zone you created.”

“I don’t care. Unless they are marauders or imperial forces, and unless they touch me, it has nothing to do with me. And the scope of the safe zone will continue to increase in the future, and it is impossible to control it all with our troops.”

“Great. You don’t know, but those guys must be incredibly grateful to you, right? All these emotions become weapons later. It can also be used to manipulate public opinion.”

“Do it yourself. Because I just don’t care about them. I have no hobby of trampling and killing people who can’t even swing a sword properly.”

“I understand. I’ll tell my kids not to mess with it either.”

As Rakart said so, he looked at each person’s face to see if there were any people involved with the empire. A time when tramps were twitching and shaking.

“Uh…?”

Rakarte’s expression twisted as if he were puzzled, he looked at a man and whispered to Leos.

“Leos, I know you don’t mess with vagabonds, but are you going to leave that guy alone too? I say this in advance because I am worried that someone might reprimand me later for not telling me.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“That guy over there wearing white clothes and bullying the other kids.”

“That level is not in the category of looting. Since he doesn’t seem to be a professionally educated person, it’s up to him to resolve the dispute on his own.”

“I guess I couldn’t see your face. I saw a face.”

“Who is it?”

Rakarte hesitated for a moment and then spoke.

“At your trial, I am the judge who confirmed your imprisonment. For your information, that guy took bribes from the empire during your trial. That may be the reason why neither your innocent statement nor any evidence was accepted.”

-Thud…

Leos clenched his fist for a moment, and it sounded like something was breaking. Leos slowly looked in the direction Rakarte pointed. Then, the man he remembered really appeared.

Torrigal. It was the judge who put Leos in prison.

“I changed my mind. Let’s go check the situation.”

Leos started walking quietly towards him, holding his sword.