Return
Still shining brilliantly golden, the sea of life force. Na-tae, watching over it in a ghostly, translucent form, said in a trembling voice.
"Why... why won't it corrupt?"
He knew the body was strong. He knew the mind was strong too. If it weren't, he could've corrupted it without even invading the inner world.
So he'd gone to the trouble of sneaking in here. For the first time since birth—unseemly for one named Sloth—he'd actually put in some effort.
And this was the reward for that effort?
"A mind that won't corrupt. No such being could exist in this world."
In that moment, one existence sprang to mind. The hero Lux's final cry before his own corruption echoed in Na-tae's ears.
- O God, please protect me from corruption.
Na-tae had laughed heartily at the hero then. Calling on God when he was already a puppet for one of his brothers. Why did humans cling to something that didn't even exist?
How could there be a being who created all life and watched over it?
Despair leaked from Na-tae's lips in a mutter.
"No way... is he really a god?!"
"No. Sung-tae isn't a god. Sung-tae's human."
A child's voice came from behind. Na-tae slowly turned. Though he'd bound her in darkness, Mukkebi had somehow freed herself and was scowling fiercely. The girl stuck out her tongue long, spitting repeatedly like she'd eaten something foul.
"Ptui! Ptui! Tastes awful!"
"What are you? Did you eat my darkness?"
"Didn't really wanna, but if it's to protect Sung-tae..."
Mukkebi's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.
"I'll eat you!"
"Ha! Eat me? What the hell are you?"
"My name's Mukkebi. The name Sung-tae gave me—my favorite!"
Mukkebi took a deep breath and tried to suck Na-tae in. But no matter how hard she pulled, Na-tae didn't budge an inch. Like a rocky mountain unmoved by a fierce typhoon, he showed no sign of disturbance.
"Pathetic. You think you can eat me? A nothing like you."
"Urk!?"
"I poured nearly all my power into that sea, but a halfwit like you is no problem."
Darkness poured from Na-tae's body, wrapping around Mukkebi. She tried to eat it like when she'd broken free of her bonds, but the darkness coiled so tightly she couldn't even twitch her throat.
"Same kind of mental life-form, so eating you should be fine."
"E-eat me?!"
"Yeah. You look like decent sustenance."
It had been ages since he'd used this power. It was that guy's power, right? Without it as a base, getting this strong would've been impossible. The idea of devouring other life-forces and mana to build power—that was unique to him.
"Shall we, then?"
"Ugh..."
Mukkebi's form began to fade to transparency. Her wolf beastkin shape dissolved, reverting to her original little girl state.
"First time since then... mental life-forms really are delicious. Gotta escape before the others notice."
He hadn't claimed Sung-tae's body, so running was all that was left. With his power unsealed, the others would sense his location. Regrettably, he was the weakest among them. True to his name, Sloth, he'd never properly built his strength.
At least he'd found a good nest in the World Tree to amass power and form a body—but even that had burned away under Sung-tae's attack.
"Now, where to..."
As his meal neared its end, Na-tae began plotting his escape. But in that instant, searing pain hit him, forcing his gaze back to Mukkebi.
"Gah!? W-what the?!"
He'd been absorbing her, but now she was sucking his power dry instead. Continuously drained, Na-tae grew translucent, then lost cohesion entirely.
"H-how are you..."
Impossible. At full strength, Na-tae would've been uneatable. But to invade Sung-tae's inner world, he'd depleted his power. Then, to corrupt him, he'd used nearly everything left. He was weakened to the extreme.
"This can't be!"
Mukkebi, starting from her little girl form, began to grow bit by bit. Now looking about twelve, Na-tae stared and remembered someone. A familiar face overlaid the girl's.
"N-no way! You're alive?!"
No answer. Mukkebi had already passed out. Instead, she relentlessly absorbed Na-tae, erasing his very existence.
"Nooo! I can't die like this! Nooooo!!!"
With that final scream, Na-tae vanished completely. Only Mukkebi lay on the sandy beach, belching.
"Urp. So full..."
Though unconscious, was she dreaming of tasty food? The murmuring girl smiled happily.
"Mukkebi? Mukkebi? Can you hear me?"
Sensing Na-tae had burrowed inside him, Sung-tae desperately called for Mukkebi. No answer, so worried, he began stomping his feet.
Boom!
Boom!
With the armor's magic undone, it triggered quakes that shook the earth. Seeing this, the World Tree—its soul transferred to an arrow—shouted urgently to calm him.
F-from what I've checked, that Na-tae guy's completely gone! No need to worry so much!
"...Really?"
Yes. I only sense that Mukkebi kid's energy now.
"Hm."
The World Tree wouldn't lie, right? But what if Mukkebi had eaten the guy? She'd seemed to sleep off overeating before.
"No issues in my body either. If you say so... then time to do what needs doing. Wake Garba. She's my precious subordinate."
Not fully recovered, but I'll try. Place me on her.
Sung-tae laid Garba flat, then placed the World Tree's arrow on her. More like stabbed it in.
"Mm. King Slime indeed. Stays fixed without a wobble."
Beginning now.
The World Tree channeled its scant mana into Garba. Wrapping the dark branch fixed in her inner world with mana, the darkness binding her inner world began to extract.
Too weak to erase it, the World Tree opted to pull it out.
"Darkness, huh."
Sung-tae fanned the extracted darkness with his palm. Without the magic circle, his fanning whipped up a typhoon, blowing it far away.
As the darkness vanished, Garba's eyelids fluttered. She finally awoke from her long slumber.
"Mm... M-my lord? Where..."
"You're up? There was some noisy trouble. Not sure if you remember."
"...I remember nothing."
"It's fine. All sorted now."
Sung-tae meant to reassure her, but she couldn't lift her head. She'd wanted to follow at his side, lend her strength—instead, she'd been nothing but baggage. He called it "noisy trouble," but with not a single tree left standing, it clearly wasn't minor.
"I'm sorry, my lord..."
"Eh, it's fine."
"Truly... I'm sorry."
She apologized repeatedly, but her heart wouldn't lighten. Sung-tae tried reassuring her again, but seeing her tremble, he faltered and shut his mouth. Was she crying? He'd never comforted a crying woman and panicked, changing the subject.
"Ahem. Shall we head back to the castle, then?"
"...Yes."
Even as he tore the scroll, Sung-tae couldn't look at Garba. Nor could she face him, guilt-ridden for causing him harm. In that awkward air, the pair vanished from the forest.
The Ruined High Elf Forest, scorched barren. Not a tree remained on that land hallowed by name alone—until one man arrived.
Flying in, he landed in the World Tree's pit, inspected it, and muttered to himself.
"Na-tae, you were hiding here?"
Armored in dazzling splendor, the man searched the surroundings. Seeking something? Sensing it? Eyes closed, mana flowed from him, vast amounts overlaying the old forest's traces.
"Already fled? Shame. Absorbing him would've given me a body..."
Then—he sensed something. Eyes snapping open, pupils eerily calm against his soft features and fine armor, he headed there.
A small patch of darkness remained. The bit Sung-tae had blown away from Garba's body.
"This?"
He reached for it. The sticky darkness tried seeping in but bounced off an invisible wall, playing in his hand.
Eyes closed again, he probed its energy.
"Mana from the so-called World Tree. But Na-tae's energy too. Na-tae corrupted it, then? And a battle that razed the whole forest..."
His hand clenched. The darkness vanished futilely.
"So, is Na-tae dead? Another's doing? Maybe someone beat me to him and absorbed him."
He seemed to know Na-tae well—like an old friend.
"Shame. Such a shame. I needed to absorb him first... would've sped things up."
With that, he closed his eyes again. When they reopened, they were clear, kind—the eyes of a good man. Completely different, he looked around in confusion.
"Why am I here?"
Flustered, scanning about, he flew off just as he'd arrived.
Anyone seeing him would've said:
"Mm. Gotta get back quick. Ever since defeating the Demon King, my body's felt so weak..."
The hero.
Kim Sung-tae's party returned to Demon King Castle unharmed. But both Sung-tae and Garba were preoccupied, intent on acting on lessons from this adventure.
"Need more intel."
First, Sung-tae sought Gepelt upon arrival—for repairs to his ruined magic circle. And thorough prep for the next outing.
"Next page."
Kirik.
At Sung-tae's command, the skeleton turned the page. The book in its white bony hand was titled Stories About Other Races on the cover.
A week into engraving the magic circle—weeks more to go—Sung-tae refused to waste time, reading to gather info.
"Oh..."
What starkly divided modern from ancient? Superior tech? New ideology like democracy? Globalization's peace wish?
"Elves!"
It was 'information' individuals could acquire. Moderns handled hundreds of times what ancients did. To them, info was air—ever-present, easily breathed in.
In short, moderns' new weapon: info-processing power.
Having suffered from skipping prep before, Sung-tae finally did reconnaissance.
"Elves indeed. So pretty."
Even now, his heart pounded at the book's elf illustration. Face-only was a shame, but pointed ears and beauty matched his ideal perfectly.
Elves live deep in the Ramian Mountains, so ordinary folk rarely see one in a lifetime. Know what the Ramian Mountains are? Steep cliffs, treacherous terrain, relentless gales tormenting visitors. If you want to meet an elf, I strongly advise against it. Curiosity fades fast, but you've only got one life.
"Ramian Mountains. Gotta remember that."
"Ahem. My lord. Please don't get too excited. Makes engraving hard."
"Got it. Next page."
The skeleton turned the page—to dwarves. First, an illustration. Lazy author did face-only like the elf, but the clichéd look failed to hook him.
"Dwarves are dwarves, huh."
Lush beard, grandpa face. Straight out of movies or comics. No need to look.
Still, curiosity skimmed the text below.
Dwarves are other races skilled at handling ore, burrowing into mountains and...
"Next page."
Too obvious. Mines, of course. Workers there would be muscled. Dwarf women probably no different from the men. Muscled women? Not Sung-tae's taste—no female: muscle tag for him. Garba-level was okay, maybe.
"Sung-tae, whatcha doing?"
"Whoa!"
A girl appeared suddenly, calling him. Sung-tae's startled jerk sent Gepelt flying mid-engraving. Wood golem or not, it'd have ruptured organs.
"My lord..."
"Sorry. Won't move for real."
Gepelt eyed him dubiously, then resumed. Sung-tae slumped, glaring at Mukkebi. Cute as the girl was, hints of her future unnerved him.
She'll definitely be a beauty grown. Whoever takes her needs my permission.
His eyes gleamed. He saw beauty's bud in the little girl, but no dark thoughts. His guard range: ±5 years. Mukkebi, not yet past kid phase, wasn't on radar.
Besides, even if not, no such feelings for her arose.
"In surgery now, so wait."
"Suh—surgery?!"
Why? Sung-tae didn't know. Unconsciously, since she grew on his life force, he saw her as family. Same for her—no room for romance, just familial love.
"S-Sung-tae..."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"You got... terminal illness? Sung-tae dying?!"
"...Where'd you learn that?"
"Book in inner world. Says surgery means death! No, Sung-tae!"
What book? Too many read; no guess.
"Not me—the armor. Don't worry."
"Phew. Good."
"Hey, Mukkebi. If you're free, check on Garba?"
"Garba? Oh!"
Mukkebi recalled her face—fuzzy, like a bad photo. Her memory camera panned down, and it clicked.
"King Slime?"
"...Yeah, but don't call her that. Think it inside only."
"Gotcha. Why?"
"Haven't seen her. Check if she's okay."
Truth: hadn't glimpsed her since return. During repairs, she never visited; no one knew her whereabouts.
"Yup! On it!"
"Thanks, Mukkebi."
"Heehee."
Thrilled by praise, she scampered out to find Garba. Her footsteps alone brought Sung-tae a smile as he awaited the procedure's end.
"By the way, my lord. A question."
"What?"
"Who is that child, exactly?"
"My family."